Curbside Stories

Hundred Islands, Pangasinan Noon... Active na active ka sa buhay ko, Araw-araw magka-usap, magka-video, Gabi-gabi puyatan tayo. Ngayon... Active na active ka, pero hindi sa buhay ko, Araw-araw dine-deadma mo ako, parang "Who am I to you?" Gabi-gabi puyat ako sa paghihintay sa'yo. Bukas... Active na active ako sa buhay nya, Araw-araw kaming mag-uusap at masaya, Gabi-gabi sabay kaming matutulog dahil alam namin na bukas ay kami pa.

Ask yourself a hundred times: "Am I ready to tie the knot? Am I ready for a lifetime commitment?" If you answer yes without any hint of doubt, go ahead. Otherwise, rethink and postpone before it is too late.

I am so blessed to be able to see the magnificence of the Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. I took this photo using an iPhone 8. This is the kind of things that I love to do--nature and photography. The 1-mile hike was definitely worth it.

The beachfront of the inn where we stayed overlooking the cluster of islands with magnificent rock formations. Caramoan is a relatively unexplored gem of Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region. If you are from Manila, you will have to endure at least 15 hours of land travel or at least 4 hours via Legazpi City in Albay if you will travel by plane. The long and winding road and frequent poor cellphone signal will get you bored so I suggest you bring something to keep you busy or might as well sleep and sacrifice seeing the breathtaking scenery along the way. We left the house before midnight on May 10 and arrived in Caramoan at around 4 in the afternoon the following day only with two brief stopovers for breakfast and toilet break. We were supposed to go to Gota Resort but unfortunately, it was under exclusive use of the Survivor  cast and crew. We ended up in a more public venue wherein inns and hostels occupy the beach front. Anyone can swim on the beach but you can't be sat...

The first mountain that I climbed was Mount Batulao. It holds a special place in my heart because I got to conquer it with my son. I find happiness and fulfillment the entire trek despite its extreme physical demand. Every ascent to steeper terrain was so hard that I thought about quitting a couple of times. Each time I think of how far away I am from the start and how close I am to the summit, it fuels me again to just move forward. I guess the lesson is, to achieve happiness and fulfillment, you have to work hard for it.

The hotel where you and your family could stay for a day or two. It's summer time! I bet you are already looking for a place to cool down this 35 degrees scorching hot weather. If you live in Cavite, there are a lot of new resorts that are not yet explored by many, and one of them is Legata Familia Resort in Brgy. Paradahan along Tanza-Trece Road. It is a 2-hour drive from Manila. The main pavilion that can accommodate 30-50 guests for special corporate or family events Entrance fee ranges from 150 to 230 pesos and cottage fee ranges from 400 to 2,000 pesos. The prices are higher compared to other resorts but I don't mind because it somehow promotes privacy and you will not worry about the pool being crowded. The cottages in front of the main pool for small groups. Originally, there is just 1 large pool that is no more than 5 feet deep with a kiddie pool on the left corner but now they have added another large pool with slides for the kids and kids a...

Maragondon is a municipality in the Province of Cavite that is located 54 kilometers South-West from Manila--roughly two hours drive. Aside from the famous Trial House, wherein Andres Bonifacio was tried for treason and sedition in 1897 and later was executed in Mount Nagpatong, the municipality is also famous for the Pinagsanhan Hanging Bridge.  It is a suspension bridge at the Maragondon River that connects the town proper to Brgy. Pinagsanhan that is a common route for mountaineers going to Mount Nagpatong. The Maragondon River. There used to be rafts that take tourists to the other side of the river. There are also sari-sari stores where you can buy food and drinks.

The spectacular view from the balcony. This is my favorite photo of the trip. I have a friend who is a professional diver and he invited me to go to one of his diving trips to snorkel (because I don't dive). I immediately said yes because I badly needed a vacation. Casa Escondida Anilao Resort and Dive Center  in Mabini Circumferential Road, Mabini, Batangas. It i s 3 hours away from Manila. The resort offers 24-hour accommodations with meals included in fully air conditioned rooms, day tours and diving facilities. It is actually one of the favorite diving resorts of local celebrities. I cannot say that it is a family friendly resort since there isn't much to do for kids except for snorkeling and island hopping (the pool is 10-feet deep so swimming without a vest is not recommended), but if the kids are in to learn how to dive, this is the place. To learn more about the resort, just click on the link. The pool area. On the left is where divers prep their gears. J...

Snorkeling at Sumilon Island. Before I proceed, disregard the date and time stamp on the photos because I was too excited to use my action camera that I forgot to check the setting. Silly me! My first time in Cebu was more of a city tour and although it was fun for a first-timer in the Queen City of the South, it felt incomplete. After 3 years, I am back and it was a more adventurous and daring trip with my friends. Our tour package included 2 nights and 3 days hotel stay, swimming with the whale shark, trek to Osmena Peak, Mainit hot spring, canyoning to the Kawasan Falls, snorkeling at Pescador Island, sardine run in Moalboal and Sumilon Island sandbar stay. All of that for only 6,500 pesos. You will get a better deal if you are a group of 5 or more. We arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport around 7 in the morning last March 12 and we immediately headed south to Badian where we were met by our travel agent. We rode a taxi from the airport to ...