Without planning for our itinerary, and doing some research on how to get here and there in Hongkong, we ended up being riffed-off by a cab from our hotel to The Peak Tram Station. If I only knew that it was just near Central Terminal, we should've taken the MTR from Tsuen Wan Station where our hotel is located. Anyway, that's a different story.
Visiting the Asia's World City in 72 hours including travel time is not bad. In fact, Hongkong is one place that I wanted to visit not just once but as many times as possible. So if i'm not able to dig in a lot of destinations here, there's next time! There can be a lot of things and places to discover in this city apart from the usual tour packages offered. As a couple travelling without kids, theme parks is not an option at all, because I really do have plans of booking another trip for our kids. Our trip to Hongkong made it up for the holidays since my husband will not be around in Christmas time for work and its nice to have an intimate and quality time with him alone.
Our Hongkong trip was a quick and a not-so-well-planned one. I acquired the air tickets out of my impulsiveness and also because we were confident to travel with another couple who ended up not joining because of an urgent and unexpected matter. When I heard the excuse, I was actually having second thoughts if we will still pursue the trip. But then, after thinking a hundred times, I told myself, "Sayang ang plane ticket! Tara lets go!" My husband and I decided to pursue the trip and I booked our hotel 3 days before our departure.
I always do a lot of research, reviews and blog reads before finalizing a hotel but Panda Hotel is an exemption. Why? Because I booked it through a travel agency and I was too busy to do searches because I wasn't really sure if we're going and I was cramming 3 days before our flight due to a lot of to-do list. So I relied on my travel manager's advise and there we go.
Hello Panda!
Manila Ocean Park is one destination that we used to visit especially the kids. It can be a fun family weekend or a school trip with classmates and friends. A few days ago we visited the place once again, not to see the huge aquariums and the underwater life but to visit the Trick Art Museum and to experience the Mirror Maze. I thought Manila Ocean Park was just fishes, jellyfish and penguins. But then I got curious when I saw an ad promoting Seri Fantasy World located at the second floor of MOP which showcases the museum, the maze and a 3D cinema so I bought discounted vouchers online for all of us.
Mirror Maze
The Mirror Maze is a labyrinth with multiple glass panes inside a dark room. Cloth hand gloves are provided for every guest inside the maze. It's a fun, interesting and unique activity for the family. You will need a lot of thinking and trial and error in order to master the maze and for you to find your way out of the glasses.
If you happened to read my blog about Hacienda San Benito with it's fine-dining restaurant, I have mentioned there that we got some problems finding where that place is. Because another Farm that sounds the same is "The Farm at San Benito" but please don't get confused with them, they are different, and that's where we headed first out of confusion!
So just to keep you out of any uncertainty, let me explain to you the difference between the two. The Farm at San Benito is a medical and wellness resort, while Hacienda San Benito is a residential farm estate that grows organic crops and has a restaurant which is the Terrazas de Barako. Both were situated in Lipa Batangas but in a different location or barrio. But anyway, i'm glad we visited both and was able to capture some nature photos.
I'm always fascinated by farm lands, organic crops and fruit bearing trees... Blooming colourful flowers in the garden gives me immeasurable happiness. Those are just few of the things that I wanted to achieve before my golden years- to spend my aging days gracefully. Days where fresh and organic fruits and vegetables that are usually hand-picked from the backyards maybe gone and obsolete for some, but for me, it should never go out of style. I, for one, is an advocate of wellness and I am more than willing to pursue this in the next few years of my life.
Just recently, I was blessed to have a fine-dining
experience where all the ingredients for the 4-course meal I had, with my sister and a friend, were
all organic and freshly picked from the gardens of Hacienda San Benito.
Nothing beats the experience of having a healthy meal specially prepared
by British Chef Teresa Lobb.
“Terrazas de Barako” is the fine-dining
arm of Hacienda San Benito in Lipa City. The restaurant takes pride in
its ever-changing menu which is always inspired by San Benito’s own
fresh produce.
Target Shooting is one of the sports that I really wanted to try if given the luxury of time and money! My first encounter with a real gun, was during my younger years when my Dad was still in the service of Philippine National Police as a Senior Police Officer. He introduced me to firearms since I was the eldest and he doesn't have a son who'll probably continue his legacy. Anyway, firearms has been a "common" thing at home since my father was a police.
During my high school days when I was a cadet officer, I was chosen from the brigade to compete for the handling- assemble and disassemble activity for firearms which I'm proud to have a remarkable record of 38seconds and I owe it to my Dad for being my trainer that time.
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| Focus and Determination |
Cockfighting is one sport that most Filipinos like. A bloody game between two roosters or gamecocks, fighting for their lives inside a ring. My hubby is one fan of it. Some sort of recreation and or entertainment for him. Out of curiosity, I agreed to spend a day at the cockpit arena.
A tour in Taal will never be complete without a visit to the local market. I've been coming back to this place once in a while to visit a close friend whose business was to make "panutsa" or "sweet peanuts", another native delicacy of the province, which is distributed in the local market and other neighborhood towns.
After visiting a number of ancestral homes in Taal, our friend Sir Rogie introduced us to Taal Market and told us about a local store which was famous for having the best Empanada in town. I bought ten pieces of each kind just to try it. They have choices of vegetables and meat empanada.
Welcome to Casa Villavicencio! The last house that we visited during our walking tour in the historical town of Taal. The house of Don Eulalio Villavicencio, a ship captain, and wife Doña Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio. Casa Villavicencio was named the "wedding house" as it was Don Eulalio's wedding gift to his wife Gliceria. The house has been featured in books, national tourism promotions, publications, and as movie / advertising sets.
My favorite among the ancestral homes that we visited during our Taal Heritage Tour is the Galleria Taal. A camera museum with is the first and only in the country. It is located along the main street of Taal, just a tumbling away from the Leon Apacible Museum and the Agoncillo Shrine. It is an ancestral house and a camera treasure trove wrapped into one.
The ancestral home of the Ilagan-Barrion family houses an impressive and vast collection of vintage cameras owned by Mr. Manny Inumerable himself. Apart from the cameras, it also showcase an exhibit of photos by John Silva, John Tewell, George Bonasay and Sonny Camarillo. The exhibit also includes the only known existing photograph of Jose Rizal's execution.
