Skywatch#13 Full Moon Over Us

It was a full moon night when I returned to Mana House with some of my friends to take photos again. The place was full of people taking pictures. I was initially worried that we would not be able to do what we planned as it rained earlier that night. Thankfully, the rain disappeared, the skies cleared out to show this full moon hovering over us.

This one I took on New Year's Eve..they say, there'll be a blue moon so I decided to check it out. Only to recall that in Asia, the blue moon will occur on the night of January 1. I took photos anyway. The full moon was hovering so bright and big over us while I took this. I'll check again tonight for the blue moon.

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Skywatch #12 Christmas Lights Of Mana House

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Merry Christmas To All!

Memories To Treasure
May the days until Christmas be full of sweet pleasure,
And your holidays create joyful memories to treasure.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
By Joanna Fuchs

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My World#52 Christmas Lights 2009 Of Mana House

For this year, the Mana Casa de Artes Y Antigos Davao store (or more popularly known as Mana House) did not disappoint in showing off their renowned Christmas lights. There were 3 million of them covering the entire front lawn, the store building and even among the trees.

For this year's theme, Under The Sea, they added some real bubbles floating from the Christmas lights. It's too bad that I ran out of battery so I had to get home. My plan is to go back and bring my spare camera to take some videos of the place. By far, this year is the most spectacular display of Christmas lights at Mana House.

Can you see the bubbles? How about somebody's ears? I tried to take some pictures of the bubbles but they are barely visible. Anyway, it was such fun just being at the place and I really thank the owners of Mana House for bringing joy to alot of people especially the kids and the "once kids" like me. It felt like I was in a fantasy land:)



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Skywatch#11 Bag-Ing Island, Caramoan

These pictures were taken in Bag-Ing Island, Caramoan Peninsula. More about the island and pictures here.

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My World#51 (Philippine Churches#4) Bantay Church, Ilocos Sur

St. Agustine Church or its more known name, Bantay Church, was constructed during the 1500s. It is located in Bantay, Ilocos Sur which is the town next Vigan City, the capital city of Ilocos Sur Province.

Bantay Church is distinct from other churches in the region as it has two bell towers. One bell tower is at the right topmost of the church and the older one, is located several meters away from the church building sitting on top a hill.

The church is also said to be well-known as a favorite location for local movie productions. When we first got to this church years ago, the belltower hill was largely undeveloped with its eroding sandy soil.

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Skywatch#10 Skywatching in Caramoan

We were on our way home riding an outrigger boat from island hopping in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. It was a day full of adventures and amazingly beautiful places. The water was relatively calm and the islands look all mysterious and silent. This boy is the boatman's helper and I thought I should take a picture of him while he was just sitting by the edge of the boat and silently watching at the horizon.

And I'm sure that the boy had seen what we have seen, rays of sun coming out of threatening dark clouds looming over the islands and the sea. For me, it was a reassuring and beautiful sight as we were starting to get worried that the rains might come.

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My World#50 Philippine Churches Part 3: More Photos of Betis, Guagua, Pampanga

I promised to post more photos of Betis Church, the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines in my previous post. So here they are.

The church is considered one of the National Treasures of the Philippines. Not surprisingly, because it is really beautiful. The frescoes of the church is really something but we were not able to take alot of pictures as we wanted to as there was an ongoing mass when we got there. Nevertheless, the unassuming facade of the church belied its beautifully impressive interiors.

I promised to myself that I shall return to this church someday and take all the pictures to my hearts' content.

Facts: (Credit:http://www.visitclark.com/LERT/betis_church.asp)

Art enthusiasts compare it to the Sistine Chapel, for its magnificent interior, although the Betis Church is more impressive in terms of symmetry, gracefulness and theme. Fr. Fernando Pinto started its construction in 1660 and was finally completed in 1770 by Fr. Jose de Cruz. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) declared this church a National Treasure, one of only 10 churches in the country bestowed that honor. Main attraction in the interior include: ceiling mural by famous painter Simon Flores; paintings on dome and walls depicting significant biblical events and figures by local artists led by brothers Martin and Severino Gozum Pangilinan; 19th and 20th Century sculpture by local artists supervised by the famous Maximo Vicente, and multi-awarded (internationally) artists Juan Flores and Willy Layug; esquisite retablo heavily coated/gilded with solid gold; ornate baptistery; intricate paintings on dome. Main attactions in the patio (exterior) include: Exquisite sculpture inthe Monument of Santiago de Galicia (Spain's most important patron saint); Monument of St. Joseph the Carpenter and the giant Monument of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Skywatch#9 Sunset At Divine Mercy Hills

It was late in the afternoon when we got to Divine Mercy Hills. The sun was already starting to set down so we explored the place in a hurry and took our pictures. The management allowed us to go up to the statue so we decided to stay longer. The view from up there was really beautiful and it was such a pity that cameras were not allowed to be taken along while going up the statue. Anyway, here are some more pics I took at the place...

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