Flashing . . . An exciting and cheap activity!

When people see or hear the word FLASHING, they think dirty (sexual) thoughts - Gotcha! I know that you were thinking the very same thing. These folks think about exhibitionism, or about a person walking down a street or in a park wearing a long overcoat (usually in the summer, otherwise, it's not going to be a good show) and briefly exposing his naked body in a sexual way and usually with a perverted look on his face, much to the surprise (if the flasher has a hot body) . . . or sometimes, to the disgust (if the flasher has a horrible body) of the person chosen for such a "jaw-dropping sight".  However, this post is not about such  . . . controversial things. I mean flashing in a different sense, of course . . .  being the angel that I am - yeah right! Flashing, in my post, refers to 'taking a flash trip' or a very quick journey. You've heard about 'flash mobs' suddenly dancing in the streets, right? Therefore, why not 'flash trips'?

Most people consider travelling as an expensive activity that is usually associated with or reserved for the rich or upper class. (Excuse me!) However, the common man must not be held down by such backward thinking or by a poor financial condition. He has a right to live and experience life in so many ways. Although the average man hasn't been blessed with a fat wallet or doesn't come from a filthy rich family, he can still resort to more creative forms of travel. . .  like 'flash trips'. Hence, in my book, he's got to travel to experience new things and even old things that he may have forgotten about because of age, time or some other truly meaningless excuse.

Now for the main event . . . this post is about a 'flash trip' that I had the privilege of experiencing in 34 hours.  It was a very quick but special trip that made me and my husband feel alive and even young again. It brought us closer together after being together for 17 years, and surprisingly, didn't cost a lot of money (which was a BONUS!).  A 34-hour 'flash trip', mind you, is not a travel activity for the prissy or overly sensitive kind of traveler but is for those who are young at heart and who would like to let that heart beat with the thunder of life . . . of love . . . of living freely . . . even for just a few bucks. I guess you could say it's an example of the saying "you can have your cake and eat it too". So, let's take a trip . . . in a flash . . . (I included the cost so that you could see how inexpensive travelling could be, and so even those with a limited budget might take the plunge and dare to explore the world . . . or at least nearby regions . . . to enjoy life through travelling.)

Getting on the ferry to Bantayan 

Let's begin . . . My husband and I went on a 34-hour  'flash trip' from Cebu City to Bantayan Island (and back) in the Philippines. It actually started with a taxi ride from our hotel in Cebu City to the (northbound) bus station (about P90). Then, we took a 3-hour air-conditioned bus ride (P170 per person one-way) to Hagnaya Port at the northern tip of the island of Cebu. When we got to the port, the ferry looked a little scary; but we were on an adventure, so what the heck! We hopped on the ferry going to the port of Santa Fe, Bantayan Island (P180 fare + P10 terminal fee each), which took a little over an hour.

On the scooter feeling young again

When we got to Santa Fe Port, we got on a tricycle (P20 each) and went to our air-conditioned backpacker's style cottage at Bantayan Cottages, which I found on the internet (P650 a night). Even though we were on a budget, there were still a few things that we couldn't give up . . . like AIR-CONDITIONING in a tropical climate! After taking a rest, we rented a couple of scooters at a great price (P300 each for 24-hours) to freely get around and explore the places nearby. This is something I highly recommend because it was so much fun. The scooter was easy to ride and made me feel like a teenager again!

Hmm . . . I' wish I couldl have everything! 

Local fare for a few bucks! 

In order to save money, my hubby and I ate heavy meals at hole-in-the-wall places or local diners [around P100 - Php150 each for a lot of delicious food - like lechon (succulent roasted pig), escabeche (sweet n' sour fish), fried pork ribs, linagang baka (beef soup) and rice for just P300 total]. Then, we would go to a nice place with a great ambiance for a snack and drinks (usually around P500) to live it up a little.

Planning my haggling strategy

The interior of the simple but gorgeous Bantayan Church

We went to Bantayan Town, which was about 20 minutes away on the scooters. We also dropped by the market to buy famous dried seafood products (P85 for 1/4 kg of danggit) and saw one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, Bantayan Church. We even crashed a wedding going on at the time (long enough for a few priceless shots).

Sugar Beach was still beautiful  - even on a rainy day

Then, we got on our scooters and stopped by beautiful Sugar Beach (with powdery white sand) on the way back to the cottage. On our way to the beach, the weather began to turn bad, but we didn't care! We made it to the beach and the view was absolutely breathtaking despite an overcast sky and drizzling rain. Although my husband and I were rushing to get back to the cottage to finish packing and to catch the next ferry to Cebu Island, we were happy because the trip was truly exciting. What a rush to ride around on a scooter and feel the gentle rain caress your face and the wind embrace you!

Our tired but happy feet

When we got on the ferry and started the trip back, the weather turned nasty. We thought we were going to die as the ferry violently rocked back and forth. Nevertheless, we made it back to Hagnaya Port and took the bus back to Cebu City. We were so happy to be alive and were laughing about the exciting trip on the bus ride back. It was an exciting and unforgettable 34-hour trip which cost us only about P3,000 each (all-inclusive) . . . an unforgettable time for not a lot of dough! Although the trip was a flash of 34 hours, the wonderful memories will truly last us a lifetime.

We still recall our 34-hour adventure to this day and hope to go back to Bantayan Island with our children someday. However, we know that next time, it has to be for a few days because it's different when you bring kids - travelling becomes a bit more tricky. Anyway, I'm sure my two boys will have a blast because we certainly did! The most terrific part of the trip was that it brought us closer together, too (because, let's face it, after 17 years of being together, you have to find more exciting things to do together . . . LOL!)

So, to my fellow financially challenged comrades, or those who are tired of living dreary lives, or those who need to rekindle their relationship . . . live life under the sun . . . and travel, travel, travel . . . inexpensively . . . and in a flash!