New York, New York

Although I've been to the United States, I've never been to New York yet. I'd like to go there someday as it's one of the cities that I've heard so much of. I have a cousin who lives there and works there as a private tutor. I haven't seen her in a long time, maybe more than a decade already. Her job entails her to go to her tutees' homes. I don't even know if she commutes or drives. I'm guessing she drives (if so, she needs new york car insurance for her vehicle -- one can never be too careful!)

New York also a place where a lot of Pinoy MD's go to for further training. My friend told me that when she was just starting to apply for training in New York, she had absolutely no idea on how to get around and was getting around in taxis! I didn't ask her for details but I'm guessing that she soon got a car with ny auto insurance when she got accepted and eventually spent a few years of her life there.

New York also has Broadway, which I (and maybe most people on the planet) have only heard about. It also has the Empire State Building. It used to have the World Trade Center before that infamous event almost 1 year ago. There's also the Statue of Liberty among others. One thing I'm sure of...I won't run out of things to see if I go there.

Thinking Of Getting Away From It All

Hubby and I are really feeling stressed for a while. We haven't had a vacation for what seems like ages. It's all about work, taking care of the kids. The last we REALLY had a vacation was our honeymoon, and it was only a 3 day 2 night break since we had to be back soon -- for work!

The next time we had an out-of-town trip, it was to Tagaytay for a convention. That was 3 years ago already! We brought along our then 8 month old son and we had a nice time, even if it was not much of a vacation, more of a convention. This year's midyear convention was in Cebu and we were thinking of going there, but then when I got pregnant, we decided not to because I would have been 8 months pregnant by then.

We hope that we could get away, even just to a nearby destination like Baguio, for a family vacation. If funds permit, a trip out of the country, preferably in one of Karisma’s five signature resorts, particularly the Azul Blue, which promises a family friendly and the world's first "stress free" hotel, with lots of pampering included. That I got to try for myself. Or maybe the Azul Beach Hotel which is family-friendly with conveniences for babies and kids, even kid-sized bathrobes! Or should we leave the kids and embark on a romantic "second honeymoon" at the El Dorado Royale Resort?

What do you think? Me, as long as it's a break from the usual humdrum of work! We need a recharge!

Myrtle Beach

The last I've been to the United States was more than 10 years ago already! I didn't realize that it's been such a long time. The next time I go there, I will have to bring my whole family and visit a place like myrtle beach. It's out of the usual path for the usual Pinoy but it offers a lot of things -- golf (what it's most famous for), nightclubs, aquariums, NASCAR-themed go-karts, amusement parks -- for the whole family to enjoy.

Team Sports USA

The United States is such a diverse country. The different states I've been to reflect different personality, given its difference in cultures, landscapes, industries, and people. One thing that's common, though, for a lot of Americans, is their love for sports. Unlike here in the Philippines where there is very little interest in spectator sports except for basketball and boxing (especially with Manny Pacquiao's successes), the Americans enjoy watching and cheering their home team in a lot of different team sports. The most popular appear to be baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey, although they are also into other sports. I don't think their present economic crisis changes any of that.

That's why I would like to get Yankee Stadium Tickets when I get the chance to visit New York, Fenway Park Tickets in Boston and Wrigley Field Tickets in Chicago. I'd like to have a feel of the sports spirit that is somehow not here when we watch sports other than basketball here in the Philippines. Of course, these venues do not only feature sports events but also concerts and other shows, so I might just get lucky and get to see my favorite artists live.

Viva Las Vegas!

The ultimate nightlife can be found in the desert city of Las Vegas. Unlike most other places, this city actually is more "awake" and alive during the night time rather than during the daytime. I wonder if this city ever sleeps at all! The only thing I've played in the casinos there are the slot machines and the video poker, but I've watched a couple of Las Vegas shows, both of which are glitzy, over-the top and very Las Vegas, but very different from each other. I've watched the illusionist David Copperfield live and I've watched a show in Bally's hotel featuring topless girls (sorry forgot the name of the show). Would you believe I got to watch the Bally show for free because I won a couple of tickets? They cost about 70 dollars each if we had to buy them! Well, I wish I could have been as lucky on the slot machines! :D

Honeymoon!

I wonder whether we'll ever be able to experience having exotic Jamaica vacations when we haven't even been to Palawan and its wondrous natural beauty and beautiful beaches. We initially considered going to Palawan for a honeymoon but we couldn't get a good deal on all-inclusive vacations (unlike inclusive Jamaica). We did calculations and we concluded that it's so much cheaper if we just go to Hong Kong! We also wanted Bohol but we couldn't book a hotel, just the flight! And so we off to Hong Kong we went! We only had a 3 day honeymoon, but it was an enjoyable 3 days. I hope that I would be able to take my kids back to see Mickey at Disneyland :). We still hope that we could go and enjoy Palawan and Bohol someday.

Now, if my husband and I can get away from our kids and enjoy our second honeymoon, I'd like it to be somewhere that mixes natural beauty and modern conveniences (I'm not really a rough-it-up sort of person like the Ocho Rios hotels in Jamaica. Someday, we'll be able to travel more and further!

We Want A Vacation!

My husband and I have always talked about having a break from work and the daily humdrum. Imagine, the last time we really had a vacation was our 3-day honeymoon in Hong Kong! But after that it was pretty difficult to get away, especially as I got pregnant soon after the wedding. Later, there was a small child to consider. While others may say that it's fun to bring the child along, we didn't really like the hassle. We did bring him to Tagaytay when we had a convention, after which we thought of exploring on our own. We brought along so much baby stuff then! His portable crib, his stroller, a cooler of expressed breastmilk, sterilizer, bottles, breast pump...We decided then that we'll just wait till he's older and probably have some memories of the trip.

This year, our convention is in Cebu and we had thought of going and extending a few more days for a vacation, maybe go over to Bohol too! There are all inclusive beach resorts in both Cebu and Bohol, so getting reservations would most likely be easier for all of us. Since our little boy is no longer a baby, it would be easier to bring him along. I was actually starting to look at all inclusive vacation packages so that we would be able to enjoy the trip without too much hassle. But before we could make any definite plans, we found out that I was pregnant! By the time the convention rolls around, I would already be in my 8th month of pregnancy. Although it's still safe enough to travel, we decide to postpone it again this time, since it is difficult for me, and also because we know we needed to save money for my Ceasarean delivery.

Still, we're trying to dream up and save for a vacation, with or without the kids. A "second honeymoon" at an all inclusive resort vacation, especially in places like the Bahamas would be very ideal. Or maybe Brazil. Then explore some interesting and historical places in South America. Ah, it's really fun to dream about exotic vacations with the love of my life (my husband, of course)! Just what a tired, working mom needs!

Nature Trips for Me

I've never been much of an outdoor person, but I enjoy hearing my husband telling me about exploring the caves in Sagada, going to "virgin" beaches around the Philippines, doing their community in the smallest barrios with no modern bathrooms and limited electricity, and basically just roughing it out with friends and/or family.

To be honest about it, I love going on trips, but I prefer those places with some basic modern amenities like a bathroom and electricity. Must be my parents' influence, because I really do not see myself roughing it out. I did go to a camping trip during my CAT days, but the girls were billeted at the barracks instead of tents, and we did have bathrooms, electricity and hot meals.

I would probably consider such nature trips for my family if we are well-equipped with the right gear, and if there are amenities close by, if not onsite. Right now, I'm dreaming of going to beaches in Boracay, Palawan or Bohol, but these are places which are developed for tourists to visit. I know there are other smaller beaches with less development but with basic amenities that would answer my needs but allow my family to commune with nature.

Auschwitz

If you've watched "Schindler's List" before, you'd only have a brief inkling of the horrors the Polish Jews had to undergo during the Second World War. They lost their lives. They lost their families. They lost dignity. They lost everything. All because of the hatred of one race over another. Why there's such hatred is being analyzed and reanalyzed repeatedly. For people who are history buffs or who just want to revisit the places where the Jewish prisoners were taken and maltreated, there are now Auschwitz tours available. I believe these are must visit places for people who have family members who were victims of that Holocaust. In a way, it finally served to unite a people who were separated by distance but one in faith.

San Francisco

During our family road trip to the US back in 1991 (that was such a memorable family vacation!), we stopped by San Francisco for one day. It was such a quaint and charming city. Too bad we didn't really stay for long, because there are plenty of places I wanted to see. We were able to pose for some souvenir San Francisco pictures, mostly on Lombard Street.

Come to think of it, I have to dig up our old picture albums and try to scan the (film-based) pictures. These memories are priceless and I really would not want them to be destroyed by time.

I certainly hope I would be able to go back for a longer trip next time, so that I can do more sightseeing. Maybe when my kids are bigger.

She'll Be Home For Christmas

A friend of mine has been living in Melbourne, Australia ever since she got married. Even though the place is beautiful and she loves it there, once in a while, she does get a little homesick, especially around Christmas time. Last Christmas, her family wanted to come home to celebrate Pasko here, but they had difficulty booking a ticket because international flights, including those to the Philippines were full around the time of the holidays. I'm not sure what airline they eventually picked, I believe it was Qantas, but they were only able to book for November and they were back in Australia before Christmas Day itself.

This year, they made sure that they would be able to stick around for Christmas. They told us that they booked their flights earlier. I think you can actually do that online through travel.com.au (the oldest travel website in Australia), maybe that's what they did in order to ensure their seats.

US Trip With Mom

The last time I was in the United States was almost ten years ago. I went to attend a convention in New Orleans and my mom came along with me. This trip is different from the one we made in 1991, since it was just the two of us. We didn't have a road trip anymore, but instead used the local airlines to tour 5 different cities.

Aside from Los Angeles and Las Vegas which we have already gone to before, we went to Orlando, Florida where we visited Disney World while it was raining. We then flew to New Orleans where the convention was held and got to see a VERY different view of USA. Different food, different types of architecture, different way of speaking. Since my dad was adamant about us calling home, my mom followed a tip to buy a phone card so that we can call home. It worked pretty well even from our hotel's phone and saved us a lot of money. I wish I could have seen more of the New Orleans night life while I was there, but our hotel was pretty far and my mom wanted to take advantage of the free shuttle provided by the convention organizers, which is good only until 7pm. Oh well.

We then proceeded to Dallas, Texas. Our hotel was pretty far from everything, though, so we didn't get to see a lot of places there. Our main objective there was for mom to check out a builder's convention. Since mom was always on the lookout for new business opportunities, we went there. The next stop, Las Vegas, was for R & R. We watched a show for free because I won 2 tickets. Mom tried her hand at the slot machines. While we were there, some lucky guy won the jackpot at the hotel we were staying and it was said to be the biggest jackpot won there! I forgot how much though, something like 20 million? The last stop was Los Angeles, we only stayed a few hours, doing some shopping, while waiting for our plane back to the Philippines.

It was a pretty good bonding moment for mom and I. :)

I don't know when my next US trip would be, but there are still a lot of places I want to go to. When we get the time and the money, I suppose. Or an excuse like attending a convention. :)

Quaint Old Faithful Inn

On our 1991 US trip, we checked in at a quaint old inn called Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone Park. This inn was built around 1904. It is now considered a national landmark. The rates, however, were surprising reasonable, at least back in 1991. We thought that it would be more expensive than the usual hotels, considering its location and its place in history. Maybe because it was off season? It was snowing when we were there and although Yellowstone Park was beautiful we were told that it was more beautiful in the summer. I don't know if the prices have remained reasonable since we have never gone back there again, so far. I heard that there were renovations done to the place a few years back.

The Old Faithful Inn was just in front of the geyser, Old Faithful, which spews out its hot contents every hour, on the dot. But that was not the only thing that was memorable about that inn. Since the inn was old, it was old fashioned. It has an old fashioned main dining hall with exposed beams. It literally takes you back in time to a different age. You will feel as if you have stepped into a time machine.

The bedroom also featured old fashioned furnishings. It has the usual beds, desk, and chair, but all of which were old fashioned furniture even older than my grandparents. Not all the rooms have their own bathroom, but we opted to get one with an ensuite bathroom. Lo and behold, even the bathtubs were old fashioned. I think that's what they call the claw foot tub. It was very old. I believe it could be considered an antique piece. It was also a little larger than the modern standard bathtubs, although not as large as whirlpool tubs. There was no shower. Maybe because showers were not the "in" thing when the inn was constructed. The fixtures are also old fashioned.

I've heard that even after the renovation, they have faithfully reproduced the old fashioned fixtures of the place. This is a good thing. It's difficult to find such a quaint inn nowadays, with a feel quite different from the usual luxurious but modern looking hotels that we usually see nowadays.

Christian Cruises

I have always dreamed of having a vacation in Europe and the Mediterranean areas. I have heard that these places are beautiful and exotic.

While browsing through the web for some vacation ideas, I chanced upon this site offering Christian Cruises. This is a different kind of vacation wherein believers are sail on a privately chartered yacht and visit significant areas in Bible history. It's a Bible cruise wherein Bible teachings are held both on board and in the places significant to Christians.

I remember the Catholic retreats I used to make when I was still in high school and college. They are usually held in serene, cool Tagaytay in quaint retreat houses. They usually make me feel a lot more recharged spiritually, afterwards. Although I have not done a similar retreat for several years already, because of family and work obligations, I would still like to do that someday.

I think a Christian Cruise in the Mediterranean would probably do a similar thing for me. I would love to recharge the spirit, relax the mind, rest the body, all in exotic places I would love to visit. Having such beautiful places tied up to history and to my faith would be so much more of a lovely bonus.

Thinking about a European tour

Something I would like to do when I have the time and the budget is to travel, Visiting and experiencing different places. A European trip is something I'd like to experience one day. Family and friends who have been there are one in saying that one should see the Old Country at least once. But we know that a trip to Europe would be very expensive. A lot of research, however, can reveal the best ways to minimize costs while maximizing your itinerary.

I think it would be a good idea to visit the Europe mainland first using their Euro rail, go through the usual places like Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, then from there Book European ferry tickets from France to Great Britain, then another ferry to Ireland. I guess that would cover everything. They say that it is possible to travel through Europe on a budget if you know what to do, so I'll do a lot of research before planning that trip. Of course, I'd like to bring my family along to experience the diversities of European culture and sights.

Sounds like a great plan, right? Now all I need to do is to find some time to get a month off for a grand vacation.

The most unforgettable vacation

For me, it would definitely be the Summer of 1991. I know it was already a long time ago, but the memories are etched very clearly on my mind as if it happened only yesterday. We still have the videos of that trip, but they are all in Betamax format and the photos are prints from films. I hope I would be able to convert them into digital files.

What made the trip memorable was the bonding that our family had. It was a road trip through the West coast of USA with no set itinerary. I wish we could have that same experience with my husband and kid/s someday. A local trip would have been nice, since the Philippines has so many beautiful places. But sadly, it's not easy to do a road trip here because we don't have as many good roads and lodging facilities along the way. It's more of a "road trip to a specific location". Maybe when my kid/s are old enough, the roads will be better and we'll have more lodging places along the way. I hope I won't be too old to enjoy it by then. :)

coffee break ver. 1.2

If you were to suggest
summer venues in the Philippines,
what 3 get-away trips
would you recommend?

I have 4 places in mind. I won't say recommend yet, because of the 4, I've only been to Boracay. But I'm intrigued about the other places so I would like to go there myself.

In no particular order, they are:

Boracay

The last time I was here, it was for a conference. I didn't get to experience Boracay as it should be experienced. I was also single then. I would like to come back and experience the unique island culture of Boracay with my family.

Bohol

This is where we were supposed to have our honeymoon. We loved the diversity of the place. I hope I'd be able to go there soon and experience it.

Palawan

No list of must-see places in the Philippines is complete without the mention of Palawan. Even from pictures, it is oh-so-beautiful. Perfect for communing with nature.

Batanes

I am intrigued by Batanes! When I look at the pictures, it looks as though I've stepped into another time, another place. And, with its reputation as being a place where typhoons frequent, I'd like to explore what makes the place and the people so hardy.

Now, as to when I can pack my bags and go...that is the question :).

Thanks, Jan!

Planning a vacation through the net

My husband and I have always talked of traveling for our next vacation but we never really seem to find the time and the budget for planning such a trip.

My dream vacation is somewhat similar to the trip that we had with my parents and siblings in the early nineties, wherein we had a trip on the US West Coast. We rented a car and drove around several cities. This was back when there was no internet yet, so hotel reservations were done via phone calls. We'd plan our next stop on the road, just looking for the next hotel/motel to stay on our next stop and calling before we set out on the road. It was really fun and exciting, but now with the advances of internet, there are now ways of making the travelling process a little easier.

The next time we plan such a trip, we can already book our flights online, reserve the hotel/s or motel/s that we're going to stay in, book our car, all in one site. The best thing is that we can even avail of hotel discounts through special offers! This was not possible in the early nineties, but it certainly is possible NOW!

Oh, since you can have everything reserved and planned out, the budget planning is also much easier since you already know how much everything costs. This is so unlike the trip we had before when we didn't know how much our next hotel or motel would cost us as we would only know the price when we call them up the night before.



I can hardly wait to plan our next vacation! Hopefully I will be able to bring along my son. I want him to experience Disneyland, Universal Studios...I enjoyed them when I was already an adult and I'm sure the kid will enjoy it! I also look forward to visiting the natural wonders like those found in Yellowstone Park, Yosemite Park and the Grand Canyon. And hopefully catch some flashy show in Las Vegas. Or maybe the East Coast will be a better idea this time?

100 dollar rebate on hotel bookings done online!

My husband and I dream about traveling the world someday, but we don't have the time and the money to plan the trip yet. But I am pleasantly surprised because the internet has made traveling easier and more affordable. Hotelreservations.com is a great online find. It is easy to use. You just choose the place where you're going, your arrival and departure date, the number of people in your party, and voila! You will be presented a page with all the available rooms on that place and date! Complete with prices, ratings and reviews so that you will know what to expect. Not only that, you also get huge discounts on hotel rates. There's more! Hotelreservations.com will also give you a 100 dollar rebate! How cool is that!

There's more! This site is not only for reserving hotel rooms. You can also book vacation packages, flights on airlines and car rentals from there!

All these will definitely make travelling so much more affordable and convenient. Imagine, you can plan your whole travel itinerary from your home, via the internet. Then, of course the savings AND rebates!

Are we closer to our dream around-the-world vacation? Let me put it this way...it's now closer to reality.