Calaguas Island Adventure - Swim and Hike Day

Day 2 - We woke up early at 4:30AM while most of the other guests were still asleep. We rushed to change into our swimming attires and took a walk on the shore hoping to get a glimpse of the sunrise.

Where dusk meets dawn

Good Morning Calaguas!

We walked and walked until we reached the end of the shore. Don't mind our bagong gising looks! We took the opportunity to take pictures everywhere haha it's not everyday that we get to see such wonderful view every morning!

Basically, we spent our first two hours swimming and trying out the skim board while waiting for breakfast. The use of skim board is free as part of the package but they only have one so we just had a brief moment with it as other guests were waiting to borrow it also. Early morning swimming gave me goosebumps! The water was awfully cold. The sea breeze made it even more chilly!

After breakfast, we changed into our hiking clothes. Hiking is also part of the tour package. We will traverse Tinago Hill as per Kuya Mark, our guide.

As far as I can remember, the hike took more or less 1 hour to go up and down. I was just wearing flip flops but thankfully the trail turned out to be okay than I expected.

 Tinago Hill in Pictures 

The Up hill trail - Almost there

The quiet, peaceful life

I want to wake up everyday with this view!

Seeing the rest of Mahabang Buhangin from the top

Going back to the beach proper

After hiking, we just ate lunch and prepared our things. We were scheduled to leave at 2PM. I can't believe how fast time flies! We just got there and now we're leaving :(

Tents set up on the beach amidst the scorching heat

We spent another 2 hours to get back to Paracale Port. We were supposed to surf at Bagasbas Beach as the last part of the itinerary but our guide said that waves are not present during that time of the year. With that, our Calaguas Island adventure officially came to an end. We were happy with our summer getaway, I just wished we could have stayed longer.

The place is definitely a piece of heaven. Simple living at it's finest. The beauty of God's creation at it's best.

Friendly reminders that you may want to take into account before planning your trip :)

There are no hotels or rooms of any kind - please bring tents with you if you do not wish to avail a tour package. 

As for the water, the island's source of water comes from a deep well. You have to pay 10 pesos per pale. You can't expect much from the toilet either as it is very basic but clean. 

There is no electricity and cellphone signal. 

If you are not going to avail a tour package, bring lots of food and water as they only have a simple sari sari store with limited merchandise.

Achievement Unlocked: UA waxing for the first time

For so long, Iv'e been really curious about under arm waxing but I always end up shaving or plucking my hairs as I am afraid of the pain that it may cause. I don't know what's wrong with me but I'm easily affected with what I read online about experiences with waxing, how it didn't turn out well for most people and it's possible bad side effects.

So there, just last Sunday I decided to conquer my fear. What made me change my mind? After plucking or shaving, my armpits become itchy and dry with chicken skin all over. I'm not a regular user of deodorants but I noticed that my armpits become darker whenever I shave or pluck. I want to change this, so the best recommended solution so far is to try waxing.

The Remedy

I went to the Watsons Store in SM North Edsa and bought a hot wax kit by glam works for only P69.00. They also have a cold wax kit for P99.00.

I opted to buy the hot wax as I feel that hairs will stick better if removed with the wax directly rather than with waxing paper.

The instructions and do's & dont's are clearly stated on the back of the box. I read it carefully and followed everything like a freshman student.

Inside the box are 2 pieces of wax, melting pan and a spatula.

Waxing Time!

Before the waxing proper, I cleaned my armpits with cotton balls and water and put baby powder on both underarms so that the wax will stick better. After that, I let the wax melt into the heated pan for a couple of seconds. I stirred the wax until the consistency became thick but still soft. I dabbed a little amount on my fingertips to assess if it's cool enough.

 I put an ample amount of wax on the spatula and started applying it on my right armpit first. After 15 seconds I stretched the skin taut and removed the wax downward without hesitation.

Happy with the Results!

The first application turned out really well! Lots of hairs sticked to the wax and the process was not that painful. Sure, I felt a little sting but since I'm used to plucking the itchy, stinging sensation was no big deal. There are some hairs that were not removed so I just repeated the procedure to get a more satisfying result. I did the same thing to my left armpit and I couldn't be more happier with the outcome :)

Excuse me for the pics! I just want to show that the product is indeed effective considering it's cheap price. 

1st application result

Follow up application

After Thoughts

Overall, I'm happy that I finally tried underarm waxing. I will definitely do it again but I want to try the cold wax next time. 

Hot wax is easy to use but it's also easy to get cold. Make sure that you use it real quick to avoid re-heating. As for me I re-heated it twice.

It's the 4th day after the procedure and I noticed that my armpits are softer and smoother and so far no hairs are growing just yet :)