Bird Watching @ Candaba Wetlands

Sorry for the absence, it's been pretty crazy here at work. Projects came and went last week so there really wasn't any time left for blogging. So anyway, let me tell you guys how my Saturday turned out.

THE BFF's and I all went to Candaba, Pampanga for the Ibon-Ebun Festival. Trency texted us a week ago about the festivities, I think she wanted us to go cultural this time because the last time we all went out-of-town was to go beach bumming for my birthday and to follow our craving for bulalo.

We were supposed to go really early in the morning so we could see the street dancing and other celebrations for the festival. Unfortunately, Trency's midterm was pushed to Saturday at 11.30AM. Leaving us with no choice but to leave at around 1PM.

The trip was relatively easy, since I made sure we already had directions on how to get there. The only thing was that the roads were all just one lane on both directions. And since this was provincial Philippines, tricycles made the trip SLOWER. It was frustrating to drive, there was hardly any chance to overtake! So just a tip for those who plan on driving to Candaba, BE PREPARED FOR THIS! It can be a real test of patience.

Finding the Bird Sanctuary isn't hard, just follow the signs just like this one. Or don't be afraid to ask the locals. It's a popular place, so they know it very well.


When we got to the Bird Sanctuary, we were welcomed by tour guides who told us we were late for the festivities. Since it was late in the afternoon (it was 4PM when we got there) he wasn't sure if we'd be able to see the birds flying around the swamp. So we just took a chance and went for it. We paid P150 each for the tour and you get to use their binoculars.

Talking to our tour guide, Kuya John Joseph, we found out that the 72-hectare Bird Sanctuary is owned by Candaba's mayor, Jerry Pelayo. He said it used to be a fish farm, but when the birds started coming in, he transformed it into a sanctuary where bird enthusiasts can come and take a look at the birds. As of now, there are 56 different kinds of bird species that come to Candaba. He says that birds start coming in late November, and stay around until late February.

The Mayor is also very strict, no one can shoot birds and no one can capture birds to sell in Manila or to take home as pets. Kuya John Joseph told us there were people who captured birds stuffed them in cages and were already on their way to Manila. Fortunately they got caught and the birds were set free.

We started our walk around the 72-hectares. It was a nice walk since it wasn't too sunny and there was a constant light breeze. We stopped once in a while to take a look at the birds through our binoculars. Since we had puny cameras, we weren't able to take shots of the birds flying all over the swamp. But they were BEAUTIFUL!! It wasn't my first time to go bird watching, had a chance at Villa Escudero over at Tiaong, Quezon. And I must say, it takes a lot of patience, a lot of walking around, and super bionic eyes to spot the birds. To the untrained eye, the birds all looked the same.

Since we couldn't take pictures of the birds, I just took shots of us walking around and of the place. The swamp was actually beautiful and so full of life. It was a perfect day for bird watching AND PHOTOGRAPHY, so we were all very lucky!




Oh and by the way, you guys see those bamboo "walls"? Kuya John Joseph said that it used to enclose the whole area and photographers would set-up their equipment through those "windows". But typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, destroyed most of the walls. So when they were about to put the walls back up, someone suggested not to rebuild it because the birds might feel enclosed and trapped. The open space makes them feel more free to roam around the area.

At the end of an almost 2-hour walkathon around the swamp, we were able to see about 10 or so bird species. Some of the species we saw were a Kingfisher, Terns, Egrets, Common Moorhen, purple and gray Herons, Bitterns, and the very rare Black Bittern. It was so cool! :)

Try bird watching with your friends. I didn't really expect to enjoy it, but when you're with the BFFs...it's just so hard not to have fun while at it!



Here are directions to get to the Candaba Wetlands Bird Sanctuary:
1. Go to NLEX and exit at PULILAN. Just to remind you guys that the roads are narrow so be careful!
2. When you see a Jollibee and a Robinson's Supermarket, make a left at the intersection. That goes to Baliuag, Bulacan. You'll pass by SM City Baliuag.
3. Just go straight on that road, you'll see a flyover. Go UNDER the flyover and make a LEFT. Just go straight and after a while you see the arch that says PAMPANGA.
4. Just go straight towards Candaba, and watch out for BARANGAY BAGONG PARI. When you the a short bridge and a basketball court at the left side, turn RIGHT at the corner. It's right after that small bridge. Afterwards you'll start seeing the signs that will lead you to the Bird Sanctuary.

If getting lost, you may also contact John at 0917-4397650. The staff of the Bird Sanctuary are all very accommodating and super friendly, so do not hesitate to give them a call.

Ilocos Tour Part 1: Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

I have never ridden so many buses in a span of 3 days. I love long road trips, the view relaxes me despite the growing pain in my butt and legs. To those who were able to read my teaser blog, yes it was a long bus trip to Ilocos - land of the bagnet, longganisa, the Marcoses, Crisologos and Singsons.

We left Manila for Pagudpud, Thursday, 11PM. We took a bus (Partas in Cubao) up to Laoag, Ilocos Norte. We arrived in Laoag a little past 7.45AM, then we had to take a trike to get to the station of the mini-buses that go to Pagudpud. We finally got to Pagudpud at around 10.30AM. We were all happy our trip took less than 12 hours!

After enduring an almost-12 hour trip, 2 bus rides, and 2 trike rides, we were more than happy to plop down on the bed in Polaris Beach House in Barangay Saud. Owner, Ate Mhe-Ann still remembers me (I've been here THRICE and feel very much at home here, plus there's FREE WIFI NOW! :D) and had been of great help during our trip.

This was our room, the room we also slept in when we were in Pagudpud in 2008. It's a small room with one queen-sized bed and one single bed. But what I love about this room is the balcony, great place to hang out in and look out in to the ocean.



After a brief rest, we all went down to have late brunch. The food in Polaris is good for sharing, they're used to having huge families staying here.

I suggested we order Sinigang na Baboy. I remember the first time we went to Pagudpud, we were 3rd year college students in DLSU, we had the sinigang every single meal!

It's been almost 5 years, their sinigang still tastes the same. Still yummy and generous with the servings.

We also had Adobong Manok.

I liked this dish, it's not exactly our helper's adobo (she makes great adobo by the way), but it'll do. The chicken was tender, and when you mix the sauce with rice it was a big WOW! :)

Our trip was short, so we decided to go on the tour right away. We just waited for the rains to stop (yes, it was raining and it was COLD) before asking our tricycle driver to pick us up. Funny cos after lunch we all lounged around and FELL ASLEEP. We asked our trike driver to pick us up at 1PM, but we woke up at 1.30PM! It was a good thing he really waited for us! :)

We couldn't do the North Tour because it was raining. So we had to make do with the South Tour which covers the towns of Burgos and Bangui.

So first stop, is the famous Bangui Windmills. Seen in postcards and even in the Magic Sing, the windmills have become an iconic landmark in Ilocos Norte.


Completed in June of 2008 and spearheaded by then Gov. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the 20 wind turbines powers the electricity for the towns of Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud.

The winds are so strong it made really cool ripples in the sand. Check this out! It's like the Sahara Desert out there!

After fighting to not get blown away, we then trudged on our little trike to go to the Bangui Viewdeck. Nothing really great here except that you get to have a bird's eye view of the town of Bangui.


There are also vendors here who sell wooden replicas of the wind turbines. They're actually really cute, and I couldn't resist buying one of them for P60. And they actually work!

From the viewdeck, we chugged on further south to the town of Burgos to get to the famed Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.

Built in 1890, the lighthouse has served as a guide for boats since 1892. Despite it looking like it's about to collapse, the lighthouse is actually beautiful! Plus it provides a great view of the town of Burgos and the South China Sea.



After the Lighthouse, it was time to go back to Pagudpud. But we just had to make a short stop at this beach. It was low tide, and the coral formations were jutting out of the water. It was stunning.


And just like in Baler, we used a trike to go around. Unfortunately, comfort wasn't part of this trip hahaha! Here's Milds and Kim cramped in that tiny space of a trike!

We got back to Pagudpud after a short sight seeing trip care of Kuya Mark our trike driver. Thanks to him, we got our group pictures!


We got back to Polaris in time for the sunset. Good thing the rains stopped, and we had one beautiful bright orange sunset. We just hung out at Saud beach, savoring the fact that we were the only ones there. Too bad it was too damn cold to swim!


The next day, we once again woke up to gloomy, rainy morning. We packed our bags and went down for breakfast, all set to get on a bus that'll take us to Laoag, then to Vigan.

We made a promise to return to Pagudpud when the sun is actually high up in the sky. Kim and Milds still have to see the Northern part of Pagudpud which we had to miss out on due to bad weather. There's still so much to see!

Tips for your trip to Pagudpud via bus:
1. Take a bus from Manila. We took Partas in their Cubao station. The trip costs P701.
2. When you get to Laoag, take a trike and tell the drivers to take you to the mini-bus station that goes to Pagudpud. The short trike ride costs P70. DO NOT TAKE THE DRIVER'S OFFER TO TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY TO PAGUDPUD! THEY'LL CHARGE YOU P1500 AND THAT'S REALLY WAY TOO MUCH!
3. Take the mini-bus that goes to Pagudpud, it costs P60. When you reach Pagudpud get down in front of the municipal hall and hire a trike to take you to your resort. Our driver asked for P40 for the ride from the municipal hall to Polaris.
4. For the tour, they already have an organized thing going on. Both the North and South tours costs P600 each.

Here are the numbers for our resort, bus, and trike driver:
1. Partas -> 727-8278
2. Ate Mhe-Ann (owner of Polaris Beach House) -> (0919)3078803
3. Kuya Mark (trike driver) -> (0929)5962524

Teaser: The Land of the Marcoses, Singsons, and Bagnet

Oh yes! Super excited! In a couple of hours my officemates-friends - Kim and Milds - are about to embark on a road trip. My photos are a dead giveaway, but still feel free to guess hahaha!

I love beach trips. I have a love affair with the sea! If I list my past blog entries here it'd take up SPACE hahaha. But the most recent was in the beautiful valley of Baler in the province of Aurora (read here and here).

This is actually my 3rd time to visit this province, yet I still look at it like I've never been there. There's still so much to see in this place! :) And I'm going with a new set of friends, so it's a whole new perspective to this trip! :)

So anyway here are photos of my last visit to this province. This was 2008 and I was with my college barkada - Steph and Par.






Also thinking of my FIRST GIVEAWAY. A souvenir perhaps? Who knows! Stay tuned for that!!:)

A Strictly Filipino Family Affair

I find it so fitting that I am writing a blog entry about Manila and Luneta Park on December 30, Rizal Day. Find this as my way of honoring our national hero on his day. Oh and I also ate at a restaurant celebrating Jose Rizal's characters in one of his novels. But more on Jose Rizal later on.

A day after Christmas, we took our trusty helper out to Manila because she wanted to see the fountain show at the Luneta Park. Since it's going to be her last Christmas and New Year with us, we decided to make it a little special for her.

After hearing Mass at Sacred Heart in Makati, we headed on over to Aristocrat near Malate Church for dinner. Although our home-cooked meals have been very good, we were getting kind of tired of eating pancit over and over again!

I'm not really sure if I'm the only one who thinks this is true but Aristocrat is like THE restaurant for Filipino families. It's been around since forever, and it's almost a sin not to eat there during one's lifetime. We've had one too many family reunions there too, when our balikbayan relatives come home and start craving for Filipino food.

Since it was a day after Christmas, everybody was still in a festive mood, so the place was packed to the brim. Since there was just the 3 of us, we had no problem in getting a seat.



I also loved their Christmas which was at the center of the restaurant.

For our starters, Mom and I got soup to warm our insides. The night air here in the Philippines has been really nippy, almost everybody I know is sick or about to get sick.

Mom had the Sotanghon soup. She would almost always order sotanghon soup if she sees it on the menu!

I had Cream of Mushroom.

Despite it's lack of glamor for the camera, it was really good. It was served hot and had ample mushrooms in it.

For the main course we all had what made Aristocrat famous the world over: BARBECUE! Mom had Boneless Chicken, I had Pork Spareribs (for a change), and Ate Dor had the popular Chicken Barbecue.



Paired with Aristocrat's very own Java Sauce, it makes one if not THE BEST chicken barbecue there is here in the country.

After the huge dinner, it was time for us to go Luneta Park to walk around and burn the chicken meal. Luneta Park is a very historic site in the country becuase this is where our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal was shot on December 30, 1896. The 0 kilometer marker, which serves as a marker to all the cities in the Philippines, is also found here.

When we got to the park, it was just like Aristocrat, it was PACKED with families picnicking and just sitting around. It was like the whole of Manila was there! Kids ran around, parents slept, and vendors milled around, as the park's sound systems blasted Christmas carols.




I don't usually go to Luneta randomly, maybe I'm just a bit snooty that way, but I have to admit I enjoyed being there that night. It was a totally different Sunday night family affair.

Like us, everybody came for the fountain show. It only lasted for about 10 minutes but it was cool. The kids enjoyed it, especially when the lights changed colors. We weren't kids, but it was actually cool! Ate Dor of course LOVED it since she begged for us to come down to Manila just to see this! :)



Walking around the park, we noticed these blue and pink lights that kept flying up in the air. They were these slingshot toys the kids were playing around with, I was so intrigued I bought from this boy who was selling them for P15.


The kids were having so much slinging those things in the air. And when we finally got the hang of it, Ate Dor and I actually had fun with it too! So fun I bought 10 of these things to give to my college barkada for our reunion the following night.

Sometimes it really is the simple things in life that prove to be FUN and I think it keeps you grounded! Since we're all used to heading over to the malls and going to the Luneta Park was something of a relief. It's nice to see Filipino families bonding complete with their their pots filled with food, rice cooker, and plates. You just get to feel how the family is still the most important for us Filipinos, and you just can't help but be proud of it. And I sure was glad to be among those Filipino families in the park that night! :)




We ate at:
The Aristocrat Restaurant
432 San Andres St. cor. Roxas Blvd., Malate
Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel. No. 524-7671 to 80