Travel Diary: The Beach Party in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Philippines

ALL-TIME FAVORITE POST FROM 2009 RE-BLOGGED: 

I hate road trips but i love long trips! 

If that makes any sense. I have this sort of on and off condition called vertigo, so i am quiet nauseous whenever i'm travelling overland. I have no idea how i got this or if ever i do have it. I have been travelling non-stop since last year and i didn't feel a thing.

Anyway, when i heard there's a trip to Zambales, i wasn't sure if i was up for it. I have so many plans in the coming weeks and this came out from nowhere. But that would defeat the purpose of being a hippie and a traveller if said no. So, i did say yes.

The drive from Manila, Quezon City where i live to Santa Cruz in Zambales was roughly around 7 hours because we had around 5 or 6 stop-overs for some cigarette break and toilet duties. But i guess the trip there would probably last around 5-6 hours max.

You will pass by several towns, as in around 8 towns in Zambales, very much like in Pangasinan. The roads were quite good, but it was definitely long. I was tipped that less than an hour away is already Pangasinan. And the amount of travel we had would get you to Baguio.

Luckily, we know someone who owns a private resort in Santa Cruz. Let's just not give him a name because his family owns the brand. When i arrived, it was past lunch time but i couldn't feel the cracking sound of my stomach, the scenery was just too damn amazing!

I immediately went into the big hut (kubo) where a Live DJ turntable was set up, playing was this awesome track from Hed Kandi. There was Jack Daniels and a couple more hard drinks. This is my kind of beach party!

I have moments when i just want to walk away from the party scene and just find something noteworthy to see or write about. I have with me my 10 year old "FUCK" bag i bought in a rave store in manila back then. I have with me my camera with zip lock, and i didn't bring with me my iPod then because the music was too loud anyway, i could hear it from miles away.

This is what i wrote:

Finally arrived after super long drive, looks like it was close to 7 hours to get here.

During the road trip, this i realize...

"When you go on road trips. your moving car pass by still life,

it's the nature of movement that you should get moving

And take your heart with you while you leave."

At this very moment, i will apply my Babaria tanning oil, which i had no idea was made in South America, built for the kind of skin i have, dark, caramel, chocolate, no lack of sun definitely.

I laid down my sarong and hopefully get a tan in this little short trip we have.

A cool chill out music is playing now, the scenario reminds me so much of Thailand only now there's no thrill of the unexpected. I have a big airconditioned room to sleep in, some of my friends are waving at me trying me to come back and hopefully start a 3pm cocktail hour.

Over there, i could see the tiny little island of Potipot. You could see the island is made up of white sands, and tropical coconut trees.

Tomorrow, 9AM, we go there! (EDIT: There was no short tail boat in sight, so we couldn't travel to get to Potipot.)

This is my kind of place - good music, lots of drinks and random people you can hook up with but damnit, it's so fuckin' hot outside, i say around 34 Degrees Celcius.

I am gonna swim for a while and then i chill out at the kubo.

This is what i wrote till my girlfriend arrives. She was asking me to go and stop and writing, just chill out with them.

The days were spent drinking lots of San Miguel Beer. I stopped drinking hard in order to save my liver. But i was smoking big time which is bad. I wanted to dance so much like the time i was in Koh Pha Ngan Thailand, but you see the difference between here in the Philippines and in Thailand, is that back in Thailand, nobody knows me, so i could do shit whatever and never will it matter.

I wanna go back and stay maybe a week. The owner was very quiet, but he and his friends were having a good time. We were dancing like crazy monkeys tune after tune. I mean, hello, it's live music, plus you have endless amounts of booze.

I say this, to anyone, if ever you're reading this blog, Kapampangan boys and girls Rock on! 

And then, next week i guess, i am going back to Zambales with my college friends in this little cove called Nagsasa in San Antonio and hopefully survive the survivor challenge of having to live a day in a so distant shore, with just leaves as your toilet paper and make love under the full moon. Joke!