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IT was
one helluva event.
The
circuitous but very comfortable ride aboard the all-new
Toyota Altis and Toyota Vios during the first of four
days was simply an eye-opener for this writer as we
traveled the eastern corridor of the metropolis.
We were
all enthralled by the Sampaguita-style Rally of past
years conducted by the Roadwise School of Driving headed
by Vip Isada.
Being
one of the passengers (our driver was Ira Panganiban,
while the rest of the team was composed of our motoring
editor Popong Andolong and Al Mendoza) all throughout
the rally was not that tiring as we passed through the
smooth roads of Rizal and Quezon, going through Lake
Caliraya and finally to our luncheon destination at the
Lumot Lake. After a worry-free stint in the Altis, we
swithced to a Vios.
After a
few hours of ecological activities there (together, of
course, with the lunch), we sped toward Manila via the
surprisingly traffic-free South Luzon Expressway on a
Wednesday afternoon and arrived at the Hotel Sofitel in
Pasay City by dusk.
Our
rating for those two cars? Both perfect 10s as they
excelled beyond our expectations. And considering the
high cost of fuel these days, they are simply
gas-economizers.
The
dinner by the bay at the hotel drew fireworks of sorts
as Toyota big boss Danny Isla came out with a very
spectacular announcement that unwrapped the theme of
this year’s Toyota Road Trek 4—the “Magical Mystery
Tour.” We had just washed down our dinner with a cold
glass of beer when the Beatles-fanatic Toyota honcho
came up the stage and welcomed the participants. Later
on, “Señor Danny” blurted out the keenly awaited
announcement on where we were heading for the next three
days of the event. “It’s El….El…El Bimbo!” followed by
an “El Bimbo” tune. Then he came back a few moments
later and announced that El Nido in Palawan was our
destination!
The
whole delegation was divided into three batches. We were
with the second group, so we arrived at the private
airstrip of Island Transvoyager Inc. in Palawan after a
one-hour-and-15-minute ride aboard a 15-seater Dornier
plane. Another 40-minute banca ride brought us to our
main destination—the Miniloc Island of El Nido. Nestled
in a very quiet beach on one of the 45 islands of
Palawan, the 40-room
Miniloc
Island is one of two major leased properties of El Nido
Resorts owned by a corporation of eco-loving
shareholders. The other one is the 50-room Lagen Island,
which is more expensive than Miniloc Island.
After an
hour’s rest and a hearty lunch, we picked out the
“introductory dive” as our first activity. We went
straight to the tip of the pier after some instructions
and securing our diving gear composed of snorkels and
fins. In the water, professional divers were waiting.
Without any formal training in diving, I was the first
one among the batch to try it. Another few minutes of
instructions from my pro instructor, we dove immediately
into one-meter-deep water before slowly going down to
three meters. The experience was simply fantastic after
two more dives.
Giant
jack fish or talakitok were swimming close by along with
schools of small and colorful fish as we descended a
little further. Most of them were really friendly—they
brush past your extended hands. After diving, one can
stay a little longer and snorkel around with a swimming
vest on.
But just
before the sun set, some of us were herded to a boat and
went off to Bacuit Bay for an hour’s worth of fishing.
We caught several kilos of bisugo and gave them to our
instructors, who made them into kilawin for pulutan that
night.
But the
best was yet to come, as announced by the event
coordinators during the open-site dinner beside the
beach. A few more drinks and a game of friendly poker
(where being the champion is almost becoming a habit for
Señor Danny at every Road Trek event, as he won three of
four main games), we went straight to our house situated
near the beach and slept soundly.
Team-building activities were set up the next day and
the first one was island-hopping to three major
destinations. First was the Paglugaban Island, where we
were taken to the western side where we visited a cave
with five chambers (four of which are underwater)
replete with wonderful formations of stalagmites and
stalactites.
Then we
steamed toward
Cadugnon
Cave
near the Palawan mainland with stunning geological
formations which archaeologists found out to have been
used as burial caves by Neolithic tribes. One can access
the huge dome-like structure through a small opening
near the beach by lying at the entrance and rolling
one’s body inside. Although we were already hungry, we
still proceeded to nearby Vigan Island or the so-called
Snake Island where a long and winding “snake-tail-like”
of sand can be seen. We hiked up Vigan Island and had a
picture-perfect view of the
Bicuit Bay below.
Then we
went straight to the white, sandy beach of Entulala
Island where lunch was already waiting. Some of the guys
went rock climbing before the hearty lunch. After
another round of lightning poker with Señor Danny, Jing
Atienza, Butch Gamboa and Al Mendoza, we proceeded right
away to the Big and Small Lagoon right beside Miniloc
Island.
We
entered the Big Lagoon via water taxi that almost
touched the dead corals beneath the shallow water. We
saw a black-tip reef shark and a hawksbill turtle
swimming there. There was even a small pontoon in the
middle of the lagoon where a miniconcert or a candle-lit
dinner can be held on request.
After a
few minutes of rounding the Big Lagoon, we set out for
the Small Lagoon where one can enter through a small
opening via a kayak. The water was still and eerily
quiet. It was a perfect place for one family of five and
two lovebirds, whom we found when we got there. After
the kayaking, we were given enough time to snorkel once
again and saw different fish varieties.
It was
such an absorbing adventure that we immediately fell
into a nap after we returned to our room. It was already
dusk when we left the island by boat once again for the
awarding party that was set up at Pangulasian Island.
The boat ride was such an exhilarating experience since
it was done at night with the glaring beam of the
almost-full moon lighting our way. We came home
empty-handed during the awarding of the best teams in
various activities, but we were still very happy with
the way the Magical Mystery Tour turned out. |
