flip'n travels

Ah the single life! I leave whenever I want, go home anytime I want and most importantly, travel anywhere I want. I value my alone time so much that when Ron and I and some friends from the office went to Ilocos, I stayed one more day while everybody went home. As was expected, I had a blast.

The morning of my alone day was spent in coffee and cigarettes while playing with our dog Coco in our house in Vintar. It was a was a Sunday and the flee market was alive at 5am. I decided to walk around before heading out to the Campo Santo to visit my lolo and lola’s grave.

tobacco leaves for sale at the Sunday baratillo in Vintar

After the brief reunion, I took my bag and headed out to Laoag to get a jeep back to Paoay to meet my cousin who’s managing a film supposedly commissioned by the president. While he ran around the set like a headless chicken, I decided to get comfortable inside Henrencia, the famous restaurant in front of Paoay church and ordered myself a Pinakbet pizza. I thought those two words cannot be joined together but there I was eating with gusto. The crust was crispy thin with no hint of oil. The toppings: eggplant, string beans, okra and longganisa bits. On the side, bagoong isda. It was weird, but a good kind of weird.

Pinakbet Pizza at Herencia Cafe

After the short stay in Paoay, I took a bus going back to Vigan. I got there with no idea what to do. Luckily, I saw one of the calesas we rode when we first got there. I went to the burnayan (pottery shop) where I met Fidel Go, third generation of one of the few potters left in the province. He let me try to make them pots that turned out to be a disaster.

no, that wasn’t the vase I made…

After visiting the ginormous brick oven where they bake the pots, the calesa driver took me to Chavit Singson’s Baluarte where anyone can go in for free. It was already late in the afternoon and I wasn’t able to take pictures with the tigers. Boohoo…

Rudolph, the red-lipped raindeer

After the mini-zoo tour, I asked the driver to take me to a hotel where I can stay for just a few hours. I wanted to take a bath and fix my bag before I go home. He took me back to Grandpa’s Inn and I was able to get a room for 300Php for 3 hours. Yes, yes… I know what those rooms are for.

Conversation between me and the receptionist:

Me:Meron po bakayong kwarto na pwedeng pag stayan? 3 hours lang po.
Receptionist:Meron ma’am. Ilan po sila? (Take note, I was alone when I entered the hotel)
Me:Isa lang. Maliligo lang ako chaka mag-aayos ng bag bago umuwi. Galing pa kasi ako ng Laoag at Paoay tapos umikot ikot pa dito.
Receptionist:Sige po, meron kami. Mag-isa lang po ba talaga kayo?
Me:Ako nga lang mag-isa.
Receptionist:Ay, wala pong susunod?
Me:Wala.
Receptionist:Ahhh… Weird naman…

After dodging glances from the staff at the hotel, I went inside my room and enjoyed a hot bath, changed my clothes and fixed my backpack. I decided to eat at Max’s where I had to endure being asked why I was alone.  Personally, I don’t know either…

To love, they say, is to be steady… But the heart cannot help but wander in between dreams.

Faro Cabo Cape Bojeador, Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Our journey to the north found its first stop at Cape Bojeador in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Sitting on top of Vigia de Nagparitan hill, it is considered to be the highest positioned lighthouse in the Philippines, also the most visited. Its light marks the northwestern corner of the island of Luzon, guiding ships traveling from South China Sea.

NorthWind Bangui Bay Project, Bangui, Ilocos Norte

We drifted a bit father north and made our next stop in Bangui where the largest “wind farm” in Southeast Asia is located. The 15 towering windmills provide 40% of the power requirements of Ilocos Norte and serve as an attempt to practice renewable energy sources to help reduce the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Final stopover before Pagudpod

Over the course of my 26 years, I have traveled back and forth to Ilocos, it being a second home to me and my family. My heart wanders aimlessly but I am forever tied to its roots…

MONETTE

steady

rest your heart along the banks of my chest
be still, be silent, be weak

infinity

when my demented heart finds yours,
we shall know immortality.

portents

it is your silence that scares me most
…its is your calm before my storm

blown

you have taken my breath away
and scattered my skin into million pieces…

flight

to you who defied gravity,
your soul is boundless

glide

you move like your fingers turning the pages of an old old book, gentle and quiet.
me, looking at you as you absentmindedly place your fingers to your lips,
wetting it to ease the passing of time.

luminescent

999

dive

i will love every square-inch of your body,
like the water when it encloses me when i decide to drown with you

hues

two is the color of blue…
the sky reflected on the sea, which is bright…
and the darkness you encounter as you go deeper in the abyss…

innocence

hush child… don’t hurry to grow up…

colors

we are of different shades,
we are little gods…

solace

it is a comfortable silence we share
when the rest of the world rages in chaos and despair…

immerse

gather your soul in your arms
and immerse yourself in the universe…

The wind howls its hardest and somewhere in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, fishermen and their families gather together to seek refuge in the womb of the typhoon shelter. Here, the famous Typhoon Shelter Crab was born, a cuisine raved about by many including “No Reservations” host Anthony Bourdain. Of course you need not book a flight to China to get hold of those amazing crabs. Drop by Crustasia at Tri Noma and they make sure you get the same gastronomic experience had you been eating the dish while floating on one of the boats nestled in the stormy cove.

Fried to perfection in olive oil and tons of garlic with a dash of chili, the 1 kilo crab sat majestically on top of yellow noodles. Ah, such a metaphor for the unruly ocean being subdued by the warmth of good food. Ron and I couldn’t help but ignore the storm that was raging outside the mall while we enjoy the feast. We were literally reminiscing our trip to Boracay when we were dining seafood as the windbreaker tried hard to shield us from the Habagat (west wind).

To top the experience, we also had Crustasia’s Vietnamese Spring Roll and Thai Shrimp Pancakes for appetizers. The spring roll is unlike any we’ve seen prepared in our homes. It is hand made by the restaurant’s Vietnamese cook who’s taken and honed her craft in the Philippines for 38 years. Lined with pork and shrimp with vermicelli noodles in the middle, the spring roll is added flavor by its hoisin sauce with peanut dip. The shrimp pancakes were my favorite especially when dipped with the restaurant-made plum sauce. I wish they made those in regular pancake sizes! I promised to be back for more.

And what better way to end the meal than eating panna cotta shots topped with apple campote. The soft cloudy texture is just what Ron looks for right after every visit.

Hey you reader! Yes you! Do you want to add a free dish to your great Crustasia dining experience? Email us at fliptravels@yahoo.com and we’ll give you a coupon of your choice for a free Thai Catfish Salad, Pad Thai Noodles or Thai Bagoong Rice for a minimum purchase of 700Php to 750Php. Visit their restaurant in Tri Noma and get 5% discount on your total bill when you order ala carte dishes. They’ll even throw in bottomless iced tea when you visit between 3-to 5pm. You can also avail of their 10+1 free buffet. Too lazy to go out of the house? Give them a call at (02) 901 – 3607 and get a free 1.5 liter of Pepsi product for minimum delivery of 1500Php within the vicinity of  Quezon City.

So what are you still doing reading this? The CrewStasia is waiting for you…

It isn’t my hobby to eat, especially when I’m at the beach. The act essentially ruins the my outfit. Not that I care a lot about bikinis and the likes, I don’t know how to swim. I just get uncomfortable. Besides, there should be more room for booze in my tummy than lots of deliciously loathsome oysters.

Boracay demanded not to be taken for granted. The island boasts hundreds of restaurants, food chains and bars that serve wide array of food choices ranging from Mongolian buffet to Greek desserts to Spanish paella. Good thing people don’t really mind you looking like a beach volleyball in a swimsuit waltzing around the pristine white sand.

We were welcomed by Gasthof’s pork ribs (Php375 half order), Breaded Calamares (Php120)  and my ever favorite beach food, Liempo (Php150). There were so many options on the menu but we were saving our appetites for the rest of our vacation, not to mention that we were tired from the long, arduous trip. We just wanted to drink the first booze of the first night and hit the sack.

Breakfast, unfortunately, was free with our accommodation so we had bacon, scrambled eggs and toast for three days. But that didn’t stop us from dropping by Real Coffee and Tea Cafe to taste their famous Calamansi Muffin (Php45) and Brewed Coffee (Php90). The place is tucked in a small alley so make sure you keep an eye for its landmark. Even with its bamboo seats, I find the place comfortable. It’s like having breakfast inside a bahay-kubo.

Ron’s craving for paella was satisfied by Red Coconut Beach Resort. At Php495 per plate, the meal was good enough for two. Had I not ordered another Liempo meal (Php250), I would’ve cleaned the plate. Note: the fabulously carved egg on top of the paella is probably worth 95 pesos and there was more than one garnish, so go figure. Oh, and that goes the same for my meal.

Dinner buffets are also popular ranging from Php230 to Php250. We found Mongolian buffet a little disturbing for a beach setting and the seafood buffet very very appealing. I never stood but once in a buffet; but the chefs at Eclipse Room and Bistro made me proud I had to get a second helping of crabs, shrimps and oysters. Thus the tummy ache that ensued an hour of puking while I was enjoying my jagerbomb at Pat’s, but that’s a different story…

We also can’t help but try out the more popular must-eats in the island raved about by everyone who went to Boracay. As my craving for street food is unbearable, I had hotdog-on-stick (Php30) and my ever favorite isaw (chicken intestines) for Php10 per stick a few hours after lunch. Ron and I were wondering what the hell Chori Burgers were and apparently, you can buy them at ihaw-ihaw stands that line the beach. It was grilled chorizo placed in buns. What a revelation… Another specialty we had to taste was Banana Choco Peanut Shake (Php99) at Jonah’s Fruitshakes. Unlike most reviews, Ron and I decided that it is, at some level, overrated. Sure it was good but only after five to eight sips. The flavor is too overwhelming that at some point, you’ll experience suya. Or maybe it’s just us. The serving is huge and I wasn’t able to finish mine even after chugging it while walking on the beach for an hour. Now I’m regretting not ordering mango shake instead.

For dessert, we had to try Zuzuni’s famous Mati Chocolate Sin (Php250). Ron said it was lust and gluttony served in one plate. I had to agree, but the flour-less cake also made me less guilty finishing one serving. The chocolate is not too sweet nor bitter and is complimented by some sort of Greek vanilla ice cream that balances off and neutralizes the taste. I had to find a confession box after stepping out of the restaurant. Well, because I felt like it was too much for me to spend the same amount for dessert for the price I paid for my seafood buffet. The piece of Greece is worth it but the price really hit a nerve in my pocket…

And what is travel without our fix? Of course we had to get coffee at Starbucks. Too bad because they’ve got an area outside with powdery sand cushioning your feet and a nice view of the beach, except that we did not see the beach because they’ve put up windbreakers in front of just about every establishment in Boracay because of the dang wind.

I’d say I was able to taste what Boracay has best, and that is the seafood. The Greek food, I can have here in Manila. The paella, I can probably ask my grandma to cook one. The Mongolian buffet, why would I want a Mongolian buffet? I was telling Ron of how people rave about the posh restaurants in Bora, and I’m not being bitter because of lack of budget. I just find it a bit off the equilibrium. Everyone should be enjoying what the ocean yields and should be eating those the way they’re meant to be eaten, fresh from the grill. I’s probably just us, but pizza and beach do not quite mix.