In April, I went back to Pangasinan with the same buddy I was with in my first mapping of the province. The second time around we experienced the same difficulty in getting bus tickets as we did the first time.
Our first stop this time was Bolinao, known to travelers for its lighthouse. Of course we included that in our itinerary as well as a visit to the beach.
It's funny how the world seemed so small. While having breakfast at a canteen, I saw the last name of a former officemate and I remembered that she had relatives in Bolinao. So I messaged her and asked if her uncle could provide assistance to us. The town was celebrating a festival so we almost never got the help we needed but her uncle was really a generous person who even provided us with a tricycle, instructing the driver to take us to Bolinao's Enchanted and Wonderful Caves, Patar beach, and Bolinao lighthouse. Plus, we got free accommodation and dinner at their house. I'm so touched at how people can be so kind despite the prevalence of cruelty in this cold dark world.
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| we didn't know there was a fiesta! Beautiful surprise :) |
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| Go Bolinao!!! |
A sea of busy people greeted us when we arrived at Bolinao. Turned out they were having a festival! Cool surprise! We stopped by for some time to see their street performance then resumed mapping the town.
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| binungey, suman-like treat in bamboo |
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| Old Spanish Well |
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| the imposing St. James the Great Parish Church |
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| Gabaldon Building |
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| old church bells in Bolinao Church (yes we climbed up the belfry!) |
In the afternoon, there was only the lighthouse left to map. We were in for another pleasant surprise when my officemate's uncle arranged a tricycle tour for us. We were taken to Enchanted Cave first where we marveled at the giant fossilized clam shells. Later on we took a dip in the cave's cool waters. Wanting more, we transferred to another cave named Wonderful Cave. I liked waters here more than in the previous one. Also, it's got less people so buddy and I were able to talk a lot about love, friendship, and human relations in general.
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| giant fossilized shells in Enchanted Cave |
And then the lighthouse!!! We spent some time taking pictures there since the sun was already setting with extra wonderful colors. It would be a waste if we were to leave without beautiful silhouette photos!
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| Bolinao Lighthouse against an electrifyingly clear blue sky |
And until the time the sun had fully disappeared down the horizon we stayed at Patar Beach. I love how the brown yet light sands felt against my skin. My buddy and I buried ourselves in the sand for a while before fnally leaving the place with smiles on our faces.
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| sunset at Patar Beach |
We had dinner at our gracious host's house and after that, a cousin of my officemate accompanied me and my buddy to the town feria. I'm not a big fan of fairs but it's nice to once in a while see for myself what goes in there.
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| town fair (photo credit: Hannah D.) |
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| darts (photo credit: Hannah D.) |
The fair hosted a lot of rides and I do not even know nor recall the names. I only went for the ferris wheel which got me a headache afterwards. I did got 4 out of 5 shots in the darts, winning a pack of cheap chips for it. Then I took advantage of the karaoke machine and sang two songs: Join the Club's Nobela and F4's Meteor Rain. What is nice about singing here is that people do not know your ugly voice and so will not remember you if ever you go back. LOL
Sooooo, who wouldn't love Bolinao???
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