so we had to switch to Plan B.
we (Cinch, Tarits, P and I) left Manila on-board Amihan Bus Lines at 9:45pm. it was freezing inside the bus so every stopover was anticipated with gusto. since there wasn't anything i can see from the window, i snored off all the way to Camarines Norte.
Day 1 : the bus station was a few blocks away from Cinch's house. with heavy baggages under the rain, it was mandatory that we take a tryke. upon depositing our things, we had coffee and pan de sal for breakfast. at around 9:30am, Melvic (our tour guide and coordinator) arrived to pick us up. P and I forgot to pack our raincoats so I improvised a raincoat for him using a black plastic trash bag. how's that for a fashion statement!
Melvic gave us a tour of the city--trust him to get you inside the city hall on a weekend! he also showed us the first and oldest Rizal Monument and the Vinzon's shrine. later, we went to St. Peter the Apostle Parish. it was almost 12 noon so off we went to Villa Eusebia for lunch.
it was a cozy native restaurant with huge old trees. it also has a beautiful view of the river at the back (Labo River, i think). for lunch, we had lechong kawali and blue marlin in tamarind soup. as we were digesting our meal, P went all over picking up pili nuts on the ground. when we left, there wasn't one nut left on the ground.after lunch, we drove to Paracale. Tarits and I wanted to see the famous gold of Paracale but it was a weekend and most of the shops were closed. it was still raining when we arrived at the Our Lady of Candelaria Parish. Melvic guided us up the church tower and showed us the 1858 church bells which are still being used.
from Paracale, we traveled to Pulang Daga, then went straight to the hanging bridge in Dagotdotan. we peeked inside Pineapple resort on our way to the twin falls in San Felipe. Cinch and P were sound asleep while i was taking pictures of the windshield. Melvic would purposely drive through water puddles and as the water splashed on the windshield, Tarits and I would shriek with laughter. along the way, we saw two funny signs : IPOT FOR SALE -- they were a block away from each other. Tarits and I figured they must be competitors, selling the most or least smelly manure. manure of what, we had no idea. i guess it must either be the weather or being soaked in the rain for the whole day that gave us ideas for new ipot slogans (i.e. BILI MO IPOT KO... IPOT-EXPORT... IPOT WHILE YOU WAIT...) Tarits and I almost died laughing.
as we neared the Twin Falls, we saw several pineapple plantations but it was pouring so i was not able to get a clear picture. on the way down to the twin falls, my slippers got stuck in the mud and had to walk barefooted all the way back to the car. P and I were soaking wet.
it was past seven when we arrived at Cinch's house. for dinner, i prepared adobong pork and chicken. i was not able to eat much not being a chicken lover, least of all, adobong manok. it has been a long day so right after taking a shower, P and i hit the sack.
Day 2: Melvic arrived this time with Bryan, our cook (a guitarist and a Bagasbas surfer as well)... and a lifeguard (i didn't get his name but he looks like a baywatch lifeguard)-- to take us to Palm Beach Resort. how lucky can one get to have good-looking guys to take care of you? Palm Beach for me is just... perfect. trees and native dwellings... wooden chairs and tables... sea shells all around... emerald waters... typhoon Dante cannot compete with that.
Melvic arranged for our lodging while we were busy taking pictures. no sooner had we left our things in our room, off we went clicking away again. it was awesome! our hosts efficiently took care of everything. the only thing we had to do was enjoy ourselves and worry about our cameras getting wet... P on the other hand was busy picking sea shells on the sea shore (ha-ha-ha!).
Tarits and I walked the length of the beach picking shells along the way. a little while later, Cinch called out to us--lunch was served. we had grilled pork and fried tilapia over steamed rice and bananas for desert. it was a nice meal compliments of our cook, Bryan. Melvic told us the boat that will take us island-hopping will be there at 1:00 pm.
the boat finally arrived. with our cameras safely wrapped in plastic, off we went to our first stop: Carijo Island.
next stop was Malasugi Island where we saw hermit crabs feasting on dog's manure. eeeewww... i thought it was a seaweed of some sort. Tarits and I even took pictures of those little rascals. Malasugi has a sloping pattern the end of which is where water splashes on both sides. amazing!
last stop was at the Apuao Grande, a beautiful but unfortunately non-operating resort. I heard it's being sold for P55M. it has big old trees, golden sand and a view of the emerald beach. Apuao Grande has a unique ambience--one of tranquility and nostalgia. it would have been a perfect setting for a wedding or honeymoon.we were supposed to pass by the uninhabited Canton island but it was starting to pour again and the waves were getting mightier. we headed back to Palm Beach where Bryan and the lifeguard served us steaming hot coffee. spoiled talaga!
with coffee cups in hand, P and i wandered in the rain towards the end of the beach to look for starfishes and more shells while Cinch and Tarits took their first beach bath. the water had gone down to our knees. as P and I looked for starfishes, i noticed the beautiful formations on the sand. hey, my coffee is getting cold... and refilled, thank you.
a few moments later, Melvic called us to dinner. this time, Bryan and our lifeguard joined us. we were served fried chicken and the sumptuous stir fried veggies in butter. simply delicious. i had another cup of coffee after dinner while P and the guys had Gilbey's. by 10:30 pm, i felt i was ready for bed so i left them at the nipa hut. P returned to our room before 2am and snored as soon as his back touched the mattress.Day 3: it was a beautiful, quiet morning... i got up before 6am to find Cinch and Tarits strolling along the shore. during the night, the waves washed more sea shells to the shore and we started gathering them again. Tarits wanted to take pictures of the Palm trees at the front and so we ventured.
after breakfast, we gathered our things and took last shots of the resort. Melvic and company drove us back and we were at Cinch's house by 10:am. after lunch, we went to the market to buy some pasalubong. by 3:00 pm, we were on our way to Bagasbas.our bus leaves Daet at 9:00 pm. after a light dinner at Chow King, we took a tryke to the station and moments later, we were on our way to Manila.
we reached Manila at 4:30 am. having been roused in the middle of my dreams, i was still sleepy and somewhat disoriented that upon gathering our bags i went straight to a waiting taxi cab and asked the driver to take us home, back to the open arms and shrieking voices of the waiting Ayel and Anya.
it was a long trip to and from Manila but it was all worth it. we had the grandest time. I am looking forward to seeing the island of Calaguas as soon as possible, typhoon or no typhoon.
to Melvic, Bryan and our lifeguard (i will have to get your name next time!), thanks for a wonderful & educational weekend and for making our trip truly relaxing and worthwhile.
for more info on Calaguas & Camarines Norte, visit Melvic Brinas's site at: http://melvicbrinas.multiply.com
