leerenah

Our Holy Land Tour concluded last week, we arrived in Manila on March 24, having been gone for more than 2 weeks, since March 8. We covered 4 countries in all, Egypt, Israel and Jordan, with an extension in Dubai. It was a bittersweet trip for me, sweet that I got to witness the land of the Lord, which some people only dream about. And bitter because Sophie and I got ill for several days on that trip with Sophie losing a lot of weight because she didn’t eat for a week. 

Anyway, one of the highlights of the trip is our renewal of vows in Cana. There were 4 couples in our group, and just like the marriage in Cana of Galilee, we also had our wedding ceremony officiated by our priest, Fr. Jobert Villacorta. It was supposed to be done inside the Cana church, but our tour leader Ms. Rose wanted it done inside the cave below. Wow, it was the most perfect place! It was a small and beautiful cave perfect for the intimate ceremony. All of us couples wore white, and the ladies were given bouquet of roses. Two of the older ladies wore simple veils, while I had crown of artificial flowers, as well as Sophie’s, the flower girl. (I also dressed her in white)

 

It was a real wedding, because we all have certificates from Cana church signed by Fr. Jobert. Roxy even sang a beautiful wedding song called “Ikaw”, as requested by Ms. Rose. After the ceremony, we were all congratulated by our groupmates! Tabs and I were very fortunate to experience this. It is once in a lifetime. It really felt just like my wedding day. ❤️ 

After we’re done, we even had to taste the wine sold in a souvenir shop outside. I didn’t pass on the opportunity to buy wines for us, and for my parents, since this would be the wine from Cana of Galilee, just like in the bible. What an unforgettable experience indeed.

 

Going to Japan was one of our dreams come true. When news of Japan’s visa lifted came about last year, we were overjoyed and started planning. Sadly, the news wasn’t real at all, as confirmed by the Japanese Embassy. Anyhow, the good news is that, it becomes easier to receive a Japanese visa and they can even provide multiple entries upon approval.

When PAL released their seat sale earlier this year, Tabs and I hurried to book a flight to Narita, business class. It still cost us a little over USD2k, but taking into considerations the 4-hour flight, a baby with us, and our first time in Japan, we decided to splurge instead. Its a seat sale after all, still cheaper than the regular fare.

We booked for June 6-8, and came May, we were still unprepared for the trip, and visa application. We thought of rebooking the flight for September, as our honeymoon after the wedding. But rebooking the tickets will cost us almost USD700 more, and downgrading the tickets to economy is not allowed. And so with less than a month before the flight, we decided to just take it, come what may with the visa. We then prepared the requirements for visa application, and online booking of hotel and tours.

We received the visa just 2 days after submitting to Reli Tours. It cost php3,600 for the three of us. Of course we were thrilled upon our approval, imagine, its a Japanese visa! Meaning we have a chance to get a multiple on the next application. And also, our stepping stone to the US and Europe. (A third-world thinking like us 😝)

Tokyo’s weather when we arrived was 20 degrees with rain showers. 20 was ideal, but the rain, well, it isn’t much when you’re travelling.

It took us almost 2 hours from Narita Airport to Marriott Courtyard Ginza via Airport Limousine. We chose Courtyard because the airport bus and tour bus stops here, and also near a subway station, so its very convenient for our airport transfer and tours. The first day is a free day since we arrived at the airport at past 12 noon already. I noticed that Narita Airport is already an old airport. I’m not so sure with Terminal 1 but I think Terminal 2 needs a renovation to be at par with other airports like Hongkong or Incheon. We collected the wifi router Tabs rented as we were waiting for the next bus shedule at 145PM. Its already raining when we landed, and the rain didn’t stop throughout the day.

After checking in at the Courtyard and resting for a while, we took the subway and went to see the Tokyo Skytree Tower. Because it was raining, we could only see fog from up the tower, and only the tiniest bit of sight of the buildings. After buying our souvenirs we went down for dinner. We looked for a resto that has an English menu, and we settled at Kitchen Jo’s, sort of like Western Japanese. The nice thing about it was, when we asked for a high chair for Sophie, they included a kiddie plate with utensils and a cup with straw. Its so cute. The only thing we noticed about their high chairs everywhere here, its just literally a small high chair, no seatbelt whatsoever.

Access to the Skytree is in the 4th floor of a mall, so after viewing and dinner we walked around inside for a while. There was a Hello Kitty store and bought some stuffed toys for Sophie. I also noticed some stores selling beautiful fans and umbrellas. Too bad we didn’t have the energy to go around anymore, we were tired from all the walking and we still had to take the subway back to the hotel.

Now came the challenging part on our return to Courtyard. When we went up from the subway it was raining hard. As in think of a storm or typhoon with lots and lots of rain. Good thing we bought big clear umbrellas from Family Mart, they protected our upper bodies, including Sophie. But the rest, especially our shoes, were dripping wet. We looked like poor soaked creatures upon our entry to the hotel. And it got me thinking of the last time I got soaked in the rain, which was, forgettably, a long time ago.
The shoes didn’t dry the next day, and we had no choice but to wear them for our tour today. We booked online with Sunshine Tours a Mt. Fuji tour for today and a city tour tomorrow. The transfer bus, which stops in front of the Courtyard, promptly leaves at 815AM. Japanese are very prompt people. So when the schedule is 815, it doesn’t mean you have to be there by 815. You have to be there by 810 or 812 because it will leave by 815 on the dot, whether you arrive or not.

The transfer bus with transfer guide only drops the tourists to Hamamatsucho Terminal, the main terminal of Sunshine Tour buses, where you will stand in line to the corresponding type of tour you purchased, and will be given tickets to board the bus. It can get really crazy here, because they have so many types of tours and so many tourists standing in line, or waiting to board, all in one place.
We purchased the Mt. Fuji and Hakone tour with lunch, but due to the bad weather (yes, still raining), the bus was only allowed to the first level of the mountain. We got down to take pictures, which didn’t look like we’re from a mountain at all. It looked just like a stopover surrounded with trees, and the rain.
Plus, Hakone tour was also cancelled. The tour guide said a road was blocked also due to the weather. Still, he found ways to make up for the lost Hakone tour. We went boating and rode the cable car. Both were so boring that I fell asleep inside the boat, seriously.

Our return to Tokyo was via Shinkansen or bullet train. We wanted to see how fast it can get. The train was fast enough at 300 km/hour, but nothing really beats the MagLev in Shanghai that goes up to 500 km/hour. Kinda scary, really.
The Shinkansen stops at the Tokyo Station, and from there we went by subway going back to Ginza. We looked for a place to have dinner, and we ended up at Yoshinoya. Funny how this was our first time eating in a Yoshinoya. There were so many in Manila we thought its local, but in Japan, they’re everywhere.

After dinner we walked around Ginza for a while, bought some stuff at the Apple store, and baby clothes at Uniqlo.

Our last day tour is called Tokyo Morning city tour. We checked out early because the tour will end by 1220PM at the Tokyo Station. Theres still a bit of rain, but unlike the past 2 days, the weather today has got better. Our first stop was the Tokyo Tower. Since it was shorter than Skytree, we were able to have a better view of the city. Tabs also said that since the opening of Skytree, Tokyo Tower has had decreased visitors. Maybe thats why they partnered with the tours.

Next stop is the Imperial Palace. Or just its garden, because tourists are not allowed inside of course. The garden was lined with hundreds of perfectly trimmed beautiful pine trees. Today’s guide was a nice lady with a good English who shared detailed informations about the city and the Japanese monarchy. She even took a family picture of us in the Armory Storage Building.

The next and last stop was the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. For 100 yen, we tried the fortune telling here, where theres a wooden box with sticks inside that you have to shake. After shaking you get one stick from the hole and compare the Japanese characters written on it to the many different characters placed on little drawers on a cabinet. The only answer you can get is a good or bad fortune. As expected, I got the bad fortune and Tabs, the good fortune. Since I got the bad one, I had to tie the paper to the bad fortune rack, so that the bad luck leaves there. The guide said not to take the game seriously though, as only 30% of it contains the good fortune.

We walked around the Nakamise Shopping Market (also in Asakusa) and tried some street foods there, like buns with different flavors, and ice cream sandwich.
Asakusa was the last part of the morning tour, and we were dropped at the Tokyo Station again. We went back again by subway and did some last minute walking in Ginza. I bought several stuff in Sanrio World in Nishi Department Store.

If only we had lots of time, Tabs would really love to go to Sony in Ginza and Akihabara, and I would have loved to see Hachiko in Shibuya. At least there are things to look forward to next time. After our lunch at Denny’s just across Courtyard, we collected our luggages and took the airport limousine back to the airport. It took only an hour since there were no stops this time. I did some last minute shopping for souvenirs, I just had to buy Kit Kat, Royce and Shiseido, which I was amazed because its so cheap here. We had snack at the beautiful lounge of American Airlines and finally boarded the plane back to Manila.

On our next visit, maybe we can plan on going to Osaka. They say Osaka has lots of beautiful places, ideal for tourists. I don’t know, was it just me, or I just couldn’t seem to find anything special in Tokyo? I mean, the city was nice, though we’ve been to Ginza area only most of the time. I mean, given that it is Japan, I expected to find something unusual, or maybe something I haven’t seen in the countries I’ve been to. Or maybe I expected too much? What I never expected was, most of the people we encountered, I mean the servers in restaurants or the guards in the subway, can speak English. So we never really experienced any language barrier of sort. Also, I expected the cost of living to be really high. But its just something like Korea, and unlike Singapore which was too unreasonably expensive. Also, I liked that the tours didn’t stop at tourists trap shops which I totally dislike in other countries.
I think 3 days is too short to explore Tokyo. Given the chance to return, I think 5 or 7 days would be enough. And I have to make sure it won’t be a rainy season. It was a short, bittersweet experience. Sayonara Japan! Until we meet again.

For The Manor’s breads (chocolate marble!), Good Shepherd and the cold, how I wish Baguio is closer to Manila! Chillin’ at 16c on our overnight stay.. 🙂

You know the feeling of going out of the country for the first time? I felt that way aboard our flight to Taipei. Ecstatic. After all, this was my first time in Taiwan. And though this was not one of my sought-after countries, I was curious on how it looked like, since this is one of the more progressive cities of China. As I was searching for itineraries online, I discovered that it was not cold there. When we got there it was about 25 degrees. As I am a citizen of a tropical country and I anticipate cold, I was expecting it to be colder, maybe under 20 degrees.

Upon arrival at the airport I was a bit confused. There were not many people, and there were no shops. Probably because the airport is currently undergoing a major renovation. There was also one male/female restrooms which thank goodness, has options for the chair-type toilets. There was almost no line at the immigration, and we quickly headed to the bus terminals going to the city. Again there were only a handful of people outside. I wasn’t sure if it was a normal day, but this must be the least populated airport I’ve been to.

   

I was a bit disappointed that their airport is not connected to any MRT line. Either you go by bus, taxi or hotel shuttle. We took the bus option since this is the cheapest at NT145, and would take 90 minute travel time same as the others. It only took us only 50 minutes to arrive at our bus stop. Fancy how W Hotel is adjacent to the bus terminal, MRT and a mall. Very ideal.

Now on to W Hotel. This was our first time billeting in a Starwood property, probably because we prefer the Accor group when out of the country. I’ve read good reviews about this hotel, and we decided to give it a try given its location. Reception is at 10th flr, and the moment we stepped in the hotel there was already an air of eccentricity, in a positive way. We instantly noticed the good morning welcome mat that changes to good afternoon and good evening. Staff were also very helpful and articulate in English, all wearing black with hot pink contrast and a W pin.

   
Our room package is called You Are Spectacular, where it really has a spectacular view of Taipei 101.

Included in the room were a welcome cocktail which we never got the chance to claim, breakfast and a gift, a cute dragon figurine which cost NT1,060 at the gift shop.

Along with the view I loved everything about this room; the huge king bed, the Bose surround sound of our 42 inch TV, and the Bliss bath products which all smelled so much like L’occitane Verbena. It included a facial wash in bubble gum scent which I always look for in hotels and rarely finds one.

               

The room was designed very funky but functional, and almost everything is unconventional, including the toilet with its own room and has its own separate console. This is my first time seeing a toilet cover that opens when you get near and closes after you get out. Wicked.

      

The window blind is automated, with sheer and full cover as options. Telephone is cordless. Safe box in a supine position inside a drawer. Amenities-wise, theirs is complete, with only cotton buds as missing which I think is very vital. They also have a selection of magazines, and has a drying rack for wet clothes. Their mini bar is pretty weird too, loaded with candies and cookies and souvenir items like umbrella, toys, etc. Tabs was so thrilled about our room he said if ever he would make a hotel it would be just like this.

             

Check-in time is normally 3pm, but we were given room at 11am upon our arrival. After resting for a bit we headed to Taipei 101, which was only about a 10 minute walk from W. While walking, I noticed that their sidewalk has a bicycle lane, and this was also my first time seeing a diagonal pedestrian lane.

It was so frustrating to take a decent shot of the full 101 building. Trees were everywhere and they always get in the way for the photos. Plus it was really sunny and against the light for the shots. I wasn’t sure if offices or residences occupy the building, but the first few floors occupy the mall. LV, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, etc. All of my future lifestyle are here. ^^

101 also has a Din Tai Fung, and of course we would not let a Taiwan trip pass without eating at its famous restaurant, for its equally famous xiao long bao. There was a very long but systematic queue. We only waited for about 15 minutes then we were led inside. The restaurant was huge, though not visible from the outside, no wonder the queue was fast. We were already given the menu and the order checklist while waiting, so when we got seated our order was already taken.

Inside the restaurant was a wide glass panel where you could see the cooks preparing the foods. In the middle were 4 staff preparing the xiao long bao systematically. One was rolling the doughs flat, 2 were filling them with meat and the other was closing the edges. No problem with taking photos as they were allowed.

We ordered their bestsellers: xiao long bao, shrimp dumplings, brisket noodles for tabs and porkchop rice for me. Xiao long bao is famous in Taiwan, a kind of dumpling with soup inside, best eaten with a combination of soy sauce/vinegar/ginger dip.

I first tasted xiao long bao in Lugang Cafe in Moa. They tasted almost the same, or even better in Din Tai Fung. Everything we ate tasted real good.
After eating we headed to the observatory. There was again a very long but fast enough queue. NT450 entrance fee for an adult.

We were supposed to go up until 91st flr, but it was being fixed so all visitors go up until 89th flr only. We could see all of Taipei at this height, we were towering at everything, and it also gets a bit dizzying.

We walked around 88th flr where the damper is positioned in the middle for balance, with about 2000 steel wires connected to the building.

Their mascot is the damper, and I loved how they made their souvenirs into damper babies with different colors and sizes.
We got down after several minutes and went back again to W. We planned on going to the other tourist spots like the Sun Yat Sen or Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Halls but we were so tired from the flight and all the walking.

We settled in the hotel for about 2 hours before setting off to Taipei Eye, a Chinese opera. I’ve never seen one even on TV, and I think this would be a good way of spending our night. I reserved online beforehand but I think it really didn’t matter if we buy at the theater because all payments were made at the theater also, not online, and all seats were first come first served. The theater itself was rather small, so there’s no problem with vantage points.

We took a taxi going there as the nearest MRT was far, and we were dropped at the front of the theater but surprisingly, it was closed at 7pm, steel railings were still down, and the show was supposed to start at 8pm. Good thing we decided on taking a snack first at the nearby 7-Eleven. That’s when we noticed the entrance at the side. Few visitors were already waiting at the lobby, some were taking pictures. We bought our tickets first then we were guided at the elevator to the 3rd flr. The performers were at the foyer, doing their own make ups and getting ready for the show.

Guests were encouraged to take souvenir photos with the performers. We got in the theater and sat near the stage. Saturday shows are divided into 2 parts. First part is the Lion Dance show which lasted 30 mins and the 2nd part is the Opera proper.

There was a 20 minute intermission in between. There was a large group of Japanese, and a theater staff would always come and go announcing things in Japanese, with no translations for us non-Japanese. So all the Japanese seated beside us would also always come and go, maybe the announcements were something to do with taking pictures outside. We would have appreciated it if we were also included in the announcements. Even the Americans were also wondering what it was all about.

I’ve read reviews about the show where it was unexpectedly very good. I found it unexpectedly boring. Sorry but the high-pitched voice of the lead was drowsing me. I fought so hard to stay awake throughout the 30 minute show. I was sure the lead was a guy with a girl role but Tabs insisted that it was really a girl. I couldn’t even remember what the story was about. Something about a rat wanting to eat a monk or something like that. Sorry. Thank god when it was finally over, I wasn’t sure if it was worth the NT880 per person.

We walked to the nearest MRT since we’re not hurrying for anything, and headed to Shilin Night Market. I also liked their MRT, though appearance of the stations/trains wise, I still prefer Singapore, but all were interconnected and mostly accessible. Their MRT card is called Easy Card, purchased at NT500 with NT400 load.

We got to Shilin Market and whoa! People were literally everywhere. I thought maybe their night market would look like Namdaemun of Korea which is organized and clean, but this one looked like Divisoria! There were about 3 major streets overflowing with people, sidewalk vendors and street foods! We couldn’t even find a single decent restaurant to eat. I personally think Shilin market is not a place for tourists.

We headed back to W, hungry and exhausted. Thank goodness for the nearby 7-Eleven, we stuffed ourselves with microwavable foods. It was already a little past midnight so after our super late dinner we called it a night.

We woke up late and got down for breakfast at around 9am. The Kitchen Table has a very good selection of breakfast buffet, and their drinks were placed in bottles inside a ref. Tabs was happy because of the unlimited Coke in cans. I was happy too, imagine there was an ice cream selection, for breakfast! ^^

We initially planned on swimming at the pool outside but when we checked it out yesterday it was full of foreigners and looked very visible. So after breakfast we prepared for check out.

We cancelled our plan of going to the memorial halls, and planned on going to Gwang Hua instead, their Greenhills version for electronics and gadgets. It was a 6-storey building, and well, it looked a lot like the 3rd flr of V Mall. Tabs looked around for something to buy, he said they were cheaper compared to ours, but he had everything already. He buys in Amazon thats why he’s advanced.

I bought myself a milk tea in a store with a weird name called ComeBuy. I wasn’t sure why it was named like that since they were selling milk teas.

We went back to W and retrieved our luggages. It was already 140pm and our flight is 520pm so we assumed we have enough time. Our bus left at 210 but we did not head directly to the airport. I didn’t know how many stops the driver made to pick up more passengers, it lasted until 345 when we finally get to the freeway. I was silently cursing the driver for his slow driving and too many stops, I wasn’t sure if I could forgive him if we arrive late. Finally we got to the check in counter only to find out our flight’s delayed and was moved to 630pm. And I even cursed our driver. Sorry manong.

There were several branded shops at the departure but there were only 2 restaurants; a noodle shop and espressamente. We took our snack at the coffeeshop and looked around for something to buy. We did not get to buy anything for ourselves except for the souvenir items at 101. I bought something at Swarovski and Tabs at a gadget store. A little later we finally boarded going back home.

I think Taipei looked so much like Shanghai, though more disciplined in terms of road traffic. Most people here communicates well with foreigners, as they know basic English, unlike in Mainland China. Though we did not get to see their historical and cultural places at least I have an idea of what the city looked like and if ever it’d be worth visiting again in the future. Theres not much to see really, and prices are expensive everywhere, maybe except for some electronics. As of now I don’t think this is a go-to place for me. I simply just didn’t get the same feeling of wanting to go back again, maybe not in the next 2 or 3 years.

My 6th visit in Singapore, and it never failed to amaze me still. Whenever I go out to neighboring countries I can’t help but compare ours. Since I drive, the first thing that I normally notice is the road. Sg’s road is flawless, of course, F1 grade. Public transportation is very efficient too. Their MRT, just like in Korea and HK (or maybe the rest of the world) are all interconnected, hopping from one line to another is very convenient. Cleanliness of the surroundings is also evident. Though maybe unlike what they used to say before, because now I don’t find it true enough while walking along Orchard Road, same as smoking. I could see people esp. foreigners, smoking while walking on Orchard. What I especially like about this country is their proficiency in English language, just like us. And also like ours, I especially hate their hot weather.
Our already late flight of 845pm became 1020pm no thanks to PAL. We reached Changi at around 2am, thinking of MBS’ free hourly shuttle. When I did not see any shuttle I immediately called the hotel and I was informed that their Shuttle Service schedule has changed and now operates from 6am to 11 pm. We had no choice but to ride 2 taxis, since we’re 5. Tabs and I’s taxi was a Mercedes Silvercab and I liked the driver’s driving. He was fast and polite, plus the smooth road got us in the hotel after just a few minutes.
This is my 3rd time staying in Marina Bay Sands. We prefer it this time with his family because its too.. prestigious. One could easily get the idea that staying here is only for the well-off, since Sg$750 a night is no joke. If you prefer a more private hotel then I don’t think Sands is the best for you. Just like Venetian Macau it can get really busy and crowded during the day, with people who are not in-house guests come and go freely at the ground and lobby area, as it is adjacent to the Shoppes and the Casino.
Since its already midnight, checking in was a breeze. We were assisted by 2 front desk staff, one staff was too bubbly when she learned we’re from PH, she couldn’t hide her excitement for her upcoming Boracay trip, checking us in while blabbering away. We were given 24th floor, and my companions were all complaining of the fast elevator, popping our ears fresh from a 3 hour flight. Wifi is available in every room, and is locked according to the guests’ name and room number. Deluxe room is still ok, but a little inferior to the Grand room I stayed in over the summer. There were only 2 double beds for the 3 of us, and Tabs and I fit ourselves into 1 of them. Went online for a bit and finally slept at 4am.
The sleep was too short, we got up at 8am for our breakfast at the Rise restaurant, located at the lobby area. I felt full just by looking at the numerous selection of foods, and I ended up only having breads and fruits, while Tabs was getting his money’s worth by grabbing every delicious looking food he laid his eyes on. There were several fellow Filipinos working there, who gave us good seats near the buffet table and provided superb service.
After breakfast we prepared to head off to Universal Studios. We wanted Tabs’ parents to try commuting here so we took the MRT. Bayfront station is located exactly at the Marina Bay Sands, and after topping up our Ez-Links we got on the train. Sg’s subway line is very convenient, and maps of the subway can be found almost everywhere. I only have the subway map as my guide when my family and I went on August. I can go anywhere just by looking at it, its very comprehensive.
If you’ve been to the same place several times it can get a bit boring and too familiar. Thats why this time in Universal Studios we only queued for its newest ride, Transformers The Ride. Tabs and I already rode this last summer but Roxy hasn’t yet. We queued for a whole 50 minutes, but it was worth the wait. It was a 3D ride full of thrill and action that got me dizzy after. Not recommended after having a meal. After our chicken rice lunch at the packed Jurassic Park food court, we headed to the Waterworld. Its one of my favorites, an action-packed show by stunt people, created from Kevin Costner’s Waterworld movie. Do not seat in front and middle if you don’t want to get wet. Sitting there means you’re game, as they literally shoot and dump pails of water at the audience. Waterworld is definitely a must see when dropping by USS.
It got too hot to handle so we exited the theme park and returned to MBS. I felt giddy as we were nearing Louis Vuitton, remembering the model that I would want to have next, hahaha^^.
It was indeed a happy day, we each held our paperbags of LVs as we took photos with the MBS as the background. Louis Vuitton + Marina Bay Sands = Great view.
We only rested for a bit before dinner, because Tabs wanted to look around for an iPhone 5. We were unlucky of course, and I think Tabs already kind of expected that stores ran out of stocks a long time ago. It was just sad that Apple sucks, they know this happens everytime they launch a new iPhone and they don’t seem to do anything about it everytime. They should make a gazillion stocks dammit.
We took our chicken rice (again) dinner at Rasapura Masters food court, it was really crowded and we ate at those high tables while standing. We planned to watch the Wonderfull lights show but it was cancelled for the Mooncake Festival outside. We were tired from lack of sleep and the USS trip, so we decided to go back to our rooms and called it a night.
We woke up early and had breakfast at Rise again. Our accommodation package, called “Rise and Shine” includes breakfast, and can be taken in any of the 3 restaurants: Rise, Sky on 57 at the 57th floor and a Chinese restaurant Jin Shan. Rise has the most selection of foods among the 3. A regular accommodation at MBS does not come with breakfast, unlike other hotels.
After breakfast we went up the Sky Park at the 57th floor for our Infinity Pool experience. Of course Tabs and I already experienced this, but it was first time for his family. Good thing it was still early and not yet crowded, we thoroughly enjoyed the pool which looked like it ended with the view from afar.
Check out time is 11am so after swimming we got ready for check out. We stored our luggages at the Luggage Counter then we headed to Orchard Rd this time. We took our lunch first at our favorite, Marché at Somerset, a Swiss restaurant. I discovered Rosti, a grated fried potato, goes best with sour cream and chicken cheese sausage on the side.
We went to the nearby H&M (yes!) for more shopping. Our flight back home is 8pm so we need to be at the airport at least 6pm. After going back to MBS and retrieving our luggages, we took the free coach shuttle back to the airport. This shuttle has a wifi, and the driver drove so slow it got us almost 30 mins getting to the airport. I even caught a nap and upon waking up we were not there yet. Normal travel time would be about 15mins to/from MBS/airport, maybe 10 for the likes of our previous taxi driver.
We planned on claiming the GST refund before checking in, but we were all already using the LVs so we were directed to the GST counter after check in. Items for refund outside were the ones to be checked in only. Nevertheless, there was no line inside and we were refunded in a flash. Total was almost Sg$500 and a budget again for more shopping^^. We bought branded sunglasses with our refunds, more clothes shopping, then it was time for the flight back home.
They say you go for a holiday for R&R, but whenever I go out of town/ country I feel more tired. I’m not complaining though. Coz it will be a waste if you go out and just spend the days lounging in your hotel room, right? I don’t know how many people is the same as I am, but for the numerous travels I had in and out of the country, it was always for pleasure and never for work. I’m the lucky one indeed. 😉

Rainy, foggy and chilly day in Baguio! Took late lunch in our favorite David’s Teahouse, sipped a hot chocolate in Starbucks, and now cozying under the sheets of the elegant Camp John Hay Manor. Lovely way to end the long weekend of travelling. 🙂

My seventh, ate’s third, and my parents’ first time in paradise. Boracay is considered one of the best travel destination in the world. I know almost every Filipino and tourists alike wanted to experience a place like this before they die.

I got this deal on CashCashPinoy on March, booked on May, for travel at this time, July. It was a very good deal, 19k for the 4 of us, airfare and accommodation included. I just added 4k for the roundtrip transfer, so it wouldn’t be a hassle on our part, since we would be travelling from Kalibo. Of course I wasn’t expecting our hotel to be like any of the ones I’ve been to. When I stayed in Discovery last summer I went to D’mall to catch a glimpse of what Hey Jude would be like. Like I expected, exterior looked like an apartment, much like a place to just lay one’s head on.
After a 35-minute flight, 2 hour transfer, and a bit of misunderstanding at Southwest tours, we finally arrived at our destination. My first impression shifted then, it suddenly looked like a resort from inside its gate. Looked much better than I expected. Though hallways are plain, no elevator, and rooms have basic amenities, I think this is worthy of its price, considering this is Boracay, and prices everywhere are commercialized. Its location is its major advantage, since it is located inside D’mall, near D’talipapa, restos, shopping and grocery stores.
We finally arrived at 3pm, and my parents were tired from the travel, so we just took our late lunch with the famed Andoks. We walked a little along the beach and settled in our room for the rest of the day. Nanay and I just bought our dinner to go at a new resto also in D’mall called Tilapia ‘n Chips. Our cream dory burger and chicken breast burger tasted ok, though a bit overpriced for about 265 each, served with fries and coleslaw.
We hit the beds shortly and got up early in the morning for our breakfast included in our accommodation. It was a set meal and I chose tapa with sunny side up egg and fried rice, and mango juice for my drink. My parents ate bangus and Ate had hotdogs, something soft for her newly adjusted braces.
We hit the waters after and my parents were so amazed at the powdery sands. It also always never fail to amaze me even though I’ve been here several times. Fine powdery sands and crystal clear blue waters, still the same after 5 years, when I first came here in 2007. We were blessed to be given very nice weather, because it was raining for an entire week before coming here. We took several jumping shots, also in the water coz I brought an underwater camera. We walked along the beach after until we reached the Grotto in Station 1. We took pictures and had some shakes at the also famous Jonas Fruitshakes.
We got back to our hotel and it was lunchtime. We dined at Pancake House because it was my parents first time. It was hot outside so we just stayed in our room for the rest of the day. Nanay, Ate and I walked a bit to catch the late sunset and looked for a place to get dinner. I have wanted them to try dinner buffet by the beachfront like the one we had at Le Soleil 2 years ago. Around 500 per person with various seafoods. But Tatay did not come along with us, so we just ate at a nearby cheap eatery called Big Smoke and had take out for Tatay. Their food tasted ok too, and I especially liked their frozen iced tea. Our last day was spent with a bit of shopping, a bit of swimming. Tatay did not swim anymore coz the weather was different from yesterday, a bit cloudy and chilly today. We checked out from hotel at noon and went out to look for somewhere to have lunch. We walked up to Shakey’s but it was packed so we headed back to D’mall. We ended up having our lunch in a restaurant bar called Epic. Food were expensive, I think my order of Chicken Inasal cost 285 without drink, but tasted real good.
We were fetched by Southwest tours shortly after. Of course my parents were kinda sad to leave, and as early as now they have been requesting to come back for next year. Hopefully we would be back and I’d make sure it’d be via Caticlan. I know Kalibo is only about one and half hour away, but for oldies like my parents, it can get really tiring with too many transfers. Hey Jude is a nice, quiet hotel if you’re on a modest budget. Very nice location, and staff were helpful, too. I forgot to return the power adapter I borrowed from them, and they did not seem to remember, too. I’d considered it as a nice souvenir.
Another memorable getaway with my parents, hopefully next year together with tabs so we’ll be complete. 🙂

This is my 3rd time going to Corregidor, twice back in 2008. The day tour was pretty much the same, hopping in a tranvia and getting off in the historical spots like Mile-long barracks ruins, Battery ground, museum, marble tomb of fallen soldiers, etc. and of course the Malinta tunnel lights and sound show. This time around our group of 11 opted to stay overnight to catch more activities. The sunset tour was a bit disappointing because it was too cloudy to see the sun setting. The night tunnel lateral tour was a bit exhausting. I never thought Malinta tunnel was that extensive and smartly engineered. We toured several laterals including the 1000 bed hospital, and even experienced total darkness by switching off our flashlights. It was what the soldiers felt in WWII when Japs continue to bomb the tunnel and power goes out.

In the morning, we got up as early as 5am to catch the sunrise. Only the clouds were not too cooperative as they continue to block the rising sun. We headed to the Japanese tunnel after, which is relatively shorter than Malinta tunnel. However, what a surprise. It was too steep there were ropes on the sides to cling to, and at the end there was a 90degree stair to climb. I must’ve lost a couple of pounds on that short walk.

After breakfast we tried one of their newer activity, the zipline. It was not the common prone position kind, the harness supports the thigh area in a sitting position, rope above our head. It was short but enjoyable nonetheless. Our oldie companions went for a swim at the beach after, and 4 of us tried ATV. I have tried this a couple of months ago in Boracay, driving in highway. But here, we only have a trail to follow, and it was so hot I was getting sick of driving on the same trail over and over again. One hour was waay too long. Mine even ran out of gas I got stuck in the middle of fields under the scorching heat. I desperately need anything bleaching after this. Went for a quick swim at the pool and it was lunchtime. I wolfed down an order of carbonara and clubhouse sandwich we’ve been wanting to have since last night. A few hours later we were off and back to Manila again.

Honestly, I’m not a history kinda person, and I think Corregidor is for more of history buffs like Tabs. This place has too much history. And I loved it how they preserved the place, so that tourists and locals alike would know how brave and unyielding it was in WWII. A tour definitely recommended to take even just once, to pay respect to the land who bravely fought for us during the war.