Honeymooning is serious business

Okay, okay! I promise this is the last time I’ll be writing anything remotely related to my recent wedding. You don’t have to tell me – my last two articles were about my getting married and you’re getting sick of it. But hey, I’ve got a good excuse, okay? The past six weeks, my life has centered mostly on this whole marriage thing. So, you’ll have to bear with me.

In case you’ve forgotten or haven’t noticed, I’m not an editorial columnist that writes about and comments on pressing national issues, such as the oh-so-interesting national budget deficit. We’re in Business Life. So, sorry folks, I can’t give you an analysis on the Afghan war, the Erap trial, the Senate and military coup plot, KC Concepcion’s love life or the Yamashita Treasure movie that received a lot of awards in the recent film fest. I’m not up to date on those things.

On the other hand, if you want some juicy details about the whole business of honeymooning, you’ve come to the right place.

First of all, let me just attempt to get rid of the myth about honeymooning. It’s not all about – well, you know what. You know what honeymooning is? A lot of sleeping. I swear, 75 percent of the time, Teemy and I slept. I guess the fatigue just caught up on us – the whole wedding preparation and the actual wedding itself. Right after the wedding, Teemy and I were exhausted especially since we held it outside of Manila. One day I’d be sick; the next day she would be. We almost decided not to have a honeymoon anymore. But then, we regarded the honeymoon like we would a business opportunity. How many times will I have a chance to take a "honeymoon leave"? You can’t claim for a honeymoon leave six months after the wedding; people won’t be as understanding. Besides, since it was the first week of January, the pace of business was still kinda slow so we decided to invest in this golden opportunity and take a quick three-day holiday.

During the wedding preparations, Teemy and I hardly talked about the details of the honeymoon. There was a lot of loose talk about going to the States or going to Bali but we never got into it. It was only two weeks prior to the wedding that I realized I hadn’t made any plans. Yikes! It then dawned on me – honeymooning is just like any other investment – it needs careful study, planning, and careful execution. It had to be financially manageable (I had to make sure I had enough funds for where we were going). It should be planned out so that it becomes unforgettable (and not merely "okay"). That’s what a honeymoon is all about – building memories! If you foul up, you can’t get your money back and the returns can be tragic (your wife may no longer speak to you again). I had to act fast.

Making honeymoon plans is exactly like evaluating a business proposition or a business deal. You have to check your resources and whether or not you can afford the investment. You have to know who and what you are dealing with, the pros and cons, and the weight of the risks vis-a-vis the possible returns. You have to know your strengths (how much money and time you actually have in taking the honeymoon), your weaknesses (your lack of funds, your lack of time, your stretch marks and bulging belly, etc.), the opportunities (whether or not there are special/interesting honeymoon packages being offered – e.g. "90 percent discount on all honeymoon package tours to the nearby jungles of Sulu") and threats (whether going to one place is actually a bad idea because of lack of security, potable water or toilets, or if there are a lot of bikini-clad women at the place and there is a threat that your wife will think that you chose the place exactly for that reason).

However, after going through all that, in all likelihood, you will probably choose a place based on pure gut feel. Most business decisions are actually arrived at based on gut feel, more than anything else. And more often than not, it works.

In my case, I chose El Nido in Palawan. You might ask, "Palawan? Rod, you gotta be kidding!" Well, you know why? Because it’s a darn good place to have your honeymoon, that’s why.

When I first told Teemy that I wanted to go to El Nido, the first thing she asked was "Where is it exactly?" When I said, "Palawan," she immediately replied, "Forget it! I’m not going there, it’s dangerous! The Abu Sayyaf might kidnap us!"

Frankly, I had anticipated that answer. If you ask most people to go to Palawan nowadays, you’ll get a no-way-Jose response. After carefully studying the situation, I really don’t see the logic why people think that way. Think of it...after the Dos Palmas incident, Palawan is probably one of the safest places to go to! Look, I detest the Abu Sayyaf like everyone else – but hey, I think they are smart enough to know that hanging around in Palawan to plan another kidnapping in the neighboring towns and cities is not a good idea given the concentrated military and local government efforts to secure the area.

It’s like a holdupper who robs a convenience store, for example. After he robs the store, do you think he’ll "hang around and chill out in the area" and assess if he can rob another one nearby? If I were him, I’d go straight to the mountains to hide – which is what exactly the Abu Sayyaf did. They scrammed and went into hiding. So from a security standpoint, I don’t think it’s fair to totally declare the entire Palawan unsafe because of the Dos Palmas incident.

It’s like saying, "Oh, there was a murder in Tondo, Manila yesterday – so let’s avoid Manila at all costs." Manila is big – and so is Palawan. You actually are in greater risk of getting mugged and held up in Cubao if you walk there at night than you are being kidnapped in any part of Palawan.

Moreover, after my research, I found out – and not a lot of people know this – El Nido is only 430 kilometers away from Manila. Baguio is around 600 kilometers from Manila. So, if your sense of security is directly proportional with your proximity to Manila (and frankly, I don’t understand this logic since Manila isn’t exactly the safest place in the world), El Nido makes more sense than Baguio. El Nido is also relatively close to the Malampaya natural gas mine area, a valuable resource of the country with a naval ship always patrolling the neighboring areas, which added to my sense of security – and the viability of El Nido as a honeymoon venue.

Fact is, El Nido has and continues to have an excellent record in terms of security and over-all desirability as a honeymoon destination. I’ve been there before – in Lagen Island Resort – for the wedding of my nephew Dindo Mejia. It was the best wedding I have ever attended (apart from my own, of course). I had the time of my life in Lagen that I swore to myself that I’d come back. So I convinced Teemy that we should honeymoon at Miniloc Island Resort, the other resort in El Nido.

After arguing my cause, I was eventually able to convince Teemy to trust me (hey, that’s what marriage is all about). So, off we went to picturesque Palawan. El Nido, in case you didn’t know, is in the northernmost tip of Palawan (that’s why it’s so close to Manila). So it’s only a one-and-a-half-hour ride from Manila (on a turbo-prop, 19-seater airplane). The moment you land on the El Nido airstrip, you immediately feel the sense of "vacation." The scenery is majestic. Looking at the sea, you see a good number of islands scattered all over. However, they are not just ordinary islands – they are like skyscraper islands – islands that sprout out of the sea and extend up to the sky. They are not merely lumps of green land. They are like golden, green icebergs – gigantic and overwhelming. You get the feeling you are in a different country. Now these islands, I learned, are limestone cliffs formed millions and millions of years ago.

Palawan is actually on a different tectonic plate, separate from the entire Philippines. Palawan used to be part of Borneo – and that is why the animals that are found in Palawan are different from the animals you see in other parts of the Philippines. I was explaining this with so much enthusiasm and gusto to Teemy – but all she could talk about is how wonderful her newly-purchased yellow bikini would blend in the natural environment. Couldn’t argue with that.

After landing in El Nido, you have to take a 20-minute jeep ride and a 30-minute boat ride to reach Miniloc. The rides were fun in themselves – but Teemy didn’t enjoy the jeepney ride too much.

The resort is in a hidden cove right behind a big limestone cliff. The cliff backdrop was jaw-dropping – simply an awe-inspiring sight! The scenery was worth the trip already. But what really captivated me and Teemy was the friendly and efficient service in Miniloc. We were treated like royalty there. Our villa was a nice, two-story nipa-hut type with modern amenities including a ref, aircon, quaint and functional bathrooms, etc. plus a bowl of fruits – yum! No TV, which was a relief. I was sure that I would have my wife’s full attention during the night (ahem!).

While there were not much people in the resort – which was great, because I wanted privacy – most of the guests there were foreigners (Americans, French, Koreans). That made me think. Foreigners were actually willing to go all the way here, despite the supposed security threat and the bad publicity Palawan has been getting. Obviously, these people did their homework and researched like me. Unfortunately, we Pinoys don’t usually do that. We just believe all the chismis that goes around and miss out on the beautiful things our country offers.

Like I said, honeymooning is 75 percent sleeping. And that’s the first thing we did – we went to the beach and sunbathed there – and we took a nap. ZZZZZZ... After a sumptuous buffet lunch (all meals are buffet by the way – yum!), we slept again! ZZZZZZ Part 2. When we’d wake up, we would just walk in the resort, by the beach, or have a snack. Then sleep again ... ZZZZZ Part 3. No agenda, no schedules. Just chilling out.

Ahh...this is the life!

The next day, Teemy and I were asked what we wanted to do. Amazing! Normally, guests in resorts ask around what they can do. But here, the staff are the ones encouraging you to do something. In Miniloc, the accommodation package already includes activities like boating, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. So Teemy and I decided to go to this private beach in another island. The island is very small – it’s called Entalula – and it has a half-kilometer white beach and a small bathroom. That’s it. No other amenities. Just the white beach, limestone cliffs, palm tress, the sea and us.

The boat dropped us off there and there we were – alone on an island! It was fantastic! It was so quiet and peaceful. No radio, no cell phones, no fax, no e-mail. For one whole day, it was just the two of us. And we had a ball! We were drinking beer and posing for pictures. We would take a dip then run around the beach like lunatics. It was the best time we ever had! We would walk down the beach and see a monitor lizard walking or an eagle landing on a branch and a crow flying low.

Except for the San Miguel beer and our skimpy swimming attire, I really felt like we were Adam and Eve. What made it extra special was at about lunch time, the boat man came back and set up a table and two chairs for us – plus a full-course meal for two. Then he left us again and we were left to have a romantic lunch – alone in an island. Wow! Talk about service!

The best part for me were the early mornings. Teemy and I would wake up at 5 a.m. and watch the sunrise against the backdrop of the tall islands. It was so wonderful – we found ourselves praying! I felt I was in heaven, really.

We only had a three-day honeymoon but it was sooo memorable. We really had the time of our lives and we have vowed to come back. And to think that we almost didn’t go because of apprehensions and fears that were baseless.

So, to you honeymooners out there: Before checking out places in other countries, try out the Philippines first! Not only will you find it surprisingly beautiful and enjoyable, you will do the country a big favor by spending your money here and supporting our local tourism. Oftentimes, in honeymooning, just like in business, the resources you want and need are actually here – you just have to be smart in choosing.

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You may write Rod at rodnepo@yahoo.com