Author: Kara Santos

5 Cool Motorcycle Riders in Video Games

I’ve been wanting to modify my scooter Chocobo to resemble something more video-game like. While doing research on motorcycles in video games, I thought I might as well make a list of video game bikers from the games I have played. I’m not really a fan of driving/racing games and prefer RPG/adventure so I’m sure I missed out on a lot. Be sure to check out the links for videos of the motorcycles in action.

Cloud Strife

  • Game: Final Fantasy VII
  • Occupation: Mercenary and ex-member of SOLDIER (a select, genetically augmented military unit operating under the defacto world government and mega-corporation Shinra Electric Power Company)
It takes extreme skill to ride a bike on a highway while wielding a big-ass sword. Cloud first obtains the cool-looking silver and black Hardy-Daytona bike in the motorcycle minigame in FFVII which is crucial in the escape of Midgar. After stealing the Shinra motorcycle, Cloud has to navigate the highway full of motorcycle guards and highway patrol.

Continue reading “5 Cool Motorcycle Riders in Video Games”

Visita Iglesia via Motorcycle

Holy week in Manila is great. There’s no traffic on the roads, making it an ideal time for road trips. This year, we decided to do a “Visita Iglesia” via motorcycle to several churches, targeting the Rizal/Laguna area.

The tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday is said to have originated in Rome when early pilgrims visited seven pilgrim churches as penance. The ride itself in the morning was pretty good, but towards noon, the scorching heat going back (especially through Cogeo and Marikina) did feel like penance. Continue reading “Visita Iglesia via Motorcycle”

On the Road to Ilocos Norte: Buguey and Claveria

Day 3: On the road to Ilocos Norte: Buguey and Claveria 

Our first stop on the bus ride from Cagayan to Ilocos Norte was at the coastal town of Buguey, also known as “the crab capital of the north.” We were warmly welcomed by our hosts with fresh buko juice and crab sandwiches as an appetizer to a sumptuous seafood feast at the El Presidente Beach Resort.

Continue reading “On the Road to Ilocos Norte: Buguey and Claveria”

Eastern Hawaii Hotel in Cagayan

Night 2: Eastern Hawaii Casino and Resort

Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. in the CEZA complex in Sta. Ana is another option for those looking for a relaxing place to stay while visiting Cagayan.

Like Sun City, the hotel mainly caters to Chinese tourists who play in the casinos. Despite our brief stay, we found the service quite good and staff very friendly.

Continue reading “Eastern Hawaii Hotel in Cagayan”

Island-hopping in Palaui and Cape Engano Lighthouse

Day 2: Island-hopping in Palaui and Cape Engano Lighthouse

On the second day of the Lakbay Norte tour, we headed off to the port of San Vicente in Cagayan where boats were waiting to take us on our island-hopping trip to Palaui.

After a 40- minute boat ride through relatively mild waves, we made it to our first stop at Siwangag Cove, a marine sanctuary in the northwestern part of Palaui island. The rough sandy beach was covered with tiny white corals and hermit crabs.

Then, we boarded the boats again towards another island where Cape Engano, a Spanish lighthouse completed in 1892 stood majestically on top of a hill. This time, the waves were much stronger and the swells made our boats drift almost like a roller-coaster. At times, we lost sight of the boats in front of us. Continue reading “Island-hopping in Palaui and Cape Engano Lighthouse”

Cagayan Food-Trip + the Luxurious Sun City

Earlier this year, I joined the second leg of Lakbay Norte 2, a media tour around provinces in the North. The six-day tour, organized by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) took us to the provinces of Cagayan and Ilocos. I’ve written about the whole trip for Sunday Inquirer Magazine titled 10 Things to do in Cagayan and Ilocos so now I’ll be posting a series of blogs and more photos from the trip.

Day 1: Cagayan food-trip

A delay in our morning flight to Tuguegarao from Manila caused what was supposed to be a leisurely morning snack, lunch and dinner spread out during the day to be jam-packed into a series of meals after our mid-afternoon arrival. Continue reading “Cagayan Food-Trip + the Luxurious Sun City”

NORTHBOUND: Adams, Anuplig Falls and an Exotic Meal

Check out NorthBound’s latest issue featuring “100 Reasons to visit Pangasinan.”

The eighth issue also includes a short article I wrote about our trip to Adams Village and Anuplig Falls during the Lakbay Norte 2 Media tour earlier this year. I also wrote about the  trip highlights for SIM  and will be doing a series of more detailed posts on this here.

 

The handy magazine (which includes a calendar of festivities and directory of places to stay) is published by the really cool people of North Philppines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), a non-profit group promoting tourism in the Northern provinces.

For more information or to download previous issues, check out their site here.

5 Unexpected Food Mashups

The Philippines is no stranger to bizarre food. One of our delicacies balut (boiled, fertilized egg) is considered Fear Factor-worthy, while other seemingly scary snacks like adidas (grilled or sauteed chicken feet), betamax (solidified pig’s or chicken’s blood) and isaw (skewered chicken intestines) are regular fare for most Pinoys. Continue reading “5 Unexpected Food Mashups”

How to throw a Mario-themed party

Ok, so this isn’t exactly a travel-related post, more like a how-to party guide. However, I did travel to Singapore to celebrate my nephew’s first birthday there so technically it counts. 🙂

My sister Lorie wanted to throw an “old school” party for my nephew Eli’s first birthday last year. Since she was based in Singapore at the time and didn’t have much time to buy props, we decided to go D-I-Y. We settled on Mario as the main theme for the details. Continue reading “How to throw a Mario-themed party”

Animal Bread from Antipolo

Ever wanted to eat a crocodile for breakfast?

animal-bread-antipolo-crocodile

You can find this cute animal art bread in Domalaon Bakery, an unassuming roadside sari-sari store in Antipolo City. It’s been sold there for years now and has been featured in various newspapers and blogs. The bread is popular during Christmas and New Year, when people buy them as edible centerpieces. Continue reading “Animal Bread from Antipolo”