Baler: Beyond Coppola's Apocalypse Now Part 2

By now we were starving. It had taken us a little over five hours to get from Manila to Baler, and we had already gone on a tour of the city. We needed some nourishment and libations to sustain us for the rest of the day. My mom suggested that we go eat at Jerry Shan, an all-you-can-eat restaurant not that far from Mrs. Quezon's childhood home.

When we got there, the place was packed with patrons who seemed even hungrier than we were. We saw the long queue, which was disheartening. But we were already there, and we were so hungry. One of the servers found an unoccupied table for us. My dad who never queued to get food in his life, asked me and my mom to get some food for him. It was a bit of a challenge, holding two plates, but Pete, my husband helped a lot.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel.My parents and I had coffee, while Pete had a beer at Beach House, Costa Pacifica's restaurant. At around 2 pm, someone from the front desk informed us that my parents' room was ready. We stayed there for over an hour until we got the call that our room was ready as well.

The room I shared with my hubby.

I spent the rest of the day taking pictures.

People enjoying the cool breeze.

The beach wouldn't be complete without a boy digging.

Our hotel

Surfboards and people chillin'

Fish and chips

Cheeseburger and fries.

Read Part 1 here.

Sapi Island

This picture was taken on Sapi Island, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. It's a beautiful island with crystal clear water surrounding it. We saw millions of fish and that tells you a lot about how the people here care for the environment. I would definitely love to go back to Kota Kinabalu. The people were so friendly, and they were very much willing to show off their proficiency in Tagalog, my native language. The only thing I didn't like was that we waited for the boat that was supposed to pick us up for 45 minutes. But all in all, it was a very pleasant experience. Everything was cheap, so that was a good thing hehe. 

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Don't adjust your screen, you are not experiencing a psychedelic episode - the building's purple. This building is called the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and can be found in front of Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was designed by A.C. Norman and built in 1894-1897 to house several important government departments during the British administration. Today it houses the offices of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture of Malaysia. 

Haedong Yonggusa Temple

I took this picture when my parents, my friend Jee Young and I went to Busan in November 2009. This was taken at the Haedong Yonggusa Temple which is located on the coast of the north-eastern portion of Busan. For more details click here.

Osaka Update

Countdown Clocks

A month ago, in my post titled How to Travel Cheap, I mentioned that my husband and I are scheduled to go on a trip to Osaka, Japan in May. Well a lot has happened since then. No, the trip hasn't been cancelled. But what was originally a post-anniversary getaway for just the two of us became a full-blown group tour which includes my parents, my brother, and two of my best friends, Emilie and Karen.

Things happened very quickly. Decisions had to be made on the spot if my friends were to get the promo fare that Cebu Pacific was offering. The last day of the sale was yesterday, and my friend Emilie gave me the go signal to book the tickets for them.

I'm just so happy that I will get to share Japan memories with my family, especially my mother who is part Japanese, my English husband, whom, I believe could have been a ninja in his past life, my brother who can't wait to eat authentic Japanese food, my dad who'll probably be mumbling to himself the whole time, and my two best friends who will grab every photo op there is.

I know May is two months away, but I just can't contain my excitement. Japan, here we come!

Quick Budget Travel Tip: If you find cheap airfare, as in dirt cheap airfare, to a destination you so badly want to go, I say go for it. Like your favorite budget airline on Facebook and subscribe to get emails from them. These are good ways of finding out ahead of everyone else if there's going to be a seat sale.

Reclining Buddha in Penang

This picture was taken at the Reclining Buddha Temple  (Wat Chayamangkalaram) in the beautiful state of Penang, Malaysia in 2009. The temple can be found on Burma Road in George Town, the state's capital. The 33-meter Buddha, is also fondly called the Sleeping Buddha by the locals. 

Quick Travel Tip: You can purchase round trip bus tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Penang online. My friend and I used Aeroline which, I later found out, was a bit more pricey than other bus lines. But the seats were very comfortable, and there was food service on board. 

If you're interested to ride Aeroline, just go to the Corus Hotel  (Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and look for their desk. That is the pickup point in Kuala Lumpur. Click here to view map.

Wooden Masks from Palawan

I took a picture of these masks which were being sold at the LRC 908 Market Mall in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. My mother and I booked an overnight shopping trip there in August 2013. It is one of my most favorite cities in the world. It has so much to offer all kinds of travelers. The locals are very disciplined and trustworthy, and it is very easy to get around what with all the tricycles in the area. I have to admit I often check budget airline websites for promo fares to Puerto Princesa. 

If you are into pearls, Puerto Princesa is an ideal place to go. Countless shops offer high quality pearls (cultured, rice, South Sea) at reasonable prices. My friend had asked me to buy her a pair of pearl earrings and I found the perfect pair at 14 mm for only USD 101 (Php 4,500). Just thinking about it makes me want to book another trip to the Greenest City in the Philippines.

"Puerto Princesa is the seat of the provincial government of Palawan, although it is considered an independent city which means it is not controlled by the province in which it is geographically located, and is therefore an independent area located within Palawan." (Wikipedia)

Senado Square, Macau

This picture was taken in the Senado Square in Macau in February 2008. That's my mom right there :-)

Boat in Hong Kong

One of the countless boats in the Victoria Harbor. This photo was taken in 2011.

View from Cafe Sabel

 

View from Cafe Sabel located on the ground floor of the Bencab Museum in Baguio City, Philippines. 

Dali: Mind of a Genius Exhibit

In 2011, my husband and I were fortunate enough to catch the Dali exhibit at the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Like what I said in an earlier post, Dali has always fascinated me. He wasn't just a creative genius who made use of varied materials to express his creativity. But his personality was one big homage to art. I wish to learn how to love writing the way Dali loved art. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Dali, larger than life.

Woman Aflame

Homage to Fashion 

 

 Woman of Time

Man with butterfly 

 Adam and Eve

St. George and the Dragon

 Snail and the Angel

 Vision of the Angel

 Sal and Mia

Dance of Time II

Anthropomorphic Chest of Drawers

Last but not the least, my husband picking Dali's nose.

King Sejong the Great

People taking pictures of the golden statue of King Sejong. Taken at Gwanghwamun Plaza, Seoul, South Korea. January 2014. Click here for more information about visiting Seoul.

Kota Kinabalu River Safari

Klias Wetland's River Cruise, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Picture taken during our family vacation in April 2013.

Discover Palawan

I visited Puerto Princesa, Palawan for the first time in 2012. It was such a beautiful island, that I vowed, right after setting foot on it, that I would one day explore the other parts of Palawan. It will require a little bit of saving on my part, as I heard some of the resorts could set one back quite a bit. I will definitely go to El Nido and Coron sometime in the future. For now, let me relive the memories I have of Puerto Princesa. 

Three girls and a boat basking in the oriental sun.

The serenity of island living.

Perfect temperature for a swim.

Just you and your thoughts.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

 

Gorgeous sunset at Las Casas de Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan

 

One of the old houses reconstructed[/caption]

 

Children playing

 

Children and their secrets

Las Casas de Filipinas de Acuzar,  a hotel located in Bagac, Bataan, Philippines, is a hotel like no other. What sets it apart is its main attraction: a collection of old, restored ancestral houses, strategically placed within the compound. It is like no other place I've ever been. And as you can see, the sunset is breathtaking!

Hong Kong Skyline

 

Beautiful Hong Kong Skyline

Hong is definitely the shopping mecca of Asia. But for budget travelers like me, it is also a good city to find cheap eats and bargain finds. The bustling Hong Kong city life also gives photo enthusiasts plenty of reasons to snap away.

Seoul Tower

The N Seoul Tower has many names. Officially it is called the YTN Seoul Tower. Some people call it the Namsan Tower or simply Seoul Tower. It was built in 1969 and was open to the public in 1980. It is a great place to take pictures of the city. The hop on hop off bus stops here, so make sure you don't miss this great tourist spot if you ever find yourself in Seoul.

For more information about Seoul, click here.

Namsangol Hanok Village

This photo was taken at Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul. January 2014.

Beautiful View of Seoul

This picture was taken in January 2014. My friend and I went to Korea to attend our friend's wedding. We took the hop on hop off bus and stopped at the Seoul Tower where I took this photo. Seoul during the winter is a must-visit!

Golden Sunset

Alona Beach, Bohol is breathtaking at sunset. I took this picture when my husband and I went there in 2010. I believe it is time to plan another trip there.