Category: Travel

We had a guest from the US, Christina, and she wanted to see the places outside Manila. She preferred the beach, unfortunately, we only had a weekend and the Saturday night was scheduled for the company’s Christmas party. So, technically, we only had Sunday afternoon to spend. We looked for one good and closer alternative, though not a beach, but still shows the image of the countryside – Tagaytay came to mind. We decided to meet at 9:00AM on Sunday. Since some of us still had hangover of last night’s party, some came late – and so, we left late. ... Read more

We’d been awake the longest during our day 1 but we accomplished a lot on our day 2. We’d able to visit the major attractions of the two great cities; Bangkok and Ayutthaya, rode a 4-hour back-and-forth train, and made a late-night walkathon to check the newly-added attractions on our list – yes, we made some last minute revisions. [one_half] Lost in the Grand Palace (Photo by Roderick) [/one_half] [one_half_last] Wat Sukhothai Traimit (Golden Buddha Temple) [/one_half_last] Day 2 Stops (Top-left: Chao Phraya River; Top-right: THe Grand Palace; Bottom-right: Wat Phra Si Sanphet of Ayutthaya; Bottom-left: The Reclining Buddha of ... Read more

We never expected that our confoundment still had a part 2. The Grand Palace was already the perfect stunner but the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (commonly Wat Pho or officially Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan) still marveled us. Though not equally overwhelming and dazzling, the temple offered some great three-dimensional artwork and excellent masterpieces. The Reclining Buddha The most visited attraction within the Wat Pho compound is the Reclining Buddha (Phra Phuttha Saiyat or Phra Non). It depicts Buddha’s parinirvana which means the death of an enlightened being. The 46 meters long by 15 meters high Buddha image’s core ... Read more

After a tiring layover in Ho Chi Minh City, the last stop of our Indochina Tour, we visited Jollibee Vietnam. Roderick, with the help of his MapsWithMe app in Android, pointed the direction to shop which was relatively close to the War Remnants Museum. Back in the Philippines, we sometimes snub Jollibee or we only visit the store if its the only option left, but seeing it abroad gave us a strange feeling – unusual joy and pride. We hurried to go inside and we noticed that the atmosphere felt exactly like home, though the language was different. Jollibee Store ... Read more

After our sightseeing along the Chao Phraya River and a simple local breakfast at Tha Chang Port, we headed to the Grand Palace. Well, the reason why we took the boat was to reach the Grand Palace, and since cruising Chao Phraya River with locals is an awesome activity as well, I piled it to my list of activities completed. Important Reminders The Grand Palace opens daily at 8:30AM so be sure to be there before the mob rushes, because if that happens, you’ll find a hard time looking for an empty space for your photo ops. The palace closes ... Read more

Angkor Wat is one of the destinations you must see before you die. December 2 this year, I crossed out one of the entries in my bucket list and saw it from the moment it was pitch black until it slowly revealed itself as the sun lit the surroundings. Seeing the world’s largest religious monument was truly hair-raising and exhilarating experience. I wasn’t alone but with a mob who were also waiting for the one of the most anticipated sunrise ever. The Angkor Wat deserves a good space in this blog that is why I feature it in Freedom Wall Shutter. ... Read more

The Erawan Shrine (ศาลพระพรหม or San Phra Phrom) seats at the intersection of Ratchaprasong and Ratchadamri Roads in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok. Unlike any other Thai temples in city, the image, which is a Thai depiction of the Hindu god of creation, isn’t sheltered with a big mondop. The shrine was built in 1956 by Erawan Hotel to counter the negative karma caused by laying the hotel’s foundations on a wrong date. The shrine was once a subject of great controversy when a man was killed by bystanders last March 21, 2006 after hammering the statue. The Erawan Shrine (ศาลพระพรหม or ... Read more

Our first stop for the day 2 of our Indochina tour was the Grand Palace. To reach the place, we boarded BTS at National Stadium station and got off at Saphan Taksin station. Sathorn Pier was just few steps away from the west exit of Saphan Taksin. We hopped on a boat, and then it turned into an instant cruise in Chao Phraya River. The fare was cheap at TH฿15/pax. We took the boat with the orange flag which we pre-determined to make a stop in Tha Chang Pier (N9), the closest pier to the Grand Palace entrance. (Boats with blue ... Read more

Before the walkathon in Bangkok, let us talk about our amazing race in the Philippines first. I did not go on leave a day prior to our trip. I took a mid-shift work schedule wherein I came to the office at 03:00PM and left at 12:00AM. I had all my stuff ready to make sure that by the time the last second ticks to midnight, I am ready to go and catch our 08:00AM flight. Our airport of departure was in Clark, and, as per my research days prior, we can take Victory Liner to Baguio or Five Star Bus Co. ... Read more