shimizu island is another gorgeous island in el nido. with its white sand, clear blue waters and with the same limestone cliffs as a natural backdrop, you wouldn’t have guessed that its name was derived from a japanese diver who died while diving in one of its caves many years ago. locals said that he never resurfaced. nor was his body ever found.

we arrived in shimizu island during lunch time. as part of our package tour, we were served a mouthwatering lunch which consisted of freshly grilled fish, some grilled meat, and heaps of cucumber and tomatoes delicately arranged on a circular plate by jelly (that’s the spelling. i asked.), one of the local guides i enjoyed talking to about the islands in el nido. it was one of the best lunch i ever had! (maybe because all that swimming and snorkeling in the small lagoon left me so hungry.)

while waiting for lunch to be served, i took in all these beautiful scenery:

we left the island with me whispering a silent goodbye to shimizu, whose spirit is probably still out there in the island somewhere, doing the one thing he loved which ultimately killed him.

and then i thought, i wouldn’t mind not having an island named after me if the premise is for me to die to obtain it. sure, it’s flattering to have such a pretty island carry my name but what’s the point? i wouldn’t even know if it’s named after me because i’m already dead, and it probably won’t even matter so much anymore.

if i could have it my way, i’d rather visit and enjoy all the beautiful islands named after all the dead people. haha.