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Saturday, July 29, 2006
Batuhan: Finding paradise lost
By Allan S. B. Batuhan
Foreign Exchange
This was truly a holiday I would not easily forget.
Crystal clear pristine waters, scenic views, fantastic food and an overall paradise-like atmosphere were all there to complement the occasion.
Mediterranean-style accommodations and amenities spoiled us at every turn, and the weary days of crisscrossing time zones to get to and from our various places of work seemed like ages far removed from our vacation experience.
Where was this paradise, you may ask? Bahamas perhaps, whose picturesque beaches are iconic reminders of everyone’s dream vacation? Or the Aegean beaches of Rhodes and Bodrum, where Europeans come to worship the sun every summer without fail? Or could it be Pattaya or Phuket in Thailand, or perhaps Bali in Indonesia— current superstars of Southeast Asia’s tourism scene?
No, none of the above really. Boracay was where it all happened for me.
Yes, that stretch of unspoiled sand that was as close to primitive as you could possibly get some years ago, that idyllic place in the sun where time seems to stand still for the enchanted tourist, was where my summer all came together.
I had always managed to miss the attractions of Boracay, until now. For those of us similarly caught up in trying to be in two places at one time, I am sure you can sympathize with the lack of opportunities for someone like myself to take a decent holiday break. Luckily, my wife never gave up on nagging me about it.
So off to Caticlan airport we went on some small plane that as the popular comic yarn explains—you depart as an Asian and arrive as a spirit—on to the short boat ride to the island, and finally a multicab pickup hop to our hotel at the secluded Station 1 part of the beach, and it was like having turned up on the source of Bob Marley’s reggae music inspiration.
I am a Cebuano, and so am quite familiar with five-star holiday destinations. I have also seen some of what neighboring Bohol has to offer. And, of course, having lived in the Mediterranean for a good part of my life, I am no stranger to the Aegean and Mediterranean rivieras.
But Boracay is somehow a place unto its own. Its white powder beach would be difficult to match anywhere. Its crystal clear waters that teem with exact replicas of the star of Walt Disney’s “Finding Nemo” blockbuster would be a challenge for even the best of the Caribbean.
And yet, amid all this splendor, with all the attractions that this island wonder has to offer, little of Boracay is heard outside the country. Not counting hardcore beach worshippers who can rattle off Mediterranean beaches from memory from Cannes to Corfu, the everyday European and North American tourists will be hard pressed to place the island on a map the size of a movie screen.
But why is this the case? How come, with all the hype that surrounds Bali and Phuket, Boracay has managed to stay off the average tourist’s menu of destination choices.
How are we, as a nation desperate for tourism revenue, missing out on such a potential gold mine?
***
Belated happy birthday greetings to my father, the former National Labor Relations Commission commissioner Bernabe S. Batuhan, who will be celebrating the occasion with close relatives and friends at the Marco Polo Hotel tonight.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 29, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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