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Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!

Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.

More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!
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    Bohol Tours: Loboc River Night Cruise is Full of Color

    As many of you who've been to Bohol most likely experienced the popular Loboc River Cruise where tourists dined on a catamaran cruising on the pristine Loboc River while serenaded with singers belting out pop to country to sometimes strange repertoire.

    This one though takes tourists on a cruise along the same river at night where you'll see the (in)famous Loboc Bridge, other bridges, houses, buildings, trees and the waterfalls lit up with colorful lights-- with the cool evening breeze setting the romantic mood over dinner.

    Loboc River Night Cruise


    the quay where the Loboc River ends and starts is just near the Loboc Tourism complex

    coconut trees using backlight of multiple, alternating colors

    the quay in symmetry with a serene water of Loboc River as some sort of reflecting pool


    the (in)famous Loboc Bridge suddenly became a multi-million peso lighting fixture

    you'll be serenaded with a rondalla in the only stop-over with ladies and kids

    Loboc River Night Cruise:
    rates: PhP350.00/person inclusive of buffet dinner and boat ride

    How to get to Loboc from Tagbilaran, Bohol:
    You can ride a jeepney near Tagbilaran Cathedral to take you there directly. you can only book your Loboc River Cruise tours with one of the accredited Loboc boat tour operators


    Related Bohol Posts:
    Loay River Cruise
    Anda White Beach
    Bohol Car/Van Rental Rates
    Bohol Itinerary

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    posted by GingGoy @ 6:23 PM, ,

    Palawan: How to Get to Puerto Princesa Underground River: Map, Fare, Tour Rates/Entrance Fee

    For people looking for information on how to get to Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan, curious after it won as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

    UPDATED: April 2013

    how to get to Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan:

    Getting there is really not easy the backpacking way, as there's still unreliable public transportation to get there but there were and are many foreigners who tried.

    1. Book a flight to Puerto Princesa (via Philippine Airlines, PAL Express, Cebu Pacific or ZestAir, or slow ferry to Puerto Princesa via 2Go Travel SuperFerry if you have the the time but not the moolah) or a RORO bus to Puerto Princesa

    2. Book your access to Puerto Princesa Underground River Online or visit the Booking office near PP Airport:

    2.1 Book online by visit the official online booking website here


    or visit the booking office:

    2.2 From Puerto Princesa Airport, ride a tricycle to Underground River Booking Office. Don't forget this step, you can't just show up in Sabang as they limit tourists to about 600 per day.
    Email: reservation@puerto-undergroundriver.com
    Call Contact Number: +63.48.434.2509; +63.48.723.0904; +63.48.723.2563

    Park Rates and Other Fees Local International

    Underground River Entrance Fee
    Adult P 100.00 P 150.00
    Minor P 75.00 P 100.00

    Underground River Tour Rate (Boat Ride Price):
    Adult P 175.00 P 250.00
    Minor P 100.00 P 150.00
    Commercial Video Fee P 3,000.00


    3. From your hotel, ride a tricycle to New Market terminal (fare: around PhP15.00)

    4. At San Jose New Market Transportation terminal, ride jeepneys going to Sabang, Puerto Princesa (it's still part of mayor Hagedorn's city, not another town of Palawan). Fare: PhP125.00 (first trip at 7am, last trip at 3pm, travel time: 2 hours). Return trip from Sabang to Puerto Princesa last trip is at 2pm daily.

    5. In Sabang, proceed to the Tourism office to book your boat to Puerto Princesa Underground River cave entrance

    6. Near the cave entrance, enlist for another boat, good for 6 people, to ferry you inside and out of the longest navigable underwater river in the world.

    7. Enjoy one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature! :P

    puerto princesa underground river in palawan

    Note that the Puerto Princesa public transportation terminal is at San Jose New Market, a jeepney ride (signboard: New Market, fare PhP12.00) or tricycle ride from Puerto Princesa Airport (fare: around PhP15.00)

    How to Get to Sabang from El Nido:

    Follow this post on How to get to El Nido from Sabang to get an idea as it's just the reverse.

    Note: Prices, costs, rates and fares may change without prior notice, mainly due to skyrocketing gasoline prices. Expect fare hikes anytime soon. Tutubi will update this from time to time by calling his friend in Palawan (sorry, can't post his contact number here for privacy)


    Related posts on Palawan:
    Puerto Princesa Airport
    How to get to El Nido from Sabang
    Palawan Underground River
    Jungle Trek to Puerto Princesa Underground River
    Palawan Accommodations in Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Cheap Palawan Package Tours

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    posted by GingGoy @ 9:14 PM, ,

    Panguil River Eco-park (Piit Resort) Pangil, Laguna

    A now getting popular cold water resort, formerly called Piit resort in Pangil, Laguna, once visited by Tutubi many moons ago, got much development and funding from the World bank, yet managed to preserve the pristine state of Panguil River, fed by Ambon-ambon Falls upstream, and empties into Laguna de Bay.

    Several times Tutubi wanted to re-visit the now developed Piit Resort, the chance came with a rare time his entire family was complete in Paete, Laguna and where the plan to visit Pangil River Eco-park (Piit Resort) became a reality. Tutubi and his family arrived at Piit Resort around 11am, on several tricycles (PhP80.00 per tricycle), and left shortly around 1pm, barely enough time to wander around, take pictures but too focused on his "mini-me" frolicking on the cold water of the nature resort surrounded with lush greens, trees, birds and butterflies from Sierra Madre mountain range.

    Pictures of Panguil River Eco-park, Pangil Laguna (formerly Piit Resort):

    Panguil River Eco-park, Pangil LagunaPanguil River Eco-park's clean river and river-side cottages with the hanging bridge on the background

    Panguil River Eco-park has a ncie receiving area, clean restrooms, a 20 meter hanging bridge, kiddie swimming pool, a dam/spillway, cottages for rent, a gazebo for events (e.g. weddings, debut), a one kilometer trail to Ambon-ambon Falls (Tutubi intends to visit this next summer), camp sites and a police station nearby. Other activities besides swimming, and family picnic includes white water river tubing (using car wheel interiors to drift on the white water of Panguil River).

    Panguil River Eco-park, Pangil Laguna swimming poolthe kiddie pool is the recommended palce for kids to have some water fun, not on the spillway

    hanging bridge piit resort pangil lagunathe 20 meter long hanging bridge provides a nice photo-op and birds eye view of Panguil River

    spillway dam pangil river lagunathe spillway is the fun place to cool down, probably filled with people during summer but solely for Tutubi's family when he got there. Beware of the dangerous part of the spillway (the left side, not shown on the picture)


    ambon-ambon falls pangil lagunaTutubi's wishlist nest summer, he's wants to visit all of Laguna's waterfalls before he gets too old to visit them

    Next summer, a visit to Ambon-ambon falls is in the offing. There's also a hidden falls there while neighboring Famy and Siniloan towns get the most attention from mountaineers and mountain climbers due to the presence of five waterfalls of Mt. Romelo including Buruwisan, Batya-batya and Sampaloc Falls.

    ---

    Suggestion: since there already is a dam, the untapped water power can be harnessed to generate electric power by building a micro-hydroelectric power plant. It can supply electricity to the resort, a source of clean, renewable energy, even to Pangil town to power up street lighting, for example, saves people's money.

    To be also more eco-friendly, why not educate people against the use of plastic bags/styropor inside the resort, not just on waste segregation. Pangil can also emulate the move of Paete to ban the use of plastic bags.

    WARNING:

    the dam and spillway is a nice area to play around but danger lurks on the spillway canal where the outlet has no grills. Just one "faux pas" or a slip can result to serious injury or death. Pangil local government should construct grills at the mouth of the spillway to avoid accidents, don't wait for the day this warning becomes a reality. Flash floods can also occur anytime during rainy season, stay at the kiddie pool if there are vulnerable children with you in case there's heavy rain.

    Panguil River Eco-park Entrance Fee:


    Day rate (6am to 6pm): PhP40.00
    Night Rate (6pm to 6am): PhP80.00
    Overnight rate (more than 12 hours but not more than 24 hours): PhP100.00

    Camping fees:

    2 days/1 night camping fee per person: PhP160.00
    3D/2N: PhP240.00

    Other fees and charges:
    trekking to biak-na-bato/ambon-ambon falls (tour guide): PhP60.00
    environmental fee: PhP1.00
    development fee: PhP1.00

    cottage rental rates:

    small house/cottage: PhP200.00
    big house: PhP400.00

    Other information:

    parking area inside the resort. there are no restaurants but you can bring your own food. there's a sari-sari store inside plus vendors selling different stuff outside like fresh buko.

    How to get to Panguil River Eco-park, Pangil, Laguna

    From Taft Avenue near corner Gil Puyat (LRT Buendia station), ride a Green Star Express bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna (or an HM Transport bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna from EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City) (Bus fare fare is around PhP140.00). In Sta. Cruz (Pagsawitan or at the Jam bus terminal), transfer to a jeepney bound for Siniloan (jeepney fare is around PhP30.00), drop off in Pangil town then ride a tricycle to Piit (sitio Piit or barangay piit as how locals call the place).

    Alternate route via Rizal Province, ride Tanay-bound jeepneys at EDSA Central terminal. In Tanay, Rizal, transfer to a Siniloan-bound jeepney. In Siniloan public market, either take a jeepney bound to Sta. Cruz then a tricycle in Pangil or negotiate with a tricycle driver to take you there directly.

    You may also take a Raymond Transportation bus to Infanta/Real Quezon, drop off at the Siniloan/Famy junction on Manila East Road then take tricycle to Piit.

    Driving directions to Panguil River Eco-park:

    If you have a GPS navigator, Piit resort is present on OpenStreetMap (added by Tutubi). The service road going to Piit is linked to Manila East Road, do not enter Siniloan nor Pangil town proper. There's a sign visible on the highway after passing the junction of Siniloan, Famy and Mabitac.

    Coordinates: N14 24 48.5 E121 28 49.1
    Click online map here.

    you may also be looking for these:
    How to get to Pangil, laguna, How to get to Piit Resort, Pangil Laguna
    How to get to Piit Resort, Panguil River Eco-park entrance fees, cottage fees,
    room rates

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    posted by GingGoy @ 8:31 PM, ,

    UNESCO World Heritage Site: Palawan Underground River Tour

    Tutubi visited Puerto Princesa five years ago to do a Palawan Underground River tour but didn't materialize, as the trip turned to a tragedy and had to return to Manila the morrow to grieve and bury his friend.

    On his return trip, however, he made the Palawan Underground River tour that started with a visit to the Palawan Underground River Booking Office on Rizal Avenue right after visiting a resort on Honda Bay to reserve his slot.

    The day, his group left their "hideout" in Puerto Princesa and went to Sabang, Puerto Princesa and scheduled a boat trip to the world-famous Palawan Underground River (also called Puerto Princesa Subterranean River).

    Pictures of Palawan Underground River Tour:

    boat sabang puerto princesaTutubi's boat that took his group to Palawan Undergroung River. trip only took about 15 minutes


    palawan underground rivera boat ride at Palawan Underground River consists of 7 people, including the driver. life vests and hardhats required for the cave tour for the usual safety precautions (you don't need them but just to be safe)


    palawan underground river insidethe dark and dingy interiors of Palawan Underground River is really not scary. Just don't create much movement so your boat won't tip over.

    The boatman doubles as tour guide who narrates funny stories to brighten up the dark (and scary to some) underground river and cave. Stalactites (limestone formations from the cave ceiling going down), stalagmites (formations on the ground going up) and columns (formations joining the ground and ceiling) were given descriptive names and stories.

    puerto princesa underground river tourPalawan underground river tour allows you to see amazing formations called stalactites, stalagmites and columns

    puerto princesa underground river touran interesting stalactite formation called Sharon Stone

    The 45 minutes tour of the longest navigable river in the world was a pleasant experience that Tutubi vowed to return there again probably with Tutubi Jr. and his grandparents, if Tutubi's budget can accommodate them all.

    Palawan Underground River is one of Palawan's pride inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage sites, the other one being Tubbataha Reef. Recent news also trumpeted an amazing discovery in some unexplored chambers of the cave where fossils of extinct animals that existed at least 20 million years ago before civilization came on earth were unearthed by a team of Italian scientists who condected the scientific survey, as revealed by Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

    Coming Up: Palawan Underground River Tour Tips for the "cheapest Palawan Underground River package tour" you can have with the latest Palawan Underground River rates and bus, jeepney fares from Puerto Princesa.

    Related posts on Palawan:
    Puerto Princesa Airport
    How to get to El Nido from Sabang
    How to Get to Puerto Princesa Underground River

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    posted by GingGoy @ 8:14 PM, ,

    Ilocos Sur: Santa Watchtower, Quirino (Banaoang) Bridge over Abra River

    On the way to Vigan where Tutubi wasn't able to find the missing watchtower in the town of Santa, a red brick structure caught his attention that made him stop to look around. What greeted him was a magnificent viewdeck with sweeping vista of the wide Abra River, the twin bridges of Banaoang Bridge (also called Quirino Bridge) and the newer bridge just beside it.

    The Banaoang Viewdeck in Santa, Ilocos Sur:

    the red brick "watchtower" with vandalisms visible on the national highway beside a high voltage power transmission tower




    abra rivergreat view of Abra River. imagine sunrises and sunsets here

    banaoang bridge santa ilocos sur bantay Banaoang Bridge with the mountain part of Ilocos Range

    quirino bridge santa ilocos sur bantaythe old and new bridge, side by side over Abra River

    Quirino Bridge, also called Banaoang Bridge as it's located in Barangay Banaoang, Santa, Ilocos Sur, is no longer used and replaced with a newer bridge. It connects the towns of Santa and Bantay and approximately fifteen minutes away from the heritage city of Vigan.

    ---

    GPS Coordinates of Banaoang Watchtower in Santa, Ilocos Sur
    N17 33 24.8 E120 27 43.1


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    posted by GingGoy @ 8:37 PM, ,

    Camarines Norte: The Cold Waters of Mampurog River in Club Noah, San Lorenzo Ruiz

    After resting for a while and preparing for lunch in Daet, Tutubi and his friends rode a tricycle to the terminal of San Lorenzo Ruiz-bound jeepneys. The road to Club Noah, the name of the resort on the banks of Mampurog River, was filled with potholes and very rural looking.

    the sign of Club Noah prominently displayed on the Daet-Mampurog road with rates and telephone numbers

    After a few minutes of soaking in the cold water of the rocky stream and few photo opportunities, decided to eat lunch, again took pictures then hurried off to ride the jeepney back to Daet's famous Bagasbas Beach.


    the cold water of the river, actually just a sapa (stream), is a favorite of locals for picnics and escape from the searing summer sun

    a common site in the Philippines: men drinking while soaking in rivers and lakes

    club noah mampurog riveron the exit trail of Club Noah


    Next pitstop: Bagasbas Beach


    A similar resort, named Sinagtala resort, can also be found in the town of Labo, also a jeepney ride away from Daet.


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    posted by GingGoy @ 9:31 PM, ,

    Video: Loboc River Cruise in Bohol

    Loboc River, a surprisingly clean and green river in the beautiful island of Bohol that can be enjoyed by a cruise on a catamaran-looking hut eating sumptuous Filipino food and serenaded by everpresent singers.



    Video is from inquirer.net. Tutubi was able to do this enjoyable ride in April 2003

    How to get to Loboc, Bohol for the river cruise:

    Loboc, Bohol can be reached via the airport from almost any major airport in the Philippines or via a short ferry ride from Cebu City. Vans waiting at the pier can be hired to tour you around the island.

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    posted by GingGoy @ 10:11 PM, ,

    Manila's Grand Bridges of Pasig River: Jones, Quezon, MacArthur

    In this last part of the Historic Tour of Pasig River series made possible by the Ayala Museum and Pasig River Rehabilitation Commision, let me take you with me on a journey when the mighty Rio del Pasig in chronological order: Jones, Quezon and Ayala (MacArthur Bridge completes the four grand puentes of Rio de Pasig

    Jones Bridge:

    jones bridge manila

    Jones Bridge constructed in the 1920's as part of the grand scheme of neo-classical architecture in Manila, designed by the same architect of the the Post Office Building, Metropolitan Theater, and US Embassy: Juan Arellano.

    Jones Bridge was named after William Atkinson Jones, a member of the U.S. Congress and chairman of the Insular Affairs Committee who sponsored the Philippine Autonomy Act in 1916.

    Before Jones bridge, there was Puente de España, erected in 1875 to replace the earlier Puente Grande, the Puente de España can accommodate pedestrian and horse or carabao drawn carts and carriages as well as tranvias, the Puente de España needed to be destroyed and replaced by Jones Bridge to accommodate automobiles.

    But, again, before Puente de Espana, there was Puente Grande, a seven-arch bridge established in 1632 to link Intramuros to Binondo (established in 1592) served before by a ferry service. Puente Grande was destroyed by the earthquake of 1863 and replaced by Puente de España.

    Quezon Bridge


    the south end of Quezon Bridge beside Arroceros Park

    quezon bridge manila
    the north end of Quezon bridge near Quiapo

    The precursor of Quezon bridge, called Puente Colgante (suspension bridge) held the distinction as the the first suspension bridge in East Asia (I don't use Far East since I'm in the Philippines) , built in 1852 with two lanes in opposite directions for carriages and a pedestrian lane in the center island but demolished in 1938 to give way to vehicular traffic.

    quezon bridge manilaQuezon Bridge was opened a year after the Golden Gate Bridge was inaugurated, sporting the art deco style and inspired by the Sydney Harbor Bridge-- no wonder it looks similar!

    Ayala Bridge

    ayala bridge manila

    The third tulay to be built spanning the Pasig was the Puente de Convalecencia, now known as the Ayala Bridge, originally composed of two separate spans connected by the Isla de Convalecencia, which is home to Hospisio de San Jose, the bridge over this island was originally made of wooden arched trusses. Completed in 1880 and suffered major damage to the structure and collapsed completely after 10 years. This was subsequently replaced with a simple metal saw trussed bridge during the 1890's, designed by an engineer that goes by the name of Gustave Eiffel, who later gained fame for the eponymous tower in Paris and the interiors of the Statue of Liberty, in the construction of the bridge in collaboration with Ayala y Cia.

    MacArthur Bridge


    macarthur bridge manilaMacArthur Bridge obscured by the Light Rail Transit (LRT)

    Those four original bridges must've been an awesome sight back then but sadly the original ones were destroyed by the Japanese during the second world war and what we're seeing today are poor reconstructions of the originals.

    This last picture of a bridge crossing the Pasig, bears the mission of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission's mission:


    PRRC may have been beset with problems particularly lack of funds but their continuing program of accomplishing their mission is now noticeable partcularly with the relocation of "informal settlers" along the riverbanks, the construction of linear parks of the cities and the eventual improvement of water quality.

    Note that under Proclamation 780, the annual Pasig River Marathon is to be held on the month of February also declared the Pasig River Month.

    This year, the marathon will be held on February 25.

    Disclaimer:

    the small black and white photos were not taken by me (obviously I haven't been born yet) but now belong to the public through the US archives. If I should be proven wrong, please drop a comment and I will oblige by removing the picture posted here.


    Related Posts:

    Pasig River Cruise,
    Pasig River Lighthouse,
    Pasig River Structures,
    People of Pasig,

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    posted by GingGoy @ 11:11 PM, ,

    Manila: The People of Pasig River

    Taga-Ilog: people living on the river. Using the origin of the Tagalog ethnic group.

    Miguel Lopez de Legazpi must've seen villages like this in 1571:


    but now the area is inhabited by informal settlers (nationalistic?) living in squalor of Baseco Compound and Parola, usually a haven of some squalid people .



    ferry servicing crossings are plentiful like this one locals call tawiran in Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila


    it's also amusing to see boat people using watercrafts made of styropor



    to complete the picture, people still know how to have fun amidst grinding poverty. Take a refreshing dip in the polluted river.



    and who told you the once beautiful river is dead?

    Conclusion to follow: The Historic Bridges of Pasig

    Related Posts:

    Pasig River Cruise,
    Pasig River Lighthouse,
    Pasig River Structures,
    Bridges of Pasig River.

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    posted by GingGoy @ 8:20 PM, ,

    Pasig Riverbank Structures

    On board with us during the tour was a Philippine Coast Guard with M-16 in tow to make sure we won't take pictures of Malacanang when we pass by splendid edifice that ironically-- gets flooded when the metro is flooded-- offering some sort of consolation that the president's home is also prone to the problems of the common folk


    I don't have picture of Malacanang Palace, the Goldenberg Mansion and Mabini Shrine all visible when we passed by. the guard alighted upon reaching Mabini bridge.

    Shown also on the photo are Quezon Bridge leading to Quiapo and green Arroceros Park, known as the city's last lung, haven of artists and birds, and site of a legal battle between Winner Foundation, the caretaker of the park, and Manila City government, (in)famous for tearing down heritage structures.


    El Hogar Filipino 1914 Beaux-Arts style buidling. I can only imagine how grand this building would have been in its heyday. This is also a favorite venue for shooting music videos of Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo et al as well as commercials-- even the current "Kapuso Walang Kinikilingan" boast has this building as a background! Old headquarters of HSBC is also visible behind the building

    the Neo-Classical Pacific Commercial Bulding right across El Hogar

    the colorful Gawad Kalinga community on the Mandaluyong riverbank near Guadalupe, said to be the Filipino's legacy to the world and a brainchild of Tony Meloto (hope to volunteer someday for this worthy endeavor). It was said the house owners were given different colors of paint resulting to a multitude of colors

    the imposing Makati City Hall with fishermen in a small banca providing contrast to the house of power and simple folks of the country's commercial capital

    other pictures I made into a slideshow to save on bandwidth and for added impact :)



    next in line: Bridges of Pasig and its riverine inhabitants
    until next time, folks!

    Related Posts:

    Pasig River Cruise,
    Pasig River Lighthouse,
    People of Pasig,
    Bridges of Pasig River.

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    posted by GingGoy @ 9:34 PM, ,

    Manila: Parola of Pasig (Pasig River Lighthouse)

    Pasig River Lighthouse (Faro de Rio de Pasig)

    I find lighthouses romantic, emitting radiant light to guide fishermen, sailors and ordinary beings, acting as lonely sentinels of the sea.

    On the tour with Ambeth Ocampo, we caught sight of this landmark dating back to 1642, the oldest in the Philippines and built by the Spaniards, on the north side of the entrance of Pasig River.

    Built using gray stone and standing fifteen meters in height, the original structure was demolished, sadly, in 1992 and replaced with the present one said to be architecturally inferior to the original.

    pasig river lighthouse
    managed to include two naked boys swimming using styropor flotation devices
    pasig river lighthouse

    Note that the Parola also refers to the impoverished community in Tondo where the lighthouse is located. A Philippine Coast Guard station is nearby who maintains the place.

    Have you been to a lighthouse? I managed to also visit the solar-powered lighthouse in Capones Island in San Antonio, Zambales but missed Cape Bojeador in the Ilocos when I made the Ilocandia tour a few years back. A reason for me to re-visit that part of the world.

    I wonder how the famous, no longer extant, lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, looked like.

    Related Pasig River Posts:

    Pasig River Cruise,
    Pasig River Structures,
    People of Pasig,
    Bridges of Pasig River.

    Other Philippine Lighthouses on this site:

    Faro de Punta Capones (Capones Lighthouse)
    Faro de Isla Corrigedor (Corregidor Lighthouse)
    Lighthouse at the Greenery in Baliwag, Bulacan


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    posted by GingGoy @ 8:48 PM, ,

    Manila: Pasig River Cruise with Ambeth Ocampo

    "Manila took a long time to make. What is now its ground used to be sea. The sea reached as far as the present towns of Mandaluyong (‘a place of waves’) and Makati (‘a place of tides’). No one knows how long it took to turn sea into land. But we do know who built a site for Manila. The builder was the Pasig River."

    Such were the words National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin wrote in his book Manila, My Manila.

    It was, and is, the Pasig river who built, and continuously building, Manila. Technically a tidal estuary, the direction of flow is determined by the water level difference between Laguna de Bay and Manila bay.


    I happened to read a posting in one of my yahoogroups I'm lurking in about the Ayala Museum-Pasig River Rehabilitation Council sponsored Historic Tour of the Pasig River as part of their Ode to the Pasig River painting exhibit at the Ayala Museum I blogged about here plus the post about the upcoming Pasig River Ferry system Pasig River Ferry terminals and schedules.

    Sensing the urgency and limited slots available for the tour, I made a quick call to the posted number and reserved me a seat and paid promptly since Ayala Museum is very near my place.

    On the day of the cruise, the organizers and participants met up at the Ayala Museum then boarded vans that took us to Isla de Convalencia occupied by Hospicio de San Jose where a ferry is waiting for us to cruise the historic river who built Manila.

    ambeth ocampoThe Tour, with about 20 people, including media people and a Coast guard personnel, was enlivened by Prof. Ambeth Ocampo, the current chair of the National Historical Commission, with his authoritative information spiced up with historical gossips and trivia.

    We set sail westward heading towards the mouth of the once beautiful river passing Ayala Bridge, Quiapo, Arroceros Park, Quezon Bridge, Sta Cruz, Intramuros, MacArthur bridge, Binondo, Parola and Baseco before turning around going the opposite direction retracing the water to Isla de Convalencia, our "anchorage", passing through the once millionaire's district of San Miguel, the regal Goldenberg Mansion and picture-perfect yet picture-censored Malacanang Palace, Mabini Shrine, Nagtahan bridge (where our Coast Guard escort left us), Pandacan, Sta Ana, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig and Marikina before turning around again to Guadalupe where waiting vans took us to see the exhibits of paintings and artists’ rendition of their dreams for the beauty that was Pasig
    Join me as I take you with me in my tour of the once pristine river

    fort santiago
    the Baluarte de Santa Barbara, named after the patron saint of artillery men. Storage cells and powder magazine used as dungeons. Ambeth narrated prisoners often drowned when the tides are high

    manila post office building
    the post office building: a Juan Arellano masterpiece along with the nearby Jones Bridge, Metropolitan Theater and Executive house (now the National Museum)

    closer view of the river-facing facade (alright I cheated here. I replaced the grey sky with blue one)

    To be continued...

    Related Posts:

    Pasig River Lighthouse,
    Pasig River Structures,
    People of Pasig,
    Bridges of Pasig River.

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    posted by GingGoy @ 9:02 PM, ,