Coron: Sheltering in its Turquoise Waters

"For water in break out in the wilderness and streams gush from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water...grass will grow with reeds and rushes."

Isaiah 35:7

Four years ago, I was lucky to score a free plane ticket from a friend. It took me awhile to decide where I'm going. Upon discerning, I was pleased by my choice.

Armed with my mighty point and shoot camera, some God given talent and fund as well, I made my way to Coron, Busuanga, Palawan.

I strategically booked the first flight out of Manila. Not that I am excited, but because I want to maximize my stay. Time has passed and the captain signaled us to look out on our window to see the whole of Coron. I am so blessed.

I made my way to the arrival area and met up with the driver of the resort that I booked in. Back then, the road was rough from the airport to the town of Coron. Coming out of the van, I suddenly fell in love with Busuanga Island Paradise. I'd love to share some more photos of the place however my camera wouldn't permit me to do so - blame it on the memory card.

Jonera Hill, the resort's in-house hill. Yes, that how cool Busuanga Island Paradise is. One can opt to ride a bike or hike to get to the hill top. If you're lucky, you will see some of the native habitants of the hill (monkeys).

Who says you can only see chocolate hills in Bohol? Coron has those as well. However, on a rainy season, the hills are plush with greens.

Mt.Tapyas and the humongous cross on top of it. The cross is about more than 2,000 ft above sea level. I reached the top with the help of more than 700 steps. Good thing my knee was still doing well back then. Going back to the topic, this cross was a gift by Gov. Joel T. Reyes to his hometown.

Maquinit means "mainit" or hot. The water from this one-of-a-kind hot spring in Asia comes from an inactive volcano, Mt. Dalara.

Your Coron trip will not be complete without this having a photo opts on this famous scenic spot. After a slippery hike to reach Kayangan Lake, my guide pointed out that among all the scenic places in Coron, this is well photographed.

Ahhhhh finally, the Kayangan Lake. The cleanest lake in Asia is right in front of my eyes. This lake is taken very good care by the Tagbanuas - a native tribe. The Php 200 for each visit is well worth. This lake is also known as the Blue Lagoon.

By lunch time, we were all hungry. The boatman brought us to Banol Beach. Our guide prepared our packed lunch from the resort while I take a dip. After lunch, we took a quick nap and went about the rest of the tour.

The Twin Lagoon can be reached by swimming under the two rocks which is possible if it is low tide and the other is by climbing over the rocks. Lucky me, it was low tide and I will enter the Lagoon with a blast! Floating in the lagoon, you will understand why it is called Twin Lagoon. While at one part, you will feel the hot water and cold water on the other. One of the beautiful mysteries of God's creations.

Before disturbing the stillness of Barracuda Lake, I took my camera and capture the serenity of the place. On the way to this part of Coron, I suggest that you seat facing the front of the boat. It will be an amazing experience seeing the majestic limestone formations slowly unveiling itself while the stillness of water give you a dreamy calm feeling on this awesome place.

The guide also showed me the Siete Pecados, but we didn't stop by for a swim. However, on our stop in one of the ship wreck sites, the heaven was on my side. We chanced upon a baby whale shark (Butanding, in local term). The boatman and the guide told me that it was also their first time to see one around the waters of Coron. I was their lucky charm.

Even if I fear swimming in the lakes because of the Lochness idea clouding on my head, I still went in and enjoyed the water. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and besides by the beginning of this trip, I know that He was with me. So I shrugged off my fears and worries say the Apostle's Creed then dive.

If there would be a place that I will go back to again and again, it would be Coron.

Gravitating the Breathtaking Bukidnon

"Mountain and hills, praise and exalt him for ever." 

Daniel 3:75

When I first visited Bukidnon back in 2007, all I saw was the endless landmass of different farms. In 2011, I was lucky to revisit the place and this time, I saw the other side of it.

To reach Bukidnon, we first landed in CDO and rented a van that will take us to our destination. One can also opt to ride a bus and then ride a "habal-habal" on the rough roads.

The above photo are just some of what Bukidnon offers. My favorite is not the pineapple but the paper roses.

Our main goal for this Bukidnon tour.

ZipZone: Dahilayan Adventure Park offers 3 different ziplines. 150m, 320m and 840m and for as cheap as Php 600.00 you can enjoy all this.

The viewdeck will give you a glance of what you will have to endure while spending your time at ZipZone.

The first on your list for the ride-all-you-can is the 150m. I call this the Appetizer. The second is the 320m or the Prologue. In between these rides, you may also opt to do the wall climbing or the Ropes Course.

For the Main Event. The 840m zipline which will take you to the other end for 90kph. Launch point would be 4,700 feet above sea level. I admit that I am not very good with heights, but matched with speed - all I can do was scream my lungs out! I felt like I was Sam Milby from the movie Forever And A Day.

A safari truck stirred the child in me. When I learned that it will tranport us to the lauch point I became so excited and decided to save the best for last. On the other hand, there are also other things that you can enjoy outside the park. One of these is riding an ATV for Php 500/hour.

I saw Po of Kung Fu Panda having a date with another panda at Forest Park. I don't wanna bother them so I just took this Papparazi shot.

Some of the fun and educational stuff that you can see around the park. 

We visited the park on a Saturday, there were a lot of families and group of students having a picnic and enjoying the first streak of summer.

The Zorb. For Php 500.00 at Forest Park, I had the best 30 seconds of my life. I simply cannot say anything what happened while inside the Zorb. What happened in the  Zorb stays in the Zorb. High Five!

We had our lunch after our Zorb experience. Since we were already inside Forest Park, we decided to have lunch there as well. We had 4 serving of their Pizza and some mango shake.

Funny as it is. I have been revisited by my past arch enemy on this trip. The Slide! I never felt comfortable with heights. This time though, I made sure that I will defeat the Slide and never be haunted again. I prevailed!

Again, as any other trip that I had, this one has to end as well. But what separates this one to the others are the rare experience of going back to being a kid and a chance to overcome fears.

Rough-ting CDO

"Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. Praise and exalt Him above all forever. All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. Seas and rivers, bless the Lord."

Daniel 3:57,60,78

FORWARD!

BACK!

REST!

and then.....SCREAM!

I was not able to perfect the first three basic commands, however, I can say that I became an expert in the last command.

I went to Cagayan De Oro on the first quarter of 2011. I did not expect it to be rainy on that time of year at CDO. Since I am here already, I went ahead with my itinerary. First on my list is city tour.

The city itself is small and one can go around the whole city by foot or by this tricycle cum jeepney called Motorella. This is the Philippines' version of Thai's Tuk-Tuk (or on my own opinion, it is the other way around). Unlike in Thailand, motorella drivers will not take advantage of the tourists.

"Tota pulchra es, Maria" (You are all beautiful, Mary). These are the words inked on the chapel inside Ateneo de Cagayan. For those who have been reading this blog for quite some time now (if there is someone really reading this besides my All Beautiful Sister), you will notice that I have certain fascination in each destination. In this CDO episode, I only have two.

The most prestigious school in Mindanao. CDO became a University City where most of the residents are students from across the country. Amazing as it is, because you will also see other nationalities roaming the city not as tourists but as students at Ateneo de Cagayan.

An old famous street sign. Old because it is old already compared to street signs that we see around Metro Manila. Famous, because of the yummy irresistible grub.

First stop: Butcher's Best BBQ. Do not expect much from the place but everything will be compensated in the food they serve. Do not miss to order their famous Sisig. Also try the delicious Pork BBQ (they are well known for that) and dare to try the Angus Beef Belly BBQ - the buttery meat of the beef will simply melt in your mouth while the flavors of their special Butcher's Best BBQ sauce explodes in your mouth. Heaven is on Earth.

I was already full after our sumptuous meal but this inviting pizza place across the street was tempting me to grab a bite of their pizza. True enough, Mamma Maria's Pizzeria is worthy of my attention.

This Pizzeria did not only stir my appetite but also my curiosity. If you happen to visit this place, you will not miss this one of a kind Crucifix. According to the store manager, this particular Cross was given to the owner by a nun from Brazil. Based on its appearance and how it was crafted, one will know that this Cross is made by a Brazilian telling a story and showcasing its' colorful heritage. This is the second fascination.

Ahhh, Slers. I almost have this secret relationship with Slers. During my stay in CDO, I would sneak out of our hotel and meet up with Slers chicharon. Oh how I love the cold cuts and the well known Jamon.

Big Flat Bread. One of the newest Pizzeria in CDO. My friend brought me here. The only thing that would separate this Pizza place from the other is their size and of course, their flat bread.

Time for some adventure. The main event. On the upper corner, wearing red straps over black recycled truck tires, the intriguing mind-blowing white water river tubing. On the lower right corner, wearing a blue...uhmm...just being blue with black paddle, the death defying white water kayak. Finally, on the left corner, with yellow paddles and yellow helmets, the marvelous wild white water rafting.

To complete the cast, here come the rafts and the guides of Great White Water Tours. We were disappointed on the morning of our rafting trip. It was raining non-stop. We were fetched by a jeep and was brought to GWWT base. We had another 30-min drive to our starting point. From there, the great fun began and the rain was the best thing that can happen on our rafting experience.

The first thing that we were thought during the orientation was how to properly handle the paddle. Tightly hold on to the T-grip. This will eliminate all accidents during the trip. The second thing was to listen to your guides. No questions asked. It was like "Don't Ask, Just Enjoy" (DAJE).

The first thing that our guide, Erwin asked us while on the raft was: Wild or Moderate? The next question was: How many flips? The third thing was not a question but a command: Be open minded. For what you may ask? For all the jokes that they will be telling you throughout your 5 hour trip. "Ika nga nila, limang oras kaming maglolokohan."

So from all the jokes, fact sharing, flips, kissing on the stone, snakes, crocodiles and all the gushing and laughing after all the flips, I can say that this tour would not be complete without Erwin the amazing Raft Guide. Do not miss to ask for the Korean Lift.

After the 5 hour trip, we went back to GWWT base for lunch. Our package includes this amazing lunch. Just to tickle your curiosity. We had this pork barbeque almost like the one in Butcher's Best. Then this really tasty chicken inasal. On the side, we have rice, kilawin and seaweed salad.

The Rafting tour was exhausting but that didn't stop me from venturing out in the rain to take some more pictures. Above is the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral.

The high five. It is the most important command on the raft. This is done when the group accomplished and surpassed the raging rapids. High five is the act of praising each other and recognizing that you are part of the team.

My CDO experience was enriched mainly by my rafting tour. Our guide, Erwin taught us a lot about CDO, rafting and being a part of a team.

I will definitely go back to Cagayan de Oro for there are a lot of reasons such as the food, the river tubing and the food. Did I mention I was going back because of the food?