Blogs from Boracay, Philippines, Asia - page 11

From Malapascua, we took the bus once again back to Cebu City, where we had booked a flight back to Boracay. When we arrived back at Frendz resort we got a really warm welcome from everyone, it felt great. Boracay was a lot busier than before, the beach and restaurants was full of people and the athmosphere was fantastic. The only problem was the weather, it was really windy and we were told that it had rained all christmas and it was not predicted to get any better. Me and Steve didn't feel too sad about this, we were just happy to be back in Boracay. The first morning we went back to our favourite place on the beach (in front of Zuzini, a very nice Greek restaurant) where we met some familiar faces, a Swedish ... read more

The end of my 1st day in Boracay is drawing to an end and I feel like I've been here for a week already...in a good way. I woke up at 2am this morning, left the house in Manila at 3am and was at the airport by 3.30am. As sod's law would have it my flight was delayed (yet again), but thankfully it was only for 1 hour this time. I landed in Caticlan at 7.30am and took the boat across to Borcay. The sea was incredibly rough, and anyone who has read a few of my other entries, is aware that I am rather prone to sea sickness, so it wont surprise you that it took all my will power and self control not to 'blow chunks' overboard. Still feeling whoozy from the boat I ... read more

The last week has been pretty cloudy, but still really warm. Me and steve have enrolled in a four day PADI open water course. The course includes both theory and practice. In the theory sessions we have watched videos and we have also been given a textbook to read in order to pass the exam. The practice part includes seven dives, four in open water. During the first couple of dives we had to learn different skills underwater, for example regulated recovery, what to do if you are out of air, how to clear your mask underwater and much more. Me and Steve have a private teacher, he is a cool and very relaxed german guy. But he didn't stay relaxed for long with me in the class, during the first real dive, I think I ... read more

As with any couple expecting their first child, the excitement, anticipation, and the challenge of the learning curve were colossal. Unlike most couples expecting their first child, we were living a drifter’s lifestyle and had none of the traditional logistical groundwork laid, not even a particular country we could call home. Pragmatism was the new name of the game; our four months in Africa were scaled back to six weeks, our plane tickets to Turkey and Nepal were binned in pursuit of practical considerations like health insurance and jobs with flexible schedules. Our guidebooks were replaced by pregnancy manuals and our backpacks by a one-year apartment lease. In the race towards what for us was a completely off-the-beaten-path destination, our former travel days were usurped by the lifelong journey into parenthood. Despite the tedium of hour-long ... read more

Borocay was beautiful. We stayed in a down the alley, on a 2nd floor room just off the beach. As rooms go it was great - 2 double beds, fan, bathroom, shower (cold, but who needs a hot shower? It's ridiculous degrees Celsius outside!), toilet (no seat - that's only in the really fancy rooms!) and a TV, all for 500 Pesos (about US$12 / R90) Not that we spent much time there! {This was the first room we've had with a TV so far, and we turned it on to find... Super-Sport! And M-Net! Direct from SA to Boracay! Incredible! And we turned it on just as the Singapore F1 was beginning, so we watched the first ever F1 night race with a South African commentator in Boracay. Awesome! - Darrell} The main beach, White ... read more