Two Rainy Days in Hong Kong

I just got back from a two days, two nights vacation in Hong Kong.  I planned this trip in February so I didn't have the idea what the weather would be like.  It turned out that my vacation would be a very wet one.

I arrived in Hong Kong the day after a strong typhoon hit the city.  We could not disembark from our plane for almost an hour because of the heavy rains and strong winds that buffeted the airport.  When I reached Mong Kok where I stayed during my vacation, the effects of the storm were still evident as broken umbrellas and other debris were strewn in the streets.

My trips to Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong were also rain drenched.  The rains were even worse on the second day when I was at Ocean Park that I wasn't able to shoot pictures  Some of the attractions were also closed thanks to the inclement weather. 

 But the rains did not stop people from visiting these places.  Perhaps they also set their trip way in advance just like what I did.  So lesson learned.  Do not visit Hong Kong during typhoon season which falls on July to November.

Bohol Island Vacation (Part 1)

I finally had my long-planned vacation to Bohol last April 8 to 10.    The real story behind the dates was, however, I first thought the Holy Week fell on that week.  I have already booked my flight when I learned that Good Friday fell on the week before.  Luckily,  there was another long weekend on those dates due to the Araw ng Kagitingan holiday on April 9.

Anyway, we went to Bohol by Philippine Airlines,  Our flight left on time but arrived five minutes late of the original schedule.  The flight was uneventful, the skies were clear and we encountered no turbulence at all.  It was only on the descent that the plane shook a little.

Tagbilaran Airport is typical of provincial airports; not so big and not as modern as the ones in big cities and provinces.  The people are very helpful, but aside from Tagalog they speak another Philippine dialect, Visayan or Cebuano.

After getting my lone baggage, I contacted Nador, the driver/tour guide my Aunt suggested to me.  He was already at the airport waiting for my arrival.  It's good I contacted him before going to Bohol because I didn't have to haggle with a driver to bring me to my hotel and take me to a tour of the island.

He suggested that we take the tour already before going to our hotel.  I asked him how long the tour will take and he said I could check in the hotel before the end of the day.  I decided to follow his suggestion and took the trip.

Our first stop was the Shrine of the Blood Compact or Sanduguan.  It depicts the blood compact between the local chieftain Datu Sikatuna and Spanish explorer Juan Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565. While the bronze statues feature Sikatuna and Legazpi having a toast, the actual sanduguan was performed with both leaders making a cut on their arm to draw some blood, which was mixed with wine or water.  The act of drinking each other's blood sealed the bonds of friendship between the two leaders and their tribes.  I doubt though if this is still performed today.  Now they do it by signing a Memorandum of Agreement or something.

One thing I noticed with this shrine is that Datu Sikatuna was alone at the left side, while Legazpi was at the center of the tableau with three other Spaniards on his left side, including a priest.  Anyway, from this site one can already see part of Panglao Island where I planned to spend my vacation.

Our next stop was the Baclayon Church or  Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish Church.  It is one of the oldest churches in the country, believed to have been built in the 1700s.  It is also one of the best preserved Jesuit Built churches in the region.  The natives who built it used coral stones that were abundant in the island.  Then they used egg whites to cement the stones together.

Upon arrival at the church grounds, Nador pointed a portion of the wall and asked me what I saw. I told him I couldn't see anything different except for some stains on the wall.  He borrowed my camera and took a picture of the wall and showed me the photo.  He pointed to one particular column and told me that when the founder of this church 300 years ago, something miraculous happened, a stained appeared on this column and it resembled the face of the deceased priest.  I looked closer and saw the pattern more clearly: I could make out what appeared to be eyes, a nose and beard of an old Jesuit priest.

I have always been skeptical about these things since reading somewhere that as humans, we tend to look for patterns in the things we see.  That is why we claim to see the face of someone dead appearing on the bark of a tree or even the face of Jesus Christ burned on our morning toast.  Since I was basically under his control, I didn't choose to lecture Nador about this and instead rode along his belief that indeed, it was the face of the Jesuit priest that appeared on the wall of the church to forever look over his flock.

The old convent beside the church was converted into a mini-museum which housed a collection of vestments, missals, religious artifacts and other antiquities.  One item that caught my attention was a giant hymnal written in Latin., photography of any kind was not allowed inside.  There was always someone following me around since I had my camera ready to shoot.  There were also security cameras in the different rooms where the items were placed.    The whole place though is a crumbling old building that needs some renovation work.  It also lacked temperature control systems and this leaves the artifacts in the mercy of tropical heat and humidity.

From the museum, we went to the interior of the church.  I instantly fell in love with its two minor altars and main altar.  The main altar has several images in it, the most prominent of which is the image of the Immaculate Conception.  If I am not mistaken, the altar is a good example of Baroque architecture and style.

Our next stop was the python sanctuary in the province.  There was this huge python sleeping in a cage guarded by a guy wearing women's clothes and a wig.  The snake was sleeping soundly and the guard said it has just finished eating a goat.  I am not a big fan of snakes so I decided to leave the place and go on with our tour.

Since it was already lunch time, I asked Nador where we could eat lunch.  He said that part of the tour was to have lunch at the floating restaurant at the Loboc River.  We proceeded to the place and paid our buffet fee of PhP350 per person.  Most of the food were familiar Filipino food except one that caught my eye.  I didn't get the name of the dish but it was made of ripe jackfruit sauteed and then mixed with coconut milk.  It is a sweet dish and can pass as a dessert.

The boat ride began after everybody had finished his lunch.  A guy started to sing with his guitar as we slowly moved along the river.  Most of his numbers were about rivers but they are American songs.  The scenery along the banks of the river was marvelous, with mangroves and nipa palms lining it.  The breeze blowing as we move along was relaxing and made the afternoon heat more bearable.

We got into a junction along the river when I was startled by the sound of drums.  The singing guy told us that we reached a village of natives of the island.  We stopped and disembarked to meet and greet the natives who were too willing to have their pictures taken with us.  I liked their costume which was made with materials used for a kind of broom called walis tambo.  One foreign woman though was not impressed and nastily told her husband (but loud enough for everyone to hear) that the natives do not look like natives at all.  I don't know what she means and what a native should look like.  Maybe she was looking for some dark, kinky haired people like the Aetas?

It turned out that that was as far as our boat ride could go.  When we got back on the boat, we turned around and headed back to where we came from.  We passed by the same route so we saw more mangroves and nipa palms along the way.  For his final number, singing guy finally sang a beautiful Visayan song.

After the boat ride, Nador brought us to where we could encounter the Tarsier.  This little primate  is nocturnal in nature and found in Bohol and some parts of Visayas and Mindanao.  I was surprised to learn that it is carnivorous, its diet consisted mainly of insects.  Its big round eyes and bulbous fingertips make them look like aliens.

The little furball I encountered was so sleepy and looked so fragile.  In fact, the tarsier almost became extinct and is now protected.  In the place I went to, tourists were not allowed to touch them anymore and flash photography was strictly forbidden.

We said goodbye to the tiny tarsiers and went our way to the chocolate hills.  Along the way, we passed by a winding road that locals call  bituka ng manok or chicken intestines.  Then we went through the man-made forest in Bilar.  A two kilometer stretch of road with mahogany trees at both sides.  Nador said that the trees were planted 40 years ago by volunteer Boholanos who wanted to keep their island clean and beautiful.  The place reminded me of the University where I studied.

We had our pictures taken among the trees and then we're off again to the chocolate hills. Nador made another stop for us to visit the Bohol Butterfly Sanctuary.  We paid 10 pesos for the guided tour where our guide introduced us to the different species of butterflies they keep.  Unlike in Vigan where the insects were in an enclosure, they are free to flitter around here.  The guide said that the butterflies usually come back to the trees to lay their eggs.



This was our last stop before finally getting to the Chocolate Hills.  I told Nador that I waited all my life for this moment.  However, I was almost discouraged when I found out that I needed to climb up a steep hill to get to the view deck where I could get a better view of the hills.  Nador said that I should count the number of steps to the top and when I reach it, I must ring the bell to signal that I have reached it.

I lost count at 20 but I managed to climb to the top and ring the bell.  I was well rewarded because the view was so beautiful.  Thousands of brown mounds of earth surrounded the place, each looking like chocolate that dropped from the sky.  I stayed on the view deck for some time until it started to drizzle.

I bought some souvenir shirts at the stores near the place.  Thankfully, they were not over-priced. There were ones that can be bought for less than 200 pesos.  The most expensive ones were at 500 pesos.

Next: Panglao Island

Northern Trip (Last Part )

Along the way to Pagudpud, we passed through several towns that seemed deserted.  Maybe it was because there were no lampposts in most of the streets that we passed through during our trip.  We arrived in Pagudpud a little before 9 in the evening. and spent the night at my brother in law's house. 

It felt good to wake up in the morning without the usual sounds of a busy city.  We walked a few steps from the house and admired the view.  The skies were clear and the rice fields were green.

The mountains were dark blue from afar. On our way back to the house for breakfast we found some of the kids riding a carabao.  I haven't tried riding on a carabao and have no plans of doing so.  I've tried riding a horse before though, when I was still studying in UPLB.

After having breakfast, we went to the beach and enjoyed the white sands of Saud Beach.   The water is still clear and the sand, still clean. Hopefully, the place will remain in good condition as it is today although efforts are now being made to promote it as an alternate destination to Boracay.

The waves were a bit rough that day though. In fact, I almost lost my flip flops when one big wave hit the shore and swept to the place where I left them.  Luckily, a second wave hit again and returned my slippers.

After soaking in the crystal blue waters of the beach, we went to another must see part of Pagudpud, the Patapat Aqueduct.  It's one of the longest aqueducts in the country.  Something else caught our sight though.  There was a ship stranded in the rocky shores of the sea.  There was nobody around to ask what the ship was doing there but it was such an eerie sight.

We also passed by the Bantay Abot Cave. It was such an awesome display of nature's power of creation. A large whole was carved by the sea on the side of a hill.  From afar it looked like a giant whale washed ashore. We had to carefully go down the rocky shore because the concrete stairs and railings were reportedly damaged by the typhoon Pepeng.

We spent another night in Pagudpud and left the following morning for Manila. Since my sister did not join us the previous day, we had to go back and visit the Patapat Aqueduct and the Bantoy Abot Cave again.  It seemed that the places took on another appearance but maybe it was because of the morning light which made the place looked softer.

Along the way, we passed by the now famous Bangui Wind Farm.  This energy producing project of the provincial government reportedly provides some 70% of the province's requirement.  The beach where it's located is also very nice to see although the waves were very strong when we were there.

We also stopped by the centuries old parola at Cape Bojeador in Burgos.  The lighthouse found on top of the hill was still functional until late last year but something broke and the spare part has not arrived yet when we were there.  The caretaker even said that he doesn't want to spend the night there because of some ghostly visits.

The sight from the balcony of the lighthouse was fabulous, it looked out to the South China Sea and the deep blue color of the ocean was so relaxing and calming.  I didn't go up the lighthouse though because of the spiral staircase.  I don't really know why I am afraid of spiral staircases.

When we got to Laoag before lunch time, we bought some longganiza for our baon in Manila.  After this, we went back to Vigan to visit the house where Padre Burgos was born.  It was not open when we were there three days ago but this time it was open.

I was disappointed with the house though.  It was in total disrepair.  I know that those in charge of maintaining the place wanted to preserve the structure as it is but the place looked like it would crumble anytime.  It needed some repairs here in there to ensure that future generations may still be able to see it.

Our last stop was the belfry in Bantay.  According to our driver, the belfry was known to change colors depending at the time of day.  It turns into fiery red or gold during sunset.  We cannot wait for the sun to go down though because we still had several hours to go to get to Manila.

After travelling non-stop, we got off at La Union to buy the dried fish we planned to buy earlier.  Once again we were mobbed by the vendors selling the dried fish.  It was total chaos with the vendors, some speaking in their local tongue, trying to outdo or may be outsell each other.

After this, it was a 5 hour drive to Manila and we arrived at around midnight, exhausted but truly enjoyed our Northern Exposure.

Northern Trip (Part 3)

It was already late in the afternoon when we reached the Marcos Museum in Batac, Ilocos Norte.  The burial chamber of former President Ferdinand Marcos was still closed when we arrived so we waited for the caretaker to come back.  We went around the museum and the mansion and checked out the memorabilia of the late President.

When the chamber was finally opened I opted to stay outside.  I've seen him three times already and I knew that there's nothing new to see inside.  I chanced upon a small store in the compound and at first I thought that there's a Starbucks shop there but it turned out that the sign read Storebucks! I knew that I have to take a picture of it for posterity.

Afterwards, we bought some goods and I got some Sweet Potato (kamote) Chips.  I liked it so I decided to buy a few packs for my officemates.

Our next stop was the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Paoay Church also known as the St. Augustine Church.  No matter howw many times I've been there, I continue to find it so beautiful.  It was built in the 18th century out of coralstones that were locally available. The architecture reminds me of other Asian temples too.  I stayed outside as family members went inside and checked out the interiors of the church.

We drove to the Fort Ilocandia Resort afterwards and also passed by the Paoay Lake and got a glimpse of the Malacanang of the North. 

From here, we went directly to Laoag where we had our dinner. We took advantage of the city's new mall to buy other supplies we needed before proceeding to Pagudpud which was still two hours away.

Next: Pagudpud

Northern Trip (Part 2)

From Manaoag, we proceeded to Vigan in Ilocos Sur. We travelled non-stop to Vigan, passing through the province of La Union. We just took note of the places we would stop by on the way back to Manila. Of note were the stores selling dried fish in all variants.

We reached Vigan after sundown. We had difficulty looking for our hotel, The Cordillera Inn because of the different directions given to us by the people we asked. It turned out, much to our relief, that the hotel was at the center of the historic Calle Crisologo of the Heritage Village. Most of everything to see were just a few steps away.

After checking in at the hotel we went out to have dinner as well as take a walk around the city.  We passed by the Empanadaan, which is the place to get the famous Vigan Empanada.  We didn't have our empanada at that time but once again we promise that we will try them before leaving the city.

Our night tour of the city ended with a brief visit to the Vigan Cathedral.  It was closed at that time but the place was well-lighted so I was able to get some photos again for record purposes.

Before going to bed I took some more picture of the cobbled stone streets of old Vigan.  With very few people in it, the street where our hotel stands took on a different personality.  Looking at the pictures I took of the scene makes me wonder how it must have been before there was electricity and all the modern stuff we enjoy now.

The following day, we went around the city to explore more of its beauty.  I was also in Vigan last year but back then, the city was brimming with people and so it was crowded and a bit tiring to go around. 

This time however, it was almost as if Vigan was our alone to enjoy.  Even though it was a Sunday, the area was not crowded, no noisy tourists to distract us in enjoying the scene.  Sometimes though, we had to stay in the pavement to give way to the Calesas that provide tours at only 150 pesos.

We went to the cathedral to hear mass, took our photos in front of the old houses and visited the Tourist Information Center.  After all these, we finally had our Vigan Empanada for our midmorning snack. 

Just beside the place where we had our empanada was a monument dedicated to Padre Jose Burgos.  He was one of the three martyred priests called GOMBURZA who were garroted by the Spaniards for being suspected of aiding the cause of the Filipino revolutionaries.  Honestly, I didn't know he was Ilocano until now.

Then we visited the Crisologo Museum, which was the ancestral house of a political clan in Ilocos Sur.  The house contained memorabilia from the family's political history, including the clothes worn by the patriarch who was gunned down by unknown assassins while inside the cathedral.

We went to our next stop, a private zoo of a politician inthe province.  The place is called Baluarte (Bulwark) and it is now open to the public.  The main attraction in this place are the tigers, which were in cages at the entrance of the zoo.  It was almost midday when we got there so the heat was intense.  I was only able to get to the Butterfly Garden and then gave up.

After this, we checked out of our hotel and drove to Ilocos Norte.

Next: Batac and Paoay

Northern Trip (Part 1)

As I've mentioned earlier, I started 2010 with a long road trip with my family. We rented a van and started a four-day trip to Ilocos Norte on the early morning of January 2.

Our first stop was in Tarlac City where we had our breakfast. We then moved on to Manaoag, Pangasinan to visit the image of Our Lady of Manaoag.

There was an on-going mass when we got there so naturally, the church was packed with devotees.  We managed to squeeze our selves through the crowd and I managed to snap this picture of Our Lady.

After being blessed by the priest we proceeded to the area where candles and prayers were being offered.  My sister bought some candles and after reciting the intended prayer, we lighted the candle and placed in the designated area.

From the church, we proceeded to what people claim as the apparition site of Our Lady.  The place was on a hillside and it reminded me of the 1980s movie, Himala.  At the foot of the hill was a well.where devotees get water which was believed to have miraculous powers.

A steep, concrete set of stairs led to a mini-shrine on of the hill.  Inside was a small image of Our Lady and an inscription that I could not read because it was obscured by smoke and candle wax.

Before we left, my family bought some items from the vendors on the site.  My sister in law bought a curious icon, an infant Jesus no bigger than half an inch with a penis! The vendor said that it brings good luck, safety during trips and success in business.  I look at it closely and realized that the infant Jesus was sleeping on the palm of a hand.

We left Manaoag before noon and headed towards Vigan where we planned to stay during the night.

Next: Vigan

Update no. 1

A belated happy new year to everyone. I know 2009 is almost three weeks old but I've been quite busy during the holidays. The schedule was quite hectic but fun. Fun because our family got together again after a number of years. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of our parents wedding. Not only was it a reason to have a reunion but it was also a great excuse to dress up in formal wear.

For my sisters who came from different parts of the globe, it was also time for a grand vacation, and it was quite a vacation. For one we travelled 18 hours by road to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, stopping along the way to visit Paoay, Batac, Laoag Bangui and Vigan. I hope the kids learned something about the country of birth of their parents.

The trip also confirmed my belief that the beauty of the Philippines is not in its cities but in the countryside. We were treated with scenes of green rice paddies, flying birds and happy people.

Speaking of people, it seemed that a lot of people from the cities flocked to the northern part of Luzon during the Christmas break. It was a long vacation for many folks so they must have taken the opportunity to pack their bags and go to the North. What happened was during our stay in Vigan, we had a hard time looking for a place to stay. Blame me for not making a reservation before making the trip. Luckily, we found a place to stay in a highway hotel!

After the trip, we promised ourselves that the next time we go to Ilocos, we'll take the plane.

US TRIP: Day Two in Hawaii

May 20, our second day in Hawaii. I woke up on a warm Honolulu morning. After a quick breakfast, we started on a very busy schedule.

We visited Pearl Harbor once again. Since we've already seen the USS Arizona Memorial when we first came in 2002, we skipped it this time and went to Ford Island which is connected to Pearl Harbor by a very long bridge. Private vehicles are not allowed on the island so we were brought there by a bus.

Ford Island was originally a plantation. It was acquaired by the American Military and used as a major air facility during the war. It figured prominently during the Pearl Harbor attack because of the number of ship moored there.

At present, it is home to the USS Missouri, the site of the Japanese surrender in World War II.



Big Mo or Mighty Mo as she is now called, was decommissioned in 1992. Its current position has a significance: its guns face the remnants of the USS Arizona guarding the remains of those who perished there so that they will rest in peace forever.




From the Mighty Mo, we took the bus once again to go to the Pacific Aviation Memorial. Upon arrival in the Museum’s lobby, we entered a 200-seat theater to view a 10-minute movie covering the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, including historic footage and accounts from servicemen who survived it.

Leaving the theater, we entered a corridor with photos, music and sound effects that made us experience what life was like in the islands before the attack in 1941.





The exhibit area features an authentic Japanese Zero, a light civilian plane that was shot during the attack, and also a P-40 fighter. There's also an exhibit that showed a Zero plana which crashed in one of the islands.

After the tour, we had lunch in the museum’s restaurant, “Lani Akea” (Blue Heaven). While waiting for the bus to come back, I bought a souvenir item, a shotglass.


We took the bus again and went back to the main island. This time, we visited the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park. We were given an iPod-like device that guided as during our tour of this historic WWII submarine. The narration and dramatization helped us to imagine what life on board must have been like for Bowfin's crew.


After the tour of the submarine, we visited the Museum which houses an impressive collection of submarine-related artifacts such as submarine weapon systems, photographs, paintings, detailed submarine models related to the history of the U.S. Submarine Service.

Our tour ended here and we proceeded to the Aloha Auditorium where a weekly swap meet was taking place. This reminded me of a Filipino flea market called tiangge where goods are sold at really low prices. We bought some shirts and then went home to rest.

In the evening, we attended the birthday celebration of my brother-in-law's eldest brother. We also met my sister's in-laws during the party. Since the following day was Monday, the party also ended earlier.

US TRIP: Day One in Hawaii

I'm currently on vacation with my father here in the United States. We left the Philippines last May 19 on Philippine Airlines flight PR100. Our seats were upgraded to the Mabuhay Class so we travelled in comfort.

We landed in Honolulu at around 7:11 in the morning, some 35 minutes earlier than our expected time of arrival. It was still May 19. Passing through the immigration was easy, although I had to declare the food stuffs what we brought along as pasalubong (welcome gifts). After getting our baggages (which were taken out of the carousel by some porters without our knowing it), out we went to the warm but breezy Hawaii morning.

We didn't have to wait long before my sister and her husband arrived to pick us up. We went first to a Filipino store to buy some stuff for breakfast (pan de sal and taho) before proceeding to their house.

After a quick meal and a much needed shower (for me) off we went to Costco to buy my father's stuff, mainly chocolate, of course. We proceeded to the wet market in Chinatown to buy something for lunch, including clams!

A brief afternoon siesta after lunch and then off we went to Alamoana boulevard along Waikiki for a quick look and see.

We tried some chocolates from Godiva, bought slip-ons from Foot Locker and had dinner at Tony Roma's.

Since our orders took time to prepare, the manager offered us a 10 percent discount for the trouble. I ordered Tony's Sirloin Steak which was quite tender and juicy even when cooked well-done. However, the serving was so large I wasn't able to finish it.

After dinner we went straight back to my sister's place for a much needed sleep.