When we went to Baler, we've been able to visit different places in a day. But I tell you, one day is not enough. There are other places worth visiting, but we're unable to do so. It started from the town of Maria Aurora when we visited the Ronquillo Balete Eco Park, we headed to the Aurora's capital at the municipal park. The distance between Maria Aurora town and Baler isn't far because they're neighbor towns. Thankfully, there are gadgets which can also be used to track the road like GPS or Google Maps, but make sure to have a good internet connection.
After taking pictures from different historical areas at the park, we went to the old house which is the residence of First Lady Aurora Aragon, the wife of President Manuel Quezon.
The house has a pretty old design but it looks quite beautiful. I don't mind having a house like that as long as it can't be destroyed by ravaging typhoons. Aurora is often the path of the typhoon, but the house is still there so it might be resilient to strong winds. Or maybe the house is quickly renovated whenever strong winds strikes the town. The roofs are obviously made of nipa, which is a light material.
The house is closed, or perhaps it's not open for tourists. No one is even around to ask for queries. I searched around on Google, there I found out it's usually open for tourists. It's November 1 at that time so it means it's holiday, and no tour schedules at that time.
We are supposed to go to the museum nearby but the driver who's the one touring us decided to leave and go to the hanging bridge. We asked a number of locals where we can find the hanging bridge or Zabali Road where it is located because we took the wrong street. Finally, we reached the hanging bridge, and there's an entrance fee which I can't remember how much. All I know is it's not expensive.
It's quite cloudy at that time but it's quite hot that it got me uncomfortable. So we crossed the bridge to the other side but we didn't go further to the mountain. The hanging bridge isn't at its perfect form because there are areas which isn't stable. It got me quite scared because I don't know how to swim. If you have motion sickness, it is not advisable to walk in the hanging bridge because it's slightly swinging. The bridge had undergone some renovations because it is prone to typhoon's wrath. Tibag-Sabang river is quite wide, and it exits at the sea as seen from the last picture.
The hanging bridge is actually not a tourist destination then as it is only being used by locals to cross above the river. It's currently being used by locals now and for tourism. The entrance fee collected is used to maintain the bridge, while vendors selling souvenirs as well as food products gave jobs to the locals. Good thing it is open to the public because it's holiday, the time when families or friends (barkadas) plan to travel and visit places. Doña Aurora Aragon Quezon House should've been opened too because more people are coming in.
We're actually finished touring at the town park and the hanging bridge quite early, so we took some rest especially the driver who's awake all night. When going to Baler, you should be prepared of the winding road. If you easily get dizzy, better take Bonamine (or similar meds) to avoid nausea. Some of those with us has vomited because they're not used to long trips especially with zigzag roads. Gladly, the road we took is better than it used to, years ago. If you want to get accommodation, there are hotels and resorts near the beach, which includes Costa Pacifica, which was owned by a former senator. As mentioned on my previous posts, Baler is often visited for surfing too.
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Sarado din un bahay na yan nung napunta kami kaya dinaanan na lang namin pero hindi naman holiday noon. Yang hanging bridge parang nakakatakot nga siya.