I miss you. i miss being at the top seeing the sky turn orange while the cold breeze glides its hands on my waist. Your hot embrace on a quiet afternoon is still a memory. I remember the vast ocean just across us as the sky turned dark. The rickety bamboo bridge being swayed.

 


I miss the watching tiny kisses around me. There was the thrill of not knowing what I will see once I open my eyes under your blue blanket. Then I saw wonders of your present. Preserved from the harshness of the modern world.

 


I climbed steps just to see your beauty from afar. I went down to feel your purest soul. I saw tiny swords piercing through your clearest skin.

Your steadiness amazes me. I look at you and I see resilience and nature's hands.





Your past reminds me of my future. Old shipwrecks - remnants of a time of yellow and white and war. I hope to go deeper in those remnants when I go back to you.




I promise that when we see each other again, I will swim that small gap in you to see the beauty of the twin lagoons. Lagoons remind the child in me of mermaid combing their hair then pinning starfishes and shells on their hair. You remind me of childhood dreams.




With you, I find peace. I miss you, Coron. I know there is more to you than what I saw. We will see each other soon and I'll fall in love with you deeper. For now, I'll keep these memories in a jar.

For Coron back in January, I had to find accommodation for seven people. In booking accommodations, my usual routine would be to research on the internet the top accommodations by bloggers and TripAdvisor. Then, I would check their rates if it fits our budget. If they don't have any rates on their website, I send an email or call them if email is not available.

One deal breaker is not usually the rates but how they respond to my inquiries. People from the hospitality industry should know how to treat their customers right especially during the initial contacts. I do my best to be a good customer so I definitely expect to have good service from them.

When I was booking for Coron, I decided to avail tour package together with the accommodation as my trip buddies prefer a no-hassle trip.

I went for Darayonan Lodge. I emailed other resorts that my friends preferred. One of which broke the deal by this kind of response:


I was inquiring if Tour 1B can be modified and that was what I got. Also, please know the difference between you and you're. I don't mind receiving a reply in Filipino.

I did have a similar concern with Darayonan Lodge's tour packages so I sent them an email. I got a well-written reply.




The letter showed effort and concern to their potential customer. It was not like the first one which was like we had just two options: take it or leave it. I know that packaged tours are usually strict but we would be having one boat for our whole group and won't be bothering other groups. Also, I was still on the process of asking three months away from the trip. It was not as if everything was cast in stone. I wanted to know my options to help me decide better. Those in the hospitality industry (or even those who mainly have clients in their work) should know that how you treat potential customers will have a big impact in your business. Loyal customers are what helps a business grow.


Last May, I was calling Zamboanga inns and hotels for my supposed trip this June. Here were some anecdotes over the phone:

Click photo to enlarge

I obviously booked with Hotel No.3 (and was even amused his concern on my flight).

I am not quite particular with my accommodations. As long as I have a bed and a decent bathroom, I will be quite happy. It's the experience with the people in the hotel/inn that actually makes a difference.

More on Darayonan Lodge soon.