I started my travels from Gwangju on a 1:30 am bus to Incheon to catch my 8 am flight to Manila. From there I took a short flight to Caticlan, a tiny airport near the port. Here began my three hour stunt as a hotpotato.
A man with my name on a sign greeted me, shoved my person and my bag into a van and as quickly as possible drove me to the water. He grabbed my hand out of the car, bought me a boat ticket, dragged me ahead of the 50-person line, and got me on a boat.
It was a windy day, but the sky was clear. The picture's weren't lying.
When I arrived on the island, another man found me and carried my bag up the hill which was ornamented with a sorry excuse for stone steps. He was running, so I followed suit. He told me to "sit here" so I sat there and waited for him to bring a car around. He motioned me inside.
"Your friends are here."
"That's good. Because I certainly trusted those last three men."
Opening the door at the hotel, it was a matter of 3.6 seconds before a rolled, wet towel and a glass of pineapple juice were in my hands.
Holiday. I have arrived.
Borocay Island is pretty well off. At just over 10 square kilometers, it's a huge vacation destination for Koreans.
The beach is pristine - clear, blue water collides white sand. The people are kind. The peddlers are present, but far from obnoxious. It's cheap and has the ability to gratify folks in search of a number of holidays. The area is popular for windsurfing, but just as many people are minimizing their steps - ten strides to the beach, ten strides back into the hotel. Relaxation or Adventure. You always have that option.
I went for the combination package. I laid around like a professional. I went parasailing and snorkeling. I rode boats in the early morn. I took midday swims. I drank lattes in the afternoon. I got a trifecta of mind-blowing Philippino massages, one of which took place in a hut on the beach during a torrential downpour. I had a lot of cocktails. I danced with a dreaded girl from Lithuania in a bar that employs only midgets. I ate mangoes and avocados at fresh, local prices.
And this one time I become an astronaut underwater. (video by Alex McAlery)
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