Home Away From Home

Everytime I go on a vacation, I stay in a hotel. Of course, there were lots of considerations in choosing my home for a few days -- good reviews, clean rooms, breakfast inclusions, strong internet connections are just to name some. Not to mention, paying a not-so-expensive luxurious hotel without compromising comfort. After all, we are on a break, which means, we have to indulge once in a while. 

However, not all the time it is best to book a hotel. Last March, when I was granted a privilege to visit Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo), I rented a house from Airbnb. At first I was very hesitant to try Airbnb but after my entire stay, I realized, I think I made the right decision.

Below are some of the photos of the home we rented:

Please don't think I am promoting Airbnb. This is not a paid advertisement. I just want to share with my readers that it is possible to find a place where you feel as comfortable as you do in your own home by not staying in a hotel. 

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Let Curiosity Be My Guide

Since I started travelling outside the country, I must admit, I get addicted to it. Perhaps because I always got amazed on how other countries run their nation. I am very eager to experience their culture and beliefs, witness the beauty of their famous attractions, and to try different food, whether from the restaurants or those I found along the streets. There's something about travelling wherein the more I travel, the more I need to do it again and again and again. 

I consider myself blessed to have been living in the moment because in this day and age, we can now travel without spending too much. Budget airlines from time to time offer promos, which I confess, I always took advantage so to score a seat sale and therefore manage my strong desire to travel.

Here below are the countries outside Philippines that I have already visited:

I have been to Hong Kong and Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea and China. These are all Asian countries but I am positive, in the long run, I could be able to travel away from our continent. So with both a wish and a prayer, I hope the list continues until I successfully explored the whole wide world. 

For better or worse, I will let my curiosity be my guide and visit as many countries I could possibly go. I will travel more often, while I still can, so to change the way I see the world, and the way the world sees me. 

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Seoul Search

Spring time has already started in some parts of the world. And as we speak of spring season, cherry blossoms probably come first to your mind. 

In April 2014, I was lucky to be able to have had a quick hibernation in Seoul, South Korea. Yes, it was during spring time, but the country was not just a place where beautiful flowers bloom. It has so much more to offer. Here below were just some of the places we visited: 

Gangnam - widely known for its heavily concentrated wealth and high standard of living

Gyeongbokgung Palace - main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty

Changdeokgung Palace - one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Here you can try to wear hanbok or traditional Korean dress.

Insadong - a district of modern galleries and tea shops

Cheonggyecheon Stream - modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The place is really nice at night, when it is illuminated. 

Lotte World - indoor amusement park

Ellui Bar - nightclub

Nami Island - scenic island, popular because of the Korean tv series, Winter Sonata

N Seoul Tower - marks the highest point in Seoul

Myeongdong - shopping haven in South Korea

There are so much more places to visit, to do, to eat, and to try in Seoul, South Korea. Hopefully, more of 'Seoul searching' in the future and I'm crossing my fingers, I could be back and explore the other sides and attractions of South Korea!

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Eats in Baguio

From classic restaurants to newest haunts, there's something for a foodie in Baguio City. 

A lot of local restos around the city just popped up and each of them has plenty of items on their menus that are worth trying. Here are just some of which we tried during our short stay:

Platter in Rumah Sate, good for 3-5 people.

 

As seen in the movie, "That Thing Called Tadhana" we gave it a try to eat at Café by the Ruins. The Kalinga coffee and everything we ordered were just perfect!

Highly recommended by my officemate, we made sure to dine at Pizza Volante.

This restaurant was another hit for us! 

To combat the dropping temperature, we made a quick stop at Vizco's Café. I ordered Benguet coffee paired with their specialty, a slice of Strawberry Shortcake. Aaah, perfect match on earth!

And because a slice was not enough for a cake-lover, I brought a whole medium-sized cake in our hotel.

Dinner first before desserts! I had these vegies and strawberries all to myself!

Goodness gracious, nothing beats having the freshest local food on the table!

Then to cap off the night, we had Strawberry Wines.

For our last day, we spent a few remaining hours in Burnham Park, where we had strawberry taho and ice cream.  No visit to Baguio is complete without having these two!

 

Finally, before we headed home, we had burgers from 50's Diner to manage our huge burger cravings. 

And for pasalubongs, before leaving the highlands, make sure to buy these:

Baguio City’s gastronomic offerings cater to all tastes and budgets. I promise to be back and try other equally-delicious restos/food, or may be dine again to these very same restaurants.

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Creating Precious Memories

A few weeks ago, while Philippines is still having a cold season, we decided to drive all the way to the highlands of Baguio City. It was not our first time to be at the country's summer capital. We went there several times already, especially when we were still little. The difference this time was, we want Joaquin, my brother's 2 year old son, to enjoy the cold breeze, and experience the same fun activities we tried not so long ago.

On our first day, after we had a sumptuous lunch, we headed right away in Minesview, where our little baby got to experience a photo op session with a dog and a horse. 

The weather wasn't really so good on our first day -- light drizzles might get us sick so we opted to just stay inside our hotel. 

The following day, the sun was set ablazingly beautiful and so we took the chance to bring Joaquin to Wright Park. This time, he was able to ride a real horse. Of course with Ninong Fab!

After this, we want our baby to feel young and be free & independent. So we let him gad/run around the park. 

On our last day, no visit to Baguio will ever be complete without having experienced biking or boating or simply loafing around at Burnham Park. 

These were all simple gestures to show Joaquin or make him feel that he is special and that he is loved by many. He may be still young and probably won't remember any of this yet, but at least for us, we created precious memories. Besides, pictures never lie! 

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Old Habits Die Hard

What's up, my fellow blog readers? It's been a while since the last time I made an entry here. To be honest, I missed it. Sooo much!

I actually have no valid reason why I haven't been updating my blog. Perhaps I was just so busy minding other things than prioritizing my blog page. Or may be I wasn't too inspired to compose and share my thoughts and experiences. Okay, fine -- simply because I'm lazy! Whatever! 

But I'm back now. Not with a vengeance but with lots of stories from the past. I hope you wouldn't mind reading a little (one or a couple of years) throwback write-ups! Hey, it wasn't that long time ago! 

Like I mentioned from my very first blog entry, writing is my passion. And it will never be easy for me to just walk away from an old habit. I am positive that in the coming days, I would be able to share my experiences (whether good or bad), including travels, recipes, outfits, life events, etc. and hopefully, connect/inspire my readers. 

Life's too short to keep my stories to myself!

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Travel In Style

It has been my mantra to always dress up accordingly and appropriately, especially when I'm travelling. I'm not saying I am a 'fashionista' or always best-dressed. But I know most of the time, I am well-dressed. Here's why: 

1. I check the weather. It is important as a traveller that I know the temperature and the weather of the place I am going to visit. Is it summer or winter, sunny or rainy? Then I plan my complete get-up. Light, colorful clothes when sunny and I ready my jackets/blazers when rainy/winter.

2. I study the itinerary. The style a traveller wears shall depend on the place he/she will visit. City tour = urban style. 

3. I understand the culture. There are places, like most temples, where travellers are not allowed to enter the premises when wearing a "shorty-shorts" or a sleeveless top. Better to research their practices and beliefs prior to the travel dates. Unless you would want to just stay and kill the time waiting outside! 

4. I experiment. Everytime I travel, it is an opportunity for me to dress-up. As much as possible, I try my best to look different and fashionably-good at all times. But of course, in styling oneself, there were hits and misses. So be not afraid to mix & match, accessorize, and try different styles possible. Lastly, but certainly not the least:

5. I dress up comfortably. Most of the tours require walking. Lots of walking actually. So better wear what is comfortable from head to toe. I always prioritize comfort over my looks!

So there. Those are my 5 important tips to achieving travelling with style. Here below were my travel in style outfitey:

Hong Kong / Macau || Summer

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Singapore

Bangkok, Thailand

Singapore

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Hong Kong / Macau || Winter

This April, I will be flying to South Korea with my travel buddies. I can't wait to "rampa" my winter clothes! =))

 

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