Cappadocia : Straight Out of a Fairytale Book

After three weeks in the Philippines doing my own trip and seeing family in October last year, I went to Turkey for my solo travel.

Turkey seemed closer to Manila, atleast that’s what I thought, but it wasn’t. My Manila to Keyseri via Istanbul flight is more than 15hrs. I had a lay over of 3hrs in Istanbul  before Keyseri. While the flight was smooth, It made me really tired. Though Turkey is considered the gateway to Europe, it gives me the middle east vibe; and this was my first time in a middle eastern country.

First sunset at Cappadocian Valley of Uchisar.

First Stop Cappadocia. When I arrived in Keyseri, it was damp as it just rained. It was over an hour drive to Uchisar, where I have my three day stay reservation in Hotel Kale Konak in Cappadocia.  The ride was smooth; I have a mini bus limo for myself that made me feel a bit of a royalty🤣. As we drove, i noticed that Keyseri’s landscape is somehow unique- mostly bare land and hills and seems dry- similar to the outskirts of Nevada.  The houses or communities are clustered and can be seen in one area then followed by bare lands and hills again.

Top L-R: Uchisar Castle outside my hotel; experiencing Testi Kebab for the first time.

Bottom: The view of Hotel Kale Konak overlooking Pigeon valley.

By the time I got the hotel the rain had stopped and the sky was clear. It was a bit chilly, on the mid 50s for the temperature, and yet- it was a beautiful day in the mountain.  I was able to get to check in my hotel right away then got my self refreshed and rested for a bit before I explored the town.  My hotel is right across the Uchisar Castle that overlooks Cappadocian valley.  It was such a great location with the beautiful view of the Pigeon valleys.  I was speechless as I feasted my eyes to this natural beauty. I walked around its streets; enjoyed the local market for a bit and then decided to eat late lunch at a local restaurant.  I ordered a Testi Kebob- it s a Turkish dish that involves cooking a kebab in a sealed claypot- this is their specialty here in Cappadocia region.

I roamed around after lunch then sleepiness haunted me so I went back to my room to take a nap. By the time I woke up it was almost sunset, I went to check if Uchisar Castle still open and when it was, I bought a ticket to explore it to witness the sunset. It was mild overcast, but it did give me a good show for the sunset.

Uchisar and Cappadocian Valleys.  It was overcast and windy when I woke up on my second day.  I was supposed to fly with my hot air balloon but it was already cancelled the previous day by the Civil Aviation Authority due to the weather forecast.  I am glad they did cause I wanted my ultimate hot air ballon experience be memorable. In retrospect, I liked how they take hot air balloon rides here seriously. It made me feel safe.

An overlook of the Fairy Chimneys of the Uchisar Valley; straight out of a fairytale book.

Top L-R: complimentary breakfast at hotel Kale Konak; Irfan- my guide and his photography behind him.

Bottom L-R: The cat that followed me throughout my trek; the traditional Turkish teahouse in one of the fairy chimneys.

With such change, I started my day of sightseeing of Cappadocia. Irfan, my guide picked me up on time. First he drove and brought me briefly to see a bird’s eye view of Pigeon Valley.  This is famous for numerous small pigeon houses carved into the soft volcanic rock cliffs.  Next we explored was Uchisar.  This beautiful town is known for its natural fortress.  The main attraction was the Uchisar Castle- a giant natural volcanic rock formation which used as dwelling and defense for earlier invasions.

Then we drove around the other side of the castle. Irfan asked wether I want to trek the bottom of the valley, or just continue to drive.  I chose the former.  When we got off, we stood and looked over the “fairy chimney” formation.   Such a beautiful landscape!. And off we went. It was a bit over cast and the weather was cool, so this was a good exercise for me. As we trail down, my eyes feasted on these magnificent view.  It’s true what they say of this place, straight out of a fairytale book.

While we continued trekking, I noticed that a black and white cat was following us. This perhaps the third or fourth cat I have seen in less than 24hrs I have been in this country. It dawned on me an article I read about Turkey a while ago that they are fond of cats (and other animals). I asked Irfan about the truth on this and he said that most Turkish are very fond of cats because the prophet Mohammad loves cats. Good to know.

Goreme Open Air Museum and its Byzantine painting.

It was about half hour trekking down. With few stops to take photos and just admire these beauties. Irfan asked me if I wanted to get some Turkish tea before we proceed with our long ride. Hesitant, I agreed- as I didn’t know if this gesture is a custom I shouldn’t say no. We went inside of one of the remaining pigeon houses still lived by locals. There are very few of them that still occupied and this tea house is one of them he said; and those who still have it, pay an incredible amount of dues and taxes. The inside was cozy; truly traditional Turkish tea parlor. There were landscape photos hanged on the wall. The owner told me that Irfan took them. I learned that Irfan is a former photographer of Ministry of Tourism of Turkey. I was speechless and eventually told Irfan what an honor to have him as my guide.

Goreme Open Air Museum and Pasabag Monks Valley. After the pigeon houses and fairy chimneys at Uchisar we drove to Goreme Open Air Museum- another treasure of Cappadocia. This place showcases ancient Christian churches with well preserved Byzantine paintings.  The most that struck me were the Apple, Dark and Buckle Churches becomes of their very detailed and well preserved frescoes.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t permitted to take any photos of the frescoes; so I only have the one from the outside. I also learned from my guide that long before Turkey became a muslim country, Christianity predominates the country.

Pasabag Monks Valley

After Goreme, we went to Pasabag Monks Valley. This was our last stop for the day. Irfan must have been tired of the long walks, so he let me do this my own and he decided to wait for me at the entrance.  As I walked to this vast land, I am again surrounded by the giant fairy chimneys (in all honesty, it looks more of a phallus😂). Each formations here are quite different from the previous we visited.   When I saw an opportunity to trek a giant rock formation, I found my way on top of it to view the sun setting. I sat for a little bit and took photos of the scenery. After a while, I started going down and explored the rest of the place again. It must have been more than an hour, and people started to leave, so I did as well and met with Irfan to finally go back to the hotel.

When I get to my hotel, I still have an ample time exploring the town, so that’s what I did while finding a place to get dinner- Shish kebab 😉.

A typical habitation of a family at Kaymakli Underground City

Kaymakli Underground City and Ceramic Tradition in Avanos.

The second day of my official Cappadocia trip we went to the underground city.  Irfan and Yunus was early as usual; so we left immediately after. Kaymakli Underground City is an elaborate maze of tunnels, caves and is the second widest of the underground cities (yes there’s plenty of them) in all Turkey; built by the early Christians to protect themselves from the religious persecution of Roman Soldiers.  I was glad that we modified our trip itinerary from day one; we got here at an earlier time (which was already a bit crowded but not packed). The narrow passages were a bit challenging- they were dark and I was literally hunched at all times (except on the common area/rooms that you can appreciate when your guide tells you to stop) walking through them because the ceiling clearances were too low and the sharp edges could easily hurt my head. When we’re finally over, I saw busses after busses of tourists; glad we escaped that one. 😂

Top: The Carpet Bazaar I visited in Avanos. One hallway turned to showroom;

Bottom: A lady putting the final touch of the pottery; myself making one; a woman weaving a carpet.

Then we drove to Avanos to see ceramic making.  I have been to many- in the Philippines (both Vigan and Banaue) in Costa Rica, Malaysia.  They are all similar but different in some ways. Cappadocia ceramic making was also different. In all my experiences in pottery, I only get to watch how they do it; but not this time. It was just myself and the pottery maker in the work room so he asked me to try it myself, so I did! at first I was a bit anxious, but as you mold the clay, my anxiety turned to just enjoying the pottery itself. Such a great experience to do one. We also briefly stop to the nearby carpet place to see how carpets are made. I learned from this one that certain type of carpet (like silk)  is more expensive (than wool) because of the amount of time, the materials, and the craftsmanship invested to make one.  I also learned that this is a dying craft in Turkey, and the government is actually investing to young people to keep the tradition alive. Both are intricately hand made. This is a fist for me. ❤️

On both my way to Cappadocia and our trips, I asked Irfan if pumpkins are big crops in Turkey as I see them a lot. He said yes, it is made to some sort of native delicacies.  Its surprising to see that these pumpkins are different to traditional orange pumpkins I see during fall in the US; they resemble more of a watermelon. On our ride to  Caravansite, Both roads sides were farms of pumpkins. Irfan must have read my mind and we parked our car, both got off, looked and watched them while they harvests.

Top L-R: a local family harvesting pumpkins; a typical potato storage;

Bottom: the Three Beauties- the most photographed among fairy chimneys;

I wasn’t sure if the rest of my day was still part of the tour, but Irfan seemed eager to make me learn of Cappadocian ways and culture that he showed me more this road trip. Potato is one of the agricultural products the Anatolia Region (which includes Cappadocia) majorly produce; so he showed me the way its being stored in winter times. It’s like all the storage areas. we rent in the US only they are dug in the mountain. Something different. It was almost lunch, so we all headed to Ürgüp, and I ordered an authentic Turkish wrap for my lunch in a local restaurant and the Turkish tea of course.

Ürgüp was s our last destination for the day. Here lies one of the most photographed fairy chimneys in Cappadocia- The Three Beauties. They are are  fairy chimneys that resemble of two adults and a child; which is thought to be symbolizing the family. Legend says that the families without children would come here and have children by going up and down the slope next to these fairy chimneys 7 times. True or not, there were so many people that I saw doing such.

When I was done, I met Irfan and Yunus where we parked and off they drop me off to my hotel. I rested for a bit, then headed out to see the town for one last time as tomorrow at noon, I will be leaving for Istanbul.

Cappadocia’s Royal Hot Air Balloon. My main goal visiting Cappadoccia is to ride the hot air balloon. This wasn’t a first for me; Bob and I have done it before in Phoenix. And while it was a great experience, the ultimate hot air balloon was here in Cappadocia because of the beautiful landscape you fly over. Atleast this is based on travel gurus.

This flight almost did not happen. Originally, I planned to ride the hotair balloon on a Monday- my second day, but weather was not cooperating so it has to be re scheduled. I was put on a wait list for two days.  I saw them fly over Uchisar valley the day after mine was cancelled. I was just unlucky that I couldn’t make it that day as all tour were fully booked.  But, the same night, I got a call that I will be on the fly list for Wednesday- the following day; the same day I leave for Istanbul.

the panoramic view of some of the hot air balloons flying over Cappadocia valley at sunrise- photographed by yours truly from another hotter balloon 😉

Top L-R: hot air balloon prepping for take off; the view of Uchisar Castle from my balloon;

Bottom: enjoying the smooth ride; a champagne toast after a successful flight.

And just when i thought that all was set come Wednesday morning, our take off was delayed because of the wind. First we waited til 0635AM for the announcement from Ministry of Aviation, as we gather all at the waiting area. Then the time came and another announcement that it was being delayed again til 0655AM. THe balloon company were kind enough to offer us early breakfast, so we had some while waiting for the time. Then 0655AM came and there wasn’t a word from the Ministry; at this time, the anxiety was high but we all kept waiting as someone whispered that at 0725AM the final announcement will be made. At this point I have little to no expectations- as my chance to fly got slimmer and slimmer. In my mind I was taking notes of the time- I have an airport pick up at 10 so anything later than 0730AM I will have to decide or cancel it. By 0715AM the tour operator walked into our waiting area smiling, I knew then that we are flying. Such a big sigh of relief. 🙂

It took us 10 mins to go where the balloons take off, then moments later we’re up along with all the balloon enthusiasts.  It was surreal up there!

I have never seen so many hot air balloons, not even on my first time flying in Phoenix… they were mesmerizing. I felt I was in some kind of Disney movie. Then comes the backdraft of the fairy chimneys slowly brightens by the golden rays of the sun- stunning! I now understand why Cappadocia is a must for hot air balloon ride. I was speechless an I couldn’t keep myself from looking around. Everywhere was just jaw-dropping. An hour went by quick.  The next I know we were descending and landed to someone else’s backyard. That one too was smooth- very different from the landing I remembered in Phoenix- bumpy a few times and scary to be honest. We ended the trip with a champagne toast.

Another bucket list checked. Until we meet again Kapadokya.

Obligatory photo of a Kapadokya sign.

Palm Springs: Oasis In The Desert

This is Bob and I’s second trip for the year. A major for him since his shoulder surgery last year after we came back from  our trip in Wyoming. And also to get away for some time to celebrate our 248th monthsarry (yes up to this day we still celebrate monthsaries) We are trying to do it slowly.

We left for Orlando before 8AM. Our flight was originally set for 11am but got an alert that it was delayed for another 50 minutes. I did appreciate that we were lagging behind schedule as it gave us more wiggle room from parking the car, having us transferred to the airport and all the TSA and getting into the gate for boarding.

Overlooking Palm Springs

While we were waiting at the gate, our ground crew announced that the plane arrived earlier than anticipated. So we boarded and able to leave MCO a little earlier than the delay time. Our transfer from Phoenix gate to Palm Springs went smooth as well. The plane was on time; and an hour later- welcome to Palm Springs. The airport here has a different vibe; it has an outdoor access- reminded me of being in Singapore but at a different level. When we picked our car rental and started driving, the scenery was mesmerizing. We were surrounded by mountains; bare ones but beautiful.

It was a fifteen-minute drive from airport to our hotel in Rancho Mirage. After checking in we went for an early dinner at Las Casuelas, the Mexican Restaurant that our concierge recommended- it was a superb dinner, except for my glass of pineapple Jalapeño Margarita which I found too caliente. When we got to our hotel, we called it a night.

Hiking the Tahquitz Canyon Trail

Tahquitz Canyon Trail. Time, when traveling is always been a challenge. We woke up early the following day since our body clock was still on  Eastern Standard Time. But this age us advantage for an early start.  By 815AM we were already on our first hike of the day.  Tahquitz Canyon Trail is a two-mile loop easy to moderate trail with the waterfalls in the middle and about 450 ft elevation- this didn’t deter Bob. We did it slowly so we don’t strain ourselves. We have plenty of time; so we enjoyed our hike and the scenery too- the hills of rocks, the falls, the blue sky… When we reached some elevation it gave us a panoramic view of Palm Springs valley- breath taking.

It was half past ten when we finally finished and arrived at the visitor’s center where we started. At this point we decided to have brunch at Elmer’s Restaurant that has the best brunch in town they said😉. To be honest, it didn’t disappoint. My eggs benedict was actually cooked into perfection- along with bowl of fruits I savored my breakfast.   Bob’s veggie burger  was also great.

We headed back to our hotel and rest after our brunch.

Bob reserved a 3PM Palm Springs aerial tram ride with the thought of we will have a nice dinner up the mountain while we listen to the Cathedral City HS choir doing Christmas Carols. Sounds romantic and perfect; But as we turned to the road going to the parking lot, a lot of cars were at stop and not moving. The park was not allowing patrons at this time and we learned that there was a scheduled electrical maintenance at the park, and the next available ride is tentatively at 4PM. It was then we decided that we will take the ride the following day. Such a missed adventure and so much for our romantic date 😂✌️.

Just not to waste time, we went downtown and walk around for a bit. Then we headed to the grocery to pick up some food and dinner that we decided we will do at our hotel/villa.

That night after our dinner, we decided to just rest.

sunset at Keys View, Joshua Tree National Park

Bob and I on our ride up to Mt San Jacinto via aerial tram.

Aerial Tramway and Joshua Tree National Park. Since we didn’t make it the previous night to the aerial tram, we decided tp get there for the first ride at 10AM to avoid the lines and overbooking. The staff accommodated us right away and one of the firsts to take the tram.

I wasn’t sure if I have ridden a tram before; I did cable cars in Vermont, Singapore and Malaysia, but those were different from the tram. This one is revolving- which makes you see the valley and the mountain views equally.  Up the mountain was equally beautiful- sunny and clear blue sky, snow on the ground, crisp weather with some breeze- such a perfect day to be up here! Such a wonderful panoramic view of Palm Springs, and I’m loving every moment of it. It was approaching 1130AM and so Bob and I decided to have sandwich from the bistro for lunch. When we were done, we headed down and got our car and headed to Joshua Tree National Park. 
 Bob and I always love exploring new places. We’ve been doing this ever since.  I have been in Joshua Tree National Park three years ago with my former colleague and as far as I remember, we took a different entrance of the park.  The Cottonwood Visitor Center Entrance that Bob and I took was a lot closer to places we wanted to go. We drove (and stopped) by Cholla Cactus Garden, Heart Rock and Arch Rock, Skull Rock (where Bob had his photo taken), and Ryan Mountain.  These made me feel somehow, it was my first time visiting since I couldn’t recall passing all the sceneries we just did. Eventually we made it to the familiar Keys View; It was chilly at 49 degrees and with wind combined outside.  We waited in the car for more than an hour before we went out to see the sunset and the moonrise (that was a bonus!).  This was kind of special, this is the first time I experienced watching the sun set on the west and the moon rise on the east.  And it wasn’t an ordinary moon, it was full moon- and the last for the year- here at Joshua Tree National Park.  But most importantly, I have this pleasure watching both with the love of my life.  Rarely happens. 😉❤️

Top L-R: obligatory photo of the park sign; Cholla Cactus Garden

Bottom: L-R: watching the year’s last full moon rise; Skull Rock; and one of the many Joshua Trees

After that, we journeyed the drive back to Palm Springs for over an hour and had dinner at Tonya’s Kitchen until we called the night.

reflection of palm trees at Simone Pond

Shields Dates Garden and Andreas Canyon- The following day we went to Shields Dates Garden as recommended by our concierge. Not too much expectations, but this place has large to life size religious artifacts and garden that Bob and I enjoyed walking. It was good for some sort of meditation. As we exited, we bought some goodies to bring home and enjoyed some Dates milkshake while sitting on their diner-type bar enjoying music from the 60s (or maybe 70s). When we were done, we headed to Indian Canyons.

Indian Canyons have three different hiking trails; we chose the easy and quick mile hike of Andreas Canyon.  It started with shady steady up-hill. I had to post multiple times to take photos of the British guard like palm trees 😂.  I just simply admired them as they are so pretty- it reminded me of how I admired the Spanish moss wrap around the oak trees the first few months we arrived in Florida. When we got to the elevation, Bob and I even appreciated the beauty of the trail more.  It was nice to see lush of greens surrounding the area and yet the mountains are bare.  Such a contrasting oasis. The hike took a little over an hour; we enjoyed the sun in a cool weather. After the hike we headed to the visitor center and rested for a bit while enjoying the other scenic site of the Canyon; then we headed back to our villa.

Coachella Valley Preserve and Simone Pond. When we woke up on our fifth day at Palm Springs, we didn’t really have a specific agenda. We pretty much checked off all the places we planned to visit according to our spreadsheet. While browsing Trip Advisor, we came across Coachella Valley Preserve which was not far from our villa. We ended up getting there around 1045 only to be told by the park ranger that the valley is not open for public due to ongoing repairs from a severe weather damage from a couple of years back. However, he suggested that we can walk around Simone Pond for about 15 minutes as it will close at 1130.  I was glad Bob and I did- the pond was quite nice to see- covered of my favorite palm trees. Crushed with time, we circled around the pond briefly enjoying its natural beauty and started our way back to the entrance. Short hike and sweet.

The Holiday decorations at downtown Palm Springs

Bob being goofy during our dinner at Riccio’s.

We decided to go downtown for lunch at Hideout Kitchen then went back to the hotel to rest.  In the afternoon we debated whether we would see the Christmas parade we planned to do earlier in the week; but the logistics of parking and anticipated long walk and thousands of people dawned on us and so we decided to stay at our villa and just relax.  At dinner time, we head out opposite downtown and tried some Thai Food at Desert Thai.

Our last day was spent mostly in our villa.  WE woke up late, watch some football games until the afternoon while packing our bags at the same time. Then during early evening, we headed out to downtown one last time as I want to take photos of the Christmas Tree and street decors. Once I was done, we had an  Italian dinner at Riccio’s. Best way to end this trip!

Happy Holidays to all! 🎄🎄🎄

Coron: a Tropical Island Paradise

Top: ATR 72 Turbo Pop plane we took from Manila to Busuanga;

Bottom: The kool kids waiting for the plane in the terminal; our first dinner at Bacau Bay;

Four days after I landed in Manila that my real adventure began; the day after Merly (my sister) and Kevin (my nephew, Merly’s son) arrived.  The two of them, my brother Joel, and our friends Tina and Allan all went along with me. This is our well planned trip to Coron, Palawan. Many describe this place a tropical paradise with stunning natural landscapes with breath taking views of both limestone cliffs and crystal-clear waters. I have always wanted to visit this island; even when I was living in the Philippines still. And this time we were excited to discover it among ourselves.

On the day we were flying there was an airport mishap. We woke up early; picked up by Tina and Allan to go to the airport for our 0635AM Cebu Pacific flight to Busuanga with no fuss. Among six people in this trip including myself, none took time to check our airport terminal (Cebu Pacific both uses T2 and T3 for their flights) from my print out (in my defense, it was on an odd location that I could not read right away so I googled it); and we all relied on what Google said- T3🤣. When we got to the airport’s T3, the security told us that our flight takes off at T2😯. Panicked, we all run to find the shuttle for us not to miss our flight. Even Tina, who was weak from being sick; run too until we finally got to T2 and found our boarding gate. Our flight, with ATR 72 turboprop plane (never rode one before) took off on time.  By 845AM we’re already in Busuanga where we’re greeted by our hotel staff as we exit. It was a 45 minute travel time to our hotel reservation which I dint mind as I was enjoying the view of the island. Coron is a beautiful place. With the mountains that surround it, reminded me of Hawaii as you see it on TV.

Bacau Bay.  We stayed at Bacau Bay; a premiere 4-star hotel in the island; beautiful landscape and tucked in a quiet lagoon. Our rooms weren’t quite ready yet so we decided to explore the town.  Filipinos are known for being an eating machine and we are no exception. When we got off the town from our tricycle ride, we went straight to a restaurant and ate brunch.  By the time we were done, it was pouring rain so we decided to head back to our hotel; and by then our rooms were ready so we rested.. until we woke up at 530PM! Joel, Kevin and myself slept that long and no one woke us up. The other three were then resting so the three of us decided to catch the sunset by the private dock while we were having a drink. After that, we had dinner at the hotel where the food was outstanding.

catching suunset at Bacau Bay’s private dock.

Top L-R: Island hoppers; Joel Merly Kevin and myself at Twin Lagoon basking in the water;

Bottom L-R: Kuya Joel and I on a kayak with our guide; The Twin Lagoon’s lime stones

The Ultimate Island Hop. The last seven months prior to coming home, I have been arranging this tour of the island. So the next day, we have the first of our Coron ultimate tours. It was a full day affair of island hopping.  The first we went to was Kayangan Lake- a crystal clear fresh water surrounded by limestones. The path to the lake involves a steep hike where halfway to the lake you’ll see the famous viewpoint with an overlook of the beautiful island.  WE took sometime to enjoy the view before we actually headed to the lake and enjoyed swimming in the refreshing water. We stayed here for a bit until we went to our second island- the Barracuda Lake. Unlike Kayangan, this one is deeper, and while it is a freshwater, the water temperature increases as you go deeper.  We enjoyed swimming mostly on the surface- recreating some videos with GoPro. Kevin who went solo snorkeling lost the GoPro.  Thankfully, there were group of divers (this site is also famous for divers) that helped us find it.

When we got back to the boat, we had lunch at Uson Island. Food prepared was great; buffet style so we ate so much. WE stayed here for an hour giving us time to relax; I also was able to fly my drone. After that we proceeded with our tour.

Bird’s eye view of Kayangan Lake from the Viewpoint

Beach 91. Another private beach enjoyed by just among ourselves.

Our boat went on for a good twenty five minutes to nowhere until we stop at Balinsasayaw Reef. This was where we did an almost hour long snorkeling and enjoying its clear, tranquil waters and the corals and marine life that came with it. Our guide showed us some scallops with pearls; no worries as they are protected. We also see Nemo (the famous clown fish) 😉. Just when we thought we were done, we continued our tour to Twin Lagoons were we spent about half an hour or so swimming once more.  It was about almost 5PM and since the islands were surrounded mostly of limestone cliffs, the sun started hiding behind; but that didn’t stop us from going to our last stop- the Beach 91. This we spent sunset while swimming (I was taking photos). The scene was breathtaking. It was almost dark when we left and ended our tour.

By the time we got to the hotel, it was past 8PM and we were all tired.  WE had our dinner and decided to call the night. Tomorrow is another day.

Calauit Safari and Black Island Tour. On our 3rd day  exploring the island it was more relax. We started our day by seeing African animals at Calauit Wildlife Sanctuary in Busuanga.

When I was in college, I was fascinated by Calauit’s controversy in acquiring African animals including zebras, giraffes, and others that were rehomed in the Philippines due to the war and drought going on in east Africa, specifically in Kenya (and boundary of former Tanganyika) in the 70’s.  These animals were displaced and the Kenyan government sought the help of the former President Marcos (who were then visiting the country) in conservation of the African wildlife. However, in this project, there were about 250 families of mainly Tagbanwa (indigenous people of Palawan) were evicted from their ancestral lands and relocated elsewhere in the island; thus, causing the controversy.

A trip to Calauit Safari

Among the eight species of animals (bushbucks, elands, gazelles, giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, topis, and zebras) that were introduced to the islands, only two-giraffes and zebras- of them are thriving habitants (including philippine native endangered animals such as the Calamian deer, Palawan bearded pigs, and philippine crocodiles), the rest did not survive in the long term.

It was quite an experience- close encounter with the zebras and feeding the giraffes (not a first for me, since Bob and I did this in Busch Garden a few years ago), and seeing the Calamian deer. When we were done with the safari, we went to eat lunch and continued to another and the last of our island adventure- the Black Island. The ride was about 45-50 minutes by the boat.  The first 30 mins was nice and calm, with other islands at view point; then all but waters and crashy waves. There were 11 people on the boat including our guide and boat driver, in my mind, if this boat got capsized, no one will find us. I was beginning to be nervous. The last stretch had me really prayed hard as our boat had to fully stop because the waves were just too strong to go against with. When we finally reach the island, it was both a relief and a reward. The island was so amazing; so beautiful with turquoise blue water. There were only few people in the island, and it felt like it was for us to exclusively use. It was really a great escapade.

The paradise island of Black Island.

Black Island has a cave that we went and explored to as well.  We stayed here for a little over an hour and headed back to Busuanga. I was expecting another challenging boat ride to go to the main island, but thankfully, it was calmer than the ride going to. On our way back to the hotel, we were greeted with a beautiful sunset sky.

Enjoying Coronfor one more day!

Free Day. The fourthly was our free day; we didn’t do any tours this time but explored the town on our own. When we took the tricycle (local version of a moped+sidecar), we asked them to bring us to the town’s church since Tina requested it; we said our little prayer and headed to the Cashew Factory. I didn’t realize that Palawan is the major producer of cashews in the Philippines. I always thought it was in the South Island. Then we went to the town; to see more time the port. We also planned of hiking Mt Tapias but the rain started pouring; so we decided to go back to the hotel. Thinking it will stop (but it didn’t), we stayed til dinner time when we decided to go and eat our last dinner at Lobster King. We didn’t have the lobster, but we pigged ourselves out with local seafood. It was great to end our trip with a delicious meal!

The following day we woke up early to catch our early flight back to Manila. Same plane and crew; and we all landed safely after an hour and thirty minutes. Tina brought us to the bus station, and we started our journey to see family in La Union.

Coming Home: My Thoughts On Seeing Family and Friends in the Philippines

“When you finally go back to your old hometown, you find it wasn’t the old home you missed but your childhood.” -Sam Ewing

Top L-R: Japan Airlines- my ride back home; enjoying ramen at Tokyo Airport;

Bottom L-R: Lunch with my brother and his fam; seeing my nephew Bitoy.

Six years in the making- I finally coming home to see family again. The last I was in the Philippines was in July of 2019.  I promised then that I will try to come back at least every two years. Then covid happened in 2020, and my life took many detours. Fast forward to 2025, I am excited to see family and friends once again.

For the last eight months I have been looking forward to this flight. It was a total of almost 27hrs- started with a short flight from Orlando, Florida to Chicago. Then the long haul from Chicago to Tokyo. With over three hours of lay over, I got to do a bit of roaming around the airport, showered, and ate ramen (yes, their food at the airport is also restaurant quality). Then another three hour flight from Tokyo to Manila for the last leg of the trip.  Overall, it was a very good flight. Japan Airlines always has the reputation of an excellent service, and this flight did not disappoint. The ground staff, attendants, the amenities and mostly the food! It was an epitome of excellent customer service.

Seeing Family. I was in Manila for two nights with my brother Joel. He fetched me at the airport when I arrived; he always does.  I noticed he aged a bit (who doesn’t?), but still has the bubbly personality. As we saw each other, we hugged and both greeted each other with a big smile then eventually headed to the car whom Ritz volunteered for me to use. I will see her the following day. The next day my brother and I woke up early.  We are going to see his new apartment that I have never been.  I was also looking forward to seeing my sister in-law Eden, who I last saw in 2019. I asked her to cook an impromptu dish- one of my favorite Filipino dish “Sarciadong Isda” as we are going to eat lunch at their house.  Bob teased me when we were on the phone why not the best Eden’s Spaghetti? (She really does make a good spaghetti that Bob loves!). 

arriving first time In La Union after 6yrs; and seeing the entire family again.

After more than an hour of riding Grab (the Philippines’ equivalent for Uber), we finally arrived at their place.  I was surprised to see my nephew Bitoy too! He’s going to school but not until the later part of the day. When the food was ready, we all shared my first Filipino lunch with stories and catching up. Since my schedule was crunched, we left my brother’s house shortly after, to see some friends.

When my sister Merly and my nephew, her son Kevin arrived the third day, we all geared to traveling and spending five days in Palawan- a paradise island in the south coast of Luzon, with our friends Tina and Allan. We left on the fourth day of my travel itinerary.  I am still in the process of finishing a separate blog detailing our adventures in this paradise and I hope you read that too!

After five days enjoying the pristine waters of Palawan, we headed back to Manila. From the airport, we went straight to the bus station where we took our ride to my Tatay’s (Tagalog word for father) hometown- La Union. We left about noon time, and it took us about seven hours to finally arrive. By then it was dusk. So much has changed- I felt the once a quiet after dark town is now too busy, some says its vibrant. I was very happy when we got home to see everybody. Tatay, my sisters- Nilda (and BIL Damian, Justin and GF Lauren) and Sylvia and her family- Ryan, Rheanne and Rani. One more day and we are almost complete.

My Tatay’s hometown- Guinguinabang, San Juan, La Union

Top: visiting Nanay’s grave;

Bottom L-R: spending time with my siblings; one of the many food on the tables our family spent together.

The following day we went to visit our mom’s grave (and Hendrijk’s), all five of us her children (and some of the family) were there and offered flowers. After spending time with both of them, we gone by our day.  I spent a bit of “me” moment by having spa- facial care and a massage (with a 4.7 magnitude earthquake as extra- Yes, it was shaking while my facial care was happening!) . Then did a bit of shopping while waiting for the rest of the family doing pretty much the same. At night time, Conor, Rebecca (straight from the airport) Eden and Bitoy (who fetched Conor and Rebecca) finally arrived. Almost complete (missing Bob, Julie Ann, Roxanne and Selena who couldn’t make it; and of course Nanay).

Then Saturday came and we celebrated Nilda’s 60th birthday were we all had a great time (read blog: https://www.junbaniquedimages.com/blog/2025/10/29/shes-60-my-tribute-to-my-sisters-officially-becoming-a-sexagenarian).

The morning after Nilda’s birthday was spent from having breakfast with some of her friends and our friends at our place. When they left, it was just us family.  That night we had  family dinner of left overs from the previous night’s event. I must say, everyone is overwhelmed with cakes🎂😂 (yes, we have probably had about six or seven cakes given as gifts to the party for all three of them combined). The night was full of laughters and gift givings to the birthday celebrators. The best part was  my Tatay singing Fraulein- one of his favorite songs in his genre. The rest of the night I spent packing for our trip to Sagada for the next day (read blog: https://www.junbaniquedimages.com/blog/2025/11/9/sagada-the-sea-of-clouds-experience).

As we navigate our way back to La Union, we briefly stopped in Luna and watched the sunset beside the Baluarte Tower. We spent one more night with the family; then everyone became busy with mostly packing since.  I couldn’t believe that’s been two weeks; and now onto the last stretch of my Philippines trip. The following day we headed to Manila with stops in Pangasinan to visit Conor’s cousins and at my brother’s new place in Pampanga. When we finally got to our hotel, we freshened up and headed to BGC for dinner to celebrate Conor’s birthday.

Witnessing sunset at Baluarte Tower with the family.

Having a great time with friends.

Top L-R: lunch in Greenbelt after picking Merly and Kevin from the airport; dinner with Tina in Makati;

Bottom L-R: Xenia, Ritz and my self for a quick trip to New World; Kampay with Tina

Meeting with Friends. Just like my sister, I have many friends of different timelines that I want to see in this time constraint trip to the Philippines.

Ritz and Xenia. First of the many (of my few good friends) I want to see this visit;  friends who become my family; my friends from nursing school. Ritz picked us up at Trinoma Mall (on Day 2 after my visit with my brother’s new place), our meeting place- then proceeded right away to a massage place, where we also met our friend Xenia. We had a great an hour and a half of a relaxing massage- good enough to switch my mind off my busy schedules. Then we had a wonderful Italian dinner at Italianni’s after. I was suppose to meet another friend but that didn’t work out so we extended a bit of time trying to catch up with all the things I missed. 

I saw both of them again the following day as they wanted to accompany me and my brother to pick up Merly, my sister and Kevin, my nephew at the airport. When we are finally all together, we had lunch at one of the Korean restaurants in Greenbelt- an upscale mall in Makati. After that we parted ways. That night we met with Tina, another of our friend too, for dinner nearby our hotel. Tina and her cousin Allan, joined us in our adventure in Palawan.

Seeing my UP friends and the Caloocan Gangs at Nilda’s 60th birthday celebration.

I think the best time reconnecting with all our friends happened during Nilda’s birthday celebration. Most of her friends are our common friends and we were glad that we see all of them at her most special moment. Our UP friends  (Didith and Jeng and husbands Raul and Sev) were there; Wella and boyfriend Joel were there. Of course, Ritz, Xenia and Tina were also there.

But the most I was happy to see were all our friends from Caloocan Compound- the CMC. Tanton, Tito Raph, Tita Karn, Mick (and wife Joy), Andong (and wife Brenda), Zalde, And Manang Delia. The gang wasn’t complete, but I’ll take what was available and spend the best time. At this point in my life, every moment counts- I wanted to nourish and enjoy the important people that touched and molded me as a person. And what I have that moment is more than enough. I was happy to see all of them. The hugs… the stories…aaahhh so much to say but so little time.

CMC at Nilda’s 60th birthday celebration and spending lunch in the house.

The night went by fast and around 10PM slowly the guests started saying their well wishes and parted ways.  Tatay, perhaps because of his excitement seeing former neighbors, invited them for a breakfast the following day. We really appreciated this because it gave us more time to catch up, banter and reminisce the good times. They ended staying for both breakfast and lunch. We were having so much fun that we lost track of time. Around 2PM, they finally said goodbye. It was sad that we are parting, but so happy that this bonding happened.

On my final day in the Philippines, I spent the morning having breakfast with my family then went to Ritz to celebrate her birthday briefly. In the afternoon, after I come back in the hotel, I met Tina for one last time as she was kind enough to bring me to the airport as I commence my trip from the country I always long for.

See you again Philippines! I hope sooner than later.

Sagada: The Sea of Clouds Experience

On Day 12 of my Philippines Trip, I along with the family and extended ones went to Sagada, Mountain Province to celebrate Nilda’s actual birthday (October 13). Sagada is a town in the Cordillera mountains with an elevation of about 4800ft. About six hours from our hometown in Bacnotan, La Union on good days.

The Crew at Sabangan Overlook.

Top: The Tagudin-Cervantes Road to Sagada.

Bottom: Jun trying to overcome the mud; the landslide we saw with houses washed away.

We left the house around 530AM and took the Tagudin-Cervantes Road to Sagada. Twenty six years ago this road was non-existent; the only way to go to this place is via Manila-Bontoc bus- the route that I remembered. Our drive up to the mountains consisted of many zigzag roads; reminiscing of me and Bob’s  drive to Andorra from southern, France when we accidentally made a wrong turn- minus the fog and the rain and of course, the well developed road.  This one you can literally see debris that just recently had fallen, and some that about to. At one point of our drive, we encountered a landslide- from the way I see, it looked like a recent event.  Some houses were washed away by the mud.  When our car tried passing, it encountered what seemed to be a minor resistance; which we eventually overcome.  Inside me, I was just hoping that we get to our destination safely.

The different hanging Coffins of Sagada.

T- Cool infrastructure of the restaurant we had lunch;

B- The Bessang Pass Memorial Monument; The view of Bro’s restaurant;

We made three stops- the first one was Sangbay ni Ragsak Falls in Ilocos Sur and its overlook.  We enjoyed the view, took some photos and continued driving.  The next one was another overlook called Sabangan- it has better view of the mountains than the first stop; and again took more photos and continued driving once again. The third one was Bessang Pass Natural Monument.  It is a memorial that commemorates the victory by Filipino soldiers serving the US Army Forces in the Philippines over the imperial Japanese Army (wikipedia).  Among the three, this has the best view of the Cordilleras.  While admiring the scenery, I noticed that the Philippines’ mountains have a distinct characteristics in comparison to other mountains I have been around the world. I can’t actually describe it without being bias, but it has its own mystique.  Then we finally proceeded to Sagada.

It was around 12 noon when we arrived. Since it was too early to check in, we decided to find a place to have lunch and we found Bros Chicken Inasal. It was a unique hole in the wall restaurant; an upside down house overlooking the panoramic view of the mountains. I must say that the view and ambiance was impressive, including the dog greeter. But the food could be better.

The Shire. Our accommodation for the Sagada Trip.

The Shire and the Hanging Coffins. After our lunch we checked in. Damian, my brtoher-in-law previously showed me a photo of our hotel, but didn’t expect much. Sometimes photos can be deceiving; but to my surprise- our accommodation was exceptionally impressive.  From the outside it looked like just an ordinary hotel, but the inside-  it’s unique “Lord of the Rings” themed bedrooms and common rooms just wowed me. The details were intricate; the bed is comfortable, and mostly- the view of the mountain is just simply amazing.  Oh, their food was also the best! Two thumbs up for Damian in Booking our accommodation😉.

When I was here more than two decades ago and we just winged everything we did through the help of Lonely Planet and our friend Janjie.  But like all other things, exploring Sagada also changed- we have to have a tour guide doing tourists’ things now. Once we’re done checking in, we met with our  tour guide.  Since we have limited time to explore the place, we started our tour in the Hanging Coffins in Sugong Cave after resting for a bit in our hotel rooms. It was quite a descent for most of us, there’s so many steps to do.  I vaguely remember how we saw the hanging coffins the first time, all I remembered was we were driving back then and we stopped to see them by the road and not the way we did it now.  This is  a different site; I thought these coffins looked newer.  As I listened to our guide talking she confirmed that this is a newer coffins with the most recent activity in 2010.

On our way back up, we also enjoyed the scenery of the mountain and sunset despite the lingering  clouds. Back at the hotel, we had our dinner (the best ones I had in this entire trip to Sagada; at least in my opinion).

The Sea of Clouds Experience. Our call time for our hike to Marlboro Hills was 4AM. We all woke up early. We started on time, and after almost 2hrs of paced walk, ascend and descend, we reached the hill. Originally we aimed for a sunrise, but with so much fog and thick clouds; they blanketed the entire view. It was a complete overcast. We waited for about 45mins then somehow there were some clearance.. the wind breaks so much clouds creating wave-like formations.  This moment enabled us to see the mountains and some of the landscapes. It was surreal.  Now I understood why locals called it sea of clouds. WE stayed for a bit until we started our descend.  It was during our way down where the most fun happened amongst my family. While we walk uphill and downhill, the family had some jokes and banters- boy, it was just so much fun. Even Sarah and big Kevin (not fishbone Kevin) were enjoying it so much. Not to mention that the “black forest” has the most words mentioned. Right Kuya Joel?   I am so happy that we did this all together though we missed Damian on the trek.❤️

THe Sea of Clouds experience at Marlboro Hills, Sagada Mt. Province

T L-R: The Crew at Blue Soil Hills; the start of the trek at 5AM;

B L-R: The crew at Marlboro Hills with clouds drifting away;

Then we briefly stopped at Blue Soil Hills after a couple of hours of descent.  Blue soil is a patch of limestone rocks with a distinct blue-green hue due to a high concentration of copper sulfate. This place I’ve never been.It was good to see; a place to rest and relax for a bit, and took photos, then off we go.

I guess the trek drained much of our troup, so we headed to the hotel and decided whoever wants to stop and needed to rest can get off the ride; and others continued. I chose to continue. The next stops we went were the pottery and the weaving place. So much changed since I was here last, but the art of weaving and making pottery with the locals remain the same.

Once done with the tour we had lunch; a big lunch (surprised with the size of every meal) that we all ate. We all left with the happy tummy😉.We decided to go back to the hotel and rest too.  Around 6PMish when we went to town and had dinner at Maafe Bar. After then we decided to do local wine tasting at Patiik Wine House/Honesty Bar down the road. Curious what it’s like, we tried different tastes until Sarah bought a bottle of Bugnay- the talk of the town… the must have for the wine tasting.  Bugnay is a local shrub, the fruit is sour when unripe- similar to cranberries, and becomes tart but sweet when ripe, thus making it suitable to be made as wine.  As I took my shot, it is no different from getting a shot of balsamic vinegar on the sweeter side 😂. Still made it a good experience for all of us.  Shortly after we all headed back to our hotel and rest. Thank you Sarah for buying the whole bottle.😉

T: Dinner at the Shire;

B L-R: Campy with the Bugnay Wine; the winning family of Orange Picking Contest 😂

The next morning after we woke up and have our breakfast, we checked out.  On our way back to La Union, we passed by the Sagada Heritage Village; we started taking photos until we were shooed away.  Little that we know it was a private property with private accommodations; and no picture allowed. LOL. Then we went orange picking instead. There was game we played- that any one who will not make any sour face while eating the most sour orange will win. And all eight of us won with bags of oranges. Good times.😂 After this the long winding ride to La union began.  So long Sagada, until we meet again.

T L-R: The descent to the hanging coffins; the descent from Marlboro Hills;

B- L-R: Lauren an Justin orange picking; Conor and Rebecca made it first to the bottom of the Blue Soil Hill; the crew being corky with Black Forest!🤣

She’s 60: My Tribute to My Sister’s Officially Becoming a Sexagenarian

indulging her posh birthday venue

Perhaps the biggest reason why we’re all (almost- as we are missing Bob, Julie Ann, Roxanne and Selena) in this special celebration was because Nilda, the second eldest of my siblings, is celebrating her Big Six-O. Well of course, Justin’s and Conor’s (all three of them are October birthday celebrators) too, but she’s the main event🙂.  For someone to reach sixty is a milestone-specially amongst Filipinos- that is why we all took the opportunity to come together, travelled all over to enjoy a night filled of fun and memories in October.

A Short Reflection of Our Past. We all experienced hardships in life; and ours helped us shaped to the persons we are now.  Our growing up years were not spent playing with dolls and choo-choo trains; instead we wake up in a household where all were given roles and tasks to fulfill.  Everyone was delegated responsibilities: washing clothes on the weekends, cleaning the house, going to the market, etc. We’re all little humans that grew quick to be adults to help the family. Nilda is no exception.  When she got the chance to work in a garment factory after high school, she took the bread winner role along side with my father. I didn’t exactly know why she never pursue a degree in the higher education, but she helped tremendously in fulfilling ones for myself and my sister Merly. Eventually we both graduated and none of these were possible without her help. Nilda’s unselfish love brought successes for us, her siblings. for her siblings. She’s indeed a very caring sister.

The first family and the birthday celebrators.

I consider all of my siblings (myself too!) industrious, and while we were in pursuit of our own lives, Nilda continued to be as hardworking that she is. When she’s done working in the garment industry, she’s embarked into different work roles.  She may not be able to get a degree but because she has high regard to the works she did, she’s given high praises and recommendations from her former bosses and it wasn’t difficult to find jobs for her.  Her values and good character made her an asset to places she worked for.

The Life and Love She Deserves. I am not going to the details of my sister’s personal life, it’s her story to tell.  When her first relationship didn’t end well, it left her with a Justin. While life  as a single parent is difficult in the Philippines, she endured it.  She struggled, but she made it.  There was a village called family that gave her hands and continued moving towards meaningful existence. Day by day.

Her life changed sometime in 2005 when he met and married my favorite brother-in-law, Damian😇. Eventually, they moved to Ireland and started life anew.  We also gained a Conor (Damian’s son) as part of our family. Conor is a very talented, polite, handsome, always smiling boy (now a great man). I can’t believe its 20 years ago!

party is alive with all the dancing!

ready to to party!

She is 60 and Fabulous. A month ago on Oct 13, 2025, she’s celebrated her 60th Birthday- an official sexagenarian. Damian told me it was about two years of planning and preparations that Nilda (and him) to make this event happen. She wanted it fabulous and she got it! She rented the entire El Marie Resort in Bacnotan, La Union in the Philippines for her 100+ guests celebrating with her from different timelines of her life. From our neighbors when we were kids growing up in Caloocan compound, her high school classmates and friends, the friends and colleagues from her different work places, my (brother and sisters’) friends that became her friends; our families and relatives; and those friends of hers that flew from Ireland and the UK and other parts of the Philippines; all gathered together to celebrate and give her a toast.   

This birthday is beyond just a celebration- it is an attestation that my sister is truly a special person that all people love.

more fun and games!

all the friends and families that celebrated with her!

The family ( not in picture: Bob, Julie Ann, Selena and Roxanne)

A Sky Full of Stars

Exactly one month of McCay’s surgery, I finally found the courage to write my homage to our Little One.  I couldn’t bring myself to do something the last few weeks, let alone write about her. The events just bring me to tears.  But when I finally saw the sign, I know it’s time that I do it.

Top: McCay’s adoption photo;

Bottom L-R: first time meeting McCay in Branford, CT. First car ride to her forever home.

Who would’ve thought that an unwanted litter of seven will fill our hearts so much? In 2016, when Bob and I felt we’re ready to get our second dog, we reached out to Unconditional Love Pet Rescue. After almost a month of email exchanges (if we’re the right fit) and the long travel (for the dog), We met McCay and brought her home.

It was love at first sight. McCay was a 12-week old puppy when we adopted her. Her story was not unique; she-along with her siblings were discarded in a place popular for dumping unwanted animals in rural Arkansas. She had a beautiful chocolate brown fur with a long tail, holding a piece of wood bark on her mouth. Advertised as a lab mix, we immediately fall in love with her.

I couldn’t exactly remember how Nikki (our three year old Aussie/Newfie mix)  interacted with McCay when she first got home.  What I can remember was that Nikki looked confused that on the fifth day, McCay still hadn’t left the house (as she used to having dogs brought by our friends that visit go home after few days) 😂. Eventually, when Nikki realized McCay wasn’t going anywhere, they become inseparable.  They bonded as mother and daughter first. McCay learned a lot from Nikki; “monkey see monkey do” as we say. Basic commands that Nikki know, she learned them quickly. Then they become sisters and best friends.

Top L-R: Nikki and McCay strutting in Hathaway trail; swimming at Hathaway’s Pond

Bottom L-R: Graduating from puppy school; looking out the window waiting for me

Our fondest memories of McCay were during her puppy and growing up years while living in Cape Cod. Her playing tag and chase with Nikki in our grassy backyard with two pine trees that later looked like a race track from running around them. The daily walk at Hathaway’s Pond- where she learned how to swim (even in a cold winter months) with Nikki; the first loud bark she howled at a stranger that startled her; and the great escape (again with Nikki) which ended them in a highway picked up by two angels- that made them permanently leashed when walking; but later McCay regained her independence as she was such an obedient dog.  Her acing the puppy school… Her waiting for me to get home from work… First play with the snow. First birthday. And many other firsts.

When we moved to Florida McCay continued to be the joyful, fun and adventurous dog that she was.  We discovered new places, met new people together, and mostly enjoyed our little haven of paradise in our lanai.  She and Nikki continued playing in the back yard. (We) They both swim in our pool which was intentionally built for them (and Bob)🙂. We found Beresford Park to walk everyday and explored different walking paths. In 2021, we adopted a blind dog and introduced Mr. Charles to our pack. McCay took the responsibility of the guiding dog for the blind (dog).  She helped Mr. Charles tremendously in adjusting to his new place.  McCay was literally by his side (in all the walks and all the corners of our home) as Nikki didn’t really care so much; but all three exist harmoniously.

Top L-R: enjoying the deck in Hyannis home. Always enjoying where the sun is.

Bottom L-R: McCay and Nikki enjoying their run in the snow; McCay’s 1 year old Birthday; McCay’s first snow experience.

Top L-R: McCay and her favorite toys. Enjoying our lanai.

Bottom: L-R: the kids eager to go to the park; our pool being enjoyed by Nikki McCay and Bob.

Left: The butterfly that showed in our lanai few days ago; the sign I was longing to see.

Right: McCay after her surgery. The last photo we took that she seemed happy.🙁

But some good things never lasts. I will not go into the details of how our Little One endured her pain. I am still grieving; and reliving her agony still brings me to tears and causes me pain.  When we started noticing that McCay’s belly seemed bigger than it usually appears sometime late June/early July, we sought our vet right away to know what’s going on. The initial finding was tumor of unknown location- liver, spleen, or intestine. The recommendation was to seek a board certified surgeon that will operate on her; and we did. We were very careful in every steps we made. When the exact location of the tumor (spleen) was determined (by a fine needle biopsy) and possible metastasis to vital organs were ruled out, we proceeded with her surgery. She was doing great until she wasn’t. She survived the most critical four hours in the ICU.  She was recovering well after she was discharge home; until her fifth day when she developed clots (possible pulmonary embolism) in her lungs. From there she slipped away so fast. One day we were cheering for her bravery, the next day she’s gone. That was a real punch in the gut.

“’Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars

I'm gonna give you my heart

'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars

'Cause you light up the path.”

-Sky Full of Stars, Coldplay

One of McCay’s beautiful portraits I took.

Recently I watched a Coldplay concert, and while I was celebrating their music, there is one song that somehow hit me and thought of McCay right away. This was right after we found she has a tumor during her initial vet visit and before her surgery.  While at the concert and listening to the upbeat rhythm of the song,  I shed some tears. I had the fear of the unknown then, I didn’t know what’s going to happen. And now a month later,  it all made sense. McCay was our sky that was full of stars.  Like the vastness of the universe that caters to all the heavenly bodies, she showered us with so much joy and laughter the last nine and half years that filled my, Bob, Nikki and Mr. Charles’ hearts with so many fond memories that we will rekindle forever. She made all the people that she met happy- proved by all the people that prayed for her through out her journey.  She made myself and Bob connected to people that were once strangers to us- like Doug and Cindee/James, Erin, Lilly and Pepper in the park. McCay brought me a deep understanding of profound love and showed me happiness even in difficult times.

Post Script:

For the past two weeks as I do my morning commute to work I utter my daily thanks; I also asked to give me a sign that our Little One is OK at the other side of the rainbow bridge. A few days ago Bob sent me a photo of a beautiful monarch butterfly inside our lanai insisting to go inside the house. Strange enough, McCay used to stand where the butterfly would usually go when she wanted to come in (with a single bark of course). The butterfly flew over the plants before it flew elsewhere and finally went out of sight. Butterflies are one of the signs; and I know that was her, telling us she’s OK and she’s finally come home.

Thank you McCay for all the love and joy you brought into our lives. Rest now our Little One, the Class Clown, our only Gazelle and Collette, our Bebe and Princess… until we cross path again.

one of the many random photos we have of McCay, Bob and myself.

The Road Less Travelled: Phenix City, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia

Our gym trainer Chris suggested we should explore the Providence Canyon in Georgia-  a place both Bob and I never knew of. We always go somewhere in celebrating our yearly anniversary and curious what Chris suggested, last week we ventured to exploring the road less travelled- Phenix City, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia. Bob and I never have been to Alabama (probably the least state we would go), we have both been to Georgia on seperate occasions but only in Atlanta (and Savannah for me). It was a six and a half hour drive from Deland; we left around 930AM and arrived at Phenix city in Alabama (where we had our hotel reservation) at almost 4PM. We checked in then started exploring the place.

blue hour shot overlooking Columbus, GA from Phenix City with Chattahoochee River.

Our main activities have been mostly in the Georgia side; but we have our hotel in the Alabama side, in Phenix City. The state lines were separated by the Chattahoochee River and linked by the 13th Street bridge. once you crossed the bridge it’s Columbus. For a place we have never known, this is quite a surprising first impression- in a good way. Our hotel was by the river walk (both Georgia and Alabama sides has one); and as we went outside, we walked briefly and checked out the river. Beside our hotel is Troy University’s Phenix City Campus- it has a nice Roman building with columns. Humidity got on the way so we scratched the idea of crossing the bridge to Georgia by foot; instead we took our car and drove around.

We explored uptown Columbus. It was nice and quaint somehow comparable to downtown Deland. Here, there is the Columbus State University which was giving me a Stetson U vibe- but obviously in a much larger scale.  We walked around Uptown/Brodway and found the top rated The Cannon restaurant from trip advisor and we decided to have our early dinner. Then we continued walking around the block and finally decided to drive back to the hotel- in Phenix City to rest.

exploring Canyon No. 4 at Providence Canyon in Lumpkin, GA

Our Day 2 was packed. We started our drive at 9AM, navigating the up and down rolling hills of SR165 in Alabama. It was nice to see tall pines and oak trees, reminded me of my daily drive in West Boylston in Massachusetts. A couple of things that were noticeable are the numbers of churches we saw- big and small, in almost every five miles. Another thing is the mobile homes- there are lots of them. As we drove closer to Providence Canyon, our time changed. It fell back to an hour; realizing that we changed to central time zone. Bob and I couldn’t helped but smile; it felt like we were in a twilight zone episode- spooky as we were only the one driving the road.

Florence Marina State Park

Providence Canyon.  Unknownst to many, there is a little Grand Canyon in Lumpkin, Georgia. Unlike the one in Nevada/Arizona, this is an indirect creation from erosion of coastal planes from poor agricultural practices many years ago in this state, thus forming the canyon. There are a total of nine canyon sites to see- we did 5 of them by trekking the bronze colored soil trails with thin layer of water.  It was overcast but the colors are still beautiful. Short, different yet fun.

As we left the park, we stopped by at Florence Marina State Park which we saw by accident on the way.  It was a huge boat garage with the scenic view of Walter F. George Reservoir. We also checked out Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. I wanted to see if the flags were still up from Memorial Day and glad it was. I also noticed the unique way the soldiers wives’ names written behind the tombstones. Something unique and I have never seen in other national cemeteries I have been. We had our lunch at Mix Market Place in Broadway then headed back to our hotel to rest.

the calm before the storm 😂 our boat in a calm water.

White Water Rafting at the Chattahoochee River.  Our main event didn’t start until 5PM. When Bob planned this trip, he booked a river rafting to add to the adventure. So at 430PM, we headed to Whitewater Express for our prime adventure at Chattahoochee River. One of the Top 12 man-made adventures, this is the longest urban whitewater rafting in the world. The course consists of class II-V whitewater on the same 2.5 mile stretch of the river. There are two types of trips they do- a Classic and a Challenge- differed by the dam-controlled release. Bob of course chose the Challenge since it is wilder and stronger and water cranks up to 13000cfs making it instantly a class V rapids. He could sense some hesitances on my end (it was 5PM and a bit concern of water temperature) during the before boarding speech. I have the “Oh No” look in my most poker face. We were grouped into 2 with seven persons each group. I chose to be with Skip Jack’s (our guide) boat; whom later I learned is a former fire fighter. That gave me a relief for then I knew I will be saved should our raft flips.😂 Then we’re brought to the starting point; I felt the water the first time and it wasn’t that cold as I thought it would be. Now it makes sense the description they have in their website: “Wild as Colorado and Warm as Costa Rica.”

Image of our almost capsized raft on one of the crazy rapids.

Then off we go. Shortly after we encountered the first rapid. We made it out but then Skip Jack wanted to go back for a second time so we paddled through it one more time. We watched the other boat went through it but theirs flipped😲; so we pulled away and moved forward. The water was quiet for a bit until we met another baby rapids. 2 strokes…3 strokes… lean to the right… Skip Jack commanded for us to stay afloat. Then there’s the 24ft cascading water with a 2ft drop with whirlpool. He said that we have a greater chance to flip there- and if we do, the current will just sucked as in and if we see the chance to go out- swim on the right side and climbed the rocks; but if we follow his commands, we may get out of it That stuck my head. So I keenly listened and diligently followed his instructions. Then we hit the drop- it was so fast that I didn’t even feel nervous at all. All I was doing was paddling left and right, still trying to follow whatever Ski Jack was yelling for us to do. Then another one and a big one! All I knew was I fell off my seat and my butt is on the raft surface; the only thing that’s keeping me on the raft that was was my feet I tightly tucked under the seat of the person in front of me. When the water started to calm down, I slowly brought myself back on the seat I was supposed to be. That made me laugh so hard. It was then I realized what a class V water rafting felt.

enjoying Downtown Columbus, GA. The food, the beers and everything in between.

We paddled a calm water for a while, then a passed a medium rapids then cross the river and landed on to the rocks. We got off the water and carried our raft. And when I thought we were all done, we brought the boat into the water and started getting into it again. There is a nice spot with great rapids that we paddled into. It wasn’t as difficult like the last one, but our boat was almost capsized and one member of our boat sitting on the front fell off. The current was quite strong, but somehow we got closer to him and were able to bring him back on our boat. And we paddled to the rocks, got off the boat and carried our rafts and repeated what we did once again. We did this routine and enjoyed the rapids for four times.

We ended our night with another delicious dinner from Uptown Thai Food and headed home after. What a joyous adventure that was! Bob always knew how to spice our trip all the time👌🏼.

some good finds inside Eufala National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.

Our Day 3 is more of a chill day.  We drove the same road  to see Eufala National Wildlife Refuge.  Similar to Lake Woodruff in Deland, the park was flat, so it we did an easy one mile walk each way.  We saw birds, wild flowers, and a deer that eventually run away from us.  On our way back to Columbus, we passed by St Joseph’s Ministry, but unfortunately the main church is close so we only got to see its ground. Then proceeded to to Columbus to have lunch at Animal Farm;  probably the best gastronomical experience we had while we were here. Then we decided to go walk around the river walk retracing the places we saw while at the water raft the previous day. When we got tired, we went back to the hotel and rest. Around 530 when we decided to head back to Broadway/Uptown Columbus to have dinner at Black Cow then walk around town for the sunset for one last time.

48 Hours in Copenhagen

Arrived in Copenhagen with typical Scandinavian weather. 1. outside Tivoli Gardens 2. Sam’s Bar- a Filipino gathering place for Karaoke in Copenhagen; 3. Looking outside, admiring the beauty of Sweden and Denmark while the train was running by the bridge.

From Malmo, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark was about 25 minutes by train.  Riya and I left her flat a little after noon on a Sunday. We slept late since we didn’t  get home until after midnight the night before  caused by a delayed train in Stockholm. By 2PM we’re in Copenhagen checking in at Four Points by Sheraton, our hotel for the next two nights. Once again the view from our window of the city did not disappoint. Plus the fact that it is two blocks from Copenhagen Central Station is an added bonus.

I have 48hrs to spend in this lovely city and every minute counts. After a brief time refreshing, we headed out.  We started our walking tour at the Central Station, we crossed the road and had a brief sight of the Tivoli Gardens- the second oldest theme park in the world, similar to Six Flags of New England but with rides combining old charm and new. With little time and having the not so best weather, I decided not to go in. A picture outside the gate was good enough. We continued walking Frederiksberggade Street. This might be the main shopping district since all the big name boutiques are here; tempted to check but figured I have no time.😉  We also passed by the infamous Sam’s Bar, where Filipinos (including my niece  when she used to live here) gather for karaoke.😂

The inside and out of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen

While walking, I noticed a very prominent building which happened to be the Christiansborg Slot or Palace which is one on my “must see list” in. By the time I made it to admission it was 4PM. The palace closes at 5, and I had to make a decision of seeing inside or not. I knew tomorrow I will be too tied up, and probably won’t see this place again, so I decided to buy the ticket and went in. It was beautiful inside but I was time constraint to appreciate its beauty so I didn’t dilly dolly. I hopped from one room to the next, looking up and down, clicking my camera gazillion times. By the last room, I got confused between the Do Not Enter and Exit signs and I chose the latter, only to startle a staff when I opened the door😂😂😂. Whew! This must be the fastest I skimmed a palace.🤣

This day was a typical Scandinavian weather too- rainy, cold with a little bit of wind. But that didn’t deter me from seeing so much of Copenhagen as I planned it. We continued walking the busy streets; Riya brought me to Kongens Have or King’s Garden. This is the oldest palace garden in Denmark.  I wished it was sunny or at least more flowers had bloomed in the rose garden;  but  the garden is as beautiful as it is.

1. The Danish Royal Family’s ship seen during boat tour; 2. The barracks inside the Kastellet; 3. I finally met the Little Mermaid 🧜‍♀️😊

We continued walking west to Kastellet or the Citadel. Walking through its ground reminded me of Castillo de San Marcos in Florida and Fort Santiago in Manila. The only difference is that Danish military is at presence here. This fortress is one of the most preserved in Europe; it has the citadel church and a windmill within the ramparts that surrounds the entire ground. You can walk, jog or simply admire around it as it overlooks the harbor. By this time the rain has stopped and a little of the sun somehow showed up and I enjoyed a little bit of the view of the Baltic water.

Outside the Kastellet are the St. Alban’s Anglican Church., the Gefion Fountain, Princess Marie Memorial which we all passed by as we walked by Langelinnie Park.

The Little Mermaid.  After so much walking, I finally met the Little Mermaid!😂 Perhaps the most iconic in Denmark ( or maybe next to Nyhavn). I have prior knowledge of Denmark’s Little Mermaid Statue so I wasn’t surprised at all how small the statue is; I still loved it anyway. What I was surprised is the amount of tourists (including myself) that is actually taking photos of it.  For reference, the disney version is far different from the story of Hans Christian Andersen which This statue was inspired from; this one is sad and tragic. I was humming the Disney’s version of “Part of your World” as I walked away from the statue.🤣

When you thought I was done walking, you were wrong. From the little Mermaid we walked along the harborside to Amalienborg Palace.  Like Christiansborg, this is such a wonderful royal residence too; we were in luck that the Danish Royals were in town; we didn’t see them but we felt and seen the presence of heightened security. No museum either since it was way past 7PM; so I just wandered around the royal ground and took some photos.

Then we’re off to Nyhavn.  A popular 17th century waterfront district now known as one of the tourists attraction in Denmark with restaurants, cafes and bars.  This is a great place to stroll, but  I wanted to take a photo of it at blue hour; so we walked to   Frederiksberggade Street again to eat dinner and kill a bit more of time. By the time we were done with supper, It was almost dark (and rainy)- the way I wanted it. I headed back to Nyhavn (and left Riya for Karaoke at Sam’s Bar) took some photos of the waterfront and Kongens Nytorv on my way back. While retracing my steps to pick up Riya, there was some sort of celebration by a local football team winning a game- fireworks and chanting at once. Good times🙂.

The rain didn’t bother me as I took photo of the picturesque and colorful Nyhavn.

Top L-R: having my Fish and Chips at Broens; 2. Riya and myself having breakfast at Cake N Hagen;

Bottom L-R: strolling Nyhvn on a blue sky; 2. The mileage I walked on Day 1😭

When we got back to our hotel I took a shower. Calming my body before sleep I wandered why my feet, legs and hips were all hurting at the same time; I checked my smart watch to check how much I walked that day only to find out that- I had as many steps I walked that’s why. I completed an almost 13 mile walk on my first day in Copenhagen😂. Tomorrow is another adventure day.

I woke up at 9AM the following day; my last full day in Copenhagen. My feet still hurt (so as Riya’s) so we took it easy that day. Besides, I pretty much ticked off every boxes on my “must see places” the previous day so no reason to rush. While having our Danish breakfast at CakeNhagen, Riya and I decided to take separate activities- a boat tour of Copenhagen for my self and window shopping for her for close to two hours- the duration of my tour.

Boat Tour. I chose a seat at the back, for better views (and less people’s heads 😂) and opportunity to take photos sitting and standing without annoying the person next to me.  I was able to take a lot of photos; some of them are places we have been the day before and some are new.  Interesting to learn about Copenhagen’s history with the tour guide explaining it too. When the tour was over, I looked for Riya and we decided to find a place to eat lunch.  While at the tour we passed by a hawker’s food place across the bridge from Nyhavn; that’s where we went. Broens is a haven for Danish local street food at Greenlandic Trading Square; there are variety of food stalls by local restaurateurs serving local food. I had some Fish and Chips Danes style😊.

capturing the grand view of Amalienborg Palace from the boat tour.

I wanted to see Amalensborg Castle for the second time since the rain prevented me to explore its ground the previous day. We walked towards the castle after our quick lunch at Broens. This time the blue sky made it more beautiful. The dome you could almost see in all alleys and streets, and even during the boat tour, was the castle’s chapel. As I went inside, I was in awe. As pompous as it is outside, it was as grand inside. I was speechless on how magnificent this infrastructure is- its religious artifacts and sculptures- unbelievable! That was the finale of our day.

We went back to our hotel passing through the places we came and saw the previous day. One thing noticeable was the King’s Garden was packed with sunbathers since the weather was beautiful; such a complete contrast of an empty, wet ground the day before. At the hotel, I started my packing and briefly napped. Then it was time for us to have dinner nearby, my last in Copenhagen.

My Journey to the Land of the Midnight Sun

In January, I have decided that I will make my long overdue journey to two Scandinavian countries- Sweden and Denmark- this year, in late spring.

Fast forward to one week ago, my flight started in Orlando, to New York-JFK for a three hours lay over; then at 425PM my Delta 737 plane bound to Copenhagen departed.  The eight hours non-stop flight went by fast and smoothly, the next I know it has landed in Copenhagen Airport.

My plan was to explore Copenhagen towards the end of my trip, I have a friend from nursing school that lives in Malmo, Sweden that I would want to meet since I had not seen her in more than 20 years. So when I was done at the immigration, I went straight to the Metro and bought my ticket. I hopped on the train and five minutes later, I quickly realized it was the wrong train so I got off the next station and retraced my steps to get to the right one. Nerve wracking! 😂

The Malmo Castle.; The painting of Adam and Eve; Dinner with Riya at La Grappa at Lilla Torg.

Malmö, Sweden.  The train ride to Malmo was about 25 minutes, three stops from Copenhagen airport. When I arrived, my friend Riya was there at the platform waiting for me. Boy she has changed (no pun intended)! The last we saw each other- I can’t recall exactly, but in nursing school- perhaps circa 2003/04. We did so much of catching up- on our bus ride to her flat, and while having breakfast- endless. When finally sleepiness hit me, I requested to rest for a couple of hours and then explore the city she lives in as planned.

When I was in grade school, I loved flipping pages of World Book Encyclopedia and looking through different countries. I’d start from Afghanistan and every countries in the alphabet. When  I came across the country Sweden, I don’t remember where exactly it was, I was immediately fascinated by their  infrastructures- geometrical, clear lines and precise; and the combinations of old and new. I thought that was unique. Those were what I saw on my bus ride to Riya’s place.

Stortorget in Malmo, Sweden.

After a couple of hours (or so) of recharging, we headed out. First stop- Malmö Castle- a 16th-century fortress that exhibits nature, history and art. The one unique thing I have never seen in any art exhibit is the painting of Adam and Eve; and it’s here! Then we walked to Stortorget; the main Square or the city center in Malmö. And since I am all for uniqueness, Optimistorkestern is a famous landmark in the city centre; It’s a group of metal sculptures resembling a band, marching night & day through downtown. Stortorget is built in the 1500s; and it is like the Grand Plaz in Brussels but in a significantly smaller scale. Here you’ll find lots of shops, restaurants and cozy little places to stop for a coffee and sweets; or just sit outdoors and admire the place, watch people pass by and be lost in time. A few walks then you’ll pass Lilla Torg; a smaller square right next to Stortorget built in the medieval times. It is also picturesque and with cafes, bars, and restaurants. I took Riya for dinner while we continued catching up.

St. Peter’s Church in Malmo, Sweden.

For those who know me, old churches are some of my fascinations when I visit a new place. When I saw a steeple while we were on the bus, I made sure that I would see it inside. I wasn’t sure what exactly it was until I set foot in it. Sankt Petri Kyrka, also known as St. Peter's Church, is an architectural gem in Malmö. Built in the 14th century, the church is an impressive example of Baltic Gothic architecture; its interior features exceptional medieval frescoes and a decorative altarpieces from 1611; one of the largest in Scandinavia (Wikipedia).

We continued exploring; we took a bus going to Scaniaparken where Riya showed me the Turning Torso- an iconic, energy-efficient tower block with a distinctive twisted shell, home to offices & apartments; perhaps the tallest building in Malmö. For a little bit, we stayed this open area that resembles like an amphitheater in open water. Its overlooking Oresundsbron- the bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden.

Though it was still sunny, the cold wind blowing prevented us to stay longer so we started walking back to catch the bus in Triangeln to go home.  There was an unexpected beautiful Swedish sunset that greeted us while on our bus ride. When I thought it was going to be a total darkness, I was wrong. By night time, while trying to get adjusted by settling in, I still see the colors of the sun from the horizon as I looked at my window- more of like a dawn already.

Stockholm City Hall at blue hour

Stockholm, Sweden. I woke up at 10AM the following day. Riya was already awake when I came out of the room. I looked outside and we were blessed with another beautiful blue sky.  We took our time eating brunch, and then got ready as we have a 3PM train to catch in Central Station to Stockholm.  Originally, we planned on taking a midnight train and spend only 48 hrs in Stockholm; but we changed our minds and changed our original itinerary.

The train to stockholm was a 5.5hrs ride along Sweden’s countryside. Similar to the train Bob and I took from Brussels to Paris, this ride displays the panoramic rural Swedish life- a true definition of greenery. 😂

When we arrived in Stockholm the sun was still up; only make sense since it is farther north. We headed to Sheraton Hotel to check in and it did not disappoint. It was a perfect room with perfect view; exactly what it looked like in the picture. Once settled, we headed out for dinner in a nearby bistro then began exploring the city. Just like in Malmö, the sunset hid at midnight.

The view of Stockholm from the hotel. This is the sun setting at 11PM at night.

We walked the street across the Riddarfjärden with the view of Stockholm’s city hall at blue hour.  I took some photos while enjoying to cool breeze from the lake. We continued walking and crossing the streets until we found the central station, where we got off earlier; I took some long exposure photos of this too. Then we traced our steps to back to our hotel room and called the night off.

The time difference had finally kicked in me and combined with being up so late and too tired from previous day’s sight-seeing pushed my plans of shooting some sunrise.  Not to mention, Sweden has more sunlight in late spring and summer, thus the nickname “The Land of the midnight sun.”  We woke up late as usual so we just decided to eat our breakfast then started our exploration of the city.  Again, we got lucky- weather was great, not too cold, not too hot, with a brisk of cool wind in a perfect blue sky. First stop- the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace of Sweden

I am a sucker to old infrastructures. Scotland, France, Belgium, Spain- those were my top favorites. Now I am adding Sweden to my list. I can see some similarities here and there, but they have all distinct characteristics. Sweden’s Royal Palace is unbelievably gorgeous! The intricate details on all the stones and wood works inside the castle are really jaw dropping. My reaction was similar to when I first saw the Palace of Versailles in France.

The change of guards is another thing I liked seeing when I visit Royal residences ever since I first witnessed them in Quebec. The Swedes do it differently. One of the routine drills they showcased resembled dancing/hopping. I also noticed that not all guards were males.  I wasn't sure if the ones I’ve seen in the past had ones too.

By the time we’re done at the Royal palace, it was already 2PM. We decided to get some fika- a Swedish term that refers to a coffee break, often including a sweet treat, typically enjoyed with friends or family.  Riya got some blueberry cheesecake and a princess cake that went together with our cappuccinos. I must say, I always have the best desserts and coffee in Europe.

The view of Gamla Stan from an uphill walk to Sodermalm.

We continued with our exploration of the city.  Next we went was Gamla Stan- the city’s oldest district; with many historical buildings and attractions including the Noble Prize Museum, the Gamla Stan Cathedral and the Swedish Parliament. This area of Stockholm reminded me of Avignon in France. It was a beautiful day and understandably, most of the people (and tourists) were out.

Strolling around Gamla Stan- the old city of Stockholm.

Then we headed to Sodermalm to see the current exhibition inside Fotografiska. This is a centre for contemporary photography; there are only five locations of this museum in the world, the one I’ve been was in New York City at the Flat Iron district, but unfortunately, it closed in 2024. For photographers like me, this is heaven. I was lucky to have seen the works of Swedish photographer Hans Hammarskiöld.

We continued exploring Sodermalm. This part of Stockholm is quite uphill, and it gives you a panoramic view of Gamla Stan. Riya decided to stay in a bar while I continued walking around the cobble stone streets. I stumbled upon Katarina Kirk/St Catherine Church. It was beautiful from the uphill, when I got there I tried entering the main parish door, but it was close.

1. The Rooftop Bar in in Katarinahissen; 2. having happy hour with Riya and Tomas;

3. Fika with Hernie and Riya before our train back to Malmo.

I continued walking around town and was just amazed how this town is so beautifully built. Old and new buildings conform amongst each other. Then I decided to head back to where I should meet Riya; but with my wandering eyes, I saw a staircase/path where some people walk up/down. Curious, I followed them.  Surprised, I was happy I did! It brought me to Katarinahissen/Katarina Elevator that eventually brings people to a rooftop. I was wondering what was it when we were wandering the city earlier; glad to know what it is then. There food stalls and bars here; and this place show the most picturesque view of Stockholm.

When I was done taking photos I headed down and finally met with Riya. As we were heading back to our hotel, we passed by Kungsträdgården. Riya mentioned that her friend is coming to say hello; so we decided to sit by the bistro and also had our light dinner.  When we finally met with Tomas we headed to our hotel, put my camera bag down and went out for happy hour. He brought us at the Rooftop Bar by Scandic Hotel. As we were having a nice cold beer, we were also enjoying the view of the city as the sun was setting. When finally I felt tired, I left the two of them and I went back to our hotel.

I woke up around 5AM and looked at the window; there was a bit of sunshine but the clouds were fast to cover the blue sky. I decided to get my camera to at least shoot some photos of this beautiful city for the last time. A couple of hours later, I headed back to the hotel. After our breakfast, the rain started. We scratched our original plan to see ABBA Museum because we were already time constraint; instead we decided to just walk the shopping district for last minute souvenirs. Riya suggested that we should also meet another friend of hers since he is nearby. When Hernie arrived, we had fika, chat and laugh for one last time.

Hilton Head Island: A Natural Beauty

At Westin Hilton Head Resort Spa beach access

T-B Photos: late lunch dinner at Skull Creek Dockside; the local IPA, and one of the pelicans.

Not so many people know about Hilton Head Island is a great place to spend a short weekend away from home. I have been curious about it since I first came across an article about it in 2015. I have been planning to go to here for so long but it always fall at the back burner, So when a planned trip to Hawaii this March fell through, I, along with two of my friends, spent a three days off a couple of weeks ago here.

A four hour drive to South Carolina wasn’t that bad with two other equally energized and curious minds- MK and Lynette- to finally make this long overdue trip. Radio on full blast, with current Pinoy and foreign pop music playlists, plus in between chats and sing-a-long, the time quickly passed. We arrived at almost four PM, checked in to our room that overlooked the ocean, got ourselves refreshed then headed down to check the resort and the beach.  We three, were all happy.

We never had to stop on our drive to eat, we nibbled some snacks while on the road; at almost 5PM when we all were hungry, we decided to head to Skull Creek by the Dockside to have a taste of the southern flavors. We had some Calamari with Shrimp on it (first time I had this and was flavorful!), Red Pear Salad, and Seafood Broil. All chugged down by the local IPA beer. With such sumptuous meal, all three of us were full after.

Dock Side at Skull Creek, Hilton Head, SC

This place was overlooking Skull Creek, hence the name- with the view of the fishing boat ramps. We decided to stay for a bit and explored the place. We watched fishermen cleaning up fresh catch fish and Pelicans waiting for some treats from them. I had similar experience like this in Chatham, the only difference was, seagulls were waiting for the treats. Such a quaint place. The dock was becoming busy since dinner time was approaching so we decided to leave and back to our hotel. It was almost sunset then so all three of us decided to walk by the shore along with other people until dusk.  The sound of the waves coming through the shore was calming, and the soft breeze of fresh air was so relaxing; perfect way to end our long day.

Marshland at Discovery Museum

Day 2.  All three of us decided that we will witness the sunrise the night before.  At 0530AM, we woke up and headed to the beach to enjoy the sunrise.  I brought my camera to take photos too, it has been a while since I shoot some sunrise so it was quite refreshing. Still a bit nippy, but that didn’t bother us, and some dawn breakers. We had a nice breakfast buffet at the Carolina Room when the sun finally shone. Then we headed back to our room and got ready to explore the town.

We made our first stop at Coastal Discovery Museum. A 70-acre ground that caters to experience Lowcountry wildlife and nature, history, arts and culture. There was no guide so we explored the place on our own; we got to see some of the marshlands, their flower gardens, and all the oak trees wrapped with spanish moss. Believe it or not, I still admire these trees even though I see them a lot in Florida.

capturing sunrise at Burke’s Beach;

bottom photo: the on top of the Harbourtown Lighthouse Museum

When we’re done, we decided to head back to the hotel and basked under the sun at Burke’s Beach.  The weather was perfect- it wasn’t as scorching heat like the summers in Florida but rather reminded me of late summers of August in the Cape with the gentle breeze blowing. I finally enjoyed sun bathing once again. It was past noon when we all went back in in our hotel room to freshen up, and rest.

Crazy Crab at Javis Creek.  Seafood restaurants were on top of our mission while exploring this quaint southern island, Crazy Crab was one in our lists. Once again, we were lucky to be dining while enjoying the vast marshland of the lowcountry.  This was our second time dining with Hiltonhead’s  tranquil landscape. It was in the low 60s but we didn’t mind seating outside as we enjoy both our food and the scenery.  I have introduced Lynnette and MK to some of my favorite southern food- the Fried Green Tomatoes and Hush Puppies. The rest of the seafood and Salad we all shared. When late lunch/early dinner was over, we drove around town. One thing I noticed and admired- Hilton Head has so much greeneries.  Despite a noticeable fairly new developments, it has kept and preserved its natural beauty- one thing I feel sad about Florida which has overgrown with construction in the last six years we’ve been here.

overlooking the Lowcountry on top of the Harbour Town Lighthouse

Our day ended at the Harbour Town Lighthouse and Marina. We climbed the 114 steps to the top that brought us a 360-scenic view of the lowcountry. It was rather breezy up the lighthouse but the view was our prize. I was hoping for a very good sunset while on top, but the thick cloud covered the horizon and the color was just grey and dull; that was when we decided to see the store and its museum inside briefly and headed back down.  I always like exploring lighthouses and this, I must say was the first lighthouse I encountered with novelty shop on top. Quite an experience 🙂. While still walking around the grounds of the lighthouse and the pier/marina, we saw some dolphins playing in and out of the waters which was also a nice surprise. Then the sun magically appeared- creating a beautiful sunset underneath the grey clouds; my icing on the cake. That was a nice treat to end our day.

Lighthouse Museum and Marina with the unexpected sunset.

The following and our last day, I hit the beach one more time to enjoy the sunrise while Lynnette and Mk were still sleeping. I always enjoy the serenity of witnessing another day, and watching other people enjoy the same. Every sunrise is similar but always different- I will never get tired of seeing them. Later that day, we started our journey back home. We were all happy campers.

Harbour Town at the Marina

My Tri-State and New England Pre-Holiday Hop

Last week was my 2024 Holiday Adventure. I Left home at 5AM to catch my morning flight to Newark, New Jersey. My work friend Lynette brought me to the airport.

The Hindu temple of BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Windsor, NJ.

New Jersey. The two and a half hour United Airlines direct flight was smooth. Michelle picked me up as soon as I found my exit from Liberty/Newark Airport. So much has changed; the airport was fully renovated- I was telling Michelle that I have not been here for two decades.  When we found our way out, we met Aura at Max’s in Jersey City. We pigged out with Filipino food- Crispy Pata, Chicken Sisig, Pinakbet, and Sisig na Tofu with unlimited rice. With these two, catching up seems to be never ending even though I just saw them this past July when they visited me and Bob in Florida.

My New Jersey Crew. Top: celebrating Badge’s birthday at a Korean Hotpot

L-R Michelle, Aura and I pigging out at Max’s; the three of us at the temple.

We drove to Aura’s apartment briefly to unpack my luggage and refresh. Then we headed out to go and see the Hindu Temple in Windsor. After almost two hours in a busy friday at NJ turn pike we arrived at BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham. This is more than what I expected.  From its facade to its interior to the main temple, the craftsmanship was truly intricate. We spent more than an hour exploring its ground and taking photos while braving the cold (27F) at the same time. Luckily it was during sunset, so we got to see it lit up too. The main temple is not open to the public though.

When we thought we covered all, we went back to Jersey City and met with Aura’s family and friends to celebrate her husband’s birthday in a Korean Hotpot.  Perfect to end a cold windy night.

New York City. After spending time with Aura and Michelle, I took the path train  in Journal Square to Penn station to meet Jena and David the following day. Once all of us were finally together, we checked in at Marriott Hotel in Long Island City in Queens; our official lodging for the next two nights. We unpacked, rested and refreshed for a couple of hours then went back out to enjoy the city. We went straight to Rockefeller Center in 5th Avenue of course to see  the tree. Boy it was packed! Took some photos and off we went to St Patrick’s to say our little prayers. Dave made an online reservation at Lodi, an Italian restaurant right at the Rockefeller that overlooks the tree; and while waiting for 530PM, we continued walking and sight-seeing. We checked out the Christmas decors at Avenue of the Americas and Radio City. With so many people around doing the same thing, and all the dazzling lights all over, I can truly feel the spirit of the upcoming holidays.

The tree at the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Taken at 5AM in the morning to avoid tthe crowd.

The three of us having fun times in NYC.

Top L-R Having posh dinner at Lodi; and Ramen at lunch time the next day;

Bottom L-R: enjoying the lights at Radio City, waiting for our F train😂

We headed to the restaurant after we made one big loop between 5th and 6tth avenues. Lodi is an upscale dining; boujee I will describe it. David made a great choice for this one. The food (from appetizers that we ordered to our main courses- I got the Tasmanian Trout and Beets with Hollandaise sauce), the ambience, and the personality of our server, made it such a great dinner for the three of us. Bonus that we saw Keegan Michael Kay, an actor who’s dining opposite our table.

When we were done, we headed to Eugene O’Neill Theatre to watch the Book of Mormon- a play Jena selected for us to watch this holiday. Neither one of us had seen the play so it was really great to share together the fun. The play is a satire; it made us laugh mostly throughout as we watch the story unravel. Kudos to Jena too, with the seats she selected- Row J8 in the orchestra, we have the perfect view of all the actors and actresses.

After the play, we did a short sightseeing again then to the train station to our hotel. Then we called the night.

The Louis Vuitton Shop in 5th Avenue in New York City

I woke up early on Sunday and went to Manhattan to take photos again of the less crowded Rockefeller Center; last night was fun- but too much people that ruined some of my shots I have in mind. Then walk around 6th Avenue and circled back to 5th to see the stores’ displays. One thing that caught my attention was the Louis Vuitton store- The entire store was dressed and decorated to giant suitcases.  When I was done, I went back to the hotel;  ate the free breakfast with David while Jena still sound asleep; and  I went back to sleep again too.

It was around 11 when we decided that we will go to Korea Town in 34th Street for lunch.  A nice warm ramen for cold and drafty day sounded good. That was what we had. Then walked around Bryant Park and met with Lucia (another friend of mine) briefly at Royce Shop; caught up, bought some chocolates and finally brought David to Grand Central station as he goes back to CT. Meanwhile Jena went to Queens to get our Filipino food. I on the other hand, met back with Lucia to further catch up.  When we were done,  I headed back to the hotel where Jena was waiting.

I was tempted to go out some more but rain started pouring in so we decided to stay and ate dinner instead and flipped channels ‘til we bortttht passed out.

The rain continued the following day. And as much as I wanted to walk around some place more to take photos, the weather wasn’t just cooperating at all so I decided I will start getting ready to make my trip to CT.

Connecticut. The rides with Metro Train from new york to anywhere in CT always give me nostalgia from my early days in the US. I have ridden this train probably more than a thousand times but it never gets old.  This time it was extra special- I got off in New Haven, my old hub to travel to Princeton, MA. I was supposed to take an Uber from here to Tweed/New Haven Airport but didn’t realize that there was no Uber that drops off passengers to the airport so I took a cab instead. Once at the airport I picked my car rental up and headed to Wallingford for my overnight stay at David’s.

The Lobster Trap Christmas Tree in Stonington, Connecticut.

My original plan was to drive straight to Stonington; I told Dave about this- that I really wanted to see the lobster trap tree. The rain and the early darkness during winter made me not want to drive for another hour and a half so I will be staying over instead. To my surprise, David said let’s go. So we’re off to see the tree! 🤗

The lobster trap tree did not disappoint. With the rain, I managed to take some photos of it while Dave was holding the umbrella. It was a challenge since there were few people around, but sometimes they make a good inclusion in the composition, and they did in this particular situation😉. When done, we briefly stopped by at the Dog Watch Cafe for dinner then we headed home, spent sometime with my dog friend Tofu and called it a night.

The Christmas Tree in one of the rooms at The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island.

Rhode Island. I left David’s house around nine in the morning. The drive to Newport was partly reminiscing of my drives at I-95 to Cape Cod circa 2016-17 when I go home from work in New Haven. Some things didn’t change. I got to my hotel at Marriott Hotel by the Marina and checked in. Then proceeded right away to my mission to see the mansions- The Breakers and the Marble House. I have been to the Newport Mansions multiple times. But this is the first time I visited them during the holiday.  I wanted to see them this time of the year so I could capture them with the Christmas decorations. I always wanted to, but never got the opportunity🤷. The first one I set foot on was The Breakers. I am always impressed by the opulence of this place. The grandiose of its facade, the main dining and all the rooms from both up and downstairs…Magnificent! Each room was fabulously decorated. I didn’t waste anytime, I made it sure that I was taking multiple photos of each room. I was glad that I did this. The Christmas decors really added a grander effect.

I took a break from seeing the second mansion. Instead I took a short walk of the cliff at the coast of the mansions, then have lunch at the Red Parrot where I warmed myself with their Lobster Bisque and had a taste of their Lobster Roll. When my stomach was full, I drove and see Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. I didn’t see any animals, but glad I did go as I see the wildlife part of the busy Newport. I went back to the Marble house around 3PM.

The Christmas decoration at the Marble House in Newport Rhode Island

The Marble House is as equally lavish as The Breakers. Smaller in size by square foot but as intricate as the other one. Each room was marvelous that I caught myself shaking my head multiple times. I was pleased that I made a decision to see two mansions instead of just one.  It didn’t take me long to go from one room to another to view the place, and once I was done, I went to check their grounds; caught some nice photos of the New England ocean views while the sun was setting.

I went to Main Street and shoot more photos of the Marina and another Lobster trap tree Newport style that I found.  When darkness set in, I went back to my hotel.  Too tired to explore by myself, I decided to get a room service for dinner and signed off for the night.

The Goat Island Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island during blue hour.

At my last day in Newport I woke up before sunrise and drove around the area again. I took another shot of the lobster trap tree before I sped my way to shoot the Goat Island Lighthouse during blue hour in Goat Island.  Then I headed to First Beach, took more photos of the sun rising, then to the wildlife refuge(in the hope to see one, but unfortunately there was none) for the last time. Then I went back to the hotel and rest briefly, packed my belongings then started my drive to Connecticut in Milford.

Top: My Connecticut family- Maureen,Jessie and AJ

Bottom L-R: MY Yale friends- Liz and Danielle. Lucia and I before we parted in 34th St.

Almost three hours later I arrived. I spent the rest of my day with my bestfriend Maureen. She wasn’t home when I arrived, she was walking her dog, so I went to the nearby Pho house and ate lunch. When I came back, she’s back too. Since her house was having a major installation of her furnace, she couldn’t leave. We spent most of the day chatting and laughing. When evening came, I decided to leave to get some rest.

On my last day I went to Walnut beach to take photo of sunrise by the pier. Walked around its shores and do some reflecting. When done I went back and I got myself ready and packed. Before heading to the airport, I met with my friends and former colleagues at Yale and also caught up with them. Sad that there were only 3 of the original crews that were still there. I then finally headed to the airport.

It’s always a bittersweet to leave CT; it has a soft spot in my heart since this is where I started. On the other hand, I am excited to see my family!

Where do you think I should spend my holiday next year?

The Grandiose of the Grand Teton National Park

Bob loves the mountains; and I love them too. I couldn’t get more excited when he started planning a trip to Wyoming. The last for this year he said.

Top Photo: Obligatory shot of the welcome to Grand Teton National Park Sign

Bottom: Descending at Delta Lake hike; dinner at Hatchet Resort with Christian

After the many months of waiting, we finally made it to the Tetons. We had a smooth flight from Orlando to Dallas to Jackson Hole.  Both were on time and with no out of the ordinary issues. But somehow, the weather forecast in Jackson Hole was not what I anticipated.  It was overcast, alternating with rain when we arrived. So much with arranging a window seat for that million dollar scenic view of the mountains while still at miles high. Not to mention- it was cold and dreary when we walked to the parking lot. 😂

After we retrieved the car from the rental place and picked up some hiking essentials (a bear spray that cost 50$! And a bug spray that TSA confiscated on our way home- still lucky to NOT use both though), we hit the road for our day one of five adventure.

The rain limited our sightseeing for our first day, but it allowed us to go through the sites we wanted to visit. Kind of like we’re on the track still. The first stop we went to was the Mormon Rows with the view of the John Moulton Barn. With the thick clouds that were covering the mountain, I felt a bit disappointed- still pretty, but would have been nice to see the mountains for the backdraft. After which we went to the Glacier Look Out, JP Cunningham’s Cabin, and the Chapel of Transfiguration- but all were just covered with overcast clouds and rain. By then we decided to drive to and check in and have dinner at Hatchet Resort.

different shots of Mt Moran. L sunrise at Oxbow Bend 

Top R- sunrise at Schwabacher Landing    Bottom R: sunrise at Snake River

It wasn’t until our second day that we had the glimpse of the mighty Teton; atleast briefly in the morning- before sunrise.  We went early to Oxbow Bend for the sunrise and the reflection of Mt Moran at the bend in the Snake River.  It didn’t surprise me to see a lot of serious photographers shooting when we arrived. I played one too. It’s surreal to watch the clouds and cover and uncover the mountains. And for a brief moment saw how the sunrise lit up the peak of the mountain and brought out cotton candy colors. Added bonus were the reflections of the moon and the mountains and seeing flocks of ducks enjoying their morning swim too…magical. When the clouds totally covered  the mountain, it was time for us to leave. 😉

Delta Lake 📸 Christian.

Delta Lake Trail. Part of our itinerary is to hike the Delta Lake Trail. It is a 7.4 miles trail that starts at Lupine Meadows, classified as difficult trail,  it is made of flat inclined which turn to many switchbacks.  Not to mention the wildlife (we only saw a bear cub on our way up). It has a difficult 2400ft elevation gain; up over 9,000 ft. The last half mile after more than two hours on the trail, turned to be so difficult; reminded me of the hike in the Andes- rocky. This time I decided not to proceed and Bob followed suit.  Christian did. So he got the reward of seeing the pristine water of Delta Lake.  The sky had started to clear while we were retracing our steps down; it was then when we finally appreciate the beautiful trail we’re hiking.

Instead of hiking another trail that same day (I was beat- am sure both Bob and Christian too), we just decided to go have early dinner at Dornan’s where we had the full view of the mountains. This time, all elements included:  the massive rows of the mountains, some clouds and blue sky, and the yellow colors of trees signifying that fall has begun.

I was taking in the grandiose of the Grand Tetons while enjoying my pasta. I was silently admiring this natural canvass in front of me.  The last I had this imagery was when we were in Patagonia in 2022. This experience by far, is second to that.

Everyday view of the Tetons: Top: Highway 287 our main drive through; 

Bottom: Dornan's the only grocery and restaurant accessible to the park; 

Once done eating we stayed for a few more and finally started to head back to the resort. We made one stop at the visitor center, even here the pompous presence of the Grand Teton is so visible. Next to Arches Visitor Center in Moab, Utah, this one I can say is my next favorite. 🙂

We were tired and beat so we decided to rest early on our second night as we have an early trek to YNP in the next two days (see separate blog: ).

Day 5 is when we have a full day appreciation of The Grand Tetons.  It was our date with this majestic park. Our schedule was loaded. 😂

We were up and by the road at 530AM to catch the sunrise at 628AM at John Moulton Barn by the Mormon Rows (again).  Gauging from the amount of cars at the parking lot, I knew there were many people and photographers already awaiting for the sunrise when we got there. We parked by the street safely, and I bolted right away to have the glimpse of the most iconic sunrise shot of the Grand Teton. At one point, there were two spectators that tried to ruin the perfect shot for everyone so I have to yell at them “to cover up” at the top of my lungs; luckily they didn’t look back or else, it will be a blood bath (joke)😂😂.

sunrise at the John Moulton Barn at Mormon Rows.

When I thought I got the perfect shot, we left and moved to Teton Turn Point; which gave me another perspective of a sunrise of the mighty Teton. Quick clicks then off to Swchabacher Landing.  This one change my composition too; with the sagebrush on the foreground, it gave me another beautiful landscape.

Animals we saw on our hikes.  Moose; herds of bisons; and a bear cub; 

We did  a couple of stops along Highway 287E to take photos of the wildlife.  A herd of hundred bisons on our right side and the horses on the left side. Both sceneries were beautiful. Different in their own ways. I was in awe looking and taking photos of them. the horses are by far my favorite photo.

After hundreds of shots😂, we decided to go back to the hotel resort to have breakfast.  While we waited 45 mins to be served, we were planning strategically our day. When we’re done eating, we were off to another adventure.

Taggart Lake Trailhead.  This wasn’t an original part of the itinerary. But since our attempt to do Delta Lake on Day 2 was challenging; we chose an easy to moderate trail to hike so all could enjoy. The weather was perfect- and with clear blue sky, it allowed us to really see the views. This time I was enjoying the constant presence of  one of the peaks of the Grand Tetons. When we finally reach the lake, it was such a view!  We rested on one of the rocks and eat some snacks while enjoying its beauty. When its time, we headed down.  It was a beautiful easy three hour hike.

Taggart Lake

It’s so nice to know someone that lives local. A fellow Cape Codder and landscape photo enthusiast @christinewalshandersphoto who is based in Jackson Hole for now messaged and told me to go to The Moose Ponds around 5PM to see a bull moose. I told this to both Bob and Christian and glad we all agreed to check it out.  Boy, It did not disappoint! A 20 minute trek at Lupine Meadows to the pond gave us not one, nor two, but three moose which were quietly enjoying their dinner. That was wonderful to watch!  I would like to think that it was actually a family, which was an added bonus.

We watch them for sometime until we decided to finally go back to the car.  While still inside the park, we went one more time to the Chapel of Transfiguration, enjoyed some serenity, uttered a little prayer, took photos and decided to get some dinner at Dornan’s. And for the last time, enjoyed the sun setting behind the grandiose of the mighty Tetons.

my favorite photos of the horses with the Tetons at the background

Yellowstone National Park: A Wildlife Menagerie

Top Photos: Bob, Christian and I and the obligatory photos at the park signs. 

Bottom: L-R at the Black Dragon Caldron; at Lake Butte Overlook

Our trip to Wyoming  concentrated to visiting two national parks- The Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Hitting two birds in one stone they say.  Bob always wanted to go and see these parks, but didn’t get the chance.  Now is the opportunity and the time, so here we come.

He always do the research of the places we go so we have a detailed Itinerary of what we are about to do.  I on the other hand, had the minimal knowledge; I only know about the Mormon Rows (Teton) and The Old Faithful Geyser (Yellowstone) but I know that they are both highly rated and recommended.

Yellowstone National Park.  Bob came prepared; he hired a tour guide that knew about Yellowstone from inside out. So on our day 3 here out west, we ventured to Yellowstone National Park for the first time.  All three of us ( we brought along Christian/Bob’s friend with us) were excited.

Jack is our guide- he  picked us up at exactly 7AM and started driving.  We made multiple stops before actually hitting the road to YNP- it was hard to make a pass to the mighty Teton without taking photo of the sunrise beaming on its peaks.

The many wildlife we saw at Yellowstone. Snow the bear (not shown was her two cubs/flakes); an elk; mule deers, and bison. 

In the meadow we saw a herd of elks munching shrubs for their breakfast. First in my book of the wildlife I am excited to see in the park.

And so we continue our path to Yellowstone.  It was an hour and a half drive to get to the park entrance.  It was a smooth ride- we were getting acquainted with Jack, who happened to be so knowledgeable. All three of us in the car were impressed.

While the herd of elks earlier at the Teton was already a treat; the wildlife showcase really started not too long after we entered the park.  In one of the intersections not far from the entrance, there were two elks crossing. It was mesmerizing to see them that up-close. All cars were at halt; waiting for them to be safe  on the other side. I like that feeling. I also took some photos then we continued driving after that.

At West Thumb across the Yellowstone Lake, we encountered another wildlife- a lone bison-again crossing the street. Another first time for me. I requested if we could stop the car, as I was too excited. I was told to be behind the car and not to get too close when shooting photos. I did as I told.  The bison proceeded on the other side of the street and mind his own business so were we.

a red tail fox we encountered up-close. 

The bison was a huge animal- reminded me of our carabaos in the Philippines, but different.  The previous night while eating at a restaurant, the server jokingly reminded us not to pet the fluffy cow,  I can see why now 😂😂.

I didn’t understand at first why we kept on driving back and forth and looping around West Thumb and Sylvan Pass until Jack said there are family of bears he wanted us to see too. Another of Bob’s must see- a black bear in the wilderness. We did this for hours- I lost track of how long. And when we were just about to give up, our search for the elusive bears came to fruition when Gina, Jack’s wife called him and said that there were sightings of the bears. She too, was tracking them. She gave the place of where the bears were last seen and we headed back there and voila! We can see the bears from a 100 yards down the hill.  Playing and eating some shrubs.  It was also exciting to see all the wildlife enthusiasts that were as happy as us seeing the wild bears as they navigate their paths through the woods,  crossed the road, and be lost at the thickness of the forest.  That was priceless. The bears names were Snow (Mom) and her 2 Flakes by the way.

The adventure didn’t stop from seeing the bears.  On our drive down the hill we came across the family of mule deers. As a common theme, they were at the side of the road staring at us- literally deer in the headlights.  We gently parked.  The challenged with  photographing wildlife  was snapping the perfect photo while the subjects were at still; but by the time you click the shoot button, the animals already moved..that what happened.🤷🏻

We continued driving. Jack took us to Hayden Valley; a vast grassland, and a large meadow with rolling hills, islands of trees, and of course, wildlife. There were herds of bisons on one side of the road and on the other side of the bend, we spotted a lot of people watching nature. Jack pointed that there was a carcass of dead bison.  As we all know in the wildlife- this means food. We found a place to park our car and joined the many wildlife enthusiasts waiting for the appearance of the Gray wolf or wolves. Bob was excited too. Hours passed but no luck. We saw a red tail fox but no wolves in sight.  At this time we decided that we will come back the following day to see if we will be able to see the elusive animals.

The Old Faithful erupting at 642PM.

Old Faithful Geyser. One of the most popular scenic spots in YNP, perhaps the only thing I know about the park aside from the vast population of wildlife is the Old Faithful. It is a cone geyser-a highly predictable geothermal feature that erupts between 44 minutes to two hours (wikipedia).

We got in the area at about 6PM, thirty minutes before the last eruption show of the day. We briefly stopped at the gift shop then secured a seat to watch the geyser erupts.  Bob and I have seen one in Iceland last year, but this was first for Christian. We patiently sat and waited in a tolerable cool weather (Iceland was freezing cold), and at exactly 642PM, the eruption began. Jets of hot steam firing up; one after another until they reach their peak and slowed down.  The show lasted almost two minutes;  definitely longer than the Strokkur Geysir in Iceland we’ve seen.  Another highlight of the day.

Yellowstone 2.0 We came back on Saturday to YNP for another chance to see if the wolves will decide to show up or already had shown up  and we missed them.  As we drove to the rolling hills of Hayden Valley, we came across another couple of elks.  Surprise! Surprise! One crossing the street, and the other- static after we stopped by about 25 yards of her. Eventually she went her way and drifted off the woods.

When we arrived at Hayden Valley, we noticed that the carcass was still there; and the volume of the photographers and wildlife enthusiasts if not doubled, tripled.

This time we set a time when to leave the place whether we see the wolves or not. Not too long after, at the other side of the road,  we saw two animals running fast and crossed the road. But unfortunately they weren’t wolves; they were red tail foxes. I was assuming that they too, are making their way to the dead animal.  They are beautiful from what they looked from afar. We stood up for a while just admiring them.  When suddenly they started moving again, they were too fast and were heading our way. We were so close (about probably 20 ft)  and was too late to realize, that the path they were taking was the one we were standing at. Last I knew was the ranger yelling, “25 yards! You need to back off 25 yards!” Which I happily oblige. We didn’t see any Gray wolf,  but the foxes made up for it. My heart is full just being that up close with them.

Red tail foxes nearby the carcass. A lot of people were waiting for the wolf, but the foxes showed up.

the view of The Grand Prismatic Spring at the overlook.

Mud Volcanoes, Sulphur Caldron  and Geysers.  We went sightseeing after our encounter with the wildlife. We roamed around the geothermal areas of the park. We went to the Mud Volcanoes which was quite fascinating. Seeing a spewing mud is one of a kind. Then to the Black Dragon Caldron. What’s  interesting with this one is its over powering smell of sulfur that fumes the entire park.

Then we headed off to Midway Geyser Basin.  A mile hike from the parking lot will bring you to the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook. It is Yellowstone's largest hot spring.  It has bright bands of orange, yellow, and green that ring the deep blue waters of the spring. I can understand why it is the most photographed scenery in Yellowstone.

We also went back to the Old Faithful to see its eruption for the last time. This is longer (lasting a little over 3 mins) than the previous night (which was close to 2 minutes).

Yellowstone etched a memorable experience to me. The past two days we did a lot: stops at so many turn points like the Yellowstone Lake, Lake Butte Overlook, Sylvan Lake, Sylvan Pass and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Really there’s just so much to see but so little time. But for me, the highlight of these two days was seeing the wildlife in their natural habitat.  Yellowstone is indeed a wildlife menagerie.

Bucket list to see in YNP:

✅elk

✅Bison

✅bears

✅Mule deer

✅Red tail fox

✅Geysers

✅Mud Volcanoes

✅Hot spring

Foliage beginning at Sylvan Lake. 

Barcelona: Our Great Catalunya Experience

the highway we drove from Andorra to Barcelona with scenic mountain backdraft.

Our drive to Barcelona.  Unlike the drive to Andorra that was somehow adventurous yet terrifying, our drive to Barcelona is calmer. Yes, we have switchbacks too, and sometimes we don’t know if we are ascending or descending, but I knew for a fact that we were going down since I felt that gravitational pull from the way the car was moving. The road to Barcelona from Andorra was scenic- filled with mountains, pasturelands and small villages. Driving the highway we saw what resembled to be the Italian dolomites. We stopped briefly at a rest area and took some photo and just enjoyed the beauty of the countryside. Then off again. 3 hours later, we met the hustle and bustle of the city of Barcelona.

Truly a Five Star. We arrived at the Cotton House Hotel and attempted to check in right then but our room was not ready so we decided to just leave our luggages and explored the city. We didn’t go far, then we went back and tried checking in again.  By this time, we had our room ready. Man oh man… Bob really knows how to splurge to get the best room! Booked at a 5-star autograph collection series, our hotel was at the heart of Barcelona; central to all the “must sees” we tried to see- all within the walking distance. The reception… the bar… and the hotel room and its amenities, just fabulous! We were very pleased.

Top: The interior of our hotel room;

Bottom: L-R Our sumptuous paella #3 and #4 at Restaurante 7 Portes; and the vibrant Plaza Palau

When done unpacking and refreshing, we hit the town again. First stop- Barcelona Cathedral.  Located at the gothic quarter of Barcelona, this church is built between the 13th to 15th century.  Among the churches we saw this trip, this I would say is the grandest in terms of religious artifacts. I would say, similar to the Cathedral we saw in Santiago, Chile.  They are old and intricate, and overly satisfying visually. The climb to the rooftop was an added bonus. We got the view of the city, and the different architectures-old and new- that were thriving to this vibrant place.

When we finished exploring the catherdral, we continued to walk outside the city discovering paseos/alleys. They are quite similar to the old city of Montpellier; though different in architectural aesthetics, they resembled some similarities. I was enjoying it. Then we headed towards the marina in search of the Restaurante 7 Portes. When we were at the hotel upon check in, we asked the concierge and they recommended a few best places to eat paella and we chose this one. This did not disappoint- we savored a nice vegetarian (for Bob) and Black Paella (for me) with cold Catalonian white wine. That was quite a dinner from a topnotch place on a busy night. We were lucky to get a table with no reservation.😉

Left: The facade of the Barcelona Cathedral from a nearby street;

Top R: La Monumental Bull Arena

Bottom R: Casa Mila, a Gaudi masterpiece;

After we had a filling meal, we continued walking through the alleys looking for the Cathedral by the Sea. Bob and I are avid Netflix viewers, and one of the series we’ve seen was “La Catedral Del Mar” which was set in Barcelona and a real, non-fictional church. Its story was heartbreaking yet hopeful. We made sure that, at least we see this church whenever we get to Barcelona; we almost didn’t as it was almost 5PM by the time we got in, and the staff started to turn off lights, barricading the altar, and telling people in Catalan that they were closing the premise. It was brief, but glad we were able to see its inside.

Then we walked again through the paseos until we tumbled into Plaza Palau where lively music from the restaurant in all four corners were playing. Like the Grand Place in Brussels, there were tables and chairs around the central square set up for people who would like to dine. We attempted multiple times to get a seat and enjoy a drink or two of Spanish cervezas hoping to enjoy people watching but were denied. Dinner only they said🤣. So we settled a nice drink in the hotel bar instead. Then we called it a night and went back to our room.

Left: The facade of the La Cathedral Del Mar;

Top R: another Gaudi’s design- Casa Batlló.

Bottom R: The Spanish Arc d’ Triomphe in Barcelona

We must have slept so good. When we woke up, it was past nine.  We got ready and we headed to the nearby La Monumental Bull Arena. I have only seen bull fights on screens, Bob had seen a real one with Bernard in Neems back in the 90s. There was so much to take in as we walk into the empty arena. Sitting on one of the seats, I can’t help but wonder how it was inside in its hey day with obviously loud crowds and the toros/bulls fighting. We walked through the entirety of the arena. We saw the areas where matadors sought safety during the fights, the premium seats for the elites, and the seats for common people who still would watch the show. Then we walk behind the main arena and also saw the place where the bulls were kept, fed and bred. As for matadors, the small kitchenette, their locker rooms, and a small chapel- perhaps to say their last prayers?

The last bullfight in this ring was seen in 2011. After a local law passed banning all bullfights in Catalonia including Barcelona. This place is kept to preserve and for visitors to see the once prominent game of bullfighting as part of the Catalan’s rich culture.

When we finished wandering the arena, we headed to nearby Carrer de Sardenya, the street closer to Sagrada Familia. We took the opportunity to eat some food since we didn’t have breakfast. Our tour of the basilica was slotted not until the next couple of hours.  I had some Cold Mussels and Bob had Strawberry Shortcake and Apple Pie. This place maybe a hole on the wall, but I kid you not, the food was as good as we had last night.

Top L-R: The main entrance of SAgrda Familia; The altar and the massive pillars/columns;

Bottom L-R: the ceiling/canopy of the basilica; Bob and I trying to be corky while heading down the spiral staircase;

The Basilica of Sagrada Familia.  And then it’s time for the most awaited tour.   Before we entered the basilica, Bob and I went around the entire premise- the front, the sides, and the back to get a full scale of how big the church was. It occupies an entire block to simply describe it. One thing that I noticed by doing that was there were so much religious artifacts found outside. From the walls to the ceilings and steeples. Sculptures of the saints, the nativity, angels and gargoyles- some old and some new; it’s like a charcuterie of all things religious.

For those who don’t know, Sagrada Familia is known for being the largest basilica in the world that up to date, is under construction- continuously being built since the 1800s. Evidently, you can see it from almost every corner of the city. While we were walking and while we were at the roof of the Cathedral of Barcelona, its pompous appearance is visible everywhere.

When we got inside, It was massive. The ceiling was so high- but I immediately noticed that the basilica has minimal design. Couple of things I learned from the audio I was listening to: 1. the large display of artifacts outside was intentional- so people are enticed to go inside and pray and could focus on with less visual distractions 2. Gaudi (the architect that designed this basilica) intended to have the place of worship resembles the forest. The tall massive pillars of the church are similar to the mightiest trees we see in the deepest part of the woods. They branched out and form canopies through the ceiling- like the trees that protect you from the elements. You will notice this when you’re immersed inside. It was a unique and interesting vision. But personally, not what I expected of how it would be.

Our tour continued to one of the towers. The elevator lead us to a spiral stairs of one of the steeples; there were multiple stops that allowed us to see the city. Looking outside of the basilica gave us a different perspective of the city as compared to when we were at the rooftop of the cathedral.. In one of the platforms we stopped, we saw from the horizon there was a storm looming not far from us. Dark grey clouds that blanketed the city’s buildings. Of course my camera was ready😂!  Quite a scenery to experience.

It started raining by the time we were heading down. As it poured, we continued our tour inside- witnessing some 3D presentations and future rehabilitations and projects for the church. With no end in sight, Bob and I decided to walk and braved the rain with a brief stop to the souvenir shop to buy an umbrella for Bob (I have one)- the rain will not ruin our trip. We  headed to two of the famous houses that Gauldi also designed.- The Casa Mila and Casa Batlló. From the outside we noticed how crowded it was for both the houses (which were a block apart)- so we didn’t bother going in- besides, we didn’t have advanced reservations. 😂

Top: The Seafood Paella; Myself sautéing the ingredients;

Bottom L-R: Beet and Watermelon Gazpacho; Bob mixing the ingredients with the help of the lady from South Dakota;

It was too early for dinner but too late for a big lunch so we decided to have another tapas. We had some Fish Fritto and Calamari partnered with red and white sangria. Light meal after the crazy long walk from the rain. After that we went back to our hotel and recharged since the rain seemed to be not stopping. Around 8PM we decided to eat at a nearby La Panella Restaurant- another one of the medium upscale place. I ordered for my Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese Salad along with Steak while Bob had Fish. Of course we savored them with a glass of local draft beer. Another excellent dinner I should say.

Making our own Spanish Paella. The following day we woke up again around 9AM. We retraced our steps close to the cathedral since our cooking class was towards that area. Yes, we signed up for a cooking lesson and we are going to learn how to cook Paella🙂. Since we got early, we explored more of the alleys. Then it was almost eleven so we decided to head back and waited until our class started.

There were about twelve people in the class from different parts of the world but predominantly from the United States. After our individual introductions, we got to work. We peeled vegetables, cut them, and on to the actual nit and grits of cooking. Actually, there were more than a paella that we made that day. This class thought us how to make Beet and Watermelon Gazpacho, Tortilla de Patatas (Potato Omellete), Paella de Marisco (Seafood Paella), and Catalan Creme. I will admit and I am biased, all were delicious and mouth-watering. It was a fun-filled five hours learning to make Spanish dishes. Truly a great experience.

Bob and Jun are our names… Food is our game 🤣.

Since we were stuffed from all the food we cooked, we decided to go to Mercat de la Boqueria to buy my saffron. This is the key ingredient in making Spanish Paella and very expensive in the US. I paid 30Euro for a small bottle. From here we took a cab to go to Park Güell. Thinking that this park needs no reservation to enter, it was late when we realized that the tickets were sold out for the day. Ho hum… no park this time😢. The only consolation we got was- the park was located uphill, and we have the view of the sea from the street we were walking. We just decided to go back to our hotel and rest for a bit. Around seven when we walked again and tumbled upon the Arc de Triomf of Barcelona. Simple, not grand like the ones in Paris or Montpellier. It has a different material too- red brick. This must be nice at night when the entire promenade is lit up.

The weather was pretty much the same as yesterday; overcast then rain and wet. While walking around, we decided to have a light dinner at Mescat- a tapas restaurant.  What supposedly light meal (since we had so much to eat on our cooking class) ended up big and heavy😂. Fish Fritto, Grilled Padrano Pepper, Eggplant, Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad, and Callos were the dishes we savoured on our last night. By the time we left the restaurant were packed and people were on the queue waiting to be seated. Since it was still  raining, we just headed back to our hotel, continued packing and ultimately watched a television show. This was our last night in Barcelona.

Epilogue:

Our flight back home was met with many challenges. It started with driving in a bicycle lane in Barcelona… Heading to the wrong terminal which took us forever to get back to the right one… Returning the car which were flagged because of the tiny chip on the windshield that we never knew of… The last leg of our flight (Miami to Orlando) being cancelled and had us ended up renting a car with ridiculous rental fee. But despite all that, Bob and I got home safely with so much gratitude that our trip went well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained Bob said. ❤️

Sagrada Familia as seen at the rooftop of the Barcelona Cathedral.

Andorra: A Charming Principality

Facts: Andorra is a tiny, independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains.

A bird’s eyeview of the Valley of Andorra’s capital city- Andorra la Vella.

And off we go to Andorra. For four days, we had a great time with Bernard and his family. Now its our own time. We left Carcassonne, France almost 5PM and had another three hours to navigate our way to our hotel in Andorra. It was a beautiful drive at a country side. The sights of the Pyrenees Mountains were refreshing. The first fifty miles were kind of rolling hills of pasteur lands- reminded me of the highlands of Scotland and Virginia’s countryside combined. Something familiar but different.   

Main Street Andorra la Vella, the capital city of the country.

I am excited for this trip, but no expectations set as there is not so much I read about this small country. The books didn’t say anything grand except that it is one of the famous ski destinations on winter time in Europe and known for being tax haven; and the only person I knew made a trip this part of the world was my friend Grecia, who roamed this way sometime earlier this year.

It was around 730PM. The sun was hidden from the clouds that started to blanket the mighty mountains.  I remembered Bob saying, “look at the clouds.” Little that i knew, we will get a close encounter with them. our last thirty miles comprised of 180-degree switch backs driving up the mountain. At the 15-mile mark, we encountered a fork, thinking we have taken the right road, we hit a wrong turn. This time, the switch backs were becoming too sharp to turn around and for all we knew we were quickly gaining altitude in a steep incline. We are ascending. Feeling a sense of panic from Bob, I put my camera down and started talking through the road we were navigating. Bob is not a fan of heights; I have to calm him down and have him stay focus on just driving or we will both end up in the ravines we didn’t even know what they looked like🤣.  The clouds and fog were mixed, and they were thick; the driving was almost of zero visibility. When I thought we had been going down, a switchback would come and it was giving us an opposite result. Five minutes… ten minutes… the bend on the road went on and on… at fifteen minutes of driving, and I was guessing Bob was also at the peak of being tensed, then we went through a tunnel (which I thought was an old outpost for immigration boarder) that was about three minute drive. And for some reason as we exit from this- the sky was clear and the road was no longer as crazy as it was. 10 miles descend to Andorra’s capital city of Andorra la Vella.

The four churches we visited in Andorra:

Top: L-R Sant Antoni de la Grella and Sant Marti de la Cortinada;

Bottom: L-R Església de Sant Esteve and Sant Miguel d’Engolasters

We have not driven as many rotaries since our trip to Inverness in Scotland, and I could say that Andorra is also big on such. Our ten miles which usually can be driven for roughy 10 to 15 minutes, took 45 to get into our hotel. What I have observed since the time we hit the first roundabout, it wasn’t bare and boring rotaries; they were filled with different and unique art works- from local artists I assume🙂.

YOMO Centric is at the heart of the city, and driving into a busy, unfamiliar streets posted another challenge.  After two tries on how to get into the hotel parking, we finally found it and a place to park. We had a long day, and we were tired. We ended up having dinner at the hotel after we checked- our first Andorran meal was sumptuous.  After that, we called off the night.

Around Town. We only have one full day in Andorra so we made sure it was well spent.  Weather wasn’t cooperating when we woke up, it was 80% rain. After our inclusive breakfast buffet, we drove out and started our sight-seeing.

The Trip to Andorra (and Barcelona) was like a pilgrimage; we visited a handful of churches. Our first stop, at the height of a heavy rain was the Sant Marti de la Cortinada- a stone church rebuilt in the 17th century.  It wasn’t grand, but it has an interesting religious artifacts inside. As much as we wanted to explore the outside, the weather wasn’t cooperating, and we weren’t really that sure if we parked the right place so we left and off to another place.

Our trek around the trail of Lake Engolasters and our close account with Spartan challengers.

Lake Engolasters.  After we left Sant Marti, we headed southeast to Lake Engolasters. It was really raining, but Bob and I decided to proceed to at least trek around the lake even for a good two and a half mile. Along the trail we were met by Spartan challengers that dared the mud, rain and chilly weather in this event. Im sure they are used to them, they were buffs after all😂.

Once done, we retraced the road we travelled.  We had a brief stop and photographed the church of Sant Miguel d’Engolasters on its beautiful mountain back draft. The second church of the day. I walked across the church to look into the valley, and saw the panoramic view of the Andorra la Vella- this is such a beautiful bird’s eye view. Then we headed back down.

Pont de Sant Antoni de la Grella. One of the books that I bought about Andorra has a cover of this bridge, so Bob and I went to see it as well.  The bridge passes over the River Valira del Nord and brings you to the chapel of Sant Antoni de la Grella.  The bridge is medieval in construction and was remade in the mid-20th century while the chapel is built into the stone through which the Valira del Nord river passes. The chapel was restored in the 20th century. The chapel was closed; this was our third church of the day.🙂 When we left, we followed a bit of the walking trail, then back to where we parked our car.

Our one day itinerary:

Top: L-R Bob and I at Pont de Sant Antoni dela Grella Bridge; and a dessert

Bottom: Having Paella No2 at L’ Arrosseria after seeing multiple churches

Església de Sant Esteve.  About six miles north of the medieval bridge, we headed to Cathedral of Sant Esteve. The biggest among the church in Andorra we saw so far. It is Romanesque in origin, but modified in the 20th century which explains a modern touch inside; still it was nice. The location also has a mountainous backdraft and is accessible to almost everything- shop, residences, parks, and restaurants. By this time, I was getting hungry, so I asked Bob to have lunch then. While walking at the alleys nearby, we found a local restaurant, L’ Arrosseria. Among others this one was packed with diners, and I knew then what it meant- it must be good.  I ordered seafood paella and was served almost 50 minutes later- the second one from this trip- and it really didn’t disappoint; was actually worth the wait. Bob and I shared a big serving. We did some more walking then decided to head back to the hotel to recoup.

When finally rested, we walked around again and see more of the town and the shopping malls along the strip that were already closing for the day. Like the rotaries, the city is filled with so much arts, mostly of eccentric sculptures and architectural designs; and it is refreshing to see them as compare to the ads of so many ambulance-chaser lawyers in Florida.✌️ Since we still felt full and not really wanting to have another heavy meal, we decided to just sat and grabbed a dessert in a nearby restaurant.  We sat outside so we could watch people pass by.  I miss people watching.   Once our dessert plates were empty. we then headed back, the second time to our hotel and hit the sack.

When we woke up the following day, we had a repeat of our delightful buffet breakfast.  Then we walked the avenues of duty-free stores for the last time, bought some souvenirs then back to the hotel and checked out- then we took off to our next destination.  Barcelona here we come!

One of the many unique sights I will remember of Andorra.

Gallivanting in Southern France

In celebrating our yearly anniversary, Bob and I ventured to three countries this time: South France, Andorra, and Barcelona, Spain (the last two places I will write separately). We have spent more time with our friend Bernard and his family in this part of our travel but the experiences with all three places were equally unique and enjoyable.

Place de la Comédie, Montpellier, France

Before It All Happened. We have a tight flight schedule; our flight is not direct. We have a connecting flight in Philly before our final destination in Barcelona (Yes, this is the most feasible airport to go to Montpellier, France). We got to the airport with ample amount of time. While waiting at the gate to board, we noticed that plane wasn’t there yet, and the time kept on delaying.  What supposed to be a flight that leaves at 1340, didn’t take off until about 1430. Luckily, I strategically upgraded our seats so it would not be time consuming when we deplane compare to when we seat towards the back. With less than an hour as we got off in Philadelphia, we hurried. We made it to Gate A25 from B11- from one end to the other; boarding by then has started. After that, the flight to Barcelona was smooth. We sat next to a guy who is based in Barcelona; chatted with him from time to time in between watching movies and sleeping/resting and until we landed.

We arrived in Barcelona thirty minutes earlier.  Went through immigration and customs, took our luggages, and picked up our rental. Then we were on the road off to Montpellier.  Along the way, we stopped at an aire (rest area similar to big gas stations like Buccees or Wawa) we find in the freeway. 

Back home, I would get chips or Nathan’s hotdogs at any of these places, but was surprised to see how different it was here. It has a full service- like restaurants with buffet menus. From the sandwiches to the main courses, they all looked delicious. Not knowing what to expect, I ordered a Paella (one of the many I would have from this 10-day trip). It did not disappoint. It tasted good; I can say that this was better than the one I order at Los Dos Compadres back at home. It was quite a meal.

Top: Promenade de Peyrou

Bottom: L-R 1. The Arch de Triomphe de Montpellier, 2. one of the many alleys and streets of Montpellier

Montpellier. We met our friend Bernard three hours later. We were finally in Montpellier. Since he live in an old city, there was no room to park our car outside his apartment so we went to a public garage and parked our rental and headed to his apartment, unpacked our luggages and took a rest for a bit. Bernard has a very nice apartment- each room has its characters. The high ceiling is one that I liked most.

Once refreshed, we started gallivanting around town. Bob has been to Montpellier before, I have not. He was more into being re-oriented again in the area whereas myself- I was taking everything in. Such a charming town.  Busy with both locals and tourists but not like crazy as Paris.  Bernard brought us first to Place de la Comédie- a large square at the center of the town, with chairs and tables set outside the plaza, typical of French bistros. Then we walked to the alleys and old streets, where he showed us multiple old churches (that have beautiful facades. It was late in the afternoon then and most of them were close so we didn’t get the chance to see what were inside); walked by some novelty shops and local stores; and he showed some arts on the walls of the old apartments too. Then walked again. By this time we were at the Main Street and was approaching the Montpelier version of the Arch de Triomphe. According to Bernard, the Arch in Paris took inspiration from this one; but of course bigger and one of Paris’ main tourist attraction. Across the Arch we walked to Promenade du Peyru, where we saw the panoramic view of the city and the old aqueduct. Then more walking into the alleys and old streets, til we found a bistro and had a drink. I have my escargot and a pint of local beer.  After that we walked again the narrow passages I am becoming familiar with, until we reached Bernard’s apartment. Next to his apartment, is Mogador a Moroccan restaurant where we had our dinner. Vadim, his younger son joined us too. That was another great meal. We went back up after that and called it a day.

The view of the Pope’s castle across the River Rhone.

Avignon. Jet lag hit me. So I woke up at 3AM, tossed and turned- and at 530AM (European time) I decided to get up and explored the town on my own with my camera. I re-traced my steps to the places we walked the previous day; and some new streets and alleys as well. What a difference it make to shoot these beautiful places without the crowd. At one moment I was lost in my own world. The only thing was that weather was overcast. By 730AM I was back in the apartment and took a two hour power nap until Bob woke me up.

Our game plan was to go and pick up Victor (Bernard’s eldest son) at the train station then explore the city of Avignon. We left mid morning after a bread and cheese, and coffee breakfast that Bernard prepared. It took us about an hour driving, until we fetched Victor then headed to our first stop of the day. I have little to no knowledge of the different regions in France, but I am learning.  And this time,  I learned that this was the papal capital since the 14th century before it moved to Rome in the Vatican. The last pope that lived here was Pope Gregory in 1370.

Top L-R: 1. Bob infront of our glamping tent; 2. Bob and I leading the canoe (Bernard and Victor away behind us);

Bottom: 1. sumptuous dinner from the lodge; 2. the four of us at one of the stops while canoeing

The Palace was huge.  It took us approx about an hour and half to complete the tour.  What made the experience unique was that, it was interactive. We were given an iPad when we entered the palace, the goal was to scan a QR code and it will let you know what the room was about. When you focused on the walls, it will transmit a 3D hologram of what it was centuries ago. I thought that was cool.

When we’re done with the palace tour, we left Avignon and continued our journey.

Pon’t de Arc. I wasn’t really paying attention when Bob and Bernard were talking about our day’s adventure; all I know was that- since our original plan to go to Provence to see the lavender fields wasn’t gonna happen, we resorted to Plan B. Plan B was trip to the nature; and off we drove the beaten path. I forgot the name of the winding road, but before finally arriving to our final destination, we made multiple stops to appreciate France’s Gorges de l'Ardèche. Similar to Flume Gorge we once see while in New Hampshire.

It was almost 6PM when we arrived at Pon’t de Arc. Bernard booked two rooms (for us and for them) at a Prehistoric Lodge where we stayed for a night. I was in highschool or maybe college, in my “hiking the mountain days” that I last slept in a tent, It was a surprised that Bernard had booked us to one to stay over. Unexpectedly, the tent was fully equipped with king size bed, bath tub, and all modern amenities. This time and age its called “glamping.” Atleast not the one we pictured😉.

The famous Vallon Pont d’Arc.❤️

Pont d’ Arc was our off the grid surprised get away from Bernard; far from the hustle and bustle of the city. After we settled, and scouted the place for a bit, we had our dinner. Once again, the food was superb! I never had a bad meal here yet, so far. Once dinner was over, we headed back to our tent to rest; it was a long day after all.

Bob woke me up around 2AM and asked if I still want to see the stars like we planned the night before. We did. I was hoping to shoot a milky way, and attempted to do so but with no luck. I thought it might be too late since its June, and usually the milky way is at its peak around midnight during this time of the year. The clouds also started moving in. It was short but nice to once again enjoy the constellations. Bob used to watch them almost on a nightly basis when we lived in Princeton. Not long after, we headed back to our tent and sleep.

The next day we were off to our canoeing adventure. It was a two of hour of fun and just enjoying the serenity of nature and Bernard and Victor’s banters on how to paddle to make the canoe move forward🤣. Bob and I had kayaked before but we never had the experience of slides.  The water reservoir at Vallon Pont d’Arc de Ardeche has these.  Not only one but three (at least in the routes we signed up for) to add more thrills. About 3/4 of a mile before the end, we parked our canoes and rested just below the famous Vallon Pont d’Arc. This is one beautiful rock formation and quite a view. It was almost 2PM when we reached our final destination. We were wet, tired but packed with a lot of fun.   

the Arena of Nimes

Wheaded back to the lodge, paid our dues and changed. Then we off to our next destination.

Uzes, Orange and Nimes. Along the way to Bernard’s country house we stopped by three towns.  The first one was Uzes where we had a taste of French snacks.   I had my chocolate crepe and a scoop of Tiramisu ice cream. I said this before, the ice creams in France are a-lot richer in textures and more complex in flavors than what we have in the US because they use egg yolks.  When we were done, we’re back on the road.

We made a quick stop at the town of Orange because Bernard wanted to show us an old Roman coliseum. But unfortunately, there was an event that day and could not go inside- so we walked around instead and headed back to the car and drove away.

Then we stopped at Nimes. An old outpost for Roman empire, this town is known for well-preserved Roman architectures. We were lucky to see two of them- the Arena of Nimes (now used for concerts and some bullfights) and the Maison Carrée- a white limestone Roman temple which is about 2,000 years old. Bernard could not find a parking so Bob and I (and Victor) hopped off to take photos then hopped back on and drove away again.

Top: L-R: 1. Bernard and I outside the farmhouse; 2. Bea pouring some champagne

Bottom: All six of us having a nice French dinner; 2. our last lunch in Montpellier at Le Dome (Bernard’s family restaurant)

The last stop we had was at the farm stand and fromagerie along the way before we finally made to Sussargues- where the country house at.

When we entered the house Bernard gave us the grand tour since this was first for both Bob and I. I can’t help but admired the old character of this abode. Built in the 1890s, some of the house’s original features remain intact. The one that struck me most was the floor in the foyer- it brought me to my childhood as it resembled my grand mother’s flooring.

While we were settling for the day, Bernard was making dinner. When it was time, Bob and I were surprised of the simplicity yet sumptuous food he prepared. We had a Moroccan salad, cheese (that we purchased from the local fromagerie), olives, mixed nuts and saucisson charcuterie and fresh loaves of bread. Bea opened a bottle of Champagne and we had a toast. Then we enjoyed the dinner along with great conversation of what transpired during the day. We stayed up a few hours more, then decided to call the night off. We had done a lot that day and it was safe to say that we were all tired.   

The night was short. We closed our eyes and then it was daylight. This was our last day in France. When we were all set, we headed back to Montpellier one last time to collect luggages, shop for our cheese, saucissons and souvenirs to bring back home. Bernard brought us to the Dome- his family’s restaurant where we had a delicious lunch (I had the duck) for the last time.  When we’re done, we bid farewell  and headed to our next destination. This time, its just myself and Bob.

Carcassone. On the way to Andorra, Bernard told us to drive by the city of Carcassone and see the castle. Which we did. And 1.5 on the road and we were able to roam around inside this 12th century fortress.  Across the citadel there was also century old cemetery which we also explored. We didn’t stay long as it was getting late; we have almost four more hours to drive to the Pyrenees region. 

Four days are not enough; in retrospect, If only we have enough time, we would explore more of this city. But I can say, perhaps next time. Au Revoir La France!

Carcassone Castle

Seize The Moment

“There are only two times: NOW and TOO Late.” - Andh Do

Sometime in January while having breakfast with Menchu and Marlon, she came up with the idea that she wanted to go to Vegas on her birthday in March.  When Menchu said that, I didn’t think twice. For someone like her, time is of the essence. After Marlon and I fixed some glitches with our schedules, we booked our tickets. Fast forward to last week, all the fun happened.

Top Photo: L-R Meeting Dondon at the airport; seeing Chef Janjie at Island Pacific;

Bottom Photo: L-R: meeting with Lisa; dinner with Miguel’s family

Menchu and I arrived earlier on Thursday.  We travelled early that morning from Orlando, and made a connecting flight in LA. On our way, we met unexpectedly one of our Deland friends, Earl, who was heading to the Philippines (we parted ways in LA). We had a bit of a delay in our flight to Las Vegas, so by the time we got there, when Ryan (our friend based in Vegas) picked us up at the airport, we were hungry and we went straight to Island Pacific- a Filipino grocery shop that has ready-to-go food. My childhood friend Janjie happened to be the chef on duty there that time, (that I learned when I phoned him while waiting to board our flight in LA), so he got us free dinner while catching up. After that we headed to the hotel to check in. The Mirage was our home for the next few days, I am glad that Menchu booked our room facing the strip so we got a good view. While waiting for Marlon to arrive (who took a later flight from us), Menchu chose to rest, it’s a bonus that it was blue hour so I took some photos of the casinos and hotels from our window.  By the time Marlon came it was late, and instead of heading out, we decided to call it a night to rest since we all travelled earlier that day.

On day two, we woke up on east coast time. It was early, and we started to get up and ready; then took an uber to have breakfast at Chowking- a Filipino food chain that serves Filipino breakfast meal- longganisa (chorizo), bangus (milkfish), siomai (dimsum), and chicken noodle were the ones we ordered. Las Vegas is home to many Filipinos and this is one of the cities in the US that you can enjoy authentic Filipino food. We were like kids in the candy store literally.  Once done, we took another Uber to the Venetian and strolled inside.  We walked around its shopping mall, enjoyed the people riding the gondolas while the gondoliers sing to them.  Of course, we took pictures too! Bob told me on the phone that we were inside this hotel when we were here years ago, but I couldn’t recall it.  Nonetheless, it was enjoyable to experience a Venice-like ambiance here at the Venetian. When we were tired, we headed back up to the hotel and rested.

Shortly after, Ryan came and took us to some 25-minute trip to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This is such a beautiful place! A total contrast from the hustle and bustle of the strip.  There were trails and hikers that we saw; I wish we had hiked, but we decided not to since some of us were not prepared and we were sort of time constraint since we have a show to catch later that day. Instead, our sight-seeing was consumed by taking a lot of photos as we stopped so much from point to point while driving the scenic loop of the park.

the scenic loop of the Red Rocks Canyon

Top: Menchu, Marlon and I before we watched the live show; Menchu and I at the street of Vegas;

Bottom: Menchu, Ryan and I enjoying a fine dining at Heritage Steakhouse;

Since we scratched the original plan to drive and stay to Zion National Park in Utah, we decided to book a Las Vegas Show instead. When we returned from our sight-seeing trip from the canyon, we refreshed and headed down to our hotel theater and watched “LOVE” by Cirque du Soleil. It is a Beatles-themed live show full of choreographed dancing and acrobatic performances that revolve around a trip through the band’s psychedelic era while rendering their popular and hit songs. It was an hour and a half of totally entertaining show.

The musical fountain show at the Bellagio.

We headed to the strip after the show and ended at Margaritaville to have dinner. Then walked again.  We made a stop at the Bellagio to watch the famous musical fountain show. I could no longer recall most of the things Bob and I did in the strip when we were there the last time, but I was mesmerized by this tourist attraction then, so seeing it once again brought back the excitement. It was nice to see the smiles from my friends’ face as well.  All of us, I should say, enjoyed the dancing fountain. We went to see the inside of the hotel too; I didn’t realize that the theme inside changes.  It was like a fantasy and fairy tale theme (something I couldn’t remember from the last time) and that was an added treat for all of us. Then we headed back to our hotel. 

We have a slow start on Saturday our 3rd day. Tired from the previous day’s busy schedule, we got up and readied around 9ish. My friend and former colleague Lisa, will be picking us up around 10 for a Hawaiian dish brunch at Zippy’s. Food aside, I haven’t seen Liza for so long! So it was a treat both literally and figuratively that we have spent time together. Our brunch went well. We never had a Hawaiian meal before, and I must say- they tasted like Filipino food. We were stuffed when we left.

Enjoying the scenic loop of the Red Rocks Canyon and the strip on Friday night.

We headed back to Lisa’s place when we finished brunch to spend more time catching up.  Then in the afternoon, we went back to the hotel, dropped Menchu off since she had to meet her aunt for their dinner while we headed to the Seven Magic Mountains for a brief photoshoot. This is a new popular “must-see” within the 30-mile range outside the strip. Personally, this is another one hyped by the social media influencers. I could compare this from the stacks of streetlights I saw in LACMA while in Los Angeles two years ago. After a few photo shots,  we went to Miguel’s (another friend who is based in Vegas) house and met his family.  We stayed for dinner and shared some stories.  Then off we went to Freemont Street- the old Vegas strip. Here they have live entertainment, and people were zip lining above us. It was action packed. By the time we finished we were so tired and decided to go back to the hotel and waited for Menchu to return and decided if we still wanted to go walk to the strip again. But the day’s heat combined with jet lag beat us, and little that we know- we all fell asleep with vague recollection of what time Menchu came back.

The Seven Magic Mountains

On Sunday our fourth day,  Marlon left early to meet his friends. He will go to the airport right after that so we said our goodbyes. Menchu, Ryan and I went to Seafood City once again for our Filipino brunch for the nth time😂 (I am now beginning to have withdrawal LOL). And then off to Tule Springs Fossil Beds- a national monument off the strip of Las Vegas too.  There was a hiking trail again I see, but like at Red Rocks, we were not prepared to do hiking- it was noon and hot. Also, it wasn’t as scenic like the Red Rocks Canyon but worth checking out. Shortly after, we headed back to the hotel and rested. Around 5pm we went down the hotel and have a fine dining at the Heritage Steakhouse- a restaurant owned by chef Tom Cholicchio (if you watch Top Chef, he is the resident judge- the stocky, bald one!😂)- to celebrate Menchu’s birthday. Vegas, in my opinion, next to New York- is home of the best chefs around the world because of the Casinos and entertainment. This was the kind of dining I was hoping for since we arrived on day one! Though the food we had so far were also great. The best part of all these dining experiences were the company of each other❤️🙃. After our luscious dinner, We walked inside the Palazzio,  Venetian (again) and Cesar’s Palace to window shop and did some sight-seeing for the last time. It was around nine when we decided to go back to our room.

The following day, was our time to say goodbye to Vegas. Ours wasn’t a “what happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” kind of trip; it was a brief, spontaneously planned, seizing the moment kind as we say. But all three of us, in that four short days, were able to meet old friends and relatives, and caught up with them, entertained by the strip, and got to see some nature too.  But most importantly, Menchu had a great time.

A view of the Las Vegas strip at sunset from our hotel window.

Cancun: Not Another New York Minute

When Bob and I planned four our 2024 Cancun Trip, we instantly have Lucia and Shayne in mind to tag along with us.  The challenge was, how are we going to coordinate with them? With their busy schedules.  When I phoned Lucia in October last year, I only asked her two questions- Have you been to Cancun? Would you and Shayne like to go? I remembered, it didn’t take long for her to answer both questions with a thousand percent of enthusiasm, and so Bob and I finalized our Westin reservation for two bedrooms for a 5days/4nights stay on March 3-7 in Lagunamar.

Down the Memory Lane: Lucia and and Shayne’s visit to our home in Cape Cod in 2017. Shayne’s celebrating his birthday. The fun that started It all..

Lucia was my room mate from when I was living in New York City in late 2000s and I know she is always fun to be with when we go out. And when she and Shayne were at the early stage of their relationship, they visited us in our home in Cape Cod. It was a weekend trip to Martha’s  Vineyard and a half day at Craigville Beach on an overcast, New England weather. Everything may be a blur, but Bob and I had a great time at the dinner celebrating Shayne’s Birthday.  That was 2017.  The last all four of us were together; so we are excited to bring that night’s laughter to a five day fun in Cancun.

Lucia and Shayne arrived earlier on Day 1.  They flew direct from Newark and was in Cancun by noon. We got there later in the afternoon from Orlando. They were able to manage to secure us the best room (yet so far) in all our stays in Cancun. Lucia was very good following our instructions- ocean view and above tree level upon check in.😉

The sun, sands, and the sea of Cancun. The view from both our balconies.

Introducing the Pina Colada Crews: all of us enjoying the pool and the beach.

Top (L-R): Day 2 enjoying the pool and the view; Shayne holding one of the many Pina Coladas we drank;

Bottom (L-R): Day 4 under the hut enjoying the beach; Lucia and I at the beach on sunrise.

After we unloaded our luggages we headed to Vento Bar and Grill and had our early dinner. While we’re enjoying our first Mexican meal of the day, we talked about the fun they had while waiting for us to arrive. Shayne must have  said Lucia already had a few of the Pina Coladas while both of them were lounging by the pool- we all had a laugh. Intrigued, Bob and I also ordered Pina Coladas after we had the frozen margaritas. Now we understood why Lucia (I’m sure Shayne too) had a “few.” 🤣

We continued the random chats and updates up at the balcony of our room.  Around 9PM we called it a night- after all it’s been a long day for all of us. It is nice to say that, even though we haven’t get together as frequent as we should be- we take up where we left off.

As always, Cancun always greet us with a beautiful sunrise. Our Day 2 was a no exception. I woke up around 6AM, went down to the ruins of the Yamil Lu’um (Scorpion Ruins) and took a better shot of sunrise with the ruins on the facade. Then I returned to our room. Shortly after, Lucia texted me and she’s already at the poolside and has saved our seat for the day.  I went down to meet with her and walked by the ocean, admired it, and shared how happy we were doing this trip together with our significant others.

Our day was mostly spent by the pool. Enjoying the view of the beach and occasionally swimming in and out while boozing with our now favorite drink- the one and only, Pina Colada! and Oh we had fun using the jacuzzi too!  Bob and I stayed by the pool probably until about 1PM when we both decided to go back to our room (Bob went to the gym, and I took my afternoon nap). Lucia and Shayne opted to stay basking under the sun.

Dinner at Elephant-Thai as we enjoy Junoon Thai. A brief break from the Pina Colada trademark.😉

We all met again at dinner time. Bob and I took Lucia and Shayne to our favorite restaurant, Elephan-Thai. This is one restaurant we never get tired going back to whenever we’re in Cancun and we were happy to share this with both of them too.  We were hoping that we get the hut that directly faces the lagoon to watch an amazing Cancun sunset, but, unfortunately all were taken.  We had the one at the middle which was equally beautiful.  We never had a bad experience with food here- and we’re so glad that Lucia and Shayne enjoyed them too. And for a change, we took a break from Pina Colada and fancied a Junoon Thai for drinks.  We strolled the mall for a bit, then headed back to the resort to get an early rest since we will be up early for our day trip.

Our call time to the lobby is at 730AM.  When all were set, we headed down and waited for our ride that will bring us to Chichen-Itza.  Not too long after our tour guide Primo, greeted and brought us to the van. It was two and a half hour drive to the temple, and we were seated at the last row. We didn’t have windows to look outside (we have to bend down in order to see outside from the seat in front of us), we could barely hear Primo as he talks to us about the Mayans; our only entertainment was the bumpy road that made our butts sore from our seats during the entire trip. LOL.

Pina Colada Crews at Chichén Itzá and Cenote Chukum.

When we got to Chichen Itza the sun was blazing hot. I can remember the first time we were here years ago, it was hot and humid too. We did the usual round about and took pictures of the temple, then Lucia and Shayne decided to find their way out. Meanwhile, Bob and I went to explore some more. The funny thing was, while minding our business, we heard a loud scream from one of the tourists- and we saw that a snake dropped from the trees and almost hit her on the head! What a shocker that was! Then we’re off to the next stop.

We’ve been going to Cancun since 2014, and each time we come we’re brought to different Cenotes- and Chukum is another one that gave us yet a different experience. We (or Bob) jumped and rappelled down in the past, and this time zipline to get into the water.  I (and Lucia) decided to not swim this time. But watching Bob and Shayne do it, almost tempted me to do it too. Ho hum, perhaps next time.

After the cenote experience, we headed for a Mexican buffet. Surprisingly, the food was good as well- specially the pulled pork along with the Mexican rice- yum.🙂 Then we’re off to the next and last stop.

The town of Vallodolid is a quaint town.  Primo said this is the real Mexico; and I kind of agreed with that. Old buildings- the old Spanish architectures all around the vicinity of the town; the quaint plaza with a fountain (I wish there was a water running)… somehow reminded me of old Luneta in Manila when I was growing up.   Lucia and I also explored the colorful building across from the park while Bob and Shayne were resting at the plaza. We looked around the stores (after using the restrooms) and of course another photo shoot! Shortly after we headed back to where the van was parked and up again to the 2.5 hour bumpy ride back.😂 When we finally back to the resort, we had dinner right away at the Duna Sports Bar then to the rooms for the night.

A one superb dinner at Ryoshi with all four of us.

After a long busy day from the previous day, our Day 4 for was exactly the opposite.  Bob and I were attending our owner’s meeting while Lucia and Shayne started their day watching the sunrise in the huts that Lucia reserved as early as 6AM?😂. When we’re done, we joined them relaxing and occasionally going to the water and chatting. Of course it is all accompanied by our favorite drink- Pina Colada! 🤣 By 4PM, we all head back to our rooms to clean up in preparation for: a. Lucia’s LinkedIn profile shoot🤣🤣 and; b. our dinner- the last time for this visit until our next time.

We’ve seen Ryoshi Restaurant when we were in Cancun the last time. Fairly new then, Bob and I never really ventured there since we always go back to the Thai place beside it. After all, we always had a great time and food there. But as we left our dinner the other night from the Thai place, we went to check out the menu at Ryoshi’s. It is a Japanese cuisine and we all thought we should try. And this night was the night.  When all the food we ordered came, this place did not disappoint.  Ryoshi just gave us an exemplary, gastronomical experience on our last night.  The food, the restaurant ambiance, the service (thumb’s up to Axel our host- who’s very attentive to us), the live shows, and the complimentary drinks! Simply put, it was top notch. After the show, we headed back to our hotel rooms and called the night. I felt a bit sad that our vacation is about to end and wished that it won’t.

The following day, we had our breakfast buffet by the resort.  We spent few more times chatting and shared some more laughters then decided to head back to our room and continue packing.  Lucia and Shayne went to the pool to swim a few more laps (that is what Shayne claimed✌️)  for the last time.  Shortly after, we said our goodbyes and then checked out and headed to the airport.

Time went by so quickly as we enjoy our 5 days/4nights get away from our busy schedules, or more of Lucia and Shayne’s busy schedules. Bob and I had a mission when we brought Lucia and Shayne with us- for them to have a relaxing time away from the stress of work and living in a busy environment. We hope they were able to decompress and recharge in this short time; after all, Cancun is not another New York Minute and I am glad that we all got time together to spend another “one for the books” memorable experience.

a stolen shot of Lucia and Shayne slowly strolling at Chichén Itzá. One moment at a time.

Weekend in New England

I was feeling homesick for quite a while and I have been wanting to go and see New England since December. One of my closest friends in Connecticut is celebrating her birthday and it was a perfect timing and excuse to go see and celebrate with her (and our other friends) and, at the same time to satisfy my want of being in NE. And so I booked a trip on February 8.

Portland Headlight house at sunrise on February 10.

Jenna, our friend for almost 20 years is celebrating her birthday in Maine!

The day I arrived was Jenna’s Birthday. She’s also traveling from New York.  After I picked her up at the train station in Milford, we went to David’s house to rest while we waited for him.  We planned for a dinner at a Korean Hotpot that night with another friend, Ulyn. When evening came and David had arrived, all three of us went to meet her at the restaurant.  It was actually Jena’s 51st, but with my frequent forgetfulness, I thought it was her big 50. She didn’t mind celebrating her special day like her milestone though.

The following morning we picked up another friend, Ryan, at the airport and travelled to Portland, Maine. I have been friends with Jenna and David for almost two decades now, and our ride to Maine consisted mostly of reminiscing of what we were as we begin our American dream almost 20 years ago-  thoughts about our former colleagues/room mates and where are they now; the struggles working in one of the badass neighborhood of Connecticut- Bridgeport, and the fun stuffs in between.  It was the shortest three and a half hour ride I had because the stories were non-stop.

We made multiple stops (to eat and pee) before we reached our final destination. We got off to Kennebunkport for the sunset and stroll around town.  Famously known as the summer Whitehouse because the former president Bush’s (the older one)  spent summers here. We took a few photos and bought some souvenirs then we headed to our hotel at dusk. The long day depleted all of us and so we decided to just stay in the hotel, eat the left over and called it a night.

Top Photos: David and Jenna, my friends for almost 2 decades; and Ryan since our university days in UP Diliman.

Bottom: Dinner at the Korean Hotpot in Milford with my BHCC homies!

Top: Exploring Kennebunkport on our way to Portland on Friday.

Bottom: Portland head at Sunrise

Exploring parts of coastal Maine. I woke up at 5AM the following day. All my friends were still asleep, so I tiptoed to get myself ready and walked out the room without disturbing them for my sunrise. It was an 8-mile drive to Cape Elizabeth, where Portland Headlight house is located. this place was beautiful! I could say that this is one of the prettiest lighthouse I have seen.  I spent a significant amount of time moving from one post to another capturing photos and witnessing the sunrise despite the cold and the wind. I left the park when the sun is full on blast. When I returned my friends were having breakfast.

When all were ready to explore, we headed to Old Orchard Beach Pier. This was my first time here; I never been this part of Maine.  Not too long ago Maine was hit by a back to back storms, and  I wasn’t sure if the rogue waves we witnessed were remnants of these storms; but nonetheless, they were mesmerizing to watch. After that we headed to Commercial Street in Downtown Portland to have a drink ( actually just myself) and light lunch of a bowl of clam chowder.  We did a little bit of sight-seeing- walk around town, peek inside local shops, took a photo of the “Welcome to Portland” sign, then we decided to go back to the hotel to take an afternoon nap. Before the day is over, we drove back to Cape Elizabeth to see Portland Lighthouse at sunset. We stayed here for sometime until the park is almost dark, then proceeded to Luke’s Lobster Restaurant in downtown for our lobster dinner as requested by the birthday girl.

On Sunday we went again to Portland headlight house for the last time then drove to Nubble lighthouse in York.  While this is also a beautiful scenery, I prefer the former one personally. We stayed here briefly as we (just Jenna)  encountered a minor mishaft. Then we decided to drive back down to David’s house in Connecticut.  I couldn’t believe how fast the days went by. What a weekend that was.

The casts of Maine Adventure!

Old Orchard Beach Pier

Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine