westkm111riders: November 2004

welcome to BaLeR, aUrOrA pRoViNcE

our BALER, AURORA travel tour

this beautiful view is why we've come here... enjoy the beauty of Baler, Aurora province

Date: Sept. 6 Day: Monday day-1Take off time: 3:00 amMeeting place: my homeTotal of riders: 8 persons (6 boys & 2 girls)Total of vehicle/motorbike: 6 (Honda XRM-110cc)Time of arrival in Baler: 11:00 am

My short story of what happen to us going to Baler, Aurora… the most memorable journey I’ve ever had in my whole life and hoping this accident will never happen to any of us or to me again… we cannot predict accident … anyway, we must go on and I would like to thank our dear LORD that I’m still here and making this pages for you to read and see lots of photos I’ve taken.

Day 1: Sept. 6 (Monday)We leave early morning Sept. 6 around 3am here; we are 8 riders but only 6 motorbikes all in all. Anyway, so we have to be in Baler before lunchtime… Our 1st stop is Cabanatuan City for our refilling of petrol.I was very excited about this journey since we’ve been planning this since last June…now here we are… I was so sleepy in the middle of our journey but I make it a point that I’m full awake so I won’t miss all the beautiful view where pass by going to Baler, Aurora. All of the sudden when we are in Palayan, Nueva Ecija, my husband and I had an unexpected accident, we had a flat tire in the middle of the cement highway on the said town.

Thank God!!! Nobody was passing by then (since it was very early morning around 6:30am). Accidentally I was throw out from our motorbike due to pressure or impact of the flat tire (‘coz we are moving a little bit fast because the road is all clear 70 kilometers per hour) and I was rolled over 2x… hola! Next thing I know I was lying in the middle of the highway. My husband was asking me “Are you okay?” and then I said, “Yes, I’m fine!” Everybody was in commotion and asking me the same question. When I saw that my husband was okay, it was then that I feel fine and telling everybody I’m okay so I stood up on my own but first I’m checking myself if I had any broken bone due of the accident. It was then that I’ve felt I had few little scratches from my both knee, right ankle and left shoulder but nothing serious with my head since I wear helmet…(if I don’t? I don’t what will happen to me then). So, they change our flat tire and our friend Al, took care of my scratches then. After 30 minutes that everything is all right we move again (I don’t want to spoil our plan and vacation due of my accident). And told that we have to go on ‘coz we already been delayed for a few minutes and we have a long journey to make it to Baler.

one of our stop over before proceeding our journey... breakfast time

In the middle of our journey, we had our 2nd stop at Bo. Ilyang, San Luis. We had our small breakfast since we have 2 hours more of travel before reaching the town of Baler. Our breakfast is pork barbeque, coffee, water and ham sandwich (which we brought in case someone get hungry in the middle of our journey).

rough, muddy and narrow roads with water streams traveling before reaching Aurora Province

When you pass by the rough, muddy, dusty and narrow road of Aurora, you will saw that this secluded area has a small nipa houses and stream of water coming from the mountain of Sierra Madre along the highway. You will see here some of the photo I’ve taken while passing by the road (even though I’m injured I still make it a point to took pictures of what I saw here).

you have to passby Sierra Mountain range before reaching Baler

Along the way when I saw all the beautiful and scenic beauty of the mountain of Sierra Madre, all pain I felt were all gone .

From Bataan, we have to passed by San Fernando & Arayat, Pampanga; Nueva Ecija which include Gapan City, Cabanatuan City, Palayan City and Bongabon that is our last stop of Nueva Ecija then we have to cross Sierra Madre Mountain range the total of 54 km of rough, narrow and muddy road then 10 km cement road of San Luis, Aurora before reaching the Baler, Aurora town proper.

Aurora Province boundary

At 8:12 am, we are already in the boundary line of Aurora province. The cloud is bluish and the wind blows heavily to us… we thought its going to rain but it’s naught. You’ll going to feel and smell the forest that surrounds you.

When you reach the low land you will saw lots of coconut trees and rice field on the road. This is their main agriculture product and what they harvest.

Sabang Beach

By 11:00 am we are in Barrio Sabang of Baler, Aurora that is our main/ last stop (since this is the place we’re the oceans lay and the place we’re we going to stay for 1 night stay).

this is Bahia de Baler view and restaurant

A nipa hut style hotel... we're we stayed for overnight

We rented a room at Bahia de Baler. They had a nipa hut house, they had air-conditioned room and clean linen and bathroom.After we’ve check-in and arrange our sleeping arrangement. We ordered our lunch food in the restaurant, which is in front of our rented nipa hut rooms. After lunch we decided to rest a little so finally I fall asleep for 2 hours. Then when we woke up and everybody is ready we explore the market, we bought slippers, personal necessities (I bought oral medicine and medicine for my scratches) that we need and small pasalubong (gift) for home. You can see here the place where you can buy their entire native local product made of Sabutan plant and hand painted t-shirts, hand painted picture in the stone and lot more for souvenirs. I bought native or recycle hand fan, recycle notepad, simple printed t-shirt and painted stone w/ a boy surfing. I feel bad that I didn’t buy the hand painted t-shirt because I already had one for my son. Cause the t-shirt has a good quality and will last longer than the one I bought. Anyway, I had plenty of souvenir photos of Baler and memories and I think that’s enough for me.After we explore the town market, we go back to our rented nipa hut room. Some relaxed inside the room. Some go to the beach to have a short swim since diner time is coming. I can’t go swimming since I had scratches on my body so what I did is took picture of the place and the ocean itself.

We ate diner exactly 7pm at the restaurant in front our place. We had 3 main dish and plenty of rice ‘coz boys had big appetite from girls.By 9pm I was so sleepy and had a body ache due to my accident so I slept early from most of them. My other companions explore the town and bought San Miguel and have a 2 bottle each.

sunrise in Baler at Sabang Beach

Day 2: Sept. 7 (Tuesday)I woke up around 7am, felt good and no ache at all. So I woke up everybody to get ready and should ate breakfast in the restaurant. Our breakfast is already waiting with us. Here we had fried rice, egg with pork tocino (pork marinated w/ sugar)/ longanisa/ fried bangus fish together with coffee and Ice (cold) Tea.My husband and 2 of our companions was already awake by 5:30 am and took pictures of Sunrise. Since we are on the east there is no sunset in Aurora just sunrise. Take a look on my travelogues of my sunrise picture of Sabang, Baler.