Here's an update on Elia and I's weekend travels! A few weekends ago we had the privilege of traveling to the white sand beaches of Boracay. Recently closed for restoration, the Philippine government has done a lot to revamp and clean up the island. Elia and I were not disappointed as our hotel was literally steps away from the beach. We spent a day island hopping and snorkeling and were not disappointed by the beaches and clear water. Unfortunately, a lot of the coral seemed dead, but we were still able to see some beautiful sea-life. It's a shame that so much of the coral is dying because once it's gone it cannot be restored. The Philippine government has tried to preserve the coral but due to the influx of tourists and guides who are not conscious about preserving the wildlife, the coral is slowly dying. Despite that, we had an amazing time island hopping. We also met a surgeon from Brazil who studied abroad during high school in a town 15 minutes from where I live at home! Such a small world! It was great hearing about her experiences and, of course, chat about the medical system in Brazil and how it compares to the Philippines and to the US. She even paid for our tricycle ride back to our hotel. Boracay is a huge tourist destination for Filipinos as well as foreigners. Consequently, everything is super expensive. Elia and I had become accustomed to living off of about 50 pesos ($1) a day so it was frightening seeing meals that averaged about 350 pesos ($7). Despite our frugal nature, Elia and I splurged on delicious food and desserts and some live music.
Next, we traveled to Puerto Princesa with plans of seeing the underground river, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Unfortunately, our tour got canceled right as we were about to board the boat because of a typhoon :( Even though I was disappointed about not being able to see the underground river, it gives me yet another incentive to come back to the Philippines! Despite not seeing the underground river, we took a day trip to El Nido. Surprisingly, we had no intentions of going to El Nido but we were told by our friends that it is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines. We spontaneously booked a tour and it was one of the best decisions we've made! We took another island hopping tour and witnessed the most amazing rock formations. We even met some amazing people from Israel who took us kayaking. Without a doubt, so many of our trips have been great due to the friendships made along the way. Lastly, we met up with some of our friends from FNRI for dinner. It was great catching up with our friends after 2 months. I especially missed my fellow senior nursing major, Kenzie, so it was incredible being able to talk to her bubbly personality again.
