FIRST TIME TO ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL

oohhh well, sad but had to cut my story on the so short yet so special itinerary i had in Davao, that is meeting and seeing rovie (maybe some other time, we could have more time bonding).

moving on with my saga, buddy and i left  rovie's place as we were already called to proceed to meet our group at Gaisano Mall, Ilustre, so another directional and map reading activity took place, surprisingly it's just near from Ulas and with just two rides of jeep we arrived earlier than the call time.

we took sometime to stroll around the mall and dropped by an Internet Cafe, to comply and reply with some emailed work.

and since it's almost lunch time when we all meet, Mami Hazel (our host person here) brought us at "Nanay Bebeng's Eat all you can Restaurant and pigged out just like a hungry lion haven't eaten for weeks.. (just kidding, ha ha..)  --all i can say is that, the food is superb, it fills more than my tummy's usual intake. and to effect, i forgot the word "DIET".

whatever.., forget about diet, anyways, it happens only once... and everytime ... he he

  we thought we are going back to Panabo City this day as we weren't able to have a good glance of the place the last time we stopped over as we arrived late and left too early, well, we thought wrong,
because our way now is to the ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL (IGACOS), excited about the trip, and what awaits us in there i made myself comfortable with the thought that "this is my time in Davao, i'll make the most of it...." :D

unforgettable sunset pose while waiting in queue to be loaded with the ferry
that will transport us to the Island... 

we dropped by at the Blujaz beach resort
to try the beachside ambiance 

finding serenity while sea watching and
overlooking city lights on the other side.. 

of course, never be the last to dipped in the saltwater
as always, our favorite activity: to get wet!

plus the staff has their own artistic way of serving their foodie thing..
and i like it...

..if you plan something different and unusual in your planned or unplanned vacation, adventure, escapades or whatever you call it.. go try the SAMAL ISLAND for yourself....

hold on guys, cause there's more exciting fun and discoveries in this fun-filled Davao experience we had.

Davao's special Itinerary

where did i stopped the last time?
ahhh, that was a slept over at Panabo City
so, to continue, on the third day..
indeed, a hard day for me,
still longing for that dream sleep as the other day was so exhausting
we were awakened at 3:00 o'clock in the morning, as we need to be at davao at 4am
to  send two of our colleagues at the Bus terminal going to General Santos City and Cotabato City as they have to report for work..
so there, despite the groogy feeling of being soo sleepy
i just thought that our day has just begun,

and i had one special itinerary for today, that is to go and visit rovie (bestfriend in highschool, and haven't seen each other for sixteen years and eight months after graduation in Highschool, and now a blogging buddy ).

rovie - has been inviting me to visit and see her in davao many times then, but due to the distant and always busy schedules of me in the past past years, i cannot fulfill my promise to her that someday, oneday, i am going to see her,  until this time.

at some point, there were hesitations as to go or not to go to her place because of time constraint plus, my point of origin is from the south most of Davao and her place is from the North most, and when she told me of "Ulas" (her place) i couldn't find it in the EZ MAP i'm holding, i am in a kinda panicky mode as to how am i going to reach her place?

Nonetheless, i've decided to see her, even just for a while since i know if i let this day passed i won't make it anymore, and with the patience, guide and expertise of my buddy in map reading and direction we reached  rovie's place earlier than her estimated time of our arrival.

our meeting didn't even lasted for an hour, as another appointment is waiting for us somewhere in the city, but what's important with seeing her is the fact that after 16 long years of not not seeing each other in person, we got the feel of each others physical comfort today and it would be a forever cherished reunion with her, with her better half  Papa Bren and the "makulit at wala sa mood" little Bella.

flo: have we grown old?

rov: not much that old, i guess more on wisdom...(laughs)

flo: ...and weights and heights too...
rov: yeah, right... (laughs)

..let's add some grown curves and waves too.. ha ha ha!

with this post, i made a recollection on our Highschool's "tweetums" mode with rove and the rest of our group, indeed a memory worth remembering...and i miss them, a lot..

one thought that comes in my mind is the so-called "treasured friendship", no matter the time and distance which makes you apart, there is always that one moment in your life that you opened yourself to let those moments live again.
***********************************************
ei, before i get emo on this part, i'm planning to update this post, by putting some of our old pics with rove to compare now and then... watched out for it, guys, i just need to dig on my photo albums and scanned those pic to post. soon.

that's it for now!

amazing trip to DAVAO

 DAVAO - definitely one of my list in my must go places before traveling outside Philippines, and at last it happened with a plus factor that this trip wasn't a business trip like those of my previous trips, but purely a vacation trip, to see the place wth my own gusto and be reunited with my old and the not so old friends.:D

with this, allow me to narrate every detail of my trip from day one up to the last day, though there were one thing very common with the experience all throughout the trip, that is: TIRING YET AMAZINGLY ENJOYING!

on the first day,
fetched from airport all the way to attend the Christening of "Baby Jieann" (my inaanak), but since the plane arrived late, i only joined the dinner and the night party which lasted about two o'clock in the morning.

on the second day,
still wanting to hit that sack because of the late slumber, but really need to get up to take a power breakfast because this day is a very long day, as the itinerary was being laid down:
together with the colleagues,

let's begin with a trek inside  GAP FARMING RESORT at Ma.a, Davao City 

(still photos will speak much of how enjoying the tour was..)

i took some snapshot while the others are busy investigating the whatever..

making "kulit mode" climbing the stiff stairs

stop overs..

no animals were harmed when this photo was taken.. :D

so nice to feel young again...

needs a shade..

dare to be bold....

got tired with my hav,  i have to lift it so i can walk equally fast.. he he 

once there were the young ones...

and a final pose before going to the next attraction... 

are you still up, for the next story line? i'll tell you that, this is quite a story --its simply an amazing trip ..!
anyways, here's a peek on our ..

trail to the Japanese Tunnel still in Ma,a, Davao City 

im asking him to date me out..LOL

but, this is where i ended..ROLL!

as if... ha ha

who looks more like of a geisha..

and so with the others, once sitted at the couch can't help but fallen asleep
tiredness knocking us out... 

and, after gaining some energy with the accidental naps we proceeded to have a lunch at former's Dencio's resto and guess what's the ordered menu..?
it's a Crocodile and Ostrich Meat, as the group wanted to taste the Davao's pride of excotic food, and for this time they ordered: KALDERETANG CROCODILE and OSTRICH SISIG, i tried to eat both meat but just after the maxtication process in my digestive system -- ahh.. you don't wanna know what happended, well, nothing much but just ending up starving :(

croco meat

ostrich meat

.so much for the foodie thing, let's go now to the third tourist attraction that we got for this day,

the Davao Butterfly House 

nature, life, beauty..and of course ME

i'm looking for some warning signs, that would keep us out from here.. ha ha

oh well, someone who could tell me that playgrounds were just meant for kids to play? ha ha, anyway, we are just actually killing the time waiting for the animal show at crocodile park that would start at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon as we intend to watch it...

   

NEXT STOP DAVAO CROCODILE PARK

cool...

 it's almost dusk when we left the park and i'll say its super enjoying out there.. we're now ready moving to our night escape which is going to panabo city, davao oriental -- where one of our classmate from there invited us for a big time  dinner.

but just before we reached the dinner table, we stopped by to fetched something and i did a little tripping on this stage... LOL!

sana ngayong pasko...ay maalala mo pa rin ako... 

the night ended up so high and full, and tiring and once our back hit the bunks, we said goodnight to the world. 

that's it! i have to cut my story in here, please join me again for another page of my storyline about this trip, because there were more exciting fun in the next days of my stay.

am i...?

for a while, i've been away from the limelight of blogging, 

and i miss writing in its true essence, 

that is, writing and conveying my inner thoughts/truest emotions.. 

i couldn't say that the reason of my absence is because i am traveling most of the time

 or i am overstressed with my very demanding work 

or striving with the familiarity of the unfair,

 but rather my feelings dictates me of the fact 

that, i can no longer write nor take an awesome photoshoot  

because my eyes ceased to tell me how colorful the rainbows are, 

and the voice within me stopped whispering 

the words that could make my heart skipped a bit. 

yes, i've been inlove for a while, succumbed with the fantasy

of finding the rare and real, held it in my palms

felt it in my bones, affecting my soul

yet, that rare kind of love i found

i have to let go 

because i know it's time to

the truth among my lies is realizing that there were only two instance why i am inspired to write, 

that is...

when i am inlove and broken hearted. 

and at the moment, i am neither of the two...

am i..?

the breathtaking SAN JUANICO BRIDGE

it's been an off and on schedule for me  if i could really join the working team to Tacloban City, and i thought it's never gonna happen but to the last minute the in-charge informed me that we have our plane tickets ready so i better get off.

then, i made the necessary endorsement for the job i'm leaving in my cube, lucky that i almost beat my deadlines, only some paper works that could be transacted online were need to be done. thanks to internet it made some works easy, accessible and handy.

whew! that was just the story before i get to this part of Leyte. but wait a minute, i knew there's a lot of nice places and beautiful experience to discover in this place, but since i am travelling for business, i get contented with the sight of the Breathtaking view of the San Juanico Bridge and the Mac arthur park in Palo, Leyte.



first let me get to the beautiful SAN JUANICO BRIGE.  it's a historical bridge as it was called the "Testimonial of Love" of the then President Marcos to the first lady Imelda. Since the first lady is native from Leyte and Marcos from Samar, he built the bridge to connect Samar and Leyte and therefore connect his way to Imelda's heart. (ha ha, chezzy- but i like it,cool and romantic)....



San Juanico Bridge made known also when the Dante Varona the so-called "Hari ng Stunt" made his biggest hit to stardom with this movie when he jumped off the highest part of the Bridge. I guess i might try it too, for who knows a producer could discover my talent... ha ha ha.

hooowheew!! what can i say..? but to laugh my way out..it's too high i need a wetsuit, googles, fins and mask before i could make that giant stride...

=)

GOING THE DISTANCE

i will go the distance, cross the ocean and travel the land, to find my way to your heart...

MY ULTIMATE "MARANG" CRAVING @ILOILO CITY

thank you very much central market plaza for satiating my ultimate craving with my favorite fruit "Marang". it's been my 5th day of stay in Iloilo City and i can't remember a day that passed without asking my buddy to bring me to their market, hoping i could chance upon a Marang for sale, i don't know if its just a product of my imagination or am having a delusion, because i am smelling the awesome Marang smell when i passed by a certain street at the central market,  but when we searched the place it just ends  in frustration, then went home teary eyed (over naman! haha!). Nevertheless, on my last night stay here for this visit, buddy and i took a rushed walk at the central market and there again the smell i am smelling, this time i knew it's not just a make believe, because i am seeing Marang at the Stand, and the clock is ticking fast and soon we'll be leaving, so i jumped at the seller and grabbed the biggest Marang of all, with mouth open wide and eyes never blinking we ate the same there and then.
i recalled the last time i tasted Marang after the decade of longing was when i was at General Santos City and over a month ago, and again this time....eaten MARANG as if it's my very first time after a long time.

MY MOST PRECIOUS TRAVEL TO ILOILO CITY

had anyone here, been to ILOILO?
i've been..
 i couldn't tell much of it's History
all i know is that i spent some precious moment
here even while at  a hectic work and with an amidst inclement weather
as the rain never stops to pour especially at night.(it must be Quiel)

my comrades were kind enough in accomodating me

one of those footmarks i had at ILOILO

and make an awesome tour within the City (that is of course during my free time)

not much to say, but thanks guys
for the most wonderful stay in your place...

promise me when i come back you bring me to
bora, together with my scuba gear....

DETERMINATION

behind every courage is the determination to conquer the giant shadow beside and inside every human.

blame it to the fallin' rain

busy day is it
or was it?
i haven't noticed the time
 it just passed
 and when it hit the hour of 5
 i saw twilight
that means
its time to go
and so i gathered my things up and rushed to the ladder
for i know
He stood there at the blocks
as usual
standing, smiling, looking my way, waiting...
and then i reached to the treshold
 stirring eagerly,
as i am seeing HIM clearly in a distance
like a god perfectly statued
a face you would always wish to see
a cheeks you would always want to touch
a lips you would always longed to kiss
that's HIM i whispered to myself
i motioned to get close
 but as i get nearer
 HIS stance is slowly fading
disappearing
in a panic state i glanced sideways
i saw familiar place
pointing same direction
i know i've been here
but then i stopped
coz when i looked again into the blocks
 i saw an empty space
 and to realize
i'm having an illusion with a vivid memory..
i stared for a moment
wishing my eyes is not telling me right
but when i lift my head
it struck into my mind
that
seeing HIM here
 happened yesterday
He is somewhere else Today
and will never be here Tomorrow....
so i
take aback
walk away
 and 
blink..
one more blink
it must be the fallin' rain
touches my cheeks?
i'm not sure...

====================================================
 PAIN IN MY HEART
 Arnel Pineda