Tilapia All Over

After the zipline rush, we headed for lunch in one of the stalls in Lake Sebu. Don’t worry, there are a lot of food stalls in the area and they offer sumptuous tilapia dishes at reasonable prices.

Instead of going to a famous resort we opted to try a small canteen located along the road side. We ordered sugba, tilapia chicharon and crispy tilapia with a big platter of rice and 2 big bottles of soft drinks.

The sugba was perectly cooked. The tilapia skin was not charred and the fish tasted great. It’s really swak na swak sa toyo with calamansi and sili. (Yum Yum.)

At first I thought that the tilapia bones will be thrown away after getting the meat for the chicharon. I was astonished when you can actually choose to have it deep fried or cooked ala “paksiw.” We tried it deep fried and it was nom nom nom.

Unexpectedly, the tilapia chicharon was the favorite. We did not expect it to be so delish. I don’t know what they put on it but really it was a mouth watering and tummy bulging dish. Try it when you go there. J

At the end of the day it’s really not about how grand the celebration was but actually the company you are with. ^_^

Till next time.

I love traveling but Don’t have enough cash. What to do?

Well I had a blast last 2012 and I must admit 2013 will be more budget-friendly. That means we will limit our travels inside Luzon and concentrate more within Metro Manila and its outskirts.

Being “broke” is temporary while being “poor” is permanent.

I am “broke”. Well as far as my travel fund is concerned, I am “broke”. I have to save a little more for travel this year and I have to put a hold on my Mindanao escapades until December 2013.

But because I love traveling, I can’t let a month pass not exploring places nearby.

Here are some of the places I’d like to see (not included in our official outings/tours with Team Injury).

Mapanuepe Lake – This lake is located in Zambales. According to Wikipedia, “Mapanuepe Lake is a freshwater lake located in the province of Zambales in the Philippines. The lake was created after the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Lahars following the eruption blocked the drainage of Mapanuepe River, south of the volcano, flooding Mapanuepe Valley together with its settlements. Only the steeple of the church protruding out of the water remained on one of the villages.”

Taal Town – Taal is more than the famous Taal volcano. Actually there’s a town named Taal where past is the new future. Visitors will be transformed back to Spanish era because of the structures of the houses and the very big Basilica de San Martin de Tours which is considered to be the largest church in the Philippines and in Asia, standing 96 metres (315 ft) long and 45 metres (148 ft) wide.(wikipedia)

 Las Piñas for their Bamboo Organ – Very near yet so far (and always not included in my tours) is the very renowned Bamboo Organ in Las Piñas. I should include this now since a trip will only cost me less than 500Php.

Mind Museum – The first Mind Museum in the country is just a stone-throw away from Paul’s office but since we were busy going to other places I forgot to tell him I want to go there too. The entrance fee is too pricey that I wish I can be a public school student once again. Nevertheless I want to spend an afternoon here.

Explore Antipolo (Crescent Moon Gallery) – I would like to try another pottery lesson and be able to bring my finished product back home. Since Antipolo is just near our place, I am always reminded that I should go there the soonest. I should also write about their church since it’s one of the most visited churches during holy week.

Staycation in Punta de Fabian (ok just visit it then) – This is I think near our place and I can’t wait to see and experience it this year. I will (and I must) make money for this since this will be nice place to spend a day with a hot chocolate and a book.

Binondo Photowalk – Explore China town and eat delicacies from the place. They say Chinese are weird when it comes to food but let me check if the dishes suit my taste buds. And since it’s a photowalk, I might invite some friends over to shoot. (I don’t care whether you have an expensive DSLR or a tiny digicam. Just shoot.^_^)

Well I guess that’s all I can think of. Maybe 4 out of 7 will give me a good score this year. And I hope I’ll have some friends who can accompany me during these cute tours.

The Calaguas Trip – Second Day

We woke up late on the second day. I felt lazy because it is still raining. We had to send off our drivers to Paracale because I think they were not able to rest well during the night. I was worried because waves are big and the weather is not yet that fine but they insisted.

We spent a few hours walking along the shore of Mahabang Buhangin – that’s what they call that part of the island. It was already 8am when we finally came to our senses and prepared food for brunch.

Jenny, Belle, Jayson and Jimmy went for a walk earlier and arrived with banana leaves in the hope of having a boodle fight. We gladly welcomed the idea and had our first ever boodle fight.

The Unexpected Side Trip

Jenny mentioned that we can climb the mountain near our camp site to view the whole island. Mountain climbing is an activity we enjoy so much and you will not have to convince us twice.

Armed with slippers, short shorts, kikay bag and camera, we climbed the mountain with “ease.” It took us 30 minutes to climb the first mountain and to our surprise the cell phone signal was strong. We took the opportunity to greet our fathers and the fathers we know a happy fathers’ day. We descended the mountain after a quick banana break andheaded towards the town proper. We had a quick soda break to quench our thirst from the first climb. We need some energy and refreshment because we will climb another mountain going to the other side of Mahabang Buhangin. It took us almost an hour to finish the second mountain. We were greeted by the white sand and turquoise water upon reaching the shore.

The Games

After a sumptuous lunch (boodle fight style) we had another game. This is called “Pinakamahirap na Pinoy Henyo.” This is similar to the pinoy henyo game popularized by Eat Bulaga – only harder. Team Barney scored 3 first.

pinakamahirap na pinoy henyo

The next game is the “Longest Line with a Twist.” We had 5 representatives in each team and gave them 5 balloons each. They will blow the balloons within 3 minutes and form a long line out of it. Mai-Team won this game.

longest line with a twist

The last game is called “Time’s Up” This is composed of 4 rounds. Each team is required to have 4 representatives – 2 pairs. They’re given random titles of movies, TV shows, books etc. The first round is similar to the game “Taboo.” They will describe what is written on the paper but are forbidden to mention the exact words on it. On the second round, they are only allowed to mention one word (but not any word written on the paper) and act the remaining. On the third round they can only act the title. On the fourth round they can only pose for the title. Time limit for each participant is 30 seconds. Team Coolest won this game.

The Water

It was already past 5pm when the games were finished. We’re all excited to bathe in the beach.

The water was clear in turquoise view. The waves entertained us and kept us in the water for an hour or so. It was a refreshing experience.

The Evening Party

The guys did their part well. They took the initiat

ive to prepare the bonfire for the evening party. We were all overjoyed when the flame started to light up.

We taught the first timers to cook their mallows over the fire. They liked it and for all I know mallows are gone.

There were a lot of revelations during the evening party and unfortunately I cannot share it to the readers. J

The Calaguas Trip – First Day

The team met in KFC-Cubao (our favorite meeting place) around 11:30 in the evening of June 17, 2011. Our van drivers arrived a little past 12 and we departed Cubao at around 12:30am (July 18, 2011).

Our trip to Camarines Norte lasted for 9 and a half hours because our drivers did not take the famous “bituka ng manok” road. They said it’s dangerous for vehicles to pass through it at 3am because of the zigzags and there are no street lights. It could have saved us 2 hours in the trip but they did it for precautionary measures.

We arrived at Labo town in Camarines Norte at around 8 in the morning. Although I told the group to pack breakfast and pack lunch, some were not able to do so. In the end, the group ate at an eatery in the said town.

After our breakfast we headed straight to Paracale. I was a little confused because the eatery owner told me that Paracale is straight ahead while our drivers told me we need to take the left turn. They told me that they asked two men before concluding the path. They also told the drivers that we need to travel 30 minutes more but it took us almost an hour to reach our destination. Maybe the people in Labo town are just being true to the meaning of their town name. Labo in English means uncertain.

We arrived at Paracale at around 10am. I was a little distracted because the weather was gloomy. I asked the boat owner if it is still feasible for the group to push with the itinerary. He said the water is calm and safe despite the gloomy weather. Upon hearing this, the team took one hour break to get some food, water and other provisions in the market.

The Annoying Part

I was disappointed with the boat owner (Nelson Gomez) because he kept on insisting that we should hire additional boat (a smaller one) because he thought that the big boat will be overloaded. He tried to charge us additional 2000Php for the supposedly additional boat. I was irritated that time because when I asked him during our haggling session over the phone, he told me that the boat can accommodate up to 30 persons. One week before the trip, I confirmed to him 24 participants only because the 12 cannot make it. I added 3 headcounts because our drivers will be with us and I was not able to confirm the additional participant. He kept on repeating his mantra that I only confirmed 24 so the additional 3 should have another boat. Moreover he told us that we have lots of load so there is a big possibility that the boat will be overloaded. One thing more, he kept on mentioning the name Angel expecting I knew another organizer by this name. I told him I am not connected to any organizer and I do not know anybody named Angel who belongs to another group. I was upset when he told me he gave the 12 life vests to the girl named Angel thinking that we were in the same group assuming that the 12 participants brought by Angel were the same 12 participants who were not able to make it in my group. I had to calm myself in that part because my head is beginning to heat up. He told me that we should buy the additional life vests since it will only be few hundred pesos. I told him that he should provide the life vests since it is included in the cost he told me few weeks ago. He insisted that he thought Angel is a part of our group. I told him he should have asked me first before concluding and it is his fault why he had to buy additional life vest.

When we boarded the boat, the boatman (different from the boat owner) said it can accommodate us all. So Nelson was just trying to bluff us on the safety issue so that he can charge additional 2000Php. To add to my dismay, we only had few life vests during the trip. The boatman pushed with the trip even though the life vests were not complete yet. The boatman and the boat owner do not have coordination. I should have called the attention of the barangay officials because they violated what was agreed upon but I decided to shut up and just prayed. Next time I will be strict with the rules so as not to put the team in possible danger.

The fun part

It was an hour and a half boat ride to Calaguas island. The sea was calm despite the rain drops. The team just shrugged off the annoyance on the boat owner and decided to make the most out of the trip. The laughter began. We talked about anything under the sun. And it helped me ease worries on the storm we are about to face.

We arrived at Calaguas at around 12:30 in the afternoon. It was raining and we were disappointed to find out that the supposedly “hut” for our team was given to Angel’s group because of that assuming Nelson Gomez. We camped next to Angel’s area. Funny because I was not able to formally get to know Angel or her team but I keep on mentioning her name.

The people of Calaguas were very warm. They helped us set up our camp and

even provided us the wind breakers we needed. We finished setting the camp at 2 in the afternoon. Everybody was soaking wet and hungry. I called for lunch but not everybody was given food especially our drivers. I was sad to learn this because they were both sleepy and tired and having no food for lunch is a total disaster. Good thing, Jimmy provided them bread and canned goods. Thanks Jimmy!

The weather gave us a window to play some ga

mes. It was already 4 in the afternoon when we formally welcomed the team in Calaguas and officially opened the event. We divided the team in to three groups to make it easier to coordinate everything.

team coolest (with jenny)

mai-team (with paul)

team barney

We had the cheering competition first where each group will prepare for an hour. The competition was entertaining and everybody participated. They were competitive and nobody wants to be left out.

The next two games were played to build team spirit among team injury members. The first game was “Pass the Hot Ball” where the participants formed a circle, were given instructions and a category. They need to give an answer on the category and need to pass the ball within 5 seconds crossing the center of the circle. Everybody should touch the ball once and gives answer only once. A penalty is waiting for those who are not paying attention.

The second game is called “Count me in” where participants need to count of from 1 to 24 (24 participants). No two participants are allowed to count at the same time and no one is allowed to repeat the number. If two or more participants shouted the same number, the count of will reset. The catch in the game: participants were not facing each other so they need concentration and timing. We repeated the count of until we reached 24. They were very happy to reach the last number. They clapped and jumped. Who will not be overjoyed if you have to repeat the count of almost 10 times before perfecting it? Hahaha! J

The night came fast because of the bad weather condition. We had to prepare dinner early, eat early and sleep early. We were not able to play more games because we do not have a big dry area to hold it.

The typhoon made it hard for me to sleep because I was worried about the team’s safety. I woke up several times during the night only to hear the rain drops and the strong winds that kept on smashing our tents. I silently prayed and hoped for a better weather the next morning.

Calaguas – The Plan

I was overwhelmed by our Sagada trip last May that upon learning a holiday this June, I instantly announced a Calaguas for a Cause trip to Team Injury. Call me impulsive.

official ID logo

And so the planning began. We tried to enlist 36 participants but unfortunately only 25 confirmed.

I suggested a survivor style outing to the group just so we can have activities in the secluded island. They agreed and planned with me on the games, ID, prizes and food.

I contacted our van drivers and haggled for the fare. We hired the same drivers from our Sagada trip to take advantage of a bigger discount.

I contacted a boat operator in Paracale, Camarines Norte hoping that his services are good since we got his number from a blog. He charged us 8000Php for the boat ride which I think is good already. I asked if we will all have our own life vest. He said “Yes” and that’s all I wanted to hear.

We are now set and ready for another adventure.

This may be my last adventure for 2011 since Paul will be assigned to Texas for the next six months so I better enjoy and have a lot of fun!

Boracay Astoria de Boracay Story!

While walking along the shores of boracay, a man in white tshirt approached us and offered us a free buffet dinner. Wow, I was amazed and curious about it so my girlfriend asked what's the catch. The guy told us that there's nothing, it's just a way of promoting the Astoria hotel.

So we decided to go with it, after all the free dinner is a win win for us. The dinner starts at 6:00 pm so just past 6 we walk our way to station 1 where it is located. As we approach the hotel, we were introduced to one of the managers. He told us the we can have the free dinner and after that there will be 90 minute presentation about the hotel. With a live band and good dishes we enjoyed our one hour free dinner. The food was great. However, we are still wondering what’s in exchange for this wonderful dinner.

After the sumptuous dinner we were introduced to one of the salespersons. She started her talk by getting to know more of us. She then introduced the new marketing strategy of Astoria, the timeshare. It is a form of ownership or right to use a property usually a hotel or condominum. For more info on timesharing, you can refer to this wikipedia link .

To avail of the benefits of their timeshare, you must have to pay the membership fee and on top of that is an annual maintenance fee which is almost 10,000 pesos. The membership fee is quite big but she warned us at the start that if the membership fee would largely affect our financial status then it’s better not to avail it. The membership fee ranges from 300k to 500k but because they are in promo they oferred us a 20% discount. She presented some payment terms to pay the membership fee and a 25K is needed at the start.

We told her we don't have that big amount of money. We asked if we can have more time to research about it but she insisted that the offer only stands for just one night. She was very firm with the “one night only” offer so we declined it.

We thought that this was a very big financial decision for us so we needed more time to research and think it over. We thought that the offer will be good for those above middle class family who are constantly having their vacation. We also think that the “one night only” is not a good marketing strategy. We believe that clients should be given time to research and consult among their circle of influence.

Upon getting home, I googled Astoria, and read some good and bad comments about it.

Our advice is, before jumping to any financial decision, you must do your research.

~till then

Boracay Hotel Hopping!

My initial IT was fun-filled with all the activities I could think of. But Paul wanted to relax while in Boracay so he insisted that our itinerary be simplified. I agreed but I refused to delete this activity - hotel hopping.

Enjoy!

Discovery Shores

(the best hotel in Boracay! *we think!)

Fridays Boracay

Ambassador in Paradise

Astoria de Boracay

(click here for Astoria Story)

Boracay Regency

Alta Vista de Boracay

~till then

Boracay ATV Tour!

I wanted to try this activity during our Bohol tour but we were not fortunate since ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) tour in Bohol is way way expensive than in Boracay.

Here's a tip: You can get ATV Tour at half the price. Yup! We got it at 250php each. Sweet huh!

Before the tour, the participants will test drive the ATV to make sure that they know how to operate it. And of course a lecture is conducted before it.

The tour is composed of two destinations - the butterfly garden and the peak of Mt. Luho and is completed in an hour.

First we went to the butterfly garden. Not so much butterfly nevertheless Paul enjoyed taking pictures of the birds.

Then we went to Tanawin Luxury Apartments to have a 360 degree-view of Boracay. Tanawin Luxury Apartments is located at the top of Mt Luho.

~till then

Boracay Helmet Diving/ Reef Walking!

This was our first water activity in Boracay. While we were strolling at Station 1 a lady (ate Diding) approached us and asked us if we want to have some water activities. She quoted us 400php each for the helmet diving. She told us it's the lowest we can get since it is already high season since normally it is priced at 500php. Paul and I tested our haggling skills and luckily won the battle of prices. (Yeah we won!) We got the activity at 300php each. Sweet huh!

We walked from Station 1 to Bulabog beach where the activity will take place. Upon arrival we paid for the fee and rode a motorized banca going to a bigger banca where divers await to accompany us. There was a short briefing on what to do and what not to do during the activity. I was scared since it's my first time to submerge in water. I mean really submerge. I never took a diving class nor a swimming class before going to Boracay. I wish i did. What if something goes wrong and the hose that supplies my oxygen is accidentally cut? But what the heck, that's what insurance is for!

We wore a heavy helmet while inside the water. The divers gave us some bread to feed the school of fish. The underwater world is trully amazing it makes me wanna go back to Coron!

Fifteen minutes inside the water felt hours. There was one time when I already want to go up and breathe normally. Nevertheless the experience was great and I will highly recommend this activity to my friends!

~till then