La Union Soul Surf 2013 feat. RAC, Classixx and Crazy/Beautiful Friends

Had an epic weekend with friends in La Union for Soul Surf 2013! I really wanted to go because of Classixx and RAC, and they were awesome (although I'm still really bummed Classixx didn't play "I'll Get You", like what's up with that?!), but really, the best part of the trip was spending a few days with great friends I’ve missed. Hilarious and random conversations on the road for 5+ hours each way, and of course, all the partying! Was it 7 hours straight? Everyone just kept at it for that long because you know, yolo. Haha.

Anyway, I’m cutting this post short because it’s late, I’m still not over the weekend that was, and I’m still trying to bring my blogging chops back from a month of not posting anything. I’ll be trying to churn out more posts over the long weekend, get my blogging groove back. For now I leave you with pictures.

Were you in La Union over the weekend? How was your experience? Hope you had a blast!

Thanks to Captain Morgan Philippines and Smirnoff Philippines for a great party!

 

Wise Words To Live By At The Circle Hostel La Union, Philippines

A few months back, I spent a great weekend at The Circle Hostel La Union and loved its cool, creative, laidback vibe. It's a great place to visit if you want to quickly escape from the city and to meet fellow travelers and new friends.

At The Circle Hostel, guests are free to paint and write on almost every surface available within the hostel. I took photos of the ones I liked, and you'll find them below (one of them I even wrote myself! Guess which one it is).

Do you ever feel compelled to leave a piece of yourself behind in the places you travel to? 

Dirty White Jazz: RAC and Classixx! (A La Union Soul Surf Playlist)

photo credit

I drive a white Honda Jazz that unfortunately I don't get to take to the car wash as often as I should. I do, however, love taking it on relaxed long drives, often on my own, with a lot of good music to keep me company - hence the title of this series of posts. I love music of all kinds, and love putting them together in playlists that help me build memories. Often I associate a song or a series of songs to a certain trip or a specific moment from that trip, kind of like a soundtrack to a movie. In these posts I will be sharing the music that I listen to during my travels, from all-time faves to newfound loves and one hit wonder flings. In some of these posts you'll find a download link to the entire mixtape for your own listening pleasure. I would also love to hear your music recommendations - I'm always on the hunt for new songs to listen to when I travel!  

I've consistently loaded my previous playlists with songs from RAC and Classixx, and this time around, because they're headlining La Union Soul Surf in October, I'm dedicating an entire playlist just for their music! It was difficult keeping this one to twenty some tracks because they have so many amazing songs, so I highly recommend you check out their SoundCloud pages (here for RAC and here for Classixx), because there's plenty more where this playlist came from. Enjoy!

Where to Eat in San Juan, La Union, Philippines

Planning a surf trip to San Juan, La Union? Getting stoked requires a lot of energy, and thankfully there are plenty of food places to check out in and around San Juan. The awesome guys at The Circle Hostel La Union invited a group of travel bloggers including myself to stay in their eco-friendly accommodations for a weekend and kindly took us to three great places to eat around the area. Check out Urbiztondo Grill House, Kahuna Resort, and Thunderbird Resort below!

A Weekend Well Spent at The Circle Hostel La Union

Summer was ending, it was the first weekend of June and I was starting to get busy with my new job when I found myself spending a weekend with strangers-turned-friends at The Circle Hostel in La Union for a much needed break from the city. I had been meaning to check out their first hostel in Zambales but hadn't found the time to do so, so I was more than thrilled to be part of the blogger event they organized for their new branch in La Union.

It was a swell weekend to say the least (pun intended, though there were actually no waves and we weren't able to surf when we were there). My corporate sellout self badly needed the break - the fresh air, the afternoon spent hanging out in the common area talking about random things while listening to Jason Mraz and eating green mangoes freshly plucked from a nearby tree, the random drinking games, the night spent by the beach lying down on the sand looking out for shooting stars, and the chance at meeting new and interesting people. I had been to La Union more than a couple of times prior, but it felt like a new place all over again mostly because of the people I got to hang out with that weekend. The coolest thing was realizing how small Manila is - at The Circle Hostel I spent time with people I had either met before (I was even in a meeting with one of the guys once! Hello Jake! How random is that?) or had random common friends with.  

There's just something about The Circle Hostel that makes it conducive to making new friends. I'm not usually the chatty-chatty type (really, I'm not!) with strangers but during our weekend  in La Union, apart from the bloggers I went with, we also met the guys from GoodLifeCrewPH, and all it took was a few questions about their GoPro gadgets (and they sure had a lot of them gadgets!) and an offer of green mango slices. Two of them, after leaving their jobs in Singapore, are setting out on a journey across the Philippines and documenting their trip with their GoPro cameras. How cool is that? Theirs was just one of the many inspiring stories I heard that weekend about stepping out of ordinary routines and stepping into extraordinary, exciting lives.   

If you're looking for a quick weekend getaway and can't find any friends to take with you, book a bed in The Circle Hostel Zambales or La Union - you would've set out on your own but you'll definitely come back with at least a few friends!

San Juan Bloggers' Weekend at The Circle Hostel!

 

It's only the middle of the week but already I'm looking forward to the weekend, because I’ll be spending it at The Circle Hostel La Union with a group of amazing travel bloggers. I’m so excited! I’ll be posting about it soon, watch out for it! Anybody else hoping to catch some waves/sun/sand/good vibes in LU this weekend? See you there! :)

Snapshots: On The Road Back to Manila from Surfing

 

It's been rainy all day, so this photo seems appropriate. I'm so tempted to put emo song lyrics in it and post it on Tumblr. It's that kind of picture. 

Snapshots: The Little Red Tricycle, San Juan, La Union

I'm gonna miss spending weekends in San Juan, La Union - the surf season is over, and waves will be hard to come by in La Union in the coming months, so we won't be back there for a while. We will check out Baler later in the month, though. Wish us luck!

Snapshots: Early Morning in San Juan, La Union, Philippines

After an overnight bus ride, this is our reward.

While some might find six-hour bus rides tedious and exhausting, I quite like them. There's a certain kind of serenity to be found when being in transit, in that place between one's place of departure and destination. Also, nice shoelaces, Steph!

Snapshots: A Piece of Clear Sky, Laiya, Batangas

Because this rainy day could use some sunshine!

Snapshots: Life's a Beach in San Juan, La Union, Philippines

I still can't get over our awesome weekend spent in San Juan, La Union. There were hardly any waves on the first day but we were able to surf on Sunday, which was so much fun and made the overnight bus ride from Manila worth it! When we weren't surfing or frolicking in the water, we were playing Monopoly Deal and Cluedo, eating (a lot!), and just hanging out at the resort. On Saturday night we stayed out late by the beach, laid out on the sand and spent the night looking up at the sky waiting for shooting stars, engrossed in conversation. There couldn't have been a better way to spend a weekend away from the city after a long week at work.

Snapshots: A Filipino Breakfast, San Juan, Laiya, Batangas

There's no better way to start a lazy Sunday than with an amazing Filipino breakfast - adobo flakes, a sunny side up egg, and rice with a dash of vinegar. Kulang na lang tsokolate!

Snapshots: Old Houses in San Juan, Batangas

There's a lovely cafe in the ground floor of one of the old buildings in San Juan called Cafeno, and it's a great place to stop by after a day at the beach in Laiya, before heading back home. Try their kapeng barako ice cream! Read more about Cafeno here.

Summer 2011, Boracay & Kota Keluarga, Philippines

After a long hiatus, I'm blogging again, and this post comes to you from the beautiful, party-lined shores of Boracay where I am spending the weekend! I'm typing this while hanging out in one of the cabanas at Sur, the resort we're staying at. The sun has almost completely set, but the sky is still tinged with that orange glow I love so much. Sadly it's back to Manila for us tomorrow afternoon but it's all good - I'm off to Dive and Trek for our annual family beach trip next weekend.

Bora is picturesque any time of the day:

This summer is shaping up to be an awesome one! And the beach trips started early too - about two weeks ago my mom celebrated her 50th birthday at Kota Keluarga in San Juan, Laiya, and I got to bring my friends to the weekend getaway.

It was a gloomy weekend weather-wise, but still super fun and relaxing:

So while I haven't been blogging, it hasn't been because I haven't got anything to blog about - quite the contrary, in fact, except there just hasn't been enough time in the day to actually blog about them. And well, fine - I'll admit it, what with work being so exciting lately and after having met a new set of crazy friends and just, everything that's been going on, I've been a little distracted, in a good way. I guess I have to live my life first before I can write about it, right?

To everyone in the Philippines, hope your summer's been a good one so far!

A Guide to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas | Part 2: "Peace Man" - Bamboo

I love this song and this video by Bamboo. It's really just footage of them going on a road trip to Laiya, San Juan, but the video fits the song perfectly.

"Supreme love and respect, peace, man."

Bamboo - "Peace Man"

A Guide to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas | Part 1: General Information & Getting There

I've been getting a lot of visitors to this blog looking for information about Laiya, San Juan, Batangas, so I thought I'd compile a (hopefully) comprehensive guide to this wonderful seaside town in the south of Luzon. I grew up in Batangas and have plenty of memories from spontaneous family trips to the beaches of Laiya on random Saturdays, so the place is pretty special to me.

I'll start this off with some basic (and admittedly boring) information about the place, and a few pictures (so that this entry isn't completely blah).

Located on the southeastern tip of Batangas, Laiya, San Juan is a relatively little-known beach destination, at least compared to the more popular areas of Anilao and Nasugbu, which are also in the province of Batangas.

Its serene and beautiful beaches, as well as its proximity to Manila, make Laiya an ideal weekend getaway for city dwellers. To date, a handful of beach resorts can be found in the area, as well as a number of private beach communities that are still under development.

Location and other Navigational information:

Info from waypoints.ph - click on the above image to visit the site for waypoint data and other vicinity information on Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.

Getting There (taken from the La Luz Beach Resort site, with some revisions)

For Private Vehicles:

1. Take South Super Highway to the end and get out at exit 50A that leads to Batangas, Lucena and Legaspi. (It is 39 kilometers from Magallanes to the end of the South Super Highway). This is also the exit for Calamba.

2. Upon exiting (Calamba), drive straight ahead to the Star Toll entrance. The drive is approximately 20 minutes or about 6.5 kilometers. Look for the Batangas Expressway entrance (STAR Toll), which leads to Batangas City. The sign is very visible and the entrance is on the right side after the First Philippine Industrial Park.

3. Drive 33 kilometers on the Star Toll way (STAR) and take the San Jose-Ibaan Exit (the 4th exit, it is also after the Lipa exit). After exiting, turn left and drive 2.5 kilometers. You will reach an intersection with a sign pointing to Rosario, at this point please turn left at this intersection. After turning left, the Municipal Hall of Ibaan will be on your right while a church will be on your left. After passing the church on your left you will reach a forked road. Turn right at the road sign pointing to San Juan. Drive 8 kilometers along this road to Rosario town proper. Upon reaching the Rosario town proper, there is a Jollibee outlet at your left. Drive past the Jollibee Rosario outlet and the South Star drug store outlet. This road leads all the way to San Juan town proper, which is approximately 23 kilometers away. You will pass a sign for the Batangas Racing Circuit along the way. Please veer left at this point.

4. Once in the town of San Juan, make a right after the Municipal Hall (you'll see a Petron Gasoline Station, a Frank’s burger Stall and a Dunkin Donut Store right before the Municipal Hall). Take a right on the corner where you'll see numerous placards and signs posted of the different Laiya resorts. Most of the beach resorts in Laiya are already along this long road, but it will still take you a good 20-30 minutes drive further down the road before you get to the resorts.

For Public Transportation:

Via Candelaria

1. Take a bus from Manila to Lucena (Jackliner, Tritran, BLTB, Jam, etc) but get off at the Town of Candelaria. (Approximately 2 hours)
2. Get off at Chow King right after the town proper of Candelaria.
3. Go to the nearest intersection, which is about 10 meters and take a jeep to the town of San Juan, Batangas. (Approximately 30 minutes)
4. Get off at the San Juan Town Market and take a jeep to Barrio Hugom which will pass through most of the resorts in Laiya, or get a tricycle to take you to the resort of your choice.

Via Lipa City

1. Take a bus from Manila to Lipa City (Jackliner, Tritran, BLTB, Jam, Alps, etc.) (Approximately 1.5 hours)
2. Get off at Bus Terminal near McDonalds, Jollibee, and Shakey’s.
3. Take a tricycle to the jeep terminal located at the City Market (approximately 10 minutes)
4. Take a jeep bound for San Juan, Batangas. (Approximately 45 minutes)
5. Get off at the San Juan Town Market and take a jeep to Barrio Hugom which will pass through most of the resorts in Laiya, or get a tricycle to take you to the resort of your choice.

Snapshots: Batangas, Philippines

I've shared a lot of photos from trips to other countries, so to shake things up a bit, here's a picture that was taken closer to home, in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. Being only a few hours' drive from our house, our family used to always head for the beaches of San Juan, regardless of the season. As you can probably tell from the photo, this was a trip that wasn't exactly a nice summer's day out on the beach.

But I must say that going to the beach on a gloomy and cloudy weekend also has its own charm- to begin with, you most likely have the beach to yourself on days like this, and the sea and the sky provide a different kind of peace.

One of these days, I really ought to drive to Laiya on a whim.

Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

Woke up early yesterday as my family were to spend a day at a resort in San Juan, Batangas. It’s a usual trip we take whenever we have a free day, and one of the best reasons to live in Lipa City.

The trip to the beach is a comfortable 2-hour drive (give or take 3 to 3 1/2 hours from Manila) through small towns and countryside. The scenery is a stark contrast to the urban palette of gray sky and drab concrete, and is often quite picturesque: long stretches of green fields, mango trees in uniform shapes that look like enlarged bonsai plants, and the occasional poblacion, which consists of houses, big and small, old and new, that line the sides of the main road.

A right turn from the San Juan poblacion leads one to the San Juan tourism zone, and at once it’s evident: you’re in a place a long way away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I put on Jason Mraz’s “No Stopping Us” on my iPod and enjoy the landscape: roads lined on both sides with plants bearing lovely pale pink flowers; even longer stretches of fields alternating with plantations of coconut trees. Occasionally there are houses and the traditional sari-sari store, and some weird signs. A rather out-of-place wooden sign that says “Fabulous Farm” always cracks me up when we pass by it.

The bicycle and the horse seem to be the usual mode of transportation – otherwise people travel on foot. Even the jeepney is a rare sight in this area. After a while the concrete road ends and the trip must continue through rough road – a sign that the beach is close at hand.

The resort we frequent has a separate white sand beach a few minutes drive from the main resort. It’s an empty stretch of beach with only two large huts, and most of the time we have the place to ourselves. An empty beach is my idea of tranquility, so it’s no surprise I enjoy it there. At around noon I would read a book and afterwards sleep under the sampaloc tree listening to Jack Johnson (“Better Together” is a beach favorite). Later into the day we’d sometimes hire a boat to take us out into the snorkeling area; otherwise I’d take a swim or just float around in the water and watch the sky. Before we leave the place I’d take a walk along the shore (Chungking’s “Following” on my iPod). There’s a spot along the beach where the sea meets the river – an estuary, is it? – and there I would sit by the shore and snap some pictures. After a while, it’d be time to go home.

The drive home is a moving exhibit of beautiful imagery – I’d put on Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On” to accompany the sights. The landscape would be bathing under an orange-yellow sky, and around this time, the sleepy towns we passed by in the morning would come alive, as their residents would come out of their houses to congregate and socialize. They would sit on the wooden benches in front of their houses or hang around in the neighborhood sari-sari store; children would be riding their bikes; men from work would be walking home. Especially during summer, the fields would begin to look like a sea of pale orange, as the crops become ready to be harvested. The song ends and another one begins to play – this time, “Insomnio”, by Café Tacuba.

For a day I would fall in love with the simple life. There’s something to be admired about the sleepy towns in San Juan - they don’t possess the complexities and dangers of city life, and instead reflect a striking tranquility and effortless contentment. It makes me wonder why we have to pine for so much, why we have to force ourselves into already congested and highly polluted cities, why we feel the need to gather ridiculous amounts of wealth, and for what? To pay for the medical bills for when we get ill from all the smog.

One of these days I might just grab a backpack, take a bus, and leave everything behind.