1. " What are those boats that appear in many of your pics"? These double-outrigger sail boats are called Prawa's. Their hulls are very narrow with mahogany frames covered with marine plywood siding. The outriggers are made with bamboo - with a nylon mesh stretched between each where passengers ride. They have a very shallow draft - < 12 inches. They are almost identical to boats found throughout the South Pacific.. The above pics were taken in front of the only Starbucks on Boracay Island <-- best view I've ever seen from any Starbucks & I've been to many around the world! Motorized versions without sails are called Bangka's.
2. "What about "ladies" on Boracay Island?" Being a predominantly Catholic country, prostitution is outlawed. But these laws are not vigorously enforced. You can easily "hire" a lady for about Php500/24 hours - a little more than US$10. These woman are not very attractive. I was very lucky to find a lady that worked at my hotel who became my friend & island guide. Because she could get fired for fratinizing with guests - she would not allow me to take any pics of her.
3. "Is the island as clean as it appears in pics?" Yes - beaches, streets & even interior parts of the island are very clean. This is a recent "event" pushed by a newly-elected mayor about a year ago who began vigorously enforcing littering laws. About the same time, National Geographic sponsored an "island clean-up campaign". There are very unsightly & smelly dump sites in the island's interior - which I stumbled upon during my motorbike road trip.
4. "What language do they speak?" Tagalog is their official language - a kind of weird mixture of Polynesian & Spanish.
5. "Chop sticks?" None except those found in Japanese & Chinese restaurants. But unlike us - the spoon rather than fork is their primary eating utensil.
6. "What's the strangest thing you've seen on the island?" Nothing really "strange" but one thing has kinda stood out - there are many Filipino "little people" working & playing on Boracay Island. Tonight I am going to eat at what is supposed to be the best steak house on the island. It's called "The Hobbit Steakhouse" & is owned/managed/operated by "little people"!
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