Zambales: Taliyasen Cove

Do you want a vacation spot where you'll feel like you have the whole place just for yourself? The sun, sky, clouds, water, sand.. all yours? Well, you should try to visit Talisayen Cove.

Talisayen Cove is similar to its neighboring coves Anawangin and Nagsasa -- they only have beach huts where visitors can stay. However, Talisayen Cove offers a more quiet and relaxed environment.

We paid Php265 for a 3-hour bus ride from the Victory Liner Bus Terminal in Caloocan to San Antonio, Zambales. Then from Brgy. Pundaquit, it's a 45-minute boat ride going to Talisayen Cove (well, we left at 3:00AM, so the sea was still in deep sleep, thus, the fast travel time.)

As soon as we reached the place, I patiently waited for the sunrise before I surveyed the area for possible picture-perfect views. And it was worth the wait, and here's what I saw:

Click here for hi-res image

It was almost a deserted island. One will truly enjoy the beauty of this place -- no loitering tourists, no camping tents, no parked boats. It's just you and Mother Nature. :)

Bato-bato sa dagat. Bow. :)

We stayed in one of the beach huts situated along the shore. However, none of us slept inside it. I chose to sleep on a 'duyan', some decided to lie down on a 'papag', while the others stayed in their camp tents. I guess we just wanted to fully enjoy the fresh, salty air outside the hut. At night, the generator is turned on to provide electricity to each beach hut. So, no need to worry if you camera/mobile phone batteries are almost empty. :)

Prior to my trip here, I did some research about this place, and found out that there is a grotto built on top of a mountain. Unfortunately, I forgot that there are concrete steps going to the grotto. What I did was I literally climbed my way up through tall grasses, thorny branches, and slippery rocks, which later on I realized was actually a shortcut. Anyway, which ever path I take, there's only one destination.. the panoramic view of Talisayen Cove.

I was with them during my 2nd climb, and this time

I used the concrete steps. :)

Another hidden spot is what I shall call the Talisayen Falls (haha, I really don't know if it has a name). We reached one of the 'connecting' mini-falls after almost 2 hours of trekking.

That's all for now, carabao! If you are interested in visiting Talisayen Cove, you can go to their Facebook page for reservations. :)

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Quezon: Pahiyas Festival 2011

It's my first time to visit the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon. And all along, I thought those colorful leaf-shaped decors were made of Japanese papers. I think I should really do some more researching. Haha :)

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Pahiyas Festival is a colorful celebration held every 15th of May in Lucban, Quezon in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. It is their form of thanksgiving for a good harvest with a grand display of agricultural harvests, rice wafers and handicrafts that paint each and every home in this town.

The culminating event of the Pahiyas Festival starts with a Holy mass in the Lucban Church, that was first built and 1595.

After the mass, it is followed by a procession of the image of San Isidro Labrador, followed by the image of his wife, Sta. Maria de la Cabeza, who carries a basket with triangulo biscuits, which are given to the children.

San Isidro Labrador

Sta. Maria de la Cabeza

It is said that the houses along the route of the procession will be blessed with bountiful harvest in the coming seasons. The decorations usually depend on the homeowner's livelihood. A rice farmer will have brightly-colored, leaf-shaped rice wafers called kiping (yeah, yeah, they're not made of Japanese paper).

Kiping is made from rice paste spread on a leaf and steamed for at least 30 minutes. After steaming, each leaf is dried until it is ready for peeling. These are usually arranged in layers of chandeliers called aranya.

They say that to avoid cracks on kiping,

complete silence must be observed

while mixing the rice paste. Shhhh.

After the festival, these can be cooked (grilled or fried) and eaten as chips. Edible decors are cool! :)

For other farmers, fruits and vegetables will be on display. As for those who make handicrafts, their houses are decorated with hats, bags and place mats. A butcher will have garlands of longganisang Lucban.

Aside from the extravagant decors, the cheerful smiles from the locals (and their pets.. haha) looking out of their windows added to the colorful and festive mood of the town.

Kawaii!! *dies*

Meow.

The warm reception of the locals, ice-cold buko juice, tasty pansit habhab and the unexpected sight of friends in the middle of human traffic along the streets made the Pahiyas experience bearable (despite the extreme heat) for a first time visitor like me...

..and for a young explorer like Dora.

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Oriental Mindoro: The Golden Isle [Part 2]

And there's more! :)

Also located in Mansalay, is the Buktot White Sand Beach. Some say it's Mindoro's "Little Boracay", only more tranquil and peaceful. This virgin island is ideal for family or barkada outings, with just the sun, white sand, clear waters and the blue sky to do all the works.

Fact: You can only make Karla Turista swim on clear waters.

For just Php20 entrance fee, you can fully enjoy your stay in this hidden paradise. Cottage rentals ranges from Php40 - Php100. And seeing goats around the area is free of charge. :)

Meeeeeeh!

Also, make sure to catch the lovely sunset on the other side of the beach. Just the perfect way to end your stay in Buktot Beach. :)

From Mansalay, we go to Roxas where De Calidad Restaurant is located. They serve pastas, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and the best halo-halo in town!

Beat the summer heat for just Php38! What's different in this particular halo-halo is that it's topped with gulaman and cheese! :)

The cheese on top balances the sweetness of the whole thing.

Photo by Glenn Pareno

And oooh, unlimited sugar! Yey!

And our last stop -- Pinamalayan, "Paradise at the end of the rainbow". This paradise is the home of John-nette Banana Chips! The best banana chips in the whole world! Great pasalubong for your loved ones. :) You can buy them at Php15, Php25 or Php45, depending on package size.

Try shaking a pack of banana chips and find out

how crispy those bananas are.

That's it, pansit! I'm looking forward to another trip to Oriental Mindoro... maybe with you? Yes? :)

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Oriental Mindoro: The Golden Isle

"When Spaniards discovered the Philippine archipelago they called this island with a rugged terrain and an irregular coastline "Mina de Oro" (Mine of Gold) - a gold mine of agriculture, mineral and aquatic resources. Since then, Oriental Mindoro came to be known as the Golden Isle."
-- from http://www.filipinianacalapan.com

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When I told some of my friends that I'll be going to Mindoro, most of them instantly asked: "Puerto Galera?" And I said no. I've never been to Puerto Galera, but I'm so sure that there are more "gold" aside from this famous beach in Oriental Mindoro.

Via RO-RO (roll-on roll-off) vessel, our trip from Port of Batangas to Port of Calapan is approximately 2-3 hours. If you want a faster transport, you can take the SuperCat that can get you to Oriental Mindoro in just an hour or less.

We rode the Besto Shipping Lines. It took us almost 3 hours! It's one slow ferry. :|

Trip with my two best brothers, Glenn and Ely.

Upon reaching Calapan City, it's another 2-3 hours drive to Mansalay. Along the way, we saw rice fields, rice mills, rice fields, rice mills and rice fields. Did I mention rice fields? Haha! No wonder this province is known to be the Rice Granary of Southern Tagalog. It's just a nice sight while traveling. The green fields, blue sky, white clouds, colorful clothed farmers, carabaos.. :)

The farmers saw us taking their photos, and they were

kind enough to wave and smile back at us!

Our first stop, Cabalwa Beach. It's a long stretch of white sand in Barangay Cabalwa in Mansalay. As far as I know, this is open to everyone. No entrance fees. I tried googling Cabalwa Beach, but no blogs or articles are written about it. I guess this place is still waiting to be discovered, though a private resort owned by a German is in the works.

Ely and I walking towards the rocky part of the beach.

Photo taken by Glenn Pareno

If you walk a few more kilometers, you will be greeted by rocks of various shapes and sizes. Literally, this is one 'rocky' beach. There were too many rocks that this friend of mine even thought of balancing pieces of rocks to create his masterpiece.

Ely, taking a photo of his 'rocky' masterpiece

We also found this heart-shaped geofact. I'm amazed how Mother Nature came up with this piece of art. Or this is a sign that I'll soon find the love of my life? Haha! Just kidding. I'd like to believe that this is a mark telling us that we should really love and take good care of our natural wonders. :)

Click here for more!

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