WE WERE supposed to go home to Dumangas to attend my brother’s birthday party on Sunday, March 5 after the 2D1N Islas de Gigantes tour.
At 3 pm, cousin was thinking, Carles to Caticlan is about the same distance as Carles to Iloilo.
Of course, she was right.
But the way to Bora is not going to be as easy as the way to Iloilo.
***
But her LA friend has never been to Bora.
I don’t want to be perceived as poor, so even if I only had P7,000 cash on me, I said yes.
I figured I still have GCash.
But they don’t do GCash for the ferry and terminal fees, and all other crazy fees to go to the island!
***
We got on the island before midnight.
Checked into some resort.
Let’s not talk about star-quality ratings.
Only poor people who can’t afford to go to Bora on a whim think of those things.
We are last-minute, spontaneous travelers (like rich), and we take what we can.
***
The room is not to my liking.
Well, rooms are not about my “liking”.
Rooms are rooms, functional.
I was just going to sleep in it, so I don’t have to like it, really.
But I was not going to stay in there awake.
Let’s go walk the beach strip.
And while at it, let’s get into some club!
***
Cousin, who has worked in tourism business, knows the chef at Om Bar.
So, Om it was.
P300 admission fee, non-refundable, non-consumable.
I was shaking my head.
Do they have to spell out “non-consumable”?
What did they think—that I couldn’t afford to buy my own drink?
Only poor people go into establishments with fees that are consumable!
***
First drink was an Irish car bomb.
Because I want something with a “car” in it.
Oh, the bomb was extra.
I mean, I love explosives, too! Haha.
I mean, rich people can blow up anything.
Any blow (up) job will do.
And I always love Irish cream, focus on the cream, focus on the Irish.
***
The bartender was cute.
Made a show.
Poured some whiskey on his left hand.
Lighted it with his right hand.
And blew the fire to glaze my car bomb.
And I had to suck it…
Fast.
With a freaking straw! Haha.
The poor people around us were amazed that we could afford such a drink (and bar show). Haha.
***
Just outside the resort was a tapsilogan.
A combo meal costs about P120.
But no, cousin wants to see another chef friend at The Plenary, which is at The District Hotel.
Thanks be to God, they have brewed coffee.
Cousin ordered some pesto she had before.
Her LA friend ordered an ahi poke bowl.
I still can’t get the P120 tapsilog out of my mind.
So I ordered the “Filipino breakfast” which is the fancy name for a tapsilog.
***
A cup of garlic rice. Not enough garlic!
Pork tocino. Sweet. Delicious.
Three Vigan longganiza. Vigan, not vegan!
Some papaya achara. Decidedly yellow. Needs more strips of red bell pepper.
Coffee! Now, I wish it was unlimited.
Tip and ambiance cost me P480.
***
Well, that felt like brunch so we walked some for buko pie.
Balabag Lake. Photos, photos.
Oh, look, BPI Boracay.
How would you like to open a checking account for a new boyfriend? Haha.
***
Crystal kayak is not my thing.
Trends and fads are not my thing.
But the manong was desperate.
Only P200.
And promise, it’s Instagrammable.
Well, for the economy.
I mean, considering the tourism drop during the pandemic.
And how many starving children do you have, Manong?
I mean, do you have 4Ps?/PN
