Assignment Number 11: El Nido on a Budget

El Nido is one of those fabled dream destinations that people think they can never afford - which is an unfortunate misconception. For the adventurous traveler, it's actually possible to spend less in El Nido than your usual trips to Boracay or Puerto Galera. Just be prepared to rough it up a bit with the long and bumpy roads, lack of 24-hour electricity and absence of modern day conveniences like ATMs and fast-food outlets. All the better actually if you ask me, the relative inaccessibility keeps the big crowds away from this little paradise.




You can reach El Nido by land from Purto Princesa City by taking a bus (P350/way) or a more comfortable shuttle van (P700/way). The bus takes 7-8 hours to get there, but the van is a lot faster at just 5-6 hours travel time. Once in El Nido town, you can walk along the main roads of Hama and Serene streets to check out the lodging, rooms can go as cheap at P300/night up to P1,200 for air-conditioned ones. We stayed at Rosanna's Cottages, a steal at P900/night for a room good for 3, with a breathtaking view of Cadlao Island right from the room's balcony.




Getting an island hopping tour is very convenient because they locals have coded and fixed the destinations per tour. The popular ones are Tour A only P500/pax (Big & Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, 7 Commandos Beach)and Tour C for P700/pax (Matinloc Shrine, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Tapuitan Island). This will take you around the Bacuit Archipelago to marvel at the magnificent limestone cliffs, and snorkeling stops to ogle a all the corals and fishes.



The damage? P700 for 2way bus travel from Puerto Princesa, P900 for 3 nights lodging, about P1,200 for 2 days of tours, and set aside P1,000 for food (pegged at P250/day). That's a total of just P3,800! YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!

YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!

Assignment Number 10: Pasig's the Way to Go!

One boring long-weekend, Raffy and Jules decided to hit Binondo - Bea Alonzo-style.

Both of them realized that taking the Pasig River Ferry on a weekend is a bitch. They waited a good 45 minutes in a non-airconditioned terminal for the ferry to arrive. Then again, it was worth it because the boats are cool, literally and figuratively.

Going through the river, the surprising fact that greeted them was the presence of beautiful architecture along the banks. Houses, offices, and even run-down warehouses were all very interesting (they were strictly warned not to take photos of Malacañang Palace for "security purposes" pft!).

They got on at the Guadalupe dock and got off at the Escolta end, costing them P45 each and an all-you-can-walk adventure through Binondo after (to be featured in a different post).

For the airconditioning, watching kids bravely swim through the dark water and river plants (with the occasional and on-purpose flashing of their private parts at the passengers), and the interesting architecture, the Pasig River Ferry Cruise is a nice addition to your bored list. YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!

Assignment Number 9 : Pop Quiz!

We're not about to test your reading and comprehension skills here, ok? This is about a year-long craze that has indulged the Jeopardy-contestant-wannabes lurking in the deep recesses of yuppies' subconscious: Quiz Night.

To date, there are a lot of bars that offer Quiz Nights, and the one Jules and Raffy decided to go to is the one hosted by 121 along Pasong Tamo Extension (a few meters after GSK if you're coming from Pasong Tamo).

The host is like the lovechild of Ashton Kutcher and Alex Trebek - he delivers the questions and then jokes most of the time. The questions aren't really that hard...if you're a MENSA member. Though the pop culture ones are easier to answer.

The first time Raffy and Jules checked it out, they went with Raffy's college friends who, fortunately, were masters of particular categories, i.e. geography, the world cup, and pornstars-turned-legit-"actresses" (we kid you not, this was an actual category). Jules took care of the celebrity couples round.

The drinks are cheap, the people are competitive, and the atmosphere is fun and casual - not your serious Jeopardy game at all, so this is a definite must-do. Raffy and Jules' Team Tampeepz (do not ask about the etymology) ended up in 3rd place (and as of this writing have never improved but haven't gone down in the rankings either).

A mixture of braininess, alcohol, and a whole lot of joking around, try Quiz Night at 121 sometime soon. YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment Number 8: To C' is to Believe

If you've been living under a cave, you're excused. If not, you have no right to call yourself human is you don't know what a Panizza is (google it now while you still have time).

On a boring long weekend, and to help break-in Chay's spiffy new ride, we went to Clark. And no visit to that place is ever complete if you don't stop by C', an Italian restaurant that just screams "BUON GIORNO!" the moment you step in.












The interiors are made of faux stone and the plates hanging on the reception wall are a bit too tacky, but the food more than makes up for that fact. Add to that some creepy artwork, and you have a must-visit. (We forgot the name of the panizza we ordered. It's delish). YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment number 7: Check Out the B-Side!

Eclectic is an understatement for this bar found inside The Collective, a warehouse-turned-hipster place along Malugay St. in Makati (the street right before the railroad).

Different genres of music are played here on different dates, from hard rock to trance to tribal. Drinks are fairly cheap (P45 beers, who's complaining?!) and the cocktails are served in teapots (we didn't bother to ask why).

The first time Jules went (tagging along with Raffy and his officemates Nica), he was treated to the sounds of Brigada - a band that plays "global music" that really reminds you of Brazil (and this image is also reinforced with capoeristas doing their thing right in front of the band, we guess this is their version of "jamming").

Visit B-Side for something outside your usual hanging-out-at-bars gigs. And to make things more fun, don't bother checking out the schedule - who knows, bands like Turbo Goth just might be playing. ;) YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment Number 6: (Social) Climb Every Mountain

There's this ultra-posh club known as "Members Only" and if you haven't heard of it, well, let's just say you're not that well-connected. :P

Upon the invitation of economically-blessed friends who can afford the membership, off we went to see what the fuss is all about.

It's a quaint little place filled with hard wood, chandeliers, mirrors, and plush furniture covered in velvet.

The drinks are to-die-for, taste- and price-wise. Think P480 for a single glass. If you go there and you're saving up for something, kiss those savings goodbye. (And don't wonder why we don't have pics of the interiors, we were too caught up hobnobbing with high society to do so.)

All in all, the club is definitely worth the visit. And the nosebleed-inducing climb to the altitudes privy only to high society. YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

Assignment Number 5: Surf's Up in Baler!

Baler is known for a lot of things, shooting location of Apocalypse Now, birthplace of Manuel Quezon, the last bastion of Spanish rule in the country (as recounted in that joke of a movie starring Anne Curtis)... but we endured the 8-hour bus ride from Manila for one thing - the best waves this side of the country!






























Situated at the mouth of Baler Bay which opens up to the Pacific Ocean, waves in Baler tower up to 9 feet during high season. When we surveyed the waters the first time we stepped up Sabang Beach, all we could say was... wild. Waves were coming in from all directions, and almost each one that came in had enough power and momentum to carry you straight to the shoreline. We immediately dumped our stuff at the resort, picked out our boards for the day and paddled out to sea. Waiting for the big waves wasn't a problem at all, they kept coming one after the other and we had to rest and just float around every so often to catch our breath. We struggled paddling out with the never-ending barrage of waves coming at us, which proved to be quite a workout that left us reaching for meds later that day. Had some memorable wipeouts too, which induced cinematic visions of a frail body being washed out to the Pacific Ocean. Of course, the long rides on top of huge waves made it all bearable and worth it.






























There are a lot of other side trips available around Baler. Venture into town to visit the Museo de Baler, view historical relics and not so historical movie props. Ermita Hill provides a scenic view of the town and the beach. Balete Park is home to supposedly the largest Banyan Tree in Asia, 60 meters high and said to be more than 300 years old. There are a couple of water falls worth visiting as well - Diguisit and Ditumabo falls are just a short tricycle ride and hike away from town. Woke up early as well the next morning to catch the sunrise (this is the eastern coastline of the Philippines!), which was an awesome way to start the day. Early morning joggers swarmed the beach as soon as daybreak settled, with a couple of brave surfers already jumping in with their boards. We definitely did not find ourselves bored with nothing to do. For a small & sleepy town, there quite a handful of activities to do in Baler.

Hopefully, the highway leading up to Baler will be finished as scheduled within this year. They say it will cut travel time from Manila by almost half, which will make the waves of Baler ever more accessible.

There are 2 popular surf shops on Sabang Beach: Maddox Surf Shop and Aliyah Surf Camp. Both charge P200 per hour for board rentals, and P300 per hour for surf lessons (inclusive of board rental). Both have good instructors, make sure you reserve a board early especially during peak seasons. YOU GOTTA TRY IT ONCE!!!

WHERE TO STAY

Bay's Inn - central beachfront location. Fan rooms start at P500/night, while aircon rooms start at P900/night
http://baysinnbaler.multiply.com
(0907) 7005734 / (0918) 9266697 / (042) 2094312
baysinn_baler@yahoo.com

Bahia de Baler - newer hotel 5mins from Bay's Inn. Rooms start at P1,200/night
http://bahiadebaler.com
(042) 2094276 / (0920) 9040177 / (0920) 5550451