Beach, Tokyo Cafe and Dark Knight - what better way to 'end' the meet-up?

Starbucks while waiting for other travbuddies

Oh.. it's the last day already and it is just soo hard to say goodbye to this wonderful island getaway with travbuddy friends. Being in the island already, the TBers just can't leave without swimming and going to the beach which we did for an hour or so.

Then at around 2:30 we left the island and head back to Manila. We don't want to go on separate ways, oh no not yet so we decided to have late lunch at Tokyo Cafe at the Mall of Asia which was really great.

After which, we went to see the movie Dark Knight. The movie was just sooo great. Heath Ledger's acting is really superb in there as 'joker' and it's really sad that he's gone now.

And then after that, finally, we all went home to sleep after a full wonderful weekend :)

Swimming :)

Jason the Pizza King

Manila Mango at Tokyo Cafe - i love it :)

Getting tickets for Dark Knight :)

aww.. it's goodbye already? *tears*

until the next meet-up then? ",)

Mickey (tj1777) the tallest guy in the group

A dinner meet-up is simply not enough for travel addicts like travbuddies. Certainly, there has to be a medium to put all those travel energies to good use - the perfect answer is a TravBuddy getaway and since the Philippines has 7, 107 islands, what could be better than to have the getaway in one of these wonderful islands with all its natural beauty and an invaluable history to boast for - the CORREGIDOR ISLANDS.

According to Wiki :

Corregidor is a tadpole-shaped island four miles (6 km) long and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at its widest point, with a total area roughly about three square miles. The island is about 48 kilometers west of Manila. Due to its position in the bay, it has served as a focal point for the naval defenses of the capital city of Manila. During World War II, Corregidor was the site of several battles and its fall to the Japanese forces was instrumental in the subsequent capture of the Philippines and the retreat of the United States in the early stages of the war. Currently, it is an important historic and tourist site and is managed under the jurisdiction of Cavite City.

arriving in the island :)

Corregidor Inn :)

elaine and nina enjoying starbucks

Our call time was 7 AM since Sun Cruises ferry is scheduled to leave by 7:30 AM. Waking up early is reallly my weakness and Dennie and Nickie are not good at waking up that early too, hahaha. So, to make sure we would make it, we arranged for a Wake-Up call at Kabayan Hotel and agreed to meet for breakfast at 6:20, which with the wake-up call and all we still weren't able to do so LOL.

Good thing was that the assembly place was Starbucks and so we still had time to grab something before leaving. It was sooo great to see 'now familiar TravBuddy faces' who shared the same excitement for the getaway. And it was also wonderful for Stephanie (darlingwish) to be able to join us for the getaway. It was so sweet of her to do so  knowing she must have been so tired from her London flight and arriving at midnight at that.

Harbor's Square - can't wait to board our ferry

Elaine (laineeey) and Nina (blurbmoi) at Starbucks while waiting for the ferry and other travbuddies

Mickey (tj1777) enjoying his coffee at Starbucks

Harbor's Square

Finally, we're off to the island aboard  Sun Cruises and the boat ride took us an hour or so. It was wonderful treat for all of us - with a great company and looking forward to knowing the island more - like a trip back to World War II.

There were 17 of us all in all with 15 staying overnight and 2 joining for the day tour.

TravBuddies who joined the island getaway:

1. the_bloodsucker
2. ellekape
3. darlingwish
4. jear
5. kickasstunner
6. bestblog
7. minx2812
8. blurbmoi
9. calgaryjay
10. nomaden
11. andiboi
12. coffeefairy
13. laineey

14. clairevivar

15. jilltrekker

16. planisphere

17. tj1777

TravBuddies going to the ferry terminal (jay, nickie, mickey and rochelle)

SunCruises

the entire group :-)

we conquered the ferry, hahaha ",)

and we have our own TravBuddy pins, wow :-) thanks Josh

Finally, we reached Corregidor Island!!!

we're here and the buses are ready, yehey :)

elle_kape - hindi masyadong excited, hahaha...

calgaryjay, blurbmoi and andiboi getting ready to get off the ferry

Harbor's Square - looking into locals doing the 'Hataw'

We arrived the island around 9:30 in the morning and from the ferry we transfered to an open air bus for the guided tour.

From http://www.corregidorisland.com/

Corregidor is a small rocky island in the Philippines about 48 kilometers west of Manila which is stragetically located at the entrance of Manila Bay. This island fortress stands as a memorial for the courage, valor, and heroism of its Filipino and American defenders who bravely held their ground against the overwhelming number of invading Japanese forces during World War II.

Also known as "the Rock," it was a key bastion of the Allies during the war. When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941, the military force under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur carried out a delaying action at Bataan. Corregidor became the headquarters of the Allied forces and also the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth government. It was from Corregidor that Philippine President Manuel Quezon and General MacArthur left for Australia in February 1942, leaving behind Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright in command.

excited for the first guided tour

with Carlos - our funny and witty tour guide :-)

I Shall Return (with General Douglas MacArthur)

TravBuddies' Jump for Joy :)

A blend of history and fun-filled friendships : that is what the TravBuddy island getaway is all about :)

Let the pics do the talking:

REDISCOVERING PHILIPPINES and its RICH HISTORY

"

(photo courtesy of CalgaryJay)

FUN! FUN! FUN!

(photo courtesy of CalgaryJay)

Just before lunch, we then went to Malinta Tunnel for the Light and SOund show.

Malinta Tunnel

From Wiki:

The Malinta Tunnel is a tunnel complex built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines. It was initially used as a bomb-proof storage and personnel bunker, but was later equipped as a 1,000-bed hospital.^[1] The main tunnel, running east to west, is 831 feet long, 24 feet wide and 18 feet high.^[2] Branching off from this main shaft are 13 lateral tunnels on the north side and 11 lateral tunnels on the south side. Each lateral averaged 160 feet in length and 15 feet in width.^[1]

Personally, it was a very moving experience for me. When I went inside the tunnel, I was only thinking of the fun we can have with TraBuddies inside Malinta tunnel - the light and sound show being a new experience for all of us. I was not prepared for the impact of the show to me. I am not sure about what my new friends feel but listening to the stories of World War II and being transported again to this painful decade of our country, I can't help but be emotional about it. Yep, I was kind of teary inside the tunnel. Good thing it was dark otherwise fellow travbuddies would have wondered what's going on with me ",)

The light and sound show was a re-enactment of the Japanese occupation in our country and with Filipino and American soldiers fighting together for the country's freedom. There were just sooo many sacrifices and unneccesary deaths that time and looking back at how our countrymen courageously fought for freedom, ah, it pains me sooo much to see that these sacrifices are sometimes forgotten and worse wasted with the current situation of the country (politics and economics).

Anyway, this is one of the reasons why the trip to Corregidor is somewhat special - great place/history and great company.

TravBuddies going inside the tunnel

inside the tunnel

the light and sound show

the entire Malinta Tunnel

It was a great morning for all of us and since we were not able to have a full breakfast, by 11:45 AM, we were really starving :) So, we had lunch at the Corregidor Inn with Filipino foods in buffet style. I was very FULL after :)

FOOOOOOODDDDD!!!! (from Elaine's pics)

FREE DRINK :)

View from Corregidor Inn where we had lunch

lunch ",)

Dessert

Watermelon

Having been re-energized with a full lunch, we were all ready for the afternoon tour and of all the buses (there were many other tourists and groups but none as great and noisy? as travbuddies, hehe), we were the FIRST one to leave the inn and head for ruins and batteries.

From Wiki:

There were 23 batteries installed on Corregidor, consisting of 56 Coastal guns and mortars. In addition, Corregidor had 13 anti-aircraft artillery batteries with 76 guns (28 3-inch and 48 50-caliber) and 10 60-inch Sperry searchlights.

The longest-range coastal pieces were the two 12-inch (305 mm) guns of Batteries Hearn and Smith, with a horizontal range of 29,000 yards (27,000 m). Although capable of an all around traverse, these guns, due to their flat trajectories, were not effective for use against targets on Bataan.

During the siege, the island had ample armor-piercing ammunition but very little of the anti-personnel type, which then was of greatest demand for use against land targets on Bataan. In fact, most of the anti-personnel shells were only for the 12-inch mortars of Batteries Way and Geary.

TravBuddies having so much FUN  ",)

Ruins

AftAer visiting ruins and batteries (not all of them tho just the major ones since it would take 3 or 4 full days to visit them all), we went to the Pacific War Memorial, which was built by the United States Government to honor the Filipino and American soldiers who participated in World War II.

From Wiki:

One of the most recent additions to Corregidor is the Filipino Heroes Memorial. This 6,000-square meter complex has 14 murals depicting heroic battles fought by Filipinos from the 15th century up to the present day. It was designed by Francisco Mañosa, while the murals and a statue of a Filipino guerrilla were sculpted by Manuel Casas. The complex was inaugurated by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 28, 1992.

Once every May 6 at exactly noon, the Solar equinox would light the center of the altar and visitors are required to have a moment of silence since this is the exact time Corregidor and the Philippines fell into the hands of the Japanese.

Entrance to the Pacific War Memorial

Indoor Marker :)

Laineey and Blurbmoi with the Eternal Flame of Freedom

Ruins.. batteries.. tunnels...memorials.. and now lighthouses, wOw :) there are sooo many things corregidor island has to offer and sharing the day with TravBuddies is realllly greAt :)

From Wiki:

The lighthouse is one of the oldest landmarks in Corregidor. A lighthouse with a beam range of 33 miles (53 km). It was first built by the Spaniards in 1836 and was replaced with a better one in 1853. The second lighthouse was further improved in 1892 and was reduced to ruins during the siege of Corregidor. This rehabilitated lighthouse stands on the same spot where the second lighthouse stood before.

the old lighthouse

all smiles :-)

view from the lighthouse (andiboi, the_bloodsucker and minx2812)

Well, we are still humans and even with the TravBuddy energy that we have, we need to rest from all the tours... So, we we're given  3 hours to rest (for some of us) and to swim in the pool or at the beach (for most of our friends).  Nickie (minx2812) and I decided to sleep in our room (211) at Corregidor Inn to 'recharge our energies' and have renewed strength for the rest of the tour.

Too bad we need to say goodbye to Apo (planisphere) and Mickey (tj1777) tho since they won't be staying overnight, Apo with his work the next day and Mickey with his scheduled dive at Anilao, Batangas.

sharing this room with Nickie (minx2812) room 211

Corregidor Inn's Dining Area

Yep, the fun hasn't ended yet.. oh now, we're not even half-way thru it :) After resting, we assembled again around 5:30 in the afternoon, rode the bus, visited the ruins of the hospital (no ghosts yet) and waited for the sunset  - it was AWESOME!!!

inside the hopital ruins

TravBuddies waiting for the sunset

the SunSet - wOw :-)

Elaine's (Laineeey) masterpiece - she took this shot and this is really AWESOME :) thanks Elaine for allowing me to have this one :)

we all felt 'mushy' after the sunset - so TravBuddy group hug :)

hmmm... ",)

what a day :-) i love TravBuddy!!!

After watching the sunset, we were sooo looking forward to some 'ghost-hunting' :-) We visited lateral tunnels, wore our own hats and had great time inside the tunnels for 45 minutes or so.. One of the highlights of which was when we were asked to experience total darkness and silence for some minutes (no flashlights, no mobile phones - nothing). It was creepy but fun at the same time.

GhostBusters.. err, Travbuddies :)

awooooo ",)

Josh: ghosts? where? are you sure? LOL

WW II soldier?

After the ghost-hunting (we haven't seen any tho since they were kind of shy  - introvert ghosts, hahaha..), we have dinner in the recreation center of the island and everybody was just starving. After dinner we all have Karaoke :) Oh, we Filipinos just love to sing and gatherings are not just complete without singing.

It was a really, really great night with everybody singing and dancing and laughing. And what perfect artists we are (well at least that's what the scores say, hehe). Sarj (kickasstunner) was the karaoke queen i guess with 100 perfect score in her songs and Elaine also got a 100 and such a sweet, sweet voice :) Jason (Calgaryjay) was not spared from singing.. Oh no, not Jason who sang Twist and Shout. Nickie (minx2812) will also remember that night forever - she sang her first karaoke song (Black Velvet) with us travbuddies :) wow...

a karaoke night full of fun

Meet Sarah - the Karaoke queen :)

Nickie singing Black Velvet

Go Jay!

After watching the sunset, we were sooo looking forward to some 'ghost-hunting' :-) We visited lateral tunnels, wore our own hats and had great time inside the tunnels for 45 minutes or so.. One of the highlights of which was when we were asked to experience total darkness and silence for some minutes (no flashlights, no mobile phones - nothing). It was creepy but fun at the same time.

GhostBusters.. err, Travbuddies :)

awooooo ",)

Josh: ghosts? where? are you sure? LOL

WW II soldier?