My friends and I are currently scouting for a good place to hold an overnight. Over the years, it’s become our yearender routine. Take photos, sing karaoke, eat, drink, be merry, catch up on all the latest goss and have at least ONE DAY in the entire year that we are all together again, just like in high school.

Astoria Regency is fully booked this year, sooo sad! We tried Lantaka Hotel, but they won’t let 7 people stay in a room even if we’re willing to pay extra. They tell us we have to book TWO rooms, but that is totally pointless for a reunion. Raquel is going to inquire at Garden Orchid next, and I went and had a look at Woodland Resort earlier today.

Woodland is beautiful, and there’s a lot of photo-friendly spots. But it’s too bad, because we were told that the Department of Education is holding their Christmas party over there for three days, including the day we’re holding our get-together. I envision loads of middle-aged government employees AND their families. Crowds and strangers are not my thing.

So, I guess we will have to look elsewhere.

However, Gim and I had a blast today. Just look at all our photos!

Here is me trying to look all cute for Gim.

Then this is me gorging down all the food we ordered! A mango smoothie, a diet Coke (every little avoidance counts), and a clubhouse sandwich!

Gim raising his eyebrow at me when I told him that no, this is MY coke, that is YOUR smoothie and this is OUR sandwich. (Because I was finishing everything.)

After eating, we went on to take photos outside. Okay, the truth is, we only ate in the restaurant to avoid paying the entrance fee that was Php35 per person. So we spent more on the resto, but at least we didn’t pay for nothing! Hehehe, we are really cheapskates!!

I wanted Gimmi to take a photo of me AND the flowers. This is how I look when I’m not getting what I want. It’s my Gimmi, you fix this now na!! look. Gim tells me that’s always how I look. Hehehehe!

Me posing by the lake. I wanted lots of photos with Gim and me but he said he would take the photos, I would pose, and since there is only me and him in this trip, that people would assume he is with me, taking the photo, and that would be enough. As I get to star in all the photos, that was fine by me! Hehehe. I am so spoiled! See why I love him???

A photo by the lilies, please? - Flifli. Okidokie, bunny! - Gimmi

This photo, I know it’s not really clear a clear shot of me, but I like that I am on the bridge. That’s all!!

Now I am at the end of the bridge. Don’t pay attention to my tummy. Gim says I look pretty here so there! I will not accept any other point of view hehehe!

Trying to take a good photo but Gim is sniffing me out! What the eff, Gimmi???

Try again. But this time Gimmi is trying to lick me! Puppy, sit and behave!!

No can do, and so I say, Gim this time I will look at you so you will behave! Now I’m the one who ruins the pic. Hayyy!

Another yummy tummy pic. My camphone takes bad photos but the background is really pretty IRL.

This photo, Gim had to pee, stat! But I wanted a photo by the bougainvillea. He took the cam, shot the photo in one second, handed me back the cam, and ran away to pee behind a secluded building. I had no time to even pose appropriately, so that is my bemused look!

Soo pretty! There are horses! And you can ride for P40 an hour I think. I didn’t want to because I pitied the poor animals. They would surely balk at my sheer weight, and then where would I be! Needing more than a would-be orthopedic specialist, I think!!

Here’s Gim, back from peeing. Hee hee, doesn’t he look relieved?!?

And then we decided we would rent a banca and row away on this lake! Ohhh it was so scary just getting on it! The little canoe rocked violently to one side when I first stepped on it!! And I had my very expensive cellphone with me, which I couldn’t leave with the help because what if he ran away with it, but then again, what if I brought it and it fell??? (In the end I brought it because around these parts, I would rather take the chance that it will not fall in the boat than it will not get stolen by helpers who earn less than the minimum wage! And I wouldn’t blame them either, if they did!)

We had to don these ugly life vests filled with styro foam and I really do not think they would be any good in case we did fall in the lake! And FYI, the lake was 10 feet deep!! So, really, I would drown if I did fall!!

I sat in the back while Gimmi sat in front. For a while there, we were both paddling and going around in circles! He would paddle in the right and I would paddle in the left. He would get frustrated because he said I was doing it wrong! And I said, I don’t care, I just want to paddle!!! It’s my first time kaya!!! Here he is looking at me all frustrated and charmed by my cuteness!

Then he decided he would take my photo. Now I don’t have to move a bit when I need to take his photo because I was at his back. But to take my photo he had to move sideways. And the banca would tip slightly to the side whenever he did that. Here is how I look scared shitless.

Then here is how I look while saying, Okay! Okay! We are tipped to the side but not yet capsized! Nobody move! Nobody!!!

And then here is me trying to smile and trying to forget that we are maybe going to capsize in a while if you do not sit back straight dammit Gimmi now na!!!

So he went back rowing. Oh, by the way, if you notice, I stopped rowing early on, after I had my fill of paddling. That’s when we actually started to move somewhere we actually wanted to go.

And look! The sun is so pretty, reflected in the lake! And those are new rowers who got jealous of us and decided they wanted to rent an banca too!

We went under the bridge! Pretty!!!

Another photo of me scared because Gimmi is again attempting to take a photo of me!!! (He never took a good one. I always looked the same.)

Awww we successfully passed under the bridge! And we pretended for 1.5 seconds we were in Venice. Or wherever is that famous place for romantically passing under bridges.

And then almost collided with the lilies!!! We were trying to avoid hitting the other couple on the previous picture. Do you know how hard it is to navigate with a boat??? Very hard!!!

Pretty waterlilies!! Do you know they bloom at night then close during the day??? I wonder why… Would it not be more aesthetically pleasing if it were the other way around?!?

Here is me posing with my favorite tree ever, the kalachuchi. (Because they have those huge pretty flowers.) Well, that’s what Gim tells me they are called. (Who knows with him. He often lies just to be able to give me an answer to all my endless questions.) I would have thought they would have a prettier name. Regardless, I want rows of these trees adorning my entire house and lot in the future!!!

Awww, and we had to leave at sunset… because the roads to that place are broken and many accidents have happened in the night there… So… goodbye Woodland Resort! It was a pleasure visiting!

All photos plus more down there!

[View with PicLens]

123►

Lantaka by the Sea

We got caught in the rain while joyriding through the streets of Zamboanga. We were about to drop by Paseo del Mar, but it was full of Sunday folks. So we decided on Lantaka by the Sea instead, even though the rates were considerably higher, the solitude and quiet would be well worth it.

And a good decision, too, since mere minutes after settling in our cozy little hut, the rain started pouring by the buckets.

We ordered Pasta Marisco (seafood pasta) to share, Choros de Chocolate (bread with chocolate) for dessert, a Cookies and Cream frappe for me, and two San Miguel Lights for him.

Spent the evening just taking photos, eating good and having fun, until the rain let up and we were able to head home.

Getting caught in the rain always leads to fun times when I’m with Gimmi.

[View with PicLens]

12►

Alexandra Palace in London is a great place to go for ice skating. It’s great for a corporate event, because there are many sizes of halls and venues to choose from. The rink itself can accommodate over a thousand skaters plus seven hundred observers. And it’s open all year round, too.

There are several different activities to choose from. You can engage in ice skating classes, or ice hockey lessons, even figure skating one-on-ones.

To purchase tickets or call for reservations, you can contact (020) 8365 4386.

Cebu Pacific Zamboanga Promo

Cebu Pacific is offering a Php888 go-lite promo good for travel from December 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010. This domestic seat sale runs from October 24 to 27 only.

They’re calling this the So Fare, So Good promo. All flights are sold at Php888 one way. Here are the domestic routes:

Manila to Zamboanga (and vice versa)
Cebu to Clark (and vice versa)
Cebu to Zamboanga (and vice versa)
Davao to Zamboanga (and vice versa)

There’s also an international seat sale. Here are the routes and prices:

Php999
Clark to Bangkok (and vice versa)
Clark to Macau (and vice versa)
Clark to Hong Kong (and vice versa)
Clark to Singapore (and vice versa)

Php2499
Manila to Incheon (and vice versa)
Cebu to Busan (and vice versa)
Cebu to Incheon (and vice versa)

Php2599
Manila to Osaka

And the last piece of good news is: if you’re traveling from Clark to Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok or Singapore (or vice versa), you get 30 kilos free baggage allowance! To book a flight, just visit their website or call the Cebu Pacific hotline numbers (02)7020-888 or (032)230-8888.

Planning to wakeboard in Camarines Sur or sun in Boracay sometime in August or September? I sure wish, except I am working now so my schedule isn’t as carefree as before.

No more Japanese lessons, plans to play piano, or even feigning exercise for me. Now it’s work, work and more work! Not that I’m complaining. It’s good to feel needed again, haha.

But you’re not me. So if you are (um, planning a vacay), then there’s a Cebu Pacific promo for you right now. The image says it all, only Php499 for a one-way trip from Manila to Calbayog, Catarman, Kalibo, Naga or Tuguegarao. The promo will only last until tomorrow, July 19, so get booking. Travel is from August 16 to September 30.

From Cebu Pacific:

Cebu Pacific (CEB), Asia’s third largest low-cost carrier, is offering seats for as low as P499 from Manila to established adventure destinations Naga (Cam Sur) and Kalibo (Boracay), as well as from Davao to Cagayan de Oro.

The P499 ‘Go Lite’ fare also extends to flights from Manila to Tuguegarao, Catarman, and Calbayog, and Cebu to Iloilo.

Passengers can avail of the one-way P499 ‘Go Lite’ fare to all three adventure destinations. The seat sale is from July 17-19, 2009 and is valid for travel from August 16-September 30, 2009.

Passengers with check-in baggage will just add P200.

“Naga and the Cam Sur Watersports Complex can now be accessible to thousands of wakeboarding enthusiasts. The same goes for kiteboarding and windsurfing in Boracay, and white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro,” said Candice Iyog, VP for Marketing and Distribution.

“We hope to continuously boost tourism and economy in these places with our great value low fares,” she added.

If you were the type to do it, you would have to colon cleanse yourself maybe once a day at least if you lived here.

Some Facebook friend of mine once said that it’s impossible to diet in this city. Zamboanga, I mean.

And it’s completely true, too. Why?

1. Zamboanga dishes are just divine. My mother cooks wonderful, face-stuffing paella. And I love the taste of gently-seasoned sotanghon. And Gim swears by the oregano-smelling, entrails-filled dinuguan. And the lechon, migod, buy it on an early Sunday morning fresh from Greenfields! And don’t forget the gulucinas, now!

2. And there’s every kind of fruit available! If you come here, you must taste the mangoes. They are the sweetiest, tartiest, juiciest mangoes in the world. And have you heard of mangosteen, rambutan, marang, lansones or sineguelas? If not, come here and find out! 

3. And best of all, everything is affordable. Cangreho and curacha cost only Php300 per kilo (or less). Mollusks and seashells are sold by the bucket. In Manila, bananas are sold by the piece and in terribly expensive prices. Here, you can buy a sackful and it won’t break the bank. (Why you would, though, I would not know…)

I’m stuffing myself full of everything Zamboanga has to offer, because soon I will be far away again…

But what about you? What do you love about your city?

Cebu Pacific is having a seat sale from May 27 to May 29. Travel is valid from July 1 to August 31, 2009.

With all these great travel deals, now’s the best time to take those appetite suppressant pills! (Because you know, how else would we fit into our swimsuits any other way?)

All domestic routes cost Php588, except for Manila to Butuan, CDO, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, GenSan, Zamboanga; Cebu-Clark; and Davao-Iloilo, which cost Php1,388.

From Cebu Pacific:

Cebu Pacific (CEB) will launch a 3-day seat sale on May 27 to 29, 2009 with fares as low as P588 for domestic and P1,388 for international flights valid for travel from July 1 to August 31, 2009. CEB is allocating more than 200,000 seats for this seat sale.

A one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare of P1,388 is applied for Clark to Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and Bangkok; Manila to Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Min, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taipei; Cebu to Hong Kong and Singapore.

CEB is offering a P2,288 one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare for its Manila to Incheon (Seoul) and Cebu to Incheon, Busan, and Jakarta services.

For domestic flights, CEB’s one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare only charges P1,388 all-in for its Manila to General Santos, Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, and Dipolog; Cebu to Clark and Davao to Iloilo. All other local destinations carry a one-way fare of P588 all-in.

Domestic fares are all-inclusive; international fares are exclusive of government taxes. Promo fares are non-refundable.

Our favorite budget airline Cebu Pacific is having a seat sale valid for travel during the months of June, July and August of this year.

Sale period is from April 25 to 30, 2009 while travel period is from June 1 to August 31, 2009.

Domestic Seat Sale

P249: Manila-Busuanga, Manila-Cebu, Manila-Iloilo, Manila-Laoag, Manila-Legaspi, Manila-Naga, Manila-San Jose (Mindoro)
P449: Manila-Bacolod, Manila-Caticlan (Boracay), Manila-Dumaguete, Manila-Kalibo, Manila-Puerto Princesa, Manila-Tacloban, Manila-Tagbilaran, Manila-Roxas, Manila-Tuguegarao, Manila-Calbayog, Manila-Catarman, Manila-Virac, Manila-Cauayan (Isabela)
P449: Cebu-Bacolod, Cebu-Butuan, Cebu-Cagayan de Oro, Cebu-Caticlan (Boracay), Cebu-Cotabato, Cebu-Dipolog, Cebu-Dumaguete, Cebu-General Santos, Cebu-Iloilo, Cebu-Puerto Princesa, Cebu-Surigao, Cebu-Tacloban, Cebu-Zamboanga, Cebu-Ozamiz, Cebu-Roxas, Cebu-Siargao
P449: Davao-Zamboanga, Davao-Cagayan de Oro
P1149: Manila-Davao, Davao-Iloilo
P1149: Cebu-Clark, Cebu-Davao, Cebu-Legaspi
P1349: Manila-Butuan, Manila-Cagayan de Oro, Manila-Cotabato, Manila-Dipolog, Manila-General Santos, Manila-Zamboanga

International Seat Sale

P599: Manila-Kota Kinabalu, Manila-Taipei
P599: Clark-Bangkok, Clark-Macau, Clark-Hong Kong, Clark-Singapore
P1099: Manila-Hong Kong, Manila-Macau
P1599: Manila-Bangkok, Manila-Ho Chi Minh, Manila-Singapore
P2,299: Manila-Guangzhou, Manila-Jakarta, Manila-Shanghai
P2,299: Cebu-Hong Kong, Cebu-Singapore
P2,799: Manila-Kuala Lumpur, Manila-Incheon
P2,799: Cebu-Busan, Cebu-Incheon
P2,999: Manila-Osaka

More than 500,000 seats are available for this latest seat sale from Cebu Pacific.

These days, when I think of Astoria Regency in Zamboanga City, I think of swimming. With my going back and forth Manila-Zamboanga, it’s been awhile since I was able to take a nice long dip in a swimming pool.

I miss those days. I am at a crossroad. Tomorrow I am supposed to return to Manila. (I just came back home for four days, to attend my boyfriend Gim’s graduation. He’s a doctor now! Photos of that soon.)

However, all I want to do is stay here, with him. Because he really makes me happy. Wish I could steal him away for a long long cruise, where we can forget all our troubles, drink and eat and be merry, and smile all the time. I want to just keep him and be with him for always.

But, the rainy days always come. And I have to give up being with him, again. I’m not sure for how long this time. I am at a crossroad.

I will just have to keep looking at photos of summer and happier times. And hope the rains pass quickly.

Easter Sunday, the day before I came back to Manila, Gim and I decided to visit Golf Beach, on a whim. Not to bathe; I don’t think I can ever bathe in less than white sand beaches (Dakak spoiled me). But rather just to enjoy the last few tendrils of sun. I don’t even have photos: it was much too dark.

After ten minutes of standing around near the water, we mounted Bastian (the bike) and left. But not before touring the entire beach, so we headed deeper into Golf.

At the end of the road, we saw this:

A new restaurant! What a surprise! And so pretty! Instantly I was saddened we hadn’t gone there earlier. It would have been a spectacular sunset.

Gim and I decided to have dinner there. It was very peaceful, we had the place to ourselves, as you can see in the photos below. I didn’t have a tripod so I had to set my camera on the table to get the photos (thus the awkward angles).

There wasn’t much beach, but there was a small park, and an exquisite tree parked on top of a hill, filled with sparkling lights. That was really the one thing that made the park beautiful, that tree.

Random aside: did you know that apricots came from Apricot trees? I thought they came from bushes! (It’s like how some people think pineapples come from trees, but don’t.)

I will return there, soon, to take more photos in better lighting. And in sunset! Oh I am so excited to return there on a sunset! These photos of mine do not do the tree justice.

Having the place to ourselves, Gim and I photowhored away. Much of it is blurry since we had to hold our breaths for ten seconds at least per photo. And one time, the waitress was coming with our food so I left my post midfreeze (that’s the one where I turned into a ghost).

The food was great! We ordered beef tapa with onions, it was so good, I loved it! We also ordered camaron rebosao (sugar roasted shrimp) but it was not available so we had to do with crispy shrimp, which was okay, not terrific. And of course, the requisite garlic rice (which was yum).

I apologize if the photos are a bit unfocused. We were too hungry to wait for the perfect take.

All in all, it was a very fun day. Gim and I had some heavy stuff to sort out so it was a good thing the place was clear of guests. We’re good now, though.

Here’s a bonus photo of the pretty tree. I tried my best to hold my breath while taking the photo, but it came out blurred anyway. Still you can see the potential.