The Island Explorer

We began our search for the best beach in Pangasinan at 2:30AM, without any sleep. Our office was still working at that time, so after work, we decided to skip the rest and head straight to Pangasinan. We were used to this anyway, and it was better for me to drive at night. We were supposed to leave at 4AM, but two hours didn't matter. To reach Bolinao the fastest, one must take the NLEX and SCTEX and exit at Luisita in Tarlac. Once you arrive in Tarlac City, follow the signs leading to Hundred Islands. Do not head straight to Dagupan. Take the road to Pangasinan via Camiling. That saves you 2 hours. This route however requires following the signs, and involves some one-way roads. Punta Riviera Resort has a good map on their website . The sun was peeking already at 5:00AM when we arrived in Pangasinan. That was 2.5 hours of travel so far. Not bad, though I was driving at an average speed of 100 kph. We finally reached Alaminos, home base for the Hundred Islands. Bolinao was suppose

Oh My Khan is another top drawer in the City of Pines, Baguio. It is located near Cafe by the Ruins and the City Hall. I think there's no big sign, because at first, I couldn't find the place. They told me it was a hit among locals, so, off I go to sample their Mongolian fare. The interior is not impressive, though they tried to put a lot of Mongolian elements, like this glass panel. I was wondering if the owner ran out of Mongolian ideas, and decided to put in Chinese stuff instead. Of course, to us in Manila, a Mongolian Buffet is not new. Mongolian Stop in Galleria Food Court is a good choice for first timers, while the one at Sweet Inspirations in Katipunan Ave has already been deemed a classic. It's hard to tell what buffet is good, since most taste the same given the same sauces. I think the difference lies in the quality of ingredients used. The ingredients of the Mongolian Buffet in Oh My Khan are no doubt fresh. Of course! This is Baguio. The vegetables were pumped

It's the time of the year again, and despite the overload of work and seemingly impossible schedule, I still find my way i Isabela in the Cagayan Valley. An eight hour drive up north is one of the longest I've ever had, but taking the bus proved to be convenient. We took a Victory Liner bus in Kamias, Cubao and embarked through Bulacan, the endless Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, finally hitting Isabela. I was in the province in search of the Microentrepreneur of the Year, a yearly award given by Citi, the Bangko Sentral, and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines. We had to interview 3 nominees in the province. We stayed in the Cauayan, which is a sleepy city an hour away from the capital, Santiago. There was nothing of interest in Cauayan, so the highlight of the trip was interviewing these nominees. One couple made chicharon for a living, the other a former soldier who is now making puto and kutsinta, and the last one, a mother who had several agricultural businesses in her

Baguio has had a reputation for being haunted ever since the 1991 earthquake. There are a lot of ghost stories that have been passed on to every visitor. In search of a venue for an activity for an event, we decided to head out to one of the noted haunted sites in Baguio, the place formerly known as the Diplomat Hotel. I don't know much about the Diplomat, only that it was a landmark in the early days. It is now a condemned building, after fires and the earthquake literally put the hotel in ruins. This was the highlight of our trip. The mysterious and eerie sensation that engulfs the entire structure was definitely an experience to remember. The fog was even thick as it has just rained. The place was both picturesque and somber. I was imagining having pictorials and video shoots in the confines of the hotel. The fountain gardens on both wings of the hotel made it look like a scene from the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The headless and armless angels on the founta

The Tam-Awan Village near Naguilan Road is one of the best kept secrets of Baguio. Tucked along a steep slope, the Tam-Awan Village is made up of Igorot huts that one can rent for night for as low as P500. This is a very nice option for backpackers who trek up to Baguio. You get to live in actual Igorot huts and experience their culture. The Tam-Awan Village is also a repository of art works. There is an art gallery in the compound that showcases fabulous local work. I wasn't able to take a picture of the gallery, since picture taking wasn't allowed. However, in their shop, there are a lot of a paintings and sculptures that are on display. Sometimes, there are performances here by local artists, musicians, dancers and the like. You could also have yourself drawn for P100 by the local artists present there. You sit down in their make shift studio and artists pen away their renditions of your image. You get to choose in the end which drawings you like to take home with you. The T

Having breakfast in Baguio must be a treat, so we decided to have it in Cafe by the Ruins. It was my first time to have breakfast there, though I have visited the famous restaurant many times in the past. Breakfast is served here from 6:30 to 10:30 AM. As most places in Baguio, Ruins serves great bread, and they are particularly known for their whole wheat pandesal. An order of the Pandesal with Kesong Puti consists of 2 pieces of pandesal, the mouth watering kesong puti, with butter and delicious strawberry jam on the side. Next up is the Shitake Mushroom Omelette. I always have eggs for breakfast, so I had to order this. Surprisingly, the dish was excellent. The shitake mushrooms were huge and tasty. You knew they were fresh. Finally, my new addiction: the Classic Champorado. What made this Champorado special is the carabao milk that topped it. The chocolate was like Belgian, and the softness of the rice was perfect. It was also served with dried fish, like those served in provinces.

The Manor at Camp John Hay has been my home for a week when I was in Baguio. For me, the Manor is the best hotel in Baguio, next to Elizabeth. Their rooms are huge, fit for a family of four. I love their walk in closet that I have transformed into my little office when I was there. The views of pine trees from the balcony does make you forget about work, as proven by my relentless efforts to keep a pace with the event we were organizing. The Manor in itself is a beautiful place. The wooden panels exude coziness to the extreme. There is a spa, gym with all the facilities. It has a quaint bakeshop as well, that serves one of the best cheesecakes. Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of the Marble Cheesecake that I had more than thrice while I was there. The Manor also takes pride in one of the best restaurants in Baguio, the award winning, Le Chef. Though disappointed during my first dinner here, my succeeding meals proved satisfying enough. I had the same American breakfast durin