Bunched along with the other
passengers inside a cramped up van I awoke at the sight of blue waters edging
the shorelines of Western Leyte. I suddenly felt inching closer to my
destination. I sent out a text message to my friend Gaye “I think I’m 20 minutes away from Pamplona”. Dizzy from my ride I
meant to write “Palompon”, a thriving
municipality gifted with a fertile coast that also serves as a jump off point
to Kalanggaman Island.
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| Kalanggaman Island\s trail of beauty |
True enough, after a short
while I found myself joining my friends Gaye, Edgar and RJ who were all fresh
from a wild weekend of partying in Cebu for the Sinulog Festival, while I
myself is coming from a similar festive high courtesy of the Ati Atihan
festival in Kalibo. A few days recuperating in an island appears to a bright
idea for our body to stay away from alcohol. Or so I thought.
Keep Kalm at Kalanggaman
The boat ride over the calm
waters took less than an hour and halfway through we were already staring at
the long sand bar of Kalanggaman Island laid outstretched like both arms of a human
figure. Ahead of us the turquoise waters becomes more enticing to jump into.
The full glint of the sun made the backdrop more captivating as glitters of the
island’s sand shines from afar. As our boat tapers of its engine and we glide
slowly over the crystal clear waters, I heaved out a sigh of anticipation at a
full day of being idle at this island.
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| Kalanggaman Island's sandbar even extend during low-tide |
Edgar keeps telling us to ‘Keep Kalm at Kalanggaman’ while
reminding us of a bottle of vodka he brought with him. Stories about how wasted
they end up during the recently held Sinulog Festival floated around like
narratives of wartime acts of bravery, followed by bursts of laughter from
Gaye, our forever muse and one of the most jovial travel companions I’ve ever
had.
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| Nothing to but beach-bum all day |
We quickly set up camp with
our rented two-man tent which we managed to fit our four bodies later that night.
The relentless beam of the morning sun forced us to take refuge under a tree
where we lounged the whole afternoon sharing stories over grilled chicken and
pork liempo. Our small group inhabited
the island along with half a dozen boatmen and caretakers and a handful of
other campers. Because it was a weekday, we avoided the usual influx of
visitors so we feel like having the whole island for ourselves. In no time, our
tiny band of merry pranksters have achieved a natural high even without the use
psychedelic drugs.
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| Ready, set, action |
Our drug is comprised of the
unruffled beauty of Kalanggaman Island even if we were reduced to munching chips by late
afternoon, the visual feast was enough to nourish us throughout the next day.
We laid over the sands in wait for the gorgeous sunset that later showered us
with golden rays - hovering over the glistening red skies that made figures of
fishing boats and little kids playing, a spectacle of silhouette from a
distance. By nighttime we only heard the sizzles of the waves, our surroundings
only illuminated by the solar powered lamp posts and above us we stared at the
infinite dots of stars adorning the dark skies. Over shots of vodka stories of
past travels, of places we love and despair reigns over the serene island
further bonding us four to a deeper camaraderie.
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| That indescribable feeling of finally stepping foot at Kalanggaman Island |
Having four bodies trying to
sleep inside a two-man tent can really force you to learn to doze up sideways.
I awoke in the middle of the night with a numb left side as I can barely feel
my arm, so I decided to lie on a bench outside the tent but the spectacle of
the stars kept me awake until sunrise.
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| Lucy in the sky with diamonds |
Despite of the cold wind
blowing outside, I lay staring at the ceiling of our universe and wondered
about similar planets located within one of those billions of stars. Not only I
was Keeping ‘Kalm’ at Kalanggaman Island, I
also find myself speculating if we are ever alone in the vast infinite space I
see above me. For over an hour I was consumed by this thought.
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| The green part of the island |
Waking up in Kalanggaman Island
Not surrendering to the
magnificence of the sunset, the sunrise at Kalanggaman more than hold its own. Dishing
a spellbinding picture of fiery red skies as it slowly engulfs the remaining
darkness with the morning light, the ambiance around the island turns notches
more surreal. All four of us started shooting pictures of the sunrise and
explored the other part of the island decked with limestone cover leading to
the other side where a smaller sandbar can be seen.
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| You can buy the freshest catch from the local fishermen |
By early morning during the
time of the day when the waters starts to recede, one can see the whole stretch
of the sandbar Kalanggaman island is known for. I and Gaye walked towards the
edge of the extended sandbar so far that when I turned my head I saw the
towering coconut trees of the island starting to dwarf from my view.
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| Walking over the entire sandbar is some kind of wonderful |
I sat and stretched my feet
barely enough to dip it into the waters and stared longingly at the clear
waters while feeling the fine sands over my hands. Slowly, the musical
thundering drum beats of the Ati-Atihan that has clouded my mind for the past
few days have been slowly replaced by the melodious jingles of the waves –
accompanied by the sweet laughter of Gaye from the background, as she was busy
telling a story, unknowingly that my mind was already contained by the charms
of Kalanggaman Island.
How to Get To Kalanggaman Island
Kalanggaman Island is roughy three hours from Tacloban City. You can take a bus or a van from Tacloban City going to Palompon, Leyte. From there, you can rent a boat at the Tourism Office located at the port for a 20 minute boat ride to Kalanggaman Island.
Cebu Pacific Air flies daily from Manila to Tacloban. Check out their website for seat sales and other amazing deals and follow their Facebook page to subscribe to more useful travel information.
*Drone image from Femme Mia Panlilio*
*This article appeared on the May issue of Cruising: Going Places travel magazine*
