Chill vibe weekend

"Let the waves kiss your feet and the sand be your seat"

I remember during summer this was always our go-to beach place. This is the nearest beach from our town which is just a 2 hour drive.
What we do is we wake up as early as 3 am to pack our things and prepare our food. At 4 am, we travel by a rented mini bus so we could arrive early and enjoy the most of the day. We then go home by 5pm, sunburned but with happy faces. That was my childhood summer memories.

And then nostalgia kicked in. I wanted to experience again those childhood summer memories.

So come summer of 2017, I asked my friend to come with me on a chill vibe weekend.

Friday night, we packed our bags for a 3-day trip. Went straight to Genesis Pasay to catch up the earliest bus trip bound to our destination.
At the break of dawn, we woke up fully charged and ready to explore the beautiful place of San Juan, La Union.

San Juan is one of the fast developing towns of La Union. It was way different from what I remember. It is now the surfing hub of the nothern part of the country.

So what have been the changes in what once a plain beach area? Let me tour you around.

Where we stayed. This is one of the most popular place to stay in Urbiztondo Beach.
Flotsam & Jetsam is located in Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union.

Suite garden with a view.

Inside our suite. It's an airconditioned one bedroom with private bath. We never wanted to leave the moment we stepped inside. The interior was so relaxing, with its blue hues and fish paintings.

Dormitory rooms. You'll get a positive vibes when you see the colorful window designs. This is perfect when you are travelling with a group.

This is the lounge area in the morning which is turned to a party area late in the evening. It has hammock and bean bags where you can rest for a while if you get tired of exploring the beach area.

This area is where the partying and drinking happens every night. They set up a dj booth in the dining area. And music blasts all night until the break of dawn.

Around Urbiztondo, food culture flourished. There are a lot of restaurants and food parks to try. Here are a few we tried during our stay:

Flotsam & Jetsam. Breakfast is included during our stay.

Breakfast set. We ate with our hearts desire that time. I cannot even count how many times I went back to the breakfast table.

Olas Banditos! If you want a taste of Mexican food, this is your go to place. Since we just had dinner that time, we tried their quesadilla. It wasn't the best I had but good enough for our taste buds.

El Union Coffee. Best known coffee shop along Urbiztondo. It was the last day of our trip. While walking along the road on a scorching hot summer day, we passed by this cafe to fill in our hungry stomach and drying throat.

The inviting El Union coffee sign.

We ordered Horchata and Iced Coffee Latte. The iced coffee latte has a strong taste. I am a coffee lover but I only drink mild ones. But on this hot weather, I appreciated the strong flavor of the coffee. Anyway, it compensated with the Horchata we ordered. I cannot deny that I am a sucker for sweets. This is my favorite! It's a smores type of food. The sweet, fluffy taste of mallows with chocolate inside is just right with the strong taste of coffee. I really really loved it.

ElyuClassic. Tagpuan (meeting place). Their bagnet is a must try! It is a Filipino dish. It is a deep fried crispy pork belly. It is super crunchy and yummy.

Food cart of Seawadeeka. We just pass through it since it was closed that time. By the name of it, it's maybe a Thai food resto.

We spent most our time in the beach area.

This is the beach front area of Flotsam & Jetsam.
That time, we were the only people in the beach. The wave is so calm. The water is cool. We stayed longer in the water than seat on the sand. I remembered telling my friend that this is the life I wanted. I never wanted to go back to the chaos of the city life. This is the reality I want to experience for the rest of my life. No wonder, the owner of El Union coffee who used to live in Manila, moved his whole family to San Juan and permanently lived there.
Someday..

Dining area facing the beach. If only I could, I would have brought a book, sit in here and enjoy the relaxing vibe of the area.

Sunset session. If I were to choose from sunrise or sunset. I would without a doubt choose sunset. It is a constant reminder that your day ends beautifully. It tells you that you made it through your day. That's why I have a compilation of all the sunsets on the places I've been to. But that would be on another story.

We didn't try surfing during our stay because it wasn't in season that time and hopefully we'll be back during surfing season and try the sport again for the second time. My first try was in Baler. Will post about it sometime.
And that caps off my chill vibe weekend in San Juan, La Union. I went home full of new memories. The place may not have been what it's like during my childhood but I am happy I get to experience it on a new level.

(All photos were captured and edited by me)