Is it just me or is my helmet always crooked?
Last weekend we did a 24-hour vacation/road trip to a little place called Moalboal. On motorcycle. If you really want to get to know your spouse, ride on a small motorcycle in the blazing hot sun with two fat backpacks for a few hours together.
Ok, I joke. I loved it.
For the record, this spontaneous thing is not my typical kind of vacation. Trip Advisor and travel research of any kind takes over my life at least 1 year prior to our actual travel dates. But the Philippines is teaching me how to be more fun.
Obviously, We Stopped For Food
We stopped along the way and bought hot bibingka from this sweet lady. It’s like a sticky, gummy kind of rice cake made with pounded sticky rice and coconut milk, wrapped up in a banana leaf. It’s cooked over a smoking pile/fire/oven that’s actually just dried coconut shells, burning. So it’s kind of normal and awesome if you get little pieces of burnt coconut shell sticking to your bibingka.
The further we got outside the city, the more we started to realize that this whole thing WAS AMAZING.
It was a refreshing, breathtaking, once in a lifetime drive. Except that we’ll probably try to go back, so maybe twice in a lifetime.
Then came the part where we had to actually find our little two-star resort. Safe to say it was a bit off the beaten path. There was one hand-painted sign with the name of our resort pointing us down this little road. Hmm. Do cars even drive back here?
This is also about the time I vowed I would never sit on a motorcycle again.
Off the beaten path got really awesome when we saw this peeking out through the curtains of our room. Wowsers.
And I don’t even know how I can explain anything more intensely, but the sunset? The one sunset that we saw in our 24 hours? OH.MY. Just absolutely no words.
- I love this place.
- Motorcycle. Period.
- I am ready to move out of the city forever.
- Spontaneous vacations aren’t all bad. But I still love Trip Advisor research.
- It’s the weekend! Have fun.
Oh my gosh. I love all of it! That little two star resort sounds like it’s worth every star. And motorcycle? Was it really a motorcycle or was it a moped. Brave girl. Motorcycles scare me more 😉 Gorgeous. What a blessing – that 24 hour spontaneous vacation!!
Don’t make me tell you that it’s a motard. Mo-tard. We just call it motorcycle… Sounds cooler. 🙂
Wow! I love this post. The pictures of your little adventure are stunning! HAHA, another good way to get to know your spouse is to get into a small kayak or boat with him LOL. Glad you had such a great trip!
Oh dear. That sounds fun and awful all at the same time. 🙂
You guys are just too cute & the different shades of blue water – stunning 🙂
#tripadvisordoesrock
Sounds like a fun little adventure! Bibingka sounds super tasty, jealoussss
I love the blue waters! SO amazing! How long until you move back?
3 months! Can hardly believe it.
So beautiful! You are making me seriously jealous. It is snowy, cold and dark over here.
These photos are STUNNING! Take me on your next trip? 😉
Yep! You’ll have to bring your own motorcycle. Good news is people carry babies on them no problem. Totally safe for your little guy, I’m sure. 😉
I can ONLY imagine just how far off the beaten track this really was…and that memories like this will last a lifetime. Love that you’re exploring and taking little trips like this, minus tons of planning. And by motorcycle. Wow 🙂
I am glad you got out and had some quality time to yourself and your hubby…very important!
I’m happy you’re having fun. And vicariously happy you got freshly grilled bibingka.
The Philippines is a joy to explore.
Absolutely!
Hi Lindsay! Long-time lurker here 🙂 I don’t remember how I ended up in your blog but I stuck around because of the yummy food (you take great photos) and I love your adventures in the Philippines (I miss the old country 🙂 I’ve been craving bibingka for months now, this post reminded me that I should do something about it.
Hi Lorie! Thanks for the comment! 🙂 we love bibingka!
I am one part happy for you guys…two parts jealous. Just being honest. 🙂
And I’m one part jealous of your cozy winter life. Ok maybe a half part. 🙂
That sunset! Can’t get over it as I look out our window to 10″ of fresh snow! Way to be spontaneous. I too spend about a year looking up bed bug reviews of anywhere we’re planning on staying 🙂
Ahh! The snow. Hopefully it’s at least sort of pretty? 🙂
It is. Just plentiful. Too plentiful for March 🙂
What a gorgeous place!!!
that first picture of you guys=super cute. crooked helmet and all. looks like you had a great trip!
Thanks Ranee!
Absolutely loved looking at all of these photos. Gives me hope that the sun is shining somewhere!!!
Those pictures are amazing beautiful! And the sticky rice coconut thingys sound great. I am the same way as you having to research and plan everything to the T. But it sounds like spontaneity paid off this time. 🙂
Wow–great fun. We were on the island directly west of you…Negros, and mostly on the other side last October, as well as spending time in Manila for a couple of weeks.
We hit a resort while out there, as well, our first weekend, though ours was up in the mountains right in the middle of the island. Quiet, clean, new. I must recommend a trip to Boracay Island, if you have the chance and time. Just north of Panay, a beautiful spot with all the touristy things you might like, white sand beaches, boat rides, batcaves to visit, and Puka Beach. We stayed at Baling Hai Resort–totally fun.
Thanks for the recommendation, Chris!
Oh! I loved your pictures! Makes me miss the PI. 🙂
Oh your post takes me back to when we lived in Bermuda and rode our scooters everywhere. At first I was too nervous to ride my own so I’d ride along with my husband–two of us on one bike with two sets of golf clubs as well. What a sight!
Whoa!! You’re a pro.
Wow! I am with Eric on this one, happy for you guys but jealous too because that looks like an awesome 24 hour vacay!
Good for you, Lindsay! You (probably) only live in the Philippines once, so you have to do those spontaneous adventures when you can! 🙂
I saw your recipe on Pinterest and then saw your about me blurb on the right side of the page, so cool that you are living in the Philippines.
We went island hopping in the Philippines for 2 weeks for our honeymoon and we loved vacationing there. Lots of natural beauty and also very cheap.
We have bibingka during a family parties, but they don’t taste as authentic as the ones I’ve tasted from the Philippines.
Enjoy your time there.
Thanks Lea! Which islands did you visit then you were here?
“Trip Advisor and travel research of any kind takes over my life at least 1 year prior to our actual travel dates. ”
hahaha, me too!! Along with doing an actual Ctrl+F and searching the word “bugs” to make sure there were no reviewers that encountered tons of bugs in the hotel. 🙂
Now I want bibingka. Never tried it, but just from your description and the picture I want it.
THAT looks like a fun, and beautiful 24 hour trip! I love that you and your husband get out and do adventurous things together. It reminds me of life PRE-kiddos when my husband and I did those things. I’m sure I”m not the only one to tell you to “enjoy it now because….” Haha, :), I won’t say it.
Just enjoy.
God bless, and Aloha
Ha! We will. 😉