Pamarta Bali at Morong, Bataan

Every summer, my friends and I make it a point to go to a destination we haven't tried yet. This year, we decided on something a little bit closer to home since everybody has been to or has a booked trip to more popular places like Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Camsur, Sorsogon, Baguio, Subic, etc. Nica saw this resort online and thought we'd give it a try. It is, after all, famous for attracting thousands of turtles to lay their eggs here, of all places!

To get here, ride an Olangapo-bound Victory Bus and take Morong Gate. A scenic 45-minute ride through SBMA and places like Anvaya Cove will take you to Morong, Bataan.



Pamarta Bali is a small yet well-maintained and beautifully kept resort. They have a very attentive, courteous staff which responds within a minute to guest demands, an alert lifeguard and security guards and some groovy beach sounds installed all over the place. It is very clean. Entrance fee is P300, and cottages are Php1,300 for small nipa huts, P1,800 for big nipa huts, P1,000 for open cottages and P400 for tent areas.



This is the big nipa hut (P1,800) with 2 single (super narrow) beds and extra mattress good for 2

If you're pitching your own tent, prepare P400 

The only downer was that there were no air-conditioned rooms, which is kind of a must for me. I always look for that cool comfort of a full-blast aircon after a day of soaking in the sun and seawater. Well, on second thought, in the end it didn't matter cos we got drunk and passed out the moment we hit the sack, so sleeping concerns melted into obscurity.

They also do not have a resort restaurant. It's either you ask the nice lady at the neighboring resort to cook something up or bring your own food. We cooked all our meals and bought ingredients at the nearby Morong Public Market, a tricycle ride away. Pamarta Bali is equipped with cooking utensils, stoves, grills and freezers, so storing and preparing food is not a problem. They were kind enough to even lend us their plates when we ran out of paper plates.



This infinity pool is clean, and it doesn't hurt to open your eyes while swimming in it, unlike other pools where you get shocked by all the chlorine and germs!









Turtles love this beach



Compared to the bigger resorts, I liked the privacy and security of Pamarta Bali. There's no overcrowding and there's ample space to just chill, relax and swim.



Ang lakad na ito puno ng pakikipagharutan sa mga jowa. Hahaha. Sorry po sa walang partner.









The night swim was enjoyable









We camped by the beach with our favorite spirit, good old Mr Cuervo





Body shots na nakakasindak, nakakaaliw at nakakatindig-balahibo



Puro landian at kung anu ano pang milagro. Scroll up and down para malaman kung sino pinaka-harot na magjowa.



May plakda nung gabi



Hanggang umaga



Oh, by the way, someone proposed







And she accepted! Sweetness. They're gettin' married!



Inked couple. Cool.



Scarcity of chicks





"Island hopping" na wala namang isla, sa "white beach" kuno kami dadalhin. P120 a pop.



Muro-Ami fisherman

A blue starfish that survived 24 hours of dehydration



Here we are at the "white beach." We can see the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant from here. For some reason, I couldn't find my photos of it! Sayang. It was a highlight of the day for me.





After that, we headed to the Pawikan Sanctuary in Pawikan Beach. I thoroughly enjoyed this eco-conservation visit, I have never gotten so close to pawikans of substantial size, and more so, touch them! I loved the Philippine seaturtle. Trivia: Illegal possession of pawikans warrants a 12-year prison sentence. P20 entrance fee



They released 50,000 baby turtles last hatching season





And no, I did NOT kill this turtle











A hunchback turtle separated by a wire mesh because he kept attacking the other turtles in the pen







Thank you Lord, for the blessing of friends.



Ciao!

Bruno Mars for Bench

Last week, it was Ed Westwick for Penshoppe

Now Bench stepped up its game and got the hottest musicman in the planet today. Could it be who I think it is?

Bruno Mars for Bench! 

Taob si Chuck Bass....

PS. If you don't have Marc Nelson abs fit for a Bench endorsement, you just need to be this guy. Or Manny Pacquiao. Hehehe.

A Homecoming Party at Elements Bar and Lounge

Northerners, don't despair. The over abundance of grills and pubs and the lack of clubs in the Fairview area need not be a dilemma anymore. When you need your quick club fix, no need to go further into the city. 'Cos the party just moved to the suburbs.



Elements Bar and Lounge opens its doors in Pearl Drive, Fairview, Quezon City







We welcomed Texan Boy, Pat, to the loving bosom of good old Fairview.

The king came bearing gifts



Spinnin tunes at the DJ booth (epal lang)



I suck at femininity. Check out my pata vs. Pat's crossed legs.





Gossip girls



Mga kaututan ng friends ko



Lonely guys by the bar



Endless drinks we've lost count by 1 o'clock















Pray your parents doesn't see this Nica. :D



And after this baby, I had total "Hangover 2" moments I don't wish to remember I did.





The green fairy made me spill stuff on my shirt.

Welcome home, Patuti!

Beach Intervention

I found myself to be the center of criticism at a recent beach trip with a bunch of my friends. They were very concerned with my weight gain. They have been with me from my growing up years, my adolescence, my young adult life and my mid-20s, first-hand witnesses to how I evolved from a 135 pound 19 year old, to a 220 lbs pregnant woman, and finally a 210lbs postpartum body. Being the true friends that they are, they were not afraid speak their minds even if it meant hurting my feelings. They didn't baby me or let me bask in the comfort of lies. 

My family is not exempt to this. My parents know I thrive in intense physical activities. I am admittedly, a hyperactive kid who needed constant stimulation and an outlet to vent out all this pent up energy. I had a lot of sports--- swimming, softball, bowling and tennis. (But I loathed every minute of doing house chores because it bored the death out of me.) My parents told me that my size is going well out of proportions and I needed to do something before my husband leaves me for another woman.

Truth be told, I have a lot of things going on in my head that prettifying is not one of my urgent priorities.  I used to live in a world where missing salon appointments is a crime and I can shop at my own pace and carefully select my wardrobe with attention to the teeniest detail. In this world I had all the time to sit in front of a mirror and immerse in vanity. I can take long, leisurely baths everyday and I can just go out whenever I feel like it to watch a movie or go to a park to have unlimited "me" time.

My current reality is a far cry from this. Baths are 10 minutes TOPS. After breakfast, I shove the kids to the bath and I sneak my own when they're done soaking up my clothes with water. After that, I spend an hour in the kitchen to cook, an hour and a half to just feed three children simultaneously. Ten to twenty minutes to feed myself and finish everything before one of my children cries or fights or whatever menace they can make up. Then I clean up the house with toys all over the stairs, in the bedroom, in the living room and try to tidy up the house. When they finally settle down and take their afternoon nap only then can I face the scrubbing and washing of a mountain-load of pots, pans, plates, feeding bottles and clean the mess on, under and around the table and chairs in our dining room. Before I know it, one of them is already awake and will be asking for a milk bottle and this wake-up time in itself is already a signal for me to cook the afternoon snacks. When snack time is done, I clean up after the mess again and wash the plates and pans. Then, I take out the meat for defrosting in preparation for dinner. I spend the entire day working in front of the kitchen. There are times when I don't want to get up anymore and just wanted to sleep out the miserable feeling of being in front and around food all the time.

So, my friends went on an on about how I should hit the gym, do aerobics, get glutathione injections, slather lotions, do150 sit-ups a day, pluck my eyebrows, dress better... They poured every suggestion they can think of. Bottomline is they think I'm ugly and I need improvement. I love my friends and I have gone past getting hurt by my insecurities.

The curious thing is, I wasn't at all affected by the ridicule and criticism. I wasn't impressed because I have a different perception of what deserves to be branded as beautiful. But in that conversation, what stunned me is how I constantly found myself giving unending, ridiculous excuses as to why I am fat.

Here am I, a truly functioning human being but all people can see is the multiple layers of tires around my waist and my big fat arms. I felt challenged.