Onay beach in Laoang Island, northern Samar, Philippines

A lots teen young boys littered the shore with their thrilled yells as well as hurrahs as they mustered all their stamina to grip on the bit niches on the rock cliff. They climbed all the method to a tree on top of it. Their branches prolonged over the huge waves that sprinkle the side of the large rock. One by one, they jumped into the deep as well as disappeared below the bubbly waves only to resurface later. I sat on a table rock next to the cliff as well as viewed them climb, jump, swim, as well as do everything over again— an exhilarating cycle that is powered by testosterone.

Although their pubescent cheers are indications of the great time that awaits here, it is stated that the name of this location came from a sad, dark legend about a brokenhearted woman who lived a long, long time ago. We’ll get to that later.

Klipp hoppning!
Locals phone call this location Onay Beach. The valued possession of Brgy. Onay (Doña Luisa), this golden beach is the most prominent swimming area in the island of Laoang, found a couple of minutes off the coastline of the north-eastern suggestion of northern Samar. Blanketed in a radiant blend of white, black, as well as brown grains, Onay beach shows the afternoon sun as well as shine as if the sand is golden. There was nothing much delegated do very first however to eliminate our sandals as well as just walk in the sand as well as feel its very soft as well as fine grains make like with my heels, soles, as well as toes. Yet, when I dug a shallow hole, a layer of shells was exposed like hidden treasures just waiting see the light of day.

Onay beach is a long, long stretch, with one side fringed with thick vegetation as well as the other soaked in turquoise water. As I stood at the mouth of the primary gain access to point in the middle of the cove, I might barely see its north end, seemingly disappearing in the droplets that the waves spray into the air.

On the south end lie a cliff as well as two large rocks. The cliff serves as a breakwater, pushing the waves to make loud splashes as they slap its edge. completely grown trees grow on top of it, enabling cliff jumpers to leap from the edge into the deep water. The very first of the two rocks is typically flat-topped however is heavily contoured. half of it is bare, a abuse to the sole, as well as the other half grass-covered. At the center of the verdant surface is a deep, half-filled watering hole. Both these rocks can be accessed from the dry sand, as well as they stretch all the method to the sea. The other rock is a bona-fide islet, surrounded by water however still extremely accessible. Its top is likewise flat as well as is crowned with a little bush. The spaces between these rocks produced mini-rivers as the water rushed with them for a possibility to touch dry land.

Onay beach (literally implies suicide Beach) in Laoang Island, northern Samar
Ces unwinding on top of a rock islet as well as a regional preparing to jump from the other
Onay Beach’s sand area is loooong as well as wide! Jippie!
My good friend Ces, amazed to see so numerous shells beneath the fine sand
Gap between the cliffs where waves rush with to the beach
More visitors jumping from the top of rock to the sea
Guld!
Aside from the young boys cliff jumping, there were likewise kids running around, trying to catch crabs. Some were just having a blast swimming. A group of youngsters yelled at me whenever I passed by, “Kuya, picture! Bild!” as well as I would stop to take shots of their silhouettes as they flash their wackiest poses. Life is brimming at Onay Beach.

It was practically six o’clock when the young boys stop their game, enabling me to focus on the sunset, one more amazing screen of life. My good friend Ces as well as I selected the site of the two rocks to be our exclusive, front-row seat as well as waited for the sun’s turn to dive in the horizon. As the gentler sun sank in the sky, it colored the clouds deep orange as well as red with the sea mirroring its buddy above. While the clouds looked spectacular, they were not truly desired in the frame for they were blocking our view of the Mayon Volcano, which was visible from the beach albeit barely. Still, the Majestic Mayon displayed her practically ideal conical silhouette in a darker shade of orange. Soon, the orange counted on red as well as the red to black as well as the day was done. So was our visit.

View of Mayon Volcano (and one more mountain) from Onay Beach. My video camera ain’t powerful sufficient to catch a sharper image.
Pink orange purple skies…
“Onay actually implies suicide,” shared a few of the locals we met. “In Waray, Onay implies suicide.”

The bad Traveler as well as his similarly shocked friend, Ces, looked at each other in a unusual combination of surprise, awe, as well as curiosity.

“Why would they name it after such a grim act?” vi frågade. Our very first theory was that it was the locatiPå så många invånare, som vill göra ett försök till självförstörelse, gå till. Vår allra första teori var fel.

“Legend har det,” sade Ate Jade, turistpolisen i Laoang, “att det fick sitt namn när en kvinna, som bodde under tiden sedan, tog sitt eget liv på den stranden efter en hemsk hjärtskador. För då hamnade platsen som Diin Ba Ang May Nag-Onay, eller i Tagalog, Kung Saan May Nagpakamatay.

”Hur gjorde hon det? Drunknar? ”

“Hängande,” svarade hon. “De uppgav att hon upptäcktes hängande från ett av träden på stranden.”

“Är det fortfarande där?”

Åt jade nickade. Om trädet fortfarande finns på platsen, tror vi att vi redan upptäckte vilket träd i specifikt det var. När allt kommer omkring finns det bara några få träd där som är extremt enkla att klättra. Det gör också ett idealiskt område för klipphoppning.

Oavsett om det är sant eller inte, är Onay Beach bortom historien bakom ursprunget till dess namn. Laoangs regering planerar att främja denna strand kraftigt som resenärdestination och tilltalar en återfödelse, ett nytt liv som kommer att gynna grannskapet, men idealiskt kommer att skydda sin naturliga skönhet. Namnet kan vara mörkt, men det borde vara namnet efter vad det är nu, människor kommer att hänvisa till det som platsen med den gyllene sanden, eller platsen för att se gyllene solnedgångar, eller helt enkelt, paradiset.

Hur man kommer dit: Från Manila, flyg till Catarman Flight Terminal i norra Samar. Ta en trehjuling till “busstationen” samt resa en jeepney till Barangay Rawis (P60). Hail en trike till piren och går sedan ombord på en liten båt till Laoang Island (P7). Från Laoang Pier, resa ytterligare en trike eller habal-habal till Onay Beach.

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