on to the whaleshark & other sidetrips

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The road to Sorsogon, the famed whaleshark hunters' paradise, is like a road to perdition particularly during holy week when traffic is a curse. It is a journey not for the faint-hearted- 500 km long from Manila. Traversing portions of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon, the largest province is an ordeal by itself. We have been doing this, for the past five years, partly as penance and partly to heighten the pleasure of seeing the whalesharks. This time however, we thought of dividing the trip as our tired bodies- aging as they are, badly needed a rest. We made a brief stopover in Bagasbas, Daet . This place is known for its big waves- a surfer's small paradise. I had been to the place two times before and up to now, I am still mesmerized by the sight of people standing in reverence to gigantic waves about to roll. Bagasbas is not your usual beach- the elements of fear and joy combine to jolt you. Early morning the following day, we moved- destination: Sorsogon. Driving from Daet to Camarines Sur was a breeze. In Albay, we had to pay our respect to Mt. Mayon whose mystical beauty remains, the broken cone notwithstanding. A few hours after, we were in Bulan, Sorsogon. Munting Paraiso ( Small Paradise) Resort owners Peter and May were waiting for us. This resort has been our sanctuary every time we go to Bicol. The privacy and the corals and the sea urchins are things that set this resort apart. Black Saturday we headed to our final destination: Donsol. It was the busiest day according to locals as many people have become aware of the whalesharks and are excited to interact with them. I counted the boats- 40 of them circling the vast Donsol sea searching for the whalesharks. This time I saw three (3). I saw the biggest on my second jump- the gentle sea creature was slowly moving down unperturbed by the sound of the motorboats. It has always been an experience swimming with the whalesharks of Donsol.

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