Sunday morning – chill out at home, do some errands and prepare for our Monday shoot.

Well, that was supposed to be the plan. Instead, I’m facing a red velvet cupcake, feeling the fresh daytime breeze brush against my face. 

The petite pastry is one of the best-sellers at Naro, which is located on the Binmaley Baywalk in Pangasinan. Its rich buttercream complements the crumbly, auburn dough.

“In Pangasinense, naro ta ka means ‘I love you,’” said my dear friend and Pangasinan native Zeb Jimenez.

The gentle crashing of waves accompanies the late-2000s pop hits playing in the cafe. That’s because a 30-second walk across the highway leads you right to the beach.

Aside from the clean sand, the water seems to extend into oblivion, drawing a line in the yonder where it meshes with the rich, blue sky. Enormous clouds fill the heavens, seemingly dancing with each other thousands of feet above us.

But things weren’t supposed to be this way.

Started with a trackday

Saturday was all business at Tarlac Circuit Hill (TCH), some 88 km away from my unexpected Sunday getaway.

On some weekends, I coach drivers privately on the racetrack. My itty-bitty racing team, Angelspeed Motorsports, offers a variety of programs primarily for amateurs who want to get into racing.

The 2 ½-hour drive there was dead easy. I had the 2023 Honda CR-V Diesel SX AWD, which had the pleasant combination of a turbodiesel engine and the excellent Honda SENSING active-safety suite.

Although my full review of this oil-burning CR-V will come out soon, I can say now that it’s a splendid expressway steed. Just set the adaptive cruise control to 100 km/h and the 1.6-liter motor settles at a relaxed 1,900 rpm.

Zeb and his friend, Roman Agulan, were my students for the day. Zeb and I have known each other for what seems like ages – we frequently cross paths when I handle trackdays up north.

He also drove a turbodiesel – an old Hyundai Accent hatchback, painted in perennially immaculate battleship gray. Bronze RAYS CE28 mags with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires give the car a discreet, purposeful look.

Only the finest for the general manager of Autoluxe, Pangasinan’s only high-end automotive accessories showroom.

Meanwhile, Roman had a Honda City Hatchback RS sitting on bronze Rota Fighter mags. The near-zero front wheel gap confirmed my suspicion – it had coilovers.

The heavens opened

The trackday went fairly smoothly.

After a comprehensive morning lecture on performance driving, we went to work applying the techniques. I took Zeb around in his Accent, demonstrated a few things and left him to enjoy the day.

Roman needed more guidance, especially since it was his first trackday – not just his first at Tarlac, but his first trackday ever. But as the day progressed (and persistent reminders for him to use the brakes), he started building confidence.

Come 5:30 p.m., dark clouds hovered ominously over TCH. Zeb had just left the pit exit for his final session when water started to fall, droplets splashing harshly on the tarmac.

Perhaps the rain gods heard my plea (and maybe Zeb’s, too), but the downpour ceased. The tarmac was still dry but cooler and the air temperature dropped significantly from the searing midday heat.

It was time for Zeb to beat his personal best time.

He drove like a beast in the 20 or so minutes that he was out, but his Accent wasn’t quite ready. A check-engine light dashed all hopes of a new record.

And as Zeb rolled into the pit lane, the heavens applauded his valiant efforts through an epic downpour.

Rainy drive for a chill night

Earlier in the day, Zeb’s friends (who are also my trackday students) had invited me over to Dagupan City in Pangasinan for dinner and coffee.

Given that I wasn’t looking forward to driving home through a maelstrom for three hours, I followed Zeb and Roman back to their home turf. The CR-V, once again, proved to be the right companion on this sudden adventure.

As the rains poured on the national highway that our little convoy traversed, the CR-V’s sure-footed handling and generous ground clearance made light work of construction zones and ever-growing puddles.

The comfortable seats and powerful LED headlights likewise helped me stay alert and confident despite the bad weather.

Two hours later, I was at Bo’s Coffee Dagupan, catching up with friends. After a dinner sampling local delicacies like kaleskes, I bid my farewell and checked into my room at the four-star Monarch Hotel in Calasiao (thanks for accommodating my sudden booking!).

A stretch of paradise

On Sunday morning, after stuffing myself at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, I met Zeb at Autoluxe so that he could show me the Baywalk.

We took the CR-V and he showed me the way. In less time than it would take for me to drive from Quezon City to Pasig on a weekday, the structures in the town of Calasiao gave way to a two-lane road lined with trees.

As I pulled up at the last intersection, I was face to face with the sea, glistening in the afternoon sun. And because I was so full, I eschewed Naro’s seemingly delectable selection of pasta and rice meals for the red velvet cupcake.

With our meal done, Zeb took me to the end of the Binmaley side of the Baywalk, where we got away from the bustle of people out for a Sunday swim.

As I parked the CR-V on the sand, I noticed that its Cosmic Blue Metallic paint blended well with the cerulean sky.

“The further west of Pangasinan you go, the better the beaches,” said my kind tour guide.

I made a mental note to bring my swimwear the next time I come back.

After doing a touch more exploration, we headed over to our friend’s house where we talked shop about his numerous Honda Civic race cars. I then dropped Zeb back off at Autoluxe, bought some of Calasiao’s famous puto with cheese and kutsinta, and headed home for Quezon City.

Once again, the CR-V’s relaxed vibe was perfect for the 3 ½ hours of expressway driving. As I got closer to Metro Manila, the rain and, expectedly, the number of cars increased exponentially.

As I sat waiting for what seemed like an eternity at the Bocaue toll plaza, the raindrops tapping loudly against the CR-V went quiet for a moment.

I was back where the sun was shining, the sky seemed like endless artwork, and the wind and the sea played music that could calm even the most troubled soul.

Sometimes, things don’t go to plan. And it helps to have something like the 2023 Honda CR-V SX Diesel AWD for those impromptu adventures.

I’ll be back for you again, Pangasinan. And to Zeb, Roman, Em, Migs, Marc, Dominic, Raymund and all the others, see you soon!

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