Food

The Cebu Yacht Club Experience

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I’m sure it’s no secret that The Philippines can be a crowded place. It’s known for its busy malls, traffic-filled roads and the general hustle and bustle occurring throughout the streets of the Philippines.

From this vibrant social culture comes a few trade-offs, some which become very obvious after experiencing day to day life of living in the Philippines.

The fact is there are people everywhere.

Whether you are in Manila, Cebu or any other major city you will always be surrounded by people.

This may seem like a normal state for native Filipinos but for someone from a relatively small city this really stands out. When dining out, trying to find somewhere which is relatively quiet during the lunch or dinner time peaks is often an impossible endeavour.

The Cebu Yacht Club experience

These are not bad problems:

Though sometimes it’s nice to have a change. Sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a quality lunch or dinner away from the usually crowded restaurant districts.

Recently we visited a quiet tucked away, open air restaurant in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu. The restaurant was called the Cebu Yacht Club. We became aware of it after a friends recommended that we visit.

After a short taxi ride from our place in Cebu city, we arrived at the restaurant. It is located right by the waters of the Mactan channel with views of Osmeña bridge. This restaurant was exactly what I had been looking for.

There wasn’t much to not like about this place. It is situated away from the main street running through Mactan island. This meant there was almost nobody walking through the area. The few people I could see were either dining at the restaurant or were dealing with their yachts.



Dining alongside the Mactan Channel

It was refreshing to dine in an uncrowded restaurant looking out over the waters of the Mactan channel; the only noise coming from the wind blowing through the trees.

I am also currently on a strict diet so I was interested to see what kind of food options they had to offer. Their menu had a diverse range of options which was able to cater to anybody. I am quite strict with what I am able to eat yet I was still able to order plenty of tasty meals from the menu with no hassle.

The food tasted great, it was all really healthy and it was a good price. I ordered their bratwurst sausage with sauerkraut as well as their tuna flake salad. The quality of the food was beyond what I was expecting considering the prices were relatively low.

The restaurant really exceeded my expectations. It had a great atmosphere and is in the perfect location while offering good quality food. The Cebu Yacht Club easily measures up to any other quality mid-range restaurant in Cebu.

Cebu Yacht Club can definitely expect to see me there again. As I noted previously it is extremely hard to find restaurants selling food which caters to my diet. Finding a place like Cebu Yacht Club is a valuable resource for me and others. You can have somewhere to enjoy tasty food and not have to worry about any negative impacts on your health.

So if your in Cebu City and you are looking for a new, relaxing dining experience Cebu Yacht Club is worth a visit.

The Cebu Yacht Club is open on weekdays 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-12pm.

Read more about the unique kinds of food you may find in the Philippines

Food, Uncategorized

The Hunt For Healthy Food

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Within the past year, I have been pushed to be extremely conscious about the kinds of foods I have been putting into my body. In my early adult years, I would always prioritize snack food over healthy food due to my on the go lifestyle.

I would regularly buy drinks containing ridiculous amounts of sugar, then spend my evenings and weekends consuming foods soaked in fat, sugar, and salt followed by an evening of indulging in copious amounts of alcohol.

Unfortunately, this lifestyle eventually caught up with me. Combine the damage to my gut from my avoidance of any healthy food along with a few hits of heavy stress and dysentery after traveling to tropical destinations and you end up with your gut being in an extremely poor state.

I am now committed to not touching any food which may provide more work for my gut than what’s necessary.
I want to create an environment where my gut can sit dormant for a period of time to repair itself. A change from my previous habits of constantly consuming inflammatory products. This means no bread, pasta, sugars, rice, fruit, fried food… Basically, my meals largely consist of some sort of protein accompanied with a large plate of vegetables.
The challenge for me hasn’t been motivating myself to limit the types of foods I eat. The fact I ate myself into this condition is enough motivation for me to change my ways. Now the real challenge has come from actually being able to access the sorts of healthy food I need to eat to heal my gut.
I am currently living in Cebu and have little access to anything which could be used to cook my own meals, this means I am heavily reliant on the hospitality industry within the city to get the food I need.
This so far has been extremely challenging but I am slowly starting to figure out where I can go and what I can buy.
The first thing I noticed is how challenging it is to even get good quality fresh fruits and vegetables. In most of my meals, I would try and include good sources of fat such as avocado. This was extremely important for me as I wasn’t taking in any carbohydrates; meaning my body was now relying on avocado as a source of energy. If I wasn’t eating avocados my body would burn my body fat, I would then begin to drop weight, fast. So obviously to counteract this I was eating a couple of avocados a day. It seems that I arrived at a bad time because I can not seem to find avocados anywhere.
In regards to other vegetables, I found that a lot of them just have no flavor. I eat carrot regularly as a snack food, but I have yet to find carrots which haven’t got a dry, bitter taste to them. I’m sure there is good quality produce somewhere in the city, I just have to hunt them down.
On a side note, I did actually find a small juice bar/food stand in Ayala. I quickly became a regular customer there as their food fits my dietary restrictions so well. It is almost like the menu is made to fit me personally. It’s called Mooshi, you can find it on the third level in front of Rustans. The menu is full nutrient dense foods which will not cause any discomfort to your body. You will not find any sugar packed foods on the menu. This is all food which will
keep you functioning at your best.
So, for the time being, I will be using this as the main source of my daily nutrient needs. Plus their food tastes a lot better than the vegetables I have been eating from various supermarkets in Cebu.
Hopefully, over time I will continue to gain knowledge of places in Cebu where I can source good quality healthy food in order to make my stay here a lot more comfortable for me and also my body.
Culture

My feelings For Sinulog Festival

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After a crazy day out in Cebu City, I feel it is necessary to reflect on my Sinulog experience. My first exposure to the celebration was extremely positive and as usual, it was completely different to what I had been expecting.

We set off from our hotel early in the morning to pick up my girlfriend’s mother. She had also never experienced Sinulog so we wanted to take her to see it while she was in Cebu.

Now Cebu isn’t exactly a big city but for some reason, I was thinking we had a long ride ahead to get to her mother’s accommodation. Surprisingly, within the space of roughly 30 minutes, we managed to –

  • take a ride out to where she was staying
  • we waited for her to get ready for the celebration
  • We then took another ride back to Mango Avenue

I’m usually not a fan of wasting time, so this efficient start to the morning put me in a good mood.

Experiencing the Sinulog Festival

We had arrived to the festival early that morning. The streets had yet to reach their peak in regards to crowd size. What stood out to me at that point was the number of street vendors operating around Mango Avenue. Every spare inch of space along the side of the street had been filled with vendors.

We began to make our way down mango avenue to find food. The lack of crowds gave us the prime opportunity to eat before the streets began to fill up. Plus, the parade still had roughly 7 hours left until it ended so we were in no rush to begin watching it.

After eating we managed to walk a short distance along the side of the street until we eventually found a break in the crowd where we could see the parade. There we watched the amazing of music, dance, and costumes along with the celebrity performances which really left an impression on me. After seeing the rich display of culture it was hard for me not to fall in love with Sinulog.

After a long day of taking photos and watching the performances, we decided to end the day and take care of a few responsibilities. This took us away from the epicenter of Sinulog for the rest of the evening…

Return to the Sinulog Festival

Where we were staying is actually one street away from the epicentre of the Sinulog parade. We had begun our journey home for the evening to call it a night. At that point, it was beginning to hit the early hours of the morning.

We had taken a motorbike so we could get as close to the hotel as possible. Considering the streets were full of people getting home via a taxi was near to impossible.

By that time the streets had reopened, the crowds were still becoming increasingly dense, so using the motorbike eventually became pointless. At this point, the dynamic had completely changed. We were walking into a completely different atmosphere. The family dynamic atmosphere had left and was replaced by an air of anarchy.

What had put me in this mildly negative frame of mind stemmed from a couple of immediate experiences which ruined the mindset I was in after a really fun day at the parade.

As we walked into the crowd people began to turn to us and throw paint at us which at that point I was completely used to and totally fine with. But then we had individuals taking advantage of the circumstances and pushing the boundaries.

On a couple of occasions as I was greeting people, I was hit in the head from behind on both occasions by young men who would immediately run to hide in the crowd.

It didn’t really get to me at that point, From what I saw they both just looked like some young drunk street kids. So I’m sure they had been neglected by their parents, in teaching them any sort of behavioural boundaries.

Shortly after those two incidents we became stuck in a crowd of people trying to squeeze through the traffic around Fuente circle. I slid past the back of an ambulance which had its lights and sirens going, in the back, the curtains had been left open.

The ambulances sirens were so loud it was almost deafening, the driver was also holding on the horn. Despite this it wasn’t going anywhere. The crowd was just too thick. No one seemed to want to pay attention or even acknowledge that it was there.

Time to go home?

So there I was sandwiched between a group of people and the back window of the ambulance. I turned my head and was immediately hit with a strange feeling of frustration and sadness.

An older gentleman was laying on a stretcher in the back with a nurse by his side. He was trying to breathe in so deeply I could see his chest lifting up from the stretcher. This disturbed me, as this man was being prevented from receiving the help he needed due to completely avoidable circumstances.

It disturbed me seeing people drunkenly celebrating this day in honour of the baby Jesus, sliding around this ambulance without a care in the world while literally not even a meter away from them, a man who could have easily been any of their fathers looked like he was fighting for his life.

At that point I was done, I was yelled over to my girlfriend who was a couple of meters away, telling her to stick close to me as we would start trying to get home. Moments later I hear her yell, saying someone had been rubbing their fingers down her back.

I had been patient up until then, but for me, that was time to get out of there. I pulled my girlfriend right up behind me and began to use my size to get through the crowds. We were finally making some progress.

As we began to approach our accommodation the crowds began to thicken up again. We had to stop in at a 7/11 to get some refreshments and water for the hotel. At that point, I was beginning to feel a lot more positive as we were almost home. But it turned out the events for the evening had not yet come to a conclusion.

As I walked out of the store a young man immediately decided to step in front of me. He then wittily remarked that he found a souvenir, he then reached over and pulled the hat from my head. It was beyond me why somebody this size would want to fight somebody having a significant size advantage over them.

I immediately pushed the guy straight back, he stumbled into the people standing behind him. I went to grab my hat back, but he had decided to keep going so he reached up and grabbed both my wrists. This got me more frustrated so I through my elbow around aiming for his face; but at this point, it was broken up.

My hat was returned to me, then we moved on. By the time I got home, I had completely flipped from being in love with the celebration to resenting it.

Summary of my Sinulog experience

The incidents involving the bad behaviour did not disturb me as much as I thought it would. It was easy to see most of those people were extremely drunk, plus I achieve nothing by dwelling on it.

Now I am at a point where I have kind of compartmentalised my Sinulog experience into two different sessions. I like to think that what I experienced during the day was the true nature of Sinulog.

I spent the day surrounded by thousands of people and only had a handful of negative experiences after the conclusion of the festival. It’s just a shame that it is those negative experiences which usually stand out the most.

The fact is that if you have that many people together in one place it is almost inevitable that there are going to be some arseholes present. For me, that point needs to be recognised in order to move on and see the celebration for what it really was.

For me, it’s a beautiful day out in Cebu surrounded by family, experiencing a rich display of the culture and history of the area. I now realise that I really am thankful that I got to be part of the magical experience for the first time this year. I look forward to again joining the celebrations many more times in the future.

 

Destination, Uncategorized

Why I Love Manila PT II

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We were now making our way through The Manila international airport NAIA. Alongside us was a pool of passengers who had also left the flight from Singapore. Our first job was the usual checking in with the immigration department.

Then we needed to find a taxi to take us to our condo so we could finalize our journey. While walking through NAIA my head was flooded with different thoughts of the airport. It was mostly just me noticing how bare and empty it felt. We had just left Changi airport in Singapore, so after that experience NAIA seemed a little more underwhelming than usual.

As I got to immigration I became slightly anxious. I had been told that immigration would ask to see a return ticket, which I did not have. The lady at the counter signaled me through, asked for my documents, and then began checking everything. She asked how long I would be staying, I answered two weeks as that seemed like an average holiday length. Without hesitation, she simply handed me back my passport and gave me a nod.

This is it, we were finally free in Manila. We stepped out of NAIA and were immediately hit with the warm humid air, along with the dull background noise that comes with the chaos of such a densely populated city. I felt like our sweat glands had almost immediately went into overdrive. Most likely because we had just left winter in Australia, this seemed to amplify the feeling of the tropical weather of The Philippines.

Once we had left the restricted area I was immediately overcome by a feeling of entering the lion’s den.  Within seconds of leaving NAIA, we were swarmed by taxi drivers trying to get us into their vehicles. It was overwhelming being surrounded by so many drivers shouting out their prices. It was a stark contrast to what we had experienced in Singapore where we had been approached by one man who directed us toward a driver standing a few meters away leaning on his taxi.

We finally settled on a price with a driver, which I later realized was roughly 3 times the price of what it should have been. We then began our journey to the condo, this was right at the same moment I realized I was desperate to have some rest. This also quickly became the moment in which my mind was blown.

We left the immediate premises of NAIA, I felt a rush of excitement as we were finally on our way to our final destination after roughly 12 hours of flying. Within minutes my spirits were quickly dampened as we came to a dead stop. We had hit a traffic jam, cars lined the streets ahead as far as I could see. I quickly learned that this was just the current modus operandi of Philippine traffic. It also wasn’t exactly a negative experience as that is what gave me the opportunity to really take in my surroundings.

As I began to look around I began experiencing the feeling of being in another world. I was struggling to take in everything that was happening around me. I was in a stupor sitting staring out of the window in a taxi. My first shock came once we were in among the traffic itself. I had been told the driving was unique, but I never thought it would be as unique as it was. We were regularly driving into oncoming traffic, lanes seemed to mean nothing to our driver and he like every other driver on the road seemed desperate to jam the car into any space available in order to keep the traffic flowing.

My other observation was the people walking around on the highway selling their goods. Where I came from walking on the highway was illegal, so I was surprised when somebody walked past the car selling steering wheel covers, I then saw another man further down selling pillows. Something which now seems so normal seemed so crazy to me at the time.

The final 20 – 30 minutes of our drive to the condo still consisted of me having my head jammed out the window staring at the different areas of the city we were driving through. I was still trying to take in the different layout of the city as I had never seen this degree of high-density living. I loved the chaos and freedom of Manila, especially after spending my life in a quiet sheltered town. Now I was ready to shake things up, experience living at the opposite end of the spectrum. Manila certainly was able to accommodate these needs.

Manila was not able to offer a completely sheltered way of life. But it was able to offer the excitement which I was craving. So that is why I love Manila.
History

Leaders who changed the nation: Manuel Quezon

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Also known as Manuel Luis Quezon Molina, the Philippines first president was born Manuel Quezon y Molina on August 19, 1878, to Maria Molina and Lucio Quezon, who were both schoolteachers. The couple taught in Baler, Tayabas found in the Quezon Province, of Luzon.

Manuel would later add the name Antonio to his name after a benefactor who fed and housed him when he was still struggling and could not take care of himself. Not many people would remember to honor their benefactors that way and forget the minute they make it in life, unlike Manuel.

Educational background of Manuel Quezon

Manuel had the best education that prepared him for national leadership. He went to school at the San Juan de Letran College. Thereafter, he joined the University of Santo Tomás as a lecturer.

At school, his teachers described him to be bright but lazy, attributes that most people presently can remember their teachers later surrendered associating with them and that makes them laugh fondly remembering their school days.

While at the University, he chose to study law; though, his studies were distracted by the Spanish-American war. In 1899, he cut short his studies to fight for independence against the United States in a struggle led by Emili later surrendered in 1901, causing Quezon to go back to the University to obtain his law degree in 1903.

Manuel established a law firm in his hometown of Tayabas where he made an income of $500 per month. He was not an ordinary lawyer, as he decided to run his trade much like Robinhood. He charged the rich exorbitantly for his services while the poor benefited from his services pro bono. Good luck finding such a lawyer in our times!

In a baffling move, he left his law firm to go and become a prosecutor, a job that earned him $75 per month. Again, that is not what your everyday lawyer would do. But we have already established that he was no ordinary person. His benevolence made him popular across The Philippines.

Quezon moves into the political arena

His journey to becoming president of The Philippines started when he ran for governor of his home province of Tayabas. By this time, his conviction was that his county could only gain independence by cooperating with the United States.

Quezon went on to become a representative to the Philippine Assembly. The 1909 appointment as a resident commissioner for the Philippines gave him speaking privileges, but still denied him voting rights in the United States House of Representatives.

Quezon was instrumental in the approval and adoption of the Jones Act. In 1916 that pledged independence for his country without a particular date of implementation. Manuel later resigned as commissioner that year and headed back to the Philippines. He went on to clinch a seat in the new Philippine Senate, where he served as its president until 1935.

He is not just an ordinary leader, this is why he is referred to as the people’s president. The diligent leader fought for the Nacionalista Party and went on to fight for the Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934) which gave his country independence. He became the first Commonwealth’s president on September 17, 1935.

Quezon hit the ground running reorganizing the military defense of the island, tackled the problem of the landless peasants in his country, saw to the development and settlement of the southern island of Mindanao. He also diligently fought corruption and graft in his government.



Manuel Quezon: traits and accomplishments outside of politics

Unknown to many people, Quezon had other talents apart from his academic and professional brilliance. For instance, he was a gifted card player and gained notoriety due to his poker skills. He also learned and started playing bridge, which became his best hobby.

Quezon loved stylish clothes, and unlike most people who have to depend on designers for the ideal attire, he made his clothes that used to turn heads. Music was his forte as well, as he was a gifted pianist. One of his notable achievements in this field was teaching the trans-Atlantic ship orchestra the way to play the national anthem of his country.

The people of the Philippines re-elected Quezon in 1941. The invasion of Japan in 1942 had him leave for the United States. While in exile in the USA, he served on the Pacific War Council. As a member of the council, he went on to sign the United Nations Declaration against Fascist Nations. He also wrote his biography, ‘The Good Fight’ in 1946. He never saw the establishment of the complete Philippine independence, as he died of tuberculosis.

Culture

The Jeepney Love Affair

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Upon arrival to The Philippines, you will quickly notice that the primary form of public transport looks a little different to what you are used to. This small bus like vehicle which you will no doubt come across are known as the Jeepney.

Their unique paint scheme and flamboyant accessories would make someone start wondering how these became part of the Philippine culture? What caused Filipinos to begin to modify these vehicles and use them as public transport?

Origins of the Jeepney in the Philippines

The Jeepneys were made from the US military jeeps, left over from the Second World War. The Americans had been using the jeeps during the several years The Philippines had been occupied by the Japanese. After the war, there were tens of thousands of jeeps littered across The Philippines. Once the time came for the Americans to leave, they would either sell or give the jeeps to the Filipinos.

After the Filipinos had attained the jeeps, they stripped them down and then added more seats to increase the number of individuals it was able to accommodate. Due to their widespread use, a need for a roof over the jeepneys became necessary to operate in the harsh weather conditions. The need to provide comfort for the passengers pushed the jeepney owners to make roofs a standard feature on jeepneys.

In addition to these changes, some decorations were added to make it more attractive and appealing to the potential passengers. Ornaments and bright colours were used to decorate the Jeepney in order to attract more customers.

The above changes made to the jeeps to convert them to the Jeepney were preparatory steps to have them in public transport service. There was a need to re-establish a public transport system that would no longer be expensive as the previous public transport system which was in place before it had been destroyed during the Second World War.

Jeepneys become a public transport staple

The rate at which the use of Jeepneys in the public transport sector kept on increasing as time went by. When the government of Philippine realised this, they enacted some regulations to guide the operation of the Jeepney. Those people who were driving Jeepney were now required to have licenses to operate on public roads. Apart from licenses, the drivers were also designated regular routes and established fixed prices for transporting people along these routes.

There is no doubt that a time came when there were no more jeeps to be converted to the Jeepney. To continue supplying the Jeepney, factories were set up to produce Jeepneys from scratch. It is now still possible for a person to get a new Jeepney from these factories. This also ensured a continued use and expansion of the use of Jeepneys.

Lastly, you may be interested in where the term Jeepney actually came from. Well, Jeepney is a combination of two words namely jeep and knee. The word jeep was used because a Jeepney came into existence because of the refurbishment of the jeeps. The knee part results from the crowded seating in which an individual will be forced to sit knee to knee.

Culture

Land of the outlandish commute times

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I was Sitting in a small cafe within Metro Manila, brewing on a micro-revelation I had just experienced. I was there with a family friend who I usually spend a lot of time with when I’m in Manila. We were out having breakfast to kill some time while my brother and his wife took care of some errands.

The conversation started out fairly typical just catching up on events in each of our lives. The conversation eventually moved towards schooling. She was telling me about her college workload, mentioning that it was becoming increasingly time-consuming for her. So after a few further questions, she explained to me that if she wants to avoid spending the majority of her waking hours sitting in the back of a jeepney stuck in traffic she has to wake up at 4 am in order to attend her college classes which begin shortly after 8 am.

I think she could read the shocked expression on my face, so she reasoned with me why leaving that early was necessary. She went into stories of missing entire classes in her early college days because of traffic. Also being stuck having to squeeze into jeepneys and buses filled way beyond their capacity.

The plague of city traffic engulfing Metro Manila

It turns out that everyday Filipinos within Metro Manila are dealing with the prospect of having to experience daily commute times of several hours in order to get to their workplace each day.

People like my acquaintance are choosing to leave home extremely early hours in order to beat the morning rush. Although this means arriving at your destinations hours ahead of time. The early arrival is a more appealing outcome when you consider the alternative of spending hours in the back of a jeepney.

People do feel compelled to raise the argument alluding to the fact that traffic can be used by Filipinos as an excuse in place of their lack of organisation in their day. Though people having to endure these extreme commute times is a problem which has gone beyond the individual.

I think it’s a safe assumption to say that a large majority of people are not enthusiastic about their work. When you add these commute times into the equation you end up with the result being a very dissatisfied population.

This issue needs to be addressed. Having your day consumed by work and excessive time sitting in traffic is not the recipe for a positive nation.
Destination

Baguio, Your Next Holiday Destination

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Unless you’re an avid tourist, particularly fond of visiting Asia, you may not be familiar with Baguio. But those who are familiar with the Philippines will know of the iconic city which is quickly growing in its popularity as a holiday destination.

Located in northern Luzon in the mountain province of Benguet. Baguio City is famous for having a wide variety of tourist locations in a relatively small area. For many people, a trip to Baguio provides a lot to do without the need for those long, exhausting road trips.

The public transport system within the city is cheap and easy to use. This is what makes Baguio is one of the easiest and trouble-free cities to explore in The Philippines.

Because of its elevated position in the mountains, Baguio typically features temperate a few degrees lower than the lowland areas. You’re unlikely to encounter unusually humid weather, which is great if you’re the type of person that doesn’t acclimatise well to the typical conditions found in The Philippines.

That said, you should be prepared for temperatures between 15 to 23C. According to the locals, temperatures can shift quickly from cool to extremely chilly, so you may want to pack some extra clothing.

Rainfall can vary significantly depending on which time of the year you visit. During its dry seasons, between Dec-Apr, you’ll be seeing little to no rainfall. However, between May and November, the city features near constant rainfall. This can significantly affect your exploration efforts, so it’s essential to plan carefully and well in advance.



How can I get to Baguio?

The best way to get to Baguio would ultimately be by private vehicle. Baguio is only ~250km from Manila, if you’re able to travel at night in a private vehicle, the trip can be as short as 3 hours as there is much less traffic on the roads.

A comprehensive guide for those driving to Baguio

There is also a constant stream of buses travelling between Manila and Baguio. I personally took the Victory Liner Express Bus which generally takes 4 – 5 hours to get there. On the way back from Baguio I missed the express bus, so rather than waiting 2 hours for the next one to leave, I just took the standard bus back.

Due to bad traffic conditions and frequent stopping for passengers, this took 10 hours to return to Manila. The express bus is only about ~P200 more expensive than the standard bus, so I recommend prioritising the express bus over the standard. The time saving and extra comfort is well worth the extra money you pay.

For more information on bus departure times, fares and terminal locations directly visit the websites of the Genesis and Victory Liner bus companies.

My complete review of the bus ride from Manila to Baguio.

Baguio – What are the attractions and points of interest?

Baguio Cathedral is lovingly referred to as Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral by the locals. It is a monument with gorgeous architecture and eye-catching design located on top of Mount Mary Hill. The cathedral provides a brilliant view of the entire city from where it stands. Getting to the top does require climbing around a hundred steps. If you’d rather not climb, then there are escalators which will take you right to the top with minimal effort.

Burnham Park termed the mother of all parks’ in Baguio is another popular location set right at the heart of the city. The park’s beauty has transformed its surroundings into a prime piece of real estate, hotly contested on a regular basis. Designed and named after a genius Americas urban planner, Daniel Burnham. Burnham Park is valued by many for providing a peaceful environment isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city. But it also features an amusement park for those looking to enjoy themselves.

My visit to Mines View Park caught me by surprise. I had seen photos of the site before visiting but I still wasn’t really excited about going. I think the problem is a lot of the pictures of Mines View Park rarely do the site justice. The view really is breathtaking, you have a completely unobstructed panoramic view of the rolling mountains of Benguet as well as views of the gold and copper mines – which I was unable to spot.

The Mines View Park viewing deck offers a breathtaking view across the mountainous region of Benguet, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

For those wanting to venture out of the city, you can also go strawberry picking in La Trinidad, Benguet. The strawberry farm is found less than an hour from Baguio City and is surrounded by other attractions such as the Valley of Colours and Mt. Yangbew.

It was surprisingly enjoyable wondering around the plantation with your little basket hunting down strawberries from the farms’ countless plants. Once you are finished the employees will weigh your basket, you then pay based on a certain price per kilo. The farm also had a variety of other strawberry based products including different varieties of strawberry wine

These are not the only popular locations. The Session Road, Camp John Hay and the Baguio Botanical Garden are just some of the stunning sites that you can see in Baguio. The City really is packed full of different points of interest all within a short commute of each other, this is what makes Baguio City one of my favourite holiday destinations.

Best hotels in Baguio

Venus Parkview Hotel

During my visit, I stayed at the Venus Parkview Hotel. I booked the hotel because location looked ideal, right in the heart of Baguio, the rooms also looked modern and extremely comfortable.

The hotel really delivered – the rooms were as nice as I had expected and the staff were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. The next time I visit Baguio, I will be returning to Venus Parkview Hotel

The Manor at Camp John Hay

Although I didn’t stay at The Manor at Camp John Hay I did spend some time around the hotel during my visit. The hotel is situated slightly outside of the City, surrounded by the regions signature pine trees as well as having meticulously maintained gardens.

The location of The Manor at Camp John Hay makes it one of the best hotels in Baguio. If you truly want to relax and enjoy the mountain air, this is the place to be.

 Hotel Veniz Burnham

For those wishing to travel on a budget, I would strongly recommend Hotel Veniz. The hotel is situated right in the heart of Baguio City meaning you are within walking distance to everything you will need during your stay.

Although the hotel is at a budget price, it is still available to offer all the services you would expect such as wifi, free breakfast, and room service.

If you are after convenience at a low price, I recommend you book a room at Hotel Veniz.

For a complete guide to of hotels, apartelles and transient rooms see Agoda, Baguio 

Decent weather, ease of transportation and an absolutely endless list of places to visit make Baguio a must-see for those planning a vacation to the Philippines. Just make sure you time the trip just right to avoid being trapped in a never ending downpour of rain which can turn your vacation into a disaster.

Food

Charming Appeal Of Filipino Street Food

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All across South East Asia, you will find a thriving street food culture. Within each country, you will find many unique styles of street food which pay homage to the rich history of the countries in the region. 

The Philippines is no exception – street food is deeply embedded in the countries culture and is still loved by many Filipinos to this day.

Like many other countries in the region, Filipinos can be quite creative and experimental in their methods of preparing and serving their street food.

If you’re a tourist in The Philippines, then you should add street food to your list of things to do! First, you have to visit one of the busiest streets in the three main archipelagos in the country. For example, Quiapo in Luzon, Colon street in the Visayas, and San Pedro St in Davao City Mindanao.

Let’s have a look at some famous street food found only in the streets of the Philippines.

Have a quick bite of Kwek-Kwek. It’s one of the most popular delicacies available. It primarily comprises a fried quail egg or chicken egg coated with flour. The flour used in the mixtures has orange or yellow colouring added. When fried, Kwek-Kwek is best eaten with vinegar, sliced cucumber, and sometimes with fresh seaweeds.

Get your chopsticks ready then have a bite of Shumai or Siomai. This is an original Chinese recipe which is embraced as one of the favourite Filipino street foods in The Philippines. This midget dumpling contains meat fillings (shrimps, pork, etc.), and wrapped in a small siomai wrapper. It is best eaten with lemon extract, and some personalised sweet and sour sauce.



The business end of Filipino street food

Ever heard of Adidas? Well, it’s not the referring to the popular sports brand. In Filipino street food culture, despite Adidas or “chicken foot” sounding weird Filipinos still eat this regularly, almost to the level of it becoming an addiction.

The feet are thoroughly cleaned and boiled before being coated in breadcrumbs and fried until its appearance turns golden brown. Its crispy texture and taste make it favourable for the Filipinos to purchase this low-cost dish. When coated with hot and spicy vinegar, Adidas becomes the best way to satisfy your appetite.

Still, unsatisfied with those craving of yours? Well, have a taste of “Bituka ng manok” or chicken intestines. Yes, chicken intestines are definitely edible in the Philippines.

Other countries generally throw away this part of the chicken while in the Philippines it’s a much-loved delicacy.

It is cleaned carefully in boiling water, and marinate with soy sauce, and some salt before frying. While others make grilled intestine along the streets in the country. Its enticing smell while being cooked attracts those passing by. And the taste? It’s slimy, yet satisfying.

Who amongst you would not recognise Fish and squid balls?

This is an internationally known delicacy. In Asia, Europe and other Western countries. In the Philippines, fish or squid balls are more personalised wherein the vendors make their own blend of the dish. Some of the Vendors use fresh grained fish, salt, pepper, and chopped spring onions or scallion before deep frying. How about a taste of this “on-the-spot” fish ball cooking?

Next, let’s try some Buko juice. After indulging in different street food cuisines, a fresh buko juice completes it all. It is made up of fresh coconut water filled with a bit of white sugar, milk and ice cubes to freshen up and satisfies ones thirsts after nibbling some of these common delicacies.

It is amazing how Filipinos enjoyed the simple way of living and embracing their culture with enthusiasm. People around the globe have their unique way of continuing their customs and practices which have been left to them across generations. Retaining something relevant, even as simple as the Filipino street food culture is an excellent method to maintain the broader culture of this nation.

So as you can see Filipinos love to eat. The best thing about it is that their cravings for food and drinks are simple and cheap, but despite this Filipino street food remains extraordinary.

Culture

Sinulog: Festival of the Santo Ninyo

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As I’m sure most of you are aware, The Philippines is host to a wide variety of festivals. These festivals are usually in place as an expression of thanksgiving and honour to a patron saint.

You have the MassKara festival in Bacolod City, Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City, and Kadayawn Festival in Davao City to name a few.

Then there is Cebu, which is home to the internationally renowned festival – Sinulog.

Now, for a quick recap:

In the era before Spanish colonisation, the island of Cebu was once known as Zubu. It was primarily inhabited by pagans and Islamic tribes. These tribes established a history of trade with other Asian countries long before the Spanish colonial era.

Sinulog Festival history: Origins of the Santo Niño

Historical records suggest the wooden statue of the baby Jesus was a gift from Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon. This was Cebu’s chieftain at the time of Magellan’s arrival to Cebu. The wooden statue, known as the Santo Niño, is still found on the island of Cebu to this day.

It’s kept in a secure location inside the Santo Niño and San Nicholas De Tolentino church. The Santo Niño became the symbol of friendship and the natives’ conversion to Christianity.  The Sinulog festival of the Cebuano’s symbolises their unending devotion to the baby Jesus.

In Cebu, it is during Sinulog that the Cebuano’s honour the feast of Child Jesus, Santo Niño. It is believed the Child Jesus protects the whole province from natural calamities and other disasters. The Cebuano’s show their gratitude to Santo Niño through their faith and devotion, especially during its feast day.

The Sinulog experience: Cebu comes to life

While there are about a hundred major festivals in the country, Cebu’s Sinulog is one of the biggest. Filipinos from across the country look forward to this event. Locals work hard to prepare for the much awaited Sinulog Festival and the multitude of tourists that come with it. These tourists travel to Cebu to witness the grand annual celebration set for the 3rd Sunday in January.

The festivity on this premier island in the Central Visayas is divided into two parts – the religious practice and the celebrations.

A nine-day novena kicks off the Sinulog celebration. Millions of Santo Niño devotees from across the country attend the religious activities of the event. In fact, the authorities make it a point that all pilgrims who are struggling financially are accommodated in the Devotee City. It should be noted that most city hotels at this time are fully occupied. Thus, tourists planning to join the Sinulog fun must make their bookings early.

On the first Saturday of the celebrations, devotees wake up early for the Fluvial Procession. Then later in the afternoon the Solemn Procession is held. It is good to know both activities are always well attended despite their early start.

Children celebrating Sinulog festival on the island of Cebu in The Philippines

Cebu immersed in celebration

The streets are crowded with parties all over the city. Celebrities and politicians visit Cebu to be a part of the parade and further celebrations. The event runs for a month with the Grand Parade featuring the street dancing as the highlight.

You may be asking – What makes the Sinulog Festival so Successful?

A significant factor is the faith of the Cebuanos. While, yes, Cebuanos are in the mood to party during Sinulog. But still, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is full during the celebration. This means Cebuanos do not forget the real essence of celebrating the feast in the birth of Christ.

Credit should be given to the Sinulog organisers for their efforts in lining up all activities. They take care of security and crowd control – a crucial part of the entire event. The contingents too deserve appreciation for continually improving on their dances, especially considering this is the main feature of the grand aprade.

But really any time of the year, the vibrant culture and scenery of the Philippines is always available for tourists and other visitors. For tourists, to be in the Philippines means to experience a vacation in a land which many call paradise. The country will surely entertain everyone. Especially those who have a love for excitement and adventure.

The country is culturally diverse, with many residents having Spanish, American, Chines4e, and Malay blood. The Philippine seas and beaches are indeed havens of white sands and charming beach houses or villas. The underwater landscapes are enough to captivate every fan of diving and snorkelling. The Philippines is a must-visit tourist destin ation for any keen traveller.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Sinulog festival for the first time, read the summary of my experience here.

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