Celebrate joy!

After going to El Nido, we went to Puerto Princesa which was such a nice surprise because we didn't think it would be as fun! Trivia: This was the post-vomiting leg of our trip because we had food poison in El Nido hehe! Quite the adventure, yes! One day we were island hopping, having the best time of our lives and the second day, we were throwing up our dinner on the bathroom floor hahaha! I didn't know that you can vomit in a perfect trajectory until that day. Eeeeew but true! So Puerto Princesa was us trying to still make our adventurous selves happy, we still went ziplining and rappelling! Here is a short video!

Oo na nga, sobrang tagal na nito... lol! But this whole staying-home-strictly-no-traveling situation that we have has got me dreaming of packing my bags somewhere where there are sand, seas, and sun! I think you are too! So here is our honeymoon video of Palawan at El Nido. Days after we got married, we went to this beautiful island! Why El Nido? Well aside from it being hailed as the most gorge beach in the Philippines (topping the white sand beaches in Bora and the diving-haven that is Bohol), I wanted to go to a place both of us haven't been to so that both of us would be discovering the place for the first time (odiba, minsan poetic at corny akey like that!). So here is the first part of our honeymoon video, enjoy!

A few weeks ago, we went to Mt. Nagpatong in Rizal... if you're looking for a quick getaway climb, Rizal has a lot of mountains, peaks and formations to choose from. This one's a day trip and since I love falls, we also decided to take a side trip to Tungtong falls. Yahoooo! Ang tanong ng bayan: Ano ba ang pagkakaiba ng trek sa hike?   (thanks Mhe for this phone in question) Googl e says:  Hiking is an outdoor activity of walking in beautiful natural environments on pre-charted paths called hiking trails. There are day hikes and overnight hikes. Trekking is a long journey be undertaken on foot in areas where there are usually no means of transport available. Trekking is not necessarily mountaineering; it is walking for a number of days, usually on uncharted paths, in challenging environments which are likely to be hilly or mountainous. In short, mas mahirap at pang-Amazona ang trekking. #yunlangyun The crew: Mhe, Kuya Tour Guide, Dennis, Fevie, Jib, Me a...

Two Saturdays ago, we went up Mt. Batulao for a day hike. We were praying for good weather because it has been consistently pouring for days. So as a semi-newbie group of hikers, we knew it would be more challenging to take on muddy and slippery trails so we were hoping that the skies would clear that day. Thank God that it did! Of course, I am now typing this with uneven tanned lines (sumobrang clear naman ata ng skies haha) but my sunblock-lathering skills were more to blame than the sun. (I'll post tips on what to wear and what to bring on the next post) Quick Deets Jump-off point: Evercrest Golf Course, Nasugbu LLA: 14.0408 N 120.8011 E 811 MASL Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-4 hours Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9 Trail class 3 with 60-70 degrees assault Features: Open trails, rolling slopes, scenic views of Batangas

As promised, here are more photos of our hiking trip last month. Aside from the two mountains we were able to climb (lakas! Haha! ...Which were actually just beside each other :)) , we also dropped by Layong Bato River wherein we washed our sweaty and muddy feet. When you have been walking for miles, you don't know how refreshing it is the moment you dip your feet into the water. You just want to bring out soap and shampoo if only that were allowed.  ...and buko juice is love! We were asked to carry at least 1 liter of water, which is not enough if you suddenly decide to climb two mountains instead of one (we did not think this through, guys)... So grateful that they sell buko juice upon descending Mt. Apayang for our thirsty throats.

Friends sometimes tease me on my "Oriental palate" because I really do like the taste of tea. While others would cringe on its somewhat bitter aftertaste, I would take delight as I hold a cup in my hands and take a sip. It's probably the clean taste and the health benefits of the drink that I have grown to love over the years. Thus being a tea person, it's no surprise that the idea of authentic tea landing in the country tickled my taste buds. :) These folks from TenRen just opened their first branch in Manila last Saturday and what they promise is a tea experience like you've never had before.

With more than 10,000 leaders and interns, the 2016 Discipleship Conference took place at MOA Arena last Saturday.

Thanks to Jona Bendicion for this video! This sums up my Mt. Pulag experience last November. Enjoy watching and hopefully this will inspire you to go plan that climbing trip soon!

Finally! It's time to write about my adventure at Mt. Pulag :) The Preps Weeks leading to the trip, we were prepping our gears and our bodies for the climb. Since it wasn't the usual getaway wherein we could just put together our own itinerary, we decided to get a travel package from  Mother Earth Adventures  for the entire trip. There was a pre-climb orientation wherein they will brief you on what to expect and the things that you need to bring to ensure that you get out of there alive. Gasp!

Hello loves! It's holiday today! So while my IG and FB feed are filled with getaway posts, I will take this time to update you on my most recent trip! We went to CDO last week for a friend's wedding and took a side trip to Camiguin. Was it a fun trip? SO MUCH FUN!!! I thought we were going to do the same thing we did last year, but there's so much to do at this lovely province that everything we did was new. ... including going snorkeling at the Giant Clam Sanctuary and watching an Italian make our thin-crust pizza at La Dolce Vita! Here are some photos!

After eating, strolling and shopping... we headed to Forest House to have coffee and desserts. Yes, eating again! Haha! All 7 of us enjoy dining and laughing over random things, that's why we're friends!   Forest House is a B&B/restaurant that has a classy ambiance perfect for an intimate family gathering or a romantic setting -- definitely works for dates or even for proposals! Shout out to all couples out there!

When I was a kid, I remember telling my family and my cousins this the first time we went to Baguio, "Buti pa dito malamig, sa Pilipinas ang init." :P The hours of land travel had left me thinking that we have crossed the Philippine border and have landed in a different country :D They all cracked up at my statement, then told me that we are, in fact, STILL IN THE COUNTRY.  The cool weather, zero-visibility fog, smell of sweet strawberries and everlasting are all welcoming treats of this city up North. That's why when the rest of the santayopuntathis2015 gang (IBM friends! Ais, Zen, Ging, Tle, Zsa and Heaths) suggested that we go to Baguio for the weekend, I was all geared up to go!   Next time na ang everlasting love, everlasting flowers muna! #hugot2015 

I'm sure most of you have already visited the stretch of restaurants along Maginhawa and its neighboring streets... but as for me, it was my first time to dine in the area last week. :) Last Saturday, my clubhouse friends and I decided to eat at Wicked Kitchen. When we got there around 12pm, it was only us. But after about half an hour, the place was packed!

Our day 2 is off to an early start, because we had to leave at 2am so we can catch the barge/boat ride at 4am headed to Camiguin! Camiguin is about 2-hour land travel and 1 1/2 hour boat ride from the city :) We initially thought of going backpacking for this trip, but later on realized that getting La Montana Tours and Vans was probably the best decision we made because the places are so far from each other. Plus, just riding a van without fear of getting lost allowed us to recharge and catch up on sleep so that when we get to our destination, we're pumped up with happy energy to appreciate the place more :)

There are photos to satisfy the appetite of FB and IG users, THEN there are stories behind the photos made especially for this platform. If you're thinking of taking your backpack somewhere local and lovely, may it be the beautiful Northern Mindanao :) Got back from our 4-day trip in this province last month and I still have a travel-phile hangover from the scenic views and crazy activities we did. It wasn't exactly the best time of the year to go to the beach or anything nature-y but God has blessed us with good-enough weather that allowed us to do everything in our itinerary! Woot woot! Thank you, Lord! :)

How’s your holy week? Off somewhere with white sand, seas and breeze? Today is the perfect beach weather,  isn't  it? But wherever you may be, or whatever you may be up to this long weekend, may it be a reflection on how good God is. :) As for me and my fam, we're just staycation-ing here in Manila. So with all these free time, I’m trying to be as productive as possible– so while my mom and sister hold up old pieces of clothing to give away, I’m sitting on the bed, resolved to catch up on my blog backlogs. Let’s be friends again? Help me out and forgive me for not posting sooner? You have to forgive me, it’s the HOLY week! :D Okay, okay, here it goes! First off, the Baler trip last month!

I am 5 days late, but hey, happy New Year!!! *fireworks! clapping!* I thought of giving an ode to 2013 to properly end the year, but I thought I'll just dive right into 2014 :P A friend asked me at the tail end of the year how has 2013 been for me, and it took me awhile to answer.  Gather thoughts, quick!

December nights are proving to be cool and breezy and I, for one, would take any opportunity to take a quick trip outside Manila to breathe in this fresh air. So it was great that my work friends and I hopped on a car two Fridays ago and went down South to celebrate Christmas over dinner, coffee and lots of laughter in between. I guess craziness is what happens when it's Friday and you're just counting down days til Christmas :) What was new to me though was some of the new things happening down South, especially in places like Sta. Rosa which now has Solenad and Nuvali.

                                        Christmas crunch time is upon us! Exchange gifts here, Christmas reunions there, the never-ending last minute Christmas shopping and Yuletide decorations everywhere...

I cannot wait to go back to this piece of island next year! My foot is still a little sore and I have a big bruise on my upper right thigh, but it doesn't make me less eager to go back to Baler just because of how much my friends and I enjoyed our recent trip there last Oct 5-6.