Leaving Malapascua
As anywhere, leaving (a place) is always a bad mood if I enjoyed my stay. This was exactly that day. Ah!
I skipped breakfast today in favor of nursing a little hangover. Oh c’mon now… was that really a hangover or I just didn’t want to accept that it was the final day where I had to start picking myself up prior to finally returning to reality?! Asuuus! Sometimes I lie to even my very self, Hah!
Was on the beach at about 9AM and that was quite uncommon. I usually catch sunrises in my sojourns, right?! Anyway, I dabbled between wading at the little waves, observing/conversing with a lady tending to a fishnet near exotic’s imaginary perimeter boundary, and playing with her three children happily romping around or swinging themselves at a hammock amongst the young coconut trees.
Oh, about 9:45AM, the mighty stomach finally grumbled. I sat at my usual seat on Exotic’s restaurant (on 2nd day, waiters already know your favorite place… this was day 3) and thought Exotic’s Mango Crepe was right on cue! When it arrived on my table at
9:54AM, I complained (as has always been with Exotic) that it was too big for even a voracious six-footer like me! Waiter now used to my usual mutterings just smiled and ordered me to finish everything as fruits are good for the body! Of course (and he expected that) the talkative me retorted with “what am I, due for execution?” and we laughed. At 10:07AM though, I took a picture of just my plate with a few swatches of the maple syrup. No evidence could be discerned if that was a mango crepe on my plate or otherwise! Hah! I am so… whatever!
Less than an hour to go… I promised myself to checkout at 11AM so I could catch the 12NN boat back to Maya. I heard the waters are choppier after noontime hehe! Took a shower and stuffed things back into my backpack. Went down to front desk to check-out exactly 10:57AM. They processed my checkout and I gave my credit card (visa) for the payments. Amusing things happened right before my two chinky eyes hehe! The two ladies were having a hard time swiping my card on their POS. First they tried it on the BPI POS… nothing. Next they took out the HSBC gadget and swiped it too… nothing. Next they tried unplugging and plugging the thing for a re-set, nothing happened. One of them unplugged both gadgets and brought them inside to the cashier’s office (just behind the wall)… nothing!
Finally, one of them girls carried the two gadgets and my card somewhere upstairs. I got a bit “alarmed” something might happen up there out of my sight, but easily advised my card company about it. When the girl came back with a bit of perspiration, “success” was painted all over her face!
Now what was that about?! Signal! If you have not known yet, cellular phone signals are not very stable on Malapascua at various parts of the day. That is most especially if you are inside a structure or building – and that all the more is true if the structure / building is solid concrete! The POS (point-of-sale) Machines that Exotic uses are of the wireless variety using cellular phone signals for transactions to push through! At 11:28AM, everything was finally thankfully done hehe!
Okay. I was ready to go. Did not avail of the resort’s “delivery service” to Logon beach where the boats to Maya depart from. That’s unnecessary cost! I instead walked
towards the back entrance of Exotic to catch a habal-habal that can take me there for less than P10. Nothing… and it was getting late. Said goodbye to Danny (the daytime guard at Exotic’s back guard house) and walked the path going towards Logon. Whoa, at a sari-sari store, I spotted one of the volleyball boys just about to leave on his motorbike, shirtless with just a towel around his shoulders. He recognized me and he asked if I was leaving that soon and why! Seized the opportunity by joking that he give me a lift to Logon. And he did! Whoa!
Bought my P50 ticket from the desk manned by a barangay officer and at 12:09PM, I saw myself boarding a boat named “Desamparados” with just one other passenger. Ah, the
other passenger was the brave gentle gay who was a co-passenger on the boat coming to the island. Remember? Well, this dude is actually a waiter over at Exotic Dive Resort and hails from Cebu City. He told me he is free to avail of more days-off (unpaid) as this was lean season. We were the only passengers on a boat with 4 crews! Hmmmm, the boat! Yes, the boat, wasn’t this the same thing we rode on coming to the island? Hah, I just read something written on the outside hull of that thing... it said “maximum 22 passengers”!
Ah an empty boat is no better than a heavily loaded one hehe! This time, it was a bumpier trip as the boat would easily jump and toss itself amongst the waves hehe! Oh well, at least I was almost sure we were far from sinking on the deep and dark-blue seas!
Overall, Malapascua was a fantastic visit. I will be back! Promise!
I skipped breakfast today in favor of nursing a little hangover. Oh c’mon now… was that really a hangover or I just didn’t want to accept that it was the final day where I had to start picking myself up prior to finally returning to reality?! Asuuus! Sometimes I lie to even my very self, Hah!
Was on the beach at about 9AM and that was quite uncommon. I usually catch sunrises in my sojourns, right?! Anyway, I dabbled between wading at the little waves, observing/conversing with a lady tending to a fishnet near exotic’s imaginary perimeter boundary, and playing with her three children happily romping around or swinging themselves at a hammock amongst the young coconut trees.Oh, about 9:45AM, the mighty stomach finally grumbled. I sat at my usual seat on Exotic’s restaurant (on 2nd day, waiters already know your favorite place… this was day 3) and thought Exotic’s Mango Crepe was right on cue! When it arrived on my table at
9:54AM, I complained (as has always been with Exotic) that it was too big for even a voracious six-footer like me! Waiter now used to my usual mutterings just smiled and ordered me to finish everything as fruits are good for the body! Of course (and he expected that) the talkative me retorted with “what am I, due for execution?” and we laughed. At 10:07AM though, I took a picture of just my plate with a few swatches of the maple syrup. No evidence could be discerned if that was a mango crepe on my plate or otherwise! Hah! I am so… whatever!Less than an hour to go… I promised myself to checkout at 11AM so I could catch the 12NN boat back to Maya. I heard the waters are choppier after noontime hehe! Took a shower and stuffed things back into my backpack. Went down to front desk to check-out exactly 10:57AM. They processed my checkout and I gave my credit card (visa) for the payments. Amusing things happened right before my two chinky eyes hehe! The two ladies were having a hard time swiping my card on their POS. First they tried it on the BPI POS… nothing. Next they took out the HSBC gadget and swiped it too… nothing. Next they tried unplugging and plugging the thing for a re-set, nothing happened. One of them unplugged both gadgets and brought them inside to the cashier’s office (just behind the wall)… nothing!
Finally, one of them girls carried the two gadgets and my card somewhere upstairs. I got a bit “alarmed” something might happen up there out of my sight, but easily advised my card company about it. When the girl came back with a bit of perspiration, “success” was painted all over her face!
Now what was that about?! Signal! If you have not known yet, cellular phone signals are not very stable on Malapascua at various parts of the day. That is most especially if you are inside a structure or building – and that all the more is true if the structure / building is solid concrete! The POS (point-of-sale) Machines that Exotic uses are of the wireless variety using cellular phone signals for transactions to push through! At 11:28AM, everything was finally thankfully done hehe!
Okay. I was ready to go. Did not avail of the resort’s “delivery service” to Logon beach where the boats to Maya depart from. That’s unnecessary cost! I instead walked
towards the back entrance of Exotic to catch a habal-habal that can take me there for less than P10. Nothing… and it was getting late. Said goodbye to Danny (the daytime guard at Exotic’s back guard house) and walked the path going towards Logon. Whoa, at a sari-sari store, I spotted one of the volleyball boys just about to leave on his motorbike, shirtless with just a towel around his shoulders. He recognized me and he asked if I was leaving that soon and why! Seized the opportunity by joking that he give me a lift to Logon. And he did! Whoa!Bought my P50 ticket from the desk manned by a barangay officer and at 12:09PM, I saw myself boarding a boat named “Desamparados” with just one other passenger. Ah, the
other passenger was the brave gentle gay who was a co-passenger on the boat coming to the island. Remember? Well, this dude is actually a waiter over at Exotic Dive Resort and hails from Cebu City. He told me he is free to avail of more days-off (unpaid) as this was lean season. We were the only passengers on a boat with 4 crews! Hmmmm, the boat! Yes, the boat, wasn’t this the same thing we rode on coming to the island? Hah, I just read something written on the outside hull of that thing... it said “maximum 22 passengers”!Ah an empty boat is no better than a heavily loaded one hehe! This time, it was a bumpier trip as the boat would easily jump and toss itself amongst the waves hehe! Oh well, at least I was almost sure we were far from sinking on the deep and dark-blue seas!
Overall, Malapascua was a fantastic visit. I will be back! Promise!
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