When a staff offered me, “a glass of OMG, Ma’am,” I didn’t realize that she was also handing out the acronym of the day. I took a sip of the deliciously cooling concoction made of oranges, mango syrup and grenadine, and mechanically repeated after her, OMG. Then she gave me a plate of crinkles and fudgy bar cookies, followed by a serving of churros with two dips – caramel and chocolate. OMG.
A few minutes later, I keyed in to my room, excitedly swept my gaze across the king-size bed, iPod dock, and flat-screen TV, then opened the sliding glass door to my private wooden deck with its own Jacuzzi. OMG.
And for the knockout punch, I stepped into the bathroom and took a hot shower under the wide rainfall showerhead. As a curtain of warm water deliciously cosseted me from the cares of the world, I continued my mantra, OMG. This was exactly how I needed to feel. Coddled. And Two Seasons in Coron certainly knows how it’s done.
I had my adventures earlier in the day. I revisited Cayangan Lake, a consistent winner in the Philippines’ cleanest lakes competition that it had been elevated to the hall of fame. I snorkeled my way to the Twin Lagoon and fed fish at the Skeleton Wreck, where we parked our boat for a lunch feast onboard.
With all that excitement and the equal thrill of a choppy boat ride to the resort, I crawled my way to bed after my shower and had one of the best siestas of my life.
By the time I got up, the sun was hanging low on the horizon. I joined friends at the Sulu Restaurant for cocktails and a pizza, which I hardly partook of, as I was nursing my appetite for dinner, which had crabs on the menu. We moved to an al fresco table for a better view of the full moon and indulged on a gourmet dinner prepared by chefs trained by Gene Gonzalez of Café Ysabel. The Crab Maritess didn’t disappoint. It even came with a melted butter dip. Why not? A vacation is never complete without an extra serving of fat. For good measure, we rounded the meal with an order of panna cotta.
I meant to wake up at 8 a.m. but my body clock decided to ring in at 9:30. I could hear the wind hissing outside and I feared that the drizzle the night before had turned into a storm. So I gingerly drew the drapes and rubbed the sleep off my eyes. My vision slowly adjusted to the Technicolor sight of gradient blue seas slipping from lapis lazuli to azure. My Jacuzzi was bubbling. The wind was gale-force. And my stomach was calling for breakfast. Bacon and eggs, please.
When I had my fill, I changed to my bathing suit and took a dip in the Jacuzzi until the sun was high enough to give my skin a sharper color. Nothing feels like a vacation than a lazy morning. The laziness spilled into the afternoon as I listened to Michael Learns To Rock ditties and other sleepy ballads while checking my email at the restaurant. My succulent grilled pork belly lunch didn’t help stir me up either, so I decided to squeeze in an afternoon activity lest I slip into another long siesta.
I wanted to try paddle boarding but the wind wouldn’t permit so I opted for the bubble hop, also known as a scuba bike. It is similar to helmet diving, but better because your helmet isn’t attached to a rope. The machine is motorized so you are free to move around. I slipped my head into the helmet attached to the machine and rode it like a motorcycle, controlling my speed and direction using the handlebar lever. I didn’t realize how rich with marine life the shore reef was until I went under. A school of fish with longitudinal black stripes passed by. Another with yellow fins swarmed around me and nipped me with their tickle-y snout. Every direction I took, took me to more fish.
I needed a good knead before the day ended so I scheduled a massage just before dinner. By the time it was finished, I needed very little else to complete my day so I just had soup and a small serving of paella. Cookies and fudgy bars were at my beverage counter when I turned in, both of which I could not resist. Still, I managed to sleep early, and wake up early for my morning flight.
While taking my shower before dawn, I opened the blinds and saw a very pregnant moon casting a silvery light on the water. It was another OMG moment, and perhaps a fitting end to a sublime Two Seasons experience.
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