FOR some reason, I often find myself associated with many things Thai. Back in the 90’s when Thai restaurants were all the rage, I wrote about two popular fine dining joints, Sawasdee and Ayutthaya on two separate occasions for The Manila Times.
Later that decade, I got the chance to cover a Microsoft event in Phuket, my very first trip outside the country and last year, I finally got the chance to visit Bangkok for an Intel event coverage and made quite a few friends in the process, too.Based on my two brief visits, I'd have to be of the opinion that there are plenty of good reasons why this wonderful country is called Amazing Thailand.
This year, I also wrote about a Michael and Jenny Cocuaco, the Zamboanga-based Pinoy couple who placed second in the recently concluded Ultimate Thailand Explorers reality competition, both for this blog (twice!) and in the July issue of H & L (Health & Lifestyle) magazine.
Chef Krobsuay
So it was hard to say no when I got a recent invite from Marriott Hotel Manila to sample authentic Thai cuisine in the ongoing Flavors of Thailand food festival at the Marriott Café.
In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Embassy of Thailand and Thai Airways, the food fest aims to celebrate rich and unique flavors of Thailand with a delicious showcase of authentic Thai dishes prepared by Thai chef Thanathorn Krobsuay, flown directly from the JW Marriott Bangkok.
Even though I’m not gifted with many would call a spicy tongue, I always found Thai food to be very intriguing. And there was a lot to like from Chef Krobsuay adventurous cuisine that started with a piping hot serving of the sweet and spicy Tom Yam Goong, a spicy prawn soup with lemongrass and galangal.
Following this act is Som Tum, a spicy salad starter made of shredded green papaya, beans, and dried shrimp. Then there were the classic main dishes like the Thod Mun Pla, a marinated fried fish cake with green beans and herbs swathed in sweet and sour sauce and served with pickled cucumber,
There’s the Larb Gai, minced chicken salad with mint and ground rice enhanced with the natural flavors of lime juice and fish sauce, popular favorite Pad Thai considered a national dish consists of stir fried noodles, eggs, been sprouts, shrimp, chicken, and tofu combined with oriental ingredients such as tamarind juice, hot chili, and fish sauce that produces a nutty, pungent taste.
Pad Thai
Chef Krobsuay ends his literally hot Thai feast with the refreshing kanom thai ruam, selections of Thai royal desserts that offer a sweet and salty balance of taste. Usually made of coconut milk based or sweet sticky rice, Krobsuay says all desserts feature piquant Asian ingredients and recipes.
The Flavors of Thailand is available during lunch and dinner for the entire month of August at P1,350 net for adults and P675 net for children during weekdays and Sunday Brunch at PHP 1,650 net. Children below 12 get in for half the price and children below 6 get in for free.
To further sweeten the deal, diners who avail of the Flavors of Thailand buffet also get a chance to win a pair of roundtrip tickets to Thailand courtesy of the Thai Airways and Tourism Authority of Thailand. The prize trip includes a three-night stay with breakfast at the Rennaisance Koh Samui Resort and Spa Thailand.
So how did the M-150 Unleashed Northern Adventure Race went down? Well, read on.
The race
As the race progressed, the only way we were able to monitor how the other racers are doing was through hourly updates at WAVE 89.1. When our car radio signal became weak on certain areas, Paolo’s Manila-based sister kept us abreast with the radio updates via text messages.
It was there that we learned that Team Lighthouse Subaru, who breezed past us and other cars at the North Luzon Expressway misread the map, missed a crucial turn and ended up in Dinalupihan. By the time they turned back and barely made it to the checkpoint, almost two hours have elapsed and they just decided to bow out of the race and went straight to Subic.
They weren’t the only ones who had a hard time understanding the assigned routes. It took our own team a while to figure out the first checkpoint in San Fernando, Pampanga, which was only marked Essels and only by asking residents in the area were we able to figure out that Essels was actually a supermarket.
We made it to the first checkpoint in 30th place out of the 35 racers. As we made it to the succeeding checkpoints, we were encouraged by the fact that not only did we improve our standing at every stop, we were also aware of the difficulties the other racers were facing. Thanks to the updates of Paolo’s sister, we learned that some got momentarily lost while others had the expected car troubles.
Unlike those who were test driving vehicles for the first time (probably not a good idea for a lengthy race like this to begin with) the kid’s familiarity with his everyday car served our team in good stead. It also helped that his modifications turned out to be spot-on.
“The rims and the suspension are some of the factors as to why we did not end up with flat tires while negotiating the bad roads because putting race specs are not intended for rough roads, they are only used for flat smooth surface race tracks,” Paolo points out.
The big finish
As a passenger, I would have loved to stop at certain points for some photo ops and maybe even for some pasalubong items (after all, my intention was to merely cover the race) particularly in Baguio, one of my favorite places in the country.
But I could see from the fire in Paolo’s eyes that he intends to finish this race in a respectable manner at the very least especially when our standing kept improving with every checkpoint. From 30th place, we climbed back to 28th, then 21st, 16th, 11th and by the time we made it to San Fernando, La Union for the mandatory one-hour rest, we were already in ninth place.
As the race came down to the homestretch, we learned that Team P-1 Motorsports of driver JP Cariño and navigator Angelo Tambo, who led most of the way actually ran out of gas in the middle of the long and winding SCTEX. The grinding halt came just when the TIPO Gate (exit to Subic Bay Freeport) was already within their sight. They didn’t notice they busted their gas tank back in Checkpoint 9 in Tarlac. Team DKC of Arnel Carlos and Nino Sarte passed them by 20 minutes later.
As for us, we continued our progress as we finished 4th, 3rd and 2nd at the remaining checkpoints. By the time we entered Subic, we were already in a neck and neck pace with Team DKC. We somehow managed to shake them off shortly after entering Olongapo and yes, finished first ahead of everybody else.
We still lost the race, though. Maybe because Eslao is not an experienced circuit racer (many of the participants weren’t) or maybe because of his lack of familiarity with the time control concept (he was yet to be born when the last race of this type was held in the country), our team actually checked in early at the San Fernando, La Union pit stop that we were meted a stiff penalty equivalent to one hour and 15 minutes.
The decision
While that would suggest or imply that we did not follow traffic rules and was running faster than we were supposed to, the same could be said for the other racers who arrived earlier at that checkpoint, only they were smart enough not to “officially” check-in. Since that was allowed, I personally thought it defeats the purpose of the race’s whole safety first objective. Oh, well.
With an official time of 11 hours and 26 minutes with minimal or no penalties at all, Team DKC, who arrived second at the finish line, ran a clean race and won it all, including the P50,000 cash prize plus M-150 Energy Drink products, a special edition jacket and more importantly, bragging rights as the very first winner of M-150 Unleashed race.
“Our struggles included our car breaking down during the early part of the race going to the second check point at Bamban,” says Nino Sarte of Team DKC. “We had a busted CV boot resulting to the overheating of CV joint and busted axle. Despite all the troubles we still managed to finish the race at Subic.”
All told, it was a successfully-staged race and was exciting enough to merit a clamor for a similar race this year. Just like The Cannonball Run, this is one movie that deserves a sequel and talks of an even bigger M-150 Unleashed! (Southern Adventure, perhaps?) event have already made the rounds of the racing community.
As for Paolo Eslao, who by the way is based in the South, he is still very happy with how our team fared overall. “Well, we did finish the race,” he smilingly says with a sense of fulfillment. “With no accidents or mishaps whatsoever, we already achieved a great feat considering how hard we drove. Official or not, I think we owned them all.”
IN my line of work, I have been fortunate enough to travel in a lot of places. But for the life of me, I have never seen so many places in just one day. And that’s exactly what happened when I was invited to cover a cross-country race late last year.
To say that I got more than what I bargained for is an understatement. I have never experienced anything quite like it.
Still don't believe me? Well, here’s the first part of my account as published in Business Mirror's Personal Fortune magazine early this year.
LIKE A CANNONBALL
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
IT’S officially defined as “a point-to-point race against time, within the limits of the law covering 550 kilometers of North Luzon in a span of one day.” But for most of the participants, last year’s M-150 Energy Drink Unleashed! Northern Adventure Race might as well be the true-to-life equivalent of movies like The Cannonball Run and The Gumball Rally, the latter of which in turn was inspired by Gumball 3000, the annual international road rally that takes place on public roads with a different 3,000 mile route around the world each year.
Although a cross-country race on a much smaller scale, The Northern Adventure Race was still a first of sorts. Veteran race car driver Mike Potenciano, who helped organize the race and was among the participants said “the last time something like this happened here was in the early 1980’s.” Starting in Metro Manila at the Ortigas Home Depot, the race covers a total of 550 kilometers of the North Luzon grid and includes Checkpoints in Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Baguio, La Union, Dagupan, Lingayen and finally its finish line in Subic, all within a span of one day.
It’s not as straightforward as it sounds, though. And racers who did not fully understand the rules ultimately paid the price for it.
The rules
The rules of the race were in conjunction with one basic objective: Safety above all and abide by all traffic rules, regulations and ordinances. This means breaking the law and reckless driving are highly discouraged and the organizers will not be responsible for those caught by traffic law enforcers.
Although the racers are allowed to pass through any route they want as long as they pass through all the controls or checkpoints, there are mandatory sections that all of them must pass through. Toll receipts may also be required as proofs of compliance.
Furthermore, to keep all the racers in line and ensure that the basic safety first objective is followed, a time control system with critical penalties was implemented. The starting order is determined by the order of entries who check in at the starting gate. Those who arrive early, leaves early with a one minute head start on the next car allowed to leave.
Each car must arrive at the given checkpoints at a given target time. Check in too early and the racers are slapped a penalty of five minutes added to his total time. Check in too late and a penalty of 10 will be added to their total, not as bad as being too early but can still be costly if the race comes down to the wire.
And yes, wearing of seatbelts are mandatory as non-compliance may also mean an additional one-minute per offense to the racers’ total time.
The racers with the best total time (finish time minus start time plus penalties, if any) wins the race.
The racers
This is where the rules start to loosen up. All road-worthy registered vehicles including all-wheel drives (AWD), four-wheel drives (FWD) and rear-wheel drives (RWD) with the exception of tube chassis are allowed to participate.
The rules require that racers race as a team with a minimum crew of at least a driver and a navigator. Since this was a long distance endurance race, preparation is key. And familiarity with the Northern Luzon certainly won’t hurt.
Team Dorifto with Ramon and Jonathan Arriola brought with them a 20-man strong pit stop crew and actually acquired a brand new Honda Accord just for the race. The heavily favored Team Lighthouse Subaru of race car driver Pia Boren and advertising executive Ianne Borillo were packed with essential supplies.
Another favorite, Team Mazda of Mike Potenciano, his co-host, Lindy Pellicer of radio station WAVE 89.1 and navigator Steve Cheng were test driving a Mazda 6 for this particular, the same with Team MetroMag of Stef Juan, Camille Aguilar and Andre Tani who are also trying out a Toyota Prius.
Other noteworthy cars in the field of 35 teams included the Mitsubishi Triton of Team Fast and The Curious, the Volvo V50 of Team Big Head, the Mercedes Benz of Team Sprocket Benz, the Mitsubishi Pajero of Team Capture, the Nissan Silvia of Team Esguerra and the Honda Civic LXi of Team P-1 Motorsports.
The dark horse
This writer ended up being assigned as the navigator (!) for Team Paullex of 21-year old Paolo Eslao, the young proprietor of Eurocon Trading, an automative and industrial airconditioning parts business that he started when he was only 19 years old. The unheralded kid, who very few have heard of prior to the race entered his own mom’s Ford Lynx 1.6 GSI, the car he drives everyday to school and work. Paolo originally wanted to race alone but was forced (reluctantly, if I may add) to take me as navigator to comply with the rules.
Eslao’s preparation for this race was the most impressive in my book. Driving at go kart race tracks since he was 14, he spent his high school years in the Netherlands and further honed his driving skills in those long, European countryside roads.
If that’s not enough preparation, he studied Automotive Technology which partly explains his knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the other vehicles. His knowledge of cars also helped him modify his own car in accordance to “what is only needed for it to run on bad roads.” And for him, that meant lowering springs in his suspension and replacing parts in the engine (intake, headers, exhaust) for better air flow that in turn translates to more power and reliability.
And of course, since he did not intend to race with a navigator (and I doubt if I could really be a big help in that area since I neither race nor drive), it certainly didn’t hurt that he has a GPS device with him, which by the way, was not against the rules.
SPEAKING of boats, here’s a different kind of sailing adventure I wrote about in 2007 for the Manila Bulletin. A yacht party like no other.
BAY WATCH By EDWIN P. SALLAN
MANILA Bay does not exactly smell like roses nowadays. Hell, it hasn’t been a sought after place by the city’s elite for a long, long time. But for one lazy Sunday afternoon, it became the ideal venue for one of the most memorable parties in recent memory.
To kick off its X Community Party Series, Soundsgood Music Marketing recently organized a yacht party aboard the luxurious King of Sports III yacht to cruise around yes, Manila Bay. And for six hours between 5 to 10, about 75 guests partied the night away in an atmosphere akin to that popular gin drink’s Bilog Ang Mundo commercial.
With an interesting mix of locals and expats from the diplomatic circle and multinational companies as well as foreign exchange students, professionals and of course, myself, we comprised what Soundsgood ringleader Edge Pamute calls the “X Community.”
“The X Community is trendy, Class A-B, mobile, and very global,” says Edge. “They expect a different kind of party environment, as they are aware of the different party trends in other continents. With this series of parties, Soundsgood is giving them more than the usual event.”
And more than the usual event was exactly what we got as we partied to the eclectic mix of music provided by DJ’s Brian Cua (house, electro and techno), Austrian Stefan Lowenstein (60’s latin soul, salsa and old and new funk) and Edge himself (nu jazz, bossa nova, broken beats) covering each side of the yacht. As if that wasn’t enough, the already propulsive beats were further enhanced by live music from Raffy Francisco on saxophone, James Bald and Marcus Maguigad on percussions.
Being aboard a yacht with more than 70 total strangers including a few hulking bouncers who are more than ready to throw troublemakers overboard is quite an experience. In between all that dancing, I had a chance to interact and get to know the other guests well. There was a couple of folks who are having careers in a not too common field called international development. There was a diplomat from the Turkish embassy as well as a girl working for the embassy of Argentina who kept telling me there’s more to Argentina than that namesake corned beef that it’s strangely famous for in this country.
There was a lovely telecoms executive who was dancing the night away with her French fiancé whom she hopes to settle down with in romantic Paris soon, a young bank executive who was lamenting about our, well, lamentable political system, a real estate executive from Tagaytay Highlands who like the rest, enjoyed watching the fireworks display at the SM Mall of Asia area and a couple of young lookers from Israel who are just savoring the panoramic view of the city and its famous sunset.
With San Mig Dry and Absolut drinks plus plenty of tasty cocktails to go around with, there was also plenty of time to marvel at the King of Sports yacht that was built here in 1993 and since then has been the vessel of choice for most surfing, diving and other chartered adventures all over the country. It has an air-conditioned salon, guest rooms, shiny wooden floors, DVD, karaoke and Xbox entertainment and a terrific sun deck where many of us hung out at some point.
The Soundgood yacht party was indeed an auspicious way of pushing the envelope for a new kind of alternative entertainment. It certainly had a lot of X factor going for it. “ We created the X Community Party series for the discriminating partygoer,” Edge muses. “This is for those who want an alternative to the usual and identical events and parties churned out by every event organizer in the country, the place where people can hang out, be with friends, enjoy refreshing drinks, dance to the edgiest tunes, but all in an environment that is unusual, edgy, and innovative.”
PEOPLE say life is more about the journey than it is about the destination.
Well, when it comes to Costa cruises, nothing can be further from the truth. Dubbed as “the best cruise in Asia,” the 1,697-passenger Costa Romantica is a luxurious and elegantly designed passenger vessel that redefines traveling in style. Every area from the hall to the cabins to the numerous prestigious works of art that adorn every corner including sculptured masterpieces by celebrated Japanese artist Susumu Shingu has Italian romance written all over them.
More than living up to its name, Costa Romantica also boasts of richly embellished public rooms that feature rare woods and Carrara marble as exquisitely detailed by the finest European artisans. There are also the marvelous original works of art including hand-crafted furnishings, paintings, murals, and two sculptured masterpieces by celebrated Japanese artist Susumu Shingu
Other amenities and relaxation areas include a fully contained spa that offers personalized beauty treatments and therapies, a fitness center, three restaurants including the coveted Boticelli and seven bars, two swimming pools and four Jacuzzis, a chapel, the 650-seat L’Opera theater, a disco, casino and even a shopping center. Yes, this is quite the Love Boat.
And if all this grandeur has a familiar ring to frequent travelers, it’s pretty much because Costa Romantica is created by none other than the largest Italian group in Tourism and the number one cruise company in Europe.
With over 60 years of history, Costa’s fleet of 14 ships in service and two more in order are regarded as Europe’s largest and most advanced and regularly sail each year to 250 destinations in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Far East and the Indian Ocean.
Each Costa ship including Costa Romantica and the equally famous Costa Classica fly the Italian flag and are known for their own distinctive personalities and unique features. And yes, as countless passengers have already attested, a Costa cruise journey is just as exciting as its ultimate destination itself.
Recently inaugurated by Costa Crociere S.P.A. and the Philippine Italian Association on April 26, 2010 at Pier13 in South Harbor, Manila with Italian ambassador Luca Fornari and his wife Silvana as guests of honor, Costa Romantica now sails over a dozen Asian destinations regularly plying routes from Shanghai (China), to Fukuoka-Kumamoto (Japan), Cheju (South Korea) and back to Shanghai.
Among special cruises to look forward to are the six days and five nights cruise in South Korea and Japan on August 25, August 30, September 4, 9, 14, and 19, October 7 and October 12.
In the case of Costa Romantica, the journey to a thousand miles begins with a single cruise.
Come to think of it, I’ve never been on a cruise. Maybe I should consider planning one soon? Hmmm.
For Costa Romantica booking and inquiries, please call TravelPeople at 400-2505 loc. 8109 to 8107.
Excerpts from a 2007 piece I wrote on boutique hotels for The Manila Bulletin. Slightly revised and updated:
As defined in Wikipedia, “boutique hotel” is “a term that originated in North America to describe intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel environments.” Sometimes known as “design hotels” or “lifestyle hotels, ” these types of hotels differentiate themselves from their larger five-star counterparts with their personalized level of accommodation and service facilities.
“Typically boutique hotels are furnished in a themed, stylish and/or aspirational manner,” its Wikipedia entry continues. “Although usually considerably smaller than a mainstream hotel (often ranging from 3 to 100 guest rooms), boutique hotels can often have hundreds of rooms in major cities. Guest rooms and suites are fitted with telephones, Wi-Fi internet access, air-conditioning, honesty bars and often cable/pay TV. With guest services attended to by a 24-hour hotel staff, many boutique hotels have on-site dining facilities, and the majority offers bars and lounges which may also be open to the general public.
The Scarlet in Singapore is one such hotel. Only a year after it opened in December of 2004, The Scarlet has already been reaping one accolade after another having made Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s Hot List of Best New Hotels Worldwide for 2005, DestinAsian magazine’s 2005 Luxe List and Luxury Travel magazine’s Luxury Travel Award for one of the Best New Hotels of 2005.
TabletHotels.com says that “the hotel occupies a row of preserved shop houses dating to 1868, and an original 1924 Art Deco building, all joined together and converted into a quite delightfully over-the-top boutique.”
Described in its web site as “vivacious and uninhibited” and with “interiors pulsating with eclectic tension,” there’s something about the low-rise Scarlet (a word that refers to a color synonymous with red) that makes it tower head and shoulders above the more established hotels in Singapore. It must be its Victorian-meets-Goth interiors punctuated by the usually tall and yes, made-up (!) doorman wearing a black trenchcoat that could have come easily been imported from Transylvania.
The rooms, be it the Deluxe/Standard, Executive/Premium or the more decadent suites, also have a certain 18th century European feel to them. Furniture that conform to this theme like the small couch, the work desk, the lamp shades, the tall bed headboard, the closets and even the throw pillows add to this ambiance. I’m not sure if I stayed in each type of these rooms in the three different occasions that I stayed in The Scarlet since last year but I do remember each one as having a personality of its own.
A nice touch is the cigarette-shaped leather pouch included in each door of these rooms where the complimentary copies of The Strait Times is delivered every morning.
The Scarlet is actually only the second hotel that I ever stayed (the one is our very own Nami in Boracay) that includes a DVD player in each room. Original DVD’s of popular titles can also be borrowed for free at the reception counter. I know people don’t usually come to Singapore just to watch DVD’s but in the case of journalists like myself who never really find the time to watch our favorite flicks at home, I have to say that having one at the hotel is a good reason to while away your free and idle time there.
There’s also something cool about the way certain suites are named (i.e. Swank. Lavish, Opulent, Passion and Splendour) as well as other facilities like its bars and restaurant (Bold, Breeze and Desire), meeting room (Sanctum), open-air Jacuzzi (Soda), gym (Flaunt) and even the branded bathroom amenities (Flair).
Buffet breakfast at Desire is complimentary but only during the last day of your stay or just hours before check-out time. Other nice touches include nearby proximity to the Maxwell Road Hawkers Centre where you’ll find good food including some of the tastiest Hainanese Chicken Rice at very affordable prices, a 7-11 outlet in the building itself for other quick fixes including the same potato chips and snacks at the hotel’s mini-bar for more than half of its price. The S$1 instant mashed potato there is one thing I keep coming back for.
Although Wi-Fi internet is free, only guests who brought their own laptops are the ones that stand to benefit most from it. The hotel does have its own laptops for rentals but rates are pretty steep and availability might also be an issue. Fortunately, being located in the Chinatown area at 33 Erskine Road is also another plus for The Scarlet. not only was I able to shop for a lot of bargain pasalubong in Chinatown, I also found an internet rental station in one of the streets there that charges only S$1 (or about P30) an hour, by far the cheapest rate I encountered in Singapore.
Published room rates at The Scarlet don’t come cheap but the very five-star feel of the hotel’s facilities and yes, personalized service (the staff actually remembers returning guests like myself) makes the well-branded The Scarlet an ideal alternative to the Ritz Carlton and other posh high-risers in Singapore.
The Scarlet is located at 33 Erskine Road in Singapore. According to its Facebook page, the hotel is currently offering 50 percent discount on all suites until May 20 of this year. Photos for this blog post also taken from The Scarlet's Facebook page.
TWO years ago, I got the chance to contribute two articles to Silver Lining, a Singapore-based lifestyle magazine that specifically caters to the 45-64 “Silver Age” market as their editorial team so emphatically refers to it.
Last November, I already posted one of the articles I wrote for this publication on the netbook phenomenon. Now that the latest auditions for the much anticipated new season of that acclaimed AXN reality competition show, The Amazing Race Asia has recently concluded, I thought it was the right time to post something I wrote about two of its previous participants.
This 2008 piece is actually the fourth feature story I have written on certain Amazing Race competitors since its first season. My first piece on The Amazing Race was the one on its Season 7 winners, Joyce and Uchenna, who I interviewed on the phone following their victory. I also profiled TARA 2's Vanessa Chong as well as the celebrated team of Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez, who won the most pit stops that same season.
NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING Silver Age amazing racers Henry Chan and Ida Nerina prove that it’s never too late to go for gold.
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
IT was supposed to be the toughest race ever. The challenges among others included consuming large bowls of assorted fried bugs, frogs and scorpions; completely clean a dirty 22-seat passenger bus; fill a bucket full of water at the top of a mountain to a monk’s satisfaction; perform a bungee job from the top of Macau Tower; wash and clean a stinky live elephant; and move 10, yes 10, camels into their holding pen.
Those of us who are merely watching the top-rated reality competition series, AXN-Asia’sThe Amazing Race Asia are convinced that such challenges are certainly not for everyone, much less for those who are already in their Silver Age. Well, Henry Chan and Ida Nerina, both in their swinging 40’s thought otherwise. Forming one half of two Malaysian teams, both Henry, a chef by profession and Ida, an actress slash producer slash director signed up for the show's third season and ultimately surprised both viewers and their younger competition alike with their very impressive showing in the race.
Breaking the age barrier
“Age has never been and will never be a factor that holds me back,” Henry declares during an exclusive interview with this writer for Silver Lining. “For as long as I am healthy, I see myself being able to do anything I put my mind to.”
Ida agrees. “Uh, what's wrong with my age?” she protests half-jokingly in the same interview. “I mean, quite honestly, I’m in this industry that is so unforgiving about age that truth be known, I didn't even think of it. I saw it as a race and I want to race. That seems to be the only thing that I can imagine would prompt someone to fill out those lengthy application forms.”
With teammates who are also pushing 40 (Henry teamed up with sister Bernie, a well-known TV host in Malaysia while Ida’s partner and best friend, Tania, is a property developer there), both were not at all deterred by the physically and mentally tough nature of the race that took them on a grueling 11-week tour in Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, India and Oman. And they came prepared.
Ready to rumble
“Toughest race ever, they say? My teammate Bernie and I thought, ‘Bring it on’!” says Henry, who admitted to already being physically prepared even before joining The Amazing Race Asia 3. “I am a reasonably fit person anyway. I eat well and I exercise a lot. Prior to the race, I just upped the amount of cardio work I did at the gym. As for mental preparation, there wasn’t any at all. What you saw was us running on pure adrenaline!”
“I've been practicing yoga for the last seven years so I guess that helps,” Ida reveals. “It keeps you centered, you know. Mentally, I suppose Tania and I had agreed to just appreciate the fact that we're in the race and experience every emotion of the trials and tribulations that come with it, the pain or the pleasure. As for regimen, I just picked up my cardio and strength training after the audition just in case we were selected.”
Henry’s team was very competitive throughout the race, especially during the early stages. They were in fact considered by their rivals as the team to beat after winning two Pit Stops and placing second or third on three other occasions. They eventually got eliminated in Week 9, placing fifth overall. Ida’s team did better, lasting all the way to the final leg of the race before eventually settling for third place on what has turned out to be a rollercoaster ride punctuated by two Pit Stop victories and two last place finishes in, fortunately for them, non-elimination rounds.
Looking back, both Henry and Ida now marvel at how their participation in their favorite TV show has changed their dispositions in life.
An experience to remember
“The Amazing Race Asia was one of the most powerful experiences I have had in my life,” Henry beams. “Watching it now is like re-living a dream I once had.”
“It may not have changed my life per se, but it's probably one of the most fun yet best experiences for my self-esteem as in ‘I did it!’,” Ida adds. “The Amazing Race Asia is probably the only reality TV show that I truly follow. I actually forget that it is a reality TV show. I was a couch potato criticizing what when how and I am now one of 60 racers of this great show and I think we did very well if you’re going to say that age is a factor.”
These days, both Henry and Ida are back to their usual routines. Henry says he will resume his food consultancy business while also currently writing and developing food and travel shows for Malaysian TV. Opening a restaurant in New York is also part of his future plans. Ida, on the other hand, has a few acting projects in the pipeline for next year.
With no signs of slowing down, the two are both one in saying that age should not dictate how you should live your life and it should never be a hindrance in the pursuit of one’s dreams.
“When you start living life worrying about so-called ‘age-related concerns’ you will naturally start making this a reality,” Henry points out. “My advice: 1) never think of yourself as old or middle aged but rather experienced and well lived; 2) have a go and try to do anything and everything that you’ve always wanted to do and 3) if anyone tells you you're too old or implies that you have to behave a certain way because of your age, tell them to shove off because you don't buy it!”
The effervescent Ida has a more tongue-in-cheek way of putting it: “You know what? We'll all get old and wrinkly but truth is, it's probably other people's perceptions of age that will age you. So let your hair down and if you don't have much hair, well, get extensions!”
AND she’s back. Here’s my good friend, Ianne Borillo, guest blogging again with another episode in her continuing great outdoors saga. This ain't your kid's Rio Grande Rapids.
THE RIVER WILD
By Ianne Borillo.
Cagayan de Oro is synonymous to white water rafting: the kind of adrenaline-pumping activity that sends you rapidly going down the stream and holding on to dear life with a paddle. It’s no coincidence the famous Mindanao province’s name is derived from the word “Kagay” which means river and “Oro” which means gold.
As per the old folks’ tale, the river that separates Cagayan and Bukidnon, did have gold back in the day. It might as well be so as river rafting seems to be one of the major tourist attractions of the city and bread and butter of various outfitters.
I have had numerous river runs with the Redrafts, one of CDO’s pioneers in the sport. I progressed from being the official entertainer to an extra paddler. Entertainers throw in fun facts, trivia, occasional jokes and whatever stories they can muster to keep the energy level up when passing steady waters. Extra paddlers come in handy for a relatively weaker team (group of old folks and or kids). I have come to know that the integral part of rafting lies in the hands of the river guide who possesses the skill and knowledge to get their passengers through the activity safe and sound but more than the expected criteria, they too must be very good in assessing a team of rafters.
Each participant will be given a helmet, a paddle and a life vest. Once everyone is fully equipped, the designated speaker slash senior guide will gather all the participants and brief them on safety precautions and demonstrate the right way to paddle.
EXTREMEY USEFUL TIPS:
If you fall into the water, do NOT try to swim, just float facing down stream, relax. Your river guide is trained and equipped to get you at all costs. Bottom line: IF YOU PANIC, YOU DIE. It’s that simple.
Briefing is also the time for the senior guide to assign another guide to a particular team of rafters. The more daring guides are usually assigned to the equally daring team. It’s incredibly scary until you’ve passed the first rapid. The water looks so intimidating you’d want to back out soon as you see it. Lesson learned: when the guide screams “LOCK YOUR FEET, SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!” you better do so. I was so overwhelmed I forgot to shut my mouth. I ended up swallowing a good amount of murky river water. I was more relaxed though after the my first taste of a decent rapid.
The usual river run starts at Aura, which boasts of 14 rapids perfect for beginners. The more adventurous ones can start at Ugyaban with seven additional wilder rapids. Either way you get to enjoy varying rapids of increasing levels (or from level 1 to level 3). In between the blurry battle with the rapids is a relaxing sightseeing activity where your guide’s people skills come into play. Yes, it’s like watching National Geographic live! You come across giant fossils of clams (apparently the river used to be part of the sea), snakes, caves, naked locals bathing, lava rocks (where the locals wash their clothes, get it?) and a wide assortment of trees, animals and flowers.
Towards the end of the activity, the guests have an option to take one last challenge: To climb and jump from an 18 feet rock aptly called “the graduation rock”. It’s not much to look at from a spectators point of view but it’s way intimidating when you’re at the peak and looking down at the cheering crowd below you.
Even scarier is the guide’s warning to never swim to the left as the current will take you tumbling like a piece of laundry in a washing machine. Some climb up and jump. Some climb up, wait, then jump. A number climb up, wait, wait some more and finally climb down. At least there’s something to look forward to the next time they go rafting.
As with any water sport, the 3 hour activity is likely to leave you starving. The Redrafts offers packages that include such food varieties like barbequed chicken, shrimp and tuna belly, fresh fruits, steamed rice and a bottle of Cagayan’s unique blend of Pinakurat (local vinegar made from coconut and spices) served picnic style by the river replete with white and red checkered table cloth. Everything is prepared by the time you get off the raft and ready to devour almost anything. That plus your well-deserved sense of accomplishment is what makes this daring activity something worth going through at least once in your life.
For reservations and inquiries call Lyle X (Redrafts) 09179045298 or Rex 09228973175
SINCE summer is just around the corner, I’ll be posting more travel stories between now and the succeeding three months. That’s in between of course, the other stuff that I also do here.
This one is from a very memorable weekend in 2006 that I spent with the entire i Section of Manila Bulletin for our special feature on Batangas City. At that time, much of the thunder of the provincial capital has been somewhat stolen by Lipa, a city that attracted a lot of attention under the watch of its then very popular mayor (and now Batangas governor) Vilma Santos.
Isla Verde was just one of our many stops during that weekend. And now, I’m happy to share this slightly tweaked piece with you.
Special thanks to Ms. Jojie Alcantara for most of the photos.
ISLAND IN THE SUN
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
LET’S just say this is one summer getaway where you’ll literally have a sweet time.
The 1,625-hectare Isla Verde or Verde Island (depending on who you ask) is pretty much the pride of Batangas City, a place usually known for things like its unique kapeng barako (extra-strong Batangas coffee) and equally famous balisong (Batangas switchblade). Discovered by Spanish soldiers under the command of one Captain Juan Verde (hence, the name), it’s about a 45-minute boat ride from the Batangas mainland.
There are two great things about this island. One is the wonderful Dos Palmas Verde Island Resort which occupies about 110 hectares of the entire island. The other is the pakaskas, a “sugar-less” sweet delicacy that is to Batangas what peanut brittle is to Baguio. The pakaskas is actually produced in the other side of Isla Verde and despite the rather lengthy boat ride and the subsequent long walk to see how it’s done, it is something well worth our time and then some.
Our boat ride to the island itself was quite an adventure. The unpredictable waves, while not exactly as thrilling as the Rio Grande Rapids ride in Enchanted Kingdom, can nonetheless give anybody the occasional scare or two. At the same time, it’s also pretty exciting as we were also treated to some breathtaking views during the course of our sail including picturesque islets and flying fishes jumping in unison.
Dos Palmas Verde Island Resort
The Verde Island Resort, however, is usually the first stop of any tour of the island. Developed in 1986, it is quite the nature trip as it is pretty obvious the resort’s development did not come at the expense of destroying the island’s natural resources. If nothing else, the resort only further enhances it.
Visitors are usually given a Hawaiian-style welcome by the resort’s manager and staff complete with either lei (handmade flower necklaces) or flower petals sprinkled at us after alighting from our boat. I can’t help but feel like Eddie Murphy being followed by his rose bearers in Coming To America.
After downing our welcome drinks, we were immediately treated to a tasty breakfast at the Comida De Pastor, the resort’s main restaurant and bar that serves both traditional Filipino and international cuisine including the Pastor family’s own recipes. The Comida De Pastor also provides room services to all guests.
Everything you expect in island-based resorts in far-flung summer destinations like Boracay and Palawan are also right here in Dos Palmas Verde Island from the generator-powered supply to satellite cable TV to swimming pools right down to a diving and snorkeling concessionaire. Since the resort is adjacent to a 50-hectare bamboo plantation, its very character is pretty much defined by the indigenous materials used in the construction of the rooms and cottages such as the bamboo floor tiles, the hand-woven buri mats and the laminated sawali walls.
There are four types of accommodations. There’s the Casa Aplaya, located along the shoreline, the hillsite cottages of Casa Dahilig, the hotel-type rooms of Villa Condesa and the condo units of Villa Maharlika.
Dos Palmas Verde Island Resort is also known for its elevated pool area known simply as the Infinity Pool because its clover leaf-shaped adult pool punctuated by a tension edge gives the illusion of pool water overflowing into the sea. Our photographer Noel Pabalate wasted no time in taking a dip here.
The famous pakaskas
As much as we wanted to stay a little longer, it was already time for our pakaskas-making tour on the other side. One thing that I noticed in this island is that regardless of what side you’re in, the villagers are very friendly. In fact, the whole island is one big happy community on its own complete with schools, churches and sari-sari stores. I was able to even have my prepaid credits reloaded here which shows that these people are not exactly isolated and insulated from the rest of the Batangas province.
The community atmosphere of Isla Verde also somehow made our long trek towards the “pakaskas factory” a whole lot bearable. In what seemed like an eternity of hiking guided by a nice old woman who smilingly insisted that our ultimate destination is “malapit lang” (just nearby), we finally got to a small hut characterized by a kawa (huge frying pan) where the pakaskas is boiled to perfection in around 45 minutes.
Yes, boiled and not cooked. This delicacy is made from the already sweet sap of the buri palm tree, a plant that seems to be in abundance only in this island. It is called “sugar-less” by Batangueños because no extra sugar is necessary to further sweeten the deal. And it is called pakaskas because the process consists of scraping (“kaskasin” in the vernacular) the sugar from the boiling sap.
Once thick and hard enough to be considered “cooked,” the pakaskas is then placed on talikads, a small bamboo containers about the size of a typical Reno Liver Spread can. It is then sold by tens. In any given pakaskas cooking, er, boiling session, 600 talikads or 60 packs are made.
Our group was also treated to a “half-cooked” pakaskas, which is served to us as balinghoy or a caramelized sweet sauce for boiled or steamed cassava or camote and tastes just as great.
Pakaskas, by the way, is also used as the sweet topping for another popular Batangas delicacy, the Suman Taal, a popular sweet rice cake made from sticky rice, and wrapped in a banana leaf then boiled till cooked.
Our very brief stay at Isla Verde was obviously not enough for us to enjoy everything the island has to offer. We were not able to see and try out the other amenities and attractions of Dos Palmas Verde Island Resort. Also known as a diver’s mecca, I certainly would have wanted to try out its famous glass-bottom boat ride that allows non-divers like myself to marvel at underwater wonders without actually getting wet.
What we both experienced and didn’t experience in Isla Verde are all the more reasons to come back here. Now that I myself have discovered this wonderful and not too crowded island paradise, any return trip to Batangas City from hereon would not be complete without braving the occasionally temperamental Batangas waters for it. Sweet.
SOMETHING I wrote for GARAGE magazine last year. Slightly revised and updated. Yes, believe it or not, it's actually a lot safer than it looks.
And for a first hand look or experience, you might also want to check out the upcoming 2010 Balayong Festival Offroad Challenge in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan this coming March 5 to 7, 2010. Interested? Then please check out Mike Potenciano’s Facebook page and drop him a line.
MONSTER TRUCK MADNESS
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
WHEN people think about races, they usually think about fast cars running at breakneck speed. That’s not necessarily the case with off-road vehicles particularly those imposing 4 x 4 monster trucks. Or so says veteran race car driver Mike Potenciano who organizes these type of races along with a couple of other similar off-road rallies and veteran jet ski racer turned 4 x 4 off-road racing champion Joey Millionado.
“Off-road racing is only one of several types of off-road races that I organize here under my group, MP Turbo,” says the multi-awarded Potenciano, whose racing experience spans many years of competitive racing in varied disciplines—from karting to rally cars to touring cars to Formula One cars, name it, he has done it. “There are actually several variants of off-road racing including the faster 4 x 4 Speed, Motocross and Moto Enduro, Mountain Bike races and Rally Raid.”
Now 47, Potenciano remains a racing icon and a unifying force in what was once a dormant industry during the martial law years. An industry that was only revived during the late 80’s. When he’s not organizing races, he races himself and when he’s not racing, he organizes them. He also continues to aggressively promote the sport through his television show called SpeedTV that airs on the Viva Prime channel and Turbo Time, a radio show that he co-hosts with DJ Lindy every Monday from 10PM to 12MN at MTV Radio U92.3 FM.
Although he has a strong preference for the faster and yes, more dangerous variations of off-road motoring, he is nonetheless actively involved in promoting the slower but equally exciting 4 x 4 off-road racing.
“The thing about regular 4 x 4 off-road racing is that it’s actually safer than other motor sports,” quips Millionado, also 47, and a longtime friend of Potenciano’s. “You’re only running on first and second gear only or 40 kph an hour at the most. Yes, your vehicle will have its share of tipping overs but the only thing you need to do when it does is to just hold on to the steering wheel and you should be okay. Injuries are very rare in these kinds of races.”
Millionado, who owns Joey’s 4 x 4, a motor shop that specializes in modifying 4 x 4 vehicles, particularly Suzuki Ferozas, for both hobbyists and racers says the key to winning these kinds of races is how light one can modify his own vehicle or “rig.” These rigs are not built for speed to begin with and for off-road racing, they don’t have to be. “An unmodified Suzuki 4 x 4 usually weighs 800 to 1,000 kilos and modified to 600 to 800 kilos should do well in these types of races.”
Aside from Suzukis, the Toyota Land Cruiser (the 40 series variant) is also a popular choice for off-road racing. In terms of modification costs, Millionado says a budget of P500,000 should be enough to get Suzukis to rock and roll while Land Cruisers are more expensive to modify with an ideal budget of between P800,000 to P1.0 million. “From there, it’s non-stop gastos na as every race you participate will require your vehicle to be regularly maintained and even further modified.”
And then there’s the matter of the man-made tracks, which he says are actually more difficult than the ones in the international circuit. “Every track that we race here like the off-road tracks in Tiendesitas and the Fort are not the same unlike in the races held in the rainforests of Malaysia where it’s easier to familiarize with the tracks after racing there a few times since the course doesn’t change. Our races are shorter, usually about 15 minutes, but far more difficult.”
More than his own achievements, Millionado is proud of his teenage daughter, Jam, who is already a rising star in the off-racing circuit. “She already knew how to jet ski when she was just three years old,” he beams. “She started driving at 13 and at 16 ran her first race where she placed second and has been doing well ever since.”
Potenciano says the faster 4 x 4 races require vehicles to shift up to 3rd and 4h gears. Among the many off-road races that he has organized, he is particularly excited about what he dubs as The Ultimate Speedfest Championship which combines 4 x 4’s and motocross. “It was a big hit with the locals in Puerto Prinsesa when we organized it last March,” he muses. “We’re planning to do Rally Raid or Dakar Type Rallies with 4 x 4’s, rally cars and motorcycles.”
As defined in Wikipedia, Rally Raid, also known as cross country rallying is a more ambitious form of long distance off-road racing that takes place over several days. Each day may require traveling up to 900 kilometers. The length of the event can be 3–15 days. Examples of rally raid races include the Dakar Rally, Central Europe Rally, Spanish Baja and Russian Baja Northern Forest.
The one MP Turbo plans to organize here covers about 300 kilometers and as Potenciano himself describes it, is “extreme and high-speed.” Aside from Puerto Prinsesa, other popular out-of-town destinations for off-road races include Pampanga and Bicol.
Both Potenciano and Millionado are one in saying that off-road racing is now a very popular sport in the country and with a very bright future to boot. “While not everyone can be racers, afficionados of the sport can still be a big part by helping out as marshalls, managers, organizers and mechanics,” Potenciano says. “Do you know that we have the best mechanics in the world here in the Philippines? Unfortunately, they are just being pirated by other countries. Their participation is actually key in the success of the speedfests that we organize.”
OF course, as long as we're in Laoag, we might as well check out Vigan, too, right? Well, we did. I have to say my first and only memory of the place from the same 2006 Cebu Pacific media fam is equally memorable and quite surreal as my account below will attest.
SOLID NORTH PART 2
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
Outside of Cebu and a good part of Manila, I don’t there’s any part of the country that best preserves our 19th century Spanish heritage better than Vigan. Passing by several churches including the very famous Vigan Cathedral is like being part of some sort of time warp.
One of the oldest and historic churches in the country, the cathedral remains a must-stop in every Vigan visit. In a province known for their beautiful old world architecture, it stands out as a stunning historical monument, marred only by the unfortunate memory of the assassination of the late Congressman Floro Crisologo, whose gun-riddled vehicle is still on display at their nearby residence, now known as the Crisologo Museum, that also houses other memorabilia of the once powerful political family.
Give or take some fairly recently cemented roads, the famous cobblestone streets that punctuate the old Spanish structures remain remarkably intact. The equally popular calesas and newer establishments like McDonald's and Max's Restaurant that strangely seems to seamlessly blend with each other there makes our visit all the more surreal.
Old Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze jokes aside, the pottery-making process as demonstrated by National Folk Artist Fidel A. Go of Ruby Pottery is a hoot. Turns out the burnay or earthenware jars crafted by a potter’s hands with the aid of a potter’s wheel is a big industry in Vigan.
Even more amazing is the fact that disfigured burnays are never thrown away and in fact, commands a higher price and a bigger demand than their perfected counterparts.
Interesting trivia: Our tour guide told us that aside from his burnays, Mang Fidel is also known for having several wives. Matulis! But that’s another story.
The restored house of Juan Luna was also a nice stop for us although I have to admit being a little disappointed when I learned that only printed reproductions of his original paintings were displayed instead. Still, it was quite a time warp trip to be in the house of a national hero and a prized artist at that.
Another highlight of our Vigan sidetrip was a visit to the house of former Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson where his not-so-private zoo that open to the public for free. Characterized by big bold letters that spell “Baluarte,” the sprawling complex also houses Chavit’s impressive collection of animals, ranging from gazelles to kangaroos to peacocks to an Alaskan Husky snow dog to of course, lots of tigers. The brave and the bold can also have his or her photo taken with those tigers, too. The governor was not around to entertain us but her sister, who I understand is also a local official at the province treated us to a nice merienda of pancit and more Ilocos empanadas.
I wish we had more time to explore Vigan further as it is the wonderful place that people say it is. Hope to come back here soon.
REMEMBERING my “historic” 2006 visit to Laoag City. Haven’t been there since but would love to visit again this summer or any other time this year. You should consider giving it a thought, too, especially if you haven’t been to this beautiful city. Given its rich history, Laoag is not quite any other place you’ve ever experienced.
And why is it historic? Read on and find out.
SOLID NORTH
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
MAIDEN voyages have a somewhat scary feel to them, no thanks in large part to the infamous disasters that befell the Hindenburg and the Titanic on their respective maiden trips. Thankfully, modern technology has a way of making things a lot safer for travelers and in the case of Cebu Pacific’s recent maiden flight to Laoag, pretty much uneventful.
It was uneventful in the sense that for one thing, our 45-minute flight from Manila and back to Manila two days later in the airline’s spanking, new Airbus A319 was as smooth as any plane trip can get. It pretty much negated any adventurous illusions of Flight Plan-like heroics that I actually entertained. And no, I did not win anything in the Show Me games this time.
What was actually eventful for our group of lifestyle journalists was the media fam that followed. While there was not enough time to see everything that was included in our original itinerary, what we did manage to check out was enough to leave memories that should last for quite a while.
For starters, there’s the place where we were billeted. Fort Ilocandia, the only five-star resort in the region, is an upper class beach resort that’s popular with foreign expatriates. It boasts of a Spanish-Moroccan inspired architecture and also houses a popular casino where guests can play right away with the complimentary P200 betting coupon included in their room keys. Framed pictures of prominent people, mostly politicians adorn its lobby while the hallway of the second floor leading to the casino are filled with equally fascinating pictures of foreign heads of state including Emperor Hirohito, Fidel Castro and I could have sworn, even Saddam Hussein rubbing elbows with the late president Ferdinand Marcos and the Imeldific former first lady.
You pretty much know you’re in Marcos country when you see these and similar blasts from the past just staring at you in the face. Ferdinand Marcos remains revered in Ilocos Norte. Our tour guides and just about everyone else we talked to still refer to him as “President Marcos.” Incidentally, Governor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. was also in that same Cebu Pacific maiden flight to Laoag and delivered a brief speech at the airport upon our arrival.
Our Laoag media fam was then kicked off with guided tours of the Malacañang Of The North and the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum. In the first, we got to see the Ilocos resthouse of the Marcoses, a once imposing colonial-style mansion overlooking a lake where the late president and his guests once sailed and water skiied. It is also adjacent to a world-class golf course where they leisurely swung their R and R time back in the day.
The mansion has obviously seen better days and the creaking sound of the hardwood floor and furniture gives it a somewhat eerie feel, especially in the master’s bedroom of the former president that also included a study and a library. The house is a reminder of a not-so-distant past that at the very least remains fascinating for the tourists who get to set foot in it. For my part, there is something about one particular room that were supposedly shared by sisters Imee and Irene that kept me wondering if they and the other surviving Marcoses do drop by from time to time whenever they wax nostalgic about this place. I mean, I certainly would if I once lived here. Turns out they don't come here very often, says the longtime male housekeeper.
In the Marcos Mausoleum, we get to see the former president himself in his famous glass coffin. Preserved in a refrigerated crypt made remarkable by the imposing presidential seal that pretty much frames him when viewed from the foot, he does look more like a wax figure when viewed up close. Our tour guide and the Mausoleum staff that we talked to also believe as much. But foreign journalist Brent Hannon wrote that Eddie Quirino, grandson of former president Elpidio Quirino, insists that this is the real McCoy. “He was embalmed with pure glycerin at 110 degrees, the latest technology,” he says. “If you light a cigarette, he will go up in flames.”
The nearby Marcos Museum was equally fascinating as well. Here, you could see plenty of everything about the late president: statues, figures, news headlines, official nameplates and even his own presidential desk. The most intriguing thing I saw was his biography divided into the different phases of Marcos’ life and political career. There is no mention at all of People Power or Ninoy and Cory Aquino. The only reference to 1986 here is that Marcos was ousted by “a military coup d’ etat.”
And no, I have no idea who that guy who posed in the picture below was.
To be fair, Marcos has done more for the Ilocanos than any other president this country ever had so it is understandable why most of them don't really care how he is now viewed by the rest of the country. Or even the rest of the world, for that matter.
In between our trips to the two Marcos landmarks was a brief stopover at Laoag City Hall where I got a taste of their famous Ilocos Empanada. Nowhere close to the Empanada that most of us are familiar with, the Ilocos variety has a bright orange color similar to that Kwek Kwek street food. Instead of the chicken and potatoes that it usually contains, it has tasty ground beef, vegetables and egg as fillings. Although best taken with the balsamic Sukang Iloco, I tried it with banana ketchup and it goes well with that, too.
As food trips go, buffet breakfasts at Fort Ilocandia’s Garden Coffee Shop were always something to look forward to. Aside from the usual popular choices, it was here where we get to taste the famous Laoag and Vigan longganisas. Dinner at the Palazzo De Laoag Hotel was an affair to remember as well. You haven’t really been to Laoag until you’ve dined at this hotel owned by Nonong Ablan. And you haven’t really tasted Pinakbet and Bagnet unless you’ve tried the excellent “original versions” at this place.
On our last day, we still managed to go to two more stops before packing our bags on our way back to Manila. Some in our group went to the famous La Paz Sand Dunes which is just near our hotel and were thrilled to see the pig-shaped sand dunes that most of us only get to see in the movies they’re often used—most notably FPJ’s Ang Panday series and the recent teleserye it spawned that starred Jericho Rosales.
Another group that included myself shopped for pasalubong at the Laoag Public Market. As I’ve discovered earlier, the Laoag and Vigan longganisas are two different things, in terms of taste and appearance. While I like them both, I prefer the bigger, bulkier and slightly sweeter Laoag variety to its smaller and thinner Vigan counterpart.
All told, it was a weekend well-spent at the very Solid North. Thanks to Cebu Pacific, it now takes only about 45 minutes to get to a place that is otherwise a 10 to 14 hour-drive from Manila. And with the airline’s Go Fares rates, traveling to Laoag or any part of the country (and even beyond, for that matter) has never been more affordable.
For Go Fares ticket bookings to Laoag and other destinations, visit cebupacificair.com.
SHE's back! Yes, Ms. Ianne Borillo, my favorite guest blogger (actually, she's my only guest blogger right now) returns to Radio Clash with another one of her great outdoors adventures. This one is about her Holy Week trek to Anawangin Island in Zambales.
As travel stories with an attitude go, it really doesn't get any better than Ianne's adventures. Read 'em and weep!
WAY MORE THAN 5 STARS
May 10, 2009
Ianne Borillo
My friend, AJ and I decided that Lighthouse Marina was too crammed with those sardonic merrymakers of Holy Week. We packed our bags and hit the road to take up a standing invitation to visit Anawangin Island in Zambales.
The one hour and thirty minute drive was fairly okay albeit the masochists doing their annual penitensya and in effect agitating the living shit out of AJ. More than the sight of blood and gore, it was the thought of being splashed by it that bothered my friend more as I insisted on opening the windows to get a close-up shot of the “sinners” whipping their asses sorry. It was both an entertaining and educational sight as we made our way to Pundaquit in San Antonio, the jump-off point to Anawangin Island.
After the bloody show, we passed the time by singing anything from The Corrs’ “Don’t Say You Love Me” to the Pointer Sisters’ “Jump”. Not exactly an ideal soundtrack but when you start noticing the spectacular landscapes and the perfect beach weather, it doesn’t really matter. Then, we passed by a toll gate that issues a day pass for P40 as our moving concert is abruptly interrupted. The toll gate operator who offered us a boat ride to the island gladly left his toll booth to escort us to the parking area.
He advices to bring all necessities that we can especially drinking water. I already have a plastic bag full of bottled water, packed lunch for two and a bottle of Tanduay Rum so I'm all set. For his part, AJ's trolley is packed with his own version of necessities namely his laptop, his iPod and an SLR camera.
A two-way boat ride to Anawangin costs P1200 that is usually paid after pick-up from the island The boatmen’s unwritten rule is simple: whoever brings you to the Island must also take you out of the Island. The rule prevents them from stealing each other’s clients and ensures a harmonious working environment.
The 20-minute boat ride was pleasant enough. The water was calm, the sky was blue and the view was a breathtaking sight to behold. Finally, we reached a cove decked unexpectedly with pine trees. My first impression as I planted my feet on the fine sand and clear water was this has got to be where Palawan meets Bukidnon (Or Boracay meets Baguio…whichever gives you the better visuals). Simply beautiful.
We then weaved through hundreds of happy campers frolicking without a care on the scorching hot sand looking for our host, Dada. We suddenty realized that there were absolutely no available rooms to rent much less a permanent fixture other than a line of toilets. Fortunately, our only hope for survival was not all that hard to find. I was overjoyed to see Dada along his trademark long hair and sleeved out tattoo.
The sincere welcome from Dada’s friends were probably more out of pity as AJ and I looked desperately unprepared for camping. One candid comment came from a near by group directed towards AJ’s hard case trolley “Ano yan kapatid? Refrigerator?”
I nudged AJ and told him to pretend to be a Japanese tourist so he can get away with his luggage faux pas. The group vacated one tent offering it to be our accommodation for our stay in Anawangin. We quickly adjusted to the environment and start socializing with Dada’s friends including the neighboring group who continuously made a joke out of AJ’s “refrigerator”.
Dada, AJ and I went for a stroll and came across a lone skim boarder who gladly offered us free lessons. As Dada and I learned about timing and balance, AJ snapped away to document our very first experience with a skim board. (To skim boarders all over the world, I salute you. Your choice of sport looks so damn easy but certainly isn’t. ) Eating and drinking is by far the only staple activity we can do at this time of the day. It was too hot to be out in the sun and the sand was just too “unfriendly.”
I brought out my bottle of Tanduay and got the drinking spree started. The rowdy tattooed all-male group who turned out to be an all gay group of seasoned climbers came over to drink with us. I noticed Rasta Jay, with his waist long dreads, listening intently to Kundiman music. His peculiar penchant for very old Filipino love songs was quite a revelation as my Metrosexual friend AJ and the rowdy gangster-looking gay group started singing every single line along with him. Apparently this particular musical genre transcends all stereotypes especially when people are already under the influence of rum.
Soon as the sun went down a little bit we decided to play frisbee. Let me tell you that playing a mean game of frisbee in between drinking and smoking is not at all a good idea. Some just collapsed on the sand complaining of stitches in their stomachs, Dada just started puking. Rasta Jay, …well…he was just really sitting pretty and moving at glacial pace on a corner playing with sand the whole time. The all-gay ensemble was desperately gasping for air and just gave up in the middle of the game. Yours truly got a knee injury. Everyone eventually gave up on whatever athletic aspirations they might have and just retired wading on the cool clear water and the now sizzled-out sand.
The absence of a decent shower room is compensated by a couple of old school “poso” (artesian wells) situated in a spot where everyone might as well be eating peanuts and drinking scotch. It is pretty much a free show so yeah, it is advisable to be wary of wiggling your behind too much. You might just get a well deserved but unsolicited applause.
After dinner we grabbed the necessities (read: bottles of Grand Matador and water for chaser) for another drinking spree before we headed out for the beach:. This is by far the provincial venue that sells the most expensive bottle of Grand Matador (P120 a pop!) and pack of cigarettes (P100!). I should’ve taken a hint when my evil conscience rolled her eyes at me when I asked for JUST one bottle of rum. The ambience though is incomparable and to quote Mastercard, “priceless”.
We drank by the beach sitting on the cool, fine sand under a full moon lit sky. I certainly didn’t mind paying for a couple more of those ridiculously priced “Granmas”.
For some bizarre reason, camping holds no place for hostility. At the back of your mind there’s a nagging feeling that sooner or later MAYBE you will need something, no matter how small from somebody else. Call it survival instinct. The activity leaves you vulnerable and stripped of whatever you have and whatever you do for a living. In a place like this, who you are does not really matter.
Tired and tipsy, some headed to their respective tents to sleep. I, on the other hand, stretched out on the beach, listening to Sting’s “Why Should I Cry For You” on my iPod under the full moon until I fell asleep. Of course, everything in between sound tripping and falling asleep is as pleasant as pleasant could be. I have to say, my accommodation for the night was literally and figuratively a million stars.
