Glan, Sarangani: Discover the Hidden Paradise

Location: Isla Jardin del Mar 
          (travel date April 23, 2010)
          approx. 5 46' 27.20"N / 125 12' 01.69"E


written: May 13, 2010





An hour drive from General Santos City, you will discover a silent town with the most breathtaking views. You will pass by the coastal road of Sarangani Bay with very few vehicles along the way. When you reach Glan, you will see signs of different resorts like Brod Louie, White Haven, Rosal and Coco Beach (not in particular order). But head on further to Isla Jardin del Mar where the long stretch of white sand captivate you. Nice native cottages, with fan or airconditioned are located beach front. You may park your vehicles beside your cottage, so it's not difficult to unload passengers or baggages... and you can bring food too!!! you may do the cooking in the grilling stations. For safety, there are fire extinguishers (hose and tanks) near the cottages as native huts are high risk of fire. I'd like to advise you to bring food when you stay in this resort coz most of the time, the food in the menu is not available and very few choices. And they don't deliver food in the cottages. It's a good exercise to buy food, but sometimes the attendants are not accommodating, except when you ask for the manager so he could assist your needs.

     View on the right side

     when facing the ocean...  

beachfront cottages 

with parking area on the side

They, however have open cottages on the other side of the beach... doesn't cost much at all. They have rates for day tour and overnight. The common bathrooms and comfort rooms are clean. But one thing I noticed about staying in the closed cottages is that they don't have housekeepers to clean your cottages everyday nor replace towels... and that's too bad. The doors and windows have large gaps when closed, so expect mosquitoes (lots!!!) And now that there's always power interruption, the aircon doesn't perform it's function well, so you might decide getting the fan cooled room coz it's cheaper.

 The open cottages, 

with daytime or overnight rates

The restaurant

 with volleyball area in front...

The floating cottage. 

You need to swim far during high tide... 

The starfishes along the shores. 

They're cute, pls don't do them any harm...

Wake up to this view... 

if you feel like you're just dreaming, 

pls don't slap your face... ☺☼♥

Imagine yourself sitting here and relaxing...

Just right in front of your cottages.

Don't forget to bring your snorkeling gears...  

very nice coral reef and lots of fishes tiny or big...

But most of all, one must not forget to bring your cameras and aim for the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen...

here in GLAN, Sarangani...

P.S. lots of thanks to the manager of the resort who treated us well...

What a P1800 Japan Surplus Sewing Machine Can Do?

    My Sewing Machine... no he's not a singer, he's my BROTHER

Ever since my husband bought me this Japan surplus sewing machine, I've made a dozen projects already. But it was only a year after it was bought have I found out that inside this box was about 10 footings than can do 14 kinds of stitches. Of course it wasn't that easy coz everything is written in Japanese characters. So I had to try everything, most I did not use. But still great coz I can do seams and zizgzags.

Patterns and textile collection

Sewing wasn't only limited to clothes. The most exciting part is making of costumes... that's where I started. I'm just a beginner (humbly). But when you're good in math, doing pattern could be easier coz it needs a lot of calculations (measurements and estimates) haha!! especially which part do you begin sewing, so it's also analysis haha!! I've bought magazines of sewing patterns and guides, but the cheaper ones are Japanese. The consistency of sewing machine and magazines being Japanese isn't any help, coz I still don't understand anything!!! But I just look at the pictures and the pattern guides.

Photos of  kids are cartoonized for protection of identity, please understand

As for the costumes, I just search over the internet the characters and what they wear, create a vision on how my kids would wear them and start buying the textiles. Most of the time I buy linens that I don't really need at the moment but they look cute so I buy a meter or 2. So right now I got a textile collection!!! Whenever I feel like sewing, I just choose what I have. As for the costumes, here's the list that I made: Narnia Queen Susan (complete with inner garment, bow and arrow, belt and leather strap), Tinkerbell (complete with wings, hair tie, and fluffy shoes, Little Red Riding Hood's hood☺, Spanish costume-Valencian (complete with choker, veil and lace apron), golden cape, and a simple tutu.

Sewing is a lot of fun especially if you have cute little kids (girls!!!). But it's not limited to that, I sew foam covers, fitted sheets, set of 8 seat covers, curtains, and Poi (filled with a handful of sand). Hey! I even made a little ottoman chair for my 2 year old, placed outside her (now opened) crib. That needed carpentry work, but it's another story... By the way, I did the carpentry too.

After completing 2 sets of curtains, I made a cute little crabby hat and that's where I stopped. Need another inspiration to go back to sewing... it's summer time and I'm not into it yet. Guess I can't sew swimsuits! haha!

Written: 5/5/2010 6:06pm

Samal Islands 2010 Hagimit Falls and Canibad Cove

Samal Island, Davao City PHILIPPINES May 2010

One month before summer ends and a few days after backpacking, we landed in the wonderful Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS). As I've said, a few days after backpacking meant we (with my 8 yr old daughter) already visited the place. Backpacking in Samal is very easy... first, you take a bus in Sta. Ana Wharf near the dive shops. We left our vehicle outside the Carabao Dive Shop, dropped by and inquired (I think the foreigner there is the owner... very friendly) and politely asked if I could leave my vehicle outside his shop... and he said OK. BTW, I asked for the diving rates and they had the lowest P750 for intro dive including the gears. We would have came back on the weekend except that my husband wouldn't allow us, especially if my daughter would go.

So, off we went to Samal. The bus would drive all the way to Sasa Pier, taken on barge, and land in Babak (fare is P25 for me, and P13 for my kid). From there we took the motorcyle ride... took a peek on La Familia's Resort (fare P40). Took another habalhabal ride and had our lunch in Babak Proper. A locale told me beaches along Marex Villarica is good. So we took another ride (this time, I opted for a tricyle... can't bear another bike ride) fare is P20 but I gave P30 coz it was a long ride. On our way home, I talked to the resort's guard (most people there are friendly) and found out that we're near the Monfort Bat Cave so we hiked down the rough road (about 200m). The best part of adventure is the unexpected!!! Didn't expect that it would be the best part of our backpacking>>>1.8 million bats visible from outside the openings (4 large holes). They are now Guiness World Record holder. After taking pictures, we took a ride back to Babak, waited for the bus and went home... no, I didn't forget my car!!! you know what I mean, just to fast forward.

That was the backpacking part, now here comes Sunday May 2. We took the whole family plus the best friend (Chao) on the Island. This time with the Pajero on barge. So we entered the Sasa Pier going to Samal, paid P270 for the barge and landed on Babak where we drove all the way to Penaplata (there's a Central Warehouse there). We're not familiar of the road so we had to ask locals whenever there's an intersection we're not sure of. But fairly, we arrived in Hagimit Falls. Don't worry if you haven't brought food, there are 'lechon manoks' (Chookstogo) and bakeries along the way. You can drive all the way to the entrance (P40 for adults and P20 for kids) but from there you need to hike down til you reach the cottages P250 for open kubo and about P30-P100 for tables&chairs only (very tiring, pls don't bring too much heavy stuff like we did). So here we enjoyed grilling barbecue, plunging the clean cool water, and not worrying about sunburns.

A little past 3 in the afternoon, we packed up and took another destination>>> the Canibad Cove. I'm just curious with the place, after seeing pictures from Panoramio (while using Google earth). It was a 1 hr ride for 11 kms. That's what it said on the road sign going to Canibad but we had a lot of stops coz the road sign is a rarity. But still we found the cove like a hidden treasure. Looking down from the top, looks like a paradise, but when you actually get there, it's not that amazing... lots of garbage, there are drunk locals with the noisy videoke (not that they are offensive or rude) and the water from toilet and baths are just drained on the ground (no other direction but going to the sea). Well, I assume the garbage must be coming from the tourists. So after snorkeling, and collecting stones and coral samples, we took off. The climb uphill is most unbearable after the tiring day. By the way the last trip of the barge back to the city is 11pm (but when I asked during a weekday it was 10pm). Next time I visit the Island, I'd like to see the Precious Garden Resort and visit the Bat Cave AGAIN!!!