Japan adventure I (Osaka)

It took us a long time to do this. We've been extremely "busy" for the past few weeks, that's why. Finally, here are some of our pictures from Japan!!!

We entered Japan through Osaka (Kansai Airport). A ticket to Kansai Airport from Manila (NAIA) is about a few thousand pesos cheaper than a ticket to Narita (we got ours for around Php25000 through Phil Airlines or PAL), including taxes already. So you might want to consider flying there instead. It's also easier to book a ticket and hotel.

Osaka is part of the Kansai region. In the Kansai region, you have many interesting cities that are only about an hour away from each other. These cities are Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. Hiroshima is a little bit further away.


From Kansai Airport to Osaka

Osaka

If you're looking to eat well, watch Japan's most interesting bands, and visit a few penguins while you're at it, Osaka is the place to be. Japan's second largest city is known as an excellent place to eat. Be sure to try the okonomiyaki and takoyaki. It is also the city where most of the country's comedians and musicians come from and is home to Kaiyukan, one of the world's largest aquariums.


right outside our Ryokan (traditional inn)


We stayed in a Ryokan and this is our humble room (very Japanese!, right?). The owner used to work with Filipino seamen and so he is very friendly towards us.


Yay! drinking my green tea in lotus position ;)


Kaiyukan Aquarium




the biggest ferris wheel


Penguins outdoors!




fishes in the aquarium




Shark!


Shark's egg?








jelly fish

Other places worthy of visit are Universal Studios, the hip Amemura district, shopping at Namba Parks, and Umeda Sky Building.


Osaka mall

Osaka is an industrial city where most factories and manufacturing houses are. They say it's the nation's commercial district and Japan's "gourmet kitchen" or food capital. True enough, there were shopping malls in every corner and bargains everywhere!!! We stayed there for a few days and headed to Kyoto, which is just 30 mins away by train.


This guy helped us find our way through Japan's huge and confusing railway system!He doesn't speak English well but we got by through hand signals and Nunu's "little" Japanese =P


Japanese MRT!


Next: Off to KYOTO (our favorite city in Japan)

Happy New Year!

We haven't written a new post for more than a month now due to a lot of things; mostly due to the Christmas holiday preparation and our trip to Japan for the New Year.

We just arrived a week ago and we have fabulous pictures and wonderful stories about Japan to share with all of you!!!

Watch out for Nunu's first post about Japan soon! =)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Hong Kong

the double-decker bus in HK

You might get a bit bored in Macau if you're not a gambler so we recommend you take the ferry to Hong Kong which is less than 90 minutes away by ferry. You can also take a helicopter (expensive) if you're filthy rich. But since we're not, we decided to take the ferry. It was around P800 ($19US) for a one way ticket. By the way, you don't need a visa for HK/Macau if you have a Philippine passport.



Hong Kong is more expensive than Macau (especially cigarettes and transportation). So keep that in mind. If you have pesos with you, you might be able to find a decent exchange rate around Tsim Sha Tsui or Wan Chai.



*Nunu says to check exchange rates before travelling so you don't get ripped off. Try www.oanda.com.


In Hong Kong, there many things to do. Here's a top 10 list:

1) go shopping in Ladies Market of Mongkok (a very crowded place)
2) take the tram to The Peak
3) have a few drinks and party in Lang Kwai Fong
4) take the ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island
5) buy Royce chocolates at City Super in Times Square, Wanchai
6) check out Stanley Market
7) go to Disneyland!
8) try the local food
9) enjoy the cityscape from the midlevels
10) go shopping in Shenzhen and go there by train.





NEXT: How to go to Shenzen from Hong Kong

5 Annoying Things about Nunu (A modified version of Livi’s tag)

This is in response to Livi and Ruy's tag

It’s true; you get to discover a lot about the person you travel with. I learned the value of this statement when Nunu and I went to Macau and Hong Kong a few months ago. It was our first out-of-the-country trip as a couple and it was the week of my birthday too (so you can just imagine how I was sooo looking forward to the trip…).

Well, here are some of the not-so-good (read: ANNOYING!) experiences and discoveries I had to endure because of him:

1.Nunu likes to walk. He likes to explore the city by foot and he can walk for miles without getting tired. Now, I like to explore and walk as well but I can hardly keep up with his long strides. I like to walk leisurely while he likes to rush. He is also 6’3 tall and I’m only 5’2 so - go figure! Anyway, I ended up getting calluses and corns (ewww) in my feet because of too much walking. That was the most annoying thing that ever happened to me in a foreign country.

2.Nunu doesn’t have good memory. We arrived in Macau the day before my big day. Guess what? The following day, he almost forgot it was my birthday! We were on our way to the ferry terminal (en route to HK), when he stopped dead on his tracks to say: Oh my, it’s your birthday today!

3.Nunu doesn’t like following instructions. We decided to go to Shenzhen, China from HK and we took the train to the border. We didn’t know where to get our visas so I asked one of the guards. The guard (who doesn’t speak English) pointed to the immigration counter and told me to fall in line. I told Nunu to do the same but he mumbled something about “what he read in a magazine” and started going around the place looking for something. I didn’t really have a choice so I followed him, the whole time asking him about why we are doing such a thing. Anyway, to make the long story short, we ended up going about in circles, only to realize (after 30 minutes) that the place he was looking for is on the other side of the border.

4. Nunu is a bitch! =P When we arrived in Shenzhen (after paying 150 HK dollars for the visa), we didn’t know where to go. Everything was in Chinese! But we already prepared for this eventuality so I made sure that I had with me a cut-out from a magazine – giving instructions on where to go. Nunu had this cut-out on his pocket and lost it. You heard that right, he LOST it. So, we ended up staying in one mall and going back to HK after a few hours. Isn’t that a great way to visit another country?

5.Nunu is a hard-headed fatcat. On our way back to Manila, we had to go back to Macau from HK. We rode the ferry again and from the Macau terminal, planned to get the bus to the Macau Airport. Our ferry got delayed so when we arrived in the Macau terminal, I told Nunu to just get the cab. He said no, insisting that we can take the bus instead. I told him that we can’t risk it because we don’t know where the bus stop is exactly or what time it will arrive. He said we can just wait right there (where all the buses stops) and wait for the AP1 bus (that’s the bus to the airport). I told him: “Are you sure this is where the bus stops?” He said: “Yes.” I said, “Are you sure this is a good idea?” He said, with all certainty: “Yes.” OK. So we waited. And waited. Finally, the AP1 bus came and just when we were ready to ride it, the driver asked where we are going and said “No, this is not the bus” in his broken English. We waited for another bus just to get a stupid stare from the driver when we said: “Airport?” Apparently, the driver doesn’t speak English at all. Ending: We lined up for a taxi and ran to the departure area of the Macau Airport. We made it there 10 minutes before it closed. We were lucky.


I’m supposed to write about the annoying things about myself but Nunu and I decided to write about the annoying things about each other while traveling instead. So, wait for his reply (he will write his version) and let’s see how annoying that could be – for me! Ha! =PPP

Clark Airport - the "better" alternative (Part 2)

Before reading this post, read the first part: Clark Airport - the better alternative Part I


I was really amazed by the beautiful landscape from Manila to Clark, while cruising along the North Luzon Expressway. It has definitely improved since the last time I flew from Clark Airport two years and a half ago. The roads are first-rate and the green countryside is absolutely refreshing to the eyes. I didn’t even realize that almost two hours had passed until I saw us approach the main gate of Clark Air Base.

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Transportation is a major consideration when flying from Clark Airport. For people from Metro Manila, you have three options:

1.Have someone drive you to the Clark Airport. This is the best option if you have your own car and if someone can drive you there. From the North Luzon Expressway, exit through Dau Exit (83A), turn left at McArthur Highway, turn right at the Manuel A. Roxas Ave. passing the Bayanihan Park, and go straight ahead passing the Clark Main Gate. It should only take one hour and a half to two hours and a half (max) to get there (Of course, depending on traffic conditions).

2.Take the PHILTRANCO shuttle services from SM Megamall. There are scheduled trips to Clark Airport everyday, though they are not very reliable. The terminal is at the back of Building A, across Watsons and BPI bank. There is a booth there (at the waiting shed), where you can pay the P300 fee per person (one-way).

You can check out the Philtranco website at www.philtranco.com.ph. Here are the scheduled trips, based on their website:

AIRPORT SCHEDULE
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport
Manila - Pampanga
TO: Clark , Pampanga FROM: MegaMall

Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun

0700 AM
1100 AM
1200 NN
0800 PM*

Tue/Thu/Sat

0700 AM
1100 AM
1200 NN

WARNING: Philtranco is not very reliable. They change the bus schedules everyday. When you try to call the numbers posted on their website, they just keep ringing! I hope the management of Philtranco will address this problem soon.

On our way to Macau last September, we went to Megamall at around 10AM, hoping to catch the bus at 11AM. We were astounded to know that the bus already left at 9AM and that the next bus won’t leave until 1230PM! Our flight was at 330PM, so we have to be at the airport at least 2 hours before that. We ended up renting a cab for 2,500 pesos. We were lucky to meet a few more people who shared the cab ride with us that day, so we ended up paying 450 pesos each only.

3.Commute to Dau, Angeles. If you are really on a tight budget and you don’t mind taking the bus – this is the best option for you. From any northbound bus lines (like Victory Liner and Dangwa), get off the Dau-Mabalacat Bus Terminal, proceed to the MacArthur Highway, and take a Checkpoint –Dau PUJ (jeepney), straight for the Clark Main Gate. I heard that there are cabs in the terminal too, so after getting off the bus, you can simply get a cab straight to the Clark airport. We are actually planning to try this out next time. ;)

Going back to Manila from Clark airport is not a problem since Philtranco shuttles are usually on stand-by at the airport. There are resorts and hotels within Clark as well, in case you decide to stay for the night. I saw some car rental agencies in the airport too.

TERMINAL FEE and TRAVEL TAX

Another major consideration when deciding to fly from Clark is the TAX. You need to prepare 550 pesos for the terminal fee ($11 US dollars) and another 1,600 pesos (approximately) for travel tax (Filipino nationals only). You can only pay in cash so make sure that you still have Philippine pesos when you get there.

Clark is currently being developed and there are no money changers and/or ATMs in the area yet. I heard that this will change very soon though. There are, however, a couple of stalls like Smokey’s, Pizza Hut, Jolibee, Mrs. Fields, etc. where you can buy food. There is a café inside the airport too. A small duty-free shop is also available.

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For me, the best thing about my most recent trip to Clark was my trip back to Manila (from Macau). Shortly before the plane touched down at the Clark Airport, I looked out the window and was stunned by the beautiful view of the countryside. It was nowhere near what you would see when landing from NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila). There were no crowded areas or houses and buildings stacked together. No smog. It was just all green with clusters of roofs dotting the scenery. The horizon was clear and the clouds were soft, white, and fluffy.

A guy, clearly a balikbayan from Macau or HK, muttered something like: “See, the Philippines is really wonderful. I think Filipinos should go to other countries more - for them to appreciate the beauty of this country.”

At 5PM, Nunu and I were ready to go home. We took the Philtranco shuttle ride back to Manila. It was getting dark already and I can see the sunset from my bus window. The red orange sun was inching its way below the horizon, and the dark clouds hovered around it. The silhouette of the countryside was simply breathtaking! At that moment, I wanted to open the windows and breathe the fresh, clean, evening air. I wanted to take pictures but I didn't have enough memory in my camera anymore. I felt like I was still in a foreign land and this is the first time I have been to this place.

Essentially, I felt like a tourist in my own country. There were two Swiss guys beside us and I heard one of them say: “Beautiful! I thought Manila is polluted and dirty.”

I have never been so proud of the Philippines until that time. To the people in-charge of the developments in the Clark area, keep up the good work! =)


NEXT: Our trip to MACAU!

Clark Airport – the “better” alternative

A few denizens know about the interesting international (and domestic) trips (read: affordable and pleasant) that some airlines in Clark airport provide. OK, maybe a lot of people know about them BUT they either think it’s too far from Manila or that the planes are simply life-threatening.

Well, here are a few myth busters:

1. The Clark International Airport (also known as: Diosdado Macapagal International Airport) is actually just one hour and a half (subject to traffic conditions) away from Metro Manila. Surely, a lot of people don’t know this: In the next 10 years, it will be the premier gateway of the Philippines to the rest of the world. To know more about the developments in Clark, check out the official website at:

http://www.clarkairport.com/frame.php


2. Airlines that operate in Clark are actually safe and pleasurable. Tiger Airways offer friendly and agreeable flights (not to mention, cheap!) to Macau, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), and Singapore almost daily.

Visit their site at:
http://www.tigerairways.com/home/index.php

3. If you are not convinced and still thinks that low-cost airlines are too fantastic to believe, know that this is a world-wide phenomena. Check out the business model here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-cost_carrier

Proceed by knowing more about these airlines here:

• http://www.tigerairways.com/about/company-overview.php

• http://www.airasia.com/

• http://us.flyasiana.com/


4. Even Cebu Pacific offers domestic flights to and from the Clark Airport now.

For detailed flight information, visit: http://www.clarkairport.com/frame.php

Let me just get some facts straight: Clark airport or the government did not pay nuni to write this blog. Tiger Airways or other airlines operating from Clark did not give nuni money to patronize them either (though nuni really hopes that they will!=P).

Why is nuni writing this then? Because nuni (and her friend, nunu) wants to promote an alternative (a better one) to people who want to travel outside the Philippines but don’t have enough budget to do so.

There is so much to see and learn out there. It is time for Filipinos to explore South East Asia and the world. It is also time for people outside the Philippines to see and experience the beauty and diversity of the Filipino nation.

As someone famous once said: “Traveling is like reading a book. And those who do not travel read only a page.”


NEXT: Some things to consider before flying from Clark Airport (transport, taxes, etc.)…