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Thursday, March 18, 2004
Paradise of fire and water
By Mae Jardiolin Mañacap
The island of Camiguin is a paradise of contradictions—immaculate beach sand contrasts with endless stretches of black volcanic cinder, rugged terrain and century-old trees while cascading waterfalls, chilly pools of spring water complement searing gushes from beneath the earth. A canvas of rolling volcanoes stand behind postcard-perfect, tranquil blue seas.
Resting in Northern Mindanao some 120 kilometers southeast of Mactan, Camiguin holds a laidback charm that appeals best to the imagination. Not knowing what to expect, I set out on my virginal visit to the island packed with nothing more than eavesdropped stories of the island’s unspoiled beauty.
The direct sea trip onboard Super Shuttle Ferry 7 took me, along with Freeman’s Ariel Allera, Vicky Vencilao, Sally Lavidez and Sun.Star’s lensman Alex Badayos, a little over ten hours to reach Balbagon wharf at the island’s capital town, Mambajao—a welcome reprieve from the oft-taxing and longer via-Cagayan-de-Oro route.
In time to catch the fresh, early morning mist, we headed for Camiguin Beach Club where a pair of elegant age-old bita-ob trees shrouded the resort’s odd-shaped pool and framed the famous White Island seen in the gleaming distance.
The ashen-colored islet, around two kilometers from our rustic refuge, is an uninhabited sandbar set against a glorious backdrop of fog-enveloped Mt. Hibok-Hibok and Old Vulcan. White Island, frequently shifting its shape according to the tide usually in alphabet formations as the letters C, U and L, never fully submerges even on a high tide, making it a 7/11 natural wonder.
The group, led by young tour guides of Camiguin Action Dive Center and Adventure Tours, took a five-minute ride from Camiguin Beach Club to Secret Cove—an unpretentious resort and fave rendezvous among dive enthusiasts—where we boarded a motor boat for an upclose look of the pristine sandbar. “It is widely believed that the sandbar is a natural offshoot of Old Vulcan’s major eruption in 1871. While a vast area of Camiguin’s land, including what is today known as the sunken cemetery, submerged, some areas ascended above sea level,” says Camiguin’s Provincial Tourism Officer Catalino Chan III.
White Island’s sugar-like sand tickled my soles as I surveyed the captivating island barefoot. From there, Camiguin’s only active volcano, Mt. Hibok-Hibok, dominates the magnificent scene–graceful and proud, soaring to the hazy clouds with the elegance of an unpredictable woman. Although it went down in history as extremely fierce when angered, unleashing boiling lava and destroying everything on its path on its last eruption in 1951, its sight today often proves too overwhelming to resist for thrill-seekers at heart.
With an altitude of 1,320 meters above sea level, a trek up to its peak is treacherous. Loose rocks and huge boulders are unforgiving even for the most skillful of climbers. A guided climb up to its crater lake by Camiguin Action would take around four strenuous hours where the slope gets steeper as one gets closer to nirvana. But in the end, one always pushes himself to the limit for the rewards are high: a bird’s eye view of enchanting Camiguin and a sneak of its neighboring island, Bohol, on clear skies.
Flowing from the bowels of Mt. Hibok-Hibok is a stream of hot water eventually gathering into a natural hot spa. Ardent Spring, around six kilometers southwest of Mambajao, is a blissful harbor of surging hot water surrounded with wild foliage and lush vegetation. Hot water streams like mini waterfalls in Ardent’s four-tiered pool which vary in depth and warmth. The hottest and shallowest is the top, reaching up to 40OC, just the right temperature to cook an egg.
The spring water’s sulphur content is believed to be nature’s healing touch, easing muscular pains, promoting better circulation and melting away stress in a single dip. The experience is closely similar to a relaxing retreat to an upscale spa for a comforting sauna and steam, except that the ambiance at Ardent Spring is genuinely serene, with chirping birds singing soothing melodies near by.
The natural whirlpool has become so popular among locals and tourists, it has further been developed to have the conveniences of a bar, coffee shop, resto, cook-out facilities and even overnight cottages.
In contrast, cold water spouting from the island’s sandy bottom located some four kilometers north uphill of Catarman proper is an invigorating haven for a luxurious cold plunge. Infinite flow of water from underneath gathers at Sto. Niño Cold Spring’s refreshing pool, measuring 25 meters by 40 meters and with a depth of around five feet. It was drizzling when we arrived at the cold spring, but soaked children were oblivious of the freezing temperature and continued to play in the icy waters, proving that a refreshing dip in nature’s own cold tub is too much of a divine pleasure to pass up.
Another majestic spectacle around five kilometers southeast of Mambajao is Katibawasan Falls. A sight straight from the pages of National Geographic, the 60-meter drop of slender stream is bordered by wild flora, untamed ferns, trees and enormous boulders. There’s an eerie yet magnificent sensation in seeing the rushing waters from the lofty peak, hearing the roar of water plummeting into its natural, overflowing pool and feeling the enveloping mist against my skin. Its intense current and precarious boulders have long since caught the wildest fantasies of daredevils—including Probe Team’s Che-Che Lazaro—who trekked its canyons and rapelled down the cascading waterfalls.
However, with barely enough time to spare, I have yet to let loose the wild side in me and confront the rough boulders and face the rushing waters head on. It would truly be something worth going back to. After all, in this paradise of fire and water, you will never leave without vowing to “come again to Camiguin”.
(March 18, 2004 issue)
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