adventure chronicles #3: Beach Bumming and Surfing Weekend

I've always set my retirement on living by the ocean with my mac, my pick up truck, my labs and all the books i want to read....


Been seeing this beautiful beach paradise called Calaguas all over the net and last weekend was my chance to visit it. Expectations didn't fail me at all, it definitely is a beach paradise and so damn beautiful. The trip I joined had an exciting added bonus too. We were going to one of the surf's spots near the beach and learn how to surf! Definitely a trip I'd join anytime.

The province of Bicol here in the Philippines is where all typhoons and weather disturbances hit first. It's located east of the country where most of the monsoons land. We're close to the summer season and rain is suppose not to happen by this time but of course after a long week of beautiful weather when we got there it was raining. I was happy the 9 other travelers who joined didn't make a fit about the weather and just continued with our journey.

This was an organized trip by people who love traveling and made a business out of it. You have an option to go solo or with a group of friends. This is my 2nd time to join them and i told myself everytime i do join this group I'm going solo all the time.

We were 10 travelers; 5 solo travelers, a group of 4 cousins, and our coordinator. This trip was called beach bumming experience so after 9 hours on the bus, 1 hour trip to the pier and an hour boat ride we landed on the beach and just did nothing! and that folks is what everyone should do once in a while --> escape and do nothing.

As soon as we landed, the rain stopped. The universe conspired and felt that was everyone's prayer at that moment.

One of the travelers drew this so the sun can come out. True enough it did!

This is what welcomed us as we docked....paradise!

The beach was so clear no trace of large corals or any rock formation underneath. The water was so clean, no sticky feeling just fresh sea water. The sand was just perfect as one traveler described it, it was cake sand. She was right, It felt like we were walking on sponge cake. And the best of it all, it was almost deserted just a handful of other beach goers. The loudest and maybe the only thing you can hear was the sound of waves crashing by the shore. Perfect as i remember it.

That trip yet again was another learning experience. Not only did i appreciate nature so much more i enjoyed and learned from the travelers i met. I discovered new music, I discovered how people interact, how they view things, How the youth have a deeper understanding of things around them. and life in the beach is the best! LOL..it was just an awesome awesome experience.

And this lesbian traveler came out and take note there wasn't even a drop of alcohol at that time. Story goes: we were having lunch (which was cooked by our guide there, we were pampered travelers that day, i tell you) and one traveler remembered his professor describing the weather we were having to a gay person. He stopped and looked around and asked wait is there anyone gay here? He felt i guess that he was being derogatory. Sometimes i forget I am gay because it's the least thing that occupies my thoughts. Just like all gay people, we don't say anything about our sexuality and like some gay people they say that they are gay when asked. So i after a long pause, I go "oh Yeah, I am" and things just continued and he didn't even mention why it was described to a gay person. And that made me realize, travelers will be one of the most open minded people because they wont have the guts to travel if they're not ready or open to anything that may happen.

Laing: One the province' most famous dish.....Though it looks like a clump of seaweed, this is one very tasteful coconut milked flavored spicy dish

The beauty of the beach wasn't over. By dusk, the sky transformed into a beautiful fire filled canvas. and by night time, amidts the cloudy sky the stars showed up and covered us with constellations and made us review what little we knew, hehehe. And to cap of the night the universe delighted us with a shooting star so we can wish before we slept. Unbelievably perfect!

Just sit back and stare.....

The next morning was a personal agenda: it was walking by the beach time, one thing i love doing. Even with a little hangover i didn't mind walking on cake and enjoy the beauty of the water and the sound of the waves. I guess that would also be the freshest air i would have stuffed my lungs with for this month.

Just walking along the beach

good morning, boat!

Before lunch we headed to our next destination: Bagasbas Beach in Daet, Bicol to learn how to surf! woohoo! this year will be learning all the water sports I can year.

Before heading to the water we were briefed with safety on the water, basics on how to get up and what to expect. Then it was surfing time. I Was quite proud of my myself for a first timer, i was able to get up without falling. My instructor said it didn't seem like it was my first time at all. I guess my core workouts helped, hehehe...No wonder they used the words stoked when surfing it was exactly what i was feeling. I was in a complete high, and was just extremely happy. Like sailing i should have done this earlier in life but nothing to worry we're never too old to learn anything new.

Just amazing to just stand up and let the waves move you

After several successful tries this soon to be old timer water lover had to quit. With my luck i slightly pulled my back muscles and i had to rest it out. hahaha! I really need to get this back checked and changed..lol...but nevertheless i was quite satisfied with the whole experience.

At the end of the day we were once again treated with a beautiful sunset and yummy food before heading back to reality.

This weekend beach experience is one for the books. Im happy i got to share it with you guys. You definitely have to try things you've always wanted. It's the only way to live life.


See you on my next journey

adventure chronicles #2: Manila on a Sunday

I love my being a Filipino. Eventhough there are a lot of feelings of frustration in our so called "third world" country, there are more things to love here than you can imagine.


Today I joined the national sailing team for morning exercises. I told myself before the next time i visit this part of town Id bring my camera and document my trip going to Manila. There are lot things to see in Manila, it's always an adventure for me to go there. The colors are beautiful, the people are interesting and it always seems to be a busy place even on a Sunday.

My day started with 7am exercises with the national sailing team. We had warm-up and 45mins of jogging around the CCP complex. Sundays are allotted for workouts. After heading back to the Yacht club my morning photo adventure started.

Im obsessed with these sexy things so forgive me if they have to be in alot of my photo adventures

Like any other Asian country, we have our own share of street food you can find everywhere. Before my morning jog I had a small amount of Taho because i was getting a bit hungry. Taho looks like custard tofu mixed with caramelized sugar syrup and tapioca. Then after my jog i had a glass of refreshing buko (coconut) juice. For my breakfast, I couldn't resist my all time favorite sweet sticky rice treat called Suman.

This is what a Taho container looks like

Cold and yummy buko juice

Suman!!! my favorite 

Heading back, I saw this and i had to take a photo of it. This plant just makes me smile every time i see it.

I think it's just me...lol

Anyway, Since it's baseball-softball season for Universities, I decided to drop by the stadium to check it out. I played softball in my college years in the same venue. Going there and watching games just gives me a feeling of nostalgia every time. Softball is every part of my being and it's one thing I am very passionate about so finding out that they're using our old venue for this year's season really made me excited to watch.

As you can see Baseball or Softball is not so big in our country but nevertheless i love this game!

Staying at the top most feels like you're watching the game in HD in a movie house, love this view

After my amazing day in Manila, would you believe I got home by 10:30am. All those wonderful things I saw and still have a whole day ahead of me.

Here are more things I saw going home.

Mangoes here are a must have

Pedicabs: good transportation especially during floods

Candies can be bought just about anywhere

See you in my next adventure...

Photography

Photography, my other passion. Capturing and sharing what I can see gives me inner happiness. 

The one thing I'm very excited about my upcoming adventures are the photos that will come along with it. Hoping my photos will bring you right to where I am at that moment and make you feel the emotions that come with it.

These are some of my photos from past trips

I love love black and white :)

texture and color are what i look for when taking colored photos

adventure chronicles #1: Sailing

I live in the Philippines. We are an archipelago so there's water everywhere, as I am a water sign i love the water to death. I love swimming, I love sea creatures and i even love drinking water


Sailing is one activity I've always wanted to do which i thought you can only do if you own a boat. When I found out you can just go out to the bay and tell the national team coaches your intention of wanting to learn I didn't hesitate and just decided to try it out.

Went to the bay last weekend to ask their schedule and found out i can go out with them that day. Without extra clothes I said yes and didn't mind getting wet. Spent the whole afternoon starting 12:30pm with them and ended around 4pm. I did nothing but try to understand and learn the intricacies of this sport. Overwhelmed and amused by the whole incident, i think i just retained around two terms and techniques. but not to worry, I'm seeing them every weekend from then on.

I was so happy at the end my sailing experience, i can do that everyday of my life. Happy is an understatement, I was in a state of bliss and i didn't mind going home with soaked shorts. I can't wait to learn some more. Hanging by the boat and leaning back felt so natural.

Being on the water with matching wind blowing all of my short hair just blew my mind away.

This single business is not bad at all....

How can you not love this view. This is how my day ended after my sailing adventure. Bliss or what?!? :)

Resignation

I am 34 and I am one who enjoys sports and everything about it. I'm a former strength and conditioning coach of the National Softball Team and currently a PE instructor for a local college here.

Ending 2011 things didn't go as planned and the work place had become a burden instead of an exciting place for me.  I was newly single and my philosophy as an educator had been compromised and after much contemplating over the holiday break i decided to resign and enter the new year stress free.

Today is my official first day out of work..(but don't get me wrong i have another job so it was ok for me to quit my job)

I believe I am entering the crossroads of my life and if i don't make a decision on what road to take I might regret not doing it.

Yes there is uncertainty but it feels so right. I have a different energy entering the new year. I hope following my gut is the best decision I've made.


I think it is especially after seeing this...

This greeted me when my resignation letter was accepted

Introduction

This blog basically is just an account of my adventures as a single person no different from anyone who wants to document the things they've been doing. Being single is the same no matter what orientation you identify yourself with but putting the word "lesbian" in the blog's title i think makes it more interesting, hehehe

After years of being in and out of relationships, I've decided to just stop and focus on myself and do the things I've wanted to do....

I've set goals for myself and this year I'm deciding to do them one by one and see where it goes from there....

First Order of business ----> Quit my job....