Ilocos, Holy Week 2013

from Google Treasure maps for April Fools Day

It was holy week once again and therefore time for four-day long weekend. We could have join a group going to Baler but we already have other plans to go to Ilocos. One aim of this trip is to be on a tight budget. We did not bring our own transportation instead we rode a bus. RCJ Trans going to Banna was 650 pesos. Going back from Laoag with Partas was almost 800 pesos. We left by Wednesday night. Good thing we had reservations for it is peak time.
We stayed at Chast’s house in Banna to save from hotel expenses. Their house is big enough to house the six of us. We used just one room. The plan is to go to Batac and Paoay on Thursday; lay back and go to church on Good Friday; go on a Pagudpud road trip the next day then catch an early afternoon bus to Manila on Easter Sunday. To go around, we have Chast’s relatives to drive us around and we took care of gas.
When we arrived on Thursday morning, we went to the market to buy stuff to cook and something to eat. After that we went to bed. We went on the trip to Batac and Paoay in the afternoon after lunch. 

Periwinkle at the side of Paoay Church

We went on the usual attractions, the Marcos Museum, eat empanada at the nearby empanadahan, see Paoay church then Suba in Paoay church. 

Paoay Lake

The place is beautiful. its just that my prime lens can't capture it all

On our previous trips, we always pass by the lake but it was my first time to see Malacanang of the North. It has some entrance fee and it closes by 5PM but it was good to see it for the first time. The elegance and beauty of the place was awesome.
We just laid back on Good Friday. Angel told us it was accustomed in her family to NOT travel at that day so we didn’t. We played cards to kill time then went to church for the 3PM mass. It was difficult for me to understand the mass in Ilocano so I guess the others had worse. After the mass there was a procession. We had merienda there then bought this big candle which we take turns in carrying. It was fun.

This is Pagudpud. It aint this crowded 10 years ago

This zipline is more than a kilometer

I remember there was no cellphone signal here before. Now there's that BTS

 
On Saturday, we head out early. We had to because Pagudpud will surely be packed. There are some places along the way we could stop into but we figured to get to the beach first to get not a good spot, but to at least get one. When we got there around 9AM, the place is full. Hanna’s is fully booked and we had a hard time finding a hut. We did find one although it cost a lot. When we were settled in, it’s time. Sunburn it is! We enjoyed the beach until 2PM.

Patapat

Bangui windmills

After that we went to see the long Patapat bridge, my first time there also. We were also supposed to see the waterfalls but we had no time and energy for that. 

Kapurpurawan

We went to see Kapurpurwan then Cape Bojeador. We got there exactly 5PM, they were closed so our friends were not able to get in. we had our dinner in this cool American inspired diner in Laoag which serves Filipino dishes. They have this old jukebox that I tried to play Hotel California. It was not programmed correctly because instead of hearing my song, we found ourselves listening to this birthday song. I know I pressed the correct buttons. After dinner I asked to be dropped at my grandmother’s where I spent the night. It was cool to at least spend one night there. I was not able to see two of my cousins who went there for lunch earlier. It would have been fun.
On Sunday, my uncle toured me around the neighborhood then they prepared a box of things my mother asked for: cultured mushrooms, tupig and some vegetables. I had an early lunch then ride on my uncle’s tricycle to Laoag. Just the tricycle because my cousin took the car for his family outing in Curimmao. I met up with the others in the McDonalds where Chast also met up with his brother’s family for lunch. After that we went on the Partas station but I had to stop on an ATM first because I was empty on cash. We got this 3PM trip which lasted 12 hours until we reach Cubao.

Brownout

Nothing immortalizes the 90's brownout like this song from Yano.

Earlier while at church, the power went off forcing the priest to use the bare power of his voice to reach everyone during homily.

Anyways, the brownout made me think of its advantages. First, news has it that the annual Earth hour does not really benefit the environment; it does not really cut carbon emissions. Brownouts in the 90's lasts almost a month. That would have bigger impact. Because it's summer, inside every house in the Philippines is hot, people will go outside again. There will be no internet so being social will not be limited to social media anymore. They will again see the faces of their neighbors. If their tablets and whatever device they play Candy Crush on will be off so real games will be used again; board games, card games, any game which needs more players. Kids will play outside again. Lastly, if the nights are darker, we will see the skies better. We may appreciate the stars again.

Sobriety in a Sea of Alcohol

It is this easy to guess who is not tipsy

It feels like being on the outside looking in.  Imagine people you work with professionally, fueled with alcohol. It’s like a different crowd all of a sudden. That’s what happens in a company summer outing. Of course there’s the company sponsored booze. I is free, so why waste it. The end result is something wacky is about to happen, and it is inevitable. As for me, I stopped drinking for a long while now so I am just an observer, a witness to what people do, like a loser, designated driver. 

The thing is, I know I can do crazy shit just the same as these drunk people can. It’s just that when I do atrocities (and I know I can), I will have no excuse. I cannot blame it on the alcohol anymore. It kinda sucks I guess. Those beers and vodka looks fun and I am missing on all of it. I could have also been in Taal or Laiya that night, missing on alcohol also. It is tiring taking care of intoxicated people because of some unpredictable things they might do especially those who just wont call it a night. I also don't know if it is cool taking group photos with just me who looks sober.

Whiterock Subic

I shot this using a 35mm film camera

This one with Nikon D90 11mm ISO 200

I found these throwback photos from our company outing 2009:

I looked better before, lol

This was how the it used to look like. That inflatable thing was fun

We held it again in Whiterock this year and a lot has changed. Before the sand in the beach is just gray, now they thought of adding some white sand making it a faux-white sand beach or whatever the composite looks like. I remember that I hit someone’s heads while kayaking there the last time. We also had a great time in that big inflatable thing they had at sea. Now they have a different one shaped like a tent. I did not swim at sea this time because I think it is not fit for swimming haha. 

a new tent looking inflatable replaced what was our toy 4 years ago

We tried all the pools although the water in there are nasty too. The old smaller wave pool's water tasted like alum stone("tawas"). If water had contact anywhere near your mouth you will know. The bigger wave pool looks dirty as well. Still, it was fun, just nasty. They had this *new steep water slide called "Rampage" next to the "Big Bowl" slide. We tried them both. I kinda chickened out with the new slide but they said it is a brief ride so I went through with it.  On the bigger pool we play some basketball and volleyball but the pool floor was very slippery. I also got this horrible laceration on my toe from climbing up from the pool because of the small tiles.
We had a good time. The place is big for company events and quite popular too. There was a call center company having their event the same day as ours as well as another small company, and then Toyota arrived in the afternoon. The next day another company had their thing also.

Conquering Mountains

Before I started this climbing thing I already know the respect nature thingy. You don’t know what nature can throw at you. When some facebook friends(boastful noobs) also climb a mountain then post something like "I conquered Mt. {put name of a mountain here}", I think it is disrespectful. We will never conquer any mountain, we merely survive it. Our climb in Mt. Marami is so hot it could give me heatstroke, then there’s the unforgettable climb in Pulag where the shivers, strong wind and no food leaves us on the hands of the mountain to survive or not. This is also is not limited to mountains but to any nature trip, we’ve been to Puerto Galera during Typhoon Frank in 2008 and the waves are crazy. I saw the waterfalls of Buntot Palos grew overnight when it rained on us. 

Puerto Galera, June 23, 2008. Not so crazy waves in this photo

So now there’s the news of a climber who died from going solo trek at Mt. Maculot Rockies. He was fresh from a G2 climb then straight to Maculot for a side trip. I am really against solo climbing, 127 Hours movie comes to mind. The climber went missing for days until his body was found by Cuenca Police.
 
I think we should never push the limits of nature and always stay safe and respect nature.

Overheard sa isang batang naglalaro ng fruit ninja sa FX

Ma kailan ako pinanganak? Anong two-thousand?

{2005}

Angbagal ko naman lumaki. Akala ko 2011 ako pinanganak.

I don't know if it is sad that he don't know what year he was born(he is seven or eight for crying out loud), he don't know math, he thinks he is two years old, he is insecure of his height, or it is sad he wants to grow up faster.

Silver Linings Playbook

"You're a conformist! You're a hypocrite! You're a liar! I opened up to you and you judged me! You're an asshole! You're an asshole!"