Itinerary: Malaysia

Itinerary: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Date of Travel: February 11-15, 2011

Day 1, February 11

Manila - Kuala Lumpur via Cebu Pacific (arrival in KL - LCCT Airport is at 12:35 am)
Take STAR SHUTTLE bus straight to Classic Inn (RM 18)

Day 2, February 12

Hop-On Hop Off
Stops for today:
Istan Negara (National Palace)
Muzium Negara (National Museum)
KLCC (Petronas Towers)
Malaysia Tourism Center for the Cultural Show (check this website for schedule of events)
Walk to Petronas Towers (for best view, go to the traffic island in the middle of Public Bank & Petronas Towers)
Walk to KLCC Park
Walk to Bukit Nanas Station (go home to Classic Inn via Imbi Station)

Day 3, February 13

Hop-On Hop Off
Stops for today:
Little India
Masjid Negara (National Mosque)
Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square)
Istana Budaya (Palace of Culture)
Lake Titiwangsa
KL Tower
Karakeneya (Crafts Center)
Central Market

Day 4, February 14

Train to Batu Caves (via KL Central, take the red train to Batu Caves, about 1 hour ride)
Berjaya Times Square
Airport

Day 5, February 15 (early morning)

Kuala Lumpur - Manila

Click here for more...

Jesus De La Pena Church, Marikina City

WHERE: Jesus De La Pena Church, Marikina City
DATE OF TRAVEL: August 28, 2010
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
1. It is the oldest church in Marikina City.
2. The first mass in Marikina was held here.

FEES: None

NOTE: This church was obviously restored. The inside, according to our friend who used to hear mass here, looked pretty much like the facade of the church. It isn't like that now today.

DESCRIPTION:
The Jesus Dela Pena Church is the very first church in Marikina City and the first mass was held here because the Jesuit missionaries supposedly saw an image of Jesus in a cliff somewhere in this area. Then a storage room, a church was built on this site on April 16, 1630 with the permission of Father Pedro de Arce, then archbishop of Manila.

ADDRESS: Zamora Street, Barangay Jesus Dela Pena, Marikina City

Click here for more...

Santa Maria Church (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church), Ilocos Sur

WHERE: Santa Maria Church (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church), Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
DATE OF TRAVEL: September 21, 2007
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
1) The Santa Maria Church is an architectural marvel.
2) It is one of the four churches in the Philippines that is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

FEES: Free

DESCRIPTION:
The Santa Maria Church was built on 1769 in the town of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur. The church was built for Our Lady Of The Assumption and it was built on top of a hill. They say that they built the church there because a long time ago a statue of the Virgin Mary from another place would disappear and find itself perched on a guava tree which was on top of this hill.

To get to the church you must climb 85 steps of piedra china, but the short climb is worth the sweat. On top of the hill you will see the church, the convent and the bell tower. The church with its thick buttresses for reinforcement is considered as an earthquake baroque church. The bell tower which was built on 1810 is pagoda-like in appearance and is built distance away from the main church to protect it in case the tower falls during an earthquake.

All in all, this is a must see, not only for its religious significance but also its architectural beauty. It is one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

HOW TO GET THERE:
There are buses from both Manila or Vigan that you can take to reach Santa Maria. The town of Santa Maria is on the way from Manila to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

TIP: Walk around the church including the other side where you'll see steps going down to what seems to be an endless path leading to "The Secret Garden". If you have time, go down the steps and explore the nature that sits just next to this wonderful church!

Click here for more...

Sarrat Church (Santa Monica Church), Sarrat, Ilocos Norte

WHERE: Sarrat Church (Santa Monica Church), Sarrat, Ilocos Norte
DATE OF TRAVEL: September 21-23, 2007
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:

1) It is the largest church in the Ilocos region.
2) It is the church with the longest center aisle in the Philippines (137 meters).
3) It is a beautiful baroque church made from baked brick.
4) It still has ruins of a torture chamber used by the Spanish to hang and torture Filipinos during the Spanish colonial period (and right above it was a terrace where the Spanish priests would watch the "torture").

FEES: Free

DESCRIPTION:

Santa Monica Church or Sarrat Church is the largest church in the Ilocos Region, it can be found in the town of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte (7 kilometers from Laoag City). This church was built in 1669 along with its bell tower and a convent by Augustinian friars and named it after the mother of Saint Augustine; Saint Monica. The church, the convent and the bell tower are all made from baked bricked thus making the color of the church red. It has buttressed walls, a staircase and bridge that connects the church and convent. The bell tower is built at a distance from the main church to protect the main church from damage in case an earthquake would topple the bell tower down. The church also has the longest center aisle amongst all the churches in the Philippines, it is 137 meters long.

Furthermore, the church has ruins of a torture chamber where you will find two brick pillars. This is where Filipinos, who were against the Spanish, were hanged and tortured by the Spanish during their colonization of the Philippines. During the Japanese time, the Japanese used this also to torture Filipino guerillas. Other memorabilia and photographs can be found displayed in the convent.

Sarrat was the hometown of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. It was in this church, last June 1983, where his daughter Irene Marcos was wed to Gregorio Araneta. The wedding brought about the reconstruction of the church since it was damaged through time, wars and two major fires. Unfortunately, after two months, an earthquake struck (intensity 7.6) and the altar and bell tower was damaged.

HOW WE GOT THERE:
By private bus: From Manila, we joined a field trip and headed up north via a hired bus.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
There are airconditioned buses that leave from Manila to Laoag. For a list of buses, click this.

You can also fly for an hour from Manila to Laoag City via Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines or Zest Airways.

Once in Laoag, just hail a tricycle and ask the driver to take you to the Sarrat Church or Santa Monica Church. You can also take a jeepney to the church.

Click here for more...

Paoay Church (San Agustin Church), Paoay, Ilocos Norte

WHERE: Paoay Church (San Agustin Church), Paoay, Ilocos Norte
DATE OF TRAVEL: September 21-23, 2007
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
1) It is one of the four churches included in the Unesco World Heritage list
2) It is beautiful and impressive, you can get a great photo especially in front of the church

FEES: Free

DESCRIPTION:
Paoay Church or also known as San Agustin Church took 90 years (from 1704) to build and is made from lumber, coral stones, baked brick and limestone mortar with sugar cane juice. It is an architectural marvel influenced by gothic, baroque and oriental styles. It is the best known "earthquake baroque" church in the Philippines with 24 immense side buttresses to support the structure and 1.67 meter thick walls. It is said that this is the most photographed church in the Philippines.

The Paoay Church is also a historical site since its bell tower (built 1793) served as an observation post for Filipinos during the wars against the Spaniards and the Japanese.

HOW WE GOT THERE:
By private bus: From Manila, we joined a field trip and headed up north via a hired bus.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
There are airconditioned buses that leave from Manila to Laoag. For a list of buses, click this.

You can also fly for an hour from Manila to Laoag City via Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines or Zest Airways.

Once in Laoag, just hail a tricycle and ask the driver to take you to the Paoay Church.

Click here for more...

Laoag Church (St. Williams Cathedral) and Sinking Tower, Laoag City

WHERE: Laoag Church (Saint William's Cathedral) and Sinking Tower, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
DATE OF TRAVEL: September 21-23, 2007
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
1) It is known to be the largest cathedral in Southeast Asia.
2) It has a sinking bell tower.

FEES: Free

DESCRIPTION:
St. William's Cathedral or also known as the Laoag Church is the largest cathedral in Southeast Asia. It is older than the Paoay Church since it was built in 1590. Originally, the church's walls and posts were built using stone, lime and molasses. It's roofing was made out of wood and dried grass. The church also experienced a lot of damage due to hurricanes, earthquakes and a major fire in 1843. It was restored in 1880.

Another must see in the church, well actually it is not inside the church but 85 meters away from the church, is its belfry. It is known as the Sinking Belfry or Bell Tower. It is a 45 meter high tower that looks massive and heavy and it sinks at a rate of an inch each year due to its weight and the sandy foundation it sits on. Currently, the tower has sunk so much that the entrance is already half buried whereas a man riding on a horse could enter its doors before. Despite all this, the belfry is still functional and is still being used today.

The sinking bell tower is currently the tallest in the Philippines, I wonder how long will it still keep this record... :)

HOW TO GET THERE:
You can fly from Manila-Laoag via Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly to Laoag daily.

You can also take a bus to Laoag (Ilocos Norte). Fariñas Transit, Partas, RCJ, Philippine Rabbit, Maria de Leon and Florida ply Manila-Ilocos Norte and vice versa regularly. There are airconditioned buses that leave from Manila to Laoag. For a list of buses, click this.

If you're coming from Manila by private vehicle, head to NLEX and SCTEX, exit at Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac and follow the National Highway all the way to Ilocos.

Click here for more...

Batac Church, Ilocos Norte

WHERE: Batac, Ilocos Norte
DATE OF TRAVEL: September 22-23, 2007
WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
FEES:
NOTE:

DESCRIPTION:
HOW TO GET THERE:
CONTACTS:
HELPFUL LINKS:
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

Click here for more...

Caleruega Church, Batangas

WHERE: Nasugbu, Batangas

DATE OF TRAVEL: April 09, 2007

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
1. Because even though you are not a “believer”, the whole place offers a spectacular view of Batangas and gives you a feeling of serenity and peace.
2. Because the Transfiguration Chapel's symbolisms are cool. For one, the façade of the Trasnfiguration Chapel is a replica of the original chapel in Caleruega, Spain. The hut-shaped roof is designed in remembrance of the temporary sheds that the apostles wanted to build for Jesus, Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration. The seven grapevines entwined in the doors symbolize the seven sacraments and portray Jesus as the vine. The main altar is a carved tree trunk representing the “stem of Jesse”, wherein a fruit will spring from its stem and bear fruit. And many more.

FEES: Entrance is free. Parking is P30.

DESCRIPTION:
Caleruega is a house of prayer and renewal. It usually houses retreats, recollections, prayer workshops, youth camps, family encounter celebrations, leadership seminars, liturgy workshops, art, music and environment and agriculture-related activities. One can also go there for a day trip. Anybody is welcome to roam around Caleruega for some peace and quiet.




HOW TO GET THERE:
Brgy. Kaylaway, Batulao,
Nasugbu, Batangas

From Manila: (via South Superhighway)
1. Take Sta. Rosa exit
2. Proceed towards Tagaytay Market
3. Turn right at Rotonda
4. Turn left at the Evercrest Hotel
5. Follow the small signs that lead you to Caleruega

Public Transportation from Manila:

1. Go to BLTB or CROW Bus Terminal along EDSA.
2. When in Pasay already, board buses that go to any of these destinations: Nasugbu, Balayan or Calatagan.
3. Get off at Evercrest, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas
4. Ride a trike or begin your 2 kilometer hike towards Caleruega.





HELPFUL LINKS: http://www.dominicans.ph/caleruega/index/index.htm

Click here for more...