TRAVEL | Why Join a Random Group Tour in La Union?

Ever joined a random trip of gay men somewhere outside of Manila? This weekend, I decided to check out the scheduled LA UNION trip of a group I saw on Twitter and here is how it turned out and here is my travelogue.

Greenfield, Mandaluyong to La Union

Sep 3, Saturday - The assembly was set in Greenfield, Mandaluyong. Upon arrival at 6am, I was greeted by a few early joiners already inside the vans. There were two vans transporting the group to La Union. Each van contains 10 people. 

A good five hour drive from Manila, La Union is an ideal spot for people who want to escape the city life. The road is well maintained in this side of the country and the view of the lush mountain and rice farms are all you can see on your way to your destination. 

The drive was peaceful and uneventful. Most of us were either asleep or chatting. By 12noon, we had our first meal in Jollibee. People were organized and finished their meals after half an hour. The weather in the afternoon started to get damper. And by 4pm, heavy rains kept pouring like crazy. We thought it won't ever stop, but by 7pm it did stop so that's a good thing.

Amazing Race of Dogs and Cats

Our first activity of the night was the introduction. Participants got to tell something about themselves and met the others. Once that is done, the rules of the game were laid out. There were 5 stations, and each station had to be completed before moving to the next. Think of "Amazing Race" / "Minute to Win It". The group was divided into two - the Cat and Dog teams.

Initial - Find your team members while blindfolded
Station 1: Longest line using clothes
Station 2: Squid Game
Station 3: Muro ami
Station 4: Build the pyramid
Station 5: Stack the cups

Team Cat was able to finish the race first, and won for themselves some prices.

The activity was paused to give way for dinner and after a couple of hours, Team Cat came back for the final round.

Each member of the Team Cat has to play the Tic Tac Toe cups. And the winners advance to the final round where only one person gets to win the main prize - a brand new air fryer.

The final round of 3 is the Q&A portion, and the question was:
If you were a typhoon signal, what signal would you be and why?

The finalists all gave convincing answers, but it was Finalist #2 who captivated the audience. His answer was,

"I believe this signal is strong.
I believe this is signal number 3.
I believe that this is feared by people, and just like this signal ako ay dapat din katakutan dahil ako ay may kakayanan at may lakas.
And I thank you."

So ayun, overall I would recommend joining this event again. May mga realizations pa din ako but I will write all about them later.

So Why Join a Random Group Tour in La Union?

I guess it all boils down to how much your social skills will allow you in joining trips like this. For me, it's all about realizations kasi maraming bagay ka mafi-figure whenever you go out of your comfort zone. You get to realize that there are things that can and cannot tolerate. And it becomes a journey of introspection (more on that on my next blog). For now, I just can say na it's OK to be inconvenienced (cramped car for 5 hours or di makatulog kasi laging may nagbubukas ng ilaw)

The Verdict

What I like:

1. The organizers are approachable and very ma-asikaso. Walang may attitude and mafi-feel mo naman na welcome ka sa circle nila.

2. The joiners are also equally friendly. Walang toxic, walang KSP, walang OA. Tamang timpla lang for a chilled event.

3. The food and drinks are enough. Walang nagutom.

4. The accommodation was sufficient. Could be better but acceptable naman siya para makatulog dahil may aircon.

5. May bidet ang toilet.

6. Nag stick sa schedule ang mga organizers and I really appreciated that.

Room for Improvement:

1. The van was too cramped. It can be quite tiring to sit without much space to stretch one's feet. Perhaps a bigger van would better next time.

2. When I saw how remote the venue was, with no other establishment within the vicinity - my mind started wondering if this is appropriate as venue for a trip that took us 5 hours. I mean, what's the point of driving if there was no purpose why the venue does not justify the location?

3. As a form of bonding, the participants should eat together and not on their own. 

4. Sayang yung dagat, sana nagkaroon ng time for an activity sa dagat.

5. Also missed opportunity sana yung bonfire and konting program (I know this is asking too much, pero it would have been a good experience).

6. Inform dapat lahat ng joiners to avoid disturbing yung mga natutulog na.