Trip to Sagada! [ Day Three ] *(^_^)*

We woke up early to catch the sunrise. Luckily, we were able to! Hahaha. Even though we moved so slowly. I didn’t even have time to put on my earrings. :))

After that, we ate breakfast, then we were on the way to the Strawberry Fields. My sister and I took lots of pictures and had a few laughs because of our faces. =))))))

Aaaaaaand we arrived at the Strawberry Fields. It wasn’t how I remembered it when I went here for the first time. For one, there wasn’t a lot of vendors and trash all around. :)))

My sister and I being vani again. Hello nga pala sa mga walis na nasa background namin. :))))

More pictures. Hahahaha. The big strawberry was cute, lol. :)

After that, we slept in the van again. It was long before we stopped again to take a picture somewhere.

Highest point in the Philippine Highway System! :))) It was a good thing that we stopped because I was feeling kinda dizzy because of the zigzag roads. After taking pictures, I was able to sleep. Yeaaay. :)

After that, it was nighttime. We were still on the road, and we stopped over somewhere to have dinner. Coincidentally, it was where our class also had out stopover (last exposure). Blah blah blah it was around midnight when we reached SM North Edsa. From there, we took a taxi. Home sweet home. :)

Sobrang saya talaga nung Sagada Trip! :>

Trip to Sagada! [ Day Two ] *(^_^)*

We we’re staying at Ligaya’s. The place was really beautiful so we took lots and lots of pictures. :)

The right picture is my current profile picture in Facebook. Hahaha. With very little edit, of course. :)

After that, we were supposed to go to Bomod-ok Falls. We were given a stick so we can go down easier. It was such a tiring walk! It was so tiring that I didn’t notice that it was just an hour. When our class went to our exposure, we were walking for almost 3 hours, with the sun beating down on us. Ni hindi nga ata sementado yung dinadaanan namin nun eh. Coincidentally, I was wearing the very same slippers. (GO ISLANDER SLIPPERS! ♥)

Finally, we reached the falls. It was really, really tiring so I drank water first, then rested for a while. I changed my clothes to something more suitable for swimming, then we faced the cold water of the Bomod-ok Falls! :) Yeay for cold water yeay yeay! :D

(left picture: before swimming. right picture: after swimming. I changed my top hahaha)

It was my second time swimming in the waterfalls. i forgot where the first one was. I don’t remember how old I was, but I remember which swimsuit I wore. It was black, with hot pink outlines and such. :)))) The water is very, very cold but also very, very refreshing. :> After that, we ate lunch. 

That’s a picture of the slippers that my sister and I wore. (take note that it’s both Islander!) Sadly, the violet one is not mine. Actually, the blue one is not mine as well. It’s both owned by my sister, but I’m using the blue slippers.

After that, we went to the Hanging Coffins. Unfortunately, it started to drizzle, so the path that we passed just to get there was really slippery. It was just like in the caves, but the mud is more dirty and yucky. (T_T ew much) Again, you will fear for your life. Before going to the coffins, you had to pass through the Echo Valley. It was cool. Hahaha. :)

On our way back to the van, we passed through this rock climbing area, so we took lots of pictures here. :)

More picture taking in the Echo Valley (ft. the cemetery). In the first picture, that’s the spot where you shout. You know, and wait for the echo. :)) If you will notice, that is my current dp. I made it my dp long before I even blogged about Vietnam. :D

The following pictures are when we reached the top. We were just resting for a while, before going to the next destination. Hooray for more pictures! :D

Trip kong i-post ‘tong picture na ‘to kasi ang singkit ko na naman. May mga pictures talaga na sobrang singkit ko, pero hindi ko lang pinopost lol. =)))))

After that, we went to Sagada Weaving. No pictures allowed! It was really nice seeing how they made those products. :)

Yoghurt House! It’s where we ate our dinner. You see those chairs at the top? That’s were we ate. Hahaha. It was very fun seeing people pass by while you’re eating.

Sorry for being so vain. T_T I was just so bored waiting for my yoghurt (which, by the way, was very yummy) so I took lots of pictures. :( Our dinner was also served in very large portions, just like our lunch the day before. :)

After eating dinner, we went back to Ligaya’s. It was okay that we went home early because we need to arrange and pack our stuff because it’s our last night already. :(

Trip to Sagada! [ Day One ] *(^_^)*

I don’t know how long the van ride was, but we stopped here and I woke up because we need to take a picture. Sobrang bagong gising ang itsura ko. Lol. It’s supposed to say “Welcome to Banaue” but as you can see, there’s no C. Hahahaha. :))

We stopped in the view deck. Behind our faces is the Banaue Rice Terraces. :)

Eventually, we reached Sagada. We had our lunch at Sagada Lemon Pie House. Obviously, they’re famous for their lemon pie. I expected too much. Hahaha. It was kinda disappointing. Their meals are served in big portions. The food is enough for two people, but I love eating (and the food tastes good) so I was able to eat everything on my plate. :3

I just really love this picture. My sister and I looks so cute. (pagbigyan!! hahaha) :>

After that, we begun our 4-hour caving experience! We went inside the Burial Cave. As you can see in the following picture, those are coffins. They are inside the cave, not hanging out with the other coffins. (literally not hanging out. they’re inside the cave so they’re not with the hanging coffins somewhere in Sagada hahaha)

I was wearing shoes, and it may have been my biggest regret. Wait. No, erase that. My biggest regret is bringing a bag. Wait. My biggest regret is wearing shoes. I regretted bringing a bag, but then I was thankful that I brought it. Inside my bag was another set of clothes.

The leggings that I was wearing was the same one that I wore when we went to Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam. Napansin ko na kagad na medyo lumuluwag na yung pagkatahi, pero hindi ko pinansin. I brought the leggings to our trip to Sagada. Wrong move. We weren’t even halfway when my leggings had a hole. Thankfully, I had maong shorts inside my bag AND it goes well with my outfit. Point one - the tear in my leggings can be seen. Point two - my outfit looked better. Point three - hindi na masyadong madulas kapag umuupo kasi friction. Maong eh. =)))))

There were some areas where it was really, really, REALLY slippery so you had to hold on to the rocks for your dear life. Oh! There’s another thing that I regret — wearing a white shirt. To be really specific, wearing my favorite white shirt. It’s my favorite because it looks good on me, compared to other white shirts. Your clothes will serve as your punasan ng maruming kamay. :)

There were some areas of the cave that others were required to remove their slippers because it would be easier to go down, but I didn’t remove my shoes. I refused to remove it unless I would have no choice. When I saw that we were supposed to cross the water, I immediately removed my shoes and kept it in my bag. Having a bag while going through that cave was really a burden, but it served a great purpose. I was able to cover up the hole on my leggings, and I didn’t have to carry my shoes around. Hahaha. :) After that, I was barefoot.

There are parts where you will fear for your life. You’ll see an obstacle and think, “We’ll be able to go through that?!”, and when you do pass that part, you just want to shout, “BUHAY PA AKO WOOOOH!”. You’ll feel very proud of yourself.

While going deeper into the cave, you are going down, so when we were tired of walking, we had to climb the rocks and other stuff just to get out of the cave. Since you’re going up, you need to think of the people behind you. If you fall, other people are going to fall as well. Think about that. Hahahaha. :)

After climbing slippery and steep slopes and holding on to muddy rocks just to live, you need to walk up a flight of stairs. Imagine that. Four hours of walking through rocks and mud and everything, then you’re going to climb up the stairs?

My thigh muscles really hurt. <//3 It was a looooong flight of stairs. After getting out of the cave, I was really thankful and was like, “BUHAY PA AKO! NAKAKITA NA ULIT AKO NG SKY! HINDI NA PURO BATO ANG NASA PALIGID KO!!!”

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Sobrang nakakakaba, nakakapagod, nakakatakot dahil baka mamatay ka nalang bigla kapag nahulog sa bangin, nakakaewan kasi pagkatapos mo malagpasan yung isang mahirap na part ay meron pa ulit kasunod kaya wala ka nang time magsaya sa previously nalagpasan mo. Despite all that, sobrang worth it! Sobrang worth it talaga!

Dahil nga kinailangan kong tanggalin yung shoes ko, barefoot nalang ako after that. Ang sakit umapak sa mga bato. Ang sakit sa paa, pero may okay na kapag nakatapak, at least mas mararamdaman mo kung madudulas ka na. Kapag naka-tsinelas, baka akala mo steady ka na yun pala hindi pa. Ang nakakainis lang kapag barefoot, ay yung masasakit na bato. Yun talaga eh. :))))

Mahirap kapag onti lang kayo. Dapat marami para maraming aalalay sayo. Hahaha. Most of the time nagpapatulong ako, lalo na kapag sobrang dulas at sobrang tarik na part. Sobrang hirap i-blog ng experience! Sobrang saya at sobrang worth it. You guys have it experience it for yourselves. ♥

Vietnam Trip! [ Day Five ] *(^_^)*

We had breakfast, then we decided to go to Saigon Square to shop! We didn’t know how to get there, so we searched for directions on my sister’s phone. It was kinda near, so we just walked.

Lalalala shopping for stuff~ I bought a really cute dress and a floral top. My sister didn’t buy anything. (it’s a long and funny story. let’s just leave it at that. =)))) ) After that, we had lunch (just look at those oysters! so delicious! nom nom :3 ), then we went to a place where they sell great-tasting coffee.

After that, we went to Vincom Center. It’s a mall that didn’t have a lot of people, and I really liked it that way. I don’t like malls that’s too crowded. Makes me kinda mad. So many people in one place. T_T Anyway, the Vincom Center was great! There was an old one and a new one, and we went to both. :)

I saw Chatime, but I didn’t buy anything because I’m not sure if I’ll like their milk tea. (I’m a Gong Cha fan; I remember buying Gong Cha when we went to Malaysia last year ♥) Across their shop was Mochi Sweets. It’s original mochi. I didn’t know what it was a first so I just watched my sister buy it, then I took a bite out of hers. SO YUMMY! After that, I bought one for myself. I want to have that again! Luckily, we found out that there’s a branch at MOA. :>

After that, we went back to the hotel to rest. We still had two hours before need to go to dinner. We had a lot of time on our hands. Since we already checked-out, all our stuff was in the luggage. My sister and I were told to change our shirts. I didn’t have an extra shirt in my handbag, but when I opened it, I saw a pink shirt. I forgot that I put it there the night before when I arranged our stuff in the luggage. I didn’t even think about the ice cream when I put the pink shirt in my handbag. Hahaha. Since I was wearing pink, we went to Baskin Robbins again. It’s Buy 1 Take 1 on Wednesdays for people wearing pink clothing! Hahaha. It was a great coincidence. ♥

While waiting, I was reading The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Finally, the van came. We put our luggage in the van then headed to the restaurant where we will have our last dinner in Vietnam.

As you can see, the place is really beautiful! They have that small area for kids (called “Kid’s Corner), a lot of books, a pretty chair hanging from the ceiling. Such a pretty place. :)

After that dinner, we went inside the van again, going to the airport. That marked the end of our Vietnam Trip. Our trip to Vietnam was really, really amazing and worry-free thanks to Vietnam Days. :)

• First Day in Vietnam
• Second Day in Vietnam
• Third Day in Vietnam
• Fourth Day in Vietnam

Vietnam Trip! [ Day Four ] *(^_^)*

After eating breakfast, we went to the Thein Hau Temple. :)

We didn’t really do anything in the temple. We just took lots of pictures. We headed off to the Reunification Palace after. It was a really big place. It was nice that when we arrived there, the fountain was on. When we were leaving, it was already turned off. Yeay for being able to take pictures before they turned it off! :)

It was really, really hot in the palace. As you can see in the following picture, my sister and I are putting our hair up. My hair is longer than hers now because she got a haircut. :))))

We went to the War Remnants Museum but we were given very short time to enjoy it. Personally, I really liked it better than the Reunification Palace. The stuff that we read and the pictures that we saw were really amusing and sad at the same time.

To be honest, I would’ve liked to stay there longer instead of the palace. I learned more things and the stuff was more interesting. In that short 30 minutes, I was able to see what the other experienced in the war. Many photographers also died. There’s even a book there containing their names and a corner of their photographs.

We had a buffet lunch at Buffet Ganh Palace. The food was really delicious. Yeay food! :3 They have balot but I forgot what they called it. In English, the name was really long. It’s just balot. Yummy! :>

We were supposed to go to the Saigon Sky Deck but there was some conflict and such so we didn’t go. We just took a picture then went outside to take pictures in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral (upper right picture) and the Old Saigon Post Office (the other three pics).

We went inside the Old Saigon Post Office and it was really, really cool. As for the cathedral, I don’t really remember if we went inside or if it was that church that we went inside for around 10 seconds then went outside again. =)))))

After those, we went to the Saigon Square to shop for a little while! :) I saw a really cute violet iPhone case. I wanted to buy it, but I wouldn’t be able to use it. Hahaha. My sister and I didn’t buy anything, and we both regretted it when we decided that we need to buy new outfits for the cruise later this day,

After that, we went to this place called Handicapped Handicrafts. They make amazing stuff using only eggshells. It’s a long process so the stuff are really expensive! We went into a room full of the stuff they made. Taking pictures of the finished products weren’t allowed so there’s no pictures. :)

We went to the hotel to rest for a while. Before shopping for the outfit that we’re going to wear for the dinner cruise, we stopped by Baskin Robbins. ♥ So yummy as always. :3

I was so thankful that I brought three necklaces for our Vietnam trip. I was able to use one, and it really worked with my new dress! :>

My sister and I was vain after eating. Hahahaha. The lighting was good, so we looked pretty. XD

• First Day in Vietnam
• Second Day in Vietnam
• Third Day in Vietnam

Vietnam Trip! [ Day Three ] *(^_^)*

We ate buffet breakfast at our hotel, Hoang Hai Long 2. From our hotel, the drive to Mekong Delta was an hour and a half. We stopped at the Mekong Rest Stop. It was a place where you can just rest for a while after a long drive. There are ice cream, food, drinks, and lots of places where you can take pictures. It’s a cool rest stop. Since it’s so pretty, it looks like an actual destination, not just a rest stop. (do you get what I’m saying? sure hope so…)

After the Mekong Rest Stop, we went to the Mekong Delta. There are four islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise. We went to the different islands by crossing the Tien River.

We went to this place where they sell honey. We sat at a table and they gave us a free drink, which contained honey, calamansi-like thing, sesame seeds, and tea. It was delicious, but too hot. I would’ve liked it more if it was a cold drink. :>

After another boat ride (these boats aren’t motorized though, and they’re registered, like cars and other vehicles), went to the Coconut Candy MIll. They had these candy that were made of … well, coconut. Before we went in, they offered these candy for us to taste. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it had nuts (how was I supposed to know that those little brown spots were nuts?!) so I subtly spit it out in the trashbin. It’s not that I’m allergic to nuts, I just don’t like the taste so I avoid it as much as I can.

They had different kind of candies. The plain ones, the ones with nuts, the ones with chocolate, and another one that I forgot. We didn’t buy those, instead we bought the stuff that was kinda shaped like a macaroon… it tasted like macaroons, as well! (but it wasn’t macaroons) I really like macaroons, and since they taste like one, we bought it. :)

I don’t know what these are, but we tasted it. It was kinda crunchy and it didn’t taste like anything at all. It had no taste. It was kinda fun munching on them while walking, though. Hahaha. :)

After that, we had lunch. (that’s not all that we ate. we also had fresh spring rolls, shrimp, and fruits) I love fried spring rolls. ♥ (you might think that we just went from one place to another. we actually walked — a lot. we also looked at many shops. and walked a lot. :D )

Such a yummy meal! We took lots and lots of pictures after eating lunch because the place is really, really beautiful! (the light wasn’t too harsh so the lighting is perfect. good job, sun!)

We rode in the boat one last time so we can get back. All in all, we visited two islands, but I don’t know the name of the other one. (Tortoise Island and …???)

We weren’t able to go to all four islands, but it was okay. When we got back, we bought stuff at this souvenir shop. They said that it’s cheaper there, so I bought a cute bag and a black shirt that has the word “Saigon” on it. I wanted it on a maroon t-shirt but …

We went back to the hotel to rest for a while (since we did a lot of walking). We also changed our clothes. The tank top I wore to dinner was the one I wore to Malaysia. It’s just so comfy and pretty. I didn’t post a picture anyway so it’s okay. =))))))

After resting, we went to have dinner at a restaurant called Chateu. Food food food food! :3

After having that delicious dinner, we headed off to the hotel. The night market is really, really near our hotel so we went there. We’ve been going there a lot. There are just so many shops to look at! Some stalls sell cute stuff but are too pricey. Hahaha. :D

My sister and I went inside this convenience store. We found out that it has an actual cafe inside, with cakes and such, like Starbucks but with free wifi. They also sell Haagen-Dazs ice cream (my favorite)! :> It’s a great convenience store. :)

We were walking around, just a few blocks away from the hotel, when we came across this shop named Orange! (there was a shop named Banana near it. I’m not kidding. It was closed, though.) I was really tired and didn’t want to visit shops, but the shop’s pretty amazing so I went in. It’s like Artwork. Their shirts, tank tops, dresses, and bags are really cute!

I ended up buying a pink tank top with a cat wearing hipster glasses. There was a blue, yellow, green, and lighter/darker shades of those colors with the same cat design, but I liked this one. My third buy of the day. Hahaha. I wore this the following day. :D

Random fact: Few minutes after taking photos of my new tank top, I took lots of pictures of myself, including the picture that I am currently using as my sidebar. :)

• First Day in Vietnam
• Second Day in Vietnam