ZAMBALES TRIP

Instead of the usual bowling gimik for the engineering department's outing, we headed to Masinloc, Zambales for an unforgettable fun-filled and adventure-packed summer getaway.

Pareng Mike is the one responsible for this getaway. Last month, we planned this trip but wasn't able to push through because some persons are not available during the scheduled dates. Pareng Mike, is not an engineering staff by the way. And so do I. Pareng Mike handles the Finishing Dept., while i was just officially transferred to Cost Management Section under Manufacturing Dept three days ago. Pareng Mike owns a rest house in Zambales, and he is very willing enough to take us into a trip specially under the expense of the company's allocated budget for the departmental outing. And of course, my engineering boss included me in the department's budget, because additional headcount meant additional budget :D

So we left the company friday evening. Armed with digicams, psp, cellphones, foods and truckloads of clothes and other accessories, the Trooper was set to stroll us in a faraway place unknown to us.

The dinner we had at Goodtime Sunshine in Pampanga was able to pacify our grumbling stomachs as we headed north. As they were all watching the film Waterworld, i was seated comfortably watchin' the freakin' killings on the movie Rambo on my psp. Blood splattering everywhere. People dying every now and then. Bomb exploding. Houses burning. World crisis. Must have been real damn hard my emotions were kinda stirred up. When i heard Rambo saying "You live for nothing, or die for something"...... I've to pause the film and reflect on the things that i have done in my life. If you die fighting for something, then you die for a reason. Live and there is no rhyme or reason for it, then what have you left in your life? What have you lived for? Nil. It's better to fight and die for what you believe in, than to live and die for nothing...

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1230am. At the comfort of Mike's Rest house in Masinloc, Zambales, we were finally able to recharge our energy, to be able to conquer the best experience we could have come next day.

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We storm the island Magalawa come Saturday morning. Magalawa Island is about a quarter of an hour away from baranggay Masinloc by motorized boat. April meant real tremendously hot sun, i could feel it scorching my sunblock-coated skin as we sail off to the island. Good thing i always bring with me my orange umbrella (courtesy of Fukaya san), i was able to save some skin from being grilled.
The boatride exposed me to the wonders of the place, Islands here

and there, pristine waters for aquamarine life. I also spotted a Coal-fired thermal Powerplant nearby the market area of Masinloc, the third i have seen in my entire mechanical engineering life. (1. Calaca. 2. Sucat. 3. Masinloc. weeeeeee)






Magalawa Island has cream-white sands, real crushed corals with a slight mixture of common grey sand. Its clear waters is ideal for swimming. There is a small community on the island, about 150 families i guess. The east tip is where the good sandbar and swimming area is.

















The sand is a bit silty at the west side of the island. Lots of mangrove there. Dead leaves from the sea grass flourish a few meters from the shore.









































































































After bathin under the sun in this splendid island, we head back to the rest house and then proceeded to KIDZ Pool in Coto Masinloc, in the middle of a mining area operated by Benguet Corporation.-Masinloc Chromite Operation in Sitio Coto, Barangay Taltal, 27 kms away from the town proper.

It took us two hours of rough road trip before we reach this mountain valley over dirt roads and beautiful areas of trees and scrub interspersed with creeks and nearby waterfalls.

Kidz Pool offers a nature designed swimming pool overflowing with crystal- white cool spring water located neat the foot of a forest reserve. Enjoy also the view of the 20 feet Coto’s waterfalls that support the water needs. Explore different species of flora and fauna within the forest reserve.

I wasn't able to enjoy this waterfalls because back at the resthouse, i stepped over a bee in the restroom which left its sting on my left foot and caused me to be walking paralytically for a couple of hours. I just went on boating on the area, wanderin' through the shallow areas that are great for children to the diving board on the deep section which are great for advanced swimmers.










Im too lazy to finish this post. hays.

brb