My not-so-little students were the happiest when we finally put into reality our long-planned Beach Getaway this weekend at Ma. Benita Beach Borbon. At last, we now have the time to engage and refreshed our minds away from books and blackboards even just for a while! Moreover, this is a breather for all of us while at the same time a good opportunity to create a positive relationship among us outside the four corners of our room.
I am handling a batch of graduating Senior High students. So a getaway like this means a lot not just for them but also me, hence this will be the last year we will be seeing each other in school. (As if we will not cross our paths nuh? haha!)
I promised them during our Christmas Party that we would extend our Celebration on the Beach. However, due to the conflict of schedule that the Holiday brought and my tight budget (to be honest) last Christmas, I couldn't bring them to the beach.
The Good news.
Our group chat was full of jumping emoticons and heart emojis when I told them the good news that we will be heading to the beach this weekend. !
At Ma Benita Beach Resort.
Ma Benita Beach Resort is one of the private beaches in Borbon, Cebu. I am not so fan of the beaches in Borbon, Cebu because I know for a fact that Beaches on the East Coastline of Northern Cebu rarely have beautiful natural shorelines of white sands compared to the west coastline. But when I learned that Ma Benita Beach only requires 20php/head (0.36 USD)as an entrance fee, I booked the beach right away!
As soon as we arrived, my eyes lingered around the resort. It's not that big with its rectangular shape but the resort looks so spacious because its area is perfectly utilized. Its simple amenities, like the Karaoke area, kiosk, comfort rooms, the 2-story reception area, its cottage, and the ornamental plants around it make the resort clean, cool and refreshing to look at.
I was searching where is the way to go to its beach and was surprised to see that we have to go down the stairs. I don't have high expectations for this beach because of its location (as I mentioned earlier) but I found myself amazed at how clean and fresh it is! The beach has a sight! The shades coming from the big trees are comforting. Just as the beach we needed!
Going down!
And guess what, we were the only guests in the resort, so it feels like we were renting the whole Beach!
Preparing the food.
On the beach. When the excitement of my students had subsided ( who would not be excited about the beach?), we then prepared our food for our lunch. We gathered all the things we needed and started cooking.
I helped my students in slicing the spices that we needed.
We bought a big kettle/pot with us and 5 kilos of rice. In this way, we way could save a lot and many could eat too hence my students were bringing some of their friends with them!😁
We had grilled meat and fish for our lunch. We bought 2 kilos of meat and 2 kilos of fish while we put aside some fish for our "Kilawin" raw fish. For the drinks, I bought 2 "1.5Liter" of Coke.
We had a great time eating and talking!
Talkin, Relaxin.
When we were full, some of my students went to the beach to swim while others remained at our place for some talks. We exchange meaningful and funny conversations. It felt good hearing their interesting stories and whereabouts and most importantly, it feels great knowing their other side.
A picture of us before the fest. Haha.
Taking Photos
After our talks, I strolled around to check the place and have some "me" time since my students already went to the beach to swim. As I walked around, I appreciated the beach even more. This beach is simple yet beautiful in its own way.
Here are some of the snaps I took.
The lovely view of the open sea!
The view of the neighboring resort.
The view of the beach from the sea.
We had a great time together. I know that my students enjoyed it so much, I could see it in their eyes! Though we were not complete it didn't stop us to enjoy each other's company. I am sure we went home fulfilled and had gained positive bonding and respect for each other, especially the students among themselves.
Indeed, a great weekend!
That's it for our Much Needed weekend Getaway with students guys. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading. Have a great week ahead! Stay safe and healthy!