Siargao!

Our first day in Siargao was full of unexpected events. Delay in Flight. Tsunami Alert. A chase after a different boat when we were left by the one we were supposed to take. I was already thinking that someone in the group has some kind of jinx or something?! Chos.

From Manila, it took us almost a two hour plane ride to Butuan and another two hour van ride to Surigao City. Then a three hour boat ride to Sta. Monica port plus more than an hour habal-habal (motorcycle) ride to General Luna. 

Clouds never fail to amaze me!

Inagawan ng pwesto ang mga crew ng bangka!

Zaicy and I enjoyed the habal-habal ride the most! We chit-chatted non-stop, sang and laughed like crazy. 

With our Kuyang Driver!

We were delighted even more to see a rainbow!

We arrived in JadeStar Lodge around 6pm and were welcomed by the nice owner Ms. Anita. We could have looked famished for she immediately offered dinner. We were served with grilled chicken and rice that we finished in no time. Hashtag? Patay-gutom!

Our room - PhP1500 per night good for 5 pax (model not included)

After dinner, I took a bath and slept. I didn't know what the others were doing still, I was so tired to even care, lol. Zaicy and I woke up at 2am to prepare the mini-birthday surprise for the two celebrants, Empi and Arvin.

Happy Birthday ulet! Mwaah!

By 6am, we were all prepped up and already had coffee for breakfast. It was raining though and I was so worried that we can't push thru with the island hopping. I was glad when we still did. But a few minutes later, our boat suddenly stopped in the mid-sea for some engine problems. And again, it was raining and the waves were getting bigger and water was rushing inside the boat. Sino ba kasi talaga may balat sa pwet? Umamin! Haha. Seriously, I was afraid and I prayed several times for God to calm the sea. And He did. 

And soon enough the motor was fixed and we continued with the two hour ride to Bucas Grande Island. Sis Arline did a fascinating intermission number - a one of a kind talent - that made us all laugh out loud. Clue: Ito ang sole source niya ng kilig bago dumating si bestman sa buhay niya. Haha!

Anyways, we reached the Bucas Grande Island and didn't waste any more time and went directly to the stingless jellyfish lake after registration at the tourism desk.

The Tourism Desk Area
Environmental Fee: P50 for local / P150 for foreign
Rentals of helmet and lifevest: P40 each
Docking Fee: P100 per boat
PumpBoat: P500
Boat Guides: P165 per guide
Paddlers: P100 each

We rode a small paddle boat going to the lake. Tourists are no longer allowed to swim with the jellyfish. Kuya Eddie, our tourguide, said that the sunblock and other lotions or creams worn by tourists can harm the jellies.

This experience alone made this whole trip worth it for me!

The Famous Stingless Jellyfish!

After our encounter with the jellies, we then transfered to the pumpboat to get to Sohoton Cove. 

Entrance to the Cove

The Horseshoe - used as guide so the boatmen won't lose their way in the cove

We first explored the Hagukan Cave. Haguk from the bisaya word that means "snore". They said that during high tides, the cave produces a sound similar to a snore.

Do you see the snake-shaped stalactite? I don't! Lol.

Next, we entered the Mangkukuob Cave. I don't know what Mangkukuob means so don't ask. Sunget?

Explore a cave - another one down from my 30before30 list!

We had to climb up to the exit on the other side of the cave. And came upon this platform outside where you are required to jump to the waters.

Arvin, Zaicy and Empi were the ones to dive first. Now, I thought it would be an easy task but when I saw how deep the water was, I couldn't jump. It was the first time I felt so much fear that I almost burst into tears. So did I jump? No, I didn't!! This tourguide in green shorts pushed me into the waters. And I hated him so much and wanted to bury him alive! Just kidding. Because I really needed that push or I could have stayed all day long in that platform. So thank you, Kuya! Haha.

We then went back to the Tourism Area. Ms. Anita prepared our packed lunch - Chicken Abodo and Yellowfin Tuna Sinugba. We all ate to our heart's content - the reason why we had bulges in our tummies in some photos, haha!

We left Bucas Grande Island to proceed with our island hopping. Our first stop was at Naked Island. My favorite! Though it was scorching hot, I just love how bare the island is. And the sand is comparable to that of Boracay's.

Naked Island

Next was the Daco Island which is the biggest of the three islets, thus the name. It's a lot cooler here than in Naked Island but the white sand is also as fine as it can get.

Daco Island

Lastly, the Guyam Island. An officemate told me that Guyam is "ant" in Bicol. So I thought that it may have been called Guyam since it seems to me that it's the smallest amongst the three islands. But that's just an assumption. It may mean differently in Bisaya.

Guyam Island

By the way, we had some photo-shoots in the islands as directed by Zaicy. Poses we copied from Metro Magazine's January issue. See the complete set of pictures here.

Sneak Preview!

My Fav Shot! Pang-trash photography (I mean "litter"ally!)

It was already past 4pm when he headed back to the resort. Just a few minutes and we're off to Cloud 9 for surfing!

The Boardwalk

Surfing lessons are P500 per hour inclusive of equipment rental. Zaicy and Empi were surfing like pros! I just didn't know where they are getting their energy. Naka-enervon? I was already exhausted and all I wanted to do was lie down on my surfboard and watch them, lol. I still managed to stand a few times though. 

It was already dark when we finished surfing. We then went to Ronaldo's Restobar to have dinner and went back to the lodge after. I took a bath, settled our bill for the resort, packed my things and finally was able to doze off. 

Woke up at 2am the next morning. Left the resort at 3:30am to get to the boat at Dapa Port that left at 5:30am. It was a few minutes before 8am when we reached Surigao City. We passed by a church to say our thanks and then went to Gaisano Mall to meet Empi's mom and niece. And Lala and Baste were there too. You just got to love Lala for her endless stories! I did.

Blogger's EB at Surigao City.. lume-level up!

At the Butuan Airport

Our flight back to Manila was on time. Though there was this man who made a scene at the plane which caused a minute of delay. Good thing, CebPac staff knows how to deal with troublemakers. We landed at the airport around 5pm. I got home at 8pm and the first thing I did was lie down on our sofa! I was obviously missed by my two pamangkins who immediately hugged me.. and asked for pasalubong, haha.

This was the first trip I had where half of our time were spent on the road. Ka-haggard!  But Siargao really is worth all the pain in the butt, my two-tone darker skin and the bruises in my knees. ♥

Zipline at Davao!

When I created my 30before30 list, Davao's zipline was then the longest zipline in Asia (or so I thought!). Now a few months later, it is just on the third spot. But I didn't care, it was included in my list and I had the chance to scratch it off on our last day in Davao.

There are two ziplines in Outland Adventure. Though it wasn't the longest anymore,  the Xcelerator zipline is now considered the fastest in Asia.. 700m in less than 30s! And the Repentor zipline boasts off its scream factor at 400ft above sea level. 

Wearing my safety harness :)

I've no fear with heights so there wasn't any "scream factor" for me at all. But I liked that it was fast, felt like flying at Darna speed.. :)

Here's a video taken by Dimples (she's my original "babes") as I take my first zip..

And here's the video I took..

For the second zipline, I opted the superman style!

**Click here for the complete sequel of our Davao Trip! :)

Have a Picture with a Snake!

I am afraid of snakes, actually. But for my 30before30 list, I took some courage to have a picture taken with this albino burmese python in Davao Crocodile Park. Contrary to what I expected, the snake is just a bit cold and surprisingly.. dry.

Kunwari naka-smile pero nagmamadali naman ipatanggal yun snake after!

 
*This is part of our Davao Day 3 Adventure that I'll be posting soon..  :D

Carousel!

Akala ko never pa ako nakasakay ng carousel, kaya in-add ko sa 30 before 30 list ko yun. Only to find out na nakasakay na din pala ako when I was 10 years old, so I had to slash it out of my list. 

Anyways, dahil nga hindi ko maalala yun feeling ng pagsakay sa carousel, e sinulit ko ang experience nun nag-star city ako kasama ang aking super friends. Three times lang naman kami sumakay, hehe..

At wala naman special, nakakahilo lang, hehe.. Pero ansaya kasi parang bata lang ako ulet. Yun lang.

**Blast from the past**

Ewan ko kung bakit nakalimutan ko na to. I mean naalala ko na nag-star city kami noon kasama yun ibang pinsan at tita ko, pero ang naalala ko lang ay yung pagpasok namin sa Jurassic Park(na hindi na nag-eexist ngayon), the rest ay mukhang nabura sa memory ko, hehe..

Ang payat ko, ang ikli ng buhok, panlalaki pa suot, yikes!!

Eto lang yun nahalungkat kong picture. Nun nakita ko to, inaway ko si mama, sabi ko, "ayan, ang hilig mo kasi ko gupitan ng maikli, mukha tuloy ako lalaki!" at sinagot lang niya ako ng tawa at kiliti, kalowka!

Akala ko panaginip ko lang to dati, totoo pala siya. Memory twists lang.

♥

I'm Surfing!

Another cross out on my 30before30 list - Surfing! Yey! You probably may be wondering where I got the courage to try surfing when I'm a non-swimmer? First, I got envious from my friends who seem to be having a lot of fun in the waves. Second, I prayed and asked God if I should try it, and He gave me the sun as an answer.. ♥

To Surf or Not to Surf? To Surf!!

The one-hour surfing lesson starts with a short briefing about the parts of the surfboard and some quick safety reminders. These are just based on what my instructor taught me.

I used a softboard - soft because it is made of foam. He said that this is best for beginners. Other types are fiberglass and plastics but those are for pro surfers. The nose is the forward tip of the board while the tail is rear. The fin is the curved thingy at the bottom of the board near the tail. My instructor said that without the fin, it would be impossible to surf. And the leash, the cord that attaches your leg to the board.

The softboard with my uber gwapo/macho model

Safety Tips from my Instructor:

• The seafloor is a bit rocky so you should not dive. Obviously, I won't because hey I can't swim, remember? 

• When you fall, the first thing to look for is your board. Make sure it won't be between you and the coming wave or it could knock you down. Luckily, that board cooperates!

• Make sure to cover your head with your arms when you fall. That's something I never remembered though.

• Don't panic and jump if you must! Okay, I had problems with the jumping part, lol!

How to stand up? Start with a position like you are about to do a push up. And then.. do whatever it takes to stand - It's just that simple, lol! One important thing, bend your knees, it will make you more stable (remember about the center of gravity in science class?).

As I've said on my previous post, my first attempt was a fail! When Jash pushed my surfboard, I was startled.. I did try to stand up but I slipped and ended up sitting (and laughing!) on my board.

And that happened a few times. I fell and even hurt my foot, but that didn't stop me. I told myself I won't give up unless I get to stand at least once. Zaicy and the others did it, so I could too, right?

So yes, I did! And not just once.. :D

I was so happy and proud of myself. Okay, I know I may have not been really "riding the waves" because someone was just pushing my board and my stance may have not been perfect at all but I proved to myself that I can do it if I just try harder.

And the best part? I conquered my fear! Thank You God!!

*To see the whole La Union adventure, click here!

FYI:

San Juan Surf Resort

Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union, Phillipines

Per Hour Swimming Lesson Rate: PhP400 (except with Luke Landrigan)

http://www.sanjuansurfschool.ph

Archery Lesson#1

From Wikipedia: Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow! 

Like you don't know what Archery is, right?! Everyone knows that it requires the use of a bow and arrows. But not everyone knows that it is not an easy sport! Looking at pictures online or seeing it in movies, seems like it is as easy as 1 2 3! But when I tried it yesterday... let's just say that my left arm and shoulder and a part of my back are still aching today..

I, together with two other friends, went to Gandiva Cafe and Archery Range! We rode the bus and walked from Meralco Ave to Gandiva.

Bestfriends Zaicy and June and Me

We didn't have a hard time looking for the place since they are located in one of the high rise buildings in Ortigas along Julia Vargas, One Corporate Center!

Lili, one of my fav bloggers, thought that we were just playing with the name! Ganda+Diva=Gandiva lol! 

Before starting,  we decided to eat first to gain the much needed energy that this sport requires. We ordered the 18" Hawaiian Pizza! Interestingly, their food are all vegan! I wonder what the "ham" is made of, it tastes like vienna sausage to me.

After the quick brunch, we're now ready for the real challenge! Safety first! We were made to wear some protective gears!

We have a leather shield for the left arm (which makes it hard for you to bend your arm), metal+leather thingy that you put on the 3 middle fingers (the ones you'll use to pull the bow string) of the right hand, and the "pouch" where you put the arrows! Sorry but I don't know the technical names for these stuff, I'll do some research later! 

Another safety reminder is you have to wait for everyone to shoot their last arrow before you get yours from your board.

Katniss Everdeen Peg! :)

I look sexy, right? Lol! But there are a couple of right and wrong things here (these are just based from what I recall, but definitely not in a professional point of view):

-Position is right; sideways from target (check!)

-Left arm is good; should be straight as it is (check!)

-Holding the bow right (check!)

-Right elbow is good too (check!)

-Right hand should be just chin high (wrong: a bit too high!)

-Only the 3 middle fingers should pull the string (wrong: bad pinky!)

-There should be equal weight with left and right foot (wrong: hips!!! I'm putting all my body's weight in my right foot!)

Any improvement with the second photo? A very little tiny bit!! I know what to do, I just can't do them right! It's hard to think of the position of your left arm, right arm, left hand, right elbow, fingers, left and right foot all at the same time!

Other challenges were that I think the string is too tight! My instructor thought about loosening it up a bit after half an hour of practice.. that's when he noticed that I am already having a hard time keeping my hands steady! He also said that I should use my right eye to focus on the target, which was a bit difficult for me because I can't wink my left eye. Oh, that little orange hole that you use to peek thru your target? It was a bit high for me too! I should have asked the instructors to make adjustments so I was more comfortable..

My last 3 shots!

Those were like the best shots that I had! Yes, they were the best! The worsts? One arrow went past the board and was out of sight! Another one went to someone else's target board! Haha!!

It was a fun yet a tiring experience! After the one hour training, we went for the real "Hunger" Games peg! We went to Megamall and ate in J.Co and Teriyaki Boy!

Forest Glam, Coco Locco and Tiramisu

Philly Cheese Rolls

Will there be Archery Lesson#2?? We'll see...

Love love!