Foot and Fire

  Who is not having fun when one has a camera these days? A phone cam at that. Well, when in a nature resort, document the nature. I had fun taking my selfie in between sleeping and eating at the Graceland View Resort located at Murcia, Negros Occidental, just diverging from the road leading to Mambukal.  Peace and quiet is yours here if you are lucky enough not to be with a million other picnickers. And I just got lucky! Here, I am sharing with you the flowers and plants I came to retreat with last weekend.   The yellow Gumamela. I'm not sure if this can go to Hibiscus tea. ***

  I had a serene time with nature when I went with the group of my sister on a picnic at Graceland View Resort located near the Don Bosco summer or retreat house in Murcia, Negros Occidental and just a few distance away from the renowned Mambukal Resort. Graceland has a 5.5ft and 4 ft high pool which is overlooking the forests and the hills below it as well as the skies above it. It pays to mention that the water is sourced from the spring, so it entails that the waters one bathe in is cold and mineral-laden. On the left side, one can observe the flying bats of Mambukal later in the day while on the right side, one can observe the structures of Campuestuhan, another mountain concept resort located n Bacolod City.    One can stay overnight or do daytime picnic only, a welcome change to a very touristy atmosphere at the Mambukal resort. If one is raring for a rest and a place to relax, read books and just eat, Graceland is a place to be. Around the resort ar...

One of the admirable traits of this house is its being built for a fairy tale, wherein the goddess of a verdant forest has to remain true to her environment despite her being placed by her circumstance in an urban setting called a subdivision in the heart of Bacolod City. Only a child by heart can appreciate this house made to dance with and among nature. Visit and delight yourself with a house made of stones to withstand the typhoon, open-walled in some areas to welcome the air, glass windows to let the light come in, growing pine trees along the winding stairway design so as not to cut the same, a semi-underground amphitheater with stone walls, walls with colorful paintings, vines occupying the floors, a hilltop view on top of the roof. Endless.    While this is not a museum or ecological site or a sanctuary, they are all like that for a home actually habited by people. Yes, there are residents there. Of course, the admirable fact is that the house is also ...

Ilustrado By Miguel Syjuco 321 pages, Novel I started out this book with high hopes of finishing it because it was written by a Filipino immigrant in Canada and while I was starting it, the story comes to my province in the Philippines and even mentions about the Cinco de Noviembre, a local historical event. Also, I want to know till the end because it was meant to be a storytelling on "a rich and dramatic saga of four generations, tracing one hundred and fifty years of Philippine history forged under the Spanish, the Americans and the Filipinos themselves." On top of that, it is a winner of the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize and the local Palanca Awards among others. Here are the why's I liked it that I came to 153rd page and then fell out of love.... At first, I was entertained because of the fictionalized names which stood for some Philippine's politicians, businessmen and others as well as some it has some realistic storytelling of the dark side of Manila...

I call our trip as an introduction to Mindanao Tour because we took the easiest places to navigate: Samal Island, Koronadal City, Lake Sebu and Davao City during our one-week vacation. Here is our itinerary as it actually happened and I inserted some more suggestions to make your trip better than ours! Enjoy... Nov 22 -- From Bacolod City, arrival to Davao Airport and headed to Samal Island (nightswimming at resort, bat cave and holiday view deck) Nov 23 -- joined a brgy fiesta, White house, Haguimit Falls, Maxima Aquafun and tried Langka delight at a pasalubong center Nov 24 -- traveled to Davao City Overland Terminal and rode yellow bus going to Koronadal/Marbel, South Cotabato. Checked in, checked out Koronadal. Commercial Center (KCC) Mall and dinner at basilio's and visited Lantaw Marbel Nov 25 -- traveled to Lake Sebu where we did the dressing up, zipline, and sight seeing. Don't forget to enjoy tilapia. (Back in Marbel, one should see The...

Seafood platter When hunger and sweet tooth cry out, Lacson street in Bacolod City can answer the call. Pepe's sumptuous lunch can be punctuated by the sweet delights of Calea located just a little farther across the street. Pepe's is located on the second floor of Sorrento building. This rugged building is undergoing renovations at the moment but this did not stop hungry souls from dishing out their favorites from fish to meat. Meanwhile, the coffee and sweets craving are answered by Calea, the house of the popular triple chocolate mousse. And so, here are my shots of the blessings we partook as part of our Christmas friendship gathering. *** Ceasar's salad *** lemonade *** Grilled fish in mango-coconut salsa *** Beef salpicao *** The burger *** Triple chocolate mousse, the Calea's best. *** Good old apple pie. *** Triple sweet delights! *** Blueberry topped fruit cheesecake ***

An old photo of the mansion-in-the-making. The ruins of the mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson was built in loving memory of his deceased wife Maria Braga after her death in 1911. The mansion of Italianate architecture was designed to be a monument of their enduring love affair. In the eve of WW II in 1942, the mansion was torched by the guerilla fighters and was burning for 3 days, leaving behind reminders of a glorious past. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** The couple, Don Mariano Lacson and Maria Braga. ***

The Ruins marker. The ruins of the mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson was built in loving memory of his deceased wife Maria Braga after her death in 1911. The mansion of Italianate architecture was designed to be a monument of their enduring love affair. In the eve of WW II in 1942, the mansion was torched by the guerilla fighters and was burning for 3 days, leaving behind reminders of a glorious past. *** blooms... *** The fountain. *** *** *** *** *** From the window of the mansion... *** Taken from the doorway. *** *** *** Blossoms. *** *** *** *** Of course, the mansion itself. ***