OLA: Getting Excited in HongKong (HK)!

HongKong Island Skyline at night

the tram coming down from the Peak

Exciting is the word for HK! In five frenzied days we covered Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon, and Macau. There are five things that best describe HK: world’s bests (longest escalator, largest seated Buddha, largest lights/music show), great food experiences (Chinese fine dining and street food, British afternoon and high tea), easy transportation (ferries, MTR, taxis, buses, trains, trams, cable cars), best shopping (variety and good price), and proximity to Macau and Shenzhen!

the Skyworld at the Peak

It was Bill’s first trip to the Chinese city and my umpteenth since almost 30 years ago when I ran a business there for half of every month (the other half in Manila). The changes are simply dramatic! Then Kai Tak International Airport was located such that passengers could not believe how a plane could squeeze past the high-rise buildings as it approached the runway.  The massive HK International Airport is now on Lantau Island and a looong bridge/highway connects the island to the peninsula.

artistry inside Man Mo

The only thing that was familiar to me was Victoria Peak, the highest point on HK Island, but even that has changed.  Now a giant SkyWorld juts upward on the peak to create a 360 degree view. A big Peak Tram hauls huge crowds that line up to ride to the top. The enchantment I felt when I took the ride on the old tram is gone. The Peak is now so commercialized with all the restaurants and food chains and stores and boutiques all over! Besides, it was a foggy day and the view was unfortunately hazy.

Mid-Levels Escalator at Soho

But Man Mo Temple and Cat Street changed all that! The area is great for Chinoiserie and the disappointment soon faded away.  Especially when we got to the Mid-Levels Escalators, the longest escalator in the world, equivalent to about 2,600 steps, half a mile long! At its mid-point is the Soho District with lots of watering holes for Chuppies (Chinese yuppies) and expats. I used to live in a Mid-Level Apartment. How much easier my life would have been if we’d had those escalators then!  

The Symphony of Lights from Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

the Giant Buddha after 260 steps

That evening we had our first sumptuous dinner at Serenade, a Chinese restaurant overlooking the harbor on Tsim Sha Tsui. We had the best view of The Symphony of Lights, the largest lights/music extravaganza in the world involving the biggest buildings on HK Island! Upon waking up the next day we went to Lantau Island via hover ferry and bus (coming back via cable car and MTR). Besides the new airport, the island is home to five-year old Disneyland, the 30m high Giant Buddha (the biggest seated Buddha in the world) and the Po Lin Monastery with its famous three bronze Buddhas (Past, Present, and Future),   

Past, Present, and Future 

Our second Chinese dinner was at Yu Joy in the Elements with Nini, an old friend, whose daughter is in charge of men’s fashion in Louis Vitton. Upon waking up to another day, we quickly went to fabled Macau! We discovered it is not just a gambling mecca (with only 30 casinos against Las Vegas’ 100, it nevertheless rakes in ten times the revenue)! It is also a World Heritage Site, with many old places of Chinese and Portuguese influences.  And the hydrofoil gets you in and out of there in just 50 mins!

St. Paul Ruins in Macau

Although the highlight of the day was the Tree of Prosperity (a large golden green tree comes up after a golden dome opens up from the floor while a large crystal chandelier comes down to meet it after the golden ceiling opens up). There were even a Bellagio-like lights show and an inexpensive Macanese dinner at Wynn Macau. However, we spent most of the day the visiting World Heritage Sites: The St. Paul Ruins, the Largo Senado, the three oldest churches, the oldest squares, and a temple that had been there even before the Portuguese came, with Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian Pavilions!

the tri-religion temple in Macau, there before the Portuguese came

HK Walled City Memorial

On our fourth day, near our hotel, we found the HK Walled City Park, a tribute to the section that, until 1993 when it was demolished, bred prostitution, drugs, and crime in HK. The Park is HK’s finest with the Old South Gate, the Chess Garden, the Almshouse, the 6 Arts Terrace, the Zodiac Garden. But I liked the memorial best, a testament to an ugly period. Then we joined Bryn (whom we met in Palawan) and his brother Marc for the famed Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula for which many wait in line for over an hour!

fortune telling booth at Temple Night Market

That night, we started our own version of the HK shopping spree by punishing our legs walking the Temple Street Night Market with its fortune tellers and Chinese opera singers and the endless booths of the Ladies Market. Upon waking up the next day, we quickly looked for the Cotton-On store for a specific shirt/short combination my daughter April wanted. Unfortunately, the design had been replaced. So we tried to complete our ‘mission’ at The One shopping plaza, skipping Kowloon Park.

Wynn Macau Light Show

But, alas and alack, there was no more next day in HK to wake up to!  If we ever get the chance to go back, we will see Aberdeen, the fishing village where you can get a sampan joy ride and dine at the biggest floating restaurant in the world. We shall also be more prepared for the entry requirements for Shenzhen in mainland China, only a little more than 2 hours away by train, where they say the best shopping can be had! HK is truly one exciting destination! You must go there at least once!

the Tree of Prosperity at Wynn Macau

Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula

Next Stop: Getting Enchanted in Taiwan

Dinner with Nini and Anna at Yu Joy

OLA: Enjoying Great Day Trips from Manila

Taal Volcano, the smallest volcano within a volcano's crater, Taal Lake

Metro Manila is a megalopolis of 20 M people in 16 fused cities and suburbs. At the heart of it is Old Manila, the Walled City of Intramuros, where the Spanish colonial rule of 300 years is etched, despite the ravages of war. Then 1 ½ hours away in the town of Tagaytay, Cavite is a natural wonder…Taal Volcano, the world’s smallest volcano within a volcano on whose ridge the town has grown.

14 guns at the walled city of Manila

Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Its name literally means "within the walls". For hundreds of years, it was the nerve center of the Spanish rule but it suffered grievously in WW II. In the 1980s, the government led a major restoration effort and today it is a prominent tourist spot where visitors can experience Spanish-era Manila. The tricycle driver that we hired to ferry us around had to remove his canvas top to allow Bill’s head to fit!

Fort Santiago

A major part of Intramuros is Fort Santiago, built in 1571, a fortress against marauding Chinese pirates, a prison for Spanish-era political prisoners, and a Japanese torture chamber in World War II. The Battle for Manila in WW II almost succeeded in destroying the Fort altogether. Today, it is a relaxing place to visit – a beautiful and informative gateway into the Philippines' colonial past. While we were there, a new documentary on the Philippines’ National Anthem, ‘Lupang Hinirang’ was being shot!

Manila Cathedral

The Manila Cathedral is the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Manila. The present structure is actually the sixth church to occupy the site. The first one, built in 1581, was razed to the ground by fire two years after it was built. But the nearby San Agustin Church, like the 3 other churches featured in my last post, is a World Heritage Site. It was first constructed in 1571 and destroyed by marauding pirates in 1574. It was built (and destroyed) two more times before the present structure was completed in 1604 with a design so stable that even earthquakes or battles could not topple it.

Rizal Park

San Agustin Church

Near the Walled City is Rizal Park where the monument for our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, stands on the site where he was martyred by the Spaniards. Originally a part of Intramuros, the University of Sto Tomas was transferred to its present site, preserving the arch. The Pontifical and Royal University is a private Roman Catholic university founded in 1611, 25 years before Harvard. It is the world's largest Catholic university in terms of enrollment found on a single campus. As a Pontifical University in Asia, it the only one visited by two popes: once by Pope Paul VI in 1970 and twice by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and 1995. Flor, my sister-in-law, who studied there and worked 16 years after was our personal guide.

Entrance Arch at UST

the University of Sto. Tomas

From a reliving of the history of Manila, we go to the cool natural wonder of Tagaytay, a city that sits on the ridge of an extinct volcano’s crater. In the middle of this crater lies Taal Volcano, the smallest in the world. Just a few weeks the Taal town folk were evacuated as it spewed gases but it is now quiet again. During our last trip in 2009, we took a banca to Taal, mounted two horses that took us to the top, loved the cold coconuts served us when we made it there and at the top and marveled at the volcano’s crater.

preparing to ride up to the top

me at the crater of the smallest volcano

Returning to shore gave us nice fresh seafood fare from the lake. The cool air in Tagaytay certainly draws many to escape the Manila heat to and visit places like Sonya’s Garden, the Caleruega Chapel, and just take in the peaceful scenic wonder. At The beaches in the lowlands of the nearby province, Batangas, Bill and April took several dives at the famous dive spot in Anilao.

on the shores of the smallest volcano

There are other day trips we ran out of time to do. There is a small river rafting trip to Pansanjan Falls, a relaxing visit to the City of Seven Lakes, San Pablo, and a short hydrofoil ride to Corregidor Island in the middle of Manila Bay which was the last stand of the Filipino-American troops in WWII. And, of course, at the reclaimed area where the Mall ofAsia is also lie the new wonders, the Manila Oceanarium and the Ocean Park. Truly, Metro Manila can be a base for many wonders to be explored in just a day.

Bill and April preparing to dive at Anilao

Next stop: Taking Great Side Trips to HK and Taiwan

Taking a Road Trip to the Northernmost Tip OLA

Pagudpud Beach in the northernmost tip of Luzon, the largest island in the archipelago

I am sipping a cocoa drink before breakfast at the open deck of the beach resort looking out to the South China Sea, our lovely cottage sitting next to an inviting pool. Bill and my daughter April, co-drivers on the exciting road trip to the Philippine North, are still trying to get renewed from yesterday's ordeal. We arrived at Bauang, La Union at 10 PM the night before.  We had traveled about 830 km witht 290 to go to our base in Makati, Philippines. This has been a trip not only of amazing churches but also of tropical beaches!

penitents preparing to carry their crosses

We left in the wee hours of the morning of Holy Thursday, 2011 to avoid the morning surge of Catholic Philippines getting out of the city for annual pilgrimages cum getaways. The North Luzon Expressway now extends all the way to Tarlac City, Tarlac with the Subic-Clark Interchange Expressway but, not being familiar with this freeway, we exited too early into Dau, Pampanga whose streets were teeming with penitents in self-flagellation or chanting the ‘pabasa’ (Passion readings) for 48 straight hours.

   

Isdaan, the floating restaurant

A wonderful breakfast awaited us at Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac, a floating restaurant with all the familiar Filipino fare and international dishes with wandering musicians serenading customers in each group’s favorite genre, just at the exit to the old highway.  At mid-afternoon we arrived in a World Heritage Site, Vigan, Ilocos Sur. It is the one place in the country, in fact Asia, where the 300 years of Spanish rule remains painted in the 17^th century homes preserved as a Heritage Village, undamaged even by war.

the World Heritage Village at night in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

St. Paul's Cathedral in Vigan

Cordillera Inn was our home in the village. We walked alongside ‘kalesas’ that ferried tourists on the cobbled roads. The St. Paul’s Cathedral, another World Heritage Site built in 1641, had its floats (Stations of the Cross) ready for the Good Friday procession. On the opposite side of the plaza is the Vigan Empanadahan, a collection of stands that make the delicious deep-fried sausage, egg, and cabbage rolls. The Crisologo Museum, ancestral home of the town patriarchs, gave us a closer look at life in Vigan.

Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte

Before reaching Laoag, we stopped by Paoay, Ilocos Norte where another World Heritage Site, the Paoay Church, built in 1594, still stands.  This was the highlight of my trip for I was not aware that the Philippines had a structure like this. In serving as the political backbone of Spanish colonial rule, churches were subject to attacks by local revolts. Thus the baroque architecture has the appearance of a fortress, with the large imposing buttresses at the sides and the massive unrestored facade. 

entrance to the Marcos Mausoleum

We passed by the Malacanang (presidential palace) of the North on the shores of Paoay Lake, built by the Marcoses during their infamous rule. At the next town of Batac, Ilocos Norte we found the Marcos Mausoleum where the lavishly waxed body of Marcos still lies inside a large, stately, and gloomy tomb preserved in a vacuum-sealed glass coffin. A cluster of 3 houses complete the Marcos estate and more than 2 decades after the dictator was deposed by a People Power, he still draws a crowd.

St. William's Cathedral in Laoag, Ilocos Norte

In Laoag, Ilocos Norte, St. William’s Cathedral and its Sinking Bell Tower, built in 1612, is another World Heritage Site known for its Italian Renaissance design and its Sinking Bell Tower, which sinks into the ground at a rate of an inch a year. Damaged by hurricanes in 1640, by earthquake in 1706, and by fire in 1843, the church was restored in 1880. The bell tower, however, is already undergoing demolition. To our delight the whole city spilled into the streets, carrying lighted candles for a Good Friday Procession.

and its sinking bell tower, undergoing demolition

the Tobacco Monopoly Monument

Too bad we could not capture all the scenes as the battery of our camera died. But we were able to take a picture of the Tobacco Monopoly Monument which stands right at the town plaza, just after the ‘Hollywood’ sign of the city, visible from the Marcos Bridge as one enters it.  The monument was constructed when the Monopoly which began in 1781 was lifted in 1881. Those 100 years gave the Ilocanos untold miseries as they were obligated to plant tobacco solely for the Spanish government.

Laoag, Hollywood style

the Bangui Wind Farm

The road to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte is not as good with an unfinished kilometer of concrete road. But soon after this stretch we were in awe at the Bangui Wind Farm, 20 units of 70-meter high wind turbines with a total capacity of 33 mw, describing a graceful arch as they stretched on a single row along a 9-kilometer shoreline off Bangui Bay. Finally, we reached the northernmost tip of Luzon, the largest island of the archipelago we luxuriated on the white sands of Saud Beach.

fishermen awaiting their early morning catch

We listened to the music of the ocean by day and relaxed to the music of the bands by night, feasting on local seafood and we lingered till after lunch the following day, thinking that the drive to Bauang would just be 4 hours (it was 8!). The night drive gave us priceless photos of fishermen waiting for their early catch in their bancas, glittering like fireflies on a still ocean below a crimson sky.  Our road trip on the northwestern coast of Luzon not only gave us beach time but an amazing Visita Iglesia, a most fitting getaway during Holy Week in Catholic Philippines!

delicious Vigan empanadas

Next: Enjoying Day Trips from Manila

  

Exploring the Southwest, Part 2

We were supposed to proceed to Nogales in Arizona for our Mexican extravaganza (and a scheduled family reunion in Mazatlan) but we decided to first visit the only living sibling of my late mother in San Diego. On the way we found GEMS: a desert recreational area in Ocotillo Wells, the apple town of Julian, and Ramona Canyon RV Resort in California and the Casa Grande Ruins, the Saguaro National Park, and Tombstone in Arizona on the way back east.  Then we decided to join Thousand Trails. 

 First we chanced upon a huge ATV rally with ‘toys for the big boys’ jam packed in a desert made colorful by the event. The Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area is more than 80,000 acres of magnificent desert open for off-highway exploration and recreation.  The northwestern boundary connects with the half-million acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, open to highway-legal vehicles. Asking Bill if this is one thing he would like to do, he said, ‘No, that’s not my sort of thing.’

Then we happily stumbled upon Julian, an unincorporated community east of San Diego, population: 1,621. Although Julian's picturesque setting attracts tourists, recreationalists and antique lovers, the town is most famous for its apple crop. The variety grown locally is considered less sweet than most traditional types, but pies and cider made from the fruit have garnered great popularity for nearly 100 years. And we were there at the heart of the Apple Festival! So, we lined up for some great apple pie!

Local shops can keep you for hours (my fave sweater I got there for only $8!). But what we cannot forget is the Old Julian Cemetery where we found the only parking space left.  As we were about to leave, Bill accidentally hooked the rear bumper onto the arch post at the gate.  But along came Daniel Lewis, secretary for the cemetery’s association. He literally and single-handedly extricated Star (and us) from the dilemma.  His book, Last Known Address, about the cemetery’s history, is now a prized possession.

At nightfall we arrived at the Ramona Canyon RV Resort.  And In the chilly October night, we treated ourselves to an outdoor steaming spa.  The next morning, after a horseshoe battle fought and won by Bill, we went to the karaoke event at the Clubhouse and, of course, I poured my heart out in several songs! The next day, as we were about to leave, several of us got together for a farewell potluck and our hook into the RV cruising lifestyle was forever sealed!

We never did go around San Diego. We visited Tia Juana, the only living sibling of my mother, almost 90, her devoted son Polly, Ate Tesing, her daughter, and Kuya Ute, her husband. It is always nice to visit family but we had to go to Menifee where we were to sign up for a 3-year Thousand Trails membership. It was like graduating from the daily search for the best deal in campgrounds.  Now we can plan better ahead, have more choices, and be finally at Phase 2 of the RV Cruising Lifestyle! 

Back to the journey to Nogales, our first stop was Casa Grande Ruins in Coolidge, Arizona. The national monument was constructed by the ancient people of the Hohokam period, who farmed the Gila Valley in the early 13th century. "Casa Grande" is Spanish for "big house" referring to the remains of a four story structure that has managed to survive the extreme weather conditions for about seven centuries. It now has a distinctive modern, thereby controversial, roof covering built in 1932 for protection.

On the way to our campground in St. David, Arizona, we drove through the Saguaro National Park. The two sections of the park conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert where the saguaro cactus thrives.  The St. David RV Resort is beautiful with its own lake and pool and there was a crafts sale and other activities.  But what we liked the most was the short trip to Tombstone, a former silver-mining boomtown most remembered for being the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

The most famous graveyard of the Old West is Boot Hill where various victims of violence and disease in Tombstone's early years, including those from the O.K. Corral gunfight were buried. Saloon ladies on Allen Street in which the gunfight occurred in 1881 is also preserved. Bill found his sexy lady (with my permission!). However, since much of this street fight occurred in Tombstone's Fremont Street, daily reenactments are also viewable! So I also found my Wyatt Earp!

According to Guinness, the world's largest rosebush was planted in Tombstone in 1885 and still flourishes today. This Lady Banksia rose now covers 8,000 sq ft of the roof on an inn, and has a 12 ft circumference trunk. Unfortunately, the rose bush was not in bloom when we were there. No wonder Tombstone receives approximately 450,000 tourist visitors each year and is a National Heritage Site.  Gems abound wherever we go but our 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday beckons!

 So off we headed for Nogales, what we believe is the better point of entry to sunny Mexico!