It was a beautiful day...

After two days of beach and hotel hopping, and enjoying the afternoon in the turtle hatchery, we went to Las Cabanas as our next hotel to stay in for the night. We couldn't check in early so we just left our luggage there and spent most of our morning going to Taraw Cliffs and then Commandos Beach by lunch.

While we were on the Commando's Beach, Cory quickly stopped me from doing what I was supposed to do. To take off my underwear and go on commando.

"Anong ginagawa mo?" masungit nitong tanong sa akin. May kasama pang hampas sa braso ko. Tsansing lang 'to, e.

"Going commando? Nasa Commando's Beach tayo, obviously, you know what that meant, right?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "You know that's not what the beach meant. Commando's Beach is obviously the Seven Commando Beach and it was because there used to be seven soldiers who used to live here... ako pa ba ang magkukwento sa 'yo niyan when you've been living in Palawan for your whole life?"

I shrugged off. "It's nice to know that from someone like you. Ang galing mo, ha? You've done your research so well. Kakabilib!"

"That's I think common knowledge na around here. Niloloko mo lang talaga ako, e." I laughed at her remarks. "See? Ikaw pa na walang alam? You know too well to be dumb about it."

"Kaya nga sabi ko kakabilib, 'di ba?"

"E 'di, thank you! I appreciate that!" she said and a smile lingered on her face. "So, after this... saan naman tayo? We've still got the whole afternoon."

"There's the small and big lagoon," I suggested. "It was part of our itinerary today and if we could push through, let's do it! Balik na ba tayo sa hotel natin so we can finally check in our stuff?"

Hindi na naman kami naghintay pa nang matagal ng oras. Going back to our hotel, we took a trike for fifteen minutes and once we're there ay sinalubong na kami ng staff na pwede na namin i-check in ang mga gamit namin. 

"So, saan na nga tayo?" tanong niya muli sa akin.

"Small lagoon," diretsyo kong sagot sa kanya. "You would love to be there... I'll love it there."

"Okay, sure... let's go there na! Baka wala tayong abutan kapag pumunta tayo ro'n."

Hindi rin naman nagtagal ay nag-ayos na kaming dalawa. We packed some of our stuff before heading out. I didn't let her bring her laptop there because it won't be safe. We'll be going to an island and wouldn't be wise to bring it there.

When both of us are finally ready, we ride on a trike heading to the port. When a staff there said that going to the small lagoon would be by an island-hopping tour which we missed. They said the island-hopping operation started by nine in the morning which we're way off the time already.

"Wala na po ba talagang chance na makapunta kami sa small lagoon?" tanong n Cory sa staff.

Kinausap ng staff na 'yon ang kasamahan niya at nagdiskusyon pa sila. We wait until she come back to us offering us something.

"Pwede pa naman kayo humabol today, iyon nga lang ay hindi na ito part ng island-hopping tour which is less expensive. Ang i-o-offer namin sa inyo ay private boat. Pwede kayo dalhin sa small at big lagoon, but it's your choice kung saan kayo magtatagal dahil private boat naman ang binayaran niyo, but all boats must be back before sunset. Ilan ba kayo?"

"Dalawa lang po kami."

"Kung gusto niyo ng offer namin. Mahal nga lang. Kung makapaghihintay pa kayo para sa tour bukas, pwede na kayo magpa-reserve today tapos nine ng umaga ang meeting time."

Hinarap ako ni Cory. "What do you think? Should we go for tomorrow? Pwede naman... I think? Pero kasi...  nasasayangan lang ako sa time natin today if ever wala tayong gagawin. Nandito na rin naman tayo, so why shouldn't we, 'di ba?"

"I agree with you," aniko. "If we would postpone it, it might also affect our other trips. Nasa iyo pa rin naman ang final decision and I would let you do it."

She grunted. "Fine... let's just go with it."

Hinarap niya muli ang staff at sinabi na tutuloy na kami ngayon. It was just an hour after lunch kaya maaga-aga pa rin naman. If they want us be back before sunset, we've still got five hours to do any activity there.

Cory paid for the private boat and then a staff coordinated with us. Before we hopped onto the boat, they brief us for a quick minute. As soon as we're ready, they lead us to the private boat. I handed over the life vest to Cory and help her put it on. 

When the boat left the port, they said it would take us a few minutes before we reached the small lagoon. We've come up with that we'll spend two hours and a half for both islands so we'll be able to hang around better.

And there we go after twenty minutes, we reached the area and found people doing kayak when we arrived. I thought Cory would love that so I suggested it to her. Ayaw pa sana niyang pumayag, but we ended up getting on one in which most of the time we're on it, she was so scared and wanted to get off.

The water is crystal clear. It's the same thing in Coron, but some areas are not allowed for swimming since there are jellyfish and territorial fish that might hurt the swimmers. 

We spend most of our goofing around and I tried to capture the scenery with her go pro cam and we believe this would be a very good addition to her series. When the time they'll watch the series she made, I'm expecting a lot of tourists to come around.

As soon as we were done with the kayak, we went back to the shore and there's one thing I had in mind that I would really love to do and I hope she gets to do it with me.

Cory walked faster than me as if she was avoiding something else. I tried to goof around her, but I think annoyed her much more so I stopped doing that.

I've been hearing some people, mostly foreigners, who are talking about cliff diving. That's one of the things I'm expecting to do here since when I found out that we could do it here, I think it would be the best thing and something memorable for both of us.

I'm just not sure if Cory would love to do it since sometime she's a scaredy cat.

"Gusto ko rin mag-cliff diving. Gusto mo 'yon?"

"Ewan 'ko sa 'yo. Ang dami mong gustong gawin sa buhay mo," aburido nitong sagot sa akin.

At that moment, I know na hindi ko na siya mapipilit and there was only one thing that I could fulfill this dream come true and that was to do it alone.

"Sige, pahiram na lang ako ng go pro cam mo para gamitin ko," suggestion ko. She didn't give it to me as I was the one who took it from her hand. I took my life vest off and then my shirt leaving only my board shorts. I handed over my stuff to her which left her mouth hanging open.

When I left and run, she even called me, but I didn't look back anymore.

Dahil hindi ko alam kung saan patungo sa itaas, I asked some people and they are just pointing me where the others are heading. I was really nervous heading up to the cliff but topping it off with so much excitement.

I met some people along the way and they were so thrilled to do this. I've done this before, but never in El Nido, and not much higher than this. I've only seen this on videos when people posted them online and I think it's fun.

I started recording the camera halfway through trekking to the top.

"Kinakabahan ako. First ko 'to 'yong ganito kataas," I told to the cam and laughed at the thought of how crazy it would be.

Not until I reached the peak, I took a deep breath and felt a little freedom in my chest. 

There were a few people lined up to jump. May instructor din na nagbibigay ng guide on what to do and what nots. I waited in line and before my turn could come, I did a three-hundred-sixty view of the surroundings showing the majestic view of the island.

I couldn't help it. Natatawa na lang ako sa harap ng camera siguro dahil na rin sa kaba.

"Next!" sigaw ng instructor.

"Ako na..." usal ko saka ako pumwesto kung saan ako sinasabihan ng instructor sa mga gagawin ko. I took a deep breath when the instructor gave me the go-signal to jump. "Para kay Cory, 'to..." I giggled looking at the camera.

I stepped backward to gain a headstart and then I jumped.

"Woooh!!!" I shouted and I don't know if people heard me so loud, but I feel so free.

I could feel the wind hitting straight at me as I fall down and once I hit the water so deep, I had a hard time swimming back to the surface. I hold my breath and I'm not sure if I've still got the go pro as when I hit the water, I must've let it go.

I tried all the power I had to swim back up and then I had a bad cramp that hurt me the most and lose my focus, and the next thing I knew, I'm losing air out of my lungs.

***