I can’t believe that we’ve been on the Lakbay Norte bus for seven days now; time seems to be zooming as fast as our bus over the asphalts of these northern roads.

Our seventh day started at Microtel Tarlac. We wolfed down a traditional breakfast of dangits, maling, adobo, eggs and fried rice before proceeding to our jungle training at Subic. The trip from Tarlac City to Subic took two and a half hours, most of which we spent sleeping. Days of non-stop eating was taking its toll on us haha.

The group was greeted by Aetas led by Kuya Kasuy as we proceeded through the graveled path for the jungle survival demo. Using only bamboos and a machete, he demonstrated how one can cook a complete meal in the jungle without the use of modern apparatuses. After thirty minutes or so, he then led us through the Pamulaklakin Forest Trail for a few more survival tricks.

A banquet across a clear stream was our reward for our walk, which really was not that hard, we really just love to eat! Feasting on fried crispy tilapia, sweet chicken tocino, sinigang na hipon and mechado with bamboo-cooked rice and ensaladang mangga with my bare hands in the middle of a forest with a crystal clear brook just a few feet away was simply fantastic.

An hour later and our bus parked in front of The Ritz Tropical Spa in Subic. When we’re not eating or sleeping, we at Lakbay Norte also do strenuous heart-racing stuff and it’s finally time to soothe our stressed muscles!
We undressed, showered and plunked down the clean beds inside the colorfully eclectic cottages of The Ritz.

Every knots and tangles of my muscles were smoothed down; I tried so hard not to fall asleep through the Swedish massage, wanting to savor every soothing strokes of my masseuse. But alas, all good things must come to pass, and after an hour we were led out of the room. We stewed at the sauna a bit before dressing up again.
Through the scenic SCTEX drive to our dinner, we discovered Pinoy Henyo. Everyone was bowling over with laughter as we careened through the smooth road, our bus cutting through the twilight.
It was fully dark when we arrived at Mimosa Golf and Country Club’s The Veranda for our dinner, chowtime once again!

The evening was concluded very late at room 3402 at Widus Hotel and Casino at Pampanga.

We guzzled bottles of beer and opened some crackers and Yakisoba’s for pulutan.  Everyone was screaming their lungs out playing Pinoy Henyo and the posh suite was really getting rowdy. We were afraid that we might get reported, so we tuned it down a bit, using only hand signals to play the game. It was a riot haha!
The classic Truth or Dare capped the night and I hope everyone was already too drunk to remember all the naughty things that got revealed inside room 3402.

I can’t recall what time I plopped down my bed. My head spiraled down to sleep immediately; boarding time was only a few hours away.  
 

   L A K B A Y   N O R T E   3   S E R I E S

   ON THE ROAD: LAKBAY NORTE 3 CAVING AT NORZAGARAY & BASS FISHING AT PANTABANGAN DAM
   TOPLOADING & WHITEWATER RAFTING AT KALINGA | SHOOTING LANDSCAPES & SURFING AT THE BLUE LAGOON
   PADDLE BOARDING & BIRDWATCHING AT PAOAY | HIKING AT HOLCIM’S ECOTRAIL & AIRSOFT AT BAGUIO COUNTRY CLUB 
   RIVER CRUISE AT DAGUPAN & GO KARTING AT TARLAC | JUNGLE SURVIVAL, SPA TIME & PINOY HENYO AT SUBIC
   PUNING’S HOT SPRINGS & LUBAO’S PRADO FARM
   HOW I JOINED LAKBAY NORTE 3 LAKBAY NORTE 3! | PICKED 4 LAKBAY NORTE 3!

   LAKBAY NORTE IS AN ANNUAL MEDIA FAMILIARIZATION TOUR AROUND NORTH LUZON 
   ORGANIZED BY NORTH PHILIPPINES VISITORS BUREAU