Camping at Anawangin

March 31, 2012

Anawangin Cove, Zambales

Last March 31, I and some of my office mates and friends went camping in Anawangin cove. I first learned about it from a forwarded email I received a few years ago. It was surprising to see that the place - a picturesque secluded cove of near-white volcanic sand with pine trees reflected in a river bed - is actually in the Philippines and that it is just about 4 hours away from Manila, in San Antonio Zambales to be exact.

We met at Pasay terminal before 5 AM but unfortunately were only able to buy tickets for the 6 AM departure. At past 10 AM, we were at San Antonio and before noon, we were already setting up tents at the camping area. The place was not as crowded as I expected. I heard that it gets really packed during holy week so our timing was just right, even if it rained a little.

Preparing for bonfire

That night, after dinner, we set up a bonfire and cooked tried cooking hotdogs and marshmallows using regular sticks. We either had a very strong bonfire or very short sticks (or both) - it took great amount of effort to just cook burn 1 marshmallow.

The following day, a few of us hiked the nearby mountain for an hour and were rewarded with a  wonderful view of the cove and the semi-dry river bed. The climb, although relatively short, was moderately difficult - 2 of us had to stop midway as the trek became more challenging.

After we got back to the camp site, it was time to pack-up. At around noon time, we commuted our way for about 30 minutes to  Subic bus terminal where we took the bus back to Manila. 

Estimated expenses:

900 PHP - round trip bus fare (Caloocan to San Antonio)

  60 PHP - round trip tricycle fare

100 PHP - Camping fee

200 PHP - round trip boat fare

500 PHP - Food/Water/Grocery

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1,760 PHP 

Back at Delhi

Day 5

March 8, 2012

New Delhi

Of all the weeks available in a year to visit India, Marlon chose this particular week so that we can participate at the Holi festival or Festival of Colors. No doubt he was after the opportunity to capture great photos of the festival, where in people play pranks at each other by hurling colored powder and water. If only we knew better, we would have visited India some other time instead. Most attractions were closed this day (it was disappointing not to see Red fort) and tourists were advised to stay indoor. We actually felt hostaged inside Beaufort Inn as there were kids outside throwing colored stuffs at passers-by. I ended up checking office emails on my vacation.

Photo taken by Marlon

It was already afternoon when we decided to risk getting pranked and went out for lunch (I ran going to the taxi cab and ensured all windows were closed after I got in). We splurged a little as it was our last day. We ate at Fifty9 Radisson Blu Marina at Connaught Place.

Succulent Burrah Kebab

Afterwards, we went to the only attraction open during the holiday - Akshardham, a Hindu temple complex. Completed in 2005 after 5 years, inside the temple are intricately-carved pillars, nine domes, beautiful murals, and grand statues. The place was breathtaking and it was unfortunate that cameras were not allowed in the complex. Not surprisingly, we were done with the complex in less than an hour. No doubt we would have stayed thrice as long if we had cameras with us.

And that concluded our India trip. Later that night, we took the overnight flight back to Kuala Lumpur and we were back in Manila on  Friday night, 30,000 PHP poorer...

Sightseeing at Jaipur

Day 4

March 7, 2012

Jaipur

I have never heard of Jaipur before our trip to India. Apparently, it is part of the so-called golden triangle, along with New Delhi and Agra. We spent the day visiting the attractions around the city, before heading back to New Delhi later in the afternoon.

Our first stop was at Hawa Mahal, a famous landmark in the city built in 1799. It literally means “Palace of the Winds.”  

Afterwards, we went to Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory built between 1727 and 1733. It has a collection of large astronomical instruments that measure time, track stars, and predict eclipses, among others.

Bazaar outside Jantar Mantar

We then spent more than an hour at a local textile store to buy shawls and beddings. It was almost impossible to leave the store without buying anything, even with the steep prices, as the merchant was very accommodating and persuasive. I think he showed us every color and type of shawl there is, from the cheapest to most expensive such as Pashmina.

After shopping, we ate lunch at Royal Treat multi-cuisine restaurant where we ordered Reshami Kebab and stuffed cheese nan. We all loved the food here so I highly recommend this. Judging by the number of tourists in the restaurant, I bet this really is highly recommended by many.

Our last stop was at Amber Palace and Fort, located on a hilltop overlooking an artificial lake. Inside were  palaces, halls, pavilions, temples, and gardens. Built in the 16th century, the palace is a mixture of Hindu and Moghul architecture.

Late in the afternoon, we started the 5-hour journey back to New Delhi, where the Holi festival was to start the next day.

Loving Taj Mahal

Day 3
March 6, 2012
Agra

Before dawn, we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the ticket booth of Taj Mahal where we found a few tourists already waiting in line. By the time the gates opened at 6:30 AM, there were already 2 very long queues of tourists, 1 for male and another 1 for female. After passing thru a very strict security check, we finally saw Taj Mahal, the main reason I wanted to go to India. Known as the jewel of Muslim art in India, Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, combining elements from Persian, Turkish, and Indian architectures. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his thrid wife.

details of the white marble mausoleum

After taking in all the beauty of Taj Mahal for an hour or 2 (as well as brief tour inside to see the actual tomb - there was nothing else to see inside), we left for Agra Fort, built during the reign of Akbar the Great. It consisted of a wall built in red sandstone and several buildings inside.

As there was nothing else to see in Agra, we headed for Jaipur after lunch. Along the way, we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the capital of the Mughal Empire for 10 years. It is one of the best preserved collection of the Mughal architecture. This was where we were tricked by a local guide who insisted that we needed a guide to get to the complex. We ended up paying him 900 INR for the guided tour which we later found out was not necessary. Worse, he had this very thick Indian accent so I did not understand half of what he was saying.

Diwan-i-Khas - Hall of Private Audience

central pillar of Diwan-i-Khas

carvings in Diwan-i-Khas depicting different religions

Panch Mahal

fading frescoes in the complex

After 2 hours, we continued our long drive to  Jaipur. We stayed at H. R. Palace, a nice boutique hotel with very accommodating staff. The only downside was that the hotel only served vegetarian meals so we had to go out to the nearest fast food chain, Pizza Hut, to buy dinner. It was surprising to see that the Pizza Hut menu was customized for India which basically limited my choices (nothing spicy or curry for me).