La Union, April 2016

San Juan, La Union – a veritable surf town, a paradise for backpackers, and a very accessible getaway for those who want to ride waves, relax, and slow down time for a little bit, for a little while, or forever.

It wasn’t hard to understand why so many people I know (friends, co-workers, people I stalk on Instagram) have fallen hard for this place. On the weekend we headed there, the swell was barely present, but we managed to get a couple of hours of lazy waves. Next time, we’ll make sure to check out those wave forecast websites. 

It was my first time to try learning surfing and I am happy to report that I managed to stand up and keep my balance for more than a few times (my goal was to do it once!) and I would’ve wanted to do it all day if the sea didn’t flatten down. My shoulders and stomach are still slightly achy but it’s this kind of post-adventure pain that I’m slowly getting addicted to.

We stayed at a beachfront hotel which was right smack in the middle of all the flurry of lessons and sunset photos and board rentals, but there are also other hostels and homestays where you can get a bed for less than P1000 a night. To complete the introductory itinerary we had dinner at Tagpuan, which I recommend because it is delicious and crazy affordable (the best pares for P90 only), s’mores, skillet cookies, and horchata at El Union Coffee, and the next day, lunch at Flotsam and Jetsam before heading home. And in between endless photos, jokes, and reminiscing about high school life and questioning our current status and mulling over where we want to head next, yes, we were able to slow down time for a little while.

All photos taken with a Samsung Note 5 and edited with the VSCO app