Vacation Is Spelled....B-O-R-A-C-A-Y !

Yes, it is!  

Who wouldn't want to spend a few days in one of the best beaches in the world?

           (Ticket booth for the ferry going to Boracay Island)

                                              (Everyone pays this fee)
                            

I would have wanted to just stay home during my birthday vacation trip to the Philippines, but my friends Aimee and Werner gave me a birthday gift (and an idea!) that I happily accepted and incorporated into my vacation itinerary! A two-night stay at her time-sharing suite at Fairways and Bluewater in Boracay Island! Veilen danke, Frau Aimee and Herr Werner!

                             (Arriving at Boracay Island)

                           (A Boracay Island ferry boat)

It has been more than a decade since I last visited Boracay Island. That time, I first flew into Iloilo City, where my late uncle, Tatay Doring and cousin-in-law Nonoy picked me up from the Iloilo Domestic Airport on an early Sunday morning and brought me downtown to meet up with colleagues Jonna and Ronnel, who's from Iloilo. On Ronnel's car, we drove up to Caticlan from Iloilo City. I could no longer remember the route we took, but we must have had driven through the Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan Provinces to get there.

                                   (Take note: a lot of no-nos)

                 (Korean tourists at Halowich. I joined them.)

This time, to get to Caticlan, our rented van drove through the western side of the Panay Island, affording me picturesque views of this island I have never seen.

                                  (At the hotel entrance)

                                                    (A welcome drink at the hotel!)

                        (We had no food at our table...yet)

                    (Silhouettes at the beach during sunset)

And thanks to this unique gift from thoughtful friends, I was going back to Boracay Island once again!

             (Boracay is popular to Korean honeymooners)

                     (Grilled chicken dinner is served!)

                              (Morning has broken!)

(The view from our hotel room)

This time, there were no more drop-offs of tourists into Station 1 or Station 2, or whatever station there was. Boracay now has its pier, where small boats from Caticlan drop off and pick up hundreds (or perhaps thousands during the summer season!) of visitors every day. From the pier, tourists can take tricycles to bring them to their hotels or to the commercial centers, like we did.

                      (The hotel's own secluded beach)

Gosh, Boracay has indeed changed. There were more commercial establishments, more hotels and, of course, more people! And there were a lot of Korean tourists, too.

                                 (Razon's halo-halo!)

          (Boracay's fish market where you can buy seafood 
            and had it cooked at the restaurant nearby)

Our accommodation was way off the main White Beach area, but it was amazingly picturesque and quiet just the same. The hotel had its own Lapuz-Lapuz Beach. We were on the eastern side of the island, while the famous 4-kilometer stretch of the White Beach was on the western side. We both got the best of both worlds, so to speak. Or in this case, the best of the island! We had the morning sun when we woke up, and we could watch the sunset at the White Beach in the late afternoon! This 'vacation' was indeed spelled as 'B-o-r-a-c-a-y'!

                 (Shrimp in butter and grilled pork for lunch!)

                            (You can shop after eating)

                                 (Giant rubber slippers)

We just spent one morning at the Lapuz-Lapuz Beach. I had to take a dip! And conveniently, the hotel provided free use of their huge beach towels! 

                                (My type of souvenirs)

And we roamed around the commercial centers buying some souvenirs. And the food was super good, too! I made sure I had a taste of the native dishes which I don't get in Seoul. The grilled chicken, garlic shrimp and inihaw na baboy (grilled pork)!

                               (A real beach volleyball)

                   (She sells seashells by the sea shore)

For one dinner, I was surprised to find Yellow Cab Pizza by the beachfront! I haven't had Yellow Cab since my Makati days. But I wasn't surprised when we stumbled upon a Starbucks cafe. I had to get that Starbucks Boracay mug, which I now use in Seoul.

Enjoying the sunny skies and fresh sea breezes, walking on the white sand beach, enjoying the flavors I so missed, and spending time with family definitely defines a perfect vacation. Luckily for me, I have friends with a time-sharing investments in Boracay Island. Ha-ha-ha!  

(Yellow Cab Pizza!)

Although traveling to Boracay Island from my hometown would almost take a day, it was all worth it. Other tourists must have traveled even longer and farther. This is one of the best beaches in the world that beach-lovers would kill for to visit, and it only took me less than ten hours to get here.

           (High school students on their way to intramurals)

And like me, those who also have visited Boracay Island  know now how the word 'vacation' should be spelled. :-)

                               (Good-bye, Boracay!)

(The pier at Caticlan)

                   (Yes, I was. And will be again next time.)