Life's Journey of Lakwatserang Makikay

This is the third entry dedicated to our Hongkong Trip last March 2012. After our Disney Tour, we try on a different adventure in Hongkong. We visited the Ngong Ping Monastery and check out free tours on Hongkong parks and malls. Since we don't have high end phones and gadgets with us (except for our handy digi cams), we rely on the free tourist maps which suggests areas of interests and with our unlimited passes on MTR we tried to visit free tourist sites.

Ngong Ping

Ngong Ping is one of the known Hongkong tourist spot which hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha which sits atop of the mountain. It is always packed with visitors and pilgrims of Buddhism. Transportation going to Ngong Ping requires cable car or bus.  We started our trip to Ngong Ping by riding MTR to Tung Chung. Prior to our trip we were advised that the cable car services to Ngong Ping is not working and was suspended due to technical improvement so we availed the bus trip. The one hour bus ride is enjoyable too since there are so many picturesque views along the way.

Upon arriving at Ngong Ping we went to Tian Tan Buddha by climbing its steep concrete ladders going to the Buddha. It is said that it is one of the world's largest sitting Buddha and it can be seen as far as in Macau on a sunny clear day. The experience was exhilarating and it was worth visiting since you'll witness a lot of pilgrims who is devoted to Buddhism.

After our visit to Tian Tan Buddha we went to Po Lin Monastery. Since it was already lunch time, we decided to take our lunch break on a nearby restaurant and we found out that they don't serve meat and it was forbidden to bring any foods with meat in it. We discover this because my friend brought a left over Mcdonalds breakfast on our way to Ngong Ping. After our lunch and pictorials we went to different souvenir shops to buy refrigerator magnets and other adorable trinkets. I also bought a goodluck charm made from jade stone.

Here are some of our pictures in Ngong Ping:

Tung Chung - Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Services

Tian Tan Buddha

One of adorable dogs we found in Po Lin Monastery

Ngong Ping Map

Going to Tian Tan

The  Arch

Hongkong Park - Central, Hongkong

After our half day tour at Ngong Ping, we decided to visit the other side of Hongkong in Central. This is where the famous tramway to the Peak and double-decker buses ply their routes to different parts of Hongkong. Since the line in the tramway is impossible to conquer in few minutes (it was weekend and jampacked with tourists), we decided to visit the free tourist attractions in Hongkong. We went to Hongkong Park where we visited the Museum of Teaware where all interesting tea wares used during earlier times in China was exhibited and the art of making tea was showcased. We also went to the Edward Yourde's aviary and Hongkong Zoo where we saw one-hundred year old tortoise, chimpanzees and lemur. The park is easily accessible by walking through Pacific Plaza which includes high-end boutiques and jewelry store.

Here are some of snapshots of Hongkong Park:

Turtles in Hongkong Park pond

The sloth in HK Park

The 100 years old tortoise

Skyscrapers and flats in Central

Hongkong Park

Bank of China Tower

Beautiful Flowers

Our second day in Hongkong was really a fun one. Since we are all kids at heart, we dedicate the one whole day to our dream destination: HONGKONG DISNEYLAND!!! We bought our tickets at Hongkong Agency at China Travel Services in Tsim Sha Tsui with free lunch. We are sooo excited that we have to leave early and took our breakfast while commuting to Disneyland. I love the trains going to Disneyland because it is customized with Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Chipmunks and a whole lot more. We started early so we have to wait for the gates to open. One of the perks of being early in the theme park is that you will be able to capture pictures with few distractions and get to fall in line with the cartoon characters you wished to take pictures.

This is how we spent our day at Hongkong Disneyland:

8:00 AM - Have a quick breakfast and rode MTR going to Disneyland

Our Passes to Disneyland

9:00 AM - Already waiting at the main gate of the theme park. Since we are still waiting, we kill the time by posing for pictures. It was a chilly day and it was quite raining.

Welcome to Disneyland

10:00 AM - Started our adventure at Disneyland. We went in line to have a photo ops with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
   - Watched Filipino band performing in the park

Filipino Marching Band in Disneyland

   - Went to watch the Mickey's 4D show :)
   - Photo op with Rapunzel and Tinkerbell
   - Went to Toy Story theme park

Newly opened Toy Story park

Cool characters you will meet in Toy Story Land

   - Went to River Cruising with Tarzan's Theme Park

Views in our River Cruise

Another view in the River Cruise

Lunch :)

1:00 PM - After lunch we went to visit the Galactic Theme park and had a photo op with Buzz Lightyear. We also went to ride the race cars and bought souvenirs along the way.

Buzz Lightyear's Station - To infinity and beyond

Racing!

2:30 PM - Waited on the sidewalk of the theme park for their Disney Parade. I swear, I had so much fun watching my childhood favorite cartoon characters came to life.

Hordes of watchers waiting for the parade to start

And the parade begins

The magical float

Disney Princesses

Another beautiful float

4:00 PM - We went to explore the whole theme park again. We rode a train that gives a 360 degree tour of the park and we also went inside It's a Small World display which shows different dolls from different countries dancing and singing while you are riding a boat.

Adorable dolls from around the world

5:00 PM - Another photo ops with our favorite cartoon character Tigger and Pluto :)
6:00 PM - Dinner again
7:00 PM - We waited for the final closing of theme park which shows a grand fiesta of fireworks with music and lights and it was indeed magical! For a grown up like me who enjoyed watching Disney videos, it was really a blast.

I am back!

Pardon me for not being able to post some of my travel accounts due to my busy schedule at work and home. I've been planning for months to update this blog for some time but unfortunately wasn't able to do so...

To make up for the lost entries, I would like to share our Hongkong Trip last March 2012 with my BFF and BF (now ex-bf since he is my husband now). I would say we really had a blast touring the Hongkong and mind you the six(6) days trip is too short to enjoy the gastronomic and panoramic experience in Hongkong.

Prior on going to Hongkong, we availed our tickets via Cebu Pacific promo. I only paid 3,900++ php for each person. We got the promo six months ahead of our planned trip. It should be a trip for four of us but unfortunately one of our friend bailed out since the date coincide with her mom's birthday.

First Day:
Our flight is scheduled at 6:00AM for departure and we were in the airport at around 3:00AM in the morning. Unfortunately, we haven't noticed that one of our baggage allowance is named after our friend who bailed out. That left us to scurry and transfer our stuff in our bags in order to fit our maximum 15 kgs baggage allowance. Upon going to immigration, we didn't encounter problems after answering their questions with no hassle. To be honest, we even enjoyed answering their Q&A especially on the part if we were really friends since High School! The thing with immigration is, as long as you know that you are going out of the country in a legitimate way, there is no need to get nervous while answering questions. It is just a 5-10 minutes Q&A which also depends on how you answer their questions.

We arrived at Hongkong International airport at around 8:00AM in the morning. We spent a few minutes inside the airport to get free maps and tourist information guides in their lounge. Just to warn others, I noticed that some Pinoys tend to fool other Pinoy tourists (Not that I am generalizing everyone, we just encountered few in the airport). Call us paranoid, praning or whatever terms applied to us but it is always better to be safe than sorry. If someone asks you to join your group, say no and go to your planned itinerary. As much as possible if you are looking for direction, just use GPS or if you don't have Iphones, Ipods and Android gadgets with you, ask the tourist information officer inside the airport for guides in traversing the city. Always remember not to talk to strangers no matter how nice they are.

 What we didn't know is that we're not prepared that the temperature in Hongkong during March is around 13 degrees! It was freezing cold and we only brought one jacket each! We didn't notice the temperature. We felt the chill early in the morning after we disembark from the train and bus going to our reserved hotel. Another snafu we encountered is that the hotel reservation we had was a hoax! Thank God that we didn't paid anything but we encountered a hard time looking for a cheap accomodation for the three of us. We went to YMCA hotel (a bit pricey if you're not a member) and Langham Hotel (pricey also for a one night stay). We tried Hop Inn in Tsim Sha Tsui and they are already fully booked for the next three weeks. I promised to go back in Hongkong and would try the Hop Inn Hotel. The receptionist referred us to a nearby Hangkow Hotel. Good thing there are vacancies in Hangkow Hotel and it's prices are reasonable for a six days worth of stay. The accomodation is not bad since we will be out most of our stay in Hongkong.

On our first day we walk through the area of Tsim Sha Tsui and took pictures. The landmarks and places we visited are:

1. Hongkong Museum of Science and Arts

2. Coach Store (because of me! hahaha)
3. Victoria Harbour
4. Walk of Fame in Hongkong
5. Kowloon Park
6. H&M store (because of me again!)
7. Food trip at TST streets (take note: literally street food which is very delicious such as chicken feet, fish balls and authentic Gong Cha milk tea)

Also, since we were already discovering places in TST, we already booked a reservation for our HK Disneyland trip the next day... That would be on my second blog item... a specific blog entry on our magical trip at Hongkong Disneyland.

Pictures of our first day trip are here!

Our Early Morning Flight - going to Hongkong

The busy street of Tsim Sha Tsui or TST

Our last overseas travel with my friend and my significant other proved to be a new experience. We encountered a lot of situations and moments wherein on some part made us unprepared despite the five months notice upon our departure. Whatever situations we encountered I am glad that our recent trip will make us a more savvy traveler.

Travel in Style!

Here are some of my lessons learned during our overseas travel:

1. Always assume that you need extra baggage allowance after an overseas trip.With all the trips and shopping you encountered while traveling can accumulate extra stuff in your baggage. Always make space for pasalubongs, souvenirs and all the shopping items you bought especially if you are a shopaholic like me :P



2. Always maintain a budget for your travel. Make sure you don't exceed or try to cut down the estimated costs of your trip by getting packaged promos on the Internet or on travel services. Also, set aside an emergency funds in case something happens.

3. Before departing, make sure you bring all necessary documents you need to present to the Phil. Immigration especially if you are going to hot-spot areas like Singapore and Malaysia. They tend to ask you for your company ID and some even their certificate of employment. Also take note of the place where you are going to stay and the hotel confirmation to present during the screening.

Don't forget this when traveling!

4. Check the temperature of the place! This is our biggest lessons learned in Hongkong! We thought that since it was summer here in the Philippines, the climate in Hongkong would be the same. We are soooo wrong! We ended up buying winter stuffs since it was very cold during early morning and late at night. When we got to our place it was bitingly cold even you're wearing an ordinary jacket.



5. Do research the places you are going to visit. Also, be mindful of tourist spots during weekends. Some tourist spots tends to increase their fees during weekends because of tourist demands and some tend to filled up since most tourists are free during weekends. If you can manage to go on tourist spots on weekdays, do it to avoid large crowds and large photo-bummers. :D

6. Take advantage of the free maps and brochures given at the airport lounges and tourist information centers. Most maps and travel brochures found on airport and tourist information centers are free! (Except here in the Philippines :P) Some travel brochures suggests off-beaten tracks that are also worthy of visits. Maps is a huge help when you don't have Android or Iphones with you to navigate.




7. Never scrimp yourself on food. I hear a lot of overseas travelers who cuts down their food budget and living on buying foods at 711 and fastfoods such as Mcdonalds. Always remember that part of your travel is to introduce yourself to gastronomic delights that the country has to offer. Find places where you can avail local foods at reasonable prices. Check maps and brochures for suggestions.

8. Always bring spare cameras, batteries and memory cards. For cam-whores like me, one camera is not enough to capture all great places and moments. Make sure all of you has spare cameras especially if you are going to maximize your day tours. You never know what you're going to see or capture if you run out of batteries.



9. Never TRUST ANYONE! Don't make small talk with strangers you don't know (even if they are Pinoy). Don't tell them your itinerary or where you stay to avoid being followed or harassed. If your original plan is just the three of you to travel, then stick to your plan. If anyone wants to join, don't let them in. You might never know their intentions. Be safe always

10. Never take for granted that since overseas location are safer than the Philippines. Always put a presence of mind. Lock the doors of your hotel and make sure that the hotel receptionists know your whereabouts in case something happen. Also take note of emergency numbers listed in tourist information centers. Keep your passport with you all the time and produce scanned copies of your passport and IDs.

11. Never allow anyone to make "pabilin" with you. Even they are kind-hearted OFWs do not trust anyone who asks favor to put additional stuff in your luggage. Make sure you keep an eye on your luggage and belongings. With these times, you can never be sure who to trust.

12. Check your hotel and its neighboring places. Make sure that the hotel and accommodations you picked is safe and legitimate. You can check out the hotel feedbacks using Agoda.com and Tripadvisor.com for useful comments on the place and location of your stay.

Last year, I recently tried out going out of the Philippines for more travel experience and it was a very fun and an eye-opener for me. The countries I had visited gave me new experience and realizations. I've been introduced to different culture, systems, places and historical information that I used to see only in travel channels such as Discovery Travel and Living and National Geographic. Part of my entries in my travel blog is not only to introduce different beautiful places in the Philippines but also it's neighboring countries and my other memorable travel experience that helped me improve and learn a lot.

Some of the things I observed while being out of the country are:

1. Pinoys tend to do follow rules and policies abroad. But when it comes on our own country, we go back to our undisciplined selves

2. I still love the Philippine beaches. Nothing beats it!

3. There is a different kind of exhilarating experience when you get to the other side of the world.

4. You always wish Philippines would be just like the countries you visited. Clean, safe and full of disciplined people

5. Each country has its own distinction. Enjoy and savor the moment of your stay and make most out of it.

Last January 2012, as part of our itinerary for our Travel the Panay Island trip, me and my friends decided to have a day tour in Bacolod city and visit some of the neighboring towns like Silay and Talisay City. Visiting the province on a day trip proved to be very short and very bitin. We haven't even tried all famous restaurants and cafes within the province (which I promise we will be visiting Bacolod again). I think we still need one more day to savor and squeeze in all activities. This won't be my last visit in Bacolod. ;)

Our quickie itinerary to Bacolod:

1. We left Iloilo city around 6:00am and catch the 7:30am schedule for Supercat Fastcraft. The traveling time from Iloilo City to Bacolod city is one hour and fifteen minutes. Also, there is a promo for fastcraft ferries. You can avail the return fares and can be used within the year. It can save you almost thirty to forty percent of your fare when you avail the promo return tickets

SuperCat!

Pre-Departure Area while boarding for Bacolod

2. Arrived at Bacolod around 9:00am. Rode the "traysikad" from the port up to SM City Bacolod and then catch a jeep going to Silay City.

SM City Bacolod

Sugar cane trucks are common sites in Negros highways

Old houses in Silay

Old vs. Modern infrastructure in Silay

3. First stop: Silay City. Known for its famous Spanish architectures and arts across the town. There are different old museum houses across the town. Some of the places we visited:

The Town Plaza

Silay City Hall

     3.1. San Diego Parish Church
 

The beautiful church

Inside the church

The way to the altar

The Dome

 
     3.2. Balay Negrense - an old houses that belongs to sugar baron during the Spanish era houses old artifacts, photographs and furnitures. You need to pay a forty pesos entrance fee to visit the house.


















     3.3. Hofilena Heritage House - owned by Manuel Hofilena, this house is a guided tour. According to our tour guide, Gilbert during peak times, you need to book / schedule your visit to the house. Since we went there on Monday we were accomodated and guided in the house. It houses different expensive artworks from known Filipino artists such as Amorsolo, Luna, Malang and even Rizal. There are also artworks from famous Spanish artist Goya.

The Hofilena Heritage House

The Sala

Receiving Area

The antique grand staircase

Antique Religious Icons

Antique Religious Icons of the Poor

Carved saint in antique wood

First comics

Tektite stones

The kitchen

The Grand dining area

Sinaunang Banga and the toy horse

Antique china ware

The front

4. Visit Talisay City. From Silay City, we rode a jeep going to Talisay. Once we were at the terminal, we hired a taxi that would take us to the Ruins. It was a good decision since there are no tricycles around the Ruins and it was located at the middle of sugar plantation in Talisay. The structure resembles Italian architecture and it was built for the wife of owner as a symbol of their love. It was razed to the ground by USAFE during World War 2 fearing that the house will be used by Japanese as a storage for ammunition and other supplies.













5. Going back from Talisay to Bacolod City. Quick sight seeing of Bacolod provincial capitol and wait for our boarding time back to Iloilo City.



Additonal detours: While in Silay, we were looking for an affordable lunch before heading to Talisay City. It was recommended to us to visit Golden Food park. The food was delicious and very affordable :) 




When I return to Negros, I will try these:

1. Visit the Bacolod Capitol. Due to time constraint we weren't able to drop by at the provincial capitol since we are catching the last trip of fastcraft at around 5:00pm in the afternoon.

2. Try cheesecakes and coffee at Calea. A friend of mine from Bacolod recommend me to try their affordable and yummy cheesecakes and coffee :)

3. Go to Mambukal Spring Resort. Visit their hotspring and have and overnight stay here.

4. Try going to Bacolod via plane. I will do this after squeezing this in my schedule and the next piso fare promo

5. Go to other towns in Negros Occidental such as Victorias and Pontevedra.