Good Evening Alona Beach

We talked about morning and afternoon, so let's go into my evening on Alona Beach - still good!

As said in the previous story, evening caught with me sitting, doing nothing (tunganga mode/mood) at Blue Ocean Beachfront Resort. I forced my self to move since it was already dinnertime. Galaw-galaw!

No rush though, I was still a bit full with the gluttonic amount of porkchops I devoured during lunch! It was just "necessary" that I be in a restaurant or eatery of my liking between 7 and 8PM, lest I catch no decent dinner at all. Do you know those quirks on Philippine dining practices? Ah, that's another topic!

Anyway, I gravitated walking towards the "de rigeur" entertainment district of Alona Beach. Maybe this time, I was not at all yearning to find some quiet dinner place. That was not very "me" (I know)! Maybe I was affected by the lovey-dovey couple earlier? Nainggit ang kamahalan, ayaw na mag-solo hahaha!

Reaching the area, I told my self "hmm, I sat there last night ah, sa iba naman"..,

Yes, that's Oasis Restaurant where I had my 'night cap' yesterday, after my Amorita dinner meeting!

I heard festive music! When I looked out to the beach, the band (for fire dancers) was already playing!

Wow.., but I had to move on to find dinner, whether it be for 'compliance purposes' or to have a feast.

And then I saw Hayahay Resort & Restaurant (see name at lower-right corner of menu board)!

I knew from past visits that this place is not cheap, but I saw "pasayan" (shrimp addict na yata ako)!

Well, they call it "prawns" even if they don't look big enough for me. The color seems to be so anyway.

Most (all actually) of their diners were upstairs because the views and breeze are fantastic up there.

Yet I opted to stay at ground floor (look, no diners) for two valid and good reasons - according to me!

You (still) want to know my reasons? Really? Sige na nga! First: I saw many diners up there (almost all tables occupied), and most of them were in groups. I didn't want to look 'pitiful' by being the only table with a "solitary diner" hehehe! Second, I wanted to be close-by when the fire dancers start performing!

And my "buttered prawns" arrived. Four pieces = .47kg - P800.70 because it's P1,700 per kilogram!

For "comparison purposes", here is the same plate beside my "1 cup steamed rice" that costs P20..,

Plus 1 bottle of SML @P80, that dinner was worth P900.70 just for me, myself and I. Well, happy still!

Of course I found it expensive. I'd be a fool to say was not, right? But, it was not as if I was surprised since I saw at the time I ordered, that the price would be like so. As I said earlier, this place isn't cheap.

Why in the first place, did I still eat at Hayahay, when I knew it was that expensive? Hmm, let's just say I considered all factors, and I did some "regression analysis", yet the "satisfaction index" was still high!

Ah, don't ask na what "independent variables" I considered at ano ang "standard deviation"! Basta ang importante, masarap at nabusog ako. Well, I am not saying babalik ako = "law of diminishing returns"!

Hahaha, I still remember wonderful crazy things Mareng Winnie taught us in college. She's "da best"!

Anyway, the fire dancers started doing their thing. I left Hayahay and ran to where they were!

And I stayed on the beach watching them for (I think) two sets of performances. They are fascinating!

I shot some video clips of some of their moves and I'll post them here soonest.

Let me clarify, this was not my first time to see fire dancing on the beach. Eh sa Cebu kaya nagsimula at sumikat yan years ago pa, di ba? So, I am not really 'unfamiliar' with this kind of show. I have seen it on Boracay, Bantayan, Galera, Kaoshiung, Kuta, Patong, Goldcoast, Maui even at Toyoko Inn sa J-Mall!

What fascinated me with this group on Alona Beach was primarily their music. They are a big-enough group of instruments that play a trance-like hypnotic kind of music. Believe me, they are not "just-just"!

The dancers too are well trained, they follow a "program" where their acts are lined-up (cued). It is not like in Boracay or Galera where the "macho-dancer" just does his dance as he pleases or remembers!

Okay, while we can also call them as "ambulant" or "peddling" performers, this group does its show in just one spot (since) they are a big group that has logistical challenges. I was observing, I guess there are twice the number of assistants than performers. But I think they're a family or a group of families.

And there is no "entrance fee" since they are just on a public beach where anyone can stand to watch or just pass-by. They rely solely on the crowd's dole outs via a "donation box" that is passed around as the show progresses. Its probably meager, but if they keep doing it, maybe they earn enough to get by.

Alright, done watching the fire dancers, I stepped into another restobar for a fitting 'nitecap'!

Those were NOT my drinks hehehe! It just happened that I was offered a seat on an area of their long bar, nearest where they concoct those drinks. At least an army of bartenders were around to keep me company. They were hectic towards midnight but occasionally bantered with me when not that busy!

Those crews were the ones who told me I was at Coco Vida Bar & Restaurant inside Alona Vida Beach Resort! Oh so many names hehe! Why was I at that part of the bar anyway? Awh, they do have outside tables, one was vacant and readily offered to me, but I said "I prefer the bar" as I had no company, and didn't want to look pathetic, drinking in a table-for-four, alone! Baka mapagkamalan akong paedophile!

Ayun, ang dami ko tuloy nasagap na tsismis!

Oh well, a good evening on Alona Beach indeed. Okay hala sige, good night na!

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