My parents and I decided to go to the "Katunggan" or mangrove area. Here, you can see a lot of mangroves which serve as a habitat for fish. We went there to look for seashells since it was low tide. We chose to go there instead of the beach because they said we would never go home empty-handed.
It was such good weather—perfect timing for this kind of activity.To be honest, this was my first time going out there. At first, I hesitated to join them because I had no idea what it would be like, but my parents encouraged me to try something new and explore the area.
When we arrived, I realized there was a big difference between the beach and the mangrove area. On the beach, you can walk on the sand, but here you step on mud, and there are a lot of sharp mangrove roots. It was very challenging for me because it was my first time, but I tried my best because I wanted to experience it too.
My mother told me to take off my slippers and tie them up before going into the mud because, as you step in, your feet would sink deep. If you wear slippers, it would be hard to remove them and move forward.
I walked barefoot and felt nervous because I was afraid of stepping on something harmful like pieces of glass or nails. I also worried about stepping into deep holes and getting stuck.I gathered my courage and moved forward, with my mother always watching over me.
She taught me how to look for and gather seashells. Unlike the beach, where you can see seashells everywhere, here you need to dig deeper to find them. You need to use a bolo, knife, or something similar to dig with.
It was hard to use my feet to look for shells because they might get hurt by the stones. There are a lot of big stones and small pieces of rocks, so you need to be extra careful to avoid slipping or getting pricked.
While I was looking for seashells, I realized it was very difficult to find them because they were all covered by mud. You need to be very patient and resilient.I never gave up and stayed in one spot because I didn't want to show my parents I had found nothing.
Even though my parents had gone far, I continued searching until I found some. Every time I found one or two, I felt proud of myself because I did it on my own without any help from my parents.
It took me a long time to find them because I have difficulty seeing clearly—I am nearsighted, so I had to look closely to identify them.It was a tiring yet challenging and amazing experience. When we had collected enough seashells, we decided to go home a we cook it. I plan to go there again next time and hope to find even more than I did this time.