Ilocos and Cebu trips 1

My planned vacation would just have been to Ilocos but I made last minute changes and decided to also visit Cebu....

My first stop was at the NAIA terminal 2 in a bustling Manila, where my PAL flight from Singapore taxied. I arrived at the airport way too early which was 4AM to be exact. I will be meeting Ate Mars at NAIA 3 at around 6AM and MJ, who played host, will meet us at around 7AM. When I alighted the plane, I immediately went to the immigration area which was full packed as other airlines also arrived. So it took me a bit forever and since I had a bit of colds, the situation was not that helpful. I felt a bit exhausted and my eyes were straining. When it was my time to meet the officer, she signaled something then I noticed I had a masked on my face. Good thing the officer was really friendly and it was a quick verification. When I was out or the airport, I had to go meet Ate Mars and I didn't want to hire a taxi, so I went to the airport police to ask about the free shuttle. I waited for the shuttle for almost 30 minutes already but yielded nothing so I decided to go out of the terminal and look for a jeepney, a Philippine public transport inspired from the World War 2 military jeep and we call it jeep for short. I got lost upon looking my way out and good thing when I was about to enter another gate, there was an airport guard who was kind enough to help me with the direction.... I got out of the airport eventually, then rode a jeep. I was not familiar of the place and just told the driver that I was going to NAIA 2. He then told me that I have to alight and there was a tricycle waiting. The tricycle just zoomed after I suited myself rear seat. We plied a busy street and since I do not want to call any attention of some sort, I had to take off my mask. I couldn't see any smoke or dust but my throat was a bit itchy as if I have inhaled something foreign. The driver then told us that we have reached NAIA 2. I did not talk much, I just followed the other passengers because they looked like airport laborers. It was a long walk as the tricycles were not allowed to enter the departure or the arrival area. I arrived NAIA 2 around 5:30 AM and Ate Mars will be arriving soon. The security check at the airport was really tight, and I was surprised why they got a Category 2. Anyway, after I passed the security, I looked for some place to settle and wait. The airport was a bit cold, and even if I wore a jacket, my nose was feeling the torture. When the clock struck 6, Cebu Pacific flight from Cebu arrived and the waiting was over. After a few minutes, I saw Ate Mars and called her attention by waving my right hand. We did the usual beso-beso - for Filipinos, its like a check to check greeting :D Ate mars told me that she had messaged MJ already and she was coming. We then looked for a place to wait, still inside the airport. We just talked and talked about dogs, house and lot and investment stuff. Then MJ told us that she just arrived at the airport and on my way out, I saw her, so I hurried my steps to a run and called her name out loud. Ate mars, then followed suit and everyone hugged :D We then went to look for a bus going to the MRT. It was a short ride traversing the Roxas going to Taft. Then we rode the MRT going to Quezon City where, MJ reside. MJ and her housemate mommy Zhet rented a simple room at Philam village in Quezon City. The ride was smooth and we were able to get good seats. It was not a peak hour but the train was almost filled. Our initial plan was to actually go immediately to Ilocos but since it was a bit hectic, we decided to go to Ilocos on a night bus. Yes a bus which will take 9 hours :P When we arrived at MJ's place, we met mommy Zhet and simply introduced ourselves and greeted each other. Since we did not have breakfast, and I was a bit sleepy, I asked MJ that I'd like to have an hour nap before we go out and eat.

It was 9AM and I had to wash my face. Everyone was like awake and waited for me. MJ, Tmars, and I went out to have breakfast. We ate beef mushroom with rice (rice was overflowing for it was free). After that simple breakfast, we went back to MJ's place. We were planning to go get our tickets later but then we needed to have some rest. We just decided to go to the bus station at around 12.

Manila was hot and I guess hotter than Singapore. I did not mind much because I also wanted to get a tan. I just applied a bit of Nivea Sun lotion for protection against sun burn. We planned to buy the tickets first, so we hired a taxi and when we arrived at the station, the teller told us that they do not accept reservations - which was a crazy thought because it's pretty unusual to not have one for a bus company. Anyway, the teller assured us that there are lots of buses and that they had a trip going to Ilocos at an hour interval. Since Trinoma was a bit far, we hired another taxi and believe me, it was hot. The fact that the taxi was just parked from a far and had his air-condition off, the cab was an oven. No more complaints since we were in a hurry. We arrived Trinoma and strolled the mall. We ate ice cream crepe which was really delicious. We checked for some nice shades and found them very expensive. It was a bit of window shopping that took place. We got tired traversing the mall so we decided to just go back to Philam village. But before that, we bought some snacks at a grocery inside Philam. After that, we decided to just take the 4PM bus sked so we had all good two hours to nap.

We found ourselves waking up around 4PM. And I was second to the last to take a shower. MJ was still in her dreamland. Eveyone finished quite fast including me and then MJ. We left Phil-am just on time going to the bus station and the sun was still hot and mighty. We wanted to eat so we went to this pancit malabon food bar. I had deep fried bangus or milk fish with pancit malabon and rice - which was really tasty. After we finished our early dinner, we rode a taxi going to the bus station. There was a no queue at all and found ourselves directed by the the bus personnel and we found random seats inside the bus which was about to go.... After 5 minutes of waiting, the bus torched its engine and the journey to Ilocos has started.

After almost 10 hours of sleep, we arrived at Vigan the capital city of Ilocos Sur. It was still dawn so have to get a simple accommodation near the historical town center and the tricycle brought us at the Vigan riverside inn. There, we slept for three hours before we started our Vigan city tour conducted by us =)) Yeah, we did not hire any tour operator, as it was a free and easy Vigan tour which spelt adventure to us.

(To be continued....)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 3

(continuation : Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 2 and Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 1)

Where have we left ? Oh yeah, we went to our hotel after the awesome tour of the Khmer Ancient civilization. Then we had to prepare for some walk and night surf of Siem Reap central as we were invited by Helia, the Australian we met, to some sort of fun chat and ll of the couch surfer people. We had an hour to prepare and we met at the hotel lobby. After some few sms exchange, Helia led the way going to the rendezvous.

We met some couch surfer from the US, Australia and someone from Poland, I think. I forgot where in Europe, actually, but she looks like the mature looking version of Dakota Fanning. There we saw the friendly and chatty British couple, Tony and Jill, also dining at the restaurant. We then seated a few tables away from the British couple after some his-and-hellos. We were then introduced and shook hands with the couch surfer people. It was a night of cultural performance by the restaurant, a night of sharing experiences and interests and a night of I guess strangers connecting each other to become acquaintances or maybe friends. It was a bit of fun talking but I was and I think same goes for Olga, were a bit hesitant on some topics. Personally I am not that chatty to strangers but for socializing, I make some ways to make it happen, but yeah a bit hesitant, still.

After the couch surfer meet-up, we went to the night market and we ate ice cream. Helia decided to go ahead but then we wanted to stay to check some pubs for a couple of drinks. So, we were back to Pub Street and I had a can of Angkor the local beer, and Kay was having a glass of wine. Oh it was a very relaxing night, plainly talking and munching some chips and watching rowdy passersby. After we finished the drinks, we headed back to our hotel. It was already late in the evening.

The next morning, we were scheduled to go to the floating village. It was a short trip and we have booked Bud, our tuk-tuk driver, in going to the river. When we arrived at the river dock, we then proceeded to getting tickets for 20USD each, which was quite expensive for the place. Well it's a touristy area so that explains it but the place was not what it looks like to begin with. Anyway, we get on to our motorized boat which looks weird I guess, because the propeller was protruding outside of the boat which as really visible at the back of the boat. So, good luck to those who might be ran over by the boat or whatever it is. The journey to the village was not that long, and as advertised by the boat captain, we would be going to the school, to the fish and crocodile farm but prior to that, they are bringing us to the schools supplies store for the kids in the floating school. It was way of helping the kids according to the boat guide. We bought pencils after the floating store attendant explained things. There was this mistrust with the way she spoke her terms of helping the school children as the food and supplies were ridiculously expensive. So we just bought a set of pencils and since the pencils looks used, we marked them. If we knew that it was such a situation there, we would have bought it in the city proper and label it accordingly. We feel that there was some kind of exploitation in the area. Anyway, enough of the dramatic commentary, so yeah, we rode the boat again to go to the school. We saw there some children playing and having fun, unlike some children near the temple where they were selling some goods. We saw some noisy class conducted. After giving the pencils to the teacher, we then went back to our boat and then they brought us to the farm. There were fish and crocodiles but not really that exciting. It was warm and hot and the food they were selling was really expensive. I don't think I would have to recommend the place and if you want to help, it's better to channel it to some valid charity organizations who knew the drift in this kind of business. Sadly, according to a Filipino friend based in the UK, the government is playing some kind of entertainment of the village's plight. At some degree, I agreed with her, and I have to be reminded that it is also happening in my country in minuscule and subtle way, but Cambodia was worse I've seen and I think it's happening all over the world done by corrupt individuals, governments and capitalists. It was bit drama and we were tourists looking to have some fun and to relax so we went to our own state of dream lands and so we finished the tour and decided to go back to the mainland. The guide made the trip interesting as he asked me to try driving the boat. It was scary but I want to try it so I jumped to the maneuver and we sailed towards the dock. It was scary at first but later on it went so much fun which drew some smiles in my face and too bad some scare to Olga and Kay. I had to have the boat captain take over as when we were about to enter the mouth where the path going to the dock was, there were some boats and they were bigger, cruising the opposite side, so it was a bit dangerous already. When we reached the dock safely, we gave 2USD as tip. We washed up and needed a bio break so we immediately searched for the toilet area. Then we looked for Bud and then asked him to bring us to a restaurant suggested by the travel magazine. We had some local food there and as usual the local food was sweet which was not really that appealing to us. Anyway we still enjoyed the food simply because we were hungry. After that late lunch, we walked our way to the city. We again, when Olga and I saw the mango vendor, we bought some and eat it the street way I guess. We also went to the new Siem Reap market and shop some goodies. We wanted to shop more so we decided to go to the Old Market. After the shopping, we went back to our hotel to fix ourselves for another night out. After that, we found ourselves back at the Pub Street. We ate at this two storey western restaurant and we ate a lot, fattening ourselves in the process. We were again, talking endlessly of a lot of things, family, work, and other accounts in our lives. Well mostly centered on personal adventures. After that, we checkout to have some few shops and also some drinks, then called the it a night as we were a bit exhausted as well from the long walks we took.

The next day was the last, so we woke up late. It was checkout time in the hotel at around 12 so we managed to leave our belongings at the reception and we went out to have some nice meal. We ended at the NYDC restaurant which was kind of interesting because they are non profit so by that, they give their profits to some worthy cause which was kind of interesting. After the meal, we headed back to our hotel to get our stuff and we decided to go to the airport. But prior to that we also checked the arts and craft on our way to the hotel.

Going to the airport was a good all thirty minutes and when boarding time came, we bid our good byes to Cambodia.

It was such a great experience all in all and an eye opener as well. Hope things will get better in Cambodia ....

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 2

(continuation: angkor-wat-cambodia-siem-reap-khmer 1)

After that short temple trip, we went to this mall to buy some personal effects. Then we went for another walk and found ourselves at the bluepumpkin savoring some icecreams. It was a boutique type ice cream parlor and we just suit ourselves in their comfy couch. It was a lazy afternoon and I almost took a nap. It was getting dark and we decided to go out and check other areas. We then went to the night market to scour things - buy some local stuff. I ended up buying a native purple shorts. I plan to wear it the next day for the ancient ruins of Angkor. After the mini shopping and some foot spa, we decided to check some restaurants at the pub street and had dinner in one of them. After dinner, and another visit to the shop, we went back to our guest house / hotel. It was a long stroll in siem reap I should say. After fixing myself to bed, I woke up the next morning a fresh. I was the first one to take the shower and it was cold even if the heater was on. I had to survive this mini ordeal .... We had our breakfast and after that we waited a bit for our tour van to arrive and yes it did after 20 minutes. There was this British couple waiting in the white van and they were very friendly. So we introduced ourselves and all that hi and hello - they were Tony and Jill and they are at their golden age. Both were very chatty and fun, especially Tony who has a lot of jests all through out the trip. By the way, we also met Helia, a lady from Down-Under. Next, we met the Indian couple and then the German couple. They then introduced themselves.... The tour guy introduced himself and so with the driver.

Our first stop was to the Angkor Thom but before that, we need to buy our tickets for a whole day pass and it amounted to 20USD. It was a bit expensive actually but we did not mind as that was the highlight why we visited Siem Reap, Cambodia in the first place. Going to Angkor Thom, the tour guide, educated us about the history and culture of the Khmers. It was very informative but I was drowned with excitement of what to see and feel about the ancient ruins. Truly, when we arrive at the mouth of Angkor Thom, we were greeted by this man-mad bridge leading to the site. Each side had this dragon serpent or what's that but it's called Naga. It's very old and some of the heads of the Naga were cut off some pillars were obliterated. We walked to the entrance and was amazed with the door and the hollow ceiling. They were made of rocks, and not just rocks because they looked really heavy block. These stone blocks were crafted or maybe beaten to reflect the practiced religion and tradition. The tour guide then shared to us the story of the ten blind men.... I knew the story when I was in grade school so I did not pay attention much but I realized I forgot the moral of the story and so when the tour guide finalized his script, I had to say , "Oh yeah that was the moral of it. Interesting! ". Then we went to the left side of the entrance when facing it as an exit. We then took some pictures to the surrounding pillars and the man-made canal. After that, we went to the site of the ancient ruin of Angkor Thom. It was really big and it has 54 towers on it with each tower having four faces with different facial expressions. Quite interesting and dramatic in design. There were so many tourists on the place so it got a bit crowded at the entrance of the temple. We managed to get some nice photos though. Then the tour guide explained to us the arts and the legends of the temple. The walls of the temple were decorated with the ancient culture and the guide translated the delicate art for us to understand and know what they meant. It was getting hungry by the way after we finished Angkor Thom and at the back of the ruin, where we had to meet our driver, there was this lady selling some mangoes. Olga and I bought two for each and it cost 1USD. The mango was all slight sweet but it was good and refreshing. I was a bit worried though that it might wreck havoc to my tummy. After waiting some of our tour friends, we took some pictures and then we left off after everything were settled. Our next stop was the terrace of the leper king. When we arrived there, we then alighted from the van and the guide began his story of the leper king. It was interesting because according to him the leper king got seriously involved with the nine-headed serpent who transfigured itself into a really beautiful princess and became a concubine of his. The king has a lot of concubines at that time. One of the guys said it was lucky for him and another blurted that, how was he able to survive with those number of women.... Anyway, we were so hungry but then there was this another temple which we had to visit. It was the site where Angelina Jolie shot the tomb raider. I was a bit excited! Prior to that, we passed by another temple which was not that crowded. We just alighted from the van and took some pictures from afar. Then we got back to the van and then continued our journey to Ta Phrom. We alighted from the van and continued on to a wall climb. then going to the entrace of the temple which was quite a walk. The place was really ancient and dusty worthy of the Jolie film. Upon reaching the site, the guide then worded the story of the temple. He then brought us the inner chambers of the place then leading to the site where Angelina took those stunts in Tomb Raider. It was a beautiful complex but not quite as impressive as the Angkor Thom. Anyway, we're a bit hungry and drained and we had to walk again to get to our van. There were kids trying to sell their goods. Poor kids, having to do all the old folks had to do. They should be playing and learning instead of doing those labor. So when we got to our van, the guide then informed us that we are going to this restaurant for lunch. Good thing it was belly feast time. The place was not far and so we soaked ourselves of the menu and I ended up eating stir fried pork. I had beef last time, though it tasted quite pleasant, I just did not like how the beef was prepared. Paired my viand with rice and a can of coke. It was soothing but way unhealthy.... The British couple who were seated at the my farthest left, then shared their travel experiences and some of their adventures and so with the Indian lady. The two Germans on my right were quite silent and they just enjoyed their food and the two bottles of Angkor beer. Kay, Olga and I were like kids listening to their stories and laughing at our own. We also had our own talks but were a bit oblivious as we were speaking in our native tongue, Cebuano. After lunch, we had to prepare for the next trip which is the highlight of the event, seeing the grandeur of the Angkor Wat. It was a 15 minute ride and when we arrived at the checkpoint, the guards immediately checked on our passes. Then we had to walk all through the way to the temple. A long walk will definite burn all the calories I ingested. My bottled water was thinning and I had to conserve a bit. I just did not want to collapse from dehydration. When we arrived at the temple, it was really beautiful and grandiose. We had some few snaps. We then proceeded to the tower temple and the crowd was huge. We queued to see the temple towers atop. The climb was really steep so one should be very cautious. I think some of my mates were a bit scared of the height and fore me it was fun. I was not terrified of heights in fact I enjoyed it and played some jokes to my friends to look down because it's really nice and high. When we got to the top most part of the temple we then checked the whole tower together will all the tourists. It was fun watching the whole surrounding covered with lush greenery. It was a refreshing feeling and an interesting one at that. I feel like wanting to visit the ancient ruins of Egypt and the Mayan's.... After that mini tower excursion and some fun photos, we then had to go down and proceed to the other side of the temple. The guide was waiting for us at the foot of the tower. We had to sit a bit and wait some of our tour mates who were slowly descending. After everyone was accounted for, we headed to the right side of the complex and the guide began explaining the detailed sculptures and images. We then went to the ancient bath and library used mainly by the priests at that time to do some rituals and learning. We then went to another part of the temple and their the guide explained about the ancient life which was most highlighted by their religion. Quite a fine display and depiction of their lives and how they wanted to tell the world of their culture. Too bad the present Cambodia is a bit in shambles.

We then went went to the toilet as mostly wanted to do some clean up and bio breaks. It was not part of the tour wahahaha for us to see :P Once ready, we headed to the exit route. We also took some interesting photos at the pond where the Angkor Wat was a backdrop. What made it interesting was the shadow of the Wat was drawn on the huge pond. Then we proceeded to our van and that was the end of the day tour....

The guide culminated the excursion and he then told us that they will be dropping us one by one to our hotels. He also shared to us some interesting restaurants in town and some night attractions.

(to be continued)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Khmer etc. 1

Our flight was at 6:00 AM, my friends and I went to Cambodia last Thursday, 24th of March. It was too early for everyone and I was packing my stuff at the wee hours of Wednesday. I had to travel light as I usually had done for the past out of towns. When done with packing, I slept around 1AM and when my alarm struck 3, I woke up and immediately went to the bathroom. I was still sleepy and taking a bath at that was too much of an effort. After the shower, I opened my phone and there was Kay already up and done. I heard Olga rushing to the shower as I was in my room fixing myself and checking for the things I need to bring. At around 3:40, Olga and I went out of our flat and waited for a taxi in front of Lot 1, and good thing there were lots of them. I sent an sms to Kay that were on the cab and we were picking her up in Bukit Batok. The cab smelt like cigar and irritated my nose a bit and so with Olga's throat. Anyway, we were near Kay's block and saw her at the entrance. The cab then sped its way to Changi Airport.

We were too early. We queued for check-in and then went to withdraw cash. After that, we went to the money exchanger to convert our cash to US dollars as Cambodia's prices were in that currency. After that, we had a healthy take-out from Subway. We were going to our destination gate and Kay wanted to buy but couldn't find it so we hurried for our boarding gate. Water was not allowed to be brought inside the gate so we threw it.... When we were settled inside the waiting lounge, we savored our take-out food. When the clock struck 6AM, we queued to depart from Singapore via Jetstar. It was not a long ride but we managed to take a nap. When we arrived at Siem Reap, we were still sleepy yet we managed to take some pictures. Kay and Olga had their cameras in handy so they took the lead. We were greeted with a nice morning with Siem Reap's not-boxed airport. The guesthouse where we booked had a free pick-up and when we got out of the terminal, we were greeted by a tuk-tuk driver named Bud. He was soft spoken and really helpful. It was a unique ride which made the 30 minutes (or more) travel to the guesthouse enjoyable. What I noticed was the highway was filled with hotels and not much to see. Though the hotels were unique, I just wondered what else was there. It didn't bother me much though, because all my interest and focus in visiting Cambodia is to see and feel the grandeur of the Angkor Wat.

Upon arrival, we proceeded to the reception and confirmed the booking, then we had our breakfast again. We then had ourselves a huge sleep, a continuation from the plane's dreamland.
We woke up at around 2PM and geared ourselves for an excursion. But first, we had to dine and on our way, we saw a hotel serving Khmer food. It was our first take of the local food. Olga and I ordered some local noodles with chicken while Kay had beef. We also had mango salad. Khmer food is a bit sweet which I find not much of my liking :D Anyway, we were hungry so we did not dwell on that. The salad was spicy so we were carefully choosing the mango thin strips and Olga did not like the carrots on it, in short we did not finish the salad. The food was a bit expensive because it was in US dollars and the food in Singapore with that price with be tastier, even in the Philippines, one can eat a more delicious meal with that tag. Anyway, after the loads of carbs in our tummy, we paid the bills and went to the old market. Since the weather was on the sunny side, we bought ourselves a hat. We then went to see a temple a few hundred meters from the Old Market of Siem Reap.


To be continued :D

Sinulog in Cebu - Present!

Forgive me for the very late update, it's because I got busy again from a lot of things.

My latest escapade was I went to Cebu to celebrate Sinulog. It is a religious festival in my hometown and celebrated by the whole island. And because of its vibrancy a lot of Filipinos from other Philippine islands and aliens are enchanted and visit Cebu.

I have missed two celebrations already so I dared not to miss this one. So, I went to Cebu last January 14 and a flight from Singapore to Cebu via AirPhilExpress brought me safely to the beautiful island.

Things I did were, see my family (of course), see my aunts and nephews and nieces, met my college mates and dine with them, checkout my mini house project (thinking of buying a bigger and more beautiful one), went to the cemetery to light some candles, say some prayers and offer roses and chrysanthemums for my mom and sister, went to the Cebu Cathedral and the Sto. Nino Basilica, videoke with friends, clubbing with friends and lastly witness the Sinulog under the drizzle in a humongous crowd (planning to visit for next celebration).

Thank God I was able to do a lot of things and went back to Singapore safely and despite the flu I got, I was able to enjoy my Cebu adventure.

I am planning to visit my country again and this time on a different vacation and it is somewhere north. My leaves were approved last week so the next step is to get a good flight....

By the way, please see the winning performances....

Free interpretation:



Sinulog Based: