braggies: November 2009

Tagaytay City Trip

I woke up late the following day since I slept around 4:00am the night before. So instead of going to Corregidor as planned, I travelled up south to Tagaytay City and the trip was my ninth time already. There was no particular reason why I chose Tagaytay except to accompany someone who has never been there before. I never get tired coming back to Tagaytay as I love the weather and the scenery especially the view on top the Palace in the Sky.

View from the unfinished building terrace

A day tour in Manila, Manila Ocean Park

One of the good places to view the famous Manila bay sunset is at the Manila Ocean Park located behind the Quirino Granstand at the Luneta Park. But of course the main reason why to go there is because of the place itself. Other things to do are food tripping, bar lounging, and shopping. So there are so much time to kill in this place. Direct from Intramuros, I arrived the place just before the sun set. But before the sun touches the sea level clouds hides it so no spectacular view was captured.

A day tour in Manila, Fort Santiago

After four days in the province, I went back to Manila to spend the rest of the remaining days of my vacation before I go back to Singapore. While in Manila aside from the usual malling and bar hopping, I continue my list of places to visit while on vacation. Tagaytay and the Manila Ocean Park concludes the list. Originally my plan was to visit Corregidor since I have never been there, but due to bar hopping the night before, I woke up late so I opted for Tagaytay instead. It's been my nth times to Tagaytay since back in college some of my dorm mates where from within the area, so every time they went home on weekends we tag along and spend hours in Tagaytay before heading to their house.

First day in Manila was spent on touring Fort Santiago in Intramuros. From the hotel, I took the LRT and alighted at Central station. From there I passed by at the Liwasang Bonifacio, and took some pictures of the leader of Katipunan with the imposing Manila Central Post Office building on the background.

Lounging in CamSur Watersports Complex

It was my first time to visit the place. Before, I did not pay much attention to the place since I am not into extreme sports. But the CWC become the in thing, and everybody was talking about, a must place to visit and experience so they say and I agree. I did not go there to try wakeboard nor stay longer, I don't need to as my house is just less than an hour away. But lounging there for few hours and watching the wakeboarders do their stuff was an entertainment. The place is picturesquely stunning.Though the wakeboarding is the main attraction, there are other watersports you can try at the complex.

Skywatch

I took a week off from work and where else do I spend it, but to my Philippines specifically my hometown. Homeward is different from the usual holiday trip overseas. You just don't have to buy the plane ticket, you busied yourself days before your actual flight date buying things you bring with you to your trip. But going home specially if your away for months always bring excitement and goosebumps.

I made a list of to do things for the trip. On the list are a visit to Malacanang Palace Museum. I got a chance to visit the place way back months after the Marcoses fled the Palace and the new government turned part of the palace into a Museum and opened it to the public. I was young then so my only recollection was I got to see Imelda's thousands shoes and gowns. I thought now is my chance to really appreciates our own especially that I just recently been to two countries own, the Negara Istana of Singapore and the Reunification Palace of Vietnam. But alas the Malacanang is closed to public for the whole November for general cleaning because part of the Museum was used as the relief operation center during the Ondoy onslaught.

More on the list are the ones in my home province which where I'll be spending more of my vacation days. These two are the Caramoan Islands and the CamSur Watersports Complex. Caramoan Islands became famous because of the Survivor shows. The islands was the place where the tv show contestants outwit, outlast, and outplay each other for a million bucks. The two days since I arrived, the rain continuously to pour so the plan to go to Caramoan Islands has been crossed out on the list. Caramoan is just a two hour trip from our house, the one and half hours by sea so I was not allowed to the trip and reduced to just staying home.

These completes the places I have visited while i'm on vacation.

CWC