At Mines View Park there's a new store called Cordillera World .. wherein you can see the culture of Cordillera .. you can also wear the tribe's costumes and have some picture around ..
LA TRINIDAD: Strawberry Fields
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| the biggest strawberry I've seen :) |
BAGUIO CITY: Cemetery of Negativism
Written on the entrance:
"Negativism is man's greatest self imposed infliction, his most limiting factor, his heaviest burden. No more for here is buried the world's negativism for all time. Those who rest here have died not in vain - but for you a stern reminder. As you leave this hill remember that the rest of your life, Be More Positive.
Have a good day! Treat today like its your last though its the first of the rest." - CJH
A Quick Trip within NORTH COTABATO
Out of curiosity, I decided to try the Cotabato City Airport route on my home vacation trip ..
it was years ago when I last visited Cotabato City .. It was during my elementary days .. Those who are not used to travelling within the city are quite scared because of the things that's happening and being shown in the news .. I am not expecting that much but I wasn't disappointed .. the airport was small but easy access .. and I was fetch by my brother-in-law since ill be staying at their house which is 3 hours drive from the city ..
We passed through some part of the City .. I saw a part of the second largest river in the Mindanao which is the Rio Grande De Mindanao .. the City looks clean .. :) .. and we just dropped by at Jollibee for our meals -
We passed through some part of the City .. I saw a part of the second largest river in the Mindanao which is the Rio Grande De Mindanao .. the City looks clean .. :) .. and we just dropped by at Jollibee for our meals -
An Encounter With A TAXI DRIVER
Feeling lazy, it's already 6:30 in the morning an hour after I turned off my alarm .. I know too well that I'm going to be late for work .. :)
It's already 8:00 a.m. when I was able to get out from my house (which is supposedly I'm already at work at that time), and the line for fx was way too long .. Next option: TAXI .. :)
It didn't take long a taxi finally stopped in front of me .. I asked the driver if he can take me to San Lazaro he didn't respond but when I was sitting already he asked where he will take me I said SM San Lazaro .. from SM San Lazaro I can give directions on how we can get to the office .. And he just said alright SM San Lazaro .. He's got a GPS!!! He looked for SM San Lazaro then he choose the fastest way and off we go .. The taxi is not like the new one but its fully equip inside .. His GPS is the instructed one .. like "in 200 meters turn left" so you'll hear its instruction from time to time .. Unlike other taxi's the driver display his drivers license in the dashboard :) .. he's got a car stereo, some mirrors, phone with tv, and a webcam inside the taxi .. at that moment he was listening to a traffic update while I was observing him .. then he took a wipe off marker and started writing in one of the mirror and he wrote .. TRAFFIC: EDSA: ORTIGAS Meralco Area, Makati Southbound .. And I was like "Cool!" .. I was able to get his name from his license .. And he would say "would it be ok with you if we'll take this road as to avoid traffic" .. he does inform the passenger of the way .. :)
How much and how to get to CAGBALETE ISLAND?
Cagbalete Island for a weekend getaway!
Manila to Lucena:
Manila to Lucena:
As early as before I went to JAM bus terminal Cubao Station for Lucena to avoid traffic as well as to catch the boat. As I am expecting that the bus will leave at 3:00 a.m. But before 3:00 a.m. I was already on the road. It'll take more or less 3 hours bus ride from Manila to Lucena. I arrived in Lucena around 5-5:30 a.m. and dropped at a gas station as the bus didn't entered the grand terminal. It would take a few meters of walk to get to Lucena Grand Terminal.
THE ART OF TRAVEL : A Weekend Movie
OKTOBERFEST 2011: Kick-off Party
♪♫ .. last friday night .. yeah we danced on tabletops .. and we took too many shots .. think we kissed but I forgot .. last friday night .. yeah we maxed our credit card .. and got kicked out of the bar .. so we hit the boulevard .. ♫♪
THE 32nd MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2011
Late this morning I saw a post at my aunt's wall with a link titled "A Haven for Book Lovers" with my name telling me to go there .. :) .. It's The 32nd Manila International Book Fair .. and it started since September 14 and will last tomorrow September 18, 2011 .. They opened at 10 in the morning and closes at 8 in the evening .. Good thing I only worked until 12 noon for Saturday, so right after work I went straight to SMX Convention Center at Mall of Asia, Pasay City .. I took the LRT and alight to Taft Station then transferred to a jeepney for SM MOA .. When I get there I went to the registration area to buy a ticket and it cost 20 Pesos but for students and senior citizens the ticket costs 15 Pesos ..
.. books .. books .. books .. it thrilled me when I get in .. the place was filled with booths of different exhibitors ..
TACLOBAN CITY TRIP - Encounter With The Locals
DAY 1
Among the trips that I've done this one is the most unplanned one .. as long as I've got a place to stay then I'm good .. And I want to do a lesser budget trip .. Got some places on my list like the Leyte Landing and the San Juanico Bridge .. Good thing is I found one contact from CS Tacloban .. :) .. so off I go .. When I arrived at the airport I went straight to the tourism information desk and ask for some list of any contact numbers in case of any emergency .. and a map as well .. Then I asked how can I reach downtown by just taking the jeepney and she said that once I go out there's a lot of jeepney .. By the gate area not wanting to ride a wrong jeepney I asked the guard where and which jeepney should I take that'll pass along Imelda Road .. the conversation goes like:
Me: Kuya saan po yung mga jeep na dadaan ng Imelda?
Guard: Yung mga jeep doon.
Me: Salamat po.
(when I was already 2-3 steps away)
Guard: Dun ka sumakay sa may "even" number ha.
(Then I saw the numbers above the jeepneys just to make sure I went back to the guard and ask since the number was in 3 digits)
Me: Kuya dun po ako sa jeep na ang huling number ay 8 sasakay?
Guard: Hindi. Doon ka sa even number na jeep
Me: Doon nga po sa 8
Guard: Sa even number nga yung sa 7 ang hulihan
Me: Cge po salamat! *i smiled*
(but in reality i really got confuse .. what are the even numbers and what are the odd numbers)
I asked the jeepney driver which one should I take that'll pass along Imelda .. just to make sure .. when I arrived in the hotel I immediately texted a colleague asking what are even and odd numbers .. can't get over it .. :D
LEARNED: I still know math .. lol .. even numbers are 2,4,6,8,10 and odd numbers are 1,3,5,7,9 .. :D
TACLOBAN CITY TRIP - Sto. Nino Shrine (Romualdez Museum)
One of a must spot to visit in Tacloban City is the Santo Nino Shrine - Romualdez Museum. It is one of the 29 rest houses of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. It was built for the first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who was a daughter of Tacloban. The house was furnished with antiques from around the world like Austrian mirror, chandeliers from Czech Republic, tiles from Italy, jars from China, floor carpets from Argentina and other decorative arts from France, Italy and Germany. And there are also collections of original paintings of Fernando Amorsolo.
TACLOBAN CITY TRIP - DAY 3
This time I have to start early since its my last day .. :( .. And I got an invite for lunch from Fernando one of the moderators of CS Tacloban .. So I still got some time to check out some place .. I started around 9:00 a.m. .. I rode a tricycle and asked the driver to take me to Leyte Park Resort .. It is one of the hotels in Tacloban that is known as it also carries the name Leyte .. and within its area are the places to hang out to chill and have some drinks .. :)
TACLOBAN CITY TRIP - DAY 2
After an 8 hours of sleep and morning laziness .. my second day start at exactly 12:00 noon :) .. and to start off a tummy must be filled .. Dahil Sa Iyo Fastfood is the place to start ..
TACLOBAN CITY TRIP - DAY 1 - "I Have Returned!"
For my second solo trip .. I am bound for Tacloban City .. I purchased my ticket during some seat sale of Cebu Pacific Airlines .. I was about to leave the house when I suddenly think of cancelling my trip .. one reason is my BB phone is having a problem so i won't have connection 24/7 :( .. It was already 9:30 a.m. and still i haven't fully decided yet until when I checked for any other events for the weekend but got nothing that interest me so off I go for my trip .. I arrived at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport of Tacloban City at around 1:10 p.m. .. And I am already set that this is going to be a less expense and fun filled trip .. :)
AirPhilippine Express PISO Fare - June-July 2012
The AirPhilippine Express is having an express PISO (P1.00) Basic Fare Sale. The tickets for the said sale are to all domestic flights and must be bought from September 9 & 10, 2011 only for the travel period of June 1 - July 31 2012. So to those who are travelling to the said dates you can grab this opportunity to have a less expense travel to places.
And to those who haven't done some travels better start your adventure and who knows we might bump each other along the way.
their website:
http://www.airphilexpress.com
RIZAL 150: #12 Kamestisuhan District, Malolos, Bulacan
To get to Malolos, Bulacan you have to travel 45 kilometers north of Manila .. And that's how I get my fourth stamp.
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| 4th stamp |
Kamestisuhan District (Women of Malolos Marker / Bautista House), Sto. Niño St., Malolos, Bulacan is where the site of the school of the Women of Malolos whom Rizal wrote to on February 22, 1899 from London. And the Bautista House is where Rizal is said to have visited when he was recruiting members for the La Liga Filipina on June 27, 1892.
On the first floor of Casa Real you can find the huge wall painting of the Women of Malolos
Apag Marangle ~ Pampanga
I never heard of Apag Marangle .. It was during our Subic-Pampanga trip when on our way home we were thinking to have an early dinner since we know that we'll arrived Manila a little late .. And no one got any idea where to eat .. So I suggested we passed by San Fernando so we can have a lot of choices .. We don't even know where we are already .. lol .. Along the way we saw some posters on the post about Apag Marangle so we decided to give it a try .. so some of us are looking of the left side and the others on the right side of the road .. looking for it .. It's actually in Bacolor, Pampanga as their signage states .. :)
RIZAL 150: #14 San Juan Bautista Church, Calamba City, Laguna
Just right across the Rizal Shrine is the San Juan Bautista Church where I got my 3rd stamp.
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| my 3rd stamp - San Juan Bautista Church |
"San Juan Bautista Church - where Jose Rizal was baptized in the church by Fr. Rufino Collantes"
RIZAL 150: #13 Rizal Shrine, Calamba City, Laguna
For my 2nd Stamp, I got it from the Rizal Shrine in Calamba City, Laguna. Along with CS Manila who is also into Lakbay Rizal 150 we've come up with a Laguna Leg and more than 10 people signed up but unfortunately due to non-stop rain only 5 of us make it. And we are blessed enough because the moment we entered Laguna Area the rain has stopped in the area. :)
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| 2nd Stamp - Rizal Shrine, Calamba City, Laguna |
RIZAL 150: #19 Fort San Pedro, Pier Area, Cebu City
I got my first Lakbay Rizal 150 stamp at Fort San Pedro in Cebu City the night before the 150th birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal.
LAKBAY JOSE RIZAL @ 150
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| my Lakbay Rizal Pasaporte :) |
In order to understand my upcoming posts I believe this intro must be posted as well .. Its quite late for this one but it'll connect with some of the trips i've done (in short backlog .. lol) ..
The Lakbay Jose Rizal @ 150 is a project of an inter-agency group along with Department of Tourism in commemoration of our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal's 150th birth anniversary. The objective is to rediscover the places that makes a great significance in Dr. Jose Rizal's life.
FRIDAY: Free Day!
It all started with this flyer that 2 girls are giving out in SM North this morning while we line up for the fx .. They offer free ride .. At first I was hesitant coz it was a program of GMA News TV .. What if they'll be doing an interview and show it on television .. its a no no .. but when I saw that their program started since July 25 then its a Go! It just means that no more interview and so on since it has been days already ..
WEEKEND: Market/Bazaar Hopping
I've heard about the Sunday Market/Bazaar at Eton Centris Walk just beside Quezon Ave. MRT Station it happens every Sunday morning that ends at around 2 P.M. .. I've been planning to check on it since its not that far from me but laziness always have its way on me .. lol .. one Sunday I and some friends went on a Market/Bazaar Hopping .. We start at Eton Centris Walk at 9 A.M. .. How to start a day? A CAROUSEL RIDE!!! for P50.00 .. :)
Well the child like in us .. :)
A Short Trip to Baguio City
I was invited for my cousin's baby 1st birthday and dedication at Baguio City just perfect enough to leave Manila with its scrotching heat weather .. I planned to leave Manila a day before than planned scheduled to be able to go around Baguio .. But due to some laziness I wasn't able to catch the earlier bus in Victory Liner the next trip to Baguio is 1 P.M. so I transferred to Dagupan Bus to be able to catch an earlier schedule .. Fare for Dagupan bus from Cubao to Baguio costs P432.00.
With me is my travelling buddy Angel ..
THE REAL THING DINER: Sarsi Wings!
I was craving for a buffalo wings .. for weeks i've been ordering from different establishment but still my craving hasn't been satisfied .. and I remembered Sarsi Wings @ The Real Thing Diner .. :) .. so I invited a friend along with angel my travelling buddy bear .. :)
CINEMALAYA 2011 goes to UP Diliman
Cinemalaya Philippines Independent Film Festival is held annually to develop and promote Filipino Independent Film.
Cinemalaya 2011 has already started since July 15 and ends on the 24th of July. But it will also be shown in UP starting on July 26 until August 05, 2011. And since my location is much nearer in Up Diliman than in CCP and Greenbelt I opt to missed the past weeks that it has started.
SUBIC : Island Hopping!
For a beach weekend getaway we (along with colleagues from work in different department - they just invited me .. lol) went to Subic .. In one of the resort along Baloy Beach, Barrio Barretto .. sorry I wasn't able to get the name of the resort but there are a lot of resorts to choose in that long shortline of Baloy Beach .. On our first day exploration has not been done .. it was more on enjoying the water moment and eating and drinking .. It was on the second day that I had a walk along the long shoreline of Baloy .. wishing that I might see the sunrise .. the beach has a semi-fine sand in gray to near white ..
HAPADOG
Something new's in Sky Garden .. it's HAPADOG! .. they offer japanese style hotdog
for their establishment's design i find it cozy except if the weather way too hot ..
CEBU TRIP : Mactan Shrine / Lapu-Lapu Shrine
When I first stepped in Cebu City some years ago .. I really wanted to visit/see the Mactan Shrine and meet Lapu-Lapu but they'll always say its far .. And since I was with my parents I didn't insist .. And one reason I choose Cebu this time is the Mactan Shrine .. yeah I wasn't able to get over it .. lol .. I asked from the hotel personnels how to get to Lapu-Lapu Shrine or better known as the Mactan Shrine .. The first answer I got "it's far" .. and for the question how to get there? The answer that I always get is "take a cab" .. but it'll cost you a lot .. what I did was research :) .. on how to commute going there ..
After the DIY Cebu Walk I went straight to Pier 3 .. in Pier 3 there's a ferry boat for Bohol as well as Ferry for Mactan .. So I went to the area for Mactan I paid P12.00 for the ticket and P1.00 for the terminal fee .. I find it funny coz the P1.00 terminal fee is printed on a nice paper that looks much expensive that the fee itself ..
CEBU WALK: Heritage of Cebu
The Heritage of Cebu is the heroic contribution of the Cebuano People and the saga events which happened to the island of Cebu in the Philippines. It showcase the significant and symbolic events in the history of Cebu.
It is a tableau designed by Eduardo Castrillo and was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Cebu.
The construction and fabrication of the artworks started in July 1997 and it was completed on December 08, 2000.
MAP:
CEBU WALK: Colon Street
Colon Street the first and the oldest street in the Philippines. It is located in the downtown area of Cebu City. it was built by the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and was named after Cristobal Colon or known as Christopher Columbus, a navigator and explorer from Italy. The place became the center of commercial activities with a wide varity of commercial sites such as shopping malls, restaurants, theaters, and schools. It was in Colon where the first business establishments and offices where built in Cebu. It become a witness to the rise and fall of cebu's economic and political competence over the years. Sometime during the mid-year season and December, a "night market in Colon" is being held wherein they sold the items at a very affordable price.
MAP:
CEBU WALK: Plaza Hamabar
The Plaza Hamabar is dedicated in honor to the wisest and bravest man of Cebu, Rajah Humabon. It is located just in front of Cathedral Museum.
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| the obelisk |
Rajah Humabon was the first chieftain to embrace Christianity in the Philippines. When Ferdinand Magellan arrived on April 7, 1521, he made a blood compact as a symbol of their newfound friendship. But on April 28, 1521, Magellan's troop voyage to Mactan and engaged in a battle with the native chieftain Lapu-lapu. With the battle it made Rajah Humabon lose trust to the Spaniards that he ordered his people to kill all the Spaniards who remained in the island to avenge their rape of the Cebu's women. Rajah Humabon became the first Filipino to avenge the honor of women.
Rajah Humabon was tattooed with fire in various designs. He wore only a cotton cloth before his private and a scarf embroidered with a needle about his head. A necklace of great value hanging from his neck and two large earrings fastened in ears set round with precious gems.
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| Rajah Humabon |
