Weekend roadtrip to Crystal Beach Resort, Zambales

A leap of faith, a thrilling jump into the unknown, that was what made my heart race since 5:00am on Saturday morning. A Couchsurfer was winging a roadtrip to Zambales, north of Manila, and he invited up to 11 people that could join him on the weekend camping trip to Crystal Beach Resort for  less 1000PHP gas money per person. The pickup time was at 7:00am, a walkable distance from where I was staying. Although on time due to my nervous nature, the van and some of the participants arrived around 7:20am, and some even needed to be picked up at their residence. To be honest that family were the most irritating participants in term of punctuality. The group of 9 adult and a forever pouty 8 year old girl fit snugly in the 11 seats van, with tents and bare necessities.

We drove north through Quezon City, to catch the North Luzon Expressway out of Manila by 9:00am, and we were soon zipping through the countryside, with rice paddies being labored, and lush greens.

Rainy clouds on the horizon when leaving Clark

Toll fees and an idea of towns reachable by the Expressway

We drove past Clark which had an airport, and an Emirates add that advertized a daily flight to Dubai, amidst rainy clouds overhead. It even rained a bit during our approach to Subic bay. After 2h30 drive I asked for a restroom break at the entrance of Subic, where we all stretched our legs. We were getting somewhat comfortable with each others, casually and carefully probing our origins, interests and sense of humour to establish a common ground. It was somehow easy though as we were all avid travellers and had many anecdotes to share. The host or event organizer was very playful and chatty and made everyone at ease. He even brought tents for some of us who didn't have one.

The weather in Subic, a former US military base, was sunny and we had to drive through on a single road in and out of town, zigzaging between jeepneys, tricycles, craft trolleys and bad traffic. The road was busy with small resorts hotels catering to families, so it was also full of small food joints on both sides.

Subic bay

Tricycle loaded with craft/utensils

Color coded Jeepneys

We admired the bay borded by mountains, and stole a view of some of the resorts close to the road to give us an idea of our destination. It was everybody's first time going to Crystal Beach resort. And once we saw the first big sign advertising it, we were all excited and admired the small village and small road that led to the place. The resort is accessible by bus, which stops on the main road, and a tricycle can be taken/hired to drive for 15min to the resort from the main road.

After checking in, we walked to the camp site along the partially covered corridor that led to the beach. Just the idea of being at the beach was refreshing, and feeling the gentle swooshing of the sand when walking made us all closer somehow as we escaped the pollution and hustle of Manila.

Central corridor between reception and the beach

View from the campsite. After the trunk, the beach and Pacific ocean

We set up tents, checked out the beach and went back to the resort restaurant across the reception area for some food. It was almost 2:00PM and we were all starving. I discovered some Filipino food, such as lechon, buko pandan (coconut and pandan dessert), bulalo steak and kalamansi juice. I was most excited to swim and try surfing after lunch, wich was probably not the wisest move.

In any case we all moved to the beach, doing an awkward crossing on hot sand for the few feet separating the camping site and the ocean. The water was warmer than expected, and the waves no higher than 4feet. A group of beginners in their yellow rash-guards were trying out their new skills, some more successful than other at catching waves.

By 4:30PM I was pestering the surf school to teach me, despite having finished lunch at 2:30PM. I was afraid the weather would cool down as soon as the sun set. I managed to catch 3 waves standing and surfing, among the maybe 15 waves the instructor (Christopher) set me up for. On the unsuccessful rides, I would be one knee up or almost standing before being thrown in the water loosing balance. I also managed to hurt my lower back, which I presumed was due to the lack of warming up my muscles body parts.

Another couchsurfer also joined me and she definitely had more surfing skills or experience than me. We had a good laugh waiting for waves no bigger than ripples, and enjoyed the thrill of riding a few waves. It stays as a good memory, especially with someone I have just met that same morning.

Eventually the sun set and lent its orange colours to the horizons and skies, but the temperature stayed high and we could not rest or change into the tents. instead we lied down near the water, enjoying the couples doing photoshoots and making hilarious poses with the camera.

campsite in sunset

After much deliberation and regrouping all the couchsurfers, we went out of the resort to find authentic village food outside, and drove through 2 towns before coming back to the resort town and grab filipino food. After all there were only 3 foreigners in the group and it was the perfect opportunity to get local recommendations. So most of us got bulalo soup, which was a huge bowl of beef soup, with a big portion of tender beef and bone marrow seeping in its broth.

Happy campers

Drank 2 of these

On the way back, the other surfer girl got rhum (captain morgan) from 711, and thus started hours of drinking, chatting and laughing outside our gathered tents. No mosquitoes would dare fly around us, and from time to time some tents would be seen move by themselves in the dark towards the ocean to catch a breeze. In our inebriated states, those tents looked like supernatural events or funny gags. When out of Cola, we ventured towards the resort's restaurant to buy a bottle (that I bought back form the trip), not without getting distracted by the music and fire dance happening at a team building event on the next campsite across the corridor.

Fun light trace of fire when long exposure

A fire jump rope on long exposure

 We were still feeling so hot because of the heat and alcohol we gave up building a bonfire. Luckily for us, the resort had a huge bonfire at the first campsite, and we were glad to just hang around it and be hypnotized by the dancing flames, while hugging a bag of ice cubes collected from the restaurant for our cocktail...

Back with the group we drank some more and before I knew it, I crashed in my tent while the others tried to go dancing at the team building next door. I laughed and Jo the surfing girl when she said it would freeze if it rained. But while the alcohol started to seep into my blood around 1:30am, I started feeling cold at 26C...and had to wear the fleece jacket I brought just in case! I slept in my fleece and covered by my beach blanket until I woke up beaten up by the sand beneath me (forgot to level it flat).

At 6:30am, the air was fresh in the campsite. On the beach the sun was just starting to heat up the sand, and there were so many couples again doing photoshoots. It was as if they only came to take pictures. I spaced in the shade of a hut, looking at the ocean and the multiple photoshoots, wondering if I would have gone crazy as well if I came as a couple. Then around 7:am I changed into my swimming suits (baywatch red hanging in the picture above) and swam in a much cooler ocean when the spaniard kept the hut for us. After a nice exercise, we lied down in the shades of the hut, enjoying the ocean breeze, the relatively quiet beach, before people with swag put their boombox on.

By 7:30am being in the sun required sunscreen and a hat. So I slept some more with my head in the shades, while drying my swimming suit in the sun.

Eventually as the campsite stirred up and people started to pack, I had to head back and pack as well. My tent mate was cutely eating his cookies as breakfast and I tried not to rush him before folding the tent. I don't even know when he came in to sleep. I also ate my cookies and drank my water bottle and we were off on the road to reach Olongapo city to drop off the Spaniard at the bus terminal, on his journey north.

We ate at the mall, took some time to gather together again as everyone got spread out, to finally regroup in the van. By 1PM we dropped off Gustavo (Guiller for real) and drove back to Manila. Everyone was digesting and soon fell in a long food coma, followed by motor induced sleep. I barely woke up before Clark airport, even being seated in the back seats where the suspension were inexistent and felt like riding a horse.

We then dropped off Ray in Marilao, an got stuck in traffic between Quezon city and Makati. We saw the fumes of the fire that destroyed hundreds houses in Mandaluyoung.

Eventually we arrived safe and sleepy back at the Petron station at 4:45PM, where it felt like we all were trying to awkwardly act like strangers again because were back at the city. There were talks of exchanging facebook accounts, emails and rushed goodbyes. I walked back to my room, took a shower and slept.

It was fun meeting strangers on a trip. I wish it would always be this safe. I would join the next expedition if the organizer plans another one.