Boracay, The Philippines: Paradise on Earth

“From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free. Buoyed by water, he can fly in any direction-up, down, sideways-by merely flipping his hand. Under water, man becomes an archangel”

I am unsure whether or not explorer Jacques Cousteau ever visited the Philippines, but I’m confident that he would find his own words to be most fitting in the crystal blue waters of Boracay. Yellow strings of light dance rhythmically on the soft, sandy bottom of transparent shallows that stretch a hundred yards before descending to unspoiled turquoise depths. When the sea is three fathoms deep you can dive head down, slowly exhaling until you touch the tan bottom. Eyes open it is possible to see 30 feet in every direction. Here I glide along the sand like a predator, picking out the treading movement of Rachael, distant through the blue veil. When my quarry is swimming directly over head I kick off the bottom and break to the surface like a torpedo. For hours we dive and play in the swimming pool-like waters, the cool sensation and magic scenery as tantalizing as it is irresistible. Of course there are countless images that can be conjured to praise the illustrious palm trees, gentle bamboo construction, and even the wonderful Filipinos themselves, but let’s not kid ourselves…if you’re in Boracay, it’s because of these perfect blue waters.

I must have taken 100 pictures of the coastline alone. Everyday as the tides shift it becomes a little different than the day before yet remains equally breathtaking. One of the most memorable moments of my life was spent sitting at a little plastic table on the beach, a Long Island the size of a car battery in hand, watching a sunset like no other. Heavy, scattered contingents of billowing clouds retreated over the horizon. Behind them the sky was on fire in every in every shade of yellow, orange, and red as if a massive battle was just coming to a close and the survivors were limping away to lick their wounds.

Speaking of battle, while on the island Rachael and I managed to attend an authentic Filipino Cockfight. For those of you who have never heard of this particular sport it essentially consists of taping razor blades to the feet of roosters and letting them fight to the death. I found it exhilarating. The screams of the crowd, the betting, the determined jabs and thrusts of the roosters. There are those who argue that such a sport is inhumane but consider this; all livestock are eventually led to the slaughter whether they like it or not. At least the fighting cocks, by honorable combat, are given the opportunity to determine their own fate in the arena. I do have to hand it to Rachael for accompanying me to such an event, as blood and gore are not really her forte. Surprisingly she remained complacent the entire time as if she simply switched off her senses. What a trooper!

There are many cool activities to try on Boracay, from sailing and Jet-skis to Kite-surfing and ATV rides. On one particular day Rachael and I joined a small group of foreigners for a day of snorkeling and island hopping. Aside from unparalleled interactions with marine-life we also enjoyed a buffet of native cuisine, laughing at the antics of local children, fabulous picture taking, and an all-day voyage on one of the island’s many slender out-rigger boats (the design of which I am convinced is to enable operation in shallow waters).




Also, though not an officially sponsored event, we did manage to do some amateur spelunking for which I captured some mediocre video.

As I am continually fascinated with machines and gadgets of all varieties it is impossible for me not to comment at least briefly on Boracay’s primary means of conveyance, the trike. Consisting of a large chariot bolted to the side of a small motorcycle, the trike pushes the limits of a 125cc motor by carrying, at times, six adults around the island. On hills that little engine absolutely screams. (Youtube disabled the audio for my Trike video because it uses a song by Deep Purple, but it's just as cool on the Blogger player below).

Our dwellings on the island were superb. We rented a large, bamboo hut at a highly recommended hostel called Frendz for about $20/day. The fenced compound lying under a canopy of palms and wild flora had eight large buildings, a tiny bar, and was only a five-minute walk from either of the two beaches. The Australian owner, Steve, goes out of his way to make sure that you are enjoying yourself. If you ever find yourself in Boracay I insist you try this secluded island retreat. You won’t be disappointed.

There are many other awesome things about Boracay that I would love to ramble on about (namely the restaurant scene and nightlife) but this is a humble blog entry, not Frommer’s Travel Guide. Please enjoy the pictures and videos. This week Rachael and I take on Korea.

Cool Thing About Boracay: This bar we passed that had a pet crab on a leash.