Pixel Bug

PHOTO HUNT: Hanging

These photos were taken last summer during our exhilarating escapade at Subic Tree Top Adventure.

Here’s my son hanging as he was rappelling down a 60-foot tree.

And this is my daughter hanging as she was about to rappel down.

These batch will include the lovely tropical, exotic plants that I saw during our recent trip to Quezon. I fell in love with that place the first time I saw it. Nothing fancy, but I just love the greenery unlike here in the Metro. It’s like a tropical rain forest, that’s why there are a lot of beautiful plants. When you’re close to nature, the feeling of serenity is there and we, Manilenyos need that every so often.

Here are some of the gorgeous flowers and plants I saw growing there.

156/365 Anthurium or “Flamingo Flower”

157/365 Bromeliad – a very common tropical plant. There are a lot of varieties of Bromeliad and this is just one of them.

158/365 Blue Hydrangea – I love these flowers, too bad I can’t grow it here in the Metro. Even though you can see hydrangea being grown in our country, these lovely ornamental plant thrives in cooler climate. If you’ll notice, we have a lot of them in Baguio and Tagaytay. Quezon being at the foot of the mountain has a cooler climate also compared in the City. These flowers have become a favorite for wedding bouquets and arrangements because of its soft, delicate look.

159/365 This another kind of a very lovely exotic flower. If I am not mistaken, this is called a Red Ginger. If anyone knows the real name of this plant, please let me know by leaving a comment.

160/365 I never really know what this fruit is and upon searching, I discovered that it is called the NippleFruit. This is commonly used as an ornament for exotic flower arrangements. It is realted to the tomato and potato family. However, this fruit is poisonous if ingested.

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Truly, I am falling behind this project … but I still wouldn’t want to give up. This batch will contain 10 photos to let me catch up.  Most of the photos were taken during our Baguio Trip.

92/365 It’s Good Friday — meaning were supposed to fast and no meat. So, I decided to prepare this Grilled Vegetable Salad. It’s also one way to make the kids enjoy veggies, you can find the recipe here.

93/365 Black Saturday, still no meat. This Anchovies pasta is a perfect dish, it’s not only yummy but it’s healthy as well.

94/365 Egg – Shaped Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme. An Easter treat I gave away to the kids last Easter Sunday.

95/365 In this heat, we should always remember to wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from damaging UV rays.

96/365 Candle Offering — We passed by the Our Lady of Manaoag Church and offered our prayers…

97/365 Aside from the weather, what I love about Baguio is the vegetables and of course, the fresh strawberries.

98/365 Cemetery of Negativism

99/365 – Father and daughter bonding : I just love seeing my hubs and daughter bonding together like this. Knowing that my hubby is not the showy type… this is just an awesome sight.

100/365 Anyone care for fresh strawberries?

101/365 Sombrero

To get away from the scorching summer heat, my family and some friends of ours headed out to Baguio for a change. It’s been a while since I visited the City of Pines, although it’s not that cold but it’s still so much better that the temperature here in Manila.

The kids really enjoyed their stay in Baguio. If you are contemplating on going for a vacation in Baguio, a lot of activities await you and your kids… such as horseback riding at Camp John Hay…

And while your at John Hay, you can visit the Cemetery of Negativism, a symbolic burial place for man’s self-imposed negativism. It’s an interesting place to visit, especially for kids. I was amazed at how my boy and his friends tried to figure out the meaning of the tombstones. They really analyze things! Here are some of the epitaphs at the Cemetery…

Burnham Park is also one place for kids to enjoy. They can ride the bike, enjoy a picnic, row a boat, ride the bump car, go skating, or just enjoy a leisurely walk around this scenic park. (Sadly, I wasn’t able to accompany the kids in this park, so no photos to share.

You can let your kids strawberry picking at the Strawberry Farm located in La Trinidad, Benguet. The place is 20-30 minute drive from Baguio City proper. This is such a remarkable experience for the whole family, even hubs enjoyed picking those strawberries. The cost would be double the price per kilo, if you buy your strawberries from the market. I guess the additional cost would go to the accidental picking of unripe fruits — which cannot be avoided especially if you are dealing with kids

There are still a lot of places to visit while in Baguio, but a weekend is just not enough. Even so, it was still a fun-filled weekend!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

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KALIKASAN (Nature)

Napakayaman ng ating bansa sa yaman ng kalikasan. Tuwing ako ay dadalaw sa iba’t ibang lugar sa Pilipinas ay namamangha ako sa ganda ng ating bansa.

Isa sa mga paboritong kong kunin tuwing ako ay maglalakbay ay ang kalikasan. Tulad nitong unang larawan, ito ay kuha sa Malcapuya Island sa Palawan.

Heto naman ay sa Palawan din, sa Kayangan Lake, Coron.

At eto ay kuha 100feet above ground, nung minsang nagkaroon ako ng lakas ng loob na sumakay sa Canopy Lift Ride sa Subic Tree Top Adeventure.

(Our country is rich natural resources. Every time I visit any part of the country, I am awed a the beauty of the Philippines.

One of my favorite subject, is to take shots of nature. Like this first picture which was taken in Malcapuya Island, Palawan.

This one is also in Palawan, Kayangan Lake in Coron.

And this photo was taken 100 feet above ground when I had the courage to ride the Canopy Lift Ride at Subic Tree Top Adventure.)

Husay (Skillful)

Ang mga palayok na ito ay ilan sa mga produkto ni Ugu Bigyan. Isa sa mga kilalang “potters” ng ating bansa. Napakahusay ng kaniyang kamay sa paglilok ng mga ito, kaya naman siya ay tinatawag na “ceramic artist’.

Dinalaw namin ang kaniyang studyo sa Tiaong, Quezon. Napakabait na tao ni Ugu at kahit gabi na ay pinagbigyan pa rin niya kaming makita ang kaniyang mga gawa. At syempre napabili rin ang inyong lingkod. Kilala si Ugu sa kaniyang pagkamalikhain sa paglilok ng mga “dinnerware”, mga “accent pieces” o dekorasyon. Ilan sa mga suki niya ay ang mga kilalang resort tulad ng Amanpulo, El Nido, Villa Escudero, Hidden Valley, Campo Travieza at marami pang iba. Tunay na maipagmamalaki nating ang husay ni Ugu sa kaniyang napiling propesyon.

Ang kaniyang studyo ay siya ring kaniyang tahanan, kung saan nagbibigay siya ng pottery workshop.

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Coming home in the Philippines after having stayed in the State most of your life, you’d definitely want to see the country. And since my balikbayan cousin-in-law only had a few days to stay here we decided to bring her on a trip south of Manila.

The itinerary was a road trip to Laguna and Quezon. We visited a lot of wonderful places but for this week’s Pixelbug Weekend, I will feature the Sitio de Amor, the place we where we stayed. Sitio de Amor is part of the Viaje del Sol — featuring the tourist destinations of the south from San Pablo, Laguna to Quezon. It is a 4.5 hectare orchard between Mt. San Cristobal and Mt. Banahaw. If you are looking for a place to rest and just enthrall yourself to the beauty of nature, this place will surely entice you.

As you arrive, you are welcomed by their complimentary welcome drink — fresh coconut. Make sure to request that it be placed inside the fridge prior to your arrival.

One of the rooms we occupied had a refreshing view of the lagoon. The water from the lagoon comes from Balanga River. Waking up to such an amazing view will truly rejuvenate you — far from the hustle bustle of the city.

The main pavilion is perfect for  wedding receptions and other special occasions. As we were having breakfast, a young couple was there making sure the final arrangements for their upcoming reception are in place. Quite a romantic place, I might say especially during the night when all the lights are lit.

Aside from the room with a view of the lagoon, they also have a tree house which you can rent for PhP10,000/night. This could fit around 10 people. The other two rooms were beside each other, Duhat and Caimito which you can rent at PhP3,500 and PhP4,000 respectively.

For those who want to cool down, you can take a dip in their infinity pool. Just the thing for our summer climate.

Sitio de Amor Farm Resort
Km 88.8 Maharlika Highway
Barangay San Antonio 1
San Pablo City, Laguna

Prior reservations are required, you may call (02) 552-7340 and +63918- 9274346
Email: sitiodeamor@yahoo.com

Directions: Sitio de Amor is about 1 and a half hours from Manila. Take Maharlika Highway from South Superhiway heading towards Lucena. Take Maharlika Highway from South Superhiway heading towards Lucena — on your left side, and 3 kilometers before Villa Escudero. Turn left, it is about 600 meters in.

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As a child, I have memories of my family visiting Luneta Park or Rizal Park and even having my picture taken at that place. Luneta is where the monument of our national hero, Jose Rizal is located. As a Filipino, I just feel that my kids should visit the place to have a sense of nationalism.

Last Saturday, I decided to take them there. More than the reason above, it’s also an excuse for me to take photos for my photography class. Luneta has changed a lot the last time I was there. It’s actually a lot cleaner than I remembered.

The first photo is a picture of my son riding the Kalesa — a horse driven carriage introduced in the Philippines during the 18th century. It is no longer a popular form of transportation, you hardly see them in the Metro except for tourist spots like this. The kutsero or the kalesa driver was so friendly, he actually allowed my son to be the kutsero during our ride. It was truly an exciting experience for my ten year old.

My kids are never afraid of animals which is a good thing — they just love to caress and play with them. Here you can see them enjoying their time with the horse.

One good thing about trips like this is that I can see my kids enjoying each others company. And as a mom, it’s a joy to see them like that.

I would have wanted to catch the sunset by the bay, but my boy insisted to ride the train that was going around the park… How can I resist?

I just have to settle with this sunset photo….

It was quite a tiring day for me and the kids but it was all worth it. Seeing the smile on their faces, I know this weekend will be part of their childhood memories.

How about you? How did your weekend go?

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