B007: A Much Awaited Meet-up

As part of my global meet-up project, I went to Singapore and met a handful of good friends.  Every day was exciting, as I see each of my friends who I haven’t seen for at least a year!  And I was so happy to meet my travel friends in Singapore: Dene and Gene!  As expected, the day I allotted to them was the one most filled with activities.  When it comes to traveling, these guys never disappoint. :)

I have created a video about this trip.  But I decided to still give a rundown of activities in that one day I spent with my travel mates.  Singapore is small in that you can probably visit all the tourist spots in a few days.  I wasn’t able to do this, but for a day with IFW, I was able to:

1. Go to Vivo City for breakfast.
2. Go around Sentosa: take a Skyride, walk along Siloso beach and others, visit the lowest point in continental Asia
3. Go to Orchard road to dine with a few more friends from college, walk along the road and shop
4. Go to Chinatown to visit 2 temples: (a) Buddha Tooth Relic and Museum, and (b) Sri Mariamman Temple
5. Go to Little India, shop for chocolates at Mustafa
6. Go to Marina Bay Sands and pass the Helix Bridge
7. Dine in at Chijmes (even watched 2 sets of the Men’s Wimbledon Finals at the restaurant)

This gives an idea of how much you can do in a day, as long as you’re willing to move.   

Parting with Dene and Gene was a little sad, we’re not sure when we will meet again, more so, when our travel group will be complete for a trip!  Until the next meet up my friends!

- Jerico

P.S. Shameless promotion!

For more details about the trip and to understand why I call this a ‘project,’ check out my personal blog: The Journeying Engineer.  Singapore travel video is embedded there as well.

B006: Korean Whereabouts

IFWanderer Jerico sends an open letter to his travel friends.  Read on!

Dear IFW,

Hi! I’m nearing my contract’s end, and guess what? It will be renewed (as if you don’t know that already).  So, for at least a year, I will continue living in Korea.  Now before I see all of you on my coming vacation, let me give a recap of my whereabouts for the past 11 months.

The first impression I got when I stepped foot on Koreansoil was, hmm, this reminds me of Japan. The people look similar, there is a language barrier, life looks fast-paced and hi-tech and the transportation system is efficient.  Because of the similarities, I adjusted easily to life here.  As days went by, I didn’t just see more similarities but differences as well.  I like Korea, but when people ask me which country I prefer, I don’t hesitate to say, Japan.  (Again, I like Korea. :))

Moving on, let me start by talking about the food.  Food here is great!  But be ready to taste something spicy – they love that flavor here!  If you cannot tolerate spicy food, it will limit your gastronomic experience.

Here are my top picks: 

• Jampong and Jajangmyeon: these are Koreanized Chinese noodles.  They can only be found in Chinese restaurants, but are evidently influenced by Korean taste.  Jampong is this super hot seafood noodles in soup.  Most servings have generous amount of seafood (octopus, squid, mussels and/or shrimp), the flavor of which combines perfectly with chili soup – delicious!  Jajangmyeon is wheat noodles with dark soybean paste sauce added with vegetables and meat or seafood.  The sauce is salty and sweet at the same time.  It’s like “pancit canton” with sauce tailored for Korean taste.  I like ordering the seafood version: Samseon Jajangmyeon. For both noodles, I noticed that they put a lot of onions.

Chili Jampong!  The color is enough warning.

• Kamjatang: Spicy pork-bone (spine) soup with vegetables, served boiling hot. This reminds me of bulalo, but some would even say it reminds them of kaldereta and sinigang.

What does this remind you of?

• Korean barbecue: This usually comes to mind first whenever I think of Korean food.  Korean barbecue varies with type of meat and preparation, of course, but you will most likely eat them with the same set-up: cooking by yourself using a grill or stove built on the table. Perhaps the most popular is samgyeopsal, pork belly cut with 3 layers (fat, meat, fat or meat, fat, meat). My favorite would definitely be hanu (Korean beef) – delicious and uh, expensive.  It’s interesting to note that they like eating barbecue with greens, i.e. lettuce and perilla leaf.  They dip the meat in soybean paste (or other sauce), wrap it with leaf and then eat.

At Choice 21 - an eat all you can barbecue restaurant with an assortment of meat

It’s a shame though that I don’t like one of their staple foods: kimchi.  I just don’t like fermented vegetables in general, so sorry for me.  And whenever a dish has a strong kimchi flavor to it, I spare it if I can.  Another one I avoid is Sundae, or “blood sausage” – enough said.

I should also mention that many people here love to drink.  You will be surprised about how even the ladies drink a lot!

Now on to places...

It’s actually a shame that for the length of my stay here, I haven’t explored a lot.  I rarelywent outside Seoul.  Hmm, I’m not really the type who enjoys traveling alone.  I tried it during one long holiday: Chuseok and I didn’t feel all happy about it.  Nonetheless, here are the places I’ve been to during that time.  I went with friends for the first and last items, for those in between, I went alone:

• Caribbean Bay: this is a water amusement park which is part of the Everland Resort. This isn’t really our type of travel, is it? At least I enjoyed the Aqua Loop, the most extreme slide I tried by far.

• Seoul N Tower: many famous cities have that “it” place, where you go and get a bird’s eye view of the city. In Seoul, this is it.

• Gyeongbokgung Palace: Korea is also known for its palaces.  This one’s the biggest of them all.

The palace was crowded during last year's Chuseok (holiday).
During that day, admission was free.

• Banpo Bridge: Installed along the length of this bridge are water nozzles and lights which is the world's longest bridge fountain - the Rainbow Fountain. During summer, they run a musical light and fountain show, which is a spectacle to see.  It is a must-see for any tourist visiting Seoul in summer.

Did I say Rainbow Fountain?

• Seoul Grand Park: Within this is Seoul Zoo which is good for families, and an amusement park - Seoul Land.  One thing I would remember is trying the Sky X… it’s almost like bungee jumping

Marine mammals show at the Seoul Zoo

A picture before the three of us went to take the plunge via the Sky X

One place I went to which is outside of Seoul is Naminara Republic, or simply, Nami Island. You may know about this big Korean drama, Winter Sonata.  Parts of it were shot in this tiny island in the river.  After the drama’s success, Nami became a sensation and is now a top tourist destination.  I went there in autumn, and I would recommend choosing this season to anyone who hasn’t experienced living in a country with 4 seasons.  The change in the foliage’s colors that occur during autumn is a thing of beauty.  And seeing this phenomenon in Nami Island will mesmerize people from the tropics!

That gorgeous aisle...

Future Prospect

Halfway during my stay, I started attending the Seoul Toastmasters Club and eventually became a member.  It led me to meeting new acquaintances and possibly, friends.  And I’m happy to have met sporty and adventurous people.  Lately, I’ve been playing tennis again, and am getting hooked to wakeboarding!  Remember how I sucked at it in CWC?  I have been avenging myself from that experience, hahaha!  And this coming weekend, I will go to Busan and try surfing! (Whatever happened to our Baler trip?)

The recent happenings give me visions of a more active second year in Korea.  Who knows, I may just find a travel group here.  Rest assured you will always be my favorite travel friends! :)

I look forward to seeing you all (albeit separately) on my vacation!  We all have a lot to talk about! :D

Far from expert - my stance is still wrong :)

Regards,

IFWanderer Jecoy

PS

Shameless promotions!

I still have the hobby of creating travel videos, so to see more about the places I mentioned, you can check out the links below:

Chuseok Holiday

Nami Island

For more on my stay in Korea, you can check out the (irregular) series I created as a traveling engineer.

B005: Angkor What?

IFWanderer Dene shares her trip (with Gene) to Cambodia's famous ancient temples and more.  Enjoy reading!

I love the beach. I think it’s my (and IFW’s) sweet escape default setting. But since Gene and I just came from Tioman a few months back, we wanted to try something different for a summer getaway... ancient civilization perhaps? Hmm... Let’s go to Angkor Wat.

We flew to Phnom Penh instead of heading straight to Siem Reap, hoping to see a bit of the city before the adventure. I must say, this is typical IFW travel style: taking the farther route for fun, experience, and budget. Sad to say, we didn’t explore Phnom Penh as planned. It was so darn hot and dry that day, dust flew all over the place with every gush of wind. 

Anyway, the bus trip was longer than I expected - 7 hours! But the ride wasn’t that bad. I got to recharge and got my much needed beauty sleep (I was out ‘til morning the day before). The scenery was something like an out of town trip back home, reminds me of Bicol or Batangas. We reached the hotel by almost 11PM and though the restaurant was already closed, they still served us dinner - nice!

Late meals - check!


Temple Run

Well, not really run, we hired a taxi for 2 days to drive us around the complex. We first thought of hiring a tuktuk, as it is cheaper and more Cambodian. But with the day temperature at approx. 40deg. C, wait, no way! See how big the place is?!


We chose to visit the minor temples first to avoid the crowd in the well-known sites (When I say crowd, I mean buses filled with tourists in their color-coordinated shirts, caps or bandanas) There are a lot of sites to check out within the complex which are less popular but equally amazing. I think it would take at least three days to visit and appreciate all. Just be sure to wear your most comfy shoes and bring lots of water.

The temples were built in honor of gods and former rulers, and signify a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s better to visit the museum first before the tour - you’ll appreciate it more once you understand the background.

This looks like a candle, doesn’t it?  It’s in a room dedicated to a former king. See the “dimples” on the wall? According to the local guide, it used to hold gems to decorate the room. The hole faces north so light can shine through the whole day, illuminating the precious stones on the wall. 

By the way, most of the temples are under restoration, including Angkor Wat. So it’s quite tricky to get a good shot without the unsightly scaffolds.

It's interesting to see that trees grow on temples... Nature is taking over ancient civilization! :)

Two things I don’t like about tourist spots: the crowd and the vendors. Cambodians in general, converse well in English, but vendors here can be very pushy. A friendly advice: do not entertain vendors, especially the kids, if you have no intention of buying. They won’t stop once you show interest in their items.

We watched the sunset here at a temple on a hill.  Too bad, it was cloudy, so there was no glorious sunset to see, haha! It's too small to easily notice, but on top of that temple was a big crowd!


The next day was allotted for the main temples. We tried to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat but unfortunately, it was cloudy again. Nonetheless, being in Angkor Wat was a surreal experience, like immersing in the past. There were monks walking around, too. The walls are like books, with intricate carvings telling stories of creation, gods and ancient civilization.

Next stop was Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was shot. The place is spacious too, but mostly under restoration. It was packed with tourists - we can’t even get a descent photo without a stranger passing by. They also installed pathways for tourists, which to me, spoiled the Tomb Raider feel of the temple. We didn’t stay here for long.

BAYON is my favorite - I like it more than Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. It looks older, like stacked rocks ready to fall apart soon. The face statues are a bit haunting too, as if they’re watching you everywhere you go. The faces seem to be smiling, but they look scary to me.

There are other temples nearby, but I forgot what they are called.

The Town


We were supposed to go back to Pnohm Penh on the fourth day. But we enjoyed Siem Reap so much that we opted to extend another day - yey! We walked around the town center of Siem Reap, visited a pagoda, hopped on a tuktuk (finally) and visited the museum.

Food and Night Out


I love the food in Siem Reap. Being a well-known tourist destination, there are so many choices, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Indian etc. The local Khmer food is also good, and it seems they like to use lemongrass in their soups and dishes a lot.

Watching a cultural show is also a must-try. This usually comes with a buffet dinner so it’s worth it. Other things we tried were the night markets, pubstreet and spa indulgence.

All in all, the trip was great.  Will I go back to Siem Reap? Sure! But next time, I’ll go straight to it (skip Phnom Penh) and try a backpacker’s inn instead - travel on a budget the IFW way!

This was taken from the east gate. Since we didn’t get to see the sunrise nor sunset, I made my own.

B004: A Comeback of Sort

Hello Internet!  We are back!

The travel group has been scattered since last year, and so this blog has slept for months.  Wait, when was that last entry? Oh, okay, this blog hid in a cave for a year – so much for our Itchy Feet, huh?!

On a serious note, we apologize for disappearing like an accidentally pregnant friend.  Up until now, we are still scattered around the globe (okay, just Asia), not having traveled as a complete group for more than a year!  It will continue to be so in months, or even years.  But individually, we haven’t lost that desire to go out and explore.

In that light, we have thought of redirecting this blog’s content.  Instead of just talking about our travel as a group, we would exchange our individual travel experiences.  We can’t just dwell on the past.  We sure enjoy traveling most when we’re together, but it doesn’t mean we do not enjoy it if we’re apart. 

And… we would like to hear from you!  Let us make this blog an avenue to share experiences, ideas, reviews, suggestions, etc. about travel.  Wait, someone thought of that already? We thought that’s original – not!

Really, it wouldn’t hurt to add another site that has that purpose, right? “Right, no one’s viewing your blog anyway!”  (We can almost hear that from a stumble-upon reader.)  But whatever, in case you change your mind, you’re always welcome in the conversation!

-IFW

P.S. 

We have a YouTube channel, and it will wake up soon ;) ItchyFeetWanderings

Follow us on twitter! @IFWanderings

B003 Into Thin Air: Mt. Pulag

Last April 16-17, IFW spent time at the highest peak in Luzon: Mt. Pulag.  They have been regulating travels lately, so each travel that they sneak into their schedule should be somehow unique. 

Mountain climbing you say? It’s not new for Jecoy and JC.  But it was definitely new to Cess; and together as a group as well.  However, there were only three of them available; Dene and Gene were away, giving a shot at Singapore (which by this time is already a success – Congrats guys!).

Cess who was still to experience a real mountain climb, only had Sagada as a previous hiking experience.  Among their past trips, that has to be the closest one to a real mountain climb. Admittedly, she got tired from that trip.  So she was hesitant to go and experience exhaustion again.  They actually had a different place in mind before Pulag – and yes, it’s another beach.  But along the way, as the schedule of the trip kept moving, Jecoy suddenly missed climbing, and JC liked the idea of trying something new as a group.  And after some convincing Cess finally agreed to get on with the trip.  But she was still hesitant up to the last minute, haha!

JC already went three times to Mt. Pulag.  So, he made the arrangements for the trip. 

Three days before the trip, Jecoy purchased tickets from Victory Liner Cubao to Baguio.  This was to ensure that they leave at the desired schedule at the appropriate time.  But he misjudged the right time of departure.  He purchased 7 PM tickets.  To those who have organized a trip to Pulag before, you know that’s too early!  After learning from JC that 9PM was best, he went back the next day to ask for reschedule.  It can be done, as long as there are slots available.  But, there was an additional charge for that – 10% of the ticket price, which was to be paid to the bus conductor on the day itself.  There were no slots left for the 9PM trip so he just settled with 8PM.  It was better than 7PM still, since all of them will come from work. 

Came departure day, April 15 and the group met at the bus station.  It was summer in the Philippines, so a lot of people scheduled trips to the province.  The media usually cover busy days of travel and this day was one of them.  They boarded the bus 15 minutes prior to departure, with the media cameras and bright lights pointed at the bus door.  Should they wave at the cameras?  Nah! 

The bus ride was their only chance to sleep, as they know all to well in this type of trip.  So as soon as the bus started moving, they started to relax and dialed Hypnos’ number.

April 16

Dawn at Baguio and the group waited for a Jeepney that will take them to the jump off.  The challenge for this trip actually was to look for a group they could join and share the Jeepney with.  Since there were only three of them, it wasn’t practical to rent one just for them.  Good thing Kampay – a group of mountaineers, who were also headed to climb Mt. Pulag, accommodated them.  Kampay was joined by ABNG, another group of mountaineers.  Together they rented two jeepneys and one still had room for a few more.  So team IFW gladly joined them for the ride and the climb.

One stopover prior to the climb was Pinkan Jo Eatery – where climbers can eat breakfast and take out food for lunch.  Another stopover, a side trip actually, is Ambuklao Dam.

After picture taking at Ambuklao Dam, they headed to Mt. Pulag National Park.

Every climber has to register at the Office of the Protected Area Superintendent.  Mt. Pulag is a DENR protected area and the said government arm is doing its best to ease the impact of tourists to the mountain.  It is important to call the superintendent first before going to Pulag.  They allow only up to 120 climbers at a time.  Also required is the orientation that includes a video presentation and lecture from a DENR representative.

After that one, the group then traveled some more to the ranger station – the jump off for the climb.  They were to take the Ambangeg trail, the most common trail for climbers.  After prepping up, they then started the ascent at around 10:45AM.  Several minutes into hiking, and they already noticed something different in the air.  Think about it, Baguio is already at high altitude.  And the national park is at even higher altitude.  Going to the ranger station from the DENR office is another climb up.  So you start climbing already with thin air.   And that’s tough, especially for first-timers who are not used to that altitude. 

Ranger Station

After about an hour they reached camping ground 1.  Most of the climbers ate their lunch here aside from having a prolonged rest.  The IFW guys decided to just take snacks and continue on with the climb. 

After an hour and a half, they reached camping ground 2.  They pitched tent right after they found a spot at the campsite.  Then they waited for their lunch.  One guide who was at the back end of the group was carrying their lunch, so they had to wait up to half an hour before they could eat.  Well they're used to late lunches on trips anyway, so it wasn’t too much to bear. 

Rest at Camping ground 1

Tents at camping ground 2 (extension)

The itinerary as commonly practiced was to climb up the summit very early next day to catch the sunrise up the mountain’s highest peak – talk about trying to capture a great view!  With that arrangement, they were able to take their time in preparing dinner, aside from having time to relax.

Kampay, ABNG and IFW gathered around and ate dinner together.  Customary to climbs, nighttime is allotted for socials.  Groups eat together, share stories and a lot drink as well.  This group did the same.  Although, IFW, not really accustomed to drinking especially on the first night of a trip excused themselves early out of the socials.  And oh, they are used to sleeping early as well ;)

About the tent, JC owns one, but it isn’t apt for mountains where winds can be strong and the temperatures are low.  They were not able to find one they can borrow, so during the trip they were wishing it would not rain.  And good thing it didn’t!  The temperature up Mount Pulag gets really cold!  Even with layers of jacket, they felt uncomfortable at times.  At 11PM, the three had their sleep cut due to the cold temperature – it woke them up!

April 17

Very early the next day, around 3AM, they woke up to prepare for the ascent to the summit.  They wanted to eat partial breakfast first before they started.  So fighting off the cold, they shakily prepared hot chocolate, noodles and consumed them together with cold leftovers.

The moon around 4AM

At around 4AM hike towards the summit commenced.  It was about an hour climb, which Cess found to be quite a challenge.  She almost puked along the way.  But she was fine ;)

There’s a reason why it was good to catch the sunrise.  And we can only describe it through these pictures:

This view of the horizon at dawn is popularly captured by tourists.

The sun by this time already appeared.

Take a 180 degree turn and see this.

Climbers take pictures and savor the moment

The sun's rays bathed us in yellow.

After enjoying the view and congratulating themselves for reaching the summit, it was time to descend.  The trip had reached its climax. It was an achievement for Cess, who threatened the guys that she will not be nice to them if she gets really exhausted.  She was nice most of the time!  It was also a dream come true for Jecoy, who had his mountaineering days cut only a year after joining a club.

Back at the camp site, they prepared again for the next installment of breakfast.  Then, they started breaking camp.  At around 8:30 AM, the 3 groups started their descent.

Fast-forward and the group arrived back to Baguio.  IFW parted ways with Kampay and ABNG as the they wanted to go around the city before leaving.  They did not have to buy return tickets as they already did when they arrived the day before.  And they chose a schedule that would allow them to spend some time wandering around the city.

Jecoy was craving for strawberry taho, and boy was he delighted to see one vendor – the large cup please!  Mmm, yummy!  They passed by the church, ate dinner and bought “pasalubong” before going back to the bus station to await their schedule.

They left Baguio at 9 PM, arrived to Cubao at 2:30 AM, and slept a few hours once they got home.  It was Monday already, and they had to wake up early and report to work! Now that’s pushing oneself to the limit!

-IFW

P.S.

Somehow, they found the climb easier than they thought.  Jecoy in particular was expecting an 8-10-hour ascent. He based it on what he heard from mountaineers several years ago.  Apparently, a considerable portion of Ambangeg trail became accessible to automobiles.  It was all good though, no complaints!

IFW would like to thank Kampay Mountaineers and ABNG for allowing us to join their group for this climb.  Until the next encounter guys!