Photo Wanders | Marcos Highway: Of Golds, Greens and Blues

Marcos Highway along Tanay(??) in Rizal

Road trip and photography, two activities I wouldn't get tired of doing. And not just because I wasn't the one who's driving, if I own a car, I'd probably be on a road trip every weekend. I think?! Haha! Anyway, there isn't a single road trip my friend and I made that I didn't take photos while cruising the highway or any road along the way to where we're going. I simply love taking photos that even if we went through the same route several times before, I still can't help but take some photographs.

So for this week, I'd be posting some of the photos I took while cruising along Marcos Highway, during our road trip to Regina RICA in Tanay, Rizal. Fasten your seatbelt folks and come ride along with us, let us all see and appreciate the beauty of nature that God has blessed us with. Enjoy the (virtual) ride... ^_^

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. ~Aristotle

Follow the trail of your dreams, not the highway of others expectations. ~Anonymous

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere. ~Vincent Van Gogh

A sunset here is a sunrise on the other end of the world.

Never give up because what appears to be the end may actually be a new beginning. ~Brahma Kumaris

Sunsets, like childhood are viewed with wonder
not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting. ~Richard Paul Evans

~ oo00oo ~

All photos were taken along the stretch of Marcos Highway in the province of Rizal last February 8, 2016. Photos were taken by yours truly using either Canon EOS 550D or iPhone 5. Except for the sunset photos, all else were taken while cruising and all are handheld shots.

~ oo00oo ~

Happy and blessed Sunday every one. Enjoy the rest of the day and welcome the coming week with a happy heart. God bless! ^_^

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Rizal | Road Trip to Regina RICA: A Place of Prayer, Pilgrimage and Peace

Regina RICA, Tanay, Rizal

Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation  in Asia, or simply Regina RICA, is a shrine and pilgrimage site situated in a 13.5 hectare of land at the foothills of Sierra Madre in Tanay, Rizal. Founded in 2005, Regina RICA is under the auspices of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii. Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii's mission is to teach people about contemplative prayer and contemplative way of life.

Our Lady and the sun's rays

Last February, we visited Regina RICA for our weekend road trip. There was a moderate traffic around Marikina/Marcos highway due to some road repair/construction but all in all, it was a hassle-free travel. We arrived at Regina RICA around 3PM, paid the parking fee (50 Php) and registered ourselves at the reception area. Afterwards, we then started walking up the sacred trail, a 300+ steps trail made of bricks, some of which with footprints of those who gave their love offering. The trail is pretty easy to walk through (ascent is gradual) and is lined up with flowers and citrus trees, making the climb a walk in the park.

Dominican Sisters driving around golf carts, could also be used to transport pilgrims who can't walk

At the top of the hill is the 71-meter high statue of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary with its mantle extended at the back and serves as the roof of the area where pilgrims have to wait, listen and participate in the contemplative prayer led by one of the Dominican sisters. After the prayer, pilgrims will then be allowed to line up and climb the statue to pay respect.

inside Our Lady's mantle, pilgrims waiting in line to climb and pay respect to the statue of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

After the climb, we made a small donation and in return we were given a souvenir card with a small cloth attached to it. The cloth is said to have touched the lips of Our Lady of Regina Rosarii and in the card was printed this prayer:

...Heal my body, heal my mind, heal my spirit, heal my pocket...

Regina Rosarii, Virgin most powerful, intercede for us,

Mama Mary, Mother most merciful intercede for us to Jesus your son.

Amen.

 

After our visit to Our Lady,  we then roam around and took some photos of the place. We also had our snack from their cafeteria, before we bid our goodbye to Our Lady of Regina Rosarii. Here are the photos I took while roaming around Regina RICA:

rainbows and rolling hills,
view from the top of Regina RICA hill

Labyrinth Prayer Walk where pilgrims slowly walk and meditate,
 though I saw some children who take it as a playground running around and laughing

pilgrims walking around the labyrinth path of prayer

Regina RICA men preparing the bricks for footprint-taking
If I remembered it right, I heard the donation is about 500 Php, per brick
though I read from a blog it's 1,000 Php so am not really sure how much  

A woman about to imprint her footprints on the brick

lighted candles, each color represents an aspect of your life you want to pray for
 of course, we prayed for everything - thanksgiving, peace, family, good health, etc.;
we bought a candle set actually, all 12 of them, and lighted them all

Regina RICA chapel

the Chapel's altar

Our Lady and the wishing well
view from the Chapel

notice the lady's skirt? it's what you'll have to borrow when you get there wearing shorts
NOTE: shorts, sandos (men, women and children), sleeveless blouses and blouses with spaghetti straps are NOT ALLOWED

How to get to Regina RICA

Private Vehicle:

* From QC Circle, take Kalayaan Road and head towards Marcos Highway via Aurora Boulevard

* Continue driving along Marcos Highway, past Cogeo and other towns/barangays of Rizal including Camp Capinpin

* At approximately KM66.5, turn right at Aguho Street (with Regina RICA signage at the corner).

* Regina Rica is around 200 meters away after you turned right in Aguho.

NOTE: If you have a smart phone, turn on your GPS and cellular network (you can turn off cellular network after searching) and launch Google Maps. Search for Regina RICA and follow the route provided by the app. Except for some ongoing road repair/construction where you have to do some detours, the route provided by Google Maps is pretty accurate, you won't get lost!

Public Transport - From Aurora Boulevard, Cubao:

* From Mercury-Cubao, take a Cogeo-bound jeepney and tell the driver to drop you off at Cogeo market

* From Cogeo market, take a jeepney bound for Sampaloc and get off at Sampaloc market

* From Sampaloc market, take a tricycle going to Regina RICA in Sitio Aguho

Public Transport - From Star Mall, Shaw Boulevard/Crossing:

* Take a van or jeepney bound for Tanay and tell the driver to drop you off at Sampaloc-bound Jeepney Terminal

* Take the Sampaloc-bound jeepney and get off at Sampaloc market

* From Sampaloc market, take a tricycle going to Regina RICA in Sitio Aguho

Visiting Hours/Mass Schedule

* Regina RICA is open from 8:00AM to 5:30PM everyday except Tuesdays

* Mass:

   Sunday - 11:00AM; 3:30PM

   Monday - Saturday (except Tuesday) - 11:00AM

   every 4th Saturday of the month - 6:00AM

~ oo00oo ~

Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia

website: www.reginarica.org

Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal

Note: more infos on their site (link above)

Date of Visit: February 8, 2016

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Rizal | Re-visiting Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine in Antipolo

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine - Antipolo City

I first visited Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine or Nuestra Senora De La Paz Y Buen Viaje in Antipolo way back when I was still in college. The owner of the place where I used to work brought us (me and my co-workers) there. It was summer time then, month of May, if I remembered it right. Just don't remember if it was the town's fiesta but there were lots of people, and I mean lots of people that time. Even the church compound is full of people. And if I remembered it right, vendors were within the church complex itself, making the place more crowded.

Because of the crowd and since I'm not used to traveling long distance, I don't remember much of the church. I don't even remember the church's facade, much less the inside of the church. We were supposed to go inside (me and my co-workers) but we weren't able to make it. We tried going inside when I suddenly felt dizzy, I almost fainted had one of my co-workers didn't immediately brought me outside to a less crowded area. (It happens usually (at one time, I actually fainted) when I'm in a crowded area, more so in a contained area. I feel suffocated and couldn't breathe.) Anyway, that's the only memory I remembered of Antipolo Church back then.

The Altar and the image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

Last October, I was again able to visit this famous church; this after our journey to Kalbaryo Binangonan. This time, I was able to enter the church; to pray and to just sit there in silence for a while. Even during weekdays, the church is open (no service, tho) and there's quite a number of devotees and tourists that day. I also noticed some cars being blessed that day, just goes to show that a lot of people still go there to have their cars blessed as they believed the image would provide them guidance and safety on their journey, wherever that may be.

stained glass window, features various images of Mama Mary

another stained glass window

Before we left, we looked around and took some photos. The church complex is a lot orderly now, no vendors inside, not even candle vendors. And its quite peaceful, too; no unnecessary noise, whatsoever. Maybe because it was s an ordinary day then, but hopefully, it stays that way.

pasalubong/street foods sold outside the church

We also looked around for some pasalubong; bought some tamales from one of the vendors actually. Also tried street foods again, after sometime of not having it. And then that's it, we left afterwards; back to where we should be, with happy hearts and memories to treasure. *wink*

This is it with our Rizal road trip! 'Til next time... ^_^

~ oo00oo ~

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine

Antipolo City, Rizal

Date of Visit: October 28, 2013

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Rizal | Our Journey to Kalbaryo (Calvary) Hill of Binangonan

Kalbaryo - Brgy. Libid, Binangonan, Rizal

Last October, during my "jobless" days, I was able to visit some nearby attractions here in Metro Manila. Two weeks before this Rizal road trip, we've been to Laguna, more for a food trip than a road trip, though...hehe. ;) Anyway, for our Rizal road trip, we visited Binangonan and Antipolo. In Binangonan, we tried to visit the municipality's parish church, the Sta. Ursula Parish Church. Unfortunately, since it was a weekday then, the church is closed so I just took some photos and then headed to our next destination: Kalbaryo Binangonan.

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