Summer Get-away I Cant Forget
A year ago, we were privileged to book a cheaper flight to Boracay. Having been there before any of my companions, I was in-charge of our accommodation. I booked it at Boracay Courtyard, a sister company of La Carmela de Boracay. It's not fronting the white sand beach but we are allowed to hang out at La Carmela which is fronting the shore. Amenities of La Carmela are also free for use including their swimming pool. So its like we were booked in La Carmela and just paying half the price.Our accommodation already includes meals, from breakfast until dinner.
Seeing the long stretch of white beach already excites me. Being a beach bum myself nothing satisfies me but seeing the blue skies, white sand and the calm seas right in front of my eyes. The sand are really fine, Cebu may have white sand beach but the fineness of Boracay's sand is different.
We've walked the three kilometers of white sand beach for almost three days without signs of getting tired of seeing the same thing. Everyday the sun would set and everyday we look forward to seeing it. I just envy the locals, for having such a beautiful place to wake up to everyday single day. How I wish to live here all my life.
The Enchanting Place of Mambukal
Its in the heart of
Negros mountain range,
Mambukal Resort is surrounded by volcanic vents, thick rain forest and hot springs. Its approximately with
Mt. Canlaon can explain why volcanic vents are everywhere in the area, even the house that we rented smells like rotten eggs because of the smoke it emits.
The place is enchanting. It seems it has a life of its own. We had a trek to the seventh falls (
the final falls) with small ones on the way. The terrain was difficult, there are times that you have to climb using the roots of the trees, there are parts that the terrain is slippery or the current of the water we are passing is so strong. But having reach the last falls was rewarding. We had a dip on its icy cold waters to soothe our achy feet for at least two hours of trekking.
After our falls adventure, we tried to relax in the hot spring. And it is really, really hot. Took out all the stress that we had for that day. The most interesting part is while you're relaxing in the hot springs, the bats are flying overhead. Bats are everywhere even before the sun sets. And they are very nice to look at, given that we seldom see bats in the city.
The place can be reach riding a bus to the transcentral Hi-way going Dumaguete from Bacolod and when you're at the intersection going to
Mambukal you can ride a motorcycle. I'm not sure about the fare though since we went there on board a private vehicle.
Getting ready for Summer
It's February and I'm starting to feel the summer heat! Another busy time for me as I plot my summer get-away. No excuses to stay at home and keeping a fair skin tone because its time to get some tan!
Here are some reminders before we go out and enjoy the summer sun:
1.
Never leave the house without a sunblock. Just a misconception about sunblocks, it doesn't keep your fair skin tone, but it just protects you from the UV rays, that is harmful. But anyway, I really don't care much about being fair skinned in the first place, because TAN is in! :D
2.
Drink lots of water. Avoid dehydration and its one way of keeping our skin healthy.
3.
Wear your sunglasses. It protects you from the sun's harmful rays and at the same time lessen crow's feet or wrinkles near the eyes. (Remember, when its to bright we tend to close our eyes, causing some wrinkles in the eyes, and doing this frequently causes crow's feet at an early age)
4.
Loose clothing. Nobody wants to feel uncomfortable in a very classy cloth. So leave those ill fitting clothes and wear clothes that feel comfortable, short short, spaghetti straps and tube tops are alright as long as you don't look slutty...
5.
Slippers. Or if you are in a white sand beach, barefoot. Its comfortable, and having the sand underneath those tired feet can exfoliate and gets rid of those dead skin.
6.
A Camera. How else can you share and keep those memories of a great summer get-away than taking a picture of it! Glad that I just got my new camera just in time for summer.... :D
Have fun under the sun!
Snorkeling at km45
Its 45 kilometer north of Cebu and it will take one to two hours to travel. Its a private resort owned by a relative and a family friend. It is exclusive but there are times when they allow a friend's friend to use the place.
Like most beach in the vicinity, its below a cliff and has a rocky terrain. Though the place has been flattened and covered with white sand.
I've since how the place has developed through time. Five years ago, it only has 3 nipa huts, a dirty kitchen, an open shower and a rest room. Now it has a house on top of the cliff an extra 2 rooms and another dirty kitchen still on the top part of the property.
The seabed used to be barren and very seldom that marine life is spotted. But the last time I visited the place it was full of life. Soft corals are seen everywhere and school of fish are rampant. Life under the water has been very interesting for me, that at one time I proposed to my friend (
daughter of the owner and at the same time a biology graduate) to get a profile of the marine species that can be seen in the area. And see the development of their number through time. It really was overwhelming to see the marine life in the area very vibrant.
The pictures attached in this article are just some of the interesting marine life I've encounter during my snorkeling session.
It is a lesson learn, that as long as you take good care of mother nature, it will also be very generous in sharing and showing its beauty.
Lunch out at Nuvali
During one of my official business trip in Manila, we were taken out for a lunch in one of Manila's newest hang-out, the place was called
Nuvali. Al fresco or dining outside with refreshing view has become a trend in Manila. And this concept has been adapted by
Nuvali.
Sumptuous dinner is not the only thing you'll look forward when you go there but also the beautiful scenery surrounding the place. It has an artificial pond with lots of fishes (
I think its a koi) that you can freely feed. They also offer a boat ride around the artificial lake on board a speed boat.
It's actually a very nice idea to redefine dining by adding a refreshing touch to the dining experience.
Seafood Feast
It was Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day, so many reason to celebrate, so we decided to dine outside. Ocean Garden, a seafood restaurant near JY square was our choice. It was not crowded like any other restaurants in the city at that time.
The ambiance was great, you can opt to eat outside or inside their air-conditioned room. The food was delicious and very fresh. It comes at a very reasonable price.
After we shared a very sumptuous dinner with the whole family, we went to another place to relax and unwind.
I've been running ever since I was young, but I never gained the courage to join in a marathon. Not until I reached the age of 25, that I took the challenge to join. It was the 33rd Milo Marathon and I'll be running for the 10km division, together with some friends.
A few meters away from the turning point I met some of the members of the pack, and they've encouraged me to go on, because the goal is near. And later with some runners and by standers cheering for me, I continued. On my last 2 kilometers, I already met runners who already finished the race, but I wasn't scared because I'm still seeing people behind me who are also determined to finish the race. And before reaching the finish line I found my husband and my friend's wife who happens to be my husband's high school classmate, waving at me with a big smile on his face. I knew he was happy seeing me alive after all and finishing the race. All the more did I try hard to keep my feet running to reach the finish line. Most of my companions has crossed the line 30 minutes ago before I did. I finished the race in one hour and 30 minutes, not bad for a first timer! And this will not be my first and last run. More marathons to come for me!
