Embarcadero de Legazpi

photo courtesy of skysrapercity.com

Embarcadero de Legazpi is a major waterfront development in Legazpi , a tourist destination that is set to open in full blast on October this year.

It has a very touristy location_ at the site fronts of the main harbour of Legazpi,

with her majesty_ the Mayon Volcano on sight,

at the very foot of Kapuntukan Hill or the Sleeping Lion hill.

photo courtesy of skyscrapercity.com

Embarcadero is comprised of retail, restaurants, markets, a major civic space and landmark lighthouse, with a future waterfront hotel and spa, and an Information Technology (IT) Park with an estimated 8,000-seat Call Center. Embarcadero will “activate” the waterfront creating an attractive and vibrant focus for the city’s leisure and lifestyle activities with selected business areas operational 24/7..

Embarcadero will function as a waterfront promenade, with theatrical lighting and performance spaces creating a lively, family friendly environment during the day and at night.

-embarcadero.com.ph

When we visited the site two weeks ago, constructions were still going on. It soft opened last July and has few restaurants already on business.

At the moment, in broad daylight, the neighborhood seems to be sleeping yet with the adjacent Sleeping Lion Hill. Humble by the trycycles, locals walking in foot, the neighborhood looks decieving off the billion vast project that is Embarcadero.

I'm personally excited about this place. As I'm planned to bring my kids on summer in Legazpi, Embarcadero would be an added spice to the natural sights and wonders of the province for my girls' coming visit. By then (April 2010), this destination would be already in full swing as it is scheduled for grand opening this October of this year.

Sights and Thrills at Lingnon Hill

Crowned by this building, at the top of Lingnon Hill is where you could capture Mt. Mayon Volcano at its best.

This is where you would like to have your picture taken with the bounty beauty of Mayon as your backdrop.

From here you would also see the Legaspi airport. It's vice-versa. From the airport, you can see Lingnon Hill too.

... And the city of Legaspi! Imagine how more charming this view is, especially at night with all the lights on all over the city, under one big sky of stars. haaay, it was only around 8am, too early to dream.

Back to where I was standing, this building was seemingly either newly built or renovated. No one there to ask, manong was too busy to be disturbed.

It was then that I noticed the cable over my head. It's a zip line.

This is where it starts..

..goes over the park with the full view of Mt. Mayon.

Mount Mayon is an active volcano. As a matter of fact, a month ago (July 09), it made noise over the news about eruption warnings like up to no. 3. From up here, I saw canals that I supposed intended for lava flows. Well, what else is new? Beauty appends risk.

Lingnon Hill Nature Park

PAL has only two daily arrival flights to Legaspi City. We took the 6:45 am flight. Imagine how early I had to wake-up. No choice at all, we touched down to this airport with my eyes half closed. Although, I had a lil' feast with the peak of Mayon (click here to see Mayon's Peak) on air, a while ago, when I had to literally opened my eyes with my fingers, I got off the plane still sleepy.




Getting out from the exit gate, my friend had awaken my consciousness when he announced while pointing to the hill fronting our sight, that we would climb that. By foot! He stressed it so much I had to reply with seryoso ka?!!








True enough, that was exactly the Lingnon Hill that we were about to conquer by foot.




The road up to the hill was green and very fresh.




Our goal  was the view deck to achieve a good view of the Majestic Mayon. As always, every place has its rules to be obeyed..(photo)




For one, cars were only up to here and the rest which actually the entire uphill, had to be hit by foot.




We started trekking  and we passed by some sightseers who were coming down back to the parking lot.








We passed by an interesting site to consider for our next visit..not today. It wasn't in the itinerary.




As we went up higher, the view got better..




We now had an almost full view of the city..




We hiked higher, another site was coming in..








Wild little flowers in colorful blooms.




We were nearing up the peak of the hill and at this point the sight of Mayon was blooming with flowers along the road.








We reached the top where the observatory hall was nestling. We didn't able to come inside the hall because it was only around 7 am and it seemed to be closed for public yet.




As for the view, we got this_ the perfect cone volcano!

click this to see more of Lingnon Hill

Mayon Followed Me Around

Mayon Volcano is so vast, you would never miss it around Legaspi. My child brain would play with thoughts of this giant volcano following me wherever I went around this city, because everywhere I turned_ she was there!

Sometimes it would be just her upper part. The rest of her would be covered by beautiful green fields, buildings or simply hiding behind the clouds.

But when she showed up..

She was always pretty as she really is. It 's really hard thu' to capture her wholeness from a moving vehicle. Actually, I was here on the way up to Lingnon Hills which as I was told, the best place to savor Mt. Mayon. It's a hill facing the majestic volcano.

click here to see Lingnon Hills

Mayon's Peak

The last time that I was in Legazpi, Albay , my cam had cramps and I wasn't able to get photo souvenirs of the beautiful volcano.




With that deprived experience, when I saw the peak of Mt. Mayon peeped in the clouds, I felt a wave of excitement..like seeing it for the first time!




Then it occurred to me, just a month ago (July2009), I read from the news that Mt. Mayon was in alert 2 and the nearby residents were advised to evacuate.




Uncanny thoughts were playing in my mind_ since the tip of the volcano, which I assumed was its mouth where the smoke was coming out, was very visible from my window seat...




... if in anyway, at that very moment, it exploded!..would the lava reached my plane? hahaha! Just plain plane weird thoughts!




..then I saw Mayon rising up beautifully, floating on the sky.Well, living to its name_Mayon roots from the word magayon which means beautiful.




As the clouds thinned out, I lost a view of the volcano. Filled in by the sight of green rocky hills




Immediately interspersed by green plains. Now, this reminded me of my daughter's school homework regarding "land forms".




If only she was with me right now, I could easily pointed to her, in actual vision of volcano, hills and plains. well, photos would do I guess..




The perfect Mayon was coming back in sight_ bigger..




... more perfectly..




.. still a perfect cone to me..




.. getting closer..




... just arrived!!!