The Road to Spontaneity
I have not written in a very long while, in fact, this blog has been in hiatus for a year. I have missed writing a lot. And though I have been to many places, or not too many places for the past year, I still have failed to document them. Oh well. I hope that this time the blog would catch up on all the happenings, so let me start.
Last Thursday, May 25, we planned of going to Mt. Daguldol to celebrate a friend's birthday. Because his wife is pregnant, we were told that she can't accommodate the climb anymore because of her condition; so, the plan did not pursue. Come Saturday, May 27 at 9 am, we were still in bed and still half asleep. My boyfriend was fired up and said "Tara, alis tayo!" I got charged up too, and jerked off the bed. "Tara!"
And so that started the road to spontaneity.
We left home at 1pm and headed to Marilaque Road from Cainta. It was a hot sunny day and we wore long sleeved shirts to prevent sunburn and skin darkening of course. ;) The view from Marilaque Road is still as majestic as ever. Mountains teeming with lush green trees are offered in sight. We stopped by to take pictures as our eyes feasted on the beauty of God's creation.
Then we headed to the Wind Mills of Pililla, Rizal. It wasn't as grandiose as the view from Marilaque, but the wind mill is something I would like to see up close and in person; so it deserved a visit. We didn't get farther up the road where all the wind mills were standing because tourists were not allowed to, so we just took a few pictures then left.
We passed by Famy, Laguna where we had eaten lunch during a ride last 2013 if I am not mistaken. I wondered why we didn't stop to eat there... then I thought, maybe, he has something else in mind. So we continued the ride until we reached Real, Quezon. This part of Quezon is where the sea is close to, so there are a lot of beach resorts just along the road. We stopped by in one of the resorts and we were surprised that they're accepting tent accommodations! If we have known earlier, we should have brought our tent. For us who neglected to bring a tent, (c'mon, who would have thought of bringing a tent when you actually don't know where you're going?) you can rent it for 150 a night. That's a small tent which would fit 2. 250 for a medium sized tent, probably would fit 4 persons and 300 for a large tent, good for 6. The rental fee did not include the entrance fee, which cost 80 per person.
It was a good deal since we're mountaineers and we're used to bivouac, so we agreed to come back later. We are still in the hunt for an eatery or a restaurant. Along the road of Real is a variety of sea food stalls. We found an eatery near the fish market but we decided to find another, so we continued our pursuit to find the best eatery in the province.
Truth is we had difficulty finding a restaurant. We reached the town proper but failed to find a diner, and should we decide to cook our own food, we didn't have the cookware and utensils. In our search we arrived at Infanta, Quezon.
Infanta isn't as bustling as Real. While the resorts in Real are crowded with tourists, Infanta is a small, quiet town. We found a restaurant in Infanta town proper where they served dishes that you can find and eat in Manila- the usual tapsi and sizzling dishes. At last, we found the place where we can rest and dine!
Hon ordered sizzling, spicy breaded chicken cutlets (they call it hotshots). I realized that since we're in the province, I would like to try a dish that's a local favorite or a native delicacy. I ordered Chami- saucy noodles with a little spicy kick. It has Baguio beans, sayote and a lot of chicharon. One order is good for 2 but I was able to finish it all by myself!- uhmm, with a little help from Hon of course. Chami is really, really good. The waitress from the restaurant said that it's not really a specialty of the province, for every town in Quezon serve Chami. It's still definitely worth a try since I haven't had that one before.
It's getting late and we really needed a place to stay. We asked the locals where we can find a place to stay for the night and we're pointed to one of the resorts in Infanta. We were told of a Pacific something resort, where the rooms only cost 300/night. We headed on to search for this Pacific resort but the road was too dark and the signs were barely discernible. We asked the locals where this resort is exactly located and still we failed to find it. We decided to turn back to the town proper to find somewhere else to stay. While we're driving down the road we found a small sign which was written "Pacific Beach Resort". At last!!! We hurried down the lane to the resort.
You'll have to walk 2 meters from the road going in to reach the resort (or a 2 minute ride with a motorcyle). It is a rustic, old-school resort with few cottages here and there, 3 rooms with air conditioner and fans. The place do not have television or wifi amenities. Just a simple vacation-house-turned-resort.
We got a room for 750 Php. Originally, it costs 1,400 php but since it was just the 2 of us, we were given a discount. The room has a large queen bed and 2 additional queen-sized mattresses. It is perfect for 6-8 people. It has its own table and chairs and a toilet and bath. It was too big for us actually. While I was checking the room, Hon was told that we could have tents pitched up near the beach if we have one. The owner suggested it too late for we have already paid for the room. The tent cost only 300 for an overnight stay (you will be renting their tent). Oh and by the way, we didn't have to pay for the entrance fee which would normally cost 80 per person because we got a room and we are not going to stay for 24 hours. I am not sure if we were just favored, or if it was their policy, or just to accept lost tourists who were having spontaneous trips and had no place to stay. Hahaha.
And since this is a spontaneous trip, We were not able to bring mobile chargers and swimwear. If I have known where exactly we're going, I should have prepared. We just enjoyed the night away, drinking Red Horse Beer by the beach and by 12am, called it a day.
I really couldn't sleep, so I woke up early the next day, around 6am, then gone to bed again, and woke up at past 9am. We decided to go out and visit the beach. The place is beautiful in the morning!
We asked where we could have breakfast and we were pointed to the fish port. We're even told to bring a styro box when we get back for all the seafood we'll decide to buy.
As we headed to the fish port, I remembered to take a look at the signs that were barely discernible from last night. Hon told me that we're not actually staying at Pacific Beach, but in Resplandor (the 2 resorts are just adjacent to each other). I have been deceived. Hahahaha.
After the paved road is a rocky, steep and rugged road. It is the broken road which only 2 wheeled vehicle can pass. And because it was steep down, I had to alight from the bike and walk my way down and up to the other end of the road.
Along the road, you will pass by 2 or 3 waterfalls. Cool, right?
When we passed the top of the mountain, cool, chilly breeze penetrated our suits. They call that place Little Baguio, and no wonder, because of its cool climate.
At 3pm we're at Tanay Rizal. The ride may be exhausting but it was really worth it. Given a chance, I would like to come back and bring along friends and family.
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