Whenever we go on a trip these days, I would always search the net for blogs regarding the place that we intend to go. So far, I have been successful with the 3 trips we have in South Luzon . For the third time because of the tips given by bloggers, we were available to maximize out time and fuel by having our itinerary fixed.

As suggested, we have to pass by the Rizal route in going to Laguna. Our aim was to pass by Morong and visit St. Jerome Church, a church known for its old baroque style of architecture. Truly we were impressed by its grandeur. Up and about the long and winding road of Rizal, the Sumulong Highway, we can already see the beauty of Laguna de bay. The stretch of the highway was scenic, much better than the South Luzon expressway.

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Even as a child our summer trips to the province would always make me sick. Travelling to Baguio when I was a teenager made me sick, as I reached Pangasinan, motion sickness would ruin my day. As we go along Kennon road I will feel doubly sick.

I thought I was done with having motion sickness at this age, only to experience it again when we went to Laguna via the Rizal route. There was no problem with the condition of the cemented and asphalted road but the curves and zigzag road really made my balance crazy. Upon reaching Sinoloan on our way to Paete Laguna, my stomach got topsy-turvy.

It was a scenic route along Sumulong Highway, some called it the Laguna loop, very few vehicles pass this route, I saw mostly cyclist (mountain bikers) and motorcycles trekking this route. The greens along the way are a welcome view and pleasing to the eyes. However, I don’t recommend this route in the evening it might be dangerous and its gonna be creepy!

Notes on Motion sickness:

Motion sickness is a form of physiologic vertigo. It is caused by repeated rhythmic stimulation of the vestibular system in a car, air or boat travel. Some will feel vertigo (feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning.), body weakness, nausea and vomiting.

It can be suppressed by supplying visual signals that more closely match the motion signals being supplied to the vestibular system. Looking out the window and watching the environment move when experiencing motion sickness associated with car travel, provides the vestibular system with the visual sensation of motion , but reading a book provides the vestibular system with the miscue that environment is stable.

With these, it is better to look at the window than read a book while riding the car. It is much better to take over the counter medicines to help you with motion sickness. But one side effect of this drug is you will feel sleepy.

Reference:
Essentials of Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States
(Point (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins), 2002 , by Carol Mattson Porth

The main landmark of the Caloocan City is the Bonifacio Monument. It is also the last stop of the LRT line 1 Monumento station. It is located at the intersection of Rizal Avenue & Epifanio Delos Santos Ave. Actually it is the merging point of the two long avenues EDSA and Rizal Ave.

EDSA (traversing the cities of Caloocan , Quezon , Mandaluyong , San Juan, Makati and Pasay) ,was named after Epifanio de los Santos (July 7, 1871–April 28, 1928) was distuinguished Filipino who is a historian, collector of Filipiniana books, literary critic, jurist, antiquitarian and patriot. He was known as “First Filipino Academican”; “Great among the Great Filipino Scholars”; “The Librarian”; A Man of so many Talents.He served as director of the Philippine National Museum and Library in 1925.

Rizal Ave (traversing the cities of Caloocan, Manila and Pasay), was named after our great national hero Jose Rizal.His famous works are Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

The monument commemorates the most proletarian of all Filipino heroes, Gat Andres Bonifacio. He is the father of the Revolution in 1896 at Balintawak and the founder of the Katipunan.( Philippine revolutionary organization founded in 1892, against the Spaniards)

A great Filipino national artist for sculpture, Guillermo Tolentino, immortalized the monument. He was named National Artist in Sculpture in 1973. A National Artist of the Philippines is the highest recognition given to Filipinos for excellence in the filed of Philippine arts.

The Bonifacio monument is considered the masterpiece of Guillermo Tolentino. It was completed in 1933 and represents the first encounter between Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan.

That intersection at the foot of the LRT station and will be the merging point if the MRT and LRT loop will be completed in 2010 speaks of so much history and greatness of Filipinos. They have started soil testing along EDSA and soon diggings will start to give way to construction of a mass transport system. I do hope the place will never lost its glory because its represents our sense of pride and history as Filipinos.

photo by http://philippines-archipelago.com/author/visited/metro_manila_2.html