Visita Iglesia (2013) - Laguna

Laguna is one of my most favorite province in the country.  Aside from being very accessible from my hometown in Rizal, Laguna offers a lot to its visitors - lush green mountains, majestic waterfalls, delicious food, and beautiful old churches.  

This year, my family decided to go to Laguna for our annual Visita Iglesia.

Beijing Day 3: Summer Palace

We proceeded to the Summer Palace from Beijing Zoo.  The Summer Palace is the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China.  The construction of the Palace started in 1750.  It was constructed to serve as a summer getaway of the Chinese royal family.  It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

Beijing Day 3: Beijing Zoo

We woke up at around 7 o’clock in the morning to prepare for our last day in Beijing. On our last day in Beijing, we only planned to visit two attractions: the Beijing Zoo and the Summer Palace.  We limited the places to visit since we have a flight to Shanghai at 8 o’clock in the evening.

Beijing Day 2: Shopping

I am really not a fan of SHOPPING.  Usually, shopping does not exist in my itinerary.  I would rather use my time exploring the place where I am in.  However, shopping was inevitable in this trip as we have two girls in the group.  Our second day in Beijing was divided into two parts: Great Wall during the day and shopping at night.

Beijing Day 2: Great Wall

Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated about history and geography. Majority of my books were atlases, maps, and travel guides. I dreamed of going to every picture of tourist destinations that I saw.  Among these is the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous landmarks on earth.  Surely, majority of us know that the Great Wall is a series of fortifications made of stone and bricks along the northern part of China.  Legend has it that it is the only man-made structure that can be seen on the moon.  The Great Wall is so iconic that it should not be missed by anyone planning to go to Beijing. 

Beijing Day 1: St. Joseph's Cathedral and Kung Fu Show

Since it was a Sunday, we proceeded to St. Joseph's Cathedral in Wangfujing Street to attend mass.  St. Joseph Cathedral was built in Romanesque Revival style.  It contains intricate European and Chinese designs.  As we entered the church, we were surprised to learn that there were lots of Catholic Chinese.  

Beijing Day 1: Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

As we exited the MRT Station, we saw the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing.  The NCPA was designed by the famous French architect Paul Andreu.  The NCPA serves as an opera house.

Beijing Day 1: Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

After alighting from Tiantan Station, we walked towards The Temple of Heaven.  Entrance fee for a combination ticket is CNY 30 (approximately Php 180) per person.

The Temple of Heaven is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings.  It was built during the Ming dynasty and this was were emperors prayed for excellent weather and ample harvest.  It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998. 

Beijing Day 1: Hotel-Breakfast-En Route to Temple of Heaven

We woke up around 6 o'clock in the morning to prepare ourselves for a looong day of walking.  

Our itinerary for the day was:

1. Temple of Heaven
2. Forbidden City
3. Tiananmen Square
4. St. Joseph's Church
5. Kung Fu Show

We left Happy Dragon Hostel at around 7 o'clock in the morning to look for a place to eat breakfast.  

Hello Beijing!

On February 23-28, 2013, I had a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) trip to Beijing with my friends Weng, Leah, Mark, and Hermes. A day before our trip, my passport got wet.  I almost lost hope and prepared myself not to join the trip.  

Vietnam: Ha Long Bay Cruise

A trip to Vietnam will not be complete without a visit to Ha Long Bay.  Ha Long Bay is located in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam.  The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and islands of various shapes and sizes.  In 1994, it was listed as among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.  Recently, it was named as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Anawangin Cove

Zambales is a province known for its beaches.  Since it is relatively near Manila, it is an ideal getaway for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Iligan City: Tinago Falls (The most beautiful place I have seen.)

It took us about thirty minutes to travel from Maria Christina Falls to Tinago Falls.  This was actually my first time to hear about the falls.  I thought it was just like the other waterfalls we saw in Camiguin the other day.  I also hoped that it would be far better than Hinulugang Taktak, the infamous waterfalls in my hometown.

Iligan City: Ma. Christina Falls

As part of our Northern Mindanao Adventure, we travelled to Iligan City.  

Iligan City is a highly urbanized city located just north of Lanao del Norte Province.  Iligan used to be the former capital of Lanao del Norte.  It is a two-hour ride from Cagayan de Oro City.  

Iligan is known as the City of Majestic Waterfalls.  We went  to Iligan to visit its two famous waterfalls: Maria Christina Falls and Tinago Falls.

Apo Island, Negros Oriental

We were all excited to visit Apo Island.  We booked a tour to Apo Island from Coco Grove Beach Resort in Siquijor.  The tour costs Php 1,700 per person, inclusive of transportation, snorkeling equipment, and lunch.  At first, we thought that Php 1,700 was very expensive for a tour.  However, we were surprised that we will be going to Apo Island using a yacht.  Not bad, we will be traveling in style for only Php 1,700.

Siquijor: Transit to Apo Island

Our Apo Island trip was booked through Coco Grove Beach Resort in San Juan, Siquijor. Thus, we had no option but to visit Siquijor, an island famous for its mystic traditions.

Bais City, Negros Oriental

We woke up at around 4:30 in the morning and prepared ourselves for our journey to Bais City.  We took a trike from our hotel to the Ceres Bus Terminal in Dumaguete City.  We hopped into a Ceres Bus bound for Bais and paid Php 40.00 per person.   Travel time between Dumaguete and Bais is one hour.

Zambales: Potipot Island

During the first week of March, my colleagues booked a trip to Potipot Island thru sulit.com.  The trip was scheduled on March 27, 2010.  I had reservations in joining them since the bar exam results was rumored to be released the day before, March 26.  However, being the lakwatsero that I am, I decided to go.  We paid Php 2,000.00 per person for the trip.  Sometimes, it pays to travel in a group of ten or more persons since it becomes cheaper than DIY travel.