Day 13: An Experience That Will Last a Lifetime

Wow... I can't believe its over. These past two weeks flew by way too fast. Matter-of-fact; the only reason the past two weeks aren't a blur is because I have this blog to remind me of all the awesome times that I had.  Today I say goodbye to the Philippines and let me tell you; I can't wait to get home. I can't wait to see my family and give them their gifts. I can't wait to see my cousins and best friends and reveal two weeks worth of stories exploring a different country. I can't wait to see my roommate/life-partner (HAHA) and tell her what happened to me these past couple of days; and I definitely can't wait to sleep in my own bed! All this may be true but I have to say that a part of me is going to stay in the Philippines. From the food; to the weather and just the simple way of life was very enlightening. I tell you these last couple of weeks have felt like a safe haven for me. The best thing about my trip was the fact that I've learned so much about myself and my roots. Leaving the states makes you realize how good you have it; and what you're missing out on. There were so many things out there that were a basic way of life that wouldn't even be thought about in America. I met so many amazing people (both local and tourists) that I can honestly say will be acquaintances of mine for life. To sum it up my trip to the Philippines was everything I expected it to be; an experience that will last a lifetime. I'll be home soon; see you when I get there! 

Day 12: What A Day

Yesterday I went to a park called Lunetta Park. The park was like all the malls that I've been to out here: Big and Beautiful. The interesting thing about this place is all the historical monuments that are located within the park. There were huge monuments that just added to the prestige of the park. The coolest aspect of the park was a section called the "Chinese Gardens." To get in I had to pay 10 pesos (A little less than a quarter); and as soon as I walked in I was instantly amazed by what I seen. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous. There were trees all around me; a couple of man made ponds populated by coy fish; a nice statue of Confucius (Chinese Philosopher), and a corridor that stretches about 100 yards. This corridor had a roof that was supported by many pillars. Each pillar had a marble tablet on it that had a Chinese proverb inscribed on it that was translated in three different languages: Tagalog, Chinese, and English. It took me around 20 minutes to walk through the corridor because I read two new  interesting Chinese proverbs (one to my left and one to my right) with each step. Each proverb taught me something different about life and what it's about. It was a nice touch to arrange these marble tablets like they did because every time I read one I stopped and reflected on how this proverb applies to my life. It was the most enlightening 20 minute stroll I've ever been on. Later in the day I went to the Rockwell Power-plant Mall; which was just another gorgeous monstrosity. I'm not going to elaborate on this mall because I think I'm starting to sound a little repetitive when it comes to describing another Philippine mall. So I left this mall and walked to what the locals call the mercado or "the food bazaar." This place was just what I've been looking for. When you first walk up you see a huge soccer field with a couple of pick-up games being played simultaneously. They play pick-up games of soccer the same way Americans play pick-up games of basketball. It's crazy; I've never seen soccer pick-up games before. While the games were being played there were people waiting on the sidelines assimilating teams to compete against the winner. After this I entered the bazaar and it was heaven to a food-lover like myself. They had everything: BBQ, burgers, every Asian food you can think of, sweets and drinks (soft drinks and alcohol). I bought my food then I went into this tent where they had a live band. The craziest thing about the food bazaar was it didn't end until 3 am! Hence the reason why I'm writing day 12 on day 13. I was sitting there enjoying the food, the music, and the atmosphere while thinking to myself: "Man my family would've loved this." 

LUNETTA PARK

GORGEOUS MAN-MADE POND

"LA MADRE DE FILIPINA" MONUMENT

Day 11: The Mall Of Asia

I finally made it to the great Mall of Asia. This mall is by far the biggest mall I've ever been to. The crazy thing is I've said this about every mall I've been to out here. Every mall that I've checked out has been bigger than the last. This mall was crazy. The mall of Asia actually had a full ice-skating rink in it. I was like; "An ice-skating rink... Really?" There was every store you can think in the Mall of Asia. It was nearly impossilbe to see the whole mall because it was like a mini city. I wouldn't have been surprised if the mall had it's own zip code. The food court made it impossible to decide where to eat. I did one lap around the food court; then another, and another; next thing I know I looked like I was walking a marathon. I finally stopped at a place called "Lechon Cebu." I stopped here because they had an actual roasted pig on display and I just couldn't pass it up. I had a portion of the lechon and some more poncit (I just can't get enough poncit). After the Mall of Asia I went to this place called the Metro Walk. This place reminded me of the St. Lukes Bazaar. There was restaurants all along the perimeter and on the north side of the court yard and a big stage with live music. The band was playing great music. They played everything from slow jams to salsa music. I was very impressed by the band. The only thing that was different from the Bazaar was there was no one dancing while the band was playing. But other than that the food was great; the music was great and the atmosphere was something I've never seen before. 

A FULL SIZE RINK IN THE MALL

JUST COULDN'T PASS IT UP

Day 10: Lambanog And Adobo (Flavors of the Philippines)

As soon as I told my coworkers at my last job that I booked this trip they were excited for me. They kept on telling me different things to try and different places to go. Actually; they were the ones that inspired me to try Balut. One of my coworkers, Joselito, told me about this drink that you can only find in the Philippines. This drink is called Lambanog and it is made from coconut. He said that it goes down smooth and it is pretty strong. Well once again let me tell you that the myths are true. In the matter of fact; its the very thing that is giving me the inspiration to write this blog. I can't wait to bring this drink home and share it with my cousins. Apparently there are many different flavors but the only flavors that I've found so far is peppermint and grape. Today I also had a serious craving for some adobo. Adobo is probably my favorite food and it was the first dish I learned how to make. I haven't really been looking for adobo out here because there is so many other great foods that I wanted to try first. But today I was itching for my favorite Filipino dish. So I went to a restaurant called "Max's Restaurant" in the Shangri-La mall and ordered me a full Filipino plate with all of my favorites. Pork adobo; poncite and white rice is what I ordered. Needless to say; my socks were knocked off! Now I'm always a little skeptical when it comes to trying other people's adobo because I make it the best (Yea momma I said it); but today I must say that I was humbled. They made the adobo using pork lechon. Now I've had lechon before but never in the form of adobo and let me tell you; it was to die for! For those of you who don't know; lechon is basically lightly frying the pork in a way that makes it crispy. What makes lechon so awesome is the combination of fat, meat and crispyness that gives it an amazing flavor. Now just imagine this combination mixed with the flavors of adobo and you have a knee-weakening meal. It was by far the best dish I've had in the Philippines yet. 

THIS IS WHAT HEAVEN LOOKS LIKE!!!

   

Day 9: The Greenbelt Mall

Today I went to the Greenbelt Mall and It was, by far, the nicest mall I've ever seen before. But before I went to the Greenbelt I had to go back to the Mega Mall. I went back because there was just so much that I didn't get to see because the mall is ridiculously huge. While walking through this gigantic mall I came across one of my favorite restaurants; Chilis! I used to work at the Chilis in Stockton so you already know I had to see how they did things in the Chilis of the Philippines. So I headed straight for the bar as soon as I walked through the doors. When I got to the bar I told the bartender that I used to work for the Chilis in California and it was like I was one of their coworkers. The bartender immediately introduced me to the manager and told him that I am a former Chlis-head. After he did this it was almost like a Chilis reunion. I met the whole staff and they were genuinely interested on how the Chilis restaurants in California did things. I went to the Greenbelt mall around 6:30 pm. The Greenbelt Mall is absolutely amazing. The most beautiful thing about this mall was that it had an actual chapel located in the middle of the mall. Bare with me as I paint you a picture of this mall: Imagine a mall that has five buildings. The buildings are arranged that of like a pentagon. At the middle of this pentagon are some nice restaurants and a beautiful man-made lake. The lake runs underneath the gorgeous open-air chapel. I was lucky enough to be present at the time of an actual service that was being conducted. I came in while they were citing the prayer right before Catholics receive the Eucharist: 

Lord though I'm not worthy to recieve you, 

Only say the words and I shall be healed. 

This part of the service is very significant to me because this prayer is a prayer that is deeply embedded in my heart. Though this prayer is very short; it is one that explains my relationship with the man above. Was it a coincidence? Was it a sign? I don't know. What I do know is after hearing the prayer, that I have tattooed on my chest,  I felt obligated to go to the altar and receive a blessing from the Priest. It was an amazing feeling and an awesome moment. 

PHILIPPINES CHILIS STAFF

BEAUTIFUL OPEN-AIR MASS

Day 8: Lost In Manila

If anyone knows me then you know that I have no sense of direction. I walked out of my hotel today looking for the Mega Mall of Manila. This mall was once the biggest mall in Manila before the Mall of Asia was built (Which is the biggest mall in Asia). I was following a map that the hotel provided me and the map wasn't very good. So as I was walking down the street I started to ask people where my destination was. The first person I asked turned out to be looking for the same mall. The ironic thing was she had a map that she was following that wasn't very good too. What are the odds? Two people trying to find the same place; at the same time; with two different bad maps; how funny. The mall was ridiculously big. It was 4 stories high and about 4 to 5 blocks long. To think that there is a mall bigger than this one in the same city is incomprehensible. I couldn't really do much at the mall because I didn't have any cash and there aren't many places in Manila, or in the Philippines for that matter, that take American credit cards. So I cut the visit to the Mega Mall short and started walking back. The only problem was, like I said before; no sense of direction. To make a long story short it took me a good hour and a half to get back to my hotel. But it was okay that was my plan. To get lost in a city of a new country that I've never been before. Being lost gave me the opportunity to see the city during it's business hours. Manila reminds me a lot of San Francisco. It's fast pace; it's busy streets; it's beautiful big buildings and it's traffic mirrors that of San Francisco. Not only that but its pretty expensive in Manila; which only adds to the similarities with Frisco. Tomorrow I plan on going to another mall called the Greenbelt Mall and an open air market that is known for it's great street food and being jam-packed with people. Can't wait to take pictures of it. 

Day 7: Traveling Within The Philippines

NOTE TO SELF: Never use Philippine Airlines again. Traveling within the Philippines can be; no wait, is very irritating. I haven’t been this irritated traveling since the first couple of days I got out here. And the first couple of days I was irritated for the exact same reasons. The airlines out here, for lack of a better term, suck. If anyone is planning on traveling within the Philippines be prepared to be very angry. First and foremost I can guarantee you that the plane will be delayed; no matter what. So don’t look at the departure time as an actual flight time; just look at the time as an “around-about” time. The first weekend I was out here there was a big typhoon so I couldn’t blame the airlines completely. But here’s my thing: If every flight is going to be delayed because of the weather conditions; why not just cancel all the flights for that day? My original flight from Manila to Kalibo was scheduled for 3:24pm. Then they sent me an email, weeks before my vacation, saying that they moved my flight to 7:00pm. Check out time at every hotel in the world is pretty much around noon. Then it was delayed two hours. So I was basically stuck at an airport with a ridiculous wifi connection and no phone for nine hours!!! NINE HOURS!!! And you’d think because of this inconvenience the airline would compensate you somehow right? Wrong! When they dropped me off I was pretty much on my own. I almost didn’t make it to Boracay. I pretty much had to beg, borrow, and deal to get across the ocean. Now fast-forward to today. I get to the airport in Kalibo and like I anticipated; the flight was delayed. I almost didn’t make it because I couldn’t hear anything. The waiting area in the Kalibo airport is only the size of a small basketball court. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was the airport’s PA system was as loud as a stocked car radio minus the bass. Had it not been for me making friends with a gentlemen on the same flight I probably would’ve missed my departure. I’ve never been so drained after taking a 50 minute plane ride in my life. I’m here at the hotel right now and just stayed in the room. Tomorrow I’ll start exploring. 

Day 6: Island Hopping

For my last day in the lovely island of Boracay I participated in an activity called island hopping. Island hopping is basically going to three different islands that are located around the perimeter of the island of Boracay. The first island we stopped at was called Coconut Island. The cool thing about this island was that the whole island was submerged under water. So in order to check it out you had to go snorkeling. There were so many different fish of all different colors. I also got to feed the fish. The driver of the boat gave me a couple of pieces of bread and when I put the bread under water every fish tried to get their fair share. It was crazy. At one point I couldn't see my hand because there were fish everywhere fighting trying to get a piece. If only I had an under water camera! The next stop was Puka Shell Beach. This was an actual island with a gorgeous beach. The name does the island justice because there are venders everywhere selling items made out of puka shells. I mean I think I seen a lamp that was made out of puka shells. On this island I did something I always said I wouldn't. I actually tried the Filipino delicacy Balut! For those of you who don't know what this is let me explain. Picture a hard-boiled egg with the chick still in it. You grossed out yet? Trust me I know what you mean. When I heard about this delicacy I dry-heaved a couple times. But I have to say that it was actually quite good. The guy who sold it to me told me that balut was actually a natural aphrodisiac. "Eat one of these and have a couple of beers and your wife will love you in the morning" -was what the guy told me. "SHIT IN THAT CASE GIVE ME TWO!!" (A total joke... One was enough) I cut the island hopping short because I still had a hangover from doing it a little too big the night before so we didn't go to the third island. It was okay though; I was all snorkeled out anyways. So it was just back to the resort to pack and get ready for a Thrilla-in-Manila. 

BALUT!!!

HERE GOES NOTHING!!!

NOT BAD AT ALL...

Day 5: Happy 4th Of July Everyone!!!!

This is how I celebrated my 4th of July. I bought a package that included cliff diving and snorkeling at a place called Ariel's Point. Ariel's Point was located on a little island 40 minutes away from Boracay. To get to this island we took a chartered boat that provided us with food and drinks that was all inclusive. It was awesome! Snorkeling was pretty fun but it was nothing compared to cliff diving. This is by far the most craziest thing I've ever done! The picture you see is me jumping off a plank that stood 8 meters from the water. There were three different planks. They stood 5, 8, and 15 meters. I only did the 8 meter jump because; I'm not going to lie, I was too scared to do the 15 meters. And I'm glad that I didn't because I'm a little soar and bruised from the 8 meter jump this morning. There is a certain method to the madness when going cliff diving. If you jump off the plank without the proper form you can really hurt yourself. When I hit the water it felt like someone hit me in the butt with a 2x4. I seen one girl jump and when she came back she had a bruise on the back side of her leg the size of a grapefruit. Salt water shoots up into your nose and ears immediately after hitting the ocean. But there is no feeling like free-fall. When you're in free-fall, even though it only takes about a second, it feels like an eternity. When I jumped off the plank I remember thinking to myself, "Okay... Where is the water?!" I was saying this to myself because as soon as I jumped I started holding my breath. So when I became submerged in the water I was hurrying to reach the surface because I was nearly out of breath. I'm so glad that I went through with this activity. The individuals that I met were some of the most amazing people I've ever come across. There was this one guy named Larry that jumped off the plank even though he couldn't swim. I told him he was awesome and where I'm from he would be considered a "G" for doing something like that. One girl asked me why I had "Boogies" on my chest. After explaining what the name meant all I heard the rest of the trip was "Boogies this" and "Boogies that." Made me feel right at home. 

AMAZING PEOPLE!!!

Day 4: A Night Out

At The Pearl of The Pacific resort the entire staff pretty much knows that I traveled alone and when they found this out it was like they took it upon themselves to make sure that I get the full Boracay experience. So when I insinuated that I wanted to go dancing these two young men immediately offered to take me out. Mervin (to my right) is a waiter at the resort restaurant and Bengie (to my left) is the resort security guard. Last night we had a blast! I mean the music wasn't really my type but the atmosphere was very upbeat. In the Philippines every club usually plays house and techno music; which I'm not too crazy about, but everyone else seems to really enjoy it. The drinks were amazingly cheap. I don't think I've ever paid 2 dollars for a drink in my life. The cool thing was the guys that I were with pretty much knew everyone so getting to the front of the line without paying an entrance fee was a given. But I have to say that I was also kind of disappointed though. Let me ask you a question (and this question is strictly for the guys). Would you get irritated if every time you approached a female and started a conversation and in that conversation you indicated that you're an American; almost immediately after this they present you with an indecent proposal? Apparently American men have a reputation for going to clubs and buying more than just drinks. This happened to me at least three times last night and every time this happened I always asked two questions: (1) Do I look like I need to pay for it? (2) Why do you do this to yourself? The answers that I received ranged from the usual "daddy issues;" to the "What's it to you?" And it's nothing to me but this took all the fun out of the interaction because they usually didn't waste their time with me after this; which was fine with me (I'm a big boy) but I was just disappointed to learn that beautiful Filipinas have to resort to that kind of behavior. Other than this aspect the nightlife was pretty live. Today I plan on going cliff diving and scooba diving; I'll let you guys know how it goes! 

Day 3: My Filipino Culture (The myths are true)

Since my arrival I've been learning so much about my Filipino culture. There were some myths about Filipinos that I was aware of, before coming to the Philippines, that I was amazed to find out to be true. The first myth was, which was the funniest to me, was how much Filipinos love Karaoke. Lol I was walking around last night after dinner and I can't tell you how many Karaoke bars I walked passed. Seriously; its almost like its embedded in the Filipino culture. Now I may be exaggerating a little bit but if you seen the joy on their faces when they sing their favorite songs you wouldn't disagree with my previous statement. I don't know if this is considered a myth but personally I've always felt Filipinos were a very pleasant people. Call me bias but the locals out here are very embracing. I remember my coworkers used to joke around and tell me that the locals are going to take one look at me and try to set me up with their daughter or sibling for an opportunity of a better life somewhere else for their relative. I didn't believe them; tell you the truth I didn't want to believe them. Listen to this; while on my walk last night I started a conversation with an older woman (Victoriana) that was standing outside one of the Karaoke bars I mentioned earlier. The conversation went on for about a good 20 minutes. I must say the conversation with Victoriana was very stimulating and by the end of our talk I felt like I've known her for years. She then introduced me to her daughter Rema (The girl to my right) and told me that she's a student; she knows how to cook and clean, and would make an excellent wife. Rema is only 17 about to be 18 in a couple of months. "I can tell you have a good heart... And a good heart makes a good man" -her exact words. I was honored and flattered at the same time but proceeded to compliment her on her daughter and indicate that I couldn't do it. I mean don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of Filipinas and Rema was a very pretty girl but she's just a baby. I couldn't do it. On a different note everyone out here can tell that i'm Filipino. I had one waitress tell me, "You are amerflip right?" Apparently that is the term they use for American Filipino. I thought this was cool because back home no one can tell I'm Filipino but in the Philippines it's no secret. How ironic. 

Day 2: Hello Boracay!!!

FINALLY!!!! I've finally arrived at my first destination (It only took me a whole weekend to get here!). I left California on the 28th and arrived here at 1 in the morning on the first of July!!! But let me tell you... So far it has been well worth it. I mean I had a huge bump in the road (That I don't want to get into) but there is somewhat of a learning process when traveling alone internationally; and lets just say that I'm still learning. The crazy thing was I had to take a 45 minute flight to Kalibo then I had to take a 15 minute boat ride to Boracay. My resort is nothing short of amazing! (Pictures of my resort can be found on the Travel page of my blog) The hype surrounding the white sandy beaches were all true. The sun is out and when it hits the white sand it takes your breath away. When I first arrived there was a typhoon. I've never seen anything like it. It was crazy.... There was water everywhere but I was wet from sweating because of the humidity; which made it pretty cool. I think it was the first time I've ever been hot in a storm. Its 8 in the morning right now so that means it should be around 5 o'clock in the afternoon back home. I know the title of my post says that its day two but technically its more like day three (The time difference is killing me). So far this trip has put me through an emotional roller coaster. I went from being amazed; then highly irritated; to almost turning around and going back home (referring to that bump in the road); to falling in love with the country all in a weekend. One of the mistakes that I made was forgetting where I was. When traveling to the Philippines one has to realize that, even though its gorgeous, it is still a third world country. If you keep this concept in mind you should be alright; the beauty of hindsight.

Day 1: Travel

Okay so my day started at 7:30 in the morning. I got up (And when I say "got up" I mean it literally because I couldn't sleep from the anticipation), took a shower and was ready to start my adventure. The first flight was from San Jose to LA. The flight was only about 45 minutes long; by far the shortest flight I've ever been on. The fun started for me as soon as I touched down in LAX. I mean I've been to LAX before but I've never got the chance to actually see the airport. I must say... LAX is some airport! My next flight, which is the longest, was from LA to Tokyo that took a little over 10 hours. The flight was long but it was awesome!!! It was my first time in first class so needless to say I was like a kid in a candy store. Free cocktails; free food; free-everything! My seat was absolutely amazing. All I had to do was press a button and the seat would turn into a bed automatically. If you look at the picture you can see that I have headphones on. The headphones were there so I can listen to my very own TV that opened up from the seat. Take it from me.... If you ever get a chance to fly first class.... DO IT!!! We landed in Tokyo at 4:00 pm. Its about five o'clock in the afternoon now so it should be right around 1 am back home. Right now I'm sitting in whats called the Delta Airlines Sky Lounge. Its basically an extension of the first class flight. You walk in and everything is free! I'm talking: Alcohol, soft drinks, newspapers, snacks, and wifi. They even have computers that anyone can use for free while you wait for your next flight. I don't think I've ever gotten so many free things in one day in my life. It is a beautiful day in Tokyo right now. I really wish I could walk outside and check out the country a little but I can't. My next flight is in an hour and a half.... I can't wait to get to Manila!!!