Boracay Nights

Party like there's no tomorrow!

Aherm... I would have said that years ago, for in fact that was what I would usually do. Years ago haha!

But I guess this thing does not even have to do with age. It's more on the "sawa factor" - meaning you have had enough! Kind of a 'the-same-old-nightlife-on-the-island-fatigue'! It is true. I'm not bragging!

Don't get me wrong.., there are too many nightlife options on the island, sometimes even too many of the same. But if you've been visiting at say 2X or 3X a year, at times even 4X or 5X (kasal dito, birthday doon, team building nanaman, and relatives na nagpapasama), it becomes harder to find excitement!

Not that I've literally been to all those places. But for me (I think for many of us) Boracay Nights does fall under the "law of diminishing returns" reality! Sorry po, estudyante ako ni Kumareng Winnie nyo!

Anyway, since it now appears to be my 'responsibility' to keep telling you my readers, where I've been, what I did and what I can say about the experience... here I go with a little caveat... "ho hum"! Ganoon!

Here's a sample...
After watching the late-afternoon-to-evening beach goings-on, we decided to walk leftwards (south) as we already did our daytime walk-swim-walk northwards. And, the plan was: CWM (Come What May)!

To the left, as we watched that boat with a dozen 'adventurers' sail away to wherever, for whatever it was they were after. Maybe to sail under the moon and stars? Ambot ah! Well, walang basagan ng trip!

A few steps from where we took-off to start our 'barhopping nightlife', we already liked what we saw.

Boracay Sands Hotel is actually almost beside Astoria Current where we were staying. There's just the Golden Phoenix Hotel between them. We checked out their bar, we didn't like the location, we moved.

Well, that is one advantage of Boracay - there are a lot of choices - if you don't feel like it, move on!

Next to The Sands is La Isla Bonita resort (after that little 'eskinita' which is a way to the inner roads). We also peeped inside, open and lively, but everything front was under reconstruction, so we walked-on to the next one, still going left (south). We prefer open frontage with a view for 'people watching'!

And we found one right after 'la isla'... that is at The Crown Regency.

None even said a word, we just immediately took our seats and settled well on that vacant high table! Just exactly "the perch" we wanted! We jokingly call these areas as "front seat" - for 'people watching'!

Aside from the nice 'crowd vantage' we knew we were in a good place - this is part of the Aston Group!

They call that side a "sports bar", so the TV perennially shows sports programs (basketball this time).

Eto: this picture became a conversation piece for me and my kumpare as we drank the night away!

My phone was still aimed at the 'faceless' bar (I waited for Manong Guard to disappear from my shot), but crews were already busy. Yet those two - thinking I was shooting 'them' - still found time to smile!

Me thumbs up pa, and the guy even exclaimed a "welcome back sir"! Da, kami ang nabigla sa tuwa!

And my friend said to me "tingnan mo yan, busy na sila pero masaya pa rin and very welcoming". And I asked "bakit, saan ba hindi ganyan"? He retorted with "sa Singapore"! We had a good laugh when he added "sigurado yan, sasabihin nung mga aburidong matatanda nila why you taking my picture, ha?"!

True indeed, but I said "baka sa fastfood lang, wala yata mga gurang sa mga bar". But the friend said "wheh, meron ang dami, they're everywhere, lahat nakasimangot mula pag-gising hanggang matulog"!

While we laughed, secretly criticizing the restaurant crews of other nations, me isang ayaw patalbog!

This intelligent, well-informed, funny, fun, crazy, entertaining waiter appeared to have known we were observing and talking about "delightful customer service". Yet I was sure he didn't, due to loud music!

Just when we were talking about wait staff attitudes, here came one of the best of them on earth! His 'spiel' includes not only descriptions of the restaurant menu. It includes impromptu funny leg-pulling 'salesmanship' like "sikat na kami sir, dahil kayo ang nasa entrance, lahat curious sa restobar namin"!

When my friend asked: what's your bestseller, his quick reply (in English) was: everything sells well sir, but our Boracay Beach Breeze is very popular (it's their signature cocktail). Friend: hindi drinks, I mean yung pagkain. Waiter: oh sorry, pork ribs sir. Dinugtungan pa ng: and it goes well with Boracay Breeze!

Hahaha! We were already enjoying the night just talking to this conversationalist of a waiter. One time we tried taking a selfie. He suddenly appeared saying: may I do the honor, sir. Makalingaw ang buang!

They don't have pica-pica type (pulutan) by the way. We ordered chicken nuggets anyway (it's a kiddie meal)! But before getting our beers, this waiter said: I will leave this menu on the table sir, in case you decide to have anything heavier. We need to eat well and have a full stomach before drinking alcohol!

Clever, di ba? In bisaya we call that "maru" ang gi-ahak hehehe! He must be one of the hotel's assets.

Now now... when not many people were passing-by, the view from where we sat was actually this...

We found it challengingly fun trying to shoot that scene in the various flood light colors of the hotel!

Making it even harder was: trying to shoot ourselves in that area, with the different light colors (blue, green, red, yellow) and, timing our shots where there were no people passing by! Nkakapagod din ah!

Here's a sample clip where people were passing on that path just inches away from our table:
It was also fun watching some of the 'passers-by' dance with the bar's music, as they walked along!

Note: we were so busy with that dusk view (and people-watching hehee) that we barely touched this:

The chicken nuggets, yes the kiddie meal that we ordered as said above, and oh it goes well with SML!

Note further: we overstayed at Boracay Regency, so, unable to comply with our strict barhopping limit that is: a bottle or two, then move! We forgot all about time, and the number of bottles we consumed!

And that was only the first stop on our 'bar-hopping' plan for the evening. Hiyay!

Changes had to be implemented. And good that we're both change managers by profession. As if that helps, hahaha! At least we both know how to assess 'satisfaction rates' to still achieve a primary goal!

Ganun? Yes, like that!

We've targeted (per plan) to visit bars and similar joints leftwards (going south) from Astoria Current. But alas dimalas, our dinner place of choice was Don Vito, an Italian restaurant some 1km to the right.

Decision Point: dinner is more important than beer! So, we left the Regency, for that "long walk"!

Ayan, we just passed by Astoria Current, as if it had nothing to do with us, eh dyan kaya kami umuuwi!

Actually, it is less than a kilometer, probably just about 800 meters. But, because we enjoyed our pre-dinner beers (and people watching) at Boracay Regency, walking to anywhere else was truly an effort!

We reached Don Vito anyway. Nice that there were not so many people anymore, though tables by the entrance (pathwalk, for people-watching hehe) were taken, so we settled a bit inwards, near the pool.

Good enough ambiance, especially with this 'live acoustic band' - for a change of rhythm and pace...

For starters (automatically along with SML, of course) we had potato fries with the soup and salads.

And when the 'main event' came, this one that we walked about a kilometer for... katahimikan...

Silence? Bakit naman? Ah eh, we were busy devouring that delectable concoction... we barely talked!

Good food, good place, nice atmosphere. You can talk without shouting or screaming as their music is just fine enough as background to your conversations. Well, we still wished we were perched at those tables by the entrance! It's a nice pastime sitting where people pass and talking bad about them! 😈

Hahaha! Mga tamayan!

We liked being at Don Vito Ristorante Italiano, that, we breached our barhopping time limit again! We were so engrossed talking about many things, that, I think we also breached our beer limits. Lasheng!

I can't even recall why I went to front desk and took that pic. At least I know I didn't create a scandal!

Maybe I went to the 'comfort room' and shot that photo along the way? Ah, maybe. For my companion can't also remember anything! This was such a good night we have forgotten our human limits. Gosh!

Anyway, me and friends remember Don Vito as a good place for authentic brick-oven Italian pizza. For some, that's their buffet breakfast area when staying at Mandarin. While for kids, that's a gelato place!

In summary... for the whole evening, we just went to 2 restobars and we were done. Could we still call that a barhopping experience? Nah! Not like our younger years... but we loved the experience anyway!

On another night, it happened again. We ate at one restaurant, went to a bar, and another, and, slept! It may be boring for you to read about - because it's even boring for me to write about hehe! Oh well!

Things change... according to age and experience. You keep going to one place, magsasawa ka rin!

Don't laugh, because that will happen to you too. Bar-fatigue, or even Boracay-fatigue is real.

But enjoy every moment with whoever you are there with. That is more important!

Tulog na tayo, pwede?

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