On A Roll For The Summer

The week after our Phuket holiday, we were once again at the beach. This time it was Koh Samet for a farewell party for one of our friends here in Bangkok. It was but an overnight trip but I could fairly say, this was a more relaxed vacation than Phuket. For one, we were booked at a resort with a private beach (Moo Baan Talay Resort) so shuttling Jianna to and from the beach or the pool was easier.

Our friends picked us up from our home at about 5AM and we proceeded to pick up all the others before heading out of town. Everyone was asleep during the first half of the trip save maybe for me, who was nursing Jianna way in the back seat of the van. I did get some sleep - maybe 30 minutes. On our stopover at a gas station, I finally managed to guzzle down some coffee to keep me awake for the rest of the day.

As soon as we arrived at the resort, we immediately stripped Jianna down to her swimsuit and ran for the beach. When the sun got too high, we moved her to the pool where she had fun riding her floater. And then it was nap time! We forgot to bring the baby monitor so I had to stay with her while she slept. Need I say, I got really bored just sitting there. But oh well, that's what moms do I guess. I should have taken a nap, but with the coffee I drank sleep just wasn't about to come to me.

For lunch, we headed to the floating restaurant. It was a 10 minute walk I think, but it sure felt like an hour, as once again the sun was pounding on our backs. Sweat was trickling over me and Jianna and I were melting into each other as I carried her. But the sight of the restaurant was certainly refreshing. The place was up on stilts over the water and every tabletop was of glass and had no floor underneath so you can see the water and the fishes. And the food was delicious, too!

The afternoon was once again spent lounging around the pool until it was time for dinner. Dinner was at another beach cove so we had to take a cab ride. We dined on the beach in the usual Koh Samet style, with fire dance performances and videoke music in the background. Since we had Jianna with us, we had to return to the resort ahead of the group to put Jianna to sleep. And as soon as she was settled, JM and I took a stroll on the beach. It was romantic. Sigh.

We had first dibs on the beach again the following morning so Jianna could take advantage of the sun not having risen so yet. Breakfast was on the lazy side, we all lingered after the meal and had a few good laughs. Then it was time to pack up. After a hurried lunch, we set off on the speedboat back to mainland. And oh yeah, Jianna loved riding the speedboat -- this baby of ours seems to have the taste for speed and adventure, I could see her bungee jumping as soon as she's old enough!

I would give anything to have this kind of holiday again. I loved every hectic moment of it. And most of all, I loved that JM and I had some time to rekindle the romance. *wink*

...And We're Back!

Summer is over but it's still worthwhile to chronicle vacations past, specially with a new member of the family in tow.

During the Holy Week, JM's family came over and we headed to the famed island of Phuket in the south of Thailand. Phuket has many beaches, the most popular of which is Patong. But Patong is a bit too cosmopolitan, crowded with bars and hundreds of hotels and hostels. We chose instead to stay at a quieter beach, Kata. The thing with Kata beach though is that majority of its beach front has been hogged by Club Med so to get to the beach, one has to walk about 5-15 minutes, depending on where you're staying or take a tuk-tuk that will charge you 100 baht even for just a quick ride

The trip to Phuket involved a plane ride to the town of Phuket and a car ride to Kata. Upon arriving, we were disappointed to learn that there weren't enough metered taxi cabs to take us to Kata so we had no choice but to take a van that charges about 200 baht per person.

We stayed at a very family-friendly resort, the Centara Kata Resort, which is a member of the Centara chain of hotels and resorts. It's a bit out of our usual budget, but seeing the happy look on Jianna's face whenever she was in the wading pool was enough for us to forget about the cost. As I said, the place is very family-friendly, and you will see it in the number families checking in and the kids loitering around the pool. There are pools of different shapes and sizes to suit all ages. There is a daycare center and they organize activities for kids like movie viewing or kiddie discos. Of course, since Jianna's too young to join in the activities, we only had her play at the daycare center under our supervision.

We didn't get to the beach until the afternoon of the second day because we arrived quite late in the afternoon. Instead, we had Jianna take a dip in the wading pool, which she thoroughly enjoyed. We then had dinner on the beach, and I had Jianna sleep in my arms to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore. It was beautiful.

On the second day, we woke up a bit too late and a morning trip to the beach would have conflicted with Jianna's nap time so, as in the first day, we stayed by the wading pool to have Jianna swim. Just before lunch, JM and I availed of the free 30 minute massage, leaving the napping Jianna in the care of JM's mom. The massage was thoroughly relaxing that I honestly wanted more, but scheduling an appointment that would synchronize with Jianna's activities was a challenge so no more massage for me for the rest of the trip.

JM's family scheduled their massage at noon, so we had to go off by ourselves for lunch. I have to say, mobility is quite a challenge in Kata. Our resort wasn't exactly within walking distance of good restaurants and the sun was beating unbearably so we really had to take the expensive tuk-tuks. Like I mentioned, they charge a fixed rate of 100baht for trips within Kata and 200baht if you go to the next beach, Karon. We had decided to try a small restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet. As luck would have it though, by the time we got there which was about 2pm a lot of the restaurants were already closed for the afternoon. So we ended up having a quick noodle lunch at a small shophouse. I enjoyed my padthai, JM though did not enjoy his noodle soup.

After lunch, it was still too hot to go to the beach. We passed the time at Starbucks (yep, Starbucks is everywhere!), where Jianna had great fun practicing walking around. Finally at 4pm we were at the beach. I have to say, I was disappointed when I saw the beach. There was nothing special about it at all; the sand wasn't even as good as Koh Samet. JM and Jianna went to the surf while I took photos, and then it was JM's turn to take the photos while I played with Jianna on the sand. She started eating up the sand though so we decided she's had enough after only 30minutes out. We just waited for JM's family to arrive before we went back to the hotel. This made me realize how different vacationing is when one has a baby - it's goodbye to lounging at the beach, soaking in the pool or enjoying a massage - it's just all about the baby!

On our last day, there was only enough time for another trip to the wading pool after breakfast, and then it was time to pack up. Our plane schedule wasn't going to be until late afternoon but of course, check out is always at 12 noon. We lazed around at the lobby and the restaurant after lunch. The heat was still unbearable and Jianna was acting up from tiredness, waiting for our trip seemed endless and I was getting stressed.

By the time we got home, I just wanted to crash; it was a surprise that I still had the energy to get through dinner.

My take on Phuket: It's overhyped and overpriced. But as our friends say, at least, we got to see it what all the hype was and we would no longer be wondering about it.

My take on vacationing with a baby: A vacation with a baby is no vacation at all. Period.

Just because I want to break the lull

I was back on the beaten path again recently, this time traveling with a new companion - our little Jianna. We went home to the Philippines for a 2 1/2 week vacation, just the two of us. Ooh, how I dreaded the 3-hour plane rides, but my worry was in vain. She was a very well-behaved little girl, save for one incident in the toilet when I tried to change her nappy and she cried and screamed so much just as the lights were being dimmed so the passengers could rest. Oh yeah, and another one as we landed after our one hour flight to Bacolod when the ear pressure must have really gotten to her and there was nothing I could do to soothe her. Apart from these though, our flights went smoothly, I even managed to polish off the meal on our way back to Bangkok. We didn't do much while we were home except for one swimming expedition in Bacolod that ended up with Jianna catching a cold, so that we had to take a totally unplanned trip to the pediatrician.

One thing I just have to say, from this experience I gained more confidence in my ability as a parent and I realized I can take care of a kid, I just have to believe in myself.

Beach Babymoon

"Babymoon," it's how some people refer to the mid-pregnancy vacation that couples take before the baby arrives - kind of a last hurrah (see BabyCenter.com).

We had our babymoon last weekend at our favorite beach destination, Koh Samet. We had originally planned it for the week prior to that but since it was going to be a long holiday weekend for most people in celebration of the Chinese New Year, we decided to postpone it to avoid the crowds. When we arrived at Koh Samet though, it seemed, that there wasn't much difference whether we went on a holiday weekend or not. The beach was teeming with people, locals and foreigners alike, and they continued to come in hoards all through the afternoon of Saturday. There were even people coming in on Sunday as we prepared to leave. And because we risked not making prior room reservations, we almost didn't get any accomodations. Imagine me with my pregnant belly jogging down the beach to snag the last room at our usual resort before the newly-arrived western family could get to it! Of course, I had to do the racing because my still-limping husband would never have been able to get there in time. We even had no choice but to take the resort's more expensive accomodation which was a cottage in the traditional Thai house design. But thank our lucky stars, the woman at reception offered us a good discount, saying she remembered me from our previous trips there. This had me and JM wondering what memorable incident she could have remembered me by - JM asked me if I might have gotten into a heated discussion with the staff before, as if that was some norm for me. *guilty grin*.

So anyway, we finally checked in, had lunch and got ready to enjoy the rest of the afternoon on lounge chairs on the beach to enjoy the sun and breeze under a shady tree. And that was how it was until a group of giggly teenage girls came along and destroyed the peace and quiet with their chatter as they exhausted every possible pose for the camera that there was on the planet. One girl even climbed a branch of the tree to have her photo taken! Well at least JM still managed to sleep through the whole photo shoot, while I who couldn't get a wink had no other choice but to watch and laugh in secret.

In the late afternoon, we went back to our cottage to prepare for dinner and then a walk on the beach. It was such a lovely walk! Like a scene straight out of a romantic movie. *giggles*. We then had drinks (only a fruit punch for me) at a restaurant on the rocky part of the beach - another romantic scene complete with a lamp post shedding soft light on the waves lapping on the rocks. And as if the view wasn't enough, old love songs were wafting from the restaurant, a couple dining behind us couldn't help but dance to them. Sigh!

The following day we just had a quick breakfast, another quick lounge at the beach and got ready to go home.

The trip to the beach and back were quite exhausting for me but I think it was well worth it. When I came into my ID class on Monday night, my teacher commented on how I was glowing, how "alive" I looked, that, if she didn't look at my belly, she wouldn't think I was pregnant at all. But of course, she also commented on how my belly seems to keep growing ever so bigger every week.

Honeymoon On Hold

Blame it on the wifey swallowing the moon (*wink*wink*)

More stories to come on The Other Side

Holiday Hideaway: Hua Hin

A holiday came rolling in once more so JM and I headed to Hua Hin, about 300km south of Bangkok. It's considered to be the oldest beach resort in the kingdom and one which is said to be more popular among the Thai people than other beach resorts. It's a very historic place. It is where the first beach hotel, the Railway Hotel (now known as Sofitel) was built where scenes in the movie Killing Field were shot. It is also where Thailand's first golf course is located.

We were supposed to go there by train and I had already gotten quite excited over this new adventure but the husband changed his mind at the last moment when he learned that train trips are usually delayed and could take about 4 hours, whereas a bus ride would only take 3 hours. So we took a mini-bus/van from the Victory Monument (after almost 2 years here, we finally discovered that there are "bus stations" near our place!) and off to the beach we went.

Our experience of the Hua Hin beach was not as great as I would have wished it to be. We chose to stay near the city center and the only resorts there that had beachfronts were the luxurious ones - Hilton and Sofitel. So we had to walk for about 3 minutes to go to the beach and about another 3 minutes more to get to the part which was not rocky. And when we got there, it was low tide, so the waters were so far far away and the heat was so unbearable as their was no wind or nearby sea to cool us. And then the rental fee for lounge chairs and beach umbrellas were 50 baht! Well that's for a whole day, but hey it costs only 15 baht in Pattaya and you don't even have to pay if you order something. And in Koh Samet, there's no fee at all! Worse, the lounge chairs were really ratty. But we sat there for about an hour maybe until we felt faint from heat and hunger.

We had pizza and pasta for lunch at Roberto's Pizza. Their pizza was great, and it's probably the reason that the place was full for dinner. The pasta, though, was so-so. This pizza place was located on the corner of two main roads heading to the beach so we enjoyed some people watching and just general sight seeing. They had these quaint bicycle tuktuks, much like those in Vietnam and what really amused us for the whole duration of our stay was this one driver who was always asleep in his bicycle whenever we passed by.

After coffee we went to the Railway Station which is quite famous for its one-of-a-kind structure. It's one of the oldest railways stations in Thailand. And I must say it is indeed captivating. It has a Royal Waiting Room in traditional Thai architecture where the King was welcomed when he arrived. When we got there, JM got quite interested in taking the train back to Bangkok, but the train departure schedule that was convenient for us was already fully booked. After some picture taking at the station, we went back to our hotel to chill out by the pool. It was blessed! The breeze was coming in prettily to the pool area as JM swam some laps and I lounged with a book.

We decided to have an early dinner to avail of a nice sunset view, but unfortunately there was no beach sunset to speak of. We only realized on our second night, that there couldn't possibly be any marvelous sunset on the beaches Hua Hin since it was facing the wrong way. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a sumptous seafood dinner by the sea at Chao Lay restaurant. We had a feast! Baked scallops, deep fried sea bass in fish sauce, garlic prawns in their special sauce and seafood fried rice. Dessert was yummy gelato.

We then went to the Night Market, which is like the Walking Street in Chiangmai. The road was closed to traffic and was overflowing with stalls that sold everything from food to clothes to souvenir items. We also went to the Grand Market, which was basically the same thing except that it was not a street market thing. I was in search of something uniquely Hua Hin for a souvenir but everything they sold in the market were stuff I would also find in Bangkok, so I went home with empty hands.

On the second day, we were looking forward to breakfast by the sea. We had found a stall near the Hilton the night before and the stall owner told us she was willing to open earlier than her usual 1oAM so we could have breakfast there. But when we got there, the stall was closed. So instead of a nice breakfast by the sea we just sat around enjoying the breeze and the charming sight of 3 men fishing. It was great to be at the beach so early, to enjoy the warm feel of the sun and the cool breeze, to enjoy nature at its freshest. We ended up having so-so breakfast across the pizza place.

We then boarded a sawngthaew that took us to Khao Takiab, another stretch of beach on the southern part of Hua Hin. There we saw the gigantic golden buddha facing the sea and an interesting picture of a man scraping the sides of his little fishing boat. It was low tide once again, we walked close to the waters to avail of cooler sand for our feet. I liked this part of the beach, it wasn't rocky and there were very few people there. I told JM that if ever we were going back, I'd rather stay in this area. I could spend endless hours sitting on a lounge chair, staring out into the oceans, listening to the lapping of the waves.

Finally we could no longer take the heat (and we'd forgotten to bring our sunblock so I was afraid of getting toasted) so we went to one of the seaside resorts and relished some cool cool drinks. JM ordered a coconut shake (prettily served in its shell) while I had a watermelon shake. We decided to sit around until lunchtime and have our lunch at the same resort. As we sat there, I envied the resort's guests who were chilling in the pool...I remember one of our friends telling us that she and her husband would sometimes just order ice cream at some fancy hotel in Phuket in order to avail of the pool and I wondered if we could do that there too, besides we were ordering more than just ice cream. Lunch was prawns in garlic and grilled porkchop.

After lunch we walked by the sea some more and finally went back to our hotel to once again cool down by the pool with a bottle of beer each. JM once again took a dip in the pool while I read some more. We had planned to get a foot massage after lounging but I was too sleepy and tired so we decided to skip the massage. By the time I knew it, it was almost 6 and I had to get ready for dinner.

To celebrate JM's birthday we had dinner at White Lotus, the chinese restaurant on the top floor of the Hilton where we got marvelous views of the ocean and the city. We again had an early dinner, and of course there was no sunset on the beach to witness, but what we witnessed was the spectacular lighting up of the city as dark set in. Dinner was good too. Let's see...I had minced peking duck wrapped in tofu rolls for appetizers while JM had a lobster and mango salad (the peking duck came in a huge portion, I gave half to JM who wasn't satisfied with his salad)...For entrees, I had grilled sea bass and JM had grilled prawns...We each had a glass of white wine to go with the meal. We had agreed to skip dessert in favor of more drinks at some bar we were yet to discover.

Little did JM know though that I had made other plans. After I finished my meal I excused myself to go to the restroom. When I came out, I approached the friendlier looking waitress and asked if they had cake for dessert (I didn't see any on the menu earlier) and I explained to her that it was the gentleman's birthday. She told me she had to make a call if they had any (to the bakeshop I presume). I was fidgety as I waited for her to come back, JM might get suspicious if I was away for too long (but no! he had assumed I needed to do the number two in the toilet!). Finally, the waitress came back and told me they only had two kinds of cake, chocolate and black forest. I decided to choose the black forest since I thought it would look fancier than a chocolate cake and I asked that they put a candle on it. The kind waitress then offered to add "Happy Birthday" on the plate.

I went back to the table and tried my best to look normal. JM asked if I wanted to ask for the bill and I told him I wanted to enjoy the view some more. I came up with different topics to chat about while we waited. I took photos of the view from where I sat. Gosh, I must have looked and sounded funny! And then the waitress came by and JM asked for the bill and I gave her a smile. In a few moments, a waiter came to our table carrying the cake - and he joined me in singing Happy Birthday! The look on JM's face was priceless =D Wow, there's always great satisfaction when I'm able to successfully pull off a surprise for him. You see, I'm such a failure when it comes to these things and JM always beats me in the area of surprises. Ah, victory is sweet!

We skipped the margaritas we had planned to have after dinner. Instead we had coffee at Doitung (it's the local coffee place that is a project of H.M. The Princess Mother) and walked around town. It's actually fun, walking in and around the small streets of the city, discovering quaint little shops. By the way, I fell in love with a painting in one of the shops. It was of 5 Buddhist monks walking in a line. I loved the brightness of the orange background and the play of light and shadows. I gulped hard when we inquired about the price -4,5oo baht! In my mind I was saying "Baket, sikat ka ba??? Gagayahin ko na lang yan!"

On the way home we passed by a massage place and decided to get the foot massage we were earlier planning on. Nice! But by golly, if the place was empty when we came in, people started streaming in after we had settled in our seats! My friend, Jet, refers to it as the Jet Effect (the phenomenon wherein one enters a shop that is empty and then all of a sudden it fills up, presumably because of one's presence) to which I would disagree and say it's the Jenn Effect. But ok, Jet Effect sounds much better so I long gave up on the fight and pointed out to JM the Jet Effect that was happening at the massage place.

On our last morning in Hua Hin, we had breakfast at a German place. JM originally wanted to have the Bavarian knuckles which he had seen in the menu the night before. But when he asked the waitress about it, he only got an astounded reply of "For breakfast?" Well it turns out they didn't serve knuckles for breakfast so we had the usual American Breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon and coffee. And then JM still wanted to have a last taste of the gelato before going home, but the shop was still closed when we walked by. Yep, that's my husband!

We arrived back in Bangkok before 2PM.

In summary, like I said earlier Hua Hin was not as I expected it to be. It doesn't have the pristine beaches and clear waters of Koh Samet. Prices were kind of on the higher end of the usual Thailand scale, our meals averaged 700 baht every time, except of course for JM's birthday dinner which was expectedly expensive. It's very city-ish, not at all a resort place. Surprisingly, though, we had fun. We loved our walks by the sea, our walks around town, the early morning sea breeze, and despite the numerous bars and nightspots, I hardly felt it to be a party place. The place was able to maintain a charmingly serene air despite the bustle of the city.

Trekking The Hills Of Chiangmai

Well, it's official - JM and I have masochistic streaks in us. And I more. Here's why.

On Thursday night (May11), we found ourselves stuck in a bus for 11 hours. It was supposed to be a pretty comfortable ride - the roads were perfectly paved, the seats were reclining so we should be able to sleep well, right? Wrong. The airconditioning got so cold late in the night and the vent above me was missing one flap so I couldn't close it fully. I kept tossing and turning in my seat, trying to find the most comfortable position possible (read: as far away from the draft as possible) - would you believe sitting cross-legged was it? In all, JM and I only had 3 hours of sleep, and that's not even for a straight 3 hours!

We finally arrived in Chiangmai. We boarded a sawngthaew that took us to a guesthouse where we were supposed to wait for another sawngthaew that would take us to another guesthouse from where our trekking guide was supposed to pick us up. Thank goodness we were allowed to shower at the second guesthouse. We ordered breakfast and then walked around the area to check out the place. There was a nearby temple so we decided to take a peek. Going back to the guesthouse, we tried to catch some sleep. I fell asleep on a garden chair, my legs stretched out to the bottom of the table and my head hanging over on the back of the chair. Obviously I woke up with a crick in my neck.

The sawngthaew picked us up promptly at 9AM, as advised, and we proceeded to pick up the other participants of the trekking tour. We found out JM was to be the only guy in the group, the rest were all girls and all westerners; the tourist police kidded him that he must now feel what heaven is like. Well, not with the wife heavily guarding. Then again, not. I fell asleep again on the way to the market where our guide purchased our food supplies, and then I slept again on our way up the hills.

When I woke up, we were almost at the elephant camp where we were supposed to enjoy an hour of elephant riding. But having done this before, I can't really say that I enjoyed the ride. The 1-hour ride seemed to take ages moreso because our elephant was a particularly stubborn one that did not respond to our guide's proddings to keep walking - she only wanted to eat, eat, eat. But what was cute and entertaining was the baby elephant that kept following us around, I believe he was the baby of our elephant.

After the elephant ride, it was time for some trekking. We headed to a waterfall where we had lunch and a dip in the waters. Imagine, JM in the pool surrounded by 7 ladies in two-piece bikinis - now that is what guys would call heaven! Heck, I was the only one wearing a tankini and boyleg bottoms, which made me feel really prudish, not to mention fat. But the dip in the watefall was refreshing, the water was so cool.

We changed back into our trekking outfits (using the trees and plants as cover up) and the real trekking began. They should have told us it wasn't just hill trekking, it was mountain climbing! And JM and I are sooo not fit for something like that. At first, we found ourselves in the lead of the tail end. Later on, we became the tail end and a very far tail end at that. Even the girl with a deep cut on her foot (from the waterfall) overtook us. We were sweating and panting and every step was pulling so badly on my hamstring muscles, I was tempted to stop and just camp in the wilderness. Apart from the uphill terrain, the heat of the mid-afternoon sun was unbearable. So I said to myself, to hell with trekking porma! and whipped out my purple umbrella to shield myself from the sun. I wouldn't be surprised if I was suddenly labeled as "The Girl With The Purple Retro Umbrella" and I didn't care too if I appeared like a primadonna who was trying too hard to rough it out in the woods - I needed to find even a little respite from this already hellish trekking journey.

After 3 hours, we finally reached the tribal village where we were to spend the night. And surprise! There was some problem with their water system so there was to be no shower for us! Well, it's not all that bad for me. I'd had enough experience of water shortages during college at the dorm. And I'd already experienced bathing on two bottles of mineral water before. So I made the most of what little water I had. And I'm not even going into the details of what I was able to do with the half bottle of water - it's enough to say that I managed to clean the essential body parts. =D

I felt refreshed after having changed into my sleeping clothes. And then we were called for dinner, a surprisingly delightful dinner. There was green curry tofu (i love green curry!), stir-fried veggies, and stir-fried beansprouts. They were all delicious, or was I just too hungry? Nah, I didn't even eat much as sleep was more beckoning than hunger. But before we could get to our beds, the children of the village entertained us with some local songs in front of a bonfire. Charming, really. And this cute little girl standing on the far side of the group close to me, kept gazing at me in a really cute way. Cute!

After the mini-concert, I don't know what else the rest of the group did coz I conked out. That was the earliest I slept in months - at 9PM. I didn't even stir when JM lay down next to me or when the other girls came in. By the way, we all slept in one hut - lucky, lucky JM huh! At midnight though, I woke up feeling cold and needing to pee. Since the toilet was an outhouse, I woke JM so he could accompany me. The full moon was shining so wonderfully bright! We didn't even need to turn on the flashlight to see the path to the toilet.

Sleep was fitful after that midnight break. The cold got to me, and every muscle was aching from both the trek and the hard bamboo floors of the hut. I woke up at 4, and then at 6 and finally at 8. We had an American breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs and fruits. There was coffee and tea as well. Then it was time to pack up.

We left camp at 9AM and trekked for two hours. This time it was a downhill trek so I was able to keep pace with the guide, except when I had to wait for JM to catch up. See, JM thought it was going to be an easy trek like the one in Kanchanaburi (well, we both thought that) and only brought sandals for footwear so pebbles kept coming in to his sandals, sometimes cutting skin. I was actually thankful I brought my trainers instead of sneakers as I'd originally planned. But as a whole, the 2nd day was a lot better than the first. We even had the pleasure of taking pictures along the way, and I bought a wood carved buddha head at one of our pit stops! By the way, I also bought a beautiful turqouise hand-woven cloth from our village camp.

When we got to the end of the trek a sawngthaew was waiting to take us to lunch. Lunch was ladna noodles (flat rice noodles in "gravy" with chicken and broccoli), which is another one of my favorite Thai dishes. We rested a bit before moving on to bamboo rafting. This one I totally enjoyed. It wasn't at all like the bamboo rafting in Kanchanaburi where the river was peaceful but the sun was pounding on our backs. This time, there was more shade but the river was quite rough with huge boulders along the way. JM was asked to help steer the raft from the back, which I must say was quite a challenge for him. Our raft bumped into boulders and ran into low-hanging branches of trees, it tipped to the left and to the right that, by the time we got off we were drenched from waist down. No wonder our guide specifically told us not to bring our cameras as it would get wet during the ride.

The end of the raft ride signalled the end of our trekking adventure and we were delivered back to the guesthouse where we finally washed off two day's worth of filth on our bodies.

But for me and JM, our adventure was not yet over. We had another overnight bus ride back to Bangkok. I thought it was going to be an easy ride this time, what with the fatigue that would help me conk out once again. But no! The bus's aircon was condensating, so, every so often, just as I would feel sleep taking over me, a cold droplet would bring me back to my senses and make la-la land seem so far away. After a while, I gave up on trying to sleep. Instead, I "daydreamed" of getting home, having a nice warm shower, getting in bed, comfortable under the covers, and sleeping the whole day off - which is exactly what I did as soon as we arrived home.

Here now is the explanation of why I'm more masochistic than JM.

After mass late Sunday afternoon, we went for a massage as originally planned from day 1 of the trek, after we realized how back-breaking the trek was going to be. The masseuse asked me if I wanted the massage strong, I said yes. And how strong the massage was! It's a surprise I didn't end up with bruises. But the masseuse didn't hear a single complaint from me. By the way, it was the real traditional Thai massage were the masseuse steps all over your back. I loved it!

To add, I was actually a bit disappointed with this trip, not because of the transportation issues but that this trip was promoted as a trekking and hilltribe visit activity so I was expecting that we would be able to witness how the tribes live and go about in their daily manner. I was expecting that we would be sleeping in their huts and dining with them. But as it turned out, the trip has been very much commercialized they've even built a special hut for the tourists to sleep in. Why, except for the kids performing for us, we really didn't get to interact with any tribe member except for one of our tour guides who I believe came from that tribe. Maybe I could blame it on us booking just an overnight trip, maybe a 3 day trip would have allowed us to witness more - but I don't think so. I think these hilltribe treks are more about trekking than hilltribe visits, so I can't say I'd like to do it again, not even a 3-day or 5-day one, not even when I'm fit enough to climb mountains. But I would like to go back to Chiangmai (again!) and stay for a while in the city. It is quite a charming place, with the remains of the old city walls and the moat and the little narrow streets. It's such a shame that after 2 visits we still haven't been able to explore the city itself. Next time...there'll always be a next time...

Weekend in Sukhothai

Sukhothai is the old capital city of Thailand. It is divided into two sections - New Sukhothai and Old Sukhothai, the latter being the old capital city where the historical park is situated. The historical park contains ruins of the old palace and temples.

We took a late-night bus (11PM, but left at 11:30) on Friday evening from the North and Northeastern Terminal Station in Mo Chit. It was a 6-hour trip mostly spent sleeping. The bus seats were reclining and passengers were provided with blankets to make for a comfortable sleep. We arrived at the bus terminal in New Sukhothai at 6AM and hired a sawngthaew (a pick-up truck with bench seats in the back) to take us to the guesthouse area.

The first guesthouse we went to was fully-booked, it was most popular on the web with a lot of positive comments regarding service but the room was not very pretty looking. We decided to check out the guesthouse next door and were sufficiently satisfied - room was smaller but it was a bungalow hut with a small terrace in front- so we immediately booked the bungalow that we were showed. Besides, it cost a mere 350 Baht for an airconditioned bungalow with hot shower! The guesthouse was aptly named, Garden House, as the path to the bungalows was lined with a variety of plants and each bungalow was likewise surrounded by plants (and weeds!). It was also very conveniently located - close to the sawngthaew terminal that would take us to the historical park in Old Sukhothai, just a few minutes walk to the city center and with a 7-11 close by. We always consider having a 7-11 nearby as a big plus as it will make for a convenient purchase of food and drinks (and other stuff we might find we need) should we not find any good restaurants available within the area.

We each took a quick shower before walking to the sawngthaew terminal and getting a ride to the park. I was amazed when I saw the sawngthaew - it had wooden flooring, wooden benches on each side and wooden ceilings! The only thing not wooden about it was probably the engine and the engine hood! Of course, with this you then have to expect the ride to be really slow. But it was something I didn't mind as I enjoyed the scenery along the way - beautiful old teak homes and more elaborately designed, modernized new ones.

We finally arrived at the park, but before entering, we had to hire a bicycle. Now, I have to admit, I don't really know how to ride one. Yes - and I can't help feeling so idiotic about it. I only learned to ride a bike about 6 years ago and the last time I rode one was about 5 years ago. When I did try out a bike that morning, I merely wobbled around so we decided to just rent one bike that had a back seat. Imagine now the pains my husband had to go through to take us around the park! And the bike too - I could actually hear it squeaking with every push of the pedal. We were just too fortunate that the sun wasn't bearing down too heavily that day. We enjoyed our ride around the park, stopping every so often to walk into the temple ruins and to give the hubby some rest.

I loved being in the park, it was peaceful and the surroundings were beautiful. If only it wasn't too far away from Bangkok, I'd probably find myself there every weekend or so - learning to expertly ride a bike! Another striking feature of the temples in Sukhothai are the Khmer influences that you will find in the intricate carvings on the chedis and the phrangs, much like those that you will find in the ruins of Angkor. My favorite spot was the Wat Sa Si and its surrounding park with a lagoon enclosing it. It felt refreshing just to sit under one of the native gazebos and look out to the rest of the park. This was were we stopped to rest and have some food. The next spot I liked was the Wat Mahathat mainly for the huge buddhas that until now are still intact. But nothing will beat the gigantic buddha of the Wat Si Chum, and JM captured a very nice shot of it. The other temple I enjoyed was the Wat Phra Phai Luang, mainly for the pigeons that flew around and over its chedis.

By midday, JM no longer had the energy to carry us around for some more sight seeing, so we went back to return the bike and have a leisurely lunch by the highway. We slept the afternoon off at the guesthouse, which wasn't a really good time to be out anyway since it had gotten too hot by then. In the late afternoon, we tried to explore the city center of New Sukhothai, but there really wasn't much to see. We looked for one of the recommended cafes of Lonely Planet, Dream Cafe, and got ourselves some snacks. It was a charming cafe with the ambiance of a tavern. Tables were made of antique sewing machines tops and the seats were of heavy wood. The walls and ceilings were adorned with several antique home furnishings as well. It started to rain while we were in the cafe so we decided to take a tuktuk back to the guesthouse. Their tuktuks were also quite different from the ones in Bangkok. Instead of the passenger seats being at the back of the driver, the driver was instead behind the "carriage".

More sleep for JM while I read a book on the terrace, and then it was time for dinner. We had spotted a barbecue stall during our earlier walk so we went back there to buy some Gai Yaang (Grilled Chicken), Moo Yaang (Grilled Pork Belly) and Khao Niew (Sticky Rice) which we ate at the guest house. We also bought some drinks from 7-11 and enjoyed them with chips at the terrace to the varying tunes of crickets, frogs and other nocturnal animals.

Sleep was good for the night and in the morning we only had bath and breakfast before heading back to Bangkok.

Hunnymooner No More?

We celebrated our first wedding anniversary much like we celebrated our first christmas - quiet and low-key. I know for a fact JM had asked around my friends what could be a possible anniversary gift for me and he had been given sugggestions as going out of town or out of the country. But since we are based out of the country and we always go out of town on the many Thai holidays, it was but appropriate that we spend it locally. And we did. We booked a room at the New World hotel and had dinner at the neighboring Shangri-la hotel.

Before checking in, we had lunch with JM's family. To satisfy the hubby's yearning for crispy pata, we had our lunch at Sentro. Need I say that it also satisfied my own yearnings, both for crispy pata and their original corned beef sinigang. I would have opted to have the bottomless sago gulaman too but decided to be more conscious of my sugar intake. The family then dropped us off at the hotel and left us to our devices...*evil grin* - not!

As soon as we settled our luggage in the room, we went out again for some errands and then to the church that we were wed to attend Mass. We were surprised to see the church packed with kids and learned later on that it was a children's easter mass we were attending, thus the children's choir and puppet homily. Yes, the homily was given, not by the priest, but by severely altered looking cookie monster, kermit and big bird. Hmmm, could this be a hint to us? Hehehe!

We went back to the hotel after the mass to get some rest. The past week had been really busy and sleep always came late so I wasn't surprised to find myself off to lala land too soon. I woke up to find JM having finsihed his bath and getting dressed for dinner so, much as I would have wanted to sleep some more, I had to fix myself up for dinner as well.

Dinner wasn't up to my expectations. I had heard praises about the buffet at the Shangri-la and have been told of the wide selection of delicious food. Indeed it was a wide selection, but the choices weren't very appealing to me. The only section I went to twice was the Japanese bar, for the salmon sashimi and the california maki. I had some fresh oysters, but was too afraid of getting a tummy ache so I ate sparingly. The prawns were so-so, although they went well with their mango salsa and tomato dips. There was the usual carving station but the meat looked too fatty, I didn't get any. The lamb chops weren't all that delicious, but the beef kebab was good. The grilled sea bass was ok. I didn't touch pasta or any other Italian food. And I didn't take anything from the Chinese section too.

BUT the dessert more than made up for my disappointment! I totally forgot about being conscious of my sugar intake. As I spooned chocolate after chocolate into my mouth, I told JM "I could die now and I'm gonna die happy, with a smile on my face."

Back at the hotel, though, I had to once more face the reality of packing our luggage to prepare for the following day's departure. We got up quite early the next day to find time for a dip in the pool. I was too lazy to actually get into the pool but as I had already been thoroughly tanned from prior beach trips, I couldn't very well do anymore sunbathing, so I did get myself wet. And that was when I realized how out of shape I really was (as if I hadn't yet!) - I couldn't complete a lap unless I did it in backstroke! So I vowed to make more use of our building pool and to immediately make use of JM's wedding anniversary gift - yoga classes!

More about Hunnymooner No More?

A Night At Sonya's Garden

I visited this place in 2004 with two girl friends as I was in search of a perfect date place for my parents. When I saw the cottages and the garden, I knew I'd found the right place. However, things didn't go as planned as my parents decided to skip it and preferred to spend all their days and nights in Manila with their kids. But to myself I swore I was going to spend a night here with my husband.

The cottages and the garden were as charming as ever, peaceful and tranquil (save for the irritating scraping of furniture on the 2nd floor of our cottage so I suggest booking a cottage on the 2nd floor or with no 2nd floor). It was even more lovely at night when the garden luminaries and lanterns were all lit up and the moon hung bright and round against the dark sky; when the crickets began to sing to the bass chanting of the frogs; and when we sat on the garden chairs to enjoy the stillness of nature.

We spent our first few hours reading - the cottages were well stocked with an interesting collection of books, I realized there really was no need for me to bring all 4 books that I was reading at the time as I read two of their in-house books in intervals (The Third Treasury of Kahlil Gibran and Stillness Speaks).

Dinner was the usual salad greens and pasta. The greens were different varieties of lettuce with ceasar dressing. There was also chopped boiled egg, mango and pineapple slices, nuts and parmesan cheese to top the salad with. For the herbed bread, we were provided with 5 kinds of spreads - mushroom pate, anchovies, kesong puti, sun-dried tomatoes and the fifth I never did figure out what. The pasta came with two types of sauce - sundried tomatoes and cream with chicken. This time they also added grilled salmon, probably in observance of the Holy Week when some Catholics would abstain from meat. Finally, dessert was caramelized sweet potatoes and banana turon. And along with all these was a bottomless pitcher of sweetened dalandan juice.

We ate too much of the salad and bread that by the time the pasta arrived we could afford to eat very little of it and JM's parents didn't even eat any. Too bad, I really wanted to try the grilled salmon with the sun-dried tomato sauce but I just didn't have any room left for it.

And then a delightful massage! Loved, loved, loved the massage! Just the right amount of pressure on just the right places. And because of that, I immediately booked a foot spa for the following morning. I actually considered having another body massage but felt I needed a foot spa more. Besides, while I could always get a body massage in Bangkok, foot spas are rare here (and I mean full foot spas with scrubbing and all), and expensive. I'm glad I went for the foot spa. I got the same girl who did my body massage and she worked as wonderfully as the previous night.

Breakfast was an endless supply of delicious traditional Filipino dishes. There was fried rice, chicken adobo (swimming in oil, if i may add), danggit, tsokolate a(gua), and a plate of mangoes. There was mushroom omelet as well, which I snubbed in favor of the local fare. I am not much of a breakfast person, except when we're traveling for fear of starving if I should find myself in the middle of nowhere. But this time I filled my stomach full and faster than they could re-fill the dishes.

We lounged some more at the cottage before check out and received a goodwill bag of yummy freshly-baked Spanish bread from Sonya.

So my wish of spending a night at Sonya's Garden did come true. But it doesn't end there. I still wish I could go back - only me and JM next time. :D

Chiang Mai Nights

The nights in Chiang Mai were peaceful and relaxing. I sat at the balcony of our room allowing different sensations to take over me - the warmth of the coffee, the coolness of the night wind, the sweetness of the saxophone music wafting from the lobby...heavenly...

We've always loved going to the spa and I told JM I wanted a totally relaxing vacation this time, not the kind that has you running around so I booked plane tickets to Chiang Mai and JM made the reservations at a mountain spa resort. I had booked the plane tickets way back December, before we even went home for Christmas to avail of lower rates.

THE LONG DRIVE

We arrived in Chiang Mai at around 7:30 AM, sleepy, hungry and a bit lost. We were booked at a resort so far from civilization, the only way to get there was to either book an airport pickup from the hotel which we thought was too expensive or to hire a cab which we found out charged a fixed rate of 600 baht (even more expensive than the hotel's airport pickup). So we hired a cab and during the long drive, we learned that there are only about 60 cabs in Chiang Mai because it's too expensive to register for one. Eventually, the cab driver asked us if we had any planned activities and offered to drive us around. After some wheeling and dealing, we settled at an ultra-cheap rate of 2,000 baht for a whole day of touring the city (and that inlcudes the gas cost already!).

After checking in at the resort, we hurried back to the city. We told our driver, Khun O, to take us to some nice, quick and cheap breakfast so he drove us to this seemingly uninhabited hotel and when we got there our food was already laid out on the table - Khun O had ordered for us beforehand so we wouldn't waste any more time. We gobbled our breakfast in less than 30 minutes then set off for the Mae Sa Waterfall.

3-2-1 BUNGEE!

On the way to the waterfall, we discovered that there was a bungee jumping site along the way so JM, with eyes gleaming in excitement, asked K. O to take us there for a look-see. We had second thoughts when we got to the office. For one, it cost 1,800 baht per person. Second, we weren't sure we were ready for a jump, especially since we'd just had breakfast. So we asked to see the site first, which was about 500 meters from the office. Whe we got there, a lady farang (Caucasian) was getting ready to take the plunge so we decided to watch her first. As soon as she was done it seemed all second thoughts were erased from our minds and we immediately registered. We signed up for a together-jump, meaning JM and I were going to jump together. The guy gave us an option to give up the shirt that went with the jump and pay only 1,600 baht each, so obviously we took this cheaper option.

We weighed in (oh god! that was the 2nd time for the weekend that i had to know my weight and i can't say i'm happy about it) and thankfully our combined weight was well within the limit so they wrapped up our legs and locked the cables and lifted us up 50 meters above the ground. Surprisingly, I felt no fear. Well, I was never really afraid of heights and I knew very well that the trick was to never look down. JM and I hopped our way to the edge of the platform - our hips could not fit within the rails! Haha! JM was starting to mutter fear under his breath and I tried to calm him down.

And then 3-2-1 BUNGY!!! There we were free-falling from 50 meters up and all I could say was "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Blood was pounding to my face, my nose, my eyes and it was too painful. JM, on the other hand, was just yellling at the top his lungs, trying to dispel the awful feeling of nausea. The guy from above and the ones from below were yelling at us to look up for the camera but we only yelled "cannot!" That must have been the first time I declined on a photo op! We swayed in the air, I closed my eyes and surrendered to the wind. Somehow, this made me feel better. When they pulled us down to the ground, I almost forgot all about the nausea as I was overcome by a feeling of triumph. I knew the jump was something I would forever remember as one of those times I tried to live on the edge.

*bungee pictures to follow...

MAE SA

Finally, we got to the national park where the Mae Sa Waterfall was located. It wasn't as impressive as the Erawan Waterfall in Kanchanaburi but the cool wind and the cold water immediately dispeled the remaining queasiness from the bungee jump. We were too tired to climb all 10 levels. We immediately headed back down for lunch. The food stalls had my favorite chicken babecue - I had that and a plate of som tam or papaya salad. We finished off lunch with ice cream.

Then we went to the Orchid and Butterfly Farm. It was swarming with tourists but I loved seeing the orchids. Too bad, I couldn't find any cymbidium orchids, though, they're my favorite. They only had a couple of the vanda variety, some phalaenopsis and a few cattleyas. JM and I went "trigger happy". We planned to come up with a photo collection we would name the Flora Series.

We skipped the Snake Farm. JM didn't want to have anything to do with snakes - that coming from someone who was born on the Year of the Snake.

GUESTS FROM CHINA

Next, we asked K. O to drive us to the Chiang Mai zoo were two panda bears can be found. These panda bears are on loan from China as a sign of good will. It wasn't really much of an adventure since all the pandas did was chew on the bamboo stalks that were being thrown at them by the zoo keepers. But that didn't stop us, and lots of other tourists, from taking many, many pictures and video footages of these lazy creatures.

The Chiang Mai zoo is actually a really large one with lots of other animals, but since we've already seen the likes of these animals in other zoos and we still had a lot of other places to visit, we really just came to have a look at the pandas. You can say, it's something like the Monalisa of Louvre, it's the only thing people flock to the zoo for.

BORSANG UMBRELLAS

The only thing I promised I would buy in Chiang Mai is the umbrella that's supposedly made in a specific village called Borsang. These are hand-made umbrellas from bamboo or cane and decorated with colourful handmade paintings or patterns on glazed rice paper or silk covers. So we went to one of the major production centers of these umbrellas. There one can see the whole process of coming up with an umbrella - from chiseling the bamboo to making the glazed paper to painting the parasol and drying them out under the sun. Some kid tourists were trying their hand at pounding the material for the paper - cute! Other tourists on the other hand had asked the painters to work on their shirts, one even asked to have a painting on the back of his cellphone! Finally we got to the shop. I was disappointed to learn that the really nice large umbrellas made of silk cost thousands. There were cheaper ones though, at 200-500 baht or so, and I settled on a smaller silk umbrella within that range. On our way out of the village, I kept asking JM if there really weren't such umbrellas in the Philippines, like in Quiapo for instance. How horrible it would be to find out that my special Chiang Mai umbrella was actually being sold in the Philippines as well and worse if it actually costs less too!

WALKING STREET

Our next and final stop for that day was the Walking Street. This is a weekend thing where they close off one of the streets and fill it with stalls on the sidewalk that offer a huge assortment of goods, mostly crafted by the sellers themselves. As expected, I kept on exclaiming about how cute or how nice something was but I managed to resist the temptations of buying everything that captured my interest. In the end, we settled for a couple bottles of body wash and a native tissue holder. Oh and I got my nails done for a mere 29 baht! That's all 10 finger nails and with those cutesy flower designs. Have to explain, here in Bangkok some salons charge manicure/polish per nail, something I couldn't quite get because when you have your nails done you always have all 10 done right? Unless maybe I just didn't know that some people here don't do it like that. But in an effort to understand and inject some humor into it, we decided that at least if you suddenly find yourself short of funds you can opt to just have a couple nails done and come back next payday for the rest. Haha! But I digress..

Dinner was a mini adventure as well. We bought some 10 sticks of pork barbecue, a serving of fried rice, fried quail eggs for me and two cups of Pepsi from the stalls along the street. Then we found a spot along the sidewalk and enjoyed our fare. Our dinner cost us only 100 baht total. On our way back to the cab, we spotted an ice cream cart that sold what is called "Ancient Ice Cream". They came in rectangular blocks, really big ones, and cost only 10 baht. The assortment of colors were so pleasing to the eyes, I got a strawberry flavored block. Had a picture taken with the "mamang sorbetero" then headed for home.

2ND DAY = RELAXATION

On our 2nd day, we decided to stay at the resort and have the relaxed vacation that we originally planned. We forcibly pushed our bums out of bed at 9AM so we can avail of the buffet breakfast that closed at 10. Then we strolled around the resort, checking out the cabins - the resort looks something like the Baguio Country Club or the Tagaytay Highlands, only smaller. Again, I went "trigger happy", clicking away at the beautiful flowering plants. It was like spring in Europe, but without the tulips. The roses were abloom though and they looked marvelous. Poinsettias were everywhere as if it was still the Christmas season.

After that we went back to our room and lazed around in bed, surfing through the limited number of English channels on TV until we decided to take a dip in the pool. We had the pool to ourselves. The water was freeeeeezing! I only stayed inside the pool for about 10 minutes then settled myself on a lounge chair. And then it was time for lunch, well late lunch, coz it was already 3PM then. We just shared a club sandwich and I had a mango shake, I have to say nothing beats the sweetness of Philippine mangoes. The shake they served me was sweet but it had a kind of tartiness as in green mangoes. But since I also love green mango shake, I still enjoyed my shake.

Massage was next on our "itinerary" so we asked to be driven by tuktuk to the spa "hut". JM had a Thai Herbal Oil Massage while I enjoyed my Thai Medicinal Herb Massage. Thai Medicinal Herb Massage is where they give you a brief traditional Thai Massage followed by a Hot Compress using a mixture of herbs packed in cheesecloth - I forgot the name of the pack, my masseuse actually told me what it was called. After our massage, we lounged some more at the spa lobby before going back to our room for more lazy lounging.

We had one of the most sumptuous dinners. A fresh salad came first followed by deep fried marinated spare ribs and red curry pork. The red curry pork could be the best curry I've ever had. Even JM who's not too fond of curry took a liking to it. And even if it was a bit spicy, I mixed the sauce with my rice, Filipino style, and just fought away the spice with water. For dessert, we shared a slice of coffee cake. My tummy felt utterly heavy after dinner so we went for a walk and, of course, some picture taking. Then we sat at the lobby to listen to some beautiful saxophone and keyboard music before calling it a night.

LAST HURRAH

We had to get up at 9AM again on our last day. We had planned to fill ourselves up from the breakfast buffet so we wouldn't have to get lunch at the airport, and fill up our tummies we did so that we had to go for another digestion walk. Then we set off for the pool. This time there were a couple other people there. The water was once again freezing but I managed to stay in longer than the previous day. Finally, it was time to pack and say goodbye. The hotel's van drove us to the airport where we had some coffee before boarding.

As we left though, we promised to come back. There are yet so many other things to experience in Chiang Mai, one of them a visit to the hilltribes and another an ATV tour - you actually get to drive an all-terrain vehicle to go on the tour!

So it wasn't really goodbye Chiang Mai, more of "Asta la vista - I shall return!"

Christmas Hunnymoon

I know this is kinda late but I will post it anyway so as to have a written memory of this event.

On Christmas day, JM and I went to The Farm at San Benito with his family. It's a totally relaxing sanctuary two hours from Manila. The Farm is well-known for its holistic approach to wellness so they serve only healthy food (read: raw vegetarian food) so before checking in we stopped by a Jollibee outlet for lunch. (Hmmm, I missed Chicken Joy so much!)

When we got to The Farm we were welcomed by the peaceful environment and beautiful structures. JM and I stayed in a a very pretty Ifugao style hut, while his parents and sister got a cottage. Our hut's bathroom was in the lower level so you have to get out of the hut to get there, but the place's ambiance more than makes up for the inconvenient positioning of the bath. We booked a massage for each of us as soon as we got to the hut.

The massage was truly relaxing as it was described in the brochure. I chose a refreshing lemongrass oil and fell asleep to the kneading and rubbing. Following the massage, we explored the grounds of the spa. It is such a huge place, one can get lost in it. And there were times I felt fear about where the paths would lead us coz everything around was shrubs and trees. While waiting for dinner time, JM and I sat on a bench overlooking a man-made lagoon with a water fountain and some ducks gliding around.

Dinner was Max's - outside the spa, of course. (This is another Filipino thing I so miss!) We ordered chicken and sinigang and crispy pata and finally leche flan. Yummy yummy yummy dinner! When we went back to The Farm, JM and I went for another stroll. I had seen some tivoli lights from afar on the way in and wanted to see what it was all about. Finding the mini park was easy enough but getting out back onto the main path was a challenge. We went round and round and round as if we were in a maze like in Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire. This time I voiced out my fears coz I was really afraid then. It was so dark, we couldn't see anything in some of the paths we passed. Finally, we saw the spa building and managed to go back to our hut.

Following day, we had breakfast in the resort. It was included in the package so we had no choice but to avail of it. I'm not even gonna describe here how the food tasted, then again I'd be at a total loss for words if I did try. So we had breakfast and then we dipped into the pool, which was a really picturesque one. It was in an almost-hidden enclave, and was surrounded by rocks and plants - well, just take a look at the picture...

And then it was time to leave. It saddened me to think that this was the last time I could savor the peace of our hut...but I was ready for lunch - of bulalo and barbecue!

Finally, Honeymoon on the Beach!

After almost 8 months of discovering new places as part of our extended honeymoon, we have finally been able to bring ourselves to the beach. Last Saturday, we once again crammed our backpacks to bursting capacity and traveled to Koh Samed, an island in the south of Thailand facing the gulf. It was going to be a brief vacation as we wanted to be home by Monday, a holiday, to get some rest before having to get back to work again. But no matter how brief a vacation it was, we made sure to enjoy it. We lived the life.

We were able to get a really charming cottage room in a resort, with a rustic style, sunlit bathroom. Lucky for us, most of the resorts were fully booked and the resort that we went to had only two rooms available, one was the newly built cottage that we took and another was a really dingy one uphill. And so we made no haste in grabbing the cottage. As soon as we got in, we changed into our bathing clothes and went out to the beach.

We had lunch first, and then we went to the Ao Sangthian, the beach on the other side of the hill from where we stayed (the beach where we stayed – Ao Vongdeuan – is the more popular one, thus filled with tourists, but it has the restaurants and the nightlife). Our friend, Faith, advised us that Ao Sangthian was quieter and more private and she was right. We had the beach almost to ourselves, save for about 8 other people, and the sea was not littered with motorboats so we had a great view of the horizon.

We claimed two lounge chairs and an umbrella for ourselves and sat the afternoon away, only occasionally getting up for a dip in the water or to get some drinks. To make our lounging true to the theme of living the life, JM guzzled a beer while I sipped buko juice in its shell. We fell asleep to this utterly serene environment. Late afternoon, we rented a kayak and gave ourselves an hour of work out.

Before dark set in, we trudged back to our room to get ready for dinner. We were supposed to have an early dinner but we fell asleep waiting for the clock to tick 6, so we missed the sunset and our reservation for beachfront seats. Nevertheless, we still had dinner on the beach, under a beautiful starry sky. And we had a feast! Baked mussels, grilled pork neck and kebabs.

We moved on to have drinks after dinner. We got to the bar just in time before happy hour came to a close so we hoarded two drinks for each of us that made the waiter react in astonishment. I sipped my way through three cocktails as we lazed on the bamboo platforms under the moonlight. We had some entertainment in the form of our waiter, too – he was actually an expert at swinging chains with fireballs on the end. And the loi krathongs that flew up into the dark sky were a pretty sight.

Next day, we tried to get up as early as we could to see the sunrise, but we were never morning persons and besides we were supposed to be living the life, remember? So again, we missed what must have been a fantastic view of the sunrise. We managed to bring ourselves out of the room by 7. We were still able to catch the sun on the rise and were able to take good pictures. I wanted to have a delicious breakfast, but as it turned out the restaurants were still closed – there was only one that was open and the breakfast they served was so-so but I had to make do with that.

After breakfast, we once again lazed on the beach until it was time to check out. We had decided to take the 4pm trip back to mainland so we had 4 hours to spare after checkout. We each had a massage amid the chatter of the old ladies providing us the service. Then we went back to Ao Sangthian for lunch and in the hopes of once more "owning" the beach. We were disappointed though as at this time, all the tourists seemed to have settled in. We were lucky enough to find two lounge chairs to sit in. Before taking our final shower, we went for a last dip in the clear waters and enjoyed a banana shake.

ANECDOTES:

On the trip back to mainland I was taken aback when I saw Caucasian foreigners literally getting up from sunbathing and boarding the ferry back to Banphe. I was like – what the??? – they didn’t even bother putting on a shirt to cover their two-piece clad bodies. Well, I eventually learned that they were on the island on a day tour from Pattaya and were going to be herded back by van.

Did you know that…a lot of Thai people go to the beach wearing high-heeled shoes and sweaters? If they are afraid of getting tanned, why bother going to the beach in the first place? Oh yes, to enjoy fresh air, something that is missing in Bangkok. But that thought didn’t stop me from thinking that the meager number of lounge chairs was just getting wasted on them if they’re not out to do some sunbathing.

Siem Reap Stories

We spent the long weekend in Siem Reap in Cambodia where the Angkor Wat is located. It was a grueling 13-hour trip, including all the stops. The first three hours were fine, what with the perfectly paved roads of Thailand. But after we crossed the border in Poipet, it was 6 hours of muddy rough roads amidst rice fields and narrow bridges that constantly seemed to be on the brink of breaking down. As we approached one of the bridges, we actually got down and crossed it on foot and then got back on the bus again after we had crossed the bridge. And as night set in, it was all pitch black except for our bus's headlights and some distant lights in the fields and the occasional headlights of oncoming vehicles. I tried to spend the whole duration of the trip in dreamland but you can only get so much sleep, you know.

We arrived in Siam Reap at 9PM. The bus deposited us to a guest house. I read that it is a common gimmick of agents to prolong the trip so that when the bus arrives late at Siam Reap and they bring the tourists to a guest house, the tourists are already too tired and disoriented to want to choose another guest house. In our case though, we were just thankful that the guest house they brought us to was decent and cheap. We paid only US$10/per night for the room, and that included air-conditioning and an en-suite bathroom. The room was quite clean too, and guests weren't allowed to bring their shoes into the building. The moment we arrived, I just wanted to lay down and take a bath. But somehow there was still adrenaline running through my body that I only washed my face and changed my shirt and then I was once more ready for adventure.

We walked our way to what they call Pub St. which is their version of Khao San Road, but it's actually more like Nakpil St. of Manila because the restaurants are fancier than Khao San's. The first word that came to mind when I saw the town of Siem Reap was "warped" coz it really felt like it. You have this totally rural town with unpaved muddy streets and beggars approaching you from all directions, some with amputated arms or legs due to land mines, and yet you see these beautiful French Colonial buildings, now converted to restaurants and hostels, brimming with foreigners. And then you see the prices of goods and services pegged at US Dollars but you can opt to pay in Cambodian Riels and you end up shelling out tens of thousands to pay for a $10 meal.

We chose from one of the bars along Pub St., Temple Bar, and each had a can of beer. The funny thing is they have this brand of beer, Angkor, and then they have another of the same name spelled differently, Anchor. And both come in almost the same packaging and the tastes were no different from each other. That was all we could do for the night and then we headed back to our guest house to get much needed sleep in preparation for the following day's tour.

We woke up at 6:30 the following day and walked down to Pub St. again for our breakfast. We wanted to have breakfast at a nice looking French restaurant we had seen

the previous night but as it turned out they didn't open until 8:00 so we headed to another restaurant. JM had a grand breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled onions and tomatoes and baguettes while I had bacon and eggs with baguettes. I fell in love with the Vietnamese coffee, I ordered a second cup as soon as I had finished the first one and that was enough to keep me on my feet all day.

At 8:00, we met up with our tuk-tuk driver who was going to drive us around Angkor. It was a real experience to ride the tuk-tuk through roads filled with potholes and dust coming right at you. And these Cambodian drivers can really drive like hell! If you think Filipino jeepney drivers are the worst of their kind, forget it. Where else can you find a place where cars can appear from all directions, with no regard for correct lanes and other driving etiquettes. As one website said, they would even try to come at you from the top if they found a way to fly. I saw these two motorbikes almost colliding into each other at an intersection because one just headed right on without looking at the corner. And our tuk-tuk driver squeezed through two buses that were coming from the opposite direction!

Nevertheless, we arrived at our destination in one piece. Our first visit was to the Angkor Thom, Angkor meaning "holy city" and Thom meaning "big". This was the last capital city of the Angkorian Empire. Here, you can find one of the most popular temples of Angkor, which is the Bayon, set at the center of all the other temples. The Bayon is composed of 37 standing towers, most of which have giant carved faces on each side. A lot of the towers are still intact until now and are a grand sight to behold. Another feature of this temple are the carvings on the walls or the bas-reliefs which depict war scenes as well as scenes from daily lives of the Khmers during the time. The temple is best captured in black and white to show the contrasting shades of the stones and bricks.

After that we walked over to the other temples within Angkor Thom, which are the Baphuon and Phimeanakas. These temples are surrounded by the Terrace of the Elephants, a two and a half meter wall featuring carvings of elephants and garudas (Hindu mythical god in the form of an eagle). On the northern end of the wall is the Terrace of the Leper King where one can find more stone carvings and a statue seated atop. There is no definite story as to why this is called as it is. Some say that it's named after the leper king of Khmer legend while others say it's because of the state of the statue when it was discovered, appearing like it had leprosy.

We then went back to Paul, our tuk-tuk driver, who drove us to our next stop, the Ta Prohm. It is a monastic complex in a jungle setting and the most prominent feature are the tree-in-temples which are huge fig and silk-cotton trees growing on top of the towers and corridors. This temple is now more popularly known as the setting for some of the scenes in Tomb Raider I, and that is why it is no surprise to find it overwhelmingly filled with tourists competing to pose for pictures under one of the massive trees. JM and I, on the other hand, enjoyed our own private shooting in the quieter, less crowded areas of the temple.

It was almost 12 by the time we got out of Ta Prohm so we decided to have lunch at one of the many food stalls facing the temple. Yes, even while touring in Cambodia, we couldn't get away from "carinderias". It was quite flattering, though, to hear that we look younger than our age. The waitress/owner of the food stall where we ate was surprised to learn that we are already 28, she thought I was only about 19 while JM would be about 22.

After lunch, we went farther into Angkor to the Pre Rup. This is what they call a temple-mountain as its towers are set high above the ground and one has to climb the narrow steps sideways. Climbing the steps made me wonder about the structure/build of the people during the time - how could there be people with long legs and small feet who could climb such steps? Or did they construct those steps as a challenge for the people? Whatever! The view at the top of the tower was breathtaking, one would have access to a 360 degree view of the Angkor countryside. It literally felt like being on top of the world!

The Neak Pean was our next stop. This is an island temple, which used to be in the middle of a water reservoir but the reservoir had already dried up at this time. This was one of my favorite stops. It reminded me of the Boboli Gardens in Florence where there is a fountain at the end of the walkway and one can sit on the edge of the pool to enjoy the serenity of the place.

We then went to the Preah Khan, which means sacred sword. It was a brief walk from the main road and as we entered we could hear an eerie sound like that of a high pitched horn or flute. The entrance walk was adorned by huge nagas (a Hindu mythological creature in the form of a multiheaded serpent) on each side. It started to rain as we entered the gates and we were stuck inside the temple for almost an hour as we waited for the rain to subside. We spent the time taking pictures of the rain and the ruins. As we went out, the path had turned into pools of mud and some kids were having a grand time swimming in these pools.

Finally, it was time to see the Angkor Wat. We purposely saved it for last as it is said to be best viewed either at sunrise or at sunset to avoid being blinded by the backlighting. Since we couldn't get up early for the sunrise, we decided to catch it at sunset. I thought the Angkor Wat would be just like any other ancient temple I'd seen here in Thailand or anywhere else. But I was mistaken - it is such a magnificent sight! And one can only get more impressed as one gets closer. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with intricate bas-reliefs and carvings. Even the window railings are so elaborately carved, one couldn't get enough of praising them. The temple consists of three levels with a central tower. We didn't even try to climb up to the tower as the sight of it was harrowing enough. It rained again while we were inside the temple so we had to wait out once more. And what a picturesque sight we made as we waited; we found ourselves a niche on a huge window overlooking a courtyard - it was a perfect photo op!

We wanted so badly to see the Angkor Wat against the sunset that, as soon as the rain let up, we decided to hang out at a cafe for a while. When I saw the rays of the sun hitting the towers, we immediately ran out of the cafe. Too bad though, the rain had ruined all hopes of a beautiful sunset. Nevertheless, we were rewarded with a rainbow at the back of the Angkor Wat, the sight was pretty enough. On our way back to the tuk-tuk, I had a heavy feeling in my heart as I took one last look at the Angkor Wat. I wasn't ready to say good-bye just yet, I felt I could gaze at it for the whole day and never get tired.

We decided against watching the traditional Khmer dances during dinner and instead asked Paul to take us straight to the guest house. We were so tired we just wanted to drop on the bed. I actually fell asleep as JM took a bath. And when it was my turn for a bath, I saw that my shoulders and back were burned from the sun - I had forgotten to put on sunblock.

Once again we had dinner at a restaurant along Pub St. The restaurant was named the Red Piano, the guide book says it's one of the most popular restaurants so we decided to go for it. It is located on a corner in a century old French architecture building. The food was so-so and expensive. After dinner, we went to a bar for beer and pizza. We chose a cozy-looking bar this time, Le Tigre de Papier, owned by a French guy and so a lot of the customers were also French.

By 10PM, we were back at the guest house to pack and ready ourselves for another early day and another rough ride home. The owner of our guest house, knocked on our door at 5:50AM to wake us up, JM was already awake and taking a shower by that time. As for me, I had to drag myself out of bed. By 6:15 our breakfast was waiting for us at the terrace. It was a bland breakfast of plain omelettes and banana pancakes. The agency told us they would pick us up at the guest house at 7, but the car arrived at 8! I was really grumbling by that time - what could be worse than having to wake up at an ungodly hour and end up waiting for an hour.

The trip to the border was more pleasant though. Since we were riding a car this time, the trip was shortened to 3 hours and we were with a friendly Canadian couple who'd been on tour around Asia for the past 3 months and from whom we managed to snag a few tips on travelling in Vietnam, our next target vacation spot. It was at the border though that things got on our nerves this time. We waited on a queue for 2 hours at the immigration before we got to the window, that included squeezing in through the rails since there seemed to be no concept of queueing there. And then we had to wait for another hour for our van to leave! We finally arrived in Bangkok at 7PM.

WHAT WE MISSED:

Since we only had one day to really visit Siem Reap, our trip was limited to just seeing the immediate vicinity of the Angkor Wat. Of course, the one major thing we missed was seeing the Angkor Wat in the sunrise as well as the sunset. We also didn't manage to see the farther temples like the Bantay Srey, which is said to be one of the must-see temples as well because of deep and intricate carvings on the walls and the"fairyland" ambiance brought on by the ornate design and the pink sandstone construction. It is located on the Eastern side of the Angkor, about 38km from Siem Reap.

There are also a lot more things to do in Siem Reap apart from visiting the temples, like watching the traditional Khmer dances and shadow puppetry, visiting the Butterfly Garden, Silk Farms, and going on a boat tour at the Tonle Sap lake during the sunset.

TIPS ON TRAVELLING TO SIEM REAP:

1. If coming from Thailand, you can easily book your transportation through one of the agencies in Khao San Road. Normal rate would be 400BHT per person, one-way. You can also book a round trip ticket for about 900BHT.

2. No need to book a package tour, it costs double what you would normally spend if you just book a tuk-tuk or a car when you get to Siem Reap. If you are more adventurous, you can also rent a bike and go in by yourself. Just bring a guide book with you or you can get one for free from most of the establishments there.

3. There are a lot of cheap and decent guest houses in Siem Reap so there is no need to stay at an expensive hotel, which are really way expensive, unless you have the bucks to spend, of course.

4. Do not believe the agent when he says you have to have your dollars or baht changed at the border because the rates there are better. You can just pay for everything in dollars, that way you do not lose anything on the exchange rate.

5. Food is relatively expensive, especially within Angkor. An average unappetizing local meal would cost $3-$4 per person while a so-so international meal would cost $6-$8 per person. Shop around before you settle on a restaurant, they may offer similar food at different prices or another restaurant could offer better food at better prices.

6. Bring a hat and/or umbrella and don't forget to use sunblock. The sun can get really scorching and rain may come unexpected.

7. Be ready for a rough ride!

SOME COMMON SCAMS TO WATCH OUT FOR:

Scam #1: Touts! They will insist that you need their help to obtain a visa. This is not true. They want to charge an extra fee. The visa process is easy, straightforward and do-it-yourself.

Scam #2: Immigration police may try to overcharge 100-300 baht for the visa. Try asking for a receipt.

Scam #3: 50 baht SARS forms. The forms, if necessary at all,, are free.

Scam #4: That you are required to change $100 into Cambodian riel at the border (at a particularly poor exchange rate.) There is no such legal requirement.

Source: http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/srtransp.htm/

Kanchanaburi Trekking

We had what could be the most relaxing trekking tour last weekend. It was another long weekend for us since Sunday was the death anniversary of the former King Chulalongkorn (the kid in the story of Anna and the King), so we booked an overnight trekking tour to Kanchanaburi via a travel agency in Khao San.

We started our day at 5:30 in the morning for the scheduled 7AM pick up at Khao San only to be picked up at 7:30. Sounds like a bad start, right? But that’s fine coz all through the 2 hour drive from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi JM and I were fast asleep at the backseats of the van. It was quite a comfortable ride, save for minor bumps in the road.

We finally came to a stop at the War Memorial Cemetery. This is a burial ground and memorial in honor of the prisoners of war who died during the construction of the railway that connected Thailand to Burma.

Then we went on to the Bridge over the River Kwai (which is the railway built by the POWs) and the War Museum. Here we learned about the plight of the prisoners of war during the World War II, how they were forced to labor by the Japanese to build the bridge and how most of them died during construction and during bombings as they worked. There were pictures of the POWs at work and during breaks and it was really disheartening to think of what they went through during the time.

After that we had our bamboo rafting at River Kwai. It was a really hot day and I got myself burned, but I wouldn’t complain as it was one experience I’ve been looking forward to. I would’ve enjoyed it more if had done the rowing ourselves and if it had been just me and JM on the raft. It’s one thing to be on tour with strangers, sometimes you’re not too comfy coz you can’t really do what you want and that was one reason JM and I had opted to do the Europe tour by ourselves.

Finally it was off to lunch. We were tired and hungry and were so much looking forward to it. But when we got to the guest house, surprise! Lunch was a vegetable buffet! All the faces of our companions looked dismayed and some were brave enough to complain. Then again, what do you expect from a 900 baht tour package that included everything from transpo to accommodation to meals. So complain we cannot. Instead, we placed an extra order of omelet to fill our hungry stomachs.

It was time to check in after that. We were really looking forward to staying at a raft house but when we saw the room, we just had to sadly turn our backs and choose the garden room. For one, the raft house room looked really musty. And the bathroom was a shared one which was across a short bridge at the garden, quite inconvenient, especially for JM who always gets up in the middle of the night to pee. The only benefit really from getting a raft house room would have been the view of the river and how peaceful it would be to sit on the deck and just look out to the river, which we could afford to skip.

After check-in, we were driven to the Elephant Camp where we could enjoy a 40 minute ride on an elephant. This was a truly delightful experience, now I can say my experience of Thailand is complete. At the beginning of the ride, a guide was on the elephant with us but after we had entered the foresty area, he dismounted to take pictures of us. And then he told me to get off the seat and take his place on the elephant’s bare back. I was a bit on edge at first; it felt like I was going to fall off and the elephant’s prickly hair were making me itch, but I managed to get myself comfortable after a while. I loved it!

Our elephant’s name was Somboon, he was 37 years old and weighed 3,000 kilos. As I got comfy I managed to try prodding him when he stopped and to talk to him, calling him Mr. Elephant. I also wanted to feed him coz he seemed hungry which was why he kept stopping to pick food but I could not pull some hefty leaves from the trees so I never did manage to give him food. At the end of the ride though, we bought a bunch of bananas to feed him.

Our next destination was the Sai Yok Noi waterfalls. The moment I saw it, I couldn’t help but gasp. Water was gushing down these huge boulders and it felt so invigorating in the heat. I wanted so much to bathe but I didn’t really come ready so I settled for a face wash. Some of our companions though could not resist taking the plunge and went into the water in their jockeys!

Our service then dropped us off at a cave, to see some stalactites and stalagmites they said. But when we got there, it was a really unimpressive sight that we didn’t even stay long.

After we were delivered back to the guest house, we were free to do as we please. Most of our companions decided against having dinner at the guest house after having been disappointed with lunch. But JM and I decided to check out the food first before going off and so only the two of us feasted on chicken curry, stir fried pork with basil and chili and some really yummy veggies that I could not recognize. It was only then I realized how hungry I was, I had two huge servings of rice.

Then we went out to inhale some fresh air and have a look of the neighborhood. I was looking to have some iced coffee while JM was yearning for beer. There was a nearby 7-11 outlet from which we managed to fulfill our cravings. After paying for our stash we strolled to a nearby bridge to the other side of the river and then back.

Back at the guesthouse, we sat ourselves at the deck of the raft house and enjoyed our beer and chips amid the sounds of the flowing river. Totally relaxing and peaceful - I had decided then that I wanted to come back, well maybe not at the same guesthouse though.

It was another early start for us the next day. We got up at 6AM in time for the 7AM breakfast, which was again a disappointment. Breakfast was comprised of coffee, toast and some unappetizing scrambled eggs. I guess I have to mention at this point that I am very particular with the way my scrambled eggs (and even fried eggs, which only my mom and sister can prepare to my liking) are done, I want them soft and fluffy with a bit of cheese in them – and those that they served were just way, way below my standards. JM placed another order of rice and omelets.

Our first activity for the day was canoeing. We were taken to this really quiet lake that seemed like heaven to me. I felt could paddle forever and never want to leave. And they do have jungle huts there; the only catch is that there is no electricity. Bummer!

When we reached the other end of the lake, our guide was waiting to take us to the Erawan waterfalls. This is said to be one of the highlights of the province of Kanchanaburi as it consists of 7-tiers of cascading water that form pools at each drop. When we reached the national park, our guide handed out packets of our supposedly picnic lunch and then left us to roam the park by ourselves. JM and I decided to have our lunch before heading up the waterfalls so we’d have less to carry. But when we opened the pack, we were again dismayed – lunch was composed of fired rice with egg and tomatoes (not even meat!) and pineapples for dessert! We merely ate one pack and began our trek. As we progressed higher, I began to doubt if we really could make it to the topmost tier, but then I would tell myself that I had already come so far, what’s a couple hundred meters more?

And now I can say I do not regret having hiked that far. It was all worth it. When we got to the 7th waterfall, we managed to find for ourselves our very own pool on a flat boulder, where we just lay down and let the water rush past us. Heavenly! After about 10 minutes of this divine bathing episode, we headed back down and rain started to pour.

Our next stop was the tiger temple. We paid 300 baht to pat a tiger, get our pictures taken and then walk out. Whew! Was this one worth it? Charge it to experience. And take comfort in the fact that the fee would go to the Buddhist monks’ project to build a natural environment for the tiger cubs.

Our guide then took us to the Death Railway for a 15-minute train ride. Their local train was something else; it’s so unlike the PNR trains back home that one would fear for his life to take a ride in. This one was clean and well-maintained. The ticket master even had on a uniform reminiscent of the old days. And this train was not just for show or for tourists, mind you, this was the regular transport system that the locals would take.

That was the last part of our tour. Our guide picked us up at the train station to bring us back to the guesthouse so we could pick up our backpacks and head for home. I was once again asleep for the whole duration of the trip and woke up to see the familiar neon signs of Khao San road.

It was another trip well worth the effort, the cost and the time spent with my husband. It was another sweet leg of our honeymoon expeditions.

Singapore Swingaround

People who knew we were spending our long weekend in Singapore wondered why we opted to spend it there. There are a lot of beaches and resorts as it is here in Thailand that we haven't been to so why go off to another country. I left last Friday with much excitement because it was my first time to be in Singapore with JM. We each have been there on separate occassions, but being together would make so much difference. Besides, I never even saw the sights of Singapore before, it was purely work.

Pre departure
We left our house early (well, 8:30 is early enough for me) to make it to the airport within the 2 hour window for check in. We decided to have our breakfast there which really didn't seem like breakfast as we had pizza, fries and cola. I then decided to catch up on more Zs at the pre departure area. JM woke me up just before boarding to see a long queue at the gate. We took a budget airline so there's no such thing as reserved seats and passengers were ready to fight tooth and nail to get the best of them.

Up in the skies
I settled comfortably into my seat, which was surprisingly larger than usual and upholstered in leather, and prepared to get more sleep. But the "ngo-ngos" seated behind me started jabbering on and on. And then the immigration forms were given out so there was more noise as they asked each other how to fill out the form. I was starting to get a freaking headache. Wasn't I supposed to be off on a heavenly vacation? Apart from the irritation though, I also felt sorry for them. It took them about 30 minutes, after much discussion and spell checks, to fill out that strip of a form which took me less than 5 minutes to accomplish. Finally, there was a window of silence and I grabbed this opportunity to drift off to la-la land.

Land at last!
I opened my eyes to the view of the runway. I was in awe as I stepped into the airport. It has been 5 years since I last saw the place and I couldn't ever remember seeing an airport that was fully carpeted and had modern couches for lounging. We then took the train to the MRT station. I was no longer in as much as with the MRT since the BTS here in Bangkok is just as good.

Our hotel was nice, conveniently located too. It was a 2 minute walk from the nearest MRT station, which was a major inter change station, and had shopping areas in the vicinity. We lazed around in the room and watched tv (it was a relief to see more English channels!) before going off for dinner.

Dining at Boat Quay
Dinner was supposed to be appetizers at Lau Pa Sat (hawker food!) then main courses at Boat Quay. But we took a wrong turn somewhere inside the MRT station and ended up right at Boat Quay so we decided to go directly for main courses. While strolling down the quay in search of good food, we met my former boss and another former officemate. We exchanged some beso-beso's and how are you's but all the time I was wondering what they were thinking about my dread locks and tattoo...ooops!

We finally settled for one of the bars. JM had chicken wings and I had kebabs. We each had a beer. And then it was off to the night safari!

Night Safari
We arrived in time for one of the last tours at the safari. I was amazed at all the animals grazing in their natural environment and at feeling the fresh cool breeze as if I was in a real rainforest. We even heard lions roaring while mating, we assumed, since they were in such a position when we saw them. I was a bit disappointed though since it wasn't all that I expected. First off, we missed the safari show. And then most of the animals were in hiding and I was more afraid of walking in dark than wanting to go in search of them. But we ended the night on a good note and welcomed JM's birthday by sharing a large cup of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

An Unexpected Lunch
Next on our itinerary was Sentosa. We were supposed to visit the Botanical Gardens before that but we decided to skip it in favor of more sleep. We were also to have chili crabs for lunch at the East Coast Parkway. Unfortunately, the whole seafood center was under renovation so we ended up having a McDonald's lunch.

And I thought I wouldn't shop...
On the way to the cable car station, I spotted a U2 outlet announcing a sale. And shopaholic that I am, I just couldn't resist the pull of those huge red signs. I got for myself a button down blouse and khakis and likewise managed to convince JM that he needed a new shirt. Teehee!

Sentosa Island
We boarded the cable cars with a couple of Thais. Singapore was flooded with Thais at this time since it's a long weekend. I dared JM to strike up a conversation with them in their language but he opted not to take me up on it. After 8 minutes of being airborne, we finally got to Sentosa and were welcomed by our tour guide. The island was brimming with people from all parts of the world - it was a relief to have opted for the tour package as it saved us from the long queue for the shuttle services.

Our first stop was the Underwater World. Only one word to describe it - amazing! We particularly loved the tunnel; we couldn't get enough of taking pictures and video clips. We were astounded by all the different marine species in various sizes, small, big and huge. It was just a quick tour though as it was totally stressful to squeeze through the throngs of tourists. I would much rather be out on the beach, reveling in the sun and sand. And that was exactly where we headed before boarding the bus. It was total paradise; the sun, sand and trees, it was all just perfect.

Our tour then took us to the Dolphin Show. As always, the dolphins were endearing and made for a delightful show. I wanted to volunteer for the encounter but it meant getting chest deep in water (for which I wasn't prepared and the chosen volunteer was all too ready in a bikini!) and I was starting to have another headache from the heat and the heady scent of all the people around me.

Last stop for the tour was the Cinemania. I think this part of the tour was just trown in for nothing but to bring people there. It was in a dingy building. It must have been an old feature of the island that most people now tend not to want to visit. It wasn't all that bad though. I found myself laughing in glee during the ride.

Finally we were on our own and we decided to just pass the time at the fountains and wait for light and laser display. This was another amazing show! I was totally dumbstruck and was like a kid pointing around at all the wonderful things I wanted JM to take pictures of.

JM's Birthday Dinner
Tired and feeling icky, we went for dinner to celebrate JM's birthday. We didn't get to have dinner at the originally planned place, but as luck would have it, we found ourselves dining on the juiciest steak and lamb at the top of Mount Faber. We also planned to have after dinner drinks at some bars after resting for a bit at the hotel. But as our heads hit the pillows, all thoughts of drinks and bars were totally forgotten.

Jurong Bird Park
The following day, we woke up later than planned. It was Jurong Bird Park on our IT. We got to the bus station and waited some for the service to the park. We arrived just in time for the All Star Show. It was a great opening for our tour and it was exciting to see how smart the birds were. Again, I wanted to volunteer for their bird encounters but was just too timid this time. So I watched on as a woman who couldn't understand English attempted to follow the instructions of the host of the show, with the guidance of the assistants.

We just strolled around the park then, checking out the different kinds of birds in their cages. We marveled at the penguins, the macaws, birds of paradise and all sorts of bird species. But the heat was unbearable and we soon found ourselves taking the tram instead. We fed lorries and enjoyed watcing the pecans and the flamingoes. It was a truly delightful experience.

Another disappointment
After the Bird Park visit, we wanted to try for chili crabs again at Clarke Quay. We guessed we were never meant to have chili crabs. We were late by 5 minutes for the last order at Jumbo, and most of the other restaurants were already closed for the afternoon. We winded up at Hooters, which was fine with me since I've never been to one. The chicken wings weren't as great as I expected but the steak was once again yummy. As for the Hooter's girls, they were not exactly the bombshells that I expected.

Ending the Trip
After lunch we headed back to the hotel to check out. We wanted to attend mass and the church that one of our friends recommended was a bit out of our way so we chose to attend the one near the City Hall MRT Station, since the Filipina cashier at Bread Talk told us it was a Catholic church. It turned out though to be another Christian church. We sat for a while listening to the preacher, but my mind kept straying from his talk and my head was bobbing off in sleep. We left and proceeded to the famous Orchard Road instead. It seemed like a carnival with throngs of people, locals and tourists alike, and shopping and food booths crowding the side walks. No, I didn't do any shopping this time. We just capped off our trip with ice cream at Haagen Dazs before taking the train to the airport.

Relaxing in the UK - "Wicked!"

May 3, 2005

We're in the UK now and are taking things real easy. It's such a relief to finally hear a more familiar language, English, that is and to speak an even more familiar one, Ilonggo, with my sister.

When we arrived the other day, we merely had a brief rest and quick dinner of rice and tapa(!) at my sister's place before going off to Cambridge where I discovered a possible career opportunity for myself - punting! It was great fun trying to maneuver the canoe along the canal, and I really got the hang of it, and almost made an art of it.

We started our day yesterday with a trip to Greenwich to visit the Maritime Museum where we stepped right on the border of the Eastern and Western hemisphere. But before that we had a quick sidetrip to the King's Cross station to have our pictures taken at Platform 9 3/4.

We saw most of Central London in one day. It was a rush to see the sights, have pictures taken and catch the train to our next stop. We managed to see the Big Ben, the Parliament, the Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the Millenium Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral and the London Eye. We decided against going into any more museums since we've had too much of that already. We ended the day on a good note by having dinner at a pub in Covent Garden and by watching the Phantom of the Opera at West End.

Highlight of Yesterday: Saw a quarter of Orlando Bloom's face as we squeezed in among thousands of shrieking fans during the Kingdom of Heaven premier.

Today, we merely lazed around the house. I got up at 10:30, surfed the net and prepared a hearty lunch of lamb (We finished a whole bowl of rice! Oh it felt so good to be eating rice again). We finally left the house at 3 to go to the town center of Harlow. Lots and lots of shops on sale but I ended up with just loads of chocolates. We met up with my sister there and had another delicious dinner of roast chicken at Nando's.

Tonight, we went to the Moorhen pub with my sister and her housemates for some beer and crisps. I had about 1 3/4 pints of shandy, yummy! This gives me a new way to enjoy beer.

Tomorrow is gonna be another early day...

May 4, 2005

We went off to Windsor and Bath today. At Windsor, we managed to see the change of guards, which is really an exhibition of the red guards marching in and out. We also visited the dollhouse of Princess Margaret, it occupied one whole chamber of the castle. The Windsor Castle is not as splendid as the castles we'd seen in the other places we went to, but I guess it's really because it was once used as a fortress and not really home to the royal family. But the town of Windsor itself is very picturesque and quaint, so old European you almost expect a horse-drawn carriage to pass by you.

After Windsor, we saw the Stonehenge. At this point I realized I had the wrong clothes on. Blame it on unpredictable UK weather. If the previous day I got away with wearing a tanktop, today was no day for that at all. The wind was frigid as we arrived at the Stonehenge and we literally dashed around it, and yet we managed to snag quite a number of pictures.

Bath, on the other hand, is a very very charming place. Everywhere we looked, we just wanted to take pictures to preserve the view in our memories. And the fudge - lipsmacking! Our tour included a visit of the ruins of an ancient Roman bath, a tour which we quite enjoyed since it started off with a champagne reception. One disappointment, I didn't get to taste the famous Sally Lunn Buns as they had ran out of it when we arrived at the shop.

On the trip home, JM and I dozed off to the initially-chirpy-turned-grating voice of our tour guide, whose comments were too generously peppered with "marvelous!" and "splendid!". As we arrived at my sister's place we were welcomed with a truly delectable dinner prepared by my sister. Sigh! If only all vacations included a sister who always made it a point to provide the yummiest meals...

May 5, 2005

We're leaving the UK now, ending our whirlwind of a honeymoon. I can't decide whether I'm saddened or relieved. But all I know is, I'm glad I did this. No matter how backbreaking, exhausting, grueling it was, no matter how we sometimes argued over the most trivial of things, we had great fun. Everything we did, everything we shared will always be a special piece in our treasure of memories. We managed to accomplish one of each our life's dreams - together - before we turned 30!

C'est La Vie in Paris

April 29, 2005 2:40AM (Phil time)

We're in Paris! And we've seen the Eiffel! Well, from afar that is. We've just arrived at our hotel and are taking a breather from the long walk from the subway station. I didn't know there was a nearer station, literally across the street from our hotel so JM and I agonized in a long walk with our heavy luggage in tow. But we did get some good sleep last night. There were another 2 people sharing our cabin and we were given the top bunk which made me feel claustrophobic at first since the ceiling was too close to my face as I lay down. I slept like a log anyway and only woke up when the train had already stopped at the Paris Est station. Now I'm just tired and hungry.

April 30, 2005 6:00AM (Phil time)

We've seen quite a number of places and I can't say I love the city. This is actually the first city we've been to where I felt I just wanted to get things over with and leave. Of course, there are the lovely buildings and structures like the Eiffel, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and all the palaces. But it's such a crowded place that doesn't feel safe to be in. The subway stations are dirty and filled with grafitti, there are squatters by the Rhine river, beggars and drunks at the Eiffel. It even beats Rome on that and a lot of other aspects. The people in Rome are warmer, the transport system is easier to figure out and the cost of living is lower. On the average we spent the same amount here for one day as we did in Munich but without the good meals. Instead of filling ourselves with good food at beer halls or restaurants at a piazza, we made do with paninis which we ate while walking. And to save some more, we lugged a 1.5 liter bottle of water and a 2 liter bottle of coke in our backpacks just so we could get drinks at a cheaper price (a can of coke costs the same as a 2 liter bottle). Somehow I can't help but think that this place has been a bit over-rated, even more than Venice.

But so much for my ranting. Our first stop was the Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon's tomb is located. We didn't bother to go in though since we were starting to scrimp and it didn't really interest us to see the tomb or even the museum of war stuff.

Next on our itinerary was the Tour Eiffel. It's literally 2 blocks away from our hotel, isn't that convenient. We chose to take the stairs to get to the first level deck instead of the elevators. One reason is that it was a lot cheaper and the major reason is that the queue was so much shorter. The climb was harrowing but seeing all the older people manage to move quicker than I did gave me enough determination to move on. I'm not sure though I could say that the climb was well worth it since the view from the first level wasn't all that marvelous. I think maybe we should have climbed up to the second level, then again, I don't think my legs could carry me any higher.

To see the rest of the city, we got 2-day tickets for the Batobus. It's like the vaporettos of Venice but more tourist-y and has stations at every major tourist spot along the Rhine. With the day tickets we could hop on and off the boat any time we want, very convenient. And I managed to get student rate tickets by just telling the cashier that I was a student from the Philippines. She asked for an ID but I couldn't find my DLSU ID so she just decided to take my word for it.

April 30, 2005 6:09PM (Phil time)

We've just left the Chateau de Versailles and we're now on a train back to Paris. It's just about an hour away from the city. The place was nice, the entrance fees were over the top. We got a good deal though by taking the tram which took us to 3 points inside the palace grounds. The gardens were huge, but after all I've seen in Florence and Munich, I was no longer awed. It would have been nice to stay til evening to see the musical fountain show but there were a lot of other places to go to.

Last night we went to the Louvre to have our pictures taken when the lights of the pyramid were on. It was a pretty sight. And the place was really peaceful compared to when there is the day crowd. We had fun taking pictures.

I have come to a conclusion that it is best to visit Paris first before visiting other European cities so that you'll be able to appreciate the sights better and not get disappointed. And as you move along to the other cities, you can only get more awed.

May 1, 2005 2:45AM (Phil time)

Today was a better day than yesterday. It was more relaxing although my feet still ached from the walking. That's the problem with staying at a conveniently located hotel, you end up walking to get to all your destinations instead of taking the subway.

The weather was good, sunny, a bit too hot even. But I'm glad I finally experienced the real spring weather. It's already 8:45 in the evening and the sun hasn't set yet, I think it sets at about 9:30. Isn't that amazing?!

We didn't really do much except walk, walk, walk and ride the boat. We no longer went inside the other museums except for the Louvre since, for one, we've had too much already and second, we're starting to really scrimp coz we're running out of euros.

Earlier we visited the Louvre. We were lucky that we got to avail of their Friday late viewing which cost 4 euros less than the usual rate. It's such a huge museum, we didn't bother to see every nook and cranny. Instead, we went straight to the Monalisa, where every other tourist flocked. It must be the most-viewed artwork in all the world; it seemed to me that it's the only thing the tourists go to the Louvre for. So was it worth the trip? It didn't feel any different from viewing a replica actually. I enjoyed looking at the other da Vinci paintings more. The other section in the Louvre that we decided to visit was the Napoleon apartments. The chambers, the furnitures and the chandeliers were utterly gorgeous.

We tried to get into the Notre Dame Cathedral as well but the queue to the tower was overwhelming so we decided to skip it. We then set off to look for the Picasso museum. I was actually excited to see this one since I know for a fact that Picasso artworks wouldn't look like all the other artworks I'd seen and are more interesting to me. Unfortunately, after getting lost in a maze of crowded streets we even had to take a rest at a small park, we got there 15 minutes before closing. We could have still managed to get in but JM was quickly turned off by the unpleasant woman at the counter so we decided against going in. But the trip wasn't all wasted since we came upon a Chinese restaurant on the way home and were just so glad to finally be eating rice after 4 days of paninis. Of course it wasn't as good as the chinese food we have back home but it was satisfying enough.

May 1, 2005 4:30PM (Phil time)

It's our last morning in Paris. We're having breakfast by the Rhine. Of course, it's not really breakfast, more like a snack of apple pie and coffee, since we could no longer afford to have a good breakfast (we didn't want to buy any more euros since we'll be switching to pounds when we get to London).

We had a blast last night. We went to the Eiffel after dark armed with a bottle of wine and a sandwich. We managed to find a pretty good spot amid the hundreds of other people lounging on the grass, right smack in the middle of the lawn with just enough space between us and the tower to see it without straining our necks. And as we sipped wine and shared the sandwich, we watched the Eiffel tower light up and sparkle like it had huge diamonds all over it. The crowds oohed and ahhed as they watched this brilliant spectacle. To me it was just one romantic night, a perfect view as I cuddled up to my love.

Cold, Cold Munich

April 27, 2005 3:30PM (Phil time)

Imagine not having taken a bath in 2 days, not having been able to wash your hair in 2 days. Gross! That's exactly how I'm feeling right now. My hair feels icky, my body feels icky. Although I've washed my face, splashed water on my upper body and had a change of clothes, nothing will ever beat a thorough scrubbing.

We're now at our hotel in Munich but we couldn't get into our room yet since it's only 9:30 AM here and check in is not until 12 noon. We spent the night on a train again and I only had 5 hours of sleep. But I did manage to have a good breakfast at the train station.

Now I just want to crash, my head is starting to spin. I'm starting to feel like I just want to go home, or at least get to London where I'll be comfy at my sister's place.

April 27, 2005 10:10PM (Phil time)

Finally! I have had my long-awaited bath and am now settling comfortably in our room. The weather here in Munich is making me feel miserable. It's supposed to be spring but it's raining and the wind chill is too much, it's burned my cheeks. As we walked towards the station for our city tour, I couldn't choose between running and burning my cheeks some more or stop right in the middle of the bridge and look for some shelter, my feet were freezing and I couldn't take another step.

The tour we had was actually quite good. It was given by a couple of students for free - or for tips. It saved us a lot of time and effort, from getting lost and all. We managed to see almost the entire city and its important sights in just a couple of hours. And the guide was very entertaining, comic to be more precise. We learned so much about the city, it's history in a very entertaining way (read: un-boring!).

My favorite sight was the church with the black and white ceiling (sorry, forgot it's name) mainly because of its history. Anyway, the story behind its ceiling is this. The church had been destroyed during one of the World Wars, but before the ceilings could collapse, someone managed to take pictures of it so that it could be re-painted when the church would be rebuilt. Unfortunately, when the church was about to be rebuilt, they discovered the photos to be in black and white. To avoid doing injustice to the painting by using the wrong colors, they instead decided to just do the painting it in black and white. Cool, huh.

The Asamkirsche was another amazing church to see. This is a very small church, almost like a chapel, amidst the bustle of the city. But when you step inside, it's plain jaw-dropping. The Asam brothers overdid themselves in building this Baroque inspired church - the gold carvings on the walls, the paintings on the ceiling - it was just over the top. Personally, I don't think one could ever really pray and reflect in this church, everything around you would be a distraction.

Another cool thing to see is the diorama of the old city of Munich. It even has the names of the structures in Braille so that even the blind can appreciate it.

Other interesting sights in Munich are the cars coasting on the streets. According to the tour guide, Per, they actually make a game of counting the number of Porsche cars they would see while doing the tour. The last record they have, if I'm not mistaken, is 17- that is just in the inner city of Munich, mind you. And we also saw lots of Audis, BMWs (including a Z4, the first I ever saw), the latest models of Mercedes Benz, and a Maserati. Boy, these people sure are rich!

Highlight of the day: I saw a Starbucks outlet, the first one I ever saw since we stepped on European land.

Other highlight: Rows and rows of tulips - in the middle of the road, along the sidewalks, in plant boxes. I wanted to pluck every single one of them and make a bridal bouquet out of it for those brides who are just dying to have a bouquet of tulips.

Tonight we're planning to check out the beer hall across the street and the Olympic Stadium. For now, we'll just be catching up on some much-needed sleep.

April 28, 2005 5:00AM (Phil time)

Tonight we visited the Olympic Stadium. It was deserted and oh so cold, and we merely entered the pool area to escape the freezing weather. We only had one pair of gloves since I forgot to bring mine so we had to take turns wearing them.

It should have been a nice visit had the weather been more friendly. The stadium is one big park with several buildings to cater to different sports. It has man-made lakes with swans floating in them, and well-manicured lawns and hills. The view from the top of th Olympic tower was awesome. One can actually see the entire Munich, 360 degrees.

We also went to the BMW museum, which I found quite entertaining since I have a secret penchant for cool cars. But I merely got frustrated at seeing the price tags on the souvenirs.

Then it was off to the beer hall! We sat at the bar and had a fabulous dinner of crispy pork leg in beer gravy, a half liter each of beer and good conversation. The crispy pork leg was to die for!

A tip on beer halls: you shouldn't be too timid to share seats with strangers since that is exactly what the beer hall is all about - sharing benches and trench tables with total strangers that you might eventually stike conversations with.

April 28, 2005 1:53AM (Phil time)

We're about to leave Munich, our train leaves in about an hour and I'm now seated by the tracks here at the terminal. We got couchettes this time so I'm looking forward to a more comfortable sleep without the hassles of having to wait for short-transit passengers to get out of the compartment.

Today was quite an easy day for us. We were blessed with better weather. We got up later than usual (blame it on the beer of the previous night) and went to the Schloss Nymphenburg palace in the outskirts of the city. It was a pretty, pretty sight, from the walk up to the palace and its gardens, to the parks inside. It had a huge park that one could easily get lost in. It was very peaceful and relaxing with all the benches surrounding the ponds and swans and ducks gliding along. Wonderful! I especially loved the stream that ran through the park and the narrow bridges that went over it. It was like a scene from the movie, The Notebook.

After the palace, we headed for the city center to buy some souvenirs. This time I wasn't able to resist the call of shopping. I got for myself 3 sweaters of the same style but different colors. They were on sale and seemed quite cheap. There were lots of shoes on sale as well but I couldn't decide which one I wanted and JM was starting to give me bored dagger looks so I hurried to pay for my stash.

We had dinner at the Augustiner beer hall once again. This time we were seated at one of the long tables, the waiter thoughtfully joined us with other English-speaking diners. The food was once again yummy. The taste of the beer actually grows on you, it eventually becomes like water to down your food with. As we left the beer hall, I felt it was something that I would miss about the place and would start longing for back home.

Fabulous Vienna

April 26, 2005 2:55AM (Phil time)

We have left Venice and are now almost in Vienna. We took an overnight train but didn't upgrade to a couchette since it would cost us a whole lot to do so. But since there were only the 2 of us in the compartment, we merely lifted the armrests and stretched out onto the seats. I guess we were pretty comfy except that the lumps where the seats joined resulted in some backache. And I hate the way they wake us up to check the tickets - banging on the doors and yelling like they were angry or something.

What I regret is not having been able to enjoy the scenery. I woke up at 6AM and tried to stay up but I still nodded off to sleep by the window and woke up with a crick on my neck.

April 26, 2005 6:06PM (Phil time)

I love it here in Vienna! It's a very beautiful place. There are those huge palaces and cathedrals and then there are the parks/gardens where you feel you could sit forever and just watch the world go by. It's so different from overly crowded Italy.

We're now seated at a cafe overlooking a cathedral. I just had a really delicious lunch of cheese sausage wrapped in bacon with fries on the side. Now, I'm having sachertorte for dessert. Personally, I like the sachertorte in Chef d' Angelo more - it's richer and more moist.

In a moment, we will head off to the Giant Ferris Wheel!

April 26, 2005 11:01PM (Phil time)

I'm loving Vienna even more as we spend more time here. We rode the Giant Ferris Wheel and the view was fantastic. What I love so much are the parks, lots and lots of them! From the top of the wheel, you'd see clumps of trees everywhere.

And then we walked along the Danube and sat on a bench facing the river. It was so peaceful, heavenly. One regret, we didn't know there were day cruises on the Danube that last for only an hour and a half - we could have gotten on one and I might have fallen in love with this city even more.

Now, we've got nowhere else to go so we'll probably just sit on a park bench and wait for the time we need to go back to the terminal.

April 26, 2005 12:25AM (Phil time)

We are in a McDonalds outlet! Can you believe it, we went all the way around the world just to have coffee at McDonalds?! Haha! Well, we were just looking for a place to keep warm and we saw that they have cheap coffee, so here we are.

April 27, 2005 3:25AM (Phil time)

We had a really fabulous night! To start it off, we had a delightful dinner of longsilog - yup, you read it right - longsilog! JM struck up a conversation with this Filipina at McDonald's who came in with her utterly cute kids and she directed us to a Filipino food stall near the Philippine embassy. She then told us other places that tourists normally hung out and when we got there, there was an ongoing mass at the St. Stephen's Cathedral!

The mass was a hugely concelebrated one with full orchestra accompaniment and loads of people were flocked inside that I thought it must be the Pope up there. But it was to my disappointment. Nevertheless, it was a great experience and I made sure to receive communion even if that was the only part of the mass that we attended.

We then strolled down the shopping district where I could only stare in longing at the display windows. We tried to trace the steps that Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy took in the movie, Before Sunrise, but we couldn't find the landmarks so instead we spent some time sitting by a fountain and watch the people milling around.

Finally, it was time to go back to the terminal. It's still early as our train doesn't leave til 11:25PM here but we're just too tired and I learned that we could stay at the Club Lounge since we've got first class Eurail passes. So here we are filling ourselves with gummi bears and peanuts and taking advantage of the free Coke from the bar. It's warm and comfy here, I'm tempted to stretch out on the seat but everyone else seems to be so proper.

Falling in Love in Venice

April 24, 2005 8:55PM (Phil time)

We are now in Venezia! Just got to our hotel after getting lost in a maze of streets. We actually never got the exact address of our hotel, but thanks to my mapping trainings we found the hotel with a bit of help from a very friendly restaurant owner too!

The moment I saw the exterior of the hotel, I actually felt myself cringe. One, in fear that it would look worse inside and second, in fear that JM would blame me for choosing such a crappy looking hotel. But lo and behold! It's the most wonderful gorgeous hotel I've seen! Of course it's not comparable to the really fancy ones that would cost you an arm and leg but the moment I stepped into our room, I almost didn't want to go out again. The room is decorated/furnished in old Venetian style with rich fabrics and drapes, the walls covered in the same rich fabrics. Even the bathroom mirror looks great with its mosaic frame.

This just proves to us never to judge a book by its cover.

April 25, 2005 3:00AM (Phil time)

We've seen the major sights in Venice. It is a very small city so there's really just the Piazza San Marco and the immediate vicinity to see. We've been through the narrow streets and little bridges over the canals. Now I couldn't decide if I like the place or if, as I thought so many times earlier, it is just over-rated. There are the beautiful structures, of course but the romance has just gotten lost in the hordes of tourists crowding the Piazza San Marco and flooding through all the teeny weeny streets.

We've decided not to go inside the Basilica di San Marco as the queue would just never let up, it was already snaking around the piazza. We made do with the campanile and the Doge's Palace instead, which had a surprisingly shorter line. The view from the top of the tower was great, it was the whole panorama of Vienna and the surrounding lagoon. But the cold wind was unbearable that we hurriedly made our way back down as soon as we made a round of the tower.

This afternoon, we rode a gondola. Nothing else to describe it but romantic. But I wasn't able to quite fully enjoy the experience as at the back of my mind was the thought that this 30-minute glide around the canals was costing us about 4,000 pesos! Then again, charge it to experience and a story to tell, as always.

On the ride home was when I began to think that I could actually like the place. We were on the vaporetto with the wind blowing hard against our face as we cuddled up in our jackets and the sight of the dimly lit palazzos brought a touch of sentiment to the ride along the Grand Canal. It was a time to fall in love.

April 25, 2005 7:30PM (Phil time)

We're not following our itinerary today. Instead of visiting more museums, we are island hopping. We've been to the Murano island where we saw an exhibition of glass blowing. I thought the Murano stuff there would be cheaper than in Venice but it turned out to be even more expensive.

We are now headed for Lido island and it seems we hopped on to the wrong line of vaporetto. We've already seen the whole perimeter of Venice and had ice rain down on us (yup it rained ice!) but still no Lido.

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Lido is the kind of European suburb that I would love to live in. It's quiet, no tourists here, and the homes are really nice. It would be nice to ride a bike around this island.