New Years eve in the Philippines involves a ton of fireworks. It sounds like a battle ground, like the hot zone of a war torn country. Some kids that can't afford fireworks simply light gunpowder in the street. Anywhere is fair game, including off the roofs of buildings and hotel balconies. Walking the streets is a task best avoided.

After a night of Manila mayhem, my friends and I decided that we needed to welcome the new year in a more relaxed manner. With only 4 hours of sleep, we headed out January 1, on an adventure. A taxi, two buses, motorbikes, a pump boat, and 8 hours later, we arrived at Anawangin Beach in Zambales. A white sand beach perfectly nestled between pine covered mountains, it was exactly the right escape. Luckily, a friend of a friend warned us of its bare bones accomodations, ie, none at all, so we were ready with our camping gear and survival skills. Almost. We did buy a 5 person tent, but forgot blankets and pillows. Sand is not as soft as it looks, and I think by 5 people, the company meant 5 small children. We also started off the trip with a gas stove, but must have lost it somewhere between bus #1 and bus #2. The care takers of the island helped us with the latter problem, by selling us charcoal and letting us use one of their clay stoves. Our survival skills turned out not to be as strong as we originally hoped.

After three days of sleeping, eating, and swimming, we were rejuvenated enough to head back to Manila and start working on our 2009 resolutions. Happy New Years!