Advertisement
Published: October 7th 2008
Edit Blog Post
Dawn was breaking as we drove from Iloilo airport past a solitary cow in its very own field. For the previous half year my spatial awareness has been unconsciously conditioned, my eyes unable to stretch beyond the confines of the grid patterned streets, or the all-pervading quarters that stretch to the hazy sky. If the eyes be the window to the soul, my enforced shortsightedness has doubtless left my spirit wanting; institutionalized behind the blinkers imposed by my voluntary servitude. The long and short of it is this; on that very same field in Seoul, you could build six apartment blocks, a hundred families to each.
Assuming that cow is one day destined for the slaughter house, how far would it stretch apportioned equally between those six hundred families? My mind reels away, considering all the other ingredients to be served with that hypothetical meal. All the resources, and space required in sustaining those six theoretical apartment blocks and the 12 million other people in Seoul per hour, day, week, year and forever more. And regardless of what the cow and the field think, what do we give in return?
Soon enough the fields begin to give way to
All set to go...
our boat ride to Guimaras civilization. Shacks sporting Coca Cola and Tanduay Rhum advertisements appear and multiply. Entering town the traffic thickens, speeds up and belches ever more fumes, as the shared taxi we ride in zigzags about dropping off passengers.
We’re the last to depart as our location is a little unorthodox. I’d arranged for a private pump boat ‘The Orion’, to meet us down at the port for 7am, to ferry us off to our island location. Not usually one to splurge on such luxuries, at $40 for the one and a half hour trip. However having booked it via Skype™ from my apartment in Seoul, the price seemed too good to be true. And besides which, travelling may be a little different this time around, as we’ll be accompanied by our nine week old baby boy.
Kiva is holding up surprisingly well. In fact, he seems to revel in all the motion, change of scenery, transport means and new faces. He and Jennifer have managed a little sleep on both flights since we left Seoul last night, and even snatched forty winks at Manila’s chaotic domestic airport terminal.
The boat chugs through the waves, the island of Guimaras on
our left, Iloilo disappearing behind us. The monotonous sound filtered through the surf, creates a calming meditative affect, which sends all aboard off into their own introspective worlds and Kiva into dreamland.
After passing many eligible sanctuaries to numerous uninhabited golden sand beaches, our boat turns portside around a rocky island into a sheltered inlet. Nipa Huts perched on strategic outcroppings overlook the bay, amidst a mantle of vegetation. The boats engine is killed, leaving us to coast the final few hundred meters in pertinent peace. Our arrival proclaimed as waves ripple onto the beach we’ll be calling home for the next few days.
Friendly staff great us as we land, helping us ashore and carrying forward our luggage to Hut#1, proudly stood at the entrance to the bay looking out to sea like a proud sentinel, some 10metres aloft from where the sea laps against the jagged rocks. Opening the doors to our balcony gives unrestricted views out to sea. There is no fan or AC in the hut, yet the bamboo slats are sufficiently spaced to allow air to circulate through the hut, au naturally aided by our lofty position.
Having been on the go
all night, our precious cargo safely delivered, my body melts to the contours of the mattress. The feeling of rest I gain from the sound of the sea, the breeze through the hut, the rustling tree tops and the birds chirping their merry tunes induces a calmness so profound I have no desire to sleep. As I lay there my tired body is at rest whilst my soul is enlivened. Rejuvenated by all of that which envelops me; a feat no amount of city sleep could ever accomplish.
Over the next nine days we travel from the Island of Guimaras to Panay and up to Boracay. A short break and ultimate test of the waters for a new mode of travel: ‘travel with baby’. The learning curve was so positive; the strength of this experience has undoubtedly altered our entire destiny.
Speaking of which I'll have to hit 'publish' now as our train to Beijing leaves in exactly 39mins...
To read about our time in The Philippines with Kiva refer here
Beach Hopping with Baby
Advertisement
Tot: 0.072s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 25; dbt: 0.0416s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Anonymous
non-member comment
Nice advanture
Enjoy your trip. and nice photos.