Journal · Field notes
A slow weekend in San Juan
How to spend two days in La Union without rushing a single thing.
By the Casa Alon team · 6 min read (sample article)
The best way to arrive in San Juan is tired. Take the early bus from Manila, sleep through Pampanga and Tarlac, and wake up when the air starts to smell like salt. By the time the tricycle drops you at the shore, the city will already feel very far away.
Saturday: the morning surf
Waves are usually gentlest before nine. Book a lesson the night before, eat a light breakfast, and give yourself permission to fall a lot. Everyone does.
"Leave Sunday afternoon completely free. That's the whole trick."
Saturday afternoon: eat, then nap
Walk the main road for grilled liempo, halo-halo and fresh lumpia. Then nap. In San Juan, the afternoon nap isn't laziness; it's the schedule.
Sunday: sunrise and nothing else
Wake up for the sunrise once, even if you go straight back to bed. Then pack slowly, have one last coffee on the sand, and catch a late bus home.