Back in Boracay: What's that Green Stuff?

Perhaps there are certain places that need not be revisited. Maybe they're best left in some corner of the mind in their all-perfect state. Case in point is Boracay, that particular island in Aklan that people love to love. Or do they really?

this was boracay. look, no algae.

the last time i was in boracay, bangkas were still docking by the beach.

back in 2007, there was still no algae. 

I was finally back after being gone for eight years and what welcomed me brought me to near tears. Over-development abound, starting the moment on rolls out of the pier. Houses - permanent and makeshift ones, resorts of all sizes and businesses that cater to both settlers and holidaymakers flank the one main road. And the tricycles - their nginginging - shatter any hope one may have of a peaceful retreat. Then again, who goes to Boracay seeking serenity? 

But the one thing that really got to me was the green stuff on the shore of White Beach.  It’s algae, of course. I haven’t been living under a rock this past several years and have actually read about it. Here’s an article on the Manila Times website about the algae.  In pictures, it was alarming. Seeing it in person, it was heartbreaking.

that algae made me not swim in those waters. 

even with the algae, a boracay sunset is still captivating.

What has this island done to deserve this? Perhaps it was that it welcomed us with open arms. It has given us the utmost pleasure of letting us walk along its shores – in the middle of the day - without burning our soles. Its crystal clear water was a soothing reprieve from the heat. In its entirety has become a place that made us forget our worries. It has even loved us so much that it has put the Philippines back on the map and has become a good source of revenue.

But have we loved it back? Have we loved it back enough?

I guess, with that green stuff on the shore, the answer is a big N-O.