Anawangin is the place that had inspired a song. This is the place that allowed me to see how the verge between sea and sky became so blurry one could not tell where one ended and the other began. Lying in the sand, under the gleam of millions of stars, it is impossible not to believe in a Higher Power. I swore the first time I've been there that I'd return. And I did, but only for a short while.
The first time I've been to Anawangin was the first time I've seen in real life the color aquamarine. I've reached the place via pumpboat, over clear blue waters and amidst bewildering rock facades. This time, I've opted for the land route. Through a hilly formation known interchangeably as Mt. Pundaquit and Mt. Anawangin, I was able to return to the place that had inspired my 2013 Summer Song.
Off the shores of Gasan is a trio of islands known as the Tres Reyes (Three Kings). Individually named as Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar, these islands features white sands, picture-perfect rocks and cool clear waters.
Marinduque is not usually heard of in the news nor in any other form of media. Which is, in my opinion, a great injustice because the place has lots to offer. But come to think of it, that's a good thing for me because I get to experience its treasures with less than the usual traffic of tourists.
I was six year old, a curious hyperactive child in the first grade, and it is in one of my mom-bought books that I have first read (and found out) about Marinduque.
Probably noticing my propensity for staying still when there is a book in my hands, my mom, when I was but a neophyte bibliophile, used to buy me loads of reading materials. And thanks to a collection of alamat and pabula, I still have a relatively palpable recollection of the story of how the island of Marinduque came to be.
Seated on the summit of Mt. Gonzales, a remnant of the extravagance of the Marcos era, the People's Park in the Sky - or simply, People's Park - is another popular Tagaytay attraction. The park was meant to be a mansion commissioned by Imelda Marcos which was then dubbed as the Palace in the Sky.
Recognized as the smallest active volcano in the world, Taal Volcano's unexplained shape and location on an island within a lake within an island, makes it a unique geologic wonder.
One of the Philippines' active volcanoes and part of the "Pacific Ring of Fire", the trail to the Taal Volcano brings a special blend of excitement and edge to adventurers.
Found in Rodriquez, Rizal (formerly Montalban), nestled in the Montalban Gorge, the Wawa Dam used to be the only water source in Manila until Angat Dam was built and the former was abandoned. Built in 1909, during the American Colonial era, Wawa Dam now serves as a tourist attraction, providing both water and tramping fun.
For itinerary, budget, and directions to Mount Pamitinan, click here.
April 8, 2014
Located within the vicinity of the Wawa Dam, tunneling inside Mt. Pamitinan , in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range, is the historical Pamitinan Cave. This is where Andres Bonifacio and eight other Katipuneros declared independence from the Spanish empire on April 12, 1895. During the Japanese colonization, like Calinawan Cave, it also served as a hideout for guerillas.
And on a less prosaic note, it is also the supposed home of Bernardo Caprio - a giant who, according to Filipino folklore, was cursed by the gods to forever stop the Wawa Gorge from colliding.
Cobbled walkways, horse-drawn carriages, capiz houses and a kind of romanticism. These are the things that had always made me gravitate towards Vigan. Poetic was the word I've always used to describe this place everytime I see it on pictures or on screen. And seeing and being in the streets of Calle Crisologo in actuality, I found the word an apt term for its quiet charm.
Despite being on a very strict budget, I was determined to brave the sand dunes and go sand surfing. With not even a change of clothes nor a brush of teeth (being on the road for more than 12 hours), I adamantly convinced my companions to get on a 4x4 and ply the Ilocandian desert that was Culili Point.
