Day 3. As the sun sets languidly behind the calm ocean waves, coloring the sky hazy shades of baby pink and pastel blue cotton candy, I think to myself, "This is how I want to remember Boracay."
But let's backtrack a bit.
For spring break this past semester I spent six days in the Philippines with a handful of good friends. Four of those days took place in beautiful Boracay, courtesy of a friend whose family owns a vacation home nestled comfortably atop one of the island's lush hills. I was spoiled by a breathtaking view of the beach below, framed by deep blue skies and tropical greenery. Not to mention that the view comes with a mini infinity pool.
Our first day in Boracay was spent lazing around the house, soaking in the fresh Boracay air (such a contrast to the Shanghai pollution that we were in before). I can't quite explain just how freeing it felt to forget about work and recline on one of the poolside chairs with legs outstretched, hands crossed over my stomach, and a cold beer within arms' length.
Before we knew it, the sun was setting on our first day, and we had done absolutely nothing but eat, drink, and lie down. Not that I was complaining. The cooks that work at my friend's house served us excellent food. Plus there was always a surplus of fresh fruit, particularly the sweet, juicy mangoes for which the Philippines is famous.
We did, however, manage to venture out post-sunset to catch a fire-dancing show on the beach. Good vibes all around with some hookah, mojitos, and sizzling sisig. Good thing I wore a dress that night because I ate more (and smoked more) than I should've.
The second day on the island was a lot more eventful, mainly because we actually left the house. Snorkeling in the turquoise waters, swimming in the ocean, browsing beachside shops, walking along the mossy shore... Typical beach fare.
There's such a tranquility to the relative stillness of Boracay's clear, turquoise waters. From my vantage point on a stone ledge jutting out of one of the island's hillside resorts, I marveled at the beauty of the island's landscape. A few small boats bobbed atop the surface of the ocean nearby the resort, and even further in the distance I could make out the larger vessels carrying tourists around the more populated parts of the island.
If possible, the second coming of dusk was even more beautiful than the first. For some reason the sky took on an eerie sort of haze that muted the normal vividness of the sunset. But I noticed this evening's sunset painted redder hues across the sky: brilliant vermillion contrasting with the darkening blue-gray of the ocean.
Paired with a glass of merlot, this was an excellent end to the day.
Our last full day in Boracay is probably my favorite day. We drove ATV's and buggies up to the island's highest peak, Mount Luho, where we were able to capture a beautiful view of nearly the entire island. Winds were strong, but the picturesque scenery was worth it. We got lucky that we got there before a wave of tourists followed our lead up the peak.
And here I'll end with a pseudo-artsy photo of the route going up to Mount Luho. Suffice to say, I fell in love with Boracay, and I wish that I'd had more time to spend there. There were so many things my friends and I still wanted to do: fly-fishing, parasailing, paddleboarding...
I can't wait until the next time I can go back (and hopefully my camera doesn't break again).
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