Dolphin Show at Ocean Adventure, Subic

Next stop was the Dolphin Show. Everyone in the audience was amazed at the stunts that the dolphins and the trainers were able to do. We just couldn't help but applaud.

Synchronized Swimming

Sealion Show at Ocean Adventure, Subic

After a hearty lunch, it was time to go to Ocean Adventure for the Sealion Show. There were two "officers" with the two sealions and together they did a skit that combined the stunts with some laughs. They even requested a volunteer to be kissed by one of the sealions. The audience really had a great time as evidenced by the laughter and the applause at the end of the show.

ATTENTION!

Sudden Tagaytay Trip: On the Road to People's Park in the Sky

The heat was so unbearable today! So when the group decided to proceed to People's Park in the Sky from Picnic Grove, some of us stayed behind in the van. While the rest took advantage of the time to doze off, I took my trusty D40x and took some shots of the surroundings.

Here are some of them:

Solitary Stalk, a photo by {israelv} on Flickr.

Sudden Tagaytay Trip: Villa Pura Backyard Photoshoot

My wife & I woke up feeling refreshed from the other night's long drive. Our rest house at Villa Pura was so nice. The other night, our companions played great music while we munched on chips and ice cream. We ended up sleeping at around 3AM already.

While having coffee, I decided to roam around the backyard of the rest house and took pictures of some random things that caught my eye.

Here are some of the things that I ended up taking pictures of:

A Gazebo's Reflection, a photo by {israelv} on Flickr.

Intramuros Mini-Photo Walk

Lei & I were on our way to Barbara's for our buffet dinner. We took the LRT to Carriedo Station then boarded a Pier jeep that would take us to Intramuros. But along the way we saw the ruins of the old Aduana building and we decided to check it out and take some shots as well. It was still early and we have enough time before the buffet starts at 6PM.

Baguio Adventure Day 4: At Wright Park

I hereby present the last batch of pictures from our Baguio trip. I caught sight of these daisies as Lei & I walked through the length of the Pool of Pines. Beautiful flowers never fail to catch my attention, and these are no exception.

Daisies, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Upon reaching a gateway of some sort, we turned and looked back at the Pool of Pines which now seemed to stretch up to The Mansion. In a word -- breathtaking!

Gateway, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Going past the gateway, we reached a rise in the land and we could see the whole of Baguio. From this vantage point, we had a feeling of serenity as we quietly take in the beautiful view. But just to the left, and in stark contrast to the scenery we've just witnessed, creepy-looking trees devoid of leaves create the impression of despair and gloom.

Creepy Tree, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

So as not to spoil the moment, we just ignored this ominous sight and continued our trek until we reached a very long flight of stone steps leading downwards toward the horseback-riding area. Although the thought of horseback-riding appealed to us, our bodies did not agree. Tired from the day's activities, we longed to get back to SM City Baguio for a hot dinner and some quiet time at Starbucks before we finally take the Victory Liner bus that would take us back to Manila.

But before we proceeded I just had to take a shot of these fiery-looking flowers before we left.

Fiery Flowers, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Baguio Adventure Day 4: At the Mansion and Wright Park

Lei and I finally reached our last stop on our fourth day in Baguio. These are the gates of The Mansion. The Mansion was built in 1908 to serve as the official summer residence of U.S. Governor-Generals at the instance of Governor-General William Cameron Forbes. It now serves as the holiday home and working office for each President of the Philippines during his or her visits to Baguio. (From Wikipedia)

The Mansion's Gates, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

After posing in front of the gates, we were now posing inside the gates and with the actual Mansion on the background. We noticed immediately a new addition to the Mansion's grounds and that is the huge yellow ribbon underneath The Mansion sign.

The Mansion, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Just across the street is Wright Park. Named after Luke Edward Wright, he served as Governor-General of the Philippines between 1904 and 1906 and also as U.S. Secretary of War from 1908 to 1909. Gov. Wright was also the architect of the shallow elongated rectangular man-made pool of water known as the "Pool of Pines". (From Wikipedia)

Reflections, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

While strolling hand in hand along the Pool of Pines, we caught sight of a horse feeding quietly beside a tree.

Caught in the Horse's Mouth, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

There were quite a number of tall trees around the area and here was one of them. Or were these actually two trees?

A long way up!, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

More pictures of Wright Park in the next post!

Baguio Adventure Day 4: At Cordillera World

Lei and I were on our way to the jeepney terminal when we remembered the sign we saw earlier about the Cordillera World. So we made a detour there and it was sure worth it!

The Cordillera World was a mini museum of all things Cordillera. There were wooden statues of Igorot warriors in various poses, wooden statues of animals, assorted wooden figures, a life-sized Igorot male and female statues, etc. There was even an elevated wooden house, complete with a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen, at the center of it all.  Near the base of the wooden house, I found these assorted horns:

Horns, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

There was even an area where you can have your pictures taken amidst an assortment of flowers. Our tripod surely came in handy.

Flowery, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

There were so many things to see but so little time. I found this wooden sculpture of an Igorot warrior to be particularly impressive!

Igorot Warrior, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Cordillera World. We were now ready to go to our next stop. But before we did, we just had to take one quick stop at our favorite dried pusit vendors :)

Dried Goodies, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Now, on to The Mansion and Wright Park!

Baguio Adventure Day 4: At Mines View Park

Again, Lei and I planned to wake up early since we would be going to Mines View Park today. But alas, the cool Baguio weather and our comfy bed made that impossible. BTW, here is a picture of our very nice and zen-like accomodation.

Everything Zen!, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

After having lunch at Retro Diner, we had a long walk to the jeepney terminal that would lead us to Mines View Park. It was tiring but the cool air made it bearable. On the way, I saw this derelict building which had some graffiti on it with nary a pedestrian giving it a second glance. But for me, it was a perfect subject.

Graffiti at Session Road, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

We finally arrived at Mines View Park after a short jeepney ride. Tourists really flock this destination. We still remembered the restaurant, where we had lunch the last time we were here, with a fantastic view of the mountains. As we made our way to the obsevation deck, we were greeted by this sign. It was fairly new, I think.

Welcome to Mines View Park, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

We savored the cool mountain air as we made our trek on steep and rocky trails like the one below.

Steep!, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Once we arrived at the observation deck, the view was really breathtaking!

Nice Vista, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

As a bonus, we found this cat sleeping lazily on top of the rocks. For P50, you can have a picture with a Saint Bernard dog at one of the booths below. But a picture with this cat is priceless! :)

Mountain Cat, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

The chilly air made us want to go back. And since it would be dark soon, we plan to catch the jeepney that would take us to The Mansion and Wright Park.

Baguio Adventure Day 3: At Strawberry Farms and Back to Burnham Park

My wife, Lei,  was so excited on our third day. Finally, we would now go to the Strawberry Farms which we had not  visited during our Baguio trip almost three years ago. For the price of P250/kilo, Lei was able to pick red, luscious strawberries at the farm.

Luscious, Red Strawberries, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Before leaving, I took one last shot of the Strawberry Farms...

Strawberry Fields Forever, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

After enduring the heat and the long commute from La Trinidad back to Baguio City, we decided to hang out at Burnham Park again. On the way, we discovered Baguio's own Rizal Monument which I also took a picture of.

Rizal Monument, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

As we crossed the street from the Rizal Monument to Burnham Park, I noticed a sculpture partly covered by a tarp. It seemed to be a bust of Daniel Burnham, although I'm not sure. I took a picture of it. After rounding a corner, we read a sign about the ongoing renovations of Rose Park of which the bust would be a part of.

Burnham Monument, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

We were finally back in Burnham Park, by the man-made lake. It was so nice to feel the warmth of the sun.

Idyllic Day at Burnham Park, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

As we got hungry from all the walking and sight-seeing we decided to go back to SM. While crossing the soccer field on the other side of Burnham Park, I noticed what seemed like a statue of some sort. Upon approaching it, we saw that it was an Igorot sculpture which had fallen to a state of neglect. Even the people around seemed oblivious to its presence as they lazily sat on mats underneath. But for me, it was another perfect subject.

Igorot Statue, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

As the day ended once again, my wife and I stopped to rest at a BDO branch at Session Road. While resting I took a picture of my wife against the fiery sky of the setting sun...

Contemplating, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Thus ends Day 3. See you on our last day in Baguio in the next post! :)

Baguio Adventure Day 2: At Burnham Park

Waking up refreshed and energized, we were then treated to a sumptuous breakfast by our gracious host. But we got so stuffed after breakfast that we fell asleep again. At least I think I did :)

Lunchtime came. Lei and I only had a thought in mind. We had to go back to Point and Grill at SM City Baguio. So we did.

This time around, we were more adventurous as we ordered a set of fried quails. At first we were terrified since we could actually see the shapes of the poor birds and one of them seemed to be even looking at us accusingly! Lei bravely took the first step. She picked one of the birds slowly,... bit them,... and enjoyed them! I also tried and I surprisingly enjoyed them as well. Although they looked terrible, they actually tasted quite nice :)

Fried Quail, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Our next stop was Burnham Park. On the way to the man-made lake, we saw a group of teenagers on skateboards. Some were good, most were not. But they made good subjects, nonetheless.

Skater Boy, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Upon reaching the man-made lake, my wife expressed again her desire not to ride on the boats since she got bored the last time we were here. So I just took pictures of the boats instead of riding them.

So many boats, so little time..., a photo by israelv on Flickr.

As night fell, I took out my tripod for some night photography. Here's one of my memorable ones, IMHO :)

Lovers, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

After a quick dinner at Chow King, we went back to our accomodation via cab.

Baguio Adventure Day 1: At SM City Baguio

As my wife, Lei, and I sat on our comfy seats at Starbucks, SM City Baguio, hours before we take the 12:10 AM Victory Liner trip, I began to contemplate the past few days of our wonderful vacation in Baguio. It was an enjoyable and at the same time a very memorable experience.

It all began the morning of January 24th. My wife and I hurriedly rushed to the Victory Liner Terminal at Cubao. Happily, we were still able to catch the 9 AM trip after the mad rush hour. After a long 6-hour drive, across 3 stop-overs and 2 rather good movies (Gladiator & Columbiana), we finally made it to Baguio. At first we thought that we might not see the sun in Baguio since it was so foggy on the way there.

Foggy Zigzag Road, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

But as we entered the town proper, our trepidation turned to relief as the hot sun shone through the windows  of the bus and into our faces. We've decided to head first into SM City Baguio before proceeding to our accomodation.

At first we were thinking that SM City Baguio was just another SM just like all the other SMs that we've already visited.  But upon stepping on the wide open deck, were we in for a surprise! The view was so nice from that location. The cool winds caressed us as we savor the seemingly endless vista before us. My wife and I concluded right there and then that SM City Baguio is the best SM ever! It's the most picturesque, the most relaxing, and definitely the coolest among all the SM Malls we have ever visited!

SM City Baguio, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

After the amazement and wonder, our stomachs grumbled. Greenwich was the first choice but Lei decided that there were hundreds of Greenwich back home so we decided on something different. To Point and Grill we went. They have a nice selection of food at an affordable price. Lei ordered crispy pork binagoongan while I, much to my regret later on, ordered a Mongolian BBQ meal.

Crispy Pork Binagoongan, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

After the nice meal, Lei and I wandered around SM City Baguio until sundown. I took the picture below from one of the viewing decks during the golden hour:

Day's End, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Exhausted from the long drive and deprived from sleep, we then hailed a taxi and headed to our accomodation.

Scott Kelby's Fourth Annual Worldwide Photowalk: Intramuros, Manila (Picture Set #3)

Walking along, we stumbled upon the cobblestones of Real Street which really brings you back to Spanish times. You could just imagine hearing the old horse carriages with their Spanish passengers as they noisily trod along this street way back three centuries ago. For a history buff like me, this is bliss! :)

Silent Street, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

My wife suddenly caught sight of something on the old cobblestones and took a picture of it. An equally curious lad looked on.

What are you looking at?, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

As the time for our Photowalk winded down, we decided to head back to our rendezvous point at Casa Rocha. Along the road to Palacio del Gobernador, we saw this queue of calesas which were just begging to be shot.

Calesa Row, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Thus ended our first participation in a Scott Kelby Photowalk. Even though the typhoon was unkind to us, we were glad that we still pushed through and participated since in the end it was all worth it! Can't wait for next year.

FYI: For the first two sets of pictures, please check them out here and here.

Scott Kelby's Fourth Annual Worldwide Photowalk: Intramuros, Manila (Picture Set #2)

As my wife and I bravely press on, enduring the never-ending rain and the ticking clock (we only have less than an hour left for our Photowalk), we discovered this creepy-looking garden.

Creepy Garden, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

But amidst all this creepiness was a very moving and touching monument. It was called the Memorare and it is dedicated to all the innocent victims during The Battle of Manila in 1945.  The monument was excellently done and you could almost feel the anguish and weariness of the depicted victims. My wife actually was uncomfortable while viewing this.

Memorare Monument, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

So we left this solemn scene and moved on to other subjects to lighten the mood. We caught site of this cochero and calesa at the edge of the garden and we took shots of them.

Calesa & Cochero, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Next and final stop, Real Street.

FYI: For the first set of pictures, please check out the first post here.

Scott Kelby's Fourth Annual Worldwide Photowalk: Intramuros, Manila (Picture Set #1)

Finally, I've managed to find some time to post-process and upload my pictures during the Scott Kelby Photowalk. I've been so busy for the past weeks that I'm already tired when I get home.

Here's our first stop during our Photowalk in Intramuros -- the Palacio del Gobernador.  This is the residence and office of the Governor General during the Spanish occupation of Manila. It now houses government offices and the Intramuros Administration.

Palacio del Gobernador, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

Next, I've taken a picture of a statue which I later identified as King Carlos IV of Spain located in Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral. It was still raining so it's very difficult to take pictures while at the same time holding an umbrella to prevent my camera from getting wet.

King Carlos IV, Plaza Roma, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

This next structure I cannot identify. I don't know its use or  purpose. But it looks cool as a subject so I took a picture of it. Maybe someone can identify this for me?

Unknown, a photo by israelv on Flickr.

More pix in the next post!

Scott Kelby's Fourth Annual Worldwide Photowalk: Intramuros, Manila

To go or not to go?  My wife and I had been pondering that question on our minds as the time for Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk neared while at the same time typhoon Quiel intensified.  We thought about how this would be our first participation on an annual event.  So to miss this would mean waiting for a year for the next event.  We also thought about the opportunity of finally having the chance to take shots inside the old walls of Intramuros, which had been our dream ever since we got interested in photography.  Lastly, we thought about the free snacks and drinks that would be served after the Photowalk.  I guess that last item sealed the deal.  We would definitely go, typhoon Quiel or not.

After enduring the LRT, the heavy rains and the taxi ride, we finally arrived at the meeting place at Casa Rocha.  Out of the 50 that originally signed up for the Photowalk only around 14 arrived.  We were quite sad that after waiting for so long to have a chance to shoot Intramuros, we didn't have the optimal conditions for a good photoshoot since the sky was overcast and the rain was continuously pouring which might damage our cameras, not to mention the strong winds that continue to threaten our feeble umbrellas.

But bravely we proceeded.  But alas, as we tried to take our first shots the wind blew so hard that our umbrellas turned inside out.  It was a struggle just to walk against the wind and rain as we tried to seek shelter.  Finally, we entered the nearby Chow King to dry ourselves while we sipped some hot soup.   After waiting it out for some time, we finally decided that it was time to go back.  We only had an hour left in our Photowalk so we had better make good use of it.

Here's just a teaser shot of Real Street inside Intramuros.  More will be posted in the next posts.

Cobblestones of Real Street, a photo by israelv on Flickr.