I’ve been to this Wildlife Park several times before but the most wonderful time ever was recently when we went with our bebelab, Jan Francisrain!
I happened to take three days off at work last week, the first week of Feb 2021 (including the weekend) to spend some time and sit with Jan Francisrain. The first day of my leave was well spent in Al Areen Wildlife Park located in Sakhir, Bahrain. It is less than an hour’s drive from the Main City. The park features 100,000 planted flora and trees and more than 45 species of animals, 82 species of birds, and 25 species of flora. Species that roam the nature reserve section of the park include Arabian oryx among others which is extinct in the wild and other endangered species.
Well, it’s bad that we were not able to roam around the park fully since we were only allowed to inside for an hour due to social distancing. It isn’t the same like before where there were mini tour buses inside that will take you to the park animals/ Zafari, with a tour guide/speaker that informs/educate us about these wild animals.
Here are some of the photos taken inside the reserve;
So, I’ve been longing for so long to sit down and start writing my escapades again but I’ve been so busy with a little time left for idleness.
The past 2 years (the birth of our Jan Francisrain) had been the busiest so far and as I always say, If I could only make 24hrs a day to 34hrs a day, I would, so I will have enough time to balance my office work and my mother duties and household duties (certified OCD) and other things (do my regular exercise, to write, and do my other hobbies) all at once.
Living in Bahrain for almost half of my life, I have come to know almost all the things here. BH has only two weather all through the year, summer and winter, with only a little rain showers in between, (the start and end of winter/summer.
As the winter starts late October/early November (the perfect weather for outdoor activities) and ends in March/April, there are so many things to do outdoor to enjoy the nice weather on this small Island.
Here are the things you can do during this time:
It’s nice to go for some outdoor day/night camping near the beach, or walking/running in the parks, picnics or grilling and binge eating, see the historical forts, and deserts as this is the best weather for going out.
People usually put a small food truck/trailers near the seafront (there are a lot here btw) that opens mostly in the evenings and sells a variety of food of different cuisine.
You would love to see a group of people sitting outside on these make-shift food trailers, eating street food like hot lugaw (rice porridge) with egg or chicken, or tofu as a side dish, vegetable spring rolls, fish & squid balls, etc.
Location: Busaiteen Seafront.
Or you can visit a lot of seafront, beaches, do some day camping and grilling on the seaside (but couldn’t swim at this time or you will freeze to death).
Location: Northern City
Put out your camping gears, tent, folding table and chair, your cooler with food and drinks inside, your griller stand, a night lamp (in case), pillows and blanket if you want to take a nap, and other camping essentials and enjoy the sun and the cool breeze.
It’s really nice to sit outside preferably wait until noon to see the sunset.
And what about visiting all the Historical forts like the Portuguese fort?
You can also go and visit all the parks that are built particularly with running tracks, these walk-in parks are often family/child friendly. You can bring takeaway food and put up a mat under the tree, read a book or listen to music.
Or just a long drive in the desert.
These are just simple life BH can offer for the residents. All in, you will definitely enjoy the winter in Bahrain, yes, without snow, but really cold you wouldn’t imagine.
MOVIES! Yeah, this is what I always do during my spare time! I love Binge watching! Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Psyhological, Violence, Crime, Adventure, Disaster, Biographical, Post apocalyptic, Apocalyptic, Dystopian, end of the world films, and of course, Time Travel Films.
TBH, Nothing in particular with genres, as long as the plot interests me.
I have seen a lot in my time old and new, but I’ve listed some of the best Time Travel films I’ve seen so far.
HERE IT GOES:
Ground Hog Day (1993)- A TV weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over again when he goes on location to the small town of Punxsutawney to film a report about their annual Groundhog Day. His predicament drives him to distraction, until he sees a way of turning the situation to his advantage.
12Monkeys (1995)– In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
Time Machine (2002)– Alexander Hartdegen is 1899 scientist who soon after his marriage to his girlfriend Emma, she dies in an accident. Attempting to fix it, Hartdegen builds a time machine for travelling to the future, hoping to find the way to correct his own past.
13 going on 30 (2004)- Story of Jena, a 13th year old girl wishing to be popular, and trying to be popular by be-friending the popular group, only to be tricked by them. Humiliated on his 13th birthday, she wished to be 30, and the next day, she woke up in a luxurious flat, 30 years of age, working in a popular magazine and with no memory of the past 17 years in between.
The Lake house (2006)– The story of Alex and Kate and how they communicate via letters on the mailbox of the same house they both occupied but 2 years difference.
The Time Traveler’s wife (2009)– The Time Travelers Wife, a guy named Henry who jumps around the past, present and future – only he can’t control where or when he goes, creating complications in his marriage.
Mr. Nobody (2009)– Story of Nemo, a 118 year old last mortal on earth narrating his life at the age of nine, fifteen and thirty four, and how his life branches out to different timeline as he was able to choose a path from the day his parents separated, his life when he chose to stay with his mother and the other when he stayed with his father and his life in between two timelines.
Looper (2012)– In the future where time travel exists, anyone who can pay can send someone to the past to be killed by the hired killer. The worst part, is that to prevent any connection with the syndicate and close the loop, the looper’s final victim is their future self.
About Time (2013)– The story of Tim whose male members of the family has the ability to time travel at the age of 21. With this knowledge, he decides to use his ability to time travel to improve his lovelife.
Mirage (2018)– (Spanish)- A space-time glitch allows Vera to save a boy’s life 25 years in the past, but somehow results in the loss of her daughter and Vera must fight to get her back.
Sitting on my office desk contemplating what’s happening around us these days, I decided to write these things down for my future memories feed.
A year from now and every year after, this post will always appear in my memories to look back.
✔ We are more than 2 months of social isolation.
✔ All the non- essential shops here are closed for a certain period of time as instructed by the Ministries and only essential business establishments like banks, restaurants, hospitals, pharmacies, optical, cold stores, supermarkets, money transfers, Administration & Construction offices, are open.
✔ Restaurants are only for delivery or pick up.
✔ All the schools are closed since early March. And I think some of them are doing classes online.
✔ Everyone is required to wear a mask in public at all times, wash hands at all times, be cautious at all times.
✔ Everyone must have alcohol, hand sanitizer, wipes, on hand.
✔ Shortage of masks and alcohol in some pharmacies and supermarkets.
✔ All celebrations, family gatherings, occasions, and traveling are canceled. No cinemas, malls, swimming pools, entertainment facilities are open, no walk/in parks are accessible to the public and even you can go, you must practice social distancing (better to stay at home, much safer)
✔ Never been to the big Supermarket since the beginning of social isolation, but I heard that there are lines in the stores to keep them meters apart- and so are for the other open essential establishments.
✔ We must comply with one meter apart (social distancing) even during the official meetings, no handshakes.
✔ Some people are now sitting idle at home on a no work- no pay policy. Thank God I still have work.
✔ There is no cure/medicine/vaccine yet. (As far as I know)
✔ Everyone worries (almost all countries) about what’s going to happen in the next few days or months or even years, how we can recover all the losses/impact made by this catastrophe.
✔ I worry about my family and Jan Francisrain, who has never gone out to see the beauty of the world since he was born exactly during this time of crisis – aside from the Airport, nearby cold stores (not anymore), daycare (not anymore- before the social isolation) and when he’s going downstairs with me in the morning when I go to work. He got used to it anyways.
And that’s it, Next year I’m gonna see this post on my memory status and I hope by that time, everything is gone back to normal. But for now, we have to continue praying for each other, continue to unite, and be grateful for everything as we do not know what will happen in the future.
Since I’m feeling a little bit disheartened the past days because I still have to work despite the current situation these days, with no signs of getting an off I supposed for the next two weeks (even with the news that starting tomorrow, 26.03.2020, all the retails and industrial shops will be closed) or even shortened period of working hours at least, just wanna compensate myself to feel light-hearted by removing the stress and worries out of my heart/ pass the time by going through my bag (ha-ha!) and write this.
So, I opened and checked to see what’s inside my bag these days:
1. Labello cherry-shine lip gloss.
2. Maybelline clear smooth all in one BB cream- my daily foundation.
3. 4 different shades of Maybelline lipstick- a regular lipstick, super stay ink crayon, 2 sensational liquid matte which I used alternately.
4. Superstay powder foundation, (my daily face powder)
I love Maybelline products and I’ve always been a Maybelline user since the beginning as I do not like any other brand on my face.
5. Hand sanitizer- during this Covid-19 time, it is a must to have this on your bag.
6. Vicks inhaler- coz I always have allergies.
7. My Celine wallet.
8. My Sunnies specs- can’t work without the specs.
9. My super old hair comb.
10. A pen- always in the bag.
Not to mention that I have 2 surgical masks change every day as we need this for going in and out of the office and in the street, I got used to the masks btw, and couldn’t go out of the flat without wearing one.
There it is, at least I’ve consumed a few minutes of my time worry-ing less. 🙂
So, it’s been months now that the whole world is in chaos due to the fast-spreading of the coronavirus. And we are not an exemption here, no one is exempted, tbh. We’ve been worrying every single day. People became suspicious of one another.
And during difficult times like this, the only way that could back us up and comfort us- is to pray, and pray harder. When nothing could be done, and even the wealthiest man on earth wouldn’t be spared out of this disease.
I worry a lot these days especially now that the virus is fast-spreading here in the country where I’m living and upon hearing the news that there are local transmissions here already. Been a week or two since the first outbreak (Feb 21,2020 I guess when it first reached here) and as of now, 100 plus (189 as of today if I’m not mistaken) had been infected with recoveries and one death.
I hate this feeling, seriously.
But here is the actual story. I’ve always been fascinated with apocalyptic & post-apocalyptic movie: Birdbox, A quiet place, The road, Extinction, to name a few and I’m always vocal about how I want to experience the same and the excitement that would bring me with the thoughts of grocery looting inside the empty shopping malls and supermarkets taking all the food and drinks I want for free, or trying to live in a world of silence, in a world of zombies, walk in the ghost city, or live in quiet/destroyed earth trying to find a way to live but turned out that it’s just as good as the movie.
The truth, you will never want that to happen in reality! As in, never. Why did I say this? Because I actually feel it now. Like we are all living just like the characters of those in the apocalyptic films where the world is stricken with a deadly virus and everyone is trying to survive with it. That everyone would soon die one by one and no one will be spared. That the world would never recover from this until we all get immune from it and people started to get used to the virus-like it’s a normal thing. Just like the characters in the A Quiet place where everyone doesn’t have to make any slightest noise in order to save their lives.
Or worse, that the earth would be destroyed and it will all go to a fresh start- like the movie Time machine, or soon we will all live in another planet like Mars as what I’ve seen on the SCI-FI films, where astronauts fly outer space and see if there are any planets inhabitable by humans so we could all start a new living.
Scary right? I hope it won’t happen anyway- not as of the moment or not as of the near future, I hope not. I hope this would end soon. Sooner than soon and won’t happen again in the future.
Let us all pray and cooperate/follow what the government instructs us to do. Do not be a thick head and pretend to be a “know it all” person. Do not take it for granted. Do not panic, yeah, but let us all be aware of what’s happening around us. Be prepared. Help each other. And pray again. Whatever happens, just pray, again and again, and pray for each other. This is the time that we have to show human kindness. That nothing or no virus would ever overpower the human mankind.
Tryin to find a cozy and yet affordable place to celebrate your birthday or any occasion in Cabanatuan City? Well, then I would highly recommend Dulang Restaurant located in Kapt. Pepe Subdivision, Cabanatuan City.
As I was looking for a new place to eat and celebrate, not the usual restaurant we were going, (I’ve rounded different restos, and cafeterias even lugawans around Cabanatuan particularly during my “hungry times” when I crave for something new and unusual)So, we came over to this restaurant (recommended by a friend) which is not very costly (I mean not that very costly but not that cheap either) and yet the food tastes great. I remember I paid around 2k+ pesos for a full dinner for 8 people.
But for the record, whenever I go to a restaurant and was really hungry and plan to eat a full meal, I only change the restaurant but my orders will always have my all time favorites. I always include chicharon bulaklak for starter and crispy pata and kare kare as the main menu, and will add additional according to their menu or my cravings.
And since we were celebrating a birthday, we have added up some more dishes to our usual order. So, it was like a five-course menu, with rice, which is actually acceptable and affordable for a small family gathering when you don’t wanna go thru all the hassle of preparing at home aside from the fact that their cooking is much better.
If you are roaming around Cabanatuan and looking for a place to eat away from the traffic and congested City, do not hesitate to pass by and try this restaurant.
Location: M. De Leon Ave., Kapt. Pepe, 3100 Cabanatuan City
Though we didn’t have enough time to roam around that morning as we wanted to reach the Landingan Viewpoint in Nagtipunan Quirino just before mid-noon not too hot to climb the hill, We still managed to visit and took a few photos at the Lower Magat Eco-Tourism Park located in Diadi Nueva Vizcaya.
Ik, I’ve missed a lot of nice views to see in there as we spent only a little later than 30 minutes the early morning of 06.01.2020 as we still have long hours to travel, (all in we spent 12 hours driving from Bayombong to Diadi to Landingan viewpoint to Dinadiawan to Aurora to Cabanatuan City) but then I don’t want to waste time as I do not know when we can get the chance to travel to Phil that long again, I still managed to take some snaps. I’ll promise to come back again and go to a lot more places as soon as we get the vacation again next year!
And so, I’ve been to the magnificent view in Quirino Province, the Landingan Viewpoint.
We drove for about 2 to 3 hours from Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya just to see this beautiful scenery on top of the hill.
It was a sunny day on the 06th of January 2020. Our first out of town-2020 together with my hubby and our newborn baby. We left his hometown at about past 8am and reached Landingan before lunchtime.
Landingan is open to the public. The registration fee is PHP50 per person and that includes entrance to the caves/waterfalls and other tourists/tourism attractions in that area, but in our case, since we have a baby with us, we were not able to go and see those other places where infants and babies are not allowed. No establishment or souvenir giftshop on sight, (as I noticed) not even a restaurant nearby (but some small cafeterias and carinderia’s in the highway below). Also, I haven’t seen any foreigners out there, maybe because the place is not yet known to the public.
Added to my bucket list! Another province ticked! And not only that, I’ve seen one of the most beautiful God creation! Fantastic view, Instagrammable photos, definitely Landingan Viewpoint is worth a visit!
Some photos taken during our visit to the place:
On the way to Landingan, we passed by and stopped at some views along the way.
BAHRAIN SAILING CLUB– Located in Az Zallāq in the Southern Governorate Region, 25 mi from Al Khobar, Bahrain Beach Resort features free WiFi in all areas, a private beach area, and water sports facilities. Bahrain Beach Resort is part of Bahrain Sailing Club.
The first time I went there was a few years back with my friends on a weekday working day. That’s why as you could see, the beach was empty 🙂 which actually made us feel that we have the beach all by ourselves!
We stayed here overnight, and we rented a room with full amenities for BHD25 that time…and it feels good as if we rented the whole place!
The second time around was with a group of friends on a weekend and the beach was a little bit crowded. We stayed there until mid of the night, swim all day, did some grilling and all.
During our Church get together….and a few more times with friends.
Edit: I have been a couple of times more right after my last update including my toddler’s son 4th Birthday Celebration in 2023 where we had a beach and grill celebration with some of my old friends.
If you are roaming around Cabanatuan and looking for a place to eat away from the traffic and congested City, do not hesitate to pass by and try this restaurant.
Chescadventures 