Wrote by natalie
Life is a game. Life is magic.
If I were to give an example of magic, I would say, "Being able to help myself by helping others."
Photo credit: Wikipedia |
Meet Angel. I didn't have the chance to know more about her, but I felt that she loved my stay. Her favorite was taking selfies. Thus, the collage (few of the many pictures). She almost owned my phone for a couple of hours (I didn't mind). She performed well on the first game, until she had tantrums because she was the only one who didn't have lollipops. I had to approach the staff for candies, and she was pacified.
My angel for the day. |
It took a few minutes before I realized that her legs are different -- very thin and barely straight, although that doesn't keep her from running around as any other kids do.
I gave her the half of the pair of headbands I bought the day before. I think it looks better on her than on me.
I never enjoyed Jollibee as much as eating it while sitting on this floor, with these kids.
And so the magic started! |
This cute girl was the first one that I approached. She declined. Haha! That doesn't make her less adorable though.
Group photo by U! Happy Events. My left arm was almost numb. The kid was having tantrums because the snack packaging won't open. :D |
At your service! Yes! |
Wrote by natalie
Who would have thought such beauty exists somewhere near Manila? |
She lives in a not-so-distant world, but off-the-beaten path.
She is welcoming, but she is not easy to get.
Adore her, but please don't destroy her.
She is Malibiclibic Falls.
It was one of those getaways planned so randomly, one of those that did not cost an arm and a leg for us to push through, and a trip that did not have to take an entire day. But guess what, we enjoyed it!
I was born in Cavite. I live here all my life, but I am amazed that there are still a lot of things that would excite me about this province; things to discover, which I bet not every Caviteno -- myself included --knew (yet). Exciting times!
Yes, I've been hearing a few things about the Bailen (or the new name, General Emilio Aguinaldo) but it was my first time to set foot to the place. I'm glad that I did.
Where to? Photo credit: Lelay |
The good weather conspired with us to make the trip more enjoyable. If we went there during the wet season, it could have been more challenging because the steep trails could be muddy. Imagine that.
The town is indeed blessed with this nature's gem. It deserves the benefits of national attention in terms of tourism, but I honestly think the people in charge of Malibiclibic need to be ready for it. As of now, they don't get too much visitors yet, maybe because the place is not too well-known and the trails are not so well-defined yet. But they tend to be too kind to visitors that they don't impose proper care of surroundings. I see some abandoned bottles around, and some pieces of plastic wrappers. When we are about to ascend back to the barangay hall, we were even told to leave just leave our trash at the side because Kuya (the guide) said, "nililinis naman namin yan kapag hindi na taglagas". Of course, we insisted to bring them with us.
The beauty of the falls is a sight to behold. But you can only see it from afar, because getting near it by walking or swimming could be dangerous. We suggested to have a balsa and make it available for rent. This could be a win-win situation because the tourist/travelers would enjoy the view better, without sacrificing safety. At the same time it could be income-generating for the maintenance of the place, or maybe for the livelihood of the locals. Kuya said that it's been a plan, but nobody had the time to make it happen yet.
A peek on her beauty
The school of fish as captured by Lelay.
That first of set of feet that you see in the picture is mine.
(Not sure if that fact interests you. Haha!)
How To Get There?
(Tips for the Commuter)
1. Take Naic-bound Bus. If you're coming from Manila, the easiest way would be from Costal Mall. Take a bus with Naic and Ternate signboard. If you're from anywhere in Cavite, you may be able to figure out how. :)
2. Alight at the intersection, a few meters past Mc Donald's along the highway.
3. Head to Naic Central Terminal. Ask people for directions or ride a tricycle that could take you there.
4. Ride a jeep with signboard: Bailen or General Emilio Aguinaldo. Bailen is the old name of the town.
5. Ask the driver to drop you off Bgy Lumipa. The Bgy Hall is not along the highway, but should be a few walks away from the road. The Bgy Hall is where you would register and get a guide (one of their bgy police members).
McDonald's Naic along the highway to Naic Central Terminal:
Naic Terminal to Bgy Lumipa, Bailen
How much did it cost me?
P500-600 is a safe budget. |
SOME NOTES AND TIPS:
* You do not have to have a contact person when planning to go there. Simply proceed to the Bgy Hall and someone is sure to assist you. We went there on a Sunday morning, and their office is open. But below contact details of our guide is good to have, if you have any questions. (We got his approval to post his name and number)
JUANITO BAUTISTA
Bgy Police, Bgy Lumipa
09283606251
* The expense chart is good for one person.
* Tricycle rides are special rates, divided by number of pax. The cost of the first tricycle ride is just an estimate (I forgot how much exactly it really was).
* Rosario to Tejero (vice versa) is just for me who lives in a town from a different side of Cavite.
* You can omit the tricycle rides to and from the jump off point. The bgy folks should be able to contact a tricycle driver if you opt to have one.
* We didn't bring packed lunches. Just snacks, some trail food and water. We just had our lunch at McDonald's Naic on our way back home. This is because we started the trek a bit early and we are okay to have lunch at around early afternoon.
* Guide fee is just P 50.00 per head (Am I the only one who thinks it's cheap?!). I am always for budget travels, but I don't mind adding a few amount to return the favor of good service and kind company.
* The Bgy Hall offers free use of bathroom where you could wash up after the hike.
* PLEASE... Practice the LEAVE NO TRACE principle. If somebody suggests that you leave your trash, be responsible enough to courteously decline (however kind they are), because you know what it would cause in the long term.
To be honest, I feel a sense of achievement every time I reach less-discovered places. I feel so sad when these places become so mainstream that it becomes crowded and loses the peaceful ambiance. (Anawangin in Zambales, for example). But nature is a gift for all of us, and who am I to be selfish to share information? Besides, I got the info from other people, too (thank you!).
Just a request, though... Please take care of it. And with this, I can say this line again...
Adore her, but please don't destroy her.
Have fun. Be safe. Enjoy Malibiclibic!
Wrote by natalie
Lou Natalie Pugay | 9.19.15
Kung bakit ko ba minsa'y hinahanap
Gayong sanay naman sa wala.
Ngunit gusto ko ng kulay.
Gusto ko ng buhay.
May nagsisimula.
May natatapos.
Mayroong di makapagsimula.
Mayroong di nagtatapos
Magsisimula lang ako nang walang takot.
Uulit na lang kung sakaling ito'y matapos.
At maniniwala - maniniwalang may patutunguhan.
Hindi ako bihasa.
Wala akong magagawa
kung hindi perpekto ang mga linyang walang direksyon.
kung hindi perpekto ang mga linyang walang direksyon.
Wala akong magagawa
kung limitado lang ang kulay na hawak ng kamay,
kung limitado lang ang kulay na hawak ng kamay,
Ngunit mayroon akong magagawa upang maging masaya dito.
Pagagandahin. Mamahalin.
Sa iba, ito'y laro. Sa akin, ito'y bahagi ng buhay.
May mga kulay na maganda kapag pinaghahalo.
Mayroon din namang hindi bagay sa isa't-isa.
May mga kulay na mangingabaw.
Mayroon din namang magtatago.
Kung pikit ang iyong mata sa istoryang gusto mong makita (o sa dapat mong makita),
hindi magkukuwento ang papel.
At kung hindi mo malalaman ang kwento, hindi mo maiintindihan.
Hindi ka makakahanap ng ganda sa kabila ng ingay.
Mas masaklap ang salimuot ng kulay at linya kaysa sa kahungkagan ng blangkong papel.
Minsan makikita mo ang kulay sa magugulong mga linya.
Minsan, ang magugulong linya sa gitna ng kulay.
Hindi ako bihasa,
kaya pwede kang hindi maniwala.
Wrote by natalie
New York City
23rd of May 2015
Entire day, EST I finally had the chance to see Big Apple. It was not one of my biggest dreams, but still one of my most awaited part of this recent work-leisure trip. It was nice to be there, to experience it firsthand and realize why it's gained much popularity than cities of different other states.
I can write another blog about the place and the whole day tour. It was nice, but having been to Boston just few days before that, my office friends and I kinda agreed that Boston is a nicer place.
I put it this way: Aside from being more orderly and quiet (at least, from what we think), Boston looks good with the diversity of architectures. I'm a big fan. How it manages to go modern while preserving history is really impressive.
But I thought, New York has its own beauty, too. It may not be the kind of place for my personality (who loves a simpler and more laidback living) but I can spend an entire day just people-watching. I say this because I think that you can find almost all kind of people in this city. I finally got the idea of what inspires Humans of New York.
The teen fashionistas in their skimpy shorts; the guy who puked big time right at my back; the ladies who were staring at me indifferently in the museum's restroom; the retired science teacher (hmm...yes, I eavesdrop, too.) who fell into the train's floor; the loud guy who lost his train ticket; the lady with a smart, talkative kid. They all tell different stories, but one story is true: Diversity.
They say you wouldn't want to leave New York without trying their best-tasting pizza and eat it the New Yorkers' way. They were right! We went to a small busy pizza place. Not exaggerating, I think it was the best that I've tasted in my life. As much as it was a good experience, this is where the unfortunate event happened. But I didn't realize it right away.
I lost my wallet. It has all my money for the entire next week (my own and company-provided), my AmEx credit card, my local ATM cards.
The company provided us a little bit more than the total budget, so we are expected to return the excess amount, all documented. Losing my wallet meant that I'd have to pay the company and it would have to mess up my year's plans. It's equivalent to paying more than my air fare back and forth, which is actually free. It's N times my monthly salary. I'd also have to rely to another person's budget for food for the rest of the stay (no matter how I didn't want to be a pest). I'd also feel bad of not having the chance to buy pasalubong (goodies to take home).
We did our best to do the first steps of finding it, but luck was not with us. We headed back to Rhode Island. Quiet. Worried.
I felt bad about myself for being less careful, more than I was worried about not getting it back. I felt bad about not being able to see the Top of The Rock and other attractions because of the incident. I felt bad for dragging my friends into this misfortune. Knowing how it could possibly land to the worst hands, I had to accept the idea that it was lost. But I was still hoping and praying.
We reached the hotel. It was such a long day -- longer than we've expected. I was tired and exhausted that I was able to sleep for few hours. I woke up with the same worry that I had. I was even hoping that it was just a dream.
Right after breakfast, we were computing how much I'd have to pay the company. Then, I noticed my messenger. It was a series of messages from a friend in college.
"Lou, Nasa New York ka ba? (Are you in New York?)
PM mo ako pag nasa New York ka po. (PM me if you are in New York)
Are you there?
May nag-pm kasi sa akin eh. May nawawala ka daw na gamit. Just to verify lang. (Somebody pm'ed me saying that you lost something. I'd just like to verify.) "
Oh my God, to say that I was relieved was understatement! It was a bad situation turned upside down. I didn't cry when I realized that I lost the stuff; but that exact moment, I was teary-eyed.
I was able to talk to him and confirmed that somebody named John Price and his wife (Jamie) have my wallet with them. God made the situation even sweeter. We didn't have to take hours of train ride back to New York. They were also in Rhode Island! We met them at McDonald's Fall River that same day.
They were very careful to make sure that the stuff would get to the owner.
"Did you buy anything from CVS yesterday?" Jamie said.
"Hmmm...Not yesterday. The other day, I think," I said.
"What did you buy?" (and there I sensed that it was like a 'password' question)
"A tweezer." (Funny! But that was the magic word.)
"Take your wallet. Everything's still there."
And from there, they told us the story.
It happened in the pizza house. Jamie cluelessly kicked something on the floor. She saw that it was a wallet. And when she opened it, she saw the amount inside. She said to her husband, "We have to return this to the owner." And they realized by looking at my cards that I am not a US resident. "How can we call the Philippines?" the first thing that they thought.
For the record, they even sent an email to my bank saying that I lost my wallet and they have my card. For some safety reasons, they did not want to leave the wallet to the pizza shop owner or crew. They didn't want to hand it to NYPD, thinking that the police would only care if someone asks for it. But hey, they made their way to me.
They searched my profile in Facebook. Now I feel the benefit of having my complete real name in Facebook (yes, with middle initial included). I am pretty sure that I am the only Lou Natalie N. Pugay in the world (or at least the only one in www). But my profile, however searchable, has privacy settings. People won't see all my posts. Messages sent by people outside my network doesn't go directly to my regular inbox. One has to be a friend of any of my friends so I can get his requests. How could any message from a random person be noticed so instantly?
But they were so eager to return my stuff to me. They were able to see my last public post from some years ago. They checked the profiles of the people who 'liked' the post and started sending them messages and friend request. That's when my college friend got the message and relayed to me.
I couldn't thank them enough. I wanted to treat them for lunch, as sign of thanks for the very nice thing they did to me. They nicely declined. Real kindness.
I tend to be clumsy and absent-minded at times. I lose a lot of small things from time to time, but not the most important ones. I never lost a phone in my entire life (not hoping that I would). I never lost a wallet; and now, for some reasons, I almost just did -- with an amount more than what I can afford to lose in an instant. I was clueless why it happened to me, in the most uncomfortable place and timing. Maybe it is not that I have to dwell into the consequences of my imperfections. Maybe it is for me to tell a good story -- a story to remind that there's still goodness in humanity. I haven't done this in a while.
Thus, this blog post. |
_______________________
P.S .
I'd like to end this blog by saying thank you...
To John and Jamie - for having such good hearts. You don't have a clue how I thankful I am. It's not too much about the amount of money that I lost and found, but more of the amazement on how you proved that Honesty and Concern are not dead.
To Jury and Jeremey - It was a nice trip with you, guys! Things came up that kept us from enjoying it as planned. You were worried as I was, and you were with me all the way.
To Jeus - It could have been a different story if you didn't relay me the important message. I appreciate that.
To God, I know this is just one of the many moments that You prove to me that You listen, always.
Wrote by natalie
Crazy Facts about Me
Copyright 2012. Lou Natalie N. Pugay. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Blogger.
Labels
2011
2012
9 steps
acceptance
accomplishments
action
actions
adversity
alicia keys
alone
alright
anger
annoyances
apple
art of war
Asha
aspirations
attitude
attraction
audio book
authors
babies
bailen
beginnings
belief
Belkin
bibliotastic
birth pains
bitterness
blabber
black bday
book love
books
bookworm
boosktore
boredom
brahma kumaris
budget travel
burning bridges
business
cafe
calendar
Captcha
cavite
challenge
change
character
charity
chat
childhood
children
Christ
Christian
Christmas
club dancing
coffee
coffee cup
college
comfort zone
compassion
concert
condolence
confidence
confusion
connecting the dots
connection
cooking
courage
crying
cycles
death
decisiveness
dedication
denial
diversity
downs
dream
dreaming big
dwayne
ebooks
elephant
eload
em
emotions
empowerment
empty
endings
entrepreneur
escape
events
excitement
expectations
experience
extreme adventures
failure
fear
feelings
filipinos
financial
financials
five people
flashback
floating bookstore
food
food trips
forgetting
forgiveness
freedom
friend
friends
friendship
frugal
fulfillment
fun
gen emilio aguinaldo
getting better
goals
goals. goal setting
going
going back
good vibes
Graham
grief
growth
handwriting
hangout
happiness
happy birthday
hate
helping
hero
hike
hiking
hit
hobby
home
hope
house
house keys
hurt
ideas
if you forget me
ignorance
improvement
independence
inspiration
jitters
job
joke
journey
karen
keep calm
knowledge
learning
learnings
lefty
lessons
letters
letting go
life
lines
little prince
lollipop
loneliness
loss
love
luha
lupa
madonna
malibiclibic
march 27
meditation
memorabilia
memories
mission
mistakes
mitch albom
money
money management
motivations
mountains
moving on
MV Logos Hope
name
negative
nervousness
new
new year
new year post
no limits
nostalgia
notebook
notes
nursery school
office
ofw
old
old box
old year
online shop
opportunity
organized
pablo neruda
pain
palawan
panulat
papel
paper
parents
payback
pen
people
perseverance
perspective
perspectives
photoshoot
pinoy
pixar
planners
plans
playing
poem
point of view
ponder
positive
possibilities
postive
prisoner of words
problems
productive
productivity
puerto princesa
quotes
rain
readers
readings
realizations
reconciliation
reflections
rejuvenation
relationships
relaxation
relief
reminiscing
responsibility
retreat
reunion
riches
roxan
sacrifice
sadness
sea
searching
self
sentiments
serving
shelf
shelfari
shelves
ship
singlehood
sisiw
smile
sole
solitude
solo
soul
spa
stanford
steli efti
steve jobs
stress
stupidity
success
sun tzu
sunshine
suze orman
systematic
tag-ulan
tagaytay
taking risks
tansan
teaching
tears
ted talks
telephone
thoughts
travel
trials
true
umbrella
uncertainty
ups
valentines day
values
vegetarian
vehicle
walk
waterfalls
wealthy
weekend
wishes
wonders
words
workplace
world
writer
writers
writing
year
yheng remulla
Gotcha here
Counted!
Subscribe
Popular Posts
-
Be warned: This post you’re about to read is purely blabber. No post-editing. No organization of thoughts, just like water spilled out fr...
-
Mama has this habit of collecting soda and beer caps and crowns from our store to sell to the junk shop. And this morning, it already weigh...
-
New York City 23rd of May 2015 Entire day, EST I finally had the chance to see Big Apple. It was not one of my biggest dreams, bu...
-
Who would have thought such beauty exists somewhere near Manila? She is beautiful by being her raw, simple, and low-profile self. ...
-
Today, I visited my future humble abode again. "Future" because I haven't moved in yet. But it is already mine. Back in J...
-
“Not all those who wander are lost.” –J.R.R. Tolkien These itching feet, the eagerness to experience something new, my deep affection for n...
-
I can still remember the Holy Retreat that we’ve had when I was a senior high school student. We’ve had this retreat master named Father D...
-
One of the most difficult messages you could ever give to a friend (or anybody) is "Happy Birthday" and "Condolences" at...
-
Lou Natalie Pugay | 9.19.15 Kung bakit ko ba minsa'y hinahanap Gayong sanay naman sa wala. Ngunit gusto ko ng kulay. ...
-
"Don't start the year until it is finished on paper." --Jim Rohn OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW!!! Just last week, ...