Travel: Philippines - Crowded Beach

A friend was under the impression that Boracay is a deserted beach, when in fact it's totally the opposite. Hopefully, this gives a sense of how crowded it was at 9am on a weekday when a storm had just passed!

On an unrelated note, I'm bogged down doing taxes this week, so I'll have to go for now. See you tomorrow!

Travel: Philippines - Boat in Boracay

I wish we had had sunny skies instead of the stormy ones we got in Boracay (a storm actually did hit us while we were there). Although we were there during peak season, I was surprised all the boats were still out every day as well as the people on the beaches. I kind of liked the deserted beach feel (which appears in all the brochures and travel agency ads anyway). I can only imagine how packed the beach must be when the weather is fantastic.

Travel: Philippines - Window Seat

I figured since I took so many cloud pictures from the ground before I flew, that I'd take some while I was up there. ;)

I normally get the window seat on planes, but I think it's different when you're flying at 27,000 ft. It was amazing seeing the numerous fish farms and rice fields below as we flew from Clark to Kalibo. I also appreciated how there were so many islands in the Philippines. I remember glancing over at my entourage a few times and seeing how their faces were practically glued to their windows since it was their first time on a plane (for some). lol. I'm sure it's an experience they'll never forget. :D

Travel: Philippines - Airplane to Boracay

For my trip to Boracay, my entourage and I chose Airphil Express which serviced Clark to Kalibo. It was the only flight available on very, very short notice that could accommodate all of us on the same flight (I was flying with people who had never flown before in their entire lives).

It was cool. We actually got to walk on the tarmac, and took our sweet time photographing every inch to the plane. I'd never seen rear boarding before too.

What was particularly nice was that after take off, all five of us separated from our single aisle seat assignment to separate window seats during the remainder of the 50 minute flight.

Great experience for my first-timers.:D

Travel: Philippines - Trash

As stunning as the Philippines may be (especially when going 80 km/h as seen here through a tinted window again ... hehe) it frustrates me how little pride the people there have with regard to preserving the beauty of their country. This is not to say that they are not proud to be Filipino (just ask any Filipino if they love their homeland and their overwhelming enthusiasm will surely dispel any doubts of national pride), but their actions (particularly to littering) frustrate me beyond belief.

Case and Point

As I was returning from the airport to my parents' province, I started gathering all the trash that had accumulated in the car after a pit stop to a local fast food joint. I notified everyone that "I have a garbage/basura bag" to which everyone responded with laughter. Someone finally explained "Remember: you're not in America anymore. You don't need a trash bag; just throw it all out the window."

And that's how we end up with photos like the one above. Nice river, trees, vegetation, etc. but littered with trash. :(

Note: I did not end up throwing our trash out the window. I waited until we got home and disposed of it there. Disposing of trash there meant of course putting it into a pile where it is later burned.

Travel: Philippines - Provincial Sky

Quick post for today before I head out: I shot this through a tinted window in a private car that picked me up from the airport in Manila on my way to the province 2 hours out. There's nothing particularly special about it other than it was the first shot I took when I landed. I always think the skies look better when you're out of the smog in the cities but I didn't really capture that essence here. Hopefully, I'll find something better when I'll flip through more pictures tomorrow.

Travel: The Philippines - Boracay 1

Well, I've just spent a little over two weeks in the Philippines again. This time I added a side trip to Boracay with 4 other people. We drove to Clark Airport, flew on a plane, rode in a private van, took a ferry, and lastly used a tricycle (kinda like a motorized pedicab) to get to this beach. And when we got there, it was cloudy and ugly. Thanks to the magic of Photoshop, I got the blue water blue and the white sand brown? Close enough. More pictures to follow this month.