Yesterday I woke up to a relentless chopping noice, punctuated every now and again by an earth shaking crash.
There were many dismayed faces here in Angol as we witnessed the destruction of the beautiful old 'fire tree' which has for so long been a part of our scenery. This huge, majestic tree has stood on the vacant lot between Alyssa Resort and Red Pirates for years. Every season it erupts into blazing red bloom, and carpets the ground below it with millions of red petals. A real sight to behold.
But sadly, a few months ago this plot of land was sold, and the new owner has hired a gang of local guys to strip it of all it's foliage.
Quite a crowd gathered nearby to protest, and asked the workmen if they had a permit to cut all the trees. But they just carried on regardless.
For us, it almost felt like losing an old friend, which I have known since I first arrived on the island nearly 8 years ago. I even remember Joey pointing it out to me in all it's glory on one of our first dates!
I was so sad to see that lovely old tree being hacked to pieces. For me, it is a symbol of what is happening all over this island, and a reminder of how little time we have left here before Boracay is totally spoilt.

The fire tree had already been destroyed when I took these photos. The guys are finishing off the smaller trees amidst the carnage of wilting red blooms....