WW: Ati-atihan Festival, Kalibo Aklan

Time for Wordless Wednesday (WW) once again at Life-Trotting.Com. I've been to Kalibo last weekend to join the Ati-atihan Festival. I want to write some words about my experience but for now, let me just share these colorful pix with you. :) 

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6D/5N Puerto Princesa and El Nido Palawan Itinerary

Palawan is one of the most famous tourist spot in the Philippines. So when Cebu Pacific introduced their new route from Iloilo to Palawan with a seat sale, I took the opportunity right away. Our flight was originally dated December 5-10, 2012. But because of super typhoon Pablo affecting almost all areas in the country, our flight was cancelled. We then moved it to December 7-12, 2012.

I have lots of stories and photos to share soon. For now, you may watch our El Nido Fun video which will give you an idea on how much we enjoyed our trip. heheh Here's our itinerary, too. Hope this will be of good help to those who are planning to visit Palawan soon. :D

6days/5nights Puerto Princesa and El Nido Itinerary

December 7

8:50AM ETA in Puerto Princesa
9:00-11:00 AM Hotel Check-in and Rest
11:00-1:00 PM Lunch at Badjao Seafront Restaurant
1:00 PM Puerto Princesa City Tour
It was already dark when the tour ended.

December 8

8:00-9:00AM ETD for Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour with Ugong Rock Side Trip
6:00-7:00PM ETA from the tour

December 9

10:00 AM ETD from Puerto Princesa
3:00-4:00 PM ETA in El Nido
4:00 PM onwards: Free Time

December 10

8:00 AM El Nido Island Hopping Tour A

December 11

8:00 AM El Nido Island Hopping Tour C
10:00 PM ETD from El Nido

December 12

3:00-4:00 AM ETA in Puerto Princesa
4:00-6:30 AM stayed at McDonald's
6:30-8:00 AM Bought Pasalubong
9:20AM ETD from Puerto Princesa
10:25AM ETA in Iloilo International Airport

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Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday would be a new series here in my blog. As a first, here's a photo of me during sunrise at Kiltepan Peak, Sagada, Mt. Province, Philippines.

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The Lemon Pie House, Sagada, Mt. Province

Before our trip to Sagada last November, I did some research first and one of the most recommended restaurants to visit is the Lemon Pie House. Since it was just near our guest house, we had our lunch there after settling in our room. 

The Restaurant

My first impression upon seeing the facade was just, uhm, ok. I didn't really have expectations. But when we entered the Lemon Pie House, the interior got us really impressed. It was very cozy and the owner (forgot her name) was very accommodating.

Inside the Lemon Pie House

The Food and Price

The food is pricey but the serving is large enough for an average Filipino. So I think its safe to share your order with your companion if you're on a tight budget or maybe if you're "on a diet". heheh The food is tasty, too. I couldn't say that it has something significant but it's surely worth your money. :)

THE LEMON PIE

The famous Lemon Pie is indeed DELICIOUS! The top portion of the pie is like brazo de mercedes. There's no question why it got really famous. If you want to order for a whole plate of it, you will need to tell the owner in advance because you'll more likely be able to pick it up the next day.

VERDICT

Lemon Pie House is a must-try when you visit Sagada. There's only a few restaurants there so you could actually try them one by one if you stay for at least 3 days. Not unless you're planning to cook your own meal. The expensive price of their food is almost the same with other restaurants. Best way to save is to share it with your companion so that you could also split the bill. 

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El Nido FUN (Video)

November and December of 2012 were busy months for me. There are a lot of adventures that I haven't posted yet. I'm not even finished blogging everything about our Sagada trip in mid November.lol Three weeks after that, we went to Puerto Princesa and El Nido, Palawan. Then there was the Christmas holidays and the unexpected Boracay getaway before the year ended. Phew!

For now, let me share this video that says all about the FUN we had in exploring the different islands in El Nido. It's best to watch it in HD. Enjoy! :)

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Thanks! :)

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2012 was awesome

Traveling has always been a dream and passion of mine. I guess it has been fulfilled last year, 2012. I was able to explore a number of places here in the Philippines that I haven't thought I could go to, namely:

Boracay

Manila

Cebu

Isla Gigantes, Iloilo

Naga

Albay

Cagayan De Oro

Sandbar, Concepcion, Iloilo

Sagada, Mt. Province

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

El Nido, Palawan

Among all the places I enumerated above, I'd like to say that Boracay is still one of my most favorite places. Well, I started and ended my travels in 2012 in that island paradise.lol Honestly, I never expected that I could travel that much locally but I'm glad I did. I've had my own share of UPS and DOWNS in 2012 but I was overwhelmed with all my escapades. 

Number 12 is my favorite number. It's not only for the reason that I was born on the 12th day of  July but also because it has served as a lucky number to me. So I'd love to think that I've just started my travel dreams last year and that 2013 will give me more explorations, adventures, and discoveries. 

I owe my 2012 to my family, boyfriend, friends (new and old), and to God almighty. I'm just glad that I was able to enjoy and explore the Philippines safely. 

Cheers to 2012!

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CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

Hello everyone! It's the time of the year once again when people are extra friendly, sweet, and loving. So I'd like to greet you all a merry and wonderful Christmas. Let's not forget the true reason of our celebration this day - the birth of Jesus Christ! Let's all be happy and enjoy the day. :) 

Please don't forget to follow me at: Facebook & Twitter. Thanks!

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The Hanging Coffins at Sagada Echo Valley

My boyfriend thought it was "Eco-Valley", an ecological park of some sort. So imagine his surprise when all he saw was limestones and coffins. lol Well, it was called the Echo Valley because of the echo that you create when you shout. Our guide said that it was because of the limestone in the area. I'm not really sure about this because I thought we can also create echoes in mountains with no limestone. heheh

The not-so-ordinary practice of hanging coffins is part of the Igorots' tradition. Here are some information  that we've learned from our tour guide, Ezra:

• Only Igorots who died a natural death are allowed to be put inside the hanging coffins.
• Babies and those who died due to ailments are not allowed to be put in hanging coffins because it is believed by the Igorots that by doing so will bring them bad luck.
• The hanging coffins are rather small and an average person wouldn't fit inside. Well, as part of the tradition, the deceased body should go back to the fetus-like position just like how they came into this world. 
• Before putting the body inside the coffin, they wrap it with a blanket and pass it overhead like a ball. Whoever gets blood drops while the corpse is being passed is said to have good luck in life.
• The coffin is hung first before placing the corpse inside it.
• One of the mysteries that really bogged me about these hanging coffins is how the natives hang them so high up in the sides of the mountains. What makes it even more impossible to imagine is there are no mechanical tools used in the process. According to Ezra, our guide, the coffins are hanged first - empty. After the coffin is secured and positioned, the natives will then place the body inside. The explanation is acceptable if you look at the photo above but what about the other one we saw that's  hanging like 50 meters above the ground on another cliff? Perhaps they used a really tall ladder or they've found a trail on how to get there at the top.

That's all I can remember for now. I'll ask our tour guide for more information when I get to catch him online.

Anyway, the Echo Valley is not far from the Sagada town proper. You just need to walk a bit and trek to the place where you can see the coffins up close. It was kind of weird to see those wooden coffins hanged at the mountain sides. Not really creepy, just weird.

It rained in the morning so the trek was slippery when we got there. After the tour, we were all muddy, sweaty and wet already. lol But it was all worth the adventure and the experience. No need to wear hiking or trekking gears actually. Slippers will do. :D

Meeting another group along the way made our Echo Valley tour more fun. Actually, they made our whole Sagada trip more fun and memorable. ;)

That's all for now about our Sagada trip. Merry Christmas everyone! :)

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