The Backpack Adventures

Zigzag Road  is one of the most popular roads in Southern Luzon. It is located within the Quezon National Forest Park in the municipalities of Atimonan, Pagbilao, and Padre Burgos. Zigzag Road Zigzag Road Details The Zigzag Road is the most famous landmark within   Quezon National Forest Park . It measures 5.7 kilometers from end-to-end.  Zigzag Road - Quezon Protected Landscape   Keep in mind that the priority is the vehicles going up the Zigzag Road Also known as Eme Road , the Zigzag Road is considered by many drivers as a place to conquer to prove their driving skills. As fun as it may sound, this road is actually quite dangerous especially to inexperienced drivers or those driving at night.  An old photo of the Zigzag Road taken during the American Colonial period One of the well-known parts of the Zigzag Road is what locals call the  siko  or the elbow. It is a part of the roadway that looks like a bent elbow. One mistake on this part could bring yo

Found on the island of Corregidor in the province of Cavite, Battery Hearn is a 12- inch Seacoast west-ranged gun, which is also the longest gun on the island. It served as part of the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. Battery Hearn Ruins Battery Hearn Ruins History Formerly known as Smith No. 2 after the Smith Brothers, the manufacturers of a formerly popular brand of cough drops during those days. Battery Hearn was later renamed under General Orders No. 11 in honor of the late Brigadier Clint C. Hearn. Battery Hearn Ruins - Corregidor Island, Cavite The route to Battery Hearn A replacement barrel (also a replacement bed) Believe it or not, Battery Hearn is longer than the tranvia The guns were constructed in September 1918 and were completed in June 1921. The cost of the construction was $148,105.32 which is equivalent to 2 million dollars in today's money. FYI Battery Hearn is aimed at the province of Bataan Battery Hearn was used for bombing Ja

Found in the Island of Corregidor in the province of Cavite, Battery Way is a battery of four 12-inch mortars that served as part of the Harbor Defense of Manila Bay and Subic Bay. Battery Way Ruins Battery Way Ruins History Named after Lt. Henry N. Way of the 4th U.S. Artillery. Battery Way was part of the fortifications program initiated by the Taft Board. The battery was constructed sometime between 1908 and 1914. The construction cost was $112,969. Battery Way's four 12-inch mortars were designed to fire high trajectory armor-piercing shells to any warships threatening Manila Bay at a distance of 14,610 yards.  Battery Way - Corregidor Island, Cavite The Backpack Adventures visits Battery Way Ruins However, Battery Way had a minimal role in the defense of the Philippines during World War II. The first time the mortars were fired was on April 28, 1942, towards the Japanese positions in Bataan. Being exposed to air reconnaissance marked the end of Battery Way. Con

Do you want to witness and be part of the exciting and colorful cultural activities in the Philippines in this month of January ?   Check out the list of popular fiestas or festivals happening this month. Pabirik Festival Location: Paracale, Province of Camarines Norte Details:  The festival is celebrated every last week of January up to the day of the town fiesta on the second day of February. Its highlight is the Pabirik street dancing competition. This festival is in honor of Nuestra Senora de Candelaria who is believed to have protected the town from Moro pirates. The name pabirik is derived from   the name of an essential tool used by miners. Tagbo Festival Location:  Poro, Camotes Island, Province of Cebu Details:  The festival is usually celebrated every 19th of January. Its highlight is the street dancing performances performed by different schools in Poro. This festival is in honor of Santo Nino de Poro who is the patron saint of the town and at the same time ser

Our food trip adventure today takes us to one of the most popular buffet restaurants in the country - Yakimix . Having several branches inside and outside Manila, Yakimix is truly bringing the eat-all-you-can experience closer to your doorstep. Yakimix offers a variety of raw, grilled and cooked Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisines. There are also some dishes with a touch of Filipino and Western culture. Not to mention the wide choices of desserts available. We got there early, hence no crowd I have been to Yakimix (MOA) on several occasions already but I only decided to blog about it after the birthday-food trip date with my wife. It was she who motivated me to blog about my dining experience in Yakimix. (She's a food buff and she has lots of things to say about food.) Talk about being the first ones in Initially, since I've dined in Yakimix several times already I've lost that "first timer's" magic. I'm not saying I don't like th