For the love of an island
I love the beach. You’ve heard that countless times. Well, I’m not alone. My kind is all around you, it’s easy to notice because we’re color-coded. The dark tone of our skin sets us apart form the gluthathione-glowing Pinoys who are made to believe that white has might. But this story is not about color, it is for the love of travel, for the love of nature, for the love of an island.
Boracay is just one of the thousands of islands and this island, I fell in love with. True, it has become commercialized. True, it can get over-crowded. Everyone, people and trade, still want a piece of the action. But this happens to any popular destination.
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Traffic in Boracay? It's unheard of. But on peak seasons, it does happen.
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But I love the place anyway. I choose my days to visit. Habagat is a good time for me, it’s when everyone else is at work and tourists are few, and I can bask in the serenity of island.
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Habagat is the perfect time for me to visit and enjoy the serenity of the island. (photo by Denise Nicole)
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For those who chose to stay, they took it upon themselves to save and preserve the island in their own little way. Nothing is impossible with everybody pitching in, locals and tourists alike. It’s all about respect for man and nature. Is that so hard to do?
This group of young professional women whom I got the chance to hang out with chose to become “locals”. They gave up the city, embark on an adventure, moved to the island, dwell in good vibes and live Bohemian. A graphic artist, a yoga teacher, an on-line island guide and a wanderer, collectively they are Isla Boheme, and the stories they share, as a group (http://islaboheme.blogspot.com/) or individually (http://thehappyfactory.blogspot.com/; http://i-wanderlust.blogspot.com/; http://thewolfheartbeat.blogspot.com/; http://happygirlink.blogspot.com/), will make us see wonder in everything big and small.
With so many of their friends visiting the island, these girls have become “guides and information centers,” which they don’t mind. But with the tips they give away, must-do’s are attached, like making sure to keep the island clean.
All these FYI’s they shared with their readers as well. So many fell in love with how they effectively presented their tips visually that this is what happened next -- The Isla Boheme Guide to Boracay Postcards!
“About 2 years ago, the girls and I decided to have fun and create a friendly little reminder for tourists coming to the island. We called it the Isla Boheme Guide to Boracay,” shared Denise Nicole, the graphic artist who illustrated the postcards (and the same artist who designed the http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/ logo).
“Readers, friends and family liked it so much that we decided to produce them into postcards! Of course it took us 2 years to realize this and actually produce it, but now it's here! We've also updated the trike rates, tweaked some of the illustrations and added one more tip! :) -- Instead of sand and seashells, why not take these postcards that were made-with-love as your souvenirs? It would be helpful to both tourists and island residents too!” the girls said.
The postcards come in six designs, each with a note shared by the girls. The “Be friendly with your resort staff” has a not at the back saying “No prima donnas please. Be nice to your resort staff and they will go the extra mile, like give you tips on cool local events and places.”
I applaud you ladies- Nicole, Nikki, Aiza and Jof. I’m getting those when I get to the island!
Let me take a shot at the moon. Is it ever possible to fall in love the same way with our very own Samal Island? How I would like to cross the gulf, walk along the white sand shoreline, choose a spot to catch rays, partake of any of the resort’s offering along the way, and enjoy my day at the beach without having to pay entrance fees along the stretch. Isn’t the shoreline for everyone? Do I really have to buy my own beachfront property to enjoy the beach?
If I can spend worry free and fee time in Samal, maybe I will choose to spend more time in the island rather than the city, become attach to it and do my share in its preservation while promoting the island to the world, however little the act may be.
I love Davao and I would love to say “I love Samal” as well, as much as I love Boracay.
For more travel & lifestyle stories, visit http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/ and http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/
Published in Sun.Star newspaper on June 14, 2012.
