Category Archives: travel

Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

Back to Bohol after 16 years

Posted on by
Dumaluan Beach, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

This. This view is one of the reasons for loving this country when everything else seems to fail. The two-hour travel time from Quezon City to Ortigas for ~7 km. One stupid thing from the government to another stupid thing…Endless reasons why I am so stressed out.

Anyway, as a birthday gift to myself, I used my Cebu Pacific GetGo miles to have a free roundtrip ticket to Bohol and booked using my Agoda VIP points. What I did was I tried to locate where Bohol Beach Club is on Google Maps and checked which resort is beside it. That way I am assured that the beach front is good. Bingo! It was Dumaluan Beach – Marilou Resort. My hunch did not fail me; I chose the perfect spot for my decompression in late October.

I took the earliest flight out of Manila and arrived in Panglao International airport at around 7:30-ish. There was no public transport available at the new airport (the last time I was in Bohol in 2003, there were tricycles outside Tagbilaran Airport). I had no choice but to book one of the white vans for PHP 400 for a 15-minute ride to Dumaluan Beach.

Warning: There are two Dumaluan Beach resorts there. The two resorts are owned by siblings but Marilou Resort is the newer one. Dumaluan Beach I is a semi-public beach which can be accessed by day trippers.

It was still early and the check-in time is around 3 pm (really??? It sucks, I know) so I asked the front desk if I can leave my stuff there so I can maximize my time in the crystal clear waters surrounding Panglao.

This is around 8:30-ish in the morning at Dumaluan Beach, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Dumaluan Beach at around 8:30-ish in the morning. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

I remembered that waters around Panglao are shallow so I had to swim all the way past the fishing boats for the perfect depth for free diving. Its tiring; so next time I better bring a torpedo floater with diving flag (there are a lot of diving and fishing boats around that can kill you if you suddenly surface with a propeller just above you) and a diving donut to hold my stuff (like baby shampoo to defog my mask). Kayak is useless because I just tipped it over and getting into that silly thing was harder than I thought. I rented a kayak in the nearby water sports rental shop within Bohol Beach Club. It was a complete waste of money since I just tethered the thing to one of the buoys, which was still halfway to where I was supposed to dive.

The island’s underwater ridge slowly descends but the thought of encountering sharks or strong currents was enough to scare me into sticking along or just near the edge before the sea floor slopes deeper into blue nothingness. I also made sure the fishing boats were within hearing distance in case something happens to me. NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT DIVE ALONE.

There was a man spear fishing among the sea grasses. He was using homemade wooden flippers, not different from what the Badjaos use, to dive deep down. He had a kayak with him for his gear and to take him back to shore. He set up his net to close in on the fish he needed to make bulad (dried fish). I watched him for some time, fascinated with how he speared the fish and then hooked them in his line. I proceeded to swim further as not to disturb him.

I chatted with some of the guys in the white boat just anchored nearby. They said theirs is a diving boat and they just wait for summons from resorts around Panglao if guests wanted to go on a diving trip.

I realized that swimming from the shore to the diving spot is uber tiring so I really needed a boat or a kayak. This affected my ability to dive since my oxygen intake is already compromised. Note to self: hire a small boat to spare me all that swimming and to use a spot to rest in between dives. There’s a reason SCUBA divers rent a boat even though its just shallow diving. This is not Anilao where you can have enough depth for diving.

I came ashore about noon, as the water became more violent, with the waves rising as the tide came in. I panicked for a moment but got hold of myself. But what the waves did to me was it just made diving more tiring and swimming to shore is double the hassle.

Lounging at Dumaluan Beach, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

Had lunch at the resort’s restaurant. Food was ok, but be prepared to spend around PHP 400-PHP 500 for a meal/pax. You are a captive market. For other options, you need to travel further, either you hail a tricycle by walking a few hundred meters and hope that a tricycle pass by to take you to Alona Beach or in the opposite direction. Or you rent a motorbike for PHP 500/day.

The pool was tempting to help me cool off. I think I already turned brown after just a few hours in the sea.

Dumaluan Beach – Marilou Resort adult pool. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

They have a couple of kiddie pools, which I think will amuse my girls for a bit. But since they’re intermediate swimmers and good divers, they would opt for the biggest pool, which was over 6 ft at one end.

I thought I’ve had enough diving for the day; I didn’t want to fight with the waves anymore and just relaxed by the pool and by the shore.

I arranged for a boat trip to Balicasag the next day with the front desk, which was PHP 2,500, which included dolphin watching at 6 am.

I am in love again with Bohol.

Maricaban island, Batangas
Maricaban island, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmeacreation.com.

To cope with the stresses of being a journo under this administration, I take vitamin sea

Posted on by
Maricaban island, Batangas
Maricaban island, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmeacreation.com.

I don’t know how to express this exasperation, this weariness I have for my life right now. I have been having some kind of anxiety attack, not because of my personal situation, but because of the problems this government has been heaping on this country. Problems upon problems. I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.

To save me a trip to the shrink, I just resort to taking the occasional vitamin sea, to throw my cares away into the sea breeze, to remind myself that there is enough to love about this country.

So in September we went back to Anilao, this time we checked in Eagle Point Resort because 1) as a VIP member (been booking all my local and foreign travels with them) I had enough discounts from Agoda to make our stay there more affordable; 2) they own a private beach in Maricaban island where my girls could enjoy the beach sand because they are usually deprived of that in rocky Anilao; they have a house reef called Eagle Point (har har) just in front of the resort; and 3) better restaurant.

View from our balcony at Eagle Point Resort. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
On the way to the Eagle Point hall from our cottage. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Eagle Point, Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

The water is clear and it was a bit calm on the day we arrived considering that Typhoon Onyok was just exiting the country. Just like in our past visits to Anilao, the water has floating plastic rubbish that could endanger marine life, even though it was clear. My daughter and I had to pluck them out of the water for proper disposal on land.

Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

Late in the afternoon, my daughter and I freedived and encountered a pawikan (sea turtle) feeding among the corals. We chased it to be closer to it as much as possible because it was a surreal experience and because I want my daughter to appreciate the environment and the beautiful marine life we have here. Her twin sister is just content playing in the resort pool because she isn’t a fan of salt water.

To amplify this experience, we again took a boat ride the next day (PHP 3,000) to take us to Sepoc Beach and to Sombrero island for the coral gardens. But the winds and currents were strong due to Typhoon Onyok’s exit at West Philippine Sea, so our boatmen advised us to do our diving on the opposite side of Maricaban where the winds and currents are more forgiving.

Sepoc Beach. Photo is owned by eaglepointresort.com.ph

So we had to agree because I don’t want to compromise our safety. But unfortunately, the corals are almost nil and the diving experience was better the previous day.

The SCUBA divers came. Maricaban, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

We were early enough to enjoy the peace and quiet all to ourselves (this time both of my girls came with me) but later on the beginner SCUBA divers came because the currents in other places where they usually have their lessons were stronger that day.

I asked our boatmen if the edible sea urchins are plenty in Anilao. He said they used to be a lot in the area, before the Koreans, Chinese, and the Japanese descended on Anilao. I knew sea urchins don’t end up traditionally on Filipinos’ dining tables because they are detritus feeders and not enough meat in them so harvesting them is more trouble than they’re worth. But now with the high demand from North Asians, they suddenly became prized delicacies.

I still haven’t warmed up to sea urchins.

We tried to see whether the sea urchins in Anilao are the edible kind. They’re not. They’re just full of sand. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com

We didn’t stay long in that place as expected. Not much corals, no sea turtle. To make up for it, our boatmen obliged me by stopping briefly at Arthur’s Rock, another house reef in front of (whatelse?) Arthur’s Resort, for some corals. But the currents were getting stronger as the tide comes in. We had to head back to Eagle Point.

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.

I hope we can come back in January before the stressful life I lead comes to eat me alive.

I don’t have to fly to access paradise

Posted on by

Maricaban, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

My girls and I have been driving to Anilao last summer to make up for not visiting Los Baños because of the hellish traffic in Calamba. Mabini, Batangas is more tolerable, albeit painful on the wallet and credit card.

Anyway, all my life I thought I need to fly just to be able to get to crystal blue waters. Glad I was wrong. It was just a boat ride away from Anilao.

Maricaban, Batangas, Philippines

And my kids loved it.

Maricaban, Batangas, Philippines

It is hard to reconcile that we were just a few km away from Metro Manila.

Maricaban, Batangas, Philippines

Maricaban, Batangas, Philippines

Maricaban, Batangas, Philippines

A few tips for Anilao amateurs: You don’t need a swanky resort. Go to diving resorts, rent your gear from there, and spend your money on a boat trip to go to Sombrero Island and Maricaban Island (P3,500). You need to pay extra to reach main Tingloy municipality.

We stayed in Blue Ribbon Dive Resort, which my girls adored because of their 8-ft diving pool (my girls know how to free dive) and it’s smaller compared to leisure resorts so there are less people. Food is better than the other resorts where we stayed weeks prior to this one. I booked the room via Agoda and used the discounts I collected from being a frequent traveler.

Blue Ribbon Dive Resort, Mabini, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

There is no “beach” to speak of (in all of Anilao anyway) so don’t expect Instagramable areas of the seaside.

Blue Ribbon Dive Resort, Mabini, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

Blue Ribbon Dive Resort, Mabini, Batangas. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

But swimmers/divers don’t care because the beauty of the place is underwater.

*This is not a sponsored post. I spent my own money for all of the content in this blog.

Infrastructure envy

Posted on by

Train from BNI City to Jakarta international airport. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

*Life took over so this post is several months late*

I had major infrastructure envy when I was leaving Jakarta to go back to Manila in July.

Let me start off with this: I technically stayed there for 48 hours since my MNL-JKT-MNL flights were red-eye trips. Getting a taxi during rush hour in Jakarta is a pain when using ride hailing apps. It’s more painful when hailing ordinary taxis off the streets because they don’t speak nor understand English. I was at the mercy of the hotel staff, who also could barely speak English, to get me a taxi to take me to BNI City to take the express train to the airport.

To my pleasant surprise, their terminal looked like a mall

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

Waiting for the train is not a miserable experience too. It’s airconditioned, not crowded, and it’s clean. Although it’s tough to pay for tickets because cash is seldom used.

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

I paid a peso equivalent of P250+ for this:

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

The train is fast (less than an hour to the airport), clean and not crowded. It took only three stops to get to the airport at around 8 pm.

And damn it, their airport has skytrains to connect T1, T2, and T3.

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

I wanted to cry all the way from Jakarta to Manila. I blame the stupid masses for voting for useless politicians who are just looking after their self-interest. I blame the 16m people who voted for a narcissistic president. I blame myself for pinning my hopes on a country that I believed would change. Here we are, Jakarta and Philippines are often compared due to the similarities in demographics, economic growth, geography, and level of corruption. And yet they have better infra than we do. Fuck it. All the Philippine government is doing is tooting its own horn and patting itself on the back.

Why can’t we have nicer things here in the Philippines?

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on Instagram

I cry for my country. I am almost giving up.

Massage via GoLife, Go-Jek’s all-around service provider on a motorbike

Posted on by

Yes, I know. I am pathetic. So after the training session with colleagues, I went straight to my hotel room to catch some Zzzzzzzs. But then the little laminated card on my table beckoned…advertising a 60 min Javanese massage for IDR 295,000 (PHP 1,074). I was almost tempted. So I asked Durian Writer if the price was reasonable.

He said it was too expensive when I can have a 90 min massage via Go-Jek’s GoLife app for half the price.

I downloaded the app. But then Durian Writer said I should start the process of verification as soon as possible because it takes a while before a user can get cleared.

The app requires a person to upload an ID or passport, then a selfie with the ID/passport. Then GoLife backend will clear…it may take an hour or 24 hrs…

I was getting impatient so I went out and tried to look for alternative massage places. There was one at the back of my hotel.

screenshot_2019-07-08-18-36-08-294356651791112406623.png

img201907081845452519408408871681415.jpg

Their receptionists were a bit dense, unfortunately. One of them said their available therapists are male and it would only start at 7:30 pm. The females are available at 11 pm (they close at 12 am). Would I be booking the male therapists? Errr…

So I walked away and tried searching on Google Map the nearest massage place again. This time it pointed me to one in Sarinah. I went in search for it but there was nothing! I couldn’t find it! I got hungry and ended up at KFC. Durian Writer gave a remark that was close to a curse for eating KFC.

I resigned and went back to my room. Then I checked GoLife. Hurray! I was cleared, or I thought I was cleared. Everything was in Bahasa so I was just guessing. I tried booking and was able to proceed so I guess I got cleared.

screenshot_2019-07-08-19-52-08-044592148901538999792.png

I have no idea what the app was telling me but I just assumed that TUNAI means cash. I double-checked with Google Translate, so yeah, it means cash.

screenshot_2019-07-08-20-02-53-192920138733201414527.png

img_20190711_193421252635299738122782.jpg

So there, a therapist responded to my request. I had to tell her though that I am a foreigner and that I do not speak Bahasa.

img_20190711_1935393945854862200181169.jpg

Durian Writer told me to correct my therapist that I am not a pak (sir) but rather I am a wanita (woman).

Her massage was strong to the point of being painful–the good painful. Similar to the Chinese reflexology massages I had in Singapore and Taiwan. 90 minutes of that. For half the price that the hotel is offering.

So yeah, GoLife makes it easier for you in Indonesia. As Durian Writer said, he doesn’t need to hire a maid in Indonesia (he has just transferred to Malang in East Java); all he needs to do is book a cleaning service via GoLife.

Artsy fartsy place to stay in Jakarta that will not break the bank

Posted on by

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

I was supposed to book something else in Jakarta, I think it was near Grand Indonesia.

But then my boss recommended this and I saw it was a lot cheaper, at around PHP 2,370 a night. There was no question about it so I booked it. It was in front of Sarinah, Jakarta’s first department store, ergo, I will not run out of food options.

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

Durian Writer told me to take a selfie infront of it because it was the scene of the Jakarta bombings a few years back.

Anyway, Artotel in Thamrin is comfortable enough, the room was much bigger than anything else I book in Singapore, and has decent Internet connection (around 20+ Mbps). It poses as an art gallery/hotel and it has murals done by up and coming local artists.

Looks like it’s tilting but it’s actually level. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

The food though is… Any breakfast buffet without bacon in my book is a fail. That’s it. Since everything in Jakarta is halal, I couldn’t expect to have babi/baboy which is why my diet the past three days consisted of ayam (chicken) and veggies.

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

The food I had the past three days lacked the umami flavor that I favor so much. Yes, Indonesian food is spicy because they love putting so much crushed chili but I found myself always reaching for the soy sauce and black pepper.

Nasi padang. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

The style of nasi padang is to serve everything on the table. But of course my colleagues and I did not eat everything. You only get charged for the ones you pick/touch. So I think they make money off people who have bigger eyes than their stomachs as they would be dipping into every dish on the table “just to try”. They will end up paying for everything.

I just ate beef rendang, jackfruit curry (like ginataang langka), and a vegetable dish that is a bunch of leaves that was blanched and it tasted like lagundi leaves. I liked the rendang.

The other day we ate near Sarinah and I ordered gado-gado (because this dish has been advertised to me by Durian Writer so many times) and satay, just to compare the Singaporean one. My colleague boasted that Indonesian satay is the best (of course you should love thy own) but unfortunately I liked the Singaporean version grilled near Lau Pasat every night. The Indonesian satay is covered in so much yellow sauce that didn’t help in flavoring the meat itself (which is, of course, ayam) I liked the gado-gado, which is a dish composed of kropek, fried tofu, veggies, sambal and some stuff I no longer remember.

This photo is owned by callmecreation.com and can be found on @callmecreation on Instagram

I had this blueberry vanilla milkshake when we were in Markette in Grand Indonesia for a meeting.

All in all, my travel food is not a success. I may have better luck the next time around.