So after work last Friday, we were pumped to give her a good time, drinking, a little crash course on Filipino humor and of course, Filipino hospitality. We were determined to make her drink until the sun comes up. As nightshift folks, our drinking started at around 1:00AM and by the time it was around 7AM, after a whole lot of talk and more beer, some drunken guy asked our visitor point blank if she’d rather spend her last Saturday in the Philippines shopping or sprawled in a tropical beach. She said beach. A show of hands ensued and it was agreed that four drunken colleagues will be heading out to Zambales to take her to Anawangin. Unfortunately, one of those who raised their hands was me. I didn’t really wanna go but seeing that most folks were raising their hands, I decided what the hell, might as well go crazy for once.

We didn’t pack for anything. We just followed the road and took turns driving. We reached Subic around 12 noon and bought our swimming outfit there. We then proceeded to drive to Pundaquit where the usual bancas are rented to go to Anawangin. We parked our car in Canoe Beach Resort and arrived at Anawangin Cove around 2PM.

Without even putting on a beach towel (I had none), I crashed on the sand and started snoring right away. My colleagues were happily swimming while I passed out under the shade. I woke up an hour later and saw them drinking some more. A lot of looks were thrown our way not because of my unbelievably good looks but because our colleague from distant shores was in a string bikini and she looked absolutely like those models you only see in glossy swimsuit magazines. I couldn’t really care less as to how she looked (rrright), I was too concerned about my hangover and where I could score some aspirins to cure it.

It seemed to me that Anawangin is no longer the secret spot that it used to be. There’s a store selling stuff there now. The creek and the pine trees are still there, but there are more tents pitched unlike the last time I visited it. I’m not really crazy about its beach, but for a quick getaway, it’s still pretty much acceptable.

After three hours in Anawangin we went back to Canoe Beach Resort to retrieve our stuff and go back to Manila. By some inspired move, we decided to stop by the new Marquee Mall near the Clark Exit in NLEX so our colleague was still able to do a little shopping.

We arrived in Manila around 12midnight. The other guys still wanted to go to Fiamma and Embassy but I was literally bombed so I begged off. Not that I enjoy going to those places anyway.

Going to Anawangin in a drunken stupor was really irresponsible and stupid though fun and enjoyable in a painful way. But I guess it’s alright to do these kinds of things every once in a while if only to confirm that we are still in charge of our individual lives.
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Almost but not quite.

I really believed I could stay away from the computer throughout my holiday but I was given too many opportunities to be in front of one. Anyway, since I’m already here (while the SO rearranges her store here in Lim Ket Kai), I might as well write a few sentences about my vacation so far. I will be writing the details at a later date.
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Anawangin Cove

I started the weekend in Anawangin. It’s an island somewhere in Zambales. So far, it placed second in my best-visited-beaches-so-far list. The first will always be the Pink Lagoon in Surigao. I’m not even sure if I can still go back to that place as my friends and I can no longer agree on the exact name or location. Perhaps it’s one of those enchantment things. I just hope that that place is not lost to me forever.

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The joy of Anawangin is its back river. It has a river just a few steps from the beach. And there are woods there too. A colleague even commented that the place sort of resembled Lake Tahoe. I wouldn’t know though. I’ve never been there. Because the place is not yet developed, it makes for a very good camping spot.

White Water Rafting In Cagayan De Oro

After Anawangin, I flew to CDO to participate in an all-expense-paid vacation involving white water rafting and a 3 day stay in Caminguin. I didn’t care much for Camiguin as I’ve been there a few times already. It was the rafting I was most interested in. I must admit to raising a skeptical eyebrow everytime I read all the praises about this different kind of adventure from folks who’ve been there. What’s so special about a river, a few rapids, some raft? I’ve been burned by clickthecity’s review on Putipot Island before that I’ve been doubly wary about other people’s reviews.

But I was pleasantly mistaken.

White Water Rafting In CDO is indeed an adventure worth taking. There– I’ve already joined the bandwagon. The clincher really was the number of HOURS I spent aboard the inflatable raft. Yes, you read that right. You will be aboard the raft for at least two hours and man, you get to really appreciate the CDO river. It is absolutely amazing. I didn’t realize that we have a river like that in the Philippines and I’ve seen my share of rivers. I can’t begin to express the exhilaration I felt surrounded by all those cliffs and the vegetation and the still waters.

If there’s one adventure that you must do this summer, do this one. I guarantee that you would have one hell of a great time.



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