107 Kms. Lupaypay Ride @ Ikot Sampaloc,Tanay,Rizal

Another weekend, another crazy ride. We planned this trip a long,long time ago.Most riders ignore it.
We all agreed to have a truck take us halfway of the 107-kilometer route. But that never materialized.

But one bright, adrenalin-induced day, everybody seems to be in a Gung-ho mood and just wants to do it. “We have back-up scooters, we’re good!” they all say. I do not like the idea but I lost my case to 5 other riders.

I know my farthest MTB ride is 75 kilometers.I remembered that hot,sunny day when I dragged my weary body home.

January 22,2012. D Day.
I woke up at 3 AM. I want to prepare and have a good breakfast for this challenging day. Meeting time is 430 AM.

19 riders met at Masinag Market in Antipolo City. 2 from Caloocan, 1 from Pandacan, 2 from Pasig, 1 from Cubao, the rest from Marikina.

I know the route very well. I rode to Sierra Madre Hotel before, 40 kilometers away from Masinag. 2 road bikers took me there. It is hardcore. Mostly uphill and the roads are magnetic.

We started well. 10 kilometers,easy. 20 kilometers, some riders getting  slower and slower uphill. Fatigue is setting in.

The back-up scooters are a big help. 30 kilometers, one bike keeps breaking down. The gears are broken. Chain keeps falling off.

The sun is up, toasting us but the views are stunning. It is all good.

It is 12 PM. We reached Sampaloc, Tanay. The halfway mark of the journey.

We traveled 55 kilometers now. Time for lunch. There is a Gotong Batangas here. A rider told me we must try it.

I am suprised to find out that the Gotong Batangas does not have rice in it like other Gotos I have tried.

The GOTONG BATANGAS is like the PAPAITAN dish without the bitter taste.

The bulalo here is just average. Vic’s Bulalo is better.

Half of the riders ran out of fumes and are considering renting a jeep to take them home. Half stayed.

The scooters are on stand by.

After lunch from Sampaloc,Tanay we encountered a 15-kilometer downhill.

Teresa,Rizal to Antipolo is also full of steep uphills. I can feel my legs shaking now after 80 kilometers of riding. My hands are numb and my butt took the shape of the seat already.

We stopped at a Buko Station at Teresa Market. A very refreshing treat.
At Antipolo, it started to rain. We waited it out at a gas station.

9 guys managed to finish the 107-km. ordeal. We celebrated our achievement by eating strawberry sundaes at McDO.

It is a punishing and crazy ride  but ask the riders if they will do it again,the answer is YES!

Thanks for reading.

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A RIDE to OUR LADY MARY MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE CHAPEL in San Mateo,Rizal

What is a MEDIATRIX?

Mediatrix in Roman Catholic Mariology refers to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a mediator in the salvation process.

That Mary is Mediatrix of graces at a level higher than the mediation of other saints is accepted without question in the Catholic Church. Mary gave birth to the Redeemer, who is the fountain of all grace. Therefore she participated in the mediating of grace.

MIRACULOUS?    YES!

Pilgrims and Believers alike, agree to this. I do.

When you have problems that man can’t fix, come and pray to HER.

Biking up here is not so easy.

The bike ride can be described as SHORT and STEEP.

We call it “PENITENSYA” or penance.

Up on the chapel is a giant, 30-foot, bronze statue of MARY MEDIATRIX overlooking the mountains.

A bigger version of the head is still on the ground.

The caretaker told me that the bigger one can’t be supported by the foundations of the existing chapel.
That is why the project was abandoned.

There is also a WISHING WELL. I swear it works! [not for material wishes though]

Note: for your material,worldly wishes, please wait for your X’mas bonus.Tnx.

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GOOGLE LOCATION MAP click here

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Pinoy Adventure Riders visit San Fabian Beach in Pangasinan

San Fabian is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines.

According to the latest census, it has a population of 74,005 people in 12,690 households.

I have heard of San Fabian from my co-worker Rainier. He is from San Fabian, Pangasinan.

I found out that San Fabian beach has been one of the most visited places in the early 70’s and 80’s until the late 90’s. Visitors from Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya, Tarlac, La Union, and Benguet usually flock the beach every 1st day of May – “Pista ng Dagat Festival”.

The beauty of the San Fabian beach invites people who come to the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag.

Thanks for reading.

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Pinoy Adventure Riders visit Baguio City

205 kilometers from Manila is the famous and cool, high altitude Baguio City, the city of Pines.

Believe it or not, this is just my 3^rd time to visit Baguio. My last visit was 10 years ago.

I am so excited.

Before leaving Pangasinan, Raffy on Skydrive encountered a flat. We pulled a large wire from the rear tire.

We quickly changed the rubber interior and moved on.

From  San Fabian, Pangasinan, we entered Marcos Highway. This is my first time going to Baguio this way. The common way is via Kennon road from Manila.

The ride via Marcos highway is a looong, slow , clutch burning ride. It is all uphill.

Rider Ronald on X1 immediately got some clutch problems.  Good thing he knows how to adjust the clutch of the bike.

We immediately got to high altitude. The fog, the fresh, cool air. Wow! What a feeling. What a view!

Ah, finally, the famous Burnham Park.

We parked our bikes. Lot’s of people. Lot’s of vendors. We got some grilled corn with butter. So, delicious. There is a coffee vendor too. 3 please….

It is cold. Very cold. Freezer cold. No hotel reservations and no time, we decided to go to the nearby SM to buy some tents. Nice SM here. SM with no air-conditioning. That is another first for me.

Our budget is only 1,000 pesos per tent. That is only the kiddie tent. We left SM with no tent on hand.

It is dark already and we are so tired. We ended up sleeping on newspapers  at Burnham Park. After laughing away our situation, we fell asleep.

I can’t sleep all the way. I have to check on the bikes from time to time. We are getting wet from the cool moist air.

At last, the morning came. We visited a few landmarks before heading back to Manila.

Looking back, that newspaper stunt is hard but unforgettable. Thanks for reading.

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Delicious Pizza Near My Home [real Italian pizza, not flat cheeseburgers]

I love pizza! Many people do. Pizza is my favorite food.

It is like I can eat pizza everyday.

There is a new pizza place near my house. Calda Pizza.

I found out from the crew that the pizza originally came from Cebu.

I came to put the pizza to the test.

I ordered their Calda Special Pizza. A good place to start.

The pizza guy started rolling the pin forming a circle.

I can see that all ingredients are fresh. This is gonna be good!

Lo and Behold! After a few minutes, my pizza is done.

I took some photos and took the pizza to my house.

I brewed my afternoon coffee and prepared the table.

Pizza is looking good.

I took my first bite. Wow! Delicious. It is like YCab Pizza at the fraction of the cost.I ate 3 slices in under a minute.

I could finish 8 slices but I have 3 pizza-munching kids I just overheard entering the door.

They  only have UFC catsup and hot sauce as condiment. Chili flakes and olive oil, I think will complete the picture.

They have 5 sizes to choose from. The biggest is the 36 incher.

Come visit their place. You will love it! That, I promise.

They are located at 88 D Bayan-bayanan ave., Concepcion Uno, Marikina City in front of Garcia’s Hospital.

Their phone, 903.0609. CALDA PIZZA – HOME OF THE 36″ PIZZA!

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A Ride to Pintong Bocaue in Sitio Maraat, San Mateo Rizal

Pintong Bocaue in Sitio Maraat, San Mateo Rizal lies near the boundary of San Juan, Antipolo with views of the vast Sierra Madre mountain range.

We started early. It’s 6AM. Our meeting place is CNP Mall in Marikina Heights.

A lot of riders showed up. We took the Monterey Hills route towards AFP housing.

These riders are hardcore.  No complaints here. The ride is mostly uphill.

Even rough uphill. Deep, giant road cracks, present. Danger? Always!

Look at the faces of the riders, from the very young, to the very old. With constant practice, they can all ride the mountains.

No magic there.

We have reached Bgy. Pintong Bocaue.

Dangerous downhills anyone? Disc brake  pads burn out here. But, it’s all good.

Finally, a river to cool down a bit.

We share the track with Motocross bikes.

Thanks for reading!

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Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known  as Burgos Lighthouse, is a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, that was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892 and is set high on Vigia de Nagparitan Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by. After over 100 years, it still functions as a welcoming beacon to the international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north and guide them safely away from the rocky coast of the town.

The light marks the northwesternmost point in Luzon. The northeasternmost being Cape Engaño Lighthouse in Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan.

The 65-foot-tall (20 m) octagonal stone tower, the most prominent structure in the vicinity, can be seen from as far away as Pasuquin town in the south and Bangui on the east on a clear day.

The lighthouse was first designed by Magin Pers and Pers in 1887 and was finished by the Lighthouse Service under Guillermo Brockman. It is typical of the Spanish Colonial lighthouses which is all masonry made with bricks that are widely used and produced in the area.

The octagonal tower is topped with a bronze cupola and the viewing gallery is surrounded by decorative iron grill works.

The beam now comes from a modern electric lamp that is powered by solar panels. The light before was provided by pressurized kerosene lamps very much like “Coleman lamps”.

In 2005, the old pressure vessels and wicks for the light could still be found in the shed. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was declared a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2004 and a National Cultural Treasure on June 20, 2005 by  the Philippine Government.

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3rd PHILIPPINE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AND FUEL ECONOMY RUN “SAFERUN 2012”

SAFERUN is a SAFE AND RESULT-ORIENTED event wherein motorcycle manufactures and enthusiasts can test the fuel efficiency, performance, durability and dependability of their motorcycles over a 2-day 750km run in actual traffic conditions, various terrain and weather conditions.

SAFERUN aims to further strengthen our advocacy for Road Safety by training the participants to strictly adhere to all government laws and regulations pertaining to road and public safety, to improve their riding skills, fuel economy riding techniques and navigation abilities.

SAFERUN aims to guide the Filipino consumer by publishing the actual fuel consumption and performance of the various engine displacements of motorcycle brands available in the Philippines and emphasize that the motorcycle is an economical and safe mode of transportation.

EVENT DATE:
February 25, 2012 Saturday 8:00AM Pre-Ride Safety Inspection
(NCR Participants)
March 1, 2012 Thursday 8:00AM Pre-Ride Safety Inspection
(Out of Town Participants)
March 2, 2012 Friday 5:00AM 1st leg (Manila-Alaminos Pangasinan)
March 3, 2012 Saturday 5:00AM 2nd leg (Alaminos- Baguio Via Aritao)
March 3, 2012 Saturday 7:00PM Awarding Ceremonies Baguio

1. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS:
A) Riders will be required to purchase:
a.1) Five (5) liters of Petron Sprint Enduro motorcycle oil.
a.2) 1,000 pesos worth of XCS or Blaze gasoline.
B) Purchases must be from December 1, 2011 to March 1, 2012.
C) Motorcycle change oil service official receipt from any Petron station between January 1, 2012 to March 1, 2012.
D) Duplicate copies of the riders LTO license with restriction 1 & 2. Official Registration/ Certificate of Registration or a letter from the dealer/ manufacturer indicating the type, brand and displacement of the motorcycle to be used on the event.
E) Registration Centers will be in all Motoworld outlets in Metro Manila starting January 1, 2012.
F) Out of town participants can email their registration forms and scanned requirements to thepinktiemanagement@yahoo.com starting January 1, 2012.

Registration will be on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS. If a class is already full, a participant may decide to register on the waiting list. In case a pre-registered rider fails to meet the Pre-Ride Safety Inspection, Final Departure Inspection or an accepted rider fails to show up at the starting line on March 2, 2012, his slot will be given to the participant in the waiting list.

Note: Items purchased for the registrations are non-refundable.

[Download PDF for more details]

Safe-Run-2012

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It’s not all claws at CLAWDADDY’S

Located at Bonifacio High Street district in Taguig, is CLAWDADDY’S.

It’s not all claws at CLAWDADDY’S.

There is corn on the cob, crabs, lobsters, oysters, ribs and steaks!

Taste the crab and lobster boil, an array of seafood such as shrimp, prawns, crayfish, blue crab, mussels and clams cooked in a special sauce seasoned with Cajun spices.

Seafood at CLAWDADDY’S  is a definite hit.

The seafood, no argument there, is always great!  But the baby-back ribs, oh, tastes soooo good.

The rib is cooked and slowly roasted to perfection. TRY IT!

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The last ride of 2011

We started early towards Mt. Maarat taking  the AFP route.

This is Joy’s first AFP route ride and he made it.

Night fell. We hooked up with Rox and headed to Biker’s Cafe at “THE WALL” Timberland route.

[rox, joy and larry]

We rewarded ourselves with Biker’s Mami [noodle dish]. Yum! Yum!

12.30.11 FIREWORKS @ RIVERBANK MALLS

Joy and I hooked up with rider Ronald and headed to Riverbank Malls to watch the fireworks.

Lot’s of people showed up to watch the fireworks display.

1 AM 11.31.11, the pyrotechnic display started.

It was a short 10-minute show.

It was fun and fantastic!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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