Boracay Mornings

Do you ever get to catch Boracay on an early morning?
Or are you always too wasted the night before for this?

Well, let me tell you that what I (still) like about the island, even now that it has been too urbanized for comfort, is its early morning scene. Not really that rural, but quite plausibly the cool breezy beach that we all dream about without the millions of busy humanity crisscrossing your every view! Reason why howsoever “wasted” I was at last night’s “until the wee hours” party, I always make it a point to stroll or even just silently sit around by the beach on very early Boracay  mornings. Sometimes, when I have been up too late, I even prolong the sleepless night a bit, just to savor another of Boracay’s early mornings. Its a wonderful feeling!

You wont catch sunrise at any of stations 1 to 3. The entire white beach area is on the western coast of the island so sunrise is over at the other side. But just the same, the “not so peopled” goings-on in the entire white beach strip is quite an experience that should be one for your memory books.

Swish swish swash swish swish… the sound of a Manong or a Manang sweeping the resort’s beachfront from scattered leaves and other rubbish thrown by the irresponsible. If you close your eyes, that sweeping sound even has a rythm that can lull you as you lay flat on one of the sun loungers! Did you notice? Even the 5-stars still have crews sweeping their frontages and backyards!

There is also the soft krrrrrrrrrrrhh sound that comes after the sweeping. I still close my eyes. I know it is the same hotel staff now using a rake to flatten the sand even, and to create some striped design on the ground. They make it real straight – sometimes even ‘erasing’ and redoing the line marks if they don’t like what they just did! Well I asked sometime ago what is the raking thing for and the reply was a simple “so the sand will look clean and beautiful”. Hmm, I think I agree!

But I always open my eyes wide when the truck comes. Yeah, a green truck that always runs the length of the entire white beach area every morning. And yes, I have many friends who have not seen this yet, therefore cannot imagine what it is – for there is none of this along city streets, I think. Thus, always hard for me to describe. All I know is its not that big, probably just the size of a forklift, but it is towing some gadget (about as big) that picks trash from the sand and also leaves a raked trail. Just like what the folks above do! It can pick tiny things like cigarette butts but can also easily pluck the big ones like bottles. A basta, its a green truck!

Then there is the dognapper. oops, dog catcher! Ah this one is a multicab type little white truck where its entire rear portion is a cage for dogs that the officers catch when straying along the beach. Except probably for those two that know how to ride a skimboard?! There is something cute with this truck and the dogs. Even as it approaches and actually still far, dogs run for their respective residences and start barking angrily hehe. They probably do already know what misfortune that white truck brings forth hehe!

The ATV Policemen also pass by! Yeah, and I have been dreaming to ride one of those. I mean those real ones with the written word “police” and on the beach! Not those that you rent out in the hills! ‘La lang. I just like!

I also pay attention when I hear the thumping feet of those who do their early morning jogs on the beach. Y’know, just people watching, even as early in the mornings! Hey, some are serious health buffs with running gear and all. They always remind me to ask myself, when did I ever come to Boracay bringing my running shoes? Can’t imagine I will. Leather shoes yes, for the weddings etc., but sneakers? Naah, takes up most of my backpack space hehe! Hmm, there are others I have seen jogging barefoot. I’d say that must be a cool thing to do. I think! Wheh, there are even others I’ve seen who jog the entire white beach in their “maong shorts”. Well, bakit ba, right?! To each his own!

Some of these joggers wear stuff on the wrist, waist, arms, legs and ears. I think those they attach to the waist and legs are weights. On the wrist, probably a timer or speedometer or something to that effect to monitor the heart. But those attached to the arms and ears never cease to fascinate me with occasional rolling of my eyeballs. Need that cellphone be attached to an arm? Or need it be brought to a few minutes of jogging anyway? Debatable!

Equally fascinating are the earplugs, sometimes even big headsets that crown the heads of these joggers. They probably do not want to hear the lapping little waves on the beach as they run? Or they don’t wanna hear themselves pant and run out of breath? Whatever, I’m not a good dancer, nor am I a good singer, but when I hear music, my mood if not my total physique goes with the rythm. So what do joggers listen to? Probably not lonely ballads for I have not seen anyone stopping to break into tears (yet) hehe. Probably not also ballet music for they might start floating in air, pirouetting as they jog hehe. Rock or hip-hop? Hardly since I should see a head or two banging into the air as they jog. Reggae? Maybe not too, since the rhythm seem slower than a jog. Maybe a march?! Or perhaps, they’re probably listening to DZMM or DZBB for the latest political anomaly! Anyway…

“Isda, fish sir, fresh fish”, I sometimes also get passed by those men and women bringing fish for sale. But nowadays, they seem to walk fast talk fast and leave just as fast when sensing you’re not at all interested. Maybe fish vendors are not anymore allowed to walk and hawk their catch along the beach?! Probably, But early mornings, I still see them deliver fish to their “suki” resorts though. Once I asked a manong who delivered fish to my resort and he told me they are not anymore allowed to park (or is it dock) their little fishing boats on white beach. So they have to do it at either the northern or southern end which is definitely some kilometers away from the central white beach area resorts.

Ah, speaking of north and south… this is one little thing I ALWAYS do when in Boracay. I do early morning walks towards them. One day to the right (north) and the next day to the left (south) or vice versa, depending on my mood. I walk as far to the end as my feet and my cowardly brain can allow me hehe. Both have fantastically good views (especially the southern end) at sunrise. No you won’t see the sun rising as I said above, but the wash of yellowish light from the hills to the beach and the boats is magical you photogs out there must try this!

The northern end is a more challenging walk as there are crags to pass by with only narrow paths (a mix of stone and concrete at least) that seem to just cling from the rocky cliffs with sharp edges. During high tide and when it is windy, waves could be smashing right unto the path you are supposed to trod on hehe. There were times I backed-off, I must admit hehe. But the views are picturesque and it is a wonderful quiet beach over at the Diniwid area and beyond. Also a good one for those who like taking pictures since the white sand is dotted with boulders and smaller rocks. And the number of hotels and resorts with cottages hanging from those cliffs is increasing by the day! There is, btw, a fishing platform along the way with a very good view of the entire white beach.

The opposite end, the southern portion of white beach is equally interesting! Resorts also keep penetrating further south.so I get braver to step further every time I return! There is even a resort that bore something like a tunnel for easy access to the main road!

I have done that first group of big black boulders and stumbled unto another white beach area that I think is being developed into some new resort. Its a small cove hemmed in on both ends by boulders. I think there is even a road up at the top of the hilly crags since I heard vehicles – probably trucks or bulldozers. I usually stop too when the water or the waves and the rocks seem to be already unwelcoming!

Oh, on this southern portion, there are more boats floating some meters away from the shore. They are a nice shot but the earlier the softer your pics will register on the camera – so wake up very early or don’t sleep at all yet hehe. Also a nice view of the entire white beach from this area. BUT, compared to the north, some crevices and boulder corners are smellier – meaning humans still defecate somewhere in this area. BUT also, I have seen many a set of 4 legs entangled or entwined at many of the boulders with white sand at the base. I just move on hehe!

Ah, let’s stop it here! See?! There are so many things Boracay even very early in the mornings. So, as I said above, wake up early or don’t sleep yet till the sun is up. Then probably snore all you can after breakfast hehe!

Enjoy Boracay like I always do!