Skywatch#135 Sunset At El Nido

On our way back to El Nido, Palawan we stopped by Commando Beach, our last destination for the day's island hopping. It rained for a few minutes and afterwards, this showed up.


 

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Skywatch#133 Summer in Britania Islands

We had an early start for summer last month. For years, we have been planning to get to Britania Islands, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur. Finally, after coordinating our group's schedules we did it on a weekend.  With one van full of my friends, we started our trip in the early morning of Saturday. The trip took more than six (6) hours but thankfully, the road was mostly paved. 

Here was one of our rewards after the long trip, a magnificent view from Hagonoy island (one of the 24 islets of Britania islands):



 

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Skywatch#132 Windmills of Tarifa

 
They were like sentinels fanning the clouds. The windmills of Tarifa were lined up on the hills and valleys and can be seen along the highway. That day, we went out of our hotel in Seville in the early morning for our destination, the small town of Tarifa. The town is our jump-off point to the continent of Africa. Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz ("coast of light") and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. At exactly 36 degrees latitude, it is the southernmost point of the European continent, situated south of both African capital cities of Tunis and Algiers.(source: Wikipedia)
 

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Skywatch#131 Twilight Skies Over Christchurch

Twilight was setting in while we waited on the line to get into the Christchurch Museum in Oxford, England. It was eerie but beautiful.
 

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Skywatch#130 Silhouette of Philip IV

Silhouette of Philip IV at Plaza de Oriente 

The statue is located at the east side of the Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain.

Philip IV of Spain (Spanish: Felipe IV; 8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665) was King of Spain (as Philip IV in Castille and Philip III in Aragon) and Portugal as (Portuguese: Filipe III). He ascended the thrones in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death and in Portugal until 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the challenging period of the Thirty Years' War. (source wikipedia)

 

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Skywatch#129 Different Skies and Different Timezones

A few years ago, a friend told me that when I get the chance to travel through continents, I should look out for what she called the "timezone sky". She saw it while traveling from the Philippines to Canada and said that it was really beautiful. Not sure if it's her own label but her explanation was that the sky  looks quite different when crossing timezones.

I love taking photos while airborne. Not only do I feel like I am in heaven as what most people say, I also like how the colors of the clouds change constantly. The favorite time for me is during sunset or sunrise when an array of kaleidoscope of colors change within seconds.

The above photo was taken while we were on our way home from London last year. As can be expected, London was covered with clouds.

More than 30 minutes after, the sunset blue hour started and pastel colors started battling over the blue-black color of the skies.

I never got to see what my friend said years ago about the "timezone sky" and so I stayed awake most of the 17-hour trip to home from our Europe trip just to try if I could see it.  When I saw it, it did not disappoint.

This was no ordinary sunset or sunrise colors I thought when I opened the window shade. Before that, I watched about 5 movies on the plane just to try to see if I could catch this. This should be the "timezone sky" my friend was talking about. Checking out the time, I realized that we must be somewhere between Europe and Asia. How cool is that!

 

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Skywatch#128 Dark Clouds Over Big Ben

A friend said that London's weather is almost always unpredictably gray. Meaning, London would always have gray clouds and intermittent rains hovering above but in a few lucky moments in a day, blue skies would peek out to tease and then, it would be back to gray clouds again. I definitely agreed with the observation as can be seen in the photos below: We started our day with threatening gray clouds over London but we kept to our itinerary for the day. As we went from one place to the other, taking photos here and there, I took photos of the Big Ben in a span of a few minutes. The photo above shows dark gray clouds over Big Ben but.. in a few minutes, blue skies are peeping out to tease.
 

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Will Travel

Source: FastLoanTree.com

When I came back from my Europe travel late last year, my mother asked me when will I ever stop traveling. My answer was, "Never." I will save, I will take credit, I will work hard for it and I will always plan for a travel at least once a year.

There is something about traveling that is quite addicting. There is so much to learn, to see, to experiment and to explore when traveling that it is like being young and bold again.

Not surprising, my mother caught the travel bug last year when I took her with me somewhere in the northern and central Philippines. She was amazed of what she had seen and experienced that she was asking when would be our next travel again.

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Save And Travel

Some people think that one needs to be filthy rich to do some traveling. With this mentality, a lot of people have given up their dream to travel to some distant land because they thought they could not afford to do it. Sure, to travel means to spend some money but there are several ways to save for one's dream travel. I am no millionaire but my friends and I have found a way to get to places we wanted to get to by just saving, strategizing and planning. People get jealous that we could get to places we wanted to get to but it takes a lot of discipline, will power and careful planning and strategizing before we could get to where we want. Taking out a loan helped a lot along the way but saving did more. For long travels, I saved for years. The first one was my first China travel. I saved for five years and most of which were done through the Pag-IBIG Fund's Pag-IBIG II program. The said program offered higher dividend rates than most if not all saving institutions. The rest of the expense for the said travel, I saved little by little. So, one needs not to be filthy rich to get to Spain or France or just even to Boracay or Sagada. One just needs to save and work hard. The destination awaits, excitedly.

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Last Minute Bargains

To minimise the headache of searching for your next family getaway, it makes sense to book holidays online.

Why? Because searching and booking through the internet is one of the quickest ways to find the holiday to suit all of your requirements. It saves time and money as you will be able to search quickly through thousands of resorts to find the one which is most suited to you and your travelling companions, as well as by the amount you want to spend.

There are many ways in which to search for your holiday. As the internet has become so advanced it has meant that by modifying the search box on the travel agents' website, you can see a list of results that will offer you a seemingly tailor-made holiday. During the search, filter the results by the things that matter to you - such as your chosen destination, desired holiday date, star rating of your hotel, board basis and also any additional requirements such as kids clubs or adults only. This will ensure that the list of hotels presented to you will be the most suitable. You can also narrow it down by price to make sure that you are right on budget.

Another great way to find a holiday to match your budget is to snare a cut-price package. The best way to do this is to book last minute holidays with Thomas Cook. A little trick is to decide when you want to go away, and then search through the website a few weeks before the departure date and look at the deals best suited to you. You can leave booking right up to the last minute to really catch a bargain, but if the location and facilities are important to you, especially if you are travelling with youngsters, it may be worth keeping your options a little more flexible.

There are plenty of different ways to find the right holiday - it's just a matter of setting out your priorities and budget, doing your homework, and choosing the one that best fits your wish list.

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Skywatch#126

Photo taken at Hyde Park, London, UK.

We communicate to God through prayers (sometimes they become solicitation of favor/s) but one way of giving back what is due Him and appreciating of what He did for us is to appreciate nature. To stop for a moment in a day to see, to feel, to smell the wondrous thousands of colors a day could evoke, from sunrise to sunset. I dare say, God will feel really appreciated for that.


 

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Explaining the allure of last minute cruises

You would be forgiven for thinking that the phenomena of the last minute holiday bargain are only to be found in the world of sun-drenched seaside getaways but you would be mistaken and it is time you knew the truth. Yes indeed, you can pick up some eye-watering discounts on quite superb family holidays that will take you and your party from one amazing destination to another day after day. And you can see it all from the comfort of your sun-lounger or as you gaze out from the side of what is always likely to be a quite magnificent vessel.  

These days in fact, last minute cruises are an increasingly common feature of the holidaymaking picture, with families, individuals and groups of friends all taking a chance to see the world in style and at seriously discounted prices. As we know by now, booking last minute can mean making significant savings but if you're considering the option you would do well to be flexible about the kind of trip you take and the places you line up to visit. But being flexible on these points can work out beautifully in a way because you are relieved of the tough choices most cruise holidaymakers must make and it all adds to a sense of genuine adventure.

You might be surprised about the scale of discounts that even the most reputable holiday companies are ready to offer on quality cruise holidays as the relevant departure date approaches. Clearly, it is in no one's interest for rooms aboard the great sea-going entertainment and relaxation paradises that now cruise the oceans to be going unused at any point and the savviest among us have been quick to take advantage. In fact, a little homework and decisive action could soon see you and yours setting off on a truly amazing journey and perhaps even the holiday of a lifetime.  

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Skywatch#120 View From The Plane

The plan was to take photos of San Pablo City's seven lakes from the plane. So, with fingers crossed that I could get some clear view of Laguna Province I held on to my camera waiting for the opportunity.

 It seemed though that the clouds could won over so I just took some shots. And lo! a glimpse of the lakes suddenly came into view. I took several shots but the plane was too fast for me to get some good shots without the plane's  wings. Here is the only shot that did not include the unwanted plane wings...  

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Skywatch#119 Entrance To the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

This is the entrance to the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, Nagcarlan, Laguna.  Both the church and the cemetery are now considered part of the national  historical sites of the Philippines.





 

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A Visitor’s Guide to Florence

Florence is considered as one of the most important cities of Europe. The city is the birthplace of the opera, the Italian renaissance and also the neo-classical architecture. Florence was also a major cultural and political hotbed in its time and this makes it one of the must-visit places for anyone visiting Italy. Below is a brief visitor’s guide to Florence.

Ideal Time to Visit

Florence falls in the Tuscan region which gets pretty hot during the summer’s peak. This causes most of the local people to retreat to the coastal areas in the period between June and August. As a tourist, the ideal time would be to visit either before or after the summer season passes. April, May, September and October are quite warm and sunny without being too hot.

Notable Attractions

The cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore is the star attraction of Florence. It is a beautiful piece of architecture that dominates the city and is a must-visit. Giotto’s Tower, adjacent to the above cathedral, offers viewers an excellent view of the city that is worth appreciating.

There are also plenty of places to visit in case you want to combine history with leisure shopping. The Ponte Vecchio (literal meaning is ‘Old Bridge’) is home to many shops. The place is also known to be the traditional jewelry buying destination for Florentines.

You can also visit the tombs of great medieval personalities like Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo and Machiavelli.

Exquisite Cuisine

Italians love their food and Florentines are no different when it comes to their palates. Although both meat and fish dishes are dominant in the region, the cuisine is mostly seasonal. There are also many places that serve up inexpensive and yet tasty stuff. Wine lovers can also have a drink in Florence.

While it’s only a brief guide to Florence, most of these places will ensure that you experience the heart of Florentine culture.

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Three of the Best Short Haul Holiday Hot Spots

Are you hoping to travel abroad in 2012? The current economic climate has meant that fewer holidaymakers are venturing abroad for stints in the sun. With cheap Tenerife holidays and bargain holidays in Cyprus on offer online, why settle for a staycation this summer?

1.       Cyprus

Holidays in Cyprus offer the most varied resorts and most sensational climate in the Mediterranean. Whatever your travel tastes, the birth place of Aphrodite caters for love birds, families and party rockers alike.

Limassol’s shallow waters are superb for young families, while Paphos is a great all round resort for couples, culture lovers and families with plenty of sightseeing opportunities as well as a local waterpark. Ayia Napa is the place to be if you are looking to hit the clubs on the island.

2.       Rhodes

Rhodes is officially the driest island in the Mediterranean with over 300 days of sunshine every year. Whenever you choose to stay from mid-May to October, you are guaranteed to experience gorgeous weather.

The striking resort of Lindos is home to the Acropolis of Lindos, one of the most visited landmarks on the island. A favourite spot for couples tying the knot, Lindos boasts some of the more elite hotels in Rhodes.

The tip of the island is reserved for those who want to experience the best of both worlds – Rhodes Town is an eclectic mix of old and new, with the ancient walled town standing adjacent to the cosmopolitan centre.

3.       Tenerife

Cheap Tenerife holidays are excellent for those travelling on a budget. As part of the Canary Islands, just off the coast of Africa, Tenerife benefits from sensational summers with highs reaching 30 degrees C. 

Once of the livelier Canarian destinations, Tenerife resorts are active with plenty of watersports lining their 16 blue flag beaches.

Wherever you choose to stay, search online to discover some of the best prices on holidays in Cyprus, Rhodes and Tenerife.

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Skywatch#117 State House Of South Carolina

The State House of South Carolina at dusk. The State House is located at the intersection of Senate and Main Streets of Columbia City. The photo was taken from the back of the building.

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Overbooked Flights Being Banned

Sometime ago, I read through a bloggers’ horrific experience with one of the budget airlines in the country. She may have had fun with her Boracay vacation with her friends, even raved about their Boracay hotel but her experience with the budget airlines was the extreme opposite of her pleasant experience at the island-paradise.

They were bumped off the overbooked flights and worried that they might not make it on time to report for work on the next day, they begged to be accommodated. However, they were not the only ones begging to get accommodated. What also exacerbated their situation was that the ground crew were aloof, arrogant and unresponsive to their plight. At the end of her post, she promised that she and her friends might pursue a legal case against the budget airline.

This nightmarish experience is not uncommon among budget airlines. Trying to recover the revenues lost from their promos, overbooking the flight somehow helps but the travelers unwittingly suffer because of this. Fortunately, the country’s aviation regulator is banning the overbooking of flights effective June 15. I hope this will prosper, for the sake of the travelers.

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Skywatch#115 Summer In D' Leonor Inland Resort and Wave Pool

Summer is almost at its end now. Nights are cooler, even rains are becoming frequent. Still, the days are just sweltering like any summer days should be and maybe even more. No thanks to global warming. One good way to cool off is to head off the waters, the beach or the pool. Since the beach has been the frequent destination for our office summer outing. The pool was chosen as the new alternative and the D' Leonor Inland Resort and Wave Pool just fits the bill. Located at Barangay Communal and just about 30 to 40 minutes from downtown, the new resort has zoo, wave pool, kid's pool, cottages and a zipline.

This is my entry for:

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London’s Best Kept Secret: Battersea Park

At just a few miles south of Marble Arch, Battersea Park has to be one of London’s best kept secrets. Its inner-city location belies the stunning beauty of this vast park, and if you’re in London then it can provide fantastic respite from the busy capital.

Whether you’re in the city for business or pleasure, why not find a cheap hotel near Battersea Park and enjoy a stroll around this great green space after a hectic day of work or sightseeing?

This park is so vast and varied that you won’t want to miss a thing. Here’s what you need to tick off your must do list:

The Old English Garden
This garden is a wonderfully calm and peaceful place to sit after a stressful day. Relax on a bench surrounded by trees and flowers, while the trickling water of the pond fountain takes you away from the strain of the day.

Get On Your Bike
You can hire a bicycle from the London Recumbents in the park, and take the air and some exercise in a most pleasant way. It certainly beats the gym.

Have an Adventure in the Playground
Those who are in London with the kids should give them respite from the overwhelming sights and sounds of the city, and let them run off some steam in the playgrounds at Battersea Park.

An amazing adventure playground awaits older adventurers, as well as a well-equipped junior and toddler playgrounds. There’s fun to be had here for all ages.

Enjoy Sports
Many budget London hotels don’t have fitness facilities, so why not head to the Millennium Arena at Battersea Park instead? This fantastic sports facility, located in the park, boasts a running track, tennis courts, multi-purpose playing surfaces and a fitness centre.

Don’t let the beauty of Battersea Park pass you by if you’re in the capital. It’s an amazing inner-city green space that’s just the ticket if you need a breather from city life.

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