leawalkerblog

Columbia Icefield

Posted on September 17, 2015 by leawalkerblog

I stood on a glacier today. 🙂

The feeling is exhilarating. It was something that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Think of all the superlative words that comes to mind. That is how awesome it is and more….

But I have mixed emotions as I write this. Today, I also realized the magnitude of the global warming’s effect. Yes, of course it is true! Those who said otherwise should be charged with treason and hang them on the rockies. ha ha …. Then they’d stop all the BS they’ve been feeding us.

So moving on. Where the heck is the Columbia Icefield?! Nope, not in Columbia. hehe

It is located between Jasper National Park and Banff National Park at Highway 93, Alberta, Canada. Famously known as the Icefields Parkway . I am writing a separate blog for the Parkway as it deserves its own. Believe me, you would not want to miss that.

We left Jasper about 9:00 in the morning. The sun was up. But the forecast was – a high of 6’c and a low of 2’c. That is effin’ cold! For a Filipina like me, who lives in the tropics, that is! Seriously though, I loved every bit of it. 🙂 You will see from the photos my silly grin the whole time. ha ha

The trip should be about 1 hour only. But well, we had to stop several times for photo op. Remember, this is at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Glacier fed lakes , snow capped mountains, evergreens and yellow leafed trees in the background , waterfalls along the road, overlooks that makes one realize how small we really are in this vast universe. (So yeah, be humble! 🙂 You’re just a dot , a speck on earth. Really! ) Amazing is an understatement.

We arrived at the Visitor Center just in time for the 11:30am schedule. I paid $115 cad for both the hubby and I. After giving me 2 passes, the receptionist told me to fall inline below the Icefield Adventure. (There is another line for the skywalk. So if you have a fear of heights, then you would not want to go there.) I’ve seen the overlook and it is pretty high. Walking in glass would probably give me a heart attack. ha ha

The bus took us to the ice explorer terminal. That’s about 4 minutes away from the Visitor Center. From there, we boarded the Explorer. This is also a very short trip, but there’s a steep part of the road that was scary. ha ha. When the driver asked, are you scared of a roller coaster? Someone replied with “does it matter?” . ha ha … I remember John telling me, you would not want to see the road. So I just held on to my seat and went to la-la-land to keep me calm. And then the driver said, well I started working here 2 days ago so I’m pretty sure, we will make it. lol

Don’t worry, that was just part of the script I guess. The tires of the explorer is 5 ft tall. That’s as tall as me. And it is made for that terrain. So there was no danger at all. 🙂

Okay, here are some facts: 1) Since 1885, the Athabasca Glacier has lost more than 60% of its volume. That’s over 350,000,000 cubic meter of ice. 2) This glacier is as high as the Eiffel Tower. 3) Today, glaciers are rapidly receding, confirming that our climate is changing. Scientists believe this is mostly due to excessive amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 4) If the glacier continue to recede at its present rate, there will be very little left in one hundred years. That’s just more or less, 3 generations from now. Eventually, our future generation will no long see glaciers. Sad huh? 😦

I feel blessed to have seen such in my lifetime. So ’nuff with words… 🙂 Click on the photos for a bigger copy. And enjoy!

The ice explorer costs $1,300,000.00 Canadian Dollars. This massive snow coach is built specifically for glacial travel. Like I said, the tires are 5 ft tall. haha

See, it’s as tall as me. 🙂

The hubby and I drank glacial water too… 🙂

I look so small beside this huge icefield.

Took this photo with my cellphone. ha ha… I’m getting good at this selfie stuff. lol

The whole trip took 45 minutes. It was more than enough considering how cold it was.

After the glacier adventure, we had lunch at the Visitor Center’s restaurant called Dining Room. The buffet looks good. But I apologize for saying this, for $29 dollars per head, it wasn’t worth it. So if you can, bring food and eat somewhere else.

After lunch, we decided to walk to the ice cave trail. It looked near. From a distance. ha ha When we started climbing, that’s when we realized that you know, it was far. And the elevation made it worse. Simply put, we weren’t up to it because we are not healthy! We need exercise. lol

But we made it on top, slowly but surely! 🙂

Weeee!!!! 🙂

A small ice cave with chunk of ice on the pond.

The second ice cave.

The view from above. The lake and the parking space looked so small already. 🙂

Before I forget, at the basement of the Visitor Center, a movie is shown about the rocky mountains in the theatre. The museum is there as well which showcases the rockies’ history.

Friends, if you are thinking of visiting the Canadian Rockies, then I suggest that you do it now. It is worth it. The view is magnificent. But more than that, the feeling of standing on top of a million year old glacier is indescribable. To be able to drink its very pure water is a one in a million experience as well….

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in My Travels | Tagged athabasca glacier, banff national park, Canada, canadian rockies, columbia icefields, glacier, ice explorer, icefields parkway, jasper national park, rocky mountains | 2 Comments

Road Trip 2015 – Day 5 (Maramag to Davao)

Posted on August 10, 2015 by leawalkerblog

Today, the 5th of April 2015, marks the end of our road trip. It’s been fun the past days. The fact that the outing with my family and staff is about to be over, makes me sad. But life has to move on since it isn’t possible to be on holiday all the time. 🙂 I am just thankful to God that we had the opportunity to bond as one big family. How awesome is that?

I mentioned on Day 4 of this series that RR Spring Resort’s swimming pools are cleaned every night. Since their source is a spring, the water is replaced on a daily basis. Like I said, that’s the reason why we stay overnight. So we can use their clean swimming pools the next day.

Look at the sparkling water! 🙂

I’ve written several entries about this resort here. Just type RR Spring Resort in the search box and you will find my blogs about it. This is a simple place with clean facilities and amenities. Plus you can cook so it’s perfect for big groups. My nephews love the pools. And I love the fact there are pools of about 3 to 4 ft deep only. For people who do not know how to swim like me, that is a big thing! ha ha

We left the resort around 10 in the morning. We wanted to make sure that we get to Seagull Mountain Resort in time for lunch.

What can I say… Bukidnon is love!

I love the mountains, the valleys, the green landscape, the cool weather. Everything about the place spells relaxation with nature.

There are so many things going on, in the picture below. 🙂 Notice the top loaders. I can’t believe it doesn’t scare them to be on top without something to hold on to. Except the sacks of vegetables.

And yes, that’s common traffic in the Philippines. Drivers will go anywhere they want to at any given time. ha ha… That said, please note that cruise control is useless here. 🙂

Farmers, on the way to town with their vegetables.

This kid reminds me of the past, when my sisters and I , would fetch water from the local “poso” . That’s a deep well with wooden handle , for my non-Filipino readers. 🙂

Common transportation in the Philippines. Jeepney.

Quezon Municipal Hall. It’s difficult to get a drive by photo . So I am glad I got a clear one.

Hah! The Montero’s GPS, shows the “intestine”.

Finally, Seagull Mountain Resort! 🙂 It’s about 2 hours from Maramag, on mostly concrete roads with beautiful sceneries.

Lunch at Seagull Steak House.

One big happy family. Thank you Lord. 🙂

Here’s a google map of this portion of our road trip.

For more details about RR Spring Resort and Seagull Mountain Resort, check their websites below.

http://www.rrfamilyspringresort.com

Facebook – Seagull Mountain Resort

Before I end this series, I would like to thank God for all the blessings. Specially for the gift of family. Daghang salamat!

To all of you who keep coming back to my blog, thank you. I apologize that it takes me forever to update though. 🙂 Hope this will help you on your travel plans in the Philippines.

And yes, for the nth time, Davao is safe. So is Mindanao.

Those we’ve been to , that is. I cannot speak for the ones I have not visited. 🙂

Ciao for now, everyone…

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in My Travels | Tagged RR Spring Resort, Seagull Mountain Resort, swimming pools | 2 Comments

My Air Asia Ordeal

Posted on August 1, 2015 by leawalkerblog

I have been seeing Air Asia’s cheap fare promo from time to time. But I have never tried their airline yet.

So on May 14 this year, I booked a flight to Cebu from Davao City for two people, scheduled on August 1 – 5, 2015. Per confirmed booking, our Davao departure was supposedly at 10:30a.m.

On July 7, I received a text message and an email informing me that due to operational requirements , our morning departure was cancelled. And was moved to 5:10 p.m. on August 1.

I was okay with it, so I said yes.

Today, 1 August 2015, the hubby and I arrived at the airport around 3:30pm. We were given our boarding passes with no hassle at all. So I thought everything was alright. The boarding time was 4:40 p.m. But there was no plane. We were told that it’s delayed due to a bad weather in Manila.

This is when people working at the airport told us that the previous week, the 5:10p.m. flight left for Cebu past 10 in the evening already. The passengers were also given the same reason why it’s delayed. But everyone wondered why the other airlines kept coming in. Except for Air Asia.

At 6 p.m. , the plane we were supposed to board at was still in Manila. The rain, according to a friend from there said that it’s long gone. So they could not use it as an excuse anymore.

Seven in the evening came and gone, but still no Air Asia plane. There was no explanation why. We were just sitting at Lounge #4 , hoping that things would get better soon.

In the meantime, the hubby had a migraine attack. He could not take his medicine because it was in our checked in bag. We were supposed to arrive in Cebu earlier, after all. By this time, we should have checked in at the hotel already and having dinner at a good restaurant there. But no, we were stuck in the airport , not knowing what time we will leave. If we were leaving at all.

We’ve waited for almost 4 hours already. We were hungry, having no good food at the airport restaurant. We were also very tired at this point. It was hot , crowded and so noisy. It felt like we were being punished. For what, I do not know.

At 7:28 p.m. , the staff announced that they are providing dinner. We were given a one piece Jollibee chicken meal. I appreciate the thought but it does not compensate for the hardship they put us through. You know that feeling when you’re stressed and you cannot eat? That’s what happened to me. As John was already sick, eating was out of the question. I told him that we should just go home, but he said – we’ve waited this long. We can wait a little longer.

But by 8:30 p.m. , he started vomiting already. Sorry for the word. But there it is. I decided to pull out our luggage so we can go to the hospital if we needed to.

By 9:17 p.m. , my friend whom we were supposed to travel with, informed me that they were now boarding.

What happened Air Asia? You moved our schedule to 5:10pm and your plane arrived 4 hours later? Please do not use the bad weather as an excuse because PAL and Cebu Pacific Flights arrived on schedule.

I feel aggrieved because you made us suffer due to your incompetency and unprofessionalism. You should not offer flights if you cannot deliver. You should not receive the people’s money and then mess up your passengers. That is rude. And very inconsiderate.

So now, I have a patient. I have a paid hotel booking in Cebu City that’s gonna be considered as a loss. But most importantly, my personal and business meetings were ruined.

How is this fair?!

How I wish that our government would protect the public by being more vigilant with this type of airline scams.

Yes, I paid for a cheap promo fare. But that’s still money lost. I guess, this is a perfect example of the phrase “you get what you paid for”.

Lesson learned. I will never, ever deal with Air Asia again.

Everyone, be forewarned.

It is up to you if you want to take the risk. After our experience last night, I’d say that a few pesos savings isn’t worth it.

I did not expect it from Air Asia, since they promote themselves as the “best budget airline in Asia”.

In my book, you are the simply the worst. I will never make the same mistake again.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged air asia, cheap flights, promo air fare | 4 Comments

Roadtrip Day 4 – (Dahilayan to RR Spring Resort)

Posted on July 29, 2015 by leawalkerblog

I don’t know what happened but we had about an hour of black out the previous night. The family told me they heard Dahilayan’s guards roam the perimeter of the hotel. I can’t believe John and I slept through it all. Remember I told you before that I sleep better when I’m on vacation? I guess, that must have been it.

Because I woke up to this the next day… Isn’t this beautiful?

Early mornings in Dahilayan is peaceful. I could only hear the birds from a distance.

The fogs hovering above the resort looked pretty too… Thank God for a great morning!

Since we had nothing scheduled the rest of the day, we all hung around to enjoy their activities. 🙂 After breakfast, that is… (Note: hotel bookings do not come with free breakfast. So be prepared. I ordered ours last night. Therefore it was ready the moment we went to the restaurant. )

Moving on…

I had fun with their forest trail! But well, I’m chicken. I wasn’t able to finish it! The other kids were better than me. hahaha I saw them moving forward as if the trail wasn’t high. Tsk.. tsk.. me and my fear of heights. You have to give me credit for trying though. ha ha…

Credits to the hubby as well for these pictures.

Papa playing billiards. 🙂

The nephews started at the park….

And ended with the buggy ride!

Funny story – Marco told us that Wemce asked him while they were on the buggy trail – “Kuya, are there dinosaurs here”… ha ha My older nephew told his younger brother, no there are none. Because they’re all extinct. I wonder what little Wemce thought of that. lol

Tadeo and his children too! 🙂

While some of us were just literally hanging around… 🙂

We left Dahilayan past 1pm since we found it easier to just have lunch there.

The large pineapple at the intersection inside the Dole plantation. 🙂

Pineapples… as far as the eyes can see!

See, this is why I love Bukidnon. The scenic drive is awesome. Look at the colorful trees! I have no idea what their names are, but they look beautiful right? 🙂 I saw a lot of pink and yellow leafed trees….

The hills and mountains beside the road. Sorry it isn’t so clear. I took most of the photos while the vehicle was running. Still looks pretty though! 🙂

Ahh finally, RR Spring Resort at dusk.

It’s only about 110 kms from Dahilayan to Maramag. If you’re in a hurry, you can do it in 2 hours. But why do that when you’re on vacation? 🙂 It defeats the purpose of having rest and relaxation.. So we just took our time. Stopped when we needed to. Bought food along the way, etc.

RR Spring Resort allows you to cook / grill at their designated kitchen. I find that really nice because it gave us the chance to prepare grilled pork chop, tuna belly, hot dogs, chorizo, etc. So awesome! 🙂

We rented two of their dormitory type accommodation. And a 2 pax cottage for me and the hubby. Perfect when you’re travelling as a group. 🙂

The resort has at least 7 swimming pools, if I’m not mistaken. The depth starts at 2ft to a maximum of 8 ft. I contented myself with the 3 to 4 ft deep pool. haha..

Remember everyone, this resort is always full. So book in advance. That said, I don’t use the pool at night because I think that’s already dirty. 🙂 So go there early in the morning. That’s why we stay overnight. So we can start swimming early the next day. There’s nobody there. The crowd usually arrives at 9-10 in the morning.

Also, this means that the pools have fresh spring water since they replace it overnight. And we’re the first ones to use them. Good plan right? 🙂

Ahhh.. the birthday girl, Analyn. 🙂 With Marco.

Dinner time… 🙂

Beautiful night… the moon has been showing off that week. 🙂

Here’s a google map , showing where we’ve been. If your vehicle has a GPS, that would come in handy too. 🙂

To learn more about Dahilayan Forest Park , here’s their website :

http://dahilayanforestpark.com/

Thank you everyone for visiting this blog again. I will try to write more in the next few days. Bye for now!

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Roadtrip 2015 – Day 3 (Dahilayan Forest Park)

Posted on May 10, 2015 by leawalkerblog

On the 3rd day of our road trip, I woke up to a beautiful sunrise. As I sat down beside the beach, my sister and Rey, came down from the villa and joined me in a morning prayer. There were so many things to thank God for. Being on a trip with my Allea family is one of them. How amazing God can really be when we allow him to work in our lives. Indeed, nothing is impossible.

A combination of blue sky and orange sunrise looked beautiful. 🙂

That is Rey, embracing the beautiful view. Or is this a sign of surrender? I don’t really know what was on his mind. But he seemed to be having his moment here. 🙂

Local Fishermen, passing us by.

Ahhh… Serenity….

Early morning companion, blue starfish. 🙂

Took this photo on my way back to the room. We rented the 2nd and 3rd floor of the villa, which consisted of 2 large suite rooms per floor. It’s really perfect for a big family. The big verandah can be shared by all or use the division to close its access if one wants privacy from the neighboring room.

The view from above.

A few steps away from the beach, lie hundreds of corals. Duka Bay Resort has grown and protected them over the years. That’s one of the reasons why we keep coming back. Other than the good rest, we love the fishes we see, playing in the colorful corals.

On our way to breakfast. Wacky pose! haha

(L to R) Marco, Val, Joshua, Emelie and my sister – Pearlie with the youngest nephew, Wemce.

Bottom: Analyn and Jener.

Far right: Blaire. 🙂

We checked out of the resort at around 10am. We planned on having lunch at the corner of Cagayan De Oro City and Bukidnon road. As it turned out, the Gaisano Store in that area does not have a restaurant at all. So we had no choice but to proceed to Dahilayan Forest Park instead, hoping that they got food. We all decided that we messed up. We should have just stayed at Duka Bay, had lunch and left afterwards. Oh well.. maybe next time. 🙂

From Bukidnon highway, Dahilayan Forest Park is about 14kms according to the sign. We passed through Del Monte’s subdivision (housing for their staff, I believe). And from there, it opened up to a wide pineapple field with rough road.

The said rough road is at least 3 kilometers. So just drive slowly to avoid breaking your vehicle. 🙂

After that 3 km. rough patch, the road goes back to its concrete counterpart again. 🙂

Ok, it was Good Friday , when we visited Dahilayan Forest Park. We had the shock of our lives when we saw the long line of vehicles. And a huge crowd, waiting for their turn to get in. I don’t know why , but I didn’t expect for it to be that crowded on top of the mountain. But it was. It took quite sometime for us to park because of the congestion, plus the fact that no one managed the traffic.

So I decided to go down and asked assistance from the reception area. By the time their employee arrived, John took matters on his own hand, acted like a traffic enforcer , got parking and somehow lessened the traffic a little.

I went back to the office and checked us in. We were told that check in was at 2pm. And that we should have lunch first. Upon entering the resort, my first comment was that it was so noisy. Nope, not because of the crowd inside. But from the loud speaker above us bellowing incomprehensible music. Disappointing, if you ask me. We went to a forest resort thinking of peace and quiet.

We proceeded to the restaurant and fell in line. After an hour or so, our food was served. We were so hungry by this time, everyone concentrated on eating. That means, no one talked until we were done. Eating, that is. Seriously! ha ha

After lunch, it was time to check in. Finally, we can rest. The hubby wanted to hide from the noise. And so did the senior citizens in this trip.

At our room – the Forest View.

It was very spacious. Had a clean and nice bathroom. And more importantly, far from the crowd. The balcony is facing the mountain and the forest. I saw from our room the hanging bridge, which prompted me to go and check it out.

I also booked the Forest View VIP room for my parents and my sister’s family because it is larger. Then 2 Family Suites for all our staff. One thing I can say of their accommodation – it exceeded my expectation. It’s so worth it. Here’s the link if you want to visit Dahilayan Forest Park someday – http://dahilayanforestpark.com/accommodations-2/

They are always fully booked. So with that said, please make sure that you book months ahead of time.

ACTIVITIES:

The hanging bridge has a rate of P100.00 per head. It hung 30 meters above the ground. And is 80 meters long.

I don’t know where I got the idea that the hanging bridge is easier than the zipline. Yes, the depth is shorter, but the zipline come to think of it , takes seconds only. Whereas crossing the hanging bridge could take several minutes. Jener, our accounting incharge, said that he thought of crawling to finish it. ha ha Being on top of a suspension bridge , specially when it is moving due to the number of people walking in it, was fun but I felt my legs buckle.

I made it! Thank God! … ha ha After quite awhile, to be honest. 🙂

But I did not go back. It’s a good thing that the hubby was patient enough to walk with me through the trail below and climbed back up. I refused to walk on the bridge again. I know, I am lame. lol

Yes, there is a trail. For those who prefer to go back on foot, take the trail. It is a nice exercise. The resort is fixing some of the steps, so just be careful. One request to the Management – please maintain it and cut some of the bushes. I think, not many people use the said trail. So some parts have overgrown bushes and trees.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:

At the Pine Tree Forest. Took the photos below from my staff’s album. – photo courtesy of Tadeo. Thank you. With his children as models. 🙂

Marco at the Pine Forest. They have life size animals which the kids love. (photo courtesy of my sister. )

John with the Hippo. haha (ahh.. I took this photo).

Ziplining. With Jener here. 🙂

Analyn and Rey. 🙂

Tadz and his youngest son. So fun!

With Emelie. 🙂

Manong Osting and Cholo, playing billiards. On the background are Dandan and Rey with Tadz’ kids. 🙂

My sister thought of zorb-ing. lol

The park and playground is not just for kids….

But also for the kids at heart… haha

The temperature at Dahilayan drops several degree Celsius at nights. So make sure that you bring warmer clothes. No need for thick jacket because it is far from fall or winter weather. A long sleeve shirt will do. 🙂

I’d like to mention the following:

A) The restaurant offers hot chocolate. And it taste really good. It’s really tsokolate. Not like the hot choco crap Mcdonald’s give you. Seriously.

You can see how rich it is, even from the photo below right?

B) The restaurant food was just so-so. That is not a problem though. I can get past that. But their cashiers that time were terrible. Maybe because it was busy then or they really have an attitude problem. But anyway, I requested earlier in the afternoon to book our dinner so we won’t have to wait for an hour or so before it is served. I was told to come back later because they will be changing shifts then. I came back as agreed. Only to be told that it is not possible. So I had to go, talk to the Manager and explained my predicament. I said this exactly – does it not make sense to you if I order earlier? That way you and I will not be stressed anymore by falling inline later? You can prepare our food and serve it at 6pm? The manager understood and approved my request. My point is this, if a staff is not sure, then ask the higher up to ensure good service. Not just say no and pretend that the customer does not exist by chatting with other workers. That is rude.

Okay, our first time at Dahilayan had some inconveniences but we got there safe and sound. We had nice rooms. We were able to eat. And everyone enjoyed the day. All in all, it was a good experience.

That’s what’s important to me.

It is not the place that matters after all, but the people you are with at that certain time. In my case, I was blessed to have the people I love when we went there. 🙂

Sweet moment with the hubby. I feel blessed….

Bye for now everyone!

See you in the next installment of this road trip. 🙂

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in My Travels | Tagged Cagayan De Oro, dahilayan bukidnon, dahilayan forest park, Duka Bay Resort, medina misamis oriental | Leave a comment

Roadtrip 2015 – Day 2 (Butuan to Misamis Oriental)

Posted on April 25, 2015 by leawalkerblog

Medina, Misamis Oriental is the home of Duka Bay Resort. That is the reason why we keep going back year after year, if time permits. This visit though is different. The hubby and I brought not just the family, but our staff as well. We wanted to give them a break. Literally. 🙂

I woke up late that day. For an early riser, that is not normal to me. But I welcomed the respite. By the time I went to the restaurant for the buffet breakfast, everyone was there already.

The staff looked rested and happy.

(Top) Tadeo and his cool kids.

(Below) With my parents , nephew and aunt here.

I look forward to Almont’s tsokolate and puto maya. I don’t know why but for Filipinos , that combination is perfect! Right? 🙂 And it didn’t disappoint. As always.

I love Almont Inland Resort. But I want to mention this , I did not see any driedfish that day. Really sad…. Instead, there was sardines sautéed with spices. I’m sorry, that doesn’t work for breakfast. I heard even the other guests say yuck. ha ha…. So to the management, just don’t offer that for breakfast anymore. I’m just glad that there were lots of other choices.

About 10am or so, we left the resort. The trip to Medina is a short one. It’s only 2 hours from Butuan, more or less. On our last visit, the roads were terrible. I remember the locals telling us that it wasn’t repaired until Pres. Aquino’s time. I’m glad that it’s done this time and that made the trip a lot easier.

We stopped at this convenient store to buy water and some junk food. Over the years, I noticed that more stores and gasoline stations are open during Holy Week. There was a time when buying things along the way was difficult.

I took this photo before Gingoog City. It looked like a small park inside. Behind that are mangrove trees with wooden bridge. It would have been nice to walk on that trail but it wasn’t open to the public yet.

Preservation of mangrove trees is really commendable. Fishes and other sea creatures live there.

So to all the travelers out there, when we travel specially to the beach, let us not litter. Let’s help protect our nature by being responsible travelers. Let’s train the kids as well. That way, they will grow up loving and respecting our nature more.

Years ago, the first time John and I traveled this way, we found the large fruits at the park of Gingoog City. The hubby had a hard time pronouncing the word “Gingoog”, so I had fun teaching him. haha .. I know I am mean! LOL So anyway, we brought everyone there for some photo op. 🙂

With a large pineapple.

Large Lanzones. 🙂

Large Mango.

John with the giant coconut. ha ha

Then he said – one more time. Wacky pic! ha ha

It was almost lunch time when we left Gingoog. Travel time from there to Medina is about 30mins or so only. Perfect timing for the buffet lunch I booked in Duka Bay.

Upon arrival, we were told that the Villa wasn’t ready yet. So someone led us to the tent they set up near the beach where our buffet will be served. They have a big restaurant with buffet lunch as well , but I chose the menu months ago for our group because I wanted to be sure that John has his favorite Filipino food. 🙂

Allea family is big. 🙂 ha ha At least 3 long tables for all of us.

We just hung out near the beach while waiting for our rooms. Ok, one villa has 4 junior suites. I booked them all because each suite can accommodate 4 to 8 people. Yes they’re very spacious with its own verandah facing the beach. So love it! 🙂

An hour or so later, 3 of the rooms were ready. But one of the rooms wasn’t , because the previous occupant was still there. Check out time was 12 noon, but you know there are some “special” people who believe they are better than others and just stay more than the allowed time. Rude and inconsiderate. That’s the problem I always encounter when we are traveling here in the Philippines. Remember what happened to us at Banana Beach Resort earlier this year. At 3pm, our room wasn’t ready yet , because they couldn’t move out the occupant on time. Unbelievable.

It’s a good thing we have this view. I calmed down. lol

Finally, after 2pm the last room became available. Just in time for the glass bottom boat booking I made for those who wanted to go. I’ve tried this several times already, but I love seeing the corals and fishes through the boat’s glass floor . Amazing experience.

Seriously watching the panoramic vista below. 🙂

After the boat trip, some of us went swimming. While I contented myself by watching them.

My sister and nephews, infront. With mama and my aunt farther ahead.

Duka Bay has a not so white sand. But the water is so clean and clear that no matter how deep it is, you will see the bottom.

More than that, a few steps away from the villa, lie hundreds of corals with pink, orange, red and all other hues one can think of.

But this is what I love most. The chance to hold a fish for a few seconds.

So beautiful right? 🙂

We all said goodbye to Nemo when he swam away…

After the beautiful experience with Nemo, I had another treat. 🙂 The sunset, the sea and the trees brought a different kind of peace and calmness.

And just before dinner, John called my attention when he saw the moon. The water glistened with its reflection, making this scene so romantic and picture perfect.

Being able to share this moment with the hubby was one of the best gifts that God has given me. Thank you Lord for such blessing.

Ahhh… Duka Bay. Saying that I love your place is an understatement.

Where is it, you ask me? Check the google map below.

For more details about Duka Bay Resort , please click this link –

http://dukabayresort.com/

To all the Filipinos out there, come visit Mindanao. It’s not as scary as it sound. 🙂 Believe me, you may not want to leave after seeing what we have to offer.

Once again, thank you everyone for reading my blog!

See you all next time. In the meantime, let us all have a happy weekend. 🙂

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in My Travels | Tagged almont inland resort, butuan city, Duka Bay Resort, Misamis Oriental | Leave a comment

Roadtrip 2015 – Day 1 (Davao to Butuan )

Posted on April 7, 2015 by leawalkerblog

Earlier this year, the hubby and I were discussing what to do for the long holy week holidays. He mentioned going to the US in time for spring, which I welcomed because that’s a different view for me to see. Plus I miss the no-stress life there. 🙂 But all these storms hitting America and planes crashing seemed like a “sign” not to travel this time. Yeah, I know. I am crazy. lol

So we decided to do the loop instead. Not just with the family but with all our staff. Since there were a total of 23 people including the kids, I had to make sure that all hotel/resort bookings were paid months ahead of time. That’s to ensure that we have beds to sleep in and lots of food, of course. 🙂

So here came the day… All our bags were packed and so ready to go! 🙂

Ahh, everyone was so excited….. Including me! Even if I’ve done this loop several times already. ha ha

Ok, so before I proceed, let me say this. You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them. 🙂

I love the palm trees in Tagum City. I know I said that a million times already! ha ha

These coconut trees, lined up beside the road was taken somewhere in Agusan. I love the view of the mountain and the ricefield behind them.

I’ve been seeing lots of logs along the road. Could be paper trees? Falcata maybe?

I love the bamboo trees and the mountains, up ahead…

You know, we had apprehensions before this road trip. Listening to the news, Mindanao seemed like it’s under attack by insurgents. Look at the road above, does that look scary to you? We didn’t feel threatened when we traveled. Not in this part of Mindanao, at least.

So moving on, we got lost in San Francisco , Agusan looking for the Mang Inasal restaurant. ha ha.. When we finally found it, it was very full. So we went to Mandarin instead. The food was crappy, sorry…. Except for the stuffed shrimps, which I love. But to be honest, lunch wasn’t worth the amount we paid.

After a few minutes’ rest, we left for Butuan this time. Our destination – Almont Inland Resort. I love the pool there. While John loves their brewed coffee. lol .. Yes, that plays a big factor why we keep going back there. Plus the rooms are spacious and nice.

This photo was taken on our previous visit. Just wanted to show you what I meant when I said “spacious and nice.” There are 2 queen beds in our room. So imagine its size. 🙂 Love it!

Going back to now, I took this photo because I found the flowing water in Bayugan really awesome. Wish I can find a property someday that has one. A flowing water, that is… It’s just a dream. But who knows, God in his goodness may grant that dream. he he…

Not so bad traffic in Bayugan….

Almont Inland Resort, at last! 🙂

After checking in, most of us jumped in the pool. 🙂

You know, I’m wondering why I have a lot of peace signs in my pictures. ha ha..

Spent the whole afternoon, just swimming. And resting. 🙂

Then dinner came. We all enjoyed their buffet . But I mostly loved the Brazo de Mercedes! haha

Then we got serenaded with acoustic songs by these two singers. They were so good together, I asked them if they would be willing to have a show during our Christimas Party come December.

Looking at the faces of the whole family and our staff, I could say that everyone were more than happy to be there…. 🙂

My “makulit” nephews. (Above)

And this is how my day ended. I got a dance from my date… So cheesy! But that made everyone grin and clap. haha I got embarrassed because there were other people in the restaurant. But John wasn’t bothered at all. lol

Thank you Val for this picture. 🙂

And thank you Lord for everything. I do not know where to start and how to say it, but thank you from the bottom of my heart. May your name be praised forever….

So where is Butuan City? Check the map below. The red line is the route we took. I believe the distance we traveled was more or less 290 kms. Travel time was about 7 hours including the lunch stop of an hour or so.

For more details of Almont Inland Hotel , check their website here –

Christmas Party 🙂

I will be back for the day 2 of our road trip. See you soon everyone!

May your Easter Week was as happy as mine! 🙂

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in butuan, My Travels | Tagged Agusan, almont inland resort, Butuan, Davao City, prosperidad, roadtrip, san francisco | 4 Comments

Aumbay, Samal

Posted on March 29, 2015 by leawalkerblog

If I didn’t take this picture, I would think that this is somewhere in Banay-banay, Davao Oriental. 🙂

But no, it is not. This is just a few minutes away from Davao City. It’s in Barangay Aumbay, Island Garden City of Samal, to be exact.

The first time I saw this, I exclaimed loudly my surprise! ha ha… I did not expect that we have ricefields in Samal Island, you see… With a small , but very good, irrigation system at that!

The road is rough of course. 🙂 But with a 4×4 car, our adventure to the unknown wasn’t bad at all. In fact, I found it relaxing….

Isn’t that beautiful? The wide green space looked calming to me.

As we moved on, we saw this small pond.

By the way, all the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them. 🙂

I love the grazing horse… No it is not a wild one. But still, he was a pretty sight!

I also realized that summer is officially on! What better way to spend your day than be in the water? 🙂

This boy looked bewildered. He’s probably wondering why this crazy woman was taking a picture of him. lol

I can’t tell you why, either. I guess it’s the photographer in me. His eyes told a story which made him a good subject that time.

I was just amazed with the fact that children can roam freely in the island, without the parents worrying about their whereabouts.

No people, not all of Mindanao, is a warzone! I have been telling you that for the longest time.

Davao City , its provinces and Samal Island are safe!

As we were leaving the place, we came across with more children, on the way home from school.

This reminded me of my childhood. I used to walk from the house to our school and vice versa. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my experiences, it is the fact that when you work hard for something, you tend to value it more.

Another thing, no one can tell me that poverty is a hindrance to success. No one. It is a matter of perseverance , dedication , commitment, hard work and faith in God. You can’t go wrong with all of those combined together.

I think the sign on the left said, you are now leaving Brgy. Aumbay. 🙂

I am. Or should I say, we were. Leaving for now. But we will surely be back. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit under a tree, looking at the view, with a picnic basket?

Nice plan right? ha ha

Ok, so where exactly is Aumbay?

Check the map of Samal Island below. That small space in red is Brgy. Aumbay. From the ferry port, there are motorcycles plying the Aumbay-Tagbobo Falls route. I just don’t know how much is the fare. But it is worth it. 🙂

Enjoy your summer everyone! 🙂

I am sure I will….

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com

Posted in My Travels, Samal Island | Tagged nature, ricefield, samal | Leave a comment

Samal Island / Secdea Beach Resort – March 2015

Posted on March 4, 2015 by leawalkerblog

I was feeling restless and so tired. I haven’t had a real rest since our New Year get-away last January.

My sister, whose birthday is this month said that she’s been thinking of going back to Secdea for her celebration. Her reply was “soon”, when I asked her when.

And soon was today, obviously. Thank God! 🙂

We left for the island around 9 in the morning. Travel time – 10 minutes from the ferry port. There’s no long line if it isn’t summer or major holidays, that’s why. We proceeded to Babak market and bought pork, for grilling. Mangoes, for dessert. Then, rice and corn meal. For our family, that’s a treat. ha ha. Honestly, I love grilled pork partnered with corn meal. I don’t know why, but that’s the best combination ever.

From there, our next destination was , the “kubo” in Mambago A, Penaplata. That’s the big property , overlooking the sea, along the National Highway before reaching Central Warehouse. Okay , a little advertisement here. We still have lots for sale available, priced at P345,000.00 – above , for a 150sqm. lot payable in 3-20 years. We offer a straight monthly payment scheme. Please email lea@davaoproperties.com for your inquiries. And yes, we have clean titles. 🙂

Moving on, everyone got busy with the lunch preparation after reaching Mambago. As for me, I went to the newest property we bought nearby and checked its progress.

By the time I was done, lunch was ready.

I am so happy! Why? Because finally I am able to relax. Having our own business have perks. But comes with it are lots of responsibilities and obligations, from all directions. And well, there’s the BS I get to deal with too. 🙂 All of those put together get to me sometimes. So I need to breath and recharge. And then all is alright with the world again. My world, that is… 🙂

Here are some of the photos during that day.

Blaire and I at the Nipa Hut in Mambago.

The birthday celebrant and I. 🙂

After lunch, we proceeded to Secdea Beach Resort in Brgy. San Isidro, Babak , Samal. Check in was fast and so easy. We were immediately led to the Seabreeze Cottage we rented for one night. It’s a 2 bedroom , 2 bathroom bungalow type cottage with a large verandah. And is ideal for a large family.

I know we just ate. But well, my sister and I , booked for dinner before proceeding to the fishing lagoon. The resort was full. So it’s better to be prepared than be sorry, so to speak. ha ha…

The lagoon looked so nice with it surrounding nipa huts. There are golden and native tilapias. We were told that there are “bangus” (milkfish). But I did not see them. Unlike in Eden Nature Resort or Banana Beach Resort, we found it so difficult to catch some fish in Secdea. So we finally gave up, after some photo op. lol

Late in the afternoon, we headed to the pool. My nephews had super fun playing and swimming. While mama, my sister and I just relaxed in their lounge chairs.

And I got me a bottle of apple beer at the restaurant. 🙂 Yeah I know, I am lame. And so boring. I don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Don’t gamble. Don’t do much, except work. ha ha…

Dinner time came. We had it served in the cottage. That way, the senior citizens won’t have a hard time going to the restaurant and back.

The food was good. I specifically like the grilled seafood and meat served in a bilao. It had mangga and bagoong too! 🙂 The native chicken soup, didn’t like it much. I think it needed a little salt. But the pancit canton, pinakbet and lechon kawali were delicious. 🙂

After a dessert of rocky road ice cream and a good night conversation with the hubby, my day was complete. 🙂 He decided to stay home because his gadgets from the US arrived. The difference between him and me, he doesn’t want to wait. He won’t be able to relax until he knows that everything he needs to do is done. Yes, that’s an American for you. 🙂

Secdea Day 2:

I wake up really early, everyday. But today, my nephew Blaire, beat me to it. 🙂 We agreed last night to check the sunrise the next day. So he’s up and about before 5 in the morning.

Golden sunrise at Secdea. The last time we were there, it was a combination of pink and red. It was so beautiful too. One thing I can say, this is just one of the many facets of nature.

Breakfast in Secdea starts at 6:30am and ends by 9 in the morning. The family decided to eat early because a) mama and I wanted to join the mass and b) the kids wanted to play more in the pool before going home.

So after a sumptuous buffet breakfast of ham, sausage, hotdog, fried danggit (dried fish)boiled and fried egg with sinangag – mama and I proceeded to the chapel. This is one of the newly added developments in Secdea. Right now, they are building more rooms and cottages. And 3 new swimming pools. Those are supposed to open before the Holy Week in April. So if you have plans of visiting Secdea, book your holy week get-away as early as now. Believe me, they are fully booked most of the time.

The mass was officiated by Fr. Ariel, a visitor from Manila and his friend, Fr. Ronald, who is the head of the Rogationist School in Baracatan , Toril.

The homily given by Fr. Ariel was a combination of funny and serious sermon. But what he said struck home.

“To listen in the silence of your heart can you only hear and obey the words of God” – were his parting words.

Our family get-away was an impromptu decision. But I could say that it was meant to be. God put me where he wanted me to be at the right time and place. To give me time to rest, to meditate and listen to his words.

Thank you for such blessings Lord.

Lea C. Walker

http://www.davaoproperties.com