Thursday, May 20, 2010

Beach Bum(mer)

I was never a beach person.
When our family used to plan beach trips on summer vacations, I never forget to ask about indoor swimming pools in the hotel. I hate the scorching heat touching my skin, not for vanity reasons, but more for health concerns. When I was 5, I acquired a skin allergy from staying under the sun too long. And that happened in the beach. Thus, inevitably, the haven turned into more like a memory of hell to me. Because of that, our family rarely went to the beach, so I never had the chance to rekindle my love for the ocean.

Until this summer.

My mom and I booked this mother-daughter bonding trip to Ilocos. It was a 3-day tour: Ilocos Norte-Pagudpud- Ilocos Sur. I was looking forward to church visits, museum tours, trying their famous empanada, walking around Vigan, and, over and above all those, just being with my mom in a faraway place. Quite obviously, I didn’t mention anything about Pagudpud and its famous ocean shore and blue green waves. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the whole revisiting the beach idea, although I brought 2 pairs of swimsuit with me. Just in case, I told myself.

Day 2 of the trip came. Our tour bus left the hotel around 7:00am. Traveling to Pagudpud took a good 2-hour drive. I wore my shades the entire time because mom wanted to open the curtains and the sun’s rays were too much for my eyes to bear.

When we got to Villa Mar resort, I dragged my feet down the bus, spotted a pool which raised my enthusiasm a little and followed our tour guide to the cottages.

I already felt the warm breeze touching my skin. I faced the shores and removed my sunglasses. And boy, was it an amazing view!



I realized, all the while, I was wearing my dark-coated glasses that basically hindered the breathtaking vision. The never-ending water-front, white sand, blue green seas; it was like a painting. I was savoring the picture when my mom approached me and said, ‘That’s actually the South China Sea’.


crystal clear waters

Fast forward to the end of the day, I was every inch a beach person. I played in the sand, swam in the ocean, took a boat ride to the other side of the island, while head-to-toe covered in sunblock, of course. It was a perfect day, less the fact that I left our camera in the cottage. But, as how I managed to console myself, I took less pictures in exchange of an ocean-worth of picture-perfect memories.


sun-kissed. err. more like, sunog.


my fave of all our beach shots


The beach is a sanctuary, where time flew, not by the hours, but by the moments.

beach sunset: amazing

I now officially proclaim myself a renewed beach lover.


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