My sister and I joined another open water event organized by coach Betsy Medalla AKA Swimjunkie. Our destination this time is Camiguin, a beautiful island province in Mindanao.
It has been a while since my last visit so I was also excited to try new places to eat. Joined by family members , it turned out to be more of a vacation.
We arrived 2 days before the race, checking in at SJ Pabua Travellers Inn, a reasonably priced accommodation, a 10-minute walk from the starting line near Somewhere Else resort.
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| course map for the 2KM swim held in April 28, 2024 |
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| checking out the water on our first day. The sea |
The day before the race, we claimed our kits which came with 2 meal stubs, swim cap and race tags. A briefing was conducted where they explained the route, making sure people knew where to turn since it was going to be a simultaneous start for all distances.
Since we were traveling with family, we opted for dinner at a nice, new restaurant in town, Alex. As one of the event partners, they offered a 10% discount. It was an enjoyable meal of Filipino food,a great way to load up before the swim.
Rate : 2500 Pesos/night, good for 5 people - airconditioned family room with private bath, access to an outside kitchen They also have smaller rooms but were fully booked at the time.
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| gun start, photo taken by my sister's fiancee |
The next day, we woke up at 4AM to prepare and get our bodies marked. As always, my feelings were a mix of excitement and fear, but mostly excited. I had prepared months prior, swimming 2-3 times a week (2KM per session) plus training with resistance bands.
Gun start was adjusted to 7AM. We got in the water 30 minutes before to get a feel of the water. I also found this to be an effective way to deal with the jitters. The current was quite strong that if we stood still in the water, we get dragged away.
The first 500 meters was grueling as we swam against the current. It felt like being repeatedly slapped with a water bucket. The waves rolled towards us at quick intervals that I couldn't see the turn-around marker, this huge yellow buoy, up until it was a meters away. As challenging as it was, I couldn't help but admire the underwater scenery! The water is so clear. :) I would normally have slowed down just to enjoy the water but due to the current, we had to maintain a strong and steady pace all through out, else, we risk getting off-course.
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| me and my sister in one of our practice swims in Camiguin |
It was a relentless swim all through out but when my sister and I crossed to the finish line, I had a delightful realization, I had plenty of energy left!
My official time is 1:40:45, ranked 51 of 65 swimmers overall in the 2KM category. It's slow but a feat for a recreational swimmer like me. To give you an idea, the fastest swimmer in our category finished in 00:41:05 (Josef Stephen Tiu). Amazing! This is another reason why I love joining swims organized by coach Betsy. Her events attract inspiring and strong swimmers from everywhere. We get to see them in action and swim in the same water! Truly a treat for people like me who just love being in the water.
Apart from challenge that came with the rough sea condition, it was the first time I swam with a period. Thankfully, it was the 4th day so it wasn't too bad. The pains were gone (I wore organic tampons from Nala).
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| best paired with iced Americano |
Our celebratory meals came in 2 parts - Hayahay cafe (has vegetarian options) and my friend's restaurant, Daos Plant-based Cafe (vegan restaurant). I highly recommend both when in Camiguin.
Past openwater swims:
Trip Details:
How to get to Camiguin
There are direct flights to Camiguin from Manila but due to flight schedules, we opted to fly from Manila to Cebu, then took another short flight to Camiguin.
Airlines : Visit PAL or Cebu Pacific sites to book. The roundtrip flights from Manila-Cebu-Camiguin cost us about 10,000 Pesos per person or 178 USD for the (may have been cheaper if we had booked ahead).
From the airport, you can easily get a tricycle. Car rental is also an option but we opted to take the trike.
Accommodation in Camiguin
SJ Pabua Travellers Inn - You can book thru Agoda but I opted to send them a text. This is a very simple accommodation with strong aircon and private bath. The mattress, sheets are thin but comfy. At the time of our visit, there were short, frequent power outages so you may want to bring a portable fan. It was summer when we visited and I was always sweating. LOL.
Rate : 2500 Pesos/night, good for 5 people - airconditioned family room with private bath, access to an outside kitchen They also have smaller rooms but were fully booked at the time.
Kokomo Dive Resort - quiet, nice rooms and garden, very friendly owner, serves nice food. We stayed here for the remaining part of our travel. We booked thru Agoda.