We haven’t posted updates for a long time because of some
adjustments we were going through. We
also had to transfer our special one to another clinic. He was only taking his speech therapy in this
new clinic but he was making so many improvements that we decided to transfer
his OT to this clinic as well.
This year’s annual adventure with our extended family took
us to the province of Pangasinan once again.
It’s the third time we’ve been there already and it seems that the
province has become our group’s home court.
Our trip was basically unplanned because we only set the date with no
clear plan on where to go. It was at the
last minute when we decided to go to Pangasinan again because somebody had to
attend a high school reunion there. Even
after we decided to go to Pangasinan, we still didn’t have any clear itinerary
so the trip just had us going with the flow.
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| Sunrise at NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) |
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| Our annual mandatory visit to Manaoag |
Our first day was spent in Tobuan, Labrador, Pangasinan, the
home town of one of our peers. We had
two choices that day but we settled for the nearest place since it was already
noon. We went to what the locals call
“Parola Beach” because of a small lighthouse (actually more of a light post) on
top of the hill. It's actually located at Sual but it was just a very
short boat ride away from Tobuan beach where we were staying.
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| Leaving Tobuan Beach, Labrador, Pangasinan |
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| All aboard! |
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| Headed to Portuguese Point in Sual Pangasinan |
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| Just arrived! |
We had the place all to ourselves when we got
there. The beach wasn’t a resort nor
were there any cottages, structures, toilets, showers. It was essentially a virgin beach but the sad
part was that some people who visited the beach left their garbage there.
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| Parola Beach at Portuguese Point, Sual, Pangasinan |
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| Kids immediately hit the water as soon as we arrived! |
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| The place has lots of shade in the afternoon |
The beach was generally safe for our little ones since the
waters were shallow and there were seaweeds that served as barrier to the
deeper parts. The beach was also alive
and there were lots of fish and sea critters around. Our special one was also enjoying a lot. However, since he made significant milestones
in his therapies, he became more playful and naughty. Perhaps he was beginning to explore his newly
discovered capabilities. So even though
it was generally safe for children, our special one tended to run around while
playfully trying to escape us. We had
our eyes on him a lot of times.
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| Enjoying the day |
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| Shallow waters |
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| Just floating around |
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| Just right for the kids |
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| Trying out snorkeling |
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| Time to build a sand castle |
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| ...or not! |
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| Someone's hiding in the forest of seaweeds |
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| There are lots of starfish too (these ones are already dead, floating on the waters when we picked them up) |
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| But this one's still alive. Better leave it be and just view it from a distance |
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| Late afternoon and they're still playing |
It was almost dusk when we returned to Tobuan. We didn’t mind the time that much because the
place was very close. We spent the night
at our friend’s house there at Tobuan beach.
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| Feeling photographer haha! |
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| The sun's already hiding behind the hill |
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| Family at the rockies, looking for sea critters |
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| Receding tide |
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| Time to go back |
Tips:
Travel means:
Private Vehicle:
Access to “Parola Beach” is easiest through Tobuan Beach which is
accessible via Labrador-Sual Road, just before Sual town proper, near
Covelandia Du Labrador Beach Resort.
There is a small sign along the highway pointing through a narrow road
that leads to the beach. This is where
you can park your vehicle and rent a boat going to Parola. The boatmen can also take you to other places
of interest nearby. Just ask them and
negotiate. Just don’t expect the parking
spaces to be wide, paved parking. Tobuan
beach is not a developed resort but is actually a fishing village. The locals run the beach and they just put up
cottages along the beach that they rent out. A better alternative will be to check in at
one of the resorts in Labrador so you’ll have secure parking and a place to
spend the night.
Public Transport:
According to the website of Five Star Bus Company, they have buses going
to Labrador, Pangasinan. Tobuan Beach is
just along the highway but I’m not sure if you can alight there from the
bus. You may ask the conductor if they
can drop you off there, else you can alight at either Sual or Labrador town
proper and take a tricycle to Tobuan Beach.
Kidsentials and advise for autism families:
- · Aqua shoes are recommended because some areas
around the beach are rocky and there might be sea urchins.
- You may want to bring life vests for kids but
this isn’t actually necessary because the waters are shallow and there’s a
forest of seaweeds around the shallow part that can serve as fence to keep the
kids within the “safe” area.
- Always bring your first aid kit.
- There are lots of marine life around the area,
including small fish, star fish and shellfish.
Take the opportunity to educate the kids and let them see these
creatures in their natural habitat. Just
remember to avoid touching or displacing them.
Other general tips:
- · There’s no resort at Parola Beach. There aren’t any cottages, toilets, shower
rooms, lifeguards, stores, etc. The
place is just bare, virgin beach. Bring
everything you will need, especially food and water. Tents may not be necessary since there are
trees in the area. Bring waterproof
picnic blankets instead.
- · It’s not recommended to stay overnight at the
beach. Just spend a few hours there and
transfer to another place of interest if you like. There are other nearby destinations at Labrador
so it would be best if you book the boat for multiple destinations.
- · Check in at one of the resorts around Labrador
so you’ll have a place to stay.
- As always, clean up before you go and take your
trash with you. It was sad to see that
there are some garbage left at the beach by some of the visitors who were there
before us. Taking care of our
environment is very important so that our children and their future families
can also enjoy a clean and healthy environment.
