Cresting a ten-foot wave, our boat crashed back down to the sea with a massive force, effectively smashing my face with a wall of cold sea water. This has been going on for almost half an hour now and I’m getting sick of wiping salt water off my face. The thought of sitting out front seemed like a good idea when we sailed off from the port of San Vicente, it definitely didn’t seem like a good one now. Another wave came into view. We climbed. We crested. We slammed. Wipe. Repeat.
 |
| NAVIGATING THE ROUGH WATERS OF PALAUI |
Our Palaui Island tour wasn’t a hundred percent sealed even as our Lakbay Norte bus drove to Sta. Ana’s wharf. It was drizzling and the sky didn’t seem to approve of us boarding the outrigger boats dancing lightly on the choppy shoreline. We waited a few minutes for the coast guards’ verdict. And it’s a go.
I didn’t know if I should be glad or not.
For eight days, a group of travel junkies sped through the highways of North Luzon 
Let’s meet at room 3402 later were words that were being passed around as our luggage was being stowed off the bus and we were being herded to check out the rooms and amenities at Widus Hotel in Clark, Pampanga. It was Lakbay Norte’s last night and a strange bond seemed to link the busload of travelers that were pure strangers just a week ago. 
A gurgling fountain set on dark slate rocks in the middle of the lobby surrounded by minimalist white walls gave me a good preview of what this hotel has to offer. Formerly dubbed Hotel Vida, the hotel has now been transformed as the hotel component of the Widus Resort and Casino.
The Lakbay Norte bus smoothly ran through three hours of rolling afternoon landscapes at the SCTEX. The view outside was poetic but inside our bus, all hell was breaking loose; the team had just discovered Pinoy Henyo and everyone was rolling and howling with laughter all over the narrow hallway. 
We were all plastered and hungry by the time we reached the parking lot of the Mimosa Golf and Country Club in Pampanga. Dinner was gonna be at The Verandah, one of the restaurants at the renowned tee club.
Being on the road for a week; exploring dark caves, riding raging waters on a rubber raft, speeding on mini F1 racers and doing all sorts of sporty adventurous stuff that I’m really not used to makes me yearn for a bit of respite. A soft comfy bed at night or better yet a full body massage perhaps. 
On the seventh day of the Lakbay Norte loop, I got my wish; the group was gonna be treated for a full body pampering at the Ritz Tropical Spa in Subic. Everyone was looking forward to this part of our trip and we were hopping down our tour bus like rabbits after a carrot as we stopped in front of the spa. 
The Ritz doesn’t look like much outside, their signboard needs a bit more glitz and the façade is pretty nondescript; mottled yellow walls, woven sawali ceilings and to make it more confusing two Shishi Chinese lion guard its entrance. 
Everything changes though once you enter their glass doors; their lobby is beautifully decorated. Amber-colored wall line the octagonal lobby, softly lit by luminous capiz windows framed by billowing white curtains and glowing golden leaves overhead. The effect is calming, as if giving us a good preview of the next hours in their hands. 
After a quick shower, some headed for their bubbling Jacuzzi before trooping to the massage houses located at the maze of seemingly old and rustic cottages at the back of the spa. 
Named after spices and flavors, the cottages are finished in rough concrete painted in vibrant hues of yellows, greens and blues. Old wooden doors, capiz sliding windows, rusty vintage lamps, weathered lintels and carved railings saved from old houses are all charmingly incorporated in the design. 
Dressed in robes, we were asked to lay face down on the massage beds, we’re gonna be treated to a Swedish massage. Cool minted oil was slathered on my body and the graceful yet strong hands of my masseuse started gliding over my haywired muscles. I felt every fibrous strand of my muscles relax as she expertly applied pressure all over my body. 
I was trying so hard not to fall asleep, wanting to savor every relaxing stroke over my tired body. And as far as I can recall, I didn’t or at least I think I did not. It was hard to notice the passing minutes and before I knew it, she was saying we were done. I can’t believe an hour has already passed, it was over much too soon. 
We then tried their sauna afterwards but I can only stand sweating rivers for ten minutes and had to get out and shower after. 
He flips the bamboo, scratches off thin strips off its outer skin using his sharp jungle bolo then clumps them together and starts vigorously rotating a small piece of wood over it. Seconds later a puff of white smoke emits from his work and fire eventually flare all over the bamboo strips. 
Meet Kasuy, an Aeta jungle guide at Subic Bay Freeport’s forest, he’s gonna be our survival instructor inside the Pamulaklakin Forest Trail. He has been teaching American G.I.’s how to survive inside jungles before and he’s gonna be teaching those same things to us.
It was the sixth night of Lakbay Norte and everyone was already feeling the effect of non-stop traveling through the roads of north Luzon. After a full day of cruising through the Dawell River in Dagupan and speeding through the race tracks of Kart City Tarlac, the group called it a day and retired to the La Maja Rica Hotel. 
The 
But when in you’re in Pangasinan, ask any of the locals and the same imagery would probably be conjured, sans the squeaky-voiced Matutina character in the background, of course. Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant is a household name in the said province; it equates to good dishes from the sea much like 
Huge colorfully decorated bangus sculptures greeted us at the wharf leading to Dagupan City’s newest tourist attraction. The breeze coming from the Dawel River was refreshing as the Lakbay Norte team boarded the floating platform that would tour us along the green waters of the river. 
Similar to the famous Loboc River Tour in Bohol, Dagupan had also launched its own river cruise. It has almost the same rectangular boat capable of seating sizable amounts of tourists and it plies a similar scenic route. Only difference is that there is no buffet table and there’s no band serenading the visitors.
I cannot believe that I’d be staying at Baguio City’s premier hotel for one night. 
The air was chilly as we alighted from our Lakbay Norte bus and unloaded our baggage at the hotel foyer. Warm lights illuminated the expansive wood-paneled lobby, the blazing central fireplace warming the nippy 
It was weird to be suddenly in Baguio without enduring the usual six-hour bus ride from Manila. An hour hasn’t passed yet since we ate lunch at La Union’s Capitol and here we were preparing to chow down again, this time at Baguio’s Te Quiero Tapas Bar & Restaurant. 
The restaurant has a modern chic interior; white and yellow walls, huge windows, red furniture and lots of textures. I specially love the airy dining hallway that’s lined with red paintings over a stone wall. On one side Te Quiero’s windows open to the bustling Victory Liner bus station, but look on the other and you’d see nothing but pine tree tops.
Standing majestically on top of a hill overlooking San Fernando City is La Union’s massive Provincial Capitol. 
Unifying the province’s 19 municipalities and 1 lone city, the Capitol stands as a testament to La Union’s name which literally means The Union. 
