trip ko lang

2005-11-13T23:39:00.000+08:00

My day at Sonya's Garden

Tucked in Barangay Buck in Tagaytay is one of the most enthralling places south of Manila. A lot of things have been said about it, but those who have made it through the rough roads leading to Sonya's Garden were right when they said it's the ultimate date place.

It truly is the perfect place to be with someone you truly care for. Everything about it spells
r-o-m-a-n-c-e. And for those who prefer to go it alone... Sonya's is a great pick-me-up for weary souls. There are daybeds to lounge on and the food is heaven. There are settings for couples and families. The day we went there, there was even a small group doing their planning session.

We stayed in one of the cottages for the night and the place was very private. It seemed everyone obeyed the 'quiet zone' signs posted all over the place, especially in the "Bed and Breakfast" area. Dinner was served early, at around 5 p.m. -- their famous salad and pasta -- while you watch the sunset surrounded by trees, amidst the cool winds, hearing the faint sound of about a hundred chimes and feeling heady with the scent of flowers all over. After the sun had set and on our way to the cottage, the only lights you would see were from the tiny lamps that lit the garden path.

A massage in the evening capped a great day after which you wake up to a sumptuous Filipino breakfast -- it's dreamlike, really.

There's a small country store where one can get Sonya's secret salad dressing and the broad beans she puts in her greens, along with a few souvenirs, linens and even clothes and accessories.

For anyone wanting to re-kindle their romance or just to have a quiet day with their families, Sonya's is worth the trip. It's not enough to stay a day because there are lots of things to do -- there are meditation and yoga lessons, crafts lessons, flower arranging demos.

One of these days, I'm sure to make the trip there again. Thank God for this little hideaway.... It's heaven.

More of my pics at Sonya's Garden

The scent of flowers fills the air

A day bed beckons

And lastly...

My mirror image :-)

2005-11-06T23:08:00.000+08:00

Boracay Birthdays

Maybe it's because I was born under the sign of the Fish (Pisces) and I like being near the water.

Maybe because the beach has an absolute calming effect on me.

Maybe it's the combination of the white sands, bright sun and cool winds of February.

Or the front seat view of the sun setting on the horizon, frame by frame...

There are and have been several reasons why I've been celebrating my birthday each year in world-famous Boracay beach since the year 2000. Maybe simply because it's a beautiful place to be on a special day like your birthday.

Going back each year is like renewing my existence in the world and having the spirit to face the next with a brighter, sunnier outlook.

Whatever it really is, I'm sure to keep my personal Boracay tradition alive and keep my birthdays filled with gratitude for the year that was and the grace to meet all that life has ahead.

2005-11-04T23:49:00.000+08:00

The very first Starbucks in the world!

There's something really cool about visiting Seattle. And even if we only literally passed through the city from Vancouver to Portland, and only having stayed there for a little over 4 hours, it was the coolest experience of all time. All because of a neat little mecca for coffee lovers that we discovered quite easily.

Forget the Space Needle. Because tucked in a nondescript place in Pike Market in Seattle is the very first Starbucks in the world! Hard to imagine that the coffee houses patronized by coffee addicts all over the world began in just a little more than a hole in the wall in the middle of a marketplace. But as the barista who served me said, "yes ma'am, this IS the first Starbucks... and that mug you're holding...well, this is the only Starbucks where you can get it."

Sorry if non-coffee drinkers can't relate to the cheap thrill I got when he said that. And that mug I'm holding in the pic is the very one I bought right that day. Has the original Starbucks logo and all -- with the long-haired woman you see in today's logo, only her boobs are hanging out (today, her hair covers her boobs in the logo).

Yup, things surely couldn't get any better that day -- even after we had to deal with the burly immigration guys again going back in to the U.S. from Canada... the pitstop we had in Seattle and in Starbucks 1 was well worth it and I'm quite proud to say that I WAS THERE! It was a pilgrimage of the highest order! Although the cafe mocha tastes exactly as it does in Starbucks Greenbelt. :-)

2005-11-03T08:10:00.000+08:00

The pic on my profile was taken at the huge chrome dome sitting magnificently at the Millennium Park in Chicago last September. It's one of those trips I've had the great privilege of taking this year.

And in 2005, I've actually taken a lot -- from a quiet sojourn visting churches in chilly Tagaytay at the start of the year,

to the white beaches of swinging Boracay last February for my birthday,

to Singapore for the Holy Week where we hooked up with the pink dolphins at Sentosa,

and to Hong Kong for some quick shopping and sight-seeing before my daughter's school opening,

and this September, it's what I call my personal "amazing race" tour of Sanfo, Chicago, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, all in less than 2 weeks. (The photo on the right is taken at the Butchart Gardens in Vancouver. It's for real!)

Throughout all of these trips, I've brought my trusty Nikon D70 so I have some neat pics to show from all of the places where my sneakers have led me. There are quite a few photos that I really like so here's where I'll be posting them. Anyway, as the title of this blog says..."trip ko lang"...that's Filipino for well, quite literally ...'just havin' a trip'... so, let's all have a good one!