Blue Waters, Bright Skies, and Family Bonding at Daanbantayan Beach

Hello, Hivers! Talay is back again, writing her real-life experiences in this respected community. This blog is all about my experience with my family in Daanbantayan Beach behind my auntie's house, where we went for a swim and pumpboat riding just to add another twist to our lunch together as a loving family. Eating and bonding with our loved ones is always a relaxing and peaceful experience, especially if we do it at the beach, where the atmosphere is just as beautiful as our experience. So prepare your outfit, ready your endurance, and get ready to swim in Daanbantayan beach water.

So the main reason why we decided to visit my auntie's house is because she invited us for lunch at the beach and informed us that Uncle's pumpboat is working well again, so we can have our lunch in the farthest part of the seawater to add some excitement to our lunch together rather than eating at the kitchen table while everyone is not speaking. I also love beaches because they make me calm, and it is wonderful to put your feet on the sand while trying to feel the coolness of the surface, regardless if there would be a lot of sand on your body.

This is the pumpboat of my uncle. It is not that big, not that small—just moderate and enough for our little family to fit. This is after low tide because earlier there was no water around the boat; it was on the sand. But then the tide came back, so it was a sign for us to prepare the food and ready the engine. The kid on the boat is my younger brother, trying to search for some fish even though he couldn't catch any with his bare hands. Still, he tried to search for fish but found seaweeds instead. Haha, so silly my brother.

Look at this view from my aunt's terrace—so peaceful and fine. The clouds are formed perfectly, the sun is giving us warm light, and the sea is as blue as the sky, like it is a nature reflection. So for those who don't believe the sea can meet the sky and vice versa, this is the proof.

This is my family and me, boarded on the pumpboat because Uncle told us the engine is ready and anytime soon we will have our escapade till we reach the part where the water is deep. Not only deep but also blue. Not only blue but also cool. The girls in the photos are my aunties and cousin, and the woman in the pink upper is my gorgeous mother. We are all settled and sat in our respective spaces while Uncle and his assistant were operating the engine and preparing it because pumpboat engines really require a laborious effort to make them start.

Then we were searching for the right spot to stop and eat our lunch. Look at that view from the middle of the sea to the island of Daanbantayan. We were so far from the shore, and I could see the mountain range—green and natural, so exquisite to witness. The clouds’ formation is better in this view because the green of the mountains paired with the blue of the sky looks like the ones I usually drew during my elementary years. I love this view more than the view from the shore to the sea. How about you? Do you love the view from sea to shore or shore to sea? The water is blue and crystal clear, and below you can see a green-colored water; I guess it is the sun reflecting and the sea algae.

Then we finally stopped in our chosen spot—but not really ours because it was my uncle’s choice. He explained to us why, but I forgot. I just believed him because he is a retired seaman, and he knows the sea very well. So maybe that distance from the shore is safer than going farther. If there is a disturbance in the water, we are still safe because he could turn the boat and go to the shore faster.

This is our food, and we ate before jumping into the water. My mother and auntie are good cooks, so I enjoyed eating the food they prepared for us, which was all delicious and appetizing. I almost forgot I had a diet. Our food was chicken, homemade lumpia, fried pig intestines (cha-e), pancit, fried chicken, grilled pork, and spaghetti. We also had lots of fruits like mango, apple, and watermelon, and juices and soft drinks for the last signature of eating. We didn’t have anything to celebrate, so this was just the food we had because it was enough for us and so we wouldn’t waste food we couldn’t consume. I enjoyed the food; it was yummy.

My uncle is a bit strict, so he told us to get our life vests before jumping into the water. All of us know how to swim, but the water is too deep, as in deeper than I can dive, so I listened to his instructions. This orange-colored vest is so cute and bright, very comfortable to use under daylight. It protected me from getting drowned if possible and made my floating and swimming around more comfortable.

Finally, ready for a swim! Yohooo. Life was so stressful earlier, and I wanted to have some break, and swimming in the sea is a good outlet to release the stress I have in my body. Adulting is always making me stressed haha, but it is for the future. For the sake of my mental health, I jumped into the water and felt free for a moment. It was a therapeutic swim, to be honest. It made me relaxed and tired the whole day, so I slept after this, and the sleep I had was so good and enough.

Hmmm, look who are hard-headed? My uncle told us to wear vests, but when we enjoyed the water, the vest became so annoying. We couldn’t do things directly. Although it is comfortable, it sometimes makes simple tasks hard, like rising from the water and getting back to the pumpboat because the vest was heavy, so it was hard to get on the pumpboat. Fortunately, we had big floats we could use as an alternative to the vest. At least we were still safe. We tied ropes to each float so when the waves rolled, we would not be washed away from the boat because, for me, when swimming using a float, it takes endurance and more time to move. I don’t know what is the science for this.

My auntie and my niece having a mother-daughter bonding and lovely time. You enjoyed there my dearest girls.

As the hours passed, the tide started lowering down, and Uncle told us it would be harder for the pumpboat to reach the shore if the water became too shallow. So gradually, we moved closer to the shore, little by little, following the line where the water was still safe for the boat to float. When we reached the part where the water was only half of our body, we decided to swim around again and enjoy the last moments before heading home. My mother also swam with us, still wearing her life vest because safety first, as Uncle always reminded. The water was warm and the waves were gentle, and it felt like the perfect way to end our little family adventure.