Zamboange del Norte « Valerie Caulin

Where have you been in 2009?

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Revamping this site to feature destinations and travel in general as much as possible, I looked back for this year in terms of where I have set foot in. Turns out that I have traveled so much this year! Yipee! Take the fact that my son has become older that I can leave him for a night or two for some “me time” traveling. Likewise, he is bigger to bring along to further destinations.

I excluded Roxas City and the rest of Capiz province as well as Kalibo and Aklan since we always go there. So here are the places that I have been too this year:

1. Zamboanga del Norte

Dakak

I have been to Mindanao a thousand times ( my mom is from Lanao del Norte), it is still a path unknown to me. And to visit and explore the peaceful Zamboanga del Norte was amazing. We’ve been to Dakak ( I just love it), Dipolog and Dapitan. I love the unspoiled scenery of Zamboanga.

2. Misamis Occidental

Aki having fun with the monkey in Cotta

My husband hails from Ozamiz City and we visited their place during the Holy Week. I have been to Ozamiz City before I even met him and last Holy Week, we went to different places in the province like Jimenez with their old church and passed different municipalities along the way.

It was my first time to see real dolphins..haha!

For my baby who loves the water so much ( just like me), we visited the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) in the town of Sinabacan which is just 25 minutes away from Ozamiz City. I found this blog which has complete information about MOAP. Click here!

3. Guimaras

Alubijod, Guimaras

Oh, the romantic and tranquil island of Guimaras. I visited the island once again this year with my high school barkadas last June. And an interesting fact that one of the women I admire, Daphne Osena-Paez worked and lived in Guimaras for a year. We stayed in Villa Igang Resort and visited Guisi Beach, Guisi Lighthouse and Ruins, Trappist Monastery, etc..

4. Cebu

Aki swimming with his cousin, Boodie in Shangrila Mactan

Should I include this? I’m from Cebu and of course, Iloilo is just an hour away by plane. But this year is different since I came home many times, 4 times to be exact. Even as a local of Cebu it was my first time to visit Shangrila Mactan, the Parola in Lilo-an and the Museum of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cebu.

5. Manila

"Can I feed them Ma?"

Manila as the capital city serves as the stoppver for many our trips and sometimes we stay for one night to check out this vibrant city. When we went to Mindanao last Holy Week, we treated our son to the Manila Ocean Park but it was not as impressive since we came from MOAP where we really touched sea animals in their own habitant.

When my husband went to Ilocos, we stayed for one night in Manila before going home. And a creepy thing happened, my husband saw a vision of a child burning in pain while we slept in our hotel room. Creepy! I won’t share what hotel it was..I don’t want to ruin their business..haha!

6. Ilocos Norte and Sur

Where is Simon Ibarra?

Our Ilocos trip was the best for this year. I have been dreaming of Ilocos in years and if I remember it right, I once said that I will marry the man that will take me to Ilocos. haha!

There was a storm, Santi hitting Luzon when we went there with some flights cancelled but we conquered them all and had a wonderful time in Ilocos. When we were in Vigan, we missed our son so much that we didn’t have much fun as we should have.

7. Boracay

ahh..unwind and relax..

I have been to Boracay six times and I shouldn’t put this on my list since I can always go here if I wanted to. But nevertheless, I include this since we spent our special Christmas day in Boracay and it turned out to be the best Boracay trip I ever had. Lessons learned- stay in Station 1 and avoid avoid the peak season during summer.

There is my list. How about you? Where were you in 2009?

Tags: Cebu, Guimaras, Ilocos, manila, philippine destinations, zamboange
Posted in Cebu, Churches, Guimaras, Ilocos Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboange del Norte, beaches | No Comments »

Rizal in Dapitan

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Rizal Dapitan

Dapitan is one of the two cities in the province of Zamboanga del Norte ( Dipolog City is the capital) in northern Mindanao but Dapitan City is more famous as the place of exile of the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

With this shrine which also known as Rizal’s Talisay Estate, Dapitan is known as the “Shrine City of the Philippines”.

Replica of Rizal's house; the woman in white belongs to the Rizalista sect, who venerates Rizal and one of the keepers of the estate

When he was exiled in 1892, Rizal was asked to live in the parish convent with many restrictions. Rizal opted to stay in the residence of the Spanish commandant Captain Carnicero who also acted as his warden; he was supposed to send reports of his “prisoner” to higher authorities. However, the captain didn’t see any threat in him and Rizal as free to move around and lived a normal life in Dapitan.

The current Rizal Shrine in Dapitan where he lived in 1893 came from the money Rizal earned as a farmer as well as a trader. But majority of the money came from his lottery winning- Rizal loves to bet in lotteries. He bought a parcel of land in the coastal area of Talisay and now Rizal Shrine in Dapitan is also referred as the “Talisay Estate”.

In this estate, he built houses, constructed an irrigation system, planted trees, taught students, wrote poems and letter and practiced medicine.

Rizal's Casa Redonda or "round house" due to its ocotgonal shape

Rizal's Casa Redonda or "round house" due to its octogonal shape

During our visit, I learned that the shrine is also a protected landscape with centuries-old trees still standing. Some of them were already there when Rizal first arrived in Dapitan City.

The tall and sturdy Baluno tree that witnessed Rizal's restful and lonely life in Dapitan

The whole estate is a nice trail to do with that refreshing feeling of green and tall trees all over. Most of the houses are replicas and were renovated many times already. But still, I love the whole environment of Rizal’s Talisay Estate. So green and it is facing the sea and I told my borther in-law that what is missing is a small coffee shop . Those who maintained the Talisay Estate did a good job, it was very clean, quiet and a nice place for sightseeing.