The Bus Ride from Manila to Cabanatuan
At almost noon, we arrived at Cabanatuan after 3 hours of travel from Manila. At first, I was hesitant to take the non-AC bus bound for Dingalan, opting and hoping we could take the van to avoid the scorching heat. Quickly, we were time pressured to jump at the next available public vehicle (this ride appealed like it would tarry no man). And so, we were en route to Dingalan on an open-windows, non-aircon bus at the peak of the afternoon heat. But as the wheels ran, I could only think of my anticipation as we got closer to our next destination.
Next to us, an old lady accompanying a big group of fellow passengers asked the bus conductor for a fare discount. She claimed that her son, whose name she mentioned twice though I didn't bother to catch, works for the bus company. The conductor with his subtle anxious look explained in detail how or where the fare will be billed to avoid getting caught by the ticket examiner. I've seen this scene before but I still find it another memorable "tsk-tsk" encounter.
After a while, I was able to move to a window seat. The noon air was unexpectedly cozy combining with a happy OPM music vibe. The farms were wide-open, onion-hiding, dry-looking but gave a sense of aesthetic vastness while the Bougainvillea flowers were in ecstatic solid red and violet blooms.
The long stretch of Pampanga River was filled with a crowd of holiday visitors. The shallow water makes it ideal for children, who waved their hands as the bus drove away. Meters away, the carabaos ahead were chillin’ on the river too (are they not aware or they just don’t care?). I guess that’s fine. The white cows took shelter on shades of concrete fences (what bad weather to be an animal).
When the view of Mingan mountains starts to unravel, my blood pumped up in greater anticipation. (It’s not where we were headed though). It’s still on my bucket list, and the initial point of my interest.
Dwarf coconut trees. Bushy mango trees. The red onions packed on red net bags and stacked at home balconies. Long bus trips always make my back, neck and butt hurt. My brother and I made fun of how our seat was the only one with a different color, and we ruled it out– it’s broken and has loose screws.
Our Accommodation
On the way to our booked Airbnb inn, we got a little lost due to the rerouting of narrow streets. The tricycle driver was right when he followed our host’s instructions, but the pinned address was wrong on the Airbnb app (causing some confusion). Later I realized that an FB video was sent by our host for the actual "getting there" instructions.
After we checked-in, we had a few minutes of nap– a gratifying power nap. Then, we went to inquire at the Feeder Port to plan our next day schedule. Our original plan was to go to the falls after checking-in but it was a bit far from the area. We saw its entry point along the way. We also asked for recommendations on where we can hang out in the afternoon. But we got a weak apathetic response from the guides. They say usually tourists who just arrived were probably just resting around that time. And so, we randomly headed to Paltic beach without any expectation.
Paltic Beach
The stony beach with overcast skies was just the right chill anyone could insist on (Miscommunication at its finest). It only takes a few meters walk from our Inn or from the Feeder Port. It has a great view and the sea is clean and clear. There were a lot of beach goers and campers too. The water quickly gets deep though. Now that I think of it, a really cold beer could have made it even better (but I'm a teetotaler at the moment).
Rain, not sunrise
Next day, it rained heavily as the forecast said. We had to wait before heading out. We adjusted our time to leave at six, and our free breakfast was then served at around that time. When we finished eating, it was just drizzling. By then, I have already accepted that there won't be shots for sunrise view (neither sunshine in my pocket).
The Stony Beach and the crossing sea turtles
Getting to the White Beach was just walking straight through the stony seaside of Paltic Beach. Unwittingly, we walked on it halfway the previous day. It wasn’t that far but most tourists prefer to take the boat to get there. As luck favors the bold, we spotted a sea turtle on its way back to the ocean. And so we hoped that that portion of undisturbed beach sands remains preserved for them forever.
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The Mountain View
It was still drizzling on and off, all the way until we reached the "Mountain View". The "View Deck" is right next to MV but once you decide to go there, the descent will be traversed. It was almost zero visibility on top but thankfully, the clouds cleared up to unfold its cliff and the blowing sea waves. Unique on its own, it is smaller in comparison to Binurong Point (Should we compare apples to oranges?) and so it was slightly crowded. Add up the bad weather, we had to leave so soon too, skipping the Lighthouse.
The Murky Sea
After the short hike, we soaked to the White beach which was murky caused by the heavy rain and the mountain erosion from the ongoing road construction. A bit of beach history, it has lost its grandeur during a really bad typhoon and a tragic landslide. I hit on stones a lot so I gave up swimming after 15 minutes.
I really love talking to our guides but it was my first time to meet a talkative, annoying person with unsolicited chit-chat and lame jokes. He also slipped on the mud because he was wearing the wrong footwear. On our way back, he joked that I forgot giving him a tip from his 3-hour guide stint. I just smiled at his big beer belly.
Overall, folks around the area were kind. Our hosts were really friendly and nice. They allowed us to check-out much later, even until noon time. But we still checked out as early as we could. It proved a good decision because our first bus broke, and the second bus got stuck in bad traffic.
The Town of Dingalan
On our way back to Dingalan town proper, we stopped by again at the carinderia for lunch. I had a small talk with the young lady minding the carinderia. We talked about the young squash flowers tied and piled on the table. Then we talked about what happened to the white beach. After that, we headed to the terminal. The tricycle we took from the Feeder approached and told us that there were no buses in the terminal. He says, a group of passengers took a tricycle for 1,000 to get to Cabanatuan. And we were wondering how it is possible there is no bus on a Saturday holiday. Anyway, a bus arrived and we were mesmerized by the situation (The benefit of the doubt to Kuya). We hurried our way to the terminal, there were so many passengers. The bus was filled in a minute. Thankfully, we got the last empty seats on the second row.
All roads have humps and bumps, our bus broke down. It was very hot inside the bus, and passengers were smoking on every corner of the roadside. I didn't pack patience but I had it in me that day. I was having fun with the unprecedented trouble.
I usually visit home on Easter holidays. This time, I didn't make any plans and went with this sudden trip. I didn't want to regret letting the long weekend pass by so I looked at my Google map, and it brought me to the East.
It was like going to my own hometown but without the heavy heart when I had to leave. It was a good hard reset to begin another week.
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