An Out of Body Experience in Paradise

It was in Shangri-la that I first went through more than 10 out-of-body experiences, literally. I sat on that throne and felt I had flushed my intestines out into the toilet.

All hell broke loose in paradise!



Going in and out of consciousness, I thought I was having hallucinations of an angel taking care of me, preparing my inevitable face-to-face meeting with the devil himself. Whew, thank god, it was only the resort nurse who attended to me personally.



A couple of hours earlier, after an almost teary goodbye with our resort in Station 1, we opted to have breakfast along the main drag, the so-called D' Mall. A quick 20-minute leisurely walk along White Beach, we hit the culprit, looking coy and innocent, just next to Aria, the Italian restaurant.



If there's a place on earth that I'm willing to experience this kind of wrath of Dante's inferno, it will have to be Shangri-la - the hotel that is.



So, bring it on. Bring it on.



Boracay, Philippines

This little piggy ...

And we all know what happened to him at the market.



Balut.
Lumpia.
Adobo.
And the occasional artery-clogging lechon.



It seems that these are the only dishes that somehow represent this much-maligned and easily-dismissed cuisine.



And for the few brave souls who ventured to this country, they only need to head to the city's financial district of Makati to sample the country's varied, and at times heart-attack-inducing dishes. And it's so worth it.

Only a few years old, this may not be Bastille Market, but it's close. Really close.

Salcedo Farmer's Market
Makati City, Philippines

So many islands, so little time

I knew it will have to end...my days in paradise.



And as if preparing for God to finally appear and banish me from Eden forever, I hired a banca, an outrigger found throughout the Philippines, lugged nothing but myself, a couple of bottles of water and the guide/boatman and headed - out of the countless almost empty beaches, coves and lagoons in this archipelago - to my favorite spot hoping that I would somewhat escape the inevitable departure.



Once I got there, I told the boatman that he can leave and pick me up on the agreed time.



There, for a good 4 hours or so, I swam giddily, in awe of this magical place. There I was in this lagoon by myself, nothing but the sea, the forest, some monkeys, a couple monitor lizards and few fishes around. Alone. Yes, alone. I heard a voice deep inside me, it was nature talking and told me to do what was just, well, natural. I took off my shorts, swam naked with the fishes and cooked myself nicely while I sunbathe under the tropical sun.



But all good things do come to an end.



This is one of those places that would make Robinson Crusoe green with envy.

Bacuit Archipelago
Palawan, Philippines.

More photos here.