Toilet Phobia (part 1)

photo from www.shootfirsteatlater.com

I've been looking all over for the appropriate term for fear of toilets but parcopresis seems to be the most suitable word for me.

Yesterday, I had to conquer this fear when nature called for it thrice! And the culprit was Pan de Manila's pan de ube which I had last Friday night. =(

To be continued...

Bohol: Lovelier the 3rd time around (part 2)

Finally, I was able to bring a decent underwater camera on my 3rd snorkeling escapade in the island of Balicasag, Panglao, Bohol.

Luckily, the weather was fine and it wasn't too sunny.

 

Bohol: Lovelier the 3rd time around (part 1)

The 1st visit made me fall in love with the humble province of Bohol. The 2nd was like an Amazing Race since we missed our flight and had to pass by Cebu to get there. And the 3rd was for relaxation yet filled with adventure.

I'm sorry I broke your arm... err... claw

Dumaluan Beach Resort - Panglao, Bohol, Philippines

The idea of bringing home a wet swimsuit came in while having breakfast by the beach. I can't resist it... I need to take a dip and savour the white sand beach of Panglao 5 hours before my flight back to Manila.

In The Menu: Pork Pochero

Pork pochero is one of my favorite dishes when I was little but my mom used to cook this dish with beef and tomato sauce. This time, I'm going to do a remake of her recipe using pork & beans and pork leg (pata).

Pochero is a classic Filipino stew in red thin/thick sauce which is derived from a Spanish cocido. Most people use beef, pork or chicken with tomato sauce while adding in an assortment of vegetables. Others use chorizo, sweet potato, corn, or eggplant to spike the recipe.

'The Pacific' Views

Having seen HBO's 10-part mini series 'The Pacific' made my thoughts wonder & wander.

Jon Seda as John Basilo

I initially refused to watch it as I'm not into violence and bloodbath. But I eventually watched it having heard  from a friend as she teasingly described the docu-drama TV show without spoiling the plot. She told me how frequent the Philippines was mentioned all throughout the story. Indeed, it was a good way to understand and appreciate the history of World War II.

The Nearly Extinct: Manila Zoo

Aged elephant, shy hippo, balding ostrich, lazy tigers, domesticated monkeys -- These are the few remaining animals left of Manila Zoo. For the past two decades, I have witnessed the drastic change of the place... pairs or herds of animals have mostly gone solo... worse, some of which are nowhere to be found... have gone extinct.

When disaster strikes, are you ready?

photo from: 72hours.org

It was not so long ago when the Philippines was hit by two tropical storms, Ketsana & Parma, last 2009. These storms have brought some regions in Luzon in a state of calamity. Looking back, I wasn't prepared then and until now I haven't been ready when I know a disaster would eventually strike. During that time, a friend has forwarded to me the link to 72hours.org. This website contains helpful information on disaster preparation.
I've been procrastinating on packing my go-bag. It didn't occur (again) to me until last night's attack of flying cockroaches which made me go nuts as these are tell-tale signs of an upcoming earthquake.

So, what should be in your go-bag?

There is no such thing as "No Return, No Exchange" policy

You read it right. Under Philippine laws, there is no such thing as a "No Return, No Exchange" policy.

I'm off to SM Megamall in a while to return or exchange a newly purchased laptop cooling fan. I learned so much about this deceptive policy as I was looking for strong (legal) words to say in case Company X (which I will reveal if they'll give me hard time on this) insists the "No Return, No Exchange" line.

Missing Tagaytay

Casino Filipino - Tagaytay

It's been a while since the last time I've been to Tagaytay. Known as a quick getaway destination, Tagaytay has always been my second refuge. I miss:

Escape to Hidden Valley Springs

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and I didn't feel like going to the mall. Impulsively, I quickly called Hidden Valley Springs to make a reservation (as of 2 Nov 2011, its website doesn't seem to be working).

Though our house in Alaminos is just a few minutes away from Hidden Valley Springs, I was hoping there's an available room so I could fully enjoy the rest of the night and the following day in the stillness of the rain forest.

Backpacking in Bolinao

Last week has been very stressful and frustrating so my friend suggested to escape... go out of town. Our destination: Bolinao and Baguio.

It was a Friday afternoon when we finally decided to go backpacking with Bolinao and Baguio as our destinations in mind. With a little research, we have identified which bus lines offer daily trips to Bolinao and Baguio. As we are nearer to Pasay, we opted to go for Five Star which offers direct trips to Bolinao.

Blending with Bolinao

RATING: 3/5

LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION:

About 276 kms from Manila, the town of  Bolinao in Pangasinan is reachable by land that would take about six hours of travel time.

Five Star and Victory Liner are common provincial bus lines that offer day and night trips to Bolinao. With Five Star, ordinary bus fare would cost around Php300 while Php400 for air-con. As a tourist, it is better to get to Bolinao with your own transportation so you can easily move around the town and tourist spots or perhaps, even go on a side-trip to the nearby provinces of  Subic, Clark, Tarlac, La Union and Baguio. There's not much traffic en route to Bolinao as you can take the SCTEX (Subic, Clark, Tarlac Expressway) route. As you pass by Alaminos, the road to Bolinao starts to ascend through a zigzag road which will give you a scenic view of the mountains.

Through My Lens: Paco Cemetery

I had to check-in Pacey (my Acer Aspire One notebook) at Acer's Service Center in Paco, Manila when I recalled a place worth visiting in the heart of Manila.

Other than the cemetery, Paco Cemetery (also known as Paco Park) also houses the Chapel of San Pancratius. To my surprise, it is a popular venue for weddings. In fact, there was an ongoing wedding when I got there. Luckily, the sun was just about to set. Just the right time for a photo shoot.

My Kodak Moments

The Areola Store & Canteen: City Proper - Bolinao, Pangasinan

penis-shaped coral: Patar White Beach - Bolinao, Pangasinan

Ladies & Delicacies Upstairs: Apropriana Souvenir Shop - Tagbilaran, Bohol