Island scenes

They call it Us-usan Island and it was something I haven’t heard about or seen in any of those Philippine tourism guidebooks. Us-usan is a long stretch of beach which possesses the most magnificent sandbar I’ve seen. Yes, even better than the White Beach in Camiguin which I last saw 10 or 15 years ago. Our guide said Us-usan’s sandbar changes with the tide which made it even more amazing.
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Costa Aguada scenes

Costa Aguada must have been the largest resort I have seen in my entire travelling life, though much of it is still undeveloped. It also lies in the middle of nowhere, being situated in what is called Inampulugan Island in the province of Guimaras. To go here, you have the choice to either pass by Bacolod or Iloilo. Even then, it is still a good 30 to 45 minute trip by boat. Not to worry because the ride rewards you with the scenic view of the sapphire blue ocean and the adjoining lush islands, exactly as you see in those postcards.
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Bell by the boats

My short but eventful vacation has left me speechless. Am once again struck in awe at all the natural splendor I’ve witnessed. Am oozing with such positive aura from this trip that here’s no room for even an ounce of irritation even if our Cebu Pacific flight to Manila was delayed for an hour and a half (talk about the new Filipino time) ; even if it was a tad cumbersome to be lugging my luggage from one port to the next after what seemed like an eternity of boat rides. Luckily, there were porters to do most of the work for us!
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Don’t know if this will be my last group outing for the year but am off to the sunny island of Guimaras today, with stop-overs in Bacolod and Iloilo. Will keep you updated with my posts in the next few days (supposing there’s internet on the island, most probably none!!)
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1. The ‘pasalubong’ is king. Admit it, there’s nothing more Pinoy than our pasalubong (take home) mentality. Am not saying it’s negative, I just find it amusing that there are some things my family or friends associate with a certain place and they expect you to bring it home when you go a-travelling, be it otap from Cebu, bangus from Pangasinan, buko pie from Laguna, pili nut from Bicol or even giant crabs from Palawan. As expected, during my last trip to HK, my friends were also badgering me about what pasalubong I brought home. Darn, what was I supposed to answer when I was cramming to see the sights and hardly had time to shop? Truth is, somebody who goes abroad (or even the nearest province) would feel guilty if he or she didn’t even take the time to buy souvenirs, such as the requisite keychain, for example.
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