up we go - pinatubo

i wont be able to visit your blogs within the weekend as i will be trekking along a group with bloggers scud, mel, bryan, earvin and photo blogger allan. here's a photo of Pinatubo's crater our next destination. you can check out my previous post of my first Pinatubo trek in 2006.

oh my gulay - baguio city

you'll have a mood of being in a tribal yet a little modern style of an aura when you reach the fifth floor. a rooftop dedicated to showcase different artworks and vegetarian food to fill in a hungry tummy.it was last month when my mother and i decided to bring my father to Baguio. the last time my father went there was when he was still working for RCPI during the 70s. since my father is an architect, he naturally enjoys artworks. so we thought of bringing him to Oh My Gulay.it's an art gallery and a restaurant at the same time, which offers vegetarian cuisine. make sure to get your order first and you'll have enough time to roam around the fifth floor of La Azotea building along Session Road.there are different items and icons influenced by Cordillera's culture. you get to choose were to have your meal. either a nice view of the place or a view near it's window that overlooks a part of the city.i enjoyed looking at the artworks but not much with the meal. maybe because im not a vegetarian in the first place or maybe because there was nothing really special with the food.Oh My Gulay is on the fifth floor of La Azotea Building along Session road. just a tip, don't ask the locals where Oh My Gulay is, instead ask them where La Azotea building.[what you shouldn't miss there]>>> the artworks all over the place occupying a two-floor height area.
[why i should go back] >>> to bring vegetarian friends and at least let them enjoy the all organic meals. trip rate:
location: 4.0
restaurant aura: 3.5
art gallery: 4.0
food: 3.0

responsible backpacking

as much as we are enjoying travel around the Philippines, we too are responsible in the effects to which traveling can cause. it has a positive and a negative side.i attended the Backpacking Pilipinas session last Thursday at Recreational Outdoor Exchange (ROX) at the Bonifacio High Street. this was my second time to attend an event there (previously attended session with ROX). three speakers shared their experience of being backpackers. Leland Pasion shared his ideas on the topic backpacking solo. he discussed why one can still enjoy traveling alone and how one can plan a solo trip around the Philippines.the second speaker was an Australian lady who traveled 40countries in 5 continents. she visited the Philippines as a tourist but ended up deciding to reside in the country to support responsible traveling and other outreach projects.she discussed important points that requires travelers to be responsible in protecting the environment, in taking photos, and in relating with locals. last to speak was Tim Tayag who also shared his experience as a travel show host as a backapacker. carrying with him a large camera for travel shoots around the Philippines.nothing new was presented but every experience shared by the speakers were significant and worth the time. for future events just check events posters at ROX Philippines.

powered paragliding - 14th hot air balloon fiesta

"once you're up there, you don't want to go down" that was what one of the paragliders answered when we asked him about the experience.just when majority of the balloons took flight, these paragliders immediately took the scene coming from all directions. they fly over the crowd and goes up again.this is not the ordinary paragliding as they have with them propellers that can bring them up and control their direction. this is called powered paragliding or sometimes also known as paramotoring.most of the paragaliders were foreigners though i noticed one from the Philippines too because of the flag attached to one of the paraglider wing. we had the chance to approach some of the paragliders who dropped close to where we were standing. we met one from Malaysia and this guy who allowed us to take a shot of his propeller.
during the event, there were around five paragliders roaming the airspace of the Clark Aviation area. they did fly drops and even pass over and under some of the balloons.flying one powered paraglider is now on my list of things to do before i die.here's a video i found in youtube taken from the 14th Hot Air Balloon in Clark last weekend. thanks to Sir Simon Paul Herbert for posting this video in youtube.

bloom balloon - 14th hot air balloon fiesta

the sky was gloomy but 25 colorful balloons were there to set the fiesta mood of the event. around hundred thousand people were expected to witness it this year.it was my third time to attend the annual hot air balloon fiesta here in Clark Airfield in Pampanga. the last time i witnessed it was way back 2005 and 2006 but the crowd was not yet as big as it is this time.different countries has again participated to make the balloon flight as exciting bringing balloons of different forms and shapes.the hot air balloon according to wikipedia is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. its first manned flight was in France in 1783.though they offer people the chance of riding the balloon's gondola during the event it was still expensive but for sure the experience is priceless.i would like to acknowledge the people behind this year's event as i noticed that it was well planned and organized. the people enjoyed every moment.today, i believe that this annual balloon fest is already considered as one of the most popular event in the Philippines.[what you shouldn't miss there]>>> the experience when the balloon starts to inflate and sets itself to fly as high in the sky.
[why i should go back] >>> to witness the glow at night balloons. though i already saw it in 2005, wtinessing it again will definitely be something worth seeing again.
trip rate:
fiesta mood: 3.5
event system: 4.5
balloon fest: 4.5
accessibility: 4.5

spectators ready - 14th hot air balloon clark

crowds of people were coming from almost everywhere going to one direction, the Clark Aviation zone.we ended our coffee time at Starbucks Roxas boulevard around 1:20am with Lingkod Alabang. Orlan accompanied me to Five Star Terminal in Cubao as i waited for my high school classmate Grail, who will be joined me on this trip. the bus left the terminal 3:50am and we arrived at the Dau terminal by 4:45am. it was still dark yet you can already see people flocking to the entrance of the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta main gate.
by that time, people were already in position to capture the early balloon flights. it was now the last day for this event and so a large number of spectators were expected.you'll see a number of photo enthusiasts and spectators in the area. big long lense were positioned high up.after the Philippine flag was brought down by the sky divers, the event was officially open for that day.the balloons were now positioned to lift. around 18 to 25 balloons were expected to fly. to be continued on my next post.

all smiles - caracol festival makati

it was pass three in the afternoon, when i heard the drums beating from afar. i came from Antipolo that day and was quite excited to witness the Caracol Festival of Makati.colorful costumes filled the urban city of Makati on that day. this festival was formed to promote awareness in the importance of the environment.students from the different schools in Makati displayed the many colors which highlights the colorful world of nature.the parade begun by around four just in time that i was able to take shots while they were still at the assembly area.the Caracol festival like most of the other festivals in the Philippines, is a dance competition that interprets the hope to save our environment.it was not as intense as the popular festivals of Dinagyang and Sinulog, yet if we look back, all the festivals started this way. the groups didn't perform much during the parade, which made it difficult to capture the action.the main performance was conducted on a big platform yet less people having the chance to see it that clos. hopefully the organizers will improve it next year. this was taken last Janaury 18.[what you shouldn't miss there]>>> the colorful costumes and the beautiful smiles of the performers.
[why i should go back] >>> to simply celebrate and enjoy the festival.