And just like that, I'm 28.
Last year's Korea trip started our tradition of going out of town/the country with my family for my birthday. And this year, we decided to go local and picked Butuan and Surigao del Sur to witness the celebration of my 28 years of awesomeness.
With my cousins and ma's BFF tagging along, we started the 6-hr road trip to Butuan on Oct. 26 (Friday).
On the way there, we went to visit the currently largest crocodile in captivity, Lolong, since the eco-park was near the area. There's a large billboard sign along the highway in Bunawan so it's easy to find. I didn't know how to capture his size on camera so please just trust me when I say he's HUGE. There was a river in the eco-park as well, and I watched in horror as a bunch of kids just jumped into the water without hesitation. I mean, who cares if this was a crocodile sanctuary, right?
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| Lolong's cage |
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| He's larger in person (or should I say, in crocodile?) |
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| People swimming in the river which could have other crocs in it. Why not? |
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| Watching an AVP about Lolong's capture |
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| This kid knew a lot about Lolong |
A few more hours of driving and we finally reached our destination. We chose to go to Butuan for Delta Discovery Park, which had the longest zipline so far. The distance from the jump-off point to the landing area was 1.3km, and one could accelerate so fast they had to attach a small parachute on the rider to slow him/her down. What's more exciting was that the line route passes between a manually divided part of a mountain, and you'll be left holding your breath as your chin seems to get closer and closer to the ground. BUT, the actual highlight of this adventure was the 4x4 jeep ride to the zipline platform. Manong driver dubbed it the "JEEPLINE" (witty, huh), which was a few minutes' uphill ride to the jump off point. The road had really sharp turns that gave us a very good view of the cliff--and probably a glimpse of the afterlife. I would have shot a video, but I was too busy holding on to anything that could help save my life. It was a really thrilling ride, though...and as we hopped off the jeep we all raved about how awesome the experience was.
We also rented ATVs and raced along the park's ATV trails. It was such an adventure since the trail was no walk in the park (pun intended) either. It itself had sharp turns, steep uphill and downhills, and rocky roads. Definitely fulfilled our action star fantasies!
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| Delta Discovery Park |
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| Ready for the jeepline! |
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| Our very skilled jeepline driver |
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| Taken from the landing point. |
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| That tower over there is the jump off point |
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| The riders |
We had ample time to go around when we left Delta Discovery so we went to visit the National Museum Balangay Shrine. It was really small and you can already see everything that's on display by just standing in the middle. But each exhibit is very rich on history so I recommend you read on the excerpts or listen to the museum guide.
Next site was Bood Promontory, famous for the really large cross monument. Stories were that locals erected this cross with the claim that Butuan was really where Magellan first landed. I didn't really investigate if there was truth behind this, but if you guys know anything, please feel free to enlighten everyone reading this blog.
Dinner was at Lutong Bahay Ni Aling Cora. There you can choose to go Dampa style or to order from their set menu. We had lomi, pancit bihon, adobong pusit, grilled fish, and kinilaw. None of what we ate stood out to me, though, and I'm not even picky.
We stayed at Wayfarer Pension House and got two (2) standard rooms (P800, max. of 2 pax per room,) and one (1) deluxe room (P1,500 good for 4 pax). The place wasn't as accessible as I'd like but it was really clean and cozy. It also housed RIBBS, a famous baby back ribs resto in Butuan.
October 27. Happy birthday to me! We checked out of Wayfarer and made our way to Surigao del Sur, enticed by the ubiquitous streamers of SPACEBAR BEACH RESORT. It claimed to be a "mini-Boracay," and we were all excited to see the place. I called for a reservation and spoke with the owner who, for some reason, sounded suspiciously perky. We reserved two (2) rooms at P1,800 each, with a maximum of 4 pax per room.
The minute we saw the rooms though, we wanted to back out. However, there weren't that many resorts/hotels within the area so we opted to stay...but not without a few episodes of claustrophobia. For one, the rooms had one small opening as an excuse for a window. Plus, the bathroom was just... it was just... I couldn't even get myself to take pictures of it. I definitely think the fee was too expensive considering there were no towels provided (you'll need to rent one at P150), and no breakfast included. I realized the owner's perkiness should have been a warning.
The beach was okay, but to say it's a "mini-boracay" is a stretch. Yes, it had white sand, but the similarity ends there. I don't know if it's because we were on the wrong part of the beach and the resort was too near the shore, but it wasn't that clean. Mati's Dahican still wins for me.
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| cottages at Spacebar |
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| There was a mini zoo |
If there's anything great about the Spacebar, it was the food. Lunch was an overload of seafood: crabs, shrimps, squid, and fish. We (meaning, my dad) gave the owner some money to buy fresh from the market and their cook made our deliciously filling meal. I wonder if his sanitary and maintenance budget all went to his kitchen staff's salary instead.
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| Di namin nagustuhan. Hindi masarap. Lol |
October 28. We were able to book an island-hopping trip to the Britannia Group of Islands, so we left Spacebar early (without disdain) to meet with our tour guide. I'll let the photos speak for how breathtaking this tour was. I loved it to bits. Best island tour so far in my book. I especially loved Naked Island. No, it's not a nudist beach. Rather, it was simply bare sand and water--no trees, no huts, no rocks. Small, but very relaxing. And the water was so clear! We spent a good 30 minutes just swimming there before we were taken to McArthur's Place for lunch.
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| Our meeting point |
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| The weather was gloomy but NOTHING CAN STOP US |
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| Naked Island! |
Off to McArthur's Place
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| Sea Cucumber salad |
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| "Cellopen" hehehe |
Overall, the whole trip was a blast...even with the whole Spacebar accommodation incident (they redeemed themselves with the lunch they served, at least!). I was surprised that we could squeeze that many destinations in one road trip. Adventure. Nature. Food. This, my friends, is how you celebrate and embrace another year of your life.
LA VIE EST BELLE! 💓
