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!

Mt. Pinatubo Weekend

"My tolerance for camping is only overnight.", that's my usual comment when people invite me to go camping. Pitching a tent, the lack of bathrooms in the campsite and sleeping with only a sheet between me and the ground turns me off. But when Grace asked me if I want to reach the crater of Mt. Pinatubo, I didn't hesitate. Well, I also did not realize that there was camping involved. hehehe!

After this weekend though, it has changed the way I see the camping experience. Mike, our guide for this trip, made everything as relaxed and as convenient as possible. The campsite is fantastic, the food is extra-ordinaire and he's well experienced that you are safe while you trek.

Dau, Pampanga is about 2-3 hours away from Manila. We left Makati around 10 am on a Saturday and got to Dau at around 11:45 pm. We met with everyone at 2 pm and then started moving towards Sta. Juliana, Tarlac. It took about 1.5 hours to get to the Barangay hall where every visitor is asked to register for monitoring. You park your car inside a school compound so its safe.

As soon as we loaded our trailer with all our stuff, we headed to the campsite riding our 4x4 truck for the weekend. After going through lahar for 10 minutes, we got to Tambo lake. I was so happy that our campsite is by a lake. It was so relaxing just being in that place. Mountains all around you and then a very still and calm body of water with two small huts in the middle... that's our home for the night. After stretching and raving about the place, we started pitching our tent. BOY! I didn't think that pitching tents were a lot easier now compared to when I was in
5th grade. I got a kick out of putting up the small red tent I will be sharing with my brother. It's like playing bahay-bahayan all over again! hahaha!

Since this is not a resort, the bathroom is an outback type. No flush but there's a water pump outside so you can gather some water on a pail and bring it with you inside the rest room. No showers in this place so bring alcohol and Wet-Ones. Once the campsite is set, we were just lounging around waiting for the sun to set. One of the things that I really enjoyed is interacting with the local aetas. Since this place has not been infiltrated with a lot of tourists, the aetas are still friendly and would not expect money from you everytime you talk to them or take their photos. They let me talk to their kids and join them fishing in the lake. They even let our
friends ride their boat to go around the lake. It's very refreshing to see locals still untouched by
commercial tourism.

The ecopark is only open from March to early June. It is closed during the rainy season. My suggestion is that you go towards the end of May and the start of June. The trek to the crater is excruciatingly hot since there's a big portion of the trek with no vegetation in site. The drizzle and the cloudy skies will actually be helpful while you trek.

Mike's schedule is ideal since we started trekking early in the morning so we can be back at the trail head a bit after lunch. We started the trek at 10 am and was back for lunch at 2.

Rise and shine is at 530 am to give enough time to enjoy the morning view of the lake, breakfast, getting ready and cleaning the campsite. Once all tents and bags are loaded in the trailer, we were off to the volcano.

After about an hour of a fun 4x4 ride through rocks, sand, lahar and water, we reached the trail head. For the hike, you might want to bring a day bag different from your backpack. Your backpacks and tents will be left in the trailer so you really don't have to worry about any of your stuff. You can bring a smaller back pack with 4 liters of water, trail food, sun block, camera, slippers (if you want) and extra shirt if you are swimming. Don't bring any other things that you don't need. Its harder to walk if your bag is heavy.

Be ready to get your shoes wet so use old rubber shoes or trekking shoes. The trail is very rocky so make sure to stretch before starting the hike. Most important stretches are your legs and your ankles. You'll be off balance at some point so your ankles should be prepared. Its also very hot so wear a cap and shades. Put sun block on to make sure that you don't burn from the heat.

The trail goes from wide expanse of rocky and lahar, it become narrower and narrower while seeing bigger rocks and more trees leading towards the crater.

According to our guide, this place used to be like a silver desert but now, life forms are coming back to this place. Life rules! :-)

There's a water source about 5 minutes away from the crater but don't drink this if you have a sensitive tummy. No one sells water or food along the way so bring your own.

Once you reach the area with the view of the crater, enjoy it! Remember that this calm waters used to be hell hot magma. After resting and taking photos at this area, you might want to go down and be in the crater. You can swim in the water!!!

I suggest that you swim. When do you get to swim on a crater of one of the most destructive volcanos?!?! Go ahead and enjoy it. :-) The water is sulfuric so wear old bikinis or swim suit since the color might fade. The water is cold and refreshing. Just don't drink it. Stay on the sides if you don't know how to swim. It drops from 3 ft to a we-can't-figure-out deep.

There are no decent bathrooms or rest rooms in the area. The whole mountain is your bathroom. :-) You can let yourself dry on the trek back. Believe me! With the heat, your clothes will be dry in no time. :-)

Oh, I should mention that if you don't want to climb STEEP stairs, don't go down the crater. The local government built a semblance of stair steps going up and down the crater. Going down is easy but going back is harder than the trek.

After another 2 hour trek back, the 4x4 will now bring you back to the Barangay hall. Here, you can take a shower for P20 each person. Be careful though since its not clean at all. Wear slippers. The water is cold but the cubicles are dirty. When we went there, there was only one cube working.

Now that you are all cleaned up and ready to go home, finish up your trip with a meal in the original sisig place, Aling Lucing's sisg. It's on Angeles City. Once you hit Dau again, ask people there where the RILES is and they will give you directions. That area comes to life at night with its bars and grill place. With the whole day of walking, a cup of rice, one order of sisig, one order of lechon manok and coke... that's the perfect ending! :-)

Here are photos of the craters when it erupted in 1991 and at present.

Estimated expenses:
a. Toll fee on NLEX - P360 -- two way

b. Gasoline - P1000
c. Saturday Lunch - 150

d. Tips for local guide and driver - 200

e. Shower cost - P20/ person

f. Sunday night Dinner - 200

g. Package cost - P2770/ person (for 4 people)

h. Meals (dinner, breakfast, lunch) prepared by guide - P300

Total expenses: P5000.00

This can be lower if you divide the gas and toll fee cost amongst yourselves.

Things to remember:
a. No signal for Globe and Sun Cellular subscribers starting from Barangay Hall

b. Put your clothes, camera, etc in plastic bag inside your bag. This is protection for your things just in case it rains.

c. Bring rubbing alcohol. Since there will be no decent showers up until you get back to the barangay hall, this will be your body disinfectant for two days. You can also bring Wet Ones to wash your face with.

d. 4 liters of water to bring while trekking is just enough if the sun is really high and you consume a lot of water.

e. If you are going to swim, you can wear your tank top underneath your shirt for the trek. Use an old tank top coz it might fade due to the sulfur content of the water.

f. Stop for a few minutes and sit on the cold and clean running water from the mountains.
g. Make some GORP as trail food if you have time. Goold Old Raisins and Peanuts (c/o Ginger).
For more photos, check out www.pbase.com/lysh/pinatubo

If you want to experience this adventure, get in touch with Mike Soriano at +63 9279251415. He can prepare a package for you and your friends.

Pagsanjan Falls -- Shooting the Rapids

With short planning time and limited budget, we decided to stay in Manila for the 5 day holiday. Not wanting to do nothing for these rare vacation moments, we decided to do a day trip in Pagsanjan Falls. I've been hearing about this place since I was a kid but I've never really had the chance to go so its pretty exciting to see what this place is all about.

Pagsanjan is about 2 hours away from Makati. We left Makati at 730 am on a Good Friday so there were almost no cars on the road. To get there, take the South Super Highway all the way down to the last exit -- Calamba, Laguna. Follow the road that leads to Los Banos, Laguna. Take the main road and you'll get to Pagsanjan, Laguna. You'll be passing the municipalities of Los Banos, Pila and Sta. Cruz. Enjoy the ride! The view of the trees and the rice fields reminds me how great it is to be out of Manila! Wonderful! We got to the resort at 930 am.

A Pagsanjan Arc will mark your arrival at your destination. Pass the arc and you'll see the Pagsanjan church. Make a right at this point and you will notice a lot of boatman flaggers on the streets. Billboards along the roads will notify you that you shouldn't be dealing with illegal boatmen in the area. Be warned too that there are flaggers as early as 20 minutes away from the main Pagsanjan area. They will tell you that they are part of the Boatmen Association and will bring you to the area. They might be legal but its still best to trust the Department of Tourism Accredited groups.

We have made earlier reservations with La Corona Hotel in Pagsanjan. Their contact info is: 049-5011753. Look for Michael or Marvin. My suggestion is to arrange and book a trip with a hotel or a resort since you can use their facilities after you get wet from the falls. Believe me!!! You would want to take a shower after the trip. With the heat of the sun and the cold water of the falls, you need to freshen up after the rapids trip. :-) It's P100 more than the normal rate but you get to use their facilities and the best part is that, the resorts have back-ups and emergency support if in case something happens during the trip. Their shower rooms are clean so freshening up is not a problem. I just wish they had an exhaust fan in the shower room since its a bit warm.

As soon as we got there, we were received with a warm smile by the receptionist. After paying P760 per person, we relaxed for a few minutes at their breezy patio/ restaurant. After a cup of coffee, a couple of juice drinks and a plate of french fries, we were off on our Shooting the Rapids adventure.

Our Boatmen were waiting for us by the steps leading to the river, ready to put our life vests on. Once the vests have been secured, we got into our canoe. The boats can take 3 people max. I was so scared that we might fall off the canoe in the beginning. It was a small thing carrying 4 people with the boatman in front leading the way and skillfully stepping on the rocks to move our boat forward. These boatmen are unbelievable! After a few minutes of seeing how our boatmen can easily maneuver our boat, I relaxed and just took photos. It was really amazing how they can kick and pull and carry the boats from one point to another.

In between rapids, you will see lush greens on both sides while you're cruising through calm waters. You can hear birds, see dragon flies and spot monkeys along the way. Its a nature trip! Fantastic!

After about 10 minutes on the boat, we had a stop over in a place where you can buy drinks and eat grilled chicken. This is a tourist trap! Once you get off your boat, the vendors will instantly ask you to buy a drink for your boatmen. Since our boatmen were so good, we decided to get each one of them a can of coke. Hmmm... How much is a can? P40! Highway robbery! But, I guess the boatmen do deserve the rest and the soda. The second part of the ride to the falls is much harder than the first part.

When we got to the Pagsanjan Falls (which is actually in the Cavinti, Laguna area), we got on the raft that will bring us inside the cave and under the falls. The raft ride is P90/ head. This is the part that you should not miss!!!! You get wet big time but its so much fun. Remember to put your head down but tilt it a bit on the side where you can get some air. You'll be under the water fall for a good 10 to 20 seconds. Scream as much as you can and enjoy the super cold water!

After a few minutes of rest and admiring the falls, we headed back to the resort. The ride back is faster and more fun since the water is down stream. It felt like being on the Log Jam ride of Enchanted Kingdom!

After 2 hours, we were back in the resort for a much awaited meal. LUNCH! The lunch in the resort is super yummy! Don't miss their Adobo de Pagsanjan (there's a lot of pork fat though so please tell the waiter to remove them if you don't want fat) and Spicy Sizzling Sisig.

To cap off the trip to Pagsanjan, don't ever miss having a massage by Lola Lolita through the resort! She's the best! Plus, you'll have the massage in a cabana near the pool area.


Expenses breakdown per person:
Shooting the Rapids package via resort:
P760 inclusive of vest, boat ride, guide, use of pool and showers at the resort
P 80 two cans of coke for our boatmen
P 90 Raft ride to the falls
P 50 tip for the men at the raft ride
P 200 tip for our boatmen
P 200 (estimate) for lunch
Total cost: P1380
** Exclusive of Gas and Toll fee

Things to remember:
1. Expect to get wet so be in clothes that can get wet
2. Bring toiletries for showering
3. Use sun block -- it can be really hot
4. Bring either a pelican or a bag that is water proof so you have a container for your camera and money
5. Bring water for drinking while you are on the boat
6. You might want to bring a towel or sarong to cover your legs from the heat of the sun

Jewels of Morocco

To see the great sights in Morocco, we signed up for the Cosmos tour which lasted for 10 days and brought us from Casablanca down to Quarzazate and back up again to Casablanca. We visited around 7 cities all in all (Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, Erfoud, Quarzazate, Marrakech). Each has its own charm and magic.

The tour costs about $700 and includes hotels in all cities, tour of the cities, breakfast and most of the dinners. It doesn't include lunches, trip to the Sahara desert, tour around the Fez Medina and other optional tours. You also have to allot tips for the tour guides, tour director, driver and assistant. This would probably cost around $200 to $300 if you're generous.


Rabat is the capital of the city. The influence of the french is very aparent in this city. Here you will see the Royal Palace of Rabat and the Hassan Mosque. I like the Hassan Mosque and his tomb more. You can actually play hide and seek in the wide grounds just hiding behind the columns. The Chellah Ruins is also located in this city.

I'm not very interested with architecture but the design of each palace and the details that go in every square inch of the construction is something to really look at. The Morrocan mosaic is very distinct. Make sure to look closely at each hand made architecture of the buildings.

Meknes is the place of the grainery. If you like taking photos in yellow lights, the grainery is one place you should visit. The dome like architecture is intriguing and the yellow lights make it dramatic. While you're here don't forget to vist the Roman Ruins of Volubilis. Its not part of the tour but its worth the 1 hour trip.


Fes, this walled city is a very important city in the history of Morocco. Once the capital of Morocco, you can see that the city has preserved much of their history and culture. The streets are also lit with yellow lights at night. The medina is a maze and just walking around it is an adventure in itself. You will be greeted by donkeys at the corners. Just be careful coz they might be right behind you. You will see live chickens for sale, dates, clothes, imported products... etc... There are a lot of stuff to buy here but you might want to hold off until Marrakech because carrying your shopping bags for the rest of the trip is not fun.

You will see kids playing soccer in every corner of the street. Its like a blend of the new and old. Kids playing soccer on the walled streets. Very interesting sight.

Erfoud is one of my favorite cities. Being the gateway to the sahara, it had its charm added by the Men from the Berber tribe. We had a chance to go around the market where they sell sheep and donkeys. And... the much awaited trip to the sand dunes of the desert! We rode a 4x4 to reach the edge of the sand dunes. It was raining though and very, very cold while we were there. It didn't stop as from riding our camels and enjoying every minute on the dune. Our guide, Midi, is also very personable and can talk English pretty well. Your guides will try to sell you some stuff that they make if the tourist season is over. Its not the real thing but I'm sure the money will help them and their families during the difficult seasons.

Quarzazate... one way to describe this place is enchanting. Dubbed as the hollywood of Morocco, it's not a surprise that this place is often picked as settings for period films. The backdrop of the mountains and the sun is marvelous. No wonder movies like Gladiator, Jesus of Nazareth, Arabian Nights were filmed here.


We were able to visit the location where they shot the movie Gladiator and Jesus of Nazareth. It really felt biblical going around that area. The pathway that Jesus walked on, the donkeys and sheep... they all seem so real and not just something we read in books. Before we can get to this place, we had to be thrown over a donkey (seriously!!! they don't wait for you to get on. The donkey owners just carry you and put you on the donkey! Hahaha! Its super fun though.)!

Marrakech... another of my favorite cities. This city is fast growing with beautiful pink houses being built in the best places in Marrakech. The streets are lined with palm trees and yellow lights. Its so beautiful and romantic. Thus, a carriage ride going around the city is recommended.
The Marrakech square is also one place you shouldn't miss. Make sure you go there at night time so as to avoid the heat of the sun. Also, the square is more alive at night rather than in the mornings. Best thing to do is to go there before sunset, go to a cafe, order cafe au lait or orange juice and watch the pink city turn into a darker shade while the sun sets.

If you have an adventurous tummy, you can eat at one of the food stalls in the square. They offer a variety of kebabs and other dishes. Just make sure that your tummy can take it or else you will have a hard time going in and out of the bathroom on the plane or worse, on the way back to Casablanca.

This is also the place to shop. For Filipinos, its not super cheap in this place either but you can bargain for a much cheaper price so this is one of the places to shop. They sell everything in this area... from hookahs to djeelavahs to tea pots... everything! Think Divisoria of Morocco.

I was sad to leave Marrakech but it was time to head back to Casablanca and tour that city. Casablanca is a mix of old and new, poor and rich. Very similar to the Philippines. The area I loved in this city is the cornice area. Its lined with different cafes and ice cream bars near the beach. This is where the rich and powerful people of Casablanca meet. The cherry ice cream in Venezia ice is really good. Its a must to try it!

By the end of the trip, we were just tired of eating Tagine so we explored the city to find something different. For lunch, we tried the Mc Donalds ala Morocco. It tastes so much better than the Philippine or US burger. They have Mc Arabia and L280 which are very tasty! A must try too.

For dinner, we walked to the port area and had dinner at Ostrea. They server really good oysters but you should try their Paella too. Its good for two people. Morocco sells good safron so their paella is very tasty. Just walk Humphrey Bogart street all the way till the end of the Port area and you'll see the resto there.

Oh, Casablanca also has one building of Zara and Mango. The modern women of Morocco are very fashionable. Blame it on the French influence. We just hope that they still retain the mystic of their culture even if they have now been invaded by the technology of the television.

Our tour ended in Casablanca. No reason for us not to go back to this beautiful country. Next
time, we'll explore the northern part.

To book with Cosmos tour, we coursed it through Bridges Travels here in Manila. Marcy, our travel agent, is very effecient. She found us the cheap flights to Casablanca and coordinated our tour and hotels with ease. You can get in touch with Marcy at tryus@bridgestravel.com.

Some tips when travelling to Morocco.

Food:
A. They sell the best freshly squeezed orange juices. Don't forget to try them
B. They have good olives! Black or green, it doesn't matter.
C. Their Tagine is good but it can get tiring after 5 days of eating the same thing. Order keftas or kebabs whenever you can. Tagine is always available.
D. A small water bottle costs around MAD3 and the big one costs around MAD5. This would depend on which city you're at but make sure you don't go way above these costs.
E. If you don't like sugar with your tea, make sure you tell them as you order. Generally, they server their mint tea with lots of sugar.
F. Mint tea costs around MAD10
G. For those who needs rice everyday, you can have either couscous or long rice with raisins. No place to order plain rice, sorry. Enjoy the Moroccan dish as much as you can.
H. Make sure you eat in a cafe and look out, observe people. When you're in Morocco, do as the Moroccans do.
I. When eating lunch and they say that they serve a package of 3 or 4 course meal, always ask if they can serve you ala carte. It would be cheaper to get the main course for MAD 40 than to eat the whole 4 course meal for MAD 120.
J. For those on a real budget, you can bring your water discreetly in the restos. A big bottle of water costs MAD20 inside the restaurants. It doesn't seem much but if you're ordering every meal, it adds up.

Visa and Travel Info:
A. You don't need a visa if you're from the Philippines but you need to book your tours before leaving the country
B. Don't miss out going to Volubilis. Its not part of the tour package but your tour director can arrange transportation to go there.
C. For those taking the Jewels of Morocco tour, they will give you optional tours. If you're choosing between the Fez dinner or the Marrakech one, choose the Fez dinner. Its more fun and there's more variety in food. In Marrakech, you can enjoy the square at night. That's more entertaining.
D. If you're taking a Cosmos Tour, make sure that you don't have a pulley. They won't accomodate it on the coach. Extra hand carry costs around US3 a day.
E. Bring a book or something to read. There are long drives which can get boring if you can't sleep. Bring something to read or something to listen to.
F. Don't miss out on the carriage ride in Marrakech. Its nice to do it during sunset or night time.
G. Not all cafes serve food. A lot of the cafes serves only espresso or cafe au lait. No food!
H. For women, its normal that men would call out for you on the streets. Don't get scared. They are just saying hi to tourists and happy that you're bringing in much needed money in the region.

Shopping:
A. Bargaining is a must. If you are going to shop in the souks, make sure you bargain half of the original price quoted.
B. Buy the nougats sold in the Medina. There's also some being sold at the entrance of Casbah Oudiais but don't buy there. The nougats come in different flavors, chocolate, caramel, white chocolate, etc... they're good pasalubongs.
C. Buy safron coz its cheaper.
D. If you are tempted to buy carpets, wait until you reach Erfoud. Their carpets are cheaper and nicer. Plus, it's less of a hassle to carry it around.

Clothing:
A. You can wear sleeveless shirts as long as you are with a group and not entering a mosque
B. For those traveling in November, bring thick jackets. The desert gets really cold in the winter.

General Info:
A. Don't take photos of women directly. Its against their beliefs. They believe that its bad luck to have your photos taken.
B. IMPORTANT: Learn a bit of french or arabic. You would need this to get by. Don't do as we did. We had juz de orange and cola light for 3 days!
C. You would need to buy an adapter there for your electrical needs. You have to get two rounded prongs which cost MAD5. The voltage is 220V so you should be ok if you're from Manila.
If you're staying in Ramada Almohades in Casablanca, there's an electrical shop near the hotel. Just make a right when you get out of the entrance and walk a couple of blocks.
D. Dont be surprised to see women dressed in black with covered faces. That's a tradition.

Hope I've helped you somehow. If you have questions, just post your comments and I'll try to answer them. :-)

For more photos of our trip to Morocco, go to http://www.pbase.com/lysh/morocco.

Destination: Morocco

It was our first time to step unto the African Region and it was unimaginably adventurous!

Morocco is not a common travel destination for most Filipinos probably because the average travel time from Manila to Casablanca is about 18 hours not including the stop overs and the time at the airport. It is also not as advertised here than it is in other parts of the world.

For this trip, the cheapest airfare we found is through Qatar Airways. A round trip ticket costs about $1000. There's a 13 hour lay over in Doha but we were pleasantly surprised to find out that if you have a stop over in Doha for more than 8 hours, they will gladly book you in a hotel with free transfers, lunch and dinner. We were ready to rough it out for 13 hours in the Airport Lounge but their generosity was welcomed with open arms.



It looks like they just opened the new Doha airport, everything seems new. I have read in a lot of articles that the airport is disorganized. Our experience though was quite different. The duty free is a nice place to go around. Its relatively big with a lot of items to purchase. (I was so surprised though that there were sooooo many pinoys working in the duty free there.) The chairs are comfortable and the airport is roomy and bright!



Qatar Airways is not one of the top airlines for nothing. The food tastes so much better than the other airline food. They serve alcoholic beverages even in economy class. To top it all, we have our own tv screens per chair. There is a remote gadget on the right arm rest which will give you complete control of your screen. You can choose to watch the latest movie releases, classical movies, latest tv shows and movies released either in the middle east or in Asia. Its a great companion on long haul flights.



One thing I noticed in Qatar Airways though, the flight attendants are not very friendly. They don't smile nor are they readily helpful.



After an hour of delay and 8 hours on air, we landed in the land of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca. Our flight and airport experience was horrible! I guess it really is more of a culture shock. On air, people were just talking and walking around non-stop. They stood up even before the plane stopped taxiing. They were on the phone while on the plane! They don't want to sit on their assigned seats and... they put up their bare feet on the arm rest in front of them. It was amusing and irritating at the same time.

Our airport exprience is something similar. Think of the Manila International Airport 20 years ago. People were fighting for their luggages from the carousel. They were even throwing punches in the air. They didn't know how to line up! People were pushing each other to get out of the airport as soon as possible. The police can't do much because the people don't listen. It was chaotic!


As soon as we got our suitcases we lined up (or what ever they call the chaos happening near the door), to get out of there. We had to change money from USD to MAD before leaving the airport to pay for the cab. The exchange rate is $1 = MAD 8.50, that's MAD 1= PHP 5.00.


Tired and wanting to hit the bed, we looked for the cab stand. When you get out of the airport, you should walk to your right. You'll see the exit there. It would be better to take cab for MAD 250 than use a rental car which may reach to about MAD1000.


And the adventure is just about to begin.

Fall In Love with Camiguin

Pristine forest, wonderful people, beautiful sunset, relaxing hot springs, surprising cold springs, amazing waterfalls, sumptuous food, amazing sandbars, virgin islands! How can you not fall in love with Camiguin.

I went to Camiguin somehow having the expectation of the Boracay vacation. One strip of beach, lounging around while having a sip of margarita. Nope... not in Camiguin. Unlike Boracay, Camiguin has a more urban feeling. It is not just a beach! Its an experience of an urban lifestyle.

There are so a few places to see in Camiguin that you can't just strap yourself in your resort to enjoy the beach. Go rent a habal-habal for the day and go around the different sites of Camiguin. Believe it or not, you can go around the perimeter of the island in less than a day.

There are a couple of falls that you can visit. One of them, The Katibawasan falls. I haven't seen a waterfall in a long time so when I saw it, I was in awe. Waterfalls are really majestic. They can really make you pause to admire God's creation. Somehow, you just have to believe that there's a higher being somewhere who put all these together.

Camiguin is also abundant with hot and cold springs. One place where you can unwind every night after a full day of going around the island Ardent Hot Spring. Entrance fee is P30. If you're hungry, you can also order food in that place. Don't miss the 38 Celcius natural hot spring at the far end of the pool lines. Its a bit hidden but don't miss it. Super relaxing!

For cold springs, go to Sto. Nino Cold Springs. This is not a regulated area but its worth the visit. If you're lucky there are children from around the area swimming before going to afternoon school.


I noticed too that Camiguin is so clean. According to Gie, our guide, they were taught how to segregate and recycle! And... garbage is collected often! If only we have that in Manila!!!!

On the way to Camiguin

One hour road trip and one hour ferry ride from Cagayan De Oro City is a beautiful virgin island called "Camiguin".

The journey to get to Camiguin was crazy for us. From our hotel, Casa Crystalla, we rode the jeepney to the bus station. As soon as we got off the jeep, there were men who took our bags from us and carried them towards the area where we can get a ride to the Balingoan port. It would have been very regal and prince charming-like if it was not forced because they need to be paid. We had no choice. We felt like we were being attacked by pirates! Seriously!!! One piece of advice, hold on to your bags if you don't want to be ripped off by these porters. It would be nice if they would offer to help nicely rather than just pulling your bags from your shoulders. I would have given them a bigger tip if that was the case.

The 1 hour, which turned out to be 2 hours, trip from CDO city to Balingoan was funny but excruciatingly painful in the butt. We were in a Kia Besta Van together with 14 (+4 of us) other people. Can you imagine fitting 18 people in one Besta Van?!?! Oh... that does not include, boxes, 7 huge bags, 2 sacks of rice and a rice cooker! hahaha! It was too cramped inside the van that one of the men, had to sit beside the driver while hanging on to the opened door! How unsafe and amusing!!! hahaha!!! After sometime, they realized that we can't travel that way, the man had to find a seat inside the van. Problem is, he won't be able to go in through the door since its packed with luggage. What did he do? He entered through the left window of the van!!!! It was so unbelievably funny! I felt like I was in a middle of a stint in WoW Mali! Hahaha! Check out the guy near the driver in the photo.

After reaching the Balingoan port, we ran to catch the 2 pm ferry. The ferry ride is P107/ person. My suggestion is to get the schedule of the Super Ferry from Balingoan to Benoni. Their ferries are cleaner and faster. We rode a super slow and old ferry but it was a great experience coz you're really with the locals.

As soon as we arrived at the Benoni port, the porters/ pirates were unbelievable!!!! They jumped on the ferry even before the ferry has docked. Hold on to your bags, people!

It's best to coordinate with your resorts on the time you will be picked up from the port. These pirates or some of the multicab operators will cajole you to take their services for 150% of the normal cost that the hotels or resorts will charge.

The journey to get to Camiguin maybe tough but the island is wonderfully beautiful!

Cagayan De Oro - White Water Rafting

Forward! 1, 2! 1, 2!

How can I not write about this thrilling experience we had in Cagayan De Oro? The highlight of our CDO trip is the White Water Rafting and Canopy Walk experience organized by the group of Rex Tapungot, Operations Manager of Red Rafts (www.raftingcdo.com).

It was a fantastic experience. From the levels 1 to 4 of rapids, the beautiful scenery which really makes you go WOW!, to the singing while paddling and the kulitan (friendly banters) in the raft... all these made our white water rafting adventure a really memorable one.

Red Rafts offers different packages. They have a package that includes lunch and a photo/ video coverage. I suggest that you take this. For one, they really take time out to prepare really good food. Our spread consisted of rice, chicken barbecue, steamed shrimps, fish and a bottle of coke. With 4 small, petite women, we actually finished a whole pot of rice! Can you believe that?!?! Second, the photo/ video package is something you should not miss. You would want a document of this fun experience. Rex stands in the middle of the rapids just to capture the expressions of everyone. He's great! Check out http://www.pbase.com/lysh/rafting for photos taken by Rex during our trip.

A bonus is the fun, professional staff that Red Rafts has. We were impressed by Rex' coordination with our group. He also has makulit and super fun crew members, Richard, Mau-mau and Poco! You should ask for them when you have your trip! :-) Oh, and Malou too who's training to be the first lady paddle guide.

Cagayan De Oro -- Places to Eat

FOOD!!! :-) The best part of travelling for me are 1.) meeting the locals and 2.) eating the specialty of the place. In addition to the succulent beef of Del Monte, we also tried different restaurants in the area.

Oh, before I forget, Del Monte offers refillable pineapple juice! hehehe! And order their specially bakesd bread. Its sweet and really good! You can either have that or rice.

We were still trying to find out the specialty of Cagayan De Oro when we passed this restaurant called Vienna Kaffehaus near the Divisoria area. Its an austrian restaurant. I ordered the baby back ribs and it was so good!!!! To think it was only P170. Krissy ordered the Pasta Aglio which was equally tasty. The herbed chicken was so so.



For those who are more adventurous, you can try eating in the Night Cafe. The Divisoria area is closed every Friday and Saturday nights. They have night market, ukay-ukay and there are different stalls serving sugba (ihaw). This is CDO style gimmick! Its like a street party. My friends were able to buy nice blouses ranging from P50 to P120 each. Just take note that these are second hand clothes though.



For coffee lovers and who wants to feel the ambience of home, go to Gazebo Cafe. It gives you the feeling of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf but they have better sandwiches. :-) I tried the ham and cheese in pesto spread. YUMMY! Their coffee is good too. The place gives you a homey feeling. For those who needs a feel of home/ Manila coffee house once in a while, have an hour or two in Gazebo Cafe. They offer wifi connection too. Plus for those who likes to shop around for different small items, they have a small shop beside it.

After having a big meal at the Del Monte Plantation, we headed to Sentro in the CDO city for dessert. This resto was a let down for me though. The chocolate mirror cake was a bit dry and the mango shake tasted like milk with very little mangoes. I think you can do better than going to Sentro.

There's a small diner beside Casa Crystalla called Mom's Corner. We had daing na bangus for breakfast which was only 1/4 of a bangus and was bland. For the same cost of P80, you can head to Jollibee just arround the corner from Mom's Corner and get their daing an bangus meal. The suman and mangga breakfast was good though.

Oh, the best meal for me in Cagayan De Oro was in Jo's Chicken Inato (their version of the Chicken Inasal). This resto is like a grill on the same street as Gaisano Mall, its on Corrales Ave. Ext. Don't forget to order their 3 specialties. The chicken inato, CDO's finest at only P70! Don't forget to order extra rice. They also have the pancit and buko halo-halo. The buko halo-halo is literally mixed inside the coconut. Very good dessert! Don't eat it alone though. One serving is good for 2 people.

On our last day in CDO, we had lunch at Consuelo's. They have an eat all you can buffet for P49 and P99. The P99 is worth it since there are about 10 dishes and 3 desserts. BUT!!! Watch out for their pet RAT! Seriously!!! I got freaked out by this black huge rat running around the restaurant. Its unbelievable! I won't go back to that restaurant even if the food is only P99. Who knows where the rat came from!

Our last dinner was in this quaint, cozy and yummy italian restaurant called La Tegola Cucina Italiana. The first branch is in Cebu. I think they have 4 branches there and one in CDO. I had a lasagna and it was pretty good. The tortellini in mushroom cream sauce and 4 seasons pizza are also good. The lamb, their specialty, is also a must have.

For those who are still looking for coffee shops, there's Bo's Coffe Club there too but you should really try Gazebo Cafe.

We weren't able to go for a gimmick night out since we were so tired and fell asleep but there's a new bar that opened called Fu. You guys might want to check that out.

Over all, I recommend Vienna Kaffehaus, La Tegola, Gazebo Cafe and of course, Jo's Chicken Inato!!! :-)

Stay away from Consuelo's! Huge RAT running around!

Cagayan De Oro Places to Go

On our first day, we went to Opol which is about half an hour away from CDO city. I haven't been on a jeep and a non-aircon bus for years but since this is one adventure trip, I rode on these public transport again. At first it was kind of scary since we didn't know what to do, where to ride and where to get down, but the people there were very helpful and very nice. They gave us directions and instructions on how to get there.

We went to an Ostrich Farm in Opol. To get there, we needed a jeepney ride to the bus station (West Bound) and a non-aircon bus to get to our destination. The terminal is clean and organized. I was impressed! Tell the conductor that you'll go down at Sea Breeze Restaurant. You can have lunch here too. The restaurant is on the shore with a nice view of the water and fresh salt water breeze. More on the resto later.

To get to the Ostrich Farm, you would need to ride a motorcycle they call Habal-habal behind the market area. One motorcycle can accomodate 3 passengers! :-) Don't make the mistake of wearing a skirt (which I did!) since you'll be swinging your legs to go on and off the bike. The driver will wait for you for a fee while you go around the farm.


Oh... just a note. The locals speak bisaya but they understand tagalog. They will reply to you in Bisaya though so it would be helpful to know basic words.


The habal-habal ride is about 10 to 15 minutes, rough roads included so get your buns ready. hehehe! The Ostrich Farm houses these birds of different ages. The oldest one I saw is 9 years old but I'm sure there are some more older birds around. They are so used to humans and they love taking photos with you. :-) When you're there, don't miss to buy a keychain made from ostrich skin (I know! I know I shouldn't buy but I can't help it!). It's P80 per piece. Can you believe that!!!! They have wallets also at P700. I think they wait naman for the ostrich to die before getting their skin and they don't kill the birds just to get the skin.


Our second day started with the trip to the Malasag Gardens. A jeepney ride from the city to Malasag and a habal-habal ride will bring you to this place. I wasn't very impressed with the garden but it might also be because we didn't go around the whole park. There's a small sized canopy walk that you can take for P10. Nothing great but it's something to prep you for the basic canopy walk in Macahambus Adventure Park.


From the Malasag gardens, we rode the habal-habal again to the Mapawa Park. This was more fun! You can reserve early and have a package for P995 for a minimum of 5 people. You'll have a tractor ride where you can rapell and take a tougher zip line. There are also basic zip lines. Even if its your first time, I suggest you take the levels 4 and 5. You get to zip twice. If you don't feel like zipping yet, you can take the monkey bridge/ walk at levels 1 to 2 and short zipping at level 3.



From Malasag, you can take a jeep to Bukidnon to head to the Del Monte Plantation. DON'T MISS THIS!!!! This is a pretty long ride but we didn't mind. A very juicy steak and roast beef awaits us. Other than being an enormous pineapple plantation, they also take care of a herd of cattle which they feed with pineapple remnants so you can just imagine the sweet taste of the beef.


So, we rode the jeepney that says Camp Philips and we were there in 45 minutes to 1 hour from Malasag. There are a few restaurants around. There's the Bungalow which fronts a vast pineapple plantation. Just note that this restaurant closes at 3 pm on Sundays. We went to the Cawayanon club house though. Its the oldest golf course in the Philippines.


Our group ordered tenderloin steak and their best seller, the Roast Beef. The medium sized steak is about P600 and boy, they are the biggest and juiciest steak I've tasted. No need for steak sauce! The complete meal includes soup, garden salad and fresh fruit salad dessert. Everyone was completely satisfied with the meal. Skipping lunch for this treat helped in stuffing us! :-) The clubhouse is open until 6 pm.


Other than the steak, I was amazed at how well the Del Monte company is taking care of their people. They have their own hospital and fields for recreation for their employees. The supervisors even have housing. It's nice to hear a company taking care of their people well.


To get to Cawayanon from Camp Philips, you can go to the multi cab terminal and get a P10 ride to go to the clubhouse. You would have to take the same route to the terminal to ride a colorum van that will bring you back to CDO city. Just don't leave later than 630 since the vans don't have trips later than that. You will be dropped off at Limketkai mall. It has Robinson's, Mercury Drug and other stores you can find here in Manila. You can get toiletries or groceries from here. Don't forget to drop by Orjena fruit stand for Pastel. Its a muffin with different flavored fillings but the best seller is the yema. As of this writing, a box of 6 costs about P55. You can get them in Camiguin for P50. That's where they make them.



Don't miss the Xavier Museum and chapel (used to be Ateneo). The museum is full of artifacts from the Maranaos. Entrance fee for students is P10 and for outsiders P20. The chapel is very simple and very serene. Nice and colorful glass windows.

Cagayan De Oro - From the Airport to Casa Crystalla Hotel and St. Nicholas Inn

I just came back from a one week trip to Cagayan De Oro and Camiguin. It has not only been fun but a wonderful experience. One that humbles you and makes you appreciate friends, family, new experiences, the Philippine urban life and God's creations more and more.

Let me recount my CDO experience first before I tell you more about Camiguin.

First of all, I'm so grateful to Cebu Pacific for allowing Filipinos to see the abundant beauty of our country. With the tagline "Its time everyone flies", we got the chance to take the P10 plane fare to Cagayan De Oro. I was impressed with the new and clean aircraft of Cebu Pacific. It smelled new and clean. It's so worth it with the P10 fare! That's where the whole adventure began.

While we were planning the trip, I was having second thoughts about going. Budget wise, I was still saving up for my annual out of the country trip and my close friends backed out at the last minute. Call me crazy, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I got the chance to be with 3 wonderful women (Eng, Krissy (the fearless leader) and Mia (my kikay and gimmick partner). This trip gave me the chance to get to know them better. Travelling with someone is the best way to get to know the person better. I'm so happy I have three new girl friends with whom I shared this adventure with.

The first day started on a Saturday early morning. We landed in CDO at 6 am. Tips for those who are taking a cab to their hotels, the cab drivers there don't use their meters from the airport. They would charge you from P100 to P200 from the airport to your destination. Their reason, they've been waiting there for passengers since 2 am. I got really turned off by this behaviour.

As we went out of the airport, we asked a DOT representative on which cab to take. He pointed us to the official line of cabs and told us to make sure that we take a metered taxi. However, when we were looking for a cab, one of the taxi drivers offered us P100 and no meter. Since the DOT representative said not to take a cab without meter, we said no. One driver was rammbling saying... '"Tignan nyo kung may makita kayong naka metro dyan. Di na kayo naawa. Kanina pa silang alas dos nakapila dyan." (Good luck finding a cab with a meter. Don't you feel sorry for these drivers? They've been in line since 2 am!) I was pissed! Its their job to get passengers so waiting in line since 2 am should not be a reason to take advantage of tourists. Don't jip people who just arrived and have no idea what to expect in that city. I hope that the CDO local government fixes this because it really gives a bad impression about the city. The first experience out of the airport leaves a lasting impression on your visitors.

Anyhow, we arrived at our hotel Casa Cyrstalla after around 15 - 20 minutes of travel time. The hotel is right in the middle of the city. Location wise, it's great! You are near the Divisoria and public transport is available all around the area. However, with the price of P400 a night, I don't recommend this hotel. You can get a hotel within the city at the same price but with much better service. The mattress has mites and the blanket is grayish brown. YIKES! The rooms are decent but the bathroom is not so clean. The towels that they provide are very thin and with gray brown color. DON'T USE IT ON YOUR FACE! Use facial tissues!

If you want a nice hotel at almost the same price, check out St. Nicholas Traveller's Inn. They have a great staff, nice bunk beds, good aircon, clean bathrooms and nice towels. All for P300-P400 a night. They also server meals at P80 per meal. That includes one meat dish, one vegetable dish and rice. This place is great for budget travellers who still wants a comfortable bed at night. The rooms are small but comfortable. There's one room for4 people at P1200/ night. This is good enough for those who are not maarte and just needs a place to sleep and wash up comfortably. This is where we stayed on our last night in CDO before our flight to Manila. Oh, look for Tata while you're there. She's super helpful with everything that you would need.

If you are planning a trip to CDO, read the other blogs. It might help you out in your planning. If you have questions, you can also email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com.