Primadonna Sale (199.95 - Everything Must Go!)

Today is the 2nd day of the 3-day sale here at SM San Lazaro.

As I wander around the mall looking for good deals, I noticed this line stretching in front of primadonna down to the other side of the mall.

So I peeked in primadonna and saw this sign! 

No wonder the line is that long. I also fell in line and endured the wait. This kind of deal is definitely worth the wait for a shopper like me!!! 😁

Next post: What I got from wandering into primadonna!

Dreaming (Random Thoughts)

My dream is to travel. I want to see the world and tell people stories about it. I want to be able to explore and learn different cultures, languages, and ethnic diversities. Seeing as much as I could and being able to share it with you is the best thing that could ever happened to me.

I used to hate travelling, I get dizzy in buses, I get tired with the long trips and I always get lost. Yet I get envious whenever I hear stories from my friends, see pictures online. I thought "hey, I also want to see that, I want to go there. I want to explore that place and discover it". That was when I decided to leave the comforts of my home and travel whenever I have the opportunity.

It doesn't matter if I don't have much money; most people travel on a budget. It doesn't matter who I'm with; you get to meet a lot more people along the way. It doesn't matter how short or long the time; everything will still feel like it went by like a dream. It doesn't matter how far; it's not just the destination, it's also about the journey.

Being a mom of a 2 year old boy is tedious, tiring, fulfilling, complicated, enjoying and every conflicting emotion you could think of. Since he's only 2, I can't bring him everywhere, he throws tantrums all the time, he doesn't listen when I say "NO". There is a limit as to how far or how long I could take him with me when I travel. Most of the time, I leave him behind. It's sad and I wish he could grow up soon so I could take him everywhere I go. I want to be able to show him the places I've been to. I want to be able to share with him the experiences. I want him to feel the freedom I felt whenever I travel. I want him to be able to enjoy life.

Let me share to you my favorite quotes of all time:

"Not all those who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien (All that is gold does not glitter)

"To travel is to live" - Hans Christian Andersen (The Fairy tale of my Life: An Autobiography)

(Mt. Pulag)

Fortune Island (Greece in the Philippines)

Every time I visit the shores of my hometown, Nasugbu, I always see this island in the distance. It's called Fortune Island. They say that this island protects the shores of Nasugbu from strong waves, others say that this is home to sharks, whales and snakes. As per my grandfathers story, this was a very beautiful resort that was mismanaged and was left to ruins. He doesn't know who owns or manages the Island today but as per our bangkero, Koreans are renting out the island and they are allowing tourists to visit the island and camp out there for a fee. We've decided to check the place out.

Fortune Island has white sand beaches and it is famous for the Greek inspired pillars located at the left side of the island on top of the mountains.

There are some activities that you can do at the island.

1. Greek Pillar Viewing - since this island is famous for its Greek inspired pillars, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to take pictures of this structure during sunset or sunrise where the view is at its finest.

Greek Pillars

2. Cliff Diving - my favorite activity. You can dive at the left side of the island close to where the Greek pillars are or you can dive at the lagoon where you'd need to climb up a rope to get back up. Unfortunately, I didn't get a try at the Lagoon because my husband was stopping me, but we still enjoyed the dive from the lower, less scary and dangerous cliff on the left side of the island.

Stairs to the Lagoon

3. Snorkeling - You need to bring your own gear to be able to snorkel but I guarantee you that it's worth the effort. 

4. Fishing - you need to bring your own equipment.

5. Visiting the Lighthouse - we didn't have enough time to visit the lighthouse, but they mentioned that you can hike there if you wanted to.

To get to Fortune Island; take a bus going to Nasugbu at Buendia (DLTBco Station), take a tricycle to Brgy. Wawa, take a boat going to Fortune Island. Make sure to stop by the office that manages Fortune island to pay their entrance fee of P300 for day tour and P400 for overnight stay. The boat costs P6000/12pax for overnight stay. 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• The island is isolated and does not have any form or kind of amenities. There is no place to sleep in and there is no source of fresh water. I suggest that you bring a lot of water for drinking and rinsing your utensils or food.
• There is a torn-down old comfort room in the island but as I've mentioned, there's no water. Expect that the comfort room is smelly and may have some unmentionable things.
• Since a lot of tourists visit the place, I suggest that you leave as early as possible for you to get a great spot. If you arrive late, you're gonna end up in an ugly location where it's too hot to stay.
• Buy everything you need before you get on the boat. There is no store in the island.
• Bring flashlights. There's no electricity in the island.

What to Bring:

• Tent / Sleeping Bag
• Set of clothes
• Portable Speakers / powerbanks
• Jacket / Blanket / Pillows
• Flashlights / Headlamps / Candles / Matches / Lighters
• Mess Kits / Utensils
• Personal Needs (Shampoo / Soap)
• Umbrella / Hat
• Sunblock
• Charcoal
• Cooking Equipment (Pots/Pans/Stove/Grill)
• Water (Lots of it)
• Ice / Cooler

Sample Itinerary (2 days / 1 night):

Day 1:

03:00 ETD (Buendia to Nasugbu)

06:00 ETA (Nasugbu; buy foods at the Market)

06:30 ETD (Nasugbu to Brgy. Wawa)

06:45 ETA (Brgy. Wawa; Change into shorts and slippers/swimming attire. Pay entrance fee)

07:00 ETD (Brgy. Wawa to Fortune Island)

08:00 ETA (Fortune Island; Set up camp; Eat packed Breakfast)

08:30 REST!!! SWIM!!! PICTURE!!!

10:30 Prepare Lunch

12:00 Lunch

12:30 REST!!! SWIM!!! PICTURE!!! CLIFF DIVE!!!

03:30 Prepare Dinner

06:00 Dinner

06:30 Socialize

10:00 Lights out

Day 2:

06:30 Wake up! Prepare Breakfast

07:00 Breakfast

07:30 Pack up

08:00 ETD (Fortune Island to Brgy Wawa)
09:00 ETA (Brgy. Wawa; Wash Up; Change clothes)

10:00 ETD (Brgy. Wawa to Nasugbu)

10:15 ETD (Nasugbu to Buendia)

01:30 ETA (Buendia) Back to reality

Estimated Cost per pax:

• P160  Bus from Buendia to Nasugbu
• P10    Tricycle from Nasugbu Town Proper to Brgy. Wawa
• P500   Boat ride from Wawa to Fortune Island
• P400   Entrance Fee to Fortune Island
• P200   Food Allowance/water/supplies
• P10     Tricycle from Brgy. Wawa to Nasugbu
• P160   Bus from Nasugbu to Buendia
• TOTAL: P1440 - P1500

You can contact Kuya Miguel (0921-9625777) for arrangements with the bangka and other information about Fortune Island

Matabungkay Beach

For as long as I could remember Matabungkay beach is the place for us to go to when we have family outings such as birthdays (we go there every year for my birthday until I was 10), wedding anniversaries, reunions and such. Since the location is not too far away from home and because we have a family friend who has a resort there, it was very convenient for us to spend our summer vacations there. I still visit Matabungkay as often as I could because the place never seem to fail to surprise me every time and because I really love how familiar the place feels to me.

There are several activities for you to try out while you're at Matabungkay beach:

1. Fish Feeding/ Snorkeling

Take a boat ride to the "fish feeding/snorkeling area" for 1800php per 12pax (inclusive of use of snorkeling gear and life vest). You will be brought to the area where you can snorkel and feed the fish. I suggest that you bring bread or biscuits that you can throw into the water and watch as the fishes gather around your boat as you swim with them.

2. Kayaking
For the cost of 300php per hour, you can rent a kayak.

3. Balsa ride
A balsa is a small raft made out of bamboo. Depending on the season and size, the prices for balsa can range from 1000php to 3000php. You can use the balsa as an alternative for a cottage since it has a small room (that could fit at least 3 people), tables and chairs and a grill. For a better experience, they can pull your balsa away from the crowd of the shallow beach and into the deep waters. They also lend you vests to make sure everyone is safe.

4. Pedal Boat
Not my favorite activity but always worth a try. For only 250php per hour, you can rent out a pedal boat and pedal until your legs hurt for a whole hour. It can seat up to 5 people (4 are pedaling) and can be maneuvered from deep to shallow waters.

5. Banana Boat

It seats 5 people and costs 1250php per 3 trips.

How to get to Matabungkay:

Take a bus going to Nasugbu, Batangas at DLTBco Station near LRT Buendia (fare is around 165php). Get off at Lian, Batangas. Walk towards the public market and get on a jeep to Matabungkay (I'm not sure how much the fare is but I believe it's about 15-20php).
You can contact Boss Mike Guerrero (0927-7480778) for possible cottages/rooms to stay at as well as balsa's for rent

Natipuan Beach

My goal for the year 2015 is to see as many places as I possibly could and as cheaply as I could. Since travelling on a budget is an adventure itself, I've decided to start as close to home as possible. Natipuan Beach is located at Barangay Natipuan, Nasugbu, Batangas. If you are looking for a quiet and tranquil vacation, this place should be on your list.

Natipuan has white sand beaches.

We found a small trail on the side of the mountain pictured above and we decided to take a bit of a hike... The view was breathtaking!

To get to Natipuan beach, take the bus to Nasugbu, Batangas at the Pasay bus station (fair is around 155php). Get off at Nasugbu and rent a boat to Natipuan from Brgy. Wawa, Nasugbu, Batangas.

For boat ride prices and reservations you can get in touch with Manong Miguel at 09219625777 for Smart or 09269470537 for Globe.

You can rent a small cottage to stay as we've done for prices ranging from 300php to 500php depending on the season and size of the cottage you want to rent out.

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales

As I come close to the waters of Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales, my eyes go huge and my reaction is "Wow... Look at that water... it's blue!"

As we get on the boat, I see several islands from a distance, I remember that our trip was to visit Camara and Capones Island then camp out at Nagsasa Cove.

1st stop: Camara island

There isn't much to say since we didn't stay too long. We we're too excited to see Capones island so we moved forward quite quickly.

2nd stop: Capones Island

To get ashore Capones Island, we had to swim about 5ft or so of water because the boat cannot get close enough because of the rocks.

There's also a bit of a hike to get to the famous Light House at the top of the island.

Last stop and Camp site: Nagsasa Cove
It takes about an hour and a half of boat ride from Capones Island to Nagsasa cove and around an hour from Pundaquit to Nagsasa cove.

You will be welcomed by a bunch of pine trees that will make you feel like you're in a different country...

It's nice that the beach is clean. It's very well taken care of by the locals.

  

There is also a water fall that you could trek to if you have the time. Our boatman advised us that the charge for the guide was 100php per pax and the walk would take about an hour. He also mentioned that we could go snorkeling at "Coral beach" if we had the gear for it.

Things you have to remember:

• The island has little source of electricity so it would be best to bring candles, flashlights and lamps. You could also rent solar lights from your bangkero for 100php.
• There are little cottages for rent for 100php but they are only for eating; none to sleep in. It would be best to bring your own tent or rent one for 250php.
• There are bathrooms, comfort rooms and sinks available with clean running water. I believe this is where your 100php "entrance fee" goes to.
• It would be best to buy everything you need at San Antonio because stuff at Nagsasa is expensive. Drinking water costs 300php per gallon when you could get it for 50php only. The wood for your bonfire is 200php when it's only 100php in town.

Things to bring:

• Set of clothes, slippers, etc. (waterproof everything)
• Tent and sleeping bag
• Portable Speakers and power banks
• Jacket/blanket/pillow
• Flashlight/headlamp/candles/matches/lighter
• Mess kit/eating utensils
• Personal stuff (shampoo, soap, toothbrush, etc.)
• Umbrella/hat
• Sunblock
• Cook-set/charcoal

Estimated budget (2 days; 1 night)

P260 / person: Bus fare from Caloocan to San Antonio, Zambales

P30  / person: Tricycle fare from San Antonio to Pundaquit

P500 / person: Boat ride from Pundaquit to Nagsasa Cove (Camara and Capones)

P100 / person: "Entrance Fee"

P30  / person: Tricycle fare from Pundaquit to San Antonio

P98  / person: Bus fare from San Antonio to Olongapo

P202 / person: Bus fare from Olongapo to Caloocan

P300 / person: Food/water/supply budget

Total: 1,520 to 1,800 per person

Itinerary (2days, 1 night)

Day 1:

• 03:00 Call time; Victory Liner Caloocan; Breakfast
• 04:00 ETD (Caloocan to Iba, Zambales bus)
• 08:00 ETA at San Antonio, Zambales; Buy food and supplies at the market
• 08:30 ETD (San Antonio to Pundaquit)
• 08:45 ETA at Pandaquit; Change to shorts and slippers
• 09:00 ETD (Pandaquit to Island Hopping)
• 10:00 ETA (Camara and Capones Island)
• 01:00 ETA (Nagsasa Cove) Eat packed lunch; Set up Camp
• 01:30 REST! Free time!
• 05:00 Wash up and prepare dinner
• 06:30 Dinner
• 07:00 Socializing; Bonfire; ETC.
• Lights out when you want to! ;)

Day 2:

• 06:00 Wake up; Prepare breakfast
• 07:00 Breakfast
• 07:30 Free time; Trekking to Waterfalls or Snorkeling
• 10:30 Prepare Lunch
• 12:00 Lunch
• 12:30 Pack up
• 01:00 ETD (Nagsasa cove to Pundaquit)
• 02:00 ETA (Pundaquit) Fix stuff and change to shoes/pants
• 02:15 ETD (Pundaquit to San Antonio)
• 02:45 ETD (San Antonio to Olongapo)
• 03:45 ETA (Olongapo)
• 04:00 ETD (Olongapo to Caloocan)
• 07:00 ETA (Caloocan) 

You can contact kuya Rowel Cabasan (0916-6490847) for the boat rentals and fees.