Enchanting El Nido

I've always thought of El Nido as a destination that is beyond my budget. Whenever I would suggest it to my friends for our next barkada outing, they'd always say, "mahal ang El Nido" (El Nido is expensive). So of course, we'd pick a place that is within our tipid budget.

I've never given up on El Nido, though. It's always been a dream of mine to visit Palawan, but I didn't know that I'd get to see it sooner rather than later.

Last year, AirAsia had a seat sale and without even thinking twice, I booked a round trip Manila-Puerto Princesa flight for me and the Boyfriend (without his knowledge &/or consent LOL).

My friends were making plans for us to go to Hongkong, but I was getting antsy with all the planning and nobody was even buying tickets, so I went ahead and purchased my own, to a different destination. They all went to Hongkong without us, but we didn't really care because, hello... El Nido!

It took me a lot of planning and budgeting, and a ton of research. I read a lot of travel blogs, I searched Google for whatever info I could find, I emailed several travel agencies for price quotations. I was deciding whether to join a tour or DIY our trip when my cousin suggested the freelance tour guide they hired during their visit. So I found him on Facebook, messaged him, and decided to hire him as our tour guide, too.

The initial plan was to join a group tour, since it was just me and the Boyfriend. The Boyfriend and I are not very social people, though, so I took a chance and asked about a private tour. And because the price difference wasn't that much, we took that one instead.

We paid for more than our initial budget for the tour, but it was worth having the bangka all to ourselves. 

Day 1, March 8 - Manila

Our Tac-Mla flight was moved up a day because our original flight was cancelled due to the radar repair. So we had to spend a night at Manila, which we spent visiting with the Boyfriend's college barkada.

Day 2, March 9 - Manila-Puerto Princesa-El Nido

The initial Plan was for Kuya Ryan (our guide) to pick us up at Puerto Princesa airport, but since he was already in El Nido, he had Kuya Ogie (the van driver) pick us up instead. He thoughtfully reserved the seat behind the driver so we'd be comfortable during the 5-hour drive. We picked up passengers along the way, and then we were off to El Nido. We stopped for dinner halfway through the drive, and we arrived at El Nido around 9 PM.

Kuya Ryan checked us in at Ricgem Place. It's a nice little lodge that is a 5-10 minute walk away from resturants and bars. Breakfast is included, and the place is clean. Clothes racks and hangers are provided for guests to hang their wet clothes after swimming. The only downside, if you're like me who only takes hot showers, is that there is no hot water.

Day 3, March 10 - El Nido Island Hopping

We planned an early start, but we got delayed because the breakfast we ordered was served late. A big group staying at the hotel ordered ahead of us, and I guess it took a while for the cook to finish all their orders.

After breakfast, Kuya Ryan met with us and we took a tricycle down to the beach where a lot of pump boats were docked. Then off we go for our tour of the islands.

We had the whole bangka to ourselves. It was just me, the Boyfriend, Kuya Ryan, and two boatmen. We initially picked tour A (Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, & 7 Commandos Beach), but since we opted for a private tour, to maximize our use of the bangka, Kuya Ryan added tour B's Snake Island and Cadugnon Point and Cave.

We went kayaking around the Small Lagoon, went swimming at the Big Lagoon, took pictures at the Secret Lagoon and Cadugnon Cave before heading off to Snake Island. There we hiked up a little hill which provided us an amazing view before heading back to the bangka to eat our lunch. After eating, the Boyfriend and I went walking along the sandbar at Snake Island, all the while taking a lot of pictures before heading back. Our last stop for the day is the 7 Commandos Beach, where we ate mais con hielo, and spent hours swimming and just bumming around.

Later that night, we walked around El Nido, and since we weren't hungry, we just grabbed a couple of burgers at a cafe.

Day 4, March 11 - Inland tour, back to Puerto Princesa

On our fourth day, we woke up early since we only planned to do a half day tour before heading back to Puerto Princesa.

We hired a tricycle to take us to Nacpan Beach, which took about an hour's drive. What's disappointing is that because of a land dispute, we weren't allowed to go up to where we can take a picture of the twin beaches. Nevertheless, Nacpan Beach was by far my favorite spot. There were very few tourists, so it felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves. The water was so clear, and the sand felt so fine.

The Boyfriend spent a lot of time swimming, while I alternated between taking a dip and lying on the sand and getting a tan. We had lunch early, then we decided to head back. But before dropping us off at our hotel, we had one last stop. 

We spent maybe a maximum of 20 minutes at Las Cabanas Beach. This is the only beach we visited where we didn't do any swimming -  we just sat there taking in everything, and appreciating the view. There were lots of tourists around, and it was fun seeing them enjoy in one of our country's most beautiful places. Come to think of it, around 90% of tourists I see in El Nido are foreigners. 

When we had our fill of the view, we went back to our hotel to have a quick shower and pack. Then we met up with Kuya Ryan again at the terminal to catch a ride back to Puerto Princesa. We arrived at around 5 PM, and checked in at Edezer Pension. It's small, but clean, and the staffs are all so nice. And it is conveniently located very near to the airport. There, we parted ways with Kuya Ryan, as he won't be accompanying us to our Underground River tour the following day. 

Since we had time to kill, we took a tricycle and went to MCA Pasalubong Center. We were supposed to buy only a few trinkets to give to our families and friends but we ended with up a box full of goodies - from cashew butter to cashew polvoron to cashew pastillas, we just took a little bit of everything.

Later that night, we had dinner at Kinabuch Grill & Bar, which is located just right across the street from where we're staying. The place was packed, which explained why the service was slow.

Day 5, March 12 - Underground River

Of course, one can't go to Puerto Princesa without seeing the Subterranean River National Park, or more commonly known as the Underground River. The van picked us up at our hotel, and we joined several others for the tour. A two hour van ride going to Sabang, followed by a short boat ride to the entrance beach. The river tour itself lasts for about 45 minutes, followed by a complimentary buffet lunch.

We were back at Puerto Princesa by 3 PM. We were supposed to have the Iwahig Firefly Watching Tour that night, but due AirAsia changing our flight's time the following day (with no prior notice; we only found out because I went to their website to buy additional baggage), we had no chioce but to cancel our tour and fly back to Manila that night, or risk missing our connecting flight back home to Tacloban the following day.

That was such a big disappointment for me, since I was really looking forward to firefly watching. I was a big fan of the teleserye Dolce Amore, and that TV show gave me some serious #alitaptapgoals. Not to mention, I wasn't able to try Puerto Princesa's delicacy, the tamilok. Tamiloks are shipworms, which can be found in rotting mangrove wood, and is served as kinilaw. I was supposed to try it that afternoon, but due to the AirAsia debacle it slipped my mind.

Mind, it was our first time flying AirAsia, and despite a long conversation with their customer service, they were unable to offer any solution other than rebooking our flight to that night. So, left with no choice we forfeited the payment that was settled for our last night's hotel stay along with the Iwahig tour. Needless to say, we are not flying AirAsia again.

After packing up our things, we went to the airport to catch our flight back to Manila. We landed at NAIA at around 9PM, went to the condo to drop off our things, and since we've got nothing better to do, we got a massage. 

We went to Hue House Massage, since it is near our place. I went for the Lavastone Massage Package D (1 hour Swedish Massage, and 1 hour Lava Stone Massage), which I recommend. By the time I got off the massage table, I was feeling so relax that I didn't even care about the AirAsia fiasco anymore.

Day 6, March 13 - Manila-Tacloban

Last day of our vacation, we packed our bags and headed to the airport. I didn't want our trip to end (I mean, seriously, who does?) but the real world is calling. 

This trip ranks up to one of my favorites, though. El Nido did not disappoint. I've been to Coron, and while I was impressed, El Nido is by far more beautiful. Even though we went over our initial budget, it was all worth it. El Nido was everything I ever expected it to be, and more.

Also, Kuya Ryan is an awesome guide. Everything was arranged by him - from our transpo to our accommodation to all the tours - we haven't had a single problem. To contact him, visit his Facebook page or call/text him at 0926-038-7378 or 0947-617-3708.

Kayaking at the Small Lagoon

Cheers to more travels together ♥

Just look at how clear the water is.

Beach bummin' at Nacpan Beach.

Rock formations at the Small Lagoon.

Overlooking Snake Island

Apparently, this monkey is a fixture at Snake Island.

Las Cabanas Beach

Crystal clear waters at Nacpan Beach

Entrance to the Big Lagoon

Nacpan Beach. Feels like we had the whole place to ourselves. 

it's been a while

I can't believe I haven't posted anything for the month of May. It''s a sign of how busy I've been these past months.

We've been busy making our aquatic-themed cake for our CEFBEX (Cebu Foods and Beverages Exposition) entry. It was tedious work - from kneading fondants to making detailed gumpaste fishes and corals - but we did it. And we're proud to say that o

ur school bagged the gold, for the 7th consecutive year. Aside from the cake decorating competition, our school also got gold for the pasta making live, market basket competition, and another one I forgot (sorry, hihi), plus a silver for the culinary apprentice. Not bad, not bad at all.

It was a great experience. My teammates and I bonded over the long hours, especially during the last few days when we camped at one of the classrooms at the 4th floor. It was tiring, but all our efforts weren't in vain, obviously.

Our cake standing tall and proud amidst our gold medals and certificates.

Aside from our classes, we are also accepting orders (cakes, short orders, buffets) as part of our diploma program. Our school only offers certificate for pastry, but we've been pushing for a diploma, and being a commissary team is part of it, along with a management course. We also conduct workshops on basically everything - cupcake making, cake decorating, etc. Just the basics, for those who are interested but is unwilling to take on the whole 10-month program.

Busy, busy.

However, it's not all work and no play for me, though. Uh-uh.

The boyfriend visited for a few days a couple weeks ago, and we had a blast. We did the usual - went shopping (I did the buying, though), got a massage (I was feeling so stressed so I dragged him into it), ate out, stayed in and cuddled (when it rained so hard).

We also went and toured Bohol for a day. We visited my Mom's BFF, Ate Memie, and she gave us a tour along the island. We went on the Loboc River Cruise, saw the Chocolate Hills, visited the tarsiers, went in the Hinagdanan Cave, and bought small trinkets as souvenirs.

It was certainly a jam-packed day. We came back to Cebu late that night (the boat got delayed for an hour and a half, bugger) tired but happy, albeit a bit grumpy. He went home early the following day.

I miss him. God.

Anyway, I'm graduating this June 22 (yey!) but the doesn't mean my classes are over. Our school has it's commencement exercises once yearly, so those who are about to finish all graduate, so as to not wait for the following year. My classes will end sometime around September.

Only my Mom is attending my graduation (sucks), because my Dad has to stay and watch over our business. I don't mind, though, for I'll be going home at the end of the month, so I'll get to see him then.

Oh, and a shoutout to my Daddy. Advance Happy Father's Day! I love you. <3

the queen city of the south

Cebu is just a 30-minute plane ride, a 4-hour van/fast craft ride, or a 6-hour van/slow boat ride from Tacloban, you'd think I'd be going there as frequent as I can, but no. I live so close to Cebu, but I've only been there a handful of times, and the first time I did, I was in second-year high school already.

I remember feeling a bit burned out in my last year of college that I begged my Mom for a short trip, just a change of environment to settle me down, and we went to Cebu for a bit of downtime, and a lot of shopping. And sometime during February last year, I accompanied my Dad for a conference, and I caught up with friends while he attended it. That was the time my Dad bought me an iPod Touch, as a gift for me for passing the Nursing Licensure Exam.

My longest stay in Cebu, though, was during my third year in college, when we affiliated at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for our Psych duty. Now, that was fun! I love my patient. He was a schizophrenic, but he was fun to talk to in his lucid days.

Anyway, the reason I'm rambling about Cebu was because I just had a mini-vacation there. My main reason for going was because I wanted to see the culinary school I was setting my sights into, and I had some inquiries. Of course, seeing my friends and doing some shopping are added bonuses. I also got to meet my Mom's BFF and my former yaya, Ate Memie, along with his son Michael.

French fries break with Jen, Ate M, and Michael =)

Jenny and I arrived at Cebu on the 2nd of September, and Jojo joined us on the 5th. It was a fun-filled week, and we got to do a little bit of shopping. I got myself a pair of shoes, 3 shirts, a pair of shorts, an Angry Birds keychain, and a pair of Angry Birds flip-flops. Usually I'd take a picture and post them, but this time, I kinda forgot, and I don't want to postpone this blog post any longer, so never mind the pictures.

My new pair of comfy flats ♥

I got BF these, though. He's not much of an HP fan, but I am.
And they don't have female sizes of the shirt, so if I can't wear it, then I'd rather he did. =)

While waiting for Jojo to finish fitting his choice of shirts.

Jojo and Jin watched Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington, and while they did, I walked around the mall, and bought the things my Mom asked me to. I didn't watch, because I seldom watch Filipino movies at the cinema (yes, I know, I don't support the Filipino movie industry, blah blah blah). After all that walking, I decided to have a bit of rest, so I went in search of my favorite FroYo store, The White Hat. And that was where they caught up to me after the movie.

Pizza Hut for dinner that night. Lasagna and mozzarella sticks. Yum ♥

And this is completely off-topic, but I just have to remember the time I bonded with my Sigaw Sisters Krissy, Kaiye, and Grace at The White Hat. Those were good times.

When are we doing this again? ♥

What we did in Cebu are all random,and I don't think I'll be writing down everything the happened. Those were the highlights. I know I had fun, my friends had fun, and that's all that matters.

I'll end it with this, though: Jin and I finally got over our Teriyaki Boy cravings!

Chicken Teriyaki ♥

Jen lost her space to Cookie Monster!

At the airport. Our last meal together before we went separate ways. Me to Tacloban, Jen to Manila.

seeing beijing

So this is a really late post. But as they say, better late than never.

Being on duty 5 days a week is taking a toll on me. That's why I was so excited to be going on vacation. Little did I know, that there won't be any time for relaxation once we stepped foot on Beijing.

In a span of four days, we walked from the Forbidden City to Tour Tian’anmen Square; we climbed a part of the Great Wall of China; we visited the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven; we went to see Ming's Tomb; we took pictures at the Olympic Complex; we went on the Hutong Tour and got to ride rickshaws; we visited the Jade Museum and the Silk Factory; we drank different kinds of tea at the Tea House; we watched the Acrobatic Show; went bargain hunting at the Xiu Shui Bargain Market; went window shopping at Wangfujing Street.

Sounds busy, right? We kept on walking, and every night, my legs would be screaming for mercy. But all in all, it was a great vacation, and Beijing is definitely a place I'd like to see again.

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What I Love Most About Beijing

1. It's a city rich in culture and history. They really preserved artifacts, relics and buildings from their past.
2. It's a very clean city.
3. The wild roses. You should see them in full bloom. Awesome.
4. Great food. We ate like emperors.
5. Pandas! So cute and "luggable" (according to my nephew, that's a mash-up of lovable and huggable).

What I Hate Most About Beijing

1. Their squatting toilets. Come on. Who would enjoy peeing on the floor?
2. The care squat about nudity. The reason doors have locks is so you could lock them. But a lot of them don't even bother to lock or fully close the doors while in the bathroom. And a Chinese woman wiping her ass is not something I'd care to see again.
3. They give you small plates in the restaurants. This is frustrating for a Filipino, and extremely vexing for me. I am a rice eater, and proud of it. So when given a plate that would hold only a small amount of food, it really annoyed me.
4. Rude locals. I mean, really. I could not count the number of times they would bump into me, and never look back and say sorry.
5. Locals can't speak English. I'm not judging, I mean, I am Chinese, but I'm a Filipino through and through so I can't speak decent Mandarin. What I'm trying to point out is that their country is a haven for tourists from all over the world. Learning basic English couldn't hurt.

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Days Inn Joiest Hotel. Where we stayed.


The world famous Great Wall of China.


Chairman Mao.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Imagine preserving places like this.

excited does not even begin to describe me

Only two more days of duty, then I'm off to my long awaited vacation. I could surely use the break. I've always known that being a nurse is hard work. Aside from dealing with patients with different kinds of diseases, we also get to deal with their significant others who are much, much more difficult to handle.

We're going to Beijing, out of the country this time. The last time my passport was used was when we went to Hongkong for my 18th birthday. God, that was such a long time ago. Last year was Palawan, and the year before that we went on a road trip that covered Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Antique. We hit the locals, finally time to do some international.

We travel, every year, with small trips in between if we have the time - and the budget to spare. In my 22 years of living, I've been out of the country four times - twice to Taiwan (I was around 8 the first time I went there), once to Singapore, and once to Hongkong. And although I've enjoyed my visits there, nothing compares to the pride I feel whenever we go to somewhere local. Seeing amazing places and awesome sights in my own country gives me this giddy feeling of pride and joy, and it never gets old. (I love the Philippines, so sue me.)

Anyway, as I've said, it's Beijing this time. I was a bit (only a bit) disappointed, though. We usually pick places famous for it's beaches or some sort for the summer, and I was looking forward to it. I miss swimming, snorkeling, jet skiing. This time of the year, I usually whip out my swimsuits and get tan (ok, not tan. I burn baby, burn!). But hey, a vacation is better than no vacation.

I'm thinking of packing tonight. I usually leave it during the last minute, but I've got duty tomorrow and on Saturday, and I leave early on Sunday. I suppose I could do it after duty, but I'm usually beat. When I come home from work, I just basically lie down and fall asleep right after, waking up during dinner, check my FB and my mail, then fall asleep again. That's how tired I am.

So, should I start packing or what? =)

Captivating Coron

I may be living in a third world country, but we sure as hell have wonders that only the Philippines can offer. We may not have much economy-wise, but we sure can offer things that money can't buy. I've been to a lot of places, but as of now, nothing compares to the beauty offered by Coron, Palawan.

I ain't promoting tourism to the Philippines, but I sure hope you get to visit this place, too. =)

A jellyfish, but it doesn't sting.
A Kalachuchi tree. Kinda like Japan's Cherry Blossoms, isn't it?

The Sleeping Giant.
Sea urchins, baby.
Lotsa sea urchins.
Starfish!
My leg accidentally brushed on that, and I freaked out! It's spongy.
Pretty pink coral =)
Clear blue waters. So inviting.
Joy to the fishes in the deep, blue sea. Joy to you and me. ^^