A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Last year, during a trip to Vietnam, I got to explore Saigon by scooter, the most popular mode of transport. In my opinion, it’s the best way to experience the culture of the bustling city.
From the wide windows of the main restaurant, the grove of pine trees and the rolling hills in the distance looked almost Baguio-like. In one corner of the rustic building made of wood and bricks, was a rocking chair in front of a fireplace. The sound of crickets chirping mingled with the tinkling of wooden chimes swaying with the mountain breeze.
It’s hard to believe that Paseo Rizal Mayagay in Tanay, Rizal is just an hour and half’s drive from Manila. Before we left, I was sweltering in the heat of Quezon City. That same afternoon and evening, I regretted not bringing a jacket. Continue reading “A Taste of Baguio: Paseo Rizal Mayagay”
One of my favorite dining destinations along the Manila East Road is Kawayan Farm in Pililla, Rizal. Situated on a hilly landscape overlooking the scenic Laguna Bay, this is a popular spot for cyclists, motorcycle riders and road trippers. It’s an easy enough drive to via Marilaque and you can get here in about two hours from Quezon City, making it an ideal stop for late breakfast or lunch during weekend or day trip rides.
The year is about to end and I still haven’t finished writing about Lakbay Norte 3, the 8-day media tour of the Northern Philippines. Aside from all the activities, the restaurants we ate in and hotels we stayed in played a huge part in making the trip so great. In the tradition of my hotel-hopping post for Lakbay Norte 2 (which kick-started my whole key collection), here’s a quick rundown of the different hotels we stayed in during the trip for LN3.
Right now, I’m really missing the cool mountain air of Sagada. There’s something about this charming town that just makes you want to stay for days or weeks. Aside from all the great places to eat and exciting outdoor activities you can do, it’s just the ideal place to laze around. You wake up to the most spectacular view of mountains and flowers and can huddle under the blankets even at high noon. Still working on a couple of articles about the different things to do there. In the meantime, here are a few snapshots from our trip:
The narrow road seemed to snake on endlessly. Before me were several towering mountains thickly covered with pine trees. Thin clouds that seemed like wandering spirits shifted in and out of the scenery.
Some sections of the road apparently had just been been cleared of landslides, but there were still boulders and rocks strewn all over. At every blind turn, I was terrified of crashing head on with a jeepney full of toploaders or a speeding truck on its way up to Sagada. More than once, I had visions of my motorbike careening off a cliff, tragically with me still on it.
Continue reading “Motorcycling from Sagada to Banaue and back”After searching through photo archives of previous trips where I know I drank beers abroad, checking out several places that serve imported and craft beer in Manila, and raiding the alcohol section of a LOT of grocery stores, I finally completed my 99 Bottles of Beer on the (Facebook) Wall collection! I thought about seriously doing this sometime in October 2011 after thinking to myself “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” would make a cool post, and am happy to say that I have completed it as Oktoberfest 2012 is coming to an end.
Here are the beers in alphabetical order:
Continue reading “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”
Zamboanga City’s La Hermosa Festival which was held last October 7-12 was one of the most colorful festivals I’ve witnessed in the country. From the hundreds of vintas with their rainbow sails racing on the sea in the annual Regatta de Zamboanga, to the festive flurry of activities, it was like a gigantic box of crayons just spilled over the whole city. Beyond the elaborate floats and vibrant costumes of the street dancers, it was great to see the community spirit as locals took part in the different festivities. Here are a few snapshots from the event.
Continue reading “Regatta de Zamboanga & La Hermosa Festival”
The Princess welcomed us to her home warmly, apologizing and shooing off several barking dogs who came running to greet us at the gate. As we entered, I was overwhelmed by the contrast of colors and items in her house.
Since I’m nearing the end of my 99 beers collection sidequest, I was thinking of branching out into cocktails and mixed drinks. One of the coolest resources for this that I’ve come across is The Drunken Moogle, a blog devoted to the “two best things this side of Hyrule: geek culture and booze.”
The Drunken Moogle contains an extensive collection of nerdy cocktail recipes inspired by video games, anime, movies and as well as geeky drinking games. They even have a listing of gaming bars around the world that makes me just want to open up one here in the country. Here are a few cocktail recipes that I’d like to recreate from the games I’ve recently played. I think these would all be great for a video game themed Halloween party.
Bloody Alice (American McGee’s Alice Cocktail)
Though I finished playing Alice: Madness Returns last year, I’ve been replaying it in an attempt to get the 100% completion rate for pig snouts, bottles, memories and radula rooms. Bloody Alice, a modified Bloody Mary concocted by The Drunken Moogle, looks as delicious and twisted as the game is.
You must be logged in to post a comment.