The Beauty That is Boracay, Philippines.

Hello Hello,
So, the little 9 km long island of Boracay in the Philippines was sooo paradise, that Jake and I are considering purchasing real estate on it's fabulous beach. That will perhaps happen once we get some more degree's / credentials and land wicked jobs, so that we can afford to fly across the world during dry season, and then fly back to Canada in rainy season. The flights would really be the only expense though, as a cabin on the beach goes for about $1,500/year. Yes, that's right. One month Toronto rent in some dingy, basement apartment covered in mold, or a year in paradise.... Hmm. tough call, it really is.
Here, let me convince you more with a picture.

So, yes. Jake and I made the 6 hour trek via Korean Air to the Philippines landing December 29th in Manila. Early the next morning we took another flight, and a catamaran to get to Boracay Island for a 9 day 8 night stay. Boracay is nestled south of Manila, and north of Cebu, and is a tourist paradise, with abundant mango's, sprawling white sand beaches, clear turquoise water and where the rum is the cheapest ingredient in your rum and coke. And of course, it goes without mentioning the tasty local beer San Miguel, sold ice cold at 40 cents a pop. Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn't, but it didn't come without some preceding sketchy experiences...

Our quick and limited view of Manila was all we could take. Somewhere between the cockroach ridden hostel, the coked-out cab driver that refused to put his meter on as he continuously swerved in and out of oncoming traffic, the prostitutes at the convenience stores, the either homeless or drunks passed out in make-shift hammocks strung between two telephone poles on the highway, and the numerous locks, gates, and barbed wire surrounding our hostel, we lost interest in discovering Manila in greater detail and made a beeline for the islands that we had heard were world famous. We stayed in Manila for little more that 10 hours ( 5 of which were spent trying to sleep amid the cockroaches), and then got on a tiny Asian Spirit plane to Caticlan. From Caticlan, we took a weathered but friendly catamaran to Boracay. And then the sand, sunsets, scuba, and mango daiquiris began to sink in.

We stayed at a resort (note that the term "resort" is used very loosely in the Philippines) called Nikko's Resort. It was basic and clean, and we only encountered one cockroach, which (after a brief yelp) we accordingly sprayed with sunblock and kicked him out onto the porch to cook in the hot island sun. He only came back once. We called him Gary. He was an island cockroach for sure though, because he was so slow and lazy we could keep track of him at all times. He'd only move a centimeter or so an evening.

We befriended the awkward front desk employees, and spent the next 9 days in a luxurious environment we will always remember.

While in Boracay we got our PADI Open Water Scuba Diver certifications from French instructor Nadine at Aqua Life Divers Academy. We had four dives, up to a maximum of 17.5 meters. The coral and marine life that we saw, at such relatively shallow depths were breathtaking. All of the marine organisms and species that I have been fascinated with via text books, dissection labs and educational videos over the past years were swimming up to my scuba mask, and curiously peering at my fingers. We are now certified world-wide to dive up to 18 meters on our own. Hopefully, we will be able to use this certification sooner than later, and in more amazing tropical climates like Thailand and Malaysia!

We also celebrated New Years in Boracay, on a beach still warm from the past days sun. We rang in the new year at a Reggae bar, sitting in sand-sprayed bean bags and sipping mango daiquiris (which, yes, Jake and I spruced up with the 20 cent pint/mickey of rum that we purchased at the convenience store-- talk about convenience eh!? haha). It was an amazing night of warmth, sand, tropical senses, loud music, good food, bare feet and fireworks.

This is us after a fabulous New Years buffet dinner for a simple 200 pesos (php), or, approx. $5 Canadian. On our way to our New Years drinking spot.


Our trip was fabulous and usually included searching through the markets for cool shell jewelery, cheap and unique clothes, good happy hour specials (most bars it ran from 3pm - 8pm!), amazing ethnic cuisine from Italian and Greek to Mexican and Indian, a few dips into the sea, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, taking pictures, meeting new friends and bartenders and listening to great music well into the night.

So, pictures really can say more than words for this unforgettable trip, so take a look at our metric tonnes of pictures!! They are well worth a peek!

**Colleen's Pictures: One , Two , Three , Four ** **Jake's Pictures: One **

Xoxox