Legazpi For A Day

Since my 1-day affair with Bohol was successful, I've decided to do the same with Legazpi, Albay.

I left Manila on November 22, 2010 at 9:10 in the morning and arrived Legazpi at 9:55 AM (15 minutes ahead of schedule.)

I only had 3 hours to go around Legazpi before heading back to Manila again.

I went straight to the tricycle area and asked around for the rates going to Cagsawa Ruins.

Luckily, it was cheaper than the one I had in Bohol :)

Going to Cagsawa Ruins would be Php 150 and the trike driver offered me the same price going back.

Once settled with the price, I also asked him to take me anywhere else he thinks is nice in Legazpi since this was my first time to visit Bicol.

First stop: LIGÑON HILL

This was a good 5-10 minute ride away from the airport.

Tricycles cannot climb up the hill as it was very steep but Habal-habals (motorcycles) are readily available.

Ride going up: Php 20 (same rate going down) so that's a total of Php 40

Entrance fee to Lignon Hill: Php 20

Package deals are also offered such as riding the ATV going to the Lava Stones.

That's KUYA JUN on the motorcycle. You may contact him through his mobile number (+63-999-308-4669) if you need a tour guide in Legazpi.

The view on top was breathtaking!

You may also zipline or rappel while you enjoy the scenic view of Legazpi, Albay.

Lignon Hill is the perfect spot to unwind, relax and get a great shot of Mayon Volcano.

FYI, Chowking opened a branch here so you may have breakfast or lunch with a great view as you wish.

From the top, aside from the Mayon Volcano, you may also sight the Legazpi Airport.

Next stop:  CAGSAWA RUINS

"In February 1, 1814, Mt. Mayon began its most violent and deadly eruption to date. During the eruption, some 1,200 people took refuge in the stone church of Cagsawa. Unfortunately, all perished when lahar and pyroclastic flows engulfed the church. Only the belfry of the Cagsawa church remains as a grim and silent reminder of that fateful day. For almost two hundred years, it has withstood the test of time and the elements to become one of the most recognizable landmarks of Albay Province."  - Wow Legazpi

Entrance Fee: Php 10

Locals are there to serve as your photographers. They have been doing this for years. They will ask you to pose and take your pictures using your camera. 

Just be careful with the kids because they will try to get your camera from your hand and it might fall. This was what happened to a tourist and the camera lens broke :(

That's Kuya EDWARD. He is a regular "photographer" in Cagsawa :p

He also serves as a tour guide if you want to go around Legazpi, Albay. (same as Kuya Jun, pictured earlier with the motorcycle)

Kuya EDWARD's number is +63-919-957-0130

These were just a few of the silly shots he made me do:

 

A gratuity tip would be very much appreciated by the locals but no certain amount is expected.

Php 20 should be, at least, the minimum.

Next Stop: DARAGA CHURCH

"The church of Daraga, Albay is dedicated to their patroness Our Lady of the Gates. The church stands on top of a hill which gives you a commanding view of the Bicolandia’s most famous attraction: The Mayon Volcano.

The church was built in 1773 by the Franciscan missionaries after the original church was buried Cagsawa after a massive volcanic eruption. This Baroque architectural masterpiece features religious carvings in its facade." - Byahilo

It was very hard to get a full view of the volcano because of the clouds.

Locals said that the Mayon Volcano view is usually clear from 6AM to 8AM.

Fortunately, I got to take a glimpse of it..

It was truly mesmerizing to see the peak of Mayon Volcano!

I'll be back next year!!!

LAST STOP: SIBID SIBID Restaurant

Peñaranda Extension, Bonot, Legazpi City.   

(Tel Num: 480-3030)

Located across WAWAY's, this fairly new restaurant had already captured the regulars of WAWAY's.

This was where my trike driver and I had our lunch :)

We ordered what Kuya Jun recommended: Pinangat and Bicol Express

Spicy Pinangat (Php 70) - spicy laing. This was good but I wish it was more spicy.

Spicy Sibid Express (Php 145) - spicy Bicol express

I was expecting this to be really spicy but to my surprise, it was not that spicy because they did not use Siling Labuyo =/

It was already 12:45 PM when we finished our lunch, just in time to head back to the airport.

Wow!!! What a wonderful surprise! 

You can still see Mayon Volcano while waiting for the plane to arrive!!!

I hope that the new Legazpi International Airport would still have the same magnificent view as this :)

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Fashion & Symphony at Shangri-La Plaza

Big thanks to Periwinkle for making Sofia Gabrielle Yu part of Shangri-La Plaza's 2010 Fashion Show.

Fashion & Symphony at Shangri-La Plaza was organized by SLPC and it was a success!

Dick Gordon was there to support the show as well as Issa Litton.

Let's not keep the crowd waiting..

and let the show begin...

Cute little boy model for Fletcher

Debenhams child couple

Bianca Valerio for Debenhams

I so love this dress by Kenneth Cole

Another one for Kenneth Cole

(how I wish all men have the same body type)

Models for Mango

Anne Klein

(I heart those shoes)

The Zara outfit of the little girl reminds me of Princess Sara from "The Little Princess"

I heart those shorts from M)phosis

Phoemela Baranda and Bianca Valerio for TopShop

Bianca Valerio in Red Gown for Rustan's

Warehouse

Celine

K & Company

Awesome dresses by Mico Boutique

Issa Litton for The Ramp

The show was absolutely fun! Sofia Gabrielle enjoyed a lot and wanted to do more of this next time :)

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Brass Monkey has the Best Host in Kota Kinabalu

We landed Kota Kinabalu at around 8PM via Cebu Pacific and we were hungry.

Good thing we checked Trip Advisor and found BRASS MONKEY in their top restaurant list.

We asked our taxi driver to drive us to BRASS MONKEY and since it's already late, we asked in advance if there would still be taxis around the area around 11pm. 

The taxi driver informed us that empty taxis do not frequent the area so we told the him to pick us up at 11pm.

Initially, we had a hard time looking for the place. Luckily, we circled around and found an itsy bitsy sign that says "BRASS MONKEY."

We were looking for a packed restaurant because when we called earlier from the hotel, they told us that they cannot accept walk-ins anymore as they were full that night. 

When we reached the place, there were definitely plenty more seats to be filled.

A friendly waitress approached us and recommended their AUSSIE WAGYU BEEF SIRLOIN (RM 145) served with soup, mashed potato/corn and veggies on the side.

The rest ordered N.Z. TENDERLOIN STEAK (RM 55), GRILLED KING KONG STEAK (RM 38.50) and GRILLED QUEEN KONG STEAK (RM 36). 

All steaks were served with Black Pepper or Mushroom Sauce. (I personally prefer the Black Pepper sauce)

This is basically what all our steaks looked like :) almost same size for all :)

one word to best describe the steak -- DELECTABLE!!!

It was tender, juicy and YUMMY :)

However, I wouldn't recommend getting the WAGYU beef because there was no significant difference from the other steaks.

For our drinks, we ordered the House RED WINE (RM 12.50 per glass),ICE LEMONADE (RM 6.75), FRESH LIME JUICE (RM 5.50)  and WATERMELON JUICE (RM 5)

The Watermelon Juice lacked flavor and sweetness. 

The Ice Lemonade tasted like old lemons so I advice you not to order that.

Desserts were included with the N.Z. TENDERLOIN and AUSSIE WAGYU BEEF

CHOCOLATE and VANILLA PUDDING came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Sweetness was just right and texture was perfect!

The owner, Raja Sagaran, even visited our table and made sure that we have a ride back to the hotel before letting us go. (How thoughtful of him. We really appreciated it.)

Indeed, Brass Monkey has the Best Host in Kota Kinabalu!

and we are coming back!

BRASS MONKEY CAFE & BAR 

Lot No. 1-0 Lorong Lintas Plaza 4

Lintas Plaza, Kota Kinabalu 

88300 Malaysia 

Tel Number: 6088261543 
Email: sagaranraja@gmail.com

One Fine Day in Bohol

October 23, 2010 (Manila - Tagbilaran - Manila)

Plane Fare: XXXX Pesos

Guided Tour: 600 pesos

Spending one fine day in Bohol with me, myself and my new found friend Tricycle Driver (Allan): PRICELESS!!!

I arrived Tagbilaran 9:15am and left at 1:55pm on the same day.

I was the first to leave the plane when it landed and  right after I left the airport, drivers were zooming from every direction. 

My first plan was to have lunch by the beach - alone- in Panglao Island.

An annoying tricycle driver insisted that I go with him for 250 pesos one way. (So that's 500 pesos for a roundtrip to Panglao Island). I said it was too expensive since it was only 15-20 minutes away from the airport.

In short, I did not get his services.

Fortunately, Allan overheard the haggling and after I rejected the first driver, he approached me and told me he can drive me for 400 pesos roundtrip.  (He was kind enough to ask permission from the rejected driver first)

I immediately said okay because he was too nice. My instincts told me that he will be a good companion for this trip. (and I was right! Ha!)

On our way to Panglao Island, he was telling me about some tourists who went to Bohol and mentioned that he took them to different places in the island.

Since this is my first time in Bohol, why not ask him to drive me around instead?

So, I changed my plan and I told him to bring me anywhere he thought I would like!

First stop: HINAGDANAN CAVE

Entrance Fee: 15 pesos 

Tricycle Parking Fee: 5 pesos

The stairs going down the cave was steep and you have to watch your head as you climb up/down. Bats were everywhere. Just mind your steps and ignore the flying bats :p

There was a number of light bulbs inside the cave so you don't need to bring flashlights.

I saw a group of young men jumping off the edge of the rocks to dive and swim in the hazy water. Be careful as it can go up to 12 feet deep. The water is hazy due to mixture of freshwater and seawater, just like the Twin Lagoons of Coron. Swimming is allowed because the water is flowing freely from certain points; otherwise, it won't be allowed :)

By the way, this is all that you will see in the cave. Nothing more! 

I think I stayed there for less than 5 minutes just to take pictures.

Next stop: BLOOD COMPACT SITE or SANDUGO

no entrance fee

Located at Barangay Bool was "a marker that identifies the spot where Datu Sikatuna, a native Boholano chieftain, forged a Blood Compact with Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, representing the King of Spain, for the purpose of fostering friendly relations between the two countries. The Blood Compact on March 16, 1565 is considered as the first “Treaty of Friendship” between the brown and white races." - travelsmart

Next stop: BIGGEST and LONGEST PYTHON IN CAPTIVITY

Entrance Fee: 10 pesos

Tricycle Parking Fee: 10 pesos

This famous python is said to be 14 years old. The owner claims that this is the world's biggest and longest python in captivity. Everyone is free to have their pictures taken. The owner herself is inside the cage, willing to take photos of guests with her "pet." No extra fee is required but donations are appreciated.

Aside from the famous python, there are other animals in the vicinity, also worthy of picture taking. These includes flying lemurs, eagles, monkeys and other kinds of birds.

Next Stop: LOBOC RIVER

A lunch at the Riverboat Cruise is a must in Bohol. However, I needed to go back to the airport by 1pm so I decided not to have lunch here because the ride will take 45 minutes to an hour. Buffet lunch cruise is around 350-400 pesos per person, which includes barbeque, fruits, etc. Some also provide entertainment like musicians serenading you while you dine and enjoy the view.

Next Stop: TARSIERS

NO ENTRANCE FEES (by donation only)

There are plenty of places in Bohol that offers a personal experience with the smallest primate in the world.

So if you happen not to be able to get a good picture with a tarsier, just ask your driver to bring you to another tarsier stop. Most were along the road going to Loboc River Cruise. 

My first encounter was with the wild tarsiers at Kinapa-an Kingdom. They kept on jumping from one branch to the other so it was impossible to get a good picture with them.

Luckily, Allan was kind enough to bring me to different tarsier stops so I can take a better picture of them and with them.

Just a note: Please refrain from touching the tarsiers as they get stressed. They are not used to being with people and held in captivity. It is known that when they get too stressed out, they commit suicide by banging their heads on the branches or walls. *sigh* Also, please do not use flash photography so you won't blind them.

Last Tourist Spot: BACLAYON CHURCH

Baclayon church is the oldest church in the country. 

"Both in the external and internal portions of the church are various interesting relics and artifacts dating back to the early 16th century, which have now been placed at the Baclayon Museum." - travelsmart

Unfortunately, I was not able to take a glimpse of what's inside because they were on lunch break!

Baclayon Church Lunch Break: 11:45am - 1pm

Baclayon Museum Lunch Break: 11:45am - 1:30pm

I truly had a wonderful ME TIME!!!

Allan was super nice so if anyone is planning on going to Bohol, just contact Allan!!Don't worry, his uncle has a van that could take group tours :)

ALLAN (Bohol Tour Guide)  - 0910-912-6655

There are plenty more things and sites to see in Bohol so I have to go back with my friends next time :)

- Chocolate Hills

- Danao Adventure

- Dolphin Watching

- Loboc River Cruise

- Baclayon Church