Tuesday, April 23, 2013

PANGASINAN ADVENTURE IN 1 NIGHT AND 2 DAYS




Wala talaga akong balak sumama sa lakad nila dahil hindi man lang ako nakapag-leave or nakapag-request ng off duty. Sa totoo lang, di ko alam or nawala lang sa isip ko na may lakad pala sila papuntang Pangasinan noong April 13 to 14. We first planned it during Holy Week but because of changes sa schedule sa work, we were not able to make it. 

Coincidentally, I was off duty on April 13 Saturday. So I just requested for an emergency leave on April 14 while I was on duty on 12th. Mahirap naman kasing one day lang ako dun at balikan pa. 

Original casts were Rachel and her boyfriend, Ailene, Analyn, Marlone and his friend. On 12th, I decided to join. Couple Jobelle and Ron agreed to join us.  

On the day itself, April 13; only six were left namely Rachel and her boyfriend (who drove the car), Ailene, Marlone, Analyn and me. 

Call time was 600AM kasi may duty pa nang nakaraang gabi sina Rachel and Ailene. Lagpas ala-sais na kami nakaalis mula sa One San Miguel Ave, Pasig. Buti na lang at may sasakyan courtesy ng pinsan ng boyfriend ni Rachel. Dumaan pa kami sa may Tandang Sora at naghintay para sunduin si Analyn. Nagka-aberya kasi at di talaga siya makakasama. Since gustung-gusto niya namang sumama, ayun sinundo na lang namin para pandagdag sa grupo.

Sumatutal, mga alas-otso na ata kami tumulak ng biyahe. 



Mahaba-haba ang biyahe mula Manila going to Pangasinan. Our primary itinerary is to visit and see Our Lady of Manaoag. Sanay naman ako sa mahabang biyahe because when I go to Albay, usually by land ako (I would take air trip some time). It takes almost 10 to 12 hours of travel via bus.

Below is a simple route we followed courtesy of waypoints.ph.


Most likely between 4 to 5 hours ang naging biyahe namin. It was already at noon when we arrived at the vicinity of Our Lady of Manaoag Church. Beware sa mga taong offering help on how to park your car because they take advantage the tourists. It's a free parking. In addition, be cautious sa mga vendors lalo na yung mga bata offering candles and other stuff. They really really take advantage at sila pa ang galit when you don't mind them. 

Like in Antipolo church, kalat na kalat ang mga tindahan ng mga religious items papasok palang on the way to church. 

Then finally, behold! I entered the Church of Manaoag for the very first time. 





Inabutan naming papatapos na pala yung mass. We decided to buy first some religious items kasi nakita naming may blessing pala after ng mass. Dun na lang kami namili sa store operated ng church just adjacent to it. I realized na sobra yung price nung batang nagbebenta ng kandila sa labas as compared dun sa store. I bought one image of Our Lady of Manaoag worth Php 180 and two big bottles of 'miraculous' oil worth Php 55 each. 

Na-amazed din talaga ako dun sa mga staff ng store on the way they speak their local tongue. Para silang mga Thai kung magsalita. 

Then we headed inside the church. We were so blessed kasi last hour mass na pala yun on that time and the next would be in the afternoon. Kahit every hour ang mass, parang di nawawalan ng mga tao magsimba.


Maganda talaga yung church. The altar was beautiful, the ceiling was well crafted and na-amazed talaga ako sa mga mosaic ng Lady of Manaoag attached sa walls. 

After the mass, came the blessing by the presiding priest. The feeling was so blessed when the holy water sprinkled on me. Kakaiba yung feeling on that moment. Parang regardless the hours of travel, nung napatakan ka lang ng holy water from the priest, para kang naligo ng water coming from heaven. 

Then meet and greet sa Lady of Manaoag. From the altar ng priest, malayo yung kinalalagyan ng Lady of Manaoag. Restricted yung place para sa mga devotees. Pero at the back ng altar ng priest, they have set a place para makita at makausap si Lady of Manaoag. Kahit may restriction pa rin, pero parang malapit na rin sa Birhen. 



Just like sa Lady of Antipolo Shrine, maaari mong mahawakan yung mantle at likod ng Lady of Manaoag sa likod ng altar. Mahaba-haba rin ang pila. Pasado tanghali na at we haven't taken our lunch. Pero sumugod ako sa pila para mahawakan man lang ang likod ng Birhen. Andun na rin lang ako at bihira mangyari kaya naman push to the limit ng opportunity. 


Then we took our lunch dun sa isang karinderia sa labas ng vicinity ng church. Gusto ko rin talaga ma-experience yung pagkaing karinderia ng Pangasinan. Sabi ni Marlone, medyo mahal yung pagkaing karinderia. Well siguro dahil sa popularity ng place, they take the advantage kasi yung food ko nga lang alone na one rice and giniling na baboy plus 1L frizzy drink, it totaled to Php 120. 



After lunch, we decided to look for the resort where we will stay for the night. Nakapagtanung-tanong na rin sila and we decided to go to San Fabian for beach resorts. Yun na ata ang pinakamalapit na may beach resort from Manaoag. 






More or less 1.5 hours din ang travel time from Manaoag to San Fabian. Closely 330PM nang marating namin yung beach resort. Magkakatabi nga sila dun. Tumagal din kami sa pagpili kung saang resort kami tutuloy. We were only six so we have to pick yung akma lang para samin. We ended dun sa Lazy A resort. The price is just fine for Php 2400 for an overnight stay until 1000AM of the following day. No more entrance fee, the room has AC and it's own 'john', has two double decks (equivalent to 4 beds) and one bed good for two. 



The beach is located at the back of the resort and the resort has it's own pool. Well, the place is just fine for us. At the front of the resort is a river grown with mangroves. 







Past 400PM when Analyn, Marlone and me decided to walk along the sea shore. Maraming naliligo from all walks of life. Ansarap tignan ng dagat habang ang alon ay papalapit at papalayo sa pampang. May mga kuya offering to give us a ride on their boat for some island hopping or just boating in exchange of some bucks. During that time, medyo makulimlim kaya napahaba ang paglalakad namin sa sea shore. 



Ngunit mga bandang 500PM, nabigla kami nang lumabas ang araw. Bandang ala-singko na ng hapon pero masakit pa rin sa balat ang sikat ng araw. Yung iba enjoy pa rin sa pag-swimming sa dagat in spite of the sun's rays. Dali-dali kaming naghanap ng masisilungan. Akala namin huhupa rin ang araw ngunit parang tirik pa rin talaga. Ilang minuto kaming nagtago sa likod ng nakaparadang bangka. Then we decided to go back sa resort dahil parang matatagalan pa ang sun set sa dagat. 

Nang makarating kami sa room ng resort, we decided na bumili na lang ng lutong pagkain sa palengke for dinner and some drinks and other stuff for tomorrow's breakfast.

Within the resort, may mga wanderer na asawa o anak marahil ng mga mangingisda at nag-aalok ng mga huli nilang seafood. Hassle pa kasi that you need to prepare your dinner if we could just buy cooked foods. 

So we headed to the pamilihang bayan ng San Fabian. Maliit yung lugar kaya naman one-way lang yung kalsada. Masikip din yung daan dahil sa mga bangketa ng paninda (yung eksenang probinsiya). Natutuwa talaga ako because on that very moment, I cannot imagine nasa palengke ako ng isang lugar na unknown sakin. Hindi ka rin mawawala sa palengke dahil sa maliit lamang ito. 

We bought some toiletries, bread for breakfast, and cooked foods for dinner. Sa bangketa, may mga nag-iihaw ng mga isda and other seafood that can be eaten for dinner. First time kong makakita ng nag-iihaw ng literal na isda as consumption kasi madalas kong makita talaga lalo na sa Manila eh mga isaw, squid balls, kikiam, barbeque, hotdogs and other animal organs. 




It was around 630PM when we arrived sa resort. Then we decided to take our dinner as early para we could still go to the beach then at the pool then inuman. 






High school pa ata ako when the last time I go to the beach. It was also my first time na magtampisaw at maligo sa beach on night. Playtime followed. Ansarap magpatangay sa alon. Low tide pa rin ng mga oras na iyon mula noong hapon. Magkagayunman, may manaka-nakang malalaking alon na tila halimaw na hahagupit. 





After ng dagat, sa pool naman kami dumiretso para maligo. 

Maaga pa when we decided to go back sa room. Siguro mga 900PM pa lang, we started yung konting inuman. Ansarap ng hangin. Malamig. Malayung-malayo sa maalinsangang hangin ng Manila. Socials followed. 











Dala na rin ng pagod, maaga kaming natulog. Around 1100PM when we prepared to bed. 

On the next day, we planned to wake up as early as 500AM to see the sun rise sa beach. Unfortunately, sun set pala ang makikita doon at yung sun rise is on the opposite side. Hindi rin namin nasilayan yung sun set the other day because we went to the public market.









But still, maganda pa ring pagmasdan ang kapaligiran ng dagat habang unti-unting lumalatag ang liwanag.

We did not plan to drop by sa Alaminos to see the Hundred Islands. Actually, we planned to check-out by 1000AM on the second day. Then after lunch we will travel going back to Manila. But something has changed. Sabi ni Marlone, sayang naman ang chance na nasa Pangasinan na kami and we will not visit Alaminos. Well medyo malayo rin kasi ang Alaminos from San Fabian. So everybody agreed to visit Hundred Islands.

Siguro it was nearly 800AM when we left San Fabian. Isang mahabang biyahe ang Alaminos. It's gonna be around 2 hours travel time. Medyo naligaw pa nga kami while on our way. Just like on our first day of travel from Manila to Pangasinan, nakakaaliw pa ring tignan ang kapaligiran habang lulan ng sasakyan. Parang "Oh yeah! I'm outside Manila and I'm on to another province." Hindi ako traveler and I don't go out of town. Kaya naman, liban sa pagbiyahe ko tuwing uuwi ng Albay, it was my first time to travel on different place. Ganun pala yung feeling... ng first time!



Finally, it was passed 1000AM or closely 1100AM when we arrived sa Brgy. Lucap. Andito yung starting point going to Hundred Islands. It was already lunch time but I said to them, "If we gonna take our lunch on this time, we might not enjoy island hopping due to the sun. So better we gonna go island hopping now and take lunch after." Everybody agreed to go to island hopping. The price is actually Php 1800 for day tour. But nakuha namin sa pakiusapan ng Php 1500. This price is already for the boat and tour anytime of the day, anywhere within the Hundred Islands and any time we want to go back the shore. The bangkero told us that if tourists want to stay on an island, they will leave them and they will just pick-up on the agreed time within the day. Overnight stay has different fee. 























For the very first time, it was a meet and greet sa Hundred Islands na nakikita ko lang noong estudyante palang ako sa mga libro or post cards o naririnig sa mga usapan. It was so amazing how those islands were scattered sa gitna ng karagatan. Malinis at malinaw ang tubig liban na lang sa mga patay na seaweeds na natatanggay ng alon. Kakaibang karanasan ang bawat paghimpil sa mga isla. Gusto sana naming maligo tuwing dadaong kami sa isla nguit gipit kami sa oras. Takaw-tingin na lang kami sa mga ibang turista na naliligo sa dagat. 

Tirik na tirik na ang araw. Sa totoo lang, hindi namin napuntahan yung mga islang nasa ruta ng tour because we asked the bangkero to go back sa shore. Kailangan kasi naming bumalik ng Manila. Siguro mga 100PM nang umalis kami sa Hundred Islands for lunch. Naghanap kami ng makakainan sa sentro ng Alaminos. Hindi pagod ang naramdaman ko ngunit gutom. 



Then after lunch, we headed our way back to Manila. Napapaidlip ako sa biyahe. Buti na lang hindi masyadong mainit ang panahon unlike nung first day namin ng travel. 

Mahaba ang pila ng mga toll gates going back to Manila. Kaya naman to sum up, siguro nearly 800PM na nang makauwi ako mismo sa bahay namin. Bumaba kami sa North at dun kami naghiwa-hiwalay. 

















For the total expenses, siguro nasa Php 2000 lang ang nagastos namin each. Budget namin sa sasakyan was Php 5000 for the gas and rent. Mas mainam to have a service car dahil kahit saan niyo gustong pumunta, you can. Not unlike kung commute, it's gonna be limited. Medyo marami nga lang toll fees kaming binayaran going to Pangasinan. We were six persons on this trip and I guess the expenses we had were nearly totaled to Php 11,000 only. This is not bad anymore. May banker kasi kami courtesy of Rachel. She first shouldered everything from the car, gas, room, foods, toll etc. Then we just paid her. Siguro next time, we really have to plan the itineraries and check the destinations. Then plan also for the foods. Much better to bring cooked foods which can last for some hours or even days para makatipid since may sasakyan naman. Then for the Hundred Islands, kung talagang island hopping ang sadya, yun lang talaga dapat ang destination para ma-enjoy yung tour. Kasi you can swim sa mga islands, sobrang linis at linaw ng tubig and just like sa Boracay (white sand) lalo na sa Marcos Island. 

Di pa ako niyan prepared when I decided to join. Buti na lang the budget was so friendly.