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Day#1: Losing our Eggs on Easter

     People from different cultures celebrate Easter for different reasons and in different ways. However, for our family, this Easter Sunday happened to be Daddy's birthday and the first day embarking on our adventures in Oriental Mindoro.

     Everyone was excited for this trip, I guess too excited that we had forgotten breakfast at home! We made a stop to look at Naujan Lake from the town of Socorro, giving us an amazing view from the top of the mountain. It was just a perfect place to have our first meal and then pfff! We realized noone picked up the pot of rice with some hard-boiled eggs. My hubby asked me if we're going to bring the pot and I assumed that he picked it up on the way out after I said yes. We were so frustrated with this setback early on our trip, especially because we were already hungry and we had already imagined having a warm bowl of rice with our weird favorite, mashed eggs mixed with cane vinegar. Plus, we had to cook rice for lunch and buy a new pot. So, our first lesson was to double check everything, and do not assume, before leaving. 

     Anyway, it was still worth stopping by, so, here are some nice little memories to remember from Socorro.


     My loved ones know that I am flawed especially when it comes to handling my frustration, so I deserve a pat on the shoulder for being able to bounce back and carry on with a positive spirit. We continue our journey and hit Pinamalayan early enough to still enjoy freshly-baked bread (local bakeries are life-savers!) and some chocolate milk for the boys. After a short walk, we headed to Bulaklak Beach Resort because James and Adam wanted to spend this day in a swimming pool. The entrance fees, which included access to the pool and beach area, are P100 for adults and P50 for children. Spacious cottages are available for P500, but we're on a budget so lunch under a tree is good enough for us!


     But we also spent some time swimming in the salty water and touching a couple of starfishes! We also loved the hut that floats in the middle of the water. (Visitors may use the floating huts for free!)

    
     Unfortunately, we can't pitch our tents here so we walked on white sands, soaking in the beauty of this place, to the other end of the shore. Luckily, we found a good deal for two nights (P300) in Lower Bongol White Beach, where we set up our temporary homes and kitchen.  The resort offers cottages for P350, room for P750/ P1500 for the whole 2-bedroom house for an overnight stay, but thanks for the tents, we skipped those too!


     While my husband and I were ready to cap this day with ice-cold tuba(P30/bottle), James and Adam started their "down time" drawing. They made friends with the kids who live in the neighborhood of the resort by talking about their common interest in cartoons characters and superheroes. Later on, some of the other kids showed them a dead sea snake, locally called "kambal sirena", and invited them for a boat ride. In the picture below, you can see a boat or "banka" driven and loaded with boys only 10 and below. They were singing and laughing as they enjoy their own adventure, thanks to our tuba, we can relax with calm nerves, while watching them from a distance.



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