2017 it is!!!

A driver's license!

I already have my driver's license!!!

I took my road test two weeks ago, and I passed right then and there! Yipee!!! So glad to finally get done with this! Now on to driving more and more!!!

This is just liberating!

Thank you God! :)

May my stay here in Jacksonville last for more than just the paper!

The Sunshine State in the Land of Milk and Honey

Hello there Star Spangled Banner!

It has been more than a month now since I arrived in the US.

It has been more than a month now living in the Sunshine State Florida, where the sun shines brightly and the gators flourish!

So here I am working, and living in the US!

I got accepted many months back of a position here in our Jacksonville office.

And it's been a month already living in this rented apartment with a fellow Filipino officemate.

So far the weather is good. It gets hot like back home.

I love our spacious apartment.

I have just passed the DMV written exam.

And soon I will be taking some driving lessons and then getting the road test, and hopefully pass it and hopefully get the license so I can drive.

It is very difficult to get around here! Well the good thing is Uber works here. But then again, it is better to have your own car!

So this is it! This is the American life!

Midway to Midlife!!!

I just recently turned 35, and yes 35!!!

I am uberly thankful, forever grateful, super duper blessed with this life of mine.

I am happy to have reached 35!!! It is a milestone! I am half way to the midlife, er, crises?! Hopefully not! =)

I celebrated my birthday in simple ways. It was Holy Thursday. The day of suffering in the life of Jesus.

It was a simple celebration with a simple meal with the people dearest to my heart, my family.

I am very blessed to have them. I am very blessed for the people who love me so much.

I pray for this year, that the prayer I have been praying for a long time will be granted.

I pray for good health, not only for me but for my family and loved ones too.

I pray for safety, for peace, for a calm and happy community.

I pray for good things to come to my friends, family, and countrymen.

Please bless my heart, my mind, my soul, Lord.

Please pray for me always Mama Mary and St Joseph.

Thank you always!!!

My heart is bursting with love!!!

Exploring Albay - Daraga

Last day in Albay, it was Sunday. 

Dearie and I were really hoping for a sunny day, and that Mount Mayon would come out of the clouds. 

Our plan was to visit the town of Daraga where the beautiful Daraga church is situated atop a hill and where you can also get a view of the volcano. 

Daraga church or Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church (also Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church) was built by the Franciscans in 1772.

Our itinerary for our last day was first go to church at Daraga since it was a Sunday, and then get a good view of the volcano.  

Mayon was still in hiding when we got there. Our mass was 830-930am. Afterwhich, we stayed a bit. We love the cool breeze that day, and just enjoyed the beauty around us.

We then went to Cagsawa Ruins, where we can find the remnants of an 18th-century Franciscan church, the Cagsawa church. It was built in 1724. Although allegedly destroyed by the eruption of the Mayon Volcano in 1814, photographic proof demonstrated that the church remained standing well into the 20th century, ultimately destroyed by over a century of neglect. 

In the area, you can find a number of young adults offering to take your picture for fun shots using your camera. I gamely gave in to their invitations.  You don’t need to give them a certain fee, just a tip. So if you are happy with the shots, give these kids more!

Here are samples!

Good thing Mayon came out although the tip was a bit hidden by clouds. It was a lovely day! And we were just happy that finally the sun came out!

After our pictorial at Cagsawa, we then decided to check out Balay Cena Una, a famous restaurant in Daraga. A bit pricey, but the food was great and so was the place.

It is an old house transformed into a restaurant. During Sundays they serve buffet lunch which starts at 1130 am until 230 pm. I really didn’t want to do buffet but since we didn’t know about it and we were already there, we just had to go for it.

We were the first customers. And we were soooo lucky to have met the mother of the owners. She was very welcoming and she asked where we were from. And it turned out she has Ilonggo roots and was married in Cebu. That got us some connection! I am from Cebu and my dearie is Ilonggo. When she learned that I was from Cebu she gave me a hug! She told us briefly of her wedding and how it happened in Cebu. She was just lovely! And so heartwarming!

After lunch, we went back to our inn in Legazpi. We packed our bags, and then left for the airport for our flight at 250pm.  Our flight was a bit delayed but it was actually a blessing in disguise as Mount Mayon showed its grandeur! No clouds obstructing the view. The passengers at the boarding gate were all mesmerized, and took out their cameras! Even as we were boarding the plane, passengers took pictures with the beautiful Mayon in the background.  She was boasting of her perfect cone! Oh what a lovely way to end this trip!

Exploring Albay - Camalig, Ligao, Polangui

On our second day in Albay, we decided on visiting Camalig, Ligao, and Polangui.

The second day was very very rainy day, so our mobility was limited.

We decided on going first to Camalig. We took a jeepney from Legazpi to Camalig and asked the driver to drop us off at the town center or where their municipal building is. We first have to visit their tourist center and ask for advise on what is the best way to go around the tourist spots in Camalig. The tourist center is actually just along the highway.

The guy on duty at the tourist center suggested we skip Quitinday since it's a really rainy day, and besides we don't have our own transport so it makes it lot more difficult. So our itinerary was short - Hoyop-hoyopan Cave and Sumlang Lake. The guy got us our tricycle who took us to these spots.

Hoyop-hoyopan Cave was  like a 40-min ride by tricycle.

The fee for the tour at Hoyop-hoyopan cave was 300 pesos.  It was cheap if you were in groups of 4 or more. But I find it expensive as there were only two of us. They should have pegged this fee per person rather than per group, and have it at say 50 per person.

After touring Hoyop-hoyopan cave, we went to Sumlang Lake. It was still raining hard, and Sumlang Lake was just like any ordinary lake. There were a lot of school kids that day, who despite the rain took effort to ride the rafts.

After a quick stay in Sumlang Lake, it was time to have our hearty lunch with the famous Bicolano dish Pinangat.

Thereafter, and still raining, we took a jeepney ride to Ligao City to check out Kawa-kawa Hill.

Kawa-kawa hill is named as such because the hill resembles a 'kawa'.

And since it was still raining, we just took a pic of the Last Supper sculpture.

Then we found a resto serving Halo-halo with lambanog. So we took our respite in this place.

Still having much time left for the day, we decided on going to Polangui. We think it might be worthy checking out their old church.

So we ended up getting soaked when we reached Polangui town. We just went to their church.
And since it was raining very hard, we took shelter there. But there was a funeral service. So after 10 or 15 mins, we left and went back to Legazpi.

We had dinner at the 1st Colonial Grill. My dearie wanted to try the chili ice cream at level 3!

Called it a day after dinner and slept well hoping the next day will be sunny!!! =)


Next - 3rd day - Discovering Daraga!

Discovering Albay - Tiwi and Legazpi

I have been to the province of Albay twice, specifically to the city of Legazpi.  First time was on the trip from Donsol, Sorsogon.  My friend and I stayed overnight in Legazpi before catching our flight back to Manila early morning the following day. We didn't get to see the perfect cone at that time, but were able to catch a glimpse of the volcano's hugeness.  The second time was enroute to CamSur Water Complex with a group of friends. We took the overnight bus to Legazpi, hired a van to take us to CamSur but with side trips to Lignon Hill and the Cagsawa Ruins. It was a cloudy day and Mt Mayon was hiding behind these clouds.  That was 2010 and 2011.

Now this year in February, dearie suggested we take a trip to Albay.  He has not been to anywhere in Bicol except passing by it when he took the land trip on the way to Bacolod. He has not seen Mayon Volcano, too. So I was cool with his suggestion.  I'd like to make another attempt to see the famous cone shape of Mayon.  So we decided on a 2 1/2-day and 2-night- stay in Legaspi, took the overnight bus on the way and a plane ride back to Manila.

We wanted to explore Legazpi and nearby towns so we decided to visit Camalig, Daraga, and Tiwi as well. We were not very lucky with the weather. It was raining for two days! And Mayon, was still covered in clouds. We were blessed on the last day, and she showed herself with her grandest beauty and perfect cone at the airport! And everyone at the airport was really in awe when all the clouds disappeared, and she just stood there so amazingly beautiful! Mount Mayon is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen!!!

I bought our bus tickets online via www.pinoytravel.com.ph.  This was my first time to use their service, and it was all good. You first reserve for a bus seat, the following day you get the confirmation, then you pay via payment centers or the banks. They charge a fee but it is alright, as it saves you the hassle of buying tickets in advance at the bus stations.

I chose DLTB. And after our trip, my British colleague told me that DLTB is a deadly bus having the most number of accidents!!! Oh my!!! Oh well we got there safe! Thank goodness!!!

We took the 9pm bus trip, but actually it departs Metro Manila at 10pm, and has lots of stop overs to pick up passengers.  We arrived at the Legazpi Bus Terminal at around 9am the following day.

I booked our accommodation via Agoda, which has always been my preferred booking site for accommodations.  I chose Night and Day Inn in Bonot, Penafranda, Legazpi City. The place is conveniently located, and is a few minutes away from the airport, bus terminal, and malls.
It was a cheap place, so you cannot expect superb service for its price.

1st day - Tiwi, Albay

We took the van from Legaspi to Tiwi, fare is at 60Php per pax. Got off at the town center, ate hamburgers, and visited the church (pic on the right).

We decided to go to Philippine Ceramics Center via a padyak (bicycle with side car), bought souvenirs, and then off to our next destination by taking a habalhabal (motorcycle) and asked the driver to take us to any beach nearby.

He dropped us off at Sugod, where the black sand beaches abound. It was a public beach, with hardly people around. The waves were huge, not good for swimming. We didn't intend to swim anyway. We loitered for a few minutes, and then decided to go back to the town center. The question is how to go back! We waited and walked along the highway, and finally found a tricycle that took us back.   

We had lunch/merienda at DJC's Halo-halo, a famous shop in Tiwi. 

Afterwhich, we decided to go back to Legaspi.  There were still other places of interest in Tiwi. I guess we were just tired from our bus ride, plus the van from Tiwi to Legazpi had limited trips.

We roamed around the Embarcadero, which was already losing it's grandeur.  Lots of shops were closed. Fewer people compared to the Pacific Mall, which was really teeming with people.

We wanted to try the Chili Ice Cream at the 1st Colonial Grill so we decided to check this out the Pacific Mall.  The 1st Colonial Grill was also situated beside Graceland and Biggs which are famous food chains in Legazpi.

Aside from the Chili flavored ice cream, they also offer other unique flavors like ginger, calamansi, and tutong na kanin. For the chili flavored ice cream, you can choose 3 levels, depending on your appetite for "hotness".

After indulging in ice cream, we decided to roam around the Pacific Mall. It was also too early to go home. We could have opted for other activities, like exploring the nearby Lignon Hill. But dearie was not a fan of it. I didn't push my luck. I have been to Lignon Hill anyway.

Inside Pacific Mall, you can find the Metro Gaisano department store and grocery. This department store is owned by Gaisanos of Cebu where they have started their chain.  They have been very successful in their expansion, I must say.

NEXT: 2nd day - Camalig/Ligao/Polangui, Albay

London.Paris.Amsterdam.Scotland 2014

I was very fortunate to travel to these places in 2014 care of a training from my company.

I am blessed! I am grateful!

Notting Hill market

Recipease by Jamie Oliver!!!

Heineken Experience with the hunkie guide!

Eiffel Tower!!!

Arc de Triomphe

Chateu de Versailles

Chateau de Versailles

Chateau de Versailles

Pagoda at the Kew Gardens

Edinburgh Castle

haggis, nips, tatties

Edinburgh Castle

Heineken Experience