bits of boracay

Others find that Boracay island is not as beautiful as it used to be. The shores are tainted with trash, the sand not as fine, the common areas over commercialised and the island swarmed by numerous tourists that contribute to the island's degradation. It's a sad but somewhat true statement, as I've seen photos of the place and visited the island years back when "Laboracay" and "batch Boras" were not yet in place. It looked bare and clean, contained less structures and was surrounded by more natural greens. The boats could easily be counted and the waters clear of bits and pieces of a tourist's last meal. It may not be exactly the same as it used to be, but despite the horrific image that these truths may put in your heads, I must say after my visit last November, the island still holds a beauty worth going back to. 

White House, the go-to for 7am-7pm happy hour. 

The Strand

We tried out The Strand for this visit since we were able to get our rooms at 50% off thanks to our friend Marga. It cost us Php 3,000 a night for a suite that looked as though it could fit 8-10 people.  Though the place is quite a walk from D Mall, located a few resorts past Fridays and a minute walk into the back area, it was a comfortable, beautiful place to stay in. 

Our room was very spacious and clean, had a lanai, a living room, a mini kitchen, a big bedroom with a king sized bed and separate toilet and bath.

It was always clean upon returning from our daily activities, and we'd be left with a little note from our cleaner wishing us a wonderful stay.

When our flight got cancelled and we ended up having to rebook to a much earlier flight, we had to leave at 5AM to get to the airport on time. Leave it to The Strand to lighten up this inconvenience--the staff happily got up at 4:30AM to check us out, help us with our bags, call us a trike and even prepare a sandwich breakfast for takeout.

The Strand also has a pool and lounging chairs by the breakfast area.

As for the food, I was only able to try the free breakfast since we spent the rest of our days out. It wasn't anything grand and came in small servings, but surprisingly I still got full during all my breakfast meals. You have the option of a Filipino or American breakfast, and it comes with coffee, juice, and a mini fruit platter.

It was my first time to visit the island outside the summer season and it was surprisingly more filled than I expected. The beach wasn't empty despite the bipolar weather and the bars were pretty filled come night. It wasn't as packed as summer, I'd say just the right amount of people, so it was comfortable, relaxing and easy to get seats in restaurants. I was a bit worried about Boracay in November because of the weather, but even though the rain poured on us a few times during our stay, the bits of sunshine on the island, the beautiful beach, wonderful people, delicious food, and of course, great company, definitely made the trip worth taking. 

the pulag experience

Last weekend I hiked up the second tallest mountain in the Philippines. It was a challenge, and probably one of the hardest things I've done in my life so far, but I loved it and I'm itching to go back.

The trip started out with a bus ride (Victory Liner) to Baguio, then a jeepney ride to the ranger's station with stopovers for meals and bathroom breaks in between. My friends, sister and I joined the Trail Adventours group for the trip, so everything was pre-planned by them (the bus ride, jeepney ride, 3 full meals, tents, and porter arrangements--though you have to pay for the porter when you get to the ranger's station).  

On the way up (from Manila to Baguio to the ranger's station to the camp site--camp 2 extension to be exact), everything was perfect. The view was nice (sitting atop the jeepney let us enjoy it more) and the weather cooperated--sunny with a cool breeze. 

The hike wasn't bad either. If you've climbed Pico De Loro, then you're definitely going to be fine in this hike. They said it would take a maximum of 4 hours to get to camp 2 extension, but we made it in 2. It was breezy as we ascended, and the trail was prettier than I expected! There were some flowers and a wide variety of plant life that it looked like you were going through a garden in some areas. 

Camp 2 Extension

This was where we set up camp. Or where Trail Adventours set it up. We just chose a tent, rushed into it and immediately put on our layers because the weather up there was intense. Though we were expecting the temperature to hit negative, it never did throughout our stay. But the immensely strong winds and mist/rain that hit us was a bit unexpected. 

We were freezing at night, our tents were shaking and on the verge of getting blown away, water started coming in, and our stuff got wet. We had layers to keep ourselves warm, but once the clothes got wet, nothing could keep us warm. Unfortunately for my sister and I, we didn't have waterproof bottoms so from 3AM up until we reached the rangers station, our leggings + warmers + sweat pants + underwear were soaking, and we were freezing the whole way down.

And after all the trouble of getting to Baguio, hiking up to the campsite and barely making it through the cold temperature, strong winds and rain, we didn't get to go to the summit. The tour guides said that the weather was not good and it would be unsafe to bring all 38 of us (if i'm not mistaken) to the summit. It was so disappointing at first, especially after freezing throughout the night (really, I can't even explain how cold it was. It was the most uncomfortable (almost painful) thing i've ever experienced). But after the struggle of it all, there were some things I learned and realised from the trip:

- Getting to see the sea of clouds (what Pulag is famous for) is not an everyday thing. Not everyone gets to see it, and if you do encounter clear skies on your first visit, you're actually really lucky. Some people do several hikes before actually seeing it. Our tour guide even told us of a hiker who lives in Palawan and flies to Manila just to hike Pulag, and it took him seven hikes to finally see it.

- Once you see the sea of clouds on your first hike, you're really lucky. But will you want to go back? I realised after that our tour guide was right. It was somewhat a good thing that we didn't encounter it on our first hike because that would mean we'd have to go back. And despite the discomfort I felt during my stay there, I'd have to say that I would go back just to see it. I'm itching to go back so I can see it.
- I've always been so eager to travel and visit many places, learn about different cultures, try different food, and meet different people. I still am. But this hike has opened a new door and made me realise that there's more to just city exploration. Nowadays, everyone can go online, book a flight, book a hotel, travel around via cab/bus/train/ship/plane, and learn and experience. But not everyone can say that they've hiked the mountains of (insert place here), or surfed the waves of (insert place here), or even dove the waters of (insert place here). It takes a little more effort (in my opinion) to be able to do things like that, because it's more than just comfortably sitting or walking or enjoying what you see or put in your mouth. Though these things (hiking, surfing, diving) are done for pleasure, it doesn't necessarily mean it's comfortable. And straying away from comfort is not always the first choice. So this year I hope to travel still, but also hope to have the courage to immerse myself more in these active experiences.

If you'd like to try this out, check out Trail Adventours. I suggest you do! 

restock & release

Check out Common Ware's latest batch of restocks and releases!

During the first release of our Men's Swim Ware, we only had Navy Blue and Maroon.
During the release of the Women's Swim Ware, we only had Navy Blue.

Now, our Men and Women's Swim Ware comes in a brand new Teal color. We've released a Maroon for the ladies too!

For orders, please visit the Common Ware Facebook page and send us a message, or email us at commonwareclothing@gmail.com

surf break

Snapshots from my friend Carla's birthday weekend in La Union.

I've been to La Union several times but it was my fist time to stay at Flotsam and Jetsam. Every time I would plan a trip, the hostel would be full so I'd have to look for another place to stay (The Circle's a good place too). This time I was finally able to get a bed at F&J thanks to my friend Carla, the sister of F&J's creator, Mia Sebastian.

In my first La Union trip (Soul Surf 2013), I was able to visit FlotJet (and was one of their first breakfast customers!). Ever since then I never failed to visit the place every time I'd pay San Juan a visit. The artist hostel is just so homey and beautifully designed, I can't get enough of its motif--from the pillow and bean bag cases, lamps, color, blackboards, Mer Sea Boku kubo, to the bed setups and room decors.

Not only is this place so aesthetically beautiful; it also gathers the most simple, friendly and down to earth group of people.

Here we are at Elunion Coffee, another go-to when visiting La Union. It's a quaint little coffee shop located by the main road in front of Sebay. The place serves delicious coffee and freshly baked (and moist) cookie skillets.



My regular Elunion order: the Dirty White.

Back in Flotsam & Jetsam, having my post surf papak: Hungarian sausage with tomato sauce and onions, and Truffle fries.



Another yummy F&J staple: their brick oven pizzas!



A FlotJet burger my friend had which came with a generous amount of salad and fries. I had the chicken which also came with salad and rice. Both (or all) being delicious meals!

Mer Sea Boku Kubo, one of FlotJet's common areas that holds some of the best memories of relaxation, good conversations and pig out and jamming sessions.



You'll also find the cutest pets and dog lovers at F&J. Everyone loves animals!

For videos from the trip, check out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImP5X-KKlqU - Jamming sessions as Mer Sea Boku Kubo
https://vimeo.com/99028162 - The surf and F&J night

As for the surf, it was awesome. I loved being in the water along with other professional surfers, learning from them and watching them gracefully ride waves. I was also able to surf more than my last trip so I got more practice. There's still much needed improvement, but nothing feels better than a little progress at something you enjoy doing!

Another short but sweet trip. The beach (or vacations in general) never fails to leave me hungover (not from the alcohol) and longing to go back. Can't wait for the next trip!