PauTravels

US Grand Tour 2010: Sea World San Diego

2012-01-31T13:46:00.000+08:00

With the rains falling heavily from our first day in Disneyland and the next 2 days, we have postponed our supposed consecutive trips back for Disneyland for after the new year. Instead we were left stay mostly at home and hoping for the weather to go better. And even with 2 days lost in our hectic 2010 grand tour, we had to proceed with our itinerary. This is our trip to San Diego for the Christmas feast and to check out San Diego attractions.

So the day before Christmas eve, we departed the Los Angeles area to drive south to my aunt's place in San Diego. The drive south takes about 2 hours long but we took more time as we were caught in a heavy traffic jam which I think cost us about an hour longer. The traffic jam basically started from Carlsbad exit where a lot of cars are headed to the outlet center there.

And so upon arrival at may aunt's place, we just dropped our belongings and headed for SeaWorld San Diego. My two cousins AC and Alyk are joining us.

SeaWorld has a variety of rides for kids and young adults that are mostly waterbased for fun and thrills. Also, there are different marine animal shows around the park for everyone to enjoy. And since we got kids with us, my sister and cousins Angel, AC, and Alyk opted to separate from us so they can enjoy the thrilling rides around the park while we go to kiddie rides for the kids.

And so we first took their brochures to check out the times of the shows around the park. The we walked around to try out some of the kiddie rides. And well nearest to the entrance of the park is Sesame Street's Bay of Play area. So we took pictures around it and we queued up for one of its rides, the Elmo flying ride. There were quite a number of kids queueing that day that it took us quite some time to have our turn.

Then we headed for one of the shows in the Dolphin Stadium. The stadium was huge and the seats rose up so high and yet it was filled up that we already sat on the stairs along the aisles. The show basically starred a number of dolphins doing all their tricks and jumps to wow the crowd. Also they had acrobatic stunts performed by flying trapeze and trainers. It was a facinating show and Janine liked it.

Then we took our lunch in Mama Stella's Pizza Kitchen. But man, the queue was very long. It seems like there were not that many food shops inside the park and with too many visitors, the queues were crazy. It took us about an hour to actually get our order of pizzas and pasta. We ordered a cheese pizzas for the kids. It was quite a late lunch though.

After lunch we proceeded with going around the park. We met up with my cousins near the Cirque Stadium. And while there, we left the kids to them for us to try Shipwreck Rapids. This basically reminds me of the Rio Grande ride of Enchanted Kingdom. We basically ride this big round boat that run through a rapids with splashes of water and waterfalls along the path. Also at one point, there were waterguns along the path where people can shoot you with water. Well my cousins did that.

And lastly, we went to watch the main attraction of the night at the Shamu Stadium. Shamu is an orca or a false killer whale and the star of SeaWorld. They had a Christmas special show where they had a small choir that sang and a guy on a saxophone that serenaded the guests. And of course it featured Shamu performing along with two other orcas and doing some stunts and splashes of water. It was a beautiful presentation, but it was not as beautiful as the first time I've seen the show 3 years back. Maybe that 2010 presentation is just not as good.

Grand US Tour 2010: Rainy Christmas Time in Disneyland

2012-01-27T16:35:00.003+08:00

In continuation of our theme park tours in the Los Angeles area for our 2010 US Trip, we took our opportunity of going to Disneyland in Anaheim. We got tickets for 3 days of visiting Disneyland or California Adventure within 14 days the we used our first CityPass ticket in Universal Studios.

But then since we went to Knott's Berry Farm, the weather has gone worse. The rains were more frequent than when we were in Knott's Berry. And since we only have limited time to spare in the next days as Christmas is very near, we decided to go and try our luck.

We drove to the park with 2 cars as there were 8 of us that day. My dad drove for us to Disney while we drive the second car with them. Unfortunately when we arrived at Disney, the rain still poured.

With the rain we tried to find shelter and see what we can do. We stayed mostly in the Main Street section of the park that day. Fortunately, we saw that some of the mascots were also taking shelter at the Opera House located just behind the Main Street train station. We also both an autograph book to have the characters sign up after we take photos with them. This was the same thing we did in Hong Kong Disneyland.

And so for about an hour or two, we queued up with the different Disney characters for some photo time. I think most of the characters came out there since there is no dry place outside. So we had photos with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Chip and Dale, Snow White, and with the Mad Hatter and White Rabbit. We got photos with them and had them sign up in Janine's signature book.

While also waiting for the rain to stop we took the time to watch one of the shows in the theater that day. It was not interesting actually that I forgot what it was all about eheheh...

Around lunch time, the rain mellowed a bit and so we had the chance to go to one food area to take our lunch. But the rain still continued. And by the time we arrived at the Tomorrow Land Terrace food area, it was packed with people trying to grab some lunch. And with the rain, only a few tables were available under its limited roof. When we got our table, we just made sure the 3 kids have seats and the rest of us just stood.

While we were having lunch, some characters went out and they were two white drones accompanying a very familiar villain. Darth Vader. After their short show, they had some autograph session.

After a few minutes, the rain started to fall once more and with more force this time that it's blew some food on other tables. It was very cold and wet that we decided to cut that Disney tour or the kids might get sick. So my brother and I queued up the Town Hall in Main Street to ask for reimbursement or something. And since we already knew that there is rain before going to the park, Disney simply gave us return tickets from 4pm onwards.

Going home, we only had our 7-seater car in the car park with 8 of us. Instead of calling my dad who is at work to pick us up, we asked Angel to lie down on the floor on our way home and keep her head down all the way. We don't want to be caught in the freeway because of overcrowding hehehe..

In our original plan, we should be going back to Disneyland for 3 consecutive days, but due to the weather disturbance we decided to return after new year. Hopefully the weather will be better. Also this week, there is storms all over California and blizzards over New York and Europe.

Grand US Tour 2010: Visiting Charlie Brown

2012-01-12T14:42:00.000+08:00

The day after our trip to Universal Studios, we once more headed for another theme park and this time in the city of Buena Park in Orange County south of Los Angeles. This is to the home of our beloved Charlie Brown and Snoopy of Peanuts in Knott's Berry Farm. I had never been to this park before and so I made sure that it is part of our 2010 tour itinerary. And fortunately, my aunt had free passes for 4 of us for that day.

And so aside from my own family, my mom and sister joined us, as well as Angel and her mom, and my aunt's whole family. We went there with two cars. But then even before we headed to the park that morning, we were already having second thoughts if we should proceed or not. Because like the rainy day ahead, it was also a bit wet that morning.

But since my aunt drove all the way through from San Diego for this and the rain stopped a bit that morning though still wet, we decided to head for it.

The park is huge and it is not easy to find as it is visible from the nearest interstate highway. And with it's classic style roller coaster where the tracks run on wooden planks that surround the park, it is very eye-catching. I remember the first time I saw this park was in 2004 when my parents' brought me to Disneyland and we took a public bus which passed through the park. Disneyland is not too far away from Knott's Berry. And this time we drove to the park.

Knott's Berry has a lot of thrilling rides like roller coasters. Well they had 9 roller coasters in the park. But since the place is mostly wet, we mainly skipped these rides. Though I feel like I wanted to ride some of them, the occasional drizzle discouraged us. But this did not stop my 2 cousins and their dad to try the Silver Bullet. Silver Bullet is the park's suspended coaster which is not like regular coasters that run on rails. For this one, the seats are attached on an overhead rail and your feet dangles freely throught the twists and turns of the ride.

Like other theme parks, Knott's Berry is also divided into different sections. They had this section that looked like the wild west, there is this mountain that depicts a miners' mountain, and they have a steam train running through the center of the park.

They've got very thrilling rides like the Screamin' Swing where a swing swings 360 degrees, Rip Tide where guests sit on a platform that is being swirled 360 degrees while being raised and dropped by a lever, La Revolucion which is like a swing and ferris wheel combined. And among their rides, four were very similar to the rides present in the Enchanted Kingdom in the Philippines. These are the Dragon Swing, Boomerang, Bigfoot Rapids and Timber Mountain Log Ride which are the same as the Anchors Away, Spaceshuttle, Rio Grande Rapids, and Log Jam rides in Enchanted Kingdom.

Well we didn't ride most of them but we took the opportunity to watch the Christmas show in the Snoopy Theatre. The show presented Snoopy and Charlie Brown with the gang in a ice skating show. It was a beautiful show.

And due to the rain, we really have not gone to much of the rides in the park but instead took the time walking around the park while hiding from the rain and take some good pictures. May one day we'll come back here and I hope the weather is a lot better.

Grand US Tour 2010: Rainy Visit to Universal Studios

2011-12-21T14:50:00.001+08:00

As we go through the second week of our month-long US trip, we now go ahead into visiting California's theme parks. We purchased the Southern California CityPASS that includes a 3-day park hopper to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, general admission tickets to Universal Studios and SeaWorld San Diego, and an optional admission to either the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The CityPASS is valid for 14 days from the first use. It was a big discount compared to purchasing each ticket so we took it.

And the first park that we visited was the Universal Studios Hollywood located just northwest of the Hollywood Sign. On that day, my sister Nina joined us for the day.

Unfortunately for us, it was a rainy when we decided to go to Universal. The rains only started the night before. But even with the rain, we still pursued on our visit since we only have limited time with a lot of places to go. Anyways there were only drizzles every now and then.

And so we brought our jackets for the theme park and blanket for Janine as it is already cold and the wet weather makes it colder. We used my parent's Toyota Sienna to drive to Universal and parked it there. It was a very wet day with a few drizzle every now and then so we bought janine a raincoat so she doesn't get too wet.

Universal's Christmas theme that time was the Grinchmas and so they had this big picture of the Grinch at the main entrance. Well of course after purchasing our CityPASS, we took our opportunity of taking photos with one of the most recognizable structure of the park with is the Universal Globe. And upon entry to the park we are greeted by the statue of a film crew with its director in green Christmas hat.

Due to the wet condition and some rain, we opted to visit the indoor attractions first. We headed for the Shrek 4D attraction. I didn't have much photos as no photos are allowed inside specially during the 4D show. But before the 4D show people are first led into the staging area where we are greeted by 4 speakers shaped as the Three Little Pigs in cages and Pinocchio caged upside down. A TV screen also show some preparatory show that featured Gingy the gingerbread man. After about 5 minutes at the holding area we entered the main theatre and wore our 3D glasses. Janine enjoyed the whole show specially when Donkey sneezes and she got wet due to sprinkles of water.

After that we also queueed up at the Terminator 2: 3D show but unfortunately I forgot what the 3D show was about. It was raining still when we exited the Terminator show so we again looked for another indoor show. So we headed for The Simpson's Ride. The ride is easy to find as it the entrance is a big clown face with the big name Krustyland on top.

And so the ride was fun. It is a virtual coaster where we rode this roller coater car located in a room. When the ride started, the coaster is raised up to a blue screen with projected image that mimicked a circus. The coaster moved as the visuals did making you feel like you are really on a crazy roller coaster ride. I know it was a crazy ride because I had to hold tight on the bars all throughout the ride. hehehe.. I'm not very fond of roller coasters. I was not prepared for that one. :)

As we went out of the ride, it was very fortunate for us that all the Simpson's mascots were out for photo shoots. We had photos with Bart, Lisa, Homer and Marge.

Next, we headed for the lower section of the park where we had to use the long escalators down the hill. Nina, Angel and Jen all went for the Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride and the Jurassic Park: The Ride. For both rides, I skipped since Janine will not be able to enter for both rides. Anyways, I was able to ride the Mummy ride twice before already and once for the Jurassic Park ride. The rain has stopped by this time.

While waiting for them, I noticed that the Sound Studio that used to be located at that area was already closed. I just remembered that a fire a few years back damaged the sound studios including the Backdraft attraction and the King Kong attraction. Anyways while waiting, I saw the Mystery Machine and had the chance to have photos with Scooby Doo and the gang.

After their ride, we once more headed to the upper lot to catch the Studio Tour. But before queueing we got the chance to have a photo with Spongebob, Curious George, and the infamous Jaws statue. Also, we stopped for photo at the Hollywood Sign board.

The Studio Tour basically led the visitors around the different studios and sets that are being used for different films whether for a city backdrop, a wild west backdrop, a Mexican or European backdrop. Some of the noteable attractions featured the different cars used in the Fast and Furious films, the Jurassic Park vehicles, Jaws, the War of the Worlds set that featured a crash site of a jumbo jet, Desperate Housewives' set in Wisteria Lane, and the Psycho House. Also they had the King Kong attraction during the ride where the car is led to a huge movie room and they showed some scenes in the latest King Kong movie where the actress was being chased 2 tyrannosaurus rexes. Honestly, I prefer the old King Kong attraction that was burned down.

After the 30-minute studio tour, we next jumped into the new Special Effects Stage. This basically replaced the former Special Effects Stage that got burned down as well. It basically is a single stage where they showed different special effects done in film like how sound is added, illusions, and other 3D effects. Again, it's quite a different approach compared to the one burned.

After the show, basically the rain has done throughout the night that the different mascots are all around. So we took photos with Woody Woodpecker, Fievel from the An American Tail, and the lion and penguin from the Madagascar movie.

It was a long stay in Universal but our last attraction to see was the Waterworld water show which featured different stunts, jetski stunts, and some water and fire explosions as they depict a portion of the movie Waterworld. And they did feature actors that actually had appeared in some Universal tv shows. It's definitely a must see action-packed attraction everytime I visit the park.

Grand US Tour 2010: Los Angeles Area

2011-12-16T14:38:00.000+08:00

At the end of our first week in our grand US tour of 2010 where we visited the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, we decided to spend some time going around Los Angeles which is just about 30 minutes drive north.

Angel, Jen, Janine and myself took this road trip around the tourist destinations in Los Angeles. We targetted on driving to Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica that day. And our first stop is a destination not known by most people except for those who watched the TV series of Charmed which is about 3 sister witches. Well the series was depicted to happen in San Francisco but their manor house is located in Los Angeles in 1329 Caroll Avenue. It is near the Echo Park and the historic Filipinotown area. I didn't know there was even a historic Filipinotown before.

Anyways, we did this short stop and took some photos of it. And since Angel and I were fans of the show, it was a great though we tried to take photos discreetly because people actually live in those houses. We don't want to disturb any of the residents.

Next we drove to one of the most noteable landmarks of Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign. Well we didn't exactly go to the sign site itself as I don't think there is a public path going there. So, instead we drove near the sign where in the past I've been going. We headed to near the Lake Hollywood Park in Canyon Lake Drive near Mullholland Highway on the same mountain as the Hollywood sign stands. I discovered this view spot from my ex-colleagues in WeServ. And like before heading up that hill we get to see the big sign and there was that part of the road where you'd almost think where at it's foot. One thing different on the viewpoint than my last visit was that there were more people now who found the spot and even a tour group was there that day.

After a few minutes of photo opp with the Hollywood sign, we drove to another spot on the same mountain, the Griffith Observatory. I haven't been to this place before and so I wanted to have that opportunity to go up there. So from the Hollywood sign, we drove downhill again to Franklin Avenue and find our way up the observatory. We didn't bother going inside the actual observatory but simply walked around the area and see the view of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills area. It had a great view of the city.

It was almost lunch time when we decided to head downhill straight to the famous Hollywood Blvd. One hard thing to find in Hollywood Blvd is a parking space. It was not easy to find a side street parking specially after seeing one traffic officer fining a car. We drove around for quite some time to look for a place until we found the same parking building we used the last time I've been to the place in 2007. It is at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and N Orange Drive which is next to Madame Tussauds.

We walked along the Walk of Fame on the boulevard and took some shots of the stars on the sidewalk. We also stopped for a photo with a Mickey Mouse figure. Since we were hungry by that time we looked for a place to eat and we found a McDonald's restaurant across the Wax Museum.

After lunch, I led everyone into the Kodak Theatre area for some photos and in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. During that day, aside from the common pack of tourists taking photos of the names with signature and foot and hand prints of stars, there was something filming on the spot as well. The film crew do not allow tourists to take photos but I was able to snap some shots. They were filming the Muppets Movie. Back then I thought it was for a TV show but now I realized it was for the movie. The scene showed two cabs on collision with one of the old muppets showing in the middle.

Next we drove further west to Beverly Hills to check out Rodeo Drive. I parked our car in one of the car parks along Santa Monica Blvd and we simply walked through Rodeo Drive famous for its posh and luxury shops. Well aside from the fashionable shops there, one thing caught our eyes that is parked along the road. It is this yellow topdown Rolls Royce car with plate number BP111. It is parked in front of the exclusive boutique of Bijan Designers for Men owned by Bijan Pakzad who owns the car as well. We then proceeded on walking around this shopping area taking some photos.

Just before we leave the area, we crossed the Santa Monica Boulevard to also take some photos of the big signage of Beverly Hills. Too bad the sun started to set by that time so we decided to go ahead home. We were all tired from all our walking and the long day that we opted not to head to Santa Monica Pier anymore and just planned it for another day.

Oh while we were around Los Angeles, we also took our opportunity to visit California's main theme parks specially Disneyland, California Adventure, Universal Studios, and Knott's Berry Farm. We also visited the nearby Long Beach Aquarium.

Grand US Tour 2010: Long Beach Aquarium

2011-12-02T17:12:00.000+08:00

In continuation to our grand tour of the West Coat, the week after our trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon we decided to basically check out the places around Los Angeles. And one of those days, we decided to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach about 30 minutes drive south of my parents place in Gardena.

Originally, we planned to check out the Los Angeles Zoo but we changed our minds to simply stick to the aquarium. My cousin Angel decided not to tag along with us so it was just me and my family that pushed through the trip.

And so from Gardena with my sister's car and guided by GPS, we drove south through I-110 then I-45 and I-710 to reach Long Beach's aquarium. Upon arrival, the first thing I saw was the roundabout across the aquarium that featured dolphin figures. I parked the car at the carpark building beside the round-about.

It was pretty cold there when we got out of the car. A bit cooler than in Gardena which is not that far from Long Beach. I guess it's because of the cool breeze coming from the sea.

Admission costs $24.95 for adults and fortunately Janine still has not reached 3 years of age then so she was still free. We are really glad that most theme parks and attractions in the US only charge admission fees to kids 3 and up.

The Aquarium of the Pacific basically is divided by a number of exhibits that features different marine environments in the Pacific like the northern, southern and tropical regions of the Pacific plus other features like the Shark lagoon and Whales.

The building is composed of different aquariums (thus the name implies) featuring different marin species. They've got planktons, jellyfishes, clown fishes, seahorses, starfishes, sharks, seals, whales, rays, otters, and others more. On the balcony, they had this touch pools where kids can actually touch starfishes, and rays.

Behind the main building, they have this water play area where kids play on fish statues that can blow water when pushing a button. While we were in that area, we waited for a show to happen in the amphitheatre at the Shark lagoon. When we got into the show, I wondered why only a few guests sat in. Then I realized it was a story telling show where the host read the kids a book about sea animals. Well I got a bit bored and even Janine seemed not interested on the show.

And so we just proceded on looking on the other exhibits in the building. Inside at the main hall, the first thing one would actually see is this huge structure of a humpback whale hanging from the ceiling. I think it is life-sized and it looks facinating. Then when we are actually planning to exit the building, they had this show in the main hall where they projected on each wall a video about the whales. It was nice.

Overall, we only spent about 3 hours inside the aquarium and Janine liked seeing all the fishes and sea creatures inside. Outside, we took a few minutes to take photos along its boardwalk where from the other side of the wharf area we get to see a light house and from a far is the Queen Mary ship docked.

Before heading to our next itinerary which is to Hollywood Boulevard to buy some souvenirs and to the Cathedral of the Lady of the Angels at Temples Street, we took our lunch first at the nearby Chilis Restaurant for some ribs and fries.

Grand US Tour 2010: Up The Grand Canyon

2011-11-23T09:01:00.001+08:00

In continuation to our trip to Las Vegas in 2010, with our rented Dodge Caliber we drove eastward to the Grand Canyon. Like my previous trip to Vegas, the last time I visited Grand Canyon was in 2007 at the same time of that year. There was snow there the last time. And we hoped to see snow there this time around.

And just the last time, we took the same route that we did to the canyon. But unfortunately, we were no longer able to stop at the Hoover Dam. Three years back our GPS directed us to pass on top of the dam but this time, the freeway which back then was still being constructed is already built. Sad thing is, we passed above the dam without even seeing it as our view is obstructed by the freeway bridge.

Anyways, the drive from Vegas to Grand Canyon is about four hours through deserts, crossing the Nevada-Arizona border. By the time we exited I, it was already dark. And the sad thing is our hotel is not listed in our GPS. We booked for an overnight stay at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn in Tusayan just outside the Grand Canyon National Park. Driving through the dark Highway 64 which runs through a mostly empty desert may be a bit scary so I would definitely recommend to drive there when the sun is still up specially for those unfamiliar to the place.

So we reached our hotel and settled up. It was very cold that night, but unlike last time there is no snow yet. Our hotel room is huge and good. The next morning breakfast was buffet. And unlike the rest of the hotel guests who came to the dining area all suit up with winter clothing, we came in our shirts and shorts. I had a big breakfast that morning of pancakes, potatoes, and egg. It was our brunch as we plan to just have a late lunch on our way back to LA in the afternoon.

After breakfast, we took some photos around the hotel specially at their indoor fountain which depicts a Navajo surrounding with a man on horse like in the wild west.

At about 10am we checked out and started our way into the park. Admission to the park costs $25 for a single private car. The admission ticket includes maps around the vast park. From the entrance of the park, it still took about 5 kilometers to actually get near the south rim of the canyons.

That day, there were some small construction being done in one site where they are improving walkways around the park. They've put up some detour signs to direct guests in the view point. And as usual, I am awed by the beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyons. Too bad, it didn't make it to the provisional top 7 list of New7Wonders of Nature of which the Underground River of Palawan made it.

I actually forgot the exact location where we went in 2007 because the view point that we got to now had railings to prevent tourists from falling the cliffs. There were none the last time when we were still able to walk near the ledge. And sadly there is no snow anywhere but the good thing is I was able to see its reddish color. It was still cold up there that we still had to wear our winter jackets.

We also dropped by the Visitor Center near the Yavapai Point where they had this enclosed viewpoint room with a miniature of the whole grand canyon in the center. The room had wide glass windows with maps to guide guests the notable points in the canyon. They've got telescopes for nearer viewing.

After stopping at two viewpoints plus one side road stop along the south rim of the canyons, we decided that we have seen enough of this beautiful time-created natural wonder. We decided we start heading back to Los Angeles. We made a quick stop at the McDonald's drive thru in Tusayan for our lunch. We bought burgers and ate them along the road.

We took a different route back to LA. We no longer planned to pass through Las Vegas to save some time. Our estimated travel time was about 7 hours only compared to 8 if we pass by Las Vegas. Also originally, I've wanted us to drive to Kingman to see the Route 66 Museum but due to limited time we just decided not to.

The drive back to LA was long. We made a stop at one of the rest stops near the Arizona - California border after about 3 hours of driving. We proceeded the long drive until night time come. And during this trip we had one of the most scary or remarkable experience in US driving. In the middle of the Mojave Desert through the dark intersate 40, I miscalculated our car's gas level. I had gas above the 1/4 level when we passed the last gas station and after more than 20 miles later our gas light blinked notifying me I only have enough for a few more miles. I got very worried that we might stop in the middle of the dark with my baby sleeping at the back.

But with sweat on my forehead, my cruising turned off, airconditioning turned off, and worried look on my face, we saw a light in the middle of the dark. Finally there was an exit with 3 gas stations. Trying to save gas in driving, I drove slowly to the 86 gas station to fill up and release my stress. Thank God! And we realized, that spot was part of Route 66. And this is just the first set of our Grand US Tour.

Grand US Tour 2010: Vegas!

2011-11-18T09:29:00.001+08:00

As part of our grand tour of the US back in 2010, the first part of our itinerary is none other than to visit the sin city of Las Vegas. We also have the Grand Canyon as part of this side trip but I will talk about it on another post. It was only me, my wife, my daughter, and my cousin Angel took this trip. Last time I was here was back in 2007.

Before heading to Vegas, we rented a car from an Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch near my parents place in Gardena which is within the Los Angeles area. We got a silver Dodge Caliber for this trip. Nice car! I also booked us for a room at the Imperial Palace Las Vegas.

And so, we left early morning for the four hour drive from Gardena to Las Vegas guided by the portable GPS that we borrowed from my dad's car. Angel served as my navigator as she sat beside me in front while Jen and Janine sat at the back seat.

The ride to Vegas was long as we pass through the cities of California and the desert of Nevada. On our way we even saw the snow-capped mountains near San Bernardino making us a bit excited that we might see snow in Grand Canyon, just like the last time I was there.

After the long drive, passing through the casino junction of the Nevada Landing I knew that we are near Las Vegas. And not long enough we saw the familiar building of the Mandalay and then soon enough we were turning right to Las Vegas Boulevard and then drives through the lobby of Imperial Palace which is right across the Ceasar's Palace.

We then checked-in and settled in a bit then we decided to start walking through the strip. From Imperial Palace we walked northward past the Harrah's and we first entered The Venetian. We entered it and walked around its strip mall that depics the architecture of Venice complete with a central canal where guests are paddled on gondalas. This is something that were not able to see when we were in Venetian Macau.

It was dark already by the time we got out of the Venetian so we decided to cross the boulevard to Treasure Island to try to catch the Pirate show in front of it but unfortunately it was not operational that evening. So we decided to walk back southward and caught the fire show at the Volcano at the Mirage.

Then we proceeded walking and entered the Forum Mall of the Ceasar's Palace to catch the moving statues show there. As the night gets later, we pushed walking southward to catch the fountain show in front of the Bellagio. As the last time I was here in Vegas, I can't stop loving the fountain show with the lit up Eiffle Tower of the Paris Hotel across. It was very late then that after watching 3 sets of the fountain show, we walked back to our hotel to call it a night. But Angel and Jen tried the Vegas gambling before going to bed.

The next morning, we once more decided to walk through the strip and this time southward to MGM Grand to see M&M's World. En route we once more passed by the Paris Hotel and again took the opportunity to take photos with its Eiffel Tower. At the M&M's World which is basically a four storey shop in the MGM Grand features none other than M&M's famous melt-in-your mounth chocolate candies. It also have a lot of M&M character stuff and a 3D show inside.

We also took photos with Red M&M with the Las Vegas sign. Too bad we didn't get the chance to have a photo with the real Las Vegas sign. And before leaving the M&M World, we grabbed to photo opportunity with Yellow M&M mascot outside.

We once more stretched our walk upto Mandalay Bay passing by the Luxor. But we didn't stay long this time as we had to rush back to Harrah's where we had to meet Jen's boss, Ginger from Dell Computers who happened to be in town as well.

In the evening, we have set ourselves to drive north of the boulevard to see the original Las Vegas casino strip at Fremont and see the Fremont Street Experience there. Of course the Golden Nugget and Fremont Casinoes are located there. But when we arrived there, we thought that the digital show will not happen but fortunately we stayed there a bit and caught the beautiful display in the rhytm of the American Pie song. It was a beautiful night.

The day after we checked out from our hotel and we got our breakfast at IHOP Restaurant located near the Stratosphere Casino to enjoy some pancake and waffles. Jen loves IHOP that's why we had to take one breakfast here. Then after breakfast, we drove straight to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets - North to shop for some stuff.

After then, we continued the next section of our itinerary which is to the Grand Canyon.

Grand US Tour 2010: West Coast

2011-11-18T09:18:00.001+08:00

Back in December of 2010, my wife and I took another opportunity of flying back to the United States after my last month-long visit in 2007. This time we bring for the first time our daughter Janine with my cousin Angel tagging along. We took a month-long vacation to the US and planned to have a grand reunion of our family as my brother who lives in Singapore also flew in at the same time.

We have planned this long vacation for more than 6 months ahead of time where we all bought our tickets as early as May. We booked a Philippine Airlines flight departing Manila on the 3rd of December and arriving at the same date in Los Angeles.

Our month-long takes us to visit Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon during our first week and a tour around Long Beach, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood the week after. On the 3rd week of our stay in the US, my brother and his family flew in for a 2 week overlap with our vacation. We all celebrated the Christmas holiday together in San Diego and we rented a van to have 5-day trip up north to San Francisco and Carson City to see snow for the first time.

During this month-long vacation, we were able to see the different attractions in California that includes Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, Sea World, Legoland, Long Beach Aquarium, and California Theme Park. Also, we dropped by the different outlet junctions in Las Vegas, Camarillo, San Diego, and Gilroy.

It was a very long trip and filled with good memories together with my family in US and this has become the best grand reunion that we had so far. Later on I'll write in detail each of our trip in separate blogs.

And as we finished this great trip, we made an agreement that in about 3 years time, we shall all once again try to fly back to the US for another reunion but that time we'll visit the west coast states of the US. Hope this will come true. :)

PauTravels Interview by National RV Parks

2011-11-09T09:12:00.000+08:00

Just the other day, Shane from National RV Parks website contacted me and requested for an interview about myself and my ideas about my passion for travel. I happily accepted and responded to some of her questions about food in the places I have visited, my blog's impact to my life, and more.

For my readers, you can checkout the full script of my interview through this link.

Santo Nino Festival in Manila

2011-02-07T13:26:00.000+08:00

January in the Philippines has been dedicated by the Vatican to be that special month to celebrate the feast of the most revered Catholic image of the Holy Child Jesus or most known locally as the Sto. Niño. All over the Philippines the feast of the Sto. Nino is celebrated almost every week of January wherein the most notable among these festivals are the Sinulog Festival of Cebu, Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo, and the Ati-Atihan Festival of Kalibo.

The great following to the image started from the arrival of the first image of the Sto. Niño brought by explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. This was first given as a gift to Queen Juana, the pagan queen of Cebu during that time, when they were baptized to the Catholic faith. But Magellan died later on and the Sto. Niño was left to become a pagan idol by the local tribes. It was only after 44 years when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived and revived the image as a Catholic symbol.

From then on, the patronage to the Sto. Niño spread throughout the archipelago and through the years the image has changed forms. And now there are hundreds of different forms of the image depending upon their followers. And today, the image maybe seen on altars of most Catholic homes, business establishments, and vehicles.

On the last Sunday of January, it is time for the annual procession of the Sto. Niño held along Manila Bay. My aunt's family regularly join this procession and this year, it was our first time to join them. And so we drove to Manila along Roxas Boulevard and parked at the Baywalk near the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Manila Yatch Club. At around 2pm we were there and there were already a lot of people starting to flock the area. At about 3pm they started to close the southbound traffic of the boulevard in preparation for the procession.

And along the boulevard people setup small tables by the sidewalk and line up their own images. Big and small, antiques to new images. There were groups that clothe their images with same colored dresses.

When the procession started, I climbed up on top of our van to have a good view of the parade. And in every group that joined the procession, one or more floats of the image pass by. Each float is adorned by flowers and each contains a group of Sto. Niño images. And each Sto. Niño is different from others. There is one for the Mariners, another for Policemen, a replica of the Sto. Niño de Prague, another is Chinese looking, and a horde of others more. The followers of each group also carry their own Sto. Niño images as they walk along with the procession.

Also each group is led by either a marching band or by a troupe of street dancers wearing colorful outfits of feathers and either wearing black inner outfit or painted their whole body with charcoal just like it was done traditionally. These street dancers mimic the tribes that idolized the Sto. Niño. These dancers are called the Ati-Atihan and they dance in the rythm of drums. Some of them carry the image as they dance and shake the Sto. Niño just like what is done during the Sinulog of Cebu.

As each group pass, the crowd along the boulevard shout 'Viva Sto. Niño!' to give as praise and they are responded by the organizers of each float by throwing candies to them. Candies have become traditionally part of these celebration as the image of the Sto. Niño symbolizes the simplicity and innocence of children. And so aside from throwing candies to the crowd, some people who joined walking the procession would hand candies to kids and even leave candies at the foot of Sto. Niño images lined along the street.

It was a very long procession. This year there were 178 group of floats that joined the parade and the whole procession took about 5 hours to finish. And the parade started at the corner of Gil Puyat street up to the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park which is about 3 kilometers long passing the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Rajah Sulayman Park, the American Embassy and the Rizal Monument.

And like every year, the last float contains the image of St. Joseph and then the image of Our Lady of Manaoag.

Euro Trip 2010: Short Trip to Amsterdam

2011-01-18T19:20:00.000+08:00

As part of my 2 week business trip to Belgium, I have planned to have myself go to its neighbor country of the Netherlands which used to be known as Holland. My main target is to see is its capital city of Amsterdam. Well going to Brussels, my KLM flight from Manila had me connecting through Schipol Airport in Amsterdam but was not able to actually see the city that time. And so with my other colleagues, we have set a trip to the city.

Well the trip was just a short one since we just planned to drive to the city back and forth within the same day. The drive to Amsterdam is about 3 hours from Brussels. And so we left Brussels at around 8am on the 31st of October. Our route took us to driving past through Antwerp at the north before reaching the Belgian border and through Utretch in the Netherlands. Well, before heading to Amsterdam, we first made our way past the city to its north to the small town of Akersloot to visit my colleagues friend from there.

But on our way to Akersloot which is about 30 minutes north of Amsterdam, we had short trouble of having gone low on gas that we had to detour to another smaller town known as Abcoude. Here we had to make a short stop to look for gas and for a toilet to take a leak. Fortunately we found a BP petrol station not far away from the town center and so we were able to proceed to Akersloot. In Akersloot we stayed over for lunch before proceeding to Amsterdam.

We reached Amsterdam at around 2pm and we had trouble of getting a place to park that we mistakenly got out of the city instead of finding a U-turn. Well anyways, we were able to park near the Central Station along Prins Hendrikkade avenue. From our parking we took a short walk passing through a street lined up by parked bicycles. Actually there were a lot of bikes throughout the city.

Then we proceeded on walking going to the front of the Amsterdam Central Terminal. We had to cross a short bridge to get to the Central terminal grounds but they had construction works around and it was a bit crowded. So, we just entered one of the water taxi stations there to ask for a free map and proceeded on walking to the city proper. We once more cross a short bridge and walked through another crowded street.

On this street, hundreds of tourists and locals crowd this street that lead to Dam Square. On this street, the first thing that we have passed that stroke our attention was the Sex Museum. Entrance to the museum is at EUR4.00 as it is posted. By its door stand a marble statue of a nude female. We no longer entered the museum, instead proceeded on walking along this street. The Sex Museum is just one of the adult museums in the city where the others are the Torture Museum, Erotic Museum, and the Hash Museum.

Next we stopped by this stall where a number of people line up to buy some Holland Fries. While buying, you'd see tons of potatoes are fried into these fries and they serve them in paper rolled up into cones to contain the fries. They also ask if you want them with catsup or mustard or both.

About a kilometer from the Central station, we reach the Dam Square. That day, there was a fair happening in the square where they had games and some rides on the site. There was a Ferris wheel and a this high rising turning ride where people are on a swing that twirls around while the whole thing goes high about 10-storeys high. Anyways like other areas in the city, there were also a lot of bicycles on this square itself which is marked by an obelisk. Oh one thing that has somehow caught our attention is that some people openly smoke marijuana along the streets when it is illegal on most places.

We took some time to take photos within the square before going westward on a corner to find the Anne Frank Museum. On our way there, we had to cross about four canals which are basically lined by these nice houses and beautiful maple trees that are striking of yellowish autumn leaves. Anyways, on our way I have noticed that poles along the streets as well as street lights are marked with a triple X.

I'm not sure of its actual relevance, if it is a Roman numeral or it is related to the city having prostitution legalized. Well, the strangest thing is that the church near the Anne Frank House also had a triple X marked on its bell tower. In front of this church stood a bronze statue of Anne Frank.

Well, Anne Frank was a Jewish girl known for the journal she wrote about her experience during the war when Jews are being persecuted. She detailed her experience while they locked themselves in their home. Her home is located along one of the canals of the city that is as usual lined with trees that scout yellow autumn leaves. There was a very long line there that we no longer decided to enter the house and so we simply took pictures in front of it.

After that, we took a long walk along the canal in front, about 4 kilometers maybe to go to the Rijksmuseum. Along the path we took, we passed by the boat house museum and different canals and through a shopping district where trams pass through. Arriving at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, we find out that the museum is closed for renovation. Anyways, the facade of the museum is impressive with its simple yet beautiful architecture. Well, actually the main reason we walked all this way for the museum was to go it its back side where they have set up this huge word that says 'IAmsterdam'. Iamsterdam is basically a tourism slogan that the city is using and it is a good place for some photos. In front of it is a reflecting pool while a few distance to the other side stood the Van Gogh Museum.

Afterwards, we decided to end this short trip of Amsterdam and so we headed back to our car. So we headed northward through the narrow streets and canals of the city. We made a short stop at the flower market where they sold the country's most famous landmark which are tulips. In this market they sold tulip seeds, cheese, and different souvenir items. Also we passed through one of its famous destination which is the red light district. It was still a bit early when we passed by and it was still starting to get dark. Most of the place were still closed with just a few starting to open their windows. Photos were not permitted on this place but it was strange to see that young tourists are still walking around this manly place. This place has become famous because of its uniqueness where girls open the windows and dance erotically in their skimpy lingerie. Some with neon lights, some young, some fatties, and some old ladies still dancing.

And so from there on we continued heading back to our car to make our three hour drive back to Brussels. Overall, I couldn't say that I was impressed with Amsterdam. Maybe its because its architecture is not as impressive as the old towns in Belgium that I have been to, or it is also because of it being too crowded with many people on bicycles, or maybe due to it being a sin city in my opinion for its openness to sex and prostitution and in drugs.

Euro Trip 2010: 2 Weeks of Brussels

2010-11-22T19:10:00.001+08:00

This year, I had one of the rarest opportunities to have myself set foot for the first time to Europe. And this is for two weeks in Brussels in the western European country of Belgium. Aside from being the political capital of Belgium, Brussels also stands as the capital of the influential European Union (EU). It also serves as the center of the Dutch speaking region of Flanders which is the northern part of Belgium.

And so for two weeks, I was booked at the B-Aparthotels in Square Ambiorix. Square Ambiorix is a oval shaped park named after one of Belgium's heroes. The square had different bronze statues and fountains which are unfortunately not on while I was there. I'm not sure if it's related to the climate. Anyways on both ends of the square are two elongated parks, to the east has a playground while to the west is another open park. The whole square is also surround by different residential buildings, mostly new buildings but traditional looking buildings line up the streets that ends at Ambiorix.

At the west end of the Square Ambiorix is another big park which its main characteristic is this lake, i guess it's man-made. Anyways, this park is called Square Marie-Louise. This is one of the tranquil escapes in this area wherein people can relax and feed ducks and geese paddling freely in its waters. It also had some willow trees on its banks and different statues around it.

About a block away from our hotel is the European Commission Building of the European Union located in an area called Schuman, named after Robert Schuman, a French stateman whom is one of the founders of the EU.

A few meters eastward from Schuman is one of the largest parks in the city, the Cinquantenaire Park, also known as the Jubilee Park or Jubelpark in Dutch. The most distinctive landmark in this beautiful park is the archway on the east end of the park that looked like the Brandenburg Gate of Berlin. It had a huge bronze statue on top of it of two men on a four-horsed chariot. It also had three other statues of men and a woman carrying different items. They say that this is like the Arc de Triomphe of Paris to Brussels.

Anyways, this archway is connected to other buildings and stands at the middle of them which formed a U shape. Both sides are museums where the one to its right is the Royal Army Museum. While in front of the arch is a wide open park with benches and a lawn area. Around the park, it is beautifully surrounded by yellowish maple trees that were starting to shed their autumn leaves. And one strange thing is in the very center of the park and this is an avenue that goes through a tunnel to pass under the road and the front entrance of the park. The avenue goes above ground briefly giving vehicles a good view of the archway and once again goes through another tunnel that passes under the archway and goes out about 300 meters east of the archway. Unusual but it looked nice.

The Cinquantenaire Park is situated on a hill side and it rises above the Rue de la Loi which basically goes under the park. And near the west end of this road lies another park near the center of the city which is the Brussels Park. Brussels Park is another huge park but this one if filled with trees with marked path for people. It also had benches all around plus mostly the paths are mostly ground. Also Brussels Park is situated in the middle of the Belgian Federal Parliament on its north end and the Royal Palace of Belgium to its south.

A few meters further on Rue de la Loi through other streets stand the Cathedral of Saint Michael which was built as early as 1047 with a Gothic design. This cathedral is commonly used in royal weddings and christenings. Across this imposing cathedral is a small park dedicated to St. Gudula. Both Saints Michael and Gudula are patron saints of Brussels. Unfortunately, I was not able to get inside the cathedral, because the time I walked past it is around 7am in a Sunday morning and it was still closed.

Not far from the cathedral through narrow streets is Brussels' old town center and market, known as the La Grand'Place or the Grote Markt. It is the old town center's main plaza where the market and different activities used to be held. Situated in this plaza is the Brussels Town Hall, the Maison du Roi or King's House in French but known as Breadhouse in Dutch, and different buildings that stand side by side with tipped rooftops. The town hall had a tower with shorter ones around it and it had a statue of St. Michael slaying the demon. The king's house that is across the town hall itself had an intricate design across its facade and its rooftop as well.

At the building to the right of the Maison du Roi, on street level there is a golden monument of Everard 't Serclaes who once saved the city from the attack of the Flemish. This monument was carved by Julien Dillens and has since became famous for giving luck and granting wishes to those who touches it giving it a constant shine.

On that same street walking southwest, walking a little further we get to see the most famous icon of Brussels and this is the statue of a small boy pissing, known as the Manneken Pis. It stands about 24 inches and is simply a decoration to a fountain which I guess became an instant celebrity specially that it gets dressed differently. It even had its own collection of wardrobe. On this street, there are some chocolate and waffle stores that make profit due to this very famous destination.

Another famous icon in Brussels is the modern structure known as the Atomium. It is structure that looked liked a molecule structure where spherical structure are connected to other spherical structures by columnar structures. Well we only visited this at night since my colleagues knew that it looked better at night, plus there is not much to see inside plus the cost is too expensive. The Atomium stands near the Mini Europe park which contained miniatures of different European icons.

Some other places that we visited in this city is the mall area of City 2 and Gallerie where I bought my wife her Longchamp bag. Aside from the mall, outside it is a street long of shopping stores. And aside from seeing Brussels, I was glad to have gone to other cities in Belgium like in Leuven, Antwerp, and in Bruges and also Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Overall, Brussels for me is impressive with its beautiful architecture, cool weather, and scenic nature in this autumn time. Very very nice.

Euro Trip 2010: In Bruges

2010-11-06T06:58:00.004+08:00

After learning that I will be sent by my company to see Belgium, I set out to look for what could Belgium offer. And one of the most recommended destination in the country is Bruges, northwest of Brussels. Bruges or locally known as Brugge has been known to be a fairytale type of town for being the most preserved medieval town in western Europe.

Also during my research about the town, I had stumbled upon this movie that came out in 2008 entitled In Bruges that starred Colin Farrel. The story mainly plotted around this old and charming town giving me a good picture of how it looked liked. And I'd say I was pretty much pleased to have actually set foot into this town.

And so on the 24th of October on my second day in Belgium, together with 3 other friends I drove about an hour and a half to the north to Bruges. We made our way there and parked beside the train station for the park and ride facility. And so for €2.50 for parking, we got a free bus ticket for the four of us into the center of town.

The bus from the train station drove through the town and we alighted at the town center itself which a huge square with a bronze statue of two men holding a flag at the center. While around it stood different municipal flags of Belgium. Standing at the south side of the square is the Belfry of Bruges.

Since the Belfry is one of the main tourist attraction of Bruges, we decided that took our opportunity to climb up this tower which is 300+ steps high with a narrow spiraling staircases. The cost to get up to the tower is €8. Unfortunately, the Belfry is currently undergoing some construction and only half of the viewing area is free for tourists. With this they handed out an extra coupon that we can use on another museum in town. Well we did not get a 360degree view of the town but it was a nice view anyway.

While at the view deck of the Belfry, the weather changed and we saw that rain is coming. Well, we just noticed that something went down with the rain. It was ice. Then we realized it was a hail storm. Being stuck on top of the tower during a hail storm proved to be very cold so we decided to start heading down the tower. And we were up for a treat because looking out of the belfry after the hail made the whole town square look like snow has just fallen. It was a beautiful sight though slipper to walk into.

And so with the rain and ice all over the town square, we thought of having our lunch in one of the restaurants within the square. I ordered for grilled chicken in Bruges style while my other friends ordered Flemish beef stew and mussels.

After lunch, we proceeded on walking around town. First thought of walking to the Church of Our Lady which is one of the most notable churches in town. On our way there, we passed through the medieval cobbled streets of Bruges which is now lined by souvenir shops, tapestry shops, and a lot of chocolate shops. Apparently Bruges is also known for a chocolate making. Well, we did shopped for some of Belgium's best chocolates.

On our way to the church, we also passed by the towns rivers where boat tours are going on. Well, they say that Bruges is Belgium's version of Venice and they pride of its beautiful canals. Besides the church is the Gruuthuse Museum which we wanted to check out but then it was already closed at 4pm. So we just decided to take photos in front of it.

The Church of Our Lady is a huge church and had a beautiful bell tower but unfortunately it was under renovation when we got there. But still we are happy that the church is still open and we had the opportunity of seeing it inside. And well I did not realize that it housed one of the original works of art of Michaelangelo Buonarroti which is the stone statue of the Madonna and the Child.

After a short while, we proceeded on walking southward on our way back to the train station. And we passed through this small opening with a park by the river which had ducks. On this spot a number of horse drawn carriages are parked.

Walking further from this opening, we went past this house-like structure by the end of the river. We later learned that it is a flood gate that keeps the level of the canals in town and the main river. This place is known as Minnewater. Along this part of the river is beautiful and tranquil where a few structure stand on its banks and on one side is another huge building. At the end of the road, it branched into two ways. On this part we almost got lost as we turned left crossing the river to the park. But we later figured at that we had go back the other way to reach back the train station.

Bruges is such a beautiful place and is very much worth the time to travel to. Unfortunately, we were not able to go around the rest of this medieval town specially the northern side. But hey, maybe I can get back here with my family.

Euro Trip 2010: Road Trip to Antwerp

2010-11-03T04:20:00.003+08:00

On my first day in Belgium, I had gone with the rest of my colleagues on a road trip around Brussels and we first traveled into the nearby city of Leuven. And after that short visit as the rain started to fall down, we have thought of extending our road trip to Antwerp to the north of Brussels and near the border of Netherlands.

From Leuven, we took a long turn going east on E314 and connecting on E313 going northward into Antwerp. Going into Antwerp was quite a challenge as there were a lot of roads to pass through to actually get into the center. Entering the city, we pass by its streets where its trams pass through. As we made our way into the city, I have noticed that it seemed that Antwerp residents are of different cultures, many of which are of middle eastern origin.

We have set our GPS to take us to Antwerp's Central Train Station and we parked ourselves nearby. The Train station definitely defines the city with cobbled streets heading towards it while trees line up both sides of the street. The central train station had a huge bricked facade and an arched entry way.

Inside the station, it was beautifully crafted as it was outside but then at one side of the station is the modern section of the station with its arched steel and glass structure. The station is huge that it had multiple levels where on ground level seems to be for the intercity trains and on lower levels is the concourse levels for a number of metro lines.

After a short stay in the Central Station, we decided on walking around through the city's main shopping street of the Meir. It was about 1 kilometer long of beautiful buildings that houses different branded shops of clothes, shoes, and the countries famous Belgian waffles. It is in one of it's where I've tasted my very first Belgian waffle for 2 Euros. Along this shopping street, we have noticed this stone sculpture of a hand. Apparently, Antwerp's name meant "hand thrown".

Then we went forward past the shopping street into the city's old town center where we are guided by the sight of this distinctive clock tower. As we near the town center, we reached this plaza where a statue stands in the center. It was the statue of Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Antwerp's son and a prolific Flemish Baroque painter. And from here as we took our photos, some other tourists requested our group to join them in their photo with the statue.

The clock tower that marks the town center is the tower of the Church of the Lady. The church had this very artistic facade with a lot of statuettes on its main archway. A statue of the Lady carrying the little Child Jesus stand by the doors of the Church along with our saints that guard the archway. While at the plaza in front of the church lie a granite tablet dedicated to the famous characters of Nello and his dog Patrasche from an 1872 novel by Marie Louise de la Ramée, 'A Dog of Flanders'.

A few steps away from The Church of the Lady is the town's old market known as its Grote Market. The Grote Market is surrounded by these narrow buildings with tall windows and pointed rooftops and cobbled grounds.

Walking further to the riverside, we reached this castle structure by the riverbanks. And by the entry way of the castle stood this statue of a giant with two men. At first we thought that it looks to depict the story of Gulliver's Travel, but then we later learned that it depicts the story of the giant Antigoon who guarded the river and tolled anyone who want to cross the river. Anyone who refused will have their hands cut off an thrown to the river and eventually the giant wall slain by Brabo and his hands cut off and also thrown to the river. And so Antwerp got his name as it literally meant 'hands thrown' in Dutch.

It was quite a long day of walking long around this beautiful city and very much worth it.

Euro Trip 2010: Visiting Leuven

2010-10-30T03:37:00.002+08:00

On my very first day in Belgium, I decided to tag along with the rest of my colleagues who had their own day planned and they've thought of seeing the next town, into the historic town of Leuven. Leuven is about an 30 minutes drive east of Brussels.

Well going into Leuven by car from Brussels, we have mainly relied on using the GPS to get there. All I remember is that we passed through the Ring Highway and connecting to E40 to the east to reach the town.

The town seems small and we just parked somewhere near the town center and the first thing that I have seen that struck me is a statue of what looked like a troll. I actually thought that he looked like Dobby of Harry Potter. And from where we parked, we simply walked a short way through a small market where stalls of fruits, flowers, waffles, ceramics, and other stuff.

A short past the small market we enter the main town center where in the middle of it rise this beautiful and intricately designed building which served as Leuven's Town Hall. The Town Hall building is located in what is known as the Grote Market or simply what has been the town's historic town center. The building is so beautifully designed that its facade contain artistic designs and different statues of people.

The grounds of the town center is cobbled and is lined up by these beautiful buildings that stand tightly next to each other with big windows and tipped rooftops. Right across the town hall is the cathedral of the town, the St. Peter's Church. It's such a huge church located in the middle of town. I'd say Leuven is such a beautiful town. Fortunately I had the opportunity to enter this beautiful church with high ceiling and a big altar.

It was a short trip and we finished our stay by having lunch at this restaurant called De Wiering which is just a short walk from the Grote Market. Well, it was very much recommended for its delicious and sumptuous ribs.

My First Euro Trip: Belgium

2010-10-29T03:59:00.004+08:00

For a number of times, I almost had the chance to see Europe but this year it finally came true. For two weeks, my current employer Besix sent me to our mother office in the city of Brussels in the Flemish side of Brussels in Western Europe.

From Manila, I flew into town with a colleague via KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with a connecting flight through Schipol Amsterdam Airport in the Netherlands after a 14hour-long flight. Around 9:30pm we arrived in Brussels and took a taxi to get us to our hotel at the B Apart Hotels in Ambiorix area.

Upon my arrival in my hotel room, the first thing I did was setup my tripod and camera so that I can have a photo with the view outside my window. The hotel is located near a circular park where streets that connect to it looked very European with their bricked facade, big windows and pointed roofs. It was a beautiful sight. Anyways, one unusual thing that I found out upon arrival is that there were no one in the reception table at that time of the day and we had to enter the hotel using a code and get our keys from a locker using a code.

During this trip, aside from going to office to attend with my professional duties with my company, I had the opportunity to see places around Brussels and driving around other cities like Leuven, Antwerp, Bruges, and next weekend we plan to see Amsterdam.

Being in Belgium is quite an experience with its cold weather in this autumn period where it goes as low as 6 degrees Celcius, also having most shows in the television is in Dutch, and the unusual TV shows around 1 to 4am. They have shows that is like home TV shopping where women offer intimate favors.

Anyways, in my next posts I'll put into detail the places I've seen during this first time trip. Aside from Brussels, I've been to Leuven, Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam.

Non-Visa Countries for Philippine Passport Holders

2010-08-23T08:26:00.002+08:00

Looking around the net, I came across this website VisaHQ which allows people to check the visa requirements for a person wanting to enter a certain country around the world. And checking this out and being a Philippines Passport holder, I am listing below a list of countries where Filipinos may enter without a visa.

Asia

Brunei - Not Required for stay up to 14 days

Cambodia - Not Required for stay up to 21 days

Hong Kong - Not Required for stay up to 14 days

Indonesia - Not Required for stay up to 30 days

Israel - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Laos - can obtain a 15 or 30 day tourist visa upon arrival.

Macau - Not Required for stay up to 30 days

Malaysia    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Maldives     - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Mongolia    - Not Required for stay up to 21 days

Palestine    - Not Required for undefined number of days
Singapore    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Sri Lanka     - Not Required for stay up to 30 days

Thailand - Not Required for stay up to 30 days

Vietnam - Not Required for stay up to 21 days

Americas

Brazil - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

Bolivia    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Colombia    - Not Required for stay up to 180 days
Costa Rica    - Not Required for undefined number of days

Ecuador - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

Haiti - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

~~Mexico - Not Required for stay up to 30 days~~ (no longer true)

Panama    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Peru    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Suriname    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
US Virgin Islands    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

Africa

Morocco - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

Saint Helena - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

Seychelles - Not Required for stay up to 30 days

Pacific Islands

Fiji    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Micronesia    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Nauru    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Palau    - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Samoa    - Not Required for stay up to 60 days
Tuvalu    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days

Europe

Andorra    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Kosovo    - Not Required for undefined number of days
Liechtenstein    - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Montenegro    - Not Required for undefined number of days

This data is as of August 2010. Visa requirements may change in the future so it is advisable to double check also before making your travel arrangements. You would also need to check whether a transit visa will be needed if you will travel through countries that require visas for Philippine passport holders. You may check through the Visa Requirement widget on the sidebar of PauTravels.

Company Outing at Acuatico Resort in Laiya

2010-07-19T20:56:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, our company NV Besix SA Philippines held our very first team building activity and it was held at Acuatico Resort in Laiya, San Juan at the southeast border of the Batangas province. We were all booked for an overnight stay in this posh beach resort with an exclusive beach front that faces the Tayabas Bay and a mountain range behind it.

From Makati City, by our office building we all gathered early morning for the trip but ended leaving Makati at around 8:30am. We drove through South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) with a quick stop in Alabang to pick up 4 other guys who were waiting for us there before continuing our trip to the end of SLEX at the Sto. Tomas exit. We followed the highway until we entered the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Expressway and exited at Ibaan Exit. From there we took a long trip up to the town of San Juan and up to Laiya where the road ended.

Upon arrival in Acuatico Resort, we all headed for our buffet lunch. It was a tasty set of meals that filled us. After lunch we were all assigned our rooms. Most of us were booked in the resort's cabin rooms that line both sides of its infinity pool. Our room was in their Terraza Room which is basically in one of the cabins farthest to the beach. Our room is at the second floor where we had a terraza that faces the jacuzzi. Our room looks like an attic where 4 people may fit. The rooms were very nice.

Acuatico Resort's layout is very linear where from its entrance is the parking area. They also had a basketball court. Then people are greeted at the reception hall. Above the reception hall is the main dining area and hotel rooms at the third floor. On the way to the dining hall, one will walk past its concave shaped jacuzzi. In the middle of the resort is its pool area that starts from its jacuzzi to its children's pool and their infinity pool that makes you feel that it reaches straight to the sea.

On both sides of the pool is lined by five cabins each of different room types. The largest is their Estancia Room which is basically their family room that can room 6 people. It has a living room area, two bedrooms at the ground floor, a terraza at the second floor and the another bedroom.

The end of the infinity pool is by the beach which is light brown in color and a tranquil sea. Acuatico is located in the posher side of the Laiya beach front together with other beach resorts like Virgin Beach, Blue Corals, La Luz, and others.

After lunch, we had a short program where we had our team building activities that includes a relay game, a Pinoy Henyo game, and a physical Foot Structure activity. It was fun. Later on some of us went on a boat trip to do some snorkeling on the nearby coral garden. Unfortunately, the under current was strong and the sea was a bit murky to see the corals that we did not really enjoyed the activity much.

After dinner we joined the open bar, where Acuatico set up some gas lamps on the beach, a bonfire, and tables for the drinking sessions. I did not drink any but iced tea but the rest of the guys drank to their fill. It was a fun night. The next morning after lunch we all packed up on our back to Manila.

The Planned Community of Putrajaya

2010-05-28T11:47:00.001+08:00

Twice in the past I had my opportunity of getting to this organized city south of Kuala Lumpur that has become the federal administrative center of Malaysia. Putrajaya was a brainchild project of Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad to free up Kuala Lumpur from congestion.

And so my first visit here was when we had a side trip to Kuala Lumpur during one of my previous visits in Singapore in 2005. On both occasions that I have visited the city, our trip here is always a side trip from KL.

From KL, we make our way to KL Sentral to take a ride on the KLIA Express, KL's express rail system that connects the KL International Airport to the city center. On board the KLIA Express, we alight at the Putrajaya station.

At the Putrajaya Train station, there is a queue of taxis where we hired for MYR30 per hour to take us around Putrajaya. During my first trip to PUtrajaya, a friend of mine from Skyscrapercity took us around there by car.

Putrajaya is very much extravagant in its designs that are visible to lamp posts that are decorated differently in every section of the township. It has a beautiful set of buildings with beautiful architecture.. At one end of the main avenue lies the Prime Minister's Building which is a huge green building with a dome on top. While on the other end is the Convention Center.

It also has beautiful bridges that are huge and of different types. It has a suspension bridge and other bridges that have gold plated on them. Near the Parliament building is a round about where at the center of it is a fountain within the circular park where different Malaysian state flags are located. In front of this circular park is one of the main landmarks of Putrajaya, the Putra Mosque. It is a huge mosque with pinkish domes on top. And also in front of it rise the tallest minaret in the region. Also a park is located at the lakeside of the mosque where people can have a stroll and experience the beauty of Putrajaya Lake. From here visitors may take a boat ride around the lake. Across the lake is a royal palace of the Sultan of Selangor.

Heading southward in Putrajaya along its long main avenue, we were able to pass by its major government buildings. My first visit there was on a weekend and there was almost no one in the street nor cars. And at the south end of the avenue is the Putrajaya Convention Center after crossing a huge bridgeway. From afar this structure located on top of a hill looked liked the helmet of Darth Vader.

Around the government center of Putrajaya are the different housing enclaves which were planned to be new residential areas for the government workers and other people wanting to live in Putrajaya. Today, I'm not sure if it is already populated.

Overall, Putrajaya looks very good and impressive with its architecture and I'm glad that we were able to see this ambitious town.

The Slipper Town of Liliw

2010-05-14T14:58:00.000+08:00

Two weeks back, a day after Labor Day, I had the opportunity to visit once more the beautiful town of Liliw in the province of Laguna, south of Manila. The town has been known for its main industry which is manufacturing of slippers. They are known for making world-class slippers where local tourists travel to to buy slippers and they are rival with the city of Marikina in shoe-making as well. Also, the town is also famous for its cool water springs that visitors flock to cool off from the summer heat.

Liliw is a small town located at the foothills of the enchanted Mount Banahaw, where faith healers, voodoo people, and other people climb up for spiritual cure and beliefs. The town has been founded since 1571 and some remnant of Spanish architecture may still be found and one of them is its centuries old red-bricked Liliw Church that is located uphill and offers the view of the whole town from it. This church is very beautiful in my opinion and gives you the feel of the Spanish Colonial period.

Well, it was almost good timing that we have scheduled our trip here because that week the town is celebrating their annual Tsinelas Festival where the center of the festival is their tsinelas (slippers, from the Spanish word chinelas). The day before we arrived there was street dancing performed and other activities that the whole town joins in.

But that day we just took a few hours walking down its main commercial road where all slipper stores are lined up. We started from uphill upon exiting the Liliw Church grounds where the main Municipal building is located. It is very common in old Spanish towns in the country that the main church and government buildings stand beside each other where townsmen usually gather for town events.

And so we entered most of the stores on that street looking for slippers or shoes. There you'll find slippers of all sizes, from an inch size upto a giant size. Well the giant slippers are on display because of the festival. But the smaller slippers are usually for keychains.

The Garden Isle – Up Close and Personal

2010-04-16T07:58:00.000+08:00

Kauai is known as the Garden Isle of Hawaii. The thick rainforest and mountainous terrain have left the majority of the island untouched by industry. The resulting scenery makes the island one of Hollywood’s featured locations for making films. The seemingly private island is magical and is not only ideal for making movies, but for a revitalizing getaway. Now it is time to make your own feature film!

Here at Pau Travels we are connecting with The Villas at Poipu Kai to give you a free Flip Video Camera for reservations made before April 30th^*. If you are contemplating a vacation to Hawaii this year, make sure to take advantage of this special offer.

The Villas at Poipu Kai is a perfect home base for your stay in Kauai– beautiful 3-4 bedroom villas in the heart of the Poipu Kai Resort. The Villas are complete with expansive kitchens and living areas to accommodate all of your needs. Call 866-407-0249 to book your Villa before April 30^th.

* Offer limited to one camera per six (6) night reservation or two cameras per twelve (12) or more nights. Offer valid on new reservations made before April 30th, for travel anytime before November 15th

Beginner's Luck in Las Vegas

2010-04-01T16:40:00.019+08:00

Back in December 2007, I had my long vacation in the US for the holidays where I visited my parents in California. And part of that vacation, we had a trip to the city of poker games, roulette, black jack, and slot machines, Las Vegas. Las Vegas has made its name with its great casinos for high rollers.

This trip of our to Las Vegas served as our first pit stop for our trip to the Grand Canyon. Las Vegas is about 4 hours drive to the east of Los Angeles and we decided to book a hotel for us at the Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel. In this trip, my bro Mark and his wife Joanne and son Nathan and my mother came with me. My brother drove our rented car all the way to Las Vegas. The drive to Las Vegas was long through the deserts of Nevada which I found very beautiful and scenic.

We arrived in Las Vegas late in the afternoon around 5pm. After checking in and settling down, we started exploring the city. The Hilton is located within the Flamingo Hotel and Casino compound. The hotel is in a very good location as it is along the Las Vegas Blvd and is just across the Ceasar's Palace.

And so, we started walking by crossing the Blvd to check out the beautiful Ceasar's Palace. We took some time taking pictures in front of it and its fountain area. Ceasar's Palace is huge. That night we decided not to go into the casinos as we have another day to spend time in the city. But walking through the boulevard makes one very fascinated. Ceasar's indeed made a fantastic Roman architecture.

Moving northward, the next hotel is the Mirage which is another big casino hotel. We took a stop in front its lagoon area. Across the Mirage is the Harrah's and the Casino Royale which are also very known casinos. After the Mirage, we crossed the boulevard once more to take some photos taken in front of the Venetian Hotel which is themed as the canals of Venice, Italy. In front of the Venetian is a replica of Venice's Ponte di Rialto and Piazza San Marco. It was beautiful. In front of the hotel is a lagoon where gondoliers paddle guests on gondolas while singing Italian songs, very much reminiscent of Venice's canals.

Walking further, next to the Mirage is the Treasure Island. I remember this casino from the move Miss Congeniality where Sandra Bullock got trapped in the Pirate ship while the show was going on. Too bad, there was not Pirate show for that night so we just took some time taking photos of the ship.

Then going forward, we had to take the overhead walkway to cross the street to the Fashion Show Mall. This mall is huge which has big screens in front of it. It was nice. Across it is another beautiful casino, the Wynn casino. But then we first headed forward to the next casino which is Circus Circus. As their name dictates, the hotel follow the concept of a Circus. Inside, we entered near its casino area until we got a chance to watch an acrobatic act of two men.

Then we started heading back to the Hilton as we were a bit tired of taking the very long walk from Flamingo to Circus Circus. After dinner, Mark, Joanne and myself continued exploring the Las Vegas Strip as we have settled Nathan at the hotel with my mom watching him for the night.

So we continued on walking the other end of the strip. We crossed the street to Ballys and the Paris Hotel. The Paris Hotel had the beautiful replica of the Eiffel Tower. It was lit up beautifully. Also, they had a replica of the Arc de Triomphe.

And just in time, we had the opportunity of watching the fountain show at the Bellagio. It was very beautiful to watch as the fountains dances to the tune of a music. The fountain show happen every 30 minutes and each performance is different from the first one. And since it was just the three of us, we had the chance to check out the casinos. Well we only tried the slot machines as we're not good gamblers. Well I guess its my beginner's luck that I've had been having a roll of winning in the slot machines. I think I took home about $20 that night from starting at $5.

The next morning, we headed for a drive to the Grand Canyon which is four hours to the east. And we continued going around Las Vegas the day after. This time around we took our opportunity in getting inside the casinos. First we entered Ceasar's Palace's Forum Shop and checked out the mall inside where one would walk in like walking in the cobbled roads of Rome with the blue sky overhead. We also had the opportunity to catch a light and water show at one of its fountains.

And once again we tried to walk through the strip past the Bellagio. We walked to Planet Hollywood, Monte Carlo and up to New York New York. The Monte Carlo had this very beautiful fountain that follows a Roman architecture. While in New York New York, they had a miniature of the Brooklyn Bridge and its hotel building is shaped like the Empire State Building. They also had a miniature of the Statue of Liberty. Boy.. I felt like I've been to New York hehehe. Across New York New York is the MGM Grand where it had the Lion in front and the Luxor which had a castle shape.

Las Vegas is very beautiful but I guess one has to have the funds to test their luck in its casinos. I hope I'll get back soon.

Enchanted by the Enchanted Kingdom

2010-03-08T13:28:00.021+08:00

A day before Valentines, we decided to spend the time with Janine in Enchanted Kingdom. Enchanted Kingdom is one of the prime theme parks in the Philippines that is open year round for kids and adults alike to enjoy thrilling rides and a wonderful family day. The park is located in the city of Sta. Rosa in the province of Laguna which is about an hour south of Manila.

The night before we went to the park, we stayed overnight on my in-laws in Calamba, which south of Enchanted Kingdom. Going there we took the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) and exited on Sta. Rosa. The park is about a kilometer away from the exit and can be seen on the highway when passing by.

We arrived at the park around past noon already and we took some time to take a picture of the park's main mascot, the wizard that is at the entrance. While Jen is buying our tickets I took photos of Janine and her cousin, Yana who came with us that day. We took a day pass that costs Php500 while for the kids at Php320.

Upon entry, we are met by its first main attraction, the Grand Carousel. It is located at the main entrance just behind the park fountains which they call Victoria Park. It is the spot where the park's mascots usually stay for photos, but they weren't there that time we came in.

And so we rode the carousel first as Janine already calls... 'Horse, Horse'... There was already a line at the carousel but it just took about 3 batches until we got our chance. After the ride, we headed for Boulderville. This part of the park is designed specifically to cater rides for your kids and so we stayed on this place a bit longer. It had a mini dinosaur egg Ferris wheel, a dinosaur octopus ride, it also had a choo choo train, and a play pen. This part of the park is themed as a Jurassic era during the Stone Age.

After some of the mini rides, we walked past the Portabello area where the Rio Grande and Flying Fiesta attractions are located and headed for the Brooklyn Place section where their famous attraction, The Rialto is located as we heard that there were some street show is starting up. It was a Chinese lantern dance, as the next day is Chinese New Year and Valentines Day. Here we rested a bit after watching the dance. I was not able to go to the Rialto as Janine and Yana are still too young for the ride.

Then, we headed next to Midway Boardwalk to ride the, Wheels of Fate, Enchanted Kingdom's giant Ferris wheel. It is another famous attraction in the park and I believe is currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the country. It offered a great view of the surroundings and the Mount Makiling and Metro Manila from afar. Then we walked around the Swan Lake beside it and taking photos of the Wheels of Fate from the ground.

We took a break for snack at the Spaceport area where another famous attraction, the Space Shuttle is located. A snack area is located beside it. Again we were not able to ride the Space Shuttle as we have kids with us. And anyways, the queue on the ride is way too long for a 5 minute adrenalin rush.

Anyways we walked around the Jungle Outpost where their Log Jam ride is located which we was not fit for younger kids. And through the Midway Boardwalk again where we walked by the Anchor's Away and walked into the arcade area. We spent some time walking around the park until night came.

Around 830pm, we went to the Space Shuttle area to await for the park's Fireworks show. It was beautiful and a great one to end our visit in the park.

Another Side Trip to Kuala Lumpur

2010-02-19T09:38:00.016+08:00

The evening of Christmas Day 2009, we took a train ride from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. This is a side trip in our week-long vacation in Singapore. At first we have planned for just a day's visit by going back and for on the same day but we decided to book on a hotel instead and stay overnight since our baby Janine will be coming with us. We don't want her getting too tired and we worry on keeping her feeding bottles clean.

And so like I have always done in my past visits to the city, I booked ourselves on the midnight departure on board the KTM train that departs Singapore at 10pm for KL Sentral. This time we got sleeper berths instead of the usual seats since it may be uncomfortable for Janine when goes to sleep. We got upper sleepers when I booked online as the lower sleepers got booked fast. So when we got on board I tried to ask the guys on the lower sleeper if we can exchange. Luckily they agreed to exchange with us so we traveled on a lower sleeper while we put our bags on the upper sleeper. There was not enough space so the three of us stayed on the lower sleeper.

Around 7am we arrived at the KL Sentral station where we spent some time for restroom break before riding the red line MRT for the KLCC to see the Petronas towers. We arrived at the tower around 8am and went directly down to the SkyBridge booking line but we were surprised to see that the line was already too long that we were already told to wait before we can get into the line. We stayed there until around 9am hoping to get into the line until they told us that there were no more tickets for that day. And so we decided to just go out to the park area and have some photos taken with the beautiful twin towers of Petronas.

With sad hearts, we thought that we'll try again tomorrow to go up the SkyBridge. So while we're still in KLCC, we walked to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center where the Aquaria KLCC is located. Aquaria is KL's version of an oceanarium and we wanted to see it also for Janine. Unfortunately we arrived too early as the park opens at 10:30am, so we had to wait for sometime.

And so, we were among the first people to get into Aquaria that morning. It was a different oceanarium though it had the regular touching pools and big tanks of ocean and fresh water creatures, it also had amphibians and reptiles in their upper section. They even had this exhibit item that features the transformation of frogs from eggs to tadpoles up to the actual frog.

At the lower section, it had a big spherical tank of fishes that seems to originate in a mangrove forest. While beside is another tank of fishes. This area is basically themed as the Amazon Flooded Forest which also featured the giant fishes like Arapaimas. At another lower section, is their main attraction which is a walk through tank that features sharks, rays, and other fishes of the deep. This is very much similar with the Underwater World of Sentosa but I think Sentosa's is a lot better as Aquaria has very obvious fake corals though it had more sharks and rays.

After that, we had lunch before heading to our hotel in Melia Kuala Lumpur which is located along Jalan Imbi and across the Berjaya Times Square. The good thing on this hotel is that it has the Imbi station of the Monorail just in front of it. But the sad thing is that the monorails only had stairs and just a single escalator going up. It was very hard for us because we had Janine on the stroller plus all our bags with us and it was terrible. This was a very negative point of the Kuala Lumpur MRT system compared to Singapore's which is very comfortable that is easy for people with strollers.

That afternoon, we no longer went anywhere else because unfortunately it rained. But it was good anyways because we had time to rest. Oh but before the rain went down, I had time to go to Puduraya Bus Station to buy our bus tickets the next day for Singapore on board Eltabina Express. And that night, we just went across the street to just have dinner in Berjaya Times Square before retiring for the night.

The next morning, we once again tried our chance to go up the SkyBridge, but once again we did not arrive there on time because we were once again not given the chance to fall in line, until we were told that there were more tickets to be given that day but it would probably be in the afternoon. We opted not to stay there longer anymore since our bus ride going back to Singapore is at 1:30pm. And so, we just decided into buying somethings at the Berjaya Times Square before having lunch and getting ready for our trip back to Singapore. And this time, I was awake all the way so I was able to see the road from KL to Tuas to Singapore. The bus trip ends at Jalan Sultan near North Bridge Road.