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The Marian Hills

Monastery of the Holy Eucharist The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist or "Birhen sa Simala" as it is locally known is a 2 hour drive south from Cebu City through narrow roads and lush countryside. It's a slow ride considering tricycles ply the roads between the small towns along the way and occasionally, a fiesta or a school celebration may result in traffic jams. In the barangay of Lindogon, the road leads uphill. My first impression when I saw the Monastery was that it seemed out of place in these rustic surroundings. The architectural style is more aligned with European cathedrals. There's no semblance at all to Spanish colonial churches which are predominant in the Philippines. That said, the interior of the church follows the traditional colonial Baroque style. I was caught by surprise when a security guard stopped me from entering the Monastery grounds. He told me that sleeveless dresses were not allowed inside the Monastery.  I wasn't aware of any

The Brave Lapu Lapu

Lapu Lapu How brave and valiant Lapu Lapu was! He stopped Ferdinand Magellan in his tracks right here on Mactan Island, Cebu on April 27, 1521, effectively repelling European incursion into Philippine shores (at least until 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu and established a settlement). Magellan and his men were armed with guns and swords. Lapu Lapu's warriors had bamboo spears. The Lapu Lapu monument is located at the Mactan Shrine in Punta Enga ñ o, Mactan Island. A marker indicates the spot where Magellan was killed by Lapu Lapu and his men. One of Magellan's men, Juan Sebastian Elcano, escaped the battle and continued the journey back to Spain. He arrived at San Lucar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522 marking the first circumnavigation of the earth. There are stalls both inside and outside Mactan Shrine selling danggit (tiny salted dried fish, great with breakfast), local delicacies like ampao (rice crispies), dried mangoes, bukayo (shredded coco

Backroads

I always take the backroads home. The narrow two lane roads offer me a more tranquil way to get home. There are also rewards to reap in these backroads like this view of a sea of yellow chrysanthemums and sunflowers with the Gavilan mountains in the distance. Right next to this beauty is a cabbage patch. I was completely surprised to see how large the cabbages were. The almond tree above is in the backroads of Fresno County where the centenary heat in the summer scorches your skin even though you're under the shade. But for a few minutes I went outside to view these nuts up close. I learned that almonds are harvested in September using a machine which shakes the tree. A net of some sort is wrapped at the base of the tree to catch the falling almonds. These are then washed and processed so you and I can enjoy them later at the store shelves. There are more vineyards in the Central Valley nowadays. They've replaced the almond trees which bloom like cherry trees in t

Stitching Travel Memories

Sunrise at Angkor Wat I just recently discovered some apps like Diptic, Collage and Instagram which enhance a photograph in different and amazing ways. With Sunrise at Angkor Wat , I used Diptic to form a collage of various images I took at Angkor Wat last year to show the unfolding of day starting at around 5:30 a.m. until the sun crept into full view. It's beautiful to see the gradation of hues at intervals of just a few minutes. I refer to these images as "early bird catches early worm". Bayon In this photo taken at Bayon (also at the Angkor complex of temples), I used a filter from Instagram for a dramatic effect and to hide the haze at the lower edge of the photo. The frame further adds to the drama and sets the photo back in time. I describe this image as "a smiling face peeping through the corridors of time". Casa de Fruta, Gilroy, California This collage of eye candy was made using Collage app. It's a fun way of mixing various imag

Garden Aspirations

We all dream of having a beautiful garden. Preferably without weeds. Just flowers in bloom and green grass all year round. Which is why I just love to see the seasonal floral display at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas. I know I will never be able to plant healthy blooms such as those at Bellagio on hardpan soil. But I have great expectations anyway. These larger than life lady beetles are made of hundreds of red carnations and are surrounded by a sea of mums and kalanchoe. And the frog prince reigns contentedly amidst yellow, red, and blue flowers anchored by a pavilion draped with stars and stripes banners. The frog prince is appropriately clad in what else? - kermit chrysanthemums, reindeer moss, green coffee bean and sheer moss. A little whimsy goes a long way. Bicycles with floral baskets tossed idly against a wooden railing and a ticket booth signal lazy days ahead. Message: don't rush. Just enjoy the long, hot days of summer un

One Nation under God

One nation under God Indivisible With liberty and justice for all. Happy Independence Day, U.S.A. *  *  * Image from Microsoft clip art. 

Scaling new heights

I saw these remarkably high heels at a trendy store in Las Vegas and didn't even wonder who would wear these stilts. Many movie stars wear them to red carpet events and parties and I've seen friends dance in these heels effortlessly.  I once read an article about JLo playing a little football in strappy Louboutin high, high heels. How does she do it? What I wonder most is how sturdy are these heels? Will it hold my weight? There's one thing I'm sure of. I could wear these high heels for a few minutes, probably sitting down. No need to invite backache. It's fascinating to see the different styles - one for every occasion or dress. How ingenious to put  spikes down the back of the heels! Perfect to kick someone with should they get out of hand. *  *  * Images by Charie