Hello 2012!

When the fireworks broke loose at the strike of midnight, ushering a new year, I told my husband that I'm a bit worried (in the middle of smooches that we always do for new year). It could be too much coffee--I have been downing two or three cups these past few days--or because 2011 has been so good to us. Too good that I felt like ending it and replacing the last digit is ending and replacing all the good things that 2011 brought about.

That should not be the case, of course, so now I brace myself to what 2012 holds. There have been too many features and shows on the Mayan predictions on 2012, but I figured we better work more on our faith than on our guesses. I have too many plans and apprehensions for work and business, and I have figured that we should focus more on the plans and actions rather than the apprehensions.

Worrying will pull me back; thinking will push me forward.

So here's to a great 2012! May we all appreciate our lives more, laugh and love more, and have deeper faith. This is IT. :) -Mimom

KIddie Christmas at SM Malls

SM is an automatic choice for Christmas shopping. It has everything (almost) and the prices are not too far from tiangges. It is a bonus too that every SM mall has a gimmick for Christmas. Sky Garden in SM North EDSA has a Christmas Village which features Santa's Workshop, Santa's Mailroom, and Mrs. Claus' Kitchen. Mall of Asia, on the other hand, has a walk-in Snow Globe and Santa's Cottage. Lots of photo-ops for the kids and it really sets you for the holiday mood. The lines can be a bit long though, but guards are there to keep the order. This is a real treat in the middle of the stressful shopping that we all got to do this days :)

Our Backpacking Project

When I don't post, I'm most probably doing home chores or working. Nowadays, I inspire myself to work towards our first Backpacking Project. Each day is an inch to the goal, so everytime I see something or hear something that can help us prepare, I jot it down and share the highlights in this blog page.

Tips for touring these places are welcome :) Thanks in advance!

Jesy

Hotel Hunting in Subic and Olongapo

I'm not very particular about hotel rooms. I've been to the better ones, and I've been through the worst. If a room has a functional comfort room and bug-free bed, that's average for me and I'm perfect with it. If it has airconditioning and the price is good, then that's a plus. Customer service, from the time I call to inquire to the time we check out, are important to me... maybe more important than anythign else because when booking a hotel, you never really know what to get until you finally check in and settle down.

As a rule, I often check out a hotel name against blogs and Virtual Tourist or TripAdvisor. If there is anything that I've learned during years of travel, it is that official websites does not guarantee you of anything. Before our trip, we decided that we are capping the weekend with some beach bumming, to give us all a break after half a year of our daily grind, so I checked out hotels around Subic. It was difficult because most of the hotels inside SBMA are either fully booked, or expensive. Outside SBMA, the decent hotels are either off the beach or badly rated by other travellers. Two days before the trip, I was calling off the beach plan and asked Didad if we can just do a day tour of Subic and spend the night in a hotel in Tarlac. He was against this, in part, but can't do anything when I told him that I can't find a beachfront hotel. It was only the day before the trip, when I checked out a website that I can't remember now, that I found Subic Mirage Inn. 

  

You don't go to Subic for the beach, that's what everyone says. Well, we were here not to snorkel or swim or island hop. We were here to sit on the sand, wade on the shore, and build sand cakes and sand castles. We were not expecting too much of the beach, especially after seeing Boardwalk (which is the same bay).

We checked in at 1pm and was immediately led to our room--no questions even if the check-in time is 2pm. The friendly staff there were the best, from the time that they were handling my inquiries to the time that we checked out.

We got a double room, which takes The Son for free because he is under seven years old. The regular room comes with two bottles of distilled water, basic toiletries, own toilet and bath, breakfast for two, cable television, and airconditioning... and the prices are still competitive given that the hotel is beachfront! There is a veranda at the back of the hotel where you can enjoy the beach, dine, drink or sing videoke.

We took our first dip at around four in the afternoon, and the tide is just okay. The staff told us that we can only swim up to 6pm because the tide gets too high for swimming after six. As a safety precaution, they lock the gate going down to the beach after six. True enough, when we went to the veranda at night for some fresh air after dinner, the shore was almost gone save for about three feet width of sand.

The next morning, we woke up early to have breakfast and swim. Breakfast was prompt and tasted good. Didad ordered extra stuff like adobo and chopsuey and they were well worth their price. We agreed that we found our second home upnorth. (Down south, we considered Jardin de Dasmarinas our second home too.)

When we went to the shore, we were surprised with how low the tide has become. (On the top photo, you'll see Didad yards away from the shore, and the water is just knee-deep!) We really enjoyed the low tide that morning and we walked the perimeter of the beach. I enjoyed this long weekend so much, and I was certain that Didad and The Son did too.

Duty Free Shopping at Subic

A visit to Subic will not be complete without checking out the outlet shops and duty free stores. There are several to choose from but because we only have three hours to shop before we check in to out hotel, I decided to include just two in our itinerary: Royal Subic Mall and Puregold Duty Free.

Both are just walking distance from the SBMA Main Gate. In the map I linked from the last post, you will see where Royal Subic Mall is. From here, you can walk your way to Puregold, just go towards the back of Royal Mall and you'll see the big building of Puregold Duty Free.

There were no decent food joints near Royal Subic Mall when we got there (the lone resto, A Tavola, is still closed at 11am that day) so we decided to cross to Puregold to eat first. We then checked out Puregold and the stocks here are impressive. Rows and rows of goods from the U.S., Europe, China, and the Philippines. I wanted to see and compare with Royal Subic Mall first so we ended up not buying anything from Puregold. I have kept some household stuff in mind because they're pretty cheaper here. I saw a set of pots and pans for only $8-$10, and there are jars of candies and chocolates for only $2-$5. On our way out, an aeta who was selling a bamboo bow (on photo above) and arrow approached us. I so love stuff like this so I bought one. For just P100, I have a nice souvenir and it made The Son happy too. (Later on, I would regret not buying more of this. It is the best souvenir from Subic and I should have brought some more home as pasalubong.)

Off we went to Royal Subic Mall. The selection here is good but not as wide as Puregold's. I was disappointed with the household stuff here because they're the same with the ones in Manila. We decided to do the shopping here because Didad didn't want to walk back to Puregold (because there is a shuttle from Royal Mall to the main gate, remember?). We stocked up on familiar stuff...things my in-laws would also send us from the U.S.... and also bought things that are new to us (we discovered a U.S. brand hot sauce for only $1.45 for a big bottle!). The shampoo selection here is impressive! There are BIG bottles (500ml?) which can sell as low as $7! (100 ml of local shampoos are around P100 each so this is like getting half the price off--and you're getting imported shampoo so you know what I mean.)

There are also SALE carts here, but the items here are often the once available in SM Supermarkets so I didn't bother anymore. Clothes and shoes? There are some brands but they are either overruns (which is cheaper in Greenhills than here) or branded items which are NOT marked down (Lacoste apparel are of the same price, so are Crocs). Perfumes are not cheaper than in Manila outlets too. The watches are of a good deal, but we decided not to buy any since we're not really into wearing watches. (This is also the time when I realized that we were on impulse buying.)

For those who need to know: most prices are in U.S. dollars but you can pay in pesos or credit card upon checkout. There are money changers and plenty of banks around so exchanging your dollars should not be a problem.

I'm yet to get over the stuff I didn't buy in this weekend shopping spree. The good thing is that these malls are just a bus ride away from Manila so, given that we have the time, it will be easy for us to go back and shop again.

Bored at the Boardwalk

We walked for about half an hour from the SBMA Gate to the Boardwalk area. The walk itself wasn't bad at all... there are many other couples and groups walking towards the direction. For a moment, we missed a turn and even got lost, but there are authorities in almost every intersection and they are very helpful with directions.

When we go to the Boardwalk Area, I was speechless. That was not because I was in awe of what I saw but because I was disappointed. Even The Son, who is always excited by the sight of shore and water, was not excited by what he saw. While the water was clear, the shore looked like it badly needs maintenance. There were cement patches and wilted grasses and leaves. There were occassional rubbish everywhere I looked. There was no view to speak of because tankers and structures have reigned over the water. Was it always like that or just this particular day?

Sure there were backpackers who have set up tents, groups who were practicing some dance routine, and kids who were taking a dip, but not me. Not us. We're not staying any longer.

We wanted to eat in the restaurants by the shore so we walked towards our right. However, we were greeted by a makeshift fence so we will have to walk back to the pavement, a good eight yards probably, then a long left turn. That killed my appetite. I suggested to Didad that we just drop the idea of eating at the Boardwalk and head to the duty free shops instead. After all, we'll be at the beach in the afternoon so we can do the bayside dining drama later on.

Right this moment, I was clearly seeing that this is not the clean, organized Subic that I once knew.

Subic Without a Car

I'm used to walking. I got Didad used to walking. Now, we're acquanting the little one to endless walking too.

Of course it's good to have a car, or to rent one, but it will defeat the purpose of this trip. Also, the last time we rented a car, I didn't like the driver and the way he manipulated the last leg of our trip. Since we're planning a more difficult backpacking journey in summer, we agreed to take a bus to Subic and see how The Son will put up with it.

Most of the blogs around will tell you that Subic is difficult or expensive to visit without private transport. Well, it is true, but not when you accustom yourself to walking...and knowing when to walk and when to hail a cab.

Victory Liner is a heaven-sent bus line. They have several stations in Caloocan (beside Victory Central Mall), Pasay, and Cubao. In Caloocan, there is an outer station for ordinary buses and there is a main station behind the mall where airconditioned buses are boarded. This main station is a little dated but it is clean (to Philippine bus station standards, that is) and there is ample seating. There are also food stalls inside, and the ticket prices are comparable to other companies'.

Victory Liner services buses which go directly to Olongapo City. There are schedules for Olongapo/Iba, which is the old route, and schedules for Olongapo SCTEX, which uses the newly-opened Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. Either way, it will take you to Olongapo City. For this trip, we took the Olongapo SCTEX bus, watched Princess Diaries onboard, and found ourselves INSIDE Subic Bay Matropolitan Authority area (SBMA). I thought, through research, that we will have to alight in Olongapo and board a yellow jeep to the SBMA gate, so I was surprised that we were dropped off at the SBMA parking area. Maybe that's the case for buses which use SCTEX. If you're barding a non-SCTEX bus and dropped off at the Olongapo station, you have to ride a yellow jeep to SBMA gate, walk through it and you'll find the parking lot.

Once inside SBMA, you'll need a map of Subic. Download one and print it before your trip. This is the map that we used and it was quite helpful when deciding where to go. I made our initial itinerary around this map of Subic Bay, and we were able to decide on changes using this map once we were inside SBMA.

If you're going to the Boardwalk area, for instance, you can just walk your way from the parking lot. You can also walk from the parking lot to Puregold Duty Free Subic and Royal Subic Mall, as well as other outlet stores around. We arrived at around 10AM so the sun was really on us while we were walking to Boardwalk, but it made me realize how the little one is coping with all the heat and the walking. Ofcourse, it required many many stops, daddy-carry-me moments (and Didad did), and water breaks. It took us about half an hour to reach the Boardwalk, and boy were we disappointed. More on that later on.

From Boardwalk, looking at the map, it is entirely impossible to walk back to the duty free malls, much more if you are aspiring to visit the touristy JEST Camp and Ocean Adventure. Since we only had Boardwalk and shopping on our list, we just took a cab from the Boardwalk area to Royal Subic Mall. The driver asked for P100, and I know it was too much, but we didn't really know any better so we just paid P100. After all, there were three of us and the taxis were the Avanza-type.

According to other blogs, taxi from the parking lot to JEST Camp is about P120-P150, while going to Ocean Adventure is P400. That's one-way fare for a maximum of four people. Again, these were not in our itinerary because these are field-trip destinations. We're sure that The Son's school will go there at one time or another.

If you're coming from Royal Subic Mall, there is a free shuttle service to the main gate. It is an old small bus and there is a small signage beside it that it is a free shuttle. We boarded that to go to the main gate. (Once in the parking lot, we alighted the bus. Other passengers went to the driver to ask how much the fare was, and the driver answered "Otso" (Eight pesos / P8). Didad asked me if we were supposed to pay, and I told him it was a free shuttle... and if it wasn't then the driver should have been running after us already. Oh dear Philippines.)

When you are done with your SBMA roundup and ready to explore outside SBMA, probably in the beaches like we did, then just go out the huge gates at the end of the parking lot and turn to your left. You'll see a Yellow Jeep station which will take you to Olongapo City. Here you will see the public market, commercial establishments, color-coded jeepneys to other parts of Olongapo, and, if you're heading back to Manila, the Victory Liner bus station.

Rediscovering Subic

OMG. I'm actually packing. Sooo surreal.

That was my Facebook status on Friday, the start of a four-day long weekend. You can't blame me. Trapped by deadlines and house chores for, can you believe this, six months, Didad and I decided to plan something and actually do it. We were headed to Subic Bay.

We made this trip for three reasons. First, we wanted to test The Son to a longer travel time and through uncharted territory (at least for the youngster) because of our trip plans for summer. Second, we wanted to escape and just bum around, and where better to do that but the beach? Third, we didn't want any of the crowds in Batangas, Mindoro or other touristy spots. Olongapo's beaches weren't as popular, and it was exactly what we need: solitude.

And it seemed that we picked the right spot. The resort we booked was practically empty. Solitude.


For this trip, as with any other beach trip, I had to exaggerate the backpacks because when you're travelling with a kid, you can never really be certain of anything. So here:

Didad: 3 sets of clothes and his cap... he decided to shop for flipflops in the duty free stores

Mimom: 3 sets of clothes, swimsuit, and vanity kit + itinerary, blog printouts, map and deposit slip for the hotel

The Son: 4 sets of clothes, swimsuit, cap, and his PSP

The Family Bag: Beach towels, a can of Pringles, bottle of water, toiletry, face towels, OFF lotion, extra bag (for shopping) and extra bag (for wet clothes and whatever need)

We originally planned to leave on the 29th and be back on the 31st but Didad will be back in the office by November 2 so we settled for an overnight trip. It was only the day before the trip that we actually booked the hotel, and seeing that they still have a room then I thought that it was a good sign... that the resort will not be crowded. I was also crossing my fingers that the bus station will not be crowded too. The night before the trip, I have finalized the SUPPOSED itinerary and budget:

October 28/29, 2011
Deposit for Subic Mirage Inn [500]
4 AM - Wakeup call
5 AM - Arrive at Victory Liner Bus Station (Caloocan) [225*x3 = 675] 
*Olongapo via SCTEX
7 AM - Departure
10 AM - Arrival at Olongapo City
===Lunch  [300]
===yellow jeep to SBMA gate [8x3=24]
===taxi to JEST Camp [120]
===taxi to Boardwalk Area [120]
===Duty Free shopping [2000 + cards ofcourse]
===yellow jeep from SBMA gate to Bayan [24]
===blue jeep from bayan to Subic Mirage Inn [36]

===Check in [500]

===night swimming

October 30, 2011

6AM - Wakeup call

7AM - breakfast

===swimming
10AM - departure preps, packing

11AM - checkout

===blue jeep to Bayan
===pasalubong shopping [1000]

===Victory Liner bus to Caloocan [202x3 = 606]

Emergency fund - 1500 (500 each)

I tried to be flexible with the itinerary because I had no idea how the long bus rides and the long walks will affect the travelling mood of The Son. I was hoping that he will just sleep through the bus ride, but what if he does not? What if he whines and cries through the trip (and annoy all other passengers)? Paranoia crept in, but I've equipped with prayers. I knew that like any other trip, everything's going to be all right.

(Next: Subic Without a Car)

Should you Call for Cash to Travel? (Reviewing Citibank's Call for Cash Service)

Agent's have been repeatedly enticing me (for months now) to avail Citibank's Call for Cash service. Whenever an agent calls me, I will think it over, though I never availed it. It wasn't a bad plot. If strapped for cash or expecting the money to pay it off, with proper computations it is a good deal. However, I wasn't jumping on board just yet.

Whenever my thoughts hover the idea, I find myself torn between two choices.

First, I can travel on a whim. Why, this is thousands of pesos being given to me to spend--and to pay off ofcourse. I can go to three countries on a budget (with Didad ofcourse), and have lots of stories to tell. Surely that is more than what money can buy.

Second, I can spend it on some proper expenditure like a business, an investment, or maybe I can just keep it and see if I can make it grow. Encouraged?

Think it over. If you use it for an expense with no returns (like travel), make sure you have a source for payment. If not, let go. You don't want your travel stories dampened by a gargantuan hole in your pocket which will grow if left unmanaged.

If you use it for an expense with returns (like a business or deposit), see first if the interest is reasonable against the returns. Right now, I'm being offered a 1.99% interest, fixed per monthly amortization. That's about P12,000 for a P50,000 principal, or P1000 per month. On this amount, term deposits can only return about P80 per month depending on what bank and what terms...  businesses and investments are too risky on the other hand if you have no other sources of payment.

So the bottomline, for me, is to not avail. At least for now.

If you are thinking of getting it, do the math. If you know you can pay off the monthly amortization without twisting your neck, then by all means go for it. It is a good deal to flex your cash flow. Just be very sure to never miss a payment and review your bills. If you know you can't afford it yet, take a breather. There's a reason why people tell us to live within our means. :)

Spoonfuls: Steak Station (168 Mall)

 I don't ususally try food court stalls especially in 168 Mall (or anywhere in Divisoria for that matter) but with the rain pouring outside and the heavy traffic that is ahead, we decided to look for something to eat in the newly opened wing of the 168 Food Court. We could have gotten something more familiar, like Wendy's, but I had a sudden craving for something hot, sizzling, and new. I had high expectations, like any first-time customers.

Steak Station failed. I was so disappointed with the rubbery pork steak which was too oily and salty. Didad's tapa did not do justice for his hunger too. Being a sister company of a known grill chain, this came as a surprise. If there is anything that is worth recommending here, it is the friendly service, though that is something that you can't eat.

The food service industry is a clash of good price and good taste. I hope Steak Station will do their part to ensure that diners get what they pay for.