Flying Gecko: Not for The Faint-Hearted

It’s one of the most exhilarating rides ever! 8)

Now, imagine flying in an airplane minus the safety gears. Crazy? Definitely! It’s crazy but absolutely fun

assembling of the plane

But our Monday adventure had started way before we flew the Flying Gecko or Ultra Light Aircraft

Riding the motorcyle at dawn to Bukidnon wasn’t the best idea. We had to don thick jackets to ward off the cold. It took us about 2 hours to reach the  place as my brother was way to careful in his driving.

It was already daylight when we reached Camp 3 in Diklum, Bukidnon. We thought we finally made it but not quite. First, we actually got lost. We took the wrong turn and had to retrace our track back to the highway. Then, as we were only a few meters from the landing site, we got stuck in the mud.

coated with mud

It was already too late when we realized it would be impossible to maneuver the motorcycle along the dirty road

muddy road

Good thing Mr. Carl Frias, owner slash pilot of the Flying Gecko, came to our rescue.

is that a smile of frustration or excitement

Each ride is only good for 15 minutes per person. Before we took the flight, Mr. Frias gave us a short briefing on what to expect. Apparently, there were only 2 choices: flying over the west or east (facing Mt. Kitanglad). In the west, there’s the breathtaking view of Mangima, Bukidnon’s winding road, farms, lots of hills, and a huge waterfall. On the opposite side, you can view the entire Camp Phillips, Damilag, Agusan River, and the power plant.

I chose the Mangima as I’m already familiar with what you could see in the east as my family used to live in Camp Phillips. My brother chose the east or was coerced to fly to the other side He originally wanted to fly over Mangima but I had to convinced him to take the opposite side. Turned out we made the right decision. By fusing the photos we individually took, we had a good view of both

road going to the heart of Bukidnon

bird's eye view of the waterfall

beautiful light effect

random shots

outstanding landscape

landing strip @ Camp 3 pineapple field

aerial view of Camp Phillips' soccer field and school buildings

Del Monte's cattle farm

clearer view of the pineapple field

Del Monte's Golf Course

'd daredevils

Having enough yet?

the bro and the pilot

Give Mr. Carl Frias of Ultra Light Aircraft or Flying Gecko a ring @09165937034

TravelExpress: Tagaytay Part 1 (My Second Visit to The Windy City)

Going around Tagaytay  by public transportation is definitely no easy feat. One, there’s the waiting part which will probably eat about 15 minutes or so of your time as jeepneys won’t leave the terminal until it’s jam-packed with passengers. Two, it takes longer as you have no hold of people hailing the jeepney. Plus, if you’re unlucky, you gonna have to deal with body odor. Ugh!

Two Saturdays ago, we were left with no option but to ride a jeepney as my brother was hesitant to drive his flatmate’s car as it often breaks down. From Sta. Rosa, Laguna, it took us more or less an hour to reach Tagaytay. Then from there, we worked our way to look for the places of interests which I’ve managed to scribble after a last minute search on the net.

BAG OF BEANS

Our first destination was the Bag of Beans where we had our mouthwatering breakfast or was it brunch

Bag of Beans is a coffee shop slash bakery slash restaurant. It’s reputed for being one of the best must-dine-in places while in Tagaytay. And I couldn’t agree more! But I wouldn’t be giving out details of what we had as that will be a post for another day (provided I’ll have time)

GettingThere:

From Tagaytay Terminal, take a tricycle going to Olivares (Php 7.00/passenger). Then, take the jeepney going to Nasugbu, Batangas (Php 17.00/passenger). Bag of Beans is at the right side a few meters from the crossing going to Mendez. Don’t worry every jeepney drivers know where it is. So you can just ask the driver to drop you off or refer to the map below.

God’s Message For You

Bell Tower in Vigan

Failing does not mean you’re a failure.
It does mean that you haven’t yet succeeded.
Failure does not mean that you have accomplished nothing.
It does mean that you have learned something.
Failure does not mean that you have wasted your time.
It does mean that you have a good reason to start over again.
Failure does not mean that you should give up.
It does mean that you should try harder.
Failure does not mean that you will never make it.
It does mean that you need more practice.
Failure does not mean that I have abandoned you.
It does mean that I have a better plan for you.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

MovieOfTheWeek: The Cove

It’s a disturbing documentary on Dophins’, a highly intelligent creatures, cruelty. I grew up watching Flipper and I absolutely loved that movie. It’s pretty sad knowing that Flippers’ kindreds were brutally slaughtered in an unimaginable way After watching the film, I’ll probably not go to any theme parks that houses any kind of animals not only sea creatures. They too have rights that we must learn to respect.

Unveiling Mr. Nice Guy

happy thought: sunrise

Where do I begin? If truth be told, I wasn’t in the least attracted the first time I saw you. On the physical department, you’d certainly rate remotely passable. You’re probably one of those men I wouldn’t dare look at if I hadn’t known you. But I must admit your personality was strikingly appealing And in my own twisted world, personality counts more than physical attributes. In the short period that I’ve known you, I was smitten but obviously the feeling wasn’t mutual

Apparently, it took me months, after a thorough research and sleepless nights, before I had finally put everything in its right perspective. I was, at first, blinded, but you were just acting as you are and you’ve been like that to everyone else. Perhaps, I’ve misinterpreted your kindness to something more than just its face value.

Happy Thoughts

At last, I’ve finally came to terms with myself. Starting today, I’ll only entertain happy thoughts and nothing else. It’s such a waste of energy  pondering on things that aren’t happy.

So, au revoir, SADNESS! Bonjour, HAPPINESS!

With that, here are some amusing takes to start off

the irony of it all

Lesson of the day:

“BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR YOU MIGHT JUST GET IT!”

And when it’s there you realize it’s not what you want after all Life simply sucks sometimes

out of the spur of the moment

take me farther and farther

i’m normally a planner. i don’t like doing things out of impulse. but yesterday was totally unexpected. perhaps, my colds and cough altered the wires in my brain.

and so what did i do? you ask. well, i just booked my first travel to asia. then, what so special about it? basically, nothing! it’s just that i did it out of my sudden desire to travel. kat, my good ol’ friend, has been convincing me to go to hongkong with her this march. but since i was booked to fly back home, i gracefully declined.

march is usually my travel month as it happens to be my birth month. so it’s been like a yearly tradition of mine. however, the pop will be turning 60 this march, i, then, the loving daughter that i am (choke) , waived my traveling spree for that month.

but lo! when i checked cebupacific by chance, they’re running a promo fare for asia starting april. my intention was to book a flight to thailand or singapore. sadly, the plane fare was outrageously expensive. out of curiosity, i chose hongkong and so that’s how i ended booking my first trip abroad.

Nightmare At The Port

It’s been ages since I took the ship either going to CDO or to Cebu. Last week, left with no choice, I was finally reunited with the original mode of transportation to Cebu long before I’ve became acquainted with Cebu Pac’s airline. And I’ve got only one word to say: NIGHTMARE!

I was stunned when I saw the looonnnggg queue. It’s maddening.

The line didn’t even budge although we’ve been there for like forever. People were literally pushing and shouting. I, too, joined in as buckets of sweats came dripping my forehead.

There wasn’t a single employee of the port who dared guide the passengers where and what to do. So typical of a government service – UNSYSTEMATIC.

Thankfully after hours and hours of lining up, with burned hands and sweaty face, we were led in the port for check-in just 30 minutes before our ship leaves.

But I came to conclude that I won’t ever ride a ship if the same situation occurs . It’ll turn you into a different being lacking in reasoning and sense.

here are the proofs of my rant:

passengers arriving

The Price of Being a Cheapskate

As Christmas holiday is just around the corner, booking flights can be really tedious and not to mention overly expensive. So my frugal self chose a cheaper airline for my December trip to CDO. Little did I know that cheap price is tantamount to unreliable service.

I was fuming upon learning ZESTAIR canceled my flight without having the decency to notify me. I cussed and cussed. But it never changed the fact that I am left without a plane ticket come December 24. Taking a ship isn’t an option. Aside from the fact that our Christmas party will be held a day before the 24th, I’m terrified of the thought of being on an overloaded ship.

I might have to consider flying CebuPacific even if my pocket screamed bankruptcy.

I swear I will never ever book any flight with ZestAir. To h$#l with that airline!!!