We were supposed to go to Macau via Hong Kong last month to play poker tournament there, but that trip was cancelled because of AH1NI virus and we were not able to book flight tickets. Before that… On May 20, 2009, I had a much needed rest and relaxation at home. I already asked for leave from my work because the trip to Macau was supposed to be from Friday to Sunday. But my boss disapproved my leave and informs me there was a Seminar-Conference to be held in Boracay sponsored by BLGF VI & REGATA V1 and she instructed me to attend together with my three colleagues Brod John, Jeanne & Betty. Upon learning, I called up Fritz and Toto to attend also that Seminar-Conference para magkakasama naman kami. Then after Boracay, we’ll proceed to Manila to play at Heritage Hotel along Roxas Boulevard. I book our tickets good for three but at the last hour Toto decided not to come because of so much work in his office. Fritz re-books also his flight to Tuesday for some prior commitments also.
We left May 24 6:30am at Davao International airport to Iloilo. We boarded a Cebu Pacific plane. I was quite apprehensive because it’s my first time to fly with Cebu Airplane, eh PAL talaga ako sumasakay kaso fully book lahat ang flight! The flight was okay naman kaso their snack is for sale! Kaya ginutom ako for we had not yet taken our breakfast in Davao. We landed at Iloilo International Airport in Sta. Barbara where our contact for a ride to Caticlan is already waiting for us. We rent a Toyota Van para deretso na sa Caticlan, we drop by at the nearby Seafood’s Restaurant just outside of the airport and take our breakfast there. In Caticlan we got on a fairly small boat to go to Boracay main port. Then we boarded a Boracay land transport to Station 3, when we finally reached Casa Pillar Beach Resort, BLGF welcome committee gave us cool drinks. They really know how to make the guests feel welcome. Well, for the price that the government paid for - they should!
When I first stepped on the sand, I felt how pillow smooth and white it was. Really, no other beach I’ve been to compares to it. It’s like walking on baby powder. After checking in, I and Brod John immediately headed towards our room. It was really spacious and gorgeous - reminding me how much I wished my wife was there with me. I fell in love with the room and that’s a lot coming from an extremely hard to please a girl! I rested for a while waiting for the sun to set. When it did, I quickly changed to my shorts and went to the beach. The water was umber clear and shallow too. I was quite a distance from the shore and yet the water was only waist-deep. With the starry sky above, smooth sand below, warm water and ladies in 2 piece suit around, it really was paradise. It would be perfect if my Babes were there…
That night, we went to the nearby wi-fi resto bar and have dinner. I saw some familiar faces they are also participants to the Seminar-Conference coming from different provinces in Mindanao, after dinner we had some talks and drinks too while I was playing Poker on my face book. We ate yummy beef ribs and seafood on dinner. For desert, we had fresh fruit salad. Later, the group of Ely Vidal from Lambayong gave us three rounds of beer to wish us good night. How nice!
Brod John woke me up early the next morning to have breakfast with him. The food at Casa Pilar is divine! Just the way I like food to be: classy and delicious! Afterwards, I went back to our room to have shower and be ready for the conference.
Around noon, we all went to Talipapa. We shopped and bought some souvenir items there and Brod John treated us bunch of meriendas. We took a stroll because all of us were so full. I think we started from Station 3 all the way to Station 1. You can really see the class difference in Boracay. The atmosphere in Station 3 was different from Station 2 and totally set apart from Station 1. The difference in the type of people and stores per station is striking. There were also less and less people as we approached Station 1. I really prefer the soothing and more private feeling there. Station 2 was really hip though with a lot of happenings.
Early next day I swam again. Of course, that’s what we were there for, aside from the Seminar-Conference *hehe* we had lunch at Casa Pilar’s own restaurant. Around 5pm Fritz finally arrive in Boracay, basang basa ng pawis! He walked all the way from terminal to Casa Pilar, but he’s not complaining naman. Afterwards, we played in the sand. I really felt like a kid and I love that feeling. That night, Fritz and I had a soothing massage from the Resort massage personnel. Needless to say we had a lovely sleep.
It was a rainy Wednesday morning, May 27, 2009, it was so hard to get out of my bed, lalo na puyat sa Gmik kagabi! But we have to wake up because we have some issues to clear up in the conference. In the afternoon, we decided to take Island hopping with Fritz, Jeanne and Betty we also invited Mulong and JR from Tacurong City para maka tipid sa gastos, di na sumama si Brod John dahil may phobia na sa banca because the last time we were in Boracay nahulog sya sa banca pati cell phone nya basa at sira!
So I negotiate with a banca boatman how much we would pay if we consume a half day of their services. The costs pala depends on how many we are, and how long is the trip. I pretend I know the places we would go to para makamura and it works! Tumuloy kaming anim, we pass over Shangri-La Resort and the half finish Manny Pacquiao resort then we stop over at Puka Grande, in Puka beach, we also take some pictures at the Nama Villas and we did snorkeling near Crocodile Island we see all sorts of corals in different shapes, colors and sizes, I got up close to Nemo and a lapu-lapu. Our group had fun snorkeling, it is so nice to be diving in clear, warm water! The boatmen who accompanied us were to my great delight, very knowledgeable about the surroundings and the creatures that live there, ewan if it’s true may shark daw sa nilanguyan namin or maybe they’re just trying to scare us dahil hapon na.
It was already 6pm when we decided to go back in our resort; we have so much fun on that island hopping. Three days were certainly not enough for us. The beautiful yet mysterious waters were an equal match to the daunting and majestic limestone formations that made up the islands. Believe it or not, there’s a science to the choice of Boracay. For some reason, Boracay sand doesn’t heat up rapidly even during the summer, which is perfect for sun bathing. I took loads of pictures in Boracay, but even my three cameras did not come close to the reality of our experience. I took many pictures to share and reminisced later about the many wonderful sceneries and encounters we had with the locals as well as the foreigners we’ve met.
When we stepped out of our bancas sunod-sunod na ang ring ng mga cellphones, txt messages are coming in, my wife are worried dahil cannot be reached ang 3 lines ko and so with Fritz! Di talaga pwedeng mawalan ng signal kahit na 3 hours lang, malaking gulo, Lolz!
There are a lot of good restaurants in Boracay and places to chill out for the night. Since we only have a limited time in this island paradise, we carefully plan out our dining adventures, at dapat memorable ang last night. Boracay is a great place to be young and free. But Fritz I think didn’t enjoy totally kasi naghahanap na ng Poker table!
So we dine at the eat all you can restaurant with yummy Filipino grilled food right there cooked in front of us. Then we chill out with cool music at BomBom -- this is where the likes of Piolo Pascual hangs out, we go on to Station 1 where the party’s coolest place in Bora. We hang around Pier 1 Beachcomber, Cocomangas and the spill over bar in the middle Club Paraw. This island never fails to surprise or amuse me with its cuisines, parties, sceneries, chill out places, shopping, and people. I've been in Boracay four (4) times already, the last time was last week of April 2007 and each visit has been an unforgettable awesome experience. There is a saying that "what happens in Boracay stays in Boracay" because people literally are transformed like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, Lolz! Since its our last night in Bora at wala naman kaming ka-date ni Fritz, we decided to get back at the beach front of Casa Pilar and wasted the night, Fritz bought 3 liters of Fundador then we invited Jeanne, Betty, Analiza, Brod John, Alex, Lito, Ramon, Ely, and Ferdie to join us. We just laze around the beach and do some swimming, we spent the night sharing stories, laughing, puffing cigarettes, eating pulutans, and just hanging out with the foreigners, exchanging stories and practice our English with them, we drink till 3am and we dance the night away.
Thursday morning May 28, 2009…. Brod John, Alex, Jeanne and Betty left Boracay mag side trip pa daw sila sa Guimaras Island before going home on Saturday. Fritz and I had separate rooms kaya nagkita na lang kami ng lunch puyat na puyat kami, We were kind of rushed since our flight to Manila was scheduled at 5:30pm and we’ll have to travel one and half hours from Caticlan Jetty Port to Kalibu Airport. We had a quick lunch where we had pasta over hard bread and ice cream at Sands (lunch ba yun?). The van we ride to Kalibu was totally a disaster. I got a major head ache, ambagal magpatakbo ng driver, mahina pa ang aircon! But it was a great Boracay weekend and I must really save up money so that I can go back next year with my whole family…
4:16pm we were at the Kalibu airport, we stand by at the nearby restaurant hoping there’s a wi-fi there, pero wala, we just take combo meals as merienda then we checked in our baggage’s, while waiting our flight at the airport lounge we play On line Poker using our cell phones and watched Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili Senate inquiry on their sex video scandal.
This was not the first time I travel with Fritz, we were happy to note that we worked well as a team; we have so many in commons. But were also surprised to see how differently we reacted to the numerous situations thrusts upon us as the trip progressed.
Fritz is already planning our next adventure, Poker in Manila!!!
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