Trip to Hundred Islands, Alaminos City, Pangasinan

to celebrate ann's birthday, we went to the hundred islands in alaminos city, pangasinan. i used to read about this place in books when i was younger. it's time for me to see it in person. =)

we left the victory liner station in cubao at 11.30am. after 6 hours, we arrived in alaminos city. since accommodation is quite expensive in the town proper, we opted to visit bolo beach, which also serves as the backdoor to the hundred islands. we took a tricycle for 150 pesos to the beach and were able to get an air-conditioned room for only 350 pesos (we brought it down from 500 pesos, original price). it's a very basic accommodation, but for a 350 pesos a night, it's definitely a steal! they also have non-airconditioned rooms for only 200 pesos per night. the boat we rented was only 1 thousand pesos (and it can accommodate up to 20 people), from morning 'til 5pm. wasn't it a good deal?

the recorded number of islands is 123 during high tide and 124 when in low tide. of these islands, only a few are developed. most are like rock formations.

view from the governor's island

our first stop was the governor's island, where the pinoy big brother house is found. although the water is clean, it has a lot of seaweeds. it has a view deck where you can have a wonderful look at the nearby islands. the other side has a cave and some tables for picnics.

old scout island

we passed by the children's island, but didn't have a chance to test the waters there. our next stop was the old scout island. it's a small beach, waters also has seaweeds. there's nothing much to see in this island.

bridge connecting to another small island

then we went to quezon island, named after the late president, manuel quezon, whose statue is in the highest point of the island. a wooden bridge is connecting this island to a nearby small island. this is the most commercialized of all.

quezon island

our last stop was the marcos island. the beach line looks ordinary. but when you explore the island, you will discover it has a cave with clear waters that you can dive into. it has another opening on the other side of the beach.

cave in marcos island

all in all, it was a fun experience. at last i can say, "i've been to hundred islands!"

Philippine Places to Visit

i've been reading some online blogs about some beautiful, yet not so popular places in the Philippines, and my feet are already itching to visit them one-by-one. i could only wish i have the financial resources to do what i love to do - travel and discover places: beaches, falls, mountains, hidden natural treasures.

good thing i already have a scheduled trip to caramoan in june. i pray the circumstances would allow. here's a list of the places i'm hoping to visit someday:

- beaches in pangasinan (maybe one travel to each town)
- ilocos sur and ilocos norte
- falls in laguna
- bantayan and malapascua islands
- dapitan and camiguin
- samal in davao
- glan, sarangani
- puerto princesa and el nido, palawan

it might take a lifetime before i visit all the places above and others i haven't heard of yet. but i will make it a point to go out of town even at least once a year. (pity me!)

La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City

i have been wanting to visit the la mesa ecopark from the day i saw it on tv. i've seen pictures online and was more convinced that a visit is a must. last sunday, that desire came true.

and to be honest, i was a bit disappointed. i was expecting green fields, blooming flowers, cool air and shelters everywhere. or maybe, i was just expecting too much. i can probably explain my reaction with the fact that i did not grow up in a very industrialized city like metro manila. that means, green fields and flowers are normal in our place. so i was expecting more.

the tall trees in the park

but i wouldn't blame the city people for loving the place too much. it is indeed an easy escape from the busy and polluted metro life. the towering buildings and busy streets are replaced with tall trees, children playing and families having a simple yet relaxing picnic.

my friend posing for me

all members of the family would surely enjoy this place. playgrounds, bikes and horseback riding for the children, boating and ziplines for the adults and pure rest for the elderly. as for me, i enjoyed boating in the man-made lagoon.

the man-made boating lagoon