happy steps

One of the things I miss these days is going to the beach. A weekend at one of the beaches here in Negros would do, such as Lakawon, Jomabo or Punta Bulata, but these days, most of my time is spent catching up with work. I need to work harder since the holidays are coming up soon.

Anyway, I hope to do more than just being soaked in the sea next time, maybe do some boating and going to the nearby marine sanctuary at Punta Bulata and see the colorful corals. The last time we’ve been to Punta Bulata, I was hesitant about riding a boat that would take us to the corals.

Would you ride in a boat such as this to go to a nearby island?

If only the boat wasn’t that small, I wouldn’t worry about being on it considering that the island destination is a bit farther though it can be seen from the shore. Hopefully, next time, I would be braver though.

Here’s another ongoing promo for travel bugs by Globe Telecom as it joins SM Department Store’s 50th anniversary. Globe subscribers (mobile, landline and internet) paying their bills at any SM Bills Payment counter get a chance to win a trip for two to Macau.

Here are some of the trip details:
- good for 2 persons
- round-trip airfare on Philippine Airlines (PAL) economy class
- 3 days and 2 nights twin sharing hotel accommodation at Grand Emperor Hotel
- daily hotel breakfast
- half-day Macau city tour

One winner will be chosen every month starting July until December at designated raffle dates from September 2008 to January 2009. The prize is transferable and convertible to cash, with the prize tax to be shouldered by Globe Telecom.

Being a Globe broadband subscriber, we’ve always been paying our bills at SM since we usually go there for shopping anyway. It’s more convenient for us than paying at the Globe office at Lacson Street where the queue is usually longer. We’ve already paid two Globe bills via the SM payment counters, I really hope we would be one of the Macau promo winners.

Photo credits: Wikipedia.org

Recently, big sis and I have been chatting about the coming holidays and their family’s trip itinerary in the Philippines. They’ll be spending few days at Boracay, a tropical paradise situated at the tip of the Panay Island and world-famous for its white sand and clear blue waters.

They already reserved a room at the Boracay Beach Club located beside the White Beach at Station 1. Browsing through their website, I am sure it will be a nice hotel for them.

Photo credits: Boracay Beach Club

Our family had a nice day tour at the Royal Flora Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand two years ago where we saw lots of great flower arrangement ideas for our home. Colorful plants and flowers were stacked on different levels of iron bars making a nice ‘flower column’ which is great for gardens with little space. Flowers were not planted directly on soil but on thin black plastic pots and grouped together to complement the other varieties. This makes it easier to replace with a new variety and planting these flowers on the pots gives more flexibility and creativity in your garden arrangement. The trip to the flower festival inspired us to spruce up our garden with the ideas we got from their presentation.
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A friend used to teach me few survival Thai phrases when we’re still studying in Thailand. I found it amusing when she taught me, “Hông náhm yòo têe nai?” which means, “Where’s the toilet?” Now, I admit it surely helped me get around Thailand and I’ve used it many times during shopping and going places.

Aside from tourist information centers, the next important thing for travelers is the toilet (or WC in Europe). I know most of you would readily agree with me, right? I know somebody who would insist on visiting only those places where toilets abound. LOL.
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The 2008 Summer Olympics would undoubtedly keep the swarms of tourists and visitors in Beijing busy. I doubt if they would take extra time to drop by some tourist attractions in this notable and historic city of China. For me, it would be just some virtual travel for now but who knows I would be there in my future trips. After all, my big bro is working in Guangdong Province so I guess I won’t have a problem when it comes to touring around China. That’s the travel bug in me dreaming again! 

Here are some of the tourist attractions in Beijing that I wish to visit someday:

1. Forbidden City - a UNESCO World Heritage site, which served as the Chinese imperial palace and home of the Emperor and his family during the Ming and Qing Dynasty. It would be nice to tour around its courts, walls, gates, gardens and other surroundings and drop by the Palace Museum where ancient artifacts and other collections are kept.

photo by ehnmark

2. Great Wall of China - one of China’s famous landmarks and another UNESCO World Heritage site. A section of the wall can be accessed at Badaling, northwest of Beijing.

photo by ehnmark

3. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – referred to as Nantang or the South Cathedral, the oldest Catholic Church in Beijing.

photo of the Cathedral interior from wikipedia

4. Temple of Heaven - another must-see for me, since it is described as a “masterpiece of architecture and landscape design” being chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998.

photo by ehnmark

5. Summer Palace - another UNESCO World Heritage site, with scenic parks, gardens and lakes.

photo by Asten

These are just few of the places to visit in Beijing, with its many historic buildings, temples, churches, parks, gardens, shopping and business districts.

I’m still here in Prague and enjoying my vacation a lot. But that doesn’t mean I am not missing the Philippines, especially the native dishes we have at home such as yummy fresh seafood!

Recently, I cooked Tom Yum which is a Thai spicy sour soup with shrimp (or any seafood), mushrooms, lemongrass and lime. Too bad the fish was not fresh (it was fish fillet bought straight from the frozen food section) and not as tasty as the fresh catch we usually buy from the wet market back home.

Seafood is quite pricey here in Europe so I’ll just content myself with the photos of some of the food we ordered during cutie sis’ birthday celebration at Enteng’s of Sagay in Lacson Street, Bacolod City few months ago:

Crispy Shrimps

Kinilaw (raw Tanguigue or Spanish mackerel in vinegar with chopped onions, ginger, tomato, and red chilies)

Grilled Squid

I was cleaning up the mess in my desk when I chanced upon a tiny strip of paper which I was about to throw but the scribble on it made me scrutinize it a bit. It was my Mom’s handwriting with this phrase: “P. Bulata 433-5160”. It’s the phone number for Punta Bulata White Beach Resort, one of my dream destinations in Negros Occidental. Aha! Another sea paradise for me to explore.

Photo credits: Punta Bulata White Beach Resort

When I was still a newbie on Thai food, I try to be cautious with my choices especially if I see lots of chilies on the dish. I appreciate spicy food but not as spicy as what the Thais usually serve. They would tell you “Mai phet, mai arroy” which means if it’s not spicy, it’s not tasty or delicious. So, if you’ll be dropping by this land famous for its hot and spicy cuisine, just be sure to tell the waiter “Mai phet” (not spicy) or “Mai sai prik” (don’t put chili) if you can’t stand eating a spicy dish. And don’t forget to say “Arroy maak!” (tastes very good) if you find the dish yummy.

It was a chilly December night at the Chiang Mai night market in Thailand when my techie bro handed over something in a plastic packet. He urged me to try and taste it. There was a tone of persistence in his voice that made me suspicious about it. I peeked and realized they were fried worms! Yikes! I tried to be brave and adventurous, so I ate one. It was another one of those fun Thai food tripping experiences.

It tasted like fried shrimps but juicier and not so meaty. My little niece exclaimed, “Potatoes!” after tasting some.

Here are more of those exotic Thai delicacies on display that night.

Hmmm…wanna try?

We had our dinner yesterday at 21 Bar and Restaurant, popularly known to Bacoleños as Bar 21, located at 21st Lacson street in Bacolod City.

If you’re looking for some fine dining with a quiet, homey ambiance - a relaxing family dinner or sweet romantic date - then this is the place. Service is great with very attentive staff and food didn’t take too long to prepare.

Prime Rib (standing roast)

Calamares with marinara sauce

Steamed fish (Lapu-Lapu)

We will definitely be going there again for snacks next time to try their famous special Batchoy.

When it comes to going places, having your own vehicle can be a big convenience, and I mean not just within the city but for out-of-town trips as well and even for inter-island travels. Yup! We’ve traveled twice between the Negros and Cebu islands with our trusty van. This was made possible with inter-island vessels or barges which regularly travel between these two islands and could accommodate about 10 vehicles (not only cars but big trucks and container vans too).

If you have your own vehicle and need to use it in Cebu, then loading it on an inter-island vessel is the best option. It’s really convenient especially if you’re traveling in groups, or if you plan to transport some stuff or go on a shopping spree. Using a bigger vehicle such as a van is more practical too since you have additional space to accommodate the items you bought and there’s the added comfort of bringing more trip essentials like food, plates, glasses, and necessary utensils, pillows, and of course your loads of pasalubong.

It’s not just a land of amazing sights, but of varied tastes and blends as well although Thailand is more famous for its spicy cuisine. Indulging in Thai food is one of my fave things to do whenever I’m on a visit in this country, and the best thing is that these yummy treats usually don’t cost that much.

Strolling along the sides of the streets could really make you hungry and stir your appetite as you’d see all sorts of food on display – from sweet corn, fried fish and squid balls, to yummy pork barbecues, grilled fish, fresh fruits, cool juice drinks and even exotic food. Of course, Thailand boasts of numerous food joints, restaurants and bars to satisfy whatever kind of food and ambiance you’re looking for, from fast food to fine dining.

The first Thai dish I tasted was their noodles topped with pork sausage, few veggie leaves and a slice of manaw (lime). This later became my usual snack when studying on late evenings. One my favorites is Khao Phad (fried rice) which is the easiest to order and offers various toppings such as pork, beef, shrimp, crab meat or chicken.

Other favorites are Tom Yum (spicy and sour soup usually with seafood, pork or chicken with lemongrass and mushrooms), Paad Thai (stir-fried noodles with shrimps, monggo sprouts and tofu), chicken with cashew nuts, Som Tam (spicy papaya salad) and Moo Nam Tok (spicy grilled pork or beef salad).

Photos courtesy of Essential Tidbits.

When I’m not visiting another place, riding in a bus that would take me to another island or waiting at the airport lounge, my steps usually wander right here at home. Yup, the garden outside our house, though not that spectacular and well-landscaped, provides a happy trip of sorts among the plants and blooms. I’m sharing here some of those pretty flowers that seem to smile at you as you pass them by.

Bangkok Kalachuchi

White Angel

Orchids

Photos taken from my site ideasnpink.

Being a native of Negros and having studied in Cebu with my siblings, we regularly traveled with Bacolod-Cebu buses via the San Carlos-Toledo route which goes like this:

1. Get onboard bus at the Ceres terminal in Bacolod (make sure it has the Bacolod-Cebu trip pasted on its front windows, LOL)

2. Bus departs as scheduled (passing through towns and cities such as Talisay, Silay, Victorias, etc.) until it arrives at the San Carlos port in the eastern part of the Negros Island facing Cebu. Estimated travel time: 3 hours

3. The bus is then loaded in an inter-island vessel or barge. Estimated travel time: 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours

4. Bus arrives at the Toledo port (in the western part of Cebu) and is unloaded from the barge and resumes its trip (passing by towns such as Naga, Minglanilla, Pardo, etc.). Estimated travel time: 1 hour

5. Bus arrives at the Cebu City south terminal.

Alternate routes for Bacolod-Cebu:

1. Via Escalante (Negros Occidental) to Tabuelan (northwestern part of Cebu)

2. Via Don Salvador Benedicto to San Carlos which is the fastest route since this is a cross-country trip from Bacolod to San Carlos passing through the mountains of Mt. Kanlandog. Estimated travel time from Bacolod to San Carlos: 1 hour

The Thais revere and love elephants. Their respect for these big creatures is evident in their art and culture. You can see some elephant sculptures and statues, wooden carvings, paintings, artwork, handcrafted bags, key chains, and souvenirs. Even some of their decorative shrubs are elephant-shaped. So, if you happen to be in Thailand, it’s a must to witness an elephant show (playing football, doing tricks, etc.) and yes, you have to ride one of them.

A first ride for Dad and Mom at the Nong Nooch Garden in Pattaya

Tony and Leen taking it easy with the ride at the Nong Nooch Garden in Pattaya

A tourist enjoying an elephant ride in the streets of Ayutthaya