Summer in June 2019

When I go home, I make sure to make it memorable and fun, especially with the family. In the first of June of 2019, I just got home from Manila after resigning from work.                                              

Since I started working, I’ve been obsessed with travelling, so why not tag your family along right? And if I run out of cash, there’s my credit card to save me LOL.

So I booked this family room in Casa Consuelo, and by the day we are about to check in, I downloaded long road trip music… including my dad’s playlist as he wished!

We just had this sedan black car (NOM 781) which is no longer ours, and we drove for about 3 hours. Of course the outfits, not to mention, are well-prepared. You know me, and my previous blogs would always have this trademark of outfits, I have a lot of them in my closet.

Casa means house or home. And when I asked the person from the reception area, it was family owned turned into resort.

The room and the furniture looked antique, all were dark brown, the room was dim lit. and not to forget, what we actually paid for, the view!

It was the nearest resort to Dos Hermanos Island (Two Brothers). They were called that because they were two big hills adjacent to each other. In most time of the day it was low tide that you can walk to the islands and climb up. Me and my dad went there and took some nice photos. I was teaching him how to use this Gopro cam that I borrowed from Gelo. LOL.

Here, you have to wear slippers when going down for a dip or a walk as it was rocky. My grandmother said it was because people were fond of picking up rocks at this area.

It was a resort with its own infinity pool, a big lounge area for celebrations, and cabanas that can be used for free when you’re checked in. We were all so happy and that was the last summer I had with the family. It will always be one of the trips to remember.

Ever since we purchased our first car in 2018, we’ve been going around Ilocos Norte. Like The Boracay of the North with the entire clan, Little Batanes of the North, to Vigan Ilocos Sur. My dad was always all in when I give a travel itinerary, simply because he was living the life he had always dreamed of, a life he had always been working hard for. And I’ve always admired that in him.

That is why I beat myself to writing my goals on a piece of paper, or notebook, or here in my blog. It mught be read by people, may be not, and it’s okay. These are memories I can and will always go back to, no matter what age I will be.

Now that I have a family, it has been more defined and clear to me, working hard and smart’s not enough, being a good parent is a different story. And my dad was all-in-one, good, hard-working and smart. J

*end*

Tiktok/Instagram: meaganmangoma

 

Nagsasa & Anawangin Cove Zambales via Mt. Bira-Bira

Your beach babies, monsieur.

Okay, so this trip had cost each of us, Php1, 300.00. Transportation, food, tour guide fee, boat rental with island tour were already included. Yes!

Four months ago, in April 14, at night, me and my sister went to one of the nearest summertowns in Manila. I decided to tag my sister along as it’s summer, it’s her vacation in school and is not doing anything at home anyway.

Of course, as I had been mentioning in my blogs like the one in Magsasa Beach Cove and Mt. Ulap trail (which you can check here at meaganstravelogue.blogspot.com), Jie invited me again to this day hike and island tour. We have this shared desire for mountains and cliffs and beaches. Just like any other independent and single girl would, when they are invited by their friends and they say yes without second thoughts, their answer’s a straight ‘yes’. In Filipino language, they are “kaladkarin”. LOL

So we took a cab to Eton Centris in Quezon City where the meeting place is. They’ve let me sit beside a man who I think for God’s sake hadn’t had any girlfriend in his life. So I just went with the flow and enjoyed the trip with of course, my own playlist on spotify. As far as I remember, there were 13 of us in the van. It was a four hour trip to Zambales and we arrived at the house of the tour guides. We were guided by this little dark man who walks so fast, he’s for the fast and furious haha. Before leaving, we had our light breakfast at their place, a hotdog, egg and sandwich was enough then. Luckily, I haven’t encountered a tour guide that’s not accommodating yet.

God it was a very beautiful morning. At 4:00 am, the starlight zone was still at its brightest, big, and feels so near. They were shining as if the sun won’t substitute their glimmer and glamour anymore. And my eyes were shining so bright like they are that morning. What made me feel more native is the aura of the locals. They were kind, smiles widely and cares so much like my parents do.

MT. BIRA-BIRA (BINABALIK-BALIKAN) – You’ll keep coming back for this.

We started the trail right after we ate. I always wanted to go first when I do trekking. I want to see the view first before my co-hikers do. Even if kuya Rodel was walking fast and furious, I managed to be at his pace. So is my sister’s pace, she was tired but she had long legs so she didn’t have trouble catching up. Haha!

It was a four-hour hike. We started while it was dark. So if you come here, make sure to bring flashlights and trail foods like biscuits and of course, water. As the sun rose at 6:00am, the mountains became orange. What once was dark spot with a sky full of stars became green and orange, and a combination of it with the blue skies above. Sweat and fatigue will be well paid I said. So here I'm sharing you some of my photos from Instagram (@chasingmeagan).

Of course, the view is amazing. There’s this top of the mountain spot where you’ll see the sea extending to the other city there may be across it. It’s like you own the world here. It was very open. And it translates to you feeling open. To yourself and to the other people. This brought my mind to liberation. I have been independent for two years now. And being liberated is a part of it. Being separated and alone but not feeling lonely is something that I think highly of as a gift. Not everyone can have that positive vibe and view in life. I have been saying this in almost every blog I post.

You can refer to (@meagansmotivations.blogpot.com) where I kept talking about seeing the bright in the dark and the positive in negative. Even if your boyfriend already cheated on you, you see the advantage in it. It’s never easy to manage our own life much more than we manage other people’s emotion towards us. It’s something that I adore so much when I see women like me who live independently.

So we descended, at 8:00am, the sun’s heat was striking tremendously but we kept up with it because we’re almost at our destination.

THE ZAMBALES BEACH COVE

So I unpacked my whole wheat bread and everyone joked around, that there should not be a diet plan. We were tired and should eat more. But I still stayed with the plan as the food there was pretty expensive like one gallon costs Php200 and I’ve got bikini shoot to do with my sister!

THE PHOTOSHOOT!

Fast forward to dressing up, removing the marks of tiredness, me and my sister Jessa took a bath together in

one of the rest rooms and put on our bikinis! I wore a stripe one, color blue and transparent light brown square pants. We arrived at the hut and they were watching. We flaunted, because we can! And everyone should be able to do that, no body shaming please.

So we got another company, my sister’s other half at that time who became our photographer. We achieved part of the bloggers Vern and Verniece Enciso’s H&M bikini posts, hi girls! Except that it was not photographed by a professional one and we didn’t have too sexy bodies yet. LOL.

Guys, you will be able to have a lot of time to spend here, you can stay until 4:00pm, take some dip in the sea, take a deep breath of the fresh air because you don’t encounter this everyday when you are living in the metro, drink alcohol, talk about life in the island, play some cool music, do a cartwheel by the shore because there are no pebbles to pick. The sand was a bit dark. Of course Zambales is not a place for white beaches like Palawan. But it’s a place where the sea is surrounded by beautiful mountains.

A small bridge going to the camp site.

Afterwhich, we were picked by the boat and did the island hopping. From NAGSASA COVE we headed to ANAWANGIN COVE. We were about to go to the island where they let tourists do cliff jump but my friends at the time were too drunk and our boat almost got wrecked at the sea. So we got help from the other sailing boats and stayed at Anawangin cove where there’s bridge, where you can camp, no entrance fees.

There was even a big pond there. It is very Instagram photo friendly. In this area, only few people stay as it is for those who wants to spend the night by camping in a mini forest.

After getting our boat fixed, we went on a roller coaster ride at the beach. The sea was not so calm and the fun was more on the journey to our destination. Again, another realization, the challenge most of the time contains more of the excitement when you are still on your way to your dreams than when you already reached it. It’s amazing how you will look back and smile as you imagine how tough ad rough it has been for you all along. But you still thank God for your life. That you are able to do things you want to.

And dream requires every sacrifice you will ever be able to give. Every mistake you will be committing is waiting for you right there. Time, effort, commitment, strength, bravery, determination, courage, money, everything will cost you for your dream. It’s risky, but it’s going to be worthwhile. Of course, there’s reality and expectation. Know what you are able to do and do it. Action and dream is not too far from each other. Remember that when you start moving, you start moving. Slowly as may seem, but you’re on your way.

So going back!

We went home at 7:00pm after we took a bath at one of the houses at the main port which offer their comfort rooms and extension for charging for public use at a minimal payment, around Php20.00, and arrived in Manila at 11:00pm as it was traffic at SLEX. It was a day to remember. Another memory to cherish.

If you have questions, ask me and leave your comments here.

Thank you so much!

‘Til next time! ;)

Some cute sized guitar keychains are everywhere! (Php 30.00)

Sunset at Anawangin Cove.

Middle of the day at Nagsasa Cove.

A small lake at Anawangin Cove.