Back to Calatagan

July 19, 2009
Lago de Oro, Calatagan, Batangas
Activities: Wakeboarding on the lake, frolicking in the South China Sea, and (of course, of course, of course!) camwhoring
Participants: The thrill-seekers (yet again), Russ and Jen

Shhh. I'm daydreaming.

I was scheduled to go to Calaguas island on July 18-19. But due to the effing rain, I decided to forgo the trip. I signed up with TF to surf in La Union instead. But again, because of the effing rain, everyone was against me going. So I decided I’d rather be safe than sorry and had to forgo that trip, too. The sun came out on Saturday, though. Yours truly, longing for some adrenaline rush, convinced Jen to go wakeboarding on Sunday…

…And so off to Batangas, Jen and I went!

But going back to Calatagan meant going back to basics for me. I’m out of practice, and I really should head back to the Cam Sur Watersports Complex soon.

She’ll take you there!

Getting ready for some adrenaline rush

Stoked

On surfing vs. wakeboarding:  Surfing is more fun, with the sport being done amidst the beauty of either the sea or the ocean. But wakeboarding is more challenging, giving me more of an adrenaline rush.

After two hours of wakeboarding, we headed to the beach, all sore and ready to be overwhelmed by the beauty of the vast backyard of the resort, the  South China Sea.

The Sea

Jen, beckoning you to join her in her playground

Shall I see you on the beach one of these days, people?

Me in my soul's asylum

Wakeboarding at Lago de Oro

Wakeboarding is a water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water behind a boat or a cable system. It was developed using a combination of water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing techniques. (This definition was taken from Wikipedia.)

At Lago de Oro, they use a cable system.

Wakeboarding's newest recruit

The mechanics of wakeboarding (or in this case, kneeboarding)

My friend Jen, who described the experience as thrilling

My adventurous spirit seems to have increased tenfold. Aside from plain old lust, I now have wanderlust! Also, I seem to be developing an interest in alternative sports. I tried wakeboarding at Lago de Oro in Calatagan, Batangas, and I’m now a fan. Since I’m an addict (I get addicted to very interesting hobbies, persons, and sports), I predict that I will be spending a lot of time in Calatagan. Of course, I won’t ignore Camarines Sur, either, which is the wakeboarding capital of the country. My best friend and I are planning to go there after the trip to Donsol. I have also researched and found out that they offer surfing lessons at Club Manila East. I’m going to enroll in surfing class and then ride the waves in La Union, Calaguas, and maybe even Palawan.

I will post wakeboarding pictures of me in action once I have shots that I can be proud of. Once I have become even moderately skilled, you will definitely see evidence of it here.

If you want to try wakeboarding, you can check out Lago de Oro’s site for their rates and for directions in getting there: www.lago-de-oro.com. I must warn you, though, that the place is a small one. The facilities are just so-so, nothing to write home about. The food is mediocre and overpriced. Accommodation rates are pretty high, too. If you want your trip to be a 2-day, 1-night stay, spend the night in Tagaytay instead, or in other Calatagan resorts, where overnight rates are more reasonable. Go to Lago just to wakeboard.

According to almost everyone who wakeboards, the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex is still the place to be. Check out their site: www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com. The only downside is the travel time; it’s an 8-hour drive from Manila. Of course, you can always fly.