El Nido has the Big Lagoon and the Small Lagoon. Coron, on the other hand, has the Twin Lagoons. Coron also happens to be where you can find the cleanest lake in the country. Personally, Kayangan Lake is the place I look most forward to revisiting next week. Continue reading “Coron in August: Twin Lagoon & Kayangan Lake”
In just a couple of days, Baguio will once again be more crowded than ever, (no) thanks to the Panagbenga, or the annual Flower Festival. Fact: more than half of the Baguio population leave the city when the tourists descend. I call it the “displacement method” at work. I will be one of the displaced ones, heading off to beautiful Coron. Continue reading “Coron in August: Siete Pecados & Dicantuman”
If there is one thing that is sure to ruin even the best laid plans, it’s rain. However, if you are in a place as sublime in its beauty as Coron, the raindrops hardly matter. (I am writing this post as I am listening to news about the magnitude 4 quake that rocked my world – and I don’t say that lightly – this morning as I was headed for work. It lasted for a couple of seconds, but darn if it didn’t make my heart jump out my throat!) Continue reading “Coron in August: Lusong Shipwreck & Marile Coral Garden”
Taking a quick break from my Japan posts to talk about this trip to beautiful Coron with my awesome girlfriends at work (hey that’s rare, working with people you actually like! Haha!) several months ago. More than several, actually, because as you will see from the photos, this trip was BEFORE Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the area and wrought destruction. Continue reading “Coron in August: Mt. Tapyas and Maquinit Hotspring”
Gong Xi Fa Cai!!! So many reasons to be excited today. One, it’s a non-working holiday and, for that alone, YAAAAY! Two, I’m off on another adventure later this afternoon, so it’s bound to be another fun- and nature-filled weekend. And three, before I go on said adventure, I get to be nostalgic and take a walk down memory lane, almost 7 years ago! Continue reading “Taipei, Taiwan: Arashi Around Asia 2008”
Osaka had soooo many interesting places worth checking out, but we had soooooo little time to spend here, so we had to just go for the choicest ones. And by “choicest”, I meant the ones that are closer and would not take so much time to get to. And we also had to make sure that we visited the first Buddhist temple, and the oldest administered (state-built) temple in Japan, the Shitennoji Temple. Continue reading “Osaka, Japan 2014: Shitennoji Temple”
“Misaeng” means “An Incomplete Life”. From the title, you would think this is an angst-filled melodrama. The typical Kdrama. Once in a while, it’s great to be proven wrong. And, in my case, to find a gem of a drama that will be firmly engraved on my virtual wall of “favorite dramas of all time”. In fact, if you are to ask me what Kdrama I would recommend anyone to watch, this would be the first thing I’d lay out on the table, no questions asked.
As much as planning is a very good thing, sometimes having bouts of spontaneity also makes every experience even more special. We weren’t planning on going to the cafe and bar Arasick, primarily because we didn’t know how to get there, not even if we had the address written down somewhere. I keep saying Arashi was instrumental in opening up a lot of doors to wonderful and unforgettable experiences for me since I became a fan more than 9 years ago. I’m so glad that, nine years on, that still holds true. Continue reading “Spinning Rainbows at cafe & bar Arasick”
This was probably the day that I did the most amount of walking during my Japan trip. Seriously. We set off at 6:30am, then went home later that night close to midnight. At the end of the day, my feet were literally killing me, and I was unconsciously apologizing to them (and, by extension, to my shoes) for putting them to so much abuse. But a happy explorer is happy, and that’s what counts most, eh? Continue reading “Osaka, Japan 2014: Sumiyoshi Taisha”
Thinking of heading up north some time this year for an adventure? Why not try my beautiful province of Benguet?
In its bid to become more involved, specifically in eco-tourism, and in view of the upcoming ASEAN integration, Benguet is stepping up its game. Here’s a tentative list of the activities that you can join in the coming months. Continue reading “Visit Benguet: 2015 Calendar of Activities”
More often than not, it is almost always the lessons learned the hard way that stick with us. While I was reviewing for the Board Exams, one of our reviewers actually said that we should be thankful for every wrong answer we make on our mock exams; because it is those questions that we answered wrong that will be remembered when the real thing comes. I couldn’t say for sure that it was 100% true, but I know for a fact that there is a grain of truth to it. But when applied within the context of my wandering feet and wandering mind, it works. Continue reading “Lessons I Learned (The Hard Way) On My Travels”
Think Japan, and one of the first things that will likely come to mind is sushi. In an earlier post, I shared about my first encounter with this quintessential Japanese food IN Japan when I hunted for Genki Sushi. That was an experience I enjoyed immensely, but that did not stop me from wanting to try a kaiten sushi place. And I’m glad I got to try it when I was in Osaka, right in the middle of Dotonbori.
Continue reading “JapanEats: Daiki Suisan Kaiten Sushi (Dotonbori)”
Foodies frequent Osaka to get a taste of its culinary delights, and one of the main destinations is Dotounbori Street, or what is often simply referred to as Dotonbori. Since it is basically clustered together with the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, Amerikamura, Namba Walk, and Den-Den Town a bit of a distance away, Dotonbori has become a major shopping, entertainment, and food destination. To be honest, my friend and I weren’t actually able to explore the entire complex. It was THAT vast. Dotonbori, however, we visited twice. Continue reading “Osaka, Japan 2014: Dotounbori Street”
Herein is a calendar of the events for the celebration of Panagbenga 2015, the 20th Flower Festival of Baguio City. Continue reading “Panagbenga 2015 Calendar of Activities”
If you ask me, they could have simply set up a separate theme park altogether, all devoted to Harry Potter. You see, while walking around other parts of USJ, I did not have any sense that there is a “wizarding world” close by. In fact, I wasn’t even able to get a glimpse of the Hogwarts Castle from the outside. And then, when you enter the Wizarding World, you’ll immediately forget that just around the corner were the other rides and attractions. It’s definitely a theme park within a theme park.
Continue reading “Osaka, Japan 2014: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Part 2)”
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