DETOUR - 2GO Travel

I Found Love On a Cruise!Passengers sharing intimate moments while enjoying the seascape.staying at the bridge with them every time they hada trip. For a few months, he worked as, in his ownwords, a marinero. He would sweep floors, cleanrooms, and do just about everything the staff askedhim to. He was used to travelling by sea and at hiscurrent age, had no intention of riding a plane.Sitting at the deck was his favorite part of all histrips. That morning, the ship was moving smoothly,the sky was bright, and the breeze was just right.A plane was flying overhead. Lolo Galicano lookedup and smiled. “Ang saya-saya ko pag nakakakitaako ng ganyan.” (I feel so happy every time I seesomething like that.) I looked at him and saw thesame joy I saw earlier. “Masaya ako pag nanditoako. Nakikita ko ang dagat, ang mga isla. Minsanmay mga tumatalon pa na isda at dolphins.Napakaganda.” (I am happy when I am here. I seethe sea, the islands. Sometimes there are even flyingfish and dolphins. Very Beautiful.) His eyes weresparkling. He was sincerely happy. He continued totell me about his life, his children, his small pieceof land, and how he enjoys the scenery each time hetravels by sea. I realized then that he did not meethis wife on a ship. He had no extraordinary story totell. This man shared a love story with nature, withthe world. His story was as simple as it could get,yet, his bright face mirrored bliss and content.That morning, he walked up to the deck threetimes. The first and second time, he saw that itwas raining, so he went back to the room he sharedwith his son and 18 other passengers. Determinedto get some fresh air and feel the sun on his face,he made the trip again for the third time, with thelegs of a diabetic, and was rewarded with a clearsky. I was deeply moved. I’ve seen clear, bluewaters countless times. I’ve been to many islands.I’ve seen planes flying overhead, and I rode themquite frequently. I’ve gone on dolphin watchingtrips. I have experienced a lot, but I don’t think Iever showed as much gratitude and appreciationfor my blessings as this man had. I realized that Ilooked at the sea, the islands, the planes, the fish,but had not really seen.I was looking for a remarkable story ofromance that would bring tears to my eyes, butI found something better. I stood at the deck andwatched the ship leave a trail in the water. Fluffywhite clouds slowly moved across the blue sky. Isaw Manila in the horizon. I was going home, notwith bagfuls of pasalubong, but with extraordinarystories to tell. I headed back to my room, happyto have been made a real traveler by what Iexperienced onboard, and by the lessons I learnedfrom a 74-year-old man.82 travel time april - june 2012