Assignment Number 5: Surf's Up in Baler!

Baler is known for a lot of things, shooting location of Apocalypse Now, birthplace of Manuel Quezon, the last bastion of Spanish rule in the country (as recounted in that joke of a movie starring Anne Curtis)... but we endured the 8-hour bus ride from Manila for one thing - the best waves this side of the country!






























Situated at the mouth of Baler Bay which opens up to the Pacific Ocean, waves in Baler tower up to 9 feet during high season. When we surveyed the waters the first time we stepped up Sabang Beach, all we could say was... wild. Waves were coming in from all directions, and almost each one that came in had enough power and momentum to carry you straight to the shoreline. We immediately dumped our stuff at the resort, picked out our boards for the day and paddled out to sea. Waiting for the big waves wasn't a problem at all, they kept coming one after the other and we had to rest and just float around every so often to catch our breath. We struggled paddling out with the never-ending barrage of waves coming at us, which proved to be quite a workout that left us reaching for meds later that day. Had some memorable wipeouts too, which induced cinematic visions of a frail body being washed out to the Pacific Ocean. Of course, the long rides on top of huge waves made it all bearable and worth it.






























There are a lot of other side trips available around Baler. Venture into town to visit the Museo de Baler, view historical relics and not so historical movie props. Ermita Hill provides a scenic view of the town and the beach. Balete Park is home to supposedly the largest Banyan Tree in Asia, 60 meters high and said to be more than 300 years old. There are a couple of water falls worth visiting as well - Diguisit and Ditumabo falls are just a short tricycle ride and hike away from town. Woke up early as well the next morning to catch the sunrise (this is the eastern coastline of the Philippines!), which was an awesome way to start the day. Early morning joggers swarmed the beach as soon as daybreak settled, with a couple of brave surfers already jumping in with their boards. We definitely did not find ourselves bored with nothing to do. For a small & sleepy town, there quite a handful of activities to do in Baler.

Hopefully, the highway leading up to Baler will be finished as scheduled within this year. They say it will cut travel time from Manila by almost half, which will make the waves of Baler ever more accessible.

There are 2 popular surf shops on Sabang Beach: Maddox Surf Shop and Aliyah Surf Camp. Both charge P200 per hour for board rentals, and P300 per hour for surf lessons (inclusive of board rental). Both have good instructors, make sure you reserve a board early especially during peak seasons. YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

WHERE TO STAY

Bay's Inn - central beachfront location. Fan rooms start at P500/night, while aircon rooms start at P900/night
http://baysinnbaler.multiply.com
(0907) 7005734 / (0918) 9266697 / (042) 2094312
baysinn_baler@yahoo.com

Bahia de Baler - newer hotel 5mins from Bay's Inn. Rooms start at P1,200/night
http://bahiadebaler.com
(042) 2094276 / (0920) 9040177 / (0920) 5550451

Assignment Number 4: Zorb It!

Cha has always been a beach-person (you probably were a fan of her when she was part of Survivor Philippines) and Boracay is definitely one of her favorite places to go to. On her 8^th time in Boracay, she tried to make the trip exciting and memorable (it has ceased to become such) and off she went to try out the Zorb. Zorbing, for the uninitiated, is basically squeezing yourself into a giant see-through ball and then roll down a hill.

You can choose 2 ways to Zorb:

1. 1-3 pax will slide down the hill with water added inside the ball making it extra slippery.

2. Good for 2 pax only and both are strapped in a harness at opposite ends. Cost is about P380 per person (well that's as far as we can remember).

Since the cost was basically the same for both, Cha opted to be more adventurous and tried the one with the harness. Frantic and screaming at the man who was strapping her to the harness (she's a ham like that), thoughts like “is this safe?”, “will I throw up at Raffy?", “what if I get dislocated”, “what if I faint?” came rushing in. No turning back, though. The minute the guy started pushing the ball, she felt partially paralyzed, heart and brain stopping. With clenched teeth, Cha just wanted it to end. And the whole experience was just a good 10 seconds.

Scared as she was, Cha still enjoyed ZORBing. And while she thought that she was already a masochist, Raffy went on for another round - because he's adventurous like that... It’s definitely a new must-do activity in Boracay. YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment Number 3: Conquer Mt. Pinatubo

Seeing the crater of Mt. Pinatubo is simply awesome. The scene of brilliant turquoise waters blending in with ash covered peaks and green foliage crawling up the mountainside stirs you up into believing how beautiful our country truly is. It simply betrays the fact that this very same volcano created so much destruction almost 2 decades ago!
















It was an easy enough adventure, thanks to the new "skyway" which shortens the trekking time up to the crater to just 20minutes. This is after a one hour 4x4 off-road experience from the Capas Tourism Office through the lahar covered areas and up to the foot of Mt. Pinatubo. Now this is probably one of the dustiest and bumpiest rides you will ever take, so prepare yourself (especially if you're asthmatic).
















As you take the last steps up the mountainside trek and the view of the crater lake sets in, you will realize how cool and light the weather is - not hot and humid at all,like most people would think. So a jacket is a must, if you have an early morning trip. Visitors may climb down to the banks of the lake and take a swim. You may also take a quick boat ride to the other side of the lake, which is more barren and creepy.

Trying it is easy, you can either take a package tour or rent a 4x4 and guides directly from the Capas Tourism Office. We took the TravelFactor tour package which takes you straight from Manila to Pinatubo and back. But we faced some issues with our tour group because of the Balikatan War Games they did not foresee which ended up ruining our schedules.

YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment Number 2: Run A Race

Not just some ordinary race, mind you.
The Cebu Marathon 2010.
Jules was dared to run, and run he did.
Ever the smoker, he didn't let his addiction get the better of him and off he went in October 2009 to train for the event. He lost tons of weight (fitting into size 28 jeans), he still smokes like a chimney, and ended up finishing the 21k segment of the race in 1 hour 48 minutes!

Some caveats, though:
1. Train slowly. Start with 2.5k, then increase by 1k a week until you reach your desired distance.
2. Stretch.
3. Stop smoking. (from Jules: optional, really)

YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment Number 1: Start A Blog

If you're wondering what this site is all about, it's about boredom.
Pure, unadulterated boredom from four yuppies living in the Philippines who have nothing better to do with their lives than spend money and whine about it later.
Of course, the things and activities we spend on are worthwhile - and we will vouch for them.
As our mantra goes: "you gotta try it once!"

Have fun reading!