Tanduyong Island

I took this photo of the island from the boat on the way back to my relative's house after a long day of swimming, strolling, and of course, sleeping..like a log.

Let me recount...

I stepped on this island the day before but didn't do much. Just sat in a hut. The summer sun on top of our heads. And a real amateur camera trigger-happy like myself, I fired away from a retreat position inside the hut.

My cousin hacked the two young bukos because they were offered free. But was interrupted almost instantly by this fine lady walking on the island bridge connecting Tanduyong and Tondol white sand beach. He quickly grabbed my Nikon P80 and zoomed...click.

The island bridge is about a 100-meters away from Tondol beach. 100 meters or more, I'm not sure. But like a mystical place, some tourists from the crowded Tondol beach are drawn to walk under the heat of the sun just to set foot on Tanduyong Island.

The island caretaker was in the mood for storytelling. He recalled that a japanese company once offered 300M to buy the island but the owner refuse...for sentimental reasons. The idea of converting the place for yacht clubs seem uninviting. He jumped to the threat of tsunami and laughed about the false alarm they once received. At the mouth of this gulf, he lectured, are natural wave barriers that weakens incoming tidal waves. You might notice this too from the google map I posted. He wanted to share how they inherited the land but a tourist stepped in and asked for a boat ride to 100 hundred islands. He agreed to take them and excused himself to us saying "Be back in an hour".

We had to leave early because my cousin needed to go back to Dagupan. Their journey back would really take long. The top speed of his tricycle is 50kph.

I spent the night in my aunt's house in Cabungan. Charged the camera battery for another day of photo shoot on Tanduyong Island.

to be continued...