Finally in Coron – Day 5: the case of the lost luggage

Last day today, or last morning since we have to be at the airport by noon. We have already arranged our transportation the day before. We did not arrange anything while waiting for our departure, except buying souvenirs and other pasalubong for our loved ones.

The market was just two blocks away from the lodge, and we immediately went souvenir shopping after breakfast. But on our way back after buying stuff, Mama asked me if I can look for some freshwater pearls for her since we were already in Palawan

Day 4 breakfast

Day 4 breakfast

I had no idea what to look for to be honest, and I read up on this while walking and looking around at stalls. Anyway, I ended up buying this string of freshwater pearls from one of the stores near the rotonda. We haggled like mad to bring the price down, and eventually got this and another bracelet for Php 1,200.

A string of freshwater pearls

A string of freshwater pearls

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Finally in Coron – Day 4: Malcapuya Island

I think I can never get too tired with the breakfast that they serve, particularly that fish (I forgot the name) that was very soft and not at all salty. The serving might appear a bit small, compared to the usual serving of food that I eat.

It was also the birthday of Papa and my brother, as well as a couple of my friends. I’ve sent them my greetings, knowing that we might not have a cellphone signal once in the middle of nowhere.

Breakfast Day 3

Breakfast Day 3

We reached the travel agency earlier than usual, and we were also with some people who were with us the day before. Our destination, Malcapuya Island, was quite far and it would take us hours to go there.

Unfortunately, as if the travel time was not enough, there was one tourist boat whose motor malfunctioned in the middle of the sea and we had to go back a bit just to get them and tag their boat along. That severely slowed us down and it was already past lunchtime when we arrived in Malcapuya. =(

Our boatman

Our boatman

Look, I'm at the edge of the boat

Look, I’m at the edge of the boat

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Finally in Coron – Day 3: Island Hopping

Third day and we would be finally able to experience the sea! Again, breakfast must be arranged the night before. We were rushing so much that I had to wolf down the contents of my plate in four go’s. LOL

Breakfast Day 2

Breakfast Day 2

Again, the tour agency was a couple of blocks away from us, and we were just in time before we started walking to the port. Having heard the unfortunate news of a guy getting allegedly killed by a sea urchin, we opted to borrow beach shoes.

Enjoying the boat ride

Enjoying the boat ride

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Finally in Coron – Day 2: Getting around the town

For the second day, which is technically our first day for the trip, I woke up looking forward to the food that the lodge has for us. Normally, they would ask guests to pick from their menu the breakfast that would be served for tomorrow.

Breakfast Day 1

Breakfast – technically Day 1

The restaurant inside the lodge

The restaurant inside the lodge

After breakfast, we had the chance to go around the town proper and see where can we find the places that we need. There’s BPI about two blocks away from the lodge, then there’s Julie’s Bakeshop a couple of meters from us. The town proper is as idyllic as it gets. No brash noises and you can just walk around without worrying for your safety. However, I was worried more of the mosquitoes upon hearing that there was a dengue outbreak quite recently. We almost did not push through with the trip, but thought that citronella and Off! lotion can do the trick.

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Finally in Coron – Day 1: the arrival

If there’s one thing we have never done for years that we have been travelling, it would be a web check-in. But for our trip this time, we were compelled to do so as we were quite sure that the Metro Manila traffic would prevent us from arriving early at the airport. A few minutes on the road and we know that we were right. We left the apartment at 12:00 noon, but we reached the Domestic Terminal at half past 1: 00 p.m. The internet connection was spotty and it took two cellphones to make the web check-in successful.

Cebu Pacific's Turbo Jet plane

Cebu Pacific’s Turbo Jet plane

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Puerto Princesa Trip – Day 3: Honda Bay!

I’ve been waiting for the Honda Bay tour because, of course, it concerns the beach! Same as yesterday, we were picked up by the guesthouse at around 7am, but it was better because we only had two companions with us — a couple from Makati who went on a vacation away from our kids. On our way to the port, we stopped by a rental place for snorkeling gears. I even rented a case for my digital camera and it was not exactly cheap.

The drive going to the port was around 30 minutes, and we could not be more thankful of the perfect, cloudless skies because it has been raining since we had arrived the other day. The port was already packed with local and foreign tourists waiting to be transported to the islands. After a quick group photo, we already embarked the boat that will take us to Starfish Island.On our way to Honda Bay Island Hopping

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Puerto Princesa Trip – Day 2: Underground River

For the second day, we had to wake up very early at 5:00 AM. The tour agency would be picking us up at 7:00 AM, and as there were six of us, it was wisest to just prepare really early, rather than making them wait. Good thing that the McDonald’s near our place is always open 24/7, so we had quite a heavy breakfast. Time flew by and it was almost already 7:00 AM and somebody knocked on our door; it was the guesthouse owner informing us that the tour agency’s vehicle has arrived.

The weather, just like yesterday, was a bit rainy, and we also had to pick up two other groups of people before we head to Sabang Beach. It was an extremely bumpy ride and Mama, who is so used to travelling a lot and do not readily get motion sickness, ended up puking as soon as we stopped outside the entrance of Ugong Rock Adventures. I initially thought that we were only to stay for a couple of minutes, thirty minutes maximum just to visit the place. But to my horror, we spent the next two hours and a half waiting for the other guests to finish their ziplining and the cave exploration. It drove me up the wall. Had I known that we would be dragged to this mess of waiting, we could have chosen another agency that would bring us quicker to Sabang.Ugong Rock Adventures

The poor boy got sick over the bumpy ride

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Puerto Princesa Trip – Day 1: Hello Palawan!

JB and Mama slept in our apartment in Makati last night, so that they won’t be travelling from Marikina to NAIA Terminal 3. We left Makati around 7:00 AM, but we still arrive around 8:30 AM because of the traffic jam in the intersection from Vito Cruz to Osmena. Mon and his family, on the other hand, was still caught in traffic in Cavite and they arrived a quarter past 9:00 AM. Our flight was exactly an hour after but we had no problem checking in.

It was a very special day, especially for the kids because it would be their first time riding an airplane. You can see their excitement and they were both extremely giddy. The two of them normally get along very well, and I hoped that they won’t be too unruly.

It was my nephew's first airplane ride

Airplane aisle

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2013 Travel Plans: PHILIPPINES!

Contrary to past years when we planned our travels outside the country, Mon and I have already worked on our trips within the Philippines until November. It might be long overdue but it is time to go around the country more frequently than before. =D

2013 travel plans in the Philippines

For the end of this month, I will be going with Mon’s family to Laoag, Ilocos Norte and I look forward seeing the Bangui Windmills, swimming in Pagudpud and, most of all, bathing in a river since I haven’t done such activity in almost two decades. When I was still young and we just moved in Marikina in early 90s, we had to chance to bathe in the river for several summers. It was a highlight of our summer vacation and we, little kids in the area, had a blast chasing each other in the clear water of the Marikina River. Well, due to the increasing number of subdivisions upstream (e.g. Montalban), as well as population explosion, our waters became murky and muddy. And to experience swimming in a river again, I have to go to Ilocos Norte and I will surely be taking lots of photos.

Then in July, I will finally bring Mama to Puerto Princesa because she had been hinting how much she wanted to visit the Underground River. Well, the original plan was to bring Mon’s mother to Hong Kong with us, but as his youngest sister would definitely throw a fit within those few days, the most feasible thing to do was just go somewhere here in the Philippines and tag her along. Everyone, then, will be happy!

But October, well, is a different story. Last Tuesday, Faye and I had been talking over plans to travel together outside company-initiated trips because we were hoping we could at least go somewhere before we leave the company soon. LOL Then on a whim, we booked tickets to Kalibo via Zest Air, along with Mon and seven other officemates for a few days in Boracay.

I never thought there would be a problem with this arrangement but apparently, this Friday morning had its dose of surprises. Last Monday, my sister informed me that my brother’s wedding will be slated on October 26 as it was aligned with the day of their (brother and fiancée) anniversary. So I was then confident with booking on an October 12 trip with my friends on the seat sale. Then over breakfast this morning, I was informed that it was moved to October 12 instead, because there were no available/good schedules for the 26th. O_O

The wedding will be at 4:00 PM in October 12 and there’s no way we can go to the airport  before our 5:45 PM flight. Mon and I’s Plan B will be just to rebook our flight on the earliest schedule the following day at almost 5:00 AM. LOL The catch is, we had to pay the rebooking fee and other possible fees, which might amount to more than what we paid for the original ticket. If thaw will be the case, then we might as well rebook anew and save a couple of pesos. =/

I was furious with my brother because it was difficult to plot our personal plans with the everchanging wedding schedule. They supposed to get married this May, then moved to January 2014, then on October 26, 2013. I did my best to contain my disappointment, though, and was relatively calm with the text messages I had sent him. When I eventually collected myself an hour after, I just looked at the positive side of things. As Faye correctly prophesied while we were booking, if something will happen, then the cost of the ticket will be relatively less heartbreaking. Who would have thought that that something will happen three days after. LOL I was thinking more of erratic weather conditions, because Octobers should no longer be rainy. Anyway, I just hope that the wedding’s schedule will definitely be FINAL because I would no longer know how to react if they were to change it again, with all the hassle of rebooking from Zest Air.

Seeing paradise: the Philippines in UK Harper’s Bazaar – March 2012

Whenever we are in RCBC Plaza, I always check out the magazine stall (I forgot the name of the place, I think it doesn’t even have one) to see if back issues of some fashion magazines are already up for grabs.

I tend to get US Vogue from Fully Booked for a full price only under two circumstances: 1) it’s a March and a September issue, or 2) the issue is thick enough to be worth Php 599.

So you can guess enough that I did not buy the January issue as brand new.

Georgia May Jagger - UK Harper's Bazaar March 2012

Georgia May Jagger – UK Harper’s Bazaar March 2012

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