EATING OUR WAY THROUGH BORACAY: PART 2 =D

One of the things I did enjoy is this--and I don't even think it's Boracay-grown. =) I think it's one of those Manila-based shops that put up a branch in Bora. RED BEAN @ D'Mall. Maybe. Maybe not. =D

I remember it to be mid-afternoon. After scouring the beach up and down from Station 1 to way past Station 2, checking up on all the FNR Booths and selling activities, I was literally smoking hot. Haha. Hubby Sweet who walked with me looked at his watch and realized it was time for him to go back to the Hangin Kite Center for his kiteboarding lessons. I think he half-expected me to go with him, but walking to the other side, we passed by D'Mall and I looked to the right to find this bright, white and red, airconditioned shop. Hot and sticky, I practically entered a trance and stopped. Aircon......halo-halo.....shaved ice......

"Uh, can I just follow na lang?" I told the Hubby. "I want to try this one out."

He looked at me, torn, as he really doesn't like leaving me alone in populated places. "You'll be alone?" he said.

He keeps forgetting that before he entered my life, I had spent 30+ years driving around the metro and flying all over, often with friends, but, yes, sometimes alone if I have to.

"I'll be OK," I reassured him, holding up a copy of "New Moon" which cousin Tiririt lent me. "I'll just read inside."

He didn't look convinced.

"It's too hot for me to sit around in the beach, reading," I reasoned, "I'll go to the kite center when the sun is a bit less intense. You're going kiteboarding anyway.....I'll be OK."

I started to roll my eyes, and he took it as his cue that I was not going to back down. So he took one look at the store and decided it was safe enough for me to be left alone (*me rolling eyes again...hahaha =)*).

I entered and ordered a Japanese Strawberry Ice or something that sounds close to Japanese Strawberry Ice. (See, that's the problem with blogging about something almost 4 months after, haha. =)) I quite honestly did not know what to expect. I just wanted something cold on this hot, HOT summer day. I was thinking sosyal na halohalo. One can order the family size (which they will serve in a big bowl with several spoons for sharing) or one can choose to go for the individual servings. I thought, heck, I'm on the beach and am not exactly in my best shape (haha, understatement of the year). Therefore, while a family-sized thingy sounds really, REALLY good at that point, I restrained myself and ordered an individual serving.

They set this before me. =D

At first I couldn't quite get what the things inside were. I figured they would be some sweetened version of some fruit, as it is with the typical halo-halo.

So I mixed it up (as one usually does with halo-halo), and watched as the finely shaved ice mixed with the cream until they fully smudged all the other ingredients and nothing much was recognizable. Then I took my first spoonful. PURE HEAVEN. ^_^

I don't know if it was the sensation of something really, really cold going down or if it was the surprising and refreshing juicy burst of fresh fruits (yes, fresh fruits!) mixed with light strawberry-flavored syrup and cream, but I remember closing my eyes and going, "Hmmmmmnnnnn". ^_^ At that moment, I regretted not having the Hubby to share the experience with me. Hay...I thought about bringing him some when I scoot over to the Kite Center, but I figured, it would probably just melt in the heat and it would be a terrible injustice if he eats it in such a terrible state at first try. So I decided, maybe we should just go back one more time before we fly back to Manila. =)

I stayed in Red Bean for a good four New Moon chapters or so. Then, it was finally time to go.

A surprisingly good book on one hand (as I really hated Twilight--at the risk of incurring the wrath of die-hard fans--and I was really just reading New Moon because cousin Tiririt told me to give the series a chance. =)) A surprising spoonful of fresh indulgence in the other.

Not a bad way to spend the afternoon, I thought. Not a bad way to spend a hot, summer afternoon at all. =)