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It’s been a shopping marathon. Three consecutive days at three different National Bookstore branches.

The shopping marathon started late last week. Day 1 at Crossings, day 2 at SM North, and day 3, heaven at the Super Branch.

I found out about the sale a week before the marathon began. I was buying books for Facebook’s Nurture Nature garden, an online game, and Facebook’s first-ever live garden, which I did the production/set design for. I was at the Super Branch then but was not able to go back earlier to get my own share of books. So one day when I was on my way to Wilcon in Quezon Avenue (as I was a renovation project), I stopped by at National Bookstore and ended up buying some books. That kicked off the marathon.

After three days of book shopping with Amrei, we got the books that really interest us. There are books about music, business, dogs, beads and crafts, furniture design, Asian decorations, trivia books, pop culture and of course, arts and travel. We got some fiction novels too, biographies, and a whole lot of illustrated and comic books. A total of 77 titles, or 84 books if including duplicates for gifts! I measured the tower of piled books and it’s at 154 cm, just a few cm short of my height!

I’ve never bought so much books in my life before, and I have never spent this much! I will not say how much we’ve spent but I must say it’s all worth it because there are really good books out on sale. So go now before it’s too late!

National Bookstore’s Price cut sale is up to 75%, sale is only until August 22!

So last Monday, I explored Recreational Outdoor eXchange or R.O.X. at Bonifacio High Street and discovered some things on sale that really caught my attention. I bought a The North Face (TNF) Base Camp Bento Box but left behind another bag that I also liked. So last Friday, while I still have the time (and the budget), I went back to R.O.X. to see if the orange bag that I liked last Monday was still there. Unfortunately, it’s not. But there’s an orange TNF Shifty Messenger Bag in place of the original bag that I liked, I thoroughly examined the Shifty bag if I would like it as much as I liked the appearance of the other bag. I found the other bag prettier because of the mesh design in front, but the Shifty bag looks good and functional as well. I was having second thoughts about the Shifty bag because that’s not why I came back to R.O.X. in the first place so I checked out other stuff instead, while making my decision about the bag.

I was looking at the Keen products and found a cute Mary Jane shoes. I have always wanted to get a new doll shoes again, but could not seem to find the perfect pair. I’m a little picky with doll shoes because I truly loved the last doll shoes I had – I got the pair from Maphisto when I was in high school. The shoes have thick soles with wood sandwiched in the heels, And I just loved its form, it’s good for pants, shorts, skirts, with or without socks! ANd they were not too girly at all! Gosh I missed those shoes! I wish I could find another one like that. But not after I’ve worn out the new Keen Midori MJ shoes that i bought.

Keen Midori Mary Jane Shoes (online photo)

I was just looking at the shoes in rust and green and the next thing I know, I was already trying the black pair on, walking on it, and liking it. I think would also look goon on shorts, pants and skirt. And it’s made from Keen’s environment-friendly products of organic canvas, natural jute rubber and renewable nubuck leather. The first time I knew about Keen was about three years

My pretty Keen Midori MJ shoes from R.O.X.

Now going back to the Shifty bag, I asked a stire staff to stuff the bag so I could see how it would look, and I realized how big it was. It’s like as big as a medium duffel bag when fully stuffed so I bought it because I love big, versatile bags.

The North Face Shifty Messenger Bag - Mine!

Now I’m thinking if I should just bring my Bento Box and a small backpack (maybe my Hedgren backpack) on my next trips, instead of bring my 65L TNF pack. And now I’m using the Shifty bag as my everyday bag. :)

I love my new gears and I just cant wait to go out and explore some more!

Related Posts:

Never Stop Exploring, R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street – part 1/2
My Hedgren Great American, HGA 16 Function Travelgear
Other posts under Gears and Gadgets

Recreational Outdoor eXchange or R.O.X. at Bonifacio High Street looked like it’s going to be a happy place for me and I’ve proven it just this week!

I have only been inside the store a few times and a few months ago, I went inside to look at some The North Face bags and drool on everything I see. Then discovered that there’s a registration booth on the second floor that gives out flyers for marathons and runs. And of course I picked up the reg forms for the marathons that were to come soonest since I missed Ayala’s Run for Home where my sister and brother in law joined.

Anyway, Amrei and I were in a client meeting last July 12 at McKinley Hill and decided to walk to BHS. I was wearing boots and carrying my laptop and it was a twenty-minute walk that made us sweat so much, but I enjoyed it just the same. I was so thirsty when I got to BHS but I saw R.O.X. so i passed up the drink and instead drool over some swell gears. Amrei got a beautiful TNF Surge backpack while I checked out every pack that TNF has to offer. I found myself adoring a TNF Base Camp Bento Box on sale. It’s still a bit pricey even on sale but I loved the red bag and thought that it would make for a good hand-carry luggage. I still needed to look for something else so I did not immediately buy the bag until after I checked out other stores in BHS! Save the best for last, right?

The North Face Base Camp Bento Box - Red (online photo)

I checked out some Salomon and Deuter products but I did not like their hydration items. I also checked out Nike, but did not find what I was looking for.

I have always wanted to get a waist pack or a hydration  belt because I always lose momentum in running when I have to stop to grab a drink, and my form is poor, so a hand-held bottle would tire me and make my form worse! Too bad there’s a basic hand-held bottle (with straps) at TNF at an affordable price! So since I was already at BHS, I checked out Runnr, a shop that obviously specializes in Running gears. I was lucky that Runnr has one hydration belt that has a 22 oz tumbler, since most hydration belts they sell are those with multiple 500-calorie/5-ounce flasks.

my Nathan Elite 1 Plus tumbler

I use two tumblers – one is a 1.5L tumbler which I use at work, and a 750ml tumbler that I use for jogging and shooting (like in commercials, movies, not the one with guns, ok?) and I lost the 750ml just recently at a Serendra shoot. Now though this new tumbler is the smallest I ever had, it’s currently my favorite and I use it at work as well!

Mine is a Nathan Elite 1 Plus from the Race/Elite Series, so it also has one flask. And since I’m not a hardcore runner and I don’t buy gels and the likes, maybe I’ll use the flask to put chocolate drink in it. ;-)

Nathan Elite 1 Plus hydration belt. Actual photo above, online photo below.

So after buying at Runnr and getting a power cord adapter at iStudio (because mine is already busted and over heating), I went back at R.O.X. to buy that gorgeous red TNF Bento Box. I was disappointed to see that there’s another bag on sale — an orange messenger bag with a laptop divider and mesh design in front! I was disappointed because I do not want to buy two bags at the same time and because the discounts do not make a big difference and I’m not one who impulsively buy things. So I only bought the Bento Box and went home happy.

The North Face Base Camp Bento Box (Red) - Mine!

I was happy because I can already cross out the hydration belt on my “to buy” list. Finding the TNF bag was accidental but buying it was absolutely intentional. I was also happy that I truly explored R.O.X. and the other shops at Bonifacio High Street and found out all these interesting items that they sell. I only used to check out Speedo and Stoked when I go to B.H.S., or look at tents and backpacks at R.O.X., and occasionally I would go inside the Nike store, where I found my first Nike running shoes two and a half years ago!

So R.O.X is right all along, we should go inside the store to get outdoor. And TNF’s motto is one that’s really for me – we should never stop exploring.

Recreational Outdoor eXchange / R.O.X. is located at Bonifacio High Street, B1 ROX Building, Taguig City, Philippines. Contact them at +632 8564639.

Related Posts:

Never Stop Exploring, R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street – part 2/2
My Hedgren Great American, HGA 16 Function Travelgear
Other posts under Gears and Gadgets

The Tagudin Sundial, famous for being the first sundial in the Philippines, is erected in 1814 by Father Juan Sorolla. It is also the oldest sundial in the Philippines, meaning it still stands proud until today.

Tagudin Sundial, Tagudin Ilocos Sur

We went on a very fulfilling (full and filling!) road trip in North Luzon, passing by Vigan, Bangui, Laoag, Pagudpud, Sarrat, Currimao, Batac and other places along the route, trying out the town’s specialties, buying pasalubong and souvenirs, visiting its natural and man-made attractions, and just enjoying the beautiful North. One of our first stopovers was in Tagudin to see the Tagudin Sundial.

the dial can be seen on both sides.

It was a little weird for us, seeing the ‘dial’ on both sides. The structure was not even grand, and one would think that there are far more better sundials to see than this. But remember that this sundial was constructed in 1814, and was said to be the only sundial used in the Spanish era, so to see this small sundial in the town of Tagudin is to visit a town’s pride in Ilocos Sur, and a historical landmark in the whole of the Philippines.

Our journey from Manila started at around 2AM. At dusk, we were somewhere along Zambales to take photographs of the beautiful sunrise. At lunch, we were at Vigan Heritage Village, eating Vigan Empanada at the Plaza in front of the Vigan Cathedral. By sunset, we were shooting the very awesome Bangui Windmills. Note, very awesome!!! As the sun disappeared from the horizon, we continued our journey to Pagudpud. Saud, a public beach was much closer to Bangui. But I insisted that we go directly to the Blue Lagoon.

I remember my first trip to Pagudpud. We went to Saud Beach, slept on the sand overnight, the next day, rented a van to Blue Lagoon. Blue Lagoon was really blue. And from afar, we could see some surfers. I really wondered if they were locals, or tourists who brought their own surfboards. They were about a kilometer away from Blue Lagoon. There were seldom waves waiting for someone to hitch. We walked from Blue Lagoon towards the surf but was not lucky to reach the tip of Luzon. Yes, I could really imagine then that the beach break was at the tip of the left of North of Luzon.

Kapuluan Vista Resort

And I was right. It was the tip of Luzon. And there’s a resort there. A beautiful resort, actually. It’s the Kapuluan Vista Resort. It was fully booked when we arrived, and so were most of the resorts. We couldn’t find a resort that could accommodate all five of us and our requirements, so we settled for a homestay accommodation in Wally’s World. Since Mang Wally, the owner of the homestay rooms, did not prepare dinner for night walk-in guests, we ate at Kapuluan Vista Resort. These were our orders:

Yummy chicken with salsa

Adobo

Tinola

The food was good and in generous servings for PHP 150-250 (+ 5 USD). While waiting for our food, we saw Bb Gandanghari. Of course, we did not pass the chance to have our picture taken with her!

i know i look a bit starstruck here, but this one's for the community! :)

The next day, when I got halo-halo from a store, the lady who sold me Halo Halo said Jericho Rosales was in Kapuluan, surfing. We were supposed to surf that morning, but was not able to wake up early. Then in the afternoon, we would have gotten to surf with Echo on the same beach (would have been my second time since someone told me that when I attended the Surf Clinic in La Union in 2008, Echo was also there, but I did not see him since the Urbiztondo beach is always jam packed at Surf Clinics) but the waves seemed to be lazy that afternoon with very short and seldom rides. So we passed up until the next morning.

View from the outside

longboard and shortboard just lying around

resting areas near the beach

The next morning, there’s a very wild Amihan and doesn’t look advisable to surf. Though not able to surf, we still enjoyed our breakfast by the beach and I took the chance to photoshoot Ananda Kanani’s Summer Earring Collection! :)

It was unfortunate that Kapuluan Vista Resort was fully booked then. But there’s always a ‘next time’.

Resort Photos by Amrei Dizon

Related Posts:
Wally’s World Homestay, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte
Vigan Heritage Village, Ilocos Sur
North Luzon Road Trip
Bangui Windmills, Bangui Ilocos Norte
What is the Best Empanada in Ilocos?

According to WikiPilipinas, the Vigan Heritage Village is a town in Vigan, Ilocos Sur that is considered the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. In November 1999, it was placed on the World Heritage List commemorating its cultural significance.

Calle Crisologo, Vigan Heritage Village

The village was established in the 16th century, when trade and community activity started to flourish along the Mestizo River, lasting up to the 19th century. The name “Vigan” was derived from a giant taro plant “biga” that grew abundantly along the riverbanks. Most of the materials — such as adobe, pebbles, bricks and posts — were brought from Europe through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. The construction work was done by Chinese laborers. Thus, the village’s architecture reflects a unique fusion of Spanish European and Chinese culture.

tourists love chillin’ at Vigan Heritage Village’s wooden benches

I think it was Easter Sunday of 2007 when I first appreciated the beauty of the place. There were but a few shops selling Vigan shirts and souvenirs that time, some shops are closed, and the beauty of the “village” was very apparent. I will post some photos from way back then here.

Now two years after, the streets of the Heritage Village seemed to be a big tiangge (bazaar) place. It’s getting hard to appreciate the thick walls of the Spanish houses clad with authentic Vigan tiles, the cobblestone road, olden pavements and nostalgic capiz windows. All I saw were tourists that were checking out what the stores were selling. I wish they’d either move the stores to another block, or centralize them in one place, so that there would still be areas that are not obscured by merchandise. So that there will be areas that will are easier to appreciate, and prettier in the photos. Also, keeping the village cleaner and less cluttered would help preserve the heritage, nowadays  a rare beauty.

history and architecture in Vigan Heritage Village

Related Posts:

North Luzon Road Trip
Bangui Windmills, Bangui Ilocos Norte
WhaWhat is the Best Empanada in Ilocos?
Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
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Two days after arriving from Davao, I packed for a road trip to the North. I’ve been saying that there are two places that I want to visit again, Camsur and Ilocos Norte, particularly Vigan and Blue Lagoon. Since my sister and her husband, an avid photographer, have not been to Pagudpud, we started driving North at midnight of April 01, Holy Thursday, even if we’re not able to book a room in Pagudpud.

Of course, it’s a long drive there so we had to stop for rest rooms and food. We had breakfast at Tropical Hut Total, in Apalit Pampanga. Caught the sunrise somewhere in Tarlac, ate merienda at McDonald’s San Fernando La Union, and reached Vigan just in time for lunch. We took a couple of shots of the Plaza and the Cathedral, ate Vigan Empanada then headed back to our journey. I was asleep most of the time, maybe because I was catching up on sleep since Davao. We got to Bangui Windmills a little before sunset. The Bangui Windmills were awesome!!!

After taking hundreds of shots of the windmills, we continued our long journey to Pagudpud. We went straight to Blue Lagoon with the help of “Susan”, our Satellite Navigation System. It was a long and super dark drive to Blue Lagoon. It’s the side of a mountain and most of the route had no lamp posts. But of course, at the end of the tunnel, there’s light. Party lights, actually. We could see the resorts in Blue Lagoon from afar.

Fish eye shot by Amrei Dizon

www.amreidizon.com

I was a little disappointed to see how much the place has changed, there’s too many people, traffic was heavy, too many resorts and huts and cottages and activities by the shore. And this was around 7 PM, maybe I would appreciate the place better when the sun rises the next day.

Since all resorts were fully booked, we went ahead and booked a room at a ‘home stay’ place at Wally’s World. It’s the last home in the area, right before Kapuluan Beach Resort. Since we just arrived and Wally’s World did not prepare food for walk ins, we ate at Kapuluan Beach Resort, where I saw Bebe Gandanghari and Earl Ignacio. I had my picture taken with Bebe.

We stayed a whole day and two nights at Wally’s World before we started driving again. On the way back to Vigan, we took photos of the roads, the mountains and the seas. We went to Cape Bojeador to see it beautiful Spanish structure. We stoped at Shorestop Inn and Restaurant in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, for Merienda then straight to the Marcos Musueum in Batac. We also passed by Sta. Monica Church in Sarrat, and of course, tried out Batac Empanada in Riverside Empanadaan. Since it’s already getting late, we called a resort on our way so we can rest for the night. We saw a resort’s ad in a gas station and it looked really pretty. Lucky for us, it still has a room available for us. The resort is Playa Tropical, a pretty Bali-inspired resort hidden in Currimao.

We had breakfast at Playa Tropical then headed back to Vigan to eat empanada, buy souvenirs and pasalubong and take some last photos. We were to get dinner at Isdaan in Tarlac but since it’s Sunday of the long weekend-holiday, the place was jam-packed. The orders were on hold! It’s ok, we’ll try it next time.

Though we’re not able to get to the other destinations that I’ve been to the first time I visited Pagudpud, like the Patapat Bridge and the Aqueduct, I still enjoyed everything about Ilocos Norte! I think I still want to go back again, maybe on a peak season, for a change.

Related Posts:
Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Vigan Heritage Village, Ilocos Sur
Bangui Windmills
What is the Best Empanada in Ilocos?
Wally’s World Homestay, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte

From the Crocodile Park’s Website:

The Davao crocodile Park all started from the fascination of  the owner, Mr. Philip Dizon, to Saltwater and Freshwater Crocodiles. He did not think of it as a lucrative business until he learned that crocodiles are raised in United States not just for public viewing but as well as for production of leather purposes.  It was in November 1995 when the government has given the ownerthe accreditation and permit to operate the 1st Davao Crocodile Park. 10 years later , on August 18, 2005, the world-class Davao Crocodile Park was opened with the help of the consultant Dr. Gilbert Buenviaje. The Davao Crocodile Park Inc. is owned and operated by a group of businessmen headed by Mr. Sonny Dizon, a resident of Davao City.

The Davao Crocodile Park is an establishment that showcases a ‘state of the art’ crocodile farming system in the Philippines. It has the most recent crocodile farm design equipped with modern facilities and equipments.  The presence of other exotic animal species like raptors, monkeys, bearcats, snakes, birds, and other reptiles makes it one of the most desired tourist destinations in Davao. The purposes of this establishment are as follows:

1. tourism
2. public viewing and entertainment
3. venue for educational tours
4. promotion of public awareness through regular lectures
5. conservation of crocodiles and other wildlife animals and
6. acts as a field laboratory for students in Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine as well as for wildlife animal enthusiasts.

Here are some photos of the animals in the park.

the Philippine Eagle

Crocodile Park, Davao - a cute monkey

A big snake ready for its close up

colorful birds will greet you near the entrance

There were also shops outside Crocodile Park, they are the nipa huts near the parking lots. It’s also the way to Tribu K’Mindanawan Cultural Village. We have a ticket to the village that’s included in our white water rafting package, together with tickets to Maxima Aquafun, Butterfly Garden and the Zipzone. We’re not able to avail of the Zipzone and the Butterfly Garden because we did not have time.

nipa hut shops of trinkets

Tribu K'Mindanawan Cultural Village

Though we were in a hurry to get to Aldevinco Shopping Center, since we heard it closes at around 6PM, we still managed to pass by Tribu K’Mindanawan to see what it’s about.

Tribu K'Mindanawan Cultural Village - the ticket

Tribu K'Mindanawan Cultural Village's souvenir shop

We were not able to go around though, we just figured that it showcases different dwellings of the Mindanao people. It also  has shop that sells souvenir items.

Tribu K'Mindanawan Cultural Village, Davao

Related Posts:

Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Davao (Part 1)
Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Davao (Part 2)
Isla Malipano, Davao
Giant Slide at the Maxima Aquafun, Island Garden City of Samal
White Water Rafting in the Davao River, Davao
Aldevinco Shopping Center, Davao
Bogser’s Coffee House, Bangkal Davao

After our whitewater rafting adventure in the Davao River, and getting dropped off back to Crocodile Park, we rushed to get to Aldevinco Shopping Center, in front of the Marco Polo Hotel downtown. I was amazed that it was one big place with more than a hundred souvenir shops.

I was so excited to buy Malongs and bags, but I was unfortunate because there’s a power outtage so there was only a few stores left open. And it’s hard to shop in the dark though the shops was lit with some lamps. I was only able to buy one malong, one bag for my mom, a polo for my dad and another big bag with a pretty metallic print. I promise to go back to Aldevinco when I go back to Davao!

big bag i bought from Aldevinco Shopping Center

Aldevinco Shopping Center is located at the junction of Claro M. Recto and Manuel Roxas Avenues in Davao City.

Related Posts:

Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Davao (Part 1)
Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Davao (Part 2)
Isla Malipano, Davao
Giant Slide at the Maxima Aquafun, Island Garden City of Samal
White Water Rafting in the Davao River, Davao
Crocodile Park and Tribu K’Mindanawan Cultural Village, Davao
Bogser’s Coffee House, Bangkal Davao

According to a Travelpod Article

The seven-hectare Isla Malipano, also a part of the resort, has a white sand beach, an offshore reef plus 7 private luxury villas (5 three-bedroom and 2 four-bedroom), each with a wide veranda and its own butler for food orders and other guest assistance.

Take a look how pretty this place is:

The sandbar overlooking Pearl Farm Beach resort

resort rules and beautiful tree

the island is surrounded by white sand and greens

Isla Malipano's Luxury Villa

It’s just too bad that when one of my friends accidentally stepped on a sea urchin, no one was there to help. Was it because no one was checked in at the resort that time?

Related Posts:

Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Davao (part 1)
Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Davao (part 2)
White Water Rafting in the Davao River
Giant Slide at Maxima Aquafun, Garden City of Samal
Aldevinco Shopping Center, Davao City
Crocodile Park and Tribu K’Mindanawan Cultural Village, Davao
Bogser’s Coffee House, Bangkal Davao

After enjoying the beautiful Isla Malipano and the yummy buffet lunch, me and my friends had fun in the infinity pool. Here are some beauty shots of the Pearl Farm Beach Resort’s infinity pool:

Beautiful Infinity Pool at Pearl Farm Beach Resort

And here we were, chatting and fooling around:

Gossiping girls, facing the sea

Fooling Around. That's Mems, Joan, Arvee, Me and Ria

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This was what I was really excited about, going to one of the most famous and recommended beach resorts in the Philippines, the Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Davao. I used to only see it in photos, DOT’s website, videokes and on TV. It has always been a wonderful sight. The seawater was always cool green and blue, the sand always white, and the fishes, always near the shore. Most famous of all Pearl Farm photos is the floating cottages. Hundreds of media have already featured that view.

Samal Cottages

And that same view greeted us when we neared its shores in the Garden Island City of Samal. Though the water was not as cool green then, it was still a delight. I was looking for a longer shoreline but then realized that the beach resort had only small beach fronts on both sides of the main dock. While the boat was getting near the dock, I could see a couple of tourists in the terrace of their floating Samal cottage, throwing bread in the water below to attract fish.

A walk where one can see the schools of fish

Everything is an experience in this premier beach resort. A welcome drink of pineapple juice greets the guests in the Parola. A resort staff will brief the guests about the resort and its neighbor, the Isla Malipano. After the briefing, we crossed a short bridge leading to the main dining area, passing by the clear water of the beach. It was low tide and I could see a lot of starfishes on the sand.

At lowtide, the Parola from afar.

A typical Mandaya Room

We frolicked a bit in the low tide before visiting the Isla Malipano.

Food in the plate looks good, tastes good too!