Holy Weekend 2012 Adventure | altum viditur's travel and leisure ...

It?s the first time in I guess more than a decade that I did not go out of town for the holy weekend for some R and R.

All I wanted this holiday was a simple getaway where I could lay on the sand all day under the summer sun and sleep all night to the sound of crashing waves and crickets. Then wake up the next day to look at the horizon where the ocean and the skies meet.

This was the simplest of my out of town plans, so far. Usually, a day out of Manila for me is filled with different stopovers and jam-packed with activities. This time, all I wanted to do was to rest and be away from the city for just one day.

I was in the bus terminal at 5:30 AM of Thursday without a concrete plan of my own other than to hop on a bus that would take me to Zambales. My friend Steph planned a day for us in Nagsasa Cove. Though I would have preferred a nice hotel room with hot shower, sleeping in a tent, under the stars and waking up sunkist is not too bad at all! She has already contacted a boatman that would fetch us. My plan was to go back to Manila on Friday, regardless of the time (so long as there?s still transportation) so that I could go home to my family in Fairview on Friday to Sunday.

I really wanted to go home because I haven?t been home for quite a while now. I have been taping for ABS-CBN?s newest Teleserye ?The Princess and I? so my schedule has been a little tough.

So we were in the bus station at 5:30 but there were a very few buses that could accommodate the hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers in the terminal. Since there?s no telling when we?ll get a ride, I decided at around 7:30 AM to give it up and go home. Yes, like a wounded soldier, I surrendered.

At home I slept until 4PM, and woke up to have super late lunch. I cleaned my room a little, and surfed the internet for a while. At around 12 midnight, I wanted to go out. I wanted to check in at a hotel, or eat something yummy, or just go out so I could spend some of my free time pampering myself a little.

I checked online and tried contacting Cocoon Boutique Hotel and a Resort in Bataan, this was at 12 midnight. One last desperate last minute attempt. But no one replied to me.

I knew that Quezon City would not completely sleep even on the lenten season so I hailed a cab and together with Steph we cruised Timog-Morato area and QC did not fail me. There were a few establishments still operating at around 1 AM of Good Friday! A double challenge. Here are the few shops that were open:

Timog Area:

- that Korean KTV right in front of GMA Network
- Hong Kong KTV
- Burger King
- Icebergs
- the gotohan right beside Dampa sa Timog
- Wensha
- Music Bank

Tomas Morato Area:

- Johnny Rockets
- Yellow Cab
- Chili?s
- Center Stage
We ended up eating at Icebergs. We ordered my favorite Icebergs Cheesesteak, Chicken Rosemary and Mango, two Cream of Mushroom soup, Chili C0n Carne Fries and Fresh Mango Juice. It was filling and yummy. One way to relax is to eat good food, right?

Did not want to go home yet, I called up my friends, who were at home watching TV series, Nick, Karen, and Eshei to come to the area so we could have some videoke sesh at Music Bank. We had two hours of videoke session, a round of Tanduay Ice and some JD-Coke to pump up our night out.

After the videoke session (we had to leave because Music Bank was already closing), we cruised down to Anonas area to check if Reyes Salon was still open, being a 24-hr salon, because I wanted to get a full foot spa/scrub session. Too bad it?s already closed.

On Friday, I awoke at around 11 AM, gave the dogs food and prepared to leave. I planned to go to Ace Water Spa. Steph recommended that we go to the branch in Pioneer so we did. We ate late lunch at Chow King Pioneer before starting our four-hour session at Ace. We finished at around 8PM, had a long shower after, had Ace?s yummy Kani Mango Salad, then head home.

I?ll write an article comparing the two branches of Ace Water Spa later on.

Ace Water Spa

Though this has been the simplest Holy Weekend vacation I had in years, and the only one, in more than a decade, that?s inside of Metro Manila, I must admit that it?s been quite nice ? having some family time, eating home-cooked meals, dozing off in front of the TV and just having a nice and simple short vacation from work.

Tomorrow will be another day because it?s time to get back to work. Yes, I know it?s a Sunday. :P

How about you? What did you do this weekend?

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