La Mesa Eco Park

     

          

It's a date with nature, our weekend theme as we visited the La Mesa Eco Park located right in the heart of the city. In spite of the insanely polluted environment of the city, there's this place were you can be surrounded by tall trees and breathe fresh air! Eco Park is located in Quezon City with its aim to promote the greens even in the busiest parts of the country. 

Butterfly Haven

Swimming pool

                     

Souvenir Shops

                         

                               

Bike rentals

Amphitheater

As you can see the above above pictures, there are tons of activities to do in La Mesa Park. They also have zip lining, boating and a place for picnics to enjoy with your friends and family. We mostly did the walking though because what I really wanted was just to enjoy it as organic as it is; to walk its pavements, breathe fresh air, indulge in the sights around me in a relaxed state. And boy, the simplest things indeed are the best things.

Miniforest

Games

Foods

Foods are available for cheap yet it will definitely satisfy your tastebuds! We had a simple barbecue rice served on top of a banana leaf. My friend had lomi as we were rained over during our visit. Both priced for less than a hundred pesos, it had made our tummies full and happy. 

Going to the water reserve

This is the stairs that leads you to the La Mesa Dam Reservoir. Taking pictures ain't allowed in this area so just look forward to your actual visit for the grand sight of the dam. 

We were rained on

As I enjoyed our walk in Eco Park, I can"t help but wonder how it will be had we preserved the greens around the busy cities as well. Had we planted more trees, we could have been having the best of both worlds; Nature and technology combined.

Antipolo Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Antipolo, commonly called as Antipolo Cathedral, had been our next itinerary in our road adventure in Rizal. Clad with its rich heritage, this church is more than 450 years old!

What makes it so special is that it is the first church erected in Antipolo, it is also the home of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage; the reason why Antipolo has been known as the pilgrimage city. They say the virgin mother blesses you with safe travels. OFW's and tourists as well as locals take time to pay a visit, specially during Christmas, where you can totally feel the holiday spirit during the mass.  

You will be left mesmerized by the  history of place. Try and climb the stairs at the back to reach the statue of Our Lady, it brings total peace and serenity to every pilgrim. And as you back home, never forget to buy their delicacies!  Talk about suman, kasoy, and kalamay, all available in the small stores nearby. This church is a must visit every time in this city.  A place of meditation, reflection and offered prayers for guidance and safety, if you're going on a long trip!

Angono Petroglyphs

  Itching to take my 2 wheels for another ride, I embarked on visiting one of the great spots (IMO) to peek on weekends, the Angono Petroglyphs.

Let's see what I found!

 

Located in the rear recesses of a shallow cave in Binangonan, it is believed to be the oldest rock art inscription in our country, dating back to the Neolithic period.

Carved in rock formation, it holds a collection of 127 figural carvings engraved on the walls of a shallow cave. 

     

It's like entering a different era as we indulged ourselves on the rock drawings. Experts have been deliberating on whether the art are symbolic representation of the culture or if it is medicinal and religious as ancestors are said to have carved these in order to transfer the sickness of their children onto the limestone wall. For travelers craving for adventure with a touch of history, this place is definitely worth seeing!

Make Marilaque safe agin unity ride

Pls support for the safety of the motorcycle riding community

In memoriam

Today is the 36th death aniversary of Ninoy Aquino

photo credit to Inquirer.net

Riding with Jet Lee and Des Buncio

Sensational riders  from Cebu, Jet Lee and Des Buncio, meet and greet at Shell Pugon along Marcos highway last July 30th, Tuesday. We arrived at around      6:30 am, and many riders waited patiently.

Riders from different biker groups gathered together to be with Jet and Des on a fun ride to Marilaque.

Jet Lee arrived around 9 am, and received a warm welcome from fellow riders.

Des Buncio with a fellow rider

Jet Lee and Des Buncio gave their time taking pictures and giving out stickers to their fellow bike enthusiasts.

Jet and her KTM bike

The group took off to Marilaque at around 10am, good thing it stopped raining during the ride.

First destination is going to BNK cafe along Marilaque highway at Sampaloc, Tanay Rizal. 

Jet greeted by restaurant staffs

BNK offers delicious meals at an affordable price

After eating, they headed out going to Jariel's peak. The event was a succesful one, everyone had fun meeting and riding with lady riders Jet Lee and Des Buncio.

Visiting the Lion Head

The Lion's Head, situated along the renowned sharp curves in Kennon Road, has been one of  the tourists' and travelers' popular stop overs when they visit Baguio.It's worth to take an extra mile to see it though, and have some souvenir pics as what we did when we has a motorcycle road trip last month.

We took Mac Arthur Highway getting there and rerouted to Kennon Road just to have a peek (and pic!) of the famous Lion's Head. Look up, ain't it worth it to have your pics beside the 40 feet towering statue!

The glimpse of the natural landscapes along the road is also a sight to behold! Souvenir shops can be found within the area as well. 

It's just a 15 minute drive from the heart of the city; with its cool breezy weather, it's nice to stop by, take pics and stroll.

Driving via 2 wheels is quite a task, specially when you go to places like Baguio. But reaching your destination and seeing these tourist spots, a new and refreshed feeling will manifest and you's grasp that it's all worth the trip. So, next time you're in Baguio, don't forget tovisit this landmark! 

Buying pasalubong going home from Baguio

We took a  250 plus km road trip to Baguio riding on my Yamaha FZ. Let's charge it to the adventurous side of us, not having enough time, yet took the plunge and stayed overnight, then went back as we're bound to our int'l flights to what -- yes, you got it right, to work as we all need to.
Passing along Marcos highway was exciting as we find lots of stores for last minute shopping (you know how it is to enjoy the place so much you forget to buy pasalubongs? Nothing to worry about it, the stores are everywhere!

Now, for the tidbits of what we chose to buy and what we found as well; first: the items, what are they? They have peanut brittle, lengua de gato, Ilocos cornicks, among others. You'd find a lot more like vegetables and fruits, some key chains and other memorabilia but our family have the sweet tooth so we opted to focus on food.

Never underestimate the stalls along this highway, it's basically a one stop shop and you'd find almost every pasalubong that'd suit your family and friends' taste.

So the next time you happen to visit Baguio, do indulge in the moment. Experience the sights and take lots of pictures; feel and breath the fresh spring air breeze, and don't forget to check out the stalls along the highway just in case you got carried away and missed some pasalubong for your loved ones! Don't worry, be happy, because life is too short not to be, blessings!

Lobster meal in Camden Maine

My last assignment working as an RN in a skilled nursing facility was in Camden, Maine USA. It's famous for its lobsters; and enticed with the restaurant slogan, I just had to have a taste of Maine - and lobster it is!

I treated myself  in one of the local restaurant that serves whole-steamed lobster - freshly taken out of the aquarium - nice! 

After satisfying my growling stomach, this is my honest review.

The price: It costs around 25 dollars, served with your choice of side dish. I had french fries and freshly-baked bread. It's reasonable enough considering how lobsters are priced these days. Taste: I am always honest in all the reviews that I make, an obligation to the readers who may plan, at one time or another, to visit Maine and taste their famous lobsters. i think cooking lobster is an art. Whether it be boiled or steamed, timing is everything to be able to bring out their best taste. Am not to judge as I haven't seen the process of how they cooked it, so, let's just say it wasn't my lucky day (or the cook needed more inspiration). It tasted average,not as I expected it to be. I'd give them a tip: lobsters have harder shells during the winter, requiring more time for cooking, and softer shells in summertime which requires less time of cooking.Overall,  I gave it a 6/10 rating. 

Best Tonkatsu ever...

Eating authentic Japan gourmet was like shooting the moon; until this day, when I was able to visit the country and have my wish granted , one I thought would take like forever. Finally, it has become a reality, yes!

Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish of pork cutlet coated in flaky panko or breadcrumbs then deep-fried. It is usually served with yellow mustard and a thick tonkatsu sauce. It has a sweet and tangy flavor.

Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish with astounding international appeal, primarily because of its use of high-quality japanese ingredients. I was in awe watching the chef prepare and cook the food right in front of you. Tea is served while you wait for your order. You may also request for water depending on your preference.

Savoring a  few bites of the pork, and heaven! The meat literally melts in your mouth, so tender and very tasty. Add that with a very warm and friendly atmosphere. 

This is so far the best  Tonkatsu dinner I have ever had. It just costed me 20 dollars for the meal. Hopefully I can get to try out some of the other restaurants there the next time I visit.   

What can I say with the whole experience? I would vouch that it's worth your travel and your money to visit Japan and realize for yourself how their dishes really taste like. The courteousness of everybody serving you is the reason why the Japanese "Omotenashi" word came up. As for that one, it's another story hahaha! Put this on your bucket list! It's worth every penny I assure you!

Hotel Veniz in Baguio

Driving from Manila to Baguio on two wheels is one of the essentials in my bucket list. And finally, I was able to do it! You read it right, I did it using my Yamaha Fz 16 motorcycle. It was a 200 plus km ride which I will be posting soon.This is just parts of  what we've encountered in the journey. And one is a place to stay as we arrived in Baguio. We chose this hotel called "Hotel Veniz", located in the heart of the city.

As we approached the information in the lobby, we were told of the available rooms they have at the moment. They said that they can show us the rooms first to help us in deciding which one suits us.

We finally chose a twin bedroom. It's originally priced at 1,700 pesos but they offer a discount of 300 pesos that week, so we just paid 1,400 pesos for the night. 

The room was spacious and we were satisfied with its price. We joined the beds and it's like having a queen-sized bed as their bed size is wider than the usual single beds, it was a treat!  The parking was wide enough and was located at the basement of the hotel.

a view of the city

A buffet complimentary breakfast is served from 6am till 10 am. The food was very good and satisfying, it'll surely make you full and ready for the busy day of sightseeing!

And just to inform you, rooms are all non smoking rooms. They have a fine of php 500.00 for cleaning fee if the room smells of  cigarette smoke upon check out.

a restaurant is open to serve you onnthe 2nd floor

Hotel Veniz is a small but decent hotel in the heart of Baguio. I would definitely recommend it and would personally go back here again, not only for its price but also for the good service this hotel provides.  I give it a 7/10 score!