Because of my job, I have to reschedule my Valentine's date a week after the red day itself. My date and I agreed we'll spend it in a beach; but until the day came, we have not decided on where to go. We have spent almost all weekends of both our lifetime in beaches here in Virac and San Andres, I figured we have to go somewhere else.
The first thing that came into my mind was Puraran. I have been there only twice and the last one was like eons ago. I have forgotten what the place looked like; all I can remember is that it is a beautiful cove.
The trouble with Puraran is it's too far. Not quite remote, but too far. You'll be too spent with the trip to enjoy the place when you get there. Then a question popped up in my head, " Where did your sense of adventure go?". Oh yeah, I have spent too much time mixing dance music for Virac clubbers that I have forgotten my former life as an avid nature tripper. When I was in college, my batch (Batch 99) started the tradition of weekly trek by BS Biology students at Catanduanes State Colleges. I have since been hooked to nature treks and mountain climbing. That was until I took my place in Virac Clublife.
Late for almost half an hour already, I rushed to my motorcycle and pumped up Disturbed's "Stupify" into my headphones. My girlfriend has been complaining of my always being late and surely I am again this time. I could almost see her fuming mad and pacing furiously in front of their house.
My girlfriend did not talk to me on our way. I spent the whole time listening to Portishead and Massive Attack on my mp3 jukebox. Of course with occasional gasps at the sight of the beautiful seaside scenery of Baras town. This town is truly blessed with miles of stretches of fine white sand beaches. Perhaps much more extensive that either Virac or San Andres or both of them combined.
After about an hour and a half of rough roads and pot holes, I steered right into a paved downhill, I mean very downhill road that leads to the beach. My jaw dropped in pure awe with the paradise of a place that was before us. My girlfriend exclaimed, "Ung gayun palan dindi!" (I had no idea how breathtaking this would be). That was all it took to get her to talk to me again, and I teased her for it. The raw beauty of Puraran brings out raw emotions out of anybody who beholds it for the first time. We both could not take the smiles out of our faces, with us now is the opportunity to share a day we might never forget in our lives, be it we end up together or not. And at the center of it is the awesome wonder that is Puraran.
We approached the man on the resort and asked about the rates for the cottages. Suspecting we were there only to get laid, he said it was P150 for a short time-- three hours maximum. Yes, we were there to do that, but that was aside from enjoying the place. We were told the overnight rate is P250, and I gave the man that before I even realized how much affordable it was. It's official now, paradise is affordable. Paradise Beach Resort is on the other side of the island in San Andres; I have been there too and I say Puraran deserves the name much more than the other.
While our cottage was being prepared, we sat on the grass and filled our eyes with the scenes going about. It was nearly three o' clock in the afternoon. A few people were cleaning out the beach of washed up sea grass and algae. There is a group of Caucasians combing the beach, and a couple of Japanese-looking couple were swimming.
It's no wonder surfers from all over the world flock here. The waves are not quite perfect, but at leas it is consistently of good height. I am not an expert surfer to ever have an authority to say this; I have only learned to surf a beaten up old short board the summer of last year. However, I have enough experience to say the least.
The cottage is basically furnished. With a cushioned bed, an electric fan, running water and toilet, and electricity. It was made with wood, bamboo, and thatched roof. All three cottages owned by our host were nestled at the foot of the hill we descended from earlier. The only thing I didn't quite like was that there is no chair inside the cottage, there are only fixed benches on the porch; and the steps leading up to the porch are too thin, you could break your neck with one false step. All in all though, it's livable. There are another two resorts operating in the cove. One located after another.
We rested for about an hour or two, and then we combed the beach until the sunset. The fading lights did not at all lessen the beauty of the place. In fact it even enhanced it-- making the sight from the beach very romantic. What amazed us most is that it is very clean everywhere, even as the lights increasingly dimmed, the water is still quite clear-- from the beach you still can see the grassy bottom of the sea.
We had our dinner of freshly caught fish and newly milled rice. The smell of the broiled fish and the steamy rice made us very hungry that we probably ate like horses. We were so full afterwards we had a hard time burping. Upon learning we were first timers, our host did not make us pay for our meal. Before leaving for our cottage, we bought a bottle of punch, bags of potato chips, and a pack of something to make sure we do not develop a problem nine months from now.
After having our baths and slipping into something comfortable, we cuddled on the porch wrapped in blankets while consuming the punch and potato chips. The breeze gently blows, but with almost freezing chill. Along with the rhythmic breaking of the waves were the different sounds of nocturnal animals and crickets. It was very dark around, but I know the quarter moon will shine a few hours later from the mountain edges of the cove. The whole thing provided a feeling of utmost serenity, like the whole world is not coming into a verge of a war, like we were innocent children talking about whimsical things. The soft rhythmic thump of trance music from the small powered speakers I connected to my mp3 player is the only reminder of every single night I had for the past seven months as one of the resident DJs of Pacific Wave Disco in Virac.
Around eleven, the moon began to creep from the mountains; draping the whole cove, the rocky islet, and the ocean with its silvery rays. It was almost magical. We can feel each other's sighs coming after another. The only night lights I have known for the past few months were the neons, lasers, strobes, halogens, and scanners from the club I'm working for. This is a very radical but pleasant change in atmosphere. I turned off all the lights from the cottage and let in the moonlight. An idea hit me like a speeding bullet train from Tokyo. I closed my eyes and with the playing trance music, I imagined myself spinning for a beach party-- with hundreds of sweaty bodies gyrating, bonfires burning, and the moonlight is the only dancing light on. We should have that here in Catanduanes sometime.
I pulled the sheets and the pillows from the bed and laid them on the porch. Then I programmed my mp3 jukebox to repeat play all 89 songs in my acoustic selection folder. With half-dazed minds over the punch, tiredness and sleepiness, the endless sighs, the beautiful sights, the thought of having only a few hours left before our one day vacation is over, and our raging hormones, we laid and bathed our half-naked bodies with the magical rays of the moon.
Early before sunrise, we have to leave for Virac. We may not have another glimpse of Puraran's cove for a long time after this. So we took a last long look at the nature's masterpiece that is Puraran, making sure it sticks in our minds forever.
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