Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon
October 4-5, 2014
When the invitation to join a beach escapade from Toto came, I immediately convinced myself that October's not too late to own the year, especially in terms of travels. So I replied "count me in" then and there. Despite the threat of Typhoon Neneng during the first weekend of the month, we still trooped to meet and head off to Quezon.
Aside from our scary encounter with a parade of people in white en route Quezon at four in the morning (Four. In. The. Morning.) who were murmuring chants we couldn't make out, and carrying candles and incense along the only section of dirt road we passed through, things seem to have cooperated with us quite well. The sea was calm when we rode the boat to the island, and the rains only came when we were already settled in our hut.
The boat ride back to the town proper was more...exciting, though. The second batch was caught in the middle of the sea with strong winds and downpour. How relieved we were that they got back to the part safe and sound, a little on the wet side, but safe. :D
It was a fun and affordable get-away! Cagbalete is still an unadulterated beach island. There are resorts, to be sure, but only minimal modification in the natural condition of the island seemed to have taken place. We had electricity only during the night. It was out even before I woke up. But there wasn't much need of it. The sun was bright and the breeze was cool. We cooked up great meals (or at least my friends did haha) with just a compact butane burner and a coal stove. During the day, we wandered the coastline, attempted to collect crabs (who somehow kept managing to outwit us humans haha), lounged on the daybeds, and dipped in the sea.
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| Barangay Daungan Port |
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| Beach-bound early birds. |
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| Dark clouds looming over the island is what you get when you don't listen to weather forecasts. |
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| RR's existentialist moment caught on cam. :3 |
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| I have such photogenic, rom-com material friends! :)) |
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| We arrived at Mauban really early, so we had to amuse ourselves while waiting for our boat ride. |
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| Before we headed off to the port, we bought our food supplies at the market. Honestly, I was glad I wasn't expected to to be the one to do the meal planning. Lucky that there were more capable people in the group! Hahaha. |
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This seashell decor is green and so pretty.
Our cottage at Pansacola Beach Resort definitely gave us bang for our buck, especially that it was off-season. The place was roomy, ventilated, and the facilities were well-maintained, too. |
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| View from our window. <3 |
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| It was low tide for most of our stay, so the small creatures on the beach emerge from the shallow waters. |
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I love the color of my new polish, courtesy of an expat from Indonesia. ;)
Yes, it's a sel-feet, sorry not sorry. :)) |
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| Bahay kubo kahit munti, with a green door. |
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| I have such cute friends. |
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| Happy in the beach! |
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| This is supposed to be deep. Hahaha. |
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| This, too. :)) |
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I am amazed by the food my friends came up with. Add that to the appetite-inducing atmosphere of a beach.
Needless to say, I ate a lot. ;') |
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| Rustic feels |
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| Our home for two days. |
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Kristel and her friends. :3
There were a lot of dogs in the island, even on the beach. |
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| "Bahay ng sea-elves." - Me |
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| Yes, I really enjoyed the food we had during our stay. Hahaha. |
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| I was mesmerized by the pattern made by disrupting the sand in the shallow water. |
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| My first time to see in person, and eat, sea urchins. |
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| Obligatory beach jump shot. :D |
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Ang pag-ibig, parang dagat. May joker.
Hahaha. Sorry, not sorry again. |
Much has been said in the calming effect of the sea. Honestly, I wasn't in a particularly good place when I went to this trip. There were a number of things bugging me that time--work, personal relationships, family... But when you have a magnificent view of the endless sea in front of you for a day or two, the scent of saltwater, the glorious smell of grilled food, and the company of great people, the ongoing overdrive in your head slows down, allowing you to catch up.
I'm glad I got to take a little breather, storm and all.
