Uncategorized – My travel blog

Welcome to my travel blog!

Batangas is one of the most popular tourist destinations near Metro Manila. It is home to the well-known Taal Volcano, one of the Decade Volcanoes, and Taal Heritage Town, a small town that has ancestral houses and structures dating back to the 19th century. Batangas City also has a numerous beach and diving spot. One of the famous Island in Batangas is the Verde Island passage, which is also the center of the world’s marine biodiversity.

It was a long fun vacation with my cousin in Batangas City. Since it’s our vacation time (July 2016) my aunt invited us to go with them, we’re not yet sure that time but After a day of me and my cousin Dianne decided to go with them and spent some of our vacation time.

The 1st and 2nd day, we’re only watching T.V, we also went to SM Batangas and to the market as well, until they decided to go in these places.

The first destination we went to is Monte Maria. MonteMaria is a pilgrimage center dedicated to Mary, Mother of All Asia. The design of the Monte Maria was a statue of Mary, Mother of All Asia represent for the unity and peace of the people and the countries. The development was conceived as a destination to attract devotees and pilgrims. It can be considered as a tourism and/or retirement village. The MonteMaria is not only a large statue of Mary because inside of it there was a church, hotel, heritage things, and some paintings that will surely amaze you.

Actually the construction of this is pilgrimage center was started in 2014 if I’m not mistaken. When I was young we also visited it I think I was grade 4 that time and it was only a ground breaking of the site, and the last time I visited it(grade 10-july), the half of it still under construction, but they will allowed you to enter because the church located at the first floor, and the lower part is already half done.

The Second destination we went is Sky Ranch Tagaytay, Since Tagaytay City is not that far from Batangas we also went to Sky Ranch, this is the most exciting one because of the rides. You will also see the Taal Lake in distance. We actually passed in the fantasy world in Batangas so i take a picture in the distance just for my instagram.

After we try some of the rides, we also buy some souvenirs and take a selfie. One of the best part we do in sky ranch was have some lunch.

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The last One is we went to the Isla Verde, for me this one is kinda adventure even it is not because this is the first time that I lived 3 days on the middle of the mountain with no internet connection, no T.V and rarely you will find a place with cell phone signal, it’s feel like back to basic, because the electricity is only limited from power generator and solar panels. In my own theory the Island is being called Isla Verde because the water-color in the beach is green. Just my opinion but never mind😂.

The moment that we arrived in Isla Verde, a lot of people welcomed us, actually my Tita and her husband Tito July are well-known in this Island because my Tito grow up and lived here. Many people help us to lift our things up to the middle of the mountain, After 10-20 minutes of climbing the steep route, we reached the middle of the mountain. Another 5-10 minutes of walking to reach my Tito’s house.*After 5-10 minutes* Then we reached the house we take a rest eat some snacks, then when I asked for water and my tita told me that the main source of drinking water in the Island is from deep wells and rain water also being harvested for household use. The rain water is stored in a big container. So we bring some mineral water since the well is far from my tito’s house. I am well-informed that here, there is no wifi, they have limited places where you can find internet or phone signal, and limited electricity. But still i think it will be one of my memorable experience.

Day 1 in Isla Verde

Early morning, we decided to go down to (APLAYA) or Tabing Dagat, we don’t mind if we bump up with narrow pathways again, all what we have in mind is to go for a swim and experience the most precious thing that this Island can offer, A crystal blue-green waters with amazing corals and different shore fish species this is one of a kind that everyone should have experience.

10-20 minutes later after walking down for hundreds of steps of a concrete pathway we finally get in to APLAYA term in Tabing Dagat in Batangas, but of course before anything else we took our breakfast as swimming required extra energy, after breakfast we took a bit rest then finally we jump up to the sea.

We’re very much excited and enjoying every single water sports that we can have in the Island, paddling with small boat playing with some local kids splashing water with each other and chasing different kind of shore fish which you can only see in some expensive hotel aquariums, but in Verde Island you can chase them play with them like hide and seek.

I took hours of swimming, playing, chasing shore fish and then we ran out of energy, Dianne and I decided to go out from the sea to take break as Tita Letlet also calling us to have lunch first, I can still remember the fish that we ate for lunch a Tanigue also known as King Fish and the other one is Batalay, aside from a breath-taking view, Beautiful landscape these are the Island can offer too, a fresh seafood’s.

After late afternoon lunch we took a bath as everybody are getting ready to go home, going back home is much easier that time rather than the first time we took that rough pathway. A bit tired but we’re still in high spirit,

We reach the top of the Island and we went to with my Tita’s friend vegetable garden, and the Island mountains afternoon beauty was the most interesting that time, so we spent the rest of the day taking pictures a shared some funny jokes.

The 1st day up to 3rd is almost the same except the water sport thing, because the only thing that you can do in this Island is to take a picture, stroll the place, appreciate the beauty of nature, enjoy the sea, eat some fresh food, listen to different funny jokes also to the legend stories, and enjoy the fresh air until it last.