Back and Black!!

I have just arrived home from what is literally the most beautiful, breath-taking island in the entire world! Boracay is just over an hour flight away from the main city of Manila in the Philippines, but you can't fly directly there it's so remote: Lee and I flew to Manila, then took another flight to an island called Caticlan, where we then took a tricycle-cart ride to the ferry loading dock and rode on these crazy spider-like boats to Boracay, where you then have to take another tricycle to the main beach - it was quite a (worthwhile) process! The entire island is about 7km long and shaped like a dog bone; long and thin with two large chunks of land at either end, which we walked up and down almost every day. The sand is so soft and so white, the water is perectly clear sky-blue and warm, everyday was sunny and hot and the air is so clean and fresh, it was Paradise! I got a great tan, and a billion red ant bites covering my legs! Lee was an allergy-free man for a whole week :o) I ate more food than I knew was humanly possible, waking up everyday to gourmet breakfasts and fresh fruit, having smoothies and shakes and daiquiris on the beach everyday, going to a different restaurant every night for dinner of Mexican, Greek, Italian, pizza, crepes, Mongolian Grill, stir-fry...! We watched the sunset every night on the beach during Happy Hour and listened to incredible live music at the bars, and danced at the clubs, and partied with a few friends we met up with there! We got massages on the beach; we rented a motorcycle and went to the highest point on the island; Lee went snorkling; we swam and sunned and went shopping and watched the stars at night. Our resort was a bamboo straw hut style cabin, with a sun-light cut into the shower, deep in the heart of the palm trees and right on the beach. We saw wild piggies and monkeys and baby chickens, played with the local beach kids and fought off the locals who harrassed us everyday to buy things; but the people are all so sweet :o) Words can't describe something so divine, you must just go on your own to see it! All I can say is it was perfect.