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But I trusted the two Tagbanua men who led the way. They knew exactly where they were going. In between huffing and puffing, I often found myself asking \"Are we there yet?\" It was seemingly annoying but I was not only the one asking. Loreta, who worked for \u003Ci\u003ENagkakaisang Tribo ng Palawan (NATRIPAL) \u003C\/i\u003Ewho also comes from the Tagbanua tribe asked the same question.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/16998054298\" title=\"Palawan Wild Honey by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Palawan Wild Honey\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8716\/16998054298_b0ab18004a_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"\u003Ci\u003EMalapit na\u003C\/i\u003E. [We are near.]\" was their usual answer. And we continued hiking uphill for nearly an hour. There was sweat all over. We were pricked and cut by the grass, bushes, and thorns along the way. Save for the arm covers, hat and trekking pants, I was spared from more minor cuts and pricks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen the leader blurted out, \"\u003Ci\u003ENandito na tayo! [We're here!]\u003C\/i\u003E\". But \"here\" had a different definition after all. From uphill mode, we started descending. It was a bit dangerous because of the protruding sharp branches that fell from the trees. It was also slippery because it rained the day before we went to this place called Marofinas. We took careful steps. We slipped in some parts until finally, we reached the marked place where they found the beehives. They had to put their markers to prevent others from collecting the hives. The one who finds the colony has the sole right to it that other members of the tribe must respect. There were two beehives in the area. One is located on the top of the tree surrounded by thorny rattan vines. One is just behind us, inside a hole in a fallen and rotting tree.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/16565632913\" title=\"Palawan Wild Honey by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Palawan Wild Honey\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8705\/16565632913_110963257a_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/17184178722\" title=\"Palawan Wild Honey by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Palawan Wild Honey\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7621\/17184178722_f7f85d8aa2_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was worried about bee stings. I made sure I brought with me antihistamines just in case I get stung. I also made sure I did not wear any fragrance (not even an alcohol) because sweet scent attracts bees. Good heavens the species living in both hives were the kind ones.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELike any Tagbanua, the leader uttered some form of prayer and asking permission from the gods they believe to be lording over and protecting the area. They believe that praying before they gather honey makes the bees kinder. If they come home without any sting, that means the gods and deities gave their blessings and permission to the ones who gather, including us. Included in the prayer is for the gods and deities to help the bees produce more honey.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/16998059188\" title=\"Palawan Wild Honey by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Palawan Wild Honey\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8706\/16998059188_b5baf35b1b_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/16978408757\" title=\"Palawan Wild Honey by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Palawan Wild Honey\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7630\/16978408757_b9a0c08429_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt took the man only several minutes to climb and cut the beehive up the tree, and a few minutes on the fallen tree. However, as a sustainable practice, they only cut two-thirds of the hive. This will allow the bees to regenerate their hive and continue thriving in the area. Otherwise, the bees will move to another place.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHoney is abundant during the dry season and flowering season. If it always rains, honeybee production is affected. The taste of honey depends on the flower of the trees around their colony.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/16565641043\" title=\"Palawan Wild Honey by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Palawan Wild Honey\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7670\/16565641043_5970742d27_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis was my first time to witness honey gathering. Indeed, this was one for the books. I did not regret just passing by the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) and see it disappear right before my very eyes--and proceeding to this place instead. I was just a five-minute boat ride away from the PPUR, but this once in a lifetime experience beckons. I could always go back to Palawan for the PPUR--in my own sweet time and outside work. Communing with the Tagbanuas and witnessing their way of life was far more important.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThis thing was work.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMore \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/sets\/72157651617472330\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPhotos in Flickr Album\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"thepinoyexplorer\" data-via=\"pinoy_explorer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E!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\");\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-action=\"like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2015\/04\/palawan-harvesting-wild-honey_18.html\" data-layout=\"standard\" data-share=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-comments\" data-colorscheme=\"light\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2015\/04\/palawan-harvesting-wild-honey_18.html\" data-numposts=\"10\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDo you like this article? 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It was just unfortunate that I did not have a camera that time. Mayon volcano stands at 2,462 meters, is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUrban legend has it that Mount Mayon would only show up its full glory when you have the purest of heart. I did not believe it of course. It was a rainy season that time, but by sheer luck, Mount Mayon showed up in full. Whether this urban legend is true or not, it is always a privilege seeing Mount Mayon.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELately, I have gone to Albay for a work-related travel and had the chance to go to the places around Mount Mayon. Just like the first time, it never failed to leave me in awe. I never wasted the chance to capture it through my lenses from where we have gone, and just admire its imposing presence wherever we are. I am blessed to see it once again and I am just glad to share it with you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/15685292516\" title=\"Majestic Mt. Mayon by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Majestic Mt. Mayon\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7538\/15685292516_b96066d005_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/15710573592\" title=\"Majestic Mt. Mayon by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Majestic Mt. Mayon\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7559\/15710573592_7c83428cd3_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/15523125229\" title=\"Majestic Mt. Mayon by Ding Fuellos, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Majestic Mt. Mayon\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7549\/15523125229_a94ffb11ec_z.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESee the rest of the Photos at \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/sets\/72157646801104773\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EMajestic Mount Mayon in Flickr\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"thepinoyexplorer\" data-via=\"pinoy_explorer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E!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\");\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-action=\"like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2014\/11\/majestic-mount-mayon.html\" data-layout=\"standard\" data-share=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"true\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-comments\" data-colorscheme=\"light\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2014\/11\/majestic-mount-mayon.html\" data-numposts=\"10\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDo you like this article? \u0026nbsp;Like us on Facebook, too!\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like-box\" data-header=\"false\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-stream=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"fb-root\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(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 = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\u0026appId=386966518019778\";   fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\u003C\/script\u003E  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #336666; padding: 1em; padding: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"89\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-g5AV7ENAuVg\/TtihOlrwwII\/AAAAAAAAALc\/IueHaQA8fqI\/s320\/explorer5.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003EThank you for reading \u003Cb\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer\u003C\/b\u003E! You can also like The Pinoy Explorer on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFacebook\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003EAll contents of this blog, or otherwise stated, are copyrighted. For syndication, use of articles and photos, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/p\/contact.html\"\u003Esend me an e-mail\u003C\/a\u003E. Thank you!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer is a blog that highlights places, events and festivals and events, and culture and heritage.\n\nThank you for subscribing to The Pinoy Explorer!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/feeds\/3791775780899495707\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=3927213677563111390\u0026postID=3791775780899495707\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/3791775780899495707"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/3791775780899495707"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2014\/11\/majestic-mount-mayon.html","title":"Majestic Mount Mayon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Admin\/Author"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14506841021276992068"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--rhUgUZ9j_I\/WErLYpzavaI\/AAAAAAAABdA\/1OmeVDRzZwkcAbMotcRK9Xn13gy8ZzekwCK4B\/s113\/photographer-silhouette-image-16.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-LYxlLsNxrcE\/VuKk5x55hwI\/AAAAAAAABWg\/xDFIoveykaURP36C9jrmJbi1yJ84ngeaQ\/s72-c\/15685081006_48692d69ba_o.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927213677563111390.post-4503726916269787615"},"published":{"$t":"2013-02-17T20:13:00.000+08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-06-03T15:18:31.620+08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basco"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Batan Island"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Batanes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Luzon"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Remembering rustic Batanes"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003C!-- Start FastWebCounter.com  --\u003E Page was explored \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.fastwebcounter.com\/\" title=\"Free Web Counter\"\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"http:\/\/fastwebcounter.com\/secure.php?s=http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/remembering-rustic-batanes.html\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E times\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C!-- End FastWebCounter.com  --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/remembering-rustic-batanes.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-vNgjEPCOMxE\/USC1HzEOkYI\/AAAAAAAAAtk\/LLY-kgUGWu0\/s1600\/Lighthouse1+copy.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-vNgjEPCOMxE\/USC1HzEOkYI\/AAAAAAAAAtk\/LLY-kgUGWu0\/s640\/Lighthouse1+copy.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was a work-related trip but it was, nonetheless, an exciting trip not to be missed. I was still new to photography then, and not even a travel blogger and I am seeing Batanes for the first time!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGoing to Batanes back then would be via a 2-hour flight on a propeller and cramped plane that had seen better days. Initially one can hear the disturbing sound of swirling propellers that sounds \"whrrrrrrr\" then becomes to \"WHRRRRRRR\"! You know what I mean. It was the longest 2-hour flight I have had. When we hovered Batan Island, I heaved a sigh of relief that finally, we were there. The landing was smooth but goes on a quick stop. If not, we would overshoot and ram into the foot of Mt. Iraya.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8481974596\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8528\/8481974596_28f22f68f0_z.jpg\" height=\"360\" width=\"576\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMt. Iraya at the end of the runway.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUpon stepping out of the small plane one could utter--AWESOME!. Seeing Mt. Iraya at the end of the runway makes you conclude that the pilots of the plane must be good! After that grueling flight, the sight of Mt. Iraya would simply calm your senses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI would say, that Basco Airport is the most scenic airport in the Philippines--because it is physically so close to nature. Not only that, the Airport Terminal Building was an eye candy in itself. Though small, the architectural design was just impressive as it was able to capture Batanes' heritage. The walls are dominated by stone rip-rap while the \u003Ci\u003Eterracotta\u003C\/i\u003E floor (akin to Vigan tiles) accentuated the rustic yet modern ambiance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8481975776\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8244\/8481975776_937d629df4_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ESmall but beautiful airport terminal building.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESeeing Batanes for the first time was indescribable. It was like me being transported to another dimension. Everything about Batanes is beautiful. Even Basco Poblacion is calm and quiet where every Ivatan has a ready courteous and welcome greeting and smile for an \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2009\/05\/basic-courtesy-reminders-for.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EIpula\u003C\/a\u003E. Over the years, it seems to remain unspoiled by modern living. We can attribute this to their high priority for keeping their customs and traditions alive.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn airline is planning to bring passengers to Batanes in May 2013 and there were fears that there would be a deluge of tourists and\u0026nbsp;travelers, and might destroy its ecological\u0026nbsp;balance and might be a snarl to the cultural practices of the Ivatans. It is my only hope and prayer that despite the imminent influx of people, Batanes would remain undisturbed. \u0026nbsp;Earlier, I have written about some\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2009\/05\/basic-courtesy-reminders-for.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ecourtesy reminders for an Ipula\u003C\/a\u003E (outsider) when he does the mingling with the Ivatans. I hope these tips would come in handy once a traveler gets there.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8480899615\/\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8373\/8480899615_0f97befa33_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8480901431\/\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8376\/8480901431_e4753a6214_z.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBatanes architecture is simply impressive! Yes, one can still see the remnants of those thick and weather-resistant\u0026nbsp;stone houses with 1-foot thick roofs, especially in the fringes of the town of Basco. Although Basco has more \"modern\" architecture now, there are still remnants of the age-old stone houses. But one notable\u0026nbsp;feature about the houses, modern and old, are the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2009\/05\/windows-of-batanes_01.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eblue doors and windows\u003C\/a\u003E. A local said it symbolizes the color of the sea.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8481982606\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8088\/8481982606_52572c8f11_o.jpg\" height=\"504\" width=\"360\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBasco's famous landmark at the Naidi Hill.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGoing around the Batan island (the main island) is not a problem. One can hire a jeep to go to famous places like the Tukon Radar Station, the famous \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2009\/05\/ivana-honesty.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHonesty Coffee Shop\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2011\/12\/eureka-batanes-oldest-ivatan-house.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EOldest Ivatan House\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the town of Ivana. If you are into churches, the churches of Basco, Mahatao, Ivana, and Uyugan are quite quaint.\u0026nbsp;Although how I wish I had the time to explore these pieces of architecture back then. On the way to Uyugan, one can stop at the view deck that gives one a great view of the panoramic coastline of the Batan Island and where one can see rolling hills nearby and Basco from afar.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8482001970\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8514\/8482001970_5f83d7f4be_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EFundacion Pacita\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8480909083\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8524\/8480909083_72e7266d9b_z.jpg\" height=\"360\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EFundacion Pacita from the Tukon Radar Station\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8482000692\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8235\/8482000692_88df0b787a_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMt. Iraya.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8481995942\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8249\/8481995942_efd061f7ce_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EIvana Church\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8481998180\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8509\/8481998180_be21d10a20_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ERolling hills from the Viewpoint\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8480897861\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8247\/8480897861_0beced7094_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EUyugan Church\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFundacion Pacita is a landmark no one should miss. From the veranda, one can have the chance to have a beautiful\u0026nbsp;vista of the island and the commanding view of Mt. Iraya. The famous Batanes icon--the lighthouse at the Naidi Hill is worth a bike or a stroll from the town proper. There are treks to Mt. Iraya, but I did not try it out for lack of time and it was not in my main agenda why I was in Batanes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose who have the guts to ride the waves, it is more fun to explore Sabtang and Itbayat Islands. We were encouraged to go to Sabtang, but upon seeing the huge waves crashing on the shore, I backed out. Back then, I was still nursing my fear of the seas after a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2012\/08\/100th-post-reflecting-on-masbate.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emishap\u003C\/a\u003E. Besides, we would have to go back the next day which was also the time for us to fly out to Manila.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne can actually tour around Batan island in one day--if only to see the places of interest I have enumerated. But staying there for a longer time would make one commune with the people and learn their way of life. A stroll in the park or just getting lost in Basco town is always a pleasurable experience. Meeting Ivatans is just awesome as every Ivatan would greet the stranger you a good day. This is definitely a breather from those\u0026nbsp;fast-food\u0026nbsp;crew staff greeting you with \"Ma'am\/Sir\" like a broken record.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8480913345\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8095\/8480913345_f1a8850516_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ENaidi Hill from the Seaside Hotel.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8480889379\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Remembering Rustic Batanes\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8365\/8480889379_9d9d1fe877_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBasco as viewed from the Basco Lighthouse\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EAlthough the main purpose of going there was work, I was able to squeeze in some time for some sight-seeing in between work breaks. That means I had to live with the fact that our time was limited and we did not have much time going around, but 5 days was, I guess, long enough to get a good sense of what it's like to be living in a paradise called Batanes. The more rewarding part of it all is that I get the chance to celebrate my birthday--quietly, without my new colleagues knowing it. It gave me the time to reflect, and just be awed by the wonders of nature around me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHad I been a travel blogger those days, I would have explored more. Be that as it may, it was such a sweet sojourn.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy fellow travel blogger asked me what would be my best travel destination so far. The answer is simple. \u003Cb\u003EBatanes.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EFor more photos, visit \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/sets\/72157632783208149\/with\/8481982892\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERemembering Rustic Batanes on Flickr\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"fb-root\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(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 = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\u0026appId=386966518019778\";   fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\u003C\/script\u003E  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"thepinoyexplorer\" data-via=\"pinoy_explorer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E!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\");\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/remembering-rustic-batanes.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-comments\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/remembering-rustic-batanes.html\" data-num-posts=\"10\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDo you like this article? \u0026nbsp;Like us on Facebook, too!\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like-box\" data-header=\"false\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-stream=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #336666; padding: 1em; padding: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"89\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-g5AV7ENAuVg\/TtihOlrwwII\/AAAAAAAAALc\/IueHaQA8fqI\/s320\/explorer5.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThank you for reading \u003Cb\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer\u003C\/b\u003E!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAll contents of this blog, or otherwise stated, are copyrighted. 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Thank you!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\"\u003E\u003C!--  \/\/Disable right click script III- By Renigade (renigade@mediaone.net) \/\/For full source code, visit http:\/\/www.dynamicdrive.com  var message=\"\"; \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ function clickIE() {if (document.all) {(message);return false;}} function clickNS(e) {if  (document.layers||(document.getElementById\u0026\u0026!document.all)) { if (e.which==2||e.which==3) {(message);return false;}}} if (document.layers)  {document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);document.onmousedown=clickNS;} else{document.onmouseup=clickNS;document.oncontextmenu=clickIE;}  document.oncontextmenu=new Function(\"return false\") \/\/ \u003C\/script\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer is a blog that highlights places, events and festivals and events, and culture and heritage.\n\nThank you for subscribing to The Pinoy Explorer!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/feeds\/4503726916269787615\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=3927213677563111390\u0026postID=4503726916269787615\u0026isPopup=true","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/4503726916269787615"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/4503726916269787615"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/remembering-rustic-batanes.html","title":"Remembering rustic Batanes"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Admin\/Author"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14506841021276992068"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--rhUgUZ9j_I\/WErLYpzavaI\/AAAAAAAABdA\/1OmeVDRzZwkcAbMotcRK9Xn13gy8ZzekwCK4B\/s113\/photographer-silhouette-image-16.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-vNgjEPCOMxE\/USC1HzEOkYI\/AAAAAAAAAtk\/LLY-kgUGWu0\/s72-c\/Lighthouse1+copy.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"6"},"georss$featurename":{"$t":"Batanes, Philippines"},"georss$point":{"$t":"20.4634375 122.00417900000002"},"georss$box":{"$t":"19.51276 120.71328550000003 21.414115000000002 123.29507250000002"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927213677563111390.post-9006721976289820886"},"published":{"$t":"2013-02-16T00:05:00.002+08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-06-03T15:20:08.922+08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Batangas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Luzon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Region 4"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Taal"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Taal Lake"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Taal Volcano"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Taal Volcano : From the far side"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003C!-- Start FastWebCounter.com  --\u003E Page was explored \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.fastwebcounter.com\/\" title=\"Free Web Counter\"\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"http:\/\/fastwebcounter.com\/secure.php?s=http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/Taal-Volcano.html\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E times\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C!-- End FastWebCounter.com  --\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/Taal-Volcano.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-EfWleORHrM4\/UR5acV_0WzI\/AAAAAAAAAs4\/cTkCa4xOsxQ\/s1600\/12292987.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-EfWleORHrM4\/UR5acV_0WzI\/AAAAAAAAAs4\/cTkCa4xOsxQ\/s640\/12292987.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EAs there are many ways to skin a cat, two sides of a coin, divergent views, and opinions, traveling also allows each one of us to reach one destination through different paths. One can try the ubiquitous paths but one can choose to take the less-traveled roads.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI have always admired Taal Volcano from a distance--either from the popular restaurants that line up the ridge of Tagaytay City or from the dilapidated Palace in the Sky. I often marveled at the spectacular view right before my eyes--that not even my 300mm can fully capture its beauty from afar. I made a promise to myself, I should get to the volcano island at least once in my lifetime.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis dream came true when, in the course of performing my job, I had to set foot on the volcano. And needless to say, it was my first time be on one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines that is the Taal Volcano.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGetting there, however, has proven to be more difficult than I thought. We decided to hike instead of riding a horse--\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eat 1 o'clock in the afternoon\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E--a decision from two Louisians, who left Baguio more than 20 years ago, and who thought they could use their daily fare of climbing up the Msgr. Charles Vath Library Building (the tallest building that sits on the highest part of the campus) to good use.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot as lean and strong as we were, we found\u0026nbsp;ourselves\u0026nbsp;panting under the mid-day sun, and it was hot--literally. So I asked our guide, who walked past us and treaded the winding path like a stroll in the park, what part of the volcano we were heading. He pointed, \"Dun!\" (There). Mind you, he treated \"there\" like any mom and pop store in the street corner! And I just interjected, \"Ahhh, there!\" while mixing the formula variables in my head:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\"elevation x distance x age x time x temperature x the 10 kilo camera backpack with gears = there\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8476558224\/\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8245\/8476558224_691c3a8282_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe tree in the middle is the \"THERE\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGoodness! it would take us another two hours to get there considering the many stops we have to make! Now laugh your heart out!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8475468427\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8368\/8475468427_35a4fd63f7_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHorses, at last!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen the mango trees 100 meters ahead! It was like an oasis for me! At this point, I still am quite hopeful and determined to get to the top by hiking, but then I was regretting we had to turn down two boys who earlier offered a horse ride. We should have given in, we thought. Then all of a sudden--like an answered prayer--the two boys holding their horses with their reins came from behind! They must have fully calculated and foretold that these two \u003Ci\u003Ealmost-middle-aged-men-pretending-to-be-stronger-than-their-sons\u003C\/i\u003E will never make it to the top at this time of the day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8476558756\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8385\/8476558756_e86501ec9c_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFinally, THERE!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI would have declined the second offer, but I had to swallow my pride. I just have to give in--while reasoning out we would have made it to the top of the hike were done early in the morning, but I am sure, Manong guide must have been smirking behind us--for pretending!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo we got on the horses' backs. While riding the horse, I noted the thick bushes and tall grasses along the way. I asked if there were snakes along the barely cleaned up track. The guide told us there are snakes, and some of their horses were already bitten by cobras. Uh-oh! That is another danger sign! But he assured us there are no snakes around since it has been cleared and perhaps the snakes would have scampered. It would be more dangerous if our horses would be bitten by a snake because of the danger that it would scamper away and would send us rolling down the hill. This is not to mention the foal that keeps on playing with his mother (my horse), that poses danger to us.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBe that as it may, we reached \"there\" after 15 minutes on a horseback.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt would have been quite an experience if we had to hike to see the beauty of the volcano and its surroundings, but then fate has it that we have to accept our limitations as we also needed to go back to by 3 PM before the waves on the lake would grow bigger.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8475471011\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8232\/8475471011_6574999ffe_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAn obligatory touristy shot.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8475473433\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8509\/8475473433_ebaecd60f5_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe island in the middle of the inner lake.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8475472279\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8368\/8475472279_255f9a83bd_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EA spectacular view of Mt Maculot\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8475472553\/\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8108\/8475472553_118a8f9816_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8476562810\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8100\/8476562810_f58042a5ea_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe clear portion of the mouth of the volcano on the right is the touristy spot.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8475475155\/\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8088\/8475475155_e60328f0a3_z.jpg\" height=\"300\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EA panorama of the\u0026nbsp;view deck\u0026nbsp;on top.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI am not quite into hiking and mountain trekking. That is the reason why reaching the mouth of the volcano is one of the most exhilarating traveling experience I have had so far. At least I have done it not the touristy way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe have reached this side of the volcano from Barangay Calawit, Taal Volcano Island. Jump off point was at \u003Ca data-hovercard=\"\/ajax\/hovercard\/hovercard.php?id=193452460671208\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Pusod-TLCC\/193452460671208\" id=\".reactRoot[4].[1][2][1]{comment10151134338412721_8252131}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[1]\" rel=\"nofollow\" saprocessedanchor=\"true\" style=\"background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.909090995788574px; line-height: 12.727272033691406px; text-decoration: initial;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPusod TLCC\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Sitio Lipute, Barangay Kilaglagan, Mataasnakahoy, Batangas. For eco-tourism tours, contact \u003Ca data-hovercard=\"\/ajax\/hovercard\/hovercard.php?id=124775467574443\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Pusod-Inc\/124775467574443\" id=\".reactRoot[4].[1][2][1]{comment10151134338412721_8252131}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]\" rel=\"nofollow\" saprocessedanchor=\"true\" style=\"background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.909090995788574px; line-height: 12.727272033691406px; text-decoration: initial;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPusod, Inc.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMore photos after the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/sets\/72157632774544574\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EJUMP\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8476560998\/\" title=\"Taal Volcano by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Taal Volcano\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8387\/8476560998_839bb04c8f_z.jpg\" height=\"200\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"thepinoyexplorer\" data-via=\"pinoy_explorer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E!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\");\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/Taal-Volcano.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-comments\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/Taal-Volcano.html\" data-num-posts=\"10\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDo you like this article? \u0026nbsp;Like us on Facebook, too!\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like-box\" data-header=\"false\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-stream=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"fb-root\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(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 = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\u0026appId=386966518019778\";   fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #336666; padding: 1em; padding: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"89\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-g5AV7ENAuVg\/TtihOlrwwII\/AAAAAAAAALc\/IueHaQA8fqI\/s320\/explorer5.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003EThank you for reading \u003Cb\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer\u003C\/b\u003E! 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For syndication, use of articles and photos, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/p\/contact.html\"\u003Esend me an e-mail\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\"\u003E\u003C!--  \/\/Disable right click script III- By Renigade (renigade@mediaone.net) \/\/For full source code, visit http:\/\/www.dynamicdrive.com  var message=\"\"; \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ function clickIE() {if (document.all) {(message);return false;}} function clickNS(e) {if  (document.layers||(document.getElementById\u0026\u0026!document.all)) { if (e.which==2||e.which==3) {(message);return false;}}} if (document.layers)  {document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);document.onmousedown=clickNS;} else{document.onmouseup=clickNS;document.oncontextmenu=clickIE;}  document.oncontextmenu=new Function(\"return false\") \/\/ \u003C\/script\u003E  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer is a blog that highlights places, events and festivals and events, and culture and heritage.\n\nThank you for subscribing to The Pinoy Explorer!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/feeds\/9006721976289820886\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=3927213677563111390\u0026postID=9006721976289820886\u0026isPopup=true","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/9006721976289820886"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/9006721976289820886"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/02\/Taal-Volcano.html","title":"Taal Volcano : From the far side"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Admin\/Author"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14506841021276992068"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--rhUgUZ9j_I\/WErLYpzavaI\/AAAAAAAABdA\/1OmeVDRzZwkcAbMotcRK9Xn13gy8ZzekwCK4B\/s113\/photographer-silhouette-image-16.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-EfWleORHrM4\/UR5acV_0WzI\/AAAAAAAAAs4\/cTkCa4xOsxQ\/s72-c\/12292987.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927213677563111390.post-9123562811792838853"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-20T13:16:00.001+08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-06-03T15:23:50.673+08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Churches"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Luzon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Manaoag"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Our Lady of Manaoag"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pangasinan"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pilgrimage"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Region  2"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Religion"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Manaoag | Pray, Eat, and Love"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/01\/manaoag-pray-eat-and-love.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-l2du27W5jC4\/UPt6Ai2sblI\/AAAAAAAAAoU\/ZCOiX8aWxzM\/s1600\/manaoag.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-l2du27W5jC4\/UPt6Ai2sblI\/AAAAAAAAAoU\/ZCOiX8aWxzM\/s640\/manaoag.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EManaoag, Pangasinan is known for its miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag dates back when I was still in grade school. It was some sort of a clan summer outing to pay devotion to the Our Lady then we headed off to the beach after. The second time I was here--actually just passing through was in the early 90s when we were having a project visit in Sta. Barbara and we dropped by Manaoag church for some rice cakes. Since then, I have not been to Manaoag.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8397493130\/\" title=\"Manaoag by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Manaoag\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8502\/8397493130_1bf4470c9a_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8397490642\/\" title=\"Manaoag by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Manaoag\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8233\/8397490642_95dc59a629_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was the beginning of the year, and it was an auspicious day for the family to pay a visit to the Our Lady of Manaoag. First, it was time for Thanksgiving for the last good year. Second, I have not been able to visit the place for the longest time, and, third, it was just the most opportune time to again ask for protection and blessings for the trips of The Pinoy Explorer for 2013!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8396406243\/\" title=\"Manaoag by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Manaoag\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8095\/8396406243_57112e9b3f_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe church complex has transformed a lot. It is now more organized--parking, vehicular and human traffic, and the vendors around the church.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI remember when I was a kid that the complex was in total chaos. Touts would just pin a cross or a religious medallion on your chest without you asking them--and you are \"forced\" to buy them. Now they are confined to the fringes of the churchyard and are not allowed inside its compound--giving more space and quiet time for pilgrims like us.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESecurity personnel is adequate enough to make everyone feel safe. Parking is well managed, though it was not a peak season. I guess, it could get worse during the Holy Week or fiesta, but nonetheless, I found it okay.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8396408843\/\" title=\"Manaoag by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Manaoag\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8357\/8396408843_717348cbe5_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECleanliness is maintained in and around the complex. The comfort rooms are maintained--not so clean because of the human traffic, but not the kind of stinking public comfort rooms. There are designated garbage bins all around and I have even seen security personnel picking up trash that was left by some unmindful souls. Kudos to the church administration for making the pilgrimage, not like a marketplace. I wish all pilgrimage sites would be managed like this.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8396407993\/\" title=\"Manaoag by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Manaoag\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8049\/8396407993_5a23d16c1c_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8396409513\/\" title=\"Manaoag by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Manaoag\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8183\/8396409513_9deef14834_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOverall, the family pilgrimage was okay. Starting the year with thanksgiving and prayer was just great, especially when you are bonding with your family. With a bunch of grown-up kids feasting on \u003Ci\u003Eputo\u003C\/i\u003E and a sumptuous lunch after the pilgrimage, was just perfect!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMore photos of Manaoag \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/sets\/72157632566065002\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHERE\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"thepinoyexplorer\" data-via=\"pinoy_explorer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E!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\");\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/01\/manaoag-pray-eat-and-love.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-comments\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/01\/manaoag-pray-eat-and-love.html\" data-num-posts=\"10\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDo you like this article? \u0026nbsp;Like us on Facebook, too!\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like-box\" data-header=\"false\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-stream=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"fb-root\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(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 = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\u0026appId=386966518019778\";   fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #336666; padding: 1em; padding: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"89\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-g5AV7ENAuVg\/TtihOlrwwII\/AAAAAAAAALc\/IueHaQA8fqI\/s320\/explorer5.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003EThank you for reading \u003Cb\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer\u003C\/b\u003E! You can also like The Pinoy Explorer on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFacebook\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003EAll contents of this blog, or otherwise stated, are copyrighted. For syndication, use of articles and photos, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/p\/contact.html\"\u003Esend me an e-mail\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\"\u003E\u003C!--  \/\/Disable right click script III- By Renigade (renigade@mediaone.net) \/\/For full source code, visit http:\/\/www.dynamicdrive.com  var message=\"This is a copyrighted article.\"; \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ function clickIE() {if (document.all) {(message);return false;}} function clickNS(e) {if  (document.layers||(document.getElementById\u0026\u0026!document.all)) { if (e.which==2||e.which==3) {(message);return false;}}} if (document.layers)  {document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);document.onmousedown=clickNS;} else{document.onmouseup=clickNS;document.oncontextmenu=clickIE;}  document.oncontextmenu=new Function(\"return false\") \/\/ \u003C\/script\u003E  \u003C\/div\u003E--\u0026gt;\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer is a blog that highlights places, events and festivals and events, and culture and heritage.\n\nThank you for subscribing to The Pinoy Explorer!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/feeds\/9123562811792838853\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=3927213677563111390\u0026postID=9123562811792838853\u0026isPopup=true","title":"7 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/9123562811792838853"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/3927213677563111390\/posts\/default\/9123562811792838853"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2013\/01\/manaoag-pray-eat-and-love.html","title":"Manaoag | Pray, Eat, and Love"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Admin\/Author"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14506841021276992068"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--rhUgUZ9j_I\/WErLYpzavaI\/AAAAAAAABdA\/1OmeVDRzZwkcAbMotcRK9Xn13gy8ZzekwCK4B\/s113\/photographer-silhouette-image-16.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-l2du27W5jC4\/UPt6Ai2sblI\/AAAAAAAAAoU\/ZCOiX8aWxzM\/s72-c\/manaoag.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"7"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927213677563111390.post-8687974759926479993"},"published":{"$t":"2012-12-15T00:49:00.000+08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-02-05T23:21:38.381+08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Batangas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Luzon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mataasnakahoy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Region 4"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Taal Lake"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"water adventure"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Water Fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Water World"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Finding serenity at Taal Lake"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2012\/12\/serenity-at-taal-lake.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-T80q_NigR_E\/UMtPqYHTCcI\/AAAAAAAAAl0\/sc7ehnHuKXU\/s1600\/12293162+copy+small.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-T80q_NigR_E\/UMtPqYHTCcI\/AAAAAAAAAl0\/sc7ehnHuKXU\/s640\/12293162+copy+small.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was an early morning trip to Mataas na kahoy, Batangas to do an official business trip to the Taal volcano island for an energy assessment. The trip was not that long as it took us only around two hours from Quezon City since there was no heavy traffic yet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI knew we were already near the place as we turned right from STAR tollways, but leaving early for this official mission was taking its toll on me. I tried to keep awake as I always make it a point not to sleep on the way to any new destination so that I can appreciate the views along the way. In no time, we were already at the TLCC (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Pusod-TLCC\/193452460671208\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ETaal Lake Conservation Center\u003C\/a\u003E), which is managed by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pusod.org\/index.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPusod Pilipinas\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe TLCC was perfectly located at the lake shore. It seemed like an ordinary establishment along the shore but as soon as I stepped further near the lake, I realized that a beautiful scenery was waiting for me. Needless to say, I was awed and mesmerized with what I saw--like caffeine to my sleepy photographer soul.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot wasting any minute I immediately brought out my camera before the short breakfast and briefing and managed to take some shots before we left for the volcano island.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe calm water, birds darting in the water and feeding on fishes, fisherfolks catching the meal for the day, the warm morning sun, cold morning air, the panoramic view of the distant island on the lake and the scent of grass--all made up this picture-perfect view of Taal Lake.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8271761357\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8350\/8271761357_bc15d860cf_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8271764487\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8485\/8271764487_b2179f53ac_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8272830070\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8496\/8272830070_7731fbef55_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGoing back in the afternoon made the place more beautiful and inviting. As the sun sets, the place exuded that rustic charm and unequaled calmness. The warmth was just right and soothing to our tired bodies and mind and lifted our spirits as it exuded that quiescence penetrating one's soul.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8271766079\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8211\/8271766079_34b3743c95_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8272836816\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8216\/8272836816_99a9551b7a_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8272834564\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8206\/8272834564_44233e1bcc_c.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/8271767839\/\" title=\"Serenity at Taal Lake by Inkblots™, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Serenity at Taal Lake\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8212\/8271767839_25e8670f75_z.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe golden rays hiding and penetrating the sporadic clouds made one of the most beautiful god rays I have seen in my life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo words can exactly express what I felt that day. It has been quite a time since I experience peace and calm in the middle of work. Some travel bloggers wish they have a work similar to mine, but I must say that for more than 20 years now, I am simply blessed to have an\u0026nbsp;opportunity to help communities help themselves. Having the grand time of appreciating the countryside is just the fringe benefits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESimply said, in the middle of all these work, I felt peace and serenity\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ding-inkblots\/sets\/72157632247099678\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESee More photos at Flickr\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"thepinoyexplorer\" data-via=\"Inkblots2011\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E!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\");\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2012\/12\/serenity-at-taal-lake.html\" data-send=\"true\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-comments\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/2012\/12\/the-serenity-of-taal-lake.html\" data-num-posts=\"10\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDo you like this article? \u0026nbsp;Like us on Facebook, too!\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-like-box\" data-header=\"false\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepinoyexplorer\" data-show-faces=\"false\" data-stream=\"false\" data-width=\"600\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"fb-root\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(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 = 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1\u0026version=v3.2\u0026appId=386966518019778\u0026autoLogAppEvents=1';   fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"fb-login-button\" data-size=\"medium\" data-button-type=\"continue_with\" data-auto-logout-link=\"true\" data-use-continue-as=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"fb-root\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(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 = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\";   fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #336666; padding: 1em; padding: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepinoyexplorer.com\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"89\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-g5AV7ENAuVg\/TtihOlrwwII\/AAAAAAAAALc\/IueHaQA8fqI\/s320\/explorer5.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ci\u003EThank you for reading \u003Cb\u003EThe Pinoy Explorer\u003C\/b\u003E! 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