talan
24-09-2009, 10:55 PM
Boracay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay) is a popular holiday resort in the Philippines. I was lucky enough to visit there for the second time in the space of years.
Here are a small selection of photos for memory sake rather than for photography :D I'll tell a little story too. Skip the story if you just want to see photos :p
Funny story...
The morning the day before we were due to leave for Boracay we got a call from the airline telling us our flight number had changed and the flight was delayed 30min. Weather forcast wasn't very good at all. But, we thought that was business as usual..
Later that night, my GF and I were packing and had the TV on. A news article came on TV annoucing the cause of a plane crash in the morning before. Glanced at the news item. Thought to myself, hmm the plane looks familiar, the place looks familiar, holy sh*t it was the same airline, same place, same plane we were about to board the next day!!!
Kind of had second thoughts not to go or to switch airlines. It was kind of a bit late to change flights, we asked some local friends if Asian Spirit (it had recently been rebranded to Zest Air) was a safe airline, then they started tellings stories how parents would NEVER let the kids fly on Asian Spirit and jokes about going on the plane as an Asian, getting out as a spirit :eek:. We had a think but then thought it's very unlikely an airline can have 2 plane crashes in 2 consecutive days :confused: (fingers crossed). Anyway, we tried to sleep without thinking too much of it.
The next morning we woke up early to get ready to go to the airport. Upon waking up my GF asks me to look at her face. He face had swelled up! I was like noooooooooooooooooo bad omen!!! It was pretty bad, so we had to take her to the hospital. Being in Manila, we knew it would be hard to get quick efficient treatment, flight was due to leave in 1.5 hours. Ended up spending 1 hour in hospital. Found out it was probably some shrimps we had for dinner the previous day, got some medication and rushed to get our luggage. By the time we got to the airport we were already 30min late, the flight had gone!!! Tickets stated non-refundable too. F*CK!
Luckily, in places like Southeast Asia people are prepared to bend the rules a little especially for girls. Got the GF to sweet talk the airline worker, managed to get a free transfer to the next flight!! Yay! Was a bit paranoid on the flight. Small plane (made in China too), dodgy airport with a super short runway, in a country like Philippines. Geez!
Anyhow we got there safely and that's why I have some photos to share :p
1. Sh*tting my pants about to board a dodgy airline
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3949663911_e3d2f614b0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949663911/)
2. Is this the last photo I'll take?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3950442810_c063e17423.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950442810/)
3. Touchdown, we got there. Check it out! Wreckage! They painted it right away to avoid their brand being damaged and unsuspecting Zest Air passengers will never know wahahahaha. Thankfully, no one died or was badly hurt. Apparently the plane tried to land once in windy conditions, aborted, tried again, overan the runway :eek:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3949664079_03bc6f6620.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949664079/)
4. Tricycle to take us to the ferry terminal from the airport
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3950443074_bace5ac189.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443074/)
5. The dodgy boats that take you to Boracay Island (don't sink please)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2523/3949664301_5e1385f386.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949664301/)
6. Splash!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/3950443306_e822714b5d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443306/)
7. 21st Century infrastructure at it's finest
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3949665811_6f12ac732e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949665811/)
8. Not too busy as it wasn't peak season and 'Winter'. Still quite a few foreigners. I would at a guess say 50% of the foreign men who go there go for some poon. Lots of old guys holding hands with young locals (sometimes more than 1 :p)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3950443444_6d1ca58d9f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443444/)
9. Weather was crappy most of the trip :(
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2436/3950443496_81cd8b083d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443496/)
10. Went on a boat to go snorkelling (even though I can't swim). Met this fellow along the way. "Want some Buko, bro?". He's pretty cut because that's probably what he does all day.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3950444346_732d048d16.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950444346/)
11. Went ATV riding too
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3950444100_98bf6b1fa4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950444100/)
12. One of the reasons you go to Philippines is the food! It's delicious!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/3949665047_be6f7147b6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949665047/)
13. Freshly caught seafood. It was our 'highroller' dinner night. If you make foreign dollars, you can pretty much live like the King in Southeast Asia.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/3950443766_a0164f5e79.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443766/)
14. Later that night we went for some drinks and a walk along the beach. Saw a large group of people. A couple had their engagement dinner or something. They hired this beautiful fire dancer (Y)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/3949665547_efb7cdc9a2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949665547/)
15. Ooh she's so flexible!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3950444570_1b06474e2f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950444570/)
Funny thing is, when she stopped we discovered she was a MAN :D :eek:
The next morning, we flew back to Manila ;)
So that's some highlights of my Boracay trip. If any of you head to the Philippines, make sure you try to get down there.
Here are a small selection of photos for memory sake rather than for photography :D I'll tell a little story too. Skip the story if you just want to see photos :p
Funny story...
The morning the day before we were due to leave for Boracay we got a call from the airline telling us our flight number had changed and the flight was delayed 30min. Weather forcast wasn't very good at all. But, we thought that was business as usual..
Later that night, my GF and I were packing and had the TV on. A news article came on TV annoucing the cause of a plane crash in the morning before. Glanced at the news item. Thought to myself, hmm the plane looks familiar, the place looks familiar, holy sh*t it was the same airline, same place, same plane we were about to board the next day!!!
Kind of had second thoughts not to go or to switch airlines. It was kind of a bit late to change flights, we asked some local friends if Asian Spirit (it had recently been rebranded to Zest Air) was a safe airline, then they started tellings stories how parents would NEVER let the kids fly on Asian Spirit and jokes about going on the plane as an Asian, getting out as a spirit :eek:. We had a think but then thought it's very unlikely an airline can have 2 plane crashes in 2 consecutive days :confused: (fingers crossed). Anyway, we tried to sleep without thinking too much of it.
The next morning we woke up early to get ready to go to the airport. Upon waking up my GF asks me to look at her face. He face had swelled up! I was like noooooooooooooooooo bad omen!!! It was pretty bad, so we had to take her to the hospital. Being in Manila, we knew it would be hard to get quick efficient treatment, flight was due to leave in 1.5 hours. Ended up spending 1 hour in hospital. Found out it was probably some shrimps we had for dinner the previous day, got some medication and rushed to get our luggage. By the time we got to the airport we were already 30min late, the flight had gone!!! Tickets stated non-refundable too. F*CK!
Luckily, in places like Southeast Asia people are prepared to bend the rules a little especially for girls. Got the GF to sweet talk the airline worker, managed to get a free transfer to the next flight!! Yay! Was a bit paranoid on the flight. Small plane (made in China too), dodgy airport with a super short runway, in a country like Philippines. Geez!
Anyhow we got there safely and that's why I have some photos to share :p
1. Sh*tting my pants about to board a dodgy airline
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3949663911_e3d2f614b0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949663911/)
2. Is this the last photo I'll take?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3950442810_c063e17423.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950442810/)
3. Touchdown, we got there. Check it out! Wreckage! They painted it right away to avoid their brand being damaged and unsuspecting Zest Air passengers will never know wahahahaha. Thankfully, no one died or was badly hurt. Apparently the plane tried to land once in windy conditions, aborted, tried again, overan the runway :eek:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3949664079_03bc6f6620.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949664079/)
4. Tricycle to take us to the ferry terminal from the airport
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3950443074_bace5ac189.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443074/)
5. The dodgy boats that take you to Boracay Island (don't sink please)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2523/3949664301_5e1385f386.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949664301/)
6. Splash!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/3950443306_e822714b5d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443306/)
7. 21st Century infrastructure at it's finest
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3949665811_6f12ac732e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949665811/)
8. Not too busy as it wasn't peak season and 'Winter'. Still quite a few foreigners. I would at a guess say 50% of the foreign men who go there go for some poon. Lots of old guys holding hands with young locals (sometimes more than 1 :p)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3950443444_6d1ca58d9f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443444/)
9. Weather was crappy most of the trip :(
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2436/3950443496_81cd8b083d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443496/)
10. Went on a boat to go snorkelling (even though I can't swim). Met this fellow along the way. "Want some Buko, bro?". He's pretty cut because that's probably what he does all day.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3950444346_732d048d16.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950444346/)
11. Went ATV riding too
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3950444100_98bf6b1fa4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950444100/)
12. One of the reasons you go to Philippines is the food! It's delicious!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/3949665047_be6f7147b6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949665047/)
13. Freshly caught seafood. It was our 'highroller' dinner night. If you make foreign dollars, you can pretty much live like the King in Southeast Asia.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/3950443766_a0164f5e79.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950443766/)
14. Later that night we went for some drinks and a walk along the beach. Saw a large group of people. A couple had their engagement dinner or something. They hired this beautiful fire dancer (Y)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/3949665547_efb7cdc9a2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3949665547/)
15. Ooh she's so flexible!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3950444570_1b06474e2f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talan-chen/3950444570/)
Funny thing is, when she stopped we discovered she was a MAN :D :eek:
The next morning, we flew back to Manila ;)
So that's some highlights of my Boracay trip. If any of you head to the Philippines, make sure you try to get down there.