Back home (part 2)

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Here’s the follow up on my post about the weekend trip – the events that have transpired after the Iloilo performance.

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“f/1.4 fast lens”

“Look at the accessories in following page”

“XDAII”

We were supposed to go to Boracay right after the Iloilo stint but were convinced otherwise. People have been saying that Boracay at this time of the year was full of driftwood, etc. and that Guimaras was a more practical solution.

I for one didn’t care where we’d end up since I simply wanted to relax, eat, and take pictures. I’ve been to Boracay, and would’ve loved to return there for the photo opportunity. I have never been to Guimaras and it’s closer/cheaper. Either way would’ve been fine.

I was particularly concerned with Jowi since she hasn’t been to Boracay, and was really looking forward to it (and really saved up for it). I simply wanted the decision to be hers. Anyways, after much ado, we decided to go the Guimaras route.

Since Guimaras was only a 15 minute boat ride from Iloilo. We hung out on one of the organizers’ “resorts” in Guimbal for a night. It was great! Great company, excellent food, a bonfire, a nipa hut, a guitar and music all night… what more can you ask for? Well, probably a f/1.4 lens to shoot better in the dark hehehehe. The only downside was my AC-DC volt converter wasn’t working for my phone [suffice to say that the data was erased at the end of the trip.]

The next day, we headed for Guimaras. The water was amazingly warm during the night – considering the waves that afternoon made Jowi’s life flash before her eyes during the pumpboat ride. We swam in the dark wave-ridden shores a pretty long time.

The next day, Oliver ended up island-hopping alone, since he was the only one really “awake” that morning. We went out of the room when he was done with his “tour.” We went to the beach for the day swim we’ve been waiting for – as we were going back home after lunch.

The shore was a vast expanse of shallow sand, so you can pretty much go far into the ocean while retaining your footing. I was brave enough to bring my 300D unprotected, with only my bonnet cupping it as the first line of defense if it should hit the water without me knowing. Fortunately the waters were calm, and I was extra careful not to trip on any corals/rocks.

Guimaras, though pretty, was definitely no Boracay. However, it still had an abundance of photographic opportunities. That alone made me happy. Add the food, prices, and company – that more than made up for anything “lacking.”

But for good measure, I didn’t want Jowi spending for an alternative of THE trip she had been planning for so long – bringing a bunch of cash, and willing to travel 4 hours instead of 15 minutes. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that any person with a plan like that, would settle for no less than the BEST experience possible.

Fortunately, Guimaras was hella cheap, plus it was my birthday and there were only 3 of us =) Perfect time to whip out the dough and treat the group! I guess it was a win-win situation for everyone right there and then.

We then returned to the resort for lunch and went on our way back to Iloilo, wherein familiar faces greeted us and treated us to TED’s (the home of the best La Paz Batchoy) before going to the airport.

Our flight was delayed so everyone hung around the coffee shop by the terminal and shared their Guimaras experience to the organizers. After the last goodbyes, the three of us were alone again at the mercy of yet another delay. I was too busy reading my book to notice it though. We hit Manila waaay past dinner time. Oliver and I hitched with Jowi’s family where we had late dinner in Marina, Pearl Drive.

Got home at about 11pm, where I immediately used an AC adaptor on my XDAII for good measure, and started receiving the birthday texts one by one.

It then occured to me that this has gotta be the busiest b-day I’ve ever had in my whole life. I’m the type of person who simply treats my b-day as a regular day: sleeping/sitting/lying around doing nothing [or surfing the net].

All this travel may have been really exhausting. But I’d do it all over again for the food, the fun, and of course the company.

Here’s to a successful “vacation!”

pictures are at the gallery