LA UNION TRIP: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, HALO HALO DE ILOKO, SURFING

Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel Review

I was really looking forward to staying in Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel. I heard about its “hip” reputation long time ago. When we arrived, I can say I was a little disappointed. For 780 pesos a day (on weekends for kubo dorms), I expected more. But I think the place kind of grew on me on the second day.

During our stop in La Union, we practically just stayed inside the hostel. I guess the best thing about the place  is the feeling of relaxation. It’s very laid back. You can do nothing the whole day and not feel guilty that you’re wasting time (at least for 2 days). 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel

Cons:

• Costly compared to other hostels

• Common bathroom. For 780 pesos each, a group of 10 deserves its own comfort room. There are only 2 showers for girls and 2 showers for boys. The good thing is that there are only a few dorms; each accommodates 8 persons.

• If there are only a few of you, you’d have to share the room/kubo with strangers. (This can be one of the pros)

• The rooms are not air-conditioned. If you’re not used to fan rooms, or when the sun is unforgiving, your stay would be difficult. (Their website sufficiently informs you that they provide fan rooms.) 

• For 8 persons, the kubo room is small. You’ll definitely be crowded. (But if you’ll be staying outside most of the time, then that’s fine.)

• Free breakfast does not include protein choices.

Pros:

• Very hip! There are hammocks, bean bags, kulambo/mosquito net, cool lanterns, etc.
• It's an artists beach. If you're an artist or feeling-artist, then it's the best option for you.

• The decors are amazing. It looks great on pictures!

• There were 10 of us and we were allowed to stay in 1 kubo. #closeness

• Food tastes great. You don’t have to leave the place for a food trip.

• Free breakfast  (cereals, fruits, coffee, juice, a lot of jams and bread)

• It’s a little far (still walking distance) from the surfing spot, which is great for me. The part of the beach fronting the hotel feels exclusive.

• When there are no customers in the restaurant, the hostel feels exclusive to guests like us. The place feels so much bigger that way. You’ll get to experience this every morning. It gets crowded at night.

I would not recommend Flotsam and Jetsam if you’re looking for a place of comfort. But if you’re looking for experience and some cool vibe, it’s definitely a must-go to place. Check out their rates here.


La Union Surfing

I thoroughly enjoyed surfing in La Union. I actually have no idea on what kind of waves are good for surfing, but I had a relatively easy time riding those waves so I think they’re great. Also, La Union is not as crowded as Baler -- at least during  the times I'd been in these two surfing spots. Maybe the difference in the crowd was due to the fact that I visited Baler in April, and La Union in June.

Halo Halo De Iloko

We had our lunch in Halo Halo De Iloko. I highly recommend their pancit, especially if you’re with a group. Their Pancit En Grande was worth the price. The other dishes are okay, not outstanding. 

The halo halo? Nothing extraordinary. Costly for something normal. Normal for a resto with halo halo in its name. The place looks great though. Great interior decor! Very meticulous! It's like every piece inside was well-thought of. Just to see the place, I would pay for a higher price than usual. Anyway, experience is what is being bought nowadays.

We Know Nothing: Game of Thrones Season 5 Finale Recap

I had to write this to move on.

Warning: If you have not watched Season 5, Episode 10 of Game of Thrones, this contains major spoilers.

Watching Thrones and waiting for the Starks reunion have been excruciating. One, that’s impossible because half of them are dead. Two, the rest are in a tight spot. Bran and Snow almost had a reunion back then. Arya almost reunited with her mother and brother during the Red Wedding. Can I have a mini-reunion? Even just two Starks together, please.

I don't own rights to this photo

Jon Snow

Let me start with that ending. I’m not going to rave about it that much. We all have the same speculations. The only question is how. I believe that one of these 3 will do the trick.

Ghost photo credit: http://rebloggy.com 

Let’s hope that it is no coincidence that Melisandre was back in Castle Black before that betrayal. It has also been widely speculated that Snow is a warg and probably have warged into Ghost before he died. I have not read the book, but they said that Snow’s last word in the book is “Ghost”.  Or it can be this king of white walker, though I think that’s a long shot. But what do I know? All I know is that the story would make less sense without our favorite bastard. 

He can’t be dead. He just can’t be. Not because I’m attached to his character, but because he looks delicious on TV. I kid! But because he’s the main protagonist on the battle against white walkers and because he is a crucial part of the story. Along with everybody else, I believe in that “R+L=J” fan theory. That was just a cliffhanger. That’s all there is to it. He’ll live in one way or another. It would be nice if he’ll still be in the body of Kit Harrington. Kit has said that he won’t be back next season. That can be a lie. Or truth... But that doesn’t mean he won’t be back next next season, like Bran. Gahd, I hope he's not dead!


Arya Stark

After everything that happened to our favorite Starks, it’s great to see that there’s someone out for revenge for us. I don’t want you to be no one, Arya. I want you to kill all who have wronged your family and tell them that you are Arya Stark. Go get them, Arya!


Sansa Stark and Theon

Theon Greyjoy finally grew his dick back. I hope they truly escaped. I can’t take a scene where either of them is being skinned by crazy Ramsay. Sansa has suffered enough. Give her a break!

Stannis

It has been written by one of the articles I’ve read that this episode was about the consequences of leadership. Stannis, Jon Snow, Daenerys and Cersei. One is dead. One we’re all denying to be dead. Another soon to be abducted. And the last one shamed by her subjects. Stannis Baratheon...How crazy was he to go to battle with hungry and exhausted men? Well, he burned his sweet daughter for power. He is crazy. I kind of feel sorry for him though. I think he knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he has done too many terrible things already to back out. He knew that battle was his death sentence and he brought all his men with him. Let’s take a moment to appreciate this scene. 

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Slaughter.

Myrcella

I didn’t want her dead mostly because she’s pretty, and seems to be the sweetest Lannister. She barely had a screen time, but I guess it’s how you die in Thrones that matters. Poor Jamie... Finally one of his children accepted him, only to have her taken away right at that moment. Go get them, Jamie!

Brienne

Of course, you missed the candle! Glad that another character got to avenge somebody. Now go find Sansa.



This Dorne girl

She’s funny.

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Daenerys

After that epic escape, Drogon was just done for the day. Daenerys while looking for something to eat found herself surrounded by Dothraki-looking men. I found Dany doing an Olivia Pope. She dropped her ring. When you're about to be abducted, leave a trail. Presence of mind under pressure.

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Cersei

ALL THE AWARDS FOR LENA HEADEY!!! I have loved Cersei ever since this scene.

I don't own rights to this photo

She’s not a role model. Definitely. But she’s one of the more interesting characters. I love to hate her. I hate that I love her. That walk was brutal! But you have got to love GRRM's sense of history. Go get them, Cersei. All of them!

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Game of Thrones is entertainment at its finest. You have wars, incest, direwolves, kings, princesses, giants, zombies, nudity, mutilation, dragons, great actors, movie-quality production and a killer plot. If you're not watching this show, I don't know what you're doing with your life.

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“My readers should know better than to take anything as gospel." - George R.R. Martin

Mt. Daraitan Climb - Travel Guide

How to commute to Daraitan

- Ride an SUV in Starmall, Shaw to get to Tanay, Rizal (70 pesos)
- Take a tricycle from Tanay to Brgy. Daraitan (125 pesos)
             - pay 30 pesos per trike to cross the bridge
             - sometimes you’d have to cross the river by raft (10 pesos per head)
- Once you’re in the barangay hall of Daraitan, you would have to register and secure a guide.

Note: It took us 3 hours from the time the SUV departed Shaw to the time we started the climb. Don’t be surprised that the trike ride would last one hour.


What to expect

A lot of blogs would say that this climb is for beginners. I am no expert so I won’t be rating. But what I would say is that for someone who exercises almost regularly, it was still a challenge. It’s not the usual beginner’s climb that you just do a lot of regular walking. It’s a lot of uphill trek. Be ready to carry your weight. I’ve done a good amount of hiking in college, all beginner’s climb. Mt. Daraitan was the hardest beginner’s climb for me, maybe I just grew older. It’s of course achievable. I’m just saying it’s no walk in the park.

Tips:

1. The first 2/5 of the trek is the hardest. Just push through it and you’ll be fine. You'll get used to it after.

2. If you can avoid carrying tons of things, do so. It’s almost uphill from start to finish, so if you can lessen your weight, it would be easier.

3.You can take a bath in the barangay hall and there are bathrooms for a fee near Tinipak. Bring extra clothes.

4. For my size, 2 liters of water was just right for the entire trip. There’s water for sale near Tinipak River, but that’s at the end of the entire trek.

5. There's a man selling ice cream for 25 pesos.

6. It’s a long walk to get to Tinipak River, but it’s worth it. You’re already there and you probably smell, go take a dip.

Budget plan (per head)

- SUV to Tanay - P70 (P140 back and forth)
- Tricycle to Brg. Daraitan - P125 (P250 back and forth)
- Bridge Fee - P10
- Guide Fee - P100 (It actually depends how many you are in a group. 500 pesos is the usual pay. But to me, that seems inadequate because they will stay with you the entire day.)
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Total P500

Additional cost if you are going to hike to Tinipak River, Quezon:

- 5 pesos per head - Entrance
- 10 pesos per head - Trike to get to the barangay hall (it’s a long walk from the river to the trike bay; even longer if you would walk to get to the barangay hall)


This is how our day went (Rough ITINERARY for you)

630 - Departure from Shaw (plus waiting time for the van to be full)
8:00 - Arrival in Tanay
9:00 - Arrival in Daraitan, registration
9:30 - Start trek up Mt. Daraitan
12:00 nn - Summit arrival, lunch, photo op
13:00 - Start descent to Tinipak River
15:00 Arrival at Tinipak River.
17:00 - Walk and Trike back to Brgy. Daritan
19:00 - Departure, head back to Tanay, Rizal via tricycle
20:00 - Tanay
22:00 - Manila (with moderate traffic)

Pangasinan Roadtrip - Hundred Islands and Bolinao Escapade

The itinerary for our Pangasinan weekend roadtrip is to go to Dagupan, Alaminos and Bolinao.

We left Manila by Friday night and arrived in Dagupan to get some rest in my friend’s place. Saturday morning, we traveled to Hundred Islands, Alaminos, Pangasinan.

Hundred Islands

I’ve read about Hundred Islands in my elementary textbooks, but I’ve never really had the chance to get there until last weekend. 

They said it was better to explore the islands during the morning since in the afternoon, there's already low tide and there are activities you won’t get to experience, like cliff diving. But we arrived around 11am so we really had no choice but to experience it during the afternoon under the scorching heat of the sun. If you’re arriving around the same time, it’s better to eat first (if you’re not bringing any food) since there’s really no food choices on these islands.

Arranging Your Hundred Islands Tour

To start your Hundred Islands tour, you would have to get to Lucap Wharf. If you’re traveling by car like we did, there’s a free parking lot. Once you’re there, go to the tourism office, talk to one of the officers, and you would need to fill out a form. You would be assisted by the officer.

Costs:

(1) Boat fee: It depends.

Determine how many you are and what kind of boat you need . There are small (1-5 persons), medium(6-10 persons) and large boats (11-15). Determine whether you’re renting the boat for a Day Tour, Overnight or you’re using it as a Service Boat. If you hire a Service Boat, your assigned tour guide will stay with you during your entire trip. Here are the rates:

Grabbed from keeping traces.blogspot.com

(2) 250 PhP per person for snorkeling

If you’re going snorkeling, you would have to pay 250 pesos for each person for the equipments.

(3) Insurance - 10 PhP per person

(4) Registraion/Envirnonmental Fee - 40 pesos per person

What to do in Hudred Islands

- There’s an activity in each of the major islands. In Governor’s Island, you can visit the PBB house and climb to the view deck to take a picture.

Among the other activities you can try are:

- Island Hopping
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Cliff Diving
- Zipline

Don’t worry. You can just ask your tour guides on what you can do in each of the island. You would have to pay additional fees for other activities like snorkeling and zipline. Cliff diving is for free, but make sure you have a vest. No vest, no cliff dive.

We didn’t get to experience the cliff diving since there was low tide, but we swam in the Imelda Cave which is the underground river -- also a bat cave -- where people do the cliff dive.


There are other islands/islets you can go to. In our case, after snorkeling, we just passed by these islands since we were already exhausted. We proceeded to Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Bolinao Pangasinan

We stayed in my friend’s cousin’s place in Bolinao. Ate Cute was the most gracious host anyone could ever ask for. She also accompanied us in Patar Beach and Bolinao Lighthouse. I like seeing lighthouses so that was really fun for me. 

In Patar Beach, cottages only cost 700 pesos.

To end our Pangasinan trip, we planned to go to Manaoag Church, but it was already late in the evening so we weren’t able to pass by.

Pangasinan is just a few hours from Manila. If you’re broke like us, you can definitely visit these places since for a small budget, there are plenty of activities you can do and plenty of places you can visit.

Day Trip in Minalungao National Park

I have a friend who has a great place in Nueva Ecija. She told us that we were always welcome to visit so when I saw a post in Looloo about Minalungao National Park, I immediately bookmarked it. Prior to reading that post, I never knew this place existed.

I went to Nueva Ecija with my law school friends. It was our Christmas break and we were broke (Hashtag Student Life) so we opted for Nueva Ecija for the second time. This time we planned to go to Minalungao.

From my friend’s place in Nueva Ecija, we traveled by car to Minalungao. Halfway our trip, we did ask ourselves if we were on the right track. It was a very remote place Only a few people were there when we arrived. The children around the area can be your tour guides. Just generously pay them after the tour.

What to do in Minalungao National Park?

We did some rock climbing (for lack of a better term). We really didn’t expect that we would so we were not wearing appropriate outfits. One of us is in a dress, one in a formal wear. My slippers were slippery. 

There is a cave, but it’s not much and it doesn’t look that safe to me.

Some of us did some swimming.

The fun part was rafting. We rented the raft for 600 pesos. It actually costs more, but we got it for a cheaper price because we only used it for a few minutes. It costs more (P800) but you would have it for the whole day.       

We didn’t experience the thousand steps since it was already reaching nighttime.

What made Minalungao fun for us?

We didn’t know what to expect so everything we did became so much more exciting. Being in unsuitable clothes, climbing rocks was definitely a challenge. We also enjoyed the rafting. The greatest part is that there were only a few people around so the place was really serene. 

Photo credit: Minalungao National Park Facebook Account

What you see in the picture, the color of the water, that is the actual color. The place really has this pristine quality. I can’t imagine this place being crowded. 

Would I recommend Minalungao National Park?

It depends. If you intend to go there from a farther place, let’s say Manila, don’t expect a lot. What you see in the pictures is practically the entire thing. It's a small place. But still, you would definitely enjoy it too if you just want to relax, rent a raft, chill and swim for the day. If you’re coming from a much nearer place like Nueva Ecija, you should definitely go and support and love your own. It's a must for you if you're from Nueva Ecija since it's your very own hidden treasure.

Sagada Weekend Experience

This is my first attempt to blog about my traveling experience. A lot of blog sites helped me set up itineraries for our travels so I thought I would blog about my adventures too, hopefully, to give others information they’re seeking before they begin their trips.


Bus to Sagada

We left Manila, by car, around 10pm Friday and arrived in Baguio around 3am. We left the car in Baguio to travel to Sagada by bus.

According to my researches, buses to Sagada leave at 4am or 4:30am so we went to GL Lizardo Bus Station around that time and queued, but the first bus arrived at the bus station around 5am. By that time, there were already so many people. There was a few commotion since so many people waited and queued for how many minutes, almost an hour, and there was no proper assistance on who should board first so people went a little kru kru. I think only 1/5 was able to ride that first bus to Sagada. We were among the few. My friend literally had to fight for our spots because we were the first ones there. I don’t know the schedule of the next trip. The GL Bus Station is not yet properly equipped to handle so many tourists, especially during the weekends.

Lodging - Ligaya’s House and Cottages

We wanted to reserve one of the cottages but it was fully booked. We got one of the houses for 300 pesos per head. Ligaya’s is a little far from the town proper, but we didn’t mind. They provided transportation for a cost. Since there were a lot of us, we were splitting costs so it was very minimal. Here’s their more responsive contact number: 0920-784-9633 

Sagada Saturday

When you arrive in Sagada, you would have to go to the Tourism Office and pay an environmental fee. They will also give you a piece of paper outlining the places to go and at what cost. We received our copy from our hosts from Ligaya’s. It’s the same for everyone. 

From Saturday lunch to afternoon, we visited the Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins, Lumiang Burial Caves and Sumaguing Cave. Spelunking at Sumaguing Cave is a must. You have to experience it for yourselves. It’s a lot of fun especially when you’re with friends (or maybe significant others). It may be a little tough for children.

Sagada Dinner

For our dinner in Sagada, we had some trouble looking for a place. There were so many people in all the famous places. We walked down the entire strip. We ended up having our dinner in Sagada Brew. That was probably one of the worst dining experiences I had. We waited for more than an hour for our food. I think the next table waited for 2 hours because we were already eating while they were still waiting. It was horrible. The food didn’t even taste that good. They should do something about their terrible service.

Mt. Kiltepan Experience

Before we arrived in Sagada, there were already a lot of news articles about how tourists ruined Mt. Kiltepan and Sagada in general. I was ready to be disappointed, but I wasn’t. It was around 5am when we left Ligaya’s House to go to Kiltepan via van. There were numerous cars lined up to get to the peak. It was like Manila traffic all over again. Did that disappoint me? Not entirely. From the way I see it, it’s a great thing. Tourists of Sagada waking up early in the morning chasing the sun. It was quite an experience.

What is horrible, however, are the noisy tourists. I didn’t mind that we were cramped up, but what annoyed me is the noise. Can they just take a selfie and SHUT THE FUCK UP? I don’t understand it. You traveled so far to witness this sunrise and all you’re seeing are your faces on your phone.

Good thing I am used to shutting down the world to focus. And I can clearly remember those few minutes when the sun started peaking through the mountain, when the first non-violent rays hit my face, and when the sun finally showed its entirety. That glorious circle. You can look at it directly for the first few minutes without hurting your eyes. 

It was a magnificent sunrise above a glorious sea of clouds. That. That cannot be taken away by any noise.

Sagada Breakfast - Misty Lodge

Misty Lodge breakfast redeemed Sagada dining experience for us. There were very few people when we had our breakfast there. There were just two groups, including ours. No horrible long waiting and the food was great.

Departure

We were planning to go to Bomod-ok Falls -- but blame it on our tiring lives maybe -- but we decided to go home earlier. By the way, there are no buses leaving past 2pm they said. We shopped before leaving. It was another 6-hour ride to Baguio.

Cost:

I spent around 3,000 pesos for the whole trip. That already includes:
- Gas (Manila-Baguio and back)
- Bus fare from Baguio to Sagada and back (220 pesos per ride)
- Meals (around 200 pesos each meal for famous places) you can go cheaper
- 300 pesos for lodging (2D1N)
- Tour prices and Guide fees (it will depend on your itinerary)

Quotes from "That Thing Called Tadhana"

(Photo credit belongs to owner)

“Alam mo yung sinasabi nila na kung kayo, kayo talaga? Kung kayo, babalik sya sayo. Tangina! Nakakagago yun eh! Ano yun? Iaasa ko na lang sa hangin? Sa tadhana? Sa isang bagay na hindi ko nakikita yung future nyo ng taong mahal na mahal mo?” – Mace

(Mace’s Version)

“Para sakin kung mahal mo, habulin mo, dapat ipaglaban mo yun. Wag mong hintayin na may magtulak sa kanya pabalik sayo. Hatakin mo hangga’t kaya mo. Wag kang susuko. Wag kang bibitaw. Sorry. Mahal ko eh.” – Mace

“Kung hindi ka na nya mahal, hindi ka na nya mahal.” – Mace


“Hindi na kita mahal. Makakaalis ka na. 7 words. Yung 8 years namin, nagawa nyang tapusin sa 7 words.” – Mace

“Hindi ka na nya mahal. Yun na yun. Ano pang di malinaw dun?” – Anthony

“Sabihin naman nya sakin kung bakit. Ipaliwanag naman nya kung ano yung nagawa ko. Ano ba yung nagawa ko?” – Mace

“ Kung sinabi ba nya sayo kung bakit, may magbabago ba? Bottomline: hindi ka na nya mahal.” – Anthony

“Pano ba makalimot?” – Mace

“… Gano katagal yun?” – Mace

“…Importante pa ba yun? Ang mahalaga nakalimutan.” – Anthony

“Ikaw naman yung bahala dyan. Nasa sayo yan. Pwede kang uminom gabi-gabi. Pwede kang umiyak gabi-gabi. Makipag-date kung kani-kanino. Makipag-sex sa kung sino-sinong lalaki. Ikaw…O pwede ka ring makahanap ng new love.” – Anthony

“There are all kinds of love in this world. But never the same love twice.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald.

“Pag nagkakapera ka, diba parang gusto mo na lang gumawa ng pera? Tapos mare-realize mo…Eh, 8 years na pala.” – Anthony

“Aren’t we supposed to be great by this time?” – Mace

“To the great people we could have been.” – Mace

“Parang ayaw ko naman yatang mag-cheers dyan.” – Anthony

“To the great people we are today.” – Mace

“Sinungaling.” – Anthony

“To the great people we will be?” – Mace

“To the great people we will be.” – Anthony

“Alam mo sa totoo lang ikaw napanaginipan din kita eh. Pero medyo corny. Nasa Session Road tayo naglalakad.” – Anthony

“Oh talaga? Tapos?” – Mace

“Yun lang. Walang bungee jumping, bilang-bilang, bitaw-bitaw, wala. Marami lang tao tapos naglalakad lang tayo sa Session Road.” – Anthony

“Makaka-recover pa ba ko?" – Mace

“Makaka-recover ka.” – Anthony

“Sure na sure ka dyan ah.” – Mace

“ Alam mo kasi yung pagmamahal na ganyan, yung love na pinapakita mo kung gano ka-overwhelming, parang imposibleng walang puntahan. Babalik at mababalik yun sayo, not necessarily sa taong pinagbibigyan mo. Pero sigurado ko babalik sayo yun.” – Anthony

“Tulad nga nung sabi ni John Lloyd, ‘Kaya tayo iniiwan nung mga taong mahal natin kasi may paparating na bago  na magmamahal satin at magpapa-realize satin kung bakit naging mali yung dati, magpapa-realize din satin kung pano tayo dapat mahalin.’” – Anthony

“…Dun ko sinigaw lahat. Lahat ng galit ko. Lahat ng sakit. Lahat ng gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na di ko nasabi. Lahat. Pero hindi nawala lahat ng sakit pero at least nabawasan.” – Anthony

“Ang wish ko...na sana hindi ko na sya mahalin.” – Mace

“Nandyan pa ba yung shooting star? Kasi kung nandyan pa sya, gusto kong mag-thank you sa kanya kasi hindi ako nag-iisa. Malungkot lang ako pero hindi ako mag-isa ngayon.” – Mace

“Nung umabot tayo sa dulo ng Session Road, anong nangyari sa panaginip mo?” – Mace

“Hindi ko na naabutan yun eh. Nagising na ko. Pero kung dudugtungan ko yun…tumingin ka sakin dahan-dahan, tapos sinabi mong, ‘Kakalimutan ko na sya.’” – Anthony

“Kakalimutan ko na sya.” - Mace

(Anthony’s version)
“Sabi mo nga, bakit mo ipapaubaya sa hangin, sa tadhana, sa isang bagay na hindi mo naman nakikita… na kung mahal mo, habulin mo, wag mo hintayin na may magtulak sa kanya pabalik sayo. Hatakin mo. Hanggang kaya mo wag kang bibitaw. Eh sorry. Mahal kita eh.” – Anthony