You know the dreams you get where everything is colorful and mysterious and warm and lyrical and full of joy and wonder? That are oftentimes accompanied by rainbows and talking animals and fireworks and the ability to fly? That you desperately fight to hold onto when you realize that you are slowly waking up? And that you wish you could find in real life? Well we found a glimmer of those dreams in the Philippines! Specifically, in Moalboal, Cebu. (And if you don't get those kinds of dreams you might want to start reading more Narnia/Harry Potter/LOTR combined...oh and C. S. Lewis' space trilogy!)
I think we felt that way mostly because we couldn't believe we were actually in a real place! Our first day started with exploring a jungly gorge, and that just set the tone for the rest of the trip. As we traced our way up a glowing river full of waterfalls, jump rocks, and caves, we couldn't help but be filled with a pure raw wonder and a childlike happiness. I mean I didn't know rivers could be turquoise! I didn't know there were places in the world where you could jump through a tear-drop-shaped rock hole into water below! I could never have imagined each new bend around the corner that would stun me into silence yet at the same time make me laugh out loud! It was truly truly wonderful in the most literal sense of the word.
My most anticipated adventure was canyoning. The first time I rappelled down waterfalls was in Costa Rica with Lyssa ten years ago. I still remember the feeling of rapture and the rhythm of the water pounding on my hard hat as I lowered myself through the falls. Needless to say I was excited to try it again! We hiked up to the top of a ravine, reviewed our skills, and then swung our way down a series of falls. The smooth curves and windings of the rock formations made me feel yet again that I was inside a National Geographic magazine. Hmmmmmm:) We loved being able to look back up the river and see the different levels of waterfalls that we had conquered. And when we were sad to reach the end, the natural hot springs at the bottom made up for it ;)
I've been gripped with a dread fascination of sharks ever since I was very young. My favorite pastime was learning all about them and other wild, exciting animals on the Dangerous Creatures CD we had at home, or through various DK picture & info books. In the deep end of the pool, in lakes & rivers, and especially in the ocean, an ever-present, nagging fear of being eaten by sharks was always swimming right alongside me, behind me, and from the deeps beneath me. And yet, I loved them!
Among the frontrunners that captured my interest was the whale shark. First, it's enormous - up to 40 feet long! So it had my attention there. Second, it's very existence is a contradiction. How can it be both whale and shark? The biggest shark in existence actually survives on plankton? It looks like a shark. It's got the cunning dorsal fin of a shark. And yet, it acts like a whale and is completely harmless to me. Why? What does it mean?!
Filled with curiosity and nervous excitement (I wasn't entirely sure they wouldn't swallow me by accident - their mouths are HUGE!), we set off for snorkeling with whale sharks! :) Our safety briefing involved 2 important regulations: No Sunscreen (b/c it's harmful to the fish) and Keep 4 Meters Distance (if possible!).
Once we reached the beach, our jaws dropped. We were going to ride out to the whale sharks in THOSE?! First thought: We're gonna need a bigger boat! The Filipino canoes were long enough for about 6 people to ride single file with 2 narrow stabilizers on either side - it seemed you would be hard-pressed to stay in your seat if the whale shark bumped into the boat! There was a cluster of a dozen canoes about 100 yards offshore, and as our boat fell in line with them our eyes began to swiftly scan the surface.
Shark fins! Breaking the surface of the water, what once would have terrified me now held me in a state of unparalleled anticipation! We quickly discovered how big they were as massive, dark shapes drifted beneath the surface. Before long, we got a green light from our guides, adjusted our snorkel masks and jumped in!
It was thrilling to be swimming so close to such magnificent creatures. Beside us, beneath us, behind us - all around us! There were several whale sharks in the water, and visibility was good - so we got a chance to appreciate them from every angle. It was the perfect time to be enjoying our new waterproof camera - we were even able to capture the vacuum-like sucking that takes place as they feed on the plankton :). Surrounded by fearless silver fish, they were propelled by their powerful tails through the water with ease. Far from feeling threatened, the experience was much like swimming with manta rays - these fish were our friends! :)
It was simply surreal, and I am still shocked at how much joy we received as we marveled at God's creativity and majesty displayed in the ocean's largest fish, and one of its most graceful fish as well. Wow :).
When we weren't crossing items off our bucket list, we were back at our 'resort'. It didn't have a pool or a beach, (or hot water for that matter ;), but it did come with snorkel masks and a reef right down the steps from our room! I think I snorkeled more in that one week than I have in my whole life combined...we were out there all the time! My favorite fish were the black and white stripeys and the translucent green guppies that would hide in their coral castle as soon as I would swim closer. Steve loved the big puffer fish and the classic Angel fish. But we BOTH loved the sea turtles the most! And the giant swirling cloud of sardines, which would race away like a tornado at the sign of any sudden movement. [As a side note, before this trip I always thought the name of that hide and seek game Sardines came from how they were packaged, but now I know it comes from how close they stick together in the sea!] After our days spent with the fishies we would always return to our favorite seaside restaurant to watch thousands of swallows take to the skies after sunset (and for the delicious pizza and mango smoothies of course:).
In addition to all of that, we also took the time to read Tim Keller's The Meaning of Marriage. It's a great book and we are so fortunate to have been able to take a break from our world and think about the things that matter most in life....like our love for each other!
Check out our video below to experience a taste of our aqua-themed trip!