Travel Philippines: San Juan, La Union

Watch Out For The Waves

Recently (in my blog's dictionary, 'recent' means having commenced at least a week before), I went to San Juan, La Union with my beach buddies Jana and Karen. I have to be checked; why on Earth do I dare to wear bikini in the company of these two.


We were there for an overnight trip to learn how to surf. I don't know how to swim but I'm not afraid of being engulfed by the waves. Besides, I love doing water sports. I'm mostly found under water than on the vehicle or equipment but so what. Just thinking of having ears that will slightly get blocked once water enters or nose that will get painful once stuffed with water, I'm sold. Haha!


Of all the photos that were taken of me, I only have 2 decent photographs that captured my attempt at staying on top of the board. The others showed how I fell from it. My instructor brought me to the deeper parts away from my two other buddies perhaps so that I'll rely on no one's words but his.





Of course, as the sun sets in and the food gets eaten, out came the drinks over a few games with consequences. We stayed in San Juan Surf Resort. I think it's recently opened but its service, food, and accommodation are recommendable.


I brought the O'Neill rash guard as I don't want to borrow from the wetsuit reserve of the resort. At the end of the day, it was only me who had a problem with her skin color. My arms were halved into darker and lighter sides. I looked like I'm wearing black gloves according to my friends. Oh well, charge it to surfing experience!


The breakfast of champions!

Thanks for the photos, M!

Travel Philippines: Sand Dunes, Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Swimming in Sand

That has been the busiest 25 days of my summer! I've literally just got back home and now before I start my meeting-up with friends campaign, I'm going to publish photos taken during the Holy Week. It's weeks late, I'm aware, but never forget that my blog's motto is the undying "better late than never". The first batch is all about the sand dunes in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. 

At 5:30 am, just before the sun completely showed up, we were already in the Sand Dunes, which is highly recommendable to anyone who wants to experience this as well. The sun can be very unforgiving especially when the ground it's shining high above on is made of sand. 

I wasn't expecting the 4x4 ride to be as daredevil of a ride as it had been. I expected it to be a little rough and perhaps a little scary due to the truck's huge wheels but I wasn't prepared to face its ferocity. It's been wild! I wanted to just sit down and strap myself in a seat belt but I couldn't because there's no where to sit on and there's no way I could find anything to strap myself in. More than the sand boarding, I believe the whole sand dunes experience is all about the ride on the 4x4 trucks.






We went down when we passed by the shore. And then of course came the sand boarding.




I'm not a morning person. But I would sacrifice my morning sleep anytime for the adventures on the sand dunes of Paoay. At least now I have new photos to replace my memories of the place. The first time I went here, I barely remember anything save for that instance where I ran after my cousins while in my red Mickey Mouse pyjamas. Although I haven't outgrown running after my cousins, at least I've bidden good bye to those PJs. That's considered a passage of maturing for me, at least. Haha!

Travel Philippines: Boracay, Kalibo, Aklan

Arrived with Excitement, Left in Need of Psychiatrist

If someone would hire me as an advertiser, or a marketer for that matter, of the summer paradise of the Philippines known as Boracay, I would greatly capitalize on what I've written as my title. I wish I can share photos that show the beauty of the place with the natural sunlight highlighting the powdery white sand or the clear blue waters but I guess we all have to settle for second best: seeing Bora's take once the sun sets in. It's magical, but in a spectrum different from what beaches are normally admired for. I brought my trusty camera along, after too much pestering from my two close friends Karen Soledad and Jana Medel, but it had to take backstage most of the time because we were too lazy to carry it around and stop from time to time just to take a snapshot of our background or what we were wearing. I mean, I'm aware that I'm big with documentation and everything that goes with it but only IF I'm with someone who's willing to do it for me. If it's me who'll be inconvenienced, it's as good as saying PASS. Sorry, I'm not really the nicest person out there. Harhar!


My personal record of functioning for 37 hours straight without sleeping was bested during this trip. My best friend and I unthinkingly booked for the most impossible flights going to and from our destination causing us stress, frustration, and more expenses. We learned the hard way that there's such thing as wise saving up and bad way to do it. The money that we thought we've successfully saved up by choosing early morning flights wasn't enough to compensate for all the agonizing conditions it had put us under. All in all, S and I didn't sleep for almost 50 hours straight. No kidding.









We were supposed to Cliff Dive but after doing this activity called Flying Fish, every thought of trying another activity fled our minds. This was insane! If you've never tried somersaulting, then try this.

We stayed there for almost 6 days and let me tell you I didn't get tanned. I got dark!!! We met plenty of familiar faces who are also from Taft. That's what's so good with this place. Anywhere you'll go, you'll bump into someone whom you're only acquaintances with in average day but whatever's holding you back from befriending them instantly vanishes with just a few swigs of good drinks. Just like my experience in this place with Jana a few years ago, I enjoyed immensely. A lot of things happened that until now, or maybe even forever, will haunt my friends and I. There were a few faulty decisions but in the end, I cannot bring myself to regret them. After all, I just let myself get immersed in the magic of the place :)
Bikini Day1: Cache Cache| Bikini Day3: Dorothy Perkins| Bikini Day4: Topshop
Romper worn in Night1: Zara
Top worn in Night2: La Senza| Shorts: from my mom's closet
Bandeau worn in Night3: Forever21| Knitted top: Apple&Eve| High-waisted striped shorts: Topshop
Black top with heart details worn in Night4: Zara| Shorts: Zara
Slippers: Havaianas| Brown bag: Fossil| Shades: Aldo

So anyway, to make up for the lack of posts, I'd be publishing long entries every now and then. Let's get started!

Travel Philippines: El Nido, Palawan

In Hopes of Going Back to El Nido

I've been to El Nido once and if I would be asked to pick one word that I can associate it with, I'd say "CELEBRATION". My parents, with the help of my maternal grandparents who were then residents of Palawan, brought me, my brothers, my uncles, my paternal grandmom, and our household help Ate Lea to celebrate the double graduation of Gio and Kuya Gian last summer 2008 in Palawan. It has been 4 years since that beautiful trip but it still overwhelms me whenever I'd think of the experiences I've had in what I consider as the most breathtaking and resplendent place I've ever been to in my entire life. Maybe I should stop describing it through words. Maybe I should start posting the photos I've saved throughout the years instead.

I was in 2nd year in High School then and I didn't have SLR yet but the pictures came out pretty well. The sun must have cooperated with my outdated camera.

Kuya Gian and mommy

Mom and Nanay

with Kuya Gian

Ate Lea and Tito Ian

Tito Roy

Here's my "Ang cool ko talaga. Wag niyo ako batukan please" pose. 

Now let me tell you why now is the perfect time for me to go back there. In the past 4 years I've been in a constant turmoil. I've been thrown up and down lots of time most of which, I have to admit, are caused by my own hands. I've never been one who remained passive. One way or another, I always end up saying or doing what's on my mind. Problem is, the decisions I've formed were obvious results of my immaturity. I've been trying so hard to somehow compensate for all the wrong things I've done in my academics, and most importantly in the way I dealt with my friends. As penance for all the juvenile judgments that I've produced, I decided to do two things: 1st) To come up with good grades by alienating myself from all the distractions-slash-"good stuff", and 2nd) To make peace with everyone whom I have offended. When I saw the grades I've worked on last term posted on my online school account, I couldn't help beaming from ear to ear. In my university, our grading system is from 0.0 to 1.0 to 1.5 to 2.0 all the way to 4.0, with the latter being the highest. Perhaps others won't consider a 2.5 as a good grade but for someone whose grade jumped from a 1.0 to a 2.5, it's like receiving the Good News. Seeing my mom acknowledging all my efforts made all things better. And the best part was, she said she likes all the improvements she's seeing. Hearing her say those things made me think that for once in my college life, I've done the right thing. Weeks later, when I gave myself the chance to go out with my good friend Lina, even without me "boasting" about my newfound sense of diligence, she just said that by looking at me, she could grasp that I've improved a lot since our Frosh years. It felt double good! So what has been my secret in getting a better grade than the previous terms? Simple. I studied. I mean, I didn't just pretend that I'm reading the book. I actually read the book. Hmm., Now I know how it feels like to be a student in the real sense of the word. Haha! I've found out the secret formula to improving my academics. It's now time to do something about the friendships I've reduced to simple acquaintances. It took me this long to realize that I've done a great deal in whatever happened. Mea Culpa. I am sorry to everyone whom I have unintentionally hurt. I didn't know I was offending you. I thought I was merely protecting myself. 

F
inding the way out to my seemingly endless problems hasn't been easy. And I don't want to make it appear as though I've figured out everything already. Let's just say that I can see the end of all these things from where I am standing now. The cure for my problems, I guess, is the desire to actually cure all the problems. I know that now. And I won't lose it again. With these reasons, I believe I have something worth celebrating.