Something to tide you over
2006-10-21 06:02:38
I’ll be away again for a 3-day “trip,” after which I hope to go home alive *drama*
Here’s two of my favorite travel blogs to entertain you during my weekend off.
The Lost Girls
Amanda, Jen and Holly are three twenty-something living the fast life in New York City. In the middle of a quarterlife crisis, they began to question why their careers are now their identity. Plans for a year-long round-the-world trip was hatched. From New York, they plunged into South America, taking in the beauty of the continent and the men of Brazil (yes, that merits a special mention). Right now, they’re in Kenya (where the lions and tigers are!)
Soul Travelers 3
Another party of three round-the-world travellers, but what makes them different? They’re a family of three and they’re doing it for 2 and a half years. Starting in the Netherlands, they’re working their way slowly to Spain (they’re currently in France), where their 6-year old daugther (who ju
Holy packing sheet!
2006-10-19 13:35:01
I am now starting to LOVE Cebu Pacific.
From what I can gather, flights out of Manila are on Wednesdays, Thursday, Saturdays and Sundays, while flights out of Bangkok are on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. Haha, perfect for a weekend SHOPPING getaway!
Similar to their Singapore and Kuala Lumpur flights, the Manila-Bangkok route also flies in the middle of the night:
Manila - Bangkok
ETD: 22:45
ETA: 00:50 (+1)
Bangkok - Manila
ETD: 01:35
ETA: 05:30
With the current promo, a round trip fare is approximately Php7,008.00. I’m not sure how much it will cost on a regular fare, because the flight schedules for dates after the promo travel dates aren’t posted yet. Hopefully, it won’t cost more than Php10,000.
I’ve scratched out Bangkok from my list of destinations next year, but with this new development, I think I’m heading back to the City of Angels
P.S. Fever’s down. Hopefully, it’d remain down until tomorrow.
Advertisement: Test Link A
Read more: packing
, sheet
One last thing…
2006-10-17 18:39:38
I don’t know how strict they are the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but the airport security personnel at the domestic terminal of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport were very strict.
Some of the items they asked passengers to remove from their hand carry:
Small bottle of foundation
Small bottle of hair shine (it’s in a clear bottle and the content itself is clear)
Tube of lip gloss
Big tube of toothpaste
A bottle of sand
Thinking back, I had some questionable items in my hand carry, though they let it pass.
Lipbalm in a tiny jar (the one wherein you use your finger to apply, not the lipstick looking one
Unopened bottle of mineral water
Unopened bottle of flavored green tea
Actually, at the entrance of Cebu Pacific’s waiting lounge, there was another bag check and I was told to finish the coffee I was drinking and the bottle of water AND the tea. Between my friend and I, we were able to empty the water bottle, but didn’t even bother opening the bott
Another frickin' filler
2006-10-17 15:59:35
For some frickin’ reason, I got sick. All I did yesterday was to wait 30 minutes under the sun for a frickin’ cab, wait another 45 minutes at the frickin’ post office for my frickin’ parcel, waited for 5 minutes under the midday sun for another frickin’ cab, went inside a mall that’s too frickin’ cold, worked out at the frickin’ gym, did my grocery shopping at the frickin’ hypermart inside the frickin’ cold mall and went out in the frickin’ heat for my last cab for the day, napped for 2 frickin’ hours, worked until the following frickin’ day and now I’m frickin’ sick.
Worse, I coughed up a brownish phlegm (which is REALLY odd, since I don’t have a frickin’ cough, just a frickin’ cold), which means I have to go to the frickin’ hospital for yet another frickin’ blood test.
What a frickin’ lousy day.
(Something tells me I’m going to frickin’ regret pos
Read more: filler
Post Trip Accounting: Bohol
2006-10-14 10:06:34
It’s been three days since we got back from Bohol and I’m still recovering from my vacation. How ironic. The things that happened when I got home was just too stressful and I still couldn’t shake it off. Hopefully, I’ll be back in good working condition by Monday.
Something good came in the mail the day after I got back which cheered me up a bit, and I was able to use my computer again without having to take it (and paying lots of money) to the repair shop.
On a lighter note, I was able to stay under my budget for this trip . Unfortunately, with the loss of my MP3 player and some cash, that still brings me over my budget. But what the heck, I’m just glad I was able to come home in with all pieces in tact.
A detailed breakdown of my Bohol budget right after the jump.
Bohol October 2006
Via Cebu
Cost
Estimate
Actual
Actual
Air Tranfers
Per Person1
For two
Cebu Pacific
Piso Promo Fare
Php 1,631.84
Php 1,631.84
Php 1,631.84
Kuala Lumpur via Cebu Pacific
2006-10-12 13:36:37
We interrupt our regular programming for this awesome announcement I received in the mail today:
Introducing Cebu Pacific
’s newest regional destination. . . KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA!
Fly from MANILA TO KUALA LUMPUR (vice versa) for only 1,499 pesos one-way!
Visit the truly Asian capital and experience the unique fusion of cultural heritage, colorful festivals and endless shopping on our introductory fare.
HURRY, catch the KUALA LUMPUR SEAT SALE from October 11 - 18, 2006 only! Travel period is from November 30, 2006 to January 31, 2007.
They will be flying from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, and landing at KL’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Promo fare amounts to around Php6,000. Not a bad deal. Similar to their Singapore schedule, the Manila-KL route is late at night/very early in the morning:
Manila - Kuala Lumpur
ETD: 20:55 (8:55pm)
ETA: 00:25 (12:25am)
Kuala Lumpur - Manila
ETD: 01:10 (1:10am)
ETA: 05:00 (5:00am)
Oh the irony. I’m currently hold
What a difference 12 hours make
2006-10-11 18:11:37
Seventeen hours ago, I was lying on my back, soaking in some UV rays in the gorgeous white beach of Alona, Panglao, Bohol.
Fourteen hours ago, I opened my pink Emily the Strange pouch and commented how roomy it was.
Thirteen hours ago, I realized why said pouch was so roomy: my MP3 player wasn’t in it.
Ten hours ago, my friend and I were hounded by eager taxi drivers wanting to take us whereever we’d like to go. At a fixed price.
Nine hours ago, we were told by a harassed airline staff that the system was down and can’t accomodate early check-in after we lined up for more than thirty minutes.
Four hours ago, a cabbie wanted a fixed fare price. We managed to convince him to use the meter instead.
Three hours ago, tired and weary, I trudged into our house and to my computer for my 8 hours of work. It booted, but Windows wouldn’t start.
Thirty minutes ago, another cabbie doesn’t want to give me change and said I should give it to him as a tip instead.
Ten m
Read more: difference
Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran
2006-10-02 18:13:13
I booked two trips with Lomprayah: A one-day snorkelling trip to Ko Tao and Ko Nangyuan from Ko Samui, and transfer to Bangkok from Ko Pha Ngan.
I booked with Lomprayah because…their boat looks good. Yeah, I think that’s it.
Seriously though, I picked them because I thought the boats look good, can stand swelling waves and doesn’t look too old.
Aside from their craft, I was won over by their package trips, promo fares and yes, they take web reservations, bookings and my credit card. Bear in mind that this was way back in April, when I’ve just gotten my first credit card and antsy to use it. Plus, booking online would mean that I don’t have to go around Bangkok buying tickets. This, unfortunately, mean that there’s no room for sponteneity, as you’d have to strictly follow your itinerary.
From the outside, the vessel looks short and small. Inside, however, you’d be surprised at how roomy it is. As soon as you board the craft, the Lompraya
Read more: Speed
Let's go to Sint Maarten!
2006-09-26 21:54:15
I have to admit that I often have strange reasons for wanting to go to a certain destination.
For example, I wanted to go to Ko Samui because I discovered that’s where you can see Hin Ta and Hin Yai (Grandfather and Grandmother stone). But I got lazy and opted to catch up on all the sleep I’ve been missing. Hey, at least I have a valid reason for wanting to go back to Samui, right?
I also have this urge to go to Cairns, for AJ Hackett’s Bungy, Le Marche in Italy because I read about it in a click lit, and to Bratislava for reasons I’d rather not go into.
The newest destination in my list is Sint Maarten (St. Martin), an island in the Caribbean:
Isn’t that lovely? Don’t you just want to get your ass there and take your chance at getting run over by a 747? *giddy with excitement*
Check out the other videos over at YouTube, though be warned that you’ll be hearing a lot of “holy shit” uttered over and over. There’s also a great
Metroblogging Manila
2006-09-26 14:53:29
You may be wondering why I don’t post much about Manila
, my grimy, dirty, lovable city. That’s because I write about my city over at the Manila Metroblog.
Metroblogging is “the largest and fastest growing network of city-specific blogs on the Web.” There are currently around 50 cities in the Metroblog network, among them Bangkok, San Fransisco, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Berlin and New York City.
It’s a great place to know more about a city you’re thinking of visiting: see the city though a local or an expat’s eyes; get ideas where to shop and dine; read about what’s happening as it unfolds (like in the case of Hurricane Katrina, the London Bombings, the Kashmir Earthquake, Dawson College Shooting and most recently, the Thailand Coup).
Whether you’re researching for your trip or just looking for new blogs to add to your RSS, do check out the Metroblogs.
</shameless plug>
Technorati Tags: Manila, Metroblogging, Metrob
Baan Panburi Village
2006-09-22 18:25:18
I picked Baan Panburi to stay in Thong Nai Pan Noi in Ko Pha Ngan for two reasons: I heard that the restaurant is good, and they have a website. Being one who practically grew up online, an accomodation with its own website gets higher marks than a resort/hotel without. I know it doesn’t mean that those without websites aren’t as good, but it’s one way of getting a feel of the place.
Baan Panburi has made some changes through out the years, which resulted to having two types of accomodation: the Old Island Huts and the New Island Huts. There is a THB 100 price difference between the two kinds, and I spent weeks trying to decide whether to be cheap or take a chance with a newer hut, hoping it has better facilities. I went with the latter.
Then there’s the debate if I’ll splurge on a beachfront hut or be contented with a seaview. The price difference was bigger, so I opted to be cheap this time.
If you compare the two pictures (the first was of my seaview
Read more: Village
Best content online
2006-09-22 08:53:29
I started this blog with the intent to write about my travels and share whatever travel article I come across in the web. It’s mostly for personal reference, sort of like an online
library for me, in case I would need the information later on. It’s also a place to catalog my experiences.
Since I started this blog in April, it has been a source of joy. Though I may not update as often as I should, it still gives me pleasure to maintain this site, specially when I get visitors thanking me for information they got here or just for sharing my thoughts.
A couple of weeks ago, I entered my site to Dash-Media, a site looking to highlight blogs with “awesome content.” It’s with such pleasure and pride to announce that justwandering.org made the cut
I know it’s a small achievement as opposed to getting a gazillion hits and earning millions from Adsense, but for me, I’m happy that they consider my blog to have a decent content.
Looking for new blogs t
What's really happening in Thailand?
2006-09-19 23:14:06
Travelers are panicking — we’re flying to Thailand
in X days; should we still push through?
Though I can’t answer that question with certainty, reading these blogs will give you an idea on what’s happening in Thailand:
http://bangkok.metblogs.com/
http://gnarlykitty.blogspot.com/
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/
http://2bangkok.com/highemer.shtml
This blog has been created to post updates about the Thailand coup. Talk about fast.
http://19sep.blogspot.com/
[Edit] As fast as this blog was created was its sudden demise. It was shut down less than 24 hours of its birth. I wonder why.
From what I’ve read in the blogs:
Foreign news channels are not being aired anymore
The mobile network and possibly the Internet connection might be shut down
Any form of transportation may be prohibited
September 20 has been declared as a government and bank holiday
The Thai Stock Exchange won’t be opening for trade on Wednesday
There’s a curfew, but doesn’
What *can* you bring onboard?
2006-09-15 00:33:09
With the current strict policies regarding carry-on luggage, forums are buzzing with questions: “Can I bring this, can I bring that?”
The TSA has a nice long list of the permitted and prohibited items. Basically, you can bring your corkscrew, 4″ scissors and gel-filled bra in your person or in your carry-on. And according to this article, you can also bring in a buzzing vibrator down your pants.
My question was this: are the security checks really any more effective? To find out, I decided to re-enact the classic scene from the 1984 movie This is Spinal Tap, where bassist Derek Smalls puts a foil-lined cucumber down his pants, which is picked up by the security wand. Only I decided to go one better, by putting a buzzing vibrator down my pants.
The first round of security was the woman (always a woman) who checks your boarding pass and ID. She made sure the picture on the ID matched my face, then handed it back. “Enjoy your flight,” she said with a smile.
Pampanga Culinary Tour
2006-09-13 09:14:19
Our first stop was, oddly enough, Starbucks for our daily dose of caffeine. It was followed by a very American lunch of hamburgers and steaks, and a quick duty-free shopping at Subic.
But despite the rather slow start and the quest to find the original Razon’s branch (which happened to be closed), the dinner made it so worth it.
Who’d have thought I’d eat crickets and ENJOY it?
Save for a field trip to Clark, an immersion with the Aetas in the mountains of Pampanga, covering an event in San Fernando (and witnessing a monkey masturbate. Damn, I didn’t know they do *that*), running around the looking for food as part of a challenge, I never really knew Pampanga. After this culinary tour, I’m now eager to learn and explore Pampanga more. And discover more food.
Want to see what we ate? Head on to Anton’s Awesome blog for the pictures!
P.s. Thanks so much for this tour, Anton and Spanx!
Technorati Tags: Razon’s, Pampanga
Read more: Culinary
A different kind of preparation
2006-10-25 12:26:40
Last weekend, I went on a different
kind of trip: a trip to the hospital.
I am a typical Sagittarian: optimistic. When it comes to hospitals though, I am terribly pessimistic. Whereas some people see hospitals as beacons of hope, birth and rebirth, I see it as a bringer of death.
I don’t know what made me think like this. Probably that one time when we were at the emergency room when I was in highschool. We were visiting an uncle who had a kidney problem. He was always going in an out of the hospital, always hooked up to tubes and equipment. He was particularly weak that time and it was a pretty draining visit. We stayed past the visiting hours, and had to wait at the emergency room for our ride. While waiting, I saw this guy in a wheelchair with a bullet through his calf. It has already stopped bleeding, but his leg was still streaked with blood and only first aid was administered. I don’t know what he was waiting for (maybe a room or a relative to pay for his room deposi
Read more: preparation
A hyphotetical what if question
2006-10-28 11:14:59
Say somebody is willing to pay for your plane ticket with any airline you prefer.
Would you:
1) Pick the airline where your frequent flyer miles are. The airline isn’t too bad; it’s not at the bottom of the ratings list, but it’s nowhere near the top either.
or
2) Pick a different airline to experience the difference in service. This airline is one of the best in the world.
Frequent flyer points cannot be transfered from one airline program to another. There is a fair difference in the price, but your sponsor is willing to pay extra (but not willing enough to pay for a first class or business class seat).
So, which airline would you choose?
A different kind of trip
2006-10-25 12:26:40
Last weekend, I went on a different
kind of trip: a trip to the hospital.
I am a typical Sagittarian: optimistic. When it comes to hospitals though, I am terribly pessimistic. Whereas some people see hospitals as beacons of hope, birth and rebirth, I see it as a bringer of death.
I don’t know what made me think like this. Probably that one time when we were at the emergency room when I was in highschool. We were visiting an uncle who had a kidney problem. He was always going in an out of the hospital, always hooked up to tubes and equipment. He was particularly weak that time and it was a pretty draining visit. We stayed past the visiting hours, and had to wait at the emergency room for our ride. While waiting, I saw this guy in a wheelchair with a bullet through his calf. It has already stopped bleeding, but his leg was still streaked with blood and only first aid was administered. I don’t know what he was waiting for (maybe a room or a relative to pay for his room deposi
Review Me
2006-11-10 19:29:23
Traveling isn't cheap. Well, it *can* be cheap, but if you travel a lot on your own money, the bills rack up and trust me, it ain't pretty. I'm always on the look out for additional sources of income to finance my trips, and I was pretty glad to get an e-mail from Patrick Gavin of Text Link Ads, announcing their new product: ReviewMe.com.
Basically, ReviewMe would pay bloggers to review their advertiser's website and services. This isn’t actually something new; there are already a couple of sites that are paying their pool of bloggers to write about specific topics or services.
What makes ReviewMe different is that you get to pick which sites or services you wish to review. This eliminates the feeling of being forced upon a product, thus enabling you to write more freely about the assignments you do chose.
Once you sign up, you get your first review assignment: ReviewMe's own site. Their condition is that once you accept a site for review, you are only allowed 48 hou
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
2006-11-12 18:29:20
Okay, can somebody explain this to me?
I came upon this shop while I was wandering around Chinatown, looking for the best Hainanese chicken rice at the Maxwell hawker center.
Read more: Buddha
, Tooth
, Relic
, Temple
Cebu Pacific Seat Sale
2006-11-16 11:16:10
Oh my freakin gosh, Cebu Pacific
is having another seat sale: one-way Kuala Lumpur tickets for only Php999!
From their website:
Cebu Pacific
's Kuala Lumpur seat sale for only P999
Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country's low-fare leader offers a seat sale to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for only P999 one-way. Sale period is from November 14-20, 2006 and is good for travel from November 30, 2006 to January 31, 2007.
After the seat sale the lowest year-round "Go' fare to Kuala Lumpur starts at P1499 one-way. CEB's fare is almost 90% less than the lowest fare from Manila to Kuala Lumpur. The promo and year-round "Go' fares are exclusive of surcharges and government tax.
A quick fare check gave me the figure Php 4,985.00 for a ROUND-TRIP Manila-Kuala Lumpur-Manila tickets with taxes.
I would have been jumping for joy (because I have tickets originating from Kuala Lumpur in January, but with my current plans, I would have to re-schedule that trip. Oh the irony.
It’s too late for m
Surving your next flight
2006-11-29 17:38:51
All the plane rides I’ve ridden so far have been pleasant. Maybe it’s just the optimist in me; I try to make the best out of the flight. Okay, it’s more like making the most out of my being anti-social and whipping out my book (and for future flights, Pinkies and camera) and ignoring the people around me.
Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but for future flights, I’m preparing for the worst.
Here are some tips to make your next flight better than your last (or at the very least, bearable):
From 12 tips for a better flight
Be a pessimistic optimist — or is it the other way around? Don't expect every detail to go as planned. Delays, misconnects, and seat problems are just a few hassles associated with flying. It's unusual to make it through an entire journey without something going wrong.
From How to fly happy
Bring a happy place. Carry a small photo collection with you, where you can go to focus on what really matters in life. Now that MP3 players have digi
Top 10 cities for shopaholics
2006-12-08 18:04:31
Now THIS is news!
If your heart starts palpitating at the mere sight of "sale" sign, or if you've been known to elbow another shopper out of the way — if she's getting between you and the boots you covet — or if you plan all of your vacations with retail therapy built in, this list is for you. We've rounded up the ten best cities in the world for your next shopping excursion — and whether you're in the market for high fashion, fancy baubles, or even an unusual pet, we've got a destination for you. So pay off some credit card debt and hit the road — but don't blame us when the bills come in.
Among the cities in the list are Bangkok and Hong Kong in Asia, London and Paris in Europe, New York and Los Angeles in North America.
I wholeheartedly agree with Bangkok. There are a lot of great locally made stuff from art and home decors to clothes and bags, and there are also brands from overseas that are priced even lower than in Manila.
Though I haven’t been to Ho
Why do you travel?
2006-12-14 16:49:59
I travel because I am always interested in discovering new places, seeing new things. I get bored easily, so I feel the need to see and experience something new every once in a while to keep my sanity in tact.
The New York Times have this beautiful slideshow, a compilation of people’s travel experiences. BootsnAll has a similar project called WhyGo, wherein you can share your own reasons for traveling.
HotelReservations.com
2006-12-15 18:06:01
Sponsored Post
These days, it’s more convenient to make your travel plan on your own. If you have time to research, it’s infinitely easier and cheaper than going through a travel agent.
Online, you can either book direct to your hostel/hotel or go through a booking website. The question now is, is it better to book direct or through a booking agent?
The great thing about booking websites is that you are presented with a list of available accomodations in your destination city, so you can easily compare prices. Also, some have ratings and review features, so you can read about other traveler’s experiences with the hotel’s guestrooms and services.
HotelReservations.com is one of the newest booking agents online. Aside from hotels, they also offer reservation and booking facilities for flights, cars, vacation rentals and vacation packages, making it a one-stop shop for all your holiday planning needs. Like most online booking agents, they guarantee lowest rates.
S
NAIA to collect P200 security fee
2006-12-15 22:49:51
If you’re travelling international via a low cost carrier from Manila, you’ll be paying 3 fees at the airport: the Php 1,620 travel tax (though I think this is only for residents/citizens), Php550 airport tax, and the new Php200 security
tax.
The security fee, recently approved by the MIAA Board, will be used for the "total upgrading" of security equipment at the NAIA terminals, added Oscar Paras, MIAA senior assistant general manager, in an interview with Inquirer. This would include the purchase of new surveillance cameras and state-of-the-art X-ray machines, among others.
Source: Inquirer.net
I think it’d be better if we work on getting Terminal 3 up and running before we go on upgrading the security equipment in the old dilapdated NAIA Terminal 1. Then again, at the rate things are going, Terminal 3 seems like an unattainable dream.
Back to the topic at hand, I share the sentiments of one member at the GT forum: I wouldn’t mind paying the Php200 if it r
Are you Boracay bound next year?
2006-12-17 05:33:05
Two good news for Boracay
bound passengers next year!
First, South East Asian Airlines is doing a Cebu Pacific, and offering a seat sale on their 11th anniversary.
Patrick Tan, vice president for commercial affairs, said, "To celebrate our 11th birthday, we will slash fares from P2,070 to about P540"
The amounts do not include regular surcharges and tax.
The seat sale runs from Dec. 15 to Dec. 26. The travel period is from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2007.
Second news, Asian Spirit is now offering direct flights from Seoul, South Korea to Kalibo, Aklan.
KALIBO, Aklan: This Ati-atihan town is getting closer to South Korea. An airline is set to make its first international flight from Seoul via Kalibo domestic airport next year, said Cong. Florencio Miraflores.
The airport is ready to cater to international flights mostly from Korea, China and Taiwan once the Asian Spirit flies here to bring more tourists, Miraflores said.
"The airport passenger terminal will be expanded with a budget o
Hey guys, would you go on a mancation?
2006-12-18 17:23:33
Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong like to spend a lot of time together, which has turned a few heads. Do guys … do that? “They think we’re these overgrown frat guys, but we all have those kinds of relationships,” Armstrong recently told the press. “And ‘relationship’ isn’t a bad word. I mean, we all have buds, we all take guy trips.”
They’re called “mancations,” and McConaughey and Armstrong might look into trying one just northwest of their hometown, Austin, at Horseshoe Bay, a luxury resort alongside Lake LBJ, which has a private jet center, three championship golf courses, a full-service marina, a cigar-smoking Yacht Club, 12 tennis courts, three pools, three restaurants and a 349-room Marriott.
Think of mancations as a “guys’ night out,” only instead of taking a cab downtown, you take a jet cross-country. Or imagine a bachelor party where nobody has the buzzkill of impending marriage on
Going up or going down?
2006-12-21 00:11:36
We’ve all heard about Richard Branson’s collaboration with Burt Rutan for Virgin Galactic, but this is the first time I heard that a number of companies are offering underwater tours, even building resorts and hotels underwater.
Submitted for your approval: the underwater luxury hotel. A company called Poseidon Resorts is set to break ground (underwater ground, that is) on the world’s first underwater resort on a private island in Fiji this January.
Dubbed Mystery Island, the still-secret site will spread over 225 acres and comprise 24 underwater suites, each submerged in 40 feet of water. The facility will also include a revolving restaurant and bar, a spa, and 27 over-water bungalows with see-through floors. The price: $15,000 per person for seven days, which includes two nights in a beach villa, two nights in an over-water bungalow and two nights in an underwater suite.
And Dubai, naturally, has plans for its own underwater hotel. Set for completion in one year, Cr
Internet Check-In
2006-12-24 16:44:03
All I can say is that I love it. I just hope they don’t botch this up. But I’m optimistic they won’t.
Then again, this IS Manila.
OMG, is this going to be a full flight?!
Read more: Internet
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