[February 2015]
After doing touristy things around town, our activity the next day (my most dreaded one) was surfing!
Baler is known for the great waves of its oceans, that's why it's very nice to do surfing here. There are lot of locals along the beach willing to offer surfing lessons. We chose the one we saw near the Aliya Surf Resort.
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| Jo and Krishan registering for the one-hour surfing lesson! |
As we were all beginners, it was the instructor who paddled the board on the water towards the part where they think the waves were forming. We were already on the board as they paddled it further from the shore. They will then turn the board around with us facing the shore. They will wait for the wave to come. On the right timing, they will push the board forward and then shout to you the commands. You should be able to do the correct positions as fast as possible after the command was given (i.e. get ready, stand on the board) Else, the wave will just ripple away and you won't be able to surf on it.
This is one of my most terrible experiences in the ocean. :( To start, I don't know how to swim, which was the worst part actually, so I was really afraid of moving further from the shore. The moment my feet cannot touch the ocean floor anymore, I panicked. Second, I had a hard time balancing myself on board. Third, I cannot lift myself up to stand up on the board. (✖╭╮✖)
In short, my attempt to surf was a major failure. I was panicking all the time, and almost always, I fell off the board and got engulfed by the waves (and sometimes being hit by the board) while being swept to the shore. Good thing there were no major injuries. That was the moment I swore to myself that I need to be physically active so that the next time I would be in Baler, I willl be able to conquer the waves!!!!
After the lessons, we just walked along the shore while talking about our experiences during the lessons.
After the lessons, we just walked along the shore while talking about our experiences during the lessons.
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| Still smiling after being engulfed by the waves after surfing. :)) |
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| For sure these kids know how to swim. #bitter |
We felt hungry then so went for a hearty lunch (to comfort myself from that tragic experience) at Baler Surfer Grill!
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| That's some good-looking meat being grilled! #mouthwatering |
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| my order |
After that wonderful lunch, we went sight-seeing again for a bit along the shore.
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| surfing lessons in action |
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| surfing buddies :D |
We then grabbed some snacks at Aliya Surfing Resort because we got hungry again after walking for a bit. And of course when travelling, never say no to the urge for food!
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| This photo is making me want to grab some potatoes again! |
After satisfying our cravings, we went emo again and just walked leisurely alongside the seashore.
Krishan and Jo were actually into the idea of doing another go on surfing (they both did a great job during the lessons). Uh, I just said I can't because I'm still having post-traumatic experience from the ocean because I told them I'm tired.
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| man-made sea wall that was destroyed by previous typhoons |
We just then decided to sit down on one spot by the ocean at the front of the Aliya Resort and did people watching. As the sun went down, more people arrived to go swimming in the ocean. We saw these guys surf, and they were fantastic!
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| This is how you surf, people. :p |
Hunger hit us again, so we went and bought some popcorn from the street vendors that we saw along the bay.
Soon after, the sun went down and it was dark already. So it was dinner time! We ate at the Hungry Surfer restaurant.
It looked like a restaurant in the US actually. I liked the theme and the layout of the place, especially the surfboard chairs!
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| blurry photo! (this is the best I could make out of this photo) |
The moon was out that night and it was nice to see the moonshine on the surface of the ocean.
Some stars were visible. I tried capturing them with my camera.
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| post-processed to make the stars more visible in image |
That's how our day went. Kind of disappointing on my part coz I failed to learn how to surf.. :( Next time, Baler, next time. I will do my preparations (learn how to swim, become fit!) to become successful in surfing!
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