A Saccharine Life

Last Saturday, we visited the National Museum. My officemate, who went there previously, confirmed that entrance fee is free. And since it is free, we grabbed the opportunity to visit. It was my dream to have a photo of the Spolarium. Babaw ko, ano? The National Museum is in good condition. There are roving guards everywhere to make sure that no one is touching the displays. Sofia got intrigued with some of the paintings that she touched them and was told by the guards not to. She asked me, " Mommy, bakit lahat no touch? " I told her that those are very important pieces and we must be careful for the paintings not to break or get damaged. She replied, " E 'di lagyan natin ng scotch tape ." Yep, scotch tapes solve all things in the eyes of a child. Hahaha! Sofia enjoyed the open space more than the paintings. She does not appreciate the artworks yet. During our long walk, she also had a bout of stomachache. She was happier seeing benches and chairs for h...

Hi Everyone, I just want to share some of our latest travel photos: Ilocos Sur - Ilocos Norte - Baguio. Our group was made of 4 adults, 3 kids, and 1 baby. Our trip was for 5 days, 4 nights. The good part of our travel is not everything was planned. We just went were our feet will take us (or the Innova for that matter). :D Day 1 - Vigan, Paoay, Burgos Day 2 - Burgos, Pagudpud, Laoag Day 3 - Laoag, Paoay, Baguio Day 4 - Baguio Day 5 - Baguio Our trip to Ilocos Sur from Cavite only took 8 hours. We left Cavite at 8:00PM and arrived in Vigan at 3:50AM. Too many stories to tell. I do not know which one to tell first. I'll just focus on the highlights. Our plan was to travel Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte only for 3 days, 2 nights, but ended going to Baguio and doing 5 days, 4 nights. It was raining in Burgos where we stayed the first day. There were strong winds and the resort's hotel room is not very impressive. It was evident that it was already old. We were sup...

Hi Everyone, We were able to finally visit Puerto Galera last April. I have never visited Boracay, but they said Puerto Galera was similar to it because of the night parties.  The travel going to Puerto Galera was long. We had to take an hour and a half trip from Cavite to Batangas City Pier. From there, we had to take an hour-boat ride to our destination. I will never forget how scared I was when I walk across the plank connecting the boat and the pier!  We arrived at Puerto's shores, and I was so amazed at how clear the water was. I have never seen anything like it. The restaurants served good food, too. My favorite though was not found in the restos, but on the beach front - the mango ice scramble. Remember those pink ice scramble you had when you were a kid? They have it in mango and strawberry flavors here. I hope someone would come up with the same thing here in Cavite.

Hi Everyone, "Of relaxing in the summer sun, just lettin' off steam." -Olaf Sun-kissed skin. Upbeat music. Peals of laughter. A perfect summer getaway. It is my first time to visit Volets, and it did not dissapoint. Volets is a perfect swimming venue for kids and kids-at-heart (and for people who do not know how to swim like me. Learning to swim remains in my bucket list. Maybe I'll learn with Sofia. :D). There's the wave pool, the Olympic size pool, 2 kiddie pool areas, lazy river for the kids and lazy river for the adults. There's no way you can get bored, because there are many pools to switch to, and each one is different from the other. What I liked about the place are the shallow pools. I was not in constant fear for the safety of the kids. I was also able to enjoy being in the water, especially the lazy river and the falling water from the huge bucket.

Hi Everyone, We had fried bangus and daing na bangus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's not that we were abstaining from meat; it's the only thing available in our fridge. :) Fitting for the season, too. The scorching heat of the sun, and the not-working air-conditioning unit of our Tamaraw FX served as our penance.  We decided to visit churches in Batangas. Some are churches I visit frequently before. There's something about churches that makes me feel like I am an intruder when I enter their huge doors. Like there are angels singing, and I should listen quietly. Like each church is wrapped in a thin holy film, and that by just being there, without even saying a prayer, I feel that all my sins are forgiven.  San Roque Parish, Lemery, Batangas (I accidentally deleted the picture of its facade.) Basilica of St. Martin of Tours, Taal, Batangas Parish of Immaculate Concepcion, Bauan, Batangas Basilica Minor of Immaculate Concepcion, Baua...

Hi Everyone, Pinto Art Museum captivated me effortlessly. The entrance fee of Php150.00 per person was so worth it. It housed a massive collection of paintings, sculptures and art installations. It was a visual feast for anyone who stepped into its doors.  There was a little chapel near the entrance of the Museum. It was very simple. When I entered, it felt like it was only God and me there. There was also a building dedicated for the indigenous art. It was mostly  oohs  and  aahs  as we looked into one art creation after another. The largest painting in the museum was " Karnabal ". I had a hard time fitting this painting in the camera. We almost missed this wing (because we did not make use of the map that was given to us). Good thing, Mama Dolly roamed around the area while Daddy and I were resting.  This was my favorite section of the gallery because the paintings here are more modern, "funkier"; there was a happier less...