Lakwatsera Ako

The Manila Ocean Park

2008-07-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Last April I hunkered down to the Manila Ocean Park with Sweetie, Miguel and my friends from Davao, Andrew, Ria, Blogie, Winston and Migs. It was a good thing we went early since we missed the throngs of people who go everyday.

So what can one see at the Oceanarium? Fish! Loads and loads of different fish species. A lot of those displayed came from the Philippine seas and what joy it was to see all of them in different shapes, sizes and colors. I don't think I'll ever find myself diving to view them in their natural habitat, so this would do.

I realized though that taking photos of fish is very difficult! They move around quite a lot and most of the fish in the photos I took ended up blurred. I have new-found respect to photographers who do aquatic photography.

There was so much to see at the Oceanarium and I thought I'd just make this video blog about it. Hope you enjoy watching!

Binalot

2008-07-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Binalot means "wrapped".

I've been eating "Binalot" food for a couple of years already. I think they started off with just delivery service. My former colleagues and I usually ordered our lunch from Binalot. We loved it since the food was wrapped in a banana leaf, so that meant we didn't have to wash any dishes after eating.

It's been sometime since I ate at Binalot and we wanted to try out the stalls at the at Market Market. They have improved their menu a lot and have variations of the usual tocilog, longsilog and tapsilog. I love the fact that the rice is adobo rice and comes with fried egg, itlog na pula and one whole tomato. Yum!!!

Experience it!

The Binalot Adobo-Longsilog

The Binalot Adobo Tapsilog

Romantic Antipolo

2008-07-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

I've heard so much about "Antipolo" and that it's a great place for lovers. Through the years friends would share stories about the fabulous view and how calm and peaceful the place is. Antipolo is about 30 kilometers from where I live and I found out that you have to go through 4 highways (South Super Highway, C5, Marcos Highway and Sumulong Highway) to get there. So despite all the praises I've heard about Antipolo I never got the chance to go and visit.

Little did I know that I was going to have a big surprise.

I had no idea what Sweetie had planned for us that day. He just said, "Wear jeans, socks, rubbershoes and an extra shirt. Also bring hollow blocks, agimat etc. etc." I thought that we were going to attend a GK build. Whenever I bugged him where we were going he just answered back by giving another "to-bring" list. So I just gave up.

After fetching me after a meeting we headed east. I'm a South girl so I had no idea where it was we were going to go. He first brought me to the mall to go bowling. And boy both our games were awful, but it was great fun!

After merienda we headed out. It was raining a bit and I had no idea where we were headed. It looked a lot like we were leaving Metro Manila and the road was heading up. I couldn't find any signs to give me an idea where we were going and I was quite busy as well looking at the structures outside the window.

And then he said, "We're here."

We parked at Padi's Point. It was then that it dawned on me that we were in Antipolo! At the place where many of my other friends have gone before. THE place to go to with your S.O.

I was so simply kilig. Teehee.

The view from the deck was breath-taking. Being far away from all the buzz in the city. Being offline. Being at a serene place was just what I needed.

Here's the view.

I would looooove to go back.

Bicol: Moderna Bakery's Fried Siopao

2008-07-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of summers in Bicol since it's our hometown. Too bad though I haven't had the chance to go home the past 2 years! There's so much to see, experience and eat in Bicol and may I start with Moderna Bakery's fried siopao:

Fried siopao? Yup, you read it right. I was quite weirded out the first time I heard about it but since it's produced by our family's bakery (the oldest in Bicol and much older than the famous Goldilocks) I did not have any qualms about sampling it.

Mom brought home a couple of pieces from Moderna Bakery and I knew I just had to blog about it. So sorry I ended up biting into it before taking a photograph, but you'd see that it's got meaty filling and you don't actually need to lay on any sauce on it. The filling also has some egg which makes it more tasty.

There are two branches of Moderna Bakery in Bicol. One is located near the Naga City Public Market which is now run by my cousin. Should you have the chance to eat at the resto better order the pancit. My Dad used to spend a lot of time at the bakery in his youth and that's where he learned how to cook. The other branch is at the Apolo ancestral home at Bagumbayan (it's quite near Ateneo de Naga) and that's where they cook all the bread in stone oven that was built over 60 years ago. They also sell a lot of yummy pastries and cakes.

Moderna Bakery
Main Branch: Bagumbayan, Naga City
Restaurant: near the Naga City Public Market
Camarines Sur, Bicol
Philippines

Flapjacks

2008-06-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

I first heard about Flapjacks from a friend who's studying at AIM for a MBA degree. His professor said that he heard that the place was worth checking out. I then kept a mental note to try out the place since I love eating pancakes.

It was towards the end of April when my friends from Davao arrived and wanted to try out new places. We then took a chance and tried out Flapjacks at Greenbelt.

My friend ordered the tapa plate. He said that it was a bit too spicy but tasted good. The tapa wasn't significantly different from any other tapa in the market.

I got the sausage plate (I forgot what it's called but the menu said that it's imported). It wasn't spectacular, tasted like sausage which you could buy at the grocery. The salsa that was included in the serving tasted funny and we thought it wasn't fresh.

We also got a free serving of pancakes. We chose the one with peanut butter and banana. It was quite good though I thought that the pancake tasted the same as those served in a famous fast-food joint.

Overall, the dining experience was a good one. The food servers were very gracious, friendly and fast. They also kept asking us if we were okay. The food though wasn't spectacular. To me it was quite ordinary, not much different from the well-established Pancake House. I guess my expectations were quite high since it was located in Greenbelt and the pricing was quite high. There was also no pasta in the menu which I found quite weird.

What to have: what we ordered was good and filling, just don't expect it to have a unique taste

What not to have: make sure the salsa doesn't taste weird

Price range: PhP400/person for a decent meal (no dessert yet), overrated and expensive

The Lakwatsera's Rating: it wasn't bad, but not a place I'd go out of my way to visit again

Portico

2008-05-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

Spot.ph Series: Bloggers Food Tour
Restaurant: Portico
Place: Serendra

I've been having difficulty making posts about the bloggers food tour organized by Spot.ph since we had to visit about 18 establishments on the first day at the food tour at Trinoma and 24 establishments at the Bonifacio High Street and Serendra. It was a mean feat to accomplish! Anyway, I'm determined to blog about each and every establishment I went to and hopefully I'll manage to share my "reaction" on the food the we sampled.

Last week I had the privilege of going back to Portico and I thought of starting off this series of Lakwatsas with my Portico experience.

Among all the establishments I might say that my favorite "spot" at Serendra is Portico. Here's why:

1. The cheese fondue is THE appetizer to order. I love cheese so dipping bread on melted cheese is heavenly delight. Sweetie and I ordered it when we went out on a date last week and we almost licked the bowl clean (it would've been bad manners so we wiped the bowl clean with bread).

2. THE main course to order is the "pork barrel". Oh such cardiac delight! Ooops, I mean it was just perfect since it wasn't oily and crispy and chewy at the same time. I would've wanted the regular Mang Tomas sarsa to go with it though.

3. It was during our visit that Sweetie and I managed to eat dessert since we were so full during the bloggers food tour. We got the cream brulee and I just really had to ask Sweetie how they managed to make the caramel thin and perfect for the leche-flan-custard-like dessert. My tonsils are quite sensitive, but the cream brulee was the perfect dessert to order.

Other must-haves at Portico: salbicho pizza and the tofu filled omelet.
Can do without: fried chicken (too dry) and the mango fruit shake I had was overrated and maasim

Price range: PhP500/person and just share dessert with someone

Place good for: romantic dinner, dating, meetings

The Lakwatsera's Rating: Definitely going back but must save up for it

SM Science & Discovery Center

2008-05-25T01:21:00.000-07:00

Miguel and I have been planning to go see the SM Science & Discovery Center for sometime now especially since I've enrolled him for a couple of sessions at the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Center. By some fortune and misfortune we ended up roaming around the gallery yesterday.

The place wasn't as big as I thought, but it had a really high-tech planetarium, a far-cry from the planetarium I visited when I was in grade school in Manila. We watched a short-film about the possibility of life in other planets. I kinda freak out over the thought of "life in other planets" a.k.a. "aliens", but that's what Harrison Ford logically narrated in the film. Brrrr, scary thought. I whispered to Miguel then that if he wanted to find more information about planets he could just to and check out the "Sky on Google Earth" since it's got hoards of information fro NASA integrated into eat. A planetarium right on your desktop!

The friendly gallery attendant gave us a short tour of the 8 galleries they had installed in the center. They have an area where you can test your "Grossology IQ", a Sniff Sniff area (my nose was disgustingly accurate in guessing the icky-dicky smell) and the Burp thingy which Miguel enjoyed. There was also the "Urine Game" which worked like a video arcade game but an educational one.

I felt proud when I saw the replica of the "Sinag" solar-powered car. I'm proud that it's a Filipino invention plus the fact that my alma mater, De La Salle University, was deeply involved in the project. I wonder when this will become a commercial car. I think this should something that our government should really push for since we do get a lot of sun in our country. Nearby the car was the flight simulator where Miguel disappeared to while I was scrutinizing the Sinag.

At the second floor of the center we saw replicas of the world's tallest buildings. We also tried out the earthquake simulator which we found quite funny. And then we checked-out the robots gallery where Miguel enjoyed the bump-car-like game.

Overall, it was an "okay" experience. I wasn't really ready to roam around the center since it wasn't a scheduled one, but I think the place would be more appealing to young children. I had hoped though that there would be a feature on Filipino inventions and scientists.

The Juned Sonido Manila Tour

2008-05-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I justed named the tour after my dear friend, Juned, because he gallantly volunteered to be the tour guide for us and not because it is an "official" tour.

My friends from Davao flew in last week for the iBlog4 Summit and mentioned that they wanted to tour Manila. Being a Manilenya I just took it for granted that all the "Old Manila" places are just around. At one point in my career I was there almost everyday, so I really didn't notice much what was in Binondo and Intramuros.

So last Sunday off I went with my friends to Binondo where we walked from Savory through Quintin Paredes where the Binondo Church is located. After taking photos of the famous church we traversed Ongpin to the Estero where we had a sumptuous lunch of Chinese food. A quick walk around Binondo proved that there weren't any "Quickly" stalls in the area so we turned back towards Quintin Paredes when we reached Reina Regente.

We then proceeded to Intramuros for a quick look of the place and settled at the San Agustin Church where we witnessed 3 weddings in less than 3 hours. I must admit there were a lot of makatindig-balahibo places at the museum and a photo just mysteriously showed up in my camera when I was downloading photos (creeepyyy!!!). There were a lot of beautiful relics though made of ivory and gold. I cannot imagine how the olden priests wore those gold-laden robes, mabigat na, mainit pa! Security was quite strict about photography in those places.

After Intramuros we rushed to the Mall of Asia to catch the 5:00 p.m. Manila Bay Cruise. Yes! Seriously! A cruise on Manila Bay. The Metrostar Ferry claim that the cruise is, "Scenic. Romantic. Relaxing." After the long day walking around Binondo and Intramuros I must say that the three adjectives describe the cruise appropriately. Too bad though, there was only a semi-sunset. Boohoo.

Here's my vlog about the J.S. Manila Tour -

Some tips if you want to do the tour:

Binondo: Go on a Sunday, most establishments would be closed, but it's easy to park. Park at Savory and just take a walk down Quintin Paredes and then turn right at Ongpin (by the Binondo Church). You can also buy gold jewelry at the many shops in the area. We spent around PhP200 each for food.

Intramuros: We parked beside Casa Manila and just crossed the street to the San Agustin Church and Museum. The museum fee is PhP100, students get a discount.

Manila Bay Cruise: The Metrostar Ferry terminal is located behind the SMX at the Mall of Asia (beside the church). The Manila Bay Cruise cost only PhP120. Schedules: 11:15 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. If you go on the 5:00 p.m. trip on a Friday or Saturday the ship docks near the fireworks barge. Tel. No. 632-4078826/26 or 0928-6774221.

On a Hot Day

2008-04-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mall of Asia is indeed a really, really HUGE mall. It'll take you more than a day to go through it (give it a couple of days). Have you been to the San Miguel Baywalk at the back of the mall?

You can just walk and walk and walk...

And when you're tired from walking you can always go to an ice cream parlor...

And eat yummy ice cream.

And just hang-out.

The Wonder of Wanders

2008-04-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

I still don't know what to say exactly about the show... I am...

Awed
Elated
Mystified
In shock
Stressed out
Freaked out

Well, here's preview of the show. You won't find any viewer videos because the venue was very strict about bringing in cameras. Anyway, you would really have to watch it live to appreciate the show -

Anyway, Wanders has been showing the past few months here in Manila at the Pagcor Theater in Paranaque City and I had the privilege of watching it last night with Sweetie and his parents (super duper thanks Tito and Tita for inviting me!). I was in the brink of exhaustion when Sweetie fetched me at work yesterday and I was scared that I might fall asleep during the show so I tried to conserve as much energy on the way to the theater.

I've never been to Pagcor (to think it's just a few minutes away from where I live) so I was quite excited about finally setting my foot in the place. I didn't know that they had a theater and was surprised that it was fairly big, had good equipment and is well-maintained. The ushers were also dressed up in suits and managed to hustle and bustle people about. Entering the theater though was quite an unruly experience. It was a bit embarrassing to see yourself on the video screen as you enter the hall. Anyway, Sweetie and I settled in our seats comfortably and managed to chat a bit with his parents before the show started. I think though they should have closed the doors before the show started since it was quite noisy because they were still letting people in.

The show actually started from the back. The stage wasn't just the stage, but the whole theater was the stage. It was definitely a visual feast with performers coming out from different places - the back, little nooks on the wall and even from the ceiling! It was actually better to be seated from the back because you'd manage to see everything.

I don't actually know how to describe what I saw. Visually, I didn't actually know where to focus anymore since there were many things to see (and I mean that in a positive way). The first "act" mainly showcased the whole cast - acrobats, Russian dancers, the singers, contortionists, fire-breathing dragons, dancing snakes... oh I'm just kidding about the last two. I cannot remember the chronology of events, and the myriad of colors, dancers, sounds is now all just a blur to me, but I do remember feeling awed, elated, mystified, shocked, stressed and freaked out all at the same time... and awake.

Here are some key things I remember:

1. The contortionists - they did not seem to have any bones at all. I personally cannot bend over without hurting my back. You'd see some of the stuff they did in the video above. However they did it looked totally effortless to me.

2. The drummers - it looks like it was the Manouevers who performed this segment. They were very funny and very Filipino. The drum beats sounded a lot like the ABS-CBN summer spiel. I wonder if it is the same or copied?

3. The white-clothed trapeze/dancers/acrobats - I don't know what to call them, but there were two sets of these performers. It's quite hard to describe what they did, but one managed to bend forward ala Michael Jackson without falling off. The other "couple" did a stint similar to the performance I watched at Prince of Jaipur last week, but it was more scary and dangerous. Sorry but I just can't seem to find the right words to describe it.

4. The acrobats - I think it's safe to assume that most (if not all) of the acrobats were from China. They actually got me stressed out because they were doing things that could possibly break their necks. Imagine swinging on polls and then flying through the air to another poll. They looked like Spiderman swinging from one building to another. I also cannot imagine how they managed to go through rings like what dolphins do.

5. The singers and dancers - aside from the singing an dancing I got dazzled with the costumes. The set design was also awesome. I would mention the "Tarzan" act too, but I watched something like it in Hongkong Disneyland and I think "Tarzan's" act was better, but no less dangerous. The "Wanders Tarzan" though could go to the top of a rope in just a few seconds (I'm sure he'd beat coconut climbers with no sweat).

I don't think I have done any justice to the performance given by the Wanders cast. The show was just ultimately awesome and cannot be described. No video or write up about it would do justice... JUST WATCH!

Davao F.A.T.: 3-Days of Non-Stop Eating!

2008-03-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

These 4 vlogs chronicle the grand time I had in Davao -

Read more about Davao F.A.T. Day 1: Heavenly Food at Lachi's.

Read more about Davao F.A.T. Day 2: Homestyle to Sowsi Gastronomic Delights.

Read more about Davao F.A.T. Day 3: Eden Nature Park.

Read more about Davao F.A.T. Day 3: Just When You Thought it was Over.

Special thanks to: DavaoFoodTrip.org, MyDavaoCity, AngDabawenyo and TheUsualSuspects.

Photos & Videos by: Aileen, Jay and Andrew

My New Lakbayan Rating

2008-03-01T02:10:00.000-08:00

The last time I took Eugene's Lakbayan rating exam was around June last year and after all the places I've been to the past three quarters I thought of taking the test again and here's my new rating:

My Lakbayan grade is B-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Wow! I now get a B-! I hope I get to see more of my country this year!

Relaxing in the Philippines

2008-02-24T04:53:00.000-08:00

Whenever I'm stressed (or when I simply have time) I indulge myself by getting a massage or going to the spa. I'm happy to share that I've managed to squeeze in some "me" time whenever I travel and these are the places I go to outside of the metro.

1. Cebu - Body & Soul. I usually go with my best friend for a full body massage. There are quite a number of branches scattered all over Cebu City.

2. Davao - I unfortunately forgot the name of the spa, but it's beside Basti's (coffee shop). They give the best foot spa!

3. Kalibo - Sampaguita Gardens Resort offers a huge discount for its to its guests. I enjoyed my body scrub a lot since I was the only one being serviced late in the evening. Whoever fixed the interiors of the spa really took pains in fixing it up and the atmosphere contributed a lot to getting me to relax.

4. Cagayan de Oro - Ban Sabai. It was my first time to have a Thai massage and I was quite surprised that the foot massage included having your legs high up in the air. I couldn't help but giggle and started feeling ticklish. My friends wanted to bonk me in the head since I woke them up.

Cagayan de Oro, the City of Golden Friendship

2008-02-17T04:58:00.000-08:00

I had a grand time in Cagayan de Oro last month most especially since my good friend Honey brought me around after work. I probably gained a couple of pounds after a weekend in CDO, the city of Golden Friendship.

Here's what I enjoyed:

(1) Going to the Del Monte pineapple plantation in Bukidnon.

Read more at my Pineapples! Pineapples! and more Pineapples!

(2) Park Cafe - winded down with a drink at CDO's main street after having a foot massage.

(3) Ban Sabai - relaxing foot massage.

(4) OIC - Only in Cagayan for coffee and a meet-up with IT practitioners.

(5) Panagatan - ahhh this is where I probaby gained 3 pounds in one sitting

(6) Candy - and this is where I gained 2 pounds just by eating dessert and pizza.

(7) Divisoria - every Friday the main street is closed for a street market and barbecue-ing.

Tacloban: Hotel Alejandro

2008-02-02T04:51:00.000-08:00

I think Hotel Alejandro is the oldest hotel I've stayed in. Constructed from 1831 to 1832, the founders were Mr. and Mrs. Alejandro Montejo and the hotel showcases about 450 photos from the war and pays tribute as well to Gen. Douglas Macarthur (I even saw a letter his wife made for him). Now before you go thinking "ghosts!" I want to share that the place does have a historic feel in it. The lobby which houses a gallery of old photos was indeed charming and I'm sure it would pique the interests of history buffs.

We arrived at the hotel at around 10 in the evening but were welcomed by the service crew of Cafe Theresa for some drinks and fruits. The place was already decorated for Valentine's. The longganisa-sinangag-itlog breakfast would rival Vigan's and Lucban's longganisa. Charming place to hang out in.

Too bad we only stayed there for a night. I would've loved to go around and explore Tacloban a bit. I even missed seeing the San Juanico Bridge!!!

Hotel Alejandro
P. Paterno Street
Tacloban City
+6353-321-7033/321-7509 to 10

Ormoc

2008-02-02T04:24:00.000-08:00

Ormoc is a town 2-hours away from the Tacloban airport in the Visayas region. The trip from the airport to Ormoc was a dizzying experience since there was quite a long stretch of zigzag roads. Good thing I was asleep most of the way. I was quite surprised to see that Villa Ormoc Hotel was just a stone's throw away from the sea and the pier and it was quite endearing.

The first time I heard about Ormoc was for Richard Gomez' and Lucy Torres' wedding and the flooding tragedy. I have to admit that's all I know about the town. I did enjoy my short stay though at the Villa Ormoc Hotel and thought of sharing some photos:

Leyte: I Shall Return

2008-02-02T03:31:00.000-08:00

I was on a high when I got to Tacloban because it was my first time in the province! I completely forgot about the Leyte Landing Memorial and only remembered when the driver mentioned it. Good thing he volunteered to drive us there before proceeding to Ormoc and here are some photos:

That's me with 2 beauty queens Mutya ng Pilipinas Zara Aldana (also
formerly a PBB housemate) and Little Miss Philippines Lerma

I really thought that the monuments were by the seashore... apparently not. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's feet were also stamped on a concrete block.

Here's Leyte's interesting version of the padyak -

Yummy pasalubong: corioso and the famous Tacloban buko cassava. Too bad I wasn't able to get any of the Hopia de Pili.

I shall return!

How to get to Leyte: Take Cebu Pacific Air or Philippines Airlines - approximately PhP4,500 roundtrip

How to Get Around - there are taxi's, jeepney's at the airport and you can also try riding the padyak or tricycles

Where to Stay: Hotel Alejandro for less than US$20 per night

Lakwatsera Goes to Boracay

2008-01-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

At Sur Boracay Resort. Photo by Sweetie

So, let's talk about Boracay, the place where everybody seems to obsessed about going to. I must have been the last one to go to Boracay among my friends and the excuse I got to go? Work. Back in 2005, my advertising agency dragged me to Boracay to oversee a photo-shoot (oversee and be part of it pffftt). The shoot had to cover the Boracay lifestyle since we were preparing materials for a property development so we just had to go island-hopping, experience the nightlife, the food, shopping and how to relax in Boracay (spa). The only thing I missed out doing on that trip was swimming on the beach (yeah yeah it's truly hard to be a girl) and I wasn't able to do that as well when I brought Miguel in another trip.

And so I planned on a weekend getaway as a surprise Christmas gift. I booked tickets last October and thought that I could just go and backpack. Good thing a good friend got Sur to host my stay and I'd say I love staying at Sur, most especially since it's located at the quiet side of Boracay (Station 1). Check out the place in my Sur video.

Lakwatsera in Boracay

This is the only time that I've been to Boracay for a vacation. Probably 95% of my posts here at Lakwatsera Ako are by-products of business trips. I don't really get to go around nor relax since I'm always tied up by an engagement or appointment. I must say I was honestly, overly happy that I finally had a small window for a short vacation.

So, what did I do in Boracay? I ate, I swam, walked and walked, shopped and slept (and let's not forget watching the PBB big night).

I Ate - I have bits and pieces of the places we tried out in Boracay. We stuck to a budget of PhP200-250 per meal and read restaurant recommendations searched on Google. Check out some posts I've done about a couple of Boracay restos here at Lakwatsera Ako.

I Swam - I finally got to swim in Boracay! I don't really stay in the water coz I like sun-bathing better, but I'd say that I enjoyed the cool clear water. I like seeing my feet when swimming, so Boracay's white powdery (or should I say sugar-like?) sand is just perfect. I just couldn't understand why the fish kept biting my feet!

Walked and Walked - we explored where Station 1 led to and we ended up at Diniwid Beach. Since the trek was quite far we ended up swimming and having snacks before walking back to Station 1.

At Diniwid Beach.

Shopping - I've managed to curb my "travel shopping spree addiction" when I went overweight on one trip and I realized that it takes me a long time before I actually use the stuff I buy, but it was a joy looking for pasalubong for Sweetie's family and friends.

Sleeping - well, isn't that what one normally does when on vacation? Sur more than fulfilled my "bed" expectations. I would've made nenok the pillows LOL, I wonder where they bought it.

The Boracay Budget

Airfare - approx. PhP4,500 (Cebu Pacific will soon have flights to Caticlan)
Accommodations - approx. PhP7k per night (they gave us the family room which had 2 rooms that can accommodate 5 people)
Land Transpo (tricycle) - PhP200/day
Ferry (Caticlan-Boracay-Caticlan) - approx. PhP200 (roundtrip)
Meals - approx. PhP250/meal
Pasalubong - PhP500 - 1,000 (depends on the amount of stuff you want to buy)

How to get to Boracay (from Kalibo Airport)

1. Ride the orange tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to the van station for Caticlan near La Esperanza Hotel). Cost: PhP80.
2. Ride the van to Caticlan. The trip would take about 90 minutes. Cost: PhP100/person.
3. At the port pay the following: environmental fee (PhP50), terminal fee (PhP50), ferry (PhP19.50).
4. Just take the tricycle to your resort/hotel upon arrival at the Boracay port. Cost: PhP80 - 100.

Precious Moments in Kalibo

2008-01-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

I've been to Kalibo several times, most of the time as a passageway to Boracay and once for work. I never did have time to look around since I was usually rushing about. A few weeks ago I actually stayed a night at Kalibo, still for work, but it was such a pleasant surprise to find out that I was going to stay at Sampaguita Gardens Resort. Sampaguita Gardens Resort was built by Sam Butcher, the founder of Precious Moments, so you can imagine my delight when I saw Jojo's Christmas Cottage.

I was grumbling on the flight from Manila to Kalibo since the jampacked Domestic Airport made me grumpy, but when I realized I was going to stay at an interesting place I couldn't help but ask questions from the resort's driver who picked me up at the airport. It was drizzling when I arrived but this did not stop me from exploring the place. The resort has a lot of stuff to see and there are educational tour packages (costs between PhP56 to 246 with food) and you can go swimming as well for a small fee.

Here's what I saw:

convention center - that's where I did my talk

a 43-foot aquarium - quite a number of fish, I don't know though what kind

Oriental Flavors - fine dining restaurant (will blog about what I ate there soon)

the SJB Mansion - the presidential suite overlooks the ocean and the mansion is filled up with furniture and houseware from all over the world (including a 300-year old bed)

The Spa - I had a body scrub treatment in the evening and it was truly relaxing, most especially since I had the place to myself.

Jojo's Christmas Cottage - I spent quite a lot of time there chatting with the employees and asking about the dolls. I ended up buying 2 sets. I'll blog about that soon.

Precious Moments Meditation Chapel - the chapel from the outside looked gorgeous, it was unfortunately closed.

Sammy's Circus Rides - I tell you, seeing the ferris wheel and boat made me feel like a kid again.

I unfortunately missed going to the Precious Moments Gallery since my time was limited and I had to catch a plane. Well, check out the photos below.

If you find yourself on your way to Boracay or Iloilo I strongly suggest spending a night at Sampaguita Gardens Resort or set your meetings/seminars/conventions, their packages are quite affordable. Room rates range from PhP1,000 to PhP3,000. You may call them for reservations at +(6336) 264-6556 or 264-3422.

Boracay: Inasal

2008-01-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

Whenever I travel to the Visayas and Mindanao region I never fail to eat chicken inasal. I think it's the region's specialty and you'd find a restaurant serving inasal anywhere. Boracay's no different, there's Island Chicken Inasal -

Pa-a (Chicken Leg/Drumstick)

and Mang Inasal and a lot of other restaurants that serve inasal. There are quite a number of Mang Inasal branches nationwide. I discovered it last year when I was in Capiz and I was pleasantly surprised when they opened a branch in SM near where I live - unfortunately they don't serve their atsara in Manila. I tried out their pork sisig (yummy!) and Sweetie ordered the bangus.

Pork Sisig

Bangus

Island Chicken Inasal is located at D'Mall near the ferris wheel. Mang Inasal is located at D'Talipapa (I don't recall if they have a branch at D'Mall, I think they do).

Boracay: Bite Club Grilled Burgers

2008-01-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Much as one tries to enjoy eating vacation food (read as: not fastfood), eventually you'd end up craving for some fast, easy, and greasy food. I remember scouring the internet for places to try out in Boracay, but some were quite far to trek so we ended up taking the chicken way out and went to D'Mall. We noticed that Bite Club Grilled Burgers was always filled with people and noted that if it wasn't filled-up we'd try it out. We got our chance when we had a late dinner the second night.

Here's the menu:

The way it works is: (1) choose a patty (the 1/4 lb. was really filling), then (2) choose your topping.

I chose the club burger and the blue cream cheese topping.

Sweetie chose the burgerella (1/4 lb. pattie, mozzarella stuffed) with hickory smoked bbq sauce.

And, of course, some potato wedges on the side.

I was a bit scared to take my first bite since I'm used to the regular fastfood burgers, but I was very ecstatic after my first bite because the burger tasted a lot like Dayrit's burgers and I looooove Dayrit's. I'd longed for Dayrit's to re-open at Magallanes after they tore down the place. Good thing they're back, but it would be better if they were located near where I live, I'd probably eat there everyday.

Bite Club Grilled Burgers is located at D'Mall in Boracay, near the now-functioning ferris wheel.

More about my Boracay trip at An Apple a Day.