(My allergies have subsided a little. The itch become tolerable and now I can blog about the third and last part of our Bucas Grande escapade. Although, this no longer took place in Bucas Grande.)

If you have read my previous posts: Part 1 and Part 2, you would know the sole reason why we had to stop by Surigao del Sur, when we could have just went straight home to Davao City instead.

Food. SEAFOOD.


THE SAME OLD SIBADAN... ONLY BETTER
From Tandag City, we went straight to Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur where one of our favorite destinations in Surigao is located. We had our breakfast at Sibadan Fish Cage and helped ourselves with delightful and large servings of prawns and danggit. 

After stuffing our tummies with seafood goodness, we decided to take a dip while we wait for Enchanted River's daily fish feeding activity that happens every 12 noon. I was surprised how big the fishes in Sibadan have grown. These fishes are now at least two feet and could weigh more than 15kg. No kidding.

But what's even more surprising was how friendly the stingray has become. It was more than a year ago when we visited here, we were told that we were the only ones bold (or stupid) enough to swim near the stingray. But time has gone, things have changed. Just as Sibadan improved their facilities, the stingray improved its temperament as well. She has become friendly and it even seems like she loves the attention and even the camera! She was named Brenda, by the way.

Swimming with the stingray

DISENCHANTED
We went to Enchanted River by 12 noon. We missed fish feeding the last time we were there. They said it was a spectacular sight. But the same feeling of disappointment loomed over us when we stepped right into what's supposed to be charming and enchanting.

The Enchanted River has already lost its natural vibe because of the developments. I don't really like the idea of putting a concrete platform and stairs by the river bank. And the hordes of people in and around it have stripped off its allure. We couldn't even make it to the exit without stepping on someone's toes that we'd have to constantly say, "Excuse me. Makikiraan po."

I think this is the only spot where you can breathe.

It was just a year ago and so much have already changed. And I don't think it changed for the better.

We don't think we'd enjoy the fish feeding knowing we can't even see the steps down the river anymore so we decided to have lunch instead. Do you want to know how crowded Enchanted River was?

We ate by the roadside.
There were no more available tables and cottages. We can't even find a spot to just squat. Yes, it's that bad.

Nonetheless, we still enjoyed the picnic experience even when some people are actually gawking at us. The food was great, especially the spicy shrimps and sweet and sour crabs. Yum! Whatever was left will tell you so:

A lot of people in tour vans left after lunch. So we gave the river another shot and decided to go for a swim to refresh. Although the river itself lives up to its name, the whole place per se has already become a theme park, and the only natural and beautiful thing that was left was the small part of the small river where the water is deep and blue (as you can see from the photo below, only a few people dared swim in that area, because there were no more life jackets available. Andoon sila lahat nagsiksikan sa gilid at mabababaw na parte). And I hate that I've seen people leaving their trash everywhere (may diaper at kung anu-ano pang iniwan, anak ng putik talaga).

Ayun oh! Nabawasan na nga ito. Hindi pa kasali yung madaming tao sa kaliwa. This, for me, is the ugly side of the river. Parang ordinaryong ilog na may naglalaba lang noh?

It's really hard to get a picture without including a lot of strangers in it.

But despite all the disappointment, I'm still amazed how clear the river is, even with all those people around. I just hope the LGU will find ways to control the number of visitors per day so as not to ruin something so beautiful because honestly, they're doing a poor job protecting this gem. I know this is one of their biggest source of income and I am not against it, but I just hope they do ways to preserve its natural beauty because it is, in fact, being destroyed by consumerism.

WRAPPING IT UP
That pretty much sums up our Surigao 2015 getaway. Misadventure after misadventure, I know it's hard to believe but we all had a blast! You might be wondering why we always go on our trips unplanned when a vacation is supposed to be for rest and relaxation. Sa totoo lang, naghahanap talaga kami ng sakit sa katawan. Haha. I'm grateful to have travel buddies who are on the same boat as me. We love adventures. Real ones. One that gets our hearts pumping. One that leaves us with scraped skin or bruised knees. One that gives us burnt skin and a sore body. One that's not found in our homes or the city we're living in. We are never after the luxury or comfort. We want the experience.

Like I always say, the best adventures always come unplanned.

Here's to more misadventures! I started 2016 with a travel blog post because I hope to put more posts like this this year. Happy 2016, everyone!

Bucas Grande Escapade:
Part 1: Bakasyon Grande sa Bucas Grande
Part 2: Sohoton Cove
Part 3: Revisiting Sibadan Fish Cage and Enchanted River