It’s the last day of 2011. As 2011 comes to an end, I can’t help but look back on this year with amazement and gratitude. This year has been given me a lot of wonderful memories, and awesome adventures. I may not have blogged about all the travels I’ve done for this year, but I certainly have a lot of pictures stowed in my hard drive. Let me give you a glimpse of my 11 memorable adventures of 2011.

1. Got lost in Bangkok, Thailand (read my Bangkok adventures here, here, here, and here)
   

   Elephant Ride!

2. Finally saw hot air balloons at the Hot Air Balloon Festival
   

   16th Hot Air Balloon Festival

3. Had a nice view of the Pyro Olympics
   

   Amazing ending for team Portugal

4. Celebrated my 25th birthday with family & friends
   

   My 25th Birthday

5. Experienced Singapore with my family
   

   at Singapore

6. Chilled at Boracay with my Ateneo girls
   

   Two rainbows at Boracay

7. Adventured at Coron, Palawan with the Awesome Outing Group (AOG)
   

   Underwater adventures at Coron

8. Bonded at Laiya, Batangas
   

   with the girls at Laiya, Batangas

9. Zoofari-ed at Subic
   

   Tiger!

10. Food tripped at Sonya’s Garden with the boyfriend
    

    The ultimate healthy buffet at Sonya's Garden

11. Relaxed at Bohol with my family and the tarsiers.
    

    Relaxed with the tarsiers at Bohol

I’m hoping 2012 could match my 2011 adventures. I’m excited for the new year!

Happy New Year everyone!

To China Town

What could be worst than getting lost in a foreign country whose language you don’t speak? Well, it’s getting lost in that country’s very own Chinatown. Our last day in Bangkok was dedicated to another day of shopping. This time, we wanted to check out the products at Chinatown. Also, my bf wanted to find this specific Tamiya car store which was supposed to be located in Chinatown. Knowing only two landmarks – a bridge and KFC – identifying the location of the store, we still headed to Chinatown. We figured we could ask around.

lost in China Town

Asking around proved to be quite a challenge. It was like a mini charades game every time we tried to ask where we could find a KFC and bridge. After an hour of searching, we did find a KFC but no bridge in sight. Communicating the concept of a bridge proved to be the ultimate challenge.

After searching for this specific store for over 2 hours, we decided to stop. We weren’t getting anywhere to near to finding the place. If we were on Amazing Race, we would’ve lost. So much for wanting to join that show. So after the failed hunt, we decided to just go check out the other Tamiya store, where he actually had an address and direction.

the malls!!

After he got to splurged on his Tamiya toys, it was my turn. We headed to Platinum Mall. It was huge. Too bad, they don’t allow you to fit the clothes. But if you’re petite, you probably won’t have to. Most of the clothes here are only available in one size; it’s the assumption that one size fits all. Fortunately, there were tons of bags and shoes selections to distract me from the lack of available clothes that fits me. But then again, I was already on a limited budget. So despite all the bags I wanted to take home with me, I only managed to buy one for my mom.

taxi to MBK and eating at MBK

Afterwards, we made our way to MBK. We already visited the mall the previous day after our Ayutthaya trip. We were going back so I could buy the bag I found the other day. Because of the price, I had to sleep it through before making the decision. And well, I couldn’t get it out of my head so I just had to get it.

By the middle of the afternoon, we dashed back to our hotel and packed our things. I landed in Bangkok with just two bags – a big one and a carry on – and leaving with three. Next time, I’m really packing light.

the adventure to the airport

I don’t know what got into our heads and decided to just take the train to the Airport. We read about the new Airport Skylink and how it would save us a couple of bahts. Fortunately luck was on our side and we were always there just before the train leaves. Still, there was definitely a lot of running involved.

And just like everything else, this fantastic vacation has to end. I’m looking forward to going back to Thailand soon!

Twelve days has passed since I came back from my Thailand trip, and I still have a hangover! Touring, shopping and going all around Thailand is one helluva experience.

When I got to Bangkok, my first impression was that it was just like Metro Manila, only cleaner and more orderly. The Sathorn road traffic below really looks similar to an EDSA traffic scene.

Bangkok "Traffic" / looks similar to how Metro Manila traffic looks like

However, after going around and getting a glimpse of Thailand’s city life, Bangkok soon became less and less like Manila. There are shrines and altars situated in some unlikely places, street vendors selling strawberries and various spicy foods, and tuktuks ‘cruising’ the traffic jammed road.

For our first day, my friends and I decided to tour the must-see places in Bangkok – The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. And since we’re all trying to save our money for shopping, we opted not to avail of any tour packages and just go there ourselves. Good thing our hotel was just right beside the BTS; it made commuting and getting to places really easy.

Our first stop was supposed to be the Grand Palace. Unfortunately, there were several tuktuk drivers that tried to scam us. They kept telling us that the Grand Palace was close and that our only choice was to ride their tutktuks to Wat Pho. That would’ve been okay IF they weren’t charging us THB140 per tuktuk! Because of that we ended up walking on and on just to avoid them, and well, we ended up in Wat Pho anyway.

At Wat Pho

The place was amazing. I haven’t been in a Buddhist temple before, thus, everything seems so new to me. It would’ve been nice if we had a guide that could’ve narrated the history of the place. Unfortunately, we were on our own on this one. There were several times that we chanced upon a group with an English speaking tour guide, and overheard several snip-bits of the temple’s history.

Pang Nak Prok & drawings of the Human Anatomy

Initially, I thought that Wat Pho was going to be small place, where you’ll just find the temple with the giant Reclining Buddha. I was wrong, there was so much to see. But, of course, I don’t think anything could top the huge reclining buddha. I’ve never imagined that it would be that tall and long.

[Wat Pho Entrance Fee: THB50]

Reclining Buddha

After that, we decided to go back to the Grand Palace via tuktuks. The tuktuk ride was an adventure in itself. I’ve always thought that the most dangerous vehicles can be found in Manila, I guess I was wrong. The tuktuk ride was some sort of a roller coaster ride. After that, I never rode the tuktuk during my whole stay in Bangkok.

Everyone says that you cannot leave Bangkok without going to the Grand Palace. And they were right. The place was amazing.

at the Grand Palace grounds

The place was shinning and shimmering in gold.

intricate details, fascinating artwork found at the Grand Palace

There were also lots of artwork, and very fine intricate details. I would love to say a more refined, and articulate description of the entire place, but I can’t. You have to be there.

The Emerald Buddha

I could just imagine how their royalty lived before. It must’ve been something. And yes, I was able to take a picture of the Emerald Buddha, but I was outside when I took it. I think I exhausted my camera’s zooming feature.

sights at the Grand Palace

The place is perfect for taking pictures. I couldn’t stop.

one of the guards at the Grand Palace

Here’s one picture with one of the palace guards. It must’ve taken great discipline just to stand there all day without moving, while pesky tourists takes pictures of you.

still at the Grand Palace

There were definitely lots of things to see at the Grand Palace. When you think you’ve seen the entire place, you’ll suddenly find yourself in a totally different area. It was huge! If we weren’t so  tired and hungry, we would’ve probably checked out everything.

[Grand Palace Entrance Fee: THB350]

view of the Grand Palace grounds

After the tiring tour of the Grand Palace, our next stop was finding food. It only took us a few minutes to find a restaurant just outside the Grand Palace. It wasn’t an authentic Thai restaurant, but it’ll do as we were hungry already. Afterwards, our next stop was Wat Arun.

Wat Arun

This temple was amazing. The view was breathtaking; it’s especially exquisite when viewed on the boat. What’s great about Wat Arun is that you can climb it. What’s not so great about it is the steep stairs and the terrifying way down.

the ups & downs at Wat Arun | find me in one of these pics!

Climbing up the stairs of Wat Arun was not easy. The steps were high and narrow. It was more like climbing a ladder rather than a stair. But then, the real challenge for me was going down. It was the thought of not being able to go down and my legs betraying me that made it difficult. If you’re afraid of heights, I strongly suggest to hype yourself up for this, and make it some sort of getting-over-your-fear challenge. [Wat Arun Entrance Fee: THB50]

After the long tiring day, we decided to treat ourselves and try out one of Bangkok’s fancy restaurant. Fortunately, the Blue Elephant Restaurant is just right beside our hotel. So we headed over there and tried out their dishes.

Fine dining at the Blue Elephant

The restaurant had a very classy, romantic and antique feel to it. Though some people may find it intimidating. As for the food, all I can say is that it was definitely good. If I wasn’t on a budget, I would’ve ordered more. My only peeve was that the drink Blue Mai Thai tasted like medicine mixed with vodka.

After dinner, we wanted to experience Bangkok’s night life. Initially, we had Bed Supper Club in mind. It took us probably around 30 minutes searching for the place in Sukhumvit Soi 11. However, upon getting there, we found out that there was an entrance fee. Unfortunately, it was just too pricey for me, especially after the fancy dinner we had. So thanks to me, we had to find another place. Unfortunately, most of the bars we passed by were either closing or full already. The Australian was one of the few bars that were open and had available tables.

The Australian pub & bbq

And this is the story of how we ended up in an Australian pub while in Thailand. The place was okay. If you’re looking for a place to chill while listening to music, or watching a game, then the Australian is for you. I can’t recommend it for their food because I didn’t try any. But their cocktail drinks were good. My favorite was their Sex On Bondi Beach drink. However, the prices of the drinks were kinda expensive. But then again, I was converting everything to pesos, and comparing the prices to the drinks in Manila.

We stayed until the pub closed at around 01:30 AM. It was quite early compared to the 02:00 – 03:00 AM closing time of  most bars here in Manila. But it wasn’t really a good idea to be out so late, especially when we plan to shop at Chatuchak the following day. Still, that didn’t stop us from looking for a 24-hour McDonald’s.

We finally found our McDonald’s after walking for several blocks, and discovering that “5-minutes away” in Thailand really means you’ll be walking for 20-minutes.

And that’s it for Day 1. It was definitely a long and adventurous day.

1.11.11

It’s 1.11.11 or 11.1.11 depending if you’re following the dd.mm.yy or mm.dd.yy format. Anyhow, the start of the year has been slow. I’m pretty sure it’ll speed up again in a couple of days, especially with the upcoming Thailand trip. Also, I have several blog post ideas that I’m planning to write. I really need to set a personal deadline if I want to get anything written. But as of the moment, everything is still in need of organization and re-organization. Good luck to me!

Day 2: Road Trip and Island Hopping – Longest Day Ever!

The following day, our group woke up at around 2 am to be able to leave Puerto Princesa and start our road trip to El Nido. Based from Kuya Neil’s estimation, the trip would take about 6-8 hours, depending on the road condition, traffic and of course, speed. Since we didn’t want to waste one day of our vacation to traveling alone, we computed for the best and latest time we could leave Puerto Princesa to arrive at El Nido by lunch time. Based on our computation, we should leave 3-4 am in the morning; thus the 2 am ‘call time’

We had our breakfast c/o Kookaburra. It was nice of them to accommodate our request to have our breakfast be ready by 2 am. From what I can remember, I got one of their Filipino Breakfast offerings. The food was good. I think it’s the earliest time I actually ate breakfast. Afterwards, we packed our things and left Kookaburra and then Puerto Princesa.

I don’t remember much about the first few hours of our road trip to El Nido. I slept through it. The ride was quite smooth and peaceful until a few hours after; we finally got to the end of the cemented road and start of the dirt road. Yes, the “highway” from Puerto Princesa to El Nido isn’t much of a highway. The smooth ride became a bumpy one. And then, we found ourselves literally in the middle of nowhere. The view around us was literally green all over and there were no signs of civilization. If we got stuck there, I don’t think anyone would find us. There were no cars coming from any direction and our cellphones weren’t getting any signal from any cell tower. Well, we did pass by several houses after several hours so it’s not like the place is devoid of people. But still, it’s just 9 people in the middle of a jungle. How freakishly alone.

By 10 am, we found ourselves ‘gliding’ smoothly on cemented pavement. The ride was smooth again. After a few more minutes, we found the sign, ‘Welcome to El Nido’. We’re here! We took a few photos and then went for another few minutes of driving to find Marina Garden Beach Resort. Upon arriving at El Nido town proper, we were greeted by an amazing view. The town is situated perfectly along the beach line overlooking several islands and a mountain made of limestone. The sight was breath-taking.

We finally got to Marina Garden Beach Resort. The place was not a typical resort that I’m used to seeing in more commercialized beaches. It’s a simple place, which is strategically situated near everything. But then, El Nido is a small town where everything is likely a walking distance away. Anyway, back to Marina Garden; it’s a beach front resort where you have a full view of the El Nido’s coast line. Not only that, it’s easier to access boatmen-slash-tour-guides who are offering island hopping tours. Well, good thing for us, Kuya Neil already knows one of the owners that handles the island hopping tour business. He was already able to get a package deal for us. By 11 am, we were off island hopping, the package A tour.

There’s no point going to El Nido if you won’t island hop. Besides, the electricity in El Nido town proper is scheduled; electricity is off from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm then on from 2:00 pm onwards. Aside from lounging around the beach area, touring the town and searching for souvenir shops, there’s really nothing to do for tourists but island hop or snorkel or other water activities. Island hopping is definitely a must when you visit El Nido. There are 3 standard island hopping packages; that’s package A, B, and C. Some guides offer packages D and E, but they vary depending on who you talk to. The standard price could go from P600-1000 per person. For us, Kuya Neil got us a nice deal of P1800 for the whole boat rental and Package A tour plus an additional P100 for each snorkels per person. That’s P1800 divided by 8 people plus P100 [P325 per person]. Nice deal huh?!

So back to the boat ride… the boat ride towards our first destination was absolutely breath taking. It’s not my first time to island hop – I’ve actually done this at Hundred Islands in Pangasinan – but the view of the islands was just incredible. Then, add the calm sea and fresh air… it’s just perfect. Pictures can only do much, you must be there to experience it. But at this point, I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.

Small Lagoon
Great place to snorkel. Make sure that you’re strong swimmer or you’re wearing a life vest before you go in. Water can be very deep especially the area inside the lagoon.

Simizu
This is where we ate lunch. Great place to swim and snorkel.

Big Lagoon
Great place to kayak. Too bad we were on a tight budget. Kayak rental costs about P800-1000 the whole day.

Stopping here. The boat can’t pass because it’s low tide. We had to go down the boat and ‘walk’.

We were already near the “inside” of the Blue Lagoon and the deeper part of the area when Kuya revealed that there were baby sharks there. (Uhm, okay thanks for telling us now, kuya.)

7 Commando
This is the last stop of Tour Package A. This is where we lounge around and drank buko juice.

At around 4pm, Kuya Boatman (Yes, I don’t know his name) told us that it’s time to go. It was getting dark anyway.  And this is where I’ll end my Day 2 El Nido experience. LONG DAY, huh? Day 3 to follow soon.

Picture credits: Mine, Bunny, Kat, Norman, and Ton