SK Trip Diary: Lost in Beomeosa Temple and Finding a New Friend

The second day of Busan City tour brought us to the historic Bokcheon Museum, Geumgang Park and the last stop is Beomeosa Temple. The trip was memorable because I met a new friend, Ms. Erica who's whole family is Korean but they resides in QC. Cool noh?!

According to Erica, most of the temple in Korea are located near the sea or up in the mountain para daw di sila maistorbo on their prayer time =D.

OK so sila na ang mahilig sa peace and quiet. 

Serenity by the river

While walking around Beomeosa, Ms. Erica serves as my personal tourist Guide. Swerte much! The gate to the temple are decorated with very colorful lanterns (as seen below), and it turns out that Buddha's birthday is upcoming (during the month of May daw). Well for me seeing this colorful lanterns is a feast int he eyes.


Makulay ang buhay! 

Pick you color =)

The temple is located far from the main gate so it was a relief to finally arrived at the temple ceremonial gate. Kapagod maglakad ng paakyat na lugar kaya!
(nagrereklamo lang kasi pagod na at gutom pa)

Again, details details details!!!

Since the place is located halfway in the mountain lot's of birds and animals abound the temple. Parang park lang peg. Soshal!

While me and Erica are discussing the history of the temple, we just let her husband and boys to go ahead and roam the temple. Erica told me that most of the people go to this temple since it is one of the veneered temple and not commercialized unlike Haedongyonggungsa Temple.

This temple house the century old drum and ceremonial bell. They rang this bell during New year celebration according to Erica.

I had good time listening to Erica's story and that's why we we're separated from our tour group. Yikes! Thank God the complex is not that huge and it's easy to navigate. We found our way back in no time (and finding her family as well).

Since the place is a temple, the people go here to pray. It's like a pilgrimage in the Philippines. I got a chance to see what's inside the prayer room but out of respect I didn't take any picture nor took picture of the people who pray inside. But the place is well decorated and well designed and very cozy for praying. 

House of prayer, bawal magpcituran sa loob =P

Oh, here's our official tourist guide, whom I mistook as another tourist passenger of the bus. Very courteous lady and very funny as well. We just love her.

It's one of the most memorable trip in Busan. Meeting new friends, the serenity of the place, the exciting culture and how the people are also as religious as ours. It was magical. And the colorful lanterns makes me reminisce the banderitas during fiesta here in our country. Makulay na makulay ang buhay!

The lantern reminds us that even though we are are bright and beautiful on the outside, if we never lit a single fire inside we will never really serve our purpose in life. Kaya we should be beautiful both the inside and the outside =).

For 2012...

Will head up to the beach come Summer 2012

(Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte)

Study more about Philippine History and Culture

(Statue at San Agustin Church Museum)

Overseas Travel and Leisure!

(Mutianyu Great Wall, China)

Eating delicious cakes and pastries by Floro

(Blueberry cheese cake)

More Trekking and Mountain Climbing for 2012! Wohoo!!

(Batad, Ifugao Province)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL AND GODBLESS US MORE IN 2012

Season's Greetings

Yes, ako po yang nasa picture and yes pumayat po ako! Hahahaha!

Mula sa siyudad na walang window time during color coding ako po ay malugod na bumabati sa inyo ng Manigong Bagong Taon! nawa'y patuloy po tayong basbasan ng Poong Maykapal ng mga biyaya at magandang kalusugan sa 2012!


p.s. this shot was taken from Mt. Pico De Loro in Ternate Cavite last November 2011. Didn't manage to took my camera on the said trip because the weather is unpredictable, and true enough our day of descend it rained very hard. Yikes! Thanks to Dom for this awesome shot =D.

I Say A Little Prayer For You

Dear Heavenly Father, O glorious and Heavenly King.
And to Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father’s only begotten son and our savior
King of Kings. Heavenly Father. We praise you and we worship you. Your honor and glory are all yours our God.

Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for continually giving us blessing in our everyday life.
Thank you for the good health, as we progress in our everyday lie, you keep us fit and healthy the entire day. Thank you for the nourishment we receive, not only on physical nourishment but spiritual as well.

Thank you for the job that we keep. Even though we’re experiencing hard times, stress, pressure from our boss and expectations from our colleagues, still we believe that you are there who constantly guiding us and allowing us to shine on our job. And also we believe that no matter how mundane your work, as long as it is done for you o Lord, it is still for the greatness of your name. Thank for being the great provider.

Thank you for the gift of family, friends and colleagues. Most specially thank you for the friendships that we keep, friends who are there through thick and thin, from the lowest to highest point of your life I thank you for giving them to me.

Lord, as we go on with our daily life may you continue to bless us with your grace. Allow us to serve you more, to glorify you and to worship you. Make us an instrument of your love, to spread your love to mankind and to serve those people who are in need. Bless also our friends who are pregnant now, bless the newly born babies as well, those who recently tied-knot in marriage, May all of them have a healthy and fruitful life.

Bless our Family
Bless our Work, Colleagues, Boss, and Clients
Bless our Friends and Acquaintance
Bless our Community and the Brothers and Sisters
Bless our Service, the Kids that we serve in Tuloy sa Don Bosco, The volunteers and The Director
Bless the bloggers (and their family) who constantly drop by my webpage
Bless our Country and the whole world.

Amen.

The Tinglayan Way of Life Experience

Hola Tinglayan!

The municipality of Tinglayan, Kalinga Province is a 3 hour drive from the capital Bontoc Mountain Province. You’ve known you arrived in Tinglayan because they are the second town you’ll be after you’ve left Bontoc. From the road you’ll get a chance to see barangay Luplupa (which is on the other mountain side, separated by the mighty Chico River) and the bus stopped at barangay Poblacion which is the urbanized part of the Tinglayan. Here in Poblacion the main church, the mayor’s office, schools, eatery and inns are mostly located. Though the place seemed to be nice and accessible, we opted to stay at the Inn we’ve seen from the road. The name of the Inn is hugely painted on their roof and since we’ve been sitting on the top of the jeepney it’s very easy for us to see it.

Bridge's mighty foundation

The Long Rickety bridge

From Poblacion, we’ve walked for about 20 minutes and we need to pass by the rickety bridge before reaching the Luplupa River Side Inn (+639177501204, Php 250 per night exclusive of food) which to our surprised was owned by a German national and his Filipina wife. Mr. Otmar Holz is a well known philanthropist in Luplupa, having sent many students to schools and colleges by providing them scholarship and also donating rice to the townsfolk every so often. Actually on our last day at Luplupa, they have a scheduled rice distribution to the barangay but we didn’t wait for it because the activity will be done in the afternoon while our trip to Tabuk was in the morning. Mr. Holz and his wife stays at Luplupa from December to May (non-rainy season in the Phils) then return again to Germany for the rest of the year (non-rainy season in the Germany).

Willkommen!

From left to right: Rose, Olive, Floro, Mrs. Holz, Mr. Holz and Ben (the Labrador)

Luplupa Inn's simple garden

Olive with the map of Tinglayan

Where are we??

Another surprise was that to see foreigners in the middle of Luplupa village. Mind you the place is not that actually a tourist spot. The major tourist attraction of the place is the tattooed women of Kalinga but they live far from Luplupa. Anyhow we’ve find 2 Norwegian student Peter and Orjam (pronounce Orr-yam) who ate a wild boar in the forest of Kalinga and sleep in the cave as well, a Australian travel writer who had the tribal tattoo of Kalinga in his foot, and a French guy who is a friend of Otmar (I think).

Hello there, from Norway!

Having said our pleasantries to the people of Luplupa Inn and freshen up a bit, we decided to roam around the village and familiarize with it. One thing that would strike you of the place is the presence of black pigs on the street. Yes and I mean lot’s of them. BUT before you cringe on the idea about pigs roaming around, in very fairness to them they are 1). Very clean and have no foul smell, unlike the pink pigs we see on pigpens 2). They are courteous because they know how to KEEP RIGHT when walking on the street. 3). they don’t bite/attack as long as you don’t provoke them and 4). I think piglets are as cute as puppies.

Buhay baboy

Looking around the area I’ve noticed that 1). Most of them have satellite cable 2). Their favorite TV show is Mutya 3). They bury their dead inside their property 4) water is abundant; water pipes have no faucet 5). All of them are very nice and friendly. They have their own elementary school with a mini plaza where the gigantic acacia trees, rice terraces paddies, numerous mini-water falls, and a lot of fireflies at night according to Floro (who have seen the night creatures swarming over the acacia tree).

The Mighty Accacia trees

Every drop counts!

WELCOME!

" Hindi po ako scarecrow!"

Green, Green Palay

Posing Time!

But I think the person you should meet in Tinglayan is none other than Mr. Victor Baculi (insert applause here)!! He’s the braid haired and well respected leader in Tinglayan. He is so well known his name is included in Lonely Planet’s guide to the Philippines. He’s actually related Mr. Holz’s wife and his house is just outside the Luplupa Inn. According to him he was the longest serving barangay captain of Luplupa (29 years I think) and he already went to Germany for a visit. What I like about Mr. Baculi is his stories about Tinglayan and his life and also his funny (yet sometimes censored) jokes! This guy is so funny!

Meet Mr. Baculi!

Joke time with Floro and Mang Victor

During our stay in Tinglayan it made me realize how it’s possible to live in a simple life naman pala, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the rat race in the office, and the pollution and temptation the city has to offer. We can actually live a simple life, just like the people in Tinglayan, and be happy about it. Yes, happiness can be seen in the simplest way =).

The Road to happiness is here
Simply Breathtaking

Yes their place has a cerratic ell phone signal, no internet access, no malls to shop, no clubs for party scene but they do have clean and pure river and waterfalls, green rice paddies, lush rainforest with wild animals and birds, loads of fireflies at night, and peace and serenity in the midst of it. I think im ok with that kind of set-up, thank you very much.

Next to our adventure, the Mighty Chico River. Abangan =).