Wakeboarding at CWC [My World-Tuesday]

An alternative water sport, wakeboarding is a relatively new sport in the Philippines. It caught a hype about 5 years ago after celebrities were seen on TV enjoying the sport. Many sports organizations, and even the government, recognized the sport's potential for local and foreign tourism. Thus, the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) was established in 2006. It's a six-hectare wakeboarding park in Pili, Camarines Sur---a town 343 kilometers (or about 213 miles) from Manila and 15 kilometers away from Naga City, the nearest airport. The complex is considered the first world-class local government-operated watersports facility in Asia.

Mount Isarog at the background

Wakeboarding sets the extreme action to full motion via 8 to 12 meters of an overhead cable, allowing the wakeboarder to cruise the water surface through specially designed pylons. With the cables running clockwise between 20-65 km/h speeds around the biggest man-made lake track built for wakeboarding, the rider circles the track via different strokes of gliding motions while the speed lets him do exhibitions on the built-in ramps and all sorts of flips. (Source: eTravel Pilipinas)

CWC can be reached by bus, by train or by plane from Manila via Naga City. By bus or train, travel time from Manila to Naga City and Pili is about 8-9 hours. Flights from Manila to Naga City are also available daily with an estimated travel time of 45 minutes.

This complex also offers cottages, restaurants, a swimming pool, pro-shops, spas, huts and grand stands for guests.

My contribution to My World-Tuesday

Mangodlong foot bridge [Sunday Bridges]

A hanging foot bridge connecting rock islets at Mangodlong Resort in Camotes Island.

"Imagination is the pontoon bridge making way for the timid feet of reason."

Photos taken in May 2008

Posted for Sunday Bridges

Memorial [Photo-Hunt]

When I die, give what is left of me to children.
If you need to cry, cry for your brothers walking beside you.
Put your arms around anyone
and give them what you need to give to me.
I want to leave you with something,
something better than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I have known and loved.
And if you cannot live without me, then let me live on in your eyes,
your mind and your acts of kindness.
You can love me most by letting hands touch hands
and letting go of children that need to be free.
Love does not die, people do.
So when all that is left of me is love...
Give me away.

~ The Legacy

Photos were taken at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery), a memorial cemetery for Filipino military personnel from privates to generals, as well as heroes and martyrs, former presidents and statesmen. Among those buried in this cemetery are most of the defenders of Bataan, Corregidor and other battlefields fought during World War II. Located at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig.

http://tnchick.com

A new day [SWF]

sunrise at Tabgon, Caramoan

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. ~Anne Lamott

Posted for Sky-Watch Friday

Tofu all the way

Tofu @ Pho Hoa

Call it tofu, or bean curd, it's made from soybeans which are considered a "complete" protein---it's a powerhouse of nutrition, an adaptable friend to cooks, the treasure of the health conscious and those who are perpetually on diet. These are the tofu dishes I've shared with my friend---she is on diet. I "think" I am on diet, therefore, I am.:p

I am not crazy about tofu but I know it is an excellent source of vegetarian protein, and really good for me, but sometimes the taste buds rule the mind. Need to remind myself when I'm face to face with tofu that it's cholesterol-free as all plant-based foods are, low in calories and a good source of B-vitamins and iron. Lacking pronounced flavors of its own, tofu picks up the flavors around it as evident from these three tofu dishes in different flavors--above is a tofu dish from Pho Hoa, a Vietnamese restaurant; below is tofu with vegetables from MyThai, and the last one is batter fried tofu with agedashi sauce from Red Kimono, a Japanese resto.

Tofu was invented centuries ago in China.

Tofu with vegetables @ MyThai

Batter fried tofu with agedashi sauce @ Red Kimono

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

LP: Numero [numbers]

Hinalungkat ko ang aking archives sa paghahanap ng litratong may "numero" at dalawa ang nakita kong katanggap-tanggap.

Ang nasa itaas ay ang harapan ng Bell Street Pier, isang mall sa Pier 66 sa Seattle, sa tabi ng Eliott Bay at Puget Sound. Hindi mo makakaligtaan ang mall na ito sa laki ng numero.

I dug into my archives looking for photos with "numbers" and I found two decent photos. Above is the facade of Bell Street Pier, a mall at Pier 66 in Seattle. It's beside Eliott Bay and Puget Sound. With the huge numbers, you won't miss this mall.

Ang nasa ibaba naman ay isang horizontal sundial na nakita ko sa University of Washington sa Seattle. Nakaukit sa bato ang "Class of 1912" at Roman numerals naman ang nasa sun dial. Graduating gift ito ng class of 1912, at pangalawa sa mga pinakalumang sun dial sa Seattle. Mahilig pala sila sa sun dial.

The photo below is a horizontal sundial I spotted at the University of Washington, also in Seattle. Nicely engraved on the basalt plinth is "Class of 1912", while there are Roman numerals on the sundial itself. This was a graduating gift of class 1912, and the second oldest sundial in Seattle.

Posted for Litratong Pinoy

Olango Island's floating restaurants [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

Olango Island, an island 5 kilometers east of Mactan Island, Cebu, is not only known for its wildlife sanctuary and dive sites but also for its floating restaurants that cater mostly to tourists. These restaurants on stilts offer fresh seafoods--you can choose from live grouper (lapu-lapu), parrot fish, mackerel, blue marlin, squid, abalone, lobster, prawns, crabs, oysters, scallops, clams and other shellfish. You can have it grilled, deep-fried, pan-fried, steamed, mixed with vegetables or eat them raw. For the adventurous, there's puffer fish, jellyfish, stingray, different kinds of seaweeds and other exotic fares. Boats are parked by the restaurants' ladder and we hopped from the boat onto the ladder. The water was not deep so no worries about falling into the water. Our boatman was also kind enough to assist us in case we'd lose our balance. We had a great lunch here. It wasn't cheap but it was a delightful dining experience.

our boatman expertly parked our boat

our neighbors

Olango Island is about 20 minutes by boat from Hilton pier in Mactan.

Posted for Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

Sulpa, an island in the sun [My World-Tuesday]

A deserted island in Cebu Strait with shallow and rough coral sand and rocky cliffs was one of our destinations one Saturday in Cebu. Sulpa Island is about 45 minutes by outrigger boat from Hilton Pier in Mactan--a quick escape after a stressful day in the city. White sandy beach and a few picnic huts greeted us when we climbed out of our boat. A sign says the island is private property and we were charged P100 (roughly $2) each.

A friend from Cebu told me that Sulpa Island got famous a few years ago after police caught and arrested four Japanese tourists shooting porn at the beach. Bird wardens from the nearby Olango Island bird sanctuary spotted the lewd activity and called the police.

Aside from that incident, Sulpa remains pristine---a great place to get a tan, enjoy some peace and quiet, and if you're into scuba diving, there's a good dive site about 50 meters from the shoreline on the west side of the island.

Sulpa Island, Mactan, Cebu

My contribution to My World-Tuesday

BOTR and memories

Food and memories---there is a powerful connection between them. That's why the smell of freshly baked bread reminds me of my afternoon strolls to the local bakery when I was a teenager where the aroma of baked pandesal wafted throughout the neighborhood, and the texture of cheese brings me back to the cheese sticks I shared with my grandmother under her mosquito net. I am sure you have your own food nostalgia, too.

I had one of those recently when Franzia told me there's a BOTR (Bun on the Run) at Metrowalk. What??!! BOTR--our favorite take out every time we watched a movie at Greenbelt 1. I haven't eaten or seen a Bun on the Run in more than a decade. I loved their sausages, porkloin sandwich and chori burger. And I couldn't wait to have a BOTR once again.

As soon as our order was served, I remember the Greenbelt days [and nights] ten to twenty years back. Sundays when I would read books in National Bookstore for hours because I couldn't afford to buy them. Movies after midnight (it was called Midnight Workaholics) when Greenbelt extended showtime until 2 am. Saturday afternoons when I would sometimes fall asleep inside the theater after drinking The Bar disguised as Sprite. A couple of pervs I encountered in Greenbelt (and some I terrorized!), a couple of dates, the days when I skipped work and wallowed in comfortable sloth at the park by stalking the exotic birds at the Greenbelt aviary.

I breathed in the familiar aroma of pickles and onions, heard the ambient noise, and felt somebody's hand holding mine. I wished my sister was here to share this Bun on the Run moment with me and Franzia. Iinggitin ko na lang s'ya sa pictures.:p

I had Sausage with pickles and onions, Franzia ordered Porkloin Sandwich and Sally had Tuna Cheese with French Fries with garlic cream dip.

And yes, it was as good as I remembered.

Bun on the Run @ Metrowalk

Posted for Our Weekend Memoirs

Stilt bridge [Sunday Bridges]

A bamboo stilt bridge connecting the huts to the shores of Silangang Nayon, a restaurant and hotel 3 hours south of Manila. The huts are the restaurant's dining area and food is delivered from the kitchen through a zip line.

My first contribution to Sunday Bridges

Wakeboarding at sunset [SWF]

It was a breathtaking sunset with non-stop action at Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) on Easter Sunday. And a heart-stopping moment as I watched this fearless young man on wakeboard glide on the surface of a narrow ramp while holding on to a cable. It must be a sensational feeling to able to "fly". No wonder the lines were long! CWC in Naga City is a watersports park designed for wakeboarding, wakeskating and waterskiing. It has a 6-point cable ski system for beginners and professional wakeboarders. This park has attracted local as well as international tourists, mostly wakeboarding enthusiasts. My friends and I wanted to try it but it was getting dark, and our minds were focused on a more exciting activity---dinner.:p

Posted for Sky-watch Friday