27 December 2007, Day 3

I am an early riser and this day was no exception. I was looking forward to a dip and spending a relaxing day by the beach, maybe catch some rays. I got into trunks and a t-shirt and made my way quietly out the room trying not to wake everyone else. Before I had the door completely open, a cold and wet gust of air hit me full in the face. I couldn’t believe it! There was a storm raging outside! It was completely overcast and the rain was even blowing horizontally! So much for the dip and the rays. I went back in to put on my sweat suit and carried out the coffee maker and breakfast basket for a quick cup and a bite on the cottage porch that was has drenched. The rest of the troop woke up soon enough and it was a sight looking at their stunned faces peeking out of the room. This is the first time anything like it ever happened to us on the beach. It happened once on a trip to Baguio but never to the beach.

This must have been 5 or 6 years ago when Miren had to go to Baguio for work and we decided to make a family weekend of it. After checking in, we proceeded to Burnham Park for some bicycle riding for the kids who were much younger and smaller then. It started to rain and did not stop until we left. We went down to Asin on an errand for Miren and the fog was so thick you saw oncoming cars when they were practically infront of you. The Spice Girls were all the rage then and had them on all the time so much so that we failed to listen to any news. It turned out that most of Manila was flooded and we ended up sleeping in the car in the parking lot of McDonalds in Greenbelt in Makati. We got back home after being in the car for about 24 hours. We even had the car broken into, a side window smashed in, while parked along Session Road in Baguio so that trip is fondly referred to as The Vacation from Hell.

Anyway, it was actually colder outside than it was in the room so everyone escaped back to the warmth of the beds and blankets and some TV for entertainment until the power went out. With the power went the water as well. The beach was no place to be so Inaki and I played some more pool. Lunch time came along soon and we ate in the restaurant of the Apo Idon which turned out to be better than the outlet we ate in the night before. There was still no power nor any water after lunch so we were starting to consider if it was better to just leave. The problem was that we would have to take our chances with room availability anywhere we went. Amazingly, there were more and more people arriving. So we decided to stick it out and take our chances where we were.

The resort was short-handed due to the holidays and those who were around were very apologetic and even offered to fetch some water for our baths. With nothing much else to do, it was a nap after cleaning up as best as we could. More pool after the nap and the power came back on by later afternoon. Dinner was had again in the Apo Idon restaurant and then more pool and TV and another early night for all again.

Total expense for the day was P4,939.

Timmy in Pagudpud

Nina and Timmy in Pagudpud

27 December 2007, Day 3

Pagudpud, Philippines