Posts Tagged ‘books’

Posted on January 31, 2010

Baler – the hidden gem of the Philippines

We literally only had less than 12 hours in Baler but I can share this much, we’ll definitely be back again to explore this hidden gem in the Aurora province.

The drive from Manila to our relatives place in Quezon was not bad – 6-hours through beautiful rural settings, rice fields, arid landscapes, and even intimate close-ups through narrow dirt roads between small houses.

We stayed at the Bahia de Baler, which was quite a delight since it looked fairly new with modern decor as compared to the local competition (Baler Inn, etc.). To our surprise, welcome coconut drinks and evening cookies and warm milk  was included with our room (also included breakfast for P2,500 a night).

First thing in the morning, we noticed that we were not that far from the beach (we could even see people surfing from our balcony view) and the resort also offered bicycle and ATV rentals. The area had this sort of “Tofino-like” feel.

Our room had coffee-table book entitled “Baler, Aurora” by Senator Edgardo J. Angara, which I had to get (it was more expensive than a nightly room rate. I would really recommend getting your hands on this book before you visit. After reading the first few chapters (the history, the beautiful scenery), it really made think about ditching my parent’s itinerary and stay just a little bit longer in Baler.

Ah well, until next time (hopefully).

Posted on January 25, 2010

Mahalo Maui

It was our first time in Hawaii and more significantly our first reintroduction to North American culture. When we landed at the airport it felt so surreal that we were actually here. I quickly had to get used to driving again as well as not worrying about power outages, water shortages, an abundance of rich, American-sized food portions and lots of “options” to choose from…(more about that offline).

Anyhow, here are some highlights,

The best beach that we found to have the best of everything (a nice sandy beach, deep clear blue waters, reefs for snorkelling, and no crowds) was Po’olenalena Beach in Makena. It was such an amazing beach to swim in and it was also the same beach where I met Bob the sea turtle and “Big Momma” (more photos and videos coming soon). Also, we hear that end of Jan and all of February are the best times to see humpback whales but we did see a lot breaching from our condo (suite 126 at Menehune Shores was a great find) and we definitely heard them singing while snorkelling (we can even hear their songs on our captured underwater videos).

Pa’ai is one of those small hippy towns with funky shops, boutiques, and great local restaurants. There is also beach with guaranteed waves and surf.

The historic Lahaina town is where we spent the evening at the Old Lahaina Luau for some traditional hula dances and pa’ina ahi ahi (evening meal feast). Lauaina is well known as the quant little town on Maui’s leeward coast, full of sites, shops, and restaurants – quite spectacular sight.

Finally, the local cab drivers have been a great source of information for finding the best places to see and visit (including when, where, “why”, and “HOW”, etc.). However, the book Maui Revealed – The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty that seems to be the unanimous choice for in-depth info about Maui.

Swimming with Bob

Aloha!

Posted on January 15, 2010

Best book store in Kathmandu

You will see Mandala Books on Kantipath Road and inevitably stumble upon Pilgrims and but United Books is underdog book store in KTM.

The owner of the shop was extremely friendly and really went out of his way to try to find a particular book that I was looking for. Like most stores, this one also buys and sells used books and offers competitive prices.

Yet, what makes this stand out is character…. any guy who posts up a smiling photo of themselves in front of their shop gets my thumbs up.

Posted on August 7, 2009

Himalayan Gourmet

From the archives of volunteers past, my colleagues and I have found a really good cookbook for people living and working in the region. Entitled, “Himalayan Gourmet – A Guide to Cooking in Nepal”, this hundred page book was written by past U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers and provides a conglomeration of recipes as well useful tips such as ingredient substitutions and building MacGyver-type ovens.

Enjoy the book.

Posted on June 2, 2009

Good Reads – Nepal

Here are four (2 non-fiction, 2 fiction) must read books recommended by my peers (and for which I hope to eventually read when I get around to it someday).

Fataliasm and Development – Nepal’s Struggle for Modernization
by Dor Bahadur Bista
“- an oldie but a goodie. Supposedly explains a lot of things about the Nepali culture”.

Forget Kathmandu
by Manjushree Thapa

Arresting God in Kathmandu
by Samrat Upadhyay

Palpasa Cafe
by Narayan Wagle
“English translation of the best-selling Nepali noval”