travel…explore…learn…value

The boat ride

We just left that place. The view of the boat station from the boat.

Shots of islands while riding the boat

The first island we visited. It is very small with a ‘cave’ which is actually a through and through hole.

Marcos island

Chiuldren’s Island

Approaching Governor’s Island

View deck pictures

This was a spur of the moment trip. It is going to be a long weekend, so my everdearest ‘close friend’ and I planned to have an out of town trip over the phone. We wanted to go somewhere that is not too far from Manila since we only have 3 days for our weekend getaway. We dismissed Tagaytay, beaches in Batangas, Villa Escudero in Quezon and Baguio for different reasons. We thought about Hundred Islands since we haven’t been there. We put down the phone for a while to browse the internet about Hundred Islands and then after a while we already have reservations in Hundred Islands Hotel and Restaurant for the following 2 days. We met in Cubao MRT the following day and went to the Victory bus station where we bought tickets going to Alaminos, Pangasinan. It was already afternoon so we arrived late in Alaminos already. I think it was already 9 pm when we arrived at the town and then we rode a tricycle (which we paid 100php) going to the hotel. We were not able to have dinner upon arriving since they are done serving food. We just bought chips and water in the store in front of the place we are staying. The hotel is actually more of an inn. It is like a big house with rooms on the second and third floors for renting. If I remember it right, we got the room for 2,000php per night. We stayed there for two nights since we already arrived late and we will still have our islands trip the following day. The room is big. It is an AC room with television. There is also a kitchen space inside the room. We did our island hopping the following day. It is easy to get a boat and you can have this arranged by the hotel or place you are staying. We paid 1000php for 5 islands (the main islands -Governor, Children and Quezon plus additional 2 islands). If you are a group, the expenses will be cheaper since there will be more people to chip in. I think 6 people can ride the boat that we rented. I liked the Marcos island because its sand is fine and white though it was small. There is a cave here where in you should jump first in a pool of water before being able to explore the whole cave. Of course, I didn’t try it. I couldn’t take the jumping to the water part. Did I mention that it was about 10 feet below and I didn’t know how deep is the water? There were Korean tourists that has already put up a tent when we went there. They were having a good time since it was like their own private island. I wanted to stay here but I figured that it can easily be crowded with people since it is very small, and a lot of people will surely want to stay here. We stayed in the three main islands for about 1 and a half to 2 hours each. The Quezon island is the place where people much of the people stay to swim. The children’s island is a nice island for kids because the water is just knee deep going to the small island across. The Governor’s island is the place where you can find the viewing deck. It is a couple of minutes walk going to the top of the island. It is quite an exercise for your legs but the view is worth it. It rained when we went there but the view is still spectacular. It’s nice to see all those islands from this place. It is also here, in Governor’s island, where you can find the Pinoy Big Brother house that the PBB teens used when they went here. All in all, I enjoyed my tour of the islands…though I would have wanted to stay in Marcos island also.

Tips: Bring food when you go island hopping because it will take you the whole day. Bring packed lunch also.

          Go in groups. About 4 or 6 is good enough. More people means less money to shell out. A very big group might also be a not good size since there are maximum no. of people allowed in each room and also in boats. Bigger boat means bigger rental fee.

         Have a day tour. Be sure to arrive in Alaminos at 6 or 7 am. Buy your food at the town (There are fastfood chains here also). Ride the trike going to the boat station and rent a boat there. Tour the islands up to 5 pm. Go back to the town proper via tricycle again and then go to Victory liner terminal. Buy tickets going back to manila.

note: We went there June 2006 so there might be changes in the rates. The tricycle ride from town to the hotel where we stayed was 40 pesos only. We paid 100 because we don’t know the fare yet and it was already late.

I had a wonderful experience at this place. I was not expecting too much from this resort. In fact, the moment we arrived there, we started comparing it to the other resorts we’ve been to in the Batangas area. We were saying that the others were better. Why? They don’t have much facilities and we were staying in the dining hall while waiting for our room so we haven’t really seen the whole place. Our judgement was based on the lunch buffet food that we found to be all ‘matabang’ and the not so glamorous dining area. Anyway, we ended up loving this place the moment we saw our room. We stayed in one of the premier loft rooms. It has a total of 6 beds. Three beds are in the loft area and 2 beds with 1 pull-out bed in the main bedroom area. The comfort room is so nice because it is spacious and it is a three-way comfort room. Three people can use it all at the same time because the toilet, shower and sink/wash basin area are separated by doors. I like our room so much that I want my future house to look like it. We also have a balcony fronting the beach area. Some of my co-teachers loved staying in the room that I think they spent most of their time in the resort staying inside our room. Fronting the beach, there are lots of nice cabanas with white curtains and foam cushions. There are also beach chairs with parasols/big umbrellas that are all white. They provide life vests for the guests and the staff really maintains the cleanliness of the resort. The water is very clear though the swimming area is very steep also. The sand is rocky and wearing beach socks or beach shoes is recommended. Though my feet are bare when I swam. I just had to be careful not to step on the big rocks. Three meters away from the shore, the water is already shoulder high and the fishes are swimming underneath. The fishes here are big! They are also colorful and there are so many kinds that you can see. I was really amazed by them. I wish I have an underwater camera so that I can take a picture of them and post it here. I guess, I just have to go back there then. And I’ll make sure that I have an underwater camera that time. I enjoyed snorkeling at this place so much that this is the best snorkeling place for me to date. No need to rent a boat and find a snorkeling site away from the resort. The fishes are a stone throw away. This is because the beach area of La Luz is a marine sanctuary. At the right side of the beach, there is also a huge rock formation. It is a nice place for taking pictures. We had our ‘photo session’ there. haha! They also serve quite good food. I like the merienda food among all. The dinner is quite special because of the lights and the white table cloth that they put on the tables. I think I enjoyed the dinner because of the ambiance.

I give five smileys for this resort.

When going to the beach, packing my things takes quite some time. I usually bring extra clothes and swimwear in case of emergencies. Aside from the beachwear, bulk of my things are toiletries such as soap, conditioner, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, sunblock lotion for the body and another one for the face, cologne, lip balm, alcohol and cotton buds. Some times I tend to forget to bring one or two of these but never my beloved and ever dependable beach gears. These includes the white shorts that I bought at Landmark for under 100 pesos, the black bikini bottom that fits me just right, and the snorkel and mask that my dad used to own (It’s now mine!). So if you will browse my photo section here, don’t wonder anymore if you will keep on seeing them. Aside from these, I always bring katinko, vivks inhaler, and/or vicks vaporub. These are my comfort blanket. I just have to have these things when it is sleeping time already. I tuck them under my pillow after sniffing them and then I fall asleep.

We had a great time at Eagle Point  Resort when we went there for our yearly teachers’ outing. It is the best so far. Nice facilities. Great beach area.

Our room

The balcony view in our room

View of the water from Eagle point.

Restaurant

Eagle point has an aviary close to this trampoline

The water in front the resort is not really meant for swimming but for diving. Their beach area is a boat ride away. Sepok beach is about 15 minutes away from the resort. We went there on the last Thursday of March that is why we were the only people in Sepok that time. Lucky us! We have the whole island for ourselves. We had a great time snorkeling. We saw a couple of blue starfish and small fishes. I saw a clownfish for the first time.

We just passed by Banaue and stayed in Sagada. I loved the place. I definitely want to go back there. Here are some of the pictures taken there.

Banaue terraces

Visit this place if you want to find a nice place to stay in Banaue. They also assist tourists in planning for activities that they can do there.

What’s a trip to Sagada without riding on top of a jeep. My friends tried it while the jeep is going to Sagada from Banaue.

We stayed in this very nice place. St Joseph’s guesthouse has dormitory, private rooms and cottage rooms. We stayed in a cottage. It is nice.

St. Jospeph’s guesthouse also has a restaurant. We had our lunch there upon arriving. The food is definitely fresh. My vegetables even has a caterpillar clinging on a leaf. hehe!

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Hanging coffins at Echo Valley

The road less travelled…..going to echo valley from underground river. No one dared but us. There are no pictures inside the underground river because it was dark. I tried to take some pics though.

The road going to Sumaguing cave

Wild berry that I ate along the way

Going inside sumaguing cave

Inside sumaguing cave

Going down the burial cave

Yoghurt House

Spaghetti and chicken

Java chicken

Pork with vegetables…one of my favorites here.

The best pasta ever! Eggplant and tomato pasta.

Ypghurt with all the toppings

Masfere’s Restaurant. We had our breakfasts here since it is close to St. Joseph’s guesthouse.

The pine trees

Yes, I tried riding on top of the jeep! It was really an experience. It was also muti-cultural since our jeep-mates also rode on top. They were spanish, malaysian and singaporean. The singaporean lady even shared her squash seeds with us. As if we will dare open and eat it while riding on top. hehe! 

Jeepney and bus schedules in Sagada. This is posted in the municipal hall.

Guide rates

Written on March 23, 2008

Awakening

I think this is the title of the movie that I watched this morning in HBO. I am not sure because I didn’t catch the first part of the story, or at least the opening. The story revolved around two characters, the doctor and the patient. It is about the relationship of the doctor, played by Robin Williams, who is very passionate about finding a cure for the disorder of his patients in the hospital and the patient, played by Robert De Niro, who is suffering from encephalitis. The encephalitic patients are catatonic. They don’t move by themselves. They are like living statues. They wake-up and sleep but will not move by themselves. And this has been their state for years. De Niro, in this story has been like this for 30 years. I cried a lot while watching this film. De Niro gave a very good performance as the encephalitic patient. I was moved to tears by his portrayal of a character that is struggling to fight his sickness but is tough and full of heart. I think I cried the most when his body started jerking violently and then he asked Williams to film him so that they can study it. This film is not a feel good movie. It is a movie with a heart. It will touch you and enlighten you and will make you realize things about life. I felt so happy when the trial medication that Dr. Sayer tested worked on the encephalitic patients. But it ripped my heart when the patients returned to being ‘living statues’. The lines in the film were also magnificent. Though there were scenes that don’t need lines for you to understand and be moved by it. The film is about awakening. The patients were like people who slept for a long time and suddenly woke up. They woke up from their catatonic states. But robbed of the years that they have been ‘sleeping’. It is also about another kind of awakening. Awakening in the sense of realizing. When De Niro’s character woke-up from his catatonic state, he appreciated all the little things in life. In fact, he fought to be able to have a walk outside the hospital by himself. This is a very simple thing that he wanted for himself that will make him happy. His character in the film showed that people don’t realize the things that really matter. In this sense, we are ‘sleeping’ and needs to wake-up and realize what is important in life. We take things for granted. But it is the simple things in life that matters a lot…such as family, friendship and love. At the end of the film, Williams said this, “The human spirit is more powerful than any drug and it is what needs to be nourished.” After watching the film, I realized a lot of things… that I need to be less materialistic and be thankful for what I have…that I am blessed to be surrounded by the people who loves me and matters to me… that I should be thankful that I am well and my family is well…and most of all, that I should not forget what really matters to me. And what is that? It is my family, my friends, my loved ones. In this fast paced world, it is so easy to get consumed by work, money, ambition that we tend to forget to really think about the thing that matters to us. And when we really think about it…it boils down to being with our loved ones. Not really so much about having the good stuffs in life (which is material wealth). It is nice to have all the fancy things here on Earth but it is nothing compared to the love of a friend, a family member, or another human being. Another thing that I realized from watching this film is having the passion to achieve or accomplish something in life. The two main characters show what being passionate is about. They show how much passion they have for what they are doing. Dr. Sayer has so much passion that he did everything that he can, and even some more, to be able to find a cure for the disorder. Leonard, the encephalitic patient played by De Niro, has so much passion in life…in living…in fighting his disease. I just hope that I would also have their passion. I think I don’t have yet what they have…I mean, the kind of passion that they have. The kind of passion that will push you to make a difference…to accomplish something not just for yourself…the kind that will make you give your all and best. 

Written on March 17, 2008

Electric fans not given any time off. Electric blender out of the kitchen cabinet. No need for warm water bath in the morning. Summer na talaga! These are signs that the summer heat is on. Naku, our electric bill will definitely be higher. There should always be ice in the freezer. The AC will be used nightly kahit na nagtitipid. Bukas ng bukas ng ref for cold water. Hay, I love summer but I kinda hate it also. I love it because it is the time of the year that I often go to beaches or at least out of town with my friends. I don’t know how many beach escapades will I have this summer but there are already two out of town getaways coming-up. I hate it because it is not fun when I am home. I can totally feel the hotness of the weather. If I can only turn on the AC the whole day, I will. But I am not the one paying for the electricity so nakakahiya naman sa parents ko. Anyway, I still mostly love summer than hate it. I hate it a little lang naman. J I am already excited to go to the beach! I will be going to La Luz in San Juan, Batangas with my co-teachers after Holy Week and then I will be going to Coron, Palawan in April. I will be posting about these escapades soon.

Written on March 17, 2008

Last Saturday was our culmination day. It is the most awaited program in our small school. J All the classes prepared a song or dance number for the class presentations. There is a morning and an afternoon program because the school’s venue for the program is not that big. My class is in the morning program and it starts at 9 am. I was supposed to be in school at 7:30 am but I got caught in heavy traffic. There was a truck that had an accident early in the morning and so the vehicles started to pile-up in the streets. I was so irritated and helpless that time that I almost cried because I was losing hope that I can catch the morning program. But thank God, I got there just before the program started. Though I was there, I couldn’t say that my toddlers’ dance number went smoothly. Actually, the practices were better. There was a lot of crying moments for the kids. They want to be with their mommies and daddies who are the audience. I was already expecting this because it is normal with kids their age…and besides, it is their first culmination program ever. Though the class presentation was not the best, I was still proud of my kids. They still did a good job. J I will definitely miss my toddler students. But not really. A lot of them enrolled in the summer program so I will still see them this summer. Though I will not be their teacher anymore since I will be handling the literacy class for the bigger kids. But it is okay, I can still visit them in their room.

Written on March 17, 2008

The new Nido commercial 

I love this TV advertisement. It shows kids being themselves. Children are naturally curious about their environment. They like trying new things and making experiments on their own. The voice in the ad said, “Expose, explore, experience.” The tag line at the end is “Let them grow. Let them go.” I have always believed that it is through experience that we learn best. Therefore, experiential teaching/learning is a very effective method for me as a teacher. When a child is ‘involved’ in the activity, the child learns more. True involvement is not just listening or being able to pay attention. An involved child is an active participant in the learning process. Here the child experiences what is being taught. The Nido commercial shows this. I just love the lines that the children say here. Kudos to the person who thought of the concept. I think that she/he might be a parent or a teacher or somebody who is around children a lot. Next time you watch TV, try to catch this TV ad. If there’s a feel good movie, this is a feel good TV ad. J