2013 ~ Life Trotting

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda

This is the welcome sign/arch when you enter and leave Capiz in between Dumarao and Passi

It's been almost a month since Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda hit the Philippines. Tacloban and other areas in Samar and Leyte were probably the most affected parts of the country. However, other provinces were badly hit too! One of which is Capiz, my home province.

During the typhoon, telecommunication lines and signals were cut and we had no electricity here in Iloilo. When the weather calmed down, mobile network signals were back and I immediately contacted my family in Roxas City. However, I cannot contact anyone. I was hoping that they just had empty batteries or still no signal. But I was worried though especially when I heard news over the internet about the situation in affected areas. Iloilo wasn't hit badly by the typhoon except the northern part. There were a number of casualties in those areas especially those near the coast.

I was only able to talk to my parents 2 days after the typhoon when they went to the city proper and able to receive a signal. After 2 days, I was finally relieved knowing they're safe. But our kitchen roof was destroyed and trees around the house were uprooted. Our neighbor's house was even entirely ravaged.

Our kitchen was fixed immediately though and our surroundings were cleared by the efforts of my family and our neighbors. But there's still no electricity at home until now and some say it might take 3-4 months to fix everything. Only a small part of Roxas City proper has electricity as of today.

My grandparents' home at Sigma, Capiz was also totally ruined by the typhoon and this made me really sad. Of course I'm glad that they're all safe in there. Their home wasn't too big and grand but it holds too many memories for our family. Me and my brother used to spend summer vacations there when we were kids. Family gatherings were also spent there most of the time. Here's what's left of my grandparents home as photographed by my uncle:

I'm A Sunnies Kind of Girl

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Living in the Philippines where it's "sunny all year round" according to Lea Michele of Glee, wearing sunglasses is not just a trend, it is rather fundamental. Being a "night owl" myself, the sunlight can really hurt my eyes when I'm out in the morning so sunglasses have become an essential accessory for me even just for short trips or running for some errands.

I used to be particular on the brand of sunglasses I buy. Though not really the expensive ones like Rayban or Oakley. Maybe the highest price I've bought so far is worth PhP2,000++. However, I saw some vintage and stylish sunnies online and got attracted to them instantly! One particular brand I've been eyeing is Sunnies By Charlie, worn by some celebrities like Laureen Uy and Georgina Wilson.

They're not high-end sunglasses, not made of premium materials I guess, but they're very affordable and fashionable! The fact that they won't hurt my pocket made me think that it's worth trying them out. So I ordered 2 pairs at Zalora, the Hepburn and Brooke sunglasses(shown below). Transaction was smooth and after a week, I received these 2 pairs of Sunnies by Charlie! Retro? You bet! :)

Before ordering, I was completely aware of the risk since I haven't seen and tried the actual products. I only saw pictures from the internet. So possibilities are endless: they might not fit on me, not so durable, different from picture, may easily break, etc. BUT, when I received them, I was so glad that they aren't some cheapo sunglasses at all and they even look chic!

So what do you think of the sunnies I bought from Zalora? Do you want to buy a pair of sunnies, too? Just click on the image below to get started. There are actually a lot of brands of sunglasses at Zalora that you can choose from.

Thrilling Side Trip at Ugong Rock Adventures

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Ugong Rock Adventures, Puerto Princesa City Palawan

During our Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour, we had a side trip at Ugong Rock Adventures located at Brgy. Tagabinet. It happened last December 2012 so this is a late post already.lol

Ugong Rock is a limestone rock formation where you can do several activities like caving, zip lining, rappelling, or rock climbing. Actually, we did not expect this trip at Ugong Rock but we were thankful we stopped by here on the way to the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR). A great add-on to our PhP1500/pax PPUR tour.

Among the activities at Ugong Rock Adventures, we tried caving and zip lining. The rates are kind of expensive though and there was nothing much to see or explore on the cave. You just need to climb through it to be able to go zip lining from the top which is about 75 ft. high, which means that caving is compulsory if you want to zip line. But the view at the top is really breathtaking.

Here is a compilation of videos and photos while zip lining:

Ugong Rock Adventures Rates:

Caving - PhP200 Pesos/pax
Zip Line - PhP250 Pesos/pax
Rappelling - PhP200 Pesos/pax
Rock Climbing PhP200 Pesos/pax

Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour Standard Rate: PhP1500/pax

Inclusions:

Transportation Service

Lunch

Fees & Necessary Permits for PPUR Tour

The Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour

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Day 2 of our 6days/5nights Puerto Princesa and El Nido Itinerary was the Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour. Part of this tour was a side-trip in Ugong Rock where we went Caving and Zip Lining.

Necessary permits from local government need to be secured days before your tour to make sure that you have a slot on the day of your visit. Most travel agencies arrange this for you as part of their package. Standard rate for this tour is PhP1500 per person.

The tour needs to start early because its a long trip from Puerto Princesa to the Underground River. Plus, it is a must to get on the waiting list as early as you can as the queue of visiting guests can be overwhelming especially during peak seasons and you don't want to miss the opportunity to step foot at the famous Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park or commonly known as the Underground River.

Ugong Rock Adventure

On the way to Sabang (this is the jump-off point going to the Underground River) you can stop at Ugong Rock and have a bit of an adventure. You can go Caving, Zip Lining, Rappelling, and Rock Climbing.

Sabang Beach

After the Ugong Rock adventure, we continued the rough ride going to Sabang. At the stop, a long strip of white sand, coconut trees and of course, cottages welcomed us as we arrived. We settled and had our lunch to one of the restaurants at the beach front, which was also included in our package. After the buffet, we had a quick stroll at the beach and did some photo ops.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

At the wharf, you will need to register and wait for your turn to ride a boat going to the Underground River. This is where tour guides become a good advantage because they do all the works for you. Less hassle when there's a long line of people waiting for their turn.

Monkeys were roaming freely at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Some say you have to take care of your belongings as they might snatch it from you, so we got extra careful with our things and just didn't mind them. Then, a small trek led us to the entrance of the Underground River.

One impressive thing about Palawan is they are tight on rules on protecting Nature especially the tourist spots like the Underground River.

The cave is really dark and you can only rely on the tour guide's flashlight to see what's inside. You also need to pay attention to what he's saying to enjoy the tour. These are the only decent shots I have of the Underground River. (Shame!)

Quite frankly, I wasn't stunned that much with the cave. Maybe because I've been to Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves at Sagada and I can't resist to compare them. Anyhow, the Underground River is undeniably a beautiful creation of Nature. I was awed with the fact that inside the "ordinary looking" limestone mountain is an 8.2km long underground river and a cave full of amazing rock formations and different stories (as told by our tour guide). I also enjoyed the boating experience inside the cave.

Avida Village Iloilo - A Place For Nonnomadic Traveler

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As part of my online job, I have a good chance to read a lot of travel-related blogs which inspires me to travel even just locally. I admire most those who quit their jobs, sold their properties, packed their bags, and traveled the world as nomads. I know I love to travel but I don't think I'd love to be a nomad. ^^

Since I have no plans of being a nomad traveler, me and boyfie, decided to buy a property in Iloilo. There are many subdivisions or villages to choose from but we went for Avida Village located at Brgy. Balabag, Pavia, Iloilo. We chose Avida Village among others for a number of reasons:

It's developed by Ayala Lands Inc.!
The houses they build has the highest quality among the ones we've checked.
Avida employees, including site workers, aren't just professionals. They dress like professionals.lol I just want to stress this out because of an experience we had in one of the subdivisions here in Iloilo. Their site engineer walks out of the house to puff a cigarette while we were having an official inspection. How cool is that? Avida employees, on the other hand, dress like true professionals, not like a typical sales agent or customer service representatives. Even their carpenters wear a uniform and proper gears such as helmet and vest while working. On the other subdivision that I am talking about, their carpenters don't have a helmet, wear slippers, don't have a vest, and don't even wear a uniform.
Houses under construction at Avida Village are covered so that it won't obstruct the beautiful view of the village. Visitors and homeowners will be kept safe from construction debris as well.
Price difference from other subdivisions are not very significant.
The village is not too big compared to others and houses don't look congested.

Avida Village in Iloilo has 3 Model Houses: Cresta, Phoebe, and Stella. Interested buyers may also choose to buy lots only instead of a house & lot. Boyfie and I chose to buy the Cresta model. I personally like it among the 3 models even if it's the smallest. The size is not an issue for us right now since only the two of us will reside in there for a start. It's the cheapest also (though this may depend on the lot area as well) so it fits our budget well.

Cresta Model House

Cresta is a one-bedroom house with a loft provision which can be converted into an office, a 2nd bedroom, or in any way you want. It has a 120 sq. m. standard lot size with 45 sq. m. floor area. The deliverable unit already includes vinyl flooring, wall paint, and toilet & bathroom tiles.

I actually have a lot of plans in mind for the house designs, layouts, etc. but we haven't moved in yet and we have to prioritize what important things or furniture to put in first. So that's it for now.

I hope this post is helpful to those who are looking for a property to invest in Iloilo City. There are many house & lot for sale in Iloilo but don't be fooled with what you see in pictures and what sellers or agents tell you. They don't disclose everything about the property. We've already had a bad experience in one of the subdivisions here in Iloilo and we've learnt a lot of things from it. So far, Ayala Land Inc. is the best company that we've dealt with.

I'm not affiliated with Avida Land Inc. and I'm not selling any Avida property as well. But if you have queries, you may contact me anytime. I will answer your questions when I can. :)

WW: Philippine Independence Day

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A photo artwork I made and uploaded in IG - @LifeTrotting

Wordless Wednesday: Persian Kitchen

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Persian Kitchen Iloilo

Delicious and Affordable Persian Cuisine

Puerto Princesa City Tour Itinerary

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Its been more than 5 months since we went to Palawan and the only thing I've posted about it was the 6D/5N Puerto Princesa and El Nido Palawan Itinerary. Lol Hmm let me start the Palawan series of posts in our City Tour which happened on the first day of our trip. I

Puerto Princesa City Tour Itinerary:

Plaza Cuartel

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center a.k.a. Crocodile Farm

Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm

Baker's Hill

To be honest, I'm not a fan of city tours when traveling, especially if its a guided tour with fixed itinerary. I'd rather want to explore the city on my/our own. I find it fun to walk in an unfamiliar street, ask for directions, ride a different mode of transportation, and interact with various types of people. But don't get me wrong. We still had fun touring the city of Puerto Princesa. :)

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Puerto Princesa City Tour Rate: PhP600/Person