Christmas Blues from Wisconsin

Merry Christmas Everyone!

It's almost Christmas in the Philippines. And it's killing me that I'm not in Manila right now.  I miss the puto bumbong and bibingka right after simbang gabi. I miss the endless Christmas songs on the radio. I miss the Christmas bazaars and Christmas rush. I miss the midnight mass with the whole family and the grandiose Noche Buena afterwards. I miss the over all Christmas spirit. It's different. 

I promised myself that I'll spend my Christmas holidays in Manila next year. There's no better Christmas than Pinoy Christmas.

Mikey Bustos says it all. =)

Things to do in Maui

Here is my top ten to do list when you're in one of the most beautiful islands on earth.

1. Watch the sunset and take awesome pictures.

The sunset Luau in Kaanapali beach starts with a torch lighting ceremony. A performer runs from the resort ground to the top of the Black Rock, light the torch, say a little prayer then proceeds on diving to the sea.

2. Hit the beach.

Swim, snorkel, surf. Just do it. 

3. Bring the beach essentials.

Beach towel, SPF lotion and a fat book. 

4. Bring an underwater camera.

This is essential if you love snorkeling or diving or any other water related activities. 

5. Snorkel in Molokini and Turtle Town.

Molokini is a famous dive spot in Maui. It is a crescent shaped partially submerged volcano crater located 3 miles off of the south Maui shoreline. Aside from being a popular dive spot, it is also a state seabird sanctuary. Landing on the Molokini crater itself is prohibited as well as dropping an anchor within its bounds in order to ensure the protection of its coral reefs. Turtle town on the other hand is pretty obvious. It is teeming with green sea turtles. There are a lot of packages you can avail that offers snorkeling activities on both sites.

6. Go on a road trip to Hana.

The only requirement for you to enjoy a road trip to Hana is a spectacular driving skills. Or go with somebody who does. It's a 50 mile drive with about 600 hairpin turns. If you have a horrible driving skills like me, go on a tour instead of driving. It is safer that way.

If you choose to rent a car, choose a convertible. I know that's not a practical decision but I'm so glad we did. There are too many beautiful views along Hana road. Every angle is postcard perfect so a convertible is worth it. 

7. Stop in to visit the waterfalls. 

Maui has tons of beautiful waterfalls. Each one is majestic in its own way. You can take helicopter tour to see them or you can hike your way through it. It your choice. 

8. Eat to your heart's content.

Steak, chips and fruits for breakfast. Why not?

9. Explore local towns.

Small local towns are always interesting. You'll find local museums and buy art pieces that are not over priced.

10. Have fun. Enjoy every single moment of it!

Need I say more?

Have you been to Maui or any other beautiful islands for that matter? Are there any other experiences you want to share? Share some of your to-do list. Leave a comment below. =)

Last hurrah in Oahu

We really made the most out of our brief stay in Oahu. It was an exhausting vacation. But the exhaustion wouldn't match the happiness we felt all throughout our stay. So here's our last hurrah in the island.

There's nothing better than a good cup of coffee to jumpstart another adventure filled day. I liked how almost all the  restaurants and stores in the island provides a Chinese and Japanese translation as opposed to Spanish translations in other states in the mainland. [Hawaii has the highest percentage of Asian residents.]

After coffee, we headed to the Seaside Bar and Grill for breakfast. They offer the best breakfast deal in the island. Imagine getting 2 pancakes, 2 strips of bacon and 2 eggs for $3.95! However, I wasn't contented with the deal. Instead, I ordered the Bombucha breakfast. For $10, I got rice [Yes! I'm Asian. I eat rice three times a day.], 2 strips of bacon, Portuguese sausage, 2 sausage links, a slice of spam, breakfast potatoes and 2 slices of french toast. Was that a deal or what?

Define gluttony.

After breakfast we didn't waste any more time. We drove over to Devil's Head National Monument. This was our second attempt to climbed the summit. The trail was .7 mile long but it's harder than it seems since the trail was unpaved and uneven. It lead through a dark narrow tunnel which lead to a 271 steps of steep stairway. Just when we almost thought the hike was over, we saw another narrow tunnel which lead to a 52 step spiral staircase. It took us around 1 1/2 hour to get to the top.

view from Devil's head

But once we got the summit, the heat and exhaustion was worth it because of these gorgeous views! =)

view from the other side of Devil's Head 

We drove to Byodo-In Temple afterwards. It was a very serene temple. It was so quiet and peaceful that it would be a perfect spot for meditation.

Peter contemplates as to why he wasn't born Asian. True story.

The temple is a replica of the original 950 year old Byodo-In Temple in Uji, Japan. The mountain backdrop, lush Japanese garden and koi pond helps create a very solemn atmosphere in the temple.

Byodo-In Temple replica in Oahu

It was past lunch time when we left the temple. It was our last day in Oahu and I promised myself that I would check out Max's Restaurant before I leave. Max's is a popular Filipino food chain which serves authentic Filipino delicacies.  And so we did. It was a true blue Filipino feast as we tried our hardest to finish of a huge order of crabmeat fried rice [a portion for 4 people], crispy pata and sinigang na hipon. I also ordered sago't gulaman for drinks and Peter loved it. And even though we were really full, I still forced myself to order a halo-halo to go. Damn. That was a bad habit. I liked taking things to go for later consumption even though I know I won't have room for it in the next 5 hours. I gotta get rid of this next time. Yeah. Next time. 

Germaine's Luau dancers

And for the finale, we joined the Luau at Germaine's. We found it this time and we arrived on time. 

For those who aren't familiar with this, Luau is a Hawaiian feast which features native Hawaiian delicacies such as poi and Kalua pig. Aside from the food, there are cultural presentations that showcases the rich culture and history of Hawaii. 

We were there early so we had plenty of time to walk around and take goofy pictures. We were given  food stubs and drink coupons upon admission. We didn't wait too long. We immediately headed down to the bar to get some drinks. Mai Tai for starters. We also didn't wait long for the program to start. It started of with a a prayer then we were ushered down the backyard to get the Kalua pig from the imu [underground oven]. We proceeded to the buffet table to get our dinner. I was still full from lunch at Max's so I didn't really have an appetite for food. [Yeah! I know! It doesn't sound like me.] I just got a little bit of Kalua pig, rice and some fruits which I didn't even finish. I didn't get the poi because it looked so gross. I got another round of Mai Tai instead. The host came back on stage while the guests were in the middle of having dinner. He announced that the show was about to start. 

The show took us on a musical journey that features Hawaiian customs, and traditional dances. It was also interactive as they encouraged the audience to join them on stage for some Hula lessons. It was a good show though there were cheesy segments. 

We left for Maui the morning after. =)

Hawaii Adventure part 4

Day 4 Oahu Adventures

Day 4 was hectic. We woke up at around 6:30am to catch the sunrise from Devil's Head lookout since the trail to the summit wasn't open yet. We waited for about half an hour and just enjoyed the view. Then there it was. Clouds started to open up and slowly unveiled the sun hiding from behind. There's something magical about sunrise. We took a lot of pictures, used a tripod and tried different camera settings but the photos will never justify the beauty of the scene we saw that morning. 

sunrise in Oahu

We decided to have breakfast while waiting for the Devil's Head State Park to allow people to go up the summit. We were so psyched to hike the trail that morning. That was a bad move. We enjoyed breakfast too much  that we stayed in the restaurant longer than we planned. When we went back to Devil's Head, the parking lot was full already and there were too many people in the summit. So we have to wait for more than an hour just to park the car inside the state park. Nah! We didn't wait. We decided to drive around the coastline. 

Breathtaking view at Makapuu

We checked out the Makapu'u Lighthouse and the view was just astounding! Aahh.. We spent a lot of time taking pictures and just admiring the view. One trivia: I read somewhere that during the winter time, the Makapuu view point offers a great vantage point for humpback whale watching. 

Lanikai beach

The pristine beach from Makapuu viewpoint was so inviting that we decided to go to Lanikai Beach to swim and get a tan. Warm turquoise water, fine sand, gentle winds every now and then, aahhh.. I love it. The best thing about Lanikai beach is that it is quiet and secluded unlike Waikiki beach. Don't get me wrong, Waikiki Beach is as stunning as Lanikai. But if you want to get away from tourist crowds, this is the perfect place for you. 

All the above activities made us hungry. And even though North Shore is an hour drive from Lanikai,  we all agreed to go for it. We aimed to hunt down the legendary Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. We didn't have a hard time finding it along Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku. The truck was parked next to a covered seating area. The place was packed with tourist and locals alike. 

 There were only three items in the menu. Shrimp scampi, lemon butter shrimp and hot and spicy. I tried the shrimp scampi. And boy that was good! It came with two scoops of rice topped with toasted garlic! aahh! Scrumptiously good!  There was also a smoothies truck and malasadas stand in the area but I didn't get to try those because I was so full already. 

Waimea Falls

We proceeded to Waimea Valley and Falls. It is open to the public 7 days a week from 9am-5pm. They also offer 6 guided hikes on a daily basis.

It was past 4pm when we got there and since we were short with time, we weren't able to do the guided hike. We rented a shuttle to take us to the waterfalls. The waterfalls was beautiful although you can't really compare it to the gorgeous Pagsanjan Falls. I was just in the water for five minutes then I had get out. The water was freezing! We walked our way back to the to the car to check out the botanical collection of Waimea Valley. I need to be honest, aside from the falls, I found nothing spectacular about the botanical garden. 

It was a very productive day for us. We went back to the hotel to rest a little bit.

Peter and I planned to have a fancy dinner that evening. I made a reservation at Top of Waikiki. The facade of the Waikiki Business Plaza in which the Top of Waikiki is located was far from impressive. It was an old building with a funny looking penthouse. But wait till you enter the restaurant. It was amazing! 

The restaurant has a floor to ceiling glass wall and three concentric circle platforms at three different levels which gives everyone an unobstructed panoramic view of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. The restaurant makes a complete 360 degree rotation every hour. The original reservation we had was at 5:30pm just in time for sunset. But we had to push it back to 8pm because of some last minute detours we had to take. It's already dark when we got there but I would highly recommend everyone to go there during sunset. That would be really awesome! 

Top of Waikiki

Oh and before I forget, The food was amazing! I didn't get a chance to take pictures because I was so hungry i forgot. because I totally forgot I had my camera with me. *wink* The steaks are cooked to perfection and the mango creme brulee was the bomb! A little pricey,  but worth every penny.

Hawaii Adventure part 3

Day 3 Oahu Adventure

Another early day. First on our itinerary for the day was the Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. We went there early because I read in some website that there's always a lot of people visiting the historical landmark even on weekdays. 

Tickets to Arizona Memorial is free but limited. They distribute tickets on a first come first serve basis. 

I'm not a history buff but I was moved when I watched the video of how everything happened back then. I found myself thanking heavens that I wasn't born yet at that time. There were a lot of people but the atmosphere was pretty solemn. 

USS Arizona Memorial Wall 

There was a 23 minute documentary film that presents a detailed unbiased narrative of how the conflict between the Japanese and Americans started and the Pearl Harbor Attack. After the film, we proceeded to the boat which took us to the USS Arizona Memorial, the sunken battleship which served as the final resting place of thousands of soldiers who died during the attack. 

After our self guided tour in Pearl Harbor, we drove to Waikiki Beach and had a nice al fresco lunch in Duke's. 

Waikiki Beach was crowded with tourists. We saw all sorts of restaurants and sports equipment rentals around the area. Cool sea breeze, turquoise water, two rounds of fruity cocktails and fresh seafood for lunch. Was that perfect or what?

We were supposed to go to a Luau for a cultural presentation and dinner but we got lost so we had to reschedule. We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking and wandering around Honolulu.

Wine, Beer and Tequila to get the party started

And before we know it, we were starving.. again..

For dinner, we decided to try the one of the food trucks near our hotel. And boy, that was amazing! Grilled steaks or shrimp with rice were available for $6.95. If you can't decide between steaks and shrimp, you can get a combination of two for $11 friggin dollars! My tummy jumped with joy.

After dinner, we were so not ready to retire. I felt guilty about eating too much. Yeah.. just a lil bit. So Peter and I decided to stroll along Waikiki Beach.

Waikiki beach at night

The beach was deserted but the bars along the beach weren't. We sat on the beach, gazed at the stars and talked about life. For me this was a perfect way to cap of  a very long day.

Hawaii Adventure part 2

Day 2 Oahu Adventure

Our day started early because we wanted to make the most out of this trip. Our first destination, Hanauma Bay. One trivia: Hanauma Bay is made up of two Hawaiian words, “hana” which means bay and “uma” which means curved. It's a bay formed in a volcanic crater and is located along the southeast coast of Oahu. 

Hanauma Bay

We paid $7.50 per person to get in. We also paid $1.00 for parking. Before we went down to the beach, there was a compulsory film showing that everyone has to go through. It showed a little bit of history and how the government of Honolulu is preserving the bay. It also laid down the rules when you get to the beach. No loitering, no stepping on the corals, which I accidentally did several times. [sorry!]  There are lifeguards [not as hot as Baywatch lifeguards] stationed strategically throughout the entire beach park. 

We had a very relaxing time. The coral reefs were incredibly awesome. Tons of fishes in different sizes and colors were everywhere. Sun, sea and sand, what more can anyone ask for? 

2 quick travel tips for Hanauma Bay:

* Park is closed every Tuesday for environmental conservation.

* They turn people away once the parking lot is full. So be there early.

Our first activity left us starving so we immediately looked for a place to eat afterwards. We went to Seoul Garden for yakiniku. All of us haven't been in an authentic Korean restaurant before so we all agreed to give it a try.

Peter and moi in Seoul Garden. Yes I'm a dork.

I was surprised when our waitress brought us tons of little dishes because I don't remember ordering them. There were at least 11 little dishes that came with our meal. There was regular kim-chee, stewed potatoes in sugar, cabbage salad, seasoned baby fish [which I felt sorry for, so I didn't eat them] and a lot more things I wasn't able to figure out.  Anyway, the highlight of the meal was the kalbi beef. I don't usually enjoy cooking  but this was an entirely different story. I grilled the meat and onions dab it into a sesame dip and dumped it in my white rice. I literally saw tons of fats from the beef rapidly spreading through the entire rice bowl giving it a slightly yellowish color. Did I feel guilty at that time? Hell no. After months of starvation from Dukan Diet, I was so ready to be bad. I ate till I can hardly breathe. 

After an enjoyable lunch, we drove around the coastline of Oahu.

Oahu coastline

To say that the view is gorgeous is definitely an understatement. Our pictures downplayed the beauty of it.

It was starting to get dark but we still had no plans of going back to the hotel. We also checked out Koko Crater Botanical Garden. It is a 60 acre botanical garden which boasts a huge collection of Cacti, Plumeria, Dryland palms, Bougainvilleas and African plants.

Me in my pink tank top and jacket and pink bougainvilleas in the background. Redundant I know.

The pink bougainvilleas reminded me of my childhood so I insisted on having my picture taken with these. My grandma used to grow this in her backyard. I, on the other hand, liked playing he loves me, he loves me not using her plants.

Thank God for this plant. My ginormous legs seem irrelevant.

The tour was self guided so we lingered around at our own pace and took a lot goofy pictures. Admission is free which was awesome. One advise: Refrain from using the the portable toilet inside the garden if you haven't had dinner yet or if you don't want to lose your appetite. I won't go down to details. Use your imagination.

to be continued..

Hawaii Adventure part 1

This is a really..really.. REALLY late post. But as they say, it's better late than never. Hawaii has always been on top my bucket list ever since I can remember. It was December of 2010 when I decided to exhaust all the resources I have to cross this out of my list. I was fully aware of how much damage it would cost me since I wanted to fully enjoy myself without worrying about every penny. So I became obsess with finding the best deals online. I spent a number of sleepless nights scouring the web for the best value deal I could find. Luckily, I stumbled upon BeachDestinations.com. It's an online travel agency which provides tons of options for a variety of famous beach destinations at any price range. [Note: They are not paying me to do this. The website is just so awesome that I wanted to share it to anyone interested.] For a little over $1200 per person, We bought an airline ticket from Chicago to Oahu and Maui to Chicago via United Airlines. An inter-island flight from Oahu to Maui via Mesa Airlines and our accomodation in a three star hotel in  Oahu as well as the condo units we rented out in Maui were also included in the price. It helped that we traveled on May because the shoulder season in Hawaii was from mid-March until May. I also found awesome car deals from Hotwire for both islands. And so our adventure began.



                                                        A quick snapshot after touchdown in Kauai.



I immediately felt a sense of belongingness as soon as we landed. Aahh. I felt so close to home.



Enjoying our cocktails

 After a 15 hour flight from Chicago to Kuaui, we were starving so we immediately asked around for the nearest food place in the airport. We took the shuttle from the airport to Marriot Hotel and headed to Duke's.  A couple of drinks and some fresh seafood appetizers were all we need to reenergize after a grueling 15 hour flight, not to mention a three hour drive from Wisconsin Dells to Chicago and waiting time in between flights.

After a quick snack and picture taking in Kalapaki Beach, we're off to the airport once again for our flight to Oahu, where we stayed for four days. [ to be continued..]

2010 Random thoughts turned fulfilled dreams

This was originally published in my Facebook account on the last day of 2010. I totally forgot that I wrote this one. I read it again today and realized that my life is not so bad after all. Now I'd like to post it here.

"Whew. How time flies. It's almost 2011. Alas! 2010 is over. The past year has been really crazy. It was a rough roller coaster ride with so many loops and turns that I almost didn't find my way back to sanity. My faith and personal relationships were put to test. I screwed up so many times but of course like any other storm, it eventually ended. And as expected, I emerged victorious. (ok. I was just exaggerating. I almost quit. seriously.) Despite all the shitty things in 2010. There's a lot to be thankful for. I'm grateful for the fact that I'm still alive and my whole family is healthy and happy. I eat sumptuous meals for free. I'm surrounded with people who makes me laugh. I have friends whom I haven't spoken with for a long time now but I know that we're still friends and will be friends forever. I was able to go back to school, and my grades has been good so far. I have traveled to a number of awesome places. Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Key West, Door County and New York City. I don't know how I did that. I didn't seem to have a lot of money to afford these places but I did. I have the most awesome boyfriend in the planet. I met different kinds of people from all walks of life which makes my life more interesting each day. The list could just go on and on.

 My list for 2011 is not even halfway done There's one thing I'm sure of. I want to travel more.

First on my list:

HAWAII

I want a 10 day trip to explore at least two of the Islands. Oahu and Maui.

SAN FRANCISCO AND LA

A five day trip would be awesome. 3 days in SFO and then a road trip to LA. Fun! =)

DULUTH, MINNESOTA

Kt used to brag about Duluth all the time. I want to see it too. Valentines Day? =)

 CHICAGO

Last time I was here, we were short with time so I didn't really get a chance to enjoy the place. I want to go back. Sears Tower, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Filipino Store, theater show, Ed Debevics and a lot more.

***

I also want to read more. I used to read a lot. I would usually finish 2-3 books per week. In 2010, I read three books. Three books in twelve months! I have been always preoccupied with too much stuff that I didn't have time to read books. Next year, I wanted to go back to my old hobby.

My idea of a perfect day would be to lie on the couch for hours with coffee sitting next to me while reading a good fat book. It would be more ideal if its raining outside. Ahh! That would be lovely.

***

This was quite a long optimistic post. Anyway, fast forward to November 2011. I was able to go to two out of four places listed here. Not bad right?

The trip to Hawaii was amazing and it was exactly how I dreamed it would be, a 10 day fun filled adventure! This Hawaii trip is the highlight of my entire existence year. I need to do separate post on this.

sunset in Maui

I also went to Chicago with Peter for our anniversary. It was my first time to really enjoy the city. I know it is lame since I live in Wisconsin and its just three hours away. I should go there more often. I need to do a separate post for Chicago too.

Sears Tower

For 2012, I have already set some goals. First, I need to go to San Francisco and LA. Instead of a five day trip, it'll be a three week road trip. It would be fun if I'll be able to stop in Bryce Canyon, Zion, Page, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite and Santa Barbara.  Yes, I dream big. Dreaming is tax free so why not! I still don't know how I'm going to fund this trip but I strongly believe that it's gonna push through. Yeah! Optimism is the key. =)

I don't care so much about Duluth now. Instead I want to attend the Mardi Gras Festival in New Orleans. It'll be my birthday gift to myself. It will be a perfect timing because the Mardi Gras parade will run from February 5th till the 22nd, and my birthday is on the 26th. Sakto!



Photo credit: escapenormal.com



And if my original plans push through, I will be going back to Manila on October of 2012. But before that, I need to make a quick stop over in the shopping capital of Asia. Hong Kong!

Photo credit: businessweek.com

And then off to Manila.

Photo credit: uniglobethetraveltimes.com

Manila City Hall

Oh Manila! I miss you with all my heart. You'll always be my favorite city no matter what.

I'm trying to calculate the cost of each trips that I want to do in 2012. How many internal organs to I have to sell for these? Hmm.. Yay! I believe that dreams do come true so I dream big. Now, I need tons of prayers  and three full time jobs. =)