76
Parks and recreation
Nor ern
pursuits
Mabel David-Pilar travels to
the Philippines’ northern provinces and
finds a place where thrill-seeking travelers
can choose their own adventures
PHOTOS BY
JONATHAN ALONSO
O
n the beach, the surfing instructor had
made it look so easy. But in the water,
right before he spots a wave and gives
my surfboard a push, I find myself
struggling to remember what to do:
hands up to the side of my chest, push myself up,
pull one knee quickly to my chest, pop up the other
leg, find my balance. I do my best but I end up in the
water. I get back on the board, try to stand and again
I fall. I follow the steps repeatedly, always with the
same result. Soon, I lose count of howmany times
I’ve fallen. For me, trips to the beach have always
meant hours spent stretched out on the sand and the
occasional dip in the water. Not falling into it over
and over again.
But the Northern Luzon Expressway (NLEX)
Lakbay Norte trip, led by the Manila North Tollways
Corporation and North Philippines Visitors Bureau,
isn’t about experiencing Zambales, Tarlac and
Pampanga in the usual manner. From riding a dune
buggy on rough terrain in Tarlac and wakeboarding
in Pampanga to flyboarding in Subic Bay and surfing
(or, for me, pointedly failing to surf ) in San Narciso,
Zambales, a host of adventures awaits anyone willing
to step out of their comfort zone. Or climb back onto
their surfboard again and again (and again).
