Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Las Casas is a unique Spanish-Philippine heritage site located in the town of Bagac, Bataan which features mansions from the Spanish colonial period dating back from 17th to the 19th century. "Casa" which means houses in Spanish word were delicately dismantled brick by brick and were carefully transported to Bagac to preserve the antiquity. Each went a rigorous process of reassembling the door, window, tiles and even all the bricks.

My sister who went on a Las Casas tour narrates her experience. She said it was like being transported back in time where the streets are made up of cobblestones which is comparable to Vigan except that Las Casas has so much more to offer because the houses came from different parts of the country. The site has 55 different heritage houses spread across a 400 hectare park owned and developed by Gerry Acuzar.

How to Get There:
1. Ride a bus bound to Balanga, Bataan (Bataan Transit & Genesis Transport).
2. Once in Balanga, ride a bus bound to Bagac. And from the town proper of Bagac, hire a tricycle that will take you to Las Casas.
3. For more information and reservation you can visit their website Las Casas de Acuzar

Lee Hak: The Legendary Korean Restaurant

Since our office is located in Pioneer, Mandaluyong we've decided to celebrate our team's Christmas party lunch in Lee Hak, known as the Legendary Korean Restaurant (thanks to our team lead for her generosity). Nothing can be much better than a Korean buffet which is only 329 as food lovers considers Lee Hak as the "affordable" version of Yakimix, truly a worth it promo deal. 

The food is quite good for it's price, there are a lot of Korean and even Japanese viands to choose from which includes: soups, fried chicken, fried vegetables, fruits, beef, seafood, squid, kim chi, potato salads, dumplings and pork strips and slices, and there is also a DIY Bibimbap Bar where you can prepare your own Bibimbap. 

What I did not like are the drinking cups which were not properly cleaned and rinsed, thus giving the drinks an added "detergent" flavor.

Rating:

7 out of 10

Vertical Running: The Ultimate Cardio and Leg Workout

According to the American Council on Exercise - Vertical Running is an effective high-intensity workout that builds speed, power, agility and cardiovascular fitness. It involves actual ascension whether it is trail running, uphill run, stair mill, stair running, incline treadmill and more. As a runner and a mountaineer I use vertical running to prepare myself for major hikes and running competition.

There are several reasons why I incorporate stair running into my strength and conditioning routine. The muscles are forced to resist gravity and move in a vertical pattern. Thus, it increases aerobic activity by using muscle groups that are not utilized when running. Vertical running targets the gluteal muscles and quadriceps. Hence, by strengthening these muscles, it also increases the leg's power and strength for running or hiking.

What I like about with this kind of workout is that it lets you burn twice the calories in half the time compare if you run and is likely three times more than walking. An intense stair running exercise will produce more aerobic benefits in a shorter amount of time than running or walking. 

The blogger usually do a 15 set of Repetition (20 minute - vertical run) which is more arduous than a 12 km run.

Gumbo Restaurant

After our visit from Manila Ocean Park, we decided to have our dinner/ post birthday celebration at Gumbo Restaurant in Mall of Asia. According to the manager and staff of the resto, the term "Gumbo" is a stew that originated from southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It is primarily consists of strongly flavored meat, shellfish or any variance of sea foods, a thickener and what Louisianians call the "Trinity" of vegetables, namely: celery, bell peppers, and onions. The dish is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana.

We were happy with their service and with the quality of the food but nonetheless the food is a bit expensive if you ask me, there also no drinks included in their combo. Serving sizes are usually for sharing so you need to confirm with the waiter before placing your order.

Rating:
7 out of 10

Ayala Triangle Festival of Lights

Christmas is indeed the season that never fails to delight everyone even the busiest people, who are all delighted to witness Ayala Triangle's Festival of Light. 

The festival of lights and sounds has amazed thousands of Filipinos each yuletide season which is organized by the Ayala Land and co-presented by  HSBC and partners MasterCard, Coca Cola, Sun Life and Oishi. It is the centerpiece of Ayala Land’s 2 months-long Christmas spectacle that aims to bring holiday cheers to everyone. It runs daily from mid November to mid January 2017, every 30 minutes from 6PM to 10PM.

The sounds of Christmas songs and other favorite hits fill the air while the Christmas lights on trees and field lights on the ground simultaneously dances to the tune.  The lights flashes and changes colors to the beat of the music, bringing the amazement to the crowds.

How to Get There:
1. Ride a bus with signange Ayala, then alight in Unloading zone - you can just walk to the Ayala Triangle. Light and Sound Festival is every 6pm to 10pm.

Manila Ocean Park

When we went to Manila Ocean Park last Saturday, I was surprised to see numerous visitor because several schools held their educational field trip that day. Just imagine the scenario: it was like a pandemonium, the air-conditioning was not enough to cool the place with throng of people, making it freaking hot. I was almost dismayed at first, but nonetheless the featured attractions was still enough to make my day. 

The Manila Ocean Park is the first marine theme park in the Philippines. It is an integrated urban resort with marine life attractions and a hotel that is geared toward as a tourist attraction for all ages. As a theme park it is subdivided into several sections, among which are the Oceanarium, Yexel Musuem, Birds of Prey, Jellies Light Display, Sharks and Stingray, Penguins of Antarctica and Liquid Buffet. Each has their own corresponding entrance fees which makes it convenient for visitors to choose the areas that interest them and leave off the others. We bought a bundled promo in Metro Deal that combines several exhibits areas on a single discounted ticket.  

The main attraction of Manila Ocean Park is the Oceanarium which houses different sea creatures from about 277 species all of which is indigenous in Southeast Asia. It has seven sections and the main feature is the curved walkway tunnel. It also has an educational activity area, function rooms for events, and shark and stingray viewing area situated in two levels. The Jellies Exhibit on the other hand is a separate attraction which hosts jellyfishes on a light display. Other attractions also includes the Trails to Antarctica which features Humboldt penguins and lastly the Birds of Prey Kingdom which features Brahminy Kites.


The Oceanarium

Birds of Prey

Jellies

Trails to Antartica

Sharks & Sting Ray

Yexel Museum

How to Get There:

1. It is located beside the Quirino Grand Stand near Rizal Park.

Mt. Balingkilat Traverse

Mt. Balingkilat is one of the highest peaks in the Zambales coastal mountain ranges and coves area which stands at an altitude of 3600 ft. above sea level. American naval servicemen who once served in Subic Naval Base used to call it as the “Pointed Peak” but the indigenous people (Aetas) prefer to call it as Mt. Balingkilat which means "Mountain of Thunder".

Since our hike was a planned traverse to Nagsasa Cove, we started the trek at 3am (traverse time is 12 to 13 hours and is usually an overnight hike, we finished it in 11.5 hours as a day hike). The first part of the trail is composed of grassland (overgrown "Talahib" and "Cogon" grass are present throughout the trail). After an hour of trek one will reach the only tree in the midst of the grassland which marks the start of the assault. The assault trail is more or less 2600 feet in altitude gain which has a lesser grass and is predominantly a rocky portion. It becomes very steep in the final 600 feet before the summit where it requires technical climbing skills through rock walls and boulders with almost 90 degrees vertical climb.

Upon reaching the summit one will be rewarded with a 360 degree picturesque view of Zambales mountain ranges: Mt. Cinco Pincos and coves: Anawangin, Talesayen, Nagsasa, and Silanguin Cove. Mountains in Bataan can also be seen from afar:  Mt. Natib, Mt. Samat and Mt. Mariveles. Since we were greeted by Typhoon Marce during the climb, the summit was covered with mist and clouds, thus a 360 degree was not possible.

After our short rest, we decided to resume the traverse-descent to Nagsasa cove and were overwhelmed by a strong gush of wind (60 to 70 kph) through a very steep and slippery rocks that passes through ridges and ravines. The clouds that enveloped the whole mountain ranges prevented us from seeing the beauty of the traverse trail, but then again it was still a blessing in disguise if it were not for Typhoon Marce we could have been "toasted" under the scorching heat of the Sun, because there is zero trees cover. The rain also made us extra careful, thus practicing extreme precaution knowing that danger is imminent especially during a typhoon surge.

As we approached the final leg of the traverse trail we were glad that there was a "clearing" in the view, enabling us to see the vastness of the South China Sea, coastline of Nagsasa Cove and the nearby ridges. We took some time to take souvenir pictures and thanked God that we reached Nagsasa cove safe and sound.

How to Get There:

1. Ride a bus bound to Iba, Zambales (Victory Liner) and tell the conductor to drop you off in PNP Station of Subic. You also need to prepare a letter of intent before you can start your hike which will be submitted to PNP Subic.
2. Then ride tricycle going to Sitio Cawag, Mt. Balingkilat’s jump off point.
(I joined an event organized by the Adventurous People)