Late bloomer

I never thought that I'd create a tweeter account on the spot some hours ago nyahaha!I told myself there's no need to have one because I have my resurrected blog and facebook account. However, after a quick pondering, I finally decided to make one in order to voice out the lesser important things in my life in the shortest and quickest way that I can everyday and tadah---my tweeter account was born finally! So there, just a quick post in here. Gotta go. Have a nice day:)

Ang Bayan kong Pilipinas...bow

I'm somewhat frustrated simply because I want to unwind in some new and interesting place. Okay, I'm talking about real "out of town" vacation and not just the sige sige, gala ng gala type of relaxation which I share with my gala girls. It's true that the Philippines and its 7,107 islands has unique and beautiful places that needs to be explored... if only it's more affordable for every Juan dela Cruz. Sigh....lawmakers, can't you do something about this?tsss

Everyday of my life, and this I swear is true, I always visit the websites of airline companies or search in the internet cheap packages, both for local and international destinations. Hay, if only money's not an issue then probably, I'll make Hong Kong and Bangkong (it's cheaper here) my divisoria haha! Or make Boracay or Bohol my second home. Sigh....why are you so magastos travelling?why?whhhhhhhhhhhy? :,-(  

Perhaps, I'll just wait for the day when airline companies sold cheap tickets (which happens usually) or hope that maybe the government or lawmakers would propose a resolution, bill, or law that would give 80% discount to local tourists!That would be super cool don't you agree?

Anyhow, while I'm still earning a not so decent paycheck enough to sponsor me, I made a list of my top 10  local dream destinations which I intend to visit this year, next year, or maybe someday when I get filthy rich haha!

10. Acuatico Beach Resort 

I first fell in love with the resort after seeing a couple of shots from my former professor's facebook account. The infinity pool's such a beauty. And according to the website, there's a floating bar at the center of the pool, cool! I love love love its swimming pool (though I don't know how to swim yikes haha). It's a good thing that among my top 10 choices, it's the most accessible by land since it's only in San Juan, Batangas. The resort's a little bit pricey, ranging from P6,300-P21,000. But hey, included already are breakfast, all day complimentary tea and coffee, and USE OF WATER SPORTS FACILITIES! Fair deal  right?  

Infinity pool. Need to say more?
http://www.travelsmart.net

9. Soda Swimming Pool
I knew this place because of Travel Time. This resort in Camiguin is very interesting isn't it?Imagine getting yourself soaked up in a pool of coke...er pepsi?sprite? Anyhow, the place is a mystery and will leave you curious if really, soda swimming pool really lives up to its name.

Coke, sprite, or pepsi? you choose ;p
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com

8. Enchanted River 
A beauty!Again, I've seen this in one of Travel Time's episodes and I'm just mesmerized how blue and clear the water is. Honestly, I can't even believe that such sight exists in reality since I'm used to seeing it only in postcards but after watching it on TV, wooooooooow! By the way, two interesting things about this river in Surigao del Sur: people who swim here don't dare to catch fish for unknown reasons and the local government strictly impose that no locals should be in the river during feeding time. Hmmmm....

Enchanted River
http://agiledeals.com

7. Camiguin Island
I don't know why but the place simply appeals to me.period. hehe

Sunken Cemetery is one of the island's main attraction
http://www.lakwatsero.com

6. Bellaroca Resort and Spa

Okay, I'm not really a beach person but this resort simply won my heart. Just look how beautiful and dramatic Bellaroca's location is. Some say the place resembles Greece...hay I'm simply mesmerized with its beauty. Sadly, it's a luxury resort which I, and even my family, cannot afford

So-called Little Greece of the Philippines
http://ourparadisephilippines.com

5. Dahilayan Adventure Park
One word: Zipline! Hehehe I want t try the so-called longest zipline in asia!waaaaaah

Asia's longest zipline can be found in Bukidnon

4. Tinuy-an Falls
The Philippines' Little Niagara Falls. Simply breathtaking.

Tinuy-an Falls in Surigao del Sur
http://www.bislig.gov.ph

3.  Palawan
So much to see in Palawan, but really the reason why I'm very much eager to go to the place is to experience St. Paul Underground River :) Hay, can't wait to see you soon...

I'll see you next month :)
http://www.pinoytravelblog.com

2. Sagada
Ah, let's explore the northern part of the country!hehehe Well, aside from the freezing temperature, what excites me to see the place is the...hanging coffins haha. Really, it's the most interesting attraction for me although I know the province has more to offer than the coffins of their ascendants.

Hanging coffins
http://mentalfloss.cachefly.net

1. Batanes
And since I'm already talking about going north, my top pick is tadah---Batanes!There's so much fuss going around about this place and why not?It's beauty is subliminal. Too bad, going there is pricey...I hope the local government or DOT will do something about it.

Going north..north...all the way to the north
http://blog.folrana.com

So there goes my top 10 local dream destinations. Maybe, for the next 10 years of my life, I'll try to visit each place...hmm, that's a good challenge for myself right?hehe

Zambales: the second time around

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust 

The good thing about travelling is seeing, discovering, and exploring not only the place but also getting acquainted with its people, cuisine, and culture. As Proust said, travelling is not limited in seeing new places alone but it's real essence is to know the real place. I think aside from the beautiful scenery, it's the eagerness to learn more about the place itself why there are people who keep on returning to the same exact place. I believe every place needs to be rediscovered to fully appreciate it.

And that's what I learned from my short yet nice trip back to Zambales some two weeks ago, a big thanks to the Fabrigas family for the accommodation of course. The reason why we went back to Zambales is because of ate GA's house blessing. We missed the house blessing itself since we came all the way from work in Manila and arrived at lunch time. We were treated with a heavy and delicious meal:) The day was actually spent basically in ate ga's house and some photo ops in La Paz. 

The next day was exciting. Treetop adventure yehey! Finally, something new to explore and experience. That's what I am talking about earlier---the good thing about travelling is to explore the place first and rediscover it to finally know the place. If my first trip in Zambales way back in May was only limited to attending fiesta and soaking in the waters of Anawangin Cove and Camara Island, now I can say that this time around, I had a fair experience of extreme adventure. It was really really great haha! I have a slight phobia of heights but still, I managed to enjoy these thrilling adventure experiences. Maybe until next time, I'll try the other "extreme activities" that Treetop adventure offers.

The place to be for adventure seekers in Subic

First stop: Interactive Freefall

Silver Surfing...surfing in the air

Surfin' solo

I'm ready!

'Twas an experience for the both of us

Ate GA's Tree-Drop Adventure

So there you go, discovering Zambales for the second time around. No waters, waves, sun, and sand which is far from what I experienced  last May...just trees and trees and trees and a couple of shouts here and there. Oh by the way, just to share that one-day summer vacation in the said province, I can say it's one of those trips that will always hold a special place in my heart. You may ask why? I almost died during my stay, literally and figuratively lol Seriously, whatever happened during that trip was really a new experience for me --- attending fiesta in the province, deadly chubibo ride, exploring Anawangin Cove and Camara Island, boat ride without a vest, mechanical failure of the boat hehe, and unstable stomach. Anyhow, both short trips are unique and adventurous in their own ways. Looking forward to going back and experiencing another adventure in Zambales.

Jumpin' with glee in La Paz

Enjoying sunset

Anawangin girls

View from the top...ah...anawangin

First time in Anawangin

Giving Camara Island some l-o-v-e

of buses and beauty pageant

I should've made a couple of entries last week  regarding my Zambales-Subic short trip, the hostage crisis, and Venus Raj if only our pc was not busted!Major major BOOO especially if you're in the middle of doing something very important and snap!----everything was dark tssssk.

Anyway, I'll save my short Zambales-Subic entry next time so I can upload some of the pictures I took using my phone hehe. For now, I'll have a quick entry on my thoughts on the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking crisis and Ms. Universe pageant. 

Quirino Grandstand crisis

Manila's finest...really now?They're brave yes, but they lack the brains to come up with better strategies

It was the major news of the day, if not the whole week..hmm, maybe even the month!I mean, one week already passed since the tragedy happened yet the issue remains very "hot." Chinese people continue their "hate campaign" against Filipinos (I get it why they're upset and all that but they're not thinking!Rolando Mendoza is not Juan dela Cruz, how hard it is for them to understand that?!?) and criticize P-Noy, the world condemns the tragedy, the blame game is definitely on, House Minority members blame P-Noy's poor handling of the crisis (classic trapos if not tutas), police personnel and students taking pictures of themselves in front of the Hong Thai Bus (shame!), and the relieve of top MPD officers pending the incident's investigation. But what really caught me  is the way the police handled the crisis!Okay, so they lack the equipment but poor strategy?cmon!they can do better than just hitting the windows with a single sledgehammer or trying to open the bus' door by tying a ROPE on it...a rope?seriously now. The thing is, they should've thought of better strategies in order to compromise their lack of equipment. Oh well, it's a wake-up call to the government and the police.

Major Major answer
Venus Raj's major major answer will definitely be remembered by us Filipinos. She almost had it but then as she said on one of her interviews, if the crown is not meant for you, no matter how smart or good your answer is, it will not be yours. Amen to that! Oh well, fourth place wasn't that bad and she has all the reasons to boast that achievement to her predecessors, with the exemption of Miriam Quiambao of course, since she's only the Ms. Universe-Philippines candidate who faired well during the prestigious pageant.

Nothing major major to be ashamed of