Thursday, July 3, 2014

Sumaging Cave

They say that you've never been to Sagada if you've never been to their Sumaging Cave

We paid 285Php for a 3-hour caving adventure (we skipped the 4-hour cave connection tour which would cover the Sumaging cave and through the Lumiang cave ) with a local guide, slipping on slimy rocks smelling of bat poop, squeezing through narrow gaps and wading through waist, sometimes chest-deep, chilly dark waters.

Dangerous but Exhilarating!


Breathtaking view on our way to the cave, which is a 40-minute hike from the town proper.
That's Southern Sagada. The Philippine's Little Montana.









Sumaging Cave is known for its unusual limestone formations.


The hidden turtle.
The chocolate cake.
The rice terraces.
The Sumaguing Cave is also known as The Porn Cave. This is the Queen.
This is the King.

You can reach Sagada through three alternative routes with almost the same travel time and fare: 
• via Manila - Baguio City - Sagada route
• via Manila - Banaue - Sagada route
• via Manila - Bontoc - Sagada route

Guam

Approximately 6 hours and 40 minutes from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, let me take you this little island in the western Pacific, Guam.

Before my travel, I had close to zero knowledge about Guam and its people. It took me less than a week to discover that Guam is so much more than green lawns, blue waters and blue skies - this island is jam-packed with incredible landscapes, rich history and amazing food (Ribs, Ribs and more delicious, juicy Ribs). What surprised me so much was that there’s a lot in common between Guam’s culture and history and that of the Philippines’.

Fish Eye Marine Park in Piti - the only underwater observatory in Micronesia. The boardwalk that leads from shore to the observatory is 1,000 ft long.
The 360-degree upper deck allows you to enjoy views of the ocean, the coral reefs, outer barrier reef and Guam’s majestic mountains. Once at the lower deck of the observatory, dry and comfortable, you will see Piti’s amazing marine life and underwater coral gardens.




Matapang Beach in Tumon Bay - The beach is a perfect place of opportunity for rowing (paddleboating and paddleboarding) enthusiasts and photographers.

 
 
Two Lovers Point - The site provides a breathtaking view of the Tumon Bay.


Fort Santa Agueda where visitors can enjoy the lovely view of Hagatna.


View from the Tollai Talaifak (Talaifak Bridge), a 200-year-old bridge in Agat which serves as a passageway to Guam’s southern and northern villages.


Fort Nuestra Senora de la Soledad - Sitting on the cliff, the Fort has a commanding view of the Umatac Bay where Magellan landed in 1521.


Talofofo Falls Park - Nestled in the jungles of Talofofo is a site that is both historical and breathtaking.

 
Visitors can ride the cable cars to get an aerial view of the 30-foot waterfall.
The sad yet amazing story behind the famous Yokoi's cave.
 

Latte Stone Park in Central Hagatna - These pillars were used as building supports by the ancient Chamorro people and are found throughout most of the Mariana Islands.


No travel to Guam is complete without visiting the Charmorro Village. Every wednesday night, this place is jammed packed with people, food, arts and crafts and more.

If its a Wednesday night, the most popular place on Guam to be is the Chamorro Village.

The Apigigi is a must-try. It is cassava and coconut wrapped in banana leaves then cooked on the grill.

Plantation Bay Resort and Spa

Our happy place.

We swam, ate the best burger in Cebu, slept, enjoyed the sunrise while having coffee, biked around, had the freshest coconut juice, tried out archery. Oh! And took loads of pictures.

And here are some of them. 










West 35 Eco Mountain Resort





The drive to West 35 Eco Mountain Resort (Balamban, Cebu) was around 3 hours up and down but it was absolutely worth it. The view was gorgeous, we took more than enough pictures of the scenery and of ourselves, had dinner (the Herb Porkchops were wonderful but the Ribs were blah), coffee + dessert and we capped off the day watching the sunset sneaking in under some dark clouds. 


Brussel's Cafe


This will be the first of many restaurant reviews you will find in this blog.

First off, we head to Brussel's Cafe (Paseo Arcenas, Banawa, Cebu). From school, we had gone straight to Paseo Arcenas for some grocery shopping and lunch. We initially planned to eat at another restaurant but decided to check out this new cafe which was right across it. 

Since I was not hungry, I ordered their Brussel's Coffee (double espresso + milk + liquor) while Miguel had their Fried Chicken (with mushroom gravy). 



Likes: Wooden Furnishings, Warm Ambience and Attentive Staff.

Verdict: Miguel loved the Chicken and I loved that this was a relatively small and quiet cafe. Mmm, this could easily be my new favorite chill-out place.