Day 39 - Last Night in Boracay

Last full day in Boracay, and I know that I am already going to miss it. I guess I really needed this break from the stress of traveling. I usually get bored of doing the same thing day after day, but there was something special about this beach. People tell me that Boracay has lost it's magic over the years due to the effects of tourism, and that I should visit Palawan, but I am thoroughly enjoying myself here!

There weren't too many people in the area this time of year since the Philippines' Summer Vacation was in April/May, but that was OK since the beaches were less crowded. There were a good number of Koreans and Taiwanese tourists though. I didn't realize how close the Philippines was to Taiwan...shows how much I know about the geography of SE Asia, but hey, I'm learning from this trip.

Started the morning with another plate of Cornsisig, which has become a favorite of mine so far in the Philippines, before heading back to the beach. I got to catch up on a little reading on my Kindle, since I had been neglecting it so far throughout the trip, read a little more about Lizzy Bennett's mischaracterization of the charming Mr. Darcy on her trip to visit her newly-married best friend Charlotte...

I went back to the shopping area to buy the obligatory tourist shirts from Boracay. It's tough having to pick and choose the shirts I want, because I know I will have to retire some shirts from the journey, lest I carry them as added weight along my trip. I purchased the typical colorful Boracay tank and tee from a couple of girls who thought I was Filipino, and complimented my teeth. :) I should thank my orthodontist.

By dusk, I tried to take some pictures of the sunset, but the weather was overcast and the sunset was hidden by the clouds in the sky. Seeing it was my last night out, Chad made a special appearance tonight to wish me well on my travels, even though he had a long day of work today and anticipated another long day tomorrow. I told him that I'd see him in the United States, since he planned on moving there in the next few years because his mother was already living there, but he didn't sound too excited about it. I would have thought that most people would be eager to move to the United States, but he said the same thing that I had heard my friend in Vietnam say. He wasn't looking forward to it because he knew the job prospects would not be good, being that he wasn't American. 

I asked Chad where he was travelling next and he'd be spending a lot of time travelling throughout his home country because there is so much to see here. I think there are over 60 airports here and so many different islands all clustered to make this one great country. You could only imagine how many different places there are to see. I wish I booked a longer stay here, so I could see more of what is offered. Maybe I'll come back in a couple years...or months? Who knows?

We went back to the beach once the sun set and listened to some of the live bands playing in the restaurants lining the beach shore. Chad is somewhat of a local celebrity on the small island, so I met some of his friends, including one of the guitar players, and some of his friends dressed in drag. After a couple beers, we headed to one of the local nightclubs called Epic, and danced until around 3:30am. The islanders party hard and the clubs don't close until the sun rises, but I was ready to sleep as it was way past my bedtime. A perfect farewell night in Boracay with good, friendly people.

Cornsisig

Obligatory Beach Photos

Nearing sunset on the Beach

Mark and I, tanned after 2 nights