Time to beat the heat

Yep, summer's really here! I can feel the intense heat especially during early afternoons and it's just starting oh noes hahaha. Summer reminds me of beaches and more travels! Hoping for a new adventure soon. But of course I have already realized that travelling is not everything. There should be balance in life. And I guess another thing that makes travelling exciting is that it's not something you do every now and then so there's the feeling of excitement and suspense. Unlike if you get used to it already the thrill might me gone. Well that's just what I think, but hopefully whatever happens I hope I wouldn't lose the wonder of travel. Like a little kid who's opening presents on Christmas. Sometimes the thought of making travelling a career still crosses my mind but I know it's a long shot, a dream for now. I'm also not sure of how I would actually respond to it. I love travelling for the sake of travelling itself. Seeing and being to places for the first time, doing exciting activities, bonding with family or friends or both! It would ofcourse be kind of different if done for a living. I just feel that maybe I won't be too immersed with the experience because at the back of my mind I'll have to think of how to transform the experience for a living. Those are just the thoughts for know but who knows maybe I can actually live the best of both worlds :D

How far are you willing to go?

Nothing comes without a price, as they say. Well, I guess this is true because in order to achieve one of my dreams I had to face one of my fears twice! (I hope there wouldn't be a third time). As I go through the process, I reluctantly went out of my way, my usual comfort zone hoping to realize a dream. In short, sacrifice. I learned to patiently wait for really long hours just to get something processed. (I believe that it's good to be tested this way once in a while since we live in the age where everything is instant. It shows us that the virtue of patience is very essential in life) I know I'm not even in half of the journey of realizing this dream. But I really hope that I'll be one step closer day by day. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I pray for God's guidance and blessing throughout this journey and be able to say to myself one day  that this fight was totally worth it.

Chronicles of Cebu: Blue Water Sumilon Island

Blue Water Sumilon Island. So far, this has been the most serene, beautiful, and charming island paradise I have ever been to. I'm so happy that
our day trip plan pushed through. It almost didn't to cut on cost. But all I can say is the few hours we spent here was worth it! Their infinity pool overlooking the sea was just the perfect spot to stare at the sky and think of nothing for a moment. I also got to try kayaking, and guess what our kayak didn't flip over. We were also served a hefty and delicious lunch buffet. After which we spent time lying on the hammocks by the beach and enjoying the chilly weather.  I would love to visit this island paradise again and hopefully get to spend a night or two here. :D

Chronicles of Cebu: Canyoneering Adventure

Read more about our Cebu experience in
http://magazine.tripzilla.com/author/kimberly-chua

It's been almost 2 weeks since our Cebu trip and I'm still trying to replay in my mind everything that went through in that very adventurous 4 days. I learned new things about myself during this trip - I'm far from the adventurous type of girl that I hoped to be. My fears and worries hinder me from just doing things. But still I'm happy that I was able to experience new activities during this trip. Things I thought I can't manage to do.  Anyways to cut the long story short, my friends and I tried canyoneering or canyoning! I was initially planning to just stay in our inn and relax around while my friends go for it. I have already convinced myself to pass this activity since I don't have the guts (yet) to jump from high cliffs. I read in a blog that the first jump which is 20ft high is mandatory. I know that I just can't do it that's why I told my friends that I'll meet them in Kawasan Falls since this is the last stop of the canyoneering adventure. But during the day of the activity my friends and our guide were able to convince me by saying that "we're already here might as well do it. The whole trip would be a waste since this is one of the highlights." Our guide also presented us another option which is to trek parts where I can't do the jump. Well, everything sounded so convincing. So finally on the last minute, I changed to my canyoneering outfit and decided to join them.

We did downstream canyoneering which is the easier way to go. It would start with 20 minutes habal habal ride (motorcycle ride with 2 passengers). It was drizzling during that time but nonetheless the ride was fun! The first jump off point is in Kanlaob, Alegria. My brave friends one by one did the jump. I just stood there enjoying the view of the place. It was a wonderful sight to behold.

I opted to do the trek than to jump. The trek allows you to reach the next area quicker but in a more exhausting manner. We took photos along the way and appreciated the view. Everything around the place was just beautiful, the cascading waterfalls, the pristine waters, the rock formations, the canyon itself.

Since it was still drizzling during that time, the water was extra cold for me. I tried not to get soaked in the water for too long. I realized that trekking is definitely the more difficult way to go that I decided to just take the slide than to climb the side walls of the canyon. In just a split second I was already in the water.

My friends were already ahead so they didn't see me take my first official plunge. After hours of trekking, jumping and swimming we reached a resting spot with locals selling barbecues. We all had a break to catch up with our energy. Recess was over, followed by few more jumps that is around 30-40ft. high. The last jump was fairly low but it was on a ledge. We then passed through rocky terrains wherein we had to be extra careful.

We reached the 3rd level of Kawasan Falls. It was a great feeling to see the falls. Not only does it offer a great view of nature but it also means we're nearing the finish line.

Our journey continues, a few more minutes of trekking then we reached the 2nd level of Kawasan falls and just 5 minutes from it is the 1st level of Kawasan falls.

This is the highest falls in the area and we were able to witness 2 brave souls jump from 70ft high! Alas after 6 to 7 hours, we finished our canyoneering adventure. I thank God for sustaining me and giving me strength during the entire time. Thank you also to our guides who assisted us all through out. Canyoneering was definitely not easy (my muscles were so sore afterwards that it was hard to climb up and down the stairs) but looking back I'm happy that I got to try this adrenaline rushing activity. So for those who's hesitant to jump like me you can still try canyoneering since there's actually another way to go which is trekking :D just choose the parts where you're willing to jump.

I left my heart in Batanes

Isn't it wonderful to see places that you've never thought to have existed at all? That there's such a beauty in this world. It's a wonderful feeling to see these kinds of places especially when it can be found in our very own country.

I consider our Batanes trip last year as one of God's greatest blessing in my life. Travelling has become one of my "cravings". I love the idea of visiting new places to just chill or go for an adventure. When I saw the beautiful landscapes and the view of the ocean in pictures I immediately fell in love with the place and hoped to visit it one day. I couldn't wait for that one day to happen so my travel buddy and I decided to book a flight despite of the sky high fares. Our flight was scheduled during the APEC holidays. I was very excited and as usual researched on things to do and see, places to eat and stay. However, weeks before our departure we learned that airlines have been cancelling flights for APEC days for security purposes. I got worried upon hearing this news because I knew our flight may be affected and truly it was. I'm thankful that PAL rebooked our flight without any surcharge. We decided to move it a week earlier instead.

En route to the airport I can't believe the gravity of traffic in Manila. It was 3 in the morning but it felt like rush hour during late afternoons. Trucks were everywhere and traffic was bumper to bumper. I was thankful that we left early and reached the airport with ample time to relax. We had breakfast at Cinnabon and I had a good chat with my friend who I haven't seen for a long time since she's based in Baguio. My mom and her sister who decided to go with us just days before the trip also had a good morning breakfast. 

My friend was surprised to see the plane we're riding to get to Batanes was very small. Despite its size, the flight was comfortable and turbulence free. Another thing to be grateful about. After almost 2 hours we were greeted with the beautiful island of Batanes. Upon stepping foot on the ground I already felt the serene province vibe. We were picked up by the hotel's service and a few minutes later we were already at Batanes Sea Side Lodge. I was already very excited to explore the place. It was a dream come true! The receptionist welcomed us and invited us for breakfast at the ground floor. I don't know why but I'm usually hungry after flights even if all I have done is just sit in the plane! Over breakfast we talked about how we're going to tour the place. We wanted to make the most of it and in the end we decided to hire tricycles to go around places to lessen the cost. 

For our first we day we did the North Batan tour. It's a good start since it's just a half day tour. We didn't get exhausted that much and the places were near to our hotel. Our first stop was the Vulugan beach. The view was spectacular, I can see a clear view of the ocean with big rocks on the shore formed by volcanic eruptions. We seized the moment to just enjoy the view and of course took photos and videos as these are the best souvenirs we can actually have.

We then proceeded to visit the Dipnaysupuan Japanese tunnel then to PAGASA weather station. Here we just relaxed and enjoyed the ocean view for a good 30  minutes. The place is also near Fundacion Pacita, the most expensive hotel in Batanes. After which we went to Tukon Church, a church made of stone. It was very beautiful to look at. We went inside and said a prayer, I thank God for allowing this trip to happen. It's a trip that I've been dreaming of and I was just so happy that finally I'm here!

After we went to Vayang rolling hills. I'm a scenery person so for me every place we visited in Batanes were really beautiful. The pastures were very green and there were carabaos in the area too.

For our last destination for the day we were brought to Basco Lighthouse. I love light houses! I'm in love with everything that's nautical - anchor, lighthouses etc. We went up the lighthouse and saw a wonderful view of the ocean and the green land. It was also very windy up there.

After the sightseeing we were kind of hungry and asked our tricycle driver/tour guide to drop us of Pension Ivatan first. The price for their food was just right. The food was also very tasty and we enjoyed a wide variety of Ivatan cuisines. After eating, we went back to our hotel to have an early rest.

The next day we did the South Batan tour. Our first stop was Chawa View Deck wherein you can have a very cool view the ocean. Everything's so blue and serene.

We also went to the Spanish Lagoon. We decided to have a mini adventure and go down to reach the lagoon. The pathway was bushy and we were told to watch our steps since the right side area is already a cliff! We had fun while taking photos and just immersing ourselves in this beautiful place.

My favorite destination is the Marlboro Rolling Hills. Pictures won't do justice to show the beauty of the place. We intentionally spent longer time here to chill. I love how I can enjoy the view of the ocean, the hills and the cloud in just 1 sitting. It was just perfect.

We also visited stone houses and the Honesty coffee shop where no one's manning the store. We just listed down and drop the payment for the goodies we bought.

For our third day we visited Sabtang Island which is 30 minutes away from Batan Island via a faluwa. Sabtang can be likened to a hidden gem in Batanes. My favorite place here was the Chamantad Cove and Tinyan Viewpoint. It was like we were in New Zealand. There were also some youths who were taking buwis buhay photos standing on rock cliffs. I'm actually the one scared for them!

We had lunch by the seaside. The sound of the waves was very relaxing. After lunch we head on to the part to go back to Batan Island.

Happy feed for the day

I just feel like writing and I thought of sharing something that made me extra happy today. I'm now part of a choir again. I've actually been wanting to join our church choir for a long time but was shy to do so. Thank God Auntie Ellena saw me in the church last Saturday evening and invited me to join their choir. I was part of the glee club back in high school and I actually missed singing so much. I miss the rehearsals, singing for God and just being surrounded by people who love God. I'm really hoping that this is the start of something good, something that would draw me closer to God again. I know my spiritual life needs improvement as of today. I was actually looking forward to this day starting last week when I got invited. :) That's it for now, 'til my next post.

Dexterton Mattress Gallery Grand Opening

The company I worked with just celebrated the grand opening of a store in Greenbelt 5 last October 13, 2015. The store's name is Dexterton Mattress Gallery, it's a showroom of 2 reputable brands in the bed industry namely Viking beds of Sweden and Simmons beds and mattresses. Together with our boss, I and my colleague prepared for the grand opening of the showroom. We invited people from the press, valued clients, architects and interior designers, family and friends of the company to the opening. It's the first time that we organized an event and I was at first worried that we might miss something and scared that the event might not go as planned. But thank God everything went well. By the way things went I think it's safe to say that the event was successful.

Everyone enjoyed the night. The showroom looked great with guests enjoying our line of beds and mattresses. Cocktail dinner was served by Cibo, lechon by Ulcing Cebu and baked salmon by Contis. It was a beautiful affair, a 1 night stay at Eskaya Resort in Bohol was raffled for the grand prize and a Swedish couple was picked as the winner. Simmons pillows were also given to media guests as a token of appreciation. 

What I liked most about the event was that I got to meet a lot of people some of them I was only able to communicate through email and phone, but through this event I was finally able to meet them. It was just really nice. The event ended around past 8 and we were tired already since we arrived at the store before lunch to set things up. Thankfully, we were given ample time to rest, our work schedule for the next day starts at 1pm instead. Yey for that :)

Dexterton Mattress Gallery is located at 3rd floor, Greenbelt 5 and is open daily from 11AM to 8PM. Please do drop by! To know more about Viking beds of Sweden and Simmons mattress You may also visit our website www.dextertonmattressgallery.com