The Circle Hostel, La Union: Amidst Artists And Adventurers

I woke up next to someone new. And I wasn't sure if we were even introduced.

The scent of salty hair hung in my nostrils, and for a moment, I couldn't recall where I was. I tried to rise but a pang in my head made me plop back down the bunk. The pain disabled my brain, completely. I rolled over to my other side and came face to face with a wall made of bamboo strips. Beyond which was a figure — awake and moving about —  I caught sight of between the tiny gaps.

I watched mindlessly for a while.

There are no strangers here.
Berths and personal spaces.  

Was brought back to my senses minutes later when I heard a constant shuffling of feet. Lots of feet. I managed to sit up and saw the strangers I rode with, on a land journey of almost six hours the previous night. All just outta bed, and were nameless to me at that point but I greeted each with an inaudible "g'morning".

So I finally remembered where in the world I was, and how mad I was for traveling to La Union straight from Boracay. The heady concoction of eight hours on a vessel plus eight hours in vans surely was the culprit for my hammered head.

The brekkie nook, right by the locker area.

 The lounge/common area upstairs.

I spotted a familiar face. The figure from the other side of the wall, I soon found out, was fellow travel blogger and my homegurl Christine of JovialWanderer.com. She who managed to convince me to pursue the trip even if I already begged off days earlier. Well, she and Aldous of AldousAteTheWorld.blogspot.com who organized the weekend bloggers' shindig.

We, along with four other bloggers, were checked in The Circle Hostel, La Union. We arrived about half past three that morning. In which time I randomly chose among the bunks assigned for the group and passed out right away.

Hammocks for rent. Such cozy cocoons.
This lattice wall spoke to me. So I just had to try it.  

The Circle Hostel La Union is a very affordable hostel for both surfers and non-surfers, that sits on a lot away from highway noise but just two hundred meters from the beach. Its layout is set up with the backpacker culture in mind. The open plan structure — having only 2 bunk rooms, 1 hammock area and 1 lounge/common area — paves way for interaction between guests. Bed in the bunk room (has privacy curtain and mosquito net) is P450 (about $10), and a hammock is P350 (about $8).

Facilities: Free WiFi (common area), lockers (bring your own padlock or rent one), toilet and bath.

A towel may be hired for P40, with a P100 deposit.

Day use of facilities is a pocket friendly P150.

 Anyone can grab a bucket of paint and send a message through art.

Couldn't help it.

"There are no strangers here.", says on their website.

True enough, our motley band of bloggers congregated with other guests for an uncomplicated power brekkie of pandesal all-you-want with two choices of spread. I introduced myself to the rest of our party: Samantha of greenspired.wordpress.com, RD of rdllarena.com, Rhea of rheabue.com, and Kat of katvaldez.com.

Everyone was up for surfing. Except me. 

As the sun inched higher, the crowd at the lounge thinned, group by group. Ours headed off as well, led by one of The Circle Hostel's owners Rafael Oca, to catch the early waves.

Not exactly what we were hoping for.

 Brief lesson from Surf Star School Of Surfing.

The waves, we were told, were too wild for us beginners. We then parked our arses on the sand, thinking we'll prolly just call it a day and start chugging beer at 8 in the morn (Okay, that was just me thinking!). But because we saw other beginners braving the shoulder-height waves, the rest said they might as well surf.

So they did, after a brief lesson from Surf Star School Of Surfing.

I watched each one attempt and stand and fall and laugh. And found myself wanting to attempt and stand and fall and laugh too. 

So I did. I was able to stand on the board on my first attempt and I was the most surprised of all. I felt so victorious that after the first ride, my thoughts went back to beer.

First and almost last attempt.

From left: Christine, RD, me, Aldous, Samantha, Kat and Rhea.

And beer happened during lunch at Gefseis Greek Grill. Christine and I had to bail out later that day so we took the opportunity to get to know more about the individuals in our group. Individuals from different niches. Over platters of souvlaki, we discovered common interests and frustrations. We shared stories that, although very random, entertained everybody on the table. We made friends.

There really are no strangers. Just friends we have not met yet. The Circle Hostel is out to prove that. Come spend the night, leave your inhibitions behind. And prepare to meet a new circle.

How to get to The Circle Hostel, La Union: Visit this page for info http://www.launion.thecirclehostel.com/location


The Circle Hostel La Union
Urbiztondo, San Juan
La Union,Philippines
www.launion.thecirclehostel.com


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Luna, La Union: Hitching A Ride With An Infant

After an hour and a half long battle with nausea, I was defeated. For the first time in ages, I threw up in the bus. I could not even recall when was the last time such thing happened. Mind you, I've been on countless buses, boats and even a habal-habal when I had a baby bump last year. And every ride, I won the battle.

Suffice it to say that Naguilian Road could be a killer. That, or the maniacal bloke driving the bus.

Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan in St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Luna. A trike driver suddenly entered the frame and posed for me.
I am fond of weaving through the mountains, but not when the vehicle morphs into a roller coaster coach. Oh how I rejoiced when we finally alighted in San Juan, La Union. My equally dizzy hubby, who was lugging four-month old Luna, trudged alongside me.

Geared up for traveling with an infant. My must-haves (aside from formula and nappies): Disinfectant and mosquito net.
We walked aimlessly for a couple of minutes. It was mid-January. After the hectic Yule season, we were looking forward to de-stressing holidays, away from the extended family and somewhere warm (we had been living in Baguio for almost three months). Because it was lean period, there was no need to book an accommodation.

Hacienda Peter Beach Resort, home for a night.
Neither did I search for cheap options online. Our mindless feet led us to Hacienda Peter Beach Resort. Okay, we were actually on our way to the multihued Lola Nanny's Guesthouse, but was sidetracked and eventually lured by the cheery owner of the former. An P800 double fan room is not how I define cheap accommodation, but its beachfront location makes it a steal.

He-who-does-not-want-to-be-named-but-agreed-to-be-photographed.
The room, as expected, was basic but clean. The bed was inviting and could have been an aid in nursing my headache, but we got plans for the afternoon. An inquiry about public transportation to Luna paved the way for an opportunity to hitch a ride.

Owner: Punta kayo ng Luna? Dun nyo ba ipinangalan anak nyo? (You're heading to Luna? Was your baby named after that place?)

Me: Opo, paano po pumunta dun? At hindi po dun galing pangalan ni Luna (Yes, how do we get there? And no, she wasn't named after that place.)

Owner: Sakay na lang kayo sa kanya (pointing at the guy she was seemingly doing business with). Papunta sya ng Ilocos Sur. (Why don't you just hitch a ride with him? He's on his way to Ilocos Sur.)

On the front steps of the Abad-Lopez ancestral house.
We didn't have to ask. Kuya, who sold fire extinguishers to San Juan resorts, offered us a lift. Stories were exchanged as soon as we hopped in his van. Kuya is a semi-retired businessman, buying and selling random stuff. And for some reason, he is particularly interested with our uhm, love story.

Kuya asked for my camera and directed us to pose here and there.
About fifteen minutes into our ride, like a true-blue hospitable Filipino, he invited us to his home. What are the odds of hitching a ride with someone who owns an ancestral house (which by the way ain't open to the public)? So of course we said yeah! Kuya happens to be part of the prominent Lopez-Abad clan of San Juan. And he was more than happy to show us their beautiful home.

The town's humble welcome.
The original house was built around 1885 and was remodeled to its present structure in 1951. Not only is the house old, also its furniture and interior decor. It was truly an honor to be guided by one of the owners himself. We had a grand time. And as if that wasn't enough act of kindness, instead of dropping us off the junction, he told us he'll take us all the way to our destination because Luna's asleep. He reasoned that a bumpy tricycle ride will wake her up.

St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in the middle of Luna's town center.
He dropped us off in front of the church, and waved farewell as he drove away. Joel, a fellow blogger who was then on a visita iglesia (aiming to visit a million Northern Luzon churches in six days - okay just about thirty or something), popped out of nowhere and greeted us with his beaming smile. Together, we did a quick tour of the church.

Surprisingly massive, contradicting its unassuming facade.
The statue of the Blessed Virgin enshrined here was to be delivered by a galleon from Mexico to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The galleon redirected to Luna because of uncooperative weather. The statue was temporarily placed in a convent near the church of Namacpacan (Namacpacan is the old name of the town, and was changed to Luna in honor of the Luna brothers) for a night. The next morning, it can no longer be moved and the Augustinian priests felt this was a sign for it to stay. Interesting story, ei?

Luna back in San Juan from our Luna visit.
After we got out of the church, we dined in a carinderia where I had the best dinuguan ever. My day progressed from bad to okay to awesome. It was only early afternoon, but already, the horrific bus ride that morning was a distant memory.

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Backpacking With A Baby

And I thought backpacking with a baby bump is cumbersome. Traveling with a newborn or infant is on a higher level of difficulty - well, more like on a different insane dimension... much challenging than the countless treks I did (no matter how long they lasted), or getting lost in translation, or hopping on dodgy buses and boats.

San Juan, La Union. Luna's first beach trip at two months old. Her longest ordinary bus ride then, two hours from Baguio to La Union via the dizzying Naguillian Road.
There were a few occasions that I was on the verge of crying whilst on a trip. You see, I was never fond of babies and children. A handful of my closest buds still couldn't quite grasp the thought of me raising one. The reason for which, is my lust for a carefree lifestyle.

It was the shock of our lives to find out that just after our honeymoon eighteen months ago, we already got a baby on the way. A made in China baby. Ideally, we wanted to have a child a year after being married. When things didn't go as planned, we didn't have any other choice but to accept our fate and alter our goals.

But our dream of becoming modern day nomads was never shelved. We welcomed our new little backpacking buddy with overflowing joy and pride, and started constructing itineraries that are suitable for her.

And we morphed into one of the most annoying types of travelers... The couple who cannot keep their baby quiet on the bus/plane/boat.

Thirteen days from now we'll be embarking on an epic trip that shall take us to different provinces around the Philippines and random countries across the globe. I firmly believe that this unconventional lifestyle will not only teach us about diverse cultures, it can also provide us New Age parenting ideas that will help us raise a child who's going to be aware of the ways of the world.

She has been constantly traveling since she was a month old. I am no pediatrician nor child care expert, but if you'd like to take your baby backpacking for the first time, here are a few tips:

Before the trip:

Luna's first overseas trip at seven months in Macau. She already had all her basic vaccine shots then.
1. Consult a pediatrician. Discuss with him/her your activities, and the country you're going to if you're heading overseas. It's also recommended that the baby had vaccine shots already, or at least some of them, before you go.

2. What to pack? There are a lot of factors to consider. You need to ask yourself: How long is the trip? What will be the weather? Will I be able to buy baby supplies there? And so on. Then you start estimating how much formula, bottles, clothes, nappies, and baby wipes you should bring.

If you're just traveling within your home country, you could buy more supplies as needed (brands that you're familiar with), easily during the trip. No need to bring a big bulk. Unless you're heading somewhere remote-ish.

If traveling overseas, that's when you should lug larger amounts of supplies if you don't want to experiment on unfamiliar brands. Choosing the right formula (milk powder) for the baby can be tricky.

A few of Luna's stuff we'll be bringing for our upcoming long trip. She took more than a fourth of my 30 kilo allowance. Grrr.
3. In the Philippines, medicine drops (for cold, cough, fever) for infants can be purchased over the counter. When our baby caught a cold in America, we couldn't find any quick remedy in the pharmacy. Ask your pedia if he/she could prescribe a few medicines that you could buy to bring overseas.

4. Research extensively about your destination. Although it's kick arse to be an explorer without fixed itineraries and maps, it would be irresponsible to be such when carrying a baby. Check the modes of transportation. They should be, of course safe for the little one. Also check the duration of each ride. You might not want to be on the bus for hours because you need to be up and alert all the time so you could hold on to your baby properly for drivers sometimes just suddenly step on the brakes or swerve.

On the road and up in the air:

Luna sleeping soundly in her infant car seat which we rented for cruising around California. Gave me good naps too, knowing that she's safer in it.
1. When traveling overseas, especially in the west, check the regulations on infant/child car seat. You might need to look into renting one.

2. On buses and cabs (in countries without the infant/child car seat regulation, you're not allowed to sit in front with the baby.

3. Most airlines charge for children 2 years old and below even if they don't get their own seats. If you feel like letting your baby just sit on your lap during flight is unsafe, you may opt to buy him/her a ticket and bring an infant car seat (if you own one) to strap on the airplane seat. Consult the airline company about this first.

An infant traveling overseas should have a passport.
If you brought a collapsible buggy, you could check it in at the gate before boarding. Fold it first before handing to them. Upon arrival, it can be picked up either by the door or at the baggage claim area.

4. Aisle seats may be more convenient for you so you could easily head to the toilet anytime (without awkwardly excusing yourself often) or stand to walk around and lullaby your baby to sleep.

Speaking of toilet, there's a nappy changing table for infants available inside an airplane's rest room. Bring a blanket to lay your baby on so it would be more comfy for him/her. Do not forget to strap the baby before changing.

Left: Baby holder inside a rest room cubicle in Narita International Airport. Right: Reading these instructions is a must!
5. An airline's cabin crew should hand you the baby's life vest before take off. Ask for one if they've forgotten (it happened to us). Peruse the manual for the instructions on how to use it.

6. Like everyone else, the baby needs to be hydrated during flight.

7. If you're on a ferry/boat, ask if there's an available life vest for the little one. If there's none, which is most likely, come prepared. Bring an inflatable floater.

When you get there:

With Sagada locals during a celebration in a dap-ay. Hiked without using a baby sling or carrier. Whew! And yes, we went to Sagada by GL bus from Baguio. Luna passed the highest point of the Philippines' highway system.
1. Once you've reached your destination, it's wise to check the location of pedia clinics in case you would need a visit. Don't forget to bring your baby's record book.

2. A baby sling or carrier will definitely make your wandering easier. Unfortunately, not for me and hubby. Luna never liked the constricting feel of it. Nor did she like riding the stroller. So I carry her most of the time. My empowering thought: A woman I saw in Sri Lanka who got on a train and carried her child for two hours while standing.

3. Instead of bringing a big baby shoulder bag, use a backpack instead. It will let your hands move freely. It also won't give you further shoulder/back pain.

4. Choose accommodations wisely. Your chosen one shouldn't be known for bed bugs. Also, if you cannot afford a hotel room, pick a guesthouse/hostel that have actual cemented walls. Not makeshift, thin dividers. You wouldn't want other guests to come knocking on your door in the middle of the night to tell you to shush the baby.

This mat with an attached mosquito net protected Luna from mosquitoes and sand blown by sea breeze. Bought for about P300, or $7.
5. Cheap accommodations also do not provide a baby cot or crib. Be prepared to sleep with the baby (if you're not a co-sleeper). Bring mosquito nets, by the way, especially when traveling in tropical countries.

6. Take heaps and heaps of photos!

Backpacking with a baby may seem like self-punishment. Truth is, now that I'm getting the hang of it... It's the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. And I'm totally not alone! Check out my fellow backpacking Pinay mums Eileen of Possibly Pinay, Kim of Indie Escape and Audrey of Byaheng Barok.

To all the women who are of the same species, throw your hands up at me!

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10 Things I Like About 2010

2010 ain't as grand as 2009. Last year I worked overseas, backpacked in 9 countries (did my first long term travel too), got hitched, and honeymooned during winter. This year isn't so bad as well. I may have only traveled a few times, but these trips were done either while I was pregnant or with our newborn in tow - which for me, a once carefree drifter, are such amazing feats!

With my newborn in Tam-Awan Village Baguio City, a minute away from my nomadic family's first home. Moving in's one of this year's highlights.
Hereunder are the top 10 things I like about 2010...