Hey! It’s Her Birthday Again. – A Backpacking Weekend in Pangasinan

Birthdays always warrant a trip.  At least for my family it does specially when it’s the little girl (who’s not so little anymore) who’s celebrating.  For June 2014, we took a trip to Bolinao with my husband’s family.  They had originally thought of going to a beach at Batangas.  However, I didn’t quite like the idea of having to bring our own water to use for bathing and not having at least a fan because there wasn’t any electricity to reckon with.  So, of course I had to look for an althernative and Pattar in Bolinao was my choice. 

 As always, we left the house at 4 am.  It was going to be our first time to go to Bolinao as a family and Googlemaps said  it would take about  5 to 6 hours to get there.  We didn’t have much time to spend as we were only staying 24 hours at most and getting to our destination early would give us a few more hours to play or laze at the beach or go elsewhere around the area. 

While the trip was scenic and the lighting in the blue and golden hours was perfect for a photo shoot, the travel time was not as we expected.  We reached Bolinao at almost 1 pm – almost 9 hours after.  Of course we stopped a few times - Once to have breakfast for 1 hour at Lakeshore along NLEX before proceeding to SCTEX, 15 minutes to have the tire checked, and about 3 times at 10 minutes give or take at each stop to take a leak. Bolinao  is a  municipality of the province of Pangasinan.   It is located in the northern western  coast  of  Luzon at the opposite direction of Baguio. With that distance, we had anticipated to get there by noon.

True enough, it was lunchtime when we got there so first stop was at the Bolinao Seafood Grill ATBP.  I had originally planned to have our lunch at the Bolinao waterfalls because we brought food anyway.  However, it was really cloudy with the rain about to fall and hubbydubby was already hungry that I didn’t think it was good to trek anymore.  The resto turned out to be a very good choice.  A plate of medium sized succulent and freshly cooked shrimps cost 160 to 190, mussels cost about 120 pesos per serving of about 2 to 3 persons, etc.  We had pinakbet (it would be a sin not to have it being in the Ilocos region), some grilled pork, 2 plates of shrimps, mussels,  and rice of course.  That cost only 700 pesos more or less.  Not bad conidering there were 7 of us.  What made it a great meal was that everything really tasted very delicious. 

After lunch we headed to Coco’s beach resort where we were booked for the night.  It turned out that not only was Bolinao Seafood Grill a good place to dine, it was also along the road we would have to take to go to Ilog Malino where Cocos was.  It only took about 10 minutes to get to the resort.  It had a few rows of rooms along the shore and towering coconut trees by the entrance and within the compound.  They had some grocery items being sold at the information hut and they had common grilling stands near the rooms for guests to use.  I didn’t know that they had coal, and rice and all other sort of stuff that you’d need to cook.  Had I known, I wouldn’t have brought so many.  LOL

The room we stayed at was enough for 6 by HK standards if you know what I mean.  LOL.  That just says there’s enough room on the bed but not enough room to walk by.  It had 3 twin beds and a shower  inside.  It had a table and some chairs outside and visitors were allowed to pitch a tent.  We brought ours as we had expected some of my hubby’s aunts to join us. That was just in case there were more of us and there weren’t any more rooms at the resort.  The advantage though is that the rooms at Cocos were cheap.  Some had airconditioning while others just had fans in them.  Ours was airconditioned and cost 2500 pesos which fit 6 not-so-picky adults.  Basic but it served its purpose.  The room for 4 was only 2 Grand. 

After we had brought our stuff inside the room,  I and my sister-in-law with her husband went to the talipapa nearby where be bought some yellow fin tuna and porkchops for dinner.  After we stashed our goods inside the cooler, they went out for a ride to Pattar which is 15 minutes away.  I, on the other hand, went out to the beach to take some pictures while I waited for my husband who took a nap.

My hubby and I went out to join them after about an hour.  Most of the tourist spots in Bolinao were in one area – Pattar.  We dropped by the Enchanted cave where they had an underground pool.  I didn’t go with them as I was told it was very small anyway and there wasn’t anything else to see.  Fortunately, it was the lean season already so there weren’t too many people.  Next we went to the lighthouse.  It is not as big as Cape Bojeador in Ilocos but it was also a sight to behold.  Situated on top of a hill, there was a fantastic view of the sea from the deck.   

Next stop was at Pattar beach.  I was thrilled to see it as the reviews I found on the net said it was very beautiful.  It wasn’t as I had expected.  The beach was not white but was just light brown, fine but not powder as Boracay, and the waves were strong because it was on the China Sea.  Pattar is a public beach on the coast of Pangasinan.  There were vendors about 50 meters from the shore and there were cottages built by some individuals.  While it is true that we could have brought a tent there, it wasn’t the time for camping as a downpour was expected in the afternoon during the rainy season in the Philippines.  We didn’t stay long, only a few minutes to take some pictures and we were off to meet up with the rest of our group. 

We headed back to Cocos after meeting them.  There, we found the water to be calm and clear unlike in Pattar where the the waves were threatening to devour you.  Ilog Malino, as I observed is a cove and thus the area was protected from the waves from the sea.  They had found several rafts which they used to frolic in the water.  I had originally planned for us to stay at Pattar but the rooms there were at some expensive resort.  There were cottages but the toilets and showers were communal.  So, as fortune would have it, I chose for us to stay at the adjacent Ilog Malino and would just rent a small hut at Pattar had we stayed long there. But we didn’t.  Less expense. Great for the budget. LOL

For dinner we had yellow fin tuna and pork that I had cooked on the grill along with some fruits that we had brought in.  Quite nice. 

As it had always been, I woke up early to see the sun rise.  With my cam, I took some shots.  The pictures I had were among the best ones I have taken so far.  We  had breakfast there, took some time in the water, and by 12 noon, we set off to go around the town on our way home.  Lunch was still at Bolinao Seafood Grill ATBP as we really enjoyed our lunch the day before.  We ordered food and reserved a table but went to the see the church while we waited. 

The St. James Parish is a 400 year old church.  Like the other old places in the Philippines, it is located at the heart of the town just beside the market and walking distance to the municipal hall, bus terminals , etc.  It is comparatively smaller than the ones I’ve seen but is well maintained considering that Bolinao is a third class municipality and the people are mostly fisherfolks and farmers.  There was a stall just outside the gate of the church where they sold Binungey.  It is a delicacy of steamed rice and coconut milk cooked inside a bamboo.  A suman as we would call it here in the Tagalog region only that the suman is wrapped in banana leaves. The Binungey has banana leaves as lining for the bamboo. 

After our visit to the church, we headed back to have lunch at the resto.  After the meal, we headed straight to Alaminos to see the Hundred Islands.  We had wanted to see the waterfalls because it was along the highway anyway but it rained so hard that the path to the falls would be too slippery.  And while most of us were adults, we had brought my mother in law along.  Of course she’d probably try to keep up but we didn’t want to risk a fall or any accident.

The downpour continued all the way from Bolinao to Camiling Tarlac.  While we actually went down for a quick stop at the Hundred Islands, the view was so hazy we could hardly see the islands that were nearest the port.  Anyway, looking at the bright side, there’s reason to go back that part of Luzon. 

Coron Day 3 - Kayaking at Kingfisher Park

Continued from Coron Day 2

We woke up late and thus left the lodge at almost the same time that we did the previous day. Although some of our snorkel stuff were left in the boat, we had much luggage to bring as we had checked out of the lodge already. We were going to stay with my dad on another island because he had arranged for our diving lessons.

Like the previous day, Boyet and I had gone to the market to buy our stuff while Ria and Ikee were left at La Sirenneta to order our breakfast. I was so confused as to the fact that even on our 2nd day I couldn't find any other seafood at the market save for fish and squid. I was already craving for some shrimp or crabs but didn't get the opportunity to get any of those. I didn't want to get them from the resto because the prices were expensive. To me, it was silly to buy something priced as high as in Manila when I'm already at the source.

Our boat was still docked there as it really is convenient for us. After breakfast, we headed for our first stop - the Kubo sa Dagat.

Kubo sa Dagat.



I had read about Kubo sa Dagat during my research but had confused it with Kingfisher Park. Apparently, these are two different locations owned and operated by the same people - the Reyes'. Kubo sa Dagat is a lodging place in the waters of Malbato Bay while Kingfisher Park is on the island across it where the mangroves are. Most of the activities being offered at the Kubo sa Dagat are actually done at the King fisher park - kayaking, birdwatching, trekking, firefly tour, etc.

When we got there, I crossed one boat to get to the front desk and asked about the rates. It was 500 pesos per person to kayak to the mangroves where will also do the birdwatching. But Borge and Nikko, the admin officers, gave us one person free and even gave us coffee. So, we took the chance.



To get to the park, we had to bring our boat close to the island. But we were still about 500 meters from the boat to the entrance of the mangrove area and our boat couldn't get any closer because the water level was too shallow for it. Thus, we donned our life vests and paddled our way to the mangroves. The sea had started to get a little rough but we paddled along with the direction of the waves so it was not difficult to cross over to the other side. I and Boyet were together, Ikee was with Mang Godie (our guide) while Rhia chose to go alone. If I hadn't known that she was in the rowing team previously, I wouldn't have agreed for her to go solo. But then that would have entailed a debate. LOL

Inside the mangrove plantation was a stream. We were asked to paddle gently and to stay quiet so that we didn't scare the birds. I brought my camera inside the Lock and Lock container which I bought to keep it waterproof. It is cheap but it served its purpose so well, I tell you. It was a great shock protector too. My "photographers" were to scared to bring their expensive equipment so I was the only one who had pictures. LOL



There were huge trees in the area. Birds seemed to be everywhere but we couldn't see them because they were hiding somewhere. I deduced that we needed more time there so we could see the creatures. I was able to spot one but Boyet had asked me to take some pics and the bird flew. It was kinda big and blue with a long bill. Later on, Borge told me that it was one of the Kingfishers. I regretted not being able to see it for a long time although I was slightly elated having spotted it there. There were 6 other species but of course we told we had to be there as early as 5 am to spot more. I guess this would be one of those things we need to do next time. LOL



After more than an hour, Mang Godie told us that we should leave already because the current was getting stronger. We were on our way out of the path when we saw some women harvesting some shells. Turned out to be capiz shells - the ones that you see in old spanish houses. Rhia took one and ate it when she learned they were edible. You see, adventure IS our middle name. hahaha

From across the entrance I had seen the waves devouring the water underneath them. It got me a little scared because I thought about Ikee and that Rhia was alone. Also, that Boyet and I were no expert "kayakers". Could we make it? I was more sure of Ikee's safety than our own. She was with an expert. Boyet and I had each other but neither of us could be of more help to each other than we are to our own selves. Nonetheless, we had to try... and well, I'm writing this to you now so I guess I could say that we did a pretty good job back there. Thank God.

Another nice thing that the Kubo sa Dagat guys did for us was they allowed us to cook our meal there. We didn't have time to go to a beach to have our meal cooked as originally planned. After we cooked, we paid our fees and were on our way to the Lusong Wreck.

Lusong Ship Wreck.

We spent 1 hour sailing from Kubo to the Lusong wreck. There was no beach there. It was above the wreck that we stopped at. Lunch was at our boat but we hadn't eaten much because everyone was too curious about the ship below. That, according to our boatman and guide, was a ship from the japanese time. It was there perhaps because there was a really strong current that time. We had noticed this and I suggested we do not go into the water anymore. But then curiousity still ruled that a few minutes later we were splashing our way to feed the fish with our bare hands. These little guys were so naive that you can actually kiss and hold them. That's me with a little fishy.



We were going to the Coral garden which was just a few minutes from us but decided not to go. Instead, we headed for Cullion Island.

Cullion Island

The last stop before we went to see dad was at Cullion Island. This was the former Leper Colony. I say former because you can hardly find any leper there now. As my uncle who is also a dermatologist would say, there is about less than 1 percent of the population who can get afflicted. Most likely, we weren't one of those. LOL

First stop there was at the Museum. It was huge as the ones I had seen. But it surely was interesting. There was this video that told about the 100-year plight of the lepers and the colony - how it was a sin to be a leper in the olden days, how the lepers were shot or burned and how they had settled in this once-upon-a-time-God-Forlorned piece of land in the middle of nowhere. Yup, it was interesting and melodramatic at the same time.



From the musueum, we went to take a few shots of the old church and we were off to see dad for our first scuba lesson with Chuck. We stayed with daddy for the remainder of our stay at Coron. For our the first night we went out to sea to fish and stargaze. As in Port Barton, I had seen 4 meteors while waiting for my fish to take the bait. Amazing!

Where May We Go for Lent? - Montemar Beach Club

Lent in the Philippines is a time when people try to be as "sinfree" as possible. In here, the misnomer is that there are many things that should not be done because according to some it is the time when God is dead and that anything you do might cause you harm. Like, when I was young, my grandma would ask me not to play and be noisy because God is dying. During Lent people commemorate the death of Jesus but He does not die every year. It was just probably the old folks' way of saying " Hey you, keep quiet!".

In our family, we look forward to Lent and easter. For the last 11 years we have been celebrating easter at some place - at a beach, at the mall, at the theme park, etc. This year, the family tour director - that would be me - is really out of ideas. Then I thought that maybe it would be good to go to Montemar Beach Club in Bagac, Bataan. We had long wanted to go there because when we visited it last year, we loved the beach and its pool. Although the place is old its facilities are at par with other newer resorts. But the beach... the sand is fine, the water is warm and calm, the beach gradually becomes deep, and there's a wide space for everyone. You don't get that with just 2 hours travel from Manila. There are good beaches but you have to travel 4 or maybe 5 hours.

They have a promo for this summer. It costs Php6448.oo for 2 persons for 2 nights with breakfast and Php9438.00 for 4 persons for 2 nights with breakfast. Check it out at http://www.montemarbeach.com.