Showing posts with label Outdoor Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Outdoor Wednesday. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Flow river flow

@ mirandablue
Sit by the river.  Find peace and meaning in the rhythm of the lifeblood of the Earth.


Flow river flow, past the shady trees
Go river go, go to the sea...

@ mirandablue
Manapla, Negros Occidental



Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Punta Bulata: Silhouettes

@ mirandablue
"Life is like a good black and white photograph, there's black, there's white, and lots of shades in between."

~ Karl Heiner

@ mirandablue
Shades of grey wherever I go
The more I find out the less I know
Black and white is how it should be
But shades of grey are the colors I see.

~ Billy Joel

@ mirandablue





Monday, March 28, 2011

Punta Bulata: El Tzino Resort

@ mirandablue
Anhawan Island
To continue the Punta Bulata series, I am sharing with you some morning and afternoon shots taken from the resort where we stayed.  We arrived at El Tzino around 10 am, it's not a fancy place and has the basic necessities to make our stay comfortable.  We laid down our bags, had some cold drinks, and I went to explore the beach.  I was happy to see that there was no one here except us---we had the place to ourselves! Facing the bay, to my left was a group of islands, the biggest island is called Anhawan and Danjugan Island to my right, a marine reserve and and wildlife sanctuary.

@ mirandablue
Danjugan Island
Uneasy of the peace and quiet here, my cousin Mark put on his headsets as he settled in a chair facing the sea. Oh, and check out these lounging chairs---they're made from old tires, and they're quite comfy, too. Talk about ingenuity!

@ mirandablue
Did I say we had the place to ourselves?  I spoke too soon---we shared the resort and the beach with 8 canines.  This  guy was part of the pack.  He followed but kept his distance as I walked to the water's edge waiting for the sunset.
@ mirandablue
Spotted these fishermen while they were getting ready to go off-shore. Fishing and farming provide livelihood for most folks around here.
@ mirandablue
Life here was rustic and laid-back.  Walking along the beach that afternoon, I was  amazed how everything here seemed to move in silence.  There was gentle stillness in the rustle of the leaves, even the waves and breezes refused to be hurried.  A perfect place for solitude and meditation.


@ mirandablue

A golden moment---before sunset, looking north at Danjugan Island and Pulo Gamay (literally, small island).

To reach El Tzino Resort, take a 154-kilometer road trip to Cartagena near the boundary of Cauayan and Sipalay, then turn right to a dirt road, 4 kilometers down until you reach Brgy. Elihan.  Ceres buses going to Hinoba-an pass Cartagena.  It's approximately 4 hours south of Bacolod City. 




Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Man and the sea [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue

Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel? She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly and such birds that fly, dipping and hunting, with their small sad voices are made too delicately for the sea.

- from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway




Wednesday, March 9, 2011

From the view deck [Watery and Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
Lina-on Bay from the view deck of Punta Sojoton in Cauayan town, province of Negros Occidental.

@ mirandablue

@ mirandablue



Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Lonely duck [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
Swimming alone seems not a good idea for this duck.  After all, it's a huge pond. I wonder where her friends are...maybe at the casino.:p

Man-made pond in Fontana Leisure Park
Clark Ecozone, Pampanga

@ mirandablue

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Quiet pond [Watery and Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
On the way to Fontana Leisure Park in Clark on Sunday afternoon, I spotted this quiet pond in a golf course.  The still water, the greens and reflections were begging to be photographed.  I was happily clicking away when the security guard called my attention.  Apparently, taking photos was not allowed here because according to the guard, politicians, generals and famous personalities were playing golf and they didn't want their photos taken.  I suddenly felt like a paparazzi.:p


I assured the guard that I won't post their photos in Facebook.:p

The new header photo, a row of ancient acacias, is just across this pond. 

@ mirandablue



Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Spider rock [Watery and Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
I don't know that this unique water feature is called---people call it Spider Rock because the silhouette does look like a giant spider.  Water leaks from the "rock" suspended about 20 feet high and falls into the drain below.  The "rock" is supported by three steel legs.  This water feature is located at an open-air activity park in Bonifacio High Street.

@ mirandablue




Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pasaleng Bay [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
A beautiful view of Pasaleng Bay from the Patapat Viaduct in Ilocos Norte.  Pasaleng Bay is a 100-kilometer bay that faces the Babuyan Islands, and a very lose path of the Kuroshio current---a warm ocean current that brings with it a number of migratory fish from the East China Sea, the Pacific Ocean and Japan Sea.  The bay is a rich source of  seaweed and various fish species like reef fish, tuna, grouper and lobsters.




This is linked to Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Fascinating Balanghai [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
I stumbled upon these wooden boats while taking a stroll at the Harbor Square along Manila Bay on Saturday night.  At first, I thought they were ordinary boats until I read "Diwata ng Lahi" etched on the side of the boat.  I got excited when I realized the three boats are the Balanghais [also called Balangay or Butuan boat]. These boats are replicas of the balanghai, a prehistoric boat that plied in the archipelago and around Southeast Asia centuries ago.

The first balanghai, Diwata ng Lahi (Spirit of the Race) was constructed in 2009.  Two other balanghais were subsequently built---Masawa Hong Butuan (Radiance of Butuan) and Sama Tawi-Tawi (People of Tawi-Tawi), all using ancient construction methods.  The shell is made of Dungon, the wood used by ancient Filipino boat builders, while the planks are connected with pegs (or dowels)---no nail was used on these boats.  And to make the balanghai water-tight, the builders used natural resin from mangrove trees.

The Voyage of the Balangay started in Manila on September 1, 2009 and was completed on December 13, 2010, covering more than 14,000 kilometers in 14 months.  The balanghais sailed around most of the Philippines and Southeast Asia ...(read article here) with 40 crew members.

Nine balanghais have been excavated in the 1970's by pot-hunters (those who excavate ceramic antiques without legal permits) in the areas of Butuan City in the northern coast of Mindanao.  The oldest boat found was carbon-dated at 320 AD or 1,690 years old, said to be the first water vessel excavated in Southeast Asia.

@ mirandablue



This is linked to Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Ain't no mountain high enough [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wild enough
To keep me from you...
If you need me, call me
No matter where you are, no matter how far
Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry
On that you can depend and never worry...

Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

@ mirandablue

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Sail away... [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

@ mirandablue