Meet me at the Eye

Mall of Asia recently unveiled its newest brainchild- the Eye. For a minimal fee of PHP100, one can have a bird’s eye view of the Manila Bay, MoA Complex and the surrounding environs.  At 160 feet, MoA Eye is petite compared to the famous London Eye which towers at 440+ feet and the Singapore Flyer (the largest in the world) which is a 541 feet giant. The Great Wheel of China, which will stand at 682 feet, has yet to open. No matter what, the EYE will be another eye-capturing landmark in this side of the metro. Let’s have an EYEBALL in the EYE!

Tagaytay…One More Time

I can’t exactly remember how many times I’ve been to Tagaytay but I can recall the memories I have every time I am there. I keep coming back to this place yet never get tired of it. It seems like every time is as unique and distinct as the previous. It was my first time to be in Tagaytay on Ber months and this made the trip even more special. Another first, Taal Volcano wasn’t visible at that time (choosy Volcano!). The smell of pine trees, misty atmosphere and cool breeze never cease to amaze me. Tagaytay, until we meet again! (I hope the government will do a major,major overhaul in People’s Park coz the structure is deteriorating fast.)

Christmas in the Metro

Makati City- Christmas is in the air, literally, in Ayala Triangle. After a hectic office schedule, one can stroll through the Christmas decor-laden streets of Makati Business District on your way to the Triangle. One can also get a view of different but interesting building façade adornments which makes the walk overwhelming, to say the least.  The Ayala Triangle is turned into a Christmas Light and Music Wonderland with thousands of light bulbs flickering to different Christmas tunes. The best thing about this, restos abound the place! One can grab a great slice of cake in Banapple or a sumptuous pizza in Amici (just be early coz queue might be time-consuming). Christmas is truly just around the corner!

Online Booking and It’s Discontent

11-11-11. Pasay, Philippines. To book or not to book, that is the question.  Aside from the fact that the date begins in identical odd number, there is nothing bizarre about 11-11-11. I don’t know how but businesses have a way of making random things appear significant.  To make tourists like me drool about the next big travel destination, ads about sale of airfare tickets are circulating on the net. Being that I am, I strategized for the best way to get that sought-after ticket (now blame capitalism for hardcore consumerism!).

It was past midnight and the unusually humid breeze of Christmas season made my sweat glands revolutionized.  Groggy that I was, I woke up in the middle of the night just to achieve something I consider significant, life-altering, and schedule- transforming: ONLINE BOOKING. I see you laughing and yeah, I am a bit OC about travelling but I sorely needed to be the first one to avail of online promo tickets. There I was waiting for my internet connection and in a matter of split second; I was busy typing those airline websites. After a few moments, these websites seem to have technical problem and it said “SERVICE UNAVAILABLE THIS TIME”. I told myself it might only take a few seconds and in a jiffy I will be back on track. I tried using another search engine but the same thing happened. I tried time and again until past two am and realized I am just wasting my precious sleeping time. I went to bed, exhausted and frustrated. Coincidentally, since I have slept for a couple of hours, I can’t get my head still. I was trying all of my sleeping habits (counted my blessings, taking slow and deep breathe, counted backwards) but of no help. That made me furious and I swear to myself to tell my horrendous experience.

 This online booking in an unholy hour experience made me realized that the early bird did not catch the worm or the second mouse got the cheese but the sleepy head gained more strength.  I promised to myself I will never be a slave of consumerism again (cross my fingers). I barely slept when the alarm went loud and I can do nothing but to get my ass to the shower. After taking a bath, I tried checking those websites again and viola, I connected without a sweat (or is it because I just took a bath?). Unfortunately, those ads about big, big sale and discount are just plain advertisements. The fares are still priced beyond reach of an average bourgeois like me. Why can’t these airline websites be straightforward in their fares and include everything in their ads? Why should they separate fuel surcharge, taxes and web admin fee only to find out that the much-anticipated low fare is really not that low?  Whew, what a humbling experience it was! The moral of the story: expect nothing because if it is too good to be true, it really is.

If I could put up my new and perfect resort, it will look like this:

I will use the white sands of Boracay,

I will utilize the waters of Siargao,

I will exploit the night life of Galera,

I will move the tourist destinations of Bohol,

I will establish the hotels of Resort World,

I will put my family as managers, supervisors and owners,

And finally, I will… thank God for this dream...

How about you? How will you picture a perfect tourist destination?

(Third of three parts)

Q- Quiet and solitude. Even for just a few minutes, spend time to silently reflect and be glad for the vacation. This will re-invigorate and give you a fresher outlook.

R- Reward yourself. The vacation in itself is a gift and if treated as such, you will value every moment of it. Even a simple cup of freshly brewed coffee in a vacation adds that little EXTRA to your ORDINARY sip.

S- Sleep. Have more than enough sleep before and after your vacation. While on vacation, sleeping is just an option.

T-Timetable compliance. If one needs to visit every single tourist attraction in an area, an itinerary is a must and should be followed. The last thing that you want as a traveler is to run out of time.

U- Upload photos ASAP. With the kind of technology we have today, everything is just a click away.  Share pictures and videos the soonest possible time.

V- V (b) lock those harmful rays. I went to Bohol without my sun block and I got home looking like a bread fresh from the toaster. Moral of the story: use the one with the highest SPF! As a song rightly puts it, everybody’s free to wear sunscreen.

W- Waste. It might sound cliché but a little bit of proper waste disposal won’t hurt us. It’s a way of giving back to the beauty of the scene that we marvel.  Just imagine what will happen to our favorite destinations if every visitor will leave waste indiscriminately!

X- Exit gracefully. If it is time to go back home, be happy and never whine that the best is over. Here is my mantra; your current destination is just a prelude to your succeeding vacations.

Y- Yummy Feast. A vacation can be a finger-licking, lip-smacking gastronomic ride too! Sample the best local cuisine and eat your heart out. The foodtrip is a vacation in itself. Just never forget the meds for constipation.

Z- Zesty. After your vacation, you will feel invigorated and rejuvenated. Use it, reproduce it and never lose it.

There you go, ready and prepared. Ciao and Buon voyage!

(Second of three parts)

I- Insurance helps. If you love to travel but unfamiliar of the destination, insure yourself. It is better to be prepared than to be sorry. If a travel insurance is too heavy, a health insurance coverage will get the job done.

J- Jot down. If you are not that mental and a bit amnesiac, one must put in writing important things. You must never forget the number of bags, the cash on hand and those oh-so important documents.

K- Kilo Allowance. Be mindful of the allowable carried baggage and guesstimate the weight before departure. Travel light, pack easy and have rooms for pasalubong. If you will exceed the allowed baggage, you might end up paying more than the actual price of your promo ticket.

L-Loosen up. Expect that there will be glitches, both minor and major, along the way. Stay calm and never lose your composure. The trick is to do one thing at a time and never be too hard to yourself.

M- Master the art of budgeting. Traveling on a budget doesn’t mean traveling sans beautiful memories. Maximize hotel freebies, eat all-out on buffets and haggle reasonably. The best things in life are free, this holds true even in vacation.

N- Nightlife jamming. Whether you are a party animal or meek as a lamb, enjoy the nightlife whatever way you like. I am pretty sure there will be an exact place for you under the stars. Whatever happens though, just leave it wherever it happens.

O- Outfit perfect for the trip. As important as it seems, a get-up is not the be-all and end-all of your vacation.  I know someone who didn’t pursue a vacation just because of wardrobe shortage and ended up frustrated. Just pack suitable and easy-to-wear set of clothes and never forget to bring extra underwear. You will never know when you need them.

P- Promo Fares. From time to time, air fares are on sale. Online booking can be a little bit tricky and one must muster incredible patience in getting this job done. I must admit, promo fares really help especially for budget travelers like me.  The money you save in airfare can be used for activities, right?

to be continued...