Last year, we took the fast train from Taipei to Taichung. It was modern enough. But nothing prepared me for the massive expanse of glass and steel that is the Shanghai Hongquiao Railway Station. It looks bigger than our airport terminal in Manila. Okay, I will vote for the next Philippine president who will build a train station like this :D (riding PNR is something I never tried, or plan to do) Flying to Beijing from Shanghai was tempting. But I guess taking the night 'D' trains with soft sleepers that depart around 9:30 p.m. and arrive at 7:30 a.m. the next ... Continue Reading...
Shanghai, China: great views, big city
I female student I met on this trip told me: "Shanghai is not the real China." Maybe like me, she came from the typical small town (in my case, small country) who was in awe at seeing the mega city for the first time. Still, modern Shanghai is an apparent indication of what China will be in the very near future and what it is now... an emerging economic powerhouse of the world. State of the art architecture greets one upon arriving in the Pudong International Airport, accessible via subway and the super-fast Maglev trains. As a tourist, I loved being in ... Continue Reading...
Hotel Celeste, Makati : cozy small hotel with the French flair
We could have gone out of town, but on the day of our second wedding anniversary, hubby and I chose instead to snuggle up in Hotel Celeste. Reason for staying: we've never been here! I was certainly glad that the place looked as classy as it was in the pictures. The sight of those envelope-shaped pillows by the bed summoned me to open the surprises and possibilities that awaited us here in this inviting cocoon. We liked the little touches like the L'Occitane toiletries in the bathroom. Yes I admit, I took the unfinished bottles home :D The entertainment ... Continue Reading...
Vietnamese cooking class @ Hanoi Cooking Centre
Here's what I consider the most enjoyable thing I did on this trip: take a Vietnamese cooking class at the Hanoi Cooking Centre for US$45. As they say, after you fall in love with the food, you gotta learn how to make 'em. I enrolled at the Hanoi Cooking Centre because of the good reviews this establishment got from travellers on Trip Advisor. The center's owner, Tracey Lister, is an Australian who chose to settle in Hanoi and establish an informal school, with a coffeeshop on the second floor. She is also the author of the coffeetable book Koto: A Culinary ... Continue Reading...
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Seeing Ha Long Bay was one of the reasons why we flew all the way to Hanoi. The photographs of those boats hogging the bay's stunning landscape has always haunted me, and it was a dream come true to finally see it! It was cold and it was foggy. Still, the sight of those limestone isles appearing one after the other as we travelled through water in an old-fashioned boat took my breath away. God's masterpiece at work! The bay has about 1,960 limestone karsts and isles that are followed only by Phi Phi island in Thailand and Guilin, China in terms of numbers. The ... Continue Reading...
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