Insightful, Hopeful

I've recently been to Camiguin!

Me and my officemates have planned since March, and we bought our tickets at a discounted price from Cebu Pacific. Before the trip, I had a terrible cold, and thought that I could not join them :(   Some of our supposed companions were not able to join too. 

I still had colds during the trip, but this was compensated by the beautiful sights. We went there via Cagayan de Oro then took a ferry boat somewhere in Misamis Oriental (I forgot the name of the town where the port is located).

We stayed in Camiguin Seaside Lodge, fronting the beach. The waves were powerful so we were not able to enjoy the beach. I was also quite disappointed because their sand was not white, unlike in Bohol.

But Camiguin is not all about the beach, there are other magnificent spots to go to. There are numerous springs, of various types: hot, cold and soda (tastes a bit like soda, as my friend said coz I can't tell what it tastes like because of my colds).

We also went to Katibawasan Falls, and the Walkaway to the Old Volcano where stations of the cross are located.  It was also refreshing to see the mountains (like Mt. Hibok-hibok) and the sea while touring the island. We were able to go around the island in a day.

I really thank God for allowing me to enjoy the vacation, and for not letting my sickness to worsen.

I've created a multiply account where I uploaded the pictures, and named it risadventures :)  Hopefully, I can give a more detailed description of the trip in there.

This holy week, I had the privilege of going to Northern Luzon to visit the famous places in the Ilocos region. I was invited by my friend, Mimay, and her dad, when I came to meet her to watch Ice Age 2. I so wanted to visit the northern part of the Philippines, so I felt so blessed to be a part of their trip.

Since it was holy week, we visited mostly churches for the traditional Visita Iglesia. We visited 3 stations of the cross per church. The churches are exquisite, displaying rich cultural heritage from the mere structure itself. One of my favorites was the Shrine of our Lady of Charity in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. What I liked about it is the belfry on top of the hill.

Along the trip, we passed by breathtaking fields and mountains, shorelines, and bridges.

We were also able to see Pagudpod. The waves were everywhere, and I don't know how to swim, so I didn't stay long in the water.

We stayed at Laoag at the Hotel Tiffany which has a very cool diner reminiscent of diners in 70s Hollywood films (think Grease). On our way back to Manila, we drove by Vigan.

It was a very exciting trip for me. I am really thankful to Mimay and her dad for this "Northern Exposure" trip :)