Our wonderful Baler trip is about to end, but the excitement is still soaring high as we sped on the road going to the last two scenic spots: the Hanging Bridge and the Balete Millennium Tree.
Our refreshing water activity at Sabang Beach had ended. The rain had stopped and the weather was now cooperative as we headed to our next breathtaking escape, to AMCO Diguisit Lodge and Resort. But before we fall in love in this scenic spot, we hopped out of our van and visited Ermita Hill located in Barangay Zabali. It was approximately six kilometers away from the town of Baler and travel time took us around fifteen minutes only.
the stunning rock formations frequented by visitors
At my age (yes, I’m 43!), a certified mom and definitely not a mountaineer, was a bit hesitant to join the Mt. Pinatubo challenge headed by my office mate Phil. But I’ve been waiting for this adventure for quite some time and I’m not getting any younger. With the encouragement of these two sporty girls, Joyce and Janice, I whisked off all the negative thoughts in my mind, took a one-week regular body workout, and braved this exciting getaway with my colleagues.
the beautiful and serene crater of Mt. Pinatubo
My hubby’s office mates from CSD-Makati and ESS departments organized a summer beach getaway in Canyon Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas. I got so excited when he told me that our two kids and I are included in their activity. Summer has not ended yet, and here we are for another sand and sun adventure. Yahoo!!!
one of the beautiful spots at Canyon Cove
In celebration of Mother’s Day today, we will spend the night with a boodle feast at Blackbeard’s Seafood Island North Shore or simply Seafood Island at SM Bay the Bay, Mall of Asia. And another reason to hype up the evening is the birthday celebration of my youngest brother Choy who is on a two-week vacation (he is based in Singapore). This is his treat. Thanks, bro!
the menu
Our vacation in Ilocos Province was indeed refreshing. As we were on our way to Manila, the group still craves its famous delicacies. It was nearing twelve high noon and while we were along Diversion Road in San Fernando we stumbled upon this cute restaurant Nipa Resto Grill with ”Bahay Kubo” style structure. And everyone was excited to hop out from the van and eat!
Nipa Resto Grill along Diversion Road
We couldn’t get enough of our swimming escapade in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and wanted to stay for one more day at Casa Victoria Resort. But we have to move on to our next exciting activity this Lenten season. We will ride the waves of San Juan in La Union, the Surfing Capital of the North.
friendly waves early morning
From Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, we now proceeded to the most anticipated part of our Ilocos Norte adventure, into Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. This is not included in my former company outing in 2010 because the road leading to this stunning rock formation was rough and bumpy, not accessible yet to visit. But now, there’s a lot of development done. The reason why I was so thrilled to see Kapurpurawan this Lenten Season.
the iconic head
Sky Fun is the amusement park inside the Sky Ranch complex in Tagaytay City. This was opened in March 2013 and is one of the emerging projects of SM Land. The first time I heard about Sky Fun there were only a few rides to enjoy with. Now there are twelve with the newest Jump N Play, Zipline, and Horseback riding. Instead of soaking on clear blue waters and basking in the sun this Lenten Season, we veered ourselves into a fun ride in Sky Ranch. Good-bye momentarily to wet and wild adventure.
the Riding Loop and the Sky Eye at night
The nestled lagoon in the middle of an island, a natural sanctuary for giant seafaring turtles, fills with saltwater during high tide.
This was the caption of the March to April 2007 page of PNOC’s (Philippine National Oil Company) calendar with their theme, “Our Undiscovered Country” with the stunning picture of Paguriran Lake in Bacon, Sorsogon. Imagine an enclosed lagoon in the middle of an island? I jotted it down in my brown notebook and vowed to visit it in the future. Below the main picture were small pictures of Vera Falls which I visited last year (so thankful) and the other was Naghaso Boiling Lake (next target to explore), both are found in my humble hometown Albay.
The scenic view atop the jagged rocks
