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Category: Travel, travels

Thimpu Dzong, Where Kings And Abbots Rule

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Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 5 Comments

December 22, 2011

It is the first Dzong we have visited in Bhutan.Trashichodzong or Thimpu Dzong literally translates to Fortress of Glorious Religion. Buddhism truly makes its mark on Bhutanese culture. But nowhere else have I witnessed Church and State work so in harmony. No quarrel between the Church and State in this tiny Kingdom in the Eastern Himalayas.

Trashichodzong or Fortress of the Glorious Religion in Thimpu, Bhutan

From the time the country’s capital was moved from Punakha to Thimpu, 3 kings have held office here. The present King was crowned at age 27, making Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck the youngest monarch in the world. His father, the good if not better-looking Jigme Singye is still very much visible, and still young (and hot) at 55. The local folks simply love them and speak adoringly of the royal family.

The Hunk. I mean the 4th King: Daddy Oh of the Present (5th) King

The Fortress houses the State offices including the King’s office and Throne Room, as well as the monastery where the Chief Abbot shares the same rank and place as the King. In Bhutan, this does not seem to be a problem.

Bhutanese Art in The Beams, Ceilings, Walls, Windows, Eaves, Doors, etc.

I remember walking down a path of willow trees and rose gardens which must have had their last full bloom a month or so earlier. A pity this trip was pushed down towards yearend as hotels were fully booked for the King’s wedding last October 13, and the festivals in October-November made it impossible to book a trip earlier. Truth is my other friends gave up on Bhutan, leaving just me and another travel companion. Thank God I refused to give up on this chance to see Shangrila. Yes, no less. Even at minus one degree to 6 degree Celsius!

We passed some guards (few, actually, considering that they are guarding the King and Chief Abbot) as we climbed the stairs to get into the courtyard. What spilled before our eyes was nearly unreal. We “owned” the courtyard exclusively but for a couple of monks and a single photographer, who like us, seemed mesmerized by the beauty of the Dzong. Om Mani Peme Hum. That’s the oldest and most well-known Tibetan Buddhist mantra taught by our guide, Sonam Norbu. You hear the monks chant it, as I often heard Norbu recite it as he paid his respects to their Buddha of Compassion. It took awhile for me to remember the mantra, strange language that it is. Until I managed to link the mantra to “Oh, money, penge (meaning to ask) hmmmm”. My apologies. They sure sound so irreverent and so contrary to Buddhist teachings, but the “joke” made it easy for me to remember. (Forgive this old lady. Peace xoxoxo)

Resident Pigeons Rule the Courtyard!

Elizabeth In Ecstacy!

I forgot to ask Norbu, but all Dzongs here are painted like white monoliths adorned with intricate woodcarvings and handpaintings on beams, pillars, eaves and window frames. The colors — dominated by golden yellow, rusty orange (saffron, according to my friend Elizabeth) and black, tinged with red, blue, black and green — are almost standard. There also seems to be a standard Bhutanese architecture and layout, but for the size and number of dochey (courtyard) and lhakangs (temples). What makes it even more amazing is that these palace-like structures were built without written plans or blueprints. Everything is committed to memory. Say what? Amazing, indeed.

Bhutan: Where Nature and Culture Reign

Inside the temple, my friend Elizabeth was almost ecstatic to find the thousand mini buddhas she has been reading about. Those, and the thangkas (silk painting with embroidery) which left her drooling in its beauty. Have to admit I do not share the same appreciation, not knowing much about Buddhism nor the art of thangka-making.

Thangkas Found In A Store. For Sale. Not Cheap.

As we made our way back to the courtyard, we basked once more in the peace and quiet within the courtyard. The tranquility was not disturbed but was instead enhanced by the now familiar dong dong chimes of the prayer wheels and the fluttering of wings by the resident pigeons. And I thought this only happened in the movies! Truly, today is one AWE-spicious day!

[Do check out my other blogs on Bhutan here in WordPress, as well as my series on TravelBlog : Mystique of Bhutan . Here’s the link……….. http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/liliram/Trips/17606 ]

A Bad Shot of An Illuminated Thimpu Dzong 😦

The Bhutanese Men Wear Gho. The Women Wear Longer Skirts Called Kira.

To contact my tour guide Sonam Norbu, send an email to ubron_11@yahoo. com

Tags: Bhutan, Dzong, Himalayas, Thimpu, Thimpu Dzong, Trashichodzong

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Bhutan: Flying Into The Land of the Thunder Dragon

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Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 16 Comments

December 14, 2011

Definitely ONE OFF MY BUCKET LIST. I am still feeling OLD and TIRED, having just arrived from this dream trip to Bhutan. Not up to writing up my adventures yet. But this I must say. The flight into Bhutan is one for the books. What introduction to the Land of the Thunder Dragon, home of the concept of Gross National Happiness. As they say, HAPPINESS IS A PLACE. And that place is called Bhutan.

How many times have I been on a plane? A helicopter? A train? A boat? I didn’t give much thought about flying into Bhutan. But I sure know that this little Kingdom lies in the Eastern Himalayas right there above India, near Tibet. Snow-capped mountains shining like a jewel filled my plane’s window as we made the approach on our Airbus A319.

I imagined a small airport, and it was. After all, it is a small country. That explains why I found the US$756 round trip fare from Bangkok too pricey. And I was even told Druk Airlines — the only airline allowed to fly in and out of Paro Airport — gave us a hefty discount! Well, discount my foot I thought! From Bangkok, it took 2 hours to land in Dhaka, Bangladesh for a brief stopover. A few passengers got off, with just as few joining us on the 1 hour trip to Paro.

From my window seat, I saw how rugged the landscape is. Those lines down below must be the roads zigzagging around mountains. From a distance, I saw mountains in different hues of blue, even near-green, capped by the white snow shining like a golden tiara under the glare of the sun.

Then the plane made its approach. I could almost feel the pine trees brushing the soles of my feet as one of the highly-trained 8 Druk airlines pilots maneuvered the plane between 2 mountains ………… then actually leaned, veered to the left, turning really, really left, and landing in this short airstrip with a Dzhong or Monastery right there at the end of the runway!

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Bhutan/Paro/blog-670960.html

Phew! What a flight. Leaning and swerving around mountain peaks and into the valleys was just insane!! And I have just landed. How exciting can that be? Well, more excitement follows as I begin my series of blogs on Bhutan starting with this and this. And don’t forget to check out my most awesome hike ever. The hike to Taktshang or Tiger’s Nest Monastery is NOT for the faint-hearted, but I’m mighty proud to say I survived it!

Btw, did I tell you that Druk pilots land VISUALLY (no radar), and literally lands the plane on a wing and a prayer? Oh yes, AND I KID YOU NOT!!!

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Bhutan/Paro/blog-670960.html

This piece was written in a record time of 10 minutes to join this year’s final month’s blog carnival “The Journey is the Destination” hosted by one of the bloggers whom I deeply admire, Kara Santos of TravelingUp.

Do check out subsequent blogs on this happy place. I have been on a roll. And for good reason!

Tags: Bhutan, Gross National Happiness, Land of the Thunder Dragon

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Eating Around Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

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Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, Travel, travels — 14 Comments

November 17, 2011

Just have to write a separate blog about this. Food is most certainly part of the adventure and guided by Filipino expats living in Ho Chi Minh, we found a few dining places worth visiting.

Be W.A.R.N.E.D.

Nha Hang Ngon

Our first lunch in Ho Chi Minh was in Nha Hang Ngon. Coming in cold, we were initially struck by the prices quoted in thousands. You see, US$1 here is equivalent to at least 20,000 Dong. Our expat friends suggested we drop the 3 zeroes and multiply by 2 to get the peso equivalent. So that means 100,000 Dong is approximately 200 pesos. Hmmm, that’s pretty neat.

Lunch at Nha Hang Ngon (Ngon means delicious)

Now going back to the menu in this place, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the prices are in fact very reasonable for a place oozing with local ambience, food so fresh and resto crew smiling 24/7. Nha Hang Ngon (“ngon” means delicious) has a quaint architecture and the periphery of the building is lined with foodstuff from appetizers to soups to mint-flavored dishes, to various barbecued meats and vietnamese rolls to desserts. It was a chore to choose from among the foods on display. Our version of “turo-turo” (point – point) where a diner does the mandatory circling of all food stalls and orders which ones should be served on their table.

Turo-Turo, Vietnamese Style. More Veggies, Less Meat.

The Refinery

Fine dining in Ho Chi Minh? Try The Refinery. It is the former headquarters of an opium factory which now houses a French Bistro, a Frenchy Bar and a Vietnamese outlet serving fusion cuisine. We tried the latter. Hoa Tuc is also a Saigon Cooking School much like we have CCA back in Manila. The red motif all over the place is very Frenchy, but the portions are not. No way we’d get small Frenchy portions with our Vietnamese dinner here.

Formerly an Opium Refinery in Saigon. Say what?

Want some cooking lessons? Then eat what you cook!

We left the ordering to my friend’s expat daughter and her friends. And what a selection! We enjoyed our sugarcane drink, our minty soup which tastes a bit like its Thai equivalent, the variety of barbecued meat, the fish in some savory sauce, the birthday noodles (3 of us were birthday celebrants), the crispy floured squid in tamarind sauce, the many vegetables, and the decadent , moist chocolate cake! If that dinner won’t energize you for a few rounds of walking, I don’t know what will.

Dinner at Hoa Tuc @The Refinery

Pho 2000

Naturally, we were also drawn to try this chain noodle house — rare in that it benefits from a Presidential endorsement. Ex-President Bill Clintonn once tried this Pho 2000 noodle house and raved about its Pho. No wonder his photos hang on all its walls. We tried the seafood pho, the beef pho, the chicken curry with baguette, their equivalent of the halo-halo (with fresh fruits rather than ours which are cooked in sugar syrup) , their coffee. The one we tried was at the corner of BenThanh Market.

Found one near Ben Thanh Market!

Ben Thanh Market

Yeah, right. This is a market where the shopper in you gets resurrected. While shopping for our Vietnamese coffee, cinnamon slippers and dried jackfruit slices, we found a few stalls serving desserts. Easy to grab one of those rice cakes, but we found the cold desserts most refreshing. Fresh fruits like cubed granada, papaya, watermelon were mixed in with gelatine and ice shavings — just right to make one forget all that heat and humidity inside this crowded shoppers’ paradise. We didn’t hesitate to claim a stool and partake of these sweet desserts to refresh ourselves. Besides, all that walking and shopping drained us of all energy.

Also, don’t forget to buy the fruits. Either have them as your dessert, or have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I kid you not. Fresh custard apples (Atis) so solid you can just peel off the moon crater-y skin and eat the fruit like an apple. Or the macopas, and the mangoes. There were also big-sized chicos and tiny apples (manzanitas) which we enjoyed.

Grab a pack and go!

Food Courts At The Malls

Then there are the food courts to be found in the Malls. If you wish to have a quick fix in an airconditioned place, check out the food courts in the malls. I tried one of their hot pots, in an effort to stay “healthy”, but really, I soon discovered that it is easy to eat healthy here in Vietnam. Their food is more veggies than meat. And all that mint must explain why I didn’t meet any local with an unpleasant body aroma. Drenched in sweat in a hot, humid market, or exposed to the sun while scootering or biking around the city, I was expecting some body scent to alert me of sweaty bodies. Can’t explain it, and neither can I explain why I didn’t find too many flies in the wet market where I found seafood on display. Must be the hygiene or level of sanitation. Or all that mint. Tempts me to use my mint breath fresheners all over my body!

You may also want to check out my blog on Ho Chi Minh……..

And do try that beer too!

Vietnamese Coffee Rocks! (They have weasel and squirrel coffee beans too!)

Atis with Every Meal. Eat Them Like An Apple (Without The Skin)

Typical Banh Mi (as in Panini?) Vendor

Tags: Asia, ho chi minh, saigon, vietnam, vietnamese cuisine

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In Search of More Lunas (From Badoc, Ilocos Norte to Manila)

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Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 5 Comments

November 5, 2011

Having visited the Juan Luna Shrine in Badoc, Ilocos Norte last July seems to have driven us to search for more Lunas. Or rather, to dig deeper into the mind of this great patriot and artist. More than his art, there is that most interesting if not tragic side to this hero’s life.

Juan Luna Shrine in Badoc , Ilocos Norte

The tour guide here should be commended. Not easy to hold the attention of my 2 elves, aged 10 and 13, the whole hour we were here. I particularly liked how he presented Luna to us as the artist while talking of the gold award he won in a Madrid art competition with the masterpiece, “Spoliarium”. A copy hangs in this Shrine while the original adorns the Masters Hall in the National Art Gallery. Or Luna as a romantic with a painting of “Una Bulaquena” where the original painting used to hang in Malacanang Palace till it was transferred to the National Art Gallery.

The Original

In one trip to the National Art Gallery, the Luna paintings showed how his art has evolved through the years spent in Madrid and Paris. But what caught my attention were some Luna paintings with no attribution. Was it Juan or Manuel who painted these? Jose Rizal once said Manuel , the brother of Juan and Antonio Luna, is the better painter but Manuel chose to study music instead.

That Little Girl Reminds Me of Someone Named Luna

My search brought me to a Lecture Series on Juan Luna at the GSIS where its museum proudly hangs the celebrated GSIS investment in a Luna painting entitled “A Parisian Life”. Michael “Xiao” Chua gave the lecture which allowed us listeners to understand another side of Juan Luna. For the most part of the lecture, Xiao dwelled on the life and tragedy of this great artist. It is up to us viewers to relate these trivia to how his art has evolved. I am no art connoisseur but it is not difficult to differentiate the masterful but intense strokes exhibited in the “Spolarium” versus the softer, milder, even playful art gleaned from “A Parisian Life” .

The Parisien Life at the GSIS Museum. But not for long. Who is buying?

The Wife Paz......Tragically Shot by Juan Luna

Xiao disclosed that the painting Parisian Life is up for sale. So, who is buying? It will be recalled that the sale and purchase of this artwork was so enmeshed in controversy in recent past. It has certainly gone a long way from the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista in Quiapo to the Hongkong auction house to GSIS Museum. In whose walls would it hang next? Xiao laments the possibility of having this painting stashed away in some foreign land. Much like the Battle of Lepanto, another masterpiece of Juan Luna, which has been hanging in the Senate walls in Madrid, Spain. So with the “Death of Cleopatra” which is on display at the prestigious Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. Anyone care to shell out a hefty sum to keep this national treasure here at home where it belongs?

Battle of Lepanto @ Madrid, Spain.

Tags: Juan Luna, Luna, Manila, Museum, National Art Gallery, National Museum, Philippines

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Another, Not As Famous Heritage Town in Balayan, Batangas

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Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 16 Comments

October 26, 2011

One of the oldest towns in Batangas province, and around the Philippines, is BALAYAN. Coined from the Visayan word “Balay”, meaning house, it is one of the first settlements in the country with trade dating back to the mid-14th century. It was already known as Balayan since 1394 till it was “inherited” by a certain Datu Kumintang, after whom the town was called until 1578. The Augustinian missionaries arrived in this town in 1575 , then followed by Franciscan missionaries who built a small stone church in 1579.

We began our tour of Balayan with a visit to this national cultural treasure. Balayan Church was under the administration of “Indio Clergy” since the 19th century. This sets it apart from the other heritage churches found around the country. Considered as the first church in Batangas, and likely in the whole Tagalog Region, its claim to fame ironically involves a furor not so long ago over a proposed construction of a McDonald’s outlet in the historic church grounds.

From inside the Church, we exited behind the altar out into a back courtyard. In one corner of this courtyard is a small chapel at the end of a passageway where we found some interesting art works.

Courtyard At The Back of the Church

I did not find any inscription and didn’t have the chance to ask how old this piece of art is. The intricate woodcarving is lovely, just as the image of Our Lady holding an Infant Jesus.

From the Church, we visited the ancestral house of Leo Martinez. I knew the name sounds familiar. He is now a local politician here, but I remember him as an actor from a now defunct TV comedy show of long ago.

Ancestral House of Leo Martinez

How about this for a door knob?

It is unfortunate that there was no tour guide to tell us more about the ancestral houses in this area. The house of Leo Martinez has a marker that says 1935, which renders it “new” compared to the ancestral house of Don Sixto Lopez just right across the street. You can view this older house from one of the wide windows of the Martinez house.

Ancestral House of Sixto Lopez in Balayan, Batangas

The oldest house in Balayan is that of Don Sixto Lopez, the Grand Old Man of Balayan. His house has wide windows framed by capiz shells, like many of the other ancestral houses to be found in the area. Lopes belongs to a rich illustrious family who owned vast tracts of sugarcane fields in Batangas. The house sits right across the ancestral house of Leo Martinez.

Not too many Filipinos are familiar with Sixto Lopez who belonged to the same generation as the great national hero, Jose Rizal. But some would be familiar with his high society granddaughter Diana Jean Lopez, and the equally famous if not more famous great grandchildren such as Claudia Bermudez (daughter of Diana Jean) and Nikki Prieto Teodoro(wife of Presidential candidate Gibo Teodoro, who is from another rich haciendero family, the Cojuangcos of Tarlac). Oh yes, you can say all these socialites certainly come with a lot of class, unquestionable pedigree and beauty genes!

House Across Leo Martinez' Ancestral House in Balayan

We could have visited this house too across the street lining the Martinez and Lopez ancestral houses. But it was closed as someone allegedly committed suicide just a few days before our visit. Yay! 😦

Shot of Sixto Lopez House, Taken From Leo Martinez' Ancestral House.

Just like Vigan and Taal, Batangas , Balayan is yet another colonial town reminiscent of our Spanish heritage. Many heroes hail from this town too, and as the oldest town in Batangas if not of the Tagalog Region, it has a lot of history begging to be told and retold. My fingers and toes are crossed that the the local authorities do their job to promote this town as another tourist destination.

Tags: balayan, Batangas, Heritage Houses, Philippines, philippines travels

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How One Nasty Blog On Manila Went Viral

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Filed under: Travel, travels — 2 Comments

October 21, 2011

One Brit. One Blog. One Airport. One “Hotel”. One Bad Coffee.

What’s wrong with Manila? Many things, obviously. What’s wrong with our NAIA Airport or Terminal One? Too many things, admittedly. But certainly not enough to trash Manila.

This blog by this Brit may have pointed out the sad state of our airport and the city such that it provoked serious discussion among Filipinos who:

1. Accepted the painful truth but took exception to the sweeping generalization.

2. Accepted the painful truth and added insult to injury by confirming how hopeless we are.

3. Are in denial of things wrong around us and attacked the blogger with abusive language.

You may want to read the blog written by this Brit who admits being a grumpy old man, but certainly a well-traveled one. Without going to his blogsite (and adding to his stats), you can view the pages here. Read on, and tell me what you think.

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And there’s more. In a discussion forum in same blogsite, the comments revealed how Brits can argue among themselves just as much as some Pinoys claim to be the smart ones who readily accepted how this Brit branded Filipinos as “smarmy”. (He later apologized for this, admitting it was harsh and said in irritation.) Very likely, those smart ones didn’t even know what the word meant, and simply focused on one grumpy old man’s rants vs the filth in Manila. Nothing worth photographing, in his own words. But there were also other non-Pinoys who found the blog nasty and offensive, even as they agreed about the poor state of NAIA Terminal 1.

At the end of the day, this whole exercise proved that controversy sells. The Brit blogger got it right about the airport and the dirt in many places. But should we accept that Manila is hopeless and where the Filipino character is concerned? Some Pinoys do, judging by the comments.

The grumpy blogger reactivated his twitter account and invoked his “readers” to add to his 8 followers. I suspect he would write more controversial blogs, egged on by the phenomenal hit record of this mediocre blog. He is even more active in the travel forum, behaving like a true troll. Best not to engage him. He gets all fired up when he finds someone to argue with. In other words, don’t feed this troll. If you’re curious, allow me to just post additional screenshots of his Royal Troll-ness. 🙂

Tags: Manila, Philippines

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Two Views of Taal Volcano and the Lake

Filed under: Food Trip, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 9 Comments

October 8, 2011

Our family took advantage of this promo package offered by Club Balai Isabel last August. We fell in love with the place. The kids loved it. And the adults too. So when my friend asked me for a one-day itinerary to entertain a group of friends, it was a no-brainer to head back to this magical place.

Taal Volcano and Lake from the Pantalan @Club Balai Isabel, Talisay, Batangas

It makes for a wonderful day trip if one were to introduce the Philippines to foreign and balikbayan friends. Not too far from Manila, and a day well-spent viewing Taal Lake and Volcano from the shore (Talisay, Batangas) and from the ridge (Tagaytay City, Cavite). This is our one-day itinerary:

Mabini Shrine in Barrio Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas

On Our Way By 8am

Not bad. You don’t have to wake up extra early for this day trip. By 8 am, we were driving along SLEX , connecting to STAR Highway and out Tanauan Exit. All that in slightly more than an hour. As you exit out of STAR Tollway towards Tanauan, take the right turn towards Talisay. Along the way, you’d fine Mabini Shrine. This sprawling property houses the Shrine honoring the Sublime Paralytic, Apolinario Mabini. I have earlier visited this Shrine and dedicated a blog to the Brains of the Philippine Revolution back in the 19th century. This second visit cum stopover on our way to Club Balai Isabel took just 20 minutes max. Just a little bit of history for our Norwegian friend in the group.

Club Balai Isabel

Just In Time For Lunch @Club Balai Isabel

From Mabini Shrine, we took the lone road towards Talisay. It did not take very long to reach Club Balai Isabel. This resort complex offers much by way of activity to day trippers and weekend travelers. The more adventurous may even come much earlier to try the boat ride across the lake and trekking towards the volcano crater. The resort can make all these arrangements for you.

There was time before lunch to check out the chapel inside the resort. The 3 swimming pools. The Pantalan. From the clubhouse, we enjoyed an amazing view of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. You can grab a bench by the shore or at the cute-sy Pantalan and feel the breeze while viewing fishermen out to harvest the famous “tawilis” from Taal Lake. If they get lucky, maybe there’s even Maliputo for lunch. We walked the lakeshore from the Pantalan towards the Marina near the Chapel and the bigger pool.

Club Balai Isabel

On our way back to the Clubhouse, we passed the Butterfly Garden, the Dr. Fish Massage area, the Spa, the Tennis Court, and the lovely villas , each of which has a splendid view of the smallest active volcano in the whole world. The view is enough to rev up our appetite. The stroll was a good exercise to take away the guilt from the sumptuous food to be had from the buffet table. The very accommodating crew of Club Balai Isabel makes for a very enjoyable stay in the resort. As I said, this is my 2nd visit. The last time, we stayed overnight. From the reservations to the waiter, to the gracious lady chef, to the store clerk, we were warmly received like old friends. I couldn’t resist shooting out an email to the Management just to mention this. The service orientation and culture of friendliness and courtesy are awesome.

This is not a paid advertisement. Or do they say advertorial these days? I am a paying client who had the pleasure of discovering Filipino hospitality and quality service from Club Balai Isabel, and I wish to share this with my friends who read my blogs.

Taal Volcano and Lake From Tagaytay Ridge

Zigzag Up Via Ligaya Drive Towards the Ridge

After Club Balai Isabel, we took a left turn and in no time found Ligaya Drive. From here, try looking up to where you’re headed. You are leaving the shores of Taal Lake to get up to Tagaytay Ridge to view Taal Volcano a second time , this time from above. It can get you a bit disoriented. Two views of the lake and volcano in a day? And between these 2 viewpoints is this zigzag drive passing ritzy villages and mansions with rooms with a view. I think it is just a 7 kilometer drive but it would seem like a longer drive as you are climbing up with ravines on your right. 🙂

Up on the ridge, you have several choices on how best to spend the rest of the day. Oh, I’d never grow tired of Tagaytay. If you plan to stay way beyond sunset, there is a number of bistros with prices ranging from budget-friendly to extravagant. Check out some of these travel guides. If you want something really fancy, then dine at Antonio’s. You may burn a hole in your pocket, but if you are in a celebratory mood and can afford it, why not?

Fried Halo Halo or Turon?

Taal Vista Lodge

In our case, we chose Taal Vista Lodge. They have one of the best views, if not the best, from the Ridge and a restaurant which offers many choices on how to eat Filipino delicacies. They also have a lunch buffet, if you choose to do this itinerary in reverse.

Taal Vista Lodge

Some of us had our halo-halo the traditional way (cold, with ice shavings) or fried! Make no mistake about it, but fried halo halo it was! And then there’s the traditional turon topped with ice cream. Or turon with leche flan filling. Imagine that!

Lunch Buffet @Taal Vista Lodge

If you choose not to dine in Taal Vista’s restaurant, please do remember that the parking ticket is P100 per hour. Not bad if you just wanted to breathe in the air and savor the view from there. It is free if you have your parking ticket stamped in the restaurant.

Taal Vista Lodge

So there. If your foreign guests or balikbayans are hankering for day trips outside of Manila, here’s one itinerary for you. More itineraries to come! So, don’t forget to subscribe to this site to get updates. You may also find me on Facebook (Lifeisacelebration) where I post all my blogs from this site and from TravelBlog. See ya!

Tags: Batangas, club balai isabel, day trips out of manila, mabini shrine, Philippines, taal vista lodge, Tagaytay, talisay, tanuan

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Back in Taal, Batangas (So Soon?)

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Filed under: Food Trip, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 16 Comments

October 6, 2011

I have just been to Taal, Batangas. Visited the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours, the Caysasay Shrine, the Sacred Well of Sta. Lucia, the Villavicencio Houses, Leon Apacible Museum, the Agoncillo Heritage Houses and Museums. You may have already read my blogs about the heirloom houses and the churches. Gorged on Tapang Taal and Panucha. But the prospect of eating home-cooked Tulingan and Adobong Dilaw beckons. And a visit to earlier-missed Villa Tortuga makes this next visit sooner than expected.

We almost dined here!

Inside Villa Tortuga

Home-Cooked Tulingan and Adobong Dilaw

The last time we visited, we dined in Taal Bistro. We considered lunch in full Filipiniana regalia in Villa Tortuga this time around. But my friend Alice has a cousin in Taal waiting to serve us a breakfast of Tapang Taal, Longganiza and Pancit. It didn’t stop there.

Sinaing na Tulingan

Adobong Dilaw

Home-cooked Tulingan (matched with bagoong made of tulingan innards – a first time! yummy) and Adobong Dilaw was scheduled for lunch. How can you resist that? (Thank you, Alice). It was all we could think about as we passed a number of heritage houses along Agoncillo Street. Just off the Villavicencio and Goco Houses , and right along the street leading to Taal Basilica, we had our lunch of Batangas delicacies. We only stopped eating these local dishes when we were served Turon. Hmmm, you can say we stopped eating to eat again and have our desserts – if there ever is such a thing. 🙂

Stairway to History

Villa Tortuga

Alice arranged this visit at the Villa Tortuga. Lovely house. And alas, I found a truly good tour guide in Taal, Batangas. Well, I met him in my earlier visit but he guided us only in a couple of heritage houses then. This time around, Rochie guided us around Villa Tortuga and even took our photos! His assistant Adrian is just as competent without saying much. Adrian knew just where to have us pose, arrange the folds of our skirts here and there, pin our baro’t saya wherever, and snap our pictures. Oh, we had a blast.

How hard can it be taking ur own photo dressed like this?

And here are ur LOLAS. Donya Victorina? Maria Clara? Sisa? No, don't answer that.

While I have already written about the heritage houses of Taal, Batangas (check out http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Batangas/Taal/blog-652149.html ) as well as the religious sites here, this experience deserves a separate blog. Our photos will tempt you to brand us either as Donya Victorinas, older versions of Maria Clara and Leonor Rivera, or a Sisa looking for her sons. Whatever. Eat your heart out. We had a blast!

Looking for her Ibarra. Or Crispin. 🙂

Thank you ladies, for a wonderful time. It may not be the best of time to visit and have fun, but we really had a hilarious day trip, didn’t we?

Those planning day trips not too far from Manila, try this. If you like, call Villa Tortuga : 7250819, 7254562 or 0917-8246900 for lunch and Taal tour. It’s actually easy to do, but you need to arrange to visit some heritage houses. Otherwise, you just admire them from outside.

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Tags: Adobong Dilaw, Batangas, Filipiniana Costumes, Heritage Houses, Philippines, Taal, Tulingan, Villa Tortuga

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Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Travel, travels — 3 Comments

October 2, 2011

(This is not a Travel Blog. You won’t get any travel advice, driving tips, food guide in this blog. Watching the news, I simply remembered. And felt compelled to write this piece for those who have shown me kindness and impressed me with their dignity as a people, no matter the circumstances.)

Flood water rising at the Lake. So many lives lost. My heart goes out to you, kind people from Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Ton Le Sap Lake.

The same typhoon ravaged our country and took property and lives along its path. Nature on a warpath. We stayed home, waiting for the storm to subside, glued to our TV screens. Watching, our hearts ached. We remember.

Children Rowing Home to Their Village

The kindness. The hospitality. Vanak, our tour guide. The boat men who took us along a cruise of the TonLe Sap Lake’s Floating Village. The lady who sold us all those shawls. The children playing with their dogs, as they hopped from board to board in that floating village. I even wonder about the crocodiles tended in that floating store cum restaurant. Did they escape from those cages as water rose? Or how about the ancient temples we climbed, or rather crawled up and down in Siem Reap? How we even managed to lose someone in our group when we visited Angkor Wat!

Water World, Cambodian style!

The Floating School Houses In Ton Le Sap lake

I dread to think what happened to them. To Vanak, our most efficient, kind and cheerful tour guide.

Residents of the Floating Village in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I pray that they can rebuild their floating village.

God bless you, Vanak!

I wonder if the floating schoohouses cheerfully painted in white and blue are still there.

A Virtual WaterWorld!

The little children who have mastered the art of hopping from one floating house to the next. Effortlessly. Along with their dogs who’d hop along, just as cheerfully.

Till We Meet Again, People of Siem Reap!

The largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia. And the largest freshwater floodplain, depending on the time of year. You see, Tonle Sap Lake dramatically floods and drains itself depending on the water flows which happen twice a year. I really hope they can all recover from this worst flooding in many years. God bless them. God bless us.

Tags: Asia, Cambodia, Mekong River, Siem Reap, Tonle Sap Lake, Water World

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Baluarte in Vigan & Chavit’s Pets

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 1 Comment

Who does not know Chavit Singson? He was the man who squealed about the Jueteng Scandal that eventually led to Erap’s ouster. While before his name was associated with Jueteng-gate, Ilocos politics, his friendship with world-famous boxer Manny Pacquiao, and his (Chavit’s, not Manny’s) lovely women………..of late, people remember Chavit for his not-your-typical-nor-ordinary pets in Vigan’s Baluarte. Should this make us happy?

This tiger had a lengthy “pictorial” with a long line of guests, each of whom posed for a fearless solo shot with the awesome animal. Watching them line up, pose and try to touch the animal, helped along by the zookeepers who never let go of the leash on the animal, I couldn’t help but feel pity for the tiger. It didn’t look like it was having a grand time. The way it growled and turned its head left , right, up, and down, it could have easily lopped off somewhere away from this scene, perhaps dragging one of the zookeepers along. But it didn’t. I’m sure not even a team of those short and thin-looking zookeepers could manage to hold it down. I suspect the animal’s drugged.

After the pictorial, back to the cages they go. Very small cages. I hear Chavit “plays” with these animals when he is not busy playing with something else like they are his pets. I can only surmise that they are fed very well before meeting the master.