NALINAC A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER SELF

OUR ISABELA GROUP-Franklin P

. Macugay, Rodel Ramos and his brother who is taking up a masteral degree in Baguio, the driver and I--checked in last night at two of the cottages of Nalinac Beach Resort. (We took the Aritao Road to Baguio and went down via the winding Naguilian Road.) We are on our way to the 4th Global-International Iluko Literary Conference at the Philippine Ports Authority in Poro, San Fernando, La Union. Nalinac in the early 1960's was one the country's best beach resorts along with the nearby Long Beach Resort. It (Nalinac) has deteriorated all these years. The water from the tap in the bathroom smelled, probably because of the rusting pipes. Everything is old here--from the creaking bamboo slats and the toilet bowls that did not function. From the cottage where I am now doing this blog, there is a view of the sea. Earlier, at past 6 in the morning were in the water and one them them waved at us as we came out brushing our teeth. I waved back. This our only consolation for spending the night at the cottage.