Calaguas: A Not So Hidden Paradise

Go Kayaking with the sight of pristine blue waters in Long Beach.                                                                                                                           

It’s been a year since my friend Allan invited me to visit Calaguas. I already heard about Calaguas before but no so popular destination just yet. Since I am more of going to places not so popularly visited by everyone else, I promised Allan to there by next summer year. I had to delay it and plan it for next year since I wasn't able to get vacation leaves. Added the fact that I work in a BPO industry where getting a Paid Time Off (PTO) is not that easy. You have to file it two weeks prior and still not a guarantee if they can have it approved. For all you know, BPO is one of the most demanding type of jobs It will consume your time though one of the highest paying industry after all.

Calaguas is a group of islands in the Pacific under the jurisdiction of Vinzons, province of Camarines Norte. It’s a 1.5hrs to 2hrs boat ride from the mainland and an unknown contender of another powdery beach paradise of Boracay in Caticlan. Mahabang Buhangin (Long Beach), a 1.8km stretch  of powdery white sand is the most frequented place for camping , swimming, kayaking and snorkeling site by tourists.

Tent camping area and the powdery white sand perfect paradise getaway.                                                                                                                    

HOW TO GET THERE

A lot of travel agencies or tour organizers are offering package tour for Calaguas since they includes van pick-ups, boat transfer and arrangement, tent rentals and set meals for the duration of your stay. You may contact my friend Allan for details. I prefer getting a tour package since it minimizes unforeseen costs, your time of contacting a boat going to Calaguas and your time of buying items you need to bring at the island. Since it is a camping style, you will cook your own food if going there by yourselves. Instead of preparing food for lunch, dinner and breakfast, you can enjoy other  beach activities like beach volleyball, Frisbee, kayaking and trekking. That is why I recommend my friend Allan to arrange the tour for you. Promise he’s the most accommodating and helpful organizer I met.

If you are coming from Manila, there are buses going to Bicol that you can choose from. Superlines are offering direct trips going to Paracale- the jump-off point to Calaguas.  Superlines is the cheapest aircon bus to Daet and Paracale with estimate of P500.00 pesos (US  $12). Superlines terminal is located at EDSA Cubao near Five Star and Baliwag terminal (northbound).  Paracale is a town of Camarines Norte popular for its gold mining. After getting off to Paracale, you can go directly to the fishport or you can have a 30minutes side trip to St. Peter the Apostle Parish of Vinzons, one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.

Go hiking and get to see the amazing full view of Long Beach.                                                                                                                                

From Paracale you can have a boat ride to Calaguas with an estimated budget of P2000.00 pesos (US $50.00) good for 5-6 persons. There are bigger boat who can accommodate 15-20 people that you can hitch a ride as well. It is suggested that you contact o local boat owner prior to going there in order for you to ensure boat ride. You can also arrange with the boat man for your ride going back to Paracale after the adventure. But then again, to minimize time I recommend you to contact Allan to arrange everything for you. One reason it is recommended to get a pre-arranged tour is to help locals with their business while promoting local tourism.

WHAT TO DO

There are boats for rent to use in Kayaking and rental fee is about P300.00 pesos (US $7) for an hour. You can bring Frisbee and volleyball beach since the area is too wide to do these activities. In the afternoon, you can go island hopping with your buddies and snorkeling then go back to Mahabang Buhangin (Long Beach) for sunset viewing.  In the evening you can set-up bonfire and have bonding with your group. You may bring your own drinks and buy before riding a boat in Paracale since there are no stores in the island. The following morning you can go trekking and view the island at the top view for photo ops.

Before lunch time you can now wash up and prepare going back to Paracale and have lunch at Bagasbas beach in Daet. There are a lot of beach front restos in Bagasbas to choose from and their seafood in one of the bests. Also, Bagasbas is known for its Aero Festival which showcases aero activities like paragliding and kite flying. It is now also a good place for surfing and skim boarding.

Don't miss shooting the glorious sunset in the island.                                                                                                                                            

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 0

6PM Bus trip in Superlines Cubao

Day 1

5AM Arrival in Daet (Allan can pick you up here) or if DIY you can wait for a 

       bus/van going to Paracale. Make sure to buy the things you need here 

      though you can also buy items in Paracale port. You can have breakfast 

       here since this is where the fast foods are located.             

7AM-8AM Boat ride going to Mahabang Buhangin (1.5 to 2hrs)

10AM Arrival at Mahabang Buhangin (Long Beach).Set –up tent, swimming, 

         beach volleyball, Frisbee and Kayaking.

12NN-2PM Lunch time and siesta

2PM-5PM Island hopping and snorkelling

6pm-630PM  Sunset viewing. Make sure to go back in Mahabang Buhangini at 

                   5pm to capture the beauty of sunset.

7PM-Onwards : Dinner and socials (If you have Allan arranged a tour for you, 

                   you can eliminate the hassle of cooking your own food. He will 

                    take care of the rest)

Day 2

6AM Wake up Call

7AM-830AM Trekking and Photo Ops

830AM-930AM Breakfast and swimming then wash-up. Prepare in going to 

                  Paracale.

10AM-12NN Boat ride going back to Paracale

1PM-2PM Lunch at Bagasbas beach

2PM-6PM Pasalubong buying in Daet, buy dry seafoods, dinner at K-Sarap.     

              Their halo-halo there is so good.

7PM-8PM   Bus ride from Daet to Cubao

Day 3

5AM Arrival in Cubao

SAMPLE BUDGET

Cubao bus fare to Daet P500.00 x 2way   P1000.00 (US  $20)

Daet Van fare to Paracale 100 x2way   P200.00 (US $5) –This is included if getting a package from Allan

Paracale boat ride to Mahabang Buhangin P2000.00 per 5-6 persons (including in the package with Allan)

Enjoy watching the fire dancers in their amazing performance during the socialization night at the island.                                                                                                                                     

Amazingly Awesome Anawangin

It’s still two weeks before the scheduled trip to Anawangin and I’m already excited. Our team planned a team building activity on the first week of February in Anawangin- one of the best beaches located in the west coast of the Philippines. Anawangin is part of Zambales four to five hours drive north of Manila. To date, it is still the best place for a person who wants a quiet white beach, mountain trekking and camp fire.

Evergreen forest near the camping area.

The laid back, off-white sand and an evergreen forest cover near the shore will undeniably relax your mind from a full month work.  If your idea of a beach trip is to chill-out, unwind and have a peaceful but enjoyable weekend then you should definitely go to Anawangin. There are also two beach cliffs bounding the beach which you can hike up and enjoy the view.

The best time to go there is by February since the weather is not too hot and humid. You can also avoid many people going on camping by March and April. The campsite is too crowded by summer time. In order to reach Anawangin, you should ride Victory Liner who has terminals in Sampaloc and Cubao. Fare is around P250.00 and get off at Brgy. San Antonio, Zambales. From San Antonio you can hire a boat (P200 per pax) that will take you to Anawangin and enjoy the pristine waters for 45 minutes.

This is the camping site beneath the trees. 

There are no modern facilities on the beach so might as well take tents, extra food, water, utensils and some toiletries with you. Although there already small stores at the camping site it would be advisable to bring all the things you need. Hundred pesos is the charge per person on the camping site and it used for maintaining the cleanliness of the beach. You will see people who are picking up garbage and assisting all campers on their adventure. Aside from that they also maintain security and order of the camping site.

Most BPO employees conduct their team building activities here since it is not like Boracay that is already crowded. In fact it is more cost-effective than going to Boracay anyway.  Meaning to say you can always take advantage of having your activities without disturbing anyone or having your activities interrupted.

You can arrange with your boatman to pick you up on the day you planned to leave the camping site since there’s no signal coverage on the area yet. If you want to go island hopping make arrangement in advance as well. You can visit Capones and Camara Islands. Capones Island is known for its centuries-old Spanish lighthouse while Camara Island is a rock climbing destination.

White sand where you can enjoy all your team building activities.

Of course when visiting same places like this ensure safety since there are reports that there are wild animals in the forest so please watch out. And that is what the local securities are for that is present within the area so you do not have to worry of any attacks but still be careful when trekking in to the forest mountain.

Surely Anawangin is one of the best beaches near Manila for city people who wouldn’t mind roughing it out in the great outdoors because of its evergreen forest, gentle stream, breath-taking views and off-white sand. This is the best place where you can free your mind of the stresses in the city.

The Karate Kid: A Movie Review

Mr. Han instructing Dre to have shower switch in America to save planet.

Several months ago I downloaded the movie The Karate Kid and was dismayed when I was about to play and watch but there’s no audio in it. I already made several troubleshooting stuff and yet I wasn’t able to play it with the audio that’s why I downloaded it again from the original file. Now it is perfect with subtitle on it. The Karate Kid is a remake of the 1984 movie with the same title. Pat Morita playing Mr. Miyagi was nominated as Best Supporting Actor for Academy Awards during that time while Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso is opposite of Jaden Smith in the 2010 remake.

Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother move from Detroit to China when his mother was offered a job there. She has a wonderful job, but Dre is not accustomed to life in the new country. He meets a beautiful Chinese who is practicing playing violin at the park for her audition to be accepted in Beijing Academy of Music but he encounters a gang of bullies who makes his life a living hell. This further dampens Dre's spirit as he just wants to go home. He is continually bullied and is afraid to show his face around the high school. Master Li’s students, all of whom train at the local Kung Fu studio, are out to get Dre, who is eager to prove himself courageous and not be scared off by the bullies, but also isn't keen to blindly be punched up by the gang.

Mr. Han cures Dre after he receive beating from the bullies in his school.

Dre manages to talk his way out of some fights, but he is finally cornered by several who belongs to the same Kung Fu school. As Dre is passing out from the beating he sees Mr. Han (played by Jackie Chan), the elderly maintenance man of their apartment, leaps into the fray and save him by outfighting half a dozen Kung Fu teenagers. Dre soon asked Mr. Han to teach him Kung Fu in order to defend himself against the bullies in his school. But Mr. Han teach Kung Fu depends on the reason. Real Kung Fu is for knowledge and defense not to make war but to create peace. Kung Fu and life aren't all about power and strength. It's something deep within your soul that makes you what you are. He said that there are no bad students, only bad teachers.

Together they agreed to proceed to the Kung Fu studio and make peace with the Kung Fu teacher and his students. Master Li (Kung Fu teacher) told Mr. Han to leave the issue to the kids but Mr. Han answered “one is to one, no problem but six to one, that’s too many to ask”. So the two agreed to have the kids fight one to one but during the Open Kung Fu Tournament. Mr. Han asked Master Li to leave Dre alone until the tournament and so they arranged.  Mr. Han told Dre there’s good news and bad news. The good news is the gang will leave him alone while the bad news is he will fight on the Open Kung Fu Tournament. Mr. Han assures Dre to teach him real Kung Fu.

During the first day of training, as Dre gets excited to go on for the Kung Fu practice, he was dismayed since he doesn’t understand what Mr. Han is trying to teach him. Instead of teaching him Kung Fu, he trained him how to put off, put on, drop and pick his jacket. It isn't long before Mr. Han demonstrates how these simple tasks are powerful Kung Fu moves, and Dre becomes exceptionally good at learning about balance, both in life and in Kung Fu. Mr. Han and Dre then developed a father and son like relationship. Dre found out that the wife and daughter of Mr. Han were killed in a car accident.

Seeking revenge for his students' previous loss and Mr. Han’s beating the students, the coach of the opponents of Dre wants to destroy him and Mr. Han anyway he can, no matter what it takes, fighting clean or dirty. The annual Open Kung Fu Tournament, which Dre has entered, is the perfect venue for this retribution. Dre succeeds through all the levels of competition, demonstrating skill and grace, and exercising all the control that Mr. Han has taught him. He advances to the semi-final and final round. In the final round, Dre is matched up against the champions, his foes. Master Li on the other hand instructed his student to break the leg of Dre and so he does as ordered. The boy sprained the leg of Dre so badly. Dre’s opponent was about to declared winner by default but Dre wants to prove that it is possible to win fairly and fights on through the pain. Mr. Han asked Dre why he still wants to fight despite he was already a winner at heart by doing Kung Fu the real way and fighting fairly. He answered that he is still afraid and in order to keep his fear away he must win the tournament. Mr. Han performs a mystical act on Dre's sprained leg, causing the pain to disappear. Still hobbling but determined to win, Dre performs a skillful move to beat his opponent, winning both the championship and the everlasting friendship of Mr. Han. Dre’s opponent accepted the defeat and handed the trophy to Dre by himself.

Cheng breaks the leg of Dre during their final match.

The movie was one of the best I’ve watched. It teaches about life. When you have the determination to win even you gets beat up you have to stand and fight no matter what. And whenever we experience fear inside us, cure that fear by taking action and face the reality. The theme song at the end of the movie (Never Say Never by Justin Bieber) also adds to the awe-inspiring story of the movie and it even made my hair at the back of my neck stands. Indeed, great movie. Two thumbs up Dre and Mr. Han.

Never Say Never

Justin Bieber feat Jaden Smith

Never say never, yeah, yeah

Never ever ever ever oh oh


See i never thought that I could walk through fire

I never thought that I could take the burn

I never had the strength to take it higher

Until I reach the point of no return

And there's just no turnin back

When your heart's under attack

Gonna give everything I have 

It's my destiny



(Chorus)

I will never say never, no no

I will fight

I will fight till forever, to make it right

Whenever you knock me down

I will not stay on the ground

Pick it up

Pick it up

Pick it up 

Pick it up up up

Never say never

(Ne-never say never)x3

(never say it, never never say it)



I never thought that I could feel this power

I never thought that I could feel this free

I'm strong enough to climb the highest tower

And i'm fast enough to run across the sea, oh

Cause there's just no turnin back

When your heart's under attack

Gonna give everything I have 

Cause this is my destiny



(chorus) 



Here we go, guess who Jay Smith and JB, uh huh

I got you little bro, I can handle them, hold up, aight, i can handle them

now he's bigger than me

taller than me

and he's older than me

and stronger than me

and his arms a little bit longer than me

but he ain't on a JB song with me

I be tryin' to chill

maybe trying to side with the thrill

no punn intended was raised by the power of will

like luke with the force if push comes to shove

like kobe in the fourth, ice, water and blood

gotta be the best

and yes, we're the flyest

like david and goliath, i conquered the giant

so now I got the world in my hands

I was born from two stars, so the moon's where I land

I'm gone



(chorus)x2