Vietnam Sand Dunes, Artsy Cafes, and Motorcycles

PreSoutheast Asia Trip: (Lakas makaSoutheast Asia, three countries lang naman talaga kbye – The Alterego)

Out-of-country trips are not part of my bucket list yet as I wanna explore the 81 provinces in the Philippines first but Coldplay – Coldplay bandwagon. Charot. Love ko talaga Coldplay from the first time I heard The Scientist. Kbye.

Since Coldplay tickets in Manila are pricier and mej chaka ung venue, we decided to watch it elsewhere.

We tried to secure tickets for the Korea venue but it got sold out few minutes after the selling period was launched. So when my bff Ace who is based in Bangkok announced that he can help us secure tickets for the Thailand leg, we grabbed the chance.

We then decided to visit Vietnam and Cambodia prior to going to Thailand and so the Southeast Asia trip was set. A 10-day trip in three countries. Sounds fun puwera kung ikaw ung automatically assigned to do the itinerary and book the accommodation. Lol

Our Proposed Itinerary :)

Proposed Budget

Lucky for me too, coz since I have social media influencer friends, we were able to secure our Skechers Go Walk shoes few hours before our flight. Super gaan sa paa and slip-on so swak for on-the-go people like me. Di ba, puwede na kong endorser? Basta nakatalikod.

Tali-talikod lang, bes.
Shot by Karl Presentacion @larkvain 

We were three hours early for boarding since takot kami sa trapik sa Maynila at sa mahabang pila sa immigration (na wala naman pala). Tatlong oras tuloy kaming nakasalampak sa boarding gate ng NAIA para makicharge sa mga available na sockets at iensure ang battery charges in preparation for the long hours of travel in between our destinations.

In fairness sa city lights ng Manila on an almost-midnight flight, super warm and cozy niya.

Vietnam!

But ung city lights sa Vietnam, vast of the mainland was dark until the Ho Chi Minh area. Ang dami pang area sa provinces nila ung not lit.

Anyway, we were in Ho Chi Minh airport a little past midnight and since we were bound to wait for the 6 am bus to Mui Ne (famous for its sand dunes), we looked for a spot to tambay in the airport. But come 3 am, we grew a bit impatient kasi we can’t really sleep in the airport comfortably. The guys looked for other options like an earlier trip to Mui Ne or totally cancelling that visit. One of the guys found another option which is to hire a car. So we did. And somehow I regret. Haha

We went out the airport as instructed in the blog. Cab drivers immediately haggled rates to Mui Ne and since I have established the average cost to get to Mui Ne in our itinerary, we agreed on a dollar in excess of the said amount. Prior to the trip, I collected group funds which we always do from July last year (lesson learned from financial kaguluhan during our Cebu trip. Kaloka magcollect every single time may entrance fee sa ganito ganyan. We were 17 in Cebu. Lol).

Ung initial group fund namin sa Vietnam? 2.5 million. 2.5 million Vietnam Dong. Php 7500 lang talaga yun. Ang lakas makamilyonaryo.

I sat at the seat beside the driver and after getting out of the airport, the driver and the cab contractor was asking us the airport fee they paid which is 15000 dong. E sobrang nakakalito ung dami ng zeroes sa paper bills nila at mas nakakalito pa ung pag-e-English nila kuyang manggagantso (charot at di charot sa manggagantso), I took out the 2.5 million dong and tried to figured out how to pay them since I was entrusted bills in big amounts.

Etong intimitridong driver took all those bills from me and he counted them. Wala siyang pagpapahalaga sa personal space lol (Actually, most of them are. Ang hilig nila mangalabit in an invasive manner at kuhanin lang from your hands ung belongings mo kapag nagtatanong ka sa kanila. OA sa invasive haha). Gusto ko sabihin na I can count and he didn’t have to grab the money from my hands pero how to do in Vietnamese. Kaiyak.

We were able to settle the payment (finally!) and off we drove to Mui Ne. Since puyat-puyat kami, I tried hard not to sleep coz worried ako sa belongings ko pero ang himbing ng tulog ko. Ganyan ung worried sleep/powernap ko, mantikang pagtulog.

Pag gising ko pa, kinalabit na naman ako ni kuya driver para manghingi ng baon kong Ferrero Rocher from Jammel (Thanks sa pabaon! Lol). Grabe pa siya makademand na ipagbalat ko siya para isusubo niya na lang sabay tapon niya ng balat sa highway. Haha bakit galit na galit ako kay kuya lol.

Mej nagpanic ako na nakatulog ako nang mahaba at mej open ung drawstring bag ko with my valuables upon waking up. I checked kung andun ung wallet, phone, and camera ko and was relieved na andun pa sila.

It took us five hours of road trip and sandamukal na toll fees that we had to pay 2.150 million dong kay kuya driver. Lo and behold, when I took out the group funds, we were missing one million dong. Saya no.

So tinatagalog ko tong mga kasama ko and they insisted na baka namisplace ko lang which I highly doubt kasi sinecure ko ung
group funds in a separate big pouch. And I’ve got no proof that kuya driver could have taken it. Sakit, di ba? So we settled to pay kuya out of our own pockets again, dismissing the lost one million dong. Ayoko na humawak ng group funds from then on. :’(

Anyway, highway! I loved Mui Ne. We were lucky with our P350 accommodation, our room with AC and TV and its own toilet and bath with makapangyarihang bidet (oo, mapanakit ung bidet. Ikakadevirginize mo ganun charot) and with a cozy garden outside our room.

E ung wala akong picture ng lugar pero ayan. Maganda talaga jan. Check booking.com.

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

Pak sa photoshoot habang may natutulog sa likod.
Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

The owner also organized our day tour in Mui Ne and our sleeper bus back to Ho Chi Minh which is six dollars lang for the most comfortable sleeper bus we rode in the entire SEA trip. Take note, we paid 15 dollars each for the private car to Mui Ne, wala pa ung toll fees and nawalan pa kami ng one million dong.

We looked for a place where we can eat breakfast after checking in at 8 am. We passed by a souvenir shop and I bought sakkat, their traditional hat, for 25,000 dong which is about P50. We somehow regretted na di pa kami sa Mui Ne nagshop coz prices are steeper sa Ho Chi Minh itself. The old guy from the souvenir shop pa in Mui Ne was so accommodating compared to the Ho Chi Minh people. Hahahahaha mapanghusga.

Umay ka na ba sa pics ko?
Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

We ended up in a hole-in-the-wall since very few stores are open in Mui Ne at about nine in the morning. Siyempre, bida bida ako. Looking at the menu, my friends were pointing what they wanted to order or saying the English term for it. E bida nga ako di ba? I read instead ung Vietnamese term for my order which was written in English alphabet. “One Com Ga.” Si ate waitress, all-smiles sakin, nakita ko talagang tuwang-tuwa siya sa pagbibida ko. Napalapit pa siya sa tuwa niya. Kbye.

May free WiFi jan sa halagang P60 na rice meal :)

Maya-maya, ung feeling ko owner nung kainan, binigyan pa kami ng libreng dragonfruits. Maraming slices ng dragonfruits. Hindi lang isa, kundi lima. Naniniwala talaga akong dahil sa pagbibida kong magVietnamese un. Charot.

In fairness, kahit na hirap na hirap kaming magkaintindihan, masarap ung chicken na inorder ko. Ganito kasi, may pa-sauce ung chicken na not-our-ordinary sweet chilli sa Pilipinas pero close to that. Since di ako mahilig sa matamis na sauces on ulam, inabot ko kay Alexis ung akin. Ung owner kinausap ako in incomprehensible foreign language and ang intindi ko, I signed no, I’m okay para di niya na ako kuhanan ng sauce. Si beh, bumalik, nag-abot ng pangalawang sauce. Inabot ko naman kay Karl ung sauce. At sumenyas na I’m okay without sauce. Huhu si beh, bumalik, may sauce uling dala.  O e di, nagsauce ako. Saya no.

But yeah. Super bait ng owner and waitress in that store.

We slept and washed up for our day tour. Day tours in Mui Ne starts at either 4 am (in time for the sunrise on the sand dunes) or 2 pm (since masyadong mainit ung sand at around noon).

First Stop: Fairy Stream

Bago kami tuluyang lumisan, sinabihan kami ng aming day tour driver na free sa Fairy Stream. Pero pagdating namin sa entrance, hinaharang kami nila kuyang tagapag-ingat daw ng sapatos na need magbayad. Nakakatawa rin naman kasi kami. Siyempre, ang tanging bagay na alam namin sa Mui Ne ay disyerto or sand dunes. Beh, may stopover pala sa batis. Naka-Skechers rubber shoes pa kami so paano na ang paglusong sa tubig.

Akala nila kuyang nagpapanggap na tagapag-ingat ng mga sapatos na kaya naman naming ingatan sa sarili naming kakayahan, mapapagbayad nila kami. Siyempre dinedma namin sila.

Unfortunately, some paid. We carried our shoes and walked down the stream barefoot.

Naenjoy naman namin ung malambot na buhangin sa kahabaan ng batis bukod pa sa maarte (as in artsy) naming photoshoot. Mga isang oras din kami sa ilalim ng katanghalian. Pinaakyat nila ako sa mainit na sand dunes para sa picture at pinahawak sa matitinik na sanga ng puno para magmodel-model.

Pak! Shot ko yan pero yan na best ng Fairy Stream shot lol

"Matinik, bes. Puro tinik na ung braso ko, bes."
Shot by Karl Presentacion @larkvain 

Second Stop: Fishing Village

Best fishing village I have seen yet. Sobrang ganda ng kulay at amazing ung malalaking batya as boats nila. Makes you wonder paano un lumulutang at di basta-basta tumatagilid. Inawat na kami ni kuya tour guide/driver kasi ang tagal naming nagpicturean sa Fairy Stream. Umalis din kami agad pero amazing talaga ung view.

Shot by Karl Presentacion @larkvain 

Third Stop: White Sand Dunes

Our favorite place in Mui Ne, if not in Vietnam! Initially, we wanted to leave kasi ang mahal ng ATV ride until we were able to haggle at around P250 per pax instead of P600 for the one-hour tour on the sand dunes. P250 is for the 4x4 and P600 was for the ATV but they gave us lower rates pa sa ATV which we still declined so they offered na ung 4x4 at a lower rate din. Rule of thumb sa Vietnam: Haggle and walk away if the price is not right.

Before we actually took that rate, we decided na magshoot na lang on the lake nearby since it took us 30 minutes from the fishing village to the White Sand Dunes. Parang sayang kasi if we decide to just leave. Luckily, we initially declined coz as we were walking towards the lake, a herd of cows walked on the highway as in they occupied the entire lane going southbound (charot baka pala northbound un or westbound). Ang lakas makaNational Geographic Channel. There were some 40 cows in that herd.

Then we took the 4x4 ride to the sand dunes. Mahangin sa taas at pinahiga-higa ako ni John para magmodel-model sa buhanginan. Si insekta pa, e nakamaigsing red dress ako na di ko pa maintindihan kung alin ung harap kaya baligtad ata ung pagkasuot ko, pagkahiga ko, tumawa nang tumawa. Siguro mga limang minuto rin siyang nagtatawa dun e nakahiga lang ako at nakatakip ng sakkat ung mukha para maganda ung picture kaya malay ko kung bakit siya nagtatawa. Basta magmomodel model lang ako sa buhanginan, yan ung mindset. After niya makuntento sa pagtawa niya, saka niya sinabi, “Cor, nakalabas ung panty mo.” O di ba insekta. Di pa pala siya nagpipicture. Pag-uugali.

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan
Umuwi ako na puro hinangin na buhangin sa undies kbye 

Red Sand Dunes: Last Stop

We had a flat tire along the way back to the Red Sand Dunes. The trip was another 30 minutes and the flat tire took us additional time to get there. But rewarding naman ung views on the highways of Mui Ne so we weren’t bothered much. The highways are a view by themselves.

Sa Red Sand Dunes dapat maganda ung sunset shot pero sandamukal ung tao gaya ng pagkasandamukal ng tao sa Fairy Stream at sandamukal din ung ulap kaya wala talagang sunset. Dahil sa tagal ng photoshoot namin sa ibang spots, feeling ko, kinabahan si kuya driver na magtatagal na naman kami. Pero nagkamali siya, umalis din kami agad after ilang shots.

But this fab shot by Karl Presentacion @larkvain 

We ate dinner and since I’m almost out of dong from the missing one million dong, I looked for a money changer sa Mui Ne. In fairness, may nagpalit ng peso to dong ko at a better rate than I got in Manila.

Funny part. Nagbida-bida ako sa money changer ng pagvi-Vietnamese. I wanted to say thank you but I said “Com Ga” instead of “Cam On.” Com Ga is chicken so takang-taka siguro si kuya money changer bakit ako nag-oorder ng manok sa kanya.

We rested with all the buhangin in our clothes and shoes and prepared for our midnight bus ride to Ho Chi Minh. Makulay yug ilaw sa loob ng bus at para akong ipinaghele sa tuloy-tuloy na four hours na biyahe. We got to Ho Chi Minh at 4 am.

Makulay na sleeper bus for $6 on a five-hour trip 

Unfortunately, I advised ung accommodation namin ng 8 am arrival.

The night streets of Ho Chi Minh are a bit dark and creepy, we decided to spend the next three hours in McDonald’s. Coz 24 hours. In fairness sa Vietnam, there’s free WiFi in every establishment including ung mga karinderyang kinainan namin. At wala ung internet sa Corean sa Malate sa bilis ng free WiFi nila. Updated lahat ng apps ko.

After getting umay with the tambay at McDonald’s, we booked a GrabCar to our accommodation, left our things, and decided to pick up our bus tickets which were secured by my bff Ace’s Vietnamese friend.

We didn’t buy a local sim card since we’re staying lang in Vietnam for two days and we secured our pocket WiFi c/o Flytpack but since our Flytpack devices only work in Cambodia and Thailand, we settled with the free WiFi sa establishments.

The GrabCar driver dropped us in front of the apartment of Ace’s friend where we will pick up the bus tickets to Siem Reap. Since wala kaming internet or even cellular network number, we decided to shout out her name sa labas ng gate of a ten-storey apartment. We were imitating the Vietnamese accent pa while shouting, “Nguc Thao, Nguc Thao!” Mga pauso ni John.

Realizing it was futile, sobrang squammy namin that we had to walk two blocks at nakiconnect sa free WiFi ng isang gadget store sa kanto. Dun na namin nameet si Nguc Thao to hand us over the bus tickets.

We visited their tiangge which is Ben Tham Market and ate the most satisfying Pho at Pho 24 coz they’re open 24 hours. Ang sarap ng caramel plan nila and the lime juice. Unfortunately, I ordered sugar cane juice na di masyadong masarap.

Matagal kaming tumambay sa accommodation afterwards kasi ang daming kuda nung owner na ayoko nang intindihin basta I don’t recommend ung place niya lol. We agreed to meet our friends who happened to be doing prenuptial shots for a couple in Vietnam. We decided in an artsy building after an hour of rest.

Dahil mali-mali ung geotag sa Instagram nung artsy place, naligaw kami at napadpad sa kung saang-saang kalye ng Ho Chi Minh, asking directions from strangers na after naming sundin, pag nagtanong na kami sa next person, iba na uli ung pinapupuntahan samin.

We ended up in Jollibee kasi wala kaming net or local sim so we were unable to contact Ben and Reg. Super sarap ng spicy chicken nila but they are not fond of rice meals so nakacombo ung chicken with fries. Wala rin silang gravy which they replaced with sweet chilli sauce. But may pacucumber sila on the side. Masarap din ung Mirinda Grapes nila.

With the help of Messenger Live Location, we were able to track ung artsy building, took some artsy shots and tumambay in one of the artsy cafes na matagal magserve. In fairness, ang sarap ng pawelcome tea nila. Sana di na lang pala kami nag-order. Charot.

Entrance to the artsy place. Look up Mockingbird Cafe in Ho Chi Minh for the address but there are a lot of cafes in the building pa.

Shot by Karl Presentacion @larkvain 

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan 

Ho Chi Minh crew!

We walked towards the night life district of Ho Chi Minh and had some drinks in a sidewalk bar, witnessing how a thief on a motorcycle grabbed a girl’s phone. Lol.

Shot by Karl Presentacion @larkvain 

Shot by AG Molina @agmolina

But there’s a couple of things I still love about Vietnam despite the misadventures: The Sand Dunes, Mui Ne and the Provincial People, The Sleeper Bus From Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh, Pho, and the Roads Full of Motorcycles. :)

Motorcycles everywhere!

#SiManila Throwback Instameet

Most of my Instagram friends already know that my Instagram account was born on the registration day for the first #SiManila Instameet a couple of years back. So I was a bit passionate in creating the captions for the SinoPinas invitation posts for the event. A bit lang kasi puro pag-uutos ung mga SinoPinas bosses ko.

Pacaption ko yan. Kbye.

On the day itself, I wore my #RedefinePogi pink shirt coz un naprepare ko and also to reminisce na I first encountered the Rennell Salumbre on the first #SiManila.

Anyhow, dahil bida-bida ako sa pink, nagmodel-model ako dun.

Kakabili ko lang ng dark chocolate ice cream sa Big Scoop na favorite creamery namin sa Binondo area, pinapose-pose na nila ako sa hagdan ng pa-fire exit ng isang building. Nagmodel-model naman ako kahit na ung ice cream ko, naging choco drink sa init. Laban para sa pictures. Lol

Shot by Val Christian @vlchrstn

Shot by Jeg Del Rey @jeg48
Tunaw na tunaw na ung ice cream kkkkk

Shot by @anndyshutters
Photoshoot ko pala to. Lol wait may portraits pa talaga ng iba but hehe di maganda shots ko lol

O, may post naman ako sa Instagram from the event. Haha

Bago pala yan, di ba event to ng SinoPinas? Ibang klase rin tong mga founders. Porke introvert talaga sila by nature at frustrated introvert lang ako, pinasa nila lahat ng pagsasalita sakin sa introduction ng Instameet and What to Expect. Ang galing nila beh. Di ko nahingi ung copy nung live video na pinandidilatan ko sila ng mata sa kalokohan nila.

We were 31 all-in-all. Had lunch at Lucky Chinatown Mall dahil sobrang init, we needed paaircon. Then we headed last to a building with a good roofdeck view sa Escolta. 

Roofdeck View

We took some artsy group shots.

And may bra only shots ako. O di ba? Gaano ka-bida. Si Val lang naman solo nagshoot kasi mahalay. Charot.

Fun part? Be with old friends who share the same passion as you and meet new friends na you never know can be the long-lasting ones. Just like SinoPinas. I love you, guys! :*

Baler Trip Powered by Toyota and SinoPinas

Charot sa title. I was the official event crasher of the ganap. Emjo/John from SinoPinas (Oh, I miss calling you, Emjo lol) invited me on their free trip sponsored by Toyota since I got nothing to do sa Manila on those weekdays offering a free Toyota Fortuner ride round trip. So who would resist especially ang kaladkarin ko.

Toyota Fortuner ride!

Pre-trip:

I said yes but since I won’t be covered by their other freebies (supposedly), I need to book my own accommodation – take note, solo. Then I realized, ang hirap pala maghanap ng accommodation sa Baler on a budget price if solo. Gusto ko kasi iachieve in my trips ung solo budget trips. I had to make calls to numerous accommodations for almost two hours before I finally booked one.

I found the Secret Spot in Baler. They have this hostel type accommodation which they rated P400 per pax per night. It’s a bit far from the commercialized side of the Baler Beach, siguro five-minute trike or 20-min walk but since other accommodations are offering me P700 per night, I took the said slot.

Trip Itself!

I met the SinoPinas gang way early. We decided to be picked up at midnight by the SinoPinas dedicated intern driver. Ang original meet up at NLEX is 3 am. Since we left Ayala by midnight, we were at the meeting place before 1 am. Gaano kabida. We decided to sleep inside the car, slightly opening our windows para di naman kami macarbon monoxide poisoining. Nakafree ride nga, nadeads naman sa kotse. Kkkkk. Un nga lang, pinapak kami ng lamok. Kung endemic lang malaria dun, malaria naman ikinamatay naming. Charot.

The rest of the Toyota gang were complete by 4 am. We met the Toyota representatives, Jigo and Jade, and the pips from Discover MNL and Bookie.PH. Super accommodating ng Toyota reps. As in super. So first agenda is breakfast. I was planning to pay for my own meals but they told me I can get to order with them since it’s gonna be paid as a whole group. So did I. Haha. Iba sa pag-event crasher.

At eto pa, since di ko naenjoy yung sobrang tapang na brewed coffee sa breakfast na matapang pa sakin na yung tipong di ko na kayang ipaglaban ung sarili ko pero kaya pa rin ako ipaglaban ng kape na yun kaso di kinaya ng sikmura ko beh, so andame ko nasabi pero basta, di ko naubos ung kape. Un lang talaga gusto ko sabihin. When Jigo offered Starbucks, I was hesitant and was thinking to wait kung mag-order sila. But di ko natiis the little girl who was taught to ask for what she wants without thinking if she’ll get a yes or no, I SHYLY (I had to emphasize coz super shy person talaga ako charot) said yes and ordered Signature Hot Chocolate. Only to find out, di nag-order sila Karl. Dyahe beh. Pero at least I got my caffeine fix. Haha

It was a beautiful sunrise across the highway and magnificent provincial scenes during the rest of the trip. We arrived at around 11 am sa shala accommodation nila and I had to go kasi I’m booked at another place.

I kept walking kasi ayon sa Google Maps, Secret Spot is 15 minutes away lang, walking. Pero siyempre since mostly lost ako, I asked directions from a local surfer guy sa kanto. He said na malayo pa ung tutuluyan ko. Siyempre napakatransparent ko, I looked helpless sa pagkakanganga ko na, huh, malayo pa so mali na naman ung maps. So I just asked him kung san ung trike terminal. Si beh. Super bait. He said iangkas na lang niya ko sa motorcycle niya since dun lang siya malapit nakatira. I asked magkano pero he said I didn’t have to pay. O di ba. Napauwi siya nang di oras. At sobrang trusting ko, sumakay naman ako no. Naniniwala lang talaga akong kaya kong magcounter attack kahit ano mangyari. Pero mas naniniwala ako sa goodness in humanity. Kkkkkk

 He dropped me off na siya pa ung nahihiya at tinuro lang, “Yan yung Secret Spot.” Sabay pagbaba ko, sibat agad si kuya. Di ko nga nakita kung san ung tinuro niya. So nagtanong na lang ako dun sa carinderia na parang dun ung tinuro niya. Sabi ni ate carinderia, mali raw ako. Un daw ung dating branch ng Secret Spot but they transferred na to another place.

 Siyempre napakatransparent na naman ng helpless look sa mukha ko. Si ate carinderia na tawagin na lang natin sa pangalang Ate Celia (Charot un talaga name niya) offered that they have a room they can offer at P300 saying, “Mukha ka naming di maselan.” Si Ate makajudge sakin. Porke ba kulot Nazareno, ulikba, at di ako makinis, di na ako maselan. Pero di nga naman kasi ako maselan. So nag-go na ako.

 They had to clean the room so they offered me a seat sa beachfront na may dampa kung saan may tatlong lalaking nag-iinuman. Beh, pagkakita ko ng hammock, dinedma ko ung upuang binigay. Diretso ako sa hammock, pake ko sa nag-iinuman jan basta hihiga ako dito, viewing the calm waves and hearing them crash the shore softly. Pak sa pagkapoetic.

Beachfront View

Just in front of Ate Celia's Homestay aka Secret Spot

Kinakausap pa ko nung mga nag-iinuman at inofferan ng tagay e di naman ako mahilig sa alak so I refused. Ang lokal lang ng itsura ko masyado.

Kuya Manginginom Sa Tanghaling Tapat: San ka nakatira?
Ako: Sa Maynila po.
KMSTT: San sa Maynila?
Ako: Mandaluyong po.
KMSTT: San sa Mandaluyong?
Ako: Basta di po sa loob. Sa labas. (O di ba, ang old school ng joke kong alam kong di nakakatawa kaya kbye)

Basta marami pa siyang sinabi na malapit lang daw siya dun nakatira pero di ko naman alam ung ospital na sinasabi niya na nasa Mandaluyong daw e kasi nga homebody ako. O sige, frustrated homebody. Basta hirap kasi ako sa directions and spatial intelligence kaya di ko alam sinasabi niya. Kkkkk. Gusto ko lang talaga ienjoy ung tunog ng waves until I get sawa.

Hanggang sa pinapasok na ko sa room na kakalinis lang kahit ayoko pa sana. I realized it seems na un ung master bedroom nila kasi I have this double bed na nilatagan nila ng comforter at nilagyan ng dalawang unan, may sariling sink inside, at may hiwalay na toilet and hiwalay na bath. Take note, ung bath, may pinto pero walang ilaw. Ung toilet, may ilaw pero walang pinto, shower curtain lang. Na-torn pa ko kung san maliligo kasi nao-OC lang ako pero dun na lang ako sa toilet naligo. Mahina ung tubig nung tanghali kasi may naglalaba sa labas so inigib ko pa ung inipunan nilang balde from toilet side to the bath side. Pero ewan, I was a happy kid. Super nagustuhan ko ung place. The sound of the waves sa room mo is just priceless.

Ate Celia: +63 909 354 1610

Puwede na ba kong endorser? Charot.

Di na ako umabot sa pafree lunch ng Toyota pero umabot ako sa pafree surf. So sorry, guys, di ko alam ung rates kung magtatanong kau. Pero magbibida lang ako sa part na to.

Si kuya surf guide tinanong ako kung pang-ilang surf ko na. I said second but three years ago na ung last. So nung una kong sakay, semplang ako beh. Pero ung sunod na tatlo, ay perfect, abot ako sa shore. So si kuya insekta, ung pang-five ko, ako na pinapaddle niya prior to standing up. Beh, mga nakamore than ten semplang ako til I was able to get the hang of it nang sakto lang kasi di naman ako naka-arms and abs workout. Char. Ung planking ko, 10 seconds lang tapos ung weight lifting ko, 20 seconds tapos three pounds. Kkkkk

Nung medyo nakakatayo na ako paddling by myself, si kuya surf guide, ako na pinapaddle palayo ng shore at kumuha siya ng sarili niyang surf board. Ang sakit ng braso at balikat ko matapos ang ilang araw. Pero ang saya lang kasi nga sa kaingayan ko, ung ibang mga surf guide dun, nakikiguide na rin sila sakin at mabait naman talaga ung surf guide ko. Hirap na kasi ako tumayo nung dulo ng surfing lesson since napagod ako at hingal na hingal kakapaddle, ako huling umahon sa pagsurf kasi di natapos ung “isa pa” niya until di ako uli nakatayo at nakarating sa shore for the fifth “isa pa” try. Overtime without pay si kuya.

I can say babalik ako para magsurf at makibelong sa local surf guides sometime in my life or some other surfing spot sa Pinas. Basta one month in my life, you will see me with my negneg surfkissed skin, just surfing and swimming for one whole month. Hayyy soon! Naenjoy ko ung ginawa ni kuya na hinayaan niya ako mahirapan. Solid, dude! Kkkkk

Shot by Raniel Hernandez @rayniyel
"Bes, paki-angguluhan para may abs."

Shot by Raniel Hernandez @rayniyel
"Bes, layo ka pa para payat tignan."

Shot by Alexis Lim @sinosijuan @litratonijuan
"Bes, tumalikod ka na lang, please."

Then dinner at the shala accom. Super sarap ng inihaw na hotdog among all others. Pero ung fun is ung drinking game afterwards. Malalim na English ung tawag sa game na nag-start sa A. Charades pala to. Basta di ko maalala. Ung idea is you have to pour any amount of liquid na nasa table on your turn, whether JD, wine, sodas, water, or beh, chili sauce, oo chili sauce or ung tabasco. Then you have to guess if the next card on the deck of playing cards is a black or red card. If tama, you get to pass the drink sa next person. If mali, you have to drink whatever mix is on the glass. So mej suwerte ako kasi pamali-mali ung katabi kong si Raniel. Nakakalusot ako lagi o kaya ung sinalin kong water lang ung iniinom ko kasi pamali-mali rin ako.

Shot by Raniel Hernandez @rayniyel

We ended at about 11 pm and they advised me na makitulog na lang sa shala accom nila since mej late na umuwi mag-isa. Mej nalungkot din ako kasi walang sound of waves sa shala accom but naisip ko, sana merong isang araw na we don’t have to worry that someone will harm us when you walk the streets late at night. Dami pinaglalaban. Lol

Upon waking up, we headed for a photoshoot at Ampere Beach and dun sa red bridge nearby. Super ganda ng view.

Ampere Beach is amazeballs!

Then we went back for breakfast with my mocha drink na libre pa rin ng Toyota before I checked out from my homestay. We had pafiesta lunch along the highway na treat pa rin ng Toyota enjoying sinigang na salmon, bulalo, Twinsies popsies, strawberry shake, sisig and so much more. Basta fiesta magpakain si Toyota. Pinatakeout pa sakin ung sinigang na nirequest ko. Then we endured the traffic at NLEX with our old songs and OPMs.

It was a fun trip overall. Wala talaga ako masyadong tips but:

1. Look for Ate Celia’s place if you’re on a budget.
2. Go to Ampere Beach.

 That’s it, pansit, ulit! Thanks, Toyota and SinoPinas! :)

Walang pakisama 'to si Raniel. Kunwari nga malungkot tau, fierce ganun. Lol

Toyota Gang Plus Event Crasher

Baguio Food Trip

So I was invited by my friends from SinoPinas (Follow them on Instagram @SinoPinas) para sa pameeting nila sa Baguio on a weekday. So I thought, ang shala naman nila beh. Meeting lang, sa Baguio pa. I even prepared mga possible agenda kasi dyahe naman makimeeting na mema lang ako dun.

Eto pa, amazingly, di ako ung nag-ayos ng itinerary and di rin ako ung nagbook ng accommodation namin for a change. Mapagkusa na sila beh.

Nauna sila going to Baguio since I have stuff to do pa sa Manila. I traveled early morning via Victory Liner bus from Cubao terminal and arrived after seven hours ng walang katapusang highway. And the first thing we did? Food trip. Actually, that's the only thing we did sa entire stay. Mag-food trip. Walang pameeting, guys. Gusto lang naming manginain, dumayo pa sa Baguio.

Let me breakdown our food stops (I started the trip late so this starts with afternoon snacks):



DAY 1



1. Ili-likha (along Assumption Road)

Ililikha is a very artsy food stop near Session Road. It's a food market where establishments within offer super affordable food choice. I had churros for P55 from Cafe Cueva which is at the lowest ground level tapos marami pa sa serving ng La Lola na halagang triple ung presyo. Promising din naman ung chocolate dip at sobrang dinidrain nila ung oil kaya di nakakasuya.

Bukod pa dun, masarap din ung potato wedges na binili ni Karl for P25 at the highest ground level at nagkasya na saming apat. Sobrang dinrain din nila ung oil kaya ang tagal sinerve pero at least pa-healthy.

The place has three levels, the highest level adjacent to the street. Sad part is most stores inside are operational from 11 am to 8 pm so we have to plan our breakfast someplace else.

Ili-likha's interior
Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan

They have burgers complete with patty and bacon for P65 only. :)
Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan

2. Solibao (Session Road & Burnham Park branches)

We went to Burnham Park para magpalipas ng oras and magpalamig habang bida-bida ako sa pagsho-shorts thinking na summer na sa Baguio pero nag-14 degrees pa pala dun ng March. 

Bida sa shorts kahit malamig. Btw, I'm on a no sugary drinks diet so I'm advocating water therapy and so the liter of water in this picture. But buy tumblers na to save Mother Earth from too much plastic din. Kkkkk :) 

Nagdinner kami afterwards sa Solibao along Session Road. Super sarap ng sinigang but prefer ko pa rin ung Solibao sa Burnham Park since may ihaw-ihaw dun. 


DAY 2


1. Vizco's (Session Road)

We walked along Session Road and decided to have our breakfast at Vizco's. Super mura ng meal like mine was Bacon, Egg, Fried Rice, and ung super sarap na hot tea infused with lemon for P85. We also had our strawberry shortcake na ung one slice was split into the four of us. Siyempre may mango cake din kami which was equally delicious. But don't miss the strawberry shortcake!


2. Lemon and Olives

Side story. We stopped by the Katedral ng Baguio and also ung artsy na Mt. Cloud Bookshop before we decided na magpatunaw ng kinain namin. My friend decided na lakarin namin from Session Road to Lemon and Olives which he said would take us 30 minutes. I'm up for a walk din naman since chill ung weather kahit that was 10 am. So nalagpasan namin ung Teachers Camp na tinaxi ko pa the last time we visited it. Nalagpasan din namin ung Botanical Garden. Tapos nalagpasan din namin ung White Mansion. Ung totoo beh. Di siya 30 minutes. Di kinaya nung lamig ng hangin sa Baguio ung baskil ko sa layo ng lakad. At pagcheck ko sa maps, 56 minutes talaga ung lakad, 4.2 kilometers. 0.8 na lang, pang-5 km marathon na to.

But seeing ung very Greek and posh and minimalistic Lemon and Olives was enough a reward for the long walk. Meron din siyang viewdeck that is nice din. Malaki pati ung serving nila kaya di ko naubos ung Lamb Gyro. We stayed their for three hours since may WiFi tapos sobrang chill lang.

Btw, they're only open from 11 am to 3 pm and from 5 pm to 10 pm. So schedule your visit either lunch or dinner.


3. Cafe in the Sky (Sto. Tomas)

Afterwards, we headed to Cafe in the Sky which is near the famous "Sitio La Presa". We took a jeepney ride since taxis cost P800 round trip whereas we only spent P25 each for the jeepney headed to Sto Tomas, one way. The terminal is just near Session Road. Ang ganda ng view along the way coz it was foggy at 3 pm. Na-amaze pa kami kasi there's this blind musician na nakasabay namin sa jeep and she was commuting alone so everyone was wondering paano niya alam kung saan siya bababa.

Mej sakto lang ung food sa Cafe in the Sky but the view was super thumbs up. Then may wishing well which was about two floors from the viewdeck. So nagpachallenge kami sa isa't isa to make a wish and it will come true only if nashoot sa bucket. Siyempre bida kaming lahat sa pangunguna at pag-uubos ng barya ko at barya ko lamang. I made a serious wish about my vocation in life charot. Tapos nagbounce ung coin so far away from the well. Walang suporta mula sa langit. So on my second turn, I made a char char wish. Beh, bull's eye. Shoot na shoot. Sana tininuan ko na lang ung wish ko. Pero okay na ako sa bragging rights na I won against the gang.

The wishing well

We stayed there til sunset and I took my first ever timelapse. Took some videos and photos with the gang, too. Maganda lang ung favorite song ko from Lany na ILYSB but chaka ung pavideo ko but here's the view from Cafe in the Sky. Hehe

"Bes, eto pa 'yung isang anggulong maganda ka. Silhouette."
Shot by John Austria @mvltiple
Check out #BesStory on Facebook for similar pa-captions.
Malakas nga palang maka-Japan-Japan ung parking lot ng Cafe in the Sky so you can also do your photoshoot.

Come sunset, it took a while bago dumating ung sole jeepney na nagbibiyahe to Sto Tomas. Past sunset, ung view of the city lights was awesome. The most awesome I've seen bukod pa sa maganda rin ung mismong sunset. Alam mo ung sobrang dramatic ng foggy effect. As in walang sinabi ung smoggy city view ng Korea from Namsan Tower. I'm rooting for Baguio sa city lights.

Solid ung ginaw sa area kasi it's higher pa than Baguio City. Now, when we saw ung sole jeepney na nagpassby in front of Cafe in the Sky, lumabas kami agad kasi baka maiwan kami pababa ng Baguio e last trip na un pabalik sa city. Un pala, malayo pa ung dulong destinasyon nung jeepney. We waited in the cold dark night for almost 30 minutes. So if you're also planning to take a jeepney ride to get to Cafe in the Sky, it's best if you get the jeepney driver's number for heads up ng pagsundo. 


4. Baguio Craft Brewery

We also dropped by Baguio Craft Brewery at nadisappoint sa pricey appetizers nila though, naappreciate ng friends ko ung Kiwi Beer samantalang tubig ung ininom ko as usual. Ung funniest moment, nagqueue ung next song ni kuya vocalist. Siyempre pabida ako nung pagpasok pa lang ng intro na akala mo alam na alam ko ung kanta. "Wow! Favorite song ko yan ni Michael Jackson!" Nang biglang sabi ng friend ko, "Di ba yan kanta ni Eric Clapton?" Siyempre pahiyang tawa na lang ako kasi If I Could Change the World pala un. Akala ko Man in the Mirror. Pabida kasi.


We had our dose of strawberry taho sa bus terminal before heading to Manila which you shouldn't also miss. Apart from the above food stops, I would still recommend Good Taste if you just like big servings at an affordable price. Fave ko ung chicken nila and the siomai soup. They always say their chicken feeds 2-3 but it's enough to feed 4-5 pax. The siomai soup is P80 and there were three of us who shared. 

For your accommodation, there's a lot of transient houses in Baguio but I would suggest booking near Burnham Park or Session Road so near to all transport terminals. I was able to see Finteo Skylands but we didn't book there because it's more sulit if you're three pax (for the Standard Studio), five pax (for the One-Bedroom Apartment), or 10 pax (for the Two-Bedroom apartment. It comes up to P500 per pax but as in it's 10-15-minute walk to Burnham Park. Anyhow, you can check booking.com and other sites for your booking options. 

That's it, pansit!