This has become my yearly tradition. I grab a world map, take hold of a pencil, close my eyes and let the pencil fall on whatever part of the globe the “universe” wants me to go to. I call this my “serendipity” travels. I book the next day, without any plans or preconceived notions about the place; won’t even Google search (it wasn’t around yet when I started, I think) about it. I just pack my bags and go.
The first time I did this many years ago, the pencil pointed me to Ibiza — I kid you not. So off to the Balearics I went. My first night on the party island, my bags didn’t even arrive, but I went straight to the parties — from a foam party at Privilege to before sunrise at Amnesia to Pacha to after hours at Space, then spent the day at Ibiza town to sunset at Cafe del Mar and Cafe Mambo — 24 hours nonstop, all alone, wearing the same outfit I was wearing on the plane. Unforgettable, but at least none of my friends were there to smell me.
Fast-forward to this year plus a few other trips back to Ibiza and serendipity dictates that I return to this summer island that never sleeps. This time upon the invitation of Belvedere, together with my business partners and good friends. Steve Bullock, a dear friend who I met in Hong Kong, is now based in Manila as the main man behind Moet Hennessy who also handles the premium vodka, among other brands of distinction. He is a mild-mannered gentleman who reminds me of Richard Gere. He and Charles Gibb, Belvedere’s global president, were our gracious hosts for the trip.
“We have people from faraway lands such as the Philippines joining us,” said Charles during his informal opening speech over sunset cocktails at Experimental Beach, a black-pebbled shore that reminded me of the rock formations in Batanes. I appreciated that special mention, because I realized that it marked a certain level of trust in their company investing in the country — they know our economy is on the upswing and they want to be a partner in that. With more and more clubs opening this season, it won’t be long before we become the Party Capital of Asia. I truly believe that.
UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT
Drink after drink, one place after the next, we went from secret Ibiza spots to the penthouse of Ushuaia to gigantic club Amnesia. Okay, I must confess that I have absolutely no recollection of the last part of the night. Yes, I had amnesia in Club Amnesia. That’s one for the books that I won’t ever forget — that I forgot everything. I guess that sums up how much fun I had that night.
Our days would begin at breakfast and end at 6 a.m., daily! Yes, this is the life of a club denizen. Sleep deprived, but you can’t look it; you can’t miss out on the next adventure. Just get up and you always have to be ready to go. It’s a good thing that the itinerary the following day was at Atzaro, a vast space of an orange farm that housed its own restaurant, lounge and spa. It was like being in Bali in Ibiza. It wasn’t party Ibiza, it was laid-back and relaxed Ibiza. My masseuse was a pretty Spanish woman who spoke a little Filipino. Her aunt is Helena Caratala Guerrero, the former designer who’s now retired to her island resort in Palawan. Small world. And our driver, who got us lost, is married to a Filipina. Two degrees of separation when it comes to Filipinos all over the world, I tell you.
That night we had dinner at a lovely dinner theater spot, Lio Ibiza. Now if you’re planning to go to this part of the world, you must make a stop at this place for some culture. Non-stop partying can also be monotonous so best to inject some diversity and some quiet time into the equation. Lio has some of the best theatrical acts — from Broadway to Hollywood’s greatest hits to pop tunes to circus, flamenco and burlesque, the entire show has it all. The servers are hot and they all join in on the singing and dancing. Mental note to build something like that in our shores.
My nightcap was Pacha Ibiza, for David Guetta’s “F*ck Me, I’m Famous” night. It was such a trip getting to know my fellow entrepreneurs from all over the world, each one with a unique story to tell. One of them even owns a club that has been in existence since the 1800s, in Austria to be exact. The Russians, the Polish, the Brits all drank Belvedere like it was water. Before sunrise, I found myself on the way to the airport, Manila-bound because I had work to do back home and had to fly back immediately.
That sums up my less than 48 hours in Ibiza. It actually took me longer to get there, but it was all worth it. Time is such a luxury so let’s always make the most out of it. Celebrate!
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More parties, more fun at twitter.com/officialtimyap and on Instagram, too!