Travel The World

Mabuhay! Boracay, Philippines! =)

2011-10-22T02:23:00.001-07:00

This is a long overdue post. I was too busy (I'm actually still very busy =S) to blog about my last 2 trips. I'll write this one now, but don't know when I'll be able to write again for the other. =S

Middle of this year, I went to explore one of the best places to visit here in my county, the Philippines, which is Boracay! We surely have some of the most beautiful beaches and I'm proud to say that. =) Many tourists visit Boracay for a cheap but relaxing vacation. The sand is as white as ever and the water as blue as crystals.

The last time I visited Boracay was about 7 years ago. So when I went back, there's a lot of new things to see. There are more shops, restaurants, activities, etc. So many things to do if you're the outgoing type, but for the homey type, you can still find peace and quite in your own room with the beach view overlooking your window. =)

It was raining hard the day before we arrived so we're worried that we might not enjoy the beach if the rain don't stop. Luckily it did and we were able to do everything we planned to do. ^^ First thing we did is to check-in the resort we booked. There are all types of accommodations that will fit the budget of everyone, from budget inns, cottages, villas, hotels, or your own private island.

We walk around, tried some snacks, and it's dinner time! We ate at Aria, an Italian restaurant and it's really good! It's a bit pricey but good food usually are. ^^ Beside it is a cheesecake cafe so we had some for dessert. After that, there's a fire dance show near the beach. We also booked our activities for the next day to save time. We retired for the night to prepare for the full packed day the next day.

On our 2nd day, it's play time! The "kuya" (Tagalog for older brother. We usually call people "kuya" or "ate" (for girls) even if we don't know them as a sign of respect.) we talked to the night before came with a shuttle to pick us up. First thing is to ride the ATV. We each got an ATV and drove to the highest point in Boracay to see the island from above. Next we did is helmet diving / reef walking. People basically wear an astronaut like helmet and go down 12 - 15 feet deep under water. You can walk around and be with the different species of fishes swimming around you. You also get to feed them and get your pictures taken plus a video of your experience. =)

Third on our list is banana boat, a floating boat shaped like a banana pulled by a speed boat. It's one of my favorite water activities, it's not that scary but can still give you the thrill. ^^ And finally, my most awaited, parasailing!!! It's a bit expensive but I really really wanted to try it for the longest time. I'm so happy that I was finally able to and it sure worth every centavo. It's so nice to feel like flying at least once in your life. I totally love it!!! ^_^

That night, we went out shopping. We got back tired and our skin all red from sunburn. =P The next day, we pack after eating breakfast. It's time to go back to Manila.~ I will wait years again to go back to the beach. The dark skin I got from the sunburn is still with me. It will take years before I go back to my fair skin again. =S

But it was fun and I'm so happy to have spent those days with my dear friends. Thank you Lord for great friends that can make any trip enjoyable! And thank God for the beautiful gift of nature. =)

Singapore & Bintan Indonesia Trip

2011-06-20T00:35:00.001-07:00

After 2 vacations in the past 6 months, I didn't think I'll be allowed by my boss (I'm working too you know, lol! XD) to take another long trip again so I made this one a really short one, only 3 days and I'm back to work. ^^

I went on a plane to Singapore and joined my friend on a trip to Bintan, Indonesia for their company outing the next day. It's just a ferry ride away from Singapore and we spent just one night there. We arrived in the afternoon, walked around the resort, and got changed for the party that night.

The next day, we booked a relaxing massage in our room in the morning and before we know it, it's time to go back to Singapore. With some last minute shopping and picture taking, we're off. ^^ Back in Singapore, I just have to try their popular chili crabs! I tried their chili crabs, black pepper crabs and sting ray, all so yummy! =D

The my final day in Singapore is Universal Studios day! =) I just have to visit it no matter what! LOL! =P I'm a total theme park freak that I just have to go at least once and try the rides. It brings out the child in me that usually got lost in my daily working life.

We took pictures with all the characters walking around the theme park any chance we got. It's fun and nice to be in pictures with characters we only get to see in TV or movies. ^^ Next are the rides!!!

First we tried is the roller coaster. It has two lanes, one is human, which is a high speed seated roller coaster and other is cyclone, a little bit slower than the other one but you ride it hanging under the rail instead of above it. I actually really wanted to try the hanging one but got in the wrong entrance and took the seated one. We thought we'd just go to the other side after our first ride. But I guess it's just not possible, LOL! XD After that super high speed ride, there's no chance I'll be able to ride the other without me losing my head, LOL! So I'll just try that one when I go back again next time. =)

We also tried the Mummy, 4D Shrek theater, Canopy Flyer, watched the Special Effects Show, Monsters Musical, Water World. I have to go back for the Madagascar which was still closed when I went there, the Rapids Adventure and the Cyclone Battle Star Galactica, both of which I didn't have enough time to try since I'm catching a flight back home that night. ^^

Another wonderful blessing from the Lord and I'm always thankful to all His gifts. I accept all these with a thankful heart and hope that I'll be able to give back even just a little to His people what He has given me. To God be all the glory! ^_^

Bangkok, Thailand

2011-03-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's a back to back fangirl trip for me and my girls. We went to Korea last December for the YG Family Concert, this time it's Thailand for Super Junior Super Show 3 last January. ^^

We arrived at Bangkok, had dinner, check-in and sleep. It's a night flight so we're all wasted on the 2nd day (because we arrived almost midnight the night before), LOL! XD We started our day with a late lunch at Siam Paragon then a little shopping the rest of the day in MBK. I had curry chicken for lunch and I didn't get to eat much of it because it's too spicy, and that's saying much because I love eating spicy stuff but that is just way too much for me.

3rd day, we went to Wat Pho to see the Reclining Buddha. It's a gigantic reclining buddha that is all in gold and it's feet covered in mother of pearl, wow! That night, it's SuShow3. Good thing, the cab driver informed us that it would be very hard for us to get a cab back from Impact Arena after the concert so we have to get a cab that will bring us there and wait for us to bring us back, and just pay for the extra. It's quite expensive but worth it as long as we can get home safe right? Late night dinner at KFC afterwards.

4th day is market day. We went to the fruits market to buy tamarind and other goodies to take home. We had our lunch there too and I just had the best Pad Thai cooked in front of me. Love it and it's so cheap too. ^^ I had oyster cake go with it and it's one of the meals I enjoyed in Bangkok. After the fruits market, it's the clothes market next. There are shirts that costs less than 100 baht and fans that cost only 15 baht. Pretty cheap to bring home and gift to everyone. ^^

5th day is our tour day. We booked a day tour that will bring us to the floating market and see an elephant show. In the floating market, bargaining power is a must. You can bargain more than 50% off so better give it your best shot. Next stop is the elephant ride, but you have to pay extra to ride, the cost is not covered by the day tour. Next to the wood carvings where we see people working on amazing pieces of art in front of you. We had a buffet lunch before going to watch the elephant show. Love the show and the elephants are simply amazing! Last is a cultural show. After the tour, we went to Platinum to shop for clothes. My friends really enjoyed shopping in Bangkok, they bought so many dresses and bags because they're all pretty cheap compared to shopping in Korea, Hong Kong or Singapore.

Our 6th and final day in Bangkok, we had the best Bangkok meal ever in Somboon Seafood Restaurant. The curry crab is heavenly!!! Then we went back to Platinum for more shopping then crossed to Pratinum and had the best thai massage. I so loooooove it! ^^ Then back to the our place to get our stuff and off to the airport.

Thank you Lord for another amazing trip! I'm looking forward to another trip this year. I'm praying that you will grant me that trip too. I love you Lord! To God be the Glory! =)

See You Again Seoul~

2011-03-05T21:11:00.001-08:00

I'm writing this entry way too late. =S I went to Seoul again last December mainly to watch YG Family Concert. But since we're there, we also went to some of the places we weren't able to go before.

Upon arrival, it's night so we checked in our things and went out to have a late dinner in our favorite eating place, Kimbab Heaven. =) We also ordered our favorite meal, Cheese Tonkatsu, Kimchi Jjigae, Bulgogi and Kimbab.

The next day is the concert day! ^^ Bringing gifts with us to meet our friend who will be giving us the tickets, we met her and she gave us gifts in return! 2NE1 hoodies!!! Love them!!! When we checked out tickets, they're VIP tickets! I love that girl, she's really amazing! (I know I'm using way too much exclamation points but that day is just a superb day for us, for real! ^^) Before the concert, we went to Apgujeong to look for Yoochun's Time Out Gelato and has some really nice ice cream (yeah ice cream in winter, LOL! XD). Then off to the concert venue! ^_^

Third day is shopping in our favorite shopping place, Myeongdong. It's where we buy our CDs, cosmetics, clothes, and eat at our favorite dak galbi place, Yoogano, yummy!!! ^^ Next we went to Myeongdong Cathedral, our first time to go to church in Korea. Next stop is the Seoul Tower. We visited the Teddy Bear Museum there and it's so cute! They recreated different scenes from the historical era and the modern era using the cute teddy bears.

For our fourth day, we decide to just walk around Seoul. We went to Cheonggyecheon Stream and walked the whole way to see the places it crosses. That sure is one long stream! LOL! =P We stopped by a palace, Sejong center, and end up in Myeongdong and Dongdaemun to do more shopping. ^^

And for our last day in Seoul, we meet our friend again and she treat us to lunch in School Food. Yummy food around Hongik, I would love to go back there again. I think that's the restaurant that Khun and Kwon ate when they were planning for their song for their wives. After that, it's time for us to leave. In the airport, we had Baskin Robbins since we didn't get to have some since the Baskin Robbins branch beside our favorite eating place is gone.

There goes another Seoul trip for me. Simple but fun! A pure fangirl trip with no frills and no hang ups. ^^ I feel so blessed that I get the chance to go on trip like this. Thank you Lord! Until my next trip. =)

Taiwan Touch Your Heart~

2010-11-01T01:45:00.000-07:00

I went to Taiwan last October for my vacation this year, it's tiring but worth it! =) I think I was able to experience the best places in Taiwan in my short trip. Too bad we got too little time for shopping that we didn't get to enjoy everything they have to offer in the night market.

Day 1 - Upon arrival at Taoyuan airport, we had lunch at the train station while waiting for our train to Hualien. I think we got to Hualien after more or less 3 hours in the train and went straight to our hotel to rest for a while. When our bus arrived, we went to dinner and watched a cultural show of Taiwan Aborigines. It's not so special to me since we get to watch shows like that in my country but a cute boy performer sure makes a difference, LOL! XD

Day 2 - Our destination is the Taroko Gorge. It took us another 2 hours I think to get there by bus. But the scenery before us sure made the trip worth it! It's a beautiful work of nature that I'm sure all nature lovers would love to see. Also near the same place is the Eternal Spring Shrine that we only got to see from a distance but still worth the sight! Then back to our bus to Yilan for some hot springs in our hotel.

Day 3 - It's the day to meet the Queen! The Queen's Head in Yehliu Geopark that is. ^^ There we got to see different rock formations all done by nature. The place is nice but taking a picture in the Queen's Head which is the most popular spot in the park will take you forever on a weekend so I suggest going there on a week day.

After that we got on our bus again to go back to Taipei. We went to the National Palace Museum to look at some historical artifacts from the time of the Kings that were preserved in it's original beauty. It's amazing seeing the art works that the people from those time took so much effort into details with. Our tour guide even told us that sometimes, it takes a person his whole lifetime just to finish one work of art, that's how articulate each item was.

I had the best beef noodle soup ever for lunch! It's a definite must try when you go to Taiwan. Then we attended the Grand Reunion Party, a pre-celebration of Taiwan's Double 10 celebration the next day. After the party, we went straight to Taipei 101 for some shopping.

Day 4 - We went to the Presidential Square to attend the Double Ten celebration. There were so many people! We passed by Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall on our way in and out of the celebration. Next stop is the Window on China Theme Park where we get to see miniature structures of the important place in Taiwan, China and the rest of the world. I love the place and took so many pictures that I didn't notice I'm baking under the sun! I got out a shade darker but it's fun, the place brought out the child in me. ^^

Day 5 - We went to visit and experience first hand how to pick tea leaves. Then off to Sun Moon Lake. We went to Wen Wu Temple for a short prayer, then took the boat to go around the lake. We tried out egg cooked in tea while climbing up the stairs to the temple up there. We are headed to Kaohsiung next and arrived at Dream Mall for a short shopping time.

Day 6 - Our destination for the day in Fo Guang Shan monastery where a large golden buddha stands tall. Then we visited the Spring Autumn Pavilion and the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. We took the bullet train back to Keelung.

Day 7 - After breakfast we went directly to Tamshui Fisherman's Wharf where you can see the Lover's Bridge that got it's name from Valentine's Day. You can also buy some goods from the local sellers in the area that sells mostly local delicacies. Then off to Yangmingshan National Park for some nature tripping. Then a short stop at National Revolutionary Shrine where we got a glimpse of the guard changing ceremony.

Day 8 - It's the day we go back to reality! Morning flight back home and back to work the next day. =P

There goes my tour around Taiwan, from Taipei, Taichung, to Kaohsiung, tiring but I'm glad I did it. =) The Lord is good and He's preparing another trip for me before the end of the year. Will it happen? Sure hope so! ^_^ Thank you Lord for blessing me so much! =)

Baguio City ^^

2010-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Baguio City is in the northern part of the Philippines. It's called the Summer Capital of the Philippines because it's situated in higher lands that made the climate there a bit colder than other parts of the Philippines, which made people visit the city in summer when they can't handle the heat in Manila anymore.

We drove from Manila to Baguio for about 6 hours, but don't fret because they have planes going to baguio too which will only take you around 45 minutes to get there. =)

We spent 3 days and 2 nights visiting the places and though we didn't get to visit all Baguio has to offer, it's a very nice visit nonetheless. ^^ First we looked for a hotel, we didn't book in advance because we want to make sure the hotel will have enough parking space for our car.

We first visited SM Baguio for it's view deck where you can see the most of the city with cool air blowing on your face. Then went to the market place where we bought some fresh fruits and vegetables. We don't have enough time to go to Benguet for strawberry picking so we just bought some strawberries in the market. =)

Next day, we went to the Lourdes Grotto. Lots of people go there to ask for favors. You have to climb more than 200 steps up to reach the image of the Virgin Mary on top. Our next stop is the Bell Church, it's a Chinese Temple with nice pagodas and villas.

We also passed by Mines View Park and bought the ever famous Ube Jam (Purple Yam Jam) from Good Shepherd. You can also buy other local goodies there and help the orphans go to school because part of their profits are given for scholarships.

We also visited The Mansion, the official residence of the President of the Philippines every time they visit Baguio city. Just on the opposite side of The Mansion is Wright Park where you can enjoy horse back riding even for kids. On our way back to our hotel, we passed by Baguio Botanical Garden, Baguio Cathedral and the Burnham Park. Then finally, dinner in a restaurant in Session Road. ^^

It's a nice short trip with my whole family so I'm really thankful. I always pray that the Lord will keep us together and love will keep our family in harmony. ~

Singapore - Food Trip ~

2010-03-20T05:56:00.000-07:00

It's my 2nd visit to Singapore. The 1st was when we took the cruise, Singapore is the boarding point. I was able to visit the tourist spots that time already like the Merlion, Sentosa, and Night Safari. So this time, it's not the places that's my main concern but to visit a friend working there and at the same time to catch the IT Show 2010. I finally got to buy my new baby, my Dell laptop! ^^

I remember this trip for the different kinds of food I've tried there. Singapore is a multiculture country with Chinese, Malays, Indians all living together. There are languages used, English (Singlish), Mandarin, Malay (Bahasa), and Hindi. But I'm not a big fan of Malay and Indian food so I tried Singaporean, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Filipino foods in Singapore. =D

March 11th, my flight to Singapore. I took the afternoon flight so it's dinner time when I arrived in there. My friend fetched me from the airport, we had some onion rings from Burger King and we went straight to dinner (yes, with my luggage tagged along, lol). First food I tried is Laksa, it's a local food in Singapore of Malay origin. It's a spicy noodle soup with coconut milk. I'm not a big fan of coconut milk in food but it's worth the try. I also tried the plum juice that I don't think matched that well with the noodles so I wouldn't recommend it. =S It's like I'm drinking champoy in cold water, lol! XD

March 12th, it's IT Show day! But first we went out to have lunch. It's Korean this time. I love the food! It's sooo good! We ordered the best Kimchi chigae I've ever tried, it tastes similar to the original chigae in Korea but with better ingredients. The original kimchi chigae in Korea consists mostly of kimchi and some pieces of beef. But in Singapore, they have chicken I think that made the soup tastier and like a full meal and not just soup. I also like the dolsot bibimbap topped with grilled eel. We also tried the seasoned baby octopus. Blueberry yogurt for dessert. Yum! ^^

Then straight to the IT show, I bought my laptop, went home to leave the baggage and out again. =D We went to Sentosa to try the Mega Zip. I loooove it!!! Then off to visit the Universal Studios but it's not open yet so we just walked around outside. Universal Studios opened last March 18, too bad, 3 days after I left. =S We continue looking around Sentosa and tried the Cine Blast Extreme Log. It's very disappointing though, not extreme at all. Not a bit scary. =S We had Chinese food for dinner. Nothing special just some rice toppings from food court since it's pretty late already.

March 13th, went to visit the Merlion. I've seen the Merlion before but since I'm in Singapore, might as well visit him again right? ^^ Then for a quick breakfast in a Japanese burger shop, we had chicken sandwich with no bread but has lettuce as the bread substitute. Then we meet some friends to visit the IT show again, this time I'm looking for a digicam but with no luck. Didn't get to buy one. I really badly needed a new cam, mine is so old and crappy that I usually depend on my friends for good pics whenever I go on trips. =S

Who would have thought that I would be able to taste the best sisig in Singapore?! Sisig is a Filipino dish made from parts of pig's head (ears, nose, face skin, etc.) and liver. Chopped into small pieces and put in a sizzling plate when served with raw egg on top. You mix the egg to cook while the plate is still hot and whalla, a delicious Filipino dish for you! I like the one served in our local restaurants here where the skin are crunchy. But that's not always the case, some serve their sisig not fried well and they just let it cook more on the hot plate but the pig's skin and pork fat is still chewy, eeewww! We also ordered Crispy Pata, pork leg deep fried to perfection. =) Had fried Mars bars for afternoon snack and 'ol dependable Ronald Mc Donald for dinner. I ordered Mc Spicy, I don't think we have that here.

March 14th, it's Sunday and my last day in Singapore. We went to church then had lunch and watched a movie. Just like any ordinary Sunday of our lives. This made me realize that this trip is like the most normal out of country trip I've had. It's like a real vacation with no specific time or itenirary to follow. I usually join group tours so we usually have to stay in a hotel, wake up and meet the tour guide in a specific hour. Everything is timed. But this time, I stayed in the house with my friend and we have the time in our hands.

Japanese food for dinner before I leave for the airport. I eat Japanese food but not much raw stuff. The food we had are all cooked so I loved it! ^^ We ordered my favorite Ebi Tempura, Ebi Potato and cheese, some sushi, and some bacon rolled mushroom and asparagus in skewers.

There goes my Singapore food trip! I'm looking forward to visit Singapore again to visit the Universal Studios next time. ^^ All these are made possible, all thanks to my good friend who is truly God send to me. To the Lord be all the glory for allowing me to experience the wonders of travelling, the one thing that I enjoy most. Until my next trip! ^_^

Korea - White Christmas~

2010-01-07T03:40:00.001-08:00

Yes, I went to South Korea again! I went to Korea in early 2009 and again last December 24-29, 2009. Twice in a year, now you know how I love the place. ^^ For the first time in my life, I had a white Christmas! =) I joined a tour again, this time going with my younger brother and my two girl friends.

Day 1 - it's Christmas eve, we arrived in Incheon international airport around 6PM, went straight for dinner. We had a yummy dinner, it's pork bulgogi! ^^ After dinner, we checked in our hotel in Incheon and had a good rest for a busy day the following day.

Day 2 - Theme park day, we went to Everland. I'm not really that excited anymore since I've been to Everland before. Just like before, I really enjoyed the Snow Buster! It's where you sled down a man made snow slope, super fun! ^^ Too bad it rained that day after we had lunch so we had to wear rain coats and walk around wet grounds. =S We had dinner in a local restaurant having mushroom hot pot with meat this time. It snowed a bit after dinner, then we checked in directly to the ski resort where we will ski the next day.

Day 3 - Half day of ski fun! The ski resort we stayed in this time is Yong Pyong Ski Resort where they shot Winter Sonata. We had ski lesson from the professional trainer. When last time I tried to ski, I gave up after 20 minutes because my whole body is aching, well this time is no different. I guess ski is just not for me, well any sport for that matter, lol! =S But it's all good, it's nice to be in the snow and play around. =D We went to the same restaurant we ate the night before for lunch but had a chicken this time.

After lunch, we're on our way to Mt. Sorak where we will stay the night. On the way, we stopped to visit the Shinheungsa Temple and saw the Grand Bronze Buddha. It's almost as big as the one we saw in Hong Kong. Then we took a cable car (a big one that can carry 50 people like the one in Seoul Tower) to Gwongeumsung Fortress. After the cable car, we had to walk up a trail to the top and it's all worth it because the view is magnificent! Sorry because I'm such a bad photographer and I have a really crappy camera that I wasn't able to give justice to the place with my picture. But it's really beautiful, kinda reminds me of a small version of the Grand Canyons in the U.S. On the way down, we bought some snacks and I tried Korea's ever famous spicy rice cakes! It's really spicy and perfect for the cold weather. I love it! ^^ For dinner, we ate in an ondol style restaurant, ondol is heated floors and you had to sit on the floor to eat, no chairs. We had grilled mackerel and lots of delicious side dishes.

Day 4 - It's Nami Island day. Winter Sonata all over again. It's nice to see that the ice sculptures are all different from the last time we went there. I guess it melts in the summer and builds up again in winter. We had delicious barbecued chicken, super yummy! ^^ After lunch, we're on our way to Seoul. On the way, we visited Petite France, the place where they shot Beethoven Virus. Everybody enjoyed Petite France because it snowed!!! And it's not just some snow flakes flying around, it's a snow shower! My brother is enjoying his very first snow experience so much. ^_^

But it so happens that it's also snowing really hard in Seoul so traffic jam is up ahead. We stopped by Dongdaemun market upon arrival in Seoul for a short shopping spree. And just like before, we only get to shop at Doota because we don't have enough time to explore that other markets in Dongdaemun which they say is really great. Maybe I'll do that on my next trip to Seoul. ^^ Dinner at a ginseng chicken restaurant and my friend truly enoyed the ginseng chicken. She loooooves ginseng so much! Finished the whole bowl to the last drop. =D This day is also my bestfriend's birthday!^^ Our Korean tour guide bought a cake for her and even gave her a champagne to celebrate the night! ^^

Day 5 - It's Seoul city tour day. First we went to Gyeongbok Palace and National Folklore Museum. The museum is very nice, it's very informative and we got to see lots of Korean culture in them. Then passed by the Presidential Blue house (no photo stop this time unlike before when I first went there), then the Ginseng outlet, Amethyst Factory and Duty Free Shop (all the exact same shops I went to before, I guess it's the generic Seoul tour places) with the addition of cosmetics shop stop since Korea is very popular for their beauty products.

We had lunch at a seafood buffet then went to the 63 Building and visit the Wax Museum and Obervatory Elevator to the 60th (or is it 59th? not sure) to look at Seoul with all it's lights. Dinner of chicken and ribs at Tony Roma's then shopping at Myeongdong. I love Myeongdong because this is where you can find everything you want to buy. But that night is just way too cold to enjoy shopping so we just had a quick look and went back to the hotel.

Day 6 - it's our last day in Korea. =S Our last stop is another theme park, Lotte World. Since I've been to Lotte World before, it's not as exciting to me anymore. We tried some snacks on stick like sausages and chicken barbecue, yummy! I love Korean street foods!!! For lunch, I've finally got to taste Jajangmyeon. It's not really that special but it's nice and chewy. Not bad at all. =) I'm so happy that I got to taste all the Korean food that I wanted to try and I'm sure I'll be coming back for more (me and my friends keep on going back to a place in Q.C. where we get to eat authentic Korean dishes, totally addicted to Korean food! lol!). We stopped by the supermarket to shop for some goodies and off we go.

On our way to the airport, we made another stop at a Korean food and souvenir shop for last minute shopping then to the airport to catch our flight back home. My brother really wanted to try the bulgogi burger in Mc Donalds but we didn't see it in the airport (we went the other way =s), so maybe the next time I go to Korea, I'll bring home some bulgogi burger for him. ^^

Till my next Korean adventure, I'm sure I'm going back there, count on that! ^_^

Thank you Lord for making my 2009 a great year specially for my love of travels. I'm looking forward to 2010 with You by my side. I put all my faith in You oh Lord, and may we all be more blessed this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! To You be all the glory Lord. =)

Macau - Mini Europe in Asia

2009-09-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

My first time in Macau and they said one day will be enough for sight seeing so we tried it. From Hong Kong, we took the ferry to Macau. The ferry is pretty shaky so better take your anti-dizzy medicine before taking off.

Upon arrival in Macau, we only have our map to guide us on our way. We took the free hotel shuttles outside the ferry port and walked from there. It's way to hot in Macau that we have to rest a lot because of the heat.

When we talk about Macau, casinos come to mind. So we went to visit the strips of casinos first. The structures of the casino hotels around are amazing! It's like a tourist spot by themselves.

Next are the churches. As we walk along, we passed by a number of churches. We went in each one that's open. Taking pictures are allowed since most people who go there are tourists.

And as we walk, we finally get to Senado Square. This is where everybody is I think. Shopping, food, everything you need is there. As we walk along, we found lots of people carrying the same shopping bag, Pastelaria Koi Kei. So we have to find that shop and buy some goodies to take home. It took us hours to look for the shop because of the busy streets but we finally made it. There you get to taste everything they're selling before you decide to buy. I got myself two big shopping bags full of jerkey, candies and cookies. ^_^

Then we walk along to the Ruins of St. Paul. It's a really nice sight. And the atmosphere is somewhat like that of Venice. But you get to feel Venice more in The Venetian. They replicated Venice very well and the hotel itself is amazing! Truly a luxury to stay there with all the great artwork in the ceiling and the architecture that is a work of art by itself. It was night time when we reached The Venetian so we didn't get a chance to explore more. We have a ferry to catch and it's a long way back to the ferry port. It's best to explore Macau when you have a hotel booked there so that there will be no time pressure.

Maybe next time I visit Macau, I'll convince my friends for us to book a room in The Venetian and experience a rich man's life, even for one night. =D

Hong Kong 2009

2009-09-25T19:58:00.001-07:00

My trip to Hong Kong this time is with a special purpose, to watch Super Junior's Super Show 2! ^^ *fangirl mode - on* lol! XD But since we're there already, we also made plans on visiting some places we haven't been to before.

We arrived at Hong Kong in the morning. We went to pick up our concert tickets then off we go to Tsim Sha Tsui where we stayed for the rest of the trip. We took the subway to Mongkok to visit the fangirls' heaven, Sino Center. There you can find original CD's and DVD's of your favorite Chinese, Japanese and Korean artitsts. There are also shops that sell goodies with your favorite artists' pictures or names on them. From keychains to pillow cases, they have them all there. =)

Just to see the sights of Kowloon, we decided to walk our way back to Tsim Sha Tsui from Mongkok. (crazy I know but we're girls with nothing to do that day, lol! XD) My advice, never ever do what we did! It's so tiring and we had to have a number of "bench time" (to sit in park benches and rest our poor feet =S). On the way, we passed through Kowloon Park. Sat there, took pictures and off we go.

We reached the Clock Tower when it's about to get dark. We decided to stay there, find a good spot to sit on and wait for the "Symphony of Lights" to start. It's best to get a spot early because as 8PM coming closer, more and more people are coming to watch. After the light show, we walk through the Avenue of Stars to the guest house we're staying.

Day 2 of our trip is concert day! Yay! ^^ The venue is in Asia World Expo close to the airport. Since the venue is close to Lantau, we went to see the Giant Buddha in Po Lin Monastery first in the morning. It's a great sight! The giant buddha sitting there like blessing everyone coming to see it. We climbed the 268 steps up to reach the top and get closer. Simply amazing! Then we went to the nearby Ngong Ping Village to grab some lunch and shop some then left.

Next stop is Hong Kong Disneyland. I've been there twice already so we didn't really get in anymore. We just took the Disney train (which I haven't tried because we're on tour the 2 times I went there so we took the tour bus) which is fun! Mickey windows and handle bars inside the train, so nice! ^^

Then it's concert time! I didn't expect but I really enjoyed the concert. Super Junior members are a lot of fun. The show didn't boast of great effects and production but the boys themselves made the concert fun. They went around closer to their fans. I posted some pics in my other blog. Check it out >> Super Show 2

Next day we went to Macau.

Following day is shopping day again since we're leaving the morning after. But before shopping, we went to The Peak first. We took the tram up, had lunch there and tram back down. Then we went to Wong Tai Sin Temple. It's a popular temple where people gets a chance to make a wish and they said it will come true! =) There are also people trying to find answers to their questions through Kau Cim. It is where you shake a bamboo container until a stick falls out. This will be the answer you're looking for.

Jade Market is our next stop. Lines and lines of jade sellers to choose from. Remember to bargain! Then for the fangirls in us again, we visited Sino Center once again to get more goodies. ^^ Our last shopping stop is the Ladies Market in Mongkok. We tried some street foods and it's delicious! Then passed by some Neo Print booth and being picture addicts that we are, how can we let this chance go? We took some pics and had a lot of fun! I totally drained my energy that day and almost crawled home.

Hong Kong always had this effect on me. I'm always drained and dead tired after a day of shopping. I'm sure my feet will protest the next time I said I'm going to Hong Kong again. =P

Annyeong Haseyo Seoul! ^^

2009-02-22T06:00:00.001-08:00

And now for the second part of my trip, "on our own". No more tour guide, no more planned day, it's all on our own the next 9 days. We don't speak Korean, we understand very very little Korean, the rest of our trip was pretty interesting! ^^

From Itaewon, the last stop of our tour, we took a cab to the guesthouse we will be staying. That night is our first Big Bang - Big Show concert. My first time in Seoul Jamsil Olympic Stadium and it's not as big as I thought. But the stage is impressive, it has a lot of room for effects and props. It was my very first Korean concert and I have to say, the Korean fans are really admirable. They sing, they chant, they dance with the artist. No artist in that stage will feel tired with all the support they are getting from the audience. I talked about my Big Show experience in my other blog >> Big Bang - Big Show.

Next day (sat), we went out for lunch, my first Korean food that's really tasty, Dak Galbi (spicy chicken) then we went around Myeongdong for some shopping. We also tried the Korean instant photo and it's really cute! Dunkin Donuts for snack and more shopping.

Sunday is another Big Bang concert day, this time we weren't able to finish the whole show, we have to leave early for a friend's sake.

Monday is my day, Jeongbalsan day! We just realized later in the trip that each of us has our "moment" in this trip, and this is my moment! We travelled really long by subway to get to the pizza place of DBSK's Xiah Junsu's Dad. With the help of the Korean people, we were able to find the place. I'm glad Junsu's dad was there, and he's so gracious and nice! He went to our table, asked where we're from and shook each of our hands. He even agreed to take a picture with us. Such a nice man! ^_^

Next day, we went to "The Village of Traditional Houses" in Namsan. There you can see the preserved houses of Koreans from olden times. From the bedroom, to their receiving room, even the storage and the tools they used in those times. That night, we went around looking for Canon Service Center. We met nice policemen that helped us locate the place. We didn't understand each other that much but that's what I like with Koreans, they try their best to help, even if it's really difficult to communicate.

Wednesday is our Seoul City Tour Bus day. We took the city tour bus and we stopped at every possible stop we can. First stop, Deoksu Palace. The palace guards in their costumes are so nice to look at. Next stop is the National Museum of Korea. A really spacious place for art lovers. They have preserved art pieces from historical times. Next is Seoul Tower. We planned to take the cable car, but the bus already brought us to the upper level so we just took the bus back down. At night, we stopped at Dongdaemun for more shopping.

That night, we tried to catch "Sukira", a radio show hosted by Suju's Leeteuk and EunHyuk. But sadly we didn't make it. We even missed the last subway train to go back. We have no choice but to take the bus but we don't have any idea which bus to take. Thank God for the really nice Korean man, this respectable middle aged man came over to us (while we're looking at the bus stop sign, obviously lost) asked us where we're going. Again, thank God he speaks English! We asked him to help us, but he told us the he haven't taken the bus before (he looked like a high ranking executive that drives a very nice car) so he helped us talk to a cab driver to take us to our place. And to our embarrassment, the good man even paid for our cab fare! We're in shock that all I can do for him is to say a small prayer of thanks. That God will bless him more, and that I may in my own little way be able to pay it forward.

The next day, we finally made it to Sukira. But we didn't finish the whole show in fear that we might miss the subway again. =S

Lotte World day on Friday! It's our last three days in Korea so we better make the best out of it. We went in pretty late so we weren't able to catch the rides outside in Magic Island, sad... T_T But for theme park lovers, Lotte World is one good theme park for the family. They have rides for everyone. I'm just glad that we were able to take the roller coaster ride. Even just for that, I'm already happy we went there.

Saturday is practically our last day to go around Seoul, since the next day we have to do our last minute packing before our flight in the evening. We went around for more additional shopping in Myeongdong. You can say that it's our favorite shopping place because in my 2 weeks in Korea, I've been there about 3 to 5 times already. Dinner around Hongik University. Coffee at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Walk around more... and walk around more... before we finally decided to go home.

Sunday, the day to go back to Manila. Lunch with a friend and one last Baskin Robbins. The much awaited ice cream cake! Then off we go to the airport! Bye Seoul! Bye South Korea!

Until I set foot in Korea again... I'll be looking forward to that day... ^^

South Korea Tour 2009

2009-02-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's a dream come true! To experience winter at least once in my life (because I live in a tropical county and we only have two seasons here in the Philippines, rainy and sunny) and this year, I did! I included a ski trip to South Korea in my 2009 wish list and I'm so happy that at least one of them came true! God is really really good!!! So good that the first thing I thought of in my mind upon coming out of the airport in Korea is "Thank You Lord!".

I spent two whole weeks in South Korea. The first five days is part of a tour group and the next nine days were on our own. I'll be writing about my tour on this post and our adventures and "misadventures" on my next post. There were good and not-so-good experiences but since there are very few not-so-good ones, I can easily forget about them and keep all the very very nice memories I had in this trip. ^_^

1st day, we arrived at Incheon airport past 5AM. Thank God we got to the meeting place before our tour guide decided to leave me and my friend behind. First stop is breakfast in a nearby shop in Incheon. Udong for breakfast, it's similar to the Japanese noodle soup Udon w/ thick noodles. At our very first meal, since there's just me and my friend who joined the tour, we got to sit with two more pairs (two female friends and a father and son pair) and started to call our group of 6 as "Family". ^_^

After breakfast, we travelled more than a couple of hours to Nami Island, the shooting place of the ever popular Korean drama "Winter Sonata". The drama was so popular that it shot the two leading actors, Bae Yong Jun and Choi Ji Woo to stardom. They are treated like royalty in Japan and the fans even added honorary titles to their names as a sign of their love for them, Yonsama (BYJ) and JiWoo-hime (CJW).

Just seeing the beautiful rows of trees I've seen in the drama, and being there in the same season too, just puts me in a dreamy state. I've finally made it here! ^^ It was really cold, so it's a good thing that they put up lot's of places to keep you warm. For lunch, we had barbequed spicy chicken (Dak Galbi). Since the place is not in the city yet, their taste is more localized. We tried Dak Galbi around Seoul and it's really tasty and delicious, but the ones we had the first time lacks a bit in taste.

Time to move to the ski resort for check in. But before we arrive to the hotel, we stop by to get our ski suit, then came the highlight of my day, it's snowing!!! My very first time to experience snow fall and I love it!!! After we got our suits, we went straight for dinner. We had Mushroom Steamboat (hot pot). The tour guide understands that we are used to a variety of tastes so they added dumplings (mandu) and some fish balls into our hot pot. Still a bit short on taste but good enough for me because I love mushrooms and dumplings (I'm chinese after all! =).

2nd day, Ski day!!! And my most awaited day started with a wonderful snowing day!!! Sadly, this is the last time we experienced snow fall in our whole two weeks in Korea. It didn't snow in Seoul even though it's really cold. Gear up and it's time to ski! The ski equipments are soooo heavy. I'm barely 5'1" and I have to walk with a really heavy ski boots and carry around taller-than-me ski plates and poles. We have ski lessons for about 20 minutes, ski test runs for about 5 minutes and on our own to play for about 15 minutes and I'm done. I can try skiing some other time but not that day, my body is aching and just won't cooperate. =S But I'm still happy that I got to experience it. ^^

Lunch at another barbeque restaurant but this time it's Ondol style where we sit on the floor to eat. Next is the strawberry farm. Love the strawberries! They're big and red and so so sweet. We get to pick some and eat them on the spot. They said it's organic so it's safe to eat directly. Then to Coex Aquarium. It's just like most of the aquariums you see around the world where they have underwater sharks swimming above you, etc. Something different is probably the two headed turtle they have there and the very cute penguins playing around. ^^

After a number of bland meals, we had a full meal this time at Tony Roma's. Western Style food, we missed that! Ribs and chicken to our hearts' content.^^

3rd day, Everland day! We spent the whole day at Everland. I tried the ever popular "silk worm" that Jun Pyo loved so much in BBF, lol! XD It' actually fish balls shaped like intestines. The rides looks fun but there's only two of us, both of us unsure, lol! XD Before, I would've probably go for it, but I'm not so young anymore and I'm afraid that my heart might stop when I'm too far away from home (excuses?! lol!). Again, regrets... but who knows, I'll be able to go back there with somebody to protect me by my side right?! =P

We had another barbeque for dinner. Now I know why Koreans are healthy, their food are grilled all the time, no oil at all! Grilled pork in lettuce wrap (Samgyupsal). Love it! ^^ Then shopping at Dongdaemun. The place is a shopping haven for big shoppers. Lot's of things to buy.

4th day, to the Amethyst Factory. Didn't know that amethyst can be so expensive. I bought a cellphone chain just for remembrance. =) After that, we proceed to the Ginseng outlet then off to our Seoul City tour. Went to see Cheong Gye Cheon Stream (the place where Marco proposed to Son Dambi in "We Got Married"), the Blue House, lunch at a very nice restaurant with barbequed meat and mushrooms and then to Chongbuk Palace. After that, proceed to Myeongdong (another shopping haven for shoppers) for more shopping, then to the Kimchi Factory to experience Kimchi making and Hanbok wearing. It's fun!!! I feel like Goo Jun Pyo (BBF) when Jan Di's family is making the Kimchi at home. (sorry for all the drama related notes, because I'm a drama fan and I can't help but relate everything to my favorite dramas XD )

For dinner, we had the dish that I've been waiting to try (bec. I've look all over the Korean Restaurants here in our country but can't find any that serves it), Samgyetang or Ginseng Chicken Soup. Ginseng sure is not for everybody because it has this unique taste. I love the chicken soup. I really can live in Korea, I love all their food!!! ^_^

5th day, is Seoul Tower. It's our last day of the tour and I'm feeling kinda sad because we get to spend 4 days with really nice people in the tour and it's time to go our separate ways. Seoul Tower is in Namsan park, we took the cable car to go up the tower. They have a teddy bear museum there but we didnt' go in, just took pictures outside. ^^ We took pictures at the popular lover's locks lane. This is the place where lovers write something for each other and put their locks together then throw away the keys. It symbolizes that they will always be together and nothing can keep them apart.

Lunch at a buffet restaurant, with really good food. Finally got to taste bulgogi, japchae, the really soft Korean tofu dish, and many others.

Last minute shopping at the Duty Free Shop and Itaewon. At Itaewon, it's time for us to leave. We looked at the photos taken by our photographer, such nice memories. Our very nice tour guide help us call a cab to bring us to the guest house we will be staying for the rest of our days in Seoul.

I love the tour, I love the people, and I would love to go back to South Korea... ^_^

Davao City, Philippines

2008-09-23T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Davao!

Friday, September 7th, 2007

i just remembered that i didn’t write about my recent davao trip! it’s my first time to the clean city of davao and it’s a really beautiful city.

went there with 2 other friends and met there by our davaoenia (did i spell that right?! hehe) friend, who is so hospitable and generous and nice and everything else that it made our trip extra wonderful! she became our tour guide, driver, interpreter, etc. and without a complain! you know who you are! thank you! thank you! thank you very much! =)

i eat durian, the smell didn’t bother me at all… but after trying to finish a whole durian (only the 4 of us) and eating durian ice cream and shopping for other goodies that are all durian made, i think i’ll pass with the durian for a while. =S

the beach! i love the beach! the water is so clear!!! pearl farm is beautiful but not worth the money if you go on a day tour, maybe for overnight stay, it would be more worth it. but still, it’s a must go-to place when you go to davao so splurge a little and experience it!

korean food are all around! i’m happy to have tasted jajangmyun (which is a disappointment, it’s not as tasty as how they perceived it to be in the tv series =< ), and the rice cake (sadly, another disappointment). but i love the korean ice drop and the galbi is yummy! jjigae is good too (i love spicy!) and ofcourse bibimbap! i’ve yet to taste samgyetang and gimbap… maybe next time… =)

the nice people (that help us on our little "adventure" on our way to eden park =p), the clean air (bec. most establishment are non-smoking), no traffic, etc… it’s a very very nice place to stay. no wonder there are many foreigners (specially koreans) who chose to live there…

Hong Kong Disneyland - Part 2

2008-09-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

hk - again! =)

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

i just received one of the most wonderful christmas gifts i’ve ever received, a trip out of the country! =D 128 people went to hk together for a vacation, cool huh?! and we have our ever so generous chairman to thank for this gift… yup, all 128 employees went to hk for free! =)

my 2nd time in hk disney is not as great as the first, but still it’s a great experience since i’m there with different bunch of people this time, and it’s different.

my 1st time in ocean park though, and it’s great too! got myself to ride the abyss turbo drop! woooh! i used to watch young guns and the stars are really scared to take this ride, so i was having 2nd thoughts if i can do it. but i did, twice! being 20 storeys high, and drop in less than 5 seconds, wow! tried the dragon roller coaster too (with 3 loops) and the mine train too. i love it! just shows what a theme park addict i am huh?! =D i love roller coasters, fast rides, bump cars, but not ferris wheels and all those rides the goes round and round, they make me dizzy.

where’s my next stop? hmmm… could be lotte world? =D well, hopefully!

God is good! sooooo good!

Asian Cruise - Super Star Virgo

2008-09-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

my cruise experience! =)

Saturday, May 13th, 2006

how wonderful to have experienced being on a big ship with really nice people, talking, eating, having fun, no worries, it’s just the sea and the company that matters… that’s my cruise experience… such a wonderful feeling! =)

i wouldn’t have thought of going on a cruise (i don’t know how to swim and i used to get sick whenever i travel), thanks to my bestfriend i was able to experience how it is to be in a ship, a big big ship… and i don’t feel sick on trips anymore! =)

can’t help but be thankful… i collect memories, and this sure is one that i will keep for the rest of my life… i’ll keep this not just in my mind (coz i easily forget stuff) but in my heart where i can always feel how much of a blessing this experience is… God is so great (makes me want to cry just thinking how great He is for making things happen in my life)!

but this trip is not just all fun… i felt something after the trip that i haven’t thought of before… i realized that life is not as simple as i may think, but it’s also not as complicated as what we make it to be… this trip happened at a very rocky time of my life… where i can see no bright light in the horizon (just like the sea at night)… a blind man walking straight ahead, seeing nothing but still trusting (just like the captain trusting his radar)… what have i made of myself? where am i going? honestly, i don’t know… i still don’t like what i felt, i don’t like feeling sad and down, feeling sorry for myself… it’s just the worst feeling in the world! then why write about it? it’s an admission that i’m human… just when i thought i’ve gotten over the "i’m the king of the world" syndrome (i’m too old for that!), i woke up in humility… i cannot do it alone… i still need help… help me Lord that i may understand… help me Lord that i may be more thankful… help me Lord that i may always be greatful… help me Lord that i may always praise Your name…

a simple girl… living a simple life… i don’t have much money… but i’m more than blessed… i have family, friends, memories and love… to be loved by God and people around me, that’s what makes me rich… i’m definitely one rich girl! =)

God bless!

HK Disneyland

2008-09-19T04:14:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't been traveling anywhere lately, I thought I'd post some old blog entries I had on my travels...

Tuesday, March 21st, 2006

just want to post my experience in hk disneyland… it’s true that hk disney is not as nice as i wanted it to be, i’m sure disney in japan and us are way much better, but hey, it’s disney and that’s what matters!

it’s just like EK but the magic of disney is different… the parade, the pictures with mickey and other disney characters, and ofcourse, the fireworks! made me thank the Lord for allowing me to experience such magic…

when (God willing) i get married and have kids of my own, i’ll surely let them get the disney experience… so nice to be a kid again… i guess we never really lose that child in each one of us, ever… =)

Europe - The Vatican!

2008-07-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

For all Roman Catholics, visiting the Vatican City is a must when you're in Rome. We first went inside the Vatican Museum for a guided tour, which is the best idea I guess, because we don't have to queue to get in since our guide already bought tickets for us. The line is so long that it would take you hours to get in without reservations.

The entrance we took is from the Court of Pigna. The first thing you'll notice is the giant pine cone from 1st or 2nd century, and the giant golden orb that is more like modern art. Next room is the gallery of Roman sculptures. Marble, metal, and different type of rocks made up these sculptures of different themes. Then the map room with wonderful ceiling art that I can't stop taking pictures of and the tapestry room.

The Sistine Chapel! The chapel is smaller than I expected but the art work definitely made up for it! I was amazed by the intricate designs of the marble and of course, the frescoes!!! There were Events from the Life of Moses, Baptism of Christ, Temptations of Christ, among others. Magnificent work of art by Michaelangelo depicting the history of mankind before the coming of Christ on the ceiling, in panels are the events of Genesis and the miraculous Salvations of Israel. And the masterpiece behind the altar, The Last Judgement.

Connecting through a walkway is to St. Peter's Square. We entered the Basilica and the first I noticed is the altar with Bernini's baldacchino. And of course the Pieta by Michaelangelo. This work of art depicts the body of Jesus on Mary's lap after the crucifixion.

Europe - Roma, Italia!

2008-07-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

Upon arrival in Rome, we had dinner before checking in the hotel. Most of us had spaghetti with black sauce (it's squid ink). Not so bad, just a little salty. We rest for the night to prepare for our long city tour the next day.

We met our very nice local guide near the Colosseo. We walked towards the ruins, took some pictures around the area and bought some rosaries. Too bad, we don't have enough time to go inside the Colosseum, there are lots of people going in. There are also Romans dressed in gladiator costumes walking around for people to take pictuers with, but course in exchange for a little pay (I'm just not sure how much, we didn't take pictures with them).

Next is our chance to make our wishes come true, Trevi Fountain! =P It is said to be the largest and most ambitious baroque fountain in Rome. There's so many people around the fountain that it's impossible to take a really good shot with only you in the picture. As for the wish, our guide told us that the coin or coins should be thrown with the right hand over the left shoulder. One coin means you'll be able to come back to Rome, two coins for a new romance, and three coins will mean you'll come back to Rome with someone else. =)

Spanish Steps is next in our agenda. It's a really popular place because just like in Trevi, lots of people are there sitting on the steps. Just below the steps is the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat) and the narrow street called Via Condotti right across the street is where all the designer shops are located.

Europe - It's Leaning... It's Pisa! ^^

2008-07-21T04:27:00.000-07:00

On with our Italian tour, next destination - Pisa! It's around lunch time when we reached Tuscany so it's pretty hot (I got sunburned!). We took a long bus (more like two buses connected to each other) to get to Pisa, my first time to see such vehicle! =S

Upon arrival, you'll notice at once all the people posing and you know they're trying to either push or catch the leaning tower. =D It's actually kinda funny to look at but you'd still want to do it! LOL! =P

It's undeniable that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most popular landmark in the Square of Miracles, but looking around you can still other magnificent architectures around the square. Like the Cathedral or what they call the "Duomo" and the Baptistry.

We had lunch at a small pizzeria stand, I had a mini pizza and ice cream! Yummy yummy pistachio ice cream! ^^ After lunch, took some more pictures, then to our next destination, Rome!

Europe - The Gondolas in Venice!

2008-07-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Next destination, Venice! One of the most beautiful cities of our tour, Venice, Italy (if only it weren't so hot when we got there). We took a boat to get to the Island and we were welcomed by these picturesque view that are truly works of art!

A guide met us at St. Mark's Square where he introduced us to the place. Around the square we saw the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Campanile (bell tower), St. Mark's Clock in the Clock Tower and the Basilica. We had a tour inside St. Mark's Basilica and saw the wonderful mosaic designs made of gold, bronze and a great variety of stones.

Then we went in the Murano glass shop. We watch a glass blowing demonstration and off to look around at the exquisite pieces of work. My friend wasn't able to stop herself from buying 2 pieces of glass fish and boat for the display case in our office. It cost her more than 50,000.00 Pesos and an additional 5-7 kilograms of weight. =S

It's now time for the Gondola ride! We bargained for a full canal cruise at a cheaper price and the best we got is around 120 Euros for an hours cruise, there's 6 of us so around 20 Euros each. The cruise was fun! The boat man is very friendly and he tells us the names of the bridges and buildings as we are passing by. Some of the bridges and canals we passed through were Rialto bridge and the more popular The Bridge of Sighs and of course the grand canal.

We walk around for some more sight seeing and everybody meet up at St. Mark's Square. While waiting for everybody, we played around with the pigeons in the square and tried to feed them so that they will approach you and take pictures. ^^

And the finale, group picture at St. Mark's Square in front of the Basilica! =)

Europe - Liechtenstein and Austria~

2008-07-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

We're heading to Austria from Switzerland. But we passed through the Principality of Liechtenstein first to have lunch. I had my most expensive glass of water in Liechtenstein, 3 Euros for a glass of tap water, whew! I'll just charge that to experience! At least now I know not to freely ask for a glass of water there.

When we arrived in Austria, we're a little bit too late because all the shops just closed up. We weren't able to see the shops so we just walked around. You can also see the Swiss Alps in all sides of Innsbruck. I love the weather, not too cold and very comfortable.

The next day, we went to visit the Swarovski shop, bought some jewelries and admired the amazing work of art in their gallery.

Europe - Snow, Snow, Snow, Switzerland! ^_^

2008-07-18T04:43:00.000-07:00

After the clock demonstration in Black Forest, we crossed the border to Switzerland! Our first stop, Rhine Falls! It's the largest plain waterfalls of Europe. There was a drizzle when we got there so we have to carry our umbrellas around while watching the beauty of the falls.

Then we went straight to our hotel, checked in and had dinner. At night, we decided to walk around the city, looking at the shopping areas to get familiar for our shopping trip the next day! =)

Next day, the most exciting part of my whole Europe trip has finally come, I'm going to see real snow! (It's probably nothing to those who live in countries with winter, but for those like me who live in a tropical country, this is a rare chance and I'm so excited! =P) We went up Mt. Titlis by riding 3 types of cable cars - 1st is the 6 seater cable car, on the next level is the "train car" which fits around 35 people inside, and finally to the top is the Rotair - the rotating cable car! It's big and fits around 35 people too and what's wonderful is that you can see 360 degrees because it rotates!

At the top, we played around with snow, taking it all in specially me since it's my first time touching real snow. We took lots of pictures, fun, goofy ones for keepsake. Who knows when will I ever see snow again right? ^^ We had lunch there then went inside the Glacier Cave. Then it's time to go back down. Goodbye snow...

After Mt. Titlis, we went back to Lucerne. It's really a very beautiful city, you can see the Swiss Alps all around! We saw it's most famous landmarks, the Chapel Bridge and the Water Tower. It's a wooden bridge dates back 14th century, with paintings displayed from the 17th century depicting events from Lucerne history.

Then it's shopping time! The shopping area in Lucerne is heaven for watch and chocolate lovers (which are what you go to Switzerland for in the first place!^^)! We walked around so much that I'm really really tired after that long shopping day.

Europe - Say Hallo to Germany! =)

2008-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

After our tour in Netherlands, we go straight to Cologne to spend the night in Germany! Out hotel was like in the deepest darkest part of the city (it doesn’t look like a city anymore =S), and we’re talking about horror movies in the dark bus on our way there, cool huh?! XD

The next day we went straight to Boppard to take the Rhine River Cruise to St. Goar. The Germany cruise is probably the best cruise we had in this trip! Cool breeze, very nice boat, and the scenery is fantastic! You can see the castles, ruins, old-style houses and villages all around.

After the cruise, we checked in a hotel in Heidelberg. The next day, we had our Heidelberg city tour.

On our way to Switzerland, we stopped by Black Forest for a cuckoo clock demonstration. They have clocks of different designs and sizes with amazing hand work! Still cold here, loved it! =D

Europe - Tulips, Clogs, Windmills… It’s Netherlands! (“,)

2008-07-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

I noticed that I might have interchanged some events in my previous blog entries, my memory is fuzzy and I think I’m seriously in need of memory plus now! =P Anyways, they all happened, but it just might not be in correct order, sorry! =X

Time to tour Amsterdam! 1^st is the Tulip Farm! For all flower lovers out there, this place is a must go. They have the most beautiful tulips I’ve ever seen, in different colors, sizes and variants. I’ve never seen such wide array of tulips in my whole life! The weather is a bit cold but I’m loving it. Perfect for the flowers to bloom and stay fresh. We didn’t have enough time to really enjoy the whole place bec. there’s so much to see but it’s still worth it!We also visited the diamond polishing house. Netherlands is very proud of their perfect cut diamonds. I’ve learned bits of info on the kinds of diamonds and how much they’re worth, but I still wouldn’t be able to spot a fake diamond though, haha! XD Then we went on a canal cruise (which I will not recommend - not much to see... =S).

Cheese and clog factory is up next! I bought cheese for my mama bec. she loves cheese, and she loved the mini ceramic clog shoes I bought for her collection too! I’m so happy! =) And finally, I was able to take a pic with the windmills!!! That’s the first thing I looked for when we got to Netherlands, LOL! =P I got so excited seeing those old fashioned windmills everywhere, just like in those in milk boxes/cans, hahaha! XD

Europe - Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam... =)

2008-07-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried having breakfast in France, lunch in Belgium, and dinner in Netherlands all in the same day? Well, I have! (yabang! Hahaha! XD) That’s exactly what we did on our 3rd day (Apr 27) in Europe, three different countries in one day! You might think that we would’ve been dead tired bec. of the long travel so we should’ve jumped into our beds and sleep when we arrived at our hotel in Amsterdam. But no, we didn’t do that, we just have to use up all our remaining energy to the last drop don’t we?! =P Read on and you’ll know… ^^

Sadly, it’s time to leave Paris. We still have so many places to see but we need to move on (maybe I’ll have my honeymoon in Paris, hmmm… that would be nice… “yobo, you better be rich!” LOL! =P). We reached Brussels before lunch time.

Of course we visited first the Mannekin Pis which is the most popular landmark in Brussels. Through all the small alleys, it’s there in the corner of a street (which is a surprise to me… isn’t it supposed to have a special place or something?!).

After more walk, we stepped out of a small street and whoah! The Grand Place! It surely lives up to it’s name, the place is so grand that I was in total awe when I stepped into that town square! It felt like I stepped back in time with all these exquisite structures surrounding me in all sides. The Town Hall is beautiful!

We stopped by to see the Atomium and to take some pictures but too bad I wasn’t able to get a good picture bec. they’re having a flea market or something in front of the structure.

After that, we’re off to Netherlands!

We arrived at Amsterdam before dinner so we still have some time to roam around the city. The best part is… the carnival ride!!! It’s the best! It’s somewhat similar to the flying fiesta in EK but this one’s 3x higher I think. It’s so cold up there but so worth it!

Europe - 1st stop - Paris, France! ;-)

2008-07-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

I only remember bits and pieces of our trip here and there (thanks to my ever so present memory gap =P) but I’ll try my best!

Our flight was around 12:30am on April 25, yeah it was midnight but I don’t think any of us are sleepy at all! Everybody’s looking forward to the trip but it was a totally different story once we’re up there in the air, LOL! It was an 8 hours flight and very uncomfortable but we slept nonetheless.

We arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in the afternoon and the weather is not as cold as I expected, I love it! (If only we can have that kind of weather here in the Philippines… =S) We stopped at a local supermarket in Paris to buy some water (Evian is so cheap in France! It looks so sosy drinking Evian here, but there, nah! =P) Then to the hotel we go! Holiday Inn was ok, one of the two hotels in the entire trip that have coffee in the room (the other is NH in Netherlands). We had dinner at a chinese restaurant (feels like we’re back in binondo, lol! And 1st time having dinner with the sun still up at 7pm) and retired for the night early.

Next day (Apr 26) is Paris tour day! (yippee!) Started with the Seine River Cruise via Bataeux Parisiens to see the beautiful bridges and structures of Paris.Went to The Louvre for lunch (we didn’t go in the museum though so we didn’t see the mysterious smile of mona lisa T_T) then took the coach to the Eiffel Tower! On our way, we passed by Notre-Dame cathedral, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Concorde Square, etc. Of course we took lots and lots of pictures at the Eiffel tower (it’s literally breath taking to actually see the tower up close! *_*) and ascended to the 2nd level to see Paris from up there.

Just when you thought I’ve written so much already, it’s not over yet coz we’re off to Versailles! This is something that we don’t see here in our country, a Palace! I’m so happy we decided to go inside Chateau de Versailles, it’s amazing! You can see the beautiful work of art in all corners of the palace, intricate pieces of history, collection of aged old antiques that were used by the king and queen during their time. And my favorite part of the palace, the Hall of Mirrors.

Dinner at a local restaurant (we had fatty pork while the japanese group from the other tables were having escargot! Sounds French! They’re just snails… yummy?! =P) then back to the hotel after a tiring but definitely worth-all-the-pain day! ^_^