PEOPLE say you are as young as you feel—and we definitely felt 15 and frisky, but we also thought that giving Mother Nature a little prodding didn’t hurt.

So there we were, a motley group of thirtysomethings (give or take a few lies), gloriously tanned in our bathing suits and giddy with excitement over the prospect of an instant make-over without the pain (and expense) of botox. After all, our Batanes itinerary included a dip in the Fountain of Youth, this small pool of pure spring water that we had hoped would wash off the age spots, grey hairs and eyebags bequeathed us by too many late nights and stressful living.

We certainly had high expectations. For all the bits of wisdom she was dispensing, photographer Mandy Navasero might as well be 200 years old. But thanks to her countless photo safari trips to Batanes, you’d swear she didn’t look a day over 50!

And so, armed with high-speed SLRs and sophisticated digicams to document our Dorian Gray moment, we stepped into the cool waters, expecting fireworks, thunder and lightning, and clouds of smoke to herald our transformation. Instead, we got a lot of good-natured heckling from our photo safari batchmates. “Mukha kayong (you look like) Miss Earth contestants!” one guy called out. “Oo nga, kasi puro na kayo amoy lupa (Yup, you’re starting to smell like loam)!” snickered his companion. “Soli bayad, soli bayad (refund, refund!)! Wa epek!” chorused the rest.

We chuckled along. Despite such salty ribbing, we had fun splashing around and imagining ourselves as Botticelli’s Venus rising from the sea. We may have looked vintage, but that also meant that we knew how to have old-fashioned fun just living the moment. Minutes later, we emerged from the cool waters rejuvenated by laughter and feeling that we had sloughed off at least 20 years from our skin.

And we were right. Viewing the outtakes later, we were struck by how youthful and worry-free our faces looked, how our smiles traveled deep into our eyes and how our leaden bodies suddenly sprouted wings and reached for the skies in Marlboro Country.

Wow! The Fountain of Youth is for real, we thought. Except it wasn’t confined to that small spring. It was everywhere in Batanes, in this island where green defines the landscape and the wind is a never-ending kiss. Being here was like being in a time warp and crossing to a place where the earth remains young and unsullied, and where the air shimmers with possibilities. Yup, miles away and months after, Batanes—that huge time machine—is still humming away, blessing those who have visited it with a sense of wonder that springs only from the very young!

The Mandy Navasero Batanes Photo Safari is scheduled on March 13-16; 27-30 and April 3-6. Call 8991767 or email mandynavasero@yahoo.com or nicetrvl@i-manila.com.ph or call 5266363. Covers hands-on learning in architectural, portraiture, fashion, naturescape, jumpology and abstract photography.