The Hanging Road to Joroan

By
       


      Joroan is a village near the northernmost boundary of Albay. Nestled on top of a ridge overlooking Lagonoy Gulf, it is home to the province's patroness, Our Lady of Salvation. 

     More than its sacrosanct nature, the village is also beautiful in so many ways. Scroll down to see what things you will find along the hanging road to Joroan...


The Small Church with 
Yellow-Colored Glasses


         The church of Our Lady of Salvation is located in the centre of the village. Adorned with huge pebbles and rocks, it is vivified by yellow-colored glasses...







The Church's Grounds


         The church's grounds are also nice to see. The exteriors cannot be captured though as it is undergoing renovation.


         Makes one wonder how the statue looks after all the candle-holders around it are lit in the late afternoon or early evening...



         Are they going to destroy these beautiful structures? They look charming! They better keep them that way and transfer somewhere else instead...


Pebbles Everywhere

  
        The road going to Joroan is treacherous. You will come across so many twists and turns in this winding road. But as you look around, you will see so many pebbles --- of varying colours --- displayed on both sides of the highway.

          Some of them can be seen while looking over the sea, giving you spectacular views...


        This woman told us that these lavender pebbles came all the way from Caramoan, Camarines Sur, which is only an hour away from here. Caramoan is so far that it is about 6 hours from Naga City, Camarines Sur, and so much farther from Legazpi City, Albay.

        But from here, it is only one hour away.
                 












               


Balikbayan Beach Resort

          A refreshing and cool spring flows down from Joroan too. In nearby Bariis, a beach resort blessed with spring water naturally flowing downstream is found here. I would say that this is the best spring resort in all of Albay. It's so cool, refreshing and relaxing, you would want to stay there for good.

       The resort also has nice views of the beach and the sea...
                          
                  




                 



The Food


      We've had a sumptuous lunch at the resort. Their dishes were done nice and well; the ingredients were fresh as can be. Ironically, I forgot to take pictures of the most savory dish we've eaten there, the chopsuey, which was relished generously with butter...


      That caps our nice trip to Joroan. We enjoyed Father's Day this year very much!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

The Jade Islands of El Nido

By
Image
This view beacons you to a heap of glimmering islands waiting to be discovered... Located on the northernmost tip of Palawan, El Nido is distant from all other places in the world. Because of its location, nobody knew its stupendous tourism value. As late as 1979, El Nido was unknown to beach-goers and wanderlusts, when a group of divers met a sea accident at night forcing them to drop anchor in an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white-sand beach, sparkling waters and, rising above it, a series of magnificently-sculpted jade islands. [Wikipedia] I was fortunately born late enough to have read the “wows” of tourists who have been there and to have seen the spectacular pictures of El Nido… but it was not until my sister’s insistence three weeks ago that persuaded me to go on a last-minute decision to head on to this remote place. Two flights from Legazpi and a 6-hour
Read more

A City Beaming With Beauty

By
Image
A City Beaming with Beauty Photo by Dexter Baldon Who will ever ignore A city beaming with beauty? Who would never recall The locals that are friendly? Who would never want to see The dainty city near the sea? Who would never want to feel The calming wind’s serenity? Legazpi, a city by the Pacific Landscapes are panoramic Ambience quite romantic And delicacies fantastic… So it might be nice to tour The City of Fun and Adventure And if you’re a foodie, savour Its spicy culinary culture For there, you will discover The dishes that sting The volcano that’s stunning The rides so exciting Found on the extreme east of the world Across the wide expanse of an ocean Very far from other places But home to many good surprises Legazpi, a city by the Pacific A place comely in many ways Legazpi, the city which beams with beauty A place of elegance and grace...
Read more

Message from a Libra Venus

By
Image
I’ve encountered many beautiful and intelligent women in my life but I didn’t feel any love for them. There was always something lacking.  The joys of conversing with a smart lady often brightens my day but the connection ends as is, and no more. A beautiful lady I could always gaze on like the stars in a moonless night; yet, I couldn’t even begin to talk to her. You are different. There is this something between us that continuously binds us despite us being opposite in so many ways. I can feel in you something I do not feel with others. We always have conversations that lead us to some sensual act, and your beauty is not only for my eyes to see but to touch and feel. I’ve never met anyone like you before. With you I can feel a love that’s not a stagnating constant, but one that moves, that grows branches and twigs, that takes deeper roots, and blooms. But despite this, my feelings for you do not overwhelm me like an intimidating tide that washes me into the tempests of confusion. Yo
Read more

Romantic Beige Sand Beaches Near Mayon Volcano

By
Image
  We were entranced... We sailed the eastern seas off the coast of Albay Province for our weekend getaway. Every time we see a beige sand beach common in the area, the enigmatic Mayon Volcano peers over the scenery. There were many of these beaches, appearing every once in a while, with the dazzling volcano in each and every view. I will never forget this past weekend for each turn had a magnificent scene looming in the horizon --- from isle to isle, from coast to coast, from beach to beach! Tambilagao Port Tambilagao Port We drove from our hometown Daraga, Albay setting off to our main destination, Namanday Island Resort . After making our way to Cagraray Island via Sula Bridge, I felt as though we already left the country. I've never been outside Luzon Island since before the pandemic so leaving Luzon already feels like traveling abroad. On Cagraray Island, we saw magnificent views of the many islands dotting the eastern seas of Albay, but it was the Tambilagao Port where the get
Read more

The Vivid Netherworld

By
Image
  A sea serpent, perhaps descended from the four-legged creature  that  lured Adam and Eve,  spoke to me and said: "Come, the netherworld is actually as blue  as your   most vivid dreams..." Tikling Island, Matnog, Sorsogon Own Image. All Rights Reserved. The snake continued to hiss... "Dive into the blueness of the sea where you will find the luster of each and every creature of varying colors and shades. You will see them swimming and crawling amongst the most vivacious of corals where a pearl of pinkish hue is hidden. Take it. It's more valuable than your future dream house! It is so precious that it is worth all your sought-after desires and more! Oh, what festive paradise you will have when you find that one pink pearl!" Temptations abound on this exotic island, as if telling me to liberate myself from the bounds of the earth... To forget work, to forget everything... And go yonder, to the deepest reefs of the ocean, to the farthest of the islands, to get l
Read more

The Drama of Casa Simeon

By
Image
Near the easternmost coast of the province of Albay , facing the wide expanse of Pacific Ocean, is Bacacay ,  a resort town known for its volcanic black sand beaches . Standing in its very center is Casa Simeon , a mansion said to be constructed in 1920 . I was prompted to visit this old house by the closing of its art exhibit the next day as it turns out that my friend, an astral twin, Regine Eina Esternon , has one of her beautiful paintings displayed inside. It was late in the afternoon when I finally mustered enough willpower to do what I had wanted to do since several weeks ago. My brother came along with me and his waze app proved to be very helpful as we found the old house in an unfamiliar area. We used to visit Bacacay for its beaches but not for something found inside its poblacion. At first glance, the mansion looks very dainty and, because we were too curious, we immediately went inside to see its grandeur and all the details. We didn't hav
Read more

2023 || Sunshine Glow

By
Image
 Here comes the sun. That's how 2023 felt like. The pandemic was over. The rains of La Niña were over. The restrictions were gone. People were up and about! There were many good things about 2023, but the best part was the ray of sunshine it represents - the sun was a mighty force last year as the sunny El Niño replaced the dark and dreary La Niña! I look back on 2023 with "sunshine glow" as its all-embracing aura and vibe. We didn't even have typhoons, which is a first in many, many years. We could all breathe a sigh of relief that 2023 has been a good year, nature-wise, at least in this part of the world. That alone is enough to be thankful for. Mood-Setting Music At the very start of the year, I was hooked with Mozetich's "Affairs of the Heart." It is a beautiful composition that feels both primeval and futuristic. Just as when you thought you've heard the pinnacle, the music goes on as if it would never end.  I played it several times in 2023, es
Read more

A Surprising Turn in the Yuletide Season

By
Image
          The 2018-19 Holiday Season was particularly amusing for our family.  On Christmas Eve, my sister prepared a cheesecake with fruit medley overlay.  I should mention that she has this special ability in preparing foods.  Christmas 2018. Our family unwrapping the gifts. My sister was holding our pet cat Chloe Ands.           Since childhood, she always had this distinct talent in concocting delicious meals for the family; every dish she completes seems to have an artist’s touch. I still remember the taste of the dishes and foods she prepared as a child – from those simple hotdog-cheese-catsup toasts to angel-hair spaghetti.            She doesn’t disappoint so I was certain that this cheesecake with fruit medley overlay was going to be splendid.  On the midnight of Christmas, the cheesecake was still too soft for consumption so my sister placed it back inside the fridge. Just in time for dinner the following day, the cheesecake had already toughened up i
Read more

A Usual December Morning

By
Image
FotoSearch/Getty Images Image Source Chapter II,  Timeless Casanova . Gertrude could not believe she slept with the same man her very own grandmother slept with sixty-four years earlier. “How come?” She wonders. They could not sleep well that night, staring blankly at the ceiling. They slept in the same room as the situation made them feel uneasy to be alone.   She wanted to ask, “how was it?” She was very curious, but the mere thought of it made her puke.   “Oma, are you sure?” She finally inquired, breaking the long, awkward silence. “Are you really, really sure?”    “You ought to stop, Gertrude,” Oma was still awake, who, like her, couldn’t sleep well too.    “I tell you, I cannot be mistaken. I remember him vividly. He was the most handsome man I have ever talked to! How can I forget?”   “But how come? How has he remained the same all these years? Young all throughout? How is that possible?”   “That is what I also want you to know. If you ever happen to see him again, ask him. That
Read more

Is Love a Constant –

By
Regardless of mood or circumstance, it remains? And when it fades because of a tweak here or there, it is but a mirage? I guess I’ve felt what it’s supposed to be – for ladies I cannot be with. It’s the emotion I feel when I see someone to be perfect or perfectly beautiful despite the flaws because for no reason but love, her allegorical scars – the mistakes of God – are forgiven. The feeling doesn’t change. It's a constancy of company and connection, a perspective that endures day by day, moment by moment, even after years or decades passing by. Because I see her in exactly the same way as the day we met, and the more we get to know each other, I unravel more things I like about her, all justifying the imperfections, and giving me memories that add spice to mundane moments. I may have sought the wrong women, looked love in the wrong places, defined it by wrong standards. Age does not matter, everybody says. But my youth is done; my potentials to develop young, sweet
Read more