The sea, the sky, the horizon; the three things I won’t forget about Bolinao, the place I called as my Kingdom of Isolation.
This is the first time I had an out of town that I am not with my family but rather with my classmates/friends. A three days trip in the province and it’s a good thing that my parent’s allowed me to go. It was so amazing, surprising, and exciting knowing that Bolinao is a very beautiful place, a paradise of the north as they called it. I keep in mind that our trip in Bolinao is for a school project, educational purpose and not a vacation. So unwinding, relaxing and enjoying should not dominate in this trip but still fun is not prohibited (we are not all kj’s you know). We must know our real purpose why we were there. But to be honest, having an opportunity to be in Bolinao is also having a chance for me to forget and let go of such a burden I have in my heart (during that time). This trip is some kind of a matter of a personal issue for me and the education thing is just second rated. I know I have to set-aside things and know our objectives and priorities, but hey wait, I do manage to do both (multi-tasking, lol :D)
Our journey to Bolinao began last February 14, Valentine’s Day. While everyone is celebrating such an important occasion, I was busy packing my things and getting ready for our trip and at the same time I was lonely. I have this thought, “It’s Valentine’s Day today! Are you excited? Have you planned such a romantic moment for today?” But then I remembered that on that day everything was already and totally different. And that’s it! That’s the reason why I’m not that happy and pretending that I’m perfectly fine and ok on that day. The memories I had with a significant someone still lingers in my mind and I still haven’t yet forgotten (very emo).
We departed from Manila just before the sun sets, early evening. The trip to Bolinao lasted for almost 5 to 6 hours. We arrived at the province at around one o’ clock in the morning. We hadn’t slept. Our first morning in Bolinao was a blast! We went into the seashore (just a little walk from the house where we stayed in) and waited for the sun to rise. We played with the sand, the shells and little sea creatures we saw on the beach. The wind was also totally amazing. It was my first time to experience that kind of feeling. Seeing how the wind let the waves of the sea dances and how the color of the sea does perfectly blends the horizon was a very beautiful picture of peace and calmness. It was an escape from the reality. How I wish I was as flexible as the waves of the sea. For a nature lover like me and a born city girl, it was a dream come true to see that kind of beauty, it was one in a million. But the beauty of Bolinao does not lie in there, it has still so many treasures that we need to explore and our true journey finally begins. For our first day tour, we visited St. James Church, Mangrove Nursery, St. Claire’s Monastery and Bolinao falls 1 and 2. At the St. James Church, I didn’t felt the peaceful feeling and quietness even if it’s a church unlike on St. Claire’s Monastery where you will surely feel tranquility and serenity. It was a perfect place for those people who want to reflect and find themselves, a perfect place for me! Lol. Another exciting part on this day was our simple adventure at the Mangrove Nursery where we are taught by the caretaker Ruben Espino all about the mangrove trees or “bakawan”. He also let us experienced how to plant it and he also allowed us to ride on a “balsa”. That simple yet unforgettable experience at the nursery upgraded into an extreme adventure and that was on our way to the Bolinao falls. It was the highlight trip for that day. We almost got lost but we had a great time to swim at the falls. It was very tiring.
On our second day tour, we visited Punta Riviera resort and we experienced kayaking, then we went into the two caves in Bolinao which is the Enchanted Cave and Cindy’s Cave. After being fascinated by the beauty of the waters inside the caves, we travel all the way to the famous Cape Bolinao Lighthouse, and that was the climax of that day’s adventure. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to go up in the lighthouse due to its weak facilities. It made me sad a little because I really want to experience the feeling up there in the lighthouse. Before we went to Bolinao I already read about it and I included it as one of the things I won’t definitely miss there. But still I was happy because even though we didn’t have a chance to go inside the lighthouse, the view just at the feet of it makes me truly appreciate the beauty of the sea, the sky and the horizon. I really appreciate God’s creation and it was totally magnificent and marvelous. After that, just before the sun sets, we headed to the Patar white beach. That was the highlight of our trip for that day. We bathe into the sea and experience to dip ourselves in the fine white sand. I love how the waves wash away the sands, it feels that it also wash some pieces inside of me that I really need to let go. As the sunsets into the horizon, as the light little by little disappear, I can finally conclude that there is beauty in goodbyes.We ended our last night with a bonfire, a sign for me that symbolizes the burning of our friendship with each other. We won’t easily forgot what we had experience in this paradise.
Our last day is just our preparation for our departure in Bolinao.
Someday I’ll go back there, to the Kingdom where I reign (lol :D). I want to have a beach house in Bolinao and have a vacation there in the near future.
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| Me at BPMICN |
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