I can’t believe we’re halfway through October already. Several more winks and it’ll be 2017! (I totally sped past December and Christmas and, yes, I intended to do that.) Time moves so fast it’s giving me whiplash, and I am just a bit worried that work will be too busy for the remaining 2 months that 2016 will end with… a whimper. Can’t help but feel like that, considering how ‘quiet’ and ‘calm’ the last half of this year has gone for me… and how hectic and eventful the first half was. 4 hours spent on an ATV, getting the closest I will probably ever get to Mt. Mayon, and then capping it off with a zipline ride? What else could top THAT when you’re in Cagsawa? Continue reading “My Mayon ATV Adventure (and a Zipline!) at Cagsawa in Albay”
Things To Do At The Cagsawa Ruins in Albay
What is it about gloomy, dreary, cold and wet weather that easily turns most people nostalgic? Suddenly one wishes for those warm, dry days, when the sun shone so high and hot – completely ignoring the fact that, during that specific day, all they did was complain at the heat. 🙂 Not that my complaints during our last visit to the Cagsawa Ruins really had any weight. Sure, it was scorching hot, and I felt myself burning, and I was sweating like crazy, but I was still having a lot of fun, so really, complaining just ain’t right. Continue reading “Things To Do At The Cagsawa Ruins in Albay”
Three Times Lucky… at the Cagsawa Ruins in Albay
The thing about Mt. Mayon… no matter what your vantage point is, whether you’re in Daraga in the South, or downtown Legazpi City in the SSW, in Tabaco City in the North, further SSW in Donsol…. and even when just passing by on the highway, IT LOOKS THE SAME PERFECT CONE THAT IT IS. It is, for lack of a better word, picture-perfect.
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Ziplining at Lignon Nature Park in Legazpi City, Albay
The answer to “where can you get the best view of Mt. Mayon in Legazpi?” is debatable, considering how the volcano with the perfect cone shape can be seen wherever you are in Legazpi, and its neighboring towns. But you get a bonus if you head up to the Lignon Hill Nature Park. I’d say several bonuses, actually. Aside from Mt. Mayon, you’d get a panoramic 360-degree view of Legazpi City, the town of Daraga, and Albay Gulf in the distance. Oh, and you can also try out their zipline.
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The Daraga Church of Albay, Philippines
Going old school with this post this time, in the sense that I’ll be talking about some places that I first encountered through textbooks. I’m pretty sure that, when the province of Albay is mentioned, the first thing that’ll come to mind is the majestic and gorgeous Mayon Volcano. But, as my visit earlier this year to Legazpi, Albay has proven, there is more to this Bicolandia province than the perfect cone. One of them is the Daraga Church.
The Timbac Mummy Rock Shelters in Kabayan, Benguet
Just as we cannot mention Baguio without Burnham Park, we cannot talk about Mt. Timbac without touching on the Timbac fire mummies, which were kept and preserved in the Timbac Mummy Rock Shelters, or more fondly known as Timbac Caves.
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Cold… and Enchanted at Mt. Timbac in Benguet
I have a theory. The reason that this tickle in my throat refuses to go away is because I haven’t seen some mountain action since… March, was it? I’m craving going on a hike and breathing pure, unadulterated mountain air, never mind that it gets freezing at some points, and mixed with rain and followed by the heat of the sun. Come to think of it, the last proper hike I did was in February this year, up Mt. TImbac via Atok in Benguet. Continue reading “Cold… and Enchanted at Mt. Timbac in Benguet”
Revisiting the Botanical Garden of Baguio City
The Botanical Garden of Baguio City has become famous among local tourists as a place where they can have their photos taken with old Igorot women in traditional garb. And… that’s it. I confess to having relegated the place to the back of my mind after those visits during elementary school for field trips. Since then, I pretty much ignored it.
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Baguio Eats: The Coffee Library
Another #BaguioEats post on this day, September 1, the 107th Charter Anniversary of Baguio City. A gloomy, rainy birthday, but a birthday still, so Happy 107th, Baguio! I’m going to talk a bit about this out-of-the-way coffee place, one of the verryyyyyy many coffee places that sprung in Baguio City in the past couple of years: The Coffee Library.
La Trinidad Eats: Half Cup Cafe
Time for another foodie post. I’m not really the type to eat out a lot, and those few times I do, I spend more time eating than actually paying attention on whether I can talk about it in my blog or not. Haha! But once in a while, I feel motivated. Just like now, as we visit another small place in La Trinidad, the town I live in. It’s called the Half Cup Cafe.
7 Reasons Why You Should Visit BenCab Museum
I’m at the end of my blog series about BenCab Museum, and it is to talk about the art museum itself. Now I am not an artsy person. One of my frustrations is to be able to draw something that is recognizable for what it is. Then I recognized a lost cause for what it is, and gave up (yeah, there are some things that we have to concede on). But that does not mean we stop appreciating, and “appreciate” is what I did during this visit.
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BenCab Museum: Cafe Sabel
Prior to visiting BenCab Museum, I purposefully did not stuff myself full with food because I wanted to check out what they have to offer at Cafe Sabel. It was… quite an experience, to say the least. Love the coffee, though, and how it “kicked” me right up.
BenCab Museum: Eco-Trail at the BenCab Farm and Garden
It’s July, y’all! First half of the year is over, and the second half has begun. Time did fly so fast, didn’t it? The next thing you know, it’s Christmas. But that won’t be for a few months yet, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? To welcome the 2nd half of the year, let’s go local, to a place that’s really close, but I’ve never been to before. The BenCab Museum.
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Davao City: The Japanese Tunnel
The month of June means a lot of things in the Philippines – the start of classes (and heavier-than-usual traffic), the beginning of the rainy season, the end of the first half of the fiscal recording year (only people in the accounting field will probably care about this) and, for some, the beginning of the countdown to Christmas 2016 (nope, it’s never too early, not in the Philippines). But it also marks the annual observance and celebration of the Philippines’ Independence after 333 years of occupation by Spain, every June 12. So I thought I’d try to do a bit of my own celebration by making posts about places I’ve seen with historical significance.
A Cave and Boulders at Tinipak River in Tanay, Rizal
A visit to Mt. Daraitan in Rizal will not be complete without swinging by Tinipak River. For day-hikers and overnighters, these two are a package deal. And it makes sense, too, because of the close proximity. If you go to one without going to the other, that is tantamount to having wasted your time. We did nothing of the sort, because after our speedy hike up and down Mt. Daraitan, we proceeded to Tinipak River, where we camped the night and had a caving and (mini) bouldering adventure the next day. Continue reading “A Cave and Boulders at Tinipak River in Tanay, Rizal”