The Backpack Adventures

Located in Naga City in the province of Camarines Sur,  San Francisco Church  is one of the many religious establishments in the city of Naga. Constructed sometime in the 17th century, San Francisco Church ironically served a double sided purpose. The church served the religious needs of the people while its infirmary and basement served as an interrogation and torture room for Filipinos suspected of being part of the Filipino Revolution of 1896. It was in this church that many innocent Filipinos died in the hands of the Spaniards.  A peek at the church interior during a mass Church altar The left side of the church interior The right side of the church interior The church was also used as a fortress by 500 Spaniards and Filipino loyalists during the attacks of the Filipino revolutionaries led by Elias Angeles and Feliz Plazo in September 1896. After several weeks under siege the Civil Governor of Camarines surrendered to the Filipinos. with his surrender, t

What do you think is the best way to fight the cold weather in Tagaytay ? A hot soup... A cuddle or a tight hug from someone you love... or perhaps an expensive fur jacket... All these would do, but I'm looking for a particular answer that would serve as my intro to this blog article. Anyway, the answer that I was looking for is... (drum roll please) coffee . Bag of Beans Tagaytay Bag of Beans Tagaytay details Located in Tagaytay City in the province of Cavite,  Bag of Beans  is a cozy coffee shop and restaurant rolled into one. Bag of Beans Main Branch - Tagaytay City , Cavite Although it doesn't have the Taal volcano factor used by many to lure customers, Bag of Beans has its own means of attracting people -it's the aroma. Who wouldn't be drawn to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, especially on a cold morning? Aside from that, this place also has a very rustic feel which is mixed with a natural and provincial atmosphere. Trying out the Breakfast buffet You m

Embarcadero de Legazpi  is a premier waterfront establishment in the city. It is located at Legazpi Blvd, Legazpi Port District, Legazpi City in the province of Albay in the Philippines. Embarcadero de Legazpi Embarcadero de Legazpi details During the Spanish era, galleons docked in the ports which brought livelihood and wealth to the city and its neighboring towns. Sadly, due to the events that happened in our history, the trade and income flow that once poured into the port area started to diminish.  Embarcadero de Legazpi - Legazpi City, Albay Today, Embarcadero de Legazpi once again brings back the glory to Legazpi's port district with its world-class dining, shopping, and entertainment experiences. Embarcadero de Legazpi offers more than what usual malls in Manila do. Tourists could enjoy a variety of unique activities and amenities like riding a jet ski, a water jeep, and even a helicopter that would take you around the city and even near Mayon Volcano.

Since the Philippines is a tropical country, banana trees grow abundantly in every corner of the country. What else would Filipinos do with the abundance of these fruits? Create wonderful dishes with them of course. As you see, we Filipinos love cooking and eating. We cook almost everything including fruits.) Maruya One of the dishes made from bananas is the traditional dish called maruya . Also called Saba banana fritters after the variety of bananas used in the dish -the saba. A maruya is simply described as a fried dish of sliced saba banana mixed and coated with an egg-and-flour batter.  My grandma preparing the saba So what do we need to make a maruya? I interviewed local maruya makers in the province of Albay to find out (if they have secret ingredients) Here's what I found out: Maruya Ingredients:  ripe saba bananas egg(s) all-purpose flour vegetable cooking oil salt milk cocoa leaf sugar Upon learning the "secret herbs and spices" of the locals