Beach in Skagen

I took this picture in Skagen in May 2012. I love how this picture looks like a painting. I would definitely love to go back to Denmark to take more beautiful photos like this. Click here for more information about this beautiful part of the Jutland peninsula.

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.

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. 

Bencab's Ducks

These ducks are lucky enough to call Baguio their home. Baguio, what Filipinos fondly call the summer capital of the Philippines, is a city located in the mountains of Benguet Province. The mere mention of its name evokes feelings of nostalgia in a lot of Filipinos like me, who, as a kid would make yearly trips to the City of Pines with their families, be it during the Christmas or summer holidays. 

This picture was taken by my husband with my Samsung Galaxy S4. It had been a foggy day, but my husband had insisted on taking pictures. This was one of them.

Must-visit places: Bencab Museum, Camp John Hay, Burnham Park, Mines View Park, Baguio Country Club (members only), Baguio Botanical Garden. Click here for more information about Baguio.

Must-eats: Ube jam (made of yam) from Good Shepherd Convent (15 Gibraltar Road). Garlic longganisa (local sausage) served at the Baguio Country Club Veranda, hot chocolate served at Cafe Sabel, Bencab Museum (Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba).

Yosemite National Park

The Half Dome is a granite dome that can be found in Yosemite National Park in California. My family and I visited the park in 2007. It was our first trip there, and I must admit, it was wonderful to be one with nature, amidst the countless tourists that were there. The colossal granite crest rises more than 4,737 ft (1,444 m) above the valley floor.

Quick Travel Tip: If you or someone traveling with you needs special assistance or a car to explore the park, you could get a special permit or pass so you can bring your car to some parts of the park which are off limits to unauthorized vehicles. Ask about the pass at the entrance gate.

The Bulls of Pamplona

This picture was taken during the festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain in 2008. I love the creativity, the effort, and the humor that the Spanish put into celebrating the feast of a much beloved saint, Pamplona's first bishop. 

The festival of San Fermin, or what the locals call San Fermines, is an annual week-long festival held from July 6 to July 14. Although its religious aspect has taken a backseat to its more secular, festive one, Los San Fermines has remained one of the most beloved, honored, and celebrated festivals in the world today.

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.

Senado Square, Macau

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

Flamingos at SeaWorld

The beautiful flamingos at SeaWorld San Diego. I took this picture in 2007 when my family and some of my friends from the US went there. It was such a lovely day, as you can see. I simply adore these beautiful birds.

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. 

Sculpture outside the Hearst Castle

This Greco-Roman sculpture sits outside the Hearst Castle which is located in San Simeon, California. This National and California Historical Landmark was designed by Julia Morgan, and built between 1919 and 1945 for newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. It is very much representative of the opulence of Ancient Greece and Rome, whose influence is evident in all aspects of Morgan's design.

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.

There's no escaping Dalí

A poster for a Dalí exhibit in Rome. Picture taken in May 2012 as my friend Emilie and I were exploring the busy, and I mean BUSY, streets of Rome. I've always been fascinated with Salvador Dali ever since I saw some of his works at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid. The title of one of his works displayed there particularly struck me. If you have been there, I bet you know what I'm talking about.  My husband and I were fortunate enough to see a Dali exhibit at the Marina Bay Sands Artscience Museum in Singapore in 2011. I will post some of the pictures here soon. Also, watch out for my article about my tips when traveling to Rome.

Tour of Napa Valley

In 2007, my family made a trip to a couple of vineyards in Napa Valley. We had read somewhere about the wine tastings to be had there, and since my father loved wine, we headed up there to see and taste for ourselves what Napa had to offer. 

The weather was great, not too cold, not too hot. And as you can see, the grapes sure loved it there. They were so round and plump, it was hard to resist plucking them from the vine. 

I wish I had a vineyard. It's okay, I can always write a book wherein my character owns one haha!

Beautiful grapes!

My parents at the Andretti Winery.

It definitely looks and feels like home. 

After a tour of the vineyards, you can head down to the town center for a sumptuous meal. Napa is also well-known for its thriving culinary scene. According to smartmeetings.com, Napa Valley received a total of 12 Michelin stars in 2013 alone. For ordinary folks like me, that only means one thing, great food! But a star does come with a price. The more stars you get, the pricier you become, right? 

For more information about Napa Valley, please click here.

Under the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate bridge from a different angle. Taken in 2007.

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.