Attraversiamo 2012: 5th Leg - Destination Zambales

 

June 9-10, 2012

After our road trip to a surfing site in La Union last year, we found ourselves wanting to visit other surfing sites. 

 

No, I am not a surfer. How I wish I am. I have always expressed how water is my Waterloo. I have a GI-normous respect for vast bodies of water. This respect translated into fear which prevented me from learning how to swim despite my attempts to learn and my friends’ attempts to teach me. 

I wakeboarded once and I actually enjoyed it and hopes that I get to do it again. What made it so frustrating are two things: One, I don’t know how to swim. Two, I am only 5 ft tall and even with a life vest on I panic when my feet feels nothing but water despite mental notes of ‘don’t panic’ and ‘you will not sink because you have a life vest on’. These mental notes don’t seem to work when I’m submerged in water.

And oh, I snorkeled too using the courage I found from the beauty of the underwater and the incredible patience of my instructor. 

In most water adventures, I get to manage the fear. In some, I am cautious. I choose my battles, I say. Surfing is not for me. I guess it’s too late to learn it when I can’t even swim. However, it is for Ten, a great friend. She is the reason we have made and have been making plans of visiting a lot of surfing sites. The rest of us? …are mere supporters and spectators. Didn’t it ever cross my mind to learn it? It did and still does. It, in fact, never fails to send shivers up my spine. But like I said, I choose my battles. 

We went to Crystal Beach Resort. We were not really concerned too much about the accommodation. We just wanted to explore the surfing possibilities for Ten. From the moment we got off the car, we could hear the strong waves of the ocean from afar like a whistling sound. It is soothing and scary at the same time. It gives you a calming feeling saying it’s time to relax and free your mind but it also tells you not to mess with it as it can eat you alive. 

When the morning came, we headed as fast as we can to the beach front. I was speechless, aghast at the strong and merciless waves of the South China Sea. Even the professional surfers have stopped for a while waiting for the waves to be a little bit more manageable for their students. I also noticed that anyone who gets to the beach front for the first time can’t help but stare at the raging waves.

 

Before going back to the beach, we decided to have breakfast. Although the resort offers free buffet breakfast, we decided to get ahead and go around the city to look for a place to eat. Read about this food trip adventure here.

After two breakfasts, we headed to the beach and enjoyed the water while Ten closes her surfing lesson deal. It was a little bit hard to negotiate because the surf intructors all want to watch the Pacquiao fight and the Miami-OK game. Everyone wants to be glued to the fights.

The rest of us played and made friends with the waves on the coastline. We were careful not to go too far. Most of us ended up with small bruises on our legs because of the stones carried by the waves.We were laughing and swimming and talking and staring at the waves and laughing and swimming and talking and staring at the waves.

Edited from photos grabbed from Jem.

Edited from photos grabbed from Jem.

It was a great feeling to enjoy the least the sea could offer us at that moment. We were grateful and satisfied. In fact, we want more. See you in Baler!