Hainrihi's Discoveries: Tagaytay

Photo Challenge | Different Stories Beyond the Edge

9:24 PM

I love balconies. For others, a balcony is just for display or a way to view what is outside. But for me, it is a place where I can see different stories based on my perspective. Every time I enter a new house or stay in a hotel with a balcony, I go out and take a photo of what lies beyond the EDGE.

Boracay

In my 2014 trip to Boracay, the balcony had a view of the swimming pool area. This panorama photo was taken first thing in the morning and it was great to see the area empty and calm. The view was relaxing and it made my vacation more enjoyable---especially since it was my first time to go to Boracay.

Tagaytay

While waiting for a wedding ceremony, our barkada lingered in the balcony of Plaza Ibarra in Tagaytay City. Here, we took selfies, told stories, and ate lunch. During that time, we saw the groom, Jayson, standing on one of the venue’s gazebo roofs. Apparently, the wedding photographers wanted to take a photo of him with the Taal Volcano in the background. I immediately took a photo of the scene and this was the result:

I had mixed feelings when I took this because 1) Jayson was standing on a high place, so I was nervous that he might fall with just one wrong move and 2) despite the situation, the view was spectacular, thanks to the Taal Volcano in the background.

My friends were also nervous because they were scared for Jayson. Little did we know, the bride already saw this scene hahaha. Despite that, we still had a great time looking at the scene and we were even shouting words of encouragement to Jayson.

I can’t explain why, but balconies are very special to me. In fact, I love balconies so much that I plan to put one when Marc and I have our own place in the future. I learn many stories and see various things when I look beyond the edge of a balcony. Apart from that, balconies show me that there is more to the world and I just have to explore it.

~Hainrihi

Share your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach me via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo Challenge/Personal | Love Local With Tagaytay

2:21 AM

One of the best things last year is Janis of Untouristing and I formed a group of bloggers in our office team. We have always wanted to form a bloggers group with our team of writers and editors for so long and we finally did it. Apart from sharing our blog posts, giving tips, and commenting on each other’s entries, we created challenges so everyone would be motivated to write in their blogs.

October was three posts a week (which I realized was very hard). November was movie, book, games, comics, and music reviews (where I did a review of Doctor Strange). And December was a #BlessedDecember post where I wrote about the blessings that 2016 gave me.

For this January, we’re doing photo challenges and this week is all about “Local”.

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When we’re talking about “local”, of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the Philippines. I was born here, this is my home country, and the place that I want to explore. But upon analyzing the word, I realized that “local” is about the wonders of our country. It’s not the whole Philippines per se, but it is about the beauty of our islands, provinces, communities, beaches, and cities. In fact, we show everyone how beautiful the Philippines is through our local wonders.

Last year, I rarely got out of Metro Manila due to budget and time constraints. But the very, very few times I went to different provinces, I made sure to take photos of their local wonders. By doing so, they will always remind me how beautiful our country is.

Tagaytay – Taal Volcano

One of the beautiful places that I went to last 2016 was Tagaytay. For someone who rarely goes to provinces, I deeply appreciate the beauty of Tagaytay.

It also now holds a special place in my heart because this is where one of my high school friends got married last year. Not only was Tagaytay the place where Joy and her fiancé, Jayson made their union official, but it was also where the barkada got together after a long time. Since three of my friends work abroad, we rarely see each other. So the wedding was an opportunity to catch up.

Going to Tagaytay won’t be complete without taking a picture of the famous Taal Volcano.

Just seeing the Taal Volcano from a restaurant balcony while eating bulalo is enough for me to love this small but wonderful province. I believe Tagaytay is one of the local places that makes the Philippines a beautiful country.

I don’t think Tagaytay will ever be removed from my travel list. I’ll be going back early this year AND later this year for the special events in my life. I can say I won’t ever get tired of going there because of its breathtaking sites, cool breeze, and local wonders.

~ Hainrihi

Have you visited Tagaytay recently? Let me know your thoughts about it in the comments section below. You can also reach me via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the Blogger

Hainrihi’s Discoveries is a geek, cosplay, and lifestyle blog owned by Erin Joan Yang, a passionate writer and blogger, a young at heart, and a lover of the color green. This blog features the adventures of a late bloomer who is discovering a lot of things such as geekery, cosplay, makeup, beauty, and more. Erin has always believed that it is never too late to try something new. Her passion has always been writing because this is her way to express her thoughts. For inquiries or collaborations, email Erin at hainrihisdiscoveries[at]gmail[dot]com.