This is the second part of my Central Luzon Escapade blog, so if you missed the first, you can do so after this one, or vice versa. Again, this happened while I was in the Philippines. Another adventure and another blog!
My partner and I were asked to be Godmothers for the kid of one of her college friends. The event took place in Dingalan, Aurora Province, and it took us two hours to go there by medium-sized ordinary bus (100 PHP each adult). Going there was already exciting because you would be viewing a number of landscape forms, mountains, and farm animals while crossing a rocky course that went up and downhill. I felt like riding in a 4x4 truck and going off-road; extremely fantastic!
Dingalan, Aurora
We arrived in Dingalan just on time, and her friend and partner were waiting at the bus terminal to pick us up. They had a tricycle (a three-wheeled mode of transportation), so they covered our expenses for transport. We went to our accommodations, and the Christening and Birthday receptions were also held there. The neighborhood was particularly crowded since fishermen were selling their fresh catch to the public. Boats were lined up, and I noticed everyone running errands as if every minute of their time was crucial.
We arrived at the place we were staying, it was affordable and roomy enough for two people, but the bathroom was shared by everyone on the second level. When I opened the window, the mountain greeted me with its green and majestic sight.
Late afternoon, we decided to travel to the nearby bay to watch the sunset and the famed "Sierra Madre" (largest mountain range), and all I could say was that nature never ceases to amaze me.
After dinner, a friend invited us to the carnival. I wanted to have the classic carnival experience of eating cotton candy, riding exotic rides, and simply betting on games. Lol.
The next morning, we went to the celebration and met new people, the majority of them were finishing college.
After the celebration, our journey began, and we had the entire day to explore the nearby uncrowded islands. My partner's friend owned a boat that was used for tourist business, and at the moment we were allowed to use it and were on our way. I could not recall the names of the islands, so I'll just describe their characteristics; if you have ever been there, please help me remember. Hehehe
Crying Cave
Our first stop was this gigantic cave, which appeared simple from afar but became more interesting as we got closer and even inside. I fell in love with the ceiling; it was not too humid, and there was water dropping like tears. We got the photos we wanted, and then I tried jumping in the sea without a life vest to see how it felt. There were no rocks underneath, and the water was clearer and cooler than I expected. For me, crying cave had to be included in your island hopping itinerary.
Dead pool 1
The next destination was this amazing body of water beside the sea. There was a circular pool of water in the center of a rock formation. What made it even more stunning was the presence of a few little fish swimming back and forth, and jumping into the calm water was a mistake. My partner was not a skilled swimmer, so she basically watched me from a distance, taking pictures of where I would jump next. The water was warm, so I simply enjoyed playing with the little fish. The roughness of the rock formation caused me to get some bruises after going up; next time I’d be carefull.
Dead pool 2
We went to the other side of the dead pool and discovered another standstill pool, however this one was longer. Again, I jumped and pretended to be dead for photo purposes only. I was glad that I felt like I belonged in the sea. Before returning, we grabbed a group photo of the beautiful rock formation. My partner and I were grateful to her friend's relatives for making island hopping possible and being patient with us; having our own boat and tourist guide saved us a lot of money on our trip.
Infanta, Quezon
After the Dingalan island hopping tour, we slept for a day and were looking forward to our next adventure, which would take us to the province of Infanta. Actually, I thought the following island tour was still in Aurora province until we crossed the famous bridge that separates the two provinces by painting two different colors.
We took a 30-minute bus ride from Dingalan and another 30-minute drive in a different mode of transportation that the province only had, but it had three wheels too and was definitely not "kuliglig". LOL.
We arrived at the end of the road, which was literally the last place with a signal. We already bought the goods and ingredients we would need on the "isolated island" because of its uncrowded and dead spot, making it a new experience for both of us. We planned to remain there for two days to test if I could handle the island life.
Pinagpandayan Beach
Believe me when I say you should never transfer to an island in the late afternoon. Honestly, even though I can swim, I was afraid. Not because of the boat experience, but because of the darkness along the journey. The only source of light was a little bulb hanging on the boat, the stars in the sky and my phone. The motor boat made a lot of noise, so we quietly prayed that our trip would be safe. I remembered crossing the mangrove and being warned by locals to proceed with caution because there were crocodiles sleeping there.
We arrived on the island after 30 minutes in complete darkness and a cold breeze. Yes, we arrived by dinnertime, so we settled down first and cooked dinner. Our accommodations were enough for five people. We'd be sleeping on the second level of the Nipa Hut. Mattresses and pillows were given, so I felt comfortable sleeping there. We cooked legendary adobo with egg for dinner and then headed upstairs. I knew how difficult it was since our vision was limited at that time . Fortunately, we have one local person to help us with our necessities, such as the bathroom and kitchen.
The next morning, I got up quite early to catch the sunrise. However, the rain made everything gloomy. I sat on a long log and enjoyed my coffee while wandering about. Slowly, I noticed the beauty of the coconut palms lined up together; it was low tide at the time, so the bay was very wide for photographing.
The residents allowed us to borrow a kayak boat. I had no idea how to operate it and depended solely on my instincts. We ended up with these photos of my partner.
I also wanted to mention that it was my first time taking a bath in the neighboring stream; it was a struggle but exciting.
After surviving the day, we just waited for our boat and returned to Dingalan, Aurora. We stopped on the bridge I mentioned before.
We also walked uphill to snap photos of the surroundings. It was a truly enjoyable and daring experience. My heart was filled, and my feet were the happiest.
If you are reading this, I appreciate you enjoying my blog. Thank you so much for the support, hivers! Food blog coming up.
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All images are mine unless stated otherwise