It's a brand new year!
What's up Hive!
For the last few months of 2022, I haven't been posting a lot because work was just piling up my neck. For this year, I hope to post more. I have a goal HP to hit for this year, meaning I have to set aside time to blog despite the whirlwind of work and other events in my life.
In this post, I'll be sharing a place that is special to me. It's a beach in Medellin in the northern part of Cebu. I've been to this place three times already, and even now, I want to return to it again.
SECOND VISIT: TROUBLE IN PARADISE
I've blogged my first visit in this post and shared photos of it in this Liketu post. I know some people who don't like returning to places they've been to. But it's the opposite for me, especially when my first-time experience is quite good.
At the start of 2020, my friends and I had a sudden urge to go beaching up north. One of my close friends was moving abroad, and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with the people close to her before she moved away.
The beach was then called Paradise Beach. Its exact location is Kawit, Medellin. This was my second visit, so I already had some expectations of the place. We had first-timers, and I wanted them to experience the beautiful white sand and peaceful beach.
But when we arrived, the place was a complete wreck. A few weeks ago, there was a super typhoon that passed through the northern part of the island. Unfortunately, it hit the beach pretty badly. The sand on the beach were all washed away, exposing the roots of the trees and garbage scattered everywhere. The water looked murky and brown. It was not the paradise I was hoping to show to my friends.
But we were already there. There was no turning back. We traveled for almost 4 hours to this beach. We decided to make the best of our stay. We explored the beach area and took some pictures before deciding to hit the shallow brown water.
One of the best things during our previous visit was the sunset. Unfortunately for me, I missed it entirely because I was asleep from being drunk so early. For this second visit, I promised to enjoy the sunset. It was my first time witnessing the sunset in Medellin, and it was one of the best I've had. I made a post about that sunset. You can check it out here.
When darkness came, we brought out our drinks! Each of us had brought bottles of leftover liquor during the holidays. My friend wanted to get wasted before she left the country, and it was the perfect time to do that. Mixed drinks are a sure way to get someone drunk.
We went outside and lit an approved bonfire. We danced, and we drank around the fire and under the night sky. It didn't matter anymore that the beach was disfigured by a super typhoon. We were all present and enjoying the moment.
When our wood was all burnt out, we moved inside our room and continued our drinking and dancing until we were all wasted and passed out. The next day, we left the beach with really bad headaches, but we also had one of the best experiences we'd had.
THIRD VISIT: PARENTS IN A GLOWED-UP PARADISE
Fast forward 20 months, and I found myself in Medellin again. My mother and I traveled up there to surprise my father on his birthday. There was an event that my father attended on his birthday, and my mother decided to also join the event and surprise him. My father looked really happy when he saw us. Everyone at the event joined in greeting him on his birthday. We had lunch, and I suggested the three of us go to Paradise Beach.
When we arrived at the place, a major surprise welcomed me. The place was no longer Paradise Beach. It was now called Paradizzo Beach Resort, and it had an extreme glow-up. There was a new gate, and the rooms were all renovated. And the sand! They returned to their previous glory. I was so happy to see that the beach had recovered from the horrible effects of the storm when we visited the last time.
The resort had amenities. It had cottages, hammocks, a restaurant, and even a milk tea shop. We arrived there late in the afternoon, and we just basked under the gentle sun. How fortunate I was to celebrate my father's birthday with my mother on that lovely beach. I went for a short dip and gave my parents some alone time.
Then sunset came, and I thought it wasn't as grand as my first time. But it didn't matter. I was with my parents, and they were both well.
Night came, and the resort came to life. There were soft yellow lights installed on the trees and colored lights illuminating the structures of the resort. If they weren't fully booked, we would have stayed the night. We still had a long way to go, so we left the resort early in the evening.
I wouldn't mind returning again. I know I can make wonderful memories regardless if the beach is in horrible or pristine condition.
That's it! This was such a blast to write. I can't believe I just finished this in one sitting. I rarely have the time and the energy for blogging lately. But I'll be sure to share more of the many wonderful memories I've had in the past year and in the future. I have a few major events coming, and I can't wait to blog about them.
See you around. Cheers!
