Da Where: Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan
Da When: June 3-5, 2012
Da Who: me and Vin, to celebrate my 26th year and our 47th month together
The downpour experienced recently jarred me back to the wet and cold beach trip we made just a month ago for my birthday and our month-sary. Yeah, coz we're cheesy-gooey like that. ;P
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| Boracay is still beautiful, even in tropical storm turmoil. |
I've been planning this trip for ages and even laid out an itinerary so we don't miss any of the must-do-in-Boracay listed on all the blog sites for our 2-night stay. Well, scrap that. The first tropical storm of the year in our country, Typhoon Ambo, had something else in mind.
To start, we were re-directed to Cebu and had to take a connecting flight to Caticlan. Thank you Cebu Pacific staff, by the way, for adding to the stress. I can't believe they can go lie to their customers' faces just like that, telling us the original direct flight was cancelled but the flight number was still up in the check-in counters. I can't write a separate post and just rant about it but I'm just looking back at the silver lining now.
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| Ginebra Kings and Peanut Kisses fans |
What do you know, because of the reroute, we got the chance to have a photo op with Vin's favorite PBA basketball team, the Ginebra Kings, at the terminal area of Mactan-Cebu International Airport. And I got to have 2 boxes of Peanut Kisses again. It made the 2-take-offs-and-2-landings-in-1-day experience a bit bearable.
After gripping Vin's hand numb on the 1-hr flight to Caticlan on another ATR-720 ( I have got to stop going to places that only fly turbo-prop planes!), we finally landed in a tiny landing strip of the improved Godofredo Ramos Airport. Vin was telling me that the last time he was here, which was about 6 years ago, the actual terminal area was only a dilapidated building. Good thing I didn't have to see that. :D We had to fill out some visitor forms before we grabbed our checked-in bags.
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| We're here! :) |
Right across the tiny airport, you will get on a tricycle (or van shuttle) that will bring the hoards of tourists to the port for PhP80.00/pax/way. Before getting on a boat, you will have to pay the PhP75.00/pax environmental fee and the PhP25.00/pax boat ride. The sky was overcast and was threatening to rain again. Good thing it only took about 10 minutes to get to Boracay Island.
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| Almost there... |
From there, you can choose to get on a multi-cab (PhP250.00/ride) which is perfect for larger groups. While we were queuing up, a smiling Akeanon approached me and Vin and upon learning there's only two of us, he suggested we take a tricycle right outside the transpo terminal to Station 1 instead, which only cost us PhP100.00/ride. Things were at least looking up. Friendly strangers were being thrown our way.
Until it started pouring again just before we checked in to the family inn we booked for 2 nights. Soaked was pretty much how we described the next 2 days, not by salt-water but freezing rain.
So what happened to our must-do-in-Boracay list?
It was replaced with what-to-do-in-Boracay-during-a-Storm-Signal-1 list instead. :D
- Tired, shivering and famished, we enjoyed our first meal of the day while eyeing the wind-swept White Beach from the air-conditioned confines of Gerry's Grill, a familiar comfort.
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| Welcome to Boracay... |
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| ...a stormy Boracay, that is. |
- Since it was a Sunday when we got there and the beach did not offer a nice respite, how about thanking the Lord for another year for me to see His wonders? People usually go to this island-paradise to party. We prayed. :D
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| This photo did not do the church mosaic justice. |
- Monday was no different. We did attempt to brave the drizzle outside for some breakfast at 0600H. One thing I learned in Boracay - people don't wake up early here! Good thing we found a lovely, warm place called Gusto y Gustos near the Boracay Police Station. The freshly-baked bread and coffee were simply divine and worth the walk from Station 1 and back.
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| Roast beef on French baguette and good coffee for me. Wake up! |
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| Gusto y Gustos' homey interior |
- The rain had no intention of stopping so we decided to just grab take-out from Army Navy (a mere cartwheel away from where we're staying) and some beer and watched the NBA East/West Conference Finals under the blankets. No sun? No problem. :D
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| Beer, booze and Tex-Mex chow. Bring it on, rain! :) |
- The nimbus clouds cleared up a bit in late afternoon so we got the chance to step out and relish the creamy white sand between our toes and walk the long beach stretch. I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to skim-board though, I was looking forward to it. :(
- The Boracay must-tries I couldn't forego though were tasting Jonah's Fruit Shakes and enjoying a frozen margarita at the famous party place, Cocomangas. No, we did not try the 15 Shots and Still Standing but two jars of the margaritas then a soothing al-fresco massage greeted my very happy 26th birthday. :)
- The Boracay must-tries I couldn't forego though were tasting Jonah's Fruit Shakes and enjoying a frozen margarita at the famous party place, Cocomangas. No, we did not try the 15 Shots and Still Standing but two jars of the margaritas then a soothing al-fresco massage greeted my very happy 26th birthday. :)
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| Happy birthday to me! :) At Cocomangas, 5-June 0001H |
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| Street.. eerrr... beach food! :) |
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| Avocado and choco peanut shakes! And we made a bet which I won - Jonah is a guy, not a woman! :D |
- On the morning of my birthday, it was still all gloomy but we were set to enjoy the beach one last time before packing up to head to our roadtrip to Iloilo. A hearty breakfast at Pancake House and a kiss from the sea sealed the deal for me.
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| Breakfast of the champions. :) |
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| Swallowed by waves. |
Yes, it wasn't the same Boracay we planned for and expected. Still, I would not exchange it for the usual. :)
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