Spicy Rabasera : Life's NOT a Bitch

Is life a bitch or a beach?

This is what I pondered upon during our August 24, Saturday afternoon road-tripping.

Obviously, the title of this blog entry has already preempted the answer to my musing after reaching Nacpan Beach and Lio Beach. Now is just the revelation why I arrived at this discernment.

Hiring a tricycle for this DIY tour was easy and fast. I talked with a driver/tour guide for hire Friday night following my ethnic accessories hunting and solo dining at a Thai resto amidst a heavy downpour. I was again alone since my sister's and my dinner sked is out of sync.

After what the guide and I agreed on, I presented it to my sister the next morning. She approved it, but decided on the time that we'd do the tour. I confirmed with Rob that we wanted to be picked up at 12:00pm.

The driver was punctual and I complimented him about it. As per his suggestion, we could go first to Nacpan Beach which is a 40-minute tricycle ride from our hotel. Then, Lio Beach would be the last so that we could wait for the beautiful sunset here. It would be a 20-min transfer from Nacpan to Lio. With the Php 1,500 fee that he charged us, he also suggested that we could do the Canopy Walk. Checking on the nature of the activities here, I opted not to have it though if I were not with my sister, I guess I would have given it a shot. Scrapping this had me using my renegotiating skills and succeeding.

Less than an hour, we reached Nacpan Beach after a quick stop at the Mercury Drug store in Lio Beach, which belongs to the Ayala Group of Companies. We again passed by Lio Airport which AirSwift exclusively uses since it's Ayala-owned. With its vast size and landscape, one could immediately tell that it's one of the high-end resorts in El Nido.

Going near the cream-colored shore, we chose renting between a hammock and an umbrella cottage. We picked the latter which was rented out for Php 400. I had the widest smile when I recognized two of our Filipino companions during the island hopping, occupying the cottage right next to us. We were all delighted for the reunion and found time to have a short convo.

We comfortably lay first. My sister had to relax her sore back after the trike ride. Then, a female Tausog jewelry seller sweet-talked us to purchase her merchandise. In return she became our very willing photographer with a piece of information that the small island behind me is owned by Manny Pacquiao. Hahaha.

So, I was the first to validate that Nacpan Beach is perhaps one of the most beautiful beaches in El Nido. With its clean seabed, blue and warm water it could make you swim the whole day while playing with waves. When I described it to my sister, she quickly got up and headed for the water.

We spent two hours swimming and for me, I also did some running on the coast to loosen my muscles.

Afterwards we decided to have our meal. At last it would be Filipino dishes for us at Nacpan Beach! Call it a lunch revenge, but we liked everything that we ordered: sinigang na buto-buto, sweet and sour unknown fish 😂, grilled pork, and ensaladang talong. I ordered home-made fries as our appetizer, but failed to consume them. The ripe mango and four seasons shakes completed our menu.

With blissful tummy we readied for Lio Beach at 4:15pm.

At this stage, allow me to do a photo dump to unveil the unspeakable beauty of this place.

We did anticipate the most talked about ethereal sunset; however, the gloomy sky blocked it. So what I captured was this less appealing image.

This is very far from the photo which I googled. I do hope though that this is really unfiltered.

Image source: https://daydreamingtravels.com/

Well, I did not feel crestfallen. Upon our arrival at Lio Beach we sensed that the start of the cloudy weather would affect the sunset view. As a consequence I found pure entertainment and delight from my patronus who came near me.

They kept me company as if telling me, "Hooman, the sunset you came for won't be appearing, but don't sulk." Clearly there were signs that our day might not go as we pleased. Nonetheless, these adorable furry beings gave me a reason to smile and be grateful for the rare opportunities to be totally stress free with a loved one.

It began at the hotel,

in Nacpan Beach,

and here in Lio Beach.

A certain power was all over. I extremely loved the soft touch of the Tabby Cat on my skin! Our connection was potent. We communicated quietly. To hell with the sunset! *echoing meows in unison*

Indeed circumstances may be unpleasant, but we always have to look at the good side of life. Remember, happiness is purely a mindset. The choice is ours whether we would allow negativity to deprive us from being happy. We know we can never demand perfection in what we experience every day. Ergo, we can still be appreciative of these imperfections for we may still discover something acceptable in them. This is the philosopy that I mutually share with my sister. Thus, when we're on a trip together, we know that we must be the source of F-U-N and never the spoiler.