
It
was a toss-up between Calaguas and Cagbalete, and if there is something you
should know, it’s that Calaguas never happens in this universe of mine. It’s
always a plan and stays that way. Cagbalete won because it was more accessible
and relatively closer coming from Manila. It did not really matter that much to
me because I haven’t been to either destination. I just initially thought that
Cagbalete was in Aurora. It turns out to be located in Quezon. Okay, let’s mark
Aurora red in our map some time later!

Most of us live closer to JAC Liner’s Buendia terminal so that is where we all went. Buses to Lucena are available 24 hours a day, I’ve been told, although the schedule on the website says they only run until 2 AM. We arrived at Lucena Grand after two hours and a half, but this is because we left at midnight. The chicken bus to Mauban left after an hour or so. They had to fill it up first. From Mauban, we took a private boat which took us around another hour and a half of travel time.

You
could also opt for a public boat but this one has limited trips, around two per
day, I think. Rumor has it that it’s also difficult to get on it because it fills
up really fast. Chartering a private boat cost us around 1500 pesos, but there
were four of us so it was just okay. Strength in numbers! So this is what I’ve
been missing traveling all alone all this time? You might also want to bring
your own supply of groceries because food and drinks could be scarce depending
on where you’re going.

We
ended up at MVT Sto. Niño Beach Resort, which reminded me of our Anawangin trip
because of the many tents that greeted us upon arrival. The place is just okay,
although they say that the other resorts in the island have KTV and other
perks. This one is more quiet and secluded. You could not even view it from the
boat because the main area is hidden behind some sort of mangrove thingy. The
tree cover is impressive, and the many coconuts in sight give you a rather
bucolic vibe.

I
would no longer go into detail as to what we did here. I think I have reached
that part of my late twenties where it is no longer that easy to either amuse
or amaze me. I am not saying that I hate beaches now, but rather my
appreciation has shifted its focus on something else. Any other time, I would
just be alone and chilling on a hammock by the bay. Nowadays, I find it more
fun to hang out with friends and just chat and do group activities together.
Maybe I am getting old.

Cold
drinks are available but the resort is not that well-stocked. Also expect these
products to come in airline prices. A 1.5 liter bottle of chilled Coke would
set you back 80 pesos in this island. A small bottle of Absolute mineral water
would cost you 50. I know it sounds expensive, but once you have exhausted
every possible way to keep cool in this outdoor sauna kind of weather, 80 pesos
would not really mean that much to you. Trust me on this.

You
would be on your own when it comes to food. There will be a vendor or two
selling freshly-caught seafood (or so they claim) in the morning, but cooking
those giant squid would be up to you. You could do your last minute shopping at
the market in Mauban before you hop on your boat. There is also a 7 Eleven
nearby. I think the most important thing we brought along was charcoal, because
we were that reliant on the grill, although our friends also came equipped with
a portable stove and oil for frying stuff.

In
terms of accommodation, you could choose if you want to spend the night in a
tent, a nipa hut, a fan room, or an air-con room. The air-con room ran out
pretty fast, which gave me murderous thoughts because of the heat. We ended up
in a nipa hut. Tents are okay, but you still get wet if it rains. The only
downside of the nipa hut was that the floor was quite hard, so that mean some
body pain here and there the next morning. There is a common bathroom and
shower room for everyone to share.
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