Packing Like A Pro

Find it difficult to fit in everything in a small bag? Packing things is a stressful job and just like your job it needs scientific procedure. Travelers know it best.

Optimize your time, avoid stress. Pack like a pro! 

Here is how:

This video is particularly helpful to girls who carry a lot of stuffs yet find it difficult to put them together.

Thank you Bagus Hariadi Wonoasmoro for tagging me this link in Facebook!

Capihan View Park, Socorro

Other than the soothing experience of peace and tranquility in my A1 destination, there's more this summer that the municipality of Socorro can offer and is trying to promote as new potential tourism area. yes, there is more to my paradise Suhoton Cove and that is the Capihan View Park at the high peak of the island, some kilometers away from the town proper.

Capihan View Park serves as the view deck overlooking the beautiful landscape and seascape of the rest of the nearby Siargao Islands. Located in the topmost part of the island, Capihan proposes a chilling ambiance suited for an escape from the summer heat. There, one can find serenity of soul and take fancy like you are above all earth.

Above its brownish plains known to bear rich minerals rises the select species of trees that only grows in acidic soils. Few grow tall but some of them grow not beyond seven feet. Even coconut trees find hard to bear fruits. Only the towers of Smart and Globe networks heights the place. Locals initiated a move to farm mangoes and other crops that suits the soil rich in chromite.

But not only the people of Socorro engaged in farming and fishing as their primary source of living, Socorro town also houses entrepreneurs who are into handcrafts producing goods that ranges from indigenous bags made of pandan to foreign favorites tiki idols made of hard woods.


What i like about their LGU is the implementation of an initiative to post around the town the information on fares. Here is a print of the ordinance showing the schedule of fares to the different routes.. something like any other tourist would want to refer for transparency of fares.

The hotel rate of the only reliable homestay in town remains the same at P750.00 per room that can accommodate 4 persons.

Be with me again, come end of April as i return to my paradise Suhoton Cove for another soothing experience of summer. According to our recent guests, Suhoton is more amazing than Chocolate Hills.

Up next: Pacific Beaches of Siargao Island

Scorching Summer Spots

The sun is getting hotter everyone wants to cool off. The summer is getting trendier everyone loves to hang out in the beach. And I'm in for Summer 2009.

The following photos best summarizes the series of my island trips around Surigao:

Sun


Sand


Sea

and..

Surf


Hopping around the islands of my naturally breath-taking hometown, Surigao de Norte, I was able to revisit the places that I've been since years and checked out what was changed since my last visit. I also found new potential tourist escapades that gained less attention but equally beautiful and amazing with the Cloud 9.

Find out where can you find the above cool summer destinations and experience the hangover of summer.


Upnext: other ways to enjoy Bucas Grande Island in Socorro, Surigao del Norte.

Cagayan de Oro Nightouts

And my first out of town trip for the year goes to Cagayan de Oro... the city of golden friendship.

I did mention in my post last year that CDO is a place for vultures. Whatta bad term. Okay, rephrase, CDO is a place for nightouts. This is so because most of its tourist points needed a devotion of time to travel. The good thing is these spots are worth of your time. But since i did not go to CDO for leisure, not able to experience these worthy places is the drawback of the trip.

Well, anyway, there are some ways to enjoy CDO. Just like what i used to do... Nightout! Stereotype for me but i dont have a choice cause as i've said im no tourist in those trips.

I left Surigao via Bachelor bus at 3:30 in the morning and arrived Butuan at almost 6 a.m. I spent half of the day processing my passport, basically starting from the beginning (1. getting NSO authenticated birth certificate 2. applying for NBI clearance 3. photocopying all the required documents and finally 4. submitting it to DFA Regional Office). I have no plans getting a passport but recently there was some developments in my job calling me to have one. The processing was a mix of easy and bloody.

After successfully processing it with the DFA, i immediately left Butuan City via King Long bus at 12 noon. I love King Long... it smells clean since they are new. And quite fast, with just 5 bus stops. The hours after was moment of quite dreams since i was asleep until we took a stop in Balingoan Terminal. The loud voices of people shouting in chorus awaken me. Macopa! Macopa! Itlog! Chicharon! Tubig!

Insensitive. Hmpf!

There were many of them barricading at the door of the bus. But since i am half asleep that time, it was too late for me to take a photo of them. Only this man left...

And some of them gathered on the other side of the bus, surrounding a dvd peddler.

Not too long, King Long went on. ..And so my moment of quite dreams.

Arriving at the Agora Terminal in CDO, i checked my phone for messages. Plenty of messages but the last one caught my attention. "JP, i need help. Please." I was so anxious. A friend from Zamboanga joining me in the seminar and happily texted earlier that he was strolling around Gaisano Mall is now calling for help. I asked why. He lost his wallet in the taxi on his way to the hotel and would like to borrow a fare back to Zambo. Haha. To his relief, i lent him 1k but told him not to go around anymore so as to avoid breaking things that will make him pay. Hehe.

I checked in at our designated billeting.. the Mallberry Suite Business Hotel located at the Limketkai Center, parking lot away from Limketkai Mall. My room was in the 5th floor. From there is a good view of the city. Too close to Gaisano Mall.


My body was still agonizing in pain. I was thinking of having a message but as i laid my body in bed after shower, i fell asleep.

The night of the following day, my Zambo friend and a new found fellow from Bislig, Surigao Sur joined me in bar hopping. Starting from Tagbuan Grill which is just around the block next to Gaisano Mall.


It was a nice place to hangout, with native huts made of bamboo installed inside. We found some group of students, lovers (pertained by the place's name "tagbuan" which is rendezvous in English), and group of not so young having fun. Unfortunately, we did not enjoy the place as the 'not so young' group kept on singing oldies songs the like of "My Way" so we transferred to Pixel Grill.


They got nice, lovely and young singers. And most of all, they got a delectable kinilaw. Slurrrpp... The place is so crowded so we did not stay longer and look for something a little private. Under the command of manong driver, he took us to Club Mics and Mags. People, it is a Rated R club.

And i prefer to keep my mouth shut about the whereabouts there. We only watched the show anyway and later on left. Ridiculous, they asked a bit expensive charges. Imagine San Mig Light priced double. Grrr...

Next and last stop was Club Mojo, the place for the youngsters. The first choice was Pulse Bar but they did not allow me to enter this time with flip flops on. So we settled at Club Mojo where an enjoyable sight welcomed us. There was a daring showdown. We stayed, have our final toast of beer and then headed back to the hotel.

The following day we attended the seminar still groggy and dreaming... as we slept 4am in the morning and woke up 9am. Nevertheless, it did not hinder us to participate in the discussion.

As an ending story, i would like to share this finger foods that we shared in the last day of the seminar showcasing the fascinating fruit carving. Well done. A fresh watermelon was transformed into a burning hot, chinese-themed presentation.

Punta del Sol, Samal Island

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Davao is my most frequently traveled place in Mindanao. And I’m already sick of it. Who would not, when all the way from Surigao you have to let yourself stuck in the bus for 11-hours tiresome land trip? The only thing that keeps me looking forward to Davao is its adjacent island that always tickle my curiosity. Perhaps because of the overly publicized Davao Pearl Farm that boasts a world-class appeal. 

I am talking about the Island Garden City of Samal or IGaCoS as the island residents called it.

Punta del Sol, Samal Island

My wish was finally granted on December 10, 2008 when it was chosen as the venue of one of the activities where I was invited to participate. Yes, on official business. But not bad for an official business. In fact I consider it a vacation (with a serious twist). :D

Warning: Escape this part if you dont want to read a rant: 

When I first learned about the event being held in Samal, I feel like celebrating. I was full of anticipation and mindmapped the plans like go to this place, photograph this, and be photographed with this. But poof, coco crunch! I was stuck in Punta del Sol Resort. And to talk about how far I have gone in the island, I was only given the chance to travel its circumferential road to and from the Samal Wharf. I underestimated the island, I thought it was just a small one.

The lesson learned: dont set expectations. So instead of titling this entry in honor of Island Garden City of Samal, the spotlight goes to Punta del Sol Resort.

Going there, I dropped off first at Panacan in mainland Davao from my Agusan-Davao highway ride. Then took a taxi from there to Sasa Wharf which is just almost a kilometer away. I must have taken a cab in going there if I knew the location of the wharf. Anyway, the taxi only costs me 34.00 so it is not bad after all.

Sasa Ferry Wharf

From the Sasa Ferry Wharf in mainland Davao, I rode aboard the common transport facility to the island, a large barge. Punta del Sol Resort has its own established port in Santa Ana Wharf in Magsaysay Avenue but I prefer the Sasa Wharf since it is much closer from my point of arrival in Davao. Magsaysay also serves as the terminal for Island City buses, the local bus serving the Davao-Samal transport. Since I was looking for an adventure, I did not take the bus on my way to Punta Resort, I simply took a seat lined up on the mezzanine of the barge. I thought riding the barge for almost 20 minutes is free. But when I arrived at the exit gate of Babak Samal Wharf, I was asked for a toll fee of P10.00. This only goes that there is no such thing as free in this world today.

Babak Samal Wharf

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Outside the Babak Samal Wharf Gate is the motorcycle terminal that caters the commuting adventurers. Fares vary upon the distance and good leveraging. For Punta del Sol which is a 7 kilometers rough road shortcut ride, the fare ranges from P50.00 to P60.00 (commensurate to fare rates that Island City buses imposes plus the motorcycle transit that one has to take from its drop off point in Central Warehouse).

And so enough for the blah blahs.. presenting the Punta del Sol Resort.



-->Things I loved about Punta del Sol.. fresh kinilaw and warm welcome presentations of energetic dancers.





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Dramatic sunset comparable to our Mabua Beach (in Surigao City).

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Like what our organizers said when I requested for an island tour, “We’ll reserve it for the next time”. I just hope there will be some other time. I was really anticipating seeing the bat cave and some of the island’s waterfalls.

Intruding Intramuros

Even before going to Manila to attend the 34th Philippine Business Conference, I already have the list of itinerary just in case I find the luxury of time. I got 5 in my list but was able to visit only three… Mall of Asia, Intramuros, and the Manila Ocean Park.

MOA did not capture much of my interest, maybe because it appears barren to me, so I skip this post in favor of the historic Intramuros.

Since it was just a block away from Manila Hotel, the conference venue, we managed to breakout from the slightly mind-numbing affair. Aided with a sketch saved in my mind, we searched the way to the entrance of Intramuros. Walking the pathway along Roxas Boulevard was our first hint. Good thing we saw a calesa heading north so we followed it.

The calesa stopped in not so distant with the foreign couple unloading from it. We posed with the calesa but the female guest offered to take us a photo so out of her generosity we made her the photographer at her best. And here goes…

She cut the horse’s head. Lol

While searching for the entry point to Intramuros, I noticed a neat landscape of golf course fenced in just beside the highway. Later I found out it was the outer parcel of our quest. And a little later we were able to find the entrance. We memorized the spots of interest posted at the entrance and moved our way in.

Too early to appreciate the place but I was mesmerized by the antiquities of the fortress. And because it’s too huge to conquer for just an hour, we opted to ride the calesa not minding how much it costs. P250.00 for one ride around Intramuros is already too much for me but that time what matters to me is the lifetime opportunity. (Like I don’t have the chance to visit it anymore. Hehe)

Here are my finds in our merry-go-round calesa ride:

The Puerta de Santa Lucia

Walls of Puerta Real

Carranza
Also called Baluarte de San Andres or Baluarte de San Nicolas, built in 1603 designed to protect the old Real Gate and reinforce the southeastern part of Intramuros. It was reconstructed in 1733 with the addition of a bomb-proof arsenal for gun powder storage, a watchtower (garita), and barracks. This was destroyed during the British siege of Manila in 1762 and rebuilt after its occupation. Damaged during the battle of Manila in 1945 and was restored in 1987.

Antediluvian-designed McDonalds branch suiting its style in the place

The remnants of the former Central Bank

The sidewalk refreshment stalls

The Governor's Palace
the former official home of the Spanish Viceroyalties to the Philippines

The Manila Cathedral

The CPCP House

Casa Manila

The San Agustin Church
undergoes renovation during our visit

The Islander riding the ill-fated Pegasus now drawing wooden carriages. Lol

And I also found out, Intramuros is home to some prestigious universities like Mapua, Lyceum, Letran, and Pamantasan ng Maynila… and that it houses the Manila Bulletin publishings.

Up next... Intramuros by feet.