Toes, trek and Samaria

The pain in my big toes continues. I mean, seriously, it's been ages since Crete and my toes still have a hangover, big time. If you're interested to know the whole story, check out my multiply.

This morning the pain on my right big toe woke me up. Waitaminute, it's the left which has been such a pain, and now the other one is joining the wagon? Darnit, sometimes I wish the nails would just fall off so I could finally look at my shoes without feeling a tiny bit of dread. That's just the start. The main dreadful event is when I put on my shoes and walk on them---and in autumn when the temperature outside is getting chilly, there's just no way to bail out from shoes or boots.

This is Samaria National Park in Crete, Greece, home of really gorgeous gorges. I say you haven't been to Crete if you haven't trekked here.

A and I trekked for 6 hours, covering about 16 kilometers. It was mostly going downhill so the combination of wrong pair of shoes and not so short nails made my big toenails slowly die a very un-natural and painful death.

I remember I was near tears when we reached this part of the park. The pain was just so nagging it was too much to bear especially when I knew there was about six kilometers more to go. Still I stood there for a full minute forgetting about my toes, forgetting about the long and painful way ahead, and just being in the moment. I even managed to snap a picture of A.

It was beautiful there. So untouched and so tranquil. The only sound you'd hear is that of the stream's. I would still go there even if I knew I would kill my toes in the process.

So now two months after Samaria, I still walk with a bad bad baaaad limp and with a facial expression that seems like I'm suffering from chronic constipation. I wonder if it will ever end.

Crete, Greece: Misiria-Platanes

My first impressions of Crete were: the ocean was electric blue, it was so dry and hot, and it looked similar to Mactan island in Cebu. Later I realized it was no way near like Mactan, but two things were right; it was hooot and the ocean's blueness is something that would set Crete apart from all the beaches I have been to.

We stayed in a place called Misiria. I'm not so sure but I think it's part of Rethymno, a big city in Crete. We wanted a quiet place where we can soak up the sun, embrace the sights and sounds, without having to trip from and bump into a lot of people doing just the same. We were very lucky. The hotel and its location provided us everything we ever wanted for a holiday.

There is no nightlife in Misiria but there's plenty in Platanes which is 5-10 minutes walk from the hotel. It's also a lot busier than the former. Bars, restaurants and cafes are open till the wee hours of the morning. We usually took our lunch there. Grilled swordfish was our pick of the week. If you're into hardcore partying, Rethymno is about 10 minutes by taxi, 20 minutes by bus.

The hotel from the back garden. I totally recommend May Hotel for everyone who's thinking of going to Crete. It's super clean, plus the fact that Nikos and Maria, the owners themselves, are working in the front desk. Requests for anything like early breakfast, late pick up, whatever reasonable thing you want to make your stay pleasant, they will give it to you without questions asked.

The beach in Misiria was a delight, not because it was exceptional, but because it wasn't packed with near naked bodies. I don't like crowd, period. I'm too particular about my personal space so it was a joy to have that there.

For someone who grew up and lived most of her life a mere five minutes away from the Pacific Ocean, it is very ironic that I can't really swim. I don't know, the sea was always there so I didn't really care about it much and about learning to swim. I wish I did, though. The sea in Crete required a bit of swimming skill so I didn't linger much there.

The beach. Couldn't find a single shell there, which reminds me to google out the reason for the lack of them in Misiria and Platanes. The waves were kinda big on our first day. I chickened out from swimming

In some parts of Crete like near Spinalonga island, the beaches were sandy. The water was also calm and crystal clear. I have a thing about crystal clear waters. When I swim, I need to have a clear view of my feet. If not, I'd rather take a shower at home.

I wanted to post lots of pictures here but I think blogspot is possessed. I'm seriously contemplating moving to multiply for good. Anywho, just click below for the pics of this trip:

Crete, Greece: Misiria/Platanes

I would surely want to go back to Greece. Maybe not in Crete but in one of the other islands there. Santorini, Thassos, Corfu... the list just goes on and on....

Back

We're back from Crete after one week of absolute sun and fun. It was scorchingly hot hot hot there were four things I couldn't live and leave the airconditioned room without; hat, shades, sunscreen and a bottle of water.

It was a phenomenal week. This part of Greece was a beauty. The beaches were nice, clean, and thank God, not littered with half-naked bodies all over the place. The Greeks, like the place, were very warm and always had a smile ready for anyone. The service at the hotel where we stayed was a ten-- I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Will post pictures and stories soon. I need to snooze for now. Zzzzz..

To Greece

Apollo, Adonis, Achilles. Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis -- guys, I'll see you soon!

Yup, we're off to Crete, the biggest island of Greece in the Mediterranean. I. am. so. excited!

Bratislava

It's the capital city of the Slovak Republic. We were there last Sunday. It's small, it looked smaller than Brno, CZ's second largest city.

Here's a vid taken at "Obchodna Ulica" (rough translation: Business St.). I was surprised at how quiet it was, how only a few shops were open and only a few people were around. It really gave a Sunday feeling-- you know, lazy and quiet-- something you'll never experience in Prague's center.



Ooops, sorry for the shaking effect. I was walking when I took the vid. Not a very smart idea.

Another vid taken at the city's main square.


I wish Prague was as quiet, not teeming with tourists all year round. But Prague is beautiful, and beauty is almost always meant to be shared.

Few days in Paradise

They call it "Slovenský Raj" or Slovak Paradise. It is a mountain range in the Slovak Republic known for its waterfalls, deep ravines and a huge, very impressive ice cave. It is wild, untamed-- a perfect place to commune with nature.

The road to Paradise is long and winding. It is a back-aching, gas-spending 9-hour drive from Prague.

When I asked A why it's called such, his answer made sense; It's maybe because it's the closest a place could get to the paradise Adam and Eve once inhabited-- natural, unspoiled, simply beautiful.

A few days there made me experience not just the hits but also the misses. Nothing is perfect, not even in Paradise. Let's start with the hits:

1. The place itself. It's awesome. The ravines, the crisp fresh air, the clear clear streams, everything is awesome. Make sure your boots are made for walking as you will surely walk a lot. Not just walk but climb those steep hills and rocky mountains. The view from the top of those rocky mountains will surely give you a feeling of natural high.

It was raining hard the day we arrived so the next day the trails were slippery. Thank goodness my Adidas, though made for tennis, held on.

Tourists I saw were mostly from neighboring countries. How it stayed under the Western radar is beyond me.

2. The Dobšinská Ladová Jaskyňa (Dobsinska Ice Cave) is exceptional. Whatever I'll say about it may not give justification to the place so I'll leave it to your imagination. I'll just say it's certainly worth a visit and that I have never seen anything like it. However, how tourism there is handled is for me not a hit but a clear miss.

MISSED ME

I'm not a fussy traveler. I get easily pleased, but this time I just can't help being irked at some things I experienced there.

1. The hotel service. It wasn't the Ritz so of course I wasn't expecting top-notch service. We stayed in Cingov Hotel which charged us 1,500sk/night. Not high-end but not low-class, either. Then there was this 90sk parking fee per day, 150sk if you eat breakfast and surprise surprise, when we received the bill we realized we got charged an extra 30sk for "bathroom tax."

Okay, let's get this straight. Shouldn't hotels provide free parking for their customers? What happend to good ol' customer service?

Bathroom tax? I haven't heard anything this ridiculous before. Is this an EU/Schengen shenanigan or is it simply a Slovakian thing? Yes, it's just 30sk but the whole idea makes me silently scream WTF. (What's The Fuss, children. I'm a preschool teacher here.)

2. At the Ice Cave, the entrance fee is 200sk per person. It was A who bought the tickets so I didn't know they charge another 300sk extra for taking pictures inside. A also said he wasn't asked or told about it. I snapped one and was immediately asked by the guide if I had the ticket for it. Boy, was I pissed to death. No, make it livid. One from not knowing I had to pay extra and two for the fact that you had to pay extra. I mean 200sk is not cheap for a 20-minute tour. On top of that, the guide spoke Slovak so I didn't understand one darn thing.

Of course it's their language and whenever they want to use it is their prerogative. Point is, shouldn't you be given the choice if you wanted an English tour or not? Shouldn't you be asked or told at least? Nobody said anything at the ticket counter. The guide fired away in ratatatatat Slovak and most of us, the Germans, the Polish, the Hungarians, and of course, one livid Filipina that is me, were lost in our own translations.

That's not the end of it all. I was badly in need for a toilet but boy oh boy, the toilet available was one hell of a kind, pun intended. It definitely deserves a separate post in this blog.

3. The road directions. Or simply the absence of them in some parts of the country. Take this as an example; you see a crossroad ahead and you don't see a single sign where the roads will lead. You cross your fingers and turn left and voila, 100 meters later you will see the sign. Lucky you if you wanted to go that way. What if not? Then you would cuss and swear, cuss and swear. I swore so much there that I was afraid the ground would open and swallow me whole. If you're a Catholic, I'm sure you'd get my drift...

Another problem wasn't the absence of sign but its presence. On our way to Stratena from Cingov, there was a fork which said Stratena to the left and Poprad to the right. We went left only to find out 15 minutes later a NO ENTRY sign for motor vehicles. Bummer.

That's not all. I'll rant some more. Sometimes you would find a fork which has a sign to the left but not to the right. The greatest mystery of all was our map indicated there should be a big road to the left before Dobsina from the cave that would lead us to Spisska Nova Ves then back to Cingov. Nada. There was only one small road and the sign said a name of a small village's. Either the road directions malfunctioned again or the publishers just made up the road and the towns along it.

"Hala, posing Inday kay panagsa ra ni..." At Tomasovsky Vyhlad after an hour of walking and climbing the slippery trail. Of course I struck a pose as a way of proclaiming "Heya all! I came, I slipped, I conquered!"

For more pictures of this trip, please click HERE.

Each travel experience gives you something to cherish or to forget. The Slovakian trip gave me one thing I'll keep-- the picture of Paradise in my mind. I'll even cherish the experiences I just ranted above because I realized I can really laugh at my own misfortunes and misadventures, and that alone made the Slovakian trip quite unique.

St. Wolfgang

When we were driving towards Salzburg, we saw a huge lake with houses around it. I looked at the map and thought it was Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang). It was so picturesque that we decided to drop by before driving back to CZ. We did just that except that I was wrong. It wasn't Lake Wolfgang. It was actually Lake Mond. A quick browse on our guide book made us decide to head for the real Lake Wolfgang. It was said to be a place worth visiting for.

Here's a video taken from St. Wolfgang, a town at the far end of the lake and which is 50 km from Salzburg. It's quite dark because I took it at twilight. The whole place just swept us off our feet. I can't think of an adjective to describe it, it would be like an understatement. You have to go and experience the place, breathe its crisp air, feel the warmth of its people, and maybe, just maybe you can find the right word to describe it.


We would like to go back asap. There are hundreds of pension houses, B and B's, and hotels. If you'd like to visit in summer, you have to make a reservation at least five months in advance.

We stayed at Haus Zimmermann. The view from our room was breathtaking. It was for 27 euros/person which comes with free breakfast. The owner spoke very good English. Room was very clean with TV, hot/cold shower, a telephone, hairdryer and of course, the amazing view of the lake from the terrace. She said if you'll stay more than one night, the price will be only for 24 euros/person.

Here's how to contact them:

5360 ST. WOLFGANG Ried 110
Austria
Tel: +43 (0)6138/2461
Email: haus.zimmermann@gmx.at
www.tiscover.com/zimmermann

Salzburg, Austria (part 2)

The best thing about Salzburg is its alpine setting. The closest peak is only a few kilometers from the center. When we were nearing the city we were all oohs and aahhs at the breathtaking view of the mountains.

This photo was taken from "Festung Hohensalzburg." The view gets better and better as you climb higher and higher. Prague also has a magnificent view of the city from the castle. If you take away the Alps and put red color on the roofs, the view would be more or less the same. But Salzburg does have the Alps and this alone gives it an edge from other beautiful European cities.

To quote A, "Mozart is so omnipresent here." From chocolates to magnets, he is indeed everywhere in Salzburg. The house where he was born is well preserved and was swarmed by tourists when we passed by. We also passed by his monument (in pic) on our way to the fortress. There were benches in this square and lots of flowers in their full glory.

For Christmas addicts like me, this city is the place to shop for ornaments. Yes, they have a shop called "Christmas in Salzburg" and it's open all year round. It has everything you could ever imagine buying-- angels, stars, wreaths, they've got it all. They also ship your orders if you want them to. A few meters from "Christmas in Salzburg" is "Easter in Salzburg." Eggs with intricate designs, bunnies, anything you want for Easter, they have it there as well.

The old town has stores where you could shop till you drop. I didn't shop because everything was drop-dead expensive for me. I just bought a magnet for our fridge, which is a current hobby-- adorning it with magnets from our trips abroad.

Now you know where to shop. But where to stay?

There are lots of hotels, hostels or pension houses in the city depending on your budget. We ended up at this pension house right smack in the center, just a few minutes walk from the old town. I forgot its name but it doesn't matter. I wont recommend it anyway. The price was only 46 euros for two people and we thought ok, that's affordable considering its location. But dang, in our room the floorboard creaked on each step, the bed squeaked loudly each time we moved even just a teeny tiny bit, and since we were very near the cathedral, we were at the mercy of its churchbells. They rang every 15 minutes ending at 10pm and waking us up at 5am.

So what's my verdict? With its beauty and charming people, it's hard not to heart Salzburg.

Salzburg, Austria (part 1)

Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria. It is very close to the German border, only 150 km away from Munich. From Prague, it is a gruelling five-hour drive, but the beautiful Austrian landscape, uncompromised by irritating billboards, makes the aches and pains worth it all.

The city is noted for its Alpine setting. The old town reminds me that of Prague's, dominated by baroque buildings. The huge "Festung Hohensalzburg" or "High Salzburg Fortress" sits imposingly on a hill. It is massive. It's the biggest castle I've seen, and I live in CZ where castles are almost everywhere.

Like anywhere else in Austria, the city is very clean. I hate to admit it but it's starkly different from CZ where you can see a plastic bottle here and there, graffiti hurting your eyes and ruining the view, garbage disposed where it shouldn't be. Austria is first world at its best.

Here are some pics from our trip:

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens. It was a delight to find this place when we were actually looking for a WC right after arriving in Salzburg. We were like, "Oh, this is pretty! Wonder what this place is called?" It was only later when I remembered it from a scene in the movie. (The Sound of Music, of course.) I rummaged for the travel guide inside my bag, and there it was, written as one of the must-see places in the city.

The massive Salzburg Fortress sits imposingly on Festungberg Hill. It's easy to find because the city is quite small and the tourist attractions are mainly in the center. You can climb the fortress on foot or you can use the funicular railway available with a fee, of course. We chose to climb it on foot but didn't enter the castle. We aren't great fans of castles' interiors so we just marvelled at the view below. I have no doubt the view is even better from the tower. Maybe next time, if there will be a next time, we'll enter it. Entrance fee is 7 euros/adult.

The streets of Salzburg are narrow, like in Prague. The locals go on a bike to get around. Bikes are parked everywhere. It's a healthy choice or is it a choice at all since driving in Salzburg is a challenge? Parking is another story. It took us almost half an hour circling the city just to look for a parking space. You can park along the streets for 1 euro/hour. We were lucky because it was a holiday on our first day there so parking was for free.

Each place has a charm but what makes it more charming and your visit memorable is of course the people. I loved it there. The locals are friendly, very polite--- and customer service is everywhere! This is something I really missed, something that is sorely lacking in Prague.

In a pizzeria there, the waiter/owner asked me if I didn't like my pasta because I didn't eat everything. I said it was good but the serving was just too big for me. He then good-naturedly reprimanded me for not telling him earlier to give me only half of the serving. He said he didn't want me to waste money on food I couldn't finish eating. It was amusing. First time in Europe someone made a fuss about me wasting money, hehe. What's more, he actually charged us only half of the price for my food! Now that's what I call customer service.

More to come about Salzburg and St. Wolfgang, another place in Austria we visited. Till then.

Prelude to Salzburg

I took Friday off from work so I could have a long break since Thursday was a holiday. We drove to Austria and spent three days there. The original plan was to drive to Munich in Germany, then head to Salzburg in Austria before driving back home to Prague. I wasn't really sold out in going to Munich because I've never been crazy about big cities. Count me in only for off the beaten tracks.

A had been so keen on visiting Salzburg. I was kinda lukewarm about it at first but a click on wikipedia changed the whole temperature. I was suddenly burning with excitement!

Some facts about Salzburg, courtesy of Wikipedia, which really tickled my pickle:

1. The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg, for whose archbishops he worked from 1769 to 1781. His house of birth and residence are tourist attractions. His family is buried in a small church graveyard in the old town, and there are many monuments to "Wolferl" in the city.

2. Josef Mohr was born in Salzburg. Together with Franz Gruber, he composed and wrote the text for "Silent Night". As a priest in neighbouring Oberndorf he performed the song for the first time in 1818.

3. Maria Von Trapp (later Maria Trapp) and her family lived in Salzburg until they fled to America following the Nazi takeover.

4. " The Sound of Music," The phenomenally successful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was shot on lots of real locations around Salzburg.

Number four sealed the deal for me. The movie was a huge part of my childhood. I watched it numerous times, memorized the songs by heart. "Edelweiss" was my most favorite and of course, the immortal "Do Re Mi." So we totally scrapped Munich off from the itinerary. We were set to visit the place which unknowingly contributed so much among the best memories of my childhood.

Here's the video of "Do Re Mi" from the movie. You betcha we've visited and seen those places for real. :)


Will post pics and write about Salzburg soon. Ta-ta for now.

Průhonice

Průhonice is a town about 6 km from Prague. It's very near our apartment since we are near the city exit. What's special about this place is its huge park right in the middle of the town. The park has a chateau, ponds and hundreds of flowers now in full bloom. It's a great place for a picnic, biking or to simply commune with nature.

Entrance fee is 40kč ( about 3USD). I've read online that it's open daily all year round.

Here are some pics taken when we went there last week. I also tried to upload a video so many times last night but without any luck. YouTube was probably possessed with an evil spirit.
A bird's eye view of the pond taken from the chateau's terrace. I've read that this and two others are used for fish production. They also serve as a refuge for many water species for birds and animals.


The chateau. Isn't it pretty? We didn't go inside though. Maybe next time we will.

The park has a collection of local and exotic plants. This looks like an exotic one. Then again, what do I know about plants?

The park area covers 250 hectares with about 25 km of footpaths. It's surely a place made for itchy feet like mine.

So is this place worth the time? Absolutely. It's worth even a second or a third or a fourth, make it numerous, visits.

P.I. in pics (last part)

PALAWAN

Where to eat:

I'm glad the tricycle driver insisted we try eating at Kalui. It was lunchtime when we arrived in Puerto Princesa from Cebu so I told him to take us to Chowking if they had one. His answer was to ask me and A if we liked seafoods. That was my mission in life during the whole trip, to gobble tons of them. "Well then please try the best seafood restaurant in our town," he said. And so we did. And we were so glad we did.

Spicy clam soup is served for free during lunch and dinner. This poor prawn eventually landed in A's stomach. Kalui is open daily except Sundays.

Another must visit place in Puerto is Kinabuchs Bar and Grill very near Kalui (upper right pic with me looking like a native mushroom myself). Puerto Princesa has virtually no night life and the only place, aside from the perennial videokes, where you can hang-out is at Kinabuchs. Great food and live bands are their selling points.

Where to go:

Butterfly Garden- you can hire a tricycle to take you to this place. I forgot how much the entrance fee was but foreigners are asked to pay more than the local tourists. Talk about discrimination in another form.

Crocodile Farm- is quite far from the center but you can drop by Butterfly Garden first then head to this farm or the other way around. The very helpful tricycle driver who insisted we eat at Kalui offered to tour us around Puerto the whole afternoon for Php 500.00. He helped us so much without ripping us off. (Note: 1 USD-Php 45-46)

Sabang Beach and Underground River- the same driver recommended us to get a guided tour package from Topstar. He said it's the most reliable and the cheapest, and of course, he was right. The package was for Php 1,200/pax, all inclusive. Sabang is awesome, the kind of place which you'd like to visit again and again.

What to do:

Island-hopping. Honda Bay is relatively near the city center. You can get a package from travel agencies like Topstar to go island-hopping there for PhP 900.00 all inclusive. It includes boat rentals, lunch, pick-up and drop off at your hotel. We opted to go independently because Topstar didn't have a tour scheduled for that day. The greatest thing about Puerto Princesa is the tour packages, boat rentals, etc, are somewhat regulated by the local goverment complete with a receipt. In most parts of the country expect to be ripped off if you're traveling with a foreigner.

Above pics: 1 and 2. A hammock in Panda Island. Not a single soul is at the beach.
3. How Snake Island got its name. It looks like a long snake during low tide.
4. A resort under construction. This wasn't a planned stop but on our way back to Honda Bay A still wanted to explore more. Fortunately our guide knows the owner of this island so we were allowed to roam there freely.

Palawan made it to the very short list of the places in P.I. that I truly truly heart. My only regret was we were not able to go to El Nido. We were suddenly tired of traveling to different places in barely four weeks, and we thought we could only go to El Nido from Puerto by land. It's a 9-10-hour trip, so we were told. We only learned there are SEAir flights twice or thrice a week from Puerto when we were about to board our flight back to Cebu. Maybe next time we are in P.I. we'll finally be able to visit El Nido and its much talked about natural grandeur.

P.I. in pics (part 3)

PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL

Bohol has always been one of my favorite places in the Philippines. It has everything you can feast your eyes upon-- hills, beaches, waterfalls, caves-- you name it, Bohol has it. The people are sunny and chirpy. You ask one for directions and the entire barrio will be glad to help you. Its being so accessible from Cebu is a plus. I simply heart Bohol along with Surigao and Cebu.

Panglao is its answer to Boracay. This was my third time there but the first two were spent in Dumaluan Beach where on my second stay I had difficulties in maneuvering my kayak and almost hit an entire family with it. It's open to the public though Bohol Beach Club is off limits to non-guests. However, one can pay for the entrance for you to use its facilities and it's also consumable. I remember Dumaluan having places devoid of people, but this time when we dropped by, it was teeming with them we had to go somewhere relatively quieter; Alona Beach. It's more or less 3kms. away from Dumaluan and it's far more expensive than I thought.

When I say expensive, I mean it by Filipino standard. July is off-peak season in P.I. but the cheapest double room we found at Alona Beach was still for Php1,600. Breakfast consisting of toast, butter and jam with your choice of instant coffee or juice is for Php150. I guess this means it would cost twice more during the peak season. Of course, if you have dollars and euros to burn, these prices don't really count. (1 USD- Php45 or 46)

At Alona Beach, the sea is crowded with boats like these all the time. These boats will take you to the neighboring islands of Pamilacan where you can go dolphin and whale-watching, and to Balicasag which is considered one of the best diving spots in the country. Boat rental for a day ranges from Php 2,000- 5,000.

These girls were all smiles while selling fresh fish, fruit and veggies. Notice the blue fish? It's called parrot fish but seriously I've never eaten it or heard anybody ate it all my life. I thought they were just for aquariums? But what do I know about them except the fact that fish used to be my daily diet?

Alona Beach at dusk. These coconut trees were heavy with thousands of birds (I'm not sure what kind) settling in for the night.

P.I. in pics (part 2)

SURIGAO

I was born and raised in a once sleepy town called Carrascal in Surigao del Sur. I moved to Cebu in the early 90s to study and since then only came to visit Carrascal for holidays and sometimes, not even once a year. I've since considered Cebu City as my home, but even this is now left in question as Prague has weaved itself as such. Still, I'm grateful to Carrascal for shaping and molding me to someone that I actually like, haha.

It was its fiesta when we visited the town in July. It was A's first Philippine fiesta experience. The compulsory food binging must have been something for him. I can't count how many lechons we had to sample, how many slices of cake we had to taste, how many servings of humba we had to stuff in our stomach. Gikabuhi ko pagkahuman.

What I love most about Carrascal is its empty beaches and how you can have your pick of black, white or even red sand to go with them. We were beach bums day in and day out, for a week.

The road frequently travelled to and from Carrascal. It's a three-hour bumpy ride from Surigao City which guarantees you ending up having ginger hair when you reach the town with all this red dust blowing everywhere.

Skimboarding is the new in thing in Carrascal. We watched this skimboarding competition right on our arrival in the town.

Trisikads as the means of transport. We preferred to walk but the tropical heat and humidity made us change our mind.

Pigging-out in action. This was the third house we went to for lunch on July 16. I swear if I ate more than few bites of chocolate cake I would pass out. And we still had to go visit a fourth and fifth house!

At the fourth house. Aguy, lechon nasad! We definitely begged off from having another bite of it.

Finally, food binging was over. Time for a dip at Candido Beach to burn those calories. This is one of my favorite beaches ever. A candid shot by A when we docked at Candido. This beach is a 15-minute boat ride from the town. I texted my friend Nemsie (in white shirt), who owns several boats for fishing, if we could rent one to take us there. Less than half an hour later she came telling us the boat is ready when we are. (With Nemsie's husband, Raul and my sister Michelle.)

Communing with the sea, the sand, the wind and the sky... a perfect way to end the day, or to start it.

P.I. in pics (part 1)

I'm back in Prague, jet-lagged and not looking forward to go back to work. I still have two weeks of paid holidays left so I guess I couldn't complain.

Did you miss Prague?, most of my friends here and in PI asked. Yes, I did. Do you miss PI now? I miss the food and the beaches and of course, my family. But other than that I'm happy to be back.

Here are the faces and places of our five weeks in PI:

CEBU

Plantation Bay in Mactan. It was teeming with Japanese and Koreans as everywhere else in Mactan.

Parasailing is fun! (Tambuli Beach, Mactan)

A trying so hard to climb this coconut tree as high as he could. Did he reach the top? Did he fall? I'll leave it up to your imagination. ( Kawasan Falls, Badian)

Kawasan Falls in Badian. The V-hire took us only from Cebu City to Moalboal so we had to hire a jeepney from Moalboal to Badian for PhP250.00. I've been to Kawasan several times before so we didn't need a guide. But one man imposed his presence and walked along with us from the highway to the first falls and later demanded PhP100.00 for his "professional fee."

This is how it was like travelling with a blond, blue-eyed husband in most parts of the country. The people assumed we were Central Bank personified and thus trying to wring out as much cash as they can from us. I understand they just wanted to "make a living." It's sad how poverty makes you a nuisance for some.

Will post some more pics soon. Ta-ta for now.

When in Palawan

You have to visit the Underground River in Sabang, frolick on its beaches, and drink buko juice to your bladder's content.

You have to dine in a seafood restaurant called Kalui in Puerto Princesa. For P400 (200Kc) you can have grilled tuna, prawns in butter, vegetable and prawn tempura, plus its oh you spicy clam soup and the ever missed fresh seaweed for starters. The dessert is on the house. Yup, you get to have fresh fruits served in style for free.

You have to go island-hopping at Honda Bay. The first island to explore is usually Panda Island. Why the name, I forgot to ask our guide. But the biggest treat is at Snake Island where you can swim with thousands of fish in different species and where you can see corals in different shapes and sizes even when the water is only waist-deep during low tide. When it's low tide, you'll also understand how the island got its name.

You have to visit the Crocodile Farm and later sweat out in the rainforest of Nature's Park. The humidity is beyond your imagination. You would be sweating buckets so better bring bottles of water with you.

You have to have insect/mosquito repellant with you especially when going to the rivers and rainforests. There can be a gazillion of mosquitos that would threaten to eat you whole.

Most of all, you have to be ready for an adventure when in Palawan. It's one of the most beautiful places in PI that I've visited and truly, it has lived to its reputation of being the country's last frontier.

From Surigao to Panglao

I'm in an internet cafe in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. We came from the island of Panglao where we had a great time doing, well, basically nothing-- just swimming, eating and not thinking of anything other than the now. That's what holidays are supposed to be like, right? Golly gee, it will be difficult going back to Prague and to work, missing the beach and the eternal sunshine. But I do miss Prague and our flat.

We spent a week in Surigao with my family. It was great--- well, most parts were. Being away for so long just doesn't make me feel like I belong anymore.

So tonight we will be taking the Supercat back to Cebu. On Thursday, it will be Palawan, baby!

Cebu, Philippines!

I'm finally back in Cebu after more than two years, eating the food I missed, enjoying the sounds of roosters cock-a-doodle-doing so early in the morning today. So far, after travelling for more than 30 hours, no jetlag yet. Perfect!

What have I eaten so far? A and I just had a delicioussss lunch of sizzling gambas and squid. It was also a delight to know that Kenny Rogers already has a branch here at Ayala so I already devoured a piece of their oh so delectable corn muffin. For breakfast, we had a huge platter of fried saba bananas and the ever present mangoes from Guadalupe which A already demoted down into his stomach. My sister also bought us chicharon from Carcar which I couldn't stop munching. There's no doubt I'd gain a few (or maybe more) kilos here.

Speaking of food, Qatar Airways gave us really yummy meals. When we were flying from Vienna to Doha, we were so famished it was the first time ever in almost three years of marriage that I've seen A act like a pacman personified. He ate everything from Viennese chicken to sugared peas, cheesecake and even the tuna salad. Not to mention the fact that he finished my serving of Viennese chicken with rice.

Anyway, part of my job in Cebu before was to frequently fly to different cities around PI. Flying was a piece of cake. But after I left Cebu I haven't flown in over two years so I got a little bit scared when I saw that the plane wasn't really big. I was like-- how can it take us to the Middle East when it's just the size of the plane which takes you from Cebu to Bacolod? And when we took off, I was gripping my seat to calm my nerves.

Doha, Qatar was a nice experience. We arrived at almost 8pm local time and guess what, the temperature outside was 38C. When we disembarked the plane to take the shuttle to the terminal, it felt like I was being sucked in a furnace. Imagine pre-heating your oven to 250C and opening it afer half an hour. That's how it felt.

Our flight from Doha to Cebu was an hour delayed. Our ETA was at 14:35. We arrived at almost 16:00. Then there was an eternity of waiting for our luggage. My sister, who was waiting for us outside the gate, was already wilting from the long wait. Dusk was settling in when we got to the house and then there was a downpour. Right, I remember June is the rainy season in the Visayas. We probably wont get to see the sun often but nevermind, there are still a lot of great things to enjoy.

Revisiting Pernstejn

Pernstejn is to me by far the most beautiful castle I've visited in this country. It's more or less 35kms away from Brno. My in-laws live only 13kms away so yesterday, while we were visiting them, A and I borrowed their car and drove to revisit this awesome piece of architecture. It's my most favorite castle so far because though constantly flocked by tourists, it's been able to remain distanced from super commercialism that has plagued other castles like Karlštejn.

The entrance to the castle. So many Hollywood movies were filmed here. The latest I can remember was "Van Helsing" which was starred by the ex-future father of my children, Hugh Jackman.

Left: The castle's awesome architecture. I took this photo after the tour inside. Taking photos inside is a no-no but one French tourist went snapping away behind the guide's back. I'm a good citizen of this world so I didn't take pics though I was itching to.

Right: Ahm, excuse the apparent temporary dementia of the model when this photo was taken, people. I couldn't find a different one to best show off the castle's beauty so nevermind the "merger." (A term we jokingly used and abused for unwanted objects in the pic during my photojourn class years years back.)

Pernstejn in its magical glory. I think the best way to visit this castle is by car. Parking is for 30Kč. Guided tour inside the castle is for 90Kč/ adult. Joining the tour is recommended. It's like a labyrinth inside-- it has so many rooms, stairs and hallways leading to more rooms, stairs and more hallways. I would surely easily lose my way there. It still has several original paintings and furnitures. It's certainly a must-visit place in CZ.

The week in photos

I was in a spring camp with 23 kids. I thought I'd lose my mind being surrounded with them 24/7. I was totally exhilarated when I got off the bus which took us back to Prague this morning. Finally, I have my life back.

This is where I lived for a week, from May 19-25. The place is called Pilnuv Statek, which is in a town called Libice nad Doubravou.

We missed the dandelions because they bloomed too early this year, but the daisies were a delight for everyone. We picked a lot and used them for some potpourri we made for my kids' Moms.
You think life is uncomplicated for her. Not when she thinks she doesn't cycle too fast to catch up with the rest of her friends, and not when her friends tell her she's right. Nevermind, she bounced back and won the race in the end.

A trip to Vesely Kopec on Thursday broke the routine. It's an open-air museum that is worth a visit. We took a 5km hike from this place to catch the bus that would take us back to the camp. It was probably the best day of the camp for me.

Didn't I tell you before that I'm a terrible tourist? I don't know what this building is. It's right in the middle of Libice n/D, across the restaurant where we ate everyday. I didn't see a single soul going inside the building so I don't know if it's abandoned or used for tourism, but it surely looked interesting.

I'm not kidding- this WC really exists and it's behind the place where we were staying. I took a double take when I saw it-- I thought I was in a remote barrio in PI. When we went cycling the first day one kid told me he had to go wee. I told him to run back to the house for the bathroom. Guess what he said? "But that is a toilet," pointing to this version of WC and ran to do his business inside.

My boss thought the place we were staying was probably a graveyard years back because of the trees lined like a pathway leading to the church at the other end. Whatever, I really loved it when we did our lessons under these trees.

This photo will never win any prize but it will always remind me of my last night at the camp. I took this past 8pm when my kids were already in bed. I never thought I'd survive it there because I didn't last year. I've never felt such an extreme desire for the night to be over so I can be back home at last.