Cagbalete: Summer Hiatus 2013

So I seriously don’t know where to begin. This is that moment again, that moment when you feel you can’t put into words and photographs the fun you had. Even using the word “fun” becomes an understatement. I’ll try to write this entry well so as not to ruin the memorable experience.

My college friends and I finally had the summer getaway we’d been wanting to have. The prolonged agony and anticipation paid off!

We were so happy for choosing Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon.

“Cagbalete Island is in another place. It doesn’t belong here. It’s a paradise.” These were my thoughts the first time I’ve laid eyes on it.

We all knew it was a beautiful island, but we had no idea it’s actually beyond beautiful. It was like we were in a totally different world, disconnected from the urban jungle. Everything about it speaks of serenity and resplendence. How can something so ethereal like this exist?

When we arrived there, the first thing we saw was Cagbalete Island at low tide. The breathtaking view wiped away all the sweat and stress brought about by short sleep, long travel, long trek, early sunburned skin, and hard-earned money.

We decided to settle and set up everything before heading to the beach, besides the sun was still at its highest point then. (We did not want to get burned.) We rented a hut cottage to stay in, designated the food for every meal, prepped our personal stuff, and paid/bought whatever needed to be paid/bought. And off we went to explore the beach!

It’s so cool because the water goes far back from the shore leaving the sand ripples, which are nature’s effortless work of art, exposed. And by far, I mean really far. I think we went as far as more than a kilometer away from the shore.

We walked and walked and walked on the sand until we reached Bonsai Island which magically emerges only during low tide. It's like a mini island within an island. How cool is that? You could say we were literally in the middle of the sea.

Bonsai Island

Yes, there were other guests as well. But considering it’s the peak season, I’d say there were not as many people, which was a good thing, of course. We had a certain portion of the island shore all to our own where we spent a great time playing.J

Our second day was spent swimming on the other side of the island where the water is crystal clear and the sand powder-fine! It was like a piece of heaven when my feet touched the sand beneath. Aaah. It was pure. Aaah. It was therapeutic. And the water was so contagiously calm it just gave me the peace I needed inside me. I just had to take in the calmness.  

It had been special as it was spent with dear friends who’re just as in love with the beach as I am. The things we experienced there were just awesome. We’re crazy people, but we become even crazier when together. I thank them for the fun.J

I have used too many adjectives here yet I know they still don’t equate to how strangely beautiful Cagbalete really is. Maybe the answer can be found in the fine sand, calm water, unique sand ripples, picturesque low tide, distinctive stone formations, or in the splendid horizon. All I’m sure of is there’s something about the place which makes it what it is - otherworldly.

As early as now I can already say my summer 2013’s complete. The two-day outing’s got everything covered. I can’t ask for more.

I’ll never forget Cagbalete for I left a part of me in this island the same time I took a part of it with me. Thank you.☀

*Thanks to Jerome, Antoniette and Kreng for the photos.
*Thanks to Ago for editing the vid.

A Weekend of Everything That Flies!

This experience would definitely work for an interesting story. J

My heart was almost crushed when I thought our Pampanga trip for the 18^th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta would be cancelled. L You see, this had been planned long ago and everything had been set until Friday came. Aside from the bitchy weather, there were also other un-cool reasons that I’d rather not talk about so as not to taint this happy post on my happy blog. HAHAHA!

I woke up to a very sunny Saturday, like it wasn’t raining cats and dogs the day before. Faith, Jusz and I felt sad, because we were supposed to watch that day. We were so dismayed. But after an exchange of text messages, we decided we’d go even if we had no idea how we’d get there and where we’d be staying and what’d happen. Talk about adventure! J

Then, we bumped into Rochelle at the mall and kidnapped her to go with us! Booyah! HAHA! 

Travel was surprisingly smooth and easy. We didn’t get lost or anything. Upon arrival, we looked for a place to stay in for the night. We checked into Bliss Hotel which provided us with a very nice room at a reasonable price. J

me, che, jusz, faith

There was no stopping us at this point. Come Sunday morning, we headed straight to the Clark Freeport Zone for the last day of the 18^th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Yay! Happy kids! J

the supposed 7-minute walk turned out to be a 30-minute one. pft!

The hot air balloons looked so vibrant and beautiful. They were like huge candies in yummy colors scattered in the sky. My eyes were feasting on them the whole time. Too bad the huge pink elephant wouldn’t go up. It was still cute, though. We had to stay ‘til 6PM to see them again, but they were absolutely worth the wait! J

taken at around 7AM, that's why they still looked gloomy.

One of the highlights of the 18^th PIHABF was the Breitling Jet Team Aerobatic Exhibition!!! OMG! J They were truly amazing. Everybody’s jaw dropped when they did all those breathtaking aerial synchronizations and maneuvers. Spectacular. Just spectacular. I couldn’t take my eyes off them even if my eyes already hurt because of the sun’s brightness. Seriously, how could they be that awesome? J It reminded me a lot of Top Gun. I even pictured Tom Cruise as one of the pilots. HAHA. I felt like I was watching a movie that was just so badass. I could use as many adjectives as I want but those words wouldn’t equate to how incredible it really was. Only those who were there would understand. J Because of what they did, pilots now have a place in my heart! HAHAHA!

goosebump moment. :)

Just so you know, Breitling Jet Team is a civilian aerobatics team from France. One of the pilots even gave a thank you message over the radio while they were up in the air. Sweet! Kilig! HAHAHA!  

This was followed by a number of other aircraft displays. We’ve had more than enough of planes in one day. HAHA. Funny thing, it was a hot air balloon fest but we saw more planes and jets than balloons. Whatever, it was still fun. HAHAHA.

The only thing I hated about this day was the scorching heat of the sun. Hassle. It’s an open area so there wasn’t really any way we could escape the sun. Besides, we didn’t wanna leave our place ‘coz it was already a good spot for viewing. Looking at the bright side, at least it didn’t rain. I’d rather endure the hot weather than have a rainy and muddy day at the fest. Hell no.

the crowd + the sun's heat + the wind dust! so many people! 

There was also the kite flying demonstration accompanied with music. The first part had a three-kite demo, followed by a two-kite display, then a four-kite show. Man, they were really good. J How could those people possibly control and synchronize those kites like that?!  How come they didn’t get those strings tangled up or anything? HAHA! Cool balls. 

Then, Rochelle, who we just ambushed to join us in this trip, had the time of her life. J She was among those picked to experience car drifting. Ain’t that cool? HAHA! Our girl got even luckier ‘coz the driver she was with was a cutie! HAHA! Happy for her. She really was meant to be with us! J

there she is at the bottom right! :)

To cap off the fest, there was the Hot Air Balloon Night Glow. Beautiful. We were ooh-ing and aah-ing every time all the hot air balloons on display would light up simultaneously. They all looked better at night when lit up. What a view. What a great way to end the festival. Aaaah.

Plus, the fireworks! J I’m not sure if they intentionally timed the fireworks display with Psy’s Oppa Gangnam Style, but it was really cute. J

Hooray for friends who are always game for anything!

It was definitely a fun experience. Something for the soul. J

Lesson of this trip: For as long as you want something, you can make it happen. Action and motivation bring forth fruition.

Carpe diem.

*Thanks to Faith for the photos! J

An Escape to Anawangin!

071612. monday.

let me share to you our post-summer getaway to Anawangin, Zambales!

we’ve been wanting to do this since graduation but we never really had the time and money. HAHA. until finally, without any plans or anything, with only the urge to go, ago, roc, jonas, and i still pushed through with this escapade. HAHA.

it was a two-day outing. i must say that though it was just two days, it felt like forever! HAHA.

DAY 1

it took us almost six hours to get to Zambales from Manila. it was raining when we pulled in. it took us another hour of a nauseous boat ride to reach the island itself. the view on our way to Anawangin - the clear waters, the other untouched islands, the green mountains - was breathtaking enough to make me feel better. HAHA.

we first fixed our things and set up our tent upon our arrival. 

we changed clothes right away, then off we went swimming excitedly. the surge of the waves was so strong we couldn’t get farther from the shore at first. so, we just started throwing sand at each other instead. we even played with the waves. the four of us would be fighting the tides and whoever would fall on his/her feet loses the game. we’d get closer to the strong waves every time until only one remained. i’d always, always be the one to fall first. so weak! HAHA. we had fun just like kids. HAHA.

then, we headed back to our place for lunch. the food was included in the package so we  didn’t have to worry about what to eat. every meal, they served us with scrumptious dishes! woooo! HAHA. oh, i’d have to say this, their food was absolutely great. we were always bloated after the meals! and, they were very accommodating. whenever we needed anything, we’d just tell them and they’d take care of things from there. wonderful people. :)

after lunch, jonas insisted that we play frisbee, and so we did. it was the first time for the three of us(except jonas of course. HAHA). roc and i were teammates against ago and jonas. HAHA. well, we enjoyed it, realized it wasn’t that hard to learn. HAHA. 

we also went trekking that day. it was cool but tiring. the way up to that mountain was so steep and narrow plus rocky. it was no easy hike. you can just imagine how sweaty we were then. oh, and let’s not forget the sunblock we put on when it melted and ran down from our foreheads to our eyes! it hurt! HAHA. all the sweat and bruises paid off when we got to the top. the view, it was amazing, beautiful! it was there that we really got a full view of Anawangin and the other islands around it. wherever you look, all you’d see is the beauty of nature, untouched. :)

what else is better to do after trekking than to soak up in that salt water. HAHA. and yes, we swam again. this time we learned the trick. we just had to follow the waves and let them carry us up to keep us afloat from time to time. instead of getting scared when the tides came near, we were then excited. the bigger the waves, the better! HAHA.

it was already evening when we returned to our camp. HAHA. all the guests came rushing to the showers. we still had to queue for our turn. following bath, we had dinner. again, they never failed us. the food was overflowing. it’s perfect. after a jam-packed day of fun, a delicious dinner was the only thing we needed. the bonfire added to the beach “feel” right there. HAHA. while eating, we had a little chat of how cool our experiences were so far. we could think of only the good things. HAHA.

DAY 2

we were awaken to an appetizing breakfast, just enough to get us through a fun-filled day ahead. HAHA. we played frisbee for awhile before we hopped on to the boat for island hopping!

actually, we were supposed to  visit three islands, but due to the rain, we only got to check out one. it was fine though since it was for our safety. HEHE.

Capones Island was such a beauty. this virgin isle found in the heart of Zambales has fine white sand. it is surrounded by cool boulders. the shells are scattered everywhere. the rocks under the sea are so huge that our boat couldn’t get ashore. we all had to swim to get to the shoreline. thanks to the life vest, i managed to work my way there. HAHA.

there was a lighthouse on top of the hill. in order to reach it, we had to hike again. HAHA. o man, it was oh so tiring. every step seemed so heavy. we just enjoyed the climb and laughed the stress off. HAHA. when we arrived at the top, there was this old structure. i have no idea what it was before. it was beautiful though. then we took photos in the lighthouse. from there, we once more witnessed God’s wonderful creation. :) the view was worth the effort. see for yourselves.

when we walked down the hill, we swam and we swam and we swam again. HAHA. it was fun there. it would’ve been more fun if not for the sharp stones underneath the water. when the waves strike, the solid rocks come with them. you can only imagine how much our feet and legs suffered. i had bruises right after. HAHA. the sun was at its peak when we finished. HAHAHA!

it was an amazing experience. we even met new people. i forgot to tell you that there were five groups who availed the package, including us. we were with them in all the activities we did. there were those who’re friendly and approachable, there’re those who weren’t. HAHA.

thanks to the kuyas and ates who showed warmth and generosity to us while we were in Anawangin. :)

this video sums up everything that happened in two days.

just like Charlie in that The Perks of Being a Wallflower novel, i felt ‘infinite’ that moment, hearing the waves, feeling the sand. i didn’t wanna leave. it felt perfect that second, like nothing wrong could happen. :)

i hope to see you again, Anawangin!

*thanks to jonas, roc and ago for the photos and video(edited by ago).