TOO MUCH
I think there’s such a thing as vacationing too much. I remember a friend I met in Costa Rica a while back told me we always need a vacation after a vacation. See, back then, we also had too much partying going on… Oh, I miss those days. I miss Costa Rica.

Anyway, I just came back from Cebu. And I think I’m coming down with flu or something. My body is aching all over. My nose is stuffed. My head feels like it’s about to explode. You get the picture.

We had such a hectic sked. Not to mention very toxic. Saturday night we partied at Cebu Beach Club via Jamaican Nights 2002. Two things I’d advice first-timers: check out the schedule of events before you head out to the beach. Waiting in-between events really suck. Specially when you’re wearing all white and have to sit on prickly Bermuda grass. And don’t go there when you’ve been partying non-stop the week before and all you can think about is bed, pillows and blanket. No matter what the entertainment is, if you’re body is not up to it, there’s just no way you can enjoy the gimik. Not even the Adonis-material male models donning skimpy white swimwear romping on stage while being sprayed with water could keep my eyes open. Dem. Why did they have to come out at 12MN? :P Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to leave before the wet party started… Mind you, I was with early-twenties folks, so it’s not just me, ok? :P

Sunday we headed off to Malapascua Island. The MBA gang had wanted to go to Boracay but since we couldn’t book our flights on the dates intended, we opted to go to Cebu instead. And Malapascua is the next best thing to Boracay. Except for a bumpy 20-minute ride, the rest of the 3-hour land trip was quite uneventful. After feasting on seafood for lunch, we took the pump boat to the island. And surprise! Because the island was jam-packed, the resort we had made reservations with didn’t hold our reservation. We were left with no place to stay overnight… My cousins looked around and finally found this room with a queen-size bed, with a restroom with no door, no curtains and worse, NO fresh water source. They did have a big barrel filled with, arrghh, saltwater! They had a well outside the house, and yes, still no freshwater! Guess it wasn’t deep enough. Oh, the place was located at the other side of the island, the side less occupied, and without electricity after 12MN, eerie cannot even describe it. But despite all that, we still had a good time in the island. We checked out this new bar called “Maldito” (wasn’t there yet last time I visited in October). Nice place, very nice restroom (and I noticed this because we were practically deprived of one where we stayed at), nice music and they have a couple of billiards tables as well…

Monday night we went barhopping in the city. Not surprisingly, it was very quiet all over town. We were laughing hard because when we went to check out Mi Vida! the waiters immediately went up the counters and started dancing. Uhm, ok, with 5 other people in the club, their dancing couldn’t keep us there.

We finally ended up hanging out in Mr. A, a bar and resto located up a hill a few kilometers away from Cebu Plaza Hotel. The view is just so breathtaking. And the place was chilly, even on a summer night. A couple of drinks and a few horror stories later, we headed back to our house around 2AM.

Tuesday morning we went pasalubong shopping in Ayala Center. The girls were so charmed with all the beady jewelry and other native stuff; we spent more than just the hour we planned on. So it was goodbye to Lapu-lapu (the 1st Filipino hero who fought Magellan). The shrine visit was cancelled because of, well, shopping galore! :)

Tuesday night I was back in Manila. My body all-sore, my body clock still screwed up. Dem. And to add to all this, my car is still in the shop undergoing repair thanks to the guy who rammed into my bumper! The last is really the clincher. I have realized I cannot live without my car. I took the cab for the first time in years and it scared the hell out of me. I had to keep texting my brother (who is in Cebu, btw), giving him description of the car, the driver and anything else I could think of. Call me paranoid, but with all the reported incidents, one can’t be too careful. Anyway, I’ve survived a couple of cab rides already. The rest of my trips I had to call my Ate to give me rides. I just don’t feel safe. And jeepneys are out of the question. Two words. Summer heat. ‘Nuff said. :)