Travel PH: Went to the Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines to Bless My New Bicycle

My faith has brought me to the Antipolo Cathedral where the 17th-century Roman Catholic wooden image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is enshrined. It is located 26 kilometers east of Manila. I bought a mountain bike last week for many reasons. (Thank God and steemit)

We all know that cycling or biking is good for the environment and also to our health and it can prevent us from having certain diseases and it does improve our physical attributes specifically the following:

• Flexibility
• Muscular Strength
• Muscular Endurance
• Cardiorespiratory Endurance
• Body Composition
• Agility
• Balance
• Coordination
• Power
• Reaction Time

And for friendship and bonding.

The Route

Cycling together with my close friends Hive account@redapple26 and Hive account@ginoespineli, we took the 31.2km route from their house along Metro Manila to the Antipolo Shrine located in the Province of Rizal.

Satellite photo courtesy of Google Maps

Biking level: Intermediate

Major struggles:

• City traffic
• Rough and zigzag roads
• Mountain Range Slopes

About The Place

The Marian image Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage or the Virgin of Antipolo was brought from Mexico in the 16th century. This pilgrimage located inside the Antipolo Cathedral is annually visited on the eve of Good Friday (Holy Week) by the devotees from around the country by walking barefoot all the way from their own places as part of their vow.

Its a common destination for people who wants to bless their newly acquired vehicles or other belongings.

Here's a closer look of the wooden image, courtesy of Wikipedia.

img source

We stopped by for an hour of rest and ate for a boost of power.

These two Filipino dishes are actually good. From left to right, Laing and Sisig

And more fastfoods to eat along the way.

Based on my basic cycling experiences, here's my tip for you:

• Prepare yourself the most to hydrate and stretch before you take a long bicycle ride. Make sure you bring plenty of liquids or water and i prefer an electrolyte-enriched drink such as Pocari sweat or Gatorade. If you feel stressed, make sure to bring enough food that's rich in potassium mainly banana to avoid cramps. Enough food and excess pocket money as well.
• For Philippine city bikers, DO NOT ever pass on the right side of a jeepney.
• Don't get too amazed from the views along the road.

For advanced tips, read this article.

The journey continues...

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