Holy Week in the Philippines is a big thing because, it says "LONG WEEKEND" all over it. Last April 2-4, 2015 was Rap and I's first Holy Week vacation after three long years of living outside the Philippines. Our family and extended family talked and discussed locations of where we can spend our vacation. We gathered so many ideas and suggestions. Luckily, we all agreed to spend our vacation in Alaminos and Bolinao cities. Both cities are located in the Pangasinan province (western area of the island of Luzon).
We travelled by land. It took us about 5 to 6 hours to get to our vacation house, from Quezon City. We stayed at Veronica Haus Transient House for 2 days and 2 nights. The owner of the house, Veronica, is such a nice and accommodating lady.
The house has 3 bedrooms (2 large rooms and 1 small room), 3 bathrooms, 2 dining tables, 2 cooking area, veranda on the second floor, grill area, and a spacious sala. We wished that we had 3 large bedrooms good enough to accommodate 5 families but, we were grateful to even get a vacation house 2 weeks before the long weekend vacation. If you want to visit the Hundred Islands and you're looking for a place to stay, please contact Veronica Hauschild here 09209463915.
The following day, we visited the famous "Hundred Islands". We went on a boat ride going to one of the islands. Veronica provided two large boats for us (Php 2000.00/large boat). She also provided vests (Php 50.00/vest). Note that wearing a vest is a must when riding a boat going to Hundred Islands. No exceptions! I also rented snorkeling gears for Raphael and I for Php 250.00 each.
Our tour guide brought us to Romulo island. We got there really early and so, it was not really crowded unlike the other islands. We brought food and water with us so that we won't have to buy at the island stores. We swam, took gorgeous pictures, tried to build a sand castle, and had a great and amazing time with our family. Two of our family members got engaged (Congrats Nikki and Marvin)!
Well, I'd like to say that the highlight of our island hopping event would be Marvin's proposal. However, our "getting stung by a jelly fish" experience got the number #1 spot! Sorry Marvs and Nikki (LOL :D). I never really imagined myself getting stung by a jellyfish until that moment. It felt like I was being bitten by 1000++ red ants. Thank you to our very Pinoy family, we immediately got some island remedy. NOPE, nobody peed on us (thank goodness)! Tita Tina got some vinegar and gave it to Camile, Rap and I to pour on the affected area. It felt good at that specific moment but, the pain was still there. Swimming Tip #1: Avoid getting stung by a jellyfish; Stay away from small boats arriving near the shore.
After all the island fun, island hopping was next on our to-do list. We went on a boat ride and saw Monkey island, Marcos island, and the scariest of them all, the "Paniki" island (in english: the BAT island). Our tour guide dropped us off at Governor's island wherein all the different activities are happening such us kayaking, zip lining, and hiking. Most of us decided to try the zip line activity. We paid Php 250.00 for the island to island ride. If you want to buy your picture, you have to pay for another Php 250.00.
The hike all the way to the top of the Governor's island was exhausting. I literally had a hard time catching my breath. On the other hand, the hike was worth it because we got to see the amazing view of the Hundred Islands. We were already prepped for our very first zip line course and were all ready to experience the ride. When it was my turn, I got so nervous and scared that I was thinking of not doing it anymore. The worker did not allow Rap and I to go together because we were too heavy. Camile was kind enough to ride along with me since, there was no way that I would go down by myself. The view was amazing, though I shouted almost the whole time. I had a great time watching my husband and brothers go down the zip line. I knew that we all had a great first time. I am just lucky to have experienced it with them.
We ended our Hundred Islands Adventure with a nice and relaxing boat ride going to the port. Overall, it was a great family activity. We all enjoyed the sights and the activities we did. Some of us came back engaged, some of us came back wounded (lol), some of us came back tired and sleepy, but the important part of the whole day is that we came back with happy and full hearts. We had an amazing time experiencing a part of our beloved country. #itsMoreFunInThePhilippines
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