My 13 For 2013.

The Mayans said that 2012 will be the end of the world. Fortunately, we are still here and I'm still able to write my first blog entry for 2013! yey! So, I sincerely thank our Almighty Father for a good year that was and for a new year of new chances and opportunities.

This year instead of coming up with New Year's resolutions, I decided to make a list of 13 things that I wanted to accomplish in the year of the water snake. I feel good while thinking and writing my goals, it is motivating, inspiring and exciting at the same time.

I greatly encourage you to do the same and let's all welcome positivity in our lives!

My 13 For 2013!

1. "Take it to the extreme" - This has nothing to do with cream-o (pahiram lang ng tag line ng commercial nyo.. hihi). This is about trying a buwis buhay adventure that I haven't tried before like parasailing, white water rafting or cliff diving...something that will give me a strong adrenaline rush!

2. Until my "diving" day - Last year, my sister tried her first diving lessons in Samal Island and I'm green with envy. I hope to conquer the underwater this year.

this is a pic of my sister  while diving in Davao...that should be me eh!!

3. Fun Pamilyang International Trip - I want to travel abroad with my family. My parents are not getting any younger so I wanted them to enjoy travelling while they are still in their early 50s.

4. Sense. Essence and More Sense. - Participate in a worthwile activity that will help other people like charity work, community service or join a fund raising activity for a good cause.

5. Pursue my M.A. - Oh my Gosh! kakapressure! This has been my dilemma for the past two years. To study or not to study? Hopefully, this year things would work out well. (cross fingers)

6. Festival Golly Wow - Experience at least one Philippine Festival that we celebrate annually.

7. Cook until I succeed - I'm forever inlove with foods but cooking hates me (and vice versa). Alright, but I know that this is expected of me (of every girl really!) to know how to feed my future family ( as in future.. mahaba habang paghahanda to..) As they say, you have to crawl before you learn how to walk. Baby steps first so my goal for this year is to learn 5 dishes.

8. Save more - My mom always say "mag ipon anak, wag gastos ng gastos.." This has been her mantra for the last 3 years.. hehe. This year, I'll resist impulsive buying.

9. Invest - Invest in stocks or buy something that will grow its value over time.

10. See you in Greece - My dream destination of all time. I wish to finally see Bellarocca or Thunderbird this year. These luxurious resorts have Santorini inspired architecture that is worth the splurge!

11. "Oh captain, my captain!" - Watch a theatrical or musical show or watch a TV program Live.

12. For the love of Music - Last year, I watched two concerts in Araneta. I want to do it again this year be it in Araneta or MOA Arena.

13. For My Honey - My last but not the least goal is dedicated to my one and only. Every year we try to visit new places. This year, aside from vacation I want us to have a special adventure that we will do for the first time.

At the end of 2013, I'll count how many I accomplished in this list. With willingness, faith and perseverance, everything is attainable.

May good vibes dominate our 2013! Happy New Year!

Scratched from my Bucket List : Elephant Ride!!

A trip to Thailand is incomplete without the elephant ride! For me, it's like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. This is a unique adventure that you can only do in several places like Thailand and Bali.

Our initial plan is to take the Elephant ride in Ayutthaya. That's why I was so sad and disappointed when we were not able to do such. Since we booked a group tour in Ayuttahaya, we were not able to have our own free time and we missed the Elephant ride because we had to follow the tour programe.

Good thing, Angelo can't stand seeing me unhappy. On our last day in Bangkok, he asked the hotel's concierge where can we have the elephant ride. They gave us two options: 1. go back in Ayutthaya 2. visit the Elephant village near Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. We chose option 2 because it's nearer in Bangkok (about 1 hour ride), it's cheaper and we also wanted to see the floating market.

We booked a taxi through the hotel for 1500 baht. The taxi would take us to the elephant village and floating market and would also wait for us and take us back to the hotel. So it's like having our own private transport.

The taxi driver's english name is Potato (maybe he loved french fries too much). He's kind, can speak English and hospitable because he bought us buko juice, gave us fruits and also willing to buy our lunch in the floating market --- which we have to decline because we're not really into Thai food.

Despite Potato's kindness and hospitality, I was kinda irritated with him that day because he kept on insisting that we should ride the boat in the floating market. We politely told him that we just wanted to take pictures of the market and after that we'll go straight to the elephant village. Sadly, he still kept on saying that we should try it, that all tourists who visited Thailand ride the boat and blah blah blah. So to make him stop blabbering, Angelo told him that we would check it out. So, he took us there, upon arrival there were already locals waiting for us, a lady explained to us the tour interinary, after that she guided us to the cashier without even asking if we're interested or not. We asked how much and it's 2000 baht per person. Seriously, a little boat ride to the canals to see different markets should not cost that much. Of course, we know that this is a tourist trap. They were still willing to haggle with us but we firmly said no and walked away.

Potato FINALLY took us to the actual market. We went inside, took pictures and went straight to the Elephant village.

Welcome to Elephant Village! Elephant ride costs 600 baht per person, this is cheaper than Ayutthaya which is 1100 baht per person. The elephant would go around the forest and would dive into a river---but tourists won't get wet since you'll be seated in a high chair.

At the middle of the ride, the mahout will offer you jewels that said to be lucky charms. We said we're not interested and the mahout kept it right away. Gladly, he didn't insist anymore and I like the mahout who was assigned to us. When he saw us, he asked "Philippine?" and we said yes, and he answered back.. "Philippine..Manny Pacquiao". I asked if he knew Mario Maurer but he didn't. I laughed and we learned that he's an avid boxing fan. PacMAn is really global!

I will not forget my first elephant ride! It's amazing how this huge and strong beast can be so gentle, playful and smart. I would defintely love to have an elephant ride again!

Before we head back to our hotel, we visited the Holy Redeemer Church in Pathumwan. It's a Catholic Church amidst the Buddhist Temples in Thailand! Amazing, isn't it? We prayed inside and thank God for our memorable trip.

We had our late lunch n Siam Paragon, went back to the hotel and headed to Suvarnabhumi airport for our 9:00 pm flight back to Clark via SeaAir. We left Bangkok on time and arrived in Clark earlier than our estimated time of arrival. Thumbs up!

Kob Khun Ka Thailand! Till my next visit!

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A look inside Hansar Hotel, Bangkok!
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Relive the past in Ayutthaya, Thailand!

Relive the past in Ayutthaya, Thailand!

Ayutthaya is the former capital of Thailand. Long time ago, it used to be a glorious city and the center of commerce and trade. However, the Burmese invaded them and burnt the whole city down around 1700s. Sadly, it was never rebuilt. Today, the Ayutthaya ruins is a living proof of the city's former splendor and glamour.

There are many ways to get into Ayutthaya from Bangkok. You can use different types of transportation like taxi, bus, boat or train. For our Ayuttahaya trip, we booked a tour with River Sun Cruise. They offer a one day Ayutthaya tour for 2100 baht per person.

The tour includes a round trip hotel transfer. We were advised that they will pick us up at 7:00 in the morning. So, before 7:00 am we were already waiting at the hotel lobby. The hotel staff prepared us two packed meals because breakfast opens at 7:00 am. However, the driver who will fetch us at the hotel was late. We were already waiting for minutes so Magnum, one of the concierge, advised us to have our free breakfast in the restaurant while waiting for the driver to arrive. As a result, we already had our breakfast then we still have the packed meals as our baon for our tour. haha!

At the parking lot, we were the last tourists to ride the Bus. Our tour guide Donna explained that there was a road accident that made the traffic worse that's why the driver wasn't able to fetch us on time. Oh well, Bangkok is as notorious as Manila when it comes to heavy flow of traffic.

During the bus ride to Ayutthaya, Donna entertained us with her stories about Thai culture and um..about herself. The scenery during our trip showed the rural area of Thailand. We passed by many rice fields, houses and temples.

The first stop of our tour is the Bang-pa-in Summer Palace. The architecture inside this Palace is a combination of Thai and Chinese culture which gives the place a majestic appeal. I enjoyed this stop because it was less crowded than the Grand Palace that's why it was more comfortable to roam around and easier to take pictures.

Bang-Pa-In Summer Palace Map and Donna -- our very enthusiastic tour guide

Second stop is Wat Maha That a.k.a Temple of the Great Relic. This is the start of reliving the past in Ayuttahaya. The stunning old relics made me wonder how beautiful this place was when it was not yet sacked by the Burmese.

When taking a picture with a Buddha image, human head should always be below or lower than the Buddha's head. Otherwise, you'll be scolded by Thais. On the below picture, we have to kneel down as a sign of respect.

Third stop is the Wat Na Phra Mane. Here, you can find the black stone Buddha from the Mon period and the giant golden Buddha. Inside the temple, we learned that Thais also pray to different gods every day. There is a god for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and for Everyday. I also learned that monks are not allowed to touch a female but I forgot to ask Donna the reason why.

Last stop is Wat Lokayasutharam. This is where you can find the large reclining Buddha, 32 m long and 8 m tall. The reclining Buddha is bare and not covered by an orange clothe like the pictures posted in the internet. I guess the Buddha is only covered during special occasions.

After the tour, the bus took us to the pier for our river cruise experience. A buffet lunch on board is also included in the tour which is really nice because we were all hungry after all the walking and sight seeings. While enjoying the view of Chao Phraya River, complimentary coffee or tea was also given to tourists.

Going back to Bangkok via river cruise is really a good idea because traffic can be really heavy if you travel on road.

Our new found friend from Malaysia! --- Soo

We arrived at River City Pier in Bangkok where drivers that will take us back to our hotel were already waiting. Overall, the Ayutthaya tour is a memorable experience and a must place to visit when you're in Thailand.

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Grand Palace Bangkok: Grand indeed!
Scratched from my Bucket list: Elephant Ride!
A look inside Hansar Hotel, Bangkok.

Grand Palace Bangkok! Grand indeed!

We booked our BKK flight with Tiger Airways which is operated by Sea Air here in the Philippines. I commend them, I must say, for our on time and smooth flight. Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, you'll already experience a taste of Thailand, from decorations, architecture to friendly Thais that will make you feel welcomed.

From the airport, we took the airport taxi to our Hotel. for our accommodation, we stayed at the stunning Hansar Hotel in Bangkok. To get a closer look of Hansar, please click this link. A Look Inside Hansar!

On our first day in Bangkok, we visit the famous Grand Palace. This majestic place was built by King Rama I in 1700s. Although the present King, King Bhumibol (Rama IX) and the royal family lives in another palace, the Grand Palace still remains as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand.

From our hotel, we rode a taxi to the Grand Palace. The taxi driver didn't drop us off on the exact location of the entrance but across the street. Since the driver didn't speak English, he merely pointed out the direction that we need to cross the street to get into the entrance.

It is quite chaotic when we arrived at the Grand Palace. There are many group of tourists blocking the way and the heat in Thailand can literally give you a headache. Entrance fee for Grand Palace is 400 Baht per person. They strictly observe proper dress code so don't go there wearing shorts, slippers, revealing tops and sleeveless. Otherwise, you'll be wearing a sarong on your entire tour which might not look good and fashionable in pictures.

Honestly, it was not too comfortable to go around since it was very crowded and noisy because there are lot as in lot of tourists visiting the place. I'm not sure if that was really the average number of visitors everyday or it just so happens that it was too crowded when we were there. Nevertheless, the enchanting charm of the Grand Palace still wowed me especially their golden statues and beautiful architecture which I really loved.

When entering the temple, one should take off his/her shoes as a sign of respect to Buddha. There are also temples where taking photos inside is forbidden.

After Grand Palace, we visited Wat Arun also known as Temple of Dawn which is also a very popular tourist spot in Thailand. From Grand Palace, we walked to the nearby pier. We asked directions to make sure that we're taking the right route. Luckily, the pier was not that hard to find and just very near the Grand Palace. During our walk, we saw monks who I wanted to have a picture with but I'm shy to approach them. hihi. There are also food stalls and vendors along the street selling different items.

We saw this one table of monk figurines that really looked like real people! It's beautiful art but its kinda creepy for me.

On the pier, we rode the boat (3 baht per person) that will take us to the other side where Wat Arun is located. Entrance fee for Wat Arun is 50 baht per person, a lot cheaper compared to Grand Palace.

I was amazed by the porcelain designs of the Wat Arun with figures like flowers, leaves, different shapes and face images. There are stairs on the other side which are very steep, it is easier to climb than go down because while going down, its kinda scary because you'll really see how high you are and there's an uneasy feeling that you'll fall down any minute. Nevertheless, the view on top is stunning. You'll be rewarded by an aerial view of the Chao Phraya River and different temples.

After Wat Arun, we went back to the pier where we rode a River Taxi going to Oriental Pier. From the Oriental Pier, we took the BTS back to our hotel. It was a good way to start our Thailand Adventure.

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Relive the past in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Scratched from my Bucket list: Elephant Ride!