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Down South Part 4: Donsol Firefly Cruise
We got back on land at around 3pm and settled down to share our personal butanding encounters in between sips of juice and occasional bouts of hysteria. We talked it out all the way to sundown. The multi-colored sunset only magnified the magical quality of the day. As soon as the light disappeared, we were off to go to go on our final Donsol adventure, the firefly cruise.
The cruise is set down the sea at the mouth of the river where mangrove trees thrived and attracted fireflies. For only P250 a head, we experienced something that only three other countries in the world offered. As the boat set off, we felt the quiet and the calm of the dark sea.
Unlike our fully manned butanding boat, this one had one boatman and he sat silently throughout the journey. Maybe, that was for the best because it was a ride meant for lovers. Good thing, the romance of the moment wasn’t wasted completely because my two girl friends brought along their significant others.
We chanced upon a small group of fireflies at first. They were shy, but as the night thickened, they really let out their sparks. Soon, we’d see entire trees lit up with mesmerizing blinking lights. It seemed as though the fireflies were blinking on cue, as if they were dancing to a beat we couldn’t groove to. It was nice imagining that these tiny things were raving at their own forest party.
The highlight of the cruise was the lucid night sky, filled with billions of sparkling stars, resembling fireflies that have wandered off too far.