Gastronomic Stopover

A trip to the North is not complete with-out a stopover lunch or dinner at Palaisdaan Floating Restaurant in Gerona, Tarlac. Based on the Barrio Fiesta  food concept and  their Singing cooks and waiters,  this food haven is themed on a Buddhist ambiance in Philippine settings. For those who have been to Cambodia and Thailand  the giant Buddha statue are very familiar sights.

How to get there:

From NLEX, SCTEX, exit at Tarlac, then turn left to Tarlac City proper and hacienda Luisita  then turn right at Mac Arthur Highway then to continue Gerona. The restaurant is found at the left.

 Activities at Palaisdaan Restaurant:

Ungoy-ungoyan....survive the adventure with large monkey statue spitting waters as you make a stroll around their giant statue.

The Famous Tacsiyapo wall---Release your anger by throwing anything at the wall with-out cursing...choose anything you throw at a certain price to pay.

The Wishing  Buddha----make a wish for your dreams to come true

San Kilo Bridge Cross Challenge---cross the narrow bridge of : 20cm wide, 3o mtrs long located at the center of the fish pond, laden with sea shells as obstacles, and get a kilo of fresh seafood free, if you make it with-out falling into the waters. Prepare yourself to get soaked just in case.

The food is delectable,  fresh catch and priced slightly lower than in Manila, just make sure to bring cash, to avoid hassles with using credit cards. It's a  good place to explore and satisfy your  gastronomic cravings during  your trips to the north. Grilled adobong liempo is a must try.

Am glad to see last August 2010 that, one  is under construction in Laguna,  for travelers going to the South in between Kamayan sa Plaisdaan sa Bay and Samaral Sea food.

Adventures in La Virginia Hotel and Resort

Who doesn't have the fear of heights?  Accidents do happen 

any time, in  moments, we least expect them. 

However, how can I can resist the challenge when 

before my eyes' men, women of different ages are enjoying, 

and having the time of their life  in taking turns for the ride?

Faith and Healing Journey

The Kamay ni Hesus Shrine located in  Lucban, Quezon became a part of our life three years ago when my father felt  seriously ill from complications of  diabetes mellitus, resulting to the amputation of both legs. We had our share of anguish and pain that leads our way to  the healing journey in Lucban.  We are grateful for His magical touch that my father survived and  celebrated with us their Golden Wedding Anniversary last October 30, 2010.

The Bahay ng Pari, is the newly finished accommodation with in the complex of the Kamay ni Hesus Shrine.

The place never fails to amaze us and other devotees that visited and heard mass every now and then.

A Sojourn to Remember

I was in Cebu last October 29 to 31, 2010 for the Golden Wedding Celebration of my parents and booked online my reservations for this hotel located at 101 Don Mariano Cui St. Capitol Site, Cebu City, 6000 Philippines (www.ceburhotel.com)

The location may not be too familiar to most taxi drivers from the airport so, I showed them the location map that I printed out, and told them the landmark to the place, it being near Cebu Doctors hospital and the NBI in the Capitol building.

It is a nice place, a good sojourn nestled in a quiet environment where other city entertainment, adventure and shopping venues are readily accessible through a taxi or jeepney ride. There couldn't be much review found on the net about the hotel as it is only a year old.

My first impression of the hotel as I reached the doorstep:" GOOD".

It's clean, the staff we're very courteous and accommodating to the foreign tourists, who were checking in ahead of me. 
They exemplified the true warmth of a Cebuano hospitality.  I felt elated watching them and don't mind waiting for a while.

I am no stranger to Cebu as, I spent the best five years of my adolescent years in the queen city of the south. I finished my degree in Chemical Engineering at the Colegio de San Jose Recoletos now University of San Rose Recoletos (USJR). 

The hotel is classified only as three star, but as unbiased assessment of its services and  facilities, I can honestly say that" it a can stand proud of its class". From a scale of 1 to 5, I can fairly rate it at 4.0. The rooms are spacious and sparkling clean. It has a"wifi" both in the rooms and in the lobby and the connection is relatively fast. I stay connected online  with-out being interrupted waiting for hubby to be available in Skype. The room rates are reasonable and the free breakfast is palatable. The only set back is that the hotel is situated a little farther from the major night life in the city, but for  tourist who wanted a clean and peaceful accommodation at night, Cebu R Hotel is a good place to Stay. It is highly recommended.  

My classmates from USJR (Vivian and Mabel) whom I haven't met for the past 28years  and I, had a good bonding moments in this hotel after the wedding reception. They slept with me at my double deluxe room in the hotel at no extra cost. It is reasonably priced at Php 1,050.00 with a double bed and a single bed with a refrigerator and a free breakfast. Am glad that they also extended a complimentary breakfast to them. Cheers to Cebu R Hotel for your courtesy, you were part of a very special event in my life and my friends too. 

Thank You for a worthwhile stay. See you again in my next trip to Cebu.

Image source:laterooms.com

Moving Forward

Life is not like a pendulum where it can sway back and forth.

Despite the failures and the pain, there is only one direction to take if we want to be successful and that is to move forward.

Simply a Matter of Attitude

Happiness as defined in wikipedia... is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources. ..

A Rare Weekend

As I was driving along the Macapagal Avenue, I  noticed a brand new white Mitsubishi-Montero with no plate number tailing behind me until  I reached the gate of Phil-am Village  in Las Pinas, which is opened as a friendship route, used by Las Pineros to short cut to BFRV from the coastal road, and other subdivisions.

An Antidote To Greed

We are all pilgrims in life looking for a greener pasture in every part of the globe, taking every opportunity, there is, hoping that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence..
One of the noted difference between being frugal and being a miser, is that: one is a virtue and the other is a vice.
It all depends on how our actions affected other people lives in our day to day undertaking. We all need to make choices about how we spend our money. We must choose wisely, to allow ourselves to build our wealth, and eventually, achieve financial security. However, how do we know if  our acts are of frugality or being a miser?
Some of the known benchmarks are:
A.) Buying in bulk is a prudent act, to avail of discounts.
B .) Living within your means is an act of frugality.
C .) It is a miser's act to share food to household help that are expired.
Frugality is a virtue that implies being careful, not wasteful of your resources. However, being a miser is a vice, and it carries a whiff of meanness. It is just like keeping the best for yourself and giving everyone else  something that even yourself won't dare to handle.
In our journey through the long and winding road of life, always remember that: frugality is the antidote to greed!


image source: financefox.ca