My Souvenirs

Early morning in Legazpi

2011-12-27T17:48:00.001+08:00

Day 5
November 30, 2011
Lagazpi City

Before dawn the next morning, I, Migs, and Susanne went up the Lignon Hill for about 30 minutes to see what was called the best view of the Mayon volcano. It was indeed a great view; however, the cable of the zipline across the hill almost ruined it, depending on where you are positioned (For the pictures, I had to either look for spots where the cable is hidden or just zoom in my lens until the cable is out of the view).

And that was it...the greatest 5-day vacation! It was one of the best experiences I had and Bicol is probably the best place I have been in the Philippines so far. We have not even left Bicol yet, but we already made plans of going back on January 2013! But I think I will be back sooner... if I find anyone willing to go to Caramoan this coming summer.

Total expenses:

ATV to Mayon

2011-12-27T17:46:00.000+08:00

Day 4
November 29, 2011
Lagazpi City

Finally, I got to see Mayon volcano! I've heard of the perfect-cone volcano since I was in grade school and have made several plans in the past to see it (I have had at least 4 teammates from Bicol these past few years and the trip to Bicol came up a lot of times).

After a long photo shoot at the Casagwa ruins (complete with an artistic director we just met there), we went to Hoyop-Hoyopan cave. There was not much to see here except for a few rock formations.

Later on, we made a brief stopover at Daraga church for a quick photo shoot.

As if the physical activities of the past 2 days were not enough, we tried on riding ATVs. I thought this was the best place to try ATVs with the Mayon volcano as backdrop. The adventure lasted 3 hours and as we started late, it was already dark when we started to head back. The terrain was at times dangerous but the sights along the ride were amazing.

Wakeboarding in CamSur

2011-12-27T17:30:00.003+08:00

Day 3
November 28, 2011
Naga City

We left Donsol early the next morning again to transfer to our 3rd and final hotel - Vista Al Mayon Pensionne. After checking-in, we travelled for about 2 hours to get to Panicuason hot spring in Naga city, where we enjoyed the cold spring water and the hot sulfuric water.

Later in the afternoon, we went to CamSur Watersports Complex or CWC. I had no idea what CWC was nor what wakeboarding was so I was pleasantly surprised to see the place. The first thing I noticed was the first-class ambiance of the resort. There were a lot of foreigners - there were actually more foreigners than Fillipinos. It felt like I was on another country. Now I know why there are very few foreigners in Manila - they are in CamSur.

As it was already late in the afternoon, we immediately proceeded to the beginner's area to try wakeboarding. Unfortunately, it was under maintenance and after an hour of waiting, we all just went to the main lake where all the professionals were and instead tried kneeboarding, which was easier than wakeboarding. It was an exhilarating experience though a bit hard (some of the girls fell off the board and they were just starting!). I would return to Bicol just for this.

Later on, us boys were able to try wakeboarding while the girls enjoyed massage, before we called it a night.

Swimming with Butanding in Donsol

2011-12-27T17:26:00.000+08:00

Day 2
November 27, 2011
Donsol

We left Sorsogon city very early in the morning since we thought there was a better chance of seeing the Butanding whale sharks if we get to Donsol early. Given that it was not a peak season (peak season was February to April), we wanted to improve our chances of experiencing the sharks. At past 7 am, we arrived at Aguluz homestay where we will be staying later for the night.

At 730 am, we were already at Donsol tourism office which apparently does not open until 830 am so we had to wait for an hour before we were entertained. The good news though was that Butandings have been sighted by fishermen that morning, the first time in days (or weeks)!

After registration and a brief orientation, we boarded our boats and started the search for the whale sharks together with the Butanding Interaction Officer in charge as well as another spotter and some crew. It did not take long for the spotter to find a Butanding. The shark passed by very quickly however and you had to be at the water at exactly the right time to see it. It was on the 2nd sighting that I got to see a glimpse of it and on the 3rd and 4th sightings that I finally was able to see the whole shark. At one point, I think I could have touched it if I reached down my arm. It was that close.

Later in the afternoon, we went back to Aguluz homestay to wash up and rest. A sumptuous dinner of crabs and shrimps was served for us at night. Later on, we walked towards the Ogod river and rode the boat for the firefly encounter. I cant be sure if I have seen fireflies before but I was amazed by the light emitted by all the fireflies. It was a great night - cool breeze and good music brought by the newly-formed band - the Curse.

Lazy Afternoon in Sorsogon City

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000+08:00

Day 1
November 26, 2011
Sorsogon City

It was while hanging out at Starbucks' that the trip to Bicol initially came up. I did not expect anything to materialize after that night but a few days after, a flight was already booked for the group - Ryan, Migs, Marianne, Susanne, Jovie, Vhy and Grace. Apparently, the discussion that night was serious. Thine, Aimee, and Marc later on decided to join the trip.

We arrived at Legazpi airport at past noon and immediately booked a van to bring us to Sorsogon city where we planned to stay for the night. Our flight was actually moved (at least we were informed a few days before) so that left us only the afternoon to roam around Sorsogon city.

Along the way, we made a brief stopover at the fifties Hollywood-inspired Bigg's Diner, the biggest food chain in Bicol. The restaurant has a wide array of food to choose from - pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, chicken meals, and other dishes.The food do not exactly correlate to the ambiance of the place but they tasted great anyway.

Less than an hour later, we arrived at Fernandos hotel - a nice little inn with a rustic atmosphere. After a brief rest, we set out to wander around the city. We were supposed to go to Bulusan lake and national park but we had to cancel the plan since it was already late in the afternoon. We instead went to St. Peter and Paul cathedral and Sorsogon baywalk.

To Boayo Korea

2011-12-27T01:53:00.002+08:00

Day 7
November 2, 2011
Busan

For our last day in Busan (and Korea), we went to Haeundae beach, a well-known beach in Korea, made more famous by setting a Guiness world record for the number of beach umbrellas set up at one time.

Before heading back to the hotel to checkout, we ate lunch at a restaurant near the beach (as much as I want to indicate the names of the restaurants where we dined in Korea, I can't since most do not have English names. Some of the time, I did not even know what I was eating).

To Boayo Korea!

Total Expenses:

A Day in Busan

2011-12-27T01:14:00.000+08:00

Day 6
November 1, 2011
Busan

After almost an hour of bus ride, we reached Taejongdae resort park, a natural park in Busan with magnificent cliffs facing an open sea. The Sinseon Rock, probably the only part of the park worth visiting, took most of our time in the park.

Later in the afternoon, we had our late lunch at a restaurant across the park.

We then went to Busan tower at Yongdusan Park and Gwangbokro Shopping street.

Later in the night, we went to see the Gwangan (Diamond) Bridge at the Gwangalli Beach.

First night in Busan

2011-12-26T23:42:00.000+08:00

Day 5
October 31, 2011
Seoul and Busan

Our last day in Seoul was spent in Yonsan Eletronics Market to check out the prices of the latest gadgets. Later in the afternoon, we travelled to Busan by train for 2.5 hours. After finding our hotel - Blue backpackers - we ate dinner at one of the restaurants nearby. Afterwards, we surveyed the place around the hotel and found out that we were in the red-light district... haha.

Guided tour in Gyeongbokgung Palace

2011-12-26T23:37:00.001+08:00

Day 4

October 30, 2011
Seoul

On our fourth day, we transferred to another unit in the same building as we were unable to reserve Ann Guesthouse for another day. We moved to Hongdae Guesthouse. It was not as homey as Ann which would account for the cheaper price.

We then went out for brunch at Loteria, the local equivalent of Jollibee. We made a quick stop at Kinki Robot along the way.

At Gyeongbokgung Palace, we were treated to a free guided tour by a Korean grade school student. The tour was, first and foremost, a way for students to practice the English language. I found the tour very informative and the student very engaging. It was refreshing to find a kid who is very passionate and proud about his country's history and culture.

We then went to Gwanghwamum Square located across the palace before heading to dinner.

We then made our way to catch the last showing of the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain on Banpo Bridge at the Han river. We thought the last showing was at 930 PM. Alas, it was actually 900 PM so we missed it. We just spent the night instead with some coffee and dessert at the Sunrise (or was it Sunset?) tower of the bridge.

Fall in Nami Island

2011-12-26T21:23:00.000+08:00

Day 3
October 29, 2011
Nami Island

On our third day, we took a 1 hour train trip to get to the picturesque Nami Island. The place is made famous by the Korean drama 'Winter Sonata' among others. I thought it was great that Korea is able to attract tourists thru its soap operas (not to mention K-pop artists). Before boarding the ferry to get to the island though, we had lunch in a restaurant across the ferry dock.

After a quick ferry ride, we reached the Nami island. Fall colors were in full blast. It was a great day for picture taking.

After a dinner of traditional Korean food (and the difficult task of ordering that comes with it), we went to Doosan Tower or Doota in Dongdaemum to buy souvenirs and pasalubong.

Before calling it a day, we checked out the Holloween party that went on near our hotel. Koreans and tourists alike put out all stops in their impressive costumes. Loud (and familiar) music was all around as well (Apparently, Koreans are fond as well of doing covers of songs by International artists). The crowd was huge that at one point I actually got separated from my friends. Good thing I found them some 30 minutes after as I forgot the way back to the hotel.

An Adventure in Everland

2011-12-26T20:27:00.000+08:00

Day 2
October 28, 2011
Seoul

We spent the 2nd day at Everland, Seoul's largest theme park which includes a zoo and a water park. Among its many highlights is a roller coaster named T-Express. The first time I saw it, I knew it would take all the courage I could muster before I even consider riding it. Knowing that it is wooden and that its first drop is the STEEPEST IN THE WORLD (it is almost straight!) did not help. It took us the whole day before we decided to ride it and another hour in the long and winding line. The drop was literally breathtaking, the ride was unbelievably long and cold, and every second was worth the wait.

It was already late in the night, after an hour of travel back to our hotel, that we had time to eat dinner. We found this nice-looking place near the hotel with some good-looking pictures of food (As menus in Korean restaurants are in Korean and the waiters only speak Korean, the only way to oder food is by pointing at the pictures. As for the number of servings, it is best to leave it to the waiter, unless you want a longer conversation). As luck would have it, those good-looking pictures were pictures of chicken organs (lamang-loob). No wonder why the other restaurants had more people.

We spent the rest of the night wandering around the hotel area. Nico tried some of the street games and won (a more appropriate word is 'paid', considering the money he spent to play) a teddy bear.

Annyeonghaseyo Korea!

2011-12-26T16:12:00.001+08:00

Day 1
October 27, 2011
Seoul

Going to Korea was never in my bucket list. I was not aware of any famous tourist spots in the country and most people I know who wished to visit it only wanted to see the locations where their favorite koreanovelas were shot. But still, travelling to other countries is always a great experience so I decided to join my friends - Marianne, Susanne, Jay, Migs, and Nico - a few weeks after they booked their promo flights. I was glad I did.

My journey started with a red-eye flight from Manila, the cheapest flight I found (but still worth more than twice from what my friends paid for, I did save one night of hotel bill though). I arrived at Seoul at 6:15 am and an hour later, I was already at Ann guesthouse, a condo unit being rented out to tourists. It was a really nice place - clean, comfy, relaxing. There was free internet access as well as bread for breakfast. I highly recommend the place.

The first place we went to was Changdeokgung Palace, one of the 5 grand palaces in Seoul and a great example of far eastern palace architecture. We spent a few hours wandering at the secret garden with its ponds, pavilions, and landscaped lawns.

Late in the afternoon, we rode the cable car to reach the N Seoul Tower. We decided to skip the the observation deck as it was already dark and instead just checked out the teddy bear musem. It was also interesting to see the Locks of Love - which symbolizes the promise made by lovers that they will stay together forever.

Heading back to the hotel we passed by Myeongdong - a famous shopping district in Seoul. My friends bought stuffs at the Face shop and Etude house. These are Korean-based shops so the prices were much lower compared to in Manila.

Road Trip to Grand Canyon

2011-11-07T14:04:00.001+08:00

Grand Canyon - North Rim
July 23, 2011

Here are some pictures I took during the trip to Grand Canyon with my very good and long-time friends Sabz and Phil.

Highlights of Salt Lake City 2011

2011-11-07T01:13:00.016+08:00

US
May 14 to August 6, 2011

Here are some of the highlights of my 3-month stay in the US with Stan, Imee, Joan, Francis, and Len ( and Joey, Kikz, Marc, and Kaye in the last 2 weeks).

Las Vegas
May 28-29

Strip at night

Inside Bellagio hotel

Peepshow Ad at the Strip

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the newest hotel in the strip

Donut Falls
June 19 2011

Mt. Olympus
July 2 2011

Bridal Veil Falls
July 9 2011

Silver Lake
July 28 2011

Other highlights include snowboarding at Snowbird resort...

...range shooting using 9 mm pistol, .32 caliber pistol, and a rifle (thanks Phil!)...

My target sheet using 9 mm pistol with 12-round magazine

...and a lot of cooking (some of which taste as good as they look).

General Tso's Chicken

Lemon Chicken

Pork and Green Beans Stir Fry

Orange Chicken

Bacon Chicken

Buffalo Chicken Strips

Outreach Program at Banaue Rice Terraces

2011-11-06T23:53:00.004+08:00

Cambulo-Batad, Ifugao
May 22-23, 2010

I and some of my good friends at the office (Nico, Vergel, Milton, Marianne, and Renai) joined the Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) organization in delivering school supplies to a remote school in Cambulo-Batad, Ifugao. It was a long and eventful journey, which started with an overnight trip in a freezing bus. The 7-hour trek itself was tiring what with the heavy load, steep climb and unforgiving sun, that the slightly heavy downpour during the climb was actually a welcome relief.

We reached the school at 5 PM and wasted no time in exploring the area. Later in the night was spent with preparing dinner, complete with chocolate fondue, and a group activity that required us to perform some dance moves.

It was the following morning when we distributed the school supplies to the kids. The program kicked off with a cultural presentation from the kids followed by a few fun games. Here are some photos taken by Nico:

Right before noon, we left the school grounds and headed to Banaue Rice Terraces. Of all the things that happened in the past 24 hours or so, this would probably be the most memorable, not because of the breathtaking view of the terraces (although I'd remember that for sure) but because of the very long and dangerous trek going there, including one miss-a-step-and-you-die narrow cliff.

Au Revoir Europe

2009-10-25T18:39:00.013+08:00

Day 19
April 26, 2009
London

It felt like we were just starting to see London but we already had to go. I had not even seen Buckingham Palace yet. As the hotel checkout time was 12 noon and Paris train ride was at 1 PM, we only had few hours to make a quick visit to some attractions near our hotel.

First, we watched the uneventful Changing of the Guards at Horse Guards Arch at 10 am. The one that takes place in Buckingham Palace is probably better.

Then, we went to Westminster Abbey, a Gothic monastery church that is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs. It was closed on Sundays so we only saw the exterior.

And that was it. At 4 PM, we were back in Paris. And a few hours later, I had a 3-hour stopover in Seoul and some more hours later, I was back in Manila, 250K pesos poorer but very happy.

Total Expenses:

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip

2009-10-25T16:45:00.016+08:00

Day 18
April 25, 2009
London

The next day, we took a 10-hour guided day trip to some popular attractions outside of London. The first stop was Windsor, the largest continuously occupied castle in the world. It is a Royal home and fortress for over 900 years. Here we saw St. George's Chapel and the State Apartments.

Next, we went to the most famous prehistoric monument in the world, Stonehenge. Now a World Heritage Site, Stonehenge stands alone in the vast emptiness of Salisbury plain. There is actually another tour that starts at dawn that allows tourists to get inside the "inner circle of stones". Unfortunately, it was not available on the day we came.

The last stop of the tour was Oxford, one of the world's greatest academic institutions.

After the tour, we went straight to London Eye for our scheduled flight via one of the capsules, for a view of the city.

Big Bus tour of London

2009-10-11T23:09:00.013+08:00

Day 17
April 24, 2009
London

Going to London meant having to apply another visa since the Schengen visa does not include United Kingdom. Fortunately, having acquired our Schengen visa already, the UK visa process only took 5 days. Unfortunately, Rissa did not apply for one since a later return flight was not available using her Cathay Pacific miles account.

So come April 24 Friday morning, Marlon and I bid Rissa goodbye and went to the train terminal on our way to London. We arrived at the terminal a few minutes before the 7:13 am departure and was surprised to learn that we needed to pass thru immigration and scurity checkpoint prior to boarding the train. For the past 2 weeks, we have been used to the other trains we rode where in we just arrived in time for the train's departure. Gladly, we still made it.

Two hours and 20 minutes later, we reached London during the rush hour. It was just like the rush hour in Manila but with everyone wearing suits and looking good! After a quick English breakfast, we boarded the underground train to get to Citadines London, a modern and chic apartment hotel near Trafalgar Square. After taking a breather in our hotel room, we set out to tour London. We went to Trafalgar Square where the Big Bus red tour we booked was scheduled to make a stop. From the bus we saw a number of landmarks such as the The London Eye, the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben.

We also hopped off the bus to visit some sites. First one was St. Paul's Cathedral which is the seat of the Bishop of London. We climed the dome to see a nice view of the city, including millenium bridge.

Next stop was the historic Tower of London. Here, we took the lively Yeoman Warder tour of the complex, saw Henry VIII's armouries at White Tower, and marvelled at the crown jewels including the Imperial State crown, which has 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies.

From the Tower of London, we went to the Tower Bridge, popular due to its bascules which still rise today to let ships pass through. We walked thru its high-level walkways, situated 42 metres above the River Thames.

Later that night, we watched the West End production of 'Spring Awakening' at Novello Theatre. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to go to London since the Broadway production was already closed. I was glad to have watched this in London as it actually closed also a few weeks after.

Alone in Paris

2009-10-03T23:16:00.024+08:00

Day 16
April 23, 2009
Paris

It was our last whole day in Paris and it was the last chance for us to tick off the last few items in our to-do list in Paris - Marlon did a last minute shopping, Rissa had another date with her French guy, and I went for a breathtaking view of Paris.

But before each went out to his or her own way, we first went together to the Latin Quarter and St-German to visit Jardin du Luxembourg and Pantheon. Right in front of Jardin du Luxembourg is the first McDonald's restaraunt we saw in Paris! We have been in and around Paris for 5 days and this was the first McDonald's we saw. We bought our lunch here and decided to have a picnic in the garden.

The 25-hectare charming Jardin du Luxembourg was teeming with people just sitting and relaxing around and children sailing boats in the pond. The garden is beautifully decorated with statues, fountains, and flowers.

From the garden, we went to Pantheon, a neo-Classical church, which is now a burial place for French heroes like Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Pierre and Marie Curie.

From Pantheon, we all went our separate ways. I went back first to Notre-Dame to climb the towers and see the legendary bell, which we missed yesterday. I also got to see the famous gargoyles.

Next stop was Sainte-Chapelle, with its glass-stained windows, built in the 13th century in order to put relics from the Passion of Christ in a safe place.

I then headed over to one of the sites mentioned in Da Vince Code novel, St. Sulpice, to find the so-called Rose line. I did not find it, or probably saw it but did not know that was it.

Lastly, I went to Tour Montparnasse, where I had a breathtaking view of Paris. At a height of 196 metres, the place offered a 360 degree view of Paris landmarks, such as Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur, the Panthéon, and others. I stayed here for around 4 hours since, capturing the city at different times. It was the best way to end my Paris trip.

More Paris

2009-09-07T17:57:00.031+08:00

Day 15
April 22, 2009
Paris

Fourth day in Paris and there were still a lot of sites to see. First stop of the day was Montmarte, to see the Moulin Rouge club and the Sacred Heart Basilica.

We initially planned to get into the Moulin Rouge at night to get a glimpse of the naughty Paris of yesteryear and watch a cabaret show. We did not get the time for it, plus it was expensive.

After a brief American lunch at the opposite side of the Moulin Rouge, we went to Basilique Sacré-Cœur or Sacred Heart Basilica, a Roman Catholic church located at the very top of Montmarte.

From Montmarte, we went to Ile de la Cite, one of the 2 islands in Paris.

At Ile de la Cite is the famous Notre-Dame de Paris. This is of course made even more famous by Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

We went back to Louvre afterwards to have our photo-op at the Louvre pyramid, which we missed on our 2nd day at Paris. We also got to see the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel at Jardin du Carrousel.

It was then time for Mitch to leave us and go back to Singapore as she did not get a longer vacation leave. Rissa, on the other hand, had a dinner date with a French friend.

Later that night, we met Rissa and her French date at Place de la Corcorde, one of the major squares in Paris, located at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.

At the center of the square is a giant Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics.

For some unknown reason, we all went back to the hotel... by foot! Rissa's date thought we enjoyed walking as much as he did. It probably took an hour to get to the hotel, but along the way we got to see the Louve pyramid again and the 45-m high Colonne de la Grande Armee, which is decorated with reliefs commemorating Napoleon's glorious campaigns.

At the Top of Eiffel in Paris

2009-08-31T19:14:00.022+08:00

Day 14
April 21, 2009
Paris

On April 21, we were back in Paris after an 11 hour overnight train ride from Munich. We chose the Freedom Class where, according to RailEurope.com, we would enjoy a 'couchette' in a shared compartment for up to 6. Couchette meant small bed and that was exactly what the cabin had - 2 triple decker beds cramped in a very tight space. The gap between the beds was unbelievably narrow, you cannot even sit on it, unless you are 3 feet tall. And there were barely space for our luggages.

We arrived in Paris at 9:30 AM and again, like the first time 2 weeks ago, had a grueling time using the metro system due to our heavy baggages, which after 2 weeks of travelling across Europe, were heavier. We arrived at hotel Saint-Honore way earlier than the very late check-in time. We used the time to rest in the lobby and eat lunch nearby. I also stupidly spent 22 euro to have my hair shaved.

Late in the afternoon, we went to Arc de Triomphe, built in 1806 by Napoleon I to glorify the Grande Armée. From the top there is a panoramic view of Paris and of the twelve major avenues leading to the arc.

We then walked through the Champs-Elysees avenue, known for its high-end store chains. This is where I bought a nice and pricey watch in Swatch store, but very cheap compared to what Mitch bought in Louis Vuitton store.

Later that night, Marlon treated us to a dinner near the Eiffel tower. We actually wanted to eat at Eiffel restaurant but apparently, you had to book a year in advance to get a reservation and get to eat their 200 USD dinner, which is more than what I spent for my meals in a month back in Manila.

The highlight of my whole trip was our last stop for the day - the Eiffel tower, the symbol of Paris. This was built for the World Exposition of 1889 and stood as the tallest building in the world until New York's Chrysler building in 1930. The way up to the top was exhilirating. Too bad, Rissa had to miss it and Marlon chickened out at the last minute and stayed at the lower level.

Neuschwanstein Castle tour at Munich

2009-08-03T00:24:00.016+08:00

Day 13
April 20, 2009
Munich

It was past 10 PM on April 19 when we arrived at Munich, after a 2 hour train ride from Salzburg. The hotel we booked, A and O City Haupbahnhof, was a few blocks away on the other side of the train station exit. Our room was small and very plain, without any furnishings but the beds. It was cheap though.

We spent the next day on a tour of the Royal Castles of Linderhof and Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. Both castles were built by King Ludwig II during the 19th century.

Here are some pictures I took:

This is Linderhof, built as a hunting lodge by King Ludwig in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the very quick guided tour of the interior did not permit photography.

Shown here is the back side of Neuschwanstein castle, at the top of the mountain. We had to take the shuttle to get there. We got the 3 PM tickets so we had lunch first.

Here is a hanging bridge across the castle, which provides a side view of the castle.

Unfortunately, the castle was was covered with scaffolding. This was not a great day for shutterbugs.

Here is another view from the bridge:

Here's one on the way to the castle:

Here is the castle courtyard where we waited for our turn of the tour. Just like in Linderhof, photography was not allowed inside. The tour was also quick, given that only very few rooms in Neuschwanstein were completed. Apparently, funding for the castle was stopped and the King was mysteriously murdered.

Here is a view from the castle:

Here is a model of the magnificent neo-Romanesque style castle. It was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

We also had a stopover at Oberammergau, world-famous for its woodcarvers. Here I enjoyed shopping for little wood-carved Christmas decorations, which I bought for my mother. I hope they look well in our Christmas tree.

The Sound Of Music at Salzburg

2009-08-02T16:46:00.026+08:00

Day 12
April 19, 2009
Salzburg

I grew up watching "The Sound of Music". We had a betamax tape of the movie, so I got to watch it multiple times during my childhood. I even used the film for my movie report back in grade school, twice! I was also able to watch a local production of the musical a few years ago. So, when the chance to go to Salzburg came, en route to Munich from Vienna, I grabbed it and forced my friends to come with me on the "Sound of Music" tour. And of course, I watched the film one more time a few days before I left Manila.

On April 18, we arrived at Salzburg at 10 PM on a Saturday night, after a 2.5 hour train ride from Vienna. We stayed at Hotel-Pension Adlerhof, which was just 2 blocks away from the train station. Our room was spacious and simply-furnished. The tour van picked us up early the next morning and brought us to the starting point of the tour, where Mary, the tour guide, and the unmistakable tour bus were waiting for us.

Mary had got to be the best tour guide ever. She was very funny and informative that I think Marlon fell head over heels in love with her (In our succeeding tours, he kept wishing Mary was the tour guide).

Our first stop was at the Leopoldskron lake, where Maria and the seven children went boating and then fell off the boat. Across the lake was the Leopoldskron Castle, which was used as the back exterior of the Trapp mansion. Apparently, another mansion was used for the front exterior, which we quickly passed through during the tour.

We then went to Hellbrunn Castle where the glass pavilion, used in "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" sequence, was reconstructed for the tour. It was transferred there from Leopoldskron Castle since tourists are not allowed near the castle.

Outside Hellbrunn Castle was the street where Maria danced her way through and sang "I Have Confidence in Me" on the way to the mansion.

We had a quick stopover to see Nonnberg Abbey, where the nuns sang "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" at the start of the film. It was actually here where the baron and Maria married in 1927.

We had another stopover for a breathtaking view of St.Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang, the scenaries shown at the beginning of the movie.

Here are more views from the bus:

We then went to Mondsee Cathedral where Maria and the baron wed in the movie. I am not sure if the church interior was used in the film because it looked really small compared to what was shown in the film.

We had a quick lunch at cafe Braun, famous for its Apple Struddel, which was really really good and should not be missed when visiting Salzburg.

The last stop was at the Mirabell Gardens where Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing 'Do-Re-Mi'.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on Austrian Lakes and Mountains Salzburg Sightseeing Tour, where we went to Lake district and St. Wolfgang.

Schonbrunn Palace tour in Vienna

2009-07-20T17:20:00.007+08:00

Day 11
April 18, 2009
Vienna

The next morning, Rissa's childhood friend, Aring, and her brother, who have migrated to Vienna several years ago, brought us to Schronbruun Palace, the imperial summer residence. We skipped the state apartments and just strolled around the vast area surrounding the palace, which was inpired by the Versialles.

We went to Gloriette, a viewing terrace with a spectacular view of the palace.

We then literally lost ourselves in Maze & Labyrinth. It took me a while to get to the end of the maze while the others went at the end of the maze thru the exit.

We had few more hours before our departure to Salzburg so we decided to make a quick visit of Prater, where the popular Giant Ferris Wheel called Riesenrad is. I think we stayed for an hour, 30 minutes of which I spent at the restroom for a mild case of diarrhea. It was a nice way to end my Vienna trip.

Around Ring Boulevard in Vienna

2009-07-11T22:43:00.011+08:00

Day 10
April 17, 2009
Vienna

We arrived at Vienna at 12 noon, after a 4 hour comfortable bus ride from Prague. The bus station was around what seems to be the financial district and we took the underground train to get to our hotel, which surprisingly was located right in the middle of a popular shopping district at the Ring Boulevard, at the top of LaCoste store, no less:

The hotel we booked, Pension Nossek, was elegant and old-fashioned. After checking-in, we walked around the area to find a place to sample Vienna's cuisine but ended up at Mcdonald's!

Near our hotel, we went to see one of the major tourist destinations in Vienna, the Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), which has survived through many wars and has become a symbol of Vienna's freedom.

We later on went to Hofburg, which used to be the political centre of the monarchy. Now, it is the seat of government of the democratic Republic of Austria.

Inside, we saw the Imperial Silver Collection, set of elaborate dining centerpieces and valuable golden and silverwares.

We also saw the Imperial Apartments, where we gained an insight into the lives of Austria's most illustrious imperial couple, Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, also known as Sisi. We also visited the Sisi museum, where we got to know more about the legend of Sisi.

After Hofburg, we walked around Ring Boulevard. We chanced upon the Museum of Fine Arts and its counterpart the Museum of Natural History.

We spent the rest of the evening at the shopping area around the hotel. I bought myself a pair of handsome brown leather shoes, made in Italy, worth 120 euros!

Another day at Prague

2009-07-04T19:18:00.014+08:00

Day 9
April 16, 2009
Prague

Come Thursday morning, I found that our ticket to the Prague castle complex was not fully used yet. We missed some attractions, including the Golden Lane, which was included in the book '100 Great Wonders of the World.' I thought we have already passed through it on our way to the exit the other day, but apparently not. There was also the Powder tower which I thought might provide a wonderful view of the castle complex.

As it turned out, the tower only housed an exhibition of the Prague Castle guard. It was not even high enough to provide any view at all. The Golden Lane, on the other hand, was a charming narrow lane lined with little houses.

There is an exhibit of armors and weaponry...

as well as souvenirs like toys, marionettes, and glasswares, for sale

We spent the afternoon at a shopping area downtown, where I saw a Crumpler store. It really did not make sense to buy an Australian-brand bag in Prague, but I bought one for my SLR.

Late in the afternoon, we went back to Old town square and chanced upon the 65m-tall Powder Tower

We then went to Charles bridge, Prague's most familiar monument.

The bridge provided us a wonderful view of the Vltava river valley.

Castle tour of Prague

2009-06-29T14:08:00.018+08:00

Day 8
April 15, 2009
Prague

On April 7, we arrived in Prague late in the afternoon from Rome. We got to Residence Belehradska much later as our airpot pickup was late. Our room was homey and spacious, complete with dining area and kitchen. The only drawback was the location. It was eerily quiet and there were not many people around. The tram though was near the hotel. We decided to just stay at the hotel and do our laundry, since nobody brought 19 sets of attires for the trip.

The next day, we went to Prague Castle complex. Unfortunately, the state rooms were not accessible.

We did not find the castle as remarkable as the other places we have seen so far. The only impressive structure in the complex was the gothic Vitus Cathedral.

Also, we were bored with viewing the historical artifacts at "the Story of the Prague Castle" exhibit. Unfortunately, you had to go through the whole exhibit to reach the exit. We then decided to skip the National Gallery at the convent of St. George and just went to the Basilica of St. George beside it.

After lunch, we exited the castle complex and found a wonderful view of Prague.

We spent the rest of the day at the very charming Old town Square where we saw the Old Town City Hall with the famous Astronomical Clock, the imposing St. Nicholas Church and Church of Our Lady before Tyn.

Arrivederci Roma

2009-05-24T23:50:00.016+08:00

Day 7
April 14, 2009
Rome

Our flight to Prague was not until 3:05 PM so we had the morning to visit St. Peter's Basilica which we missed over the weekend. This time around, we were able to get inside the basilica as well as to climb the cupola.

St. Peter's Basilica is regarded as the greatest of all churches of Christendom. Inside are several paintings and statues, including Michaelangelo's Pieta.

The frescoes on the dome, as well as the walls supporting it, are intricate and elegant.

Near the papal altar is the old entrance to the Vatican Grottoes, where many popes and a few royals are buried:

Here are a few pictures taken on the claustrophobic way up to the cupola...

in order to see the breathtaking view of the Vatican.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we only left the Basilica at a quarter before noon. We had to run all the way to the train station, to be able to get back to the hotel by 12 noon for checkout!

A Day Trip to Pisa and Florence

2009-05-23T23:26:00.021+08:00

Day 6
April 13, 2009
Pisa and Florence

Monday is siesta day in Rome. Most tourist attractions are closed so we decided early on that we would travel outside of Rome on this day. Our first choice was Venice, to see its canals and gondolas. We later realized it would take at least 5 hours just to get there and decided it would be too tiring. We settled on Pisa which is nearer. And since there is very little to see there, we also included Florence in the itinerary, which is 1 hour away from Pisa.

The uneventful trip to Pisa took 3 hours and 20 minutes. Once in Pisa, we took a quick bus ride to get to the famed Leaning tower of Pisa. We proceeded immediately to the ticket office to buy entry tickets to the tower (tickets were actually available online but should be bought weeks in advance). However, the next one available was for 3:30 PM and we had to leave early for Florence so we decided to buy tickets to the Cathedral and Baptistery instead.

After an hour or so of appreciating the tower, we proceeded to the cathedral:

Inside were beautiful paintings and frescoes:

Later on, we went to the baptistery:

There was nothing to see inside, which made us wonder why the ticket to this one cost 4 euros whereas that of the cathedral was only 2 euros.

Here is a popular to-do in Pisa.

We left Pisa at around 3 PM and headed to Florence. As we only had few hours left to spend here, we were only able to stay on Piazza del Duomo which was near the train station.

In the piazza, we saw the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

,Giotto's bell tower

and Saint John Baptistery

and its carved bronze doors.

We climbed the catheral's dome, Cupola del Brunelleschi, for a view of the city of Florence. On the way up were odd staircases, which looked like they were built as an afterthought,

and scores of graffiti,

despite posted pleas:

Up there on the dome were sinister frescoes on the walls and ceilings, showing scenes from the Judgement day:

Outside the dome was a canvas-like view of the city of Florence.

With more time, we would have also gone to Gallerie dell'Accademia (which is closed on Mondays anyway) to see Michaelangelo's Statue of David, Uffizi Gallery (also closed) to see the world's finest collection of Renaissance art including Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and the picturesque Ponte Vecchio (Jeweler's bridge). I will definitely be back here, after another lifetime's savings.

Easter mass at Vatican

2009-05-10T20:19:00.026+08:00

Day 5
April 12, 2009
Rome

One reason why we scheduled to go to Rome during the Easter weekend was to be able to hear mass at the Vatican, even if we were not able to get tickets for it. According to our online research, you have to contact your local Bishop to get mass tickets. I don't even know who our Bishop was. We decided we would go on and listen to the mass from wherever we can.

Come Easter Sunday morning, by the time we left our hotel, the train on the way to Vatican was already jam-packed. The street leading to St. Peter's Square was teeming with people, one of them was a Filipino seminarist named Jerry who approached us and offered us free tickets for the mass!

So, here we were, along with thousands others, yards away from the Pope, who conducted the mass in Latin for around 2 hours.

Mitch then later on pretended to understand Latin and asked us to get the rosaries we bought from the Vatican museum the other day and to hold it high during the Papal blessing. We later were told by Jerry, that the Pope blessed the people and the people only. That would be the reason why no one followed our lead during the mass.

Later on, Jerry offered to show us around Rome as we had few hours left before our scheduled entry to the Colosseum. He brought us to Piazza Navona and Pantheon, both of which were figured prominently in the recent movie (and book) "Angels and Demons".

Piazza Navona features the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers, 1651) by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi...

...as well as 2 additional fountains - and the Fontana del Moro which we missed and Fontana di Nettuno which we saw:

The Pantheon is a magnificent ancient temple in Rome that was later converted into the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. It is the burial place of Raphael. It is famous also for the round opening on its dome.

By 4:30 pm, we met my kuya, Jenny, and Sam at the Colosseum entrance. It was really surreal to be seeing this ancient structure, the site of gladitorial combat during the Roman Empire.

We later proceeded to the Roman Forum, site of the Roman city ruins.

After a very long day, we finally decided to eat an early dinner, since we have forgotten to eat lunch. We had calamares for appetizers...

...pizza and pasta for the main course...

and Rome's world famous gellato for dessert

I had frutti de mare, officially the best pasta I have ever feasted on.

Later on that night, Kuya, Jenny, and Sam left Rome. It would probably be years before I get to see them again.

Bella Roma

2009-05-09T23:52:00.019+08:00

Day 4
April 11, 2009
Rome

The aiport shuttle was scheduled to pick us up at 3:40 am from the Hotel des Victoires. At 3:39 am, I was still figuring out how to squeeze in my just-used shower kit to my tightly-packed baggage! The shuttle was on time unfortunately. Even more unfortunate, there were other people in the shuttle who waited for us. That was a bit embarassing.

We arrived at Ciampino airport in Rome at 8:20 am. We then rode the bus for an hour to get to Termini Railway station (the central station), which was one station away from the hotel we booked. With our heavy baggages, we decided to take a taxi instead of the tube. It was supposed to cost us 10 euros only according to the hotel's website but we ended up paying 32 euros, after the driver cleverly swtiched the money we gave to a note with a lower value! Filipino taxi drivers (at least the bad ones) have not mastered that trick yet.

Hotel Napoleon was the best hotel we booked in Europe, not to mention the most epensive too. Our room was elegant and spacious and had WI-FI. On our first night, we were treated to a dinner, which I think came free for booking 3 nights. To say dinner was an understatement actually, as I think we were served a full day's meal that night. Each was served a 1st and 2nd course, which was a standard meal in Rome. We also had appetizers and desserts. I think my whole meal that night was good for 4 persons!

One thing I looked forward to in going to Rome (or Europe) was to meet my brother, sister-in-law and their Sam, my godchild. They went to Italy to stay and work, just a few months before. It was real nice to be touring Rome with them. It was the first time for me and my kuya to be outside the Philippines together.

Our first stop was the Vatican museum, home of Michaelangelo's famous altar fresco 'The Last Judgement' found at Sistine Chappel, among others. We came in to find an unbelievably long queue to buy tickets. I wonder if these people have not heard of online reservation. I was glad we did as we skipped the queue and went inside instantly.

Classical Antiquities:

Gregorian Egyptian museum:

Gallery of Maps:

Raphael Rooms - The frescoes express rigid and philosophical models of the Renaissance.

Giuseppe Momo's Helicoidal staircase:

Later in the afternoon, we proceeded to St. Peter's Square, found at the other side of the museum. Entrance to the basilica was closed, as people were busily preparing for next day's Easter mass.

After a brief rest stop at St. Peter's Square, a friend of my sister-in-law brought us to Spanish steps, a popular people-watching area. The place was lined with high-end stores in cobblestoned streets.

Lastly, we went to the famous Trevi fountain, where we tossed coins in the fountain, ensuring our return trip to this beautiful city.

This was just the first day and I already fell in love with Rome.

Le Voyage à Versailles et le Louvre

2009-05-03T20:39:00.031+08:00

Day 3
April 10, 2009
Paris

Our morning was spent at the the estate of Versailles which is one of the most prestigious of the world's heritage sites. It was a former hunting lodge of King Louis XIII and was transformed by his son Louis XIV who installed his court and government there.

There were taken at Royal Courtyard:

At the center of the palace is the Hall of Mirrors, a huge gallery with 17 windows overlooking the gardens, matched by enormous mirros on the opposite wall.

This is the suite of Marie-Antoinette:

Here are the immense formal gardens of the palace:

Latone fountain:

Apollo fountain:

Here is a picturesque street just outside the estate:

It was already late in the afternoon when we left Versailles to go to Louvre museum which is one of the grandest museums in the world. It houses some of the most famous works like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Louvre has a vast collection of European paintings from the mid-13th century to the mid-19th century. Here are some Italian Paintings:

Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci - The Virgin of the Rocks

Leonardo da Vinci - The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

Veronese - The Wedding Feast at Cana

Cimabue - Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels

Giovanni Paolo Pannini - Gallery of Views of Ancient Rome

Louvre also has works from three ancient civilisations: Greece, Etruria, and Rome. Here are some Etruscan and Roman Antiquities:

Here are a few of the Greek Antiquities:

Venus de Milo

There are also European sculptures from the Late Middle Ages to the mid-19th Century. The collections mainly include French works:

Collections also contain significant pieces from Northern Europe, Spain and Italy. These ones are from Italy:

Michelangelo - The Dying Slave

A. Canova - Psyche and Cupid

Besides paintings, sculptures, and antiquities, these are also some Crown jewels which are displayed at Apollo gallery:

Bonne Journée à Paris

2009-05-02T21:57:00.031+08:00

Day 2
April 9, 2009
Paris

I arrived in Charles de Gaulle airport at 8:30 am but was only able to leave at past 10 am, after more than an hour of looking for my travel buddies Rissa, Mitch, and Marlon. I did not realize at first that my cell phone inbox was full so I was not getting any of their messages. Apparently, they were just in the lower floor where the train station, which connects to the city, was located.

Once in the city, it was time to experience the metro. It was said that the Paris metro system is one of the most efficient in the world. This is true, as long as you are not carrying any heavy baggages with you, or any baggages for that matter. We had to carry them across multiple long staircases on our way to different connecting stations on the way to the hotel. I will definitely be a backpacker on my next trip to Paris (if there is one).

All of us were exhausted by the time we reached Hotel des Victoires. Our rooms were minimally furnished and small, just like the elevator which can only accomodate 2 persons at a time. Hotel staff was friendly so that made everything ok.

After a long rest and a very late lunch at an Italian restaurant, we proceeded to our first stop at 4 PM - Centre Georges Pompidou - Musée National d'Art Moderne. The building showcases a cool inside-out design, i.e. escalators and pipes can be found outside:

The first time I saw Eiffel was from the top of Centre Georges Pompidou:

The museum hosts a leading collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. Most of those we have seen are abstract paintings:

Arty toys are also on display. Rissa joked that these are being sold locally in Quaipo and they are hardly called art in there:

We only stayed for an hour at Centre Pompidou then we went to Musée d’Orsay. The place was originally a train station and is now a museum of Impressionist paintings and statues.

Here are some of the statues we have seen:

Antoine Louis Barye - Napoleon I as a Roman Emperor

Jean Baptiste Carpeaux - The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere

Jules Cavelier - Cornelia, mother of the Gracques

Alexandre Schoenewerk - Young Tarentine

Jean Antoine Idrac - Mercury inventing the caduceus

This is Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's Ugolin. Behind it is Thomas Couture's 'Romans during the Decadence'

Behind me is Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's 'La Danse'

We have also seen paintings of world famous artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pierre Auguste Renoir:

Vincent van Gogh - Fritillaries

Vincent van Gogh - The siesta

Vincent van Gogh - The Arlesienne

Vincent van Gogh - Les roulottes

Claude Monet - Chrysanthèmes

Claude Monet - Woman with a parasol

Claude Monet - Church of Vétheuil

Pierre Auguste Renoir - Glaïeuls

Pierre Auguste Renoir - The Bathers

Pierre Auguste Renoir - Madame Josse Bernheim Jeune et son fils Henry

Here are other impressive masterpieces:

Paul Signac - Women at the Well

Maurice de Vlaminck - Restaurant La Machine at Bougival

Aristide Maillol - Woman with a Parasol

Louis Français - Orphée

Octave Penguilly L'Haridon - Villa romai

Jean Louis Hamon - The Human Comedy

Emile Lévy - Mort d'Orphée

Our last stop for the day was the 1 hour cruise at River Seinne. The dock was near the Eiffel Tower so we also got to see the landmark up close.

Lost in Amsterdam

2009-05-01T23:52:00.019+08:00

Day 1
April 8, 2009
Amsterdam

My 19-day Europe trip started with an overnight stopover at Amsterdam on my way to Paris. My friends had direct flights to Paris from Manila and Singapore so I was all by myself in exploring the city for around 7 hours, 2 hours of which were spent on finding my hotel!

The hotel website's map, which I printed and brought with me, showed that the hotel was just 1 block across the highway from the train station exit. It was actually easy to follow, but only if you start at the correct exit. I got out from an exit at one end of the train station while the map's starting point was apparently at the other end of the very huge and long train station.

I was so dead tired once I found hotel Brian, the very cheap hotel I booked. It was actually a hostel. My room was 3 meter square(!) and was just enough for my height. Worse, restroom was shared with the other rooms. I willingly paid extra bucks to get my own room, which was at the 3rd floor, reached only thru a very narrow staircase and an even narrower steps. I walked up and down the stairs sideways!

It was definitely not the best way to start my vacation. I missed the Anne Frank museum which was the one thing I was looking forward in Amsterdam. I have read Anne's diary in anticipation of the trip. I even bought the museum ticket online in advance to avoid the long queue.

Anyhow, I still very much enjoyed my first taste of Europe. Amsterdam was unlike any other places I have been. The canals, quaint structures, and world-famous red light district made it a unique and unforgetable city.

I took this picture during a swing ride (locally known as Flying Fiesta) which rose up as high as the Ferris wheel beside it. I thought it would be a relaxing kind of ride but it was not. It was terrifying and it was twice chilly up above.

I was not sure if it was allowed to take picture of the window displays of lingerie-clad women so these were the best I can get. My mind was forever robbed of its innocence after a trip to this red-light district.

Here's one offering peep show where I willingly got robbed 4 euros:

Nope, I did not try anything in the equally famous coffee shops. I should have, but I was afraid of the outcome.

Pinatubo Trek

2009-02-01T13:53:00.008+08:00

This is one trp I have been wanting to go to since the first time I heard about it. The 4 hour trip to Tarlac and another 2 hour trip to the crater lake were all worth the sight.

These pictures were from the 1 hour 4x4 rough and dusty ride. You will definitely need 1 (or 2) bottle of the best conditioner there is after this ride. A dust mask is also recommended.

Here's the 1 hour easy trek to the crater. It was not tiring at all. All you need is a bottle of sunblock and a bottle of water.

Here is the crater lake, which apparently was only created after the 1990 eruption. Who knew that such a disaster that left a number of people homeless would leave a surreal reminder that would make people breathless.

You could not help but take a swim in the cold water or take a boat ride around the lake to another spot in the crater where there is a hot spring. Unfortunately, we did not get to book the boat, which should be processed back at the office.

This was taken on our way back to the office where we cleaned-up.

The trek package was worth 1500 PHP and it included:
- 4x4 ride, capacity of 4 to 5 passengers (excluding the driver and the tour guide)
- services of a local guide
- skyway fee
- conservation fee
- lunch
- use of locker and shower facilities

Avilon Zoo

2009-01-18T18:23:00.004+08:00

My two nephews were in town for the Christmas holiday so we took the opportunity to visit (finally) Avilon Zoo, which is around 10-minute away from our home in Montalban Rizal but we have never visited yet since it opened to public a few years ago. Here are some pics I have taken:

Ilocos

2009-01-18T15:17:00.018+08:00

We had a 4-day long holiday weekend last November so we took the chance to visit Ilocos. It took us 16 hours to get to Pagudpod, which is roughly equivalent to 3 nights of sleep for me. It was so unexpectedly long that there was a collective sigh of relief when we finally reached Pagudpod at 3 in the afternoon. I thought we would never reach it. Nobody among us expected the very long trip, which can be blamed solely to the slowest drivers we had the unfortunate fate of hiring.

We stayed at Kapuluan beach resort for the first night. The resort has a very laidback atmosphere, which I think is perfect for a romantic tryst, not that I had one. The beach was hardly inviting at all, though, as it was real cold, windy, and a bit rainy during our stay. It also seemed like a big tornado just passed through it, though I actually liked the messy look and secluded feel of the place.

Next morning, we started our road trip around Ilocos, on the way to the next hotel.
The first stop, which was the highlight for me, was the windmills at Bangui. The imposing presence of these windmills was nothing short of spectacular.

We visited Cape Bojeador for a quick tour of the 20th century lighthouse.

We ate lunch at the elegant Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino. Food was great and the waiters were very friendly.

Next stop is at the Malacanang of the north, which has a very nice view at the balcony.

Last stop was the church of Paoay which was built in the 18th century!

The next resort we stayed in was Apo Idon Beach resort. This is the complete opposite of the other resort. This one is comparable to Puerto Galera, only better.

On the way back to Manila, we had a stopover at Vigan and visited Calle Crisologo, to buy some souvenirs and compulsory pasalubong.

Last place we visited was Baluarte Zoo where we saw a life-size dinosaur,

parrots making out,

some birds from out of this world,

and a very curious ostrich.

Enchanted Kingdom

2008-10-21T22:50:00.006+08:00

We went to Enchanted Kingdom last Oct 18 with a group of elementary students from a foundation that our employer supports. It was probably my 3rd or 4th time in there and even if it fails in comparison to other theme parks I have been, I still had a great time. Here are some pics:

Manila Ocean Park

2008-10-11T21:11:00.007+08:00

The following photos were taken at Manila Ocean Park which had a soft opening earlier this year. I'm glad to say that the oceanarium is comparable to the ones I have seen in Sentosa and San Francisco. However, it does not compare to the one in Ocean Adventure in HongKong, although Manila Ocean Park has the potential to come close. We will see how it goes in the following months once all ongoing contructions are done.

You'd think these pictures do not give justice to the sharks found in the oceanarium. They actually do! The sharks are really very small and do not look threatening at all. Hopefully, they grow in the coming months.

Yuyuantan Park

2008-10-05T18:54:00.011+08:00

While looking for a place to stay for free while waiting for the night train back to Shanhai, we ended up in Yuyuantan Park. It was a good choice for us to take a break and relax while enjoying the nice view around the park that is centered around a lake. It was here where I finally was able to make use of apperture setting of my camera and actually saw a difference to my pictures. I tried using the setting before, aiming for a shallow depth of field for my picture, but to no avail. Apparently, for my non-SLR camera, the setting only works for close-up shots, like the ones I took below:

Beijing

2008-04-14T16:45:00.023+08:00

Here are some pictures I took in Beijing during my recent 7-day Shanghai-Beijing trip.

There were taken during a very comfortable overnight train trip from Shanghai to Beijing:

First stop is Tiananmen Square:

Right across the square is Forbidden city, former home of imperial China's emperors. This one apparently has 800 buildings and more than 8700 rooms, which meant 2 hours of non-stop walking (and picture-taking of course).

Our second day started at Temple of Heaven, where emperors offered prayers and sacrifices for good harvest:

These were taken at Summer Palace:

Next day was devoted mainly to Great Wall of China. We chose the one is Simatai mainly because of the river view. The trip took 3 hours. And worse, it was very foggy. It also rained a bit. Not a good day for taking pics but I still managed to get some:

The trip, of course, was not complete without releasing some hard-earned funds. Here goes:

5890 Airfare
1620 Travel fee
750 Terminal fee
1400 Visa
90 Van to hotel (100 RMB total, 15 RMB/person)
1440 Shanghai hotel (120 RMB/night, 2 nights)
3060 Train to Beijing (510 RMB)
2400 Beijing tour* (2790 RMB total, 400 RMB/person)

*tour includes train to Shanghai

Winterland

2007-12-03T12:04:00.000+08:00

For the first time in weeks, I just stayed in the apartment, mainly due to the snow storm that hit the city. I estimate that around 8 inch worth of snow came. The whole apartment complex was covered with snow. It was unbelievable. It looked real nice (I felt like I was in a movie set) but that's about it. It was too cold to handle that after a minute or two, you'd begin to hate it.

Here are some pictures I took:

Zion National Park

2007-12-02T11:12:00.000+08:00

One thing I really like about Salt Lake is that some of the best national parks in the world are just a few hours drive away. Over the past few years, I have been to Arches (4 times), Bryce, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone (twice). A few weeks ago, I went to Zion which is famous for its red/cream canyons, towering cliffs, and rivers. It was a 5-hour drive and it was worth it. We did not see the park at its finest (that would be during fall season), we did not even see the famous "Narrows" due to the very cold river which we dared to cross but failed, but I can imagine how beautiful it could be during fall. I will definitely go back to this place.

Here are some pictures I took:

Las Vegas part 7

2007-11-27T13:57:00.000+08:00

Since it was my 7th time in Las Vegas, I hoped that the trip would be a lucky one for me. Alas, for the 7th time, I did not win in the slot machine, not even a dollar. But just like in my other trips, Vegas again has something new to offer. Planet Hollywood recently opened this year. It was formerly Aladdin hotel. There is also a new hotel called Trump which is now offically the blandest hotel in the strip. And there's the new musical 'The Producers' and the magic show featuring Hans Klok and the great Pamela Anderson, both of which I watched and enjoyed.

This is Planet Hollywood.

These ones are from the Bellagio garden.

These were taken in Hoover Dam, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world!

Hong Kong

2007-05-30T20:59:00.001+08:00

We spent the first day at happiest place on earth - Disneyland in Lantau island. I have wanted to come here since I was younger. I remember back in grade school, I saw some pictures of Disneyland in an encyclopedia we have at home. It was dreamlike to finally see it person after all these years.

We decided to splurge and stay at Disneyland Hollywood hotel.. but for 1 night only. It was a bit expensive but it was worth it.

Here's the Disney Parade. It was fun to see all the Disney characters, as if they are real.

There is no better souvenir than this, a photo op with the Disney cast.

This is probably the one I enjoyed the most - Lion King Festival. This is a like a mini version of the Lion King musical that I watched back in New York.

And finally, here is the vibrant fireworks display against the picturesque Sleeping Beauty castle. The use of popular Disney tunes made this even more overwhelming.

On our second day, we went to Kowloon to check-in on a cheaper hotel. This is a typical sight in Kowloon. It looks just like every Chinatown I have been to.

We later on crossed the Vicoria harbour to reach Hong Kong island where the financial district is located.

We went back late in the afternoon to Kowloon to visit Avenue of Stars - the Asian version of Hollywood boulevard. In here are plaques, handprints and statues that pay tribute to Chinese stars like...

The Avenue of Stars is also a good spot to see the grand Hong Kong island skyline and to watch the Symphony of Lights.

We later went back to Hong Kong island to get to The Peak to catch this spectacular view of the city. We caught the Tram on the way down. All the buildings seem to tilt because of 27 degree gradient of the tram.

The next and last day was spent on Ocean Park in Hong Kong island. This place is huge and is perched on the mountain. Amazing.

It rain hard in the afternoon but I was able to catch this ride before they had to stop all outdoor activities.

Even if it rained, there are still a lot of indoor sights to check out. Example is the Jellyfish aquarium.

Here's Atoll Reef, the biggest aquarium I have seen.

These were taken at Shark aquarium

This is probably the best place yet that I have been in Asia. All the sites I visited here is remarkable. No day is wasted, despite the rain. There are even still more places to see that we missed like the Giant Buddha and Wetland Park. I can't wait to go back. I will probably stay for a week next time with my family. But before that can happen, I have to save up. The trip is not cheap:

10,900 Airfare
750 Airport User's Charge
1,620 Terminal fee
2,155 One night at Disneyland Hollywood hotel*
1,495 One night at YWCA hotel in Kowloon
7,900 1300 HKD Pocket money (transpo, food, & entrance fees)**
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24,820 TOTAL

*We reserved 2 rooms that can accommodate 8 people. There were only 7 of us so each one paid higher than expected
**shopping excluded

Davao

2007-03-17T15:45:00.000+08:00

My vacation spree continued in Davao city where I went with another set of my good-looking friends. We spent most of the first day sleeping (hehe) in between places of interest due mainly to our red eye flight. We went to Eden Nature Park and Philippine Eagle sanctuary, home to Pag-asa, the first Philippine eagle to be bred in captivity.

We spent the next day in the picturesque Pearl Farm resort. The day tour costs 1500 pesos and it was really worth it - we had our own beachfront villa, we devoured a sumptuous buffet, and we even got to visit another island of the resort. Although the beach is not as great as Boracay (but still great), the breathtaking scenery and great food/facilities of the resort made it world-class. Here are some pics:

Bohol

2007-03-05T20:32:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, I and some of my good-looking friends went to the picturesque province of Bohol. Not only does it have a great pristine beach that rivals Boracay, it also has the world-renowned Chocolate hills. We had lots of fun that not even an overnight blackout in the hotel or a busted boat in the middle of the ocean (at dusk, no less!) could thwart us from having a great time.

Here is the hotel where we stayed at called Isis. We settled for this one since Bohol Beach club was supposedly fully booked. It was a nice hotel but could have been better if it has a generator:

After a few hours rest, we snorkeled and later on, went to Bohol Beach club, which actually had 5 available rooms!

I've never seen anything like this before:

We started the next day at 5:30 AM for dolphin-watching. The sunrise is breathtaking.

Now, the following picture really does not give justice to what we experienced while watching the dolphins. There were hundreds of dolphines, I swear. Here's one:

We spent the rest of the day touring the city. We went to the historical blood-compact site, Baclayon church (2nd oldest church in the country) and a snake sanctuary (where I touched a really long python which is good as dead), among others.

Here's Loboc river where we ate lunch at a cruise. The food is good, the music is better, and the scene is great.

Here's a man-made forest which was started a decade ago to stop ersosion:

Here's a hanging bridge we passed through:

The trip would not be complete without seeing a tarsier, the smallest type of monkey in the world. I really don't fancy monkeys (I almost got attacked by several monkeys in Batu caves at Kuala Lumpur). But tarsiers are different. Not only are they helpless, they are actually cute.

Of course, we saved the best for last - the Chocolate Hills.

Here are some more pics: