Finding awe and pride in a northern beach

The moment I stepped into the beach, I was blown away! How could this place exist? Here, of all places?

Clearly, I have underestimated Northern Luzon. Admittedly, I have high standards when it comes to beaches. Being a local Cebuano, we have easy access to the white sand beaches in Moalboal, Alcoy, San Remigio, and so much more. We have Santa Fe Beach in Bantayan Island, which is arguably one of the beast beaches in the province. Even the beaches in Mactan Island, although some are manmade, are something to be still proud of.

Perhaps what caught me off guard was that we weren’t even supposed to be there that day. Our original destination was Calayan, a remote island further north of the country. We needed to take a boat to get there, but due to the weather, the trip was cancelled. We were forced to drive back to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and find a place to sleep. After heading back and stopping by to see the Patapat Viaduct and the Windmills in Little Batanes, we arrived in Saud Beach without expectations.

The turquoise and glass-clear water was arresting! Even rivaling that of the beaches in Cebu. I removed my slippers and stepped into the sand. It was soft, powdery, and warm from the sun. And the color, it was milky white, a stark contrast to the dark sand I associate with most of Luzon’s beaches.

The atmosphere was hypnotic. I could hear the soft lapping of waves on the beach. The water was calm and glistening under the sun. And beach wasn’t crowded, so it wasn’t noisy, just the sound of the ocean and the famous Ilocos wind, strong and cool. Far on the horizon, there were rows of windmills driven by the same wind.

The color of the water, the white sand, and lack of crowds, those made me want to jump into the water right away. I was full of excitement. This was a lovely surprise from an otherwise bogged down trip due to the weather. My girlfriend and I weren’t even in our swimming attires yet, so checked into our accommodations, changed and grabbed a halo-halo, the perfect cold dessert for the heat, before walking back to the beach.

And we so were back at the beach. I stepped into the water and was relieved to feel the same soft sand under the clear water, no sharp rocks and slimy seaweeds. Despite the scorching sun, we spent a lot of time just enjoying our time in that unexpected beauty. This was just a detour, but it quickly become of a highlight of the trip for me.

I felt a sudden surge of pride, knowing that this place exists in the country. Unlike Cebu, where you can get to a beach in a few hours, this place requires a pilgrimage, it’s almost a day’s drive from Manila. But I’d say it’s totally worth it. I consider myself a traveler just for the sake of seeing new places and being away from work, but I haven’t thought about the many beautiful places in my country that I have yet to experience waiting to be explored. My discovery of this beach reminded me that the Philippines has so much to offer, and although it takes a effort to find these sposts, it’s all worth it.

For those few hours in the beach, I forgot about Cebu and all the responsibilities I left there. That’s one of the essence of traveling, right? You get to be free and enjoy yourself. Of course, I can’t truly forget Cebu. It is home. But, it makes me even appreciate how lucky I am to have that kind of beauty, freedom, and enjoyment within easy reach.

After our time in the water, we had lunch at a nearby barbecue stall and waited for the sunset. We sat on the sand, tired, sunburnt, and happy, while watching the sun slowly descended into the horizon leaving pastel-colored skies until it went dark. What a perfect way to end the day. I thought we were just seeking for a place to spend the night, but in that far-flung beach in the north, I found awe and pride.

Glebert