Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Fountain @ Bag of Beans/Watery Wednesday


Like water, be gentle and strong.  Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world. ~ Brenda Peterson


Linking to Watery Wednesday

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Beach house/Monday Doorways


A beach house facing the sunset in Punta Bulata.


Linking to Louis la Vache's Monday Doorways

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Old/Photo-Hunt


This old church in  Paoay is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.   The buttresses are impressive and it looks like it was carved in stone.  Its earthquake-proof baroque style architecture is a unique specimen of Filipino architecture from the Spanish era.  The parish was  founded by the Augustinians in 1593, cornerstone of the church laid in 1704.  I took these photos in 2010.  This church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
More about this church here.

San Agustin Church, Paoay, Ilocos Norte



Friday, February 24, 2012

Sky-watching from Triboa Bay/SWF

straight out of the camera

I took this photo near the gate as we were leaving Triboa Bay.  Triboa Bay is a cluster of beach-front villas inside the Subic Freeport.  The villas were originally built for leaders who attended the 1996 ASEAN Summit.  Now most of the villas are privately-owned and some are rented.

edited version


Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Crazy about Maki

 Crunchy Salmon Roll

Not all taste bud-satiating foods are rich in bad cholesterol.  Try these Crazy Maki treats and satisfy your craving, guilt-free.  I believe I have posted  makis many moons ago.  I was back at Rai Rai Ken recently with two friends who share my love for sushi and other Japanese dishes.  Enjoy!

 Jurassic Maki



Linking to Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

By the bay/Watery Wednesday


Wildflowers by the bay

@ Edgewater, Subic Freeport 


Linking to Watery Wednesday

Monday, February 20, 2012

Patrol Boat/Blue Monday


A patrol boat docked at Danjugan Island.  Danjugan Island is a marine reserve and wildlife sanctuary, a small jewel in the Sulu Sea.


Linking to Blue Monday

Friday, February 17, 2012

Circles & Point/Photo Hunt


Circles used as design element in fashion accessories. 
Through the years, I have noticed that circles are often used by designers 
to create a point of emphasis and interest to hold a viewer's attention.


A combination of colors, complemented with other shapes, 
a circle is a great focal point in fashion jewelry.


Necklaces have been a part of women's outfit for centuries.   
Necklaces can be light and trendy to heavy and elaborate.
It compliments a woman's outfit, enhances the total look.


Taken at Avatar's showroom in Cebu



Linking to Sandy's Saturday PhotoHunt and Gattina's Keyhole Pictures

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Kamana Sanctuary/OWT & WW


We were driving around Subic one Sunday afternoon when M asked if we wanted to go to Kamana Sanctuary.  I relished being just a passenger that weekend and told M to just take us anywhere she wanted to go.  

Kamana Sanctuary is a fairly new resort in Subic Freeport, nestled between a rainforest and Nabasan Bay, and overlooking Grande Island and Subic mountains.


There was only a short stretch of beach so the main attraction here must be the eternity pool.  The casitas (rooms on stilts) looked interesting.  We wanted to see the rooms but we were told at the reception that the resort was fully-booked.  We chilled by the pool, sipped fresh fruit shakes, enjoyed the cool breezes and the view.


There is a spa here but I guess it's not open just yet.  I am actually more interested in the spa than the pool or the beach.  This is not my kind of beach resort.  Besides, their room rates are expensive.  I'd rather go to an island and sleep under the stars.:p


However, I'd say this resort is a good weekend getaway...just a short, easy 2-hour drive from Manila and there are lots of things to do in Subic.  And according to M, Kamana Sanctuary serves good food---that's a plus in  my book.:p


Kamana Sanctuary is inside the Subic Freeport, a former US naval base.  Subic Freeport is about 2 hours from Manila via SCTEx.

with my girlfriend, Maria


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Silliman Hall/Monday Doorways


Silliman Hall, built in 1903, is the oldest building at Silliman University in Dumaguete City.  This building serves as the university's Anthropology Museum.  Silliman U was the first American private school in the Philippines established by Presbyterians in 1901.

My contribution to Louis' Monday Doorways



Thursday, February 9, 2012

Sparklers/SWF

 Sunbeams like diamonds falling through sunshine.  

Triboa Bay, Subic


Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Pesto Shrimp Pasta


This is something I made for Media Noche on New Year's eve---Pesto Shrimp Pasta paired with pesto bread.




Linking with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Reflection/Watery Wednesday


In reflecting on the times of my life, it occurs to me that the difficult, arduous experiences always pass, or at least wane to a tolerable level.  On the other hand, thankfully, the positive, uplifting aspects of my life journey seem to hold strong and steady throughout, as long as I appreciate and nurture them.  

~ David Weatherford


Taken from Edgewater, Subic Freeport 
January 29, 2012


Linking to Watery Wednesday

Monday, February 6, 2012

Banca/Blue Monday


A favored local form of transport has always been the banca, a type of outrigger boat native to the Philippines.  Bancas are used for fishing,  transporting produce and people.  This is just one of the options we use in getting around the islands.


Linking to Blue Monday

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Makeshift bridge/Sunday Bridges


A makeshift bridge at a beach resort crossing a small creek that leads to a mangrove.  Various vehicles crossed this bridge---a motorbike, a tricycle, a pick-up truck, and a carabao-driven carriage.


My contribution to Sunday Bridges

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Skywatching @ Edgewater [SWF]


Subic Bay turned into liquid gold as the sun slowly retired behind the Subic mountains.  

The birds, the waves, my spirit fell silent at God's poetry.  

Captured this golden afternoon at Edgewater on Sunday.


True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. ~ William Penn


Some days, we just need to turn the quiet up. ~ Dr. Sun Wolf




 More beautiful skies from around the world at Sky-Watch Friday