Newbie surfing in Baler

It's been raining non-stop here in Manila for the past three days. I'm bored and since I've been doing such a crap job at maintaining my blog, I figured it's about time I wrote about surfing in Baler.

We had our surfing lessons from Mahdox Surf Shop and School. I think the package is about Php 350 per hour including the instructor and surf board. We had to schedule it in the late afternoon since we went on an island trip so we had no chance to extend to two hours due to the sunset and no one really wants to attempt surfing in the dark. I do wish we extended, though. One hour is very bitin, if you ask me.

I was assigned a friendly instructor who covered all the basics on shore. I was in a panicky mood, having been dragged into this surfing fiasco by my friends. I had no plans of taking lessons, despite the Baler trip, and was very worried about getting bruises and scrapes. He was very, verrrrrrrrrrrry patient with me. 

I had a hard time dragging myself to the beach when it was time for our actual surfing lesson. To add to my distress about possibly hitting my face with the surf board, my instructor thought it was a genius idea to inform me about the swarm of jellyfish while I was gingerly walking into the water. Hence, this alarmed face.

On the bright side, the hysteria brought about by the jellyfish threat forced me to learn how to surf. I got to stand at my first attempt for fear of wiping out and falling into the jellyfish infested waters. I got huge bruises on my knees no thanks to my countless scrambles to climb onto the board whenever I wiped out. There was no way I was going to spend a couple of seconds submerged in the water with all those jellyfish.

Surprisingly, it was love at first surf. It was an exhilarating feeling I never thought I'd experience while standing on the board. I was prepared to hate surfing since I'm more of your paddleboarding and suntanning kind of girl. It was like an instant high whenever I'd get to stand on the board and reach the shore without falling off.

There is something so calming about riding the waves and paddling out onto the beach with your friends by your side. We have always been a noisy bunch and our surfing lesson was no exception. Despite the crowded sea and one crazy man attempting to catch jellyfish to throw us off, the whole experience was a blast with the girls.

Kudos to our instructors for having the patience and stamina to handle our group! We're definitely heading back to their surf school on our next trip to Baler.

You are now entering the stress-free zone of Baler

Ahhh, Baler. Whenever I used to think of this place, I pictured a sleepy, boring town full of hippie surfers. It has always been an underrated destination in my mind. I never cared for Baler. Mind you, I never cared about surfing, either. Both were on the bottom of my wanderlust and things to try lists.

However, sometimes life pushes you into situations which you reluctantly join with one foot out the door only to dive head and heart-first upon the first few minutes. Yes, folks--I accidentally fell in love with Baler and surfing!

My high school friends set up a last-minute end of summer trip with a van bound for Baler. Since I was on a beach-every-weekend streak for the month of May, I figured, why the hell not? A trip with the girls would be the best way to end my summer.

Baler's such a small town that everything feels like within walking distance (if you prefer to stay on the beach strip). It also has this quaint old-town laid-back charm that I haven't found elsewhere. In fact, on a scale of 1 to Puka Beach, I would say that Baler is right up there on my list of places where I want to do a la isla boheme lifestyle after my projected quarter-life crisis debacle. It's the perfect place to escape your twenty-something life, ain't it?

I love the smattering of art shops serving (presumably) awesome coffee and organic food. It's right up my hippie alley for when I leave my Manila life behind if things fall apart.

I'm also #sorrynotsorry that I fell in love with surfing, of all things. On our way to Baler, I kept telling my friends they can forget about me attempting to ride a surfboard because I would hate it if I bruised my knee or other body parts. Friends, I have never been so grateful to give in to peer pressure. There's nothing like standing up on a moving board cruising a (baby) wave to make you forget about life and its troubles.

I'll write more about my surfing shenanigans when I have the time. For the meantime, who wouldn't want to stay here? Everyone's in a flow-surf zen mode--which, incidentally, is why I enrolled myself in yoga classes! 

Sigh, Baler. I love the rustic charm of this beach town. I love the surfboards lying around everywhere. I love the locals' laid-back lifestyle. I love the lack of tourists. And yezzir, I can't wait to see this place again!