Manila Ocean Park

This trip was my second time in this place. The first time was I visited it alone out of curiousity and this recent one was a family bonding and parent's meet up for my sibling and her boyfriend. The plan was a great success.

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine, Antipolo City: A Journey of Faith, Cashew Nuts, Suman and Stained-Glass Windows

Antipolo Shrine- Every month of May, this small shrine was flocked with thousands of devotees to pay homage to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. It is considered a big event within the localities that will be part of the pilgrimage, as the people tend to walk their way up to the hills of Antipolo where the shrine is situated, famously known as "Alay Lakad' to commemorate the transfer of the image to its permanent sanctuary.

The facade of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine.

Believed to be miraculous, the Marian image, popularly known as the Virgin of Antipolo, finds its home at this small yet lovely shrine surrounded by stained-glass windows that really fascinated me.

History has it that the image kept the perilous voyage of Governor Tabora and his men safe amidst dangerous water and fire aboard their ship that when they finally arrived at the Port of Manila, the Governor calls for a celebration and thus, the image has been accepted as the Patron Saint of Travelers.

Mt. Mag Asawang Bato and Masasa Beach of Tingloy Island, Batangas

Mt. Mag Asawang Bato, located at Tingloy Island, Batangas was the second mountain I recently hike. 

Thank you to Transcom Outdoors for inviting me again.  Visit their website if you want to join their next adventure: http://www.wix.com/etnadzki/transcom_outdoors  
or  http://www.facebook.com/TRANSCOM.OUTDOORS

Summit of Mt. Mag-Asawang Bato at Tingloy Island! Rock n Roll!

The group celebrated their second anniversary and choose the mountain at Tingloy Island for the said special day. 

How to get there + fare:

1.  Ride Alps Bus at Cubao Bus Station (back of Farmers Plaza) to Balagtas, Batangas ( Php  165.00)

2.  From Balagtas Batangas, ride a jeepney  to Anilao Mabini Port (Php  35.00)

3.  Ride a boat to Tingloy Island Port (Php  60.00)

4.  Day 1: From Port of Tingloy, ride a tricycle going to jump-off location Brgy. Masasa (Php  15.00)

     (Day 2: Tricycle from Bgry.14 to Port of Tingloy (Php 10.00)

Total Fare: Php 545.00

My Mt. Damas Adventure (Traverse) in Tarlac

Foreword: This is my first mountain climb activity and my gift to myself for my 29th birthday. Not familiar with any hiking terms so pardon me if I could not deliver the proper words for this kind of activity. But I will try my best to illustrate you the experience and hopefully would convince you to try it for yourself.

At the summit of Mt. Damas, sweet!

On the morning of January 22, 2012 we started our journey to Camiling, Tarlac to hike a mountain that was said just newly-opened to public, Mt. Damas. 

Together with two other groups, we rented a truck that took us to Dueg Resettlement, San Clemente Tarlac. The ride going up Dueg (it was really like hiking a mountain itself) is one tough ride but I am thankful the truck manages to bring us to our jumpoff location safe and sound.

We ate our lunch right away and met our guides, Boyet, Jay Ar and I forgot the name of the other one (sorry) and the kid, Manny, one guide for each group.

We started the ascend right after lunch coz we need to reach the summit before dark. Since we are not sure of how fast the pacing of every member was and two in our group were first timers-that includes me, it’s better to give extra time allowance.

At Mt. Damas: These girls are up to the challenges!

Wawa Dam, Rizal: Experience Nature just an Hour away from the City

F has this dream of joining a social entrepreneurship program launch by British Council and he wants his adopted town to be the beneficiary (not his real hometown, its just he found a new family in the place thru an office mate and he loved the place from then on). He invited me along with another office mate to survey the place so we could gather information we can need to complete the feasibility study that's required for the project.

Located at Rodriquez, Rizal (formerly Montalban), Wawa Dam is a defunct but still streaming reservoir. After  work, the three of us meet up at Farmers Cubao and rode an FX van bound to Eastwood Residences. From the subdivision, we rode a tricycle going to our office mate's home which is at the entrance of the street going to the dam. We can ride a jeepney for a cheaper fare but it is too late so we decided to ride tricycle instead.

Fortunately, the house is indeed near the dam and the river. Our friend allow us to sleep in one of their bamboo room. From our room we could hear the sound of the flowing river.


After breakfast the next morning, we headed directly to explore the place. We first visited the river at the foot of our cottage and saw big white boulders at the other side of it. On the way, I noticed beautiful huge trees. They look enchanting somehow. I just wish they could be preserve longer.

Battling my Biggest Fear at Aquaworld Resort, Mabini Batangas

Foreword: I promised to write this article as my gratitude to our gracious host, Mr. German Paz, an award winning surfer, for accommodating our group during our stay at their place. Thank you so much, German and the rest of the guys.

A friend received an invite to have a micro vacation at Batangas. After work, we stopped a bus going to Batangas in the middle of Boni, Edsa and we headed directly to San Jose, Mabini in Batangas.

Welcome to  Aquaworld Resort!

The coast of Mabini, Batangas, view from our boat.

Loreland Farm Resort: A Resort that Offers Adventure Options

A friend offers me to join their family outing on Loreland Farm Resort in Antipolo. This is my first time in this place.

I advise that if you want to be in here as well, especially on summer, better booked your accommodation ahead to avoid inconvenience. When we arrived, it was obvious that the place is famous coz of the crowd of people that was on the parking lot. It takes us too many precious time to get inside though I can see that the staff are doing all they can to fasten their jobs accommodating every group on the line.

Boracay de Cavite, a White Beach inside a Marine Camp

I promise I will write an article about this place. Here it goes. Last year, the wife of my cousin invited our family to go a beach somewhere in Cavite. We don't know its name. She said its a beach inside a marine camp coz her father is a military officer. Its a beach anyway, so off we go.

They  rent a huge jeep to accommodate us all. Its not just a family affair, rather, our neighbors join as well.

Finding Serenity at Camotes Island, Cebu.

Foreword: This blog is dedicated to the people of Camotes Island, Cebu who gave me such a wonderful vacation. To the staffs of Santiago Bay and Garden Resort where we stay, specially to my new friend, B who accommodated us during our whole stay. Thank you very much.

Due to stress and burned out feeling from a non-stop work and party, friend V and I decided to chill. An invitation for a photo shoot from her photographer friends make us say yes right away when they said they want to go in Cebu.