My sister and I checked the local maar lake after work so we can gauge whether this is a better option than the resort much father from our home. Well this is just 20 mins away and much better in terms of activities offered (kayaking, crossing the lake on a raft, volleyball on the other side of the lake, glamping, archery, rappelling, ziplining, climbing, etc.) and the hot spring pools are really hot—as hot as the artificially heated pools in Lasema in Makati. I had to ask the caretaker if they have in-room massages and yes, they do! This strengthens my observation that water along the lake/s here are hotter than on the other side of the national highway/on the mountainside.

Since this is already under the protection of the national government, the pollution of this lake was halted when aquaculture became banned 40 years ago. It also helped that the land surrounding the lake are already privately owned, hence, no one could disturb the area.

It’s really peaceful here.

Now the problem is when to go here. Weekdays are perfect because no one is here, like today. However, the kids are in school on weekdays. The coming Chinese New Year long weekend guarantees that this area will be teeming with people. Relaxation is impossible.

Because I was called away from home until 6 pm, I didn’t have time to cook dinner. I just brought my girls to a Tex-Mex resto and stuffed our faces with these:

I interviewed one exec of a Cambodian conglomerate the other day and I already know this person from way back. Anyway, we reconnected and I told him that I plan to visit Phnom Penh and Siem Reap so I can interview more people and establish contacts there, which I initially planned to do in Myanmar before the coup as I have already established contacts, one is of them is the CFO of a big conglomerate there, and some advisors. He said they have a hotel in Siem Reap and in Phnom Penh and he said just let them know when so they can make arrangements. Well, I don’t expect them to host me (because their hotel in Siem Reap is really pricey); assistance in setting up transportation from Phnom Penh to Angkor Wat would be great though. I also had established contact with another Cambodian conglomerate through the son of the owner who runs the group now.

Now if the company considers this a non-priority market, then so be it. I will be doing this on my own dime and time.

I just wonder when I can actually do this when I’m flying to HK and work there for a week in March; April in Singapore; May or June we will be going to Bohol (which is still being debated because my sister wants Boracay for convenience whereas my girls want to dive). But I really want to go to Camiguin Island but getting there is a major hassle because flights are not frequent.

When can I have my me-time???