A week ago, my girlfriend and I went on a week-long trip to Manila then La Union and back to, basically, celebrate my birthday. When my birthday is exactly is for me to know and for you to find out. LOL! But I digress. Anyway, this was a long planned trip and is something the both of us have been looking forward to because one, surfing and two, food. And because my good friend, Jp has been really bugging me and April to take a trip up to La Union.
So we did!
We basically crossed off two items on the bucket list – Surf Town trip and surfing. Jp hosted our stay but we mostly hung out at Flotsam & Jetsam. It’s an awesome place to be in. Laidback vibe and the people are just so welcoming. Food is mighty good too! Kudos to Chef Dirk and his crew. I recommend having one of this Pulled Pork Adobo creations. Sobrang sarap! And after a quick and hearty meal, go sleep at the big common kubo with lots of bean bags and a couple of hammocks. Let the light ocean breeze lull you to sleep paired with good music.
As for surfing, look for kuya Ruel by the big kubo at the beach area. He’ll hook you up with any of the instructors there. April was paired with Kelvin and I was with Abel as our instructors. Both were very helpful and will give you feedback everytime you finish a ride. They’ll start you off with a quick overview on land and when it’s turn to head out, they’ll be the ones to pick the right wave for you. All you gotta do is be ready on your board and try your hardest to get up and surf the wave.
Because you’re in Surf Town, one has got to learn how to surf, right? Yes! Complete the experience. Don’t just go there and sit and watch everybody else surf the waves! It’s not that expensive anyway to learn. An hour of lessons from the super friendly instructors will set you back Php400. That’s not bad actually. And believe me, an hour of surfing will get you worked up really good. Great exercise if you ask me. Sadly I didn’t have any photos of me and April surfing the waves of La Union. Perhaps another trip when I have the right gear for those already.
Post surfing, we made a quick trip to El Union Coffee for a quick snack. April and I ordered their Bacon Maple Jam Grilled Cheese sandwich and boy was it superb! It may not be much to look at after they serve it to you but the explosion in your mouth more than makes up for it. Looks can be deceiving and never judge the book by its cover. Oh, and pair that with the Dirty Horchata and you’re good; real gewd!
Here’s how Day 1 (arrival day) looked in black and white.
And as for Day 2. Well, it’s practically a sleep-eat-sleep affair for the three of us at Flotsam & Jetsam. We started off at The Coffee Library. I had their version of Vietnamese drip coffee. April had her usual cappuccino. Jp, well, had nothing. Bad for his health. LOL. After coffee, we jumped over to Olas Banditos for some Mexican goodness. Whatever you order, just make sure you have lots of their chipotle sauce. April and I shared a bite of their Carnitas Burrito. Shared because those are big ones. If you have a big appetite, it’ll be more than enough to get you filled.
Day 2 looked like this.
Two days is not enough in Surf Town, San Juan, La Union. Never is. I’d say you gotta stay there at least a week! We are definitely going back one of these days for a longer stay. And I’ll most likely hope from one food place to the next just because. I’m already excited!
Many thanks to Jp for hosting me and April for this trip! Also to Kuya Ruel, Kelvin and Abel for making sure our surfing experience was as painless as it can be. And to everyone who’s making Surf Town the community that it is now, keep on keeping on!
Oh… and if you’re planning to visit, please, for the love of God and humanity, be gracious human beings and don’t litter! Clean up after yourself. Gracias!