Category: Philippines
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Riverside Chilling and Social Distancing in San Rafael
The uncertainties of the pandemic and the political circus have started to take a mental toll, and I’ve been needing a bit time off to recuperate. While the government has been trying to promote local tourism, I don’t think it’s still a good idea to be risking ourselves that much. But a short trip is…
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The Leg-Numbing Malolos-Paombong-Hagonoy Bike Trip
After my biking trip to Bulakan a few weeks ago, I started to have the urge to go farther to Paombong and Hagonoy, two Bulacan towns that I haven’t been to yet — ever. I’ve been to most towns and cities in Bulacan due to their accessibilities from major roads from Metro Manila. But Paombong…
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Dine-At-Home: The Little PERU
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the global economy, and among those heavily affected are restaurants. Many were forced to shut down permanently as people either cook their own meals or are have them delivered. One of those who didn’t survive was Chavin, a really good Peruvian restaurant in Quezon City. Thankfully,…
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To Bulakan On Two Wheels
The prolonged quarantine has me itching to go out, which in turn has reawakened my love for biking. I’ve been riding around Valenzuela — sometimes I tag my brother along — and neighboring cities since getting a new bike a few months ago, and this has helped keep my sanity intact while scratching the itch…
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SM City Pampanga: A Night at the Drive-In Theater
The pandemic has forced the world to lay off its plans, and these include many theaters to shut down. As a result, many movies slated to be released this year are either postponed for later dates or dumped to online streaming. A few movies are seeing light in another form: the drive-in theater. Yup, that…
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Dine-At-Home: The Walking Mushroom
One of the effects of the quarantine is that it has led me to watching a lot of travel-themed movies. When you’re itching to hit the road but you can’t, you just turn to magic of the screen for some “out-of-country” experience. This has also inspired me to do a “culinary trip.” Thus, on an…
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A World Without Travel
I’ve always believed in how traveling can remind us of who we are and how we fit into the grand scheme of things. So we must be really living in strange times when I’m telling myself and others that it’s not a good thing to be out and about. It’s true. Stay home. Not that…
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Dine In: Izakaya Kikufuji
In all those times I worked in Makati, one of the things I always planned but never managed to do was eat in Izakaya Kikufuji. It’s a popular spot in Little Tokyo among office workers, but for some reasons, I never really got around to dining here even if I have eaten at some of…
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Tagaytay: Ash, Desolation, Hope
On January 12, 2020, the Taal Volcano erupted, spewing ash that fell down on nearby towns and even in cities as far as Metro Manila. The eruption, which produced a 100-meter ash column with some lava hours after, prompted the government to raise alert levels, forced the evacuation of residents, and grounded planes. Contrary to…
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A Tour of Malabon’s Heritage
Malabon is a neighboring city of Valenzuela, though surprisingly, aside from passing through McArthur Highway in Barangay Potrero, I have never explored much of the city. The city even launched a tricycle tour that takes guests around its old houses and a number of dining areas some four years ago, but I never got around…
The Tourist Gaze 