The Past Bites Me In The Ass

Had I wanted to be a Landscape Architect, I would have worked in an Architectural firm and pursued this career with much gusto all these years (despite the meager wages). Right now, a close relative had given a proposal which would have been exciting had I still been in that industry- to design a resort. They have a fishpond property which they want to turn into a family resort with a lot of swimming pools and cottages. Here are my reasons why I didn’t jump at the chance:

1. The same fishpond that I went to more than ten years ago, I remember, is an island that is accessible only by pump boat from a small, smelly fish port. I don’t know about you but in my experience, fish smell hardly drives tourists in.

2. It was not a white sand island like the ones in Samar, in fact it resembled marsh lands more than paradise. The sand, no the silt, is muddy, dark, and soft. No corals, no clear azure waters.

3. Given that it is an island and accessibility is a problem, one would have to address the question of accommodations. Overnight cottages may get pricey, not to mention maintenance of the swimming pools.

4. Lastly, who would actually go visit? Locals? Not international tourists, that’s for sure. Relatives and family friends perhaps, but not tourists. I have visited some of the best tourist destinations we have in our country and the common denominator they have is the awesome natural wonders. That is why people take time to visit, and believe me they would not be visiting a sleepy town for a bunch of swimming pools. I wouldn’t.

I wish I could share my aunt’s vision, but my assessment of the place suggests that they’d better rethink it. Put the money elsewhere- a white sand beach in Guiuan. Now that’s worth going to. Or am I just crazy?