Boracay...dare I say Paradise???

Well...Randi and I are in Boracay and it sounds like it is a much better place to be than Memphis right now. We hope that all of our friends and family, in the greater Memphis area and Tennessee, are safe and sound after yesterday's severe weather. Our thoughts and our prayers will be with those who lost loved ones, who were injured, suffered damage, and/or experienced the tornadoes.

Meanwhile in the tropical island of Boracay all is well. Randi and I left Hong Kong yesterday morning via Cathay Pacific. Unfortunately we did not leave exactly on time. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 0805 in the morning; however we actually took off closer to 1000. Once we were all boarded on the aircraft (it never happens before you board) a "fuel pump" indicator issue arouse. This resulted in the mechanics having to replace a fuel pump on one of the engines. Now, don't get me wrong when you are about to travel several hundred miles over the South China Sea...you definitely want all of your fuel pumps working. But, let's be honest...why do these problems always crop up once you are on the airplane when there is no where to go? So, needless to say Randi and I sat in our economy seats for almost two hours on the tarmac (at the gate) in Hong Kong before heading off to the Philippines. This would normally not have been an issue; however, we had to catch a puddle-jumper to Caticlan so we could then catch a boat to Boracay. So, the late departure threw our original flight to Caticlan right out the window. I have to give credit to Randi and I both, as we were extremly calm and not worried...we just figured we aren't in Hong Kong and we will surely make it to Boracay eventually.

Well, we finally took off and had a safe flight to the Philippines. Once in the Philippines we had to go from the international terminal to the domestic terminal at the Manila International Airport (Ninoy Aquino International Airport - MNL) which, is an experience by itself. Here is a quick briefing for those of you who may be tempted to visit one of the smaller islands in the Philippines...highly recommended by the way.

(1.) You have to fly into MNL from wherever you are departing; this is the easiest step.
(2.) Once you land and deplane you have to make your way to immigration. You will stand in a long line looking at two flat screen televisions that continually say "Welcome to the Philippines" while sweating like a woman with questionable morals attending a Southern Baptist Church service in a bikini.
(3.) You've made it through immigration (no visa required) and you will find yourself in one of the most chaotic baggage collection areas you may ever see. Now, Randi and I decided to go carry-on so we skipped this part. Let's be honest if you have to check luggage for a trip to the beach you packed way too much stuff. All you need are some bathing suits, a couple of t-shirts, maybe one "dressy" outfit, some sandals, sunscreen, a toothbrush, and some toothpaste. Everything else is fluff. Randi and I both packed enough for a full week into two very small carry-on rollers. So, if Randi can do it you can too. I also have to say I was very proud of Randi for packing so little and for packing so quickly (under an hour). Back to our guide of surviving MNL.
(4.) You have your bags (checked or unchecked - congratulate yourself) and now you will make your way outside and decide on your mode of transport.
(5.) Option 1 - Taxi: You step outside into a hot, humid oven and you are immediately "propositioned" by taxi drivers. These are supposedly the unregistered guys - so steer clear. You want to take a "registered" taxi so, you have to cross the pick-up lane and you will clearly see a labeled registered taxi stand (look for the "taxi qeue". You proceed into the stand tell the guy behind the counter where you want to go and you will get a registered "slip". You need to take that "slip" outside and then you get into a qeue (line) and wait for a taxi. When it is your turn you hand the "slip" to the driver and you are off like a dirty shirt.
(5.) Option 2 - Airport Shuttle: You step outside into the same hot, humid oven but, you do not cross the pick-up lane; instead you head to your right and go to the "airport shuttle" holding area. Now, this is not a "special" area by any chance, there are some blue chairs and a large yellow handicapped parking square painted on the lane and a sign that says "airport shuttle". There are also some official baggage handlers with their blue numbered shirts. Here you will sort of form a qeue (line) and wait for a shuttle. Once the shuttle arrives you will pile in (you may climb over some pre-loaded luggage) and attempt to find a seat, a place to stand, or a good solid piece of luggage to sit on.
(6.) You head towards the domestic terminal through streets that are packed with cars and drivers who choose to ignore those pesky lane dividers. I have driven in some crazy places in my life and this is probably in the top ten. Like many places, you make your own traffic rules.
(7.) You have arrived in one piece, so say a quick "thank-you prayer", approximately 30 minutes to an hour after you have landed.

Now, once you are at the domestic terminal the fun really begins. It looks like you are stepping into chaos and in reality you actually are. You now need to find the ticketing office of the airline (I use that term rather loosely) that you are flying to the outer islands. You will have to purchase your ticket (cash or credit card) as most of the smaller airlines do not let you pre-pay for the ticket. You can pre-book but you can't pre-pay. Don't ask me...I just work here. Anyway, the domestic terminal is a bit crazy; there are a lot of armed security guards (all friendly) and a lot of little airlines (Cebu Pacific, Asian Spirit, South East Asian Airlines, etc.). Randi and I flew Asian Spirit and it was actually a great experience. There is a good bit of security and you will pass through three security checks. The first check is just to get into the terminal, you have to show the guards your passport and your ticket. Once you are inside the men are separated from the women...seriously there are separate security lines. You will proceed down your line (hopefully, I don't have to tell you which one) and have your luggage searched and you will more than likely be physically searched. Remember, that it is best to be the happy foreigner that is wearing a big smile and have fun with all of this...as it is for your safety. I think Abu-Sayyaf is still a big problem in the Philippines but, not big enough that you should be discouraged from visiting. After the first security check you are in the "terminal" where you need to find the hand written sign with your flight and airline on it. Here you will have your baggage weighed and checked for boarding (only one small carry-on). I believe the luggage limit on the smaller flights is 10kg or 22lbs so make sure you go light or be prepared to pay for the extra weight. They will tag your bag with a very small tag (no fancy labels here) and it will disappear into the depths of the domestic terminal. You will also notice that the Philippines apparently has no OSHA. We saw people (workers) crawling over belts, riding the belts, crawling into the baggage holes and a whole lot more. If you could take pictures in here...you would have some great ones. Next you have to pay the airport tax so, you take your tickets to one of the four tax booths and you pay your 200 peso tax per person. Now that you have paid for the privilege of the domestic terminal experience you head to another security check. Here boys and girls get to stick together. Your luggage is checked again and you are probably physically searched again, just in case you decided to grab a little kid and tuck him into your pants while checking your baggage and getting your boarding pass. Hopefully you make it through security and then you make your way into the gate area and by "area" I mean a large room filled with a ton of people and about four "gates" (which are really more like doors). Now, surprisingly most folks are pretty happy as they are probably going on vacation or are returning home to visit friends and family...there are no grumpy business travelers here folks. Once in the gate area you are going to need to find your "gate" and you will need to pay attention to the boarding times as I did not hear any boarding calls. I think you need to pay close attention and make sure you head to your "gate" at the appropriate time or you could be swimming to the outer islands. There are no jetways here, you pretty much head out a door...errr...I mean gate...onto a working and busy tarmac...so, keep your head on a swivel. Prior to heading out to the tarmac you may be searched again; I think this is for the shady looking people...also known as my friends. The airline staff will point to your airplane and you just kind of head towards it while dodging luggage carts, airplanes, fuel trucks, and other passengers.

Randi and I had a pretty good experience through all of this. Since our Cathay flight was late taking off we were late (as in missed) for our booked flight on Asian Spirit to Caticlan. Once we got to the Asian Spirit office we told the friendly agents what had happened and that we really wanted to get to Boracay ASAP. They re-booked us on the same flight for the following day as they informed us that the remaining five flights for the day were all booked. At this point we just figured that we would spend a night in Manila...no harm no foul. Once we were all booked for the following day one of the friendly agents (Neil) told us that we could probably fly stand-by on one of the flights later that day if we were lucky. We paid for our tickets and then he headed into the terminal with us and told us that he would do his best to get us on the next flight. Our original flight was at 1300 and he was going to try and get us on the 1330 flight...it doesn't get better than that. Anyway, he rushed us through the check-in procedures and maintained contact with someone on a radio the whole time. I am assuming that he was talking to the gate agent...as we were the last two to board the airplane and as soon as we were on the stairs were literally being rolled away.

So, after a late flight and an interesting experience making it to and through the domestic terminal we were airborne and headed to Caticlan on a short thirty minute flight. The best part of the flight was this little Asian kid who was probably four or five who kept saying "this guy doesn't want to wait". I guess he was as ready for a vacation as Randi and I. On the flight in you really get to see the beauty of the Philippine islands and the beautiful waters that surround them. The islands have awesome stretches of beaches and the water is a deep emerald blue. Absolutely amazing.

Landing in Caticlan was great...nothing like a short landing on a rough but paved airstrip. Once on Caticlan you basically get handled by your hotel greeter who gets your baggage and gets you in a van for the short lift over to the boats. You will wade out into the water and climb aboard the boat. Your luggage will safely be carried above the heads of the boat guys and handlers...so, you need not worry about wet clothes. Albeit, you may want to pack light not only for the 10kg limit but, also to make sure your luggage is not inadvertently dropped into the ocean. So, the key here is wear pants that you can either roll-up or just wear shorts and make sure you can easily slip your choice of shoes off or that they are amiable to getting wet.

Randi and I enjoyed a pleasant boat ride to Boracay. Seeing the deep blue water and being able to see the bottom (even though it was extremly deep) is such a contrast to the polluted brown waters surrounding Hong Kong. Once on Boracay our luggage was again handled by some porters and we were ushered into a small open back vehicle for the short ride to our hotel. The ride was awesome, nothing like cruising through tiny streets and getting to see the locals. Boracay is a neat place, if you are looking for an exotic five star lush escape...this is probably not your place. But, if you are looking for pristine beaches, local flavor, and an extremly relaxing atmosphere this is your place. There is even a golf course on the island. Apparently, the island was without electricity until the early 90's, so we are not talking state of the art. The first "resort" is currently being built by the Shangri-La and I am sure more resorts will come in after the first doors are opened there. Right now the island is dotted with small beach front resorts, mom and pop shops, local restaurants and beautiful white powder beaches...beaches with sand that is the consistency of ground cinnamon. Yes, the sand really is that powdery. Apparently that is why Boracay is always in the top ten best beaches...no matter who ranks them. This place is great.

Randi and I got into Boracay around 3:00pm yesterday and made our way to our hotel. We decided to stay at a little boutique hotel, named One Crescent Place, that is off of the beaten path. It had great reviews from www.tripadvisor.com and we really liked the idea of a little hotel with a bit more of a local flavor. We have been nothing but pleased with the hotel thus far. With only fourteen rooms you definitely get personalized service. The front desk attendant even walked us to the beach (literally less than 2 minutes) and pointed stuff out for us. Great service. Everything that we are wanting to do; they will arrange. They actually care about the service that you receive - not only from their hotel, but on the island. We have even met the owner's sister who lives in Hong Kong...a small world. The hotel room is great; stylish in a minimalist sort of way. Very comfortable with ceiling fans, air conditioning, a super clean bathroom, and great lighting...even the bed is comfortable. We are on the second floor and overlook some small local houses complete with crowing roosters in the morning. We really like the place.

Last night we walked on the beach and found a Cafe Del Mar; which is known for their great music. We sat on the beach around a small little table and watched a beautiful sunset while eating fresh seafood and sipping on delicious local calamansi juice with the smooth tunes of Cafe Del Mar playing in the background. It was absolutely relaxing and Randi and I just enjoyed the moment. After dinner we explored the beach area a little more (there really is nothing off of the beach) and spotted a few restaurants that we are going to try in the coming days. We called it an early evening and were in bed by 2100. It was a long but relaxing day.

We started this morning with a breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast is made for you every morning (you can eat it on their wonderful patio or in your room) and this morning we chose the "American" breakfast, eggs, bacon, ham, toast, absolutely divine fresh mango, plus fresh mango juice. It was delicious and we are planning on sampling the pancakes tomorrow. After breakfast we booked snorkeling and massages and then headed out to the beach.

We explored the other end of the beach and spotted a couple nice prospective hotels/resorts for a future stay...just in case we decide to stay beach-front next time. Although, we are currently enjoying our little private oasis. After exploring the beach we headed out for snorkeling. We made our way to the snorkeling spot on the Rod-Angelo, named after the boats owner and his youngest son...by the way we are talking a very small local boat - complete with outriggers. Once at the snorkeling spot the water was crystal clear but the current was a bit strong for Randi. After feeding some beautiful fish (while snorkeling) we decided to just cruise around the island and take in the beauty of Boracay. The boat crew (Marlo and Larry) pointed out the local sites, who lived where, and what was being built where as we ventured around the island. The island is small, probably no more than a mile or two long and probably only a couple thousand meters wide, so it is pretty tiny. Even though it is small it is beautiful and surrounded by some seriously amazing water. I hope that 10 years from now it will not be ruined and turned into just another tourist spot, complete with a Hard Rock Cafe. I am not knocking the Hard Rock (OK...actually I am) but, it is the epitome of a "tourist trap" complete with poor quality food...why anyone ever goes to one to eat is absolutely beyond me. If that were to happen it would be a waste of a beautiful location and be worse for the locals who are extremly friendly and polite. By polite I mean, everyone is referred to as "sir" or "mam" in every establishment...independent of it being a restaurant, grocery store, shop, etc. It is definitely more polite than say...Memphis. I have not heard "watsh ya want" yet from any customer facing employee of any establishment we've been in.

After our excursion around the island and our attempt at snorkeling we walked the beach looking for someplace to eat lunch. We settled on a little restaurant that served pretty good Mexican food and some super sweet iced tea. We had to head back to the hotel for our massages so, lunch was pretty quick. Randi and I decided to each get an hour massage "in room" at the hotel at 1700. Sure, enough at 1700 the front desk called and said our masseuses had arrived. Are we spoiling ourselves? You bet you and so would you when an hour "in room" massage is only 400 pesos or approximately US$10.00. At that rate, we are thinking this may turn into a nightly affair.

Well, that about wraps up our first full day in Boracay...we are currently deciding on walking down to the beach and grabbing something small to eat or just calling it a night and going to bed.

Cheers from Boracay and we will keep you posted. I forgot my SD card reader in Hong Kong so I cannot download any photos and the one computer shop we found was out of stock...so you will just have to be patient.