Chimichanga

                Saturday was our first day off and, I am happy to say, we definitely made the most of it! Six of us volunteers woke up early and loaded into the truck. We left Tacloban, drove north and then west on rural roads, winded through the mountains, stopped to take scenic pictures (and to take pictures with a family that was jumping up and down and clapping excitedly to see white people), and, 3 hours later, arrived in the adorable seaside town of Pampolon. Here, we ate an early lunch, bought snacks and water, and then boarded a small boat to head to “Chimichanga” – our nickname for the beautiful, yet difficult-to-say island of Kalamggaman. Throughout the 1 hour boat ride, we kept remarking about how the journey itself was worth the trip; we were travelling in the bluest water that I’ve ever seen, away from the mountains of Leyte (the larger island that we live on). At one point, we even saw dolphins jumping out of the water close to our boat.

                … And then we docked at Kalamggaman, where the deep blue water turned to turquoise and clear. We spent the afternoon swimming, paddleboarding, and being completely and utterly carefree. At low tide, we were able to see the thing that drew us to this particular island in the first place: a natural sandbar that allows you to travel away from the island for nearly 150 yards. When we got to the end, the sun was beginning to set. I looked to my left, to my right, and straight in front of me and regaled at how serene and beautiful the water was. I’m not sure what else to say with my ordinary words to explain the beauty of this scene, but I’m convinced that nothing I say or show will ever be able to convey it well enough.

                Shortly thereafter, we headed back to Pampolon by boat, but this time, it was pouring down rain. We then took the truck back through the rural roads to head to our temporary home and arrived back around 11pm. We were exhausted and went to bed shortly thereafter. As I was laying on my air mattress bed on the floor next to the 9 other volunteers (just to give you the visual!), I was marveling at how fun of a day we had. On top of that, I couldn’t get over the fact that this island full of beauty and magnificence was only a day trip away from the poverty and destruction of Tacloban. What a crazy, beautiful, and messy world it is that we live in.

                Side note: Clearly, I wrote this post several days ago, but haven’t had strong enough internet to post it until now. I’ve also been working on another blog post for the first part of this work week. Once I finish and have an internet connection, I’ll post it! Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, e-mails, and texts. I’ve loved hearing updates from everybody back home! Keep them coming… even if it takes me several days to get back to you!