Isla Romantica: Getting There

When I was a puppy and all that surrounds me is an endless trail of roof ceilings, manang told me that when I feel sad and see a little shimmery glint of diamond in the sky, I should close my eyes and then make a wish…

Mr. Starlight,
Radiating gleefully in the sky tonight,
please enable my hoomans to bring me back to the beach one more time.

A few weeks back, exactly 10 days ago, we received another invitation from Ms. Clavel to go visit the beach. Every day manang would pester manang R’ and Tin if the beach trip would push through, and so it did.

Taking a rented jeepney (a famous Filipino mode of transportation) from manang’s company driver, we left the Ilonggo House at around 7:00 AM and headed for Lapu Lapu City, which was about an hour’s drive (see map in tool bar).

This time we are not going to our Eden, instead we will be going to a new place located somewhere in Cordova Alegria, still in Lapu Lapu City.

I love jeepney rides because it allows me unlimited tongue wagging possibilities.

There are 2 bridges connecting Cebu City/ Mandaue City with Lapu Lapu City: the new bridge and the old bridge. We took the old one and got a full view of the Marcelo H. Fernan bridge (a.k.a. the new bridge).

Poopie looked sleepy. This was her first official road trip in Cebu. With Poopie is our birthday girl- Manang Tintin…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANANG TINTIN!!!!

Jeepney rides had been part of my travelling lifestyle. Here are my before and after Jeepney-riding, beach-bound pictures.

Finally we had arrived. We took a 5-10 minute walk through unspoken vegetation and marshland (just kidding!), traversing through a well treaded path which leads to a quaint sand bar where we are supposed to meet with our next mode of transport.

We are the leader of the pack- the alpha dog.

And just so everyone knows... I left my indelible mark

This path leads down the sand bar.
Wooofy!! Is that where we are going?

waiting for the banca to arrive

Manang, can you hear my heartbeat?
It screams: “WATER!!!”

While waiting for the banca to arrive, Poopie hid beneath the crevice of this rock. Unlike me, she was deathly afraid of the water and was happier land-bound.

“I hope that banca never arrives”

Is that the banca already, kuya?

I can see it!
Our banca is coming.
I can see the islet clearly, too!!

Wooofy! Our ride is here…

The banca (small boat) ride from the drop off point to the island took us another 10-15 minutes. On low tides, the sand bar becomes more prominent and one can just traverse through the knee to shoulder-deep water.

For my first ride, the hoomans were surprised to discover that I was such a good boy.

I never knew banca rides were so much fun!

This isn’t too bad, at all, isn’t it manong Aki?

Destination: Isla Romantica

The island was owned by the banca operator. Its Spanish name “Isla Romantica” literally translates to Romantic Island or Island of Romance.

I surveyed the place with much enthusiasm and gusto


I tested the waters and the indulged in its tranquil waves


Finally, the Chinese Labrador has landed.



watch out for our adventures in our next post: Islet meets Dog