Lunes, Hunyo 12, 2017

Exploring Cabongaoan for our Upcoming TBA





       Pardon the laziness, but I’m writing this blog in the form of just a Narrative which I will use to report to my office my findings regarding Cabongaoan.  This blog hopes to guide my officemates to an enlightened and well-informed decision: whether or not to choose Cabongaoan as a TBA venue.

TRAVEL TO AND FROM CABONGAOAN
      The “Explo Team” (allow me to refer to us that way) took two modes of transpo: bus and private vehicle.  My group came from Cubao, Quezon City thru a Solid North bus while Belle’s Group came from Lupao, Nueva Ecija and Umingan, Pangasinan thru a private pick-up.




TRAVEL TIME:
      Travel thru Solid North bus took us a grueling 7-hour trip from Manila to Alaminos.  The bus driver obviously had a penchant for long stop overs!  Add the trip from Alaminos to Cabongaoan which took another 1 and a half hours, so total travel time from Manila is 8 & a half hours. 

      I project that if we use our own vehicle it will only take us 5-6 hours depending on the duration and frequency of stopovers. 

THE ROAD FROM BURGOS TO CABONGAOAN
      If travel blogs warn you of muddy rough roads, please help Google update itself, because the concreting of the road to Cabongaoan is almost complete.  There’s just a 3-5 km
stretch of rough but not muddy road.  It’s manageable.  We saw sedans going there.  Even on a rainy day, cars would definitely breeze thru the road, but of course if driven with care.



THE ROAD SCENERY
      The road trip thru the Cabongaoan Road reminded me of Coron, Palawan.  Thru the countryside landscape we enjoyed the sight of herds of cattle: cows, carabaos and goats quietly grazing at the evergreen meadows of rolling hills reminiscent of the Sound of Music. 





      The tangerine sunset over the western horizon added drama to the roadtrip that led us on into dusk.




ACCOMODATION
      Because our explo trip was a hurriedly planned outing, our accommodation was poorly prearranged.  Thanks to Lean who thoughtfully and efficiently did last-minute booking and coordination with our local co-workers in the area. 

      We slept over at Amayaj Bora Resort, the only resort that had vacant rooms when Lean called.  Unfortunately, the said resort could not cater to our food requirements.  Understandably, it’s one of the newest resorts in the area so its catering section is still a work in progress. Its rates are also higher compared to the other resorts in the area.  We had no choice.  Rather than sleep under the thunderous skies, we embraced our misfortune.  (sa Tagalog, kumapit kami sa patalim.)

      But even thru misfortune, at least we needed to fill our complaining stomachs.  Thankfully, the neighboring beach resort, “Luzviminda’s” was very accommodating and hospitable even at very short notice.  Ma’am Minda, the resort owner and manager graciously responded to all our meal requirements patiently paying attention even to the smallest details.  She made our stay in Cabongaoan pleasant.  It instantly felt like we had a mother there!


(pictures to follow)


THE BEACH
      The beach……… it is the redeeming glory!! I don’t know about your definition of an ideal beach but for me, it is how the beach makes you feel!! During our explo, there was a low pressure area affecting Luzon so the weather was stormy.  The waves were fierce, the wind was strong, vegetation sparkling and lively because of the raindrops that crystalized on the plant leaves, the tide was at its highest, therefore totally concealing the death pool, the weather was cold, perfect for drinking a bottle of beer or two.  To my surprise, the beach was still peppered with many tourists and about 35% of them are children!







THE SEASHORE…..
      The shoreline is a beautiful mosaic of rock formations, white sand swimming spots, and a wildflower-speckled winding rocky trail that leads to the “death” pool.  If you’re the adventurous soul who frowns upon boring, monotonous, plain and fine white sand long stretch shores, Cabongaoan is for you because no two spots along the shoreline are alike!










THE SEA
    When you’re flying thru a plane and you view the Philippine archipelago thru your window, what you see is a beautiful archipelago with islands surrounded by turquoise blue waters and white sand shores. 




       It is that kind of sea waters that I saw in Cabongaoan: turquoise, vibrant and clean.  I might not have had the opportunity to enjoy a quiet, crystal clear sea water because the weather was stormy making it tempestuous, but in its turbulence, it was still charming and captivating!  And as if its charm wasn't enough, it even surprised us with a bonus: a magical rainbow!!! as if it wanted to assure us that the rains are just but temporary....





        We made the “splashes” our photo background, making our moods also hyper and splashy!!








AND THE THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO


      I missed a lot of things I aspired for: the sunset, the sunrise, the videoke, the much-needed dip, and of course the death pool.



 sun, beach, clear waters and beer! (location: Cagbalete Island)

(location: Bonsai Island) 

 location: Cagbalete Island




 Indeed, because it was just an exploration and info-gathering trip, my mood and mindset were not totally given to relaxation and surrender.  I should go back.  We should go there!  Again, I have to say that people have different concepts of what a beautiful beach is.  But one thing I could assure you, Cabongaoan beach offers many varying opportunities to wonder at and be thankful for God’s unique and amazingly beautiful creations, if only you’d open up your eyes and your souls.









 It’s simply amazing!