Why is it that the harder and more arduous the journey, the more rewarding it feels? Why is it we all want to feel like we've discovered a place? At some point, you want to discover a place that is isolated, hard to get to, un-beknown to mass tourism and authentic. There's a place in the Philippines called Siargao that I like to think is this way. It used to take 2 days to get there from Manila... now it takes half a day. That's still a stretch for some. However, once you've weathered the plane and boat rides, you sail slowly up the turquoise waters to the white sandy beaches, dotted with leaning palm trees and nothing but mangroves in sight. When you walk down the sandy roads, you get a glimpse of life within the small cottages made of wood planks, and tended with little flowers and coconut shells as makeshift fences. Children will run out to see who's coming and offer you a cheery "hello" and "goodbye" as you pass. As you sit out, you may see the fishermen diving for mud-crab, the tastiest island specialty, or a great surf wave beckoning you into the water. Whether you think you like fresh coconut or not, when you see the man climbing the tree to pick it for you, cutting it open and offering you a taste of nature's own, you won't think to say no, and believe me, it will taste like heaven. Then at night, you'll catch yourself hearing your breath, the silence only interrupted by the slow drift of the wind among the palm leaves above, or the faint lap-lap of the shallow waters at low tide. You'll look up and thank all your lucky stars for being alive and experiencing this beauty and peace. You'll want the clock to stop. You'll want to stay forever.
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