Last December, I tagged along with Gim on his medical mission trip to Laoag. One of the places we went to was the La Paz sand dunes.

It was my first time to see such massive amounts of sand – on land! I mean, I’m not used to seeing sand without water. This was hills and hills of sand!!!

Closest I’ve ever gotten to a desert! So naturally, Gim and I had to play!

This was the view on our way to La Paz. Big wide river that later melted into the sea.

Along the way there were some people cooking food right beside the road! Looked like lots of fun! They must have been preparing for a big event like a fiesta judging by the size of their woks!

Here comes the sand…

Manong tricycle driver driving uphill…

We had to stop for a bit. To take photos. But of course!

Sand, sun, and beach! What’s not to like???

I totally felt like Anne of the Island in this photo. Hahaha! Maybe I should make this my Facebook profile photo.

Gim couldn’t help it – he climbed up the hill!

And soon after, I followed suit!

How could you be on the top of a hill and not take a jump shot?!? Amiryt???

Oooo… pretty pink flower!

Alas, soon enough we had to go down… those are our footsteps. As you can see they don’t look like steps. They look more like a big butt which slid downhill. Which is just a coincidence, I swear.

We had to pop down and see the beach for a minute. Yeah, this was really just a minute because we got called away as soon as we stepped on the shore.

The entire trip was just a quick 30 to 45 minutes, even though the number of photos doesn’t really seem like it was under less than an hour. But it was.

I want to go back!!!

Population growth. The scourge of the developing world. The root of that famous vicious cycle that causes impoverished countries like the Philippines to be stuck in their respective economic quagmires. Not so for Mechai Viravaidya, who founded Thailand’s most successful non-profit, non-government agency, the Population and Community Development Association (PDA). Through the PDA, Mechai shared his belief that for any family planning program to be successful, condoms and other contraceptives should be as accessible and acceptable to the people as vegetables in the market- thus the concept for Cabbages and Condoms was born.

Cabbages and Condoms, a really decent and homey (think casual dresses) resto located at Soi 12, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok (Between Nana and Asok BTS stations) is a restaurant with a mission: promote family planning and population control. Proceeds from the resto go straight to the to the PDA which then promotes and develops projects geared towards family planning in the provinces. This goal has garnered a lot of publicity for the restaurant, even makingit on Time’s must do list in Bangkok.

Of course, we wouldn’t have passed up the chance to experience the place during our stay. We ordered the house special of Soft-shelled crabs, Pork Spare ribs with honey, and rice. For dessert, we had banana fritters with ice cream. Though a bit pricey (average dish costs around 200-300 Baht), the fact that we were contributing to a cause made it easier to part with our money. Besides that, the dishes were really good, although spicier than we actually would have liked. But overall, still a pretty good eat.

Spicy Soft-shelled crab

Pork Spare ribs- we demolished this in five minutes flat

After Dinner pose

Of course, a night at C and C wouldn't be complete without posing with the famous condom mascots!

Now it's Flishi's turn!

After Dinner Freebies- yes, they give out free condoms

Ah, the famed weekend market of Bangkok; Chatuchak market wasn’t all that hard to find. All you have to do is ride the BTS Skytrain all the way to the last station, Mo Chit and follow the crowds. Yes, the crowds. Occupying a huge plot of land adjacent to Chatuchak park, the market itself is made up of a labyrinth of shops, food stalls and sidewalk vendors (including those that sell cute baby gifts).

Amidst the crowds- tired but still managing a smile

And it’s packed with people- tourists and locals alike jostle one another to shop, haggle, and shop some more for more merchandise than you can possibly handle. The reason for the crowds is all too clear- dirt cheap clothes (I bought a nice casual shirt here for only 30 Baht! The decent, really-OK-for-work collared shirts can be bought for 150-200 Baht apiece), pasalubongs and street food (you just have to try the marinated duck with flat noodles- scrumptious!).

I dunno what's it called- all I care about is it's scrumptious!

Fli, that's so masarap!

Needless to say, with items this cheap, we burnt a lot of Baht for a day at the market. On the other hand, we came home with loads of clothes and trinkets!   :)

White collared shirt- 30 Baht, Black formal coat- 100 Baht, Levi's straight cut jeans- 400 Baht, Chatuchak experience- Priceless! :)

Foodies. That’s what we like to call ourselves. And it’s pretty obvious why. I love to cook. We both love, love, love to eat. Our time spent together is like one loong food-trip. We just love sampling new food (specially if they are served in those really nice contemporary coffee tables)!

Proof of this is the fact that the first thing we did on arrival in the Land of Smiles is buy 70 Baht worth of Thai food minutes after disembarking off the plane. OK, fine, so we bought the food from a 24-hour convenience shop inside the airport. But it still was Thai food after all.

So it was that we were excited as starving chickens (pardon the pun, we really were excited for Thai cuisine) when our mutual friend Chu, invited us for a dinner out at La Table de Tee, a French-Thai fusion gourmet resto located at Saladaeng Road, Silom, Bangkok. Conveniently located around 5 minutes from the Bangkok BTS Skytrain (Thai version of our MRT, just waaay better) Sala Daeng Station. A full 5-course meal costs a very reasonable 750 Baht (That’s affordable, considering that it *is* a Michelin grade place). True to our foodie nature, we took pics of each and every course we ate!

Japanese Pumpkin and Garlic Soup! Very creamy with a hint of lime

Sweet potatoes and Basil- astonishing how they made the potatoes taste like mozarella cheese!

Seafood and Couscous- savor de marisco galore!

Pork Sirloin and Ginger- Sizzling pork with bit of bacon and drizzles of honey! Yum!

Choco Fondant and coconut ice cream- Pure Bliss!

And here’s us, satisfied and happy. I’m soo looking forward to my next La Table de Tee experience! :)

(L-R) Chu, Flishi, and Me

To visit the famous Wats of Bangkok, you have to take the Chao Phrya river boats. A round trip, get on- get off ticket costs around 150 Baht per person (Some of the boats are really classy with beautiful patio chairs). The boats will take you along the Chao Phrya river, which, we found out, also functions as a major water way thoroughfare. The Wats are found along both sides of the river.

Wat Arun opposite Tha Thien Pier

So after an entire afternoon touring the Wats, we waited on one of those numerous piers along the river for a boat to take us back to Saphan Thaksin station. After waiting for quite some time for a boat going back to the main pier (and finding none- there were a lot of boats but they were all going back on the opposite direction- away from Saphan Thaksin), we decided to ride one of those boats thinking that they would surely go back to the main pier.

How wrong we were!

Anyways, we got on one of those boats and settled comfortably in the seats, enjoying the sights and sounds of the river. After about an hour and a half, we noticed a change in scenery- the soaring buildings and skyscrapers of Bangkok were soon replaced by flat plains and rundown buildings. So I decided to ask the captain if the boat when the boat would turn back. His answer surprised me.

“No” he said; “No, go back. We going Cambodia. Passed border few minutes ago.” I was mortified. Cambodia! Shit! How in the world do we get back? To my immediate relief, he said- “Another boat going back Bangkok. Go down this pier (indicating a nearby pier). Wait for last trip back Bangkok.” And then he slowed, dropped us off and told us to wait. Barely had we sat down when the boat going back stopped by. We hastily boarded it and about two hours later, tired, hungry and exhausted we arrived back in Saphan Thaksin at last.

Note: I really wondered whether we actually did cross into Cambodia. A quick Google search of the Chao Phrya river reveals that it empties into the Gulf of Thailand. If you look at the map of the river, there are no tributaries even remotely leading into Cambodia. So perhaps I misunderstood the boat’s captain. *sheepish grin*

The Wats. We’ve all heard about them. Angkor, Wat Pho, Wat Arun… Well, OK, so I’ve only heard about Angkor. And that reclining Buddha made popular in Capcom’s Street Fighter, where it features prominently in the background when you fight Sagat in the Thailand stage. To be honest I wasn’t all that keen on seeing the Wats at first- thinking them very similar to the Chinese temples I’ve seen in Cebu. Of course, I wanted a few pics but I wasn’t that too into it, if you get my drift. But everything changed when I actually got to SEE them up close (tip: be in protective clothing, specially one that keeps you away from the heat!).

They were just BEAUTIFUL. Perfectly symmetrical, soaring and glittering in the afternoon sunshine; they really were a sight to behold. I really enjoyed posing for pictures and taking in the sights. But as our friend Dee says, touring these awesome ancient structures just drains your energy. I felt really tired, thirsty and sweaty after touring just one wat- Wat Phra Keow and the adjoining Grand Palace. Well, Don’t let my blabbing tire you out, just check out these pics! :)

I can’t believe how fast time flies. It seemed barely yesterday when we traipsed through immigration at Suvarnabhumi International airport, eager and excited to see the Land of Smiles (with camcorder from digital camcorder reviews at the ready). It’s been exactly 36 hours since we landed and here are a few really random thoughts off the top of my (and Fli’s) head:

As the plane was coming in for a landing and the city lights of Bangkok came into view: “Whoa, they’ve got really big highways!” (They were actually bigger than we expected them to be, plus they drive on the left side of the road!).

Chancing upon a group of people milling around one of the numerous cafes and restos in the airport: “Hey, Gim, there seems to be a lot of Filipinos in Bangkok”, then we heard them talking; “They’re not Filipinos, Fli! They’re Thais!” (They really do look like us, except that the women wear eyeliner that sort of curls up on the outer edges).

After exchanging currencies at the foreign exchange counter and being greeted by the traditional khob kun mak ka with hands pressed together in prayer by the bank teller: “They are soo polite! No wonder they have the reputation for being so respectful and hospitable.”

So far we’ve seen Sukhumvit avenue, dined at this posh French-Thai resto (La Table de Tee) and spent most of our time lounging around our hotel. Today, it’s off to see Thailand’s famous Wats (temples). More posts (and pics) later.

To travel Dapitan, Zamboanga (Philippines) and vice versa, you can go three ways: by air, land and sea.

Via Air

The safest option is, of course, via air. But as there’s no available direct flight from Zamboanga to Dipolog (but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong), you would have to fly from Zamboanga to Cebu, then Cebu to Dipolog via Cebu Pacific. From Dipolog airport (do a little bit of shopping in Dipolog if you need to, you won’t be able to do it in Dapitan), you can take a tricycle straight to your destination in Dapitan for an exorbitant fee of Php150. Alternatively, you can walk to the street right outside of the airport, flag down a passing (not waiting) tricycle and get a ride to the bus terminal for only Php7. Then get on an Evergood bus and it will take you to Dapitan for Php20.

Via Sea

If you choose to go via sea, make sure it’s not the rainy season (August – December) because boats tend to capsize around this time of the year. If you have to, bring a vest and a snorkel. (I’m not kidding.) A little ferry from GP Lines travels from Zamboanga to Dapitan and vice versa, and costs less than Php1000 per passenger. The length of the trip is usually around 24 hours. From the port of Dapitan, you can take a tricycle to your destination for some exorbitant fee like Php200 (make sure to haggle heavily to lower the price!).

Via Land

The most common option for people traveling from Zamboanga to Dapitan is to take the bus. A one-way trip from Zamboanga to Dipolog on an airconditioned bus costs about Php400, while a non-AC bus costs Php300. From the Dipolog bus terminal, switch to the Evergood bus which will take you to Dapitan.

Via Stupid

The crazy and lifethreatening way to travel from Zamboanga to Dapitan is by motorcycle. It’s a four hour trip to the “nearby” city of Ipil, then another five hours to Dapitan. And that’s if you don’t stop periodically along the way because your butt is hurting so bad you want to kill your boyfriend for ever suggesting the trip as a “joyride”.

However, there are some nice spots along the way that you just have to stop and take a picture of, because. Like, for example, a rainbow over the ocean. Sometimes, a rainbow is just a rainbow. But when you have travelled for over two hours in the pouring rain on a motorcycle wearing a bright pink plastic trashbag that you bought for twenty pesos from a fisherman, got mud splattered all over your favorite green cottonskinned backpack and staining your pretty blue rubber shoes, and are carrying a large duffel bag about 10 kilos worth of rainsoaked garments on one side, your laptop and your backpack hanging from your aching back that hasn’t rested for seven hours running, plus your camera on the other side…. Sometimes a rainbow is not just a rainbow. Sometimes a rainbow is a sign from God telling you that murder is not the answer, and that this too shall pass.

Not that I ever endured those things because my mother specifically told me that I should be taking the bus to Dipolog, and she even mandated earlier I should take an airplane even if she had to pay my fare but I lipbitingly declined because I really shouldn’t be taking her money and instead should be responsible for my own expenses. So… I was. Via… erm… bus. Not via my newly bought refurbished Honda XL named Bastian (because I sold Pao a long time ago, and he wouldn’t have survived the trip anyways) that my boyfriend drove to Dapitan in both hours under the pouring rain and hours under the burning sun that scalded my skin and soaked all my clothes. Nope, ohno she didn’t.

P.S. The waves were wonderful.

ScribeFire is a must-have browser plugin for all travel bloggers out there.

It’s the solution for bloggers who are often without Internet access (like me!) and have to blog offline. You can write up your posts through ScribeFire’s blog editor, save them, then publish them whenever you get Internet access.

I use the Blogger CMS, so I can verify that ScribeFire works with the Blogger platform. It also works for other free platforms like LiveJournal, Drupal, MySpace, WordPress and others. All you have to do is have a compatible browser like Firefox, download the plugin, then run it.

Once installed on your browser, a little notepad icon sits in your browser status bar, waiting for you to click and start writing.

When you click on the notepad icon, the ScribeFire window comes up, occupying the lower half of your browser window. You can set the size of the window by dragging it up and down.

You can add your blogger platform account on the right toolbar, so that you can later on publish your entries easily from the ScribeFire window, without ever visiting your platform’s blog editor. If your platform uses categories, you can also set or add your post’s categories via the ScribeFire window.

The timestamp can be set as well, especially for bloggers who like to write posts for later publishing. ScribeFire can also ping to Technorati, Weblogs, Blo.gs, Blogrolling, Icerocket and other ping services.

It’s been very useful to me, as I don’t like to spend a lot of time writing posts when I’m paying by the hour. So I just write them when I’m offline, then publish when I finally get online. There are probably other blog editors that do the same job, but I don’t think any of them measure up to ScribeFire, especially when it comes to including photos on your blog post.

A little known fact among blog publishers is that they can use ScribeFire’s advertising platform that’s similar to Google’s Adsense. However I haven’t gotten around to making a ScribeFire Quick Ads review yet, so anyone who’s tried it, please feel free to comment.

Download ScribeFire here. (Works only with Firefox, Flock and SeaMonkey. Sorry IE users!)

P.S. If you’re using ScribeFire with the Blogger platform on a custom domain, you may run into some image problems. Solution here.

A friend alerted me to this new website called Buklod sa Dapitan. It’s a travel agency dedicated to touring Dapitan.

It costs P2,700 per person for a Monday-Wednesday tour and P3,700 otherwise (minimum of 10 persons though). Included in the package are tours of Gloria de Dapitan and the famous Rizal Shrine plus a 2 night stay at Dakak Resort.

Airfare / Landfare is not included in the package of course, but bus transfers from Dapitan to nearby Mindanao cities are provided free.