The Island Life in the Philippines in Pictures

          This year, I get to experience two different kinds of island life that are stark contrast to each other. First, the ideal tropical party place with a famous fine white sand and turquoise waters. It offers an array of options of activities and people to mingle with, from all walks of life and from different parts of the globe. You won't get bored, oh no, no. What's the first thing that pops on your mind? I'm talking of Boracay, what else?! 

          This little island in Aklan has its dynamic community composed of locals, expats, artists, and businessmen. It was interesting to be part of that community however briefly. See, I first went there for a job, and it was only later that I get to be a tourist. There's more work to be done for this island to reach its full potential, but it's a great destination as it is.

That day when we ask around for liquor. Fun times!

(I'm wearing scrubs, but hindi po ako masahista :)

Colors from the horizon to right under my nose: 

Deep blue, cyan, turquoise, aquamarine, beige and white.

(Please be impressed with my color vocabulary)

Locals cleaning White Beach and sometimes doing art in it. 

I love the texture of the sand, especially when I bury my toes in it-

 It remains cool despite the heat.

My favorite resto in La Bora: excellent comfort food, relatively 
cheap, great value for money, and friendly staff. 
Here are R and J (plus a manong photobomber) giving their 
thumbs up to Tilapia N' Chips!

ATV ride on the other side of the island, opposite White Beach. 
Two ATV broke down on us, though it was still safe 
because our challenging terrain...was concrete road. Oops!

Still high on my to-do list in Boracay: Kite surfing and skim boarding.

Looked for coffee first thing in the morning, but I couldn't resist the 

pretty red velvet waffle. The serving size was huge: about 8-in diameter 

and 1-in thick, so we're pretty happy.

Henna tattoo. YOLO lang, hehehe

White Beach in the morning and at night.

Will be back but not via van... just no.

          Next, let's sail on to the rustic Cuyo in Palawan. It's the destination for you when you want to get away from it all. No, really. Seriously. Literally. Things could be a bit spartan here - no pampering, no variety, no nightlife. But I like it! Maybe because it reminds me so much of the town where I grew up - a close-knit community with a traditional way of life.  

          The nearest urban centers, Iloilo City and Puerto Princesa, are approximately 14 hours by boat that travels twice a week if the weather permits. But it makes up for dramatic landscapes and coastline, and warm locals. I've seen a few tourists here, mostly kite surfers who made the harbor their playground during the amihan season. 

 

I cannot capture the wide expanse of the sea and sky, but

right off the boat, here's a peek of the view that greeted us at the port.

Modest quarters but I found it charming nonetheless. 

 An intertidal zone on the other side of the island. 

Sea creatures in the sand, and at the distance the fishing boats.

A man made land bridge: an abandoned project that was supposed to 

connect to the next island.

So peaceful, no? *sigh*

And I just gotta claim this: 

the Philippines have the most amazing sunsets.

Cuyo has a sports complex. Sort of. By the beach.

This special basketful of mangoes is special

given by one of the locals I've befriended. 

With my favorite island people-slash-tour guides. I miss them so.

I got around the island a bit with this rusty bicycle. 

Serious cardio, man!

And this is me being pretentious about being bad ass (hihi!).

 I absolutely have no idea how to ride the motorbike.

If there's a photo to sum it all up, of what island life is all about... 

this is it. 

Hong Kong and Macau

            Of all the Asian cities I’ve been to so far, my favorite is Hong Kong. On my first visit I had hands-on with the itinerary, so I had a gist on how the city works. When I actually set foot on its shores I immediately liked the vibe of HK.  

          But here's a specific rundown on why it is a favorite. 

1. The Octopus Card and the Transportation System

           The Octopus card is an all-in-one pass for the MTR (train), bus, ferry, and taxi cabs. Hong Kong is a small city, and with the flexibility of this card, getting around was easy peasy. My preferred means of transportation is walking though. They say that one way of getting to know the city intimately is by foot, and I did extensive walking there.

2. Germophobes

            There were lots of reminders of the importance of proper hand washing and good hygiene with regards to disease transmission. I don’t know how were they before the SARS pandemic, but the lesson stuck. I could roughen up and be a “cowgirl" as needed, but in this place my inner OCD is just brimming with tears of joy.

3. The right amount of grit and posh. 

            I found Singapore too fine (pun intended) it's intimidating, and Bangkok too chaotic it's overwhelming. Teehee. Maybe I will change my mind once I visit these cities again and explore some more, but these views hold at the moment. I like both cities but if I'm Goldilocks HK is definitely the Baby Bear.

4. Familiar

             I don't feel so out-of place here. The climate is more or less the same, even the Western and Oriental Heritage is close to home. Most importantly, however: there are lots of Pinoys that it's almost like I'm in my own country! I had a hard time trying to understand the locals, were it not for an accommodating kababayan to chat us up and give us a helping hand, I guess I’d be more frustrated. 

---

            On a recent trip to HK with my (extended) family, here’s the itinerary that we followed, with a day trip to Macau, all of which can be done in 3 days.

Hong Kong

1. Victoria’s Peak

            We rode the Peak tram (actually the funicular, not really a tram, but whatever) on the way up and the bus on our way down for variety’s sake. We looked around the Peak Galleria before going up the Sky Terrace, which was so-so for me. I’m sure it’s a different experience in the nighttime – but that is something I have to see yet. During the day though, if you're not rushing, I would recommend exploring The Peak and take in the surrounding views through the trees. I had walked along Findlay Road before, and next time I’d like to hike on the rest of the trails and go to that *darn* hard-to-find plot of land where the Governor of Hong Kong used to reside. Lastly, in the spirit of history, I would also like to realize that wish of being carried up to the hill in a sedan chair. Is it still possible? Haha!

Iconic Hong Kong view.

2. Ngong Ping Village

            The cable car ride was a pleasure. Parts of it reminded me of the ending of Sound of Music when the Von Trapps are at the Alps, with the camera panning the top of the mountain, exposed rocks, grass and brooks. Except that there is no snow... but there are occasional stairs (I don’t know where they lead, but one is free to imagine). Down below are more greens, the canopies of the trees and the bay.

            We arrived at the themed Ngong Ping village (there’s a real Ngong Ping village) 25 km and 20-ish minutes later. One of the souvenir shops where I was particularly drawn to because of the music they were playing, sell these Walking with Buddha goods. I purchased a T-shirt after the pilgrimage climb to the Tian Tan Buddha, but boy, did I forget to ask if they have a CD copy of that music. I was also given a free poster of a Buddhist prayer and a wooden tag where I’m supposed to write my wish and tie it to the wishing tree (not a real wishing tree, ngeks!). 

There's our man, so hard to reach.

3. Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade: Symphony of Lights and Avenue of the Stars

            It’s free so you might as well go. There’s much hype in it, but it fell short of my expectations. I can barely hear the music when the lights were dancing, and the laser show is nothing extraordinary. And of the many Chinese stars, I only know Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. But I like walking and people watching there (I’m NOT a pervert. Just being…existential, ha!). It’s a busy community activity center at night. There are entertainers on the promenade, and it’s great way to see the Hong Kong skyline as you eat the dried flaky squid. Alternatively you can experience the HK skyline and the Symphony of lights as you ride the junk or the star ferry. A stone throw away are the Cultural Center as well as the Museums of Arts and Space.

Hong Kong Skyline at night. View from TST Promenade.

4. Kowloon Park

            There’s this nice relaxing park in the middle of the city, where we walked around in the morning before checking in our hotel. There are variety of gardens (Chinese, sculpture, and bird gardens) and fitness center...lots of old people were doing tai chi and the younger ones running. From what I could remember, this is the first place that I’ve been to where the locals could be friendly. At least, once or twice we were greeted with a good morning or a small talk. For the rest of our travel, we were ignored.

In the Sculpture Garden, me. 
You could climb those metal bars behind --- 
No, don't do that. I'm kidding!

Tai chi. #pagmaytime

5. Ladies Market

            We went there at nearly closing time. Cousins bought clothes, and titas bought kiamoy. So… next. (LOL)

6. Disneyland

            Now, now. I've been, still am, and will always be a fan of stories and animation.  I am past (waaaayyyy past!) that age when Disney is everything, however. These days, I’d prioritize cultural shows that features folklores and traditional storytelling (so grown up na!), to a comic convention, or to an animation festival (okay, a grown up geek, so what?).

Happiest place on earth.

            Disneyland is a great place for spending quality time with kids though, and for eliciting a bit of nostalgia of your own childhood. There are moments that made me feel giddy with excitement, as feeling tiny like a toy in Toy Storyland; and the fireworks syncing with classic Disney music at closing time – that’s my favoritest part ever ever ever ever EVER on the happiest place on earth! ;-)  

      

        We were not able to do this on our last trip because there was booking problem and we were a day leaving earlier. But this was our 3^rd and last day agenda. Pictures were from previous visit.

Macau

7. Casino and Hotel Hopping

            Unfortunately for my underage sister and us, we weren’t able to go inside the casinos. But we at least get to see Wynn’s tree of prosperity and dancing fountain, The Venetian’s canal area, and the City of Dreams.

Hi! 

8. The House of Dancing Water

            Now there’s glitzy Vegas entertainment - showgirls, acrobatics, and extreme games – it is awesome as it is. But what makes it different is the Oriental flavor (but of course!), and the stage is a convertible pool (aaaaahhhh) and the effects involves lots of water and light choreography (oooohhhhh). Put those elements together, it will leave you on high after. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!! (All caps and lots of exclamation points for emphasis). 

            I did not take pictures during the performance because a.) It’s bawal - the performers' safety is the main concern here; b.) Experience first before Instagram; and c.) I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. It's pretty special watching it live, so I recommend you do the same and not cheat on Youtube. 

          Be warned however that there will always be somebody annoying in the audience who will take photos with flash. (I don't know why they don't confiscate the cameras till the show is finished.) Also, don't be pa-dalman with the plot- it's a bit vague. Just enjoy the performance.

         This is a permanent show of the City of Dreams, which is just across The Venetian. Here’s their website. Go check it out. 

             That's the backdrop to the left and the stage is from the center to the right of the picture. The white swirls are foams of water.   

Those at the front rows could easily get wet during the performance. Yikes!

9. Lord Stowe’s Egg Tart

            Ah, yes. It was on my foodie checklist. But I ate it all up, so no actual pictures...I was starving and I was grumpy. Here's what they look like: 

Photo cropped from lordstow.com

            It’s not a sweet pastry, if you imagine that it is. The crust is what makes it special - flaky and saboroso. The custard filling is caramelized and slightly burnt on the surface, but otherwise not that remarkable; it complements the crust really well. All in all, it was a delicious, light snack. HK $ 9 per piece, then finish it with milk tea or lemonade! Yum!!!! The shop we went to was at The Venetian canal area, but the original hailed from the Coloane village. Also in Coloane, a Princess Hours scene was shot there. Just saying. (Ok, fine. I used to be a fan of this show.) 

Photo from fanpop.com

9. Senado Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral

            The Senado Square is a UN heritage site. The historical buildings around the square are pretty, and you’d feel transported to a European Village. We went inside St. Dominic's church to give thanks, to see a bit of architecture and history, and also to rest from walking.

            The walk to the St. Paul’s Cathedral is laden with free food tasting – from all kinds of cookies to all kinds of jerkies (pork, beef, ostrich...). You can take advantage of it if you are a little short on the budget. ;-)  They taste good and are filling. There’s another for your foodie checklist here: The Pork Chop Bun sandwich.

Fatty meal with a view.

            I wish we were able explore more the Portuguese heritage of Macau and the outlying villages. But in Macau, I think I have accomplished my must-do's. The casino thing is not really on my bucket list… well, because I plan to “break the bank” in none other but Monte Carlo, the pagoda ride to be experienced in Venice itself (arte lang), and looking out from a tall Skyscraper - maybe New York Empire State Building (ahem, Gossip Girl).

            My HK checklist on the other hand is far from complete. Food tours, art fests, the street scene, nature, cultural and heritage stuff... An alternative HK, really.  Suggestions, anyone? What did I miss?  I had a lovely time, and I will surely be back. :)