Boracay

Esther and I went to the Philippines this November for our first extended trip without Jordan.  Her parents watched him for 9 days while we got some much needed rest.  Jordan did great without us, sleeping, eating and playing normally.  We checked in everyday at first, but soon realized he was going to be fine.  While we missed him fantastically, we were able to relax.

We spent three days at the Manila Spirits Ultimate Frisbee Tournament.  On Friday, our men's team from China dominated everyone and won our second straight title.  I played with Bear Ninja Cowboy for coed on Saturday and Sunday.  We were plagued with heat stroke and, in one case, debilitating alcohol poisoning, so we didn't have as many guys as we needed.  We underperformed, but had a great time.

Monday morning, Esther and I set off for Boracay.  We had both been there before, separately, and our experience this time was much different.  You know how people talk about going to a beautiful island and just sitting on the beach and relaxing? ...but then they end up busy everyday and they come home needing a vacation from their vacation?  Well for our trip, we literally did nothing, everyday, and it was amazing.  People really should do less more often.

For our weeklong stay, most days followed the same basic blueprint.  We get up lazily and maybe lie around in the hammock on our bungalow’s balcony sipping coffee.  If we don't grab banana-bacon pancakes at our resort, we probably head off to Real Coffee for pesto and tuna omelets.

View from Real Coffee

After breakfast we'd walk along the beach and explore the rocks, maybe stop at Jonah's for Boracay's legendary fruit shake.

 We almost always ended up at White House Resort in the afternoon for happy hour.  Most of the frisbee players from the tournament end up there and we spend the day drinking, chatting, swimming, playing frisbee, and napping.  It's perfect.

Our last day there, we ended up taking a sailboat out to watch the sunset.  The water was so clear we saw straight down to the ocean floor, even a few kilometers out. It was a gorgeous night, and we sailed for 45 minutes as the colors changed until the sky filled with stars. 

After dinner, we'd head out for a few cocktails. With no particular place in mind, we wandered along the beach and listened to the dozen different bands playing at the beach bars. When we found one we liked, we kicked off our sandals and listened to live music, sat in the sand and sipped cold drinks.

Our friends went cliff jumping and island hopping, etc.  We were just happy to be together, on vacation, and on a beautiful island.  It was truly the most relaxing vacation i've ever had.

~Kev