I had a grand time in South Korea. It was my first time to experience autumn and it was amazing!!! Sure, the weather could be nasty at times but what the heck. It was all part of the fun! 🙂
I’m still in the process of filtering out the pictures that I took during my 4-day vacation there. I promise to be back with more snapshots and words. Annyeong haseyo!
Before the Christmas season kicks into full gear (yes, here in the Philippines, the Christmas season starts as early as September), let me reminisce our Boracay adventure last July. The current weather is making me miss the sun. Well, the weather has been a mix lately — one time it’s sunny, another minute it would rain like hell. But one noticeable change is the chill in the air; that pretty much gives away the “Christmas is just around the corner” thing.
Anyway, remember when I told you that we went there just to bum around? Well, I kinda lied. We also had a dose of Boracay adventure that most tourists fall prey upon on. The only difference is, there was no real planning involved. Whenever we felt that we had a bit too much of bumming, we went out playin’. So here goes…
All-Terrain Vehicle
One thing about riding an ATV is it makes you look cool… in a kickass kind of way. Doesn’t really matter if you haven’t driven a motorcycle before. This has four wheels so balancing is not a problem. If you know how to bike, it’s a plus. What makes it more exciting is the route that you have to go through aboard this. The pit stop is Mt. Luho, the highest peak in the island where you can enjoy the Boracay sights from a different vantage point.
We went to Borayd’s because our contact told us that they have bigger vehicles compared to the others. The bigger, the better right? Uhm. Not really. It turned out to be a bad thing for one of us. My roomie, Mils, had a terrible accident halfway in our route.
Because of that, we didn’t push through to Mt Luho and returned to Borayd’s instead. We had some dispute with the owner and other staff about the incident and refund and the likes. In the end, we settled to have another go at it the next day (with the exemption of Mils who had a splint on her injured hand). The next day, it was raining hard so it made driving to the peak more challenging. But we did managed to get there. Unluckily, nobody brought a camera.  We settled to have a fun photo op at the Borayd’s office instead.
Skimboarding
This is not my first time to have a go at skimboarding but this is definitely the first time that I tried and didn’t fall on my ass several times. While walking by the shore, RR told us that he wanted to rent a board and an instructor and learn how. We agreed with the idea because we have nothing else to do. That one hour tutorial turned out to be so much fun!
We would find out later that the hotel had two boards available for guests. It’s actually for rent but the hotel crew were kind enough to let us borrow them for free. I actually overheard one telling the other that we would not last an hour of skimboarding under the sun so it’s futile to charge us with rent. Boy, they were so wrong!
In the days that followed, whenever we are caught in a bumming stump, we would grab the available boards in the hotel and skim for hours. I still have to practice and learn a lot but the funniest part? You get to see everyone fall off their asses. It’s not just me now. 😀
Paraw Sailing
On our last day, we decided to rent a paraw and go sailing to catch the sunset. The experience was surreal and bumpy. I never realized that paraw sailing has a bit of stress into it. If you want to try this, be prepared to be splashed by big waves right on your face. And if you are lucky, you might find yourself being thrown off the boat. Don’t worry; they provide life vests. 😀
When we reached the middle of the sea, the boatmen lowered the anchor and let us marvel and take in the beauty of the sunset. It was amazing! That was the perfect time to open the ice box that we brought aboard and pass bottles of ice-cold beers to everyone.
We also tried Fly Fishing. Not the actual fishing method but the ACV ride. This amphibious air-cushion vehicle is pulled by a speedboat and actually looks like 3 banana boats put together. It was exciting especially when we go very fast, crash against the waves, and are lifted vertically in the air. I really had fun but not with the aftermath. It gave me a serious whiplash after. Also, nobody bothered to bring an underwater camera so we weren’t able to get a video or any pictures. Boo!
And oh, if ever you plan to take on the night scene, bar hopping and drinking like kids, don’t forget to put on your swim wears under your outfits. There’s nothing more refreshing and liberating (and sobering) than taking your cover-ups off and running to the beach for a night swim.
So there goes my sweet Bora reminiscing. I really miss the beach and the sand and the sun and the fun. I know that the next summer’s a long way so for now, I will just enjoy what the cold season has to offer. 🙂
Our Boracay vacation last July has been the ultimate beach bumming activity that I had in a long time. Having buffet breakfast by the cabanas, enjoying the early morning and afternoon sun, reading novels by the beachfront, and waking up at your own leisure without worrying about the day’s itinerary was great! We just simply went through our vacation days appreciating the great beach and sand, and enjoying each other’s company over card games, good food, beers, and cocktails.
Speaking of cocktails we immensely enjoyed Loco Frio. They offer frozen cocktails to go and it comes with these adorable insulated tumblers. You can buy a refill at a much cheaper prize if you already have a tumbler so it’s really cool. Totally perfect for the hot, beach weather.
As for the food, we ALL fell in love with Sur Burger. It was one of the biggest and tastiest burger I have ever tasted. Not exaggerating! This is a Boracay must-try. Some other dishes that I love is the baby back ribs from Hawaiian Bar-B-Que and the lechon kawali from Jonah’s. If you’ve got money to spare, is willing to wait for a table, and willing to wait to be served of sumptuous ribs, then go to HBBQ. But if you’re on a tight budget, Jonah’s Kawali is not too bad. One serving (PHP 300) is good enough for three. It was also my first time to have a go at the infamous lobster. We went over to the wet market in D*Talipapa, get ourselves some live lobsters, and have them cooked in one of the restaurants along the area. It was served to us in spicy coconut sauce and it was delicious!
We were blessed with a very nice weather during our 5-day stay (considering that it’s already the rainy season here in the Philippines). It was perfect for walking along the sandy shores, taking pictures, and just breathing in the beauty of the place. I have to thank Christian for some of these gorgeous shots.
But being the adventure freaks  that we are, it was not exactly ‘all bum, no play’. We did have fun trying out the club scene (a little), going skimboarding, driving ATVs to reach the highest point of the island, fly-fishing, and paraw sailing.  I’ll tell you all about them next time. 😉
kirsteneBV 