Coral Superstar

“Next stop, Simezu!” our boatman, Mang Efren, announced.

His excitement wasn’t mirrored in my face.  This was already the third stop on our island hopping trip.  We had snorkled in small lagoon, where I enjoyed a nice encounter with some lovely fishes & experienced a not-so-nice encounter with a fish that bites.  (still another story)  We just shared a sumptuous lunch on the boat.  I only wanted to lie down & sleep.  I was satisfied.

Or so I thought …

Approaching the island, Mang Efren made sure that we were anchored on the seabed, avoiding the corals.  The local government & people of El Nido were serious about eco-tourism.  Since everyone else got off, I did the same.  And I was instantly transformed!

Simezu turned out to be a haven for sea creatures of different species, colors & sizes!  With my goggles on, I saw clown fish, angel fish, dory fish, box fish, blue-colored anemones, starfish, & yes, even baby octopus.  I’m not familiar with the rest of them but they were all graceful & just downright beautiful!

I saw a transparent fish (I don’t know what it’s called but I saw its insides; just the spine, I didn’t see any intestines — that’s odd) slowly swimming to … wherever.  And then there was this shiny black eel quickly gliding away, leaving behind a trail of sand on the seabed.  The entire coral reef looked life a bustling metropolis with all the underwater activities.

But what attracted me most was a particular clown fish which I named Nemo. (Original, huh?)  It wasn’t adult yet, atleast I don’t think so.  It was so small & curious yet cautious.  It stayed inside the safety of its anemone but every once in a while, it would peek outside to see if I was still watching.  And everytime it does I would extend my hands towards it.  But I was careful not to touch & frighten it.  After a few tries, Nemo finally came out!  Then I started to talking to it.  (Yup, that’s how neurotic I am)

“Come baby, come to mama,” I coaxed.

Slowly, it inched its way towards me.  But as soon as it reached a few inches away from my goggles, it darted away (fishes can’t do reverse) & go back to the safety of its home.  This was repeated several times until Nemo finally realized I wasn’t that exciting after all, compared to his superstar status.

With a sigh, I left & head back.  And as I swam to our boat I felt satisfied, (for real) yet craving for more adventures.

Simezu

I’ll tell you an interesting story I heard when I was in El Nido.

A long time ago, a Japanese couple traveled to El Nido, Palawan for vacation & adventure.  Probably spelunkers, caves enthralled them.  And El Nido swarms w/ caves, making it a paradise for the couple named Simezu.  During their trip they came across a small island a few miles away from the main island.

A rumor reached the couple that a treasure was buried in the cave on that island.  Probably given another incentive, off the couple went to explore.  But they didn’t expect that the crevices would be too narrow nor the floor & walls too sharp.  Ignoring the telltale signs of danger along they way, they went further.  And soon enough they got lost w/ their dwindling supply of food & water.  Until they ran out of both.  They got confused all the more.  Every turn looked like the one they just made.  They kept returning to where they where when they first realized that they were lost.  The Simezu couple was desperately doomed.

Outside, the boatman anxiously waited for his charge to come out.  The couple was only supposed to stay inside for 2 hours or so.  Their allotted time had passed but they were nowhere in sight.  And hour more & it will be dark.  The boatman is now worried.  What if they lost their way back?  So he decided to look for them.  He searched & searched, from before sunset till twilight.  It was already dusk when he came out of the cave.  But still … no sign of the Japanese couple.

With a heavy heart, he went home.  But the following day, early rays of the morning sun found him back at the atoll along w/ rescuers.  They searched the entire day but failed to rescue the couple.  The Simezus were never to be found again.

And that is how the island got its name.  Actually, the locals call it Simezu, Zimezu, Semizu, depending on who you ask.  The name may have tragedy attached to it.  But for me, it’s an awesome reminder of the most beautiful underwater scenery my eyes have ever feasted on.

But that’s another story for another time.    

Backpackgal signs on!

Hola!

Vacations … holidays … adventure of a lifetime!   I just need to bring out all the excitements of my vacations & show it to the world.

Check out the beauty of the tropics, sunset scenery on the beach, and some boo boos along the way.  Browse & enjoy!

Backopackgal now signing on!

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