A Wanderer's Journey

Travel: Passion or Hobby?

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:16:00 +0000

While I was waiting for a friend and a co-worker who was getting her things in our office for one of our travels, I bumped in to a friend. He saw me bringing my DSLR camera and was amazed about me having one.
He suddenly asked me if taking pictures was my hobby or my passion.
Without thinking, I answered him back saying that it was my hobby without even knowing the difference between the two.
Before I was asked the question, I never really thought much about it. The more I think about it right now, the more I realize, it was not a simple question and answer.

Suddenly, I questioned myself, is travelling my hobby or passion?
Have any traveler question themselves as well?

I did some research on the internet about the difference between the two.
Based on the Merriam Webster's Dictionary, passion is a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept while hobby is a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in for relaxation.

In layman term, Passion is what you love to do and it drives you. You would be willing to risk your money or job for it. One would do it not only on their spare time but every single day and that's what you want to do in your life. Hobby is something that you do in your spare time for pleasure and relaxation. It's something you would spend your money on and it's something you do to enjoy when you are not in the office or maybe to get away from your hectic schedule.

Oftentimes, people mistakenly believed that their hobby is their passion.
Before you make a risk in your life like quitting your job to focus on your passion, you have to make sure that it's not just a hobby. I'm sure if it is really your passion you can earn from it.

Despite it, one could combine their passion and hobby and make a living out of it

As for my answer to that question, its just my HOBBY. I am not ready to risk it all just to travel. In this time of crisis, one has to learn how to save and spend. I make sure that I know my priorities.
But just like the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", I know when to have fun and when not to. Hopefully, in the near future, I could say that travelling is not just my hobby but also my passion.

So now, I ask you, is what you are doing your passion or hobby? It may be traveling, photography, blogging or etc.
You have to think it over.

Boracay - A Beach Haven

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

The much awaited day has come, its our trip to Boracay.

I am not fond of beaches cause I'm into mountains and forests but I really wanted to see why people are so crazy about Boracay.

Boracay is one of the major tourist destination in the Philippines because of its white sand beaches.

We woke up at 2:00 AM since we knew that the first trip is 3:00 AM.

We finally left our pension house but made a reservation for the following day. They do not accept leaving food items so we just brought along the 'pasalubongs' we bought.

There weren't any jeepneys available at that time so we decided to take a taxi going to Tagbak Terminal. The receptionist in the pension house told us that there is another way to go to Boracay and the first trip leaves at 4:00 AM. She said most of the travelers that stay in the pension house goes to that terminal. She even said that it would just take about 3 hours for the trip.

Bassed on my research, the only terminal offering a trip to Boracay is the Tagbak terminal. When we took a taxi, the driver told us that there is a van for hire trip going to Boracay. It is also found in the Tagbak terminal.

When we got there, the van for hire was already leaving. The good thing is we were able to still catch up and ride on it. The fare is P350.00.

The trip took about 4 hours. There were lots of stop overs since there are people who would ride on it.

When we got to the Caticlan - Jetty Port Terminal, we directly purchased a ticket for a fast craft.

There are 2 ways that you can get to Boracay from the Caticlan-Jetty Port terminal. One is through a Roro(Roll on Roll Off) ship and the other one is through a fastcraft.

The Roro is the cheapest way to get to Boracay but it takes the longest time. The fastcraft is a much faster option since it would just take about 15 minutes.

We do not have to only purchase a fast craft ticket but also environmental fee and terminal fee. The fast craft ticket costs P30.00, the environmental fee costs P 75.00 and the terminal fee costs P50.00.

We then got into the fast craft and even if its not full, they would still leave.

Finally, I have stepped foot in Boracay.

We then took a tricycle going to D'Mall. The fare costs P20.00.

From the port going to D'Mall, one would pass Station 1 where well known hotels are found.

D'Mall is a shopping center in Boracay and is located in Station 2. It is also very near the beach.

There are a lot of restaurants in the mall.

There are also different shops selling souvenirs and clothes.

We then looked for the guest house that we were planning to stay. We did not make any reservations. When we have finally found the guest house, they said that its already full. We stayed on the guest house near it which is the Crown Beach Hotel. The room that we got for 1 night is P 1,500. I was not able to take a picture of the room.

If you would like to make a reservation you can contact Aida Gregorio who is the Operations Manager. Her cellphone number is 09474867223/09185788037.
You can also email them on thecrownbeach.hotel@yahoo.com

The way to the different guest house in Station 2

We then roam around Station 2 since it's still very early in the morning. We were looking for a place to have our breakfast.

While roaming around, we purchased this hats for P130.00. It's something one needs to wear while walking around in Boracay to protect you from the sun.

Kuya Gerald who was our tour guide in Guimaras mentioned that he knew someone in Boracay that might be able to assist us in having a tour in Boracay. He suggested a tricycle driver and we contacted that person for our tour. The tour would cost P 300.00 per hour. We actually misunderstood since we thought it's P100.00 per hour.

While going to the Puka Beach, we have passed by a place where they offer Buggies and ATV(All Terrain Vehicle) Rental. This is also one of the things that tourists could do while in Boracay. The price range would be P 300/hour to P1000/hour.

They say that you need to have a drivers license to drive one because this is just like a motorcycle. As always, the law is not enforced strictly.

The Puka Beach is one of the beaches found in the Northern tip of Boracay. It is called Puka because it is where the puka shell is found and used on jewelry.

It has white sand and very azure waters.

I could now conclude why people are so crazy about Boracay and I'm learning to love the beach already.

We passed by the Bat Cave but it costs P 2500 per person when having a tour so we decided not to proceed with it.

Another thing that you could do in Boracay is the Zorb. One would get in the ball and roll over a hill. The Zorb Park is where you can do the zorb which is on the way to the Bat Cave. There are 2 rides that you can do on the Zorb Park. One is the Harness Ride where you would be strapped and would roll over while the other ride is the Hydro wherein there would be water inside the ball.

The price range would be P300 - 580 per person.

The next place that we went to is the Mt. Luho View Point. This is the place where you can get an over looking view of Boracay. It's breath taking and a relaxing view.

The entrance fee is P 50.00.

The next stop is the Dini Weed Beach in Boracay. The tricycle driver whom I forgot the name, told us that this is the place where Manny Pacquiao's house is located. There are different hotels in the Dini Weed beach like Nami and Spider House.

We also gone into another place where there are rock formations and I think its called Boracay Rock, I'm not quite sure.

Since we spent 3 hours for the tour, it cost us P 450.00 per person.

We then roamed around Boracay and found the tourist map.

While roaming around, we have seen different resorts that one could stay when you are there.

There is also a massage area when you would like to get your body squeezed and relax near the beach.

There are a lot of Paraw sailboats and bangka or canoe in Boracay.

There are also surf boards.

When in Boracay, one shouldn't forget to taste the different fruit shakes. One of the famous fruit shakes in Boracay is Jonah's Fruitshake.

One of the drinks that is famous in Jonah's is the Choco Peanut Shake which costs P110.00. It is very delicious especially in a very hot day.

We then went back to our hotel to rest for a few hours.
Around 5:30 PM, we then went out again to get a glimpse of the sunset in Boracay.

On my own point of view, its the best sunset that I have seen.

This is one of the things that I would like to see in Boracay, the sand formation. We roamed around to find the best sand formation however this is the best one I've found. One should give donations to the one who made this.

I was also expecting to see a fire dance but there were none. We just roamed around the place and have seen a lot of restaurants having dinner buffet with price ranging from P 200 - P 400.00

There are also a lot of fresh fishes and sea foods.

On our last day in Boracay, we woke up early to see the sunrise.

We then headed to Willy's Rock Formation in Station 1. At the top of the rock is the shrine of the Virgin Mary.

After enjoying our morning swim, we had our breakfast.

I then looked for someone who offers Helmet Diving for 1 person at a cheaper price. Miss Caryl has already tried helmet diving when she came to Boracay and she doesn't want to do it again.

It is called Helmet Diving or Reef walking because you are going to walk on a reef using a helmet and that helmet has a long hose which is for the oxygen.

When I finally found a man who offers Helmet Diving for P 500.00, I grabbed the offer.

I payed and then signed on their list of passengers and the specific activity that I am doing. They offer also para sailing.

We took a bangka or canoe going to the area where we would be doing the helmet diving.
Below are helmets that one would use on a helmet diving experience. It weighs 25 kgs above water and it gets lighter when you descend into the ground.

It's a good thing because there was a couple who's also from Cebu that would go through the experience with me.

First thing that one would do is to wear diving shoes. The diving shoes is needed so that we wouldn't be able to step in to anything sharp at the bottom.

We were given a briefing session on what would happen and what needs to be done.

I was told that once you go down the stairs and the helmet is worn, there would be too much pressure so have to do a certain process to let that pressure out like the sneezing process or to swallow.

There are also hand signals that would be done underwater since we wouldn't be hearing each other.

The couple was the first one to go down and when it was my turn, I was very excited. I climbed down the ladder and the helmet was placed. The pressure in my ears are very distracting. I had tried swallowing several times but it didn't work so I have done the other process which is like sneezing.

It took awhile before I got the hang of it. The instructor then assisted me to the bottom. He gave me bread so that the fishes would go near me. He then took pictures and a video of it. I took some stones at the bottom as a remembrance. It was a 20 minute experience but it seems so long.

When the 20 minutes was up, we then headed back. I got a cd with the pictures and video in it.

We then headed back to Station 1 where the bangka took us.

We then walked going back to our hotel to prepare ourselves and our things since we need to check out by 12:00 PM. We had our lunch near the hotel. We left our things in the hotel to roam around again.

I bought souvenirs for my friends back home and also get to taste their halo-halo.

The souvenirs costs P100.00 for 7 pieces.

The halo-halo which is just like fruit cocktail with leche flan and cherry costs P78.00 pesos.

Around 3:00 PM, we decided to go to the port already. We paid our fast craft ticket for P30.00 and terminal fee for P50.00.

When we arrived in the Caticlan-Jetty Port, we thought we could still ride a van for hire at that time however there was none available. Good thing, we were still able to catch up with the last trip for the Ceres bus. Their last trip leaves at 4:00 PM. The trip takes about 5 hours and the fare costs P346.00.

When we arrived in the Tagbak Terminal in Iloilo, we took the Leganes jeepney. We stopped near Smallville.

Smallville is the newest hangout in Iloilo. There are different bars, restaurants and coffee shops there.

One of the reasons why I visited the place before going to Ong Bun Pension House is to check out the dessert shop called "Nothing but Desserts".

I wanted to taste the Macaroons that they have their. These macaroons costs P30.00 each.

We waited for a jeepney for Mandurriao since that would take us directly to our pension house however at that time, there were none. We just took the Leganes jeepney and the driver was so kind that he took us to our pension house. The fare costs P8.00.

When we got to the pension house, we went directly to our room. Its not air conditioned since its just an Economy double room which costs P 230 per night. It only has an electric fan, two beds and cabinets. The comfort room is a shared one just like in dormitories. We don't want to spend much since we are already leaving.

On our last day in Iloilo, we woke up early and prepared ourselves. We need to go to SM Iloilo to ride a van for hire going to the airport. We then took the Baluarte jeepney with an P 8.00 fare to take us to the Leganes jeepney stop. We took the Leganes jeepney going to SM Iloilo with an P8.00 fare.

Good thing that the van for hire is occupied directly. The fare for this van for hire is P70.00.

When we got to the airport, we got our boarding pass and had breakfast.

There is also a pasalubong center in the airport.

For our breakfast, we had La Paz Batchoy and Pansit Molo with desserts.

We then have to wait for our delayed flight and have to bid goodbye.

Madamo Gid Salamat Iloilo! =D

For this trip, the total cost is P11,300. This might vary for other travelers depending on the things that are purchased.

It might cost a lot but I have been to 3 places on one trip.

It's all worth it.

The Continuation of our Journey in Iloilo

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Our Guimaras trip did not last for a day so we decided to visit the other places that we haven't been to in Iloilo.

When we arrived in the Ortiz Port in Iloilo, we headed to a house I have seen a few blocks from there that seems to be an ancestral house.

It is the Ledesma House sometimes called "Eagle House". The house has a lot of eagle sculptures in the front fence.

We then took a jeepney going to Plaza Libertad. The fare is P 8.00.

The Plaza Libertad is the downtown Iloilo's plaza. It is also where the flag of the First Philippine Republic was raised after Spain has surrendered Iloilo.

You would also see the statue of Rizal in the center of the Plaza.

Near the plaza, you could also find the San Jose Church which is said to be the first church built in Iloilo.

When we went inside the church, there was a wedding that was held.

Our next stop was the Museo Iloilo. Along the way, we passed by the Iloilo Jaycees Marker. The fare is P 8.00.

When we got to the Museo Iloilo, we thought they were close since its a Saturday. We were lucky that they are opened.

There is an entrance fee which is P 25.00 for adults and P15.00 for students.

They are open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Cameras are not allowed inside the Museum. It just showcase different artifacts that would show the history of Iloilo. There are also different pictures of the People Power Revolution.

At the back of the Museo Iloilo is the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.

We took another jeepney going to La Paz to visit the La Paz Church. Before we got to see the church, we passed by the La Paz District Park.

The church resembles the San Jose Church however it has a unique feature which they call neo-classical appearance. The church is made of bricks.

The last church and last destination here in Iloilo would be the Pavia Church. We got into the wrong jeepney so we had to take another one. We should have gone to the Shell Station where the Pavia jeepney would pass by. The fare going to Pavia is P 12.00.

The Pavia Church is made of red bricks and coral window cases. It was built by Spanish Augustinians.

Before heading back to the pension house, we purchased our homecoming treat or 'pasalubong' from the Biscocho Haus. They are famous for the butterscotch and biscocho.

They also have merengue with casuy, garlic bread, yemas, banana marbles, pinasugbo, piaya, butter toast, barquillos, barquiron and many more.

The Biscocho's that I have purchased cost P52.00 and thats packed in plastic and not placed in boxes like the ones above. It would cost more if its placed in boxes.

The Biscocho Haus have different branches in Iloilo, Kalibo and Roxas City.

Guimaras - The Sweetest Mangoes

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Guimaras is an island province near Iloilo. It is also one of the smallest provinces.

Guimaras is well known for its wide mango plantation and mango exports. Their mangoes there are one of a kind and not the same as the mangoes that we usually eat. There is that distinct sweetness that makes you want to eat more.

I wasn't too worried about this Guimaras trip since I already booked a tourist guide. The tourist guide and tricycle driver that would be assisting us in the trip is Kuya Gerald.

I just found his name in one of the blogs I have read and he was the one that was suggested to give a tour around the place since he knows a lot, he lives there and gives the tour at a cheaper price.

We woke up around 5 AM and prepared ourselves. We took a jeepney going to the Ortiz Port.

We took the first trip of the pump boat going to Guimaras which is 6 AM. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for the travel time.

We arrived in Guimaras around 7:00 AM because they filled the pump boat and waited for a lot of people before departing. The pump boat ride costs P 14.00.

We met with Kuya Gerald in the Guimaras Port. We got into his tricycle which is one of the means of transportation there.

If you wanted to contact him to have a tour in Guimaras, this is his number: 09084748122

You can tell him that Catherine referred him.

The first place we went to is the Balaan Bukid Shrine. This place is where one could spend their Holy Week to meditate and go through the sacrifice.

It is a 45 minute trek on a rocky and steep trail going to the shrine. Along the way, one could see the 14 stations that would show the sacrifices that Jesus has made.

You would be greeted by a gigantic cross when you have almost reach the top.

Once you reach the peak of the mountain, you would see the breathtaking view of Iloilo.

There is a small chapel at the top where masses are held.

There is no entrance fee but one could give donations for making it a better place.

Our next stop is the smallest plaza. From the name itself, it is small. I wonder why they created such plaza when not a lot of people could fit in.

By the way, this place is on the Guinness Book of World Records.

In the center of the plaza, you would see the statue of Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero.

Along the way, while we were heading to the Guimaras Trade Information Center, we have seen people selling mangoes. The best thing about it is that there is a free taste before buying it.

They even have this Mango Ketchup. I wonder how it tastes.

When we reached the Guimaras Trade Information Center, we looked at the different delicacies and souvenirs that you can purchase.

Near that area, one can find the Museo de Guimaras. When we came there, it was under renovation so we weren't able to go in and check what is inside.

We also passed by the National Mango Research and Development Center.

We have finally arrived in the Trappist Monastery.

It is a peaceful and sacred place which are run by monks. These monks follow the rule of St. Benedict.

We went inside the church to pray and we also lighted candles.

We also get to roam around the place.

The monks earn a living by selling souvenir items and foods. They also get donations by people coming in there.

We met one monk there and he told us about a Cebuano who gave him the Sto. Nino that he has. He also prayed for us and gave us papers to write our petitions on.

After leaving a sacred place, we are then headed to a place to relax and get a good view.

We checked out the biggest mango plantation which is the Oro Verde Mango Plantation which has 50,000 mango trees.

We also passed by Camp Alfredo which is a nature adventure destination. They offer zipline, rappelling, hanging bridge and many more.

To get to know more about this place, you can check out their facebook site.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Camp-Alfredo-in-Guimaras/194925340538279?sk=info

Kuya Gerald told us that instead of going to Valle Verde Mountain Resort to have an overlooking view of Guimaras, he just took us somewhere near the road.

He said it wasn't the best view if we are going to go to the resort.

Our last stop for our trip in Guimaras is the Guisi Point Lighthouse and Beach. This is one of many attraction in Guimaras. It is an 18th Century Lighthouse built during the Spanish colonial time and it's purpose is to guide mariners passing in Guimaras.

The entrance fee for this place is P10.00.

This is the new lighthouse they have made.

You are not allowed to go up the lighthouse since its dangerous. That is what it's saying on the sides of the lighthouse.

Kuya Gerald told us that we could go up the lighthouse but we just need to be careful. When I got to the top, you could see the Guisi beach and a breath taking view of the sea.

We came down from the lighthouse and headed near the beach. We brought the food that we bought in a nearby low priced eating area. We just sat on the rock and ate our lunch.

After our lunch, we went to Rayment Beach Resort because Kuya Gerald has to switch tricycle. I've mentioned to Kuya Gerald that there are a lot of bloggers that mentioned that the Guisi Beach is better than the Raymen Beach Resort and he agreed to that.

While we were having lunch, Kuya Gerald mentioned to us that there is a food shop in Guimaras that sells mango pizza. When we left the place, we told him that we need to stop by the area and have a taste of it.

The name of the food shop is Pitstop Pizza Haus. They sell different kinds of pizza but this mango pizza is a must try.

It was another sumptuous meal and it's one of the best pizzas I have tasted.

It was time to bid goodbye to another destination.
Kuya Gerald took us to the port and we payed him. The whole trip costs us P1,200 so that would be P 600 per person. It was not bad for a trip like that. Of course, we gave him a tip.

Iloilo - Used to be the Queen City of the South

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The year has just started and what is the best way to start it with than another escapade.

This trip came sooner than I expected.

Caryl Oriel, a colleague and a friend suddenly mentioned to me about having a trip in the Visayas region when we were having a conversation about travelling.

Without second thoughts, I agreed to join her with the agreement that the trip would fall on my rest days.

I then looked for promos from different airline and lucky enough, there was one from Cebu Pacific. We decided to just go to Iloilo and do some side trips to the places near it. The ticket costs P1,238.72 per person for the round trip. I purchased the ticket in the end of January and payed it through BDO ATM.

I tried to convince a lot of friends to come along but none agreed. It was only me and Miss Caryl.

It is my first time to go on a trip where there are only two people. I usually go on trips with a large group.

We have only 2 weeks to prepare and I don't even know what to expect on those places. I was in charge of the itinerary and it took me 3 days to prepare one. The reason why it took me too long, it's because I have to check on the different jeepney routes in Iloilo and double check it in Google maps.
You can check out this site for transportation guide in Iloilo
http://www.exploreiloilo.com/iloilo-jeepney-and-bus-transportation-guide.html

That's what's stressful at times when you are having a DIY (Do It Your) own trip and not from prepared itinerary from travel agencies.

I was even having second thoughts on adding Boracay in the itinerary since it would cost much.

What I just put in mind at that time is that the place is just near the destination that we are in, why not just go there and not have to come back another time.

The day has finally arrived for the much awaited trip. After our shifts, we then headed to the airport. I actually did not mention this to my friends but we re booked the flight because we were late. I was thinking that our flight was 9:30 AM but instead it's 9:20 AM. We arrived at the airport at 8:45. The check in time for Cebu Pacific is 45 minutes before the flight.

We re booked our ticket and have to wait for another 2 hours for our flight.

It costs us almost P2,000 pesos for the re booked ticket. It is another first time experience for me.

We both were unhappy but the mood changed after we got into the plane. Our excitement filled the air.

The flight takes about approximately 20-30 minutes.

We arrived there around lunch time.

The Iloilo Airport is one of the modern airports in the Philippines. The structure is quite the same as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport but much cleaner and organized.

When we arrived, we then headed outside to check on the van that would take us to the first place we would be seeing in Iloilo.

In the airport, the means of transportation that you would find are the taxis and the vans for hire or v-hire. If you would rather take the vhire, you will have to ask the people there where it is. I have read online that the van for hire or v-hire fare would cost P50.00-

P 75.00.

Our fair from the airport to the Jaro Church is P50.00 each.

The Jaro Church is one of the tourist spots in Iloilo. It is across the Jaro Plaza and the Jaro Belfry. It is also known as the Nuestra Señora de la Cadelaria (Our Lady of Candles). This is where Graciano López Jaena, a Filipino journalist who wrote the La Solidaridad was baptized.

There is a balcony at the top of the church where one could go up to and see the Madonna and child. On the right hand of the image, she is holding a lighted candle and on the left side is her child. This is almost a life size image and was said to have grown over the years. It is believed that the lady of candles brings protection one’s path if the person asks for her help.

These are the images inside the church where you could also see the different saints.

Across the Jaro Church is the Jaro Belfry tower which is also located in the Jaro Park.
Historically, it serves as a lookout for sea raiders.

After taking pictures in the area and praying too, we then headed to the pension house where I have booked. It is the Ong Bun pension house. I have read lots of blogs stating that its the best pension house in Iloilo for budget travelers.

If you would like to book a room, you can check out their website

http://www.ongbun.com/pensionhouse-iloilo/

We were having a hard time finding a jeepney that would take us to the pension house. We weren't following the itinerary I prepared since there are some last minute changes to it. We just asked from one of the barkers in the area to help us find a jeepney going to the place. We took the Tagbak jeepney and payed P8.00 fare. There was even a guy named Raymond who assisted us and helped us when we were asking questions on the jeepney that we need to take on our next destination.

He said that he usually comes to Cebu since he has a business here.

When we arrived in the Pension house, we got the key to our room. I have reserved the deluxe room which costs P580 per day. The deluxe room is an air conditioned room with television and bathroom. They also have cabinets that you can place your things on and also some utensils like glass and thermos. One doesn't need to worry about towels since they provide it.

This place is really affordable and very clean.

After leaving our things in the pension house, we then headed to our next destination which is the Miag-ao Church.

We took the Miag-ao jeepney which is just located a few meters away from our pension house. The fare is P47.50 and it takes about an hour to reach it. It is located away from the Iloilo City Proper.

We met a girl in the jeepney who knew that we were not Ilonggos and gave suggestions to us to check out the different churches which is before the Miag-ao.

The Miag-ao Church is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was a fortress in the olden days. The structure of the church is also made of yellowish limestones.

After Miag-ao, we took a jeepney going to Guimbal Church. The fare is P 15.00.

The Guimbal Church is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. It is made of adobe stones and coral stones from Guimaras. It also has a belfry tower to watch for Moro pirates.

We then headed to Tigbauan church and the fare is P 10.00.

This is one of the unique churches in the Philippines because of its Latin American architecture.

We then took a jeepney going to Molo however there wasn't one that passed by. Instead we took a jeepney going to Villa and the fare is P19.00 and then stopped at the terminal to take another jeepney going to Molo. The fare is P8.00

Molo Church is a reminder of the Ilonggo artistry. It has a Gothic-Renaissance architecture. The church has a lot of women saints on it and is said to be a "women's church".
It is also said that this is the church that Dr. Jose Rizal passed by before his exile in Dapitan.

After visiting the different churches, we headed to SM Iloilo to buy the Starbucks mug that my friend Jennifer told me.

In front of the SM Iloilo is the Plazuela de Iloilo which has different restaurants, bars and stores.

The Plazuela de Iloilo Fountain

We also had our dinner in Ted's Old La Paz Batchoy and got to taste its specialty which is the La Paz Batchoy.
This La Paz Batchoy is a noodle soup with a combination of pork organs, vegetables, chicken stock, beef loin and round noodles.
This batchoy costs P68.00.

After having our dinner, we went back to our pension house. It's another day tomorrow and another destination.

Oslob Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Aside from meeting the Butandings, we decided to see what are the other destinations in the place.

We have heard that there was a waterfalls in the area.

It's the Tumalog falls.

It's not easy to get to the place. You still have to ride a motorcycle or habal habal going to the waterfalls.

You have to ride the motorcycle that is found on the hi-way.

It would cost about 40 - 50 pesos.

Once you get there, you will have to hike or you can ask the motorcycle drive you directly to the entrance of the falls.

The road going to the place has been developed.

It is very steep and if you are on a motorcycle, you have to be very careful and would have to hold tight.

This is also the reason why cars aren't allowed to go directly to the entrance of the falls since it's really hard to go back up.

Unlike the Kawasan falls, this place does not have any cottages or stores that you can buy food. There is no restroom that you can change.

There is no entrance fee.

Once you see the falls, you would see how beautiful God's creation is. It's a different kind of waterfalls. It has like layers that the water would pass before pouring it all down.

We took a lot of pictures of the place and enjoyed the falls.

After enjoying the waterfalls for an hour, we then head back to the city. We had our lunch there in one of the low priced eating place in the area.

We then walked going to the Oslob Park, Oslob Church and the Cuartel.

It's a 10 minutes walk going to the place from the City Proper.

We passed by their park which has a fountain but it't not currently working at the time and was not filled with water.

We then passed by the Oslob Church which was hit by fire way back in 2008. It is the church of the Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion. This church was constructed in 1830. Beside the church is a watchtower.

In front of the church is the coast of Oslob and a small park.

Near the small park is the Panteon. It is the site where the Spanish priest have their penitential rituals every 8 in the evening over a platform that stood in the center.

This is one of the places that we would like to see in Oslob, the Cuartel. It used to serve as barracks for the Spanish armies.

It is also the best place to have pre nuptial pictures.

Meet and Greet with the Butandings

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

It's another Sunday but not an ordinary one. It's our awaited trip to see the Butandings (Whale Shark) in Oslob. This trip has been rescheduled several times due to different activities by the people who are going.

I had an overnight stay in one of my friends house with Dhory and Carlo. It's much nearer if I travel from there going to the South Bus Terminal compared to starting at my place. The first bus trip would be by 2 am. It would take about 2-3 hours to reach the place.

We woke up around 12:45 am and prepared ourselves. We then took a taxi going to the South Bus Terminal.

When we arrived, we payed for the entrance fee of P 5.00.

Good thing we were able to catch up with the trip. They were leaving when we arrived. The bus was full and it was not an air conditioned bus.

The bus ride costs P 150 pesos per person.

We were supposed to meet our friend Jean there but they were late so they took the 3 AM bus.

On the first hour, we were just standing and holding unto the railings. Since there were other people who have arrived at their destinations, we were able to sit.

We were still so sleepy and the ride was not the best since there are a lot of times you would turn and you would fall off the seat.

I was able to doze off a little and catch up with my sleep.

By 5 am, we arrived at our destination.

We waited for Jean and her boyfriend, James since they are the ones who knew where we were going to go.

There were a lot of people already arriving and also there are people who had an overnight stay in the resorts there just to be early.

Around 5: 30, they have arrived. We then looked for a place where we were going to go to watch the Butandings. There are a lot of resorts that are offering at a low price.

We were told that we have to still take a seminar before seeing them.

We still have to walk to the area where we would be having the seminar.

We then fall in line to get registered and get our numbers. There are even color codings: blue, green and yellow.

I guess it has something to do with the location.

It took us about an hour to wait for our turn to get our number. We have to write our names to get registered.

We have to pay 300 each for the registration.

After waiting in line, we then had to eat our breakfast since we were hungry.

We then headed to the area where we have to wait for a bangka to take us where the Butandings would swim.

One has to wear a life vest which cost 30 pesos. There is a free life vest but at that time there was none available.

We chose the Habagat life vest instead of the ordinary one.

When we headed to the bangka station, we have to wait for our turn. When it was our turn, we prepared ourselves and were very excited.

There were only 2 Butandings that showed up. The day before, there were none. I heard someone say that Manny Pacquiao, the boxer came that day and have not seen any. We were so blessed that we were able to see them today.

We swam into the water and saw the Butandings. It was worth it.

Courtesy of Carlo Ella

Courtesy of Jean Beltran

Logos Hope

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

The Logos Hope is the largest floating book fair in the world. The Logos Hope is operated by a German charitable Christian organization. Their staffs are volunteers from all over the world.

I remember a few years back that a boat named MV Doulos also came here in the Philippines with the same motive. The MV Doulos was sold that is why its been replaced by the Logos Hope.

Just last Sunday, my friends and I visited the Logos Hope. We went there in the afternoon and when we arrived, there aren't a lot of people. We fall in line to get a ticket which would cost P 20.00.

When we went inside the boat, there you could really see a lot of people. When you reach the entrance, you would take a seat and check out the history of the boat through a short video. Beside the area, you will also see frames of the history of the boat.

After checking on the history of the boat, you will be led to another room which would contain the different books from different categories such as nature, family, fiction, cooking, sports, spiritual, children and more. We tried to check out the books there but didn't purchase one. The books aren't priced in peso but they call it units.

100 Units would be equal to P 100.00 and so on.

Some books could reach up to a thousand units so you always have to check out the price.

There are also souvenirs of the Logos hope such as caps, mugs, baller, pens and more.

After you have chosen and purchased the books you like, you will then be led to another room which would give you different pictures. Those pictures creates a story and from my opinion is from the Bible which is the Prodigal Son story.

It's the new generation of the Prodigal Son story.

The last room that you will be taken to on the boat would be the Cafe area. This is where you could take your snacks. The story area awhile ago and the cafe was not found in the MV Doulos.

Since we were hungry, we purchased from the cafe their cake which costs P 80.00, lemonade juice for P 20.00, waffle for P 60.00 and ice cream for P 50.00.

I'm not quite sure if it was my taste buds that were not used to those foods or if it's really the taste - it isn't good. The cake seems spoiled or maybe it was the peach and the lemonade doesn't taste good also. My friends would agree with me on that.

The food that we really enjoyed was the waffle and the ice cream.

Aside from the cafe in the area, there are staffs that would sing Christian songs. I'm not quite sure if they are just practicing or performing it for the people. There is also an area on the boat which is the Life X-Perience booth but I'm not sure what they usually do there. It might be an area where you could reflect.

So far its another experience on this boat. We might not have purchased any books but we enjoyed seeing the boat and what is in it.

Finger Lickin Good at KFC

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

When it comes to fast food, the one that tops my list would be KFC. Whoever friends or family I'm with, this is the place that we eat our breakfast, lunch, snacks and even dinner.

Let's all recall when KFC first started. Kentucky Fried Chicken also known as KFC for many, started in Kentucky, U.S.A. The founder of this restaurant is Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952. The fried chicken was first served in 1930's.

KFC doesn't only serve fried chicken but also serves salad, hamburgers and desserts. They have affordable meals.

When we order in KFC, our favorite would be the never dying spicy chicken with rice. Once we get that meal, expect the refilling of the sauce every 5 to 10 minutes. We are addicted to the sauce. We pour it unto our rice just like soup.

We also love the new drinks they have which is the Krushers. It has different combinations like cookies and cream, halo-halo and many more.

They also have the Tower Burger which is a very large burger with chicken as their patty.

They also have the KFC Double down wherein your bun would be chicken and underneath it would be cheese and mayonnaise.

When KFC made renovations to their restaurant in SM, we enjoy the KFC Photo Booth and their free wi-fi.

Tower Burger

KFC Moment

It's always nice to keep coming back to this place with friends.

St. James Amusement Park

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

The year has just started but it's another time to experience a different place.

This time its an amusement park.

There was a newly opened amusement park in the North Reclamation Area which is called St. James Amusement Park.

The entrance fee is 150.00 pesos for one ride and free food.

There is also an all day pass which would allow you to ride the different rides there more than once.

Some of the park’s featured rides are a swinging pirate ship, flying chairs, a space shuttle, kiddie rail train and bumper cars.

There is also a marquee show which is for free.

2012

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Another year has ended and it's another year to begin with.

It's another year to have fun and to travel.

It might not be the first but would make sure that the moments spent are cherished.

Those first times would always be remembered.

I'm hoping to have more travels, experiences and memories to be created.

Smile Always =D
-kAtYa -

Bagyong Sendong

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

After hearing about the typhoon Sendong that hit CDO and Iligan, I was devastated. I don't commonly hear those places being hit by a typhoon. It's really sad to hear that it happened when people were asleep. They are not the only ones who experienced heavy rain at that time, here in our place as well.

There were a lot of people whose lives were lost and a lot of properties as well. Material things gone is not something to worry about but the people who are gone.

One thing came to my mind when it happened, those people we met there. I am hoping they

are doing well.

CDO and Iligan is such a nice place. I am glad that I was able to visit the place and meet different people.

I'm hoping everyone would be able to help those in need. There are a lot of organizations that help and also those that would accept donations.

Let us help our brothers and sisters in need.

Iligan - CDO - Bukidnon - Camiguin

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:04:00 +0000

Before the year would end, I would make my last journey.
The plan is to go to Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin with side trips for Iligan and Bukidnon.
The planned travel date would be November 3, 2011.
It would just be a four day vacation.

DAY 1:

It's another journey wherein there would be new people that I'm going to go with. We all met up in the airport. I met a new friend named Jameson. We would be staying in his place on our stay in CDO. Our flight would be 5:00 A.M. via Cebu Pacific Air. We arrived in the airport around 3 A.M. to get our boarding pass. By 5:25 A.M, we already arrived in the airport. We didn't have to worry about the transportation because Jameson has hired someone to take us to the different places we would like to go. We had breakfast first in Jollibee and by 7:30, we are on our way to our destination.

First stop is the Divine Mercy Shrine located in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental. It is a very sacred place. You wouldn't be able to go inside if your wearing mini skirt, shorts, sleeveless and any revealing clothes. If you are wearing shorts or skirts, they will provide with a long skirt that you need to wear and a cloth cover if you are wearing tops or sleeveless. When you get inside the place, you would be able to see a big statue of the Divine Mercy Christ and below it are his rays. Overlooking the place is Macajalar Bay.

We then head on to our next destination, Maria Cristina Falls. It is also sometimes called the "Twin Falls" because there is a rock that would separate them. Just like what's said on our history books, it is a hydroelectric plant and it provides electricity to the city. It has an entrance fee of P35.00 and you could also stay there to have lunch by bringing your own food or purchasing it there. They also have a small zoo there and zipline.

Next stop would be Tinago falls which is located not quite far from Maria Cristina falls. I just remembered, when I watched the movie "Forever and a day", a movie by Sam Milby and KC Concepcion, he mentioned that it has 443 steps. When we arrived there, you still have to walk from the parking lot for vans/cars going to the entrance. In the entrance, you have to enter your complete information and have to pay P20.00 for the entrance. You will have to pay an extra fee for the life vest. One has to pay extra also if you wanted to use a cottage or a raft to go near the falls. We had lunch there and also we went swimming for awhile.

After enjoying that swim, we then visited the Macapagal-Macaraeg Ancestral Home. There is no entrance fee when you visit it. It is the house of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she was still a kid. When you go inside the house, you would be able to see the office of Diosdado Macapagal. In the living room area, you would see a painting of Gloria when she was still young. When you get upstairs, you would be able to see on the walls pictures of Arroyo when she's getting married and also when she had her first child. When you reach the top, you would be able to see there 3 rooms. I don't know who owns those rooms but surely one of it is Gloria's. They also have there a big dining area, lanai area and ground. Outside the house, there is a statue of two couples on a swing. There is also a miniature doll house outside in which Gloria would be playing.

Supposedly, we will be going to Timoga Spring but we are not amazed by the place. We decided to just purchase delicacies our friends back in Cebu. The very well known delicacy in Iligan would be the Cheding's peanuts. The 1/4 kilo peanuts would cost P40.00 and a different price for the others.

After purchasing those delicacies, we then head back to CDO. We had our dinner in a restaurant in CDO. It's a dinner buffet which would cost only P99.00. We then visited Limketkai, a very well known mall in CDO for a short visit. We then went to Camella Homes since that is where Jameson's house is located. We will be staying there for the night and then hit the road tomorrow.

DAY 2

We woke about 6:00 A.M and our itinerary for the day would be Water Rafting. We had a take out breakfast from Mcdonalds since we need to arrive in our location by 8:00 A.M.

We already booked on this rafting with The Great White Water Rafting. Rafting is a very challenging outdoor activity wherein you will have to pass through different levels of waves. There's the beginners course, advance course and extreme course.

We just took the advanced course.

The Great White Water Rafting employees are the ones leading us to the location. Supposedly, we would be riding the jeepney they provided but instead we just took the van with us and followed the trail going to the location. This package cost P1000 per person and it excludes the snacks. When we arrived in the location, we had to wear the life vest and helmet and get our paddles. There are a lot of people who are going on water rafting that day. Those that are included in our group for the orientation are also from Cebu. I'm sure that they are BPO agents. From the orientation, I learned the terms that are used such as "high five" (at the same time raising of the paddles) which would actually mean that you have conquered or succeeded those waves, "paddle" which would mean everyone should paddle, "paddle back" which means you will have to paddle backwards depending upon the side that you are in on the raft. We are very excited after the orientation since we would have to start the journey with the waves

Our guide for the trip is Cocoy a.k.a Cocoy Martin with his subordinate Warren and our photographer Jun-jun.

The first waves we encountered was JJR(Joke Joke Ra) which means its just a joke wave and there is no challenge to it. The other names of the waves are L, S, and etc.

We have passed through a lot of waves and at the advance course, there was a part wherein the other people in the group fell while I was able to hold on but was thrown off to a different part of the raft.

The whole 3 hours trip was really fun. Cocoy was really funny and we enjoyed the experience, the new jokes we learned and also the history.

After the adventures in the waters, its time now to head to the mountains. We head off to Bukidnon for our zipline adventure. We left about 1 P.M in CDO and we arrived in Dahilayan about 4 P.M. It took us awhile to get there because of the heavy traffic due to road repair. We even got lost because the driver doesn't know the way to get there. We were able to pass through Del Monte, the maker of pineapples in the Philippines. There's a field full of Pineapples when you pass by the road.

When we arrived in Dahilayan, it's raining and the place is closed. Since it would be a waste of time to go back to CDO and back in Dahilayan, we decided to stay there for the night and rent a room. It was fully booked in Pine Grooves hotel so we moved to another nearby hotel which is the Forest Park. We got a room twin room there which would cost P 2,800 a night. The feeling being in that place on a rainy evening is like in Baguio, it's very cold. The place is nice and the staffs are also very accommodating. The food is quite expensive since their Pork Stew cost P 170.00.

That night, we got drunk and talk about our love life. I was so sleepy so I headed to the bed.

Day 3

We woke up at 7 A.M and had our breakfast. After breakfast, we purchased our tickets for the Zipline. We purchased the ticket for P 600.00 since we chose to ride the longest zipline which is the 840m and the 320m + 150m. On my own opinion, there is no challenge for that longest zipline. I was not even scared compared to my first zipline experience in Danao, Bohol. After the zipline, we just roam around the place and took pictures.

We then left Bukidnon and went back to CDO to get our things. After getting our things, we purchased our other 'pasalubongs'. We then left CDO to go to Villa Arcadia. That resort is owned by our friend Jameson and its near the port going to Camiguin.

We stayed there for a night since tomorrow would be our Camiguin trip.

Day 4

It's my second visit in Camiguin. The first one was way back 1999.

We left 6:30 A.M in our place and then went to the port. We should be in the port by 6:45 since that would be our trip but we were late. We took the next ferry which is by 7:15. It's a 1 hour trip so we got there by 8:15. We had our breakfast in a nearby cafeteria. We then took the multicab that we rented for P 1,500. The first place we've been to is the Katibawasan falls. The entrance fee there is P 15.00 for adults. We just took a picture of the falls and left.

We ate that delicacy in Camiguin also.

We then went to Ardent Hot Spring and took pictures as well but did not dip in. The weather is not good when we arrived in the hot spring since its raining.

We then headed to the area where we are going to ride a pump boat going to White Island. White Island is very famous in Camiguin since you would only see it when the tide is low but if the tide is high, then you wouldn't see it since it would sink. The payment for the pump boat would be P 500. We just stayed there for a few minutes since its very hot. Though there are umbrellas that you could rent for P 100.00 but it doesn't seem to be a good idea to stay there longer. We just had pictorial sessions and then left afterwards.

After being back in Camiguin, we visited the Sto. Niño Cold Spring, Bura Natural Soda Water Swimming Pool,Old Catarman Church Ruinsand the Sunken Cemetery.

I heard a history about Camiguin that in 2008, many people died because the volcano exploded and many people died but there is just one church that remained unharmed and everyone believed that its miraculous.

After finishing one whole day for the trip, we then purchased 'pasalubong' and went back to Villa Arcadia.

We packed our things since the next day would be our trip back to Cebu.

Day 5

We woke up at 2 in the morning and then left Villa Arcadia to go to the airport. Our departure would be 6:00 AM and arrival in Cebu would be 7:00 A.M via Cebu Pacific. It was my first time to fly with one of the small airplanes of Cebu Pacific. When we got our boarding pass, they have to weigh us in including the things that we brought. When we boarded the plane, there was a cute flight attendant. I was not able to get his name. I'm hoping in my next flight in Cebu Pacific, I would meet him.

We had a safe arrival in Cebu and is back to reality.

Krispy Kreme

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Krispy Kreme has been a very well know doughnut store chain in the United States. When it came to the Philippines, it opened its different branches in Manila. This is the most common 'pasalubong' for many Manileños to Cebuanos.

The long wait is over for many Cebuano's since its going to open its branch in Cebu. Just like food chains such as Jonie's , Kenny Rogers, Go Nut's Donuts to name a few, Krispy Kreme is now invading Cebu.

I was not too amazed by their doughnut because I am an avid fan of Dunkin Donut. Just like any person, one would want to taste what people are talking about. My first taste of Krispy Kreme was when I was in Manila and I haven't event tried their original glazed. The first doughnut I purchased would be the Peanut butter and Kreme doughnut , and yes, I can say it does taste great.

Me and my friend Dhory wouldn't want to be like the other people who flock on the day of the opening which is last October 22, 2011. We went there days after the people were crazy waiting in line just to get a box of donuts.

When we passed by I.T. Park, we decided to have our snacks there. There weren't a lot of people maybe because of the time that we are in there or maybe we had our luck. We lined up and even got a look of how the doughnut was made. When it was our turn to choose, we opt to have original glaze, kremey chillers and pull apart.

When we went to our table, someone served us free original glaze. I'm not quite sure why they did that but I guess it's just one of their promotion.

We were glad we were able to try the Krispy Kreme here in Cebu. I guess Cebuano's could say, "It was worth the wait ".

Kusina Uno

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Kusina Uno is one of the restaurants that you would find in Mabolo, near our office.

Abuhan Uno has similar foods with this restaurant. They said that staffs there now moved to this place.

I haven't tried Abuhan Uno but I have ate at this restaurant twice and it's really delicious.

The prices are also affordable.

Their most famous dish is the Pochero and you really got to try it.

Below are pictures from my first time at the restaurant.

Calamares

Leftover of our Lechon Kawali

This is my second time to eat at the restaurant and this time, it's time to eat the famous Pochero but it's the sizzling one.

Sizzling Pochero

Crimson

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Crimson Beach Resort and Spa is one of the newest hotels in Mactan. It opened in July 2010 and is one of the best hotels located in the area. It has suites, rooms and villas. They also have a badminton court, gym and spa rooms.

My family decided to have a day use in Crimson since my relatives came here in the Philippines for a short vacation.

The day use would cost you P1,800 per person on weekends and P 1, 500 per person on weekdays. If you are just going to have a day use, you get the chance to stay until 9 pm without using any facilities. The use of the pool would be until 6 pm only. You couldn't bring foods from the outside. One needs to make sure to book ahead because they have a limit on the people that would come for a day use.

We went there on a sunny Sunday morning and we just enjoyed ourselves on the swimming pool and the beach. We just enjoyed our family bonding.

Near the hut that we are staying, you could see the view of the villas. It's very expensive to stay here overnight even on an ordinary room.

This is where one could have buffet lunch or dinner. We didn't have to worry at that time since the day use also contains a free buffet meal on the restaurant.

Saffron Restaurant

Relaxing and Enjoying the sun in one of their bar named Azure

At the back would be the beach where one could enjoy the different water activities like banana boat and jet ski. Near the beach, there would be a lot of lounge chairs available.

You could see also on this picture, the pool. There are a lot of pools and you don't have to worry because it's not deep. You are not going to drown and there are also life guards. You also get to borrow a free towel. They also have a lot of lounges with day beds.

After enjoying the heat of the sun and the swimming lapse, its time to eat. It's so nice since it's buffet so one could eat and taste all the food that's served.

It has a very nice ambiance.

These are the different foods from different Asian cuisine like Chinese, Japanse, Filipino and more.

They also have very delicious desserts.

Aside from eating on the restaurant, one could also get their desserts on the Crimson Pastry. It would cost about 200-300 per slice of cake. It might cost much but its a big slice. If you want to have it a lesser price, one could buy after 7 pm since there would be a discount for it.

After having our lunch, I checked out the other facilities like their gym and the locker rooms where you could leave your things.

This is one of my awaited moment when I thought about Crimson. I was able to see a lot of pictures featuring the hotel's lights at night time. It's really very nice to look at.

This is their massage Outdoor massage cabanas

Before leaving the area, we bought our bring home. We purchased their cakes and it's very delicious. It's worth a try for those who are so addicted to cakes or sweets.

A Crimson experience wouldn't be complete without a picture of the hotel name.

A pass for Day Use and its waterproof

It's always nice to spend time with your family.

Coco Palms Resort

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Coco Palms Resort is one of the resorts found in Danao, Cebu City.

Me and my family spent one of our Sundays there to just enjoy the beach.

The entrance fee for adults would be P150.00 and P 75.00 for children from 3-11 years old.

By the way, there is a corkage fee for food purchased outside for P 50.00 per adult.

Aside from the swimming pool in the area, there is also a beach.

One could relax on their cottage which is worth P500.00. Their cottage could accomodate about 15 people.

This is their water park wherein you could go on a jet ski worth P 2,000 for a 30 minute ride. There are also inflatables that you could use.

Hidden Paradise Mountain Resort

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:38:00 +0000

Hidden Paradise Mountain Resort is one of the resorts found in Ilaya, San Fernando at the south part of Cebu.

From the name itself, its really hidden. It's quite far from the highway since its 5.2 kilometers away from the highway. There are some areas that have rough roads while the others are made of asphalt.

While going to the place, you would see on the sides the different trees and view of the mountains.

Once you arrive at the place, you will have to pay an entrance fee of P100.00 per person.

You can bring your own food and there would be no corkage for it.

One of the things that you can do here would be swimming on their swimming pool. Their swimming pool has a slide that you can enjoy. They also have a zip line which would throw you directly in the pool.

Aside from the zip line that would lead you directly to the swimming pool, they also have one that would just move you from one tree to another.

This is the best place to relax outside of the city and have peace and quite.

You will have your time with nature.

Radisson Blu Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One weekday, me and my family decided to visit one of the hotels here in Cebu. It is the Radisson Blu located in the North Reclamation Area beside SM City Cebu.

You can get inside the hotel even if you don't have any reservations. They have different room types with price ranging from P4,000 - P 12,000.

I believe that those prices would really meet the needs of their customers.

The great thing about staying in this hotel is that you are near a mall. It's just walking distance from the hotel.

When you reach the main door of the hotel, you would really be amazed of how huge the space is. One could run around the place and also there are a lot of events like wedding, birthdays and conferences that are held here.

They also have very nice furniture's and the design of the place is classy and soothing to one's eye.

In the hotel, there are restaurants that one could dine in.

One of their restaurant is the "Feria" where you can have a buffet and taste different dishes from different international and local dishes.

They also have another lounge which is called the "The Lobby" wherein you can enjoy your coffee with free wi-fi.

A very nice flower arrangement

Enjoying the feeling of this chair

Aside from enjoying the view inside the hotel, you can also enjoy the beauty that you can see outside the hotel. You wouldn't be able to notice that you are in the city since the garden landscape is amazing. There are a lot of bougainvillea and other plants surrounding the place.

There is also a restaurant outside which would cater your needs when you are near the pool. Just like Feria, they also have local and international dishes and cocktails.

The Pool Restaurant

Near the Pool Restaurant, you would see the pool with a small bridge. It also has a jacuzzi.

If you want to stay in a hotel near a mall, I bet one of the best choice would be Radisson Blu.

Razons

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:58:00 +0000

Razons is one of the famous family business in Pampanga. They are known for their Halo-halo. Their halo-halo has only three ingredients - leche flan, macapuno and sweetened banana. It is so unusual to eat such halo-halo since we are so used to the many ingredients in it.

Aside from the halo-halo, they also serve dishes such as pancit, bangus and many more. They even have delicacies that you could purchase.

The business expanded to different places in Metro Manila until they have decided to have it here in Cebu.

I got to try my first Razon halo-halo when my friend Agnes brought me to their store in Cebu which is located at the North Reclamation Area near SM City.

I was not amazed since it has little ingredients however it's still delicious. It's worth a try.

Aside from having a branch near SM, they opened another one near the Mandaue Coliseum.

After a game of badminton with my friends, Tanya and Dhory, we decided to grab a snack.

We decided to have it in Razons since it's near.

We decided to have the famous halo-halo and also pancit canton.

The foods would really fill up your empty stomach after a game.

Kuya J's and Coffee Cat

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Another food trip that our team had. It's not just an ordinary day because its a birthday celebration of two of our team mates - Leo and Bella. The first one is turning 24 and the latter is turning 19.

It's my first time to hear about this restaurant. It's located in 0394 Orchid St. Capitol Site, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines. Their food is very affordable and it has a good ambiance.

Here at Kuya J's

Order's Please

Our beautiful Team Lead

Lights

Table Napkin

Design

Birthday Celebrants

Soup

Fish

Eating time

Sisig

My Team

After having lunch, we decided to just chill around. We had Coffee Cat in mind. It's located in IT Park.

It serves coffee and other pastries.

Casa Verde

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Casa Verde is one of the famous restaurants in Cebu. It is known for it's baby back ribs.
Casa Verde has 3 branches in Cebu which is located in Ramos, I.T Park and Ayala Center.

My first taste of the baby back ribs was way back in February after I attended a concert at the Waterfront.
Yes, I was amazed by how big the Brian's baby back ribs is. I couldn't finish it in one sitting.

Since my team has won a lot of Sodexo from different metrics that we passed on, we decided to have our team social / team lunch at Casa Verde.

After our duty, we then headed to Casa Verde. As we checked out the menu, we all together decided to have the Brian's baby back ribs and for our side dish, the Big Bang Burger.

While the baby back ribs are slowly served to our table, we had a lot of picture taking moments and also our small talks with the team. We laughed at each other's jokes and listen to different stories.

When the food was served, you would be able to see that the rice isn't enough for the food. You could really have an extra rice for it.

While we were eating a sumptuous meal, our side dish was served. It's really a huge burger. I don't think only one person could finish this big burger. It's around 5 or 6 people that could finish this burger. We ordered 2 so that all of us could have a taste of it.

We were really full on that lunch treat and we enjoyed each other's company. So before we leave, we had a team picture.

Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Papa Kit's is famous right now for its 800 meter zip line that goes around the water.

This is found in Poblacion, Liloan City. It's 30 - 45 minutes away from Cebu.

The entrance fee would be P 100. The entrance fee is consumable.

When me and my friend Cito arrived in Papa Kits, we met up with our friend Jenn.

We ate our lunch which is BBQ with rice and soft drinks. It took awhile for them to serve the food since its lunch time and it's a Sunday.

After having our lunch, we went to line up for the zip line. I was not scared at all since it does not seem to be that long.

We payed 200.00 for the back and forth trip to the cashier. We then signed the waiver that states that whatever happen to us, they would not be held liable.

When it was our turn, I really enjoyed the ride. It might be very hot since it's early afternoon but the wind would hit your face and you wouldn't be able to feel the heat that much. It also has a nice scenery up there.

After the ride, we roam around the place. They not only offer zip line but also fishing and horse back riding. There were a lot of people in the fishing area and the horse back riding area.

We just decided to go home.

Isla del Fuego

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Siquijor is also known as 'Isla del Fuego' or 'Island of Fire'. This island was first sighted by the Spaniards. They named it that way because at the time that they were there, there was a different glow on the island. There were lots of fireflies that are on the molave tree that's on the island.

There are a lot of people who are curious of this place because its known for its reputation as the place of magic and sorcery. They also say that if you want to make potions for whatever purpose you would like, you would just have to go to this place since they have lots of it. They are also known for stories about witchcraft and witches.

When we reached Siquijor after our boat trip, we then road a tricycle going to the place that we are staying. It was really dark going to the location and it's so quite. It makes me think about the here say on witch crafts.

When we got to the resort where we were staying, it's really nice. It has a very big space and could really accommodate a lot of people. The house has two bedrooms with one bathroom. It has a living room, dining room and a kitchen. Outside the house you would see the pool. I don't know how much the rent for the whole house would cost since I was not able to ask the team lead who canvassed the different resort. Since it was a very hectic and tiring day, we rested after having our dinner.

When morning came, we then prepared for our trip. We rented a jeepney for the whole trip today.
When the driver for the jeepney came, he showed us th emap of Siquijor and the places that we would be able to go to on our one day trip.

The first stop would be the Capilay's Spring Park.
If you just wanted to relax, have a date, be with friends, or with family, you can come here and enjoy the small spring and the relaxing site of nature.

The second stop would be the oldest tree in Siquijor.

It's the Banyan or "Balete" tree. It is a very large tree with lots of branches and hanging roots. This is the tree that stories says that there would be people coming out and would bring you to a different world. They say that its the tree that is an abode of evil. This tree add to the mysticism that the island has already possessed.

Near the tree, you can also have a fish foot spa but there would be a fee.

The third stop would be the Lazi Church and Convent.

After hearing about scary stuff, we need to still have faith on our God. There was a mass being held since it was a Sunday, so we just lighted candles.

This convent is now a school building.

The fourth stop would be the Cambugahay falls.

There is no entrance fee there. You will have to walk down the concrete steps. One has to be careful because there are some steps that are cracked. Since it was a weekend, there are a lot of people swimming.

The falls is not the same as the usual falls that one usually sees wherein the water drops at the very top. This one is just a small falls. The water is clear and clean.

The fifth stop would be the Salagdoong beach resort.

The entrance fee is P 15.00 for adults and P 10.00 for kids.

We did not rent any cottage since we wouldn't be staying for a long time.

It has two beaches which were separated by a rock. On that rock, you would be able to see the view of the sea. There are a lot of people that would jump from the rocks which is about 20 feet into the water. Some of my friends did that. I just took their pictures since I'm not fond of doing such activity.

It's lunch time and we are very hungry after seeing the different places.
The suggested place to have our lunch would be at Larena Triad.
It's a very bumpy ride going to the place. Some parts of the roads are concrete while others are not. There are lots of curves and turns.

The Larena Triad is a coffee shop but not its not just an ordinary one since you get a very nice view up there.
They say that you could see the view of Siquijor. It's a very quite and relaxing place. It's an open air restaurant. There is a small ground that you can relax on and take pictures.

Since we were very hungry, when we arrived we then looked for the menu and ordered.
They have affordable prices.
What's so unsatisfying about their service? It took about an hour to serve our orders. We were really aggravated and complained.
We then thought that it was much better if we called earlier and just ordered so that when we arrived, it was served.
When the food came, no one was talking. We were to hungry to talk.

After the meal, we then went to our last stop which is the St. Francis of Assisi church.

We just took pictures of the church and the one that's in front of it. It's the greetings to all people who arrived in Siquijor. The port is just in front of this. We were not able to take a picture of this when we arrived since it was night time and it was too dark. We then took a picture of the bell tower which is separated from the church.

We bought our ticket for our trip the next day going back to Dumaguete.

After buying ingredients for our dinner and breakfast the next day, we then headed back home. It's another time to relax before leaving.

City of Gentle People

noreply@blogger.com (kAtYa Pro) — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:00:00 +0000

When one of the teams in the office decided to have a trip to Siquijor over the weekend, me and my friends Jenn and Cito decided to join.

It's my first time to travel to those places and since it's a group activity, the budget for the trip would be less costly.

We met up with the rest of the team of Janet in Citilink Terminal. We took a v-hire going to Lilo-an Port. When we got there, we bought tickets for our fastcraft going to Negros.

We arrived at the Sibulan port and then took a jeepney going to Mommy Dy's sisters place.

When we arrived there, we were already in Dumaguete.

Dumaguete is also known as the "City of Gentle People". The name comes from the Visayan word, "daggit" meaning to snatch people. They have a way to attract visitors and make them stay.

When we arrived at Mommy Dy's sisters place, we had our late lunch. When we became full, we then decided to go to Robinsons Place Dumaguete to stroll around while waiting for the trip to Siquijor. Our trip would still be at night time.

I then contacted my friend Kenneth who used to be a co-worker, that we have arrived in Dumaguete. He used to tell us that once we are in Dumaguete, he could give us a tour of the place.

He fetched us from Robinsons and we went to his house. We then headed back near the port. At the time that we went there, there was also an occasion. It was their Kabulakan festival. It was so nice because the security is not that tight. We were at the center of the streets taking pictures and no one bothered to let us move away. We really felt like we were tourists. We even saw artists up close.

After seeing the different floats and artists, we took a look at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral. Beside the cathedral, we paused and prayed at the Lady of Lourdes grotto.

Beside the grotto was the old Belfry. It is the oldest bell tower in the Visayas. The belfry used to be a watchtower but now its used to inform about the different masses being held in the Cathedral.

We then had our snacks in one of the restaurants near the area. We chose Ka Waway restaurant. Based on forums I have read, Ka Waway has the best halo-halo in Dumaguete. When I tried it, I was not amazed and was not convinced by what people were saying in the forum. The taste was just okay. There is nothing more that I can say.

We then headed to the Port to prepare for our trip to Siquijor.

After our 1 day trip in Siquijor, we decided to go to Dumaguete early to see some tourist spots there. We took the boat that leaves at 6 AM. We decided to meet up with our friend Kenneth and have a short tour in Dumaguete.

When we arrive in Dumaguete, our friend fetched us. We don't have to worry with our transportation since Kenneth has a car and he could take us anywhere in Dumaguete. Since an early morning trip would make you hungry, we decided to have breakfast in one of the Resto in the city called Sta. Teresa. We all had breakfast meal at a very affordable price.

We then headed to The Forest Camp. It is located in Valencia, Negros Oriental. The Forest Camp is where family could have picnics and gather. There are huts, function halls, garden and a waterfall.

The entrance fee would be P 80.00 for both adults and kids.

The next place that we went to was the Casaroro Falls. It's not quite far from the Forest Camp

It's a rough road going to the area and Ken's car was able to make it. There are big stones surrounding the road so you have to be careful when you pass by it.

When we arrived on the area, there was no one managing the area where you are going to buy a ticket to get in. The entrance fee was supposed to be P10.00. We then just walked the stairway going to the falls. It's quite far from where we left off. We have to walk the stairs and then pass by creeks and a bridge.

Once you see the falls, you would really be astounded. You would like to come near it to see a better view. Since we wanted to get a picture which is closer to the falls, we passed through rocks and even slipped to see the beauty of the falls. The water is so cold and it was really nice to take a bath.

Since we were just there to take a picture, we then left after it. It was easy going to the water falls but its going back that is so tiring. Your feet would hurt and you would be out of breath since you have to pass a lot of staircase.

I was the first one to reach the top but while I was trying to go up, I was praying so hard that I wouldn't faint. It's so tiring. You would really lose weight if you go there everyday.

We rested for awhile when we were back where we started.

The next stop would be the Siliman University. We were able to gain access to the University since Ken used to study there. We toured around the university and got to see how big it really is. Just like University of the Philippines, they have dorms, special buildings for different departments and a large field.

I remembered my lolo when I went there since that's where he used to study.

Our last stop before leaving Dumaguete would be their delicacies. We will be bringing it back home as gifts for our families and friends.

The Sans Rival Cake and Pastries is famous in Dumaguete. Aside from the Bongbong's Piaya, we brought home silvanas.

Silvanas is a frozen cookie made with butter cream and meringue wafers. Aside from silvanas, they also have other desserts.

Near the Sans Rival Cakes and Pastry store is the Rizal Boulevard. This is one of the famous places in Dumaguete. During night time, there are a lot of people here who would just relax and enjoy the scene. There are a lot of street foods also at that time.

After strolling through the Boulevard, we had our lunch at Food Net. There are a lot of students, teachers and ordinary people waiting in line to eat their food. They have a lot of foods you can choose from at an affordable price.

After having our lunch, we then headed to Robinson Mall to purchase other 'pasalubongs'.
We then headed to the bus terminal to go back to Cebu.