Archive for the ‘@ Play’ Category

Posted on February 4, 2010

O Boracay

This little island is quite amazing. The emerald, sea green ocean, the long stretch of white sandy beaches paralleled with an abundance of restaurants of various cuisines …. and of course, buffets with “bottom-less iced teas” that try to under price and out smörgåsbord each other (we found one for as low as PHP 250).

One restaurant in particular where we had some of the best Greek dishes was at the Cyma Boracay Restaurant (the calamari and moussaka was awesome).  Watch out for anyone who orders the flaming cheese as the staff screams out “Opa” as soon as they light the fire (scared the crap out of me).

We stayed at the Le Soleil de Boracay – a delightful beach-front resort with excellent rooms and services (no complaints here, well except for the included breakfast, I wouldn’t recommend their salads from a can – eat out).

Of course, as soon as you step outside your hotel you will be “politely” bombarded with people trying to sell you sailing, ATV, and water sport activities, pearls, sunglasses, and even on-the-beach massages and pedicures (hmm, that sounds like a good idea).  For PHP 2,500 (a little over 40 bucks, yeah, I overpaid) I got my own sailing boat tour and crew.

Tour guide cuya Don-Dong and crew members Jun-Jun, and Eric (yes, Eric has the weird nickname) took me out for a spectacular sail and snorkeling tour around the island. It was indeed a little “hardcore” as the four of us manned a single-driver, dual sail outrigger. Each of us had to periodically balance-out both sides of the boat as we “raced” around the island, jumping over whatever waves that we could find (the crew noticed I was having a pretty good time dangling off the edge).

Crocodile island, one of the sights the tour guides will say you have to see,  remarkably looked exactly like a crocodile floating on the sea. Crystal Caves is the other tour highlight but unfortunately I wasn’t able to see them due to the high tide (Cuya Don-dong failed to mention that high tides part). My rented snorkeling gear kind of sucked but I managed and was able to see many tropical fish (even a 2-foot long sea snake).  The tour shortly started after 9:30 and I was back just in time for lunch. It was definitely worth it.

If you are interested in a “physical challenge” (for which the BG boys would appreciate) try swimming from one end of the beach to the other (Station 1 to Station 3). I managed to swim from our hotel at station 2 to station 3 and got totally wiped out by the end of it.

The 3 days-two night package offered by Zest Airways was a pretty good deal and the airline has many more options for travel in the Philippines as well as in Singapore and Korea.

Boracay, done!

…scratched that off my tabo list (offline, my own Filipino joke).

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 December 5, 2009

Holy Cow!

By Monika Terfloth – Part 8 of 10 of the Mother in-law in Nepal and India series.

Hello All!

Seriously, I don’t know where to begin. So much of what I have seen defies description! We landed in New Delhi a day later than expected, so we will have a brief stay in Delhi before we return to Kathmandu. We were met at the airport by our driver Savran (from Savion Travel), a tall, very thin, middle-aged man. A man so very quiet and of few words, but so very capable. We quickly came to trust him implicitly! He chauffeured us through the Delhi rush-hour in the late afternoon traffic, thick with vehicles of every description… small three-wheeled tuk-tuks in bright yellow and green all packed with people, busses jammed with extra people hanging off the side and loaded on top, motor scooters with entire families aboard (six is the record so far), and into the mix add cows, donkeys, camels, ambulances, bicycles, pushcarts, and any other thing you can think of and that is still not enough…all this packed together on the roadway. Those of you who have been here will truly know how it is. Motor cycle helmets seem to be optional for passengers, though most drivers do wear them. Not an unusual sight at 90km/hr to see a gorgeous young woman wearing a pink sari, perched side-saddle on the back of a motorcycle, legs crossed, wearing heels while relaxing, laughing and chatting in the driver’s ear.

“Drivers talk with their horns” Savron says. Yes indeed they do, in fact the trucks have painted notices on the rear ‘Blow Horn’, ‘Horn Please’. A special kind of honk to pass, another to say ‘move along’, another to say thank you, get out of the way, you’re going too fast/slow, I need to turn, where is your mother, follow me I am going right by there…. The racket is incredible! We drove through the evening and until after dark to reach the city of Agra, a drive which took about 6 hours. Not a break in the action while all the while alongside the roadway people still cooked, sold their wares, took baths, nursed children, slept, herded their animals etc. etc.  Positively dizzying.

The city of Agra is the site of the Taj Mahal. A love-story is behind it’s construction and it is a truly beautiful monument to a woman much-loved. I will spare you the details as the description would be endless. I didn’t think it mattered whether I saw the Taj or not, but now that I have, it has become a very special memory. Our guide for the day, Islam, has a great sense of humor and is a very kind man. After I diagnosed his plantar fasciitis (sp)  he also became my loyal friend and has decided to buy himself some decent shoes. One of my fondest memories of the day is when he stopped at a vegetable vendor’s wagon to buy fresh water chestnuts for us. After also purchasing a bottle of water, he carefully rinsed them to be sure that they would be tolerated by our ’sensitive stomachs’. Bright green and heart shaped, the outer casing is cracked open to reveal a creamy, white, crunchy heart in the centre. They were delicious and thirst quenching. It was 40 degrees, everyone dripping with sweat and no one bothers about it. Mop your brow, air your armpits, lay down against a wall, whatever it takes.

We drove through the side streets of Agra and again each moment filled the senses. Stunning images of poverty, contentment, ritual, history and startling contrasts at every turn… but more on that later.

Good night.

Posted on November 25, 2009

Holy Chicken Byriani

By Monika Terfloth – Part 7 of 10 of the Mother in-law in Nepal and India series.

Day 5 – Ghandruk to Naya Pul

Ghandruk is as beautiful this morning as it was last night. However, we wake up complaining, stiff and sore. It is our final day of the trek and despite the whining, we are all feeling sad that today is the end. After two hours of steep decline at the beginning, the way will be broad, and thankfully, rather flat. We can walk in pairs more easily now and we take turns walking and talking with one another. This is the last opportunity for Maina and Indra, our two porters, to practice their English. Randy is thinking that perhaps he won’t go to India and remain in Nepal to explore on his own. From the beginning, he was never really excited about that part of our adventure. None of us minds if doesn’t come, so we shall see. We depart after a traditional breakfast, but this time offered with a cup of marsala tea made with water buffalo milk. It’s not my favourite having a distinctly barnyard flavour…perhaps an acquired taste?

As we make our way downhill, a constant procession of people are walking in the opposite direction. Many are dressed in fine clothes and small children are dressed festively as well. Some people are carried uphill in a basket-chair on the backs of men. Since the chair faces rear-ward, we look back once they have passed to see who is in the basket. Invariably it is an aged Nepali man or woman, the odd one contentedly smoking or holding an umbrella for shade from the hot sun, others looking quite frail. They too want to be back with families in the villages for the climax of the Desain celebration which begins tomorrow. Women from the city in make-up with strings of beads over brightly colored saris wend their way up the pathway too. Many wear strappy heeled sandals, or plastic shoes to walk for many hours to their home village. They do not seem to find this a problem, rather skipping up the hills at times. I find this amazing as I look down at our own feet to see the heavy hiking boots that we all depend upon to keep us upright and to keep our ankles from wrenching. We pass through the middle of a village where clearly a sacrificial goat has just been slaughtered. Many people have gathered and there is a feeling of celebration in the air. A woman in the group smiling broadly, places a bright-eyed, adorable, but crying, child in my arms. I am rather taken aback as everyone gathers around giggling and coaching the little one to clasp together his wee hands and say ‘namaste’. He does and this brings more smiles and cheers from everyone. Donkey trains make their way steadily uphill as well. As they pass at a narrow stretch a few of us take a body blow from the side of a donkey laden with sacks. We step aside for a man with a Samsung refrigerator on his back followed by another with a bed and pillows.

We arrive in Naya Pul in great spirits. High-fives all around, as we congratulate each other and express our gratitude for the caring and assistance of the three women who have worked so steadily and without complaint. Renuka is looking forward to going back to her home village for Desain. She plans to leave later today, along with her only sister. They will take a two-hour bus trip to Baglung, the nearest stop. There they will wait overnight before setting out on the two-day walk up and down and around the mountains to their family’s home. She is eager to be home to help with the preparations for the festival. We let her know that we have a son just a few years older than she and that we would be pleased if she would agree to an arranged marriage. She would love to meet Alfred, and will make her decision then : ) She, like so many more Nepali women, has work and her own income and is now in charge of her own destiny.

We board the bus at Naya Pul and bump along back to Pokhara. On the way we see that in some villages the goat slaughter has begun. Groups of people have gathered along the roadside to divide the meat. In one place a blue plastic checked tablecloth lies along the roadside and heaped on it are nine piles of fresh red meat. The activity in the street heightens as we pass through Old Pokhara. Hundreds of people have gathered to barter and buy a goat for their own sacrifice. We arrive in Pokhara in the early afternoon and after a brief rest, head into the village for a hearty meal. As we walk, we see goats in every possible place… in the front seat of a car with horns tied to the door handle, tied onto the back of a motorcycle, tethered to a small patch of grass outside a doorway. We drop off a bag of clothes to be laundered and a small cheerful man comes out from a narrow passageway to greet us, his hand dripping with blood. Unphased he says “Line dried, pick up tomorrow between 12 and 2 o’clock” then offers to sell us a cold beer or anything else he might have in his small sidewalk stall. His goat has been slaughtered and he will have meat on the table for his family for the celebration.

After a hearty supper of dal bhat (lentil curry with rice) and a mug of thumba (a fermented millet drink) that is mildly intoxicating and leaves us giggling, we walk back to our guesthouse along the lakes now shining deep purple, in the dark past the rice padis flashing with blue fireflies. It has been a truly wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing it with me so far. I will have photos when I get back.