10TH BIRTHDAY AT BATAAN

For this year, the family decided to spend my daughter’s tenth birthday at the same place that our office and the hubby’s office had an outing, at Bagac, Bataan. The resort was not really top notch but the entrance was relatively cheap and even the rental for the huts too. This is something that we need considering that we were almost 50 in all! Imagine that! But let me backtrack a bit, on Friday night which is actually my little girl’s birthday, we got home at around 9 p.m. bringing cake and spaghetti for her and her cousins to partake. Then after some small talk, we all slept excited for the big day ahead of us.

The next day, I was awake with the others at 3 am to cook our breakfast (rice only since the viands had been cooked the night before) We finally left at 6 and after a long two-hour drive (the others rode in the truck that a cousin uses for his sand/gravel delivery business), we reached Bataan by 8:30 a.m. Upon arrival, we ate breakfast of adobo and bangus, and just now realized that there are a total of 47 people that came with us so the 3K adobo did not at all suffice! The longganisa took so long to cook so the others made do with the nilagang itlog. I just ate fruits that we bought along the way.

By ten after the kids had their fill of the beach and eating, we hopped off on a boat to go to the white sand beach where they can truly swim to their hearts content. Only Ditse, Inang and Esto and his family were left behind to cook our lunch. Esto got left behind since he lost his glasses in the big waves of the beach, I told him he would enjoy the calmer waters of the white beach but was hesitant as he didn’t know how to swim. We reached the white beach and the water was still calm but then the beach itself was a bit littered and muddy…well, too bad but still the kids enjoyed swimming and having photo ops.

We left the place at a past 12 and wanted to pass by the cave and go cliff diving but it was not meant to be since the sea was so rough, the boat can’t get near to dock…oh dear, it would have been Kuya’s dream to take his friends and cousins there. Just too bad! And so we headed back to Bagac beach and ate lunch upon arrival. After eating, the kids went back and hit the water since they knew it would be quite awhile before they can get anywhere near the sea once again. I, too went back to swim after I tried to sleep and can’t!

I guess in all everyone enjoyed spending time on the beach (our first with the entire clan!) even if there was a shortage of food (well, I was surprised at the number of people that turned up!). Well, it is not every time that they get to see a beach so I guess everyone wanted to go and join the outing. What matters is that everyone had fun (even if the others riding the truck got wet while on the way home coz it rained) It was one outing that I hope to repeat (though not with such a huge number once again) and hope that next time it would even be more manageable and enjoyable for all of us!

CMS OUTING AT BAGAC, BATAAN

My first time to go on an outing with a new unit – the CMS and the group decided to go to Bagac, Bataan – a place they have been to already a few years back but they say the place was really good and indeed it was! We arrived in Bataan early and after an hour’s stopover at the market to buy some fish, pusit, chicken and fruits, we finally reached the resort! Upon arrival, we got busy preparing lunch. The kids, of course headed to the beach at once and we just let them go their way. Anyway, the resort had a lifeguard and there were some teens with them naman (like the boss's daughters).













My son stayed with us to help in the cooking, I just sliced tomatoes and onions while Grace sliced mangoes for the ensalada. It was the hubby who fried the tilapia (with Kit’s help) while Nel and Zandra cooked the sinigang na liempo. The others started the ‘drinking session’ early because it seems Glenn (who arrived without his family) would be leaving /returning home later. We had our lunch at 1pm then after some chatting, we retired to the bedroom to nap a bit till 4 pm.














Upon waking, I went out to the beach to swim with the kids and take some pictures…particularly of the sunset. But bad luck suddenly befell Kit because he lost his slippers and got stung by a jellyfish in the arm so we had to return to the house at once to put some vinegar on it. Learned from the kids that a chopper fell down near the shore but on another cove, not the one where they swam in but it was just nearby. We just heard from the news a bit later that it was a training chopper flown by a nephew of Candaba’s ex-mayor Gatus.



























After a while, Kaye and I took our baths so I could go down to help in dinner preparations. Dinner was inihaw na liempo and inihaw na bangus but we didn’t cook everything because there were still so many food leftover from our lunch which we reheated and also served. Nel also cooked tokwa for their pulutan tonight. Zandra, meanwhile prepared the chocolate fountain for the kids to enjoy some dessert later on.
















The next day, we got up bright and early to cook an early breakfast and go island hopping! Well, not literally on another island but rather on a different cove of the same island that we’re currently in - and boy was it so beautiful!In fact, it can even rival the beauty of Boracay and Puerto Galera!But definitely not Palawan or Bohol because despite its clear waters and calm waves, there was nothing much to be seen underneath – sure there were a few fishes but not as varied and colorful as the fishes and corals of Coron or Pamilacan. Still it was a nice place to visit and we even got to see a cave and swim in deep waters using our life vests. In all, I guess this is one good place to go to for a fun beach vacation that is not so heavy on the budget!