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Bolinao Pangasinan was a sweet surprise. The sleepy, quiet town in North Luzon is not the most popular of tourist destinations in the Philippines but it offers a captivating beauty just the same. One who’s fond of nature and peaceful mornings would find that this place, a few hours drive away from Manila, is a nice weekend getaway.

I’ve seen many white beaches and pristine waters in the Philippines but I was blown away by how majestic and beautiful the view was the Rock View Formation Beach. It was like a dramatic movie location where the waves and sunset meet to take your breath away. The sand is golden brown and the rocks looked magnetic. It’s a picture perfect beauty and now probably one of my favorite beaches in the country.

Though it doesn’t look too safe for swimming because of the crashing waves, the place offers a serene location for reading, relaxing, and taking good quality photos. I was seriously floured by the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks while the wind blew my worries away.

My friends and I stayed at Casa Almarenzo Beach Resort, a quaint beach front resort with less than 20 rooms, and a pool view that's not to miss during sunrise. The staff are really nice and helpful during our tour, and our stay was made even better because they helped us buy fresh produce and cooked it for us for dinner. Despite our short stay, I've really enjoyed lounging at the resort after a full-day of activities.

The town offers plenty of activities for outdoorsy travelers, and the best thing about Pangasinan: you don't have to break bank to experience the best it can offer.

1. Take a refreshing dip in the blue waters of Bolinao Falls. You can take a tricycle or a hired van to get you to the falls, and walk a quick descend to the river for a nice day of swimming.

2. Enjoy fresh seafood at Sungayan Grill Floating Restaurant.

3. Spend an afternoon at the Enchanted Cave and River to beat the heat. Funny cause we slept for about an hour under the trees (the titas were tired by 3pm).

4. Take an afternoon walk up to Patar Lighthouse for a souvenir photo and head straight to Patar beach. Although Patar beach is a long stretch of creamy, fine sand, I'm not a fan of crowded beaches with too many stores and and unkempt dining areas. I'd rather stay and sunbathe in peace at the Rock View Formation. But it won't hurt if you visit Patar at least once.

5. If you're interested to see the town proper, might as well visit St. James Parish and shop some pasalubong in the market.

Compared to other small towns here, Bolinao is packed with places to go to and things to try and see. If you have more than 48 hours to spare, might as well head south to Alaminos and go on an island-hopping trip in the famed Hundred Islands Pangasina.

I didn't have any expectations about Pangasinan but it ended as one of my most pleasant trips recently. Our day was full, our bellies even more so, and even with really few photos to choose from, it was worth it to spend 7 hours in the bus (one way!).

How to get to Pangasinan: If you don't have a private car, don't fret. Just head to Victory Liner Pasay and take their 11pm bus to reach Pangasinan by sunrise. Arrange for a pickup or hire a tricycle to take you to your resort.

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

DAY 3. I SPENT MY BIRTHDAY LIKE A KID BECAUSE WHY NOT?!

I never knew that I love rollercoasters until recently when my company went to Universal Studio in Singapore and I experienced such intense excitement riding one with my friends. I have a fear of heights and as a teenager I didn’t really enjoy going to theme parks because it’s always crowded and the lines are always too long. So during my Seoul trip, I made it a point to go to one of their most popular theme parks, Everland. When I found out about their wooden roller coaster, I knew I had spend some time there screaming like a kid. The rest of the rides didn't really interest me, I just wanted to ride a rollercoaster during my birthday. Hehe

T-Express is my favorite rollercoaster... so far!

Everland was wonderful, beautiful, and filled with exciting rides for kids and kids at heart. I couldn’t believe myself either; I was going to spend my 31st birthday in a theme park. Lolol. I spent Php 1400 for a full-day pass, 500 pesos for train tickets, 500 pesos for my lunch, and 4 hours of travel (getting lost) back and forth to Gyeonggi Do.
I have my own worries, but I still feel blessed. This trip brought me so much joy. Saeng-il chukahae 생일 축하해 (happy birthday) to me!

Every year during my birthday I would crave to bond with my best friends or family, but this year I knew had to spend it by myself. And so begins my misadventures amid strangers in the underground railway of South Korea.

9:55 AM - Bought breakfast at Cafe Bene Gangnam Station

The plan was: I would grab a bite and go to the shuttle meeting station. I was running at Gangnam train station coffee and bagel in my hands. I already knew I wouldn’t make it in time because there’s no such thing as Filipino time in Seoul. Haha I really didn’t have to run. There was no point. =\

10:10 AM - I emerged in front of the bus station in Gangnam, and of course I WAS LEFT BEHIND BY MY BUS! Lolol =D =D =D

I couldn't really eat my breakfast onboard so that's fine. I decided to just take the subway to Gyeonggi-do province, 1.5 hours away from Seoul. I sat down in one of the benches and gulped down my coffee. I have long day ahead of me.

10:30 AM - Departed from Gangnam to Everline

If you’d ask me how many stops and lane transfers it take to reach Everland, I will not be able to tell you. Everything happened in a blur and I found myself mostly lost and confused during my trip. Haha! I even had to go back to some of the stations because I went down the wrong ones several times. Hehe

I didn’t panic, though, and I never felt scared because the people I encountered during my trip were friendly and super helpful. I think it was one of my favorite parts in my trip: being able to communicate and connect with people from a wonderful country. Thankfully, I have a powerful phone battery and a little bit of Korean knowledge that got me through the whole adventure.

Reaching Everland on my own felt super exciting. It's amazing how efficient and VERY WELL PLANNED Korea’s transportation system is. A lot of young people and students also know how to speak English, so you don’t have to feel shy to ask for directions. More often than not, they will give assistance.

The view from Everline station was beautiful near sundown. It's one of my favorite stations in Korea.

11:45 - Arrival at Everland

Thanks to my Klook booking voucher, I didn't have to line up going in the theme park. In case you want to go to Everland, make sure you book a weekday because the place could get crowded with students and kids. I was by myself so going around the park only took me less than 4 hours.

And because I love extreme rides, I spent almost an hour lining up the T-Express rollercoaster--one of the largest wooden rollercoasters in the world. It was extremely scary but super exhilarating! If it wasn't for the line, I would've tried it several times.

Everland was blooming with tulips, roses, and other spring flowers. The weather was pleasant and I didn’t have to worry about too much sunshine or cold wind. Even with my transport mishap in the morning, I still felt that everything was perfect. I’ve been spending my birthdays for the past five years longing for “something special”. This was the year that I got it. It’s my favorite celebration. Traveling; being free, independent, brave, and carefree in a beautiful land--surrounded by beautiful flowers.

3:30 PM - Departure back to Seoul

By this time I was no longer worried about going back via train. But because I got confused (again) in one of the train stations, I had to ask two university girls how to transfer to my next line. And to my delight, one question led to a long conversation which lasted 6 stops! They were fluent in English so I was able to tell my story of why I was there alone. I was trying to practice some Korean as well and they were delighted to know that I put on effort to learn their tongue. They were also fascinated by the thought of a woman traveling by herself.

I think they were quite inspired to go out of Korea and go the Philippines. Youjin and Doyoung were such friendly girls from Gyeonggi-Do. Thank you for the very nice encounter. It's one that I won’t forget.

Back in Seoul I was contemplating about going to Itaewon to party, but it’s not my style. And I was already feeling accomplished. So I just hurried back to Chungmuro to grab a bite and a drink to cap off my short but lovely day.

When you’re in Korea, you need to try Chimaek (Korean 치맥) short for chicken and beer. BHC is a popular chain in Seoul, and luckily there's one branch near my hostel. So I popped in inside a cozy, youthful resto where university students are catching up and having fun conversations over delicious snack and beer.

I felt alone, but I was famished so I didn't really care much that I'm celebrating my birthday by myself. I’m not a big drinker, but Hoegarden is delicious when coupled with Korean fried chicken. The whole set was almost a thousand pesos but it was totally worth it!

I also ate Katsu Curry that day. Boy, Korea sure knows how to pack the pounds. <3 font="">

Maybe next year I’d probably do something simpler and a lot more meaningful with my family, but this time I knew I deserved this splurge. The only thing I want to maintain is to always feel young and energetic in whatever pursuit that interests me.

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48 hours in Bolinao, Pangasinan

I GAVE MY HEART TO THE ANGKOR WAT

SPRING DAY - SPENDING MY BIRTHDAY IN SOUTH KOREA