The C-Spot: A Photography, Travel and Culture Journal

In photo is the Sampaloc Lake, the biggest of the Seven Lakes which the City of San Pablo in the Province of Laguna, some 70 kms south of Manila, is famous for  (San Pablo is sometimes called the City of Seven Lakes or Lungsod ng Pitong Lawa in Tagalog). The lakes are actually cauldrons or crater-remains of once active volcanos in the Laguna area.  This post is Part 3 of a series of posts on a recent visit to the City of San Pablo. Here I'll talk about two of the more famous and most visited lakes - Lake Sampaloc and Lake Pandin. The above panoramic photo I took during our visit shows one of the mountains that surrounds the City. This one is called Mt. Cristobal. The lake sits just right next to the city itself. In fact, it is just a few steps from the backside of the City Hall. There's a  circumferential road where one can go about and explore via one of those rental bikes available at the area. The total distance of this road is about 3.5 kilometers and is also a popula...

This is a close-up shot I took of the façade of the San Pablo City Cathedral during a visit there last June 23, 2022 . Inset is a circa 1951 photo showing part of the original Ateneo de San Pablo. When the church was first built in 1586 by the Augustinians, it was made out of bamboo materials which was, and still is, abundant in the area. A second church was constructed in the years 1618 to 1629 and was made of stone. And finally, the foundations for the present church was  laid in 1680. The stone church building was started in 1714 and was completed some seven years later.  One of the less known fact about this church is that it has "change hands" among several religious orders a few times in the past, among which was the Jesuit Order or the Society of Jesus (SJ). This is probably the reason why an Ateneo de San Pablo was established there (est. in 1947). According to records, the last Ateneo graduation day was in March 1978. It is now known as Liceo de San Pablo, a parochia...

This is the sight that will welcome you upon ascending an 11-step grand stairway ending in Plata, following the oro, plata, mata superstition in Spanish-Filipino architectural design.  Many of the items you see in the photo are part of an antique collection of the owner/s of the place. The Sala Nature Resort and Events Place, is tucked away in a quiet and peaceful corner in the otherwise bustling City of San Pablo in the Province of Laguna some one-and-a-half hour car ride south of Manila. The recent construction of a  network of expressways that by-passes the old and busy highways have made the ride quicker and more comfortable.  Among the features of the place is a small river that runs beside the property with a small man-made dam where guests can actually set-up a table and dine much like the one found in another San Pablo resort called Villa Escudero. * You can bring your pet dogs, too! Within the small resort area are a handful of accommodations overlooking the wate...

The year 2020 is one that will truly go down in history as the year when the world practically shutdown. Many activities, specially those that involve a gathering of people, were actually prohibited including church services and other religious activities such as the age-old tradition of families visiting and praying for the dead loved-ones in cemeteries. An "unintended victim" of this are the dead themselves, or rather the souls of the dead (if you believe in the soul). In a story told to me by my mother, the Day of the Dead is also a very special day in the spirit world and for the dead loved-ones themselves. It is said that the soul of those who passed away await the arrivial and visit of their living kins at the cemetery's gate. To them it is also a joyous day and a time for celebration. The cemetery is considered hallowed ground and the cemetery gates set the limit as to where the souls can stay and wait. They are supposedly prohibited from going out to the realm of ...

Olango is an island east of Cebu in central Philippines. Olango island is part of a six-island group east of the main island of Cebu. It is accessible via a motorized boat ride from the city. It's one of the "must-visit" places in Cebu because it is the location of the largest bird sanctuary in the Philipiines. When I visited the place it was for the specific purpose of observing and taking photos of the birds which are known to have come from as far as northern China and parts of Siberia. At the start of the cold season in the northern hemisphere, the birds start their migration to the warmer climate in the southern hemisphere  such as Australia. The Philippines seem to be a half point in their journey and this is where they seek sanctuary for nourisment and to gain strength which they will need to continue their journey. They take the same route on their way back to return to where they originally started. They come for the 1,030 hectares of mangrove forest, coral reefs...

23 March 2018 The temperature is now in its low 20s. Night still comes late though and there's yet enough light to brighten the night sky but the city is already lit by street lights laden with the chemical sodium which creates the orange color and is more than ready to welcome the dark night. In a matter of weeks, the temperature will start going down to just a little above 10 degrees Celsius on its way to winter. Soon the foliage will turn brown and eventually trees will shed their leaves. Autumn in New Zealand may not be as spectacular a sight as its counterparts in the northern hemisphere but the charm of this littlest and coziest capital city in the world is no less captivating. * what you see is what I see