This entry is about my recent all-expenses-paid trip A.K.A work outing. This is another mark in my early adult years because this is my first work outing attendance. 10-12 years ago (It was that long already???), I (together with my brothers) was the one being brought to my own mother's/aunt's work outing. Now, I'm the one playing with my officemates' little kiddos. :l This will also make up for my supposedly weekly Saturday Favorites entry because obviously I was busy with my rest and relaxation days. :)
31 March 2012, Friday
Nora's Beach Resort
Pundaquit, Zambales
For this trip, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning not because I was super excited but I was afraid to be left behind or to be scolded upon for my tardiness. Hahaha! Jaja and I watched Hunger Games the night before and I accompanied her to her wedding errands, too, so I was really tired when I got home. It took me 3-4 hours to pack! I was so sleepy already. I wanted to pack before I actually leave the house but knowing me, if I do that, my chances of forgetting something necessary would be a notch higher. Haha!
I arrived at the office at 6:45 AM. Ha! I was the third one to arrive! Everyone expected me to be late. But I wasn't! It was an achievement. Oh wait, no, it was a miracle. Haha! We left the office at around 8:00 AM. If I wasn't busy munching and filling my tummy, I was sleeping during the 5-hour drive (with one stopover only!). Define butt sore and deep vein thrombosis, please.
Some had lunch during that single stopover; the others upon arrival. Days before this 3-day, 2-night event, three of my closest people from work thought of dividing what food/beverages to bring. They included me and Jackie in the division. I belonged to the beverages category with Ate Dency. Another two people for chips. And most importantly, the one and only person for the meals -- Tita Dory. Yes, my food for the rest of the trip were taken care of. (A shoutout of thanks to Tita Dory!)
After lunch, I took a nap and woke up just in time for the sunset. In fact, I was awakened by the rain in the middle of my sleep. Mas masarap ang tulog, mas malamig! (Pumunta lang pala ng beach para matulog. Hahaha!)
By night, we had a few drinks. The kids played. Others slept early. The men stayed out until the wee hours in the morning.
01 April 2012, Saturday
Anawangin, Zambales
Jackie and I woke up around 7 or 8 in the morning, I think. We had no intention of moving out of the bed that early if we didn't hear our officemates' voices waking us up. We had an island-hopping schedule that morning. Jackie and I wanted to go to the four islands: Anawangin Cove, Capones Island, Nagsasa Cove and Camara Island. The boatride to those four islands costs only 1,500.00 Php (350.00 Php per head) but no one else wanted to join us. All of them preferred a trip only to Anawangin Cove. :l So what else were we supposed to do?
So off we went to Anawangin Cove.
Anawangin Cove was amaze-balls!
The cool, white sand...
And cool, blue waters... Relaxing sight!
I also felt like I was in a forest or lake in United States!
 |
| Low tide pa. |
Aside from frolicking under the sun and dipping in the cool waters, you can also camp in here, too. If you're looking for that kind of adventure, I think this is one of the best places to go to. Not that I experienced it first hand but from observing the place and the people there at that time, you can set up your tents here. Light up a bonfire and cook or something and gaze under the stars (or go skinny dipping if it's even allowed, haha!) by night. The place is quiet, has cool weather (I'm not sure by night time though, probably cooler) and really far from civilization. If you're not very sensitive about the use of comfort rooms and can survive without phone signal or wi-fi, try Anawangin! :)
 |
| Within 30 minutes or less, nagka-water na ulit ang kaninang low tide. :) |
I wore my swimsuit without the intention of dipping myself in the water because I know the sun would cast its rays upon the earth very madly by 10:00 AM. I don't want to experience his wrath, even if I had showered myself with sunblock. Still, fortunately I came prepared, the sun wasn't as mad as I expected it to be. The weather became gloomy by 10 in the morning. Yay! :)
 |
| Preoccupied with purchasing of souvenirs. :) |
It was also a good thing that Jackie and I didn't insist in going to the rest of the three islands because it was starting to drizzle when we left Anawangin. The waves were starting to get slightly crazy, hence, the slightly bumpy boat ride on our way back. It rained minutes after we got back to our cottage.
Oh yes, you predicted it right! Jackie and I slept after lunch and woke up almost dinner time. We conquered the karaoke and played with the kids after dinner. Again, the boys were the last people standing. They didn't put the microphone down until 2 or 3 in the morning!
*****
We checked-out by 9:30 AM the next day and headed to Pure Gold Duty Free to do our grocery-slash-pasalubong shopping. Since I only spent less than 25% of the allowance given to us (Yes, my pocket money pa kami. Bonggels. :D), I had spare for shopping! YAY! :) Yet as expected, I spent more than I intended to. Thankfully, the extra money that I brought with me was enough! I was the one who almost filled the car with goodies and caused a 'para-lang-kaming-sardinas' situation. Hee. What can I say, they were sold cheaper there! Grab na, diba? (Impulse shopping -- with the exception of food that is a physiologic need, -- sometimes, is and can be very bad though, kids. Haha!)
I arrived home at 5:00 PM, headed to Mass and unpacked my things and slept the night away like a baby. Monday was a pseudo-holiday for us since it was our 'rest day' from the trip (Yes, nagbakasyon na nga, may extension pa!). We have no work today as well so another additional day to the Holy Week-slash-long weekend vacay! Ako na talaga! :D
 |
| This is how giddy I am over the free pass at work. And the long weekend. :) |
And that concludes my recent weekend! How was yours? :)
(Photos without my name on it were grabbed from a friend.)