Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Destination Food: Day 1 of Cebu Food Crawl 2016



The weather was fine when the plane took off Tacloban's Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport. Prior to that, I only ate 3 pieces of pandesal and drank a cup of brewed coffee to fuel my brain for work. In less than 20 minutes, we landed at Mactan-Cebu International Airport and I am hoping that I'd still be able to catch up with the food crawl. I was sulking because I missed a lot during the first day of food crawl due to work. #Priorities.

As I hailed a cab, I only wish to have a good food experience despite mingling with people whom I barely know. The introvert in me is challenged but you can't say no to good food, especially in Cebu.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Cebu Food Crawl 2016 in a Nutshell



Now, look who's back? I just recently came back from Cebu and whoa, I just had the most sinful weekend with my blogger friends. Together, we traveled around Metro Cebu to discover the region's best food. True enough, our gastronomic adventure in Cebu was not only limited to lechon and mangoes.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Photo Blog: Davao's Roxas Night Market

Roxas Night Market Davao City


The Roxas Night Market has been drawing attention not just to Davaoeños but also to visitors as well. This particular night market located in the heart of Davao is a one-stop shopping and dining destination. Here, you can savor the local favorites such as barbecue (chicken, pork, tuna panga, and chicken innards), chicken skin, butchi (the matcha butchi is the bomb), Mang Danny's ice cream (became an overnight sensation; people are willing to queue for up to hours), and a whole lot more. If you're into thrift shopping, the whole stretch of Roxas Avenue is all yours.

A few weeks ago, Mayor Inday Sara Duterte ordered to cease the operations of the night market. She found out that some tenants became abusive, causing too much traffic in this major thoroughfare. With that, the local government decided to impose stricter rules and eventually reopened to the public days before the Kadayawan Festival. It was my first time to squeeze in the crowd to search for the best food that Roxas Night Market could offer. However, we settled in a barbecue place because we were all hungry. Even at night time, it was sweltering hot and humid. But hey, if you're with a good company, you wouldn't mind the discomfort. According to my friends who frequent Roxas Night Market, the revamped layout of it is more organized and less chaotic.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

#BisayaNaFood: Cebu Food Crawl 2.0



It's the time of the year again when bloggers all over the Philippines gather at the Queen City of the South to feast some of the best Cebuano cuisines and local dishes. Last year, I was fortunate enough to attend the first Cebu Food Crawl and it was a success! On its second year, the Cebu Bloggers Society welcomes more hotels and restaurants as they continue to showcase Cebu's best food scene.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The Temples of Bali

Temples of Bali


The last day of our Balinese adventure was dedicated to the temples of the island. Coined as ‘Island of the Gods’, the revered island province of Bali is known for its verdant forested mountains, iconic rice paddies, and beaches and coral reefs. Unlike most of Muslim-majority cities of Indonesia, about 85% of the total population of Bali adheres to Balinese Hinduism - a combination of local beliefs and the Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

This is just one of the reasons why Bali stands out.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Photo Blog: San Juanico by the Bay

San Juanico Leyte Tacloban


My supervisor who happens to be one of the project coordinators of developing some tourist spots in Samar invited us to sail around Cancabato Bay, San Juanico Strait, and visit the floating restaurant in Sta. Rita, Samar using the 350-hp speed boat serviced by Aqua Momentum of Leyte Park Hotel. It felt like I was one of the Somalian pirates in the Captain Phillips film because we were sailing to fast (and furious lol). We even got the chance to view the airport from the sea, and sailed below the majestic San Juanico Bridge. The San Juan Floating By the Bay is managed and supervised by both San Juan Boardwalk Women Association and ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. The place is accessible through speed boat from Leyte Park Hotel or by land travel to Sta. Rita, Samar. At night, the mangrove forests shine like distant constellations as thousands of fireflies light up the surroundings. This is a perfect place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Monday, August 15, 2016

The Monkeys of Ubud

Monkey Forest Ubud Bali

The Bali adventure wouldn't be complete without visiting The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. I never had close encounters with numerous troops (group of monkeys) until recently in Batu Caves and Uluwatu Temple. Despite their obnoxious behavior, these animals are considered sacred in the island's religion. The Monkey Forest of Ubud has numerous temples and pillars dedicated to them.

Out of curiosity, I channeled my inner monkeyness (Merriam-Webster's furious right now because lately, I've been inventing words) and mustered enough courage to interview some of the inhabitants of the sacred forest.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Exploring Kuta Beach and Uluwatu Temple



Our plane took-off at exactly four in the morning and I fell asleep ten minutes after. The next thing I knew, the sun was already up and we were already banking to the right, preparing to land in Bali, Indonesia. Honestly, I kept my expectations low as I didn't know what was in store for us in the next three days!

Monday, August 8, 2016

My Offload Experience with Cebu Pacific




Disclaimer: Before anything else, this is not a rant post about the airline. Rather, this experience was actually the highlight of my recent trip in Bali, Indonesia!

We were scheduled to fly back to Manila from Denpasar at around 8:45AM. Since our hotel is conveniently located right in front of Denspasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport, we left our hotel at quarter to seven in the morning. Besides, we have already checked-in online, so we were pretty much confident with the check-in procedure. The process was quite slow but we didn't care. Besides, we're flying home.

The moment we presented our passports at the check-in counter, we received a disheartening news from the airport ground staff.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

The Bali Adventure: Overview

Exploring Bali, Indonesia

It's been a week since my Balinese adventure and yes, I still can't get over with it. If only I had all the time in the world, I'd spend at least two to three weeks just to explore the entire province and its neighboring islands! I celebrated my 26th birthday here and I really had a great time in Bali. For four days, we went temple hopping, shopped at several local handicraft stores, and immersed in Hindu culture and traditions of the island.