I love testing my limits especially when it comes to new challenges. After all, as the saying goes, you only live once so you got to take all opportunities to have fun adventures while you're young and able. So before I get too old to travel, go racing on foot, and join friends in having wacky moments, I will wholeheartedly grab chances as they come to make memories I know I'll treasure in the coming years.
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| on board Coco Princess |
I was glad to find myself in the company of nice bloggers and well-known personalities in the entertainment industry. We traveled via
Cebu Pacific Air to
Dumaguete where we boarded a ferry to the beautiful island of
Siquijor.
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| welcoming committee at Coco Grove Beach Resort |
We actually already had a lot of fun on board the
Coco Princes, the awesome ferry of
Coco Grove Resort, even before we got to our destination. There were lots of great corners and spaces for photo ops which, I think, everyone was able to maximize.
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| pretty table setting for lunch |
Once in Siquijor, we had a delicious lunch, rested for bit, had an orientation about the
Juan for Fun 2015 Backpackers Challenge (read other details about it in
my other blog post), listened to JFF alumni share their stories, then geared up for the mini challenge they prepared for us.
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| Team Blue: Marky, me, and Joyce |
Members of the media were divided into five teams with one
Adventure Coach each (know more about them
in another blog post). Travel blogger,
Marky Ramone Go, and I became teammates with singer and radio DJ
Joyce Pring.
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| Team Orange: Jude Bacalso, Jorge Urquico, and Angelo Garcia |
There were lots of
running involved in the activities and it made me really glad I was fit enough to keep up. Our first pit stop was in
Capilay Spring Park where we had to arrange photos to describe how we arrived in Siquijor.
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| Team Purple: Bogart the Explorer, Aya Tantiangco, and Jonel Uy |
Next, we went to
Solangon Beach and had to finish eating local delicacies that were really hard to swallow. Marky was kind enough to eat almost all the sea urchins by himself while Joyce and I tried chewing on puto-like cakes that were really tough to chew. Thankfully, gulping down lots of water helped.
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| we were not lucky with our shuttle :/ |
While zooming towards the
Century Old Balete Tree, however, we noticed that our shuttle was the slowest of the lot because a couple of teams overtook us despite our urging for our driver to drive faster. That afternoon, I discovered how difficult it is to carry one cup of water if all you can hold are three strings attached to it. Thanks to teamwork, we also finished that challenge fast.
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| Team Yellow: Aleah Taboclaon, Luigi Almario, and Iya Villania-Arellano |
Our painfully slow vehicle was another story though. It came to a point where we leaned back on our seats while the other shuttles started passing us by again and told each other, "Let's just enjoy the experience." That was actually a good reminder to let the
good stuff in and forget the setbacks :)
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| Joyce and Marky putting the puzzle together while I searched for more pieces |
The ending? We got in 4th place after trying to piece together puzzle pieces placed beside various flags in the sand at Coco Grove. But all's good. Like I said, we enjoyed what we did and had fun. More than the prizes, that should be the whole point of the challenge, right?
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| Team Green: Enzo Luna, Champ Lui Pio, and Melo Villareal |
So I encourage college and university students to sign up and send in your audition tapes before the May 2 deadline because the actual Juan for Fun 2015 Backpackers Challenge has eight days worth of traveling filled with exciting activities and prizes! Please read
my other blog post to know more about it.
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| group photo before the challenge |
Thank you once again Cebu Pacific Air for giving me a chance to visit a place in my bucket list and for the opportunity to have fun with old and new friends! :)
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