Honeymoon in Boracay: Five Days of the Fantastical

Holidays do not come often in our school year in Korea, and Kris and I made the most out of the most recent week break that we had over the end of July and beginning of August. Even though we were married in January, we had yet to have our honeymoon, so we made plans to visit Boracay, an island in the Philippines, to belatedly celebrate our nuptials. We could not have asked for a better week.

We chose Boracay for a number of reasons. First of all, a number of our friends have played Ultimate there in the past, and have raved about the island as a great place to get away. Second, the travel time from Korea was relatively short compared to returning home to South Africa. Third, the island is well-known for its beaches and water activities, which were exciting prospects to both of us. Finally, my mother had managed to find us free accommodation. Who says no to free accommodation?

After a five-hour flight, an irritatingly long 10-hour layover in Manila, another hour-long flight, a cab ride, a ferry, and another cab ride, we finally managed to dump our things and touch base in our hotel. The brief time spent in the cabs and ferries gave us a good idea of the general aura of Boracay: chaos. The island seemed cleft in two between stark poverty and lavish lifestyle. This dichotomy is familiar to us, as it is the dynamic of many cities in South Africa. We even commented how similar it felt to Durban, a coastal city from our home country.

Our first standout experience of the tour was scuba diving. Through help from staff at the hotel, we booked an outing with a seemingly reliable outfit, and woke up early on our second morning to squeeze into wetsuits and see what all the fuss was about. Scuba diving exceeded all of our expectations, and opened our eyes in a way I was not expecting at all. The concept of breathing underwater for more than 12.74 seconds was something I could not comprehend. Nevertheless, after a worryingly brief training explanation and an even more brief freakout on my part, I managed to get the hang out it.

We were led among several coral reefs and even got to feed fish. We generally took in the fact that we were several meters under the water and not simply inhaling water and dying. That was my perspective, anyway. Kris no doubt spent less time contemplating the logistics of it all and more time actually seeing the beauty around us. Luckily for me, there was enough time to get over the fact that I was actually breathing underwater and simply experience the wonder of it all. Scuba diving is something that we will certainly seek out again.  Sadly, whilst we were given a CD of photographs taken during our trip, it turned out to be blank, much to our disappointment. The experience will have to live on only in our memories.

Our next standout event was island hopping. A popular tradition for the many tourists of Boracay, we spent a day on a boat, zipping between different parts of Boracay and the surrounding islands. We drank from a coconut on the beach, we snorkeled (more marveling at breathing under water on my part), and we tossed a disc around at every opportunity.

The highlight of the island hopping was visiting a cliff diving park. We paid a small entry fee and were allowed to jump into the ocean from boards at varying heights. The jumps ranged from three metres all the way up to ten metres from the water. These sound like small numbers. They are far more terrifying when you look down between your feet and see every last centimetre between you and the safety of the waves below. We both tentatively started at the seven-metre jump (because we weren’t aware that the lower heights existed beforehand), plunging into the watery abyss little more than bundles of nerves falling into liquid. While it was terryifying, it was incredibly freeing to simply jump off of something high into water. We both worked our way up to higher platforms, eventually jumping off of the ten-metre jump with terror and triumph mixing together in our stomachs. I enjoyed it so much that I just kept on jumping for over an hour. Kris, still recovering from her knee surgery, elected to watch and make some new friends, and occasionally took a photo or two to capture the moment.

The nine- and ten-metre cliff jumps

We also made new friends doing something that we love: playing Ultimate. Whilst we were walking down the beach one day, we happened to see some of the Boracay Dragons (a world-famous beach Ultimate team based on the island) playing some casual pickup. We initially sat on the sidelines and watched, marveling at their speed and accuracy, even in horrendously windy conditions. After a while, they noticed Kris and I on the sideline, and asked us if we would like to join. Whilst I was skeptical that Kris may injure herself and I was also a little tired and my eyes were acting up, we decided that the opportunity to play Ultimate on a beach in Boracay was one that we could not pass up. We spent more than an hour in what became a rainstorm playing the sport that we both love. The Boracay players were incredibly warm and friendly, and the spirit in which they played the game was light-hearted and joyous. They clearly loved every minute of running up and down the beach, trying to best the other team. They didn’t play to win. They just played to have fun, and we all had a wonderful time playing together.

Not pictured: the litres of rain soaking through our clothing.

Our final unforgettable experience from Boracay was mermaid swimming, which is exactly what it sounds like. We put on special swimsuits that wrapped our feet together like a mermaids, took some photos, and proceeded to have a lesson in how to make the most of our altered swimming state. We learned several ways to kick, a couple of tumbles, and even failed at doing handstands. We looked less like the majestic creatures of myth and legend and more like drunken seals flailing around in the water. But damn, was it fun. It was uniquely challenging to modify our swimming styles to best suit the mermaid tails, and we both relished learning something new. Our instructor was so impressed with us that she certified us as level 2 mermaids (out of a possible 5), even though we should by all rights have only been level 1. She was very gracious.

D’aww. So cute.

Permeating all of these experiences was food of a constantly high quality. Boracay can quite easily be called a tourist trap, and there was no shortage of food that was far from traditional Filipino cuisine. We gorged on delicious burgers which rivaled those of Brooklyn Burger Joint for quality of ingredients. We ate local variations on pizza. Where possible, we tried to experience local cuisine, and all of it was reasonably-priced and delectable.

A delcious Filipino oxtail stew.

Our experience in Boracay was well worth the wait. We did things that we had never done before. We relaxed and simply recharged after several months of draining teaching. We ate delicious food. We reveled in the warmth and friendliness of the Filipino people. We played Ultimate on the beach with some of the best players in the world. We honestly did not want to leave. Our honeymoon was exactly what we had hoped it would be, and more.

Sheer majesty

Both Sides of Skid Road: Touring Seattle

When a tourist thinks of seeing the great sights of the United States, Seattle is not a name that comes up very often. A typical potential traveler to the US will have places like Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, or San Francisco on their itinerary before Seattle will even be considered. Nevertheless, my fiancée and I visited Washington’s largest city and took in some of the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations. Here are some of the highlights of our time in Seattle, in no particular order.

Space Needle

The most iconic piece of Seattle’s skyline was well worth the visit. The views of the city were rather nice, but I honestly preferred the historical tales of the construction of the Space Needle to the spectacle. The walk up to the lift was home to several large boards giving timelines for the project, with historical reference points such as the moon landing thrown in for context.

This is the first of the attractions that we went to using the City Pass – a worthy investment for any traveler to Seattle. The City Pass is essentially a book of coupons for access to set attractions around the city for a lower price than it would be to purchase them individually. I have used a similar Pass in Paris before, and the Seattle one certainly saved us some money and hassle.

Pike Place Market

While the Space Needle might be the most visually striking part of Seattle, Pike Place gives the hardest assault on the senses. The chaos of an exceedingly busy farmer’s market filled with shops trying to sell everything from ceramic piggy banks to glasswork to fresh fish, bulging with customers foaming to buy as much as their wallet allows them (and maybe a bit more on top of it) was overwhelming for me at times. I found the market fascinating, with so many different stores, but I also had to seek the quiet corners on a couple of occasions to re-ground myself.

One of the more famous stores at Pike Place is the first-ever Starbucks. The line to enter is reputedly long, but we simply walked in. This ease of access compared to the stories that I’d read makes me worry that my fiancée, my brother (who joined us on the trip briefly) and I didn’t actually end up going to the first Starbucks, but simply one close to it. Let’s just hope we caught Starbucks on a quiet day.

Gum Wall

Next to Pike Place market lies another Seattle icon – the gum wall. It is exactly what its name suggests – a wall where people have placed their gum. Not a few people, though. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people. It is disconcertingly interesting to consider both the sheer amount of gum on the wall and the creativeness of some of the more elaborate contributions. There are names spelled in gum, symbols, and even the American flag in gum. It is even more compelling to consider that the wall is cleaned on a not-too-irregular basis for hygiene purposes.

Gas Works Park

A park is a park is a park, right? All you need is some green grass and open space and you’re set, surely? Not at Gas Works Park. The site of a disused gas works (shock! horror!), this park boasts great views of the downtown Seattle skyline across the river, acres of space (so you never feel like you have to crowd next to another group), and a nice balance of sun and shade. All in all, a great place to spend a lazy couple of hours in the sun reading, throwing a disc, or simply people-watching.

Fremont Troll

A short walk from Gas Works Park is the Fremont Troll, a large figure mostly comprised of cement. The troll sits underneath one of the major bridges in Fremont, holding a car in its grasp and staring blankly at all those who would behold it. I feel like the concept is creative, but it was let down a little in its execution. While it is certainly impressive, the troll is not remarkably striking or visually appealing. It is dull and grey, except for its eyes and the car in its clutches. Perhaps a mixed media creation would have popped better, but the troll gets a bit lost in the grey cement surrounding it. The only historical background available at the site is a small plaque. If you visit Gas Works Park or the surrounding areas, you should go visit the troll, but it is a short visit.

EMP Museum

The EMP Museum is unlike any other museum that I have ever been to. The curators of the museum are clearly trying to widen the audience that is interested in museums in general. While most museums are filled with items of historical value from a broad spectrum of topics, the EMP museum chooses instead to focus on smaller collections in topics of great pop culture interest, with kooky side exhibits thrown in. For example, the exhibitions that were showing whilst my fiancée and I visited Seattle focused on science fiction, fantasy, horror Movies, a history of Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, indie video games, and wearable art. There was a section showing music videos on a film cinema-sized screen. There was an extra paid section exploring Star Trek (which we chose to skip because we’d never watched any).

EMP Museum is well-aimed at young adults looking to explore the history and present of what interests them. As my fiancée and I fit very firmly into that demographic, we were enraptured by EMP, spending most of a day there. I was most surprised by the horror section. My fiance and I both have extremely low tolerance for being scared. I am not interested in most horror films. And yet, exploring the way horror is constructed, watching short blurbs on key films in the genre, and learning about some of the masters of the craft was incredibly informative, as it is not an area that I have explored much due to fear.

An explanation of some of the common monsters used in modern horror films

EMP Museum is one of the top reasons to go to Seattle. If you’re in the city and you have a day, go. It is also part of the City Pass, so you can save some money there.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Directly next to the Space Needle and EMP Museum lies the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. Chilhuly is a famed glassblower and artist from Seattle, known for pushing the limits of glass as a medium. The museum is relativey small and there is not much information to be found, but this is clearly an intended design, to avoid detracting from the pieces themselves. There are truly some beautiful pieces in the museum. However, as it is small, it takes less than an hour before you’ve admired everything, so don’t plan an entire afternoon around it.

The experience at Chihuly is short and beautiful. If you make the trip to visit either the Space Needle or EMP, be sure to check it out. It is a calming experience to walk through rooms filled with coloured, crafted glass. Another reason to ge the City Pass. The more I mention the City Pass, the more I feel compelled to say that I wasn’t paid by them to write this post.

Seattle Aquarium

OTTER!

 

The second-last mention of the City Pass in this post, the Seattle Aquarium is a cosy yet refreshing aquarium. Its layout is unusual, spread over multiple buildings on Seattle’s piers. It is home to hundreds of species of fish, a couple of octopi, birds, and, most importantly, otters. Cute, cuddly, fluffy otters, of both the river and sea variety. Kris, my fiancée, and I spent more time watching the otters than we spent at the rest of the aquarium combined. That includes the gift shop, where we spent dozens of minutes agonizingly choosing what otter-branded merchandise we would buy (we landed on a big fluffy otter plush and cups with otters on them). If you like otters, I mean, aquatic life, Seattle Aquarium is worth your time. It is also close to Pike Place Market, so you can combine the two and the next attraction for a good day out.

The otter’s name is Ollie.

 

Sprit of Seattle Ferry

The final milking of our City Pass came from a ferry ride around the coast of Seattle. While there were options to go on trips to see orcas, we went on a short, hour-long zip in the waters around Seattle. There was almost-constant narration from the crew, detailing the sights and dropping interesting historical tidbits about the city. Whilst we didn’t see any whales, we did get another angle on the city, some more information about it, and a couple of photos of seals. Not quite as cute as otters, but still quite cute in their own lazy way.

Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

Seattle before the Great Fire

Our historical education of Seattle was further improved by Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour. In the 19th century, Seattle suffered a terrible fire which burned down a large portion of the city (luckily, no-one was killed). The city planners took the opportunity to rebuild the parts of the area close to the coast exactly one storey higher than they previously were, effectively raising large portions of the city by a floor.

This leaves these areas with underground tunnels, filled with history and dust. There are many tours through these tunnels, but the one that seemed the most well-reputed was Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour. We soon saw why. The tour guide was knowledgeable, funny, and effectively herded the mass of people behind him. Kris, my brother, and I all had a great time on the tour, and the stories he told added a touch of magic to the rest of our time in Seattle. Every time we looked down, we imagined what might be lying below us, left untouched from decades before.

Looking up at the street while people walk over you is an interesting experience

These are the more traditional sights of Seattle, that you’ll see on TripAdvisor and the like. However, we also visited some landmarks which are more obscure and suited to the unique tastes of Kris and I. Here they are:

Five Ultimate

Kris and I both love Ultimate. The game and community around it are major factors in our decision to stay in Korea for as long as we have. So, when we found out that Five Ultimate, one of the major Ultimate manufacturers have their headquarters in Seattle,  we had to pop in, say hi, and leave with a bunch of shiny Ultimate things. After struggling to find their offices (they aren’t allowed to have large signage on the outside of their building – we only successfully found them by going to their address and luckily spotting their WiFi), we were welcomed into the sprawling home of high-quality Ultimate merchandise. We were given a quick tour by Denny (who happened to also have played Ultimate in Korea for many years – small world) and then let loose to buy what we wanted, a privelege we may have abused a little. We kept on chatting with Denny, sharing tales of Korea and Ultimate and life. Whilst not necessary for most, Ultimate players visiting Seatte should try and pop in at Five Ultimate.

Banana for scale

Meeples Games

Photo credit to the West Seattle Blog

It is no secret to those who know us that Kris and I love board games. Naturally, we have to explore the board game options within any given city. Whilst there are a number of highly-rated board game stores in Seattle, Meeples Games was the most convenient for us. I walked in expecting a pokey store with a few shelves and a table to play, but was met with a bustling, expansive, multi-room haven for games. There were games of all shapes, sizes, difficulties, preferences, and tastes. There was even a Magic: the Gathering tournament going on whilst we visited. I found games that I had been searching for for months with no luck in Korea. I found games I didn’t know I wanted (but bought anyway). I found games I wanted, but couldn’t justify taking with because they would have taken up too much space of our bags (I’m looking at you, Marvel Legendary). The staff was friendly and wise in the ways of cardboard fun. The game spaces looked clean, and there were even couches within the store for you to sit and read the back of a box. I wish every board games store was like Meeples.

Mox Cafe

Photo credit to meetup.com

While we visited Meeples near the beginning of our time in Seattle, by the time we were almost ready to head home, our board game itch began to show itself again. So we decided to visit another Seattle board-gaming mecca – Mox Cafe. Whereas Meeples is primarily a store where you can also sit down and play a game or two, Mox Cafe is primarily a cafe where you can enjoy food and drink whilst sampling a new board game or pulling out an old favourite. Mox has a large sample of games that you can play at their tables. They are fully licensed, and have a good selection of drinks and food (although we didn’t eat there). Kris and I had a good few hours of fun playing Raptor (where Kris the mommy velociraptor was too cunning for me and my scientists) and Castle Panic (where we defended a castle against hordes of orcs, goblins, and trolls). Mox Cafe also has a library for sale that rivals Meeples. While it is a bit out of the way from Central Seattle, it was a great way for us to spend an evening.

From an exceptional museum, a feat of architecture, and a bustling market place to board game havens and a cement troll, Kris and I saw a great deal in our time in Seattle. In coming posts, I will explore The International (the event that brought us to Seattle in the first place), Seattle food, and, finally, our engagement story. There are many more tales to come from our time in Seattle, but if you ever decide to visit the city, keep these landmarks on your list of things to do and see while you are there!

 

Japan: The Land of Bonkers Theme Parks, Otakus, and Nice People

Ah, what a holiday it was. Nine days in the place that Kris and I that had wanted to go to for many years. We went to two of the world’s best theme parks. We ate the most sublime sushi that we had ever eaten. And we loved every minute of it. I am quite tired from all of our travelling, so I am just going to give a quick run-down of both the good and not-so-good things about Japan that we discovered in our all-too-short time in that wonderful country. I will undoubtedly miss things out, but I will do a more lengthy post later in the week, telling the tale of our time in the magical land that is Japan.

The Good:

– Theme Parks: We went to two different theme parks, Universal Studios Japan and Fuji-Q Highland. Universal was a soft, warm dose of nostalgia through attractions based on famous movie franchises such as Harry Potter, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park. Fuji-Q was like a line of pure adrenaline taken in a dirty back alley, with four of their coasters holding world records. I went from 0-179 kilometers per hour in 1.8 seconds. It was manic. Both parks are reason enough to plan a trip to Japan, never mind all of the other things we did.

– Food: Japanese food is far more varied than South Korean fare, and there are far fewer American chains in the country. Our personal favourite was sushi at Tsukiji Fish Market. The sushi was made from fish that came out of the sea a matter of hours before it landed on our plate, crafted by a sushi master with twenty-three years of experience. All other sushi will pale in comparison to that.

– Japanese people: The Japanese are a warm, welcoming people, eager to help those that are visiting their country. There were at least four occasions when Kris and I were lost and observant Japanese passersby helped us find our way. We were even helped to our Tokyo accommodation by a semi-drunken man and a waitress from a local pub. They walked the streets for half an hour until we finally found the correct address.

– Japanese Obsessions: Anyone interested in anime, Hello Kitty, manga, gaming, or anything else Japanese will not be disappointed by the support of their particular flavour of otaku. From four-storey arcades, to miniature theme parks dedicated to anime and manga characters, Japan knows what your poison is, and it is more than willing to supply it to you.

The Not-So-Good:

– Temples: Coming from Korea, the majority of Buddhist temples look remarkably similar, and those in Japan were no different. However, there were exceptions to this, most notably at Fushimi Inari, a shrine where over ten thousand hand-carved wooden gates stand on the side of a mountain in honour of the fox messenger to the gods, ‘kitsune’.

– The Imperial Garden in Tokyo: Hailed by several travel websites, we found it a tad disappointing, little more than a blur of green and brown. Maybe we were just tired.

All told, our time in Japan was unforgettable, and we will most certainly tell our children stories of this holiday. As mentioned above, I will definitely do a detailed post, elaborating on what we did each day, at some point this week. Right now, however, I simply want to sit, enjoy the last few minutes of freedom before work tomorrow, and reminisce fondly on our amazing holiday. Keep an eye out for more exciting details about Japan!