Hot Air Balloon Festival 2009

Feb 15, 2009. Clark, Pampanga


This trip with my highschool friends and Eric was one of the most enjoyable that we've had.


Early that sunday morning, we ganged up inside Meg's van and headed to Pampanga. Luckily, we were just in time when the balloons were being inflated and had a nice view while one by one each balloon made its way up in the air.


The entrance fee to the venue was P100. Inside there are exhibits from different avaition schools, sort-of military parade, display of anything that flies and wide array of food stalls. There are also other activities lined up for the day like paraglide, skydive, balloon night glow, kite flying, etc.

Pasinaya 2010: CCP Open House Festival

Feb 7, 2010. Another fun Sunday with a funny good friend. When Megs Sorra texted me about the Pasinaya 2010, I didn’t hesitate a moment and immediately decided to spend my Sunday afternoon there. Heck, I would never miss this opportunity to enter the great walls and halls of what I thought of as an elitist Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), I told myself. Well, I still think after I went there that it’s an elitist venue for arts.

I was with my good highschool friend Ami Pitajen. It was so much fun! At the entrance, we gave a P20 donation. My cheapo self sang with praises! haha As it turned out, all the theatres inside CCP became venues for various cultural and artistic performances. We’ve seen different folk songs, musical instruments and some other acts.

Exploring Ilocandia

This trip to Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur pushed my love affair with backpacking Pilipinas to a different level. It was an absolutely amazing weekend where we learned a lot about our culture and at the same time our eyes feasted on  the beautiful scenery only Ilocandia can offer. 

Cha and I joined the group tour organized by Travel Factor. It was supposed to be a photography tour but since our camera was so-so compared to other travelers, we had the advantage of just enjoying the Ilocos scenes--less the hassles brought by setting up DSLRs and tripods. ok now, i'm sour-graping.

Our itinerary included San Agustin Church, Paoay Church, Burgos, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Capurpurawan Rock, Bangui Windmills, Pagudpud Beaches, Kaibigan Falls, Patapat bridge and Vigan.

Of these places, probably the most that I felt excited about was the sunset visit to Bangui Windmills. These 20 beautiful structures light up the quaint little town of Bangui!

DJC Halo Halo, Tiwi, Albay

There's so many things that make me want to go back to Legazpi again and again -- old friends, food, Mt. Mayon. And every trip to Legazpi is never complete without a stop for the good old favorite DJC Halo Halo.

Sunset in Manila Bay

There isn't any other way to describe the sunset in Manila Bay other than the word "Fascinating."
As soon as the great sun touches the horizon, the colors of the sky imitates a beautiful painting in a broad canvass.

The best time to go there is early 5p.m. I give credit to the local government of Manila for taking back the old Manila Bay scenes. Unlike when there was a deluge of bars/restos around, the idea of "promanading along the bay"seems to have lost it's touch because of too much consumerism in the area. For now, one can just enjoy the sunset in the long stretch of Manila Bay along with group of families having a great bonding time, lovers enjoying each others moments, vendors selling various products, photographers waiting for the shot of the day and just regular yuppies taking a respite from the grueling hours at work.

Not too bad for a free experience! Have a great Manila Bay experience too! =)

My Beloved Palumbanes Island

If there are two islands in our country that I feel deeply rooted to, these are Catanduanes and Palumbanes Island. Catanduanes, my own province is where I spent most of my childhood years, while Palumbanes Island is where I spent most of my childhood summer days.

Palumbanes sits at the northern part of Catanduanes, a part of the town of Caramoran. It has a local community where fishing is the main source of living. During the typhoon months, where the sea could be dangerous to small fishing vessels, the villagers opt to backyard farming (they plant rice and camote, and raise poultry).

Conquer Corregidor

Barracks used by the soldiers who fought during World War 2

One of the lessons I learned during this trip is that although Corregidor is geographically near Bataan, it is politically part of Cavite. And so the address   is Corregidor Island, Cavite.

This tadpole-shaped island located at the entrance of Manila Bay served as a focal point for the naval defenses and was vital to the defense of Manila during the World War II. But nowadays because of its significance in Philippine history, it's included in the list of main tourist destinations in the country. 

Along with my sister Cha, we decided to spend a day in this historical island and joined the group tour organized by Suncruises. Because we made reservations prior to the trip, we had no problems getting our seats when we arrived in the docking area near CCP Complex on that clear Sunday morning. There were a handful of foreign and local tourists who joined us in this trip.  We left Manila Bay at around 8 a.m and reached Corregidor after about an hour and 15 minutes of ferry ride. Cars that resembles a tram were waiting for us in the docking area.  These were also the same tourist cars that we used exploring the whole island. We were brought to a hall where our lunch was served. And after the buffet lunch, we started the tour. 


We visited some of Corregidor's historical treasures, such as: 

Malinta Tunnel - This tunnel which was completed in 1922 was formerly an arsenal and underground hospital. Located under the Malinta hill, it served as bomb-proof headquarters for Fil-American troops during World War II.

Entrance of Malinta Tunnel. Inside, we watched a light and sound show where simulations of the bombings during the war were depicted.