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Category: Travel, travels

ROCK & ROLL @SUMAGUING CAVE

December 5, 2012

Here’s one for the books. No, I wouldn’t call it spelunking. Not even caving per se. In my book, it’s pure and simple curiosity and blind courage that found me at the mouth of SUMAGUING Cave in Sagada one late afternoon and mindlessly saying “yes” to this adventure. After all, so many of my young blogger-friends have blogged about it. So, I was naturally curious. AND ….. adequately challenged. 😊

The Descent.

Directional Sign to Sumaguing Cave

I’ve been to many caves and had my fill of stalagmites and stalactites. You can say I didn’t have much by way of expectations. My only concern is to get out of it before nightfall as it was already 4pm when we began our descent. James, our guide, looked nonchalant seeing there’s a not-so-young adventurer in his group of 5 pax. I looked around and concluded I must be among the oldest, if not THE oldest, with the curious lot of caving enthusiasts that late afternoon.

Interior Shot. Traffic Inside the Sumaguing Cave! Sagada.

That headlamp was a brilliant (pun intended) idea!

The cave was packed with youngsters who shared the same not-so-brilliant idea with us to spend the long weekend in Sagada. The crowd meant long waits as the group of descending first-timers wait for a line making way to climb up and out of the cave. The extended waits made me rethink my intentions. And as I pondered, I knew this was more a challenge rather than a sightseeing adventure. One look at our guide James competently balancing a lamp between his thigh and left hand while offering his right hand to me, and I knew I just had to get this over and done with.

More Traffic Down Below, Inside the Sumaguing Cave.

Getting All Muddied Up Inside Sagada’s Sumaguing Cave

I was ready. With a headlight and gloves, I made my way down. The initial descent was over slippery rocks. I felt more confident when we did away with footwear, gripped our soles over rocks around pools of water, and slowly, carefully dipped our toes, then our entire legs in cold waters. All the while, I refrained from asking James how much further we should go let I lose heart. I knew the options were quite limited. James had to go with the group and should I choose not to continue, it’s either I go with another group climbing out or I wait for our team. Besides, I was actually growing confident myself, even excited!

No Way To Go But Barefoot Inside Sumaguing Cave

A Natural Beauty @ Sumaguing Cave

This rock cavern gave me a most memorable souvenir when I stubbed my big toe as I nearly slipped climbing up. It was nearly 7pm by the time we got out of the cave. But that was not really the exciting part. Nor was climbing up a rope. From the cave bottom, our guide James positioned himself in a way where he can actually pull us up with one hand through huge rocks a la Jackie Chan. I grabbed his hand, made big strides up and over the rocks but couldn’t pull myself over! Knowing James couldn’t hold my full weight, I didn’t waste more seconds. One hand held by James, I straddled my left leg over the rock and……… ROLLED! Oh yes, even James wasn’t sure what I was doing! But….. I made it.

Yee Haw! I made it!

Now, Where’s the rest of my group? (Lost Inside Sumaguing Cave)

ROCK AND ROLL, indeed! Surely, that made my day. Aching calf, thigh muscles and sore shoulders, the pain remained long after my uber-dirty, muddied clothes were washed and dried. Oh my, what was I thinking then???

Close Up Shot. Inside Sumaguing Cave.

Cold waters inside the Sumaging Cave

Cold. Slippery. At times, Slimy.

Tags: Mountain Province, Philippines, Sagada, Spelunking, SUMAGUING Cave

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WAIT TILL THE SHOE LADY DIES……

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 4 Comments

November 20, 2012

I know. I know. Sounds morbid. Even cruel. But can’t help thinking THAT while walking the “streets” within the hallowed grounds of La Loma, North and Chinese Cemeteries in Manila.

The architect/tour guide mentioned how Evita Peron’s grave in Recoleta Cemetery draws in millions of tourists and yield tourism moolah for Argentina. Yes, Evita of that Broadway musical fame. The same lovely lady who married Juan Peron just a year before Juan became President of Argentina. The same lady who tried to run as Vice President of the same South American nation.

Evita. Don’t you feel like breaking out to sing “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”? That musical has forever etched this Argentinian First Lady into our minds and pop culture. Many believe she’s the inspiration for a local ex-First Lady who similarly held political posts while the husband was President. The latter has inspired many comedy acts and invariably, the plays emphasized her flamboyant lifestyle and alleged “obsession” with shoes. Given the flamboyance displayed in these urban cemeteries, the architect/tour guide is spot on when he quipped “Wait till xxxxx dies……”.

Some of those mausoleums are even bigger than village churches I’ve been to. Really, in death as in life….. the disparity between rich and poor is very evident. The affluent within high society made sure their family names are immortalized in the “city of the dead”. Spanning many hectares of land, I am amazed to find how vast these cemetery parks are. I visited 3 in a day. La Loma, North and Chinese Cemeteries. Each deserving to have their stories told.

Even now, these cemeteries are drawing in tourists. It is just lamentable that the authorities are unable to deal with the squatting problem. If you ask me, these squatters have grown out of control. The very reason why I didn’t have the courage to “tour” on my own. I joined a tour organized by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines and was only too happy to have the brilliant Architect Manuel Noche and the hilarious, ever-energetic Ivan Man Dy walk us through history as we walked around the mounds and mausoleums, some of which are as high as 3 storeys.

Watch this page for sequels!

Tags: Imelda, Imelda Marcos, La Loma, Manila Cemeteries, North Cemetery, Shoe Lady

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WHY WE PHOTOGRAPH

Filed under: Travel, travels — 3 Comments

October 31, 2012

In this day and age, photography has taken hold of nearly every young adult’s life. DLSR or P&S, a camera slung on someone’s neck has now become part of the wardrobe. One photo — which I’m borrowing from the Net — speaks volumes about everyday life now.

We take photos of places we’ve visited, restos we’ve dined in, food we’ve eaten, celebrities we’ve seen, or just about anything or anyone we found interesting. “Found interesting?” —- OR very candidly, something we wanted to share with others. “Something we wanted to share……?” — or quite honestly, something we wanted OTHERS to know about us. 😃😀😊

Social networking like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. render it almost obligatory to “document” our everyday activity. Our circle of friends et al get updated with our not-so-private lives through our status updates and photos we post. In my time, we wrote on our diaries. Now, some of us BLOG. Still others feel free and absolutely unrestricted with the ways they wish to express themselves. Then as in now, we were provided ways to express ourselves. But the rules have changed. What we wrote on our diaries then stayed a secret. These days, what we blog is available to everyone including strangers. Same Same, but different.

Whatever the reasons or motivations, I’m happy I don’t have to shell out a big chunk to get my films developed. I’m glad I need not scrimp on my shots, that i can in fact “experiment”, and that a bad shot can so easily be dismissed with one click. I’m overjoyed that I can do my “diaries” complete with photos that make them great memory aids! And that I can even share them with others. Really, isn’t it amazing we can do all these things now?

Sure, there are those who really go overboard. The camwhores who truly think others are genuinely interested in them, what they do, and how they look. (Yeah, forget the VIEW, just check out my jumpshot!) Or they are exhibitionist-wannabes. As for moí, I need my memory aids. That, plus I do love it that I continue to learn something new. For someone who has not had a camera until her early 30’s, you can say I’m a late-bloomer. After all, self-expression is available to everyone of all ages.

Tags: camwhoring, digicam, Instagram, instaphotos, Photography, photos, Travels

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Siri Series: PACO PARK

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 8 Comments

October 29, 2012

Another one of those afternoons. No cams. Not even a Point & Shoot. Just Siri and Me. Just another hour to “waste”. So here we are, revisiting Paco Park. That lovely, tiny, circular chapel. And the cemetery that could have, SHOULD HAVE earned more attention, respect and recognition other than as a popular wedding venue. 😦

I confess to my own ignorance too. Not that I lacked interest. More like I truly feel there is something grievously wrong about how our history has been written and our own education and school system. Whatever I know of Philippine history, I gained from the books I bought and read. What I learned from school hardly went beyond Rizal’s martyrdom. Let’s admit this. Many history lessons stopped with Magellan’s death courtesy of Lapu-Lapu (so, what happened to Lapu Lapu after? Any guess?), or with Rizal’s martyrdom in Bagumbayan (where was our national hero interred following the 1896 execution?). Or how many Philippine heroes can you name and how much do we know of each? If we hardly know Rizal our national hero, I do not expect we can say much of Bonifacio, Mabini, Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora.

For some, if not many, it would come as a surprise that the 3 martyred priests are actually buried here. It may even surprise some that their execution in 1872 inspired our national hero to write El Filibusterismo.. Today, this marker may not spark as much enthusiasm and evoke much significance among many locals. How sad.

Circling the same Paco Park, a patch of land bears another marker. This is the very spot where our national hero was SECRETLY buried soon after the December 30, 1896 execution in Bagumbayan. Zoom in on that marker to know more! 😉

Tags: Manila, Paco Cemetery, Paco Chapel, Paco Park, Philippines, Siri

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Baluarte de San Diego: Reflections of Long Ago

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 2 Comments

October 28, 2012

We didn’t plan on being here. We met for early lunch hoping to simply chat the afternoon away. But why not chat while driving around Intramuros, much like those joy rides we used to enjoy when we were kids?

Then the calesa passed right in front of us. It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon and those riders didn’t seem to mind the heat nor the sun. Well, it wasn’t particularly hot this afternoon. Pleasant enough to get off the car and walk into Baluarte de San Diego here in Intramuros. It’s a better option than the more open spaces in Fort Santiago. More shady trees too.

For only 75 pesos (less than US$2), one can get in to enjoy the “park with some history”. There were kids running around with their dog in the shady part of the Baluarte. Not many tourists. Many of them must be in Fort Santiago or San Agustin Church and Monastery. Yet this is one of the oldest stone fortifications in the whole length of the Intramuros walls.

The old stone steps lead up to the walls from where one views this circular stone formation, the length of the walls, and the Manila Hotel and other modern skycrapers surrounding the walled city. I remember being here years back when I attended a wedding of a friend’s daughter where I stood as sponsor. I would have wanted to walk atop the walls, but my long gown got in the way 🙂 Today, there is no such restriction.

Will someone please tell me how these circular stone formations were used? Surely, the good Jesuit priest who designed it back in the 16th century had some purpose in mind. I mean, I do know they’re there to defend the walled city but my simple mind can’t understand the many circular formations. From what I gather, this part of the Walls went into disrepair and were in fact only rediscovered in the 70s. Forgive my ignorance, but I’m most certainly eager to know how that circular design work.

These days, the Baluarte (Baluarte means bastion or fortification) is more popular as a wedding reception venue. I wish it could be more than that. The place has so much history and is, in fact, a lovely “park” which children would enjoy. The only drawback is it could be really hot during summer here. I sure hope the Intramuros Administration consider late afternoon and dusk tours here and around Intramuros. It will require some investment in good lighting and better security, but I’m sure tourists and even locals would enjoy the place better as the day approaches sunset and at night. Play some good music too (like in Paco Chapel and Cemetery) and you’d turn the Baluarte more magical!

Tags: Baluarte, Baluarte de San Diego, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, Walled City

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Hidalgo and Luna: “Genius Has No Country”

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 1 Comment

Such distinguished Filipinos. Estoy. Muy. Orgullosa! I. Am. Very. Proud. As were the Filipinos then based in Madrid who celebrated these Masters’ victories as Gold and Silver Medalists in the 1884 Madrid Arts Exposition. For Juan Luna, his Spoliarium earned him a Gold Medal. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo earned his Silver for his “Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho” (The Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace), which showed a bunch of boorish looking males mocking semi-naked female slaves. A copy of this painting now hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. The original was destroyed in a fire at the University of Valladolid in Spain. A pity.

Juan Luna’s Spoliarium

I visited the National Art Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of the Philippines on separate occasions. Just a couple of days apart. I had the rare chance to stand in the middle of the Hall of Masters all by my lonesome self. And to get really close to Luna’s Spoliarium. My iPhone came in handy, though the shots could be better. Por supuesto! But ain’t complaining. I love how I can walk around unburdened by a camera slung around my neck.

Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo’s “Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace”

They had more restrictions at the Metropolitan Museum though. No photography allowed. Not even if you promise not to use flash. (Photo shown here was sourced from the Net. thank you, Google) Same restrictions apply in the Ayala Museum where a guard gently reminded me of such restrictions when I whipped out my iPhone in front of an Edades painting. I’m not complaining but it behooves me why different rules apply. In the case of Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins, I wasn’t even allowed to get within a couple of meters from the copy of this masterpiece. Yes, a copy. Yet, I was allowed to snap close-up shots of the original Spoliarium by Luna.

Close Up Shot of Luna’s Spoliarium. National Art Gallery.

These 2 obra maestros by Luna and Hidalgo bagged Gold and Silver Medals in the 1884 Madrid Arts Exposition. A victory celebrated by Filipino patriots then based in Madrid, to include our very own Dr. Jose Rizal. The venue for the victory banquet still stands today in Madrid, in Echegarray Street just a few strolls from Puerta del Sol. In this banquet, our national hero — who’s said not to have eaten the whole day for lack of funds — gave more than a toast to honor Luna and Hidalgo. More like a speech. A speech so full of bravado and spunk, where Rizal frontally attacked the religious establishment. Perhaps a preview of the Padre Damasos and Padre Silvas in his Noli Me Tangere. If you ever get to Madrid, do check out Hotel Ingles and “stand proud” as forefathers did. And while you’re there, be sure to visit Rizal’s other favorite haunts.

Hotel Ingles. Echegarray Street, just a few strolls from Puerta del Sol. Madrid.

If you haven’t been following my Madrid Blog Series, let me leave you with this excerpt from Rizal’s impromptu speech at the Hotel Ingles victory banquet. My man. Truly, Rizal’s Filipino pride shone through.

“Luna and Hidalgo are as much Spanish glories as they are Filipino. Just as they were born in the Philippines, they could have been born in Spain, because genius has no country, genius blossoms everywhere, genius is like the light, the air, it is the heritage of all”

Tags: Hidalgo, Hotel Ingles, Luna, Manila, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, National Art Gallery, Rizal, Spoliarium

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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE AFRICAN SAFARI

Filed under: Africa, Travel, travels — 6 Comments

September 11, 2012

I’m back. One short to make the Big 5. The leopard was a no-show. But the giraffes, zebras and many antelopes more than made up for the leopard’s absence.

Game! I was happy and content until I reviewed a blog written by my friend Shane Dallas a.k.a. Travel Camel. Shane did his first safari years back and has since gone back to the less beaten paths in Africa. You can say I’m the newbie where Shane has gone on to pursue other dimensions of travel adventures.

I may have seen enough zebras in Entabeni Private Game Reserve. BUT they were all COMMON zebras. Not the Grevy’s Zebras with white bellies and thinner stripes. I was awed by the regal giraffes with their elegant necks and luscious eyelashes, but not one I sighted was the reticulated giraffes Shane has blogged about. The ones we found in Entabeni had brown “splotches” while the reticulated giraffes have finer and more defined skin patterns. Spot the difference, if you will.

Our very first Rhino!

The rhino we sighted was the white rhino. White not because of it skin color, but WIDE lipped rhinos. Compare this with the hook lipped BLACK rhino. Smaller in size, but different. More rare, they say.

The Rare Black Rhino

And then there are the antelopes. Many impalas. Some elands. But no kudus with their spiral horns. Another friend (whose kudu photo i borrowed) suggests we do a national park next time. More animals, more natural, she says. Well, I guess there’s no “perfect safari”. There are some safari animals indigenous to a certain place. Like the springboks are indigenous to South Africa’s Western Cape while the Grevy’s zebras are nowhere to be found in Entabeni. But that’s fine. There’s always a next visit. 🙂

Kudus. I only met you on a dinner plate but NOT in person 😦

Elands. Looking like they just had their sumptuous dinner.

“Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all.”

Brian Jackman (2004 Travel Writer of Year )

Tags: Africa, African Safari, Big 5, Game Reserve, Giraffes, Safari, Wildlife Parks, Zebra

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The Rock: Soaking in Sweat In Corregidor

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 3 Comments

September 10, 2012

About time we bring the kids to the Island of Corregidor. The guided tour to this historic island is among the best. Cheerful guides, a good transport system — 1 hour 15 minutes by hover ferry and then the trams called tranvia to tour you around the tadpole-shaped island — and a 3 hour tour packed with history lessons.

Sun Cruises Terminal is right between the Folk Arts Theatre and the Coconut Palace in the CCP Complex.

It’s hard to miss the Sun Cruise Terminal in the CCP Complex. Just tell the cab driver it is between the Folk Arts Center and the Coconut Palace in this reclamation area. Be sure to be there well before the 8am departure time. Worry not about missing breakfast. We took ours there. That is, if you don’t mind a Sabrett hotdog for brekkie.

Inside the Ferry, on the upper deck, is a store where you can buy breakfast fare.

Sunscreen, shades, hat. There are umbrellas inside the tranvia which you can use whenever you step off to view the sites. Just remember this is a memorial. Where many gallant men died defending our country from Japanese forces. If you don’t care to listen to the guide’s history lessons, at least wait for her to finish her spiel before you start camwhoring. Also, do try to tone down your voice. What is it about us, anyway? I feel really sorry that many of our kababayans don’t seem to have much interest in our history, much less accord the necessary respect for our patriots who died here. So sad.

Tranvias or Trams.

Map of the Tadpole-Shaped Corregidor Island. There’s the Topside, Middleside and Bottomside.

While only 48 Kms west of Manila, it is considered part of Cavite City. Corregidor, along with the tinier Caballo Island which is only 2 Kms away, partially blocks the entrance to Manila Bay and is thus very strategic in the naval defense of the capital city. Since Sangley Point is located in Cavite City, it made sense to have this island under the administration of this tiny city.

There goes the tranvia or tram which is found waiting for you as you disembark from the ferry to whisk you around the Island.

The walk through history included the Topside where the headquarters, barracks and bulk of the batteries were located. The Middleside houses the hospital and more barracks while the Bottomside connects the “head” and the “tail” of this fortress island. The Malinta Tunnel with its labyrinth of passageways is found here. So called because the place was swarming with “linta” (leeches) then. Today, the Tunnel is home to a Light and Sound presentation designed by National Artist Lamberto Avellana. For an additional P150 fee, one is transported back to that time during the Second World War when Corregidor was the last stronghold of the joint Phil-Am military forces fighting against the Japanese Imperial Army. Much like the Gibraltar of the Orient.

The Headquarters. Iconic landmark of Corregidor Island.

In sweltering heat, we walked towards the Dome of Valor. A bronze monument of a Filipino and American soldier greets the visitors before this parachute-inspired structure behind which lies the Eternal Flame of Freedom. The whole structure honors the gallant men who sacrificed their lives. Sacred grounds deserving of RESPECT. (I won’t go into that again…. But you get the drift)

Dome of Valor, behind which lies the Eternal Flame.

Story goes that every May 6, around noon, the sun casts a light right through the dome’s center where an altar dedicated to American and Filipino soldiers is located. May 6 happens to be the date when General Wainwright surrendered the island fortress to the Japanese. Another story is that the nearby pre-war movie theatre — Cine Corregidor, now in ruins — had “Gone With the Wind” as the last movie shown. At the time we visited, it looks like some restoration work is ongoing. Hopefully, the theater can be restored soon to warrant another visit.

Cine Corregidor. Now undergoing renovation/restoration work.

The tour ends with lunch at the Corregidor Inn’s La Playa Restaurant. Lunch is likewise included in the P2,200 ferry and tour package. We took ours after the visit to Malinta Tunnel and the Lighthouse. All told, it’s good value for money. Especially if you have Estela Cordova for a guide. If only it wasn’t soooo HOT. I wonder if it ever gets cooler here. You see, Corregidor is actually part of the caldera of a now dormant volcano. NOT EXTINCT, but dormant. Like Mount Pinatubo. But unlike Pinatubo which was dormant for a hundred years before its 1991 eruption, Corregidor has been dormant for a million years. 🙂

The Lighthouse. Check out those latitudes!

Inside Malinta Tunnel. Light and Sound Show for an additional P150.

Visible is Caballo Island, just some kms away.

Tags: Cavite, Corregidor, Day Trip from Manila, Sun Cruise, World War II

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Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?

Filed under: Africa, Travel, travels — 2 Comments

Only 42 then, Dr. Livingstone was a Scottish missionary and explorer whose claim to fame includes being the first European to discover Victoria Falls in 1855. He was also a witness to a massacre of African slaves, prompting a meeting between him and H. Stanley of the New York Herald. In that 1869 meeting, Stanley was quoted to have asked “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”. The question is tinged with humor because Livingstone was the only white face amidst a group of Africans. The quotation likewise gave rise to a song of the same title back in 1968. Obviously, Dr. Livingstone cannot easily be forgotten in this land where a town, a Museum and a hotel, among others, were named after him.

Mosi-oa-Tunya (Tokaleya Tonga: the Smoke that Thunders; the ‘i’ is silent). “Discovered” by Dr. Livingstone in 1855.

But this blog is not about the man. This is about the Royal Livingstone Hotel right by the Eastern Cataract of the majestic Victoria Falls. To visit Livingstone Island, one takes a short boat ride from the Sundeck of this 5 star hotel. Fabulous is one word to describe this hotel. From the Sundeck, to the poolside, to the porch and breakfast nook, to the sprawling garden overlooking the “smoke that thunders”, one is tempted to swear that a single visit ain’t enough.

A boat ride from the Sundeck of Royal Livingstone Hotel will take you to the Livingstone Island where you can walk to the edge of the cliff or swim in Devil’s Pool right by the edge.

This is the Sundeck. During the wet season, the “mist” is more dramatically visible complete with the sound of the waterfalls.

Drinking by the porch or in the Sundeck is a must. I can just imagine how misty it gets during the wet season. A friend told me she’d never forget the sound of the gushing waters from the Falls while sipping her drink in this hotel. Quite an experience, I must say.

Poolside. Royal Livingstone Hotel. Eastern Cataract of Victoria Falls. Zambia.

Colonial-inspired Royal Livingstone Hotel. Its sister-hotel, the Zambezi Sun Hotel has a more African and resort- theme.

It would be a dream to actually stay in this hotel and be served your breakfast in this very colonial-inspired dining parlor. Or perhaps enjoy your sundowner from the hotel bar while listening to good music. Would they play “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” . I bet!

Breakfast Nook in Royal Livingstone Hotel

Feels and looks very exclusive.

So, would you stay here the next time you visit? “Sam” is waiting. (He just migrated from Morocco to Zambia).

Play it again, Sam.

Tags: Africa, Livingstone, Royal Livingstone Hotel, Zambia

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NEVER FAIL TO READ THE SIGNS IN AFRICA

Filed under: Africa, Travel, travels — 3 Comments

September 4, 2012

If there’s something I learned not to miss here in Africa, it’s reading the signs. Oh sure, mind those signs. It can save your life!

BE WARNED! No wonder we had to sign so many waivers.

Funny. Amusing. Or scary? Having signed so many WAIVERS here, it becomes nearly obligatory to mind those signs. You don’t find much of them anywhere else.

Baboons really scare me. Reminds me of their my scary episode with their cousins in Kathmandu, Nepal.

This got me off that tempting bench by the river. In a heartbeat!

So, before you claim an empty bench and relax with a frothy hot cocoa, READ. For all the dangers they pose, I must say though that those signs are nearly inconspicuous.