TO THE SEA, OF COURSE

By Arnel Mirasol

We won't forget the summer of 2010. By we, I mean us, close friends and compadres, who were classmates at the University of the East School of Fine Arts in the 1980s. It was that year that we again saw Arnel Dolatre. He left for the U.S. in 1991. The whole time he was there, we never got word from him on how he was doing, and what he was up to. It was only around 2008 that we learned that he is already a nurse in New York. After two more years, and after several emails, Arnel D. finally made up his mind to see us. Arnel D. loves snorkeling- like all of us. He was my snorkeling buddy in Marinduque (see photo above). So, after the initial welcome dinner in a restaurant, where else would our group go to, pronto, but to the sea.

Bert Falsis (below, with hood, with his Pareng Mandy) invited us to their beach house in Cabangan, Zambales, (right) which would served as our base for our trip to Capones Island. After staying overnight in Cabangan, we left early by car for San Antonio, where the boats shuttling back and forth to Capones and other nearby islands are.

Since there were eleven of us in the group- Bert Falsis, Arnel Dolatre, Jerry Dean, Mandy, Oca Magos, Jojo Garcia, Isko dela Cruz, my sons Bahgee and Kai, Ryan Pagao, and me- we have to rent three boats. That's because only four passengers are allowed per boat. The trip to Capones took about twenty minutes. Capones is a big rocky island. It looks forbidding, because what you'll see are mostly rocky hills with little or no vegetation at all. But my sons, Bahgee and Kai, together with their friend, Ryan Pagao (below right), did a little trekking and explored the other side of the island, which they reported as being a bit wooded. Since we have little time- we don't plan to stay there for the night- the rest of us forgo exploring and went snorkeling right away.

The tide was very low. It was difficult going to the deeper part because the water near the shore was clogged with yellow-colored succulent-looking sea weeds. Traversing that patch was the tricky part for those of us not wearing fins, surf shoes, or flip-flops, because there was the risk that they may step on sea creatures that may sting. Anyway, none of us got stung, and all of us got around to the aquarium-like deep part where the water is so clear, and where multicolored reef fishes abound. There is a long trench there, where we tried to chase fishes.

We ate lunch after an hour or two of snorkeling, and after eating we proceeded to the other highlight of the trip, which was drinking. We held our drinking session under a cave-like rock formation. There, protected from the heat of the sun by the overhanging rocks, we passed around shots of Fundador Brandy. There was great merriment, of course, and much bantering too.

We left Capones at around 3 pm. Something unusual happened when we were back at the resort in San Antonio to take our shower and change clothing. At the shower, I tried to start a conversation with Isko dela Cruz, who was my buddy that time. But he just nodded and made hand signals. It took me a little while to realize what happened. Isko lost his voice for we knew not what reason. He was therefore silent throughout the whole trip back to Manila. He told me days later that his voice only came back the day after our trip. Arnel Dolatre is again coming home. He'll be in Manila in three weeks time. Now- where do you think would our group go to, pronto, to savor the delights of the summer of 2014?