Everybody knows I'm fiercely in love with Davao but if there's one place I'd consider relocating to, it would be Iloilo. Iloilo is a small city with a whole lot to offer. Historical and Cultural Tours I love that Iloilo has a lot of nice architecture and historical places from our colonial past. The photowalk I did with friends was very interesting. We took a walk around downtown for several hours. We had a friend, who's a history nut, do the tour with us and he shared some very interesting anecdotes. We ended up in Fort San Pedro to watch the sunset over Guimaras. Such a beautiful site. And a great place to have your photos taken. Recently, I was able to visit and take a tour of the Camiño Balai nga Bato in Villa de Arevalo. It is a well-preserved house from the colonial times. The Camiños was one of the pioneers in the Iloilo weaving industry. And the entire ground floor used to be dedicated to weavers and weaving looms. Most of it still is now. The modern weavers create various sinamay and other cloths that would make for great Filipiniana wear. The Camiños still live in the…
Category: travel
Re-Discovering Chinatown in Binondo
I have been to Manila countless times and I kinda lived there when I was in college. So every time I look for something different to do each time I go back for work or vacation. When I made my November 2011 Manila Checklist, a Binondo Tour was one of my priorities. Binondo is Manila's Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in the world. It is where most Filipino-Chinese families settled during the Spanish era. It is located along Pasig River across the Manila's Walled City of Intramuros. The enterprising Chinese settlers made it into a bustling center for trade and commerce. Until now, a lot of Fil-Chinese families reside in Binondo and a lot of their businesses are still located in the vicinity. And of course, it is teeming with food establishments that specialize in various Chinese cuisines. I have been to Binondo only a couple of times. Both times, I enjoyed the tour despite the scorching heat of the sun. The combination of food and history was irresistible to me. I was happy that my friend, a Binondo resident (100% born and raised in Binondo) offered to be my tour guide. As a Chinese food lover with Chinese roots, I…
I’m Leaving on a Jetplane…
Well, not really on a jetplane. But I'm leaving for a while. Gonna take a trip to Manila. And to Iloilo. My Manila trip will be full with official functions and work meetings. But I am going to squeeze in some fun. Will try very hard to everything on my Manila checklist. Really looking forward to Binondo, Mercato Centrale, the museums, and the MRT! And I might be able to cook for my friends again. ;) It will be a long trip full of stuff to do, work to accomplish, and people to get in touch with. Might be a bit stressful, but it will definitely be fun. The Iloilo trip will be much shorter but I'm looking forward to doing as many things as I can while I'm there. Iloilo is one of my favorite places. Mostly because it's like Davao, but also because it has a lot of heritage spots and great, great, greaaat food. Won't be able to do a lot in 2 and a half days but I hope to enjoy the trip a lot. :) I know I'll be leaving a lot of work while I'm gone and a lot of things will be put…
Looking Forward to Iloilo Again
I was able to go to Iloilo City for the first time last year and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The people, the food, the sights, and the over-all ambiance of the city made me feel at home. My Iloilo trip opened with quite a bang. A relative treated Winston and I to a lunch at Breakthrough. Winston declared that talaba was just as delicious as oysters. LOL! Aside from generous amounts of oysters, we also had shrimps kinilaw, crab meat omelette, and grilled fish. All of them memorable. My uncle almost convinced me to take a road trip to Roxas just to eat even more seafood. I was able to go on a walking tour of Iloilo City with bloggers Fitz, Don, Winston, Rina, and our knowledgeable guide, Sam. I enjoyed it even if I absolutely loathe walking. Iloilo has very interesting architecture and old structures from the Spanish era are still in place. Plus, they have many beautiful churches with interesting stories. The tour ended with a sunset view of Guimaras and a hearty dinner at Carlito's, punctuated with Baye-Baye ala Mode. I was able to go out a couple of nights. I ate yummy ribs and beef stew…
Checklist for My November 2011 Manila Trip
I'm going to Manila this November to attend some functions, have a few meetings, and for a little bit of vacation. I want this trip to be a bit different. Instead of coffee shops, malls, and the usual places I go to, I want to go to unique places. Binondo The first time I went to Binondo was sometime 2005 or 2006 with my cousin. We had joined a walking tour. I was fascinated by the temples, old houses, and old buildings. I also enjoyed the food and the other sights that I saw. Kuya Andrew, several friends and I went to Binondo for another walking tour in 2008. Aside from the yummy food we ate, I found walking through Binondo to be an interesting experience. I'm not really Chinese but I found the culture, the sights, and sounds to be very homey. And I do want to go back for another walking tour. Philippine National Museum People suggested that I visit museums. Silly me. I have never been to the Philippine National Museum. Not even when our History professor asked us to go there. But I do want to go. It's embarrassing to be almost 30 and never having…
Five Things to Do in Zamboanga
I was in Zamboanga for a short time and I was only able to visit for a few places, but I enjoyed it and I am looking forward to visiting Zamboanga again soon. Here are the top five things I suggest you do in Zamboanga: Eat Curacha with Alavar Sauce First off, I apologize that I don't have a photo of this delicious sinfully great dish but me and my friends were excited to eat when it was served. So eat we did. Curacha is a crab species common in Zamboanga. It has more meat in the body than most other crab species. What makes the Curacha in Alavar Sauce even better than other curacha dishes is the Alavar Sauce. Alavar sauce is a combination of crab fat and coconut milk. It's a rich rich rich sauce that devilishly good. It complements the curacha well, and it's even great enough to be eaten with just about any meat... even with just rice. Mmm... Visit Fort Pilar Fort Pilar is a remnant from Zamboanga's colonial past. It is now a Catholic Marian shrine and a branch of the National Museum. A visit to Fort Pilar is a great way to know…