Lake Agco

Hey there adventure seekers.. Have you tried going South? I mean in Mindanao, if you are planning or don't have a plan at all, well let me share to you a good place to visit there, the place where I come from.

Lake Agco is located at the foot of Mt. Apo- the highest mountain in the Philippines. The resort is less than an hour away from Kidapawan City, to those who are not familiar, Kidapawan City is more or less 2.5 hours land travel away from Davao City.

Lake Agco, the water source for the resort, is a steaming blue lake where hot and cold springs converge at an elevation of 1,250 meters above sea level. Steam rises from the lake revealing the natural heat beneath its calm surface. Some of this heat bubbles up around the lake shore and is hot enough to cook an egg. The water is heated by the underlying volcanic vents to near boiling point and is rich with minerals such as sulphur, which is considered by the indigenous people as having medicinal value. This attraction at the heart of Mt. Apo is truly a hot spring resort discovery! Unique for its abundance of vigorous plants within the vicinity, it reveals you a picture of an area that seem untouched and secluded. source: lakeagco.cjb.net

 

It was already late afternoon of January 2, 2011 when me and my 3 other cousins were sending sms to each other to camp overnight at Lake Agco Mountain Resort. It's been awhile since the last time I was there, the first time I visited the place I was still around 5 or 7 years old. The last time I visited prior to this trip the place has been developed, it has already a resort..and after few years of not visiting the said place I heard that the Resort added their amenities which also added to my excitements to visit the place once again.

It was already dark when we reached the place, although there were available rooms for us to rent but we decided to stay in our tent as part of our adventure. Past 12mn the rain started to pour. I was wearing a winter jacket at that time but I could still feel the cold while we were all trying to fall asleep.

oooHhhh.. Goosebumps!!

 

When the cold was already irresistible.. me and my 2 other cousins decided to soak our bodies in the warm tub and stayed there until sunrise. For me at that time, I felt like... I found a very warm blanket in that very cold morning. BbbRrrrrr!!

 

After soaking our bodies from the warm tub we transferred to another. The water here is hot and it took us few minutes before our skin got used to the water temperature.

The lake remain secluded.. you have to take a short trek to get there. As you notice in the picture, you'll see smoke at the background... that smoke is actually coming from the steam of the boiling lake mud.

  The flowers that you could possibly find within the area.

Us enjoying the natural Jacuzzi and Sauna for only 15php. You may not like the sulfuric smell at first but eventually you'll get used to it.

 Getting there is not that hard, there are public transportations that can bring you to the resort and habal-habal is most known to that area. If you are looking for a relaxation over the weekend and you're already in Mindanao.. why not try this place. So what are you waiting for.. plan your trip now, start packing your things and don't forget to have fun!!!

Special thanks to my Aunt Nelly for lending me her bike and to my cousin Mhon for the gas.. and of course to the two of the many beautiful cousins of mine Marnie and Lhysl for the company and for bringing food for us. I enjoyed our trip.. until next time!!! Thanks much.. :)

The Kikay In Me

What’s Kikay in Me? That was the first question I asked to myself before writing this. I am not a fashionista and I don’t usually follow trends. Am I really a kikay? I have a Kikay kit, maybe I’m a kikay? Am I? Okay, I don’t want to confuse myself now. Seriously, I don’t know much about fashion and I don’t care what’s in and what’s out in there. All I know is I love taking care of myself. 

The most expensive part of me is my hair. Sometimes, I don’t care how much I spend for a hair treatment just to make it healthy and  beautiful. For me, hair does matter. If I’m having a good hair day, I feel like I can face anyone even without make-up. Believe me, beautiful hair can boost up your confidence too aside from heels. Few close girl friends know about this, I don’t go out from home without blowing my hair dry. I use electric fan instead of hair dryer because it’s more safer for the hair.

I’m just so fortunate that I was able to attend seminars with regards to health and beauty using natural products few years ago which until now I’m still practicing what I have learned. Aside from hair, I also love skin cares most especially facial but going to facial centers on a regular basis is quite expensive and so I’m doing it at home. Sometimes if I have enough time I’m extending my home-made facial services to my family and friends for free. Lucky guys!

Beauty tips to those who are not aware yet, when you have pimples don’t use facial scrubs because it will trigger the pimples more. To avoid big pores never use facial scrubs daily, use it aleast twice a week only. Best advise to wash your face with cold instead of hot water to tighten the skin. At night never ever sleep without cleaning your face and as much as possible use toner and moisturizer after washing your face and sleep before 12midnight because that’s the time our cells rejuvenate. If you want to have a fresher looks sleep as much as you can because nothing beats a good sleep.

One thing I really love living alone is that I own my bathroom, no one will knock the door and will ask me if I’m already done because usually I’m taking 45 minutes (when I’m in a hurry) to 2 hours (on my free days). If you’ll ask me what I am doing inside, well, I have lots of shower rituals and one of those is body scrub. That’s one of the major things that are consuming my time while taking a shower but it’s always nice to feel fresh and clean after it. I could say it’s a must try!J

Aside from facial I also love doing my nails at home. I’m not an expert on this that’s why this is only applicable when I have enough patience.

In the morning aside from prayer, I also start my day with feel good music. I sing and dance as my exercise.  I also do meditation once in a while but most of the time during weekends.  I mentioned those because music and prayers are the medicines and the vitamins to my soul. Sometimes, the secret of beauty doesn’t always come from the beauty products that we’re buying. Sometimes you don’t need to spend much money for it, all you have to have is a happy soul and beauty from within will just simply show. What’s inside will reflect outside. No make-up can cover a sad face that’s why you must also have to take care of your inner self. Avoid stress, enjoy and balance your life as much as possible.

In a busy and stressful world like ours, a woman who knows how to handle her responsibilities and yet still have time to take care of herself is always admirable.It’s always fun to be a girl!!

Visit the following sites and be more Kikay: http://www.getprettified.com,  http://www.hairsandnailssalon.com,  http://www.kikaymuch.me,  http://www.shoppingera.net..  Have fun Kikays!!!!