Hey 2016, What happened to blogging?

Tired.

I'm just tired.

Nowadays, I just want to curl up in bed and sleep. I even got tired of blogging. I haven't posted our V-day trip last Feb and the rest of our trips this year. (I drafted this last FEB)

Why did we start our trips anyway? Well I’ll tell soon but for now I’m going to write about 2016.

So first quarter of 2016 I was too lazy to do anything. We travel to relax, to unwind but it was becoming a chore for me than leisure. I didn’t want long trips. I didn’t want going to one place then another. I didn’t want to sleep late. I just want a rest. I think I had a travel overdose. It's not like what others do but my body took its toll.

But we still went on a trip. It was Valentines and Slim's birthday so why should I spoil it? We spent Valentines at Casa San Miguel then Slim’s birthday at Baguio. I'll just post a few pictures and I'll write about them soon.

CASA SAN MIGUEL FEB 2016

CASA SAN MIGUEL FEB 2016

BAGUIO FEB 2016

Maybe the trip is what I needed but as soon as I get home I feel like I’m going to get sick.

Second quarter of the year is busier and I'm becoming more exhausted. We actually went to places we have been to. I told myself that this year we should visit new places but because I'm acting a little strange and I don't want to make a research we went back to what feels like home for us.

PUNDAQUIT APRIL 2016 CANOE BEACH RESORT

PUNDAQUIT/ SIDE TRIP TO NAGSASA APRIL 2016

ON OUR WAY TO MAGALAWA MAY 2016 (This is new)

BAGO CITY NEGROS OCC. JUNE 2016

I love seeing sceneries other than what I’m used to seeing but all this trips is just making me darn tired. Should we really do work and leisure at the same time?

Third quarter is scary and surprising. Why scary? Well, to those who knows our history you'd understand but I'll write about it soon for now look at the pictures.

LEBERDIN MANOR PANSOL JULY 2016

LEBERDIN MANOR PANSOL JULY 2016

PUNTA BULATA NEGROS OCC. SEPT 2016

SEPT 2016 BAGO CITY

And so we are expecting a little tripper in May!!! Is my exhaustion causing the baby delay? Well, maybe but now we are just ecstatic and so happy. We promised to tone down our travels err.. Maybe not. 😊 

Fourth Quarter I'm a mess and my morning sickness is becoming an everyday sickness. I just stayed home for this baby. My routine was sleep, puke, try eating, sleep, Facebook. I was too lazy to write. I'm lazy to do anything. I just want my appetite back I lost 3 kilos in the span of 1 month. I'm writing just now because I’ll be going back to work soon. You know? Cramming? Deadlines? 

November I got a go signal from my OB to travel and had to take loads of medicine. I don't want to spend our Anniversary at home anyway. My hunger for travel is coming back. It's like a pregnancy craving. I think Lo is going to be an adventurer like his Dad.

LA UNION/COCONUT GROVE NOV 2016

PUNDAQUIT NOV 2016

BOLINAO DEC 2016

I enjoyed the trip. I miss spending time alone with Slim. 

Although most of our trips this year are places we've been to it's the familiarity that makes it memorable. Maybe that is what I've been missing. I was so keen on seeing unfamiliar places that I've been missing the feeling of being at home.

Next year will be great along with our little one. Should we change this to cruising ph with a baby? Baby stories coming soon. 😘 

Dinner and drinks at Tagaytay

When you are out with your friends everything is done in a fun way. So after our selfie sessions in Venice Piazza with no plans where to eat we decided to chill in Tagaytay. When I say chill we literally chilled.

Photo from HANI

We took the route from Mckinley -  C5 -SCTEX exit Sta. Rosa. Toll fee is 175 and headed to a bar but we have no parking so we had dinner first at Mer-Ben’s Tapsilogan.

It was really cold and the bowl of Bulalo we ordered is not enough to keep us warm. We were not ready, so our protection against the cold is minimal.

Mer-ben’s Tapsilogan is recommended for being affordable Silog meals ranges from 75-95 but being delicious? Its okay I mean nothing special it’s not amazing, not bad, not that good, maybe it was too cold that my taste buds numb.

After dinner we went back to the bar. We had coffee and bought head gears for protection and our boys just had a few drinks, the cold bothered us too much so they only had a few drinks. We chilled at a bar called Gatbucks just behind Starbucks along Aguinaldo Highway. 

It was so fun talking about our past experiences, the moments we had a few years back and planned out trip to Baguio.

This is our acclimatization to Baguio and I think the weather helped us acclimatize.

Our Photo 7 years ago

Photo from HANI

Photo from HANI

Photo from HANI

Special Bulalo	480
Crispy Tawilis	180
Instant Coffee	30
Brewed Coffee	75
Rice	25*5 = 125
Bonnet	150*5  750
Beer	Approx 400
Starbucks Coffee	Approx 500 (3 drinks)
Toll	175*2  350
Diesel	300
Total Expenses	3190

Selfie Sessions at Venice Piazza

This is our first official travel for the year! 

Well spent with friends!

Taken by Hani

One of the things I love about being friends with your partner is having the same set of friends who loves road trips. So today we were supposed to be out on a trip but it was moved to a different day so we decided to check the famous Venice Piazza at Mckinley Hill. One of our friends Phen works here so she is our official tour guide.

We were using a private vehicle & Waze is our BFF for the trip. We drove from Fairview to Mckinley via Commonwealth - Katipunan - Eastwood - C5 Route and did a right turn to Mckinley Hill. It’s easy to spot since most of the people are going there.

Parking is 40 php and travel time was like 45 minutes.

We waited for our tour guide at Coffee Bean and I can see a lot of people visiting the mall. Once you see the fountains it means you are at the right place and again its not hard to spot since everyone is headed this way. Phen said during weekdays this looks like a ghost town mostly tenants or those who works here are the only visitors you’ll see.

I thought I won’t enjoy the place because its night time but I think it is better to go here at night. The place is amazing! I haven’t been to Macau but they said this is a replica of the Venetian Macao and The Grand Canal in Italy. No stalls or restaurants open around the Grand Canal yet but outside I spotted affordable restaurants like McDonalds, Yellow Cab, Zark’s, Chef Lau’s Pugon Masters, Uncle Cheffy, Tokyo Café, Tokyo Tokyo, Rufo’s, Seafood Island and Bonchon. It also has a classy vibe with Italian Music playing and the structure looks like you’re in Italy!

Z3 snapseed edit

Z3 snapseed edit

The girls

Photo by Hani

Photo by Hani

Photo by Hani
Look at the crowd behind us

Photo by Hani

We were supposed to go to a Mercato in BGC but decided to go to Tagaytay. So we really just had selfie sessions here. Tagaytay road trip up next!

Our home in Baguio last December

After our Christmas Break in Bolinao it's just a relaxing trip to Baguio. It was really spontaneous so we have no reservations. Thankful that we have relatives in Baguio so they referred us to a really awesome place in Trancoville.

The fireplace won!

It was a 3-storey house and we were staying at the 3^rd floor. The 2^nd floor has guests but it was fine since there were 2 restrooms at the 3^rd floor. 1st floor is where the living room is with a fireplace, dining room, kitchen and another restroom.

Room A
2 Queen Size beds, Cabinet, Dresser and a Restroom

 This is where my Mom & Dad, and us stayed. I don’t want us to spend alone in a room.  Baguio urban legends (haha) is a sucker but our stay was fine.

Room B
2 Double Size beds, Cabinet and a Dresser

Our teens stayed here

Room C
1 Double Deck, 2 Double beds and a Cabinet
This room was not occupied

Room D

Room D
1 Double deck, 1 Quuen Size bed and Cabinets
My brother and the kids stayed here

3^rd floor can accommodate 12 plus persons.

3rd floor lobby

2nd floor lobby plus veranda

The kitchen

chef MJ

Chilly Baguio

We were supposed to check La Presa but we found out it was closed so we headed home.

**You may send me a message if you are interested in staying in this house**

ROOM	350xhead = 2800
Food	Bfast = 700 Lunch = 800 Total  = 1500
TOLL	TPLEX = 216 SCTEX = 272 NLEX = 218 706
GAS	1100
TOTAL	6106 Slim and I spent = 2035 If you are a group of 6= 1018 Baguio + Bolinao = 2035 + 3137.50 = 5172.50 for 2 persons

ROOM

350xhead = 2800

Food

Bfast = 700

Lunch = 800

Total  = 1500

TOLL

TPLEX = 216

SCTEX = 272

NLEX = 218

706

GAS

1100

TOTAL

6106

Slim and I spent = 2035

If you are a group of 6= 1018

Baguio + Bolinao = 2035 + 3137.50 = 5172.50 for 2 persons

Christmas in Bolinao

What’s the best thing about this trip? Spending Christmas Eve sleeping while driving TPLEX!

                                                                                                                                     

Sleepy face
Merry Christmas!

So, weeks before Christmas we know we will be spending it somewhere. This is the first Christmas in years that my Dad will be spending home so why spend it at home? It's been our tradition for the last 3 years to spend it in Pansol but we are skipping it. So again, with no concrete plan, with no reservations we will be spending it North!

I'm so thankful that my work is good this year and I get to spend Christmas Eve with my family. Night shifts have its pros and cons and one of the cons is Christmas Eve at work.

After my 8am shift we headed home to pack.

First Stop: Porac, Pampanga

We were invited by my Brother’s in laws to spend Christmas there. We got there by 3pm, traffic is not that bad but we had a few delays. I was so sleepy but I couldn’t sleep. I slept a little when we were there, we had a little party, karaoke, foods, drinks then raffle games. We left at 10pm and headed to Dasol.

Handsome Nephew

Consolation prize, sorry from my sleepy face

Second Stop: Dasol

We got to Dasol by 2am and checked R Paradise, by brother didn’t like it there so we move to Villa Balinmanok. We didn’t like it both so we left and drove to Bolinao.

Moon light, this is the only pic I have in Dasol

Third Stop: Day 2 Bolinao

White Sand in Bolinao

We stayed at MJO Resort, we got 2 rooms. Rooms are 2500 for 6 persons, they have a cabinet for your things, cold shower but the bathroom is clean and the room is big. Check their Facebook page >> https://www.facebook.com/MJOwhitesanddreamresort

PHOTO by my Brother

5 AM Moonlight

The moon is just bright this Christmas

What did I do there? Sleep!!!

It was the most satisfying sleep I had for days and while they were swimming I was resting. It was fine I mean vacations are supposed to be relaxing aye? Since its Christmas the staff at the resort are on leave so we had to buy and prepare our own food. 

Fourth Stop Day 3 Bolinao Falls

Quick Selfie at the Lighthouse

After a day of rest and relaxation we went to the Falls. The falls is majestic but it was dirty, flies everywhere and lots of tourists. Maybe we went there the wrong time. The falls has an entrance fee of 20/head.

Look at the picture below and appreciate the beauty without flocks of tourists.

This was taken by my brother 1st week of December 2015

This was taken by my brother 1st week of December 2015

Next Stop? Baguio!

ESTIMATED EXPENSE

GAS	1000 FT Gas rate is 34/liter 500 Refill at Dasol
TOLL	45 Min AVE
	218 NLEX
	132 STEX exit PORAC
	TPLEX FREE!!! (Thank you for the Christmas GIFT)
BOLINAO	2500
FOOD	600 BFAST
	500  LUNCH
	500 DINNER 200 SNACK
Bolinao Falls	80 Entrance Fee
TOTAL	6275 for 6 persons
	SLIM and I spent  3137.50
	But if you are with your friends this trip would cost 1046 per head for a group of 6 persons