Beach! with IOM 2007 Fellows

After two weeks of lectures and field production, we took the Mekong fellows to the beach. We went to La Luz Beach Resort in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. This is an especially precious experience for them, since living in a landlocked country, many have not yet even seen, let alone swam in the sea.

The beach was not very comfortable, though. There were many sharp boulders and rocks. The sand was not fine, and hurts it when you walk. We also played volleyball, but couldn't make the most of it because the sand was blistering hot and rough. However, the beautiful and colorful fish swimming near the shore more than made up for this. You don't need to go very far from the shore to see schools of fishes feeding from corals. Inexperienced swimmers won't have a hard time too, because large boulders can serve as anchors and rest areas.

Beachfront

Lolo Phet from Laos

Towards the end of the day, most of our group had a massages in the cabanas by the beach. And just before leaving, I led a relaxing stretching session. There's really nothing compared to the fresh sea air, and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks in the distance. Whew!

We capped the night with a bulalo dinner at Rose and Grace's restaurant in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Yummy!

By the end of the day, our backs were burned, our feet were slashed in different small places, tired from the long trip back to the city, but our hearts are filled with sweet memories of the sea. Till next year!