Our Trip to Pico De Loro

Our Trip to Pico De Loro

Pico De Loro is a Resort/Hotel located in the far side of Nasugbu Batangas, it is one of the most popular attractions in that area, It currently has a 5-star review in agoda.com, booking.com and tripadvisor.com, It currently has it's own website for a more in depth view of what it has to offer to the people it;s web address is www. picosandshotel.com

Our trip in Pico De Loro was in April 29-30, 2015 Mid-Summer before my Sophomore Year, we had our family friend invite us over since they were looking for companions for their trip, our family gladly obliged.

First we began to go to our family friends' house and waited for them to pack up their stuff since we packed up earlier, Me being a hungry teenager politely asked for food, I was greeted with a delicious meal while waiting.

A hungry teenage boy feasting on his prey

As we set out for our trip, I slept so I didn't really recognize the way, I only woke up when we were nearing the resort and we were seeing the sea and all its blue beauty.

One of the many pictures I have of the view we had on the way to the resort

We had a quick stop when we saw the nearest restroom, and then we continued and finally arrived at the resort, We first had to stop to the admission counter and I was surprised there were only a few people in the line, If I can remember we were only 3 people in the line in the admission counter, I hear these days there's a ton of people going to Pico De Loro.

I liked my hair long before, Don't judge.

Once we went up to our unit we had this amazing view of the resort and its available pools at the time (About now there are tons of new pools in Pico De Loro, we went there in its Pre-Mainstream days).

Sweet view, but that arm though

Anyways, my Mother went with her two nieces and my sister to what ever was available exploring in the area, They have pictures here but this blog is about me and not about them.

While they were away I slept like a sloth and woke up at night alone, they left a letter saying they went to an event in the beach and that we would go there tomorrow morning, so I just watched TV and slept again.

The next day we woke up to the hot April weather once again, here's a picture of me and my sister playing while waiting for our parent's to finish bathing one by one.

We slept like pigs, Literally.

After all that fuss we walked to the beach area, It was only a 5 minute walk so it wasn't that far, but we were lazy and took the shuttle on the way since it was V E R Y hot at the time, Seriously April weather burns your skin hard.

She said we should make a sand castle

As I escaped my morning hangover from sleeping too much, I decided to take a swim in the beach, As I changed and went to the shore, I saw a sign that said "Beware of Jellyfish" I noted that and only swam to the near shoreline parts of the beach, But eventually no Jellyfish really took interest of me. 

Cheap Jaws 2015

Enough about my personal experience, here's a more definitive guide to Pico De Loro or better known as Pico Sands Hotel in Nasugbu Batangas :

PICO SANDS HOTEL - ABOUT US

Nestled within the tropical paradise of Pico de Loro Cove is Pico Sands Hotel. This Batangas beach resort is a seven storey, 154-room hotel offering spacious rooms equipped with modern amenities and captivating views of the lush mountains and tranquil lagoon. Furnished with natural materials in soothing palette of seashell white and sandy creams, the rooms offer a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.

DINING

Complete the leisure lifestyle at Pico Sands Hotel with the variety of casual dining spots featuring Spanish and Filipino dishes.

RAIN SPA

Heal your body, calm your mind and soothe your spirit with our treatments in this Batangas beach resort, using organic and indigenous local products.

This ends my Travelogue, The following information in the last portion of my Travelogue came from Pico Sands Hotel's official website http://www.picosandshotel.com , Go check them out!

I FEEL LIKE TRAVELING

- Dwine Dela Cruz

5 Best Places to Visit at Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto was once Japan’s capital city. It is known mostly for its temples, shrines and cultural practices just like the rest of its country. It may have been one of the targets for bombings during the World War II but luckily, most of its temples and shrines survived. Kyoto is the second most visited place in Japan because all the beautiful sceneries it has. 

Kingaku-ji Temple (The Golden Pavilion)

The Kingaku-ji Temple has served as the home for Shoguns in its historical years. Its second and third floors are covered with gold leaf which makes it majestic from every angle especially the way it reflects from the water around it. It is the rebuilt version of the temple because it has been burned down several times in history.

(winter of Kingaku-Ji Temple)

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

This place looks exactly like a scene from a painting or a movie.  It may be just a walkway but it is not a simple one because there are a lot of bamboo groves in temples of Japan but this Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama is unlike them for it is larger in size. Imagine how tranquil it would be to walk here just from seeing the photo.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

This place is a widely worshiped holy place of their deity Kannon. The main hall is made entirely of wood and is situated on the top of a cliff which allows you to marvel at the wonderful cityscape of Kyoto. During the Edo period of their history, people believed that your wish will come true if you jumped off the cliff and survived. This practice isn’t allowed nowadays for obvious reasons.

Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine

This place has a huge number of Torii gates with inscriptions of the company which donated it to the shrine. These gates are believed to bring a good fortune with the estimated count of 10,000 gates. They are distributed in rows or individually across the place.

(winter at the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine) 

Gion District

Gion District is a place with a large number of Geisha. You’ll actually feel the spirit of Japan here because Geisha are known around the world which I think is an icon of Japan. The real Geisha aren’t usually allowed outside. Some business offers a Kimono rental (even if you’re a foreigner) that can allow you to dress like one of the Geisha. This makes the use of kimono predominant in everyday life in Gion District because some only wear them during festivals.

Based on the places that I chose; going to Kyoto is like stepping back in time. I am really amazed at how they managed to preserve over thousands of shrines in their city. I really admired the way how they value innovation while still keeping their feet for their culture. This will always be the symbol of Japan across the nations. 

Dos and Don’ts of Kyoto:

·      Given that I have mentioned a place with a number of Geisha, you are not allowed to force them to take pictures or selfies. You should ask them politely if you want to take pictures with them.

·       Sunglasses and hats aren’t allowed inside the temples and shrines.

·       With train being the main mode of transportation in Japan, taking pictures near train tracks  aren’t allowed because of your safety.

·       Refrain from touching old objects and buildings. Those are treasures and part of their culture. Wouldn’t you be ashamed if you just damaged one of them?

·       Picture taking in prohibited areas isn’t allowed. Some shrines and temples wouldn’t allow  this to respect the place or their deity.

·       Taxi doors open and close on their own.

·       Say “okini” instead of giving a tip as a way of thanking the server.

·       Smoking outside of the designated areas will face a fine of 5000 yen.

How to get there:

•          A bullet train directly from Tokyo to Kyoto costs 10,100-13,710 yen (one-way).
•          A bus ride from Tokyo to Kyoto costs about 3,520 yen, taking about 6-9 hours.
•          You can book your hotel online by using the “Hotels Combined” app.

-Jamaica Alberto

Trip to Samal, Bataan

Samal is  located in the  Bataan province and within Region III in the western path of Central Luzon. It has a total of 14 barangays. Samal is a fourth class municipality and partially urban.

One of it’s famous attraction is the Mt. Samat. Mt. Samat is located in Pilar town of Bataan. Others want to climb to it’s mountain, the mountain is popular for the Dambana ng Kagitingan or Shrine of Valor. It was built to honor the Filipinos and American soldiers who fought and lost their lives for our country during the World War II.

The white cross was built in commemoration of the Battle of Bataan. It stands at 92 meters or 302 ft and located at an area of 74 hectares and at the mountain height of 555 meters of 1821 meters below the sea level.

White Cross

The battle of the band ended in the army of us and filipinos soldiers surrounding to Japanese which ended in the famous Bataan death march. The Bataan death march consist of 75,000 filipinos and american soldiers who became prisoners after 3 months in war with the Japanese. The 75,000 men walk 97 km of pain suffering and abuse that resulted with the high death count. During the march, they’re not given food and water and those who couldn’t walk are fell behind wore bayoneted or beheaded by the Japanese. The death toll during the march reach up to approximately 5,000 to 10,000 filipino soldiers and 600 – 650 american soldiers. This war against the Japanese is one if the most gruesome shows of cruelty during wars and is now a very important part of the filipino history.


Aside from the cross to which you can enter, there is also a museum that holds a collection of paintings of heroes as well s armaments  and artifacts used during the war.

The Cross…

View from the top of the cross:

For those who’d love to have a historical walk, Bataan is one of the best places to tour as this places consist of memorials, landmarks and statues meant to remember our countrymen and american soldiers who suffered so munch through a wrongful treatment.

Being there in Bataan was a great honor for me. I don’t even know fully what happened there. Only when I visit the Bataan, I realized and appreciate what those men has done and how much they love our country.

~ Chelsea Quiambao






                                                                                 

Arabian Desert

One of the things that my family love the most is travelling. We've been having road trips ever since I was young and even went to other countries to have fun. The UAE was a special place to me and my family. My sister and I grew up there and of course, we explored the Emirates. 

Everyday was an adventure to me and my family. We'd go to unpopular beaches, eat at different restaurants and camp in the desert. My favorite was camping in the desert though. It was really wild and exciting. 

The Arabian Desert is located in Western Asia. It is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 sq mi). At its center is the Rub'al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. Gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate is mostly dry (the major part receives around 100 mm of rain per year but some very rare places receives down to 50 mm), and temperatures oscillate between very high heat and seasonal night time freezes. It is part of the Deserts and xeric shrublands biome and the Palearcticecozone. This ecoregion holds little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger have become extinct in this area due to hunting, human encroachment and habitat destruction. Other species have been successfully re-introduced, such as the sand gazelle, and are protected at a number of reserves. Overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human destruction of habitat are the main threats to this desert ecoregion.

A picture of the dry desert

You may think that camping on the desert would be peaceful like paradise but NO, NO, NO. It's unlike the places you've been to. This place is dry, hot and dangerous. Yes, it's dangerous when you don't have a 4x4 wheel drive to hop into. The quicksand in Arabian deserts is a little bit scary but fun. As a kid, going to these kinds of places would terrify me but I wouldn't want to waste this adventurous experience.

I'm the one with the headband. We didn't look irritated by the heat at all.

We were actually sliding down but hey! We looked fine, didn't we?

 There are few experiences that are as ‘Dubai’ as the desert safari. Take a backseat (unless you prefer to sit at the front of your four-wheeled drive) and hold on tight as an experienced driver whips you around the sand dunes, teetering on the edge of seemingly sheer drops, before dipping down sandy slopes and back up again.

I'm telling you that desert safari is the best thing you could do out here in the desert. Remember to hold on tight though!

Mom was screaming too much. She wasn't even in there haha! You could
see that whether you're inside or outside the 4x4 wheel drive you'd be thrilled!

There are a lot more things that you could do in the desert. Like camel riding!

You can't ride this camel though. If you want to, you need to go to nearby camp sites where they serve you and ask a staff or someone who could assist you. It has a low cost plus it's worth it! But another thing is that it hurts near your private parts after you get off so don't be on it for too long.

Getting a henna after doing exhausting things in the day is also fun! You'd love to get that as a souvenir. It even looks cute and cool! It washes off after a few days though. When I had mine I thought I would be able to have it on my arm forever because I wanted to show it off to everyone. But there's no 'forever' in these kinds of experiences. Anyways, let's move on to belly dancing!

Belly dance is the traditional dance of middle east, Belly dance is also known as raqs Sharqi and raqs baladi. Raqs sharqi is the style more familiar to westerners dance performed in restaurants, Raqs baladi is the traditional dance of Arabs and is the is the folkloric style, danced socially by men and women of all ages in some Middle Eastern countries, usually at festive occasions such as weddings.

I felt kind of awkward when the belly dancers started dancing because I thought it was too 'sexy'. Lots of men were there too. But then my dad told me that it's a tradition for Arabic people and that I needed to respect that. So I did. When we got back to our camp site, my cousin and I imitated the belly dancer and started belly dancing in front of people! It was embarrassing but I didn't think that since I was young.

When you go to the desert, I forgot to mention that it's even more fun when you go with friends and your family. Don't go there alone! No one would like to go to a deserted place alone, right?

Second, bring camping stuff like:

• ·        Sleeping bags
• ·        Flashlights
• ·        Chargers
• ·        Pocket Showers
• ·        Comfortable Clothes
• ·        Tents
• ·        Canned Goods
• ·        Lighters
• ·        Foldable tables and chairs
• ·        Water (Lots and lots of water)

Third, make sure you book into touring services like:

The Dubai Safari - 00971-50-99141241

Bab Al Shams - 971-(0)4-809-6100

I had a blast the moment I touched the sand in this wonderful desert. It's not peaceful, but it's wild. I liked it.



* All of these pictures were from way back in 2007, but the desert had a little changes but it's still the same *

• 
  

All Around Central Philippines

Visayas is where island lovers go because of its wonderful islands, beaches, falls, etc. Visayas is one of the 3 geographical divisions of the Philippines. It is the best division for a traveller who loves getting her skin tanned, hair dyed, going on road trips, jumping and doing a front flip into the waterfalls, building sand sculptures, and going to beaches. I've been to a lot of places in Visayas and a lot of them stole my heart for their beauty and the adventures.

Among the most popular and most beautiful tourist destinations in the Visayas are Boracay Beach, Magellan’s Cross, Panglao Island, Chocolate Hills, Malapascua, Leyte Landing Memorial in Red Beach, San Juanico Bridge, Blood Compact Shrine and many others. I've only been in Boracay, Cebu, Bacolod, Bohol, Guimaras, Dumaguete, Iloilo, and more. (I couldn't remember the rest)

Cebu

Cebu is where my dad grew up, so we go there sometimes. Cebu is such a wonderful place, full of wonderful destinations. Every time we go to the cemetery to visit my grandfather, we would swim at the beach in front of the cemetery with my cousins. Go out to dinner with the whole family, together with my grandmother, aunts and uncle, and my cousins.

Last summer, we ate dinner at a famous restaurant in Cebu City, which is Lantaw. It's located near SM City Cube, the new SM in Cebu City. 

The food there was really great, although it's expensive. The breeze there, is so fresh and you could smell the sea. It's really good for romantic dates or family dinner.

Magellan's Cross is one of the most famous tourist spot in Cebu. Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on March 15, 1521.

Caceres, Cebu is one of the best places in South Visayas. Every summer, there would be a peryahan every night. The place is so alive and the night before the big day, there would always be a "Disco" as they call it. Most young people would dance until the night dies. The event was hosted by DJ's and special guests.

Moalboal near Badian, Cebu, is where you could find the most amazing and most wonderful falls in the whole world (for me, it is). It's called the Kawasan Falls. You could do canyoneering with tour guides (it will cost you a lot of money), or you could just explore the whole place by yourself or with someone for free. What you see in the pictures you browse about the falls is what you get. The water is so blue, it looks photoshopped. Once you get there, you will never want to leave.

Oslob is a 4th municipal income class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. There, you could watch the whalesharks swim. Just like what we did. Watching of whale sharks in Oslob Cebu is 99% guaranteed. Whale sharks can be seen in a small barangay Tan-awan, which is 10 km away from the center town of Oslob. 

Bohol

Bohol is the home of Chocolate Hills and Tarsiers. Bohol is a province of the Philippines, in the country’s Central Visayas region. It comprises Bohol Island and numerous smaller surrounding islands. Bohol is known for coral reefs and unusual geological formations, notably the Chocolate Hills. For tourists who make a tour through the country, Bohol has three main attractions. These are the tropical forest, the smallest monkey in the world and the  'Chocolate Hills'. For 'sun, sea and beach lovers',  there are a lot of possibilities for snorkeling, diving in the unpolluted waters and relaxing on the splendid beaches on some of the surrounding small islands. The Bohol province forms absolutely one of the places to stay for  a longer period.

I've been to Bohol two times already, but I guess I'll never get tired of the views and adventures there.

Chocolate Hills

The Blood Compact Shrine

Bamboo Hanging Bridge

Danao Adventure Park

Loboc River Cruise

Tarsier Sanctuary

Loboc Man-Made Forest

Hinagdanan Cave

Bohol Bee Farm

Boracay

Known as the Bone-shaped Island. It is packed with tourists during summer. There are a lot of activities that you could do there. Boracay Island has more than a dozen beaches and many coves. The most famous and popular  boracay beach is the almost four kilometres long White Beach, which has been named several times as one of the best beaches in the world. Most of the foreign tourists who had been here have made Boracay their yearly destination. Others have chosen to live on this haven. While the fine white sand beaches and the crystal clear cool  waters of Boracay Island provide the main attraction, the possibilities for pleasure and adventure in this enchanting paradise are as seemingly endless.

Low tide and sunset

Parasailing 

Jet Skiing

Scuba diving

I've been to a lot more places in Visayas but I won't include them anymore here.

- Alessandra Romanillos