Category Archives: ACTIVITIES

Taipei 101 Mall (Taiwan)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.).

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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)

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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.

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.

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. 

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.     

Brgy. Motag’s gray sand beach
Seaside Restaurant: Brgy. Poblacion, Malay, Aklan.  Mobile numbers (0918) 399-8052 and (0908) 140-9791.
Union Beach Resort & Lodge: Brgy. Union, Nabas, Aklan.  Mobile numbers (0949) 750-5177 and  (0921)  762-7564.

Marina Bay Sands SkyPark (Singapore)

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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

Universal Studios (Singapore)

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Jandy and I planned to spend our second day in Singapore at Universal Studios, Singapore’s second integrated resort and Southeast Asia’s first movie theme park (and the second in Asia after Japan).  This would be a first for both of us as it was still under construction during our 2009 Singapore visit (it only opened on March 18, 2010).  After our buffet breakfast at Amara Hotel, we took a taxi (S$14) to get there, dropping off at the entrance of Resorts World Sentosa.  At the entrance of Universal Studios is the large and famous revolving globe.

Universal Studios Singapore

We were in luck at the ticket booth as we got 20% off the one-day ticket when I paid via my BPI Mastercard (valid until November 18). We also received a S$10 retail voucher upon presentation of our charge slip at the Guest Services Counter.

Hollywood

The main entrance area of the park is Hollywood, a replica of the famous Hollywood Boulevard. Its only attraction is the 1,500-seat, indoor, Broadway-style Pantages Hollywood Theater which is fully equipped to host plays, musicals and performances.  The theater is accompanied by several restaurants, a variety of flagship shops and also features a replica of the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Pantages Hollywood Theater

Hollywood Boulevard, framed by dynamic architecture and palm trees, made us feel that we have landed in the center of the entertainment universe. Here, there are “Daily Meet and Greet” (10 AM-7 PM) special character appearances from  the wacky Woody Woodpecker, the  glamorous Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Beetlejuice, Betty Boop, Po (from Kung Fu Panda), Frankenstein’s Monster and Winnie Woodpecker (we posed with the last three).

Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Winnie Woodpecker

Frankenstein’s Monster

Outside Mel’s Diner, we also watched the 4:45 PM performances (other show times are 10:45 AM, 12:15 PM, 1:45 PM, 3:15 PM and 6:15 PM) of Daddy O’s (a boy band group singing classic surf  songs of the 1950s and 60s) as well as the 2:30 PM and 4 PM  shows (other show times are 11:30 AM, 1 PM and 5:30 PM) of Mel’s Dinettes (waitresses “shaking, rattling and rolling” to the high energy hits of the 1950s and 60s).

Daddy O’s

Mel’s Dinettes

After the show, we went inside Mel’s Drive Inn for snacks.  This classic 1950s-themed diner, based on the 1973 hit U.S. film American Graffiti, serves up all-American favorites such as delicious rocket sauce burgers, French fries, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, onion rings, root beer floats, thick and frosty milk shakes and Cokes the old-fashioned way plus golden oldies on the jukebox.  We both dined on crispy barbecue chicken burgers with French fries and Sprite (S$10.80 each).

Mel’s Drive-in

At the Pantages Hollywood Theater, we watched the 4:15 PM (other show times are 11 AM, 1 PM and 6:15 PM) showing of “Monster Rock,” a major Broadway musical featuring the infamous Universal Classic Monsters in  a live rock-n-roll style indoor revue show with pyrotechnics. The theater is fitted with cutting-edge cinematic technology, including state-of-the-art digital projectors.  This mega-monster spooktacular features great music, dancing, comedy, special effects, and enough pyrotechnics to wake the dead.

Pantages Hollywood Theater – Interior

Before leaving the park, we dropped by the Universal Studios Store, a shopping extravaganza which offers the largest variety of Universal Studios-themed collectibles, toys and apparel from all 7 themed zones of the park. Here, I bought 2 shirts (1 with collar and the other round-necked) for Jandy, using my S$10 retail voucher.

Universal Studios Store

Too bad we missed out on the Lake Hollywood Spectacular, one of the main highlights of Hollywood After Hours.  This special live pyrotechnics show happens every Friday and Saturday night (9:30 PM) and is set to a musical score over the central lagoon of Lake Hollywood in the park.

Lake Hollywood

Hollywood also has several other restaurants. Celebrity Cafe & Bakery is a 1950’s-themed food outlet where guests can dine on freshly-made gourmet sandwiches, coffee, puff pastry pies and classic desserts.  It serves all-day breakfast.  Hollywood China Bistro is a stylish yet casual Art-Deco restaurant where guests can feast on both traditional Cantonese favorites and “East meets West” cuisine in a modern setting straight out of a Hollywood movie set.

Celebrity Cafe & Bakery

There are also a number of retail outlets.  The Dark Room is a store that sells a wide variety of camera accessories for the photography needs of park visitors. Star Characters sells exclusive Dream Works Animation character merchandise and other fun products and keepsakes. Silver Screen Collectibles offers authentic collectibles of celebrities straight from the Hollywood Walk of Fame such as celebrity photos and posters, collectibles, books, as well as Betty Boop themed souvenirs and apparel such as photo frames, shirts, sexy lips pillow, cups, combs, bags, purse, etc..

Superstar Candies is a candy store that sells a wide variety of sweets and treats with star appeal such as candy floss and homemade fudgeto park visitors with a sweet tooth.  At Brown Derby, guests can shop for headwear of all types including visors, character hats, novelty hats, wigs, Universal Studios logo caps and other stylish lids.  That’s a Wrap, at the theme park exit, also sells apparel, toys, novelty hats and other souvenirs.

Ambasing Road (Sagada, Mountain Province)

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After a short siesta at our inn, Jandy and I now decided to hike the now concreted Ambasing Road.  Most of the Sagada‘s inns, restaurants and souvenir shops, a number of them oldtimers,  as well as a number of tourist spots can be found along this road.   As usual, we brought along our jackets and bottles of water.

Ambasing Road

Olahbinan Resthouse and Restaurant, opened in December 1993, is accessed via a stairway.  It has 2 single, 5 double, 2 large double and 2 rooms with bath, a restaurant and a bar with fireplace.   

Stairway leading down to Olahbinan Resthouse

The relocated Shamrock Café, established in 1956, is still one of the most popular places to eat in town.  It offers basic but hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner and its surprisingly international menu includes the Israeli-inspired breakfast dish shakshuka.  Snacks (including homemade yoghurt) and sometimes, a very informal and folksy nighttime entertainment of guitar-strumming local singers are also offered. 

Shamrock Cafe

The relaxing, half log-cladded Masferre Country Inn and Restaurant, a favorite of Manila tourists, serves a variety of meals and snacks, its walls lined with old black and white prints of the late Spanish mestizo photographer Eduardo Masferre.  Also a pension house, it has one 2-bed, three 3-bed and one 4-bed room with common toilet and bath (PhP100-150/pax).   

Masferre Country Inn & Restaurant

The Sagada Igorot Inn, formerly the Sagada Prime Hotel, was opened in March 1997 and is the town’s first hotel.  It has 16 rooms; 12 with private toilet and bath (PhP1,500) and four (PhP1,000) with common toilet and bath.  It also has a restaurant, sing-along (Moonhouse) and offers shuttle and room service.

Sagada Igorot Inn

The 4-storey Canaway Resthouse has 5 rooms with private bath and hot showers (PhP250/pax); 3 in the second floor, all opening to a common living area with sofa and cable TV, and 2 on the third floor with private balcony.  On the ground floor is a kitchen guests can use.

Canaway Resthouse

The 2-storey Yoghurt House, popular with foreign tourists, serves consistently good food such as pasta, salads, vegetarian meals, homemade yoghurt served with fruits, granola or pancakes or mixed as a salad dressing foe fresh vegetables, and drinks.

Yoghurt House

Across Canaway Guest House, on the side of a hill, is the 3-storey Residential Lodge.  It has 14 rooms, some with private baths  (PhP250/pax) and others with shared baths (PhP200/pax).  It also has large common areas, a second floor fireplace and kitchens on the lower ground and ground floors for the use of guests.

Residential Lodge

Next to the Residential Lodge and past the Yoghurt House Restaurant is the no-frills Traveler’s Inn.  It has 2 rooms with private bath (PhP250/pax) and 12 rooms with shared bath (PhP200/pax).  There is a kitchen at the second floor for guest use white downstairs is a general store and a souvenir shop selling pottery.  

Traveler’s Inn

Next to Canaway Resthouse is the new, 4-storey  George Guest House, probably the most colorful and garish building in Sagada.  It has variety of rooms, all with private baths and hot showers: double with cable TV (PhP600), 6 pax room (PhP200/pax), double without cable TV (PhP200/pax or PhP500 for two).  

George Guest House

Canaway Resthouse: mobile number (0918) 291-5063 
George Guest House: mobile numbers (0920) 607-0994 and (0918) 548-0406.  E-mail: george.guesthouse@yahoo.com. 
Masferre Country Inn & Restaurant: mobile number (0918) 341-6164.
Olahbinan Resthouse and Restaurant: mobile number (0920) 268-3555. 
Residential Lodge: mobile number (0919) 672-8744 (Ms. Mary Daoas).  E-mail: eldone21@hotmail.com and standaoas@yahoo.com.
Sagada Igorot Inn: mobile number (0919) 809-4228.  Baguio City booking office: (074) 442-2622, 444-2734 & 619-5032 (Smart).
Traveler’s Inn: mobile number (0920) 799-2960 (Lope Bosaing).  E-mail: aprilmay_25@yahoo.com  and lopebosaing@yahoo.com.ph.

The Road to Besao (Sagada, Mountain Province)

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The road to Besao

Come early morning, on our second day in Sagada,  the skies were now clear of rain and the sun was coming up. I decided to take a walk up the road to Besao to work up an appetite for breakfast at Ganduyan Inn.  Jandy was still asleep so I went out on my own.  I also wanted to check out what’s changed in the town since our first visit in 1998 (http://firingyourimagination.blogspot.com/1998/04/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html).  I noticed that some of Sagada’s old familiar inns and restaurants were still around.  

Sagada Guesthouse & Resto

One of these is the Sagada Guesthouse and Resto.  Located just past the new municipal hall, they offer a variety of rooms with varying price ranges and amenities: single (PhP150) and double (PhP300) with common bath, 3-pax rooms with private bath (PhP600), rooms with private bath and kitchen and one with cable TV (PhP1,200).  It also has a ground floor coffee shop.

Log Cabin Restaurant

Another familiar Sagada landmark is the Log Cabin Restaurant, a log-cladded restaurant still popular with foreigners. Its broad menu still offers consistently good, reasonably-priced and hearty meals, including exceptional European-inspired pasta dishes (bolognese and pesto), vegetables, adobo dishes and salads, all prepared by the local French chef.

Log Cabin dining area

They also have an impressive wine list (Hardys Shiraz, Doublebay, Jacob’s Merlot,  Loins Chattel Savvingon, Sta. Rita Cabernet, Lindimans Shiraz, Blasseagle, Antaras Chile, etc.) to choose from, a fireplace and a wide selection of recorded music.  For PhP350, they offer a multi-course buffet on Saturday nights.  You would have to book one day in advance and pay a PhP100 deposit.  For guests, it has an upstairs room with private bath and balcony (PhP800).

Strawberry Cafe

There are also new players in food and accommodation.  Across the Log Cabin is the no frills, corrugated G.I and log-cladded  Strawberry Cafe.  They offer fast food such as arroz caldo (chicken and rice stew) and mami (chicken or pork noodle soup), both for PhP45.  Further off is the 2-storey Alapos View Inn, which also has a coffee shop, and Ganduyan Inn 2.  

Alapos View Inn

Past a lane to the left side of the road is the Sagada Homestay which offers 6 rooms, one of which has a private bath (PhP700) while the 5 others (PhP250/pax) share 4 bathrooms. The ground floor has a large dining room and kitchen for the use of guests.  A separate 2-bedroom, 4-pax cottage with bath and kitchen  rents for PhP1,500.

Sagada Homestay

Continuing further down the road, past the town, would have brought me to Lake Danum in Besao but I’ve already worked up an appetite for breakfast and so I made my way back to Ganduyan Inn.

Alapos View Inn: mobile numbers (0921) 327-9055 and (0918) 332-3331.
Log Cabin Restaurant: mobile number (09320) 520-0463 (Dave Gulian)
Sagada Guesthouse & Resto: mobile number (0919) 300-2763.
Sagada Homestay: mobile numbers (0919) 702-8380, (0918) 717-3524 and (0919) 498-2181. E-mail: sagadahomestay@yahoo.com.

The Halsema Mountain Highway

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After breakfast at the Albergo Hotel in Baguio City, Jandy and I packed just enough clothes for our 2-night stay in Sagada (Mountain Province) and left the rest at the Front Office.  From the hotel, we took a taxi to G.L. Liner terminal at the Dangwa Compound along Magsaysay Ave., fronting the Baguio Market.  We just missed the previous Sagada-bound bus by minutes so we paid the fare for the next bus, scheduled at 10:30 AM.  We spent the next hour at the Baguio Cathedral, climbing the steep stairs along Session Rd. to get there.  Here, we had snacks at the coffee shop within the compound before returning to the terminal.

The now paved Halsema Highway

A few after our return to the terminal, our designated bus arrived and we boarded the bus, sitting up front, to the right of the driver.  Soon, sacks, farm produce as well as luggage and bags were also being loaded around our area, making alighting a problem later for us.  We left the terminal just before 11 AM but, just before the interchange leading to La Trinidad Rd., traffic slowed us down due to road rehabilitation.  After 30 mins., we left the hustle and bustle of Baguio City and La Trinidad and were now on our way on our long-haul, 6.5-hr. drive to Sagada via the Halsema Highway, the highest highway system in the country.

Landslides and road slips are still a common occurence

Formerly called the “Mountain Trail,” this spectacular 146-km. (95 kms. of which are in Benguet) highway traverses Benguet from south to north.  Named after Eusebius Julius Halsema (American civil engineer and mayor of Baguio City, 1920 to 1936), it links La Trinidad and Baguio City with Bontoc, Sagada (151 kms.) and Banaue (196 kms.), cutting through mountain peaks, gorges and steep cliffs.   This highway was originally a foot trail used by mountain folk between Bontoc and the foot of Mt. Data.  U.S. Army engineers improved and widened it.  They also built a new winding road through precipitous slopes and traversing high ridges between Acops and Abatan,  The road reached Natubleng in 1928 and more than half its length (to Bontoc) was completed in 1931. All told, the highway took more than 15 years to build and was finally completed in 1936.

Fog can reduce visibility of the driver

Tracing a circuitous path, this road crosses the massive Cordillera Central mountain range, crossing deep ravines and skirting dangerous slopes. Jandy and I have passed this way before (in 1998), more than half the road then being unpaved, bumpy, rough and dusty. Today, about 95% of the highway is”paved.”  Still, landslides are a constant hazard here and big stones and debris tumble from peaks, especially during the rainy and typhoon season.  Occasional fog can also ruin a driver’s visibility. However, then and now, we stilled passed through some of the most spectacular mountain vistas found anywhere – magnificent, stonewalled rice and vegetable terraces; swift-flowing rivers spanned by hanging bridges; roadside waterfalls; pine-clad mountains; picturesque villages; etc..

Vegetable terraces
Along Km. 40, approaching Mt. Toyangan, we had good views of the 33-hectare Naguey Rice Terraces, along the banks of the Naburgo River (which joins the Amburayan River below Kibungan) in Brgy. Naguey in Atok. These stonewalled terraces are planted with both rice and vegetables.  The Amburayan River runs for about 30 kms. from Brgys. Pasdong to Naguey. Near Atok’s municipal hall, our bus made a highway stopover for a late lunch at Morning Star Restaurant and Fastfood.
 
Highest Point Marker in Atok

About 3 hrs. past Baguio City, we passed (but did not stop at) the Highest Point Marker (Philippine Pali), along Km. 53 (Km. 303), Brgy. Cattubo near Bayangan in Atok.  Here, the road crosses 2,450-m. high Mt. Paoay.  The highest point of all Philippine highways (7,400 ft. or 2,225 m. above sea level), its viewpoint has good views of Mt. Pulag, Mt. Timbac, Kabayan, Atok and the deep Agno Valley to the south (cloudy during the rainy season).

A beautiful, terraced mountainside

Along Km. 63 are the vast Natubleng Vegetable Terraces of Brgy. Natubleng in  Buguias.  Here, neat rows and upright trellises are planted with temperate-zone climate greens such as Baguio beans, cabbage, carrots and other vegetables and root crops.  We also passed the urbanized townships of Sayangan (Atok) at Km. 54 and Abatan (Buguias) at Km. 90.

The township of Abatan in Buguias
After the copper mining town of Mankayan, we entered Mountain Province at the town of Bauko, site of the 2,310 m. high Mt. Data and the Philippine Tourism Authority-managed Mt. Data Hotel, then on to Sabangan, the town before Sagada.  We exited the Halsema Highway when we turned left at the Dantay Junction where the still partly unpaved,10 km. road to Sagada starts.

Sta. Cruz: Laguna’s Provincial Capitol

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Laguna Provincial Capitol

It was already late in the afternoon when Jandy and I arrived at Sta. Cruz town, Laguna’s provincial capital and one of the province’s 2 main route centers (the other is San Pablo City). The health, education, transportation, commerce and social services center for the entire province, Sta. Cruz also serves as the business and commercial hub particularly for the predominantly rural northeastern towns of Cavinti, Famy, Luisiana, Mabitac, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Pakil and Pangil.

Sta. Cruz Municipal Hall

Formerly a part of Lumban, it became a separate municipality in 1602 and was made into the provincial capital in 1858, replacing Pagsanjan.  This town is made famous for its delicious kesong puti (salty white cottage cheese).  This native delicacy, made from carabao’s milk, is cooked in large vats to which salt and vinegar is added till it curdles.  The cheese is then fermented, strained and molded and then individually wrapped in banana leaves.

Church of the Immaculate Conception

Upon arrival at the town, I parked the Revo across the blue and white municipal hall at the town plaza.  The town’s layout seems to be broader than most Laguna lakeside settlements. Sta. Cruz, however, has no natural tourist attractions, only man-made.   Near the plaza is the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

Check out  Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Old Provincial Capitol Building

After merienda at a MacDonald’s outlet nearby, we proceeded to visit the Provincial Capitol Building along P. Guevarra St..  Also within the compound is the old provincial capitol.  Our visit to Sta. Cruz capped our Laguna joy ride and we proceeded on our 87-km. drive back to Manila.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Sta. Cruz,  Laguna.   Tel: (049) 808-1008