Ika 18 ng Pebrero 2009: Going Places

The wind was blowing softly and I could hear the rustling of the mango leaves as I was walking the road on the way to work. It felt good. Summer must be here. ED is on her way to San Juan, Batangas for their field trip. San Juan is at the southeastern tip of Batangas and there lies a seven kilometer strip of white sand beach situated along the stretching coast of Sigayan Bay and Verde Island passage. The place is nestled behind the peaks of Mt. Daguldol and home to several hiking destinations, such as Naambon falls and Mainit Pulang Bato. Because of its proximity to cities of Manila, Batangas and Quezon, this beach called Laiya became a popular destination for weekend retreats and corporate excursions.

We didn't know the place until hubby along with his mountaineering friends accidentally discovered it in one of their treks. Coming from a climb of Mt. Daguldol, they saw this long stretch of beach lined with white sand. They went to one of the resorts to wash and clean up. Hubby brought us to the place later. The first time we came there, we instantly like the place as it was not crowded.........the water is clear.......... love the white sand........ and the scenery is great. It is also close to Manila. From our place, it's about two and a half-hour drive by car. Back then, only a handful have discovered the place and accommodation can be done as you get there. We brought family and friends there who all love the place. Over the years, more and more people are discovering it. Like any good thing, the crowds have overtaken the place particularly during the summer months. It's a choice destination for company outings. We once held an office activity there upon my suggestion. Now, we go there with reservation made ahead of time. Or we schedule our trips just before the crowd sets in. With the onset of summer, I am mesmerized by the thought of frolicking in the beach. I am envious of ED.


With my thoughts on summer, I got a call from my friend, Dayap who I am also christening as Nilags. I am planning this trip with another friend from the US, a blogger better known as yurkulmom, who will give me a treat of a trip to Hongkong and probably a local trip. Originally, we were also supposed to go to Bangkok too but due to the little time she and her son would have, she decided against it. Now, she wants to just go to a local destination aside from our HK trip. I am asking Dayap who is based in HK to accompany us in the places to see once we're there. I have been there a number of times but being direction-challenged, I won't make a good tour guide. It will be my friend's first time in HK. Being a seasoned traveler, she can probably do better than me. But the limited time could put a strain on our schedule........... so it's better to have somebody to guide us in the places to see. Good thing, I have Dayap there. My friend also has a friend in Macau. Dayap, my friend, and I are classmates in elementary. It would be a reunion of sorts once we are in HK.

I told Dayap about our planned local travel and she also is eager to go on a vacation. She is suggesting Cebu bringing our car and going there via RORO........ sounds cool. She said she has an aunt there who has a resort and all we have to bring is seasonings and condiments....... even cooler. Dayap, I, and some other friends and our families would go together in some beaches and resort once in a while. So far, we have gone to San Juan, Batangas and Zambales. We have always talked about going to Boracay since she has this place on time-sharing arrangement we could use. It hasn't materialized yet. I told her we should go to Vigan where hubby's father hails and Pagudpod. Dayap is also excited about this. Cebu looks very promising this summer........... Cebu, here we come!

I hope we find the time and money to go to all these places. It's always great spending time with family and good friends in some faraway destinations. It brings us closer together ..... gives us time to forget the ennui of life.......

I better wake up now and go back to work. My boss might just decide not to give me that summer break.............

PS: Nakikibanyo ang panagalawa kong anak sa akin ngayon. Nasira ang bidet sa banyo nila ng ate niya at malakas ang tulo ng tubig kaya pinatay na muna ang daloy ng tubig don. Hindi pa maharap ng tatay nila ang paggawa at malamang sa wekend na magawa. Maarte pa naman ako sa banyo. Marami mga wisik ng tubig at ayoko non. Pinagsabihan ko na na punasan ang wisik ng tubig. Wala, ganon pa rin. Groundwater ang tubig namin kaya nakakamantsa ng mga gamit sa banyo. Kaya ako tinutuyo ko agad ang mga gamit sa loob nito. Hirap talaga turuan ng mga kabataan sa ganyan. At bilang isang OC, di ako mapakali........