Kamakura with Mom and Alpi

When my mom visited me in Tokyo, Alpi took us to Kamakura (鎌倉市) which is a city located 50 km southwest of Tokyo.



Kamakura is famous for its Kōtoku-in, with its monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha. A 15th century tsunami destroyed the temple that once housed the Great Buddha, but the statue survived and has remained outdoors ever since.



Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū (鶴岡八幡宮) is the most important shrine in the city of Kamakura. Both the shrine and the city were built with Feng Shui in mind. The present location was carefully chosen as the most propitious after consultation with a diviner because it had the Hokuzan 北山 mountain to the north, the Namerikawa river to the east, a great road to the west (the Kotō Kaidō 古東街道) and was open to the south (on Sagami Bay). Each direction was protected by a god.


(Old picture of the shrine)


(Wishes written at wooden plates and hung everywhere)

How can I not love Japan?

November 2006

(The day I met Alpi...)

Besides the unique culture of Japan, how can I not love the country where I met my husband? I met Alpi Bacani on November 2006 on a cold Saturday in Shinagawa, Tokyo... and a year & 4mos later, he became my husband and 親友 (best friend).

I was assigned to work on a 3 month project in Tokyo, Japan and met lots of cool people.



When Alpi and I met for the first time, he took me on a short tour of Tokyo. We went to the Asakusa (浅草) district famous for the Sensō-ji Buddhist temple.



We also went to the Yasukuni Shinto shrine, built in honor of of kamikaze (suicide) soldiers, where they would say before death "See you in Yasakuni".



Ofcourse, Akihabara Electronic Town is a MUST when in Tokyo. It is a major shopping area for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, including new and used items.


(Promo girls/boys in anime costumes at Akihabara)

It was the first time for me and Alpi to go to an ABSOLUT ICEBAR and it was too cool! We were only allowed to stay for 45 minutes because you can get sick but it was worth it. Everything was made of ice - sofa, tables, bar, glasses, paintings, everything! Awesome.




I want to go back to TOKYOOOO!

Italy Overdose

October 2006

3 weeks around Italy!

1st stop: MILAN to meet Marga and Vito. It is the second largest city of Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy and one of the world capitals of design and fashion.


(Vito and Marga)


(On top of the Milan Cathedral)


(Michaelangelos Rondanini Pieta, and Virgin of the Rocks)

2nd stop: Lake Como is a popular tourist destination. It is a venue for sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. In 1818 Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote to Thomas Love Peacock: “This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty, with the exception of the arbutus islands of Killarney. It is long and narrow, and has the appearance of a mighty river winding among the mountains and the forests”.



3rd stop: Venice is world-famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of 118 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies.




(At Piazza San Marco)

4th stop: TUSCANY. I loved this place so much that I made it the theme of our wedding when we held it at Tagaytay.


(At the capital of Tuscany, Florence where the famous DAVID can be found)


(Castellina, Tuscany)


(At Bolgari, Tuscany)

5th stop: Pisa is a city in Tuscany and is known worldwide for its famous bell tower.



6th stop: The historical Pompeii. Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in AD 79.


(Mt. Vesuvius)

The volcano buried Pompeii under many meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748. Today, it is both one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



Last Stop and my favorite: The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy.



Renowned for its rugged terrain, scenic beauty, picturesque towns and diversity, the Amalfi Coast is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

I recommend Italy to all travelers and stay for at least 2 weeks :) 5 stars from National Carine-ographic.

I love Palawan!

El Nido 2006, 2008

I went to El Nido, Palawan for the first time on 2006 with my family, then again on 2008 with my husband.



At Lagen El Nido Resorts, El Nido Palawan

Palawan's almost 2,000 kilometers of irregular coastline are dotted with 1,780 islands and islets, rocky coves, and sugar-white sandy beaches. It also harbors a vast stretch of virgin forests that carpet its chain of mountain ranges.


We swam into a hole to get into this Secret Beach, Dad kayaking at the Small Lagoon

I recommend El Nido Palawan for honeymooners who want to enjoy each other's company in a serene beach setting! 5 stars from National Carine-o-grahic!

I love Boracay!

Boracay - I don't know where to start! Too many trips, too many drinks, too many friends, too many memories ... and I love it!

So far, I have never found a beach that beats the powdery white sands of Boracay.


(At White beach, at Puka beach)

Boracay is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.


(with my highschool friends-Marga, Trina, Arlene, with my work friends- Rach, Mash, Vane, Pat)

Boracay Island slowly ceased to be a private travelers hangout and eventually became a favorite tourist destination in the Philippines.


(Zipping during sunrise, eating at Manana with Kina, Arlene, Diego, Dric, Crissie)

White Beach is the main tourism beach. It is a bit over four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. I love the beach parties here especially during holidays!


(sunset party at Waling Waling, beach parties)

I go to Boracay almost every year... and I cant wait to go back again with my hubby!

Golden Triangle India

March 2006

India's Golden Triangle is a tourist circuit which includes: Jaipur, Agra (including the Taj Mahal), and Delhi.

JAIPUR

We took a road trip across the desert to go to Jaipur. Our first stop was the Jaipur Amber Fort where the Maharaja once lived, with his 12 wives and no electricity! He would hold his meetings under the moonlight.


(Jaipur Amber Fort, more beautiful at night - now has lights/electricity!)

We also went to the City Palace where the current Maharajah lives and the biggest silver jar in the world. The following day, en route to Agra, we stopped by a Monkey Temple... with lots of monkeys everywhere!

(Biggest silver jar behind Pat and myself, Monkey Temple in between mountains)

Closer to Agra, we stopped by the Fatehpur Sikri which showcases both Hindu and Muslim architecture.

AGRA

Agra is known for the famous monument of love. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Itis considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.



DELHI

We zoomed by Delhi straight to the airport to catch our flights. So no sightseeing and no pictures!

Click here for more pictures at my online album.

From wikipedia
Delhi has grown to be a cosmopolitan city. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed the city. Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial center of India.

Goa, India

March 2006

Patricia, Suzanne, and I went to GOA, India to experience its famous beaches and Portuguese influenced city.

In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to set foot in India through a sea route, landing in Kerala, followed by an arrival in what is now known as Goa. Goa was the largest trading centre on India's western coast. The Portuguese arrived with the intention of setting up a colony and seizing control of the spice trade from other European powers. Later, in 1510, Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the ruling Bijapur kings with the help of a local ally, Timayya, leading to the establishment of a permanent settlement in Goa.



Goa is popular among European tourists for its beach parties and huge raves. We went to the beaches during the day so I was not able to see any party :( I rate the Goa beaches a 7/10. Nothing beats Boracay, Philippines!



Since this is a very famous destination for Europeans, a lot of them end up staying in GOA for good! They make a living out of trading and selling stuff at the markets. We were very surprised to see that all the market vendors were white!



If they travel all the way to Boracay .. I wonder if they will do the same thing? Hmmm... I dont think so. We lack the huge beach parties!