Travel Jams

On a recent trip to Dipolog City, we marveled at the glorious sunrise and sunset. Here's how to get to Baybay Galas (for sunrise) and Boulevard (for sunset).

Baybay Galas

Restreto Inn (Minaog) to City Proper: 

• via tricycle: Ask the driver to drop you off at the terminal at the back of the market. (fare is Php 10*/person) 

City Proper to Galas: 

• via tricycle: Ask the driver to drop you off at the port or pier of Galas. You'll find fishermen and the freshest seafood there. (fare is Php 10/person) 

Boulevard 

• Accessible by tricycle. Minimum fare: Php 7/person (within city proper). Fare from Restreto Inn to the Boulevard: Php 10/person.

*Fares noted above as of June 2012.

NOTE

This post is part of a series on the entire Dipolog-Dapitan trip.   Check out the rest of the series.

• How to Get to Dipolog City (from Iligan City)
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Experience
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Street Dancing Competition
• Sunrise and Sunset of Dipolog City

On a recent trip to Dipolog City , we marveled at the glorious sunrise and sunset. Here's how to get to Baybay Galas (for sunrise)...

These shots were taken in Baybay Galas, Dipolog City. I'm so happy that I was in the company of bloggers with common travel fetish -- capturing the moments of sunrise and sunset. Yes, it requires a little bit of sacrifice by having to wake up earlier than usual, but it is soooo worth it.  It didn't matter that we slept pretty late the night before and that we had to wake up at 4am and travel 20 minutes in a cramped tricycle because sunrise never fails to paint a smile on our faces and leave a spoonful of inspiration and a dose of hope in our hearts. :)




Ending the Day with a Breathtaking Sunset
As a famous quote goes, "The sunrise is God's greeting... Sunset, His signature."  True.  Here are a couple of photos taken at the boulevard.

There's just something about sunsets that makes me want to pause and just stare into the sun in admiration; to look back and be grateful for all the blessings; and to look forward excitedly to whatever lies ahead. ^_^

Whether it is the gorgeous hues of orange and red or the smooth transition from dark to light or light to dark, there's just something enchanting about sunrises and sunsets. Perhaps the beauty of the skies at this glorious hour is somehow like the beauty of our lives -- sometimes gloomy, sometimes clear, sometimes somewhere in between; most of the time unpredictable, but all the time wonderful. After all, A Sunset is the Promise of a New Day -- A Sunrise is a Promise Fulfilled.

;)

There are two brief moments in the 24 hours of each day that give us a sneak peek of the bigger story of our lives. It's the time of da...

When I read that Firmoo launched a program offering free eyewear to first-time buyers, I immediately signed up to get my FREE pair.

So here's what I love about the product:

1.  It gives me a clear vision.  Naturally, for a person with impaired vision like me, this is of utmost importance.  Firmoo sent in the eyeglasses with accurate prescription.   

2.  It fits perfectly.  The frame doesn't fall off or slide down, and it isn't too tight either.

3.  It has a cutting-edge modern style. Just because it is a prescription sunglasses does not mean it has to be boring.  I chose a wraparound glasses with an ultra cool design. I also like that the tint isn't too dark -- just enough to protect my eyes. 

4.  The package comes with a repair and maintenance kit.  The package I received also had a plastic case, a cleaning cloth, a soft storage bag and a glass repair kit with extra screws and a screwdriver. Taking care of the glasses is as important as taking care of the eyes, right? I'm glad the sunglasses from Firmoo comes with these accessories.  If there's one thing I would like to change in the contents though, that would be the cleaning cloth.  I prefer microfiber cloth and this cloth in the image below (sorry, I don't know the type of this cloth).

Note: Cleaning cloth used as background NOT from Firmoo.

5.  It's easy to order on their website, and the customer service is superb. No wonder Firmoo is the world's most popular online eyeglasses store. They have a large variety of high-quality and fashionable eyewear at the most affordable prices -- too large in fact that it actually took me two days to finally decide on a frame because there were several pairs that I liked. Customer service was also prompt, and they respond to emailed queries and concerns on a timely manner.

If you want to give it a try, just go to http://www.firmoo.com/free-glasses.html and get your FREE eyewear! 

Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

What’s one thing you can't leave home without? Me? My prescription eyeglasses! I can't leave home without it. I can no long...

One of my favorite highlights in every festival is the street dancing competition.  Last June 9, Hudyaka 2012, the provincial tourism event of Zamboanga del Norte (fondly called by the locals as ZaNorte), culminates with a street dance parade featuring local festivals of its municipalities and cities.

By 2:00 PM, we stood with the crowd under the scorching heat of the sun to witness contingents fill the streets with a burst of wonderful colors and music.   

We hadn't had a decent lunch and the heat is borderline unbearable. But seeing the smiles of the performers made us forget all that.

And the festival queens were beautiful!  

Photo Credit: Hudyaka ZaNorte fan page

More photos HERE.

Winners:

1st Prize:   Municipality of La Libertad (P300,000)

2nd Prize:  Dapitan City (P200,000)

3rd Prize:   Municipality of Liloy (P100,000)

Festival Queen, Best Musicality, and Best in Costume:  Dapitan City, winning them an additional P20,000.

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the Provincial Government of Zamboanga del Norte
Hon. Rolando E. Yebes, Governor of Zamboanga del Norte
Atty. Patrick Ivan Ang, the Provincial Tourism Officer
Atty. Flynt Concha, the Chairman of Hudyaka Zanorte 2012;

Mr. Ralph Lorenzo Tan of Mediatrix Homes Inc;

Dr. Gerald T. Concha PhD and Atty. Dianne Concha of Rural Bank of Rizal Inc;

Mrs. Jovy Lim Concha of Big Joe's Restaurant; and

Dr. Emmanuel Quicio of Dipolog Design Center.

This project was initiated by Seven One Hundred.

NOTE
This post is part of a series on the entire Dipolog-Dapitan trip.   Check out the rest of the series.

• How to Get to Dipolog City (from Iligan City)
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Experience
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Street Dancing Competition
• Sunrise and Sunset of Dipolog City

One of my favorite highlights in every festival is the street dancing competition.  Last June 9, Hudyaka 2012 , the provincial tourism event...