This post is one year delayed. I know because Cousin Dooders and Special Girl MJ celebrated their first wedding anniversary yesterday (which reminds me, today, Banzo has officially been with us one year). Yey for both occasions!
Still, I know this post is a year delayed because it was soon after their wedding that I chaperoned my parents, Tita Doy and Cousin Rhae (the latter being Cousin Dooder’s mom and sis who can home for the wedding).
Now, cousin Rhae hasn’t been on Philippine soil since they migrated to the U.S. in the mid-80’s when she was three. Over the years, as Dooders flew to Manila for different weddings, she has had to live with his photos in Boracay, Palawan, etc., etc. She therefore came home with a mission. To see as much of the Philippine beaches as possible.
Thing is, September is NOT really the best time to go to the beach. It is, after all, typhoon season—which also means that all the parties and events that happen regularly on the Boracay shores are practically non-existent. She will not be deterred. Haha.
That said, we can only do so much for this visit and so the choices were narrowed down to Boracay (required) and Puerto Princesa (which, if statistics continue to hold, has never been hit by a major typhoon in decades).
The last time I went to the beach with Mother and Father was way back in 2001, soon after the wedding of Sister Pusjing and G-Genius. Both Ate Babs and Dooders had come home to Manila (one from Canada, the other from LA) so an out-of-town family trip seemed to be in order. We stayed at Pink Patio then--which was perfect for me—never mind, that it wasn’t right on the beach. At that time, I was passionate about wall-climbing and Pink Patio not only had its own pool (a rarity for a Boracay hotel at that time), it also had the only “wall” on the island. Beyond the hotel amenities, however, what I do remember most from that trip was the joy of walking barefoot on the sand, wind on our faces and sitting on the shore, sipping fruit shakes from Jonah’s when it was nothing but a small, makeshift stall on the far end of the shore. As adults, we used to go a lot on out-of-town trips with friends. I suppose when you're in your early/mid-20’s, it never really occurs to you that going on an out-of-town trip with your parents could also be just as fun. That was the first time such a realization hit me.
“This is the life,” I remember Father murmuring, a Cheshire cat grin planted on his face as he sat on a lounge chair facing the ocean. It was their first time on the shores of Boracay.
Fast-forward to almost a decade later. Times have changed. The wall has since been transferred to D’Mall (which has since replaced the talipapa as the “eating and shopping destination of choice”). Jonah’s is no longer a makeshift stall, but a full-fledged restaurant. Hotels along the beach have since been upgraded from nipa huts to concrete structures—each with their own pool / bar / restaurant.
We arrived in Boracay mid-afternoon, having had to take the road trip/sea trip route from Kalibo after flights to the more convenient Caticlan airport were temporarily prohibited. Earlier in the month, two planes overshot the runway and authorities were still investigating whether the planes are too big for the runway or whether the runway is too short for the planes. Haaaaaaaayyyyyy...So it cost us half-a-day. Whatever. After a protracted route, we were finally on the island.
For this trip, I thought maybe it would be good if we can stay in a reasonably-priced beachfront hotel. At the PALakbayan site, they gave several options, and I stupidly chose La Carmela. I had often heard of it on TV being thanked by all those artistas, haha. I figured, Boy Abunda may be showbiz, but he does have expensive taste, so it couldn’t be that bad. (*Cringe, I know. =D*)
What I did not realize, of course, was that there was that La Carmela had an “executive wing” where they all probably stayed, while the rooms at the PALakbayan site referred to the rooms on the regular wing. As soon as we entered the hotel lobby, I realized, “This is not a hotel. It's a dorm!” Gr. Haha. Think youth hostel as opposed to a real hotel. It was good enough, I suppose, if you were on an out-of-town trip with your barkada, but I always adhered to the idea that for an out-of-town trip with the family, a higher level should be called for. Still, it has been pre-booked and pre-paid so we had no choice but to live with it. Ngyar. (Sorry, guys! Next time, we're staying at the Regency. =D)
We left the sunshine in Manila and arrived on the island to texts from Sister Pusjing and Tito Bie checking if we were OK and asking us to be careful. Apparently, it was announced on TV that there was a tropical depression headed our way. Yay! Haha. Oh, well. Worst case, I figured, I’d get to experience my first typhoon on the beach. Naku! =S
So the winds were strong (clear indication was that bamboo windbreakers have been set up along the shoreline, and all the kiteboarders have transferred to White Beach from the kiteboarding site on the other side of the island).
So the waves were huge (big enough to cause an accident at the far end of the beach with one fatality).
So it rained incessantly.
So what the heck.
We swam anyway.
We lounged by the shore.
We walked to both the talipapa and D'Mall in heavy downpour, keeping our purchases in water-proof plastic sando bags (very effective kahit di sosyal, haha).
We ate.
We talked.
We enjoyed Boracay anyway--despite the rains and the gloomy skies.
Still, more than the activities, what I would remember most from this trip would be the smiles and the peace that came with temporarily being away from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila (or of L.A., in the case of Tita Doy and Rhae). Being on opposite ends of the globe is not easy; the trip also gave us the opportunity to catch up on each other's lives.
“This is the life,” Father once said--on these same shores, almost a decade ago.
Except for the La Carmela booboo, I suppose, it, indeed, is. =)
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Dos Palmas, next! =)
Dos Palmas, next! =)
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