Boracay: Sun, Sand and Sweat?

Boracay Day 3

As usual, my brother and I woke up late. It was quite a bummer that loud music was playing.  Turns out that a rugby competition sponsored by Nestea was ongoing at that time.  The venue of the competition was actually at BomBom Bar, which is next to Sun Village.  And unfortunately for us, the rugby players occupied the bamboo beds of Sun Village. :(  I still got to use them, though I missed the privacy during the first few days.

Ladies teams of Rugby teams all over the Philippines!  There was a team from UP and SU! :)

1. Paris in Boracay!; 2. The Mermaid at Red Coconut; 3. Strolling at D'Mall; 4. Horns at the Steakhouse!

I can't just get enough of the view! :)

Having read so many reviews on Manana, I insisted on having lunch there. I am a big fan of Mexican food.  I just love spiced beef with sauce and tons and tons of cheese.  However, my brother and father weren't feeling it so off they went to have burgers at Bite Club, I think. Servings at Manana is huge! Mama and I shared an order of beef burrito.  A beef burrito order is actually two very filling burritos! :)  It has meat, beans, rice and veggies. Yum!  It also comes with three types of sauce and salsa! I wish we had Manana here in Manila!  But having Manana in Boracay gives me all the more reason to go back to that paradise. ;)

Party hats at Manana! :)

I'm a big eater and I must say, this really filled me up!

I especially loved the salsa and the chili sauce.

 After lunch, we met up at Aria for dessert.  I ordered the cookies and cream. Yum!  We returned to Sun Village to take a nap.  Yup, napping is the recurring activity for us. :)) Even in Boracay!  After recharging, my parents decided to go and but some souvenirs.  While my brother insisted that we rent a bike.  I haven't biked in years!  But I was game!  We saw two bikes off the alley at Red Coconut but my brother said that there was a bigger bike rental shop by the main road.  So in my bikini and summer dress, off we went to the main road.  Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of the bike rental shop!  I was too excited to ride again! The bikes were rent were mountain bikes.They were huge and it was my first time to ride one! The lady was friendly though she didn't explain what the gears were for.  She just said "Wag mo na lang galawin." Kaloka! :))  The minimum hours that you can rent the bike is two, so that's Php300.  You can also rent a bike for half a day, or the whole day or during your entire stay!  :)

Because it was my first time to ride one, and because I was in a freaking dress, I had trouble finding my pace!  What more, we were on a main road where there were vehicles zipping by!  But since it is a small main road compared to EDSA, and drivers there were considerate not to run you over, there was really nothing to worry about.  But being the paranoid that I am, I kept a sloooow steady pace while my brother was biking furiously!  We wanted to go to Mount Luho so we followed the lady's directions.  We biked until we reached Bulabog Beach and there was a sign but no arrow! o_O  Bioy went to bike towards the beach and I just followed him.

Tourists should rent a bike and tour the Island on bike!  It's a great alternative to jogging and it's not as tiring.  Biking is my next favorite exercise, to swimming. :)  It's really relaxing biking on the beach, enjoying the sight, the locals and having the locals cheer you on as you bike.  Again, I kinda regret not taking that much pictures since I was too preoccupied trying to catch up to my brother. :))

Bulabog Beach :)

As we were biking, my instincts told me that we were biking to the opposite of Mount Luho.  So we turned back and asked some locals the way to Mount Luho.  Dang! I kinda regret doing that! :))  While the first few parts of the climb was easy, the next parts were just too steep! You see, I'm not a big fan of exercise, and I get exhausted very easily.  When I could no longer pedal up the mountain, I decided to just push the bike.  And even that made me short of breath.  My heart was pounding, and I thought I would collapse! Hell! I wanted to collapse! But I pushed, and went back on my bike to catch up with Bioy, who was nowhere in sight.  Buses and tour vans whizzing kept me on my toes.  There were two experienced bikers who whizzed by as if they were biking on a plane surface!  Sensing my difficulty, one of the bikers cheered me on. :)  Yay. Thanks for that, random biker!  Believe me, I wanted to reach the top.  But my body couldn't take it anymore.  We stopped at Cohiba Villas to catch our breathe and regretted not bringing water.

Last stop: Cohiba Villas! :))

Easiest incline during the climb!

Super haggard lang!

Still, the view there was majestic! :) When we were both recharged, we began our trip back. :)) The trip going down was relatively easier, but still scary!  I made the mistake of putting the wrong brake and boom!  I almost fell off the bike!  Good thing my reflexes were sharp that I was able to dismount before disaster happened. Back at Bulabog, we bought water at the store.  We were surprised at how cheap the water was compared to the water sold at White Beach! And to think it's just only a short walk!

Hay! After the really tiring bike ride, we went off to swim.

The only family picture we had!

I miss the cool powdery sand!

I love my bikini! Haha I just love the color! It suits my personality! :)

For dinner, we were supposed to eat at Cyma.  Regrettably, the place was packed!  And the next table would be available in an hour!  Originally, we wanted to wait.  So we strolled along D'Mall and looked at some souvenir shops.

I wanted to ride the Ferris wheel!But no one wanted to ride with me. :(

This clubbed artist has a lot of fans. He's really good! :)

Are these really snake bones?

Our camera doesn't give justice to these artists' attention to detail. :(

 But, our tummies got the better of us.  We went to Mesa, at Boracay Regency!  We were immediately seated.  We had the Inihaw Platter and Laing two ways. The Inihaw platter had tahong, shrimp, bangus, pork barbecue, chicken, liempo and squid.  The flavor was divine!  The laing was exceptional, especially the milky variation.  Will try other Mesa dishes here in Manila! :)

Milky laing and regular laing! Yum!

The crocodile skull my brother anted to take home!

One of the many souvenir choices, personalized wooden tags. :)

If you look closely, there are Aetas sitting on the sand.  This is quite depressing because there are quite a number of them begging on the beach front.  Maybe the businessmen of Boracay should set up livelihood projects for the locals so they wouldn't have to resort to begging. :(  

 Bioy and I went back out later that night to grab a bite.  I wanted to taste chori burger since I've read reviews about it.  It fell short to say the least.  It would have been better if it had cheese!

Boracay's street food - Chori burger! :)

Capped off the night with another fire dance show. :)

Where to:


Manana Mexican Cuisine, Station 1, White Beach
Mesa Filipino Moderne, Crowne Regency, White Beach
Chori burger, any ihaw food stall along the beach :)

MV: Bigbang's Monster

Bigbang's new MV just came out!  The song is Monster from their album, Alive.  I'm still searching for the English translation of this song, so that I can appreciate the song and music video better.  If anyone finds an English translation, do let me know! :)

I love Seungri's contacts!  Tayang's Mickey Mouse hair is just weird, and so is GD's bunot hair.  I love TOP, as usual.  His piercing stare really makes one's knees wobble! ;) 

Of Jessica Sanchez and passionate babies.

So apparently, my bet (along with the Filipino and Mexican population all over) Jessica Sanchez didn't snag the title of American Idol. No surprise there, really.  Though of course, I was really praying hard for Jessica Sanchez.  But I guess the majority of viewers of American Idol (teenage "all-American" girls) chose Phillip Phillips instead.  While I think that Jessica deserves the title, her losing is actually a blessing in disguise.  Throughout the competition, Hollywood producers and artists have expressed their desire to work with them, to name a few Akon and Jesse McCartney.  And now that the competition is over, Jessica already has an offer from producer Tommy Motola to produce her first album!  There's no stopping this girl from success!  She's young, determined, extremely talented, humble and able to rock her killer shoes! ;)  So don't worry Laney, Jessica may not have won the title, but she sure will win the world with her talent.  I just know it. :)

Here's one of my favorite performances of Jessica on American Idol.  Jessica is a hardworking girl and she's always been comfortable performing for others.  Just check out her YouTube channel.  Kids should be reared that way.  When they show talent and interest in something,  parents should encourage and enhance their child's potential.  Much like these two talented cuties I saw on YouTube. Justin and Jeremy are Filipino American twins.  They give me so much gv! :>  Kagigil!

Check out their other vids!  These kids are adorable!!! 

The sun shines in Boracay.

Goodmorning, Boracay! :)   Woke up to find my parents already done with their morning dip, and my brother still sleeping.  I really love the location of Sun Village. It's just ten steps from the water. :)  While waiting for my breakfast, I lounged by the beach for a bit. :)

These pictures were taken around 9am, where most were still sleeping.  :))

Boracay's infamous moss!  Konti pa lang yan sa lagay na yan! 

And as I was lounging, the Kuya who approached me yesterday and offered water sports activities.  Good thing I was able to convince Papa to go island hopping because he was originally hesitant to spend on such activities.  But what is Boracay without the water activities, right?  Problem is, Bioy was still asleep so we had to wake him up.

Tapsilog!  The tapa was well seasoned.  However, the eggs were too oily.

Pardon my vanity!  I wasn't really able to take that much pictures of me on the beach. :/ 

Oh, and here are some of the shots I took of Sun Village:

1. Bulabog beach; 2. Boats parked on the beach; 3. Our tiny boat! :)

And so finally, Bioy woke up and off we were to our island hopping adventure.  We walked to Bulabog beach and hopped off on our boat.  Unfortunately, the batteries of the camera weren;t charged the night before, so we weren't able to take pictures of us on the boat, snorkelling, or of the sights we saw along the way. Huhu :/ But nonetheless, we all enjoyed.  We passed by tons of resorts such as Shangrila's, and Manny Pacquiao's resort.  Until we finally reached the snorkelling area.  The first time I snorkelled was at Batangas, and the feeling of seeing fishes and swimming with them is amazing!  I felt that euphoria again in Boracay. :)  However, some of the corals were dead. :(  And the marine life there isn't as rich as the snorkelling sanctuary in Batangas.  But it's still an activity worth shelling out money for.  

While we were there, Papa had this stupid idea to stand on one of the rocks/barnacles.  I knew from experience that that's a bad idea, being a victim of cut flesh from the sea a couple of times already.  And cut flesh he sure had!  By the time we surfaced, one of Papa's toes was bleeding uncontrollably.  We were really lucky that our guide, Kuya Robert knows first aid, being a Red Cross volunteer himself.  Unfortunately, he didn't bring his first aid kit on that trip but he still tended to Papa's cut.  We weren't able to go to Puka beach because of Papa's cut, instead we went back to Bulabog.  In one of the sari-sari stores there, Kuya Robert bought a pill (forgot what it was!), broke it in half then applied it to Papa's cut.  It stopped the bleeding! Hurrah!

Kuya Robert doing first aid on Papa's foot.  Masakit ba, Papa? :)

After that exciting event (yes, that probably was the highlight of our trip! Haha), we went to D'Talipapa to have some sea food lunch.  I was too hungry to take pictures, sorry!  Tip though, trike rides are EXPENSIVE in Boracay!  If you can walk, just walk! Damn, that trike ride cost us 80php!  Ridiculous!  But since Papa was injured, not to mention the sun was scorching, we had no choice but to take the trike. 

The seafood at D'Talipapa are really fresh and huge!  Sarap kanin ng lobsters, clams at kung anu-ano pang mga isda! Yummeh!  Mama bought one whole head of tangigue and Bioy got shrimp.  We had it cooked at a nearby restaurant.  And because the food was too much for the four of us, we invited Kuya Robert to eat with us. :) After the scrumptious lunch. we went back to White Beach.  I'm not sure how the salary of guides work, do they get a cut from what we paid to the boatman?  Papa gave him a Php200 tip, and we thought it was too little.  Considering that Papa isn't that generous when it comes to tips, it would have been a good idea for the guide to have just quoted his price.  Really peculiar Filipino culture.  There are those who take advantage of others, while there are some who are nahihiya naman. Dapat may standard rate na lang! I guess Kuya Robert thought we were tight-budgeted because he never showed up in front of Sun Village in the following days. :(  I wish him well.  He seemed like a nice person.  If he happens to be your guide in Boracay, please do tip him well! :)

After a long nap, we went out to have dinner.  After a tiring walk towards Station 3, we ended going back to D'mall. We had dinner at Bacolod Inasal. The staff were friendly. :)  There was a bob-tailed cat lurkig around. We thought of Shadow, our own bob-tailed cat back in Manila.  :>

We ended the night with fire dancers. Dang, they're so talented and fearless! o_O

YG, oh YG!

Since foinding about 2ne1, Big Bang and other YG family artists, I have always dreamed of becoming a YG artist.  I admire their talent and creativity.  And there's something special about YG talents that are unique to them, that no other Korean artist/label has.  And who wouldn't want to be a part of the YG family?  From episodes of Big Bang's documentary and 2ne1 tv, I saw how YG takes care of its talents.So imagine my pleasure as I found out about YG's global decision.  I was ecstatic!  Maybe this is my chance to be a kpop star!  But unfortunately, that happiness was short-lived.  :(  I was disappointed to fnd out that there wasn't going to be an audition in the Philippines.  And I was waaaay past the age limit! :)) HAHA Oh well,  I envy those who will be able to audition, to show their talent, to be given a chance. Regardless, I will always be supportive of YG family. :) If anyone who reads this happens to audition, do tell me about it please! :)

Other YG news is that YG will be releasing CDs through Universal Records Philippines on May 26! :)  I checked out their facebook page and wow, the packaging is epic!  There are also freebies! Ack.  Dilemma, where to get money to buy all those goodies? </3

Ain't you so fine, Boracay sand?

Boracay's sand really is powdery!  One of my favorite activities in Boracay is walking barefoot by the beach.  I walk barefoot most of the time that I was there! ;) I just love digging the cool sand with my bare feet.  I really am such a beach girl! I prefer being on the beach than in the city! 

1. Papa was ecstatic to find Deco's.  He just loves la paz batchoy!; 2. One of the many interesting souvenirs available on the beach.  The workmanship is really something! :); 3.  We came on a Wednesday, which meant fewer people.  No moss yet on Station 2! By Friday, it was a completely different story.

After the quick nap, Papa and I walked and explored a bit.  We walked a bit towards D'mall.  My gulay! The whole stretch of the beach was filled with people selling souvenirs, offering water sports activities and signs of their happy hour promos.  I made a mental note to try out one of the bars happy hour.  But unfortunately, for that whole duration of the trip, I didn't get to taste a single drop of alcohol. Argh.  I guess I'd just have to return with my friends to experience THE Boracay nightlife. ;) 

At Sun Village's kawayan beds. Why is my face like that?! :))

Our first dip in the water was heaven! The last time I swam in the sea was back in November, in Siaton.  The sea of Boracay really is refreshing!  The water is really clear and the waves were really calm.  I'd actually float like a log! :))  There were even fishes who would follow us around! Perhaps the only downside to this is that as more people and boats came in, the moss became evident.   There weren't any moss on Wednesday but by Saturday, there was a build-up of moss.  And I didn't like seeing all the paraws with advertisements! Ugh.  I really hated the ads blocking my view of nature!  Because there weren't really any waves, it was really hot by the beach.  I wasn't expecting it.  I was expecting the sea breeze, but Boracay doesn't have that.  I wonder why?

After our swim, we went out to eat at Deco's.  On the way there, we stopped at various shops to check out various souvenir shops.  From native capiz lamp shells, to paintings of Boracay, handmade bag, accessories, fans, and hand painted ukeleles and wooden dog tags, all are a testament to the creativity of Filipinos.  When you're there, make sure to buy pasalubong from the locals! :)  

At Deco's, we all ordered La Paz Batchoy.  Bioy and I ordered the biggest bowl available, while our parents ordered the smaller bowl.  No pictures taken on the La Paz Batchoy, we were all too hungry! :)) Verdict on the batchoy? I found it a bit too salty. :/  It would have been better if calamansi on the side was offered.  The good thing about Deco's though is that you can refill your soup!  :)  It's a first time for all of us to eat at Decos', even if there's a Deco's branch in Manila. :)) Papa just couldn't resist the la paz batchoy!

After the hearty meal, we went off to explore! We walked until we reached Station 3.  Prior to this, the Chinese had one day before they had to leave the Philippines since China and Philippines are engaged in a stand-off at Scarborough Shoal.  We asked the Sun Village people and Southwest people if this will really greatly affect the tourism in Boracay.  According to them,  Filipinos are still the majority of the tourists in Boracay.  And Koreans hold the top spot for foreign tourists.  This was evident as we strolled along the streets.  There really were a lot of Filipino families, and Koreans! :)  A funny anecdote, a Kuya offering water sports activities greeted a fair, chinky eyed girl "Ni hao ma!", the girl answered "Anyong!". :)) Haha I guess Koreans, Chinese and even Japanese are hard to tell apart!  Oh, and even with the ban, there were still a lot of Chinese tourists!  

As we walked and walked, we spotted a sand castle! Yay!  Since during the entire trip, we never woke up early, this was the only time we spotted Boracay's famous sand castles.  Next time I go there I'll ask someone to teach me how to build a magnificent sand castle! I remember when I was a kid, it'd be hard transferring buckets of water to my supply of sand.  But I think building sand castles in Boracay is way easier because the sand's damp for a couple of meters.

Best gelato in Boracay! ;)

After the tiring walk, we headed back to the hotel.  But, we grabbed dessert first! :)  Aria's gelato! Yum! I've had gelato before but I must say, Aria's on top of my list now!  The ingredients are fresh, nice mix of creaminess.  It wasn't too sweet, just the perfect sugary taste.  I had strawberry and it even had bis of real strawberry in it! :)  Make sure to get a scoop when you're at Boracay! The 90php/scoop is worth it! :)

We called it a night. We rested at our hotel room. We fell asleep pretty quick until we were awaken by dreams from the bar next door.  What a reminder that Station 2 is where to fun is! :)) Still, we stayed and off to dreamland we went.

Where to?
Deco's La Paz Batchoy, Station 2, White Beach
Aria, D'Mall