{ dangerzone }

Euro tour : Venice and Rome :)

2012-01-10T23:53:00.002-08:00

From Paris, we went to Venice!

We arrived early in the morning. There was an Italian guy who rode with us. He's Andrea and he works in a bar and at the same time studied to become a cop. We asked him what to try in Venice and he suggested we try the Spritz and ofcourse the pastas.

We alighted at a wrong station, in fact we had to stop at the next station. So we waited for Kay and Elaine as they went to the counter to get another train tickets going to Venezia.

We arrived at Venice rather fast and the ride was smooth. The sun was bright and the sky was blue - very relaxing to start the day. We looked for our hotel and it was just a few meters walking distance from the station. Since we arrived too early, we left our luggage at the hotel's store room and we decided to look for a restaurant where we could eat. There were a lot of choices but we were particular for a place which has a wireless connection for the internet - it's the only way for us to upload our pics you see. We found one near the church and the fun part was there was a procession of bride and groom obviously for their wedding. The street was filled with lots of tourists taking pictures at everything fascinating and the well the famous masks of Venice were all over the place. We sat and ordered food. I had a spaghetti bolognese and God it was so good, thank you ;) We ordered Spritz and it had the strong one and it was really strong. I got a bit tipsy. Since there was free wifi, we had to browse and update our facebook. After the sumptuous breakfast, we decided to go back to our hotel, and prepare for our day trip. We cannot allow to waste time here because we will be staying just overnight :)

After we had our keys and stuff in order inside our rooms, we decided to go to the Plaza San Marco. It was a few minutes ride of the water taxi. The sun was blazing which I loved. I really like Mr. Sunshine and the tan will just be very perfect. Anyway, we reached San Marco and it was really crowded. Well obviously the gondolas were parked everywhere, and so it never escaped our cameras. We just had fun watching stuff sold by vendors and really nice masks and shirts. Before we decided to buy or anything, we just explored the place together. It felt like walking my entire life but it was fun though seriously tiring. I would recommend you to really wear a good pair of shoes.

We got tired of all the walking and hungry at that so we decided to dine. Their serving was huge and I had the pasta with squid ink. After that, the girls bought some HardRock stuff. I'm not a fan of the shirts so I did not have one with me. Anyway, the highlight of the long walks was to witness the sunset and it was really beautiful. Leme-leme an application in my iphone is really helful in making my photos a bit dramatic.

After the long walks and all, we decided to go back to our hotel room and some of us wanted to still check out some stuff so there we strolled the nearby streets and alleyways in our hotel. Peter went to our room first to take a rest while the girls went somewhere while I stayed outside just people watching. I have with me some book so I read at the same time. It was getting dark outside so I decided to walk around. I saw Kay and other girls coming so I caught up with them. We decided to leave our belongings and look for some place to dine :D

Then we called it a day!

The next day was we went to see the glass factories at Murano. They actually call the glass as Murano glass. We went to there through the taxi cab and it was interesting coz they showed us how it was made. Oh my the glass masterpieces were expensive. It was scary to even touch them or transport them or anything. After the tour, we wanted to eat but then there was no restaurant so we decided to go back to the plaza and stroll again until we found a place to eat. It was another pasta adventure. So yeah, after that we strolled and strolled. My feet ached. There was one moment that we just took a seat at a corner. Wahhahaha. Honestly, Venice was more expensive than any other city we just visited and I think there was not much other things to do. Staying there for two one night and two days was good enough :)

We left Venice at around 9pm and the couchette we had a a first class so the train ride was really great. It was the first time that I was able to sleep really well on a couchette. Darn the trip to Rome was rather short like 6 hours....

Rome we were on the next day and it was a bit cold in the morning of 7.

From the Eurail station, we took the mrt and from there began walk. Our hostel according to the map was a walking distance actually from the MRT. But we got lost (a bit) and just asked some people around and good thing we found our hostel. It was too early and the attendant was not really expecting us to be there on time. So yeah we had to ring the attendant before we can settle. There was an old elevator system in that building which was interesting and a bit scary if you'd entertain some of your imagination that seriously. Anyway, we had a light breakfast, we paid the owner whom we thought as the attendant and viola we were able to use our rooms. If my memory served me right the room which would be for Peter and I was still occupied till 10 am was still being used so we had to park our things at the girls' room. Since we have to visit some interesting places in Rome, we had to start to wash up and prepare.

After everyone had their turns in freshening up, we decided to start our excursion. Our first stop was the Colosseum. Their train station was convenient in fact the ancient structure was a walking distance .... We took the group tour of the Colosseum. Even though the queue was discouraging, it did not stop us from enjoying the tour. Well, sad to note that the Italian tour guide was heavily accented and that proved really a bit annoying when she began explaining things. Anyway, after the group tour, we were allowed to explore the whole structure and it was fun taking pictures. It's indeed a wonderful experience.

Our next stop was to visit the ruins of the Palatine Hill. It was a walking distance from the Colosseum but we couldn't find the entrance, in short we got lost. We had to turn back and head to the opposite direction and from there found ourselves at the right entrance. It was fun walking and climbing up the hill. The ruins were amazing. I was walking the paths of the gladiators again. Well officially, the first one was at the Colosseum :) At the top of the hill there was a spring water, so we tried it and it was really fresh. I managed to fill my water bottle twice as I finished the first one. The 500ml of water bottle is actually expensive as it can range from a euro to 3. Anyway, we went up to the hill top a good view actually and there was a museum. We did not get inside and just waited for the girls there who were using the loo. After that, we decided to descend and our next stop would be the St. Peter's Basilica. We took the MRT then alighted at the nearest station. It was another long walk and our tummy were calling us of the hunger. So we decided to stop at a restaurant and ate to our hearts content. After that, we also bought some ice cream ala Rome. The servings were huge just to remind you guys. After that, we continued walking to the Basilica. It was my first time to see the Swiss guards and they looked like clowns because of their colorful costume during that time. Anyway, the entrance of the Basilica grounds was amazing. All the huge pillars lining up with all the Catholic Saints on top. We took some pictures and all. Then we decided to get inside the Basilica itself. Wearing of shorts and sleeveless is not allowed in this holy place and since Bud (our Thai friend) was wearing sleeveless, she could not have entered the heart of the Basilica but the good thing was, we had scarves to cover her.

When we got inside the Basilica the feeling was really great. It's really spirited and holy. I had this unexplained happiness and feeling of peace.

After the Basilica tour, we got out of the place and saw this small post and gift shop. We entered and bought some stuff. I bought two nice rosaries for my aunts in Cebu who are really devout Catholics.

After we had a great tour at the Basilica, we then decided to look for another Bernini masterpiece the fountain of Trevi. We saw one but it was not really the fountain we were looking for but it was a replica but still made by Bernini. Then we had to ask for directions again and after some few minutes of walking we found the real one. It was so crowded and all we could do was appreciate the beautiful fountain. The lights, the water splashing, the sculpture was really beautiful. I think it's one of the most beautiful fountain I saw in my life. The girls where busy throwing coins for their wishes (a bit superstitious). After the fountain trail we decided to call it a night and we headed back to our hostel.

Last day in Paris

2012-01-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

Truly a beautiful place to visit, Paris.

This was the last day of our Paris adventure. Our plan was to see the Louvre and shop. Going to the Louvre was pretty easy since we were used to the train system already of Paris (but honestly not for me). Anyway, we reached the museum rather early. It was a bit cold and at the same time really exciting. The entrance was not that expensive compared to some of Singapore's attractions. The place is a monster and really big. We queued and got in. I forgot where we went exactly but it was like touring art pieces from different countries and time. The collection is really amazing. One which excited the group was the Mona Lisa. Well, I have read about the painting in our English literature when I was in primary school and it's one of the most beautiful painting in the world because of its mysterious smile. Going to the Mona Lisa was a long journey I mean really, it felt like we were walking from my flat to the office and back. But it was a feast for the eyes so nevertheless it's worthy of that long trek? Anyway, when we reached Mona Lisa, I was not expecting it to be small but it's still captivating. I am grateful for the opportunity of seeing the it live.

After the photos, Kay suggested that we see the Monet paintings. We were a bit lost and so we had to ask a couple of times as to where we can see his paintings. It was another mile long walk. After passing the artifacts from Africa and Egypt, we had to climb the stairs as it's the place of Claude Monet and other artists. We were not disappointed. Claude Monet's work were brilliant. According to Kay, there's another museum devoted to him. Well it was not part of the itinerary but if I will have time and resources, I'll be happy to visit his works and maybe if I will seriously have a lot of money, I'll go buy one of his masterpieces. After the tour de Louvre, we decided to shop!

Since the girls wanted to buy Longchamp and the boys were buying other things so we decided to split up and just meet somewhere. We cannot afford to lose time since we might be caught up with a lot of tourists. It was another long walk and after few times of asking we reached the shopping district which I forgot what it was called. But anyway, the mall that we went into was called Printemps. Peter bought a Louis Vuitton and I bought a Fred Perry. The girls had the Longchamp and since there were limited displays, they searched for the bags in some other store. Peter and I were a bit hungry, so we stopped at a nearby restaurant serving mainly pasta. I was looking for rice but it was raining and were hungry so I have to settle for pasta. As usual, their pasta is tasteless (I am excited for Italy). Anyway, the good thing was the serving was huge wahahahah :P

After lunch and checking for some shops, we had to wait for the girls at some corner and Peter was a bit tired already so we looked from some place to sit. It was a bit boring doing nothing plus their were smokers everywhere so I decided to check other shops. We still have some few hours actually based on the plan and so there I went for a sneak. There were lots of things to buy but I did not want to add to the bulk in my luggage. After checking stuff's here and there, I went back where Peter was, and he looked in a bad mood really. It was because of this one Caucasian guy who felt he owned the place and knowing Peter to say something so he talked back to this Caucasian guy. If I recalled they were arguing about the seat or something. Anyway, since waiting for the girls at the mall proved useless, Peter and I decided to go back to the hotel and them there. There was wifi so I enjoyed it and I was a bit tired of all the walking that we did so I took a nap at the hotel's mini waiting area.

The girls came around 4PM and we needed to catch our train going to Venice at around 7PM. We packed our stuff and off we went to the train station. We reached the station too early and it's great because I get paranoid if I'm late for this type of schedules. The feeling was relaxing and a bit lonely. In fact, for the first time, I felt sad because I am leaving Paris and I felt that there were still some things that I need to enjoy and like. Well, I promised to go back to France and explore the country for all its worth. Good luck to my bank account :))

But, I guess I have to say Bonjor no Italy ;)

Bonjour Paris !!!

2011-12-18T07:44:00.001-08:00

For the next day, we were planning to go to Versailles and yes the ride was long and we got lost on our way but not to worry or anything because we were safe and sound :D

The train ride took us a good hour or more and the place was chilling. We stopped at a local starbucks and some of my friends were buying stuff. I did not have anything because I am not into coffees not unless necessary :)

Going to the palace of Versailles itself was not that great because it was cold, and you had to walk in cobblestones. For you to survive, you need to have a good pair of shoes and good layer of clothing if you still want to look fashionable but not bulky.

Anyway, the entrance is beautiful so it paid for that unfortunate long walk and suddenly it rained. I thought it was going to ruin everything and just hoped that castle's inner beauty will be more than that of it's entrance.

There were lot's of tourist from all over the globe and I think tourism is giving life to France.

Anyway, cam whoring is a must inside the castle of Versailles as the paintings the old clocks, chandeliers, beds, tables and chairs and whole lot of century old furnishing are a delight :D

After we toured the insides of the castle, we went outside and checkout the palace garden :D

It was a great day touring Versailles and we were so hungry after that and we had to find a place to eat. It was another long walk and we found McDonalds :) We ate a lot of real French fries :))

Kay, and some of the mates were planning to go to Monet's place but then it was drizzling a bit and so they decided to go with us going back to central Paris. The immediate plan was to actually go to the Eiffel tower.

We reached the station nearest to the Eiffel and it was another long walk - good thing not in cobblestones. Cobblestones are a good sight, so don't get me wrong but they can be painful on your feet if you are not used to it.

Eiffel tower is a man-made marvel I should say.

We decided to buy the tickets and off we went to the highest observation deck in Paris. The queue going to the tower was long but the sight once you are on top is magnificent. That moment on, I was thinking of going back to Paris in the near future ;)

After the Eiffel tower, we decided to go on a river cruise at Siene. We were waiting for Karen so we decided to stroll a bit and took some pictures again and again :D

We bought the tickets for the river cruise but before that, we went to the souvenir shops and I bought a cap which says Paris for my dad. He loves caps so I bought two for him already. I also have a nice notebook for my brother.

Going back, we were queuing at the river cruise terminal. Since the folks were waiting for Karen, some of us had to go in first and reserve some seats and the other waited for Karen. Before the cruise started, Karen and the rest came and the cruise began.

Everything in Paris has a lot of stories to tell. Great men and women in the olden times who contributed to France's rich history. It was interesting to listen to some histories which honestly I forgot but then the sight was beautiful and that river cruise is a must for any traveler in Paris. The cruise took us around 45 minutes and it was great. When we went back to where we started with the cruise, the Eiffel tower was in gold lights flickering and dancing like a star in the night. Karen told us that it's scheduled every hour starting 7PM until 9PM if I am not mistaken.

We were hungry, and the stall selling some sandwich was quite expensive. I did not buy or anything. Our next stop was to go to the Arc de Triomphe. We arrived there and took some pictures then off we went to their shopping districts. Some of my friends wanted to checkout the Luis Vuitton store but unfortunately it was close.

We just decided to buy some snacks at the mall and called it a night after that.

Here We Come Paris !

2011-12-11T01:23:00.000-08:00

From Munich, David, Mai and Glenn went with us going to the train station bound for Paris. It is my very first time to ride a sleeper train or for better term, couchette. We just had our dinner at the station eating Burger King meals :D Mai and Glenn has something to do the next day so they bade their good byes or, we bade our good-byes :) David was still there with us sharing some 30 good minutes of his time. When it was time for boarding, he accompanied us to our caboose - we got the class B I think and in one room there were 6 of us. Anyway, it was time to say our good byes and we were thankful for David for all the nice tour. Good luck to his Masters in Munich Technical University.

It was time for boarding for real and so we had to look for our rooms inside the train and our luggage were heavy. I mean I already have 20 kilos I think. I had to have a hand carry. Inside our train room we met Sophie. She is German and she's going to Paris for her studies. She was a good company and in fact really friendly.

It was getting late and so we decided to call it a night. I was not used to sleeping a train so it was not the best sleep I had. I am not sure if it was the same for the rest of the folks.

We arrived early in Paris and the station looked really old and lots of graffiti on their walls, much the same as Barcelona. It was not that bad actually because inside the station it was more peaceful. The first thing we did was to get our tickets for the train rides we will be taking around the city.

Our hotel was a bit far from central Paris but the city's train system is fine so it was pretty much easy to locate. We were staying at hotel Coypel - small 2 star hotel but really clean. Our plan for the day was to just tour Paris by train and on foot. Honestly I was still sleepy but we were there for only three days and I don't want to just sleep :) Since we did not have our breakfast yet, we decided to checkout the restaurant beside the hotel. It was a bit challenging because their menu was in French and the staff was refusing in speaking English to us. But we we've been warned actually about this so we knew what we were getting at. Elaine studied some French at Alliance de Cebu so it was a help on deciding what to eat. It was an interesting meal actually just right for the day. After the meal we had to prepare for our Paris excursion....

After taking a quick bath and all, we had to meet at the mini lobby of the hotel and off we went to our excursion.

A highlight for the evening was we watched a show at the Moulin Rouge with Karen - she's a Cebuana colleague in Gemalto, Singapore whose now based in Paris :)

To be continued ....

Euro tour - Munich

2011-11-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

The next day was spent visiting another castle. It was a two hour ride by train and 30 minutes ride by ferry. Herrenchiemsee palace is beautiful and it's interesting because King Ludwig II had it to be a replica of some sort of France's Versailles. It was said he admired the King of France and so he decided to immortalize it building his castle with French taste.

Here are the photos of our tour at Herrenchiemsee, but no photo's taken from inside the castle because it's simply not allowed.

After touring the castle, we had our really late lunch. Their serving was huge for us so it was satisfying even if it was really late.

The castle trip took us a whole day.

The next day, our itinerary was to tour the Munich central - MarienPlatz but before that, we checkout some noteworthy structures just around Munich. We also passed by the German playground for their very famous Octo-beer-feast.

At MarienPlatz, ee checked some shops and watched some street performers. Then we watched the show at the Sankt Peter. It's was a great church bell show which was not to be missed :)

After the show we looked for some place to eat and there was this one mall we went into and there's a good food court. We ordered a lot :) German food is a bit sour which was not so strange actually and the sausages and hams were really good.

After lunch, we decided to go to the English garden or the Englischer Garten. There was not that many things to do except that the place was famous for nude people sun bathing. It was actually summer in Munich even though it was sometimes rainy and cold. We were a bit tired of all the walking so we decided to just sit down by the lake and watched people. Too bad there were no nude scenes =))

Anyway, we needed to still prepare our stuff because we will be leaving Munich that night. Our next stop was Paris and of course with love.

To be continued....

Next Stop, Munich Germany !

2011-11-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

Gutten Tag !

Well, we left Barcelona and dropped by at Mallorca airport then went to Munich still via Air Berlin. The flight was a bit bumpy (and I hate turbulence which sends my stomach to a roller coaster) and so everyone was scared - not to death though. I believe we were praying then ....

We reached Munich late in the evening and we were meeting David at the airport. After we got our things, we went out of the arrival area and saw David...

We got out tickets and proceeded to a friend's house - actually Peter's friend. Mai was the one playing host to us. She's actually Filipino - German. Her mom is a Cebuano and when she finished her university in Cebu, I think she flew to Germany to stay and work. She's fluent in German but as what I have known, she's still more Filipino and she's proud of it :D She is with her hubby in their apartment and yeah we were the couch surfers ;)

We reached the station which was near Mai's place and the weather was a bit cold. They waited for us and it was so kind of them. David actually went with us as well and left after we safely arrived at that station (I forgot the name of that station). Anyway, it was late so when we arrived at Mai's and Glenn's place, we just had to sleep.

The next day arrived and our itinerary would be to go to castles in Bavaria :) We had our mini breakfast with all the yummy sausages and a cup of coffee just to have a good kick in the morn.
It was more than two hours of ride and people were actually sleeping in the train and since I had coffee, I was just enjoying the scenery. Their houses were totally different from what we have in my place (Cebu) and they were uniquely Bavarian.

We alighted from the train and we took a bus going to Schloss Neuschwanstein. A castle of Konig Ludwig II. An impressive castle I must say where Disneyland castles got their inspiration from. We actually had to options when we reached the entrance, either we take the chariot which we call in Cebu as tartanilla or we go there by bus - most of us wanted to take the bus but we did not fail to take some photos with the parked horse carriage. The castle is atop of the mountain sitting gloriously and so it added more chill. We had to wear scarves and our jackets :) We reached the foot of the mountain and we had to trek to reach the castle. It was a fun trek obviously and everyone was cam whoring. The castle was huge but they said it was not finished. Anyhow, we decided to get in and took that very long queue. There were lots of tourists and the good thing was we came earlier. After some minutes of waiting, it was our turn for the castle tour. Unfortunately, no picture taking was allowed. Sigh.... I just had to feast with thine eyes :D The view from atop was amazing when one is looking from beyond and the back drop was gorgeous with the hilly country side, farm villages and lakes and on the other side there was this water falls. That was the most beautiful castle tour I had in Germany! The tour lasted for around 45 minutes, more or less and since it was lunch time, we decided to eat at the castles resto. It was simple yet chic place to have lunch :) The sausage again danced on our plates then to our bellies and the cakes, not to forget were really heavenly. I love their food - very fattening ! =)) After the castle tour we trek and went to this nearby bridge where there's also a great view of the whole milieau. On the bridge you can write some dedication of some sort and I wrote my name, my address, and cebu !!! And just for fun, I wrote some of the names of my office mates and friends :)

We decided to go back to our pit stop :) To go downhill we need to take the bus and it was a quick ride. We decided to buy some souvenirs for friends and family and just agreed on a meeting place. I think we lost Bud and Elaine and so Kay and I were checking back our tracks while the other waited to the bus stop. Alas we found them in our second round of searching. It's actually difficult if you're a bit lost because the signs were in Deutsche or German you can't expect the country folks to actually converse with you in English (but not quite sure about this so don't take me seriously). We took the bus then the two hour ride train going back to Munchen proper. Kay had to meet some Cebuano friends who were vacationing as well in Germany so David, Elaine and I decided to tag along. They're a Cebuano couple who were living in Vancouver, Canada. I forgot their names (waaaahh need to ask Kay on this). Kay met her in Tokyo where she was studying her Masters while Kay was working as a software engineer. Anyhow, we were a bit lost as to where is the BrauHaus (beer house). After some minutes of walking we found the place. I think there was a miscommunication of the landmarks :) We settled and ordered food for dinner and of course the very famous beer in a huge mug. Trust me, they have the best beer in the world !!! :) It was so much fun talking to the guys and since David is Indonesian, we had to converse in English :) Though sometimes we do speak Cebuano. The place was actually very noisy but the atmosphere is just so inviting and really happy with all the banging of the beer glass plus this folk band tuning the entire building into their nice songs even though I didn't understand what they were singing :) One of the best beer session I had with friends :D After we finished, we went to the souvenir shop and I bought a cap for my dad and a pen for my brother :) Then we took some pictures, went out, saw HardRock cafe Munchen so we decided to run across as it was raining and checked out some stuff. I am not really a fan of the cafe or any of its souvenir stuff so I did not care to buy anything but instead, I busied myself taking some pictures from my iphone - imagine Sting's guitar on display and some artists :) The rain was still pouring hard, and the clock was ticking late, and yeah we waited a bit for the rain to subside or maybe stop. It did not come to a stop but the raindrops were a bit manageable already so we decided to go back to our temporary niche. David was so kind, in fact he went with us to the train station. We were sleepy but we need to be very careful simply because their station is a bit complicated like in a single platform, many trains will pass, just like bus stops where you have buses going to different routes. I know Kay was good in directions and so we were in safe hands :) We got to the apartment quite tipsy and sleepy.

To be continued....

Third day in Barcelona {Espanya}

2011-11-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

Continuation : Still In Barcelona Spain

The third day was our last day in Barcelona. Our schedule allowed us to go only to Montjuic. We woke a bit relaxed but was surprised that at 8AM the district was still asleep. The restos were closed and it was hard to look for a decent breakfast. So, we ate bread with some spread and a glass of juice.

Out stop was Montjuic and we had to take the train. The train system is not that complicated but you have to be aware of the pickpockets as there are so many of them especially in trains. We reached there too early so we have to wait for the cable car operation to open so we spent a good 30 minutes at this park full of flower. We just took some photos....

We took a single route going to the fort while Peter and our Japanese friend had the round trip. We wanted to actually do the hiking....

Reaching the castle took us around 10 minutes and the ride was so interesting. You get to see the city on your left and on your right and beyond is the Barcelona harbor. As usual when we reached the top, it was all cam whoring :D

There was no guide and all that and we did not take any information map. There was a lot of Catalan history already care of Brian so we just wanted to explore and check for nice views :D After touring the huge fortress and having that 360 degree view of Barcelona, we decided to go back to the plaza and have lunch and get ready to our next destination :)

We had our lunch at this cozy resto serving local stuff. All of us had the Paella ala Catalan! The serving is actually huge and we were surprised cos we thought it's good for one person but nope it's for two for regular Asians. Anyway, we ate everything - remember we did not have a good breakfast :D

After our sumptuous lunch, we headed back to our hostel to prepare for our next stop.

We were riding a bus going to the airport and we were on time which was just perfect. We were taking Air Berlin going to Munich Germany. But, we had to stop at Mallorca Spain and took another plane of same liner going to Munich.

I actually fell in love with Barcelona because of it's history, their arts and culture. Oh Gaudi! He is all over the place - in a great way :) The warm greetings we had when we met folks in Rupit. And I love their Summer !!! Definitely a must to go back and experience Spain once again .... Viva Espanya ;)

To be continued :)

Still In Barcelona, Spain

2011-11-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

Continuation ( Euro Trip : Barcelona, Spain)

The next day was, we were bound for Pyrenees - mountainous and a bit rugged with all the beautiful formation bordering France from Spain.

We needed to wake up early and be at the post office for our rendezvous. There we met Brian an American guy who's been living in Barcelona for less than 10 years - typical American, chatty and warm.

The travel was more than an hour or two from Cataluña post office or was it Correos Barcelona, ahh nevermind. It was interesting because Brian was on for a real deal - simply say hello to some Catalan history was what he did. We haven't had our breakfast so when we arrived at the starting point of our "mountain trek", we parked at this cafe. They served some really tasty breads and the coffee was good. Since it borders France, they say merci for their thank you :)

The trek started with some history about the houses which dates 1400 during the medieval times. The place was totally quaint. The cobble stones and the house in bricks but not the usual red bricks, instead, those that are just stacked stones perfectly stacked like some jigsaw. I can compare them actually to the stacked stones in my grand mother's farm in Cebu as her farm is on top of a plateau so they have this mini terraces. But in the Pyrenees, they were made for their house. As we continued our excursion on foot, we were greeted with a lot of houses where you would know who owned them because they have labels on their front door (I'm not sure if they do have back doors). And the dates as to when their houses were build were also on display. The way they displayed those markers were engraved. Then, we passed by a church so I had my simple prayers then we continued on until we reached the back side was it? Sort of a road to the other side of the mountain that is. It was beginning to be a real trek. I was not complaining, in fact, I loved it! The mountain air is so fresh and since it was a bit cool, the sun did not really pricked my skin. I am not sure as to how my mates felt but for me it was getting to fun.... We trek to the hillside descending and at the bottom of the hill we began to climb up. Lots of trees or should I say we were entering a forest but the village was still visible. The place was so calm and I guess we were the only ones making the noise. We knew that it was a trek so we were aware of what to expect. In fact, when I was still in Singapore, I trained myself to always walk from the office going to Buona Vista mrt station (imagine two train stops from my office). We continued to walk and when we reached the top, we arrived at this chapel - frail looking chapel but still a chapel from the outside. It was not advisable to get it as there might be falling debris. The view beyond the hill was fantastic and on the other side, you can see the village. It felt so great being on top. We did not stop there, as we were still starting our journey :) There were another mile of walk going to next mountain. It was another combo of some descends and ascends. Then we arrived at a roadside and Brian asked us if we wanted to follow on the road or go to a challenging trek, translated to mountain climb minus the gears. I said I was game for the challenge and my right hand shoot into the air :) Then everyone followed suit. Hehehehehe ;) And Brian was not joking as the trek proved really challenging. I went to Europe for a mountain trek which was funny because, Cebu is mountainous too and I have never tried to do some mountaineering, ironic! Well, well, well, we reached the top and the view was amazing. It was well worth it! Cam whoring was the labor of the day! It is actually a bit dangerous because we were a few meters from the mountain's edge so one false move and you'll be meeting St. Peter. After the trek, we started to descend and mind you it was challenging as there were dried leaves all over the place and that it proved slippery, so we had to be very careful. After that grueling descend, we were taking a flatter track going to another mountain edge. Along the way, people were just laughing boisterously and sometimes we would be singing :) Typical Filipino or should I say Cebuano! After another say 30 minutes of walking, we reached the mountain edge where there's a falls. Really nice and the place it breathtaking though the place is a bit hot already as it was around 11AM. We rested at the edge. We talked, laughed and sing some children's rhymes which was a bit silly. After that nice rest, we continued our journey and this time we were heading back to the village. Halfway to the village, we drank at this cold mountain spring which was really refreshing :) It was another 30 minutes of hike before we reached the village.

We had our lunch at the village. To feel and experience the Catalan culture, we tried deep fried rabbit matched with red wine and drank the wine the Catalan way. I honestly did not like the rabbit meat because of the strong smell but nevertheless I was full =)) Should I say I was a bit tipsy too :P

All for the good Barcelona trekking at the Pyrenees plus the breakfast and luch, billed each of us around 50 euros. And we gave Brian a tip of 30 euros.

After the trek, we asked Brian where to see some nice shops and so we alighted at the post office and head to the Las Ramblas. And there the shops were like mushrooms and all over the corners and there was a huge crowd. There was no recession or some sort of financial turmoil in that area. Everyone was like busy shopping :) As for me, I bought a pair of H&M high cut shoes. Some of my friends also shopped and bought personal stuffs. It was a long walk and I was still full from the lunch I had and I really did not feel hungry :) We continued roaming the shopping district of Barcelona until night time. We were walking and walking until the girls decided to go to the mall to buy some night snacks and breakfast. As I have mentioned, I was really full and so I did not buy food or anything. Peter actually went ahead after shopping so while the girls were buying at the grocery, I was busy doing my thing at the loo and then checked some stuff at the personal care section. After the girls paid their purchases, we decided to call it a night and so went back to our hostel.

And Oh, the place we went to was called Rupit ;)

To be continued ....

Euro Trip : Barcelona, Spain

2011-10-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

31st of August, 2011, was our departure date to Barcelona via Qatar Airways. I was with a bunch of friends from Gemalto. We have planned this trip like 3 - 4 months prior to our departure and everyone were really excited. You can see it in our faces during that trip. I for myself would feel some zoo in my tummy.

Anyway, we arrived in Barcelona around 9AM the following day in a grueling 17 hours flight I suppose. We arrived their a bit fidgety though because we did know what to expect and were speaking Spanish and mostly Catalan. SOP, we had a long queue an the immigration and good thing nobody had any issues. After that, we got our belongings and proceeded outside to ride a bus going to our hostel. We couldn't find our way so Kay and Bud asked for some help. Good thing we found our way. Bus fare going to the city was around 5 EU and gave the driver 50 EU and he was like saying "cambio" and I knew it means something like he doesn't have change and he was looking for some smaller bills or coins from me. Well, Bud or was it Kay who saved me because they have smaller bills. The ride to the city was around 20 minutes and Barcelona was not like Singapore. It is a bit quaint and artsy and should I say lovely, except for the many grafitti. We alighted at Plaza Catalunya and from there we had to walk going to our hostel. It was a long walk on cobblestones and the morning was a bit chilly even if it was sunny. We were a bit lost and we had to stop at one corner and Kay went ahead leaving her things to ask some local and while everyone was looking tired Peter managed to discover that we were actually just in front of the hostel building. When Kay arrived, we then rushed to cross the street and head to the hostel which I have mentioned was just in front of us across the street.

I think I haven't mentioned that the food served in the plane was average and the snacks was not of my taste or maybe for non middle eastern or asian in general (but not quite sure though). Their service is quite nice anyway and the crew were really there to help. In their movie lists, there were Filipino films but since I haven't watched Rio, so there I had it for my eyes to feast.

Back to where we were, Kay was meeting her Japanese friend Minako-san. I actually forgot her name but I'll just update this entry after I have asked Kay. Yeah, we checked in and fix ourselves for the day's excursion. Minako arrived in our hostel and she was staying at somewhere 2 blocks from ours. Anyway, Minako waited a bit for us since the girl's room wasn't ready, and so it took us ages to washed ourselves =)).

Our first activity of the day was to have the city tour though their hop-on-hop-off bus. Rendezvous was at Plaza Catalunya, so that was another hiking from our hostel. The bus ride amounted to 25 EU each for the whole day, and for that amount, they gave us a pair of earphones and a booklet which has some discount coupons. We were thirsty and we knew that it's going to be sunny, we bought bottles of water for 1 EU each. We queue and after 15 minutes of waiting, we had our turn to ride the tour bus. Well, you need to plug the earphones in to a certain terminal and select your language and viola you will hear the tour guide explaining the history of the buildings we managed to pass by. It's quite interesting actually and their building looked different in some aspects. There were buildings which looked uniform. It's because there's one man who designed it, Antoni Gaudi. One of the highlights was to visit the Sagrada Familia. We arrived there after some 30 minutes from where we departed. Well the cathedral is still under construction and it's pretty massive :) We decided not to go inside because we did not have much time to join the queue of thousands. From the outside, the artsy cathedral was and is magnificent!

We bought some Barcelona style pizza and burgers and filled our hungry tummy. Well EU serving is in big portions so we did not have issues with it plus it's really tasty.

After all the pictures taken, sumptuous bites and some fun, we went to our next stop which was to the park Guell, still designed by Gaudi. The ride took us around 20 minutes and after we alighted from the bus, we had to hike to the park. It's sitting on top of a hill or maybe mountain so it's a bit demanding to get there. The climate is a bit hot and from time to time a bit chilly so it was pretty much manageable. We arrived at the park and it was too crowded. The park looks huge and we need to climb a few steps to this main area. It was nice with all the tiled ceilings and floors. We then climb some stairs and arrived at this huge flat track (maybe they created a plateau) overlooking the beautiful Barcelona. The cam whores were already on work and still had that energy after all the climb. We enjoyed the view and decided to go to this old monastery. We had an effortless descend I should say and took the bus again. Arriving at the monastery, we checked things out and not much of interest except from some picture taking outside the monastery steps and its huge door. Then we went to another stop, its a place which houses ceramics , museu de ceramica. They have a fine collection of ceramics all over the world and mostly donated by private individuals. The collection I must mention is amazing. I would love to touch them but its a big no-no! The good thing was the tour is for free. Wasn't that amazing ?
Anyhow, we finished the tour in around 30minutes and by the way, no flashing of cameras were allowed so I was advised like twice (I honestly forgot....).

Montjuic was our next stop. It was really sunny and the hike we took was pretty long. I always walked from our office going to the mrt, I think it's around 30 minutes of walk. So pretty much, I did not have issues.... Well the place is quite old as for the structures were built around 17th - 18th century. Greeting the tourist from the entrance would be the three massive pillars. Interestingly, I don't seem to get what those pillars are for. Anyway, you can just imagine if there's an earthquake and it will tumble (God forbid). As I have mentioned or did I not, Montjuic is sitting on a hill so we needed to climb some stairs. The palace is really amazing and it was like close but, from the outside it is truly magical plus the view of the city is fantastic - cam whores were on the loose in such a place. We were checking some place so hiked a bit but got lost and so we went back to where we started. But of course cam whoring is a must so we managed to have some good shots. We were actually looking for restaurants to dine and since we can't seem to find one, we had to descend back to the plaza and look for tapa-tapa. Good thing we found it just around the corner. We ordered a lot actually and because the serving came in small portions. Tapa-tapa is not really a restaurant, it's more of a pub ala snack bar with alcoholic drinks on the side. What we had was sangria. After the meal if it was, we went back to Monjuic to watch the "Font majica" show. Just in time and after like 5 minutes once were there, the show began. There was a burst of colors! The fountain show was amazing with all the lights and grand music to accompany the show. It was pretty show and it's for free. We enjoyed the show except for the smokers all around. But other than that, it was an amazing or should I say magical evening.

To be continued ;)

Ilocos and Cebu trips 5

2011-07-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

(Continuation : Ilocos and Cebu trips 1 , Ilocos and C ebu trips 2 , Ilocos and Cebu trips 3 and Ilocos and C ebu trips 4)

The last entry and a very delayed one. I'm not even sure if my recollection will be that accurate. Perhaps, this post should not be that lengthy.

Fast forward, and I'm in Cebu already.

I arrived home and my dad was not there. I had to go out of the house as my friend called me up and he wanted to borrow something. But I was really hungry, and since there was some food in the kitchen, wahhaha I devoured the foods.... I just freshen up and then off I went to the mall where I had to meet my friends. I decided to just hike going to the highway, and around 10 minutes of walking, I saw my dad and he didn't see me. I patted his back and got his right hand and placed it on my forehead as a sign of respect. Then I told him where I was going and said that I will be late for home. Then I continued the hike, stopped by Jollibee and took a jeepney to SM. I did not know what to do so I went looking around things to buy but really nothing in particular. So I went looking for a coffee shop which has wifi and coffee bean fit the bill. I even got a nationwide membership as if I'm gonna be based the whole year in the Philippines or Cebu in particular to drink.... Anyway, I was downloading apps, chatting in yahoo messenger and browsing through my iphone, I meant facebooking. After some hours of waiting, my friends came and we had dinner and finally, watched a movie. My friends invited me some serious night out but I felt tired actually so we decided to just go home. The streets were a bit dark and there were limited jeeps. But I arrived home safe and sound. I arrived home and my brother was still awake doing some computer stuff. Since it was a bit late, I told him to sleep and continue what he's doing the next day.

Friday, and I have nothing to do. My dad had to go somewhere and he left the house early and hes coming back home on a Monday, which also falls on my departure date to Singapore. My brother had a summer school and was having on-the-job- training for his computer science course, and so he left really early. I was left at home with our pet dog and still nothing to do... So I decided to go to the mall and buy groceries and cook for my brother. I had all the time slacking :D I just played with our dog and walked britney outside for a few minutes and then got inside and unleashed her and had her do her thing which is just pose at a corner and act prima donna. I turned on the television and browsed some local channels but all seemed to be boring except the noon show which was "face to face" and watched a showbiz talk show. It was a bit boring and plus the fact that there was nobody to talked to, I decided to just leave the house and get my groceries....

At the mall, I changed some cash and felt that it was lacking so, I had to use my Philippine ATM. I went around the mall visiting some new shops and looking for something to buy but decided on buying some personal effects for my family then just decided to really go to the grocery section of the mall. I bought some vegetables, some meat, fruits, and some personal effects again. After the grocery, they felt heavy actually and since it's gonna be inconvenient to go by jeep so I hired a cab. Cab fare was expensive compared from the last time which was just a few months ago - still thankful though that cab drivers were honest compared to Manila's.

Arrived home just in time and cooked for dinner. Yeah, I forgot to mention that I had lunch at the mall. I prepared chicken meat with lots of veggies in a soup style. I really don't know what I was making but I thought it was delicious and yeah it turned out well. My brother came a bit late like 8PM and since I was a bit hungry already, I had my dinner prior to his arrival. I just told him that there's food already and so he can just eat ....

Saturday came and it was the reunion time. My brother will just be staying in the house and I told him I was going for my high school reunion which is an overnight affair and so he will be left at home to take care of everything.

I packed my staff and I was waiting also for MJ as she was in Manila and will be arriving in Cebu around 6AM. I received an sms from her and she said she was like preparing something. My dad who was in Davao also sent a messing asking me for money. I then had to message MJ that I was going to look for an LBC outlet at the city center so we will just have to meet somewhere there. I thought it's going to be a surprise because I did not tell anybody that I was joining the reunion. MJ sent me a message that she already arrived and they're gonna be picking me up and so there, everyone in the cab knew already and they were waiting just outside of LBC. Anyway, it was a bit awkward and so I muttered some few "his" and "hellos". I was seated next to MJ in the cab and it was bit crowded but then it was an early morning trip going to the mountain resort so it did not really matter and everyone seems to be really chatty and funny so I enjoyed the ride.

We arrived at the vicinity and all of our mates were already there. It was like greeting each and everyone around and smiling and hugging for some of our closest friends in high school. It was for me a great chance to experience and relieve an enriching student life so I decided to be more open and all that jazz.... Well, we set the table for the food we prepared and then it was time to distribute the shirts and wore them. We then had a group picture taking and a bit of program started with our two mentors who graced the affair shared some of their well-wishers / messages. We had some simple games and after that, we had a huge belly feast. Then we had some simple talks while sharing our food. Some of our friends had to go early so they bade good-bye-and-see-you-next-time, and I should have said parting words (lol). Well, after some few semi group talks and jumping from one mini group to the other, and talking some photos randomly, we decided to roam around the whole resort with all the scorching heat and then played soccer. Yes, soccer minus the rigorous rules. I realized I liked playing the game.

Some of us wanted to try the pool so we gathered to the pool area, ready with our swimming outfits. It was fun swimming and talking. They have two jacuzzi(s) yet we decided to crowd to this one bigger jacuzzi and had a chit-chat. You know, adult and personal stuff with some revelations and bare it all truths. It was fun recalling and throwing generic questions and then answering them to who ever wants to.

It was one of the most beautiful talks I've had in my life with friends and classmates. I guess people have matured and became self assured and having some insecurities yet able to live and deal with it in each of our personal terms.

We then decided to have dinner, then a camp fire. After the camp fire we had a karaoke session. Peter who now works as an accountant at Asian Development Bank made the whole night crazy with his comical attacks on all the songs and dances he made. Were left with stomach having some cramps and mouth a bit aching of the boisterous laughs we made.

Since we had beer and vodka I think, I really felt tipsy yet enjoyed the whole night. Some of us were a bit tired already and so we slept in our tents. I thought it was a bad idea to get a tent but then it turned out that the tents were really comfortable.

The next morning, was crazy and noisy as my friends were talking loudly just outside my tent or I should say a few feet from my tent and as usual, they were laughing their hearts out. I've got no choice but to join them :D I only had like 6 hours of sleep but I was enjoying the whole reunion thing. There was this horse actually and my crazy friends gave a plate of melted ice cream or was it cup to the horse lols.....

We then decided to have a hike and go to the highest point of the mountain resort. There was chapel there and some observation deck and also some picnic tables. Well, cam whoring was an agenda of that flight.

We proceeded to this side of the resort where they have some exercise machines and we tried them just for fun. And some still continued to talk stuff. It was already 7 or 8 and everyone got hungry so we decided to eat together from the left-overs. Nobody cared if the foods were spoiled but then it was like we were hungry monsters, got it ? lols.

After breakfast, we went to the pool and enjoyed the water. Then we went out of the water at around 10 and set to clean up the mess we made. Plus, we had to leave actually earlier because we will be charged I think if we overstayed. We got things settled and we left the resort though Jerus' cab. Thanks to his husband for being so kind and really accommodating as well.

I arrived home around 11AM and had to prepare for the next stop which was to meet Jun my real estate broker for the property which I was planning to buy. I met him at Jollibee with MJ and we went to Cordova to check the place. It was nice but seems had this small unplaced worries for which I am not exactly sure about. We then viewed some other development sites. Mamul sent me an sms inviting me at Imperial Palace - resort catering to mostly Korean tourists and other - so MJ and I decided to go. We met Mamul's family and since we did not have some swimming attire with us, we decided to buy one at the nearest mall. We also bought some food :D The weather was hot and dry perfect for the fun swim. It was such a nice day for me. Yeah I'm a bit selfish to have enjoyed some of those luxuries but it was for free so I guess I'd enjoyed it than mope on unnecessary things. The resort is really nice and I felt that I will be bringing my family there. But yeah, it's actually very costly as I've checked, the room rates would be somewhere around 11K pesos or around 400SGD. Anyway, MJ and I had to try all the rides and some water stuff. We also joined the pool dancing kind of thing.

It was getting dark and MJ and I had to go to Ayala to meet some friends for dinner. We took a cab and it was really expensive. But then again, it was a really far place to the city so we did not have a choice. We arrived at Ayala just on time and we had dinner at this Filipino restaurant which caters palettes of those who miss home cooked meals.

After dinner, we had some yoghurt ice cream .....

It was blast vacation for me and just like the yoghurt, it was sweet, soft on the mouth, cold and a bit sour most of the time but it was fun. I felt I have celebrated life for real :D

-------------------The End---------------------------- :P

Ilocos and Cebu trips 4

2011-05-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

(Continuation : Ilocos and Cebu trips 1 , Ilocos and C ebu trips 2 and Ilocos and Cebu trips 3)

After that decent meal, it was a bit drizzling yet we continued on to our plan of that day tour so we were busy as bee preparing. At around 8:30 in the morning, the clear sky appeared, so we were relieved and happy :D

The two local trikes arrived and we just picked our pick and rode the way to our first stop which was the windmills of Bangui - first ever wind farm in the Southeast Asia. The ride took us 30 minutes I guessed. And when we arrived there, it was really a wonderful sight. The wind was really strong and it felt like a bit of a sand storm rushing to our faces. It is advised to wear some sunglasses to protect your eyes. Well, we did not have to contain and hide or shy away from this new experience. All we have got to do is gear up the cameras and click it all the way. There were some weird poses and unskillful jump shots, solo poses and group ones, too. The place is beautiful specially the curved bay where the windmills standing tall and proud from afar, end to end - we were almost halfway of the windmills and there were like more than 20 or these towering icons. We then bought some mini windmills as souvenirs and it was fun playing with it - obviously we were like kids. After another photo ops, we then went back to our trikes and the next stop was to see the rock formation in Kapurpurawan. It was not that far from where we were, say 15 minutes I guess. We then arrived at the parking area and had to walk for like 10 minutes to reach the rock formation. Well, it's worth it, as it was wonderful. The huge rocks were painted white. If you touch it, they were actually sands sticking on to the rocks which was quite interesting. The place was a bit of crowded though so wanting to get a solo picture will need some doze of patience. Anyway, after we took some nice pictures of the place, we decided to go back to our trikes. It was halfway when the sky started to pour and the drops became huge. We were ran as fast as we can but we were still soaked.... Anyway, it did not matter much as we were prepared and knew the fact that it was gonna rain as it was the early morn. The next stop was the Bojeador light house. It was not that far because it took us 20 minutes to get there. There was nothing unusual as I have been to a lighthouse before. It's just that its really old, built in 1892 and its historical value is immeasurable. It has also served the island such an important role in trade and commerce. After checking out the place and appreciating some bits of history, we then took some pictures and left. It was already noon and we were screaming for food. We ask the trike drivers to bring us to a local eatery one that serves local food and not the store at the town center which was a ripoff. Good thing we were brought to a clean eatery and the serving is quite decent and the foods were tasty, plus, they were showing the Pacquiao Mosley fight. Guess what, we stayed there for almost 30 minutes up to 7 rounds of fist fight, watching the greatest boxer of the world who is a Filipino. It was an interesting lunch, I supposed. After our lunch, our next stop was the Kabigan Falls. It was a long ride and prior to that, we stopped at a Pagudpud signage and took some pictures. Then the ride continued on. It was getting hot and no sign of a downpour which was a good thing. I wanted to have a good tan by the way :)) We arrived at the Kabigan Falls entrance and there was a fee just for maintenance I guess of the place and they will provide us a tour guide. There was call of nature on my part so my friends waited for me and when I got out of the comfort room, the shutter clicked and there you go, my face was digitally captured. It was such a funny experience .... Then we started walking together with our guide. Quite a long walk and I kept on asking as to how long are we gonna walk and the guide said around 30 minutes which was quite far. That made my expectations higher because of that long walk. I was personally expecting the falls to be really beautiful .... Then we met some people on the road selling fresh coconut and MJ would say later and we encountered like three ladies selling the same thing with MJ uttering the same replies. We were greeted by thick forest though paved and some rice farms. From a distance, we could hear the river gushing. After that long walk, we could see then the waterfall and when we got closer, indeed, it was beautiful. The water is so clear and the height of the falls is gorgeous. We took some photos and then we bathe. The water was cold as ice but it was beautiful and it felt so refreshing. I was happy just bathing with my friends in a beautiful Kabigan falls. Hoping people will take good care of the place. After that fleeting experience, we decided to journey back to our waiting post. It was another 30 minutes of walking but we were having some fun. It was also a chance of taking some photos and laughing really loud. When we arrived to Kabigan outpost, which was managed by the local cooperative, we paid the bill and geared up for the next stop, the aqueducts, the interesting male and female islands, just imagine the shape of the islands, then the beach which peaked my interest, the blue lagoon. To cut the story short, we spent most of the afternoon at the beach, enjoying the breeze, the sun, the wave and deep blue sky. The water was really blue at the blue lagoon =)) what else =)) by virtue of its name ? After, frolicking at the blue lagoon, we decided to call it a day. We rode back to our homestay villa but prior to that, we bought some barbeques for dinner as we intended to have a sunset dinner. The beach at the homestay villa was just a stone throw away. We also bought the special empanda which has longganisa in it. By the way, they did not have puso or hanging rice :( Then off we went to our beach quarters. When we arrived, we paid our drivers for the whole day service and then we packed our things for the sunset dinner by the beach. We were in hurry by the way because the clock was ticking and there was no take too of the said experience. We were just in time, as when we set our things by the beach, the sun was starting to illuminate the sky and began changing hues and painting in bright red, comes with orange and yellow - a lovely sight indeed. We ate and enjoyed the sunset. There was this balot vendor and MJ called him out and since I haven't tasted balot ever and it was a bit dark, I was forced to or rather I got interested to end my curiosity. I ate balot which was dated 18 days where the chick has started to form. It was such an unforgetable experience for the balot and me =)). Darkness has covered the place so we decided to really call it a day. We cleaned up our mess and packed up, then proceeded to our nest. After a few minutes of chats and laughs we went to our own cocoons....

The next morning, MJ and mommy Zhet went out to buy fresh catch from the fisher folks. I was in bed and woke up because Atan was shaking me that the thermos was there already and he needed someone to help him pour some hot water on his cup of corn flakes. I then managed to jump off my bed and went outside and did it for the kid. Good thing he said thank you or else I would have devoured him alive as I was still busy sleeping and dreaming :D Anyway, MJ and mommy Zhet arrived with some fresh catch but they were really small fishes. They said that when they arrived, all the bigger ones were already sold and good thing there were still some fishes left.... MJ asked the house owner to cook the fish "tinola" and "inunon-unan" style. We had to eat that later and so we just bread and some oats. After that, we prepared for the next activity which was again by the beach. We bathe the whole morning and took some photos until we begged to stopped because we were hungry. I liked the beach all in all except for one thing, the water was quite deep after a few meters from the shoreline so its a bit scary to really go far. Anyway, we enjoyed the sun and the beach so it does not really matter in the long run. After that, we decided to pack up and eat. We arrived at our place and there the food was ready to be served. We had a feast in our table and the fishes cooked the Filipino way and specifically with the Ilocano touch made it just right. It was an enjoyable lunch.... After the feast, my tummy felt exploding =))

We were planning to leave early so after some few minutes of rest, I went to the shower. After the shower, I felt wanting to sleep :P It was going to be a lazy day I think for everyone but yeah were going to have a long ride going back to Manila. Anyway, after finishing our bills, the owner of the house had us sign something of a slum book. Since nobody wanted to write and I had said yes, it was I who volunteered myself in short. After the picture taking, we then set for ride to the town center to catch a bus going to Manila. When we arrived at the town, we were told that the bus was not ready and so we decided to take another bus going to Laoag then. The ride will take us 3 hours or more but we did not mind much. The bus collector sensed that we were tourist so he gave us the wrong change and then MJ asked the collector in a huge voice about the correct fare and so he gave us the change which was rightfully ours. Then everyone went quite an I went to a nap. After that three long hours, we arrived at Laoag and we took another ride going to the bus terminal. It was already around 4PM and the attendant told us that the bus going to Manila will be ready at around 5:30PM. So we just waited there and sensing another hunger, we decided to buy "empanada", again.

The clock struck 5:30 and the bus arrived. We made our swiftest move to get inside the bus as fast as we could so we can choose the seats we liked. And we decided to go to the back seats. After a few minutes of waiting, the bus fired up its engine and drove away bound for Manila. It was a bit hard to sleep because of the noisy rascals in front of us and the ride felt so bumpy. At around 9PM the bus stopped for dinner. I was not particularly hungry but I wanted to eat so there, I went out of the bus and dined together with the gang. It was such an expensive meal for an eatery. After the meal, we got back to the bus. I saw the empty seats of noisy rascals and they were also about to settle to their seats and since the adult moms were not with them, I decided to take their seats. They arrived and stared at me but I did not move a single cell. So the noisy kids decided to go out of the bus, maybe complaining to their moms. And so, I got up and went to my proper seat, and Atan who was telling me that it was not my seat was actually chucking of what has just transpired. Then the bus was beginning to be filled with people. The journey then continued and after an hour ride we stopped at this "pasalubong" or gift counter - usually delicacies of the locality. We just went out of the bus and checked some good stuff and nothing much that interested us, so we ended up not buying anything.

The bus ride to Manila continued and that the rascals were reprimanded by the bus attended because of their noise and he turned their lights off which was great for us. From there, we were able to have a serious nap already.

At around 4 AM we arrived in Manila. We took a cab going to Philam village and after unpacking a bit we went to our nests.... I had a wonderful sleep but had to wake up a bit early because we were planning to tour the old Manila. I have been to Manila before and in fact stayed in Makati for a year but never in my life been to the old historical Manila. Everyone were waking up and Ate Mars went to the shower first, after she's done, I went next and then after that, MJ - our host and tour guide. The place was a bit humid so I stayed outside just sitting in the corner while waiting for my friends to finish their stuff.

We went to the mall first to have my Singapore dollars into Philippine pesos and Ate Mars has to withdraw some cash as well. But prior to that, we ate first at Tokyo -Tokyo, a Japanese fast food.

We decided to take the MRT going to Taft then to UN Avenue if I was not mistaken. The ride was smooth though crowded. Alighting at the station we had to walk out and put on our shades as the sun was up their and glorious. Manila has not changed much as it was still really crowded and a bit dusty because of the buses and the jeepneys plying like kings of the road. Then we arrived at the National Tourism then the National museum. The buildings were old and the architecture were beautiful. In from of the museum was the statue of Lapu-Lapu who looked different from what we have in Cebu. Then we went to Intramuros, the famed Spanish walled city in Manila. We took the "kalesa" or horse carriage to feel the history of the place and this chatty caballero was having some interesting historical rhetoric. We had fun but he asked 50 pesos each from us after the ride which was okay.... Then we toured the whole of Intramuros going to the garrison of Rizal. We eventually went to the Manila Cathedral then to some arts and crafts house. Then we went to Rizal park. We could not wait for the fountain display and since we wanted to buy something, we went back to the MRT station and off we went to Ayala specifically, Glorietta mall. We bought some Krispy Kreme and then we decided to have dinner at the Kitchen and the bill was on me :D The Kitchen hasn't changed as food was really delicious. After that dinner, we decided to call it a fun day and we went back to PhilAm village and prepare for my early flight tomorrow. My flight was at 7 and Ate Mars had hers at 12, but then she decided to go with me so as to save fare and aside from that, she can have company. It was a quick ride early dawn and the guard asked us of some ID and I gave my passport to him to show my identification which did not really matter because we were already leaving the village. The guard then helped us get a cab which was just nearby waiting for some customers. We then rode the cab and proceeded to NAIA terminal 3.

By the way, I cancelled my flight back to Singapore which was the previous day and I decided to go to Cebu for my high school reunion and also to buy some properties :D

(To be continued....)

Ilocos and Cebu trips 3

2011-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

(Continuation : Ilocos and Cebu trips 1, and Ilocos and Cebu trips 2)

We rode the bus going to Batac, Ilocos Norte and took us an hour. The bus was non-air conditioned and it was just fine, though the weather was humid it was also very windy and the air was also fresh. I was kind of sleepy all through out the journey so sometimes I found myself napping a bit. Be warned, the fare is around 40 pesos but the bus collector was collecting more, so if you are Filipino, just pretend to be local and pay the exact fare - no huge bills please :D Then we alighted at a corner opposite to the Marcos Museum and Imelda's. We were looking for the waxed dictator but were a bit lost so we decided to take some photos. Since it was late noon and we were hungry as beasts, we decided to have lunch at Chowking. I had a Shanghai Luriat which was so yummy - it was a familiar taste when I was still working in Makati City where I always ordered that meal.... After the meal, Mars and I went looking for a liter of bottled water and found one just opposite side of the road where Chowking was. Then we followed Atepuya and Mommy Zhet to Imelda's museum. I can feel the people of Ilocos adored the family. In fact, Imelda is back in Congress, Imee her daugther the governor of the province and her son, Bong-bong is a senator, doing the upper house. Anyway, the museum houses some news clippings glued all over the wall which showed the fist couple their stints locally and abroad. Interestingly, there were documents of some sort about back notes and all the finances of the government to various institutions worldwide. I wonder if there were some truth to these documents but then I was a tourist and no time for being a journalist or investigator of some sort. People and history has judged them as corrupt and tyrants and so be it! After visiting Imelda's den, we went to the waxed Marcos. There were people queuing to see the preserved president and I was one of them. I saw him lying there but wondered if he's at peace with himself and his creator. He looked some kind of a biological specimen where people tries to view and even examine him. Anyway, there was a blooper as the attendant thought I was selling something and he called me up and asked me what I was selling. I just replied I was selling nothing and went out of the dark room. Good thing he did not interrogate me or my mates. Its difficult to explain in Tagalog which we both understand so I'll be forced to speak in English which he might find as arrogance on my part. Well I was just thankful nothing messy happened and just gave the whole situation a laugh. I was with Mommy Zhet and her kid, waiting outside for Ate Puya and Mars. After that, we decided to go to the Baroque church of Paoay. It is a UNESCO heritage site same as the Calle Crisologo. We couldn't find any jeep so we decided to ride in a tricycle. We reached the church rather quick and indeed it was beautiful from the outside and we couldn't stop ourselves from taking pictures. There were other tourists enjoying the view of the church from outside and there was some wedding to be held in the church as the outside was decorated with flowers and some tables and chairs dressed in white. Then we went closer and inside the church and as tradition taught me, I said some simple prayers of thanks and wishes for family and friends. After the church visit, we were going to Laoag and catch a bus going to Pagudpud. There were no jeep traversing the not so busy street and good thing there was an elderly walking our way so we asked her where we can ride a jeep to Laoag. She then gave us detailed instructions in Tagalog ofcourse and not in Ilocano. After some few minutes of walking, we found the jeep terminal. We then fastened ouselves and after an hour ride, we reached Laoag. The jeep driver also was not that honest enough as he gave us the wrong change and since we confronted him, he then explained this and that and so he took 60 pesos more from our fare. I did not want to argue with the crook so we just go our way and rode the bus going to Pagudpud. After a few minutes of waiting, the bus fired its engine and the journey began. It was a long journey and we were greeted with beautiful greenery and some vast farmland and sometimes some hills or mountains. I was a bit exhausted so I was not able to pass on napping and this time it was a long one. I did not mind the uncomfortable seat in fact. Well, after two hours of travel I was awaken by a sudden stop of the bus and there was this passenger arguing with the bus fare collector they were talking in Ilocano so it was gibberish to us. Then the bus continued the journey and from a far we saw the windmills - that was the sign we were nearing to our destination. After more than hour or more of riding the bus, we arrived at the town proper. We alighted and saw that the town is not that crowded. The homestay inn attended was informed by MJ that we have arrived and as advised, we ate dinner in a store because according to instructions, the food near the beach could get very expensive. Well for the naive tourists as we are, the food at the town was also pricy but was not worth its value. We were hungry so we just ate our food and did not mind much of our angry pockets. Then MJ sent a message to the driver who will fetch us and there we found him parked just outside the store. After we paid the food bills, we rode the tricycle and off we went to our homestay inn named Lilia. The place was getting dark already and once we arrived at our destination, we unpacked our stuff and prepare to bed. MJ arranged for a whole day tour tomorrow and they're going to pick us up around 9:00AM. After I cleaned myself up and surfed the net, I jumped into bed and hibernated for quite a long while.

Morning came and I was awakened by some movements from outside. Mj and the rest of the gang wokeup already and they were preparing for something to eat. I had noodles, bread and oats, same as the rest of my friends.

(To be continued....)

Ilocos and Cebu trips 2

2011-05-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

(Continuation : Ilocos and Cebu trips 1)

It was time to prep up and start the Vigan tour. Well I was the last one to rise from bed. My friends were waiting and they have left their stuff at the counter since we were checking out already. After a few minutes and done with all the personal stuff, I went out of the room with my things and left it too, at the counter. MJ informed the lady clerk that were were going for a half day tour and will get back to our things around noon.

We went out of the hostel and walked our way to the plaza. Along the way, the historical buildings then showed up. The first old structure that greeted us was the Vigan cathedral and convent at the right side. The church was painted white and it was a Baroque architectural wonder. It was early morning then and the town plaza was surprisingly alive as there was a marathon held during that time. People were gathering and enjoying some kind of celebration. There was also a fair on the side where people sell their native wares. On the far end was also a flower for sale stop. MJ told us that they have an "empanada" of some sort and since we wanted to have a taste of a local food, we did not hesitate to try their "empanada". The food was interesting - it has sprouts, some meat, and egg and the dip was a hot and spicy vinegar with soy sauce. After we ate, we then continued to roam and since we were a bit hungry and did not have breakfast, we decided to eat. We had another local food and I find the beef soup weird but interesting as it was a bit bitter with a slight tang and spice. It was new taste for my friends and I. After we filled our tummies, we decided to get a McDonalds float. From McDonalds, we roam the Vigan strip leading to the world heritage site of Vigan the Crisologo street. It is a street lined up with very much preserved Spanish houses dating back as early as 18th hundreds. I was by the way intrigued by their commercial buildings as they were very much also in theme of the place. Take for example the CAP building, the Scout's building, Maybank, and even McDonalds were attuned in time which was in Spanish era. After more than a mile of walking, we decided to go to the Baluarte, which the Governor of Ilocos has created a private safari. We hired a tricycle (local transportation) and we paid for 10pesos, which by the way is the fare for tourists I suppose. They actually charge differently if you are a tourist. I find it weird because we were Filipinos wahahahah even if we were admittingly tourist but not really foreigners. Anyway, we reached Baluarte almost noon already so the sun was up and the weather was really dry. We saw some bird species both local and foreign, the very interesting ostriches, their deers and the ferocious tigers. I then was confused if it were really a safari or a zoo :D After some photo ops, we then decided to visit a local pottery. Good thing the driver brought us to the place where we wanted to be. Each one of us then had a chance to do some pottery which was really really fun. If you want to go to Vigan, this activity should never be missed. The workers were actually very friendly and there was this one guy who really guided us through in making our own masterpieces. For our sincere thanks, we gave him a good tip. After the tiring the pottery, we went back to the main plaza and looked for something to eat and we decided to have the special "empanada" again. After the meal, we then went to our hostel on foot. We got our stuff, thanked the lady clerk and then rode a tricycle going to the bus terminal. Our next stop was to Batac, Ilocos Norte.

(To be continued....)

Ilocos and Cebu trips 1

2011-05-16T20:44:00.002-07:00

My planned vacation would just have been to Ilocos but I made last minute changes and decided to also visit Cebu....

My first stop was at the NAIA terminal 2 in a bustling Manila, where my PAL flight from Singapore taxied. I arrived at the airport way too early which was 4AM to be exact. I will be meeting Ate Mars at NAIA 3 at around 6AM and MJ, who played host, will meet us at around 7AM. When I alighted the plane, I immediately went to the immigration area which was full packed as other airlines also arrived. So it took me a bit forever and since I had a bit of colds, the situation was not that helpful. I felt a bit exhausted and my eyes were straining. When it was my time to meet the officer, she signaled something then I noticed I had a masked on my face. Good thing the officer was really friendly and it was a quick verification. When I was out or the airport, I had to go meet Ate Mars and I didn't want to hire a taxi, so I went to the airport police to ask about the free shuttle. I waited for the shuttle for almost 30 minutes already but yielded nothing so I decided to go out of the terminal and look for a jeepney, a Philippine public transport inspired from the World War 2 military jeep and we call it jeep for short. I got lost upon looking my way out and good thing when I was about to enter another gate, there was an airport guard who was kind enough to help me with the direction.... I got out of the airport eventually, then rode a jeep. I was not familiar of the place and just told the driver that I was going to NAIA 2. He then told me that I have to alight and there was a tricycle waiting. The tricycle just zoomed after I suited myself rear seat. We plied a busy street and since I do not want to call any attention of some sort, I had to take off my mask. I couldn't see any smoke or dust but my throat was a bit itchy as if I have inhaled something foreign. The driver then told us that we have reached NAIA 2. I did not talk much, I just followed the other passengers because they looked like airport laborers. It was a long walk as the tricycles were not allowed to enter the departure or the arrival area. I arrived NAIA 2 around 5:30 AM and Ate Mars will be arriving soon. The security check at the airport was really tight, and I was surprised why they got a Category 2. Anyway, after I passed the security, I looked for some place to settle and wait. The airport was a bit cold, and even if I wore a jacket, my nose was feeling the torture. When the clock struck 6, Cebu Pacific flight from Cebu arrived and the waiting was over. After a few minutes, I saw Ate Mars and called her attention by waving my right hand. We did the usual beso-beso - for Filipinos, its like a check to check greeting :D Ate mars told me that she had messaged MJ already and she was coming. We then looked for a place to wait, still inside the airport. We just talked and talked about dogs, house and lot and investment stuff. Then MJ told us that she just arrived at the airport and on my way out, I saw her, so I hurried my steps to a run and called her name out loud. Ate mars, then followed suit and everyone hugged :D We then went to look for a bus going to the MRT. It was a short ride traversing the Roxas going to Taft. Then we rode the MRT going to Quezon City where, MJ reside. MJ and her housemate mommy Zhet rented a simple room at Philam village in Quezon City. The ride was smooth and we were able to get good seats. It was not a peak hour but the train was almost filled. Our initial plan was to actually go immediately to Ilocos but since it was a bit hectic, we decided to go to Ilocos on a night bus. Yes a bus which will take 9 hours :P When we arrived at MJ's place, we met mommy Zhet and simply introduced ourselves and greeted each other. Since we did not have breakfast, and I was a bit sleepy, I asked MJ that I'd like to have an hour nap before we go out and eat.

It was 9AM and I had to wash my face. Everyone was like awake and waited for me. MJ, Tmars, and I went out to have breakfast. We ate beef mushroom with rice (rice was overflowing for it was free). After that simple breakfast, we went back to MJ's place. We were planning to go get our tickets later but then we needed to have some rest. We just decided to go to the bus station at around 12.

Manila was hot and I guess hotter than Singapore. I did not mind much because I also wanted to get a tan. I just applied a bit of Nivea Sun lotion for protection against sun burn. We planned to buy the tickets first, so we hired a taxi and when we arrived at the station, the teller told us that they do not accept reservations - which was a crazy thought because it's pretty unusual to not have one for a bus company. Anyway, the teller assured us that there are lots of buses and that they had a trip going to Ilocos at an hour interval. Since Trinoma was a bit far, we hired another taxi and believe me, it was hot. The fact that the taxi was just parked from a far and had his air-condition off, the cab was an oven. No more complaints since we were in a hurry. We arrived Trinoma and strolled the mall. We ate ice cream crepe which was really delicious. We checked for some nice shades and found them very expensive. It was a bit of window shopping that took place. We got tired traversing the mall so we decided to just go back to Philam village. But before that, we bought some snacks at a grocery inside Philam. After that, we decided to just take the 4PM bus sked so we had all good two hours to nap.

We found ourselves waking up around 4PM. And I was second to the last to take a shower. MJ was still in her dreamland. Eveyone finished quite fast including me and then MJ. We left Phil-am just on time going to the bus station and the sun was still hot and mighty. We wanted to eat so we went to this pancit malabon food bar. I had deep fried bangus or milk fish with pancit malabon and rice - which was really tasty. After we finished our early dinner, we rode a taxi going to the bus station. There was a no queue at all and found ourselves directed by the the bus personnel and we found random seats inside the bus which was about to go.... After 5 minutes of waiting, the bus torched its engine and the journey to Ilocos has started.

After almost 10 hours of sleep, we arrived at Vigan the capital city of Ilocos Sur. It was still dawn so have to get a simple accommodation near the historical town center and the tricycle brought us at the Vigan riverside inn. There, we slept for three hours before we started our Vigan city tour conducted by us =)) Yeah, we did not hire any tour operator, as it was a free and easy Vigan tour which spelt adventure to us.

(To be continued....)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 3

2011-04-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

(continuation : Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 2 and Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 1)

Where have we left ? Oh yeah, we went to our hotel after the awesome tour of the Khmer Ancient civilization. Then we had to prepare for some walk and night surf of Siem Reap central as we were invited by Helia, the Australian we met, to some sort of fun chat and ll of the couch surfer people. We had an hour to prepare and we met at the hotel lobby. After some few sms exchange, Helia led the way going to the rendezvous.

We met some couch surfer from the US, Australia and someone from Poland, I think. I forgot where in Europe, actually, but she looks like the mature looking version of Dakota Fanning. There we saw the friendly and chatty British couple, Tony and Jill, also dining at the restaurant. We then seated a few tables away from the British couple after some his-and-hellos. We were then introduced and shook hands with the couch surfer people. It was a night of cultural performance by the restaurant, a night of sharing experiences and interests and a night of I guess strangers connecting each other to become acquaintances or maybe friends. It was a bit of fun talking but I was and I think same goes for Olga, were a bit hesitant on some topics. Personally I am not that chatty to strangers but for socializing, I make some ways to make it happen, but yeah a bit hesitant, still.

After the couch surfer meet-up, we went to the night market and we ate ice cream. Helia decided to go ahead but then we wanted to stay to check some pubs for a couple of drinks. So, we were back to Pub Street and I had a can of Angkor the local beer, and Kay was having a glass of wine. Oh it was a very relaxing night, plainly talking and munching some chips and watching rowdy passersby. After we finished the drinks, we headed back to our hotel. It was already late in the evening.

The next morning, we were scheduled to go to the floating village. It was a short trip and we have booked Bud, our tuk-tuk driver, in going to the river. When we arrived at the river dock, we then proceeded to getting tickets for 20USD each, which was quite expensive for the place. Well it's a touristy area so that explains it but the place was not what it looks like to begin with. Anyway, we get on to our motorized boat which looks weird I guess, because the propeller was protruding outside of the boat which as really visible at the back of the boat. So, good luck to those who might be ran over by the boat or whatever it is. The journey to the village was not that long, and as advertised by the boat captain, we would be going to the school, to the fish and crocodile farm but prior to that, they are bringing us to the schools supplies store for the kids in the floating school. It was way of helping the kids according to the boat guide. We bought pencils after the floating store attendant explained things. There was this mistrust with the way she spoke her terms of helping the school children as the food and supplies were ridiculously expensive. So we just bought a set of pencils and since the pencils looks used, we marked them. If we knew that it was such a situation there, we would have bought it in the city proper and label it accordingly. We feel that there was some kind of exploitation in the area. Anyway, enough of the dramatic commentary, so yeah, we rode the boat again to go to the school. We saw there some children playing and having fun, unlike some children near the temple where they were selling some goods. We saw some noisy class conducted. After giving the pencils to the teacher, we then went back to our boat and then they brought us to the farm. There were fish and crocodiles but not really that exciting. It was warm and hot and the food they were selling was really expensive. I don't think I would have to recommend the place and if you want to help, it's better to channel it to some valid charity organizations who knew the drift in this kind of business. Sadly, according to a Filipino friend based in the UK, the government is playing some kind of entertainment of the village's plight. At some degree, I agreed with her, and I have to be reminded that it is also happening in my country in minuscule and subtle way, but Cambodia was worse I've seen and I think it's happening all over the world done by corrupt individuals, governments and capitalists. It was bit drama and we were tourists looking to have some fun and to relax so we went to our own state of dream lands and so we finished the tour and decided to go back to the mainland. The guide made the trip interesting as he asked me to try driving the boat. It was scary but I want to try it so I jumped to the maneuver and we sailed towards the dock. It was scary at first but later on it went so much fun which drew some smiles in my face and too bad some scare to Olga and Kay. I had to have the boat captain take over as when we were about to enter the mouth where the path going to the dock was, there were some boats and they were bigger, cruising the opposite side, so it was a bit dangerous already. When we reached the dock safely, we gave 2USD as tip. We washed up and needed a bio break so we immediately searched for the toilet area. Then we looked for Bud and then asked him to bring us to a restaurant suggested by the travel magazine. We had some local food there and as usual the local food was sweet which was not really that appealing to us. Anyway we still enjoyed the food simply because we were hungry. After that late lunch, we walked our way to the city. We again, when Olga and I saw the mango vendor, we bought some and eat it the street way I guess. We also went to the new Siem Reap market and shop some goodies. We wanted to shop more so we decided to go to the Old Market. After the shopping, we went back to our hotel to fix ourselves for another night out. After that, we found ourselves back at the Pub Street. We ate at this two storey western restaurant and we ate a lot, fattening ourselves in the process. We were again, talking endlessly of a lot of things, family, work, and other accounts in our lives. Well mostly centered on personal adventures. After that, we checkout to have some few shops and also some drinks, then called the it a night as we were a bit exhausted as well from the long walks we took.

The next day was the last, so we woke up late. It was checkout time in the hotel at around 12 so we managed to leave our belongings at the reception and we went out to have some nice meal. We ended at the NYDC restaurant which was kind of interesting because they are non profit so by that, they give their profits to some worthy cause which was kind of interesting. After the meal, we headed back to our hotel to get our stuff and we decided to go to the airport. But prior to that we also checked the arts and craft on our way to the hotel.

Going to the airport was a good all thirty minutes and when boarding time came, we bid our good byes to Cambodia.

It was such a great experience all in all and an eye opener as well. Hope things will get better in Cambodia ....

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 2

2011-04-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

(continuation: angkor-wat-cambodia-siem-reap-khmer 1)

After that short temple trip, we went to this mall to buy some personal effects. Then we went for another walk and found ourselves at the bluepumpkin savoring some icecreams. It was a boutique type ice cream parlor and we just suit ourselves in their comfy couch. It was a lazy afternoon and I almost took a nap. It was getting dark and we decided to go out and check other areas. We then went to the night market to scour things - buy some local stuff. I ended up buying a native purple shorts. I plan to wear it the next day for the ancient ruins of Angkor. After the mini shopping and some foot spa, we decided to check some restaurants at the pub street and had dinner in one of them. After dinner, and another visit to the shop, we went back to our guest house / hotel. It was a long stroll in siem reap I should say. After fixing myself to bed, I woke up the next morning a fresh. I was the first one to take the shower and it was cold even if the heater was on. I had to survive this mini ordeal .... We had our breakfast and after that we waited a bit for our tour van to arrive and yes it did after 20 minutes. There was this British couple waiting in the white van and they were very friendly. So we introduced ourselves and all that hi and hello - they were Tony and Jill and they are at their golden age. Both were very chatty and fun, especially Tony who has a lot of jests all through out the trip. By the way, we also met Helia, a lady from Down-Under. Next, we met the Indian couple and then the German couple. They then introduced themselves.... The tour guy introduced himself and so with the driver.

Our first stop was to the Angkor Thom but before that, we need to buy our tickets for a whole day pass and it amounted to 20USD. It was a bit expensive actually but we did not mind as that was the highlight why we visited Siem Reap, Cambodia in the first place. Going to Angkor Thom, the tour guide, educated us about the history and culture of the Khmers. It was very informative but I was drowned with excitement of what to see and feel about the ancient ruins. Truly, when we arrive at the mouth of Angkor Thom, we were greeted by this man-mad bridge leading to the site. Each side had this dragon serpent or what's that but it's called Naga. It's very old and some of the heads of the Naga were cut off some pillars were obliterated. We walked to the entrance and was amazed with the door and the hollow ceiling. They were made of rocks, and not just rocks because they looked really heavy block. These stone blocks were crafted or maybe beaten to reflect the practiced religion and tradition. The tour guide then shared to us the story of the ten blind men.... I knew the story when I was in grade school so I did not pay attention much but I realized I forgot the moral of the story and so when the tour guide finalized his script, I had to say , "Oh yeah that was the moral of it. Interesting! ". Then we went to the left side of the entrance when facing it as an exit. We then took some pictures to the surrounding pillars and the man-made canal. After that, we went to the site of the ancient ruin of Angkor Thom. It was really big and it has 54 towers on it with each tower having four faces with different facial expressions. Quite interesting and dramatic in design. There were so many tourists on the place so it got a bit crowded at the entrance of the temple. We managed to get some nice photos though. Then the tour guide explained to us the arts and the legends of the temple. The walls of the temple were decorated with the ancient culture and the guide translated the delicate art for us to understand and know what they meant. It was getting hungry by the way after we finished Angkor Thom and at the back of the ruin, where we had to meet our driver, there was this lady selling some mangoes. Olga and I bought two for each and it cost 1USD. The mango was all slight sweet but it was good and refreshing. I was a bit worried though that it might wreck havoc to my tummy. After waiting some of our tour friends, we took some pictures and then we left off after everything were settled. Our next stop was the terrace of the leper king. When we arrived there, we then alighted from the van and the guide began his story of the leper king. It was interesting because according to him the leper king got seriously involved with the nine-headed serpent who transfigured itself into a really beautiful princess and became a concubine of his. The king has a lot of concubines at that time. One of the guys said it was lucky for him and another blurted that, how was he able to survive with those number of women.... Anyway, we were so hungry but then there was this another temple which we had to visit. It was the site where Angelina Jolie shot the tomb raider. I was a bit excited! Prior to that, we passed by another temple which was not that crowded. We just alighted from the van and took some pictures from afar. Then we got back to the van and then continued our journey to Ta Phrom. We alighted from the van and continued on to a wall climb. then going to the entrace of the temple which was quite a walk. The place was really ancient and dusty worthy of the Jolie film. Upon reaching the site, the guide then worded the story of the temple. He then brought us the inner chambers of the place then leading to the site where Angelina took those stunts in Tomb Raider. It was a beautiful complex but not quite as impressive as the Angkor Thom. Anyway, we're a bit hungry and drained and we had to walk again to get to our van. There were kids trying to sell their goods. Poor kids, having to do all the old folks had to do. They should be playing and learning instead of doing those labor. So when we got to our van, the guide then informed us that we are going to this restaurant for lunch. Good thing it was belly feast time. The place was not far and so we soaked ourselves of the menu and I ended up eating stir fried pork. I had beef last time, though it tasted quite pleasant, I just did not like how the beef was prepared. Paired my viand with rice and a can of coke. It was soothing but way unhealthy.... The British couple who were seated at the my farthest left, then shared their travel experiences and some of their adventures and so with the Indian lady. The two Germans on my right were quite silent and they just enjoyed their food and the two bottles of Angkor beer. Kay, Olga and I were like kids listening to their stories and laughing at our own. We also had our own talks but were a bit oblivious as we were speaking in our native tongue, Cebuano. After lunch, we had to prepare for the next trip which is the highlight of the event, seeing the grandeur of the Angkor Wat. It was a 15 minute ride and when we arrived at the checkpoint, the guards immediately checked on our passes. Then we had to walk all through the way to the temple. A long walk will definite burn all the calories I ingested. My bottled water was thinning and I had to conserve a bit. I just did not want to collapse from dehydration. When we arrived at the temple, it was really beautiful and grandiose. We had some few snaps. We then proceeded to the tower temple and the crowd was huge. We queued to see the temple towers atop. The climb was really steep so one should be very cautious. I think some of my mates were a bit scared of the height and fore me it was fun. I was not terrified of heights in fact I enjoyed it and played some jokes to my friends to look down because it's really nice and high. When we got to the top most part of the temple we then checked the whole tower together will all the tourists. It was fun watching the whole surrounding covered with lush greenery. It was a refreshing feeling and an interesting one at that. I feel like wanting to visit the ancient ruins of Egypt and the Mayan's.... After that mini tower excursion and some fun photos, we then had to go down and proceed to the other side of the temple. The guide was waiting for us at the foot of the tower. We had to sit a bit and wait some of our tour mates who were slowly descending. After everyone was accounted for, we headed to the right side of the complex and the guide began explaining the detailed sculptures and images. We then went to the ancient bath and library used mainly by the priests at that time to do some rituals and learning. We then went to another part of the temple and their the guide explained about the ancient life which was most highlighted by their religion. Quite a fine display and depiction of their lives and how they wanted to tell the world of their culture. Too bad the present Cambodia is a bit in shambles.

We then went went to the toilet as mostly wanted to do some clean up and bio breaks. It was not part of the tour wahahaha for us to see :P Once ready, we headed to the exit route. We also took some interesting photos at the pond where the Angkor Wat was a backdrop. What made it interesting was the shadow of the Wat was drawn on the huge pond. Then we proceeded to our van and that was the end of the day tour....

The guide culminated the excursion and he then told us that they will be dropping us one by one to our hotels. He also shared to us some interesting restaurants in town and some night attractions.

(to be continued)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 1

2011-03-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Our flight was at 6:00 AM, my friends and I went to Cambodia last Thursday, 24th of March. It was too early for everyone and I was packing my stuff at the wee hours of Wednesday. I had to travel light as I usually had done for the past out of towns. When done with packing, I slept around 1AM and when my alarm struck 3, I woke up and immediately went to the bathroom. I was still sleepy and taking a bath at that was too much of an effort. After the shower, I opened my phone and there was Kay already up and done. I heard Olga rushing to the shower as I was in my room fixing myself and checking for the things I need to bring. At around 3:40, Olga and I went out of our flat and waited for a taxi in front of Lot 1, and good thing there were lots of them. I sent an sms to Kay that were on the cab and we were picking her up in Bukit Batok. The cab smelt like cigar and irritated my nose a bit and so with Olga's throat. Anyway, we were near Kay's block and saw her at the entrance. The cab then sped its way to Changi Airport.

We were too early. We queued for check-in and then went to withdraw cash. After that, we went to the money exchanger to convert our cash to US dollars as Cambodia's prices were in that currency. After that, we had a healthy take-out from Subway. We were going to our destination gate and Kay wanted to buy but couldn't find it so we hurried for our boarding gate. Water was not allowed to be brought inside the gate so we threw it.... When we were settled inside the waiting lounge, we savored our take-out food. When the clock struck 6AM, we queued to depart from Singapore via Jetstar. It was not a long ride but we managed to take a nap. When we arrived at Siem Reap, we were still sleepy yet we managed to take some pictures. Kay and Olga had their cameras in handy so they took the lead. We were greeted with a nice morning with Siem Reap's not-boxed airport. The guesthouse where we booked had a free pick-up and when we got out of the terminal, we were greeted by a tuk-tuk driver named Bud. He was soft spoken and really helpful. It was a unique ride which made the 30 minutes (or more) travel to the guesthouse enjoyable. What I noticed was the highway was filled with hotels and not much to see. Though the hotels were unique, I just wondered what else was there. It didn't bother me much though, because all my interest and focus in visiting Cambodia is to see and feel the grandeur of the Angkor Wat.

Upon arrival, we proceeded to the reception and confirmed the booking, then we had our breakfast again. We then had ourselves a huge sleep, a continuation from the plane's dreamland.
We woke up at around 2PM and geared ourselves for an excursion. But first, we had to dine and on our way, we saw a hotel serving Khmer food. It was our first take of the local food. Olga and I ordered some local noodles with chicken while Kay had beef. We also had mango salad. Khmer food is a bit sweet which I find not much of my liking :D Anyway, we were hungry so we did not dwell on that. The salad was spicy so we were carefully choosing the mango thin strips and Olga did not like the carrots on it, in short we did not finish the salad. The food was a bit expensive because it was in US dollars and the food in Singapore with that price with be tastier, even in the Philippines, one can eat a more delicious meal with that tag. Anyway, after the loads of carbs in our tummy, we paid the bills and went to the old market. Since the weather was on the sunny side, we bought ourselves a hat. We then went to see a temple a few hundred meters from the Old Market of Siem Reap.

To be continued :D

Sinulog in Cebu - Present!

2011-02-09T08:39:00.001-08:00

Forgive me for the very late update, it's because I got busy again from a lot of things.

My latest escapade was I went to Cebu to celebrate Sinulog. It is a religious festival in my hometown and celebrated by the whole island. And because of its vibrancy a lot of Filipinos from other Philippine islands and aliens are enchanted and visit Cebu.

I have missed two celebrations already so I dared not to miss this one. So, I went to Cebu last January 14 and a flight from Singapore to Cebu via AirPhilExpress brought me safely to the beautiful island.

Things I did were, see my family (of course), see my aunts and nephews and nieces, met my college mates and dine with them, checkout my mini house project (thinking of buying a bigger and more beautiful one), went to the cemetery to light some candles, say some prayers and offer roses and chrysanthemums for my mom and sister, went to the Cebu Cathedral and the Sto. Nino Basilica, videoke with friends, clubbing with friends and lastly witness the Sinulog under the drizzle in a humongous crowd (planning to visit for next celebration).

Thank God I was able to do a lot of things and went back to Singapore safely and despite the flu I got, I was able to enjoy my Cebu adventure.

I am planning to visit my country again and this time on a different vacation and it is somewhere north. My leaves were approved last week so the next step is to get a good flight....

By the way, please see the winning performances....

Free interpretation:

Sinulog Based:

I don't know what's the title.

2010-12-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

The feeling of wanting to break free is again lingering... As much as I'd like to, but I couldn't....

The fact is, I know myself as a person who does not sit on things. I need to make sure and be assured of the concreteness of things.

I don't like to say nothing especially if the whole thing is totally unfair.

What exactly happened last week was a circus to me. Yeah and it's about work. I don't want to incriminate myself or point fingers, so I can not further divulge.

How I wished that people learn from other people. I believe I have said and done what I need to and I know it's not enough but I will continue to do it....

Note to self: timing, acceptance, sense of fairness and equality, perseverance and yeah fun :D

Lastly, I hate communism!

Adventure at Caramoan, Camarines Sur

2010-11-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

My flight to Manila was at the 6th of November. It's a planned vacation gone amiss from the major plan because of some unforeseen eventualities. Nevertheless, it's fun, worth remembering with delightful introspection and curiously one which folds your stomach for more excitement.

I arrived in NAIA terminal 3 around midnight. Mj was at terminal 1 so when I texted her, she said she was waiting for me for like hours and that I told her I was in terminal 3. She took a cab and went to the right airport terminal. We then headed for a ride going to Fairview, Quezon City where she's stayed with her office mates. It was a tiring flight and a two hour ride to Fairview so once we arrived at their apartment, we resigned ourselves to bed. Sunday came and we planned to take a bus going to Naga at Cubao. We wanted it a night trip. Since we did not have a decent meal when we left home, we dined at Max restaurant after I withdrawn some cash to be used in Camarines. We had chopsuey and sinigang, paired that with plain white rice and a quenching fresh buko juice. After that hearty meal, we proceeded to the bus station to reserve our tickets. Too bad, the lazy boy chair buses ran-out so we settled for the less comfortable two-sitter bus type. Soon enough we got our skin under the scorching heat of the terminal and the noisy trek from the mall to the bus station, we decided to go back to the mall to chill and wait for our 9pm land trip. What else should we do? Well, we bought some snacks, shop a bit, and then watched a movie. Strolling the crowded mall was fun and the movie completed the day's experience. After having a simple dinner, we went out of the mall an head to the bus station which was a 20-minute walk away. Since the seats were pre-assigned, there was no need to worry of where to settle comfortably. The bus fired up it's engine at around 9:30 - there were some delays as the bus attendant had to wait a bit for some customers. Anyway, the journey was really long and at around 1 or 2 AM we stopped at Sariayaya Quezon for bio break. We then headed straight to Naga and arrived there at 5AM. Just to note, I fell from the bus having my left knee as the victim giving me a painful and a bit deep bruise. It was terribly bleeding and there was no clinic nearby. I had some facial wet wipes and used that to clean the wound. We were looked for some store selling band aid and found one at the other end of the Naga City bus terminal. I had to cover the wound so the bleeding has to be controlled. Anyway, we did not wait for too long and found the bus chartered to Lagonoy, though based on Mj's inquiries we had to stop at San Jose. It was another 2 hour ride. We arrived at San Jose at around 7 and we had to look for a clinic to dress the wound. Good thing there was one located approximately 200 meters from the waiting area. The nurse attended me and Mj was chatting up with the folks. They were so surprised that we were from Cebu. Anyway, the guy nurse told us that Survivor Serbia has just wrapped up the reality show and so he suggested that the islands are for public viewing and that we should visit them. Smiles glistened in our eyes for the adventure that awaits us. After saying thanks etc to the kind people at the clinic, we bid good bye. We were heading to Sabang port and it's a 30 minute ride on motorcycle. The morning breeze was nice and chilling and the air was fresh. One could smell the misty field and the forest walled by verdant mountains from the horizon. Oh we loved the sunrise! After that short trip, we braced ourselves again for a two-hour ride on this huge motorized outrigger. It's a locally designed water craft. While in the boat, we took some naps. The journey was calm as there was no rain or typhoon of some sort. So there were no worries, and everything was fine in a bright morning. We arrived at Guijalon port around 9AM. There lots of people in the area trying to do business with some passengers but since we can managed to carry our stuff, we just head straight to a parked tricycle and headed to the Caramoan central proper. We were hungry so the mission was to go to an eatery and found one courtesy of Mj. After our decent breakfast, we walked to the church and prayed and said some prayers. Oh, there was a nice church at San Jose and visited that one too. The churches were some of Spanish legacy so you could see the structures older than my generation. Anyway, we scoured the internet looking for a place to stay and decided to go to the Aplaya to look for one. We hired another tricycle going to the beach front were inns were scattered in Aplaya. The driver suggested one homestay inn but turned it down as it was not fronting the beach front so we decided to look for another one and found Rex inn, just a few meters fronting the shore. We were so tired from the land trip beginning in Manila and finally to Caramoan so after we ordered something for dinner, we just slept at our very cheap attic room with only one tiny window as our view to the outsides of the inn. Quite a long trip that was. You can try though a plane ride through Cebu Pacific or PhilAir if you want to and would reach Naga in just an hour. Anyway, we had our plans fixed for the next day which was Tuesday, and that was an island hopping at the east side Caramoan islands. At around 7:30 PM, we went to this small resto bar and ate fish sinigang. It's a fresh catch and surely the food was sumptuous to fill our tummy. After dinner, we headed back to our inn and readied to bed.

Tuesday morning, 7AM was our scheduled island hopping. We were greeted by two men who would serve as our guide. The east islands of Caramoan was near so we did not have to bring lunch in there. Anyway, we rode the motor banca and passed by some rock islands, majestic in form and really captivating in sight. I would say the area is blessed with these wonders. Our first stop was Tinago island. The term "Tinago" when translated means hidden. True enough it is hidden as you would pass by some rock islands and its nestled in between two islands behind another island. We had a short swim in the area and some photo taking. There were less fish and most of them were fingerlings. After that, we headed to Lahos Island. It was a short 15 minutes ride going to Lahos. The word "Lahos" would mean something like "pass through". To give you a picture, in an island dale. The small valleys are made of rocks and in between was the sand. You can see both ends of the island, an open sea to see and not just that, but to swim and have fun. The island was beautiful and would want to stay there for the whole morning but at around 9AM and spending more than an hour in Tinago, we headed to another island just opposite to it. It's another short ride. Then we stopped at Matukad island. Sorry, I don't know how to translate it in English. But, I tell you, the island is really perfect. I mean the beautiful powdery ivory sand is just amazing. Plus the view of the other islands surrounding Matukad is also fascinating. There we uttered, "we love Caramoan". Such a wonderful group of islands nestled between Camarines Sur and Catanduanes and beyond that is the Pacific Ocean. Since we were up for adventure, we went to the two caretakers of the island and Mj asked about the lagoon in the island. We did not fail as the caretakers were friendly enough and the one younger guy accompanied us to climb the cliff. We did not mind our injuries. I wouldn't deny that the trek was dangerous as there were no harness or any protective gear we wore. One big mistake and a bad accident like breaking the branch of plant or stone your grabbing would certainly spell death. Just imagine the stones on the sides of the cliff as sharp knives. Even how scary it can be, we just put our trust to the guide. Fortunately, we reached the top of the cliff then descended going to the lagoon. It was an amazing experience climbing and trekking the lagoon. After some few moments of appreciating God's creation, we decided to trek back for safety. When we got down from the lagoon, the pre-ordered lunch came. It was two grilled fish and pork adobo. We were hungry as beast and finished most of the food brought by our guides. Anyway, after lunch we continued to bask under the sun and swim the island's beautiful beach. We came out so tan, perfectly sun-kissed skin. At around 2PM, the guide decided to go for another island opposite of Gota Village. The island was also nice but the beachfront has lots of sea grass and there might be some urchins on it, so I did not swim. Since the island as a beautiful scenery so we just enjoyed the sight and grabbed our lenses to snap some shots. It was around 3PM when we call it a day. We head back to our inn by the beach. We again pre-ordered for dinner. After that, we had our shower and went to have a nap. When the clock struck 7, we went for dinner. The food was really nice. We had grilled fish, boiled eggplant topped with tomatoes and laing. After the meal, we had some fun chit chat. Then we headed to our inn. Before going to bed, we browse through all the photos we took. Mj went to bed first while I stayed night playing on my iphone. Around 10pm, I went to bed.

Wednesday, Peter will be arriving from Manila. He is a high school mate now working at ADB as a CPA. Anyway, he arrived around 10AM and we were planning for another island hopping and this time to the west side of Caramoan. When Peter arrived, we just needed 20 minutes to set everything and off we go to another adventure. The first island was far and it took us around an hour to have reached our destination, Bitang-laya if I am not mistaken. But that long trip paid off as we were greeted with nice sand bar with shallow water to swim and from the horizon is another verdant mountain. On the opposite side would be some rock islands. It was beyond description I supposed as we were left in awe. After basking and enjoying the place we then headed to another island. When we arrived, there some tourists enjoying the place as well. Since it was noon, we decided to take our packed lunch. Another adobo meal with rice but this time its chicken and pork - very sinful to those who are on a diet. We enjoyed the lunch and enjoyed our talks regarding what has happened in our lives after schooling. I was not really close to Peter but he was nice person and easy to deal with. He is also an intelligent and studious one. After lunch, we went to the other side of the island and we were greeted with some isolation. There was no other human being except us and the guides. We took photos of the breathtaking shoreline. It's a long stretch of beautiful white sandy beach. At the near end of the shoreline, we decided to camp and enjoy the beach. We continued our talks basically surrounded about work and life in general.... It's fund listening to people's experiences. Oftentimes it's inspiring especially how one has gained so much in life as years unfold. I personally enjoyed talks I had with Mj and Peter. And sometimes, I would leave the conversation and see underneath some fishes. I guess the area is sort of a breeding ground because there were holes on the sand and there were small and medium sized fishes swimming around not minding our raucous. After an hour spent in the island, we then decided to go east of Caramoan to again visit, Lahos and Matukad. It was another long journey. The seas went a bit rough so when we reached near Lahos, the guide told us that it's difficult to dock so we decided to go to Matukad. The seas were still crumbling and according to the guide there was news that Mayon is having some activity - not alarming though but it brings some seismic activity thereby causing the sea to produce unfavorable waves. Anyway, even if it was such, we reached Matukad safely. When we dock, it was difficult for us to jump out of the boat and there were huge waves. We then successfully got out of the boat and walked near the other side of the shoreline. It sea was a bit rough and it was a high tide. Imagine we were soaked near the shoreline and it was chest deep and were like chatting still. We sometimes would jump on and ride the wave and were like swept to the shoreline and then we just moved forward to the same thing. Please don't think that we were crazy. It's just that I haven't been gone to the beautiful beaches in my country for almost a year already. Well Singapore does not have a world class beach with pristine beauty so you can't blame me. Since the waves were getting bigger and the sky started to be gloomy, we decided to just call it a day. We headed back to the Aplaya where our inn was. That was great fun and adventure and I would say, the Caramoan group of islands is really beautiful. Though they need to improve some roads but I guess it was part of the thrill so not much of a factor. We then paid our dues for the island hopping and then wash up ourselves. Then we ordered for dinner this time good for three persons.

I took some nap while Mj and Peter still had some not so serious conversations I supposed. At around 7:30, we headed for dinner at the resto bar by the beach. It was another sinful meal. After that, we headed back to our inn to prepare for bed. Peter was accommodated downstairs in an air-conditioned room while Mj and I were still staying in the attic room. It was a tiring day and yes we went to our dreams with huge smile in our faces.

Anyway, the next day, 11th of November will be our last stay in the place. We will be heading for a night stay in Naga City and then another night stay in Legazpi City.

In Naga City, our first stop was at SM to eat for lunch. Then we came looking for a place to stay but found none so we decided to go to CWC - it is a world class facility for wake boarding and other water sports. We stayed there until 4PM watching some locals and foreigners doing the sport. It was an exciting thing to try but I had a knee injury and Mj had an ankle injury so we just decided to be spectators. Since it will be getting dark, we decided to look for a place to stay. Half way going out of the facility, the rain poured and it's heavy. So the driver had to stop at the city government hall. Good thing the driver took some initiative and helped us out to look for cheaper room to stay and his friends suggested that we could try the eco-village just with the area. We were surprised that there was a cheaper cabin room with double deck available at 350pesos for a night. So we took the chance and got the cabin room. Compared to the cabanna in CWC proper, it was way cheaper. Many thanks to the driver and his friends who helped us seek refuge at the eco-village. We were a bit soaked from the rain but since were a bit tired, we just jumped to bed and slept. I woke up around 8:30 and was cold and hungry. I checked Mj but she was not eating. So I decided to wear another shirt and went out to the front desk. Good thing, they have two places to dine, one is the mansion and another one is the CWC and they had a service van free of charge in going there so I booked myself to CWC. I arrived there and ordered Hainese chicken rice and a beer. After that dinner I was satisfied and full. The wake boarders were not playing but having some dinner as well. It was getting late so after I finished the beer, I decided to take a walk going back to the eco-village. It was pitch dark and I got lost on the way. I had a wrong turn so when I noticed that I was walking a bit far and seeing nothing, I decided to move back. Good thing there was a motor bike with two people commuting so I asked them where is the eco-village and told me to turn left on the first intersection I encountered. They left and I headed back. It was a bit scary and my crazy imagination of some night creatures did not help. The flash light in my iphone did not help much. I could hear the gushing river and feel the creepy stillness of the night. At last after walking for around 10 minutes, I saw the checkpoint/guardhouse of the eco-village. I was relieved from my self induced fear of the unknown. It was a good exercise though. Before I left I switched off the air condition so when I arrived it was not that cold. I then decided to go to bed.

The next morning, we went to CWC complex again for breakfast and planned to go to Legazpi at around 9AM. After breakfast, and watching some wake boarders sporting their craft, we decided to move out and head for our last destination. We took a bus going to Legazpi. It was a three hour trip and we stopped at Iriga. Since there were few of us passengers left, the driver decided to let us rode another bus going to Legazpi. After an hour of bus ride, we arrived at Guinobatan and since, there were few of us passengers, the driver decided to let us rode a jeepney. It was roller coaster ride indeed and we hoped that we were not going to transfer to another vehicle. there was a girl beside me going to Legazpi and asked her if Legazpi was far and she affirmative. I did not know like how far so when we passed by an intersection, there was a sign board telling me that Legazpi was 37 kilometers away. At somepoint the jeepney had a problem so we stopped and the driver was like fixing the engine of his vehicle. The situation did not help as there was this tattooed guy wearing a black sleeveless and he was skinny. He kept on checking on us. We were heading to Legazpi but we wanted to checkout first the Cagsawa ruins in Albay. Since the jeepney was still being fixed the skinny guy went out of the vehicle. He then talked to me in their local dialect and I was a bit scared of him and all I could reply was nod. Anyway, the vehicle was fixed after 20 minutes of waiting and off we went. When there was a signage telling me that Legazpi was 19 kilometers away, I spoke to Mj that instead of going to Cagsawa, we can head to Legazpi city proper to eat. I did not tell Mj about my scary feeling about the guy so I just asked here that if we could just go to Legazpi first and eat. Thank the heavens Mj agreed. So by the time we arrived at Cagsawa, we told that attendant that we were going to Legazpi instead and we had to add 12 pesos each for he extended trip. After that long land trip and three transfers, we arrived at Legazpi and we checked the LLC mall for a late lunch. Since our stuff were a bit heavy, we decided to check it in the package counter. Then we went to their food court. I had bihon guisado with siopao and lomi soup with empanada while Mj had a sizzler. After lunch, we went out of the mall intentionally leaving our belongings. We took a jeepney bound for Cagsawa. After an hour ride, the driver blurted if were going to Cagsawa and we said yes, then he replied that we missed. A bit pissed off, we alighted from the vehicle and crossed the opposite side of the road and rode another jeep going to Cagsawa. This time we spotted the sign and went out of the vehicle excitedly. Then we asked a local if how far the ruins are and he just told us that it's a walking distance which really was a walking distance. We were greeted by the beautiful, perfect cone Mt. Mayon without it's apex as the cloud surrounded the volcano as it's halo. We just continued walking and found some souvenir shops and after that, the Cagsawa ruins. We took some pictures and explored the place a bit. The were lots of tourists in the place and most of them were students on educational tours. They were from Naga city as one of the three buses had a signage in front of it. After this particular excursion, we headed back to Legazpi. We picked our bags at LLC and then went to another mall to watch a movie but their now-showing movies did not interest us. We walked around the mall and since we were hungry, we decided to dine at Mang Inasal. After the meal, we decided to try to stay at the airport just for the experience of sleeping in the airport. We took a jeepney going to the airport. We alighted after the lady told us there we just arrived and since we do not know the place, we called up a tricycle and asked him to take us to the airport. It was a short distance but he asked 20 pesos for the fare. Anyway, the security told us that the airport was closed and since our trip is for tomorrow, we need to get to a hotel and if we like, there was one airport hotel. Then we tried our luck on the airport hotel and the rate was a bit high. So we decided to take a walk and look for a hotel or lodge or whatever decent inn. We found Pepper's hotel and checked their rates and it's way expensive. Trust me its like more expensive than any nice place in Cebu but the facade of the hotel looked very ordinary. Anyway we found Edgar's lodge and when we inquired they have a 900 pesos air conditioned room. Since we were on a tight budget already, we inquired and got a 500 pesos fan room. It was decent enough for a night sleep so we took it. It was a bit tiring from all those excursion going to Legazpi and so we decided to call it a night.

Check out time was 12 noon. We woke up around 9AM and then we prepared for the trip going back to Manila. We had our brunch at a small local store which served Filipino food. It was a satisfying meal as I ordered another cup of rice. We headed back to our lodge. Since it was still 11AM we decided to take a nap. I was actually playing some games on my iphone while Mj took a real nap. When it was 11:45, we decided to check out and then we headed to the airport. There, we saw Mt. Mayon in its fullness. It was lovely and graceful towering from the horizon. But we were checking in the airport so we just took some photos from afar. When we check in the security personnel wanted me to leave my adidas body spray. She told me that it was flammable so I cannot bring it inside the airport. I told her that I am checking in my bags. Then she explained the flammable sign on the bottle. I told her or rather asked why was I able to check this in when I was in Singapore and not here in Legazpi. Then she asked another officer and the guy told me to it was okay to check in my stuff. After that, things went smoothly. The process of checking in was fast except for that very minor incident. Anyway, our flight would be at around 3 so we had to wait. While waiting Mj was reading Eat, Pray, Love by E. Gilbert while the kid in me played Pigs Vs. Wolves in my iphone. When the clock struck 3, it was boarding time. When the plane shoot off to the sky, we bid good-bye to Legazpi as well as the paradise that is Caramoan.

That was a very long trip. We were actually planning to go North of the Philippines which is the Ilocos region but there was a typhoon and there was an oil spill in Pagudpud. So yeah, we decided to go to Camsur and we were not disappointed with the changes we made in our plans.

Hoping for another great adventure in my beloved country with my friends. Ya voy;)

Travel warning because of terrorism...?

2010-11-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Omg! Allied countries of the Philippines starting with the United States issued travel warnings against the Philippines regarding the imminent danger of its citizens from terrorist attacks. Then, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and lately, France issued the same warning. What has happened prior to this travel advisory, was that the terrorist plots were mainly discovered to be done to US and UK. Let me emphasize, the plot to terrorize was going to be done on to these two countries. And so why in the world the Philippines be dragged to this whole faux pax. I call it a faux pax because there was no diplomatic intelligence sharing in the first place and the internal intelligence gathering of the Philippines happened to not have this terror threat in major cities.... I wish I knew all the details.

Threat is everywhere not just in the Philippines, but anywhere else.... There are more western tourists in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam or even Singapore and why on earth are these "allied countries" did not have to do such in these countries. Do you still remember the 9/11? What about the Bali and the Jakarta bombing? What about that train bombing in Spain? Well sometimes, bullying doesn't happen only in schools but, even in between countries. Maybe it's easier to pigeonhole the Philippines for this matter. There maybe truth to this perceived threats to the Philippines or should I say threat to the western citizens, but the fact is, the number of western people are more concentrated in the countries that issued the travel warning. How ironic, isn't it?

On a note, good thing the Philippines has heightened its security a month ago which I would say was commendable and also after that disastrous hostage taking in Manila, the government decided to form tourists' police.

Hoping that, more tourists will visit the Philippines and appreciate the beauty of the country especially the 9 million Filipinos sporadically located around the globe.

To the "allied" countries, please be more diplomatic and not just issue travel warnings without prior information to the concerned country. We all know that your intelligence is much more "sophisticated" so why not share these intelligence ....

Jeff's Schweeby Schweeb

2010-10-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves to go green and organic. Mushrooming of crusades against green house and solid waste pollutants. Lots and lots of organizations have joined the bandwagon but nothing beats "Schweeb". Shweeb comes from the German word "schweben" which means to float or to suspend. It's a human propelled monorail system. Interesting enough, it has caught the eyes of Google and right now they have actually won a funding from this giant.

Waaaahhhh! I would love to visit New Zealand as Schweeb is being pioneered in that green country. Maybe in the near future, I'll get my ass on to that simple yet fascinating technology.

Do you want to feel the ride? Watch "Schweeb" in motion:

Thanks to Jeff Barnett to this amazing technology. Indeed, Schweeb is the most efficient transport system in the face of the planet.

What took this so long ?

2010-10-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

I dared not to write anything for the past days grrrrrrrrrr .... I tried to but can't get it off my mind. I have been blogging since 2007 and actually been writing since grade school. I guess an old habit will always find its master.

Well a lot of things has happened - really a lot. Sorry for the great hiatus, though it's not enough to say those words, still I'd like to utter those words....

After July's passing, I went to Vietnam with my officemates. We strolled the streets of Ho Chi Minh and ate some local food. I love their Pho (noodles) with all the spices and vegetables and of course meat. Toured the countryside and checkout some historical sites and places of interests. Therefore I conclude wahahahaha I am really scared of snakes because when we had a Mekong delta tour, we landed on an island and there was a boy who brought a python and to test myself, I dared to hold it but I can't deny every muscle in my body was shaking and I was trying to hold my breath when my friend took a photo. I did it so the shaking were not visible blllleee.... Wahahahha ... I am also a bit claustrophobic because when we explored the tunnels of Cu Chi, I panicked. So I was not able to cross under the tunnel to the other end.... I'm not sure if its the small space I was in or I guess the darkness which enveloped the whole place, or maybe - both?

Recently, also went home which is in Cebu, Philippines. Feeling homesick and missing home cooked meals was one of the reasons I booked a plane ticket via SilkAir. Seeing my dad and my brother was great ;) Most of my days were spent at home but during the night I went out and met some friends for dinner. Also, I watched local TV shows excessively and play with our house pets. On a particular Wednesday, I attended my officemate's wedding. I was their candle in the ceremony. It's a Catholic wedding so there were some symbolism to it. The church wedding was really beautiful and I could see that the couple, together with their families and friends were really happy. All in all, I spent 9 days in Cebu.

Also, our pet dog died of some viral infection.... It was so sad for the whole family. We treated our pets like members in the family. It was a Sunday and I was watching a dog movie early in the morning entitled, "Hachiko" and my brother just buzzed me via facebook telling me that our dog passed away. I couldn't do anything but wept.

Another engineer was recruited in the office and there's another one who came, an Indonesian lad but he resigned just after a month of work. I guess there's something wrong, somewhere, on how the things were managed because people were leaving.... Hope someone can notice and take action on this. But sometimes, to some, it's easier to turn a blind eye to certain things rather than deal with it. Good luck to my mates who had left Gemalto tools - team. Personally, I understand their decision and sentiments and I wish them success. And to the newcomers, I welcome them too.

Also, I quit from Fitness First, subscribed and bought an Iphone4 with Singtel and lastly, finished reading a Sidney Sheldon book entitled, "Are you afraid of the dark?".

I think those were the major things which took place in the past months which made those days memorable and worth retelling.

I guess I'll be signing off and I can't promise when I'll blog some of the happenings. I wish I had all the luxury to do so.

I had hip-hop dance

2010-07-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Gemalto had this free dance workshop and I joined the hip-hop dance. I was excited about it infact, I chose to stay in front near the instructor. I think I like the moves she taught us, thus, not minding about the MJ music. Some of the moves were difficult and she gave us like discounts - she's joining the Great Singapore Sale.

The lesson took us two hours and I was a bit drained. The room felt so humid and I was gasping for air. Good thing there were few minutes of breaks as she noticed that people were gasping for air.

Anyway, after the lessons, my friends and I went to ION to get my jeans at Uniqlo. I had it altered because its too long. And since we got lost in getting to Uniqlo, and it was a deal, I had to treat my friends for a drink.

We had dinner at Food Republic and yeah I bought them drinks.

I want to try another lesson and hopefully it's for free. Thanks to Gemalto for sponsoring the activity especially to the organizers. It diminished the stress brought about by office work and also it makes our Fridays non-monotonous.

Weekend @ Jakarta

2010-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

It was a last minute decision of mine to go to Jakarta in Indonesia to attend a wedding of a friend. Last minute because I decided during my lunch break at Passionz - a resto which sells wines but has this sideline of serving lunches, and the wedding was going to happen on weekend. Kay got me a ticket round-trip to Jakarta for around 150SGD via TigerAirways.

I did not have a decent pair of shoes so after the office hours, I went to Anchor Point to buy two pairs at Pedro and also purchased 4 polo shirts are G2000. They were actually factory outlet shops so there you can get some huge discounts up to 70% if I am not mistaken. Shopping in Singapore is crazy if you know where to buy....

When I reached home, I had to stay a bit late to iron my stuff to bring and pack them up. I slept around 2A.M and my flight schedule was at 11AM, 5th of June. I had to set an alarm at 8AM. I actually woke up very early, before my alarm did its job because of the lawn mowers - simply put they were waking up the whole village. Anyway, I went to the sala, and watched some Filipino news and as usual, it was about the Philippine elections dominating the scene. My housemate told me that my alarm was already calling so I jumped off the couch and got my towel. I was in a bit of a hurry because I don't want to be left behind from my flight. I went out from our flat at around 8:45 and was walking to the MRT. Taxis will prove expensive and I thought I still had time to commute through Singapore's very effective public transport. Kay was actually checking on me already and informed her where I was. When I arrived at the airport, it was already 10 and I had to wait for the bus. Kay was calling me through my mobile but I was not able to answer it so I called her up. She was asking where I was and told her that I was on a free shuttle going to the budget terminal. When I arrived at the airport, the TigerAirways' counter was closed so it was like she closed it when I arrived. When she tried to get my ticket and opened the booking system, she said it was already closed so I was advised to transfer to another counter. I went there and I explained to the lady that I was told to transfer in this counter. I was talking a bit shaky because I might just miss my flight. The girl who seemed to be irritated took my printed e-ticket and told me that next time I should come early. Well, it was my fault actually so I did not say anything. I was just so thankful she let me in. When I was done, we then went inside the checking for immigration and boarding. My friends actually checked some stuff at Duty Free and Miri who will be playing host was eating breakfast. After everyone got ready, we went to our boarding area and there was a long queue. The flight was a short 1 hour and 30 minutes - no need to worry or anything. We boarded and since I was late, I was on the front area and my friends were at the back near the tail end. I don't exactly know the terms of the plane's passenger seating sections so forgive me about that :)) .... Anyway, the crew distributed some peanuts as a snack. Then some immigration card. The crew asked me if I was Singaporean and told him not. So he gave me a card which was in Bahasa Indonesia. When he came back as he was finished distributing the cards up to the passengers located at the tail-end of the plane, I called him up and asked him something that's English. He asked me where I come from and I showed him my passport. He then said sorry and gave me the English translation of the immigration card. Since I did not have the pen in me, I went at the back to borrow a pen from Ronny. I went to my seat and forgot to wear my seatbelt. I then filled up the info which was asked of me from the form and then the co-pilot announced of the turbulence ahead. So I fastened my seatbelt quickly and there the plane just had a slight free fall. Imagine that you are on a ferris wheel and on descend. It did not happen ones, but twice and the kids behind me screamed and most of the passengers just said "wooooooooohhh" word. Well as for me, my skin shivered including my gut, and my heart was pounding. I felt my stomach separated from my body and my thoughts were shooting off as well, calling for Jesus and saying shit. I was also thinking of my way back to Singapore if it's going to be the same. I just imagined that the angels of God were flying with us thought he plane's wings. Anyway, after some turbulence, everything normalized but I was still shaking a bit from the inside. Was very thankful when we landed safe and sound. Indonesian airport looked so big and simple and has a unique Indonesian design. It was an airport with a taste.

When we had our passports checked, the immigration guy was curious about my doing business in their country so he asked me questions. I just explained to him what we will be doing and good thing he believed me. When we got out of the airport, we had to change some SGD to the local curry which is the Indonesian Rupiah. Miri's dad was actually waiting for us. After some few minutes his dad was there and we greeted each other and then shook hands. Miri's family car was big enough to suit our luggages and bags and ofcourse including us. We were a bit hungry and tired so, we went to thing Indonesian resto to fill our stomach. I had fun with the food which was totally different with what we ate back to my home country. I have tried authentic Indonesian food in Bali and the one in Jakarta was different as well.

After the lunch we had, we decided to go to the mall and shop. I think Jakarta is a nice city, not that crowded as Manila and much cleaner than Bangkok. Also, we Filipinos looked a bit Indonesian so we blended in a bit. I got two game cds and one nice jacket with a fur. Bud did not have much to buy as well as Kay. Patty bought an Indonesian dress which she planned to wear on Sunday's affair. After roaming around the mall, we met Yudi, Ron's friend from the university as well as Miri's at BIT. After the mini shopping, we went to starbucks to have some coffee, but I had a green latte. All our drinks was on upsize because, Yudi paid it with his credit card - no, the drinks were not free hundred percent coz we paid Yudi :D. By the way, Miri was not with us during the shopping thing coz they had to somewhere else with her parents. After having some break, we went to Miri's house. It was an hour long drive. When we reached home, it was a nice place to stay and the people were very accommodating especially Miri's parents. They invited us for a mini break actually. I had to change clothes because later we will be going out for dinner. After some few minutes of putting our stuff, we prepared for dinner. We went to the city proper and had dinner by the seaside. It was a huge place to dine. There was music and lots of people enjoying their food and the little rascals were everywhere. Miri's dad ordered a lot of food and since we had to wait, we went to a boat ride. It was a fun experience I supposed because I haven't had a boat ride before a dinner to be prepared. After the short, 20 minute ride I guess, we went back to our table and the food were ready. We tasted some nice Indonesian style of preparing seafood. It was really fattening and we enjoyed it. After dinner, we went out for a walk and some exploring of the area. After some cam whoring, we went back to Miri's home. Everyone was a bit tired and bloated I think ....

We woke up and prepared for Fitri's wedding. The girls went to the salon and the boys just worked their turf. I had breakfast together with Miri's dad and Ronny we had a small talk but their are times that they talk in Indonesian so I just pretended I was not listening. But they would translate it into English so that was very considerate of them. When the girls were finished with their salon, and had their breakfast, everyone was ready especially the boys. All the girls were in a western style dress except for patty who wore an Indonesian native dress and a hairstyle of a Javanese. We went to Fitris wedding once once everyone was ready and we arrived their at around 12 or early 1PM. Muslim wedding is totally different and it was fun appreciating cultures. Fitri and her beloved half wore clothes which were in gold and adorned with gold. There were plentiful of food to try. I had fun with the desserts as usual, I loved the mini sweets and some tarts. After the wedding reception, we went to this chic mall. It was a mall with a theme and it housed some of the very famous designer brands. We had coffee with some newly met Indonesian friends and had some bit of chit-chats. After that, we decided to go back to Miri's place. When we arrived, and as for me, I went to bed without changing .... I think Kay told me that they had some cam whoring. When I woke up, it was again eating time and some fun talk of cultures. It was about food, language but yeah mostly food.... All I can say is that Miri's family was amazing, my impression on them was they were really nice and wonderful people. I was so thankful of the experience I had in Jakarta together with my friends who are also my officemates at Gemalto. After that simple dinner, we prepared a bit for our flight back to Singapore. It was another long ride and good thing there was a smooth traffic. We came to the airport just on time and as usual we were like children just laughing and seemingly carefree of the world.

Well thanks to Miri and her family for being so wonderful and made our stay in Jakarta truly amazing :D

To the next adventures, bring it on!!!