Filipina on Flip Flops: Travel Tales and the City Life of a Filipina

Snapshots: Breakfast in Tagaytay

2012-01-28T06:37:00.000+08:00

It was the first weekend of 2012. I was with a bunch of work friends and we had celebrated a birthday Friday night, and were at the after party early Saturday morning. It was two, maybe three a.m., and wasn't it in an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" when they said nothing good ever comes from making any decisions after 2AM?

But you know what? It wasn't so bad, spontaneously deciding to drive to Tagaytay to have breakfast after a night of partying. You just need friends who are willing to go with you, and at least one of them who knows how to drive - this time around, it was Dan.

By the time we had gotten there we were just hoping there was a place open other than 7-11 or Burger Machine - and thankfully, there was! We had goto and arroz caldo and proceeded to drive back to Manila soon after, driving with the windows down and the music up.

We got back fairly early on Saturday morning, and I proceeded to sleep through the rest of the weekend, rendering me pretty useless on the first weekend of the year. But hey, that's at least one crazy thing to tick off my list of crazy things to do. On to the next one then!

Snapshots: A Quiet Spot in Mongkok, Hong Kong

2012-01-27T06:43:00.003+08:00

In busy, bustling Hong Kong, there aren't a lot of places that offer peace and quiet. I took a walk along the streets of Mongkok and found this place - probably the only place I visited in Hong Kong that was empty and quiet. It was a nice break from the sensory overload that was the rest of the city. I love finding places like this, random places that offer a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city, like the hidden courtyard we chanced upon during a visit in Binondo in the Philippines. It's nice to know there are still places of peace and quiet in the busiest of cities.

Snapshots: Poinsettia, Macau

2012-01-26T07:06:00.001+08:00

Red poinsettia leaves remind me of two things: Nanay, my grandmother, and Christmas.

Snapshots: Sunset Approaching in Angkor

2012-01-25T07:42:00.002+08:00

There's nothing like walking through the ancient halls of Angkor Wat as the sun prepares to set for the day.

Snapshots: Hue Traffic, Vietnam

2012-01-24T07:33:00.002+08:00

We were having dinner at a local joint on our first night in Hue (I remember having some pretty good ravioli), and this was the view from the balcony on the second floor.

The Sights of Binondo, Philippines

2012-01-23T23:43:00.003+08:00

Last Christmas, I received one of the best presents a traveler can get from my friend Mark Go: a custom-made culinary and cultural tour of a place I had never explored before, but he knew quite well: Binondo. I meant to write about this for Christmas last year, but the holidays were not conducive for being productive and were very much so for lazing around, playing Rock Band with my brother, and watching KPop videos on YouTube, so there you are. Thankfully the Chinese New Year has given me another opportune time to share this story. Many, many thanks to Mark for such a sweet and thoughtful gift - he even went around Binondo by himself days before he took us with him so he could do an ocular of the place, a true testament to his being a marketing man! And many thanks to Didith who gamely tagged along - I hope you had as much fun as I did!

This post is one of two parts - I'll do the cultural part of the trip first, and the culinary part on the next one.

The Christmas gift was meant to be a surprise, so Mark merely asked Didith and I to block off a Sunday in December so we could receive our present, which he had alluded to as being a private Amazing Race of sorts. I had a few guesses as to where he was going to take us, but it became pretty clear by the time we approached the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch:

Here's Mark working out the directions to Binondo in the cab on the way there - he was even able to convince the cab driver not to tell Didith and I where we were headed!

To get around Binondo, our chosen mode of transportation was a kalesa, which was loads of fun in itself.

Our first stop was the Binondo Church, a lovely old church at the heart of Binondo, which also provided us momentary shelter from the downpour outside (it was an unusually rainy December day).

The plaza in front of Binondo Church should've been full of pedestrians, but as it was raining pretty hard, it was virtually empty - probably a rare occurrence on what should've been a bustling Sunday afternoon.

The statue of Don Roman Ongpin - businessman, philanthropist, and supporter of the Philippine Revolution. The street where his statue stands is named after him.

Probably my favorite spot of the entire tour - a hidden courtyard in a nondescript residential building where they sold amazing fresh lumpia.

We also visited a somewhat hidden temple in another residential building - you probably wouldn't know it was there just by looking at the place from the outside. We went inside and paid our respects by burning some incense.

We also stopped by a souvenirs and trinkets store where we bought some lucky coins to bring us a little fortune in 2012.

For our last stop, we headed out to Intramuros to visit the Bahay Tsinoy Museum.

The last part of our Binondo adventure will be coming soon, wait for it!

Snapshots: Lucky Coins, Binondo

2012-01-23T10:59:00.005+08:00

Since it's Chinese New Year, I thought I'd post a few pictures from a recent visit to Binondo. This is just a preview - more pictures and stories in a little bit!

Snapshots: A Filipino Breakfast, San Juan, Laiya, Batangas

2012-01-22T07:32:00.001+08:00

There's no better way to start a lazy Sunday than with an amazing Filipino breakfast - adobo flakes, a sunny side up egg, and rice with a dash of vinegar. Kulang na lang tsokolate!

Snapshots: Preparing to Head for Anawangin Cove by Boat, Zambales, Philippines

2012-01-21T07:05:00.002+08:00

It's finally the long weekend! If you've yet to make travel plans, it's not too late to stuff a backpack with a few clothes, hop on a bus (or take your own car, if taking public transportation is a conyo problem you just don't want to deal with) and as the Nat Geo Adventure tagline goes, get lost!

Snapshots: Filipino Tempura, Rizal Blvd, Dumaguete, Philippines

2012-01-20T07:22:00.003+08:00

In the afternoons, the seaside Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete transforms into a street eatery of sorts, with vendors setting up shop to sell balut and Filipino-style tempura. Affordable and delicious food, a relaxed vibe, good times.

Snapshots: Business Partners, Hoi An Market, Vietnam

2012-01-19T08:41:00.005+08:00

I'm actually not sure if these ladies are business partners or competitors. Either way, this is one of my favorite pictures ever from all of my trips so far. We were hanging around in the Hoi An market and the two of them came upon my vision, and with the afternoon sun hitting the scene just right, I was fortunate enough to have been able to take this shot.

A few days ago I chanced upon a feature on the living root bridges in North East India and in the process discovered my new travel and photography inspiration - Timothy Allen. His photo s are nothing short of breathtaking. He even has a feature on the Pa-aling Divers of the Philippines and he has some amazing underwater photos documenting their line of work. I'm in total awe, and in total envy, of his work. My drive to take amazing pictures (at least as amazing as my point-and-shoot and my untrained, uneducated wannabe photographer self can accomplish) in the past year hasn't been as great as before, but I hope to change all that when I go on my travels this year. This picture of a fisherman crossing the Mekong River in Laos especially got me excited for our Laos trip in May. For now though, taking inspiration from Timothy Allen's blog will have to do.

More pictures and stories from Hoi An here.

Snapshots: Moments at the Airport, NAIA 3, Manila, Philippines

2012-01-18T06:43:00.005+08:00

I love airports - they hold the promise of an adventure, of a new place to discover and of new friends to meet, but they can also promise the warm, fuzzy familiarity of home. It just depends which way you're going.

Snapshots: In Flight, Somewhere between Manila and Kota Kinabalu

2012-01-17T07:10:00.005+08:00

I don't think I'll survive a flight without my iPod.

Snapshots: La Union, Philippines

2012-01-16T07:11:00.003+08:00

Five days to the first long weekend of the year! Have you made any plans yet? Why don't you give surfing a try in La Union? It's only a few hours away from Manila, perfect for a long weekend roadtrip with friends.

I'm writing up a guide to this year's long weekends, with trip suggestions and loads of pictures, wait for it in the coming days!

Snapshots: Sinulog Festival, Cebu

2012-01-15T07:50:00.004+08:00

Today marks this year's Sinulog Festival Grand Parade, so I thought I'd post a few pictures from when I attended Sinulog a few years back.

Snapshots: Banteay Samre, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2012-01-14T07:11:00.004+08:00

The road that led to nowhere at the main entrance of Banteay Samre - not the most popular temple in the Angkor Complex, but lovely just the same.

You can read more about Banteay Samre and the other lesser-known temples we visited here.

Snapshots: Old Houses in San Juan, Batangas

2012-01-13T07:07:00.003+08:00

There's a lovely cafe in the ground floor of one of the old buildings in San Juan called Cafeno, and it's a great place to stop by after a day at the beach in Laiya, before heading back home. Try their kapeng barako ice cream! Read more about Cafeno here.

Snapshots: Kokeshi Dolls, Malaysia

2012-01-12T07:02:00.002+08:00

A favorite pasalubong or souvenir that I like to give to my female friends and family, in different forms - from actual kokeshi dolls, kokeshi doll pens, to even umbrellas that look like kokeshi dolls!

Snapshots: Balete Tree, Siquijor

2012-01-11T06:58:00.002+08:00

This is supposedly one of, if not the oldest tree in Siquijor.

Snapshots: Friends Off To The Beach, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

2012-01-10T06:53:00.003+08:00

Carmeli, Edell and Dale in Tungku Abdul Rahman Marine Park in Kota Kinabalu, from our trip way back in 2008.

Snapshots: Chinese Food Place, Macau

2012-01-09T07:42:00.004+08:00

I've been to Macau twice, and the second time I was there (which was also the trip of that epic bungee jump I will forever rave about, it seems), I thought I'd take pictures of the different sites of Macau in black and white. So there's plenty more where this picture came from - which is from inside the obscure little Chinese place near our hotel where we had a simple breakfast on our first morning in Macau.

Snapshots: Setting Up Camp, Anawangin Cove, Zambales

2012-01-08T07:35:00.002+08:00

I love how pretty the lighting on this picture is - brought about by sun rays seeping through the numerous trees that sheltered us and our little tent from the heat.

Snapshots: Dive N Trek, Batangas

2012-01-07T07:32:00.001+08:00

Fish photos! I'm so glad I invested on an underwater camera.

Snapshots: Autumn Leaves, Seoul, South Korea

2012-01-06T07:26:00.004+08:00

I was fortunate enough to have visited Seoul at around the time when the seasons were about to change, and autumn was slowly transitioning into winter. Very early in the morning on the very first day of our stay in Seoul (the night before which, we were partying it up and experiencing reverse hangovers and the joys of Korean street food in Hongdae), while Rissee was in the shower, Jon summoned me over to the biggest window of his flat, because little flecks of snow were falling from the sky and down to the street below us. It was a lovely little moment from our short but amazingly fun trip, looking out the window from Jon's place and being in awe of the snow, tropical girl that I am. On the same day, into the afternoon as we were taking a self-planned walking tour around the city (thanks to Jon's Lonely Planet guide of Seoul), we chanced upon the tree in the picture, with its beautifully colored autumn leaves and its concrete, urban backdrop of tall buildings.

Snapshots: Siem Reap, Cambodia

2012-01-05T07:21:00.001+08:00

A failed attempt at pulling a Lara Croft pose in Ta Prohm.
(With my tiny pink backpack in tow, I probably looked more like Dora The Explorer, to be honest).

Snapshots: Casa Padma, Bali, Indonesia

2012-01-04T07:16:00.004+08:00

The place we called home in Bali. After days of staying in tiny, tiny hostels in Singapore and Malaysia, Casa Padma was a welcome change as we neared the end of our 10-day trip across three countries, also known as the Asian Tour of our imaginary KPop girl group - imaginary because we are neither Korean nor entertainers/performers. We just thought it'd be fun to have a theme during the trip, a sort of running joke, spontaneous dance performances, fancy photo shoots, and fake paparazzi photos included (which will never see the light of day on this blog, I promise you, to spare you the facepalming, and to spare us "members" of the fake girl group the embarrassment).

Casa Padma Suites, Legian, Bali

Snapshots: Coron, Palawan

2012-01-03T07:12:00.002+08:00

Gateway to the beautiful secret lakes and limestone cliffs of Coron, Palawan!

Snapshots: Yong Pyong Ski Resort, South Korea

2012-01-02T07:58:00.003+08:00

Skiing and Snow! I can't wait to go back to Korea this year.

Snapshots: Sunset at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

2012-01-01T17:30:00.004+08:00

Happy new year! It would be really nice to end the first day of the year watching a magnificent sunset not unlike the one above.

I didn't blog much in 2011 - life kind of got in the way, haha - but this year I really want to keep this blog constantly updated with new content, so I'm starting a year-round project, in which I'll be posting a daily travel photo for every single day of 2012. I hope I have enough to last me the entire year!

What are your New Year's Travel Resolutions?

2011: The Other Side of Happy

2011-12-31T18:24:00.027+08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

This blog has been witness to the past few years of my life, years that have been nothing short of crazy - from jumping off buildings, backpacking across three countries in ten days with four awesome friends, flashpacking cross-country for two weeks with 11-hour bus rides, amazing temples, dazzling sunsets, quaint ancient towns, and being offered a baby in between, to braving a communist attack to experience snow and K-Pop (hahaha). Every year of my twenty-something life so far has probably been characterized by a hunger to explore, to seek adventure, to live, in the craziest, most daring sense of the word - as the cliche goes, to live as if every day was the last. I guess it's a common attitude when you hit your 20's - for the first time in your life, the world is truly at your feet, a horizon of seemingly endless possibility laid out in front of you, so what else is there to do but grab life by the balls and spend every waking moment as if it were an adventure? So I did.

Of course, being in your early 20's isn't exactly a walk in the park. More often than I'd like to remember, the period of my early 20's was laced with twenty-something angst - a distinct kind of angst that can perhaps be attributed to that dreaded quarter-life crisis. What am I really doing with my life, is this what I really want, etc., etc. In not so many words, an existential drama.

Overall, putting together the overwhelming sense of freedom and possibility with the bitterness and confusion of an existential crisis made for some really amazing, albeit crazy years - exhilarating to the point of insane sometimes, exciting beyond words, but always with a hint of a question in the back of my mind: are you always going to want the adrenaline rush to cover up the angst? Are you always going to be on the move, never settling for one place, always wanting to go somewhere and never appreciating enough where you are? It's not unlike the feeling I got when I did that bungee jump, that "Holy shit, I really freaking did that, I really freaking jumped!" followed by "Well, now what? You can't be jumping off buildings every time just to feel alive".

I think what I took for granted in my early 20's was this - contentment. Understandable, given the situation, the life stage. At 20 or 21, fresh from college, starting out in the real world, there's hardly any room to be content or fulfilled, because there's just so much to do, so much to accomplish, so much to experience, so much life to live. It was easy to forget that "living" sometimes also meant taking a step back to be thankful and content.

But in 2011, I finally did.

If I were to describe the year that was and how I felt throughout it, I'd say I was generally pleased, in the simplest sense, happy. Content, as it were.

It isn't that I wasn't happy before - I was! There was so much going on, so much I had done, so much I had experienced, it all gave me a sense of fulfillment. And it isn't that every moment of the past year had been joyful either - lots of things, both good and bad, still happened along the way. My new job, though pretty amazing, wasn't devoid of challenges. This year, we also lost a very important member of our family. But I was able to overcome those challenges, and grieve about our family's loss, in between the moments when life was fairly simple and uncomplicated, when weekends were weekends, and work was work, and outside of that was time for myself, my friends and family. For once, after a really long time, life wasn't driven by a need to succeed, a need to prove something, a need to be excited and exhilarated. For once, it was just about being content.

It amazes me now, how it took me an entire year to figure out. All throughout 2011 I had wondered what was different, what had changed, and now maybe it's a little clearer: maybe the thing about 2011 is, it's the year I learned about the other side of happiness - the one about contentment.

Oh gosh, I meant to just write about my travels this year, and here I am rambling on about some existential epiphany, if you could even call it that. My apologies, I guess I'm merging my personal year-end post with my year-end travel post this year, because I honestly can't be bothered to update my personal blog anymore, which I have effectively not posted on for exactly a year (my last post in there was my "farewell 2010 entry"). Anyway, I leave you with some of my favorite travel pictures from the year that was - as I had hinted at above, no crazy bungee jumping photos this time around, although I did learn to surf this year, and did some pretty intense shopping in Singapore from all my business trips, and in Thailand too. I guess in travel terms, this year felt a lot like one long, extended beach trip - not a lot of adrenaline, but a whole lot of chillin'.

Um, yeah, that was kind of lame. And it rhymed too, oh gosh.

I do miss the crazy of years past though, to be honest. I think 2012 will have a load of that. Maybe striking a balance between the crazy and the content is my resolution for 2012. Sounds like a plan, yes?

Also! To the people that made 2011 such an amazing, HAPPY year, you guys know who you are - here's to you, and have a great year ahead!

Snapshots: A Little Bit of Seoul in Manila - A Preview

2011-10-26T05:22:00.000+08:00

It's been nearly a year since my awesome trip to Seoul with friends, and there is still a lot left to post about it - I will get to that, some time in the coming weeks hopefully. But until then, here's a preview to the next few posts you'll see up here, about two Korean-inspired cafes in Manila - plus a cute KPop video for your travel playlists, or if you're ever dreaming of Seoul and need some inspiration!

Snapshots: "Canang" Flower Offerings, Bali, Indonesia

2011-10-22T16:39:00.001+08:00

Whenever I think of Bali, I'm reminded of canang - flower offerings placed in store fronts, sidewalks, on the dashboards of vehicles, and of course in temples. The offerings always provided a dash of unexpected color - and random picture perfect moments - in the most common places.

The Simple Life: Muji, Philippines

2011-10-22T16:12:00.003+08:00

My first encounter with Muji was in Hong Kong, and instantly I was sold on its "simple life, minimalist style" philosophy. They finally opened a store in the Philippines last year (or was it 2009? I forget), and now they have several branches around the city.

I have a few Muji pieces at my place, and Rissee and I got matching "couple" boots from there for our trip to Korea last year. I also love their travel stuff - especially since I could really use some help with organizing my stuff when I travel.

MUJIBeauty has a special promo this month, so do check it out!

Click here for more details.

The Shop Around the Corner, Lipa City

2011-10-16T14:21:00.031+08:00

A few months back my cousin Chiantee stayed with us for her summer vacation, so I played lovely tour guide and host for her for a couple of weeks, showing her around Manila and a bit of Lipa City. On the last few days of her visit, we checked out The Shop Around the Corner, a fairly new cafe in Lipa City. I'm not quite sure why unique and quirky cafes and restaurants come few and far between in my hometown, where unfortunately Starbucks is still "the place to be" (is it wrong to be a little bit anti-establishment every now and then?). In any case, ever since our first visit, The Shop Around the Corner has become my favorite place in Lipa City. And no, it's not just because I'm cousins with the owners, nor because I have childhood memories of the house where the shop is. Of course, those things help.

The Shop Around the Corner is on the second floor of an old house situated right at the heart of Lipa's town proper. As a kid, I remember coming to the house along with my cousins to visit our lola at Christmas and during the annual town fiesta. It was an old house, filled with pictures and old trinkets of things from a much older time - I remember feeling like I had stepped into the past every time I visited, remember stepping out into the balcony, lined with all sorts of potted plants that seemed far older than I was, and looking out into the bustling intersection that was always filled with the noise of jeepneys and tricycles, even at Christmas, and especially during the town fiesta. Even my dad has fond memories of the place from when he was a kid - the house had, as cliche as it sounds, truly stood the test of time, and has been witness to the coming and going of quite a few generations of our family.

Today the second floor where the family used to gather during the holidays has been transformed into The Shop Around The Corner, and the proprietors, cousins of mine, have cleverly managed to maintain the home's heritage and "original feel", as it were, even as they have updated it. It's a little surreal, coming back to a place you remember from your childhood, only to find it has changed, though not completely, thankfully. A wave of nostalgia and childhood memories came flooding in the first time I stepped into the cafe and realized the old staircase remained, as well as the patterned floors, the arched windows, and of course, the balcony. It's kind of cool actually, to find that the place has been updated like this - an intersection of the past and the present, as the house endures yet another chapter in its already rich history.

Should you ever be in Lipa City, I hope you pay a visit to The Shop Around the Corner. Try the waffles! They are seriously amazing. They also sell accessories and quirky household items worth checking out.

This song and music video seems appropriate for this post, so here's some local talent for your travel playlists:

The Shop Around The Corner
Retail Shop, Custom-made Furniture, Interior Design, Cafe and Gelateria

2nd Level C.M. Recto Ave. corner Kap. S. Luz St. Poblacion, 4217 Lipa City, Philippines

Hours
Mon - Sun: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Facebook Page

*Pictures taken with my Samsung Nexus S, using various Android applications. I forgot to bring a camera that day and thankfully I had my phone with me!

Side note: My writing's a little rusty, I'm sorry! I haven't blogged in a while and it's so horrendously obvious. This is just a warm-up though - I hope to be able to write more often from now on, so please continue to visit this blog. I am also catching up on my correspondences - to those who have written me, I will get back to you as soon as I can, and my apologies for taking so darn long!

Summer 2011, Boracay & Kota Keluarga, Philippines

2011-04-10T17:56:00.008+08:00

After a long hiatus, I'm blogging again, and this post comes to you from the beautiful, party-lined shores of Boracay where I am spending the weekend! I'm typing this while hanging out in one of the cabanas at Sur, the resort we're staying at. The sun has almost completely set, but the sky is still tinged with that orange glow I love so much. Sadly it's back to Manila for us tomorrow afternoon but it's all good - I'm off to Dive and Trek for our annual family beach trip next weekend.

Bora is picturesque any time of the day:

This summer is shaping up to be an awesome one! And the beach trips started early too - about two weeks ago my mom celebrated her 50th birthday at Kota Keluarga in San Juan, Laiya, and I got to bring my friends to the weekend getaway.

It was a gloomy weekend weather-wise, but still super fun and relaxing:

So while I haven't been blogging, it hasn't been because I haven't got anything to blog about - quite the contrary, in fact, except there just hasn't been enough time in the day to actually blog about them. And well, fine - I'll admit it, what with work being so exciting lately and after having met a new set of crazy friends and just, everything that's been going on, I've been a little distracted, in a good way. I guess I have to live my life first before I can write about it, right?

To everyone in the Philippines, hope your summer's been a good one so far!

Snapshots: Couple in Namsan Tower, Seoul, South Korea

2011-02-02T08:41:00.006+08:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so I thought I'd post something related to that celebrated/dreaded day.

In Namsan Tower in Seoul, everyday feels like Valentine's Day (fortunately or unfortunately), as attested to by the couple above, who were writing their love confessions on a random chilly day in November.

If there was one thing I learned on my trip to Korea last November, it's this: it's not exactly fun to be single in Seoul. But that's for a whole other post. :)

Seoul, Night 1: Of Reverse Hangovers, A Different Adrenaline Rush, And Partying It Up In Hongdae

2011-01-09T23:21:00.009+08:00

A short walk and a subway ride later, we were in vibrant Hongdae, all youthful and energetic and so damn alive so late at night that, in my “fresh off the boat” state coupled with the cold (you must understand, this was the first time in my life that I had ever experienced near-winter weather), the constant buzz of a language I didn’t understand (and the slight buzz from the beer from earlier), and the hordes of college students and party people all gathered in the streets, it was a complete shock to the senses, an adrenaline rush of a different kind.

It was brilliant.

But First, A Preamble: When Current Events Threaten To Screw Up Your Travel Plans

Our trip to Seoul started out like an episode of one of them Korean dramas, net of the romance and the cute Korean boys: tense moments, world news that were suddenly and unfortunately all too relevant to our little lives, lots of drinking, friendships old and new, and – wait for it – a climactic scene at the airport! I’ll leave all of that out of this post though, because it’s not going to make sense and it’s not going to add value to your precious time suckage activities (i.e. blog reading), and well, mostly because I don’t want to be thoroughly humiliated.

Jon and Rissee, my partners in crime on our first night in Seoul

I will say this, however – Rissee, I will forever be the United States of America to your South Korea, or the China to your North Korea, whichever you prefer. As Korean Idols would say, Rissee Fighting! And Jon, most awesome host ever (on a side note - and you all know I have a lot of those - Roxy of Singapore from our Malaysia-Bali-Singapore trip gets most awesome hostess ever!) and – thanks to the achiever in him - a true Seoulite (and Seoul party boy) in a mere matter of months, thank you so much for letting us stay at your place and taking us around, taking us EVERYWHERE, and keeping up with our crazy, even in your freezing Converse Chucks and Ahjussi socks! Kamsamnida!

Onward, then, to our night in Hongdae.

The freezing cold of Korea welcomed us the night we landed in Incheon, but that didn’t stop us from going out and starting our Korean experience with a Big Bang (pun intended. Incidentally, their faces plastered on a bus were one of the first things I saw and recognized when we landed at the airport).

After dropping our luggage at Jon’s awesome and strategically located flat in Yongsan-Gu, he thought it wise to jumpstart our trip with a bottle of Hoegaarden Beer for each of us – admittedly not Korean, but beer is awesome in any language and in any part of the world anyway, so it didn’t matter, and there would be plenty of opportunities to try the Korean brew in the coming days (and indeed, there were. More on that next time.).

You know how in movies, when the main character’s in a new city, and there’s a shot from his perspective of the city lights and all the people whizzing past him, with some fast-paced electronica playing in the background? I might be referencing Richard arriving in Koh Samui for the first time in “The Beach”, but I haven’t seen/read that movie/book in ages, I don’t remember anymore. Or maybe Madonna’s “Ray Of Light” video is a better reference. Yes, think “Ray of Light” video. Anyway, that’s how I felt walking the streets of Hongdae for the first time, on our first night in Seoul.

Again, it was brilliant.

I suppose this is one of the most amazing – and probably surprising – thrills of travel: how the simple activity of walking down a street, because it’s so new and strange and foreign all of a sudden, can give you an adrenaline rush. Difficult to convey in pictures for sure, which is why I’m writing them down here.

Anyway, as per usual, I digress. But everything else you need to know about our night in Hongdae activities-wise is this: first we stopped by a convenience store where Jon bought us each a tall can of Cass beer (which is kind of a girly beer because it’s not too bitter, which is why I love it!) to savor while we explored Hongdae (guys are so brilliant sometimes – I never would have thought of doing that).

Then we had a taste of Korean street food – first, a chicken skewer with the most amazing seasoning and flavor, it was absolutely divine especially with the beer; and second, teokbeokki, soondae gook, and random deep-fried things, which we ate with a cup of steaming broth, and all of these we enjoyed in the comfort of a tent set up on the side of the street, which was tended to by a lovely ahjumma who was very hospitable to us foreigners who only spoke our Engrish (simplified and adjusted as necessary).

It was Club Day in Hongdae – the last Friday of the month, when you only need to pay once to gain entrance to all the clubs. We decided to check out M2, and I’m not a party person or anything and I go to clubs only every so often, and maybe it was because we were tired form our flight, tipsy from the beer, full from the street food, and running on pure adrenaline…but that was one of the best club experiences I’ve ever had, when you kind of just let go and dance. Like really dance.

Did I say that night was brilliant?

After the club we stopped at Café Bene for coffee and hot chocolate and some pastries, and proceeded to head home.

Oh! Some time that night Rissee went through what we have coined as a REVERSE HANGOVER. She was already bawling from the beer we had drunk only a few minutes into the night, and Jon and I had to (nicely) pressure her to keep up because there was still so much to do! So she went through her hangover not the day after, but on the night itself, nursing her buzz in the street food tent with the comfort of the warm broth, and walking off her buzz completely right before we entered M2, where I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself. She was so sober and in control after the reverse hangover in fact, that she even had the energy and instinct to flirt with the cute and super shy barista at Café Bene – I have a picture that paints a thousand words about this, but I’m not willing to share the joy I gain from the amusement I feel when I look at it. I’m proud of you Rissee. Charanda, or as Tiff would say, “Good on Ya”.

To cap off this post, here's some K-Pop for you to K-Party with, from none other than K-Pop Royalty G-Dragon and TOP:

Farewell 2010, Cheers 2011!

2011-01-02T14:00:00.010+08:00

This is coming to you all a bit late, my apologies - I was preoccupied on New Year's as my family spent it at the beach!

Anyway, onward to the customary year-end post, to bid goodbye to 2010 and usher in a new year. Four countries, a handful of amazing travel buddies, and too many awesome memories to count - it was a great and memorable year of travel, one I won't soon forget! To Mabs, Eds, Carms, Ris, Tiff, Jon, J-Anne, Jona and Bom - friends who travel are friends for keeps, so thanks so much for all the travel memories, and here's to more trips in 2011!

Snapshots: View from the Cable Car to Dragon Peak, Yong Pyong Ski Resort, South Korea

2010-12-25T19:57:00.007+08:00

Happy holidays everyone! I have a little bit of a holiday break until the end of the year, so I hope to be able to catch up on my blogging in the coming days. I've been MIA of late because a lot's been happening - I went to Korea for a bit of a break in end November and started a new job almost immediately after I got back to Manila, so life's been a little crazy!

In any case, I feel incredibly guilty for not updating, especially as I have my super awesome trip to Korea to write about! I'll be posting about it soon, promise! For now though, a little bit of snow for the holidays! Here's a picture I took on the cable car ride up to Dragon Peak in YongPyong Ski Resort on my recent trip to Korea. It was my first time to see snow, which as my fellow "tropical" friends and I learned on our trip, is not overrated at all! I'll post more about it soon. Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, and here's to an amazing new year!

Paris, je t'aime.

2010-11-22T18:46:00.005+08:00

...was the subject line that greeted me when I checked my email this morning. As it turns out, Air Asia will be flying to Paris beginning Valentine's Day next year, and to celebrate, they're holding a promo from today until the 24th for flights from Kuala Lumpur to Paris at PhP 7,000.00!

Visit www.airasia.com for more details

The Type 7 - Enthusiast in me is dying to book a flight (promo fares are available for flights between February to November 2011), but as I'm starting a new job next year and don't have a lot of savings yet, I'll hold off until 2012. Good to know that flying from Asia to Paris on the cheap is finally a possibility now though, right?

Coincidentally, "Girlfriend" by Phoenix has been on repeat on my iPod these past few days, and I was in a club with friends Saturday night and the DJ played "1901", and to my surprise, everyone started singing along (well, at least to the "Hey, hey hey, hey" part). And since I've had Paris on my mind all day today, here's some French music to accompany some Paris dreaming.

Twenty-Freaking-Five and Alive! The Perfect Weekend, Boracay, Philippines

2010-09-26T00:21:00.000+08:00

Like a lot of Filipinos my age I've been to Boracay a couple of times, but I've never been compelled to write about the place - what else was there to say? I figured though that everyone's got a Bora story to share, so I might as well post mine as well.

This Bora Story is called The Perfect Weekend, and it happened a week or two after my Macau-Hong Kong trip and my epic bungee jump experience. One thing I had learned from my previous backpacking and whirlwind travel adventures was that "travel" and "vacation" are not the same thing - they might even be the opposite of each other. Traveling is fulfilling and can be immensely meaningful for sure, but with the desire to explore and discover strange new places doesn't come a lot of time to just...chill.

Since graduating from college I've done my fair share of traveling, but I must say that legitimate vacations have been few and far between. And our perfect weekend in Bora was probably the mother of all vacations.

We didn't do much during The Perfect Weekend, really: we strolled along the beach, hung out by the pool, went parasailing, partied a bit, ate a lot, did a little bit of shopping. Which was exactly the point of the trip - to do nothing, and to just relax.

Because sometimes, travelers need to get away on vacation too. :)

Boracay in the off season

It threatened to rain a couple of times...

...but mostly it was sunny and perfect!

Accommodations at Sea Wind Resort

Our Bora home for the long weekend

Nothing says "relax" better than deck chairs by the pool

Taken with my handy Lumix LX3!

Boracay street (or shall I say seaside?) food!

I'll end this with a customary Bora sunset shot

Sea Wind Boracay
www.seawindresort.net

Snapshots: Sea Wind Resort, Boracay, Philippines

2010-09-14T00:30:00.000+08:00

A preview to the post about The Perfect Weekend. :)

Twenty-Freaking-Five and Alive! The Epic Vietnam-Cambodia Trip

2010-09-09T00:10:00.001+08:00

I've posted about this trip quite a few times already, and for good reason - it remains as, and probably will forever be, one of my life's greatest adventures.

Through this trip my love for travel was cemented. It was the first one that really took me out of the world I knew in such a massive, epic way, and I was pretty much in awe the entire time.

I have so many vivid memories from our trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, and often they come back to me randomly - sitting on plastic chairs in a roadside eatery at 2am on our first night/day in Ho Chi Minh; seeing Angkor Wat for the very first time at dawn on our first day in Siem Reap; walking along the lovely narrow streets of Hoi An; finding a tiny, hole-in-the-wall patisserie in Hue; and making friends with strangers on a junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay. My two weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia remain to be two of the best and most unforgettable weeks of my life so far.

Cambodia

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hue, Vietnam

Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Snapshots: Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2010-09-07T00:09:00.000+08:00

I'm reminiscing about my epic Vietnam-Cambodia trip on my next post!

Twenty-Freaking-Five and Alive! Bungee Jumping from Macau Tower

2010-09-02T00:01:00.001+08:00

I don't know how it happened. The year has gone by so quickly, and now it's September, the month I turn twenty-freaking-five! I'm more than a little freaked out about the idea, and the dreaded Quarter Life Crisis isn't exactly helping. I could really use a vacation right about now, but life is crazy,and some much needed R&R will have to wait.

In any case, for this month I thought I'd post about my five favorite, most epic, most memorable travel moments so far, starting with jumping off a height of 233 meters in Macau!

Flanked by two friends (Mabz and Edz! You let me go up alone and sh**-scared to the top of Macau Tower so I could jump right off it, but you guys watched and waited patiently from the ground floor and I guess that was enough and all I could ask for! Thanks for keeping up with all my crazy! Because you guys are crazy too! Haha.) we visited Macau Tower bright and early on the official first day of our trip, having arrived in Macau the night prior. To be honest, I was hoping for bad weather - because I heard that you couldn't do the bungee jump in bad weather. Yes, some part of me really didn't want to do it. But the universe would have different plans as the sky was clear and pretty that day, which meant I was really going to do it. I was really going to freaking jump to my potential death.

After I had paid for the jump on the ground floor and rode the Elevator of Doom (seriously, longest elevator ride IN MY ENTIRE LIFE) to the top floor, I took my time at the viewing deck, delaying the inevitable, taking pictures to try to calm my nerves:

The staff overseeing the viewing deck must have noticed that I was about ready to burst into tears, so he talked to me a bit, showed me the side of the building where I was going to jump, and assured me that I was going to be okay, and that I was going to want to jump again after I did it. I didn't believe him then, but I can tell you now that it's true - it's been a year since the jump and I would really want to do it again (and I hope to do it again, maybe in New Zealand next!).

Thank you, Kuya, for being so nice to me! :D

After a while I kind of just thought, "F*** it, let's just get this over with" and proceeded to the top floor where the AJ Hackett headquarters was. They made me change my shirt and suited me up, and pretty soon it was time to jump.

I vividly recall standing on the edge of the tower, all geared up and ready, hands outstretched with my neck tilted up because NO THANK YOU I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO LOOK DOWN RIGHT NOW. I remember gasping for air because HOLY S**T I WAS SO HIGH UP AND PRETTY SOON I WAS GOING TO JUMP and I remember my fight or flight reflex kicking in for a millisecond, and for a millisecond I thought about stepping back to ask for more time, but I didn't want to be a wuss and I knew that if I backed out then that it would be that much harder to actually jump, so for the nth time that morning, I thought "F*** IT, LET'S REALLY JUST GET THIS OVER WITH!".

I remember leaning my body forward slowly, leaning forward just a little bit, and before I knew it, gravity was doing all the work, and I was falling and falling fast, with the most amazing, exhilarating feeling EVER. It wasn't like riding a roller coaster that made your stomach turn and churn with G forces, it was just... free falling, and this will probably sound cheesy and silly but I recall thinking "FREEDOM!" as I fell fast. Because I had jumped from so high up, there was actually time to revel in the moment, and it didn't go by as fast as I had expected. If you're going to bungee jump, it's best to jump from as high up as possible to make it totally worth your while.

After a while I had to deal with the recoil of the bungee cord, so I had to stretch up to reach my feet and pull on a chain that released the hold of the cord on my legs, so that I was only connected to the cord from the waist and was falling right side up instead of head-first (it's more comfortable since all the blood doesn't rush to your head). I wasn't even scared to release my legs - after you jump from a height of 233 meters you start to not get scared of a lot of things.

After the jump I realized that it was really the wait that killed you - the jump itself was not at all scary. You only had to get over the fear of actually doing it, of actually deciding to jump off that ledge, and the most amazing adrenaline rush awaited.

The fear before the jump though, is really part of the fun.

After you jump from Macau Tower they give you a Baller ID, a badge of honor of sorts, along with a t-shirt and a certificate, and - get this - a discount card for your next jump. With the discount card, you get your fourth jump from any AJ Hackett headquarters free! (A reminder that yes, bungee jumping is life changing, but it's also completely commercial as well, and a pretty lucrative business).

I wouldn't mind making AJ Hackett rich though. Because bungee jumping and free falling? Totally worth it.

Macau Tower, I conquered you!

last picture taken from here.

Snapshots: AJ Hackett Bungy Jump, Macau Tower

2010-08-28T00:53:00.002+08:00

It’s been exactly a year since I grabbed life by the balls and freaking jumped off Macau Tower! Thank you AJ Hackett, your business is life-changing. I may work for a multinational medical and consumer company that helps improve and even saves lives, but your adrenaline-inducing services are just as necessary to life. I can’t wait to do business with you again (I really want to bungee jump in New Zealand! Somebody, anybody, please sponsor me! Haha).

I’ll write about my Macau Tower bungee experience this week, do watch out for it!

A Guide to San Juan, Laiya, Batangas, Part 3: Cafeño

2010-08-21T05:12:00.013+08:00

My last few posts have been about some memorable cafes I've been to, so I thought I'd close out this series with an entry about a lovely cafe from my home province of Batangas.

Cafeño can be found at the heart of San Juan, Laiya's poblacion or town proper, right beside the gas station. It's a portion of a big ancestral house, and the cafe stays true to this with an old-world kind of feel, which I love:

That's my Mom and Dad! :)

My family always stops by here after a day at the beach, and our usual orders are the Adobo Flakes, Eggs Benedict Longganisa(done Filipino-style - on pandesal!) and the Kapeng Barako Ice Cream Sundae:

Apparently their specialty is Churros served with Spanish Cocoa, which sounds really delicious - I ought to try that the next time I visit.

On our beach trips, we usually leave San Juan at around sunset to head home, and on the particular trip when I took these pictures, the light was particularly warm and orange, and it was just perfect for pictures. So I'm throwing this in as the last photo, because I think it's rather pretty, and I'm calling it "Table for One" ('cause I'm cheesy like that :P):

Cafeño
No. 9 Cor General Luna and Rizal St.
San Juan, Batangas, Philippines
Phone (043) 575-5161
Open Monday-Sunday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Cafeño Facebook Page

Snapshots: La Boulangerie Francaise, Hue, Vietnam

2010-08-19T00:08:00.000+08:00

I love the random little places one finds when traveling. Our brief stay in Hue, Vietnam last year wasn't particularly special, and perhaps the least eventful of our Vietnam-Cambodia trip. But Tiff, Jen and I finding this random little bakeshop in one of our strolls along the streets of Hue was at least memorable.

The food wasn't particularly spectacular, to be honest - a few different kinds of affordable pastries and decent coffee - but we were drawn to the place somehow, and found ourselves coming back more than twice in the few days we were in Hue. I guess the fact that it just seemed out of place where we found it made it alluring, and gave it a unique charm.

Hoi An Cargo Club & Patisserie, Vietnam

2010-08-17T00:14:00.004+08:00

In the serendipitous few days I spent in Hoi An last year I fell in love with the place, fell in love with its laid-back vibe and narrow streets and the little trinkets and souvenirs we took home to remind us of the place. One of my best memories in the short time I was there were the times I spent with Tiff and Jen at Cargo Club.

We dropped by Cargo Club on our second afternoon in Hoi An, after a day of shopping and going to the usual tourist spots around the area. We got a table on the balcony overlooking the river, and we spent the afternoon enjoying our pastries and drinks and in deep conversation about life back home.

(Photos below by Tiffany Orbien :D)

That night we put on our best dresses (at least the best ones we had stuffed in our backpacks), went back to Cargo Club and had our last dinner in Hoi An there. I remember getting the risotto, which was pretty delicious. The place was lovely at night, with the balcony lit by lamps and the river lined with lights.

We had dinner under the moon and stars and there was a vase of sunflowers on our table - it would've been pretty romantic, except we were all girls. We had a lovely night though, laughing and taking pictures, just enjoying the moment.

Self-portrait! :D

Hoi An Cargo Club & Patisserie
107-109 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An
Phone 0510/910-489
www.hoianhospitality.com

Snapshots: Cafe Noriter, Dumaguete, Philippines

2010-08-14T14:30:00.009+08:00

For nearly a year now I've been into all things Korean thanks to KPop (this from the girl who loves The Virgins, MGMT and Florence the Machine - yeah, I'm a music schizo like that :D). And as fate would have it, a friend is getting assigned to Seoul for three months, so I'm going in November to pay him a visit! So I've been dreaming of Seoul of late, and trolling other travel blogs about where to go and what to do (besides fangirl to death, naturally. You're seeing a totally different side of me aren't you? :P)

Anyway, I keep hearing about this area called Hongdae which apparently is an artsy area in Seoul near a popular campus. Apparently the place is lined with cool clubs and cafes, and on weekends they have flea markets and such. As I was looking at some awesome pictures from Sleepwalking in Tokyo (here and here) I got reminded of this cafe I chanced upon on a random trip to Dumaguete in 2008.

So where Cafe Noriter gets is name from is the Korean word for "playground". The interior of the place was quirky-cute, with pictures and polaroids lining the walls along with books and random trinkets and things - the place had a very Asian pop culture vibe, which to me personally translates as cutesy, light and happy. It was a very feel-good place, and no doubt a favorite hangout of students from the nearby campus.

Apparently Cafe Noriter also has a branch in Manila now, somewhere in Taft Ave. I must definitely check that one out.

And while I'm on the subject, some new KPop videos! For kids who grew up in the 90's like me, these videos will probably remind you of the bubblegum pop era of The Spice Girls and the 1,001 boybands of our youth - except with a 21st century twist, I guess?

Note to Self: On my next post, I must write about (or at least mention) some totally non-commercial, non-mainstream bands so I don't completely lose all my coolness points. But whatever, KPop's fun, and I choose fun over cool (or musically original) sometimes. Haha! :P

Cafe Noriter website: http://dreamcafenoriter.com

Snapshots: A Rainy Day At The Airport

2010-06-19T15:19:00.004+08:00

Summer in the Philippines is over and these past few weeks, I've been preoccupied with the rain, work, and moving in to my new place - which means I've been unable to blog about my trips. I'm back though, and to usher in the rainy season, I thought I'd put this picture up, from when we were waiting to board our plane in Coron, Palawan back to Manila last year. Surprisingly, it was one of the most comfortable, turbulence-free flights I've taken, but you never would've been able to tell from this picture.

My Travel Soundtrack: What's Your Takeoff Song?

2010-06-16T01:11:00.001+08:00

I follow a blog called Offbeat Collective, and they had an interesting post a while back about takeoff songs. The writer chose MGMT's "Time To Pretend" for his own takeoff song, which I absolutely love and also wrote about previously. I got to thinking about what I'd choose to be my takeoff song and a handful of songs came up, until I finally decided to go with this one:

Snow Patrol - "Chocolate"

I'll probably change my mind tomorrow or on my next trip because I'm fickle like that (and because there are just too many beautiful songs out there, it's hard to stick to just one), but for now, this is the one.

What's your chosen takeoff song?

A Guide to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas | Part 2: "Peace Man" - Bamboo

2010-06-05T00:29:00.001+08:00

I love this song and this video by Bamboo. It's really just footage of them going on a road trip to Laiya, San Juan, but the video fits the song perfectly.

"Supreme love and respect, peace, man."

Bamboo - "Peace Man"

Travel Buddies! A Series of Snapshots

2010-05-09T17:50:00.000+08:00

En route to Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

I didn't want to end our epic Asia trip in a sullen tone, because really, it was so much fun! And a big reason why it was an insanely hilarious trip was because of the people I traveled with. So I thought our craziest pictures deserved a post. Until our next adventure girlies! Fighting! :D

The futuristic version of the teacup ride at Universal Studios!

The crazy G-Max Reverse Bungy ride with Tiff and Ris!
We ate SEVEN KILOS OF SEAFOOD in Jimbaran, Bali!
Camwhoring at Legian Beach
In Far Far Away at Universal Studios Singapore!
Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur

More Than A Little Willing To Keep Moving.

2010-05-09T16:09:00.005+08:00

Spending a lazy Sunday in a coffee shop in the unglamorous side of Kuala Lumpur (nope, no Petronas Tower in sight from where we are). It's the last day of our trip, and we're just killing (a lot of) time before our flight back to Manila at 11 pm later. It's cloudy today, and the gloomy weather coupled with the gray concrete-ness of our surroundings remind me of many of my Sundays from when I still went to university. Pearl Drive, the street where my school and dorm were located, would be a virtual ghost town on Sundays. I'd spend hours at one of the neighborhood coffee shops studying, reading a book or listening to music. It sounds like sad memories, but they weren't really. Living alone in the city teaches you a lot of things.

I really love to travel, no question about that. I don't find it at all difficult to pack my bags, book a flight, and just go. I enjoy spending days when my life is contained in a few bags in a strange new place that's so different from what I'm used to, but somehow manages to remind me of home too. It's a strange kind of freedom that I embrace wholeheartedly every chance I get - it scares me sometimes, how I'm so attracted to this kind of freedom, how I don't fear it at all. Because then, what of the days when I go back to my real life? What does this say about how I feel about most of my days and weeks and months, all spent trying to build a "life" - being able to buy a nice comfortable home, sticking to a daily routine that works so I can keep my schedule organized and all my tasks done, building a steady career to keep me financially stable? And which is my real life to begin with? Or are both versions of my life real? In which case, will I need to pick one? Or can I keep doing this, moving back and forth, because I think it's pretty clear to me now that traveling for me isn't just what it is for most people - it's not just about being able to get away for a couple of days to have a good time. Even if I don't know how or why it is the case, I think it's pretty obvious that the art of travel has so much more meaning to me. It's both a gift and a curse I guess, and most days I think it's the former, but today...today is strange.

Maybe I was a wandering free spirit in a past life, who lived La Vie Boheme in a time and a place in the world when that didn't mean running the risk of death by starvation. Maybe, as John Mayer aptly puts it, "It might be a quarter life crisis, or just a stirring in my soul". Maybe I shouldn't have listened to Fiona Apple's "Tidal" today (I didn't have the benefit of emo culture growing up, so I survived my teen years listening to Fiona Apple's poetry in "Tidal", among other things).

I'm flying home tonight, and maybe I should have just stuck to my cheesy, forever-happy KPop playlist.

Snapshots: Sunset in Legian and Babi Guling in Ubud - Bali, Indonesia

2010-05-08T14:25:00.007+08:00

Finally, free wi-fi! We're at a restaurant in Legian, Bali right now, surrounded by Aussies who are all watching an AFL match. Tiffy our Australian travel buddy flew out to Sydney last night (have fun at the John Mayer concert dude! Rissee, Jen and I will try to visit you next year, haha!) so there's no one to tell us what they're all cheering about. She did say that the AFL is a mix of football and rugby, though, is that right? I only follow and play tennis, sorry. Team sports kind of scare me. Haha.

Anyway, our five days and four nights in Bali went well! We went to the beach, went snorkeling, visited Ubud, went outlet shopping for Billabong and Ripcurl stuff, and had the EPIC babi guling, that is, spicy roasted suckling pig! Bali's a pretty interesting place - it looks so much like the Philippines, but there's so much about it that's so different from home. I guess that's how all foreign places are though. I've realized from all my trips so far that every place I've visited does remind me of home in one way or another, but that of course, it always has something new to offer too.

We're flying to Kuala Lumpur tonight, and from there, we're getting on a plane back to Manila tomorrow. It's been an epic trip! I can't wait to write about it and post pictures. Maybe I'll do it at the airport tomorrow. For now, here's a picture of the legendary Balinese Babi Guling!

Snapshots: Ion Orchard, Singapore

2010-05-03T10:20:00.005+08:00

We're on Day 3 of our epic Asia trip for the year! Currently in Kuala Lumpur, getting a breather after our flight from Singapore. We'll be heading out to explore the city later.

Singapore was awesome! We got to go around the city on the first day and went shopping. Many thanks to Rox, our awesome hostess with the mostest, who took us around the city and treated us to great food (it was SO good it made Rissee cry - and I'm not even exaggerating!)! We capped our first night in Singapore by taking on the G-Max Reverse Bungee in Clarke Quay - which was INSANE! Shout-out to Rissee and Tiff who did the ride with me! Thanks for bearing with my unsexy screams. Haha.

On the second day we went to Universal Studios - which was also pretty awesome! A shout-out to Mabz who did the scary roller coaster rides (and the futuristic tea cups - she hates those tea cup rides, haha!) even if it was more than a little against her will. GOOD JOB!

Finally, a trip to Singapore won't be complete without the shopping - and shopping we did! Shout-out to Edell, who shopped her heart out at the Bugis Market and went with me to Cotton On and Rubi - cute 10-dollar flats for the win!

More pictures and updates soon! Heading out to Bali tomorrow. Yay!

Cagayan De Oro - Bukidnon - Camiguin (June 7-10, 2008)

2010-04-24T00:51:00.000+08:00

If there’s one thing I learned from the Cagayan De Oro – Camiguin – Bukidnon trip I took with some work buddies two summers ago, it’s this: there’s nothing quite like jumping off cliffs, rafting down treacherous currents and sliding down a waterfall to bring people closer together.

First There Was Camiguin

Camiguin, our first destination, is a pretty commonplace travel destination, in that it has the customary natural wonders worth visiting, a few man-made historical sites, and as with most travel destinations in the Philippines, delicious and inexpensive food.

A small island located off the northern coast of Mindanao, its simple and quiet beauty is nothing commonplace, however, and for a rather tiny island, it’s quite extraordinary how it has so much to offer to a traveler. From the very tourist-y Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross, to the sunken cemetery, buried underwater due to a volcanic eruption in the 1800s:

Also in Camiguin, one can find a series of hot and cold springs for both travelers and locals to enjoy, as well as the majestic Katibawasan falls, hidden within tall cliffs of flourishing dark green foliage:

We spent about a day and a half in Camiguin, and for dinner during our only night on the island, we ate at a lovely place called Luna Ristorante. Owned by a Filipino-Italian couple, the place serves delectable Italian dishes. I found that one of the coolest things about the restaurant was how out-of-place it seemed. Who would’ve thought that a small Italian restaurant would flourish in a tiny tropical island in the Philippines? It’s not unlike Luca’s Restaurant in Talipanan Beach in Puerto Galera.

Early morning the next day, there was White Island:

One of those “vanishing islands” that capture the imagination of every traveler, White Island is an island made entirely of sand that sinks below and rises above water depending on the time of day. We got up bright and early on our second day in Camiguin to take a boat to the fabled island where we watched the sunrise and had breakfast.

By noon, we were already on a boat from Camiguin heading back to Cagayan De Oro where, before we headed to the city proper, we took a side trip to Bukidnon.

Del Monte, Bukidnon

There was but one thing that made us take a side trip to Bukidnon after arriving on a boat from Camiguin to Cagayan De Oro: our empty, carnivorous bellies. We had been told of the legendary steaks served at the Del Monte farms in Bukidnon, and being at such close proximity to the area, we figured, we might as well take the hour-or-so journey to the famed pineapple plantation to have a taste. So we haggled with a cab to take us to and from the Del Monte farms in Bukidnon to see if their steaks were really worth the trip.

Fortunately, they were! The steaks in Del Monte were big in size and big in flavor. Juicy and scrumptious and cooked just right, the steaks are said to come from pineapple-fed cows, which made them taste even better! The restaurant, which also looked out to Del Monte’s golf course, also provided a very relaxed atmosphere, so we just spent a lazy afternoon there, enjoying a long and leisurely lunch.

Then There Was Cagayan De Oro

On the third day of our trip, we yet again woke up bright and early to head for Mapawa Nature Park. Little did we know then that we were throwing ourselves into an insane adventure.

Mapawa Nature Park

You know you’re bound for an exciting time at a place where the first thing they make you do is read through and sign accountability waivers, your signature on which pretty much, in blunt terms, states that you’ve signed off on your life. The many forms of similar kind that I have signed over the past years have fortunately led to a few scratches and nothing else a shower and a good night’s sleep couldn’t solve, so they’re really often just to make you recognize the risk, and most of the time, are just a precaution and not much else.

Afterwards we rode on a tractor that took us deep into the forest, and that was pretty much how the adventure started.

The objective of the trek was simple – get to the other side so you can head back to the main park area and go home. It’s a lot more exciting than it sounds, however.

The trek began simply enough as well, a walk through the woods where we saw amazingly old trees (and took a picture under one – I’m not sure, but if I remember correctly, this tree is around 300 years old!):

Then came the first challenge: sitting on the edge, on top of a waterfall, and getting pushed off it, so you can slide down into a pool of deep cold water:

You know that scene in “The Beach” when they had to jump from the top of the waterfall? I reckon our jump wasn’t nearly as intense (given we had guides and lifevests), but it was still a pretty amazing feeling, getting slid off from the top of the waterfall and into the pool of water below. It also meant that there was no more turning back from this trek, and whatever other challenge lay ahead, we had to do. The challenges that lay ahead, among others, were the following: side-stepping, hanging onto a rope, into yet another waterfall, jumping off a cliff into deep water, and rappelling down a waterfall!

We jumped off that cliff and into the water!

Things got pretty calm after that, when we ate our packed lunches along a stream and took a hike up the mountain to where our tractor was waiting.

The coolest thing about the trek was experiencing the alternating bouts of an adrenaline rush and utter peace throughout the whole thing. I remember looking out onto the horizon seeing nothing, just green, and nature, and feeling totally at peace with nature. It was awesome. A few minutes later, they were harnessing me to a rope so I could rappel down the cliff, and the adrenaline rush resumed.

For those who do not want to venture into the jungle for an adventure, the park also features zip lines and horseback riding.

I went to Cagayan De Oro twice in 2008, and the second time, we met Iggy, the owner of Mapawa Nature Park, who showed us around the property. We checked out the house that guests could rent out in the area as well as a very nice viewing point where you could see the entirety of the cauldron-shaped park.

It must also be said that the guides at Mapawa Nature park are wonderful professionals who are very friendly and trustworthy. You would not feel scared to be under their guidance, deep within the forest. And they know where to take all the awesome pictures on the trek!

After our exhausting day in the forest we went back to the city where we visited Palm Day Spa, where we all had a well-deserved massage.

The next day, the last day of our trip, was Part 2 of the adventure, as we headed out for a white water rafting adventure!

White Water Rafting

White water rafting provides a good mix of a leisurely ride along a great river, with a view of nature and amazing scenery, and an adrenaline rush, fervently rowing through tumultuous waves in order to avoid huge, ominous rocks.

We also experienced an (unfortunately) un-pictured highlight – from our raft, we climbed up one of the cliffs along the Cagayan De Oro river through a makeshift ladder / bamboo stick, (it was where the local kids played), and once we reached the top, we jumped off into the water! Side stepping on the tiny, narrow ledge to the point where you could jump was the scariest part - soil and tiny rocks would break off and drop into the water as you moved! Holding onto the roots that weaved into the soil for support and seeing that root break (yikes!) was rather scary as well – but plunging into the cool waters of the river was definitely worth the scare!

After rafting, we were welcomed with a wonderful lunch on the side of the river. We showered and freshened up, and a few hours later, on the very same day, we took a flight out from CDO and back to Manila. What an adventure!

Resources:

Luna Ristorante
Rocky Village, Yumbing, Mambajao, Camiguin.
http://www.lunaristorante.net/

Mapawa Nature Park
Booking Office:
33 J. Seriña Street, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City
Contact Nos.: (088) 8584402 Telefax: (08822) 725265
Email: mapawa_nature_park@yahoo.com

Red Rafts
Cagayan de Oro River Tours Corporation
#112, 17th St. Nazareth9000 Cagayan de Oro City
Tel. (088) 857-7238
email: raftingcdo@yahoo.com.ph

Palm Day Spa
San Agustin Street corner Rizal Street (in front of Gaston Park)
Tel. No. (88) 857-2862

Snapshots: Sunset At Dive N Trek, Batangas (Plus an underwater picture!)

2010-04-09T18:02:00.008+08:00

My first sunset of the summer! And one I took from the province where I grew up - Batangas, Philippines. For holy week, I went with my family on our annual beach trip to Dive N Trek resort, and was rewarded with this!

I've so much to post but not the time to do it, but I'll try to squeeze it in as soon as I can. For instance, I really want to write a post about my first beach trip of the year with family at Dive N Trek, a resort in Bauan, Batangas (thank you Ms. Medz for the correction!). Dive N Trek is known for its easily accessible snorkeling locations - you literally just jump off the dock and BAM! Underwater Paradise fit for a National Geographic documentary - and on our trip this year I got to take some pictures with my underwater camera. Here's a preview:

I got stung by jellyfish (and probably other tiny sea creatures as well) and have all these creepy marks on my arms (I think it's about time I invest on a rash guard) but it was totally worth it. I just love being in the water and being able to swim freely. I'm the kind of person who rarely stays still (again, blame it on my Type 7 personality) and my mind is always working, thinking, asking questions, getting ideas, but when I'm in the water swimming freely, without a life vest and armed with just a pair of goggles, wading in deep waters and seeing the seabed meters away from my feet as I explore a wide expanse of coral and marine life, I feel calm and experience a certain kind of peace I don't often experience. I think nothing relaxes me more than being in the water.

I'll post more pictures and share more stories soon, I promise!

Snapshots: A Sunny Day In Boracay

2010-03-30T01:30:00.004+08:00

Summer is here, and sand, sea, and sunshine are calling!

Picture taken in Boracay, Philippines, 2009

Summer Essentials!

2010-03-25T00:05:00.000+08:00

1. Canon Powershot D10 - my very first underwater camera! I thought it was time I got one, considering I love to swim and to snorkel. I just bought mine and I actually haven't tried it out yet, but it'll be getting its first test run two weeks from now, when I go with my family to our annual beach trip.

2. iPod Nano - as you must've picked up from my last post, I'm a bit of a music junkie. I love making playlists for trips, because they help me remember not just moments, but also (and more importantly) certain feelings or random thoughts and observations that couldn't be captured in pictures or video.

3. A good book - I started reading Nick Hornby's "Slam" last year when we went on that junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay, but I never got to finish it.Ever since I started working, I've gotten terribly behind on my reading, my pile of unread and unopened books getting higher and higher. I'd like to spend some quiet time reading books on my trips this summer.

4. Sunblock - This year, I've actually gotten into the habit of putting something with SPF on my face everyday, but it's even more important during the summer. My sunblock of choice is the Neutrogena Body Mist.

5. A pair of shades - I've never found a pair of aviator shades that fits me just right. Maybe this summer will be different. :)

6. Aquazorb towel - I was recently given this and I hear it works wonders because it's fast-absorbing and fast-drying. Apparently, even the smaller-sized ones can do the job of a normal-sized bath towel! Imagine all the luggage space you'll be able to save with it!

7. My trusty Lumix LX3 - Mine is turning a year old this summer! I've loved it ever since I bought it, and I don't think I'll be replacing it anytime soon. A very worthy investment, and I look forward to using it even more for some great pictures this summer.

8. A pair of flip flops - You probably all saw this one coming. I still love this relatively old pair of brown Havaianas that I've had for a while now, but maybe I should get a colorful pair to liven up my summer outfits this summer.

What are your summer essentials? :)

My Travel Soundtrack: The Summer Soundtrack Edition

2010-03-23T01:53:00.000+08:00

Do you remember that scene in "The Beach", when Richard gets a view of THE Beach for the very first time, and it's beautiful and he's so amazed by what he's seeing, and Moby's "Porcelain" starts playing? That's probably one of my favorite movie moments ever. And ever since that movie, when I hear the song "Porcelain", I think of nothing but fine white sand and blue water.

Every travel moment should have a soundtrack, because music is a perfect companion when traveling - I'd even go as far as to say that the iPod is probably the second best thing to human travel buddies (so if you're ever traveling solo, you mustn't board your flight without one!).

The summer is a season for trips, trips, trips, so I thought I'd share a portion of my summer soundtrack in this post, with sixteen of my favorite summer songs. It was incredibly difficult to cut the list down to 16, as I had about 50 songs on my playlist - maybe I'll post the rest of the songs next year. For now, I hope you like these!

Also, what are your favorite summer songs? (I'm a music junkie, so please, I hope you can recommend some for me!)

1. "No Stopping Us" - Jason Mraz

Just a bright, happy song to cheer you up when you're on the road. Jason Mraz is made of pure awesome, and he has a lot of bright, happy songs which I love. Also try "Make It Mine" and his version of "Melt With You" from the "50 First Dates" soundtrack.

2. "Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh" - The Rapture

This one totally screams "Pool Partay!" to me, which probably has to do with its music video:

3. "Romeo and Juliet" - Clazziquai Project

This is a new favorite, and quite frankly, I'm a little addicted to it! I've had this one on repeat on my iPod for a while now. It's from a KPop experimental group called Clazziquai Project. The vocals on this are awesome. More importantly, this song makes me want to wear a sundress and put flowers on my hair. That's how summer-y it is.

4. "Strawberry Swing" - Coldplay

5. "Insomnio" - Cafe Tacuba

Here's one from a road trip movie called "Y Tu Mama Tambien", the first of two on this list from that soundtrack.

6. "Kiss Kiss Kiss" - Ananda Project feat. Heather Johnson

From the Hed Kandi Beach House 04.03 compilation. This has been on my iPod for ages, and I still love it.

7. "Fallin' For You" - Colbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat's music in general reminds me of the summer, which is why I love her records. This one is a fave among many.

8. "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol

I put this on here mainly because this song reminds me of that time when my friends and I slept on the beach in Bantayan Island, Cebu on our last night there. It's one of my favorite memories from my travels so far.

9. "Waves" - Marjorie Fair

I first heard this song on some random compilation they were playing in a record store, and I thought it was lovely.

10. "We Give In Sometimes" - Up Dharma Down

"Sand and the sea, meet in between. Fire and ice, you and I..." I absolutely love this song and this band. If there's one song I'd like everyone who's read this post to listen to, it'd be this song, because it's from an awesome Filipino band that deserves global recognition (which they've already received, mind you - they were featured on Time Magazine once!). And check out the awesome video!

11. "Ocean In Your Eyes" - Smokey and Miho

This one's also from the "Y Tu Mama Tambien" soundtrack. Apparently the girl was from Cibo Matto, and the guy is from Beck! I had no idea.

12. "Better Together" - Jack Johnson

You knew there had to be a Jack Johnson song here somewhere, right?

13. "Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae

This song is here because of the line that goes "Sipping tea at a bar by the roadside (just relax, just relax)."

14. "Here Comes The Sun" - The Beatles

I grew up watching black-and-white Beatles performances, and I remember having one of my very first little girl crushes on the very young Paul McCartney in those videos. I read somewhere that this song came to George Harrison as he was walking around the garden on a beautiful spring day. I think that if a beautiful spring day were a song, it really would sound like this.

15. "Summertime" - The Sundays

Probably one of the oldest songs on this list, and a timeless favorite for me. A long time ago, in another blog, I wrote this to describe it: "Catchy tune, interesting lyrics, totally feel-good - it's the perfect non-love song for the summer."

16. "Walkin' on Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves

I was born in the 80's, but unfortunately, as I was too young, I have no memories of that decade. But I do remember discovering music from that time when I got a little older, and this one is definitely one of my favorites. It's just so fun to listen to! You can't not cheer up after listening to this song.

Everyone and their mother probably has a casette tape of this stashed somewhere so I won't be putting a link to the song here, but I am posting this video from one of my favorite books and movies, "High Fidelity", where a hilarious Jack Black plays "Walkin' on Sunshine" and just goes crazy. Happy summer everyone!

Summer 2010 in the Philippines: 5 Trip Suggestions from Filipina on Flip Flops

2010-03-20T01:54:00.000+08:00

My college friends, Bert and Jen, on our graduation trip to Bantayan Island, Cebu, circa 2007.

Summer is here! In the Philippines, at least.

The heat is on, and sun, sand and sea are calling. So I thought I'd write about five trips you can take around the Philippines this summer - catch a sneak peak under the cut, and visit the blog every Saturday for a new post.

Also, I'll be running my very first contest on this blog this summer - watch out for the post that will announce it very soon, and I hope you all join!

Cagayan De Oro & Camiguin (with a side trip to Bukidnon)

Coron, Palawan

Road Trip to Pampanga

Anawangin Cove, Zambales

Dive N Trek, Anilao, Batangas

Snapshots: Three-Way Adobo in Pamana Restaurant, Tagaytay

2010-03-18T01:09:00.000+08:00

There are three things I love most about the Philippines, in no particular order: the resilience and natural happiness of its people (a trait I find that I myself manifest - I'm a generally upbeat and happy person, which probably has a lot to do with my Type 7 - Enthusiast personality. And yes, it also has a lot to do with why I often digress from the point I'm writing about, branching off to random topics and rambling about them for a fair amount of time before I get back to my point...just like what I'm doing right now!); its stunning beaches and the sheer volume of them - there's just so many, thanks to our 7,000+ islands!; and finally, Filipino food.

Filipino food is soul food - comforting, nostalgic, and basically a general source of happiness. Filipino food reminds me of family - I shall never tire of my grandmother's cooking. Her afritada is the best, her morcon pretty much a legend in our hometown and is a staple dish during the annual fiesta, and I can probably live on her Filipino-style lasagna for days on end (I think I might have actually done that once during one of my holidays breaks when I was still in college). There's also my uncle's epic caldereta that's always served during the holidays or other family get-togethers - the secret ingredient, I think, are the olives he puts in it, but it's really a lot more than that. You could serve me the same exact dish with the same ingredients, cooked by a fancy chef, and I'd still prefer my uncle's own cooking, because it reminds me of home and family.

Anthony Bourdain seems to think that from a global perspective, Filipino Food is rather underrated (watch the episode he did in the Philippines, it showed a pretty decent representation of Filipino cuisine), and unfortunately, I kind of have to agree with him - you don't see a lot of Filipino food in cooking shows or travel shows, and I don't think there are a lot of Filipino restaurants outside of the Philippines, at least, not as much as there are Chinese or Vietnamese or Thai food places. So I thought I'd be a little patriotic and do my share of spreading the word on how awesome Filipino food is.

Over the holidays last year, my friends and I went on a road trip to Tagaytay where we had lunch at Pamana Restaurant, a family-owned joint that served Filipino cuisine made from secret family recipes handed down from generation to generation. We ordered a number of different dishes, but my favorite of the lot would have to be the three-way adobo - that is, adobo done three ways: chicken adobo, adobo spareribs, and adobo flakes. I already love adobo to begin with (and what Filipino doesn't?), but this dish definitely gets bonus points for creativity and variety.

This will be the last of my series of food posts for now, but I think I'll be writing more about our food trip to Pamana Restaurant soon. And I'll still probably have sporadic food posts every now and then as well, so I hope you look forward to those!

Pamana Restaurant is located along Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay, right beside Boutique Hotel.

Promo: Get A Free Helicopter Ride In Hawaii!

2010-03-17T01:43:00.004+08:00

The folks at The Villas at Poipu Kai were kind enough to offer a special promotion for Filipina on Flip Flops readers! Check out the details below. Many thanks to Jake for this promotion.

http://www.villasatpoipukai.com/

Kauai From The Sky

Kauai is the oldest island in Hawaii. The greenery, cliffs, and beaches make it a natural film set for Hollywood. The scenery is inspiring and creates an experience not only good for making movies, but for a revitalizing vacation. You can hike, surf, or fly around the island during your trip. Today we are offering our readers a chance to fly around the island for free.

The Villas at Poipu Kai are giving you a free helicopter ride with any booking made in March*. If you’re planning a trip to the islands this year, don’t miss this intimate experience on the island of Kauai.

You will get to stay at The Villas at Poipu Kai - a 27 unit condominium resort located 5 minutes from Poipu Beach. The Villas have 3 or 4 bedroom options, making them ideal for a group of couples or families. They also include expansive lanais and living areas for games and eating. It is a great home base for your vacation in Kauai. Call 866-407-0249 to book your Villa before March 31st.

*Offer limited to one tour per six (6) night reservation or two tours per twelve (12) or more nights. Offer valid on new reservations made before March 31st, for travel anytime before November 15th.

Snapshots: Gelato at Lemon Cello, Senado Square, Macau

2010-03-16T01:00:00.003+08:00

It was one of those serendipitous travel moments. On our second day in Macau, exploring Senado Square, my friends and I found ourselves wandering along a tiny alley that was slightly less crowded compared to everywhere else in the square. It was just after lunchtime, and it was intensely hot out (this coming from me, a resident of a tropical country, who spent many a summer day of her teen years playing tennis under the blazing heat of the tropical sun. I kid you not when I say the heat was near unbearable that day), but luckily, we found salvation in a tiny, hole-in-the-wall shop that sold gelato called Lemon Cello.

I'm a sucker for well-lit, dainty little shops, and Lemon Cello was definitely that kind of store. All the pretty colors of the gelato flavors on display totally distracted me from the unbearable heat (yes, I'm a kid like that, easily distracted by pretty things, and it doesn't take much to make me happy, really). One would think that it would've been terribly difficult to decide which flavor to choose, but surprisingly, I knew what I wanted that day - the lemon-flavored gelato, aptly called Lemon Cello. The store didn't have tables or chairs so my friends and I sat on a nearby bench after we made our purchase and enjoyed our gelato in the Macau heat, which didn't seem so bad after all.

Incidentally, this happened on the same day that I did my very first bungee jump in Macau Tower. And while the memory of throwing myself from a height of 233 meters I definitely won't soon forget, I think I will also always fondly remember the time I enjoyed a tiny cup of gelato on a random bench in a random alley in Senado Square a few hours after. That's the thing about traveling - it's not just the big travel moments you remember, but even the tiny, serendipitous moments in between are fun to look back on as well.

Lemon Cello - http://www.yp.mo/lemoncello/

Food Trips: Korean Food at Minato, Ortigas

2010-03-13T03:42:00.002+08:00

I said in a previous entry that I would write a full post about our Korean food trip in Ortigas a few weeks back, so here goes!

Minato is a Korean restaurant along Escriva Drive which is part of this entire lot of Korean establishments - you won't miss it, the handful of signs in Hangul are a dead giveaway (but in case you need more landmarks, it's the joint of establishments immediately beside Millenia Tower). My friends and I went to college in UA&P, which is around the area, so we were pretty familiar with the place.

Speaking of friends, meet Mabelle and Edell, who got me into the crazy fun that is KPop (it all started when we went to Hong Kong, but that's for a whole other blog post):

You've seen this one before:

Kimchi!

Even better: kimchi pancake! They give them for free at Minato, but sometimes, you just have to remind the waitresses to serve you some.

A few of the million side dishes they served with the main food...

Korean barbecue. You wrap the lettuce around the meat and put the red sauce and a bunch of other stuff, as desired.

Pineapple for dessert! But we were really so full from everything else, we didn't get to eat much of it.

We ordered japchae too, which was really really good, and it must've been so good that I forgot to take a picture...we also had a bottle of soju, and that was pretty damn good too, so I also don't have a picture (haha). Also, after dinner we had Melona ice cream from the Korean convenience store across Minato, which was really creamy and delicious!

We spent a little over PhP400 per person for the whole meal, which I think was a pretty fair price considering how much we ate and how good the food was. I'm not familiar with a lot of Korean places in Manila, but from what we experienced and what I've heard from other people, Minato is probably one of the best places to have authentic Korean food in the city, so it's definitely worth a visit.

Snapshots: Kimchi in the City - Minato, Ortigas Center

2010-03-11T00:36:00.000+08:00

I was sifting through my travel pictures and realized that I haven't posted any of the shots I've taken of food. From Filipino street food to some really delicious-looking desserts and a whole bunch of other stuff, I have quite a handful of food shots that I probably ought to include in this blog. After all, traveling isn't nearly as fun without the food adventures. So I'm starting my "Food Trips" category with this picture, which I took a few weeks back.

My last trip outside of Manila was to Cebu last January, and ever since,I've spent all of my weekends in the city. With such a situation I've learned a rather important lesson - when you can't go on trips, go on food trips! (Okay, that was kind of lame, but I can't think of anything else to write at the moment. Hehe). One Saturday a few weekends back, I went with two friends to a Korean restaurant in the Ortigas area called Minato, which was recommended by another friend. I've recently become fascinated with Korean culture (okay, to be perfectly honest, it's not exactly Korean culture, but Korean Pop culture, or KPop. To people I know, they'll probably think it's a bit uncharacteristic of me, but you must understand - they've got so many pretty boys out there, I couldn't help it! And they all sing and dance so well too! *sigh*) and my two friends, Mabelle and Edell, have been into Korean stuff since we were in college, so we were bound to end up trying out Korean food. I'll devote a full post to our Korean food trip soon, but for now, suffice to say that we had a pretty delicious meal that night - the kimchi in that picture didn't stand a chance (the kimchi pancake in the background was pretty damn good too, and it was free!).

...And now I'm craving for some japchae. Damn.

Snapshots: Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia

2010-03-09T02:41:00.000+08:00

One of my favorite pictures from our trip to Cambodia last year.

A Guide to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas | Part 1: General Information & Getting There

2010-03-06T04:00:00.000+08:00

I've been getting a lot of visitors to this blog looking for information about Laiya, San Juan, Batangas, so I thought I'd compile a (hopefully) comprehensive guide to this wonderful seaside town in the south of Luzon. I grew up in Batangas and have plenty of memories from spontaneous family trips to the beaches of Laiya on random Saturdays, so the place is pretty special to me.

I'll start this off with some basic (and admittedly boring) information about the place, and a few pictures (so that this entry isn't completely blah).

Located on the southeastern tip of Batangas, Laiya, San Juan is a relatively little-known beach destination, at least compared to the more popular areas of Anilao and Nasugbu, which are also in the province of Batangas.

Its serene and beautiful beaches, as well as its proximity to Manila, make Laiya an ideal weekend getaway for city dwellers. To date, a handful of beach resorts can be found in the area, as well as a number of private beach communities that are still under development.

Location and other Navigational information:

Info from waypoints.ph - click on the above image to visit the site for waypoint data and other vicinity information on Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.

Getting There (taken from the La Luz Beach Resort site, with some revisions)

For Private Vehicles:

1. Take South Super Highway to the end and get out at exit 50A that leads to Batangas, Lucena and Legaspi. (It is 39 kilometers from Magallanes to the end of the South Super Highway). This is also the exit for Calamba.

2. Upon exiting (Calamba), drive straight ahead to the Star Toll entrance. The drive is approximately 20 minutes or about 6.5 kilometers. Look for the Batangas Expressway entrance (STAR Toll), which leads to Batangas City. The sign is very visible and the entrance is on the right side after the First Philippine Industrial Park.

3. Drive 33 kilometers on the Star Toll way (STAR) and take the San Jose-Ibaan Exit (the 4th exit, it is also after the Lipa exit). After exiting, turn left and drive 2.5 kilometers. You will reach an intersection with a sign pointing to Rosario, at this point please turn left at this intersection. After turning left, the Municipal Hall of Ibaan will be on your right while a church will be on your left. After passing the church on your left you will reach a forked road. Turn right at the road sign pointing to San Juan. Drive 8 kilometers along this road to Rosario town proper. Upon reaching the Rosario town proper, there is a Jollibee outlet at your left. Drive past the Jollibee Rosario outlet and the South Star drug store outlet. This road leads all the way to San Juan town proper, which is approximately 23 kilometers away. You will pass a sign for the Batangas Racing Circuit along the way. Please veer left at this point.

4. Once in the town of San Juan, make a right after the Municipal Hall (you'll see a Petron Gasoline Station, a Frank’s burger Stall and a Dunkin Donut Store right before the Municipal Hall). Take a right on the corner where you'll see numerous placards and signs posted of the different Laiya resorts. Most of the beach resorts in Laiya are already along this long road, but it will still take you a good 20-30 minutes drive further down the road before you get to the resorts.

For Public Transportation:

Via Candelaria

1. Take a bus from Manila to Lucena (Jackliner, Tritran, BLTB, Jam, etc) but get off at the Town of Candelaria. (Approximately 2 hours)
2. Get off at Chow King right after the town proper of Candelaria.
3. Go to the nearest intersection, which is about 10 meters and take a jeep to the town of San Juan, Batangas. (Approximately 30 minutes)
4. Get off at the San Juan Town Market and take a jeep to Barrio Hugom which will pass through most of the resorts in Laiya, or get a tricycle to take you to the resort of your choice.

Via Lipa City

1. Take a bus from Manila to Lipa City (Jackliner, Tritran, BLTB, Jam, Alps, etc.) (Approximately 1.5 hours)
2. Get off at Bus Terminal near McDonalds, Jollibee, and Shakey’s.
3. Take a tricycle to the jeep terminal located at the City Market (approximately 10 minutes)
4. Take a jeep bound for San Juan, Batangas. (Approximately 45 minutes)
5. Get off at the San Juan Town Market and take a jeep to Barrio Hugom which will pass through most of the resorts in Laiya, or get a tricycle to take you to the resort of your choice.

Snapshots: AJ Hackett Macau Tower

2010-03-04T03:03:00.001+08:00

Indeed, why live on the edge when you can jump right off it?

Last year on our trip to Macau and Hong Kong, I sucked it up, prayed all the prayers I knew while I cussed all the cuss words I knew (yes, fear can make you contradict yourself), entrusted my life to the hands of the very dependable AJ Hackett Macau Tower crew, and did my very first bungee jump. It was an exhilarating, and I know I say this often (thanks to Barney Stinson), but it was seriously a legendary experience.

It was my first bungee jump, and I would go to great lengths to make sure it wouldn't be my last. New Zealand, anyone? You'll have to give me some time though - I have to save up first.

Snapshots: Vendors En Route To Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2010-03-02T03:00:00.000+08:00

My previous "Snapshots" post was giving me a bit of yuppie guilt so I thought I'd share one of the most "real" photos I've ever taken in my trips. This one is from when we were on a bus en route from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Talk about in-your-face marketing. We were luckier than the people in the van because we were in a closed, air-conditioned bus, somewhat protected from the onslaught of a million sales pitches, although we didn't escape all of them - I distinctly remember being offered an adorable baby through the window. And while I didn't pull an Angelina Jolie and currently there is no mohawked Maddox living in my tiny flat here in Manila, I couldn't help but feel a little pang of guilt at what we saw. It was one of those harsh realities you'll be hard pressed not to notice if you travel (and especially if you actually live) in a developing country.

Nevertheless, I'll be forever amazed and inspired by people who live in situations like this, and someday I hope I'll be able to help them make their lives a little better, a little easier.

I hope that baby's doing well.

Snapshots: Misibis Bay, Albay, Philippines

2010-02-25T03:00:00.001+08:00

While being a cube-dweller for a corporate multinational entails staying within the four walls of flourescent-lit office space, eyes staring at a computer screen filled with spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations for most of the year, thankfully, it also entails a few travel perks. Last year, I got to stay at the lovely Misibis Bay in Cagraray Island, Albay, Philippines for four days and three nights for a company activity.

And while I derive a certain happiness and sense of achievement from roughing it out and backpacking/flashpacking (e.g. hanging out on a foreign sidewalk at 2 am after a red-eye flight, because we didn't want to check in at a hostel anymore as we waited to take an 11-hour cross-country bus ride at 6 am the same day), I wouldn't say no to a free stay at a luxurious resort either.

Impeccable facilities and good food are basic requirements for a fancy resort, but I think that what really makes a resort luxurious is exemplary service, in which case staying in Misibis Bay is quite literally sitting on the lap of luxury. There was a bit of a mess when we checked out on our last day, however, but I'm inclined to cut them some slack for the mishap, as they had just newly-opened at the time, and we were an entire department trying to check-out in order to get to our early flight back to Manila, so things were bound to get a little crazy. But it was nothing they couldn't learn quickly and be better at in due time.

I'll write more about my stay in Misibis Bay in due time (I tried windsurfing for the first time when I was there - it was awesome!), and post more pictures of the place soon.

Staying Afloat: A Series of Snapshots

2010-02-20T04:30:00.001+08:00

Anyone who's ever traveled around Asia knows that life in this continent is often closely intertwined to and, in more ways than one, largely dependent on the numerous bodies of water that surround, run through and sometimes connect its many countries. For someone like me who lives in an archipelago like the Philippines and who's fortunate enough to be able to explore its many islands, I've often observed this firsthand. I've seen the same thing in my travels in other countries in Asia as well - the importance of the sea, the river, or the ocean in everyday life, for everyday people to be able to survive.

Here are a few pictures I took from some of my travels that capture glimpses of the lives these people lead, in their everyday attempt to, quite literally and figuratively, stay afloat.

Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam

Puerto Galera, Philippines

Anawangin Cove, Zambales, Philippines

Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Snapshots: View From A Plane

2010-02-18T01:05:00.001+08:00

We were en route to Legazpi, Philippines when I took this picture last year. I like this picture because the slight tilt to the side of the surface of the clouds kind of makes me imagine the curve of the Earth - it kind of looks like a view of our planet from outer space...or is that just me? Is that weird?

Snapshots: Sunset at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

2010-02-16T03:00:00.005+08:00

On the last leg of our Cambodia-Vietnam trip, we went on an overnight junk boat cruise around Ha Long Bay and were rewarded with a wonderful sunset.

We made many friends on that junk boat - there was Andy, a London architect travelling around Asia who was headed to Australia after; a burly (and yes, quite cute) New Zealander who exchanged photography and DSLR tips with Tiff; an adorable Thai couple who were so surprised that we had taken two weeks off from work in order to travel; an American couple living in Brunei who were so surprised at how well we spoke English; and a French couple - we never found out their names, but amongst ourselves we called the French girl Mirka, because she resembled Roger Federer's wife.

By then we had been on the road for nearly two weeks and had somehow gotten the hang of striking up conversation with fellow travelers, answering and asking the same questions over and over ("Where are you from? For how long are you traveling? Where else have you been?") but not quite getting tired of the whole cycle of creating 5-minute friendships - 15 minutes and an email address exchange if you're lucky, or if the wait for the next bus is taking particularly longer than expected.

And while Ha Long Bay with its amazing sunset and fleet of beautiful junk boats was quite a sight to behold, it was the people - random strangers but fellow travelers - that made the experience whole.

Snapshots: Sinulog Festival 2010, Cebu, Philippines

2010-01-19T09:48:00.003+08:00

Greetings from Cebu! I've always loved it here, from the very first time I visited. We've been eating so much! The food here is amazing and inexpensive, the people warm and friendly. Sinulog was a blast - a hot, sweaty, body-bumping, goodbye-to-personal-space blast. But more on that next time. Bye for now!

Snapshots: Back on the Road

2010-01-14T12:24:00.005+08:00

I ended 2009 with a very long staycation. But with a new year comes the opportunity for new trips, and on Sunday, I'll be off to my first one - I'll be heading to Cebu for the Sinulog Festival!

So it's back on the road again for me so early into the year, just the way I like it!

(Also, this photo was taken from our trip back from Anawangin Cove, Zambales last year. Buses without air condition in the province are so much fun!)

Filipina on Flip Flops 2009: A Year In Pictures

2010-01-02T14:24:00.007+08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Here's a collage of photos I took (and some I borrowed from travel buddies) from all my travels in 2009. Here's to many more trips in 2010!

(click on collage to enlarge)

I'll post most of these pictures in bigger sizes and write about them in the near future, so I hope you keep visiting Filipina on Flip Flops in 2010! (And my first 2010 travel resolution is to update my travel blog sooner, and more religiously! I promise!)

Oh, and a big THANK YOU to everyone who comes to visit this site every so often, and an even bigger THANK YOU to those who take the time to comment on my posts. I really, really appreciate it! This travel blog is like my baby (although sometimes it's an uncared for, slightly overlooked baby), a labor of love and passion and self-expression, and I take your kind comments and warm greetings as much needed encouragement. Again, many many thanks!

A summary of my trips in 2009:
Vietnam & Cambodia | Coron, Palawan | Anawangin Cove, Zambales | Macau & Hong Kong | Boracay | Misibis Bay, Bicol

Happy Holidays from Filipina on Flip Flops!

2009-12-25T18:41:00.005+08:00

Happy holidays everyone! As a family tradition of sorts, the holidays are a time to spend at home with my parents, brother and relatives, so I rarely go places come December. The picture above is a little bit of an exception though - I took it in Macau in 2007, about a week before Christmas, if I remember correctly.

I would've wanted to post a picture of what Christmas is like in the Philippines (because Christmas here is awesome - we take it very seriously! So seriously it lasts almost the entire last quarter of the year), but this year the holidays have been insanely busy with work and parties and all the things that keep a single, twenty-something girl's life colorful and crazy, so maybe I'll be better prepared next year and will have pictures for you then. For now, cheers, and a very merry Christmas to you all!

Random Travel Tip #02: Yearly Promo Fares and Seat Sales in Asia

2009-11-13T01:18:00.008+08:00

Promo fares and seat sales by various airlines in Asia abound in November:

This week alone, I've already booked three trips - all on promo rates - for 2010. I guess that settles it - here's to another year of travel!

(Speaking of which, I am looking for people to travel with to Calaguas Island, Daet, Camarines Norte on Feb. 5-7, 2010. Booked a PhP 1,000.00 flight to Naga on a whim. Contact me if you're looking for a travel buddy! :D)

Snapshots: Sunken Cemetery, Camiguin, Philippines

2009-11-01T16:32:00.004+08:00

As a late Halloween post, an on-time All Saints' Day feature and an early All Souls' Day commemoration, this week's photo is one I took of the Sunken Cemetery in the island of Camiguin, Philippines.

The cemetery was buried underwater after a volcanic eruption in the island in 1871. Over a century later, a huge cross was installed to mark the location of the cemetery. You can actually take a boat and reach the platform where the giant cross is built, and from there, if the tide is low, you can look out into the water and make out some of the tombstones that were buried during the eruption - either that, or my eyes were playing tricks on me when we visited.

Random Travel Trip #01: Cebu Pacific Updates on Twitter

2009-11-01T13:46:00.005+08:00

It pays to follow Cebu Pacific on Twitter. Otherwise, like my friends and I, you miss out on ALL the promo (aka "Piso Fare") seats.

I haven't been updating, I know, my sincerest apologies! A write-up is coming your way very soon, I promise. :)

Snapshots: White Water Rafting, Cagayan De Oro, Philippines

2009-10-15T00:05:00.001+08:00

I know a lot of students will be having their sem breaks this month, so I thought I'd write about two sem break destinations perfect for a barkada. On Saturday, I'll be posting about our trip to Cagayan De Oro, Camiguin and Bukidnon last year. If your group is adventurous and - let's face it, you also have to be a little crazy - this trip is for you!

I've previously made a few posts about Mapawa Nature Park in CDO, but I've yet to share pictures from our white water rafting adventure - until now! White water rafting on the Cagayan De Oro river was definitely a great way to cap off our four-day out-of-office adventure, but I reckon it'll be just as fun for people taking a break from school.

Snapshots: Carlos Celdran, Walk This Way Tours, Manila

2009-10-13T00:05:00.001+08:00

I think Carlos Celdran is an ideal portrait of the modern Filipino nationalist - intelligent, witty, unafraid to poke fun at the culture and people he loves and respects, and equally unabashed to air out its dirty laundry, whether from the past or from the present. However, his impartial view of the Philippines does not keep him from expressing his sincere love and concern for his country, and that's probably the best thing about him.

His walking tours around Manila are a hoot - my friend and I went on the one around Fort Bonifacio, San Agustin Church and Casa Manila one Sunday morning, and we had a great time.

I should also mention that Carlos Celdran has been very active in supporting numerous relief efforts for the victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, so let's all sing it together - for he's a jolly good fellow! There should definitely be more Filipinos like him.

Carlos Celdran
Follow him on Twitter
Read his blog

Rain Love On Manila: Help The Philippines Recover From Ondoy / Ketsana

2009-10-01T18:00:00.000+08:00

No travel posts for now as my country struggles to rebuild itself after Tropical Storm Ondoy/Ketsana.

On September 26, 2009 Tropical Storm Ondoy hit Manila, capital of the Philippines. To date, it has taken at least 300 lives and have displaced over 400,000 Filipinos.

Relief and rescue operations are ongoing - the fortunate ones whose homes and families were not affected by the typhoon have been manning these operations since the beginning of the week. I helped out last night and it was amazing to see so many people actively and passionately trying to help those in dire need in these times of tragedy.

Photo from rainloveonmanila.blogspot.com

Click here to see a comprehensive list of how and where you can help, wherever you are in the world.

After the Philippines, Ketsana also ravaged Vietnam and Cambodia. The ancient city of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is currently submerged in floodwater, along with other Vietnamese cities. Hoi An, being located beside a river, is generally prone to floods, and from what I know, it does experience flooding every year. Hopefully this means that they were better prepared for Ketsana.

Snapshots: Boracay

2009-09-24T20:51:00.003+08:00

I think I'm more of a traveler than a vacationer; often my trips are hectic and exciting, with itineraries chock-full of destinations, destinations, destinations and numerous activities. I travel to get away, to get excited and to be overwhelmed, with a sense of urgency that makes me want to be able to do everything and anything I could in the short amount of time I spend in a new place. Rarely do I travel to simply slow down, do nothing, chill, and relax.

I guess that all changed when I went to Boracay this year.

My friends and I (the same friends I went to Hong Kong and Macau with) spent four days at the pristine beaches of Boracay, four days in which nothing - and I mean absolutely nothing - went wrong, and almost everything went beyond our expectations! You might call it the perfect trip, resultant from our firm belief that good things happen to good people. It was a most enjoyable and relaxing trip, and I learned that I really ought to take more of those - we're actually already planning another one for next year, and it couldn't come sooner!

Snapshots: Dive N Trek Resort, Batangas

2009-09-17T20:10:00.001+08:00

Every summer, my family and I stay for at least a weekend in Dive N Trek, a dive resort in Bauan, Batangas. The shocking truth is none of us are divers - at best, we swim and snorkel. But the brilliant thing about this resort is that all you have to do is jump off the dock and voila - marine life! It's also a great place to rest and relax because it is literally in the middle of the sea and by the edge of a mountain, and can only be accessed by boat.

Here's a picture of some guests arriving at Dive N Trek. I took this picture as we were waiting for our turn to hop on a boat and sail home after a restful summer weekend by the sea - if only every weekend of the year could be spent the same way!