Bora, Day 3: Unlike yesterday, this time I woke up earlier, 6 am to be exact. From the hotel, I jogged towards Station 1. I was having the runs so I had to cut my jogging short. Just as I passed the Marian grotto, my stomach acted up.
Bora in the morning is a sight to behold, and well worth the effort to wake up early for a jog, although to be truthful, I had to stop now and then to take a picture of the scenery and the places where I ate. I dropped by at Jonah's to check if they have the elusive avocado shake. They told me to return by 9 am.
My tummy calmed a bit, so I proceeded to the 24-hour Smoke Restaurant located at D'Mall. I ordered their bestselling pork kaopad. The resto is quite difficult to find, since it is along a narrow alley behind Andoks.
before arriving at bora i was expecting it to be crawling with the holiday crowd, but traffic was light |
I proceeded back to my hotel because I felt my stomach was acting up again. I rested for an hour, and then checked out at 11 am. I don't think I'll be coming back at La Carmela Hotel, unless I'm penny-pinching. Yesterday i woke up to the chatter of the staff, the people manning the front desk, except for a few, were not attentive enough, and I can't access my mobile data plan inside my room.
I wanted to eat at Truefood Indian Cuisine for lunch before proceeding to my next hotel but it was still closed. While walking, I didn't notice that my phone falling out until I was approached by some good Samaritans, boatmen who offer rides to tourists, with my phone in tow. This was the second time this happened to me--leaving my phone and someone returning it to me--and I was feeling blessed, despite yesterday's letdown. Perhaps not all is lost to creeping commercialism.
For lunch I went to Epic. The meal was not remarkable but their happy hour is--it starts at 12 noon. After having my fill of margaritas, I proceeded to The Tides Hotel, a little woozy from the drinks. During check-in I arranged an airport transfer to Kalibo, and at P750 it was a good deal.
this greeted me while i was lying on bed |
unfortunately, i had no secrets to hide |
I love the clean, modern lines of the Tides. Three years ago they gave me a red room. Now my room is in black and white. If yesterday I felt laid-back now I can say I can say I wanted to stay in, which I did. Around 4:30 pm I stirred. At this time Bora has come alive--it is teeming with people. I proceeded to Jonah's, but still there was no avocado shake.
From Jonah's I proceeded to Discovery Shores, where I tried the crab fat noodles. It was a nice touch that they gave me some chocnut while waiting for my order. Their mojito is excellent, and I was just in time for the happy hour, which is from 5 pm to 10 pm. I hope next time I'll be staying at the hotel. Order the classic lime mojito--the watermelon was not as good.
At quarter to 7pm I went to Truefood Indian Cuisine and ordered an excellent lamb dish with naan bread. This was an fitting end to my Bora resto run. Tip: as in elsewhere, the priciest restos do not guarantee good food.
I then went back to the Tides for my complimentary drink at their rooftop bar Solstice. With margaritas on hand I checked my Facebook wall and worked on my blogs. I was the first one to arrive, but pretty soon the crowd trickled in. Around midnight I felt queasy from all the drinks I had all day, and so I called it a night.
The next day I woke up at 5:30 am, had an early breakfast, and checked out at 6:40 am. I was the lone passenger in the 7 am hotel van. The driver assisted me up to the raft going to Caticlan. At 8:05 am I boarded a minibus bound for Kalibo airport.
And that was how my holiday Bora trip went. I'm happy I was able to go to most restos in my list, and many of the meals I sampled were good. There's no stopping commercialism, but some people can surprise you with their generosity and good spirit. Well, until the next trip.
Credits: For some of my leads, I'm grateful for these two bloggers: onewayticket and philippinebeaches. Aside from sources online, my friends clue me in on places to eat, going out of their way to point where the good stuff are.
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