Just back from Boracay Island so famous for its White beach. MrD took me there the first time about 10 years ago. I always try to visit Boracay while I am home in the Philippines. MrD could not make it this trip because he had to return to Vancouver. He is not a big beach fan anyway so I often go alone.
Normally I fly to the local airport of Katiclan. Then its a short ride to the ferry and the 15 minute float to the island docks. This time I chose the second option and landed farther away at Kalibo. A pleasant hotel contact person met me and helped transfer other arriving guests and myself to a waiting bus. The ride form Kalibo took almost 2 hours. Rice fields, banana plants and coconut trees are what you see mostly. A couple of small towns with their school, church and funeral parlor seemed to be the way things were mostly. I noticed the Mormon churches were the wealthiest looking ones but in this country dominated by the catholic church you have to show some pomp to get the poor converts inside to milk their pockets.
I love rice fields. Patchwork quilts of green in several vibrant shades. Rice, at least here in the Philippines is not grown in one large swoop but in small plots all joined together in one big area and separated by tiny raised foot paths that also serve as walls so the farmers can flood the plot needed to grow the rice. The tiny patches of slender seedlings are planted at different times. As they grow the green changes colour. A feast for the eye. In this area the seedlings are still planted by hand in the prepared mud. We saw many farmers planting. Other tiny plots of rice looked ready to harvest. A lot of unhusked but harvested rice was drying in a flat layer spread out onto plastic sheeting right alongside the roads. Looked to me like a slow labour intensive job. Nothing this trophy H has much patience with at all.
The bus took us up and over the coastal hills to the port. After a bit of a snag with their hotel boat not starting we were transferred to a general island ferry. There are two kinds of island ferries. The cheaper open decked ones and the closed air conditioned ones. I prefer the open ones but our hotel contacts put us on the more expensive air conditioned. These faster boats are closed in with fancy ugly drapes to keep the sun out. There is always a television blaring some action film. You are across and docked in 15 minutes. Still another ride in the hotel van and finally you are checked in and sitting by the pool with your welcome drink in hand.
Not bad for a morning's work.
Four days and three nights in paradise complete with a full moon casting its magic and poof the holiday was over. Back in the van. Back on the boat. Back on the bus. Up and over the hills. Through the rice fields. Past the churches, funeral homes and schools to the airport for the 45 minute hop back to Manila and the real world.
I won't go into detail about how lovely the time on Boracay was or what I got up to because by now if you have read any of my other entries you know I am not one to gloat. Much.
Now its just a matter of tying up loose ends at home and the office before heading back to Vancouver. MrD informs me it is quite cold at home there but sunny. Oh Yippee.
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