the wind pulled us on one side as the boat changed its direction, we can only hear the sound of the wind. nothing else. the view was simply breathtaking.
i remember the time when we were traveling our way to the central beach area. we were given the option to choose between reef walking or parasailing. without doubt i along with the majority chose parasailing. though i'm sure reef walking was fun as well.
we boarded a small speed boat which just brought us to the lift-off area, which is kilometers away from the shoreline. we were then transferred to a bigger speed boat which holds the parascender.
this time we moved even farther from Boracay island's shoreline where the one can already see the other parasailers roaming around the area. i was chosen to do it first along with Travel Life writer April who was as excited.
we were given our harness while the staff prepaired the parasail just behind a flat area of the speed boat. the loud upbeat music being played in the boat was perfect before we were lifted off.
as the staff gave the ready sign, we were gradually being pulled up by the parasail and as we ascend the loud music was fading. it was a good measure of how high we were going, approximately 400-450feet above sea level. the tow rope measures 500feet.
the speed boat was so little now from the top that it looked like a toy. a person with acrophobia might choose not to do it, but quite contrary to the perception of parasiling as scary, it isn't. it is in fact considered as a recreational activity.
one can feel so relaxed while on top. my companion April even mentioned that she finds the experience a perfect one to ponder on new ideas and stories to write. i definitely agree.
after some time, we were already pulled down and can' help but feel so good to have done it. something i'll never forget. something i know that i'll do again and again and again.
to parasail in Boracay, look for the parasailing booth at station 2 area, where one registers and is assigned per batch to a speedboat. parasailing costs between P2000-P2,500 as of this posting. when you're in Alta Vista de Boracay, the resort staff can arrange a schedule for parasailing and other beach activities around the island.
in a tropical country like the Philippines one would rarely end a summer without a trip to the nearby resorts or the many beautiful beaches. every year i made sure that i get to visit at least three beaches.
this year, on top of my list is Camarines Norte's Calaguas group of islands. Southeast of Manila North of Paracale. one of the gateway to this island is a town where agriculture, fishing and gold panning is the main source of living.
it's not the usual provincial town in the country, where houses and stores would close before 8pm or even earlier. here bakeries and restaurants are open until 2am and sometimes until 4am. mainly because the mining site operates even at night.
one can easily walk around the whole town with the church, the national hero's park and a mini gymnasium at its center. people may seem to be unfriendly at first but like most Filipinos are always ready to help an guide you to its docking area.
this is not usually the preferred jump-off point to Calaguas because of the limited trips to this town from Metro Manila and the unavailability of an aircon bus. but the way here is relatively closer than from Daet and that the boat trip to Calaguas is shorter.
the experience of visiting this fishing and mining town, and a shorter route makes it a good option to Calaguas. but taking the route via Daet is the most advisable because it has more bus trips and most of the boats there has life vests as they are more used to bringing tourists to the island.
how to get to Paracale: one can drive to the town of Paracale which can take 8 to 9 hours depending on the traffic and the stopover one makes along the way. by bus, one can take a direct trip to Paracale taking Philtranco bus lines at Pasay terminal. concern here is they don't have an aircon bus and the trips are not as frequent as the ones that goes to Daet.
