Prescription For Melancholy

T HEY say that the white           hideaway was still undiscovered)   sands of Boracay are as         since the Kano’s did not look for  fine as the men who ride        tony accommodations, were          their bikes on the beach at           comfortable in barely laundered    sunset.                               clothes and ate everything they                                          offered.                           What they did not tell me about                                          was that the women were equally       But word got out. Pretty soon,     toned, tanned and able to down 13     Lonely Planet's Jens Peters found  tequilas in quick succession.         his way there, and when Boracay                                          got listed in the backpacking      Boracay's story started when          bible, Europeans arrived in        German backpackers, in their          droves.                            quest for the elusive puka                                               shells, discovered this wide and      For the coconut farming and        endless stretch of beach. An          fishing community, life was        answer to a white man's dream -       forever changed.                   paradise discovered.                                                                                           Today, the island is marketed all  So, for the next few years a          over the world as a hedonistic     succession of Germans pitched         paradise. Foreign and domestic     their tents, downed gallons of        tourists either arrive alone, or   tuba (coconut wine), and              in threes. The better to strike    snorkeled in the clear blue           up conversations with strangers.   waters around the island.                                                                                      Honeymooners mostly head for the   The locals did not mind. In fact,     south where cliffs hide villas     they preferred the Kano               from prying eyes and the sea is    (Caucasians) over the Manila          just a few steps away.             elite (who thought their secret                                          Although there are 10 beaches,        restos stand tongue-in-cheek with  the main stretch is 3.6km long        souvenir shops where artsy types   and called White Beach. It is         holler their wares.                here where all the action                                                happens.                              In Boracay, breakfast is at 5                                            p.m., just in time for the         Boracay is a tourist trap and         dazzling sunset that has found     White Beach the quintessential        its way to countless travel        tourist "street." Instead of          brochures.                         ostentatious buildings lit up by                                         neon, you see establishments in       Parties begin at 11 p.m., and      bamboo chic. Eat-all-you-can          this is what tourists come for.    About the Author: Philippine Wide provides quick information on traveling in the Philippines. Philippine Travel Guide, Restaurant Reservation, Diving Spots, Best Spa and Beach Resorts Reservation Services. Feel free to visit the site at http://www.philippinewide.com/ Published At: www.Isnare.com