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Yes, La Luz is the life.

At least for weekend getaways and short vacations, La Luz Beach Resort will offer you a very relaxing and worry-free stay.

I can’t remember when or where I first heard of La Luz but every time I search for blogs and information about it, a certain image comes up — an image of a pair of lounge chairs fronting the sea. This could be one of the resort’s best features.

Lounge chairs fronting the blue sea

Since most of the write ups I’ve read says that the place is usually fully booked on weekends,  I emailed La Luz for a booking on Feb 27-28. No one replied at first until I sent an SMS to their mobile phone. A reservation officer named Erna replied to my inquiry. Some of my last inquiries, she did not answered that’s why I had to text their mobile phone again, and call their office to clarify some things. Cherry, another reservation officer replied, until I paid my reservation fee of 50% on Friday, then Cherry sent the confirmation email to me.

It’s another housemates’ road trip, much like when we went to Subic, stayed at the beach and went to Zoobic.

Day 1 at La Luz Beach Resort

We planned to arrive at 12 noon and we were only late by 10 minutes. In the parking area, a staff approached us to help us with our thing, then down to the information and registration desk, we were greeted by friendly staff and a welcome drink (gulaman). Then we were ushered to our room at the Annex, near the day trip area.

Newly opened Annex rooms

The room is for four people and there were only two towels and two pillows set when we arrived so we requested for extra pillows and towels for our room and everything was delivered quickly. The staff at the desk would radio in the requests to the staff that’s probably stationed in the Annex, so service was fast.

Our room at Annex 2-C

There were probably no day-trippers at that time so we were lucky that our side of the resort had very few guests staying in the cabanas and the lounge chairs, unlike in the main area where the rooms where fully booked. Most people were hanging out at that side of the beach.

Junior Premier Rooms at the main resort area

There are naughty monkeys tied up in the tree near the dining hall. One of them has an amputated arm, but still very playful and snob at times. He did not like us taking his pictures while he was eating. Maybe he thought we’d take his cookie away.

monkey with the amputated arm

We freshened up when we get to our lovely room then charged to the dining hall where the lunch buffet was served. There’s chicken, pork, vegetables and fish, and water and juice. There’s burong mangga and a sweet yam-banana for dessert. We stayed in the dining hall until around 2PM, just chitchatting and having a lazy afternoon. We then went to one of the cabanas and fell asleep. We awoke at 4PM, then it’s already time for snacks, so we had snacks. We were still full from lunch.

Kalai with the ball

Then we played volleyball and was supposed to try out the Kayak and I really wanted to snorkel but Amrei said we can just wake up early the next day for that, since it might get dark anytime. Nick and Kalai took a dip at around 5:30 PM. Amrei and I went to the rock formations at one end of La Luz to see the changing skies because of sunset. Though the sunset is blocked by mountains. These could be what the mountaineers call as Gulugod-Baboy, a mountain area with three peaks.

beautiful sunset sky

We scheduled a massage at 830 PM, right after dinner. The massage is Php 250, which will be done in the cabanas. After the massage, we got our drinks and got a bucket of ice and played Pinoy Henyo. But a lesser competitive version. We also played “dugtungan” (one player will sing a famous song then the next player will continue with another song using the last word that the first player sang) just to pass the time because it was still early. At 12 midnight, we were all getting ready to sleep.

Day 2 at La Luz Beach Resort

We woke up early on Sunday to be able to kayak, snorkel and swim, since we were so lazy on our first day.

I got all my gears ready — waterproof camera, snorkel and mask, booties and life jacket. I was ready for adventure. I was excited to try the kayak. We were already in the dining hall at 7 AM but food was still under preparation. We ate breakfast — omelet, longganisa, and fish. There’s also cereals and loaf bread and butter. After eating, we inquired for Kayak but the wave’s kinda strong so it wasn’t advisable to kayak. Too bad. We  just headed to the rocks and snorkeled. There are some fishes and corals at shore, but they are not as pretty as I expected, since it’s a marine sanctuary. Maybe if we go a little bit farther, we’ll see more colorful marine life. But it’s wavy and the tide was rising high quite fast so we abandoned the adventure and bought fruit shakes and bummed in the beach lounges and the cabana. Then dipped in the water every now and then. We checked in past 12 noon and drove our way back to Manila.

We had lunch at Pizza Hut, Petron Mamplasan, Laguna and was at home at around 5:30 PM.

The only few glitches in the resort service would be that I think they should serve their breakfast earlier, like in most hotels, breakfast starts at 6AM for the morning people, and that dinner will last until later, like 9PM (dinner is served at 7-8 PM only), since snack is until late afternoon. The facilities are all good, there are trashcans and ashtrays everywhere. There’s hot and cold shower, linens are clean and the curtains of the cabanas are clean too. Only glitch was that our door would not close unless we lock it once.

All in all, it was a lovely trip and a lovely stay at La Luz Beach Resort. I will definitely go back and make sure to avail the marine sanctuary and kayak!

Photos by Amrei Dizon.

Related Post:

Correct Directions to La Luz Beach Resort, Laiya Batangas

Bicol is really beautiful, no doubt about it.

We plan to exhaust the wonders of this great region (if that is at all possible!) little by little. And so we plan our travels well, making sure we go to the most number of places we can on a limited time. But one place that is always present in our itineraries is awesome Camsur. Specifically, the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC).

watching the wakeboarders make their moves

While we are novice wakeboarders and kneeboarders, we are nevertheless hard core “TH” – as in trying hard – we really tried very hard, though many times we failed. :)

While our muscles ached after the adventure, we will always yearn for the unique rest and relaxation Camsur has to offer.

So, here are some traveling tips to help you unwind and have fun in awesome Camsur.

textures of san, water and wood

If you fall after just a few seconds of being in the water, try again. And DON’T swallow that water!

it's a wrap!

Most of all, have fun! Make sure that you are able to laugh at yourself. On that note, let’s ride!

Recommended travel time: year-round
Approximate Budget: USD 25 (day travel) for one person

Lyn Almario is my older sister and travel buddy. A freelance writer and an Engineer, in no particular order.

Photos by Amrei Dizon and Roma Regala.

We were in Camarines Watersports Complex on April 2007 and we need to go back!!!

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The Great Bicol Adventure: Rest and Relaxation in Awesome Camsur

Facade

Souk Kafe is a small lovely restaurant in Robinson’s Dasmariñas Cavite that offers Western and Eastern cuisine. It has a cozy and thematic ambiance, with foreign-language music piping out from the speakers. Because of the numerous shisha pipes on display, I expected Persian food, but to my surprise, their menu is really interesting with servings of Arabic, Indian, Persian, Italian and Spanish food.

Shisha, wines and a mix of cultures

Shisha Pipes and Wines

Braai Mix Salt and Spice

Mana Pizza - Daily Heavenly Bread. 10 inches of blessing for only Php 99!

Seafood Soup (creamy crabmeat soup infused with garam masala) Php 75

Crab Crostini (crab sticks on top of fresh tomato slices topped with cheese then baked)

extra order of salsa

my mango shake's cream melted already

Chicken Sezzane (sesame-coated chicken fillet with slightly spicy sauce served with mixed vigetable sautee as side dish)

Alokozay Iced Tea Php 48

sppon, fork and knife wrapped in decorative napkin

Previous article: Playa Papagayo Beach Inn and Restaurant

The items in the menu were a bit expensive, especially when our waiter told us that the servings were only good for one person. But when we got our food, i must say that it’s actually worth it, and the orders are ok for two people.

Veggie Enchilada - Php 150 (cooked with melted cheese)

Chicken Sauteed with Cashew - Php 280

Plato Mexicano (Platter of java rice, refried beans, enchilada, taco) with Chilli Con Carne

Chili Con Carne - comes with the Plato Mexicano

Seafood Curry - Php 300 (with bacon, raisins, tomato and onion sidings)

We were very satisfied with our food, and so with our waiter — John, a trainee who was doing a great job serving us and apologizing for delays, since the kitchen is far from where we ate. They have an air-conditioned restaurant in front but we chose to ate at the Playa Seaside Restaurant, fronting the beach. I give John, the trainee a high passing grade!

Photos by Amrei Dizon

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This weekend, Tropical Storm Ondoy hit Metro Manila and neighboring towns that caused massive flooding, flash floods, land slides, power outage and displacement of more than 300,000 people with the death toll of 70, that is continually rising.

Photo from Xinhuanet.com

I have gathered a few posts and updates from different websites, please click on links to find out how you can help. We are asking for any form of help that you can lend us to restore the lives of hundreds of Filipinos and we thank you in advance.
From GMA News online
Update: List of verified relief centers for ‘Ondoy’ victims: A list of verified relief centers where people can drop off their donations for the victims of “Ondoy:”

From: Inquirer Online
A consolidated report of the interactive maps, private groups and business organizations where you can find information on how to help the victims of tropical storm Ondoy.

From Sourpolitics
List of emergency hotlines and relief operations

From Places to Donate Relief Good
A list of places and contact numbers for donations and relief operations

For Monetary Donations:

Philippine National Red Cross
ABS-CBN Foundation

Volunteers Needed as of this morning:
More volunteers needed for Operation Tulong Bayan at Balay Expo Centro, Araneta Center, Cubao. Right at the back of Farmer’s Market, MacArthur Street corner EDSA. And if you could bring donations too like blankets, clothes, baby clothes, canned goods, shoes, milk, jackets, ready to eat food, etc, please do. Operations start at 8AM.

Help Animal Victims of Ondoy

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Ondoy Update: Missing Persons Database Online

After taking photos of the Manila Cathedral and Plaza Roma, we saw noticed the beautiful building that’s on the left side of Plaza Roma, and is one of the more eye-catching buildings in Intramuros.

The first palace or Palacio Real was constructed in 1599 at the Plaza de Armas in Fort Santiago. After its destruction in the 1645 earthquake, the governor  moved to a house on this site owned by a former government minister,   Manuel Estacio de Venegas.

The building became the Governor-General’s residence and office as well as the Real Audiencia (Supreme Court) office.  Periodic reconstruction and repairs in 1733 and 1747 altered its appearance. Damaged in the 1771 earthquake, the building was repaired six years later. In 1850, the Spanish-type facade was added.

The building collapsed in the 1863 earthquake and it was abandoned when the Governor-General moved to Malacanang,  It lay in ruins for almost a century until an 8-storey building was built on the site in 1978.

Source: http://www.intramurosadministration.com/palacio.htm

In front of the building is a Tanvia Stop. Cool :)

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The Manila Cathedral, Intramuros Manila
Plaza Roma, Intramuros Manila

After taking a couple of shots of the Manila Cathedral, we took some photos of the historical monument in front of it — Plaza Roma.

Plaza Mayor during the Spanish period and Plaza McKinley during the American regime, it became Plaza de Roma in 1960 due to a reciprocal agreement between the Vatican and the Philippine Government. A Piazza Manila was built in Rome. Plaza Mayor was the scene of raucous bull fights and other public events for many years, until Governor-General Rafael Maria de Aguilar converted it to a garden in 1797. The bronze statue of King Carlos IV was installed in 1824 as a tribute for his having sent the first smallpox vaccine to the Philippines. Intramuros Administration refurbished the site in 1980.

Source: http://www.intramurosadministration.com/roma.htm

A lot of tourists were posing in front of the monument and even playing around the fountain. Reading the history of the Plaza  will make you understand why it certainly looks like a centerpiece in a big garden.

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The Manila Cathedral, Intramuros Manila
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We went to Intramuros on National Heroes Day and our first stop was the Manila Cathedral.

Manila Cathedral by Amrei Dizon

The present building is the sixth to rise on the site since 1581. Previous structures were destroyed by either fire or earthquake. Rebuilt in 1958 with Fernando Ocampo as architect, the cathedral incorporated the stone carvings and rosette windows of the old cathedral. Stained glass windows celebrating the Christianization of the Philippines light up its clerestory. Mosaic artwork decorate three of its side chapels.

Source: http://www.intramurosadministration.com/mcathedral.htm

Some architectural details of the cathedral that I shot from the outside (we did not go inside the church):

Manila Cathedral door

arch on top of the door

Manila Cathedral

After taking some photos at the Manila Cathedral, we crossed over the road and directly in front or the cathedral is Plaza Roma.

Related Post:
Manila, Manila… Simply no place like Manila
Plaza Roma, Intramuros Manila
Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros Manila

Today was an official National Holiday for the Philippines because it’s National Heroes Day or Araw ng Mga Bayani in Filipino.

Since there’s no work, and to go with the theme, I proposed to a friend to have a trip to Intramuros, for a historical and cultural experience.

We came from Caloocan (my parents’ house) so instead of going to our usual route from Quezon City, where I currently live, my dad suggested that we go to C3, take North Bay and straight to Anda Circle, where one side of Intramuros is. Around 20 minutes later, we saw an entrance to the walled city.

We went straight to the famous Manila Cathedral, and parked in the parking space in front of it. Flat parking rate is Php 40.00 (less than a US$). We took photos of the cathedral and the plaza in front of it — Plaza Roma. Then approached a security officer, clad in his Katipunero outfit and asked him where we’ll find good restaurants in the area, where we should start walking, and what we’re going to see if we go straight, left or right. He gave us the information we needed and gave us a vicinity map.

We decided to trace the route of the wall along Bonifacio Drive, where we saw a bigger part of the Golf Course, some historical passage ways, eateries, and ruins.

We then cut our walk along that side short and passed by Real, seeing the the back side of the San Agustin Church and Convent, then turning right to General Luna to see San Agustin Church once again. I’ve seen San Agustin Church when I was in college, making it a part of my paper in a Renaissance Studies class. The church’s paint has changed now, but all others, it still remains the same.

Then we crossed the street to check out Barbara’s, one of the famous restaurants in the area. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed, but the cafe (The Coffee Shop) was open. We checked out the menu but we’re not really hungry then, we wanted to have more food options. Before we left the area, we went inside The Papier Tolé Shop- crafts store specializing in paper tole and other trinkets, my friend bought a figurine. We asked the store’s staff where we could find more restaurants. He said we could check out Casa Marinero, Patio Conchita and Tamayo’s. He told us where to find these places. Luckily, we were able to see all of them, but still opted not to eat there. We were looking for a little ambiance, like what the whole Intramuros gives — hispanic and cozy. When we reached the cathedral back, we asked the security officers again about where to eat. They told us to try Illustrado, highly recommending it since the place was said to be used for a few (film) shootings. Since it was high noon, we went back to the car and drove to Illustrado for lunch.

After lunch, we drove to Fort Santiago. At first, it only looked like a park to me — a big and clean park. With a few historical details like cannons and old bombshells here and there. But if you look closely and explore more, you’ll find some interesting ruins, and items. Then walk to the end of the oval park and cross the moat to get to the more historical part of Fort Santiago — museums at the place where our very own National Hero Jose P. Rizal was jailed before he was shot in Luneta. What a way to celebrate National Heroes day!

We wanted to go to Luneta but opted to cross the Pasig River instead and go to Binondo, particularly the Chinatown. Unfortunately, a lot of establishments were closed, and the few ones that were open are the ones selling Tikoy, fruits and jewelry. We were actually looking for more interesting finds like vintage gadgets or novelty shops, maybe? But the whole of Binondo was still full of patrons buying bargains and eating at different Chinese restaurants so the traffic was a still a bit heavy. So we just made a ride around the Binondo – Sta. Cruz area, passing by the Binondo Church, Ongpin and back to the Jones Bridge.

We then went to Rizal Avenue (the road where LRT Line 1 is) to go to Harbour Square to have an early dinner. We tried the new Night Kebab restaurant at the second floor. We got a view of the sunset, the skyline, and well, the spectacular Manila Bay by night.

In less than eight hours, we relived a historical and cultural experience in Intramuros and hopped to a shopping frenzy at Binondo, then off to a more modern dining experience at Harbour Square beside Manila Bay where the sunset was awesome. Truly, simply no place like Manila.

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Plaza Roma, Intramuros Manila
Palacio del Gobernador
Night Kebab, Persian Restaurant, Harbour Square, CCP Complex

In Siquijor is a statue of Sta. Rita de Siquijor also labeled as the Black Magic Mary, because of the black magic myths in its location and its dress which resembles the Virgin Mary’s dress, only black. But we were not able to get an account of the real reason why the statue is called as such. So we pursued to see the statue hoping to find an answer. This was one of the highlights of our Siquijor trip.

Salmo Responsorio

It was only last year that we went to Dumaguete and made a side trip to Siquijor.

One of the things that made Siquijor a famous place in the Philippines is the myth of sorcery and black magic in the island. No one has proven this to be true, but in the 90’s, local TV channels would show several features of such myths in the island.

Sta. Maria Church Bell Tower

One of the things that got us interested to visit Siquijor was a photo we received from a friend, a statue of a saint, wearing all black, holding a small skull and an inverted crucifix:

Sta. Rita de Siquijor

A spooky feeling came over me when I saw the photo. But it’s even spookier to be face to face with the statue in person.

Sta. Rita de Siquijor in a glass encasement

The statue is inside a glass encasement in the Church of Sta. Maria. The big church would be filled with patrons at mass. Most churches would hold mass on Saturdays, but that Saturday at Sta. Maria, it was strangely empty and quiet.

a painting on the wall of the church then

a view of the church now

Inside Sta. Maria Church

the altar

Sta. Rita is at the right side of the altar. It looked spooky, because of its fierce look on its eyes and black clothes. Add the small skull on her hand. The crucifix, however, was not inverted anymore. We heard that Sta. Rita hanged herself and that she was full of grief, that’s why she’s wearing black. But she could have just been a nun, it looked to me that the dress she’s wearing was what nuns wear in the olden days. But there was no one in the church that we could ask about Sta. Rita de Siquijor’s story.

view from the podium

After visiting the Sta. Maria church to see Sta. Rita de Siquijor, we moved to the town of Lazi to see the St. Isidore Church and Lazi Convent. In the convent, we saw a priest who just finished a mass at the church and was crossing the road to get to the convent. We approached him and learning that we were tourists on the island, he invited us over to the convent to take a tour. We had a long chat, and he even told us of some stories about the town and the convent. While chatting, we hoped that he would know something about Sta. Rita de Siquijor. But the priest, who have been in Lazi for a few years, and who knew a lot about the convent, the town, and the whole island, knew nothing about Sta. Rita de Siquijor.

the face of Sta. Rita de Siquijor

So for the whole time that we were in Siquijor, and the months after, we did not know a thing about Sta. Rita de Siquijor, and why she was holding a skull and a crucifix. It was only recently that I was able to find articles about the controversial statue. Most of the writings said that she, Sta. Rita, was a nun and that her forehead was pierced by a crown of thorns. The wound the piercing created was said to have bled for 15 years until she died. And that the controversial statue that is in Siquijor was stolen from the church years ago but recovered in the neighboring island of Bohol. A lot of articles would feature Sta. Rita de Siquijor’s photos, but would only recount about the life of Sta. Rita, (aka Sta. Rita de Cascia) the Italian Augustinian Saint, who also holds a crucifix, wears black, but does not have a fierce look on her eyes.

Sta. Rita de Cascia (from wikipedia)

But there’s nothing about Sta. Rita de Siquijor, the one that holds a skull. Maybe that is why the statue remains to be controversial until this day.

skull and crucifix

Related Posts:
Siquijor Island, Negros Oriental
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental