Majestic Artwork

To travel is to witness how amazing and creative the God we have. And sometimes, you don’t need to travel far to witness the greatness of His creation.

Sometimes all you need to do is to open the window of your room to witness such beauty.

God’s canvass is the world. His masterpiece is just around the corner. You just need to have an appreciative heart. You just need to look around.

And look what I have found by just sitting around and waiting:

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photo by: shella salud

God painted the sky for me and even for you. What a majestic work of art indeed. The look of the sky gives us something to feel. To feel life. It stirs something within our hearts. I don’t know what it gives you but I know what it gave me.

And the good thing is.. God never stop showing His majestic artwork. It is new every morning; they surround us. Look for one every day.

Climb for Caio at Mt. Maynuba

Almost a month ago, I and my travel buddies joined a climb for a cause, it was entitled climb for Caio. 13584762_1051845154900842_6784064101318652925_o Caio is a dog who died at the mountain and thus the owner buried it at the mountain top.

The event was organized by Saint Roche Premium Organic Dog Shampoo.

I failed to capture every moment due to exhaustion (I need to catch the group up and keep climbing), IMG_053313641030_1051846814900676_5812513284486564784_o13581986_1051847788233912_7566774269653651925_o13568904_1051846151567409_5485026404996972826_o13640947_1051846704900687_1552931111181413057_othat’s why some of the pictures here were grabbed from the Facebook page of Saint Roche.

I realized one thing from the climb: that if you want to enjoy every moment of your climb you should never ever join a group climb, your focus will be on the catching up not on the beauty of the climb.

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Mt. Maynuba is located at Tanay, Rizal, Philippines, we climbed it for 3 hours, and I guess it is recommended for the first timers.

Here are the pictures of the view while we climb:

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And finally we reached the top..

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Ilocos Tour

My sister and I decided to join a tour in Ilocos, collectively refers to two provinces in the PhilippinesIlocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. The tour was great and we had so much fun and learned amazing things about the province. We enjoyed its ocean and explored other amazing places, like Bantay Abot, Bangui Windmills, Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, Kabigan Falls, Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Blue Lagoon, Saud beach and many more (see pictures below).

The 3-day tour was so worth it, you will experience that God is really an awesome creator. The photos below are only half of the awesomeness you may feel when you travel Ilocos but I hope these photos are enough to convince you that Ilocos is a worthy place to travel and explore. It was a good thing that we joined the tour.

Here are the pictures of the amazing places of the province:

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Calle Crisologo

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Calle Crisologo

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Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

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Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

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Bangui Windmills

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Bangui Windmills

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On the way to Kabigan Falls

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Kabigan Falls

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Kabigan Falls

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Patapat Viaduct

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Patapat Viaduct

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Patapat Viaduct

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Patapat Viaduct

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Bantay-Abot

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Bantay-Abot

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Blue Lagoon

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Blue Lagoon

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Blue Lagoon

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Blue Lagoon

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Saud Beach

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Saud Beach

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Saud Beach

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Here are the video documentation of our 3-day tour at the province:

 

 

Sweet Escape

Batangas, Philippines is a nice place for scuba and snorkeling; a sweet escape indeed. It’s just a bit sad that I don’t own a waterproof camera; I failed to capture what’s underneath the ocean.

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Aside from that, there are other things which you can enjoy while you stay at the place.

Here is a warm Gotong Batangas that you should try to eat.

Also, don’t miss the special hot choco of the place. Made from pure cocoa/tablea boiled for less than 10 minutes.. and dyaraaaaan.. a mouthwatering hot choco.. 😛

Don’t forget to enjoy the nature while you stay at the place.

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So what are you waiting for, visit Batangas and celebrate a special moment with the nature and don’t miss the special delicacies of the place…

Here’s a vlog on our sweet escape here in Anilao, Batangas: https://youtu.be/7lBO4UqZYaY

Solitude

solitude

solitude

Solitude.

Sometimes, this doesn’t mean being alone in your private world; you can experience solitude even when you’re surrounded by people who are real to you.. You can experience solitude by just looking at the sea. Just like how I experienced mine when I captured this kind of solitude.

And please keep in mind that solitude is best spent with people you love the most. 😀

solitude

solitude

Pico De Loro, Second Time Around

Last February, I blogged about my adventure at Pico De Loro and was left asking for more. I fell in love with the adventure and with the beautiful scenery above. And so I promised myself that I will return on that place: mainly, because I want to experience it again, secondly, to finish the whole challenge, which I failed to accomplish during my first climb. And so I told myself, ‘this time, I’m going to conquer the top of the monolith.’

As stated in my previous blog about Pico De Loro, I failed to climb the monolith due to physical exhaustion. I had ran-out of enough strength for it.

So, this time, I planned a different itinerary to be able to complete the whole climb. Together with my two travel buddies, we headed on to Ternate around 2:30pm. They agreed to take an overnight adventure in that place. (Thank God, I got their favored after an hour of persuasion the night before the event.)

In less than an hour, we reached the terminal and rode a tricycle to DENR. (You can check this footage but this was taken during my first climb here). The transportation fees were just the same as before, and also the entrance fee. And yes, I was very much confident that everything were just the same as what we had encountered last time. And I was right, except for one. Geeee, they’re not accepting overnight campers anymore. According to them, this Memo was issued last March 28, due to uncleanliness of the campers who were leaving garbage at the top. So I thought: 1. What now? Are we going back home empty handed of the adventure we were seeking? 2. I should get ready for the blame of these two friends, after all, I was the one who persuade them to do an overnight here. And maybe the registrar guy noticed these thoughts on my face, so before I even ask him what to do, he told us that we can build our tent some place down there and start the climb tomorrow instead. At first, I was kinda disappointed and was tempted to refuse his offer. It wasn’t what we planned for. I was also looking forward to film the sunrise at the top of the mountain, and how will I do that now if we’ll start our trek tomorrow? And then the registrar guy said we can start the climb at 4am, he said just the right words to make us stay and get ready for tomorrow’s adventure.

So we find a place to set our tent to start the night early. We need so much strength for the adventure tomorrow and we can’t allow ourselves to sleep late.

set the tent

set the tent

set the tent

set the tent

But just like anyone else, we can’t force ourselves to sleep early when we’re not feeling sleepy in the first place. So we headed on to the highway outside the campsite, hoping to enjoy whatever views and amazing things await us there.

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outside the campsite

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outside the campsite

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outside the campsite

And these things didn’t let us down.

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She owns the world

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ROCK ON!!

Of course, like what I always say, mind the small details. Enjoy and savor the moment but don’t miss out the little things.

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little tree

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perspective

And finally, after somehow exhausting ourselves, and after we ate our dinner, we set a bonfire.

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This was a first time for me. I haven’t been literally camping out on a cold dark night. And thank God He gave me this perfect time to experience.

We laid our backs at exactly 7:30PM but slept maybe 2 hours after, you’ll know why if you’ll try.

We set an alarm at 2:30AM for us to have enough time to eat breakfast, to warm-up, and get ourselves ready to climb.

inside the tent

inside the tent

And though I can feel the cold ground underneath my back and how hard they were, thanks to God He gave me enough sleep just perfect for the adventure in a while.

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time to set down the tent

We started our trek at maybe around 4:00am. It was a good thing there were campers like us who were also going up at a time like that. The more, the more lights of course. 😀

And because it was dark, we failed to capture our way up. And now I must say that I didn’t catch the sunrise. We were moving kinda slow. But that’s just fine, I can still do it some other time. 😛

Besides, the scenery, as we were nearing the top at an early time, was I think amazing than any other time.

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near the first peak

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near the first peak

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near the first peak

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near the first peak

And then at last, after more than 2 hours, we reached the first peak.

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first peak

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first peak

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first peak

first peak

first peak

What awesome creations we have here. The perspiration really paid off. But we know that there’s more. We still have two challenges we need to accomplish: the second peak and the monolith. So again we set the tent up and rested for 30 mins. and then we headed on to the second peak and left our tent standing since we have agreed not to traverse.

In less than 25mins. we reached the second peak. And geez, the way up seemed steeper than before. I don’t know if it was just me or it really became steeper but I was sure my first climb here was easier than this time. But no matter how hard the climb was, it was fun and fulfilling when you reach the top.

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view from the 2nd peak

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view from the 2nd peak

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view from the 2nd peak

And after savoring the moment on this top, we braced ourselves for the last challenge: the monolith.

the monolith

the monolith

view from the second peak

view from the second peak: Monolith

view from the second peak

view from the second peak: Monolith

We had to climb down to the other side of the peak to get to this monolith. The way down was steeper but rocky, that was why I considered it easier than climbing the second peak. You have unlimited access to wherever you want to place your grip.

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way down to reach the monolith

In less than 20min. we were at the bottom of the monolith..

bottom of the monolith

bottom of the monolith

bottom of the monolith

bottom of the monolith

We were actually having a hard time deciding if we were going to climb this cliff. It actually looks dangerous when you’re already standing next to it.

But then I realized, didn’t we prayed for it and entrusted God everything in this adventure? Why not do a leap of faith. Didn’t you want to witness more of His creations? Besides, this was one of the reasons why you climbed Pico De Loro for the second time — to conquer the monolith, right?.

And then I went on and climbed this cliff, which at first was difficult but as you climb higher, things were getting easier. Thanks to God for the strength and motivation He placed in my heart. I kept on calling His Name on my way up.

Later, my two friends followed and climbed up too. Maybe they thought that if I can, then surely they can do this too.

The climb to this monolith won’t take you more than 15mins.,  just remember how you climbed up because that’s also how you’re going to climb down.

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top of the monolith

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top of the monolith

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top of the monolith

We spent a little more time at the top. We actually owned the monolith for 20mins.. Nobody’s trying to climb this cliff at that time, which was of course favorable to us.

And when we had finished savoring the moment, we headed back to where our tent was. But of course the way back there was as hard as going to the second peak and the monolith.

In less than 30mins. we were back at the first peak and rested there for almost an hour before we start our journey way down.

In less than 2 hours, we were already at the bottom of the mountain and getting ready for a ride back home.

We left the place at around 11:45am with a fulfilled and amazed heart. And I know, I’m going to ask for more adventure like this. I know.

You can check out this link to literally visualized how awesome the scenery at this place are: Pico De Loro, 2nd Time Around

You might want to budget your time and finances before backpacking so here’s our itinerary and expenses list to somehow help you:

Itinerary:
Meet up at Tejero, Cavite – 2:30 pm
Tejero to Ternate – 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Ternate to DENR – 3:30pm to 3:45pm
Set the tent – 3:45pm to 4:00pm
Free time – 4:00pm to 4:45pm
Exploring whatever it is available to explore – 4:45pm to 5:30pm
Free time and set the bonfire – 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Dinner – 6:30pm to 7:00pm
Free time – 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Sleep time – 8:00pm to 2:30am
Breakfast – 2:30am to 3:00am
Set down the tent – 3:00am to 3:15am
Getting ready – 3:15am to 4:00am
Start the hike – 4:00am
Touchdown first peak – 6:45am
Rest – 6:45am to 7:30am
Second peak – 8:00am
Monolith – 9:30am
Back at the first peak – 10:05am
Rest – 10:05am to 10:30am
Back at the bottom – 12:00nn

Total Expenses:
Bus from Tejero to Ternate – P41
Tricycle to DENR – P75 each
Entrance fee – P25
Dinner – P65 to P100
Tricycle back to terminal – P75each
Bus from Ternate to Tejero – P41

Thanks for reading and have a great adventure ahead. God bless! 😀

Pico de Loro (Mt. Palay-Palay)

For so many years we’ve been spending our Holy week either at home or at the beach, and yes it was fun. Besides, it’s always fun when rest and family is around. For a few days, we can proudly say “Now this is life baby”.

But I wanted to try something different this year. I wanted to add something on my list this Holy week. And that includes nature tripping. I wanted to climb another mountain; I wanted to sweat myself out and be challenged as I reach the mountain top; I wanted to look the world, well some parts of Cavite to be specific, on a bigger picture; I wanted to be amazed and be awed by what awaits me up there; I wanted the feels.

And of course, I wanted to blog and share this experience to others. 😉

After reaching the top of Taal, I know I’ll be hungry for more adventure like this. And so I promised myself that the next mountain I will climb, if ever I feel the urge, is Pico De Loro. First, because it’s not that far from home, that means it isn’t too costly for me. Second, someone told me it’s perfect for beginners like me.

Pico De Loro, sometimes called Mt. Palay-Palay and I don’t why (pardon my poor research on that. Hehe), is located in Ternate, Cavite but you can traverse Nasugbo, Batangas, or vice versa. And since we live near Ternate, we chose this as our starting point.

So here’s the amazing adventure:

Bus ride to Ternate

Bus ride to Ternate

We rode a bus to Ternate at exactly 6am, but actually we were 30 minutes late with our schedule. But that was okay, I told myself, as long as it’s not an hour late, I believe it won’t affect our itinerary. And I was right. 😀

This ride only took us 50 mins. ’til we reached the terminal and from there we rode a tricycle for the actual entourage to the bottom of the mountain.

Tricycle ride to DENR

Tricycle ride to DENR

This trike ride won’t take you more than 30 mins. but it will cost you P75. But that’s just fine, let’s give them a chance to earn income through tourism, besides,

scenery on the way to DENR

scenery on the way to DENR

the scenery as you go nearer the entrance is truly breathtaking.

“Eto pa lang ulam na.” – famous Filipino line when something is as amazingly great as the whole package.

And before you know it, voila!

Ternate's Entrance

Ternate’s Entrance

Make sure to pee before you start the hike. :P

Make sure to pee before you start the hike. 😛

Before anything else, register. :D

Before anything else, register.

So now, let’s get it on!

We started the adventure at 7:10am. You’ll find out later how long it took us to reach the top.

let's get it on!

let’s get it on!

Let's get it on!!

Let’s get it on!!

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

bottom part, rocky

The lower part was actually, well of course, the easiest part. Aside from we still have all the energy in the world, the rocky road made it easier for us to climb up.

But as we were nearing the middle part of the mountain…

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It became more challenging as the rocks along the way get lesser each time you go up farther..

And so expect this if you’re a beginner..

sweat yourself out baby.

sweat yourself out baby.

Take note, we haven’t reached even the middle part of Pico De Loro yet. Yeah, burn fats burn. 😀

But you can look around and enjoy those small details in this mountain, which probably some climbers fail to see. And enjoying them will help you forget the exhaustion you’re starting to feel.

Here are those small details I’m grateful I notice:

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

Explore the small details

And then before we knew it, we were actually nearing the top.

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

Almost there

I was kinda surprised how friendly these hikers and backpackers we met along the way were. Aside from the greetings and smile, they were also courteous. I guess, nature trippers really posses this kind of good vibrant. It’s what they get from exploring the beauty of the world.

hikers along the way

hikers along the way

hikers along the way

hikers along the way

And after 3 hours of following the trail, you’ll be amazed by these wonderful views at the top of the first peak of Pico De Loro. These prove how awesome God is.

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

First peak

I was so motivated to climb the second peak. I wonder what it feels to be up there; I wanted to see what’s up there; I wanted to complete my climb.

So after the 30-minute rest, we headed on to the second peak.

to the second peak

to the second peak

to the second peak

to the second peak

Oh boy, the way to the second peak was too steep, but thank God we have reached the top in less than 15 minutes.

And oh, so lovely up there.. And though I failed to climb the monolith, due to insufficient energy, still I felt I have fulfilled my adventure here.

view from the second peak

the monolith

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

view from the second peak

And though the sun was burning our skin, we spent a little more time on this peak. We did savor the moment. 🙂

Because later you will find out, that going down won’t be that easy, especially if you’re going to traverse. And traversing Nasagbu, I think isn’t advisable for a beginner. But cheers to my companions who have survived the obstacles — some of them were actually first timers.

I even failed to capture the hardest part while going down because, well, I was really concentrating on how will I go down safe and sound. I was also concerned with my siblings who were feeling nervous as they climbed down.

traverse to Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse to Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse to Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse to Nasugbo, Batangas

traverse Nasugbo, Batangas

But of course, the more you get closer to the bottom the more you get exhausted, so again look around and see the small details.

enjoy the small details

enjoy the small details

enjoy the small details

enjoy the small details

enjoy the small details

enjoy the small details

And thanks so much to these bamboo beside the trail it really helped us climb down.

bamboo in the house

bamboo in the house

bamboo in the house

bamboo in the house

And of course thanks to our little tour guide, who guided our way as we traversed. We met this boy on the 2nd peak and he offered his help the very moment he knew we’re going to traverse.

our little tour guide

our little tour guide

And though we didn’t say yes, because really we were on a tight budget, he followed us down, and then we realized that we probably need this little guy. And yes, his help played a great role on our way down.

You can also stop by at this little children’s soda station to take a short rest and wind up with a soda in your hand.

buy some soda from them

buy some soda from them

After almost 3 hours of climbing down Pico De Loro, my heart jumped with joy the very moment I saw the exit.

congratulations! You have completed your traverse

congratulations! You have completed your traverse

sign that log book

sign that log book

sign that log book

sign that log book

Finally time to sign out that logbook, baby.

And because the major reason why we decided to traverse is to visit this tunnel, which is starting to make a name in Cavite’s Tourism, we took our chance and took a pose and captured the moment.

Again, you’ll need to ride a tricycle to get here. And this time, the transportation fee, was costly than I thought. You must prepare P150 – P170 for the trike, if you’re going back to Ternate.

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

Kaybiang Tunnel

In less than an hour, expect that you’ll be back to where you’ve started and then you can start your journey way back home. Because surely, you’ll be needing a lot of sleep after this adventure, well, at least for me. But I’m very much certain that I will go back and that time I will conquer that monolith. 😉

Aside from that, spending part of my vacation climbing this mountain made me realized that God is indeed a creative God. How can we disapprove His existence when even nature declares He exist. I’m also grateful that God used this moment to have a wonderful fellowship with my siblings, enough of all those movie marathon and window shopping, we have to spend our time together doing something different. And this one was a success. 😀

So for that, I encourage you to try this together with siblings too. Have a great adventure. 😀

Here’s the footage of the adventure we had in Pico De Loro: This is how we overcame.

Farmer’s Best Friend

We can never deny that we are now living in a world of technology; Machines were built with additional skills; Gadgets never fail to surprise us with amazing features; Robots are trying to interact with human. I bet sooner or later, one of my friends will be buying a flying car. I guess, the future is always faster than how we think it is.

And then, what happens next every time we indulge ourselves in this so called future? Are we going to leave behind those that can’t cope with the change our world constantly gives? Are we to choose who stays and who dies?

These were the things I suddenly remember the very moment I saw this photo which I took a while ago.

Kalabaw

Kalabaw

I haven’t seen this creature for quite some time until today. And I’m grateful I had seen one again. This “Kalabaw” as we all know, plays a big part in a farmer’s life. Aside from that, it is also also considered as the Philippine’s National animal. And I wonder what would happen to them in case their help won’t be needed anymore because machines will be lot better than them. Would the farmers still choose to have them instead? Or will there be another special dish that would include this creature as the main ingredient? I hope not, It’s like their whole life will be wasted because they will never serve their true purpose. To live and to die and be eaten is not how Kalabaw should be valued. They are more than that.

But I wonder why did I only see a single Kalabaw in this very large farm? Where are the other farmer’s best friend?

And though I feel my instinct serves no doubt, I hope I’m not predicting it right. Just look at the face of this creature above, and tell me why do you think he stares you like that?

Ride a boat to somewhere

The Perks of Living Near the Ocean

Tanned skin. Brown hair. Fresh air. Need I say more?

The perks of living near the ocean

The perks of living near the ocean

For more than 20 years, I’ve been living surrounded by sea water and maybe that was the reason why I failed to appreciate the beauty it truly behold. I don’t know how beautiful our place is; I forgot that adventures were just a step away from our home. And though I know that people from other places go here to experience the perks of living near the ocean even just for a while, aside from feeling proud, I never did really care.

The perks of living near the ocean

The perks of living near the ocean

The perks of living near the ocean

The perks of living near the ocean

The perks of living near the ocean

The perks of living near the ocean

And sometimes, to be able to see the beauty that others see, you need to be far from it for quite some time so that when you return, you’ll appreciate it even more.

So this time, I think I saw what others envy about us who live near the ocean. The perks of living near the ocean:

1. The sunset was so breathtaking. No need to travel far just to witness this kind of perfection. This could be perfect for a date. 😉

Sunset in Cavite

Sunset in Cavite

Sunset in Cavite

Sunset in Cavite

2. Perfect for a quality time with the family. Why spend a lot of money to enjoy the moments with your family when you can be in such a wonderful place like this in an instant?

bond with the familybond with the family

bond with the family

bond with the family

But no matter how beautiful this place is, it can cause harm when you become less careful of these..

Jellyfish in the house!

Jellyfish in the house!

Jellyfish in the house!

Jellyfish in the house!

Well I guess, life isn’t perfect without something to be careful of.

3. You can actually travel places by just riding a Bangka (boat). It will take you much less time compare to when you travel by land. And I’m tempted to try that next time, though I know it can be very much dangerous.

Ride a boat to somewhere

Ride a boat to somewhere

Ride a boat to somewhere

Ride a boat to somewhere

Ride a boat to somewhere

Ride a boat to somewhere

4. I believe that business minded people were not only found inside buildings and corporations, sometimes they live in Cavite. Our place was also known as one of the main exporters and suppliers of sea food in the market.

This can be a very helpful income when one manages it the right way.

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

Seafood industry in Cavite

5. And lastly, nothing more pays off than having peace in you whenever you see this indescribable scenery. So, peace be with you.

Peace and serenity

Peace and serenity

Now, need I say more? Come and experience it yourself. 😉

Taal Scenery

Taal: The Little-Cutie-Volcano Within a Lake

Last day was a perfect day to go on hiking. The sun was perfectly hiding behind the clouds every once in a while and the breeze was not that warm for the skin. And so I said, ‘finally I’ll go hiking for the very first time. No more cancelled plans! :D’. And we all know that when you’re turning 25 in a few months you got to grab more of the awesomeness of this life given by God.

So our location was this little-cutie-mountain, I mean volcano. As I have said, this was my first time to climb a mountain, so this little-cutie-volcano was perfect for first-timer like me.

Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano

This little-cutie-volcano, which is called Taal and is considered the smallest volcano in the world, is found in Tagaytay, Philippines. But truth be told, it was actually part of the Municipality of Talisay, Batangas. It’s funny that I grew up believing it is in Tagaytay when the truth is it’s in Batangas. You can only see the beautiful sight of this volcano in Tagaytay but once you go there, you will be heading to Batangas. You will also know this once you heard the accent of these people who will welcome you. If you’re a Filipino, you will know these are Batanguenos.

And before you think this post is about the issue of this volcano’s ownership, let’s now talk about this amazing adventure.

Once you arrived in Olivarez, Tagaytay, and you don’t own a car, you will be riding a tricycle all the way down to Talisay. Please prepare P50 each for this ride. And prepare for a 20-minute rough ride. 😉

I was glad to see foreigners visiting this place, of course it made me feel proud as a Filipino.

Tourists in Taal

Tourists in Taal

Tourists in Taal

Tourists in Taal

Tourists in Taal

Tourists in Taal

Aside from being the smallest volcano in the world, Taal is also a volcano within a lake, and it has another lake within it. Isn’t that wonderful and amazing?

From Talisay, you will need to ride a boat to Taal. It’s amazing to experience all these adventures before you even get to the actual volcano. It was all worth it. Renting a boat costs P1,500, with a maximum of 6 people, this also includes a ride back to the port. So P250 each isn’t a big amount for explorers on a tight budget, like us.

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

Boat to Taal

But before you ride a boat make sure you have a hat, if not, then please buy or rent a Bulihat, I swear, you’re going to need this. It was pretty available everywhere.

Bulihat

Bulihat

Bulihat

Bulihat

The lake is so clear, you can see what’s actually within it.

Taal lake

Taal lake

I must remind you this isn’t an ocean. This almost 1-hour boat ride is a ride within a lake. Yes, it’s such a wide lake. And if you don’t believe me, taste the water to find out.

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

Taal lake

The island is full of tourists and travelers and tour guide. But no, you won’t need a tour guide. But if you want to help one of our fellow countrymen earn an income then go and get one.

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The entrance fee only cost P50, and it’s up to you if you’d ride a horse up to the top or use your feet to get there. We chose the latter. Not because we’re explorer on a tight budget but our goal was to experience the environment and treasure the moment and explore – literally explore.

Entrance Ticket

Entrance Ticket

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

Taal Volcano hiking

You will need a face mask, but if you don’t mind inhaling ‘alikabok’ then don’t bring one.

The scenery as you climb higher and higher is so breathtaking. And the word ‘beautiful’ is not enough to express how the views look like. It is maybe beyond beautiful. These things prove how real God is. Even them, tell it to our face that our God is an amazing God!

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Taal Scenery

Other parts of this volcano were used for planting and harvesting vegetables, i guess?

Plants in Taal

Plants in Taal

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As we climb, I noticed a path which was not part of the trail for tourists, and my curiosity attacks.

Taal trail

Taal trail

Taal trail

Taal trail

As I was following this path I suddenly heard a noise behind the bushes. And I thought it wasn’t a good idea to follow this mysterious path, so I headed back and just follow the trail for tourists. But these I swear, when I get back there (together with someone), I will know where that mysterious path ends.

Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano

The moment you see this smoke from underneath this volcano, which is actually hot, you will know that you are almost at the top. But the challenging part as a climber without a horse, and as a horse, is yet to come. Because this is where the real ‘matarik’ spot you’ll need to pass.

Taal hiking

Taal hiking

Taal hiking

Taal hiking

Taal hiking

Taal hiking

And after that last challenge. Dyaraaaan!!!! The lake within the volcano. The amazing crater of Taal volcano.

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

Wow, this feeling when you have reached your goal.

IMG_6776Whether you’re wearing this or that, it’s still the amazing feeling you got that matters.

Don’t forget to buy souvenirs. And drinks if ever you forget to bring your own.

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

At the top of Taal

And please, as a Filipino, I also strongly recommend to follow this reminder! Have a great trip!

A friendly reminder

A friendly reminder “Please maintain the cleanliness of the environment.”

P.S. It’s haeder to go back down. So brace yourself on your way down. 😉

Travel Expenses:
1. Tricycle from Olivarez to Talisay – P50 each
2. Boat from port to Taal – P1500 (maximum of 6 pax, back and forth)
3. Entrance fee – P50
4. Tricycle ride back to Olivarez – P300 (as a whole payment)

Must Have:
1. Jag/Big tumbler full of water
2. Face mask
3. Hat
4. Plastic/Safety Bag (for gadgets)
5. Sandwiches
6. Extra shirt
7. Tissue
8. Wet wipes