Cruising

By MAE LORRAINE S. RAFOLS

The churches in the province of Cagayan Valley in Northern Luzon are like gateways to the past.

With structures dating as far back as the 1600’s, these buildings have become silent sentinels of the country’s saga – witnessing significant events such as world wars, national uprisings, and shifts of power.

Today, these churches have labeled Cagayan Valley as a destination of choice not only for various religious holidays such as Holy Week every summer, but as places of interest for people who wish to know more about the country’s past.

In a recent event called 2010 Lakbay Norte, sponsored by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau, members of the media toured seven churches from different towns around Cagayan Valley and saw some of the most beautiful structures that side of the region.

Know more of the past and plan a Visita Iglesia in Northern Cagayan. Allot a whole day to cover seven cathedrals and discover how the region’s devotion to faith helped preserve valuable pieces of Philippine history. (more…)

Short stops

By PINKY CONCHA COLMENARES

The gas stations have long grown up from places purely to satisfy a car’s appetite for fuel into mini-malls offering motorists a haven for rest, food and some shopping. On weekends and especially in summer, those sprawling fuel stations draw people in by the thousands. They are the oasis in the expressways. (more…)

Revisiting the coastal towns

By Joseph T. Bautista

How far can a P500 go these days? One box of pizza, one ticket in an IMAX theatre or one full day of adventure revisiting the places you grew up, enjoying the food you used to love and rediscovering the joy of taking public transportation. (more…)

By Ron de los Reyes; Ron on the Run

I first heard about Mt. Kinabalu from a roommate during my early college days at U.P. The guy was a geology major and he would always talk about places he wanted to go to someday, one of them was Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. I found it quite interesting because almost every other week, my friend would come from a camping expedition from some mining fields and mountains as part of his class activities. I never heard from him after college and I’m not sure if he ever got to climb Mt. Kinabalu. (more…)

By Alice Sun-Cua

It was already the end of May, but the weather in Berlin was still cold as we were standing at the platform of the Friedrichstrasse train station, waiting for our train to Potsdam. My husband Alex and I were staying in one of the still-being finished hostels (The Bax Pax) in Berlin in the Mitte area, along Ziegelstrasse, a stone’s throw from the big rail station along Friedrich St. (more…)

By MAE LORRAINE S. RAFOLS

A stroll along Rizal Park in Manila, can also be described as a walk for patriotism – not only because of its historical significance, but because the place has the power to stir a sense of national pride. (more…)

By PINKY CONCHA COLMENARES

The 26-hectare Quezon Memorial Circle is a natural landmark that locates six main roads of Quezon City –  Quezon, East, Katipunan, Commonwealth, Visayas, and North Avenues – that start from its perimenter.  The three-pylon monument which stands 66 meters, is the official marker of the Circle; it is the monument for Manuel L. Quezon, the first President of the Commonweatlh, and father of Quezon City. (more…)

By ARIS R. ILAGAN

A 10-km stretch of bike trail known as Loop No. 4, whetting the appetite for uphill and downhill adrenalin rush, or enduring a 700-meter uphill climb with a 20-degree inclination in the killer Loop No. 12?  It’s not a choice, it’s part of the easy and difficult trails in the 35-km bike trail at the La Mesa Dam Nature Park.  But if one’s stamina fails for any reason – lack of skill, sleep or guts – there’s always a way out that leads to the main road and back to the reception area. (more…)

By JOHANNES L. CHUA

Standing on a sea of green on a breezy Sunday afternoon seemed like the best way to welcome a New Year. I was at the La Mesa Eco Park a few days into January because I felt I needed some “fresh air” to boost my sagging spirit after the punishing holiday schedule got me sick and exhausted.   Thankfully, I was able to convince my best friend Kenford (or did I bully him?) to drive me to this park, which I said “was just near the Quezon City Memorial Circle.” (more…)