Travel

UBBE Calaguas + SURFVIVOR Bagasbas (Apr 17-18, 2010)
Camarines Norte, Philippines

BEACH BUMMING + Surfing + Skimboarding in ONE WEEKEND

PACKAGE RATE
P3,900 per pax (ALL IN) – if the group fills 1 bus

PACKAGE INCLUSIONS
- Roundtrip air-con bus: Manila to Daet – Daet to Manila
- Overnight accommodation at Calaguas Island (1 Nipa hut with CR and fresh water + Camping Tents)
- Chartered boat service from port of Daet to Calaguas Island
- Camp meals at Calaguas Island (Day 1:lunch, dinner, Day 2 breakfast)
- Other meals: Day 1: Breakfast, Day 2: Lunch and Dinner
- Guide fees and Environmental fees at Calaguas Island
- Use of skimboards at Calaguas Island
- Half-day room accommodation at Bagasbas tourist inn (for rest & shower)
- Travel Insurance
- Travel Factor Souvenir: ID, Lanyard

Not included:
- Surf Lesson at Bagasbas Beach with surfboard rental and instructor (P400 per pax)

ITINERARY
Day 0, Apr 16 Friday
10:00 PM Assembly at McDo Quezon Ave
11:00 PM Departure to Makati
11:45 PM Pick Up participants at Shell McKinley, Makati
12:00 MN Departure to Daet

Day 1, Apr 17 Saturday
07:00 AM ETA Daet;
09:00 AM ETA Calaguas Island
Set Camp, BEACH BUMMING, Explore the Island
12:00 NN Lunch
more BEACH BUMMING and skimboarding
07:00 PM Dinner and Bonfire Night

Day 2, Apr 18 Sunday
08:00 AM Breakfast
09:00 AM Break camp
10:00 AM Depart camp
12:00 NN ETA Bagasbas, Daet. check-in at Tourist Inn. Lunch. Rest. Explore Bagasbas Beach.
02:00 – 4:00 PM Option to Surf or Skim c/o CamNorte Surfing Association
07:00 PM Check out. Dinner
09:30 PM ETD Daet to Manila via bus (travel time: 7 hours)

Day 3, Apr 19 Monday
3:30 AM ETA Cubao

BOOKING AND RESERVATION GUIDELINES
* Deadline of Registration: Mar 15, 2010 (or earlier)
* Book & Buy Policy. First come, first serve basis.
* No regform, No reservation. To reserve, please fill-out registration form then send to tours@travelfactor.org

Subject: Calaguas – Registration (Apr 17-18, 2010)
* Then you will receive thru email account details where to deposit payment (BPI). For group reservations, please send your registration forms in one file & email.
* Everyone is required to download and submit registration form
* Please register only if you are 100% sure you are joining. And if after registering you need to back-out, please have the courtesy to notify us properly thru email.
* Full payment must be settled within the agreed timeframe. Should you need extension, please coordinate with Travel Factor
* Non-refundable but transferable to other person. Travel Factor must be notified asap or at least 5 days before the trip. In this case, the “proxy” must fill-out and submit registration form.
* The payments made to us are only refundable if we cancel due to weather issues or fortuitous events.
* Upon payment, you will receive a copy of complete guidelines, including things to bring, itinerary, reminders, etc…

FOR INQUIRIES/COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS
email your concerns to tours@travelfactor.org with your name and contact number
Subject: Calaguas – Inquiries (Apr 17-18, 2010)

or contact Travel Factor at 02-359-2434 / 0917-8475341

DISCLAIMER
Recommended for fun-loving & adventurous people who would like to meet new friends while travelling. Be prepared of the long travel time and the ‘wiwi’ moments on public restrooms.

For more information, click on the image or visit the Travel Factor page at Multiply.

***

A visit to the island of Calaguas is long overdue. It seems to me that I (and Ryan) are the only ones who have not been to the island among all our Travel Factor friends. I know a lot of people in this area and a visit to the island for a day should not be too difficult. I go to Daet often enough. I have a lot of high school friends who have been there and whom I could go with.  I could even organize a trip for the entire family if so desired. My mom keeps saying we should go.

I wasn’t really friends with TF people in 2008, having joined my first trip in March (Ilocos) and met Leia, Rex and Cha there among a good number of others there for the first time. I met Ced for the first time in May 2008 in Bagasbas Beach, after they had just come back from an overnight at the island. I didn’t make it to the legendary Calaguas trip slash Ced’s birthday party in 2009. My baby was barely two weeks old then.

This year I hope to be able to finally step foot on Calaguas Island, dubbed by TF friends as the “Happy Beach”. I don’t mind spending extra (because I have been told by my high school friends that it only cost them P1,000 all-in for two days and one night in the island when they went there on their own, though this cost is coming from Naga City instead of Manila) because I will be with the happy friends that is the Travel Factor. The fun should be worth it. I could always come back..

I have been wanting and waiting to blog about Cocina Juan, my favorite little eatery in Teacher’s Village, for so long now. It’s just that every time I was there, I did not have a camera with me or I didn’t have the opportunity or more like the nerve, to take photos. I have to admit that I am quite uneasy about taking photos of restaurants or food. It makes me self-conscious.

What I love about this little eatery along Maginhawa St. in Teacher’s Village is that, aside from its wonderful delicious Central American-inspired food, it is self-effacing. I don’t like crowded, noisy places and this modest place can always be counted on to have free tables; staff that is unobtrusive, polite and efficient; and more importantly, patrons that are nowhere near boisterous. I hate it when people at restaurants like to call attention to themselves.

We went to Cocina Juan twice this month. It was closed for an event the first time so we ended in Tomato Kick, my second-favorite eatery in Maginhawa St. It was open last Saturday though and boy, was I glad, because I was famished after that house-tripping we did in farther-than-Farview Sauyo. I didn’t get to take decent photos still though. Maybe next time as I am sure there will always be a next time.. and next.. and next.. and next, as long as I love Central American food, unassuming quiet little eateries and this place exists.

What is Cocina Juan?

(This text is lifted from this site. Click to view original post.)

Cocina Juan is a Central American inspired restaurant, thus the tag line “Inspiration de Centro America, Plato para La Filipino”. The small restaurant started last July of 2008 and was the brain child of siblings Thomas, Juan and Karlo Adviento.

In the beginning, Tom, the eldest among the siblings, wanted to start a Mexican inspired restaurant. The idea largely originated from his trips to the US where the cuisine was first introduced to him. He then related the taste and flavor to his brother, Juan aka “Boogie” (a culinary arts graduate at Café Isabelle), who bought the idea and started researching and developing the very first dishes for Cocina Juan, while Karlo (an interior designer) drafted what he imagined to be a Hispanic interior and design for the restaurant.

Before the end of 2008, Tom needed to travel again for work but this time was assigned for 4 months in a country located in Central America called Nicaragua. While in Nicaragua, he was able to expand his appreciation for the Latin culture and was able to learn and experience the festiveness that was expressed through color, music, language, dancing and cuisines.

When Tom went back to the Philippine, he immediately added what he learned in Nicaragua to finally complete the brand of Cocina Juan. Cocina Juan is not only just a restaurant that offers your Mexican Filipino staple, but is now serving a wider selection of food that comes from different regions of Central America. Examples start with the Chimichurri sauce, a parsley based sauce that originated in Argentina and used to accompany meat (Pork or beef) or fish, another is the Gallo Pinto rice which is originally from Guatemala but is considered as the staple rice in central America, Sofrito is another spanish sauce which is partnered with Fish at Cocina Juan and lastly for dessert is the Sopa Borracha, a Panamanian Dessert which from the word “Borracha” means drunken.

Cocina Juan is a small restaurant located in the heart of Maginhawa St. in Teachers Village, when you walk inside you will feel like you are right at home, colors and music were adapted to the interior to share the experience of the travels to Central America to every Filipino.

Menu Front, you may click on image to view larger version.

I got these photos of the menu from their Multiply site a long time ago. A site, which according to Multiply and Google, does not exist anymore. I wonder what happened. Have they canceled their Multiply account? Good thing they have a Facebook page. Click to view and maybe, be a fan, just like me.

Menu, you may click on image to view larger version.

This is Lia very much enjoying her meal of Nokia 5630 Xpress Music phone, with her foot propped up on the table. Feel-at-home much?!

And these were Lia’s very-own-Cocina-Juan-play things. I like that plate right there. Actually, I had my D80 in one hand and a climbing-on-the-table Lia in the other, so taking photos was like, “Yeah, yeah, click, click, whatever. Composition? What dat?”

The place is empty on a mid-Saturday afternoon, just the way I like it. We always take the outdoor tables even if we have Lia with us. I don’t know why. Maybe because.. “I love the outdoors”? *straight face*

This is actually our favorite spot, when we don’t have Lia with us. I like hiding.

While we were waiting for our orders, our red iced tea and lemon iced tea were served. I love their iced teas. It was followed by a basket of their complimentary nachos.

Ryan ordered pesto con aligue pasta…

While I ordered my favorite, quesadillas. This time I ordered Hungarian sausage quesadillas, for a change. I’ve had almost all the others except the sausage, because I don’t really like sausage.

…and this is what Ryan recommended I eat. He said it’s what he ordered last time we were there and I liked what he ordered more than I liked mine and that we switched plates. He says this is Chicken Chimichurri.

This last photo is a random shot of, “Whose bike is this?” resting by the wall, right next to the Cocina Juan signage, which is right next by the door, that at that time we were there though may not be there now, has a big native parol hanging on it.

To read what Anton Diaz has on this place, as well as see more photos, click here.

***

Cocina Juan

100 Maginhawa Street,
UP Teacher’s Village Quezon City
Telephone Number: +632 434 3911; +63 916 317 8935
Email: cocina.juan@hotmail.com

You don’t really have to surf. Hanging out and enjoying the action from the beach is perfectly fine.

The sand in this beach moves from one side to the other depending on the season. At this time of the year, the rocks over by Little Surfmaid are exposed while the sand is by the little pier on the other side.

Dad plays with the kids in the setting, warm, afternoon sun.

While PJ plays on the beach with her 4-month old handsome golden retriever, Fabio.

And this has got to be my favorite photo for this trip, how sweet!

I take time to snap a photo of this pretty little boy with the golden hair.

I was not really taking a photo of this skinny girl, I was trying to take a photo of the point where I had surfed for the first time this weekend and had both a blast and a scary time BUT this girl was in the way. Might as well.

Just look at how far I had to paddle to get to the line-up, which isn’t even in that photo because it’s still farther to the left. I just wanted to show the kind of waves that pummeled me every time I paddled back to the line-up.

I could’ve surfed on the beach break, just like this guy. No, not this on the right who is also in my photo’s way, but that one guy on the left making a pretty good job of paddling out.

If I got pummeled on my way out at least I had some sand to step on every now and then, instead of swimming my darnedest best, with the results of having to feel like my legs are made of lead afterwards. Ho-ho!

Yes, I wanna be cool like this guy. Or maybe I am already. Ho-ho!

And this is my fish, that I can’t ride yet. Ho-ho!

In time, my dear, in time….

Click here to view the entire La Union Flickr set.

Baler, Aurora; April 2008

It was in Baler, Aurora that I learned to surf. I went with my grad school friend PJ and her boyfriend, Gerard. I met Daisy Valdez and Jefferson de la Torre for the first time. It was April of 2008.

Jason, also known as Balat and Jeff’s older brother, was the one who taught me how to surf – in Charlie’s Point. I was out there with them, trying to ride big waves for the first time with PJ’s flowered pink fun board. It was indeed, a lot of fun.

View the entire set on Flickr here.

More story on Multiply here.

Bagasbas Beach, Daet, Camarines Norte; May 2008

It was the first ever Bagasbas Summer Surf. It was my first time in Bagasbas. More importantly, it was my 26th birthday. This trip was a birthday gift to me.

It was also the first time Ryan drove the car all the way to Bicol and the very first time we took our dog, Ewok, with us on a long trip, or more specifically, a trip to Bicol.

View the entire set on Flickr here.

Clich here to view more photos of the Bagasbas Summer Surf event on Multiply.

Click here for [more narcissistic] touristy photos.

And click here to view the old blog.

Bacnotan, La Union; July 2008

In my first ever trip to La Union, I did not get to surf in San Juan. We were at Bacnotan for two days instead. First time in La Union, first time in Bacnotan.

We did stay at Hacienda Peter’s Resort in San Juan so I managed to take a few snapshots of the surf in front as well as the beautiful sunset.

Click here to view the entire set on Flickr.

Click here to view the story and photos on Multiply.

That surf trip would be the last one in one long year, as I learned I was three weeks pregnant in August of 2008, as I prayed and hoped I would be.

Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union; July 2009

For this trip, the firsts were…

… first time for Ryan to go to L.U.
… first time to drive the car to L.U.
… Lia’s first time in L.U.
… first time surfing in San Juan

If it weren’t for this post, I would not have realized that I have not managed to upload the photos on Flickr. I did make a blog post of this trip here on this site and made a photo album through Smilebox.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Click here to go to old post.

I will work on posting the entire set for this trip to Flickr once I am done with this past weekend’s photos.

2008 was a great year for surfing. I went surfing thrice in three different locations.

2009 was dedicated to my daughter. We were literally inseparable for months.

Who knows what 2010 holds?

In addition to this past weekend’s being the first surfing trip for this year, there were also many other firsts.

First time…
…to be away from Lia for more than half a day. Prior to this trip, the longest I have been away from Lia in the nine and a half months since she was born, was only a few hours. Half a day at most.

…to try on my short board that my friend PJ sold to me

…to surf at the point in Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union

…to try on new swim suits.. test for sturdiness against crashing waves and all that

…to get wiped out, to think that I am close to drowning, to panic, to swallow sea water, to get out of water due to over-fatigue.

Yeah, hahahaha.
Lots of firsts on this weekend. Photos to follow. More story later. I am still tired. And my body all achy-breaky…