It was just our luck that Sheryl intended to go to Bangui that afternoon. And since H and I got the inabel part of our tour out of the way, we gladly joined her. Four of her friends (three based in Laoag) tagged along–or rather, H and I tagged along with Sheryl and her friends!
We made a pit stop at the “biscocho-han” in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. The place was called Pasuquin Bakery, and their plastic bags had labels proudly proclaiming “famous maker of the delicious biscocho, pride of the north.” Our unofficial tour guides insisted that we try the soft biscocho, which is sort of like an anise-laced pan de sal. Sheryl told us that these were so popular that they were even exported to Hawaii! (more…)
After going all the way to Davao last month, the next trip on my list was all the way up north: Ilocos Norte! H and I booked a flight months ago so we got el cheapo tickets–much cheaper than it would’ve cost to drive all the way there. The disadvantage, though, of not having a car is that you’ll have to figure out how to get around the province. If you’re unwilling to shell out about P3,000, you’ll have to commute, hitchhike, or wait for a kindly soul to offer you a ride.
We had a budget to stick to (read: We were being cheap), so we didn’t get our own vehicle and were prepared to take trikes, jeeps, and buses to get to our desired destinations. We didn’t have a proper itinerary, but the following were on my list:
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In my mind, my life is divided into three parts:
Grade School - the era of singing (when I was a member of the children’s choir)
High School - the era of acting (when I joined Repertory Philippines and was part of the school drama club–where I was pretty much typecast as the innocent-girl-about-to-be-married)
College - the era of dancing (when I was part of the Company of Ateneo Dancers, or CADs, and the Blue Babble Battalion)
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When it comes to Seoul, Korea, the first thing that pops in my mind is the telenovelas that is shown on local TV. Recently, Skin Food, a leading skin and make-up brand in Korea, which is also equally popular in Manila, invited me to Seoul. The trip was an opportunity to know the brand via factory and store visits. Our host was gracious and warm enough to allow us to experience by fantastic walk the famous shopping streets of the city which was indeed needed for our much awaited retail therapy.
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Let me warn you now—this is going to sound like an ode to Pancake House!
I looove good food and I even maintain a personal food blog (I use “maintain” loosely here as I only get to update it around once a month!), but I always find myself going back to Pancake House. When I can’t decide where to eat, I go to Pancake House. When I want a good salad, I go to Pancake House. When it’s my best friend M’s birthday, or my birthday, we have brunch at Pancake House. When I want to be alone, I go to Pancake House. When I want to get some work done away from my desk, I go to Pancake House, a laptop and magazines in tow. Pancake House is my happy place!
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Though I am a consummate roadtrip junkie, I have to admit that any trip—be it one to a mall or one past the city limits—wreaks its own havoc in one’s pocket. And although I’d love to hie off to some undiscovered rustic paradise every weekend, I can’t afford to. Even the most frugally planned itineraries will require at least considerable funds for gas or transportation. And when you get there too broke to do anything, well, that’s just oodles of fun, isn’t it?
So what’s a weekend warrior to do for some serious urban detoxing on a cash-strapped Saturday afternoon? Simple, really…head off to your nearest park. I was at Loyola Heights a few weekends ago when I and all of 200 pesos in my wallet decided to slum it in Ateneo de Manila’s baseball field…
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A couple of years ago, I came to the realization that a well-fed traveler is a happy traveler. I could scrimp on such things as airfare and even forego shopping (well, OK, not completely), but it was important for me to eat well. It came at a point when I had grown tired of cans of corned beef, and was miserable at having to eat fast food that I could easily get in Manila. While I won’t blow all my moolah on three gourmet meals a day, I’ve made it sort of a travel rule to eat what the place I’m visiting is known for, and to have at least one meal a day that leaves me in good spirits.
One great a meal a day isn’t enough in Boracay though. The island just has so many mouth-watering things to offer, that even eating three good meals a day would still leave you with a staggering number of culinary options.
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