This side of paradise

I just want to see you

When you're all alone.

I just want to catch you if I can.

Why don't you just take me

Where I've never been before?

I know you want to hear me catch my breath.

I love you 'til the end.

-I Love You 'Til The End, The Pogues

 

Dress from Forever 21, thrifted Cath Kidston floral beach bag, Brazil World Cup '06 Havaianas

After dreaming about the place for too long, I finally set foot on the elusive Puka Beach. It was one of the happiest days of my life--strolling along the coarse puka shell-filled sand, feeling the rain on my face, staring at the azure water with its huge waves.

We got there before sunset and were the only ones left, save for the locals along the entrance. Jake and I walked up and down the beach, just gazing wonderingly at the sheer beauty of the place. It's so peaceful there, no crowds, no resorts, just you and the water and the endless shore. We walked to the other end and saw a hidden forest that I wanted to explore, but it was getting late so we just sat beneath the canopy of trees while looking at the sea.

I have always wanted to see Puka Beach but every time, the waves would never cooperate with me. You cannot reach it when the waves are huge since the motor boats and paraws are too fragile. Jake knows how much I've been wanting to set foot there, so I felt like a kid when I found out it's reachable via tricycle. We paid our tricycle Php 150 for a ten to fifteen-minute drive from Station 1 and he waited for us for an hour before heading back.

Puka Beach is such a refreshing and welcoming change from the usual scene you would normally find at Boracay. It's so quiet you can hear the birds screeching beneath the thick greenery facing the beach. The water is so blue that it feels like a trick of light, but it's not. When we were there, I felt like we had our own secret island. Two kids exploring the beach. 

I love Jake for saying yes and for bringing me to this place. I cannot get The Pogues' song out of my head ever since we were about to enter the beach. It's so fitting.

Trust me, it's paradise.