BAKASYUNISTA

And the Target: Byahe continues.. Vigan, Beach of La Union, Sisig ng Pampanga, Bangus Dagupan

2010-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Napasyal ka na ba

...
... Vigan

Namasdan mo na ba
..
..
Beach ng ... La Union

Natikman mo na ba
Ang sisig ng Pampanga
.. Bangus Dagupan

I've actually done each and every one of these as a kid. My parents grew up in the North - Pangasinan for my mom, and Ilocos Norte (and to some extent Pampanga) for my dad. And part of my memories involve going back to their probinsiya; Ilocos (and stopping over a lot of times), and Pangasinan with some outing mostly in the North.

With Jojo inviting me and RD, we prepared to go to Vigan, our ultimate destination. We realized though that it could also be a good idea to actually have a picture with some more items in the song, everything is on the way anyway. So we stopped at our first stop - beach ng La Union. It probably isn't what the composer intended, but this beach was in Caba, La Union. Our intention was to have lunch by the beach, so when we saw Villa Navarro, we stopped there, and took some pictures of the beach. The place seemed ok, but there wasn't much around. There was an area for airsoft, but nothing much. Anyway, we took some pictures of the beach and decided we'd probably eat somewhere in San Fernando instead.

We actually decided to try the beach again, but got stuck in sand! Thanks to the locals, we managed to escape, but that's another story altogether. We had an uneventful lunch at KFC, San Fernando, La Union. A few hours after, we arrived at Vigan. We just followed the signs and went down following what we saw were old structures. That was that - one street trapped in the Spanish times- Calle Crisologo. It was now full of souveneir shops. Admittedly, the architecture and the Calesas that roamed helped make it feel like you were back in time. We were then invited by a kutsero if we wanted to tour around - 150 Php for an hour. It was cheap and so we did ride the Calesa. He actually took us away from Vigan, to the next neighbouring area. Some were interesting, like the bell tower of St. Augustine Church. Some, like ancestral houses of political figures, we just skipped.

We didn't reach an hour of touring, but we decide to skip whatever is still up next. We then decided to find a play to sleep - lots of choices - but we decided to take Vigan Plaza Hotel. It was actually beautiful and as Rd mentioned, reminded us of retreat houses.

We rested a bit, until it was time for dinner. We tried to look around but eventually went back to the hotel - their buffet dinner at Php300 was a good deal. Lots of choices of viands and unlimited iced tea. No dessert though, but it was ok. It was earth hour too that day, so we did notice how the town celebrated it. There was a band and some areas which were lit only by candles. But Calle Crisologo was lighted up like normal.

During Earth Hour

The next day, we had breakfast at the hotel again - tasting Vigan Longganisa and tsokolate. We still had two more targets for the day - Dagupan bangus and Sisig of Pampanga. We left shortly after breakfast and headed to Dagupan. With nothing to do at the backseat, I used my mobile broadband to search for the best Bangus of Dagupan and Sisig of Pampanga. Fortunately, the GPS brought us to the beach road of Bonuan in Dagupan where we found Matutina's - where someone mentioned it has the best Bangus. We also had rice (with taba ng talangka) and liempo there.

We then headed to Pampanga - where we had to find two restaurants competing for the title "best sisig." We failed, but a search on the internet said Aling Lucing - the "old favorite" for Sisig has a stall in Marquee mall. So we proceeded there instead. We were still full and ordered just that.

Overall, it was a nice trip. Conquered 4 items in the "byahe tayo" song. Still a lot more to finish my target!

Hong Kong - Macau - Clark - Manila : A journey of sea, air and land

2010-04-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

There wasn't any rush for the day. Our flight to Clark from Macau was still at 9PM, so we still had lots of time. The night before, it was a failed attempt to buy souveneirs at Hong Kong's night market. I find the selection too limiting, though it was an endless array of stalls of very similar products. So that morning, I tried to go to the Ladies' market, while my parents went to do last minute shopping at Tsim Sha Tsui and Elements Mall. I was informed by the concierge that the ladies market opens at 11am, so I at least tried to scout some from of the open stores from the adjacent electronics and sports good. But only a handful were opened at 11am. I left around 12nn, feeling sad. Around less than 10% were open, and I forced myself to buy what was available. My parents had more luck. They were able to buy a lot of items.

At 12:30, it was time for lunch. I reserved a buffet lunch at Kitchen, W Hong Kong's restaurant. We were seated with a harbour view, so I have an idea what harbour-view rooms see. They had a good selection of food ranging from duck, make-your-own pasta, bbq, tempura and a lot more. Too bad, I'm not a fan of cheese and salads as there was an extensive selection. Dessert was good too. Dimsum was ok. We had late check out around 3PM then proceeded to a ferry ride to Macau. While it was uneventful, I noticed some differences. Price was displayed prominently at Hong Kong ticket office, and our tickets carried the time, price and number of passengers. This was not the case when we left Macau.

With still a lot of time left, we decided to go to Venetian using their free bus ( most hotels have this). With a lot of stuff, we proceeded to the West Lobby so we can leave our stuff. It was good, I guess if you're in Macau for a day tour, you can leave your stuff there. After a few hours, we then proceeded to the airport. Flight was uneventful too.

Clark was a different story. There wasn't any bus available every night. The only way to go back to Manila at that time is by taxi. We tried to wait for a public jeep to no avail. Taxi to Manila was 2800. However a cheaper alternative is taxi to Dau for 450 (arranged price) then take a manila-bound bus which costs around Php140.

It was an exhausting journey of sea, air and land. I'll definitely be back Hong Kong and Macau! Maybe not in the near future for Clark - current cost saving wasn't worth it for the inconvenience of going back at night without transportation.

Hong Kong Happy Place

2010-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

I still have memories of my first Disney Park way back in 2001. 'Til this day, I still look at those pictures with a smile. If there was one place in our itinerary that can never be removed - it was Hong Kong Disneyland. It was an absolute must from my mom's perspective - and that comes from an adult who has already been there previously!

Our journey to the happy place started at around 9:30am. And while the hotel bed was the most comfortable, we tried to leave early and expected to leave Disneyland after the fireworks display. I've originally intended to visit Ngong Ping 360 before we go to Disneyland - but I decided to cancel it for a full day at Disneyland.

From the line train, you can already feel the Disney vibe with all the hidden mickey references and characters all around. You wouldn't even rush entering the park, there was so much things to take pictures of.

Compared to the other parks I've been to, this was small.. but that didn't mean it wasn't full of things to do. The first thing I got hold of was the show schedules, so that we could properly plan our day. Unfortunately, Lion King wasn't part of that Sundays show, I guess that will have to wait for just a few more months when I return. The Disney on Parade was ok, and so was the High School Musical:Live. We loved the Golden Mickeys - we had to watch it twice! The Stitch Encounter was for kids. We did a lot of rides too in between! And while we know the whole park was centered on kids, us adults enjoyed it as well. I guess the perfect ending was the fireworks display. The castle surely added to the magic!

.. and to this happy place, I'll be back VERY soon :)

Hello Hong Kong!

2010-04-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived in Hong Kong. It was a short uneventful trip from Macau, a total of around an hour. We rested in the hotel (W Hong Kong, which has its own post) for quite a bit before we decided to continue on with the day. The day was still young, and there was still so much to do. After getting tips from the concierge, in what she described as the scenic and a must for tourists we were headed to the Peak.

We took the hotel van to near the star ferry terminal. After crossing the street, I saw another landmark, the Clock Tower then proceeded to the ferry. We didn't know there was a higher and lower section, but took what we saw first- the higher section. It was a short enough ride to the central terminal of the main Hong Kong Island. We then proceeded to line up for bus 15C which should bring us to the Hong Kong Peak Tram section. It was a long line, and it seemed to intertwine with the other bus' line. And my fear was correct, it was the wrong line because it was for bus 15 which ends at the peak itself. Not wanting to line up again, we boarded that bus.Our misfortune with the bus didn't end there. We didn't have the exact amount for the bus. We were short on the exact amount by a few dollars, but we also had a big denomination - and the sign clearly said - no change. Good thing the bus driver said it was ok if we were a few dollars short. We sat down separately on the available seats in what felt like a very long journey.

We were unsure if it was the right stop for the Peak - but a lot of people were going down, so we did as well. We then proceeded to the Peak Sky Terrace, which as advertised gives you a 360 view of hong kong. It was beautiful and since I'm fond of heights, I liked the view. However, my dad was acrophobic, that we had to cut short our time there. We then proceeded to eat at a fastfood since we were very hungry.

We tried to catch the symphony of lights from the Avenue of stars. That meant we had to cross back to the Kowloon side. However, we didn't make it, but just enjoyed the Avenue of Stars.

Afterwards, we decided it was time to leave. The next day, we plan on waking up late and going to Disneyland! We were confused on how to go back to the hotel but we walked - and it took us a lot of time!

Ola Macau!

2010-04-03T04:14:00.000-07:00

Aside from the casinos, Macau is known for once being a Portuguese colony, and with limited time to tour the area, this was our target: the historic centre of Macau which is part of the Unesco World Heritage List.

We started our day by waking up really early, to be able to see a lot of sites. Our priority was to see the historic city center then if we have time go to Macau tower and other sites. Our points’ redemption entitled us to free breakfast which costs 35 MOP per person when paid. It was ok, there were some noodles, soup, and other breakfast items available. The ones I liked were the dumpling which ran out easily (they were able to refill it shortly before we left) and the apple juice. It wasn’t fancy, but it was worth its price. As early as 8am, we were already at the Senado Square.

We actually didn’t know how to navigate the area, just followed the street signs and see if I was able to recognize some popular attractions.

I heard that the general area was crowded especially on weekends. Either we were just lucky or we were just too early. I think it was the latter. The museum was still closed that time and people started trickling in when we were about to leave. At around 9:30am, we still had much time to go to Macau tower, but decided not to push through. Instead, we went to the casinos and played for over an hour (and luckily won some amount) then prepared for check-out.

Check-out was smooth, they returned the credit card slip of deposit and we took their shuttle which arrived just as advertised. At the ferry terminal, it was hard to spot the First Ferry Macau ticket counter against all its competitors. We asked around, led to the wrong area, but was eventually led to their departure counter. I’m not too sure if it was the ticket counter, but they sold tickets anyway. After a few minutes, cleared immigration and was bound for Hong Kong.

Macau with Lights

2010-04-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Having arrived at 9pm in Macau, and scheduled to leave after lunch the next day, we knew we only had limited time. So after having placed our bags, we decided that we would try to see some sights during the night. Our target: to watch Wynn’s free shows. And so, at 10pm, we asked the front desk on directions to go to Lisboa or Wynn. He just said left then right at the first street.

There were some casinos that we could see as we were walking towards Wynn. However, our targets were in sight. Lisboa was an odd shaped building. And Wynn was where the free shows were. I saw another money changer and decided to change my money to the local currency, Macau Pataca (MOP). It was the biggest mistake as I never needed to spend MOP afterwards, and it was not accepted in Hong Kong. Should have changed to HKD instead where it was accepted anywhere even in Macau.

We just went straight, following people and entering an underpass. From there, we saw the fountain already, so we got excited. But when we reached Wynn, it has already ended. We decided to wait and took the time to take pictures of the surrounding areas.

Then finally, it started. It was nice and beautiful. It was smaller than the Bellagio version which I absolutely loved. But this one is a little different in that it had fire. Overall, it was beautiful – and I started to miss Las Vegas.

When the show ended, we then proceeded to inside the Wynn. We didn’t know where to go – all we saw were high-end boutiques. I guess roaming around caught the attention of one employee – asking us where we wanted to go. He too was Pinoy – and we told him we wanted to see the other free shows. He mentioned that one was under maintenance but he led us to the other show. It didn’t seem like a show as people were just roaming around, but in a few minutes, lights changed and so we saw the Tree of Prosperity Show. It was nice, moving ceilings and floors and the whole show was fantastic. My parents liked it so much, that they mentioned that our vacation was already worth it.

When it ended, we took some more pictures at the Ferrari store and the prosperity show which we were able to see again. We tried to find a place to eat, mcdonalds was already closed at past midnight and didn’t want to experiment on local cuisine so we decided to just eat the food we brought. We then called it a day as we still have to wake up early the next day.

Destination: Macau

2010-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

I admit, it was crazy. To depart from Clark- to take advantage of a seat sale was a crazy idea. When I booked it, it didn’t matter how we were going to go to Clark. All I know is that we wanted to go to Hong Kong as a family for years now, and this was the perfect opportunity. Well, the Hong Kong seats ran out fast so I did the next best thing – book Macau, experience it then take the ferry to Hong Kong.

It was a treat for my parents – the departure date was exactly a year after I treated them to Singapore. I wanted a somewhat relaxed vacation without spending too much. I had points from a hotel chain (SPG) and an airline (Delta) where I can use for hotel stays (Skymiles marketplace). They say the most expensive part of a trip is the airline and the hotel – and with a seat sale and use of hotel points, everything was bound to be cheaper. Originally, we were booked at Westin Coloane. However, the place isn’t exactly near anything. So I had to find another place and chose Metropark. Unfortunately, booking ran out for the date I wanted, so I had to settle with Metropole. It was a 3 star hotel but I read it was in a perfect location in the middle of everything. Armed with that and research on the ‘net on where to go, what to do and how to go there, we ready for our vacation.

We arrived at the Philtranco station in Megamall at around 1:30pm. Admittedly I wasn’t sure of the timings, but went ahead anyway. There was no one there but was told that the departure time was around 3-3:30pm, and was safe enough for our 7pm flight should anything untoward happen. There were some offering a car for Php2800 to go to Clark, but we decided against it. We had nothing to do in Clark that early and we could still roam Megamall ‘til the departure time.

The bus arrived a little past 3pm. I never knew that there were reservations. We were lucky not a lot of people were going to Clark airport that time so we still had seats. We arrived at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport before 5pm. We checked-in, paid the terminal fee and travel tax and waited for our flight. There were some food stalls around but nothing much to do. We boarded at 6:30 and departed shortly after.

We arrived at Macau earlier than scheduled, cleared Immigration and was good to go. Originally, we planned to take the AP1 bus, and go down to Almeiro Ribiero, but couldn’t find the street in the bus sign. So with much hesitation (and asking around), we took a cab for Metropole. It still wasn’t easy, the driver didn’t know the place. Good thing, I got a map at the airport and pointed at the Chinese(?) characters of the hotel. We spent around 80MOP for the cab which includes charges for the bags.

Metropole was ok. Was asked for some deposit of 200MOP, but instead gave my card. Had to insist that the rate I paid had breakfast for three. He checked then gave me the breakfast vouchers. We were given a room at the 8th floor, which was a superior room with an extra bed. We got to our room, put down our bags and we were ready to see Macau at night.

Wow! Wonderful! Welcoming! W Hotel Hong Kong

2010-03-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

The emails I got were full of W Words. Last weekend, we stayed at the W Hotel Hong Kong. It was wonderful! The room we got was at the 37th Floor (out of 38) but had a city / courtyard facing view. Next time, maybe I can also try the harbor facing rooms!

I guess some people don’t like the location – it’s a little farther from your normal TST area in Kowloon. But I think it’s the opposite. It’s atop the airport express – so it’s convenient if you come from the airport. It’s near the China Terminal if you come in the airport from the ferry (probably from Macau). It's on an MTR station - very convenient if you want to go to Disneyland. There's a free shuttle service to TST area too if you need to go around TST or take the MTR from there. And, it was quiet and peaceful. The high-end elements mall, just below the hotel is just a few steps away!

The pool is lovely! It is advertised as the highest pool in Hong Kong, up at the 76th floor. It is an infinity pool, making you feel that you'd fall when you reach the edge. The area is windy, but the pool is warm. There's also a jacuzzi at the side for more warmth. The hotel also provides apples and complimentary water aside from towels. It's such a beautiful place. I've seen pictures of it too at night, too bad I wasn't able to visit.

We also ate buffet at one of their restaurants - Kitchen. There was a wide array of good food during lunch.

And the hotel room - GREAT! I love the beds. The heavenly beds lived up to its marketing name- it was heavenly! I didn't want to leave! They have a good turndown service too at night where they change the lights and the bed settings. You can choose light settings from day, night or sleep. And the amenities - WOW! Bliss spa products! The rain shower - lovely! Everything about the room - wonderful!

Overall, it was a nice experience at a wonderful hotel. All exceeding expectations. W Hong Kong, I'll definitely be back!

And off to Taal ..

2010-03-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

[Lyrics from Byahe Tayo .. also part of my Target Byahe]

Namasdan mo na ba..
Bulkang Taal

Last Friday, I got invited to a trip to Taal. Yep, the volcano, and inside the crater and not just at an overlook area in Tagaytay. I thought to myself, why not.. plans on that Saturday got cancelled, I needed to test the point & shoot camera that I just bought and it was part of my target byahe for this blog.

The picture on the left is what you'll see in Tagaytay. It isn't the main volcano, but it is probably part of it

We left Alabang around 7:30am, and arrived at Tagaytay around 8:30. We got lost a little, we should've turned left, but instead we turned right headed to the rotonda from Sta. Rosa. On the way, you'd see a lot of those advertising a boat ride to Taal, but we found our way, circling the rotonda going back to where we started, to Talisay turning right to the road that leads there. From that point, we got another one of those people holding a "boat to taal" sign, got shown the rates, and went straight to their private port.

While on the boat ride, I got to ask the tour guide some questions. We got informed that the agreed price of Php1500 will only take us to the rim of the volcano. We wrongfully assumed that it would also lead to the crater lake itself, but was told it would take Php3500 to go to that area. I guess the Php1500 is where their association agreed upon, and the Php3500 area also known as Kalawit would take you to another group's. So we then agreed to go to the farther Kalawit area instead (the back area, circling the volcano). Interestingly, you'd see other islands and fishpens in the area.

Arriving at Kalawit, we were led to the take-off point. You pay Php50 for entrance, and Php900 for a horse ride. Deep inside, I was hestitant to trek (I never asked for the tourist guide price), so I agreed on taking that horse ride. A few meters ahead, we got to overtake a group of tourists that decided to take horses instead of continuing their trek. That made me appreciate my decision more. We continued on didn't know when we'd reach the summit, but had a great backdrop of the taal lake.

We stopped by the topmost point / rim of that side of the volcano. They mentioned that the horses needed some rest. Kids sold cold Pepsi at a make-shift shed for Php50, which I believe is the reason we really stopped - a tourist trap. Later, we found that the store at the takee-off point costs only Php15. We had some more pictures then rode the horses again. In 20 minutes we reached the crater lake.

The crater lake was fascinating. I touched the water, it was hot. But then again, I was told that at other places of the lake, it was cold.

Accompanied by one of our guides, we tried to go around. There was steam at some points of the volcano, and it rises through the ground. It is an active volcano after all.

You can also see water boiling- even mud boiling. It smelled awful too - most probably sulfur from those steam. The last point that our guide made us go to was this huge boiling mud. I was told that Philvolcs personnel check the area always, and that probably explains some weird looking materials there.

At around 11am, we left the area, paying the Php50 boat landing fee. It was good to see the smallest active volcano in the world. Interestingly, it had an island in its crater lake. So it was the Vulcan point, inside the crater lake of the Taal Volcano inside Taal lake!

Overall, fascinating! It was a great quick weekend trip. It was a good way to test my point&shoot camera, and was a better way to strike off Taal Volcano in my Target: Byahe aim.

Bakasyon Engrande 2010

2010-03-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Hello There!

I've always looked forward to spending vacations with my family. Whether it was joining their company outings, family gatherings in the provinces or some simple out-of-town trips, I looked forward to just plain having fun, spending quality time and getting away from boring monotony.

Fast forward to today's time, I've always wanted to give back. I wanted to give my parents the best rest and relaxation I can currently provide and it has become a yearly thing. Previous sojourns were at Cebu, Boracay and Singapore. This year, we're doing Macau and Hong Kong, and I'm really looking forward to this one.

I never really thought that I've enjoyed all this planning. It wasn't planned but the fares (of a carrier, Cebu Pacific) were irresistible. It has been two months since I started preparing for this trip. Weeks after, I've placed, cancelled and changed some hotel reservations, inquired on restaurants, places of interests, etc. I guess we're all set, plane tickets and hotel reservations are booked and finalized.. even restaurants! I've completed our itinerary which I hope will be a relaxing and fun-filled one. HK-Macau, here we come :)

TARGET: Byahe tayo places, food and events

2010-02-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

Those in URL's are places, foods, events and activities

In strikethrough are those I've finished already (and I'll be slowly updating the links as soon as I've blogged them).

---------------------------------------------------

Ikaw ba'y nalulungkot
Naiinip, nababagot?
Ikaw ba'y napapagod
Araw gabi'y puro kayod?

Buhay mo ba'y walang saysay
Walang sigla, walang kulay?
Bawa't araw ba'y pareho
Parang walang pagbabago?

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Kasama ang pamilya
Barkada at buong grupo
Para mag-enjoy nang todo.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Napasyal ka na ba
Sa ~~Intramuros~~ at ~~Luneta~~
~~Palawan~~, ~~Vigan~~ at Batanes
~~Subic~~, ~~Baguio~~ at Rice Terraces?

Namasdan mo na ba
Ang mga vinta ng Zamboanga
~~Bulkang Taal~~, Bulkang Mayon
~~Beach ng Boracay~~ at ~~La Union~~?

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Mula Basco hanggang Jolo
Nang makilala ng husto
Ang ating kapwa-Pilipino.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

From city to city,
Seven thousand and a hundred plus islas
Sa mahal kong Pilipinas
Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao ating puntahan.
Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan!

Nasubukan mo na bang
Mag-rapids sa Pagsanjan
Mag-diving sa Anilao
Mag-surfing sa Siargao?

Natikman mo na ba
~~Ang sisig ng Pampanga~~
~~Duriang Davao~~, ~~Bangus Dagupan~~
~~Bicol Express~~ at Lechong Balayan?

Tara na, biyahe tayo,
Nang makatulong kahit pano
Sa pag-unlad ng kabuhayan
Ng ating mga kababayan.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Nakisaya ka na ba
Sa Pahiyas at Masskara
Moriones at Ati-Atihan
Sinulog at Kadayawan?

Namiesta ka na ba
Sa Peñafrancia sa Naga
~~Umakyat sa Antipolo~~
Nagsayaw sa Obando?

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Upang ating matamo
Ligaya at pagkakaibigan
Kaunlaran, kapayapaan.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Upang ating matamo
Ligaya at pagkakaibigan
Kaunlaran, kapayapaan.

Halika, biyahe tayo
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Halika, biyahe tayo...
WOW Philippines...
---------------------------------------------------

Total Target: 32
Total Accomplished: 14

Tara na byahe tayo..

2010-02-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

It all started in 2005, when I first posted my travelog, back in my old multiply site. Since then, I have cross-posted and migrated to different social-networking sites. After much thought and delay, I finally have my own domain – bakasyunista.com.

I have a target, something I got from Jojo Ayson, which is to be able to visit all the sites, eat all the foods and experience all events and activities in a popular ad once created to promote tourism in the Philippines. Give me 3 years – 2013, I’ll finish it all.

Join me in my sojourns.
– bakasyunista / patrick