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MANILA, PHILIPPINES |
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We went to the Philippines from July 2-16, 2005 for a two week vacation (so short! ) Karen's sisters, Yvette and Ava as well as Yvette's daughter, Stephanie went with us. Yvette and Stephanie came from New York, Ava from South Carolina and we came from Orlando. We all flew into Detroit and from there catched a plane going to Manila. We had a ball! |
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Given the short time that we were in Manila, we only had the chance of going around the city as well as surrounding areas. Since this is the first time in years that all of Karen's siblings are together in one place, we all had fun ! See some of our pictures below. View our pictures in slideshow and just hit your back cursor to go back to this page and view the next pictures. |
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TAAL VOLCANO - Taal Volcano is the smallest active volcano in the world with about 41 eruptions so far recorded. It is located about 70-km south of Manila on an island inside a lake. What makes Taal Volcano more unique is the fact that the volcano itself has a lake of its own inside its crater called Crater Lake. There is even a tiny island inside Crater Lake. After roaming around, we had lunch at Dencio's Grill with a majestic view of Taal Lake. |
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VILLA ESCUDERO - An interesting two hour drive South of Manila, brings you to one of the Philippines most popular getaways, Villa Escudero, where Philippine culture and history comes to life. We had a buffet lunch at the waterfalls so we had ourselves soaking wet. We also went rafting on a bamboo raft at lake labasin, watched a cultural show, went swimming in the pools and viewed antiques inside the museum. |
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HIDDEN VALLEY - Hidden Valley is a secluded and private resort naturally landscaped at the crater of an extinct forested volcano in Laguna. A natural botanical garden, it has superb irresistible natural thermal pools scented by exquisite tropical plants and canopied by giant ferns and century old trees. At one end of the valley is a rock wall framing a secluded waterfalls. |
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INTRAMUROS - Right in the heart of Manila is found the "Walled City" - Intramuros. Constructed in 1571, during the period of Spain's colonization of the Philippines, the site is a timeless journey through forts, dungeons, old churches, colonial houses, and horse-drawn carriages (which is the best way to explore the area!). We also went "Bay Walking" along Manila Bay. |
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MT. MAKILING HOT SPRINGS - The dormant volcano of Mt. Makiling is notable for its unusual shape, like a reclining woman. It is the source of the famous Los Banos hot springs.We went to Splash Mountain Hot Springs, a five hectare water park and resort. It has plenty of swimming pools and our nieces and nephew played at the activity pools. |
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FAMILY AND FRIENDS - See some of our shots with Karen's family. Karen's former office colleagues also threw dinner gatherings. We also visited Karen's former office. |
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PARTY - Mama coordinated a get together party with our family and friends. See some of our shots with them. |
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