Posts Tagged ‘Aurora’
Have you ever tried drinking a nice cold beer while the salty spray of the Pacific Ocean touches your skin? Or listened to sweet mellow acoustic rendition of Bob Dylan’s songs while having a feast of the wide blue sea slowly lurking in the setting sun?
- Bay’s Inn Acoustic in Baler, Aurora
Have a night cap at the Bay’s Inn Acoustic in Baler, Aurora and you will find out what I mean. This cool bar is located just a few meters from Sabang Beach, the surfing shore of Aurora. A four-hour drive from Pampanga will take you to the Pacific Ocean’s rim in this part of Luzon.
- Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo and Chito Arceo at the Bay’s Inn Acoustic
Fresh ocean breeze, sweet people and affordable everything are your best friends in Baler, Aurora. Although the place does not steam with luxurious hotels and restaurants, a cozy bar away from the hustle and bustle of Angeles City and Manila will surely give you a rejuvenating experience! (Story and photos by Mini A.)
Giant trees that look like Gimilinas line up from Ma. Aurora to Baler. But unlike your typical paper trees, these giant trees are covered with pink flowers from the stems to the crown. And unlike the cherry blossoms of Japan, these trees grow big and wild and they are endemic to Aurora.
Our recent trip to the province gave me a whole new experience because for the first time, I was there in time with the flower season when everything blooms, from the grass to the century-old trees. And believe it or not, Aurora tops my list of provinces with the most beautiful flora and fauna. Most of theirs are flowering trees. Another variety that looks like Gimilina has flowers that resemble to a giant Gumamela but the flowers are more firm, colored and shaped.
Ornamental plants in Aurora
In a brief talk with Sen. Ed Angara (we stayed in his place Dicasalarin Beach in Baler), he said the giant trees with gumamela-like flowers are often used for violin-making. He said their wood is soft but rubbery. The senator’s place is paradise. A crystal clear creek which waters come from the mountain springs runs around Dicasalarin, meandering and merging at last at the open sea right in the shore of the Angara private beach. Of all the years I have been to beaches, the Angara’s is the only beach with fresh water. So the water is not salty, making it the best swimming place ever because you can enjoy the swim and the glorious view of the Pacific Ocean.
The Angara Private Beach (left). Fresh water merge at the open sea in Dicasalarin Beach, Baler (right).
The mystic Baler
Magnificent. Exciting. Mystic. That is Aurora. Baler’s rock formations at Barangay Cemento are sceneries to behold. The fierce waters from the number of falls in Baler are surprisingly therapeutic. And I love the mornings at the Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) inn for you will see the grandeur of Baler and its shoreline while sniffing fresh scent of pine trees and flowers all over the ASCOT mountains. I hope you guys can visit Aurora. Believe me, you will not regret it. From Clark to Baler, the trip is only five hours. I will be there again soon. (Story and photos by Mini A.)
Pacific Rocks
Magnificent rock formations
