What to see in Batanes

Batanes is the northernmost and the smallest province of the Philippines. The province was composed of ten islands called the Batanes Islands with the largest and most economically important are Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang. The people of Batanes are called Ivatan. It has 6 municipalities- basco, Itbayat, Ivana, Mahatao, Sabtang and Uyugan.
I grabbed some of the eye catching photos from a good friend during his vacation with his family on his hometown.

Mahatao Lighthouse

Diura Fishing Village from Marlboro Country

Mahatao Beach

Fundacion Pacita Abad Hotel

Mahatao Church

Mabuhay Miles

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Eid'l Fitr, End of Ramadan

Tomorrow September 21 is a declared Holiday in observance of Eid'l Fitr. Here are some insights of Ramadan:
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset (6am to 6pm). Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality. Ramaḍān is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramaḍān, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving forward about ten days each year as it is a moving festival depending on the moon.
The elderly, the chronically ill, and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups must endeavor to feed the poor in place of their missed fasting. Also exempt are pregnant women, women during the period of their menstruation, and women nursing their newborns.
Eid ul-Fitr
The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر‎) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast; a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (‘Zakat al-Fitr’), everyone puts on their best, usually new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is optional (waajib) prayer as opposed to the compulsory five daily prayers. Muslims are expected to do this as an act of worship, and to thank Allah (God).

Vigan Ilocos Sur

Vigan is the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur. We always had a stop over at Vigan whenever we pay a visit Paoay Ilocos Norte. It is a world heritage site and one of the numerous and famous Hispanic towns in the Philippines.

Vigan's delicacies are highly recommended like empanada, longganisa and the famous Tongson's Royal bibingka which is just a street away from Plaza Burgos. Cornick comes in different varieties too sweet, spicy, barbeque and cheese flavors.

You can also have a fun calesa ride to enjoy reminiscing the Hispanic times of the place.

If you want to stay overnight in Vigan you may choose from this list:

* Hotel Salcedo De Vigan, V. de los Reyes corner General Luna Streets, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur 2700, Philippines, ☎ +63 (77) 722-1200, +63 (77) 722-2798, Air-conditioned rooms are very spacious and well-appointed. They have a casual yet elegant setting to enjoy superb local and international cuisine. edit

* Grandpa's Inn (1 Bonifacio St. cor. Quirino Blvd; phone: (6377)722-2118; fax: (6377)722-1446; email: grandpas_inn@yahoo.com; rooms from P500) is in a charming old residence and is also one of the cheapest options in town. The downstairs restaurant serves good food (from P60) and even espresso (P35).
* Taj Resort, Pantay daya, Vigan, (077)722-7476.

* R.F. Anicieto Mansion Hotel, near Plaza Burgos, (077)-722-2383/fax: 722-2384.

* Vigan Hotel, Burgos Street, (077)-722-2588.

* La Feliza Tourist Inn, # 8 V. delos Reyes St., (077)-722-2994.

* Mom's Courtyard, Bongtolan, (077)-722-2105.

* Socio-Pastoral Center, besides the Archbishop Palace, (077)-722-1442.

* Villa Angela Heritage House, Quirino Blvd., (077)722-2914.

* Cordillera Inn, Crisologo St., (077)-722-2727

* Gordion Inn, V. delos Reyes St., (077)-722-2526.

* Fernandina Hotel & Restaurant, 26 A. Mabini St., (077)-722-2964.

* El Juliana Hotel, 5 Liberation Blvd. Cor Quirino Blvd., (077)-722-2994/09123508350

* Vigan Plaza Hotel, Mena Crisologo Street, Brgy 2, Vigan City, ☎ +63 77 7221527 / +63 77 6320317 / +63 2 2461501. Located along Mena Crisologo Street, near Plaza Burgos. Showcasing Spanish-Colonial accommodations, Vigan Plaza Hotel proves that antique decor can be luxuriously comforting, especially when complemented by modern amenities. Rates start at PHP 2100.

Pacquio's Boracay Mansion

Last year when we had our first grand vacation in Boracay, we saw Manny Pacquiao's mansion in Boracay. It was already featured in different magazines and I say his house is very elegant. Being a billionaire himself, this kind of vacation house is just a simple one for Pacman.

When you get to visit Boracay, rent a banca and ask the boatman where is Pacquiao's house and he will gladly drive you around the area.

Pagsanjan Falls

The only falls that I visited was Pagsanjan Falls, one of the famous waterfalls in the Philippines. It has grown into a major tourist attraction for the region, Pagsanjan became famous for these falls in particular. But their actual location is not in Pagsanjan at all but in the adjacent town of Cavinti.
I witnessed the strong flow of tourists visiting the area. We were ferried to the famed falls with a banca boat for 600 pesos each person but the rate now was increased to 1,000 pesos. The only passable route to it is the Bumbungan River of Pagsanjan. To reach Pagsanjan Falls, tourists or visitors like us have to ride these boats, manned by skilled Pagsanjeño boatmen.

There are some caves too to explore around the area which are known for their acoustics. There is also a small cave behind the waterfalls which you can enter. We also got 'massaged' under the falls.

Visit Pagsanjan Falls now to experience the rapids like I did.

Missed Dad's Hometown

I missed visiting my father's hometown at Paoay, Ilocos Norte. During my younger years, almost every summer vacation were spent there. Mango trees are everywhere so our past time is eating mangoes while killing the time. We enjoyed riding a bike to the plaza where the famous Paoay Church is located. At night, we will visit the plaza again to eat the famous delicacy of Ilocos, empanada.

I also missed the never ending visits to Malacanang of the North, Marcos' body at Batac, Suba Beach and Laoag's Fort Ilocandia. I hope we can find time to visit it soon, my last visit there was 7 years ago.

Dubai Metro

Dubai Metro, the World's longest fully automated rail system was finally opened to the public last Thursday September 10, 2009 6am . The Dubai Metro is driverless too, Red Line is partly operational, its first section covering 10 stations was inaugurated last Wednesday at 9:09:09 PM by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
All trains and stations are air conditioned with platform edge doors to make this possible. The Dubai Metro is currently operated by a joint organization of the Roads and Transport Authority and the Serco Group. Once the 20 km Green line opens in June 2010, the Dubai Metro will overtake the title of longest automated metro network from the Vancouver Skytrain, surpassing it by 3 km.

The driverless, fully automated trains are fully air-conditioned and designed to meet Dubai's specific requirements. Unusual for metro operation, the trains offer standard 'silver' class, a women and children only section plus a first-class 'gold' section (a carriage for VIPs). The five-car sets are approximately 75m long, seating around 400 passengers but with standing room for many more. Numerous double doors will allow fast and smooth flows.

The automatic train control system will allow headways of between 90 seconds and two minutes. In 2005 MHI contracted Alcatel (now Alcatel-Lucent) to supply the driverless train control system and a communications system for on-train video surveillance, passenger information, public address and the integrated control centre. Trains will be Wi-Fi enabled.

Unfortunately for the curious and excited passengers yesterday, hundreds of people were stranded <>. The train services ran intermittently for four hours yesterday night between 5-9pm September 11.

Up to 11,000 passengers are expected to use the Metro in peak times every hour, with nearly 75,000 predicted to use it daily.

Earning Online

Through blog hopping I learned about Link from Blog, another source of earning online. I haven't explored it yet on the exact details but I was encouraged to write a post because it seems this one is not a scam. I hope I can get a better internet connection at home so I can assess how Link from blog really works!
Having 2 blogs (my other blog is Entertainment Spree) sometimes I was confused which one will I update first but I am very interested of earning through blogging aside from writing a paid post.

Amazon Rainforest

Another entry of the New 7 Wonders of the World was the Amazon Rainforest also known as the Amazonia or Amazon Jungle. It is a moist broad leaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America. This basin encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres), of which five and a half million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres) are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, and with minor amounts in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. States or departments in four nations bear the name Amazonas after it. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests, and it comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world.
The Amazon rainforest was short-listed in 2008 as a candidate to one of the New7Wonders of Nature by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation. As of February 2009 the Amazon was ranking first in Group E, the category for forests, national parks and nature reserves.

Today the Amazon River is the most voluminous river on Earth, eleven times the volume of the Mississippi, and drains an area equivalent in size to the United States. During the high water season, the river's mouth may be 300 miles wide and every day up to 500 billion cubic feet of water (5,787,037 cubic feet/sec) flow into the Atlantic. For reference, the Amazon's daily freshwater discharge into the Atlantic is enough to supply New York City's freshwater needs for nine years. The force of the current -- from sheer water volume alone -- causes Amazon River water to continue flowing 125 miles out to sea before mixing with Atlantic salt water. Early sailors could drink freshwater out of the ocean before sighting the South American continent.

The river current carries tons of suspended sediment all the way from the Andes and gives the river a characteristic muddy whitewater appearance. It is calculated that 106 million cubic feet of suspended sediment are swept into the ocean each day. The result from the silt deposited at the mouth of the Amazon is Majaro island, a river island about the size of Switzerland.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

Philippines very own Puerto Princesa Underground River was included in the 28 shorlisted for the new 7 Wonders of the World. It is located about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa Palawan, Philippines. It is also known as St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park, or St. Paul Underground River. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea

Until the 2007 discovery of an underground river in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula,[1] the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River was reputed to be the world's longest underground river.

The area also represents a habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. It was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999.

You may still cast your votes for the New 7 Wonders of the World.

Chocolate Hills

There is one place that I dream of visiting soon, the most famous tourist attraction in Bohol, the Pregnant Woman or more famously known as the Chocolate Hills.

Why is it called the Chocolate Hills? They look like giant mole hills, or as some say, woman's breasts. For the first timers who'll be seeing its picture can hardly believe that that these hills are not a man-made artifact. The chocolate hills consist of are no less than 1268 hills (some claim this to be the exact number). They are very uniform in shape and mostly between 30 and 50 meters high. They are covered with grass, which, at the end of the dry season, turns chocolate brown. From this color, the hills derive their name. At other times, the hills are green, and the association may be a bit difficult to make.

It has its own legend that the hills came into existence when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made.

Some activities while in Bohol are Bird Watching, Bird Exploration, Dolphin and Whale Watching, Mountain Biking, Sailing, Scuba Diving and Trekking. I wish I will have enough funds to visit this awesome site!

Sentosa Singapore

Enjoy Singapore's biggest attractions cluster, Sentosa. Situated near Mount Imbiah, is the newest cluster of exciting attractions that is appealing to all. Some of the famous attractions are:

• Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom - with 1,500 live butterflies from over 50 species to flutter about you as you enjoy the cool outdoor conservatory and admire up to 3,000 species of the world's most beautiful and rare insects including the largest Dynastes Hercules beetle ever recorded.
  
• Cable Car Arrival Plaza - experience gliding through the air high above the harbor skies on a scenic adventure.
• Underwater World
  
• Dolphin Lagoon
• Animal and Bird Encounters
• Fort Siloso Tours

Click here for the latest events and promos. To speak to Guest Services Officer, please call
1800-SENTOSA (736-8672) | Mon to Sun, from 9am to 6.30pm
Sentosa Leisure Group
33 Allanbrooke Road, Sentosa, Singapore 099981

El Nido Palawan, Magical Place

Philippines has truly many fascinating tourist spots, one is the very famous and breath taking El Nido which was also known as a magical place. El Nido is a top destination for island hopping, scuba diving (with over 30 dive sites for varying levels and skills).

Other exciting activities include cliff climbing, waterfalls, kayaking, cave exploration, windsurfing, plus you can also hire a motorbike and discover the surrounding north of Palawan. The most popular tourist times in El Nido are Christmas and Easter, so you better booked earlier for convenience.

A number of bars offer different entertainment including billiard, dancing, live music, karaoke, and of course along the beach front the chance to unwind and watch the beautiful view as the day comes to a close.

Palawan is frequently referred to as "The Final Frontier". Once you have been here you’ll realize why.

ITI offers 3 flights daily from Manila direct to El Nido and back (morning, midday and afternoon). Manila-El Nido flights can be booked only 5 days before, while the return flight can be booked in advance through their GSA at Artcafe, email: elnidoboutique@yahoo.com for reservations. One way Fare is PHP 6,750 per person. There is a 10kg weight restriction, incl. hand luggage.
Manila-El Nido bookings can be booked only at ITI directly:

» +63 (0) 2 851 56 74
» csu@islandtransvoyager.com
» www.islandtransvoyager.com
(N.B. ITI is the charter airline of El Nido Resorts and their guests can get advanced reservations confirmed.)