Complaining that the last time she had been to Boracay was when she was just 4 years old, our daughter requested (nay, demanded!) that for her 24th birthday she be brought to the island so she could check out how it had changed. Right.
So it was that very early Friday morning, we found ourselves driving to the old domestic airport for one of Seair?s ?early morning? flights to Caticlan. Upon arrival at the island, we checked into the Boracay Regency, and found out that the women?s figure skating finals was to air, but since about 20 skaters had yet to perform on ice, my daughter calculated that we would still have time to walk to Zuzuni for breakfast and get back in time to catch our favorites: Mao Asada from Japan (mine) and Kim Yu-na from Korea (hers), the two skaters contesting the gold.
?Not here then,? my daughter commented as we strolled past D?Mall and its plethora of restaurants and shops, though I reminded her that on that family trip, we stayed close by the Pearl of the Pacific on Station 1, the ?quiet? side of the island. When we finally got to Zuzuni, the tiny hotel with an excellent restaurant on the ground floor, we requested to be served on the beach, enjoying our waffles and Zuzuni omelet with the waves lapping on the shore and the screams of schoolchildren in a sports competition.
Back in our room, we found that we came back just in time. The final group was about to start, and sure enough, there were our favorite skaters warming up on the ice. You all know that Kim Yu-na snagged the gold, and while I like Mao Asada more for her grace and artistry, I will admit that Kim was simply perfection on ice, with her breathtaking jumps and supple bends and twirls.
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WE both napped after the figure skating competition, then woke up ravenous. I remembered my nephew Rico?s stories about their Boracay trip last year and how he wolfed down countless ?chori-burgers? and fruit shakes on White Beach. We had asked the waiter at Zuzuni where we could find the ?chori-burgers? and were told these would be available only in the afternoon and on Station 1. We made our way there via tricycle and on foot in the blazing early-afternoon sun and found a single stall with chorizo, hot dogs, barbecues and other meats arrayed in a row. We ordered our ?chori-burgers? and found a seat in the crowded restaurant nearby which sells the famous fruit shakes. I even met Angel Aquino there, who told me she was there to check out the site of a natural-goods store which she owns.
It also happened that Tinka, my daughter?s friend from her UP Debate Society days, was on the island with her friends from high school. I thus planned out a leisurely itinerary for myself the next day, while Miya, my daughter, was out exploring the island with her friends. The plan consisted mainly of lounging by the beach or pool, and then booking myself for a facial and then a joint massage with Miya the next evening.
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SATURDAY, we lunched at Lemon Caf and as Miya joined her friends on their adventures, I headed to Kai Spa in the Boracay Regency for my facial. While I napped, Miya told me later, she and her friends ?rode? the Zorb, a clear plastic sphere that one rides by rolling down a hill, took a ?helmet dive? 13 feet under water, then had snacks on the beach. I could only thank Tinka and her friends for not requiring me to take part in such strenuous activities.
On our first night, we had dinner at Dos Mestizos, enjoying their tapas and mojitos, which Miya didn?t care for, allowing me to down her drink, too. Saturday night, it was back to Zuzuni, with Seair treating us to a birthday dinner of, among other dishes, moussaka, fiery prawn pasta and divine molten chocolate cake.
We walked back along the water?s edge to the Regency for our Swedish massage, and afterwards, while I was sufficiently relaxed to flop onto my bed and slumbered away, Miya still had energy to explore the Bora night life, creeping back to bed at 4 a.m.
We had planned to hit the beach Sunday morning, but my daughter didn?t get up till nearly 11, by which time I had already had breakfast, lounged a bit, and rushed back to pack our things. I left Boracay feeling sleek and smooth and pampered. I don?t know what my daughter feels, but I can bet she will have 20 more years of stored memories to get her by!
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SEAIR is offering special promos to mark its 15th anniversary on March 25. Travelers can avail themselves of special morning rates of as low as P1,999.20 per way all-in when they book for travel from March 2010 onwards. The special rates are available for limited seats for all flights to and from Boracay before 7 a.m.
There will also be exclusive discounts for online bookings. Clients get a P1,500 discount per way for all seats, flights and routes when they book via www.FlySeair.com. To avail of the promo, online users can type iloveseair15 in the promo code field when booking on March 14-25 for travel on June 15-Oct. 15.
This is Seair?s way of thanking travelers for their continued support. The airline has been serving key tourist destinations since 1995, most notably Boracay, and has the longest history of uninterrupted service to Boracay direct via Caticlan.
It now offers up to 27 flights per day to Boracay (Caticlan) and flies daily to the island paradise of Batanes. It also flies to El Nido, Palawan, every Wednesday and Sunday, as well as Marinduque every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Seair is the nation?s second-oldest airline and has flown almost 3 million passengers to local destinations, including Tablas (Romblon), Cebu, Clark, Zamboanga, Jolo, and Tawi-tawi.
