Boracay

Boracay is an island that's pretty much the most famous beach place in Philippines---if I haven't mentioned that already. People tell me that it's getting more and more touristy and ruinous, but it's still a great Asian beach destination and the best you can get outside of Thailand. I've never been to a top-rated beach. I've only been to Coco Beach, Venice Beach and a beach in Japan. Boracay blew me away. We flew in with Philippine Air, to the far side of the island. As I mentioned before, Michelle was flying back to Manila while I was flying to Boracay. M and her husband came with me--and we flew the weekend of 9/11/11--the 10 year anniversary of the attacks. CNN overseas was constantly running segments about it and our travel advisory service said to be cautious overseas on the anniversary. It was also M & her husband's wedding anniversary--5 years. I knew Dan was coming to visit in a few months and we'd celebrate OUR anniversary, but it was still weird to be headed to a beach destination solo. Regardless, it was worth it to experience the trip. So we flew, taxied and bussed and took a really small boat with rails to the beach. Then another person took us to our hotel on a golf cart type device, and then a young girl carried my luggage down a narrow alley to the hotel. I was so distracted by everything that I forgot to tip her and I still feel bad. I chose the Coconut Inn, because it was pretty cheap. And immediately, I was separated from M and her husband, who were staying at a much nicer hotel down the beach. I had no idea where I was, though. I just followed the woman walking over packed sand for awhile, when everything was dark. I could see some normal houses, but I was a little scared: because it was dark, I was alone, and I still hadn't gotten my cellphone to work. And I had heard there were some wild, wild parties in Boracay. Was I going to be abducted? I checked in to the Red Coconut Inn or something, and asked, naively, where the ocean was. The front desk employee looked at me like I was crazy. It's right there, ma'am. And I turned to the right and...BOOM. The ocean was only 40 feet away. I put my suitcases in my room and walked down to the beach. I waded in. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO THE BEACH IN 5 YEARS. I nearly started tearing up, I was so happy and felt so lucky. But I also knew my hotel room was very vulnerable. I was on the first floor and all I had to protect myself and my belongings was a flimsy lock. I remember going into my room and feeling angry at the company that my phone didn't work. Eventually I got a wifi card from the hotel lobby and posted to some friends that I was going go for a walk on the beach and to send out a search party if I wasn't back in 2 hours. And then I added a password to my computer, hid it under 4000 things and decided I could leave the room and go for a drink. (writing this now, walking seems perilously painful and a drink is out of the question) Ventured down the beach. It was insane with hotels and beach stores and henna and airbrushing I found an ATM. There were tiki fires everywhere and people offering a lot of deals and there were a lot of bars and people. I had never seen anything like it, in the cover of night. I went back to Dan and told him on facebook that I hadn't seen anything like this yet. There were large plastic walls that each resort placed in order to prevent the sand from blowing in and ruining everyone's dinner. And DINNER! If you like seafood, this is the place to go. GIANT lobsters, GIANT shrimp, fresh, fresh, fresh. THere's so much more to write about--but I will do it tomorrow.