I didn't sleep the night before my bus, mostly because 4:00am does not exist as a wake-up time for me. In fact it's a full hour earlier than I normally go to sleep. But I made it to the station on time and, because I'm an idiot, forgot to buy coffee or something to eat on the way. The bus from Manila to Baler took over six hours, which was fine by me because it was quality time I got to spend looking out the window at stuff. I'm not even being facetious; Luzon is a beautiful island and we passed some really cool scenery.
The landscape is dotted with the odd volcano rising out of an otherwise flat area, and for a long time out of Manila it was mostly fields and farms. Eventually though the landscape began to ascend and we drove up a very long, winding mountain road past some amazing landscapes. The mountains are covered with thick green forests with large, crystal blue lakes lying between them. The view was stunning to the point where I didn't even mind the incredibly slow pace with which we drove up the mountain. In fact I missed that speed very much when we started down the other side at a pace which made me wonder if the driver didn't just shift the bus into neutral and leap out the door.
I took a tricycle from the bus station to my cabin in Dela Torre beach; a simple, rustic shack on the shore of a beach dominated by large black volcanic rock formations and shallow tide pools teeming with aquatic life. I actually spent most of the first day
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| God damn I already want to go back |
The people in Baler were incredibly friendly. The family running my resort helped me get settled in and the owner, Eric, drove me into town several times to help me buy supplies (beer) and show me some good restaurants (that sold beer). There was a group of Filipino 20-somethings a cabin down from mine who invited me over the first night to drink some brandy and hang out for a while, which was a lot of fun. Everywhere I went people just wanted to chat; children and adults alike would stop to say hello, ask where I was from, if I was enjoying my trip and everything. I'm also featured in the photographs of about a dozen strangers who were visiting the same things as me. I don't think I've ever met people so openly and effortlessly friendly as in that town.
A lot of my time was spent relaxing by the water and reading, or otherwise taking trips into town and exploring the area. On Thursday however I managed to get out and really see the area. I climbed a gorgeous trail up the side of a mountain to Mother Falls, which was an exhausting but very worthwhile hike. I then went to the Millennium Tree, which is the largest Balete tree in Asia at 60 meters tall. I crossed Baler's hanging bridge which was only a little bit terrifying and ended it with a swim at Sabang beach, the main beach and surfer hangout in Baler. I was going to try surfing lessons as it was remarkably cheap there (350 pesos for board rental and one hour with an instructor) but decided that spending the last day in Baler humiliating myself in front of everyone was a less than ideal finale.
The final Friday and Saturday were spent largely in transit - another six hour bus back to Manila on Friday and the flight back the next day. And that was my trip! It was fun, fascinating and relaxing at the same time. I loved it there and would love to go back, despite the risk I run of bursting into flames the second I step off the plane.
Today's title (I like this cover):
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