Travel Archives | Page 18 of 24

Saturday Swim at Pandin Lake

June 4, 2013

(09/06/2017: Pandin Lake budget and travel itinerary updated at the bottom of the post!?)

On my last day of being 22 years old, I spent it with friends at Pandin Lake in San Pablo City. Just a 30-minute drive from home, it’s nestled in an area surrounded by coconut trees. It’s one of the seven lakes of San Pablo, and in fact, its twin lake, Yambo, is just a couple of minutes away.

It was my second time at Pandin Lake, and the last one’s more than four years ago. I can tell that tons of things have changed (and increased!) such as the number of rafts in the lake and the amount of visitors coming and going on a weekend. But you know what hasn’t changed? The fact that it’s still so pretty, so pristine, so idyllic.

I cannot imagine a different way to celebrate the day before my birthday.

It was actually raining pretty hard that day, but you know what, I actually loved it! And I know I’m not alone because my friends also preferred that it’s raining. I know how vacations can be ruined when it rains, but in Pandin Lake, the rain is a welcome surprise! It made our swim a lot more fun.

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Disneyland Hong Kong: Flights of Fantasy

May 26, 2013

This will never get old.

No matter how many times I see the Disneyland parade, I will never get tired of it. And even if the song is in Chinese, I’d still foolishly hum to the tune of it. Haha! It’s really such a delight to watch. Even though there are tons of rides in Disneyland, everyone should still make the time to watch the parade. Work your schedule around just to make sure that you arrive on time, and if possible, you get to be at the very front! That’s what we did and it really paid off.

I wish to get back to Disneyland because one day seems to be never enough to try everything. I’m nuts about amusement parks, and if you’d think that it’ll be a waste to come even though I’ve tried it before, well, it’s never a waste for me!

I’m a kid at heart, and Disneyland just really makes me feel that I’m in the right place, and it’s always the right time. 🙂

Old Mongkok

May 16, 2013

Hong Kong is old.

It’s filled with neon lights and every corner seems to be so bright, no matter what time of day. It’s a city that feels so lived in. How many people must have walked the streets, day in and day out, every day, every minute of it. It’s a city that never sleeps, and it’s a city that never turned off its lights.

I’ve been to Hong Kong thrice, and everytime I’d think that there’s nothing more to see. And everytime I am proven wrong. There will always be new people to meet, and new things to try. I will always have a first time. Hong Kong taught me how to deal with all kinds of people, even with those I don’t really want to deal with.

Hong Kong is old, but I love how every nook, every cranny seems to tell a story.

This time, I’ve been told of the story of Mongkok. I saw it beyond its image as a shopping district. It’s a place full of youth, spending all night with friends, taking photos and chatting in the middle of the street. It’s a mix of the commercial attractions with the old buildings and cheap hostels. It’s a combination I really like, for the mere fact that the old knows how to combine with the new.

It’s nice to see Mongkok in a new light.

The Long-Awaited Hong Kong/Macau Trip

May 16, 2013

This trip had been years in the making, and finally, finally it pushed through! Tita Matt said that we should go to Hong Kong after Gian graduated from grade school, and we did! It was quite tiring since we arrived in Hong Kong on May 10 at around 10PM and left on the 13th early in the morning. So it’s basically two days and three late nights. But it was fun, and it was definitely worth it.

It was definitely not easy to travel with kids, especially when they’re not used to walking around all the time. Let’s just say they’re not the most active kids around. Good thing they aren’t the type who’d ask to be carried when they’re tired. And as Ate put it, even if she gets paid 1000 HKD to carry Nana the entire day, she wouldn’t. Haha. [Read more…]

Seoul Strangers

April 30, 2013

My favorite thing about the strangers I met in Seoul was the fact that they’re all so well-dressed! My friend wasn’t joking when she said that Koreans follow cut-throat fashion! I seriously felt under-dressed. Nevertheless, they’re one of the nicest and friendliest people I’ve encountered in my travels. They always have a smile to give to strangers and they bow whenever your eyes met. I felt so kilig. Heehee.

Since I love kids, I definitely enjoyed oggling at all the pre-school students! It’s amazing how the kids seem so independent. I’m so used to seeing kids here in the Philippines always accompanied by adults wherever they go. So I was amazed at how a class of about 20 students were only guided by a teacher or two. I wished I learned that kind of independence early in my childhood years! (I gained my ~independence~ after college, and I fought hard for it. Haha.) But then again, there’s a sense of security in Seoul that’s quite hard to feel here.

Too bad I didn’t make any friends, though, the way my friends who went to Seoul did! So when I go back, I will make sure that I’ll make a Korean friend. Haha.