Grupo Loves Baler!

It’s that time of the year again when the designers at Grupo Santamaria clean their desks, lock their drawers, and pack their bags to get away for some much-needed (and well-deserved!) R&R. This time we are off to the beautiful province of Baler, Aurora.For the first time ever, we have decided to combine our company outing and Christmas party as one.  It was a great idea for it saved us the stress of preparing for a Christmas party in the office while battling through heavy traffic around Manila during the height of the holiday season. We stayed at the lovely L’Sirene Boutique and it was perfect for the outing.  The staff were so nice and happily accommodated all our needs. Best of all they not only allowed pets but welcomed them sincerely and treated them like real guests! I am so happy we decided to stay here.  The resort may be simply designed but they did not scrimp on the things that mattered to travellers like luxe bedsheets, comfortable pillows and a spacious bathroom with hot water and strong water pressure.  Believe me, this matters A LOT when you are vacationing at a beach resort.  Photo above from L’Sirene BoutiqueThis was also the perfect opportunity to hold a year-end performance review and discuss our plans for 2019. All the more made perfect by the most chill setting under the trees where we enjoyed the cool breeze after the team had some surf lessons earlier.  How we wish that our early morning meetings could always be like this! The “Grupo Kids” also came along for the trip and they became instant friends within seconds of meeting each other. My fur baby, Mathilda, was so excited to be there and sniffed and ran all over place…and yes, she’s got her nautical stripes on. They say that “Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.” (E.O. Wilson). If that is the case, we had our fill that day as we trekked up and down a mountain in search of Aurora’s majestic Ditumabo Falls.Towering at around 140 feet and with the cold water from the highland of Sierra Madre Mountain Range, Ditumabo Falls is an imposing icon of the province. The freely cascading water drops into a wide rocky basin forming a natural pool ideal for swimming. The trek up and down the mountain was a fun team-building exercise as it challenged us to push up the hill (literally), as we helped and looked out for each other while we tried to achieve a goal as a group.  Et voila, we did it! The Museo De Baler was also a worthy stop, as it chronicles the history of the town and the province during pre-colonial rule til the present. My favorite piece in the museum was this cherry-printed terno previously owed by Doña Aurora, who was the wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezón and the First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. A trip to Doña Aurora’s restored house was also interesting, as we saw for ourselves how they planned living spaces back in the day.  (Takeaway: The Filipinos had already solved ventilation problems early on: open-plan living for passive cooling and space in the roof for hot air to exit…until the Americans came and we tried to copy their Western design unfit for our tropical climate). #GeekModeOnWe tried all the different local fare, ending in a scrumptious dinner spread at Aliya Surf Camp.  On our last night, we had a bonfire on the beach while we raffled out prizes over burnt hotdogs, marshmallows and lots of laughter.  To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.– J. Muir

Thank you to the kind people of Baler for their hospitality.  We truly enjoyed visiting your lovely town.

Most of all, THANK YOU 2018. That was a challenging but fruitful and exciting year for Grupo Santamaria.  We are ready for what 2019 will bring. Happy New Year!