Baler Trip Powered by Toyota and SinoPinas

Charot sa title. I was the official event crasher of the ganap. Emjo/John from SinoPinas (Oh, I miss calling you, Emjo lol) invited me on their free trip sponsored by Toyota since I got nothing to do sa Manila on those weekdays offering a free Toyota Fortuner ride round trip. So who would resist especially ang kaladkarin ko.

Toyota Fortuner ride!

Pre-trip:

I said yes but since I won’t be covered by their other freebies (supposedly), I need to book my own accommodation – take note, solo. Then I realized, ang hirap pala maghanap ng accommodation sa Baler on a budget price if solo. Gusto ko kasi iachieve in my trips ung solo budget trips. I had to make calls to numerous accommodations for almost two hours before I finally booked one.

I found the Secret Spot in Baler. They have this hostel type accommodation which they rated P400 per pax per night. It’s a bit far from the commercialized side of the Baler Beach, siguro five-minute trike or 20-min walk but since other accommodations are offering me P700 per night, I took the said slot.

Trip Itself!

I met the SinoPinas gang way early. We decided to be picked up at midnight by the SinoPinas dedicated intern driver. Ang original meet up at NLEX is 3 am. Since we left Ayala by midnight, we were at the meeting place before 1 am. Gaano kabida. We decided to sleep inside the car, slightly opening our windows para di naman kami macarbon monoxide poisoining. Nakafree ride nga, nadeads naman sa kotse. Kkkkk. Un nga lang, pinapak kami ng lamok. Kung endemic lang malaria dun, malaria naman ikinamatay naming. Charot.

The rest of the Toyota gang were complete by 4 am. We met the Toyota representatives, Jigo and Jade, and the pips from Discover MNL and Bookie.PH. Super accommodating ng Toyota reps. As in super. So first agenda is breakfast. I was planning to pay for my own meals but they told me I can get to order with them since it’s gonna be paid as a whole group. So did I. Haha. Iba sa pag-event crasher.

At eto pa, since di ko naenjoy yung sobrang tapang na brewed coffee sa breakfast na matapang pa sakin na yung tipong di ko na kayang ipaglaban ung sarili ko pero kaya pa rin ako ipaglaban ng kape na yun kaso di kinaya ng sikmura ko beh, so andame ko nasabi pero basta, di ko naubos ung kape. Un lang talaga gusto ko sabihin. When Jigo offered Starbucks, I was hesitant and was thinking to wait kung mag-order sila. But di ko natiis the little girl who was taught to ask for what she wants without thinking if she’ll get a yes or no, I SHYLY (I had to emphasize coz super shy person talaga ako charot) said yes and ordered Signature Hot Chocolate. Only to find out, di nag-order sila Karl. Dyahe beh. Pero at least I got my caffeine fix. Haha

It was a beautiful sunrise across the highway and magnificent provincial scenes during the rest of the trip. We arrived at around 11 am sa shala accommodation nila and I had to go kasi I’m booked at another place.

I kept walking kasi ayon sa Google Maps, Secret Spot is 15 minutes away lang, walking. Pero siyempre since mostly lost ako, I asked directions from a local surfer guy sa kanto. He said na malayo pa ung tutuluyan ko. Siyempre napakatransparent ko, I looked helpless sa pagkakanganga ko na, huh, malayo pa so mali na naman ung maps. So I just asked him kung san ung trike terminal. Si beh. Super bait. He said iangkas na lang niya ko sa motorcycle niya since dun lang siya malapit nakatira. I asked magkano pero he said I didn’t have to pay. O di ba. Napauwi siya nang di oras. At sobrang trusting ko, sumakay naman ako no. Naniniwala lang talaga akong kaya kong magcounter attack kahit ano mangyari. Pero mas naniniwala ako sa goodness in humanity. Kkkkkk

 He dropped me off na siya pa ung nahihiya at tinuro lang, “Yan yung Secret Spot.” Sabay pagbaba ko, sibat agad si kuya. Di ko nga nakita kung san ung tinuro niya. So nagtanong na lang ako dun sa carinderia na parang dun ung tinuro niya. Sabi ni ate carinderia, mali raw ako. Un daw ung dating branch ng Secret Spot but they transferred na to another place.

 Siyempre napakatransparent na naman ng helpless look sa mukha ko. Si ate carinderia na tawagin na lang natin sa pangalang Ate Celia (Charot un talaga name niya) offered that they have a room they can offer at P300 saying, “Mukha ka naming di maselan.” Si Ate makajudge sakin. Porke ba kulot Nazareno, ulikba, at di ako makinis, di na ako maselan. Pero di nga naman kasi ako maselan. So nag-go na ako.

 They had to clean the room so they offered me a seat sa beachfront na may dampa kung saan may tatlong lalaking nag-iinuman. Beh, pagkakita ko ng hammock, dinedma ko ung upuang binigay. Diretso ako sa hammock, pake ko sa nag-iinuman jan basta hihiga ako dito, viewing the calm waves and hearing them crash the shore softly. Pak sa pagkapoetic.

Beachfront View

Just in front of Ate Celia's Homestay aka Secret Spot

Kinakausap pa ko nung mga nag-iinuman at inofferan ng tagay e di naman ako mahilig sa alak so I refused. Ang lokal lang ng itsura ko masyado.

Kuya Manginginom Sa Tanghaling Tapat: San ka nakatira?
Ako: Sa Maynila po.
KMSTT: San sa Maynila?
Ako: Mandaluyong po.
KMSTT: San sa Mandaluyong?
Ako: Basta di po sa loob. Sa labas. (O di ba, ang old school ng joke kong alam kong di nakakatawa kaya kbye)

Basta marami pa siyang sinabi na malapit lang daw siya dun nakatira pero di ko naman alam ung ospital na sinasabi niya na nasa Mandaluyong daw e kasi nga homebody ako. O sige, frustrated homebody. Basta hirap kasi ako sa directions and spatial intelligence kaya di ko alam sinasabi niya. Kkkkk. Gusto ko lang talaga ienjoy ung tunog ng waves until I get sawa.

Hanggang sa pinapasok na ko sa room na kakalinis lang kahit ayoko pa sana. I realized it seems na un ung master bedroom nila kasi I have this double bed na nilatagan nila ng comforter at nilagyan ng dalawang unan, may sariling sink inside, at may hiwalay na toilet and hiwalay na bath. Take note, ung bath, may pinto pero walang ilaw. Ung toilet, may ilaw pero walang pinto, shower curtain lang. Na-torn pa ko kung san maliligo kasi nao-OC lang ako pero dun na lang ako sa toilet naligo. Mahina ung tubig nung tanghali kasi may naglalaba sa labas so inigib ko pa ung inipunan nilang balde from toilet side to the bath side. Pero ewan, I was a happy kid. Super nagustuhan ko ung place. The sound of the waves sa room mo is just priceless.

Ate Celia: +63 909 354 1610

Puwede na ba kong endorser? Charot.

Di na ako umabot sa pafree lunch ng Toyota pero umabot ako sa pafree surf. So sorry, guys, di ko alam ung rates kung magtatanong kau. Pero magbibida lang ako sa part na to.

Si kuya surf guide tinanong ako kung pang-ilang surf ko na. I said second but three years ago na ung last. So nung una kong sakay, semplang ako beh. Pero ung sunod na tatlo, ay perfect, abot ako sa shore. So si kuya insekta, ung pang-five ko, ako na pinapaddle niya prior to standing up. Beh, mga nakamore than ten semplang ako til I was able to get the hang of it nang sakto lang kasi di naman ako naka-arms and abs workout. Char. Ung planking ko, 10 seconds lang tapos ung weight lifting ko, 20 seconds tapos three pounds. Kkkkk

Nung medyo nakakatayo na ako paddling by myself, si kuya surf guide, ako na pinapaddle palayo ng shore at kumuha siya ng sarili niyang surf board. Ang sakit ng braso at balikat ko matapos ang ilang araw. Pero ang saya lang kasi nga sa kaingayan ko, ung ibang mga surf guide dun, nakikiguide na rin sila sakin at mabait naman talaga ung surf guide ko. Hirap na kasi ako tumayo nung dulo ng surfing lesson since napagod ako at hingal na hingal kakapaddle, ako huling umahon sa pagsurf kasi di natapos ung “isa pa” niya until di ako uli nakatayo at nakarating sa shore for the fifth “isa pa” try. Overtime without pay si kuya.

I can say babalik ako para magsurf at makibelong sa local surf guides sometime in my life or some other surfing spot sa Pinas. Basta one month in my life, you will see me with my negneg surfkissed skin, just surfing and swimming for one whole month. Hayyy soon! Naenjoy ko ung ginawa ni kuya na hinayaan niya ako mahirapan. Solid, dude! Kkkkk

Shot by Raniel Hernandez @rayniyel
"Bes, paki-angguluhan para may abs."

Shot by Raniel Hernandez @rayniyel
"Bes, layo ka pa para payat tignan."

Shot by Alexis Lim @sinosijuan @litratonijuan
"Bes, tumalikod ka na lang, please."

Then dinner at the shala accom. Super sarap ng inihaw na hotdog among all others. Pero ung fun is ung drinking game afterwards. Malalim na English ung tawag sa game na nag-start sa A. Charades pala to. Basta di ko maalala. Ung idea is you have to pour any amount of liquid na nasa table on your turn, whether JD, wine, sodas, water, or beh, chili sauce, oo chili sauce or ung tabasco. Then you have to guess if the next card on the deck of playing cards is a black or red card. If tama, you get to pass the drink sa next person. If mali, you have to drink whatever mix is on the glass. So mej suwerte ako kasi pamali-mali ung katabi kong si Raniel. Nakakalusot ako lagi o kaya ung sinalin kong water lang ung iniinom ko kasi pamali-mali rin ako.

Shot by Raniel Hernandez @rayniyel

We ended at about 11 pm and they advised me na makitulog na lang sa shala accom nila since mej late na umuwi mag-isa. Mej nalungkot din ako kasi walang sound of waves sa shala accom but naisip ko, sana merong isang araw na we don’t have to worry that someone will harm us when you walk the streets late at night. Dami pinaglalaban. Lol

Upon waking up, we headed for a photoshoot at Ampere Beach and dun sa red bridge nearby. Super ganda ng view.

Ampere Beach is amazeballs!

Then we went back for breakfast with my mocha drink na libre pa rin ng Toyota before I checked out from my homestay. We had pafiesta lunch along the highway na treat pa rin ng Toyota enjoying sinigang na salmon, bulalo, Twinsies popsies, strawberry shake, sisig and so much more. Basta fiesta magpakain si Toyota. Pinatakeout pa sakin ung sinigang na nirequest ko. Then we endured the traffic at NLEX with our old songs and OPMs.

It was a fun trip overall. Wala talaga ako masyadong tips but:

1. Look for Ate Celia’s place if you’re on a budget.
2. Go to Ampere Beach.

 That’s it, pansit, ulit! Thanks, Toyota and SinoPinas! :)

Walang pakisama 'to si Raniel. Kunwari nga malungkot tau, fierce ganun. Lol

Toyota Gang Plus Event Crasher