Sun, Sea, Sand, Surf … Repeat (Late Post)

 At the beginning of the year I listed down as one of my goals for this year was to experience 14 new things in 2014, whether it be a major achievement or a tiny triumph. So far I’m in ninth. My ninth experience happened during this summer vacation.

Just before the week of going back to work, yes it’s my second year of work already, I had a chance to spend three days and three nights with my family in one of the newest (in my opinion) tourists’ spot in the Philippines. This was Baler (in Aurora region, north of Manila).

A welcome view from our room

Different Shades of Blue

waves!

My trip to Baler was actually a bit of a surprise since it was unplanned. My father just happened to come across a magazine article featuring the place where we stayed while in Baler (will tell you more about this in a while). He called up the place, made reservations, and the next thing we knew we were in Baler. During our vacation in Baler, we stayed in Costa Pacifica. It was such a beautiful place. And we had a great room! It was facing the Pacific Ocean. The staffs were very accommodating even when there were a lot of tourists. The food was also wonderful. They served both local and international cuisines. They would also have specials from Baler. I particularly enjoyed their waffles, pizza, and suman (rice cake).  Well, my family and I didn’t just stay in the hotel. Of course we went out and explored the different sights in the area. We were able to visit the Museo de Baler (if you want to know the history of the place this museum would be perfect), House of Aurora (mother of the past president of the Philippines), and the Baler Church. All these three are very near to the hotel. You may walk or ride a tricycle since it’s just in the town proper. Another place that we were able to go to was the Millennium Tree.  There were still more sights that we were not able to visit due to the time constraints of our trip. But I highly recommend that you visit the Mother falls. These are all for adventure and nature junkies.

Museo de Baler

Baler Church

Sunset by the Church

Millenium Tree

a really big balete tree

 Now going back to my 9^th experience, the 9^th first time thing that I did was to learn how to surf. One morning, my brother and I decided to give surfing a go. A little backstory, I just watched the movie Chasing Mavericks, so I was inspired to try surfing and besides it looked easy in the movie. Boy was I wrong! It was hard work. I had to learn to stand in time to ride a wave. I had to learn to balance to continue staying afloat on the board.  Lastly, I had to learn to keep on trying even if I would fall every so often. I have to say it was painful, tiring, and somehow a little humiliating (there were pro surfers and fast learners in the area), but it was all so worth it because after an hour of surfing lessons… I WAS ABLE TO SURF! I was able to ride a few waves and it felt so wonderful and so exhilarating! At first I hesitated and doubted myself, but surfing taught me to just do it. I thought that you had to be a great swimmer to surf, but my surfing instructor said that even a person like me, very poor swimmer, could do it. And I did! So if you’re in doubt, don’t be afraid to try. Just make sure you have the right instructor. Along the coast of Baler you will be able to see different surfing instructors. You may hire them to teach you. For me and my brother, we opted to seek help from the surf instructors situated beside Costa Pacifica (sorry, I forgot the name). The instructors were very patient and helpful. I really enjoyed this new experience even if it involved tons of fails. Definitely a check to my imaginary bucket list. 

Cowabunga!

So that’s that! I definitely enjoyed my short but SWEET (cliche surfer tone) vacation at Baler. Till Next time!

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer,  if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Bonus pictures:

Sunrise at Baler (I woke up at around 4 am and watched the sky and scenery change.... twas such a beauty)

nautical dawn

what a view from my bed

hello Mr. Sun

Sunrise

A Very Purple Oven

Sounds intriguing right? A purple oven?

Tucked in the quiet San Antonio Plaza Arcade at Mckinley Road, Taguig is a cute cozy bakeshop called Purple Oven. They bake and sell scrumptious pastries and cakes. Their products are guaranteed fresh since they sell goodies fresh from the oven. They even have a schedule on what pastry will be out – this means that not all their pastries are available all the time so make sure you catch their schedule. Purple oven sells a variety of cakes from classic sans rival to chocolate dome cake to lemon torte to cheesecakes!! You name it! They also have a bunch of savory pastries such as quiche tinapa and ham and cheese croissants.  

I recently visited Purple Oven in San Antonio; I forgot to mention they have four more branches in Luzon. When I went to Purple Oven I just had lunch with a friend so we decided to buy something sweet. Upon entering, the store felt so homey yet sophisticated. There were arrays of cakes in one side of the store and another array of pastries on the opposite side. I gravitated towards the cakes, but I saw that cake orders are not per slice rather as a whole. So, I choose to buy their Fudge Brownie and my friend bought their Chocolate Crinkles. The brownie was moist and it had walnuts inside. I loved it because it was not too sweet. It had the right bitterness and sweetness to it. It also had a crunchy and chewy balance. My friend too was pleased with the crinkles. I brought home the rest of the brownie (because each purchase is a pack of 16 slices) and my parents and brother loved it. Looks like I’ll be back soon J.

cakes! cakes! cakes!

Quiche and Croissants 

doughnuts!!

turnovers :D

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

P.S. Sorry I forgot to take photos of the brownie and crinkle L next time J

March March March

Hello everyone!

So, you might have noticed that I haven't written a recent entry. This is because I am focusing on finishing my thesis requirements, so that I will graduate this April. So till the end of March, I will be on a writing break. :) for the mean time, enjoy back reading, commenting, and others. If you would like for me to visit or try new dishes, places, or events just leave a comment of email me (email add. if found on the About page). 

Some updates:
-New cupcake shop opens around Metro Manila. The name of the cupcake/bakeshop is Vanilla. Their cupcakes are a must-try. I will be blogging about them soon.
-Solaire (a new resort) just opened! You might want to check it out! :)

Till the end of March! Blog you soon guys!
-DOT

Singapore Moments: Look Back… Start a New

Singapore Moments: Look Back… Start a New

            My first day of the year was all about looking back. “Looking back” in the sense of learning about history and other past highlights by visiting different museums. I don’t know with you, but studying different histories excites me. The thrill of seeing old clothes and furniture, learning about past cultures and norms, and imagining life before seems so interesting to me. So on the January 1, 2013 my family and I went to five different museums and numerous historical spots and tourist places. We did most of this travelling by walking. (Yes, its that easy! All you need is a map, an umbrella, and a bottle of water.) Since it was the first day of the year, most museums were open to the public… meaning no entrance fee J [tip: try visiting on National Holidays, perhaps entrance to museums would be free].

            We started at Singapore’s National Museum. I don’t think I have blogged about Philippine’s National Museum… anyways, Singapore’s National Museum was so beautiful and interactive. I expected a look-only type of museum but it wasn’t. The layout of the museum was so great. It had different sections that all-in-all showed what Singapore is. My favorite exhibits were the food part and the fashion part.

National Museum

old cola bottles

movie posters

smell me :)

don't miss the pendulum chandeliers

vintage clothes

   

            The next museum we went to was the Pernakan Museum. It’s about the people of Singapore. It described the origins of some of its citizens. It was more of a hardcore history museum but it was fun knowing about Singaporeans’ history.

            We then decided to go to Asian Civilisation Museum, but before reaching the museum we were able to pass by the Armenian Church (one of the oldest churches in Singapore) and the Civil Defense Heritage Museum. Going to the Civil Defense Heritage Museum was a beautiful accident. We weren’t really aware that it was there. It just so happened that we passed by it and the visit there was exceptional. I haven’t been to a civil defense museum before so it was very interesting that there was a museum about Singapore’s firemen and fire equipment and other disaster responding team. It was a very interactive museum. There were a lot of buttons and knobs that allow you to experience what these professional life-savers do. I learned a lot. Surely, children will have fun here. J

The Armenian Church

old fire trucks :D

i thought some of the mannequins were real :)

            We walked towards the Asian Civilisation Museum and passed by different unique looking buildings and bridges… then at last, we have arrived. We decided to go here because I read somewhere that there was a Rizal (Philippine National Hero) section in the museum (which I needed for my homework). Upon arriving, I saw different exhibits that showcased the neighboring Asian countries of Singapore. It was interesting to see that there were a lot of similarities and slight differences among the different countries. After going back and forth to the different exhibits, I realized that the exhibit of Rizal was already finish, but nonetheless I enjoyed learning about different countries.

scenic views while walking

at the Asian Civilisation Museum

money money money

more scenic views <3

            After the Asian Civilisation Museum, we had lunch then it was back to Museum hopping. We went next to the Mint Museum. At the Mint Museum, we paid an entrance fee. This museum is a go-to if you are a toy lover, toy collector, or a kid at heart. In this museum you would be able to see toys, figurines, and collectibles from the past. After going through different exhibits, we had coffee at the café below the museum. It was a delightful ending to the day.

Mint Museum

do you remember these?

Hey Mickey!

remember them? :)

:)

“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.”  ~Pearl Buck

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Singapore Moments: Lights, Camera, Action

Singapore Moments: Lights, Camera, Action

No, I did not shoot a movie while in Singapore (though I wish I did) and no I did not see any famous people there. But I am such a movie and television show fan. Thus, my trip to Universal Studios Singapore was a treat!

welcome!

My family and I decided to go to Universal Studios on the day before the New Year. We arrived at around 12 noon.  It was a sunny morning which turned to a wet afternoon. (Travel tip: bring a raincoat especially during rainy seasons, unless you’d like to buy at Universal and look like walking plastic bags :D ) My heart jumped for joy upon entering because the streets/ walkways looked like movie sets. I saw signs and mascots from movies I have enjoyed and loved.

At the entrance

PO <3

Universal Studios Singapore divided it’s 20 rides (accdg. Wikipedia) into 7 themes namely: Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, Lost World, Far Far Away, and Madagascar.  Since it was pouring hard, we opted to try indoor rides. We first tried rides at the New York part. We were also able to see street performances and shows. We continued to Sci-Fi City were we rode one of our favorite rides, the Transformers: The Ride. It was so awesome!!!!! It’s as if you were really there fighting with Optimus Prime. I highly recommend this ride.  Also at Sci-Fi City, my brother rode the Battlestar Gallactica roller coaster while I rode the Accelerator (Universal Studio’s version of the Spinning Teacups J ).

"snowing" 

New York! New York!

Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Speilberg (indoor movie set)

Sci-Fi City

Accelerator

Awesome souvenirs

After this, we headed back to Hollywood area and ate lunch at Mel’s Drive-In. The food was great and so was the 50’s atmosphere. The rain didn’t stop so we ran towards the Madagascar area and tried the Madagascar: Crate Adventure. This ride is for all ages since it is like riding throughout the movie Madagascar. Surely, you’ll be singing “I like to move it, move it” after riding this. We then tried the Shrek 4-D Adventure. Our experience there was a funny one. In this ride you are to wear 3D glasses while seated on chairs that allow you to have 4D experience. Well, as the ride began we noticed that our seats weren’t moving unlike the others, so we moved to other seats… but still not much movement. But nonetheless, the experience was fun because it showed another Shrek story.

Far far Away

It was raining hard and we didn’t have any umbrellas or raincoats so we decided to head back because we were trying to catch the bus back to the city. (We wanted to celebrate the New Year in the city).

It was a fun day at Universal Studios though I wish it didn’t rain because some rides had to be closed. Some tips:

1) Buy wisely. There are a lot of wonderful souvenir shops inside Universal Studios so before buying try to think of something that would remind you of fun filled memories.

2)  Try to visit all the areas. Each area provides a unique fun experience.

3) Avoid bringing to much stuff and valuables for maximum enjoyment.

4) Be prepared to be wet. Wet= fun J.

5) DO TAKE PICTURES!! There are a lot of photographic and iconic places and people there.

For more information you may visit this website http://www.rwsentosa.com/Attractions/UniversalStudiosSingapore. Final Singapore moments entry soon.

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J