Vigan City - 7 Wonder

Banawang Bridge

Hundred Islands

Family trip to Hundred Islands in Pangasinan, December 25 2014.

The Hundred Islands National Park is a protected area located in the city of Alaminos, in the province of Pangasinan in northern Philippines. The islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulf covering an area of 16.76 square kilometres (6.47 sq mi). Only three of them have been developed for tourism: Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children's Island. The Lucap wharf in Alaminos, the entrance to the National Park, is about 240 kilometres (150 mi) north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

The islands are believed to be about two million years old. They are actually ancient corals that extend well inland, in an area previously comprising the seabed of an ancient sea. The lowering of the sea level have exposed them to the surface. The peculiar "mushroom-like" shapes of some of the islands were caused by the eroding action of the ocean waves.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Islands_National_Park

Overlooking the other islands

 

My boy

A shot of one of the islands while our boat passed by

Visit the Hundred Islands website
http://www.hundredislands.ph/

Pugad Pugo Adventure

Getaway at Pugad Pugo Adventure.  The place is only about 45 min to 1 hour from our house; a favorite summer destination of locals.

PUGO ADVENTURE
Sitio Kagaling, Palina, Pugo, La Union

pugoadventure@yahoo.com
Contact Nos.: 0917-506-6931/0947-950-0441

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pugoadventure

Callao Caves

13 hours trip from my home province, we reached Callao Caves on April 23,2014.

Callao Cave is one of the limestone caves located in the Municipality of Peñablanca, Cagayan province, in the Philippines. The seven-chamber show cave is one of 300 caves that dot the area and the best known natural tourist attractions of the province. The town is named as Peñablanca (Spanish for white rocks) for the presence of white limestone rocks in the area. Callao Cave is located in the Barangays of Magdalo and Quibal in Peñablanca about 24 km (15 mi) northeast of Tuguegarao City, the capital of the Province of Cagayan.

Callao Cave is the premier attraction in the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape. It is the most accessible of all the caves, its entrance is reached by climbing 184 concrete steps.

The first chamber of the show cave is the largest room with a width of about 50 m (160 ft) and a height of 36 m (118 ft). The cathedral-like room has been turned into a chapel by the local people. A rock formation serves as the altar of the chapel lit by a stream of light coming from a rooftop opening. The conditions inside the caves have caused the formation of stalactites and stalagmites, more so in the deeper chambers. Several spectacular speleothems or formations are found inside the cave like flowstones, glittering dripstones, cave curtains, crystal helictites, columns, etc.

Outside the cave...

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callao_Cave

Travel Guide to Callao Caves

Cesmin Beach Cottages

Baguio city

Paoay Church

We visited this church last summer (April 2013).  The Paoay Church is a historical church situated in Paoay in Ilocos Norte, Philippines.  

It is known as the “Earthquake Baroque” church in the Philippines.  The church was built of baked bricks, coral rocks, tree sap and lumber. It has 24 carved massive buttresses for support.  Both sides of the nave are lined with the most voluminous stone buttresses seen around the islands. Large coral stones were used for the lower level while bricks were used for the upper levels of the church. The walls are 1.67 meters thick made of the same materials.

Source:  http://digitaljournal.com/blog/3098

Me, my bestfriend Annie and my son in front of  Paoay Church

Tropicana Hotel

The different hotels and resorts surrounding the hotel where we stayed in Puerto Galera during our travel on December 2012.

The Tropica Hotel where we stayed.

The Tropicana Hotel at night.

Bats hanging on trees in Subic Bay

I took a shot of this while we were on our way to Zoobic Safari in Subic Bay in Olongapo City last year.  This camp of over 10,000 fruit bats, readily seen at the Subic Bay Freeport, is one of the last large bat colonies of its kind. Found only in the Philippines, the Golden Crowned Flying Fox (Acerodon jubatus) and the Philippine Giant Fruit Bat (Pteropus vampyrus lanensis) are the largest bats in the world, with wingspans up to 2 meters. Bats such as these eat only plants and are critically important to the health of tropical forests in the Philippines. By dispersing the seeds of forest fruits and spreading pollen between the forest flowers they visit, fruit bats maintain and restore forests by aiding in the reproduction of forest plants. Many fruit crops important to people, such as durian, wild banana, and kapok, also rely on fruit bats for their reproduction. Their cute, puppy-like faces add to their appeal. Despite this, fruit bats are heavily hunted, and the loss of their forest homes has made many of these bats endangered with extinction.


Source:  http://www.greatersubic.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=78&Itemid=47

Salanga beach

 Black Saturday 2013, as a tradition we went to one of the beaches in the province.  This time to Salanga beach in Pagudpud, San Fernando, La Union.


 

 

Batangas Port

Above:  The prince and I excited to board




 Inside Father and Son shipping line with The Mister and other travelers.

Overlooking Puerto Galera

Yes!  We're almost there.

Healthy selections

Here's me trying to eat sensibly.  This is a stopover at Robinsons before heading to Batangas port and then to Puerto Galera.  With me of course were the mister and the prince.

The prince following my footsteps :-)

Zoobic Safari

Zoobic Safari  is a twenty five hectare land located at Subic Bay Freefort.  Guests are transported into a sight of diverse exotic animals in their simulated natural habitat. During peak season (September-May), the average number of guests per day is 600.  It is open daily from 8AM to 4PM including holidays.  It is a guided tour of two and a half hours.

That's me upon arrival in Zoobic Safari Dec 2012..

One of Zoobic Safari's souvenir shops..

The mister and I after our Close Encounter tour.  Close Encounter A facility that allows one to take a close look at Siberian-Bengal tigers only 2 feet away!

Isdaan

These were taken in Isdaan restaurant in Gerona, Tarlac where we dropped by for brunch straight from the airport last December 2012.  Isdaan comes from the root word isda meaning fish.  That's me beaming at the camera.

The singing waiter and waitresses...

Fishes...

The Tacsiyapo wall.  Tacsiyapo is the local word for son-of-a-bitch. It's a curse.  The wall serves as a place to vent your anger to anyone by smashing things like plates, mugs, bowls and even televisions by throwing them to the wall.  Don't forget to pay what you throw.

Throw the television to the tacsiyapo wall and pay P2,000.  You must be very angry to do that.

...and a vase for P350

I, the mister and the prince.  That's a giant buddha sculpture.

The prince love this... angry birds!