Buenavista mon amour 2

In the afternoons we were invited to simply dig in the sand for small clams. After a good rinse, they were ready to be prepared and cooked in a tasty soup for dinner.

At night the family gathered Maglites and scoured the shore for hermit crabs and other small crabs. I learned, quite reluctantly, from Lester how to grab a crab in a certain way so it wouldn't pinch me, to the cheers of my little niece and nephews. (I felt that all I had to do to complete the kids' amusement was to get chased by a barracuda while they cheered! Of course, with my luck, I found myself beside one. Good thing it was a baby barracuda. Whew!)

A small new crustacean I got introduced to was the kayukom, which was gathered with a sieve built of wood and a wire mesh. You shake the sieve, the sand escapes through the mesh, and what would be left are these tiny "sand crabs" looking like white beetles. Deep-fried, they tasted exactly like delicious crunchy shrimp.

Midnight

At midnight, we could find baby octopus by the shore.

Lester's dive buddy Senen Batoon, with his Navy Seal-like demeanor and physique, always had a disarming smile but was totally fearless in or out of the water. He showed us how to disable an octopus by quickly biting the side of its head so it would lose its aggressiveness. Eeeekk!

With Lester and Senen at either side, I went underwater feeling like Princess Ariel with her two bodyguards. From them I learned how to gather sea urchins with a stick and a basket. Senen taught me how to remove the spikes, crack the urchin open and take the buttery meat within, without fear. It's also known as uni, that expensive Japanese delicacy. You drizzle calamansi juice on it and douse it with soy and wasabe. (I came prepared and brought my own wasabe. When I first came to this island in 1991, all we had was vinegar.)

Since I was free-diving a lot, Senen invited me to come with him in the direction of the seven giant clams in the shallow area-or a depth of 10 to 15 feet-fronting the island. He put his hand at the mouth of each giant clam, taunting it to clamp shut, just to make sure I saw where each one was located.

There were also live conch shells, and with the permission of the island's two stewards, Lester and Senen, we took one and were shown how to let the occupant come out on its own before preparing to cook it with lots of garlic, soy and oil.

A poignant note: The only way to hear the ocean when you put a conch shell to your ear is when its occupant has left or been driven out of its own shell.

Memories

I remember jamming on this island years back with the Apo's Jim, Danny and Buboy, and with Mike on guitar. I was their lead singer, complete with a sound system and band set up and transported just for that purpose.

The island is greener now, and best of all, the Ayalas have decided to open it to the public. (The demand from friends has been that insistent.) But the management reserves the right to be "choosy," just to be able to preserve the place in the way it was originally intended.

Because I care about the state of our marine environment, it gave me a warm feeling to find a colorful variety of corals, starfish and the like thriving in the waters. In this underwater world so different from ours, I was reminded of life and the Infinite Presence. I came away convinced that there is a cosmic order where all things work together for the good of all, reminding us that even in times of uncertainty, life will continue around us and things will be okay.

So give in to the yearnings of your soul. Whether it be for a romantic date, a family holiday, a honeymoon, or an interlude to retreat from the city and commune with nature, rent this island and feel like you own it for a couple of days! It comes complete with the best marine life you will ever see all in one place, and right before your very eyes, close enough to touch.

The memory of each profound experience on Buenavista will sustain you even when you get back to life on the fast track, and you will realize that you have come to the next best plane of existence-a "quiet knowing" of your place in the universe.

I promise that you won't forget the whole uplifting sojourn for a long, long time.