Buhay Bahay-Bahayan

Magandang Huwebes mga ka-litratista! Oras na naman para sa Litratong Pinoy. Ang aking lahok ngayong linggo ay pagpapatuloy ng aming bakasyon sa Cagayan de Oro. Kung maalala nyo, una kong inilahok sa Litratong Pinoy na may tema na Paboritong Litrato ang aming bakasyon sa Cagayan de Oro. Pagkatapos ng aming white water rafting, sa tulong pa rin ng Kagay, sumunod naming pinuntahan ang Macahambus Adventure Park para sa canopy walk, zipline, at rapelling.

Ang mga nasa larawan ay ang canopy walk. Ang canopy walk ay binubuo ng mga tulay na may makitid na lakaran na pinagdugtong dugtong sa mga matataas na puno upang makaikot sa ibabaw ng Macahambus cave. Maaaring hindi halata sa litrato, pero sobrang taas ng mga tulay na ito sa mga puno, para kang nasa ibabaw ng isang mataas na gusali.

Ito ang aking lahok para sa linggong ito ng Litratong Pinoy na may tema na Tulay. Tayo na at tignan ang iba pang mga lahok ng mga partisipante dito.

I believe in giving nothing but the best. The best that I can afford, that is. So when we were planning our Holy Week beach getaway, I tried hard to look for the best places to spend our day, all within our budget, of course. I luckily (or not) found this resort called The Waterfront Beach Resort in Morong, Bataan. The pictures at their website sure looks inviting, as are the text written:

Escape to one of the most spectacular getaways in the country. An enchanting place set on the picturesque town of Morong, Bataan Peninsula. You will find everything you need to help you recharge and get in touch with nature again and again.

I haven’t been to Morong. So I had no idea how long the drive there is. After crossing two mountains, I think, we finally saw some beach flags pointing to the resort. The dirt road leading to the resort was something unexpected. Being “one of the most spectacular getaways in the country,” I at least expected a paved road. When we got to the gate, the guard informed me that our reservations were not on their list. I have personally handled those reservations here in Manila. I e-mailed and even called their sales agent to confirm everything, even our rooms, as we planned on staying overnight. When we arrived there at about 10 AM, our reservations were missing, and all the air-conditioned rooms were occupied, leaving one fan room available. Good thing my wife and I decided to check the room first because it doesn’t look anything remotely similar to those posted on their site. To top it all off, the bathroom is broken, which means you can do no. 1 (pee) without flushing, but you can’t do number 2 (poo).

But it’s no use wasting travelling all the way there for nothing (right?), so our last option was to rent one of their tents. Entrance fee per person, including corkage fees, was Php250, plus Pph1000 rental for the tents.

Despite the “unexpected” turn of events and some of the amenities looking forgotten and ill maintained, like some rooms and the pool (where Yuan had a lot of fun)

the beach was okay. Not as powdery white as those in Boracay, or even Bohol, but it’s actually still quite nice. We didn’t bother to stay overnight though despite having rooms available past lunch time. Would we go back? Maybe, but not before trying out the other nearby resorts first, just to have a good comparison. Would I recommend it? Yes, just don’t get carried away with the nice photos. All in all, it was a nice beach to relax, eat (a lot) and enjoy family time.

Oo, tama ka. Ang aking lahok para sa ngayong linggong ito ng Litratong Pinoy ay kuha mula sa isa sa paborito naming puntahan at pasyalan, ang Tagaytay. At ang gusaling nasa litrato ay ang pamosong Caleruega Church. Ito ay kilala rin sa tawag na Transfiguration Chapel. Sabi nila, ito daw ay ginaya mula sa isa ring simbahan sa Caleruega, Spain.

Paboritong simbahan ito ng mga ikakasal. Ilang mga kaibigan na rin ang aming nasaksihan na dito nagpakasakal, este nagpakasal pala. At hindi naman yun nakapagtataka dahil sa talaga namang maganda ang simbahan. Bukod sa malawak na hardin, sariwa pa ang hangin. Silipin ang isa naming kaibigang ikinasal rito.

Ito ang aking lahok para sa linggong ito ng Litratong Pinoy na may tema na Gusali. Tayo na at tignan ang iba pang mga lahok ng mga partisipante dito.