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Heading South. Really South.

Filed under: Chile, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog, South America, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

April 9, 2024

Have you been to Punta Arenas? How about Puerto Natales to check out the Chilean side of Patagonia? Torre del Paine and the calving glaciers of Balmaceda y Serrano are certainly NOT to be missed. (But that segment of the trip deserves a separate blog.) And right now, I’m just too confused what to write about. Too many highlights! This trip to Chile has had its varied stressful episodes — like delayed visa issuances, many changes in itinerary, postponement from an originally-scheduled trip in 2020, 5 years in planning and all of 8 domestic, regional and international flights (including Peru) on this trip but we are not complaining. 😉

Punta Arenas. Flew from Santiago to this southern tip of the narrowest, longest country in the world.

Snow-capped mountains, the bluest waters, glaciers, waterfalls and fields of alfalfa. Plus the wildlife. Andean condors, armadillos, sheep, Patagonian horses, fox and guanacos. And if you’re seriously into wildlife, there are whales, sea lions, penguins, pumas, and flamingoes. Frankly, we’re quite happy seeing the Andean condors. Nature at its best!

Replica of the NAO Victoria , the first ship to circumnavigate the world.

After some days resting our butts in Santiago, Chile we flew south to Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales. The Chilean Patagonia. We had good luck and timed it perfectly in the weather department. While temps hovered between negatives and positive 7 Celsius, the sun was out the 5 days we were here. Every mountain peak showed up! Even the clouds parted into unique patterns, letting the sun beam for better-lighted snapshots. Slight showers, snow flurries, but only for brief moments. And those peaks and valleys showed up in all its clear glory, making photography buffs in our group grow insanely excited and happy. Same goes with the camwhores who have stacked up megabytes in their photo galleries. Our gizmo’s batteries drained and storage full. But that slight setback was ignored completely as we just couldn’t move on from the landscapes, seascapes we saw before us. Nothing can upset my dreamy Patagonia vibes here. The clouds above and the rolling waves from both the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans cheered us up. The Strait of Magellan was a good reminder of how Magellan discovered this southern Chilean strip before navigating onwards to discover the Philippine Islands in the 1520’s. Hmmm, we share some history here. And it’s interesting how we each “turned out”.

The Barkada in Fundo San Fernando where we had a soupy beef dish that reminded us of pochero.

Hiking is always a happy adventure for this group.

For many of our meals, lamb ruled. Ranchos and estancias provided meaty dishes with portions overly generous that carnivores may choose to live here. As for seafood, I enjoyed their ceviches, pulpo, and filete de cormoran. Been searching for the “Chilean sea bass” but it appears this is pure branding since the real fish is simply referred to as corvina just like the dorado or salmon commonly available. For sure, they grow real sweet tomatoes and onions — just these 2 sprinkled with olive oil and salt enough to prep your appetite. Coffee was a disappointment though, at least those served in our hotels. I rather expected strong, quality coffee thinking Colombia is in the same region. Thus, our morning runs included trips to cafés to pick up our morning brew. This in seriously chill mornings where the sun rises at 7:30 am.

Across our lovely hotel in Puerto Natales is this park fronting the sea.

Between Punta Arenas where the airport is located and Puerto Natales where Torre del Paine can be found, is a nearly 3 hour drive. It must be lonely driving these well-paved roads in winter. But on second thought, those towers covered in snow in all its resplendent beauty can’t fail to cheer anyone up. Just lovely.

Tags: Chile, Musings and Ramblings, NAO Victoria, Patagonia, Travel, Travels

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Touchdown, Santiago de Chile

Filed under: Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog, South America, Travel, travels — 1 Comment

April 5, 2024

Finally joined up with my travel buddies who flew in from Manila to Sydney to catch a connecting flight into Santiago, Chile. The Qantas flight from Down Under took 12 hours where I hardly had a wink. Shouldn’t complain since my buddies endured another 8 hours plus all the waiting time at the 2 airports for a gruelling 28 hours. By the time we landed in the country’s capital, we were all wasted. But pleasant weather welcomed us in Santiago, named after one of our favorite saints. Hearing and speaking Spanish is both familiar and a struggle for many of us, but the excitement balances all sentiments and dulls the anxieties.

Our Pisco Sour and Empanada Outing on Day 1

Cool early evenings. Perfect cocktail hours.

A very manageable walking distance from our hotel is the Costanera Mall in the quiet, posh neighborhood of Providencia. That’s how we spotted La Pikada along with the laundromat we’d use before we move out of the capital on Day 6. The Mall is huge, houses over 300 stores and the Sky Tower which is touted as the highest sky deck in South America. It’s a good place for shopping and some dining. We tried a bistecca and empanadas here before walking back to our hotel. The next day, we explored the city’s Mercado Central. Lunch was seafood in Donde Blanca amid stall after stall of clams and fish varieties from Merluza to dorado to salmon to a new find, Reineta (pomfret). The Resto transformed this assortment of sea creatures to stews, soup, ceviches or simply grilled. Paired well with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a red vino. Meatless, on an Easter Week!

A Seafood Stew. I’m all for clams, mussels and scallops.

We took it real easy the first 3 days. The hotel’s veranda is our designated spot for cocktails starting at 6pm. We exchanged notes especially on where to buy and dine at the end of each day. Dealing with jet lag is a struggle so the first 3 days took care of that. On the 4th day, we tried to cover as much of the city as possible. Still, we managed on a very leisurely pace. Well, it isn’t like we had to tick off all the boxes. We particularly enjoyed the stroll around the park. With an urban landscape as a background, it was refreshing to find ponds, gardens and kids’ playgrounds. It’s the city’s oxygen tank where nearly 40% of the nation’s population work and live.

Then there’s the Plaza Armas. A typical Latino square with the cathedral as the centrepiece. It is the heartbeat of the city from where many folks congregate, many eateries flourish and where many tourists never failed to visit as a must-destination. Buskers abound too, from singers to dancers to jugglers. And so do the resident pickpockets. Just the typical scenario in any capital. Cuidate!

Tags: Bicentario Parque, Chile, Costanera Center, Food Trip, Mercado Central de Santiago, Musings and Ramblings, Plaza Armas, Santiago, South America, Travel, Travels

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Little Tokyo In Makati

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog — 7 Comments

November 19, 2023

This is my neighbourhood. It’s a bit off the CBD, perhaps a couple of blocks. But here lies a slice of Japan with a cluster of izakayas serving authentic Japanese food with price tags ranging from quite cheap to pricey. Makati Cinema Square is now called Makati Central Square, MCS for short. Within this old mall are many tiny Japanese restos, the most popular of which is Manmaru. That is, judging by the queues nearly every mealtime outside this Japanese eatery. A few more restos within the same mall is Unakichi (entrance near Mcdo and KFC area) which specializes in unagi and Sakura Yakiniku (near Unakichi) and Yakiniku Kenshin (beside Manmaru). There is also our fav Wabi Sabi (2nd floor above Kenshin) for vegetarian ramen, dumplings and homemade ice cream. From MCS, we step out and cross the street towards LITTLE TOKYO which is another cluster of izakayas with a truly Japanese vibe. The Torii gate, narrow alley lined with red lanterns look more Japanese in the evenings when the lanterns are lighted and the courtyard seems more festive with banners.

It’s easy to miss it but this Torii gate is just across Manmaru in Makati Central Square

Behind the Torii gate is this narrow alley
towards the izakayas.

Within Little Tokyo, the most popular and my personal favorite is Kikufuji whose entrance fronts the main road (Chino Roces Avenue), and for ramen, there is Shinjuku. Both are iconic izakayas in the Little Tokyo area fronting the main road and must have stood there for at least 2 decades along with Hana which is situated in the inner “courtyard”. Parking is always a challenge so I’d advise parking in the MCS basement and just walking across to Little Tokyo.

Izakaya Kikufuji may look rundown but it consistently ranks among the best izakayas in Makati.

Hana is in the interior part of Little Tokyo and is one of the 2 oldest izakayas there.

Inside Little Tokyo, you may choose to go for simple snacks like takoyaki, kakigori (flavored ice shavings), okonomiyaki (pan cake) or have serious yakiniku or bento boxes. Plenty of choices here. Menus are on display by the izakaya’s door so there shouldn’t be any surprises especially if one is on a budget. You may also opt for al fresco lunch or dinner or step into the tiny air conditioned spaces. I have tried Kikufuji, Shinjuku, Yakiniku, Hana and Oishinbo in the Little Tokyo cluster. Pricing observes a wide range as it largely depends on what you order. Less expensive would be the rice bowls or rice toppings, called donburi. Ask also if they have set meals which are really combo meals to include your chosen dish, miso soup, pickles, rice and sometimes a drink. There are a few more izakayas waiting for me to try. 😁

Seryna is also quite popular. It is right beside the Torii gate entrance and across Manmaru in MCS. But my personal favorite remains to be Kikufuji — love those wagyu cubes and sushi. Just that it is always fully booked so I always end up settling for Shinjuku ramen or one of those bento boxes in either Hana or Oishinbo. Unless of course I’m craving for unagi which means crossing towards MCS’ Unakichi. As for Manmaru, I’d rather order online (via Grab) than braving those long lines!

The latest addition to this izakaya cluster is EDOYA. It is right beside Seryna and a Japanese grocery store and right across Manmaru housed in Makati Central Square. Some of the food we ordered tasted good but they’re still on soft opening when we visited so the service can actually be improved. It took a while for our food to be served. Also, we stayed in one of the cubicles on the 2nd floor and we found the acoustic properties of the place to be problematic. I hope they do something about this because the place looks nice and we’re willing to give the Resto a second chance. The iced coffee bevs are ok but we were frustrated that none of their ice shaving desserts were available. I promise to dine there a 2nd time and update this blog. So there. 😉

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Value For Money Eats With Mu

Filed under: Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog — Leave a comment

November 17, 2023

As I often say, our pleasure barometer has nothing to do with the price tags. Dining options, for one, can range from cheap to pricey. But there is always a fine middle ground where something really good can be enjoyed for a reasonable price. Not necessarily cheap cheap, but value-for-money. Yum without burning a hole in the pocket.

Beef Tripe Porridge from GOTO MONSTER near
Pablo Ocampo and Kamagong Streets

I like soupy dishes so that explains my love affair with porridge, ramen, laksa. The first photo — goto or beef tripe porridge — is from Goto Monster which is listed in the international book “Where Chefs Eat”. It is truly a comfort food, and by itself a wonderful, satisfying meal. It is also the kind of food you’d like to serve someone who’s sick or on the mend. Don’t ask me why. But it seems uncomplicated but filling enough. As for ramen or laksa, now this is a tad more complicated. It may look like a simple dish but in actuality, requires good kitchen wizardry to come up with a good version. And it’s always easy to tell if it’s good or not with the first spoonful. Trust me.

Katsu Curry Ramen or Odori Ramen from Surugin Ramen House in Alfonso, Cavite

Thai Street Eats is 1 of many food trucks and booths in GYUD Food Hub within UP Diliman Campus

If you like quick meals but do not favor sandwiches, these soupy dishes can solve your hunger pangs in a few spoonfuls. Another foolproof tip on where to find affordable eats is to search within, around or near campuses. Here and abroad, this theory applies. At student prices, you can scour the area for good eats. That means where students line up. Gyud Food Hub is one such example. It is inside the UP Campus near the College of Fine Arts and just off Jacinto Street. Many choices here from Thai to Chinese, Persian, Indian or Pinoy. They even have steak meals at affordable prices. These dining outlets price their meal sets within a student’s budget. Overhead is kept to a minimum as paper plates and bowls are used and dining is al fresco.

Near Greenbelt along Palanca Street is Panco Cafe

For Vietnamese Coffee, try Pao Cafe in Yakal Street

Around Makati, our random finds include 2 coffee shops with good food. Panco Cafe may have a limited menu but quite frankly, we keep ordering the same food because, well…. they’re good! In my book, it is always a choice between the breakfast brisket or the Inasal. And yeah, try their coffee or their not so ordinary beverages. Great concoctions! But if you like Vietnamese coffee and food, try Pao Cafe in Yakal Street. We have been searching for iced coconut coffee which we first tried in Sapa and Hanoi, Vietnam and we’ve found Pao Cafe. They also serve good bentos (tried the roast pork), Bahn mi, spring rolls, and buncha, which we now prefer over the more popular pho (though Pao Cafe serves good pho too). We noticed they also have good cakes and pastries so we’re sure to try those come next visit.

Bibingka or Puto Bumbong from Cafe Via Mare

One can easily do a cafe crawl within the Poblacion area in Makati. So many choices. It is easy to miss Annex House as it is really a house in what looked like a compound behind a closed gate. But if you’re one who loves to discover new places, here’s a good one for you. They don’t serve hot meals to pair with your coffee but there are buns and pastries. The coffee concoctions are interesting so you can just imagine what they come up with in the cocktails department. Annex House presents itself as a social club — so feel free to drop in for coffee or some pub drinks. But hey, where do you bring your balikbayan friends for good old Filipino dishes and snacks? Cafe Via Mare is one of those default places if only for their bibingka (rice cake), puto Bumbong or halo halo. Priced higher than the average snack shop but if you want a reasonably decent place, and guaranteed good food, this is the place.

Try this from a booth spread all across Manila

Lastly, let me mention Avocadoria. Seen this almost everywhere. A small food booth in many malls. Never gave it a thought till a cousin fetched a cup for me to try. OMG it’s sooo good. I bet it’s packed with calories but trust me, it’s worth all the calories 🤣 I love frozen desserts — halo halo, maiz con hielo, bingsu, kakigori, anything with ice shavings OR ice cream, sorbet, sherbet. Try this sweet ending as an alternative to what you’ve been having thus far. If you love avocados, all the more that you should give this a try. Yum. Won’t regret it. 👍

Tags: Budget Meals, cafe crawl, Cheap Eats, food porn, Food Trip, Makati, Musings and Ramblings, Philippines

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Touchdown, SAPA

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Exotic Cuisine, Phlog, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

September 19, 2023

From Hanoi, it took at least 6 long hours to reach Sapa in Northern Vietnam. We traveled by bus although there’s a train option. We passed many rice terraces and cinnamon forests along the uphill route. Lunch was way past noon and we finally arrived at Pao’s Sapa Leisure Hotel late in the afternoon. Well before sunset, thankfully. And without the rains despite the weather forecast.

Honestly, I expected a sleepy, ghost town far removed from the commercial entrapments of city life. We were surprised to find Sapa teeming with tourists — both locals and foreigners. As it turned out, our visit was timed a few days before this mountain town’s Culture Week celebrating the 120th year of tourism. Attracting as many as 2 million visitors , this town in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai is bursting with preparations for the festivities and art performances of various ethnic groups. The town square where the Church takes center stage was teeming with people and littered with ambulant vendors.

One can feel the energy building up in the tiny stores lining the narrow streets and the mall housing the train station. It reminded us of “Sagada” back home as well as gave us “Baguio vibes”. The costumes from the hill villages provided local color and tribal feel. It took some dodging skills not to be trapped in the thick crowd as we navigated our way through the town square and narrow streets. Music was blaring from the many food shops and bars sitting side by side with massage parlours offering foot, back or whole body massage. Tempting!

We ditched our ride back to the hotel when we decided to walk but eventually hailed a buggy cart for as many as a dozen people to save our energy. We checked out the hotel outlets in search of desserts but only managed to order via room service. Called it a night for next day’s adventure. Let’s see what is in store for us when we next visit the Bac Ha Sunday Market some distance away.

Terrace of the restaurant where we had dinner.

Garbed in local costume, near the Church.

Sapa. The experience begins. 🌸

Tags: Northern Vietnam, Pao's Sapa Leisure Hotel, rice terraces, Sapa, Travel, Travels, vietnam

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Of Cable Cars, Funiculars And Glass Suspension Bridges

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

Too much excitement in one day! The Fansipan adventure involved cable car and funicular rides to reach Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam. Touted as the “roof of IndoChina”, it is actually higher than Machu Picchu at over 3,000 meters. Hoang Lien Son mountain range spans the horizon as the cable car climbs up to the peak. Once there, some 600 steps await you. Along the way, there are temples, outdoor Buddhas and restos. One can even ride horses in the complex run and operated by Sun World Legend. We were a big group of adventurers who endured the long drive from Hanoi to Sapa just to get here. Seniors, young professionals and toddlers all out to enjoy each other’s company and savor the sense of family we’ve come to adopt, having traveled together way too many times and seeing the family grow.

The Fansipan Complex is huge! The cable car and funicular rides are run efficiently and the dining outlets and food courts within the entire park look promising. There are also snack booths and massage chairs to fill up one’s time and the crowds seem to be manageable. The entire time we were here, the day grew from cloudy to sunny back to sunny with some breeze. Luckily it didn’t rain. Just a slight drizzle.

Easily, one can spend 3 hours or more here. Longer, if you linger over lunch or snacks or if one is doing the temples. The ride to the peak via the funicular can be crowded and once at the top, it is quite magical to see, even feel, the fog envelop the area where one finds the tallest flagstaff of IndoChina. Be warned though : it can get windy and cooler once you reach the top so be sure to wrap up.

After Farsipan, we took on another challenge. The Bach Long Glass-Bottomed Bridge is touted as the longest in the whole world. Not one for the weak of heart. Nor one short of patience. We took too many transfers — 2 short van rides, an elevator that took all of 3 minutes, along with some waiting time in between transfers. Now, this phenomenal structure left us confused and inconvenienced. There are vans to take visitors from one level to the next. An elevator that takes a full 3 minutes to reach the suspension bridge. Why was this built, you’d ask? Just to land in the Guinness List? To draw in tourists, visitors seeking thrills and excitement? We found many locals when we visited. Thrill-seekers? I took a few steps and that’s enough. Why walk the entire stretch of 700 meters, pray tell?

So there. Two major altitude challenges in one day. The first challenge was justified by the magnificent view of the mountain range. As for the glass-bottomed bridge, we must be insane to even consider coming here. 🤣

Tags: Asia, Fansipan, Glass Bridge, Musings and Ramblings, Travel, Travels

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In and Around Osaka

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

January 10, 2023

Our first home base was in Osaka. Right in Namba’s Dotonbori area. The aroma of food wafting from the food stalls and restos kept us going especially on our first night. We have made our wagyu dinner reservations but ended up in the wrong resto branch. And that’s after some time looking all over the place, scanning all the alleys. We were tempted to just skip it and instead check out the many ramen or yakitori or crab places but how can we give up on matsusaka beef 🥩? The staff in the “wrong branch” took us to the right outlet just a few meters away. Seemed like they’re used to guests getting lost or missing the right branch. The night ended well and we were satisfied with our first dinner in Osaka. 👌

Woke up early the next morning for a train ride to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, but it seemed most everybody had the same “brilliant idea”. Walked all around until our knees went jello, then moved to Fushimi Inari where once more, a long line of visitors have already assembled. Alas, the gods smiled on us and we found a break in the line so we promptly took snapshots of the shrine’s vermilion gates looking empty. By the time we were done, we took the Keihan Line to Kyoto’s geisha district, Gion. This time, we failed to spot any geisha, geiko nor maiko. But we enjoyed Hanamikoji alley in peace as the sun set in Kyoto.

Another Tourist Trap: Arashiyama Bamboo Park

Osaka and Kyoto are just 15 minutes apart via Shinkansen. So convenient. And from the JR Namba Station near our Osaka crib, we took the rapid express train to Nara Deer Park the next day. Just under an hour. Easy. But not as easy is the trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Took the 1.5 hour Shinkansen, the half-hour local train from Hiroshima to Miyajima and finally the 8 minute ferry ride to the island. But hey, if you have the time, and the JR Pass, it’s worth visiting. The pass is good for the Shinkansen, local train and ferry. Just make sure you don’t doze off on the ferry ride or you’d end up making a round trip!

On our way to Tokyo, we broke our journey in Kyoto for a quick visit to Kiyomizu-dera and to enjoy some Uji matcha delights. Suitcases left in the station’s coin lockers, we were off to take the local train from Kyoto Station to Kiyomizu-gojo via Tofukuji. The uphill climb from Exit 4 took a half hour. The thick crowd we met served no encouragement to truly explore this beautiful temple but we’re not complaining. Time enough for a visit and catching our late afternoon Shinkansen to our next crib, Tokyo. Watch this page for more of our adventures!

Tags: Arashiyama, Asia, Food Trip, Fushimi Inari, Gion, Hiroshima, Japan, JR Pass, Kiyomizu Dera, Kyoto, Matcha, Matsusaka Beef, Miyajima, Namba, Nara, Osaka, Ramen, Shin Osaka, Shinkansen, Travels, Uji

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Art Deco in St. Scho

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Phlog, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

August 25, 2017

Yes, I’m talking about St. Scholastica’s College standing on a 3.5 hectare-block hemmed in by 4 streets: Leon Guinto, Pablo Ocampo (formerly Vito Cruz), Singalong and Estrada. This college in Malate was established in 1906 and predates the neighbor campus of De La Salle University. Run by Benedictine sisters, St. Scho moved from a modest residential house in Tondo to San Marcelino (where Adamson University sits now) until it finally moved to its present Malate site in 1911. Of note is the fact that this college founded by German nuns pioneered formal music education and established a Conservatory of Music only a year after it was founded. At the time we visited, we were lucky to listen in on a pair of Music students practicing a Kundiman classic, “Pobreng Alindahaw”. Check out the YouTube link below.

Photo Credit: Old Manila Walks

https://youtu.be/1T1fYBeYjdw

Art Deco adorns the campus chapel, the jewel-box theater, corridors, reliefs and many nooks and crannies. Despite the heat and humidity, we were enthralled by the Art Deco elements around us. Though ravaged by World War II, the post-war (from 1946) reconstruction of the school buildings was pursued and completed within a decade. Thanks to Ivan (Man Dy) who conducted the Manila Moderne Art Deco Walking Tour, we were educated and adequately guided to spot these oft-ignored details: the lines, zigzags, geometric patterns in all Deco-inspired heritage!

Art Deco here is not all colonial-American as I earlier understood. The architecture and style found in this campus lent itself to Bavarian influences as the chapel photo above shows. Another style is evident in the concert hall, aptly named St. Cecilia’s Hall. St. Cecilia is the patron Saint of musicians. And guess who was the architect of this premier concert venue of its time? No less than Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of Juan Luna who built the concert hall in the Egyptian Art Deco style.

No wonder then that the National Historical Commission declared St. Cecilia’s Hall as a National Cultural Landmark. Notwithstanding that bigger concert halls and performing arts venues now exist, this iconic theatre hall was clearly the forerunner of the Cultural Center of the Philippines as many notable musical artists had their recitals and concerts here.

The Deco style manifests in the college’s courtyard, grand staircases, wrought-iron grills, ceiling art, sleek lines, arches, and geometric shapes adorning walls and columns. Such inspiration for its many outstanding alumnae which counts one President (Cory Aquino), 2 beauty world titlists (Gloria Diaz and Aurora Pijuan), and the first woman Supreme Court Justice (Cecilia Muñoz-Palma).

We often forget that many of our universities and colleges are hidden cultural gems, having withstood the test of time. Though many were bombed out in the last war, thankfully their reconstruction restored many of the architectural elements prevailing at the time. After this walking tour, I am now inclined to visit as many campuses within and outside Manila. Yes. Before some idiot think of demolishing old buildings which have been part of our history.

Tags: Art Deco, Art Deco Walking Tour, Benedictine school, Malate, Malate Moderne, St. Cecilia's Hall, St. Hildegard Hall, St. Scho, St. Scholastica's College

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Happy Tassie Memories (A Blog Summary)

Filed under: Australia, Food Trip, Phlog, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

May 21, 2017

Tassie. Short from Tasmania. Have not done enough research and planning on this trip but everything worked out well. You can say we went nearly on an impulse! Having agreed we should meet in Hobart and finally visit this island south of Mainland Australia, we promptly went to task: flight and hotel bookings ✔️, day trip bookings ✔️ to Bruny Island ✔️and Port Arthur ✔️ with sidetrips to colonial Richmond ✔️, and arranging to meet up with friends who kindly took us up Mounts Wellington ✔️ and Nelson ✔️. Day 1 wasn’t bad at all. My friend waited for me at Hobart Airport and we took the Airport Shuttle together to our hotel. Round trip airport transfers at Au$35 per person for a nearly 1 hour ride. Taxi ride should be just half an hour but the Airporter delivers passengers to their hotels’ doorsteps, and that’s just fine. Weather forecast was good for the day we arrived and the next 2 days, so we didn’t waste time. Explored Battery Point starting from Kelly’s Steps and walked in this lovely neighborhood past the brick warehouses in Salamanca. The walking notes I hurriedly downloaded proved to be so accurate that navigating around Hobart’s Waterfront area and neighborhood was a breeze. Just a pity that sunsets come real early this time of the year and the sea breeze can be so chilly that one easily yearns the comforts of a warm bed in the hotel room. Besides, Days 2 and 3 are early-morning calls for the Bruny Island and Port Arthur booked tours.

Day 4. A glimpse of what’s in store at the Salamanca Market involved a quick grocery-shopping adventure for the much-talked about Tasmanian cheese, salmon pâté and Tasmanian apples, and a mid-afternoon indulgence at Daci & Daci Bakery. Prices don’t come cheap but we enjoyed everything we popped into our greedy mouths. We certainly looked forward to the Saturday Salamanca Market despite the early afternoon shower forecast that weekend. Luckily, the rain came rather late. In fact, it came AFTER our Market visit and the drive up to Mount Wellington and Mount Nelson. But chilly, it certainly was. The lookouts gave a 360 degree view but only if you can brave the fierce winds. I took off my eyeglasses, worried they’d be blown away! Only put it back on when we reached Signal Hill in Mount Nelson where there was this lovely Brasserie where my friends Ren and Drew treated us for coffee and desserts. (Thanks!)

Day 5. For sure, a rainy Saturday and Sunday afternoon could only mean a couple of hours warming up in a pub, or walking around a Museum. Or hearing Sunday Mass in St. Mary’s. Or finding the oldest hotel in Australia. As claimed. Or yet another cafe or restaurant. Of the latter, there are many choices. You won’t run out of options here especially in the Waterfront area where one can indulge in seafood delicacies like Tassie salmon, oysters, trout, trevally, or even wallaby? I feel guilty to admit I actually enjoyed my wallaby burrito. 😱 Please don’t judge me. At night, we only ventured a block or so from our hotel to try Asian specialty restos like Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Indian or Chinese. Well, the lady from the Tropics needed her rice to keep her warm (?!?). Not too far away is Elizabeth Mall where you can find more dining and pub options. And shopping.

If you ask me, it’s hard to say which is the trip highlight. The food trip in Bruny Island, the open-air museum in Port Arthur, the colonial heritage town of Richmond, the leisurely strolls around the Waterfront and Battery Point, or the lookout points up in the mountains. I’d venture to say though that the Saturday Salamanca Market underwhelmed me but for that wallaby burrito episode. If you’re willing to miss it, you can book another day trip on that Saturday. Better still, move to another hotel further north in the Launceston area to visit Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain and Cataract Gorge. Having missed these Northern spots, I have good reason to head back. Right? Tasmania reminds me of Batanes Island north of Mainland Philippines. Still part of the island republic but so vastly different. Repeat visits always justified. 😊

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Tags: Australia, Battery Point, Bruny Island, day trip from Hobart, Hobart, OZ travel, Port Arthur, Richmond, Salamanca Market, Tasmania, Travel, travels, Waterfront

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Salamanca Market in Hobart (Tasmania)

Filed under: Australia, Food Trip, Phlog, Travel, travels — 1 Comment

May 9, 2017

If there’s one single thing I’d remember from my Salamanca Market experience here in Hobart, it would have to be that I ate a wallaby. Yes, one of those cute-sy animals that look like mini or baby kangaroos. Pacha Mama did it so well, I swear I’d love to have another go if only there’s another Saturday to try it. You see, Salamanca Market happens only on Saturdays here so unless you have a big belly room, you can’t possibly try all the foodstuff available here in one morning!

Pacha Mama also sells hot chocolate with cinnamon, chili and coconut cream that’s hard to resist. Perfect with your wallaby burrito. Then there’s the veggie (leeks, mushrooms, onions, beet) and pulled beef (PINO) empanadas too from another stall . Both pastry pockets are good, and went well with the pebre sauce. I would have wanted to also try the Tasmanian seafood paella with all those scallops, trevally, squid and mussels looking sooo fresh. Yay!

For takeaways, one may shop for Tasmanian honey, wine, chocolates. All foodstuff. The clothing and other fashion stuff i found underwhelming, though I got a pair of earrings with local gems. 😜 I fancied the hand painted scarves and handcrafted wood earrings which look really nice but quite pricey.

Wool, anyone? I wouldn’t have need for them back home so I skipped that. But I sure found some really funny hats, and wondered who’d wear them. Kinda bohemian while a few are outright quirky. I wouldn’t be caught wearing any.

I did enjoy how they advertised their producé. Tasmanian apples picked 8 pm last night? Wines sold deliberately young? I love the sense of pride attached to these local products. It’s like bringing home a part of Tasmanian pride with you.

And so we ended the morning trying out stuff in this market, having a good laugh over the strange head gear, listening to really good music from street buskers, and sitting right there in the park literally watching autumn leaves fall. Swell ❤️