Summer is my favorite part of the year. It may be as costly as Christmas (if not more) but it has a more carefree feel and this is when I can maximize the definition of a getaway - even if I just laze all day in bed. I always look forward to spending a well-deserved, highly anticipated vacation away from the pressures and hassles of work and toxic people. It's already halfway through the dry and humid season and I've had my share of sun-soaking adventures that I'd want to chronicle here and in the succeeding posts.
For my first expedition with my friends, we went up north to check out the beaches in Zambales. The road trip itself was already fun, we sang along to the nostalgic 90's tunes provided by the diverse playlists via Spotify. It was also my first time to pass through SCTEX in broad daylight and experience the view alongside the freeway. We had lunch at "The Coffee Shop" - which didn't sell a variety of coffee but had the biggest edible Tacos I've ever seen. Inside the shell was a generous serving of ground beef, veggies and not-so-grated cheese. It was a hearty meal to get us going before we hit the road again. As expected, we had a few more stopovers before we finally reached our destination at around 2pm.
We stayed in Punta de Uian, one of the places that claim to provide high end accommodations and amenities in the area. Staff were friendly and hospitable. However, they fell short in terms of other facilities and services. The first thing i noticed was the pool. I wasn't sure if it was usable because of the greenish color, but surprisingly, it was. It wasn't very inviting bordering on shady which reminded me of a movie with a big lurking reptile. Go figure.
Nevertheless, thanks to mother nature and a good property location, me and my friends were still able to satisfy our cravings to bury our toes in the sand (whatever the color) and soak up on all the sun we can get. The beach was not too swamped with people and the waves were subtle. Several island attractions in the province were also visible over the horizon.
When nightfall came and it was time to feast on the wine and chips that we brought in (no corkage fees), the common areas intended for such activities were not properly lit. Add a candle in the center and we're back to the good ol' brownout days of the 90's. Since the network was poor and the resort's wi-fi signal was not stable, we were forced to put our smartphones down and just enjoy the traditional back-to-basics chitchat. Sadly, after our first bottle, we had to retire early because the resort (that has a winery and a bar) didn't have a corkscrew.
The next morning, we lounged on the beach for a few more hours before finally hitting the road. On the way back to the city, we stopped by Meat Plus (a popular steakhouse in Subic) for lunch and once again enjoyed the view that the freeway had to offer.
MF Says: Did I enjoy the trip? Yes. Was it because of the resort? Sorry, no.
We stayed in Punta de Uian, one of the places that claim to provide high end accommodations and amenities in the area. Staff were friendly and hospitable. However, they fell short in terms of other facilities and services. The first thing i noticed was the pool. I wasn't sure if it was usable because of the greenish color, but surprisingly, it was. It wasn't very inviting bordering on shady which reminded me of a movie with a big lurking reptile. Go figure.
Nevertheless, thanks to mother nature and a good property location, me and my friends were still able to satisfy our cravings to bury our toes in the sand (whatever the color) and soak up on all the sun we can get. The beach was not too swamped with people and the waves were subtle. Several island attractions in the province were also visible over the horizon.
When nightfall came and it was time to feast on the wine and chips that we brought in (no corkage fees), the common areas intended for such activities were not properly lit. Add a candle in the center and we're back to the good ol' brownout days of the 90's. Since the network was poor and the resort's wi-fi signal was not stable, we were forced to put our smartphones down and just enjoy the traditional back-to-basics chitchat. Sadly, after our first bottle, we had to retire early because the resort (that has a winery and a bar) didn't have a corkscrew.
The next morning, we lounged on the beach for a few more hours before finally hitting the road. On the way back to the city, we stopped by Meat Plus (a popular steakhouse in Subic) for lunch and once again enjoyed the view that the freeway had to offer.
(Photos were taken using a GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition, no post-processing)
MF Says: Did I enjoy the trip? Yes. Was it because of the resort? Sorry, no.
0 comments:
Post a Comment