Lakbay Norte: Cruising Subic Bay to a Kapampangan Night

5:00am I came down at White Rock’s lobby and joined a table that turned into some sort of internet café. I think I only had at two and a half hours of sleep and opening my laptop seems like a heavy task. Its day 6 of Lakbay Norte tour and I still wish I could have tried those other rides at Treetop yesterday. But I already got used to having only portions and a taste here and there. Besides this is a familiarization tour. The point is to get “familiar”.

6:00am Golf carts started our tour around White Rock. It was a drastic change. Did they reclaim land as the beach somehow expanded? It looks nice actually and more like a water park now I’m sure families would enjoy.

7:00am Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake is my memory that breakfast at Lighthouse Marina. Maybe because it was the elusive item on the buffet table? I did get my share of a plate after a plate of bacon, chicken, sausages with corn and veggies.

7:15am it was weird hearing our names announced on the loud speaker during the beach clean-up. Honestly I was there to eat breakfast but did find the scene of people cleaning up the beach worthwhile to see. Oh and that one happy bee as well 🙂

8:45am The wind was blowing hard in my face as our service craft take us cruising around Subic Bay. The visit to Hanjin Shipyard overwhelmed me with monumental vessels and cranes. Suddenly I felt small as an ant and those cranes were looming over me. What gigantic toys!

12:00nn Lunch back at Light House Marina. There goes Cha’s birthday cake. Feast! Nuff said!

2:00pm The group found us at Hacianda Luisita and at the Aquino Center where we learn and see anything and everything about the Aquino family. There was also an interesting AVP viewing on the life of Ninoy. Oh yeah, who wouldn’t forget those soft and tasty pastries during the CVB presentation. Heavenly.

4:45pm We checked in at Holiday Inn Clark. One thing I’ll remember from them is the beds. They’re as good a rival as those in Microtel. We had a tour of place of course as expected and it got what you basically need on a hotel of this scale: Dining areas, lounge bars, pools, fitness and also halls for events.

7:00pm How can I forget that Red Crab Dinner? We walked all the way there from Holiday Inn and enjoyed the hands-on dinner and some knock knock jokes on the table.

8:30pm found us at Holy Angel University to visit the Center for Kapampangan Studies. It’s really interesting place and I like how the museum was laid out. I didn’t know kapampangan history was this deep.

10:00pm is pizza time at Historic Camalig. We tried out several flavors but I’ll stick to the safe ones. The tinapa or tuyo flavors just taste too weird for me. But the other ones were good.

00:00 What time is it? I’m not sure. I think it’s time to sleep now. Good night!

White Rock / Mountain Woods
Boboy Borromeo 0918-532-6382
www.whiterock.com.ph

Lighthouse Marina
Zedrick Avecilla 0917-893-3745
www.lighthousesubic.com

Aquino Center
(02) 892-7499
www.manosa.com/aquino.htm

Holiday Inn Clark
[email protected]

Center for Kapampangan Studies
[email protected]
www.hau.edu.ph/kapampangan_center/

Historic Camalig
292 Sto. Rosario Street, Angeles City
http://www.camalig.com/

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Join our next Backpack Photography series, Batanes Outdoor and Travel on June 24-27, 2010. Take advantage of Seair’s 15th Lean Season Promo on flights to Batanes until May 15. Check details here.