Bora revival (or, what I did this summer!)
I say revival, because of all the things that my second trip to Bora was, and wasn't.
For the first time, it was a trip enjoyed in the company of cool, kwela friends, and there was certainly room for partying without worrying parents. Second, the weather was just fabulous, considering the days of May were numbered and we were almost expecting the weather to rain (literally) on our parade. Finally, I stand corrected this time around and can say I've hung out at Cocomangas, promptly burying the memory of my once-blissful ignorance when my dad, some three years back, consulting a cousin of mine, said "Kookamungas" (in that pronunciation) was the place to be. Of course, we never found the place.
But anyway, off to wonderful reminiscing of the more recent trip!
THURSDAY, MAY 24. Seair *claims* to give the fastest flights to Bora, so of course nothing prepared us for a whopping delay. We arrived promptly at 8 AM, only to find out that, without prior warning, our initial departure of 9:30 had already been moved an hour later. The clock struck 10:30 but we were again informed that, aside from us going to be moved to an earlier flight (that was likewise delayed), we had to wait an additional 30 minutes as the plane had just taken off from Bora.
We were also told that we were going to be placed on a much, much smaller aircraft--a 20-seater propeller plane that wasn't pressurized. (I didn't bother telling my mom about this, for sure she'd be praning!) Our plane took its time revving up before finally getting off the ground, and for a moment all five of us--me, Birdie, Barbie, Lenny and Andrew--just hoped that the pilot would be extra careful knowing that--yes--Francis Magalona and his family were in the same flight.
From that point onward, everything went smoothly. At Caticlan, we were efficiently transported via banca to the island, and with stronger winds blowing and heavy clouds rolling overhead, we kept hoping that it was going to be a false alarm. A little drizzle came down as we settled into our room at Fat Jimmy's, at D'Mall's end and a bit of a walk from the beachfront. We grabbed a late lunch at Sealovers and had a yummy treat of fried calamari, fries, shrimp thermidore and sinigang.
We took a leisurely barefoot stroll along the shore until we reached part of Station 1, then walked back and sat for a while at Jonah's. I fell in love with their banana peanut shake at first sip!!! I couldn't drain my takeaway to the last drop, though. Next on our itinerary was sailing, and what everyone imagined to be a luxurious cruise turned into a rough ride. We were obviously going to get wet. Our drinks weren't spared. Most of us sipped our bottles halfway before deciding we had enough salty seawater to lick on our lips. At any rate, it was really fun riding on those wild waves. Haha!
Oh, and we caught the AI finale (YES! Jordin won!!!) on TV before heading for dinner. We ate a hefty meal at Hawaiian Barbecue, which served fatty, slide-off-the-bone ribs to rival Tony Roma's. We all definitely had a good night's sleep.
FRIDAY, MAY 25. Island hopping, snorkeling and cave exploring were the first things we did. We rode a boat that departed from the other side of the island. Snorkeling was, bar none, the highlight of the day. Our boat dropped us at an area where the water brimmed with marine life. Armed with pieces of Skyflakes, I had my eyes glued at the sight of colorful fish circling in a swarm around my hands, biting at my fingers! It was just AMAZING. I was immensely enjoying myself when, having ran out of food, one of the fish bit at my tummy! I love fish, so I found that sooo cute. Heehee.
The two underground caves (one of which was Crystal Cave) were cool, but I didn't really enjoy it as much. Am not much of a spelunker I guess!
We were brought back to Puka Beach and had a late lunch of butter-garlic prawns, garlic rice, sinigang, and barbecue chicken at one of the quaint nipa-hut eateries nearby (I notice that the locals love melting good-ol' Star margarine in their fried rice). Back at the main beach, we had another round of Jonah's, reminding ourselves that we could finally sip our shakes in peace. Need I say I had another glass of banana peanut shake? We lounged at the seats fronting the restaurant until the sun dipped into the horizon. For dinner, we only wanted something light to nibble on. Thankfully, Hey Jude had good thin-crust pizza and chicken wings.
Afterwards, we spotted Tessa Dragon at the bar (or I think she was the one who spotted us). I was with L'Oreal people who knew her better, so I just tagged along. I (finally!) got my long-pined-for margarita!!! We hopped off to Juice Bar for more conversation, and after some cajoling from Tessa's boy, every one of us downed a shot of a flaming blow job (Kahlua on fire) at the bar. (Note: it doesn't help that people make it seem harder than it really is.) Seriously, I didn't know what I'd gotten myself into at first, but I'm really glad I decided to go along with it! The drink was really, really smooth. Vodka on fire felt like liquid heat down my throat. I got none of the alcohol aftertaste and every bit of the rush!!!
We all got home that night with a very drunk Andrew laughing all the way to bed.
SATURDAY, MAY 26. I found out that Luz was staying at Discovery Shores playing yaya to one of our visiting international clients. The night before, we agreed to meet up at around 10 in the morning. But when Birdie and I reached the swanky shores of the resort that morning, the concierge informed us that she and the guest had already gone out. I was a bit frustrated because we both walked a good 30 minutes (under the *blazing* sun) to reach the place, but at least we got to see what all the five-star buzz was about. Thirsty and a bit tired, we trudged our way back to Jonah's and ordered a third round of shakes. Obviously couldn't get enough of it! I tried their coffee shake this time, and it was as close to a Starbucks frap as it could get.
We met up with the rest of the gang at Steak House for lunch, where Birdie and I shared a chunk of tenderloin with mashed potatoes. The service was terrible. Our orders came late, and it didn't help that the waitress was--was she playing deaf? And when we did get her attention, she was as disinterested as a cow. So much for local hospitality. As for the food--frankly, I've tasted much better steak in Manila. (At least, the two sticks of isaw I had for a late afternoon snack compensated for that!)
Aside from Luz, I had bumped into Dorzie the other day, too! I was so happy because it was such a coincidence, and I hadn't seen her in ages! She'd been on a business trip but extended an extra day, so she was also flying on Sunday. I texted her the day before that we should meet up for dinner. I suggested Gasthof, which Andrew said had good baby back ribs. It was quite good, but also quite heavy on the tummy!
I didn't think I'd get any drama at a place as idyllic as Bora, but I did. An hour after we went back to our place, I reached for my phone to text my mom, but didn't find the phone in my bag. Confused, I searched the beach tote we'd been carrying earlier. Nothing. Under the pillows, sheets, on the floor. Nothing. I panicked when Birdie tried ringing my phone, because we couldn't hear my phone anywhere. But it WAS ringing. Then the phone was turned off. Someone had gotten hold of my phone--either I could have dropped it along the market earlier or someone had reached into my bag. But apparently, getting in touch with my mom later, whoever had picked it up or stolen it had tried texting my mom, who received two blank messages. Barbie remarked that there could be hope.
I couldn't sleep that night thinking about my phone. I wasn't sure what I was more worried about--the phone, which was a lovely new 6300 whose memory held my precious contacts, or my SIM card, which held the number I've had for years. I must have been awake for two hours, tossing and turning about. I envied everyone else who slept like babies the whole night.
SUNDAY, MAY 27. When I woke early the next day, I momentarily forgot about my phone but it surged in like a painful flashback. Not as worried and already willing to let go of what I'd lost, Birdie tried calling my number again. Surprisingly, it rang, then got turned off again. Barbs had the brilliant idea of texting the thief to tell him/her that I would give a reward in exchange for returning my phone. A few minutes later, the person at the other end replied with a nonchalant, "Wer b u nw?"
That just had to be the best feeling in the world. I felt my blood rush and my energy return.
Time for Operation Retrieval! But Birdie and I thought there was a chance we'd screw it up because of our easily deceivable and kidnap-vulnerable looks (he's Korean, and I'm Japanese, nyahaha), so we asked Barbs (every bit of a Pinay) and Lenny to take charge and meet up with the guy instead. My phone was THANKFULLY recovered an hour later in exchange for a thousand bucks which, according to the guy Barbs got it from, was a good deal since it had supposedly been sold to him for P500. P500!!!!!!
Everything went back to the original 15/10 rating I'd given my Bora trip. With that incident behind us, we went back to the other side of the island, and a speedboat whisked us away to a floating station equipped with jetskiis. Birdie and I shared an UBER fun 30 minutes with Lenny, with whom we alternated on the vehicle. It was every bit of Jet Moto (that PS game that used to be one of my faves) as I imagined!!! I tried my hand at driving, and it was SO DAMN COOOOOOL!!! It left me wishing I could buy my own jetski. Hehehehe. We did parasailing right after. I thought I'd feel queasy, but instead I felt so buoyed up in the air, on top of everything within sight, the wind on my face, and I felt like I did whenever I had dreams of me flying!
We had lunch at Gasthof before packing up and saying a final good-bye to the island. As expected, our flight back to Manila was, again, delayed. But at least it was a bigger plane this time!
It was a perfect vacation. Well, nearly. I got a lot of mosquito bites on my legs! And everything did drain our pockets! But it was worth every cent, and definitely worth going back for.
Oh, and I did get the kind of tan I wanted. Yay!
For the first time, it was a trip enjoyed in the company of cool, kwela friends, and there was certainly room for partying without worrying parents. Second, the weather was just fabulous, considering the days of May were numbered and we were almost expecting the weather to rain (literally) on our parade. Finally, I stand corrected this time around and can say I've hung out at Cocomangas, promptly burying the memory of my once-blissful ignorance when my dad, some three years back, consulting a cousin of mine, said "Kookamungas" (in that pronunciation) was the place to be. Of course, we never found the place.
But anyway, off to wonderful reminiscing of the more recent trip!
THURSDAY, MAY 24. Seair *claims* to give the fastest flights to Bora, so of course nothing prepared us for a whopping delay. We arrived promptly at 8 AM, only to find out that, without prior warning, our initial departure of 9:30 had already been moved an hour later. The clock struck 10:30 but we were again informed that, aside from us going to be moved to an earlier flight (that was likewise delayed), we had to wait an additional 30 minutes as the plane had just taken off from Bora.
We were also told that we were going to be placed on a much, much smaller aircraft--a 20-seater propeller plane that wasn't pressurized. (I didn't bother telling my mom about this, for sure she'd be praning!) Our plane took its time revving up before finally getting off the ground, and for a moment all five of us--me, Birdie, Barbie, Lenny and Andrew--just hoped that the pilot would be extra careful knowing that--yes--Francis Magalona and his family were in the same flight.
From that point onward, everything went smoothly. At Caticlan, we were efficiently transported via banca to the island, and with stronger winds blowing and heavy clouds rolling overhead, we kept hoping that it was going to be a false alarm. A little drizzle came down as we settled into our room at Fat Jimmy's, at D'Mall's end and a bit of a walk from the beachfront. We grabbed a late lunch at Sealovers and had a yummy treat of fried calamari, fries, shrimp thermidore and sinigang.
We took a leisurely barefoot stroll along the shore until we reached part of Station 1, then walked back and sat for a while at Jonah's. I fell in love with their banana peanut shake at first sip!!! I couldn't drain my takeaway to the last drop, though. Next on our itinerary was sailing, and what everyone imagined to be a luxurious cruise turned into a rough ride. We were obviously going to get wet. Our drinks weren't spared. Most of us sipped our bottles halfway before deciding we had enough salty seawater to lick on our lips. At any rate, it was really fun riding on those wild waves. Haha!
Oh, and we caught the AI finale (YES! Jordin won!!!) on TV before heading for dinner. We ate a hefty meal at Hawaiian Barbecue, which served fatty, slide-off-the-bone ribs to rival Tony Roma's. We all definitely had a good night's sleep.
FRIDAY, MAY 25. Island hopping, snorkeling and cave exploring were the first things we did. We rode a boat that departed from the other side of the island. Snorkeling was, bar none, the highlight of the day. Our boat dropped us at an area where the water brimmed with marine life. Armed with pieces of Skyflakes, I had my eyes glued at the sight of colorful fish circling in a swarm around my hands, biting at my fingers! It was just AMAZING. I was immensely enjoying myself when, having ran out of food, one of the fish bit at my tummy! I love fish, so I found that sooo cute. Heehee.
The two underground caves (one of which was Crystal Cave) were cool, but I didn't really enjoy it as much. Am not much of a spelunker I guess!
We were brought back to Puka Beach and had a late lunch of butter-garlic prawns, garlic rice, sinigang, and barbecue chicken at one of the quaint nipa-hut eateries nearby (I notice that the locals love melting good-ol' Star margarine in their fried rice). Back at the main beach, we had another round of Jonah's, reminding ourselves that we could finally sip our shakes in peace. Need I say I had another glass of banana peanut shake? We lounged at the seats fronting the restaurant until the sun dipped into the horizon. For dinner, we only wanted something light to nibble on. Thankfully, Hey Jude had good thin-crust pizza and chicken wings.
Afterwards, we spotted Tessa Dragon at the bar (or I think she was the one who spotted us). I was with L'Oreal people who knew her better, so I just tagged along. I (finally!) got my long-pined-for margarita!!! We hopped off to Juice Bar for more conversation, and after some cajoling from Tessa's boy, every one of us downed a shot of a flaming blow job (Kahlua on fire) at the bar. (Note: it doesn't help that people make it seem harder than it really is.) Seriously, I didn't know what I'd gotten myself into at first, but I'm really glad I decided to go along with it! The drink was really, really smooth. Vodka on fire felt like liquid heat down my throat. I got none of the alcohol aftertaste and every bit of the rush!!!
We all got home that night with a very drunk Andrew laughing all the way to bed.
SATURDAY, MAY 26. I found out that Luz was staying at Discovery Shores playing yaya to one of our visiting international clients. The night before, we agreed to meet up at around 10 in the morning. But when Birdie and I reached the swanky shores of the resort that morning, the concierge informed us that she and the guest had already gone out. I was a bit frustrated because we both walked a good 30 minutes (under the *blazing* sun) to reach the place, but at least we got to see what all the five-star buzz was about. Thirsty and a bit tired, we trudged our way back to Jonah's and ordered a third round of shakes. Obviously couldn't get enough of it! I tried their coffee shake this time, and it was as close to a Starbucks frap as it could get.
We met up with the rest of the gang at Steak House for lunch, where Birdie and I shared a chunk of tenderloin with mashed potatoes. The service was terrible. Our orders came late, and it didn't help that the waitress was--was she playing deaf? And when we did get her attention, she was as disinterested as a cow. So much for local hospitality. As for the food--frankly, I've tasted much better steak in Manila. (At least, the two sticks of isaw I had for a late afternoon snack compensated for that!)
Aside from Luz, I had bumped into Dorzie the other day, too! I was so happy because it was such a coincidence, and I hadn't seen her in ages! She'd been on a business trip but extended an extra day, so she was also flying on Sunday. I texted her the day before that we should meet up for dinner. I suggested Gasthof, which Andrew said had good baby back ribs. It was quite good, but also quite heavy on the tummy!
I didn't think I'd get any drama at a place as idyllic as Bora, but I did. An hour after we went back to our place, I reached for my phone to text my mom, but didn't find the phone in my bag. Confused, I searched the beach tote we'd been carrying earlier. Nothing. Under the pillows, sheets, on the floor. Nothing. I panicked when Birdie tried ringing my phone, because we couldn't hear my phone anywhere. But it WAS ringing. Then the phone was turned off. Someone had gotten hold of my phone--either I could have dropped it along the market earlier or someone had reached into my bag. But apparently, getting in touch with my mom later, whoever had picked it up or stolen it had tried texting my mom, who received two blank messages. Barbie remarked that there could be hope.
I couldn't sleep that night thinking about my phone. I wasn't sure what I was more worried about--the phone, which was a lovely new 6300 whose memory held my precious contacts, or my SIM card, which held the number I've had for years. I must have been awake for two hours, tossing and turning about. I envied everyone else who slept like babies the whole night.
SUNDAY, MAY 27. When I woke early the next day, I momentarily forgot about my phone but it surged in like a painful flashback. Not as worried and already willing to let go of what I'd lost, Birdie tried calling my number again. Surprisingly, it rang, then got turned off again. Barbs had the brilliant idea of texting the thief to tell him/her that I would give a reward in exchange for returning my phone. A few minutes later, the person at the other end replied with a nonchalant, "Wer b u nw?"
That just had to be the best feeling in the world. I felt my blood rush and my energy return.
Time for Operation Retrieval! But Birdie and I thought there was a chance we'd screw it up because of our easily deceivable and kidnap-vulnerable looks (he's Korean, and I'm Japanese, nyahaha), so we asked Barbs (every bit of a Pinay) and Lenny to take charge and meet up with the guy instead. My phone was THANKFULLY recovered an hour later in exchange for a thousand bucks which, according to the guy Barbs got it from, was a good deal since it had supposedly been sold to him for P500. P500!!!!!!
Everything went back to the original 15/10 rating I'd given my Bora trip. With that incident behind us, we went back to the other side of the island, and a speedboat whisked us away to a floating station equipped with jetskiis. Birdie and I shared an UBER fun 30 minutes with Lenny, with whom we alternated on the vehicle. It was every bit of Jet Moto (that PS game that used to be one of my faves) as I imagined!!! I tried my hand at driving, and it was SO DAMN COOOOOOL!!! It left me wishing I could buy my own jetski. Hehehehe. We did parasailing right after. I thought I'd feel queasy, but instead I felt so buoyed up in the air, on top of everything within sight, the wind on my face, and I felt like I did whenever I had dreams of me flying!
We had lunch at Gasthof before packing up and saying a final good-bye to the island. As expected, our flight back to Manila was, again, delayed. But at least it was a bigger plane this time!
It was a perfect vacation. Well, nearly. I got a lot of mosquito bites on my legs! And everything did drain our pockets! But it was worth every cent, and definitely worth going back for.
Oh, and I did get the kind of tan I wanted. Yay!