What a long long week. Lots of things to do at the office and no time to blog. My friend actually asked me if I wasn’t pressured to update The Gustation but I said no. Why? I do this for fun — and leaving office work undone just to be able to write aint a fun choice for me. Haha Besides, my creative juices have to naturally flow for me to be able to share my experience with a specific place.

 

This weekend, I decided to feature a vacation spot I’ve visited before – Baler. No, it is not in Quezon Province. It is located in Aurora Province but yes, it used to be a part of Quezon Province. And yes, it is known to be a surfing destination for locals and tourists.

 

Getting to Baler was not that difficult. All it took was a 15 minute cab ride to Cubao at the Genesis Terminal (they are the only bus line plying Aurora route) and the bus ride which took about 7 hours. I highly suggest that you take the bus and not bring a car due to the really rough roads you are bound for.

 

I started wondering what Baler would be like. Would it be how it was in the movies? Old, quiet, very “Filipiniana” and undeveloped. I also made plans in my mind to take photos of me in those tourist spots that I saw on the movie “Baler”. I pictured seeing old women in their baro’t sayas and men in their camisa de chinos.

 

The Sabang Cove. So relaxing looking at it. Wish I could go back there soon.

At last I arrived in Baler. I was greet by their really polite and welcoming tricycle drivers. The only way to get around Baler is by tricycle(unless you have your own car). It only cost me about P14 for a tricycle ride to my hotel. I stayed in Bay’s Inn – one of the oldest and most reliable places to stay in Baler. It is located in Sabang Beach and would take about 10 minutes from the bus terminal.

 

Bay's Inn - One of Baler's most reliable resort. Great food, great service. Room's are regular. Nice price too. 🙂

I was starving. The only food that I had for the past 12 hours was a hotdog on stick at one of the bus stop overs. I needed a decent meal. Lucky for me, i’ve read  on the internet that Bay’s Inn had the best food in the whole of Baler. Good. I didn’t have to travel a lot to check out the nice eating places here in Baler. All it took for me were a few steps.

 

First meal I had was Bay’s Inn’s Sisig. I was curious how it would taste like. My whole impression about Baler food would depend on this first dish that I would be eating. Here it goes.

 

Bay Inn's Sisig - A must try!

Wham! The sisig was delicious. It was crispy on some parts and was not that salty. The flavor was just right for me. It was “rich” in a way that it wasn’t too dry. The calamansi and hot sauce on the side made it even better. I really enjoyed it with rice and a can of ice cold Diet Pepsi. I think I would be having the same thing for dinner again.

 

After lunch, I decided to catch up on my sleep. After all, I was in Baler to do some “r&r-ing”. The sound of the ocean gave me that sleepy feeling. And so.. I slept for a bit. I woke up after a couple of hours and decided to visit Baler itself.

 

It wasn’t the Baler I pictured in my mind. In fact, it was different. It was modern and only a few old houses were still standing. People dressed differently. The place was developed. But inspire of all the modernizations happening, the values of the people did not change. They were very hospitable, good mannered and made me feel very much welcome in this place. Everyone was smiling. I fell in love with the place that very moment.

 

I visited the Museo de Baler and the Old Baler Church. I was kind of disappointed to see that they modernized the old church. I really don’t know why Filipinos can’t find the beauty in preserving the old. For instance, look at the National Museum and the Manila City Hall. Certain art deco buildings in Manila were modernized as well. *sigh*

 

My friend and I decided to visit Ermita Hill instead. Ermite Hill is like the view deck where people can see the whole Sabang Cove. Oh, the view was breath taking. During the spanish times, this hill was used as a tunnel leading to another part of the city. This place also served as a mural for the tsunami incident sometime during 1735 or 1765. I’m not quite sure. Uh huh. The whole town was wiped out except for a family who survived the tsunami. But the locals here are not afraid of another tsunami anymore despite several tsunami alerts issued by the government. Why? A local told me. “Sir, mababait po ang mga  tao dito sa Baler kaya hindi kami tinatamaan ng mga sakunang ganyan”. Which means, the people of Baler are good people that’s why God spares them from tragedies like this. I believe him.

The breath-taking view of Ermita Hill

 

Then came dinner. It was the opposite for me this time. I ordered breakfast food for dinner.

Bay’s Inn tapsilog was different! It was crispy — something like adobo flakes only it’s tapa this time. I finished it in 5 minutes. I guess I was that hungry or it was that good. 🙂 The rest of my trip was spent sun bathing, reading and enjoying the ambience. Total r&r time.

 

Bay's Inn Tapsilog - the best tapsilog i've had in years. 🙂

My conclusion? Baler is a place for relaxing and surfing. You don’t have to exert any effort to keep yourself entertained. You can laze around, watch the beach, enjoy the breeze.. You won’t get tired of it. Take an ADHD’s word for it. 🙂

 

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Bay’s Inn can be found at Sabang Bay, Aurora Province (about 10 minutes from Baler town proper).