Philippines : Boracay
2010
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| On Boracay shores (Dec-2010) |
28-dec: On Boracay shores... Had a turnaround when the hubby and I were invited by a close friend (salamat bro!) to island hop to a coveted beach destination in the Philippines for pristine white sand, that is, Boracay, for the holidays and countdown to New Year 2011. Plus the magic words of free accommodations to the exclusive island club (Fairways and Blue Waters), it made a bell sound.
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| The sandy shores of Boracay island |
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| Welcome party at Kalibo |
Hubby booked the airline tickets way in advance to avail of promo rates. You see, such premiere destination, like Boracay, comes at a high price at the onset of the holidays causing airfare to double, or even triple.
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| My Ati-atihan attire! |
#PhilippineAirlines flew us south of the archipelago to Kalibo. From there, we arranged for a shuttle to get to Caticlan, where the motorized bancas to the island of Boracay, await. Even if there's an airport runway at Caticlan that could save you one and a half hours of travel time from Kalibo to Caticlan, I'd rather take my chances on a shuttle than the smaller aircrafts flying to Caticlan, from Manila. Landing the Kalibo runway on a commercial plane is me staying on the safe side.
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| Boracay beachfront |
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| Two Peas in a Pod in Boracay |
What's Boracay like around December? Air was definitely cooler, because the sun hid mostly behind a blanket of clouds. There were also a few beachgoers just like in the old days when Boracay had not yet caught on commercially as a beach destination.
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| Christmas lights in Boracay island |
One time, we headed out to the market place in Boracay's Station 3 called, the Talipapa (marketplace), where the catch-of-the day were being sold, and the makeshift restaurants were on standby ready to throw them in the hot wok. Too many lobsters, clams, prawns, fish... in iced containers, I got excited taking photos. I could not wait how it would taste in butter, garlic, bird's eye chili... thrown into the hot wok. It could only spell the word, Y-U-M-M-Y.
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| Lobsters |
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| Clams |
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| Prawns |
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| Group in red attire for good luck |
Not before long, people looked forward to the year ender countdown happening at the beach front. It was my first time to experience how Boracay island welcomed the New Year.
At sundown, dance music blared from speakers, it was infecting everybody to be in party mode. Event planners were rushing back and forth to cordon off areas for private guests. Over at a distance, men on board a cargo ship were preparing what seemed to be like the fireworks display that'll take off at the stroke of midnight. Celebrities, and accompanying paparazzi, have been arriving since the morning to join the revelry in the island.
At sundown, dance music blared from speakers, it was infecting everybody to be in party mode. Event planners were rushing back and forth to cordon off areas for private guests. Over at a distance, men on board a cargo ship were preparing what seemed to be like the fireworks display that'll take off at the stroke of midnight. Celebrities, and accompanying paparazzi, have been arriving since the morning to join the revelry in the island.
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| Fireworks at year ender 2010 in Boracay island |
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| Sky lanterns in Boracay |
One Boracay establishment attracted my attention. They were lighting lanterns to be released in the night sky, perhaps with a resolution or two for the New Year. The number of sky lanterns rising to the night sky over on one side, together with the fireworks exploding in a frenzy above the sea, illuminated the night sky-- it was a memorable sight.
Here's a toast to New Year 2011 from the Boracay shores!
Here's a toast to New Year 2011 from the Boracay shores!
PHOTOSTITCH
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