Ocean Adventure, South East Asia's only open water marine park, located in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales in the sprawling former US military base about 100 kilometers north of Manila. Attractions include Killer Whale and Dolphin show, sea lion show, Discovery Aquarium, Learning Center and personal encounters with the sea lions and dolphins.


The Discovery Aquarium features various fishes and crustaceans in aquariums including the loveable clown fish living near the anemone (a filter-feeding animalrelated to corals, jellyfish and hydra) popularized by the animated movie Nemo.



The Sea Lion show features a sea lion choreographed to synchronize with music and boasts of an interactive audience participation



The Dolphins and Whales Show showcases two false killer whales and two dolphins obeying commands of the trainers obviously with the poor creatures being rewarded with fish food for their obedience.












The dolphin interaction part allows spectators to actually commune with the intelligent creatures (for a fee of course) even allowing close-up pictures.





Backpacking Subic Bay and Ocean Adventure:

How to get to Ocean Adventure, Subic Bay Zambales:

Commuting to Subic Bay is via Victory Liner, with terminals in Pasay City and Cubao, Quezon City has daily trips to Olongapo City.

Entrance to the facility is P450 and very near Camayan Beach Resort. The place is too humid with not much wind so suggest you come with bottled water, shades, caps and towels.

Driving Directions: in April 2008, try taking the new SCTEx for faster travel time from NLEx to Subic.

Note:

I recommend avoiding the pricey resort "Puting Bato" due to poor service in contrast to their high rating. The said resort should be re-evaluated by the DOT. It's because of their lamentable service that I wasn't able to go to Zoobic Safari :(

All pictures taken exactly one year ago using my then 2-day old Canon EOS 300D with standard 18-55 kit lens that I still don't know how to operate. I just used Sports mode and shoot away.

Related Posts:

Manila Ocean Park
Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx)

Labels: Central Luzon, Marine Parks, Subic, Zambales

An easy trek on Mt. Romelo in Famy, Laguna which is a favorite of neophyte mountaineers and daytrippers due to accessibility.

Another unplanned trip when I received a text message from a friend on a Saturday evening planning to trek the nearby falls the morrow. I agreed to take the challenge since I haven't been to the place.



The area abounds with blood-sucking leeches that's why i have traces of blood when I took a picture of my muddied feet.

We rested our tired feet for a while at a stream crossing





What made the trip more visually enjoyable was the presence of various creatures around us like this paro-paro (butterfly), various species of ferns, trees, flowers, vines and dragonflies-- my long lost cousins!

on reaching Sampaloc Falls, we took a refreshing dip then doze off for a few minutes before going back.

Note that Sampaloc Falls is the farthest of the several waterfalls of Famy specifically Buruwisan, Batya-batya, and Lanzones. Note that the jump-off point may be in Famy but the mountain and falls are part of Siniloan town.






Wanna know what I had after the trip? Click here.

Backpacking Famy:

Famy is a small town in north eastern Laguna province bordered by Siniloan, Mabitac and Real, Quezon and lies at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain range. It is named after the mother of the Philippine general that i don't like-- Gen. Emilio Famy Aguinaldo.

How to get to Famy, Laguna (commute)

Commuting to Famy via Rizal province: take the jeep at Crossing EDSA central bound for Tanay, then tranfer to the Siniloan-bound jeep. Drop off at the junction of the national highway leading to Real and Infanta Quezon then hire a tricycle to take you to the jump-off point (TROIS restaurant).

The easiest way, however, is to board the Real/Infanta, Quezon-bound bus at Raymond Transportation Terminal on Sta. Teresita St. in Manila near Legarda/Nagtahan. FX and vans are also available there. Those buses will pass by the drop off point of Famy where Trois Restaurant on the left side of the road marks the spot where you have to alight and proceed to the jump-off point.

Before proceeding to the trail, register first with the barangay for a minimal fee.

As always and anywhere, please do not leave anything on the trail and at the waterfalls to preserve its natural beauty!

Labels: Calabarzon, Laguna, Mountains, Waterfalls

Getting around Bangkok is easier than in more chaotic Manila owing to numerous options available: taxis, airtrains (LRT/MRT), buses, tuk-tuk (picture shown below in a typical Bangkok corner) and the unique motorcycle taxis that I mistook for regular riders zip-zapping Bangkok's traffic-infested streets. (There are motorcycle taxis here in RP called habal-habal or skylab that can seat an amazing number of people but technically illegal)

Taxis are cheap but sometimes the driver will negotiate a fixed fare i.e. without a meter. The same is true with tuktuk wherein you need to negotiate first the price before agreeing.

In our four-day trip here we encountered taxi drivers moonlighting as pimps with matching colorful brochures to boot.

Ferries and boats, available at the banks of the Chao Phraya, are available for for sightseeing tours.



for starters on Thai food, cuisine here is heavily influenced both by the Chinese and Indians and are always too spicy for the typical pinoy (that doesn't include the tutubi since he developed a strong liking for hot and spicy food)

I took my friends to MK restaurant, Thailand's number one food chain, to sample Thai's version of sukiyaki or simply suki. Suki is a dish cooked right in front of you on a boiling pot with noodles, vegetables, dimsum, meat and seafood, that you order separately, are put then dipped in a special sukiyaki sauce (where I always make with lots of chili sauce for the extra bite)







Chicken with cashew nuts and lots of chilis.


a Thai delicacies store in MBK (Mah Boon Krong). You have to note that Thailand is also a shopping haven attracting hordes of liquid Filipinos addicted to shopping.

One of the sidetrips we made was dinner at Jengor's Kitchen where our Malaysian friends from one vendor/supplier treated us to a sumptuous fare of seafood satiating ourselves as if it's our last night on earth.

A memorable dinner I highly recommend is at the Baiyoke Sky hotel buffet where we treated ourselves to hearty dinner with an eclectic mix of Thai, American, Chinese and Asian food but sadly, as always, no Filipino food available. You may proceed to the viewdeck of the tower afterwards for a gorgeous view of nighttime Bangkok.

For the more adventurous, you may try fried critters, locusts, lots of creepy crawlers even scorpions on the street (some I tried in my first visit) for an exotic gastronomic adventure.

Bangkok Shopping:

lots of shopping venues in Bangkok like MBK and Suan Lum (video below)



Other things to consider:

Bangkok weather is so much like Manila's and the streets remind me of Malate and Binondo.

English is now more understood than on my first trip where we struggled to ask around at Chatuchak looking for a fruit stand (such a hilarious experience).

When going out of your hotel, have hotel staff write down on a piece of paper your destination to show to your taxi driver to avoid confusion.

Leave 500 baht unspent before going back to the airport to defray airport terminal fees (reminds me again of Manila but with thousand wats instead of churches)

Bargain with locals when buying things using broken english and a calculator to indicate the price.

Thais revere their king so much that it's illegal to criticize their king or deface posters of him. It's also illegal to possess items related to the "The King and I." The king is printed all over the Thai baht bills and coins also.

If ever I will find myself again in the Land of the Free, I would want to explore the cool north including Chiang Mai.

Related Posts on Amazing Thailand:

Bangkok Tour
Grand Palace
Ayutthaya: Old Capital of Siam
Bridge on the River Kwai
Nong Nook Tropical Garden Resort

Labels: Thailand

On our last day in the bustling capital of Thailand, I took my friends to the sprawling Grand Palace complex which once served as official residence of the Thai's beloved king. The complex is surrounded by a defensive wall and stands on the shores of the Chao Phraya river (much like Malacanang Palace is on Manila's Pasig River)

Here you can see how popular Thailand is due to the sheer number of tourists visitng this place dwarfing the Philippines' tourism figures by a very large margin.



At the entrance of the compound, we saw a group of Thai beauties waiting to enter the compound for some sort of a pictorial. I noticed that here in Thailand, they now also equate beauty to having fair complexion (familiar, heh?)


The Phra Sri Ratana chedi. A chedi, called stupa in India and dagoba in Sri Lanka, is a Buddhist dome-like monument built supposedly to cover Buddha's relics after his death. Note that in India, the Great King Ashoka, on his conversion to Buddhism, ordered building many stupas and chakri

a mythological creature called a yak, measuring five meters, guarding the entrance of the palace. Notice also the Thai elaborate designs and finials

a mural in the grand palace complex under restoration when we visited

Scene from Ramakian, the Thai version of Ramayana

Chakri Mahaprasad Hall showing a fusion of Thai and European architecture

Wat Phra Kaew housing the most important icon for the Thai people-- the Emerald Buddha. The Temple also houses a model of Angkor Wat since the Thai and Cambodian people share a common cultural and religious roots. It is forbidden to take pictures inside the temples of the Emerald Buddha

Didn't you notice that the complex is overrun by tourists? I found it hard to take pictures without people in it unless I intentionally included people to add scale
A restricted are of the palace complex but picture taking is allowed

Thai-style roofs and eaves with Corinthian columns for neo-classical touch

Bangkok, centered on the Grand Palace, was made the capital of Siam, Thailand's old name, when rampaging Burmese sacked their old capital Ayuthaya. The temporary capital then was Thonburi opposite Bangkok on the Chao Phraya.

The Grand Palace complex is a must-see in Bangkok and requires at least half a day to fully explore the place. Tickets are priced at 200 baht (thai money). Wear appropriate attire when going there i.e. no shorts, sandals, sandos. Open everyday from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Also avoid scums pretending to be tuktuk (three wheel vehicles) drivers telling you the complex is closed and suggesting other places to take you)

Lastly, did you know that Bangkok holds the record for having the longest place name:
Krung-thep-maha-nakorn-boworn-ratana-kosin-mahintar-ayudhya-amaha-dilok-
pop-nopa-ratana-rajthani-burirom-udom-rajniwes-mahasat-arn-amorn-pimarn- avatar-satit- sakattiya-visanukam

you don't need to memorize it; just say Bangkok! :)

Related Posts:

Related Posts on Amazing Thailand:

Bangkok Tour
Backpacking Bangkok
Ayutthaya: Old Capital of Siam
Bridge on the River Kwai
Nong Nook Tropical Garden Resort

Labels: Thailand

In the office of the irrepressible tutubi, it's common practice for us to shop around for a foreign seminar/conference to be funded by my generous company.
One of those days when one officemate of mine found one -- the Asian Banker, Bangkok-- where my company regularly sends delegates to.
After presenting and justifying the costs, I was surprized I was the one to be sent there on moments notice.

I simply obliged since I was hoping for another seminar to be held elsewhere since I've already been to Bangkok.

Reminiscing my first trip, I first saw the exotic Bangkok light in October of 2002 where I was with seven friends on my first foreign sojourn, that took us to the awesome structures of Grand Palace and residence of the Thai's beloved King, the standard half-day riverine tour of the city on the Chao Phraya (the Pasig River of Bangkok), the cabaret-style show reminiscent of Las Vegas performed by transvestites, jewelry shops with their pricey offerings fit for the "usual" tourists, lavish and still expensive, the exotic crocodiles, tigers of Sriracha Tiger Zoo, orchids, elephant shows, thai boxing, and cultural presentations at Nong Nook Gardens in Pattaya. All these capped with dinner at the top of Bangkok's tallest building: the Baiyoke Sky Observatory with a magnificent 360 degree view of the megalopolis!

I only noticed that our tour guide was offering the usual fare of lunch that I egged him to serve us Thai food and since I didn't prepare for this trip, I asked, using my limited knowledge of Thailand back then, for us to be taken to the old capital of Siam-- Ayuthaya-- that I remember vividly (but sorry i have no great pictures back then) also when I saw the trailer of Mano Po 3 (showbiz ako), and the much publicized by Hollywood movie Bridge on the River Kwai (yes, I crossed that famous bridge but my lady friends missed due to over-indulgence in the sport they know best: shopping) that made me ashamed of myself for having been there but not yet set foot on the more historically significant Corregidor Island.

My company sent me, along with four others, to attend the aforementioned conference and naturally, upon knowing of it, I was tagged as the reluctant tour guide since I already quite familiar with the city due to my backpacking first trip that took me as far as the end of the Airtrain, what we call here as LRT/MRT, where we serendipitously found the famous Chatuchak (Jatujak)weekend market that my friends were searching for.

The trip is just 4 days with most of the day spent inside a boring conference room full of people in formal attire and speaking in multitude of languages besides English and but we all speak in the language of the industry we're all in.






After each day, we'd look for things to see and do with me as the guide. I took them to a city tour on the Chao Praya river by taking a tuktuk to the nearest river boat station. We passed by a few boats of the famous Bangkok floating market with a wide variety of produce. On reaching the crocodile and snake farm, my colleagues decided not to enter for unknown reasons. We saw countless wats (temples) along the way of which Thailand is litteraly littered with




Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)



At the end of the river is the Wichai Prasit Fort, the old fortifications on the banks of Chao Phraya and the majestic Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) that is so enchanting at night. The usual photo opportunity followed with my point-and-shoot in tow.




The thing I don't like about travelling with other persons whose interests differ with mine is that I can't wander on my own and thus relegated to being the unwilling tour guide.

to be continued...

Related Posts on Amazing Thailand:

Backpacking Bangkok
Grand Palace
Ayutthaya: Old Capital of Siam
Bridge on the River Kwai
Nong Nook Tropical Garden Resort

This is an account of my Thailand trip in March 2006. Pics taken with my handy Canon Ixus 30

Labels: Thailand

Don't have the time and money to visit different festivals in the country? Here's the schedule of the upcoming Aliwan Fiesta 2007 at the CCP Complex and Quirino Grandstand. Here you'll find out there are many festivals out there besides the Sinulog, Dinagyang, and Ati-Atihan.

Get ready with your cameras!

Aliwan Fiesta Schedule

Day 1 April 26, 2007 - Thursday Aliwan Fiesta

Time Activity Venue

8:00AM EXHIBIT OPENS CCP COMPLEX

6:00AM-6:00PM REHEARSAL CCP COMPLEX & QUIRINO GRANDSTAND

3:30PM-6:00PM PINOY GAMES CCP COMPLEX

7:00PM PASAKALYE CONCERT CCP COMPLEX

DAY 2 APRIL 27, 2007 - FRIDAY Aliwan Fiesta

5:00AM LIVE TV COVERAGE - UNANG HIRIT CCP COMPLEX

8:00AM EXHIBIT OPENS CCP COMPLEX

10:00AM-6:00PM REHEARSAL CCP COMPLEX

10:00AM BRIEFING WITH CHOREOGRAPHERS ALIW THEATER LOUNGE

3:30PM-6:00PM PINOY GAMES CCP COMPLEX

7:30PM REYNA NG ALIWAN PAGEANT CCP COMPLEX

PASAKALYE CONCERT

DAY 3 APRIL 28,2007 SATURDAY Aliwan Fiesta

8:00AM EXHIBIT OPENS CCP COMPLEX

8:00AM - 11:00AM PARADE PREPARATIONS CCP COMPLEX

12:00NN PROCEED TO ASSEMBLY QUIRINO GRANSTAND

3:00PM-9:00PM GRAND PARADE GRANDSTAND TO CCP

3:30PM-6:00PM PINOY GAMES CCP COMPLEX

9:00PM AWARDS NIGHT & FIREWORKS DISPLAY CCP COMPLEX

Labels: Festivals

(tutubi in Advocacy Mode)

Endangered Tales of the Philippines promises to be a spectacular showcase of the country's extraordinary wildlife. People can also visit the organization's photo exhibit, which will run from April 15 - 22. The photos of the endangered animals taken by the CEAE will be displayed in front of Cinema 8 of SM Megamall.

Jocelyn Dimaculangan
Wednesday, April 11, 2007



As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education (CEAE) will be screening a film that showcases one of the world's biodiversity hotspots—the Philippines.

Endangered Tales of the Philippines shows why this archipelago is one of the most biologically rich places on the planet. This 58-minute film features unique footage from over 15 expeditions and eye-opening interviews with over 30 biologists, scientists, and conservationists—all of whom highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts.

For one day only, moviegoers will be able to watch a riveting showcase of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, most of which are endemic—or those found only in the Philippines. The film will be screened at SM Megamall Cinema 8 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The CEAE produced this comprehensive documentary on the country's extraordinary wildlife in an effort to get people excited about the diversity of species in their own country.

Endangered Tales of the Philippines celebrates the beauty of the Philippines and contrasts this with the fragile state of the environment. Over ten months of unique footage on Philippine wildlife has been woven into a powerful documentary on the beauty and fragility of the country's natural heritage.

Founded in 1999, the CEAE is a leader in environmental education and environmental awareness initiatives in the Philippines. The organization has spearheaded a variety of projects such as Moonrise Film Festival, the first environmental film festival in the Philippines. CEAE constantly produces and distributes new content such as the award-winning documentary Children of the Mountains, which won the Mark Hasslem Planet in Focus award.

Tickets are available at the venue or call CEAE at 721-7360. Or visit the CEAE office located at Unit 3A, Gilmore Heights, Gilmore, Quezon City.

Screening date: April 22 (Sunday)
Venue: SM Megamall (Cinema 8)

Labels: Events

It's really hot here in the big city when most people head out to the beaches scattered all over this sun-drenched archipelago.

Being stuck here in Manila and looking for a different kind of high, I looked for a branch of Razons at Robinsons Galleria foodcourt that I later found out has a rather long queue (right photo furtively taken with my phone cam)attesting to the popularity of this ice concoction from Guagua, Pampanga. Other branches I know are SM Megamall Foodcourt, SM Mall of Asia (MOA) and the Shell complex on NLEX southbound.

Halo-halo is a concoction of shaved ice, milk, sugar and various other sweet ingredients e.g. beans, purple yam, nata de coco, kaong (sugar palm) et al mixed together and sometimes topped with ice cream. The name itself literally means mix-mix in the vernacular.

For a bit of trivia, halo-halo is not an original Filipino invention but was introduced by the Japanese and also influenced by the Chinese. Many people from the Land of the Rising Sun, settled in Mindanao particularly in Davao that’s why many residents there have Japanese-sounding names. The Japanese were also the ones who built the roads of Baguio particularly Kennon road where many Nihonjin migrant workers died during construction of that torturous road leading to the summer capital.



Razon's version of the Filipino cooler is a simple one with only three main ingredients: macapuno (a sweet variety of coconut), sun-ripened handpicked saba (a certain variety of banana) and topped with syrupy, saccharine leche flan (steamed milk custard with caramel glaze) added together with finely-shaved ice, milk and a dash of dayap (lime) to complete the recipe.
The halo-halo this time is paired with dinuguan (pork blood stew. hey, even the british have black pudding, the germans with their blutwurst and Americans with blood sausage, so Filipinos are not the only ones guilty of breaking the kosher laws), puto (Filipino rice cake) and pancit luglug.



The pancit luglug, a close cousin of the palabok, is a common Pinoy comfort food made from round rice noodles smothered with special sauce, topped with boiled eggs and ground chicharon (an "evil" cholesterol-rich Pinoy food made of deep-fried pork fat that you may opt to avoid for those health-conscious. The Chicharon is what made foreigners think Philippine food is unhealthy, rather generalizing, isn't it?) and sprinkled with calamansi (Philippine lemon) for added zest.

Razon's halo-halo, sinfully sweet and delectably creamy that you can enjoy without having to make a beeline to Pampanga to enjoy, together with dinuguan, puto and pancit luglug make a hearty meal

I always love the halo-halo of my hometown for its creamyness but Razon's halo-halo is a rare gem that makes the more visually-enticing Icebergs and Chowking's versions less gustatory appealing.


Razon's branches:

Robinsons Galleria foodcourt
SM Megamall foodcourt
Trinoma Food Choices
Alabang Town Center Food Court
Jupiter St. Makati
lastly, their original Guagua branch, of course!

wonder how much a razon's franchise is

Labels: Central Luzon, Filipino Cuisine, Food Trip, Pampanga, Pampanga Restaurant

Holy Friday in Paete, Laguna is always marked with the usual ceremony inside the church with the seven last words to end at exactly three o'clock in the afternoon when the Santo Entierro commences (locals call the dead ChirstMahal na Senor). The Mahal na Senor will be brought to church accompanied by a multitude of churchgoers ( this is locally called dapit).

The disciples, biblical people, and almost every event of the passion are depicted in life-sized (except the Last Supper on Holy Wednesday) and life-like poon maintained by devoted families of the town famous for woodcarving.








many people make this some sort of lifetime devotion




on the way to church


I wonder if the little child really understands what he's doing or just mimicking what other people ceremoniously do

...and the brass band plays the punebre (dirge).



la mater dolorosa en vestido negro

The Friday procession, with most images in black dresses and people in their "friday best" garbs, winds through the narrow streets of Paete, where even the tutubi sometimes get lost in it's maze-like alleys, in a route designated to pass by every home displaying the images of the Holy Wednesday procession. The church bells will also be silent this time with children announcing the procession using wooden or bamboo clappers called matraka with incense adding an eerie feel of the event.

Tips: When coming to Paete for the Holy Week, do try to catch the Wednesday edition of the procession to witness the moving saints of the salubong with operatic voiceover starting at 6pm. The town is teeming with lots of curious tourists, photographers, media people and balikbayan and accommodations are not easy to find.

Labels: Calabarzon, Holy Week, Laguna, Paete