The Agtalin Shrine is the home of the highest Marian statue in Asia. The Mirculous Medal statue is 50 feet high and was built on top of the Agtalin Hill Chapel. It is also overlooking the coast of Pilar Bay.

Climbing up to the Shrine is not that easy. Imagine taking 185 steps but it was worth the climb, not just for the view but also for our faith. It was really a great experience esp. that I’m a member(devotee) of the Legion of Mary since my elementary years. And learning about the story behind the place was really inspiring.

Thousands of devotees visit the Agtalin Shrine every first saturday of the month to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the healing Mass/prayer for the sick. Well, here’s the list of the schedule of Activities in Agtalin Shrine during First Saturday of the Month. Hope this can help you in planning your trip.

Agtaline Shrine First Saturday Schedule
7:00 AM Recitation of the Holy Rosary
7:30 AM Confession, Catechism, Sharing
9:00 AM Holy Mass
10:30 AM Prayer for the Sick, Blessing of the Religious Articles

*****

Agtalin Shrine
Agtalin Hills, Brgy. Dulangan
Pilar, Capiz, Philippines 5800

The Yellow Rose stands for strong feelings of joy and happiness, but most of all friendship. It  also symbolizes fun and freedom.

Durian is commonly known as the “king of Fruits” due to it’s formidable look and unique yet overpowering odor. Some people regard this odor as fragrance while others, like me, find it offensive and disgusting. Sorry! It’s just my opinion. Well, this odor is the reason why the fruit is forbidden in some hotels and transportation in Southeast Asia.

Since I’m bias when it comes to the taste and flavor of durian for I can’t stand the smell of it, I’ll just copy paste instead what people think of the durian fruit from Wikipedia. But according to my durian-lover relatives, it’s really creamy and delicious. Hmm… What do you think?

Davao’s Durian

Quoted from Wikipedia regarding Durian’s flavor and odor:

The unusual flavour and odour of the fruit have prompted many people to express diverse and passionate views ranging from deep appreciation to intense disgust. Writing in 1856, the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace provides a much-quoted description of the flavour of the durian:

“The five cells are silky-white within, and are filled with a mass of firm, cream-coloured pulp, containing about three seeds each. This pulp is the edible part, and its consistence and flavour are indescribable. A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid nor sweet nor juicy; yet it wants neither of these qualities, for it is in itself perfect. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact, to eat Durians is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East to experience. … as producing a food of the most exquisite flavour it is unsurpassed.”

While Wallace cautions that “the smell of the ripe fruit is certainly at first disagreeable”, later descriptions by westerners are more graphic. British novelist Anthony Burgess writes that eating durian is “like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory.” Chef Andrew Zimmern compares the taste to “completely rotten, mushy onions.” Anthony Bourdain, while a lover of durian, relates his encounter with the fruit as thus: “Its taste can only be described as…indescribable, something you will either love or despise. …Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.”

Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

“… its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia.”

Do you know where this place is?

HINTS:
1. Near a famous church (one of the most beautiful church ever:P)
2. Approximately 2-3 Hours away from Manila
3. It was built by the Dominicans as a home for pilgrimage just a few kilometers from Tagaytay.
4. A perfect venue for retreats, recollection, renewal workshop, marriage ceremony and other religious activites.
5. “From here one can behold the expanse of _____ and witness the glorious opus of radiant nature – a symphony of sky, trees, and the distant hills of Batulao.”

Guess where this place is and you’ll get a chance to win this beautiful Cap. All you have to do is guess the place where the photo was taken and leave your answer in the comment section. Simple right? So what are you waiting for? Guess the place now for this contest will run for 7 days only. Contest will end in June 3, 2009 Wednesday at 11:59PM.

More contest coming in the near future…

Contest mechanics:

1. This contest is open to all lagawan readers from the Philppines.
2. Just a simple game. All you have to do is guess the name of the place (photo) or where the photo was taken.
3. Leave your answer in the comment section and the first correct answer will win a beautiful cap (see photo of the cap).
4. Deadline for submission of entries is at 11:59 pm of June 3, 2009. The result will be announced the next day June 4,2009.

Here’s the prize: A Cap from Artwork

Sunset in Valladolid, Negros Occidental

We are sisters, we are friends

Here’s another view of the sunset from my window Isn’t it great? I so love it