T-A-T-A: It's Adventure Time!

Inscripcion al Programa : "OCLO EN FAMILIA 2012"

"Headstart"
Dia 5: Playa de la Arena - Horario de 11:00 a 17:00
1st thursday did not gave much a good start. It was a bit rainy in the morning so they had to change the venue of our trip. It supposed to be at the beach (as stated), and we were brought to Santurtzi's Polydeportivo, at the swimming pool. That's one thing we hate about the weather here, it's so unpredictable! Because be like 12 noon, it was already friggin' hot.

Katia & Iñaki

Andoni & Theron

Anyway, before dipping, we went to Santurtzi Itsasoa. Sure it's one of the cool destinations here at Santurtzi. It is a museum where you could see the history of Santurtzi, how things in the place was doing before, how people live, how the fishery business takes place, the other famous sport here in Vizcaya, Sotera, and other more things through the years, 'till present age. Hey, take note of the simplified modern technology used here. Tour guides aren't necessary in the place. They'll just give you a card where you could like face it to the blue light thingy to make a booth present it's assigned topic.

There is even a quiz about who's who which of course can give you a new knowledge in a fun way. Every booth seemed to have its own projector which amazed me 'cause it's not a usual thing you could see in a museum. Talk about anti-boring presentations. It's a must see especially when you get to go here in Bilbao.


"Demi-God for a day"
Dia 12: Entrada a Sopuerta Abentura y piscinas de Sopuerta - Horario de 11:00 a 17:00
Definitely my most favorite trip! Our group increased that day. Didn't know our agenda for the day is gonna be added to my list of the most fun thing you've done in your whole life. We rode an autobus going to Zalla. For the warm up activity, those who wanted to swim swam first while others chilled at the grass under the sun (I was one of those who just chilled. hehe). Didn't feel like swimming that time. Also to have lunch. Before leaving the pool, our educator, Inaki asked us to play volleyball with them. He told us to be active. In tagalog, "galaw-galaw!". haha. then we played table soccer. Balls were not yet goaled all when they called to pack up.

Yup, that's my geek brother reading his history book

We triked to Sopuerta Abentura. I thought we were just gonna be ziplining, not knowing it was more than ziplining! The whole place was like the Half-Blood Camp in the movie Percy Jackson and the lightning thief!

"Innocence" >>haha!

When you arrive the place, you have to register first, then they'll show you the basic things you need to know in order to pass through every single obstacle. The do's and don't's. The instructors/life guard-like men are mataray-yet friendly in some ways. Y'know what I mean?

It's a fun thing to do even just for once in your life. For a beginner, it took me time to pass a checkpoint. Of course I was taking pictures! :P I chose the blue course, the one they say is harder than the average course (the green course).

Obstacles

I was ziplining here. Haha. Forever Alone. Sibs forgot to bring the other camera.

But I always regret not being able to finish what I started; the red/orange course! Going up was already painful especially when you do it right after finishing the blue course, but the first challenge was easy enough. The second gave my swings! A lot of swings! People under were looking up at me, including Inaki, telling me what should I do. It's hard, but I was trying very hard to do what I think I could do to finish it until the instructor/lifeguard came up and asked pulled me to the nearest station and asked me to go down. My arms and my underarm hurts so bad and my body feels like falling, wanting to rest for a while. It depresses me everytime I remember the whole thing. It's just like failing to prove other people that you are extraordinary. Ugh. I was surprised to hear Xyla (Inaki's officemate), telling me I was so brave. I was like "what's so brave there? Didn't even get to finish the course. huhu" in my head. If ever we get to go there again, I swear I'm gonna finish that course! ;)

View up there

"Strike two"
Dia 19: Playa de Zierbena - Horrario de 11:00 a 17:00
The weather showed its stubborness again so we ended up at Santurtzi's swimming pool again. When we were walking, I thought we'll be going to the beach at Las Arenas because we passed by the pool. Another surprise jaunt, we were toured to Agurtza.

Agurtza is a real-life Baque coastal fishing boat which spent twenty years in the second half of the 20th century fishing in the Bay of Biscay. It was built at the shipyard Astilleros Murelaga in Lekeitio.

good night, sleep tight!

looks like we're at the sea, huh?

comfort room

the fishes which were kept in a part beneath the boat where they are covered with ice and kept cold so that they won't be rotten

machines that make the boat work

God Speed!

It was my first time entering a real big boat. And it surely amazed me. Up there, I felt how kind of scary I think it is to ride a boat. But I think it's cool and fun.

sa kusina talaga dapat ako picturan?? Evs?

No matter how much I wanted to swim that time, I just can't (girl issues). The sun almost burned me into charcoal, but thanks to the most trusted sunblock for saving my life. Inaki said, to them, white people, morena is a very beautiful color for them. And my sister said, morena Filipinos wished to be white. It sure is a very uncontentedness trait of some people. Anyhow, sometimes, other people gets what they want. Aside from food in my bag, I also brought my sister's ukulele to ease boredom even just a bit. They were as amazed as us to the sound of the ukulele when we first heard it.

bros with their new friend and our kapitbahay, Andoni

"I'm on the top of the world!!!"
Dia 26: Visita al Karpin - Abentura de Karrantza y Cuevas de Pozalagua - Horrario de 9:30 a 17:30
I think, this is the real adventure. In this voyage, they rented an autobus and travelled up the mountain to reach the cave and Karpin Abentura. I salute our bus driver for his very good driving skills. We're not the driver, but I'll admit I was so nervous when we're going up and for every turn to the curve.

Sa kukulitan ng budhi namin, we still managed to snap some pictures though picture taking inside the cave is strictly prohibited (and by strictly prohibited, I mean the tour guide's million times of reminding us the rule and checking on us before we proceed to walking around the cave). When we got inside the cave, it was really cold. But as we stayed for a while, the temperature just went fine. The refrigerator-like cave is really amazing. You could see lots of cool structures inside. I think those coral like shapes above us are roots from trees growing at the mountain. If my brother's translation is right, we think what the tour guide said was if it's summer, the cave is cold, otherwise, when it's winter, the temperature inside the cave is warm, but the temperature is always in 13 degrees (celcius I think). Those things are so breathtaking to look at. To the exaggeration part of me, I could've shouted "I could live here", like what I said at Frias (other thing that amazed me), but I'm not a caveman and stuffs like that, you know, so it didn't went outside my head. hehe.

Next stop, Karpin Abentura! I would entitle this adventure as "deja vu". Not because I FEEL like I have experienced the thing, but because I know I have dreamt of it. I was with my cousin, AA and ninang aby and auntie judith and my other cousins from my mother's side. hmm? Anyway, the place is divided in three categories, all could be toured, of course. Before trailing, we had our luch first at the park, at the Dinotxiki, beside the kids' playground.

lil bro

Andoni

We enjoyed looking at the animals kept at Centro de Acogida de la Fauna. Yup, it's like a zoo. My most favorite part is the Rapaces diurnas and Rapaces nocturnas part, where different kinds of owls are kept in every cage. They are so adorable, especially now that it is so "in" to the teenagers when it started being a trend when used as accessories, esp. pendants and earrings and more. And hey, I'm a fan of the movie Legend of the Guardians, you know. I just discovered that Zoren's kind is called barn-owl. The characters Digger, Twilight, and Zoren's mentor are the other more kinds I saw and recalled.
My second most favorite is the bear. They made me wanna hug them 'cause they're so huge and fluffy! Third is the turtles. They're so cute, made me remember my highschool classmate, Nicole who is very fond of turtles. :) Some animals weren't present that time, including the panther we all wanted to see.

Today My Life Begins

Hola brother bear!

Eyes-killed?

Clyde

It's a good thing there are comfort rooms and water fountains in some parts especially the places when you really need it. I sooo love fresh water from the fuente. So relaxing.

The next tour was at El Valle de los Dinosaurios. This part was like, yes, Jurassic Park, except that dinosaurs aren't really alive and don't chase you, but some of them moves and has moaning and rawring sounds. Thanks to the modern technology. There were also human dummies Which also moves some of their body parts and has speakers near them to produce sound and explanations for more informations to the tourists. There were scientists, archaeologists, and more. Seriously, they're creepy especially when they turn their heads to you.

Look mom! I'm an archaeologist!

The last part was the Gastornisland where some unusual moving dummy animals were placed. There was this one thing that spits out a liquid thingy that stucked in my head the moment I realized that I've heard/seen the name. It was a Basilisk and I remembered that it was in the book I've read, entitled Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto. Never thought it was really real. Cool though. The award for scaring the hell out if me goes to this Neanderthal dummy which made me run for my life. haha!

The whole trip was so exhausting, yet it was fun. Too bad Inaki wasn't around that day. Heard he's in vacation. I won't forget Andoni, my brothers' new friend who happens to live just next door and who is fond of my youngest brother, John Royce. :) And the super cute kid who was asking for more Lays from my sister and was staring at Eva while getting chips from the lays bag. haha! You know what they say, save the best for the last. :)

I appreciate the thought that all of them were trying to speak in english and/or the castellano we can understand when talking to my siblings and I. Too bad our parents weren't around to do the trip with us because of work, but thanks to them for letting us go though.

Excursion is what they call field trip here. And I can justify that it really was a field trip. July was fun. My excitement and wait was worth it. :)