Tabi tabi po!

Radisson Blu Hotel - Simple and Elegant

2011-10-24T00:53:00.001+08:00

During our reunion, my friends and I got to stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel. It is situated at the Cebu reclamation area conveniently located as it is a stone's throw away from the SM mall and a few minutes to the city's center. Its lobby is spacious and beautifully decorated. Right at the center is a table where some plants with a few Birds of Paradise were tied and placed in large transparents vases. It's nothing fancy but it is classy just the same. It offered just the right atmosphere to hold a celebration of friendship.

A few steps before reaching the front desk is a wide stairway that leads to a mezzanine. Honestly, I didn't get to go to that part because we were so busy chatting. Anyway, I took a pic of it to show you.

We stayed in a beautiful de luxe room. There were two single beds and complete amenities. As in other hotel rooms, its toilet and bath is by the door. There, a huge well-lit mirror is at the center with the complimentary toiletries are placed which are replenished daily. To its right is a glass enclosed shower.

Included in the rate is a buffet breakfast for 2. This is the part I like. There is a wide variety of food choices for the Filipino or foreign guests. There were noodles, rice, meat, vegetables, fruits, cereals, yogurt, ice cream, etc etc etc. I can't name them all as there was so much food some of which I liked while others were not really bad. I so loved the cheese platter and the bread.

One of the hotel's facility is a large irregularly shaped pool that has a small bridge that you can use to walk over from one side to the other and not have to go around. It's a pity we didn't have time to use it. I believe there are other facilities in the hotel but for lack of time we didn't get to see them. We were so excited just to chat and be together. After all, that is why we were there in the first place.

Coffee at Dal Cielo, Los Banos

2011-09-20T02:24:00.000+08:00

Aside from the Rice World Coffeeshop at IRRI, I discovered a small coffee and pastry shop right at the main road leading to UPLB. Dal Cielo is in front of an elementary school and is about 4 corners before the main gate of the campus. You won't miss it as it has this huge umbrella at the al fresco area.

It's a bit pricey compared to the Rice World but they have more choices - more pastries, meat pies, pasta, and of course coffee. Boyet likes their coffee better than Rice World while I particularly like their lemon squares and cream puff. As for coffee, I would give it the same score I'd give IRRI's Riceworld - best ones so far in LB.

One that intrigued us and which we eventually tried was their sugar-free sansrival. I didn't quite like it though maybe because i'm really a sweet tooth.

Dal Cielo is rather small. The dining area could be about 20 to 30 sqm only. Despite the size, their airconditioning unit is not able to make the place cool. It's fortunate that that at the time we were there it was rainy. It is tastefully designed though and the toilet, though tight, is well laid out that it looks rather larger than it really is. The verdict - if you like coffee and pastry, try it. but if you're on a budget, just go in and buy their lemon squares and other small pastries.

IRRI Coffeeshop at UP Los Banos

2011-07-14T01:44:00.010+08:00

One place that I do not miss going to whenever I'm at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna is the coffeeshop at the IRRI. It's a cozy establishment but it's nicely decorated with some painting of rice fields. The resto has glass walls that where one has a view of the vast, usually green and not too distant ricefield and the mountains and hills beyond it. The sight is perfect during an overcast. Picture perfect I should say.

I love their food there. They're cheap and yummy. The coffee ranges from about 30 pesos to about 60 when you have one of those fancy ones with ice cream on top of them. Their formulation is at par, if not better than, the more popular coffee shops I have gone to. It's perfectly brewed and its aroma fills the air. I just love the smell of fresh coffee. Brings back so much memories of family and friends.

In addition to the brew, I normally order one of their pastries that are chewy and not so sweet but which have a lot of flavor. I have mine with ice cream on top. The pasty costs about 40 to 60 pesos. The ice cream costs an additional 15 pesos. perfect. I love their carrot cake. But of course, my daughter said my carrot cake is definitely better. Well, she's my daughter. What do you expect. hah!

Their sandwiches are muy delicioso too. I've so far tried their chicken sandwich. It was very tasty - has enough creaminess and less salt and a generous amount of chicken. They also have pasta and other dishes in their menu but I've not had the chance to be there to eat lunch or so. Maybe next week.

The coffeeshop has managed to stay at the top of my places-to-go list. However, I'm tempted to suggest they feature at least 2 rice based treat. Maybe rice coffee and a rice puff pastry? Perhaps I should go write the owner. Ah yes, that I will do next time I'm there. Wouldn't it be nice to be called the Rice coffeeshop at the International Rice Research Institute?

Pantoja Bakery - Goodies for Less

2011-07-12T10:24:00.005+08:00

Have you been to a Pantoja Bakery yet? I suggest you do.

We went to one last week while on our way to fetch my daughter. This one is at the corner of the National Highway and the main road in Los Banos. It's right across Jollibee.

I was told about it by my mother-in-law when she saw the bakery 2 weeks ago. So, we paid it a visit a week later and voila! the goods were so cheap. And what's more is that their products are good too. So far the ones I like are the loaves and the crackers. need to go back there to check out the other stuff.

Another thing I liked is the idea of how they encourage people to bring their own shopping bags - they give a rebate of .50 centavos for each bag that is saved. Quite a good deal don't you think?

Peri Peri Chicken At Megamall - Ok?

2011-05-22T09:27:00.007+08:00

A few days ago Ikee and I went to withdraw her documents from another university. It was almost 11 am when we left the house and I figured that it would be lunchtime when we reach our destination. So, I decided to bring her phone to the service center at the mall. We rode an FX jeep whose terminal is at Building B of Megamall, where the Authorized Nokia service center is too. Funny though that when we got to the center, the phone was working well!

Anyway, we needed to take lunch before we proceeded to Manila. That way we would be able to maximize time. While walking along the 4th floor bridgeway, we saw a Peri-peri chicken restaurant and decided to eat there instead. It was the first time I saw that resto and so I was excited to taste it. Remember, I'm the self-proclaimed family gourmet.

I was told Peri-peri charcoal chicken specializes in, quite obviously, charcoal grilled chicken. Just because we love hot food, it was Hot and spicy chicken for both of us. We were offered the drink-all-you-can soup and beverage for 49 pesos but we didn't try it since we were not quite hungry yet.

Our meal was served in a short span of time - about perhaps 10 minutes after we ordered. It was served with rice diagonally placed on the side which became the boundary for the chicken and the gravy. Aesthetically good. The chicken was a bit charred but that's alright since it was cooked over burning coal. What I found interesting is that the chicken almost didn't have any fat in it and looked more like free-range chicken. It tasted ok, not unusual, not strange but not a stand out. Yes, the flavors were there and it blended well with the spices but yep, that's just what it is chicken that lost its flavor because it blended with the spices. I don't like that. I want chicken to taste like chicken even with the spices in it.

The chicken resembles the taste of our very own Chicken Bacolod. In fact, as far as the dish is concerned I think Chicken bacolod, specially that one from Katipunan across Ateneo, is better. The one thing Peri-peri chicken has that Chicken Bacolod doesn't is the spice and the chili. I love their chilli sauce. It kinda makes up for the flavor that I found lacking in the chicken. Here I have compared the peri-peri chicken with Chicken Bacolod and Pollo.

(Scale of 1-5, 1 being the worst, 5 being the best)

Peri-Peri Chicken Bacolod Pollo Loco

Price (1/4 chicken) 3 4 3
flavor 3 4 3
Moisture content 4 4 3
Saltiness 4 4 4
time Food is SErved 4 3 4
Accessibility 5 3 5
Condiments 4 3 3

Dish Average score(flavor, moisture, saltinees, price)
3.5 4 3.25
General average score 4 3.57 3.33

So, for the dish itself, I would recommend Chicken Bacolod in katipunan across Ateneo. But, if you consider Food, accessibility, Serving time, price, etc. then I would go for Peri-peri Chicken.

Mt. Makiling Hike

2011-05-21T15:09:00.011+08:00

Ikee's going to Los Banos. It is time that we explore the place while she's there. First, since UPLB is at the foot of Mt. Makiling, we should start our discovery of the area there. Mt. Makiling is one of the most significant dormant volcanoes in Laguna, a province in the Southern part of Luzon island, Philippines. It is the reason why Los Banos has a number of hot spring resorts. Not just that, Makiling is a mystical and mythical mountain that is believed to be protected by a goddess named Maria Makiling. According to legend, she was a generous, kind-hearted yet possessive goddess.

I heard and read about the tourism in the area of the University and it seems like a good place to have a family trip. We may in fact join the Hike organized by NACCI this June 4, 2011. Of particular interest to me are the national forest reserve, the museum and the botanic garden. We'd probably book a room at the SEARCA Residence Hotel. It's currently priced at 1900 php for an overnight stay for two. I heard this is better than Trace College Hotel. Can't confirm that though because I only got to stay at SEARCA.

If you would like to take a tour of Makiling, you may get in touch with Nature Awareness and Conservation Club, Inc (NACCI) or the Pinoymountaineer. NACCI has an organized hike this June while Pinoymountaineer has a blog on do's and don'ts and what to expect in Makiling. I suggest you browse through it before you go.

Might you wanna join us?

SEARCA Residence Hotel - For Transients in UPLB

2011-05-12T21:21:00.000+08:00

We just came back today from the University of the Philippines Los Banos Campus. Ikee had 2 interviews there and I was the chaperon. The interviews were on a first come first served basis and we wanted to be sure that she had an opportunity to be interviewed so we opted to stay nearby.

Prior to the trip, I searched for where to stay and found out that the most recommendable accommodation was that of the SEARCA Hotel. I reserved for a double room which I was told was the last one remaining for the period I needed it. However, a few days after I called them, they called me only to say that there was a problem in the room and that they would try to fix it. Another call was made and I was told that they could not fix the room in time for our arrival but that they have already reserved a room for us at the SEARCA Guest house. How nice of them.

When we got to UPLB, though, I opted to stay at the Residence Hotel instead because it is nearer to the places we needed to go to. It is conveniently located at Duhat Street about 100 meters from the men's dorm. We were given an economy room which is rather spacious but didn't have its own toilet and bath. The T&B was shared among 4 rooms. We were fortunate that there was only 1 other room occupied apart from ours.

The hotel is rather small. It only has 16 deluxe rooms and a few more of the economy room. It caters mostly to the visitors of SEARCA but they extend this facility to those who need to stay in UP for a few days. Its other facilities are the guest house and the Apartments although I was told that the latter caters only to those from the graduate school.

Our room was spacious. It had two beds - one double and one single. The furnishings are rather old but everything was clean. My impression is that they really cater to those guests who have bulky stuff like books and other educational tools. The room has wi-fi unfortunately we didn't bring a laptop.

There's a small cafe at the hotel. They serve local dishes and some snack but it is best to have some snack bought outside the hotel in case you get hungry and there's no food left to order. So far, the meals that we ordered from them were cheap and delicious. There 's small television, 2 huge cabinets, 2 big tables with a small lamp shade. The accommodation was rather basic but ample.

The one thing that I think needed attention are the bugs. Nope, they're not roaches nor ants even. Those critters were the type that you find on plants. SEARCA is surrounded by trees and other foliage where the bugs might have come from. I did give this feedback to the manager so they could address it. Despite that, I still would go back to stay with them.

If you're interested to contact them, their website is at http://www.searca.org/web/facilities/tariff/.

Mothers' day 2011

2011-05-08T14:15:00.003+08:00

Happy Mothers' Day to all moms.

So, where'd you spend it? Me, I am just here. My husband treated me to a nice mcdo big breakfast and my daughter woke me up with a warm greeting. I cooked shrimp for lunch and am having a slow afternoon. Perhaps we'll go out to have dinner later. But I'll be at the grocery just the same to get the usual stuff. It's nice just to be with family.

Where were you today?

Singapore Zoo

2011-05-07T00:02:00.012+08:00

A delightful treat to kids (and adults too) while in Singapore is a trip to the world class zoo. The park is just about 15 minutes from the city proper. It is accessible by taxi and I believe I saw some buses that brought tourists too.

The zoo is not as big as the other zoos in the world but it is well kept and the animals seem to be well taken cared of. The plants have are healthy and are green even in the summer. They have a tram which takes the visitor all about the zoo.

They have a package which includes unlimited tram ride and another package includes a tram and boat ride too. The visitor gets to see the whole place without walking too far. However, it is advisable to leisurely stroll through the zoo and muse at the animals they have there. One of the most interesting animals when were there is the kangaroo that the children got to pet. Our neice, Sofia, was hesitant to go near it at first. But, when she finally got convinced (by me of course) to join the other kids, she enjoyed the animal and even took my hand to touch its fur.

Also, the zoo had some of those so-called doctor fish which would eat the debris from a visitor's foot. We didn't try that though because we feared we'd not have enough time to see the whole park. The reptile section was one to muse at too. Sofia was delighted to see them though one particular poisonous snake was probably hungry and its head was sticking out of the branch that it clang on to. Ewwwww!

Just like the other world class zoos, they have some animal shows there. One which we watched was that of the stray dogs and cats which the staff had picked up from different areas of Singapore. Some cats did an opening number while one dog played frizbee with some children. Sadly, it was a short show and I felt it would have been nice to have more tricks played.

Like I said the zoo is not huge but it is just the right size for a visitor to walk about and see the whole park in a day.

Singapore on A Budget - Botanic Gardens

2011-05-04T17:47:00.013+08:00

The park is a huge land home to some very colorful and interesting plants - from trees to flowering plants to ferns to medicinal herbs and a whole lot more. It even has its own rainforest and heritage trees that are really towering and have been there for ages. It is a beautiful, beautiful place. Don't bother about the price though because it's free. If you opt to go to the National Orchid Garden, you need to pay $5 per adult. children 12 years and below are free to enter. Seniors and students pay only $1 each.

The park has a children's garden/playground which we didn't get to see either. But our host wanted to show us. I believe it would have been nice to go there too. and yes, it's also free.

One of the most relaxing and to me the most amazing thing in Singapore is its Botanic Gardens. It's about 15 minutes away from Orchard Road, but it is accessible by bus, by foot or by taxi.

I regret not having read about it ahead of time. I usually do so prior to our visits to other countries. However this year i thought we would have a slow paced vacation. It would have been interesting to take the rainforest trek which the park offers. Oh well, as we say, there's always a next time. Till then Singapore!

Singapore on A Budget -Irvin's Cze Char Seafood Restaurant

2011-05-02T15:32:00.010+08:00

Here's another place that we liked in Singapore. Irvin's Seafood Restaurant is a stone's throw away from our hosts' home so naturally we tried to eat there. They have a live crab aquarium (or is it a terrarium) from where they harvest the crustacean they will serve you. Naturally, we ordered salted egg crab again as this has become my favorite dish in Singapore. Who wouldn't? It's served freshly harvested and cooked just after you order. Ooohlala!

The Fried Calamari aka squid rings is cooked the usual way but with some chilli in it.

Here are the others. Sorry I don't know what you call them but I assure you from the bottom of my belly that they are all yummy. hahaha!

This dishy has a nutty flavor.

Mantou bread (pronounced "mun taw")

By the way, because this is a blog on Singapore on a budget, did I say it's cheap there too?

Singapore on A Budget - Hawker Centers

2011-04-30T01:34:00.007+08:00

When visiting a foreign land, we wanna try to get immersed in their culture. That's how we make our trip fun, exciting and cheap. During this trip to Singapore, we finally got the chance to go to a hawker center. A Hawker center is a cluster of food stalls that serve mostly local food at low prices.

One such is Newton Circus Hawker Centre at Clemenceau Singapore. It is about 10 minutes drive from Orchard Road and there is an abundance of cabs and buses. One can find a table in the al fresco part of the complex or by the food stalls. There's not much of an ambiance there. The prices at the stall we ordered from are so cheap that a meal that would have normally cost us more than 200 SGP only cost about 85 for 6 adults and a 4-year old kid. Amazingly cheap eh? not just that, the food was great! Cheap prices, good flavors - what more can you ask for?

We had Grilled Sting Ray with chilli sauce, Kangkong with Belachan, Cereal Prawn, Satay, and Honeyed chicken. I like the food but not as much as I loved those at Forture Seafood Steamboat. However, Newton is closer to the center of the city. Both are worth a try.

Address:
Newton Circus Hawker Centre
500 Clemenceau Avenue North 229492

Singapore on a Budget - April 2011 trip

2011-04-27T20:58:00.014+08:00

This summer is something my family and I would definitely have to remember. It is the summer before my "unica hija" enters college. It could probably be the start of our "infrequent" (hopefully not!) family vacations what with the belt tightening to pay for her university fees and it could be because Ikee will not have much time to spend with us.

The choice for this year's vacation was made because she had been gifted with a round trip ticket to the Lion City - Singapore. I would have opted to go elsewhere but we had to be with her during the trip. Spending our summer separately was not my idea of a vacation - yet. Thus, we were on a "Singapore on a budget" trip. However, Singapore was not one would consider going to on a budget. Well, here's our attempt at it.

The day we got there we were treated to a Zhi Char resto called Forture Seafood Steamboat. Yes, you read it right. Our destination was Forture and not Fortune. For a while I too thought it was a typo. Larry, our host for dinner, offered us choices - food or ambiance. I naturally chose food over ambiance. It was late and it was a good chance to get some real Singaporean dishes. At 9:30 pm, we were hungry. But the wait was well worth it. So far, for me, this restaurant is the best in Hongkong in terms of its food and price. A few days after, I tried calling them and found that the prices were so low that the whole meal would have cost us twice or even thrice that of the other restos in the City. It definitely a place for the budget conscious. Here are some pictures of what we had:

First we had broccoli in garlic sauce.

The Hongkong style noodles.

Next, was the curry fish head.

Larry ordered the cereal prawn but I wasn't able to take a picture of it.

Last, but the best one of all, was the Salted eggyolk crab,

If you want to check the place out, it's at the corner of Bukit Timah and Old Holland Road. Just don't look for a classy resto as you won't find it there.

Jane

A Chilly Sagada Vacation (Dec. 2010)

2011-01-20T20:02:00.009+08:00

Last Christmas, we went up to the mountains to experience the cold weather in Sagada. Usually, we'd be in Baguio before 6 am whether to catch the first Lizardo bus leaving for the mountain province or not. That time though, for some reason, we were late. After we had parked the car at Camp John Hay, we proceeded to the Bus station only to be told that the first bus had left, the 2nd bus was full and the 3rd was leaving at 10 am. Naturally, we didn't like leaving at 10 am. So, I suggested we take the GL trip to Bontoc. I had read about some people taking the detour without any problems because it only took 1 jeepney ride to Sagada anyway. My family, having had no other choice, hesitantly agreed.

It was our first time at Bontoc. We reached the place around 2 pm and asked some people a place where we could have lunch. There wasn't any decent place to take lunch at during the whole 6 hour trip from Baguio. The old guys we inquired from directed us to this resto located by the market which name eludes me as of the moment. Tired and hungry, we trotted to the place which we thought was the nearest recommendable dining spot. However, much to our disappointment, the resto was not just beside the market, the food was not good at all - the chicken smelled and tasted like it had been dead hours before it was frozen, the pork didn't smell fresh and the fish smelled of moss. The vegetables though, just as is probably traditional of the Mountain Province, was at good.

Of course I knew there were a few spots we should have checked at Bontoc such as their museum. But, we were too exhausted to even give it a shot.So, after our not-so-horrendous meal, we were off to the jeepney station and boarded the first available vehicle to Sagada.

At Sagada, we were met by an old smiling and familiar face - Tita Mary. My husband didn't want to go and try out another lodge. To him and the rest of us, Tita Mary and her staff were like family. This time, we were given a room at the basement and by this I do mean the lowest part of the building. If you must know, The Residential Lodge has two basements - an upper and a lower one. Although we still love the hospitality, we didn't quite like the place assigned to us.

There were just 2 rooms at the lower basement - ours and the one beside it. The thing is that the area had 2 breakers which were both inside our room. One of it tripped the whole time we were there. It was irritating to be awakened in the middle of a restful sleep because there was no electricity and they had to switch it back on. this happened on the first night we were there. What was more disgusting was that it happened again. This time I told the caretakers I didn't want to be bothered any longer because when they went to switch the thing back on, that was the fifth time anyone had to do so. The other 4 we had done ourselves. I guess they had noticed my disgruntled tone such that they apologized for the trouble. Not that we expected much. After all, paying 250 pesos a night was not bad. But, having been at the Residential Lodge before, it would have been better. It's just one of those times when there are too many people and too little time to have things fixed. We would still be back at Tita Mary's. Like I said, they're not nearly perfect but they have a good place nonetheless.

It was chilly in Sagada that time. So much that I even dreaded the thought of bathing daily but did so despite it. The funny thing was that we sort of had to push each one to go first unlike in Manila where I usually opted to go first.

To be continued...

Too many grammatical and typos here... sorry. LOL

2010-04-15T02:16:00.002+08:00

I'm really sorry about the errors there are in these blogs. You see I am too excited to share the Coron Experience with you guys but was too busy to edit them. Anyway, I'll do my best to correct them tomorrow. But for now, let me get some sleep. So tired from today's activities for my store.

Again, my apologies guys.

Coron Day 3 - Kayaking at Kingfisher Park

2010-04-14T09:07:00.018+08:00

Continued from Coron Day 2

We woke up late and thus left the lodge at almost the same time that we did the previous day. Although some of our snorkel stuff were left in the boat, we had much luggage to bring as we had checked out of the lodge already. We were going to stay with my dad on another island because he had arranged for our diving lessons.

Like the previous day, Boyet and I had gone to the market to buy our stuff while Ria and Ikee were left at La Sirenneta to order our breakfast. I was so confused as to the fact that even on our 2nd day I couldn't find any other seafood at the market save for fish and squid. I was already craving for some shrimp or crabs but didn't get the opportunity to get any of those. I didn't want to get them from the resto because the prices were expensive. To me, it was silly to buy something priced as high as in Manila when I'm already at the source.

Our boat was still docked there as it really is convenient for us. After breakfast, we headed for our first stop - the Kubo sa Dagat.

Kubo sa Dagat.

I had read about Kubo sa Dagat during my research but had confused it with Kingfisher Park. Apparently, these are two different locations owned and operated by the same people - the Reyes'. Kubo sa Dagat is a lodging place in the waters of Malbato Bay while Kingfisher Park is on the island across it where the mangroves are. Most of the activities being offered at the Kubo sa Dagat are actually done at the King fisher park - kayaking, birdwatching, trekking, firefly tour, etc.

When we got there, I crossed one boat to get to the front desk and asked about the rates. It was 500 pesos per person to kayak to the mangroves where will also do the birdwatching. But Borge and Nikko, the admin officers, gave us one person free and even gave us coffee. So, we took the chance.

To get to the park, we had to bring our boat close to the island. But we were still about 500 meters from the boat to the entrance of the mangrove area and our boat couldn't get any closer because the water level was too shallow for it. Thus, we donned our life vests and paddled our way to the mangroves. The sea had started to get a little rough but we paddled along with the direction of the waves so it was not difficult to cross over to the other side. I and Boyet were together, Ikee was with Mang Godie (our guide) while Rhia chose to go alone. If I hadn't known that she was in the rowing team previously, I wouldn't have agreed for her to go solo. But then that would have entailed a debate. LOL

Inside the mangrove plantation was a stream. We were asked to paddle gently and to stay quiet so that we didn't scare the birds. I brought my camera inside the Lock and Lock container which I bought to keep it waterproof. It is cheap but it served its purpose so well, I tell you. It was a great shock protector too. My "photographers" were to scared to bring their expensive equipment so I was the only one who had pictures. LOL

There were huge trees in the area. Birds seemed to be everywhere but we couldn't see them because they were hiding somewhere. I deduced that we needed more time there so we could see the creatures. I was able to spot one but Boyet had asked me to take some pics and the bird flew. It was kinda big and blue with a long bill. Later on, Borge told me that it was one of the Kingfishers. I regretted not being able to see it for a long time although I was slightly elated having spotted it there. There were 6 other species but of course we told we had to be there as early as 5 am to spot more. I guess this would be one of those things we need to do next time. LOL

After more than an hour, Mang Godie told us that we should leave already because the current was getting stronger. We were on our way out of the path when we saw some women harvesting some shells. Turned out to be capiz shells - the ones that you see in old spanish houses. Rhia took one and ate it when she learned they were edible. You see, adventure IS our middle name. hahaha

From across the entrance I had seen the waves devouring the water underneath them. It got me a little scared because I thought about Ikee and that Rhia was alone. Also, that Boyet and I were no expert "kayakers". Could we make it? I was more sure of Ikee's safety than our own. She was with an expert. Boyet and I had each other but neither of us could be of more help to each other than we are to our own selves. Nonetheless, we had to try... and well, I'm writing this to you now so I guess I could say that we did a pretty good job back there. Thank God.

Another nice thing that the Kubo sa Dagat guys did for us was they allowed us to cook our meal there. We didn't have time to go to a beach to have our meal cooked as originally planned. After we cooked, we paid our fees and were on our way to the Lusong Wreck.

Lusong Ship Wreck.

We spent 1 hour sailing from Kubo to the Lusong wreck. There was no beach there. It was above the wreck that we stopped at. Lunch was at our boat but we hadn't eaten much because everyone was too curious about the ship below. That, according to our boatman and guide, was a ship from the japanese time. It was there perhaps because there was a really strong current that time. We had noticed this and I suggested we do not go into the water anymore. But then curiousity still ruled that a few minutes later we were splashing our way to feed the fish with our bare hands. These little guys were so naive that you can actually kiss and hold them. That's me with a little fishy.

We were going to the Coral garden which was just a few minutes from us but decided not to go. Instead, we headed for Cullion Island.

Cullion Island

The last stop before we went to see dad was at Cullion Island. This was the former Leper Colony. I say former because you can hardly find any leper there now. As my uncle who is also a dermatologist would say, there is about less than 1 percent of the population who can get afflicted. Most likely, we weren't one of those. LOL

First stop there was at the Museum. It was huge as the ones I had seen. But it surely was interesting. There was this video that told about the 100-year plight of the lepers and the colony - how it was a sin to be a leper in the olden days, how the lepers were shot or burned and how they had settled in this once-upon-a-time-God-Forlorned piece of land in the middle of nowhere. Yup, it was interesting and melodramatic at the same time.

From the musueum, we went to take a few shots of the old church and we were off to see dad for our first scuba lesson with Chuck. We stayed with daddy for the remainder of our stay at Coron. For our the first night we went out to sea to fish and stargaze. As in Port Barton, I had seen 4 meteors while waiting for my fish to take the bait. Amazing!

Coron Day 2 - Island Hopping Coron Loop

2010-04-12T13:06:00.015+08:00

continued from Coron Day 1...

We were up at 5:30 am because I had planned to leave to go island hopping by 6. But our boatmen who were coming from Cullion Island were not there yet. I was a little pissed off of course because the boat owner, who happens to be my dad's kumpare, and I had agreed that we should start at 6 and not at 5 as I had originally suggested. The poor guys had to sail for over an hour because the sea was a little rough and it was still dark.

At 7 am I decided we should just go to the marketplace where we would buy the food stuff we needed for our trip that day. Part of Coron's allure is being laid back. However, it's too laid back you can't find any food in most of the islands. There are some resorts that do offer food but then you'd have to pay and exorbitant entrance fee and pay for the food too. Now, that wasn't practical because we had intended to go around and not stay in just 1 island. This I think is one great opportunity for those who would like to do business there. hint* hint*

Ted, the boat owner, told me to meet the guys at La Sirennetta, a resto by the sea very close to the market. They have their own dock which our boat can stay at. So, I and Ria went o buy our food while Boyet and Ikee ordered our breakfast. It's a good thing that La Sirenneta had a set meal for 100 pesos each which included dried danggit, tocino, some fried rice, and coffee or juice. Cheap eh? When we got there, the food was served.

Siete Pecados.
Our boat was docked by the pier owned by the resto. It was convenient because the boat was just a few steps from where we were. After we ate, we boarded and were off to our first stop - Siete Pecados. Today's itinerary is the usual Coron Loop. If you are looking for a place on Google Earth, I don't think you'd find it. It's a small island that doesn't even have a beach. Nope, not at patch of land to step on. The great thing about it though is that the people had put some ropes in to the sea so we didn't get scared about drifting off. We had to stay in our boat and jump into the water if we wanted to snorkel. There is a 100 peso fee per person just to snorkel there. We all did but decided to leave just after 30 minutes because the water wasn't clear enough for us.

Kayangan Lake.

Our next stop was the world-famous Kayangan Lake. I guess most of us would be familiar with it as it is always featured as the mountain lake with some people snorkeling in it. I always see in in the Mabuhay magazine of Philippine airlines and the magazine of Cebu Pacific. We docked near the entrance of the trail. There were some limestones at the side that I wasn't able to resist having our picture taken. The water was clear and had different shades of green and blue. There were islets at the background and the sky was blue too with the sun golden up high. It was perfect. Besides, the trail looked difficult and looked unstable. But, there was railing made of wood that it could just be possible for my knees to take the trek up.

We started our hike up. It's so amazing that Dong, our boatman's assistant, was behind us yet had waited for us up at the highest point of the trail. There were some unstable rocks alright but then the trek was not as steep as I had imagined. As we got to the peak, we were directed by Dong to go a side trip before we descended to the lake. Lo and behold, what seemed to be the most wondrous sight was right before my eyes. The view of the greenish bluish water and its islets where some flora had grown and which I had lusted for and tried for my "photographers" to capture. Now, it is a better view and all the more alluring. the islets had the bluish-golden horizon for a backdrop. I wanted to jump for joy as I had looked at the view by the cliff. Yes, it was treacherous. But then again, what beauty does not lie beyond a dreadful trail?

As we went our way down to the lake, what was once a dream for Boyet had now become a reality. It was as beautiful as we had seen in the pictures. Deep, still yet cool and clear water, with towering limestone walls, some tiny fish in the shallow and a wooden bridge that served as both a path and a bench to its visitor. We just loved it. We stayed for about an hour but had to leave as it was nearly 12 noon and we still had to cook lunch. Too bad.

Banol Beach

There was nothing much that we did at the beach but to laze, swim a little and cook our meal. But this stop was really restful. There were some huts a few meters from the coast. Our hut was situated next to a huge kalachuchi tree which gave a wonderful shade. I spread out the mat I brought from manila so Ikee and Ria could lay down. We had broiled pork and fish and a seaweed salad that i had prepared. For dessert, we had brought some local mangoes that were so sweet even while they were not so ripe yet. I kept them cool in the small cooler that we bought. it was quite a meal.

By 2 pm, we were on our way to our next stop - the CYC beach. However, we didn't quite like the place from afar and thought that we would wasted time staying there. So we headed for the Twin lagoon.

Twin Lagoon.

The lagoon is enclosed by some limestones. There used to be only 1 way to get there: you'd have to dive deep through a subterranean hole. However, now, they've placed a platform with a wooden makeshift stairway of about 15 steps up. But, to get to the platform, I had to go through a bridge and ride a raft. The rest of my crew did not want to go there so I was the only who braved it. I saw the hole beneath the platform. It didn't seem to be a difficult swim. But I was told that if you raise your head while still there at the hole, you run the risk of hitting your cranium on to the pointed ceiling. Now, that's a risk I didn't want to take.

Barracuda Lake

After the Twin Lagoon, we proceeded to the Barracuda Lake. It was our last stop for the day because everyone we talked to, even our boatman, didn't want to take the risk of being at sea in the late afternoon. It was a wise decision as the water had become a little rough already. But, we still had time to see one more spot so off we went to the nearby lake which was also on the way back to Coron. Like the other stops, there was an entrance with a platform. I guess the Tagbanuas got used to having visitors around that they constructed several of those platforms for their guests to use. There was a short but winding path leading to the lake. however, unlike Kayangan, this lake had a small mouth which we deduced was the only take off point. It was a little dark and really tight there that none of us wanted to go for a swim. So, we just took some crazy pictures and were on our way home.

As we had sailed back, I notice a white tower northeast. The boatman told me it was a lighthouse. Thus, I asked him to go a little close to it and stopped there for a little while to take some pictures. After that we were homeward bound.

Dinner was at the Kawayanan Grill. I was told this was one of the top restos on the island. It was good but not very good.

Coron Day 1 - Coron Town Tour

2010-04-11T10:52:00.025+08:00

Hey guys! I'm back from Coron. Here's my story:

Our semi-annual family vacation trip this year was in Coron. As always, I am the trip director and organizer thus I made some research. 1 month prior we had decided on going to the town. It had been for several years that Boyet wanted to visit Kayangan Lake and we had chosen between going to Batanes and Busuanga. The Batanes trip had been too expensive for us. So, we opted for Busuanga instead.

After the decision had been made, I did further research and we booked our flight. We flew via Cebu Pacific because at that time they offered the lowest fare. However, 2 weeks after, my cousin Ria decided to join us in that trip and booked with PAL whose price was way lower than ours. It turned out that both airlines would be delayed at some point. Our flight was delayed for 2 hours going to Coron while Ria's flight was delayed for about 3 hours going back to manila.

Day 1.

Our flight left NAIA 3 at almost 12 noon and an hour after we landed on the tiny airstrip of Busuanga. Like all the other times, Cebu Pacific was late for a little over 2 hours. When it finally landed, the plane bounced off the ground once before it did finally touchdown. Scary eh? It wasn't my first time to experience that with them so I wasn't scared anymore. The worst I gave was a shrug and a squirk. I left out on the arrangement for the airport transfers for this trip. Apparently, though, the lodge we were booked with arranged it for us. We had to pay 150 pesos per person. Quite expensive for approximately a 20 kilometer trip from the airport to Coron town but we didn't have a choice. There was no other means of transportation. I was just happy that the van was there.

We got to the Coron Village Lodge at almost 2 pm. Our first lunch was right there at the lodge since it was late and we were all starved from that dreadful trip. Sadly, there's very little vegetable choices at the resto. Lunch consisted of just tuna with lemon butter sauce and sinigang na baboy for soup and veggies. I can't say food was good but it wasn't really bad either.

We decided to stay at the lodge till Ria arrived. Anyway, we wanted to take some nap after lunch. When finally my cousin came at about 4 pm, we took a tricyle to a local resto to reserve for some barbecued pork and rice so they can cook for us while we were at Mt. Tapyas. after that, we grabbed some mineral water and took off the the Mountain.

The fee for going up Mt. Tapyas was 100 pesos per guest. Nearly all places in Coron had fees. Some say it is really to help maintain the place. There were 724 steps going up to the top of Mount Tapyas. At the 500th plus step, I stopped and told my family to go ahead. I didn't want to risk having any pain on my knee because I was afraid that if it ever happens, it might not go away until after our trip. At first, they didn't want to leave me behind probably thinking that I was just too scared or too tired to walk up any further. But then, I was determined not to leave the spot where I was. They said there was a huge cross at the top. This was supposedly the mark of Coron from afar. All that 724 steps were quite steep. Fortunately for the visitors there were landings after every 10 or 15 and there were shades spread out through the stretch. From where I was a panoramic view of the Coron Bay could be seen. I was told it was quite beautiful up there.

It was almost 5:30 when we got down from Mt. Tapyas. From there, we just picked up the food that we had ordered and went our way to Maquinit Hot Spring. The road was half good and half really, really dusty and rough.

There are 4 pools at Maquinit. Despite the 50 pesos entrance fee, there were more visitors than I had expected but there was enough space for everyone. The water was hot at 40 degrees centigrade and stung at first. But as soon as we were immersed in the pool, it became pleasantly cooler and relaxing. The trick is not to get intimated by the warmth at the start because the body does acclimatize.

Although the water was really pleasant, I didn't really like the feel of the slimy moss on the stones and walls. These guys are thermophilic and could withstand the heat. Also, I didn't like how the pool was under illuminated. on the topmost pool, it was a bit eerie because it was underlit and the pool appeared dark in that area probably because of the growth on the walls and ground.

We stayed there for an hour. There were some huts that lined the side of the park all the way to the entrance. The great thing is that there was a sari-sari store inside that sold a lot of things including soft drinks, chips and noodles - enough to feed the hungry guests after a dip at the warm pool. It did make some back and leg aches go away. After all it was like a hot compress.

On the way back to the lodge, we stopped by Manang Lita's Cashew Store. I figured there wouldn't be any time to do that in the next few days so it was an opportunity to do it then. After that we went back to the lodge, and retired early. It was going to be an early start for us the following day.

To be continued...

Back To Singapore in December

2009-12-03T19:23:00.004+08:00

Well, I and my family will be going back to Singapore for the New Year. Hopefully, we'll be able to watch the Songs of the Sea water and light show at Sentosa Island. Funny but we've been there twice already and have not had a chance to see it. We always seem to run out of tickets. This time I checked out the net to get a ticket in advance only to find out that it can't be purchased online. sigh*

Would someone care to tell me how I can get those elusive tickets please?

Another dilemma is going to Johor Bahru in Malaysia from SG. I had always wanted to go. But today I realized it may not be worth going with all the trouble that one has to go through to reach the place by public transport. I hate long queues!

A High-Tech Vacation? Why Not? - Things to bring

2009-09-24T16:51:00.008+08:00

As a backpacker or a budget traveler, would you bring a laptop, an ipad, or a phone with an internet access during a vacation trip? I would include that in my own vacation list.

For several reasons. First, it has saved us some money during our trips. Of course it is true that I do my research before I leave. In fact I start months before our scheduled trip. But when we get to our destination, we always end up having to decide on whether to go with our plan or change it altogether. This is because when we get there, we normally find other places of interest that are rarely posted on the net. Usually, when we have gotten some information from the friendly locals, there are tips that are valuable and should not be missed.

Second, is that we find use for it when taking note of where else to go and how to go there. Yup, locals might be helpful but not all of them. Plus, there's the language barrier issue. Like when we arrived at the Hong Kong Ferry terminal from Macau at 3 am. We took a cab and the driver didn't understand where we were going. He didn't speak english either. They have a central office who he had called but the girl at the other line didn't understand me either. It took us a whole frustrating hour to get to our hostel.

Third, also from ads on the streets from locals too, we found our way to some place but couldn't go back to where we came from. It was good that my husband had his Thinkpad with him.

Fourth, it offers you several alternatives for you to get the most from your vacation. Also while in Hong Kong, we decided to extend one more day but we were being charged more if we didn't go through AsiaTravel where we originally got our booking. Sure, there were computer shops but we would have to locate one. Plus there's the hassle of going out and coming back a couple more times than necessary.

Believe me. We've done it a number of times on our international trips. There are several other reasons but these are the ones that are worth mentioning. It's so much more than just getting in touch with your family back home to bring an internet-0ready gadget. Besides, with the new technology that have recently been out in the market, the once 2 kilogram, shoulder-tearing, back-breaking and tongue-falling high-tech gadget is now even lighter than your shoulder bag.

50% for PAL's Mabuhay Mile's Awards Tickets

2009-09-16T08:19:00.004+08:00

How I wish I could schedule my trip to the US soon. I'm going there next year because I have to go to Alberta for the SEC Assessment with CARNA. On my way to AB, I'll pass by LA to see my mom.

But I wish I could just go this time instead. Up until October 5, 2009 Mabuhay Miles award tickets can be redeemed at 50% off. Thus, if I have to go to the US on an award ticket, I can actually use just half of the usual mileage and have the other half converted to asian trips for the three of us! what a real treat. But then again the prescribed Travel Period is only from 15 September - 10 December 2009. Couldn't they have extended it?

You may want to check out the deal at www.mabuhaymiles.com.

Revisiting Montemar

2009-04-28T22:29:00.011+08:00

April 25, 2009

It was was a delightful drive along SCTEX from Dau to Bataan. We left Manila late and were in a hurry to get to Montemar in Bataan. But, most of our tension was gone when we got to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway which not only made our drive more pleasurable, it had made our road trip shorter.

Reaching Montemar Beach Club at 10:30 am, the sun was already up and a bit hot for swimming that I decided not to join them in the Blue Pool. But, it was actually an excuse not to get dark as I'm expecting to be given voluntary nursing work soon. The Blue Pool (so named because perhaps of the dark blue tiles of the pool that didn't make the sun's reflection too hot like other pools do) is the favorite of the old folks of my husband's family. It has an odd shape - more like a letter y- and it wasn't too deep. Being blue with trees and foliage about that separated it from the structures in the area made it look like a hidden lagoon - cozy, relaxing and charming. Just beside this pool is a rather smaller pool for kids. Well, it was meant for them but obviously noone prevented the adults from using it either as our aunts spent some time there too. There were some reclining chairs made of wood at a corner towards the direction of the restaurant. Not too many of those chairs were there. Just enough for a few people to sit and lie on. I took some pictures of our group. After all, it was not often that we got to go somewhere with my husband's family.

There are several rooms in Montemar. But, as in the past, we were there on day tour only and it was not economical to rent a room (although I had given it a thought, really. *shush*). We had paid 1,000 pesos each but 500 pesos of that amount was consumable. Thus, paying for the fee wasn't really so bad. The place was nice, the food was good. Boyet wanted to sleep and rest though because he was tired. So, we rented the hut very close to the beach which had 2 reclining seat/bed and some curtains. I had chosen a spot farthest from where the music was coming from. There was a nice breeze and the wave was a little strong that made the sound of water crushing onto the rocks loud enough to create an ambiance conducive to sleep. I dozed off myself. The hut only costs 100 pesos per hour but our mistake was that we didn't tell them right away when we didn't want to use it anymore. We ended up paying 500 pesos for it.

In the middle of the hut was a small table where we had lunch. Ikee and I ordered food from the resto. Unlike the rest, we didn't have breakfast because we were late thus we had an early lunch. The 500 pesos food allowance was more than enough to feed one person that we had money to spend for the snack before we left the resort.

JP, my husband's 4 year-old nephew, was with with us and was already getting bored because he stopped swimming just before lunch. It was good that we ran into Giovie, the manager of the resort, who happens to be a cousin's former officemate. He told us that we could take a stroll at the tortoise conservation just a short distance away. Of course, JP went with Mang Ruben, the owner and driver of the vehicle they hired. And surely, after that, JP came back to blabber about what he had seen - tiny tortoises in a cage. This, according to Giovie, was to prevent them from being eaten by their usual predators. The resort had taken this responsibility since it had started to operate. Or maybe just a few years after its opening.

We took a short stroll at the rocky area near our hut. It is a ravine and we were at the bottom of it. It was already low tide when we walked and took some pics again. I didn't want to go into the beach because the waves were strong already. It's good that Montemar posts a warning for their guests about how strong the waves are and who may swim.

At 4 pm, after we took a snack at the resto, we were homeward bound. However, Giovie said we should go back when Richard comes home in June.

We just might.

Cheap PAL Fares

2009-04-25T17:58:00.003+08:00

Philippine Airlines has a promotional sale for both its local and international flights. All-in fares for as low as 499 pesos for local flights and 38 USD for all-in fares for its international flights can be purchased from now until April 28, 2009 thru PAL's Book & Buy at their website at http://www.philippineairlines.com. For its all in international fares, only the terminal fee of about Php 1600 needs to be added. However, most of the tickets may be used starting June 1, 2009. Other tickets may only be used from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15.

If you are interested, I suggest you hurry while there are still tickets to buy. They do run out too you know.

The View At Kiltepan - Sagada Day 3 & 4

2009-04-25T01:29:00.018+08:00

There was a hesitant knock on our door. It was shortly before 5 am and I suddenly got up from bed. Quickly, I realized that Tita Glo and company would be leaving for Baguio that morning and, as agreed, were saying their goodbyes. We felt sad that they had to leave so soon. Luchie had a class the following day which she couldn't miss and Tito Bon had been missing his cat, Mox, already. They had been our companion since day 1 and, although we had only gotten acquainted at the bus, it felt as though we had known them all our lives.

Breakfast was at the nearby Bana Cafe. Ikee and Boyet had the corned beef meal whle I had a bowl of yoghurt and some banana cake. We had all intentions to go to Kiltepan on our 3rd day, just not during the sunset as it is too early for my husband and daughter. But it rained then so we did not leave the Residential Lodge because we needed to check out to transfer to the Rock Inn. I purposely wanted to try both accommodations so I could write about them in my blog. It was convenient that Bang of the Rock Inn had sent the shuttle service to fetch us from Tita Mary's place. Apparently, our reservation included 2 shuttle trips. It would've been enough to bring us to the Rock Inn from Tita Mary's and to bring us from the the Rock Inn to the bus station in town the following day. But, despite the rain, we didn't want to stay inside our room and not see as much of Sagada as we could muster. So, we put down our bags in our room, ate lunch and went back to town again.

It was still raining so we opted to go to the Ganduyan Museum. Andrew Bagni, our guide for the past 2 days, had suggested for us to go there to see the "matanda" (old person) who tells a tale. My idea of the "matanda" was that of a man, with wrinkled skin, wearing a headdress, spoke English and smoked cigar from a pipe. Thus, when we got to the museum, I was looking for such a person and got a pleasant surprise. Yes, the "matanda" spoke English. In fact, very fluent english. But no man, with wrinkles and a pipe, and all that. No sirree. The matanda was Christina Aben, the owner of the modest collection on exhibit at the Ganduyan Museum.

The door to the museum was shut but the sign said it was open. So, I went in with my family and out of nowhere, Ms. Aben was right at our back. She politely asked if we would like to hear the story behind her collection and of course we were interested. She started with the jewelry that both the men and women of the Igorot Tribefolks wore. Proudly, she had announced that she, too, is an Igorot - meaning people of the mountain. Her collection were interesting - some were really old and others were, well, recent. It wasn't anything like that of the National museum. In fact, the place is smaller than that of our own museum in Pasig. But, Ms. Aben's reception was realy warm and personal. She gave us a glimpse into Sagada's past and when appropriate, even bits and pieces of her own family's history. I would suggest she put in a video of Sagada perhaps just like that of the video presentation at the Asian Culture Museum in Singapore which was done in a skit form. But, altogether, Christina Aben, a fine woman of the brave Igorot tribe, and her collection gave any visitor a genuine, hospitable and amiable welcome treat from Ganduyan - the other name of Sagada.

There was a heavy downpour when we went out of the museum. That's why we found our way to the souvenir store right next to the museum. Apparently, it is owned by Ms. Aben's son who told us that the store and the whole complex including the inn, which is 2 doors away, was owned by Ms. Aben. Admirable woman. At the store, we bought some shirts and other souvenirs to bring back to our other family members who weren't with us.

It took us quite a while to leave the place. When the rain became a drizzle, I urged my family to go up to the St. Joseph's Inn and restaurant. There was a flight of stairs about 10 meters from the side of the store leading to the resto. There, we had some coffee and whole wheat bread glazed with chocolate. It was good and so my husband decided to buy some more for us to take back to the Rock Inn. My daughter had some milo. We tried to ask for some milk for her but the resto didn't serve any. Strangely, despite the many bovines that we had seen in the area, there wasn't any milk sold save for those usual ones in powder form and the canned ones.

The St. Joseph resto is really cozy. Most of its furniture were of wood and the place had an imaginary line created by the colors of the furnishings and the walls. The area to the right was classier and more stylish while the area to the left, nearer to the counter is more family-oriented. We chose to sit outside, by the dap-ay near the garden that had a hazy view of the St. Mary's church. Quite charming. After our snack, we took a walk towards the church. The view from St. Joseph was inviting. In fact, I had wanted to go there the day before because while we were at the Masferre' Restaurant, I had used our binoculars to take a good look at the quaint church on the hill. From the outside, it looked very much like a town church in a western land. Inside, the Anglican church had the usual pulpit, the cross, but very few statues.

It was almost 6 pm when we asked the Rock Inn staff to pick us up from the church's lawn. Dinner was at the hotel. We were still full thus we each had a bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich each. My shins still ached from all that walking since we got to Sagada. Although I had brought my liniment and my hotpacks, I still felt the pain. But, I didn't want to drink any painkillers. I'm not used to those. There was a masseuse at the Rock Inn and I requested her to give me a massage. It felt oh so good that I didn't want to go down to the Dap-ay where they lit up a fire. They do that every weekend at the Rock Inn. That way, the guests will have a place to socialize. Quite unique.

I was first to wake up the following day. It was not raining anymore. Since we'd be bound for Baguio in a few hours, I woke Boyet and Ikee up so we could take a chance at seeing Kiltepan. Andrew said it is really a nice place to visit since it had a view of the rice terraces comparable to that of Batad in Banaue. We weren't able to coordinate with Andrew about going there so I asked the owner of Rock Inn, Fely, for directions. She was kind enough to have one of his men accompany us.

We walked all the way from the inn to viewpoint. Fortunately, the Rock Inn is the closest to Kiltepan. It took us about 20 minutes to walk towards our destination through a partly rocky and partly muddy trail although probably 1/2 of our walk in addition to the rocky-muddy path was through a cemented road. We reached a wooden gate, entered it, walked a few more meters up and there it was - one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen in my whole life. Kiltepan spanned what seemed as huge stairways of monochromatic green but of different tones, with the clouds almost hovering above it. The sky was blue and created a great background to the lovely view. It was already 6:30 am by then and the sun was shining high above. Nonetheless, the view was still spectacular. It was the best finale to a wonderful trip for us. We took many pictures of that site never getting a single picture that would describe what it really looked like. I guess Kiltepan will surely remind me of Sagada and it will forever be the symbol of what a Philippine paradise would be.

By 11 am we had left the Rock Inn with an earnest desire to go back to Sagada. It had been a wonderful trip and a wonderful site which I and my family will always treasure.

Related sites:

Sumaguing Cave Adventure - Sagada Day 1
Bomod-ok Falls Adventure - Sagada Day 2
Surviving Sagada

Bomod-ok Falls Adventure - Sagada Day 2

2009-04-21T22:34:00.019+08:00

We had a goodnight's sleep at the Residential Lodge. I was urging the guys to wake up early but they were too tired they said. I was tired too when I woke up but I hadn't realized it until we were about to go out of the inn. My shin hurt and my knees were tight. But I and the gang were too excited to stay home. The falls beckoned.

By 8 am our Kapampangan friends knocked at our door to announce that Andrew and the driver were already outside the lodge. Boyet ordered coffee, a banana cake for Ikee and some sandwiches from the nearby Bana Cafe. I also asked Andrew, our Saggas guide, to pass by the Bangaa-an which, according to our Inn's staff, sell yoghurt.

We reached Banga-an at about 9:45. I was salivating at the thought of the yoghurt which I had imagined was like the one I had at the Yoghurt house. But no. It was plain and the store didn't have any fruit to go with it. I had all intentions of buying a few cups since the yoghurt was going to be our snack at the falls. It was half the price of the yoghurt at the Yoghurt house. But, because it was plain, I knew none of us would like to eat it anyway. Thus, I left empty handed and decided to get it elsewhere after our trek. The driver did make another pit stop. This time it was to give us a glimpse of what were about to face - a 45 minute trek down.

The terrain was not as I had thought it would be. It was downward alright but trail was cemented. Andrew had told us that the path was also the trail the villagers took to go around the area. Apparently, there was not just a few people down there but a whole village of them. The sun was high up and the Sagada breeze could not be felt because our bodies got so much warmer too. We did one stop midway just to pay for an entrance fee (10 pesos per person at that time) and to buy some gatorade from the store. After that, we were back right on track to see what the Sagadians called the Big falls.

Luchie, Tito Bon, Tita Glo and Mariz walked way ahead of us because we had to ask Ikee to remove her brace. And for good reason. The path needed some balancing to walk on. Some parts were slippery and other parts required some hopping. The road that led to our destination was long and winding. From about 500 meters away, I could tell we were near because of the rustling sound of water.

By the time we got to the falls, our Kapampangan friends were already resting under a huge rocky shade. There were a number of other guests in the rocky basin of the falls but there was enough space for all of us. The falls was magnificent and the water dropped from and elevation of about 70 feet high. There was a cool mist from the falls which created a somewhat hazy view of the surroundings - reminded us about the falls in Yosemite. There was hardly any vegetation but there were huge boulders that lined downstream from the catch basin that became perfect basking areas for tourists and locals alike. What's sad is that we had seen some trash that were mindlessly thrown along the path and at the falls which of course gave the impression that the money that we had paid at the so called "entrance" was not used for the purpose it had been required in the first place. Still with that, the falls remains a top destination of Sagada.

My feet, thighs and legs hurt already at that time such that when a boy came to me to ask if I had wanted a massage, I immediately said yes. He had charged 20 pesos for a 10 minute leg massage. With his small hands, he kneaded on my shin. Of course he couldn't grip so forcefully which is also why I thought it was good. I didn't want to have a case of Deep Vein Thrombosis anywhere in the future. It felt good that I also asked him to give me a massage on my shoulder. 40 pesos for both body parts. Not bad eh? There were other kids who came to us offering the same massage and I urged my companions to avail of their service. Boyet, on the other hand, had found a little girl selling some local popsicles (ice buko) and bought one for each of us. It felt so refreshing.

We stayed at the falls for a little over an hour. Soon Boyet had to remind me that it actually took us 1.5 hours at least to trek down. Since he said we'd be going up, it might take us a longer time. I quickly took more pictures, posed with my family and friends and soon we were back to the trek again. Near the village though, I had felt drained and my thighs and legs were stiff. I don't really mind the walk or trek but I can't bear the heat. It was about 1 pm then and the sun was scorching. I took short rests about 4 times before I finally told Boyet I needed to rest a longer while but that I needed some water or gatorade. I already felt dizzy and my vision was already blurring a bit. Andrew went up to the store at the village and in about 2 minutes he was back and handed me a 300-ml bottle of gatorade. The bottle was half filled when I stopped drinking and I did feel so refreshed and walked again shortly after. Another 45 minutes after that we rejoined our companions at the place where our service vehicle was parked.

Lunch Finally!

Our original plan was to go back to the town proper to eat lunch after which we would go around to see the nearby sites before proceeding to Lake Danum where we'd view the sunset. However, when we got to the Masfere Restaurant, it was already 2:30 pm. The change of plan was made. We took our lunch there and went back to the lodge. The guides bought the ingredients for the Pinikpikan - an Igorot delicacy - while we waited for them. By 5 pm, our service vehicle was already at the Lodge to fetch us. Apparently, Andrew had texted me earlier but I didn't hear it because I had dozed off a bit.

Rainset?

A few minutes drive was all that was needed to get to Lake Danum. Unlike what we originally planned, there was no sunset to view because the place became white with fog. Even the view of the lake was not so clear because we could only see a few meters ahead of us. It had rained earlier on and it just stopped for a very short while - perhaps just to allow us to take some pics by the water or so it seemed. After a few shots, we were called back in because the chicken had been dressed and Rod was going to show us how the Igorots - his own kinfolks - to this day, use the gallbladder to check on whether the "forces of nature" is for or against a plan or an undertaking. After that, we waited a while for the chicken to be cooked. We were camped at an unfinished building which according to our guides is actually owned by the Department of Agriculture. It was cold and raining but we were kept warm most likely because we all had thick jackets and had sipped some Bugnay wine that Rod and Andrew bought from the marketplace. Pretty good stuff.

Since our companions were in a hurry to go home because they needed to pack and get ready to wake up early the following morning, we asked Andrew to just bring the chicken to the Lodge where we would all have dinner. That was our last night with Luchie, Tita Glo, Tito Bon and Mariz because they'd be on their way to Baguio the following day. Thus, the pinikpikas was a great way to have a traditional Igorot celebration of friendship and farewell to our new-found friends whose company we had enjoyed every minute with.

Related stories:

Sumaguing Cave Adventure - Sagada Day 1
Bomod-ok Falls Adventure - Sagada Day 2
A view at Kiltepan – Sagada Day 3 & 4
Surviving Sagada