> Nomadic at Puso

Friday, March 15, 2024

Ilocos Trip 2023

 





Travel Date: July 19 – 22, 2023


After eight years, I was back to my moving on escaping zone – the wonderful province of Ilocos.

But this time, it’s for work.

Our flight time was 4 am. By 5 am, we were already at Laoag Airport.

We had breakfast at McDonalds and then we did some work by 9 am.



Then just before lunch, we rode a bus going to Vigan and checked in to our hotel.

 It was a two-hour trip from Laoag City to Vigan City. We then checked in at Hotel Mercante just near Calle Crisologo.



Later in the afternoon, we had some time to visit Calle Crisologo and we bought some pasalubong. Of course, photo ops are part of our itinerary for that day.



We had dinner on a restaurant along Calle Crisologo then we headed back to our hotel for an early sleep because we’re tired and we don’t have enough sleep last night due to our very early flight.

For our Day 2, we had a whole day of work.

 

We had our breakfast on our hotel’s restaurant by 7 am. 

Then we’re off to our meeting place. It was a product training at Max’s Vigan.



Then by night, we had a chill time at one of the bars along Calle Crisologo with our colleagues.


The following day, we went to work again until before lunch.

We had a yummy lunch at Calle Brewery.



Then we’re back to Laoag.

We had some quick side trip to Bantay Bell Tower, Baluarte, and Paoay Church.





By 6 pm, we were already at Sola Hotel – a hotel in Laoag and it was such a nice play to stay. 



I love it there especially that during the time of our stay, it was not crowded.






We had a dipping time by its pool then dinner by 8 pm.

Our flight for the following day was at 5 am.



It was a quick trip for work but definitely I am grateful for having the opportunity to visit my healing place once again.

My first time here was when I was brokenhearted but now when I came back, my heart is already full of love, happiness and gratefulness.

I just feel so blessed and loved and everything really happens for a reason. 


I would definitely love to go back here in Ilocos to visit again some famous tourist spots  like the Borjador Lighthouse, Paoay Sand Dunes, the windmills, its white-sand beaches, and other beautiful nature spots it offers.

Our 2023 Boracay and Antique Family Trip







Boracay and Antique Trip

June 3-7, 2023


As they say, “invest more on experiences rather than material things.”

And I do believe in this.

Because money can still be earned but time – especially those moments with our loved ones won’t. 

 

I’ve been to Boracay and of course to my hometown Antique for countless times already but this year was different and will be forever cherished.

It became extra special for this trip because for the first time, Hubby and I rode on a plane together.

Also, I was with my family. And times with people close to my heart are always priceless.

 

So, without further ado, here’s our timeline for our recent trip.

 

Day 1 | July 3, 2023 Saturday

Hubby and I flew out together from Manila to Roxas City, Capiz at 4 am.

We visited my cousin living in Roxas. We had a breakfast and lunch at their home.

Then by two p.m. we travelled to Kalibo via van. It was a 2-hr ride.

When we reached Kalibo, we waited for my brother, his girlfriend and our cousin. Their ETA was 4 pm.

And we all rode a bus going to our hometown – Antique which was another 2-3hrs ride.

It was already 7 in the evening when we reached home. Hubby cooked for our dinner.

Then we went to our relative’s family resort and we slept there.

But before we slept, we had a night swimming on their pool.

It was a long day but our hearts were full.

 

Day 2 | June 4, 2023 Sunday

Our agenda for this day was our trip to Boracay.

From our place, it’s 2-3 hrs road trip going to Caticlan.

Then upon reaching Caticlan, we rode a ferry going to Boracay Island.

A shuttle drove us to our booked hotel.

We checked in at Faith Village Hotel and our rooms were simple but nice.

We ate for our late lunch at Mang Inasal then we had some photo ops and long walks at Station 3 to Station 2.

Boracay sunsets are breathtaking as always.







It was and always a nice feeling to sit on the sand and just do nothing but stare on the beauty of the sea.

It was also entertaining to watch people having the best time of their lives same as ours.

When the sun was already down, we were back to our hotel which was only walking distance to the beach to rinse off and took a rest. I slept early because ‘Hello, Tita feels’ and I was just so tired from our land travel. I just listened to my body and I know that my social and physical batteries were already drained and needed to recharge for another wonderful day ahead.

 

Day 3 | June 5, 2023 Monday

We woke up early and it was raining.

We ate on a nearby cafeteria.

Then after breakfast, we took a morning dip by the beach. We even tried kayaking and paddle boarding and of course photo ops will never be absent during our family gatherings.






My mom loves taking photos and I think I got it from her.


My cousins just had pancit and bread for lunch.

Then at 12 noon, we already checked out and back to Caticlan. A shuttle fetched us on our hotel and dropped us off at the pier then we took a ferry again back to the main island.

We rented a van going back to our home in Antique. It was almost 5 p.m. and it was raining on and off.

We washed our wet clothes and prepared for dinner.

At 8 p.m., we decided to buy milk tea.

And at 10 p.m. we finally called it a day because tomorrow is another adventure day for us.

 

Day 4 | June 6, 2023 Tuesday

The whole gang decided to go to our relative’s mountain resort. It has a river and a lot of amenities.

We went to Calawag Mountain Resort. Our first stop upon reaching the resort was the hanging bridge.




And then we decided to go trekking and we went to see the majestic waterfall of Bugtong Bato Falls.



I’ve already been there but it was nice to be back and this time with my husband.

It was a half an hour trek going to the falls. Green sceneries filled our eyes along the way.

It was an easy trail yet a bit of tiring to those who are not used to take long walks.

The water was cold yet refreshing.

And we take some moments to appreciate the beauty of nature in front of us.

After a few minutes, we decided to go back to the resort to have our lunch.

We had a boodle fight and we totally enjoyed it!

After having our lunch, we enjoyed the Kawa Bath even though it was raining.



For our night stay, we went again to Kawa Inn and we had our dinner there.

 

Day 5| June 7, 2023 Wednesday

It’s our last day at the province.



We had our early breakfast and we were back to our Lola’s house to pack our things.

We also dropped by at my cousin’s grave to pay a visit.

Our flight was at 7 pm.

We ate lunch at my lola’s house.

So, by 1 pm, we rode a bus going to Kalibo and it was a 3-hour ride.

When we reached Kalibo, we ate at Chowking for our early dinner.

Then when we reached Kalibo Airport, we bought some pasalubong there.

Our flight was a bit delayed but we reached Manila at 9 pm.

So, this ends our trip.

And I will be forever grateful for all the opportunities given to us to travel.

Thank you, Universe for always providing. All glory to the Lord.




Monday, April 10, 2023

Lian, Batangas | Get Together with TSG Friends


Get Together with TSG Friends

January 14-15, 2023




Lanie, Jhonah, Marky, Cecil, Dhez. They are my college best friends.


Every year, we see to it that we get to see each other to celebrate Christmas or New Year.

And what we usually do is we exchange gifts, give gifts to the kids and eat.

But this year, we went into a higher level of our typical meetups.

We had an out-of-town trip!

And this trip was saved up for a year.

Every month, we had a 400 pesos per head contribution

that will be used to pay all our expenses.

We literally saved up for 12 months.


And so, on the 14th of January at exactly 10 in the morning,

we’re off to a beach house in Batangas with the kids.




We’ll be staying there overnight.

The house we rented is a beach front, has a swimming pool,

large living room, kitchen and bedrooms that we all fit in.

We already bought food beforehand that we’re going to cook upon arrival.

Before reaching our destination, we had lunch first at Jaytee’s Tagaytay.

It also felt fulfilling to have dined in a pricey restaurant with my friends.

Back in college, we were already happy with siomai and rice as our food.

And throughout the years, whenever we have out of town trips,

we always go for the budget-friendly expenses as we don’t have much yet before.

But now, we are already able.

It is really humbling to experience all of these now

as we all remember our struggling beginnings.

And here we are, still together to share each milestone.

 We’re still here for each other with our ups and downs.

I am really grateful to have these few friends

yet authentic and people whom I can really rely on.

An untoward accident happened just after

we had lunch and we’re supposedly off to the beach house.

Lanie’s vehicle had an accident.

A sleepy driver bumped them.

Luckily, my friends and their child were fine.

But it caused us inconvenience and delay.

Lanie was rushed to the hospital for a check up on her head

while Jac – her husband needed to go to the police station

together with the reckless driver.

Their daughter joined us in the van going to the beach house.

I took care of Daina for a few hours while waiting for them.

While the other kids already enjoyed the pool.

My husband, Giovanni – Dhez’ husband,

and Carl – Jhonah’s husband were busy preparing our food.  

Marky was also with Lanie and Jac.

They are waiting at the police station for the mother of the driver to settle with them.

Three of them have joined us at midnight already.

 I joined the pool by midnight with Jhonah and Cez.

I slept at 3 am and then woke up again at 6:30 am.

While Cez, Marky, my husband and Giovanni slept at 7 am

right after they cooked breakfast and also had breakfast.

By then, the kids were already awake

and it was swimming time again for them after they had breakfast.

Our check out time was at 11 am.

But before we left, we had our tradition of exchange gifts and photo ops.

Our trip was short and sweet but definitely a worth memory for keeps.

And we look forward to more trips together.

Hopefully in the future, it will be a trip abroad. Why not?

 

I’ll try my best to run down some of our yearly trips together:

2009 – Daranak Falls, Tanay, Rizal

2010 – Alfonso, Cavite

2011 – (can't remember)

2012 – Baguio Trip

2013 – Puerto Galera Trip

2014 – Sessions at Tide’s

2015 – Sessions at Tide’s

2016 – Calatagan, Batangas and Quezon Province

2017 – beach in Bataan

2018 – Lanie’s house

2019 – Oyo Hotel at Poblacion, Makati

2020 – SM Aura and Starbucks BGC

2021 – Lanie’s house

2022 – Hara’s birthday, Daina’s birthday, Damara’s Christening

2023 – Tagaytay and Reyna Beach House, Batangas


Singalong Nature Campsite, Antipolo, Rizal

 

Celebrating 2nd year of Marriage

Singalong Nature Campsite, Antipolo, Rizal

December 19-20, 2022

 



December 20 is our wedding anniversary.

And we’re off to another adventure on the days of December 19 and 20. For these days, Hubby and I took vacation leaves from our work. And our destination was at Singalong Nature Campsite in Rizal.

We left home at 10 in the morning.

From Eastwood City, we rode a jeep going to Lifehomes then we rode another jeep going to Tanay. We told the driver to drop us off at Alfamart Mayiba Teresa.

Then from Alfamart, we rode a tricycle going to Singalong starting point.


Back to Nature and my heart was happy!



It was a thirty-minute trail going to the campsite and we mostly passed through streams.





We rented a tent as our sleeping room for the night.



When we were already settled, we had our lunch.

Hubby cooked Adobo before we left home and that was our lunch.

Then we hiked to the top of the campsite to see the amazing view.


The signal was limited there and the best thing to do up here is to enjoy nature.

And then we had a swim in a natural pool.

 


After swimming, we already washed off and took a short rest inside our tent.

Just before the sun sets, we cooked for dinner and also had our early dinner.

 


We also had the chance to have a bonfire and roasted marshmallows over the blue sky.

This is my favorite kind of night.

 


We slept early.

In the middle of the night, hubby woke up to eat.

And then we went back to sleep again.

 In the morning, we had coffee and bread for breakfast.

We left the campsite at 10 in the morning.

We just had lunch when we were already at Rosario.

Our anniversary celebration was simple yet we’re happy.

We are grateful for our marriage. This is a blessing we truly treasure and a partnership we work on every single day.

I want to thank my husband for agreeing with me to go on trips like this to celebrate our union. 

Legazpi - Sorsogon Trip | October 8 – 11, 2022

 

Another trip for this year and my heart is happy!

Last October 8 at 3 am, we flew to Legazpi with my friends.

We actually had a problem with our van but later on, we found a new van

that took us to our destinations.

Our first stop was at Cagsawa Ruins in Legazpi.

We had our breakfast there and then some photo ops and we also had an ATV.

I’ve already been here last 2018 and it felt good to be back for another adventure.

I was actually not feeling so fine a day before our trip but thank God

I still pushed through to go with my friends.

After our ATV ride, we traveled to Matnog Port in Sorsogon.

And from there, we rode a boat going to Subic Beach.

Before riding a boat, we bought food first in the nearby market.

I enjoyed the boat ride a lot. My eyes were filled with nature –

the waves, the sun, the wind, the islands, everything!



I am grateful for everything that I see and feel.

I took some videos and it was not enough to share

and cherish the beauty of what I am witnessing.

Subic Beach is a part of Calintaan Island

and it was also called as Pink Beach because of the pink materials

that can be found in the sand.

I love our little island for three days.

There were also some locals living there

and there were also other tourists when we got there.

I took some walks on its beautiful beach whenever I had the chance.

I helped in cooking food for our late lunch

and then some of my friends had an evening swim.

I also swam on the beach for a short time before rinsing off.

I actually felt tired already when it was 9 pm

but I still joined my friends who were having fun by the beach.

Most of them were already drunk.

We all went inside by 10 in the evening and went to sleep.

 

The next day I woke up at 5:30 am to see the sunrise by the beach.

And the view didn’t fail me.

I had some alone time and I appreciated it.


We had our breakfast at 7 am and then we started our island tour at 8 in the morning.

We rode a boat again.

Our first stop was at Tikling Island.

It was also a white sand beach island where a lot of wild boars

can be seen roaming around.



We spent our morning there and we all dipped in the sea.

We also took our lunch there inside the boat.

And then we headed to Juag Fish Sanctuary where we fed some fishes

and they can be seen up close. 

The next part of our trip was at Calintaan Cave

and it was my most favorite part of our island hopping.

I’m still scared of water because I can’t swim but I still faced my fears anyway.

I still jumped out of the water and enjoyed our adventure at that time.

We entered a cave and a beautiful secret beach welcomed us.



The waves were strong but we loved it and we all had so much fun.

We even called ourselves as “kwekwek” since we

were all wearing an orange life jacket.

Our next destination was at a Fish Farm.

We caught Bangus here for our dinner.

On that same destination, we also went to an overlooking site.



We also had a short break wherein we bought

and drank buko juice fresh from the tree.

 

Just before the sun sets,

we finally went back to Subic beach and to our room.

We still had time to play and swim by the beach.

 


We prepared a birthday surprise for one of our friends and it was a success.

Then we had dinner.  But I don’t eat bangus so I just ate boiled eggs.

After dinner, we rented a videoke. We slept at past 11 in the evening.

 

The next morning, I woke up again at 5:30 am.

And it was a Me time again!

I took a walk on the beach.


And then breakfast time before we checked out.

We went back to the main island/ Matnog Port.

And then we bought food again at the market.

Then we’re off to our next resort just a few minutes away from the port.

 

We then prepared for our lunch. We all took a nap after having lunch.

Then I woke up at sunset.

And we had dinner and drinks.



I slept early.

Day 4 and our last day in Matnog.

I woke up again at 5:30 to see the sunrise

and spent a little time to walk along the resort.



At 8 in the morning, we finally headed to Bicol International Airport.

It was a three-hour trip.

We passed by pasalubong centers in Sorsogon to buy pasalubong.

We also bought Buko Pie. And it was yummy!

We were already at the airport by 11 in the morning.

We just had our lunch there and waited for our flight back to Manila.

 

I reached home at 6 in the evening.

This has been a wonderful trip for me and for all of us.

And I can’t wait for the next adventure!