CHRISTMAS 2014

Our family had a couple of firsts this past Christmas:

We had our first Christmas tree... and what made our first tree special was that it was a real tree! It took us until the week of Christmas to finally get one and I'm so happy we did. It smelled so good and fresh especially right after it was cut, and when we set it up at home, it looked sooooo pretty even before we decorated it. I did get scratches all over my hands and arms from putting lights around it and I had this silly thought that a squirrel might poke from somewhere in the tree while I was doing it which made the experience quite memorable for me. Hehe! Anyway, after we're done dressing it up, and the gifts went under it, I felt inspired. It looked a lot like Christmas in the Valencia household then ;)

We celebrated our first Noche Buena as a family at our first home. Since it was just the three of us, we only prepared a simple dinner of baked macaroni with meat sauce and mornay sauce, maja blanca, roasted pork butt, green salad and fruits. We finished dinner right around midnight and then proceeded to open presents.

So what did we get for Christmas? ;)

Vonn Kaleb got books - lots of it - and flash cards, some jammies, toys, Amazon gift card, and a blanky. I'm so happy when I saw his new loot of books! The little one has been learning a lot from the books we read him every night at bedtime. He loves being read to, and at times, he'd grab books and flip pages himself as if he can actually read. The flash cards we previously gave him also helped him learn the alphabet, and so for Christmas, we gave him a couple new sets of flash cards. It was apparent though that his favorite of all his Christmas presents was the toy CAT truck/back hoe that our friend from church gave him. That was the first gift we opened and he didn't care so much for the other presents after that. Hehe! Vince and I got gift cards from his clinic staff and baking/cooking gadgets from friends. We did get a few more presents from friends which unfortunately I couldn't remember what now #seniormoment. Vince did get a dress shirt and tie, a Levi's button down shirt, a Levi's sweatshirt, and boxers from Vonn Kaleb and me. I'm excited to see him wearing those, particularly the boxers... ooppps! #R18 #maturereadersrequired Hehe!

Me? I only wanted a DIY fireplace makeover for Christmas, which I got ;) Okay, I'm not gonna lie... maybe in the deepest recesses of my heart, I wanted to get another Louis Vuitton purse or a Burberry, Chanel or Prada... just maybe. LOL! Or maybe that's in my birthday wishlist for next year along with another trip somewhere in the Caribbean again. Hehe! So anyway, my dear husband spoilt me with an iPad Air 2 and a Versace perfume for Christmas. I wasn't expecting he'd get me a tablet as I'm very much content with our old iPad 3, but yeah, now I have a new toy, and I'm loving it... but not as much as the one who gave it to me ;) Thanks again, love!

We finished opening the presents around 2am and went to bed soon after that. We slept in on Christmas day and pretty much vegetated except of course for Vonn Kaleb who kept himself busy playing with his new toy truck. Hehe! Vince didn't have to work on Christmas day and spending the whole day as a complete family, for me, was the perfect way to celebrate the holiday.

And that, my friends, was how the Valencias spent their Christmas. I know this post is a little too late but I hope you had a wonderful Christmas yourselves☻

THE MARVELOUS CHICHEN ITZA

One of the highlights in our recent Mexico vacation was our trip to Chichen Itza. It was memorable to me for several reasons:

1.  I had always wanted to see a Mayan ruin. From the moment I first saw a picture of a Mayan step pyramid in my high school history book, I was fascinated by it. After seeing Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, it went straight to my bucket list.

2.  We stayed in Cancun, Mexico, which is about two to two-and-a-half-hour drive from Chichen Itza. Going there by a tour bus would've been our best bet IF we didn't have Vonn Kaleb. Bus tours leave sooooo early, and having a toddler who loves to sleep in like her mother, there was no way we could get our arse out of bed by 7:00 a.m. So, that left us with our only other option, which is to drive ourselves there. Yay! (or more like nay???)

3.  With a little prodding, I was able to convince Vince to rent a car and drive ourselves to the famous tourist attraction. The first challenge we encountered in this plan was the rental car associate who was no habla Ingles. Oh dear! We wanted to rent a car with a car seat but language got in the way, and so we had to wait another day for an English-speaking associate to assist us.

4.  Car seat - check! Rental car - check! GPS - uh oh! Nada. Although the resort staff and the rental car associates were very helpful in giving us directions and were confident in saying that it's very easy to go to Chichen Itza, we definitely needed a GPS. Going from the resort to Chichen Itza was a no brainer. Vince drove while I sat at the backseat with senyorito Vonn Kaleb -- I was paranoid that the car seat would malfunction. Vince really didn't need any help navigating our way to Chichen Itza - it was pretty straightforward.  We took the scenic route as per the rental car associate's advice. There weren't a lot of cars taking the "scenic route" -- which could either be a good thing or a really BAD thing -- but anyway, it was a safe route and led us to our destination as it was supposed to. While driving, we entertained ourselves by once again pretending that the Valencias habla Espanyol. Hehe!

5.  So, when I said above that we definitely needed a GPS, you probably figured it out already that we did get lost. Yup, going back to our resort from Chichen Itza, what was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-hour drive at the most, it took us a couple of extra hours more. Oh Dios mio! First off, it was raining crazy -- thunderstorm, zero visibility, the like that reminded me of Philippines and made me want to shout, "Delubyo!" We drove inter-barrio on the way home, where I saw small houses and sari-sari stores that were (once again) reminiscent of Philippines.  Amidst the heavy rain, Vince drove steadily. We passed by barrios after barrios until we were back on the road leading to Cancun. We took the exit to Cancun, and by that time, it was already starting to get dark.

6.  I remember seeing a mall on our way to Chichen Itza earlier, so I asked Vince if he would like to check out the mall and grab dinner there. Might as well since we're not returning the car until the day after anyway. So he drove and drove to what we thought was headed to downtown Cancun, but the next thing we knew, we were getting deeper and deeper into the city without any sign of the mall nor our resort (or any resort)!

7.  It was getting late already. Vonn Kaleb had not had any real food yet. He had been sitting in the car for almost four hours already, so he was getting bored and antsy and starting to be really fussy that time. The maps we had on hand weren't very accurate, so Vince thought it best to ask people for directions. We saw a car dealership and so we stopped to ask. No luck for us, however, because the people at the dealership did not speak English. We tried to ask at the gas station when we gassed up, and as expected, we once again were lost in translation. Oh jeez! We were starting to get worried, so I turned to my last resort, Siri. Guess what, she wasn't very helpful either :( We were driving around in circles, trying to put together bits and pieces of English direction we were able to gather from the people we had asked, until we saw a road sign that pointed to where the resorts are. We were finally able to breathe!  It was already dark and still raining, and some motorists were not very cautious, so when we started seeing resorts we were familiar with, we were so relieved.

8.  Eventually, we reached our resort.  I was really grateful to God for his protection and travelling mercies and for bringing us back to our hotel safe and unscathed. Whew! We were very proud of Vonn Kaleb for being the trooper he was. He held on and cooperated and behaved himself very well the entire time we were lost. I am so thankful to my husband for being courageous enough to step out of his comfort zone and obliged wholeheartedly to do that road trip, albeit his reasonable apprehensions and fears. If it wasn't for him, we would've missed out on that chance to see one of the seven wonders of the modern world. A big hooray for team Valencia! Woohoo!

Anywayz, now that I've finished outlining why our Chichen Itza trip was memorable to me, I think it's high time to share pictures of the astounding Mayan ruins, right? ;)

This mango smoothie was a lifesaver. It kept Vonn Kaleb hydrated during our drive back to the resort!

To read about Chichen Itza, here's the Wikipedia link:  Chichen Itza

HOLA, ADIOS AND GRACIAS, CANCUN!

Our family of three (or two-and-a-half as we always say) intended to do a two-week trip to London and Europe, but lo and behold, we ended up once again in the Caribbean!

First stop was Cancun, Mexico. Actually, scratch that. First stop was Disney World. We flew from Orlando, and coincidentally, a dear friend of mine gave us free tickets to the park, so it made perfect sense for us to do a pit stop in Magic Kingdom before we arriba-ed to Mexico.

In Mexico, we stayed in Club Med Yucatan, an all inclusive and kid friendly resort. We chose this resort because it always came up as one of the top 10 kid friendly vacation spots when we did our online research. Now that we have Vonn Kaleb in tow, the first thing we look for in a vacation spot is, you know, if there's something for him to do there. Although unlike other Club Med resorts where they have daycare facilities for babies his age, the one in Yucatan doesn't have one. They have Kids Clubs ranging from 2 years up, and Teens Club, both of which Vonn Kaleb obviously did not qualify for. However, they do have a baby welcome center which provided in-room crib, stroller, bottle warmer and baby tub, and the main restaurant served baby foods and provided baby food makers, microwave, and bottle sterilizer should guests need them. We're at the toddler stage where feeding could get pretty challenging and so having baby food in the buffet restaurant was a lifesaver.

Anyway, here are the highlights of our trip:

1. Crocodile sighting at the beach. Big guy was lost and headed towards the shore. Good thing he changed his mind before he reached the guests.

2. Road trip to Chichen Itza. We drove and we got lost but we found our way back. Thank God! A 20-month-old who had been sitting in the car for about four hours, iPhone map that didn't have info for Mexico, Mexicans who hardly speak English, us who hardly speak Spanish, thunderstorm, zero visibility driving inter-barrios...whew! The car rental gave us fair warnings regarding driving in Mexico, so when we finally got back safe at our hotel at around 8:00 pm, we were mightily relieved. The experience was well worth it though, and more importantly, we had fun. Vince was thankful I motivated and encouraged him to drive. I was thankful that Vince stepped outside his comfort zone within reasonable limits and agreed to drive to Chichen Itza. The Mayan structures were marvelously amazing. No wonder Chichen Itza is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. This deserves a separate blog post and I will share pictures... lots of them! ;) Bucket list item crossed off!

3. Pretending that Vincent and I habla Español. We conjured the craziest, silliest, most ridiculous pretend Spanish phrases and sentences, it cracked me up darn good. LOL! ROFL! This is my most favorite memory of our Cancun trip :)

4. Thunderstorm almost every day we were there. We had one bright sunshine-y day and that was the day before we left. Boo! We hardly had the chance to swim, so I pretty much just ate, ate and ate  I may have to diet and bootcamp myself to skinny now that our two-week Carribean all inclusive vacations are over. 

5. Authentic Mariachi over dinner. I wish I understood the lyrics but the mere fact that I was in Mexico listening to a Mariachi band was enough happy thought to cherish. Needless to say, another bucket list item checked off.

6. During dinners, Club Med guest relation officers join guests to eat and mingle with them. So when a Mexican guest officer sat with me at dinner one time, I gave him some witty remarks he surely won't forget. Haha! He told me he wants to travel to New Zealand, Bora Bora, and Philippines. I told him that if and when he visits the Philippines, don't say nothing about Manny Pacquiao. Hehe! That, and that how we were once hit by Thalia of Marimar and Maria del Barrio fever. He was entertained by me rather than the other way around. On a more serious note, I recommended Boracay and Puerto Princessa to him ;) #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines

7. Feliz cumpleaños, Vince! My husband celebrated his nth birthday on our last night in Mexico. I feel really bad and guilty for not having planned anything on his special day :( We didn't even have dinner together then. We had to take turns eating because our senyorito Vonn Kaleb had countless early terrible 2 moments during our holiday. I know that Vince felt that our holiday itself (and shopping spree later when we got back) was suffice but still, I should've done something other than that. Sigh! Oh well,  I'll make it up next time... pinky promise!

By the way, the reason why our London and Europe trip did not push through was no other than our precious little boy. My in-laws went there in September and they gave us the advice that we may want to hold off our plans because apparently London, Paris and Rome are not very kid friendly. The flight to London alone may be too exhausting for Vonn Kaleb and we didn't want to risk him getting sick while we're there. So our Caribbean trips were literally last minute but I'm really glad we pulled it off and we had a memorable family time. We're all getting better at this traveling-with-a-child thing especially Vonn Kaleb whom at his very young age is proving himself to be a trooper like his parents ;) Of course, we're so thankful for God's traveling mercies and protection all the time. We sometimes do get adventurous when we travel but God has always kept us safe and sane, and has allowed us to enjoy and spend quality family time during our vacations.

So that's about it for now. I'll make separate blog posts to share pictures from our vacation and I'll explain more in detail our two-week holiday in future posts :) Until then, vamos Taquitos and hasta la vista, baby ;)

YS FALLS

Another tourist spot that is worth seeing in Jamaica is the YS Falls.

Nestled into the rich grounds of YS Estate, the YS Falls is a little bit of paradise with the beauty of the waterfalls surrounded by lush gardens and magnificent trees.  Down from the farm, tourists are transported by a tractor or jitney up to the falls, giving them the chance to see livestock including Zebu (cows) and horses that graze into the luscious greenery of the vast YS Estate.

YS is the shortest named place in Jamaica.  It's not an abbreviation or an acronym for something.  It's just YS - nothing more, nothing less.

The YS Falls is a seven-tiered waterfalls that cascade into natural pools.  Some parts are really rocky and do not allow swimming.  However, there are lifeguards on site to assist and inform guests which parts of the falls are okay for swimming, being able to swim a requirement.  At the very foot of the falls is a man-enhanced natural pool which is suitable for children and guests who cannot swim.

By the shallow part of the falls.

Water shoes are strongly recommended considering that for the most part,
the falls is rocky and slippery

You'll be surprised at what other things you can do at this nature-based attraction. You can swing from ropes hanging on trees (just like Tarzan) and then jump and dunk yourself into the water.  Ziplining is also an option, as well as river tubing.  Clean comfort rooms and change rooms are available in the area, and all efforts are being made to preserve this beautiful paradise.

Those girls behind me surely had fun swinging on the ropes.
I didn't try it.  I didn't even swim.  I thought the falls was too rocky and
slippery, but the main reason why I didn't get myself wet is that
I didn't remember to bring my change of undies/clothes!
I know, right?  Of all the things to forget... Tsk!

More YS info here at this website:  YS FALLS - The Natural Adventure

**************************************************************

You can read more of my Jamaican vacation here:

I BEG YOUR PARDON MAMA WHAT DID YOU SAY?

**************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WATER WORLD WEDNESDAY | WATERY WEDNESDAY | COLOR CONNECTION | MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS |

KNEEBOARDING AT CAMSUR WATERSPORTS COMPLEX

During my family's Bicol vacation last November, we went to Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) for a little aquatic sports activity.  Vince had previously done knee/wakeboarding at CWC several years back, and he got me so hyped up when he told me how fun his experience was, so I made sure that I included this in our very cramped itinerary.

We got to CWC quite late in the afternoon and because it was starting to get dark already, not to mention it was raining and Pakoy was sick, unfortunately, we weren't able to explore the whole complex.  Despite that, my sibs and I had a great first time experience of kneeboarding.

So, how does one kneeboard?  Basically, you position yourself on the kneeboard by kneeling (hehe!) and you hold onto a tow rope which is attached to a machine that pulls you around in fast speed.

In CWC, there are markers that you have to sort of stay within, especially during curves and turns, to keep yourself from falling into the water, as well as to avoid being pulled back by the machine.  Trust me, you don't want that crazy machine jolting you!  Oh my jeez, I felt like my shoulders were going to detach from my torso every time I got strongly pulled by that machine.  Ugh!  On my first try, I was screaming on top of my lungs like a birthing mom, everyone in CWC at that time probably thought I was crazy.  Haha!

Vince, me, and my younger brother, Pipoy, were all successful during our first round of kneeboarding.  We were able to make a full circle without falling into the water, and most importantly, with our upper bodies intact in one piece.  LOL.  My sister didn't want to try it at first, but when she heard us laughing and exchanging our funny stories after our first round, she quickly changed her mind and joined the fun.  My bro-in-law fell while maneuvering a turn on his first round, so his wife (my sister) was teasing him that he had gone shopping somewhere, because it took him so long to get back to the starting point.  He sort of lost his board in the water and he was on the far side of the waters when he fell, so it took him a while to walk back.  But guess who fell in the water next?  Nonetheless than my sister and my bro-in-law got his turn to tease her.  Haha!

My bro-in-law wondered, "Where was I when this picture was taken?"
He had the right to ask that because there were supposedly four of us kneeboarding then.
My sister blurted out, "That was when you fell in the water!"
All of us cracked up laughing.  Haha!

One thing I can say about kneeboarding is that you need to have a good physique and strong upper body to be able to withstand this.  All I did was basically ride around on the kneeboard and yet I already felt like my whole upper body was disowning me then.  I can only imagine how much more with those avids who do crazy jumping and twisting stunts ☻

***************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

***************************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | TUESDAY TRAVELS |

HOTELS AND DEALS AT ORLANDOESCAPE.COM

One place I would love to visit again is Orlando, Florida.  I went there in spring of 2009, and although my vacation was dedicated primarily for Disney World, I thought I'd be able to see other theme parks and attractions, which unfortunately I didn't get to do.  With a lot of things to do and places to see in Disney, let alone Orlando, my five-day vacation was just not enough!  I went there during at what I thought to be an off-peak season, but I was surprised at the amount of tourists that flocked to this vacation destination.  Aside from my fun Disney adventures, luckily I was able to squeeze in a little bit of shopping at an outlet mall strategically located close to the hotel where I stayed at, as well as dining in some of the good restaurants in the area. I definitely don't mind going to Orlando again and having a second take of this famous vacation spot.

Being part of the sunshine state, one good thing about Orlando is that regardless of the season, there are so many Orlando events happening throughout the year.  There are a lot of featured annual events, many of which take place at famous attractions such as Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and Seaworld.  If you go to Orlandoescape.com, you will find a year-round calendar of activities including beautiful parades, colorful art shows, fun sporting events and wonderful holiday celebrations.  The website also makes finding good Orlando hotels and deals easy, and if you want to save more money on your Orlando vacation, you can choose from its list of various vacation packages which include hotel accommodations, theme park tickets, transfers and a lot more additional perks.  So, if you're considering of a grand Orlando vacation, go ahead check out Orlandoescape.com for yourself, and make the most out of it.

BAG-ING ISLAND - EPISODE 3

This is my third post for my Caramoan island hopping adventure series.  Click on the links within this post to read on the previous episodes.

If Manlawi Island's striking feature is its gorgeous sandbar and long stretch of shallow waters perfect for running and playing on the beach, Bag-Ing Island, on the other hand, evokes a wilder side of Caramoan owing to the exotic rock formation and greens found in Bag-Ing.

It's the same "wild" reason why Caramoan Islands has been Survivor international franchises' favorite location shoot.  It gives contestants the outcast feeling and detachment from the modern world which then draws out contestants' primal instincts, which is what exactly the reality game's theme is about.

It was already late in the afternoon when the Survivor wannabees got to Bag-Ing, and the water had already started to rise.  In Manlawi, we had the liberty to walk and run a far distance from the seashore and the water level remained knee to waist deep, however, that is not the case with Bag-Ing.  We were only able to swim close to the shore due to rising tides.

I will post more pictures on the next episode to show what fun things the Survivor wannabes did in Bag-ing.  Until then!

*Photo credit to my father-in-law

************************************************************************

Still blogging in progress but you can find out more about my epic Bicol vacation here:

BICOL 2011

************************************************************************

You can read my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

************************************************************************

To read more of my Philippines 2011 vacation, please visit:

THE ADVENTURES OF PAKOY-KOY

************************************************************************

My share for:

SKYWATCH FRIDAY | OUR WORLD TUESDAY | WATERY WEDNESDAY | Project 366 Blog Photo Challenge | SCENIC SUNDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | WORDFUL WEDNESDAY | WATERY WORLD WEDNESDAY |

MY FIRST SKI-DVENTURE

You most likely know by now that I'm more of a li'l mermaid than a snow bunny - I'd rather find Nemo than play with Frosty the Snowman - BUT I do have a good sense of adventure especially for the outdoors, that if given the chance to ski, no matter how hesitant I might be, I would try it anyway, right?  You bet!

Last Saturday, I went on a ski trip with Vince and his co-residents at Ski Roundtop in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.  There were eight of us, and two in our group have skiied before; one of the two actually has her own ski gears.  The rest of us were all first timers.

My original plan was to stick with snow tubing (which I didn't get to do and haven't done yet ever).  However, we got excited when we saw the slopes and all the people skiing there, so the five of us signed up for a group basic ski lesson, and our other friend for group basic snowboard lesson.

It took us so long to get our gears from the rental shop, much longer putting our ski boots on!  Oh my!  You are not going to believe how heavy and hard those ski boots and skis are, and how painstaking it is to walk on those Darth Vader boots (that's what Vince calls them).  By the time we got on the snow, my feet were already picket fencing in protest and ready to disassemble from the rest of my body!

Anyway, I managed to stand and survive the boots, and went ahead with our lesson.  I was doing okay in the beginning, but then I struggled with gaining control, making turns, and stopping.  I got towed and rescued by our instructor so many times, especially on higher trails.   Good thing is he's a really nice and funny guy, so I was maybe embarrassed a bit when I kept on falling and all that, but it wasn't humiliating.  Vince, on the other hand, was impressive!   He really skiied well, and I think he only fell once during our lesson.  Each of us had a rolling-down-the-hill, butt-skidding, flopping-down-on-fours-from-the-ski lift blooper moment. LOL.

After an hour of ski lesson, I was all sweaty (it was a fine warm winter day at 9 degrees Celsius) and so thirsty that when we got down, I gulped a bottle of water, took off my jacket, kicked off my ski/Darth Vader boots, and rested for a while.  Vince and our three other friends went back uphill to ski/snowboard, while I and another friend stayed down to rest.  When we both started to feel a bit chilly, we went back to the bunny slopes and practiced skiing until it was time to go home.  I didn't take any more chances of riding the ski lift and going uphill, as I wanted to work on my turns and control first to gain more confidence, and hopefully the next time we go on a ski trip, I'll spend more time on the slopes with my ski than my bum! LOL.

So, did I learn anything?  A lot. TGIF - Toe Goes In First when putting on the ski.  Walk sideways when going uphill. Don't look at your skis when skiing - they're not mood skis, they don't change color.  Turn your head to the direction you're turning.  Lean forward, not backward.   "Pizza" to stop.  Make a turn to slow down, and traverse across the slope.   Put your weight onto the balls of your feet and not on your heels.   Screaming will not slow you down.  Same goes for panicking.  LOL.  Ski poles do not work like brakes!   If you find that you can't stop, drop on your bum and scoot, but be sure to do it soon enough to avoid collision.   Trust me, it's always closer than what you think. Hehe.

At the end of the day, we were all happy with our ski-dventure.   We definitely had a great and memorable first time.  It was a fun and wonderful experience - something that's worth of a second and nth time in the future ;)

************************************************************************

You can read my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

************************************************************************

My share for:

TUESDAY TRAVELS | WEDNESDAY WHITES | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

HORSESHOE FALLS

Can you think of a tourist spot that you've been to so many times and yet it simply never ceases to amaze you?  Mine is Niagara Falls, particularly the Horseshoe Falls.  The Horseshoe Falls is the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  As the name implies, the waterfalls has a curving, horseshoe shaped crest.

The first time I went to Niagara Parks was in September 2005.  I was a newcomer then in Canada and my generous relatives took me with a couple of my friends on a day trip there, which is about a two-hour drive away from Toronto.

The second time I went back there was I think in 2007 when an online friend met up with me in Canada.

In 2009, I went there twice, in May for my birthday, and in December.  Vince and I did the Journey Behind the Falls tour in May, wherein from the observation decks, we were able to get really up close to the falls enough to see and hear the raging rapids going down the basin.

In 2010, I went there twice (again!), in May for my birthday (and again!), and in July.  Vince and I did the Maid of the Mist boat tour in May. 

Be prepared to get wet.  Blue raincoats are provided for Maid of the Mist tourists. 

 The Maid of the Mist boat tour begins at a calm part of Niagara River near the Rainbow Bridge (the bridge that connects New York, USA and Ontario, Canada), and then traverses the American and Bridal Veil Falls all through the dense mist of spray inside the curve at the base of the Horseshoe Falls.

American Falls

The American Falls is one of the three falls that comprise the Niagara Falls.  This falls belongs to USA as it is completely within the New York state.

American Falls on the left and Bridal Veil Falls on the right
See those people that looked so tiny on Luna Island above?

The Bridal Veil Falls is the smallest of the three falls.  Luna Island separates it from the American Falls and Goat Island separates it from the Horseshoe Falls.

Approaching Horseshoe Falls.  Look at that dense mist!

According to Wikipedia, the Horseshoe Falls is one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls renowned both for its beauty and as a source of hydroelectric power.  The falls produce a large amount of mist which occasionally renders viewing difficult.

Drenched from the mist!

I can't really remember now the exact number of times I've actually gone to Niagara Falls, but every time I go there, I can't help but be awed by such majestic creation.  Truly, how great Thou art, oh Lord my God! ☻

*************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

*************************************************************************

My share for:

WATERY WEDNESDAY | WEDNESDAY WHITES | SCENIC SUNDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | OUR WORLD TUESDAY | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

OTHER FUN STUFF AT DOLPHIN COVE

I previously blogged about my unforgettable experience of riding a dolphin on its belly at Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios, Jamaica last spring.  So now, I am going to show and tell what other fun stuff I did there.

1.  I carried on my shoulder a big fat grumpy-looking iguana with a tail as long as my hair, and took lots of pictures with him ☻

2.  I pretended to be a modern-day Eve and curled a skinny snake over my nape while my modern-day Adam wrapped his arms around  my waist ♥

3.  I let a couple of colorful, pretty birds take turns on perching on my shoulder.

4.  I kayaked and soaked up the sun ☼

5. I pet a debarbed stingray.  The park attendant didn't want guests to take pictures using their own cameras as the park has official photographers for such park activities, but they charge so high ($16.00 per print!), so I'm really glad that Vince managed to take a couple of snapshots of Mr. Stingy, Mr. Stingray and me.

6. I snorkeled and stalked Mr. and Mrs. Stingray underwater.

************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

************************************************************************

My share for:

WATERY WEDNESDAY | OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

DUNN'S RIVER FALLS

One of my favorite memories when I went to Jamaica last April was hiking up Dunn's River Falls, a very famous tourist attraction in the Caribbean.

A little trivia that our tour guide shared about Dunn's River Falls is that it served as location shoots for famous Hollywood movies such as Cocktail which starred Tom Cruise, and the first James Bond film, Dr. No.

About 600 feet high, the cascading waterfalls are terraced like giant stair steps, some of which are man-made improvements.  Appropriate footwear is required for climbing Dunn's River Falls.  Water shoes are available for purchase or rental in the area, but I didn't need to worry about that, because Vince and I brought our own.

I was a bit scared to climb up at first.  The water current was strong, and it was not anything like walking on a sandy beach.  The surface was rocky and slippery, and there were no rails to hold on to, so you really have to watch your footing, and if possible, form a hand-holding human chain with the rest of the tour group.  I was glad that Vince was there to push and pull me up and hold me whenever I hesitated. 

I gained more confidence later on the tour as I got the hang of climbing up the waterfalls.  The tour guides were very helpful too, and they made sure that everyone was safe, and at the same time, having fun.  We were dunked into the water; we slid down the falls; we dipped and plunged into the water; we crawled and passed through small lagoons; and we smiled and cheered for the video and camera!

At the end of the hike, a copy of the video and picture prints were available for purchase.  Since we didn't bring enough cash with us, we contented ourselves with buying just one photo for souvenir's sake with printed caption that says, "We survived the World's Famous Dunns River Falls Ocho Rios JA."  To which I say, "Heck yeah!" ☻

*******************************************************************************

You can read my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

*******************************************************************************

My share for:

WEDNESDAY WHITES | WATERY WEDNESDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | OUR WORLD TUESDAY

MANLAWI ISLAND - EPISODE 2

Happiness is... a day at the beach with my family.  This is my share for this week's HAPPINESS IS meme.

In Manlawi Island - Episode 1,  I posted a few pictures of the gorgeous island, the first stop in my Caramoan island hopping adventure with my family.  The beach has a long stretch of shallow part, and so we had to wait for the tides to rise before we could boat away onto our next stop.  We didn't mind that at all, not an itsy bitsy at all.  That only gave us the chance to spend a longer time in this piece of paradise on earth ;)

Now for the second episode in this series, I would like to introduce you the wonderful cast in this adventure.  Meet the Survivor wannabes:

"I'm not the usual adorable but terrible 3-year-old, you know?  Just saying!" *grins*

"I don't know what's it in seashells, crabs and starfish, but they really fascinate me, like totally." *scratches head in confusion*  "Maybe because they remind me of Spongebob, Patrick, Mr. Krabbs, and the whole Bikini Bottom village?" *mental light bulb flickers*  "Yeah, that's it!" 

"Yes, we are the responsible parents of the adorable but terrible, not to mention atrocious, 3-year-old boy above.  Any complaints?" *both raise an eyebrow*

"We have to make a pact that we will get enough tan to last the whole cold wintertime that's waiting for us when this tropical vacation is over and done!" *apply sunblock to each other*

"Excuse me, kids, lest we forget, you owe your beautiful genes to us. Hehe!" *laugh out loud in chorus*

*******************************************************************

Still blogging in progress, but you can find out more about my epic Bicol vacation here:

BICOL 2011

*******************************************************************

You can read my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

**************************************************************

To read more of my Philippines 2011 vacation, please visit:

THE ADVENTURES OF PAKOY-KOY 

**************************************************************

My share for:

BLUE MONDAY   WATERY WEDNESDAY




366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | TUESDAY TRAVELS |

APPLETON ESTATE RUM TOUR

When Vince and I went to Jamaica last April, we did several side trips and one of those was to Appleton Estate in Nassau Valley.  During this tour, we were showed around the factory that has been producing world renowned handcrafted Jamaican rums for over 260 years.

As an introduction, we were greeted by Paz the Donkey who showed us how it was to manually extract and collect sugar cane juice.  Basically, sugar canes were put into a machine, and Paz, wearing a yoke attached to the machine, goes around in circles, causing the machine in turn to press into the sugar canes and squeeze out juice, which will then drain down to a vessel.  Obviously, now that we're living in modern days, Appleton Estate no longer uses animals for this process but has automated machines which can extract more juice in an expedient manner.  At one point, two volunteers were called to be the tour group's "donkey" and perform Paz's manual labor, after which we were given a small cup of sugar cane juice that our "donkeys" had extracted ☻

We were also taken to the heart of the factory, which is the distillation area.  Our tour guide showed us the machines they use and explained to us various fermentation methods.  This is the part of the factory where smoking and taking pictures are not allowed ;)

After distillation, rums were then filled into handcrafted oak barrels and kept inside to mature for up to 30 years and beyond.  Only the finest American oak barrels are used to transform these rums into a smooth mellow spirit and touched up with complex flavors of coffee, vanilla, cocoa and hazelnut.  Ageing of the wood plays a role in the development of the rum's golden brown color and delicate sweet taste.

We were then led back to the reception area for rum sampling.  There were 13 kinds of flavored rums available to try.  Our tour guide had been stressing out early on the tour that most people waste pure, fine, high-grade Appleton Estate rum by mistakenly mixing it with cola chaser.  Hence, he made sure to let everyone in the group know how to tell which Appleton Estate rums are meant to be enjoyed by itself.  I'm not sure though if anybody paid attention to that, because I could tell then that almost every one, including Vince, was already excited to try the tempting rums.  Hehe!

*********************************************************************

You can read about my Jamaican escapade here:

I BEG YOUR PARDON MAMA WHAT DID YOU SAY

You can read about my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

*********************************************************************

 My share for: