Look at JC. Hahaha. What a dork.

April 12, 2015

I consider it a great luxury to travel with one's family.

By family, I mean the conventional sense - those related to you by blood. As we all know, consanguinity does not always equate to family.

Going back, it's always great when you get to go on a trip with your parents and siblings. Well, in my case, my father, my Ate Ingrid and her family, and my youngest brother BJ.

It was the day after I returned from Northern Samar. Thus, I spent all of our journey to Laiya, Batangas asleep in the middle seat of the Adventure. I was exhausted.

Related Adventure: Too Much Awesomeness in One Place: Biri Rock Formations, Northern Samar

When we arrived in Laiya Coco Grove, I was impressed by how clean the shore is and how almost pure white the sands are. The sea seemed calm, and further out, a host of banana boats, jet skis, and outriggers zips across the water.

The sands were whiter in real life

The exact moment the "waterproof" pouch failed me.

After we had our lunch, we rented a boat to take us to a snorkeling spot. It took us twenty minutes before we found a good place to look at marine life.

My nephew RJ got cut out from the frame. Sorry,

I must say, the aquatic scene in Laiya is actually thriving. Although the water was less clear and the corals were not as impressive, I saw more fishes here than I did in Calaguas and Caramoan. We spent almost an hour swimming with schools of fishes. It cost us Php1,500 to rent the boat and it was good for 6 to 10 persons.

Next, we went on a banana boat ride. For Php300 per person, we sat on a blow-up banana and were dragged across the sea  Honestly, it wasn't as exciting as they deem it to be. Well, in fairness, we opte not to have any "drops" since my nephews are still considered children. Still, not as heart-thumping as I was expecting. It was a fun, don't get me wrong, just not as fun as a Space Shuttle ride in Enchanted Kingdom.

We're sooo ready!

It was fun but not adventurous enough

I wanted it to go faster.

We saved the best for last, though. We went parasailing. My nephew JC and I teamed up to become a kite for a day. It felt great to be sailing through the wind, the whole expanse of the sea hundreds of feet below you. The cost of this adventure is Php1,500/pax.

Family pic in the speedboat

My flying partner JC

Oooh, the vastness.

We went so high, I started to feel sick. But the view was so beautiful, it made up for the queasiness. Birds are lucky.

YEAAAHHH!!!

Bird's eye view

I didn't notice how long we've been flying, but it sure felt like a long time. And I mean that as a compliment. I could get used to that view.

Slowly, we descended to the speed boat and

It's my brother BJ and my nephew RJ's turn.

Triple threat: My brother-in-law Kuya Ricky, my nephew JM, and my Ate Ingrid

I mentally checked off another bucket list item! 

Cheers to the next adventure!

Laiya Coco Grove