Monday, March 16, 2009
Predeparture: Independence Day in Bacolod City
On March 27-29, I am set to fly home (Bacolod City) for some important family occasions. It's my cousin Bethany's 18th Birthday on the March 28 and my Tita Joy's ???? Birthday the following day (can't divulge her age). My cousin Annia is also graduating from her 2nd course (whatelse, NURSING!) on the same dates (maybe one is recognition day and the other one is her graduation rites) so for us.
And so I made a public announcement that I'm going home next week...not to the world wide web I mean, but to my family way before this blog.
But that's not what I wanted to write about. My thoughts have run away with me again.
To cut the chase, I invited some of my friends to have a summer getaway...where? in the Sugar Capital of the World, in the City of Smiles, the in the City of Whales...in Negros Occidental...my homeland!
After quite some engaging travel promotions, we made flight reservations for June 11 to 14, 2009, making use of the long weekend (in celebration of the Philippines Independence Day on the 12th of June).
Most of us are taking the earliest flight to Bacolod at 4:55 in the morning and a few will take the last flight of the day on the 11th due to some very important work responsibilities. That means they will miss one breakfast, one morning snack, one lunch, and one afternoon snack. I feel quite sad for those who will be flying late, to miss sumptuous ilonggo specialties is a crime for me. I would drop anything for a great ilonggo dish. Sigh!
Nonetheless, they can still make it for a feast of chicken inasal for dinner and a very relaxing spa session in Bacolod Spa. That I have to arrange! Hope I can get a big discount. Imagine 20 of us going to the same spa at the same time...Absurd!
So here's my draft of the itinerary of our Trip Mo Trip Ko sa Bacolod:
June 11 - Arrival
Breakfast at Lee's
Tour around Bacolod (Bacolod Museums, etc.)
Lunch at Espera's
The Ruins (and Silay Museums)
Dinner at Manukan Country
June 12 - Gawahon, Victorias City with the H clan
(possible overnight courtesy of the City Government and Giah Enterprises)
June 13 - Lakawon, Cadiz City (or any alternative beach resort)
YOUTH WORSHIP NIGHT: I AM FREE
June 14 - Church @ WIN-Cadiz
To Bacolod (buy pastries, goodies, etc.)
Homeward Bound
Oh, how I wish we could stay longer than 4 days, there's so much to do...and most of all, SO MUCH TO EAT!
For now, I will keep my friends' identities. But as of today, 12 of us have confirmed bookings already. As for the others who are still undecided or lazy to book, I guess they just like to spoil our excitement. Come on! Some, by nature, are really procrastinators--they have extra cash that they can afford to miss the promo fare!
84 Days To Go!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Go A Distance
I resolved, on the first day of this year, that I will try to travel as much as I can. And so the quest to fly, drive, walk and possibly swim to different sights began.
I was in the historical Saigon (known today as Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam last January 14 with my friend Yasmine (who traveled all the way from California for a month long vacation in the Philippines) and after 3 days we jet-set to Bangkok, the shopping capital of Thailand and stayed there for another 3 days. I am yet to blog on that particular trip. I don't know what kind of adjective you use for the word BUSY. But yeah, I got so busy and I failed to tell the world of my weeklong adventure. It was, I guess, after a few weeks that I got to upload the pictures in my friendster and facebook accounts. My, my!
Last Saturday, March 7, my nursery-to-fourth-year-high-school-except-grade-one classmate, Shugar and our classmate-friend Lester went on a roadtrip to the "mountains" of Antipolo and Angono, Rizal. We hit the road early in the morning as soon as I ate breakfast and parked my car in my officemate's village in King's Ville along Marcos Hi-way. Shugar picked me up and we're on for an adventure with the red Honda City. We first went to the Touch of Glory (Prayer Mountain) as my friends would like to spend time in prayer. It's been 2 years since my last visit and it seems like things have not changed. Then we went to taste and see the well-known artisan restaurant Balaw Balaw in Angono. From prayer mountain, we took the circumferential road to ortigas extension and drove toward Taytay.
The restaurant was not hard to locate as everyone in the area knows it. As soon as we parked outside the resto and went inside to order for lunch, we were told that as we wait for the food we could take a look at the different art works.
We had a good lunch, but not the exotic ones as they ran out of frogs to serve! Thank God! I ordered Sinigang na Manok (Chicken), Shugar ordered Scallops, Lester ordered Squid and for our common interest, we ordered Adobong Itik (Duck).
Then after lunch we went to the intriguing Petroglyphs in Angono. About 3 weeks ago while we were having lunch in the pantry, our BSP-friend Billy who works 2 doors away from my office, came by and told us about his weekend trip to Rizal and there he started to show us some pictures from his camera of the Petroglyphs. Then 2 weeks later, my officemate Rene, his wifey Hazel and their entire offspring had an accidental trip to that same place. Intriguing as it seemed, I decided to drag any of my friends to see what the ancient stone cravings discovered during Marcos era has to offer. It was a tricky trip going to the Petroglyphs. Not far from the Balaw Balaw resto you will find a very nice resort on the top of the mountain and there you have to find your way to the tunnel going to the historical site. Please ask for directions. We had our share of stupidity and not paying attention to signs and that brought us way way too far from the site that we had to drive back for 30 more minutes with several stops for direction. Duh!
For more interesting facts about the place, I recommend that you read Rene's blog and to give credit to his borrowed photos from yours truly. Check this out: http://tagahasik.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html
Our Saturday didn't end that early. After driving back to Manila, we went to Marikina's Riverbank for a quick window shop and drove to Tiendesitas for dinner with another high school classmate Darell.
Because I was driving all day along, I didn't even try to volunteer for the idea of a movie. Usually, I do. But this time, I just want to rest my back, try to mentally file the events of the day in my memory bank, and have a sound sleep. Thank You, LORD!
Now, I'm up and working on our summer getaway in my favorite city in the world, the city of Smiles...BACOLOD! Okay I am biased. Who cares!
And I really do hope my holy week trip to Vigan will push through. I am still trying to figure out what to do on May 1. Maybe travel somewhere else. Near or far, it doesn't really matter. Just go a distance...and discover that while it is a small world, it is an exciting and a beautiful world, after all.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Wonders of Puerto Princesa

Before July ends and before I forget the details, I'd like to write and share my Puerto Princesa experience.

I spent a fortune on travels for this first half of the year. The 1st month of 2008, I was freezing in New York. The only reason why I decided to go to the US on a winter was because my friend got married in California. And since I was there, I was convinced by my grandaunt to fly to NY. After my US trip, I took another month-long vacation sometime in March. I went to Bacolod. Came May, I was in Zambales. End of July, I will be in Baguio. Whoa! Road Runner!
Considering my early travels here and abroad, the places I've been, the people I met, the food that I tried, the experiences I went through...my advice, take yourself to one of the beautiful and peaceful cities in the Philippines, Puerto Princesa--the ecotourism capital of the country... and you will find yourself loving this country of mine even more!
After deciding on the dates (July 12-14), I booked myself to an early flight that leaves Manila to Puerto Princesa--Palawan's capital city. Three major airlines are operating daily to and from Puerto Princesa (PAL, CebuPacific, and AirPhil). I never had a problem looking for a nice accommodation because there are plenty to check through the net. My friend's wife, who frequently goes to Puerto, took the time to make my itinerary. She gave me a list of places to visit and eat, and of course, names of travel agents whom I can arrange my tours with. She also recommended Badjao Inn, which is right at the very heart of the city, as my lodging house.
Day 1. My flight bound to Puerto was at 8:45am. It was going to be a time of my life...good riddance! And there I was...35,000 feet above sea level! As we were approaching the main island, I could see the white-sand-shoreline from the top. It was amazing! I couldn't be more excited. My plane landed at about 10am. With may carry-on luggage, I rushed toward the arrival area and tried to look for my transfer. There was Joey, the staff of Badjao, waiting for me. And he welcomed me to Puerto Princesa and so did the fair weather.
Badjao was not far from the airport. It was indeed less-than-10-minutes going there. I checked in and they gave me room number 6. I asked if they could arrange me a City Tour after lunch. I didn't quite bother to book ahead because I was advised that it's normally easy to get a tour. And it was indeed easy. After several minutes, the front desk officer told me that I was to be picked up at about 1:15pm and the tour will cost me Php600. Not bad!

I noticed that I walked far already so after I withdrew money from the bank, I took a tricycle back to Badjao. Just a piece of advice, bring loose change--bills and coins. Sadly, the banknotes circulating in Puerto are soiled and mutilated. I worked with the Central Bank and it's a shame to see our banknotes falling into pieces.






Day 2. Underground River or the Puerto Princesa Subterranea






When we were called to pack up and homeward bound, we kissed each other goodbye. I was touched with what Leah said, "you seem like a longtime friend" and the feeling was mutual. I went back to my groupmates and we drove back to the main city after having a quick stop in a view deck overlooking South China Sea. (The entire trip was worth Php1,500)
I arrived in my hotel about 6pm and went straight to bed. I was super tired. Eating at KinaBuch was a good motivation to get up. So I did. It was right beside Badjao so going there even at 9pm did not give me a fright. My desire to have coffee at Kamarikutan will be fulfilled when I get back to Puerto. At least I have something to look forward to.
Day 3. Honda Bay. I made a typical 3-day-Puerto-Princesa-getaway itinerary. Going island hopping around Honda Bay became the highlight of my trip. It was time to get toasted. I did not get a package tour unlike the previous days. With the fear of

The guide suggested that we go to Luli Island first for the corals. I thought it was named after GMA's daughter, Luli. But after inquiring, a silly answer was, "Lulubog Lilitaw kasi yan man..kaya Luli ang pangalan." He was explaining that the island can be seen if it's low tide but during high tide, it disappears. As a seasoned swimmer (uuhhmmm), I did not put on my mask and snorkel. I just wore my goggles. Since it's my first palawan swimming experience, I decided to wear a floater... just to make sure I get to see the rest of the islands! The guide plunged into the sea water and we're off swimming. I brought me to deeper parts of the sea for me to enjoy the coral reefs. I saw beautiful and colorful fishes, of different sizes. I took a picture in my mind (I'm not into underwater cameras yet) of what I saw. God, You are good! My swimming partner tried to explain to me everything I wanted to know. Understanding his limited knowledge of the underwater world, I still listened attentively to his lectures.
After 30 minutes of "goggling" we moved to the Starfish Island. By its name, it was an island of starfishes. It was a beautiful island. One of the best. It was one of those rare moments when I really wanted to shout to the top of my lungs, "WOW!" As in Wow Philippines! I said to myself, "This is Palawan."

I was so excited to see a starfish, at least on



As much I wanted to do sunbathing and linger for a while, I was watching my time because I don't want to miss my flight back to Manila, so after I got satisfied with my official photos (thanks to the tripod again), I asked my companions to move to the last island, Pandan.

We safely docked, I took a quick shower in the coastguard's building for Php20 then we drove back to the city. After 30minutes of tricycle ride, I arrived in my lodging house. I settled my accounts and Joey, the driver, was waiting for me. Good thing he booked me earlier so it was stress-free. In the airport, I was startled to meet my Day-1 friends, JC and his cousins who will be on the same flight, and Mr.&Mrs. Galler who were bound for Cebu. We exchanged stories of our "Today's Adventure" and they we're so happy I went to Honda Bay.
Our plane left Puerto Princesa at about 5pm. I was sitting next to the window, reminiscing my 3-Day escapade, browsing through my pictures of the beautiful Palawan as the plane took off.
I realized that we should never feel endangered in our own land. We should explore, see and experience what we have here in our

You see, I was all by myself in this trip. I traveled wishing to have someone along. My heart was a bit broken when I left. But God cared so much (and He still cares) for me and He wanted me to have Him in all my discoveries...in all my trips... He became that friend whom I so wanted to have...and gave me much more. I came back having a lot... people that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Until the next trip...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Anawangin-Capones-Camera Getaway
(it's not Bicol this time... it's Zambales!)
May 24, 2008, my THY Marketplace Family in
There were about twenty-seven (27) who signed up for the weekend trip but due to the typhoon the Saturday before the 24th and due to some unexpected circumstances, not to mention the conflict to some company outings, we were down to 12. Thus, came the joke, 12 disciples- Greg, Joel, Roche, Tin, Jai, Klaire, Lulu, Kat, Honey, Harry, Athan and the blogger herself.
And since we wanted to do more with less time, we resolved to leave
There we were, in
Our motorcabs did a full stop and the captain boatman (together with his crew) came to meet us. My friends did some inquiries as to what time would be the best for us to start moving and rowing. We all agreed, 7 am sharp. As we were waiting in a small nipa hut, I pulled my easy-to-pitch tent and took a nap. Few hours later, we changed into our swimming outfits and hopped on the boat. The boatride costs Php450 for each person and we hired an extra boat for Php1,200 for our bags and other stuff. We also saw quite a few travelers along the shore, waiting for their hired-boats. Actually, this unregulated-tourism-system is helping these fishermen earn more than their fishing enterprise. No worries, there are plenty of for-hire boats in the village. Just ask.
First stop,
Next stop,
the age of 8... and I can say, it was one of the nicest beaches I've been..in the Luzon area! The best part was...we were the only people in the island at that given time. It was as if we owned the "resort". We were alone in the beach because we were soooooo early. We were enjoying the scenic view and quite wondering where did all this beauty come from... then a knock-out answer came, "Genesis Chapter One".
Final stop, Anawangin Cove. From
a distance you can see a very long shoreline and the most famous pine trees. We pitched our tents as soon as we arrived, that was about 11:30am. We were so hungry despite of our morning snacks, and so some of the girls started preparing and cooking for lunch...in a conventional way. Camping life!
After our lunch, we headed toward our tents and rested for a while...the nap turned into hours of sleep. Yes, we got tired. We tried to walk along the shoreline and did little discoveries of what the place has to offer before the sun would set. Take note, there was no electricity available in the beach. It's good that we brought with us an emergency light and a bunch of flashlights. We cooked our food using charcoal and some twigs, and I say, "it was super fun!". It brought back memories of my girl scout days. We only brought one lamp so we had to eat before it gets dark in the woods. By 6pm we started having our scrumptious dinner (thanks Jai!).
Then we headed for the beach...night swimming! We had so much fun swimming, star-gazing... and singing! We got so amazed by those glittery particles in the water and wondered if they were bubbles or just the sand reflecting the light. The night was so asthonishing that we couldn't contain our joy and thankfulness to the Creator and Sustainer of Life, the Maker of heaven and earth. We started singing, "How Great is our God" and everyone kept on singing one song after the other until we moved up to shore singing, "...and I will rise on eagle's wings".
We took a bath in a nearby water pump to wash off the sand and the after-sticky-feeling of the seawater. It became another bonding session especially for the "sisterettes". Don't worry, there's also an available facility for bath and to-do-your-thing. See for yourself when you get there!
Everyone was in their PJs and was getting ready for a good-night-outdoor-sleep. Yes, camping life! Joel, Roche, Honey, Jai, Klaire and I were all set-in-tent but the others, Greg, Athan, Harry, Lulu, Kat, and Tin, were still chitchatting outside. Unfortunately, we were so exhausted to do the bonfire so we settled with an omni lamp. I can hear the sound of the crickets and the sea breeze, the conversation and giggles of my neighbors, and not to mention some guys snoring. Guess who?!
May 25, 2008, Sunday morning was beautiful as ever. Everyone woke up very early but me. I’m not a morning person..and everybody knows that. The girls did the kitchen thing. And the boys, what do you expect?! (Peace!). In fairness, they helped in and yes, were forced to wash the dishes (Ha!). It was a heavy breakfast, and the only food supply left. Our improvised-kitchen became another getting-to-know venue. One thing I learned in all my outdoor and ministry experiences, you get to know people better when you live with them, even for just a short period of time. The truth of the matter is that, their true characters are being revealed especially when they are tired or HUNGRY.. in this case, BOTH . (Ha!)
Our agenda for our last day: go trek in the woods and after that swim to a very fascinating spot where the river meets the sea. So everyone got themselves armed with… a bottle of water and camera!
Campers ready?! Onward march! Not far from our campsite, we saw a beautiful spot--a stream of water. It was so clear and cold. We were crossing over and realized that it was a perfect spot for photos..and so we stopped. Thank God for tripods! Then we moved on. Up, up, up to the hills and jungle. We crossed 4 streams of water (Greg blurted out, "it's like crossing the Jordan river!), struggled with weeds and strange looking plants and trees, bitten by ants and insects, and we got lost for a few minutes. After a 20-minute trek, we reached a majestic place in the middle of the forest. It was surrounded by mountains and trees. It was super green..and magnificent. I couldn't even describe what we saw in words . God is really a God of wonder.
I had sooooo much fun that weekend.
And I thank the Lord for not allowing us to go to Galera (all things work together for good), He opened a wide door for us to take pleasure in His beautiful masterpieces in the
(for more photos, please check http://pinoynga.com/thumbnails.php?album=101)