Sunday, November 20, 2011

Fun in BALER, Aurora

I have been hearing about Baler from a lot of my friends, most especially the surfer dudes. But I have not really though about going to that place anytime soon. But last long weekend, Nov.5-7, my friends who have planned a trip to Baler invited me to come with them. However, I didn't promise and I was totally undecided 'coz I really wanted to rest that weekend plus it's my grandma's birthday on the 7th.

Spent the day with the same group, and my thoughts of not joining them was overpowered by the calling for a break! Just realized I got too stressed at work and would really deserve a break. So that Saturday night (Nov. 5), we left Manila at 10:30pm and headed North. We're not really able to sleep along the way because we're too tight inside the car. We made all 6 of us fit a Toyota Vios haha!

It was really a tough journey going to Baler! The roads had no lights, and there were a lot of rough roads in between cemented roads. And unfortunately, it's raining quite hard on our way there. The worst part, we needed to go down the car every time there's an uphill rough road or high humps. We got wet and really felt cold. There were also a lot of landslides that sort of blocked the way. It took us 6.5 hours to get to Baler.

DAY 1

When we got there at around 5:30am, it was raining really hard. And since it's a beach front, there were really strong winds. Worst part, we didn't have any reservations to any hotel. All of the hotels were fully booked that time. We also got rejected in Bayler-view Hotel where we stayed for a couple of minutes to figure things out. But while my friends were resting inside the car, I went to Bahia de Baler to check if my friend who's staying there that time was able to reserve a room for us. Unfortunately, we were not booked. Come 6am, a group of surfers came to check-in. They were able to book two rooms. Luckily, they won't be using the other room, and that room was automatically given to me! So cool!:)

I called my friends up and we headed to the room. It was an economy room worth Php 1,200.00 per night, which has three beds. We made ourselves fit the beds (2 persons per bed) and took a nap before hitting the beach.

We were so tired that we woke up in time for lunch. We had lunch at Bay's Inn. Then came my friend Paula who's working for Senator Angara. She invited us to the Senator's private cove which was a 15-minute ride away. While my other friends chose to stay there and surf, I went with Paula to meet Senator and to swim and tour around his private cove in Dika. We rode a coaster then a van.

I saw such a breath-taking view of the cove! It got really clear water and an off-white sand, very far from the dark gray (almost black) sand and muddy beach in the surf area where we came from. I was able to meet Sen. Angara and had a little talk about the people we both know. He also toured us in the Artists' Village which was still under construction. After that, I was accompanied by Paula at the beach.



Sen. Angara showing us the Artists' Village

pardon my fatness...was just trying to show the lighthouse under construction :))

i seem like a castaway

After some photo ops on the huge rocks,I did a bit of swimming in the sea. Then after that quick swim, I headed to the stream which was leading to the sea. The water was very clear and cold. I dipped myself there so to avoid itching from salt water. Then we went back to the hut where other guests of Senator were staying. After some chitchats, we finally rode the van which took us to the coaster; and we rode the coaster going back to the hotel.



stream leading to the sea

that's where I swam!

After taking a shower, we headed to the Bar & Grill of Bahia de Baler. We were introduced to its manager, who's a surfer girl who recently won in the beginner's category. My classmates from graduate school who were also in Baler at that time, came to the same place for dinner. Paula had a "raisin-flavored lambanog" plus pulutan treat! The boys even had Red Horse after the lambanog, which got their worlds turning around. haha! In fact, some of them threw up secretly! It was such a fun night!



grad school classmates


DAY 2

And because we had a lot of alcohol the previous night, we woke up late. We had tapsilog worth Php 100 for brunch in Bayler-view. Super worth it. The meal even included coffee!:)  After brunch, I finally decided to learn how to surf. I got an instructor worth Php 300 for an hour. He taught me the basics for 5 minutes, and we spent the rest of the time in the water. the instructor took me quite far from the shore, but the water was still low on that spot. As we were on our way there, the coming waves hit my face every now and then, and those quick waves almost got me falling off the soft board.

So what happens is: my instructor pushes me to somewhere quite far from the shore as we go against the coming waves, then we wait for the right wave (just right speed and force), he turns me and my board around facing the shore, and when he says "ready", I position myself (hands pushed down against the board), and finally when he says, "tayo!", I push myself up and try to balance myself on the board while riding the wave! So fun! Unfortunately, not all rides were successful for me. In fact, I fell off the board in most of them. But I was so proud of myself when I was able to balance on the board while riding a wave with a long duration before reaching the shore. But I think I was able to do it twice or thrice only haha! It was so hard! It's very time consuming also to get to the right spot from the shore, and to wait for the appropriate wave. too bad, I left my camera's battery in the hotel room that's why I never had a photo while riding a wave. That would probably suggest that there's definitely a next time! Can't wait to be back in Baler and master those surfing skills haha!


Surf's Up!!!



Anyway, after surfing, we had snacks (light late lunch) in Bay's Inn resto while we were playing Monopoly Deal. There we saw a couple of friends from Manila. Super small world!:) After that, we took a shower, cleaned up the room a bit, and played Monopoly Deal while waiting for our friends whom we asked to convoy with us. After some photo ops, we finally left the hotel at around 3:30pm. I rode with my other friends who brought a bigger ride so the Vios wouldn't suffer that much anymore.


Bay's Inn Resto

Bahia de Baler



playing Monopoly Deal


We were trapped for awhile along the way as a bus got stuck in a one-way bridge. But luckily it was pulled away by another bus. After a couple of hours, we finally got to NLEX where we had dinner. Other friends went ahead so I went back to the Vios. We're back in Manila before 9pm!:)

good vibes only

since the bridge has so many humps, they had to go down the Vios :))

nice view of the Canili Dam


It was such a fun and really affordable trip. My total spending: Php 1,500.00. All worth it! plus thanks to my friend Paula who treated us for drinks and pica-pica, and who was able to connect us to people who were able to give us discounts and other free services. It's really nice to be friendly!;) 'Til the next surf trip in Baler!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fun Halloween w/o the Costumes!:))

It was a long weekend during the Halloween! So thankful for that 4-day break from work and quality time with my friends.

I was supposed to attend the Halloween Ball in Republiq Club, but after a whole afternoon of searching for the perfect costume, I failed! So I just decided to settle at my friends' place where her sister was holding a karaoke party. But on the last minute, our girl friends texted us for a nightout. So we drove to Garage 88 at The Fort, where we sort of crashed a private halloween party.

 partying with the girls

 because of our outfits, we're the Olsen Twins lol


Then we went to Distillery Fort for another round of drinks. Had a great time people watching, dancing and singing to the beats of the 90s haha!

the gang

what's with the double tank tops? haha

The next day, I was invited to my friend Elke's birthday dinner at Conti's Katipunan Extension, then we proceeded to The Distillery Eastwood for wine. Great bonding with some of my high school friends.

 with the birthday girl (rightmost)

  w/ my besty in HS

high school relived

The next night, we had a Pink birthday party for our friend Denise. I was wearing white and a light pink scarf. When I got there, most of them were wearing hot pink! lol! That was a funny night. We played Charades girls vs boys, and Pinoy Henyo jackpot round. We just can't stop laughing at ourselves!:)))))


 addicted to card games

 they say, "tough guys wear pink", and i don't believe lol

 bully guys during the charades

 why is my pink scarf so unnoticeable? haha

oh yeah, grilling like a sidewalk vendor haha 

them...while I was busy watching teleserye inside the house lol

That was indeed a long weekend well-spent! I really look forward to lots of long weekends due to holidays!:)

David Foster and Friends in Manila 2011

I was so excited when my BFF got us free VIP tickets in the David Foster and Friends concert here in Manila last 25th of October at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Well yeah, it's the same time as the Black Eyed Peas concert; but I was perfectly fine going to David Foster's because it's very classic! I just used to hear those songs in karaoke and my parents' music collection when I was young, but now, I actually had the chance of experiencing it live!:)

Every love song that I like was surprisingly composed by David Foster. He's such a music legend! The artists who performed with him were Russel Watson, Ashanti, Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Charice Pempengco, and of course, Michael Bolton.


Our VIP seats were upgraded to SVIP. We're actually on the 4th row and we're surrounded by fun people. haha! We super enjoyed the show. One of the best!:)

 before the show

 David Foster

 Russel Watson

 Ashanti

 Martin Nievera was invited on-stage

 Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind, and Fire

 Charice (and her lovely stilettos!)

 Michael Bolton

 Michael Bolton's medley


 Charice & Michael Bolton had a duet -- The Prayer

 all of them -- supposedly FINALE

 one of Charice' fans was able to perform w/ her on-stage

with the Hizon couple who were on front row

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Autumn in Beijing Day 3 - SUMMER PALACE + SILK MARKET

It's our last day in Beijing. Morning 'til lunch was spent walking around Xidan trying to find authentic dumplings, however, we didn't find any. We ended up having early lunch in McDonalds. Then we took the subway to Xiyuan station, the station near the Summer Palace.

Xidan mall - look at what each floor is called

longest escalator in Asia (and probably in the world)

McDonald's - Chinese style

Before going to the Summer palace, we had lunch in Pizza Hut, located right outside the Xiyuan station. We loved their Peach Fruit Tea!:)


 finding a food place

super love! Peach Fruit Tea!

After lunch, we walked going to the Summer Palace. It was really a huge castle! There's a lake inside the huge compound, and there were lots of rooms. It really felt like we're being toured through history. There were also a lot of tourists there, and we were so happy that we saw a group of Filipino tourists...for the first time in our 3-day vacation there! haha!


 outside the palace

 that's really huge inside

 so many Lotus plants

woods effect lol

sorry...lots of photos of me haha! 

 set the camera timer and this was what we've got!

 boats that move around the lake






For some reason, we didn't know who's dressed appropriately haha!

It was a tiring yet interesting tour. We headed to the Silk Market for our last-minute shopping. But when we got there, we decided to have dinner first. We finally found a dumpling restaurant! After dinner, we only had an hour to shop since it's about to close. We bought some souvenirs like fridge magnets and shot glasses. And for "pasalubong" to our friends in the Philippines, we went to the grocery to buy Pejoy (green tea sticks) and Jasmine tea. But just a tip in shopping, don't believe in the first price that a vendor gives you. You can keep haggling 'til you get satisfied with the price. After that quick shopping, we rushed back to the hotel to pack our stuff and catch our flight back to Manila.


 Silk Market (like 168 Mall in Divisoria)

 we finally found a dumpling resto

 pretending that we got scotch (when it's actually soda lol)

lovin' Authentic Chinese Cuisine!:)

We took a cab from the hotel to the airport. Unfortunately, we got down at the wrong terminal so w had to take the free shuttle going Terminal 2. We made it just in time! However, after 30 minutes of waiting, we were informed that our aircraft had problems so we had too wait for 4 hours for another plane to arrive. yes, our flight got 4 hrs delayed! Well, that's the downside of riding budget airlines like Cebu Pacific. We only got noodles/sandwiches and softdrinks/water from the company while waiting. It was such a nightmare! Thank God for the free wifi and charging ports in the airport that saved me from boredom.


planking in the Executive Room of Grand Mercure

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Fun in BALER, Aurora

I have been hearing about Baler from a lot of my friends, most especially the surfer dudes. But I have not really though about going to that place anytime soon. But last long weekend, Nov.5-7, my friends who have planned a trip to Baler invited me to come with them. However, I didn't promise and I was totally undecided 'coz I really wanted to rest that weekend plus it's my grandma's birthday on the 7th.

Spent the day with the same group, and my thoughts of not joining them was overpowered by the calling for a break! Just realized I got too stressed at work and would really deserve a break. So that Saturday night (Nov. 5), we left Manila at 10:30pm and headed North. We're not really able to sleep along the way because we're too tight inside the car. We made all 6 of us fit a Toyota Vios haha!

It was really a tough journey going to Baler! The roads had no lights, and there were a lot of rough roads in between cemented roads. And unfortunately, it's raining quite hard on our way there. The worst part, we needed to go down the car every time there's an uphill rough road or high humps. We got wet and really felt cold. There were also a lot of landslides that sort of blocked the way. It took us 6.5 hours to get to Baler.

DAY 1

When we got there at around 5:30am, it was raining really hard. And since it's a beach front, there were really strong winds. Worst part, we didn't have any reservations to any hotel. All of the hotels were fully booked that time. We also got rejected in Bayler-view Hotel where we stayed for a couple of minutes to figure things out. But while my friends were resting inside the car, I went to Bahia de Baler to check if my friend who's staying there that time was able to reserve a room for us. Unfortunately, we were not booked. Come 6am, a group of surfers came to check-in. They were able to book two rooms. Luckily, they won't be using the other room, and that room was automatically given to me! So cool!:)

I called my friends up and we headed to the room. It was an economy room worth Php 1,200.00 per night, which has three beds. We made ourselves fit the beds (2 persons per bed) and took a nap before hitting the beach.

We were so tired that we woke up in time for lunch. We had lunch at Bay's Inn. Then came my friend Paula who's working for Senator Angara. She invited us to the Senator's private cove which was a 15-minute ride away. While my other friends chose to stay there and surf, I went with Paula to meet Senator and to swim and tour around his private cove in Dika. We rode a coaster then a van.

I saw such a breath-taking view of the cove! It got really clear water and an off-white sand, very far from the dark gray (almost black) sand and muddy beach in the surf area where we came from. I was able to meet Sen. Angara and had a little talk about the people we both know. He also toured us in the Artists' Village which was still under construction. After that, I was accompanied by Paula at the beach.



Sen. Angara showing us the Artists' Village

pardon my fatness...was just trying to show the lighthouse under construction :))

i seem like a castaway

After some photo ops on the huge rocks,I did a bit of swimming in the sea. Then after that quick swim, I headed to the stream which was leading to the sea. The water was very clear and cold. I dipped myself there so to avoid itching from salt water. Then we went back to the hut where other guests of Senator were staying. After some chitchats, we finally rode the van which took us to the coaster; and we rode the coaster going back to the hotel.



stream leading to the sea

that's where I swam!

After taking a shower, we headed to the Bar & Grill of Bahia de Baler. We were introduced to its manager, who's a surfer girl who recently won in the beginner's category. My classmates from graduate school who were also in Baler at that time, came to the same place for dinner. Paula had a "raisin-flavored lambanog" plus pulutan treat! The boys even had Red Horse after the lambanog, which got their worlds turning around. haha! In fact, some of them threw up secretly! It was such a fun night!



grad school classmates


DAY 2

And because we had a lot of alcohol the previous night, we woke up late. We had tapsilog worth Php 100 for brunch in Bayler-view. Super worth it. The meal even included coffee!:)  After brunch, I finally decided to learn how to surf. I got an instructor worth Php 300 for an hour. He taught me the basics for 5 minutes, and we spent the rest of the time in the water. the instructor took me quite far from the shore, but the water was still low on that spot. As we were on our way there, the coming waves hit my face every now and then, and those quick waves almost got me falling off the soft board.

So what happens is: my instructor pushes me to somewhere quite far from the shore as we go against the coming waves, then we wait for the right wave (just right speed and force), he turns me and my board around facing the shore, and when he says "ready", I position myself (hands pushed down against the board), and finally when he says, "tayo!", I push myself up and try to balance myself on the board while riding the wave! So fun! Unfortunately, not all rides were successful for me. In fact, I fell off the board in most of them. But I was so proud of myself when I was able to balance on the board while riding a wave with a long duration before reaching the shore. But I think I was able to do it twice or thrice only haha! It was so hard! It's very time consuming also to get to the right spot from the shore, and to wait for the appropriate wave. too bad, I left my camera's battery in the hotel room that's why I never had a photo while riding a wave. That would probably suggest that there's definitely a next time! Can't wait to be back in Baler and master those surfing skills haha!


Surf's Up!!!



Anyway, after surfing, we had snacks (light late lunch) in Bay's Inn resto while we were playing Monopoly Deal. There we saw a couple of friends from Manila. Super small world!:) After that, we took a shower, cleaned up the room a bit, and played Monopoly Deal while waiting for our friends whom we asked to convoy with us. After some photo ops, we finally left the hotel at around 3:30pm. I rode with my other friends who brought a bigger ride so the Vios wouldn't suffer that much anymore.


Bay's Inn Resto

Bahia de Baler



playing Monopoly Deal


We were trapped for awhile along the way as a bus got stuck in a one-way bridge. But luckily it was pulled away by another bus. After a couple of hours, we finally got to NLEX where we had dinner. Other friends went ahead so I went back to the Vios. We're back in Manila before 9pm!:)

good vibes only

since the bridge has so many humps, they had to go down the Vios :))

nice view of the Canili Dam


It was such a fun and really affordable trip. My total spending: Php 1,500.00. All worth it! plus thanks to my friend Paula who treated us for drinks and pica-pica, and who was able to connect us to people who were able to give us discounts and other free services. It's really nice to be friendly!;) 'Til the next surf trip in Baler!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fun Halloween w/o the Costumes!:))

It was a long weekend during the Halloween! So thankful for that 4-day break from work and quality time with my friends.

I was supposed to attend the Halloween Ball in Republiq Club, but after a whole afternoon of searching for the perfect costume, I failed! So I just decided to settle at my friends' place where her sister was holding a karaoke party. But on the last minute, our girl friends texted us for a nightout. So we drove to Garage 88 at The Fort, where we sort of crashed a private halloween party.

 partying with the girls

 because of our outfits, we're the Olsen Twins lol


Then we went to Distillery Fort for another round of drinks. Had a great time people watching, dancing and singing to the beats of the 90s haha!

the gang

what's with the double tank tops? haha

The next day, I was invited to my friend Elke's birthday dinner at Conti's Katipunan Extension, then we proceeded to The Distillery Eastwood for wine. Great bonding with some of my high school friends.

 with the birthday girl (rightmost)

  w/ my besty in HS

high school relived

The next night, we had a Pink birthday party for our friend Denise. I was wearing white and a light pink scarf. When I got there, most of them were wearing hot pink! lol! That was a funny night. We played Charades girls vs boys, and Pinoy Henyo jackpot round. We just can't stop laughing at ourselves!:)))))


 addicted to card games

 they say, "tough guys wear pink", and i don't believe lol

 bully guys during the charades

 why is my pink scarf so unnoticeable? haha

oh yeah, grilling like a sidewalk vendor haha 

them...while I was busy watching teleserye inside the house lol

That was indeed a long weekend well-spent! I really look forward to lots of long weekends due to holidays!:)

David Foster and Friends in Manila 2011

I was so excited when my BFF got us free VIP tickets in the David Foster and Friends concert here in Manila last 25th of October at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Well yeah, it's the same time as the Black Eyed Peas concert; but I was perfectly fine going to David Foster's because it's very classic! I just used to hear those songs in karaoke and my parents' music collection when I was young, but now, I actually had the chance of experiencing it live!:)

Every love song that I like was surprisingly composed by David Foster. He's such a music legend! The artists who performed with him were Russel Watson, Ashanti, Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Charice Pempengco, and of course, Michael Bolton.


Our VIP seats were upgraded to SVIP. We're actually on the 4th row and we're surrounded by fun people. haha! We super enjoyed the show. One of the best!:)

 before the show

 David Foster

 Russel Watson

 Ashanti

 Martin Nievera was invited on-stage

 Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind, and Fire

 Charice (and her lovely stilettos!)

 Michael Bolton

 Michael Bolton's medley


 Charice & Michael Bolton had a duet -- The Prayer

 all of them -- supposedly FINALE

 one of Charice' fans was able to perform w/ her on-stage

with the Hizon couple who were on front row

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Autumn in Beijing Day 3 - SUMMER PALACE + SILK MARKET

It's our last day in Beijing. Morning 'til lunch was spent walking around Xidan trying to find authentic dumplings, however, we didn't find any. We ended up having early lunch in McDonalds. Then we took the subway to Xiyuan station, the station near the Summer Palace.

Xidan mall - look at what each floor is called

longest escalator in Asia (and probably in the world)

McDonald's - Chinese style

Before going to the Summer palace, we had lunch in Pizza Hut, located right outside the Xiyuan station. We loved their Peach Fruit Tea!:)


 finding a food place

super love! Peach Fruit Tea!

After lunch, we walked going to the Summer Palace. It was really a huge castle! There's a lake inside the huge compound, and there were lots of rooms. It really felt like we're being toured through history. There were also a lot of tourists there, and we were so happy that we saw a group of Filipino tourists...for the first time in our 3-day vacation there! haha!


 outside the palace

 that's really huge inside

 so many Lotus plants

woods effect lol

sorry...lots of photos of me haha! 

 set the camera timer and this was what we've got!

 boats that move around the lake






For some reason, we didn't know who's dressed appropriately haha!

It was a tiring yet interesting tour. We headed to the Silk Market for our last-minute shopping. But when we got there, we decided to have dinner first. We finally found a dumpling restaurant! After dinner, we only had an hour to shop since it's about to close. We bought some souvenirs like fridge magnets and shot glasses. And for "pasalubong" to our friends in the Philippines, we went to the grocery to buy Pejoy (green tea sticks) and Jasmine tea. But just a tip in shopping, don't believe in the first price that a vendor gives you. You can keep haggling 'til you get satisfied with the price. After that quick shopping, we rushed back to the hotel to pack our stuff and catch our flight back to Manila.


 Silk Market (like 168 Mall in Divisoria)

 we finally found a dumpling resto

 pretending that we got scotch (when it's actually soda lol)

lovin' Authentic Chinese Cuisine!:)

We took a cab from the hotel to the airport. Unfortunately, we got down at the wrong terminal so w had to take the free shuttle going Terminal 2. We made it just in time! However, after 30 minutes of waiting, we were informed that our aircraft had problems so we had too wait for 4 hours for another plane to arrive. yes, our flight got 4 hrs delayed! Well, that's the downside of riding budget airlines like Cebu Pacific. We only got noodles/sandwiches and softdrinks/water from the company while waiting. It was such a nightmare! Thank God for the free wifi and charging ports in the airport that saved me from boredom.


planking in the Executive Room of Grand Mercure