Adventures in CDO and Bukidnon

Travel Blog by J
November 2011



CAGAYAN DE ORO (CDO) is fast becoming a popular destination for thrill seekers for its whitewater rafting and the zip line adventure in nearby BUKIDNON.  These two activities have opened up this Northern Mindanao city to tourists, both local and foreign, thereby making its economy boom in recent years.  

While the city proper of CDO boasts of malls and restaurants not found in Manila, you would have to venture out of the city for the major attractions:  (1) Camiguin, a 3-hour land and ferry trip from CDO, known for its white sand beach and hot springs; and (2) Bukidnon, for the Del Monte plantation and recently rediscovered for its zip line.  

We chose to do Bukidnon this time.  From CDO airport, we got on our hired private van to head to Dahilayan Adventure Park in Brgy. Dahilayan, Bukidnon.  I read in an article that Bukidnon is supposed to be just 45 minutes away from CDO.  However, because of the on-going road construction, it took us 2 hours to get there.  The road is mostly paved until it gets to the Del Monte pineapple fields.  From here, it just 20 km to Pine Grove Mountain Lodge inside Dahilayan Park where we stayed for the night.  


Pine Grove sits on a hill dotted with pine trees.  The place is charming, reminiscent of Baguio during its earlier years.  The cool night breeze is refreshing for anyone living in the city. What's also nice about this lodge is that it's just steps way from where the zip line starts.  We beat the crowds the next morning by signing up early.

The first zip line is a combination of a the 320 mt and 150 mt (Cost:  Php 250.00 per person/ride).  You ride this sitting down and it takes you past Pine Grove Lodge -- short and sweet :)  







At the 4,500 feet level of Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Brgy. Dahilayan is Asia's Longest Dual Cable Zipline  (Cost:  Php 500 per person/ride). The ride runs for 840 meters, zooming past pine trees and guaranteeing extreme adrenaline rush!  It was scary being wrapped around the harness and positioned like Superman.  Getting off was particularly heart-stopping but as soon as I was pushed off the tower (the crew heedless of anyone's pleads and whimpers at this point!), I couldn't do anything anymore but enjoy the ride.  Yeah, I screamed my lungs out...again and again :)  

Me thanking God I made it in one piece!


There is an All-Ride ticket (320 mt + 150 mt + 840 mt) which costs Php 600.00 per person/ ride.  I suggest choosing this so that you get mentally  prepped before the big ride.   For an additional fee (Php 50-100), you can purchase photos taken by their professional photographer.  You'll also be given a Ziprider's Certificate together with the photo.

Aside from the zip line, you could also go to the nearby Forest Park.  It's essentially a family park where there are picnic tables, figures of animals and Indians, a playground; and activities like the Zorbit, ATV and tree-top adventure.  There are also rooms for rent here.  We had very limited time in Dahilayan so we did not do any other activity here aside from the zip line.  The ATV trail looked challenging though.  Maybe next time :) 






After Dahilayan, we headed back down to Del Monte Clubhouse to sample their famous steak.  It said that the beef is tender and juicy because the cows are only fed crushed pineapple peelings.  I ordered a small sirloin steak (250 grams for Php 425.00) which came with mushroom soup, salad, a fruit dessert and bottomless pineapple juice.  My verdict:  it is tasty but it's not the best steak I've had. Still worth a try though if you're passing through.  




Bukidnon is Pineapple Country.  Del Monte has its pineapple plantation here and provides livelihood for many of the locals.  Camp Philips, which showcases a row of colorful, identical houses is home to the company's employees. We enjoyed taking pictures in the middle of the pineapple fields!  We were told that if it was harvest season, we could sample the sweet pineapples for free.

Del Monte welcomes you to Bukidnon!


  


From the Del Monte Plantation, we drove to the  Monastery of the Transfiguration in Brgy. San Jose, Malaybalay, Bukidnon (Travel time:  2 hours from Del Monte).  The Benedictine Monks from Montserrat, Barcelona set up a foundation here in 1981.   The shrine houses a replica of the Virgin of Montserrat. 

Their gift shop sells the famous Monks' Blend Coffee - a combination of Robusta and Arabica beans.  This is 100% grown and roasted  in Mindanao.

The shrine designed by National Artist, Leandro Locsin

Next stop was the Divine Mercy Shrine in CDO  (Travel time:  3.5 hours from Monastery of Transfiguration).  We arrived past closing time but was fortunately let inside by the security guard.  There is a  prominent 50-ft statue of Jesus Christ here, with rays coming out of his heart as if enveloping everyone in an embrace.  The rays are actually steps which can take one inside the heart of Jesus.

This would be our last stop for the day before the CDO rafting adventure the following morning.  





Last day in CDO:  We were picked up from out hotel at 7:00 am for the Whitewater Rafting.  Whitewater rafting in CDO was opened in 1997 and ever since then, more and more tourists (80% of which reside in Manila), flock to CDO to seek this thrill.  There are many tour companies that provide packaged rafting tours, which usually includes return transfer from your hotel and lunch.

The 90-km stretch of Cagayan River actually starts in Bukidnon and drains out to Macajalar Bay in CDO.  Going downstream, Bukidnon would be on your right and CDO on your left.  Quite nice to say that you can just paddle from one city to the other in minutes, right? :)

We chose to do the  beginner's course that ran for 12.9 km, took 3 hours to traverse, and had 14 rapids of classes II-III.  The course is quite exciting for a novice, with the guide effectively drumming up team spirit every time he shouts "High Five!"  Rapid intervals are between 10-15 minutes of each other, allowing plenty of time to also enjoy the backdrop of mountains, limestone rock formations and little waterfalls.  There was also time to take a dip.  The ride is safe, for as long as you follow your guide's commands and safety precautions while in the raft and if you fall off.  Our guide said that it is prohibited now to intentionally let the raft capsize just for fun-- which I think is just right for the safety of all rafters.  











We finished the course at about 12:30 pm. Lunch was then served:  chicken barbecue, grilled fish, steamed prawns, rice and bananas.  This was a fitting finish for an action-packed morning!  After lunch, we then headed to CDO airport for our flight home.  CDO airport is just 10 minutes away from the endpoint of the course. 

So this is my CDO-Bukidnon adventure in 3 days...or 1.5 full days! Whew! Lots of traveling done to and from the places but hopefully, the length of time spent on the road will be cut short once all the road work is completed.   Do visit CDO/Bukidnon--- they promise a fun-filled, action-packed weekend! :)


    

Fantastic Prague

Travel Blog by J
October 2011


Originally, Prague wasn't part of our Europe itinerary but it somehow found its way into the final plan... and I'm glad that it did.  Prague is beautiful!  It is an old medieval city, many of its Gothic and Romanesque buildings remain well preserved today.  Almost every turn from a corner opens up to a beautiful square or a a row of buildings in pretty pastel colors.  Horse-drawn carriages must have passed on the same cobbled streets.  Statues are just as intricately made as those seen in Rome. But just as there are many old things to admire, many too are the pubs that serve Czech's famous beers, souvenir shops and fashion stores.  After all, Czech Republic holds the title of having the most supermodels per capita in the world!

I love the fact that the attractions are within walking distance of each other.  We stayed in an apartment in Wenceslas Sqaure and we could just take a leisurely walk from there to  to Old Town Square, cross Charles Bridge, walk up to the Little Quarter and then to Prague Castle.  All this we did in a day!



Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) 
One of the 2 major squares in Prague, Wenceslas Square is a lively area with many stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels and apartments.  Our friend who's based in Prague said that this is like their red-light district (but I didn't see any professional escorts :)   as this is center of Prague's nightlife and entertainment.

    



Old Town Square
A five-minute walk from Wenceslas Square, the Old Town Square is the  most popular and the busiest of Prague's Squares.  The Astronomical Clock, The Church of our Lady Before Tyn and St. Nicholas Church can be found here.  Surrounding the square are colorful buildings, cafes, souvenir shops and food stalls that sell anything from mulled wine, Old-Prague ham, sausage  (Prazska klobasa), to potato with cabbage and bacon (Halusky).

The Church of Tyn prominent in Old Town Square

Czech comfort food:  Ham, Sausage and Potatoes





The Astronomical Clock

One of Prague's treasures, the oldest working clock in the world.  The clock is made of 3 components:  (1) the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon, (2)  "The Walk of the Apostles," a clockwork of moving figurines of the Apostles that move every hour, and (3)  a calendar dial that represent the months.

There's a always big crowd that waits for the strike of the hour to see the "dancing" Apostles.  Fascinating that this clock works perfectly considering it's over 600 years old.





Charles Bridge
Prague's most important and visited bridge.  It's impossible to get a picture taken here without any people during the day.  The bridge connects the Old Town to Prague Castle and crosses over the Vlatva River.  The bridge is decorated by about 30 Baroque-style statues, some of which are the Crucifix, St. Francis Xavier, St. Ludmila and little St. Wenceslas.   The most popular statue would be that of St. John of Nepomuk.  This is the oldest statue on Charles Bridge.  His image has been polished to a shine by many visitors who believe that rubbing the relief on the statue will bring luck (or maybe promise a return to Prague someday... much like a coin thrown into the Trevi Fountain).








Musicians along Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge leading to Prague Castle





Prague Castle
A very significant landmark in the city, the Prague Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Its area is vast which houses the Palace, several chuches, Golden Lane, and exhibition halls.

There are several ways to get to the Castle.  The best would be to take a tram up to the Castle and then walk back down when you're done.  We took the "scenic" route by taking Tram 22 from Malostranska metro station and getting off at Pohorolec.  From here, we walked through Hradcany and arrived at the main entrance.  I said "scenic" because the tram route gives you beautiful views of the city.

We were lucky to see the Changing of the Guards when we arrived.  This takes place every hour.

We chose to do the short itinerary (costs CZK 250), which inclides visits to the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane and Daliborka Tower, St. Wenceslas Vineyard and the Powder Tower.





View of the city walking up to the Castle from the metro station



In the Castle grounds, you'll see the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral - the biggest and most important church in the country.  This is the place where saints, kings, princes and emperors of Bohemia are buried.  Inside are any small chapels and impressive stained glass windows.




The Golden Lane is also here -- the smallest street in Prague.  This is a row of small colorful houses (more like doll houses) that were meant for the Castle's marksmen.  Due to a lack of space, the houses had to be built so small so that all 24 marksmen can be accommodated.  Later on, these houses were rented out and No. 22's most important tenant was Franz Kafka, a famous Czech writer.  Today, the houses are transformed into boutiques.





Walking the streets of Prague, we saw a number of these classic cars.  It turns out that these cars are for hire.  If you prefer seeing town in one of these open-top old timers, you can do so by paying around 50 euros for a 40-minute tour.  That is, if you don't fancy riding in a horse-drawn carriage :)








Considering Prague is mostly a historic city, it i interesting to see buildings too of the art nouveau style, like these:









While the architecture of Prague will enchant every tourist, so will their food and local beer!  We got to sample their staples like goulash, roast pork, dumpling, beer cheese  (cheese mixed with beer), fried pork shnitzel and bratwurst.  For beer, we tried Pilsner Urquell.  I don't know much about beer but I found this one quite good for not having a bitter after-taste.  Pilsner Urquell is the world's first and original pilsner (a type of pale lager).







Prague has a lot to offer:  an old world charm, various styles of architecture, good beer and local food, and shopping opportunities.  It is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in Europe, definitely a must-visit :)



* All pictures are Skycab's own.



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Barcelona: Everything Gaudi

Travel Blog By J
October 2011





After Paris, our next stop was Barcelona.  I've heard many good things about this city.  Well, more good things that what I've heard about busier Madrid, so I was excited to see Barcelona for the first time.  Never mind that we got lost getting to our apartment from the airport (but more on that later).

So my first impressions--   Clean.  Orderly.  Alive.  A vibrant, artistically rich city with architectural masterpieces in every corner to astound you.  To me, this is the place that Gaudi built. This city celebrates the genius of its famous son, Antoni Gaudi, whose distinctive style is showcased and preserved for life in the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, Casa Batllo and La Pedrera -- just some of the popular attractions in Barcelona.



A comfortable way of seeing Barcelona's top attractions is to take Barcelona Turistic's hop-on hop-off tour.  We bought a 2-day pass for 30 euros.  The ticket is valid for three different routes (red, blue and green) and you can ride the bus as many times as you wish.  The bus provides audio-commentary in many languages.  We took the bus from Placa de Catalunya and followed the red and blue lines.

Here are my favorite stops:


Sagrada Familia
Gaudi's most famous structure is still a work in progress, relying on the donations and funding it gets from the public. There was scaffolding in some parts of the cathedral; some bricks are dark with age, while others are visibly new and white. The construction still follows the original design of Gaudi.  The Sagrada Familia's website says that when the church is finished, it will have 18 towers:  12 dedicated to the apostles, 4 to the evangelists, one to Jesus and another to Mary.

Entrance to the church is 12 euros.

Gaudi used fruits on top of these towers


Parc Guell
This park on a hill was again designed by Antoni Gaudi.  It was meant to be a pleasure park, where people can get a respite from the bustling city.  Quite ironic that today, the park is packed with tourists and vendors that you'd find a hard time finding a quiet place to sit.  The attractions here range from quirky to the avant garde.   Gaudi's trademark serpentine benches and mosaic art can be seen here.

Entrance to the park is free.

park entrance

mosaic-tile serpentine benches



Casa Mila or La Pedrera
Another notable work of Gaudi.  He was commissioned by a wealthy couple to do this building.  Very noticeable here are the curved balconies.

La Pedrera

Casa Batllo
This is another house that was restored by Antoni Gaudi for a middle-class family.  The facade of the building is remarkable, with skeleton bones for window bars,  a mosaic of multi-colored ceramic tiles and irregularly-shaped  windows.

Entrance fee is 18,50 euros.



Casa Batllo's colorful facade



Camp Nou
All football aficionados must stop here --- the home of FC Barcelona!  There is huge FC shop here that sells all football merchandise.



Placa d' Espanya
Plaza d' Espanya is one of Barcelona's biggest squares that connect to Palau Nacional and Fira de Barcelona.  In the center is a fountain designed by a collaborator of Gaudi.  This stop is particularly special to me--- as our apartment is just 3 blocks away :)




Montjuic
Stopping here would give you views of the city below.  You can also catch the cable car here which will get you to the Old Port.

view from Montjuic Hill

Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)
My favorite stop because of the views!  We didn't go inside the museum anymore but just walked on the museum grounds.

The MNAC as viewed from Placa d'Espanya

view of the city from MNAC

Olympic Village
This is the home of the 1992 Olympics.  Near this is the Montjuic's Communication Tower.


Montjuic's Communication Tower



Barri Gotic  (Gothic Quarter)
Our landlady recommended to "get lost" in the Barri Gotic.  True enough, one can get lost here as there are so many alleys that open up to squares, and there are many shops and important buildings to see in this area.  Many of the buildings here date back from Medieval times.  This is a nice area to explore during the day or night (although I would think that it might be harder to get your bearings in the dark!)

old stone walls border this narrow pathway


a nice red building with a colorful facade in the Gothic Quarter


There is a total of 45 bus stops.  Naturally, we didn't get to see everything is just two days but we did cover a lot of ground.  The rest of time was spent enjoying the tapas bars, searching for the best paella and shopping in Placa de Catalunya and La Rambla :)


Now, for some tips while you're in Barcelona:

T-10 ticket
* From Barcelona (BCN) Airport, the cheapest way to get to town is via the Aerobus.   A one-way ticket costs 5,30 euros; a return ticket is 9,15 euros.  The travel time is about 35 minutes.   Once on the bus, make sure that you press the "stop button" located on the handle bars to indicate your stop.  We didn't know we had to do this and we didn't see other people doing so.  The bus was packed.  We assumed that the bus will stop at every stop indicated in the route, but no!  We got off about 3 blocks down from where we were supposed to go!

* Buy a T-10 metro ticket (a pack of 10 journeys that can be used by a group) if you plan to use the metro for several days.  It is cheaper at  8,25 euros for 10 journeys.  The T-10 is valid for all metro, bus and RENFE.

* There is free wi-fi in most plazas like Placa de Catalunya.

* Dine inside the restaurant or out in the terrace?  If price matters to you, dine inside as some restaurants levy a 15% surcharge if you dine al fresco.  I saw this information in (very) fine print at the bottom of a menu.

* Of course you've heard of the Spanish siesta.  Most businesses close between 2pm-5pm except for some stores located in the tourist areas like La Rambla.  During this time, people rest or take a rather long lunch.  Bars and restaurants are usually closed between 4pm-8pm. 

* When in Barcelona, enjoy some tapas, wine, iberico ham and good ol' paella!  :)



*All photos are Skycab's own.