Saturday, January 20, 2007 Paradise Island By Charlene Go LaMyerda
I ENDED 2006 by traveling to China, and I figured I might as well start 2007 by traveling as well. After that long, stressful trip to Nanning, only one place came to mind as I was trying to decide where to escape… where else, but the magnificent paradise island of Boracay.
All throughout the year, both local and foreign tourists from around the world head to the beautiful sugar-fine white sand beaches of Boracay island. For Filipino visitors, this island is well-known as party central–the place where you can hit two birds with one stone, that is: to bake in the sun and have an amazing tan and enjoy happy hour all day long!
Since the Sinulog festival is upon us, I figured I had to take my vacation from the busy city life now, before it was too late.
Luckily, I always make it in good time! I came just in time for the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival. My best-friend Lesley Palacios and I were welcomed by a long line of bands and locals parading by the seashore for the festival.
For the celebration, resorts and different establishments made sure they showed their best as peak season had just started in Bora. We stayed at the Seawind Resort located at Station 1, which is known to be one of the best resorts on the island, ranking close to a 5-star resort with 52 air-conditioned rooms and all the facilities that you can find in the comfort of your own home. I’ve been to Bora many times before, but staying at Seawind made me fall in love with the place even more. Hosts of Seawind Resort Boy and Ruth Jarantilla were most hospitable as we indulged in their dinner buffets under the stars, right on the beach while students from their local school entertained us with Philippine cultural dances.
Nightlife in Boracay has always been a highlight. I’ve been well-acquainted with the party spots like Hey Jude!, Cocomangas, Pier 1, Club Paraw, and Summer Place to name a few, but friends from out of town had mentioned that they wanted to go to a place called The Hobbit House located at D’Mall in Station 2. I wondered what the come-on of the place would be, but the name actually speaks for itself—food and drinks were served by men and women who measured no taller than my waistline.
Friends from out of the country found it amusing; I, on the other hand, felt a little embarrassed, not because I was having a drink at the establishment, but because I felt quite sad that these midgets are being used as objects of entertainment. They didn’t have to do anything to be the highlight of the resto-bar, they just walked around doing their duties, while people watched their every move. Exploitation is what I would call it, yet they seemed happy to simply be employed.
Nevertheless, every time I come back to this paradise island is a new experience. Some things you wish you can just take along with you, but all you’ll get to bring home is a great tan and a camera full of memories. And like we Bora-holics always say: “What happens in Boracay, stays in Boracay.”
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