So after a bit of a journey, I have arrived alive to the tiny island of Boracay in the Philippines. It was a flight from Seoul into Manila, and then a quick flight from Manila to Caticlan, followed by a boat ride from the jetty port straight over to the island. A long day, but actually much easier than expected! After arriving here and talking to some people, I found out that an alternative route actually would have saved some money, which is frustrating. Note to self: no-more-booking-ahead! In this world, planning's for suckers and people without budgets!
Driving in from the jetty port to my hostel through the local roads was amazing. It's so exciting to see how other people live.. Sitting around in front of their stores, kids walking around bare foot, scooters weaving in and out of people, trucks full of guys hanging out in the back. Life seems so much simpler.
And then there's the main beach - White Beach. Lined with over-priced international cuisine, spas, diving shops, non-stop stores and stalls, and even complete with a Starbucks and Cinnabon, the images of the local outskirts are long gone. The beach is beautiful- crystal clear water and white sand- even if it is fairly crowded. Boracay definitely isn't a quiet and untouched island by any means, but it's a great place to start with 18 days of lying on the beach ahead of me.
I've met some people at the hostel, coming from all corners of the world. People who have already been travelling for 22months, are on around-the-world-tickets, permanently live abroad, or just have a quick 2 weeks away. It's amazing how many people live their lives in a world of travel and always want to see more. It's really making my potential 4months of South East Asia feel pretty inadequate! But it's also a reminder of how much you can see and do with your time if you want to, which is very encouraging :)
Phil will be getting here a week today, and by then I know I'll be ready to move on to the next place (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). Beach time is great, but there's so much more to see and do! There's a whole world out there!!
