backpack boy

Yet another Bangkok trip

2012-08-30T16:21:00.000+08:00

Another business trip again this week in the majestic city of Bangkok, Thailand. This time, I stayed in JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok as all of my official stays in the city were done in Conrad Bangkok due to its proximity, closer to our local office.

I arrived last Saturday afternoon after a 40-minute taxi cab ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the international airport gateway of Bangkok. Check-in was a breeze and just minutes later, I am already on my room, ready to leave and explore the city. As I came here for business, I just squeeze in travels in between work schedule whenever I can. The lobby of the hotel is inviting, however it was confusing at first to find where the check-in counter is as it is located behind at the far end.

The room I stayed this week is a 1 King Bed Deluxe Room (THB5000++, corporate rate) inclusive of internet and breakfast. The layout of this 33sqm room is just perfect although I find some of the furniture (and even the flooring and carpeting) aging, dated and would need refurbishment or replacement.

coffee board

bed

working area and couch

television and working area

fresh fruits in the room

bathroom

toiletries provided

hallway

view from my room

As soon as I have settled, I left the hotel and walked towards BTS Nana station (around 3 blocks away) and rode the train to Mo Chit station (THB40 per way).

It was weekend and I plan to visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market which will close in a few hours. I have been to Bangkok a number of times but never been here before since I come to the city mostly during weekdays. The rain started to pour just as the train is about to reach Mo Chit station. By the time it reached the station, it was raining hard and I was stranded for a few minutes for I don't have a raincoat or umbrella with me that time.

The drizzle was still on when I approached the weekend market. True to its promise, the place is so big that I find it instead confusing rather than a shopaholic's paradise as the stalls were not organized very well (or I don't know how to make out of it). Still, I checked out some of the vendors and see if there's anything good to take home. I still prefer going to Pratunam Market for clothes though.

I was hungry and luckily there was a street food vendor selling vegetable spring roll (THB20) which I happily munched over.

An hour after, I left the weekend market, dismayed as I didn't get to buy anything. Most stores were starting to close already and rain water dripping over my head wasn't that fun at all as I scout for a good find. I took the MRT from Chatuchak Park station to Sukhumvit station. (THB33)

It was cheaper than my transportation coming here, yes, but it turned out to be a very bad decision. The map clearly says that Sukhumvit station stops at Sukhumvit Road, nearby Phloen Chit road. It turned out to be around 10 blocks away! The map was very much misleading. Anyway, charge it to experience, I did walk back, and didn't take the BTS (Asoke station was the nearest so it was actually two stations away!) and just enjoyed the brisk walk as I haven't been to this part of Bangkok before.

Before reaching the hotel, I saw KFC where I ate with my family before (it was just across JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok actually) and bought a bucket meal to go consisting of 8pcs. fried chicken, 4pcs. WingZ Zabb, a couple of fries, and a couple of egg tarts. I added steamed rice too as it wasn't part of the meal by default. Now dinner is served!

What I like about this meal is the WingZ Zabb, chicken with spicy marinade and crispy coating. I haven't tried this and didn't see this in other KFC stores in other countries so far and this yet is my favorite. Too bad they don't serve gravy here like they do in the Philippines, but the ketchup and sweet chili sauce would do for now.

Egg tarts. They don't serve this too in the Philippines, and didn't notice if they do in Malaysia.

You may be wondering why I bought a lot. It was still early in the evening but I stayed the whole night in the room working and preparing for my workshop the next day, so as much as possible I should get all I need in there without the need for going out, and I was right.

For those who should know, the hotel I am staying is near some of those sleazy places like massage parlors and bars. I'm sure single men would have loved to stay at this hotel.

The next day, I woke up early to prepare for the workshop, dress up and arrive early at the customer place. I had breakfast in Marriott Café (located at the ground level of the hotel) before heading off. The restaurant has a complete spread of food catering to different tastes like Asian (Japanese and Chinese food), Western food (bacon, ham and the likes), Vegetarian, Pastry, Salad, Cereals and a whole lot more.

my breakfast for that day

The rest of the day was spent with my customer and as I came back, I was glad to find out they refilled (and changed) the fresh fruits inside the room.

I didn't bother going to a restaurant or a fancy place that night for dinner. I just went to the grocery and bought stuffs, as I still need to prepare a lot for next day's workshop.

Third day was very similar, I woke up early, had breakfast at Marriott Café, headed off to customer place for work and night was spent for work.

As I arrived to the customer place that day however, a beautiful day and clear sky greeted me and it continued the whole day, unlike the couple of days before when rain was on and off.

The morning and most of the afternoon of the 4th day (yesterday) was spent working remotely for customers as soon as I was done, I used the remaining time to squeeze a couple of items in my itinerary.

My first (quick) stop was at Jim Thompson Factory Outlet located in Sukhumvit Soi 93. I was able to go there by taking the BTS to Bang Chak station (THB45) and it was only a short walk from there.

Then I went back to the hotel to drop off the things I got and walk towards the Khlong Saen Saeb boat service pier in Sukhumvit Soi 3 (Nana Nua station), enroute to a temple. The piers of the boat service are usually accessible by getting down from the bridge towards the pathway near the water.

pier at Nana Nua

the boat as it approaches the pier platform

Passengers literally have to hop to the boat to board. I paid THB14 as fare to Panfa Leelard pier, where I was informed should just be minutes walk away from the temple I am to visit. It was a nice experience to finally ride this boat service as I've been longing to try it out. Now I have a reason to. I find it cute too that there are handles to pull so that the plastic curtain, covering the passengers from water sprinkles, would come up. A very "handy" item indeed.

There are two lines to the boat service. I took the NIDA Line first, which terminates at Pratunam pier, which serves as an interchange with the other line, the Golden Mount Line. I had to get off at Pratunam to change boats that will take me to Panfa Leelard and just showed my ticket to the conductor.

After around half an hour from riding the first boat, I finally reached Panfa Leelard. From there, I can view the temple I am to visit already.

bridge at Panfa Leelard

Few minutes walk from there, I finally reached the foot of Wat Saket, or what they also call as The Golden Mount. It is a Buddhist temple built on a site where another temple collapsed and ultimately formed a hill.

The current temple was built on top of the said hill, and for you reach it, you have to climb steeply on these steps (around 300) to reach the temple itself. In between, there are flat areas where one can briefly rest before continuing upwards.

bells

not yet there!

more bells

more steps going up

gong

The Buddha for worshiping is found at the end of the stair steps, a floor below the stupa on the top. A few more climbing and then I finally reached the golden stupa.

a bird carrying a bell

Phra Setthi Nawakot (nine-faced Buddha)

Tourist and locals also come here to catch a good glimpse of Bangkok skyline and the surrounding areas of the temple.

Rama VIII bridge

Grand Palace

As I go down from the temple, the beautiful view of the area still kept enticing me as I head back towards the hotel, riding the same boat service and walking back.

Before I reached the Panfa Leelard pier, I chanced upon King Prajadhipok Museum (King Rama VII). However it was already and was closed for the day, so I didn't get to go inside.

That night, I went out with Filipino office friends for dinner at Cabbages and Condoms, located Sukhumvit Soi 12 (we walked for around 20 minutes from our office in All Seasons Place). The restaurant promotes better understanding of family planning and population control, and in some areas, they have displays made with, ehhr.. condoms.

We happily munched and dined that night, telling stories as we seldom see each other these days despite being officemates due to regional roles we have. Here are some of the food items we had last night:

tom yang gung

deep fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaf and beef green curry with eggplant

steamed whole sea bass with chili, lemons and vegetables

And for dessert, sticky rice with ripe mango and ice cream!

As they say at the entrance, "Sorry, we have no mints. Please take a condom instead.".

True to its words, when we billed out, we were given condoms each.

Breezing along some displays on the way out, we find the models and statues made of condoms queer and cute. Yes, they were covered with condoms if you look closely.

After coming back from dinner last night, I immediately went to the room to pack my things up. Too bad I am to leave early morning the next day. I also picked up my moon cakes from Man Ho restaurant earlier (at the 2nd floor of the hotel). They look yummy and was packaged nicely.

Left the hotel early today (around 7AM) after having a quick breakfast to catch our 9:30AM flight. The flight was delayed for almost an hour and I spent the time checking out the duty free shops at the airport and checking my email before boarding the plan. Glad that Philippine Airlines served lunch early and I was happy as I was starting to get hungry already as I didn't eat much this morning.

Bangkok is always one of my favorite cities around and even if I've been here before and would go there again and again, I wouldn't mind. I'm sure there are always new things to do and enjoy in the city. Looking back to the next trip back!

PR now flies direct to Bali!

2012-03-29T00:35:00.011+08:00

Okay, after some bad experience with PR, it's refreshing to hear a good news from a friend recently - that Philippine Airlines is now flying direct to Bali via Denpasar International Airport. Previously from Manila, you have to connect either via Singapore, Jakarta or some flights via Bangkok.

Flights will be every Wednesday and Saturday (late evening, arriving early morning in Bali) and back to Manila every Sunday and Thursday (very early morning, turn-around flight)

Now that there's a direct flight, things will be easier for us! Hope to catch it soon when budget allows!

Another weird experience with PR food service

2012-02-18T07:24:00.024+08:00

Just came off from a red-eye flight from Jakarta back to Manila and is now enroute to catch the defenses of my university students. I wanted to share another queer experience with PR food service. I was just grossed on the fact that after eating the meal served, I was surprised to find out some sort of food stuck in between the unused fork (or at least I didn't use it). I usually just use spoon and very seldom touch the fork during flight meal service as the food served are usually soft.

I know it is hard to prove this by picture and you have to look closely at the fork to see it, but just as always, let's be vigilant, and hope it don't happen to anyone else. I sure do hope this is isolated, and not targetted (to me) lol.

* Also, another incident with this flight is that I was promised by the flight attendant to have my drink (diet cola) served later as she headed to the galley, supposedly to get it, after serving drinks to my seatmates as my preferred drink was out of stock. I had to nudge and remind her, as she was collecting the trash and trays after the meal, that I didn't have my drink yet, to which she was very professional and apologetic and honestly informed me she forgot it. No biggie though as I was too sleepy already at that time and she was honest enough to tell me that.

Downgraded food service from PR?

2011-10-27T17:21:00.000+08:00

Earlier this week, I had my first chance of flying Philippine Airlines after the hiatus around flight cancellations due to employee strikes condemning the (already started effective October 1) outsourcing plans of ground crew (Sky Logistics), in-flight meals (Sky Kitchen) and call center operations (SPI).

One of the things I always look forward to for PR flights is the hot meal service. I was surprised and it indeed was my first time to receive a box from the flight attendant.

The box contained two set of salted crackers, pack of dried mixed fruits, caramel bar and utensils. We were offered no choice in food (they used to offer choice between meat and fish or sometimes between two types of meat) and was served with a "chicken inasal". If you've been following my posts where I usually show what they served me at certain flight, this one is definitely smaller and thinner (realize the relative size by comparing with the crackers and caramel bar, if you know them).

Don't take this post negatively. I'm not actually whining that this is just what they have served at that flight. I'm just surprised that the usual amenities and effects were gone amidst the time when PR is luring its loyal customers back after what have happened. I sure do hope this is not part of the cost cutting measures and that it is only temporary or isolated. Did I mention I was still hungry later in the flight because of that dinner serving size? :)

Changing name, revamping and backposting

2011-06-18T18:27:00.002+08:00

You may have noticed a slight change to my blog. I moved from thebackpackboy.com to simply backpackboy.com. This allowed me to have a URL that is simpler, shorter and easier to remember. If you have been following, please change your references to reflect the new one. However, the old domain name will continue to work and redirect to the new one to help on the transition.

Another thing, I'm currently experimenting for a new look and feel of this site so pardon the hiccups you may encounter from time to time.

On a side note, I've been backposting recently some of my travels as far as those from 2009. You may wonder and notice these new posts that will pop-up that are backdated as I continue to catch up.

Lastly to my blogging friends, I'm still committed to keep this site so stay tuned for more. Catch up with you all!

Looking for another Southeast Asian Trip!

2011-05-16T11:17:00.007+08:00

Amidst back posts waiting to be published in the blogs, I've been thinking of having another quick getaway within Southeast Asia. It's been a while since I've been out for trips within the region, and I do hope to be on one soon. Why Southeast Asia you ask? Well from my perspective there could be a lot of reasons:

convenient, because most destinations just need a single flight coming from my home airport (MNL).
cheaper, this is relative but considering a lot of budget airlines in the region, flights tend to be cheaper. Even hotels, inns, or hostels are considerably cheap than, say, going to west of the world.
closer, that way, I don't have to take a long leave away from work. A quick getaway will do.

Also since, ASEAN countries have a treaty that doesn't require visa among its citizens, we are free to jump from one ASEAN country to another without hassle of paperwork.

Among the member countries, I've been to (in alphabetical order) Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. I've been wanting to, but haven't been yet to Brunei, Laos and Myanmar, because either I have no reason yet to go to or there is no direct flight from the country.

Actually I've been eyeing for a time already to be back in Thailand. Looking at my last trip to Bangkok and surrounding area, it was definitely a fun fun experience and although we have covered a lot at that time, there is still a lot of reasons to go back to. Looking at Bangkok flight deals and similar websites, makes me wonder and want to go, but still thinking. Hmmmm!

me, taken at Wat Arun

Back in Manila and catching up

2011-04-16T09:51:00.005+08:00

I've been back home for quite a few days now and still finding time to catch up amidst a number of blog articles to be posted, pictures to be sorted, work and personal stuff to do. Nevertheless, I'm still longing and looking forward for my next possible trip, a longer one without work this time. I remember the time 4 years back when my mom and my brother came to the US and did the following:

saw New York and visited the Statue of Liberty among others in the city,
headed into Toronto to visit a relative in the middle of their worst snowstorm of that year then seeing the spectacular view for the first time of Niagara Falls
visited a number of museums and government establishments in the capital city of Washington, DC
loved the laid-back charm and comfort of Boston, MA
surmised in the bustling sin city of Las Vegas then watching a live boxing title fight between Marquez and Pacquiao as we side trip to Arizona for the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon.

Wondering off on some downtime, I am trying to relive those precious moments and in a whim began searching for flights to east coast US again and specifically stumbled on a site offering flights to New York that has tempting offers. *think think and control* :)

Things are different now than those time. I'm now married, recently had a wonderful blessing of a healthy baby boy so priorities changed. However, I'm still looking forward to that next wonderful and longer personal trip with my new family.

I will be posting articles and pictures of my last trip as I squeeze time for it this coming lenten holiday season in between meditation on belief and life.

Going back to good old Washington state

2011-02-25T10:16:00.004+08:00

Seattle, Redmond, Everett, Renton - these are cities in Washington State that I have been coming back and forth these past few years but the charm and excitement of visiting never had subsided. I'm back this time for TechReady 12 and it seems just yesterday when I was here for TechReady 9.

I'm still enroute when I was writing this, but I just want to share that I'm happy to be upgraded by Delta Airlines to Business Elite (business class) on my Manila-Narita flight leg.

On a side note, try to leave your worries behind. I've learned my lesson and sometimes it's not worth it to prepare and take so much time to research for a trip just to save a couple of bucks. Good thing packages like the ones coming from Beat The Brochure allows you to beat the odds and fly with no worries. Always weigh your options and think if it's worth your time wasted searching around the net.

More stories will be posted as I go along this trip. For now, I'm signing off since this week will be about official information that cannot be disclosed.

Chilling, Relaxing and Shopping at Bandung

2010-08-28T23:55:00.000+08:00

Just a day after arriving from Shanghai, China for a company event and a few days leave to extend my stay in the city, I once again is headed to another which I am excited about because of a number of firsts. This trip is my first offsite with the team outside the Philippines, my first time to ride a couple of airlines and try their services and my first time to be in that country of destination.

Despite arriving in our house almost midnight yesterday, I had to leave early morning to catch the morning flight to Singapore, where we'll be taking a connecting flight. It's my first time to take Singapore Airlines despite me travelling a lot since I try to consolidate my flights to either Philippine Airlines for regional and domestic flights and Delta for those bound to North America.

We had a clear and fine weather as we take off from Manila en route to Singapore.

It was a smooth flight and I finally understood what they say about this airline's service. Staff seem to be more courteous than the ones I am used to, who sometimes doesn't even smile at all or are robotic. It's also my first regional flight with AVOD so even if it was just a 3-hour flight, it was still enjoyable. Food is still comparable though more generous in portions in my opinion.

We had around 2.5 hours layover so aside from taking the usual glimpse at the shopping outlets in the airport, I still had the chance to eat my favorite Hainanese chicken rice.

Our connecting flight was via Air Asia so we literally jumped from a full service airline to a budget airline. There wasn't any other choice at that time as it was the only convenient way for us to reach Bandung, Indonesia.

It was also my first time to fly Air Asia. This one specifically is an Indonesia Air Asia (Indonesian subsidiary of the airline) flight. Nothing special on the flight, in fact I still would prefer taking Cebu Pacific or Tiger Airways for budget airlines as I felt like I just hopped on a bus throughout the trip. After around 1.5 hours of flight, we finally reached Husein Sastranegara International Airport (Bandung International Airport).

There was no jetways at the airport so passengers are expected to board and deplane at the tarmac via an external rolling aircraft stairs. Arriving at the airport, it is my first time to be in Indonesia, as I haven't been to any place in this country before.

From there it took us almost an two hours (via van) to finally reach Bandung as we have to wait for the immigration to open (there was a long line despite there were only two flights arriving at that time). When it opened, only two counters were servicing the passengers so it really took an hour before we were able to reach the land side. From there, there was still a bit of traffic even if the airport is just around 5km from city center, so it still took us about an hour to reach our hotel.

It was a bliss when we reached Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers where we will be staying for this trip. For most of us, the whole trip is averaging to 12 hours just to get there so we were naturally all exhausted and wanted to catch some rest as we got there.

I stayed in a pool access room, sharing it with a colleague in Indonesia, a 32sqm of space with a veranda outside leading towards the pool area. Inside is a cozy atmosphere and I felt very comfortable and at-home staying here.

work area

fruits in the coffee table

Bandung is comparable to Tagaytay in sense because of its climate (cooler than in the city) minus the view of a volcano. The atmosphere is so relaxing and comfortable, and the area is a bit laid-back that most of the time I felt lazy to move and just wanted to sit down or relax the whole time.

As the day fell and night came out, we decided to head out for dinner in a restaurant on top of a hill that has a view of Bandung. It took around 20 minutes for us to get there and were already hungry at that time. Unfortunately, I forgot to get the name of the restaurant, so if anyone would know, help me out please.

dining area.

view of Bandung from the restaurant

my meal

It is still Ramadan until September 9 so most of the places close down early and nothing much going around in the city. We decided to hop into another eating place just to chill out and talk casually. Again, I didn't get the name of this place. It's like a big open food court with lots of stores selling food items and stuff and it was like a food trip for us, trying out different things.

sweet colored stuff in syrup. not sure of its name

After this, we headed back to the hotel and called it a night as there were not a lot of stuff to do in the city during that period.

I woke up a little early the next day to stroll around check the pool area and some of the hotel facilities. The hotel has a couple of pools, presumably for adult and children and the whole place is so nice and inviting. Too bad weather and temperature at that time is so cold.

There is also a drum in the hotel that they used to signal the rising and setting of the sun every day.

chocolate-made structure (is it a mosque?)

open air lobby

The hotel also have an area called Link @ Sheraton experienced with Microsoft, a connectivity hub for guest who wishes to stay connected for business or with family.

leading to the meeting rooms

stone turtle

statue display

The whole day for us was reserved for meetings and team-building activities so nothing much to tell about. We also had lunch in-house at Samsara Lounge (where we also take breakfast) and didn't go out for meal during the day.

At night however, we went out to visit Rumah Mode, supposedly the largest factory shopping outlet in the city. The city is well known to local and tourist for a number of factory shopping outlets that are supposedly for export and surplus although we were also forewarned that sometimes they mixed real stuffs with those that are not so we need to be careful in checking.

The area itself was a feast for non-locals as it has a lot of traditional and cultural touches that adds character to the place. The whole place outside the shopping store is a nice place to just sit down and wander, as well as do some people watching.

elephant statue

garden pavilion

lighting fixture

design on the ceiling of a pavilion

We had dinner at a nearby mall after shopping (I only got a few clothes to trail for me and some family members) while a couple of person were left there as they want to maximize their time shopping. It was late at night when we left and again we all had a wonderful sleep after a very tiring day of meeting, team-building activities then shopping.

We left early to catch a flight to Singapore and ultimately to Manila. As we leave the city, it was a shame that we were there for such a short time that we were not even able to visit some of its natural wonders. Well at least, there's always something to go back after.

Of course, at the layover in Singapore, I again had a sumptuous meal of Hainanese chicken rice.

And lastly, again, having to fly back to Manila earlier this evening with AVOD is such a wonderful experience it was a more personal way of keeping myself from getting bored rather than sticking to what the airline is projecting on the screen on my regional flights (or none at all on budget airlines). Add to that the wonderful meal being served with a smile of the staff, it definitely is a nice way to kill time as I wait for my arrival back in Manila.

as a bonus, ice cream cone for desert!

It was such a short trip that most of day 1 and day 3 were spent for travel and we actually just had day 2 as a whole. Overall the experience was still great and I'm looking forward to coming back to Indonesia soon, perhaps Jakarta or even Bali the next time!

The Venetian Macao Experience

2010-07-03T21:35:00.000+08:00

Today was our last day in Macau and we are already on the airport, waiting for boarding as I write this blog post. Our last day was spent briefly at The Venetian Macao, a hotel and casino resort located at Cotai Strip (a newly-developed area away from where Lisboa and Grand Lisboa are). The hotel is designed much to how its sister hotel, The Venetian, in Las Vegas is, a mixed use complex of hotel, shops, entertainment and convention space.

The Venetian is well-known among visitors mimicking in style the gondolas of Venice, Italy, cruising at the network of canals and bridges in the city.

There were other entertainment going here and there along the complex like short opera performances, pantomimes, or even jugglers to entertain passers-by.

I've been to The Venetian and Palazzo in Las Vegas and I could say that the one in Macau is very similar and just as grandiose as the original one. The place was still under construction when I went here last 2007 and was glad to finally visit this complex. Similar to the Las Vegas one, the design of the shops, restaurants and outlets inside is like walking at the streets of Venice. They even had the ceiling painted with blue sky and clouds so you would really feel you are outside on the streets, minus the heat of course.

We had our lunch first after walking around at Shanghai Cuisine, one of the restaurants inside The Venetian.

There we had sampled dumplings, chicken with buns, and other things that I forgot to take pictures of some due to hunger (it was past lunch time already).

me and Roshie

Of course, we cannot leave the place (as we were in honeymoon) without trying their signature gondola ride. Price per person was MOP108 and since there wasn't a lot of riders that time, we had a gondola for ourselves, accompanied of course by a singing gondolier.

Here are some pictures I took as we breezed through the canals of The Venetian Macau

It was a quick 10 minute or so ride of the gondola. It was a good experience, specially for us newly-weds, as it felt very romantic with a gondolier singing as me and my wife sit down comfortably together.

After this, we left The Venetian to go back to Hotel Lisboa and take our things on the way to the airport (we had checked out earlier that morning and just left our things). The night was cap of with a short dinner (noodles and chicken nuggets) at the airport as we wait for our flight back in Manila which should be boarding in a few minutes.

In a honeymoon mood or not, Macau has been very good for us, despite the challenge in language (we speak no Cantonese nor Mandarin), every moment spent for the past days will be cherished and we definitely look forward to getting back again even before we leave this city.

Crossing over to Macau

2010-07-02T22:04:00.000+08:00

Coming from Hong Kong Disneyland yesterday late afternoon, we took the MTR to Sheung Wan station, which has direct access to Shun Tak Centre, a transport complex catering mostly to ferry services to Macau.

We took the 7PM sailing of Turbojet from Hong Kong to Macau (HKD168 each for economy tickets). Apparently night service (1745 - 0630) was more expensive than day service (0700 - 1730). We were just minutes away from 7PM when we reached the ferry terminal but they still allowed us to purchase the tickets, so we were actually in a hurry to catch up the service and didn't waste much time in the terminal. We were told they departure every 15 minutes or so anyway so nothing to worry about being left at the terminal.

The ferry wasn't full, in fact it wasn't even loaded 50% of the capacity. We were asked to bring our luggage on board (no more check-in) and went to look for our seats. Apparently the boat is so empty that we can have rows for ourselves.

As it was dinner time, we were hungry and glad to find out that they serve meals onboard. I just had a spicy beef noodle and softdrinks (HKD35 for both), and glad

It was already dark when we reached Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal. After an hour's trip, we finally reached Macau and was surprised because it was still sunny when we got in the ferry and just sat for a short time but it was already dark outside when we got out.

We waited for a shuttle that runs between the ferry terminal and our hotel, and it took almost 30 minutes of waiting before it got there. The trip from the terminal to the hotel however was short (around 10 minutes) and we really look forward to resting as we spent the tiring day at Hong Kong Disneyland earlier then had to cross the sea to reach Macau. I've been to Macau last April 2007, 3 years back (on a separate trip before we went to Hong Kong) and stayed on the same hotel we are staying now. Hotel Lisboa, one of the oldest hotel in Macau, as it is one of the pioneers in the gaming and entertainment industry in the city.

I booked for a room for a Tower Room and prepaid USD325.04 via Agoda. We were given a room facing the lake and Macau Tower and I think the room is supposedly more expensive than the regular one. Anyway, we are still happy to take it. Inclusive in all rooms are local calls, internet access and all items you will find inside the mini-bar (like juice, softdrinks and beer) which they refill everyday.

The room is very spacious and comfy. The rooms in the West Tower are newer than those in East Wing. Comparing it with the pictures of my stay in the hotel before, there definitely is difference and I love it.

There were chocolates at the table when we arrived, a standard welcome amenity.

The bathroom was also nice, equipped with Jacuzzi bathtub and massage shower, not to mention fine toiletries.

Again, what I love with the room they gave us is the view. We are able to see the Macau Tower from our window and it is such a beauty that I never get so used to just staring at it. The nearby ground area is also nice to look at from the window.

The view from the window is just as nice, but on a different scale in the morning as we woke up earlier today. Clear blue skies and good weather awaits us outside the hotel.

a closer look of the Macau Tower view from our room

a grandiose staircase inside Hotel Lisboa

We walked to Senado Square, a 10-minute leisure walk away from our hotel. A paved area built during Portuguese colonization era, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of "Historic Centre of Macau".

The fountain at the square looks different from what I've seen before, as it is now fenced up and we couldn't actually get into it unlike before when we still had a chance to sit down on its edge for a photo opp.

Most shops and restaurants were still closed, so we just went to McDonald's across the square for breakfast. The menu was quite different from the usual I had in different countries. For this meal, I tried the Sausage N' Egg Twisty Pasta with Cheese. It was okay but I find it queer as it was actually soup based.

After breakfast, we roamed around Senado Square and the nearby shops. Unfortunately most of them was still closed so we just made our way to the Ruins of St. Paul. It was once a Cathedral built during Portuguese time, it was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon centuries ago and today only its façade is standing still. It is now also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Centre of Macau".

Mr. Truffles at the Ruins of St. Paul

The smell from nearby pastelaria or bakery always catches attention of tourist and passers-by. As soon as they were ready, we headed into this bakery, Pastelaria Koi Kei, to munch on their yummy Portuguese egg tarts.

The bakery is also famous for other traditional products such as meat jerkies, almond cakes, egg rolls, and other baked and preserved products. I personally like their almond cakes and egg tarts and scheduled to come back to this shop to bring home some stuff at home.

After which, we went back to the hotel as it was still early in the morning to leave some stuff and rest for a while as we plan to take an organized tour group from the ferry terminal later that day.

This is how Hotel Lisboa (and the Casino herein) façade looks like in the morning. During night time, the structure is very well lighted.

Across this hotel is Grand Lisboa, the tallest building in the city, owned by the same group with Hotel Lisboa (Stanley Ho).

Also nearby is Club Militar de Macau (Military Club of Macau).

From the Ferry Terminal, we took the Macau Highlights Tour of Grayline (reserved and paid via walk-in in the terminal) for MOP118 each. Our first stop was at the Golden Lotus Square which features a huge lotus flower in full bloom. It is in some way similar to Golden Bauhinia Square.

flags of Macau and China raised

Our next stop was in Museu de Macau, although we didn't enter as we didn't have much time and weren't that interested then (been here before).

escalators leading to the museum

some murals outside the museum

outside the museum

cannon at the museum grounds, facing the area of Grand Lisboa

view from the top

Then we proceed to walk closer to the Ruins of St. Paul. Since we went there earlier today, it wasn't much of interest to us anymore.

We were then led to walk towards Senado Square, passing by the streets and alleys of shops nearby. This time most of the shops are now open, however, we don't have much shopping time.

nice shirt that says "kamusta ka na", which in Filipino means "how are you?"

The group was left at Senado Square to have an hour for lunch and shopping.

As I've been here before, we went to this eatery near the Senado Square for lunch. My family ate here before and love their chicken.

We had white hainanese style chicken and brown roasted duck (MOP44 for both meals).

It was yummy and somewhat "authentic" experience of a Chinese eatery at this otherwise tourist destination. I still remember the time my family ate here before and people were looking and smiling at us. Perhaps they were surprised or we're doing something wrongfully.

We had much time so we just strolled around the area. We passed by St. Dominic's Church at Senado Square.

inside the church

We also went inside their museum, where they showcase a lot of historical and religious artifact, although this box caught my attention.

We passed by Macau Cathedral as well. We were told the place also houses Archbishop's Palace.

inside the church looking over the main altar

an altar dedicated to Christ the King

As we convened with the group, they brought us next to Macau Tower. The place is actually a combined complex of shopping and convention center. The 338m tower is the most remarkable icon of Macau (that sticks to the mind of tourists). Its observation deck is located 223m above ground.

The tower gives a good 360 degree glimpse of the whole Macau region. Visible from here are the different islands connected by complex network of bridges across a body of water, as well as the skyline of Macau.

The observation deck has some glass floors. I am admittedly afraid of heights and doing this or even going for a step on the transparent glass with clear view of the ground below still gives me the creeps.

For those who are more adventurous, one can do SkyWalk (walking at the edge of the structure) or even bungee jumping.

other views of the surrounding area from the top

tower levels

At the ground, as we went down from the observation deck and exiting the premises, there were a few arts on display today.

Roshie staring at a Jackie Chan sketch

We went outdoors while still waiting for the assembly time of the group to relax at the benches outside and take picture. The bridges are simply wonderful.

view of the tower from the bottom

Next, we went to A-Ma Temple, considered as one of the oldest Taoist temple in Macau, built in 1488. Its namesake is thought by some to be where the name Macau originated from.

A-Ma Temple marker

inside the temple

At the end of the tour, we were brought to the museum houses in Taipa island, near The Cotai Strip.

near the houses, with backdrop of The Venetian Macao

The houses, built in 1921 are old colonial buildings depicting how lives of well-off families were during that period of time.

me and Roshie

We were dropped off at the ferry terminal after the tour and we immediately took the shuttle back to hotel for some rest. It was nice to see that as sun goes down, the lights of the area come to illuminate the place.

Then after, we proceeded to Macau Fisherman's Wharf to explore the place, and probably look for something to eat. The place is very near (walking distance) from the ferry terminal.

water cube-like structure (similar to Beijing Olympics 2008) across the wharf

at the wharf

The Underground Amusement Centre

replica of Colosseum

We ended up going back to the hotel area as most shops and restaurants there were either too high-end or closed. What we did is just walk at the back alley area near the hotel to look for open restaurants.

Restaurante Fong Fong Kei caught our attention and since I was already late, we decided to eat there.

We had Chili Beef and Spicy Steam Fish Head for dinner. Both are good but too spicy for our taste.

Still, we finished both, specially the fish head, which looks like there was more chili peppers than anything on it.

After dinner, we crossed the street to check out the other casino hotel in the area - Wynn Macau.

Hotel Lisboa, viewed from Wynn

The musical fountain show outside Wynn Macau is an attraction itself. We waited for a few minutes and then the show started. We were told that there are different music played at different times and not the same always.

Wynn Macau

bridge, viewed from near Wynn Macau

It was already late at night when we got back at the hotel tonight. It looks like we spent more than an hour waiting and watching the musical fountain show. A good night rest is in order for our final day tomorrow in the city.

Hong Kong Disneyland, a second time around

2010-07-01T19:55:00.000+08:00

As soon as we have checked out from Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel, we immediately walked towards the nearest MTR station (Wan Chai), headed for Sunny Bay station. From there, we are to change trains with Disneyland Resort line, ultimately heading towards Disneyland Resort. The trains of Disneyland Resort line is very distinguishable from other lines as it has a Mickey Mouse-shaped windows, some figures of Disney characters on board and couch seating.

There are only two stations on that rail line and one can't get lost as it's either just Sunny Bay or Disneyland Resort station. Minutes later after riding the train, we arrived at Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange that serves as a gateway for MTR, taxi cabs and buses to the resort.

Mr. Truffles and his luggage at the entrance of the theme park

But before we enter the theme park, we headed first towards the bus station to check-in at the hotel, or at least leave our stuff as it was still late morning and we plan to spend our time at the theme park.

Yes, we stayed last night at a Disneyland resort hotel. When I was at the park for the first time 3 years ago, we stayed at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which is a Victorian-styled, castle like hotel.

This time we are stayed at Disney's Hollywood Hotel, themed after Holywood during 1930s time. The going on rate at the time of purchase (it was pre-purchased a month prior) was HKD1883 for a Park View room, inclusive of breakfast, net of tax and charges. We also pre-purchased our park tickets (HKD700).

Didn't get to explore much of the hotel, nor got into our room, as it was still early. We left our things instead and went back to the theme park to relive our childhood memories (now with my wife).

HKD350 is the on-going rate for a 1-day ticket per person. Since we were staying at the hotel, we took advantage of the privilege for guests of paying only for a 1-day ticket for use for 2-days consecutive. That's considered to be a big savings for us since we can do unlimited entries today and tomorrow instead of just one day to spare.

It was almost lunch time and very hot to walk to theme park entrance. It was actually a long walk but you wouldn't notice it since your eyes will be feasting with a lot of displays and icons that will sure make you reminisce some childhood memories.

As we approached the gate, we just showed the tickets we picked up from the hotel and we're good to go. The familiar facade approaching Main Street, U.S.A. and the railroad station greeted us.

me and Roshie

A marker as we enter Main Street, U.S.A. clearly reads "HERE YOU LEAVE TODAY AND ENTER THE WORLD OF YESTERDAY, TOMORROW AND FANTASY". Perfect description of the feeling both adults and children alike going to the park experience.

The first attraction we entered (after taking some pictures on the street) is the Animation Academy. At that time, guests were being taught on how to draw Tigger (from Winnie the Pooh).

I'm not very good in drawing, in fact, I'll be honest to say that I'm bad at it but the step-by-step tutorial was so easy enough that I managed to draw something a bit closer than average, so I'm proud to have an artwork (again) after all these years (elementary days was the last perhaps?).

There was street entertainment when we went out of the Animation Academy. Old style entertainment of a marching band (sporting summer wear) were entertaining passers-by.

We stopped for awhile to listen and watch. As it was a Disney act, it's not just the usual playing of instruments but of course with matching choreography.

We checked out a few shops along Main Street, bought a few items, then we walked towards Fantasyland.

There in Fantasyland, we had witnessed our first show in the park in that visit - The Golden Mickeys, a musical show depicting multiple Disney animated movies such as Lilo and Stitch, Little Mermaid, Mulan and Beauty and the Beast among some.

Sebastian, Little Mermaid

Beast and Belle, Beauty and the Beast

Mickey Mouse and friends

After the show, we went to Tomorrowland for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride, where we got to shoot aliens.

Then we witnessed Mickey's WaterWorks parade, a summer season parade of Disney stars and there is tendency for you to get wet as they sprinkle some water here and there from time to time.

Buzz Lightyear

The Three Little Pigs

Goofy

Alice in Wonderland

Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse

Disney Princesses (Snow White, Belle and Sleeping Beauty)

Mickey Mouse

Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore

Woody and Jessie

After the parade, we happen to pass by a live glass-blowing activity, creating a glass décor.

We left the park and went back to the hotel by 4PM to finally check-in and rest for a couple of hours. As it was past check-in time, our room was ready (reserved for a Park View room). The room didn't look as grandiose as the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel room I had before (which is a Sea View), but as it was themed after it was just as I expected, of course with touches of Disney and Mickey Mouse.

our bed, with a Mickey Mouse display at the head board area

toiletries at the restroom

restroom

This is the view from outside the room. One can see from afar some structures of the park. The nightly fireworks show can also be seen from the room.

Housekeeping then knocked on our room and delivered items for our consumption, as they know it was our honeymoon - a greeting card, 2 pins, 2 little towels shaped as penguins, small bouquet made with paper and a can of cookies. It was a nice gesture of the staff we appreciated well. We've been lucky so far. :)

After some quick snooze, we went back late that afternoon to the theme park, just as the sun is starting to set. We took the chance to take pictures as most guest were leaving at that time and the park is getting less crowded.

me and Roshie

We headed first to Adventureland, and made it in time for Festival of the Lion King, a musical show inspired by the animated movie "The Lion King".

Just across after the show, we boarded a raft to cross the river to Tarzan's Treehouse.

is it Terk or Jerk?

going up the treehouse

view from the treehouse

Tarzan

We also took Jungle River Cruise right after.

monkeys

The rest of the night, we just ate and walked around the park. Then come night time, around 8:30PM, the "Disney in the Stars" Fireworks display went on, with the Sleeping Beauty Castle as its main piece. The battery ran out however so I wasn't able to take some pictures as it went along.

We slept early last night so we can wake up early today and explore the hotel premises before the park opens. It's cute to see a kid-sized bathrobe that fits Mr. Truffles, so we played with it a bit.

The breakfast included with our room rate was buffet setup served in Club Mickey.

The place looks cute and futuristic, and as we were early, there wasn't a lot of guest dining at that time. We helped ourselves in the food spread and took our time to eat.

There were cute-shaped items served like a smiley potato fry, Mickey Mouse pancake and pig dimsum, on top of the regular fare of food items catered to serve both Asian and Western taste. Too bad there wasn't meet and greet with Disney characters at the restaurant which they do only during Sundays or Holidays.

We explored the grounds after breakfast, the area is huge and we had to take time walking around.

Piano Pool, a piano shaped pool area. There were a number of kids and adults for a dip already early in the morning.

Hollywood Hotel sign

roshie and Mr. Truffles

It was a lovely day. Sun was out so bright and it's hot outside, so we left the hotel for another day of visit to the park just before it opened.

There were a number of Disney character meet and greet and we took advantage of these throughout the day.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse

with Daisy Duck

We were back again at Main Street, U.S.A and we visited a few more shops we missed yesterday and checked if there's anything good for tow.

inside a store

Around half an hour before lunch time, Stitch's Summer Dance Bash parade started so we stopped for a while to watch. Another parade of Disney characters!

goofy

Bob Parr of The Incredibles

Stitch

Ariel of The Little Mermaid

Genie of Alladin

Then they blasted and showered Mickey Mouse shaped confetti. To everyone's delight, adults and kids start picking those up.

We then strolled around for more character meet and greets that day. As we approach the Sleeping Beauty Castle, I cannot help but be awed at the level of detail they put into building this.

me and Roshie

Cinderella and Snow White

with Carl Fredricksen and Russell of the animation movie "Up"

sandcastles

with Mickey Mouse

with Goofy

Pluto looking at Mr. Truffles

with Pluto

Winnie the Pooh hug

with Winnie the Pooh

We also rode the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

with Minnie Mouse

Our last and memorable ride for the day is in Fantasyland, located at the farthest end called "It's a small world".

The castle for entrance to the said ride was queer and colorful, supposedly a mixture of different culture of palaces and castles.

The experience is like sailing slowly across the river hearing the tune of "It's a small world" all throughout. However, as one passes different places and countries, the lyrics of the song may change according to their language. The ride is actually enjoyable as one can see different costumes, cultures and traditions of different countries and even some Disney characters that are country specific representing theirs.

Mr. Truffles enjoying the ride

goodbye notes as the ride ends

Paalam, or Goodbye in Filipino

As we exit the park, we passed by Tomorrowland and saw a street entertainment of men playing with the garbage bins as if they were drums, therefore creating music out of it. Quite entertaining too.

Lunch time! We had lasagna and chicken with mashed potatoes and corn cob from Starliner Diner.

inside the diner

Tomorrowland

We also had some icecream sticks of different flavors.

with Buzz Lightyear

Mr. Truffles at Tomorrowland

carousel

Rode the train on the way to the exit of the park.

inside the train

Main Street, U.S.A. train station

alighting the train

It was mid-afternoon as we left the park today and would have wanted to stay longer, but we have to move on to our next destination.

Flag-Raising Ceremonies at Golden Bauhinia Square

2010-06-30T10:04:00.000+08:00

We woke up earlier today to catch the flag-raising ceremonies at the Golden Bauhinia Square in front of the convention center.

Golden Bauhinia Square with the Hong Kong International Convention and Exhibition Centre at the backdrop

At around 8AM, a band marched on the streets leading to Golden Bauhinia Square, triggering the start of the flag raising ceremonies.

leading the marching band

This was followed by a group of uniformed personnel marching, with one holding the flag.

turning towards the flagpole

Then they stopped at position in front of the flagpole. Later then music flew through the air and the flag-raising started.

the flags of China and Hong Kong being raised

raised!

the personnel standing firmly after flag were raised for a brief moment

Then the group started to march out, leaving the area.

Today is also the 13th anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from United Kingdom to China. Not sure if the flag raising was special at that time or the usual one they do daily as there were a few mediamen on the ground. The ceremony was rather short but still a sight to see, specially for us staying in the hotel just a few minutes walk from here.

After then we proceeded to the Executive Lounge to have our last breakfast before we checkout from the hotel that morning.

Visit to a Monastery and Avenue of Stars

2010-06-29T21:51:00.001+08:00

Our morning was greeted by a good view outside the window. The sun was out and we were hoping that no rain will cross our path today.

We had the usual fare of breakfast at the Executive Lounge at the hotel (Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel) before we headed off the streets again to wonder. So much things to do in Hong Kong but so little time, so we have to plan our time more or less and squeeze stuffs in between to cover the things we at least want to see in the city.

Mr. Truffles and his breakfast

Minutes later, we found ourselves riding at the MTR again, this time to Tung Chung station.

MTR map

We alighted in MTR Tung Chung station and followed the signs leading to Ngong Ping 360. The station is located in Lantau island and is quite a bit far from the crowdy buildings in Hong Kong island.

Directly adjacent to the MTR station is Citygate Outlets, a popular mall among tourists, because a lot of branded shops selling clearance and discounted items are housed there.

To get to Ngong Ping 360, we opted to take Journey of Enlightenment Package (HKD197.1/pax), inclusive of Round Trip Crystal Cabin Cable Car journey, entrances to Walking With Buddha and Monkey's Tale Theatre. It was 10% discounted because we had a ticket in Ocean Park to show with their promotion.

Good thing there wasn't a lot of crowd that time so we were able to get in line without so much waiting time, except to wait for the Crystal Cabin as there were more Standard Cabin.

Up, up and away! The short 20 or so minutes ride over 5km of cable was a thrilling experience despite having ridden a quite a few cable. The view on the way to Ngong Ping Village was also relaxing seeing the outlying islands while crossing Lantau Bay. At some point, there was a view where the airport can be viewed clearly from the cable car.

Tian Tian Buddha

It was almost lunch time when we arrived at Ngong Ping Village. We went to see the two other attractions (Walking with Buddha and Monkey's Tale Theatre), but I don't think they are remarkable that I didn't take photo inside to share.

me and Roshie at the bottom steps of Tian Tian Buddha

To reach the Buddha, there are apparently 240 steps on the way up. We carefully and leisurely climbed up, with stops along the way, so as not to tire ourselves too much catching air and under the heat of the sun.

almost there!

me and Roshie, just a few steps to the top

The Buddha was surrounded by statues signifying praises and offers to the Buddha.

view from the top

view of the steps going down from the Buddha

Mountain Gate

Next to the Buddha is Po Lin Monastery, we were told that it's just perfect (as it is also lunch time) to try out the vegetarian food they serve from their kitchen.

The vegetarian meal costs HKD120 for the 2 person set (General Meal). There is an option for Deluxe Meal, but we opted for the lighter (and cheaper) one. I'm usually not used to eating just vegetables and I always kid around that the vegetables is against my religion but I should admit that the food served there were tasty and delicious.

deep fried spring rolls

fried mixed vegetable with bean curd sheet

steam bean curd with light chili sauce

black mushroom with vegetables

There was also soup served and steam rice but I wasn't able to take photo. As I mentioned above, the food served were good and tasty, even for me who isn't used to eating just vegetables as a meal. Also the servings above is supposedly good for two and I think it was actually more than enough for us.

"LESS evil deeds, MORE kindness, DO more charity works, can STORE some merits."

After lunch, we scouted around the monastery grounds for some pictures to take:

After we finished, we rode the Crystal Cabin again going back to MTR Tung Chung station, then ultimately to our next destination. By the way, the Cable Car was called Crystal Cabin because its floor is clear glass. Not good for those with fear of heights.

From Tung Chung, we rode the train to Tsim Sha Tsui. There was a street market nearby, but they were just beginning to setup their stalls so nothing much to see.

Then we proceeded to Avenue of Stars, just located nearby the station. Located at the Promenade (waterfront), the "walk of fame" was setup to pay tribute to Hong Kong film industry stars and as a tourism spot. A market for each of the star is installed on the street floor and you will see tourists flock those that are well known in the industry.

view of Hong Kong island from the Avenue of Stars

star markers, explaining its purpose

roshie

Bruce Lee's star

Jackie Chan's star

Bruce Lee statue

United Buddy Bears

Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower at daylight

After this stroll, both of us were tired already so we went back to the hotel (across the water) to take a rest. Later in the afternoon, we went back to the Executive Lounge again for hors d'oeuvre before hitting off the streets.

For tonight, we only went to Golden Bauhinia Square, just in the vicinity of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, minutes walk away from the hotel.

There, one can see the skyline of Kowloon island (last night was Hong Kong island skyline). Almost equally beautiful but very convenient for us. We didn't bother to wait for the light show as we've seen it last night already and we were just there to relax and chill out.

me and Roshie

We hit off the sack earlier tonight as we recharge ourselves for something bigger tomorrow morning. See you tomorrow!

Trip to The Peak and Hong Kong Skyline

2010-06-28T23:52:00.000+08:00

Woke up early today for a quick breakfast at the Executive Lounge of JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. True to the online testimonies of a lot of guests, access to this lounge is really worth it as they offer a quite a range of items even on breakfast unlike the usual fare of 2 or 3 meat options only in lounges of the usual Marriott hotels. The selection in fact can rival the spread of some decent hotel where you pay for the breakfast buffet, not to mention the good service the lounge staff is giving to its patrons.

Then we proceed to go to The Peak Tram Lower Terminus by riding the MTR to Central station, exiting J2 and following our map, since we were informed it is only a few minutes by foot. On the way, we happen to pass by St. John's Cathedral (Anglican Church) and was amazed by its architecture so we took a short peek inside.

I was amazed at this sign outside however. LOL

inside the church

Didn't notice the time but the walk from MTR Central station to The Peak Tram Lower Terminus (located in Garden Road) should have been around 10 minutes of leisure walk.

We took the Madame Tussauds and Peak Tram Combo Package (HKD180 each). I've rode the tram 3 years ago but didn't have time for Madame Tussauds then because we were in a group tour. Minutes later, we found ourselves lining up for the ride to the peak.

Mr. Truffles sitting on the tram on the way up

The tram moved slowly uphill over a 1.3km track. Just a few minutes later were already at the peak and our seats are just starting to get heated.

an old tram on display at the peak

Up above at The Peak, the view of Hong Kong below is marvelous, despite having tall buildings in the city, it seems we are still up above most of them.

Mr. Truffles looking at the city below

Then we proceeded to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. I've been to Madame Tussauds in New York and Shanghai before, so this is my third Madame Tussauds visit. The wax museum, located at level P1, houses its own set of celebrities aside from the usual ones found in most of its branches. Here are some of the pictures taken inside:

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

Nicole Kidman

Madame Tussauds herself

Kelly Chen

Princess Diana

Royalties, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh

United States of America Presidential Podium

President Barrack Obama

Pablo Picasso

The Syndics of the Drapers' Guild, a painting of Rembrandt van Rijn where one can be part of

Astroboy

Barbie Hsu

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond

David Beckham

Ronaldinho Gaucho

Tiger Woods

Madonna

Michael Jackson

There are a whole lot more of celebrities and icons inside the wax museum but I didn't bother to post it here as it would render this blog post too much. Better visit the place yourself. It's a must, specially if you haven't been to one or looking for figures (specially from Asia).

After the visit to the Peak, we headed back to our hotel and check out (said goodbye to the remarkable JW Marriott), towed our stuffs to MTR en route to Wan Chai station, where Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel is situated (via exit A5).

I booked for 1 King Bed Garden View room in this hotel for two nights using points (25000/night, Category 5) but when they came to know it is for our honeymoon, they offered us a 1-bedroom suite instead, facing the harbor and convention center! I couldn't be thankful enough as it didn't just made our stay here more enjoyable but also comfortable. In fact it was so roomy that we barely use the living room today as the bedroom itself is so spacious! Perhaps tomorrow we can hangout at the sofa.

inside the bedroom

the living room

view from the room, facing the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and skyline view

After checking in and resting a couple of hours, we went up the Executive Lounge (given as a Gold Elite member) to checkout the afternoon tea offerings of the lounge. The place was empty and we almost had it to ourselves. It has large windows with a good view of the harbor, but we had the same already in the room they gave us so didn't mind it much.

We munched on a lot of items like cocktail sandwiches and sweets. I know I have been backpacking for quite a few years already and this experience is definitely extravagant, but always welcomed! Careful as I may get used to this so much! :)

If we thought that was it, I was even surprised when we came back to the room later, there was a congratulatory note, a bottle of chilled wine and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for us. I truly appreciate the gesture from the hotel staff and the experience so far made things better for us newly-weds.

We really were exhausted during the trip (specially when we transferred hotels via MTR only lugging things around), that we decided to doze off a couple more hours before heading out again. Just as evening strikes in, we went up the Executive Lounge again this time for hors d'oeuvres, which is a bit heavy and we treated it as dinner instead. We had a few meats and pastries, and a salad before heading outside the hotel again to explore the city.

We headed to Wan Chai Ferry Pier and boarded a Star Ferry to cross to the other side (Tsim Sha Tsui). There we saw the Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, the only remnant of the former Kowloon station.

Tsim Sha Tsui is also a good vantage point to see the skyline of Hong Kong island (its business districts and buildings) at night, as well as the show A Symphony of Lights where these buildings take part on the orchestrated display of lights and sound display.

me and Roshie

From Tsim Sha Tsui, walked towards the MTR station and took the train to Mong Kok station for the Ladies' Market. The place is very famous among tourist as a flea market every night on the streets.

We just checked a few stuff in some stalls and didn't actually buy a lot, since we were already tired at that time. After less than an hour of browsing, we went back to the MTR station and headed back to the hotel.

As we arrive in our room and prepare to doze off tonight, we cannot help but still be mesmerized with the view of the skyline across the body of water. Tomorrow would be another day of exploration of the city and we need all the energy we can get to get ready for it as we bade each other good night.

Off to Hong Kong!

2010-06-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

Just got married yesterday and now my wife (Roshie) and I (together with Mr. Truffles, the bear) are now in Hong Kong for our honeymoon celebration. It's Roshie's first time (as well as Mr. Truffles) to be out of country and since we're newly married, this trip has to be special, but thrifty as much as possible so as not to waste a lot of money. For this trip, we have relied a lot on earned points and status to minimize expenses, as well as public transportation while on the other hand splurge on the luxury of what the city has to offer.

We stayed last night at Manila Marriott Hotel, as soon as we got off from our wedding reception, redeeming a free night stay out of my points (15000/night, Category 3) but we barely stayed there as we arrived almost midnight and had to check-out early morning to catch our flight just across the hotel in Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. For this trip, we booked a Cebu Pacific flight out of Manila.

Our plane departed Manila around 8AM. Luckily the flight is not full so we managed to have a seat for Mr. Truffles on his own, to the amazement of the flight attendants as we are towing a kid-sized stuffed toy with us throughout our trip

Shortly after 10AM, we arrived in Hong Kong International Airport and after a few formalities we were already out of the airport and bound for our hotel. We bought the Airport Express Travel Pass from an airport counter (HKD220 each), which included one way Airport Express to Hong Kong station and 3 consecutive days unlimited ride in MTR, buses and light rail.

From Hong Kong station, there is a complementary shuttle bus courtesy to Airport Express customers to JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, where we will be staying for the night. We just followed the instructions and we were dropped off at the lobby area of the hotel at around lunch time.

I reserved for a 1 King Bed Guest Room, City View using points (30000/night, Category 6) but when the hotel came to know it was for our honeymoon, they upgraded us to a 1 King Bed Guest Room, Harbor View.

Of course, it is always a delight to be upgraded in the hotel room. As this is a special occasion, we are happy to take it. The room features a nice working area and chair to lounge around if we're staying in the room, but honestly we didn't stay that long in the room either as we came to the city to explore the outside.

view of the harbor from our room

All this time drizzle and rain has been showering the outside, but this didn't stop us from pursuing our plans to explore the city today. There was a bit of fog, specially on the mountainous area, but we're armed and ready for this and nothing will spoil our day, not even the rain.

Our first stop was in Ocean Park Hong Kong which is accessible from MTR Admiralty station Exit B. MTR Admiralty station was just below the hotel so commuting was a breeze. We were dropped off at an entrance of the park at the higher portion of the park and proceeded to buy our tickets for HKD425 for the both of us (HKD212.50 each). I've been to the park before the first time I was here in the city 3 years back with my mom and sister.

The view from above is nice, overlooking the outlying islands and nearby area so we stopped a while to mesmerize the view before we have proceed inside the park.

We headed first to the aquariums. Apparently it was peak season and there were a lot of tourist left and right, mostly from Mainland China as it is about to be summer season there. Despite the chaos due to number of tourists, we managed to get along, although with limited pictures, and what seemed to be a peaceful memory of the place I had before was overturned into a more vibrant and very active theme park right now. Below are some of the pictures taken from the different aquariums in the Marine World:

Then we proceeded to the Ocean Theatre for Sea Dreams! (sea lion and dolphin) show.

me, Roshie and Mr. Truffles

Then we rode the cable car to the lowlands area of the park.

It was almost dark when we left the park and rode the bus again back to near MTR Admiralty station, walking distance from our hotel. As a Gold Elite member of our hotel program, we were given access to Executive Lounge, where we had cocktails (turned into a small dinner) tonight.

water

some other food items we enjoyed tonight

It was a good thing that we were given the lounge access as it helped a lot for us in terms of saving time (versus going out and looking for place to eat) and saving money. We were already tired thereafter and since we need to take good rest due to lack of sleep the last night, we hit the sack earlier. As we came to our room, we were surprised, or rather mesmerized, with the view waiting for us outside the window.

Tomorrow is another day, and it's now time to take a good rest.

Good Friday Moriones Parade and Via Crusis

2010-04-04T18:10:00.000+08:00

The Holy Week-long Moriones Fetival continues up to this day. As day broke and after having our breakfast, we headed to the streets and saw that moriones are starting to parade group by group to the delight of the tourist. We wasted no time and witnessed this spectacular event. Here are some of the moriones that caught my attention.

a group of moriones lined up

side by side picture

another view of the moriones lined up

a morion costume made of shells

another view

man holding a morion head mask

looks like a group of angry moriones

another pack

another morion

moriones on top of the hill

a morion about to draw his sword

photo opportunity with a group of moriones on the streets

a closer look (tongue-in-cheek)

Another event as it is Good Friday is the "Via Crusis" (Way of the Cross), a re-enactment of Jesus' way of the cross. The guy below portrays as Jesus Christ.

For local and Roman Catholics, the re-enactment allows the devotees to re-live the day when Jesus was crucified and time to reflect on his sacrifice for mankind.

As the name implies, it includes carrying of the cross, done by the man below, who is portraying Jesus Christ. The man supposedly who is doing this act is also doing an act of repentance via a sacrifice of heat under the sun and carrying the heavy cross.

Some other re-enactments are more realistic. However this one is more "staged". As you can see here, this is where the "crew" is adding blood to the face of the actor.

.. and then he drinks water

.. and then you can see he smiles :). This guy has a lot of supporters around by the way. In provinces like this, some take it as a "prestige" to be part of the parade and sometimes a family has to give everything and campaign to get this slot.

.. and then he brushes off himself

.. and the journey continues. Along the way as he is carrying the cross there is supposedly some flogging being done on his body, but not so much on this guy.

Queer but there were superhero ladies on the parade too!

Then there was this huge crowd and I can't seem to breeze myself through to see what's going on.

Another cross-carrier guy, supposedly one of the thieves crucified with Jesus. There is a bit of drama here as this guy tries to run away from the floggers.

.. but of course, there was a rope to control him and he is then also captured and then flogged

.. and then he tries to run away again from the soldiers flogging him

.. away he goes but in the end the soldiers will still win,

At the end of the Via Crusis is supposedly the crucifixion over the hill but I didn't bother to wait for it as it was too hot (and I really didn't like that part).

Later that afternoon we continue driving around the province and following the signs, we arrived at the view point in Balanacan. The road leading to the view point, which is uphill, is already covered with thick layer of dirt and leaves.

The structure is already old and its glorious days must have been years ago.

Walking towards the place, I think it would have been a nice venue for events (such as parties). However, the place is already old and unkept and would definitely need repair in some aspect.

Moreso, the view is already partially obstructed by the stems and leaves of trees that grow nearby.

Finding the right viewing angle and point, one can still be mesmerized and amazed of the view waiting for the spectator.

view with Balanacan port

view with outlying islands

From the view point, we can see this statue and decided to go towards it. We came to know later that it is a statue of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, still in Balanacan, Mogpog.

a closer look

ships docked at the port of Balanacan

We also inquired with the office of the shipping vessels at the port area of the schedule of ships that would bring us back to Lucena port in Quezon as we plan to leave the province the next day. As we leave the port, this mural caught our attention.

Next things were uneventful as we just spent the rest of the afternoon resting at the lodge. Then we had dinner at Kusina sa Plaza, just beside Cafe where we had dinner the previous night.

food lined up for ordering

fried fish with rice

salted egg and tomatoes

dining area

As we leave the restaurant, we were stopped by a procession. Devotees hold up a lighted candle, praying, and images were on parade.

We slept early that night as we plan to leave early morning the next day. It was still dark when we arrived early morning at the Port of Balanacan and we intended to do this just to make sure they have space for our car to be loaded in the ship. It was peak season and a lot of other travelers were also there already when we arrived.

our ship, while waiting to be loaded

It was a very packed and meaningful trip for both Jojo and I, hitting two birds with one stone. While we reflect and do our duties as a Roman Catholic, we were also blessed to have time to witness some of the events that happened that we will never forget.

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Maundy Thursday Visita Iglesia at Marinduque

2010-04-03T08:58:00.000+08:00

This trip with Jojo started when we left Manila on Wednesday night en-route to Lucena where we are to board a ship that will take us to the "heart of the Philippines", a term they used for the province due to its proximity in the country. For this trip, Jojo decided to bring his car instead of joining a tour group or taking public transportation so we can have control of our time (and avoid the tourist flocks). The car (including us of course) boarded M/V Lolo Uweng of Landayan (operated by Boac Ferries) from the Dalahican Port in Lucena, Quezon around 9:15PM and we had to wait to around 11:30PM for us to sail to Cawit port in Marinduque. We paid around PHP2100 to take the across the sea to Marinduque, and supposedly the first 2 passengers were "free" from paying the fare. There is also a separate terminal fee of PHP25 per passenger.

We went up to the deck where the regular passengers are. There was TV to keep the passengers entertained and a small store but we decided to go back to the car instead and take a rest since it was already late at night (and also the place was crowded).

4 hours later, we arrived at the port of Cawit. As with the usual "custom and tradition", everyone is rushing to get out even before the ship gets to dock. Sigh!

Jojo drove (albeit sleepy), to what we believe is the national road. We only got bits of information from the place we will be staying on how to go the Poblacion of Boac and we were informed there were not much roads and highways in the island anyway so we won't get lost. Following the signs going to Boac, the capital municipality of Marinduque province and armed with maps with not much details found on the internet, we reached the place where we will be staying around 30 minutes later. We stayed at Happy Bunny's Kitchenette and Lodging House, nicely located near where all the things are going and the usual "civilization" can be found (i.e. grocery, banks, restaurant and eateries). This is a laid-back provincial island after all and we may have a need for these in case.

The rate we paid was PHP1500 per night for 2 persons, no ensuite bathroom (common sharing only) but since it was super peak season at that time in the area, it's already okay. Other alternatives were booked at the time and we only need a place to rest for the night as we are to be out and exploring the whole day anyway.

Slept as soon as we arrived for less than 3 hours then we found ourselves wandering the streets looking for something to eat. We had breakfast that morning at Café Ma'Mita, at The Boac Hotel.

The place is rather cute and nostalgic. There were memorabilia of the past all over the place. Records, old magazine pages and advertisement were on display to the amusement of the diners.

I had the usual Bangusilog. Fried bangus fish with sinangag (garlic fried rice) and itlog (fried egg).

On foot after breakfast, we paid a visit to Boac Cathedral. A religious tradition of Roman Catholic church-goers in the Philippines is to do Visita Iglesia where one visits 7 churches in during Holy Week (usually done during Maundy Thursday). We plan to do this, if things goes our way, in the provincial island. Boac Cathedral or the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception), was built in 1782.

monument on top of the church

old church bell at the ground of the church yard

inside the church

inside the church

historical marker of the church

Walking around and seeing hoards of people walking towards something, we followed and ended at the covered court where the assembly of the moriones are. Morions or moronies are soldiers during 16rh or 17th centuries and the province is well-known in the country to hold Moriones Festival during Holy Week depicting the Roman soldiers in the bible and this is also one of the things we can here for.

me with one of the moriones

other morions

me with a huge head mask of a moriones

Nothing much to do after so we proceed with going around the city to try and do the Visita Iglesia. Driving farther we reached the Monastery of St. Claire of Assisi, still in Boac town.

inside the church

monument of St. Claire

We continue to drive around the island and approaching Sta. Cruz, we encountered queer street signs like these which are not very helpful at all.

Reaching Sta. Cruz, we went to the Holy Cross Parish Church. The old church was built in 1714.

the belfry

inside the church

Outside the church there were images of saints in decorate carriage ready for a parade.

At this time, we were getting hungry and decided to start looking out for lunch. We decided to have it at Poctoy White Beach but on the way, we spotted a nice place to take picture so we stopped.

kids playing

We reached Poctoy White Beach by lunch hour. Entrance fee was PHP10.

Went straight to the point and looked out for a place to eat where we can sit down. We were lead to a store that sells seafood and chose a big bangus for grilling. Together with rice, sauce and a big bottle of softdrink, we were full minutes later (paid around PHP200 only for everything).

Poctoy White Beach is a nice place. A kilometer long white sand beach with a background of Mount Malindig makes the place very picturesque. Quite a few people were here as it was a very hot summer day.

We then went ahead with our Visita Iglesia and reached St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Torrijos.

inside the church

Moving along, we then saw another area where it could have been nice to take pictures so we stopped over again.

Continuing the journey, our next stop was in the Church of the Holy Child in the town of Buenavista.

inside the church

Later on, we St. Joseph Parish in Gasan.

inside the church

façade of the church

Nearby still in the town of Gasan, there were "moriones higantes".

Moriones higantes are big images of the moriones (hence the term higantes, which literally means in local language as giant). They are also set out on a parade during the festival in this town.

We paused and rested for a while after this in the lodge (as we already had literally circled around the island the whole day) and then proceed again with our last church, the San Isidro de Labrador Parish located in Mogpog.

outside façade of the church

inside the church

That night, we had dinner just 5-minutes walk from the lodge in a place simply called as Café. The following are the items I had as I am having abstinence from meat the whole week:

Café

tuna sandwich

vegetarian pizza

This Holy Thursday has been a very full and tiring day for us, covering a lot of things despite lack of sleep and long travel. We rested early that night as we prepared for a big day coming next where all the festivities are.

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Manaoag to Baguio City

2010-02-22T23:25:00.089+08:00

Went out yesterday for a quick road trip commute to Manaoag City with Roshie's friends. We left early morning from the bus terminal of Viron Transit in Blumentritt corner Dapitan in Sampaloc, Manila where we hailed a bus direct to Manaoag that took around 4 hours to travel more or less 200kms north of Manila. Our main destination is to go to Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag (Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag) and the good thing with the bus trips it is along the way on their routes so you can get off just across the street from the church.

A shrine containing a 17th century image of Virgin Mary is the main attraction for the devotees to come here.

People from all walks of life and from different parts of the country come here every day and most specially on the third Sunday after Easter when a feast is celebrated on her honor, as the patron of the sick, needy and helpless. It is a common belief among devotees that the image is miraculous and many devotees light candles as a symbol of their prayers.

melting candle

an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the candle area

After we heard mass, lighted candles and said our prayers, it was decided (impromptu) by the group that we go to Baguio for an overnight stay. 2 hours of sitting in a van (on reckless driving) and we were already on Baguio Ciy. We stayed at La Brea Inn located along Session road, which is a good jumping point for us to travel around the city since we don't have our own car.

We haggled and got our room for PHP1000 for 1 night stay. The room has 2 queen beds (since we were four), hot and cold shower, cable television but no aircon since it is not a necessity as Baguio City is the summer capital of the Philippines after all and is colder than Manila year-round.

We didn't do much since all of us have been to Baguio City before but just to rest in our room and stroll around the park. That night, we went to church to hear mass (anticipated) in Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral or fondly known locally as the Baguio Cathedral few steps away as we walk upward Session road.

inside the church during mass

The night was capped off by a dinner at the eateries at Burnham Park whom mostly offers freshly grilled meat and seafoods. Perfect for the cold weather!

Earlier today we went to the market to buy some stuffs to take home and left for Manila right after lunch time.

Going around Cebu

2010-02-20T21:46:00.195+08:00

I just got home tonight from a 3-day official business trip in the wonderful province of Cebu. The trip is for our company offsite and I've been to Cebu numerous times, all of which are business trips (customer meetings, presentations, etc.), except last year when I came with friends for the Sinulog Festival 2009.

Our group stayed in Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa, a resort I've been to in 2007 and raved about in a blog post before. This time my room, being shared with a friend and officemate, is a Superior Garden Room located at the main wing.

And just like before, they still have a fresh ripe mango fruit welcome basket for guests.

The room has a balcony, which is a perfect addition to the rool to chill out and let your mind wander off stress from work.

view from the balcony

Because our flight was early, we were already in the airport at the wee hours of twilight. Generally we were very hungry come lunch time as we feast on sumptuous dishes served buffet-style in Tides, an in-house restaurant located at the main wing.

my food! yum!

The rest of the day was spent on internal meetings and I'm not in the position to disclose what happened.

Early on the next day (day 2) however, I strolled around the pool and beachfront area after having breakfast in Acqua, the restaurant located in the ocean wing.

The place never fails to amaze me. It is so inviting that right there and then, I wanted to take a dip and relax. However, we have activities lined up for that day so I can just help but dream.

The pool area is so nice and calm, and the surrounding view is really serene. Add to it that there were not a lot of guests at that time. It really was teasing me to give in.

The beachfront area! A stretch of white sand beach and a line of beach hut umbrellas were waiting for guests!

Rest of day again was spent over official business, including some water activities. That night, the group went to the city for some drinks and party at a local bar. That was the end of the official trip for the next day (day 3), majority of the group will be flying out.

Day 3. Today, while some others arranged to fly out in the morning, a group of photo enthusiasts were left in the city and arranged to fly that night instead. The plan is to go around the city and take some pictures.

Our first stop was at Lapu-lapu Shrine, located in Mactan island (same where Shangri-La is) and where a 20-meter bronze statue of a local hero, Lapu-lapu, stands proud. The status was to commemorate this datu (village head) who lead a group that fought against and killed Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan on 1521.

Nearby, a memorial tower was erected in honor of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

a nearby hut

A tablet marker stands nearby describing the place to be the site of the Battle of Mactan. Behind is a mural painting of the encounter.

a closer look

Then we drove off (via a rented van) to the Taoist Temple, located at mainland Cebu City.

The temple was built in 1972 and is open to public, with some restrictions. As we are not practicing the belief, we were advised upon entry on the restrictions and that we respect the sanctity of the place.

railings and tower

bell

The temple is located around 300 meters above sea level

stone lion

The temple architecture is amazing! Even minute details such as the roofing and designs were carefully planned and executed.

And the place is very colorful. Striking red and green blends well with its natural surroundings.

fisherman

stairs to the top

another view of the temple

We then headed for a quick lunch and proceeded to Magellan's Cross. A cross planted when Spanish colonizers arrived in 1521 is now housed in this small chapel located nearby the Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño.

Inside, one will find the wooden enclosure where the original cross was put inside. The enclosure was put to protect the cross from people who take bits and pieces of the original cross in a belief that it is miraculous. The painting on the ceiling depicts the arrival of Magellan in the island.

me

Then we walked towards Colegio del Sto. Niño en route to the Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño.

Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño is a church built in 1739, in replacement of an old one, build on the location where locals found a sculpture of the Child Jesus kept on a wooden box.

inside the church

the altar

Walking around the basilica, you may pass by a small museum showcasing old religious articacts or walk around and notice the old-century charm of the place.

vendors selling candles for prayer offerings

Lastly, we headed to Fort de San Pedro, but as we parked, I saw that is very nearby Malacañang sa Sugbo and took a picture. Malacañang sa Sugbo is the official residence of the President of the Philippines in the region which was built in 1910 and previously was a Bureau of Customs office.

Fort de San Pedro is a fortress built during Spanish regime era of 1738 for defense against Muslim raiders. Entrance fees to the fort is PHP21 for adults and PHP13 for children.

logo engraved in stone at the entrance of the fortress

The place is famous for locals to relax and hang-out (or even have concentration as what this painter is doing). For visitors of the city, they come here for the historic value and the remaining traces of the Spanish colonization period.

Here are just some of the pictures taken inside the fortress:

Here in the fort, we arrange for some photoshoot among the group also, with the focus on lighting basics workshop. Here are just some shots tooked for myself..

.. and some sample shots with a model.

This was the end as I had to head back to the airport late that afternoon to catch a flight. This has been an eye-opener experience for me as I've been to the city for years but never been to these places before. Next time, I'd be more vigilant. For all I know, there are still things I didn't even know from my home town yet!

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Fascinating Hot Air Balloons!

2010-02-13T20:46:00.115+08:00

For years, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta has been an event awaited by enthusiasts of these usually colorful and enchanting balloons powered by flames or hot fumes that makes what's supposed to be a big and heavy structure float. It is an international festival as participants come from all over the world and the first of this event was held in 1994, succeedingly has been an annual event (except 1999). Recently, it has become a popular event for locals living in Manila or those within the vicinity around Clark Air Base in Clark, Pampanga. The 15th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is held during the days of February 11-14, 2010.

With Jojo, who picked me up early today, around 3:30AM on the way to passing by Patrick, we targetted to be at the place by 5AM. It was a fast an uneventful drive via NLEX/SCTEX but as we approach the area, we clearly could see a number of cars obviously are also on their way to the festival. We arrived as expected and lined up for the tickets (PHP150 each) for around half an hour, lined up again for the entrance and was finally able to go in a little before 6:00AM. By that time, the whole front line of the cordoned area segregating the audience from the exhibitors.

Minutes later, it was time to open the show. A skydiver appeared bearing the Philippine flag as the band struck their instruments to the tune of "Lupang Hinirang", the national anthem.

There were also a few paragliders in live exhibition.

It was getting brighter and brighter as things go along. The sun was already up and we can see a few of the exhibitors are still prepping up while a number of them are already waiting for the cue. Mind that this is my first time to see hot air ballons up close (at least relatively) and these huge inflatable structures are really different being seen from the ground close and up in the air on flight.

What caught my attention are these two cute looking balloons that are prepping up, one shaped as a beer bottle and one like a barnhouse with animal heads popping out of its windows.

By around 6:30AM most of the balloons are already ready and some already started to take flight.

me

More and more balloons started to lift off just within minutes, the barnhouse as well as a turtle-shaped balloon behind it is now almost ready to go!

other balloons

the barnhouse and the turtle on air (not their official names by the way)

I find the turtle-shaped balloon very cute and appealing, especially to the kids and kids-at-heart.

In 15 minutes, almost every balloon already lifted off!

the ticket

paraglider and hot air balloon

Another interesting item on the event is this sun-shaped balloon. I took this picture while it's already up in the sky, "shining".

The event was well attended mostly by younger adults but both grown-ups and kids are welcome to experience the excitement as well as other activities lined up throughout the festival like radio-controlled aircraft demos, plane demo flights, and other exhibitions.

We really just came for the balloon flights and stayed just for a while to take some photos, by 7:15AM, we declared we're done for the day and headed back to Manila as I have a teaching assignment to catch and Jojo has to pack for things for his flight to US tonight.

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The old-world charm of Vigan

2009-12-27T22:44:00.148+08:00

For one night, we stayed in Grandpa's Inn in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. A heritage house dating back to the era of Spanish regime, this residence of the Donato family was converted to be an inn during 1979. Vigan City, by itself, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, being a well-preserved Spanish colonial town.

Walking inside the hotel, one will feel the old charm that it offers as articles dating back to decades ago are prominently on display to the public.

Even the reception and lobby areas outside of the rooms gives visitors and guests a feel of like living in the old days with the Spanish era inspired look of the area that you would think you're in your own ancestral home.

Our family stayed in an airconditioned dormitory room that is good for 8 persons (rate is at PHP4480 a night, inclusive of breakfast). It has the usual basic amenities but I regret chosing this room as there was no ensuite toilet and bathroom.

After dinner last night, we walked around the plaza and surrounding area of that part of the city. As you would when you're here yourself, we felt like walking into an old movie, or perhaps at least the old times looking at the beautiful architecture of buildings and houses here of the Spanish colonial era. Intramuros, in Manila, may share some of this feeling to visitors, but Vigan is much bigger and walking into its streets gave me some sort of an eerie feeling thinking about how many years some of these building has stood and what it may have witnessed during those years.

Of course, one can't be faulted if you do a bit of a food trip in the city, like buying the famous bibingka (rice cake) in town, tasting the okoy, trying the delicious Vigan empanada or even these Vigan longganisa. As small as it may seem, the city is bustling of flavors and spices present on its local delicacies.

Calle Crisologo (Crisologo Street) is the street in the city, closed to vehicular traffic and open only by foot or by horse-drawn carriage, where one can find majority of the well-preserved heritage houses. It is also the most touristy place around.

a part of Calle Crisologo at night

I woke up early today, to walk around Calle Crisologo as I expect that there will be not much tourists in the area at that time which will give me more opportunity to look closer at the beautiful well-preserved architectures. I have to say that when you got the chance, take a stroll on the streets and alleys of Vigan both at day and night.

Calle Crisologo street sign

Later in the morning, we also heard mass at the cathedral. We passed by this church (St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral) three days back if you've been following my blog.

horse-drawn carriages or calesas lining up outside the cathedral

After mass, that's when we finally had our breakfast in the hotel's restaurant - Kusina Felecitas.

After breakfast we immediately checked-out the hotel as we headed our way back to Manila with hours long drive ahead of us. Somewhere along the way we stopped at this spot in Ilocos Sur as it looks nice (both in person and in picture) and thought the scenery was very beautiful.

As we hit Tarlac, at the town of Gerona to be specific, we passed by our favorite all-time destination restaurant - Isdaan. We've been here a few number of times and I've blogged about the first encounter we had of this floating restaurant-cum-theme park.

floating hut

Here are the items we had for dinner tonight:

tinupig, lechon manok or roasted chicken

ehrr.. not sure what this is called. help!

pork binagoongan and rice in small calderos

crispy plapitos

What a good way to cap off a good road trip! Definitely we left the restaurant with full stomachs (and actually a bit sleepy to drive) and all the things we did and covered during this four day will never be forgotten in our minds and in our hearts.

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En route to Vigan

2009-12-26T18:25:00.006+08:00

Woke up early today to the smell of Vigan longganisa, a small and plump meat, similar to sausage, primarily distinct from other longganisa as being garlicky, because the region of Ilocos is rich with native garlic. It is also best with sukang iloko, a native cane vinegar that is usually spiced up with a number of small peppers, which serves as its dipping sauce.

A few of us had spent the early morning dipping and swimming at the beach and by 9:00AM, our bags were packed and we're ready to hit the road again, southbound to the direction of Manila, but we intend to pass by Vigan, Ilocos Sur and stay there for the night.

On our way, we passed by Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, a century old lighthouse built during Spanish regime, sitting on Vigia de Nagparitan Hill.

This lighthouse located at the town of Burgos, Ilocos Norte, although aged and old, still functions as a lighting guide for ships entering the Philippine archipelago.

We were glad that we were able to come up the tower and have a glimpse of the view of the surrounding area on a not-so-hot day of December. We were told by the caretaker that are days that the lighthouse is locked up, especially when he isn't around. He was already on his way out when we came and there weren't a lot of visitors but he accomodated our request of opening the door leading to the top.

me

Be careful though when climbing up as the stairs may be a bit rusty. Don't rush your way to the top for you may hit your head with something hard on the way.

I'm very glad that despite the age of the structure, it is still maintained by the government. This brick-walled lighthouse is definitely a must place to visit when you happen to pass by the area. There is also a small museum showing relics and history of the place.

Half an hour before lunch time, we arrived in the capital city of Laoag, Ilocos Sur and immediately proceeded to Saramsam Restaurant for a meal. The restaurant located at Rizal corner Hizon Streets in the city is arguably one of the good restaurants to experience local delicacies. Eating at the restaurant, which literally means informal and constant dining, is an experience by itself. Prominently displayed within the corners of the place are different goods, handicrafts and artworks that one can appreciate or take home (for a price).

So these are the items we have ordered and tried:

Lauya a Baka - meaty beef bones, potatoes and cabbage delicately soured with tomatoes

Dinardaraan - also called dinuguan in other regions, pork blood stew

pork stew?

Insarabasab - slices of grilled pork, mixed with salt, vinegar, onions, & calamansi

Poque-poque - grilled eggplant, tomatoes, onions, egg

It all has been a great lunch for all of us. Not only did we experience some weird sounding delicacies which turned out to be delicious viands, but it definitely had our stomach full and even if we wanted to try other things like dinardaraan pizza or saramsam pasta, we were already not able to accomodate those.

Our next stop was at the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte. It is dedicated to the past president who passed away and is also where is body, preserved by covering with wax, is on display to the public. Unfortunately taking pictures is not allowed inside.

Ferdinand E. Marcos words

Then we headed to the city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and went straight to Baluarte, a zoo-like sanctuary open to public for free owned by Chavit Singson, the former governor of Ilocos Sur.

I was amazed by these colorful birds who appears to be very friends as I am taking pictures of them..

.. then they started kissing..

.. and later on necking! Oops enough of this already!

There were also other animals in the zoo like these:

ponies

camel

deers

eastern bearded dragon

albino burmese phyton

There was even an enclosed butterfly garden for children to appreciate!

One of the main attractions is a show of the siberian bengal tiger.

We got hungry later on and looked for something to munch. I happen to see a vendor selling Vigan empanada just outside baluarte. Vigan empanada is a fried local delicacy warapped in flour and filled with meat (usually Vigan longganisa), egg and some vegetables.

To make one, they mash flour into a small shape first..

.. roll it thinly then put the filling inside..

.. then fry it up! Best served again with sukang iloko! The crunchy covering and the yummy filling makes me drool even as I write this blog.

After this, we went to the hotel we will be staying for the night, checked-in and currently resting, at least until dinner time.

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All Around Pagudpud

2009-12-25T21:45:00.029+08:00

It's Christmas Day! As mentioned in my post yesterday (or actually early morning today), we are staying in Northridge Beach Resort located in Saud Beach area at the town of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Pagudpud is located at the northernmost tip of Luzon and is most famous for its white sand beaches facing the open South China Sea.

We got two rooms - one of which is with four double beds for PHP2500 while another with three double beds for PHP1500. Our contact Tessie (+639202205089) gave us both room for only PHP3500 and we are free to use the balcony deck at the second floor as we took both rooms of the floor.

It's a beautiful day, and the sun was already up high when we woke up. We had breakfast but for some reason the view outside didn't entice us for a dip and instead we went out to explore the town.

Almost half an hour away, is Patapat Viaduct. Driving further north the Maharlika Highway, we reached the place. There's nothing special usually on an elevated highway such as this one, but the view of South China Sea and the winding road scuplted to take the shape of the surrounding mountains has been very famous for years as a quick stop for photos.

The sky was blue and clear and the sun is up - perfect background for a spectacular view such as this!

There's also a stream from the mountain flowing over to the sea and stopping over to watch and hear the gush of water is very relaxing.

The viaduct is actually a bridge of around 1.3km running along the coastal area that leads to Cagayan Valley (coming from Pagudpud). Further research reveals that this is the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines.

me

the whole family

We backtracked and headed to Blue Lagoon. On the way, we saw a sea arch from afar, stopped the car, and took a photo of it.

a closer look and at an angle of the sea arch

Living true to its name, the waters at this white sand beach of Blue Lagoon is indeed bluish. Previously tourists know only of Saud Beach in Pagudpud but recently this area of Maira-Ira Beach (fondly known as Blue Lagoon) is becoming a hot spot for locals and tourist alike. It is a U-shape stretch of pristine white sand beach and I hope it doesn't get too commercialized soon and that they maintain its serenity.

me

We decided to have lunch at Hannah's Resort then got back to the resort where we are staying for rest, passing by a local market to buy something to cook for dinner that night.

Later that afternoon we decided to hit off the beach just as the sun is going down so it's not so hot. It's nice to see the beach is not too crowded since it's off-peak season compared to hot summer season when one could expect the place to be crowdy.

For dinner tonight, we roasted off charcoal grill some pork and fresh fish we bought from the market, which we shared among ourselves. The fish tastes sweeter and yummier as it was fresh (barely breathing) when we bought it off the market.

The rest of the day is uneventful as we plan to head to bed early for we will be waking up for some swimming tomorrow before we check-out and continue our journey on this roadtrip.

More pictures are available in multiply. Just add me as a friend to view them.

Merry Christmas from Ilocos Region!

2009-12-25T01:09:00.203+08:00

To all the readers who are reading this post right now - Merry Christmas to you all and may we all have meaningful holidays this season! It's already past 1AM of Christmas Day that I am writing this blog, our family just had a simple midnight celebration to welcome the day and I'm just about to hit the bed but just took a bit of time to update my blog of my whereabouts.

Earlier today (actually December 24 since it's already December 25), the whole family left Manila at around 5AM to take a long drive road trip to Ilocos. The provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur has a number of wonders to explore and for those who came along, it's a mighty first so we were looking forward to a good time on this short escapade.

There were two cars on this trip and the one where I was riding decided to have a quick stop at a church in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur. The Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion church is among the four baroque churches in the Philippines granted the title of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The others are the Miagao Church in Iloilo (Sto. Tomas de Villanueva) where I went to a couple of months back on a backpacking trip, San Agustin church in Intramuros, Manila, walking distance from my college university where I currently teach part time and San Agustin chruch in Paoay, Ilocos Norte where we plan to pass by later on.

The church, and a belfry physically separated, were built on top of a hill from 1810, different from the usual Spanish-influenced ones built right on town center and plaza. A convent is sitting across the frontage of the church.

A closer look of the church would reveal it's brick-walled facade adding color and beauty to its appearance from outside.

The surroundings around the church and the convent are very beautiful that we stayed for a few minutes exploring the place and admiring the beautiful view from the top.

Luckily a small opening on the side of the church allowed us to peek inside of what I thought at first was a closed church. Inside a lot of religious artifacts dating centuries ago can be found and is on display.

inside the church

chair

some statues, paintings and other religious articles in the church

It is already lunch time and we need to catch up with the other car that headed straight for Vigan, where we plan to stop for a meal. What's good in going to a road trip is that there are things unexpected and sometimes you can't just help but stop on the way, like this bridge. After further research, apparently this is Banaoang bridge or Quirino bridge connecting the towns of Bantay and Santa in Ilocos Sur. There is also a newer bridge as the one in picture below is already decomissioned.

This is what we stopped for, a quick glance of the beautiful view of the Abra river.

Before reaching Vigan, we passed by St. Augustine Parish, in Bantay, Ilocos Sur where a church and a belfry built in 1590 stands proudly. The church was already reconstructed as it was damaged heavily during World War II but still, it possesses the original Romanesque-Gothic inspired architectural design.

inside the church

Shrine of Nuesta Señora de la Caridad and the belfry, sitting atop the hill away from the church

We then headed to Vigan, Ilocos Sur to hunt for a quick eat and decided to eat at Max's Restaurant as we arrive in the city past 1PM, behind this statue of Leonora Florentino, a local poet, playwright and satire-writer famous during Spanish period.

After (late) lunch, we also dropped by the St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral or most fondly called as the Vigan Church. It may seem to you that its like Holy Week already, and that we're doing Visita Iglesia but one can't miss to admire the beautiful heritage churches in this region! An original structure was built in 1574 but was destroyed and the current structure standing today was built around 19th century.

inside the cathedral

We now supposed to head to Pagudpud now but we first made sure that we drop by Paoay Church, or San Agustin Church, the other UNESCO World Heritage Site in the region, located in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Around almost 3 hours from Vigan, and approaching Pagudpud town, we made a sidetrip to Bangui Windmills just as the sun is setting down, located in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. These windmills are part of the Northwind Bangui Bay Project, the first wind mill farm in the country, inaugurated just recently in 2005.

the whole family

We arrived in Northridge Beach Resort around 7AM, after a gruelling 14-hour long drive with stops along the way, and were very hungry so we immediately had dinner at the restaurant in the resort next to ours (Jun & Carol Beach Resort).

Bagnet, deep-fried pork meat, served crunchy like cracklings with a mixture of onions, tomatoes and vinegar on the side. This delicacy is a well-known specialty of the Ilocanos and it definitely makes sense and a must for us to order this while we're in the region.

pork sisig with egg

pork sinigang

Later on, we also attended the 10PM mass in anticipation of Christmas Day at St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, located nearby from where we were staying in Pagudpud.

The mass took longer than the usual one hour and it is weird for us hearing mass delivered in Ilocano language. It was a bit cold at night and the church was jam-packed with attendees. We were back before midnight at the resort, took time to relax as we waited for the clock to struck midnight, signalling the change of day to Christmas time!

More pictures are available in multiply. Just add me as a friend to view them.