I became part of a 5-person team from different nationalities, backgrounds, and expertise. We worked early mornings and moved together under a strict schedule that inevitable became a routine. This was something new to me as I have been so used to moving around on my own accord. Nevertheless, it was a learning experience and I now cherish every morning I got up before the sun did. Below is a narrative of our typical early morning.
4:30 am -- I drift into consciousness as my bedroom door quietly creaks open and a familiar voice softly calls my name. I respond as politely as I could, thankful for the wakeup call, but slip back for another five minutes of shut-eye anyway.
4:45 am -- I determine to get up, wash the sleep off my face, and put on the gray survey shirt that I was also wearing yesterday. I am on auto-pilot, with most decisions already been made days before.
4:55 am -- I arrive at the kitchen downstairs to find three other people in varying states of wakefulness and enthusiasm. I exchange glances with one or two of them as I pack my morning snack.
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| On some mornings, the mountains of Loon seemed to be burning but then a few minutes pass and a fierce orange orb reveals itself. |
5:00 am -- Almost on the dot, our habal-habal* drivers arrive in a definitely happier and lighter mood than us, as indicated by Filipino love songs playing loudly from their phone. We split into pairs and set off, no instructions needed.
5:10 am -- After breezing through the empty morning road, we arrive at the usual beach just as the sun is rising. I gaze out towards the orange glow behind the mountains as my companions greet the resident stray dogs who have become accustomed to us.
5:30 am -- We sail out past islets, fish pens, and fishermen for a journey that will take an hour at the least. It's too loud for casual talk aboard our small boat so I sit back, feel the damp wind against my face, and watch the waves roll by us.
6:30 am -- We take out our sheets, equipment, and gears as we spot the cluster of boats that is our objective and instantly switch to full alertness. We maintain this state for a couple of hours as necessary and then slowly sink back to sluggishness.
10:00 am -- Arriving back at the same beach, we are welcomed by the same pack of dogs. We bid our boatmen goodbye and thank you and excruciatingly wait for our ride as we push our bladders of steel to the limit.
10:30 am -- As soon as the motorbikes brake to a stop, we shuffle inside and straight to the kitchen or the toilet. While a couple of us proceed to prepare their breakfast, others sit and check their phones. Either way, this marks the end of our early morning and the start of our individual days. The rest of the day can be spent as we deem appropriate but tomorrow, the routine starts again.
