Are you drugs?

So were on our nth round of tong-its, swapping chips, twenty peso bills, cigarettes and downloaded TV episodes. It's a Friday night and were thinking its gonna be another weekend of futile attemps at entertaining ourselves. Even in a state of fiscal crisis, we knew that a burgeoning feeling of escape was lurking amongst all of us. So I popped the question: "Wanna hit the road?"

"Are you drugs?" Carms asked quizically. "I'm giving you guys an hour to pack." I replied. Sometime between 2 and 3 AM we popped out of Manila and into the North Luzon Expressway. We all knew this wasn't gonna be an epic road trip, but we all felt that we were taking the right direction.

Cruising northward at daybreak is one of the best road experiences. With nothing to mind and nothing to beat we arrived at La Union just after breakfast time.

La Union is home - where I was born, where I spent my childhood summers, where I learned to drive, where I take my friends for vacations. There's nothing quite like my Lola's Igado - pork stew cooked in an Ilocano way, I think. Coincidentally, it was my Lola's birthday so that meant food was gonna flow liberally from the kitchen. Shet, sarap. Haha.

We were supposed to surf. But then again, we were drugs. So, we just soaked up the good old sun. Hot. Hot. Hot. Sunsets like these are best downed with bottles and bottles of beer. Dinner is looking good!

Happy birthday Maying! That's my loving, lovely Lola! I'm a Lola's boy! Haha.

Tada.

I Left My Heart

Downtown SF


Phone Pals.
San Francisco Bay, Pier 39...
Golden Gate

Parking Meters

The Bay Area

So I'm just fresh out of the airport. By now, I'm more than 24 hours awake, battling jetlag and fatigue. Jojo and Roberto are late and the weather is freezing. Finally, after more than an hour's wait, the two appear from behind.

It's been a while since I last saw these two. It kinda wierded me out at first that we were hanging out all the way here. But it was a funny, wonderful, wierd kinda thing.

The last time I've been to America was like, 12 years ago. I was a kid back then and the whole experience is now a blur to me. This time around, I'm determined to get the most I can from this trip. I've been anticipating this vacation for a long time now and this one is quite special - it's my first Christmas away from home.

The first thing that they took me to was IHOP (International House of Pancakes). It's quite a popular breakfast place around here. I ordered the breakfast sampler which included sausages, ham, bacon, hash browns, eggs and pancakes. Oh. And the ice tea here tastes like, well, iced, tea.

After that, we went to Roberto's apartment in Daly City so that I could freshen up. It was a gonna be a long day for me. First up was the Golden Gate Bridge.

Oh wow. It was really a site to see. But really, cold and windy. They said I was lucky the weather was great 'coz usually the Gate is covered in fog. Rumor says, also, that the Golden Gate Bridge is home to the most number of suicide jumpers. It even has placards which have 1800 numbers for those thinking of making the plunge. Three things will kill you: the impact, the cold and the sharks.

Next we went to Lombard St., so called the crookedest street in the world. The street wasn't that beautiful as it should've been because it was winter. Too bad.

You know the scene in The Rock wherein Sean Connery meets his daughter. That's in the Palace of Fine Arts! It really is a cool place for picnics, dates and pictorials. Haha!

After that, we went to Fisherman's Wharf, a huge complex built for parting tourists with their money. Well some of them aren't that bad. Like the clam chowder served in sourdough bread. It was really, really good.

I'm getting sleepy. I'll just post the pictures next. Okay!

Merry Christmas!

some photos from Japan

I can't read.

In flight entertainment rocks.

Tokyo, Tokyo

Hello Panda! Bakit mukhang kuala?

Oh Tokyo!

Feeling a little bit druggy and definitely hungover, I went to the decrepit Ninoy Aquino International Airport at about 5:30 in the morning. Since it was so early, I expected the airport check-in stuff to be fast and breezy. But no.

So there I was, standing in a long, long line just for the check-in. Then I went to the long line to pay my travel taxes, the slow line for the immigration clearance and the intermittent security checks.

By the time I reached the boarding gates, they were already making the final boarding call and I couldn't stop the funny, queasy feeling happening in my stomach. Alright, it wasn't funny at all. I made suka all the beer, Gran Matador and all that I drank from last night. Lesson learned: If you have a long-haul flight the next day, don't drink.

I hate it that you can't bring water to on board. 'Cause I really needed it. Anyway, I spent most of the 4 and a 1/2 hour trip going to Narita half-asleep - concentrating on regaining my sobriety.

Narita Airport's security couldn't be much tighter. They x-ray your shoes, make you turn on your laptop; they even frisked by hair. But through it all, I felt that my 4 hours in the land of the rising sun (even though I didn't pass immigration) was unreal. On the way down, I noticed that Japan's landscape is very much different from that of the Philippines. For one, it looks more organized. Second, it was filled with pine and pine-looking trees. Very, very nice.

Ang daming Hapon! Para akong nai-stuck sa mundo ng anime kung saan ay lahat ay nagha-hapon. To reward my stomach, I bought myself some hot ramen (Y500) and some tamago sushi. It's the real thing!

Sayonara.

Pictures to be uploaded later. I'm now going to SoCal. Roadtrip!

On Packing.

My travel experiences have taught me well.

I know that bringing a wheeled suitcase to Beach destinations is just plain stupid. On my first trip to Puerto Galera, many years ago, I brought my big wheeled suitcase filled with food, alcohol and clothes. Imagine me pulling my big, dumb suitcase across the sand. Why won't it roll? TANGA.

I know that when your going to mountain outpost, you're supposed to bring a jacket. On my trip to Genting Highlands, Malaysia, Bobi and I learned the hard way. You see, we never thought that Genting Highlands, was, well, HIGH. Dressed in flip-flops, shorts and t-shirts, you would think we were off to the beach. But Genting is just the opposite. Only 1 and a 1/2 hours away from KL, Genting is Baguio-like in weather. With fog to boot. Sooooooo cold.

I know that bringing a duffel bag on a backpacking trip is foolish. Not only will you swear and cuss non-stop after hours of looking for a room to crash, your friends who wisely brought backpacks will be laughing at you and telling you "I told you so" throughout.

I know that you're supposed to bring boardshorts on a surfing trip. At the last GO! Trip, I forgot, among all things to bring a pair of boardshorts. While my friends were happily surfing, I was confined to the shore, snapping pictures.

I know that you're supposed to bring your charger. My friends and I have this knack for not bringing chargers along. There was even a time that 8 of us went to PG and not 1 had a charger. Talk about birds flocking together.

I know that you're supposed to bring headphones when your bringing your iPod.

I'm a good packer now. Though I overpack each and everytime, I know that the basics are with me. And I love ziplocks. They make me feel safe.

But I can't seem to pack right for my USA trip which is coming in 2 weeks. Yes, I know. I'm excited. I've got my jackets ready (I hope they provide enough insulation for below zero temperatures!). I've got my bonnets and scarves I bought in Baguio earlier this year. I haven't bought my cigarettes yet.

Yet to buy: a small flashlight and batteries, comfort food, gloves, Pinoy VCDs and Chocnut for Jojo, a basic mess kit. And that North Face daypack I've been eyeing for the longest time now. Hmph.

It's gonna be a cold December.

Anybody going to Jakarta?

After much contemplation, consultation and assessment, (a process which took around 10 minutes) I made the plunge. I typed in my credit card's numbers and hit the "pay" button. Oops. I just bought myself a ticket to Jakarta.

Who could refuse? A roundtrip ticket to Jakarta for only P5,506! Add P1,620 for the Philippine Travel Tax - a compulsary fee for all international trips, which I find expensive for its own right. Still, the P7,100-something sum is cheap. Very much so.

Indonesia, for me is unchartered territory. Nevermind my friends' impression that Indonesia, especially Jakarta, is an unsafe and unsecure place. I think that's just alot of bull. I think Indonesia, just as how the Philippines is internationally typecasted to be running amok with terrorists, is totally misrepresented. I bet it's a beautiful, beautiful country.

I'm aiming to just spend one day in Jakarta and then head out to Bali using trains and ferries stopping at Borobudur on the way.

But how will I pay for it? That, my friends, is the question. Bahala na si Batman.

I shouldn't even be doing this yet. I have a big trip coming up... USA for the holidays! Snow for the first time! New Year in New York!

But that is for another post.