Hello, hivers! Hurray for today! As we celebrate life by waking up to another day, allow me to share it with you. Yes, there are lots of reasons to celebrate life.
It's good to know that once in your lifetime, your journey came across unanticipated detours where you get the chance to meet people who have the same passion, interest, and craziness as yours. I was lucky enough to find these happy-go-lucky sets of friends. While we drag our feet to work (Oppppsssss...not really!)😁, we are faster than four o'clock or even than Flash when packing our bags to travel somewhere with all those unplanned trips.
As they say, "not all who wanders are lost". Our travel plans just came randomly and in an instant, we are set to go and explore places outside Metro Manila to get our minds off toxicity. I guess they are better than those that are best laid planned travel long before the scheduled trip, and get disappointed in the end because these plans do not materialize due to unexpected things that happen. More than just colleagues, we are friends who always make sure to get some quality time to relax once in a while. We want to purposely wander before we totally lost our sanity from being burnt out with tons of office work to be done. A little amount of time to get ourselves recharged so we can be more efficient and productive with what we are doing.
This time, come with me virtually as all roads lead to Bolinao, Pangasinan for me and my friends. We took the night bus travel via Victory Liner which took us almost a seven-hour ride to get there. The next morning, as we arrived at the terminal, we rode a tricycle that took us to Patar Beach where we rented a cottage for our one-night stay.
First on the list of our itinerary is to visit Bolinao's most significant landmark, the Cape Bolinao Lighthouse. Rising majestically 351 feet above sea level, it is known to be the second tallest lighthouse in the Philippines. It was built hundreds of years ago. Though it may be no longer working today, the government has managed to preserve it and that's why it is still standing strong today, proud to tell its beautiful history. Tourists are no longer allowed to go inside and climb its winding stairs upwards so we just enjoy the view from the outside. Its captivating beauty was already mesmerizing, even without the tour inside. Plus the relaxing view of the vast West Philippine Sea, has added icing to the cake.
And of course, we did not miss to visit and enjoy the scenic view of its enormous waves kissing the amazing rocks at Patar Rock Formation. Unlike any beautiful beach destination, we surely had a great time with its unique and picturesque rocky coastline.
There are also cottages if you want just to sit and relax and enjoy the view and the serenity of the moment. Growing up in a coastal town, for me the sound of the waves was like music to my ears that I have been longing to hear for the longest time since I started working in the city.
And then, of course, our Bolinao trip won't be complete without heading to its famous Enchanted River.
The majestic vibe as we plunged into its crystal clear and cold spring water, surrounded by amazing rock formations was something that has given justice to its name "enchanted".
If you want to get in touch with nature, then this place is a must-see.
Its crystal clear water was something that let us savor and enjoy our visit. We were like kids playing in an inflatable pool and let us forget for a while all those so-called "adulting" obligations and even washed the worries away. And that's what we went here for. Hakuna Matata! ☺
The next day, I woke up early to have a serene and relaxing morning walk by the powdery sand beach.
And the rest of the days were spent enjoying the beach. We rented a floating cottage and a simple lunch shared with good friends, with the rewarding view, was kinda amazing. Swimming, cheerful chatting, bullying and all those crazy stuffs. Ahhhhhhhhh! This is life!
Girls just wanna have fun! We made the most out of it and make sure our Bolinao trip will be something worth remembering.
My heart was jumping with joy because I am lucky to have spent and experience this quick province escapade with this amazing set of good friends. Not just that we get to explore amazing destinations, but we get to unlock the secret doors of our friendship and camaraderie with each other. As strong and mesmerizing as the rock formations that we have witnessed here, so will our bond.
Hurray for today! These good times that I get to share with good friends is something worth celebrating life for. And yes, I am forever grateful.
Until then dear hivers. Hopefully I will also be gaining more good friends in this very friendly community of Hive. Always glad and grateful to be here. To more good times!