Motorcycle Philippines

(Note to readers:  Please click on any highlighted/underlined words to view pictures…)

This is a ride report of our journey to Baler, Aurora province on November 2 and 3, 2006 by six off-road eco-torrorist (ay tourist pala, ehehe). 

Baler is renowned for the fine scenic beaches and a venue to one of the best places to surf due to the strong waves which abound the shorelines.  Plus, it has some well-kept secret gems too (more on this later).

There are many things to do while in Baler.  Here, one can splurge on the urge to take a dip in surfing (as in real high waves).  There are some shops where you can rent out a surf board.  But we didn’t bother asking around though for it was not really our intention that time (maybe next time). 

We went to a lot of cool places like the PAGASA Weather Radar Station and were treated with a hilltop scenic view of the whole coastline.  After having lunch we then visited the historical Baler Church, this is the site where the last Spaniards held their final stand.  Our last leg of the tour was to see the multi-century old BALETE Tree which is so wide that it would take about 60+ people standing side by side to complete the whole circumference width. 

Being there in Baler is pleasurable enough, but it is usually only half the fun; because for real off-road enthusiasts like us, getting there and going out is where the real excitement exist.  Baler maybe somewhat a sleepy town (no fast-food chains, no theaters, well some Code1 sites maybe…), but the roads leading to and from Baler can awaken the Dirt-loving spirit hidden beneath oneself… The backroad/fireroad type highways of Baler are truly one main reason to accomplish the trip. 

Case in point is that once you get past after the turning point at Cabanatuan City and Palayan city, the national highway (Bongabon-Villa route) heading in and out of the town of Baler is well, not quite suitable for slick-tire equipped automobiles like city sedans, Mommy driven vans, or any low ground clearance vehicles.  Pickups, SUVs, Buses and six-wheeler plus trucks are the ones mostly plying the thoroughfare.

Well for our aspiring underbone/scooter brethrens, it would be highly possible to go the route with some modifications and a sheer determination, along with a high dose of patience and caution.  Otherwise, one might encounter an unexpected wheelie experience with both tires in the air (hello, prof. ER…J ). 

Although quite honestly, it’s not as much fun as blasting away aboard a Dirtbike in the rough, gravel filled, sometimes mud infested, landslide prone, mountain high twisties paradise on this eastern side of Babylon…. Imagine riding on more than sixty kilometers of pure dirt roads with a huge amount of twists and turns thrown in for a complete adrenaline fix…Aaaahhh, definitely dirt heaven indeed!

The place we stayed at is the famous establishment known as BAY’s Inn which has a nice beach front, a reasonable rate and functional rooms for weary travelers and one of the best places to have dinner. 

Incidentally, we just found a new reason to come back again, a secret gem, a precious Ruby at that, we like to call as “DARNA DE BALER”!  Oh the beauty of the Philippines is really shining through! 

We thanked the heavens for being cooperative and not splurging down its tears upon us during our journey.  Also, we’d like to appreciate all the concerned citizens who provided a “bayanihan” service to us at one point wherein only two riders were able to succeed in taming the wild, stone-filled, ravaging river crossings, while the rest of us either had to learn how to swim or get carried away… Oh how much fun indeed!!

With regards to travel time, we left Manila, particularly Shell Emerald along Ortigas by 8am, reached Cabanatuan city by 12noon for lunch, touched down the rough roads in Bongabon by 1:38pm, reached the Nueva Ecija-Aurora border by 2:58pm, crossed the wild rivers of Villa by 3:49pm and then arrived at Bay’s Inn at 7:07pm.  So it took us about eleven (11) hours seemingly of travel time but it was really around six (6) hours of riding for we had some five (5) hours for eating, sightseeing, and other unexpected events that added up.  On the way back home, we just took the Pantabangan dam route via Maria Aurora which was actually a longer way but much more refined and less prone to “mishaps”…. (Wink, wink!)

Throughout the whole trip, all 400+ kilometers of it, we came across some bumps and humps on the road which gave us a lot of full grin smack on our faces and at the same time a learning experience to remember by in years to come, and the fine points of which I’ll leave alone to my concerned fellow riders to give further details about, if they do so wish to at all…!

CHEERS!!

The Riders:

LARS—Honda BAJA 250

EMPOY—Honda XR200

BOTCHOK—Honda XR200

MATADOR4X—Honda XR200

ALCO—Yamaha DT125X

OBIJUAN—WR450F (w/ trainer wheels)