"Once a Year, Go to Someplace You've Never Been Before."

I was one of those lucky persons who got the opportunity to kill two birds in one stone. It was my first trip to go abroad. Moreover, I did not go to the Philippines for vacation only, instead being the representative of my university to attend the student-teacher exchanged program. Well.. I still could achieve two things in a single action. I did not only gain new knowledge and enrich my pedagogical teaching skills through the program, but also fulfill my another dream to visit and explore some tourists' destinations here, in the Philippines. For those who got the same opportunity (the exchange program) just like me, you do not have to be worried with the hectic schedule because in every weekend or free days, you will be able to explore the Philippines. This post will tell you about my excursion weeks during the program.

The Meg!
In the first weekend, we planned to go to Baguio city, the summer city where there are many interesting outdoor destinations. Unfortunately, the weather was not allowed us to do as we planned. It was raining cats and dogs all day! For most of nearby public sites are outdoor, it made us had to change our destination place. Instead, we decided to go to the SM at Cabanatuan City. It took one hour and fifteen minutes to go there by car from CLSU. We were having our lunch time there, watched The Meg and walked around to find our needs.

Please, pardon those indescribable expressions when we're seeing lots of all-you-can-eat food :D

Even tough we did not go as we planned in the beginning, we still had a great day. We were really having fun! Thanks to my new-but-felt-like-old friends (as you knew, what will old friends do when they are playing around together~) also the great companion from Ma'am Yasmin and Sir Gaboy, for making our day was brighter than the sky at that time! hehe

Exploring Philippines in one day
Nayong Filipino Clark is one of sites which is called as the mini Philippines. When visitors come, we will be greeted by a group of people who sing and play musical instruments at the main gate. Then, we will be guided by a tour guide to get around.

We watched the cultural performances, gained the new knowledge about the historical of Philippines, and bought some souvenirs there. It is placed in a wide area that we could find some replicas of traditional houses which is represented the people over countries. There is also a theater which holds cultural performances scheduled in every mid days. The dancers danced beautifully accompanied by vigorous instruments. Their performances were really entertained us. There is also a church, the Money Museum, replica of the castle and the Philippines traditional vehicles, and many more. If you are the visitors who have limited times in Philippines but would love to explore it in a day, I recommend this place as one of your destinations!

What a breathtaking view! Mount Samat National Shrine.
Mt. Samat National Shrine is a historical shrine which was built in memorial to honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldier who fought during World War II. It is located near the summit of Mount Samat, in Bataan province.

It was a drizzling day when we arrived at Mt. Samat. But this time, we brought our umbrellas so we could still get around to explore it.

There is a historical landmark called the Bataan Memorial Cross there. Its length is 99 feet. It was built dedicated to soldiers who fought for freedom in the Battle of Bataan. We planned to go to the peak of the shrine to see the view from there. Unfortunately, it was under maintenance that we could not go up there. Then, we went to the museum which is located about 100 meters from the shrine. We could see how the World War II happened in Philippines by seeing the moments captured through pictures hanged on the wall. The pictures captured tragic and heroic moments during the World War II. We learned a lot about the Philippines. It was not only about the historical thing, but also its effects on the people and cultures.

If we go to the museum porch, we can see that the view from there was so breathtaking. It is located at the summit of Mount Samat, so we could see the whole city from there. We were walking around to find the most perfect spot to capture our moments there (as you knew, nowadays one spot could produce about 20+ photos😂😁). Overall, I recommended this place for those who want to have an educational tour with such a beautiful yet breathtaking view 💛 Some people go there just to jogging or having a family tour.

Challenged accepted! Sky Ranch!
After visited the Mt. Bataan National Shrine, we went to the Sky Ranch. It is an amusing park located beside the SM. We made some extreme rides challenged 😆 We were really having fun there. Especially Iza and I, for we were the food seekers and targeted to explore the place just to fulfill our lovely tummy 😁

Even tough the whether in every weekends were not really supported us to visit and explore other outdoor tourists destinations, we could still have a great journey. It was not only the matter of what places you had visited tough. It would be more meaningful when you could learn some things from it, and that's what we did.