Summer 2006 Escapades (Part 2 of 5)

Rainy days have come. What better time to let the summer sun shine once again, at least in our minds.

-oOo-

Nasugbu, Batangas

So much for "private seaside houses," my brother’s in-laws decided they'd have to enjoy the summer on a real beach. Their wide search had considered high-end ones with the works on water as well as on land. I learned the summer version of the word "opportunistic": in those high-end resorts, everything, and I mean everything that you might need and want while there, from bed sheets to badminton rackets, was for rent. Thus apart from the ten thousand-plus peso main fee, the resorts were raking in additional income per night or per hour. Oh well, I guess that's how it would have to be to survive in the tourism industry. Besides, we could take care of our logistical needs to avoid the additional fees.

In the end, our beach experience was banal as banal can be. We settled for one of those resorts that dot the beach-side boulevard along Nasugbu, Batangas. The resort was obviously not high-end, but at least it won't charge additional fees. We were booked for the Holy Week(end).

Now, this four-day weekend is the longest respite from work in this country, and, since it coincides with the summer season when everyone is in vacation mode, most people, or at least the Metro Manila working class families would spend this God-given free time at the beach or in Bagiuo City. Personally, I would prefer that people would return to their home province, and practice their respective traditional Holy Week rituals. In that way, I think the reconnection to one's own roots, one's own community, would make reflection and repentance more heartfelt. What choice did I have, however, last Holy Week? I was unable to secure a ticket to Naga City. The buses were now fully booked, and I didn't want to idle around Cubao bus station as a chance passenger. Besides, I was now one of those working class Manileños, so for once, I shall go with the flow of the unrepentant sinners out to have some hedonistic fun (relax folks, that was just an exaggeration).

Once again, we passed by Tagaytay, then onwards to Batangas. With a little help from the locals ("Ganire, gan-on," an old woman muttered while her arms' gesticulation hinted left turns; as to which street, and how far that was, we had to ask others along the way), we were at the boulevard, looking for our resort.

After settling down from unpacking food and utensils, we decided to check the beach out. The strip of sand was more than two kilometers wide, I suppose, but it was crowded by beachgoers, this weekend being the peak of tourist influx. The sand was black like in the “private seaside house”, but what disappointed me, though, was the murky water, which they say was due to its proximity to Manila Bay. I wasn't going to swim in this liquid where I couldn't see anything a few feet underneath. Instead, I contented myself with a very long stroll along the coast as the sun was setting into the waters (the beach was situated at the west of Luzon; thus, watching sunsets were as simple as looking straight out to the sea).

People-watching during the stroll had left me doubly disappointed with the dearth of human beauty. Sure there may be one eye-catching group or family after some ten meters or so, but I would prefer seeing one wherever I turn my gaze (the two places where that happens are at the Powerplant Mall and the Ateneo Loyola Schools). I might as well have gone to Boracay (and see the same people frequenting Powerplant and studying at the Ateneo). There was not even a single familiar face in here. It seemed my friends knew better than to get stuck in some beach that had seen better times.

The one reward I had for my kilometers-long stroll was stumbling upon the mouth of the river, the source of all that black sand. Its water was just as dirtied, carrying the waste coming from some Batangas town(s). Nevertheless, the geek in me enjoyed standing at the point where fresh water met salt water, their currents countering each other. I wished I had brought my camera-phone to capture this moment, grainy photo or not. I wished for the camera-phone again to capture the moment the jet skier passed right beside a reddish sun hanging low on the horizon. When the sun's disc touched the horizon, it took less than a minute for it to be completely under the blue expanse of the sea.

I did my swimming in the pool of our resort. Thank goodness for their providing a clean body of water albeit man-made. Just that I had to watch out for the transvestite with fake(?) boobs who'd been soaking in the pool for hours, like an alligator waiting for its prey.

The highlight of the entire trip happened later that night...


Other parts of the series:
1 2 3 4 5