The weekend saw me going to Nasugbu,Batangas again for the Punta Fuego Sailing Fiesta. Was it a fiesta? Nope, if you consider the hair-raising adventure we had cruising through the rough waters off the Nasugbu coast which was right in the middle of the South China Sea.
I was looking forward to sailing after a long time, and so I was all too excited when we boarded our speedboat, the 24-footer Fuego II. We were supposed to follow the regatta participants in their puny hobies and catamarans with their colorful sails blasting in the wind.
Taking off, we had a good view of the Punta Fuego landscape with its stately houses jutting out of the hills just like those in the Mediterranean coast. As we passed by a gigantic rock formation, our guide would say, that’s “Pedro island…and that’s Eduardo Island over there,” Pedro and Eduardo being the names of the scions of the rich Spanish-Filipino families who own the land around Punta Fuego.
I haven’t yet savored all the sights when the waters became rough. The experience reminded me of the Anchors Away ride in Enchanted Kingdom, only that this was real life. As our boat negotiated through the big waves with a grinding motion, our group of sailing neophytes were screaming our heads off and tightly gripping our seats.
Mawi was steadily assuring us: “Don’t worry,I’ve had worse. And this is a big boat.”
And I would reply: “Well, wasn’t the Titanic a big boat, dear? Aaargh!”
For some more minutes, our poor boat would go up and down and the splashing of the water would make us wet. I swear I prayed my Hail Mary.
Our adventure did not end so soon because as soon as we got near Fortune Island, we had to go back again to where we came from. That meant going through the same thrilling motions again. Suddenly, I had a newfound respect for fishermen and sailors. Just imagine what Columbus and Magellan had to go through to conquer the world. It’s not easy when there’s only you, your boat, the horizon and the deep blue ocean.
One of the participants did tell me capsizing is an occurrence when you sail, and so is “demasting,” or one’s mast breaking off. There is also the possibilityof a shark swimming nearby but that only happens I guess in shark-infested waters.
After that horrific episode, our group was ready to unwind in the Terrazas Sunset party. The buffet table was laid out with assorted barbecue and salads. I gorged on my Caesar’s and rum coke. I was zonked out by the time I returned to the comfort of the casita and immediately fell asleep. What a Saturday!
Nasugbu market side trip
Markets are must-visits during any trip I make. What caught my eye in the Nasugbu market was the longest take-away buffet ever.The two vendors, Lita and Shirley, offer a total of 64 dishes side by side. They don’t have the problem with left-overs, it seems, because all the food is usually sold before the day is over.
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