HABAGAT SEASON IN BORACAY
There
are times that long weekends are intended for staying at home, watch downloaded
movies and TV series and sleep inasmuch as you want as a complete rest. But intentions can be made into shattered
pieces when your brother is booking the entire family for a long weekend at
Boracay Island.
Off-peak
season it is, we were booked on a cheap flight to Boracay Island a week before
intended stay. Visiting the island
during these times is not new to me but for most of those times in my party-goer
past, the days were for slumber and nights for partying. No other itinerary.
This
time is quite different.
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| THE LOW TIDE |
Watersports at Bulabog Beach
Bulabog
Beach was our first destination for the day.
The banana boat ride (PhP200.00/head negotiated from PhP300.00) was the
family’s first choice. Lifejackets are
provided as a safety precaution and the ride took 30 minutes.
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| THE BANANA BOAT RIDE |
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| BULABOG BEACH ON MIDDAY |
There
are a lot of tourists flocked by varied tour operators. Offerings are quite a number of watersport
activities to choose from apart from banana boat ranging from fly fish, diving,
glass bottom boat, island hopping and helmet diving (PhP400.00/head). My siblings tried the helmet diving
accompanied by my parents on the boat while I lounge on one of the nearby bars
waiting for them.
For
these watersport activities, expect rates could initially be costly, thus, make
the bargaining skills put into use.
Sail in a Paraw and Kitesurf
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| A DIFFERENT KIND OF LANDSCAPE |
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| THE KITE AMIDST THE WINDMILLS |
One
afternoon made me discover a different landscape of Boracay as I swim in the
waters of Station 1. For the many times
I’ve been to Boracay, I was surprised of the panoramic aligned windmills
composing the mountain landscape on one side.
This is the first time they have come to my senses.
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| THE KITE SURFERS |
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| PARAW SAILING |
The
double outrigger sailboats (Paraw) were
a constant sight as it hurdles over the waves.
As the boat glides over the crystal clear waters of Boracay, visitors of
the island can feel the excitement of wandering while on the waters. The extreme sport of kitesurfing is also best
during the Habagat season as
participants strap their feet onto a surfboard and tie-up one’s body to a
15-foot kite which direction is caused by the movement and strength of the
wind.
These
activities are dependent on wind directions which makes them a popular and constant
sight during the Habagat season.
Snack on Chori Burger and
Milk Shakes of Jonah’s
The
grilled chorizo on a burger bun
(chori burger) is a simple cuisine that every visitor is curious about. They are peddled just everywhere, mostly from
stalls near the beachfront of Station 1 and 2.
During an evening stroll or after a drinking session, they come in
number which at times is my way of recovering hangover.
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| THE SCENE INFRONT OF JONAH'S MILKSHAKES |
Jonah’s
Milkshake is perhaps the most visited refreshment store along the shoreline of
Boracay. Milk shakes come in a variety
of flavors.
Habagat season or not, these two are what they say “you-haven’t- been-to-Boracay-if-you-haven’t-tried”
statements that makes you wondering how special this could be.
Sandcastles
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| THE BUILDER |
The
innovative and skilled local children of Boracay make sandcastles as part of
the beachfront hotels’ façade. Others
are even commissioned by hotels particularly at Station 3 to form part of its
attraction at night where candles are placed for a pleasant view and for the
hopeless romantics to feast and dwell on.
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| THE FINISHED PRODUCT - WELCOME! |
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| THE CRAFT MADE OF SAND |
Most
of these children are studying and donations given by the tourists when one
takes a picture taken with their craft are used for their daily provision. Without necessarily asking for donations, the
loose coins that we have can go a long way.
The Willy’s Rock and the
Bamboo Fence at Station 1
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| BORACAY'S LANDMARK |
The
iconic landmark of Boracay is a volcanic rock formation that sits in the middle
of the beach at Station 1 where concrete stairs leading to a grotto (image of
Virgin Mary) is likewise displayed. High
tide or low tide, this imposing and dominating feature of the seascape of the
island is picturesque, known to all as the Willy’s Rock but whoever Willy is… I
don’t know.
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| BAMBOO FENCE ALONG THE SHORES OF STATION 1 |
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| HABAGAT SEASON FACADE |
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| ON A HIGH TIDE |
Noticeable
also are the bamboo-made fences that aligns the shores of Station 1. My mother said it’s for soil erosion control
purposes. I totally had no idea what
these are for, but functional or pure aesthetics, they serve a purpose I
suppose.
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| WHITE BEACH BORACAY ON A LOW TIDE |
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| THE HAPPY HOUR |
Everything
is relatively cheap in Boracay during Habagat
season. All merchandise are on sale
and even the souvenir items peddled anywhere. While making a stroll at the
White Beach, starting from Station 3 to Station 1 in quite a long walk, usual
souvenir items came in display.
Establishments may have changed but the vibe and the island offerings
remain.
Deck
chairs topped with foam and even a simple mat are manned by masseuses. They come as a package and an inevitable façade
of the White Beach.
The Sunset
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| LEVITATE |
Boracay
Island has the best vantage of a sunset they so declare.
Sailing
a paraw at sunset is one of the most
popular activities in the island. I have
been accustomed to waiting for the sunset as I drink vodka in one of the beach
front hotels at Station 1. This time, we
waited for the perfect sunset that I have been longing for amidst a fiery red
sky where the visible setting of the sun is apparent. But it didn’t happen.
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| THE BLUE HOUR |
The
blue hour and the certain glow of the skies on a sunset despite the gloomy
skies on one Habagat season still
produces a landscape worthy to be immortalized on photos.
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| TO EACH HIS OWN WHILE WAITING FOR THE SUNSET |
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| TOURIST MODE ON A SUNSET |
I
haven’t experienced the so-called pub-crawl.
My friends mostly in the travel circle highly recommended such. I must be missing something on that note. But with a morning flight the following day and
airport still in Kalibo, it becomes impossible for my “one night only” short-lived
Boracay affair.
Participants
of the pub crawl come in groups, all in minion-inspired yellow shirts. I bumped into them all the time when going
back to the hotel but I just can’t at the moment. And this is another “I’ll-get-back-to-you” moment I usually experience when visiting
any place.
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| THE FIRE DANCERS OF BORACAY |
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