Weekend in Calaguas

Whoa, I'm on a roll! Writing another entry? That's so not me. But since one of my New Year's Resolution is to write more on this blog, here goes my Calaguas diary. 

The details of this trip escapes me now because I did this in May last year. Also, I think the best way to do this one is through a visual diary (hell yeah, first in this blog; also an attempt to make this entry as fast and short as possible). So here it goes!

Edit: Don't believe the paragraphs above, I wrote that a lot of moons ago and I am too lazy to edit. :-)

Went there with Oli, my office mate. This trip was so unplanned, I did not even have accommodations and I even got lost with the bus terminal. The buses going to Daet is not located in the usual spot that I go to whenever I go home. Instead, they are located along EDSA. Because we did not book any tickets, we had to fall in line, but it was so god damn long that's why we settled for the ordinary bus. It was a long and sore ride, but I think, in the end, it was worth it (we'll get there in a while). It was one hell of a bus ride because there were chickens and crying children in the bus--such typical scenario when riding ordinary provincial buses. Haha... Anyway, we arrived almost 7:30 AM Saturday in Daet and thank god that the previous day, I contacted Ate and told her where I was going. She made calls and listed us for a group tour. It's not easy to go to Calaguas alone because there are no hotels (well, there's one now) or restaurants. The travel company brings everything to the island. Going there alone is suicide! Hell, the island doesn't even have electricity! 

This is the puerto. This is where all the big boats park and wait for passengers. Since it was summer, there were lots of boats so this was packed to the brim. 

This is just one of the islands before Calaguas. Our tour guide is also a tourism officer just like Ate; so he made the 2.5 boat hour ride bearable with his nuggets of Daet and Naga history. He also mentioned that Robin Padilla owns (not this one) an island here. It's also white-sand so I can definitely say that it's pretty.

This photo does not do this beach justice, seriously. There were so many boats on the island when we went there; to the point that the shore became a parking lot already--not a pretty sight, in my opinion. It was scorching hot when we arrived, but thank god for the cool seawater because somehow, it quenched our thirst. 

Another shot of the island with an attempt to showcase its beauty. I noticed that there are not a lot foreigners yet and I am really thankful for that. I am also glad that I get to experience this magnificent island before it becomes the next Boracay. I bet that in 2 years, this paradise is going to be massive! I don't know how to feel about that, TBH because a 1ocal that I talked with said that he fears the day that he will see concrete hotels on this island. For the mean time, he's satisfied with what they have. 

In my eagerness to read 50 books in 2015, I brought this with me. It was my Saturday afternoon companion at the beach. I sunbathed late because the sun was scorching hot during lunch time. Believe it or not, but I was comfortable reading a book on the beach (usually I'm not because I am too conscious, but not this time!). I don't have food photos because honestly, it was disappointing. Oli and I were expecting to eat lots of seafood, but they served us meat instead. And it was not delicious, really! 

My view for the rest of the afternoon. Just imagine lounging on the powdery white sand beach on Sunday afternoons when everyone's away... Aside from the beach, my most favorite part of the island would have to be the night sky. There was a party on Saturday night, but the Tita in me decided not to join, but instead, I dragged Oli to the far side of the island (there's another travel group here) and listened to the acoustic musicians. I like the sounds here better, but since I can't officially join them, we just laid on the sand and boy, it was the most amazing sky I've seen (better than Sorsogon!). As Incubus said "the sky resembled a backlit canopy, with holes punch in it. I signal them with my lighter, and in that moment I was happy." I really wished you were there, G. Millions of stars are strewn all over Calaguas' sky. I felt so small at that time! I really wish that someday, we could see and experience the same magical moment from another part of the world. 

This refreshing mountain view is the backdrop of the beach. We woke up early on Sunday and climbed that mountain. It was exhilarating, G, but it was worth it when you get to the top. 

This is the view halfway to the top, it's not really magical, but literally breath-taking, especially if you're unfit AF like me. Definitely a big surprise because it's not often that you find a beach that has a hill behind it, right?

Now, this is the view at the top. As you can see, there's lots of houses and parked boats already. The locals told us that before this island became popular, there are less than 10 houses in the area. I fear that in 2 years, this will become like Boracay. Actually, it has the signs of becoming like Boracay because at night, there were pop-up bars and rowdy beach goers (which I hated btw, because I'm tita like that) who were irresponsible enough to leave shards of broken glass on the beach. Talk about keeping this beach clean...tsk tsk.

Just to give you a closer look of the beach coast. I also hated that there were lots of parked boats on the beach which blocked my swimming area. I think that the local government should make a resolution that there should be a designated area where boats should park. 

Morning view of the beach. After the trek, I wandered solo just to get a different feel of the beach. It was still early so the beach was less crowded. One thing I remember most about this side of the beach is how fine and smooth the sand was. My feet lovingly dissolves on the sand every time I take a step, and the cold water is like Mother Nature's wake up call to "hey, don't forget to smell the salty air as well." I treasured this moment, really.

Last photo for this entry because my battery died on me already (hey, I don't have a battery pack because I'm hipster like that). I will never forget this island. More than the enchanting sand, the most cerulean waters, and the mesmerizing detachment from the rest of the world, what I love most about this trip is the night sky (you don't often notice this really when you go the beach, right?) because I remember how amazing the world is and at that moment, I realized how tiny I am in this big, big world and how its screaming at me waiting to be discovered. 

P.S. Thank you god because this is finally out of the Drafts folder after more than a year. Talk about throwback.