Shaubogan at Calatagan

3:19 PM | Posted by Roadtrippers

Before roadtripper Shau leaves for Dubai, we decided to have a summer trip with her. After much planning, multiply flooding, and endless group txts to finalize the trip, we ended up going to CAPOceans, Calatagan, Batangas.

Everyone had a blast during this trip, not because the beach was fantastic (because it’s not), but simply because we never fail to have fun when we’re together. There were mishaps during the trip but we were able to just laugh it off afterwards:

* Superhero bosses who want Len to work on a holiday. And it’s not just any holiday, it’s *%@#* Labor day!

(see image on the right : working on a holiday )








* 7pm call time at Krispy Kremes but guess who came late?! The driver (who insists on passing the e-pass lane even though he doesn’t have an e-pass) with his “van” (that turned out to be an AUV) came at around 10pm.

* The looOoOoong drive on a pitch black road to Calatagan.

Highlights of the trip were:

* Leluck’s golimar paws
* Kuya Noel checking out DingDong Dantes’ (hahaha)
* Antonov and Singapore Sling + flattops (divided equally?)
* Crying/bangag sessions that I did not witness..hehe
* Drunken len (again. But hey, she didn’t throw up!)
* Real food! Thanks itay roi!
* Photoshoots





Now, for the things that visitors of our site would want to see, here are the ff:

Resort: CapOceans (Conserve and Protect the Oceans) Calatagan, Batangas
Accomodations: 3 bunk beds , good for 6 persons
- the place is clean and spacious
Rates : 4.000 per room (the one that we rented)
Cost of renting a 'van' (skul service): 3,400 /two-way (gas not included)
Budget for food and beverages: 1,500 for 13 people
Beach : rocky, clear water, not the good place to swim though.



For people who just want a quiet place to relax by the beach, then this is the place to go :)

cheers!




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Roadtrippers Goes To Anawangin

8:35 AM | Posted by Roadtrippers

the summer get-away we have all been waiting for. too bad we were incomplete... :( anyway, we still had a blast!

april 3, 2008 - grocery day
met at sm megamall to buy the stuffs we'll need. previously, we've already bough a tent and a portable stove + butane. now we shop for food and alcohol.. hehe!

DAY 1
april 5 - roadtrip!!!

met up in edsa. we were picked up from different points. good thing jeamie's dad had an activity in zambales so we were able to ride with him up to san antonio zambales, where we took a trike to pundaquit. we had lunch and after negotiations with boatmen, we ended up with kuya resty. he brought us to anawangin and will pick us on monday.

and off we go to ANAWANGIN COVE!!!







ANAWANGIN is really a camping ground. no resorts or hotels, no electricity, and no signal.. there's no comfortable comfort room too. the caretakers of the island is an Aeta family. there's only one water pump and 2 CRs for all campers. the beach is really breath-taking. the breeze is really cool even at noon. the water is clear.. and the main attraction in the island are the PINE TREES. yes, that's right.. pine trees in the tropics! haha!


PINE TREES will shelter you from the extreme heat of the sun.

once we got on shore, we immediately looked for the best area to pitch a tent. after setting our tents up, we put on our swim wear and tested the waters.

later that night, we got drunk in Don Enrique tequilla and our new bestfriend for life, Antonov vodka. we were really drunk and were possessed by our British Alter-Egos.. ahahhaa! one of the highlights too was the CHUBBY BUNNY game. here are the mechanics:

1. get a crazy drunk partner
2. open your mouth.. as in really really WIDE
3. once the GO signal has been given, your partner will stuff your mouth with giant MARSHMALLOWS. the mallows will keep on coming as long as there's space in your mouth.
4. if you feel that you already got too much in your mouth, raise your hand to signal stop
5. and shout the words CHUBBY BUNNY again and again!!!!!

the night ended with eica and jme throwing up.. and with meng falling along with the tent... ahahhahahah!


DAY 2

April 6 - lomo day

we brought our lomo cams along and walked around the beach and the woods to take shots. after lunch, we dipped in the cold waters again and played some charades.

later that night, we got drunk again. we had gin but didn't have any chaser . kaya umisip nalang ng ibang bagay na pwede isabay sa paglaklak ng alak. eto ang ilan sa mga naisip na kalokohan:

gin-mura (tagay sabay sambit ng malutong na P*@!#na)
gin-ngiwi (tagay sabay ngiwi ng labi)
gin-luha (magipon muna ng luha sabay tagay)
gin-Cobarrubias (bisayang Jen lang yan!)

since some got lazy to drink, we just decided to go near the shores and do some star gazing. some of us fell asleep there but jen came and woke us so we can go back to our tents.

DAY 3

April 7 - skimboarding day

roi, miss and redi joined the group of arlene and brien to skim.

last day, we took a lot of group pictures before leaving the cove.




like they say, parting is such sweet sorrow. bye, anawangin.



back in manila. dinner at JTs Manukan before going home.

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Pug Marks: The Zoobic Safari Trip

3:51 PM | Posted by Roadtrippers

A weekend trip to Zoobic; to see and experience a close encounter with the tigers. We took Victory Liner's bus to Olongapo around 9am and got there around 1pm. We didn't know that Group I, Ilanin Forest was far from Subic Freeport Zone's gate and that we have to take a taxi which costs P400 (they don't do meters..). Since we planned to stay overnight in Crown Peak Tiara Hotel, we sought a way to get there first, unpack and think of a "more affordable way" of getting to Zoobic. Good thing, Winstar had a coaster passing through Tiara, and it was only a P13 ride. In the hotel, we realized that there's no other way to get to Zoobic but ride a taxi (i should've brought my car). Though it hurts our hearts so much, we took a taxi and the P400 just disappeared. Hehe.

The entrance in Zoobic was P395 for adults, and we had to pay extra P50 each since we didn't have a private car, and a part of the tour consists of walking and riding. I can say the entrance was worth it. I enjoyed every part of the tour. The performances from in-house park entertainers, the animals' performances (would you believe they also took part?), the informative tour guide (thanks kuya jaywell? not sure bout the spelling, hehe.. not even sure bout d name.. but it sounded like that), and of course what we enjoyed the most.. the close encounter with the tigers. I'll be posting video clips here.

Though it was a sudden trip, we still managed to get through it. After the tour was over, we were lucky enough that a couple and their family was kind enough to give us a free ride. That saved us P400 and time in waiting for the taxi to pick us up. They dropped us off the main gate, where we had our dinner in a fast food in a nearby mall. The next day, we had good Chinese food over at Kong's. We asked a locale to suggest a place where we can get good food.. and he pointed us there (thanks kuya guard!) Before heading back to Manila, we computed our funds again, and found out they have been enough and was even a little excessive. If you're planning to go to Zoobic by bus; from Pasay to Olangapo, Victory Liner is only P173, and the amount to Olangapo to Pasay is still in that range.. P177, I think. If you like to stay overnight, Crown Peak Tiara is just 15 minutes away from there. Their overnight rates only cost P1,500. Computing expenses, a P5,000 budget for 2 people is a bit more than enough. If you go there in a group, the same budget may apply but it would be a lesser burden 'cause the expenses will be divided to more people.

If you want to have a quality time with your family, good time with friends, or a unique date.. I can suggest Zoobic is a nice place to be. Information, entertainment, adventure, await you in Zoobic.










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Incubus in Manila: Light Grenades Pacific Rim Tour

2:09 PM | Posted by Roadtrippers

One of the hottest rock bands in the music industry today, Incubus, came to Manila for their Light Grenades Album Pacific Rim Tour.


We're lucky enough to have witnessed them as they conquer the Big Dome in their 2nd time in the Philippines.

Here are some of our their videos and pictures that we took from the concert night.















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Panagbenga Festival 2008

9:27 PM | Posted by Roadtrippers




Headed North, again, this time, to the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio City. For a few weeks in February, Baguio holds its annual Flower Festival; and lucky for us, February 23-25 was a long weekend, a good chance to take a break from the city life and relax.

So were we able to relax?

Unfortunately, people from across the Philippines, and even a good number of foreign tourists also thought of what we had in mind. Panagbenga really sets Baguio into a populous, live, busy city in an instant. People are here, there, and everywhere. Hotels, villas, and for-rent houses are full, restaurant seats are all taken, taxis are all hired, parks are jampacked. Fortunately, accomodation didn't become a problem for us. The boss of Anna's mom was kind enough to lend us her house with 9 spacious rooms and that helped us save a good amount of money, and have a sound sleep.


During our first day, we had our lunch in Solibao Restaurant. We ordered the Ihaw-Ihaw Delight, tortang talong, kangkong and 3 rice platters for 8 people which had only cost us a a hundred and so, per person. Later on, Sherwin, Ana, Raf and I had our merienda/dinner at Zola Cafe and Restaurant. Their Pizza Cebu was the best. Mangoes, anchovies and cheese.. yummy! Pizza Quattro (4 cheese) was sumptuous too and so as their pastas, Tomato Meat and Bolognese Spaghetti. Add up a glass of Coke and a bottle of San Mig Light, we spent only P400 for that.

The Flower Parade which happened the next day, sent all people to the streets. Despite the rain, everyone stood and waited excitingly to catch a glimpse of the floats. There were few remarkable floats, including those of People Support, Bicycle Club, TJ Hotdogs, and Cebu Pacific. But the most anticipated floats were those of Kapuso, GMA7 and Kapamilya, ABS-CBN which both contained some of today's hottest primetime stars. Richard Gutierrez, Jewel Misch, Alfred Vargas, Iza Calzado, Iwa Moto, Jomari Yllana, Jody Sta.Maria, Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson and Angelica Panganiban were present.






The next day, some of our friends already headed back to Manila, leaving only me and Sherwin. Good thing we met up with Jeamie and Eica to explore more of Baguio. We went to Oh My Gulay, a restaurant-gallery; Tam-Awan Village, Lourdes Grotto,Nevada Square, Cathedral, more of Session Road and City Market. It was fun and we had a lot of our pictures taken.


We headed back to the house for final packing, and we computed how much, each of us had spent in that long weekend in Baguio. The average amount was P1,500-P2,500 per person. Excluding accomodation, including meals, transportation and shopping.

We left Baguio at 9pm Monday and got to Manila at about 2am Tuesday.

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The 12th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

2:31 PM | Posted by Roadtrippers

"Like a shamanistic language, flight speaks in different idioms. We can blast rockets to the stars. We can race across the sky on fixed wings. Ballooning appeals because it is more languorous and low-tech; it's adventure in an antique mood.

What a treat to stroll through the veils of twilight, to float across the sky like a slowly forming thought. Flying an airplane, one usually travels the shortest distance between two points. Balloonists can dawdle, lollygag, cast their fate to the wind and become part of the ebb and flow of nature, part of the sky itself, held aloft like any bird, leaf or spore. In that silent realm, far from the mischief and toil of society, all one hears is the urgent breathing of the wind and, now and then, an inspiring gasp of hot air."

-Diane Ackerman, "Traveling Light,' op-ed in the New York Times, 11 January 1997


How great could it have been if we really had a chance to ride one of those balloons and experience the feeling described in this quotation; but too bad.. all we had was a glimpse of them.. being inflated, set to rise, soaring above, and have landed.

My friends and I decided to pay off a little visit to the North, to see the 12th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. We decided to meet in 7-11 Kamias at around 3am so we can get there early and find a good spot for balloon watching, lomo photoshoot and of course.. dozing off. There were already a lot of people when we got there around 5 and like us, they were also excited to see the balloons in flight.

The weather was fine and perfectly suited for the whole process.. 21 balloons participated but one balloon unfortunately wasn't able to fly (some technical problems, perhaps). Everyone had their favorite balloons and were clapping as they were launched. The launching, I have to say is the only exciting part. The rest were just so-so. Good thing, I was with my friends and they made the stay fun and enjoyable.

We brought along a tent which was so hard to pitch. None of us were boy scouts or girl scouts, nor hikers and campers. We were figuring out our way to make the tent stand and after a long trial and error of inserting pegs into wrong holes, with the crowd witnessing our every move, we made it. There was even a woman probably on her fifties who congratulated us for having finally pitched the tent. She said, "O buti naayos na.. nakatulog na ko at lahat..". Oh well, we have teamwork!

We didn't stay there 'til the end of the day. At lunch time, we headed to SM Clark for sumptuous meal in Pollo Rico. They have good food. Wide selections, various dishes, fair serving, that will surely suit all budgets; but dining out in groups can really help you save a lot. There were 9 of us and we ordered, 4 dishes and 2 java rice good for 4, sodas and ice teas, and we only get to pay I think P1,000-P1,300. Not bad.


After strolling in the mall, we discovered Dr. Pearl. It's like Zagu but not like it on kiosks, they have nice rattan solo sofas to lounge on. So it's like being on a sort of Starbucks which offers drinks on a range of P35-P60. We really had a good time there, not because of the drinks, which btw were just ok; but because we were thinking of localizing some hollywood movies. Can you imagine Jimmy Santos as Shrek? Nora Aunor as Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada.. and how about Aiza being Jubilee if ever that character will be included in X-Men's Pinoy version.



After a long day, we decided to finally head back to Manila and promise to come back next year for new balloons, more food adventures, and of course more bonding moments.

Here's a list of things that help us got along in that trip:

- a P1,000 amount of unleaded gas for the CR-V
- tent, mat, pillows, umbrellas
- some poi, RC helicopters and a kite for leisure
- pocket money (the trip didn't cost us much.. we only paid the contribution for gas (100 per person), the entrance (P100 each), and the food (prob P200-P300)

So that's it. With a budget of probably P500 per person, you and your friends can now start planning your trip to the next Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

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