Kyoto, Japan>, Jun 28, 2008
Iyemon is a famous brand of Japanese green tea manufactured by Suntory. I couldn’t help myself so I said yes to savoring some in the classy atmosphere of Iyemon Salon at Kyoto 
The place is neat and very tastefully furnished and decorated. The staff is always polite and approach you with a smile. The organization of the place is admirable - always perfect timing.
Probably not a good choice if you’re vegan.
Agho Island, Philippines>, Apr 28, 2009
we enjoyed so much the scenery sailing to agho island! the ever changing color of the sea from deep blue to aquamarine to turquoise was a delight for me and ben’s eyes. not only that but several islands as well! i never knew that the province of iloilo is dotted with so many islands in the northern coast! when i was a child, i was always in the province of my father which is located in the eastern part, there its just close to the beach and islands to hop and sail around. iloilo province put a stigma on me as a child of a province of sugar canes, rice fields, rivers, water buffalos, coconut trees, rice paddies and all inland things hahaha, but forgive me, i was young at that time and it took 15 years for me to go back to the roots of my mother.
Batad, Philippines>, May 23, 2009
Yes, it was my second time to see this place. I had nothing but special thoughts about this remote Ifugao village where a cluster of the most impressive rice terraces is located. I had been planning to go back here since last year, and knowing that the summer (or dry season) is almost over here in the Philippines, I was cramming to pack my things and drop everything just to see Batad. My sister, who was leaving to Sierra Leone in the next few weeks decided to join me to a hike to Batad. Then another friend, Gogi tagged along.
Leaving Manila around 10:30 PM, it took us more than 10 hours to reach Banaue where Denwil our driver was waiting for us. Steph, my seatmate and by morning we were sort of friends already has no definite plans. So I asked her if she wanted to join us to Batad since we already have a ride. She said Yes, so there. we were already four going to Batad. However, before the more than one hour drive to Batad, we asked Delwin to bring us first to a place where we can eat breakfast. We were brought to Las Vagas Restaurant. They serve good food there. What I love here in Banaue (or in Ifugao) in general is their brown rice which they harvested in the famous rice terraces.
We went back to the van, then drove to Batad Junction. We passed by some wedding banquet with locals dancing their trademark dance. By the way, I once danced during the World Youth Day and it was a 6 minute routine Ifugao dance. I had to do ballet for 6 months just to perfect the 6 minute dance. I love dancing that routine, and seeing real Ifugao do it, it was just something. I wish to watch an authentic Ifugao dance… maybe on my next visit, it will be part of my itinerary.
When we are about to reach the junction, that was when we realized that there was some landslide and a part of the road was chipped by half so no jeep or car can pass through it. I was just prepared to walk from the Saddle Point to Batad village, it would only take about 45 minutes to walk. However, walking from the Junction to Batad, it would add almost 1.5 hours our uphill walk. I was thinking that time that I can’t do it. With my current level of fitness and lack of sleep, that kind of walk was a killer. Well, apparently I still survived but I threw up twice while hiking. It was just too hot and a very long walk. For the past years, I had been a couch potato ever since I gave up the gym. Plus I am a chain smoker. I have to quit now… o wells.
I was totally all out when I reached the Saddle Point. It took me more than an hour to reach the top. Then, the walk to the village started. It was easier for me. Maybe because I refilled with Gatorade and was able to rest for awhile. The downhill walk was not really easy, but easier compared to the first part. And I know that the village was already near, I was counting 5 more houses, 3 more houses, last house… Prior to the trip, I knew that there were 5 huts before reaching the village and it made my mental calculation easier.
After 45 minutes of walking downhill, came the sight of the Batad Village where the awesome rice terraces are. All the walking, all the effort was nothing compared to what was I seeing then. I was just simply amazing. This has just confirmed what my favorite place on earth. I am just too at home in Batad. It must be the sight, or the remoteness of the place or the people.. or it’s just more than the sum of everything.
Then we settled but after checking 3 houses (Hillside - just too many people there, Simon - fewer people but still). We decided to stay in Rita’s place. We lazed for few hours, had our lunch (which was really good - veggie pizza and some egg omelets). We actually hired a guide (plus porter). Steph and my sister wanted to have a porter for their bags, so Raffy (our guide) was carrying 2 heavy bags all this time. Raffy suggested that we should started exploring the place and walked to the falls if we wanted to do everything before night falls. It was just too hard to walk around the village at night, it was not a flat village to start with.
My sister and Gogi were with Raffy all the time, they decided to just explore the terraces, to take photos and checkout the souvenir shops. Steph and I on the other hand, decided to go to the falls. It was an hour walk where the trail was steeper. I should have not done falls. Really. I was able to do it before (3 years ago) and checking it again was not worth all the hike. It was not an easy trail. Really… but for the first timers, I was worthy to see the falls.
Dinner came, we had chicken dinner in Rita’s. Talked a bit. We had one round of beer then we decided to call it a night. We were actually invited in Hillside to join for some socials but my body was not just willing for such activities.
The next time I remembered was being awaken by the unfamiliar sound of rural life - cock’s morning rituals, the sound of locals talking. Then I looked outside and the terraces are just simply captivating - especially in the morning….
We then had breakfast, then walked back to the Junction where Denwil was waiting for us. It took us about almost the same time to reach the van. It was easier walk for me though because this time, I paid for a porter to carry my bag.
If you ask me, it’s about time that the South Island got it’s own Lonely Planet guide. For far too long, it has been classified almost as a ‘tag-on’ destination to the North Island of New Zealand.
But with more and more travellers now starting their Kiwi adventure in the South Island it only seems right [...]
Bangkok, Thailand>, May 25, 2009
I have been in Thailand for a little more than a week now, and although I’m not necessarily missing Holland, I’m starting to miss western culture. How in the world am I supposed to live in Thailand for nine months?! No on speaks English here, and I sure as hell don’t speak Thai. I’m taking a course in Thai this semester, but the communication barrier is something I will experience for the entirety of my stay. How is it possible that students and faculty at school don’t even speak proper English when I am attending an English-speaking school? There is some kind of complicated procedure involving my visa, but because I can’t understand the guys English, I’m not sure what I need to do!
People’s mode of communication is different as well; I’m not quite sure how it works, but I’m eager to find out in my Thai class so that I may understand more of their habits, and also understand which behaviors are considered to be rude etc.
Yesterday I went shopping for some clothes in the Siam mall. This mall doesn’t have Thai prices by any means, but I’m so large here that buying clothing at the cheaper prices is proving to be rather difficult, especially when these kiosks don’t have changing rooms or sizes. For those of you who are wondering, yes I have my school uniform. Its hanging in my closet, all nice and clean. On Tuesday when I put it on I will take a picture and post it. My prediction is that I look like a Catholic schoolteacher. Improvements might need to make a few adjustments.
Have I mentioned my apartment yet? Its extremely nice. The hotel “Interplace” was rather shabby in the sense that walls were cracking, and showerheads were completely calcified. Also, the carpet smelled like pee and I was getting mysterious bites in my sleep. All in all, not a good situation for nine months! Unfortunately the only alternative in this area is the apartment complex I am in now. The prices are comparable to those in Holland, but the living conditions are soo much nicer! I even have doormen. I’m living with Charlene in a two-bedroom condo with two bathrooms, a small kitchen area, and a living room. We live on the 16th floor with a view over entire Bangkok. Check out the pics 
The weather here is rather tricky. Evidently its really hot outside today, but you would never guess based on the cloudiness. These lovely clouds also ensure for the unexpected torrential downpour. I’m not kidding; the streets were flooded today and yesterday morning! I have been lucky so far, but if you’re out in the open when the rain starts without any near-by shelter, you better hope you can’t melt. Julien, Remco’s roommate, had to jump over a fence last night to avoid this huge puddle, but in the process of doing so, he got stuck at the top of the fence, ripping his jeans and boxers, and making his ass bleed. This rather amused me however. ☺
Other amusing things seen in Thailand? Well, 7eleven can be found at every street corner here, and has even in the form of a hairdresser! Can you imagine going to the 7eleven for a haircut?
I saw three donkey’s walking in the middle of the highway yesterday- against traffic.
I witnesses a Thai fashion show in the Siam mall- girls were squealing at impeccably high tones, and the clothing was hideous.
Peanut butter is not present in this country, although they harvest peanuts. BTW, I’m going through withdrawals here… (hint hint)
Well, that’s it for now. I’m going to a club tonight with some internationals. Its supposed to be the most prestigious club in Thailand (“dress to impress) so I’m rather curious.
oh, never mind. I just got an update concerning the boys; Julien was robbed and is now broke. Remco (still asleep at five pm.) spent all his money on God knows what. Eitherway, Cherlene and I are buying dinner tonight…
Peace and love everyone. I’m thinking of you.
El Nido, Philippines>, Apr 13, 2009
The excitement of embarking on a 370KM motorbike journey up to El Nido on a bright sunny day was enough for me to detoxify from the rough night before. We arranged a deal with the Pensionne owners to leave our big bags and other unnecessary belongings there, at which we had to inconveniently transfer to another dirtcheap room because the owners said the room we currently had was reserved for the next few days, which made me wonder who in the hell would call in before hand to reserve a 0.5star lodging accomodation? I’m even being generous for that half-a-star rating, I’m serious: no tv, no AC, a very dusty hot-air blower fan, and it was the size of a closet. You might say, well you get what you pay for (after all it did cost about 15 dollars between the 3 of us) but I’m thinking we coulda saved more money sleeping outside on the pavement where it’s alot cooler at night than in that stuffy closet. I digress.
The engines are revved up and ready to go. Off we go onto the busy main street, which is actually the size of a one-lane road divided into half, and off flies my helmet. Discarding regards to my own personal safety and robustly confident in my riding abilities, I opted to use a small green half-helmet rather than the full face-helmet because I figga’d it’d get too hot in a full-face. Besides it looked way cooler. So picked it back up in the middle of traffic, chin-strapped it tighter, and lateron while coasting the hills, off flew the inner padding so the helmet became useless. And at 100kmph on a dodgy motorbike, my inner reasoning told me I probably should have made a more prudent choice in helmets.
We got to the next big almost-city called Roxas, having done about 200km in about 2.5 hours. We even stopped for lunch along the way at a roadside foodstand in a village. Filled up the tanks at one of the only 2 gasstations in the area, took a couple of pics at the harbor looking towards Coco Island. And off we go again thinking we could go the distance as smoothly as it had went. Then the adventure really kicked in.
The motorbike rental guy told us that after Roxas the paved road would end and the rest of the way would all be dirtroad. This fact was grossly underestimated by us, thinking that since this is the only way to get to El Nido from Puerto Princesa and there are daily busses, vans, and trucks going to and from, that this ‘dirtroad’ would be exactly what it is described to be, a dirtroad. Noone told us that these dirtroads would consist of many different types of terrain, ranging from pebbly, to gravelly, to rocky, to extra rocky, to small boulders. But the worst part was that in the next 150-175 km’s these dirtroads are peppered with potholes which made it extremely hazardous to the reproductive organs. Blowing by this road at more than 80kmph would pretty much guarantee infertility. On top of that, since we are after all in a tropical place we had tropical climate, this meant rain at certain spots, and riding a motorbike at speeds over 40kmph in the rain with t-shirts and shorts feels like a bucket of nails dropping on you from a skyscraper. At this point I really regretted not picking that full face helmet.
But the passing landscape scenery was nothing short of beautiful. It was like a moving filmroll, moving along slides of dense jungle to mountaneous ricefields to impressive limestone walls. I really enjoyed stopping by a tiny village to fill up gas and to refresh on a beverage and smoke. The local kids would rush us for pictures. This was the real Palawan. I started to think this motorbike idea was a great idea since we would miss out on the opportunity to experience the local culture by being transported in a comfortable AC minivan directly to a resort. That stuff is for tourists. Suddenly I could feel my ass and testicles again.
At the 232km routemarker on the final stretch after passing up another almost-city called Taytay, we grew excited by the prospects of being so close to El Nido, sore butts dirty clothes and all. I rode the Red Horse as usual along the margin of the road to avoid the potholes when suddenly I hit a modest-looking pothole when I thought I had bailed off the bike. I remembered hearing a muffled bang when my body jerked forward and seeing a splitsecond of something gushing all over my face. Behind me where GB was, I heard a shriek. I couldnt see as my eyes were shut as I felt a warm oily fluid all over. If I had fallen off the bike, why was I able to control the bike to an upright standstill? It turned out both my front hydraulic shocks had blown as the screwcaps had overpressurized. All the fluid exploded on mine and GB’s face and the shriek I heard was because one of the screwcaps had exploded into GB’s face. I gathered myself, assessed any physical damage, then assessed the bike’s condition. Well, now I had no front suspension - loss of fluids, broken springs, missing screwcap - and we got another 40kms to go on potholed road. But at least the beast ran again.
Batad, Philippines>, May 23, 2009
If you are going to Batad, things would be a little uncomfortable and people in Banaue would try to rip you off with their Jeep/transpo services. Either you go to the Tourist Information Center and ask for the approved rate (which would eat extra time).
I would like to recommend our driver and guide (cum porter).
Denwil Batangog - Certified Tour Guide/Professional Driver. His phone number - +63 918 436 9055 or +63 928 332 0721. Email address: denwil123@yahoo.com; www.denwil.multiply.com
He was recommended by Hillside to me, and we just talked via SMS. With no reservation paid, he was at the bus station waiting for us when we arrived. He talked passable English and knows good places to eat and places to see - like a mummy. I think his rate is just the normal rate in Banaue/Batad route. His van is comfortable too.
Raffy Addug - Batad Guide/Porter. His phone number is +63 928 951 6577.
He was recommended by Denwil. At first I was hesitant to get a guide, but since my sister and Steph wanted a porter, so he got him for a porter. Then, he established good rapport among us, then we got him for a guide in Batad.
Batad, Philippines>, May 23, 2009
The place is pretty basic just like any Inns in Batad. Also, room rates are uniform in all Inns as well, it is only P150 per night per person. Hillside and Simons are the biggest Inns in Batad but if you want a space of your owm, Rita’s Place is good enough. Also, Geraldine, the caretaker can cook good food. Though food in Hillside and Simon’s are good too (I heard). Rita’s can serve Special Veggie Pizza and Chapati Bread, which I like. I also like the fact that it’s on the level of the Tourist Information Center, so no more hiking extra steps unlike Hillside and Simon’s.
Mr. and Mrs. Romeo Nabannal
Batad, Banaue 3601 Ifugao, Philippines
Mobile Number: +63 910 842 3076
6 rooms
12 people maximum
Has a nice ifugao hut with ifugao antique collection
More Info About Batad Acomodation: http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/where-to-stay-in-batad.html
Chinese workers at the Tan Rai bauxite mining project in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
Padang, Indonesia>, May 25, 2009
During my visit in Padang, I can say that there are lots of buildings have the shape like “rumah gadang” (Minangkabau: ‘big house’). All kinds of buildings, offices, hotels, restaurants, and of course the airport look like “rumah gadang”.
It tells that the people are very proud of their culture. Unfortunately, the interior is not seriously designed according to the traditional elements. As I know, Minangkabau people like to use bright colors for their interior and cloths, especially red and gold.