December 30, 2010

The Old Batangas

I’ve been to Batangas for the nth time already for it’s only a less than hour drive from Cavite – my home town. It has been our quick getaway to relax and submerge to its beautiful beaches. However I believe Batangas has still more to discover. So one weekend, my travel buddy and I decided to go here once more to find it out.

Thus our journey brought us to Taal – a small town in Batangas with lots of its historical sights.

One of the best-preserved Spanish colonial towns of the country.

Scattered around town are dozens of ancestral homes,

old school buildings and other heritage structures

 which is why the town is perfect for a walking tour.

  
 white house of taal ( municipal hall )


very old houses that withstand the natural calamities

 At the heart of Taal is the Taal Basilica,


said to be the biggest Catholic church in Asia.

 The church was destroyed when Taal Volcano erupted in 1754.

 
and was rebuilt in 1856.



There are many things to see about the historical background of this province. True enough there's still more to discover in Batangas. I guess there are still some things we don't know about the places we usually go to. Imagine finding something great at your own backyard.

Until our next adventure..

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 Thanks again for being an awesome travel buddy ~ Rio

December 19, 2010

Baguio in One Day

Have not been back to Baguio City since 10 years back. I only had with me a mental camera and took "mental shots" of places since I did not have one yet then. Though I think those mental photos did not turn out right either. So this time, I made sure to bring my digicam with me to take stunning sites from this City of Pines.
  

One of the most convenient ways in getting to Baguio is through Victory Liner.  Some would prefer to drive up with their own cars but I look at commuting to Baguio as a more comfortable choice.


All taxis in Baguio don't have aircon most likely because the environment is already cool to begin with. You might even want to close the taxi windows completely to stay warm.
First Stop: Session Road ~ it is the main street in Baguio City.


 
this inclined street is very busy during day time


and during the summer the traffic is quite heavy here.


Adjacent to Session Road is Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, better known as Baguio Cathedral.

Next: Mines View Park ~ it is an essential stop on any trip to Baguio. 


from here you can site the outstanding view of Cordilleras.


3rd Stop: The Mansion ~ it's the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines.


Its main gate is an exact replica of the one found in Buckingham Palace in London.

And fronting the main gate of the Mansion, is one of the many scenic parks ~ the Wright Park
( it wasn't look like this back then, how sad )

4th Stop:  John Camp Hay


used to be the rest-and-recreation base of American military personnel, the Camp is being transformed into a world-class resort and is also Baguio’s biggest pine tree conservation area

 where Manor Hotel (at my back) is located.


 Confuse where to go next.


Until I found out that there is a part in Camp John Hay called the ‘Pet Cemetery’. 
 
It’s a relief to be surrounded by nature.


 Last Stop: Burnham Park ~ it is an urban park located at the heart of the City.


Before leaving Baguio, I checked first how's Jollibee tastes here.
Not quite the same, TLC burger filling is fresher here, of course.



I found out that a one – day trip is really not enough to take a round to the Summer Capital of the Country. There are still some places I wasn't able to revisit like PMA, Lourdes Grotto, Strawberry Farm, etc. Next time I will go to Baguio, I'll make it sure that my tour will be all worth it. 
 
Now, the pictures I captured during this journey would finally become a treasure. They would absolutely serve as a source for my joy and a source of inspiration as well to conquer more places. Until my next ravel...

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Thanks to my travel mate ~ Rio.

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To Get There:

By Bus

This is the most common and economical way to get to Baguio from Metro Manila. Several bus lines ply the Metro Manila to Baguio route with terminals scattered across the metro. It generally takes about 5 to 7 hours to get to Baguio by bus. An hour longer than it would by car due to stopovers along the way.
Victory Liner  has hourly bus service to Baguio from its Monumento Main terminal in Caloocan City, Cubao and Pasay terminals. Buses are generally modern and air-conditioned but seats are sized generally for Filipinos and tall people would need to take advantage of the various stopovers to stretch their legs. Cost is just 450 Pesos per person one way (Most expensive among Aircon buses going to Baguio). A non-stop deluxe bus service is also available for 700 Pesos per person one way, snack is served during the trip. Semi-Deluxe buses are now included with one stop at Tarlac Shell station , costs around 650 pesos, no toilet inside the Bus.