A Sanctuary in the East

The monsoon winds are starting to ease out. Kitesurfers are leaving and the instructors are beginning to pack up. I moved at the east side of El Nido about a month ago and have been staying here with three other friends.

When I planted an idea in MG’s mind five years ago, he had no idea that his dream was going to come true. Here we’re chilling at his one-hectare property, where he’s dismantled his old house and built a new one. It has a bar and restaurant, which I manage in the evenings, while MG a local chef works with the crew in the kitchen.

Evenings are the busiest beginning at sunset time. The sweeping view of the ocean gradually darkens into dusk, and then into a night of stars and the moon. The garden lights are turned on, we got mats and low-lying tables in the garden, with candle lights and house music. The yoga platform, which is the prime space facing the sunrise, turns into the most coveted space, as it faces the moonrise over the ocean.

Oh, that is the most beautiful sight, the full moon. It rises as a blood moon like how a sunrise or sunset looks, and softens into pink and then silver. The ocean is lit and fishermen are out there with their lanterns, catching the most fish. The regulars at the restaurant are marine biologists, divers, surfers, and conservationists. I turn into a bargirl at the counter, serving drinks, and chat with all sorts of people and tourists.

The only worst part I get is when I get cornered by people I don’t enjoy speaking with. Especially the drunks and the flirts who advance with jokes to see my dimples. Others keep forcing me to drink when I quit the stuff three years ago. “Come on,” one said, “drink, just one.” I took one, followed by another, until I had five beers. And two days of hangover. It was awful, my body destabilized in bed, and my senses heightened. I never had a drink again.

In the next couple of months we’ll be building 15 cabanas, a new restaurant, and a separate place for the bar, where people can rave with parties and music. Rain has begun too, and then the insects. The trees are budding with flowers and various scents, and new species of birds are flocking the property. Oh, and we’ll have an infinity pool!

I was asking MG if he really was going to allow this big leap to renovate his place, because it’s such a special and rustic hangout, where fairies dwell and animals flock to eat the fallen fruits. I mean, it’s a million dollar property with a million dollar view, and he’s turning it into a busier place for tourists and families. He said, yeah, he’s sure of it. Well I’m going to miss its old vibe, I said, so now we’re relishing the last days where the surroundings are still virgin.

MG brought me to another spot about 10 minutes from here by motorbike. It’s another property he’s inherited from his parents. It’s a wonderful sight with a river and huge canopies of trees. It’s still a jungle and in his mind he was already building a new space, a sanctuary, for himself and his business partner Donna. I suggested a stone house by the river, with a patio where people can chill and jump into the the water. And then treehouses like high bridges over the river. Then at night, large fireflies come and turn the whole place into an enchanted jungle.

Life feels so open and simple here. And maybe I’ll settle down here and get my own property. But some strings still tug at my heart telling me to continue traveling.

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Don’t want to spend time online much. My eyes have become sensitive to light. I taught MG how to watch the sunrise and sunset properly some years ago. He said he’s been doing it daily now and doesn’t need to eat much. He just eats once a day and drinks liquor the rest of the time. Way to fuck up your life, I said. But he drinks coffee, he tells me, about 20 cups a day. Oh, you mean water with coffee flavor? Haha.

P.S. Some people muddied my lightbody. I won’t be on social media for one month.

// 25 Apr 2023