Yuletide Holidays 2011

Start:	Dec 21, '11
End:	Jan 12, '12
Location:	Cebu City, Philippines

too afraid of run out of good ticket schedules this December, so bought one tonight...

Christmas food and Christmas parties, here I come!

Shanghai Surprise!

Start:	Oct 21, '11
End:	Oct 26, '11
Location:	Shanghai, China

Called that way because I had no plans of traveling or buying a ticket for Shanghai this month.

I was chatting with a friend in Malaysia. She asked if I was still interested in going to Korea.
I said of course - if there is a bargain flight available!

Surprise! (galing naman ng timing)
.... there was a zero-fare for both domestic and international flights from Cebu Pacific, and Korea had some open dates.

But I couldn't reach her again to ask if that schedule was ok with her as she went offline.

++++
For the longest time, I wanted to visit Shanghai due to the old movies I saw depicting it as the Paris of the East.

I thought also that I could probably face one of my fears - that of backpacking in such a place as China *cross fingers*

I am gulping here because for one, remember its just been recent about that Filipina in Bali, then there was that drug mule image Filipinos sentenced in China yet! and thirdly as a woman traveler who may do this again by myself...there are bound to be issues with language again. *sigh*

Well, fortune never favored the faint-hearted.

4 days ought to be enough for a first-time visit... (the schedules for leaving are tight)

and even if some people have just the idea that Shanghai is just one big city, I would like to delve into more than just the Bund and Shanghai's "big city" image.
that its more than the initial impression...

Hey, who wants to join?

Mt. Pulag: "Darkness Breaks"

My toes are still tingling a little bit painfully...but its an experience of a lifetime!

As cliche as that may sound, the Mt. Pulag trek I underwent from May 21-22, 2011 is a memory I will revisit every time I see even just a hill (even if anthill pa yan or termite hill!)

This photo was shot around 5 am when I was on my way from Camp 2 to the summit of Mt. Pulag.

I had just stubbed my right big toe the hardest on a jutting rock on the trail (must be the aftereffect of not enough rest and doing this much exertion)...and was almost hopping about but had to be careful due to the ravine on my other side.


Camera: LX5
unedited photo except for the text.

Batangas, A Visit to Mabini

Start:	May 14, '11
End:	May 15, '11
Location:	Anilao, Mabini, Batangas, Philippines

for documentation purposes -

went with Nidz, Agnes and Dingdong.

stayed at Bontoc in Batangas B&B

Tinette missed it as due to her twisted ankle

visited Gulugod Baboy,
island hopped to Sombrero but didn't dock at Maricaban and others
food tripping galore

Climb for a Cause: Mt. Pulag

Start:	May 20, '11 10:00p
End:	May 22, '11
Location:	Bokod, Benguet, Philippines

Climb for A Cause PULAG -
c/o Anywhere Philippines
May 20-22 weekend


To benefit the students of Kamaggaan Elementary School in Tikey, Bokod, Benguet.




Using: Ambangeg Trail

2011 Group Tours « TRAVELFACTOR.ORG

http://thetravelfactor.wordpress.com/2011-group-tours/
Looking out for places to see here and abroad!

Coron na!

Start:	Aug 28, '11
End:	Aug 31, '11
Location:	Coron, Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines

Way back in 2007, I wanted to try for Coron but you know how it is with circumstances....

Ever since I visited Palawan last year, I said, next time El Nido na..or Busuanga...or basta Palawan!

I missed doing this last April...and though I missed the Php 700 ticket due to some timing and exhaustion...its a good opportunity to try visiting this place...even if its not the peak of summer...

How much of the Philippines have I visited? as of May 5, 2011

I took this test before and I got a B as of March 29, 2010.

But I was wondering with my additional trips -

.....have I improved? Hmmm...

My Lakbayan grade is B+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Legaspi -> Donsol, Sorsogon: Whale Sharks Encounter

Start:	May 1, '11
End:	May 5, '11
Location:	Bicol, Philippines

A chance to experience puttering along with these gentle creatures...

I hope the weather cooperates!

Its been ages since I've been to Legaspi City (back in the good ole 90s).

Relying on my friend Che to help me go around by myself in Legaspi while waiting for 'em to arrive and then we can go to Sorsogon :-)


From the internet -
Whale sharks live in tropical, warm waters all around the world. For eating, they swim quite near the water surface.

Whale sharks are not dangerous for human beings, on the contrary.
Though their mouth is about 1.5 meter wide, the opening to the stomach is very small. So, they are not able to swallow a human body. Whale sharks only live on plankton and krill.

When they have a length of 4.5 meters, the weight is about 750 kg. The maximum length of a grownup whale shark is 13-14 meters. The whale shark then has a weight of approximately 1500 kilograms.
Oh, it can reach 9 meters :-) so its the biggest fish in the world!!

Antics in Foggy Hong Kong & Cold Macau

Many thanks to Mike Maravillo for making this and posting it first in FB and then in Youtube so I could share his brainhild. He had titled this as "Epekto ng Lamig" or "Effects of the Cold".

Photos put together from Tian Tian Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and Macau in our trip on March 17-20, 2011.
What can I say? It was cold and we couldn't do anything else...

Kudos to -
Lem for his jumping like a grasshopper even if he had to invest in a lot of salonpas afterwards.
Liza for her flying witchy role and also to whoever owned that broomstick *grin*.
Sarah for her frog leap and cute poses.
Mike for his putting this together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XozJL87F0AM

A HK$2 Billion Production! The World’s Newest Most Spectacular Extravaganza!

http://thehouseofdancingwater.com/en/#/home

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Yunnan - Mekong Region

http://www.visit-mekong.com/
For the Vietnam trip...bookmarked for reference...

Discover Hong Kong - Official Travel Guide from the Hong Kong Tourism Board

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/
Time to research an upcoming trip....my last trip there was just before the handover back to China...

Hong Kong Holiday (2011)

Start:	Feb 17, '11 01:00a
End:	Feb 20, '11 12:45p
Location:	HongKong, China

My last visit to HK was last century :-)

That was so far back that HK was still under British rule...hahaha!

This is really sudden...I got a call from a colleague in HP this morning (I missed her call 3 times already). Liza asked if a trip to HK this February...say 2nd weekend or something would be ok.

A split-second decision had to be made, even if I've not asked permission to take days off or checking if I had backup (because my teammate is out on vacation till mid January anyways)...I said, fine, just tell me the dates and I'd file leaves *cross fingers*

and there you have it...
another case wherein I have the ticket (and a debt to them for paying it beforehand) and the trip's details to be ironed out later...what fun!

Checklist of Hakone (Japan) things to do/see/eat

Notes from research - sort of travel planning...

Use JR Pass to travel to either Mishima, Atami or Odawara Station.
Use Hakone Free Pass for views seen from Hakone Tozan railway.

- Hakone Open-Air Museum

Using nature as the backdrop, it showcases sculpture of the 20th century
Has Picasso Pavilion
JPY 1,400 admission if you have Hakone Free Pass
Try the foot onsen

A short walk from Chokoku No Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway (30 minutes, 390 yen from Hakone-Yumoto, covered by the Hakone Free Pass), the last station before the terminal station of Gora.
Hours: 9 to 5 pm (entry till 4:30 pm)
No closing days.
JPY 1600 (JPY 1500 if online discount) coupon used

by Cable Car to Sounzan - leaves Gora every 20 minutes arrive 9 minutes later
Stop: Koen-Kami -> Hakone Museum of Art
bamboo grove w/ lovely moss garden, Japanese cedars
sample Jap tea for JPY 630 - most beautiful in autumn

The museum is located on the slopes of Gora, just above Gora Park.
It is a three minute walk from Koenkami Station of the Hakone Tozan Cablecar between Gora and Sounzan, or a ten minute walk uphill from Gora Station.

by Ropeway to Togendai, so from Sounzan, braad ropeway with gondolas, 30 minutes
over mountain to Togendai on other side.
Ropeway stops 5:15 pm in summer. Before Togendai..get off...at...

- Owukudani Nature Trail (Great Boiling Valley)

Owukudani is the ropeway's highest point
Probably grab a boiled egg cooked from the boiling waters
Hike for 30 minutes or so and breathe the sulfuric fumes :-)

Owakudani is a station along the Hakone Ropeway between Sounzan and Togendai.
Sounzan is accessible from Hakone-Yumoto by Hakone Tozan Railway and cablecar with a transfer at Gora Station.
Togendai is on the shores of Lake Ashi and is connected by boat with Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi.

- Cross Lake Ashi from Togendai


Two companies, Hakone Sightseeing Boats and Izuhakone Sightseeing Boats, operate boats between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi at the lake's southern shores and Togendai and Kojiri at the northern shores.

A boat cruise from one end of the lake to the other takes roughly 30 minutes and costs 970 yen. The Hakone Free Pass is valid on the pirate ship shaped Hakone Sightseeing Boats but not on boats operated by Izuhakone.

- Hakone Sekisho (checkpoint)

Will not pay for entering the museum anymore because I will skip it.

- Narukawa Art Museum

Has views of Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji from here
Modern works of the Nihonga style of painting, from Heian period style

- Fujiya Hotel ??

Hakone's oldest and grandest hotel
Great views
Curry lunch? (it might be affordable) as most of the time I hear meals here are expensive
Tour of the landscaped garden
Will check as I think I read they have a tour of the hotel

- Hakone Shrine??

HOT SPRINGS! ONSEN!
Hopefully lodgings will have this..otherwise try Tenzan or Kappa Tengoku?
Tenzan -
A short walk from Oku-Yumoto Iriguchi bus stop (bus line K)
Hours: daily 9:00 to 23:00 (admission until 22:00)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 1200 yen
Collection of nicely done hot spring pools, most of which are outdoors at the foot of a wooded slope. The bath house is a beautiful traditional Japanese style building.



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For those who've been to Hakone and can recommend something, please feel free to comment :-)