Posts Tagged travel
Vigan Trip: Caoayan Ancestral House
Posted by roanne in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Vigan on March 21, 2011
I have been traveling to few places in and out of the Philippines recently, and I must say that I have tons of backlogs (when it comes to blogging them all) which are yet to be posted. Let’s start off with this Vigan trip I had last month.
It’s been more than a decade since I last set my foot in Vigan, and I miss the place terribly. So, when the opportunity knocked, I did not hesitate to go there to visit my relatives who were on vacation that time. My grandmother’s eldest sister passed away recently, so she left my grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins (many of whom I don’t know) behind. From the States, they took some time off to the province in order to fix my late lola’s stuff.
First stop was my grandpa’s ancestral home situated in a small town of Caoayan, which is next to Vigan. The house has stood since 1913, and has been recently renovated. I’m glad that most of the things that I could find there are in pristine, antique condition. The house itself is interesting enough – from the vintage toy car collection to well-preserved Narra chairs and old payphones – the latter reminded me of Graham-Bell’s (though his is, obviously, way more archaic).
Here are some of the snappies I took inside the house:
Doorway to the second floor
Second floor living room
Dining room (on the second floor)
Ornate bowl-like display
What to expect in Coron Island, Palawan?
Posted by roanne in Philippines on April 28, 2010
When you go to this ethereal place of Coron Island in Palawan, think about working out and backpacking. This place is filled of, uhm, water and land adventures that you have to be physically fit and prepared to climb and swim through the rest of the day (or depending on your itinerary).
Here’s the deal:
All lakes and beaches are teeming with corals, schools of various kinds of fishes and other forms of marine life. Witnessing such marine biodiversity will wow you and make you think twice on wasting precious water in the future.
I wanna try scuba diving in Apo Reef next time, but hafta take scuba diving lessons first!
Anyways, here’s my favorite spot: Kayangan Lake. Do not miss this should you go to Coron.
Put the “R” in Boracay!
Posted by roanne in Boracay, Personal Moods, Philippines on September 14, 2009
It’s silly to go on a stormy September for a beach escape. Well, call me silly, ‘coz I had just been swimming amid the so-called rainy month!
Boracay is just one of the places in the Philippines where people, both locals and tourists, go to. It’s an ethereal beach paradise where the water is soo clear, and the sand is just too fine that I don’t mind digging my feet into! Simply put, it’s a perfect vacation spot should you want to do some R&R amid the busy days at work.
Though the first two days were gloomy, I was able to swim and play against the waves. Good thing it didn’t rain out that hard, but ’twas all cloudy and hazy throughout the day. On our third and last day, the clouds finally gave way to the sun, as we basked our bodies under its warmth whilst cavorting like children on the shore.
We stayed in Boracay Regency, where my BFF M used to work. I was also with great friends, J and I, while Regency friends M, J & L also joined with us on our last days on the beach. Our deluxe room was sooo nice! I just love the uber-comfy beds covered with soft linen sheets, and the oh-so luxe loo. I was able to do a few laps on the swimming pool. But, the BEST part is, the BIG breakfast! They had different kinds of bread, french toast, cream dory, sweet ham, mixed veggies, pancakes, Pinoy favorites like tocino and tapa, sushi and maki with caviar on top[!], breakfast cereals with yogurt, oats and fruits, kimchi and other Korean delis, potato croquettes, salads with lotsa dressing to choose from, personalized omelets, etc…I lost track already! Not to mention, we had a yummy glass of welcome drink. Regency’s Front Desk Manager also treated us for dinner. We just felt super special. 
However, the sad part of the trip was we didn’t dare to try water activities such as parasailing, island hopping, kite boarding and helmet diving to name a few. 
The wind was too strong then. I don’t mind not trying, ‘coz I still want to go home alive and safe. Just in case you haven’t heard, a local celebrity was involved in a tragedy that led to a death of his friend few days ago before we got there. Another and even much scarier was, someone told us of a harrowing incident involving a family of Korean tourists while parasailing. Anyways, we consumed some of our time strolling and sauntering around flocks of boutiques and resorts from station 1 to 3, which ain’t that so bad. We had good dinners and drinking sessions to boot! 
What a weekend that was! I had so much fun with friends talking, laughing and goofing around. Boracay gave me do much endorphins to call it a day. Now that I’m back in Manila, I’m beginning to terribly miss the place. Oh well, there’s lots and lots of next time. See you again, Boracay, come summer! 
Boracay Moments in Snaps!
*Flying off the island*
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