Basked in Baler

Hello folks! Summer is just around the corner and since I will not be having any summer breaks this year, Kel and I decided to hit the beach a little earlier than usual. I wanted to go to Pagudpod this year but we needed to cut on our budget because we still have the tuition and other clerkship-related fees to pay. Anyway, we went to Baler, Aurora instead.

Baler is known for its surfer-friendly waves and historical sites. Our 2-day stay is quite short, so never had the chance to visit the other coral-rich beaches. *sniffs

We stayed at Bayler-View, a beach-front hotel along Sabang. Our room was equipped with A/C, cable TV, hot and cold shower, wifi and a queen-sized bed. There’s only one thing I always look for a hotel room that wasn’t there though, a hair dryer. Haha!

We had our dinner at their restaurant by the beach. We tried their tuna carbonara, all-meat pizza, chicken barbecue and ube-pandan shake. They served complimentary breakfast the following morning, too!

Since both Kel and I cannot swim, we weren’t able to try surfing so we just watched these men. Yeah, we’re absolutely losers because September to March are the best time to surf on the beaches of Baler. 

 

We had lunch at one of Baler’s must-dine places—Gerry Shan’s place. For only Php 185 (mind you, we only paid Php 60 for Nathan), you get to eat all you the viands you can. I say their pork sisig is the tastiest—reminds of that pork sisig in Dapitan Kel’s brother introduced us to. Their pork liempo and salted egg are my fave, too. But nevertheless, all the foods were really tasty at that reasonable price. 

After lunchtime, we decided to visit the Museo de Baler. The museum was located at the center of Quezon Park, where a statue of former president Manuel L. Quezon sits. It was built, through the help of Sen. Eduardo Angara, for Balereños to recollect their past and also for us, Filipinos, to commemorate our history with much pride.

 

The museum was a 2-floor housing dedicated to the spectacle that was Baler. It was filled with artifacts and murals of the Spanish Galleon trade, the Siege of Baler (in which the plot of the movie Baler was based from), the Franciscan missionaries and Baler’s heroes painted by local artist Sherwin Paul Gonzales.

Below is a replica of Pres. Quezon family’s old nipa hut found a few steps from the museum’s vicinity. There were a few photos inside which we were not able to take a picture of because the house had become a souvenir shop instead.

A few steps from it is Quezon’s restored presidential car enclosed in a glass room. The car’s pretty well-groomed and tourists are not allowed to get inside.

Our last stop was Ermita Hill Park where a scenic view of the bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Sabang beach can be seen. Today, it looks to me like a picnic place for families and tourists as well. We climbed a good 258 steps to the cross above the hill which we think was meant for Stations of the Cross. The path leading to the cross was surrounded by really huge trees.

At the bottom of the hill was a statue built in memory of the 7 families (including Sen. Angara’s family) who survived the tragic tromba marina (a.k.a.tsunami) in December 1735 that literally washed away the entire town of Baler.

Truly Baler is a quiet town with a rich treasury of memories. And I hope to get back really soon (after I learn how to swim). Hehe.

P.S.

I’d like to share with you a link this lovely article writted by Sen. Edgardo Angara for his hometown, Baler.