Boracay is still the best place to be with friends

For the trip that lasted over 4 days I was able to take about 20 pictures and most of them from the way to Boracay Island. I take a stupid amount of photos and they are the worst.

For the last few days of March, I went to Boracay with three friends from school. I don't even remember how many nights we stayed on the island because it was so fun with most of the nights I was walking around on the shore, half-unconscious from binging on kidney preservatives.

Why Boracay is the best place for barkadas:

1. It has alcohol. While nature purists might consider this stupidity, the whole island is basically one long bar counter. There is an unlimited supply of alcohol for what seems to be a segregated island and my friends are all literature majors so we like drinks. We talk about philosophy, the nature of literary history, our favorite writers and the concept of reality. However, unlike them, I gravitate more towards electronic music, dancing with strangers and making friends. After a deeply intelligent conversation, I reward myself by giving in to my animal instincts of awkward flailing around of limbs. 

My friend's dad brought along a boat and that was pretty cool.

2. It's built to be an illusion. We all believed that we were carefree and we can do whatever we wanted against the background of a wonderful blue shore, immaculate sand and the glorious sun. The foreigners with their strong features served as a bonus and we all knew we could do whatever we want. From eating cheap fried chicken to staying in the hotel room feasting on Coke and rhum on midday, it was alright. The illusion is plain and simple: nature is there to provide, our only responsibility was to do whatever we want.

Look at my photography skills! I don't even know what the point of this photo is!

3. If it's not family friendly, it's for barkadas. That must be a rule-of-thumb. When I say not family friendly, it is because I have seen adorable Asian babies get lost in the nocturnal crowd, half of which are drunk and noisy, and I didn't like it. Boracay might be for the kids in the morning but they must be kept during the dark until they turn 18 (or 13, you decide). I've been to Boracay a number of times, half of which with parents and the morning swims were all I could do. I missed more than half of the island experience for sure.

4. It's somehow safe. Although I have to share that on the first night I had to help a Swedish girl home because she was hammered (The next day she told me she was roofied when someone handed her a bottle of beer), Boracay is safe especially when you are around friends. I don't know if I was lucky enough to land on the kinder part of the island but everyone was so welcoming especially beginning midnight. During our last morning in Boracay, a drunk guy who sang so well offered to make scrambled eggs for me and my friends. It was, borrowing his almost unintelligeble words, "the best  *^#(&@ scrambled eggs  in the world".

Boracay is a good island and yes, during car rides with my parents, I stare up the sun and dream of backpacking alone to the island. But like all dreams they end. Boracay is worth it and it is at its best with good friends. You really do emerge as better friends once you get off the island (cheesy, definitely outside of the island vibe). Bye.

+++++

Reason for not posting recently: working at a local newspaper trying to be professional and everything. Yay!