Naga's not-so-secret hideway

YESTERDAY'S holiday break had the family joining the Sagrada, Pili Congregation's outing at the Mainit Hotspring in barangay Panicuason.

My mother and brother Macky brought their owner-type jeep and dropped by Grandview, picked up my kids and mother-in-law and proceeded to the resort; Lynn and I followed half-an-hour later.

The two pictures here show the improvements at the resort, which is owned by the Tan family, who also runs Regent Hotels 1 and 2 and Oyster Plaza, among other local business concerns.

The first time I been to the then secluded place was sometime in 2000, accompanying consultants of the Associates in Rural Development for the USAID-funded Governance and Local Democracy (GOLD) project. There was practically nothing at the time, save two earthen pools of hot spring.

But over the years, development was slowly introduced to the place, starting with concreting key portions of the winding road that made it more accessible (cementing the whole stretch would be wonderful, but a more even gravel road would do just fine for the short term), paving the poolsides and walkways, and putting up cottages in the area.

And there are now four 3 or 4 meter-deep hotspring pools, with temperature ranging between 29 to 34 degrees centigrade. A bridge connects them to the other side of the Inarihan River, where four other variously-sized pools contain really cold waters that I find quite inhospitable but most other people enjoy.

The trip also gave me some more idea on that little novel that really needs a kick on the butt, especially with work demands and family obligations successfully holding me up and constantly keeping me at bay. I still hope something good will come out of it.