Back to D’Mall, Rode to Balabag & Puka Beach for More Photo Opportunities

Aloha Everyone,

Two main stops were Balabag Beach locally known as the windsurfing spot and Puka Shell Beach which locals claim you can find Puka shells. In tourism, stories are modified and enhanced as we’ve seen this happening all over the world. There are only two known locations for this shell, one of which is Niihau in Hawaii.

Met Rudy, a Licensed Boracay tour guide. Very enterprising and whatever J.J. said, he countered with his own proposals. Rather than repeating what the two of us did on Wednesday, we took on Rudy’s offers. We told him I don’t like TukTuk, he said that he and his wife own a type that are better designed with suspensions whereas most only have rudimentary springs.

It seemed true. Better ride although J.J. had to squeeze his body and brush his head on the roof when getting in and out of the TukTuk.

Rudy kept on introducing Puka shells and t-shirts stores owned by his “cousins”. I purchased one T-shirt. 

Lunch was at a small seafood restaurant. J.J. ordered 8 pcs of large size live shrimps, fresh Pampano, a cup of rice, plus 2 cans of Sprite for the two of us. Rudy and the proprietor as well as the cook kept on asking, “Are you sure that’s enough for you?” I ate 3 shrimps which J.J. peeled for me, a bit of fish and some rice. That left me sufficient space for us to enjoy “Ube Mama” dessert.

Last night we made dinner reservations. We wanted to have Seafood Paella for the two of us to share. Table we asked by the pool was reserved. Then things didn’t go quite so well. The seating hostess said it would take at least 40 minutes to prepare the dish.

We had to climb 3 sets of stairs last night due to the one and only elevator was stuck. The way engineers and housekeeping staff were running around was, I commented, you think there’s some person stuck inside. No one said anything further but yes there was one or more passengers stuck inside the elevator.

Today we received a message that due to ongoing repairs, we’re prohibited from using the elevator. Instead, after 7:00 pm, we have to use the stairs.

The Seafood Paella was okay. 4 out of 10. What they charge here is MÖVENPICK price. Amount of ingredients doesn’t seem to justify the quality. J.J. and I both feel having Rudy pushing his services onto us work out well. 

Tomorrow our departure time to take the hotel shuttle is at 9:20 am. Thereafter, we will be boarding a speed boat and another van to Caticlan Airport and then fly back to Manila.

Aloha -- Cathi

Boracay, Day 2

Aloha Everyone,

MÖVENPICK promotes its property as RESORT & SPA BORACAY. Of 250 plus accommodations, this property is among the top 10. There are a few European and American hotels whose prices are 3-4 times more for a comparable size room. Our room is inclusive of buffet breakfast. It’s a novelty for many visitors to sit at a dining table with ocean or pool views.

Trying to find a healthy and safe food, I had 2 hard boiled eggs and porridge. J.J.’s plates were more interesting.

There’s no avoiding riding TukTuk. Crudely fashioned, the seats have little padding and since there’s no suspension to absorb bumps on the road.  Add to that bad driving. Seatbelts, no such things. You have to cling onto a metal rod behind the driver for your dear life.

We met Davey, one of JJ’s friends from the expat forum. Lively conversation of his personal life experiences and how he eventually found himself in Boracay. We agreed that life is short and enjoy life where every day is relaxing. Looking at fabulously beautiful sea with our feet on sand, Davey said you can find similar places in the world but here in Boracay, it was still affordable to purchase a flat. He purchased his 4 years ago. 

The two of us had enough TukTuk rides for the day. I took a hot shower then we dined at the Italian restaurant. We were both starving, so we found Seafoods Pasta satisfying. Looking for something sweet, J.J. and I stopped by to purchase chocolate chip cookie at the deli for dessert.

Aloha -- Cathi

Safely Arrived in Boracay

Aloha Everyone,

Beautiful beaches but over developed with shantytowns being squeezed out by hotels and resorts.

To get to Boracay, we first had to fly an old AirBus. We then had to take the hotel shuttle to a rendezvous point owned by the hotel. This was followed by a speedboat ride to take us to the Boracay Island, followed by another ride to the hotel.

It was a long journey. We had a hot dinner at one of the restaurants on premise, took a nice shower and went to bed early.

Aloha -- Cathi

Packing Day for Our Mini Vacation to Boracay

Aloha Everyone,

J.J. and I went to Boracay when it was just a sleepy Hippie colony. We are returning after 40 years. Conflicting reports from friends and family about the transformation of Boracay are sufficiently maintaining our curiosity.

Spoke with our sons this morning. Jeff was just a toddler, and we promised everyone to expect photos or at least our impressions of the island.

There are over 200 hotels listed for this tiny island. J.J. says that some have only one or two rooms. Our hotel booking is for 4 days/4 nights at one of the larger resorts.

We are taking a Philippine Airlines domestic flight. Our late booking means the two of us will have to experience economy class seats for one hour. The airline is recommending arriving at the airport 3 hours before departure. 

I am sure we will have so many adventures and fresh memories.

Aloha -- Cathi

Prince Garden Restaurant in the Makati Greenbelt 5

Aloha Everyone,

Yudoufu, a Japanese bean curd dish prepared using a Chinese recipe, was healthy and delicious. J.J. ordered a few other items for himself, but I was happy with just the Yudoufu.

We stood up with three plates still unfinished. Our server brought 3 containers to take away. J.J. told her that we are finished and not interested in taking the leftovers. She was surprised.

Most other patrons had their leftovers packed. One large group was seated nearby. Instructions given to their server was to pack everything up. The woman who was paying specifically told the server to be sure to pack up everything including sauces and the vegetables that were placed at the bottom of each bamboo steamer. Then she said, “Don’t forget to gather all the rice and put them in a new container."

Finished our two loads of laundry using our room’s washer/dryer which took about a total of 4 hours. 

Our dinner was at Fely-J’s. Not a good idea to have sour soup dish after 4:00 pm.

Aloha -- Cathi