I am a 30-something Filipina involved in development work. Much as I am in love with traveling, meeting new people and having new experiences, I find more passion in using my skills and talents in helping shape a better future for other people, especially the rural poor. It's a bonus that I get to travel while I do just that.
And oh, I'm a real sucker for good food, especially the ones that look great in photographs. And yes, I really do want to change the world. :D
It’s that time of year again when colorful and magnificent fireworks accompanied by groovy and magical music light the sky and illuminate Manila bay at Mall of Asia. Yep, get your cameras, videocams and tripods ready and troop to MoA for the 4th International Pyrolympics Competition!
The competition lasts for several weekends and is held on Saturdays. We watched the competition between Taiwan and Spain on February 23.
We settled at Sumo San with the consumable amount of 600 per head. The table available offered us a nice view and a relaxed vice as we ate and drank our hearts out!
The first performance was from Taiwan. Being a musical fireworks competition, the Taiwan performance was accompanied by traditional-sounding Chinese melody. It was also some kind of a story-telling.
I think they gave an English version or explanation but it still sounded Chinese-ish to me. The music and fireworks worked well though. And as Elaine put it, Taiwan really used the sky and the melody to tell the story.
On the other hand, Spain’s music and fireworks spectacle used modern and more “danceable” music. I think that’s the great thing about the Pyrolympics competition—there’s variety in the musical fireworks performances.
I was more impressed with the Taiwan performance, but that’s probably because they had more colors in it.
Spain’s performance was mostly yellow and white. There was a mesmerizing quality in it though.
At one point, we were all just gazing upon it, disregarding the sumptuous Japanese dishes at Sumo San!
Well, of course, the way that we are, we finished almost everything. And even had space for dessert!
Clear blue waters, impressive stone formations and cliffs, unique long tail boats, fine white sand, amazingly clear skies—yes, it’s the Ko Phi Phi paradise in Phuket, Thailand!
I decided to include Phuket as part of my 4-week backpacking South East Trip way back in October 2011. I heard somewhere that this is where they shot the film “The Beach” with Leonardo di Caprio, even if the true-to-life inspiration to that came from El Nido in the Philippines! Continue reading FotoFolio: Ko Phi Phi, Phuket, Thailand (The Beach!)→
One fine December day in 2010, we went to Star City and channeled our inner kid personas. Do you believe that there’s a kid in everyone, no matter how old we get? Well, I do! And apparently, my friends and family too!
Indoor Roller Coaster (try this before the star flyer!)
I think that before this, the last time I went to Star City was with Jed and Lalai in May of 2010. Before this, my last Star City day was probably way back in grade school. You see, school field trips in the Philippines usually have a big chunk of the day reserved for amusement parks. For the fun of the young ones and maybe the same for their teachers who secretly want to take that roller coaster ride!
Enter the caves!
And, even in Philippine festivals, there will almost always be a “carnival” aka “perya” area set-up a month or weeks before the actual fiesta.
Treasure!
It’s like a small version of amusement parks or theme parks like Star City or Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna. The “perya” comes and goes once a year unlike the more permanent Star City and EK.
Wide View of outdoor rides and attractions from the indoor park
Of course, the rides are smaller and lesser and the shows and aesthetics are not as great in the “perya” but hey, Filipinos are known for being able to make the best out of any situation!
Spiderman, is that you?!
Apart from the thrilling rides, there are also games and sports that people can play while in Star City. You can go for basketball, gun shooting games, throw-a-hoop games, and all other sorts of games for fun and enjoyment. There’s also the lazer blaster (I loved this one!) live action shooting game to keep your blood pumping!
Don’t do this at home, especially not when wearing a Minnie Mouse headband (peace, batch!)
The amusement park tries it’s best not just to cater to the kids but to all age groups. If you can’t take the adventure rides, you can always go for the “interactive” attractions at Star City like the Pirate boat ride adventure. Maybe you’ll find Jack Sparrow or Captain Hook somewhere. Or they might find you!
Cruise along inside the Pirate Adventure boat ride
If you want to relive the time of dinosaurs, you can check out the Dino Island and Museum. There’s also an attraction for the horror house (not my favorite as I get scared easily!) if you are feeling Ghost Buster-ish.
EEK! Geek!
And for those who are looking forward to adrenalin rush, there’s always the Surf Dance (a major, major attraction at Star City) and the outdoor roller coaster ride (for baby steps, go for the smaller indoor version first!) which also commands a long lie of passengers!
This is quite a ride! To make the most of it, be at the last row!
If you’re into “driving”, you can try the famous (aka long line) bump car ride. And yes, I know you want to bump ‘em cars!
My cousin now drives an actual car. And no, she’s not bumping any!
If you are looking for a more subtle choice, you can go for the water bump car. Don’t worry, the water is not that deep!
So yeah. Star City does offer each and every visitor a chance to be like Peter Pan for a day. Or, ok, to not be gender bias, Alice in Wonderland? I am not sure if comparisons are correct but what I’m trying to say is, if you are in Manila and you don’t have the time to go to Enchanted Kingdom or the money to go for Universal Studios in Singapore, why not visit Star City instead?! Let Star City give you a chance to channel the inner kid in you!
As part of my South India on a Run (aka final holiday in India), I explored and basked in the history and charm of Hampi in Karnataka, South India, the former seat of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Towering Virupaksha Temple (as seen) from the gates of Achyutarya Temple)
Hampi is getting more and more popular to tourists these days, especially attracting the foreign “hippie crowd” who are the mainstays of less-known and more secluded beaches of Goa and Gokarna.
Across the River
So much so that the “island” across the river from the main Hampi Bazaar area is locally known as the “Hippie Island”.
Bunder (Monkey) in the House at the Virupaksha Temple
Apart from the monuments and old temples, Hampi also has a lot of Lord Hanuman’s relatives—monkeys! You would see them in almost every temple, running and jumping around. And yes, they are cute and all but what would amuse you more, actually for almost all monkeys I’ve seen not just in Hampi but everywhere in India, is their ability to eat all the processed and packed foods as if they were born to have it!
The Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple is one of the most visited and photographed
Another amazing thing about Hampi is the fact that a lot of its monuments (at least the ones I saw) are still pretty much intact. Some has been reconstructed (it’s distracting when I saw the workers do this by the way) and luckily were made as if it was the real thing.
The pillars of the Kalyana Mandapa (Wedding Hall) at Vittala Temple Complex
I only managed to see the temples in Hampi and not the palaces as I was really taking my time with each and I wasn’t much in the mood to overexert myself to go around. I t was hot when I went (February) and I guess I was tired from my Aurangabad trip just the previous weekend!
Achyutarya Temple from the top (you have to climb from the gate and then go down)
Also, I think, while Hampi is totally doable in a day, you would need more than that to imbibe all the history and culture it could offer. I mean, if you would like really want to see and feel Hampi, you just gotta take your time and stay longer!
All in all, Hampi is a great place to see if you want to do some Indiana Jones or Lara Croft-like activities. Trekking, stone-climbing, river crossings and maybe even treasure hunting.
Virupaksha Temple from the Hill just before sunset
Another good thing you can do is devote a little of your time (and money) to help the cause of the Hampi Children Trust. Ran by a CouchSurfer (who hosted me despite him being in Kerala), Hampi Children Trust aims to educate 40 local children in different standards (grades). You can also buy second-hand donated books for sale too! I think it’s a good way of traveling and also giving back to Hampi!
One of the things I am looking forward to upon returning to the Philippines is the summer season! As a tropical country with 7,107 islands (yep, you read it right!), Philippines proudly boasts of white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, and palm frond shorelines!
The Diarist Wanders 