In that moment, on impulse, I decided that I wanted to go visit Gumasa, Glan in the Sarangani province. The last time I went to Gumasa was in March just after Red first got sick. Gumasa is one of the most beautiful, less-known beaches in the Philippines. Everyone says that it's just like Boracay used to be before the crowds started piling in, and it truly is pristine. It's one of the best beaches I've traveled to, and I like how not a lot of people know that it exists.
I haven't been able to do a whole lot of travelling since Red started getting sick. I love going to remote places, and I especially love going on my own because when I'm alone I'm silent, and when I'm silent it's easier for me to feel spiritual. My favorite solo trip that I've ever taken is when I went to Kathmandu, Nepal on my own last year. I can't even begin to describe the sense of peace I felt on that trip. Just to be surrounded by the comforting sounds of bells in Buddhist temples and to see Mt Everest outside the window of the tiny plane I was in was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Everyone should be able to say they've done that at least once before they leave this world.
So anyway, yesterday morning I woke up at 5:00 am so I could take the first van ride to Glan from KCC Mall. The van left by 6:30 am, and we were in Glan an hour later. Going there was different this time because I had forgotten to bring my digicam, and the only camera I had was the one on my phone, so I couldn't take any high-resolution pics of the ride going to Glan. I usually take hundreds even thousands of pictures when I travel, starting from the journey going there. But rather than worry that I didn't have a camera, I decided to be happy that instead of looking for the perfect shot I could just focus on how beautiful the sights really are. In the end, photos, no matter how good they are, can't fully capture how awe-inspiring a place can be. You really have to be in a place sometimes for you to connect with its soul.
After a quick breakfast, I rode a tricycle and in 10 minutes I was at White Haven Beach. Again, words fail to express how at one with the universe you feel at a place like Gumasa, so let me express it through the few pictures I took.
It was a feast for the senses. I could feel the wind brush against my skin and hum in my ear, and in just five minutes it blew away everything I had been worrying about for the past five months. The waves melodically crashed on the shore, and the sound made me drowsy. I lay in the cool, white sand and took a nap for a bit. I was in heaven. My body surrendered, and in spite of the virus replicating inside of me, I felt healed. I felt loved.
I spent the morning playing with the sand and splashing in the water like a 5 year-old. At first I didn't want to swim because I didn't bring a towel, but I'm glad I did because I found a 1,000 peso bill floating in the water. I looked around to see if there was anyone who looked like they had lost money, but there wasn't. I kept the money and thanked God that this trip pretty much paid for itself. By noon the sky became darker and the clouds became thicker. For some reason I didn't want to see my paradise spoiled by the rain, so I left before it did. It was OK though. I didn't need to spend the whole day there. A few hours was all I needed to meditate and recharge. I was ready to get back to reality. A few hours later I was back in Davao.
I can't wait for my next trip. It'll probably be easier to travel once I've relocated to Manila because there are more travel promos and budget fares if you're coming from there. Hopefully Red can go with me, but if he can't I don't mind going solo again. Travelling alone is good for your soul, and you can never have too much of a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment