Super Superlative Angkor Wat

Posted on August 29, 2013 by heavenliner

Hail to the gods, kings and deities!!! Stunningly beautiful Angkor Wat is such a magnificent temple. It is the primary reason why I and my sister went to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

angkor wat

I know that there have been a lot of tired expressions uttered and written about this beautiful place. But now that I have personally been there, I now understand why people only have handsome things to say about this temple complex. It definitely needs to be added to every adventurer’s bucket list. It was quite thrilling to see the temple for the first time. Good thing we purchased our tickets late in the afternoon for the following day’s entrance because we were allowed access and get a glimpse of Angkor Wat and assess what’s ahead the following day.

yummy inside the temple

Angkor Wat definitely was not a letdown. The immensity of this temple is simply outstanding. It is so magnificent you would actually believe that it was built out from divine inspiration. It was fantastic! Here’s a few of my photos and see how enchanting this part of our world is…

stunning!!!

lucky tourists…

exceptional!!!

had fun touring with my sister…

this is my latest fb cover photo… aylavet…

Ang ganda ‘no…

Calling Out the Names of The Santos & The Santas

Posted on August 26, 2013 by heavenliner

I just arrived early this morning from Siem Reap, Cambodia. The flight going back to sunshine Manila was generally smooth with a couple of freaking turbulence.

This is totally different from the nerve rattling turbulent plane ride going to Siem Reap. It was so shaky!!! It was the mightiest gust of winds and deepest air pockets combined that I have ever experienced in all the flights that I had. Our flight then was still at the end of the monsoon rains that flooded and shattered the whole Metro Manila for five long days.

It was so shaky me and my sister were already holding hands while the airplane hits the combination of massive cumulonimbus clouds. What is so bad about it is that the madness did not last only for a couple of minutes, the turbulence and shaking happened for more than an hour. Children inside the plain were all crying while adults are trying their best not to scream.

actress vilma santos as darna

Instead of uttering expletives, I prayed hard and called out all the saints that I know to ask for their holy intercessions. All the “Santos” and the “Santas” that I could recall, I called. I even called for Santa Quiteria whom I don’t know. What is so funny is when I could no longer recall other names of Santos and Santas I called out the name of Santa Claus and Vilma Santos to help us with our journey! The thought actually made me laughed and relaxed a little.

Nerbyoso! Muntik na ko mapa-ihi sa nerbyos at katatawa!

A Day Trip To My Tho in Mekong Delta

Posted on August 18, 2013 by heavenliner

Aside from the lip-smacking yet mellow food of Ho Chi Minh, another highlight that I consider in my recent trip to Vietnam was the exploration me and my colleagues did at My Tho, Tien Giang Province located in the Mekong Delta.

The site is not the typical destination a tourist would expect. The body of water is not pristine. It definitely is not for snorkeling. White sand beach is non-existent. The grounds and terrain are not well manicured. And there is no amber-sun-setting-photo-opportunity to grab. It is not your typical tropical paradise.

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For me Melkong Delta being a tourist destination is a totally different animal. Their comprehensive river channels boasts of its boats which ranges from elegant sampans to unpainted and crude lumbering cargo boats. The surprisingly odorless dark waters of the canals seem to have lots of intriguing tales to tell. The captivating bodies of water makes this place interestingly remarkable.

The activities on land, on river banks and along the river channels are busy yet I felt relaxed, languid and unhurried. I particularly like the dense palms and mangroves ruling the comprehensive swamps and channels.

We tasted honey from bee hives, were served with various tropical fruits, listened to Vietnamese folksongs, went on tiny sampans to be rowed through swamps and canals, ate coconut sweets and had lunch in which the main dish is the massive fish appropriately called “elephant ear”.

strong woman of vietnam

coconut candy maker… an exotic delight…

blue sampans perfectly compliments the color of brown water

blue sampans perfectly compliments the green palms and brown water

My overall trip to My Tho in Mekong Delta was fun, easy and leisurely yet indeed remarkable…

Relaks lang ang peg…

Progression of Charming Saigon

Posted on August 16, 2013 by heavenliner

Last weekend was my second time to travel and visit the beautiful city of Saigon / Ho Chi Minh. Progress has been so evident as compared to the last time I visited this southern city of Vietnam. The whole city obviously is in high spirits!

those high buildings were not there when i first visited

those high rise buildings were not there when i first visited. notice how clean the streets are? i’m envious…

Buildings are higher. The streets are cleaner. International branded stores and enterprises are now selling and operating. It’s now easier for pedestrians to cross the streets of Saigon because the lighted green and red men are now present (they already have “walk” and “don’t walk” light signals).

notre dame cathedral… still lovely…

still operational, still iconic --- saigon post office

still operational, still iconic, still tourist-filled —
saigon post office

saigon city hall… i love this shot!!!

One very evident observation about Saigon which still persists is that there seem to be no stout, chubby and flabby inhabitants in the city. Everybody looks so slim and slender which according to our Vietnamese tour guide when we went to Mekong Delta is attributed to the type of diet Vietnamese has. This makes me a little bothered when I was in Saigon. I am tubby, chubby and fleshy in this country!

posing for some “italian fashion magazine” (hahaha!) at the top of reunification palace

photo taken inside a mall. shopping malls are starting to proliferate. move over ben thanh market!

Anyway, though growth, progress and improvements are so apparent at the present Saigon, it’s good to know that its charm remains intact. The streets and boulevards are still lined with tall lush trees and the majority of the Saigonese remains pleasant, gentle and well-mannered.

Oo na! Mataba ako sa Byetnam!

Huong Lai Gave Me Odorless Flatulence

Posted on August 14, 2013 by heavenliner

It has always been my bizarre desire that my fart would smell like a freshly baked vanilla cupcake. However, considering the obtuse and thoughtless diet that I have, this impossible dream is so very unlikely to happen. The smell of my fart will forever be a stink that can cause global catastrophe.

However, the smell of my digestive gas has considerably improved last weekend during the few days of my stay in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. This improvement can be attributed to the type of local food served in Vietnam. It’s usually fresh greens, garden crops, fresh greens, edible parts of plants like seeds, flowers, stalks and more fresh greens. Did I already say fresh greens??? Meats are included in their dishes but only at a very minimal amount. Because of this, the generated gas from my stomach and intestines has gone odorless.

Don’t get me wrong about Vietnamese food. I happen to get to like them especially the food I and my trip-mates ate when we dined at a rustic-countrified-looking restaurant which serves home-style Vietnamese cuisine. It is called Huong Lai, a little gem of a restaurant located along Ly Tu Trong Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh.

huong lai’s facade (simple yet once you entered you will be treated to a great gastronomic adventure)

the eggplant was superb!!! an uncomplicated dish yet with heavenly flavor.

minimalist and unfussy interiors…

i was particularly surprised by the taste, temperature and texture of this purple yam soup. super yummy!!!

though philippines has better tasting leche flan, it was my first time to taste longan fruit ice cream. i was raving about it. it was also my first time to see sweetened mung bean soup (minatamis na munggo) served as a dessert in a restaurant.

I love this restaurant!!! It’s façade and interiors were simple and non-imposing yet the dishes they serve were borderline orgasmic and heavenly delicious. The flavors and textures were elegantly gentle and light. At the end of the meal all of us were simply raving about the dishes and was left charmed by the home-style Vietnamese cooking of Huong Lai. It definitely was worth the visit!

Puro gulay ang tsibog sa Biyetnam kaya walang amoy ang utot ko! Hahaha!

Mixed Feelings For The Inevitable Fashion Expansions

Posted on July 7, 2013 by heavenliner

When Cotton On of Australia and Uniqlo of Japan almost simultaneously opened their respective first branches here in the Philippines, I had mixed feelings.

I was happy that these very affordable clothing lines will now easily be accessible. And I do not have to go out of the country or ask favor from friends whom I learned will be vacationing abroad to grab me a piece or two of these clothing brands.

leather jacket from bershka

But at the same time learning that these retail stores are now in the Philippines, I can’t get over the thought of everybody will now be wearing what I was once uniquely wearing in the past. Yeah, call me madamot (translation: selfish douchebag) but in the past when only few Pinoys were wearing these brands, it made me feel a bit privileged in the unique yet obtuse sense of it.

That is why when I went to Osaka Japan last spring, the majority of my fashion-acquisition ventures were from clothing stores that are not yet selling and retailing in the Philippines. I had Bershka, GU and H&M.

bershka in glorietta

However, mixed feelings came over me again when I learned that Bershka of Spain is now here in the Philippines. I guess, Philippines truly is one massive market that must be tapped by these trendy global retail clothing stores to grow and expand. It’s the inevitable. This is even precluding the fact that Pinoys are starting to become trendy, hip and stylish.

Thus, to show my appreciation that Bershka is now in the new Glorietta in Ayala Center Makati, this is where I had my last week’s retail therapy. Though Bershka is a bit too young for me, I was nevertheless happy with my loot.

Madamot na kung madamot!

Adoring Japan / Envying Thailand / Questioning Philippines

Posted on June 25, 2013 by heavenliner

A lot of my friends as well as those who follow my blog know that I love Japan. I adore their food, their weather and the strong and powerful yet charming-to-the ear language. People know that I admire their culture, their technology, their fashion and their being so organized. I have high regard to the people of Japan. They are just so nice and gracious.

i even fancy japan's vendo machines. hahaha

i even fancy japan’s vendo machines. LOL!!!

along dotonbori… fashion ba kamo? love my doc martens!!!

Too bad I can’t just go there and spend a nice vacation every time I feel like going there. Being a Pinoy citizen, I am required to process and undergo those tiresome procedures of applying for a visit visa. Being a Filipino citizen, I am not allowed to simply go there and enjoy the awesome weather. The Philippines is not one of those rich auspicious countries with visa exemption arrangements with Japan.

Well I guess, some people are fortunate enough to be born into the right nationality while others have to find their own way. Don’t get me wrong here. I love the Philippines because if I don’t I could have hopped on a plane, gone the hell out and never return. Or if I can’t have that access, I could have packed my bags, join a secluded monastery and never go out.

I am articulating on this because the recent news made me so envious with the Thais. According to news, the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that effective July 1, 2013 Japan will give Thai nationals with visa exemptions that would be good for up to 15 days.

amazing thailand… i can feel that i will soon be visiting this country again…

With this news, Thailand obviously beat and thumped the Philippines big time! While Thais can go and visit Japan with much ease, us Pinoys will have to settle with the wearisome and mind-numbing processing of visa applications.

I just hope and pray that Japan will grant the same to the Filipinos. But I guess Japan has their reasons. And such reasons are actually in the hands of the Pinoys themselves. Is it the Pinoy culture, the Pinoy urbanity, or the Pinoy civility? While I endlessly adore Japan and start being jealous of Thailand, I guess only us Pinoys can answer this question.

Pagka-sabmit ng rekwayrments diretcho novena para humiling na bigyan ng visa. Bakit Lord?! Bakit???

Modern Bowel Movement

Posted on June 8, 2013 by heavenliner

I hate winding up with thriving colonies of molds and mildews bonding together like concrete on my bathroom walls and floor. That is why habitually, routinely and tirelessly I would scrub my bathroom and my toilet.

Early today while I scour, soap-up and wash my toilet which I consider to be a medieval form of torture, I remember taking photos of public restrooms during my recent trip to Japan. It come not a surprise that this highly urbanized country has technologically advanced and sophisticated toilets. They transformed the basic toilet facilities into ingenious comfort room devices.

To prove my point, here’s one photo of buttons to press of a modern Japanese public toilet inside a mall when I answered a call of nature and do a number two.

Notice those patterns of raised dots? Those are Braille, making this toilet blind-friendly.

I was nuts about the right most button (in the photo). When I pressed it, an artificial sound of flushing waiter played on a speaker inside the toilet to disguise what otherwise obnoxious tune my butthole is producing.

Hay tek na pag pupu.

Rare Photos: A Mother’s Day Special

Posted on May 11, 2013 by heavenliner

Unless done and taken by a well-known or critically acclaimed photographer, a photo is often appreciated on what it contains. Unless you tell that it’s shot by a popular photographer, only few or even no one would ask who took your photo. May it be a good angle of your face, a suddenly slim-looking body or a surprisingly sweet smile it’s always the person on the photo who receives raves and praises and never the photographer.

So to appreciate a work done by a nonentity in the field of photography, let me post two rare photos taken by her. These photos are preciously exquisite because the one who took it is often the one photographed and never the one behind to click the camera. These photos are so rare because she never shoots photos for she doesn’t know how to operate a camera.

These photos were taken from our recent trip abroad. In our trip to Japan, I and my family were able to accumulate more than a thousand images and snapshots to chronicle our delightful adventures. And out of these voluminous shots, only four photos were made by her. I will post only two of these four shots since the “qualities” and “characters” of such photos are basically the same. Again and let me reiterate that she is always the one photographed and never the one who photographs.

no. there's nothing wrong with your vision. actually, it's very artistic.

no. there’s nothing wrong with your vision.
it actually looks very artistic.

love this shot! “may nginig paktor!!!”

These rare photos were taken by Nengkoy.

These photos are stupendously extraordinary because it took us long arduous minutes to prolong our smile, held our breath and stay motionless on a pose. We need to stay still and wait for Nengkoy to peep through the narrow viewer and at the same time find her index finger to the camera’s shutter to shoot these atypical pictures. The waiting to hear the clicking camera to shoot these motionless moments were so gruelingly prolonged, all of us in the photo kept quiet which made the room so silent it hurt my ear.

After four shots, we gave up, no one complained and quietly proceeded to call a waiter to order our dinner. Actually after these shots were taken, I felt exhausted!

Happy Mother’s Day Nengkoy!!!

Kakaibang talento hatid sa inyo ni Nengkoy sa araw ng mga Maders…

A Super Fun Day At Universal Studios Japan

Posted on April 28, 2013 by heavenliner

One day. That is how long me and my family has allocated for our attack and invasion of the first Universal Studios in Asia.

I was actually not excited that USJ (Universal Studios Japan) was in one of our itineraries in our journey to Japan this year. Two weeks before our trip I and my niece Kim checked out the USJ website. Both of us thought that it was plain, ordinary and simple run-of-the-mill theme park.

During our first visit to Osaka, we did not bother going to Universal Studios because we thought the thrill and excitement would basically be the same as that of our family’s former trip to Universal Studios in Singapore.

But we were completely, veritably and absolutely wrong!

had fun here…

the gang at the facade

look at how wide the streets are!

As soon as we reached the façade, first thing I noticed (which is unlike the Singapore version) is that it’s huge! The streets are wide and spacious! And the attractions do not looked cramped into a limited space. Thus, even though there were lots of people, the park don’t feel like it’s congested and overcrowded.

But what was even greater about this theme-park-adventure was the rides and attractions. Good thing Denden (my nephew) planned very well the sights and rides we are to take. He seems to have plotted it in a thrill-escalating manner. Except for the roller coaster Fantasy Ride which my nieces and nephews excitedly started with, imagine we (including Nengkoy, my 76-year old mother) commenced our adventure with the kiddie Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic program and ended with the viperous 85-feet near vertical drop of the hair-raising Jurassic Park ride.

luis with pink (not the singer but the stuffed toy)

after the amazing spiderman ride…

the wacky photo taken during the 85 feet drop of jurassic park ride

Among the features of USJ, the ones that I enjoyed most were the rides of Back To The Future, The Jaws, The Spiderman and of course the Jurassic Park. In all these amazing rides, I felt the cross-fertilization of fear, terror, shock, awe, astonishment and of course excitement hybreedizing down my spine. That is why while on a ride, I was screaming at the top of my lungs so as to discharge these feelings.

denden, nengkoy and ate gaying loving the parade…

And to cap the day off, USJ featured their jaw-dropping, amazingly awesome and totally fantastic Magical Starlight Parade. It was the parade that brought the same feeling I had when I personally saw the Disney Parade in Hongkong. I was so happy freaky tears of joy were running down my face.

Abot hanggang Pasay ang sigaw ko grabe.

Nengkoy

ruminations & travesties of the favorite yet naughty son of Nengkoy

Tag Archives: travel