palawan is an island province of the philippines composed of a long and narrow large island and a number of smaller ones.  palawan consists of irregular coastlines, rocky coves, sandy beaches, terrains and a chain of mountain ranges. 

 i went to this beautiful place last week and was able to do island hopping and visited the underground river. 

al gara mountain is considered to be one of the most important tourist and natural landmarks in al ahsa.  it consists of sedimentary rocks, where the sedimentary layers can be seen with the naked eye.  it is also famous for its caves and alleys between the rocks, and therefore it has become one of the most famous nature sites in the arabian gulf region.

before i went home for days off, i had the chance of having a short visit in al ahsa where the al gara mountain is located.  also called as judas cave, the place was literally claustrophobic as my saudi co-workers guided me inside.  there were obvious vandalisms and there were garbage piling up.  it was a friday when we went there so there were a number of people who were also visiting. 

after probably half an hour i was drenched in sweat and getting dizzy so i told my companions that i had enough and need to get out of there.  i did not attempted to climb on the elevated area for i was wearing flip flops and it wasn’t very safe.

the rock formations of the mountain itself was in fact, fascinating.

when i was on days off, my partner and i planned to try chi spa at shangri-la edsa hotel.  we made the reservation a day before the treatment and the receptionist was very courteous as we did some inquiries and chose which spa treatment we wanted.  just the ambience of the receiving area was already relaxing – a beautiful interior of oriental motif , soft instrumental music being played on the background and a hint of gingery peppermint scent in the air.

the day of our scheduled appointment, we headed back to the spa.

we were asked to fill up a short questionnaire to determine which of the five elemental sign we possess: metal, water, wood, fire and earth that is said should be in balance to harmonize with the positive yang and negative yin energy within the body.

i found out that my elemental sign was wood, and my partner’s was metal.

we actually chose chi journeys’ yin yang harmonising massage as our treatment.

“especially created to stimulate the senses and balance the flow of chi throughout the body.  share this experience with a partner and two therapists coordinating light, rhythmical strokes.  focus is given to specific meridians, releasing tension and restoring peace and harmony”.

the spa itself is located on the upper floors, in the garden wing of the hotel.  a therapist accompanied us on our way to the couple’s suite room.  

we started off with a revitalizing dip.

ginger tea was offered as the therapists welcomed us with a chi foot ritual following our yin yang harmonising massage.

the massage was in fact, exhilarating.  as i lay down on the table i can feel every major muscle being kneaded expelling tension, my therapist’s expert hands sliding in my oiled body, fingers fluttering.  for a few minutes i was in a dream-like state and the thought of my partner being with me experiencing the same thing is quite ecstatic.

chi is the life force, the energy which is vital that emanates life.  it freely circulates in our bodies – it can be felt, but has no obvious form, an entity.