Life in Nuvali Philippines

What are the bike trails in Nuvali these days?

I loved, loved biking in Nuvali earlier this year (February-May 2013), but I\’m wondering what the bike trails are like these days, given all the new property developments inside Nuvali?

I plotted the 4 trails that I used to bike on the map below:

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Can anyone give updates on these trails? Are any of them in danger of being closed? I know the Enduro trail is right smack in the middle of Avida Woodhills Settings, which has already begun land development, so maybe byebye Enduro na nga. Too bad as those were fun, short trails! I hope with fingers and toes crossed that New Zealand is still intact !

Also noticed a big chunk of land being cleared along Nuvali Boulevard on the downward slope coming from Republic Wakepark.

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A new bike trail in the making, perhaps?

Around Nuvali: updates as of October 2013

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesNuvali Services, lake, Roads, venare

It\’s been a while since I posted. How are you, Nuvali friends?

Took the chance to visit the South over sem break last October 23, and was happy I got to drive around Nuvali for a bit.

The trees seemed taller along Nuvali Boulevard, but it was Mt. Makiling– ever so beautiful and reassuring– that brought me back to the familiarity of Nuvali: even after months of being away, it still was home.

Here\’s the Seda Hotel up close– I can count about 9 floors plus a penthouse.

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Curious to know how the market would respond to a hotel in Nuvali. Mostly businessmen clientele, maybe?

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The lake is still quieting and lovely–surely one of the everyday sights I miss.

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As early as May 2013, I already noticed diggings being done on the other side of the Evoliving Center, so it was nice to see the new lake now dug up and filled with water.

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The new lake extends all the way to the office/commercial area, now paved and ready for businesses to come in:

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There\’s also a new parking lot across the Evoliving Center. Maybe built out of anticipated need?

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Last September I saw posters about Green Installations around the lake– glad I got to see at least one sculpture on my visit.

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I drove further in, towards Nuvali Central, and noticed road expansion along Nuvali Boulevard just after the rotonda guard:

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I hope this finally addresses the flooding issue in this area.

Wanted to take a look at the site of the new Amaia mid-rise condominiums, so I turned right towards Xavier School Nuvali and drove all the way to the end.
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There\’s ongoing road construction at the end of that street, most likely the alternate road that will connect Nuvali Central and South to Solenad 2:
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Based on this map dated July 2011, this road should be the Evoliving Parkway (Blue):
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Here\’s the Amaia site, boarded up on the left, across Treveia. Further ahead along the curving road is Xavier School.
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I saw that Xavier had 3-storey buildings, so I imagined having twice as high Amaia condos next to it (the plan is to put up a cluster of 4 to 6-storey residential buildings).

Personally I would\’ve preferred to have kept things more horizontal in this area, but I hear that the Amaia project is selling fast, so here\’s to having faith that Ayala\’s developing vision for this area works out.

In Nuvali South, the Venare gates are looking nice:
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Mirala is also getting leveled and fenced in:
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$\"Miriam$

I was surprised to see very little development on the Miriam College Nuvali site, considering their target school opening is just a little over 6 months away in June 2014:
$\"Miriam$

$\"Miriam$

Wasn\’t able to take pictures of the Woodhill Settings project behind Venare, but also saw initial land development being done on site.

Could\’nt help but feel tight in that area though– Avida Village Cerise, Woodhill Settings, Parkway Settings and Venare converging in one area. I\’m already anticipating the high volume of cars that will go in and out of Evoliving Parkway in the South (still the blue road on the map below) once residents start moving in. Am glad that Parkway Settings has another gate along the main road (East Diversity Avenue) across Republic Wakepark as an alternative entry/exit point.

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* * *

There is so much to be missed in the South. The peace and quiet, wide open spaces, the slowing down that makes you just weed out things that matter less, and cherish those that matter more.

Haaaay. To those of you who are enjoying this life everyday, a big congratulations to you! Do send us your happy vibes

Nuvali, stay clean and quiet and friendly please.

Heading North

Life in Nuvali Philippines

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Bracing myself for another move, this time back to the North as I go back to university life (yes, a freshman again in my 30s!).

I\’ll still be visiting every now and then, but what will I miss about living in Nuvali everyday?

biking!
the long easy drive on SLEX
trail biking!
peace and quiet
the long easy drive on Nuvali Boulevard, where I usually roll down my windows to let the fresh air welcome me home
being so close to freshly-harvested organic produce from Sta. Elena\’s Holy Carabao Farm
being 20 minutes away from Tagaytay and 10 minutes away from fresh buko
being an hour ++ away from the Batangas beaches
not needing to use fans or aircon, even during the day
wide open spaces everywhere
just the sights and sounds of the South: Mt. Makiling, the birds, the Nuvali lake, the stars at night, the pink-orange-purple sunsets
the active energy of Nuvali athletes– the everyday bikers and runners
the new friends I\’ve made in the South!

What would I cram into the days I have left?

more biking!
I will probably finally give wakeboarding a good try
I would\’ve wanted to try yoga everyday, but Breathe, the new yoga studio in Nuvali, will only be opening on May 20 (that\’s actually in 10 days already!)

I have a lot in Parkway which I\’m saving for another creative build (will first gather enough love and resources — time, energy and funding– to birth another home!), so definitely there are still a lot of blank pages on my personal Nuvali story. My family also has properties here, so Nuvali will continue to be home in more ways than one.

I do hope the Nuvali community grows richer in camaraderie and actual face-to-face encounters. One of my dreams is still to create a physical gathering place for innovative, positive, and active dialogue by way of art, green tech, and wealth creation. Think art salons of the olden times, but Pinoy version (with abundant food! and laughter! and doers! Bawal all-talk), and with lots of playful spirit. An open and friendly place for ideas to germinate and get implemented. Haaaay. Dreams are free. But they also have a deadline. Baby steps.

Nuvali sky at the magic hour

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesSunset

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Nuvali sunsets turn yellow and pink and purple. So lovely.

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Click here for a panoramic view.

Greens and Patches: a tree nursery in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesActive Lifestyle in Nuvali

Took a wrong turn while biking two weeks ago and found our way to Nuvali\’s community nursery, Greens and Patches.

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We got to explore a bit of the nursery itself, which had rows of trees with matching labels, just like the fruit tree area at the Manila Seedling bank along EDSA.

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The rest of the area was closed, but the caretakers/gardeners told us they just need a go signal from Nuvali management to let visitors in. If you\’re looking to visit, drop by the Evoliving Center for a pass beforehand. Other areas of interest include a vegetable maze, an herb garden, even a pond. I was curious to see the vertical garden… maybe next time.

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I would assume the area is accessible to light vehicles via the dirt road in between Elaro and Montecito in Nuvali Central. Just know that the road is not paved (i.e. it\’s just compressed soil), so best to go on a dry day.

New Zealand a la Nuvali

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesActive Lifestyle in Nuvali

Been getting to know the bike trails in Nuvali…and so far, my favorite is still the New Zealand trail in Nuvali South.

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It\’s a scenic, easy roll up, roll down trail across the Miriam College site all the way to the back of Venare.

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We thought weekends would be especially crowded at the trail but we were greeted by slow traffic even on a weekday morning:

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I\’ve been charged by a cow in Batanes, so I know better than to startle a grazing herd. It took about 10 minutes and a gentle \”excuse me\” for them to let us pass.

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I hope they keep this trail open and develop other parts of Nuvali first… it really is a gift to have this just five minutes away!

Melons and summer harvest

Farming and Gardening Life in Nuvali Philippines Food Sustainable LivingFood and Dining in Nuvali, Raw Food

Such sweet melons from Robinson’s Supermarket Nuvali!

We did a quick stop last night to restock on fruits at home and were surprised to find the fruit pile almost emptied out, but for melons and papayas (even bananas were sold out). Seems everyone had fruit salads over the Holy Week. Was glad for it though– I tend to skip the melon corner on a regular day because I can\’t blend them in my green smoothies (melons are best eaten alone). This batch was so sweet and delicious, I finished the whole thing in one sitting! Wasn\’t able to take a pic of the uncut melon, but it was of the yellow skin variety. Still have two white cantaloupes waiting on the kitchen counter, along with other summer fruits:

I had to go back for the bananas and mangoes this afternoon, but am happy to share that the squash above is from our own garden. The plant grew out of our compost pit last year, so we moved it to a nice sunny spot, and voila– three months after, we harvested our first homegrown kalabasa!

Here\’s another happy leafy green that sprouted from a fallen seed:

Very thankful for the fertile Nuvali soil.

Biking in Nuvali – my first trail

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesActive Lifestyle in Nuvali

$\"Biking$

Had my first morning trail ride in Nuvali yesterday — was happy to discover a whole new world right under my nose!

A friend came to visit so we could go biking, which I took as doing 10K rounds around the village. Ten minutes into the ride and we reached the edge of Avida Settings, saw Elaro across the street, and casually decided to head for the Bird Sanctuary (neither of us had been there before).

Little did we know we\’d end up on an actual bike trail, and 2 hours later reach Venare via the uphill path behind Montecito.
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Was an adventure of a morning, what with both of us being first timers on any trail.

We entered the soil path between Elaro and Montecito and followed the signs that pointed to the bird sanctuary.
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Biking in Nuvali – my first trailRead More »

Yoga and dance in Nuvali – free classes ongoing

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesActive Lifestyle in Nuvali

Nuvali friends, we will soon have our very own yoga studio/healing space/juice bar so close to our homes!

I went to check out the site last Saturday — it\’s going to be located right above Yellow Cab in Solenad 1:

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Classes will start in March or April, but the good news is that they are already conducting free sessions every Tuesday morning at the Monochrome, the new events place right by the lake.

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I met Oudine Santos, one of the owners of Breathe, a few weeks back and her fitness vibe instantly rubbed off on me. That same day I took my bike out for a ride and definitively jumpstarted my fitness comeback. Oudine was all warm and inviting about the Tuesday classes, so I was eager to give it a go this week.

It was Session#3, and my first attempt at Zumba. Until now my muscles are still (happily) complaining from the work out, but I\’d gladly do it again!

Was a great morning, what with this to greet us along with the happy smiles of about 25 participants:
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Side note: It really is such a gift to live within 5 minutes of this.

Also noted the juice bar component of Breathe, and as a raw food advocate, am mighty excited about this!
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Looking forward to next Tuesday\’s Yin Yoga, a less active form of yoga that involves prolonged stretching. My introduction to yoga was at a 3-day retreat in Palawan in 2011, where I learned that there are actually a number of different yoga practices. Yin Yoga was one of those that I found enjoyable (we were holding our stretches by the beach!). It \”targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body.\”

Oudine gave a brief on the various yoga styles they\’ll be offering (Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin Yoga), and said they will eventually also offer other forms of dance, kids yoga, kids dance and pre natal and Sivananda yoga. You may email her at breatheph@gmail.com for more info.

Meanwhile, here\’s the list of yoga/dance packages for those interested to enroll already:

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Kanin Club – under renovation

Life in Nuvali PhilippinesFood and Dining in Nuvali

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Chanced upon this last Sunday, February 3, 2013. Kanin Club is one of my favorite eating places in the general Nuvali neighborhood (note: it\’s in Paseo de Sta. Rosa). Sharing for everyone\’s info that they are currently closed and will resume operations on February 18, Monday .

Also saw this billboard for the new Paseo commercial center under construction:

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This is the one near the Paseo wet market or palengke. There is another complex being built on the opposite end of the main Paseo block, with Shopwise as one of its locators.

Looks tall enough for a cinema right? Still keeping my fingers crossed…

Back in the groove of life

Life in Nuvali Philippines

February is quickly becoming productivity month. Seems everyone is \”in the zone\” and busily buzzing about. A friend put it simply: the Christmas magic is gone, and people are now getting into the groove of life again.

I also finally picked up the brush last week and wet the canvas.

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Haven\’t painted with oils since 2006 — it was admittedly quite a moment. I guess it\’s also the pressure of the possibility of losing the creative space soon… so every day left in Nuvali has turned more precious. It still breaks my heart every time a buyer looks at the house.

Nuvali lakeside at night

Life in Nuvali Philippineslake, Nuvali Services

Saw recent pics of a wedding held at The Monochrome Events Place in Nuvali — glad to know it\’s finally up and running!

Got to visit that area and spend a few minutes by the Nuvali lakeside sometime in December. Stopped and parked the car because I noticed the well-lit walkway fronting the events place– was happy to see people actually passing there at night.

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Hope you all had a lovely December!

Happy New Year, Nuvali friends and neighbors