I am up at about 7:00, downstairs for a quick bite to eat, and by 8:30 I am on the way to the airport, Traffic is light because today is a Muslim holiday--the end of Ramadan. In fact I get to the airport so quickly that I am able to catch an earlier flight to Boracay. Great! Domestic flights are out of a separate terminal at the airport (the domestic terminal), which is an old style terminal building at ground level. You walk to your aircraft here. I am flying Asian Spirit, and my aircraft is a Dash-7, a two propeller plane that seats about 48. The seating is 4 across--2 and 2--and I am seated in 11D, a window seat in the next to last row. My seat mate in 11C is F, a Filipino architect going to Boracay to work on a resort project. We board the plane at about 11:00, and a few minutes later we are in the air. The flight takes about 1 hour, going generally south. Out the window I see the island of Mindoro. We are cruising at 13,000 feet, and the flight is very comfortable. No bumps! Suddenly Boracay is on our left side (the other side, of course), and we are landing in Caticlan, a small city at the northern end of Pinay island.
The island of Boracay is about two miles north of Pinay. To get there you must take a small ferry boat. To get to the ferry boat you must wade into the water! The boats are wooden, and seat about 10 people. There are some larger ferries that might seat about 25 which serve the local commuters. The resort where I am staying, Fairways and Bluewaters, has a representative that meets me (along with a couple other guests) at the airport. We get in a van for the 20 second ride (we really could have walked) across the street to their greeting building. I am served a glass of orange juice and then it is time to board the ferry. Yes, I must remove my socks and shoes, roll-up my pants, and get my feet wet. (I know you are wondering why they don't build a dock or pier; me too). The water is very pleasant--not warm or cold, crystal clear. We take our seats on the wooden benches that run the length of the boat and we are off. The boat is long and slender, with outriggers on each side. It looks like a giant insect sitting on the water. The ride across the channel to Boracay is only about 10 minutes, but we are going to the north end of the island and so it takes us about 20 minutes. As I sit there on the boat I get my first real view of Boracay. It looks like a tropical paradise island, just like you would imagine it. White sands, palm trees, green hills, very peaceful.
We reach our destination and the boat heads straight into the beach. We wade out into about 10 inches of water and walk onto the sand. A small van is waiting to pick us up. I am carrying my laptop, but the workers take my larger suitcase and carry it ashore. The ride to the resort is about 3 minutes. We arrive at the clubhouse and registration desk, and I am soon on another small van that takes me to my room. Well, it's not really a room, it's a one-bedroom apartment (called a villa). Wow! Large, beautifully furnished, looking out at the golf course. Wow! It is bigger than the 2 bedroom apartment in Hong Kong! Thanks N! Thanks E! You are great!
I unpack and decide head into town. It is about 2:00 PM. From my reading I know there is a place in "town" called "da Mall". It sounds like a good place to start. I go outside to the tram station/guard station that is adjacent to my building and I tell them what I want to do. They make a phone call, and a few minutes later I am in the van. We head generally south on the main road--there is only one--with the beach to our right, and hills to our left. The road is sometimes really good, with new pavement, and other times really bad, with no pavement at all. There does not seem to be any logic to where the road has been built, and where it has not. Oh well, the people here don't seem to mind, and so I won't either!
It is quite warm, perhaps upper 80s with a light breeze. But the mall is mostly shaded, and since I am wearing only shorts and a short-sleeve shirt I am comfortable. There is no hurry, no need to work up a sweat! I walk all the way thru the mall to the beach. Here there is another main path that goes up (north) and down (south) the beach. I decide to turn left and head south. The path continues for about a mile, with a never-ending string of restaurants, bars, dive shops, t-shirt shops, etc. to my left, and sand, palm trees, and surf to my right. Very very nice. I notice the names of some of the businesses. "Outer Space" is a bar that is outside (as are all of the businesses). "Alice in Wonderland" is a restaurant and hotel.
I walk all the way to the end of the path, and then go out onto the beach and continue walking south towards the end of the island. I can see some rock formations. When I get closer I see that there are passageways into the rock that lead out to the other side. I don’t bother--I am too lazy to put my sandals back on! So I walk back north towards the mall. It is getting to be dinner time and also sunset time. I go to Alice in Wonderland, get a San Miguel beer (a local Phillipine beer) for 20p (less than 40 cents!) and sit at a table on the beach. The sunset was nice--not wonderful tonight--but OK. Alice's also has a dinner buffet for 175p (about $3.20) and so I decide to stay for dinner. Yep, 40 cent beer and $3.00 dinners--this is a great place!
After dinner I splurge and have another beer. It is interesting to watch the people walk by. There are many different kinds of people--Koreans, Filipinos, Australians, Germans. I only saw a few Americans in Boracay. I am told that the busy season starts next week, in December. But this week it is still a little slow and lazy. Suits me just fine.
I finally give-up my spot at Alice's and start walking back towards da Mall. I wander into shops here and there, just looking around (there really is not much variety). Eventually I am wandering thru da Mall and meet J, who is a sales clerk at a shop that sells music CDs, sandals, stereo equipment, canvas bags, some clothing, some jewelry, incense, and perhaps some other things I did not notice. What an eclectic selection and collection of stuff for sale! J gets paid 3000p A MONTH! That is 100p a day (less than $2.00), and she works 12 hours a day 7 days a week. Her shop pays for her lunch and dinner (which runs about 50-60p a day). Amazing! The clerk in a nearby shop makes 2500p a month, same hours, no meals included! But there is no complaint, only smiles. Incredible!
I talk with J and the other sales clerks until they close-up shop at 10:00PM. J and I go to the Salad Bar (a 24 hour bar that also serves fruit drinks, sodas, etc.) which is just a couple shop spaces away. We share some conversation, but I am getting tired. I ask J about the best way for me to get back to where I am staying, and she suggests the tricylces, which are motorbikes with a side-car for passengers. I had seen these in Manila but there the traffic was too crazy. But here there is little traffic and only slow speeds. J shows me where to get one, and soon I am seated and we are off! The bumpy ride takes only 5 or 10 minutes, cost 75p. I learn later that there is no set cost, and you can negotiate. But I am not complaining--a $1.40 ride is OK with me!
After getting back to the room I look out my windows at the dark and empty golf course. I decide to walk out onto the fairway and see the stars. Yes, here away from the lights of the beach strip the stars are very clear and bright. It is beautiful and peaceful.
Below--at Fairways and Bluewaters. Wow!
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