Metro Manila’s most urbanized business district, Makati City is home to hundreds of thousands of employees who found this city a pronouncement of their lives. It is where manila’s skyscraper buildings and condominiums were initially built. And many are still building. Even villages of most affluent families can be found here. Major industries do their economics here. The influx of Filipinos seeking for gold in this city relatively increased the past years.
From early newspaper vendors, to daily office workers, to overnight employees, all of them found their lives chained to the busy-ness of this world. Where people move fast-paced. This city never sleeps.
(It is also home to history- of varied interests. Only today Manila peninsula in this city witnessed the force of the government army-troops against a senator and a retired general who were allegedly staging a coup against the present leadership.)
It does get stressful and when one has had enough of working, partying, and malling and politicking, where does one find peace and quiet in this city?
While I was walking thru the Guadalupe underpass in Brgy. Poblacion, I noticed a lily flowing undisturbed with the waters of the Pasig river. It was early lunch and vehicles were passing continuously, the jeepneys plying non-stop. These two-were very much in contrast and was for me metaphoric.
The geographical location of the pasig river was home to the first inhabitants of this town. The riverbank was where the first community settlers dwelt. Today these land were paved roads where vehicles, product of modern conveniences (and inconveniences) find their way to their drivers’ daily endeavors
There was a time when this river was home to homeless Filipinos who can only afford to put up patched holed sacks for their daily protection, this beside tons of garbages. The river brought diseases, took lives. And covered up a number of crimes.
I believed that God did not have that in mind for His purpose in creating this intricate water system. And I was just so happy when Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission was founded to oversee the rehabilitation of this river. Its support system backed up the Piso para sa Pasig project launched years ago. It might still be long before the pasig river is fully rehabilitated but that lone lily that I saw clearly brightens up the prospect. I hope the government will not waiver in their commitment to bring this back to life.
Also worth the visit is the Museo ng makati along Mabini st cor J. P rizal. It”s a humble museum which provides visitors a sneek into Makati of colonial times. Not as big as other museums, and may not house as impressive displays but it houses enough artifacts, arts, and paintings that define Makati heritage. The building itself served as Makati city hall from 1934-1958.Rooms in the 2nd floor displayed various dioramas (painted woodcarvings), antiques, photographs of old manila among other interesting finds.
On the ground floor are potteries, paintings, more dioramas and a tombstone found in old cemetery (a century old), and a wine container.
A block away from this museum is a baroque church which is also filled with historical past. The St. paul and peter parish church (san pedro of makati before) was built in 1620 and was used as camp and refuge during the American war. 
The church's facade is charming, its' old age defined in its interios and structure. Makatilenos took shelter from the shadow of the imposing church and it is where people take refuge in the shade of their faith, where the city becomes silent in prayer and hopes.
To find these serene and historic corners of Makati, I felt happy and relieved.
a sample of owner's investment to give this place a unique appeal and its guests something to talk over while enjoying the house specialty recipe of tanigue)
I fell in love with the motiff, looked really enchanting with those vines, fountains. And added to its favor is the proximity to the beach.. ooohh dat has taken me of course.i said, one day i'l dine here. and so i did. and the experience was more than unforgettable.
We actually toured the coastline of batangas!! talkin bout love of food and beaches!
We started from a bus from Alabang, and a jeepney towards Lemery. After two more jeepney stops and four hours later we did after all reach the town(Balayan) that would bring us to Nasugbu in another hour. (mind you we were still lucky at that coz we actually beat the last trip!)
By the time we arrived, we were hungry so we headed for the restaurant in the heart of the town, Kainan Sa Dalampasigan. The placed seemed to cater to a wedding just that afternoon and the fountain ain’t got a drop of water but yes the place was very unique and the crawling plants were all over the place including the pillars which we thought were purposely built for them. We had a filling meal of kare-kare . The food was homey although by this time we were so tired to truly appreciate the taste.I couldn’t tell much about the beauty of the place similar to the raves, though the restrooms were designed to make it look quaint and old yet neat.
My immediate need right after i was able to fill in the hunger was to set my weary foot in the sand and to ease the worries of the travellers in us. I thirst for the sea. and the beach which we thought was just footprints away is actually about 300m far along.( or was that more?)
I have always love the feel of the sand on the sole of my feet, the chill of the breeze of the sea and the saltiness of the air round me. The night is dim, cloudy and wouldn’t show us all of the constellation, but it was enough to see the shadow of the stillness of the water beyond me. The silence, the peace, you know what it can do. I found myself reflecting. this day had been a cluster of emotions, and i embraced the faults and victory of this day..
and so the journey had to go on. The last trip was 8pm and we’re an hour late. what did we do in this ungodly hour in a province where people sleep after only the 7th hour passed noon? we hired and bargained with two separate tricycles so we could reach the junction separating lian from nasugbu, where manila-bound vehicles pass. and there waited for our last ride.. at past 10pm and after a couple of not so fun thought (actually scary) of being in the darkness of this foreboding road, two man-angels in a jeepney full of sacks of variety of fishes stopped to give us a hitch.. I couldn’t give enough tale of that experience, seated beside the driver, talking just about anything, with the stench of the fish all around us. It was a long uncomfortable ride thru rosario cavite but it was uncomfortably fun. I forgot the names of these two people but the ride which took more than an hour, though physically numbing is very memorable.
Someone, hand me a map please!
My first official mountain climb is the PICO DE LORO along the borders of cavite and batangas. The mountain is level II, just about 664 MASL. Minimum day required is 1day, maximum of 2days.
To give you a little history, this mountain is said to be the look-out point during the japanese occupation and during the 2nd world war. Being the highest point in the province of cavite, this served the military purpose.The name is said to originate from the way it resembles, a parrot's beak. With its proximity to manila, it is among the most acccessible mountains to climb and with the government already doing their part in making this an eco-tourism destination, this mountain is gaining its glory.
I accidentally browsed thru the net and came to read one mountaineer's experience in traversing this mountain. It aroused my interest that from its summit, it offers a 360 view. Including a fantastic sunset on south china sea. I thought if i could climb this, it will be my 1st experience of a mountain sunset. I only had three days planning, and mostly it was of making itinerary. It was discouraging that i did not have any experience with mountains except that during my high school days i once went to hike up Mt. Maculot. Also, I doubted my stamina since i had fairly limited exercise.
Yet, I was encouraged to face this fear of unknown and explore a new environment. Moreover, I decided i would want a traverse. To travel on foot from one province to another felt like im going way back to living like how it was a century before.
And it happened. On friday morning, i buckled my bag and went to Zapote to ride a bus going ternate cavite, This was where we are going to ride a tricycle that would bring us to the jump-off point. Manong driver was more than helpful with our last-minute prep for the climb. When he dropped us in the magnet road he even advised us to follow the red-marked trees. (However, time might have erased this coz the only marked tree we saw was the one he pointed out).
The first leg of the climb was fairly easy and about 35 minutes into the trek, we reached the first basecamp with the kubo.We ate lunch here and replenished water since this is the only water source along the way. By 130pm, we resumed our climb. The last leg was supposed t o be 2hrs but we did it very leisurely stopping from time to time and making a break on a little waterfall for refreshing. The water was a welcome sight after all the sweat.
After which we passed thru 2 wooden fences ( a private property there) and a couple of Plant-a-tree projects. (Thanks to those advocates who fights for our environment.) About an hour later we came to a fork (The other trail was going to the mother of our tiny falls.) It was steep ascent after and by that time I was already hearing the beat of my heart drumming my ears. The fruit of no exercise there, we had stop a couple more times and by eternity, we finally came to the camp among the bamboos. Exploring further, we came to another campsite on the cliff. It was breezy and already, the view here was beautiful.
It was another 20 minutes steep climb toward the peak and it was all worth it. We got to get a glipmse of the the magnificent view. IT WAS SURREAL. The huge monolith on the south was really dramatic. I knew this climb had made an impact in me and i knew that this was not the only mountain id ever climb. In my 25 years, I felt fullfillment in experiencing the great creation around me. To my papa, i Knew he was up there looking at me and i knew he was also happy in sharing the joy i felt at that moment.
I had not seen the sunset though, the fog was thick and the air was already chilly. We decided to advance down toward the outcrop on the other side and I felt like doing a cliffhanger. After a couple of picture taking, we went back up the peak and down to the campsite on the cliff and pitched our tent. We camped overnight and i was scared and excited. The fear grew more as the night went deeper, and we had early lights out afraid that the mountain will reveal us to its dangerous allies.
The next morning we woke up to the mount-chattering cold and ate our breakfast of crackers and in can. We started to pack for traverse 830 am and by 9am we were already climbing the peak again. We stayed an hour here waiting for the fog to clear a bit. I got a view of a ship leaving the dock in manila. The view here commanded of the caraballo mountains on the north, the maragondon town on the east, nasugbu on the south and the south china sea on the west. I took the time for photos, and one last look.
By 1030 am, we were already on our way down to a remote brgy of nasugbu. We thought descent was going to be easy, but it was even harder than the climb. The dried bamboo leaves were slippery and the trail was obscured by vines, and bamboo growth. We hardly talked during the whole time of descent except when we asked if we were still on the trail. At one time, we lost our way and backtracked. What made it even harder was we were running out of water and our legs were already crumbling. We knew we were nearing our destination when we heard vehicles. But at that time we thought we can no longer make it and we were deciding to make a long rest, but we saw one reflecting light in between trees and leaves. I felt so relieved to see that it was the road and craved for liquid. we had no water by this time and i could gulp the whole sea if someone did just bring it on.
But again, when we were nearing the limit of our human strength, SOMEONE is always providing us. Just beside the road we saw this little spring of water which refreshed us. WE stayed here a bit longer before we walked and hitched a van along the way. the group of teenagers were again another blessing. The 14-yr old driver agreed on 300 bucks to drive us to nasugbu town proper. From there we went to a resort and swim and enjoyed the waters like we never did.
Looking back on that mountain, I was overwhelmed. I can not believe still that I did it yet. but God is Great and He provided us what we need all along. It was my 1st and it was heartwarming.
The itinerary covered chips delight(laguna), apolinario mabini shrine (batangas), bluroze farm (lipa, batangas), and gardenia (laguna).
As fate would have it, at 6:00 am I was abound bus #12 with my pamangkin and his bus group of grade II, III, VI students, four teachers and 10 companions. Being the first for him, I saw him eagerly on watch and keen on pointing me places familiar to him.
1st stop:
Chips delight Laguna. upon reaching the first leg of this trip, Ms Kay the tour facilitator gave us briefing and then the students were given each a white hair net and ushered to the tour site to get a glimpse of how their "favorite snacks were made". We were initially informed that we were not allowed to tour and were directed to the kiosk which sells their product at discounted prices. (got to buy there a pasalubong for the twins).
2.The Apolinario Mabini Shrine
My role here was to take pics and to take care of my nephew, but since this was his first, he was so scared of being left by our bus. he kept reminding me its #12. So when I said pause for a pic and smile, he ran toward the classmates.
This place is small but it houses a couple of mabini memorabilia and a hut which is a replica of his original. there is a lifesize statue and a couple of paintings which relates his life as our hero.
3. Bluroze Farm
This i loved the most. The place is an excellent team-building setting with its wide selection of activities. We took our lunch there, then proceeded to our tour. we were rounded (all the trippers, a couple of hundreds participants) and were shown the place highlights. we were first let out to see the bird varieties, bats, monkeys. Then we passed thru a garden that housed lifesize saint icons, then thru the biking area, the huge snake and ostriches. There were also wild boars, and sheeps. (my pamangkin and my 1st time to see them). We were then guided to the deck area, however the kids were not allowed to went up the steps. Then we went to the maze (like that you saw in harry potter 4 where harry nd cedric find the portkey, only it was smaller) and find our way out. The trick, we walked on all fours and glided thru a make-shift tree-trunk tunnel. Whew!
I was amazed and of course curious as to what to see up in the viewing area. The first chance I got when we were given time to relax after the exhausting walk-around, i settled my nephew in the bus and went to see what's up.. Haha. I understood why the children were not allowed there since the steps were not concrete, and it was a possibility that they will slip in between the flights. There are 6 flights, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9 steps consecutively then another 4 steps and 9 then voila! u get a 360 view of the surrounding mountains of lipa city. I did want to stay there longer but there were lovebirds before me and well, i left the place to them.
4. the Gardenia
Last stop for us was the very efficient and organized tasty making and packing company. the tour area was very neat (showing how they have really prepared themselves to this kind of informative tour, and to their potential investors). there is also an area to have souvenir photos taken. however i had already been battery-emptied since we left the farm. So what lingered was the softness and the aroma of the newly baked breads they gave us for free taste. And it was really delicious, yup the commercial is right, no spreads needed. Yummy.
In conclusion, im glad i did become my nephews chaperone today. Im grateful to witness such childish joys and innocence and curiosity. To be a part of his journey on that day, guiding and sharing with him his fears and taking part in his happiness is a fulfillment in itself.
Synonymous to the province of laguna is the Pagsanjan Falls. The canoe ride that comes as a package in visiting the falls is among the most recommended daytrip for local and foreign tourist alike.Though Laguna would boast of numerous other beautiful falls, with no extra expense needed for the boat ride, this should be the 1st in the list. Allow me to share.
With only 2 hrs ride away from Manila and the transportation regular up till 9:30 pm, way in and out of Pagsanjan town is not a hassle. We left Manila almost 2:30 in the afternoon on board a van in Alabang City terminal and were already in Pagsanjan by 4:30 pm. The fare was 90/pax. In town, near the municipal hall, one will never ran out of tricycles that will whisk trippers to the resorts (40). The drivers will also come handy if one will want to try the independent boat operators who arrange impromptu river cruise. But since we were to stay the night, we opted for the riverside resorts which also offer the canoe ride. The cost at the time of our visit was almost 1400 for solo passenger, and 650/pax for groups. There was also 70 pesos additional for the raft ride and 30 for the vests. And believe me, it was worth every penny.
First ten minutes into the ride was a relaxing cruise into the narrowing Bumbungan river. Then, we passed thru a government sign posting standard rates and welcoming visitors. From hereon, we were witnesses to fantastic scenery. We were awed by 15 small falls lining the mountain gorges on both sides (the falls are reduced to just a few on the months of March-May) . The river snaked thru this spectacular mountain scenery and finally ended at the falls of our destination.
While the view is splendid, we were also amazed with the skills of the boatmen navigating the rocks and the rapids. They were both foot and paddle to lift the boat thru rock edges. For us who were just spectators, it was admirable how they knew which rock to step on, how their toes would grip and let go, and altogether how their bodies coordinated gracefully.
It was also not unusual to come across fellow trippers. I had this childish delight when we waived to an American couple and a Japanese family (felt real touristy, eh).
Talahib Falls. The local calls this the 1st falls, the Magdapio being the main. We had a brief stop here, enough for us to breathe the delicious scent of the mountain showers, the boatmen to regenerate.
We then proceeded to the main falls a couple meters more ahead and oh boy! It was magnificent! There was a viewing area around the rocks and a waiting area for the raft ride so we could get closer to the falls and finally to the cave underneath. Before us, there were a dozen or so tourists who were shouting and screaming. And though I was excited, I swore, I will not exhaust my lungs like that.
And yet, I had barely stepped on to the raft and I was already feeling giddy. We were the last to arrive and though we were a small group, the rafters gave us one last “special” ride.
Still meters away from the falls, I already felt the uproar, that force when you know current and strength collide. Here it comes.... and I, I cannot not screaaaam!! There was no way for me to take hold of my thrill. Being below this thundering falls is terrifyingly exciting.
Being clouded under is another. it uncovered the romantic instincts. (I know, I know. I am a helpless!)
But imagine this… Your significant other helps you from the raft, into the cold water just 4 feet deep, gives you a lingering kiss, embraces you, and lets a few seconds tick with only the music of the falls, and the rhythm of the pounding of your heart, all these in a cave protected by the falls and the mountain.
I am indeed helpless!
The return trip downriver on this rock-casted body of water was dangerously exhilarating. Faster and even wilder. The funnnnnn here was obviously on the ride. And at the end of the 1hr trip, a tip for these mucled-men was well-deserved.
Afterwards, we feasted on the huge steamed fish and calamari for dinner beside the pool with a solemn view of the river we had just been acquainted with. We also had a few laps swimming in the resort pool, taking into ourselves the wonderful experience.
We were easily lulled into asleep looking forward for an appetizing aroma of breakfast in the restaurant by the river the next morning.
NOTE: please bring your camera in a water-protected case. The only thing I regret here was not bringing my own camera. The photos were courtesy of google.
My love affair with life, outdoors, and living began years back at the time when my childhood was spent in a farm.
My lolo owned a little patch of land in Famy laguna, including some rice fields. After we came from sara, iloilo ( i was 5 yrs old) my papa instead of going back to banking focused on farming and sometimes antique digging/dealing. For a time, we became caretakers of the farm, spending nights sleeping in the hut in the midst of the rice paddies.. I could remember waking up before the sun rises and fetching water from the river up to the vegetable garden where we grew tomatoes, string beans, peanuts , eggplants, okras, papaya, among others. The whole day would then be spent uprooting grasses, climbing sineguelas, bathing in the small manmade falls we call sala. And on harvest season, ill be roaming the town proper , basket or bilao in hand selling this goods. I love best the taste of tangy and sweet duhat during summer. I had picked up hundreds of snails prior to rice planting, get acquainted with the leeches and insects, i sooo love this experiences when it was all so simple. Food was always fresh and everyone always happy.
I so love this farm life that even when studied and worked in manila, i craved for these times and dreamt that someday I'd have a farm to come home to, again.
And here, i was also awakened to my inherent desire for travelling.. With my Papa's influence.
During weekends of my grade school years, Papa brought me to farm with him and we spent mornings walking the 1.5 km distance of home to the farm. our conversations varied from my school, to the plants he was growing, to the family, to his life before us, and a lot of other both significant and mundane things. He made stories derived from Florante and laura, Don Juan Tinoso, the Bible and more. But in between these topics, he passionately shared with me his love for the antiques and his quest to dig more and make a little museum to showcase his finds. This was his dream.
His passion brought him to places, and gave him alot of friends from this travels. I was amazed with his stories, much that i want it to experience it myself. It was my father who influenced me to leave my shell and explore.
However His life's purpose had been fulfilled and God already called Him in His presence. And in his good life, he influenced another, beyond measure.
i pay tribute to my Papa, my great love. To Mama, to the family who were explorers all..
Here is my passion.. my journey..
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