Mt.Pinatubo Pt. 1

My first out-of-town visit was to Angeles City, Pampanga after arriving the Philippines for the first, unlike my first which was i adventure shy, it was more of hotel stay, food and a surprising night scene, but all i see now on this trip is mountains want to climb, valleys i want to run through and a night life i will cherish forever.

Picture of Mt. Arayat

Few kilometers outside Angeles City, I sighted Mt.Arayat with an elevation of 1,030 meters ,the thought which scared me at first arouse an excitement within me at the same time, i immediately went online to look for any tour company but there was none, out of curiosity i asked my driver on how to get to the mountain but then he corrected my misconception about Mt Arayat, because my thought were Arayat was the mountain that erupted in the year 1991, but he politely said no mam, its Mt. Pinatubo, so i said i would climb the two then, if i can just find a touring company.

Picture of ABC hotel

For the 3-days in Angeles City, the choice of hotel was ABC hotel, at the check-in, i recall the front desk lady asking if we wanted a shot of tequila,it did brought a smile to my face, but i knew i was at the right, as one of Asia’s most luxurious hotel, for those 3-days it did lived up to its reputation.

Squid for Lunch

After lunch i went into the streets to search again for a touring company that would guide me to Mt Pinatubo and Mt. Arayat or which ever comes first,7 touring company’s down, an hour spent i gave up the idea and headed back to the hotel a bit disappointed.

Tourist Police

I decided to check the Aqua beach club on the 7th floor, i was told Mt Arayat was a no-go area for now, but i can be taken to Mt Pinatubo the next day, with a little ray of hope, i relaxed a bit, i got a tour of the pool club by the Manager himself, partied all through the night hoping the mountain wakes me up.

Aqua Beach Club

DAY 2

I was able to find a private driver for the rate of 4,000 pesos for basically an hour drive to Tarlac, wait for me till the tour was over and bring me back to Angeles City, so we head out, an hour drive was a bit tiring probably because I was a bit comfortable. The Municipal Tourism Office was an easy find since it was by the road side on the left hand side as you drive in into the town.

Flower Shop

I asked how much was the trip to Mt Pinatubo and I would love to go today and I was told the cut off time for Mt Pinatubo was 7-7;30 in the morning, I was insistent about going that day but was told these are rules and was handed the daily iternary…but I could come back the next day…and if I was sure… I can make reservation with 500 pesos.

 

I stood still trying to process the whole information, for a like minute…I so made a reservation…and if I was unable to make it the next day,its only 500 pesos anyway,a bit disappointed headed back and told the driver to pick me up 5:00am the next day and slept the whole afternoon off.

 

Mt Arayat Day Hike ft 1026 Complete Traverse

Mountain Statistics

Elevation: 1026+ ft

Location: Luzon

Difficulty: 5/9 Major Climb

Complete Traverse: 7-10 hours

If you are reading this, then my guess is that you want to hike Mt. Arayat, and you want to know about my experience which had me landing on bum, going on all fours, hand smacked against thorny plants, chilly air, ridges, the many assaults with the hope that it does not rain. And where there times when I felt heading right back to the start, even though the hike was not complete?, yes I had those thoughts severally. But what kept me going was the fact that I have no idea when I will have the opportunity to do that again and I can also just brag about it to my friends, that as aside, this hike became my first step towards my first major hike.

Mt ArayAt has been that mountain I have always wanted to climb because it’s sit along your way to the north, my first attempt, I was a gurella force were fighting on it, which which I later discovered is a tale told to keep illegal loggers away and my second attempt was yesterday morning and everything seem to be against me from waking up late to the overnight rain, as muddy paths are not fun to walk on.

I rushed out of the door and took a tricycle in front of my hotel to Marquee hall for 200 pesos which I later found out the driver over charged me, while the jeepney was loading up, I got two bottles of water, one of the drivers approached me and asked if I wanted to buy eggplants as he has a farm at home, which I politely declined. We left Marquee Hall at 9:12, the ride was slow due to many stops the driver had to make, 5km from Magalang I could see Mt. Arayat in its place with a grey cloud over it.

The Jeepney ride was slow probably due to the many stops he had to make, arrival at Magalang was 9:35, my driver directed me to the other side of the road, where I got another tricycle and we headed to the station of the cross 100 pesos.

At the Denr office, I was told if I wanted a complete traverse, I should have come earlier like 5-6am in the morning, and  was advised to do half traverse, which is to the north peak and head right back to the start, and I can consume 6 hours for this, I was insistent about the complete traverse and when they saw I would not backdown, I was asked if I have my necessary supplies, flash light, food, snacks and the rest, after that they gave the go-ahead and I and my tour guide began the hike at 10:30am.

Watch the video on how my encounter was

 

Left at 10:30 arrived at 12:40

Lunch at the kings rock 

From kings rock 12:12-South peak

Take 5 more assuault 

The very assault climb from the kings rock to the southPeak is mostly done on fours 

At the south peak gave me this pristine view, everything was and then my tour guard directed me to the other climb which was just 5 minutes from the south peak…

Pandan tree-cactus looking tree with palm trees

We even disturbed some monkeys business on our way out

4:50 at the finish line of Mt. Arayat 

7 hours 50 minutes

5:15-6pm to Malalang

20 pesos jeepney

6:06-6:29

Marquee Mall to Sm Clark 13 pesos

22nd HOT AIR BALLON FESTIVAL: Clark Pampanga

No tickets for the hot air ballon festival, this was few hours before leaving Makati which made me anxious, a Jeepney ride 8 pesos to Guadalupe, with night market on each side of the road, awakening the streets, each vendors with their goods well laid out, at 10:30 pm.

Music blasting through the speakers right through the streets, more Jeepneys arriving, what was predominant to me was the Balut, a developing hard-boiled embryo that is eaten from the shell” a street food that is common in the Philippines, each stand few meter from each other, with  locals savouring it like it’s nothing.

This weekend was more of laughter, fooling around, time out from school work and loving life itself. Diana and I arrived Dau at 2:15am in the morning , both shivering not because it was cold outside but from the bus ride, we hit up the stands for cup noodles to warm up, a tricycle ride from Dau to Clark 7 minutes ride gate for 100pesos my friend thinks am a bad negotiator.

At Clark we got a whole Jeepney for 200
We got to the festival ground and it seemed empty…it felt good being far away from home, it always does, we chatted so much that we missed the 300 metres turn to buy the tickets, after 2 hours in line, the crowd grew larger and then we marched into the ground,in my mind I was like what’s next? let’s wait for the sunrise which is when the show will begin, in the main time we will lay down on the grass and wait.

At 6:00am the announcements from the speakers woke us up, the show started with the Emcees introducting themselves and what followed suit was the Filipino anthem and then the Fa50 super fast jets which dazzled the crowd with their performance and then the arrival of the ballons for set up, and in no time they were in the sky towering  above us,26 colorful giant balloons featuring different characters like the

 Russian Doll,Master Yoda, Pepe the Hedgehog, Morris the Donkey,  Captain Jack,and many more,then the wind changed its direction bringing the ballons right above the crowd that has never happened before in the history of the hot air festival in the Philippines.

Tandem skydiving, paragliding, acrobatic manuvers, the wing walkers, control line aircraft, sports car drifting, car racing, ballon bursting competition, and much more.

For me, the highlights of these events was the performance of the wing walkers whom their death defying performance in the air left me wondering how brave these women are, harnessed to their plane while they hung upside down, wave, perform handstands on the wings of the plane, the unique duo who hails from Britain dazelled the crowds with the plane as high as a 1000ft leaving nothing but smoke trails

WHAT TO BRING

1.An Umbrella

2.Sunscreen

3.Mat

4.Water

5.Snacks

6.SunGlass

7.Bring a tent is you have to

8.Selfie stick

9.Flash Light

10.Napkins or Tissues

Note:From my own experience, the mobile toilet for the general crowd was really bad,but later discovered there was a vip toilet for guest artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GURARA WATERFALLS

If there is one thing you should know about me, it’s  my love for waterfalls and this one was 3 and half hour drive from where I reside in Abuja located in Niger State in Gurara Local Government.

500 naira per head at the entrance, with an issued receipt, at arrival a tour guard assigned himself to us which is provided by the government, his name Suleman who guided us through registration and then orientation of the do’s and dont’s of the falls before we proceeded with the tour.

Watch Video Here

From the registration point I could hear roaring sounds,we walked through the paved platform to the pavilion and what came in sight was this majestic almost white water crashing through the rocks and tumbling down from the heights of 30ft into a pool that is as 20ft deep. I stayed rooted for like 10 minutes just watching the falls, this is magnificient I kept repeating to myself.

We did the tour backwards, rocky path, steep as hell, heading downwards which was challenging terrain, since it involved me on fours and sometimes in a weird position with phone in one hand is a daring one.

Close up front was even more thrilling with the inclusion of large trees, clean air, birds chirping away and the sound from the fall  is even more loud and exciting.

After spending some time at the falls,we headed to explored the other parts which is ideal for swimming, camping during the daytime and overnight,

And to finish the tour we headed uphill, and we came to the view which gave us an overview of the falls and it’s beautiful surroundings.

 Gurara Waterfalls is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in Nigeria. The dry season January-March being the best time to visit for it low current and clean water and it’s peak season being April-November.

Perfect for hiking,birthday celebrations,camping and other outdoor activities.

My visit was during the week day, which means less tourists and no concession stands for snack or water, it is advisable to come with your own lunch and refreshments since what is being sold might not be to your taste.

The strict no swimming policy by the Niger state government is due to previous incidents that had lead to deaths of tourists at the falls so be safe.

ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTER

The Arts and Crafts center opposite Sheraton hotel is one of my favorite go to place for indigenous Nigerian local crafts and historical findings.

My last visit was when I got my crocodile skinned bag 3 years ago before heading to New York City.

Watch Video Here

I carry the same bag till today and I get asked questions like where I got the bag and at what price ?

Nigeria, and the price is $20.

This traditional mud styled mini village with its thatched roof gives off the rustic and natural settlements of vendors arranging wares, cleaning, some opening up their shop, and getting ready to start their day.

As I traverse through shop by shop my eyes could not help but notice the abundant well-laid out goods from precious stones,

paintings, bead works, traditional talking drums, masks,tapestry and arts from other African countries.

All of these pictures are taken with permission from the store owners and I had the opportunity to interact with some of them about the current art situation in Nigeria, dilemma’s of local artist, parts of the country that their products are being sourced, and more importantly this for me is relevant since fashion design and art goes hand in hand.And you can haggle the price of items you want to buy .

How To Get To Arts and Crafts Center

Opens Daily 8am-8pm

Address:Behind Musa Yar’Adua Center, Central Business District.

What To Do at Arts and Crafts Center

1.Buy souvenirs.

2.Sew your African wear since there are tailors available at the end of the village.

3. Take painting classes.

Note

You might want to avoid that axis on Friday’s due to the traffic by the National Mosque during praying hours.

 

USUMAN DAM

With the sun all ready down,still waters, a cool temperature, and surrounding hills, Usuman Dam is a picturesque sight.

This beautiful lake is a result of the dam that was created few years by the Federal Government of Nigeria which is one of the sources of light and power to Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria.

Watch Video Here

If you are coming from Abuja its 25 km away and 10km or less from Bwari since we drove from Bwari pottery village.

Watch My Bwari Pottery Village Experience Here

As the fifth largest Dam in the world, it has a reservoir capacity of 120 million cubic meter of untreated water in the lower part of the dam,it is widely known for its tranquility and its distance from Abuja’s daily hustle and  bustle.

I went with a friend who suggested it will be appealing to me since I love adventure, sunsets, and then she mentioned a canoe man, in my mind I pictured myself canoeing into the sunset,  well not everything we want goes as planned, i missed the sunset and the canoe man was done for the day but in an overall thought, this was an unusual experience for me.

The serene getaway boast of gorgeous floral and fauna, ideal for first date, honeymooners, family’s picnics, group get together or time alone, fitness enthusiasts , with it’s wide and short walkway,  long ones too , and challenging rocky terrains, there is something for everyone.

What To Do In Usuman Dam

1. Hiking
2. Bird watching
3. Canoeing and Fishing
4. Picnics
5. Group activities

Note

 Please no swimming because the depth of the dam is unknown.

Also you will have to bring your own food and refreshment since everything is far off.

BWARI POTTERY VILLAGE

I have never visited a pottery village before, not knowing what to expect, i set out on a journey with no expectations. Arriving at the site after an hour drive from Dutse, everywhere seem quite as we approached the show room, getting into the room, we met an attendant who was cleaning and arranging wares, he took out time to speak to us and directed us into the workshop for a tour.

Watch Video Here

I caught a glimpse from the corner  my eyes , i was so excited knowing i was going to take a lot of pictures, i couldn’t  contain my joy ,as we got to the workshop, we were told we couldn’t take any pictures,not even a picture of a signage.

For me as a travel blogger/vlogger  this is like a death-blow, i felt dizziness swept over me that i had to grab a chair to sit down. I spoke all of the English-Language i could trying  to explain what my aim was but to no avail.

But we are only allowed on the  wheel to make whatever we choose and that is the only activity we take videos and pictures of, needing some air, i walked out of the workshop and headed to the show room to explain the situation to the attendant we first met, he then allowed us to make some videos and take pictures too.

I did explained my role as a travel blogger with the aim of creating awareness for tourism in Nigeria, with the struggle and going back and forth…it was so worth it.I must say their work is exceptional,these are local products made in Nigeria.

Time to get my hands to work on the wheel, Cynthia a student of the institution was my instructor, she was very patient with me during the whole process of the bowl-making which i kept making a mess of. I paid a thousand Naira (N1000) for the ordeal.

 

How To Get To Bwari Pottery Village

Open Daily, except on Sunday’s 8am-6pm.

1.A private car or a cab driver to and fro from Abuja.

2.The Bwari Pottery Village is a bike ride from the Bwari axis.

What To Do In Bwari Pottery Village 

1.School excursions.

2.Family and Friends day trip.

3.Apprenticeship on pottery.

Note: You might need to call ahead to let them know you will be visiting.

7 minutes from the Pottery Village,the road is not tarred.

ZUMA ROCK

Along Suleja Road

I got lots of discouragements from families and friends about going to Zuma Rock, with questions like…What are you going to look for? Do you have a death wish?

Watch Video Here

All citing their beliefs which reminded me of some myths i held, like you can find lions at Zuma Rock, you can get swallowed if you get too close. By not letting anyone instill their fear in me and also to overcame mine, I got a driver and headed towards my destination.

Front View

5km from Zuba Junction, this lone mountain rises above its surroundings at about 725 Mt. (2378) Ft. with an unchanged face that have been in existence for hundreds of years and more.

My previous encounter with Zuma Rock had been from traveling to Minna and Kaduna  from Abuja via Suleja road and every time it left me awed from my car window.
After driving for approximately 30 minutes from Utako, we arrived on the site.

Someone’s Bean Farm

Seeing the rock again after a really long time…left me speech less, we stopped few meters from the military checkpoint and there was a path created by farmers which lead us almost close to the rock…so be carefully when accessing It.
With the help of some farmers…we got redirection on how to get closer,in which I was able to observe the rock closer and took some cool pictures…iam proud to say these landmark exist In my country.

Zuma Rock

But also in the world ranking, Zuma Rock is the second highest monolith rock  after the Australian Uluru/Ayers.

How To Get To Zuma Rock

1.You can take a bus heading towards Kaduna Road and stop by the road side In front of the rock.

 2.You can take a bus to zuba and from zuba take a bike to the site.

3.Personal cars or like i did by hiring a private taxi driver to and fro.

Selfie

What To Bring

1.Water and Snacks if you intend to stay long or short, the trek is quite strenuous.
2.Bring a selfie stick…quite helpful because of the height of the Rock when taking pictures
3.Sports wears and Running shoes

Note: In my own opinion this can be done in groups that way its more fun.

Leave comments of what belief you held about Zuma Rock ?

Trip to Nigeria: Lagos-Abuja

Sunset at Jabi-Lake Mall

After the my sisters graduation ceremony we headed for Abuja’s park in Jibowu, precisely Ekeson motorpark.

Watch Video Here

Where we took the night bus which is 10 hours 44 minutes …as Lagos to Abuja by kilometre is approximately 759.1km.

Asun

This was relevant to me because I spent most of my childhood in Abuja..

Dutse Market

Sharon and I

Once I was done with personal errands and seeing friends I decided to hit some tourist spots that I have ignored as a Nigerian.

Zuma Rock

I Started off my visit to Zuma Rock which is along Suleja road, which was hiking mostly, i was amazed at how enormous it was up close.

Arts and Cultural Center

And then to Art and Cultural center which holds artworks, paintings by local artists all over Nigeria. Buhari pottery village was not left out.

Buhari Pottery Village

 Where I got my hands to work,the serene Usman Dan-Fodio Dam and the Magnificent Gurara Falls.

Usman Dan- Fodio Dam

Gurara Waterfalls

Trip To Nigeria: pt1. Manila-Lagos

Gabfol Lounge

After spending a year and half in the Philippines studying, I finally booked a flight to go back home for 3 weeks.
I was excited to the fact that I missed Nigerian food so much, my family and friends and this is the longest time I have been far from home.

Cloudy View

On the day of the trip…I headed to the airport 3 and half hour earlier before, spent an hour and half at Ethiopian Airline check-in, going through immigration and I had to pay 1,800 pesos equivalent to /$36 / N12,600 Nigerian naira,according to Filipino law for any student exiting the country.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

An hour stopover at Thailand for refueling, and then another 8 hours 49 minutes to Ethiopia,I was taken back on thoughts of what my life used to be before I left Nigeria,  I lost train that of thought and decided to catch up on movies I missed in the cinema…Snatched by Amy Schumer did it for me…

Boiled Corn Hawker

As we deplaned at Ethiopia 4:30 am in the morning…it was so cold…
the first i did was to  find my spot for checking…since I still have some hours to spare…I went round the duty free, listened to some podcasts and waited till we boarded again.

Detergent

At this time, the flight that took…I was already tired and was just looking forward to getting to Nigeria…
Finally the plane landed at …

Church Stained Glass

While waiting in line for to be checked in by immigration…I heard some Igbo men directing questions to an Hausa man on what has been Buhari’s achievements so far and other plights that has befallen the country.

Bus-Ride

After immigration…customs and outside in the waiting area where my sister was waiting…and other taxi drivers calling out trying to get my attention in case I needed a cab ride…the new pick-up is few meters from the airport…a paid parking space.
Once picked up by family…it was nice to see everyone…discussions came up…it started raining and we headed home.

Sister’s Induction Ceremony

I decided to go to Lagos first because that where majority of family members are…which great to do, so much to catch up.

BRT Ride

Lagos with its crazy vibe still remains the same…it annoyed me most of the time
because I can relate to more being an Abuja girl…I stayed mostly with family and friends for the reason being I wanted to spend more time with them and also not spend money on hotel rooms.

Conductor In-Action

BRT experience was a brilliant idea…did some visits to relative, attended my sisters induction ceremony in Ogun state as a pharmacy technician and headed to Ekeson Motor park at Jibowu to ride a night bus to Abuja.

Bra-Straps

 

Agege Bread with Butter

 

Survive The Spicy Ramen Challenge

The spicy ramen Buldak Bokkeum Myun which translate as Nuclear Hot Chicken Ramen originates from South Korea has gained popularity for its spicy ability.

As it craze  ranges from celebrities to youtubers giving it their best shot and sweating through the ordeal or even worse crying.

Spice

The Packet

I grew up eating loads of spice but these ramen got me pulling my wig, here are few tips on how to survive the challenge.

Tips

-Make sure the room is well ventilated or in an open space for air.

-Be well prepared for in terms of water, milk to pacify your tongue and toilet paper for running noses.

-Do it’s with friends or family member, it’s more fun.

-Avoid talking much as it’s being done, you don’t want it going through the wrong passage.

-Be mentally prepared as your head would be on fire, mine was.

-Lastly, I found the ramen expensive.

Watch Video Here :

 

 

 

 

My Christmas In The Philippines

 

An Evening at Powerplant Mall

After a long night of partying, too tired to prepare breakfast, I  headed downstairs to my favourite Japanese restaurant for some hot noodles, few minutes of sitting in after placing my order,my phone ran out of battery so I removed earphones, and to that action I heard a Christmas song playing and the first thing that came out of my mouth was what the hell.

Window Shopping at Rustans

Knowing to the fact that this was early October,I kept listening thinking it was just only one song on the playlist that was a mistake but then the next one came on and the next and then I became quite aware of my environment, lights being put up, and other Christmas preparations that I didn’t take notice of until then.

Music and Light Show at Ayala Triangle

Well , to my surprise after doing some research. I also found that the Christmas countdown starts by September which usual precede with early Christmas decorations and songs blasting through the speakers in public places.

Dinner at BlackBird

I can assure you the Christmas spirit is well and alive in the Philippines and Iam not surprised they own the world record for longest Christmas in the world.

What To Expect During The Merry Season

• Christmas starts early in the Philippines.
• Beautiful lightings from the streets to the malls.
• December is one of the coolest months in the year.
• Notorious traffics around and within  Manila.
• Christmas parties from individuals to companies
• Giftings
• Sales/Black Friday is so real.
• Religious events like Simbang Gabi, The Feast of the 3 Kings etc.
• Carolling
• Parols : the local star shaped lanterns.

Watch My Christmas Experience Here:

 

 

Holiday Meals

Dragon Fruit + Kiwi + Grapes Plater

Hummus + Tabulleh and Mediterranean Salad

Pasta Puttanesca + Mango Juice

Seafood Sinigang + Garlic Rice

WaterMelon Mojito

Kalamansi Juice + NewYork CheeseCake

Taho