Beaches and Beyond

2010-09-22T18:05:00.001+08:00

I have a new web address! Please click on the image above to take you to my new home. This blog will still be available in the next few months but will no longer be updated. All the contents of this blog have been replicated in my new blog. Thanks for following this blog and I hope that you will continue your support by following my new blog. See you!

Meowww...

2010-09-08T23:00:00.045+08:00

I first got the news that Cats will be performed in Manila early November 2009. My friend Karen and I immediately bought tickets for the July 25 (the 2nd day) performance at a huge discount courtesy of Citibank Credit Cards. I kept the tickets in a safe place and forgot about it for a while.

Fast forward eight months later, we found ourselves driving through heavy downpour en route to CCP. Our plan was to have a leisurely lunch in the CCP Complex before watching the show. Some parts of Gil Puyat Ave. were already flooded with at least 6 inches of water. It was almost 1pm. When we hit Roxas Blvd., our plan was to go all the way through the Macapagal intersection. However, the road in front of World Trade Center was hardly passable. Cars who attempted to drive through got stalled. To avoid the risk of stalling, we decided to make a U-turn and take Roxas Blvd. instead. It turned out Roxas Blvd. was also flooded, though the water is not that high. Nonetheless, traffic slowed down to a crawl as vehicles cruised the three-lane road in single file, staying in the middle lane where the water is most shallow. By the time we found a parking slot, it was already 1:45pm. We definitely did not have time for a leisurely lunch so we ended up grabbing a quick bite at Jollibee. By 2:15, we crossed the street to the CCP entrance. The show started a little after 2:30pm. Despite the few minutes delay, there were a lot of empty seats owing to the heavy downpour and unexpected flooding. Cameras are usually not allowed in the CCP theater so I left mine in the car. No souvenir photos for me and Ariel.

Lifted this from the net

I came to the show without any expectations other than to be entertained. I had no idea what the story is all about. Other than Memory, I also have not heard of the music of Cats. I watched it because it has been shown in Broadway and it boasts of an international cast (not that I don’t believe in local talent). Of course, the fact that Lea Salonga is part of the show justified the cost of our seats. Anyway, it took a while for me to catch on the story. I was already warned that the story is not linear. However, as with most musicals I’ve seen, I expected the song to be strong enough to tell the story and move me from one scene to another. I realized that I won’t get that from Cats. Aside from that, there were moments when I couldn’t even understand the lyrics which didn’t help in the storytelling. Nonetheless, I found the show to be very entertaining, and I was often mesmerized with the dancing. It probably helped that I’ve been watching So You Think You Can Dance lately which taught me to appreciate modern dance and jazz. Many times I would find myself in complete awe of the dance routines in SYTYCD, imagine how I felt watching similar routines live. I liked the tap dance routine – maybe because it’s a type of dance I have never ever seen live. Of course, the performance of Mr. Mistofelees was unforgettable. And to think that the Cats were singing (except for Mr. Mistofelees who didn’t sing a single note – not even lip-synch!) while doing those routines made it all the more awesome for me.

And Lea. I have always been a fan. I always liked that I can understand the words to her songs. And she sings them beautifully, with emotion so real and so strong, I am almost moved to tears. The first time she sang Memory as Grizabella, just before the intermission, she did so like she was whispering. She was trying to get back to her crowd and wasn’t sure if they will accept her. She was old, weak and worn out. The last time she sang it, it was more powerful, more soulful, like she was so sure of herself, like it was her last chance to sing. She didn’t sound old and weak and worn out as she probably should, but I didn’t care. It was just beautiful. And moving.

Lifted this from the net

A Tagalog version of Memory was also performed but it took a while for me to recognize it because it was performed by a foreigner and the accent (and her soft voice) made it difficult for me to understand the words. I thought that particular number wasn't spectacular but the audience broke into an applause just the same.

The set, of course, was just outstanding. I liked the larger than life mess of a junkyard with odd objects like a tennis racket, an old discarded oven, garbage cans, old tires and the like. “Cats” would surprisingly emerge from the tiny openings all over the stage. The costumes were magical, the kind that made me wish I could come close and touch them. Throughout the show, I kept thinking “What kind of cat is that? Maybe that one’s a Persian. That probably is a Siamese. That one reminds me of my aunt’s cat. In any case, the whole look and feel instantly transported me to a different time and place. Such is the effect of watching a live musical.

I also liked that the “cats” interacted with the audience during the show and the intermission. During the show, Cats would run and/or dance along the aisles. At intermission, they actually mingled with people acting their playful cat character, giving us a chance to take photos up close with our phone cameras (sorry, I didn’t take any good photos). No one came close enough for me to touch though. I would have wanted to feel the “fur”.

Overall, I enjoyed the show. Perhaps it’s because we were seated close to the stage and it felt like we were part of the set. However, it is a bit long and I did see a lot of people dozing off. I cannot imagine kids sitting still for the whole duration of the show although I did see a lot of kids in the audience that Sunday afternoon. It really helped that we bought the souvenir program before the show started as it gave us a bit of background, having no idea what Cats is all about. It also helped us understand each character, which made it easier for us to follow the story. One alternative would have been doing a bit of research before coming ot the show - hello Wikipedia! That way, the decision to watch would have been based on whether you find the story interesting. In my case, it was enough to know that it is one of the longest running shows in musical theater history. Plus, and I am not ashamed to admit it, Lea is performing.

To sum up, on a scale of 1-10, I'll give it a 7.5.

Boracay after 5 years

2010-07-15T20:00:00.018+08:00

Last time I was in Boracay was November of 2005. It was a family trip. Back then, the place was already a bit crowded but not as much as it is now. There were fewer hotels, the boats still dock at the 3 stations, and Jonah's is still by the beach.

The first time I went to Boracay was in the late 90's. I was totally smitten. It wasn't crowded and even the non-beachfront resort we stayed in was surrounded by white sand. After a couple of visits, it has lost its appeal. I'm not really a night person, so the thriving night life was never a strong selling point for me. I prefer to have aquiet commune with nature which Boracay, sadly, doesn't offer anymore. It was far from quiet, and the hotels sprouting everywhere is taking so much from its natural beauty.

Back in the day, the boats deposit guests in one of the three stations nearest the hotel you are booked in. Then it's just a short walk to the hotel, eliminating the need for motorized vehicles. The number of tourists then was only a fraction of where it is now, so the number of boats docking on shore was not really an issue. With the influx of tourists, more boats are coming to shore, crowding the white sand beach that should be for the enjoyment of island visitors. As a solution, there is now a central boat station, a pier, where all guests will first set their foot in. It's quite a distance from the hotels so the need for motorized transport sky rocketed. Boracay Regency alone must have at least 10 vans to accommodate the hundreds of guests that come daily.

So, did I have a good time? Of course I did! Taking an early morning walk when most of the vacationing guests are still in hybernation, perhaps recuperating from the previous night's party, almost brought me back to the old Boracay where the long stretch of white sand that is glimerring from the early morning sun is almost deserted. It afforded me a few minutes of peace and quiet, a bit of time to appreciate the beauty of God's creation, and a moment to take a breath of fresh air and take in my surroundings. Then the island will wake up and pour out the crowd into the beach in search of good coffee. That would be my cue to walk back to the hotel and have breakfast (in a crowded buffet).

Will I come back? Probably not at my own expense. I'd rather spend my travel money in a less developed island destination where I can have my quiet time in the midst of nature's beauty. Unless I'll be staying in Shangrila Hotel, in a luxury villa, away from the maddening crowd. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll go back to Boracay again.

Some photos from the trip...

I really don't mind having this view while enjoying a cup of coffee

A strip of paradise

Beachfront amenities

More lounge chairs

Colors of summer

The beginning of monsoon season

Zuzuni - A Big Disappointment

2010-07-13T21:30:00.000+08:00

On our last day in Boracay, Aileen and I decided to eat out instead of joining the conference lunch. We've been eating Regency food for three days and we want to sample other offerings. Zuzuni is among the top in our list since it offers Mediterranean dishes which we both love. It's also just a few minutes walk from Regency and so we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant has a quaint interior. Framed mirrors line the wall and all tables provide a nice view of the beach. We arrived at noon after a few minutes of leisurely walking. We were the only guests and was readily attended to. The first thing that struck me was how expensive the food offerings are. I ordered the salad that has arugula, lettuce and walnuts in Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (forgot the name) - similar to Cyma's Roka Salata. The salad costs more than P200. We asked the waitress to split the salad in two. Then I asked her how big the Gyro is since it is priced at P190. She said it was just small. We ordered one and asked to split it in two again. We thought it might be bigger than the waitress thinks given the price. I ordered frozen Mango Daiquiri. Aileen opted for Coke Light.

The Mango Daiquiri was pretty good. It was scorching hot so I could use the refreshment. Aileen was served with an expired can of Coke Light and had to replace it. Then the salad came. The serving was very small. There was not a single piece of arugula. The lettuce leaves were wilted. We could hardly see the chopped walnuts. The dressing was pretty good but we were already too disappointed to appreciate that bit. For the price, we expected at least fresh greens. And if they didn't have arugula, they could have mentioned that when we ordered. Then came the Chicken Gyro. It was tiny. It didn't taste particularly great either. I have no idea how they ended up in the 2009 Phil. Tatler Best Restaurants. We were so disappointed that we decided to get dessert somewhere else. We already spent way too much for something that didn't even tickle our palates. We should have gone to Cyma or even Cafe Med.

And so we flew home without a sample of Boracay's culinary delights.

Our Amazing Palawan Vacation - A Recap

2010-06-10T21:35:00.008+08:00

Our Coron escapade was our longest vacation yet. We had an amazing time - save for the one day I had to stay in bed due to cramps (can't stop the biological clock from ticking!). Anyway, here are my thoughts on Coron and our amazing vacation:

Majika is a lovely resort, but I definitely won't come back until they've installed airconditioning. Even with huge windows, the cottages feel like an oven in summer.

Coron is beautiful. Cayangan Lake. Twin Lagoons. The wrecks. The snorkeling places. But it's becoming too crowded. I'm scared of what it will become in a few years.

I wish the locals will take care of the Coron town proper and keep it clean.

I wish there are better eating places in Coron. La Sirenetta isn't so bad.

I wish I can eat fresh seafoods in Coron. Not just the squid, but really good prawns, crabs and lobsters.

I don't know why Maquinit Hot Spring is so popular. I don't think it's great. The moss on the cement is icky. Maybe it's just me. I never liked Camiguin's famed hot springs either. Icky.

Coron's Mangrove channel (near Sangat Island and the Bintuan Marine Sanctuary) is awesome and should be part of every tourist's itinerary. Did you know that 2/3 of the Philippines' mangrove forests are in Palawan? When you go snorkeling, you are most likely going to have the same experience over and over again. So why hop from one snorkeling spot to another? Go to the mangrove forest for a different experience. You can kayak to the mangrove forest from Majika.

Culion is worth a visit. It's a beautiful island and is very rich in history. I wish our government will exert more effort in preserving historical sites like Culion. And the museum can be improved. It obviously needs more funding. And granted that not a lot of people will see it, and will therefore not generate revenue, it's still worth saving. It's musty and mouldy, and dark, and smelled of gas from the floorwax. But it has a rich history. It tells a great story. People worked hard to make it one of the best leprosariums in the world during the early 20th century. And you can spend the morning there and still have time to snorkel and go to the more popular sites. So go!

Calauit is amazing. I've heard rumors that it will close down soon. I pray it's not true. It's one of its kind. I know it's a bit out of the way and it's expensive to go there (because it's far!), but it's worth it. Over 3,000 hectares of land where giraffes, zebras, deers, antelopes and other animals run freely. It is also a birdwatcher's paradise with birds of all shapes, sizes and colors fly from tree to tree. It's beautiful.

I can't make up my mind on which resort is better - El Nido or Club Paradise. Club Paradise wins in terms of facilities/amenities. But El Nido has better food and a more breathtaking location.

If you want to explore Coron, stay in the nearby islands (like Majika or Sangat) or if you don't mind the crowd and noise, stay in the city. But if you want a relaxing vacation in Coron, Club Paradise is the place to be. It offers enough adventures, but nothing too taxing. It has its own reef for a great snorkeling experience and you have a good chance of spotting turtles and a dugong. The peak of the island is a short and easy trek that even the most unexperienced hiker can easily conquer. Or you can choose to relax by the long stretch of white sand beach, or by the pool. It's in my list of places to return to (on top of that list is El Nido).

Watching thousands of fruit bats fly out into the night at Club Paradise is another noteworthy experience. On our first day, we spent a long time looking up the sky and just watching them fly away.

We didn't do any kayaking during this trip. I regret that we didn't go to the mangrove channel at night during our stay in Majika and we didn't get to see the sea fireflies (planktons that light up at night). It's one reason to go back to Majika - when they already have airconditioning.

I'm glad we decided not to go to far off islands (Banana, Calomboyan, Malcapuya) and instead opted to visit Culion and Calauit. How different can one island be from another? Our Culion and Calauit tours offered a much more unique experience.

Mt. Tapyas gives you bragging rights - climbing up 762 steps isn't easy - but if the schedule is tight, you're probably better off skipping this.

Here are some videos that Ariel took while we were in Coron. Pardon the quality. I'm new at this. :)
1. 360 degree view at the peak of the hill behind the cottages of Majika Resort.
2. 360 degree view of Dimakya Island - taken at the highest point of the island.
3. Snorkeling around Dimakya Island, with a footage of our encounter with a Dugong.
4. Encounter with wildlife at the Calauit Reserve.

And here are the links to my previous blog posts - a detailed account of our Coron Escapade.
Part 1 - Arriving in Coron, first day in Majika island Resort
Part 2 - Days 2 and 3 in Majika: Tour of Coron Island which includes the Twin Lagoons, Cayangan Lake, Banol Beach and CYC Beach
Part 3 - Days 4 and 5: Transfer to Coron Village Lodge at the town proper, our climb up Mt. Tapyas, a short visit to Maquinit Hot Springs, tour of Cullion Island, snorkeling at the Bintuan Marine Sanctuary (Coral Garden, Caldave Marine Park) and Sangat Gunboat
Part 4 - Day 6: Transfer to Club Paradise at Dimakya Island
Part 5 - Day 7: Going up the hiking trail at Club Paradise and our Calauit Reserve tour
Past 6 - Days 8 and 9: The final installment - Exploring the waters around Dimakya Island, and our encounter with a Dugong

I think this is the first time I was able to edit ALL photos and blogged about a trip within just a month. I still haven't gotten around to finishing our photos and blogging about our Cambodia, Vietnam, Dumaguete and Singapore trips last year! I'll finish them someday. :)

Some people appreciate that I go through all the details of our vacation. Some probably don't have the patience. I love reading through my blog and I love all the details. They help me remember.

And before I move on to other posts, I leave you with my favorite photo from this trip.

Happy reading!

Coron Escapade - Part 6 (The Last Installment)

2010-06-07T21:45:00.004+08:00

To view previous posts in this series, click the following links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Day 8: April 30, 2010 - Club Paradise

There's not much to do but enjoy the resort and nature's beauty. In the morning, we walked around and discovered that there is a small chapel in the middle of the resort.

After our walk, we decided to go snorkeling and check out the house reef. It was beautiful. Lots of colorful fishes. After a while, we went to the other side of the resort to see the giant clams. The water was deeper in this part of the island but we were able to spot one clam. Ariel caught it on video but we weren't able to take a photo. Then we just decided to hang out by the beach.

Several minutes later, we moved to the pool area. The sky was getting darker and the waves rougher. No more snorkeling for us.

Then, the most exciting thing happened. Just before noon, while lounging by the pool area, a guy from the aqua sports center approached us and told us that a dugong had been spotted near the house reef and asked us if we'd like to snorkel to see it. Ariel and I jumped on the opportunity. Ariel ran to get a pair of fins and life vests and we walked into the docking area. When I saw the waves, I hesitated to jump into the water. Good thing the aqua sports guy encouraged us and promised to swim with us. So we got into the water and swam with all our might against the pounding waves. I was on the verge of giving up when we finally saw the dugong quietly feeding on seagrass on the sandy bottom of the sea, just a few meters from the surface of the water.

We were told to approach quietly, avoiding noisy splashes from our fins and not to come too close so as not to disrupt the feeding.

Here's a video of our snorkeling experience.

We were so pleased with our experience that we just relaxed the rest of the day.

At dinnertime, we were serenaded by the resort musicians as we enjoyed the sumptuous buffet.

I wanted to take a photo of the full moon for the last time but when we went out to the beach after dinner, we couldn't see the moon. After a few minutes, I noticed a faint glow from behind the distant islands. Slowly, the moon began to rise from the horizon. It was amazing! My first time to actually see the moon rise!

After our photo op, we walked to the Dugong Bar to have drinks - our last hurrah before heading back to the hustle and bustle of real life.

Check out all the photos here.

Day 9: May 1, 2010 - Time to go home!

Just because it's our last day doesn't mean we will just lock ourselves in our room and just wait for our departure. On the contrary, we wanted to enjoy our stay in the resort up to the last minute. So, we changed into our swim wear and headed off to the house reef for another round of snorkeling. We enjoyed the cool waters up to around 10am. Then we headed back to our cottage to pack. We ordered room service for lunch (pancit and sandwich) at around 11:30am and walked to the docking area by noon. Goodbye Club Paradise!

See all Day 9 photos here.

Coron Escapade - Part 5

2010-06-01T11:54:00.004+08:00

If you missed the previous posts, click these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Day 7: May 29, 2010 - Club Paradise

We were informed the night before that no one else signed up for the morning tour to Calauit. There is a chance, however, of an afternoon trip. So for this morning, we decided to go up the hiking trail and get to the highest point of Dimakya Island. Ariel and I woke up early, packed our cameras and bottled water to take the short trail up to the peak. Dimakya is a small island and the peak is only about a kilometer of uphill trek, along a narrow trail lined by shady trees. We expected an easy climb.

I made sure my macro lens was attached to my camera. I saw a lot of macro opportunities the day before, specially along the swamp area. True enough, I was able to take a lot of nice macro shots.

Ariel and I took our time, making frequent stops to shoot photos. The trail was a gradual incline which makes it very easy to hike, even for a child. There were short intervals of steep ascent but nothing really difficult, even for an out of shape hiker like me. Bamboo railings line the trail for added protection.

After a while we heard a loud screeching sound. We were surprised to see thousands of bats hanging on trees. They seemed to be disturbed and some started flying about. It feels spooky seeing them up close, and flying about at daytime.

Before long, we reached the peak. There was a concrete tower built for sightseeing. We climbed up the very narrow steps and got to the top.

It gave us a much better vantage point, allowing us a 360 degree view of Dimakya Island. Ariel and I just stayed there for a while, took some photos, and admired the view. We could see nearby islands, the stretch of white sand beach just in front of our cottage, the marine sanctuary and all of Club Paradise.

Here's a video of the 360 degree view on top of the view deck.

It was much faster going down as we didn't take as many stops. We rewarded ourselves with a scrumptious breakfast buffet. I tried the congee with my usual protein-rich omelette (onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese) and coffee, while Ariel sampled more types of breakfast food from the buffet. After breakfast, Ariel and I went to the beach just in front of our cottage for a short dip. The water was cool and clear, and very soothing. We spotted a few jellyfishes as big as my hand which scared me a bit but we eventually learned to avoid them. We built our very first sand castle which we patterned after the temple mountains of Cambodia. Well, at least that was our concept.

We got confirmation that our Calauit Tour will push through at 1pm. So after lunch, we headed to the docking area to wait for our boat. We found out we were going with a Japanese family - a couple and two young boys with very plump and red cheeks (they are so cute I so wanted to pinch them!), and a pinoy couple who looks to be in their early 20s. It took us about an hour to get to Calauit Island. The tide was a bit low so we docked several meters away from the shore and we had to wade through knee-deep water to get to the sandy shore. We were greeted by a gigantic Heron feeding in the shallow beach. The bird moved away from us as we approached the island, and as much as I wanted to snap a photo, I was afraid to take out my camera while we were wading through the water. First thing we saw as we approached the island was a small outhouse which Ariel lost no time getting acquainted with, and a guardhouse where a local guide awaited us. We crossed a wooden bridge on a small creek into the mainland where a four-wheeler truck waited to drive us around the 3,700 hectare sanctuary.

It was an educational trip of sorts for us. I must admit I knew very little about Calauit other than animals roam freely around the island. Our guide started our education on the development of Caluit. It was in the late 70's when former President Marcos decided to develop the island, and the first batch of African wildlife arrived from Kenya. Giraffes, Zebras, Antelopes and other non-carnivorous African wildlife successfully adapted to the local environment and lived in harmony with endemic wildlife like the Calamian deers, mousedeers, bearcats and others.

As soon as we boarded the truck, a rush of excitement filled me. I've always been fascinated with wildlife. That's why I watch Animal Planet almost on a daily basis. Zoos and other animal parks are major attractions for me when visiting a foreign land. That is why I love Singapore so much. It's such a small country, very near the Philippines, and it offers a lot of animal parks. I've dreamed of going to an African Safari and this would be a similar experience, minus the carnivores. While driving along the rough terrain, we spotted many types of birds, the likes of which I've never seen in the wild before. After a while, we saw a group of Giraffes from afar. My excitement grew at the prospect of seeing them up close. Our truck carried branches of their favorite food and we were told we will be feeding them later. After about an hour, we came to a clearing where Calamian deers and zebras were grazing. We got off the truck to take photos.

After a while, two male zebras started fighting which caused the other zebras to run around us. Our guide quickly ushered us back to the truck fearing for our safety, specially since we had kids in our group. Exciting! After driving a few more meters, we saw some Giraffes. We got off and the guide started waving the leaves. One giraffe approached us and started munching on the leaves. The guide said his name is Beethoven. What a beautiful creature!

We saw a lot of Calamian deers around. most of them were very thin, with their ribs showing through the skin. The guide told us that with El Nino, the grasses have dried which deprived the deers of food. The giraffes and zebras, on the other hand, continue to thrive since they feed on leaves from trees which better tolerated the dry season. Because of this deprivation, the deers which do not normally approach people, would warily come near us to nibble on the leaves. As long as we are looking away, they would munch on the leaves, but as soon as we face them, they would run away from us.

After a while, two bigger giraffes started to approach us. Our guide thought it would be safer to go back inside the truck for our safety. Just like horses, they tend to kick when people approach them from behind as they probably see them as threats. We continued to feed the giraffes in the safety of the truck until we ran out of leaves.

Then we drove around some more and saw some Impalas. We also went to see some animals in captivity which included a bearcat, some porcupines, civet (locally known as alamid - famous for the alamid coffee), python, wild boars and some turtles. We also dropped by the freshwater alligator enclosure before heading off to the island's staff house. Near the staff houses is an enclosure for animals that need to be treated. It was all in all an exciting and memorable for all of us.

On the way back to Club Paradise, our guide gave us a giraffe stuffed toy as souvenir. I felt like a kid again. Ariel and I really felt that is was money well-spent.

Here's a video of our wildlife encounter.

After dinner, we took some more photos by the beach as the moon is still full and bright.

Then we headed off to the bar where Ariel and I ordered a few drinks. I tried the frozen margarita, while Ariel had light beer of course. When we got back to our cottage, we were still awake enough to watch another episode of Criminal Minds. I love that show!

For the complete set of photos this day, click here.

To view Part 6, the final installment, click here.

Coron Escapade - Part 4

2010-05-18T21:30:00.003+08:00

To read previous entries, click the following links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Day 6: April 28, 2010 - Coron Village Lodge and CLUB PARADISE!!!

I woke up at 5am feeling really sick. Very bad congestion, headache and a bit of throat irritation. Not a good sign. Worse, I could hear a steady drizzle on the roof! By 5:45, I woke Ariel and we got ready to leave. Bags packed, room checked, we headed down to the front desk. Only, there was no front desk. The office is still closed. By 6:15, our scheduled departure, there was no sign of the CVL staff, nor was there any van waiting to take us to the airport where Club Paradise crew will pick us up. At 6:30, the van arrived and started loading our bags along with some other passengers'. Still no sign of the office personnel. At 6:40, the office lady finally came and with shocked face told me that we still have a balance of P200+. I told her that I wanted to settle that the night before but she said she will be in at 6am so it's her incompetence that placed us in this position where we need to rush to the airport (actually, we really didn't have to rush but other passengers needed to catch a flight to Manila) but we couldn't leave yet since we need to settle our P200+ balance. Of course I said it nicely. Good thing it was a quick transaction and soon, we were cruising along a scenic road back to Busuanga Airport. At this time, the rain already stopped but dark clouds still loomed above us. Our driver drove like a maniac which made up for the time we wasted waiting at the office. It didn't take long before we drove into the departure section of the airport.

After a few minutes, the Club Paradise jeep arrived. There were a few other guests from Coron who, like us, will also transfer to Club Paradise. We boarded the jeep but had to wait for more guests arriving from Manila. At around 8am, the guests finally arrived and we started the land trip to the river dock. The ride was about 40minutes along a mostly dusty dirt road. Then we transferred in a boat docked by the river. Among the guests were a Japanese family with two young boys, a Filipino family with 3 kids and a grandmother, and a Korean couple wearing matching shirts (I initially thought they were Fil-Chinese but Ariel pointed out the matching outfits). We cruised through the mangrove-lined river until we reached the ocean. Sandwiches and juice drinks were served to the guests - an early taste of Club Paradise's excellent service.

The waves were a bit rough since the weather wasn't so good and water started splashing onto our faces. The staff started handing out Club Paradise- embroidered towels to keep us from getting wet. After a few minutes, we set anchor in front of El Rio Y Mar Resort nestled into the side of a big island (which we found out is still connected to mainland Busuanga). We were later informed that El Rio Y Mar is a sister resort of Club Paradise.

After almost an hour, we finally stepped into the blinding white sand beach of Club Paradise.

We were ushered into the reception area where cold welcome drinks awaited us and a group of musicians serenaded us with a welcome song.

We quickly filled out the paperworks and a quick orientation ensued. Since it was still early (not even 10am), we couldn't check in to our beachfront cottage. We were ushered into another cottage (a duplex) where we could freshen up and relax until the 2pm check in time. Our temporary cottage was just a few steps away from the sunrise beach. We were told that our beachfront cottage would be similar in size and interiors but single-detached. We just relaxed for a bit before deciding to explore the area.

Just before noon, we started walking towards the main hall. We stopped by the spa to schedule a massage that afternoon. Then we went into the front desk to check out the tours. We decided to sign up for a Calauit Tour morning of the next day. However, the tour requires a minimum of four guests so we had to wait for other guests to sign in, otherwise,we would need to pay for four.

Ahhh lunch! A mouthwatering spread welcomed us into the main dining hall. The appetizers alone were enough to satisfy my cravings. Olives. Two kinds of smoked fish. Yummy. There were 3 to 4 main dishes aside from the rice and steamed veggies. And the dessert! I had to stop myself from getting some.

After lunch, we were advised that our room was ready so we checked in by around 1pm. Our cottage is located at the sunset beach. The room was spacious, furnished with a king-sized bed, a coffee table with two chairs, and a dresser table. The bathroom had hot and cold shower and full amenities were provided - towels and toiletries. There is a walk-in closet with dresser table. In one corner of the room is the mini bar.

At 2:30pm, we went to the spa for our massage. Heavenly! We just relaxed the rest of the afternoon. By 6pm, we got outside to walk by the beach and take photos.

We heard a loud squeaking above us and was surprised and awed by what we saw. Thousands of huge fruit bats were flying above us, ready to fly out into the night in search for food. As part of our orientation that morning, the front desk staff mentioned that Dimakya Island is home to fruit bats. We had no idea there were so many of them. For about 30 minutes, we just marveled at the sight of the bats flying across the sky.

At dinner, we were treated to a beautiful full moon. I didn't bring my camera at first so we made plans to go back to the cottage after dinner to get my camera and tripod so we can take photos by the beach. We later found out that there would be a cultural show during dinner. So we decided to stay a bit longer to see the show. After that, we got our cameras and took photos by the beach. It was a huge blessing to be at a beautiful island and having a full moon made it even more beautiful.

We had a wonderful time just relaxing throughout the day. I took cold meds round the clock and pumped my body with Vitamin C morning and evening. I was still not feeling 100% when we retired for the night but that didn't stop me from enjoying our first day at Club Paradise.

For the complete set of photos, click here.

To read part 5, click here.

Coron Escapade - Part 3

2010-05-09T23:27:00.006+08:00

Click these links if you missed Part 1 and Part 2.

Day 4 - Majika Resort and Coron Village Lodge

This resort grew on me. After the initial discomfort of not having air conditioning, I've come to love this place. I love the sound of tuko waking us up in the middle of the night, and the waves gently lapping on the shore, the trees dancing with the wind. While the hill behind our cottage is barely covered with trees, there are lots of greens around the resort itself. Kasuy trees are all over the place.

There are pineapples behind our cottage. Coconut trees line the shore. And there are hammocks in front of the cottages where one can retreat to should you want to relax and escape from the heat inside the cottages.

So today was our last day in Majika. Our breakfast was unremarkable, as usual, but it felt more special since we were sharing the meal with our newfound friends for the last time. After breakfast, we posed for some group photos, and exchanged email addresses with a promise to share whatever photos we have of each other.

By 10am, we boarded a boat that would take us back to Coron town. Because we left early enough and the tide is still a bit high, we were able to take a different route - we passed through a mangrove forest. It was breathtaking. Upon seeing this, I immediately regretted passing up the chance to explore this by kayak/canoe at night. The main attraction of this area are the sea fireflies - planktons that glow in the dark. However, because it was almost full moon, we were told that the sea fireflies will not be visible (best viewed when the sky is really dark) so we totally ditched the night canoeing idea. Bad decision! Anyway, it was great that we were able to take this route so we got to admire the view at daytime. We took turns having our photos taken. Sadly, all our photos taken along the mangrove forest have gone missing. Either they were inadvertently deleted or there was an error in uploading to our laptop. Fortunately, Cornie and Peng (Villafuerte) sent photos taken from their camera. And they are fabulous!

Before noon, we found ourselves walking along the public market near the pier. We made our way back to the Majika station in town. Then it was time to say goodbye to our friends. Ariel and I took a tricycle going to Coron Village Lodge. There, we were told that the room is not yet ready, so we had lunch at their restaurant first. The food was great!!! We ordered pork adobo and calamares. Very, very good! Ariel and I ate with gusto. After lunch, we were able to check into our room. Finally, aircon!

Our room was very small, at least compared to our cottage in Majika. It has a TV set with cable channels. There's a closet, a hanging rack and a desk. There was also a small table beside the double bed. The bathroom is even tinier. It locks from the outside with a hook, but doesn't properly close from inside the toilet. There is hot water in the shower but the water pressure was too weak we could barely get a trickle on the shower. Good thing there was a pail where we could collect enough water for a decent bath. Towels were provided as well as toilet papers and a bar of bath soap. A medicine cabinet hung above the sink but one side was unhooked from the wall so it was hanging precariously on one side, threatening to fall off the wall. Well, I guess I shouldn't expect much from a room that costs P1,000 per night.

I've been asked why we decided to transfer to the town. Actually, even before our trip, I've carefully planned our itinerary to make sure we have ample time to explore the area. I have a couple of destinations in my list.

Coron Island Tour - We wouldn't want to miss the best Coron has to offer. Majika offers this tour so we were covered.
Sangat island Tour - Majika is located just across Sangat Island and they also offer this tour. However, because of my dysmenorrhea, we had to miss this. No worries though. We have time in our hands.
Culion - I've always wanted to see this historic place. Majika doesn't offer tours going to Cullion. That is why I arranged for a two-night stay in Coron Village Lodge. Many tour operators in town offer a trip to Cullion.
Calauit - Since we are already in the area, we wanted to take the opportunity to see this animal reserve. This is closer to Club Paradise so we opted to take the tour there.

With these in mind, I've arranged 3 nights stay in Majika, 2 nights in Coron Village Lodge and 3 nights in Club Paradise. The last leg of our vacation was really meant for rest and relaxation, save for a trip to Calauit.

So anyway, Ariel and I decided to just rest first and explore the city later. By 3pm, I made calls to a local tour operator (Corong Galeri) to arrange for our tour the next day. Ariel also called a local tricycle driver (referred by a friend) to arrange for a trip to Mt. Tapyas and Maquinit Hot Springs that afternoon.

At 4 pm, we boarded the tricycle that took us to the foot of Mt. Tapyas. There, we began the grueling climb. 762 steps to the peak. The sun was still up so it was scorching hot! We had to make frequent stops to catch our breath and hydrate. After a while, and with my legs aching and trembling, we finally reached the top. The view was spectacular! We stayed for a while and took photos. Then we decided to go to a shed on the side of the peak which was a downhill walk along a narrow path. We took more photos and tried to wait for sunset, but I got impatient since it was only a little after 5pm. After a while, we gave up and decided to head back to the base.

Our tricycle then drove us 6 kilometers to Maquinit Hot Springs. Half the way was a dusty unpaved road in the middle of nowhere. By the time we got there, it was already getting dark. We paid the entrance fee of P100 each. The pool was a huge cemented enclosure. The water was very, very hot. On the other side of the pool is another entrance for guests coming by boat. Ariel and I just soaked our tired legs and we felt immediate relief. Even with just our legs in the water, we felt the warmth throughout our body - it was like being inside a huge sauna.

We didn't stay long as we made an arrangement to meet one of my very best friends and her hubby for dinner. Michelle, her husband Jay, sister and parents were also vacationing in Coron. They were billeted in a lodge just beside Coron Village Lodge. We initially planned to eat at Bistro Coron but it was full so we went to La Sirenetta instead. The restaurant was located near the pier so we had a great view of the sea. We ordered two types of pizza and pasta. The food was great, the company even better.

By the time we retired for the night, I was already feeling ill. I feel a bad cold coming.

Day 5 - Coron Village Lodge

Today's itinerary: Cullion Town and Sangat Island Tour - Coral Beach, Gunboat Wreck, Caldave Marine Park

We woke up early today. Breakfast at 7am. Ariel and I opted for Filipino breakfast which consisted of longganisa, sunny side up and fried rice for me, Tocino for Ariel. It was pretty good. This would be our only breakfast experience in Coron Village Lodge.

By 8am, we were back at Corong Galeri, the meeting point for today's tour. For a group of 5 people, the usual fee is P650 per person for a day's tour. In our case, because we are going beyond Coron Island, and there's only two of us, we had to pay P1,750 each - inlcusive of all fees plus lunch and drinks on board. I thought it was a pretty good deal since boat rentals alone would have cost us P3000. We bumped into Michelle's family at the Galeri. Turned out they also booked their tour with the same operator. They were taking the Coron island Tour which we already did while we were at Majika.

At around 9:30, we docked into Culion Island and started to walk uphill to the Culion Sanitarium. The heat of the sun was beating down on us and the uphill walk was exhausting. Finally, we were able to enter the museum located behind the Sanitarium. We watched a video on the history of Culion. I was almost in tears while watching. I couldn't imagine the sad plight of the lepers during the early 1900's. I was also amazed to learn that Culion was the best leprosarium in the world during the 1920s-1930s. With modern medicine's ability to effectively treat leprosy, Culion became a regular community and broke down the barriers that enclosed the leper colony. During the presidency of Mrs. Aquino, it was finally declared an independent municipality.

After viewing the video, we went around the museum. Photography is prohibited so i wasn't able to take photos. The museum showcased the tools and amenities of the leprosarium. There are also photos of people who helped make Culion the best leprosarium during the early 1900's. I was amazed by the dedication of some of the American doctors who chose to spend their lives in Culion to help the Filipinos.

By the way, the Culion Sanitarium is currently the only General Hospital in the Calamian group of islands.

After touring the museum, we proceeded to the Culion Church to snap some photos. It is currently undergoing a renovation. The inside has been completed but there is still some work being done on the exterior, including the bell tower.

We had lunch at a lodge near the docking area. It was a simple but tasty meal of fish sinigang and pork adobo. After lunch, we already proceeded to Sangat Island for our snorkling tour. Our first stop was the Coral Garden. The water was teeming with colorful fishes and corals. Again, there were sea urchins and I was terrified. the water was a bit shallow so I was afraid of getting into contact with those creepy spiny creatures. The Coral Garden is just a few meters from the shores of Majika.

Our next stop was the gunboat wreck, just a few meters from the Coral Garden. The water was deep, dark and still but the hull of the wreck was clearly visible from the surface. Ariel and I dove in and saw hundreds of colorful fishes. There was an eerie feel in the area, specially in the deeper, darker parts of the wreck. Since we are not divers, we can only see the wreck from above. Corals have begun to attach to the sunken ship which probably account for the number of fishes in the area.

Finally, we stopped by Caldave Marine Park, another snorkling area teeming with fishes and corals. The whole area - Caldave Marine Park, Coral Garden and the wreck are part of the Bintuan Marine Sanctuary.

We were back to town by 3pm. Ariel and I just took a shower before going to the restaurant for merienda. We had pancit bihon and sandwich. It was ok - I have high standards for pancit because it's one of my specialties. :) We just relaxed the rest of the afternoon.

For our last meal in Coron, we ordered chili crabs and chili prawns. Both were out of stock. It was so frustrating trying to order seafoods!!! I also didn't see a single lobster in the market. I wonder where they are taking all those fresh catches?! So we settled with Chili Squid (they have an abundance of squid) and Pork Sisig. Both are very good! I also ordered a serving of frozen margarita which I found to be too bland. So I ordered Mango Daiquiri next. It tasted like mango shake with only a drop of alcohol. It was refreshing enough but still not quite to my liking. Oh well.

After dinner, I went to the front desk to settle our bill. We were leaving at 6:15 for Club Paradise so we wanted to pay that night. We paid our balance save for the cost of our merienda earlier today. The cashier said that the restaurant has not yet forwarded our bill and will have to be settled the following day. From the look on her face, it was clear that this is something they don't want to fix that very hour. I asked what time they open, and the girl said they do at 6am. So we just went back to our room to finish packing.

Early day tomorrow.

Day 4 photos here.
Day 5 photos here.

To read part 4, click here.

Coron Escapade - Part 2

2010-05-04T22:27:00.003+08:00

If you missed part 1, click here.

Day 2 - Majika Resort

Despite the absence of air-conditioning, we had a restful evening. The sound of nature lulled us to sleep and woke us up early in the morning. I woke up with menstrual cramps. It was bad. Crap! Not today!

Breakfast was served at 7am. Again, nothing spectacular. Fried rice, daing, omelette and longganisa. Not the best I've tasted, but not bad either. The coffee was good though. It was strong and flavorful even without adding sugar. I added milk, they didn't have non-dairy creamer.

At 8:30am, we were ready for the Coron Island Tour. Our itinerary - Twin Lagoon, lunch at Banol Beach, Cayangan Lake, CYC Beach. We packed our gear and set off for our adventure. We shared the boat with the Villafuertes and Miss Carina, a school principal who was traveling alone, Orange, a girl traveling with her friend Jun, whom we later found out was a priest. Another boat was occupied by a family of seven.

Coron Island was a good 45 minutes away by boat. Before long, our boat was sailing between rock formations. Then we entered a cove which turned out to be the first of the twin lagoons. The water was smooth as silk and very clear. Ariel and I were the first to dive into the water with our life vest and snorkeling gear on. The water was cool and very deep. Schools of fish swam around us.

The lagoons are separated by a rock wall. During low tide, one can swim through an opening under the rock. During high tide, you will have to climb over the rock to get to the other lagoon. Fortunately, it was low tide that morning and we easily swam through the opening into the other lagoon.

On the other side, the water was cooler and less salty as it is mixed with fresh water. We saw fewer fishes but some swimmers said there were jellyfishes near the rock walls. We didn't dare find out for ourselves. After a while, Ariel and I swam back to our boat, took off our life vests and swam around the first lagoon. We just enjoyed the cool water and the beautiful surroundings.

Then it was off to Banol Beach for lunch. The rock formations in the area were awesome.

The beach has powdery white sand and the water crystal clear. However, it was too hot for us to enjoy the water at this time so we decided to just have our lunch first. We had the entire beach to ourselves.

Lunch consisted of rice, grilled fish, chicken adobo and steamed crabs. The food was pretty good but I was a bit disappointed with the crabs. They weren't fat! While they tasted good, I expected better quality considering that we were in Palawan.

After lunch, we couldn't resist the call of the ocean. At first it was just Ariel and I who braved the noontime heat to take a swim. Soon after, the rest of the guests in our boat followed suit.

Then we were off to Cayangan Lake, just a few minutes from Banol Beach. Our boat docked in a cove and we soon realized that we have to climb up a hill and then go down again into the lake.

It was exhausting! But the view from the top was really worth the effort.

As we descend into the lake, we were again rewarded with a breathtaking view. No wonder this tops the list of Coron's must sees.

Anyway, the lake was deep and the water cool and soothing. Ariel and I got into the water and explored the lake. There was a small cave a few meters across the dock. I was scared to go in but our guide reassured us that it's safe so we went in. The rocks around the cave were a bit sharp so we had to avoid touching them.

After a few quick poses for the camera, we got out and just relaxed in the cool waters of Cayangan Lake.

Finally, it was time to go. Our last stop for the day was CYC Beach. It was another white sand beach but instead of docking on the shore, our boat set anchor a few meters away, where fishes and corals abound. There were lots of sea urchins!

I was terrified of them. Aside from the spines, they have these "eyes" that seem to watch us as we swam by. We spent just a few minutes here before heading back to the resort.

After a quick shower, Ariel and I walked by the beach to take some photos before dinner.

As with the previous night, we retired early. I was already very anxious. My period came and I was dreading the following day. Based on today's cramps, I could feel it will be worse the next day. :(

Day 3 - Majika Resort

When I woke up at 5am, I knew I won't be going anywhere today. My dysmenorrhea was really bad, my flow very heavy. I need to be within a few steps of a working toilet all the time. Sadly, we had to skip today's tour. I told Ariel he can join the tour while I stay in the cottage. He chose to stay with me - as expected. For better or worse.

Fortunately, today's tour covers nearby sights. So lunch for the group was served at the resort and we got to enjoy the company of the Villafuerte's and Miss Carissa over lunch. Then they were off to another adventure while we watched Season 1 episodes of Criminal Minds.

By dinnertime, I was already feeling much better. I felt good enough for a game of pingpong. Time seemed to slow down in this island and to keep ourselves occupied in the past three days, we played billiards and pingpong. So anyway, it was our last dinner at Majika. Ms. Carina seized the microphone and started belting out songs at the bar. The kids were playing. Ariel and I hung out for a bit before we went back to our cottage to pack and prepare for our transfer the next day. :(

Here are some of Ariel's shots today:

See the complete set of photos here.

To see Part 3, click here.

Coron Escapade - Part 1

2010-05-02T18:19:00.009+08:00

Our flight was originally scheduled at 7:10am but I got an email the day before that it will be moved to 8:50am, arrival at Busuanga Airport expected at 9:55am. We decided to leave early just the same, in case the schedule moves back to the original slot. So we found ourselves lugging two heavy bags and a light tote with our life vests for check in, plus hand-carried bags for each of us to the check in counter shortly before 7am. By 8:30, we still haven't boarded. It was almost 9am when we were finally called to board a bus that took us to our plane. After that, we had to wait about 30 minutes before we could take off. Apparently, there was a long queue of flights out of Manila - the weekend rush. It was almost 9:30am when our plane finally took off. The flight was only about 30 minutes which made up a bit for the delay.

It's been over 12 years since I was last in Coron. Back then, flights to the island were few and far between. The runway was a strip of dirt road. I took a 10-hour trip by sea going to the island with my parents, my aunt and uncle, plus a few other couple friends of my parents. We stayed with some relatives who lived in an island somewhere. I actually couldn't remember where. On our trip back to Manila, we decided to travel by air, in an 8-seater plane. We were already seated when the pilot asked us to go down again as the engine wouldn't start. He said we needed to wait a bit for the plane to cool off. We looked at each other and prayed hard. It was quite an adventure. But I digress.

Our plane touched down shortly after 10. We were met by a representative from Majika Island Resort who led us to a non-aircon van that took us to the town proper. It was a scenic but rough 45-minute ride. We met the Villafuerte family (the mom and dad, and 3 kids) for the first time. Like us, they also found Majika on the internet. It ranked 1st in Trip Advisor among the accommodations in Coron, and the reviews are 100% positive. The only downside I saw was the fact that the accommodations are not air-conditioned. We are really not very picky when it comes to accommodations. We've stayed in simple cottages before, but in this heat, I doubt if fans will be enough to cool the cottage. Anyway, we were first ushered into the 2nd floor of what looked like a private dwelling, in the heart of the town. There, we were served with brunch - rice, tinolang manok and squid omelette. Later I realized that our meal in town was a preview of sorts on what our meals would be like in Majika.

Shortly after lunch, we walked towards the pier. It was just a few meters away from where we had lunch.

There, we boarded a boat that sailed us into Bintuan Island, where Majika Resort is located. It was an hour-long ride through the silky smooth ocean.

As we approached the island, I was filled with uncertainty. It didn't look remarkable from afar. In fact, it didn't look like a resort at all! As we approached the island, I could barely make out the cottages as trees obscured the view. At the backdrop are barren hills covered in what looked like dried grass, and a handful of trees. There was a visible trail going up the hill but the dry cover make it look so uninviting.

Finally, land. We disembarked on a floating hut and waded through knee-deep sea water. We made our way up to the main dining hall-reception area where welcome drinks were served. The iced tea was a welcome respite from the heat of the summer sun.

We were then ushered into our cottage. It was surprisingly big, with two double beds, a table and a bench. Drinking water was provided in each room via a 5-gallon water dispenser. The bathroom was likewise spacious, fitted with modern bathroom amenities. Toilet paper was provided. I did not expect to see anything else as I was advised to bring our own towels and toiletries. I was surprised to see a big shower area. BUT half the space was occupied by three large water containers. Then we were hit by the awful truth.

There was no running water. In fairness to the resort, they have their own water pump. And the fact that there are modern bathroom fixtures told me they had running water. However, due to El Nino, the water supply has become scarce and can no longer fill their overhead tank. Fortunately, the resort has a well and the water has not dried up. So the bathrooms are filled with water from the well on a daily basis. And to think I even inquired if they have hot water available!

As we tried to settle down, another revelation hit us. The resort is powered by a generator so electricity is only available from 6pm to 6am every day. Hence, no fans to cool the cottage on our first afternoon in the island. Ariel and I were so tired from the trip and the lack of sleep the night before. We decided to take a nap before exploring the island. However, because of the heat, we could barely doze off. We kept on waking up soaked in sweat. After a while, we just gave up and decided to just hike up the hill.

The trail starts just behind our cottage, between number 7 (ours) and 8. The first few meters was a steep climb but the view was very rewarding. At this point, one can already stop and bask in the beauty of nature. A huge tree with two swings act as the first marker. From this vantage point, you can see the mangrove forest below.

We took a few minutes to admire the beauty around us before proceeding uphill. Fortunately, it was a bit cloudy which made it easier for us. Otherwise, without trees to shelter us from the heat of the sun, it would have been a much more difficult climb, specially for someone as out of shape as I am. We took frequent stops to take photos and to catch our breath. We didn't bring water so we weren't properly hydrated.

After a while, we reached a second marker. This time, there was only one swing as the tree is much smaller than the first marker. At this point, the sun came out from behind the clouds and the heat became almost unbearable. The last few meters to the peak was totally bare so I decided to stay put while Ariel proceeded to the peak.

At the highest point of the hill, a lone bench welcomes the weary hiker. There are no more trees to tie a swing to and the bench serves as a perch as one drinks in the breathtaking view.

After a while, I walked a few meters towards the peak to meet Ariel and then we started our downhill trek.

Click here to see the video taken by Ariel showing the 360 degree view of the islands from the peak of the hill.

Back at the resort, we were relieved to find a jug of ice cold water to replenish our dehydrated bodies. Then, we were served banana fritters for snacks which Ariel and I washed down with a can of Coke.

At around 7pm, the bell rang to signify dinnertime. The food was ok and there was enough variety - soup, meat, seafoods and veggies - good, but forgettable. It satisfied our hunger but did not delight our palate.

We retired to our cottage early. It was better with the fans on, but still a bit toasty. We just watched Glee and Criminal Minds before before drifting to sleep.

See the complete set of day 1 photos here.

To read part two, click here.

An Ordinary Day spent with an Extraordinary Person

2010-04-11T11:57:00.004+08:00

On Saturday, April 10th, Ariel and I decided to go on a date around our home town of Kawit, Cavite. Our plan was to revisit an old hangout - Island Cove - to play bowling. That was actually our first date back in January 1999. Back then, we used to play bowling a lot. We thought it would be fun to play again after a long time. We were sad to know that the bowling lanes have now been converted into a ballroom. So we just decided to hang out at the Fishing Village, have snacks, share drinks and just enjoy each other's company. We picked a table by the river bank with a view of the floating huts. There were very few guests at that time so it was generally quiet. We could hear the constant chirping of the birds, and a gentle breeze caressed our skin. After about 2 hours or so, we decided to head off to the Aguinaldo Shrine, but not before snapping some photos of the fishing village.

This is cottage 18 - our wedding date

The pedestrian bridge at the entrance of Island Cove

We were disappointed to discover that the shrine closes at 4 pm so we missed it by almost 2 hours. Nonetheless, I thought it was a great opportunity to take photos of the exterior of the shrine, as well as the plaza in front. There were lots of people in the plaza, mostly local kids playing around, chaperoned by either parents or grandparents. After a while, a group of young adults came, each with a DSLR on hand, so I figured that they also want to take photos of this historical site. Ariel took a quick nap while I went around taking photos.

This statue of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo greets visitors from the parking area into the shrine

Our history books tell us that this is the balcony where our independence was first proclaimed and the Philippine flag first hoisted

Ariel took a nap while I snapped some photos

We waited til nightfall to take this shot

The prerequisite souvenir shot

It was already past 7 pm when we got home. Our helpers were not yet back from their day off and we didn't have a key so I just walked around to take photos. Then we went into our bahay kubo and hung out with our dogs.

The Road to Gumaca, Quezon

2010-04-11T10:08:00.005+08:00

A few weeks before Holy Week, I asked my cousins what their plans are for the break. Specifically, I asked them if they want to come over at our place to hang out. I was thinking of taking photos of my niece and nephew. However, they already made plans to visit my cousin Jo-Ann's in laws in Gumaca, Quezon. She then asked us if we'd like to tag along. My other cousin Jojo and his family are also coming. I was hesitant at first as I wanted to rest and avoid the Holy Week traffic, specially in SLEX. After a while, I warmed up to the idea, helped by Ariel's enthusiasm. After all, it's been a while since our last road trip. A plan was formed.

A few days before Good Friday, we started talking about what to bring. Basically, I didn't have to worry about bringing anything as they will just take care of the food. I also found out that another cousin, Ate Mylee, and her family will come, too!

We met at the Caltex station in SLEX, just after the Carmona exit where we got out from Cavite. Aside from me and Ariel, we were joined by Jo-Ann, Alfred and their daughter Jana; Ate Mylee, Nonie and their twin sons Nathan and Nirel; Jojo, Richel and their little boy Riley. Jo-Ann's sis and brother in law, Renren and Alvin, also decided to join us in this trip to visit their parents. It took our 4-car convoy about 3 hours to get to Gumaca town proper. It was a long, but pleasant drive. Traffic was light and the roads were good. We met Alfred's dad, Tito Tony, in the town proper, and Alfred and his siblings first dropped by their grandparents' house while we waited in our car. After a while, we drove on to the farm. It was about 10 minutes from the town proper. We took a left from the main highway into a dirt road which we later learned was specifically bulldozed off to create access to Tito Tony's farm.

Tony's Hog Farm is actually the retirement home of Alfred's parents. They have a spacious house sitting on the side of a hilly terrain, surrounded by coconut trees and other fruit bearing plants and trees. Chickens were scattered all over the perimeter. A carabao was grazing nearby, and 30 pigs were corralled in a pen only a few meters away from the house.

The house was big for just two people. Clearly, it was built with vacationing kids and grandkids in mind. The house was designed with cemented roof deck instead of the usual iron roof. Glass tiles were strategically positioned all over the roof to let natural light into the house. This saves a lot of energy from using electric bulbs. The entire house was furnished with bamboo furnitures.

All bedrooms have doors leading out of the house, much like a beach cottage. The master bedroom has its own huge bathroom with hot shower. A bamboo-framed king-sized bed sits in the middle of the room. The space is big enough to accommodate another king-sized mattress and two single mattresses. Ten of us shared this room for the night.

The 2nd bedroom is a bit smaller but still quite spacious. It is furnished with a queen-sized bed and had enough space for another mattress. Tito Tony, Tita Cherry, Alvin, Jojo, Richel and Riley stayed here for the night.

Tita Cherry's sister as well as Jana's yaya Gina stayed in the 3rd bedroom which is furnished with a double bed. There is a second bathroom, as big as the master bath, in between the two smaller bedrooms.

The dining table is made for eight people but it was big enough to squeeze in 12 of us. Our first meal was sinigang na baboy and fried stuffed squid. The sumptuous lunch was made even more delectable with the happy chatter among us cousins and our gracious host. After lunch, we retreated to the bedroom to take naps since we woke up very early for the trip. However, instead of napping, we girls ended up watching a movie and chatting over junk food.

Time seemed to slow down in this sleepy farm. At around 4pm, we went out to explore the entire perimeter. We explored the rice field just a few meters from the house. We had to walk uphill through a trail and go down again into the rice field.

After a while, we all congregated at the roof deck for snacks of banana and camote Q, more chatter, and lots of snapshots.

For dinner, we had Tita Cherry's famous adobong baboy cooked in vinegar until the meat is fork tender. The best!!! It was paired with fried chicken and steaming white rice (brown rice for me).

After dinner, we shared coffee and trooped to the roof deck again to gaze at the stars. The sky was so clear and was dotted with the most stars we've ever seen. The roof looks really pretty with the glass tiles glowing with light coming from inside the house. We had fun posing for photos in the dark.

Every Saturday, at around 2pm, one of the pigs get slaughtered and the meat sold to regular customers. This is how Tito Tony earns from his pig farm. As we retired for the night, we talked about waking up at 2am to see the slaughter. Well, it didn't happen. Most of us heard the cries of a pig about to be slaughtered but we were too tired to get up. By the time I opened my eyes, the sun was shining brightly through the glass tiles on the roof. We roamed around the house first and took photos.

Breakfast was fried rice, daing na bangus and tomato-onion omelette with garlic fried rice. YUMMY! After breakfast, we got ready to go to the beach. Our plan was to look for a clean strip of sandy beach and just stop for a quick dip. Sadly, the shoreline was littered with garbage. It took us a while to find a suitable area for even a few snapshots. At first, the kids didn't even want to step on the sand. They eventually got the hang of it and was able to play a bit - but they didn't want to get wet. I don't blame them. With all the floating trash on the water, it is kinda icky to get yourself wet. We at least were able to take some nice photos.

After about an hour of beach time, we headed back to the house for lunch. Our last meal at the farm consisted of grilled liempo with fresh meat from the early morning slaughter, and steamed prawns. By this time, I totally ditched my brown rice and ate the steaming white rice along with everyone else. We rested a bit and packed our stuff to prepare for our drive back to the crowded city life.

By 4pm, our convoy left the farm premises. We stopped by the Gumaca church for some photos before leaving for home.

We were a bit sad to leave Gumaca. We had a great time at the farm and we were very thankful for Tito Tony and Tita Cherry's hospitality.

l-r: Nonie, Nirel, Ate Mylee, Nathan, Gina, Alfred, Jo-Ann, Jana, Renren, Alvin, Tito Tony, Tita Cherry, Richelle, Jojo, Ariel, Alby (not in photo: Riley who's asleep in the car)

We stopped in San Pablo for a bit of shopping (Richelle bought a stainless grill), and then in SLEX for dinner and coffee. Traffic was a bit heavy in Sto. Tomas Batangas area until the Star Toll exit - perhaps due to the Holy Week crowd heading back to Manila from the beaches of Batangas. We got home at past 11pm - longer than our trip going to Gumaca.

We all had a wonderful time and made plans to make this an annual trip - if not more frequent. It was great to bond with my cousins again. It was a reunion of some sorts for the Starex gang (We've gone to Sagada and climbed Mt. Pulag together, and another roadtrip here. We missed joining the group in their trip to Bicol and Coron.). Since the kids were born, we had not gone on a trip together and this is probably the closest we'll get to another adventure. We have Riley and Jana as the newest additions to the gang, plus ate Mylee's family joined us for the first time. We're all definitely looking forward to the next adventure.

Heart-Healthy Treat

2010-03-06T13:54:00.005+08:00

I am not really fond of baking. I don't like the rigid measurements. Even the way you mix things has to be precise. I don't like the added stress. And besides, I am not really into pastries and desserts (well, maybe except for cheesecakes). However, since I started healthy eating, all of a sudden, I felt like my food selection has suddenly become very limited. So, as a treat to myself, I decided to bake me some "good" pastries. I searched for banana-walnut recipes and researched on how to best use whole wheat flour in baking. This morning, I put my knowledge to the test.

I woke up early to prepare my ingredients. I am a bit scared as most of my research show that whole wheat flour can be tricky to use. If not done properly, I might end up with brick muffins. In fact, many recipes call for half whole wheat flour and half white flour. I read the same recommendations in the forums I stalked in the past couple of days. However, I am determined to make this as "good" as possible.

Dry Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups baking Splenda (or use 1 cup Splenda and .5 cup Agave Nectar, a low-glycemic index natural sweetener - I found one in Healthy Options)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oats and flaxseed mix (I used whole wheat rolled oats - not the quick cooking one!) My mix is 75% oats and 25% flaxseed - up to you to use whatever ratio, or use Granola instead

Wet Ingredients:
1 Cup Canola Oil - I used 3/4 cup canola oil and 1/4 cup melted canola butter (for added flavor)
3 Eggs
3/4 cup Skim Milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed super ripe bananas (my bananas are not super ripe so I added about a tablespoon of skim milk and popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it more) - Cavendish bananas are the best!

Here are some of them. The canola butter is Meadowlea which is available in local supermarkets. I wanted to get Olive Grove butter which contains Olive Oil instead of canola but the fat content is much higher so I opted for Meadowlea.

The whole wheat flour and whole wheat rolled oats are from Healthy Options.

I love these! Next time I'll add a bit of chopped dark chocolate!

So I just whisked all the dry ingredients together so everything will be well mixed. Oh, and did you know that Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease? And of course, the whole wheat flour and rolled oats are rich in fiber that are also known to help prevent heart diseases. Trivia lang po.

Then, in a mixing bowl, I put together all wet ingredients and mixed on low until they are well blended.

The next step is very important. I was too anxious to get this part done right that my heart was beating so fast at this stage. I made a well in the center of the dry ingredients and poured the wet ingredients. Then, I slowly and carefully folded the dry ingredients into the wet mix. At this stage, the vanilla has done its magic making the aroma of the mix irresistible. And the only thing keeping me from licking my mixing spoon is the thought of live organisms from the raw egg - I've watched too many episodes of Monsters Inside Me on the Animal Planet.

Repeat after me. DON'T OVERMIX! Resist the urge to mix thoroughly even if you can still see a bit of white flour in there.

I forgot to say that you should be preheating your oven to 180 degrees celsius (350F) while you are preparing the batter.

Anyway, once the batter is ready, spoon them into muffin pans. You may line them with paper liner. I bought paper liners for my big muffin pan but not for the small ones so I just spritz it with non-stick spray before spooning the batter into the pan.

For the big muffins, it takes about 25-30 minutes to bake. I used up a lot of toothpick to test the doneness (toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the center). For the mini muffins, it only takes 15-20 minutes. And believe me, when I opened the oven, the entire kitchen was filled with the sweet vanilla scent that I had to stop myself from grabbing a piece of muffin right there and then.

Here are the big muffins. I was so nervous to take the first bite. I'm happy that they turned out moist and sweet.

Here are two that I baked in glass cups (I only have one big 6-muffin pan and three 12-mini muffin pans - I don't know why!). I bought these Pyrex cups years ago when I first did Southbeach Diet. I made yummy sugarfree custards then. I should do that next!

While my family was quite happy with how this turned out, I feel I have to make some more adjustments next time. I find it to be too sweet for my liking (specially after eating 2 mini muffins!) so I will prepare a batch with even less sweetener.

Also, I want to add more bananas since (and make sure they are super ripe, bordering rotten) the oats and flaxseed, plus the whole wheat flour tend to drown the banana flavor.

Maybe a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg will make it even yummier!

I was a bit stressed out preparing this and I debated on whether I'll bother to take photos. I'm glad I did! I was also taking down notes on the measurements. It's a bit crazy in the kitchen with a sheet of paper and a pen for note taking, and a camera for documenting this milestone (LOL!).

There you have it!

UPDATE: Been making muffins weekly in the past 3 weeks. I've experimented with some variations and got great results.

Variation 1: Add chopped dark choco. Ariel loves this! So for two weeks, I would make half without the choco and half with choco.

Variation 2: Add half cup of natural unsweetened peanut butter. I made this just last weekend (March 28) and I love it!

Ariel's First Birthday

2010-02-10T09:22:00.005+08:00

If life begins at 40, then Ariel just celebrated his first birthday last January 28th. We weren't able to take time off from work on the day itself but we were able to take Friday off. So on Thursday night, we drove home to Cavite to start our weekend a day early.

We got up late the next day, and just enjoyed a quiet morning in bed - reading, catching up on facebook, and playing computer games. By the time we were ready to drive to Tagaytay, it was 11am and we were famished.

Our first stop was Antonio's Grill. It was my first time here, Ariel's second. It has a very casual, shabby chic ambiance. The restaurant was furnished with white tables and chairs, similar to Antonio's but more mainstream. The screened windows were wide open, letting in the cool Tagaytay breeze.

Ariel ordered the squid sisig.

I opted for the crispy vegetable omelette which I really enjoyed.

We also ordered fried hito with burong dalag, sago't gulaman for Ariel and sugarfree calamansi shake for me.

After our filling lunch, we walked to Starbucks for coffee. Nowadays, I had to be content with decaf, non-fat latte with sugar free vanilla.

Ariel went for his usual cafe mocha, this time with a shot of mint since he loved the seasonal Peppermint Mocha which is no longer available.

We checked in that the Nurture Spa by 2pm. Last time we were here was at least 5 years ago and we stayed in the Ifugao hut. This time, we booked the Forest View aircon room. Our room was deep into the Nurture Spa compound, past the pool and outdoor treatment area. The interior has an Asian minimalist look. It was furnished with queen-sized four-poster bed, side tables, and a solid wood armoire (not seen in the photo below).

There's also a dresser table with mirror. A double door opens to reveal the "forest" of lush greens and trees right across the creek. To the left of the double door is the toilet and bath enclosed with capiz curtain.

I would have preferred more privacy for the toilet, although the capiz shells add charm to the room.

There's a bay window by the tub that offers a gorgeous view of the forest.

There was no TV in the room which was perfectly ok with me, but of course, Ariel would have preferred to have one. Good thing he brought his PSP and laptop to keep us entertained.

By 4 pm, we were ready for our first treatment - a 30-minute facial at the outdoor treatment area.

It was a bit breezy and chilly in the outdoor area but the ambiance was very relaxing.

Ariel and I enjoyed the facial. Our face was slathered with sweet honey (I had to keep myself from licking the honey!) and then gently massaged by the therapist. Our skin felt so smooth and supple afterwards.

After the facial, we decided to go around to take photos.

I got a chance to play with my lensbaby.

Ariel played while I took photos around the area.

This is the pool, and above it is the main dining area.

We were blessed with a beautiful full moon that night. I later found out that it was called the Wolf Moon - which pertains to the first full moon of the year.

We had dinner at 6:30pm in the main dining area. It was very cold! Ariel started with a cup of mushroom soup while I opted for the Asian salad. Then Ariel had the lechon with rice for his main course. I opted for the cream dory fillet with steamed veggies.

Dessert, which I skipped, was banana cake with chocolate syrup.

After dinner, we just rested until our scheduled massage at 8pm. Our package included one hour of Magsing-Irog Massage which we "upgraded" to 1.5 hours. Our therapists knocked on our door at 8pm and took us to the treatment area, right across our room.

There were two massage beds in the treatment room. Soft music was playing, and a minty scent lingered throughout the room. There was a separate shower and bath area for treatments that require soaking and/or rinsing (e.g. Body Scrub) or for those who want a shower prior to the massage.

The massage was very relaxing and before we knew it, Ariel and I dozed off. It was almost 10pm when we took the few steps from the treatment area to our room. I fell asleep right away, while Arie played with his PSP until the battery died.

We woke up at 8am and opted to have breakfast first before taking a shower and packing up. Ariel ordered a Filipino breakfast - tapsilog - while I chose my usual healthy, protein rich vegetable omelette. Ariel wasn't so happy with his food, but I certainly enjoyed mine and made sure that I complimented the cook.

Just before we checked out, we took a few more souvenir photos in our room.

We checked out at noon and decided to have lunch on the way. We stopped at Santi's where I picked up some veggies and cheese, then at Gourmet's where I bought some of their bottled laing, cherry tomatoes and a couple of potted herbs. Then we stopped in a plant nursery shop in Silang where I bought 3 sacks of garden soil for my herbs, and a pine tree which Ariel will plant in our yard.

Our last stop before lunch is Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm. I've been hearing about this place so we decided to check it out. We bought some oils, soaps, teapot, oil burners, lib balm, nail and cuticle balm, Royal Jelly and Honeybee Pollen.

We roamed around the area and saw the wooden boxes that house the honeybees.

They have a nice toilet that is shaped like a bee hive.

Inside, the toilet bowl is surrounded by a nicely arranged garden.

After Ilog Maria, we had a quick lunch at Recuerdo's. Ariel ordered Dinuguan, and crispy shrimps. I got the Chicken Inasal. It was a simple but very tasty fare.

Then it was time to relax back at home.

Roasted Lemongrass Chicken Recipe

2009-12-31T17:16:00.006+08:00

As of this writing, the chicken has been roasting in the oven for 45 minutes. Yesterday, I prepared the same for a couple of friends. This isn't my usual recipe but my guest was pregnant and she couldn't stand the smell of strong herbs. So instead of my usual thyme and rosemary, I used lemongrass instead. This is an easy one to make. Prep time is very short and most of the time you just have to leave the chicken in the oven.

So, to start, preheat the oven to 160-180 celsius.

Then get 3 heads of garlic. Cut one across the middle. And then just cut off the top portion of the other two. Then get some lemongrass and fold it to about 3 inches, and tie it with kitchen twine.
Then grind some peppercorns (about 1/2 teaspoon) and mix it with a teaspoon of salt.

Now, the next step is very crucial. Every professional chef I've seen on TV does this so I must do it, too. I really don't know why but it's a step that you shouldn't miss. Get some paper towels and dry the chicken.

Then stuff the lemongrass and one garlic (the one you cut in half) inside the chicken cavity.

The next step is likewise very important. It spells the different between perfectly roasted chicken and a total disaster. Get yourself a good kitchen twine and truss the chicken so the legs and wings are snugly tied against the body. You don't know how? Well then google it! Just type "How to truss a chicken?" and you'll get a couple of video demonstrations on how to do it. I learned that way.

Then put the chicken on the roasting pan breast side down. Put in the two heads of garlic and place it cut side up.

Cover the roasting pan with foil.

Then put the pan inside the 160-180 degree oven. Leave it alone for one hour.

After an hour, take out the foil and put pieces of butter squares all over the chicken. If you want to be healthy, pour a little olive oil instead. But where's the fun in that? And it's New Year! Loosen up and indulge in the rich, creamy flavor of butter. Now put it back in the oven. Increase the temperature to 200 degrees and keep it there for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, carefully flip the chicken on its back. Slather more butter onto the chest. Increase the temperature to 220 degrees and leave it alone for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, open the oven and saturate your kitchen with the mouthwatering aroma of perfectly roasted chicken.

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Update: Here's the roasted chicken, after two hours in the oven.

The skin is thin and crisp, while the meat is very juicy and fall-off-the-bones tender. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before carving. That will allow the juices to redistribute and will make the chicken even more flavorful.

And don't ignore the garlic! It's great to spread on toasted bread or do what I do - crush it in rice and eat with your chicken. Yum!

Enjoy!

Baguio 2006

2009-09-06T22:04:00.002+08:00

I just unearthed these old photos from Ariel's hard drive and realized that I didn't have prints of these photos. It was a memorable trip for us as this was only the second time that Ariel and I drove to Baguio together, the first time was the day after our wedding and we stayed only for two nights before we left for our honeymoon in Palawan.

Anyway, we were supposed to go with my family. However, typhoon Reming was supposed to hit the country and my parents, brother and his then fiance was afraid to take the trip and backed out at the last minute. We just recovered from the Milenyo flooding and we were also apprehensive to leave. However, by 5am on November 30th, Manila still had very clear skies. Ariel and I decided to wait it til mid morning. By 9am, there was still no sign of the typhoon so we decided to drive up north. We figured if the typhoon catches us, we can stop and spend the night somewhere. Anyway, we got to Baguio mid afternoon and the weather was great. We later found out that Reming hit Bicol and spared Manila and Cavite.

It was a very relaxing trip for us. I brought my beading supplies and just made little accessories and embellishments. Ariel and I stayed in the Coke Baguio House most of the time.

We went out a few times to have lunch and dinner. This was my favorite photo from the trip and it was taken at Cafe by the Ruins.

It was already very cold specially in the morning. We enjoyed waking up late and staying in most of the morning.

Ariel played the guitar while I made beaded embellishments.

We cooked rice and Spam for breakfast. We love eating at the breakfast nook.

On our third day, we went to Tam-Awan village.

We explored the hiking trail and worked up a sweat.

Then we relaxed at the Baguio house. That evening, when we plugged in the laptop, there was a loud pop and then all lights went off. Ariel grabbed the flashlight (thankfully, we bought one on our way to Baguio) and told me to stay put as he would go down to look for the circuit breaker. Scenes from horror movies flashed in my mind. So I told Ariel he's not leaving me alone in the room. I went down with him and located the circuit breaker. Within minutes, the lights were back on again.

We took photos of ourselves. This was back when we relied solely on our P & S for photos. Most of the shots were grainy, but I love them all.

We also got in touch with Eric and invited him and his mom over for dinner. We ordered pizza and just enjoyed a quiet dinner at the house.

On our way home, we stopped by Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac for lunch. No nice photos from there, only fond memories.

Overall, a fun trip. We were both glad we decided to push through with it.

Sewing Machine or Lens?

2009-08-22T08:08:00.001+08:00

In less than a month, I will celebrate my birthday. It will be a different celebration this time since I'm spending a couple of days with my entire family in Singapore, instead of just with Ariel which has been the case for the past 8 years.

Anyway, I've been thinking of my "wish list" for quite some time now. At some point, I was considering an iPhone.

I have an iPod touch and I love it. So I thought my next phone should be an iPhone. Later I thought it to be impractical considering that we have "free" phone with Ariel's corporate plan. And even if I ended up adding a few thousand bucks for the Nokia N97 model that I opted for, it's still tons cheaper than if I got the iPhone. After all, I've always had Nokia from the very first analog phone. And I still have my iPod Touch, which I now use as a portable movie payer. I'm not much of a music person anyway.

Then I went on a weekend crop with some friends in Tagaytay.

I grew up with two dressmakers for grandmothers. I've learned to sew at an early age and my Barbie doll matched my own outfits. It was only natural that I use stitching in my scrapbooks. In fact, I've already bought 2 sewing machines - an old heavy duty one which survived the Milenyo flooding but is no longer working at optimal levels, and a small portable one that can't handle cardstock. So I went on a hunt for the perfect sewing machine. And I found this.

I showed this to Ariel in one of our visits to Anson's. I told him I am considering this as a possible birthday gift from him to me. Anyway, when we went on a weekend crop in Tagaytay, Mia brought her Singer baby and let me use it. In fact, I made a couple of layouts and cards with machine stitching. I got to use ALL of the stitches available in this baby. Needless to say, when I got back home, I told Ariel that this is what I want for my birthday.

That is until August 15th when I attended the food photography workshop by Mr. Ricky Ladia. I went home thinking "I've got to have a macro lens!"

I am still researching but this is what I have in mind, so far.

Of course, an L lens is out of the question unless I plan to make money out of it so this is the next best thing. Since we are going to Singapore, I thought we'll check out the prices there first before actually making the purchase.

Any reco from my photography friends? I really have to make a good decision here. I can't afford to buy new lenses every now and then so this has to be THE macro lens I will be committing with for the rest of my life, probably. Is there a cheaper option? :D

Our Adventures and Misadventures in Vietnam and Cambodia - Part 3

2009-08-21T21:05:00.011+08:00

This is part 3 of our Vietnam-Cambodia adventure. If you missed the previous posts, check out Part 1 and Part 2 first.
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My ankle felt a little better when I woke up at half past four in the morning. The swelling has subsided although it was still a bit painful. The massage did help. Advil helped, too.

Another early day. Our first stop was Srah Srang, best viewed at sunrise, according to our guide book. We got to the viewing platform around 5am. It was pitch black. Several kids followed us offering coffee and breakfast. We promised one kid we will have coffee after taking photos of the sunrise. We took our post in what we thought would afford us the best view. Before long, other tourists arrived and it became a little bit crowded. We were still able to get a couple of sunrise shots.
It was a beautiful spot, perfect for a relaxing morning coffee.
Keeping our promise, we went to have coffee in the nearby stall. We also bought some bread sustain us through the morning's activities. The coffee was very good, with a dollop of condensed milk.

After Srah Srang, we headed to Banteay Srei - about 20 kms north of Angkor, and almost an hour in our trusty Tuktuk. It was a great idea to start early as this temple is a bit small and can easily get crowded. Anyway, when we got there, tourists were already pouring in. It was a beautiful temple, made of red sandstone. The warm glow of the morning sun highlights the intricate carvings that cover most of the temple's surfaces. It was the most beautiful temple we've seen in Siem Reap.

Most of the outer structures are already in ruins but the carvings on the remains are still very much visible.

The inner structures are still well-preserved and are roped off to keep tourists from touching the delicate wall carvings.

Like most temples in Angkor, Banteay Srei is surrounded by a moat.

Just outside the temple perimeter, colorful souvenir shops line the street leading into the temple grounds.

Our next stop was a respite from ll the temple hopping we've been doing in the past two days. We went to the controversial Landmine Museum. It was controversial because the local government didn't support it at first thinking that it will paint a scary picture of Cambodia, and will not help boost tourism. It actually became a populat tourist attraction and even generated awareness and support for demining efforts in Cambodia.

The museum boasts of hundreds of detonated bombs and landmines, mostly collected by the founder Aki Ra.

Ariel and Sophal goofing off

After the Landmine Museum, we drove to Banteay Samre, a less popular but nevertheless spectacular temple. It's a little bit out of the way which may be why some tourists opt to skip this one.

While the north entrance welcomed us from the main road, we circled around the perimeter and entered through the east entrance instead.

Inside, it looks like a miniature version of Angkor Wat. There were very few tourists that time so we were able to take lots of couple shots, courtesy of our tour guide.

Our last temple for the day is Bateay Kdei which is actually just across Srah Srang.

The temple was in a very ruined state and it was a bit scary to walk along the walls as it felt like they were going to topple over us.

We asked our Tuktuk driver Kun and guide Sophal to drop us off at the hotel as we had an afternoon appointment at Quad Adventure. We were supposed to be picked up at 12:30pm and it was already noon. We quickly unloaded our gear bringing only our camera and wallets and headed to Apsara Burger just a few meters from our hotel. We grabbed a quick bite of Cheeseburger, fries and soda (USD8), and got into the tuktuk sent by Quad Adventure.

We were met by Herve, the owner. After a quick orientation and a test drive, we were off to the countryside. We opted to get just one ATV with Ariel as the designated driver.
We took the Discovery Tour which allowed us to see the beautiful countryside. We took short pauses every now and then to take photos of traditional Khmer houses, creeks, ducks, and kids playing. I felt like a Miss World contestant as we drove along the dirtroad. They would wave at us so I would wave back and smile, despite the fact that dust was flying all around us.

Ariel had a blast driving the ATV at full speed. I was hanging on for dear life fearing for that one bump that will send me flying out of my seat, and constantly whispering to Ariel to slow down a bit. Men and speed. Sigh. He had a great time. I could tell.

Our last stop was at the Chres Village School and Orphanage where we were able to see kids learning English and other languages. I consider this the highlight of our ATV adventure. We met some of the teachers, most of them volunteers, and watched the classes. We interacted with the kids during recess and even shared some of their snacks.

Not all the kids in the classes are orphans. Some live in the area and they go to the orphanage to learn English.

We spent a bit of time at the orphanage as our guide's motorcycle had a flat tire. We waited for the replacement tire to be sent from the Quad Adventure station.

When we got back to the Quad Adventure home base, we were handed cold towels which we used to clean up our faces. Ewww!
We tool a long shower when we got back to the hotel. Every inch of exposed skin was covered in red dust. Our clothes were very filthy and I had to clean my camera bag, too.

We decided to walk to Pub Street to take some photos along the way. Armed with our heavy tripod, we were able to take photos of the well-lighted Siem Reap river.

There were many couples dating along the river. If we weren't very hungry, we would have lingered a while longer.

After a few minutes walk, we were back at Pub Street.
We decided to try the Khmer BBQ. We were given an iron grill with hot coals inside and some kind of a channel around it for soup. We grilled the meet on top and cooked veggies in the hot soup. Yummy!

Wonderful day!

To view all the photos for day 3, click HERE.

Discovering Zambales

2009-05-19T20:32:00.007+08:00

Other than a couple of official trips to Subic, I've never really explored Zambales. I've been hearing about its beautiful islands but never had the inkling to go and see them for myself. If we want to go the beach within driving distance from Manila, our first instinct is to go south. Never north. So, when my college pal Elma suggested we go to Zambales, we quickly agreed. After some obstacles (budget issues, schedule problems, etc.), we found ourselves taking a cab to Glorietta early Saturday morning. We joined a tour and for P1,800 per head, we got to enjoy a night in Zambales inclusive of overnight stay in an air-conditioned resort and transportation. We met up with the rest of the tour group ad headed north.

Elma, who since college exasperated us with her lack of time consciousness, surprised me by texting at 4:30 am to make sure we were already awake. Even more shocking was the fact that upon arriving at the meeting place 15 minutes ahead of the 5:30 call time, she was already there happily chatting away with Tricia and Joey. Hmmm...I've never seen this side of her in the entire 17 years I've known her. Apparently, the call of the beach causes every cell in her body to wake up on schedule. Anyway, other than Tricia, hubby Joey, Tonton and Elma, we were also joined by a couple of Elma's friends. We met college pals Aids and Queng, and son Enzo in Zambales who drove up north on their own as they had to leave early the next day.

We reached Wild Rose Beach Inn in Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales by 10am, an hour ahead of schedule. We unpacked, freshened up and prepared for the sumptuous lunch Aids and Queng prepared for us. Enzo will be celebrating his 11th birthday on May 20th and his parents decided to treat us to lunch in Zambales. A feast of pork barbecue, pork chop with peas, carrots, corn and pineapple, steamed shrimps, green and ripe mangoes awaited us. Elma also brought in squid adobo and fried jack fishes from Aling Tonya's. It was a scrumptious meal.

The weather was perfect. The sun was bright and shining, and boy, it was hot! The ash-colored sand was scorching hot and we couldn't wait to get to the water for some relief. We were split into four boats (4 passengers per boat at P300 per head) and it took us about 30 minutes to get to Capones Island. The lighthouse was perched on top of a hill. It wasn't a long and difficult climb, but with the scorching noontime sun above us, every step sucked the energy out of me. It didn't help that the shoreline was covered with big rocks instead of sand. We were wearing slippers and it was quite a challenge navigating the rocky shore. In fact, broken slippers littered the area, left behind by their unfortunate owners. Fortunately, we were able to reach the lighthouse with our footwear intact. Every inch of my body was covered in sweat but I made it without much difficulty. Good thing I've been working out in the gym in past couple of weeks.

Capones Lighthouse

The lighthouse itself is still operational and is powered by solar panels. However, the rest of the structure is in ruins. There were a few boatloads of tourists along with us but there was no one regulating traffic up the lighthouse. I was a bit concerned if the structure can hold so many people given that it's more than a century old.

The dilapidated structure below the tower

The spiral staircase was shaking as people clambered up for a better view. I was very hesitant to go up but Ariel urged me and before long, I found myself on top of the lighthouse enjoying the 360 degree view of the island. It was breathtaking.

Reminds me of Batanes

We took photos and just soaked in the view. After a while, I decided to descend ahead of the group to avoid the pressure of hurrying up while I navigate the ladder and the steep stairs.

Couple shot

Group shot

After a few more shots on ground level, we were off to Anawangin Cove.

As we neared Anawangin Cove, the waters got choppy and we were all soaked with water splashing against the boat. From afar, we could already see the seemingly white shoreline of Anawangin. We soon found out that the wide expanse of fine sand is not really white but ash-grey, the result of Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in 1991. It was silvery under the mid-afternoon sun.

The silvery-ashy sandy shore of Anawangin

Our group found a shady spot for our stuff. Some prepared to get into the water while Ariel and I decided to explore the pine tree forest for some photos. It was a beautiful cove.

The view was breathtaking

The pine tree forest provides shady spots for the hundreds of campers (it was crowded!!!) and a stream of water add charm to the already picture-perfect cove.

The very scenic "batis" amidst the pine tree forest

After a couple of shots, I decided to relax and lie down by the mat which Queng and Aids laid down for our bags while Ariel and some of our friends took a dip in the ocean. By 5pm, we were ready to go back to our resort.

Having fun

Capones Island and Anawangin Cove are the perfect weekend destinations. However, I was disappointed with the lack of concern by both the tourists and the locals. Trash littered the shoreline of Capones Island and the pine tree forest of Anawangin. Campers can pitch their tents just about anywhere in the island and they can build a fire anywhere (unlike in Mt. Pulag or Pinatubo where there are designated areas for campers). There doesn't seem to be a system in place to regulate the flow of tourists. It was way too crowded. If this keeps up, Capones Island and Anawangin will soon lose their appeal. I just hope that the local government will intervene and educate the locals on how to maintain these natural treasures.

Anyway, it was a good weekend and we are happy to discover yet another beach destination within a driving distance from Manila. Next time, I'd like to experience a night or two in Anawangin...maybe it's time to resurrect the Starex adventure group.

Now, about the resort and the tour organizer...that's another story altogether. Will blog about that separately as I do have very strong (not so good) feelings about them.

Meanwhile, check out all our photos here.

(April 28, 2009, 7:00am) I have officially given up!

2009-04-28T07:13:00.005+08:00

Booking flights through PAL's website, that is! The seat sale is supposed to be good for two days and I've been trying to book since yesterday! I lost sleep over this! I booked during office hours, late at night, very early in the morning. All futile attempts!

I hate to say this but booking Cebu Pacific flights is way easier! The thing is, I still prefer to fly PAL. It's a lot more comfortable. But I've experienced booking PAL online, by phone, and through the ticketing office. Each time had been a grueling experience. The most convenient way to book PAL is through a travel agent. Not fair! Sigh.

This trip would have been a treat for my entire family. My parents, brother and Sister-in-Law could really use a few days break.

Anyway, I prayed about it and I know that if it's God's will for us to take this trip in September, we'll get the best deal. It's still several months away and a lot of things can happen. With the swine flu crisis in South America, we might actually be better off not traveling. Oh well, I'm trying to console myself here.

Update:
Ok, I didn't entirely give up. After lunch, I tried again, just for kicks. Then I got through until the credit card details. Now I panicked! You see, I listened to the news about Swine Flu on the way to work and I got scared. So, I seriously thought we shouldn't go anywhere until the flu is contained. So with the pressure of rushing through the billing page (otherwise the page will expire), I had to think if I should go ahead with the booking. I did. And I really feel good about it! Yahoo!

Tomato, Garlic and Basil Pasta

2009-04-25T19:36:00.005+08:00

I made this quick pasta dish for lunch today.

Here's how:

The main ingredients - 1 lb. Tomato, 1 head of Garlic and about a cup of Basil

Lightly press the garlic with the knife - don't crush. Just press it enough to make it easy to peel them. Then slice the garlic into small pieces.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Add salt and olive oil in boiling water. Thin pasta works best like spaghetti and angel hair. But I love linguine so I used it here. I used about 600g of linguine here. If the instruction says 11 minutes, cook no longer than 11 minutes. 10 minutes would be better since the pasta will still be tossed with the sauce later.

When cooked, drain pasta and set aside.

Make an X on one end of the tomatoes. That will make it easy to peel later.

Drop in boiling water and let sit for 30-45 seconds. Do not overcook!!! It will be difficult to peel and seed if they're overcooked.

Then transfer to an ice bath (a bowl of cold water with ice).

It is then easy to peel the tomatoes.

Slice in quarters (or half if the tomatoes are small).

Then take out the seeds. Set aside.

Meanwhile, roughly tear the basil leaves. This will bring out the flavor and aroma very subtly.

Here are all the ingredients. I added half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, half a cup of shaved parmesan cheese (I used a peeler for this), 1/4 cup of chopped parsley (optional) and 2 small pieces of hot chili peppers (they are small but very deadly hot!).

Saute garlic and chili peppers in olive oil until almost golden. (Next time, I'll use 2 heads of garlic - the more the better!)

Then add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, grated parmesan cheese and the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with more olive oil if too dry. Top with shaved parmesan cheese. Add a sprig of fresh basil for garnish.

Favorite Restaurants

2009-04-15T20:30:00.004+08:00

Hello! Just want to answer a question posted by Shry over at the chatterbox (see right side bar). Thanks Shry for dropping by and for leaving a message.

For the record, I am not sure I actually have a favorite restaurant. I have favorite foods though and these are the reasons why I keep coming back to some restaurants. Here's a list of some of the restaurants I don't mind going back to, and the reasons why I love it. I also listed our average spend per visit - FOR TWO. In no particular order:

1. Sugi (Greenbelet 2 Makati) - Japanese
What we love about it: One reason - the Crispy Oyters. We haven't found the same in any other Japanese restaurant so we keep coming back here. All the other stuff we order are also available in any Jap restaurant (e.g. Salmon Sashimi, Ebi Tempura).
Dislikes: Nothing really
Average spend per visit: Php1,200-1,400 for the two of us.

2. Cafe Bola (Greenbelt 3 Makati) - fusion
What we love about it: - We order the Penne in Chorizo Parmesan Cream almost 90% of the
time.
Dislikes: Other dishes are just average.
Average spend per visit: P600 - making this really great value for money.

3. Cafe Mediterranean (Greenbelt 1 and Powerplant Mall, Makati) - Mediterranean dishes
What we love about it: I like pretty much everything I order here. Our favorites include: Beef Gyro, Gyro Plate, Beef Kebab, any of the side dishes, any of the salads.
Dislikes: None
Average spend per visit: P600

4. Chili's (Greenbelt 5 Makati) - American
What we love about it: I like pretty much everything here but my fave is the Mushroom Jack Fajitas - combination beef and chicken.
Dislikes: Always crowded and noisy; difficult to get a table
Average spend per visit - P1,400.

5. La Cocina De Tita Moning (Manila, near Malacanang) - Spanish-Filipino cuisine
What we love about it: Hmmm...where do I begin. We didn't just pay for dinner here. We paid for a unique dining experience which includes a tour of the old house turned museum and restaurant. My favorites are the paella, the lengua (one of the best I tasted), poached fish, fresh ubod and the salad. The cost of dining here depends on which menu is selected.
Dislikes: Can be very expensive, definitely for very special occasions only
Average spend per visit: We spent almost P5,000 on our last visit which included wine. We picked one of the heaviest menu and we were so full after. Read my post here.

6. Mamou (Serendra, Makati) - Filipino Cuisine
What we love about it: Steak!
Dislikes: Dinner reservation only at 6:30pm (too early for us!) and 8:30pm (too late!); they serve the steak with the dripping which is too oily; a bit pricey
Average spend per visit: P2,200 - see my post here.

7. Gaudi (Serendra, Makati) - not sure actually
What we love about it: Steak also - the one you cook in front of you
Dislikes: Nothing
Average spend per visit: P2,200

8. Abe (Serendra, Makati) - Filipino/Kapampangan
What we love about it: Sinuteng Baby Squid is our favorite but everything in the menu is good
Dislikes: The service sucks!
Average spend per visit: P1,200

9. Piadinna (Greenbelt 1, Makati) - Italian
What we love about ti: Pasta Vongole, Four Cheese Pizza - they don't scrimp on the cheeses
Dislikes: None
Average spend per visit: P600

10. Via Mare (Greenbelt 1, Greenbelt 3, Powerplant Mall) - Filipino Cuisine
What we love about it: Almost everything! Our favorites include Crispy Binagoongan, Vigan Longanisa, Lugaw Toppings, Adobo Flakes, Puto Bungbong, Bibingka.
Dislikes: The interior is a bit dated - no big deal.
Average spend per visit: P800

11. Galileo (Pasong Tamo, Makati)
What we love about it: The ambiance, the food, the wine. Great value for money. Great date place. The cheese platter, the cold cuts, the wine, the pasta, the coffee. Love everything!
Dislikes: The location. Stay away during rainy days. (There's one in Mandaluyong but I haven't been there).
Average spend per visit: P1,200 including wine - we are happy with the set menu but even the ala carte selection is also great value for money.

12. Soms Noodle House (near Powerplant Mall)
What we love about it: Cheap Thai food
Dislikes: Well, it's practically street food and we just come here for the food. No expectations on ambiance and service, so I guess, there's nothing to dislike about it.
Average spend per visit: P500 and below

13. Ariel is insisting that I include KFC (practically anywhere) - fastfood!!!
What Ariel loves about it: Original Recipe Chicken, Zinger
Dislikes: The transfat! Haha!
Average spend: P250 for two

Other gems outside of Metro Manila:
1. C Italian Dining (Friendship Highway in Clark, Pampanga) - Try the Panizza, pasta, risotto and sausages plus the Italian Soda. Prepare to shell out P1,500 for 2.
2. Zapatas (also in Clark) - Try the Fajeeta Bureeta (or something like that), the Quesadilla and Tacos. P500 for 2.
3. RFW (San Fernando, Pampanga) - Best tokwa't baboy in town, pretty good palabok and halo-halo, too. P200 for two.
4. Sonya's Garden (Tagaytay) - Set meal which includes super yummy salad, bread basket and dips, pasta with a selection of sauces, fresh dalandan juice, turon, sweet camote, chocolate cake and tarragon tea - all for P610 per hear or P1,220 for two.
5. Antonio's (Tagaytay) - Everything is really good. See my post here. Prepare to shell out P4,200 for two.
6. Bawai's (Tagaytay) - Delicious Vietnamese dishes. You'll never go wrong with any of the appetizers. The noodles soups are so good too! P1200 for two.

Our Adventures and Misadventures in Vietnam and Cambodia - Part 2

2009-04-11T14:07:00.019+08:00

If you missed part 1 of "Our Adventures and Misadventures in Vietnam and Cambodia", click here.

Ariel and I very reluctantly got up before 5 in the morning. While our bodies protested to the early start (vacations, after all, should afford us longer time in bed!), our minds excitedly wondered what adventure awaited us for the day.

Our Tuktuk driver (Kun) and guide (Sophal) were waiting for us at the lobby. Ariel carried a small backpack which contained a few bottles of mineral water, my shawl, my travel journal and a few other travel must haves. I carried the camera bag containing my DSLR, plus two lenses, an external flash, and extra sets of batteries.

A few minutes later, I extracted my shawl from Ariel's backpack. The early morning chill was enough to numb our hands and dry our lips, and the open tuktuk did not offer a bit of warmth. Before we knew it, we were entering the Angkor perimeter and we got off to get our 3-day pass for US$40 each. This was something we couldn't get ahead of time as we had to have our pictures printed on the ticket. A digital camera is installed in front of the ticket booth for this purpose.

By 5:30, we were already walking the dark path into Angkor Wat, the biggest religious monument in the world, and the most popular among the Angkor temples. Good thing Sophal had a flashlight. It was pitch black and it took a while before our eyes got accustomed to the dark. We quickly found a good spot right in front of Angkor Wat, a big pond between us and the temple. I quickly set up my tripod and waited for the sun to rise behind the temple. As sunrise approaches, we were rewarded with a magnificent view of the temple, making the early start really worth it.

Angkor means "city" and Wat means "temple". Hence, Angkor Wat aptly means Temple City. Indeed, the vast complex make it look like several temples in one big perimeter instead of just a single monument.

As we toured the temple, Sophal fed us information on the history of this landmark. It took almost four decades to complete the temple with people driven by sheer devotion to both their religion and their king. The sandstones used to build the temple were collected from the Kulen moutain with the help of elephants.

The pond in front of the temple

After taking a few shots, we decided to have breakfast at the food stalls within the Angkor Wat complex. Ariel ordered Chicken Noodle Soup (US$2) while I opted for a Banana Pancake (US$2). I got a big pancake with slices of bananas underneath - no butter, no syrup. It was so dry but I didn't really mind as I was so hungry already. While eating, some kids selling books came by and I decided to get my own copy of "Ancient Angkor" by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques. It's the same book I borrowed from my colleague Rachel. I read it over and over again even before our trip so I could map out our itinerary. I left my borrowed copy at home having decided that I will get my own copy anyway. I haggled a bit and got one for US$8 (I later discovered it was being sold at US$5 in other temples!).

After getting our tummies filled, we started walking into the temple. There are two "libraries" on either side of the walkway into the main temple. While the term "library"may suggest that these structures housed documents, they actually were used more as shrines.

Other than the sheer size of this monument, Angkor Wat is also popular for its Bas Relief galleries depicting both religious and historical events.

One of the bas relief galleries

The bas relief galleries are now protected by the temple authorities. Some parts of the walls have become glossy from frequent touching. To prevent further deterioration, a length of rope was installed about a meter from the walls to prevent people from touching the delicate walls.

One of the more memorable stories depicted in one of the bas relief galleries - the Churning of the Sea of Milk

The bas reliefs were so detailed that we couldn't help but marvel at the artistry of the ancient Khmers. It was difficult to imagine how this work of art could have been made without the luxury of sophisticated equipment.

While there were hundreds of tourists visiting the temple on the same day, we hardly noticed the crowd because of the sheer size of the complex.

Our next stop - Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom literally means "Great City". It is not a temple in itself but a walled region with several temples inside it, the most popular of which is Bayon, located at the very center if the city.

There are five gates into Angkor Thom. We entered through the south gate and we were greeted by a tall tower, the top of which was carved with a face, the most prominent feature of the Bayon style architecture.

All the gates into Angkor Thom are lined with the "Avenue of the Gods and Demons", depicted in the Churning of the Sea of Milk. Gods line the left side of the entry way, while demons or "Asuras" are on the right side. They are all pulling a big 7-headed snake called Naga like in tug of war.

The "gods"

The Asuras or "demons"

Our first stop in Angkor Thom is Bayon. There is an option to ride an elephant from the Angkor Thom gate but we opted to just take our tuktuk.

Details of the Bayon restoration work

While Bayon also features some bas reliefs, albeit in a much smaller scale compared to Angkor Wat, what sets it apart from the other popular temples of Angkor are the face towers.

This is one of the most memorable temples we visited. No special reason other than the fact that I had a little accident inside the temple. I wanted to get a closer look at one of the Buddha statues in the temple. As I stepped into a darkened room, my right foot landed on a gap on the floor and I lost my balance. I was holding my camera on my right hand and I wasn't able to break my fall. I fell sideways to my right and twisted my ankle. Pain shot through my lower leg and for a while, I thought a broke by ankle. I sat there a for a few minutes while Ariel and Sophal stood in dumbfounded silence, mouths and eyes wide open. I consoled myself with the fact that I didn't fall in front of an audience other than my two male companions. After a while, I was able to limp into a better sitting position. I took off my shoes and socks, and surveyed the damage. I was in pain, but quite bearable so I didn't think anything was broken or dislocated. Nonetheless, I was in enough pain to prevent me from fully exploring the temple. Just my luck - it was only our first temple day and we were just on our second temple.

Anyway, I urged Ariel to go up the tower where I was able to take some of my favorite photos for the trip - thanks to a 200mm zoom lens, I was able to take decent shots from below.

I took Advil for the pain and the swelling and after a while, I was already fit enough to limp my way around the temple.

A short walk from Bayon, is a "temple mountain" called Bapuon (also Baphuon). It is currently undergoing restoration work and we did not go inside. Instead, we circled into the west side of the temple to see the reclining Buddha. It took a long while for me to spot the Buddha. It was so massive that we didn't realize it was a reclining statue. We thought it was just a wall.

We then proceeded to Phimeanakas and the Royal Palace. One look at the temple and I knew I wouldn't be able to climb the pyramid-like tower. My ankle is still every bit painful and will definitely not survive the steep climb. Ariel had to go on his own while Sophal stayed with me below.

One of the two ponds of the Royal Palace

A few steps away are the Terraces of the Elephants and of the Leper King.

The Terrace of the Elephants is where the King used to stand to address the soldiers before going into battle. We enjoyed looking at the hidden reliefs, most interesting of which are the five-headed horse and three-headed elephants.

By this time, it was almost noon and the sun was directly above us. We slathered sunblock earlier in the morning that didn't stop us from feeling the scorching heat of the sun.

The Terrace of the Leper King is adjacent to the Elephant Terrace and is also popular for its hidden reliefs. I was really confused why it was called Terrace of the Leper King. I remember hearing that the King did not really have leprosy. I wasn't paying attention at this point as it was so hot and I was already hungry.

We had lunch at Khmer's Family Resturant, near Srah Srang. We ordered Spring Rolls, Fried Catfish, Fried Pork, Coke Light for Ariel, Mixed Fruit Shake for me plus a bottle of ice cold water. We invited Sophal and Kun to eat with us. Ariel noticed Kun and Sophal dipping their viand in a strange-looking sauce. We found it was made of fermented fish and (gasp!) fried ants! Ariel was brave enough to try it, he swallowed the local delicacy and shuddered. I was impressed!

After lunch, we proceeded to Ta Prohm, a temple popularized by the Angelina Jolie movie, Tomb Raider.

This temple is still very much in the middle of a jungle, and has a very eerie feel brought about by the dark surroundings. It was a long walk from the drop off point into the temple proper. We were greeted by the gigantic Silk Cotton (locally referred to as Gum Tree) and Strangler Fig (referred to as Spung) trees - the main feature of this jungle temple.

The roots of the giant trees are breaking the stones apart, leaving the temple is an almost ruined state. It's quite ironic that the very same trees that make this a unique temple are also the ones destroying the structures. Kill the trees and the temple will be just like any other in Angkor. Leave the trees alone and the temple will soon be a heap of rubble.

After Ta Prohm, we stopped by Ta Keo. I was easily intimidated by this temple-mountain. I wasn't sure if my ankle will survive the climb. However, the Advil seemed to have worked its magic leaving me a very tolerable level of pain. I decided to give it a go. I handed my load to Sophal so I won't have any additional weight that might affect my balance. I crawled up the narrow steps without looking down. After a few exhausting minutes, I found myself at the top.

Going down is a different matter. Now that I was forced to look down, I was terrified. Ariel and Sophal held my hands as I took my first few steps down. After a few grueling minutes, my foot touched solid ground. I was very pleased with my accomplishment!

We then stopped by two small temples - Chaosay Tevoda and Thomannon.

Chaosay Tevoda was undergoing restoration work

We just relaxed a bit and chatted with Sophal who shared with us a bit of Cambodian history, specifically the reigh of Pol Pot.

Thomannon

Our tuktuk

Our last stop for the day is Phnom Bakheng. It was perched on top of a hill, a good 15-20 minutes hike. We had an option to ride an elephant up the hill but we opted to walk, a decision, I have come to regret later.

It was another challenging temple to climb given the very narrow and steep steps. However, I heard that the top of the temple offers a spectacular view of the Angkor region so I bravely climbed up the temple.

Angkor Wat as seen from Bakheng

We waited for the sunset so I could take photos. However, everyone seemed to have the same idea and we soon found ourselves in the middle of a huge crowd. We decided to descend before everyone else to avoid the stress of rushing the descent in the dark with a long line of tourists behind us.

The mob

It was already dark when we reached our tuktuk. We asked to be dropped off at Pub Street instead of our hotel to avoid either walking to the famous street or paying another US$2 for a short ride. Before we got to Pub Street though, we saw a pizza joint so we decided to get off and just have pizza for the evening. We arranged for another early start to see the sunrise at Srah Srang.

We ate at The Pizza Co. where we ordered Crispy Double Cheese Pizza (US$ 6.80), Sausage Spaghetti (US$ 3.3o), Tiger Beer for Ariel (2 bottles at US$ each) and OJ for me (US$1.50).

Back in the hotel, we decided to get a massage. Hmmm...I can't remember how much it costs but it was reasonable and the massage was quite good! I told the girl that I have a swollen ankle and she gently massaged it. I endured the pain hoping that it will be better the next day.

To view all of Part 2 photos, click HERE.

To read Part 3, click here.

Srah Srang at Sunrise

2009-03-21T19:30:00.002+08:00

This is my first attempt to stitch photos together using Photoshop (CS2). Not as easy as I thought. Need more practice.

This was taken at Sra Srang in Siem Reap. We left the hotel at 5am and waited for the sun to rise to get this photo.

Date Night

2009-03-18T23:41:00.002+08:00

It's our 119th monthsary and it's time to try something new.

This time, it's Mamou at Serendra. We were supposed to eat at Gaudi yet again when my colleague E suggested Mamou. He said the steak is very good and we must try the baked mashed potatoes. Well, I ditched the potatoes given my dietary requirements so Ariel ate my portion as well as his. I ordered salad instead. So here's the steak which Ariel and I shared.

After dinner, we went to Tea and Therapy for, well, tea of course. And dessert for Ariel. The menu describes the benefits of each tea concoction.

We opted for the German Wild Lover (Pure Pleasure) which I've tried before and loved. Ariel ordered a slice of Sans Rival (his all time favorite dessert) for a sweet ending to our dinner date.

The teapot and two small cups. I want that teapot!

WE just relaxed a bit and read travel mags.

We're thinking of subscribing to this mag.

And Ariel admired the modern interiors featured in Design magazine.

Lovely, lovely night.

Our Adventures and Misadventures in Vietnam and Cambodia - Part 1

2009-03-16T21:01:00.009+08:00

January 19, 2009
It was our first time to take a Cebu Pacific international flight. It was our first time at the NAIA Terminal 3. We didn’t know that there weren’t many options for dinner. We left our home in a rush, having left the office later than planned. We decided to take a late dinner at the airport. By the time we cleared immigration, we were famished. We decided to get food from the first outlet that caught our eyes – a San Mig food stall. Needless to say, our dinner was filling but not satisfying. It was too late when I spotted Seattle’s Best, directly behind San Mig’s booth (yes, I was that hungry!). I opted to get tea from SB since I was nursing a queasy stomach since weekend.

We boarded the plane on time. The flight was uneventful and we soon found ourselves walking out of Tan Son Nhat International Airport. I was actually surprised at how much it changed since my last visit in 2004. Back then, it was dark and gloomy not much different from abandoned buildings you see in horror stories. This time, it was bright and cheery and buzzing with activity. As we exited, we were shocked to see hundreds of people waiting to greet family and friends from their trip – at 12:30am! It was difficult to get out of the crowded arrival area into the taxi cue. My friend N who is based in Ho Chi Minh gave specific instructions on where to wait for a cab, what cab company and how much the usual fare would be. She told us to take ONLY a Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi. There was none in sight. We waited for a couple of minutes and nothing. By this time, several taxi drivers had been pestering us to take their cab for VND 200,000 (about USD 12) which is way above the usual fare of VND 60,000 (about USD 4). Finally, one cab agreed to take us to N’s place for VND 100,000. Ariel and I were both exhausted and we didn’t have the energy to argue (we’ll never win Amazing Race Asia!). And besides, they hardly spoke English which made the experience doubly challenging.

We needed a place where we could rest for a few hours and freshen up before heading of to Siem Reap, Cambodia. N graciously offered her home which also meant that she will have very little sleep because we are arriving late and leaving early. N lives in a modest 2 bedroom condo unit in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. We stayed in her air-conditioned guest bedroom with a queen-sized bed covered in satin sheets. There are two chairs and a small coffee table, a desk with cable TV on it and cream colored built-in closet. Her glass-paneled wall/windows covered with vertical blinds look out to the street five storeys below. We chatted with N a bit, fighting off our exhaustion. It had been years since we last saw her and it was good to catch up face to face. We fell asleep at around 2:00 am as soon as our heads touched the bed.

January 20, 2009
It was so difficult to wake up at 4:30am having lacked sleep for the past few nights. N was already up and fixing us breakfast – I wasn’t actually sure if she slept at all! We fixed our things and enjoyed a light breakfast of bread and butter. My tummy was still queasy so I just drank a cup of hot water with honey while Ariel opted for coffee. It was almost 6am when we went out and got into a Vinasun taxi to take us to the Mekong Express Bus station along Pham Ngu Lao St. – the city’s backpacker district. When we got there, the bus was about to leave with only one seat left. We immediately proceeded to Sinh Café at Da Trahm St., just a few blocks away from the Mekong Express office. The bus was not full but it left at 6:30am, we missed it by about 5 minutes. With relentless optimism, I reassured Ariel that we will get to Siem Reap. I booked an 11:40am flight for us via Vietnam Airlines for USD169 each. Like an Amazing Race contestant, I asked for the earliest and fastest flight to Siem Reap.

We reached Tan Son Nhat airport at 7:30am – three and a half hours before boarding time. With time to kill, Ariel decided to work a bit (he brought his laptop!) while I roamed around to take photos.

By 8:30, we were hungry and decided to share a bowl of instant noodles which at USD6 is the most expensive instant noodles we’ve ever eaten. The warm soup calmed my tummy and provided a bit more energy – we were almost spent from the lack of sleep and proper meals.

I was falling in and out of consciousness as we waited in the pre-departure area and was relieved when we finally boarded our plane. By the time the plane took off at 11:40 am, I was already dreaming of Cambodia’s beautiful temples.

In an hour’s time, we landed at Siem Reap International Airport and we were greeted by a very nice structure, designed in typical Cambodian architecture. We rushed past immigration (Westerners still had to line up for same-day visa issuance) but had to wait a while to get our luggage (we were carrying a heavy backpack and one hand-carried luggage each). The drive to the hotel took about 30 minutes courtesy of the hotel car (a Toyota Rav 4).

We stayed in a deluxe room at the Claremont hotel which I booked through the internet (USD5 discount on the room rate if paid through Visa – USD60 net including breakfast and airport transfers, USD20 cheaper than published rates). The hotel is situated near the Siem Reap river and is only a few minutes walk from Pub Street. Our room was quite spacious, albeit very simple in appearance. There is one queen-sized bed and one double bed, a huge desk, cable TV, ref, coffee-making facility, safety deposit box, complimentary bottled water, and a fully loaded bathroom. There is free wifi at the lobby and three desktop computers with internet connections for those who don’t have laptops at no extra cost (which I took full advantage off during our entire stay!). We just dumped our luggage and went up the roof deck to have lunch at the Indian restaurant called East India restaurant (Tales of Asia described it as the best in the area). Ariel ordered the Khmer-Style Beef Curry while I opted for the spicy Mutton Biryani. The food was quite good (or maybe we were too hungry to be discriminating) but pricey – USD 20 for our meal!!!

Mutton Biryani

Khmer Style Beef Curry

After lunch, we decided to take a long nap. We were not in the best physical condition to start our tour. We were sleep-deprived and exhausted. In fact, we were actually quite happy that we traveled by air since it gave us enough time to recuperate and prepare us for our adventure in the next couple of days. If we had taken the bus, we would have arrived in Siem Reap at 7:30pm, and there is no way we could have slept soundly for the entire duration of the bus travel. So anyway, we slept until about 6pm. Then we unpacked, showered and got ready to go out and explore Pub Street, the famed tourist night spot in Siem Reap.

Before we left the hotel, we confirmed our early morning temple tour and requested for an English-speakin guide and a tuktuk. Yes, a tuktuk instead of a car (USD15 vs. 30). We told the hotel staff that we want to be at Angkor Wat by sunrise and we were told that there will be a USD 3 additional fee for the tuktuk. The guide fee is USD25 a day which is quite standard in the area. The lady at the front desk got us a tuktuk to take us to Pub Street. Then she told us it would be the same tuktuk to take us to the temples the next day. We paid USD 2 for the short drive to Pub Street – quite pricey considering it’s only a short distance away and it’s a tricycle!

The whole street was packed with tourists. It was the peak season and people from all over the world trooped to Pub Street for dinner. We wanted to sample the local dish so we decided to eat at the Khmer Family Restaurant. We were seated at a table outside the main restaurant so it was quite breezy. We ordered fresh spring rolls which Ariel and I both loved. So delicious!

Ariel also got the "Fried shrimps with garlic and pepper" which he thought to be similar to those offered in the Chinese restaurants in Manila. Turned out "fried" actually was "stir-fried", and "garlic and pepper" actually were bellpeppers. So, it was actually a saucy dish.

I sampled the Chicken Amok which I really, really enjoyed! It's similar to curry but milder in flavor.

Ariel and I really enjoyed dinner and decided to come back for more of their yummy spring rolls.

To read part 2, click here.

Dinner at Antonio's

2009-03-12T20:44:00.007+08:00

Hours after our plane landed in Manila (from our Vietnam-Cambodia trip), on January 27th, 2009, Ariel and I found ourselves driving to Tagaytay for a romantic dinner at Antonio's. I called ahead to reserve a table and by 7 pm, we drove into the driveway. It was the middle of the week so very few tables are occupied.

We were led to a garden table by the pond filled with large colorful kois. An oil lamp provided a soft glow on our table while we were serenaded by the cool Tagaytay breeze and the pond's cascading waters.

We took our time studying the menu. Meanwhile, we were served with ice cold fresh dalandan juice.

Aside from the house salad which was included in the dinner set, we added a serving of foie gras split into two plates. Yummy!!!

I also ordered the soup of the day which was rich and creamy.

I opted for the seafood sampler which consisted of grilled prawns with spicy creole on pappardelle (whatever that is!), Norwegian salmon poached in olives and pan-seared scallops on celleriac mashed truffle cream sauce. Whew!

Ariel chose the Antonio's Sampler which consists of beef fillet on plancha with black pepper sauce, roast smoked Chilean sea bass on tomato, garlic lemon sauce, and honeyglazed lambloin gratinated with goat cheese. Yum!

For dessert, Ariel picked the flourless chocolate cake...

...while I took my usual panna cotta.

I am so happy that Ariel enjoyed his birthday dinner.

We capped the night with steaming hot cup of brewed coffee. Happiness!

This is the entrance into the dining area.

The chandeliers in the main dining room (we were seated by the garden).

I don't know why it took us so long to try Antonio's when I've been hearing a lot of good reviews over the past couple of years. Anyway, I'm glad we finally took the plunge and tried it, on Ariel's birthday eve no less. We had a fantastic time. Excellent food. Perfect ambiance. Great company. This is life!

Vietnam-Cambodia Trip: A Downpayment

2009-02-19T08:18:00.002+08:00

I am still putting together the complete account of our trip. I also haven't finished sorting through hundreds of photos. But it will be worth the wait. :D I'll share details, highlights, recommendations on where to go and what to do, plus tipid tips for the budget traveller. Soon!

Meanwhile, check out some photos here.

Happy viewing!

Happy Lovin' Everyone!

2009-02-13T16:43:00.000+08:00

We don't really celebrate Valentine's day. Each day of the week has been created by the God of Love so why should February 14 be any different?

So, tomorrow, instead of a romantic dinner for two, Ariel and I will take a road trip to Pampanga with colleague and good friend Karen, her hubby Ian, and daughter Yana. We will have a sumptuous lunch at C Italian Dining (dinner's already fully booked!), do a bit of shopping, check in at Holiday Inn Mimosa, dinner at Zapata's (hopefully!) and enjoy the Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Anything special planned tomorrow? Sure. We will cuddle in bed in the morning, a few minutes before getting up. We will greet each other "good morning" with a kiss. We will exchange wedding rings with a kiss. We will hold hands and give each other lots of hugs. We will exchange "I Love You" text messages. Ariel will tuck me to bed. We will kiss each other "good night". Plus many other small "love rituals" we've been doing every day we are together since the day we got married. And on days we are apart, we still keep the love alive with the help of technology.

So go tell your spouse you love him/her tomorrow. And every single day after.

Weekend at Abe's Farm/Nurture Spa in Pampanga

2009-02-01T13:45:00.003+08:00

Last January 2, Ariel and I, together with some New Zealand-based friends drove to Pampanga for a relaxing weekend at Abe's Farm and Nurture Spa.

Gemma, Amie and Alfred flew home for the holidays. We picked them up at The Block in SM CIty North EDSA at around 9am and we drove to Pampanga (Angeles City exit) to have lunch at Abe's Farm. We met Grace and her mom, as well as Gay, Jun and their daughter Dani at one of the gas stations in NLEX. We then proceeded to Abe's farm where we had a table waiting reserved for a group of 11 adults (including driver and yaya).

Abe's Farm offers the same food selection as Abe's in Serendra and Bistro Remedios in Malate. We had a sumptuous meal! I took lots of photos but due to an error while transferring photos from my camera to the laptop, most of the photos were gone, except for a few survivors:

This is the gate that separates Abe's Farm and Nurture Spa. The Spa offers the same services as that in Tagaytay. Ariel and I had a 30-minute head and shoulder massage at the garden while the rest of the gang went around for some photos.

I couldn't resist taking this shot! Good thing Ariel was in the mood for some goofy shots.

The garden in the compound was well maintained. It is not as colorful as the spa in Tagaytay but the garden is just as lush, albeit with more greens than blooms.
Note to self: wear colorful outfits when out for some serious photo ops. It will make you stand out amid the lush green gardens or grey architecture.

The entrance to the main dining area where a feast of Pampanga's culinary delights awaited us.

Still can't get over my "lost" photos. The batch included our New Year shots (photo and video!) as well us our dinner at Bawai's. Sad.

We Travel Well

2009-01-30T19:23:00.004+08:00

Have tons to blog about. We've had a number of food and travel adventures and misadventures since Q4 last year. I've accumulated lots of photos but never got around to posting them. Will do that really soon! But before that...

------------
Lifted this from Diane's blog:

1. What part of the world and country do you live in?

On weekdays, I sleep to the symphony of beeping cars and grinding cement trucks in Mandaluyong City. On weekends, I wake up to the concerto of chirping birds in Cavite. Both are in the Philippines.

2. What is the furthest from home that you have been, and where is it?

Hmmm...got to brush up on my geography. Asia mainly. I think Phuket, Thailand.

3. What travel destination have you enjoyed the most?

Wow, this is tough. Each destination has its own appeal. Locally, it would be Batanes. Outside of the Philippines, that would be Siem Reap, Cambodia.

4. What travel destination have you enjoyed the least?

Penang, Malaysia - only because I never had the chance to really explore the place.

5. Is there somewhere you’d like to visit but have not, and where is it?

I'd really like to go on an African Safari. Someday.

6. Do you prefer traveling to see historic places or to hit the beach and relax?

I'm generally a nature lover so I prefer the beach over historic places. However, beautiful historical sites like the Angkor region in Cambodia also appeal to me.

7. What popular vacation destination have you never considered because you think you’d not like it?

Hongkong is quite popular to Filipinos because of its proximity and accessibility. However, theme parks and shopping are not exactly my cup of tea so I've never ventured to Hongkong. But I might just try it one of these days.

8. Where do you travel to most recently?

Siem Reap, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

9. Do you like day trip “mini-vacations”?

Not as much as week-long vacations. I enjoy taking my time to discover and experience the places I visit. A day trip just doesn't cut it.

Happy New Year from Saigon!

2009-01-25T15:26:00.000+08:00

Today is New Year's eve and Ho Chi Minh is decorated in colorful flowers, lights, balloons and lots of people line the streets. Ariel and I finished our tour for the day and are now resting for a few hours. We will walk towards Saigon River at around 10pm to join the Tet festivities until midnight. There will be fireworks by the river.

It's a great time to be here as the atmosphere is very festive. The downside is that all shops are closed so we were not able to buy any souvenirs.Some shops will be closed until the 28th!

Tomorrow, Ariel and I will just relax and walk around the area. Our hotel is just across Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office. I want to take photos at sunrise. However, it's probably an activity I will be doing on my own as Ariel doesn't want to wake up early after several days of waking up before sunrise in Siem Reap. Tomorrow will be the first morning he will be waking up late since we left Manila! I'm just a bit wary here. It feels a lot safer to go around in Siem Reap than here in HCM (we've been ripped off by cab drivers 2x already so we decided to just walk to whereever from this point on!). I'll see tomorrow. It's just across our hotel and very much visible from our hotel room.

While Ariel and I have been enjoying our vacation, I can't wait to get back home! I'm so looking forward to sleeping on my own bed on Tuesday!!! Plus I have a surprise waiting for Ariel when we get back. So excited!

Oh, I need to have my ankle checked back in Manila. It's still a bit sore.

Hello from Siem Reap!

2009-01-22T13:09:00.000+08:00

We've had the most amazing 2 days in Siem Reap so far. Ariel and I just go tback from exploring he country side in an All-Terrain Vehicle and it was awesome. We visited a local orphanage and caught the kids in class (they have English, Chinese and Japanese language classes) and then later at recess. We had a great time interacting with them despite the fact that they are not yet very good in English. I asked one kid "how old are you?" and he said "I'm fine thank you. And you?" Of course I said "Im fine, too!" It took us more than three hours to traverse thorugh almost 50kms of dirt road. Needless to say, every inch of my body, clothing, bag, is thick with red dust. Such a small price to pay for an awesome experience. Ariel had a wonderful time and I could see how much he relished driving the ATV. Will give more details when I blog about our trip.

I thank God that all things worked out. We had a few minor misadventures but everything fell into place.

I twisted my ankle yesterday when I stepped in gap on the floor and fell right in front of a statue of Buddha. One good thing about it is that no one else was around when it happened - just Ariel and our guide so di naman masyadong nakakahiya. I took Advil right after and managed to complete our tour with minor inconvenience (and still managed to climb the most challenging temples!). By evening, my ankle was swollen but a few minutes of painful massage might have helped as I woke up today without the swelling. My thigh muscles were aching though, from all the climbing (well, crawling up is more like it!) the previous day. Oh, and I just confirmed, I have a fear of heights. Well, maybe not exactly. It's just that I have no problem climbing up the temples no matter how steep and tall they are. I get tired, sure. But I still manage to go up. Now, going down is a different matter altogether. I'd stnd there on the edge and freeze!!! Ariel and our guide Sophal would take my hand and help me take the first step or two and then I'll make it on my own. I was just so terrified! So why still climb? I don't know. Maybe it's my pride, or my competitive nature. I just can't go back home and say that I didn't go up the temples. :D

More details when we get home! Just took a bit of internet time to check our itinerary when we get back to Ho Chi Minh on Saturday.

Ok, I badly need a long shower and some heavy scrubbing. Oh, and I can't wait for dinner. Khmer food is simple mouthwatering!

Meet Cain

2008-12-09T14:36:00.000+08:00

Our family of four humans (Ariel, myself and two helpers) and three furry friends welcomed our newest baby yesterday.

Meet CAIN. He's a two and a half month old cream teacup poodle and he's just the most adorable puppy ever. Look at those puppy eyes. He's only 7 inches tall and about 9 inches long.

I was a bit worried about how he would adjust to his new environment. When I took him home yesterday, he slept throughout the drive home. When we got home, he started playing with everyone! So cute! I specially love it when he wags his inch-long tail. After playing for a bit, we gave him dinner - two tablespoons of dog food mixed with a bit of milk. He finished his food quickly and pooped on a sheet of old newspaper. Yup, he's potty trained!

Can't wait to buy him clothes and accessories! But he's gorgeous just the way he is. Look at him! Welcome home Cain!

People ask me why we named hi Cain. No reason in particular. I would have named him Mr. Big after Chris Noth's character in Sex and the City but he looked more like a Cain to me so Cain it is!

Stories in Hand

2008-11-11T15:47:00.000+08:00

I wanted to enroll in the 5-week Friday night classes at Powerbooks called The Five Stories You Want To Write. It's a writing class which I thought would improve my writing skills. But my main objective is really how to capture the relevant stories of my life that I can put into my scrapbook pages. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn't work for me. Three out of the 5 Fridays are already booked in my personal calendar (it starts Nov. 14 and every Friday til Dec. 12).

Fortunately, I signed up for Jessica Sprague's online class called Stories in Hand. It started yesterday so today is Day 2. The class is about the process of capturing the stories that matter. As a scrapbooker, I thought this is highly relevant because I want my scrapbooks to tell stories of how I lived my life. I don't want my scrapbooks to be just about pretty "artistic" pages but I want them to remind me of the good times and the bad, of the experiences that make life sweet, of the blessings I need to be thankful for, of the lessons learned, etc.

The good thing about this class is that I can do it on my own pace. I can access the site any time I want and print the materials on my own convenient time. Yesterday, Jessica shared some printable digital elements to be used for our "scrapbook". Today, she gave us what she calls "sparks" - questions about our ancestry, childhood, routines, etc. - that would, well, spark stories that can be captured in our scrapbook pages. I haven't had a chance to read through the very long list (there are three categories - Roots, Self, Family) but browsing through some of them already brought back memories. I am very excited and I am hoping to interview my parents to know more about my ancestry.

I think I am already doing a good job capturing our travel stories but I need to capture the everyday moments too. So hopefully, this class will help me do just that.

I will share what I can as the class progresses (it runs til Nov. 23!). Right now, I need to go to bed and rest. I still have low-grade fever (4 days already!), a terrible cold, and now, I have cough too! I'm already taking antibiotics so hopefully, the fever will subside soon.

Dinner at Firelake Grill

2008-11-09T19:42:00.012+08:00

For our 112th monthsary, we decided to drive to Tagaytay and have dinner at Firelake Grill. We went on Aug. 17th, a day before our actual monthsary, because it falls on a Sunday. The first time we went there about a year ago, it was closed so we ended up eating at the Italian restaurant across Firelake. So this time, I decided to call first and reserve a table for two.

We got there a full hour before our reservation and they just opened. We decided to go for it even if it was still very early.

We started with Iced Tea and dinner rolls. Ariel then ordered a glass of red wine to go with our dinner.

The Smoked Salmon and Caviar salad was very tasty. The serving was just enough to whet our appetite for the main dish.

We ordered Rib-Eye steak with prawns. Well, it's supposed to have just one piece of prawn but since we are splitting this, we asked for an extra piece so Ariel and I can have one each.

I love risotto and every time it is offered in the menu, I just couldn't resist. So we also ordered the asparagus and mushroom risotto. The serving was quite large specially since we had another heavy dish in the steak. I wanted to leave room for dessert so we weren't able to finish the risotto, but it was really good, too.

For dessert, we went to Bag Of Beans. We ordered the Blueberry Cheesecake and I think the other one was Pannacotta.

I had coffee of course - cafe latte to go with my dessert.

Thanks for looking!

Birthday Bash - Part 2

2008-11-09T13:38:00.001+08:00

My birthday was actually almost two months ago but it took me a bit of time resizing the photos so well, I'm just posting this now.

Anyway, my hubby gifted me with an external flash for my Canon 40D DSLR. Knowing him though, I know he has a few more surprises up his sleeves. So, while I wasn't all that surprised to get flowers from him, I was surprised to see it waiting outside our bedroom door when I woke up the morning of my birthday. Turned out he arranged for an early morning delivery.

The bouquet contains three each of some of my favorite flowers - three red Roses, three pink Carnations, three Gerberas (in assorted colors) three Lilies, and a lot of beautiful fillers. I just love getting flowers! And he knows it!

We had lunch at Abe right after our Blow Up Babies appointment. I blogged about that here. Anyway, it had been very difficult to reserve tables at Abe but we were able to book one for my birthday. Yahoo!

We ordered Binukadkad na plapla which I first discovered at Bistro Remedios. Now, this dish is actually available in many other restaurants (like Recipes) but it's only here where it is paired with Burong Dalag which I thought is the best way to eat this dish.

A meal won't be complete without veggies so we ordered Pinakbet. It was ok, nothing really spectacular - just your average pinakbet.

Now, I had been looking forward to ordering the Sinuteng Baby Squid. Unfortunately, it was unavailable so we ordered Sisig instead. No luck. It was also unavailable! Sigh. We settled with the Crispy Shrimps which was good but I had my heart set on the baby squid.
After lunch, we stopped by the Home Depot nearby to get some kitchen stuff for my newly renovated kitchen. Then we headed to the Manila Ocean Park. I've got to tell you this. I've been planning to go to MOP for a long time and I thought I'd surprise Ariel on my birthday. So I told him that I have an itinerary and that he should leave it up to me. Days before my birthday, Ariel told me that whatever my plans are, I should give him 3 hours because he has a surprise for me. I had a very strong feeling about it so I asked him if he's taking me to MOP. True enough, our surprise for each other is a visit to MOP.

Our plans ended with MOP. After that, it was totally spontaneous. Ariel asked me if I want to go to Fort Santiago. It's been over two decades since I was last there so I readily agreed. It was a bit unkempt. I think we are doing a poor job maintaining our historical sites. Tsk. Tsk. Nonetheless, it's still beautiful and very photo-worthy.

After our tour of Fort Santiago, I asked Ariel to take care of choosing our dinner destination. He brought me to Ilustrado which I really liked because that only means we're having Paella for dinner. It was our first time to eat there and we had a wonderful time.
Ariel ordered red wine while I opted for white. We skipped appetizer because we need the tummy space for the heavy paella dish.
Ariel also got a fish dish with lots of garlic. Yummy!!!
For dessert, we ordered Canonigo which is a popular Spanish dessert. It's like the outside of Brazo De Mercedes which is light and fluffy, topped with vanilla and caramel sauce , and mango balls. The sauce is too sweet for my taste but it was a great end to our mouthwatering dinner.
Tired from a packed day, we just went home after dinner instead of going to the spa which we initially planned. We opted for a home massage so we can go to sleep immediately after. Before I went to bed, hubby presented his final surprise - a white leather-strapped wristwatch which I saw at a jewelry store months ago.

See all photos here.

Can't wait for my birthday next year! :D

A Weekend Roadtrip

2008-10-27T22:03:00.015+08:00

Ariel has been inviting me to spend a weekend at Clark but I just couldn’t see the merits of the place. That is until I got to spend a few days there on business. I realized that Pampanga offers some of the country’s best culinary experiences. Not to mention Duty Free shopping.

So, now it’s my turn to bug Ariel to spend a weekend there. What better time than our 114th Monthsary? Fortunately, the 18th of October fell on a Saturday, perfect for an overnight weekend out of town.

On the morning of the 18th, we began our two and a half hour drive to the province of Pampanga. We made leisurely stops along the way and spent a wonderful weekend together.

We had an itinerary and we planned to make a stop at Mely’s Sisig – said to be the best Kapampangan Sisig in town, located at San Fernando. The web information said that it’s a very small carinderia that has no sign. Well, it must have been well-hidden so we completely missed it.

Our alternative was RFW, home of the best Tokwa’t Baboy, as well as Palabok and Halo-Halo. As I have been there a couple of times already, it was pretty easy to locate it. I wanted Ariel to taste the tokwa’t baboy but unfortunately, it was unavailable. Just our luck!!! So, we proceeded to Zapata’s instead for our lunch. It’s one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve tried – better than those in Manila – and I want Ariel to experience it as well.

The interior of Zapata’s is quite cozy. The lighting is slightly dimmed and the interiors a rainbow of Mexican colors. The walls are painted a sunny yellow and the entire restaurant is decorated with colorful ornaments like Mexican hats, chili peppers, and colorful textiles. Some parts of the walls are painted with phrases written in the Spanish language. We picked a table near a window so we would have enough natural light for taking photos of the food.

The selection wasn’t long. It was just a page of food options, the usual stuff – Nachos with salsa, Tacos, Fajitas, Burrito, etc. Since it was my second time here, it was easier for me to order – I just made sure I tried a different one from my last visit. Ariel, as usual, took a bit more time to order. He’s not very adventurous with food but I could see that he wanted to venture out of his comfort zone. If we came for dinner, we would have ordered some alcoholic beverages. But it was midday so we just opted for some sodas – perfect for the Mexican-spiced dishes we ordered.

Ariel ordered the Mahi-Mahi with Mexican Rice. Between the two of us, Ariel is less experimental and would tend to get the safe option. The Mahi-Mahi is already an adventurous choice for him. On the contrary, while I am more adventurous when it comes to food, I opted for Beef Fajitas which is among my usual fare. I love the act of putting together the Fajitas on a piece of pita bread. A bit of salsa and sour cream, some grilled onions and bellpepper, add the strips of beef and the Mexican Rice. Roll and enjoy! After our main meal, Ariel ordered a slice of American Apple Pie. Yummy! Thus officially begun our Pampanga food and shopping trip.

After lunch, we checked into Oxford Hotel. We got a room with King Sized bed. This is the cheapest hotel we found inside the Clark Freeport zone. We figured we just need a place to sleep as we will be out most of the day anyway. We quickly realized why it was affordable. Customer service is practically non-existent. Nobody greeted us at the entrance. No one helped us with our bags. We only had one overnight bag but I brought my DSLR and my laptop so we had a few pieces of luggage in tow. After checking in at the front desk, no one ushered us into our room.

The hotel, though still practically new at 2 years old, looked unkempt. The hallway was dreary and there was a musty smell. Our room was quite large, but sparsely furnished and decorated. There’s a ref but nothing inside – though we got two bottles of complimentary water. There’s a dresser table but no lighting above it. The bathroom had basic amenities – bath & hand towels, toilet paper, bath soap and shampoo, and a hair dryer. There was no trashcan in the bathroom so I just got the one under the dresser table. Because we started the day early, we were quite sleepy by the time we checked in. So we spent the better part of the afternoon napping in our room.

At 4pm, we were ready to conquer Duty Free Shopping! We were able to buy an assortment of household stuff, sporting goods, and imported canned goods and confectionery. By 6pm, our SUV was filled with shopping bags. The only thing we weren’t able to buy at that point were the Christmas ornaments I saw at my last visit. Oh well, there’s still tomorrow, but at that point, we were raring to have dinner. We didn’t have snacks so we were a bit famished.

After a quick shower, we got dressed for our Monthsary dinner. We had a reservation at 7:30pm. C Italian Dining was just a few minutes away so we made it in time. We opted to get seats inside the air-conditioned room rather than al fresco at the garden. It was a bit humid and we wanted to be comfortable. The interior was tastefully done, with modern furnishings and adequate lighting. Framed paintings line the wall. The table setting was quite casual. The guests were mainly adults with some families with small kids.

We started with some wine. We were very hungry so we waited for the toasted bread and pesto dip before taking a sip of the Sauvignon Blanc. They have an extensive menu and we can only try so much for the evening. Good thing I had friends who recommended some of the bestsellers.

C Italian Dining’s claim to fame is their unique Panizza. We opted for the Kristina Panizza which came highly recommended by friends and even our very helpful waitress. The Panizza base is made from very thin crust pizza with 5 types of cheeses. Kristina Panizza has ham and bacon toppings, as well as caramelized onions and roasted mushrooms. It is served sliced in long strips with a bowl of arugula and alfalfa sprouts. Then you put some arugula and alfalfa on the panizza, roll it and enjoy the explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth. Ariel doesn’t like arugula at all, so he started with just the alfalfa sprouts. But seeing me enjoy my roll of panizza convinced him to try and he enjoyed it immensely. We were able to clean up our plates along with the bowl of greens.

We also ordered a pasta dish called Penne Roberto. It’s a cream-based pasta with Gorgonzola cheese, roasted chicken and garlic and sundried tomatoes. We ordered one serving split into two plates. The serving was huge, even at half order each plate. It was served with toasted bread, and they did not scrimp on the chicken. Since we are already almost full with the panizza, we set the chicken aside and just ate the pasta soaked in the creamy sauce.
Ariel and I both had a second glass of the Sauvignon Blanc, which made our dinner even more enjoyable.

Cheers to our 114 months together, and wishing for more happy months to come.

After dinner, we had some drinks back at the hotel. I had a glass of margarita while Ariel opted for his usual San Mig Light. We checked our emails and just spent a few minutes chatting.

We had a leisurely breakfast on Sunday morning. The breakfast buffet wasn’t good and we finally decided that the extra cost of staying in a nicer hotel is really worth it, on account of the breakfast buffet. Nonetheless, we still had a good time so it was ok.

After breakfast, I met with a scrapper friend who showed me some yummy stuff fresh from Scrapbooks Hawaii. Then it was off to more shopping. We bought some Christmas ornaments for my winter inspired Christmas tree this year.

We had lunch at RFW in Angeles City. It was abit disappointing as their Tokwa’t Baboy was still unavailable. We just settled with the Palabok and Halo-Halo which were very good, though we were really hoping to have the tokwa’t baboy here.

Anyway, our weekend ended with an hour of full body massage in the comfort of our own bedroom courtesy of our usual pair of masseuse – Rose and Ivy. They come to our condo every Sunday for our weekly massage and I couldn’t think of a better way to soothe our travel-exhausted bodies.

Til our next road/food trip!

Check out the complete set of photos here or here.

I also made a mini for this roadtrip. I submitted it as an entry to Bookoto's Show Me The Mini challenge. View it here.

Birthday Bash - Part 1

2008-10-16T16:28:00.000+08:00

This is becoming a habit! After shopping til we drop at a local scrapping store, we eat like there is no tomorrow! This time, we had a pre-birthday dinner at Kimpura right after shopping at Lasting Impression. The LI store is located in San Juan so we dined at the Greenhills Shopping Center which is a few minute's drive from our shopping mecca.

Here's the Reyes family. Karen's birthday is on Sept. 19th and Yana's, her little girl, is on the 29th.

The girls (l-r) - Yana, Karen, Aggie (winner of biggest shopping spree!), moi, Joycee, Nollie and Aileen (who celebrates her birthday on Sept. 22nd)

And of course, a picture with my ever supportive hubby

Ian, Yana, Ariel and Joycee met us at Kimpura. The rest of us first satisfied our craving for paper before satisfying our craving for real food. Fun!

(Note: We since had a follow-up scrap shopping - this time in Sta. Mesa - followed by a pig out session at Persiana in Pioneer. Yup, definitely becoming a habit!)

High School Musical On Ice in Manila

2008-10-14T21:51:00.009+08:00

I was fortunate to win 5 tickets to the High School Musical On Ice performance at the Araneta Coliseum. I've never seen a single HSM show on TV or in the movies and I am totally clueless on what it's all about. Nonetheless, a free show is a free show, so with hubby in tow, plus two of my adult cousins - Johannes and Jo-Ann, and Johannes' wife Richelle, we trooped to the Araneta Coliseum to watch HSM On Ice. My cousins and I used to watch Holiday on Ice when we were kids so this was a bit nostalgic for us. I managed to snap a couple of photos using my DSLR. "Professional" cameras are actually prohibited inside the coliseum but since I am not a professional photographer, it shouldn't matter. I could have taken the same set of photos even with my point and shoot.

The best part of the show? Dinner at Cafe Bola afterwards. :b

Baguio Family Escapade

2008-10-13T22:04:00.012+08:00

A day after I got back from Bohol, we went up to Baguio with my side of the family. We drove North bright and early Saturday morning, leaving behind news of typhoon Frank's devastation in the South.

My parents, brother and his wife joined us, as well as our helper, Malou. I booked the Coke Baguio House last year, originally for January of this year for Ariel's birthday. However, I had to postpone because of work, and I was lucky to get another slot.

It was meant to be a relaxing trip so we didn't do anything "adventurous" and just visited the same old attractions. It was my SIL's first time in Baguio so even the "same olds" were new to her.

I've been to Camp John Hay a lot of times but it was my first time in the Butterfly Garden. I met Mr. Caterpillar...

...and peeped through the bushes to see this girl in the pond.

Ariel and I shared sweet Kodak moments (actually they were Canon moments!).

I also took lots of flower shots (I didn't have my 50mm yet!).

And we did goof off a bit. Ok, maybe a lot but I'm only sharing one goofy photo!

And the hands belong to...I actually can't remember!

Lunch at Cafe by the Ruins - all I remember is that it was TOO COLD!!!

Took this shot through the windshield, on the way home.

I love driving through a canopy of trees!

A leisurely lunch at Isdaan. The food wasn't spectacular actually, but the ambiance is great, and it's my family's first time so they really enjoyed it.

Looking for unique handmade cards?

2008-10-06T18:07:00.000+08:00

If you have time, please do visit Bookoto and check out their new arrivals.

Bohol the 2nd time around

2008-09-30T22:23:00.006+08:00

Unlike most people I know who prefer Boracay's beach party culture, I prefer a more quiet solace away from the noise and crowd of the city. Hence, I find Bohol a better prospect for a beach getaway.

Last June, I had the chance to visit this thriving beach destination along with my colleagues. We stayed at the posh Amorita Resort.

That was my second time in Bohol, the first was in 2004, with Ariel.

The beach is still as inviting as I remembered. Only, I didn't have time to really enjoy it. We came just two days ahead of Typhoon Frank and it has been raining most of our stay. We were fortunate to fly back to Manila just before Visayas felt the full rage of Frank, leaving a trail of devastation in Iloilo and Kalibo.

Anyway, I would really like to come back soon. This time, Ariel's joining me. And we're getting a pool villa.

More photos here.

What is the meaning of the color ORANGE?

2008-09-22T17:08:00.000+08:00

According to about.com, ORANGE is...

...is vibrant. It's a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common attributes with those colors. It denotes energy, warmth, and the sun. But orange has a bit less intensity or aggression than red, calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow.

It is a stimulant — stimulating the emotions and even the appetite. Orange can be found in nature in the changing leaves of fall, the setting sun, and the skin and meat of citrus fruit.

Orange brings up images of autumn leaves, pumpkins, and (in combination with Black) Halloween. It represents the changing seasons so in that sense it is a color on the edge, the color of change between the heat of summer and the cool of winter.

Because orange is also a citrus color, it can conjure up thoughts of vitamin C and good health.

If you want to get noticed without screaming, consider the color orange — it demands attention.

Squidoo describes orange as:

Orange, a close relative of red, sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually strong positive or negative association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger "love it" or "hate it" response than other colors. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy. Interestingly, some of the tones of orange such as terra cotta, peach or rust have very broad appeal.

How the color orange effects us mentally and physically
* Stimulates activity
* Stimulates appetite
* Encourages socialization

So, why the sudden interest in the color orange?

Because my new kitchen is in a fun shade of orange!!!

Question on Bantayan Island Accommodation

2008-09-01T18:28:00.003+08:00

Thank you RoMa for your question. I thought I'd just post here so I can also post some photos again.

Anyway, the photos below are right in front of Marlin Resort. So, yes, it has a fabulous beach front. Sta. Fe Resort is just beside the pier so aside from the noise of approaching boats, they also bring to the shore some debris. Hence, between the two, I'd recommend Marlin.

Just a word of caution though. The rooms at Marlin are just ok - not exactly 5 star. The rooms are big, clean and comfortable. No fancy amenities there. For us, that's just fine but others prefer more posh accommodations. They do have a restaurant and bar. I guess they cover all the basics.

I hope that answered your question. Enjoy your vacation!

Dinner at La Cocina De Tita Moning

2008-07-09T08:18:00.023+08:00

Last April 21st, the day after we got back from our Bicol vacation, Ariel and I had a post-anniversary dinner at La Cocina De Tita Moning in Manila. It was my 2nd time, Ariel's 1st. We booked our dinner and selected our menu (we picked the very heavy menu 10) weeks before. A restaurant staff called me early on the 21st to confirm our arrival that evening. Suffice it to say, I barely got through the day with excitement.

I picked up Ariel at 7pm (we were booked at 8pm). Yes, I drove that day because Ariel's office is in UN Ave. It doesn't make sense for him to drive all the way to Makati only to drive back to Manila for our dinner. So, I dropped him off to work in the morning and picked him up for our dinner.

We were welcomed into the patio with some drinks and queso de bola toast. YUMMY!

Ariel soaking in the old feel of the house

Lemon Grass Iced Tea and Queso De Bola Toast

Just before dinner, we were ushered into the main house for a tour of the place which is now converted into a museum.

The Camera Room

Some of the prized paintings - this one is by Juan Luna

The wedding gown of one of Tita Moning's daughters - I wondered how she was able to walk down the aisle in this, it was so heavy!!!

Some priceless heirloom China hanging on the wall

The table setting

Yours truly

The family room

I told Ariel to take it slowly as there's a lot on the menu. We have to pace ourselves, otherwise, we won't be able to enjoy everything.

Puree of Fabada with Wantons of Chorizo - sounds good, tastes even better)

White wine with our dinner

Ariel enjoying his soup (although hindi sya mukhang masaya dito)

Fresh Ubod and Lengua Cooked in White Wine

Paella

The cute bells used to call the servers

Cheese and Fruit Platter

Rice Pudding with Flambed Banana and Rosemary Chocolate Sauce (by the time, I was so full, I barely touched this yummy dessert)

Native Chocolate with Marshmallows

I wasn't able to take photos of the kangkong salad (my favorite!) and the poached lapu-lapu. I was surprised to see Ariel enjoying the Lapu-Lapu. He doesn't usually like poached, boiled or steamed food so I'm happy that he enjoyed it.

Oh, I have to mention that we were the only guests that night. Had I known, I would have convinced Ariel to come in period clothing. You know, the formal wear the old Illustrados wear for banquets. That would complete the Spanish-era dinner experience. Haha! I can just imagine the horror on his face!

Bohol Take 2

2008-06-16T23:25:00.003+08:00

I'm leaving Wednesday morning for Bohol and hubby is not coming with me. Boo hoo. I'm attending the KO Marketing Team Building at this lovely resort. Most of my colleagues are extending thier stay for a few more days but I'm flying back to Manila Friday afternoon. My family and I will drive up north to cool Baguio City for some R&R. Will be back Tuesday afternoon.

My camera will be very busy!

Watch out for the story and photos!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-06-12T04:34:00.000+08:00

I've been living in Kawit, Cavite for the last 4 years and I haven't been INSIDE the Aguinaldo Shrine. In fact, last time I was there was about 20 years ago, during a field trip while in grade school. Anyway, I was stuck in traffic last Saturday so I took out my camera and snapped some photos of this historic site. Quite timely, too, since it is all prepped up for the June 12 Independence day. Too bad I wasn't able to get a good angle. By the time I was in perfect position, traffic started moving really fast and since I was driving, I had no choice but to move along. I was tempted to stop one second but the long line of drivers behind me might whack me for causing further delays. Anyway, happy INDEPENDENCE DAY!