The Backpack Adventures

The last time I visited Daraga Church was during the 4th day of our CamSur - Albay Road Trip last 2014. Since that's almost a decade ago, I made sure to include it in our itinerary for the 8th day of our 2021 Bicol Road Trip .  Daraga Church Revisited 2021 Daraga Church details For those who are unfamiliar with Daraga Church , it is located in Santa Maria Street, Daraga in the province of Albay. The church is formally called Nuestra Senora de la Porteria Parish Church ( Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church ). Daraga Church - Daraga, Albay Daraga Church was built under the supervision of the Franciscans sometime in 1773. the church was placed under the patronage of the Our Lady of the Gate. Daraga Church Facade Sadly, Mayon Volcano was not visible during our visit Daraga Church NHI Marker Can you spot the scary tarsier? The church facade is known for its Churrigueresque architectural style. It was built using materials that are abundant in the area like volcanic rock, wood, and

Bicol Road Trip 2021: Day 7 & 8 Day 7: July 23, 2021 Palengke Trip It's another rainy morning here in Casa Nicerio in Camalig, Albay. Thankfully the rain weakened into a drizzle by 7AM. Since my online work commitments are still scheduled at around 10AM, I decided to accompany my dad on his trip to the market. Camalig Public Market We drove to Camalig Public Market at around 7:30AM to buy fish, meat, and some veggies for the week. We didn't stay long enough though as I need to prepare for my seminars and meetings.  My dad bought some " kakanin " Some kakanin that you should try in Albay Going inside Camalig Public Market checking out what to buy next Camalig Public Market - Meat section When I got home, I rested a bit and joined the meetings. There were no power outages today so things went out well. My wife and mom cooked a sumptuous meal so lunch was something I looked forward to while working.  After lunch, my work took up my whole afternoon. That night,

Bicol Road Trip 2021: Day 5 & 6 Day 5: July 21, 2021 Aya goes back home Good morning guys!  My long summer vacation is officially over. Today marks the first day of my work from home Advisers' Training Program. It's a full-day program so I was not able to go out and visit any new destinations today.  Just to share, I experienced short power outages thrice today. This of course had me worried for my 2nd day of orientation.  Time to work! Day 1: PAREF Southridge Advisers' Training Program Here's the agenda for today Sadly, today is also my sister's flight back home. Since I'm loaded with school "work" and meetings, it was my parents who brought her to the airport.  It rained the whole afternoon so we decided to just stay at home instead.  Overall, aside from the full-day orientation and power outages, today was quite uneventful. Because of that, I'll make sure to do something worthwhile tomorrow so that I could share something exciting with you g