Day 17 - Saturday in Sabang Surfing Beach, Baler, Aurora

We headed out bright and early to Baler.  It isn't super far away, however you must go through many small towns on the way that are full of Jeepneys, trikes, motorcycles, and people on foot.  We get a few stares travelling here, but out in those small towns and villages people made no effort in hiding long stares that involved entire head and body turns.  Also on the way we encountered a local parade with kids of all ages in it.  I was able to snap some quick photos.

Below is some of the scenery on the way.  Lakes, rice paddies, mountains, beauty.

We stopped to buy some suman for about 5 pesos each.  This stuff is yummy.  It's sticky rice, coconut milk/cream, sugar, and ube to make it purple all wrapped up tightly in a banana leaf.  They sell it all along the road in side stands and it's worth stopping for.  We bought little bundles of them and ate them in the car, and since the wrapper is just a leaf, you simply roll your window down and toss it out as you drive.  :)

Here is our fearless leader/driver.  Again, "laws" are more like suggestions.  haha

And we arrived!!

We ate at The Hungry Surfer, and then walked around looking for a place to stay as we did not have one yet.  Everything online was booked, but Isabel was confident we would find something when we arrived and she was right.  We first looked at a place that was tiny, made of wood, shared a bathroom with the room on the other side and had no AC.  It was P1500 per room.  We considered it, but then went next door where a larger room, larger bed, and our own bathroom PLUS AC cost P2200.  Sold.  Paid in full cash up front, put our stuff in our room, changed and headed straight for the beach.

 Google Panorama doesn't seem to like waves moving.  lol

We initially just swam and tried body surfing, but I was finding it difficult to do.  So we went up to a place Chris2 had found his previous time to Baler and made great friends at.  The guy gave us a deal on two body boards and a surf board "until nighttime".  So went back out into the water and had lots of fun catching waves, and had to say no to some boys who kept asking to borrow the boards and were grabbing at it.  I think they were the same boys we had paid to watch our stuff earlier in the day.  We all had a great time and Isabel and the Chrises decided to get surfing lessons the next day.

We eventually got hungry again and ate a place that was grilling food inside of a VW bug.  Fancy!

 Then we bought some Fundador (their local brandy liqueur), found a Tim-Burton-esque hut/cabana a ways down on the beach and played Never Have I Ever while we watched the moon rise over the Pacific ocean (funny note: Isabel had never played it but said she had seen it on TV like on One Tree Hill.  hehe).  And of course cameras can't do a moon-rise over the beach any justice, but there you have it.  Tomorrow, surfing!!