So ok. We got invited to a Boracay wedding. We went for two reasons. One, our granddaughter, flower girl. That would have been enough reason but then this was going to be our first vacation thanks to the pandemic. So off we went for a four-day spree. It started with my first propeller plane ride. When I saw it I thought to myself will this thing fly? It looked like a pencil.
As we taxied I felt anxious. As soon as the engines gunned I held my breath. I was staring at the blades wondering if they would fall off. But the ride was pleasant and comfortable much to my surprise and relief. The takeoff and even the landing was smooth. Never mind if I could barely hear myself talking.
Let me not bore you with all the usual stuff. Let me just share one experience. An experience I thought looked good on Instagram and various social media posts.
The dreamer in me thought that getting a blanket, spreading it along the shores of the famous strip and basking in the sun would be a great idea. I even dabbed sunscreen and brought along my trusted headphones. The only thing lacking really was a book.
So I got there at about ten in the morning, spread the towel and laid back. I put on the headphones and closed my eyes and tried vainly to act like a fella who was enjoying the sun, sand, beach and music. I did not last ten minutes.
First of all it was too hot. Even if I were in a shade of a thin coconut it was still hot. The sand was scorching and frankly there were so many people that I wondered what Boracay looked like when it was forced to shut down. It would have been so peaceful. But not today because it looked like more of market with people all over.
The second reason why I did not last ten minutes was my back was aching because of the hard shore. At first it felt squishy but after some time it became solid. And my 65-year-old body of a dreamer just could not take it. So what did I do?
Picked up the towel and went back to our hotel which was just a few meters from the beach, entered air-conditioned bliss and plopped myself in a soft fluffy bed. Ahhh Boracay. Fell asleep in an instant. I woke up after an hour and we decided to have lunch. There’s a lot of variety in Boracay. But back to the trying hard to be a beach bum.
I found out that the only thing I was good at in Boracay was walking barefoot along the shore. I started walking along the sand but I thought it was better getting my feet wet. So there I was walking with my wife along the shoreline of Boracay.
Of course, there was the sunset which was a sight on its own but let me not get into that. Let me just say that Boracay was fun because of all the food and watching our granddaughter playing in the sand without a care in the world.
But the next time I go to Boracay I will bring a bed.