Para para paradise

That definitely played in my head as I walked out of our hotel room and was greeted by the beauty of Boracay at 6:30AM. Who wakes up that early at the beach? Well, my folks, auntie and Kuya Caloy did so I had no choice but to roll out of bed as well.

Good morning, Boracay!

After availing our free breakfast, Daddy, Kuya Caloy and I set off to walk around the beach. I've been to Boracay multiple times* (around 20 I guess?) but it's beauty never fails to put me in awe each and every time. It may not be as beautiful as ever but it's still breathtaking nevertheless. Definitely instagram-worthy! And you won't even need to apply a filter to make it dramatic.

I took off my flip-flops and walked barefoot by the shore. Ahh~ the familiar fine sand felt great on my bare feet. I sure missed this! I've been to a lot of beaches but nothing compares to Boracay's fine white sand that remains cool even in the sweltering heat of the Philippine weather. These are the moments that make me extra thankful for God's amazing creations.

We walked on the beach front from Station 1 to Station 3. Then walked on the commercial side from Station 3 back to Station 1. If I did this as my daily exercise, I wouldn't mind sweating so much.

Speaking of sweating, we saw children in PE uniforms playing by the beach. Pretty odd, right? I thought they were cutting classes but since there were too many of them, that's kind of impossible so we asked one of them what they're doing at the beach at 7AM. It turns out, they were playing beach volleyball and beach soccer for their PE class. Antaray! Imagine having your PE class by the beach. At Boracay Station 1 pa ha! If that was the case, I wouldn't have to go to the library or join the varsity team just to skip PE. I'm so jelly!!

Crystal clear waters.

I went straight to the water as soon as we got back to our hotel's beach front. Ohmygod the water was as clear and as refreshing as I remember! I've always loved Boracay because of it's beach that's perfect for swimming. The water's so calm, you'd think you're in a huge swimming pool. It's kind of sad though how some tourists are after Boracay's night life now rather than the beautiful beach. I would never get that.

Boats for island hopping lined the beach of Station 1.

The weather was perfect. It wasn't too hot or too gloomy. Before we know it, we've been in the water for over 3 hours! We started swimming before 8AM and was shocked when we learned from one of the boatmen it was already 10:30AM! Great. I didn't even put on sunblock. But the weather was so nice, we couldn't pass it up. We stayed in the water until it started raining a little past 11.

After washing ourselves off, I went with daddy back to D'Mall to buy him new flip-flops because his Havs gave out after our morning walk. The funny thing is, he didn't even wear it while walking! He only wore it upon arriving at the hotel then one of the straps broke. Haha

The only souvenir I got from Boracay.

On our way to D'Mall, we passed by Starbucks again and I decided to give in to my shopping urges. I bought a Boracay tumbler just because it's unusual. How often do you see a Starbucks Tumbler made after an island (or a famous beach) and not a capital city? I couldn't help but order an Iced Chai Tea Latte for myself when the friendly barista asked if I've tried the blended version. Of course, I haven't because I'm not a fan of frappes but curiosity got the best of me and he managed to convince me to try it. Boy, I'm glad I did. It was delish! Aside from the guilt the whipped cream brings, it was satisfying. Oh and if you're wondering, daddy was barefoot the whole time! This is probably the only Starbucks in the country where you can go in without a shirt nor shoes but still get service. You don't even have to be sexy and know it. :p

After buying daddy some cheap flip-flops, we went looking for the famous Jonah's Fruit Shake stand. We didn't find it though so we just went straight to the hotel for lunch. I ordered choco banana shake while all of them ordered sodas. Ahh~ it's definitely as good as I remember. Since the food was taking a while, dad asked me to buy fries from Potato Corner. I ordered Cheese & Chilli BBQ Giga  fries and we finished the bucket even before the food arrived.

We were stuffed by the end of lunch, we were so ready to go home. This is my most relaxing trip to Boracay to date. No island hopping, snorkeling, banana boat, nor partying. No touristy activity whatsoever, just plain swimming and relaxation by the beach.**

Boracay was my first love and will always be my favorite. Sure, it has become crowded and commercialized over the years. But still, nothing compares to its sky, sand and sea. I just wish more people realize this and feel the need to preserve its beauty. It doesn't matter how many times you've been here, you'll definitely keep on coming back.

Fun fact: Never in my whole life have I paid for the tourist rate nor environmental fee because I know enough Aklanon to get me through the check points and prove my residency. :)

Travel dates: September 7 - 8, 2012
Accommodation: Royal Park Hotel (We got the room good for 4 persons for only Php 3.5k/night thanks to daddy's amazing PR skills. With free breakfast and no additional person charge even though there were five of us.)
Photo credits: Autumn - my trusty iPod touch so pardon the low resolution.

*My first trip to Boracay was when I was 4 years old, even before tourists started calling it Bora for short. Since then, our family has been going almost every year. Lucky that my parents have Aklan as their hometown so a trip to Boracay is just like visiting relatives. Only it's more fun, of course.

**Take note that we went to Boracay after my Lola Melba's interment. We definitely needed time to unwind and relax. The last time I was here was after Lolo Ricoy's burial. I hope this doesn't become family tradition or something.