Island Adventure

Who would have thought that one of life’s greatest moments could be summed up in one flash of a shutter? It was in this moment that my husband and I fell in love with a new way of life. We never would have thought that in this moment our lives would change, and a grand new adventure would begin.

Our first visit to the Philippines was Jan 2015. We have a Filipino friend who was “going home” for a visit and we had been saying for many years, the next time you go we want to go with you. We purchased our tickets, checked and updated appropriate vaccinations, looked at countless photos and articles of the Philippines. We were all set to spend almost three weeks on the other side of the planet.

We set off traveling from Spokane to Seattle on Alaska airlines, Seattle to Seoul on Korean Air (by far our favorite airline thus far), then Seoul to Manila. Little did we know what was in store for us for the 12 HOUR flight to South Korea. However, Korean Air does a great job at trying to make it pleasurable. They are very attentive, serving food from an airplane that you actually enjoy eating. Snacks. Drinks,; why yes, I would love a glass of complimentary red wine to go with my dinner; more snacks, more drinks and another meal. We felt like a banquet had been prepared for us.

Upon our arrival our friend had arranged for a driver and his daughter to pick us up and take us to a hotel for the night and fetch us the next morning to take us back to the airport for a flight to an island close by to where we would be staying. We were tired, jet lagged and ready to be horizontal after 27 hours of travel starting from the time we left our home. A fluffy comforter and a clean bed in an air conditioned room was waiting for us and we thought we were in heaven. Hot showers and a good nights’ sleep soon to follow.

Our flight the next day wasn’t until late morning, so we decided since we were awake at 6am it was time for a shower and then some breakfast. On our way through the lobby for breakfast, I noticed a brochure on the front desk for a massage. We took a moment to stop and inquire about their massage services. Come to find out all we have to do is schedule an appointment and like magic a pair of massage therapists show up at our room an hour later. A one-hour massage in our room was only P1200 (roughly $22). We were set for the day!!

Back to the airport we went, showered, fed and massaged, how could anything go wrong? Checking in at the Manila airport was a new experience for us. In Manila to even get INSIDE the building to get to a ticket counter one MUST present one’s ticket/itinerary/voucher for a flight departing that day. We try to be as green as possible when flying so I usually pull up an email or mobile boarding pass on my phone at check in. Standing there outside the terminal trying to get my phone to work in a country that I have not gotten cell service or data for, I quickly learn that traveling in the Philippines is not as I/we are accustomed to. Thankfully I was finally able to find a screen shot of our tickets and we were ready to go. Checked in and heading to our gate we begin to realize that Krispy Kreme is quite popular here. People were running around with boxes filled with DOZENS of these fresh warm bites of deliciousness to carry home to their loved ones.

As we arrive at our gate we are notified that there is a delay to our flight, by only an hour. There is a basketball game playing on the big screen, so it seems to be not a big deal. There are restaurants close by so lunch is available. Learning what this new culture has for “fast food” is going to be yet another new adventure. Finally, the call comes to start boarding, load up the small double prop plane that we here in the states call a puddle jumper. Begin to taxi away from the gate, roll out onto the tarmac and…WAIT!!!

Apparently, commuter flights do not take priority for their regularly scheduled times, and you sit and wait for the next window which happens to be an hour later. This is turning into a long day for not going very far. Finally, our wheels begin to roll and off we go into the wild blue yonder, 4 hours past our scheduled flight time. The airport that we are heading to Kalibo, unbeknownst to us, is almost 2 hours by taxi from where we are staying the night.

We land just before 6pm, meet our friend, jump in the taxi and off we go heading for Caticlan. Once in Caticlan you buy a ticket for a water taxi to Boracay, plus your terminal fee and another tax. Each fee has its own window that you purchase from, and you slowly work your way down the line before heading around back to catch your taxi, otherwise known as a pump boat. It is a beautiful evening; the air is clear and the waters calm. The 15-minute ride over is remarkable with the light sparkling on the water.

Once on shore we quickly learn the meaning of public transportation, a trike. A motorcycle with a covered side car which can hold 2-3 Americans or 5-7 Filipinos. Yes, that is 2 American men stuffed into one tiny trike. It is a short 10-minute ride over the hill into the heart of Boracay. We are staying the night in Station 2. This small island is well known throughout all the Philippines as the vacation spot. It is small but hosts’ some of the most beautiful powder white sand beaches in the country. It is also quite helpful that it is almost in the geographical center of the country. Once you drop over the hill you descend into a thriving metropolis. Tall buildings, busy streets, crowds and live music fill the open air venues. The hotels on the beach front are only accessible by foot. The trike pulls over, a local young man, Jerome, is there to greet us and escort us to our hotel for the night.

As we weave our way through what seems to be alley ways, you begin to notice that the buildings are stacked up against each other. It’s hard to tell where one business begins and the other ends. We are so exhausted at this point, still feeling a bit jet lagged, I just want a shower and a bed. My senses are over stimulated, and I just want to close my eyes. Yet, there is a buzz in the air of others on their holiday, drinking, laughing and dancing draws me to want to experience more.

…To Be Continued

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