PHUKET: Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: 27 June 2013

Tuktuk (Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 - Udon Thani Airport) - 75.00
Air Asia (Udon Thani  - Phuket) - 1,375.60
Air Asia (Chicken Rice w/Pepsi) - 190.00
Mini Van (Phuket Aiport - Patong) - 180.00
Balcony Hostel Patong (1 Bunk in 4-Bed Dorm/2 Nights) - 600.00
Burger King (Bacon Cheeseburger w/Fries & Coke + Brownie Choco Fudge) - 315.00
THB2,735.00

[KRABI] Budget and Itinerary

SATURDAY: 29 June 2013

Ko Phi Phi Day Tour (Phuket Serenity) - 1,300.00
Blueberry Cheese Cake (Ton Sai) - 160.00
Toilet (Chalong Pier) - 10.00
Toilet (Khai Nai) - 40.00

SUBTOTAL – THB1,510.00
Estimate of THB1 = PhP1.40

TOTAL – PhP2,114.00

[KRABI] That Beach in The Beach

My one-day Krabi island hopping tour was not something that I really enjoyed. You see, when it comes to this activity, the less people the better. Of course you would need more people to drive down the cost of the boat and other miscellaneous expenses but when it reaches the point when you could no longer snap a photo of something natural without a camwhore blocking the view, you would know that the attraction has fallen prey to too much tourism. If they could pin themselves on a cliff, they probably would. You cannot blame them, though. Being a stopover where you spend barely half an hour, all you could really do is seize every opportunity for a photograph, and pretend that everybody else is part of the attraction.

PATONG: Balcony Hostel Patong

Hands down, the best one I have ever booked on Agoda! They have the best staff who were just so friendly ad always ready to help with a smile. They also make it a point to know their guests, which I hope they would be able to keep up even if they become popular and busy because it gives you a feeling of personalized service. I think I hit the jackpot with the dorm room. Not only are the bunk beds big, they are also equipped with their own night lamp and power socket. The room has a veranda, an en suite bathroom, and lockers placed neatly in one corner.

PATONG: Boracay's Crowd Sans the White Sand

A

PATONG: Boracay's Crowd Sans the White Sand

PATONG: Balcony Hostel Patong

PHUKET: Budget and Itinerary

VIENTIANE (PROVINCE): Budget and Itinerary

TUESDAY: 25 June 2013

Bus (Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng) - 130,000.00
Stopover (Bathroom) - 2,000.00
Stopover (Snacks) - 28,000.00
Tuktuk (North Bus Terminal - Laos Haven Hotel & Spa) - 20,000.00
The Kitchen (Beef Steak w/7-Up and Extra Fries) - 82,000.00
LAK262,000.00

Laos Haven Hotel & Spa (1 Superior Double/2 Nights) - 36.00

USD36.00

VANG VIENG: Laos Haven Hotel

It was a bit difficult to locate at first because it was raining and there seemed to be a shortage of public transportation in Vang Vieng. Later on you will realize that it is just really within the main road. Good points first. The staff is the best aspect of this hotel. They speak good English, are very hospitable, and will really help you with a lot of things from booking your bus ticket to anywhere all the way to scanning and printing some important documents for a minimal fee. Free yummy breakfast is served daily. The room is nothing to write home about but it is not cramped either. The bathroom is okay.

LUANG PRABANG: Xayana Guesthouse

Xayana Guesthouse is affordable, I can tell you that, but it does not come without quirks. Let us start with the positive things, though. First stop, the rooms are big. The beds are big. There are four double bunks in a room. There are two showers and two toilets hidden by four separate doors which make it look like one of those game shows in the 90's where you try your luck and open a door. The location of the place could be considered central because the night market is just a few cartwheels away. The location is within a street lined up with other guesthouses, most of them cheap.

LUANG PRABANG: Budget and Itinerary

SATURDAY: 22 June 2013

Bus (Vientiane - Luang Prabang) - 160,000.00
North Bus Terminal (Pringles + Mineral Water) - 24,000.00
Stopover (Bathroom) - 2,000.00
Stopover (Bathroom) - 2,000.00
Stopover (Snacks) - 5,000.00
Tuktuk (Bus Station -Xayana Guesthouse) - 20,000.00
Joma Bakery Cafe (Lasagna w/Pepsi & Mango Shake) - 63,000.00
LAK276,000.00

Xayana Guesthouse (1 Bunk in 8-Bed Dorm/3 Nights) - 15.00

USD15.00

VIENTIANE: Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: 20 June 2013

Air Asia (Bangkok - Udon Thani) - 875.60
Limousine Van (Udon Thani Airport - Friendship Bridge) - 200.00
Bus (Thai Border - Lao Border) - 15.00
Crossing Fee (Lao Border) - 5.00

THB1,095.60

Funky Monkey Hostel (1 Bunk in 8-Bed Aircon Dorm/2 Nights) - 11.00

USD11.00

Bus 137 (Lao Border - Salat Thao) - 6,000.00
Mixok Inn (Chicken Nuggets w/ Fries & Pepsi) - 15,000.00
Khop Chai Deu (Sizzling Beef Steak w/Pepsi & Vanilla Shake) - 93,000.00
LAK114,000.00

VIENTIANE: Funky Monkey Hostel

Funky Monkey was one of three cheap accommodations that came up when I used Vientiane as a key strong on Hostelworld’s website. When I say cheap, we are talking USD5 a night for a bunk bed kind of cheap. There were two other choices, and I think all three of them are within the same area, so your decision might be based on presentation and photos displayed. As for me, internet connection will always be of primary importance, thus, the decision. In terms of cheap accommodation, Cambodia and Laos seem to be at loggerheads with one another as to who can offer you the cheapest dorms. They also really seem to like using the term “Monkey” considering how my guesthouse in Phnom Penh a few months ago was called Mad Monkey. Anyway, this is one of the cheapest accommodations I have booked so far, and the quality of the dorm is not that bad either. Good catch.

Man of Steel

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

A coup d’état headed by General Zod (Michael Shannon) erupts in Krypton, coinciding with its then impending death as a planet. In an effort to save their race, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) binds their genetic make-up with his infant son Kal-El, who is saved from the eventual doom after being launched into space and landing on planet Earth, in a small town called Smallville in the state of Kansas. Growing up as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), he has proven to be a special kid due to his abilities, the manifestation of which often caused more controversy than a reason to celebrate. It is because of this that his adoptive parents, Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane), have dedicated their lives to protecting this secret, which is eventually threatened by the return of General Zod from exile in a black hole, released after the destruction of Krypton. His plan is to build a new Krypton on Earth, but he is not willing to share the planet with its original inhabitants. This is when Clark decides to don his infamous suit and come to the rescue of the planet that he has learned to consider his own.

MANDALAY: Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: 13 June 2013

Shwe Mandalar Express (Yangon - Bagan) - 15,000.00
Stopover (Fried Rice & Coke) - 3,000.00
Mya Thida Hotel (1 Bunk in 4 Bed Dorm/3 Nights) - 45,000.00
Taxi (Nyaung U - New Bagan) - 10,000.00

MMK73,000.00

MANDALAY: Fortune Hotel

For those who might have missed it when you booked on Agoda, the room is tagged as Superior but there is no en suite bathroom. You have to share the bathroom down the hall. It has two shower rooms and three toilets, all of which are squat type. The room I got was twin bed. It looks a bit outdated but the comfort is there. Besides, this is one of the cheapest you could book on Agoda for accommodations in Mandalay. As long as it is comfortable, then appearances could take the backseat. The room has a small TV, aircon, some wooden shelves, a fan, and a desk, aside from the two beds already mentioned. Free breakfast is included.

NYAUNG-U: Mya Thida Hotel

This is one of, if not, the cheapest accommodation you would find on Agoda for Bagan. Having said that, you would think that it would be a bad choice, but the photos circulating online do not do the place any justice. Even if the place looks a bit old fashioned, I enjoyed my stay here because a) it is cheap; b) the people here are sooooo accommodating; and c) the place is just fine. The only problem you would be having here is the Internet connection. The signal reaches the rooms, but the connection itself is really slow, but if you resign yourself to the fact that this is Myanmar and that is just how fast the Internet is supposed to be, then you would not be spending too much time stressing yourself over it. The room could use more lighting.

YANGON: Budget and Itinerary

TUESDAY: 11 June 2013

Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur - Yangon) - 87.00
Air Asia (Milo Hot/Milo Cold) - 11.00

MYR98.00

Taxi (Yangon International - Hotel 63) - 10,000.00

Hotel 63 (Superior with Breakast/2 Nights) - 76,000.00

Hotel 63 (Fried Pork Meat Flat w/Rice & Coke) - 5,500.00

Taxi (Hotel 63 - Inya Lake) - 5,000.00

Inya Lake Resort (Tart) - 2,800.00

Taxi (Hotel 63 - Inya Lake) - 5,000.00
Hotel 63 (Chicken Fried Rice & Coke) - 4,000.00

MMK108,300.00

YANGON: Hotel 63

I chose this hotel based on feedback from various online sources that it has good internet connection. Fair enough, when the in-room WiFi failed -- and it did big time because the connection was always intermittent -- the connection at the lobby always saved my day. Most of the hotel’s rooms are on sale on Agoda, and I found out why when I arrived. Construction. If you happen to stay in your room at daytime, then your ears would be vibrating to the never-ending beat of pounding hammers, making it seem as though someone is perpetually knocking at your door. Another downside would be the location at the far edge of downtown surrounded by a lorry parking site.

YANGON: Shwedagon Pagoda

After getting stuck in traffic for most of the day yesterday, I have come to find Yangon a bit annoying. The people are very nice, among the friendliest on this side of Asia, but the place itself... I guess I am just not used to anything that is not up to date. Ouch. Wait. That might offend some people. Well, I am not saying that Yangon will stay this way forever. It will eventually catch up, but until it does, it will always seem stuck in the 90’s, at least in the perspective of some tourists who got spoiled by other westernized cities nearby. Ahem, Bangkok, ahem. Some people would argue, though, that it is there where the charm of the city lies. That time warp kind of feel. In any case, I would just recommend a day or two in Yangon. Once you have seen the Shwedagon, you are so done.

YANGON: Where Did Your Old Toyota Corolla Go

ANSWER: They are moonlighting as taxis in Rangoon, or Yangon, which is the former capital of Burma, or Myanmar. Pardon the alternative names. The country seems to suffer from some sort of undiagnosed schizophrenia. It is said that their flag has been changed thrice in the last few decades. Come to think of it, they had a flag that looked similar to that of Taiwan back then. Now they have a bright tri-color with a superimposed star. Not bad. Oh, we were talking about them old Toyota Corolla’s? Yes, the taxis in Yangon, or Rangoon, are mostly those phased-out Toyota and Nissan models from the 90’s that remind you of a time when Cesar Montano’s comedy-action movies were popular and pagers still existed. What the hell are pagers? Exactly my point!

KUALA LUMPUR: Moon Eleven

I have slept at the LCCT twice, and those two times were not the best travel experiences I have had so far, and so I did a bit of research. Tune Hotel is the nearest choice, but too expensive for just a few hours of stay, not to mention always fully booked. Another accommodation option surfaced at Agoda. It is called Moon 11, or in some Google search results, Moon Eleventh. It is basically a house in a residential area near Salak Tinggi, the first stop of the KLIA Ekspres from the airport. Jessy, the manager of the place is the highlight of all of this. It is because of her that this arrangement works.

JOHOR: Budget and Itinerary

SUNDAY: 9 June 2013

Bus CW3 (Jurong - Gelang Patah) - 4.00

SGD4.00

Bus LM1 (Gelang Patah - Legoland) - 1.60

Taxi (Legoland - Bukit Indah) - 22.40

Warm Blanket Hostel (Single Aircon/1 Night) - 38.00

Happy Dessert House (6 pcs Chicken Nuggets & Mango Blended Ice) - 10.00

MYR72.00

JOHOR: Warm Blanket Hotel

The best thing should have been to stay in Singapore for another night and just go to Legoland in the morning, and then straight to Senai Airport from there; no need to stay in a hotel in Johor Bahru. Because of the high costs of accommodation in Singapore, however, I had to cross the border earlier than expected, and in the end only paid half the price of what I should have had I stayed in Singapore. Warm Blanket Hotel, at least its rooms, reminds me Colour Inn Shenzhen because of the unique personalized artwork on the room’s walls. The only caveat is that the room does not have a bathroom, but rather you have to share with everyone else.

SINGAPORE: Budget and Itinerary (2)

SATURDAY: 8 June 2013

Taxi (Makati - NAIA 3) - 151.00

Travel Tax (NAIA 3) - 1,620.00

Terminal Fee (NAIA 3) - 550.00

Cebu Pacific (Manila - Singapore) - 1,912.40

PHP4,233.40

SINGAPORE: Unfinished Business with GMAX

With no Melaka on my itinerary, I really did not want to go all the way down to Johor Bahru from KL. It does not make sense when you can simply land in Singapore and cross the border and voilà! Legoland! Legoland was the main destination. Singapore was really jut the stopover, but I had to do something, otherwise my budget and itinerary post for Johor would be too bloated if I charge all the transit expenses there. Fine. There is this one unfinished business I had with Singapore, and that is the GMAX.

[SIQUIJOR] Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: June 6, 2012

Gazebo Pensionne (1 Twin Aircon/2 Nights) - 1,700.00

Jollibee (1 pc Chicken w/Rice & Coke) - 79.00

PhP1,779.00

[SIQUIJOR] Not a Single Aswang in Sight

Well, well, well. Whoever was responsible for spreading those nasty rumors that Siquijor – along with Capiz usually, but I have never been there – is full of Aswang and the supernatural probably did so to keep everyone away and have the awesome beaches all to himself. My Habal-Habal driver’s upper body did not detach from its lower half; neither did he try to eat me. So no, no single supernatural creature in sight, but rather just beaches with the typical trio of azure, turquoise, and dark blue that turns every body of water into a powerful visual spectacle.

[DUMAGUETE] Gazebo Pensionne House

Surprise! Grande Pensionne Inn was full. Just my luck. It just happens that when I have already been to a city and decide to go back, I stay with the same inn or guesthouse, especially if there have been no complaints during the last time I was there. It appears that Dumaguete’s guesthouses are easily fully booked, and so I had to search for other places and ended up at Gazebo Pensionne which is of a similar vibe and layout as the former. Not bad, except that the Internet in the room had intermittent connectivity in spite of the strong signal. I think I have to blame the service provider. For that, I had to stay at the lobby for any activity I had to do online because the Internet down there was functioning better.

BOHOL: Budget and Itinerary

TUESDAY: June 4, 2012

Terminal Fee (Balbagon Port) - 11.20

Super Shuttle Ferry (Balbagon - Jagna) - 400.00

Bus (Jagna - Tagbilaran) - 80.00

Jollibee (1 pc Burger Steak w/Rice & Coke + Pretzel Crunch) - 87.00
Tricycle (Island City Mall - Panglao) - 250.00
Panglao Chocolate Hills Resort (1 Dorm Bed/2 Nights) - 600.00

Van (Panglao Chocolate Hills - Alona - Panglao Chocolate Hills) - 200.00

Hayahay (Chicken Fried Rice & Coke + Ube Shake) - 270.00

PhP1,898.20

CARMEN: Our Hills Are Chocolate

They say that back when the population of water buffaloes far exceeded that of the human inhabitants, it took a million of them simultaneously taking a dump to form what is now known as the Chocolate Hills. This is a joke, but since many people would take anything they read as gospel truth, let me put some joke tags. [joke] They say that back when the population of water buffaloes far exceeded that of the human inhabitants, it took a million of them simultaneously taking a dump to form what is now known as the Chocolate Hills [/joke]. Kidding aside, this popular tourist attraction is a sight to behold, as long as it is not raining and there are not too many camwhores congregating at the few photo-op sites like there is no tomorrow.

CORELLA: Three Tarsiers for Wednesday

Today’s pathetic excuse for an itinerary was short and sweet, thanks to my laziness, but you have to give it to me. I am improving. Forfeiting my second day at Panglao Chocolate Hills Resort, I went back to Tagbilaran and booked a room for one night in a pension house because Panglao is just too far to serve as my home base in Bohol. The plan to leave by 7 AM got delayed by two hours, and given how going to the Chocolate Hills would take more time, I just chose the tarsiers for today. It has been a simple itinerary, really, and only took less than two hours. What did I do the rest of the day? Sleep.

TAGBILARAN: Slim Pension House

I think this is the cheapest available on Agoda, and the location is not that bad, at least relative to Panglao Chocolate Hills Resort, which is on the edge of nowhere. Arriving before noon, I was able to take a nap before meeting the tarsiers. Back on topic, the room is spacious alright, with a double bed and a small TV. There is an aircon, of course, and a phone that could not connect to the outside world despite the label stuck on it saying otherwise. You also have a bible on the bedside table. Hmmmkaaay...

PANGLAO: Panglao Chocolate Hills Resort

My last minute search for accommodation in Bohol yielded a 300-peso a night dorm room somewhere in Dauis. The resort looks very nice, with a pool of its own and fancy pictures of its rooms and bathrooms. I am so getting this one, despite the warning from one comment that it not really in front of the beach. So far, if an offer is too good to be true for its price, then there will probably be a caveat that will bite you in the ass later on. That caveat turns out to be the resort's location. How remote could you possibly get. This happens to be the third or fourth Agoda booking that I have made in which the place is awesome, but the location sucks.

PANGLAO: Some Boracay Kind of Vibe

For someone who has been traveling for years now, how I plan for my trips remains to be a good source of embarrassment. What is so wrong with research? Nothing. But we want spontaneity! Well, spontaneity would cost you some of your hard-earned cash in the long run. Perhaps I was too smitten by Camiguin that I forgot planning for Bohol altogether. Before I knew it, I was on a ferry to Jagna with no clear itinerary in mind. I did reserve a dorm bed for two nights, though, located at Dauis on Panglao Island. Off to Tagbilaran I go.

CAMIGUIN: Budget and Itinerary

SUNDAY: June 2, 2012

Taxi (Makati - NAIA 3) - 147.50

Cebu Pacific (Manila - Cagayan de Oro) - 1,384.12

Jeep (Lumbia - Carmen) - 20.00

Jeep (Carmen - Agora) - 7.50

Terminal Fee (Agora) - 3.00

Agora (Chippy + Mineral Water) - 55.00

Bus (Cagayan de Oro - Balingoan) - 84.00

Tricycle (Balingoan Bus Terminal - Balingoan Port) - 7.00

Terminal Fee (Balingoan Port) - 2.25

Environmental Fee (Balingoan Port) - 2.00

Super Shuttle Ferry (Balingoan - Benoni) - 170.00

Multicab (Benoni - Mambajao) - 25.00

GV Hotel (1 Single Aircon/1 Night) - 450.00

Perry's Pizza (Pepperoni Pizza + Pepsi) - 190.00

Habal-Habal (GV Hotel - Katibawasan Falls - Ardent - GV Hotel) - 300.00

Entrance Fee (Katibawasan Falls) - 20.00

Entrance Fee (Ardent Hot Springs) - 30.00
Rooftop (Spaghetti + Pepsi + Mango Shake + Fries) - 197.00
GV Hotel (Mineral Water) - 20.00

PhP3,114.37

MAMBAJAO - Paguia's Cottages

I wanted to transfer to Fantasuites because when I ate dinner there yesterday the guy manning the cashier said their rooms are on 50% off promo, meaning just 1,000 for a single room. They have Wi-Fi, and that is the important part. But my clingy habal-habal driver slash de facto tour guide said he knows a place at Paras beach that is of the same price and it also has in-room WiFi. Fine, let us have a look-see. True enough, it has WiFi, but not working. Apparently, the other router does and offers good connection despite the weak signal. And so my search for an alternative accommodation ends here.

MAMBAJAO - The Coraliens of White Island

I was supposed to transfer to Fantasuites, but my clingy habal-habal slas de facto tour guide had another alternative accommodation in mind, which turned out to be a good choice because it brought me closer to White Island. How close? Well, there is this one stretch of road in Mambajao where most of the ho(s)tels found in Agoda are lined up. At the end of that road is the dock from which the boats to White Island depart. The only caveat is that I had to wait for more people to come because I am traveling solo, and a boat costs close to 500 pesos on its own, round-trip. I finished my karinderya meal at around 1 PM, and did not get to board until quarter to three. No complaints whatsoever though, sometimes the best part of the trip is that idle moment given by the universe for you to reflect and think about a lot of stuff.

Game of Thrones (HBO): Season 3/Episode 10

3.10 Mhysa

The Hound takes Arya away to safety, but not until she sees his brother’s headless corpse being paraded with his dire wolf’s head. She later stabs a soldier to death, her first, after she overhears him mocking her family’s death. Joffrey orders Robb’s head to be delivered to him to present to Sansa during his wedding. Jaime and Brienne finally arrive at King’s Landing, reuniting him with Cersei. Roose Bolton is named warden of the north, and reveals that the deranged man torturing Theon is his son, Ramsay (Iwan Rheon). Sam and Gilly find Bran and company in the tower. He recognizes him as Jon Snow’s brother and persudes him to go back to Castle Black. But with Osha and Rickon already headed to safety, he is determined to go with Jejon, Meera, and Hodor north of the wall to fulfill his fate. Ygritte catches up with Jon Snow and shoots her arrows at him. Wounded, he eventually makes it back to Castle Black. Davos lets Gendry escape. The freed slaves of Yunkai declare Daenerys as their as Mhysa, which means “Mother” in the vernacular.

MAMBAJAO - It's Mambajao with a Spanish J

So once again I find myself island hopping down south, where the lingua franca has always been Bisaya, which I find both annoying and amazing at the same time. Annoying? Yes, because in the school of thought to which I subscribe, which happens to highlight an intense narcissistic mantra, I am supposed to be the center of the universe, and people should adjust accordingly. I know, I am a jerk. I digress. Amazing? Back on topic, yes, because once again this mantra clashes with a totally different reality where I find myself to be a foreigner in my own country, a proud one with many nations that speak a plethora of languages and vary in terms of culture. It never fails to hit you with the realization that Manila is not the Philippines, something that you will never really get to know unless you get out of the capital  more often.

MAMBAJAO - GV Hotel Camiguin

They did not say on their website that they had Internet so I cannot really complain about that. True enough, there was none when I checked in, but because Smart 3G had a signal, I gave it a go anyway. The normal 1000-peso rate for the single aircon room was selling for 435 or something. I think this is the cheapest you could get here for the privacy that you need. It is not near the beach but not too far from some eateries and other attractions either, if you have a habal-habal or if you have rented one, that is.

Miss Ripley: Episode 16

미스 리플리: 제16회

The slime ball from Fukuoka lets Miri go, playing the flute while she lays in a coma on a hospital bed, telling her not to hate playing that instrument because some people love hearing her do so. After recovery and all the obligatory how-could-I-forgive-you-you-abandoned-me-bitch drama between mother and daughter, Miri surrenders to the authorities and confesses all her fraud, acquitting Myeong Hun, who goes back to being a doctor and stays away from all the drama. Miri is sent to prison for a year, which is all it takes for her to forgive her mother. Yu Hyeon’s father decides to send the two to America to make up for lost time. Miri does not go, but instead writes her mother a letter telling her how much she loves her, but she has to find herself first. She then goes back to the convent with Hee Joo. One night while taking a stroll near Cheonggyecheon, Miri and Yu Hyeon find themselves staring at the same billboard flashing a quote saying, “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” Their gaze, however, never meet, and they end up treading separate ways.

Miss Ripley: Episode 15

미스 리플리: 제15회

Both Miri and her mother are unable to accept the truth. The latter runs away and confronts her husband, Yu Hyeon’s father, and ends up collapsing and hitting her head on the floor. She is hospitalized. Miri, on the other hand, hears more of the truth from Yu Hyeon, and automatically decides to hate her future mother-in-law, who turns out to be her mother after all. Myeong Hun tells Miri that he will take the fall for everything in order to spare her. She is apologetic, but this is the least of her problems, with all the truth about her identity being revealed left and right. The rumor has also been leaked to the press, and all forms of media are covering the scandal, mainly her fraudulent activities and the newly-revealed truth about her mother. Slime ball from Fukuoka forces Miri to come back with him to Japan, arguing that she will be facing unfair circumstances in Seoul. She disagrees, and wants to face own up to what she does, but he just would not let him. Enter Yu Hyeon to save the day, but as the two guys struggle, Miri threatens both of them to stop or she would take her own life. She accidentally falls off the quay.