HALLER BALER!!!

Last January 16-17, 2015, my co-workers and I decided to go on a trip to Baler, Aurora. All of us of course are excited to go surfing in the Pacific Ocean, but none of us knows how to surf.

Baler is the provincial capital of Aurora, and is known as one of the "top surf spots" in the Philippines. Truly, the town is very blessed with beautiful natural attractions and is a place where you can relax and also find adventure.

From our office in Eastwood City, the van picked us up at around 2 AM. We all came from our Friday shift and the 6 hour drive to Baler gave us enough time to sleep in the van and recharge. At around 7 AM, we reached the town proper, there we decided to grab our breakfast at The Rolling Stores beside Museo de Baler. There we had our hefty but low cost meal with lots of viands to choose from. I am still wondering why it was called The Rolling Stores, even the vendors there don’t know.

Right after breakfast, we went straight to our lodge called Home Stay, it was just a stone throw away from Sabang Beach. At around 9 AM we are all resting comfortably in our room, the owners by the way are very warm and the place has nice aura, you’ll really feel at home. There is clean water, air-conditioned and has Wi-Fi.

The instructors are very good surfers and kind, as for mine, he is a little obnoxious, well maybe because I was not able to stand on the surfing board, I felt like I did not learn, but I guess he was just disappointed because he is a bit small man and he is teaching a huge woman like me. LOL! Nonetheless, I’m still thankful for kuya instructor for his patience and strength in pulling me when I am being swallowed by the waves.

That one hour rent of the surf board is a very long hour for a beginner like me. For the first 30 minutes, I was already exhausted, I am already catching my breath because the waves are drenching my face every 10 seconds. I haven’t even get to breath normally, and yet, I am pushed towards the shore and need to try standing, which I failed to do. After this, I came to realization, surfing is not for me, I don’t have good sense of balance, I am too heavy I cannot lift my own weight and need to really learn how to swim first so I would be braver to conquer the waves. LOL!

It was around 11:30 AM went we went back to the lodge to dry up a little and prepare for lunch. We went to a local restaurant called Kusina Luntian. I was very fascinated because the place is made of bamboo and it's a nipa hut. We ate on banana leaveS and sat on the floor. The food is very affordable and delicious as well.

After lunch we went back to our lodge, this time we can now feel the body ache from our surfing. We rested for a while then we decided to make the tour to the falls and balate tree since the news said that it will definitely rain the next day.

From our lodge we took a tricycle to go to the Mother Falls in Barangay Ditumabo in the town of San Luis. After the 1 hour ride, which cost 700 pesos for four passengers, we trekked for almost another 1 hour to see the beauty of the Mother Falls. It was not an easy trek, the trail is rough and rocky, and could sometimes be slippery. We also need to cross the river and some bamboo bridges, but through all the hardship, it was indeed a rewarding trek.

It was almost 3:30 PM when we reached the Mother Falls. There are so many tourists that time, we barely fit the platform where people who won’t swim stand to take photos. At first I was hesitant to try the water because I do not know how swim, I asked my co-worker to stand and reach the bottom so I can see if I can handle the depth, well, it turned out that some parts are deep and some are nearly 5 feet. So I was brave enough to dip in the ice-cold water of the Mother Falls. It was an amazing experience, all that pain in our legs because of the long trek was gone.

I think we only stayed for 20 minute in the falls, it was too cold plus it’s already 4 PM and we need to get down to go to the famous balete tree before it gets dark. After 40 minutes of trekking down we need to ride the tricycle again for another 30 minutes. We reached the Balete Park at around 5PM. Standing 600 years now is the old century Balete tree located in Balete Park at Maria Aurora, Aurora. The tree is also known as the “Millennium tree” of the country because of its age. They say it would take 60 men to encircle its huge trunk. Having the first glimpse of the famous tree I was fascinated by how it looks, really gigantic. Also, good thing there was a young man who helped us take photos with the Balete. We were amazed by his talent in taking great pictures, perhaps he has been taking photos of tourists for a while that is why he is now a pro in getting the perfect angles.

After the tiring tour, we went back to our lodge, rested and showered. We then ate dinner at Bay-ler View Hotel. The food is great! Everything is delicious, the prices ranged from 200-300 per order, but it’s for sharing. Eating here is so beautiful, hearing the crashing of the waves and the feeling of the cool night breeze.

The next morning, the rain started to fall. We did not go anywhere away from Sabang beach, it was actually a day for us to relax and just take more photos. I woke up early, and was able to buy their famous Suman. Unlike what I am used to eat in Manila, their suman is made of brown rice, which makes it healthier plus it is also yummy. We were also able to visit Costa Pacifica, the place is really beautiful, like a 4 star hotel. We were able to taste their famous melted Chocolate Chip Brownie.It is so moist, brownie topped with caramelized bananas and whipped cream. Heavenly!

Indeed there are other places in Baler that we failed to visit, and this is why we have a good reason to come back. Baler is a very beautiful town, makes me think of my dream beach house. I guess if you love adventure and would like to swim, surf, trek, also party at the same time, Baler could just be the perfect place for you!

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!