OF VAST OCEANS AND SUBLIME SUNSETS

This photo was taken by my six year old niece April of last year. It’s been quite some time but I can still remember the exact thoughts inside my head at that exact moment… “How perfect and beautiful everything is, and how wonderful God’s love is”.

It’s during nights spent away from the hurly burly of the city life, that I realize that God is a romantic God. When our hearts are far from Him, He takes every chance to woo us back. His gestures are everywhere… vast oceans, sublime sunsets, fairy lights on rivers… what a show off! Like a true winsome lover, he captures a lot of hearts on these nights, that much I’m sure of. And would you believe it, He has captured mine too…

 

WESTOWN LAGOON… a modern city paradise for kids and kids at heart…

Photo Source

I was going through my photo gallery when I saw some shots from one of my getaways which I haven’t posted yet, hence this entry.

If my memory still serves me well, it was May of last year (2017) when I got an invite from my sister and my brother in law to a get together with their friends, and since “NO” is a word that one would not find in my vocabulary when it comes to having a good time, off I went with not a hint of hesitation.

We went to Cebu Westown Lagoon, a surprisingly refreshing oasis for the travel-weary tourists. It is located in FF Cruz Moonlight Street, Subangdaku NRA, Mandaue (right beside MO2).

Upon entering, first thing you’ll notice is the rock-like structure with the resort’s name and some more of it, artfully scattered around the whole area (please see cover photo) giving it a lush tropical rain forest vibe. There are three public pools with 2 to 4 feet depth, perfect for everyone. There are also slides for the more adventurous ones.

First Pool

Second Pool: DRAGON COVE (2 to 3 ft. deep, best for kids)

Source: google.com

 

she got so scared of the dark blue water… she thought a croc would come and eat us anytime soon…

Third Pool

Source: google.com

They also have a pool bar available if you want to grab something to drink…

my brother in law (front) with his buddies…

For inquiries, you can call the numbers below,

Globe 09772158529
Smart 09393453129
Sun 09325672461

Overall, it was a great experience. I can’t wait for y’all to experience soaking and basking under the hanging rocks of the lagoon… just like I did… ❤

Sky Water Park Getaway

Are you looking for a venue of integration of Filipino and Japanese culture and style while in “the queen city of the south”? If your answer is yes, then you might have just found the best place to be. With 583 rooms in an 18-storey building, Toyoko Inn’s aim is to offer a home-away-from-home for travelers. To add to that, the hotel is adjacent to Sky Water Park, the country’s first water park facility built above ground on top of J Centre Mall in Mandaue City.

I had the chance to see the place myself, early November of last year, with the kiddos of course. Stayed overnight at Toyoko inn and although it may not be classified as luxurious, the amenities and services the hotel provide to customers is of best quality.

clean and bright corridors (ctto: google)

chillin’ with my niece Laurice

big beds with clean sheets

a kitchen complete with dining table, a fridge, electric water heater and a microwave oven (ctto: google)

state of the art bathroom (although it took us quite some time to figure out how to use the shower, hehehe…) (ctto: google)

clean and wide dining area (I was too famished to take a photo of the food, sorry… peace…) (ctto: google)

Early morning view of the sky water park from our room at the 10th floor…

In house guests can use the sky water park for free… yepeee….. swim all you want for the kiddos, and for me of course…

Food and drinks from outside are not allowed by the way… but don’t worry, there’s a restaurant inside the water park and a few food stalls, so no biggie…

For more information about reservations please click these links…

Toyoko Inn Cebu (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ToyokoInnPhilippines/
Sky Water Park: http://www.skywaterpark.com/main/

So, what are you waiting for?!!! Click the links above to checkout their latest promotions… I’m sure you’ll enjoy the place… we did… ❤

OF FAIRY LIGHTS AND PAPER WRAPPERS

Happy Holidays people!!!

I know this is a bit late… I got a little busy with this thing called “LIFE” and didn’t have the time to post an entry on the 25th…. so here it goes…

It’s Christmas again!!! It may be celebrated in so many different ways in some parts of the world but they all have one thing in common – it is a time to rejoice and a time to be happy. Christmas is for everybody… far and near, young and old, rich and poor. The essence of this holiday season is embodied through love, joy and affection and for most Filipinos, the best way to show it is through gift giving and family get together events.

I happen to belong to a large family and it has been our tradition for the past few years to hold a get together party where five to six families gather and wait the night out over sumptuous dinner, fun games and surprises. We also had our customary Manito, Manita commonly known as Secret Santa.

Here’s what I got from my manito… drumroll… I’m very easy to please, you see….

Then, we finally exchanged personal gifts, and here’s what I got… yes you got it right… another one (from the sissy)

Christmas is and will always be my favorite celebration, with or without presents simply because it is on this day that everyone let their guards down and become a child again… where we only share nothing but affection and pure love for each other…

Let me send my warmest greetings once again…

I truly hope you had a great Christmas… we did… ❤ ❤ ❤

PAYING HOMAGE TO A DEAR LADY…

“THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER…”

This saying is especially true to Filipinos. As a tradition, aside from the weekly Sunday obligation, Filipino families normally attend mass together on special celebrations like Christmas.

This year though, my family decided to go on a pilgrimage. As you may all know by now, Cebu is not just all about white sand beaches and gentle sea creatures, it is also a place where devotees gather to practice religious traditions.

On the 23rd of December, we all went to Marian Hills, Lindogon, Sibonga, Cebu to pay homage to the famed miraculous Lady of Lindogon.

I felt especially excited when I got the invite because visiting the shrine has always given me some sense of peace and quiet regardless of how many people come to pay their respects to the dear lady in a daily basis.

I can still clearly remember the first time I laid eyes on the structure that’s only fit for a queen. It felt like being in one of my favorite Disney movies because of the castle-like facade and I immediately felt a sort of connection to the place and swore to myself to come back as often as life would allow me, especially when I went inside and saw the letters/testimonies left by people whose prayers were heard.

We all offered prayers of thanksgiving for all the blessings received for the year that was and asked for guidance and better health for the years to come.

The shrine also holds a museum where they display over fifty images (if I’m not mistaken) of the blessed Virgin Mary.

Here’s a few of what you can see inside the museum…

You can also light a candle for special intentions….

After paying our respects, we went straight to Argao for lunch then decided to have a side trip to Naga city to see their now famous boardwalk.

This is another trip to remember… Highly recommended for people/families seeking for peace of mind and tranquility of the soul…

 

 

FOOD TRIPPING… Cebuano style

Last night, I finally got the chance to go out after being sick for more than a week and there’s no better way to spend it than with family.

I got an invite from my cousin who’s visiting from the US who wanted to check out Sugbo Mercado, and who am I to refuse? The weather wasn’t that good, it was drizzling a bit… but I’m a pluviophile and the cold never bothered me anyway (Elsa?!), so off I went.

Sugbo Mercado is Cebu’s biggest weekend food market. It is open to the public four days a week from Thursday ’til Sunday, 5pm to 1am. For everyone’s convenience, Sugbo Mercado is now accessible in two locations – IT Park, Lahug and Cebu Business Park, Ayala Access road. So if you’re planning to go food tripping with the gang or with your folks, this is the perfect place to be, with over 80 food stalls to choose from… all in one place. Perfect for food tripping eh?!

One thing that I love about Sugbo Mercado is that you get to try different cuisine. Last time I visited the place, I had a taste of Thailand with my classic pad Thai for Php100 only.

Here’s a few of what I’ve tried in the past…

So last night I decided to go Japanese… my all time favorite… Takuyaki ❤
10 pieces for Php150… you can choose from octopus, chicken and pork… not too bad (“,)

Then, as I was going around, I saw this stall selling Vietnamese dishes and the first and only person that came into my mind was my favorite chef, Luke Nguyen. So I instantly decided to get their famous spring rolls. For only Php100, you get to enjoy 3 pieces. One roll is made with vermicelli noodles, tiger prawns, a handful of mint leaves, a handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, a handful of basil leaves and roughly shredded baby cos lettuce…. all wrapped in a rice paper wrapper causing an explosion of flavors with just one bite.

After getting your fill of Asian treats, you can have a little evening walk in the park… Here’s us before we called it a day…

Overall, I would have to say that last night was a night of nothing but delicious indulgence… and I would do it over and over and over again… Thanks for the treat ate Lany (“,)

So what are you waiting for???!!! Catch Sugbo Mercado on their last week for 2017… You’ll surely love it… We did… (“,)