Carpe Diem!

When Robin Williams said "Carpe Diem" in the movie Dead Poets Society, we took it very seriously. On this trip, we didn't just seized that day, we seized the night as well! For the last time, Kennon Road kept us awake and amazed, it almost felt like the clouds rose up earlier than usual just to bid us goodbye. I love feeling small and vulnerable in the middle of the road cutting through powerful mountain ranges. 

Around 10:30am, we reached Meg's place after making a wrong turn and accidentally passing by smaller towns in Pangasinan, including the busy streets of Manaoag. But we took it as a plus and carried on, learning as much as we can about these places. We thought we were already late for the Dawel River Cruise, a government initiative to promote Pantal River as they celebrate Bangus Festival, so we decided to head to the beach, James and Adam's priority for the day. However, on our way, we passed by the station where the "catamarans" were parked and we're lucky enough to get on the list. We waited for around 30 minutes and we all thought it was worth it! The river was very rich in mangroves that serve as homes for birds, fishes, crabs, and oysters. 

After the relaxing cruise, we took the road again and went to Tondaligan Beach. We had a very simple (cheap) lunch of Filipino dishes at the nearby "carenderia", which includes bulalo, dinuguan, daing na bangus and of course, heaps of rice. Then, we went ahead and played with the waves, made mountains and tunnels with sand, and enjoyed the heat of the sun.

 At 5:30, we found out that the owner of the nearby inn changed her mind and was charging us more than the rate we had already negotiated. So we had some snacks, took a bath of fresh water in the public shower, and left. We had an idea of having dinner in Pampanga and instead of a four hour drive to Manila, we took the longer route, skipping a few express roads. One of the great things about travelling at night is being able to spot things/places that come alive when the moon is out. We stopped by Isdaan, a floating restaurant and children's park. We didn't buy anything from there, we just enjoyed watching some acrobats walking on tight rope and looking at curiosities that makes the place magical like the huge Buddha statues, dinosaurs, giant monkeys, and a lot more! The place is also known for "Taksiyapo", where you can buy mugs, plates, even TV sets, and smash them on the wall to release stress or anger. What a night, right?

After some hours of driving, Cesar finally got his wish! We had dinner at around 9pm and had some chicken, fresh from the grill, and "lechon kawali". Will you believe that everything including rice and drinks were just a little bit more than P300? And we're talking about good food here because hey, we're in Pampanga!