Wednesday, October 03, 2007 Wenceslao: Suroy-Suroy group’s Camotes ‘adventure’ By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
BOMBO Radyo’s Arles Labayan is from Barangay MacArthur in Tudela, one of the towns in the Camotes group of islands. When paisanos meet, especially in this time of year for Tudelanhons, the inevitable question thrown is, “mamista ka?” That was what Arles asked me that at the culmination activity of the Press Freedom Week last Sept. 22.
One of the realities I had to accept when I got married was that my wife Edizza does not like sea travel. The only inter-island trip we had so far was to Bohol, and only because of the big fast crafts that used to ply the Cebu–Tagbilaran route. I therefore told Arles that going to Tudela for the fiesta in December was, as in previous years, not likely.
Meanwhile, when my City Central School batch mates went on a bonding trip in Argao, one of them suggested that we schedule a trip to Camotes. I told them we should only do that if our schedules were loose. Travels to Camotes sometimes pose a problem during the rainy season and there are instances when vessels have to cancel trips.
Of course, the fear of traveling to Camotes is not consistent with the actual situation. Accidents are rare. Pump boats plying the Danao-Camotes route are relatively bigger and sturdy and with experienced crew. The fast craft, which anchors in Cebu City, I still have to board. And there’s a ship plying the Mandaue City-Camotes route.
Still, I was not surprised by what happened to the recent edition of the Provincial Government’s Suroy-Suroy Sugbo to Camotes, an activity led by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia. The fast craft they were in last Sunday encountered big waves after leaving Pilar town, forcing the vessel’s crew to head for the port in Poro. That route was circuitous.
I could just imagine the worry of the tourists, most of whom were probably not experienced sea travelers. My most memorable experience in this regard was our trip to Limasawa in the `90s aboard the yacht owned by then district customs collector David Odilao, Jr. There was an instance in that trip when all we could on to were prayers.
My experience traveling to and from Camotes taught me to observe the waves and rely on the sturdiness of the vessel and the ability of the crew to maneuver through rough seas. In that trip, the crew members were in unfamiliar waters. Odilao had to bark orders to them as they maneuvered through the big waves to Limasawa. That was worrisome.
The first time I almost threw up in a trip was when we covered then Provincial Board member Benhur Salimbangon’s visit to Bantayan, also in the ‘90s. The decision to board the boat to Cebu even with the big waves can be credited to then mayor Rogelio Ilustrisimo. The boat fights big waves well, he said. He didn’t reckon with dizzy spells.
Lest I be misunderstood, traveling to Camotes is enjoyable, if the weather is good. That is why I prefer to ride the pump boats plying the Danao to Camotes route because they are open and because of their early morning schedule. When the sea is calm and you see nothing but the shiny surface of the water and the blue sky above, your spirit soars.
And I am not even talking about what Camotes itself offers.
