DAMA IN DAEJEON

It started with my bucket wish list that needed to be checked. Riding a bullet train has always been a lifelong dream. This should have been checked in 2010 courtesy of Shinkansen (japan express rail) but I just couldn't justify the p100k expense.

So the KTX opportunity came during our latest trip. Originally, the plan was to exit Sokor through Busan. But the travel time was longer, fare was more expensive and not much to see in Busan (compared to Seoul) so we settled with Daejeon. There was not much to see either in Daejeon but fare was cheaper.

So we were in Daejon in day 3 of our tour. The ride from Seoul to Daejeon was abt 1 hour with speeds reaching 305 kph. As expected, there was not much to see in Daejeon so we settled with Hanbat Museum of Education. It was a memorable experience though since I had a chance to play dama (checkers) with B5. After 3 games and almost 2 hours, the score was tied 1 – 1 with the 3^rd game going to a draw.

We would do that trip and adventure anytime again. 

SOJOURN IN SOKOR

As long as budget permits, DyLac and family will not stop exploring. Now as we gain experience in travelling, the factor per person per day should decrease. That is the challenge. Here is a journal of the family’s 8^th country.   

Day 1, April 8 – Manila to Incheon

·         Air Travel from Manila to Incheon via Jeju Air.

·         We left MNL at 11:30PM Tues and arrived in ICN Wed at 5:30AM.

References:

www.joinenjoy.com.ph

www.jejuairph.com

www.hotels.com

Day 2,  April 9 – A World Heritage site

·         Upon arrival at ICN, the first order of the day was to buy a T-MONEY card for our transportation needs. 

·         Breakfast was in McDo, Seoul Central Station.

·         After discovering the location of our hotel, we left our things at KPOP Guesthouse conveniently located near Seoul Station (Exit 11). Savings was:

·         Our first and only World Heritage Site visit in Sokor was the Changdeokgung Palace.

·         Next up was a visit to Myeongdong shopping area where we had late lunch. Believe it or not, we were so tired that we had a quick sleep in the resto.  

·         The tour guide for the day was DyLac.

References:

http://eng.t-money.co.kr/

http://ss.kpophouse.co.kr/

http://eng.cdg.go.kr/main/main.htm

Day 3 April 10 – Run DMZ.

·         Imjingak park

·         3^rd tunnel, 300 meter walk down and incline and 300 meter horizontal walk. The end of the tunnel was 170 meters from North Korea.

·         Dora Observatory

·         Dorasan Station

·         Ginseng factory

·         Seoul City Hall

·         Lunch was at KFC near Seoul City Hall.

·         Deoksugung Palace

·         Seoul Plaza

·         Cheonggye Plaza

·         Cheonggyecheon Stream

·         Starbucks for my wife’s 8th coffee cup

·         The tour guide for the day was Patrick.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone

http://www.deoksugung.go.kr/index.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheonggyecheon

Day 4 April 11 – KTX

·         KTX 123 from Seoul to Daejeon, track 13, car 17, seat #s 4A to 4D, 930AM, 4-11-2014 worth 67800 won RT.

·         Hanbat Museum of Education

·         KTX 144 from Daejeon to Seoul, track 15, car 14, seat #s 6A to 6D, 352PM, 4-11-2014.

·         World Trick Museum at Myeongdong

·         The tour guide for the day was DyLac.

References:

http://www.korail.com/en/

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1853439 

Day 5 April 12 – Nami Island

·         Nami Island

·         Petite France

·         Coex Aquarium & Coex Mall in Gangnam.

·         We had to brave the 14 stations from Seoul to Samseoung in Gangnam.

·         The tour guide for the day was Jun.

References:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1853439

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=815994

http://www.coexaqua.co.kr/

Day 6 April 13 – Lotte World Adventure

·         We heard mass at Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral at 11AM. The mass was in Korean.

·         Picture picture in N Seoul Tower entrance.

·         Short Stop at Gangnam station.

·         Lunch was at Friday’s in Lotte Mall.

·         Dinner was in McDo Seoul Central Station. A quarter pounder cost P270 compared to P152 in Ph.

·         The tour guide for the day was Dylan.

References:

http://www.lotteworld.com/ 

Day 7 April 14 – Hangang River Cruise

·         After checking out early at the hotel, we went to Yeioudo.

·         We rode the E-Land Cruise which took us from Yeouido to Yangwa and back. The views include Hangangcheolgyo Bridge, Seogangdaegyo Bridge and Bamseom  Islet, which is a habitat for migratory birds.

·         The tour guide for the day was Dylan.

References:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=266932

After almost 7 days, we were back to reality. And like the eighties song says, there’s no place like home.

KILIG IN KILAUEA

This coming school year, the incoming grade five students will be discussing the types of volcanos as part of their lessons in HEKASI. They will definitely discuss the shield volcanoes and might discuss Kilauea as one example. The teacher might ask who has seen Kilauea. When this happens, my daughter will most probably raise her hand and there is a high probability that she may be one of the very few who will do so.

It’s been close to 3 decades since I studied volcanoes in school and I still recall that we discussed Kilauea. On day 6 of our trip to Hawaii, we got the chance to check out one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It was amazing! I was like a child in awe.

REFERENCE:
Pls. click here to view the video.

SUB FOUR

During our 11 day trip to Hawaii, we saw a total of FOUR submarines.

ONE SUB
We rode a US $ 12 million submarine for 60 minutes to the tune of US 114 per person. It is called the Atlantis Submarine Adventure in Waikiki.

TWO SUB
We went inside two submarines during our 11 day vacation. The first was the USS Bowfin which was part of the Pearl Harbor historic trip and the second was the Altlantis Submarine Adventure.

THREE SUB
Last May 31 on day 8 of our trip, we saw 3 submarines: the Atlantis XIV, the Atlantis VII and the yellow submarine at the Maui Divers office.

FOUR SUB
In total during our 11 day vacation, we saw 4 submarines – the Atlantis XIV, the Atlantis VII and the yellow submarine at the Maui Divers office on day 8 and the USS Bowfin on day 2 of our trip.

The funny Atlantis tour guide who looks like Rick Fox of the LA Lakers said that those who rode the submarine belong to the 10% of the world’s population that have seen the depths of the ocean.

REFERENCE:
Pls. click here to view the video.

FORD’S EDGE

The original plan for the Big Island, Hawaii trip was to rent a sub-compact car, the cheapest vehicle in the car rental lot. Public transportation was not very efficient in this side of town so car rental was a wiser option. Had we opted for a sub-compact car, we would have gotten a pretty red Nissan Versa instead we opted for a compact SUV in the guise of a white Ford Edge.

The Ford Edge is a very capable vehicle. Its direct competitors are the Kia sorento, Hyundai SantaFe, probably the Toyota Fortuner and the Mitsubishi Montero. It is s not offered in the Philippines though.

It was equipped with a gas guzzling V6 engine but that was compensated by the visibility offered to the driver and all the passengers. The size and ride was similar to our personal compact SUVs – Honda CRV & Subaru Forester, so driving adjustment was minimal.

We logged a total of 275 miles, X miles on day 1 and Y miles on day 2. On day 1, the farthest point that we reached was the Chain of Craters road inside the Hawaii National Volcano Park located south of Hilo, Big Island and on day 2, the farthest point that we reached was Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site and Spencer Beach Park which was north of Big Island along the Kohala Coast.

Day 12 (June 3 Monday) – Icing on the trip

Day 12 (June 3 Monday) – Icing on the trip

> Ending an annual trip is always a sad and happy experience. Sad because you’ll be leaving your home for X days and it’s back to reality. Happy because like they always say, there’s no place like home. We left Prospect St. at 730am.
> We stayed in Ma’s place in Salt Lake for 2 hrs., met Ma’s landlady, fixed her PC and smartphone settings. I wish I could have done more – fixed her busted lights, covered her “sunroof” but time was not on our side.
> I had a short window to check out Salt Lake Shopping Center while looking for a wireless router.
> We were off to Honolulu Airport around 10AM.
> We arrived in Manila June 4 at 10PM and already reported to work 8AM the ff. day. Life goes on.

Day 11 (June 2 Sunday) – The Only royal palace in US

Day 11 (June 2 Sunday) – The Only royal palace in US

> First up for the day was a Mass at Our Lady of Peace. It holds the distinction of being the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the US. The family was asked to do the offertory and given leis.
> Honda Pflueger – it was in the vicinity of the cathedral so I checked it out but not much parts and accessories on stock. You’d have to order.
> Honolulu fire Department – It was right beside Honda and the structure was eye catching so I took some pictures.
> Chinatown – So Jose Rizal’s monument was there right beside Sun Yat Sen.
> Iolani Palace – The only royal palace in the US. Unfortunately, we were not able to go inside since it was closed that day.
> Honolulu State Bldg – It houses the Congress and Senate.
> Kamehameha Statue along S. King Street
> Ross for Less my favorite store
> Shaved Ice not Matsumodo. Close but not so close.
> Leonard’s Malasadas – It’s a donut with no hole. Best served hot.
> Waikele Premium Outlets – we’re back and with a vengeance. Credit card got a whipping

Day 10 (June 1 Saturday) – Waikiki Beach

Day 10 (June 1 Saturday) – Waikiki Beach

> We were at Waikiki Beach at 7AM. It is considered one of the most famous beaches in the world. To think that this used to be a swamp and the beach sand is imported from Australia once every 2 years.
> We rode DaBus again today and got lost. The normally 20 to 30 minute ride became 2 ½ hours. It was a blessing in disguise though since we got to explore the Manoa area.
> Ala Moana Shopping Center – I’ve lost count how many times we visited this mall.
> Aside from the beach, the second objective for the day was to do most of our shopping so we shopped in Nordstrom, Ross for Less, Macy’s and Walmart today. We did go to Neimann Marcus for some window shopping. We got home around 11PM.

REFERENCE:
Pls. click here to view the video.

Day 9 (May 31 Friday) – Submarine Adventure, first time for everyone

Day 9 (May 31 Friday) – Submarine Adventure, first time for everyone

> Hilton Hawaii Hotel – We were not able to go around the village as time was not on our side. We had just enough time to check out the penguins.
> Atlantis Submarine Adventure Waikiki – Port Hilton was the starting point of the submarine adventure. We choose the premium sub even if it was more expensive since this was probably a once in a lifetime experience or at least the first time for all the whole family.
> Maui Divers – There was a free trip to Maui Divers after the ride where we saw our 3rd sub for the day. I reckon Maui Divers is the original company and the Atlantis Sub adventure was just an offshoot.
> Lunch at Ala Moana Shopping Center
> Dinner at Wah Kung hosted by the Garcias, Tita Siony and Tito Greg.
> We were off to Ward Center after dinner to learn some yoyo and watch their son Alex Garcia, who was a legend in the Yoyo circuit.

REFERENCE:
Pls. click here to view the video # 1
Pls. click here to view the video # 2

Day 8 (May 30 Thursday) – North of Big Island

> Day 2 of our Big island self guided tour brought us to the north of Big Island.
> First up was Akaka Falls. Two falls can be seen in this site. A pretty, old town in Akaka is also interesting.
> Pepeekeo 4 mile drive – It’s an alternative from the I-19 or Hawaii Belt Road. It’s the original road with a scenic view. No regrets passing through this road.
> Kohala Coastline – This is closer to Kona than Hilo.
> Lapahoehoe Train Museum – Just a few minutes to take pictures, not much to see and didn’t interest the family.
> Pu’ukohola Heiau (Kamehameha Temple) – Our trip’s farthest point up north.
> Dinner @ Zippy’s Nimitz – B. Obama’s favorite restaurant in Hawaii. He has eaten in this resto already.
> Explored Punahou - Obama’s residence which was an apartment, High School and Baskins & Robbins where he worked during summer.
> Makiki Heights – Honolulu nightline

Day 7 (May 29 Wednesday) – Hawaii Volcano National Park, Big Island

> First of all, let me tell you that the Big Island of HI and Honolulu, Oahu, HI are two different island. While the Big Island is bigger as the title suggests, it is the younger brother island of Oahu. Honolulu is both a city and a county in HI. I didn’t know that until our trip.
> So we jumped on the opportunity to check out the Big Island while in HI. The choice was either Maui or Big Island and volcanoes seemed more interesting than beaches.
> Our travel agent CSL arranged everything – Hilo Seaside Hotel, Hawaiian Air RT and Budget car rental. We just shouldered the bill. The arrangement was so convenient. Thanks mother!
> The 45 minute drive from Hilo International Airport to Volcano National Park was a bit challenging. Try driving in a new area with 10 to 15 feet visibility due to the rain and an unfamiliar car. We wanted to get a Toyota, Honda or Subaru for less adjustments but none were available.
> Volcano Lodge – a renovated old house served as a souvenir shop. It was one of the many souvenir shops in the HI Volcano National Park.
> Steam vents – Sulfur vents abound in this active volcano. It didn’t smell good but at least we know that our sense of smell was perfectly fine.
> Kilauea lookout – So this is what an active volcano looks like. We were about a little over a kilometer near the crater.
> Kilauea Military Zone – The theatre in the military camp is interesting.
> Jaggar Museum – Named after American Volcanologist Thomas Jaggar. He founded the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
> Mauna Loa lookout – The sky was not clear that day so the largest volcano on Earth in terms of volume and area covered volcano was not really visible.
> Thurston Lava Tube – Named after Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher, this lava tube was discovered in 1913.
> Chain of Craters Road – Lots of interesting things to see along the 23 mile road – actual lava flows through the ocean, roads covered numerous times by lava, a number of craters.
> Holei Sea Arch – a beauty carved by nature.
> Mauna Loa factory – This is where they make the produce and manufacture the Mauna Loa macadamia nuts. The company is owned by Hershey’s.

REFERENCE:
Pls. click here to view the video.

Day 6 (May 28 Tuesday) – The mini Reunion

Day 6 (May 28 Tuesday) – The mini Reunion
• A day with my college friend Erwin Wong. We met in 2006 in San Jose, California and now in Oahu, Hawaii.
• Lunch at Nico’s Restaurant
• Fisherman’s Wharf
• Waikiki Area
• Waikele Premium Outlet

Day 5 (May 27 Monday) – First mountain climb in 2013

Day 5 (May 27 Monday) – First mountain climb in 2013
• It was relatively a relaxed day save for the "challenging" mountain climb.
• Diamond Head Crater lookout – my first mountain climb for the year.
• Ross For Less – my kind of store
• Ala Moana Shopping Center – a staple for every Hawaiian and adapted by visitors like us

REFERENCE:
Pls. click here to view the video.

Day 4 (May 26 Sunday) – North Shore

Day 4 (May 26 Sunday) – North Shore
• It was Sunday so we heard mass at St. Philomena near Mama’s place
• Dole Plantation – location of the world’s largest maze
• Lunch was at Kua Aina Sandwich Shop. One of the best burger’s I have tried.
• Turtle Bay – guess what can be found here? Though they were no shows that day.
• Waimea Valley – so this site is pretty. It’s a geologist’s haven.
• Banzai Pipe – surf’s up.

Day 3 (May 25 Saturday) – Culture Un-shock

Day 3 (May 25 Saturday) – Culture Un-shock
• The schedule for today was to explore East Oahu.
• Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout (bonus)
• Valley of the Temple where Byodo-In Temple (bonus)
• Kualoa Ranch – location shoot of Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates and many more.
• Chinaman’s Hat – right in front of Kualoa Ranch
• La'ie Point State Wayside Park
• Lunch was at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck along Kamehameha Highway to try their popular garlic shrimp
• We had dessert at a slightly different McDonalds along Kamehameha Highway. While the place looked different, the hot fudge sundae tasted the same.
• Polynesian Cultural Center – a lot of learnings about Hawaii’s culture and day ended with a show called Ha – Breath of Life

Day 2 (May 24 Friday) – Pearl Harbor Galore

Day 2 (May 24 Friday) – Pearl Harbor Galore
• The schedule for the day was to explore Pearl Harbor.
• First on the list was USS Bowfin – this is the first (out of four) submarines that saw during our trip
• USS Arizona Memorial – arguably the most popular tourist destination in HI.
• SS Missouri or Mighty Mo – the only ship that served in WW2 and the gulf war
• Pacific Aviation Museum – generations of airplanes housed in this complex
• We rode DaBus from Pearl Harbor to Ala Moana.
• Late lunch and early dinner (6pm) was at Ala Moana Shopping Center food court.
• We rode DaCab going back to Punchbowl.

HOLIDAY IN HAWAII / Day 1 - Ready Jet Set Go!

The trip to Hawaii actually started in February when we got a schedule from the US Embassy in Manila for a May 9 interview. The whole family got a multiple 10 year tourist visa.

Day 1 (May 23 Thursday) – Ready Jet Set Go!
• The airline of choice for this family bonding time was Hawaiian Airline. It was an early evening Thursday night flight that will bring us on the same day lunchtime in Honolulu.
• My mother and her good friend Tita Siony picked us up at the airport.
• Lunch was at Ala Moana Shopping Center food court which would be our hub for the duration of our vacation. It was at the center of Waikiki.
• Next up in the sight seeing was a quick stop to Hanauma Bay and Koko Head.
• We checked out Diamond Head Crater Park and Kapiolani Park (where we saw the different kinds of cactus)
• Dinner was at Bangkok Chef along Nuuanu Avenue.
• For whatever reason, the hotels within our range in Oahu were packed and our savior was Mama’s good friends Tita Lita & Tito Francis who lived in Punchbowl, Honolulu.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HAWAII STATE

• Hawaii (HI) is the 50th US state. They were admitted to the union last August 21, 1959.
• It is also called “The Rainbow State” or “The Aloha State.”
• It has 8 islands – Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe.
• The total population is 1,392,313 and 70% is in the island of Oahu.
• The top ancestry of the population are (1) Filipino 13.6%, (2) Japanese 12.6%, (3) Polynesian 9%, German 7.4% and Irish 5.2%.
• There are 13 volcanoes in the state of Hawaii. The Big Island has 7 volcanoes.
• It boasts of having the biggest maze located at the Dole Plantation, one of the most active volcano Kilauea, Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth in terms of volume and area covered, Mauna Kea is considered the “tallest” mountain if measured from base-to-peak.
• There are quite a number of movies filmed in Hawaii. The more popular ones include: Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• The current US President B.H.Obama was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii.
• The Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States.

TOP TEN NICE TO KNOW IN THAILAND

1- The Suvarnabhumi airport is considered the 10th best airport in the world in 2012. The word Suvarnabhumi means 'Golden Land'.

2- It is approximately 1,600 kms from the equator and it's hotter compared to Ph. Average of 27.7 centigrade in May.

3- Population is close to 67 million. It is the 20th in the world.
4- Ninety five percent of population is Buddhism. This explains why Bangkok has over 400 temples (a.k.a. wat) and Thailand has 34,000+.

5- King Rama IX or King Bhumibol is their 85 year old leader. He is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history

6- The Thai Baht is a bit stronger than the Ph peso. Think at least 30%.

7- The best way to explore Thailand is through the Chao Phraya river. It is a major river in Thailand, runs through Bangkok and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.

8- Thailand is known for its Tuk-tuk (motorized tricycle) however it is not the only area in world that has this three wheeled transport.

9- The 2011 major flooding was the second in 2 decades. Last year's flood was worse than the 1 in 1995.

10- Thailand's tallest building is the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. It holds the distinction of being the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia, and the fourth-tallest all-hotel structure in the world.

AMAZING THAILAND.

The original plan was to see either Seoul or Beijing however the former was in a melee with their neighbor up north while our country is still wrestling with China over the Scarborough shoal ownership. So Thailand was a plan C that became a reality. No regrets as the trip was fun filled, we learned a lot during this trip without breaking our piggy bank.

Day 1 – PLANE ALWAYS LATE
PAL lived up to its expectation - Plane Always Late. We sincerely hope that with the entry of the San Miguel group, a lot of improvements will be instituted. Just don’t let the pilots drink and fly because that would be a BAD combination.

After we dropped our stuff at Baiyoke Boutique Hotel, we went to Madame Tussaud's at Siam Discovery. We were star struck or should I say wax struck. The museum contained 70 wax figures of famous international and local personalities such as Angelina Jolie, Yao Ming, President Obama and Dumbo. Yes, Dumbo the flying elephant. Dinner was at 9th Café at Siam Discovery.

Day 2 - BANGKOK AND BANGNA.
Part of the tour package was a half day city tour. We crossed Chao Phraya river going to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), went to Wat Intrawihan (which houses the tallest buddha), quickly checked out King Chula Longkorn Statue and Vimanmek Palace and “shopped” at Gems Gallery. Lunch was at Grand Diamond Hotel foodcourt which was also part of the package. After lunch, we went to Ikea at Bang Na which is said to be the biggest Ikea store in Asia. Dinner was at 9th Café again. We rode the Sky Train (electric city train) to and fro Ikea. Ikea was located outside Bangkok.

Day 3 - AYUTTHAYA TAYO
Every waking day during the trip was special but this would be the best and unforgettable. The 6,000 Baht whole day tour brought us to Ayutthaya. The historic city of Ayutthaya is a Unesco Wolrd Heritage site. We rode the bus going there and a cabin cruiser (small ship or a ferry) on the way back to Bangkok. We went to the following tourist sites:
(1) The Bang Pa-in Palace. This is also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. We went Ho Withun Thasana, Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun, Phra Thinang Varobhas Bimarn Residential hall, Aisawan-Dhipaya-Asana pavilion.
(2) The ruins of Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat (Woravihara), Sukhothai, at Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This site contains the head of buddha that is made of limestone and entangled in roots.
(3) Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Ayutthaya. It is situated on the city island in Ayutthaya’s World Heritage Park in Pratu Chai sub-district.
(4) Wihan Phramongkhon Bophit. It contains one of the largest bronze Buddha images found in Thailand

We had late lunch at Grand Pearl cruiser. Dinner was at Crystal Grill Restaurant located at the 82nd floor of Baiyoke Sky Hotel. We capped the day with a 360 degree of Bangkok from 1,014 feet via Baiyoke Sky hotel's revolving viewing deck. The eat-all-you-can buffet dinner was a steal at 600 Baht considering the entrance to the view deck cost already 300 Baht.

http://www.grandpearlcruise.com/index.php#iternary
http://baiyokesky.baiyokehotel.com/

Day 4 – DREAMWORLD?
The original plan for the day was to check out Grand Palace, Wat Pho and National Museum, we ended up going to Dream World in Pathum Thani Province. It’s a local amusement park which is not up to the standards of Disneyland in HK or Universal Studios in Japan. My personal assessment is that Enchanted Kingdom is better organized and has better quality however Dreamworld has more interesting rides. Oh well, what’s more important is that the kids enjoyed and it was family bonding to the hilt.

After taking 1,200 shots from our new D90 dslr, 4 tired pair of legs every day, getting sun burned and learning a lot from the trip, the next step is to plan for the next trip!