"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be." – Karen Ravn
Most of us ordinary mortals exists on a "routinary" lifestyle, a monotony of acts and deeds we have been so used to, that we don't even notice that this has become our way of life; and then we start to believe, that this is living life to the full.
To the more enlightened however, there is more to life than simply waking up getting dressed, for work, pay, exercise, come home, sleep, and waking-up the next day for more of the same.
For in between these ordinary activities, he squeezes a dream, crafts a plan and creates the time for the execution of something that would bring him out of his mundane existence to test his mental faculties and physical limits. He starts to live on instincts, tests himself not against anybody, but alongside nature and its unpredictable temperament.
Among these rare breed are the outdoors people. Living life on the edge every now and then, gives them a unique appreciation of what life is, how it should be lived and how the trappings of modern living, most of us think essential are irrelevant to life. We know them as those who have an irrepressible desire for living simply, they are either insanely happy or serene individuals who we could only describe as "Way Kurat".
With these outdoors people are the Bohol Paddlers, a motley group of Kayaking enthusiasts under the umbrella of Paddle Philippines. Aside from regular test of physical endurance and mental strength against the seas on their ocean touring kayaks; these people have a two pronged advocacy: (1) to help preserve the environment through the need of clean coastal waters for recreation use such as kayaking; (2) to promote tourism through kayaking.
Kayaking on the other hand is an eco-friendly water sports activity; that causes very minimal impact on the environment. This, while allowing the paddler to reach into hitherto unreachable areas along the coast, in hidden coves and mangrove areas. A kayak is the perfect man-powered touring vehicle on the water that could take you anywhere, akin to what and where a bike can take a rider on land.
By early June this year, the Bohol Paddlers would again take on a challenge that would test the limits of their endurance physically and mentally. The group would take on the First circumnavigation by kayak of the island of Negros.
In 2001, it was Bohol the home province, circumnavigating it in 8 leisurely days. It was during this time that, the dream to circumnavigate all of the islands of the Central Visayas, started; promoting the advocacies of the group was an essential part of that dream.
It took some time for the dream to materialize, as other worthwhile activities came-up; such as the montly "moonlight paddling" and the weekend "day paddles". Finally on the 1st of June, 2007, the group took on Cebu and in a blistering pace of 50 kilometers average per day, conquering that island in 81/2 days.
Siquijor was the third island to be circumnavigated, taking the island in just 11/2 days, this was more like a weekend outing, than a quest for limits as the island had very friendly people and magnificent coastal rock formation, that could take away the pain of weary muscles.
Negros would be by far the greatest challenge that the group would be facing so far. It is estimated that if the paddlers would take on the pace by which the Cebu circumnavigation was done, Negros would be completed in just 14 days, with a full days rest in Bacolod, starting from Dumaguete. The circumnavigation core group would be Dok Doyet Dumaluan, Atty. Peter Mende, Angelo Ybañez, Junie Dumaluan, Jerome the paddler, Patrick Mahumot, Vincent Limpo, Joel Cagas, Ritchie Montanez and Glenn Oceña.
A lot of us may venture to ask, "Why?" and the paddlers answer to that question would be "Why not?". The whole world as we know it now, was opened up because of these kind of people, intrepid individuals who dare to do what most people would not even dare imagine, to venture out and test their limits, to go into unpredictable and unknown territories. They are the people who try to live life to the fullest.
A person will be called to account on Judgement Day for every permissible thing he might have enjoyed but did not. – Talmud
If I had my life to live over again, I'd try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I'd be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would have more actual troubles and less imaginary ones. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else, just moments, one after another…I would pick more daisies. – Nadine Stair (at age 89)
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