Aguila Resort - Back to Anilao, Batangas

The last time I was at Anilao was 3 years ago with my officemates and it was around during this time of the year. This was at the Vistamar Beach Resort. It was very very memorable because for the first time, I learned how to confidently tread water. It wasn't the eggbeater kick. It was a frog kick - but still treading just the same.

I suppose learning to tread water is a huge milestone for a REAL swimmer's life. Practically, beginning swimmers learn to swim first before learning to tread water.

In other words, swimmers in general learn to move in the water first before learning to stay still in the water. My analogy of it is like a baby learning to walk first before learning how to stand.

Anyway, assembly time was at 5:30am at DH's office. Pugs, one of the designated conveyors (aka "drayber") overslept and came roughly an hour later.

Here's a pic of the impatient bunch whose excitement was slowly turning into anger by the minute. Of course, they had to show smiling faces for this photo-op though.


There was road construction over at Lipa and so taking the route of Star Tollway was not recommended. We went through the Lemery route. Along the way, we passed by Fantasy World and so had to stop for a photo-shoot ala Majika.


Here's the place. First order of the day was to setup the grill for ihaw-ihaw. We had lots or pork barbecues and hotdogs. Here's me setting up the charcoals. Corz I've got DH "assisting" me.


This is the ihaw-ihaw area. The only dried leaves we could get were dried coconut leaves. It was a challenge.


Chow time. We had pork barbecue, hotdogs, rellenong bangus (yummy!), CPA (chicken-pork adobo), mangoes, salted eggs with tomatoe and bagoong. Wow, buuurrrp!


Pugs and company were able to get a boat ride for Php1,500 haggled down from Php1,800. There were 15 of us and so we took 2 boats.




Initially, I was hesitant to join coz I've taken a boat ride before at a previous outing to Anilao. And I thought it was the same. Was I wrong! And fortunately I decided to go ahead with the boat ride group. It's an experience I'll never forget.


Here's our banca going to the Fish area. It was a little past noontime and the sun was beating on us hard. Apparently there are well known spots (to the bankeros, that is) where the beautiful fishes stay to feed.


Here's shot of other boat where Pugs and the other girls rode in.


DH and I. My face looks whitish, almost like espasol, because of the sunscreen lotion I put on. It was really hot.


When we got to the Fish area, the excitement seem to have stopped. Everyone in our boat was quiet. I had to say "let's go" because nobody seemed to want to be first in the water.




And then DH volunteered to go first. Ahhh, such courage I thought. Or was it just pure excitement that made her volunteer? I actually imagined that the other girls didn't have this "going into the water" item as part of the agenda!


Here's DH hanging by the outrigger. Can you see how clear the water is? I'd guess we're in 10 feet deep water. The goggles really do help a lot.



Here's me without a vest, just treading water while DH struggles with her vest. I suppose I've got too much body fat to keep me afloat, eh? I realized I didn't need to do freestyle because I was so buoyant, head-up breast and sculling was so easy.


Here's me doing the eggbeater kick furiously to keep me afloat as I raise both forearms out of the water.


We didn't have any bread in our banca since Pugs got all the bread in theirs. And so I swam towards THEIR banca doing the sidestroke. It was easy and felt really good coz of the seawater's buoyancy. Initially I got a single slice from Emma J. Later on, I came back to get 5 slices more from Lyn's sister.


Here's a happy group all excited after seeing and feeding the fishes. The fishes really do bite on the bread while you hold it.

We saw blue-green and yellow with black stripes fishes. It was a wonderful experience.


This is our return trip. Everyone was so happy and after that long treading and swimming, I didn't mind the heat anymore. Besides, it was already 3pm.




Somebody commented that they felt heavy getting on board the boat after the snorkeling. Although they thought that it was the water clinging to their clothes, my conclusion is that we've been in the water too long that we felt very light in it. So when we got out, we suddenly "felt heavy".


DH is playing with the water by sticking her hand and fighting the drag. See how fast we were going by the splash on the outriggers? The bankero was bragging they had a 16-hp motor. Ummm, okay. DH's outfit looks really cool, don't you think so?


When we got back, DH and I took time swimming near the shore and she felt the sensation of floating that's almost treading. I told her to imprint that sensation, that feeling of being afloat so she could replicate that in the pool. That'll be the first step to learning to tread water.




I still managed to eat after our swim and after a few more minutes, we showered, packed up and had a short pictorial on the way out.

That's after I shooed away a bunch of foreigners (Vietnamese?) who were whiling their time hogging this picture spot. Nice.


Here's a map to Aguila Beach Resort in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas.


You can get more info on the place by visiting their website at: http://www.aguilabeachresort.com.



Go ahead, post your comment below!

BatangasNgaun said...

nice pic parang sa para sa mga balete beach resort lng