Warning: Before reading this post you may want to stock up on nonperishable food items and flashlight batteries. Tell your loved ones you may be unavailable for an undisclosed amount of time. Don't tell me I didn't warn you.
This post will be filling you in on my most recent trip to the Philippines with the lovely Katrina and Kaitie for summer vacation from Little America, and boy was I ready for it. I love my kids, don't get me wrong. I just needed a week without "Teacha....homework....don't have....mom trashed it...." Just a week though. Saturday morning, around 0'dark hundred, we met a taxi van outside of our apartments to head to Incheon International Airport for the first leg of our flight. Here is when we discuss the fact that Katrina isn't the biggest fan of flying, turbulence especially, and I'm not very fond of that feeling of dropping suddenly out of the sky...Kaitie therefore would be the consoling mother between us if anything happened on the journey to and from Boracay. A task she was more than willing to do thankfully! The flight to Manila brought us through a few bumps and drops finally touching down on Filipino soil. It was here I was first called "Mom". *double take* what? Yes I know, I was a bit confused as well, as to why I had so many children in this country I had never previously visited before. Turns out their pronunciation of "maam" sounds a lot like "mom". Mix-up resolved. We hopped in a bus to get to the terminal where we would grab our flight to Calibo. I'll spare you too much rambling but a 2 hour delay full of of "
AGAIN the
FINAL boarding call for *enter exoticly difficult to pronounce name here*" until our flight was finally called and boarded. We decided there was a translation error for the word "final". Usually it means you don't give people 5 or 6 chances to run dramatically through the terminal to make their flight that they are an hour late to. Vent over.
Landing in rainy, dark Calibo we pile into a minivan and drive and a break-neck speed, around slippery tight corners, simultaneously listening to Spanish-Game-Show music to the Ferry that would take us to the port on the island of Boracay. By this point we were exhausted and just wanted to get to the hostel. When we were walking towards the crowd of vans and tricycles our motto for the trip came out "We'll figure it out". This would be a common phrase for me as I decided to make decisions once the time arose that we had to make them. Why worry about things when there's nothing to do about them yet? We opted to take a tricycle (aka a sidecar welded to a motorcycle) to Frendz Resort, where we would spend the next 7 days of our vacation.
Frendz is located off the main road at Station 1, down a sketchy dark alleyway. Sounds appealing right? The welcoming you receive once you arrive, however, is the exact opposite of what one might expect after walking tentatively down that dirt path. Not only do you get a complimentary drink once you get there, but they also remember your name...the WHOLE trip...without being reminded. There's no better way to make someone feel comfortable and welcomed at a place than to remember their name. We turned in for the night excited to see what the next day would bring.
That morning we woke up and met with Andy and Kelsey, also teachers in Bucheon to walk to the D'mall where there are shops and restaurants to explore.
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| "hobbit house" |
It was here I had my first of many smoothies of the trip. Honestly, one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip was the opportunity to enjoy real, fresh, and cheap fruit! We found a place to grab a bite before more wandering to see the beach. It was here that Andy had the biggest burger she has ever seen....
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| props |
Now, when we booked this trip, we knew we were headed to the Philippines during their monsoon season. Rain was inevitable and expected. The sky was cloudy, but some of us still managed to pull off pretty sweet sunburns (won't mention names). The water was beautiful, and the beach is incredibly clean for such a tourist-logged place. The beach is Boracay's pride and joy, therefore they do a crazy good job at keeping the sand and water trash-free.
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| The girls enjoying the water |
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| Frendz provides chairs and beach towels for their guests in a designated area |
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| Leaving my name in the sand |
Soon after we caught some sun, a dark gloom slowly crept across the sky. It was at this point we decided to go back to the hostel and clean up to grab some dinner. An excellent choice on our part for about thirty minutes later the skies opened up to release an absolute downpour. Katrina made an excellent point about the rain in Boracay that I completely agree with. Rain in Boracay is beautiful. It makes the green greener. This is compared to rain in Korea...which makes the grey grayer. Not so pretty. It's refreshing in Boracay as well. With a breeze and the majority of the mosquitoes gone, the night is clear for us to wander off in search of dinner. We found a nice looking pizza place to sit and celebrate our first (well kind of) night out on the town.
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| The restaurant sat next to a hotel with a pool |
Before the trip, Kaitie had downloaded a game called "Cards Against Humanity", which is really just an inappropriate version of Apples to Apples. Those who are easily offended would utterly loathe this game. It is politically incorrect, disturbing, disgusting, and absolutely side-splittingly-hilarious. If you don't end up in tears laughing (that is if you passed the first test of liking the game) then something is terribly wrong. We started up a round of this game on our porch which attracted a group of guys from around the world (Australia, Denmark, Canada, and France to name a few). After the game we decided to head out and have our first club experience on the island. Those of you who know me know that I'd much prefer a quiet night in than a crazy club scene, but when in Boracay...
The next morning after a groggy not so pleasant run on the beach, Kaitie, Katrina, our new friend Dave, and I grabbed a tricycle to check out Puka Beach on the other side of the island. We had heard that not only was this beach beautiful but also it was much quieter and had plenty of shells for Katrina to add to her collection. As we got to the shore I could tell why this beach was recommended to everyone traveling here. There were probably less than 15 people on the beach. The water was calm and blue, and there weren't clans of small children pushing you to buy bags of under-ripe mangoes (no I'm not bitter about the under-ripe mangoes why do you ask...).
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| Some girls waiting to go to school |
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| Puka sign made out of branches |
At this point it had started drizzling slightly. We put our things under a tree up the beach and hung out nearby or in the water hoping the weather would clear. Then the skies opened up...As we floated in the warm water, floods of rain poured down on us. At first it was beautiful. The drops of rain made it look like pearls hitting the water around us. After about 30 minutes, and a few rousing camp games the excitement was fading. My numb toes, white hands, and blue lips were signs that we should just embrace the cold for a few seconds as we sprint up the beach to safety under the tree with our wet towels to...dry...us.... Making the sprint we shivered for a few minutes wondering how we would get home as the rain slowly let up enough for us to make it back to the road to get a tricycle to Frendz and dry clothes. When I say dry...I mean it in a very liberal way. Nothing truly "dries" in Boracay. Things just stay damp because of the steady rain falls. If anything was about to dry, hanging on the line outside our room, it would soon be soaked again by the next downpour. Oh well. The prices to pay in paradise.
That next night Katrina and I stayed in early to prepare for our spa day that had been planned meticulously by Andy over the past week. The 6 of us booked a day of Yoga, lunch, and pampering at Mandela Spa down the road. This is my plug for Mandela, I promise I was not paid to do this (although the free sarong was pretty sweet). If anyone is planning a Boracay trip, you owe it to yourself to spend a day or even your entire trip at Mandala Villa and Spa. Not only are the incredibly friendly, the services you get there are incredible. We started with a private Yoga class with Mary, guiding us through an easy
Vinyasa flow session perfect for all of our differing levels and abilities. The area in which we had our class was completely unexpected too. It looked like it should be on a DVD for yoga classes, and yet here we were, having our class here for an hour and a half.
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| The picture doesn't do it justice |
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| With Mary |
She helped us twist into pretzels and even do headstands! By the end of class we felt relaxed (despite a few roosters we wanted to un-yoga-like-murder during our meditation time at the end of class). It was time to walk over and get our lunch they set up for us. I had read about the restaurant associated with the Spa. It is organic and everything is made there at the resort. I couldn't have prepared myself for what we walked up to. Prepare for some serious droolage.
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| private veranda |
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| Check out that spread! |
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| breaded shrimp |
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| Gorgeous muscles (no, stop flexing) |
We stuffed ourselves, not wanting to leave any of this delicious food behind in fear that we would never see anything like it ever again. Everything was amazing, down to the watermelon juice they served with it. We sat and talked for over an hour over the feast. Then it was time to get all pampered. We were given our own sarong, which we could take with us after the day. Kaitie and I were paired up (obviously...because we are married) and brought to a private room further in the resort. First we were seated out on small separate porches to get a foot scrub and massage. Then, choosing the oil we wanted for our massage we lied down on the massage table covered in banana leaves. That day I got a salt scrub, which hurt a little but felt refreshing and tingly afterwards. Then after a bath filled with flowers and a banana shake we went back onto the table for our full body massage and facial. Sounds extravagant doesn't it? We decided it was our gift to ourselves. Everything else on the trip was relatively cheap, so this day we would go all out and get the whole package. It was totally worth it. I felt fresh and calm afterwards. After a cup of ginger tea and a shower to wash off access oil we were off to the hostel to join in on a Filipino dinner there (I know, so much food in one day).
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| The girls looking refreshed |
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| Fashionistas in sarongs |
That night, the Filipino dinner menu consisted of Chicken Adobo, skewers of beef, rice, and a vegetable dish that I think was cooked with coconut milk? I could have that completely wrong, but either way it was mouth watering. Still full from lunch, I didn't do that meal justice, but still gave props to the chef! After a night of meeting new people and enjoying mojitos I pulled a Laura and called it an early night.
The next day, Katrina, Kaitie, Andy, Kelsey, Chantelle and I were led to the beach for a boat trip we had signed up for earlier that week. Thinking the guy that booked our trip for us would join us on the boat we were a bit put off when he dropped us off with some guys on a less-than-new looking boat as a dark cloud began to form overhead. Not ones to let the weather bring us down we climbed on and tugged on our life vests as we sped towards the snorkeling area. I've gone snorkeling before, most recently in Thailand, and have had different experiences everywhere. I floated near the boat schools of bright blue fish swam around us as the men on our boat threw pieces of bread into the water to bring them closer to us. I loved pulling the bread beneath me so I could get a closer looks at all the different kinds of fish there. I wish I trusted the waterproof case I got for my camera, but I just got paranoid at how upset I would have been to lose ALL the pictures from the trip thus far as well as be camera-less for the rest of the time.
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Next, we were brought to a teeny slice of Puka beach, different from where we had been a few days earlier, but not bad overall. The sun peaked out for a bit as we sat in the sand for our allotted 30 minutes. You could tell the guys leading our boat were hoping for a more energetic, adventurous group. The entire trip they ask if we want to do any other things like para-sailing or jet-skiing for another few hundred pesos, but honestly we were happy with just floating along and enjoying the view. I know these excursions are usually tourist scams, and this was no exception, but it was a fun day to spend together none-the-less. Got us out of the hostel and on the water.
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| Cave along the coast |
We jumped off the boat and went off in search of (well lets be real, another smoothie for me) lunch for the rest of the clan.
Walking through the market I saw the most colorful fish and lobster I have ever seen. I couldn't help but snap pictures of them whenever I walked by!
Vital signs check: You all still with me? About half way through now, you can do it!
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| Frendz Entrance |
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| Moved to a new room |
That afternoon we were moved to a new room. The one we were placed in originally had a loft and was really meant for 6 people. The new room had a double bed and a twin bed. Much more appropriate for our size of group. Still private as well, with our own bathroom, etc. Although closer to the roosters that do a great job at what they are made for....maybe too good a job. Sleeping wasn't really something we did on this trip. It was done in spurts I suppose. We spent the next few hours relaxing and reading until an Arabic dinner that night! During one of our wanders earlier in the beach we took a wrong turn home and passed by an Arabic restaurant. Once I saw felafel on the menu I knew we had to make it there at some point. This night was that night. The 6 of us plus a new friend Josh tucked into some surprisingly authentic tabbouleh, hummus, baba ganoush, and felafel. Their pita was SO good and I enjoyed all of their other dishes too, including the yogurt and tahini dips. Couldn't have asked for a better addition to the meals we had this trip! I feel like I'm moving from meal to meal in this post, but you all don't mind I'm sure.
After a late night, the next day called for relaxing on the beach. The weather was okay, sprinkling rain on and off for the majority of the late morning/early afternoon. Katrina and Andy headed back to the hostel as Kaitie and I went off in search of a nail place to do a little more pampering, in case we didn't get enough of that already at the spa! We found a tiny little place where we could get a cheap manicure (about 6 bucks!) The nail artists were really sweet. For once my nails actually look presentable. I guess I had been so relaxed on this trip that I wasn't biting my nails much! They are longer then they have been in quite a while. As the girls finished up a big group of Koreans came in for a full body massage. The majority of the tourists I saw on the island over the entire trip were Koreans. It is such a close flight for us, only about 3 and a half hours to Manila, that a lot of Koreans head there for their vacation. It was kind of nice to hear Korean again. I didn't practice much over the trip, so I suppose we will see how I do at my lesson this week (cross your fingers for me...maybe toes too?).
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| Somewhere in there was another smoothie.... |
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| And this happened |
Kaitie and I also ran into a guy close to our hostel with three beautiful little girls, one only 3 months old. I couldn't resist taking a picture of them. I have a lot of pictures of little kids this trip. Not in a creepy way I promise, the are just adorable. Although denying me being creepy probably makes it even more true. Don't you judge me.
By this time it was already Thursday, which meant the next day was Friday, which meant we would be leaving Saturday morning for Manila and heading home! While the weather wasn't exactly the best thus far on the trip, I was having a lot of fun with our group and meeting so many people from around the world that I really wasn't looking forward to heading back to dreary, humid Korea. I won't dwell on that now. I'll distract myself with another meal picture.
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| That's right. A sushi boat. |
Who do you think I am, going to an island and not having sushi. It would be blasphemy. While it wasn't the best sushi I have ever had, it did the trick and suppressed my need for raw fish for a few days maybe...We also saw this at the restaurant.
Don't you wish you could wear your superman costume out to sushi dinner with your family?
That night we met even more friends back at Frendz (see what I did there?). A few girls from Scotland, who were absolutely hilarious, joined us and a handful of others in a few table games before another night out on the town. Walking along the beach at night is just one of the most relaxing things you can do. Even before a crazy evening of dance music and screaming conversations.
The next day, Friday, our last full day, was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was out in force and the water was clear (well that hadn't changed). It was like Boracay was rubbing it in our faces that we would be leaving that next morning. Making it out to the beach as early as possible, I was stone set on staying out as long as humanly possible to soak in as much sun as I could. Though I knew my Korean coworkers would frown on my darker complexion upon returning to the land of whitening cream and long-sleeved-swim-suits, I didn't much care. I feel happiest in the sun with a tan.
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| Little America crew |
Kaitie, Katrina, Andy and I spent about an hour of the afternoon on a catamaran sailing around the coast in the sky-blue waters enjoying the sun and each others' company. The boatmen where funny as well, joking around with each other and at some point trying to pick up a rogue beach ball while not falling into the water. Unfortunately they neither successfully got the beach ball nor fell in. Both of which would have been rather entertaining.
I spent this day outside, zoning in and out of sleep on a beach chair just appreciating the opportunities I've had to travel to exotic places like this and Thailand and more to come. I'm so thankful that I made the decision to come to Korea and therefore open up my world to new people and places as I travel around Asia. For those of you on the fence about traveling around- I hope this shoves you to the "duh-you'd-be-an-idiot-not-to" side with minimal bruising.
The last night out we went to a restaurant on the beach called "Epic". By its name, one would correctly assume that the food was in fact "epic" and it was really good! I got a white fish grilled in a banana leaf. The waitress warned me that it was "very spicy" but I assured her that I could handle it. Living in Korea has definitely upped my spice tolerance, as I did not think the dish was spicy at all. It had a "kick to it" as Dad always says.
After dinner we made our way down to the beach to walk off our food and enjoy the ocean for one more night before leaving for Manila the next morning. As we walked along we came up to a fire-dancing performance being put on by a small group of scantily clad lady-boys. Who were common on the island. They put on a great show! Including one woman (?) who climbed up a palm tree wearing a pair of bat wings and gold sparkly short-shorts.
As we continued down the beach, the area around us was suddenly hit by a blackout, which is a common occurrence. We looked up to the sky and saw more stars than I've seen combined in Korea since I got there almost a year ago. And over a beach, this sight was even more breathtaking. I had to pinch myself so I believed I was actually there. Okay, maybe that was a bit cheesy, but still. Some parts of this trip made me forget about real life for a bit. I suppose that is kind of the point of a vacation. Glad I got that part, because I definitely didn't get much rest over this week. Don't regret a minute of it though. I've made connections with people all over the world. I have a couch to stay in if I ever make it to Denmark, and also some places to visit in Canada someday! Getting back to the hostel after our beach walk we were welcomed by a pretty sauced up crew dancing with the bar stools... Completely normal.
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The next day we woke up super early and settled our bill before we got into a van to take us to the ferry...then the ferry to bus...then the bus to the airport...where we would sit for a little longer (Manila has a problem with air traffic into Calibo apparently). Kaitie made a friend though.
Finally boarding our 45 minute flight to Manila, Katrina won a luggage tag for having hand sanitizer in her bag for a game they played half-way through the trip (well technically Kaitie had it, but either way, prize won!). When we landed we waited for a taxi to bring us to our hostel for that night called Fort Hotel or "the Amazing Hostel" which is a bit bold don't you think? Set in a bit of a sketchy area, the Fort Hostel is on the 6th floor of a building and provides private as well as group rooms. We settled into our room unsure of whether to face the outside or not. I had heard a lot of scary things bout Manila prior to traveling here this trip. A lot of it had me convinced that upon stepping outside I might never see my friends and family ever again. Putting on a brave face though we asked the lady at the desk about where to go that evening and whether it was safe. At first we attempted to walk to "The Fort" market area, but after making a wrong turn down a street we definitely did not want to be down we decided that a taxi was our safest bet. Driving 5 minutes down the road we found that the city changed from night to day. This area was built up and had all sorts of high end shopping opportunities from Top Shop to a HUGE Forever 21. We wandered around, getting a gift for the coworkers back home, and window shopping.
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| Found a bookstore of course |
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| A cool rock fountain thingy |
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| Market! Market! in case you weren't sure...its a market |
There were people everywhere, shopping, relaxing, eating. It did not feel sketchy at all, though I did watch my backpack a little more than I did in Boracay. We decided to stop and grab a bite before going back to the hostel to get one more nights sleep before it was time to go back to Bucheon. I saw a couscous salad on a menu as we walked by, so obviously THAT was happening. Last few food pictures I promise.
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| Lettuce wrap couscous |
While I was kind of hoping for a solid nights' sleep, I couldn't really get that at The Fort Hotel. Our floor was on the level of the highway outside which meant that it had the feeling of us sleeping in the center lane as motorcycles and trucks sped by us honking and revving their engines. Then someone decided to throw on some Sk8er Boi at 7:30am, which was nice. Oh well, what can you expect. In the words of Dr. Saad "Well Laura, did you go to sleep or did you go to party?" Thanks Dad. Words to live by.
Overall, this trip was a blast. I made some incredible new friends and got even closer to those I had prior to the trip. I would definitely go back to Frendz resort (despite the obstacle course they set up for you to actually get there) and Boracay. Maybe not during monsoon season, but with the short and limited breaks we get here as hagwon teachers in Korea, you have to take what you can get! Back to reality today, Monday morning all my kids with their bright and shining faces asking why my skin is black. It's nice to be back. Can't wait for our next adventure!
Until next time xoxox
Korean of the post:
아저씨 롤러 스케이트 안에 있어요
(ajeossi rolaseuhkaiteuh ahnae iseoyo)
middle aged man on roller skates.
