After getting off the ship from an almost month long research cruise, some of the gals decided to not let the opportunity pass and visit the island close to Port Irene (Sta Ana, Cagayan)... PALAUI! I have seen several pictures of this island from friends but the experience of diving into its clear waters with amazing coral reefs is just breathtaking. Gardens, indeed! The view from the top was also spectacular where we got to see nearby islets, the Luzon strait and the big waves crashing on the other side of the island. It would also be nice to visit this island with a geologist who can explain (or try to) the laminated sediments and fractures on the ground that we saw all over the place. Well, there's another reason to go back.
Moving on...
While we were on the cruise, I jokingly volunteered for this fieldwork in Tawi-Tawi. It never really entered my my mind that it would push through. I've barely settled back in Manila when I got the news that the trip already had a go signal. and I was like.. OMG. Tawi-Tawi? TAWI-TAWI! Whatabirthdaygift! I has been my dream for a long time to go to the southernmost province of the country. Since cheap flights have been offered to that part of the country, I have been asking friends and colleagues to go there but sadly no one wanted to go there not only because it was very far but because of the troubled history of the place (war and kidnappings). Days before leaving MSI, I already received lots of warnings and some even asked me for a "huling habilin" haha cruel but I think everyone thought I had a 50% chance of getting back safely. We also prepared appropriate clothing and field wear. It was a No-No to 2 piece bikini, tank tops and short-shorts fieldwork.
In transit...
The trip to Tawi-Tawi included a transit at Zamboanga City. We stayed overnight at a poorly maintained hotel in the downtown area where it was dark and sketchy. Good thing that we were only staying for 1 night. Other than the hotel the city was great and the food was the greatest! Curacha (coconut crab) and Cangrejo (crab) were delish... And the memory of the Alavar sauce still makes my mouth water.
Another thing worth noting is their airport. The architecture was impressive. But they charge this "baggage fee" of 8 pesos per bag into and out of the airport. Weird or anomalous?
Finally, we arrived at Tawi-Tawi. The 30-minute flight to Sanga-sanga airport gave us a good view of the atolls scattered in the Sulu Sea. It must be legen-waitforit-dary to explore the wonders of these less visited islands.
To wrap it up, Tawi-Tawi is safe and beautiful. We didn't have military escorts yet we were able to go about our field work without any problem. The people were also friendly and helpful. Due to lack of time we were not able to explore Bongao but the the reefs in the area and Simunul island were healthy and expansive. The reef in Simunul were ah-mazing despite the extremely strong currents during that day. It would be a lot of fun to visit this place again and see what the other islands have to offer. There is always this feeling, the thrill, you get when you get on the road less traveled (in this case, literally).
