TRAVELOGUE – LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR

I have been getting a lot of queries re Las Casas, hence this post.

Las Casas is located in Bagac, Bataan, a 4-hour drive from Manila. It houses over 20 architectural treasures, reminiscent of 18^th century era. Houses made of wood or bricks were magnificently replicated and rebuilt in the huge complex, reflective of various Philippine regions. The Luzon and Visayas inspired houses are already in place, the Mindanao area is still under construction.

A 30-min tour of the place is provided for free. You’ll get to feel the antiquity and uniqueness of the place as you start walking on its cobblestone streets.

Wear a hat for sun protection ;)

Highly recommended for a weekend getaway.

Hi, Sharon!

The rest of the gang.

At the entrance, the first building you will see is the Reception.

The ever hyper, Carlo.

Several sculptures are randomly displayed all over the complex.

 

The building on the right side is Casa Escolta. The ground floor is a commercial area (bakery, photo center, souvenir shop, etc.), the 2^nd and 3^rd floors are the hotel rooms. We were billeted at the 3^rd floor.

The view from the loft of the bedroom.

The columns lining the casa.

The gazebo just beside the Escolta.

The Escolta by night.

The Casa Cagayan. A one-bedroom unit you may opt for your accommodation.

The construction of Mindanao casas, which will be completed within the year.

With tweeners Lyka and Che.

A museum can also be found within the compound. It houses a collection of antiques and paintings. You will be asked to remove your footwear in order not to scratch the wooden floors.

Hardwood with intricate carvings.

Porcelain dinnerwares.

Chandeliers galore.

The bridge leading to the beach.

Under the bridge are “tikbalangs”.

Just a regular beach. Black sand. Water not clear blue. But clean, no weeds and other floating elements.

This is Lola Basyang. Did you know that Lola Basyang is a HE? Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang is written by Severino Reyes, who adopted the persona of Lola Basyang (a grandmother fond of telling stories to her grandchildren). *geek mode*

 

The pool area. Very shallow, but so refreshing. 

So, there. Just a glimpse of what to see inside this cultural village.

Since this was a company outing, my first after 4 years of being employed, I was ecstatic all through out ;) It was really nice bonding with colleagues outside our work area.

Here are some random pics during this 2-day outing:

Wishing for a similar outing next year ;)

Hello El Nido! (Part 2)

It was a bright, lovely morning when we had our island hopping adventure. This is life, been telling myself. Away from Manila’s hustle and bustle, and just being with nature, is incalculable. Simply priceless.

We had the boat all to ourselves the whole day, with two boatmen. Though the current was at times fierce, it didn’t stop us from prancing from one island to another.

First stop was Secret Beach. Beautiful! The island is meant for snorkeling. It was too deep beyond the rocks, some parts you couldn’t see anything anymore, just plain black abyss. There were some corals in this area, and superabundance of fishes.

We went behind those rocks. It was a long walk, and swim =)

 It rained a little when we stepped on the island.

 

Next stop was the Hidden Beach, where the boatmen cooked our lunch. Buffet lunch is inclusive of the tour. We had squid, fish, grilled pork, salad and fruits.

Hidden Beach. Paradise.

Squid all you can =)

 

Everything was yummy, everything was fresh. Again, this is life! =)

After lunch, we sunbathed, went snorkeling, and had photo ops...hahaha.

We love the sun!

Magnificent down there =)

Parang mermaid lang si Lala =)

Then we went to Matinloc Shrine. Sadly, the place was abandoned by the owners. The structures were unfinished. Nevertheless, it became a tourist spot. 

The view from the top was majestic.

Caption this...

We climbed those sharp rocks with the assistance of our boatmen. A crucifix can be found at the apex. Again, photo ops, lol…

The Overlord =)

The shrine would have been beautiful had it been finished.  Though looking rustic, it showed signs of grandeur. The dome, columns and marbled floor were at a premium.

The unfinished structures...

An angel made of marble.

A small cave can be found on the left side of the shrine. Inside the cave you can find a Sto. Nino on top of a boulder. They say, the statue is miraculous. It can cure the sick, hence a lot of people visit the site to touch the religious icon.

Farthest side of the shrine is a docking site. This was the area where we had fun mastering jump shots, lol.

We were laughing so hard, until my tummy ached. Jumping for the camera is strenuos! 

And so we moved on to the next island....

  
Left and right, we were surrounded with resplendence.  Islands, big or small, made the boat ride  delightful.

The waters were crystal clear...everywhere. It was like inviting us all the time to jump and swim. And we did! We had been swimming the whole day. It was an unwearying joy to be in the water.

 

Eni and the luscious greens.

  On our last stop, we just chilled and sunbathe more.

The last destination is meant for relaxation. You can play ball games, or read a book under a parasol.

I fell in love with El Nido. Sigh.   It is one exquisite destination, where words are scarce for description. I am definitely going back. We are all going back.

We love El Nido!!!

Next to be posted is the Package A tour, which is even more bongga ;)


 P.S.

Most pics were taken by our dedicated photographer, Tiger Lila. Thank you! This trip will be forever encapsulated through your superb photos.