Sun, Sea, Sand, Surf … Repeat (Late Post)

 At the beginning of the year I listed down as one of my goals for this year was to experience 14 new things in 2014, whether it be a major achievement or a tiny triumph. So far I’m in ninth. My ninth experience happened during this summer vacation.

Just before the week of going back to work, yes it’s my second year of work already, I had a chance to spend three days and three nights with my family in one of the newest (in my opinion) tourists’ spot in the Philippines. This was Baler (in Aurora region, north of Manila).

A welcome view from our room

Different Shades of Blue

waves!

My trip to Baler was actually a bit of a surprise since it was unplanned. My father just happened to come across a magazine article featuring the place where we stayed while in Baler (will tell you more about this in a while). He called up the place, made reservations, and the next thing we knew we were in Baler. During our vacation in Baler, we stayed in Costa Pacifica. It was such a beautiful place. And we had a great room! It was facing the Pacific Ocean. The staffs were very accommodating even when there were a lot of tourists. The food was also wonderful. They served both local and international cuisines. They would also have specials from Baler. I particularly enjoyed their waffles, pizza, and suman (rice cake).  Well, my family and I didn’t just stay in the hotel. Of course we went out and explored the different sights in the area. We were able to visit the Museo de Baler (if you want to know the history of the place this museum would be perfect), House of Aurora (mother of the past president of the Philippines), and the Baler Church. All these three are very near to the hotel. You may walk or ride a tricycle since it’s just in the town proper. Another place that we were able to go to was the Millennium Tree.  There were still more sights that we were not able to visit due to the time constraints of our trip. But I highly recommend that you visit the Mother falls. These are all for adventure and nature junkies.

Museo de Baler

Baler Church

Sunset by the Church

Millenium Tree

a really big balete tree

 Now going back to my 9^th experience, the 9^th first time thing that I did was to learn how to surf. One morning, my brother and I decided to give surfing a go. A little backstory, I just watched the movie Chasing Mavericks, so I was inspired to try surfing and besides it looked easy in the movie. Boy was I wrong! It was hard work. I had to learn to stand in time to ride a wave. I had to learn to balance to continue staying afloat on the board.  Lastly, I had to learn to keep on trying even if I would fall every so often. I have to say it was painful, tiring, and somehow a little humiliating (there were pro surfers and fast learners in the area), but it was all so worth it because after an hour of surfing lessons… I WAS ABLE TO SURF! I was able to ride a few waves and it felt so wonderful and so exhilarating! At first I hesitated and doubted myself, but surfing taught me to just do it. I thought that you had to be a great swimmer to surf, but my surfing instructor said that even a person like me, very poor swimmer, could do it. And I did! So if you’re in doubt, don’t be afraid to try. Just make sure you have the right instructor. Along the coast of Baler you will be able to see different surfing instructors. You may hire them to teach you. For me and my brother, we opted to seek help from the surf instructors situated beside Costa Pacifica (sorry, I forgot the name). The instructors were very patient and helpful. I really enjoyed this new experience even if it involved tons of fails. Definitely a check to my imaginary bucket list. 

Cowabunga!

So that’s that! I definitely enjoyed my short but SWEET (cliche surfer tone) vacation at Baler. Till Next time!

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer,  if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Bonus pictures:

Sunrise at Baler (I woke up at around 4 am and watched the sky and scenery change.... twas such a beauty)

nautical dawn

what a view from my bed

hello Mr. Sun

Sunrise

Waking Up in Santorini (Poro Point)

Waking Up in Santorini (Poro Point)

            Last January, my mom celebrated her birthday and as a birthday treat we went to La Union, in Thunderbirds Resort. It was a spontaneous trip… unplanned but unforgettable. J

            Thunderbirds Resort has two resorts in the Philippines.  The one we went to was at La, Union. We left Quezon City at around 7:30 pm and it was a six hour drive.  We arrived at the place and we all felt sleepy so I really didn’t care where we were since I was really sleepy (plus I had to do some projects). We headed to our beds and slept…

            When I woke up, I was surprised to see the beautiful shore and the beautiful sunrise. I was invigorated by the place. When I got out of our room I saw Santorini…. ish. J I suddenly had flashbacks of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie. It was such a beautiful place.

We had a good breakfast in their restaurant… then my cousins came and we went around.  While staying there, I had the chance to bike around, walk a lot, and just chill. Even with loads of school work, God allowed me to enjoy the beautiful place. Thunderbirds Poro Point also have a lot of activities for guests… there are tours and they also have a casino. Since I have cousins who are minors, the Casino was off limits :D. Instead they, does not include me since I am allergic to chlorine *bummer*, swam in the pool for HOURS literally. I, on the other hand, took photos J.

I love the place and the environment. It was such a treat. Hope you get to see the place.

Here are some of my photos:

Thunderbirds Resort: Poro Point

Good morning!

The dome ceiling art

dome ceiling

ooohhh afternoon sun

sunset

The dome at night

I <3 it here!

-DOT-

P.S. Their hotel rooms are the bomb! I love it so much!! I wish I could have their rooms as my own room. J

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J For more information check out: www.thunderbirdresortsporopoint.com

Sparkling Seoul [part 2]

Sparkling Seoul [part 2]

      Paris won’t be Paris without the Eiffel Tower, India won’t be India without the Taj Mahal, China won’t be China without The Great Wall, and Seoul would not be Seoul without the N Seoul Tower.

     

      When in Seoul, don’t miss visiting the N Seoul Tower because it gives you a 360 view of the whole city. It also gives you wonderful panoramic views of the different parts of the city. It would be best to visit and go up the tower during late in the afternoon, to see the busy streets, till at night, to see the colorful night life in Seoul. Or you could just stay the whole day up in the tower as scenes change from early morning to sunset.

Riding the cable car is a great way of going to the tower

                                                        Going up Seoul Tower (via cable car)


Seoul (late afternoon, check out the cherry blossoms)



all of the window panels in the observatory have labels of diff. cities and the corresponding distances

panoramic view of Seoul (sunset and night)

       Aside from the observation deck, the tower also has gift shops and restaurants at the top. But the tower is not the only thing to visit at N Seoul Tower because below the tower different things can be seen. Below the tower one can find the “Locks of Love”. Literally these are thousands of padlocks with different, shapes, sizes, and color that symbolize couples’ love for each other that can’t be broken. It is such a wonderful sight to see. Not far from the Locks of Love is a small version of the Teddy Bear Museum. The Teddy Bear Museum features teddy bears (of course J) depicting the different scenes in Seoul history. Speaking of history, the Beacon Lighthouse, a structure that serves as a lookout for the army, is also situated below the tower. And across the lighthouse is a beautiful pavilion.

Locks of Love <3

The Teddy Bear Museum

The pavillion

      With all these sights to see, one can relax and dine at the different cafés and restaurants found below the tower.

N Seoul Tower at Night

      I hope that I have given enough information on the wonderful N Seoul Tower… well if you’re not fully convinced… check it out for yourself J.

Till next blog! 감사합니다!

-Dot-

Check out this source for more information on N Seoul Tower:

http://www.nseoultower.net/english/nseoultower/intro.asp

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=260067

song in the video: Summer Parade by Depapepe

the Photos and the video are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Oh me! Oh my!: An Update

Oh me! Oh my!: an update

Wow! It has been a while since my last blog… (Blame it on the academicsJ). I’m finally done with schoolwork and now its summer time here in the Philippines. These past week have been really hot now- an indication of summer!!

            This blog entry is an update of blogs to come. I will soon be posting an entry on a new restaurant at The Fort. J I will also update you guys on summer happenings here in the PhilippinesJ.

            Since summer is here let me just reminisce great beaches I’ve been to. The first beach worth reminiscing about is Boracay!! It is located in the Visayan Area of the Philippines particularly in Aklan. It is known for its long stretches of white sand shores and breathtaking sunsets. (I always find sunsets to be beautiful). There are a lot of great places to shop, eat, play, sleep, and more. When I was there, I enjoyed going back and forth to D Mall. There one can buy jewelries, shirts, souvenirs, food, drinks and many more!

Another beach that I would like to go back to is at Sipalay, Negros Occidental. This place may not be very well-known… but let me tell you... this place is so AWESOME!!!!  The place is very quiet and still “untouched” (not to public and exposed). The sand is also white there J. When I was there I enjoyed walking at the shore, island hopping, and just chilling.

The last beach I would like to revisit and highly recommend would be El Nido, Palawan. There are so many  good things I could write about El Nido… but here are just some things that make me crave for El Nido: beautiful clean beaches, clean and super clear water (therefore you see all types of sea creatures), wonderful wildlife, and lush green forests. When I was there I loved island hopping and swimming at the cool clear waters. Oh, I could just be lost in my thought right now. J.

            I just love these beaches. If ever you’re planning for a seaside vacation… I highly recommend these places J.  So that would be all for now! Stay tuned to my next blog entryJ.

-DOT-

Photos are from : http://www.tourism.gov.ph/SitePages/PhilippineBeaches.aspx and from the writter. kindly site or acknowledge owners when using the photos thank you.