Baler Weekend

In late 2014, I wrote down my goals for this year and it included "Visit/Explore Five New Places" and honestly, during that moment, I didn't have any target locations. Fast forward to summer 2015 and my feet was itching to go to Baler.

You see, a year of Grad School and work can take its toll and so, out of the blue, I decided that I will travel this summer. The first place that I pictured going to was Baler. For some reason, that place is calling me. So after passing the last requirement for the 2nd semester, I decided to visit the place. 

Its a good thing that my friend from UPLB, Zeus, was home during my visit. The weekend with Sargo was crucial because after that, me and Zeus reconnected after almost a decade without communication. So, I texted him and I asked him if he could take me around his hometown. 

Honestly, I was on the fence about going there because I could not find any hotel room because it was all hotels were fully booked and secondly, I did not have itinerary and communication between me and Zeus was a little "choppy." I didn't know if he's up for my visit or if he received my texts at all. So, with doubt in my heart, I went to the Genesis terminal in Cubao on April 17. I arrived around 8 and asked the guard what time the buses for Baler leaves and he said the first one leaves at 11 or 12, depending on the number of passengers. I asked if there was any available seats on the Joy Bus, sadly, none. So hesitantly, he gave me a note for the 3rd bus for the night (according to sites that I read, Genesis only has four trips for Baler) and I said, "oh well, this is much better that arriving there at 5 am and I don't have a room yet. At least when I arrive at 6 or 7, the sun is out."

The waiting game began. I just ate a protein bar for fear that the bus will leave early. You might be wondering G what I did to pass the time, but like I always do, I have this:

Sadly, until today, I haven't finished it yet. And I feel pressured to read this because it's almost the end of the month and I only read 1 book last month. Argh.

At 11, the first bus left. The 2nd one at 12 and at 1, my bus was getting ready. I'm really happy with my bus because it looks brand new and safe. I sat in the first row, which I think was a mistake because the lights from the buses facing us were so bright. I wasn't able to sleep because I was so uncomfortable. 

At around 5 AM, the bus entered the mountain going to Baler and I tell you G, going there will not make you sleep because the road is always curved! Nakakaloka! At around 6, we were nearing Baler, but I have to mention that there was a very narrow road in the middle of the mountain. It was so narrow that only one lane is allowed, but the view, man, it is one of a kind! On the left side was a cliff and on the right was a lake! It was really awesome and scary. Zeus said that it was a one-lane road because the land underneath is soft and it might loosen up if there was a lot of traffic at once. It makes total sense, really. 

I arrived at Baler at 7 AM and the first order of business is to look for accommodation. I said to Manong Tricycle Driver that I was looking for a room near the beach and we went to almost all hotels, but sadly, all were full booked talaga, so instead, he brought me to a transient house (his friend). It was a nice room, but the restroom had no lock so that got me paranoid. 

I freshened up and decided to explore Baler on my own. Since my transient house is just around the corner of Donya Aurora Museum, I went there first. 

I really liked this painting. This one stood out for me.

This is Donya Aurora's Mansion. It's a small space, but really introspective if you think about it. Inside were paintings of local artists, photos of her and President Quezon, and books! It was lovely.

Museo de Baler is a five minute walk from this area. BTW, the entrance fee here is Php 30 only and if you're going to Museo de Baler, you don't have to pay for the latter. 

The detail on the exterior of this building is awesome! But I got confused with what was inside. I think that it was poorly curated. I don't get the connection why it had a wing for film directors, TBH. 

Fun Fact: When I went to Corregidor in college, I saw a car which looks like this in their museum. I told Kuyang Bantay about this and he said that it was the same car; they just transferred it here because it was the first car that traversed Baler during President Quezon's time. I just never thought that I'd see the same vintage car twice in my lifetime. While I was talking with Kuyang Bantay, I made a mental note that I am going to push for Corregidor in September, really.

Around 11, I was nearly finish touring Museo de Baler and finally, Zeus showed up. After a quick hello, we decided to eat lunch first because I was starving. He brought me to Milly's (I'm not sure of the name) because he said that it was an institution in the town. Before the fancy restaurants, there was Milly's and he added that it was only for special occasions. 

I ate adobong pusit and Zeus ate lechon manok. It was decent, bu the place was old and "scary." It was honest, cheap and good ol' comfort food...not.

After eating at Milly's, Zeus decided that we visit two falls. I actually can't remember the name of the first falls that we went to, but it's a 20 minute motorcycle ride from Baler. It is located in San Luis, about 8km away from Baler. 

Compared to the Mother Falls, this one has fewer people. It's not as majestic as the former, but the water was so cold and clear. Zeus said that this is man-made, but it's hard to believe. I was not actually planning on taking a dip here, but I said, what the hell! After I photobombed this group, I swam for a few minutes. 

Our second waterfall was the Ditumabo Falls aka Mother Falls. It was five minutes away from here and you have to climb (well, we rode a motorcycle, but there were cars and tricycles as well) to get to the jump-off point for the trek. 

I had no idea where we were going, but the hike was 1300m long. I'm not much of a hiker so to me, this was a pasakit. All the time that we were hiking, Zeus was silent about what it would look like. When we got to this point, that's when it hit me: "this place looks familiar! I see this in lots f blogs.." but still, I don't know what lies ahead. Before we reached Mother Falls, we saw a mini falls and I told Zeus "this is it? You must be freaking kidding me, right?" but he remained quiet. That's the mini falls that I'm talking about you see up there.  

A few more steps, we reached this point and it reminded me of Wawa Dam. From this point, you still can't see the falls. But I was already wondering why there was a lot of people and I told myself, this should really be something...

...and boy, Mother Falls did not disappoint. This is the most majestic falls that I've ever seen my entire life. The water was so cool-perfect for the hot weather--and it was shallow so it was perfect for swimming. Zeus told me that before this was an attraction, he and his brothers would come here and bring Emperador and just put it in the water and it would be cold in a matter of few minutes. This falls is really something G and I really want you to see this.

Can I say that this is my waterfall-ready outfit? Hahaha..

We spent some time here because it was so hot. After an hour, we went down and had buko and banana que for snacks. G, their banana ques are the bomb! And the buko is so cheap! Only Php 18! Zeus said that it's expensive already because they sell it for as low as Php 8. OMG.. Must be a haciendera when I get old. 

So, at 3PM, we decided to leave and go back to Baler and surf. The last time I surfed was in Sorsogon some time ago that's why I need to refresh it. It's a good thing that Zeus found his friend near Costa Pacifica and he became my instructor. His name was Iane and he gave me a discount. Instead of Php 350, he said that he'd give it to me for just Php 250 but after an hour in the water and some kwentuhan, he said that he'd give it to me for free. I dunno, I don't think I'm charming enough to have free surf lessons, but he gave me still. Zeus and I decided that we'll just treat him to beer but he refused. 

How awesome does Baler look? Sa lagay na 'to, konti na daw yan sabi ni Iane. I can only imagine during peak season.

Hell yeah. I stood three times consecutively. Woot woot! By the way G, this is how a rash guard looks.

Then I got wiped out!

We had dinner at Hungry Surfer and G, OMG, their mojos are the bomb! It did not taste like the commercial ones we have in Manila and it really looks like real potatoes. We ordered orange chicken wings and spicy seafood pasta and of course, beer. Sadly, I don't have photos because I was low-bat. I recommend that place. We left around 8PM.

Now, here's something weird: when Zeus brought me back to my transient house, there was no one in the house! It was hella creepy because all the lights are on and the doors are opened, but there was no one in the house! We waited and asked around where the owners are, but the neighbors didn't have an idea as well. So, we decided that I'd stay in Zeus' house and I just left my pay (Php 700) to a neighbor. It was really odd, TBH. 

I slept at Zeus' house, but I do not have photos. Their house was huge! His Lola served us dinner and after that, we hung out at their patio. I joined him and his brother Silo. I got scared to have drinks with them because Silo drinks a lot...and I mean, a LOT. Like, his tipsy level is 1 case of beer...and its Red Horse! OMG! After I showered, I slept and the next day, I woke up early and we had breakfast. Breakfast was coffee, rice and braised vegetables from their backyard. It was cool. After that, Zeus and I explored Baler more.

Our first stop was Ermita Hill. This was the hill that the tsunami victims in 1735 climbed. It was just a hill with a cross on top. You have to climb 100 (I think) steps to get to the cross without a view. It was just a tribute to the victims, I think. We did not last long here. After about 30 minutes, we went down and I asked Zeus if we could buy water because we didn't have one. I keep telling him that water is our friend. We found a sari-sari store just in front of another memorial--just the same as for the tsunami victims. 

This is the cross at the top of Ermita Hill. 100 steps doesn't seem a lot, but it is. Kapuy when we reached the top, I tell you!

Ain't Baler a beaut? They are an agricultural land so many of Balerenyos grow and sell rice and coconuts. The coconuts that I buy in Manila comes from here. 

Here's a panoramic shot from one of the decks at Ermita Hill.

This is the other memorial that I was telling you about. In front of this, I bought water and banana que because it was just delicious!

We drove a few more minutes towards our destination, but not before stopping by Diguisit Falls. It is actually a popular spot for tourists, but it was nothing compared to Mother Falls. It was just located on the street.

This is the Diguisit Falls. It's not as majestic as Ditumabo, but it was hella cold, too. This is where we showered after we swam in the beaches along the way.

We were supposed to come here---at Dicasalarin Beach, but there was an entrance fee of Php 300 so we opted out. Instead, we just admired the view from the top. You have to take a 10 minute ride to go down to the beach. BTW, according to Zeus, this is a private resort owned by the Angara's...because you know, they own this town. I think that this is a really pretty resort that's why this is another reason why I will come back. 

BTW G, to get here, you have to traverse a very crooked and complicated road. It's so complicated that we had to wait the Go signal from the guards if we can go up. Apparently, it is one-way because the road was so narrow. Even if we were just in a motorcycle, other people who wants to come up here should wait until we reach the bottom. 

Another picture of Dicasalarin to show you how beautiful it is!

Dicasalarin is literally a stone's throw away from the PAGASA Observatory so we dropped by there as well. We had the deck all to ourselves and it was a nice place to take in the beauty that is Baler. 

See the view behind me? That's how pretty Baler is. 

Look how pretty Baler is from the PAGASA deck. It was the perfect place to have a pictorial, even though it was scorching hot!

I was so overwhelmed with the beauty of this place so we spent some time here just to take it all in. This place is ridiculously enchanting! 

We came down after soaking the sun and decided to just chill in the beaches that most locals frequent. I forgot the name of the beach, but it was so different from the surfing area because it was too rocky. Even though it was rocky, you could find a spot to swim in. This is where we found a natural "swimming pool". I didn't take lots of photos because my phone might get wet.

See how rocky the beach is? You really have to find a good spot to swim here. Can you see that spot the one on the right with the kids? That's our natural swimming pool. The water was a little cold so it's perfect neutralizer against the scorching sun.

There's my haciendero friend. We swam until it was lunch time. 

We had lunch at the heart of the city. It was called Thelma's Kitchenette. This restaurant is famous for their halo-halo. Sorry but no pics, but it looks like Razon's and kinda tastes like it. The secret is that they add pastillas. It was really yummy, too! I did not finish it because I was already so full from the pinakbet and grilled lamarang that we ordered. 

Oh look, I found a photo. See, it really looks like Razon's. But hell yeah, this halo-halo is to die for, seriously.

After our lunch, we strolled along the main street to look for pasalubongs. I bought peanut butter for Lola and the office. It was scorching hot already so we called it a day, but not before we see the giant Balete tree. 

Its a good thing that this tree (said to be the largest in the Philippines) is on the way to Zeus' house so there was no problem dropping by here. It was a huge ass tree, G, I tell you. It was scary too because it seems like there were unseen creatures living in it. Did you know that Ate Raquel, our new Admin told me that one of her ex-officemates got crazy when an old woman talked to her in this same spot? Good thing Zues said "tabi-tabi po" while I was exploring its trunks. 

On the way home, Zeus pointed me places that they explored as kids. He even pointed me to a beer house in the middle of the ricefields! It looked so damn like a house. As in "Kuracha ang Babaeng Walang Pahinga" levels! Nakakaloka! 

We went home at around 3PM so I showered hurriedly to take the 5PM bus, unfortunately, there were a lot of tourists that day so the bus left early. Instead of the bus going all the way to Manila, I took the alternative route--FX going to Cabanatuan then bus going to Manila. I reached Manila around 1AM already. Then I dozed off instantly. 

This is Zeus, my haciendero friend. We say Hi!

When I was on the bus, I realized a few things:

• I should travel to places that I have friends. Aside from the free accommodations, it's a good excuse to visit them. Also, they will take you to the most un-touristy spots in their hometown. Also, food. Haha...
• It's nice to travel with a local/almost local because they tell you stories of places that are not available on the Internet.
• Talk with locals. If I did not have a conversation with Manong Bantay of the car, I wouldn't discover that I saw the same car twice.
• Pay your respects to the place and its invisible habitats. Next time, I will always say "tabi tabi po" in places that look creepy.  

Also G, I'm posting my budget for this travel just in case in the future, someone gets lost in the Internet and stumble upon this page, they'll have an idea.

#balersoballer 2015
April 17-19 2015
Expenses	Place	Amount
DAY 1
Manila-Baler	Genesis Cubao Station	450
Tricycle around Baler	Baler	40
Transient House	Zamora St. Baler	700
Donya Aurora Mansion	Baler	30
Museo de Baler Tour	Baler	0	comes with the 30 pesos from the Donya Aurora Mansion
Lunch	Melly's	120	2 pax
Mecuayan Falls	Mecuayan Falls, San Luis	25	entrance and parking fee
Mother Falls	Mother Falls	30	entrance and parking fee
Snacks at Mother Falls	Mother Falls	18	buko
		10	banana cue
Surfing	Sabang Beach	0	free
Dinner	Hungry Surfer	620
DAY 2
Breakfast	Zeus' house	0
Gas	Gas Station	50
Ermita Hill	Ermita Hill	0	free parking
Water and morning snack	On the way sa Trombon Memorial	30	water
		10	banana cue
Dicasalaren			did not go but entrance fee is 300/head
PAG-ASA	PAG-ASA Station	0
Beach	Diguisit Beach	20	per head, no parking fee
Lunch	Thelma's	480
Pasalubong	Pasalubong Station	390	includes everything
Balete Tree	Balete Tree	15	entrance fee
Van	Baler-Cabanatuan	240
Bus	Cabanatuan-Cubao	190
	TOTAL	3468

So, there's my Baler weekend for you, G. OMG! I now realized that it's so hard to write a travel post, ha! Up next, my Baguio-La Union weekend. I hope that I can make it faster.