Siquijor: Another Day in Paradise

Imagine yourself mindful not of what time or day is it. The sea-breeze continuously touching your face, or the need to constantly fix your hair (if you are a lady). Coconut leaves sway as if being orchestrated by the winds.you smell the saltiness in the air and you don’t mind getting your feet covered with sand as you walk along the white Siquijor shoreline waiting for the sun to set.

Siquijor Church. The first building that will catch your attention when you arrive to Siquijor town from Dumaguete.

I write this piece so you get ‘a glimpse of my life on the road.’ Sorry as this is not a travel guide but I believe this will enlighten every reader of what my kind of travel is.

LAID-BACK.

Earlier I was talking with some foreign tourists- Americans, an English man and a Danish. I learned that they are here for a quick holiday. Then they asked me why I am here. I don’t know how to explain so I just say I’m chilling out. As if I’m too busy back in Manila. How would you explain to these foreigners a non-working Filipino just traveling in his own country while most are on the desk or cubicle busy doing something or beating the deadline?

Then seven local tourists came in- after the usual ‘where are you from and until when do you plan to stay?’ They asked me too about my purpose here. Again, I say “to chill.” Glad they didn’t probed further.

And I AM. Yes, I’m chilling out. After I empty my coffee cup I smiled at life (I just came from a 10-hour sleep by the beach on a makeshift bed). Life is good! Life is good to me.

After coffee I found myself reading a few chapters from Palin’s “New Europe.” I’m getting ideas before I start writing my own book, “ISANGDAAN.”

SNORKELING.

I went out to the sea trying to explore what this part of Siquijor has. I’m in the municipality of San Juan. I saw Nemo and friends (except for the turtles), lotsa seaweeds, urchins, starfish and seahorses.

Nemo or clownfish. Very territorial in nature.

Starfish on the ocean floor

RELAX.

Back to my spot, I laid n an elevated bamboo raft and took a nap. Woke up not knowing what to do. I guess I would just wait for the sun to set eh? As the blue sky turned to gray with touched of fiery orange I reckon to write what you are reading now- “Another Day in Paradise.” I end the piece with myself sitting on the beach looking westward.

Sunset at San Juan, Siquijor. My place for almost 3days now. You can see the Negros Oriental mountains at the far end.

The sun slowly disappearing and changing every hue in the vast sky. THIS. IS. LIFE. This is my kind of travel- to be still, to be one with nature, to be closer to the earth, to appreciate life and all that it can offer, to appreciate the Giver of Life.

Written from the beach- San Juan, Siquijor // 10th August 2012 // journeyingjames

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You can get real-time travel updates when you follow me on twitter: @journeyingjames

My tweets the past days include:

“Just in time to witness Siquijor’s glorious sunset. Now this is life- beach. coconut trees. sea breeze. birds. drift woods.”

“Big dipper, small dipper, scorpion, orion light the sky and I’m being lulled by the strong Habagat wind. Saraaaap matulog!”

“10 hours of sleep, love it! Spending another day in paradise. Maayong buntag, greetings from Siquijor!”

“Saw Nemo and friends while snorkeling earlier. The seaweeds and corals are healthy, lotsa urchins and starfishes too!”

“sunburn hurts! arghhhh”