I still had the whole morning for sightseeing on our fourth and last day in Taipei so I availed of the Northern Coast Tour (Keelung City) offered by Edison Travel Service (NT$1,000/pax). After breakfast at the hotel, Jandy and I, as well as a 69 year old retired USAF serviceman named Gerald and his wife Leona, were picked up at the hotel lobby by our tour guide. The sun was already up and shining (this after 3 days of rain) when we boarded our van for the 45-min. drive to Keelung City. Nicknamed the “Rainy Port” (due to its frequent rain and maritime role), Keelung City is Taiwan’s second largest seaport (after Kaohsiung).
Keelung City Proper
From the city proper, our van drove up a hill, east of the city, to Chung Cheng Park (derived from Chiang Chung-cheng, a given name of Chiang Kai-shek). Situated on the side of Ta Sha Wan Shan, atop a hill off Hsieh Road, Chung Cheng Park (also spelled as Jhongjheng Park) was formerly called Kang Park in the past. The first immigrants to Taiwan used to fight with each other for land. In order to stop these disputes, they set up a temple for yearly worship. During the Japanese occupation, the temple was in Kao Sha Park and later moved to Chung Cheng Park.
Entrance to Chang Chung Park
There are three levels in the park. On the first level is a historic cannon fort. On the second level is a Buddhist library, Chung Lieh Temple and Chu Pu Tan Temple. The temple attracts many worshipers on July 15, the Chung Yuan (Hungry Ghost) Festival, when families lights a lamp in front of their door in order to light the way for ghosts at night.
Chang Chung Park
Our destination was the Kuan Hai Pavilion, on the third level. Here, we had a scenic view of Keelung City, its excellent 2,000 m. long and 400 m. wide harbor (embraced by mountains to its east, west and south); luxury passenger ships; smaller commercial craft; naval and coast guard vessels: and the azure Pacific Ocean.
Naval and commercial ships
Dock facilities
The city proper
Also here is the 22.5 m. (74-ft.) high, white smiling statue of Guan Yin (the Buddhist message of compassion and peace), the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. The landmark of Chung Cheng Park, it is the biggest goddess statue in Southeast Asia. Inside the statue, Jandy and I climbed a steep stairway leading to the top. From portholes on the sides, we could take in views of the harbor and the city.
For me, Chung Cheng Park is a combination of a Buddhist holy site and amusement theme park. The grounds by the Guanyin statue are crowded with snack vendors and souvenir shops while toy vehicles for children to ride around on, some of them musical, are offered for rent.
The souvenir shop and children’s rides for rent
Behind the statue is a Buddhist temple. We noticed a backwards swastika, a Buddhist symbol of peace (as opposed to the forward facing Nazi symbol), on top of a bell tower (you can ring the bell for a NT$50 donation). Further downhill are several 3-storey pagodas, a museum and a martyrs’ shrine. Since this park is near downtown, it is popular with city folk as well as tourists.
The backward swastika symbol
Chung Cheng Park: Keelung City, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 2428-7664.
How to Get There: take 206 bus and stop at provincial hospital. The park entrance is on the other side.
Guang Hua Digital Plaza (Taipei City, Taiwan)
It was raining when we woke up on the third day of our stay in Taipei. It seems the city was also feeling the effects of Typhoon Ambo (international name: Mawar) which struck the Philippines. Not really a good day for sightseeing much less photography. Instead, I decided to just check out the Guang Hua Digital Plaza, just south of Song Jiang Rd.. After breakfast at the hotel, Jandy and I donned our jackets and opted to just walk to the mall. Along the way, we searched for, but did not find, the Miniatures Museum along Jianguo North Rd..
Guang Hua Digital Plaza
Guang Hua Digital Plaza ( also known as the“Taipei Akihabara”), attracting tens of thousands of visitors each day, is an indoor, technological and electronics one-stop shopping paradise located at the intersection of the Zhongzheng and Daan Districts. It was established in 1973 as a retailer market, originally using the space beneath the old Guanghua Bridge and just specializing in old books (thus the nickname “old books street”). Within a decade, however, electronics retailers gained presence in the market and surrounding streets.
The ground floor exhibition area
Due to underground railroad construction in 1992, Guang Hua Market was moved to an underground location at the corner of Bade Rd. and Xinsheng South Rd.. By this time, the area became known for electronics, with many new stores opening, and the establishment of other electronic markets such as the International Electronics Market, Contemporary Life Market and Sanpu Market.
In 2006, due to the demolition of the Guanghua Bridge, Guang Hua Market was moved to a temporary location at the corner of Jinshan North Rd. and Civic Blvd.. The temporary building consisted of 5 warehouse-like halls, providing a total of 196 retail stores. Not soon after the market moved into its temporary location, construction began on the current six-story Guang Hua Digital Plaza building, which has been its current location since July 2008.
The lone sporting goods store
Today, the purpose-built Guang Hua Digital Plaza building consists of 6 floors and a basement. The first floor houses an exhibition space for new electronic products and a food court. The second and third floors are the new locations for the 196 vendors of the original Guang Hua Market while the fourth and fifth floors are the new locations for the vendors of Xining Guozhai Electronics Market. The sixth floor is reserved for repair shops, education classes and offices while the basement floor is for parking.
A camera store
Even with the rain outside, the building was pulsating with a steady stream of IT gadget lovers fervently shopping for the latest desktop computers, laptops, digital cameras, mobile phones, electronic accessories and parts and related gadgets and peripherals, many of which are Taiwan-made, at this sprawling mess of shops selling everything electronic. There’s also a lone sporting goods store and stores selling VCDs and DVDs (mostly Taiwanese or Chinese titles).
A store selling VCDs and DVDs
However, checking out their prices, they still can’t match prices in Hong Kong but they could compete with European and U.S. prices. My problem here, especially when you need to techno-speak, was that most of the vendors don’t speak or only speak a little English. The foreign tourists I saw shopping here were accompanied by their English-speaking guides. I had no such luxury. Oh well, maybe next time. We returned to the Gala Hotel the same way we came to Guang Hua – by walking. We made a stopover at a MacDonald’s outlet for a take-out lunch of burgers then backtracked to our hotel.
Guang Hua Digital Plaza: 8 Civic Blvd., Section 3 (between Jinshan and Xinsheng Rds.), Taipei City, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 2391-7105 and (+886-2) 2341-2202. Open daily, 10 AM-9 PM (closed on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month). Website：www.guanghuamall.com.tw.
How to Get There: take the Bannan Line to Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station, Gate G1, and then walk for around 10-15 mins.
Hwahsi Tourist Night Market (Taipei City, Taiwan)
From Longshan Temple, Jandy, Isha and I walked, a few streets away, to a nearby night market to do some souvenir shopping. A well-lit Chinese-style arch pointed us to an excellent night market divided into two segments. We went to the part of the market with the roof called Snake Alley a.k.a. the Hwahsi Street Tourist Night Market, said to be the oldest night market in Taipei. The surrounding area is the local market. Night markets are listed among Taiwan’s most popular tourist spots.
Gateway to Hwahsi Tourist Night Market
The “Tourist” in the official name is something of a misnomer as the market is a bit overrated and can be a bit creepy, if you are not into snakes or exotic foods. One store had one of these huge writhing, white and yellow serpents at their shopfront (the snake handler cum store owner, however, didn’t allow me to take pictures). Snake meat, according to traditional Chinese lore, have health (and libido) enhancing properties (something to do with this reptile’s impressive length). Before its conversion into a night market, Snake Alley used to be notorious for its prostitution (banned since the 1990’s).
Its no surprise that snake meat (and snake blood, bile or sperm is mixed with a local liquor called gao liang) is served up as dinner at rows of eateries within the market. These eateries also serve red bean soup, Taiwanese-style muah chee, danzi noodles (also called tan tsai noodles), thick cuttlefish soup, eel noodles, shrimp in wine, grilled Taiwanese sausages, etc. There are also eateries serving even more unusual and “special” (and controversial) turtle meat and soup, stir-fried mouse as well as crocodile meat. Truly a place for people who live by the motto “I’ll try anything at least once.” It just so happen that we weren’t one of those people.
Apart from the eateries, the night market is actually just one row of shops selling bags, cheap watches, hats, DVD and VCD movies, and souvenir items such as fans, place mats, key chains, Buddha figurines,brass sculptures, jade amulets, etc. Isha bought some these souvenir items as gifts for friends back home. I bought a number of brass key chains. There were also shops selling sex toys as well as kinky key chains (some were smaller, brass key chain versions of the wooden Ifugao barrel man, a man in a barrel which, when lifted, triggers a spring that releases a penis). There were also a number of legitimate massage parlors (offering foot, half body or whole body massages) and stores where artists sell their paintings.
Kinky brass key chains
Having finished our souvenir shopping, we took a taxi and dropped off at the first MacDonald’s outlet we saw. After another burger dinner here, we all boarded another taxi, dropping off Isha at her hotel before proceeding to the Gala Hotel. It was now very late in the evening and, quite tired from a fruitful day of sightseeing and shopping, decided to call it a night.
Hwahsi Street Tourist Night Market: Hwahsi St., Wanghwa District, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 2336-9781. Open daily, 7 PM-2 AM.
How to Get There: from Taipei Main Station on the Blue Line, go two stops west to the Longshan Temple MRT. Come out Exit 1 and take a right.
Treasure Sky (Taipei City, Taiwan)
As we exited the Taipei 101’s Tuned Mass Damper, Jandy, Isha and I passed through the Treasure Sky showroom on the 88th floor, the world’s highest jewelry arts boutique (438 m.). It showcases art pieces made from Taiwan’s coral gemstones (momo, oxblood, pink, white), blue chalcedony, jade and other gemstones such as amethyst. Three famed gemstones are found in eastern Taiwan – hornblende (commonly known as Taiwan jade), blue chalcedony and red coral. In the 1960s and 1970s, Taiwan hornblende held a 90% share of the global jade market.
Treasure Sky
Taiwan has been given the name of “Coral Kingdom” as more than 80% of the world’s coral gemstones come from Taiwan. The boutique’s Coral Arts Gallery houses the world’s tallest gemstone coral tree, with 6 shrimp fossils and measuring 141 cm. in height and 131 cm. in width. It was found northeast of Taiwan, from 200 m. below the Pacific Ocean. Also on display in this gallery are exclusive artworks made with authentic coral gemstones, revealing the sophisticated beauty of coral. Gemstone corals take 10 years to grow 1 cm..
The world’s tallest gemstone coral tree
Oxblood (a.k.a. red coral, Corallium rubrum), long treasured as a symbol of dignity and felicity in traditional Chinese culture, is the most rare and precious of the coral gemstones and its durable and intensely colored red or pink skeleton makes it a highly sought-after material in jewelry manufacture. It is dark red in color with white veins and a translucent kind of sheen. Only 3 countries (Italy, Japan and Taiwan) in the world produce red coral jewelry. The boutique claims to have the world’s largest oxblood coral necklace.
Chinese Dragon (momo coral)
Double the Fortune (momo coral)
Happy Buddha (momo coral)
Rich and Fortune (momo coral)
Seven Fairies (momo coral)
The Tree of Wealth (momo coral)
The Wonderland (momo coral)
The Tree of Fortune (momo coral)
Momo coral are larger and more suitable for carved artworks. Colors vary from pink, orange to dark red. Pink coral exists in the deepest part of the ocean and their colors can be faint pink or spotted pink. Due to water pressure, when corals are taken from such depths, certain lines will naturally form on the surface. White coral, found in the eastern part of Taiwan, is naturally white in color.
Taiwan Jade
Taiwan’s blue chalcedony, distributed over ranges in Hualien and Taitung, are the world’s most beautiful “natural” specimen of the quartz. Unlike blues from abroad, Taiwan’s stones do not need heat treatment to improve their color and they naturally possess a pure luster and clarity, which make them the darlings of Japanese collectors.
From Treasure Sky, we next proceeded to the elevator lobby where we again queued up for our turn at the passenger elevators. This time, we made it to the 5th floor, again via high-speed elevator, in a much longer 57 secs..
Taipei 101 Indoor Observatory (Taiwan)
Our primary purpose for visiting Taipei 101 was to get 360-degree views of the city which attract visitors from around the world. This is made possible either through the 383.4 m. (1,258 ft.) high Indoor Observatory at the 89th floor or the 391.8 m. (1,285 ft.) high Outdoor Observatory at the 91st floor, the second-highest observation deck ever provided in a skyscraper and the highest such platform in Taiwan.
Inside the high-speed elevator
From the shopping mall, Jandy, Isha and I went up to the 5th floor to purchase our admission tickets (NT$450/person, around US$13), me paying via my Mastercard credit card and Isha paying in cash. As it was drizzling outside, we weren’t allowed to go out the Outdoor Observatory.
The Damper Baby mascot
Upon purchase of our tickets, we all queued, at a long line (it being a Sunday), for our turn at one of the 2 high-speed, double deck elevators (which access’ the 88th through 91st floors) built by the Japanese Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC). While on line, all visitors are requested to pose, for souvenir photos, beside a picture of Taipei 101. Isha posed alone while Jandy and I posed together. The resulting photoshopped photos can then be purchased at the Indoor Observatory (NT$400 for Isha’s single pose and NT$600 for our joint pose). We didn’t bite at the offer.
Taipei 101 Indoor Observatory
Once inside the NT$80 million (US$2.4 million) elevator (which accommodates 24 persons or 1,600 kgs.), we could still hear our ears pop (in spite of its atmospheric pressure control) as we ascended 1,010 m. per min., which is 16.83 m./sec. (55.22 ft./sec.) or 60.6 kms./hr. (37.7 miles/hr.). We arrived at the 89th floor in 39 secs. flat. In 2004, the elevator held the the Guinness World Record of the world’s fastest passenger elevator. Each elevator, which features an aerodynamic body, has state-of-the art emergency braking systems and the world’s first triple-stage, anti-overshooting system.
Special exhibit
Upon arriving at the 89th floor Indoor Observatory, we were welcomed by the Damper Baby mascot. Before exploring on your own, we were given a free multimedia guides to listen to, with recorded self guided voice tours, in 8 languages, detailing sights and the history of the Taipei Basin from 30,000 years ago to the present. While listening, we all went around to appreciate the somewhat hazy view of the entire city from large, blue green-tinted windows with UV protection. Green mountains seem to embrace the valley city of Taipei. Appropriate labels and names of the buildings and structures are posted to assist visitors. There were also informative displays and special exhibits.
Taipei City Hall (foreground)
Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 (foreground)
The observatory also has an outlet of Big Tom’s Ice Cream. Posted flavors here include “Obama Brownie,”“L.F. Marionberry Cheesecake,” “Soy Cream Cinnamon Caramel” and more. Like most ice cream joints, you can choose to get your scoops in a waffle bowl. They also offer bagels, cakes, waffles, freshly ground coffee, tea, orange juice and other specialty items to go with your ice cream.
Big Tom Ice Cream
Taipei 101 Indoor Observatory: 89/F, No.7, Hsin Yi Rd., Section 5, Taipei 110, Taipei City, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 8101-8899. Website: Taipei-101.com.tw.
Taipei 101 Mall (Taiwan)
Upon our arrival at the Taipei City Hall MRT Station, Jandy, Isha and I took the escalator up to the mall where we had an unusual and quick lunch of croissants at a pastry shop. That done, we went out the mall to a sidewalk waiting shed where, we were told, a free shuttle (scheduled to arrive by 12:30 PM) to Taipei 101 can be taken. It was starting to drizzle when the shuttle arrived to pick us up.
Taipei 101 Mall’s atrium lobby
It was already raining quite hard when our shuttle arrived at Taipei 101’s parking lot, momentarily dashing any hope of us observing the iconic building from outside, much less taking good photographs. Instead, we decided to enter the multi-story, 185,806.51 sq. m. retail mall adjoining the tower. One of the newest shopping malls in Xin Yi District, it was opened on November 2003, a month before the office tower’s opening.
Taipei 101 Mall’s atrium lobby
The posh mall’s 6 massive floors, 5 above and 1 basement, are home to hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. Here, you can find many high-end stores of the most expensive fashion brands in the world under the LVMH group (Bulgari, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Celine, Chanel, Dior, Estee Lauder, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Swarovski, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Cleef & Arpels, etc.) as well as top Swiss watch brands such as Breitling, Cartier, Hublot, Omega, Rolex, TAG Heuer, etc., truly a paradise for rich people. As commoners, it was much too rich for our taste so we just stuck to window shopping. The fourth floor Page One bookstore, from Singapore, houses the highest-roofed coffee house in Taipei.
The lobby surrounded by ruyi symbols
The mall’s interior is modern in design even as it makes use of traditional elements. The curled ruyi symbol, an ancient symbol associated with heavenly clouds that connote healing, protection and fulfillment, is a recurring motif inside the mall. Many features of the interior also observe feng shui traditions.
Top brand Dior’s storefront
Taipei 101 Mall: No. 45, Shifu Rd., Xin Yi District, Taipei City, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 8101-8282, (+886-2) 8101-8934 and (+886-2) 8101-8939. Website: http://www.taipei-101.com.tw. Open daily, 11 AM-9:30 PM.
Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall – Changing of the Honor Guard Ceremony (Taipei City, Taiwan)
Soon the memorial was officially opened and we were led up to the main hall where a crowd of tourists were already gathered. The hall’s main feature is the massive 3-storey high bronze statue of a smiling Chiang, in traditional Chinese dress, sitting on a dais. An elaborate caisson is set into the ceiling which is also decorated with the emblem of the Kuomintang (KMT). Chinese inscriptions on the walls are the characters for Ethics, Democracy, and Science.
- The bronze sitting statue of Chiang Kai-Shek
Five members of the Taiwan Marines , in immaculately white uniforms and helmets, were guarding the main hall with rifles with fixed bayonets. The branch of service represented here changes periodically according to a rotating schedule (every 4 months). The Army wears green uniforms, the Navy wears black in summer and white in winter, and the Air Force wears blue.
- The Main Hall’s ceiling
The much anticipated, impressively synchronized Changing of the Guards ceremony soon took place at the appointed time (it takes place every hour). At this formal, elaborate and precisely choreographed ceremony, the ceremonial guards are relieved by a new batch of sentries. This ceremony is also conducted at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the National Revolutionary Martyr’s Shrine.
- The Changing of the Guard ceremony
Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: 21 Zongshan South Rd., Section 1, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: (+886-2) 2343-1100. Open daily, 9 AM-6:30 PM. Admission is free.
How to Get There: Take THSR or train to Taipei Station then transfer, via Taipei MRT, to Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall Station.
The Torpedo Boat Extreme Ride (Paranas, Western Samar)
One article in 8 Magazine (a travel mag dedicated to Region 8 tourism) that interested me was the unique, 21-km. Torpedo Boat Extreme Ride along the Ulot River (Samar Island’s longest River) in Paranas in Western Samar, the newest signature eco-tourism adventure in Samar. A joint project of the Department of Tourism and the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) and part of the Ulot Watershed Ecotourism Loop, it was launched on November 30, 2010 but the operation was stopped in January the next year after floods hit the area. It reopened in the third week of March after the quality of the water in the river improved.
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| The rapids of the Ulot River |
The 455,700 hectare SINP, the biggest natural park in the country, was declared a protected area on April 13, 2003 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 442. It covers 333,330 hectares of land and a buffer zone of 125,400 hectares of primary forest and a large, contiguous tract of secondary forest in good ecological condition. It boasts of many caves, various wildlife species and river systems such as the navigable, 9-km. long Ulot (a Waray term meaning “monkey”) River, which is within the Ulot Watershed Area, one of Samar’s 8 watershed areas.
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| Buray Junction |
The Ulot River starts from the mountainous town of San Jose de Buan (Western Samar) in the north, flowing downstream to Paranas and finally draining at Can-Avid (Eastern Samar) in the east. Including its tributaries, the river’s length could reach 520 kms.. For years, it has been used as a nautical highway for transporting goods and people, linking Western Samar with Eastern Samar until the 1940s when a gravel road from the west to the east was opened.
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| The SINP Headquarters |
It just so happened that me and my son Jandy were in Tacloban City during the Holy Week break and I reserved a whole day for this one-of-a-kind adventure. To get there, my brother-in-law Manny and his Taclobanon wife Paula generously offered us the use their Mitsubishi Lancer and their family driver Cherwine B. Avis. We left the city by 8:30 AM, a Black Saturday, and traversed the Maharlika Highway going to Catbalogan City. Upon entering Paranas, we inquired at a nearby police station for directions going to Buray Junction. It seems we just passed it, the junction readily identified by a Petron gas station (the only gas station we espied throughout the trip) at the corner.
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| We missed seeing this sign on the road to SINP |
From the junction, the SINP headquarters was a further 16 kms. away, along the Wright-Taft Rd.. The road was concreted, with occasional potholes and cracks. Along the way we passed the upscale Villa Escober Spring Resort. Just before reaching SINP, a huge boulder from a rock slide was blocking the road but we just drove around it. Upon reaching the SINP headquarters (around 10 AM). We parked the car along the road, as the park gate was closed, and I entered via an open pedestrian gate. The offices were also closed, it being a holiday, but, luckily for us, I met the watchman Mr. Raffy Manrique who offered to personally bring us to the Torpedo Boat jump-off point, a riverbank just 150 m. away from the SINP headquarters, at Sitio Campo Uno in Brgy. Tenani.
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| L-R: Raffy, the author, Cherwine and Jandy |
Upon arrival, we registered our names at a logbook and met up with Mr. Gilberto P. Eneran, the current head of the Tenani Boat Operators for River Protection and Environmental Development Organization (TORPEDO), who would man, together with the father and son team of Oscar and Nicky Obleno, our 4 m. long torpedo boat. Gilbert, as boatman, operated the engine while Nicky, at the front of the boat, acted as timoner (pointman), the one who navigates and pushes the torpedo boat away from the rocks.
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| All aboard and ready to go |
All experienced boatmen trained on safe river travel, they had been operating boats before, transporting illegally cut trees in the area, but now helping protects and conserve the SINP. The TORPEDO now has 57 members and 23 boats. They are part of the Ulot Watershed Model Forest Stakeholder Federation, an umbrella of 9 people’s organizations involved in the SINP (tour guiding, boat services, catering, food production, etc.).
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| Beautiful curtain waterfalls along the way |
The wooden boat, without outriggers, is powered by a 16 HP engine. It has elevated sides to prevent water from getting in and the boat from tipping. Aside from the crew, our boat could seat 5 passengers but it was just me, Jandy and Cherwine. We sat on seats with backrests and, on the sides, were inner rails for us to hold on as well as protect our hands from boulders the boat may hit along the way. For our added protection, we wore life jackets and helmets.
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| A quiet rural scene along the river |
The first leg of our challenging but not nerve wracking, wet and wild adventure ride was a 10.5-km. journey downstream. One thing that made this boat ride truly remarkable was the natural scenery the route provided, with tick forests, the habitat of exotic flora and fauna, all around us. We started in calm waters, with some beautiful curtain waterfalls to be seen along the riverbank. Soon enough, ripples began to appear, followed by white water rapids encountered in shallow and narrow areas called sinisikuhan (“bent elbows”). Here, the waters move fast at the river bend and, as the boat speeds away, water splashes hits our faces or drenches us. As our boat had no outriggers, we really got to feel the swaying of the boat.
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| The fun begins here ….. |
Our boatman, with their knowledge of river maneuvers and keen eyes to spot obstacles such as rocks or boulders that block our way, skillfully and safely run the fast moving rapids. Occasionally, passenger boats coming from or going to Brgy. Tula would pass us by. After 45 mins. our boat stopped at Deni’s Point, a picnic area a few meters from a 10-ft. fall that drops into the river. Boats that have to continue beyond this point would have to unload their cargo and passengers, drag the boat to an area where the grade is gradual, pull or lower the boat down with a rope, reload the cargo and passengers then continue on with their trip.
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| Passenger boat coming back from Brgy. Tula |
Deni’s Point is a tranquil, secluded and scenic jungle spot where one can commune with nature. Surrounded by tall trees, its riverbanks are lined with big stones and huge boulders. Across is a small curtain waterfall. Here, Jandy and I swam its clear waters while Cherwine dove from a huge boulder into the fast flowing river. A lifeline was thrown across the river to catch should we be swept by the fast moving waters.
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| The swirling rapids of Deni’s Point |
After our 45-min. sojourn in this beautiful spot, we returned to our boat for the second half of our extreme ride, this time an exhilarating 10.5-km. and much longer upstream ride (called the “Salmon Run Experience”), back to the takeoff point in Sitio Campo Uno. This time our boat trip, now going against the Ulot River currents, would meet and feel the onrushing waters and we were to experience even bigger splashes as our boat plunge through the waves. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief every time we pulled out of a challenging rapid.
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| The waterfall at Deni’s Point |
At a particular area called the “Salmon Run”(referring to a time when salmon swam up the river to spawn at their place of birth), the drop is around 3 to 4 ft. Here, tourists normally would have to get off the boat so that the boatmen could pull the boat up the rapids. However, since we were only three, we were allowed to stay on board the boat. Back at Campo Uno, we had some snacks and soft drinks at a nearby sari-sari store (there are no eateries here) before indulging in another favorite river activity – kayaking.
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| Nicky manhandling the torpedo boat at Salmon Run |
We each had a crack at this on a single yellow-colored kayak, me being the last to try. I wondered why Cherwine and Jandy gave up after just one short round but I soon found out. Going with the flow of the water was easy, going against it wasn’t. It was a struggle just getting back to the takeoff point. After this very tiring activity, we decided to just loll around in the quiet river waters, still with our life vests on. Thus sated, we left the place by 3:30 PM and we were back in Tacloban City by 5:30 PM. Truly an experience of a lifetime.
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| Jandy tries his hand at kayaking |
Samar island Natural Park: Sitio Campo Uno, Brgy. Tenani, Paranas, Western Samar 6703. Mobile number: (0917) 702-7467. E-mail: sinp.tenani@yahoo.com. Website: www.samarislandnaturalpark.com. The Torpedo Boat package costs PhP1,800 (maximum of 5 tourists per boat), inclusive of the SINP entrance fee, boat rental, tour guiding fee, safety gear rental and community development fee. A single kayak rents for PhP50 while a tandem kayak rents for PhP75. Tubing (PhP20 rental fee) is also offered along the Ulot River.
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| Our torpedo boat team – L-R: Gilbert, Nicky and Oscar |
The SINP headquarters also has accommodations for visitors wishing to stay overnight. It has 3 airconditioned rooms. One room has dorm-type double deckers good for 15 people (PhP100/pax/day) while 2 other rooms can accommodate 4 people each (PhP150/pax/day).
Malay to Nabas Tour (Aklan)
On our third day in Aklan, my good friend Gil Bilog (my wife Grace’s first cousin on her mother’s side) and I had our breakfast at our usual hangout, Seaside Restaurant , Malay poblacion’s (town center) only full-service restaurant which is owned and operated by Ms. Myra Oczon (Grace’s niece) and her husband Dodoy. Both also work at the nearby Municipal Hall. As the name implies, the restaurant is located by the sea, along the poblacion’s clean, gray sand beach. At night, during supper, we could hear and feel the surf pounding the sea wall. Along the beach, we could see the lights along Boracay‘s long beach as well as faintly hear the sounds of its active nightlife.
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| Malay Poblacion Beach |
The native-style restaurant serves a number of Filipino dishes (including my favorite sisig and Gil’s favorite sinigang) and grilled dishes (fish, chicken, pork, squid, etc.) and also has picnic sheds for those who want the feel of the sea breeze as well as get a panoramic view of distant Boracay Island and its well-known white sand beach. There’s also a pension house with rooms with bath for transients.
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| Seaside Restaurant |
In the afternoon, I decided to tour Gil to the nearby town of Nabas to explore its Union Beach. For lunch, I drove the Mitsubishi Adventure the 6 kms., with Gil and Carl Flores (Grace’s first cousin on her father’s side), along the now completely concreted road, to Andok’s at Brgy. Caticlan’s Jetty Port. It was already starting to rain when we finished lunch and it remained so as I drove the 20 kms. along the scenic coastal highway to Nabas.
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| Union Beach Resort & Lodge |
Along the way, at the left of the highway, we had a stunning vista of unspolied white sand beaches, the likes of which were similar to Boracay before the advent of tourism. We made a stopover at Union Beach Resort & Lodge where we had hot coffee and a long chat at one of its elevated picnic huts. As it was the amihan season, the resort had set up screens to prevent wind-blown sand from bothering guests.
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| Gil, me and Carl along Union Beach |
During a break in the rain, we made our way through the opening in the screen to walk along the beautiful, palm fringed white sand beach. Boracay and its offshore islands can also be seen in the distance, northwest of the beach. At a nearby point of land, Carl pointed out a property owned by host and comedian Ariel Ureta. The resort also has small airconditioned rooms with bath and cable TV for those who want to stay longer in quiet surroundings.
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| Carl and Gil at Tabon Docking Area. Behind is Laurel Island |
It was again starting to rain when we left the resort. Driving back to Malay, we made a short stopover at the Tabon Docking Area where boats from Boracay drop off their guests when rough seas prevent their docking at Caticlan’s Jetty Port. The concrete docking area was now cracked in places and in dire need of repair. Across the port, we had a good view of the rocky, aptly named Crocodile Island, other offshore islands as well as Laurel Island and its white sand beaches.
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| Crocodile Island |
Before returning to Malay poblacion, we made another stopover at Nimya Flores-Thompson’s beautiful seaside house in Brgy. Motag. Ate Nimya, a long time Australian resident and citizen whose British husband Bill died some years ago (in fact, on November 1, All Saints’s Day), spends part of the year in her home in Malay. The house is protected from the sometimes raging sea by a concrete sea wall.
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| Ate Nimya’s beachside house |
Nimya entertained us from her porch facing the clean gray sand beach and the sea. She also has a small separate cottage which she rents out to expats (it was then occupied). Nimya’s neighbors are also expats who married Filipinas. They also built beautiful homes in this equally beautiful seaside setting.
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| Brgy. Motag’s gray sand beach |
Union Beach Resort & Lodge: Brgy. Union, Nabas, Aklan. Mobile numbers (0949) 750-5177 and (0921) 762-7564.
Marina Bay Sands SkyPark (Singapore)
The next day was to be my niece Jaja’s wedding day but, since it was to be held in the late afternoon, Jandy and I still had the whole morning for sightseeing. After breakfast at our hotel, we took a taxi to the 20-hectare Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay officially opened last June 23, 2010, after a partial opening (which included the casino) on April 27. Designed by Moshe Safdien Architects (with Aedas Singapore as the local architect of record), its engineering was provided by Arup and Parsons Brinkerhoff (which had originally worked on such prestigious projects such as the Beijing National Aquatics Center and the Sydney Opera House) and the main contractor was Ssanyong Engineering and Construction. The resort’s architecture as well as major design changes along the way were also approved by the late Master Chong Swan Lek and Master Louisa Ong-Lee, its feng shui consultants.
Marina Bay Sands
Developed by Las Vegas Sands, this S$8 billion (including cost of the prime land) casino is billed as most expensive stand-alone atrium casino in the world, with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. However, we were not visiting for the gambling. Rather, we were there for the 360-degree Singapore skyline view atop its 340m-long (stretching longer than the Eiffel tower laid down or four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets), 1-hectare and 3,900-pax SkyPark, a sky terrace which connects the three 55-story hotel towers and is set on top of the world’s largest, gravity-defying public cantilevered platform, overhanging the north tower by 67 m..
Marina Bay Sand’s atrium lobby
Aside from housing the world’s largest casino, the resort features a 2,561-room hotel, a 1,300,000-sq. ft. (120,000 m2) convention-exhibition center, the 800,000 sq. ft. (74,000 m2) The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall (with over 300 stores and F&B outlets), the 200,000 sq. ft. (19,000 m2), lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum located next to the three blocks (currently featuring “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition”), two large theaters (the 1,680-pax Sands Theater and the 2,155-pax Grand Theater), two floating Crystal Pavilions (the 2nd houses the world’s largest Louis Vuitton boutique) and a 6,500 sq. ft. (600 m2) indoor ice skating rink (which uses artificial ice). There are also 7 “celebrity chef” restaurants (6 within the Shoppes) – Cut, Waku Ghin, Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza, Guy Savoy, DB Bistro Moderne, Santi and Rasapura Masters.
The lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum
Upon arrival, we entered the hotel’s huge atrium lobby, decorated with tall Christmas trees, and walked some distance to the SkyPark Box Office located at the Basement 1, Tower 3. After purchasing our entry tickets here, we proceeded to the porte cochere area outside the Tower 3 and took the elevator to 57th floor where the SkyPark is located. The SkyPark is also home to the world’s longest elevated outdoor swimming pool, perched 191 m. above ground and with a 146-m. (478-ft) vanishing edge. However, we missed out to view the pool (as well as its lush gardens and rooftop The Sky on 57 restaurant) as it is available only to 50 observation deck guests that have registered for the 15-min. guided tours (available at 10 AM, 2 PM and 9 PM only). The pools were made with up to 422,000 pounds of stainless steel and can hold 376,500 gallons (1,424 cu. m.) of water. Within the observation deck is the KU DÉ TA nightclub.
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The day, though slightly overcast, still afforded us a spectacular, unforgettable panoramic view, from 10 observation deck view points, of Singapore’s Central Business District, the Merlion, Old Supreme Court Bldg., New Supreme Court Bldg., City Hall Bldg., Esplanade, St. Andrews Cathedral, Float @ Marina Bay, Helix Bridge, the Singapore River, the Formula One pit building and racetrack, the Padand (Singapore Recreational Club and Cricket Club), Marina Barrage, East Coast Parkway, Benjamin Sheares Bridge, Changi Airport control tower, the Singapore Flyer (an observation wheel), Nicoll Highway, Little India, Sentosa Island, Singapore Port and, beyond, Kusu Island and Indonesia’s Batam Island. Just below are the resort’s theaters, the Event Plaza, the Crystal Pavilions, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, the ArtScience Museum, the Marina Bay Sands casino and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
The Singapore skyline
Marina Bay Sands SkyPark: Open daily, 9:30 AM-10 PM (11 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Admission Fee: S$20 for adults, S$14 for children (aged between 2–12 years) and S$17 for senior citizens (aged 65 years and above). Children under 2 years of age may enter for free. Ticketing Hotline: +65 6688 8826