Manila Ocean Park

Lately, Hubby and I seem to be enjoying spending our weekends doing short trips out of town or exploring famous tourists spots in Manila.  Dinner-movie combo has taken a backseat (or weekday seat in our case) cause there's just so much of Manila, and the Philippines in general, we haven't discovered.  And so last Saturday, you find silly couple conquering the vast Manila Ocean Park.

Oceanarium.  Ok, so I adore colorful fishes. And this was the perfect place for me to come and marvel at the different aqua marine creatures - from a safe tank distance.

Fish Spa.  I've wanted to try this for the longest time.  Especially since Dear Hubby has an old man's feet and he desperately needs to feed Dr. Fishes his dead skin cells.  While they can't claim any real therapy or medical relevance, there has been recorded incidence of Dr. Fishes' eating of the dead skin cells hastening the healing of a wound. Plus, seriously Hubby's feet afterward, was silky smooth!  Definitely worth the Php120 bucks we paid for 20 minutes.

Costs:
Oceanarium: Php 400 (you get 10% off if you live in the Manila area)
Fountain Show: Php 300
Sea World Show: Php 200
Jelly Fish Museum: Php 160
Fish Spa: Php 120

There's some combo promotion but we didn't avail of them as we only wanted to see the Oceanarium and try the Fish Spa.

Wakeboarding at Nasugbu

For Dear Hubby's 28th birthday, I decided that it's high time for some good clean adrenaline-rushed filled fun.  And so we drove the short drive from Manila to Nasugbu, Batangas and got ourselves some beginner's lessons in wakeboarding.

It was a Wednesday and traffic was super light, thank gawd, because we were starving already.

Lunch at the in-house restaurant.  Oddly enough, for a place that has unwashed table linens, prices were surprisingly high, I thought at first.  We both had the steak and it was delicious. So I berate myself silently for my earlier snooty judgment.

 

We mistaken thought that as beginners we would be able to do the ramps, and fly 360 degrees off the air. Umm, yeah. Maybe, next time.

Having a dinner to rush to back in Manila, we decided that it be best we just take the hour trial/tutorial.  It costs about Php 350/hour, wake boarding gear included.

I was able to stand after the second try, which I thought was pretty awesome of me (my blog, my rules!) Most everyone who tried it the first time commented about sore arms afterwards and having done it for an hour and half I thought mine would certainly have the not-so-desired sting effect, but nothing of the sort happened.

I'm not as good as the Hubby, who not only was able to stand immediately, but was able to finish an entire loop without falling flat on his face.


Some helpful tips:
1. Wear a rash guard.
2. Lago de Oro is a man made water park. Hence, the lake floor is a bit gooey when you stepped into it. Best to take aqua shoes with you.
3. Slather some UV45 at least. Unfortunately, there are no trees to block the ray of the sun.
4. Parking is free
5. From SLEX, take the Sta Rosa exit and just drive all the way to Nasugbu Batangas.  Lago de Oro is a good 45 minutes after the Nasugbu arc.
6.) 1 hour of wakeboarding session  costs about Php 350

30 Before 30 Checklist: the Dolphin Encounter

Most everyone I know, who has a proverbial bucket list, counts swimming with the dolphins pretty high up on their Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die or any similar less grimier version... And why not, the dolphins are one of the most beautiful creatures on Earth.  You look at them and you are instantly transported to kid-like state of happiness.

Last Monday, Dear Hubby gave me the greatest sweetest surprised since, well, his last greatest sweetest surprise.  He took me to Subic Ocean Adventure at Subic Bay, Olongapo City for some much desired swim encounter with the dolphins.

Swimming with the dolphins is fast becoming a popular travel activity in the area. However, reservations are still ideal since the park usually only accommodate a handful of lucky participants.  On weekends, swim encounters are suspended due to huge tour group, mostly Korean visitors at the Park.

Subic Ocean Adventure offers a number of ways you can enjoy the dolphins company.

There's the Beach Encounter for only Php 2,800, where your dolphin adventure starts with a big dolphin greeting by the beach shore.  Then you have a chance to touch, hug and even kiss this friendly mammals. And of course, there's plenty of time for some photo ops. (adventure: 30 minutes)

Second, is the Swim Encounter, which is what the Hubby and I did. For only Php 4,200 you have direct water interaction with this lovable creatures.  A 20-minute swim encounter, plus some dolphin training and a handful of other activities (i.e. dancing with the dolphins) Truly a once in a lifetime experience, worth every centavos. (adventure: 45 minutes)

Dear Hubby and I were just all smiles all throughout.  The trainer gives a 5 minute briefing about the different types of dolphins at the beginning of the session.  There we find out that ours is named, Cito, a bottleneck dolphin rescued in the bay area.  Excited as I was I tried very hard to listen to the instructor, but I was more worried about who will take our pictures. (Professional photographers at the park charge Php500 for the first 15 shots they will take) And finally our session was about to start.  We walked towards the beach and saw two dolphins making their way into the shore. *dies of happiness*  The instructor tells me to just grab onto to the fins and lay my body flat on his back.  It was pure awesomeness, I tell you.  Better than bungee jumping and cliff diving combined, IMO. (2 activities I had previously checked off my list, 2 equally exhilarating activity yet still manages to just come in second or third next to the dolphin encounter)

Third, for the dive enthusiasts, there's also the Dive Encounter at Php 5,500+.  Dive instructors will take you to one of the bay divisions for an intimate underwater experience with Flipper. (adventure: 30 minutes)

And lastly, there's the Photo Encounter, if you're like some and all you're after is a photograph and not the actual experience then for Php 500 you get your close-up time with the dolphins.

Total Adventure Cost: Php 6,000/person (includes tickets, meals, snacks, gas, and tollway fare)

30 before 30 checklist

 My To-Do-List Snapshot

#4 Bungee Jumping: Macau Tower

The free fall took all but four seconds.  But hanging in there, upside down, 61 floors high, for what seemed like eternity, sure gave silly blogger a much needed heart jolt.  The look on my face during the brief interview says it all, "What the f*@$ am I doing here?"

Tips:

1.) No, it's not a life changing experience.  It's a jump. A freaking HIGH jump, but let's get real, it won't cure cancer. I won't deny, it's pure awesomeness at its best, especially the feeling you get afterwards, but don't go into it thinking it will change anything after. No, I'm still as silly & scared as ever.

2.) It's 261 meters high. You're bungee jumping not from a cliff but from a tower that you can smack right back into if you're not careful, so no to showy jumps, you just need to lean off the edge and let go.

3.) Befriend other jumpers. More importantly, befriend the AJ Hackett staff.

4.) Total cost for this adventure is around Php 12,000

Trip to Shanghai, China

Happy New Year!!!! The following post is way overdue. Been swamped with a million and one things last quarter of 0-10 that I totally neglected this blog. Sorry readers! Anyway, enjoy some of the highlights from our trip to Shanghai.
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Out of sheer whim, a friend asked me to go to China for the 2010 World Expo and silly blogger logged onto her computer and bought herself a plane ticket to Shanghai that same minute.  Months later, I wanted to clobber myself for once again being such a spontaneous neurotic.  First off, I was worried that the timing was all screwy 'cause I had just started in a new job (which I will eventually quit, thank gawd) Second, I keep on forgetting that I'm supposed to be on saving up mode after all the trips the past month over.

But as soon as we touchdown at Shanghai International Airport, I knew the right choice was made. 

First stop of the night was our hotel along Nanpu Bridge.  Two reasons for checking into the hotel; 1. Cheap nightly rates 2. Vicinity was close to the World Expo.

After safely tucking in all our belongings, we hailed two cabs and headed out for a really really late dinner (or very early breakfast, depending on how you see it)

Yang's Fried-Dumplings.  Famous Xaio long bao place. The line was way too long, but the taste of yummy Xiao long bao's definitely worth the wait.

On our second day in Shanghai (well, technically, it was our first day), we were able to visit a number of famous tourist attractions.  Here are some of my favorite:

1. Xin Tian Di - is a very famous resto/bar district where the old and new collide.  The place effectively utilizes traditional Chinese architecture through its Shikumen buildings (red and gray 2-3 storey buildings) while at the same time bringing in modern pubs and clubs in the mix.

Drinking at a famous German pub, there was even a Pinoy band performing that night.

2. The Bund - Looks absolutely breath-taking at night.  Reminds me of Hubby's previous trip to London.  Shanghai's famous waterfront district makes me think that I was anywhere but in China.  All of the building has a very distinct European touch to it, and this is maybe/largely due to the fact that the French had previously formed settlement around the area.

Look, there's even a replica of New York's Times Square ball.
Oriental Pearl Tower - the highest tower in China and the third in the world.

 Jin Mao Tower - the second highest tower in China at 88 storeys high.

Shanghai World Trade Center - Hey, if it was good enough to be featured in a G.I.Joe's movie, then it's good enough for me.

3. Taikang Road (or as we like to refer to it, the "art-arts place") an almost kilometer street that showcases a wide range of boutiques, wi-fi cafe, kitchy stores, tattoo parlors and artsy fartsy studios.  Very Bohomian spirited.  In fact, Lonely Planet describes this as Shanghai's premiere art center.  How to get there by cab: just tell the driver: Tiánzǐfáng Lu

4. People's Square - Is actually along Nanjing Road but it deserves a separate mention on my list because silly blogger thinks its a self contained shopping mecca.  High rise malls, specialty boutiques, factory outlets, and the likes adorned the area.  The Madame Tusseud's Wax Museum is also within walking distance.

5. Nanjing Road - Stretching for what seemed like 100 kilometers, this street is famous for one thing and one thing alone: SHOPPING.  From cheap hard to find trinkets to over the top high end brands, Nanjing Road has its all.

Other notable mention:

Plenty of Caucasian foreigners visit this place because of good fabric deals. Hey, even our friend was able to buy 2 duvet set complete with pillow and bed spreads for only 600RMB!

Next stop, St. Petersburg Russia! Woot!

Shanghai World Expo 2010 (part 3)

Day 2. Country Pavilions. Finally! Here are some of my favorites:

China Pavilion

"The roof is made of traditional dougong or brackets, which was widely used in 770 BC-467 BC. In the dougong style, wooden brackets are fixed layer upon layer between the top of a column and a crossbeam. The result is interlocking wooden brackets"  

Yes, that entire tidbit is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Wikipedia provider. *claps*  Despite not going inside we were still able to appreciate the massive 7 story Pagoda style structure by China.  After the Beijing Olympics, they are truly screaming to the world how much they've arrived.  I love how they managed to integrate the traditional style with such a sleek design. 

Canada Pavilion

It is said that the pavilion is about the size of 2 1/2 NHL ice hockey rink. And, that Cirque de Soleil will be performing.   Me thinks, the overall pavilion design was plain awesome.  Very nice architectural details, clean straight lines with a monochromatic light color that showcases the every inch of the design even more.

Shanghai World Expo 2010 (part 2)

It took us a little under an hour to get to the expo.  Trying to hail a taxi cab successfully during Mooncake season in China is almost as likely as me seeing Brad Pitt in person any day of the year.  And so, walk we did to the nearest bus station.  Unfortunately, the bus took us to the Gate 1 stop, which as previously mentioned is home to the Corporate Pavilions.  After recovering from the initial shock of not seeing any familiar Country Pavilions, we decided best to just take everything in and go back the next day for more.

Corporate Pavilions, according to my trusty Expo booklet, are participating enterprises with good solid reputations.  Located in the Puxi section, they occupy around 110 square meters of the entire expo and has around 16 showcase pavilions that are either sponsored by their industry association or independently built.  Mostly, they showcase hardwares, product commercials and such.  I took solace in the fact that I was extremely loving the interplay of lights on the structures.

 The Expo Axis at night

Shanghai World Expo 2010 (part 1)

First things first, let's get two things out of the way: Yes, the pavilion lines, at times, feel like it's about as long as the Great Wall, and yes, rude China men can make anyone scratch their heads in bewilderment.  But if you can get pass such minor cultural inconveniences then you just might find yourself enjoying one heck of a spectacular architectural treat before your eyes.

30 before 30 Checklist

My To-Do-List Snapshot