Day Seven and Eight

March 12, 13 day 7, 8

We set out in the morning for Manila domestic airport. Our flight was at 13:30 to Kalibo on the island of Panay , part of Western Visayas, but it did not leave until 15:45. From Kalibo we took a bus to Caticlan (the place which we could not get a flight to) which took a little less than 2 hours. It was already dark when we got to Caticlan harbor, from where we took a boat to the island of Boracay (5 minutes) and then a car (provided by the hotel) to the hotel arriving around 7pm. The hotel is right on the beach and there was a lot of activity there when we arrived. Thousands of people partying, walking along the beach lined with hundreds of restaurants, bars, souvenir stalls, etc. lit with all kinds of colorful lanterns hanging from palm trees. We picked a restaurant right on the sand and had a nice pizza and beer for dinner and walked around (100s of shops) till we were exhausted.
In the morning, after a big buffet breakfast on the beach outside our hotel, we hit the beach. The water is crystal clear and warm. We enjoyed the beach till noon then embarked on an adventure. We unknowingly decided to take a sail outrigger for a two-hour trip around the island. It sounded like such a nice adventure. We enthusiastically boarded the yellow outrigger. Three locals were sailing and Bo and Al sat on each wing. The first stretch along the coast of the island where we started was beautiful and we were very pleased with our choice of this adventure. The water was calm and incredibly clear and turquoise. Then we arrived at the end of the island and things changed drastically. For the next 45 minutes on the other side of the island we were hit with huge waves that ran all over us repeatedly. We got completely soaked time after time. The boat was going up and down steeply and at some point capsizing was not out of the question. Independently we both thought “Why did we do this? On top of that Bo had to serve as “balast” and move from side to side to balance the load. This meant crawling along the wings in between the waves. We finally got back to our side of the island and the water was lovely and calm again. We passed some beautiful white beaches and boats with divers heading to the reefs for underwater explorations. We completed our 2 hour adventure on a positive note. We told the guys that they gave us a hell of a ride, better than a rollercoaster. We were so happy to hit the hot shower and get the salt out of our eyes.

People call Boracay island “paradise” and at first we though it was an exaggeration, but after a day here we have to mostly agree. (it really would be paradise with one third of he hotels and people). You can’t imagine a more beautiful setting, friendlier people and a more relaxed atmosphere. This is what island life must be all about…