Saturday, April 5, 2008

Bora Trip Number 2-Day 1:Getting Away from the City

My second Bora trip was supposed to be a birthday surprise for JR. I already got tickets to Kalibo for me and Tito Mey, but three weeks before March 14, JR learned about it. Okay lang. If he had not had any idea that we were coming, our vacation would have been a disaster.

JR immediately reserved a room at the Loft room of their project, Alta Vista de Boracay, while I tried to finish all my articles for submission so I would not hear any violent reaction from my boss.

The night before March 14 came and I haven't prepared my things yet. I reviewed Issa for her exams until Tuesday of that week. I was so busy with work--my brain had stopped functioning but there are several articles left for me to write.

My First Flight (March 14, Friday)

Morning. I hit the "submit" button for the last set of articles. Rushing, I went back to our home, fixed my things, changed my clothes and said "babye" to my lola and sisters. Hehehe. This is it! I'm on my way to Bora!

I had been feeling very exhausted with all the work that I do---edit and write on weekdays, then tutor students during nights and weekends. Hayyy! Why do I have to go through all these tiring activities? Yet my savings account is almost always empty! Darn. I think I spend too much. Well, this is just for now. I'm happy with my life anyway. I can now afford my own vacation (a part of it at least! hehehe).

The trip was like a date with JR's dad, Tito Mey. Haha. It was him and me the whole trip. We met in Casimiro at lunch time, and took a taxi to the NAIA Centennial Airport. At last! I'm gonna ride an airplane! So we went through the counters and scanning terminals, and waited for our boarding time: 2:30. Also bought brazo de mercedes from Goldilocks--pasalubong for JR. Then we saw Janno Gibbs walking around there. Wala lang. I even had a short conversation with a senior citizen who was with her sick husband (I knew that he's sick, because he's on a wheelchair).

2:40 pm: it's time to board the plane! I was nearly losing the grip of my smile because of excitement. But I didn't want to look ignorant so I tried my best to calm down. We passed through the long tube with the door of the plane on the end. Yeah! The PAL flight attendants welcomed us with their sweet hellos. And when I finally saw the plane's interior. . . Wow. With the cold fog-like smoke coming out from the sides, and the unique smell of the seats, I felt like I was on my way to heaven! hehehe.

We had our seats, fasten our seatbelts, and watched the safety instruction video.

Finally, after experiencing a 20-minute traffic on the runway, flight PAL 325 to Kalibo took off. I was on the clouds! It's just sad that I wasn't able to take pictures. Huhuhu. I didn't bring my jurassic digicam and even Nanay's film-based cam. What I only had with me was the underwater cam that I bought on thursday night. I couldn't even rely on my super old phone. Hay!!!!

After a while, the attendants gave us drinks and snacks. Yummy chocolate mallow pie. Hehehe. Saved the Nutrilicious orange juice pack until I got home... But I think I threw it when I took it out from my bag and told myself I'm going to wash it. Hay!

Then I went to the plane's toilet. Cool! There are ice tubes on the small sink. What are those for? It's also weird that I was swaying while I was sitting on the bowl. haha!

I spent the 20-minute flight chatting with my future in-law. hehehe. He talked about how grateful he is that his son is now an engineer, and that his son is bringing him to the famous Boracay. Sweet...

I haven't finished sipping my Nutrilicious drink when the attendant announced our landing at Kalibo Airport. Few more minutes passed by, the wheels of our aircraft touched the ground, and the plane slowed down as it went straight through the runway. We're now in Kalibo!


Still, no pictures. Hmp. When we entered the hall, men in yellow welcomed us. They are the Kalibo men asking us if we already have our service van to Caticlan. After getting my bag, the guy whom we've talked to assisted us to our van.

Yayks! Both Tito Mey and I are becoming impatient. Whoah! Another 60++ kilometers?! Good thing Tito Mey's on the mood to tell his stories. As the green fields and mountains of Aklan amazed our eyes, Tito Mey remembered his childhood days in Quezon province. After an hour, we saw ourselves passing through the zigzag road whose side is a thin shoreline. We already see the SEA! Twenty to thirty more minutes, we reached Caticlan Jetty Port.

The second trip was not as long as my first trip where we took RORO going to Caticlan. Our travel took only three hours, plus two hours wait at the airport. I knew Tito Mey was so excited to see Bora, so I hurriedly led him to the jetty. The sun's setting already. .. Hay! Gabi na!

Our travel by water took around 15 minutes...Yes! At last! We're in Boracay! But we're not yet at where we're supposed to go. So we took another 10 to 15 minutes tricycle ride to Barangay Balabag. We stopped at the Balabag Church (Holy Rosary Parish, I think). And there, a Tito Mey look-alike guy was standing, waiting for something . . . The BiRthday Celebrant! Hehehe.

JR and his officemates have a new staffhouse. This time, a little far from the beach front. They occupy the whole second floor of a two-storey house--with four (or three only?) bedrooms, two toilets, two bathrooms, and a kitchen/dining/living room! Complete! We dropped our things in one of the bedrooms--their guest room, and headed off to Talipapa to buy lechon manok and beer for his birthday party. Thanks to Kuya Manny aka Bacalso for driving for us!

It was past 8 pm and I was so hungry because I only ate Kariman from Mini Stop for my lunch. Some of JR's visitors already started eating, so I wasted no time--I grabbed a plate, got some pansit, lechon manok, barbeque, and rellenong bangus! Yum! Hehehe.

Had one San Mig Light. That's enough. Party's Over. Day 1's done. Time to sleep.

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