The following day, we went to Marabut, Samar. I was told
that we were going to a beach resort. I don’t know what was so special
about the place and we had to travel that far. Actually, it took us more
than an hour to reach the resort in Marabut.
But prior to reaching Marabut, we had to pass first the longest
bridge in the country – the San Juanico bridge. This bridge connects the
province of Leyte and Samar. It has been a dream of mine to pass this
bridge one day and this was the day when that dream will be realized.
Upon reaching the part of the bridge where picture taking is
allowed, we took our sweet time to have our souvenirs taken. This kind of
thing does not happen every day and if I had my way, I could have spent more
time on the bridge. I asked my company if I could walk the entire length
of the bridge. They told me that I will be apprehended by the military
personnel who watch over the bridge. They further added that walking on
the bridge has been prohibited but they were not aware of the reasons behind
the restriction.
After our short stint
at the bridge, we drove all the way to Marabut. The beach resort is
exceptionally wonderful at this part of the province. The resort is
well-developed and well-maintained. And I could not help myself but to
get attracted with the place the moment I stepped out of the car.
The coconut trees are evenly grown which give the place enough
shelter from the heat of the sun as well as providing a good landscape
setting. The cottages are spread facing the shoreline which give each
visitor a perfect view of the sea and the rock formations. The hotel, on
the other hand, has a touch of class. It gives the resort a distinct
tropical setting which is beyond the ordinary. And the infinity pool that
lies in between the hotel and the cottages is something worthy for a cool hang
out especially during a hot day and it could even be lovelier with the setting
of the sun. How I wish we had an overnight stay to fully enjoy the
marvelous ambiance of the place.
The moment we arrived, my colleagues immediately inquired about
the boat ride. We saw a couple kayaking and the rate is 300 pesos per
hour. We learned that there is a grotto in a rock formation which is
located in the middle of the sea about 45 minutes away from the resort.
The rent of the motorized boat going to that grotto is almost a thousand
pesos. Since we came here to see the different rock formations, we waste
no time in renting a boat.
There are three sets of rock formations along the way. The
first set is near the resort, almost a stone’s throw away. The second set
is visible from the resort but looks tiny and the third set was the
farthest. It took us 40 minutes to reach the third set of rock formation.
It was already past 10 in the morning when we sail. The
sun was shining brightly and everything seems perfect. The sea was
unbelievably calm and the surface of the water was like a blanket making the
sea to perfectly sleep while we were cruising. And the moment we came
near to a rock formation, the bottom of the sea is incredibly clear revealing
the corals and sea creatures that dwell in it. Our guide told us that our
timing was perfect. During other circumstance, the waves would normally
limit the speed of the ride and it would take an hour or more before reaching
the grotto.
The rock formations look ordinary from a distance. They
only show their distinct appearance and formation the moment you are near
them. And one would only fully explore its beauty up close and personal.
The moment we were near the last rock formation, the water
turned from deep blue to deep green and then to light green. A few
meters away from the base of the rock formation, just like the rest of the rock
formations we’d passed, the water was almost crystal clear.
There are three openings on the cave. Two big
openings are on the side where our boat docked. The last opening is
on the opposite side. The surface of the cave is mostly made of
limestone. It was good that we were able to bring along our slippers
because the limestone are sharp. The moment we landed on the mouth
of the cave, the life size grotto of the Virgin Mary is very much
visible. They placed the grotto on the topmost part of the cave and
they made it easily accessible for the visitors.
Upon setting foot on the opening of the cave, a small pool is
noticeable. The water on the pool comes from the third opening on
the opposite side of the rock. With the way the waves of the water
splashes in the pool, one can easily determine if the waves are gentle or
not. And after a few minutes of our stay inside the cave, the level
of the water in the pool rose and the waves suddenly became more
active. It was good that I did not step inside the pool.
Since the cave is not that big, one can easily explore its
entirety. Most of its surrounding is made of limestone and some
areas have sharp stones. Some parts of the cave opening have
stagnant water, an indication that the sea water enters the cave during high
tide. And since the rock formation is surrounded by water, sea
snakes dwell the cave. Our driver companion saw a resting banded sea
snake and based on our observation, it was full. It was good that
the snake ignored our presence and simply hibernates. I know that a
banded sea snake is venomous and its attack can be fatal. It was a
signal for us to leave the rock formation.
Before leaving the rock formation, while I was busy with my
camera, Ron had been enticed by the group for a swim. The water was
crystal clear. One can actually see the sea floor. After
a while, I joined Ron. Since we had our life vest, floating was not
a problem. The site is good for swimming but the smell and taste of
salt was overpowering.
After our short swimming stint, we asked our boatmen to pass
through the next rock formations within the area. Actually, we
passed all three different sets of rock formations. If we were not
after for the time, we could have visited other rock formations along the way.
Right after our visit to Marabut, we immediately went to Basey
still in Samar. We want to visit Sohoton cave. It was
already passed 1pm when we arrived at the tourism office of Basey. We
were disheartened upon learning that the trip to Sohoton cave has a cut-off
time of 1pm. No matter how we asked the officer in charge, we were
declined because the whole trip may take more than three hours and they are
strict about their policy. Instead, we just visited the town’s
church and returned to Leyte.
With our failed spelunking, we spent our afternoon at Rafael’s
farm, ate at Alexis Pizzeria, and enjoyed an early evening stroll at Leyte
park.
San Juanico bridge
Marabut
Basey
Rafael's farm
Alexis Pizzeria
Leyte park
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