Children Wants to Play

So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.  

Wanting to feel the mountain air before going back to Manila is what my friend wanted. So, we took her to Mountain View Nature's Park situated in Busay, Cebu. This is my second time visiting this place, the first time was when we had our team building that was 3 years ago. There are a lot of things that change since then, there's already a swimming pool at the top of the mountain and more. But one thing never change the peaceful breeze of air that will make your heart and mind at ease. It's a good place to visit especially if you wanted to exercise literally, because your going to walk an uphill way. In order for us not to get tired of walking we took poses from time to time because there's a lot of mini theme-park up there.

When the sun started to set we just watched it with awed and when the darkness started to takes place at the city we were all mesmerized of the beauty. This is the exact place if you want to have a picture perfect of the entire city at night. 

Since we didn't brought a flashlight with us we can't continue our mountain trekking because it's getting dark and we all felt hungry. The challenge left for us was getting our way down which was not easy because of the steepness of the said place. But our verdict it's an awesome place and we need to try sleeping or maybe camping up there. It's the next challenge!

Climb It

 

River in the mountain

"Often you can see the mountain in the distance- beautiful, interesting, full of challenges. However, when you try to reach it, what happens?"We can equate climbing a mountain into our goals that we want to achieve,sometimes it's surrounded by roads,forests,and what seems clear on the map is far more complicated in reality. When you want to take the challenge you must try all the paths and tracks until one day you'll find yourself at the peak of your own mountain. But let's try to be literal this time, my boyfriend always told me stories about their farm which is actually situated at the peak of a mountain well, it's not the usual farm that we can only see at the lowlands. The last time I went to their place we are not able to go there because the weather does not permit us to do so. What I really like everytime I went to their place since we were in college is the warm people that makes that village comfortable for me. So just to end up my curiosity about what it feels to be at the top of the mountain we went there last year and this is my escapades in going there.

 

The outfit should be fit at the place.

I have to wear a sweater,a long pants and a boots to keep me away from any allergies and for making my climb easy. My boyfriend told me that it only takes 45minutes to climb it but his father told them that they should consider me because it was my first time. His cousins also accompanied us so that we will not be bored.

 

They have to carry this big basket.

Start of the climb.

They don't bother to wear a farm clothes because they are already used to climb a mountain. I felt great thinking that I'm gonna make it to the top and it's another experience to me.

Weew!it's really hard. 

 

They all looked at me because I really looked funny trying to step those farm boots on the right track but because I'm not used to wear it and for the fact that it's heavy that's why I'm having a difficult time walking.

 

I was left behind.

My boyfriend told me that the path in going there is not that wide before but because of the on-going mining operations in that place some of their crops were sacrificed and the mountain looked like a denuded one,sad to hear about it. In order for me not to get tired he always talked to me and always made me smile so that I can go on.

The half-way going there.

Beginning at this site going up is their farm area.

Entering their farm.

It's difficult to capture the whole area of their farm because it's wide and the other parts of the farm had been flooded by weeds. He told me how they used to tend their crops before and how they've started making this place awesome and he also missed this place because it's rare for him to go there. I've seen different kinds of crops but I was awed when I've seen large ferns wow! it does looked like "Rafflesia Arnoldii" the biggest flower in the Philippines. When he cut down one of the bananas I instantly asked him "why" and I almost burst into laughter when he told me that it was just the "banana of a monkeys" what! that's incredible! monkeys have their own bananas? surely this farm offers a lot of variety crops that are amazing and the fog at that place is so thick that it made me shiver for a while.We stayed their for a bit longer because we need to harvest some root crops and bananas to make our climb justifiable, silly!

 

Going home I can't help myself but admire this river because of it's clear and clean water. Truly, if we continue to protect every  mountains we have they will not become a "once upon a time" stories.

This escapades of ours is a worthwhile one because I've learned that in every climb you made you need to take it easy just like taking problems in life. We are tired but the experienced we had is a great one and after that we slept for the whole afternoon and only wake-up when my mom's boyfriend told us that dinner is serve.

Spa within a Spa

Shangri-la Hotel at Cebu City is one of the grandest and luxurious hotels in the city.My boyfriend told me his experiences when he first visited the said hotel and I remembered him telling his awesome experience at the spa of the hotel and I almost couldn't believe the rate of the said spa,well it's good that my boyfriend had it for free. When I've got a chance to visit the place I hurriedly asked the hotel attendant where's there most pride spa.

I was greeted by this door going to the spa .

When I located the spa it gave me a soothing feeling of serenity when I saw that the place were surrounded by chinese bamboos and other ornamental plants. I remembered when I read an article about 4 months ago about the origin of Shangri-la; the name "Shangri-la" was given to the legendary "paradise" in the Himalayan mountains which promised eternal youth, peace and happiness, it was immortalized in the 1933 book "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton. Thus, the name symbolizes characteristics they endeavor to instill in their hotels: timeless elegance, tranquility, gracious service and comfort.

CHI, the Spa at Shangri-la draws inspiration from the origins of the Shangri-la's legend, a place of personal peace, enchantment and well-being. In traditional Chinese philosophy, "chi" or "Qi" is the universal life force that governs the personal vitality that's why it needs to be release thru body massage, stretching, hydrotherapy and movement of the mind through relaxation and meditation. They have this concept of a "Spa within a Spa" that draws many people in trying this spa.

Fishes like "koi" were also present in the said place. I was not yet having a massage but ironically I already felt what this spa can offer.

They have this special treatments that were really good for the relaxation of your muscles.

Because I don't have the whole day to visit the whole place I just enjoyed it by unwinding my self in that particular haven. Truly, relaxing yourself will eventually lead to contemplation, and I started to listen to what my soul is trying to tell me. 

 

The nearby Hilton Resort.

There were times that I almost forgotten the needs of my soul and mind to rest for a while and enjoyed the God's given gifts.

 

This get away of mine was really worthwhile because I may not doing anything, and yet I'm also doing the most important thing a human can do:

"I'm listening to what I needed to hear from myself".

A Sip of Coffee

"Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life” is a philosophy that perhaps everybody can relate to -- whether you’re an employee, an entrepreneur, a housewife, a student or a retiree. Every single person is faced with physical, emotional and mental challenges, especially in today’s fast-paced environment. Then as we take a step back, we realize the need to take a moment and enjoy life to it’s fullest.  Parkmall, as a lifestyle center, understands the value of this philosophy wherein leisure, relaxation, health and hard work are all brought into a balance.

It's the newest hub in the Queen City of the South and what really attracts me when we first visit this place is the Zen inspired garden; a style of Japanese gardening based on the contemplative gardens in the courtyards of the Zen temples during the 16th century. Zen gardens are minimalist creations in which raked sand and a few well-placed stones are the primary features.

 

After we had our dinner we decided to sip a cup of coffee at this place. I was thinking that it was just the same with the other malls that flocks in Cebu City but I was totally wrong when we reached the place. The lights were simply magnificent and the garden was really awesome. We couldn't help ourselves but ignore our plan of sipping a cup of coffee and what we did was exploring the whole place.

 

 

We discovered that aside from the zen inspired garden it's also an eco-friendly environment that made the Parkmall Cebu a pioneer of the green mall revolution in the Philippines thru services and amenities that not only embody style, convenience and comfort, but also integrate eco-friendliness into the mall experience.Furthermore, the place were surrounded by different al fresco dining that bring an extra factor to this place.

 

And as what we had plan prior to exploration we landed at the Bo's coffee located beside the refreshing ambiance of the garden. After all it's really the reason why we visited the place. It's good to know that a mall like this envision for what is good for our environment which is very essential for the situation of our mother earth nowadays.

 

 

Inlove with nature

It's weekend once more.And I'm having a sort of digging the "oldest picture in my desktop contest".Every time I do this I find pictures that are really interesting. Like my trip going to Hidden Valley Resort well,literally it's really hidden with all those mountains surrounding the area;it's a secluded place after all.But,when I saw Dadie after that very tiring trip I feel enthusiastic again,maybe that's they called love effect.Although we don't have that much time to talk;we still find time to take some photos of the nature bound in that place.
I was amazed and captivated by the place truly,going there is really a rewarding one.It's just sad to know that people care nonetheless of our nature nowadays,which I think is unacceptable to God as we are the steward of His creation.

Hope we can still find ways to save our mother nature "LET'S NOT MAKE OUR NATURE BECOME Once upon a time".