The Christian Traveler goes to Subic (again)

My good friend Norgel just got back from the Middle East so we were bound to go somewhere again. Since our Sagada plan didn’t push through, I knew this one had to.

Good thing our other classmate J volunteered to create the itinerary. The plan was to stay at a resort in Barretto, then go to Ocean Adventure and Zoobic Safari.

Everything was planned by them so I didn’t have to do anything. Heaven. I took a leave on Friday night, so I could wake up early on Saturday morning.

And I did. I arrived at Jollibee Welcome at quarter to five, and no one was there yet. When they all arrived, we had to eat first, then left at around 6am. It was cool to see the twins because I haven’t seen them since January this year, when I had chicken pox. There were 10 of us. Wens, Norge, Bob, Kred, Kat, Kim, J, Myles, Darrell and the twins. Plus the driver, let’s call him Manong Gilbert.

We arrived at Subic around 9am, just in time for the first set of shows at Ocean Adventure. The ticket was at 550 bucks, for four shows. There was A Walk on the Wild Side, the dolphin show, a balancing act show and the sea lion show.

A Walk on the Wild Side featured a man who taught us how to survive in the wild. He was witty, so funny. He demoed how to create fire and how to cook rice/food. Then there were some trained animals ranging from snakes to birds to cats and dogs. Word of caution, never sit where a black bag is.

The next show was with the dolphins. It was a shame because we sat so far from the dolphins. And it was scorching hot so I didn’t enjoy it.

The balancing act featured Kenyans who I think don’t have any body fat. They were awesome but they were also scary when they shouted and looked at you. Do not sit close to the stage, please.

The sea lion show was probably what I enjoyed the most. We were a bit closer to the stage and the sea lions were really cute!

Hmm. I’ll attach the pictures here. I guess I’m not the Ocean Adventure type. Number one, it was really hot. The management should be mindful of how hot it is without any type of ventilation. Even the wind coming from the ocean was hot. That was really annoying. It’s a place for kids. It’s just nice that they had reminders to help save the environment.

At around two, we went to By the Sea resort. We got a really big room for 8000 bucks. The room can actually hold 20 people with ten beds. We had two bathrooms, but there was a mess hall that covered our view of the sea.

There was a sign that said they had an infinity pool, but it was just a pool without gutters. The shore was not that clean, sigh. So I didn’t swim. Just waded by the pool.

In the evening, we ate at a resto called Coffeeshop/Coffeehouse. Not sure. Okay, so their menu had “Home of Jumbo Tacos” but I didn’t see that. Hence, Wens and I ordered fish fillet, pork afritada and a soft taco. Oh my. That was a lot! The resto had an obvious love for bell peppers, which I liked. The taco was to die for. It wasn’t overkill, despite the size.

When we got back to the resort, we ate some ice cream. Well, one of the twins enjoyed it more than the other. *wink* It was just like high school all over again, with kids. Some slept, some played cards, some drank, some ate. It was a good feeling.

When we woke up, well, I woke up last, they were all swimming. I just spent a few minutes in the pool then we prepped to leave. Norge and Bob had to leave early, so I tagged along with them until Harbor Point so I can meet my cousin Angie and had lunch with her and my inaanak Myka at Yellow Cab.

After that quickie lunch, J brought us to Meats Plus. Oh my. That was good. When we got there, there was a waiting list and we were 15th. I guess it was worth the wait. I got an oven baked beef belly, and it was good. For 200 bucks? It was good. That day was Mother’s Day so the place was packed, but we got in only after 30 minutes. The staff was friendly, the washroom was clean, the place was homey, I guess overall, I had a good experience. And please, order The Bomb and the cheesecake. Heavenly.

Later on, we went to Zoobic Safari. Well, we had a lot of pictures taken. I really think it was more for kids and families. I wouldn’t necessarily go there alone. But it was okay. Entrance was at 520 bucks, discounted with SM Advantage Card. There was a lot of walking done. I don’t know. Seeing a lion and gators eat chicken was maybe the highlight of my day.

After that, we went to Royal Subic. I wish I had brought more money because I wanted to buy a lot of stuff. I ended up buying pudding, my favorite!

When we travelled home, we were all tired and it was a quiet ride. I guess I didn’t enjoy the places we went to, but the company was definitely the saving grace of this trip.