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