The Nagsasa Cove Experience

Just like the movie "perfect storm"
March 26 2011
4:00 am Sat

I'm so excited. At last my brother is going to take me to one of his adventures.

I just came off from a 12 hour flight, still had jet lag and hungry when i took a boat ride i thought would be just one of the normal boat rides i had in the past..and i was proved to be wrong.
It turned out to be what i would describe as one of the most terrifying experiences in my life. Calm seas turned violent.
That's how to summarize it.
First there was amazement, moonlight and stars.
Then there was the wind.
And finally the terrifying waves.
It's true that at the height of your terror, you go numb and deaf, that you could barely hear what's going on and only hear your heartbeat. I couldn't see a thing as we approach the entrance to the cove, the wind and waves are so violent i only see white surf.
We had to turn back as we risk capsizing our boat. That's it. Not so convincing on writing but trust me the actual experience is far more intense.
We took refuge on a nearby beach that was more accommodating. My whole body was shaking. Its either the cold or the terror. It must be the latter.
We landed on the beach and decided to wait for the morning light. I was so exhausted that i tried to sleep anywhere i could, i lied on the first bench i saw and when i was about to close my eyes, i noticed the moon against the black blue sky, with the wind rustling on the pine leaves, and the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
Immediately i felt an extreme sense of peace. Nature is so beautiful. I forgot the wet, the cold and the shivering. I closed my eyes to sleep.

Sunrise
came and we saw some fishing boats. We bought a couple of fresh parrot fish and decided to take another go for Nagsasa Cove.
The waves now are still just as terrifying but we somehow managed to break the entrance.
It was so bumpy that i see sky and sea. My hands, white knuckled gripped the sides of the boat as we battle the waves. All wet and blind by the surf, i glimpsed the golden sun break through the clouds. I thought our boat would break into two.

My brother tapped me reassuringly and shouted " It's normal!"
After whats like an eternity of battling the waves we finally touched the beach.

I scouted the surroundings and marveled at the beauty of the place.
The cool water at my feet, the find sand blown by the wind and the air was crisp and clear to breathe.

From the desert country i worked from, this is paradise.

Blue skies, turquoise waters
reminded me of the TV series "Lost". Here we got no electricity or a proper bed to rest.
Just sand, a tent and the hammock.

Midday
i tried catching some sleep but my brother would have none of it. We took a quick trek on the "outback" and did some exploring. It was hot and a quick dip on a pool of fresh water up the hill proved to be very refreshing. The pool was teeming with aquatic life, crayfishes, water bugs and small fishes. I felt assured then that it was clean.

Infrared
was never on my mind but i tried somehow when i saw a couple of our fellows doing some shots.

Afternoon
came after a quick nap and the light is getting soft and colors are popping out. The tide is getting high and we decided to have a swim.

The inland "lake" during high tide.

Sunset
was everybody's most awaited moment. I decided to be the first on this broken boat and waited for the right light.

Nagsasa cove sunset is just amazing. I felt in touch with nature.

After a hearty dinner under a flashlight, we took a pitch black trail at the back of our campsite for a bath under the stars.
I was so exhausted that i fell asleep in no time after that.

A tug woke me up to see my brother excited about some bush fire that was going on.
I saw some glow far away and went back to the tent to sleep. I was so tired i didn't care about any bush fire.

Just minutes later and my brother woke me up again telling me to get up and bring our valuables out of the tent. I went out and saw the mountain on top of us is on fire.

Bush fires
usually happen when the grass is so dry and some hunters use fire to flush out wild game.

The whole mountain is literally on fire. We scrambled out to the open area carrying whatever we can. I carried our whole tent and my bags.

It was an amazing scene. The whole place was lit by an orange glow from the fire.

The whole team as fire is raging up on the hills.

We waited until the fires died down. So i slept in the sand. Didn't mind the pebbles blown by the wind pricking on my skin.
The campsite was full of smoke from the smoldering grass and wood by the time we headed back, and we wasted no time putting up our tents back and sleep soon took over.

This is one experience i would never forget.
I felt a sense of detachment with the place when we headed back home, and mind you the boat ride back sent me reciting silent prayers all the way.
The waves are not so friendly.

But if you ask if it's all worth it, definitely it is and would go back again given the chance.
(On a bigger boat perhaps....)

A short trip - Fujairah

Jan 22 2010 Fri

The northern part of the United Arab Emirates is always a good choice for a weekend treat, away from the hustle and bustle life of Dubai.
It was decided on notice, instead of going for dune bashing on a desert safari, we opted to have some barbecue on some remote beach along Fujairahs' coastline.

Carpet shops along the way. You can haggle for a cheap bargain.

We bought a couple of carpets for 27 USD each. The price is twice back on Dubai.


The weather was still quite cool when we arrived at midday, as we settled on some shade under a rocky hill. But the sky was bland though not that overcast.


There were local fishermen on the beach, and we are just in time for the days' catch. Anchovies.
A full truckload of these and some more. They were quite happy to give us some and other freebies...other fishes and including a dead green turtle.


It must have drowned while inside the fishing net. It was so unfortunate to see such a wonderful creature...lifeless. It was my first time to see a sea turtle this close.

Illegal catch

The fishermen did not care a bit. After posing for me they threw it back on the beach. I was hoping that the turtle is still alive. I went back to the same spot after they have gone and saw the turtles' lifeless body on the sandy bottom.


The beach was clean and water was great for a dip. Unlike beaches back on Dubai, i can see a lot of small fishes even on very shallow waters which means the places here is still unspoilt, due to the sparse population around it. But maybe not for long...


Here's a short video clip of my fish-mongering. We went home that night with some of these anchovies and it made a delicious fish omelet for dinner. =D