Tarlac: Aquino Center and Museum

I attended my friend's wedding in Malasiqui, Pangasinan and on our way home to Manila, I just suddenly remember that we passed by Tarlac on our way there so I asked the bus conductor if it will be the same route, luckily he said yes and I immediately search the net for places I can see in Tarlac and dropped in front of Camp General Servillano.

Literally just a few hops away comes the Aquino Center and Museum. This museum is dedicated to the Aquinos. I went there alone and it was nice that they are providing a guide that explains each piece you can see there. I had a one on one tour which was an advantage for me as I can asked every question I have in mind without hesitation and I can look at every piece as long as I want to. I learned a lot in here and it feels good to have a glimpse of what had happened to the Aquino's lives and its contribution to our country.

My tour guide for the day.

Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed inside the museum which houses really remarkable artifacts, from the replica of his jail cell to the actual clothes he was wearing when he was shot at Manila International Airport, now Ninoy Internation Airport.

However, they allow taking pictures from the lobby and other parts of the museum.

Volkswagen Rabbit car that the Aquino’s used during their Boston years when Marcos allowed him to go to United States for his heart operation.

Open Hours: Everyday 8:00am - 5:00pm 

Entrance Fee: P100.00 Adults | Php80.00 Seniors | Php50.00 Students

How to get there:

Numerous buses with terminals in Cubao, Quezon City (Solid North, Five Star, JAC Liner) bound to San Carlos are passing by Tarlac. Fare is 190 from Cubao. ETT: 2 hours

I also did a side trip to Camp General  Servillano S. Aquino where you can see some tanks and airforce planes.

Zambales: Anawangin

If you're looking for a place to escape from the city, Anawangin is one of the humble option. The first time we went to Zambales, we stayed longer in Capones Island so now we planned to spend the day here. Anawangin makes a stunning contrast to the mountain ridges encompassing it. We went picnic, swim and even climbed the rocks. This was a good bonding place for everyone.

Early morning, having fun in Pundaquit.

How we get there:

• Took a bus to Iba or Santa Cruz, Zambales from Caloocan terminals of Victory Liner. Fare costs around ₱265 and travel time is 3.5 to 4 hours.
• We got off at San Antonio public market and transfer to a trike to Pundaquit. The fare was ₱30/pax. 
• To Anawangin.., In Pundaquit, there were boats available for rent, we just asked from the locals where can we find a boat that will bring us to Anawangin. We opted to join other travelers and shared the boat with them.

Misamis Oriental: Divine Mercy Shrine

On our way back to Manila from CDO, we decided to drop by the Divine Mercy Shrine located at El Salvador, Misamis Oriental. 

Divine Mercy Shrine is a sacred place. Visitors are not allowed to go up wearing their mini dress, skirts, shorts, even pants and any revealing clothing. Since we were not aware of this, I went there wearing a sleeveless blouse and pants, I was advised to wear a skirt and cover up for my arms.

After attending the mass, time to explore the place.

Overlooking Macajalar Bay on the Mindanao island, southern part of the Philippines

The water that flows through the taps of the Shrine is also believed to be miraculous.  People bring empty bottles to collect some miraculous water

You climb up to this 200 step stairs to the statue and it has a mini altar located in the heart of Jesus that you can pray.

It was a pretty long way up the stairs. 

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Singapore: Around the City

Singapore is such a fabulous place for vacation. There are just so many attractions and things to do here aside from being so orderly, neat and tidy place. 

Number one on the list on the Lion City is this park. Merlion is a mythical creature with a body of a fish and a head of a lion. This is Singapore's icon.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum located in Chinatown. The sides of the temple was full of Buddhas. We were wearing shorts when we came here and they provided us a cloth to cover our legs to be able to go inside.

Also along Chinatown, we also found Sri Mariamman Temple, known to be the oldest temple in Singapore. There was an on going ceremony when we went there so we didn't bother going inside and just enjoyed it's colorful exterior design.