Restos in Angeles City: VFW, C’ Italian Dining & 19 Copung Copung
Most recently, a foreign friend bent on staying for a time in the Philippines asked me for recommendations about places to go and the cost of living in the country. “Anywhere I should avoid? Like Angels City? I mean those places where sex tourist and ’sexpats’ gather. Don’t want to end up somewhere like Thailand’s Pattaya. ”
I presume Angeles City has such a rep among the males by virtue of word of mouth and what they read in the forums. I was here this week and the trusty pedicab I rode in drove through the city’s (in)famous bar strip in Fields Avenue where some joints were indeed open 24/7.
However, it’s an unfair accusation to just associate Angeles City with ‘ affordable girls’ and sleazy entertainment. I really like the food here…and I don’t mean the carnal kind 
The place was after all one of the sites of our forget-your-diet, ultimate food trip way back in ‘06.
This time around, I made sure to try the much-acclaimed C’ Italian Dining along Don Juico Avenue (also known as the Friendship Highway.) My first attempt to visit this resto during Christmas ‘07 was a failure because the place was closed. And my first impression now was that it looked like an enoteca due to the bar with all those bottles of wine that greeted guests upon entering. And of course those plates on the wall signed by satisfied guests.
Liliw, Laguna photos
This is the second time I’ve visited Liliw, Laguna – a charming town south of Manila. All of the occasions I’ve been here, it was just for a stop-over but it doesn’t change my opinion about how charming it is.
There are some things that hold my attention upon entering – the brick-colored church and the narrow streets which play host to well-maintained- houses. Of course, there are all those shoe stores. This is after all the “Tsinelas Capital” of the country. The riches of the people in this town were made from fashioning all those tsinelas (slippers).
This giant replica is what greets you upon entering the main thoroughfare…..
The great Quezon-Laguna day tour: Lucban-Majayjay-Liliw-Nagcarlan
I promised to myself to travel more this summer, and so I did ~ while fulfilling my long-time wish to see the Pahiyas festival. I was also thankful that I joined a tour group instead of driving out. Paying $20 (or P1,000) for a whole day tour that covered four towns, a hearty buffet lunch and with free halo-halo to boot was indeed worth it. I’d have to commend some travel agencies for making tours around the islands affordable for most Pinoys (and not just tourists or balikbayans.) This was one example where joining group tours is more advantageous than flying solo or venturing out on your own.
Anyway, here’s my picture at the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery with three other travellers I only saw during the trip. Again, the advantage of being in a group tour is that it wouldn’t look so obvious that you’re by your lonesome. And you can always make friends with them! 
Island Cove Hotel & Leisure Park: the review
Hubby and I went to Island Cove Hotel & Leisure Park because we were suddenly too tired to drive as far as Tagaytay. Coming from our place in the south, this resort near Bacoor, Cavite was only an hour away. First impressions: the place was really huge! It was also a good deal that we got a two-bedroom cottage for P4,500, although it seemed strange that it didn’t go with free buffet breakfast. Anyway, more on that later. Here are some pictures of the place I unearthed from my archives.
4 x 4 jeepneys, Filipino-style
A trip to Mt. Pinatubo wouldn’t be complete without sampling a ride in locally-assembled 4 X 4 jeeps, also known as four wheelers. In fact, they’re your vehicular gateway to Pinatubo. Riding these sturdy vehicles of metal and steel makes the whole trip half-fun and half adventurous. Seven of us were able to squeeze in one jeep (including the driver) and our guide was seated by the hood, for lack of space.
Anyway, I couldn’t help but be amused when I asked the driver about the make and assembly of the jeep. The body was like a surplus Willys jeep, while the engine and chassis are either Toyota or Mitsubishi. I really don’t know what kind of quality control our local mechanics imposed on the jeeps, but their performance sure looked impressive as we climbed the famed “Skyway” (shortcut to Pinatubo) with its rough roads, steep climbs, rocky surface, and lahar-laden territories.
If, as a tourist, you’re amazed at the colorful Philippine jeepneys, the Pinatubo four-wheelers are another incarnation. As they say, iba ang Pilipino….. Only in the Philippines!
Day trip to Mt. Pinatubo: the once-raging volcano is such a beauty
A daytime trek to Mount Pinatubo -with a starting point in Capas, Tarlac – is highly recommended if you’re looking for an activity you can do in one day. An overnight stay is also good if you’re one who likes camping out. Overall, this was one trip I totally enjoyed this summer. It had the right combination of sightseeing, physical exercise and adventure, such as our rough ride in the those make-shift four wheeler jeeps – only in the Philippines!
Viewing Pinatubo’s magnificent crater lake for the first time was a breathtaking experience. It was like being transported to paradise after the trouble of waking up at the crack of dawn, riding the four-wheelers on rough roads for one hour and trekking just to reach the foot of the mountain. The ultimate reward is the sight of this beautiful sulphur lake…..
Little Tokyo Makati
Fast forward to 2009 and I am happy to find Little Tokyo in Makati. Fellow bloggers have been talking about this place and it was time to see It warmed my heart at first sight.
LP 52: Paboritong Litrato (Kalikasan)
Mahirap ang tema ng Litratong Pinoy ngayong linggo na ito kasi kailangang pumili ng paboritong photos. Mahirap kasi halos apat na libo na rin ang mga larawan ko sa Flickr, at ang iba namang paborito ko ay hindi na inabot ng digital age. Katulad ng mga coup d’etat nung late 80s at ang pagguho ng mga gusali sa Baguio. Kasagsagan pa yun ng aking mga coverage sa dyaryo. Sayang di ko iningatan kaya nawala na ang mga yun.
Ipapakita ko na lang ang ilang pictures sa mga paboritong lugar na napuntahan ko sa Pilipinas. Kung lalabas lang din tayong mga taga-Maynila ay masasabi nating pinagpapala pa rin ang Pilipinas sa angking ganda. Heto ang ilang magagandang tanawin:
Us-usan Sandbar sa Guimaras. Di ko makalimutan ang lugar na ito kasi hanep sa pagka-birhen ang beach. Hindi rin dinadayo mg madlang people kaya heaven talaga pag pinuntahan mo.
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Penang hawker food
What made my short stay in Penang so worth it is that I didn’t taste anything that wasn’t to my liking. Meaning, everything was delicious to my curious tastebuds. I didn’t even eat in a restaurant labelled as “fine dining.” Because to have an inkling of Penang cuisine, you’d have to be there on the streets, where the cooking mamas chop onions as fast as those chefs on TV in their little stalls and serve food on makeshift tables. Outsiders would have the impression that whipping up good hawker food was a way of life there, and the practice was passed on through generations. This is what comprises the legend that is Penang food.
The first real meal I had upon arriving was this colorful wan tan mee, priced at $1 or forty plus pesos. This was egg noodles in black soya sauce with slices of roast pork, dumplings, green veggies, chilies and other bits. Simply superb!
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A short journey to Georgetown, Penang
We stayed in Georgetown, Penang at about the same amount of time it took us to get there – a total of 10 hours from Kuala Lumpur, and back. It wasn’t really much of a bother as the ride was smooth and it afforded views of the Malaysian countryside I haven’t seen.
Add to this my determination to go to Penang because of all the things I’ve read about it in publications like 1000 Places to See Before You Die and more recently New York Times’ 44 Places to Go in 2009. Curious old me wanted to see what the hype was all about.
And glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. Sure,it had all the tourist traps like not being picture-pretty clean and those trikes possibly overcharging me in their quest to earn a living. The place wins on the fact that it had oodles of character, if those ancient shops, buildings and temples aren’t proof enough.
Most of all, Penang lived and breathed food 24/7. The hawker food was far from antiseptic but it was whipped up so delectably from the stalls of seasoned cooking mamas. It should rightfully be put on top of any foodie’s must-go-to list.
Anyway, our trip to Penang began and ended with a passage through the beautiful Penang Bridge, the third longest in the world. I was only able to take this candid shot from our tourist bus.
Blogging since 2004 and recently married to Mr Z. I can't live without coffee....and brown sugar.
