Summer 2013

As May ends, so does summer in this tropical island I call home, as well. In the past two years, I unfortunately did not get a chance to explore our many beaches here as I usually do as most locals here in the previous years. 2011 was mostly spent on personal overseas trips while 2012 was spent in vanity land for work purposes. This year, I think that somehow I was able to make up for it.

1. Sorsogon-Legazpi, April 2013

A DIY backpacking trip with my mom and sister. In a nutshell, it consisted of kayaking and trekking at the Bulusan lake, dipping in the Irosin hot spring, island hopping in Matnog and ATV driving near the Cagsawa church ruins. I've been to Caramoan and Calaguas but Matnog was just as great. There's so much to see and experience in the Bicol region that one visit is not enough to get through them all. It's also cool that I got to visit these places while they weren't that popular and developed yet... There's a certain charm on being able to visit these places without the luxury of urban amenities... Hopefully, I will get the chance to share our itinerary because blogs have been very helpful for us when we were trying to put them together. Of course, having friends from Bicol to provide tips and insights also helped a lot.

2. Hundred Islands, Alaminos, Pangasinan, May 2013

It's probably my third time to visit and although it may not be as good as the others, it's still worth visiting considering the proximity to Manila. It is still a relatively long drive, about 4 hours, but this can make for a quick weekend escape. The highlight was in being able to visit a 'virgin' island which did not have any structures in it, unlike the others to cater to tourists/visitors. Quezon Island was too crowded at that time so we opted to bum out in the nearby Lopez island instead.

3. Liw-Liwa, San Felipe, Zambales, May 2013

An off the beaten path that is way less crowded, not overrated, laidback and certainly not commercialized hideaway to bum out and learn skimboarding/surfing. The vibe is very friendly and again forget luxury, simple living is the rule here. I'd definitely want to come back here just to chill out. Another highlight was just hanging out on those boulders and being able to see a shooting star for the first time! I definitely enjoyed my time here, in good company of course. It was funny and amusing seeing an atv there too considering the inside joke...

"I dig my toes into the sand...

The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket

I lean against the wind, pretend that I am weightless

And in this moment, I am happy..."