7. Transportation

we traveled by land from place to place - taxi, bus, tricycle, motorbike, FX/Van, jeepney, pedicab, kalesa.

taxi. i've always avoided riding a taxi because most taxi drivers will con you into more than you're suppose to pay. aside from that, they'd also try to ask for tip. magnify that by probably doubled if you're with a "foreigner". that's exactly what happened to us.

bus. the good thing with buses is that there's a fixed rate so they can't make you pay extra. space, though, was a problem - him being 6'2". he either has to sit sideways or with his legs spread so wide apart. we (i mean he) managed.

tricycle. luckily, we were able to squeeze into a tricycle whenever we're riding on it, which, fortunately, was very seldom.

motorbike. no need to worry so much squeezing in a tricycle because i drive him from and to his hotel. it's safer for him than going back to his place alone at night. prevention is always better than cure.

fx/van/filcab. as with buses, fx also have fixed rates and if you're lucky, it might even be air-conditioned. despite the uncomfortableness of being unlucky, (translate: sweating like a pig in a closed transpo that's suppose to be air-conditioned) i still take the filcab everytime because i'd rather be hot for an average of one hour than be bored to death and miss my appointment (in malls) in a fresh-air-minimum-2-hour-drive bus.

jeepney. only in the philippines. as always, when you say philippine-made, chances are, it's small. he'd have to bend his back to avoid bumping his head.

pedicab. the worst, most dangerous ride of my life. we arrived in manila so early that i thought it might be a bit risky to cross the overpass bridge when it was still dark. but we have to go to the other side so i decided to get a pedicab to take us there. he said he's got it all under control. i had no idea it meant we have to cross the already heavy traffic, cars almost driving right through us because it was still dark they can't see us before they get so near, and bump and jump on side walks and humps. i had the strongest urge to jump out and just walk. i tried not to panic but my heart was already in my throat. after what felt like the longest ride ever, we're there - in one piece, thankfully. and then, he asked too much that we could have done better if we took a taxi. lintek!

kalesa. this is not really for transportation but for touristy stuff. an elder guy came to us while we were walking back to the hotel. he's asking us to ride his kalesa for 20. he kept following and nagging all the way to a block from where we're staying. since we thought it would be a nice experience (i've never been in one), we gave it a shot riding on the kalesa of the elder guy. since he already told us how much it would be, i didn't ask him again. at first it was really cool because he was telling us things about places in manila that i didnt even know. when he took us outside the city center, i started to have a bad feeling. the ride was longer than what it was worth. i got worried when he started to take us to slum areas. i wanted to say something but held back for fear he might decide to take us somewhere where has friends and pounce on us and rob us. i eased up a little when we were finally out and about the main streets. i wasn't feeling good already. i wanted it to end and was sure he'd ask for a bigger amount and was feeling guilty. martin was also thinking the same thing. he dropped us not where we asked him to but started to tell us about the price while the kalesa was still moving - probably a tactic so we can't get off without giving him the money he wanted. first he asked for $20,000. that was insane! we told him we don't have dollars. then he said, ok, pesos. of course we tried to reason with him but he wont let us get off without paying him much, much more than P20. we ended up giving him P500. it was so traumatic. i was embarrased that martin has to experience that kind of filipino attitude. i felt guilty for not asking the driver when he told me to.

to the manila officials - please do something about it. tourists will feel unsafe and taken advantage of if you don't monitor this kind of racket.

8. Food: Restaurant

we've eaten out a lot it's hard to keep track of everything we've had.

our christmas food tradition consists of spaghetti, bite-size hotdog, fried chicken, leche flan, haleyang ube, fruits plus or minus some meat dishes like caldereta or mechado. being a vegetarian meant that he had to have chop suey (varied according to consistency and vegetables used) for most of his meal, sometimes alternated with fried tofu. not a very good way to taste Filipino dish but he did like haleyang ube and leche flan.

eating out was also sometimes difficult. not only do filipino dishes always have meat bits in everything, sometimes waiters don't even know what's in their menu, confusing "meat" with just pork or beef. It was a relief going on our trip to find that most restaurants have vegetarian dishes or at least they know how to prepare it vegetarian.

sagada is a haven for vegetarians. visited by tourists, who must be nature-lovers and new-agey people to think of going there for fun, all vegetable-dishes are indeed vegetarian. It also helps that they grow most of the vegetables there so that fried rice is commonly served with broccoli and cauliflower at the very least.

recommended places to eat
sagada: yoghurt haus
baguio: bliss café, café by the ruins, lé fondue

YOGHURT HAUS have delicious yoghurt (of course!) with a variety of fruits/toppings to choose from. they also have the ever filling and yummy veggie fried rice with tuna which caught me by surprise just because they were true to their word - it really is tuna fried rice and not just loads of fried rice with the tiniest hint of tuna flavor. we went there a couple of times for brunch.

of course we had to try vegetable cooked in coconut milk. unfortunately not from the best place. if you want ginataan (cooking in coconut milk), go to bicol region. well... we were there during the holidays but nobody wants to eat ginataan for christmas so when it was available in sagada, he had to try it. he said it's good but personally - i didn't. the vegetables weren't cook well enough (for me) and there obviously wasn't enough coco milk to cook with that it tasted like blanched vegetable with coconut milk sauce. anyways there's always next time.

BLISS CAFE in baguio is a vegetarian restaurant without limiting itself to stir-fried vegetables. they are very creative with the approach to vegetarian cooking that i even enjoyed a gluten barbecue that, honestly, tastes almost like the real thing. the place has a nice zen feeling to it with really, really interesting interior. there's a meditation corner, pamphlets about zen way of living, a scrapbook about the place and a unique way of reaching out to the customers by encouraging them to share information about themselves - name, bday, veggie or not, what they do. i was excited coz my bday was coming up and they said customers might receive email from them on their bday. i didnt receive any email (guess they're busy). i left the place feeling really at peace and relaxed. i would definitely recommend it to people who want to try something different.

a jolina-marvin movie mentioned CAFE BY THE RUINS and it was also mentioned by the guidebook. it modernized the traditional nipa hut so that it feels and looks as strong as a concrete place. there are also modern kitchen wares around but you'll love the fresh air breezing through the open windows. food is also not as native as they offer choices of international dishes and some vegetarian too.

in our quest to sample anything and everything, we tried to vary our dishes. he tried puto bumbong and green mango shake (which we have to order everytime it's on the menu coz we were trying to compare) and for me it's fondue.

fondue is a type of cooking/preparation where you have pieces of bite-size food that you dip into something boiling - can be cooking oil, chocolate or cheese. we had vegetable fondue and i had fun deep-frying florets of broccoli and cauliflower, strips of carrots, cucumber, singkamas (jicama) and onion rings.

green mango shake. can't get enough of this one. we tried from i think 3 different restaurants and they all have their own blend but overall always a refreshing drink.

BROD PITS grill house. totally large servings. gosh! especially their fresh lumpia. i love it. nice place too with the nativey appeal.

one morning, we tried to prepare a sandwich using french bread, pickle relish and cheese. it was a very surprising blend of sweet, sour and salt and we had more of that the following days. sometimes trying different bakery for french bread.

he also cooked me a vegetarian pasta for my bday. since we dont have all the ingredients that he often use in nz, he had to be creative and substitute it with whatever he thinks will work ok. his creativity paid off coz it was yummy!

we also tried KAMAYAN. it was funny how we were eating chop suey kamayan-style when it's commonly just for seafoods and other hard-to-eat-with-spoon-and-fork-or-knife food. he liked it and was intrigued how the guidebook described it as eating passionately. :-)

9. Hotels

VILLA KASANGGAYAN, Sorsogon City
although i had some reservations about the place coz it was through a dark street, i found out later on that there's nothing to worry about. the apartelle compound itself has a romantic landscape - japanese lanterns hanging from palm trees or nestled on the ground covered with bermuda grass. there's also a small bridge over a man-made river with colorful fishes. rate per room is P900/day, air-conditioned, 2 beds, tv, drawer, toilet with shower (but just cold shower). the staff is friendly although you might beware of the dogs when it's already late.

Transient in BAGUIO
it felt more like a boarding house than a place for tourists. for P500/day the bedroom, bed, toilet were too small. the walls are too thin you might be able to hear when people from another room thinks. fortunately i wasn't able to confirm that coz they were already noisy anyway. it closes too early and don't have not enough hot water in the morning. i had to shower in icy cold water.

ST. JOHN, Sagada
good location, perfect vacation-home. they tried to provide everything - cottages, restaurant, lots of space outdoors for basking in the sun, nature-watching, chatting, sleeping, anything, souvernir shop. the cottages were clean and well-built, there were large beds for large people (tourists), nice toilet and toilet window which opens and closes on its own so you dont have to, quiet and relaxing. although one staff in the restaurant is not so friendly so we rarely eat there which was good in the end coz we were able to find really good ones outside.

Hotel Supreme, Baguio
so far the nicest room we've had during that trip. the hotel is right at the city center so everywhere is just a walking distance. the room is large enough for us with couches and table filled with fresh fruits and juices. the built-in closets are also nice and spaceous. they have friendly staff and good room service. tv reception is also good which is comfy when we just want to stay in.

Corporate Inn, Manila
we stayed there twice but we got lost the first time. the front desk told us we can see the hotel from the LRT station. heck! we had to circle round the corners near the LRT station but couldn't find it. turned out it's still quite a distance from the station. they should be careful with giving instructions. aside from that, our stay was pleasant. the housekeepers are friendly and always keeps the place neat and clean. the room we stayed in is small but it's ok for two with minimum baggage. tv reception is also good. it is also near the park and other cool touristy places so the location is overall ok. they also let us leave our bags before checking in and after checking out so they made up for initial impression on hotel staff.

10. People

Sorsogon. it is i guess quite a head-turner to see an interracial couple walking the streets. for the most part, people are just curious. actually, i am too, with others. it's just sad that there are rude people who takes behind your back, as if you wouldn't understand them if they do; those who takes advantage and those who are spiteful. we ended up just staying indoors than go out since there wasn't anything much to see anyway and it was always raining.

Manila. strolling in the malls is not so bad, especially along the sossier parts. they're used to it. but if it's along the masa people, it's either non-responsive, fake like totally kiss-ass, dishonest or takes advantage (often!).

Baguio. way better! there are lots of foreigners around local people dont mind them anymore. people are also friendlier and more honest, in general.

Sagada. this is the total opposite. i think they're so used to foreigners that they are in fact sometimes surprised to see me, like if Martin walks in first, they'd be totally warm and friendly, then looks surprised when i come trotting in. sometimes it's amusing. sometimes it's insulting. generally, it's the best place to be with a foreigner.