Top Places to See for a Thrilling Tour of Universal Studios, Hollywood (Part 2)

     We started our Universal Studios Hollywood visit with the Studio Tour. As our thirst for adventure was awakened, we went ahead with this second part of the tour, raring for more. Coming from the tram, we came across this Hollywood sign (picture below, background), a copy of the real sign is found in Mt. Lee, Hollywood Hills. We took this opportunity to have our picture taken for a souvenir shot (foreground, L-R: Lani, adventurous-Pinay, and Lori).

Picture of Hollywood sign at Universal Studios (background).

     Right after our Studio Tour, we proceeded to see what the action was on this Upper Lot of Universal.

     
     Water World. We watched Water World: A Live Sea Spectacular, a 16-minute life-like spectacular show based on the movie that starred Kevin Costner. This show included death-defying stunts on water, land, interspersed with all kinds of effects: pyrotechnic, flame, water, and explosive crash landing of the seaplane (below). The background music from the movie added to the thrill and excitement of this show. If you want to get wet, take your seats in front. These are the Soak Zones where splashes from the Jest-Skis and other water especial effects land.

Photos Above: http://www.google.com

      Shrek 4D. We also watched Shrek 4D: The Ghost of Lord Farquaad. Among the many stimulating sensations experienced at Universal Studios, this adventure tops it all. Firstly, this was my first time to experience a 4D ride that incorporated effects including seats that moved, water sprayed into mists and special lighting, in addition to the 3D film. I highly recommend watching Shrek, if you want the ultimate fun assault to your senses.

Photo of adventurous-Pinay with Shrek (background).

     The Simpsons Ride. Other shows are found on the Upper Lot, like the Simpsons Ride  (below, background; foreground, L-Lori, R-adventurous-Pinay). The ride itself is four-and-a-half minutes long but original footage for the ride can be seen in the queue, and there is also a pre-show video. We were not able to see the show. We only posed for a souvenir shot (below).

Photo of adventurous-Pinay and Lori with the Simpsons Ride (background).

     Jason Bourne. There are many ‘things-Hollywood’ that you may encounter in Universal Studios. Among these is a life-size picture of Matt Damon, or the amnesiac, Jason Bourne in the spy thriller movie 'Bourne Identity'. Jason will bring me to Paris with this red Austin Mini Cooper (below), not Marie, her fictional partner in the movie.

Photo of adventurous-Pinay (R) and standee of Jason Bourne (L).

     Starway Escalator. Continuing with our tour, we proceeded to ride the Starway Escalator. Universal Studios is divided into two levels, the Lower Lot and the Upper Lot accessible by this ¼ mile long, 7-8-minute ride escalator (Photo L). This ride is never boring because it offers some amazing views of the Universal back lot. You will also hear music playing while you’re on this escalator ride (Photo R: L-R: Lani, adventurous-Pinay, Lori). Some attempted to use the stairs, but we thought riding would better maximize our time in Universal.

Photos while riding the Starway Escalator at Universal Studios.

     Jurassic Park. On the Lower Lot of Universal Studios, more fun and exciting rides and shows await the tourists. Jurassic Park (below) is the only water-based ride in Universal Studios. This is based on the film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Michael Crichton.

Photo of Jurassic Park at Universal Studios (background).

     Revenge of the Mummy. This ride is based on the Mummy movie (below). The teaser for the ride says, “…dare face heart-pounding special effects and unexpected twists at every turn as you escape the Mummy’s revenge in life-like horror. It WILL change you … forever! (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com).” A pity that it was getting late, our feet were getting tired, we did not have time for more shows nor rides.

Revenge of the Mummy.

     Family Bonding. Alas, the families (Philippines- and US-based) finally met each other near the end of this day tour (L-R: Omar, Portia, Lori, Aika, Alex, Oliver, adventurous-Pinay (sitting), Ate Heidi (our backs to the camera), and Priya. Some were not in the picture. But since, we were not able to spend much time together in this tour, we promised to see each other in their residence in Lompoc, California for a picnic. Watch out for the story of that trip next time!

Our Philippines- and American-based families meet @ Universal Studios.

Top Places to See for a Thrilling Tour of Universal Studios, Hollywood (Part I)

     In my tour of the US, I was prepared to experience anything and everything. This included a visit to the Universal Studios, a highly recommended movie fantasy encounter. At Universal Studios, we experienced the ultimate theme park adventure through the different action-packed attractions: rides and shows, real working movie studios, shops, restaurants and cinemas.

L-R: Lani, adventurous-Pinay and Lori at the City Walk.

     CityWalk. From the Curios George Parking area, we set foot at CityWalk (above). This is found in front of Universal Studios, so you couldn’t miss this when you visit Universal. CityWalk is a long three-block walk that will lure you to its more than 30 restaurants, numerous nightclubs, IMAX theatres and shops. If you’re not ready to enter Universal Studios, yet, you can hang-out at CityWalk to enjoy what it has to offer.

adventurous-Pinay  at the entrance of Universal Studios.

     Universal Studios. The entrance to Universal Studios features this earth model made of steel, with the words ‘Universal Studios’ and a water fountain surrounding it (above). This is the usual location of the entertainment news program ‘Extra’, hosted by Mario Lopez and Maria Menounos.

      

          Studio Tour. Our first agenda was the Studio Tour. The queue was long so we made sure to do this first to fully enjoy this attraction. In the Studio Tour, visitors ride a tram and go behind-the-scenes of their 13 city blocks (4 acres) of back lot working studio (below). These studio sets were constructed in consultation with Steven Spielberg himself (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/attractions/studio-tour/). Each tram comes with a tour guide that may speak in Spanish or Chinese, aside from English.

The tram going around the back lot working studio.

           Brownstones. The first part of the Studio Tour was a look at buildings, like their sound studios. Another is this authentic-looking New York Street. These brownstones (Below, Upper L and R) are among the permanent sets in their back lot area. These are not actual houses, but only facades of exteriors made of foam and fiberglass.  Some of the films shot in these sets were ‘Bruce Almighty’ (2003), starring Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston (Below- lower L) and ‘Superhero’ (2008), starring Drake Bell (Below- lower R).

Brownstones in New York Streets. 

          Wisteria Lane. Another studio set that we passed by was Wisteria Lane, a fictional street used in a US Television series, ‘Desperate Housewives’ (Below: Upper photos, L and R). If you’re a fan, you could feel the atmosphere of being a resident of Wisteria Lane. The set for Wisteria Lane is actually named ‘Colonial Street’. Map below shows the houses owned by the different characters of Desperate Housewives.

Wisteria Lane used in the set of 'Desperate Housewives'.

          Fast and Furious. Another feature of the Studio Tour is the The Fast & Furious. These are race cars that suddenly dance to hip-hop music (below). “Basically, two tricked-up cars are bolted to giant robotic arms, and the arms simply pick up the cars and shake and spin them in front of the tram audience. The huge robotic arms are clearly visible (with no attempts to disguise them), so we end up looking more at the arms than the "dancing" cars (http://www.seeing-stars.com/StudioTours/UniversalStudiosHollywood.shtml)

Dancing cars in the 'Fast and Furious' set.

          Bates Motel. If you find yourself being attacked by this man in brown jacket (below), don’t be afraid. He is Norman Bates, the fictional character in the Psycho movie, who is supposed to be operating Bates Motel and killing his ‘unwanted’ guests. The tram went by him fast enough for us to get far away from him. But of course, the passengers gave out the expected gasps and screams of terror!

'Norman Bates' running after guests.

          The Grinch. Found behind the set of Bates Motel is the set of a fantasy comedy film, The Grinch, starring Jim Carrey. Again, the materials of the set are made of Styrofoam, thus, they last long (below).

Movie set of the 'Grinch'.

          War of the Worlds. The tram slowed down long enough for visitors to see the destruction wrecked by an actual sized-747 jet airliner that crashed into a neighborhood. The set is for the film, War of the Worlds (2005), starring Tom Cruise. This set brought enough fear from passengers who did a lot of flying themselves.  

Wreckage in 'War of the Worlds'.

          Jaws. As we moved along, we came across Amity Harbor. What looked like a peaceful tour of the harbor suddenly became ‘chilling’ as our tram was attacked by this huge shark (below, upper R). The scene was straight out of the movie ‘Jaws’ that became a summer blockbuster in 1975. The combination of fire and water coupled with sound and music reminded the passengers that life at sea could be as petrifying as this.

Sharks attacking guests in the movie set of 'Jaws'.

           There were other exciting attractions during our Studio Tour. But we were not able to take pictures of some of them. Two of these were unforgettable.

           

          Earthquake. Earthquake is an 8.3 earthquake inside a soundstage, designed to make it look like a San Francisco subway station. In the subway, we felt the tram shake, we saw a burning gasoline truck collapse through the roof, fire and sparks flew, the subway train became derailed, and a flood of water came gushing toward us. This studio tour optimized the use of water and fire and effectively combined music and sound effects to elicit terror from us, tourists.

Destruction in the set of 'Earthquake'.

          Parting of the Red Sea. The tram ran into a body of water around Skull Mountain Island (below). Suddenly, the waves parted, and the tram travelled between them, and guests got a view of the mini island.

On the set of 'Parting of the Red Sea'.

     This 45-minute Studio Tour was an exhilarating experience: at once terrifying but at the same time thrilling. We became nostalgic with the different movie and TV sets, terrified of getting killed by Norman Bates; scared-to-death when attacked by the shark in the Jaws set; frightened by earthquakes, fire, flood, and an airplane crash. These more than made for an invigorating start of this Universal Studio experience. We were not satiated, so we headed on to more breathtaking real-life-fantasies at Universal Studios. Read Part 2 of my Universal Studios Hollywood story in another article.  

Ultimate Guide To ‘End-Of-The-Trail-Route-66’: Santa Monica Pier

     Santa Monica is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast. Today, the real estate value of Santa Monica is one of the priciest in the world. Thus, it is home to the very rich, specifically, Hollywood celebrities. A stopover at Santa Monica Pier from Rodeo Drive, where we came from, is a convenient 8-miles-away.  

Entrance to Santa Monica Pier. 

     A little bit of history, the Santa Monica Pier was built in 1909 and is about ¼ miles long. It was “developed as a seaside retreat at the turn of the 20th century. The railroad owners built the first version of the amusement park on Santa Monica pier as an attraction to fill empty train seats on weekends. The Santa Monica Pier has terrific coastline views of Malibu and the South Bay. The long pier has an old-fashioned amusement park, with reasonable by-the-ride pricing, including a small roller coaster. (http://wikitravel.org/en/Santa_Monica).” On my right of the pier is the beach (photo below) and on the background (L) is the Ferris Wheel. Entrance to the Pier is free. It is open 24/7. I think Kiko just paid for parking which at the time was $6.

Inside Santa Monica Pier.

     The Pier is a bustling boardwalk whose huge Ferris Wheel is the city's icon. Picture below shows Lori (L) and me (R) with the Ferris Wheel on the background.

L-R: Lori and me with the Ferris Wheel on the background.

     The large, wide, beautiful beach on either side of the pier attracts tourists to take a stroll and sight-see. When we visited the Pier, the temperature was about 17°C. Even then, there were people swimming and a few people were fishing. “The following are the most common fish caught: Perch, Mackerel, White Sea Bass, Leopard Shark, Tiger Shark and Sting rays. The Black Sea

Bass is an endangered species. You may donate your catch to the Heal the Bay Aquarium located on the east side of the pier (http://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OPM/RightCol/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.pdf).”  However, there is a warning from the LA Health Officer (picture below).

Warning for guests.

     The Pier has restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and some street performers. A movie fan will recognize Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., a seafood restaurant influenced by the movie, Forrest Gump (1994), starring Tom Hanks. As of September 2010, thirty-two Bubba Gump restaurants operate worldwide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubba_Gump_Shrimp_Company). Presently, The Santa Monica branch is found at the left side of the North entrance of the Pier (Picture below).

 

Bubba Gump Restaurant. 

(Photo: http://www.californiafoodtravel.com/bubba-gump-shrimp-company-santa-monica/)

     The famous Route 66 was supposed to have ended here in Santa Monica Pier, thus this sign below. It makes citizens nostalgic as it was made popular by the American song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s. The map below shows Route 66 built in 1926 from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, LA; covering 2,448 miles (3,940 km). Route 66 evokes certain emotions among many Americans because it supported the economies of the communities through which the road passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of this highway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66).

Map of Route 66.

     Due to improvements in the highway network in the US, nobody knew exactly where Route 66 ended in Santa Monica. However, a mysterious sign showed up, perhaps as a movie prop, on the corners of Santa Monica Blvd. and Ocean Ave. Then, about 50 years ago, it mysteriously disappeared. The sign in question said “Santa Monica” above a bold “66”, under which it plainly stated, “End of the Trail,” (http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/route-66-end-trail). Photo below shows me beside the resurrected sign, “End of the Trail”, indicating the end of this LA leg of our tour.

adventurous-Pinay@end-of-the-trail-route-66.

     There were still so many sights and places that we were not able to cover in LA. But due to very limited time, I opted recalling this tour through these pictures. Remember that we started in the morning covering three important tourist destinations in LA: Our Lady of Angels Cathedral, Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive and this stop, the Santa Monica Pier. Next stop for us will be “Fabulous Las Vegas”, another American tourist haven. 

How To Shop Like The Rich And Famous @ Rodeo Drive And Live To Tell About It

     Our morning was spent going around Hollywood Boulevard to get that movie star feeling. To shop like a movie star, on the other hand, we headed to Rodeo Drive in the afternoon (picture below). Rodeo Drive is a two-mile street found in Beverly Hills, California. Touted as the most luxurious shopping area in the world, a visit is essential for an accidental brush with the rich and famous and live to tell about it. 

adventurous-Pinay in Rodeo Drive.

     Standing on the very wide diagonal intersection of Rodeo Drive and Dayton Way (picture below), I was surrounded by super-expensive stores with international labels, like, Ermenegildo Zegna (R), an Italian fashion house specializing in men’s clothing; opposite is Van Cleef Arpels (L), a French jewelry, watch, and perfume store; not in picture, opposite EZ is Louis Vitton (LV), another French fashion house specializing in bags, shoes and ready-to-wear. Two Rodeo Drive is seen on my back. 

Intersection of Rodeo Drive and Dayton Way.

     Two Rodeo Drive is found along Rodeo Drive. It is an elegantly curved street adorned with cobbled stones. Some describe this as “resembling a ‘faux-European shopping alley’. Some architects have claimed that Two Rodeo Drive is similar to Disneyland (Photo below and text courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodeo_Drive).”

Two Rodeo Drive.

     Two Rodeo Drive is home to opulent stores like Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Lanvin. You can also find high-end restaurants and other lifestyle destinations here (http://www.lovebeverlyhills.com/shopping/two-rodeo.aspx#sthash.WY0uZqBe.dpuf). At the other end of Two Rodeo are these marble steps (Picture below L-R: me, Lori, and Satur).

Going down Two Rodeo Drive.

     At the bottom of the stairs is Tiffany & Co., an American multinational luxury jewelry and specialty retailer (Picture below: L-Lori; R- me; background- Tiffany & Co.) 

Tiffany & Co.

     Further along Rodeo Drive, is the Coach Store, a fashion accessories and leather goods store for women (Below L- R: Satur, me, and Lori, background-Coach Store). 

Coach Store.

     Since, this is where the rich and famous hang-out, you can see their ‘toys’ parked on Rodeo Drive. The condition in buying this Rolls Royce (below) is for you to have $10 M in the bank. This yellow Rolls Royce is parked in front of a boutique owned by Bijan, an Iranian designer of men’s wear and fragrances. The Bijan store has been described as "the most expensive store in the world". Bijan was known to park his cars outside of his Rodeo Drive boutique to let people know that he was around (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bijan_(designer). 

Rolls Royce in front of Bijan Store.

     During our Rodeo Drive tour, we also encountered this tour bus, Star Line’s City Sightseeing Hop-On, Hop-Off-Narrated-Tour (picture below). “This tour enables you to see all that Los Angeles has to offer, from Hollywood to Beverly Hills, the beautiful landscape and beaches of Santa Monica, to Downtown LA. You can purchase a 24-hr, 48-hr or 72-hr pass and enjoy the freedom to experience Los Angeles on your terms. For example, hop on in Hollywood, hop off in Beverly Hills to shop, hop back on and head to Santa Monica to walk the pier and beaches and hop back on to come back and experience Hollywood and Downtown LA. Tickets are priced from $22-69 (http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-HOHO.asp.).”

Tour bus behind adventurous-Pinay.

     There were so many luxurious and expensive shops to choose from in Rodeo Drive, but we didn’t 

buy anything. We just window-shopped. For one, our budget was limited and we reserved our

shopping money for less expensive things. We did not see celebrities, either. However, the fun part 

in this US adventure is that in the US, celebrities and tourists go to the same places and enjoy the 

same things. At least, I lived to tell about this. 

8 Examples Of Real-life Fantasy @ Hearst Castle

     Every girl’s fantasy is to be a princess and live in a castle. This became a reality for me when I visited Hearst’s Castle together with my cousin Lori. Hearst Castle is in San Simeon, California, about 163 km or 1 hour and 45 min away from Lompoc, where Lori resided. We used ‘Maton’ (Pilipino for street tug), Lori’s mustang, to bring us to San Simeon (below L-R: Lori and me). Notice that we drove with the roof top-down, a wonderful experience, except that I got all burned up by the blazing California sun, bringing out my natural dark tan color. Unlike the harsh Philippine weather, California weather made me forget the effects of the bright sun on my native Pinay (Filipina) skin.

'Maton', Lori's mustang.

     This tour was one of the best that I have done in my life because it made me see and feel the lifestyle of the rich-and famous. I appreciated the effort of W. R. Hearst in collecting and building the best that money can buy in terms of the swimming pools, guest houses, the main castle, the artifacts and other art collections in the castle.

Casa Grande, the main castle.Source: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmhearstss/main.html).

     

     History. Hearst Castle (below) belonged to William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, who died in 1951. In 1957, the family donated the castle to the state of California, and has since been visited by about 1 million tourists per year.  Invitations to the castle were highly coveted during its heyday. William Heart’s guests (1920s to 1930s) included the who’s who of society. Mostly, Hollywood icons, like, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Bob Hope, Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford and politicians (Franklin Roosevelt and William Churchill) were flown by the Hearst’s private plane or train car from Los Angeles. Patty Hearst is a grand-daughter of William, and her name became a by-word during her kidnapping ordeal in the 70s.

Bird''s eye view of Hearst Castle.

     Castle.  Hearst Castle was also called Enchanted Hill.  It has 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways—all built to house Hearst’s specifications and to showcase his legendary art collection (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_castle). Upon arrival, guests will be deposited at the first stairway that leads up to the different buildings in the compound (below).

   

First stairway (background).

 

     Pools. The castle boasts of two of the grandest pools in the world. The first pool is the Neptune pool which offers an expansive vista of the mountains, ocean and the main house (below). The Neptune Pool patio features an ancient Roman temple front, transported wholesale from Europe and reconstructed at the site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_castle). It is easy to imagine Hollywood gods and goddesses lounging on the decks and swimming and playing in and around this pool that is 104 feet long, 58 feet wide and 95 feet wide at alcove. It is 3.5 feet deep at the west end, 10 feet at drains and holds 345,000 gallons of water (http://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/the-castle/pools/).

Neptune pool (background).

     Another pool fit for gods and goddesses is the indoor Roman Pool, like the Baths of Caracalla in Rome c. 211-17 CE.  “The Roman Pool is decorated from ceiling to floor with 1″ square mosaic tiles. These glass tiles, called smalti, are either colored (mainly blue or orange) or are clear with fused gold inside. The intense colors and shimmering gold of the tiles combine to create a breathtaking effect (http://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/the-castle/pools/).

Indoor Roman pool. (Source: www.bing.com)

     Guest Houses.  Around the main castle are guest houses, like the Casa del Mar, Casa del Monte and Casa del Sol. I was able to take a picture of one of the rooms (below L), but the guide was strict on the ‘no flash photography’ rule. So my indoor shots were limited. Note the use of silk on the bed cover, the sofa and side chair. The pair of pants and the shirt on the bed is supposed to be the ‘in’ fashion at that time. Picture (R) is a wider shot view of the bedroom. Notice the views of the mountains and trees outside the windows.

Bedroom.

     Artifacts. The castle also holds important collections of antiques. One of the oldest Egyptian artifacts is found on the South Esplanade of the castle, called the two sekhmet figures and two sekhmet heads (below L). Depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a lioness, she was the bloodthirsty protector of Ra, the sun god (http://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/art/pieces/two-sekhmet-figures-and-two-sekhmet-heads/). Other artifacts include this fountain with two lions (below R). Lion figures abound in the property because lions symbolize power and authority.

Artifacts in the garden.

     Casa Grande. On the highest point of the property sits the main castle or Casa Grande (below), the formal name for the main house. Every evening, guests were invited by W. R. Hearst in the grand social room on the ground floor of Casa Grande (http://hearstcastle.org/tour-hearst-castle/daily-tours/grand-rooms-tour/). This twin-towered residence, partly based on a church at Ronda in southern Spain, is constructed of reinforced concrete and faced with stone. It has an unimpeded view of the Santa Lucia Mountain and the seacoast (http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmhearstss/main.html).

Front view of Casa Grande.

     The inside rooms of the castle display the rich décor that befit royalty. Casa Grande is opulent and the collection of arts and artifacts are impressive. The social room (below) is where the guests chatted and danced while the pianist played before dinner.

Social room.

     Dining Room. Guests dined in this opulent dining room (below), called the Refectory (like a monastery). The ceiling has 15 life size panels, representing 12 saints, 2 coats of arms and the Virgin Mary. At the end of the dining room are hollowed seats. According to the guide, these were seats used in the middle ages to relieve oneself.

Dining Room. (Source: www.bing.com)

     There are other places to see and enjoy in Hearst Castle. It has a tennis court wherein the likes of Cary Grant and Clark Gable might have played a game or two. The gardens are also a sight to behold as they are a profusion of colors with the different plants in bloom. Moreover, a theatre showed films for the guests to enjoy. A zoo was also established in the vicinity. In fact, we were able to see some of the animals, zebras, when we went down the castle (below).

Zebras grazing on the grounds.

     I was really ecstatic over this adventure of a life time. For once, I had a glimpse of how old Hollywood and politicians lived and played. I witnessed the ‘things’ that the rich indulged in. The architecture was impressive, including the pools, the guest houses, and Casa Grande. The artifacts and the décor were breathtaking. All the amenities, including the tennis court, the gardens and the pools provided the touch of elegance that only the rich can afford. Overall, a visit to Hearst Castle satisfies the fantasies that ordinary mortals can only dream of. I highly suggest this adventure if you’re a fan of royalty and high living.

     How to go there: The tour starts at the Visitor’s Center in San Simeon, California wherein you can purchase your tickets, have some snacks or buy some souvenir items. Ticket prices start at $25 for adults and $12 for children. At your tour schedule you can board the bus going for your five-mile journey to Hearst Castle. The bus ride provides views of the natural beauty that surrounds this historic hilltop estate.

7 Reasons Family And Friends Hang Out At Lake Caliraya

     Bonding with family and friends is the most gratifying activity in the world. Be it in the most or the least expensive places, what matters most is the building and renewing of relationships among kith and kin. One of our favorite places is Caliraya, Laguna, Philippines. A mountain lake in Laguna, the place has been developed as an escape from the hustle and bustle of Metropolitan Manila. There are so many reasons why we go to Caliraya. Like us, people may go on a picnic, go bass fishing, boating, wind surfing or other water sports activities or go shopping.

Our family in one of the picnic huts.

        Picnic. My family and I often go on a picnic in one of the picnic areas around Lake Caliraya, like Eco-Saddle (above). It is a camp site where you can pitch your tent and spend the night, as the camp has washing and comfort room areas for your basic cleaning needs. Rent for a picnic hut costs around ₱500.

L-R: Tisa and Caitlyn (holding Yuri).

     Our trip to Lake Caliraya will not be complete if we don’t bring Yuri (dog above) along, a half- Japanese Spitz and half Shi Tzu.               

Rainbow over Lake Caliraya.

     In one of our visits, we got a rare treat when nature blessed us with this rainbow (above). How we wished there was really gold at each end. But the sky was turning black and it started to drizzle, so we gave up on our  wish for gold.

Different grassy nooks around the lake, seemingly, hide the bass. 

The smile on Tyler’s face is a picture of a happy fisherman (Upper R above).

     Bass fishing.  Early developers of this man-made lake seeded Caliraya with wide-mouth bass. In fact, yearly festivities (around February) include bass fishing competitions. Our friend, Tyler (photo above) caught several bass when he tried this sport last December, the peak season for bass fishing in Caliraya.

Surf Camp, another camp site, is a good take-off point for water sports activities.

     Water sports. Water sports aficionados have continued coming to Caliraya to wind surf, Jet Ski or ride a kayak (above). It’s a joy to watch the players stumble and fall, but those who are successful must be proud of riding the wind or the water.

The boat may be rented for bass fishing.

     Boating.  Going around the lake is a great way to unwind. There are boats that you may rent to show you the properties around Lake Caliraya.The development in the area during Marcos’ time brought forth the construction of different resorts, a golf course, a Japanese Shrine, etc. This became a magnet for the middle-class and some well-off local and international residents to build their vacation houses around the lake. You can rent a boat from a friend (above) to have a picnic while going around the lake, or just drink in the view and relax on the boat that holds up to 20 persons.

A jump shot by Narra '77 classmates to prove that we can still do it even when we are over 50.

     Parties.  Lake Caliraya is a great venue for parties if you require nature at its best. Early this year, my high-school class mates (Pedro Guevarra Memorial High School ’77, Section Narra) and I held our overnight reunion at the Camarin or the National Power Corporation Guest House.  We had a grand time reminiscing about our high school life.  

The grand kids and Me on the balcony of one of the cabanas in Lagos del Sol.

       Resort.  One of the resorts that you can stay in is Lagos del Sol. You can be billeted in one of their cabanas that are perfect for the family.  Each of their 24 cabanas has private toilet and bath, colored TV, telephone and hot and cold water. What I love about their cabanas are the spacious balconies that are over-looking the lake and are surrounded by pine trees that give off the right ambiance for a nature hide-away.

Upper L: freshly harvested rambutan for sale; 

Upper R: close up of rambutan; Below L: huge rambutan variety bought in Caliraya; Below R:  regular variety bought in local market. 

     Shopping. Housewives who love to go shopping will have a different kind of thrill when shopping for cheap fresh produce. One time, we came across peddlers plying freshly-harvested rambutan (above). It was so cheap (₱15-20/kilo) since rambutan season was at its peak. One variety was so huge that it dwarfed regular varieties on the local market

      
     One will not run out of things to do in Caliraya. Whether you want the peace and quiet or the adventurous sports activities, there are just too many options that you can choose from to escape from the city.

      
     How to go there:

• From Manila (Southern route): You can take the bus, either from Cubao or Pasay LRT, to Sta.Cruz, Laguna. Once in Pagsawitan, Sta.Cruz, you can ride the jeepney going to Lumot, Cavinti.   
•  From Manila (Eastern route): From Ortigas Avenue, traverse the towns of Rizal onward the eastern towns of Laguna through the Laguna de Bay road network.