Well, we've done a fair amount of land travel since then: a trip to Clark for work; to Subic for a weekend; and south to the beaches in Batangas.
Driving to Batangas used to be a chore. Its such a big province, and to get from Manila to the best beaches can take a couple of hours or more. We first went to Canyon Cove in Nasugbu, by way of Tagaytay, so this one is relatively near. The beach area is clean and neat, and the resort is just as clean. What we enjoyed about this trip is the stopover in Tagaytay, both for going and coming back. Cutting your trip in half and having lunch in Tagaytay is a good idea when travelling this side of the south.
On another occasion, we took the long drive down to Laiya, in San Juan, Batangas. That was a good 3-hours from Makati. To get to San Juan, you need to pass thru the STAR Tollway. STAR means Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, and it was designed to cut travel time to more than half.
I remember a couple of years back, before the STAR Tollway was created, how long it would take us to get to the Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas. I think it took about 4-hours to get there!
Now, this 42-km stretch of asphalt gives motorists a direct line from Sto. Tomas (the last exit on SLEX) to Batangas City. Its a fast, 6-lane expressway that allows cars to travel an average of 80-90kph. One can go a bit faster than that, but for some reason, I try not to due to the uneven surface.
The tarmac is built on concrete, with some parts in asphalt, but I notice that its not entirely flat. I always recall a colleague's words the first few times we drove on this piece of road. He said that the highway was constructed by nautical engineers, since driving on it is akin to riding a fast boat on a wavy sea. The road gradually inclines up and down, giving you that same sea-sick feeling. In the local language, it's termed as "ma-alon" (wavy).
Anyway, the view on STAR Tollway is terrific. Mostly green fields, a few hills, and a stretch of mountains on the horizon. At night, thought, it can get quite dark due to the distances between lamp posts (if not the absence of some).
But I don't mind, coz overall, the STAR Tollway closes the gap between me and an ideal beach holiday. Plus, motorists like me always take every opportunity to take their cars for a long, therapeutic drive on a dark, deserted highway.
It is for roads like these that we motorists would not think twice of taking a long drive just to get to the beach and other worthy summer destinations!
