Kwebang Lampas 2012 - No longer a property of Lukang Family

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Kwebang Lampas is always on my bucket list. That's why I'm so happy when it comes down to reality. Still remember the first time I saw it was on Lakwatsera's blog and since then, I promised myself that I would also go here! I guess, if you just really want it so bad, you’ll do everything you can to make it happen. And it will eventually happen. ayt!

Kwebang Lampas aka Lukang Beach, Pagbilao Grande Island

So, one Saturday morning of February, together with my three colleagues I embarked on my second trip to Quezon, to see the well-known Kwebang Lampas.

11:30PM Friday, when we arrived at Kamuning Jac Liner Station. We depart from the terminal at exactly 12AM . Less than 3 hours of travel with no stop-over, we finally reached Lucena Grand Terminal. I was quite worried when I soon found out that Jeepneys and Mini Bus bound to Brgy. Polo will start to arrive at 6AM. Therefore, its either we choose another route or wait for hours until the mini bus or the jeepneys arrived.

SoO glad that people in Lucena are naturally helpful. Some of the locals suggested that we could take the ordinary bus bound to Legaspi which will leave by 3AM. According to them it will also pass to Pagbilao Town Proper which from their we could walk or ride a trike to Pagbilao Market. So then we opted to ride a bus bound to Lucena, signboard: Guinayangan Caluag-Legaspi, Fare is 12php.

I asked the bus conductor to drop us at Pagbilao Town Proper. (Your landmark would be the Municipal Hall of Pagbilao which is right beside the waiting shed.) It took us only 20 minutes to get there. From the waiting shed there are already some tricycles that could drive you to the Jeepney terminal bound to brgy. Polo which is quite near the Pagbilao market.
 

Since its still dark outside we agreed to ride a tricycle. Luckily there are 2 tricycles lining from the waiting shed. Less than 5 minutes, we reached the Pagbilao Jeepney terminal only to find out it's still closed and will be open at 6AM. Aside from the two roving tanod we are the only people around. I feel a bit anxious, so I asked manong driver to stay for us for a while while were figuring out what to do. According to him, the Market starts to open around 4AM as some vendors may start to arrive. Hence, if we do not wish to wait for the first jeepney trip we could hire a trike for 350php. As we really wish to catch the sunrise on the beach we opted for the next option. Manong driver has been really nice to us. He even bring us back to the waiting shed where he called a tricycle for us to take us to brgy. Polo. From 350 we haggled it down to 300php.

3:30AM, Street lights were gone and there was dense darkness on the road to Brgy Polo. In the middle of that almost an hour-trike ride, I was then reminded of the verse on Psalm 118:6.  :)

Trike-headlights on dim

 (The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?)

Soon we reached the boundary of Brgy. Polo.  I was riding at the back of the tricycle and one of the first thing I noticed was how beautiful the sky is. The night was clear and the sky was filled with more stars than I could have ever imagined! At that very moment, I felt a sense of peace :)

We passed on four small and big bridges until we finally seen the Pagbilao Power Plant at the left side (the landmark of Kwebang Lampas). Manong driver dropped us off near the main gate of Pagbilao Power Plant.

(Click the image to get a better view)

Dito kami binaba ni Kuya mismo. That was him, waiting for us, whereas talking with the guards of Powerplant.

Its around 4:20AM and quite dark outside so we decided to have our breakfast first at the nearest eatery that is already open that time while we also wait for the dawn.

Me while making chicka to ate Leah, owner of this humble eatery. 

Ate Leah is very accommodating and friendly. She even instruct us an alternative route for a cheaper fare if ever we decide to go back  :D

5:20AM, we were off for a trek. Some tricycle drivers offered 100-150php to drive us to the parking lot, (near the green lake) which is the jump off point to Kwebang Lampas/ Lukang Beach. But since we're on a tight budget, we refused. Bwahaha!. Well, I guess the best way  to enjoy the scenery is on foot. :p  Lots of local stores are within the area too but none of them are open yet except for Ate Leah.

Vamanos! Face the police detachment at the corner near the plant gate then follow the road to your left.

Don't be confused! Lokang Beach is just same as with "Lukang Beach" ^^

It was a real good decision to go for trek.

Starting from concrete, the road will become asphalt, then broken asphalt, then gravel road. About 970m from the police detachment there will be a junction where you should turn right. >>

Turn right.

Then, follow the road for another 935m, which passes through acres of prairie and tall grass.  Walk alongside the wooden fence, 'til you pass a concrete boundary wall on the right.

Keep on following a trail until you reach the residential area.  This is where you have to pay for a parking fee, ONLY if you ride to get here. But since we took a walk, we just paid for our entrance fee which is Php100 for an overnight stay plus P20 for a two-way boat ride.

(Note: Kwebang Lampas NOW allowed overnight guests! ~as of Feb 25, 2012).

This is what the Parking area looks like. (click to enlarge)

I was a bit surprised when I realized that Aling Divina is no longer the caretaker of the resort. It is said that there was this long-standing dispute over land ownership between the Lukang Family and the former Vice Governor Ed Rodrigo. Possibly the reason why it is Aling Gemma and kuya Lando who greeted us.

After paying fees we took a 3-minute boat ride crossing a small lake to get to the other side from where we will start a short trek to Lukang Beach.

Green Blue Lake. Yeah, one of my fave shot.

Walk on a paved cement and traverse this rocky shoreline.

Aww! how I love Sunrise!!

 Turn left at the grassy area then take a short walk along a forest trail to the beach. No worries, there's numerous signs along the way. 

The trail goes through lush forest

Follow the signs to stay on the trail

Past 6 o'clock when we reached Lukang Beach aka Puting Buhangin/ Kwebang Lampas. "It was beautiful!" Kwebang Lampas is a place to relax... Albeit the sand is not as fine as the one in Calaguas, yet the waters were crystal clear. I really enjoy swimming! It is so calm - no waves, I'm not a good swimmer so its really great for me! :) 

The Opening of the Cave

Lukang Beach

I was expecting that there would be a lot of visitors in the afternoon, but only a few came. Cristine Jacob and her family are one of those .:)

yeah, I should have use the zoom.. :p

Look what we've got! Orange & purple starfish!
Note: We put the starfish right away back to the sea after taking photo.

Me, standing across the opening of the Cave

Overall, it was an awesome trip. I love the pristine beach, the warm water inside the cave, the locals which are very helpful to us, but then, its more than the alluring beauty Pagbilao, for me, it was another journey of faith and trust.☼

Lesson learned - have Faith. Trust. Be kind, yet be wise, also.

Tips:

• Aling Gemma & Kuya Lando are the new caretaker of the resort. You may contact them at 0947-5911630
• There are restroom in the island.
• Cottages are completely open, not good to stay overnight. It would be better if you bring your own tent.
• No source of fresh water in the island.
• Budget: 1,000-1,200php

>> How to go to Kwebang Lampas?
>> Inside the Cave?

Joseph Kony - The Worst Criminal in the World

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Joseph Kony is the notorious leader of Uganda's rebel guerrillas. He has an army and what he does is he takes children from their parents and gives them a gun to shoot and  makes other shoot other people. And for 26 years Kony has has been kidnapping children to his rebel group that called LRA.

Joseph Kony

Turning the girls into sex slaves and the boys in the child soldiers.

Turning the girls into sex slaves

Turning boys in the child soldiers

He makes and mutilate people faces and He forces them to killed their own parents. Since his reign, Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children using ruthless tactics.

Kony mutilate faces

 

In 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was started to find and demand the arrest of the World's worst criminals, and Joseph Kony is number one on their list. Although there are lot of warlords, murderers and dictators in the world  (Abdullah senussi at Muammar Gaddfi are just one on the list) the perversity of Kony's crime made him first on the courts list. These are the crimes that are against humanity and war crimes committed against the civilian population including slavery, rapes, abductions.

Kony is the first guy indicted by the ICC (International Criminal Court)

Its obvious that Kony need to be stop, BUT the problem is many of us doesn't know who he is. I hope you could take time to watch and share this video. (https://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/watch_the_film.html)



I am shocked and almost cry watching this video. I actually feel the need to share and create awareness to those who doesn't know Joseph Kony. I am joining the movement to help capture Kony and stop the LRA, and this is my little way to help Jacob and the invisible Children. To spread the news and help make Joseph Kony famous NOT to be celebrated but to be stopped.

Classic Sansó: Revisiting Earlier and Best-known themes

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In the past decade, internationally renowned artist Juvenal Sansó introduced a new series of works called his Moderno series which were inspired by memories of his travels. Moderno explored intense and highly colorful creative interpretations of particula views and sceneries he had found memorable and which were indelibly etched into his subconscious. Moderno had several critically acclaimed shows both in the Philippines and Singapore. This year, with his forthcoming show Classic Sansó, the artist revisits some his earlier and best known themes. These themes are his landscapes and seascapes as well as his floral paintings.

(Acrylic on canvas)

Fortuitous Wonder (Acrylic on canvas)

An Overflowing Cup (Acrylic on Paper)

Sansó has always found water alluring and admits being captivated by its energy, beauty and mystery. He is enthralled by water whether it be for its vibrant tides and motion or for it sotthing, calming and tranquil attributes.

Quaint and Picturesque (Acrylic on Canvas)

Likewise flowers have been another stellar inspiration that has continuously challenged, inspired and motivated the artist. With these works Sansó succeds in bring his viewers to a world of strong feelings and emotions.

A renowned painter, Juvenal Sansó is one of the best-know members of the Philippine Modernist movement. Having graduated from the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philipines, he has his contemporaries, National artists Jose Joya, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, and Napoleon Abueva (His batchmate in UP).

Juvenal Sansó

 His teachers were National Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Guillermo Tolentino. A foremost master, Sansó has had a long and stelalr career capped by a number of awards and recognition including a King's Cross of Isabella knighthood from the King of Spain, membership into the Order of Chevalier from the French Government, and a Presdient Medal of Merit from the Republic of the Philippines. His works are represented in the collections of some 40 museums in the world including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institute, the Museum d' Arte Moderne in Paris, the Rosenwald National Gallery of Washington, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. His collectors include the Rothschild Family, Nelson Rockefeller, Vincent Price, Elsa Schiaperelli, Jean Cocteau and many prominent, American, European and prominent Filipino families.

With rare artworks culled from the artist's studio on canvas and on paper, Classic Sansó is a much anticipated revisit of the artist's favorite themes. It shows Sansó at his very best, full of life, full of engery and full of passsion for his art.

Classic Sansó opens to the public at the Podium

 

Me in the middle together with fellow Bloggers

MV Logos Hope - The World's Largest Floating Bookstore is back here in Manila!

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Calling all book lovers! MV Logos Hope, the worlds largest floating bookstore is back here in Manila! I'm fond of reading at night before going to sleep. At times, I look for books on sale cause I love it when I find a good read for a couple of bucks!

So when I heard the news that this Floating library docks in Manila port, I get excited, and I feel the need to spread the word. Cause I believe it is really worth a visit. I mean, I'm not a bookworm, but the moment I heard about this floating bookstore, two years ago, I've been really wanting to see it!   I wonder how it feels like to be inside that huge floating library with different kinds of books to choose from. Yes, I really wanted to see it with my own eyes.

MV Logos Hope

MV Logos is said to come here every year, and sad cause I always missed their Manila visit. But this time, I'll make sure that I'm gonna be here this March. Who's with me? ^_^ I wanna take advantage of the big sale, which runs until March 13 only.

The biggest floating library ship was constructed in 1973, MV Logos Hope (first named Gustav Vasa) was originally built as a passenger car ferry sailing the North Atlantic routes. It is owned by Christian charity organization GBA Ships, and I was really surprised when I found out that it is run by a volunteer crew. Yes, you heard it right. The crew and staff are all non-salaried volunteers – including many serving in their professional capacity, such as seafarers, engineers, electricians, nurses, teachers and cook. Amazing, isn't it?!

The ship has a library onboard with over 5,000 titles, covering a wide range of topics. They're been sailing from port to port since 2009 in its mission of “bringing knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world. And they come here every year to provide Filipino students an opportunity to buy quality books at cheaper prices.

See the world’s largest floating book fair and buy quality books at affordable prices.

(Inside of the MV Logos Hope floating bookstore.)

Entrance Fee:
- Adults: Php20 Only.
- Children 12 years and below: FREE

Schedule:
MV Logos Hope is open everyday except Monday, until March 13, 2012 only in Manila.
- Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
- Sunday: 1 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Location: 
- Pier 15 in the Port Area, Manila.


*Photos courtesy of Philippine Inquirer & ABS-CBN News.

Dell XPS 14z - Thin and Powerful

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Dell revelead its XPS 14z laptop, one of the thinnest fully featured 14-inch laptops featuring an internal optical drive and discrete graphics option. Undoubtedly one of the thinnest laptops around with a thickness of just 0.9 mm. Dell XPS 14z is the latest in a series of thin-and-powerful solutions from Dell that include thin laptops, desktops and accessories, the XPS 14z delivers performance that impresses and design that inspires. 

From left to right: Jermyn Wong, Market Development Manager, Intel Philippines, Alvin Go, Brand Manager for Dell, Personal Computers and Notebooks division and Don Navarro, Dell Philippines.

Key Features:

Exceptionally slim and stunningly powerful
Less than 1" thin and featuring 2nd Gen Intel Core processors, the sleek new XPS 14z delivers commanding power. The XPS 14z’s uncompromising performance helps busy professionals achieve their personal and professional pursuits – and look good while doing it. 

Stylish & Compact
Its anodized-aluminum finish is stylish and sophisticated, and the latch-less design is simple, yet elegant. It has the easy portability of a 13-inch laptop. Indeed, XPS 14z is visually striking, with a slim, yet powerful form synonymous with innovation.  

 
Large HD Display
The XPS 14z is a sleek laptop with a compact design that measures in at less than an inch thin. The unique design maximizes screen size, delivering a 14-inch screen in a 13-inch form factor. With Dell XPS 14z you can Edit HD videos or high-res images1 in record time hen you upgrade to high-performance NVIDIA GeForce graphics, complete with 1GB of memory. It even lets you use 3D processing power to create an immersive 3D experience at home on your compatible 3D TV. 

Long Battery Life
With XPS 14z six hours, 42 minutes of battery life, professionals now can power through their day at work and kick back at night to take advantage of the system’s HD screen to watch.



What’s innovative?

“When Dell looks at innovation and product development, we start with the customer. For us, it’s about delivering the right feature-set and design to provide the best user experience for our customers,” said Sam Burd, vice president of Dell’s Consumer and Small/Medium Business product group. “With the XPS 14z, our challenge was to build a laptop that provided customers the performance and portability that they need, with the design and finish they desire.”

Alvin Go, Brand Manager for Dell, Personal Computers and Notebooks division

Price and Availability
Dell XPS 14z is available with second-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, an HD WLED display for great entertainment experiences, a slot-load optical drive and NVIDIA graphics option.

The XPS 14z laptop is available today in select retail stores nationwide

• Intel Core i5, at starting price of Php 65,150.00
• Intel Core i7, at starting price of Php 69,590.00

Technical Specification:

• System Type: Laptops/ Notebook
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• CPU: 2nd-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 Dual Core processor choices
• Display: Thin laptop PC (0.9”/23mm) with anodized aluminum and magnesium alloy palmrest in dark gray. - Standard HD (720p) WLED with TrueLife and edge-to-edge glass (1366x768)
• Wireless Controller: Built-in Intel Centrino Advanced
• Wireless: N 6230 802.11 A/G/N,  Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity
• Memory & Speed: 4GB dual channel DDR3 up to 8GB DDR3 1333Mhz memory options
• Storage: Fast 7200RPM hard disk storage, from 500GB up to 750GB; 256GB SSD drive option
• Graphics Processor: Fast NVIDIA graphics option including NVIDIA Optimus technology:
• - NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M with 1GB graphics memory
• - Intel Wireless Display-ready
• Slots: Built-in Slot load DVD +/- RW (reads & writes to CD/DVD)
• Interfaces: USB 3.0 (1), USB 2.0 (1), HDMI 1.4 (1), RJ-45 (1), Mini Display-Port and microphone/audio connectors
• Camera: Built-in 1.3MP HD Webcam with dual array digital microphones and stereo speakers
• Input Features: Backlit, spill-resistant Chiclet keyboard
• Software:  Dell XPS Laptops come with the Dell Stage software for fast, easy access to content like music, videos and photos.

Battery:
- Technology: 8-cell battery
- Run time: Up to six hours, 42 minutes of battery life

Dimensions & Weight:
- Height: 0.9” (23mm)
- Width: 13.19” (335mm)
- Depth 9.21” (234mm)
- Weight: starting at 4.36lbs (1.98 kg)

Buttered Marble Potatoes with garlic & cheese

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Last week I made my own buttered marble potatoes, kenny Rogers side dish-inspired. Though it didn't turn out like its supposed to, but its certainly ok. :D. These potatoes taste so good, Butter and garlic combination are really good!



 Prepare for:

• 1/4kl of marble potatoes
• 4-6 cloves of minced garlic
• 2tbsp of margarine
• small amount of herba buena.

Here's How:

1. Wash the potato marbles 2-3x until you feel its already clean. (No need to peel, just wash them real good)
2. Cut in halves the potato marbles, then boil in pan with enough water to cover.  Add some salt in water. (2-3 teaspoons will do)
3. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain. Set aside.
4. In a different pan, melt some butter. (I can't find butter on our ref so I used margarine instead.)
5. Melt some margarine, add garlic and grinded cheese. Simmer just until all the flavors have blended.
6. Remove from heat then toss it with the potato marbles.

I put mine in a container and toss! I sprinkled it with cheese and some chopped Herba Buena . Prelibato!

I love it! It's simple and easy to make! ♥

 Ubos agad! Yum!

Postscript: Herba Buena or Yerba Buena is also some kind of aromatic plant herb. My mom had one of these plant so I tried using it as an alternative to parsley. ^^ It was ok though. But since  it has a stronger scent, I only add a very small amount of it. 

All-in-one Share Buttons on your Blog Post

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Last year I created a post about how to "Add Facebook Like Button on Blogspot". This time I'm gonna share you on how to add all-in-one share buttons on each of your blog post for easy content sharing!

With the code below you can easily integrate the important social share buttons like twitter, google +, facebook like, or even share it with your facebook friends!

You can add share buttons before or after your post, as easily as a snap! Here's how:

1. Go to your Blogger Dashboard.
2. Then on Layout/Design Tab > Page Elements.
3. Click on "Add a Gadget" link, choose HTML/Javascript from the list, and paste ALL the code below, on it. Save.
4. Position your html gadget - display it at the top or at the bottom of your blog post, then Save!

 Copy all this code.
 <div> <b:if cond='data:post.isFirstPost'> <!-- Facebook --> <div id='fb-root'/> <script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); </script> <!-- Google +1 --> <script type='text/javascript'> (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); </script> <!-- Twitter --> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script> </b:if> <!-- Scripts End --> <!-- Horizontal social buttons Start --> <b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "static_page"'> <div class='horizontal-social-buttons' style='padding:5px 0 5px;'> <!-- Twitter --> <div style='float:left;'> <a class='twitter-share-button' data-count='horizontal' data-lang='en' data-related='' data-via='' expr:data-text='data:post.title' expr:data-url='data:post.url' href='https://twitter.com/share'>Tweet</a> </div> <!-- Google +1 --> <div style='float:left;'> <g:plusone annotation='bubble' expr:href='data:post.url' size='medium'/> </div> <!-- Facebook Like+Send --> <div style='float:left;'> <fb:like colorscheme='light' expr:href='data:post.url' font='' layout='button_count' send='true' show_faces='false'/> </div> </div> </b:if> <div style='clear: both;'/> </div>

If the feature of adding a gadget is not available on your layout/design tab,
Go to Design Tab > Edit HTML, and paste the code above, before or after this code:

<data:post.body/>  


(CTRL + F, too easily find this code in the html file.

Save and you're done! :)

>> Kindly "LIKE" this post if it helped you : )