SHIKIMIKIE

It has been a tradition of our family to go to the beach when it's dad's birthday. This time is no exception.

We went to Olongapo. Actually, we don't really go very far from the city. Years and years, we've been alternating Bataan, Batangas, Subic, and Olongapo. 

We went to a resort called Suzuki. I think the owner is dad's friend of some sort. I'm not sure. Anyways, the view when we arrived blew me away. 

The next day. It was a very nice morning and we woke up extra early for the sunrise but we were a bit late so yeah. Went to the beach and enjoyed what's for us instead.

Don't call us greedy though! We tried to invite friends but they weren't up for it. Anyways. This blog would be mostly pictures of the wonderful nature and stuff so enjoy! But I would still make kwento of course. Bummer, right? LOL. So we left at like 6 ish and arrived there probably a little past 8:30 and yeah it was a long long long time of commuting but it was worth it! Like, if I could, I would go back and spent another day there. So when we arrived at our destination, this happened. 

We were like so amazed by the clear water that runs thru this whatever and yeah we took quite a lot of pictures there for some reason. I actually thought that this would be where the falls would be at and stuff but yeah clearly wrong. We were also amazed by the rock balancing thing they have going on. 

So yeah there are quite a lot of spots there like that of above. Although stunning, not good enough to swim so we just took photos of that and moved on. 

So nice! I actually searched for online reviews from blogs and stuff so I had enough dosage of pictures but seeing it in person is just different. It doesn't look any different but you know, pictures cannot give justice to the actual falls itself I think.

The life guard was so nice to take quite a lot of pictures of my cousin and I and so yeah I find that the loneliest thing about travelling alone or like with just someone is that it's gonna be hard to like take pictures and stuff so yeah. Actually that's the only problem. 

scary

cousin waiting for me (apparently)

Batlag Falls

I like this shot

picture!

Also quite difference is that you can't actually sit like this on Daranak because the water is deeper where the falls are in Daranak and in Batlag, there's this rock where you can sit on and stuff. So yeah. 

When we went back to Daranak, there were a lot of people already. We actually just returned to say thanks to the life guard who watched over our bags. Well the story is that you can't actually just place your bags anywhere but at some selected spots but he said that since there's only two of us, he would allow us and just look after it. 

When I say to people that I came from Japan, most likely, they would assume that I'm from the city. Yes, I have been to the big cities before. But what I am frustrated about, is that it seems to me that some people don't know anything beyond that. Japan isn't only about tall buildings and stuff. It's also about nature, earth, and fields. Just so you know, I live in a place where it's not so modernized (yet) although apartments are now slowly replacing the fields, there are still a lot of fields that can be seen and there's no denying that I live quite far from the busy city of Tokyo.

That apartment that you can see from the picture above is totally non-existent way back 2008. It used to be a field. Can you see the spring onions? Amazing right? It's just so nice to see things like that. Just a thought though, would that little field be placed here in my place (Manila), there wouldn't be anything left because of the thieves. In Japan, you can leave it with full confidence and still have it the next day.

A view from a nearby place. I used to bike around a lot so I'm really very familiar with the stuff around my place. Let me tell you a short story. I have a grandma neighbor who used to bring me to this place to pick up crops. She always called me to help her to sort of give back to our presents from the Philippines. Strawberries and lettuce are just some of the examples of the crops she used to give us. Unfortunately, when my sisters came back from Japan this year, they told me that she already passed away. :( I'll definitely miss her. I actually thought that in our neighborhood, she'll be the first one I'd talk to when I go back to Japan and proudly say to her that I've already graduated college.

This place. I used to pick BLACKBERRIES from this place. Like, I just can bike around and be satisfied with the gifts of nature in this place.  Where in the city can you do that? Everything comes with a price there. But not here. Oh I miss JAPAN.

Bamboo trees! I miss seeing them! I used to cross this street when going to the bus station/supermarket.

My place to be! THE PLAYGROUND! When I was younger, there's even a swing where my real grandmother used to ride with my sister (still a baby) on her arms. There also used to be some sort of square thing with little squares where you insert yourself and stuff. Sad to see it gone.

I used to bike a lot here and just play alone. Usually, when we go back to Japan (around March-June), students are in school so there wouldn't be much people in here. I usually am alone here relaxing and eating chips. FATTY! LOL. I usually lay on the slide and look up the sky and wait for the sun be gone. And sometimes I go here and just pick dandelions and just blow it like crazy.

Such a great view.

Notice how the sky is so blue? I miss that.

I believe this is some sort of preschool. Awesome mountain view, aye? I also used to bike around this place because my mom used to ask me to get something to the supermarket/drug store and this is one way to get there. But there's also like, a shorter way but the thing is the road is steeper.

This is the steeper road. The thing is it's way down going to the supermarket and way up going home. Imagine going home with all the stuff you bought? I actually wonder why I don't loose weight when in Japan. Like, it's all walking and biking and stuff there. But of course it comes with more eating. FAIR ENOUGH.

This is actaully the gate to get into the AMERICAN MILITARY BASE. When it's SAKURA SEASON, there's just a pretty row of CHERRY BLOSSOMS. It's actually prohibited for normal people to enter this place (SMALL AMERICA) but I've been inside like, probably five times my lifetime. My mom is friends with some Filipinas who are married to navies and yeah. And when it's like their OPEN HOUSE, they allow people to shop around. For me, I usually bike around here (not inside of course).

Sorry if this post is a little bit messy. I just don't know how to express my longing for Japan is a very coherent way. All pictures are courtesy of my sister from her last trip to Japan this year (April - May 2012). I noticed that this post became kind of my personal experience than actually introducing the other side of Japan. LOL. NO REGRETS!