The first time I saw construction work starting on this building right across the street to where I work, my curiosity got piqued when I saw the sign saying “Naruto”. I thought an anime-themed store is going to open real soon, and that it was such a weird location for one.
(UPDATE as of June 2018, Naruto Japanese Restaurant in this location is already closed.)
Here’s the thing about making plans: as much as I acknowledge how important it is and how it can make your life (or, OK, your schedule) marginally better, it gets really frustrating when things fall through and the plan does not happen. You see, today I was supposed to be attending a wedding somewhere warm and shining, but then migraine came attacking, and it’s just great timing~ (hey, that rhymed!). Not cool, M, not cool at all. So while nursing this unwelcome guest, I thought I’d just hit y’all up with this 3rd post about white water rafting.
Continue reading “Great White Water Rafting Adventure in CDO: Seconds, Please”
OK. Things are getting way too summery, so let’s buckle down a bit. According to CNN’s 2012 ranking on the “Top 10 Ugliest Buildings in the World“, sixth on the list is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. I wonder what they based the ranking on, since I was going through the list, and I wondered if I had to have some technical know-how on architecture and construction, because most of them looked pretty OK to me. That ranking did not seem to have an effect really, since it hardly made a dent on the high level of interest that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum generated – and continues to generate – to this day. Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & The House-on-Stilts”
Summer officially started in the Philippines just a couple of days ago. Or, at least, that’s what has been declared by the country’s weather bureau. But with how the climate and weather have been unpredictable lately (*insert Jaws theme here* climate change, anyone?) that pronouncement is irrelevant. See, when it gets real hot and warm, it’s summer. When it pours in the afternoon, the rainy days are here. But don’t let that burst your bubble. Continue to make fun plans. And go wild. Like how we did on this “time out of time” during our Davao visit not too long ago. Continue reading “Go Wild: White Water Rafting With Davao Wildwater Adventure”
It’s April, everyone! As much as I am willing to be fooled that the first quarter of 2017 has already come and gone, sadly, that “fooling day” has also… well, come and gone. So it’s time to face up to reality. Yes, it’s April. And yes, time flies so darn fast… but hey, that doesn’t mean we can’t fly with it~ But if, at the moment, you’re stuck at home, you can try recalling those past summers, and how you spent them. Like I’m going to do right now, remembering the first time I tried white water rafting. Continue reading “White Water Rafting In Cagayan De Oro: My First Time”
We all have different reasons for visiting new places. The first, obviously, is to satisfy our curiosity about that place. Another is to satisfy that perennial itch on your feet to be constantly on the move, preferably stepping on unfamiliar ground. Another, still, is to increase your know-how about that place, and the world, in general, seeing as travel is something that “enriches” you and makes you wealthier, “experience-wise”. Of course, recently, some people do it for bragging rights, and to make their Instagram feeds. Let me add another one: to celebrate. And that’s exactly what we did during our memorable visit to the Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal.
Continue reading “Why You Should Visit Masungi Georeserve in Rizal”
Taking a mini-break from Hanoi posts (because I’m practically drowning in a sea of photos from that trip and I need some air!) to talk about this brief visit to the famed Masungi Georeserve, located alllll the way in Baras, Rizal.
Continue reading “Visiting the Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal”
Say “Baguio City” and “Burnham Park” isn’t likely to be mentioned far behind and, along with it, Burnham Lake. These two have become practically staples for anyone visiting Baguio City, especially for the first time. The same thing goes for the nearby town of La Trinidad; if you are in the area, you just have to check out the Strawberry Fields in Km. 6. Well, what about Hanoi? That staple would be Hoan Kiem Lake and, by default, the Ngoc Son Temple. Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple”
You don’t have to be an “artist” to be able to appreciate “art”, considering how there seems to be hundreds of art forms out there. So you can’t carry a tune? You have two left feet? That doesn’t mean you can’t tell a very good performance from a ho-hum one. That means you don’t have to be a puppeteer – or a puppet – to appreciate the art of puppeteering. Or making puppets carry out a theatrical performance. Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre”
A word of warning: if you’re visiting Vietnam to get a glimpse of its culture and history, let me tell you, IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. If you’re thinking of having a vacation that’s all peach-and-roses and sunshine-and-rainbows, then you’ve come to the wrong place. You see, behind the rustic beauty and understated elegance, there’s like an air of heaviness surrounding the place. You can try to stick only to the glitzy and bright areas, but there’s always that shadow following you. So to get rid of that elephant in the room, you should just face it head-on and stare it in the face. Like we did, when we checked out Maison Centrale, also known as the Hoa Lo Prison.
Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: The Hoa Lo Prison (Maison Centrale)”
Finally getting around to continuing my Vietnam travel series, which was put on hold because of RL. Out here in my little corner of the world, it gets colder and colder. When the temperature drops to a chilly 7.4 degrees Celsius, I tend to forget that I am living in a tropical country. But between this chill and the scorching, burning and sweat-inducing heat of summer, you know what I’d pick, right?
Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: The St. Joseph’s Cathedral”
If I needed a more persuasive reminder that the world is one huuuuuuuuge place, it would be the realization that I still don’t know everything there is to know (and see) about the place I am currently living in or working at. There’s still a lot I haven’t seen or don’t know of La Trinidad and Baguio City, and that’s a crying shame. But, it’s those little discoveries – or rediscoveries – that spice things up a little.
Continue reading “When in Baguio…: Kalay-at Adventures & Locked In”
If you’ve been reading my blog posts – sporadic though they are lately – you’d already know how I love the mountains. Or how I love to be on land, in general. Oh sure, I also love spending time in various bodies of water, but at the end of the day, I always head back to land, where I can stand and feel the strong, solid earth beneath the soles of my feet. But last year I discovered that staying on the water for longer than 12 hours can also satisfy me… as long as I’m on a boat that, even for a day, can pass for a home. Vega Travel Vietnam made that happen.
Continue reading “odysSTAY: In Halong Bay… with Vega Travel”
It hasn’t been that long since the Rooster crowed and the new year began, but I bet some of you are still remembering some of the good (and not-so-good) things that happened in 2016. See, I think that’s one of the great things about going out and experiencing things: you get to reminisce them later on, and you get to still feel grateful, no matter how crappy the rest of the year was. It’s the rule on offset at work. Oh, and Happy New Year. Continue reading “Mt. Binacayan of Rodriguez, Rizal: My Year-end Climb”
No, this blog is not dead. Let’s just say it took a hiatus, coinciding with a particularly busier period of 2016 for me at work and in life (yes, those two are separate). I’m going to pick things up from now on, though, and will try my best not to let this corner stay quiet for longer than… a month? I still have lots of places to talk about and adventures to share, after all. So! Halong Bay. Cruising. Ti Top. Leggo~!
Continue reading “Cruising Halong Bay in Vietnam (Pt. 3): View from the (Ti) Top”
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