STRAYPUSIKET | A travel blog

Travelling to Boracay for NYE 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 10:45:00 +0000

We were in Boracay for the NYE!!!

After being stuck at home for almost a year, I must admit we were really itching to go on a trip. However, with all the travel restrictions, we were actually settling for a hotel staycation in Manila or a beach trip to Batangas to welcome the New Year.

All it took was one text from my cousin about their plans of spending the holidays in Boracay and the next thing I knew, I was booking our tickets to our favorite island.

Unlike before, a lot of things should be taken into consideration now when travelling. Number one is the fear of contracting the virus and spreading it to the entire household when you get home. Since we don't have kids yet and we don't live with any family members, it was an easy decision for us. There's also that added expense of the RT-PCR Test. It doesn't come cheap especially that you needed your results ASAP. Average cost of RT-PCR Test with 24h results is 5,000 pesos.

RT-PCR Test and Health Declaration Form

As soon as we booked our tickets to Boracay, I started calling different clinics to ask about their RT-PCR rates. Our flight was 2pm of December 30 so we needed to get tested by afternoon of December 27 or morning of December 28 at the latest just in case the results will be released more than 24 hours.

We would have gone to MOA Arena to get tested for free but there was no guarantee that we could get the results in time before our flight. There's also a cheap RT-PCR test at UP-PGH wherein 50% of the fee is subsidized by the Department of Tourism. They announced this mid December. You only have to pay 900 instead of 1800. Discount is only available for leisure travel and not to those who would like to go home to their provinces. We tried to apply through their website the day after Christmas (since their application page was not accessible during the Christmas holiday) but our application got rejected. They said there was not enough time to process our application prior our flight. Oh well.

We were set to avail the 5,000 peso test because we only got a few days left before our flight date. Good thing Dell stumbled upon The Lord's Grace Medical Clinic. You know how Facebook spies on you and would bombard you with offers on the things you searched for or talked about. Hahaha. I've proven it many times! Anyway, their ongoing promo rate for RT-PCR with guaranteed 24h results was just 3,300. I even have to verify with them if it already included the tax because some clinics would only publish their rates before taxes to make it look cheaper. For 3,300 pesos, this was already a good deal considering we ran out of the more affordable (no 24hr guarantee) options and they're accredited by the DOH and they have their own equipment to run the test. Promo is only up until January 5. Sorry if I'm just posting this now. So the day before our test, I pre-registered and booked for an appointment. They're testing site is located at 1 Macapagal Ave in Pasay near World Trade Center.

On the day of our test (December 28), we realized that their appointment scheduling was useless. We had to line up with everybody else — walk-ins, referrals from the Pasay City barangay health centers, big groups from companies, and foreigners. It was a bit chaotic but we were lucky to have arrived early before the horde came. We arrived at 930am, lined up for payment, info verification and finally the dreadful swabbing. We were done by 11am. Masakit siya ah. To describe what it felt like, para kang nahulog sa banana boat at napasukan ng tubig dagat sa ilong. Yung akala mo pasok na sa ilong, mas ididiin pa. Haha-huhu.

I've read comments from those who availed of their services that they got the results around 630pm of the same day they got tested. Even if our results will be released the following day, That still gives us enough time to submit our requirements to Boracay. We got home from the testing center by lunch time and I kept myself busy so I would not be tempted to check my email every now and then. I even asked Dell to take a nap because he was super anxious that we'd test positive for Covid-19. He didn't get to sleep well the night before because of that.

True enough, email came in around 640pm. Nakakakaba. Same thing I always feel when checking if our visas are approved. I also opened Dell's email before I went upstairs and told him the news. We both tested NEGATIVE, obviously. =)

So I proceeded to the next steps. You can easily search about these requirements online but I asked our hotel to send them to me because they know better.

Log on to https://www.touristboracay.com/ and fill out the health declaration form. You will then be given instructions to email the ff. docs to touristboracay@gmail.com. Please do note that each tourist should fill out separate health declaration form.

Negative RT-PCR Test Result - with date of extraction within 72hrs to date of travel
Confirmed Hotel Booking (your hotel must be accredited)
Proof of ID with Philippine Residency
Round Trip Flight / Travel Details

Wait for their reply. If the documents you submitted are complete and valid, they will send you your tourist health declaration with QR code which you will use to enter Boracay.

I got a reply after 40 minutes. We're good to go!

Have a copy of all the documents on your phone (especially the QR code) or print it.

I printed everything out then we waited for President Duterte's announcement of the new quarantine classification for January 2021 that night. You know, just to be sure because there have been news circulating that there will be a Metro Manila wide lockdown during the holidays. We don't wanna end up getting stranded in the island.

Flying to Caticlan

On the day of our flight, we headed to NAIA Terminal 4 (because we're flying in to Caticlan via CEBGO) and just as we are about to enter, our car was stopped by the security guard and we were informed that all flights leaving that terminal have been transferred to Terminal 3. So we told the Grab driver to drive to T3. Grab recomputed our fare after we changed the pin and were charged additional 150 pesos for that. No email, no text alert, no announcement from the airline's social media account, not even from the airport authorities or DOT. Haller Ms. Berna! Imagine how many passengers have been redirected by that guard that day and the previous days. There should have been a clear announcement about this. Sayang sa oras, sayang sa pamasahe. Haaay this government talaga.

Anyway, at NAIA Terminal 3, you have to scan the QR code by the entrance using the TRAZE contact tracing app. It's okay if only one from your travelling group has the app. Just mention to the guard that you're travelling together. NO FACE MASKS, NO FACE SHIELDS, NO FLYING. All check-ins must be done through the self service kiosks. From there you can print your boarding pass and bag tags (if you have check-in baggage). After that, drop your baggage at the airline counter. The staff will check for additional documents depending on your destination. In our case, we presented our health declaration forms and IDs.

Final security check and boarding process are still the same except for the constant reminders of wearing your face masks and face shields all the time including the entire duration of the flight.

There are also a few changes inside the airplane. You are not allowed to stay on the aisle while waiting for your turn to pee. The flight attendant will just approach you if the lavatory becomes available. Even if the pilot gives a go signal to disembark, you can only stand to get your bags on the overhead bins when your row number is called.

Arriving at Caticlan and Going to your Resort

Upon arrival at the Caticlan Airport, someone will check for your temp then you will have to line up at the "IMMIGRATION" counter before you can get your bags. They will scan your QR code, check your ID and record your temperature.

Once we collected our bag, we headed to the transfers kiosk. Some resorts have their own transfers but you may also book from accredited tour operators. Fees start at 500+ per person per way. We've been to Boracay several times already so we just opted to take the DIY route. Even if you just take the tricycle from the airport to Caticlan Jetty Port, you will still have your QR code scanned. They will then provide you with a trike coupon which you will give to the tricycle terminal counter outside the airport. Tricycle costs 100 per trip and they only allow 2 passengers. If you haven't been to Boracay recently, the arrival terminal is located farther away from the jetty port. The departure terminal though is still in the original lcocation.

At the Caticlan Jetty Port, the ticket counters are now located inside the terminal. There are still two separate lines for locals and tourists. Before buying your tickets, have your QR code scanned and IDs checked.

Boat Fee - 40
Terminal Fee - 100
Environmental Fee - 75

Due to social distancing measures, boat seat numbers are now provided and the boats I think are only operating on 50% capacity.

And just before boarding, there's another QR code scan. You would need to go through 4 scans before you even set foot on the island.

As soon as we arrived at Cagban port, we boarded an E-trike going to Sur Beach Resort which is located in Station 1. A chartered trip would set you back at 150 or 200 depending on the driver's mood. Lol. We used to share the tricycle with other passengers and just pay 20 each. We were that cheapo back then. Hahaha. If you're with a big group, you may opt to take a multicab although they also have a reduced seating capacity now. Just check which option works for you.

Boracay in the New Normal

There are a few observations I would like to share about the island in the new normal.

Masks should be worn in public places at all times even on the beach. My cousin said there were marshals who roam around to check but when we were there, I haven't seen any.
Masks and shields should be worn when taking public transport. Again, not strictly implemented. An E-trike can only accept 4 passengers per trip. Sometimes they allow us to take one trike (we are a group of 6) but we never share the trike with other people we don't know.
Sur Beach Resort is operating on 50% capacity. They offer ala carte breakfast instead of buffet. It's probably the same with other resorts too. They don't accept non-hotel guests to dine at their restaurant. Rooms are not automatically made up everyday. You would have to request for it. Staff going inside the guest rooms wear their full PPE.
There are designated areas in the beach for swimming although it is rarely being followed. People practice social distancing by the beach anyway and there are not many tourists as compared to before.
There's an 11pm curfew in the island but some establishments close earlier. They extended the curfew to 1am during NYE. Lots of businesses have temporarily closed. McDonalds's was not spared. Others have even closed permanently like our go-to Indian restaurant, True Food.
Curfew means no more night life. Even Epic bar had to follow the curfew time.
If you want to experience seafood paluto, you can still go to E-Mall Station 3. The wet market at the old talipapa though is closed and Aquafresh is the only open restaurant in the area. So your choices are limited to what the restaurant has in stock. The excitement is not the same like in D'Talipapa back then but we're happy that our expat friends enjoyed the food.
There are still water activities such as paddleboarding, jetski, and island hopping.
There are still locals peddling food, souvenirs and offering activities but not as many as compared to before.
If you need a massage, you can ask your hotel to call in the masseuse for you. We had ours done at the resort's cabanas. I'm not sure if the massage parlors around Station 2 are still operating.

To sum up this trip, it's like visiting Boracay on a low season and 5x quieter. No parties. No traffic. No hordes of Chinese and Korean tourists with flags like children on a field trip who line up at Halowich / Crazy Crepe / Andok's. But kidding aside, except for the Covid-19 virus and the many people who lost their jobs/businesses, I liked the island how it is now. Boracay is worth all those extra travel procedures and the swab test.

***Dell and I decided to stay at home after the trip (except to do the groceries and other errands) and not meet any of our friends or family members for at least 14 days just to be sure.

Bangkok Street Food and Where To Find Them

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 10:22:00 +0000

More than shopping, one of the things I enjoy doing in Bangkok is eating street food. Everywhere you look in Bangkok, there's food. It could get really overwhelming especially when all you see from every street corner are vendors offering snacks ranging from pork skewers to stir fried noodles.

Since I have plenty of down time this quarantine period, I finally had the time to sort through my travel photos and was able to make a list of some of the street food we tried during our Bangkok trip last August (and where to find them).

Moo Ping (Thai Style Grilled Pork)
Rot Fai Night Market / Chatuchak Weekend Market

While most of us associate Thai Bbq with Pork Satay (or Chicken Satay), there is another version of grilled pork that the locals love. This was the first food we tried at the night market and to be honest, it raised my standards on street-side barbecue. The ones being sold at Chatuchak market is good too. No need for dipping sauce. Average price is 10-15 baht/ stick.

Ta Lay Krok (Seafood Takoyaki)

Rot Fai Night Market

It was my first time to try to try this seafood takoyaki and I haven't seen one being sold in places other than Rot Fai Night Market. Unlike the Japanese Takoyaki, these are open faced and topped with assorted seafood. Sells for 70baht/7 pieces.

Boat Noodles and Fish Balls
Rua Thong Boat Noodle near Victory Monument

We started with regular sized bowls of Beef Noodle then observed what others were ordering. I noticed that most of them ordered small bowls. The 2 customers on the table next to us already have about a dozen empty bowls. And so we were compelled to order small bowls too. Hahaha. The small bowl costs 12 baht and the serving is just about 3-4 mouthfuls so I guess that's why they can afford to finish that much bowls.

What makes the soup thick is the addition of pig's blood. So it's like eating dinuguan (Filipino pork blood stew) with noodles.

We also got a plate of fish balls which I would have enjoyed have we ordered it earlier and paired it with our big noodles.

There's an English translation in their menu though not all of the staff can converse in English well. Thankfully, they get our orders right every time especially when we requested to replace one order with a non-spicy version for my 2-yearold nephew.

Khanom Buang (Thai Crispy Pancake)
Rot Fai Night Market

This crispy crepe is topped with meringue and egg yolk threads. I haven't tasted the orange one but I've read it's made of shrimp but nowadays they use coconut shavings instead.

Pad Thai
Chatuchak Weekend Market

Pad Thai is a rice noodle dish that is stir fried with eggs, tofu, tamarind paste, fish sauce, chilies. You would normally see it topped with ground peanuts and bean sprouts. You can choose from Prawn, Vegetable, Chicken or Pork.

Pancakes
Chatuchak Weekend Market / Pratunam

Craving for something sweet or something savory? They got you! The ones on the left are locally called Kanom Ba Bin (made with coconut shavings). I think the purple ones have taro in them. The ones on the right are called Kanom Gui Chai (made with chives).

Fried Dough Balls
Pratunam / Bo Bae Market

I saw these Kanom Kai Nok Krata (Sweet Potato Balls) being sold along Petchburi Soi 19. I didn't get to try them as I was in a hurry that day. These stalls also sell other kinds of fried stuff like banana fritters and tapioca balls. We tried those sesame balls being sold in an alley at Bo Bae Market and had to come back for a second order.

Steamed Corn
Along Petchburi Road

Look how appetizing it is! I wanted to order a whole bowI for myself. I once tried the version with shredded coconut and it was equally good.

Chicken Rice
Kuang Heng Pratunam Chicken Rice

If Chicken Rice is a famous street food in Singapore, then the Thais have their own version of it too. In Bangkok, there are two famous chicken rice shops both of which are located in Pratunam. I've tried Kuang Heng's but to my surprise, the chicken was a bit bland. Their dipping sauce is good though. The meal comes with a free soup. I also ordered a Thai Iced tea to complete my dining experience.

Satay
Kuang Heng Pratunam Chicken Rice

Satay is a popular Southeast Asian grilled dish and is usually served with peanut dipping sauce. Unlike Moo Ping which is more similar to our standard barbecues, Satay is marinated from the usual Thai ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, coriander. It also uses turmeric which gives it the yellow color. I ordered 10 sticks (60 baht) of these to take back to the hotel so my cousin can taste it. She liked it so much that she almost finished everything while I was busy going about how my day went. Hahaha!

Baby Octopus
King Octopus at Chatuchak Weekend Market

I'm not sure if they are grilled or fried. They are served with super spicy sauce. It was a bit rubbery so I didn't really like it.

Moo Grob (Deep Fried Crispy Pork), Popia Tort (Spring Rolls), Vegetables Stir Fry
Home Cafe Tha Tien

Home Cafe Tha Tien is located near Wat Pho and is a popular family owned restaurant. We went here for lunch before we continue with our temple tour. We ordered what I usually have whenever I eat at Thai restos.

Sushi
Rot Fai Night Market

Sushi obviously did not originate from Thailand but these sushi rolls being sold at Rot Fai Night Market are super tasty.

Mango Sticky Rice
Pratunam

It is similar to suman (rice cake) paired with ripe mangoes. The best part? Drizzling it with sweet coconut cream.

Orange Juice
Almost everywhere

Your food trip won't be complete without buying a bottle of this orange juice. Usually sells for 20-30baht.

Longan Juice, Butterfly Pea
Almost Everywhere

Thai vendors never ran out of ideas when it comes to juices and iced teas. Longan is my favorite next to orange. The butterfly pea iced tea is normally blue in color but the purple color is a result of the addition of lemon juice.

Cha Tra Mue Thai Iced Tea
Almost Everywhere

You can easily distinguish Thai Iced Tea among other milk teas because of its orange color. I don't know if it's just me but I get a smoky scent but it's no big deal. I still love it anyway. Thai Iced Tea is normally mixed with condensed milk but some add evaporated milk. I noticed most of the stalls selling thai iced tea uses the same brand. Even here in Manila, I saw one Thai Restaurant serving Cha Tra Mue.

There was a Cha Tra Mue kiosk at the food court of Platinum Fashion Mall where I bought this Thai Iced Tea (already comes with a free tumbler). Aside from the ready-to-drink tea, they also sell the tea mix. There are also other stores that sell these even in groceries. The cheapest I saw was at a stall in Chatuchak. You can also haggle if you buy more.

Coconut Ice Cream, Sugarcane Juice
Chatuchak/ Tha Tien Pier

Excuse the photo since it was extremely hot that day during our temple tour. The coconut ice cream has already melted before I even took my phone from my bag. It was expensive for 50 baht a cup probably because it was in a touristy area. As we eat our ice cream and walk back to the pier, we saw a stall selling sugar cane juice. I remember as kids we would snack on these raw sugar cane. The grown-ups would peel off the outer skin and we would chew on the fiber and won't stop until we squeeze out all the sweet juices from it. Thank God for the invention of extractor, I can enjoy a bottle of sugarcane juice without breaking my jaw.

Thai Popsicles
Chatuchak Weekend Market

At 5 baht per stick, this is a cheap refreshment after walking around for hours shopping at Chatuchak. These pops are made from flavored juices poured on metal tubes sitting on a tub of ice. Once they are ready, the vendor dips the tubes in warm water for easy release.

Innwa: Burma's Ancient Capital

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 01:35:00 +0000

We were on day 5 of exploring Myanmar as evident in my tired and sunburnt feet and screaming eyebags. It was nearly sunset but our driver insisted that we still visit Innwa before heading back to downtown Mandalay.

Innwa / Ava used to be Myanmar's seat of power hundreds of years ago.

Getting to this ancient city required us to take a 3 minute boat ride as it is located across the river. Our driver stayed behind.

Getting around was another story. It's quite small for a city but too big to walk around so you have to negotiate with the local guides in their horse carts who were waiting along the bank.

Compared to the other areas we've been to in Mandalay, this place had a very peaceful vibe probably because we were the only tourists at that time.

Yadana Hsimi

A bit scary if you think about it but it was definitely a breath of fresh air after fighting our way among hordes of tourists and temple worshipers since morning and getting stuck in traffic.

It was also good to witness the locals just go about their day and be greeted by kids while we were at the pagoda.

We travelled for long hours on the road, spending the nights in buses just to be able to squeeze in as many places as possible in less than a week. Just remembering the experience makes me feel tired already. Haha. But I do miss it. I just don't know if my body is still up for that kind of adventure again. 😅

San Juan Surf Resort, La Union

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 13:20:00 +0000

This year, I wanted to go on a beach trip for my birthday. For us living in Manila, we would normally plan to go to Zambales or Batangas. I've never been to La Union or as (my fellow) millennials call "ELYU" but I've always been curious about the place and when Elyu came up in one of my viber chats with friends, we unanimously decided to go there this summer and set it on my birthday weekend.

And so 2 weeks ago, together with my husband, my nieces and 3 of my closest friends, I welcomed my 35th at the surfing capital of Northern Philippines.

We spent 2 nights at San Juan Surf Resort. Located right at Urbiztondo beach, where the action happens, San Juan Surf Resort is owned by the Landrigans (family of the famous surfer, Luke Landrigan).

We also considered other accommodations like the hipster hostels Flotsam & Jetsam and Vessel. I even made a "cancellable" booking at Kahuna Resort via Agoda just so we have a backup hotel while we still finalize our trip plans. Kahuna has a swimming pool but the rates are on the expensive side. Location, convenience and budget factors combined, San Juan Resort won. Plus, my friend Binder has been there (see what I did there?).

RESERVATION

Since we are a group of 5 adults and 2 kids, we booked for a family room. The room we got is priced at 7,550 per night and comes with a free breakfast for 6 persons. Reservation is via email or text but you have to have A LOT of patience and understanding when inquiring from them. I just had a not-so-good experience with them and some of their reviews confirmed that their reservation system is not that efficient. They take too long to reply or would not reply at all. They didn't even answer my calls.

We originally planned to go to La Union on a Saturday. I texted the resort's reservation number 2 weeks ahead of our trip to inquire on room availability but after a few text exchanges, they stopped replying and never heard from them anymore.

I never got a reply from them even after 2 days of texting and calling. They never answered my calls. I then had a crazy idea that they might be avoiding my number so I asked my husband to text them using his phone and surprisingly, they replied. However, their rooms were already booked for Saturday. I didn't wanna end up moving our trip to another weekend because in our barkada, "it's now or next year". Lol. Good thing my friends agreed to reschedule our trip on a Sunday even if it meant 2 days of work leave.

We were eyeing on the Ocean View rooms but it was not available anymore so we had to settle for the cheaper family room. Once we confirmed its availability, we immediately asked for payment details. We transferred the payment right away while they were on reply mode. (50% via BDO) Haha. They confirmed our booking that afternoon.

Kids are counted as adults as per the reservations officer. Extra bed is at 1,250 per night with breakfast but since my nieces shared the bed with me, we didn't request for an extra bed anymore. We just ordered food for the little kiddo during breakfast.

CHECK-IN and CHECK OUT

They are strict with check-in times so even if we arrived and registered at the reception by 11am, we were told to come back by 2pm as our room was not ready yet. We just left our big bags so we can stroll around the resort and have lunch.

When it was time for check-in, they handed us our room key and informed us of the breakfast schedule. We only found out that there's an available WIFI when we asked the reception the following morning. Waste of data eh? Add the fact that the area has a poor Globe signal.

They also charge 150 pesos for every succeeding hour after check out time (12 noon) but they are considerate enough to remind you about that. Also, our room balance was collected during check out.

ROOM CONDITION

The first room assigned to us (Family Rm 3) had no view and is located at the back part of the resort. It looked nothing like the one on their website (one matrimonial bed and 2 bunk beds). Turns out the rooms of that type were fully booked. So we asked to be transferred to another room. We had to wait for around 15 minutes as the new room wasn't ready yet.

Our new room (Family Rm 6) was spacious and had windows. It's in the same building as the first one but at least we have our private stairs and a balcony overlooking the garden. It also has a partial view of the beach.

It has 2 bedrooms - one has a single bed and a double bed with en suite toilet and shower;

the other one was super small, just enough to fit a double bed and 2 small tables. The other single bed was placed just outside the smaller room.

Only the bedrooms have aircon so we had to leave the small bedroom's door open. The room is also equipped with cable TV and fridge.

One major downside of that family room is the common bathroom. It was unnecessarily huge - about twice the size of the first bedroom. It has a locked door leading to the back terrace which was weird. It has a non-functioning bath tub so we just used the shower. The bathroom is also smelly probably due to poor plumbing. The bathroom sink easily clogs so we just used the kitchen sink (for brushing our teeth, etc.) We did report it but no one came to fix. I'm guessing that bathroom was originally not a bathroom when the room was first built.

Also, there were no ready towels in the room so I had to request at the reception.

BREAKFAST

Breakfasts are being served at the resort's restaurant, Coast Call Kitchen Bar.

They offer a good selection of Filipino and Continental breakfast sets and have generous servings. I was able to try their Mang Juan's Favorite.

We also had our lunch there twice. Food is good and reasonably priced. Restaurant was jampacked on weekends. We had to wait a bit for our lunch orders to be served during our first day (it was a Sunday). I loved their Sinigang na Bangus, by the way.

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San Juan Surf Resort may not have the best reservations team due to their super slow response time (or should I say not replying at times), and we may not have stayed in their newer/better rooms, I am still happy that we chose them over other accommodations in the area.

They have friendly and polite staff.

They have a nice location. Besides Coast Call, there are also many dining options within walking distance. There's also a nearby BDO ATM. It is also a few meters walk from Sebay — another surf resort and the drop off/pickup point of Partas bus if you're commuting. There's also a 7-11 in that area too for your grocery needs.

They have their own surf school (obviously), spa and souvenir shops where you can also buy swimming gear and nice shirts.

Beer at the restaurant is cheaper (70 compared to Flotsam's 120).

For those bringing cars, they have ample parking space. One important thing to note though: No pets allowed.

44 hours in Brussels

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 10:13:00 +0000

Brussels was not part of the plan. Upon receiving our approved Schengen Visas, we went a bit gaga deciding on which city to visit aside from Copenhagen. Paris was non-negotiable. Rome was second on our list and it would be cool to see the pope celebrate the Easter Mass at the Vatican. But a Paris-Rome trip on an Easter week would definitely damage our pockets and I don't want that.

Dell's colleagues were set to fly to Spain for their holiday break and they asked if we would want to go to Amsterdam together before going on separate trips. Amsterdam was not a bad idea considering the number of places you can see within the canal district alone plus it's tulip season! But I didn't intend to spend a lot of time there so I googled for possible destinations en route to Paris and Brussels was the perfect match!

The 3-hour bus ride from Amsterdam took us to Brussels North Station. As we get ready to alight, we were reminded by the bus conductor to secure our personal belongings as there were many cases of theft in the area. I kept my camera in my backpack and made sure my small purse was safely hidden under my coat as we walked inside the train station.

and what exactly are you doing, Sir?

Belgium has 3 official languages being Dutch, French, and German which was in no way helpful to us, who can only understand English. The words Uitgang and Sortie in the signage by the turnstiles I guessed, probably mean "Exit".

Since it was a random destination we picked 2 weeks before our trip, I wasn't able to do an extensive research about Brussels except for Belgian waffles, Chez Leon's mussels and the Manneken Pis. And I wasn't aware that Belgium is pretty diverse when it comes to ethnicity. Having been to Copenhagen and Amsterdam whose people we've seen are mostly white, we were surprised to see a lot of Africans and Middle Easterners at the station. I later learned from a quick research that those people were mostly from Morocco, Turkey and DR Congo who migrated to Belgium in the recent years.

We were clueless at first on how to buy train tickets. Well at least we knew the station nearest to our booked accommodations so we started by looking at the train map. Glad we were still with Barbs on this trip as the pocket WIFI she lent us still wasn't working (well really she couldn't remember the right username and password combination). Barbs, by the way is my former schoolmate-turned-boss-turned-friend and currently Dell's boss under a new company who now goes by the name Madi, but I still prefer to call Barbs. She's meeting Erik (Dell's other boss) and his family who we were arriving from Germany by midnight so we got to spend the rest of our first day in Brussels with her.

We purchased our tickets at the kiosk. And as we expected, they are expensive. A STIB-MIVB Single fare costs €2.10 but if you plan on station hopping for 24hrs, you can purchase the STIB-MIVB 24 h for €7.50. Actually, 4 single trips would already cost you €8.40 so the 24h card is a pretty good deal.

We booked a room at Max Hotel, located near Rogier station— one stop from Brussels North via Line 3 while Barbs got an airBnb near Bourse/Beurs— another 2 stops away. Since her apartment shares the same metro station as the Grand Place (our main agenda that afternoon), we decided that she goes with us to our hotel first then we accompany her to her airbnb.

Of course we encountered problems during check-in. First, Max Hotel's self check in service. Check-in kiosk wasn't accepting our credit card and since we can't check in, we cannot get the keycard which is also used to open the hotel's main door. Uggghhh. But thankfully, there was a phone by the kiosk and we were able to call the hotel staff and he let us in. We just did the manual swiping from his terminal.

Second, at the AirBnb apartment, Barbs was having problems with the host because the host only spoke French or Dutch. I was relieved at that moment that I decided against booking an AirBnb. Bwahahaha. We had a hard time figuring out which numbers to punch in the main door's security lock and there was another one on the door inside leading to the apartment floor. I'm not sure if we used a key to the apartment unit's door or it was another set of numbers. I couldn't recall that part anymore.

Brussels Stock Exchange

But after all those check in hiccups, we happily headed to Grand Place passing by rows of chocolate and waffle shops. I fought the urge to buy as we were set to have dinner at Chez Leon. Chez Leon is famous for their "moules frites" where in the mussels are cooked in white wine and butter and served with a side of fries. We just had to try them. Mussels in Brussels!

Whipped Cream overload

A photo with the Mannekin Pis was a given when going to Grand Place. And funny how uninteresting it is in person but still many tourists (yep, including us) would patiently wait for their turn to take an unobstructed shot of that tiny pissing boy.

Tourists at Grand Place

I must say that we really enjoyed the mussels at Chez Leon. It wasn't my first time to eat mussels though. My mom would always cook it but instead of using white wine, she would boil the mussels in 7up or any available lemon-lime soda. And in my part of the world, it is served with rice, of course.

The mixed stoemp didn't disappoint either. Stoemp is actually a dish made of mashed potato mixed with other veggies like carrots and onions. In Netherlands, it's called Stamppot. We tried it at one of the restaurants in Amsterdam. This one was served with sausage and bacon.

After dinner, they (because I was on meds at that time) had a few drinks at Le Roy d'Espagne as we continued to reminisce our younger years in Manila. It was the first time we went on a trip with Barbs since she moved to Denmark several years ago.

We walked Barbs to her AirBnb then headed back to our hotel. On our way to the train station, there were Middle Eastern looking men in black leather jackets hiding behind the posts. That's when our paranoia went on high alert. We walked as fast as we could as we pass through those men praying nothing bad would happen to us that night. Well, we got to the station fine. Maybe those men where just trying to find a shelter from the cold wind. Guess we've seen the movie Taken too many times. Lol.

The following morning, one of the username/pw combination we tried finally worked on the WIFI! We had our breakfast at Mcdonald's then took the metro back to Bourse.

Outside Max Hotel

Brussels Stock Exchange all mine =)

And the creator of the comic book series Adventures of Tintin being Belgian, it was no surprise that bookshops in Brussels are fully stocked with Tintin books, posters and other merchandise.

Comic books and posters at Brüsel.

A quiet morning at Rue du Marché au Charbon

We also tried to locate as many comic-strip murals as we can and secretly joined a tour group and went inside one of the churches in the area.

We found ourselves back at the waffle alley and finally indulged on Belgian waffles. Too bad Maison Dandoy won't accept big bills so I had to settle for a less popular shop who accepted my money without question. And they were cheaper too!

The face of the person who just had her breakfast but is so ready to devour the waffle

Trivia: There are two types of Belgian waffles, the square (or rectangular) one is Brussels and the other one with the uneven shape is called Liege.

Brussels Waffle at Maison Dandoy

Liege Waffles at Be Waffle

We originally planned to visit the comic museum but my stubborn self opted to waste the entire day looking for a Starbucks branch that has a city tumbler in stock. We actually went to 3 branches and walked up to Mont des Arts but we didn't find any. At least someone got his Hard Rock shirt.

Mont des Arts

King Albert I

The very cold weather made us crave for hot soup or just anything with rice. I know, I know we were in Belgium and frites (fries) rule! We even tried our luck on these Greek restaurants but they only got pita... and fries!!! Unbelievable.

Meet Charles Buls, the Mayor of Brussels in the 1800s.

We were supposed to eat at this restaurant across Charles Buls fountain but the €18 meal without rice screams injustice. Haha. And so we went on the rice hunt again but after going around the Grand Place area for a couple of times, we eventually conceded to ordering fries at Belgian Frit'n Toast. Bwahahahahahaha.

We passed by this shop several times and kept on ignoring it but I guess we were destined to eat more potatoes. Lol.

Belgian Frites with ketchup, mayo and pickles

Boring looking burger (adjust saturation to 100%)

hungry, cold and japutla

Bought a few assorted chocolates to snack on while walking. They were the cheapest ones we found but still goooooood.

poorman's Belgian chocolates. No budget for Godiva or Leonidas. Huhu.

Beer, anyone?

That afternoon we went back to Rogier station but I just had to check one last Starbucks shop at the mall nearby our hotel and guess what, no Belgium or Brussels tumbler. On the way back, we passed by Rue Neuve which turned out to be a shopping street and literally is at the back of our hotel. (I told you I didn't do my research. ) There's a big Nike Store, Footlocker, etc. We got some pairs at JD Sports. Most shops closed by 730pm and thank God we arrived in the area around 6 o'clock or we might end up buying more shoes.

For dinner, we just bought food at the Kebap Center and ate them at the hotel. We were still a bit paranoid to stay outside because of what happened the other night. The meals were a bit pricey but servings are generous and there's rice too. Hohoho. We had some leftovers and just ate them the following morning before leaving the hotel.

We didn't make anymore plans on our last day in Brussels instead we left the hotel early for Gare du Midi and waited for our bus to Paris. Guess we were a little too early as we were the only ones at the bus stop.

Brrrrr. I should've brought a blanket

A few minutes on our supposed departure, and still there were no other passengers in sight. We were starting to worry that we might be on the wrong bus stop. That's when I decided to walk to the Eurolines ticket office across the street while Dell stayed behind to look out for our stuff. After a short conversation with the staff in broken English, I was a bit relaxed knowing that the bus was just arriving late. We also met a French lady who was headed to her hometown via Paris who thankfully will be taking the same bus. She works for an NGO and goes home to France every few months. She assured as that the bus is arriving and that delays are normal. Guess we overestimated the bus companies in Europe as the bus was late for 30 minutes.

The bus was almost full (bus picked up some passengers from another station I wasn't aware of) so Dell and I weren't seated next to each other. I sat beside an old man who was asleep most of the time. The trip was generally comfortable except for our growling stomachs. Had we known that the trip would be delayed, we would have bought our lunch. But it was still okay anyway as I was then excited to finally be seeing Paris. We just bought some snacks during stopover.

What I Learned From Flying Alone with Two Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 08:53:00 +0000

I admire parents who travel alone frequently with their kids. I could not imagine how crazy it was until I experienced it first hand especially on a long haul flight. While my nieces are already grade-schoolers and flying with babies or toddlers was definitely a lot harder (that I have yet to face in the future), it still doesn't discount the fact that I was the only one in-charge of everything on that flight.

There were no tantrums, ear discomfort, or pooping in the toilet that I had to deal with, but it was a totally different experience compared to flying alone or with a fellow adult.

It's not the kids' first time to travel. They've been flying since they were babies but they were always with their parents. Recently, we traveled together to Hong Kong with their mom (my SIL), their other aunt (my SIL's sister), and my husband so it is not so much of a hassle as we take turns in looking after them. Plus Hong Kong is just 2 hours away from Manila and no visa required so less docs to prepare.

Preparing for Your Flight

Book a direct flight as much as possible to avoid running around the airport to get to your next gate if your first flight gets delayed. And also to cut on travel time. Kids can get impatient.
Wear your most comfortable clothes. I wore a loose tee, jeans, and sneakers. You will do a lot of lifting heavy luggage at the X-ray machines, check-in counters and baggage claim. If non-passenger companions are allowed to enter the airport, have them assist you at least until before the immigration area.
Choose the most functional bag as hand-carry. My husband was definitely right in suggesting that I leave my handbag at home and just use his backpack instead for our travel documents, snacks and other gadgets. I also have a small sling bag where I can easily access our passports, boarding passes, my phone and wallet.

At the Airport

If the kids are old enough to follow instructions, give them responsibilities. I asked them to ALWAYS secure their personal bags. They assisted me in pushing our luggage while lining up at the check-in counter. They also went ahead to line up at the immigration counter while I fill out the departure cards at the table. They were also helpful in locating our next gate during our layover in Abu Dhabi.
If there's no priority lane for passengers with kids at the airport check-in counter, try to do a web check-in so you won't have to line up on the regular lane. The line was very long when we arrived so I checked-in the last minute via my mobile phone and we were able to transfer to the web check-in lane and got ahead of almost 30 passengers.
Always bring extra documents to avoid delays. My nieces are OFW dependents so they are entitled to a reduced travel tax rate of 300 pesos (provided that they travel the the country where their parent works). In order to avail it, I needed to present a copy of their birth certificates and their mom's Overseas Employment Certificate number. I only have a copy on my phone so I begged the staff at the travel tax counter if I can just email it to them and have them print it. Glad he agreed but reminded me to bring a hard copy next time. And thankful that they have decent internet connection (which they really should have), they were able to receive my email right away. And since our flight is connecting via Abu Dhabi, I was also asked to present a ticket showing that our final destination is in Kuwait, where their mom works. But who prints a ticket nowadays? And so I also emailed our e-ticket to them.

And this one is also important. Some Immigration Officers (at least the one who interviewed us) are not aware of the existence of DSWD Travel Clearance. Just when I thought everything was okay just by presenting our passports, boarding passes, visas and the kids's travel clearance, (because hello? I think I have submitted all the documents needed just to secure it), he still asked me a proof of my relationship to the kids' parents, etc. Good thing I brought the original copies with me (DSWD just took the photocopies). He even asked me extra questions such as how much did I pay for it and how long did it take me to process it and all that.
Add at least additional 1 hour to your usual allotted time before the flight. We spent an hour lining up at the immigration and barely made it to our flight. We were among the last passengers to board our plane. We had to run as fast as we could and we were all panting upon reaching our seats.
Have a pee break before boarding. This avoids visits to the airplane bathroom during take-off or serving of meals.

During Flight

Keep the kids entertained. At least the in-flight entertainment took care of it. But when they got "umay"of the shows, they played with my Ipad.
Order a meal that is different from theirs because there's a big chance that they don't like it and would switch food with you. Well, Etihad's food is terrible so I cannot blame the kids.
Prepare to not get enough sleep even if you're on an evening flight. I planned to dose off early so I asked for some wine after dinner but it didn't happen as planned because, "Tita, I need to pee." or "Tita, massage my feet." (using my ever reliable Tiger Balm) or "Tita, look at this." (pointing at their screens, showing me what they're watching) and many more.
If everyone wants to sleep (and you know how it is in economy class), be creative on how you will get at least one of the kids to lie down comfortably. I was wishing at that moment that there were empty rows but the flight was full. Gaaah.

It was easier during our flight back to Manila as our family and friends were able to go inside the airport and accompanied us until the pre-boarding area. The kids were also tired the whole day so they were both asleep in the plane most of the time.

Traveling with Kids Who Are Not Your Kids (DSWD Travel Clearance)

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 10:57:00 +0000

Securing a DSWD travel clearance is a requirement for Filipino minors (below 18) traveling to a foreign country alone or with someone other than their parents. There are exceptions though like if the parents are in the foreign service, or the minor is holding dependent visa or residence visa and rejoining their parents in that country, etc.

This year, my sister-in-law and my parents (who are all based in Kuwait) wanted the kids to spend their summer vacation with them. Hence, I was tasked to accompany them for the trip.

After receiving all the needed requirements from my SIL by mail, I went to DSWD Manila Field Office to apply for my nieces' travel clearance.

You can find the requirements in their website: https://ncr.dswd.gov.ph/faqs/travel-clearance-for-minors but government agency peeps are notorious for asking additional requirements no matter how complete you think your documents are. It is still best to call their office before you go to make sure that you get the most updated information from them.

And I was right. Have I not called them the day before my trip to their office, I would have not brought those "additional requirements" with me and would have wasted my time.

And here are the "additional requirements" I was asked to present / I voluntary presented:

1. A photocopy of my brother's death certificate. At first, the evaluator was asking for an NSO copy but I told her I only have the one provided by the hospital abroad.
2. A copy of the shipping waybill (DHL) as proof that the original documents (affidavit of support and consent, parental travel permit both duly notarized by the Philippine Consulate in Kuwait) were really sent to me by my SIL.

DSWD Manila Field Office is located at San Rafael cor Legarda St. in Manila just near Samson Institute. Please note that they only entertain applicants (the minors) who are residing in NCR. You may check their website to know the assigned field office for your region.

Procedure is simple.

1. Upon arrival at the DSWD office, tell the guard you're there for the travel clearance and leave an ID.
2. Proceed to the second floor. Secure an application form (if you haven't downloaded it yet) and write the minor's name on the log book at the pre-evaluation table. I called them "pre" because there is another evaluation inside the red door.
3. While waiting, fill out the form, prepare your documents and compare it with the checklist at the back of the form. Should you need photocopies, there's a photocopying service by the canteen downstairs.
4. If the minor's name is called, proceed to the pre-eval table and hand each requirement he/she asks.
5. If your requirements are complete, you will to have to wait again to be called for the final evaluation.
6. Make sure you know everything about your documents and the trip because you'll be interviewed by the social worker during the evaluation.
7. If everything's good, you will be given a claim stub and will be asked to proceed to the cashier to pay for the clearance. Fee is 300 pesos per minor which has 1 year validity. For 2 years, you have to pay 600 pesos.
8. Present your receipt to the same evaluator and have your claim stub stamped.
9. Go back on release date. For first time applicants, releasing of clearances is usually after 2-3 days. For renewal, you can get it within the day. This applies to Manila office. Can't say the same for other offices.
10. On the release date, proceed to the red door (evaluation room) and present your claim stub. Again, wait for the minor's name to be called.
11. Before leaving, make sure to double or triple check the travel clearance for typos. You can have them corrected right away.

Waiting time may vary depending on the number of applications they process on that day. It took me more than 2 hours during the application date and around 30 minutes during the release date.

Hong Kong Guide for First Time Pinoy DIY Travelers

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 06:28:00 +0000

I was in my early 20s when I first set foot in what would turn out to be my favorite place to visit outside the Philippines. I was with my parents then and a bit naive about travelling, I booked the services of a travel agency to arrange our trip. It was a typical 4 days/3 nights package tour and most of my memories include being taken to a jewelry shop and a jade shop, wasting precious time waiting inside the bus for the rest of the tour group to come back on every single stop, and being forced to buy those souvenir photos on plates.

I'd be ungrateful if I say I didn't enjoy my first trip to Hong Kong but it was during my second visit that I realized how much I missed out on what the place has to offer.

That's also the first time I traveled DIY so we (I was with my friend and cousin) were able to plan out the trip well and roamed around the city at our own pace.

And so 8 trips to Hong Kong later, I think it's time to share some tips and tricks to enjoy Hong Kong on DIY travel.

Hong Kong is one of the easiest places to navigate just like Singapore because of its very efficient transport system so even pre-mobile data days, I'm proud to stay we didn't get lost there.

A lot of people I personally know have been to Hong Kong and by the photos they post on social media, I am sure they were on DIY travel because believe me, it is so easy.

But for those who are still not convinced, here's a guide for you.

Disclaimer: This is based on my personal travel experiences (and I travel on a budget) so I'm not saying it is the best guide and you are not forced to follow every single tip. Only follow what you think suits your travel style best.

Book your ticket.

Coming from Manila, you may choose between PAL, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia. If you're "sosi", go for Cathay Pacific. PAL is actually already "sosi" for me so I only took PAL once going to HK. I fly via Cebu Pacific most of the time.

Many years ago, I would get crazy over seat sales. Back then, I would easily secure within minutes a 3000 peso round trip tickets with baggage allowance via Cebu Pacific. And seat sales dictate my travel dates. I would sometimes travel on weekdays, on a red-eye flight or during a typhoon season just because it is the cheapest available ticket. For me, the cheaper the ticket, the better regardless if I need to extend my vacation leave or stay awake for 24 hours for working the whole day and going straight to the airport to catch my evening flight. Yes, tiis ganda.

Right now, that I feel more mature (ehem!), I check first if the travel dates are favorable to me and my companions before I proceed with searching. I've grown impatient now with the very slow loading of pages or errors in the airline booking sites whenever there's a sale (Hello Cebu Pacific!). Imagine how many more people I compete with now for cheap fares than from 7 or 8 years ago.

What I do now is just check the airline websites from time to time if there are discounted fares. It saves me from a lot of heartache and lack of sleep (seat sales usually start at midnight).

But I don't discourage you from trying to look for tickets during seat sale. It's fun! It is like winning a lotto ticket (except I haven' yet) or passing your thesis defense when you receive the confirmation of your booking after the nerve wracking minutes or even hours of searching for those very elusive seats.

So book your tickets and then start planning. Btw, Philippine passport holders can enter HK visa-free and can stay up to 14 days.

Look for accommodation.

Because of the very steep price of real estate in Hong Kong, expect to stay in a cramp room may it be a hotel or hostel. You would be surprised that your bathroom at home is 2-3x bigger than their average hostel bathroom. I have experienced taking a shower while sitting on the toilet because there's not much space inside. I also experienced opening just one suitcase at a time in the remaining walking space available. And just to describe how small the smallest room I've ever stayed at, I can touch the wall with my fingers, arms stretched and reach the opposite wall with my toes while lying down in bed.

Location wise, Tsim Sha Tsui or TST is your best bet. Tourist attractions such as Avenue of the Stars (but it's undergoing renovation as of this writing), Kowloon Park, and museums such as Space Museum and Museum of Arts are only of short walking distance. A lot of malls are also located in this area. You may have seen a lot of cheap hostels located at Chungking Mansion, but the price speaks for itself. Please just avoid staying there especially if you are travelling with kids.

I've both stayed at Golden Crown Guesthouse and Taisan Guesthouse more than once but there are many other guesthouses within the area. I booked with them through their website / email.

If you are in a bigger group, you can have a whole apartment unit to yourselves which you can book via AirBnb. At least you get to have a common area/living room and a kitchen with basic equipment. And the bedrooms and en suite bathrooms are more spacious, at least in the apartment we've stayed at. The only problem I encounter with AirBnb is that you need to meet the host outside the building at a designated waiting area and if you do not want to spend on roaming charges / mobile data, find a way to get the non-english speaking security guard to contact your host through his landline to inform them of your arrival. Haha!

And with the standard check-in time of 3pm of most hotels/hostels/airbnbs, it is better off staying in a hotel where you can leave your bags at the reception if you're arriving early in the morning.

During our trip last January, we stayed at Le Prabelle Hotel in Prince Edward. It's a fairly new hotel with spacious rooms (in my HK accommodation standards) and located in a very convenient location. I preferred to book a hotel this time because we have my nieces in tow and I wanted to give them a good impression of HK Hotels. But when they grow up, I'll let them experience the true HK room size. Haha.

You can also stay in other areas like Yau Ma Tei and Mongkok or in Hong Kong island side if you like, but I suggest to stay within the Kowloon side if it's your first time. For me HK island is just a bit hard to navigate and mostly for business travelers. But I would like to stay there in my future trips.

Regardless where you're staying, one important tip is to check the hotel's distance to the MTR Exit or Airport Bus Stop. Plus points if its near restaurants or convenience stores (but in Hong Kong most if not all of the residential buildings have shops on the ground floor anyway).

It is actually not much of a big deal to me on where I stay since I just needed a room where I can take a shower and sleep after walking around for more than 12 hours.

It is best to book your accommodation as early as possible especially when staying in hotels as booking sites like Agoda offer early bird rates.

Get your HKDs.

Because Hong Kong is a favorite destination for Pinoys, it is not that difficult to find money changers here in Manila that sell HK dollars. You can try Sanry's and Czarina's. If you're from Mandaluyong, you can try Lina's in Kalentong outside Don Bosco Technical College. Some banks also sell HKDS so you may try asking your bank branch. You can also bring Pesos and have it exchanged there. Philippine Pesos are widely accepted at Hong Kong money changers. The Peso you can take out of the Philippines was now increased to 50,000 from the previous 10,000 limit. In any part of the world, airport rates are much higher compared in downtown so just exchange a few HKDs for your transportation.

I used to have my money exchanged at Wing Hoi Money Changer in Mirador Mansion, TST. They have the best PHP-HKD exchange rates but since I always get HKDs here in Manila in my recent trips, I seldom go there now.

Book Attractions Online.

I'm not the type of person who enjoys buying attraction tickets at full price. Back then, I buy HK Disney tickets from travel agencies based in HK or hostels (like Golden Crown Guesthouse) who offer them at discounted rates. During our recent trip, I got all our tickets via Klook.

Just to give you an idea how much savings you can get:

(These are the adult ticket rates last January 2018)

Disneyland HK$ 526 from HK$ 619
Ocean Park HK$ 366 from HK$ 480
Ngong Ping Cable Car Round trip Standard Cabin *HK$ 150 from HK$ 210

*$150 price is for entrance after 2:30PM and can be used only the day after your purchase which was okay as we really planned to go there in the afternoon. But you can also purchase an "anytime ticket" for a higher price.

They also have promos like 500 pesos off for first time bookings and sometimes they give additional 5% off if you are using CITI or HSBC cards so I was able to get more discounts.

Aside from discounts, it is more convenient as you would only need to show your printed tickets at the entrance or (just show them from your mobile phone). No more lining up at the ticket counter bringing cash and just worry about settling your card bill back home.

Check the Weather.

When travelling to a foreign country, always check the weather on your travel dates. Go to Accuweather.com so you can prepare your itinerary well and know what clothes to pack.

It doesn't snow in Hong Kong but it experiences below 10 deg C weather during January-February. During the summer months of April and May, it is hot and humid just like Manila. I've been to Hong Kong on a stormy June (2008) and a very hot and humid June (2014). November is also a good month to travel as it is sunny but with low humidity and with temperatures ranging between 18 to 24.

Except when there is a typhoon, I enjoy Hong Kong any time of the year.

Mobile Data is Life.

If you aren't familiar with Hong Kong and scared of getting lost, you can rent a pocket wifi at the airport. I rented ours at Kkday and only paid 900+ pesos for 5 day use. It is definitely cheaper than activating your data roaming (at 599 pesos/day) and the device can be shared by 5 users and its battery lasts more than 10 hours a day. Process is simple, you can book and pay online, present the voucher at the Kkday counter at the arrival area and within minutes receive the unit with a few instructions from the staff. Return them on the same counter on the day of your flight. There are many other companies offering this service but I've read good reviews about Kkday.

Getting to the City.

There are many options going from Hong Kong airport to the city. Taxi, Uber, Airport Express, or CityFlyer(A21/A22). I always prefer the latter as it is the cheapest way to go to Kowloon.

A21 goes to Kowloon while A22 goes to HK Island so make sure to get on the right bus.

A21 adult ticket is HK$33 per way and can be paid in cash or Octopus Card upon getting on the bus.
A pre-paid roundtrip ticket costs HK$55 which you can purchase at the Cityflyer counter outside the arrival hall near the A21 bus stop. Just shoot the "To Kowloon" ticket at the coin box near the driver and keep the return ticket ("To Airport") and do the same when you get on the bus on your departure day.

Know the nearest bus stop to your hotel so you know where to alight. (You can check the stops at the Cityflyer website). There's an LED screen inside the bus which flashes the next stop so if it shows your stop, just press on the stop button near your seat so the driver will know there's someone alighting.

If going back to the airport, take note that the A21 bus stop is on the opposite side of the road but in most cases, it is not located directly in front of the A21 bus stop you alighted at. So again, check the Cityflyer website for the nearest bus stop (going to the airport) to your hotel.

Getting Around.

You can practically go anywhere in Hong Kong (at least within the city) via the MTR. While there are available buses and mini buses, leave that to the locals as most of the tourist attractions are accessible via the MTR. You only need to take note of these most popular stations. Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park, Tung Chung (for Ngong Ping Cable Car, Tian Tan Buddha and Citygate Outlet Mall), Tsim Shai Tsui (Avenue of Stars and a lot of shopping malls), Jordan (Temple St Night Market), Causeway Bay (more luxury shopping) and Mongkok (Ladies Market, Sneaker Street and other bazaars).

Taxi is another option if you have elderly or PWD companions. All or most (this I'm not sure) don't accept Octopus card payments so make sure to bring cash with you.

Octopus Card is your Bestfriend.

There's no wasting time when you're traveling so buying/renting an octopus card saves you time from lining up at the ticket vending machine every time you take the MTR. Fares are also cheaper when you use your octopus vs getting the single journey ones. You can use the Octopus Card not only in trains but in other modes of transportation as well like bus, tram, and ferry. You can also use them for paying your purchases at convenience stores and fast food chains like Mcdonald's. So if you have a few days to spend in Hong Kong better get an Octopus card. You can return them anyway if you're not going back to Hong Kong anytime soon and refund the deposit (a minimal service fee will be deducted). I have mine for several years now and it is still working. =)

Places to Visit.

Aside from Disney, Ocean Park and Ngong Ping, popular attractions in Hong Kong include The Peak, Avenue of the Stars (Symphony of Lights) and Nan Lian Gardens/Chilin Nunnery. Going to The Peak involves a bit of walking to the lower peak tram terminus (depending on where you're coming from) then taking the tram up to The Peak.

For Nan Lian Garden, just take the MTR to Diamond Hill. A side trip to Wong Tai Sin temple (Wong Tai Sin MTR) is also okay if you're into temples.

For Avenue of the Stars, exit at Tsim Sha Tsui and find your way to the waterfront. There are street signs pointing to it. You'll pass by Art Museum and Space Museum (the one that looks like a giant igloo). There's a Symphony of Lights show everyday at 8pm so it is best to secure your spot before it starts.

If you only have 4 days or less to spend in Hong Kong, choose among these places and plan your itinerary wisely. Disneyland and Ocean Park both require whole day (if you really want to make most out of your visit). But if not, you can combine Ngong Ping+Disney and Ocean Park+The Peak.

Things to try.

Aside from going to theme parks, shopping and dining, there are a lot of things to do in Hong Kong. I've been there a lot of times but I admit, I have yet to visit other places like Stanley Market and the Outlying Islands.

Star Ferry used to be the only mode of transportation between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island when the cross harbour tunnel and the MTR line connecting the two islands were not yet built. Nowadays, it is still being widely used by commuters. It offers a cheaper way to go from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central or vise versa (only HK$ 2.4 per trip) and lets you enjoy the 10 minute view of Victoria harbour.

Ding Ding trams may not be for those in a rush as they move very slow. You can find them around HK Island passing by the busy districts of Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty, Wanchai, Causeway Bay. For me, it is a perfect way to observe Hong Kong life for only HK$3.2. If you're not going to any particular place, you can hop on and alight at any tram stop. Just don't forget to pay the fare (or tap your card) before alighting.

Walking Tour around Central and Sheung Wan District. If you're an Instagram-savvy which I bet you are, then go for a walking tour around these districts to check out the street art and strike your best pose for your Instagram feed. You can also find a lot of local cafes and shops in the area so you can make a short stop to take a rest from the long and uphill walks.

Check out the Museums. Many museums in Hong Kong offer free admission during Wednesday so if you happen to be there on a Wednesday, take advantage of this.

SideTrip to Macau.

Macau being one hour away by ferry, makes it a popular side trip from Hong Kong. You can do it whole day or overnight depending on your schedule.

Half of my trips to Hong Kong, I also visited Macau but most of the time I fly to Macau from Manila and then fly out of Hong Kong to avoid the return ferry trip (which almost eats up 3 hours from buying ticket, lining up at immigration, boarding, the actual 55-minute trip, and immigration again). I told you, I hate wasting time. And I just do it if I'm travelling for 5 or more days because there are a lot of things to see in Macau too.

I'll write a separate post for Macau.

Where and What to Eat.

I'm not an expert when it comes to restaurant suggestions. Like you, I just also read recommendations of other travelers and check for myself if I really want to try the food or not.

I don't normally suggest eating at high end restaurants (unless you have the moolah) because even the Dai pai dong (open-air food stalls) are already a bit heavy on the pocket like spending an average of HK$50 for breakfast. Here are some of the restaurants / food I tried during our trips. There are several other local restaurants we've been to but I couldn't remember the names because their signage are written in Cantonese.

Mak's Noodle - for your wonton noodles and beef noodles fix.They have stores in Jordan and Central.

Cafe De Coral - been here countless times in different branches. If you're hungry and your group cannot agree on what particular food to eat, go to CDC. It is the largest Chinese fast food chain in Hong Kong and you can easily find one in any part of the region. I always order their roast pork rice, bbq rice, roast duck rice and curry dishes. I pair them with ice cold Hong Kong style milk tea or during winter, hot lemon tea.

Kam Wah Cafe - others may not agree with me but their polo buns became my instant favorite bread. Located in Bute St, Prince Edward.

Street food - Beef Offal (meat organs in spicy soup), curry fishballs, egg puff/waffles, egg tarts, sugar cane juice are only some of the stuff I always eat or drink when I feel like going on a food trip.

Mcdonald's - I don't see anything wrong eating at Mcdonald's in a foreign country at least once. They have offerings that you don't get to order here in the Philippines. I love Mcdo HK's red bean pie and Nestea Honey Pear Tea.

Tim Ho Wan - proud to have eaten at their original outlet in Sham Shui Po back in 2014. I'm more than happy that someone brought them to Manila and they have put up a branch near my place.

Spaghetti House - Pizza and pasta selection are good.

Ka Ka Lok - located at the corner of Ichang St and Ashley Rd, TST. We used to go there for late night take out. They offer noodles, pasta, and rice meals.

Cosmetics, Personal Care, Skin Care, etc.

Watsons, Sasa, Bonjour, Guardian, Colormix, Mannings. Hong Kong will never fall short of this type of stores. My go-to for perfumes and makeup is Sasa and Bonjour. I just compare the prices of both stores before I buy. My husband and I also go to Fanda Pharmacy in Tsim Sha Tsui to buy his stock of CK One / CK Be and other "tester" perfumes. The "auntie" at the shop already knows us because of our frequent visit. Hehe.

Pasalubongs

It has been a tradition for us Filipinos to buy pasalubong for our families and friends back home. You can easily find magnets and keychains in night markets and other souvenir shops. Cheaper if you buy in bulk. For chocolates and other snacks, groceries such as Wellcome and Prizemart are your best options. I'm surprised that a big Bonjour branch in Mongkok carries snacks from neighboring countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. For Japanese snacks, there's Okashiland. I see them a lot inside MTR stations.

Go to Sham Shui Po for electronics, wholesale toys, fabric and garments. A day won't be enough if you browse through all the stores. Think Divisoria.

Additional Tips

When walking/travelling around

Hong Kong motorists drive on the left side of the road so be cautious when crossing. Look right first then look left.

Hong Kong people are always in a rush so don't be surprised if someone accidentally bumps you and you don't get an apology.

In escalators, just stand on the right, walk on the left.

In MTR platforms, stand on the sides and let the other passengers alight first before you enter the train. Don't worry you're not in Manila. Trains in Hong Kong arrive every 2-4 minutes. No need to fight your way inside even on rush hour.

Always bring water especially during summer. Hotels provide complimentary water while some hostels have a water dispenser at their common area. If buying water, it is cheaper to get them at the big groceries instead of convenience stores.

Buying cameras

For camera enthusiasts, avoid the stores along Nathan Road. They have a reputation of scamming their customers. Just read up about it on forums and you'll know what I'm talking about. I used to buy my camera accessories at Wing Shing (Mongkok) and Tin Cheung Camera and New Sankyo (Tsim Sha Tsui). These are my trusted stores.

In restaurants

When ordering food in restaurants especially in Chaan Tengs or Dai Pai Dong, they might not like it if you're taking too much time deciding on your order.

Get used to sharing a table with strangers. Don't worry about getting small talks, they're too snob to even look at you.

Look for restaurants with pictures on the menu so you'll know what you're ordering or try to ask the staff if they have English menu.

At HKIA before your departure

If you don't intend to keep your Octopus card but forgot to return it at any MTR station, you may do so at the MTR customer service at the arrival area.

Spend your remaining HKDs at the candy shops at the airport. There are also a mix of Asian and Western food choices where you can have a meal before your flight.

And if you still have plenty of time, window shop on your way to your boarding gate. Hehe.

Malasimbo Music and Art Festival Year 8

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:33:00 +0000

Malasimbo Music Festival is already on its 8th year but it was my first time to attend this event last Saturday. I really didn't know what to expect. I just trusted my friend that it's gonna be a great experience and it was.

The 3-day music festival is annually held at Mt. Malasimbo in Puerto Galera. So if you're attending this event, you can stay at White beach or the quieter areas like Aninuan and Talipanan.

We stayed at Veronica's Inn in Talipanan. We stayed there with a big group (the other friends of my friend) but since my husband and I are only attending the festival for one day, we didn't travel with them to and from Puerto Galera.

As per staff's instructions, we bought RT tickets (600 pesos each) at the Minolo Shipping Lines counter at Batangas port¹. Boat docks either at White Beach or Muelle. There are also other shipping lines which ply that route with the same price but they do not offer free shuttle service to Talipanan.

Terminal fee is 30 pesos each. I was too preoccupied that time as I was on the phone talking with my aunt while securing tickets so I let the terminal "staff" assist us with the bookings and all. We paid a total of 1200 for the tickets and 110 for the 60 pesos terminal fee to get a 50 change. But the terminal "staff" didn't return it and assumed it is his service fee. Hayst. He was even forcing us to buy a gallon of drinking water for 180 telling us that it costs 300 on the island. But we didn't give in.

Anyone could have done it on their own and it wasn't our first time going to Puerto Galera either. I could've happily given him a tip if I really opted to be assisted but it was "pilit". Anyway, it's just 50 pesos but still annoying to be somehow fooled.

Our tickets were for 12:30 trip but we managed to get into the earlier one. We docked at Muelle port because the strong waves made it impossible to dock at White beach. Before leaving the terminal, we paid 50 each for environmental fee.

The free shuttle² took us directly to Veronica's Inn and we met our friends who arrived there an hour earlier.

Veronica's Inn was a good choice as the beach front property has nice rooms, pool, billiard table, and bar. They also offer all day meals so we didn't have to look for a restaurant during dinner. It is perfect for big groups and families with kids.

We also met the owner, Ms. Veronica who was there the whole time attending to our needs - from serving our food/drinks or assisting with transportation for the music festival.

Rooms start at 2000 for 2 persons and comes with free breakfast served at 8-10 only. We were not aware of this as I wasn't the one who booked the rooms. We only found out about it when we got down for breakfast at 11am. What's funny though is that we still ordered breakfast meal and paid for it.

Now let's talk about Malasimbo.

Getting to the venue is a bit expensive but left us without any choice. A round trip service to and from Talipanan area is 300. Additional 50 pesos if you left Malasimbo after 12mn. So if you are attending for 3 days, prepare 350 everyday. It's cheaper though if you're staying at White Beach. =)

Glad that we chose Saturday as we are able to watch Big Mountain perform live (and honestly they're the only group I know from the 2018 line up). Hihi. I also enjoyed the performance of drum and bass duo Hernandez Brothers and it was also our first time to experience silent disco.

What I didn't like though about the festival is that there's a minimum amount of 500 for the food/drink coupons. While it's valid for 3 days, what about those who are just attending for 1 day and just wanted to buy a 50 peso bottled water? 500 is already more than enough for me and my husband as we already had our dinner prior going to Malasimbo. But the Adobo Rice Topping is good, in fairness.

We just gave our remaining 200 credits to our friend so it won't go to waste.

It rained during the performance of Big Mountain with I-Dren Artstrong (who was also good) but it didn't stop us from dancing and singing to their songs. We left the place at almost 2am with the song Baby I Love Your Way playing in my head on repeat. Lol.

¹ To get to Batangas Port, you may take Jam Liner bus (Fare is 167) at LRT Buendia or any bus line going there. From those in the north, you can take Alps Bus from Cubao Terminal. If you're in a big group, you can hire a van just like what our other companions did.

² The shuttle picked us up at Veronica's Inn to Muelle port. We just asked the hotel staff to call Minolo Shipping when we checked out.

Denmark Eats

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 15:17:00 +0000

They say that the best way to experience a place is to try what the locals eat. Well, I couldn't agree more. More than the tourist spots, food is always what I look forward to when we travel. Here I listed down all the foods I tried during our 2 week stay in Denmark.

Pølse. This was our first meal in Denmark. Pølse is the Danish equivalent of sausage and being sold in pølsevogn or hotdog stands. Unlike other footlongs, this one is sandwiched between a standard size hotdog bun.

This is another version of it which we bought from a stand in Strøget in Copenhagen.

Sunset Boulevard Burger. If we had hotdog for lunch on our first day, then this was our dinner. I was too shy to take a photo as we were eating with my hubby's boss. So I just took a photo of the take away box when we got home to the apartment. Hehe.

Here's a photo of their burger from their website just in case you want to see how big is it: https://www.sunset-boulevard.dk/produkter/original-burger

Home cooked meals. Since my hubby and I stayed in an apartment with his two colleagues, we were able to prepare our meals. Arla always volunteered to cook so I'm the one who did the dishes.

When everyone's left for work, it's either I reheat what's in the fridge or I just make myself some sandwich or salad for lunch.

Having an itchy feet, I can't stay for long inside the apartment alone so I always make a quick trip to the grocery (which is about a kilometer walk) and buy some snacks.

Berries are so cheap in Denmark! It's just about a third of the price here in the Philippines. And the dairy products too! My grocery always include a liter of Arla milk. Arla products were just recently introduced here in the Philippines so I was ecstatic to be able to buy from its origin country.

photo grabbed from their Arla's website.

According to the company's website, Arla is delivered throughout the country within 24 hours from farm to shop so you are guaranteed with fresh batch of milk every time. You really can taste the difference from the UHT variety here in PH.

Breads. Breads you only get to buy from specialty / medium to high end bakeries here in our country are widely available in Denmark.

And of course, Danish pastries in Denmark ftw!

This wienerbrød is the bomb!

Funny thing though that this Danish pastries we've come to love didn't originate from the Danish country but instead was introduced by Austrians. "Wienerbrød" means Viena bread.

More cold food. This was taken from the cafeteria when I went with them to their workplace. I'm not used to eating cold lunches most especially in that cold weather but I actually enjoyed it.

Pasta and Burger. We just returned from Paris on an Easter monday. In Denmark, Easter Monday meant that shops are closed so we had no choice but to grab some lunch on the only opened restaurant nearest our apartment— Sara's Pizza and Burger House.

The pasta sauce tasted like it came from a can and the burger, well it is safe to say that we just really need to eat.

Faxe Kondi. Faxe Kondi is like the 7-Up of Denmark. It's good but I try to avoid soft drinks as much as I can.

Easter Monday Dinner. We were invited for dinner at the Svennevigs. We had roast lamb, potatoes tzatsiki and finished of with a nice serving of white chocolate mousse.

Healthy Kitchen. Det Sunde Kokken really serves good food. I ordered one stick of kebab with 2 salads. I'm actually thinking about that curry pasta salad right now. I hope I can find a good recipe so I can recreate it.

Greek. We were treated to a Greek restaurant in Lyngby. According to Erik (their boss) it's their go to place whenever they crave for Greek food.

oksefillet / beef fillet

mousaka

They also let us try the Ouzo, a Greek anise-flavored liquor. No other way to describe its taste but a vodka with anise.

Gullerodsmuffin. Best carrot muffin I have ever tasted and I'm not exaggerating. This was from Espresso House.

Here's how it should like prior devouring it.

https://dk.espressohouse.com/produkter/gulerodsmuffin/

Gasoline Burger. Obviously, no gasoline in the ingredient. This burger shop is just situated in a gasoline station. According to Erik, they were always attempting to line up but it always get sold out early. So we took our chances and lined up. And it was worth it!

La Glace Cakes. A perfect way to end our Denmark trip was our visit to Konditori La Glace. Their selection of cakes explains why the'yve been in the business for so long. If you happen to be in Copenhagen, I strongly suggest you visit the place. And they also serve good hot chocolate.

Lucky you

Sports Cake

Volmer Cake

I didn't get to take a photo of our Nilaga lunch at the apartment. It was the first time I ate it with lettuce since we cannot find any pechay or cabbage in the grocery. Pinoys being Pinoys, we brought a supply of Knorr cubes and sinigang mix hoping we can cook sinigang but there's no Kangkong in Denmark. =( We also cannot find any soy sauce in the nearby grocery so we weren't able to cook Adobo.

Upon arriving back in Manila, I phoned my mom and asked her to cook Adobo for us. Hehe.

Remembering that Curfew in Mandalay, Myanmar

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 15:16:00 +0000

I started typing this on my phone while we were on the bus waiting to enter the city of Mandalay and totally forgot about it. Just found this on my phone notes so I'm publishing it now, 3 and a half years after our Myanmar trip.

We left the New Bus Terminal in Bagan at 9:54PM, more than 20 minutes behind schedule. Earlier in the terminal, we met and spoke with the bus owner who resides in Mandalay and learned that he was also traveling with us. Unlike the JJ Express bus which we took from Yangon to Bagan, Shan Minn Tu has 4 seats per row, not the lazy boy type, 2 seats on each side but still enough leg room compared to ordinary buses.

We were driving smoothly for the first few hours and I had fallen asleep despite the annoying sound coming from the music videos being played on the bus. I woke up when I felt the bus suddenly went to a halt. Then we pulled over the side of a dark highway. No restaurants or gasoline stations in sight. I checked the time, it was only 1am. The driver turned off the engine and some passengers started going down so I thought it was just a pee break.

I closed my eyes again but only to find out after a few minutes that we haven't moved a single inch. Bus engine is still off... 30mins...1 hour... 1.5... We, foreigners started wonderng when after 2 hours, we still haven't left. My friend B already lost her temper and started yelling "does anybody know why we were stopping so long?". A Vietnamese girl whom we mistaken as a Singaporean answered, "that's what we have to figure out" and went down the bus. My friend followed her and from my seat I can hear them discussing with the bus owner.

Our bus at the Bagan terminal

The bus owner explained that it was due to a curfew ordinance that's why we weren't allowed to enter Mandalay before 5am. I remembered when we bought the tickets, we were informed that the arrival in Mandalay was 5am. I didn't bother asking the ticketing staff why even if I knew of some people arriving in Mandalay as early as 3am with the same departure time. Nobody mentioned about the curfew.

The locals seemed unsurprised with the situation and remained on their seats while my friend and the other foreign travelers were still outside the bus waiting for a decent explanation of what was really going on. We were a bit unconvinced since all the vehicles passing by didn't stop. The owner explained to them that the other vehicles are stopping elsewhere also waiting for the toll gates to open and that we were only 10 miles away from our destination.

By 3:36am we started moving again. After 20 minutes, we stopped again, this time, our bus lined up with all the other vehicles we saw earlier.

I took a photo of the passengers from the other buses, who were wandering outside waiting for the gates to open. So we're starting to believe that this was normal. But since when was it implemented? Nobody explained the reason behind the curfew.

True enough, the vehicles started moving 15 minutes before 5. And by 4:54am, we officially entered Mandalay.

That same day, during our city tour, we cannot help but ask our driver/guide Mr. Tao about the curfew. He confirmed to us that there was indeed a curfew imposed from 9PM-5AM. According to him it has been going on for a week due to a clash between a group of Buddhists and Muslims. Mr. Tao mentioned about a Buddhist girl being raped, and a Muslim man beheaded but we didn't fully understand the story.

That evening, after our tour, we asked Mr. Tao to take us to a restaurant so we can have our dinner. He dropped us to one nearest our hotel. It was just 2 blocks away. He was so worried and reminded us before leaving that we have to be back at the hotel before 9PM. He then rushed as he needed to return the car to his boss.

Around 15-20 minutes before the curfew, the restaurant staff already approached us that we need to leave soon. So after finishing off our food, we paid for our meals and literally ran back to our hotel. We were so nervous since every single establishment we passed by were closing their doors and turning off their lights. We were huffing and puffing as we reached the hotel lobby. I can't imagine being arrested let alone in a foreign country. Hahaha.

They were damn serious about the curfew.

Have I phoned my parents and told them about this while we were still in Myanmar, they would definitely be worried so I decided not to.

Here are some of the news I've googled on the net:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/04/world/asia/myanmar-mandalay-religious-violence/

http://time.com/2956180/burma-mandalay-race-riots-sectarian-violence-buddhist-muslim/

(Burma-Thailand July 2014 Series)

Boracay Eats: Street Market at Station X

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 03:30:00 +0000

Being regular vacationers in Boracay, we were almost running out of restaurants to try. We always had the usual offerings around D'Mall and go to D'Talipapa for our fresh seafood fix.

We haven't been to Boracay for almost 2 years so I googled if there are newly opened establishments this year and I found Station X.

Station X is a retail complex located at Hue Hotels and Resorts. You can easily hail a tricycle going there (10 pesos per head) if you're coming from Stations 1 and 2. Just tell the driver you'll alight at Station X.

It's a nice concept where in you can order from the food establishments and have it delivered to your table. You may opt to stay at their food hall, the StreetMarket or if you like dining in the bean bags for an outdoor feel then you may also do so.

The restaurants offer different food like yakitori, tacos, pizza, rice, noodles, etc.

I had the Yakitori Bowl from Poketo (beef cheek, tsukune, pork neck)

and the hubby ordered Cioppino from Percy Seafood

Both dishes are good and worth the price.

I then checked out Little Wave Coffee for some dessert.

It was hard to choose among the desserts/pastries they offer. I got the vanilla slice and it didn't disappoint.

We went on a Saturday lunch time but there weren't many customers around. Good thing we already tried it before the influx of tourists.

We'll definitely come back to try on the other food.

A simple Paris guide from a not-so "budgetarian" couple

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 08:05:00 +0000

Each one of us has his/her own style of travelling but we all wanted one goal: to enjoy. Traveling to Europe or Paris to be specific (at least for us Filipino middle class earners) is definitely expensive but it doesn't mean it is not doable.

My husband and I are the type of travelers who fall somewhere in between splurging and saving. Our motto is to not feel "kawawa" that we starve ourselves or forego good experiences during our trips to cut on cost but at the same time we don't want to spend too much that we become broke when we get home. It is just a matter of prioritizing where to spend our hard earned money (or the money we borrow from ze parents ha!).

Some would have done better than us but what's important is that we enjoyed Paris with our set budget and went home happy and without guilt.

Getting to and from Paris

If you read my previous posts, our first destination and main base in Europe was Copenhagen due to my husband's work. We didn't fly directly to Paris from Manila. Paris was actually the 3rd leg of our one-week holiday (which included Amsterdam and Brussels). We arrived in Paris from Brussels via bus which took 4 hours. On the way back to Copenhagen, we took the 2hr plane because I'll probably die if we decided to travel by bus which will take a minimum of 21 hours.

The cost of flying to Copenhagen from Manila is pretty much the same as flying to Paris so just to give you an idea, it costs between 35-40k round trip basing from the period I checked which was very close to our flight date. Add the cost of the travel tax and Schengen Visa fees (which also requires travel insurance). It is cheaper if you fly from Singapore (like we did since we were already there) or Hongkong.

But if you're already in mainland Europe, it is very easy to get to and from Paris via train, bus or plane. GoEuro came very handy during our planning stage. We were able to easily compare the different modes of transportation and decide on the best options. Tickets can be very very cheap especially if you booked way ahead of time. The Eurolines bus ticket from Brussels to Paris costed us a total of €20. While for the Easyjet plane ticket to Copenhagen, we paid $328 with one 20kg check-in baggage. Fares could get lower have we not travelled on an Easter week which is a super peak season.

Getting Around

I love commuting whenever I'm in a foreign country. It just makes me feel like a local. I take the train whenever possible. Though buses are as cheap, I still am not comfortable that I won't get lost especially when it is my first time to explore the city.

Metro and RER tickets in Paris are priced per zone. I can't say the same for buses as we haven't experienced riding one when we were there.

For stations within zones 1-3, fare is €1.90 per ride.There's actually a cheaper option by buying 10 carnets (kar-nay) which is priced at €14.50. It's like buying 10 pcs of single journey tickets for a discounted price.

We figured that we won't be needing much tickets for our entire stay so I just bought 1 set and gave half of the tickets for my husband to use. We can always buy extra as needed.

One ticket can be used in the Metro and if you have a connecting RER as long as you don't exit the station or it is still covered within the indicated zone.

Tickets are only used during entry. They are not required during exit.

And because of this, some locals (who probably don't want to spend for the fare) wait for the exit gates to be opened by passengers (who just alighted the train) and enter through it so they can ride the train even without a ticket. Tsk tsk. I strongly advise against it even it means saving money. It still is stealing.

Most probably you'll be staying within zones 1-3 so if you plan to go to Versailles, ticket is priced at €3.55 per way. You can already buy a return ticket so you won't have to line up at the station on your way back.

RER Train to Versailles

If you plan to take the RER to or from Charles de Gaulle airport, fare is €10 per way.

Where to Stay

While some prefer to stay in hotels, we chose to stay in an apartment, booked through Airbnb. It was actually a last minute booking as most of the properties we were eyeing were already booked by the time we finalized our Paris trip.

I've learned while doing my research that Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements which form a clockwise spiral starting from the center. So the lower the number, the closer it is to the city center. And you can already guess how it is when it comes to room prices. The nearer it is to the tourist attraction, the bigger the amount you will spend for the room.

We were lucky to find a studio in 2nd arrondissement. 14,000 for 4 nights (15,900 less discount from Airbnb Promo). It was a good deal, location and budget wise. It is around 3 minutes walk to Bonne Nouvelle and Strasbourg-Saint Denis Metro Stations which can easily get you to any part of Central Paris.

Around 15-20 minutes walk to the Louvre (which we actually did) passing through the famous food street of Rue Montorgueil.

There are a lot of restaurants and groceries in the neighborhood too. Basic amenities include WIFI, radiator (for winter yes we needed it), water heater, and well-equipped kitchen. They only provided a sofa bed which is common in most studio units I've checked. Though the host and the cleaner have difficulties communicating to us in English, it didn't pose a problem. There's always google translate to depend on.

Museum Pass - Yay or Nay?

If you have 2 or more days in Paris and wanted to visit tourist attractions as much as you can, then you can save a lot with the Museum Pass.

We bought our 2-day Museum Passes for €48 each from a Tabac (Store that sells cigar, etc). We were able to use it at Saint Chapelle, Notre Dame Tower, Louvre and Versailles Palace which in total would cost around €55.

We wanted to add 2 more museums in our itinerary but my feet were too sore from all the walking we did.

Take note that this pass does not give you a fast track access. You still have to line up for the entrance with the other ticket holders. It just saves you time and energy lining up to buy tickets for every attraction.

Day 1 starts from the date you wrote in the card or in our case, date was stamped by the staff at Saint Chapelle - our first stop. So make sure that you only put the date the first time you are using it.

The pass validity is counted in days not in hours so it's best to start your day 1 in the morning because regardless of the time you first use your pass, it would already count as Day 1.

What to Eat

Eating out in Paris is definitely expensive most specially if you're used to the cheaper cost of living in the Philippines. But that didn't discourage us from at least trying a French cafe during our trip.

Breakfast

Our host was generous to provide us with coffee/tea and a loaf of bread so we didn't have problems with our breakfast for 4 days. Plus we also stocked some milk, juice and spreads from the grocery.

Bottled Water

We always make it a habit to bring water especially during long walks so first thing on our to-do list whenever we arrive in a city is to buy water from the grocery. We usually buy the big ones as most of the time it's priced the same as the small bottle in a convenience store. Big plus if the accommodation provides free water.

Tong Fang

It's funny that on our first day in Paris, we had our early dinner at an Asian restaurant near our apartment. I've really been craving for these food after almost 2 weeks of eating meals with fries, mashed potatoes, and more fries! As a Pinay who was raised to eat rice at least twice a day, I seriously needed my rice fix. They offer different viands, "turo-turo" style. Bill went around €12.

To-Go Lunches

We traveled on an Easter week so we expected to line up for hours on the famous attractions. Lines can get really long during midday and because of that, we ended up having to-go lunches while on the line. You can always find a cafe or bakery nearby. It is very important to stuff up to keep you warm especially in the cold weather.

We had baguette sandwich, crepe, and croissant—costing less than €5 each. I totally forgot about the famous Falafel I was eyeing to try. But at least there's a reason to go back. Hehe.

Mcdonald's, Burger & Fries

Since our days 2 and 3 were the most tiring, we gave in to eating fast food at Mcdonald's and from their local counterpart, B&F so we could just go home early and take a rest. And if you try to convert it to peso, they're not cheap mind you. They're would cost you 1.5x the price of the same meal in the PH. So don't compute.

Laduree Macarons

For €16.8 for a box of 8 macarons, it was a splurge but definitely a lot cheaper than Manila price. Not so much a fan of macaron but I just really had to try it from its country of origin.

Macarons from another store (about the same price range)

l'Amour Vache

We chanced upon a good cafe near our apartment and decided to have our brunch there. We had escargots (snails in garlic butter) for starters, Salade Bique En Brique (salad greens with fried feta), Faux Filet (steak) and Cote Du Tarn Verre (red wine). The food is good as well as the service. We were attended to a by a "pogi" waiter who spoke very good English. (He worked for a few years in New York). He wasn't intimidating and guided us on what to order without being pushy. And bread is free too!

Escargot, wine and free bread

Home Cooking

One advantage of renting an apartment is being able to cook your own meals. On our last night in Paris, we decided to have a steak and wine picnic date at the apartment.

Buying Souvenirs

We love to collect Starbucks city tumblers and Hard Rock Cafe shirts so a visit to these shops was always a part of our itinerary. For pasalubong to our families and friends back home, we got some magnets and keychains. It is cheap if you buy more but cheaper if you buy from the African street vendors. We didn't buy from them though. They can get too pushy and I even scolded one when we were walking around the Louvre because he kept on shoving a selfie stick in my face even if he sees I was already using one.

Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton... Oh, Longchamp!

I know I will never own a Chanel or Hermes bag in this lifetime and not planning to gift myself a brand new Louis Vuitton bag any time soon but we still made our way to Rue Saint-Honoré just to check out the area and also to visit Longchamp's first boutique.

The line at Louis Vuitton Champs-Élysées

We also visited Longchamp's other store at Champs-Élysées on our way to Arc de Triomphe where I bought Neo bags for myself and my mom. Thanks to my dad/sponsor who pledged to pay for my card bill. Lol.

Beware of Scammers

As with any major city, you can easily spot groups of scammers especially in touristy areas. We witnessed a gambling game scam where in you are invited to bet a minimum of €100 and guess where the ball is among the 3 cups. A man from the crowd kept on losing even if it easy to guess where the ball is. A lady, on the other hand, who probably was also part of the trick kept on winning and acts as if she's excited. I actually participated in the game just so I can prove that I was right about my guess but lucky I didn't have €100 with me at that time.

We also saw those who try to tie string bracelets on tourists. I've read about these people when they successfully tie it your wrist, they will force you to pay them.

These are only a few of the scams that we've witnessed. It really pays to do your homework when going on a trip to a foreign country. Be always on guard.

Bonjour, Merci, Au Revoir

We actually survived the French Capital just by these words as most locals can speak basic English. And of course, by pronouncing them properly. Not to impress them that you can speak their language though but just as an act of politeness.

So that's about it. Au Revoir!

When our luggage got lost in transit

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Tue, 16 May 2017 16:27:00 +0000

With about 95% of the bags already collected by passengers at our assigned carousel, I was starting to accept the reality that our luggage didn't arrive at Copenhagen with us.

Cases of mishandled baggage during transit are not a rare occurrence. Dirty bags, damaged locks, missing bag tags, broken bag handles, — we've experienced all of them during our previous trips but to lose all our checked-in baggage in a 3 degC weather, that's a different story.

Our delayed Singapore - Doha flight, I believed, was the culprit.

We had a very tight connection in Doha of about 1 hour and it was even reduced to 10 minutes due to our late departure from Singapore.

We were actually lucky that we managed to get to the boarding gate just before it closed and didn't miss our plane to Copenhagen. Or else we would have spent the next few hours at Hamad airport and waited for the next available flight.

If you try to analyze it, the 10-minute window was not enough for them to find our bags from the first flight and transfer them to the second flight. So our bags were left at Doha Airport. we hoped.

I was still secretly hoping that our bags would magically show up until the carousel was stopped and all the unclaimed bags were collected by the airport staff. That's when we approached him to report about our missing bags. He then directed us to the arrival services counter.

We handed our travel documents and described each of the 3 missing bags to the man at the counter. After a few minutes of typing on his computer, he turned back to us and informed us that they've located some bags but cannot verify if those were ours. There's another passenger from our flight who lost her baggage too.

We were a bit relieved that there was a big possibility that 3 of those bags were ours and can be delivered to us as soon as possible once confirmed. As the saying goes, "Better Late Than Never".

Lucky that there's a WIFI inside the airport so we were able to get in touch with my husband's bosses who were already waiting for us outside. We used their address for the delivery of our bags and their contact number since we didn't have a local number (and to avoid being charged for roaming calls).

We were given a copy of the Property Irregularity Report which contained our flight itinerary and bag tag numbers so we can keep track of them online. The report also came with this "apology letter" from Qatar Airways.

And as compensation for our delayed baggage, we were given DKK 700 ($100) so we can buy some stuff. I don't know if it's the standard amount but at least we got something. I've read stories of other travelers who received their compensation only after a few weeks while others didn't get anything at all. Though honestly, the amount given to us won't be enough to buy a decent jacket or coat for that kind of weather (lucky if they're on sale). Glad we have someone to borrow extra clothes from.

We just laughed off what happened that day and just hoped that our bags would be returned soon. It was very cold outside and I was only wearing a cotton tee, cotton trousers and a scarf— my normal airplane outfit. At least my husband has his hoodie.

Inside our carry-on bag was our extra pairs of sneakers, flip flops and snacks. Oh and the amenity kits from Qatar Airways (socks, toothbrush and eye mask). Lol!

What a funny way to start our European trip! I cannot even use my camera because the battery charger was in my luggage too. Haha!

That afternoon, we went to the mall to get some undies, basics and toiletries.

The following day, we received a call that our bags were being processed for delivery. Hooraay!

Me and our luggage at 12 midnight. All complete! Thank you, Qatar Airways!

So in case you experienced the same thing, do the following:

1. Do not panic. It won't help.

2. Go directly to the baggage handling services. If you cannot find it, approach any airport staff.

3. Make sure you do not leave the airport without filing a report. The earlier you get to report about your missing baggage, the quicker and easier for them to locate it.

4. Ask if you'll get any compensation. Since it was our first time, we were not aware of this and were surprised when they handed us some cash.

5. Ask your insurance provider if lost luggage is covered.

Lessons learned:

1. Bring at least 1 set of clothes, a jacket/coat (during the cold weather) in your carry on bag

2. Avoid taking flights with tight connections

3. Make sure that your bags can easily be identified especially when they are gray/black (by putting names, ribbon, stickers, etc.)

How to Apply for Schengen Visa

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Thu, 04 May 2017 05:21:00 +0000

I started writing about this Schengen Visa application journey as soon as I got home from our appointment but promised myself not to post this until I set foot in Europe. (To save myself from disappointment and embarrassment haha). But the fact that you're reading this only means one thing — I have been issued a visa!!! Hubby and I just got back a week ago from our 3-week long Europe trip.

Tourist-ing on my last 2 days in Copenhagen

Me and my husband have always dreamed of going to Europe in the distant future but never in our wildest dreams that it would happen that soon.

To cut the story short, my husband was sent to Denmark for some project work and we found the opportunity to make that as our first Euro trip so I tagged along. Even if we only had 2 months notice and despite budget concerns, we still gave it a go. YOLO!

I wanted to share my experience for the Europe trip hopefuls out there as a thank you for having been granted a Schengen visa. This might somehow guide you in your application as a Philippine Passport holder residing in the Philippines.

The Application Process

Holding a Schengen visa gives you access to its 26 member countries, which is a good thing as you don't have to apply for visa on every country you are planning to visit. I don't need to mention here all the Schengen states as you can easily "google" them. It is however important to know which embassy you will apply. As I understand, you have to apply on the embassy of the country you will visit first or the country you will spend the most days at (if you are visiting multiple countries).

In our case, we applied at Denmark embassy since the main agenda of our trip is for my husband's work. We had plans of visiting other countries during his week off but we didn't book any hotels/transpo yet until we secure our visas. And also to save us the burden of creating a detailed itinerary of our entire trip. After all, you can easily change plans when you are already within the Schengen area provided:

1. YOU TRAVEL WITHIN THE VALIDITY PERIOD OF YOUR VISA.

2. YOUR TOTAL DURATION OF STAY IN SCHENGEN DOES NOT EXCEED THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU'VE BEEN GRANTED REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY COUNTRIES YOU VISIT. DO NOTE THAT

THE DAY OF YOUR ARRIVAL IN THE SCHENGEN TERRITORY COUNTS AS DAY 1.

Upon my hubby's boss's go signal, hubby scheduled our appointment through VFS Global's website. On our appointment date, we arrived at VFS Global at Ecoplaza Building around 11:25 just in time for our 11:30 schedule.

VFS Denmark is located at the first floor and shares the same room as Belgium, Norway and Austria.

We lined up at the reception and presented our appointment form and passports. We were then given numbers and were asked to fill out a small stub.

Use of mobile phones are not allowed inside the room so I wasn't able to take photos. There were only 2 counters for Denmark so it took a while before our names were called. The staff at the counters are all Filipinos and looked very accommodating (very far from the strict and unfriendly consuls in other embassies being described in other blogs). Our number was called in after about an hour. I was called in first and I handed my requirements. I also told the lady staff that I am traveling with my husband so she can take note of it.

She let me sign a form as she goes over my documents. Everything was okay except when she asked for our Manila-Singapore flight.

The flight I presented was only Singapore-Copenhagen and Copenhagen- Manila leg.

We actually have a scheduled trip to Singapore even before we learned about this Denmark trip which falls on the same week. So my husband's employer suggested that we just fly out of Singapore directly to Copenhagen instead of going back to Manila.

So I explained to her that we will be flying to Singapore first and will be staying there for a few days before flying to Denmark. I didn't have a printed copy of our MNL-SIN flight itinerary with me. Good thing there's a printing station at the second floor. She advised me to just print one copy and she'll have it photocopied so I can save on cost. (Printing per page is 20 pesos). So I went out to have it printed from my phone.

It was my husband's turn to submit his docs when I went upstairs. My naturally "madaldal" husband told the lady that we are watching Coldplay's Concert in Singapore maybe to justify why we are flying from Singapore instead of Manila. He already paid for both our visa fees at the same counter.

I handed the flight itinerary to the lady at the counter as soon as I got back and she asked me to wait for our names to be called to have our biometrics taken.

Biometrics data capturing was the last step of the application. I just opted to pick up our documents instead of having them delivered and just subscribed to their SMS and Email Notifications (for an additional fee). At least we can save one day of waiting (delivery is within 24hrs upon release of visas).

Here are the requirements for Visit Other Relatives / Friends. This is the one most applicable to me. I cannot be on business visa like my husband for obvious reasons that I am not related to my sponsor PROFESSIONALLY.

1. Application Form

2. One Passport Size Photo. Just mention to the photo studio that you'll be needing it for Schengen Visa.

Attach it to the application form. Do not staple.

3. Original Passport

4. Photocopy of Passport (bio page and used pages)

5. Proof of Relationship to Sponsor. Since my sponsor is the director of the company who sponsored my husband's trip, I just presented my husband's company ID and his certificate of employment.

6. Photocopy of sponsor's passport

7. VU2 Form or Letter Of Invitation from Sponsor. I have provided both. This was filled out and signed by my sponsor.

8. Bank Certificate (if sponsor will not shoulder your expenses.) You should have 350/ DKK for your entire stay. If accommodation is provided by sponsor, amount required may be reduced. I have requested certificates from 2 of my banks and have them indicate my balance and average daily balance so I didn't have to present my 3-6mos bank statements.

9. Round trip flight reservation. No need to purchase tickets before applying. Best time to make a flight reservation is a day before your application date as most unpaid reservations expire after 24hours.

10. Medical Insurance with coverage amounting to 30,000 Euros/2.5M Pesos/$50,000. We got ours from AXA. Policy fee is dependent on the number of days of your trip.

Supporting Documents

1. Photocopies of previous passport (bio page and used pages). I submitted my passport with stamps from 2010-2014 travels including my used Taiwan Visa.

I also planned to include my older passport stamps (prior 2010) but it might be too much.

2. Photocopy of Marriage Certificate

3. Since I am not officially "Self-Employed" yet as I'm currently in the process of registering my cake business, I just presented my DTI Business Name Registration and Barangay Business Permit. I just explained to them that I didn't have the business permit and ITR yet. Plus I also declared in my application form that I'm unemployed. Well, honesty is the best policy.

4. Hotel Booking. I did not need to provide this as my sponsor provided the accommodation as indicated in the VU2 form.

For my husband's business visa, here are the requirements:

1. Application Form

2. One Passport Size Photo attached to the application form. Do not staple.

3. Original Passport

4. Photocopy of Passport (bio page and used pages)

5. VU1 Form

6. Letter of Invitation from the Host Company in Denmark

7. Original Bank Certificate (if the inviting company is not financially supporting the trip). He did not provide any as the sponsor company will shoulder all his expenses.

8. Certificate of Employment, copy of Company ID, Payslips, his daily itinerary in Denmark (work schedule, holiday, conference schedule) provided by his company.

9. Proof of Accommodation. Address was already indicated in the VU1 Form.

10. Roundtrip Flight Reservation

11. Medical Insurance with coverage amounting to 30,000 Euros/2.5M Pesos/$50,000.

Supporting Documents

1. Photocopies of previous passport (bio page and used pages).

2. Photocopy of Marriage Certificate

Tips:

It is best to arrange your documents according to how it they are listed in the requirements. Though not required, it just helps them check easily if you have missing requirements, etc. And dress smartly. Again, not required but we'll never know if they take note of your appearance.

The Waiting Game

I can say that the application process is easy—no more interviews with the consul and no more explaining this and that. As long as you have provided all the requirements, all you need is wait and pray for heaven's blessing.

I received SMS and Email updates that afternoon that our documents were already forwarded to the Danish Embassy.

Danish embassy normally releases visas within 15 days so it was a bit early to expect for another update. But to be honest I was actually worried even before our application date since we were so close to our target flight date.

I tried tracking our application status via their website but it didn't seem to work. Exactly 7 days after we submitted our application, I got another set of messages from VFS (finally!) The messages indicated that our visas were ready for collection. It didn't mention though if it was approved or not.

At that moment I was a bit relieved that our passports have been released regardless of the result. At least I was 100% sure that we have our passports with us in time for our Singapore trip. That would also give me ample time to prepare our things for Europe (or not). Hehe.

Hubs and I went back to VFS Global to pick up our passports. Passport collection is scheduled at 2-4PM only. I was so nervous the entire time we were there, and even more so when we saw disappointed faces of a group of 40-ish ladies (who we also saw at the time of our application) as they read a multiple page document that were handed to them at the releasing counter. I even heard one of them mutter something like "nakakabwisit naman" and she rushed out of the room. Their visas probably got denied. Our names were then called next.

I tried to be as calm as I open the sealed plastic. But I squealed in excitement after finding a letter that came with my passport which read:

"You have been issued a visa for the territories of the Schengen States!"

At that point, I'm still in disbelief so I had to check if there really is a Schengen Visa pasted in my passport. And yes, there is.

Note: I'm not in any way connected to the Royal Danish Embassy nor an expert with Schengen Visa applications. I just shared how our visas got approved (my Visit Visa and my husband's Business Visa), and granted a 20 day-stay, single entry.

Even if your case is similar to ours and you submitted the same documents as we did, there are no guarantees that you will be granted visa.

Visa processing may also take a while. My husband's colleagues applied one day ahead of us and they didn't get theirs until after 2 weeks. And they've already entered the Schengen area twice mind you.

Decision will still depend upon the approving staff. Just don't give them reason to doubt your intentions of travelling to the Schengen states. And DON'T TRY TO FOOL THEM WITH FAKE DOCUMENTS, they will find out eventually.

Best of luck!

For other info not posted here, you can go to their website to check the requirements and procedures applicable to you.

http://www.vfsglobal.com/Denmark/Philippines/

Denmark Visa Application Centre,
Ground Floor, Ecoplaza Bldg.,
Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
1231 Philippines

How I lost and found my cameras in a Hong Kong train

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 10:22:00 +0000

"You are very lucky!" said the Tsing Yi MTR customer service staff.

I was indeed very lucky last Sunday after being reunited with my lost camera bag at the Hong Kong MTR.

It was around 4 in the afternoon. We just came from City Gate Outlet Mall in Tung Chung and just alighted the train at the Sunny Bay Station on our way to Disneyland. It's only after a few minutes when I realized that I wasn't carrying my camera bag. "Shit! Naiwan ko yung mga camera ko!"

I left my camera bag inside the train! It felt like the 13 degree temp instantly dropped to 1.

That bag contains my 2 cameras. One was my 4 year old Panasonic Lumix GF1 and one week old Canon M3. Of course I panicked. Who wouldn't?

My first instinct was to take the next train but then I have no idea what to do next. So I stayed calm. (I tried to, but was already getting teary-eyed). I was trying to recall if I really left the bag in my seat but at the back of my head, I was secretly hoping I brought it with me and just dropped it in the station elevator and that I could easily come back for it.

With the help of my husband, Dell, I approached a staff who unfortunately has difficulty speaking in English. His face was just blank while I was repeatedly explaining what just happened. I don't know if he understood me. He called someone from his radio and we saw a lady staff headed to our direction. She can speak in English. Thank God!

With my voice shaking, I explained to her what happened. She was so calm and asked me to describe my bag, its contents, which direction was the train heading to and which particular car I left it.

Thanks to my photographic memory, even if I don't know which car we were in, I remembered exactly which part of the train station we alighted. So I pointed it out to her.

I started crying as the lady staff radioed the next station (Tsing Yi). Dell was trying to calm me and tells me to prepare for the worst. 50k pesos and hundreds of photos all gone? It's just so heartbreaking.

She then told me to wait a moment as the train hasn't arrived to Tsing Yi yet. I haven't noticed if another train has already passed so I'm not sure if that train where I left my bag was the one she was referring to.

Those few minutes felt like hours while waiting for a response from Tsing Yi. I was thinking of all the possible scenarios that could happen but at the same time, I was worried that our Disneyland tickets might be put to waste.

I asked Dell to go with them and just leave me at the station. I know he's not worried because I've been to Hong Kong many times and I know my way around the MTR. But being a husband, I know he wanted to stay with me.

Soon the lady came to us again, this time in a very positive aura. She was smiling, signaling us to wait as she was speaking over the radio in Cantonese.

And finally she told me that they found a black bag without giving any more details and asked me to take the next train to Tsing Yi to check if that is mine.

She also asked for my name so she can give it to the next station so they will know I'm the one coming to claim the bag. I told my husband not to accompany me anymore and that I'll just meet them inside Disneyland.

I didn't want to celebrate yet but we thanked Cindy (the lady staff) for her great help. That's the only time we got to know her name. She asked me to hurry up since the next train to Tsing Yi was arriving in 2 minutes. So I crossed the bridge as fast as I could to get to the other platform in time.

It was a mix of joy and anxious tears during the 5 minute train ride to Tsing Yi. Upon arriving at the station, there was no staff in sight. And so I proceeded to the customer service counter at the concourse level. I introduced myself and told the man at the counter about a lost bag. He responded smiling with "You are very lucky! A passenger got it and brought it here".

I got relieved a bit but I have yet to confirm if it's really my bag. He then directed me to go to the station control room. I called through the intercom and the staff instructed me to go inside the staff door. Yes, that steal door you normally see in train stations that bear the sign "Authorized Personnel Only".

I went inside the control room and there was my bag patiently waiting for me. We got reunited after 40 minutes! I was asked to take my seat and to provide any ID or passport. He needed it for the incident report. I also gave him my contact details.

That's my black Crumpler camera bag sitting on the desk on his left

And after signing the release from, he gave me my bag. I wanted to hug him and take a selfie with him but he looked so "sungit" so I just thanked him instead and left the room.

Once I got back at Sunny Bay, I looked for Cindy but she wasn't at the platform anymore. So I made my way to Disneyland to meet my family.

It was already past 5 in the afternoon while I was walking towards the park entrance. At that point, I was still shaking a bit thinking of what it would be like if I didn't retrieve my bag. I was actually thinking of just selling my park ticket and return the money to my mom-in-law who paid for it. (I have been to Disney thrice anyway)

But thankfully, I regained my energy after seeing my husband anxiously waiting for me. I shared to him how I got amused to have the chance to enter the control room and showed him the photos I secretly took while I was inside.

I may not have seen the places I am planning to visit, or try all the things in my to-do-list in this trip, I still felt lucky that I was able to get back my 2 precious cameras.

To that good samaritan who found my bag and took the effort to take it to the train station, may you be blessed a thousandfold.

PS after reviewing the incident report photo, I just found out that I also have some bills and coins in the pocket. Haha!

How We "Almost" Got Scammed in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:51:00 +0000

Finding a money changer in Bali is so easy. For every few meters you can find one especially in touristy areas. But beware of scammers trying to lure you with high exchange rates.

We had an "almost" unfortunate experience when we were in Kuta while looking to exchange a few dollars.

Relax. The devil did not succeed.

It was just last October 14. Friday, when we were walking along Jalan Legian. Average on going rate that time was around 12,900 to 13,100 Rupiah for every 1 USD. There were a few which offer as high as 13,499.

I don't know what got into our minds that among those many air-conditioned money changers in the area that screams "legit", we chose this small booth in a small alley which looks like a boat ticket booth manned by two youngsters with tunnel earrings and belt bags. Their rate was 13,399.

My cousin handed them her $100 and basing on the rate, we expected to get 1,339,900. The older boy started counting the 50,000 bills. In normal money changers, they would give out larger notes first (in the case of Indonesia it's 100,000) but we didn't mind. At first they asked us to give 10,000 so they can give us 1,350,000 and even bragged that we would get 100 more with their offer (which is insignificant since 100 rupiah is just equivalent to around Php 0.40)

But since we didn't have smaller bills (and lucky that we didn't) we asked them to just give us the exact amount instead or have them exchanged somewhere else if they really don't have them on hand.

Guess their "first trick" didn't work so the younger one stepped in and started counting the money again. He grouped the 50,000 notes into 500,000 / 500,000 / 300,000 and the 40,000. He placed it on the table after counting but he wouldn't let us take the money until he finish recounting them all.

So he counted them again and it totaled to the right amount and handed it to my cousin. When my cousin started counting, it's just 800,000+. The younger boy kept on insisting that we were counting so fast and that we were only confused because of the many zeroes. But we were all so sure that the money we got is short of 500,000.

He did the counting again in the same manner and just the same, he wouldn't let us touch the money after every 500,000 that he counts even if I insisted to pick up the counted rupiahs. I was already losing my temper because we were there for more than 5 minutes which is very unusual. Like hello? How long does it take to exchange a $100 bill?

And then we witnessed the magic trick happening in front of our eyes. When he recounts all the money he pulls the 2nd bunch of 500,000 and drops it under the table. It was so fast that you won't notice it if you are not paying much attention. That's the reason why the total is 500k short whenever it's our turn to count. He repeated it the 3rd time and it got so obvious that I started threatening them that I will call the police.

That's the time they returned the $100 bill. Good thing though that the 4 of us were alert enough to realize what was happening.

Before we left, I took a photo of the "magician" and he even happily obliged to smile for the cam. What an ass!

We double checked if it's the same dollar that my cousin handed to them and then we walked away.

We headed to the nearest "legit" money changer and we handed the same $100 bill and in less than 2 minutes we got our 1.3M rupiahs. It's 39,900 less than the scammers' offer but no thanks. At least we didn't lose 500,000 if we got scammed by those low lives.

I was so angry that I want to shoot them in the face or throw a grenade on their booth. Haha! But at least we had something to laugh about that night.

Batang third world 'kami no. Sanay kami sa ganyan. Hindi ninyo kami maloloko.

I wonder how many people have been scammed by them. As I type this, I started googling about this modus and was surprised that it has been happening for ages and I just failed to search about them before our trip.

We were still lucky that we didn't lose money but wasted our precious minutes dealing with those motherf*ckers.

Sabtang Island

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 07:19:00 +0000

Sabtang Island is the southernmost island in the province of Batanes and home to around 1,600+ people — just a few hundreds more than my facebook friends. Hehe. It can be reached via a 30-45 minute faluwa ride from Batan Island. Just like Basco, it has its share of beautiful sceneries. The tour usually lasts up to 5-6 hours including the transfers to and from the island. A catered lunch by the beach is also included in the tour.

There are no accommodations in the island so if you plan on spending a night or two there, one option is to stay at one of the residents' homes with prior arrangements, of course.

On our second day in Batanes, we were up before sunrise for our early call time. Good thing the people in the hotel are used to this kind of setup so our breakfast was ready by 5am. We dozed off early that night and had enough sleep so we didn't have a hard time leaving our bed.

We were served a giant bowl of soup (which we don't normally encounter in other hotels during breakfast), rice, fish, longanisa and some fruits. As much as I wanted to eat more so as not to waste food, the serving is just too much for 2 people.

We left the hotel by 6am to catch the first trip to Sabtang. Sea can be rough in the late morning so it is safer to travel very early. The port is just a few minutes drive from the hotel and we were one of the first groups to arrive. We registered our names and wore our life vests as we wait for boarding.

hubby's overall look can pass for a theme park guide

In less than an hour of waiting at the port, we boarded the 115-capacity faluwa for a 40 minute trip to Sabtang.

We were blessed with a fine weather so the ride was safe. There were a few roller coaster moments in between which only made the trip more exciting.

As soon as we reach the port of Sabtang, we were led to the tourism center to register and pay the necessary fees (cared of our tour guide). Afterwards, we boarded a non-airconditioned van for our transport within the island.

San Vicente Ferrer Church. Hello Robert!

Our first stop was at Brgy Savidug where we saw more stone houses. The neighborhood was quiet as most of the villagers are out in the farm working.

cute kiddos of Sabtang Island

I had a small chat with these kids' lola while the rest of the seniors were enjoying their fresh coconuts.

St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel

After the walking tour at Savidug, we then went back to the van and drove off to Tinyan. For me, the highlight of the Sabtang tour was the Chamantad Cove and Tinyan Viewpoint. If Marlboro Country and Alapad Hills are wow-worthy, then this place is so worthy of my praises too. Never mind that we got toasted during the trek, at least we were able to reach the best spots and pose on every beautiful angle that our tour guide directs us to.

See the little vehicles from afar? That's where we came from.

One missed step will lead us to eternal happiness lol

We finally got to try on the vakul and boy it was a bit heavy. There is a rental fee of 20 pesos per person.

Souvenir items like magnets, miniature houses, and shirts are also available at the drop off point so we got some pasalubongs for our families back home.

We visited another village, Bgy Chavayan. This was our last stop before we had our lunch. I had a hard time taking good photos of the houses as most of them were decorated with election posters.

Sta. Rosa de Lima Chapel

We met 2 of the weavers who obliged to do a quick demo on how they make the vakul.

Photo-op with lola who brushes the vuyavuy leaves

We then drove off to Morong Beach which is on the other side of the island for our lunch.

We can actually swim in this beach if we had enough time or if we are staying in the island for a night. Tito Rusty (one of our companions) though, made a quick dip after lunch just to freshen up a bit. He almost suffered from a heat stroke on our way to Chamantad.

Our lunch included Luñis, Coconut Crab, Sweet and Sour Fish, Ginataang Gulay and fruits.

We rested a bit and made a quick stroll by the beach. We didn't stayed for long as the heat of the noon sun is unbearable. We then went back to the van and drove off to the port.

Back at the port, we waited a bit before they let us board. At that moment, I was becoming uneasy and grumpy and really wanted to have a very cold drink. Good thing there was a store nearby but the bad news is that they do not have a bottled water available so we had to settle for a cold soda.

Finally they called us for boarding. I took the seat nearest the window so I can get nice views on our way back. We were so delighted to see some flying fish as we approach the port.

Back at the hotel, we spend the entire afternoon resting in our bedroom as we prepared for our anniversary dinner date at the light house. Yikee.

South Batan Island Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:18:00 +0000

Arriving from an early flight with lack of sleep, one could only wish for a quick nap. But who would want to spend time inside a hotel room when you're about to explore a beautiful island like this?

We were set to do an exclusive North Batan Tour on our first day but days prior our trip, I was told that it was swapped with our 3rd day schedule. And so we're squeezed in with the group of senior citizens who were also staying in the same hotel and did the South Batan Tour first. It turned out to be a better arrangement as they were a crazy bunch. We made 7 mommy and daddy friends.

Our tour guide, Robert arrived at the hotel around 9am and ushered us to our van which marked the start of the tour.

The southern part of Batan Island comprises of the towns of Mahatao, Ivana, and Uyugan.

From Basco, where our hotel is located, we drove along the National Road to the nearest town, Mahatao and stopped by Chawa View Deck.

Chawa View Deck is located along the west coast of Batanes and offers an unobstructed view of the West Philippine Sea.

The water is just so blue, with the beautiful contrast of green hills. I can't stop taking pictures.

My husband, trying to prove a point.

We saw some locals fishing and we waited until they went up to check what they got. And it was a giant squid! Of course I had to ask the Kuya if he can stop for a while so I can take a photo and he obliged and even said thank you. Hehe.

Then we're on to our next stop, Mahatao Shelter Port. The shelter port, as its name implies, is used to protect the boats during bad weather. It is also called the Diosdado Macapagal - Jorge Abad Sr., Shelter Port.

We enjoyed a taho treat before moving on to our next destination.

Tayid Lighthouse is one of the 3 lighthouses in Batanes and nestled among the hills facing the Pacific Ocean. It's a bit of a walk going there but the view was spectacular.

It was getting hotter and hotter as we approached noon time. It was such a relief that our van was air-conditioned.

San Carlos Borromeo Church. The first church was built in 1787 using light materials and later reconstructed using stone until it was destroyed by a strong typhoon in 1872. A year after, it was built again and followed a baroque style. The church was declared a National Heritage Treasure in 2001.

Outside the church, they built a miniature version of it and a small village.

Across the street is Mahatao Elementary School.

That was the last stop for the first half of our tour and we headed to some beach in Mahatao to have our lunch.

It was my first time to eat Turmeric Rice. It was good but the taste was overpowering that I didn't get to enjoy the other dishes.

Old Spanish Bridge

Just an old bridge made of limestone that is still accessible up to this day.

House of Dakay, the oldest Ivatan house, is one of the few houses in the town of Ivana that withstood the earthquake in 1939. Built by Luisa Estrella in 1887, it was later on passed to his nephew, Jose Dakay.

San Jose de Ivana Church was first built by Dominicans in 1787 serving the people of Sabtang, Ivana and Uyugan. They later on renovated the church, reducing its size when the people of Sabtang were allowed to return back to their island after having been forced to be relocated in Ivana.

The church faces the sea overlooking Sabtang Island.

The port of Ivana which is situated just across the street is the nearest port going to Sabtang.

Within the area just a few meters walk from the church is the famous Honesty Coffee Shop. Funny though that we were asked to get back on the van for a few second ride to the store. The Honesty Coffee shop is more of a walk-in sari-sari store than a cafe and there's no one manning it.

Owned by Elena Gabilo and her husband, it became famous for its concept of a self-service store wherein you get the products from the display, drop your payment on the box (exact change), and log your purchased items on the logbook. There's a table inside where you can take a rest and eat the snacks you bought.

Of course, we had to leave a note. I wonder if we will see it again on our next visit.

The Songsong Ruins is what remains of a barangay that was hardly hit by the Tsunami in the 1950s. Today, the locals are slowly inhabiting the place.

Failed to take a photo of the place as we didn't alight the van anymore and just listened to Robert's kwento. (tinamad na)

Alapad Hills and Rock Formation

The picturesque hills can be an alternative location for The Shire in LOTR.

This is the location where the film, "Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit" was shot. This exact spot is where the "I-dawn Zulueta mo ako" happened.

And the perfect ending to our South Batan tour was Racuh a Payaman aka Marlboro Country.

Despite its local name, people often call it Marlboro Country because of its resemblance to the location of the famous Marlboro ad.

There's a small restaurant the viewing point. Some tour groups have their lunch here.

I expected to see lots and lots of cows and carabaos but I was bit disappointed. Haha. Mt. Iraya is also visible from Marlboro Country and to the left, you can also see Tayid Lighthouse.

We've only just spent a day in Batanes but we were already stuffed with wonderful memories.

Batanes Anniversary Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Fri, 13 May 2016 06:44:00 +0000

Batanes is one of the provinces in the Philippines I never thought I would be able to see. Growing up, I would only hear of it from weather reports using it as their reference to point the location of a storm. It's true that the airfare is too expensive compared to other domestic flights. You can even buy 3-4 sale tickets to Hong Kong with the money you'll spend for a regular airfare going to Batanes. Sure I love going back to Hong Kong, but I will never pass the chance of visiting Batanes even for once in my life. And so we decided to pick Batanes as our destination for our first wedding anniversary celebration.

I'm sharing with you some tips based on our trip. We don't normally book through travel agencies and prefer to do the trip on our own. Since it's our anniversary, we have our trip arranged through CNM Travel & Tours all complete with airfare, accommodation, guided tour, entrance fees and full board meals. Never mind the more expensive option, who needs stress on your special day?

How to Get There

Batanes, being an archipelago province can only be accessed by plane. I've asked our guide if it's possible to go there by boat from the nearest province, but as of the moment only a few local flights can take you there.

As of this writing, I only know of SkyJet, Philippine Airlines and Wakay Air plying the Manila - Basco (capital of Batanes) route. There are also available flights from Tuguegarao like Sky Pasada.

Getting Around

You can have your trip arranged via a travel agency in Manila (or from where you are located that offers Batanes tours) or from local travel agencies in Basco.

We saw some tricycles around Basco and Sabtang Island but I'm not sure if you can hail them like we normally do in other places. Most of the time, they are pre-booked for smaller tour groups or if you want a service to and from your hotel.

You can also rent a bicycle (or maybe a motorcycle) to get around the small town but we decided not to as we prefer taking a rest in our air-conditioned room after a long day in the hot sun.

Where to Stay

Most of the accommodations in Basco are Inns or Pension Houses. There are the more expensive ones like Batanes Resort and the famous Fundacion Pacita. We stayed at Midtown Inn which is a pretty decent hotel with acceptable internet connection, adequate size rooms and very welcoming staff. And did I mention they serve extremely generous portions for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Midtown Inn is around 3 minutes drive to the airport. You can actually walk going there if you aren't carrying heavy stuff.

Where (and what) to Eat

A lot has improved in Batanes in a span of 1 year. I was exchanging stories with my friend, Jego who went there last year and she was surprised that a lot of establishment has opened up in Basco. There's Beehan which is open all week from 8am-8pm. It is just a short walk from our hotel and we got to sample the fried camote (which is a staple root crop in Batanes) and halo-halo.

Our lunch was catered whenever we were on a whole day tour. One was by the beach somewhere in South Batan and on our second day we had lunch at Morong Beach in Sabtang Island.

If you're a foodie, don't expect too much with their dishes as you might have tried them in other places you've been too.

They have Luñis, which is just a deep fried pork except that it was cooked on its own oil.

Coconut Crabs are also popular in Batanes but I've read that they're already endangered. Nevertheless, our group still ordered it for lunch. (I know, I know... and I feel bad about this). We paid additional 150 each (we were 9 in the group) for this and it's not even malaman. Still prefer the alimango and alimasag though.

For the 3 nights we stayed in Batanes, we experienced dining at the hotel, at the Octagon Bed and Dine (which has a pretty strong internet connection) and an arranged dinner by the Basco Lighthouse for our anniversary.

What to Buy

Surprisingly, there is no central market in Basco. Families can sustain their own food so there really is no need for one. You'll find most produce being sold either at small stores or at their backyards.

We were able to purchase 3 kilos of Camote and they were bigger than regular mangoes! The garlic here, though smaller from what we import from Taiwan, is more fragrant. They also have dried flying fish, etc.

The Ivatans are big on turmeric so they have turmeric powder and turmeric flavored polvoron! We also got to sample their turmeric rice during one of our lunches.

Of course, you can buy souvenir shirts, magnets, keychains and other handcrafted stuff from some tourists spots and these souvenir shops in Basco.

Bisumi

Tawsen

And if you were too busy touring around, you still have a chance to buy some souvenirs at the airport.

Da Insulares

What to Expect (and Learn)

April is one of the hottest months in our country so expect you'll experience the same in Batanes. Just wear comfortable clothes and don't forget to bring sunscreen. But during the cold months of December-February, temperature can drop as low as 7 degrees. Sea was calmer during our visit so we didn't have a hard time crossing to Sabtang Island.

The people of Batanes are called Ivatans while the outsiders, like us, are could Ipula. An Ipula may do business in Batanes but can never buy a land unless he/she marries an Ivatan.

The main language spoken is Ivatan but most of them (or those we've talked to) can converse well in Tagalog.

Batanes is popular for having stone houses but you will be surprised that only a few of these "authentic" houses remain. Some houses, which were made to look like the authentic ones has already a mix of stone and cement.

Vakul is a headgear made of a Vuyavuy palm used to protect the Ivatans from the heat of the sun and rain. Nowadays, you will rarely see them wearing a vakul (I was lucky to see one local) but don't worry because you can experience wearing this for only 20 pesos. =)

Ivatan OOTD at Chamantad Viewing Deck

We got an Edge signal the entire time (we are Globe subscribers) so we just rely on the hotel's WIFI to post Instagram-worthy photos. Hehe!

Because of their small population (16,604 as of 2010) they almost know each other especially in Sabtang Island where there are only around 1,600+ inhabitants. They are very hospitable and courteous so expect to be greeted by locals when walking around.

No malls, fast food chains and bars (they have some videoke bars though). If that's what you are looking for, then Batanes is not for you.

Expect to pay more expensive meals compared to other provinces which is understandable because of the difficulty of bringing supplies in the island. Like what we have experienced on our first breakfast, we weren't served any bread because the supply hasn't arrived yet. =)

There is only one gas station (Petron) and 2 banks (Land Bank and PNB) in the whole province and are located in Basco.

Batanes is not as underdeveloped as you may think because of its location. We were in awe of their newly constructed national roads. While driving, you will see a lot of "Blow Ur Horn" signs on every sharp curve.

They also have LBC and JRS Express in Basco.

So that is basically what you can learn about Batanes but it's not enough that you read about it, go ahead and book a flight ASAP!

George Guesthouse Sagada

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 12:29:00 +0000

Looking for a place to stay in Sagada is not as easy as getting an accommodation in a major city. Surely there are many available options to choose from but how you get to secure a room is the big question.

There are no hotel grade accommodations in Sagada, only guesthouses, inns, or lodges. Though there were a few listed in Agoda, most of the good ones were fully booked.

With only 2 weeks left before our trip, we started inquiring directly with the ones on our list and I can say it was a test of patience. It's either they reply late or do not reply at all. And when they reply after a day or two, that is only to inform you that they've got no more rooms for you.

One week left and we still got no accommodation so I convinced my friends that we just look into the cheaper options and I found George Guesthouse which is very near the town center.

I called the numbers on their website and got to talk to Irenuis from the Annex building. They still have an available room for 6 persons. He asked me to text him my reservation details so our conversation went like this.

No reservation fees, just text. I've read stories of travelers reserving rooms in Sagada through text only to find out that their rooms were given to walk-in guests. So I kept this message thread so I can show this to them just in case there will be a problem when we arrive. I even left him a message a day before our arrival. Not that I have trust issues, mahirap na ngumanga sa kalsada.

George Guesthouse sent a text at 6:30AM. At least I knew they honored my reservation. While we were traveling from Manila to Banaue, I switched my phone to airplane mode to save my battery. Hence, the late reply.

I was also able to get a room for the couple who were traveling with us in the van. They planned to walk-in at George Guesthouse because they didn't get a reply when they tried to inquire. The room rate given to them was 800 per night. I didn't get to take a photo of their room. Nakakahiya. Hindi pa kami friends.

Checking in at George Guesthouse was by far the fastest I've experience so far. I just gave them my name and the lady with keys led us to our room and left without saying anything. Paying for our room was a breeze too. I asked the lady at the reception if we needed to pay already but she said we can do it during check out. But I insisted on paying the full amount. I handed her the money and she just wrote "paid" across my name on her logbook. Walang resi-resibo. Hahahaha!

Room with CR, hot shower, and cable TV. 1500 per night. Our penthouse room is actually good for 6 persons so we just divided the total amount among us 5. At Php300 per person per night, we got a clean and decent room with a big veranda overlooking the town and the rice terraces from the nearby Demang village.

Air-conditioned rooms are non-existent in Sagada. You may want to request for extra blankets or bring your own because it gets really cold at night. And don't expect their beds to be as comfy as yours. But trust me, with all the strenuous activities you will be doing in Sagada, you'll be able to have a good night's sleep.

Sagada Eats

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 17:41:00 +0000

Sagada is not all about outdoor adventure but is starting to become a foodie destination. Surprisingly for such a small town, we found a good number of restaurants and cafes, most of which are located along South Road, the busiest area in Sagada.

Salt & Pepper Diner

We went here on a Saturday for lunch so as expected, the place was full. Luckily a group had just checked out so we instantly got a table. We tried their Pepper Steak, Mushroom Inutom, Chopsuey.

Service: 4/5 (It took a while before they got our orders.)
Food: 4/5 (Pepper Steak has too much sauce, their Chicken is too dry.)

*I had to commend the staff of Salt & Pepper for safekeeping our GoPro camera which my hubby accidentally left at their counter. We were already about to enter Lumiang Cave when we realized it had been missing for about an hour.

Sagada Brew

We came here on a Saturday night, an hour before their closing time and the place was still full. While we were looking for a table, my friends lined up at the counter to order. However, it took several minutes before somebody turned up. What's worse, almost all of their dishes were out so we had to settle for what's available. Hubby and I ordered Adobo and Bulalo. While my friends had Beef Burger Steak and Sandwich. I cannot remember if they still have the same menu as the ones I see posted on blogs and if yes, then we didn't get any dessert which should be included in the set meal. The last order of their famous Lava Cake was served to the guests who came before us so we weren't able to try it. We all agreed that their salad is good. And of course serving red rice is a plus. Pa-healthy tayo eh.

Service: 3/5
Food: 4/5

Bana's Cafe

Aside from serving food, the place is also a souvenir shop. They have honey, jams, and their own coffee. Their coffee is also being sold at other shops but it is cheaper if you buy directly from them. You know that their coffee is still freshly roasted because the aroma stayed even after a few days.

Their civet coffee (priced at 200 per cup) is good but even the premium coffee (75 per cup) on their menu tastes good as well. Nothing fancy about their breakfast menu but it was good.

Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5

Misty Lodge

We came here on a Sunday for our late lunch hoping to try their Lamb Chops but a wedding reception was held the day before so they ran out of all their steaks and just offered us pizza. The pizza dough is made from scratch so the staff told us that our orders would take a while to be served. We ordered Margherita, Trio Formaggi, and Pepperoni. Serving is enough for the 7 of us and the pizzas were really good. For dessert, we tried their yogurt and I can say that it was the best I tasted in my life. It was very creamy, not too sweet and not too sour.

Hospitality is superb. We were always attended to by their staff and made some small talks with us as we wait for our orders.

Service: 5/5
Food: 5/5

Cafe Bodega at Rock Inn

We were supposed to have our last dinner in Sagada at Gaia (made famous by the Film, That Thing Called Tadhana) but for some reason, they closed earlier that day so we asked our driver to take us to Rock Inn instead. It was a bit far from the main road and the narrow road leading to it was very bumpy. The restaurant was empty when we arrived but we didn't have to wait longer for someone to attend to us. We ordered Cream of Crab and Corn, Pork Sinigang, Grilled Bangus, Pinakbet, Sisig and a bottle of Bugnay Wine. Everything tasted good but nothing stood out. It also felt weird for us Manilenos that their Sinigang doesn't have kangkong.

Service was fast and the 2 male (gay) staff were fun to talk to. They made the place alive despite it being almost empty.

Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5

Sagada Lemon Pie House
After our Echo Valley trek, we headed straight to Lemon Pie House. Guess we were too late for breakfast since they only had 2 breakfast meals left. So the group decided who's going to get the meals and the rest just order their famous lemon pie. I don't get why people rave about the pie. Some even order boxes to take home. The crust was hard, the lemon curd was a bit bland, and meringue was too foamy. Maybe that was how a 30 peso lemon pie tastes like. Or I tasted a bad batch. But the egg pie was a let down too. But their Onion and Cheese Omelet meal made up for their bad pies. The cheese omelette is so good that I would propose that their restaurant name be changed to Sagada Omelet House. Haha.

Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5

You may or may not agree with what I've said about the food and service of these restaurants. After all, we do not share the same taste buds. We did not visit the same restaurant on exactly the same circumstances so your experience might be totally different from ours. But given the chance to go back to Sagada, I would definitely eat at these restaurants again but only after I try Strawberry Cafe, Yogurt House, Masferre and Gaia.

Surviving Sagada

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:41:00 +0000

My friends have been pushing for this trip last year but I requested to have it moved after our wedding so I can be sure that I'll walk down the aisle bruise-free. Some of you might say I'm OA but those who've been to Sagada and braved the caves would agree with me. Add the fact that we're beach people, not hikers. But I'm thankful that we all went home to Manila without a single scratch or dislocated bone. Just another wonderful story to tell our future kids.

There are many ways to get to Sagada and we chose the Banaue route. From Manila, we took the 10PM trip of Ohayami Bus¹. It had 2 stopovers, one in Bulacan and another one in Nueva Vizcaya. We reached Banaue before 7am and negotiated with the van operators²that will take us to Sagada in about 3 hours.

While waiting for other passengers, we requested the driver to take us first to some place to eat. So he dropped us off at Stairway Lodge and Restaurant. We left our bags in the van but brought with us all our valuables just in case driver ran away with all our stuff.

There's nothing special about the restaurant. Even their breakfast is so-so. Just like any other restaurants in the town, it offers a view of the terraces.

The driver came back in about an hour and a half. 8 more passengers joined us and among them is a young couple who we helped secure an accommodation in Sagada.

On the way to Sagada, we made short stops at the viewing areas of Banaue Rice terraces and other terraces in Bontoc.

We made a reservation at George Guesthouse which is located in the town. About 5 minutes away from the center. We did inquire through more popular accommodations like Misty Lodge and Rock Inn but we're lucky that they're fully booked. They're a bit far from the town center where most of the restaurants are.

While we were in Sagada, it's either we walk or call Gian, our driver to take us somewhere. I noticed some passenger vehicles though, around 2 to 3 and they were jam-packed.

We didn't have a fixed itinerary because we were depending on the weather. Safety is our priority. And since it's also a weekend, we expect influx of tourists so for sure most of the popular sites are packed. So we were always modifying our schedule up to the last minute.

All tourists should pay a 35 peso environmental fee at the tourist information center. They provide you with a list of tourist sites with rates which takes away your worries of paying more to abusive guides, if there is.

Through the recommendation of our friend, Mel, we got the services of Aklay to be our tour guide. Jego communicated with him mostly through text and when we met him at the tourist info center, we were surprised that he's already in his 60s. Or maybe I was judgemental. Let's say 50+?

He was just wearing shirt, maong pants and a pair of old flip flops. Still surprised, we surveyed him as he take his small backpack and gas lamp. Binder even doubted if he really is a tour guide.

He asked us if we preferred the 40-minute walk to the cave entrance or we rent a vehicle. Walking from Salt & Pepper (where we had our lunch) to the tourist info center, we were already panting (high altitude, please don't judge) so maybe it is just fair that we choose the latter. After all, we're reserving our energies for our 4-5 hour spelunking adventure.

Oh, and if you happen to run out of cash, there's a working ATM at the tourist information center.

¹Ohayami Bus has daily trips from Manila to Banaue (9PM and 10PM). They add trips during peak season. Fare is 470. Terminal is located at Lacson cor Fajardo in Manila. It is best to book in advance to secure your seats.
²Vans that ply the Banaue-Sagada route charges 300 per passenger.

Straypusiket Tied the Knot

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Tue, 19 May 2015 10:04:00 +0000

This space has been quiet lately. Sorry, been crazy busy. Dell and I just got hitched last month. Oh how I missed writing about our travels. Will blog very very soon. In the mean time, let me share with you some of our beautiful photos from our Tagaytay Wedding.

First Lunch and Bus Ticket Hunt in Yangon

noreply@blogger.com (Straypusiket) — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 06:09:00 +0000

Curry-all-you-can was the first meal for the day. Though not all of us ordered what seemed to be their bestseller, the whole experience of eating in that first restaurant we saw in Yangon was a ~~failure~~ just okay. Our first day in Yangon was actually a series of failures from 2 bad restaurants to a quick but heavy rainfall. But did it ruin our day? Of course not.

Taking a plane to Bagan was a very costly option for us ($138/passenger) so we planned to take the night bus. That way we can also save a night's stay in Yangon. So the first thing we did when we got out of the hotel was to look for a travel agency that sells bus tickets to Bagan. We couldn't find the location of the travel agency suggested to us by the hotel's concierge so we decided to have our lunch first.

No familiar restos on sight so we went inside the first local restaurant / eatery we found. We already expected to be welcomed by non-English speaking staff but glad they were able to provide us with an English menu and actually can speak basic English.

Their offerings are Indian cuisine. We ordered 2 thalis (an Indian meal made up of different dishes), panthay noodle with egg, panthay fried rice with fried chicken and extra chapati.

thali

fried rice with chicken

panthay noodle with egg

chapati

Meals were served in metal plates. While I try to enjoy the oily fried rice and small pieces of chicken, I feel bad for my companions who didn't like their food.

And why did I say that it's curry-all-you-can? Because the thali is refillable. A restaurant crew goes around with his stainless bucket of curry and stops on every table to check if you want a refill. But who needs a refill anyway?

Seeing that it was packed with locals (maybe because of the affordable price), the restaurant is not actually bad but maybe it's not good, for us.

After lunch, we went searching again for a travel agency and found one. Just along the Sule Pagoda Road is Loyal Area Travel and Tours.

We only preferred to ride JJ Express because of its good reputation. (Will talk more about it on a separate post). Price of the ticket is 18000 kyats + insurance fee of 500 kyats.

(Burma-Thailand July 2014 Series)