As a part of the preparation for this trip, my husband
was oriented that the trip will be around three hours from our home (Binmaley).
Also, it was expressed that the ride all the way to our destination may have a
some bumps and humps. This is to set the expectation and avoid complaints along
the way. :)
Our bags are packed with swimming gears and cooked food. For this
trip we bought some inihaw na liempo and fried chicken. For seafood dishes, we
are planning to just drop by the local market for some fresh catch. We always
love the comfort our own home so we did not plan to spend an overnight stay.
For this trip we took with us my senior parents.
Along the way my daughter seems to be a bit impatient. She is used
to a 10 minute travel time from the house to the nearby beach, so she is really
asking us every five minutes if we are already in the area.
On the way, we had in front of us a view of the high
altitude terrain and and a lot of new resorts for those who would like to take
a swimming break. We also passed by road markets filled with melons and
watermelons. It is also a good activity along the way to memorize the town
names before we reach Bolinao. Geographically, Bolinao is in the tip of
Pangasinan. It verdantly blessed with mountains and blessed with marine life.
After the two hour driving escapade we passed by Alaminos,
Pangasinan, the home of the famous Hundred Islands. We were tempted to take the
right turn to drop by, but we decided to continue driving, we will have a
separate trip to visit Hundred Islands.
After an hour, we arrived at Bolinao, Pangasinan. Our first
itinerary is to visit St. James Church. In front of the church is the famous
“binungey”. This delicacy/'kakanin” is filled with sticky rice cooked in
bamboo. We will definitely grab some of it after we visit St James Church.
St James Church
The place is very serene and simple. You will really feel the
rural ambiance and the simple life of the local folks. The aura of the place
gives a sense of humility and appreciation on the simple and wonderful things
that life has to offer.
The aura of the church is not grand, but is exudes
purity and simplicity. If you plan on having a trip of solitude it would be
best to visit this church as it gives a sense of serenity and appreciation on
how simple life could be.
The moment in St James Church is devoted for the expression of
gratitude, guidance for safety and more life blessing. It was Christmas season
when we had this trip – so it is timely as well to reflect on the year that it
is about to end. Also, it is a way for us to positively look forward to the
upcoming year ahead.
After the solemn prayer in St James Church, we bought some
'binungey” for a a price of 3 for 100. We can smell how fresh the sticky rice
inside the bamboo, and it is really very tempting.
Inside the church, there are souvenir stores which is mostly
visited by those who dropped by the church after the end of their escapade. For
us we will shop for souvenir items by the end of our tour.
The Travel to Patar, Bolinao
The road to Patar Bolinao is bumpy, along the way we passed by a
lot of resorts. It would be best to be in an explorer mode during the trip.
Each resort offers a different view. Aside from the white sand beaches
you will definitely find rustic rock formations. Since this is our first time,
the idea of checking each resort for some pictures did not cross our mind – but
this is highly recommended if you would like to maximize your trip to Bolinao.
You may also use this opportunity to haggle for an overnight stay.
On the left side of the road going to Patar, Bolinao, there are
caves to be explored, since our daughter is too young for such kind of
adventure this is scheduled on our next visit.
Along the way we spoke to several locals and they told us to just
continue driving until we reach the end of the road. Along the way we saw
the Bolinao lighthouse , we have scheduled to visit it before we head back
home.
At the end of the long bumpy ride-- we finally reached Patar,
Bolinao. It looks organized and there are a lot of tourist around. The
place remains to be untouched, therefore the available amenities in the area
are catered for local tourist. On the contrary, amenities for a those who have
traveled far for a longer stay in Bolinao is also available.
Our estimated arrival time is around 12:00 PM – the
sea breeze however feels like it is 9:00 AM in the morning. The vegetation
regulates the temperature keeping the area suitable for a one whole day
swimming escapade.
The beach is aligned with picnic huts with reasonable
rental fees of around 100 pesos for the whole day. The sand is brownish white
in color, but still it is good place to take memorable pictures.
Parking space is also available and the place is
secured. Also, there are souvenir stores in the area but we are lucky to meet
young kids who sells souvenir shells for only 5 pesos per piece. It was a
really good deal as the shops in the area sells the same kind of item for 50
pesos each.
We enjoyed bonding with the local kids. My husband
grew up in a coastal area, it feels like the trip made him remember the happy
memories of his childhood.
The huts were spacious, we can even sleep and take a nap – even
the table was so spacious it feels like we did not bring any food with us.
Of course, swimming is our final take on this trip.
Aside from a break from the usual gray sand in our own hometown beach we got to
experience crystal clear water. You can even see fishes swimming around.
On our way back, we took a different road so we missed to take
some shots in the Bolinao Lighthouse, this I think is an indication that we
should go back to this place once again for a new experience.
To end
the trip we dropped by Bani to get some watermelons and melons. These round and
sweet fruits sold along the road is perfect for the Christmas season, so we
also bought a lot with us to Manila.
It will take time before we decide to drive back to
Bolinao. We might visit the place again someday when our daughter is ready to
take more adventurous activities.
