Boracay! Surprisingly not overrated! A fellow volunteer J. and I went there for 3 days, at the end of her volunteering stay and in between my two placements. The beach is white, the sand is super fine, the water is incredibly turquoise, the people are friendly, the food is tasty, the sunsets are breath-taking, the happy hours are long, and the evenings are warm.
Day one: I'm happy to announce that I finally got to try my luck skim-boarding!! It was loads of fun and I think that I faired quite well for my first try. I look forward to trying it out at Tanauan beach after my placement some afternoon and again once I get back to Vancouver at Wreck beach. For supper: amazing Indian food savored while reclining on huge lush floor cushions.
Day two: I got to go snorkeling! We went on a 'fun tour' -- a day spent abroad a boat going around the island. We stopped twice for snorkeling (once I got to feed the fish, they pull really hard!), once for a buffet lunch (yum!), and twice more on beaches. This was also a great way to meet other travelers. We started the evening in a bar with live acoustic guitar with a bunch of people met on the tour. (J. and A. joined in the music for a couple of songs!) Then we went to Jungle Bar for the full-moon party -- a club on the beach where I got to dance with my feet in the ocean...
Day three: A long walk down the beach led J. and I to Arista Café. Our reward: a mango-split and an amazing view! We also went on a sunset sail with some of our new friends. It was probably the first time I was on a moving vehicle in the Philippines without an incessant drone in the background! The wind was strong and steady, the sun was huge, the clouds were beautiful. For supper: all-you-can-eat buffet!
Airport hell: Sunday started out really well. I had a good breakfast, we caught a tricycle, ferry, and mini-van without a hitch and reached Kalibo airport. Once inside the unpleasantness started. We waited in the chaotic lines for an hour, without moving. There was nobody checking people in and all the Zest Air staff looked frazzled and confused. We finally found out that the flights were delayed due to overbooking (we think) and so instead of flying out at 1pm we got put on a plane scheduled to leave at 3pm (after some firm talking on our part). However, they overbooked this flight as well and so we were stuck on the tarmac for 45mins while they sorted out that problem (they also gave us free sprites and fried rice from a local fast food branch Chow-King). Therefore, we didn't arrive in Manila until 5pm -- so I effectively missed my connecting flight that left at 4:35pm. The only other flight to Tacloban on the same night was at 7pm but since I was the only passenger on it, that flight was also cancelled. The next available departure was 4:20am the next morning... which I had to pay for! According to Zest Air policy, if I book a flight within 24hours of my scheduled arrival time and miss my connection they are not liable!?! Needless to say that I was less than thrilled to have to spend the night in Manila airport...
omg so jealous you'd have better had a drink for me love, else i'll haunt you foreva
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