Kickin' it in Korea

I must admit, my friends really have the adventurous spirit in them. It does not matter whether North Korea fired at South Korea and there is an impending war that week, nothing can stop us from having a great time. :-)

I had my doubts at first but as long as there's no travel advisory, off we went! :-) The first few times in the subway, I was a bit jumpy and observing the local reaction to everything. I would even look over the shoulder of train passengers to watch the local news through their mobile tv… hahaha… not that I understood anything… hahaha!

Another crazy adventure for me, Jacky, Kat, Meme and Grace!!! To Seoul, Anyonghase yeo. Til we meet again. :-)

From Incheon airport:

Get a bus ticket inside the airport before going out to catch your bus. We were staying in Banana Packers and our drop off is Anguk station we took bus 6011 in Exit 5. As soon as we got out of the airport, we felt the 0 degrees weather. MAN! It was like a freezer!!!

The bus ride is about an hour to get to Seoul City. The bus station is around the 3rd stop. You will see an SK gas station. Get off there and walk towards the gas station. Make a right and then cross the street on the first stop sign. Walk into a small alley. Banana Backpackers is about 500 meters from the main road.

As soon as we are all settled in, we ordered food for delivery. Not bad. There was sweet and sour park and noodles in sweet black sauce which cost about Won6,500 (around P300 that can be shared).

First day:

Slept in till about 12… had late lunch and money changed.

Just walked around… first time to taste bibimpap in Korea. Yes… Its a challenge. Point and eat. hahaha! that's what we did.

After having money changed, we walked towards the direction of the main road and it led us to Insadong Market. Went around for a bit and then had coffee in a small bakery.

Even if I was still scared about the N. Korea and S. Korea conflict, I braved riding the subway to go to Dongdaedum market. From Anguk station, take the orange line, transfer to the blue line and then go down Dongdaemun station.

I must admit. I was jumpy and paranoid but I braved it! :-)

After Dongdaemun, we went back to the hostel and waited for Melody and had another serving of the black noodles and sweet and sour pork.

Second day:

SNOW DAY!

Started our day with lunch at a nice resto and then we went to Deoksugung Palace. Entrance fee is W1000 and its closed on Mondays.

The National Museum of Modern ARt is there and there was a show of Picasso's work from Albertina, Vienna. The show entrance cost W10000 but I opted to wait outside and explore the grounds. I chanced upon the changing of the guards which was pretty cool.

After our palace visit, we had coffee at Beans and Berries followed by dinner in KFC. Nothing different, just a bulgogi burger… no rice too. True to form, we really have to try out Mc Donald's and KFC in every country we go to. :-)

After dinner, we tried to catch the lights and sound show at Cheonggyecheon but failed this time since its only until 8 pm. while we were walking we felt that there are small snow flakes falling but it was not until we reached, the shops area where it really snowed.

IT WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF SNOW and it was so much fun!!!! :-) I enjoyed just having the snow fall on me and although it was cold… it felt so real and I felt so lucky having to experience snow (of course being born and raised in a tropical country, this experience is quite a treat)! Photos galore! :-) The best part of it, I experienced it with Grace, Meme and Jacky! Fantastic time! Since this was a moment to capture, I bought my Seoul Starbucks mug! :-) Memories! :-)

After playing under the snow, we had ice cream in Baskin Robbins (I know, right! :-)) and then went home after.

THIRD DAY:

After starting with an early lunch, we headed to a coffee shop and then to Nandaedum market where you can find good and cheap clothes, shoes, etc. And then Mengdong for more shopping.

Street food trials galore is what I did today. From hotdog with fries waffle (how efficient right?), to crispy rice cake, to crispy sweet rice cake, gyoza that loos like a siopao to red bean cake shaped like fish… I tried them all. :-)

We finally caught the light show… you have to go to the middle of the stream to watch this 5 minute show. Dinner in the same area and again, Baskin Robbins ice cream to conclude Day 3.

FOURTH DAY:

Lotte World day. Admission price: W26,000

I was really really impressed with this place. Its no Disneyland but its obviously way way better than Enchanted Kingdom. hahaha! My favorite ride of all is the Pharaoh's Fury... the line going to the ride felt like a museum. Its suer galing!

We had chatting while in line. I think that's the best part of traveling with great friends. You have non-stop conversations about everything under the sun.

FIFTH DAY:

Namsol Hanok Village day. Its nice to be able to see the traditional houses but to be honest, there's nothing much here. Its a good park and good for an afternoon stroll.

I don't remember the sequence of events anymore... hahaha! but I do remember going to Itaewon Market and having a night out in Myeong Dong. We also went to a couple of palaces but its really nothing breathtaking. I think if you see one, then, it'll be enough for your whole trip.

A trip to DMZ was not advisable at that time unless we wanted to be part of the American-S. Korean exercises. hehehe!

Others:

Hostel: Banana Backpackers in Seoul - Nice, clean and affordable. For 8 days there, I only paid around Php 6,000.00. Not bad eh! :)

Mode of transport: Bus from airport to hostel

Train all around

Favorite meals: Street Food - chapchae noodles wrapped in nori… oh!!!! everything actually! hahaha!

There's this restaurant in Insadong Market (it has a small fountain in front - I really wish I can remember the name but just like everything else in Korea, i don't remember any names! hahaha!) which serves the yummiest Kalbi Jim I've tasted. Its pricey but really yummy. We went there twice.

Other tips:

1. Get a Hi Seoul Card. You can get this in any convenience stores and have replenish the used up cash in any subway stations. This is useful most especially if you intend to ride the train all the time

2. There are so many stalls selling clothes, bags and other stuff. They can be seen on every subway station. :-)

3. If you're going in November, bring winter clothes (especially if you are in a tropical country). Or buy shoes and clothes there. :-)

4. Bring shoes that are insulated in the foot are and above the calf area. Ugs type shoes are recommended.

5. The people will bump into you in the subway and will not apologize. Get used to it.

6. They still do not speak english well so get ready to point point in restos and have "surprise" food served.

Heavenly Sagada

Another adventure for Meme, Lysh and Jacky. After traveling the world the past few years, we decided to have a spur of the moment trip to the Northern part of the country. Yes, we braved the 24 hour bus and jeepney rides to get to the Heavenly Sagada!



We were there for 2 full days and its enough to go around the place but if we had enough time, I would spend another day in Sagada to relax and enjoy the cold weather. And then, spend another 1 to 2 days in Baguio on the way back.

Our adventure started on a Thursday night. We took Cable Tours which will bring us to Bontoc. We took this route to have a chance to see the Banaue Rice Terraces. It was actually a really good choice since that route allowed us to see the beautiful orange sky while the sun was rising. There was also a stop over in Banaue to see the rice terraces.


FROM MANILA TO BONTOC

The bus of Cable tours from Manila to Bontoc takes about 8 hours (probably less since we had to stop twice to change tires). Buses everyday leave at 8:30 pm and arrives in Bontoc at 8:30 am. Make sure that you have reservations though because the bus gets full. Make sure that you call them since they don't respond to texts well. Melody sent them SMS a number of times but they did not reply. Their number is +632 774-1290.

Cable Tours' terminal is very easy to miss. It is on E. Rodriguez in front of Shakey's. Shakey's is beside Trinity College and St. Lukes Hospital. The terminal is beside Garcia's supermarket.

Their buses is a bigger version of a coaster. Enough leg room for an asian but taller people might have a hard time. Have a jacket handy. It gets cold in the bus. They show movies all through out and there is piped in music. Do not expect Hollywood movies though. We watched Dolphy and Robin Padilla and it was fun to watch them! :-) You will be sleeping for 12 hours so make sure that you are comfortable in clothing and bring a travel pillow... the one you can put on the chair as a seat pad because your butt will surely hurt! BELIEVE ME!

There are about 2 to 3 stops along the way. I'm not sure how many really because I was asleep most of the way. Bathrooms are not clean so bring alcogel and tissue paper. Also have coins ready in case you need to pay.

FROM BONTOC TO SAGADA

Cable tours will ask you if you want to take the same bus from Bontoc to Sagada for P100. This will make the trip easier since you don't have to move your stuff. BUT... then again, you will miss out on the whole SAGADA JEEPNEY EXPERIENCE! My suggestion, skip the bus and take the jeep! You're there for the adventure anyway.


The jeep costs less and you will have to wait til about 9:15 am before it leaves Bontoc but the whole dusty and bumpy ride is a different experience! :-) You might even want to ride the roof of the jeep if you feel like it. Just make sure that you hold on tight since the roads are not paved and you can fall of the cliff! GOOD LUCK!

Once you get off the Cable tours Cafe stop in Bontoc, walk two blocks down (you will pass Western Union). The jeepney station is in front of a police station or a hall.

WHEN IN SAGADA

First two things to do... register in the visitors information area and check in the hotel.

We checked in George's Guesthouse. PENTHOUSE BABY! :-) The room is clean and big (its for 8 people at Php1000) for its price. It also has a nice view of rice terraces.. and more importantly... they have hot water! :-) Check out this site for more info http://sagadagenuineguides.blogs


First Day:
After checking in and registering, we rested for a few minutes and asked the receptionist in George's guesthouse for a guide. After a few minutes, Jordan arrived! :-) You can choose to get a car to go around but we opted to walk it. Everything is so near and the weather is perfect so there's no point wasting it in a vehicle.

LUMIANG CAVE
20 minutes walk from George Guesthouse is the Lumiang Cave where there are hanging coffins. You will see some hanging coffins along the way but its too far for you to actually see it. Lumiang Cave will let you see the coffins up close.

SUMAGING CAVE

Another 20 minutes walk, you will get to Sumaging Cave. This is a must-see! Do not ever leave Sagada without going here! Your guide will lead you to a cave that is pitch black except for a kerosene lamp. You will have to go up and down slippery rocks so use footwear that will help you keep your balance and feet stable. Bring a flashlight too that you can put around your neck coz your hands should be free.

After about 10 to 20 minutes of going down rocks, hearing bats, being scared of the dark and holding on to rocks with bat poop, you will see beautiful limestone formations. Wade in the cold waters of the underground river. Expect to get wet from the knee down... you can choose to go further the cave where you will get wet from the waist down.


Second Day:

SATURDAY MARKET

I love the absence of a mall in Sagada. Everyone converges in their Saturday market where they have all the produce available. Go around streets to find anything and everything (and I mean EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF) that you will need at a really cheap price.

Enjoy the Sagada city life by walking with the locals. :-)


TOWN FIESTA

We were so lucky to have scheduled our trip on the weekend of their town fiesta. There was a parade on Saturday morning which showcased the culture of Sagada and the Mountain Province. It was an amazing feeling to be part of their tradition. We joined the festivities by walking with them around the church area and eating the street food that they were selling. We had my childhood popcorn and dirty ice cream, P10.00 each! YUMMY!

ECHO VALLEY

This is a trek that we kinda did on our own but a boy named Jason helped us to get there. I suggest that you get a map just to know the different places that you need to go to. Guides are available all the over the place... especially kids. We gave Jason P100 for helping us get to Echo Valley.

To get to Echo Valley, go through the St. Mary's church. At the back of the church is a cemetary. Cross that and walk the trail for a few more minutes. You will reach a place where you can shout your name and the echo will shout it back. Pretty cool but nothing much to do here.

There will also be some hanging coffins that you will see. If you want, you can go to the sacred burial site. Pretty steep climb but doable.

UNDERGROUND RIVER

Beside the vulcanizing shop is a small pathway that leads to the underground river. I didn't get to go to the underground river but Jacky and Melody followed the trail. Not much to see they said so maybe you can skip this.

BOKONG FALLS

Also tagged as the small falls, this is falls is situated pretty near one of the many rice terraces in Sagada. I did not enjoy the falls much but the view of the rice terraces is priceless. Also, you get to walk on the side of the terraces which is an amazing feeling... being in the middle of a fantastic creation by our ancestors. Unbelievable.

You will pass by a small house on the way to the falls. There are benches there where you can just sit and relax for a while. Don't rush... just stay there for a few minutes. Enjoy the laid back Sagada life! :-)

RESTAURANT GUIDE:

Of course my blog will not be complete if I don't write about the best places to eat at in Sagada. :-)

Yoghurt House

We ate 4 out of 5 meals in this place. I must admit that there was only one dish that I loved here but their yogurt is really good. I wish we had a place like that here in Manila.

We tried the following dishes and I wasn't impressed. Vegetable curry, fried rice with vegetable and egg, mushroom and cheese pasta. They were all so, so. What I really enjoyed were the roasted eggplant and basil pasta AND the Farmhouse sandwich. Of course the banana and granola yogurt! Super yummy!

Average price of meal: P180
Yogurt: P75

Masfere Inn

I liked the food here better than Yoghurt House. This is the place where the photos of Masfere, the father of Philippine photography, is displayed. He chronicled the life in the Cordilleras through his photos.

We ordered the chopsuey and the pancit canton and bihon. We also tried the vegetable fried rice which was very tasty also.

Average price of meal: P180

Lemon House

This place only offers Lemon Pie, Egg pie, Carrot cake and Banana Cake. All for P15 to P20 a slice. They only serve breakfast and these cakes. The breakfast served is also dependent on the cook if he/ she is not part of the fiesta. :-)

The pies are ok. Not too tasty but good enough.

NOTE: The restaurants close at 730 pm. If you want to have dinner in these restaurants, make sure that you are there by 6 pm. Remember, this is not a city. People will not stay up late just to serve food.

While there, order Mountain tea or Lemongrass tea. Oh... and the local coffee brewed fresh! Yummy!

Also, you might want to eat at the Log Cabin. They said that its good but you need advanced reservations. It gets really full so better reserve before leaving for Sagada. Meal costs about P350/head.

Third Day:

SAGADA to BAGUIO
Bus trip of Lizardo bus from Sagada to Baguio leaves every hour from 5 am to 1 pm. We woke up at 330 am to catch the 5 am bus it arrived at 530 and left at a little after 6:00 am. I actually prefer this than leaving earlier since it was still pretty dark at that time.

The roads to Baguio are zig zagged almost all the way. The trip took 6 hours but the view is breath-taking. The clouds below us and the sunrise made the 6 hour trip bearable. There were about 3 to 4 stops along the way.

I love it that we were able to buy broccoli and cauliflower at P20/kilo.

BAGUIO to MANILA

From the Lizardo bus station in Baguio, take a cab to the Victory Liner bus station. Cab ride is about P37 to P45.00. The ticketing office of Victory Liner is on the second floor. A bus to Manila (Pasay/ Cubao) leaves every 20 minutes. This costs about P450.00. This trip takes about 7 hours with 3 stops. There are also stops to pick up and drop off passengers along the way.

There is also a non-stop bus from Baguio to Manila. This takes about 5 hours, costs about P700.

These buses show movies that makes the trip bearable. Of course the buses are airconditioned.

What to bring:
a. Sweater
b. Flash light
c. Comfortable shoes for walking
d. Trekking sandals for inside the cave
e. Comfortable clothing

** Note: The locals are very laid back... no need for make up and fancy clothing. There will be lots of walking and trekking, better be as simple and comfortable as possible.

Cost:
A. Manila to Bontoc - P650
B. Bontoc to Sagada Jeep - P45
C. Rooms - 1000/ night (P333.33/person/ night)*2 = P700 for 2 nights
D. Guide - 500 for 1-4 people (Php500/3) = P170/ person
E. Sagada to Baguio - P220
F. Baguio to Manila (Victory Liner) - P450
G. Food - P1000 (or less)
H. Water - P35/ big bottle

Average spending: P3,000 - P4,000 (could be lesser if you find a cheaper place to stay and not to eat out)

3 Amazing days in Bohol

Bohol - Alona beach area, has a certain charm that not a lot of beaches have. It's quiet and a chilled, laid back kind of fun.

Ed and I spent a weekend in Alona Vida resort along the Alona Beach area. We took the 8:00 am flight out of Manila via Cebu Pacific so we got there on time at 9:15 am. I must say that we did not encounter any problems in our flight to Tagbilaran and since we opted not to check-in anything (also it takes off P200 from your airfrare if you don't have any check-in luggage), we breezed through the check-in counter and was by the gate in 20 to 25 minutes of arriving at the airport. We had a lot of time to buy some breakfast at the food stalls at the departure area. They have Jamaican Patties, Delifrance, Cinnabon and a couple of other coffee shops there.

The flight going back to Manila was delayed for about 20 minutes which is not so bad but if you are flying for business I suggest taking a more reliable airline.

NAIA Terminal 3 has the makings of a nice presentable airport for Manila. It's sad though that some parts of it is obviously unfinished. I hope that the government can get its act together and complete this project. Since the airports are the first area the foreign visitors see, it leaves quite a big impression on them.

Since we booked a pick-up from Alona Vida, our driver, Ronnie, was waiting for us already by the exit of the Tagbilaran airport. The 35 minute drive from the airport to Alona Beach was a breeze since the car is well-maintained and the aircondition of the car was working perfectly well. I suggest that you book an airport pick-up with your resort since there are no (or rare) cabs that go all the way from the city to the beach area.


ALONA VIDA RESORT
Boy, am I glad that we chose this resort and this area. It's situated in the middle of a row of resorts fronting the beach. The fine white sand greeted us as we checked in to our hotel. Alona Vida's room is cozy and perfect for a couple of nights stay. They have a bar, diving school, swimming pool and a restaurant that serves good food.


The beds are wide and the bathrooms are clean. They provide for towels but not soap or shampoo so bring your own. They have hot/ cold water for showering and cable tv. The water pressure is also strong so you can wash off the sand from your body pretty well.


The staff was great too... except that there was a glitch in their credit card payment system as we checked out and Rachel was not able to provide a better alternative for us. (On a side note, I think this is one of the weakness of filipino service... for the staff to be more proactive in providing their clients options when its their system that does not work.) The people in the restaurant were all friendly and corteous. If you want to have a good person to coordinate with in that resort, look for Fatima. She's fantastic!

ALONA BEACH DIVING HAVEN

Alona Beach is a haven for divers but since I did not dive on this trip, I enjoyed the quiet mornings just lounging around and enjoying the sun. If I had one more day though, I would have sneaked in a dive to Balicasag. I actually felt a little sad leaving Alona Beach on our second day to tour the city. Hahaha! That's how badly I wanted to just lounge around.

BOHOL CITY TOUR

The city tour was nice but not something I would want to do the second time around. Ronnie offered us his service of touring us around the city. The tour includes 7 spots but if you don't want to hit some of the spots, its fine too. The areas are:

a. The Blood Compact Shrine- This is a monument where the ritual sealing the friendship of Sikatuna and Legaspi.
b. Baclayon church - One of the oldest churches in Asia with coral stoned walls run by Jesuits. It was started in the 1500's so the old feel is so prominent. It's interesting too how they are able to preserve the walls.

c. Man-made Forest - This is Edgar's favorite area. This you should not miss! It's on the way to Chocolate Hills so you really won't miss it. Make sure though that you go out of the car and feel the cool and crisp air that these trees create. This project was started during the Marcos administration where they planted mahogany trees to 300 hectares of land spanning a couple of baranggays in the area. Great idea, Mr. Marcos! I hope there are more of these done in every area of the Philippines.

d. Chocolate Hills - Not to be missed since we've been studying this since we were in grade 3. You have to climb about 50 steps to get to the top but the view is worth it. There will also be camera men offering their services for souvenir photos.


e. Loboc River Cruise lunch - Honestly, I would've skipped this since the food was just ok (compared to the food in Alona restos) and the cruise is nothing great but it was a new thing so might as well. The most popular of the floating restos is the Riverwatch. I loved their puto so if you go on the buffet, please get more than 1. I was surprised that everything was gone when I wanted to go for the second round. You eat on the boat and they take you on a breezy 20 minute cruise and stopping for a few minutes for a show prepared by the locals. It was nice to see the lolos and the lolas dancing their traditional dances. All the river cruises costs P300/ per person including lunch and entrance at the Tarsier Farm.


f. Tarsier Farm - These creatures are so cute I want to bring them home. Don't touch them, ok? They get suicidal when stressed. We also saw flying lemurs on a mango tree. I was surprised though that it was only a small farm. I thought it was bigger but the few minutes with the tarsiers was a nice experience.

g. Hanging Bridge - We were too anxious to go back to the beach that we didn't go to this spot anymore.

You can rent a car for P2,000 for the tour. They said that you might be able to find cheaper ones being offered around but they are not part of a cooperative which can provide assistance just in case your car breaks down in the middle of the tour.

There are also tours being offered by the resort but they are often more expensive at P1,800 per person.

DINING ON ALONA BEACH

Now comes the part that I enjoy talking about. THE FOOD EXPERIENCE!!! :-)

We didn't get to eat at the city where they say the food is cheap and good... but I was so satisfied with my gastronomical experience on Alona Beach that I did not mind.

There are a number of restaurants by the beach to choose from! When its not raining, the restaurants set up tables and chairs closer to the water for a more relaxing and beach-like dining experience. Here are some of the restos that we've tried and loved. Most of these are recommendations of our friends Melody and Bing who went there a couple of weeks before us.

A. Coco Vida in Alona Vida Resort - What to order:
- Try their Banana choco shake - its good and refreshing! - P110.00
- Mixed fruits pancake - they serve two huge pieces so its really good to share
- Garlic rice - They use fresh garlic!!! - between P35- P50.00
- Pancit Canton - Its tasty but oily...
- Omelette - This is also good for two.
- Chopsuey - they used fresh vegetables and is also good for two people
Just like most of the restos in the area, they offer freshly grilled seafood at night. We liked their variety best and we ordered freshly caught tangigue which was served with a nice presentation.

B. Hayahay Pizza - We had a snack here ordering Margherita pizza with extra garlic. Boy! They did not scrimp on the garlic at all! The whole pizza was filled with toppings from the side to the center! YUMMY! - P230

C. ISIS Restaurant - THE BEST SEAFOOD TOM YUM SOUP!!!
Melody was right. If only for the Seafood Tom Yum Soup with big noodles, I would go back to Bohol!!! This is the tastiest Seafood Tom Yum Soup I have ever had! Be careful with the lemon grass and herbs though since there a lot which makes the soup really good. This dish is meant to be shared. Big serving.

We also tried their Egg in Tamarind Sauce which for me is another to die for dish!!!



The chef is Thai so no wonder their food is delicous and tastes authentic thai!!! :-)

Also one thing I noticed in this resto is they have nice dishes and serving plates. Not the plastic types that you normally see in beach restos. Interesting!

D. Pyramid - This restaurant is about two restaurants away from Alona Vida. They serve the yummiest Bam-i!!! Its so good and plenty that I brought them back to Manila and had them for lunch at the office!

What we kept on going back to is their Split-up Banana with Ice Cream. The first night we went there they served it with Chippy all around. I loved it but Ed didn't so the next time we went, we requested to have it topped in cereals. It was heavenly! The warm banana with cold ice cream topping... Fantastic!!!

Break down of costs:

1. Airfare - Cebu Pacific P1.00 promo, bought two seats and insurance - Total cost: P3,150.00 roundtrip
2. Hotel - Alona Vida (they just increased their rates) - P3,200 per night
3. Airport pick-up and drop-off - P500 one way- Total of P1,000 per car
4. City Tour - P2,000 a day for 7 spots
5. Loboc River Cruise - P300/ person with lunch
6. Food - P2,000/ head for 3D/ 2N - that's if you're super matakaw :-)

We were sorry to leave Bohol but we know we will be back! If you have questions on Bohol, feel free to email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com.

Hope this helps!!

2008 Birthday Trip - Bohol

Yes, yes, one more year! Yes, yes, a year older! I hope a year wiser too! :-) This year, I didn't join my friends in their trip to Italy. Made me a bit sad that I can't be with them but we're meeting up in Hong Kong anyway so that makes it less sad for me. :-)

I have two trips for my birthday that I'm looking forward to. The first is my Bohol trip with my Edgar :-), the second one, a week with Melody and Jacky in HK and Macau. :-)

It's my first time to go to Bohol so I'm really excited. It's also the first time I'm riding the plane with Edgar. Should be very interesting. :-) We're staying in this resort called Alona Vida. My friends Bing and Melody went there two weeks ago and they loved the place. We've also been given a list of places to eat at. I'm looking forward to eating the Tom Yum soup with flat noodles in Isys. Melody's been raving about it.

Anyway, I'll let you know about my Cebu Pacific experience and the whole Bohol trip with costs, reviews and contact numbers when I get back.

Virgin Beach Resort- Laiya, Batangas

For the first time in years, I have decided to stay in Manila during Holy Week. I needed to relax completely and rid my mind of the stress (well, that includes the stress of a long vacation too!). It was a great experience doing absolutely nothing! I haven't done that in a while and I didn't realize it was that liberating! :-)

On my fourth vacation day though, my feet were itching to go out of town so I agreed to join my family to a trip to Batangas.

After a two and a half hour ride, we found Virgin Beach Resort in San Juan, Laiya, Batangas. White sand, clear waters and a wonderful cloudless sky made me smile. The water had some jellyfish but not enough to scare me.

We only went there for a day trip and Virgin Beach Resort is very accommodating to day trippers like us. They have cottages and grills all around the area. The day trippers area is a bit far from the private area of the overnighters but our area is not bad for a few hours stay. It gets packed though so make sure that your ears are ready to hear the different kinds of music coming from every cottage.

The smoke of the grills can either annoy you or can remind you of the good old days. BRING LOTS OF FOOD AND COOK IT BY THE BEACH! :-) That means, marinated chicken, liempo, bangus, kamatis at bagoong and salted egg! UMM!!! YUMMY!!! Oh... and fruits like watermelon, mangoes and turnips (singkamas)!

You can rent a cottage for P1,000 a day. The grill has been set up so you can share it with other people within your area. I guess that's fine since there are a lot of grills all around. They also keep the grounds clean all the time with two posts of trash bins in every cottage and care takers changing the bags every hour.

Parasols can be rented with a mattress and a wooden bed. You can sleep here the whole day for P1,200.

Bathrooms. They have showers and toilet areas. Not the best that you can find in the world but clean enough. I wished though that they have a space where you can place your toiletries inside the shower.

If you don't have food with you, you can avail of their set meal for P600/head. They have a nice restaurant that serves good mango shake and mais con hielo. The restaurant is fronting the beach so just sitting down there on a hot summer day and sipping your shake is like being in paradise!

For those who wants to go on an overnight trip, they have airconditioned casitas (P6,600.00 a night) for 4 people and fan rooms called Bamboo cabanas (P4,400.00 a night) for 6 people. Check in time is 1:00 pm and Check out time is 11:30 am. Additional P1,100/ head for packaged dinner, breakfast and lunch.

If you stay overnight, the area where the lounge chairs are --by the beach-- is perfect if you want to just relax and watch the sunset.

The staff seems to be very nice and accommodating. I've read an article online with the nasty email and I was worried about their service. It turns out that they are very friendly and always ready to help you out.

I can't wait to go back and enjoy the beach and the resort! :-)

Check out additional photos at http://www.pbase.com/lysh/virginbeach.
For reservations, you can call them at +632 815-2584 or 815-2587 or visit their website at http://www.virginbeachresort.com/.

Here's the breakdown of the cost for the day-trippers:
a. Entrance fee: P100/ head
b. Corkage fee if you have food and drinks: P70/ head or Php600.00/head if you're eating at the restaurant
c. Cottage fee: P1000.00 for a whole day
d. Parking fee: P50/ car

For overnighters:
a. Airconditioned casitas: P6,600 for 4 people - (P1650/ head)
b. Food: P1,100/ head (lunch, dinner, breakfast)

*** Add around P500/ head for gas and toll fee in SLEX and Star Toll Way.

A Day in the National Museum

Holiday Friday with nothing much to do, Ed and I headed to Manila for the National Museum. In all of my travels, I have always been fascinated by the different cities that I have visited. My home city, Manila, has been a place I always pass through but never bothered to visit.

Today though is a different story. I only wanted to see the Spolarium of Juan Luna but ended up understanding that the whole city of Manila was strategically built (or at least they planned to) to house the important structures essential to the administration of the city and the country. It also has it's different areas of interest to boost the Philippine culture. It's sad though that this has not come to full fruition and parts of what have been completed is not well-maintained.

So, we headed to the National Museum. They have two buildings, the Old Congress building which re-opened last July holds the Spolarium of Juan Luna and numerous paintings of Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo. The newer building plays host to various collection of artifacts from sunken San Diego ship to the different porcelains and vases of the Chinese era. There are also a number of collections from the numerous tribes in our country.

In my very limited exposure to the arts, I feel that they could add more collections in this building. There are 5 stories in this building and very well ventilated with cold air conditioning for each room. Since each room is named after big Philippine companies, I assume that they have been funding the maintenance of this building. Big thanks to Meralco, Ayala and the other companies that I have forgotten the names.

Just a quick observation though... since it was just Ed and myself going around the building (this is in the new building) it felt eerie. It started on the second floor hall. Ed really liked that hall area with its marble structures and its stained glasses so we were reading the history of the city when I started getting nervous which is weird since I was the one who wanted to go to the museum. But the pounding of my heart went on as we moved to the each gallery. It began beating faster when we entered the San Diego hall. Ed felt it too but he chose to ignore it. I couldn't ignore it for the life of me. When it came to the Archeology hall (I've forgotten the name -the area where they show the burial rites and ways in the olden days), I couldn't make myself go in. I let Ed go inside and I waited for him outside. When he went out he said that it was eerie inside. Spooky!

The tour of the Congress building though was amazing. I loved the different paintings of Luna and Hidalgo.

Take a stroll to the Teodoro Valencia Circle with the big monument of a Rajah. I think its Rajah Sulayman but I'm not sure. After all these, go inside the Orchidarium and have a grilled ensaymada and spanish chocolate in Barbara's. This is ony P110. Not bad eh!

Ed and I know that we have so much more to explore in Manila. We haven't even began to touch the surface but it excites me that now, I can actually tell my foreign friends that there are interesting places to visit in Manila and not just the beaches outside nor the malls in the city.

Entrance fee: P100/ adult (New building)

P75/ adult (Congress building)

If you go to both buildings on the same day you get in for P150/ person

Location: Finance Rd. Manila.

Directions: From Makati, take Roxas Blvd. Make a rt on P. Burgos then another slight turn to Finance Rd. You'll see Barbara's Restaurant on your right. The two buildings are right beside each other.

For more photos, click here.

Washington Sycip Park, Makati

In the middle of the bustling CBD of Makati is a little oasis on Legaspi Village. Not far from Greenbelt 1, a small garden has been built to act as a little haven and area for relaxation.

This morning, being a holiday, I decided to take my camera and shoot some photos of this park. The sun was out, there were not a lot of cars on the road and there were a few people enjoying a relaxing morning at the park.


Each entrance of the park was well planned with it's jars, rocks, and plants planted all around the doors. There are three entrances to this park. You can enter through Rada St, Gamboa St or Legaspi St. Each will lead you to a small pond with fishes and DUCKS! Yes, people! There are ducks in the middle of Makati. I was lucky to chance upon them walking from the garden to the pond.

It was great to see kids with their parents enjoying the park and feeding the fishes.



There are also benches underneath the trees and gazebos which some people use for studying, reading a book or just passing time.



There are security guards who man the place to make sure that everything is in order. The grounds are surprisingly clean. Thanks to the administrators of this park. I really hope that they maintain this little oasis for us who needs to get away from the madness of the city life. It's no Central Park but an area to sit down and read a book with green surroundings is always welcome.

For more photos on this park, click here.

Group Trip Preparations Tips

Preparation month for us! A month more and we are off to this year's destination. Europe!

This year, we have set a $3000 budget all in for this trip (inclusive of pocket money). With the route that we want to take, our budget is pretty tight. Since we are not joining a tour group, we all have to do our homework and get the best deals that we can find.

Planning is one phase of our trips! Its time-consuming but it builds excitement and brings out our resourcefulness and teamwork. Seriously! Being in a group of travellers, you learn compromise, kindness, generosity, teamwork, resourcefulness, tact and being a cheerleader. It's like preparing for an event and dealing with different suppliers and team members. It's a plus if you have known these people for a long time or have been with trips with them before. If not, just remember that you can learn new things from them all the time. You all have one thing in common, you want to take the next great adventure!!! :-)

Here are some tips I can share for a group preparing for a trip.

Themes.
a. If you are in a group, agree on a theme for the year or the whole reason why you are all travelling. This guides the decisions that you make. (ex. our group choose places that would be harder to go to when we are older... Cambodia, India... Morocco. This year, we decided on a European destination but will still fit our budget... the decision... EASTERN EUROPE!)

Destination decision
b. Once a theme is decided, choose the destination. Everyone has to agree with the destination. No half-hearted group member. Each should be excited with the destination. Remember, it's their vacation too!

Timing
c. This could prove to be a problem since not everyone can take leaves at the same time. We normally approximate the time or month a year before. This way, we all have enough time to file leaves, prepare, save and research. Take into consideration the travel destination and the climate on the month you decide to visit. This can make or break your vacation.

Intentions
d. It would be good too if each person can tell the group what their main reason is for travelling. If one chooses to shop more than the others, the itinerary should be flexible enough that the shoppers can have their shopping time and the more culturally oriented ones can go on about seeing other places than the mall. Remember that you don't always have to stay together as a group. Having one companion each is a must though.

Research
e. Research! Research! Research! Study the place you're going to. Do they have Unesco World Heritage sites? Do they have a lot of shopping places? Which places do you want to visit first? What's the city center? What can you find around the City Center? How far are the sites from the City Center?

Assign. Assign. Assign.
f. No one person should be assigned to take care of everything. Each person in the group should be assigned to a task. (Ex. one can be assigned to research on flights, another to the tourist spots, another for restaurants, another for nightlife -- you all need a drink or two to meet the locals, right?!?! ;-)).

Collate!
g. Collate and evaluate. Once data is ready, share it with the others. Meet for dinner or email. It would be nice if you can all meet up. It's nice to start getting to know each other or just sharing the excitement of everyone for the trip.

Flights
h. For flights, show at least three different options. Cost is almost always the biggest consideration so show different flights from cheapest to most expensive. Next consideration is the date and time... do you fly on weekdays or weekends? Day or night? Remember that you don't all have to fly together if it really is not possible but make sure that everyone agrees to meet in the place of destination on a certain date so that the tour can commence on that date.

Accomodation Selection
i. If flights are tricky, you should look into this more closely. There might be people in your group who are picky with accomodations. First, agree on the amount to be spent on accomodations so you have a baseline on whether you will choose a 4 star, 5 star hotels or apartments. Next, give options of different hotels with cost per night or the whole time of stay so they can all vote and agree on the accomodations.

Places to See
j. There might be tons of places to go to in one place. Choose the best ones that you can go to in a day. Write them down and schedule which ones to go to at certain times of the day.

I'll stop here for now. There are so many tips. I'll add more later.

2007 Destination - Paris-Vienna-Prague

This year's destination, EUROPE!!! :-)



Since 2004, my friends (I think this started in 2002 but I only joined them in 2004) and I have been travelling to different parts of the world. Yes, God has blessed me with this chance of visiting different countries with my friends!

In 2004, we went to Cambodia and Thailand. In 2005, we ventured into the colorful and artistic world of India and Singapore. Last year, we toured Qatar for a day and visited the exotic country of Morocco. This year, 2007, we are going to the fashion capital, Paris and the country with one of the best architectural wonders, Prague, Czech Republic. We're also heading to the land of Mozart, Vienna, Austria.

As of today, we have booked and paid for our tickets with Singapore Airlines. Meine, one of my closest friends and travel buddy found the "Double the Miles" promo of Singapore Airlines. Now, we have a free trip to anywhere in South East Asia which we can avail upon our return. We've already decided that we are going to Yangon, Myanmar next year for a weekend. That's going to be another exciting trip! :-)

Unlike our other trips, we are not joining any tour groups. We'll be touring on our own. This is going to be exciting but we have to do a lot of research before we leave so we can go to the best places too. I'm in charge of researching on Prague so I better start! :-)

For accomodations, we are renting an apartment in Paris and we might also do the same for Prague. I'm just checking if we can do the same for Vienna. These would make our accomodations cost about 40% cheaper than staying in a regular hotel.

Preparing for our trips give all of us our natural high. We prepare for this the whole year and now that its only a couple of months away, it's getting more and more exciting!