Bicol 2013: Day 1 - Bulusan + Irosin

Sometime last year I blogged about my 2013 summer adventures. It's summer time once again in my beloved country and though I don't really have any plans considering that I'm mostly out of the country I thought I'd finally get down to sharing our Bicol itinerary. As I mentioned in my old post, blog entries have been very helpful in order for me to arrange our DIY Bicol trip. Since my other entries particularly the Calaguas one are not of much help, I hope this one would be more informative.

My mom and sister haven't been to Bicol but I've been there twice. The first time I went to explore the region I was able to enjoy: CWC, Mt. Isarog and Caramoan, Camarines Sur. The second time was spent beach-bumming in Calaguas and "surfing" in Bagasbas, Camarines Norte. I had to scour around the cyberworld for ideas that would take me to new places since I knew that there's still so much to discover in Bicol. The next popular ones left were the Butanding experience and the Legazpi ATV tours. I felt that it was lacking the beach experience that Bicol is known for so after some researching I finally ended up with the following Sorsogon+Albay combination:

Day 1: Bulusan Lake + Irosin
Day 2: Matnog Beach tour
Day 3: Legazpi City Tour: Cagsawa Ruins, Lignon Hill and ATV adventure

I had to give up the whole whale shark experience because we were on a tight schedule and on a budget. We originally intended to travel by land the whole time (minimum of 8hrs just to get to the region) so doing the whale shark meant skipping Matnog if we wanted to stay just 3 days. Also, we ended up splurging a little by choosing to fly back from Legazpi instead of the long travel back to Manila by bus. So we bought our bus tickets from Cubao near Ali Mall to take us straight to Sorsogon City on a Thursday Night.

Day 0, Thursday: 8pm: travel  to Sorsogon City from Cubao
Day 1:
From the Sorsogon City bus terminal, we took a tricycle to take us to the town proper where Fernandos Hotel was located. After checking in, we freshened up, tried to get our bearings and ate our breakfast. Before lunch time, we were on our way to Bulusan Volcano National Park:
From Sorsogon City, take a jeepney bound for Gubat. Travel time is 30-45 minutes. From there, you should take a Bulusan-bound jeepney and get off at Bulusan public market. Travel time is about 30 minutes. Ask around as to where the terminal for jeepneys bound for Irosin are, these jeepneys passes by the entrance to the Park. Travel time is about 30 minutes. At the entrance we got a tricycle driver who offered to take us to and from the park and to our next destination which was Irosin hot springs. I forgot how much the fee he asked from us was but I believe considering the distance, it was reasonable (no more than PhP500 for all three of us). Also, it turned out to be a good offer from the driver since the distance between the entrance to the park and the lake was quite a distance in itself already. However, you could immediately feel the cool "forest floor" temperature once inside. 

We learned that the volcano is still quite a distance from the lake and that you have to camp the night if you wanted to be at the peak during sunrise. The water was green owing to the colors of the forests/trees surrounding the lake. You can kayak or hike around the lake (with a guide) for a fee which we ended up doing both. The kayak was harder in my opinion since we were exposed to the noon sun. My mom cheated as she got one of the guides to kayak for her while she sat with her umbrella. The place is just too beautiful and serene. However, there is not much choice when it comes to food so better if you plan for your lunch elsewhere, arrange it with someone or bring your own for picnics.

After spending some time kayaking and hiking we then headed off to Irosin for our very late lunch. We were definitely starving. The hired trike from Bulusan to Irosin took us probably an hour or so. We were all sleepy from the sleepless bus commute from the night before. I had to bear it though since I was seated at the back of the driver. I couldn't possibly afford to fall asleep there! 

that side mirror shot.

At last we got to our destination and first on our list was to eat. There was not much of a choice but all three of us: me, my mom and my sister loved the Bicol express!!!

The San Mateo hot and cold springs Resort don't look much and not too inviting but I suggest give it a chance and take a dip. You'd definitely realize why it was worth going to after all, at least that's what we felt. The water felt really clean and invigorating!

Going back, we just took a tricycle and some jeepneys to Sorsogon City. It's not too scary to ask people around as they are honest and helpful enough for directions. The good thing was the tricycle and jeepney rides going back to Sorsogon gave us a picturesque view of the country side with a glimpse of Mt. Bulusan.

view from the Bulusan park

Sonovabitch

HIMYM sums about life experiences in just the right words.

Such a bitch sometimes.

She said:

Yes, I think I'm ready. My heart now sees what only the head used to see. May the heavens give me a sign.

But He said:

Not yet, not now, not him.

Kitchen adventures

I nearly went into a road-rage frenzy earlier this evening due to a stupid bus who don't care if he's going to ram to your vehicle. Of course you don't want that so even if you have the right of way you risk cutting the next lane to yours hoping that they'd give way to you as well. You can't help but get extremely hot-headed in situations such as this but one thought crossed my mind and I couldn't help but immediately calm down: today is a blessing. No matter how much we look and plan to the future we don't own anything and we might as well be gone in an instant. The message from the movie have so far that much impact on me. I don't think it's bad at all and I hope it becomes a habit so life would be happier and better, a life well-lived. With that said, I decided to push through with my kitchen adventures this evening.

I'm not exactly talented when it comes to cooking or anything to do with the kitchen. The most I'm comfortable with doing would be peeling off vegetables and washing the dishes but even those I am very much mediocre. I like eating better but not to the point that I can tell what taste or ingredient is missing in the dish to make it better. I have more misadventures and failures than valid successes. The best I came up with was mere edible for me and I'd rather not let others try it. I need more practice. I tried a new dish today though. No cooking involved here actually and just preparation but still I'm happy to have tried it. Can you guess what?

No, it's not kimchi although I wanted to until I found out that I needed to soak the 'napa cabbage' for 1-2 hours in brine. Maybe this weekend I will give that a try as well. Anyway, it's called Kkakdugi or Korean radish kimchi. I wasn't a fan of our local radish despite the fact that compared to most people I love eating vegetables. It was in Korea where I became addicted to this (the general taste of kimchi was an acquired taste that I thoroughly enjoy). I decided to try this dish first because kimchi is easier to come by in asian restaurants and I've rarely seen this one. Anyway, my sister shares my love of kimchi so she ended up eating than sampling the finished dish. I will let it ferment for a few days and hopefully good enough to share with my dad as well. This gives me the motivation to keep on practicing. Yay! Hopefully, I will improve and get better now that the interest has started.

Free upgrade

Felt lucky today after getting a free upgrade to business class at RB. I've  been flying economy at RB for business trips for seven times now. Not to mention a few other economy and/or low-cost flights as well. I've gotten used to the tight spaces etc. so the spacious leg room and seat space was a treat for a change. The food though better made me ruin my 'diet' yet again. I don't know how the workout plan will fare if I can't cut down on my meal portions! Anyway, thank you RB! Until, next time! 

Social media snowball effect

This brewing drama/tension between two people I follow is a developing story. The problem with the digital age is that sometimes we no longer filter our thoughts and leave it out there stored in cyberspace. 

How many times have you seen someone publicly humiliate another because of their offense. As if filing a complaint wasn't enough they just had to expose all possible details of that person.  Everyone are sometimes just too damn self-righteous and opinionated. Bullying is an easy trap for many. Playing the victim card is just as easy. 

Unlike before when you utter hateful or hurtful words it will only be hearsay for some. If they judge you because of it, you don't have to care. It's a big world. Nowadays, the world is smaller in the sense that everyone can and will know. Everyone will feel a certain entitlement to judge or defend. I honestly, don't like how some people misuse and abuse the freedom to do so.

I am wondering how this tension will end up. I don't think it's worth it. There's two sides of the coin really and each has their own merits. It probably be due to the social divide and it will depend on the world you revolve in, superficial or otherwise. On the other hand, if you mean what you say shouldn't you stand by it? are you still responsible for the resulting ill-behaviors of others that were affected? 

Shit happens. But we only have one life to live, and if we have only day left, I sure won't be wasting my time watching the lives of these strangers.

About Time

The good thing about spending the weekend in this sleepy town without my own transportation is that it lets me catch up on some of the shows I missed. I usually don't watch any tv at home and I usually catch movies at the theater so if I miss it, I would end up not watching it until I've forgotten all about it or unless I find myself sitting still when the family happens to watch anything interesting which is rare.

The last weekend I was here, I finally got the chance to watch Silver Linings which was by the way so good. The big plus would be that Bradley Cooper was a joy to watch in that movie. He was good in character but still good-looking and just damn gorgeous!

This weekend, after much and several convincing from the sister, I finally watched About Time. I had no idea about this movie nor have I heard of it. All I remember was this was the name of the short stay cottage I got back in Anna Maria Island in Florida last 2009.

Apparently, the British movie was about time travel but the approach was less like "The Time Traveler's Wife" although Rachel McAdams was again the leading lady here but probably more like "Love Actually". I'm quite impatient and have a short attention span so I ended up googling the synopsis at the start. The synopsis was just ok but it didn't prepare me for the emotions that you'd get out of watching it. Good thing I still watched it anyway after reading (it eventually got a little interesting...).  It would probably have helped if I knew who the actor was or if he was distractingly handsome as say Bradley Cooper or Joseph Gordon Levitt.

image from IMDB

At the some point in the movie, the tears started and it wouldn't stop flowing way after the movie has already ended. My eyes still hurt a bit as I write this. It was crying of the good kind of way because it was in no way the pessimistic view of things but the optimistic one. 

I love the message of the movie in that it is a reminder really, for us to not let the stress and worries of our daily lives get the better of us and stop us from enjoying. I agree with the writers in that there would probably be a huge difference in our lives and other people's lives that constantly intersect with ours if we just take it easy and everything in stride. Of course, there are really bad days but if we start thinking that there won't be another day and a future way ahead, it probably won't be as bad. It doesn't mean we should be reckless as well. I guess it's trying to live our lives without regret.

Not to be a spoiler but according to the movie the secret Formula for Happines:
"Part 1 of the two-part formula: get on with ordinary life, living it day by day just like everyone else.
Part 2 live everyday again, almost exactly the same. the first one with all the tensions and worries that stop us from noticing how sweet the world can be but the second time, noticing."
Of course, this was possible because the protagonist could time travel. Instead of travelling back in time to remove inconveniences or make corrections in his life, this was the advice he was given in order to make better use of their gift. But the final lesson is something we all can relate to:

"I just try to live everyday as if I've deliberately come back to this one day to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary ordinary life."

In the end, I don't really mind who the actors were. I just love the reminders from this movie. I'm so glad my sister bugged me to watch it. I also love the version of "How Long Will I Love You?" by Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney and Ben Coleman in the movie.
  

What it's gonna be 2014?

It's March already and before you know it, the year will again be coming to a close. I miss 2012 and how epic that year was, filled with adventures and countless firsts! I've been trying to figure out what this year would be and so far it's been quiet. It's as if I'm back to the monotonous life I fell into before that site assignment. Sure, I've been in and out of the country but it was mostly to this good old, sleepy town in the outskirts of the city. It's not that bad but so far I haven't found anything that interesting. There's not much to do for entertainment, and being a Muslim country, there are a lot of restrictions than what I am used to. Add the fact that I don't have my own transportation considering that it's not very commuter friendly here. Gas is so cheap that most households have at the minimum 2 cars. A full tank of relatively high-grade gas a 1.6 liter car would only cost about $15. If only I can take some home during these frequent visits.

I want to travel.
I want to tick off some items from that list I made late last year:  Come into my World (of random ramblings): 2014 to do list:
I want to get involved with charities, projects, someone (yes, I still have to add that).
Basically, live life and not just get eaten up by work.
I just hope some of these will become a reality.

Pentatonix!

I'm actually on a WickedManila high/hangover. The show just closed last night and although I didn't get to watch again especially on their last show, (though I badly wanted to), I've been stalking those instagram posts and videos of random people and the cast members themselves. I turned into an online semi-fan of the show and the touring company. Thank God for hashtags! Unfortunately, I've already dedicated an entry each to Wicked since after watching the two shows, one in Seoul and one in Manila, I know I have to write about something else. Maybe next time, when I get to watch it again in some other country. Still deliberating on whether or not, I will drop a note to Suzie Mathers as Glinda on a tumblr page, real Wicked fans have set up for her.

So instead, I will rave here of another musical addiction of mine, Pentatonix! I am so hooked on this group as well. I am tone deaf and sing off-key but I do enjoy random music from time to time. I've watched all their performances in The Sing-Off 3 through youtube (again thanks technology!) several times already. I like most of their performances but the following stand-out:

Video Killed the Radio Star - it was so fun to watch this one and their choreo.

Sometimes, it's a tad bit hard to believe that they are singing a cappella. Also, they should be listened to with decent headsets to give justice to Avi and Kevin, dubbed as 'meat and potatoes' by the judges.

Dog Days Are Over - their performance level here was just intense!

from then on, they've been putting out great a cappella covers on their youtube channel such as the Daft Punk medley among others:
 

Just recently, Say Something by A Great Big World. I particularly liked their cover considering I wasn't a fan of this song which I first heard from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Somehow their cover is sad in a good way and soothing.


The first songs I legally downloaded from Itunes are from their Christmas album.

 I did say I'm hooked on this group. I hope there'd be more fans so that they'd cast their nets in Asia one of these days, then we'd get a chance to catch them live! So if you liked any of the videos, go ahead: like, share, subscribe!

If you still aren't overwhelmed, do check out their performance in youtube of Ellie Goulding's I Need Your Love during the finale of last year's the sing-off (2013). Again, they were awesome! And the live clips of them singing an original "Natural Disaster". Watch out for Avi's bass with great headphones if you can. Don't say I didn't warn you though.

I know that this is the most youtube embedded ladden post but one last. This video has that vsco-ish filter vibe. Love it! Just the kind of feels for a dreamy date. (probably too old for that, but hey a girl is a girl and she can still hope right?)

Happy!

I'm a drama queen but if I can I try to be more positive. This song just exudes good vibes. I feel like breaking out into a dance when this plays.

"Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do"

Pearl shopping

Surprisingly, when a visitor asked me for good places to eat, buy and see here in our beloved country I had to think about it. You'd expect me to blurt out right away being the local here and be able to give them great tips but then my arsenal was mostly composed of mundane city stuff. I had to contemplate what's a "definitely Pinoy" experience that sets us apart from other countries. Also, I had to consider the fact that they only have time to go around after office at 5pm for 4 days. So, when asked what is "fun" in Manila, I had to double check what his definition of fun was. For me it depends on what kind of fun you are looking for. We couldn't guide them through the city though during their short stay so they ended up just going around the (EDSA) Shangri-la Mall and Megamall shopping for dried mangoes which were just walking distances from where we are at during the first three days. 

On their last night though, we finally got the chance to take them to Greenhills. I just remembered that a lot of folks especially from the US tend to buy local crafts and jewelries when they find themselves in Metro Manila. So we decided to take them there. They find these things as really cheap here in comparison to their home country. Fortunately, my other colleagues already knew of a store where our other counterparts have bought their souvenirs and they knew how to check. This was a relief since I don't know anything about pearls. I've been buying from time to time from vendors in the local beaches or markets at really cheap prices ($1 for a pair of earrings). All those time, I just assumed they were real pearls although I didn't know what real meant. After last night though, here's what I learned:

1. The more rounded (and whiter) they are, the more expensive they get. (Higher quality)

2. Deep sea pearls are expensive (they showed us a strand which went for about PHP60,000 or $1,500. They were a little big for my taste though but when you placed it side by side with the other pearls they do stand out. From afar, they were almost the same.

3. Freshwater pearls (some cultivated) have varying qualities as well.

4. If you lit a pearl, it shouldn't burn or change color. I'm not convinced on this one though because they only use a lighter and just a few seconds (not even 5). There's not even enough time for the heat transfer! High grade/denser plastics can probably withstand the same (or other reinforced material)

5. Here's a little interesting one: If you try to rub two pearls together, you should see scratches and bits of powder scraping off (pearl powder/essence?). But just rub the pearl even with your finger and the scratch should be 'wiped off'. I guess at some point if you keep on doing this you'd end up scratching off all the pearl though.

The last one got me curious so I tried it out on the 'pearls' I found at home. The two pairs below are from Palawan and cost only $1 each pair. Scratching them was easy:

Rubbed them with my fingers and well they went back to normal:

I tried it on three more: from SM, Boracay and H&M:

The ones from SM and H&M though were too smooth it was hard trying to get them scratched. Either they weren't real or they painted some sort of coating on them or I still have a lot to learn about pearls.

I ended up buying this silver necklace (no idea on the percentage) with pearls for just Php150 ($3). Considering the price of accessories these days, I'd say it's not bad at all. The earrings I got for free as a treat from the visitor for taking them out.

And oh Koreans sure now how to haggle! I can learn a few things from them too. Anyway, I'm still no expert when it comes to these things but at least I learned a few things. Hopefully next time it'll be about gold/silver.

Suwon Fortress

Before my deputation in Korea, I was more or less living a sedentary lifestyle. Sure I did participate in a few (almost nil) fun runs which wete limited to 3k but other than that, I was pretty much a lame klutz. Of course, my apartment, Poong Lim I-won in Seohyeon, being so close to the Tancheon river jogging path and while mending a broken heart, jogging turned into a most favorite and healthy diversion especially at night.

Then I met these really cool people who became my family there and we ended up sharing one adventure after another. Some of these adventures were on the physical side. It was a struggle for me at first and this Suwon hike/climb was one of those initial struggles. Why? 

For starters, we came from an all-nighter at the jimjilbang (which was quite an experience by the way). I was definitely sleep-deprived. We then 'danced' on the blazing 3pm Korean summer in the middle of a soccer field.

And then, since it was still a Saturday and we were trying to kill time, three of us decided to explore the fortress since it was supposedly nearby the train station we were at already (Suwon). Cristy, who is from Suwon, pointed out that we can just walk to the Fortress instead of taking a cab. She can remember parts of it but not all. However, she had an aversion to these huge tourist maps so to make the long story short we probably had to walk a good solid 2-3km (or maybe even more because of the wrong turns here and there) to get to our starting point, which was a steep set of stone stairs! I was definitely thinking to myself at that time 'What did I put myself into?' My two companions were exercise freaks who were doing the insanity workout while I had little physical training. 

I don't know how but somehow I was able to pull through sacrificing the speed of the group in the process as I really could no longer keep up. Reaching the top and seeing the vicinity at the fortress was rewarding though.

The pictures are lousy but they're the best I could manage with my phone and my condition at that time. We walked a few more and ended up at some gate.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to go around as much due to my pace so my two companions finally decided to refuel. Finally!

In the end, I was really proud of myself and I still am. I'm really glad I did it.

It was that memorable I guess but I just didn't have the time to write since the hike last July 2012 until now upon seeing this twitter post which was very nostalgic:

 

Biking in Suwon! That would be great! If you're out there, you should give this a try.

P.S. I miss Korea so much, the adventures and the people I shared these experiences with.

Everything is awesome!

Well this post is not about how life or all that jazz is awesome. While life is awesome if you try your darn best to appreciate the littlest and simplest of things, I simply just want to rave how fun the Lego movie is! Also considering the fact that I ended up watching this alone. Yes, I watched a movie alone for the first time. It was weird but not too lonely I guess thanks to this fun movie and also because I was in a small theater in the company of strangers. Or probably I am more the stranger being the visitor in a foreign land.

(Cameo appearances by some of the collectibles.)

I'm a fan of Frozen (wicked feels!) so I had to go see this movie as everyone kept saying it was that good or even better. Of course, I had my biases and while I wouldn't say I love this one better, the stop motion effects were great. The story was also awesome. It was spot on, on the topic of creativity and freedom which lego has pretty much been known for since I was introduced to it during my childhood. And yeah, I do sort of selectively collect those minifigures so it was exciting to see them 'come to life' so to speak. For some of us, it would also probably feel nostalgic of your younger years with lego.  One thing's for sure, this is the first series I am willing to spend money on to collect all 16 minifigures. Hopefully I'm not too late yet.

So far I have the Panda but I asked some friends to help me catch up so now I also have Emmett and WyldStyle. Yay! 

Business travels

Since I joined this company about 7 years ago, I've been fortunate enough to have travelled places whether on a short term or long term basis. It's not that they are all fun and leisure, of course they come with their share of hardships and gratifications, of pros and cons. But just like in life you try to make the most out of it.

Having moved to a new role, I found myself hopping on to airplanes as if they are taxis. It's fun, interesting but sometimes boring and tiring. I am not sure if I've lost that restless feet I used to have when I was younger where I couldn't stay put and I had this urge to go out and explore. Or whether I just got tired and lame. Nonetheless, what I find difficult now, odd considering my age, how it seems that now I have to be really careful. Safety first. 

As much as I'd like to be out there and make friends just like I did back in Korea. Somehow especially where I am now, I don't feel as safe. I already had one episode though thank goodness it wasn't that bad since I wasn't prepared for that one. I don't want to be snobbish or anything and I really want to get into conversations but I have to be really careful and be on guard. Being a woman and alone is tough when you're travelling while men can just make friends all they want with whoever. *sigh

Wicked

I am not a theater goer. I am not cultured enough or of high society to be up to date with these things. In fact, I've only watched two shows: Cats and Wicked. Three if you count Cirque du Soleil's 'Varekai' which was also amazing by the way.

I got to watch the Manila-run of Cats with none other than Ms. Lea Salonga because of the cheap tickets my mom scored. That was my introduction to the wonderful and amazing world of musical/theater productions. And I must say, wow! These shows are amazing, the talent, the storyline, the props, songs, everything, basically how all these different elements come together.

Fast forward to 2012, while I was mending a broken heart, I met these really great people who was up for adventures. To make the long story short we ended up spending a short day at the emerald city during this mid-August holiday. I was brimming with emotions. It was awesome, amazing, great, wicked! It was too much of an emotional and sensory high for me. We were seated way at the back (since it was a bit unplanned and spur of the moment, we didn't have much choice for good seats at good deals) but boy I loved it just the same. After that, I wanted to watch it again to the point that I was willing to shell out more money... But well, that didn't push through. Nonetheless, I was more than happy to have watched it with amazing friends/family back in Seoul. That experience was among the best.

Feb. 2, 2014: as this day drew nearer the excitement just got harder and harder to contain. I got better seats and I got my sister and another girl friend to share this experience with me. This time around I was reliving the whole show, reminiscing and anticipating. All the time I was giddy and full of emotions. The tension was especially too great as it got nearer to 'Defying Gravity', so much so that I had to channel my energy to something which ended up to be my scrunchie. (I would have held hands if there's someone who had offered but alas there was none! :P) Of course, having watched Frozen, I was introduced to Idina Menzel who gave life to Elphaba, I made a few comparisons. Maybe it was a little weak and I was trying to imagine if it was the 'Idina Menzel' who sang that part, I would have probably cried. Yes cried and not just teared up. But I got to appreciate Suzie Mathers as Glinda more. She was refreshing to watch (and listen to but so was everyone).

I had a really great time. So happy to have been able to watch this again. I would watch it again if I could afford it, had the time and someone would watch it with me (and of course if there are tickets left). I am just happy and content  that I was able to move around my schedule to be able to make it to this show. Until next time!