explore Bicol!

just had a 6 day vacation in the BICOL region and realized there are many places i have yet to see in the Philippines...such a shame really since i DO live here. tsk tsk tsk.

just a little geography lesson, the Bicol region is composed of 6 provinces namely, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate.

for my vacation i went to Camarines Sur (my Lola's house), Albay (the hometown of my friends) and Sorsogon (where the whale sharks are)

from Manila you can either take a plane (1 hr)using PAL or Asian Spirit and land in Legaspi, Albay or Naga, Camarines Sur;

or ride the bus (10 hrs to Legaspi, Albay) for those on a budget. i took the bus and it wasnt as bad as i thought. ride the Cagsawa Liner and get the Royal Elite class tickets which means 5 things:

1. you get to travel at night (630pm-530am) and sleep
2. you sit on lazy boy type seats! spacious and comfy and reclinable! (only 3 seats per row)
3. the bus does not stop for roadside passengers!
4. blanket needed (it can get really really really cold)
5. only stops twice at 3-4 hour intervals, for food and bathroom breaks at clean and reliable restaurants (Chowking and Robertsons mall in Naga)

my first stop was my Lola's place in Libmanan, Camarines Sur where my nephew had the time of his life! the toothy smile says it all. good thing his daddy was there to introduce him to this fine specimen of a rooster =)

and then we went to Daraga, Albay where we stayed most of the time. this is the hometown of my friends who were the ones who basically toured us around and made sure we had plenty to eat, see and do. many many many thanks!

stayed in Hotel Venezia which was quite impressive. only 5 minutes away from the airport, noise from airplanes wont be a problem since rooms are well insulated. and besides, at most there are only 2 flights going in or out of Albay in a day.

for php 2700/night, with free breakfast and an additional php 600/extra bed, we never had to worry about having a good nights rest.



i have only good words for the hotel. great service, friendly and efficient staff. rooms are very clean and new. dont ask me about the food because honestly, we never had time to eat there.





What to do/Where to go:
1. Whale Shark Watching in Donsol, Sorsogon - one of the best animal encounters ever! just make sure you're there during the months of April or early May where sightings are at their peak, and you have to be comfortable enough to swim in open water with the huge whale sharks (biggest i saw was 8 meters and they grow bigger than that). for the non-swimmers, don't fret, the boatmen are helpful and very strong swimmers so they can pull you along in a life vest in order to see one. NEEDED: fins, mask and snorkels but can also be rented there






2. Tour of the fireflies in Donsol River at sunset - watch the beautiful sunset and then wait for the fireflies to come out at night.









3. Misibis Resort - this is an up and coming resort which is not really open to the public but is open for viewing for those who are interested since lots are for sale. i heard a lot of senators have already bought properties in the area. day tours can be arranged though, where you can have lunch, view the showroom and hear the sales talk, and get to swim in the beach or infinity pool! yay! the best part. Misibis reminds me of Terrazas de Punta Fuego with a smaller beach front.





4. Eat in Balay Cena Una - the best restaurant in Daraga, Albay. has been a venue for countless dates, marriage proposals, weddings, lunches and dinners. food is excellente! try the pasta pinangat topped with crunchy dilis! sounds strange but it's really very good. classic interiors, beautiful table settings, airconditioned... what more can you ask for? plus the owner is very very nice and accomodating, great at conceptualizing events, followed through by personalized service. a must for anyone in the vicinity of Albay.








5. La Mia Tazza - the only cafe in Albay! the banana bread is great, a bit cakey yet not too dry. also the raspberry mocha coffee! plus for the techies out there they have wifi yeehaaa








6. Albay Central Pili Nut Store - the only place to get your Pili products! i never really appreciated the pili pasalubongs from Bicol before. the usual pili candy found in the market or palengke is usually just chockfull of panocha with bits of pili. none of that here! i especially liked the yema pili, pili butternut and the turrones de pili. yuummy.
go to 873 Rizal St., Old Albay District, Legazpi City.

there are so many other places to go to, which I will reserve for next year! such as:

Ticao Island - or most commonly known as the Manta Bowl. our local bangkero told us manta rays are aplenty in this area, though you have to dive to see them
Bulusan Lake - or the boiling lake
San Miguel Island - a marine sanctuary
Airport at sunset - this is where the locals gather at the end of the day to eat and be merry on ISAW (streetfood)

plus many many more places to discover... i can't wait to go back!

and this ends my bicol post.

karting

i only have a few words to say about karting -
it is pretty addicting.

and the two places in manila are:

Speedzone in Fort Bonifacio or
City karts along the Sucat service road in Paranaque

since i do not know much about karting, cars, driving lines, throttle control, getting the apex and stuff like that, let me "quote" conversations i've heard comparing the two...

1. THE TRACK
In Speedzone, the track is made of asphalt, thus you're in for a smoother ride, has a lot of straights and less corners = easier to overtake. it's an outdoor track, so come rain or shine, you're at the mercy of the elements.

In City karts, the track is a combination of concrete = real road conditions (har har) plus slick painted surfaces = drifting. the track is half indoor and half outdoor! and it is more "technical" - whatever this means - which from what i understand, challenges driver skills vs. barumbado driving. some parts of the track are elevated! as in you go up a ramp, which after much convincing from friends who are "in the know" reassure me that there is no chance that one can possibly fly over the ramp barricades and fall down the track below. so sue me! i have many unfounded fears haha and dying in a kart is one of them.

2. THE WAITING AREA:
In Speedzone, the cafe is okay, food is okay, i mean if you get hungry you can always just drive to the nearby restos in the area like Zong, Bamboo bar, Jollibee, UCC, Mcdonalds etc. etc.

In City karts, the food is not so great, i mean for heaven's sake the ketchup isn't even Del Monte! plus if you do get hungry you have no choice but to eat there since there are'nt any restos near the area - unless you want to drive all the way to Sucat road.

but basically, having fun is also relative to the company that you keep. so regardless of the un-spectacular food and differences in the track layout, you're sure to have fun if you want to relive your MAD MAX fantasies.

So try it if you haven't yet. Believe me it really is fun!

places to eat in manila after 12 mn

went out to watch the practice for this karting event on friday. and of course ended up hungry after and decide on eating at this place called Central in bf.

its okay. sidewalk type, food for under 60 bucks, ihaw-ihaw. besides, the menu really cracked me up...

before deciding on Central, we had our heart set on SEx , which is the nickname for Sinangag Express. As in gusto nyo mag-sex? bwahaha.

SO. places to eat in manila after 12 mn.

Isshin!! my favorite - the best tempura and gyudon
SEx - Sinangag Express
Burger Machine - sansrival anyone?
Northpark - special fried rice & fried tofu skin w/ oyster sauce & shiitake mushrooms
Mini Stop - pizza bar, jimny pizza, beefsteak meal, super spicy korean noodles
Seven Eleven - hotdogs, siopao, donuts
SSC center - shawarma! 3 for 100 bucks
Mcdonalds, Jollibee, KFC - courtesy of call centers everywhere
Petron or Shell Gas stations are great too.

my music

hung out with the band friends last weekend in cafe sa guijo, a hole in the wall place that showcases indie local bands. i haven't been there in ages but it improved a lot since the last time. at least now it has more character =)

it was fun talking to the old gang - joey, jason, katrice, vin - plus i heard THE news that it was going to be their last couple of gigs too, so you can call it a reunion of sorts. at least they all realized it was time to move on.

catching up was great, plus all the nonsense we used to laugh about all the time made it more entertaining. joey and i got into our mode of wishful thinking as we talked about cds that we wanted. SO. here are some local bands and artists which made it to the LIST:

Up Dharma Down
Sugarfree (the new album)
Cambio
Pedicab - of course friend J. Sonic! how can i forget
Mishka Adams
Sandwich
Daydream Cycle

welcome to my world of lists

we all make lists in our head to remember... things to do, what to buy, who to remember... its endless. once in a while something comes up and i just NEED to make one. it makes things brief and straight to the point. try it. it can be very therapeutic.