Calinawan cave

Located in Tandang Katyo of Tanay, Rizal Calinawan Cave is a natural multi-layered cave that was said to have been discovered in 1901. It had served as a shelter of guerilla warriors during the Philippine-American War and the Japanese during World War II. 

The passageway through the cave was narrow and the caving system has 7 layers. The first 2 layers is the "Easy Trail", a 150 meter walk while the 3-5 layers, are the "Hard Trail", and will involve a lot of crawling. The 6-7 layers would be difficult to traverse, and takes about 7 days to finish; they are permanently inaccessible, from when the tunnels were bombed by Japanese soldiers. These trails lead to Montalban, Rizal. Its name is derived from the word "linaw", meaning clear, as apt as to what took place in history because it's the place where the Japanese and the Americans settled their disputes. 

The entrance fee costs 40 pesos while it will take another 200 pesos for tour guide. It was a challenge to take a hike on these trails, the sight of the stalactites and stalagmites are something to look forward to; Having a tour guide is also helpful as it will give you a deeper insights on the rich history that happened in this cave. They also explained how the stalactites and stalagmites are formed. The natural reserve and the mystery inside a cave as enormous are one of the wonders in the history of our country that has left a trail that we can take a peek to from time to time. 

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!