Another day, another beach! Good morning from Bantayan Island. Today started with a bit of a negotiation—Jessa really wanted to head out to Virgin Island, and as I always say, she usually gets what she wants. However, after doing a bit of research and realizing the island was bigger and had more to do than we originally thought, we had to pivot. By the time we were ready to go, it was already getting late, and the last boats returned at 5:00 PM. We decided to save Virgin Island for a day when we could give it the time it deserves.
Instead, we decided to spend the day at Kota Beach here in Santa Fe. But first, we needed to fuel up. We headed out for "brunch," and I had one of the most interesting culinary experiences I've had in a long time. I ordered a clubhouse sandwich, and to my absolute shock, it was served with tuna. I’ve had many clubhouse sandwiches in my life, but never one with tuna. I even asked the server if that was intentional, and they checked with the chef, who confirmed: "Yes, our clubhouse sandwich has tuna."
Now, I’m not one to complain, and I politely finished about half of it, but it’s safe to say I won't be eating there again. It’s not just the tuna; it’s a rule of thumb in the Philippines—you never want to eat at a place where the staff or the chef might be upset with you. You just never know what might happen to your food before it reaches the table! Jessa, on the other hand, had no such issues with her calamansi tuna and buffalo wings.
After our "special" breakfast, we made the short 1.1-kilometer walk from our place to Kota Beach. It’s a beautiful, quiet stretch of white sand with a small sandbar. It’s not the biggest sandbar in the world, but the water is crystal clear and perfect for a cooling swim. Liam, however, was having one of those toddler days where he suddenly decided he wasn't fond of the beach. He was a bit grumpy at first, but I knew once I got him in the water, he’d change his mind.
We spent about three or four hours just relaxing and enjoying the view. I even brought my snorkel mask to test the waters, but as I expected, there’s not much to see under the surface here. The water is a bit grainy due to the current and sand, so it’s better for exercise or just floating around than for actual snorkeling. My top recommendation for Kota Beach? Find a spot behind the boulders, grab a beer or some food, and just soak in the peaceful atmosphere. It’s exactly the kind of "slow-mo" relaxation you want on an island vacation.
As the day wound down, we realized Liam was reaching his limit. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, so we resorted to the ultimate parent tactic: ice cream! We bought him a cone just to give him enough of a sugar kick to stay awake until we got home.
It’s been a solid, relaxing day. Tomorrow, the plan is to buckle down and get some work done, unless the weather is absolutely perfect, in which case we might finally make that trip to Virgin Island. Bantayan is all about going with the flow, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
