Glad I did this before 30: Indeed an underwater garden

Still on Day 2 – Aug 21, 2011

It was still early in the morning and yet our first stop at the Lusong Gunboat Shipwreck already topped our island hopping agenda. The best was yet to come as we headed to the the Bintuan Coral Garden. Just the same, the sea was so calm but you’d be occasionally surprised with a school of flying fish

It was indeed an underwater garden with a variety of hard and soft corals bursting in different colors. Bohol‘s Balicasag Island doesn’t compare to this coral reef at all.

foliase or cabbage coral

devil's hand or finger coral

green table coral

anemone

the threatened clown fish

xenia soft coral

brain coral

this maze coral actually resembles a rotten apple

elegance coral

mushroom coral

toadstool leather coral

flat cupcakes?

this purple staghorn coral seems to glow in the dark

the biggest clown fish I've seen so far...about the size of my hand...

i bet it's telling me to back off...

To be continued…

 

Glad I did this before 30: The first shipwreck experience

Day 2 – Aug 21, 2011

We were hoping for a good weather the following day as we began the first of our three-day Calamian Islands hopping. Fortunately, it wasn’t too sunny and the water was placid.

boat ride to Lusong Gunboat Shipwreck

Our tour guide got loads of trivia to share during the boat ride. He mentioned that most of the islands were owned by private foreign citizens. What sucks is these islands were sold by the Tagbanuas only for a few thousand pesos!

if I were born & filthy rich back then, I could have bought this island

Our first stop wasn’t actually an island but a shipwreck [Lusong Gunboat]. I was really looking forward to it as I haven’t seen one and the tour guide mentioned that it actually sunk in shallow waters so you can readily see the remains of the ship. Relieved, my new Pentax Optio WG-1 camera was able to capture these great underwater photos! But of course, I had to do a little photo editing.

Imagine the ship sideways teeming with corals and schools of fish. Quite frankly, I was too scared to get near and step on the shipwreck as it was kind of rusty. Haha…

But wait, there’s more….

 

Glad I did this before 30: Conquered Mt. Tapyas

Day 1 – Aug 20, 2011

Pitik / Crawfish at Kawayanan Grill

Though nourished with a hefty lunch followed by a short nap prior to the hike, my body just couldn’t keep up with the first stop in our tour itinerary — the 724 steps of Mt. Tapyas in Coron, Palawan.

Mt. Tapyas

As I and my friends took the 5 to 10-minute break per landing, we either contemplated on quitting ahead or assuring ourselves that we can make it to the peak of the mountain. Perhaps the only motivation we had at that time was our pride and curiosity. Nonetheless, we made it to the top in a matter of 45 minutes as the sun was about to set…giving us a serene view of the Calamian Islands.

glad I have beaten this snail c",)

The short dip at Maquinit Hot Springs helped sooth our trembling knees. Surprisingly, we didn’t feel any muscle pains the following day.

To be continued…

 

Dressed Alike

My sister posted some of our old family pictures taken back in the 80s and 90s in her Facebook account. Though embarassed, every photo reminded me of my childhood.

But one thing’s in common…my mom dressed us all alike most of the time! See for yourself!

L: our nanny with my brother, my mom with me, and my grandma with my sister; R: with grandpa

Aren’t those denim jumpers with a bear patch cute?! What about those green and white PE uniforms? Obviously, we were enrolled in the same school.

I couldn’t remember which cartoon character that was on me and my sister’s shirt… perhaps Voltron? Laced socks and dolfin shorts were a hit back in the 80s.

Same nursery uniforms in pastel colors partnered with white sandals. And those striped two-piece bikinis were one of my favorites.

In pink pajamas, Filipiniana costume, and summer jumpsuits with pearls. My mom is really into fashion.

We’re not twins yet my mom is really fond of dressing us up like one.

As you grow older, you try to have some identification–individuality…but still…it looks all the same.

 

It’s like giving birth

I have no plans of having a baby but growing plants is like giving birth.

After moving into my new unit, I wanted to prove I have a green thumb and fulfill my life-long dream — a secret garden.

I saw these little plants creeping on top of my laundry wall.

On the left are my tomatoes and on the other side are hot peppers, which started to germinate on its 4th day.

Other than these, I also planted cilantro and onion.

To add some color to my garden, I was hoping to get some flowering plants but haven’t got a chance to drop by Tagaytay. Fortunately, I saw this alley in Kalentong market with an assortment of potted plants for sale.

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candle plant [also known as the shrimp or lollipop plant

unnamed plants that I have to find out

neem tree

tied some mothballs to ward off cats

Looking forward to harvesting