Exploring Corregidor Island, Philippines (Part 2)

Gen. McArthur Park and the Lorcha Dock

After the hefty lunch our tour guide brought us to the Bottomside, the lower part of the island. The island has an interesting outline that shaped into a tadpole.  The head rises prominently to a large flat area which coined Topside, the center of activities of the island. The plateau that interrupts the upward slope from Bottomside to Topside is the Middleside.

The Bottomside part of the island was our first stop after having lunch. Gen. Douglas McArthur Park, South Dock, Lorcha Dock, North Dock, Barrio San Jose, Administration building, San Jose Chapel, and the Gen. Wainwright Memorial are all can be found here. At the Lorcha Dock is where Gen McArthur boarded a ship leaving the island to Australia and made a promised "I shall return".  A statue has been erected at the spot where he bid his goodbye and turned into a park named after him. His famous remark is inscribed at the foot of the statue. Another park nearby is the Gen Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial. Constructed in honor of his determined leadership, courage, and resolution to the very end during the war.

Exploring Corregidor Island, Philippines (Part 1)

 One of the under rated tourist attraction in the Philippines is the Corregidor Island tour. According to our tour guide, there are only over a hundred thousand local and foreign tourists who visits the island. This is very minimal I think so because the Corregidor Island has so much to offer to tourist. But I guess because of the monopoly of just one company who provide tour to the island makes it less popular and less accessible to tourists.

Coming back home

I was in the Philippines for two weeks. I took the opportunity of spending the chinese new year holiday back home, and by availing the remaining 5 days vacation leave for the year, and applied 3 days of no pay leave, it sum up to 14 days of extended vacation. Most of the days were spent supervising my unscheduled house renovation. The simple plan of just adding two rooms turned into a major house renovation in which I am afraid its completion will took sometime. So my planned Caramoan Islands trip again did not push through, and  just hope it will be a reality on my next vacation, third attempt. I'll make sure.

My Trip to Penang Malaysia

My first travel this year happened last weekend to Penang Island, Malaysia. For four days I got to explore and experience the island's unique cultural, historical, and natural scenery. Penang has plenty of sightseeing opportunities scattered around the island. Aside from the attractions they have their on unique food not to be miss while in Penang.

Bintan Resorts Gateaway

This month travel happened last November 7, 2010 to Bintan Indonesia. While it is still not far from Singapore being just 55 minutes ferry ride, I still consider it travel. My second time to Bintan, I basically wants to explore the other side of the island. 

July missed out

I have no single entry the whole month of July. Procrastination and busy work are the reasons for no update. I went back home second week of July for a week short vacation. The week before that I was rushing out some office work need to complete before I go for work off. Add to that I was rushing up shopping for presents to bring home, not that I bought more but what consumed more time was deciding and picking what to bring home.

Galungan Festival of Bali

The time I was on holiday to Bali, I got the opportunity to observed first hand Bali's most important festival which is the Galungan Festival. The festival is a holiday period throughout the island and the most important as it symbolizes the victory of Dharma ( virtue) over Adharma (all that is evil). It is believed that during the festival period all Balinese gods descended to earth for the festivities.

The festivities are made evident by the fitting of penjor (brightly decorated very tall bamboo poles with woven young coconut leaves, cakes, fruits, and flowers) on the right side of the entrance to every house which arch over the roads. It was a delight to watched these nicely decorated bamboo poles bending over along the villages roads.

My Trip to Bali Indonesia

I went out of Singapore again last weekend for four days this time to Bali, Indonesia. I booked this trip 2 months ago after a good deal from Jetstar came out and matches to my long weekend off. I filed one day leave to make the most of my trip to Bali as I was looking forward for this trip. I did enjoy the trip and I have to admit that indeed it was one of the planned trips I got the chance to experience a different culture, but there are some disappointments actually and could be avoided should I not rely much on the internet.

Fatahillah Square Jakarta

One of the places I have visited when I went to Jakarta is the Fatahillah Square in Old Batavia, formerly the center of trade and business activities during the Dutch colonial era. The Kota district as known today has significant number of grand colonial buildings, many are abandoned or dilapidated but still standing.

My Trip to Batam, Indonesia

I was pretty much occupied by my work after Easter so I don't have time to compose an entry for the blog. Though its not physically draining work but more on the mental aspect. There are a lot to attend to like answering all the complaints received that requires immediate attention and do follow ups so as it will not appear to be that we were not doing our job at all.

While you guys, you who are in pinas enjoys long break during Holy Week, we pinoys here, the less mortal, enjoys only Good Friday as holiday. As I have work the following day but off on Monday, I got Sunday and Monday for holiday trip. As I have only two days to spare, I went to Batam, Indonesia.

Weekend in Malacca Malaysia

Last weekend my itchy feet brought me to Malacca for an overnight of cultural sightseeing, though I have been there before it was nice to come back since the place is just awesome. Visiting Malacca is like transporting to distant past with the remnants of once prosperous town with the evident of the old buildings still intact at present time.

My Trip to Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia

I spent three days during the chinese new year holidays in Kuala Lumpur and Bukit Tinggi in Malaysia. As the trip was not a planned one, I was having difficulty booking for a trip ticket and the hotel room.  The trip is to check the Colmar Tropicale in Bukit Tinggi in Pahang Malaysia, I bite the price for the late booking, and the land travel. The resort online booking site says there were no more available rooms for the holidays, but when I checked Agoda, where I usually book hotel rooms for my travel overseas, I was able to get a one bedroom room. I might consider myself lucky to be able to book a room on the last minute and be able to secure a bus ticket. I travelled in the morning of Sunday and arrived Kuala Lumpur at around 2:00 in the afternoon. Spend the afternoon at Bukit Bintang, and KLCC until the evening. I purposely waited until the evening at the KLCC to take night shoots of the Petronas Twin Towers. I was literally entertained by the kabayans who were there doing pose well for me is entertaining. Then I went back to the hotel to refresh and spend the rest of the evening at a bar in Bukit Bintang.

My Trip to Phuket, Thailand

I went out of Singapore again last weekend, my second for the month, this time to Phuket, Thailand. It was short weekend holiday but I have a wonderful time. I arrived Phuket Saturday night and after checking in I immediately went out to experience nightlife. I managed to try three bars and by 1am I finally called it a night since I have a booked island tour the next day. There are so many choices online for the Phi Phi island tour and though they're offering the same itinerary, the price varies which ranges from 800 baht to as high as 3000 baht. If you choose the cheaper rate you will be spending more time on traveling than in the islands. I booked for the tour which uses speedboat as it is faster, less passengers and more time in the islands. In the evening, I explored the nightlife vicinity of

Day 1 in the Kingdom of Wonder, part 2

As agreed, my driver was already waiting for me at the lobby by 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The rest of the day will be spent checking out the Phnom Bakheng Temple sited on top of a hill and at the same time sunset viewing there. As read online, tourists crowded this place to view a spectacular sunset view. True enough by the time I reach the place, it was already crowded and still a lot were coming up on top of the temple.

My trip to Jakarta Indonesia

I went out of Singapore last weekend for a 4-day sightseeing trip to Jakarta. Friday was national holiday and Monday was my off-day so it was a four days of free time not to waste. I took the mid-afternoon flight and as I want to arrive in the capital before night time. Just like Vietnam, Indonesia timing is 1 hour behind Singapore. I stayed at Sparks Hotel in Mangga Besar Dua road, it is not an ideal location but the hotel itself is nice, clean and cozy, a value for money for a 51 dollars a night. I booked the room in advance thru agoda.

To sum up my four days trip, I was able to explore the old town, climbed up the national monument, visited the museum, shopping centers, and yes tried the night life too. And also I found out that the city has a Cathedral that dates back 1901 and has a distinctive spires and built in neo-gothic style architecture.

Tagaytay City Trip

I woke up late the following day since I slept around 4:00am the night before. So instead of going to Corregidor as planned, I travelled up south to Tagaytay City and the trip was my ninth time already. There was no particular reason why I chose Tagaytay except to accompany someone who has never been there before. I never get tired coming back to Tagaytay as I love the weather and the scenery especially the view on top the Palace in the Sky. 

View from the unfinished building terrace

A day tour in Manila, Manila Ocean Park

One of the good places to view the famous Manila bay sunset is at the Manila Ocean Park located behind the Quirino Granstand at the Luneta Park. But of course the main reason why to go there is because of the place itself. Other things to do are food tripping, bar lounging, and shopping. So there are so much time to kill in this place. Direct from Intramuros, I arrived the place just before the sun set. But before the sun touches the sea level clouds hides it so no spectacular view was captured.

A day tour in Manila, Fort Santiago

After four days in the province, I went back to Manila to spend the rest of the remaining days of my vacation before I go back to Singapore. While in Manila aside from the usual malling and bar hopping, I continue my list of places to visit while on vacation. Tagaytay and the Manila Ocean Park concludes the list. Originally my plan was to visit Corregidor since I have never been there, but due to bar hopping the night before, I woke up late so I opted for Tagaytay instead. It's been my nth times to Tagaytay since back in college some of my dorm mates where from within the area, so every time they went home on weekends we tag along and spend hours in Tagaytay before heading to their house.

First day in Manila was spent on touring Fort Santiago in Intramuros. From the hotel, I took the LRT and alighted at Central station. From there I passed by at the Liwasang Bonifacio, and took some pictures of the leader of Katipunan with the imposing Manila Central Post Office building on the background.

Lounging in CamSur Watersports Complex

It was my first time to visit the place. Before, I did not pay much attention to the place since I am not into extreme sports. But the CWC become the in thing, and everybody was talking about, a must place to visit and experience so they say and I agree. I did not go there to try wakeboard nor stay longer, I don't need to as my house is just less than an hour away. But lounging there for few hours and watching the wakeboarders do their stuff was an entertainment. The place is picturesquely stunning.Though the wakeboarding is the main attraction, there are other watersports you can try at the complex.

Skywatch

Journey homeward

I took a week off from work and where else do I spend it, but to my Philippines specifically my hometown. Homeward is different from the usual holiday trip overseas. You just don't have to buy the plane ticket, you busied yourself days before your actual flight date buying things you bring with you to your trip. But going home specially if your away for months always bring excitement and goosebumps.

I made a list of to do things for the trip. On the list are a visit to Malacanang Palace Museum. I got a chance to visit the place way back months after the Marcoses fled the Palace and the new government turned part of the palace into a Museum and opened it to the public. I was young then so my only recollection was I got to see Imelda's thousands shoes and gowns. I thought now is my chance to really appreciates our own especially that I just recently been to two countries own, the Negara Istana of Singapore and the Reunification Palace of Vietnam. But alas the Malacanang is closed to public for the whole November for general cleaning because part of the Museum was used as the relief operation center during the Ondoy onslaught.

More on the list are the ones in my home province which where I'll be spending more of my vacation days. These two are the Caramoan Islands and the CamSur Watersports Complex. Caramoan Islands became famous because of the Survivor shows. The islands was the place where the tv show contestants outwit, outlast, and outplay each other for a million bucks. The two days since I arrived, the rain continuously to pour so the plan to go to Caramoan Islands has been crossed out on the list. Caramoan is just a two hour trip from our house, the one and half hours by sea so I was not allowed to the trip and reduced to just staying home.

These completes the places I have visited while i'm on vacation.

CWC

Fort Santiago

Manila Ocean Park

People's Park, Tagaytay

Picnic Groove, Tagaytay