Boracay -- Places to go on a rainy day

When we tired of sitting on the beach, we walked to that abomination, D’Mall, something I had sworn I would never patronize but that turned out to be quite useful in The Time of Habagat. We had some really good Italian food in Arya, did some shopping, admired the ferris wheel and climbing wall, mingled with the crowds of Koreans, then set out to find Real Foods, a holdover from the days when Boracay was still quaint and nipa-roofed. After a search – the beachfront establishments change all the time, but we were hungering for their uniquely delicious kalamansi muffins and persevered – we found it. It hadn’t changed a bit in 10 years, but was fast losing its beachcomber charm, hemmed in as it was with concrete buildings. It belonged to another era, overtaken by the concrete-glass-and-pool establishments. There was one right next door, the Astoria, and further down the beach, Estacio Uno. Both very charming and well-designed but merely small versions of the Uber-concrete-glass-and-pool-moderne-hot place that probably started the whole trend, Discovery Shores. Not for them the rustic or the tropical beach look … there was not a bamboo or nipa in sight … strictly for concrete-loving urbanites. I would call it the Makati-by-the-Sea look.

My favorite place to stay is Sea Wind. It’s still old-style Boracay …. Lots of nipa and bamboo, and a spacious beach front because its cottages are set back, not smack on the beach.

All the establishments had big frames of plastic sheeting to shelter their customers from the rain and wind. We decided to venture away from the beach and checked out a new place on the other side of the island called Asya. It was spectacular, in a dignified, quiet and serene way. There was a very zen-like entrance that led to the focus of the resort: the swimming pool, a circle reached by a long flight of stairs that descended, arrow-like, towards it. The stairs were regularly interrupted with landings that contained a small circular pond, echos of the big pool below. A narrow band of water bisected the steps, trickling down calmly, every now and then blending with the shallow ponds, before flowing on down to its ultimate destination. How philosophical it all was!

Once down, however, all philosophical thoughts were tossed aside while we got down to the serious business of ordering drinks, pica-pica and dinner. Tables were perched between the pool and the cliff, overlooking the white-sand cove down below and the sunset ahead. There was no red sunset to enjoy but large gaps in the clouds filled us with optimism that sun-filled days awaited us.