A Colourful Life

Day 21, March 29 - Last Day & the Flight Home to Vancouver with Surprise Ending

*NOTE*

Apologies for this extremely late entry. It's been just about 2 months since we got back and I'm only just finding the time to do this now. I moved to a new place and life got in the way. I've returned to my regular routine which usually involves a visit to the gym for yoga, boxing or some form of strength or cardio for at least an hour or more daily.... so there's that too...... but as promised, here is the last and final day of our most wonderful 3 week vacation to Asia.  

The dreaded end to this wonderful vacation had arrived. 3 weeks gone, just like that. POOF! However, they were 3 weeks of pure bliss and adventure that have added joy and loving, fun memories that we will all remember fondly for years. One of the reasons I take the time to write and document all this on my blog is for historical purposes......I can go back and read about everything I've done in the past and reminisce. The memories come flooding back and I'm either laughing or crying or both when I read past entries. It really is a bit self serving that I write all this -- I do it for myself more than anyone. And hopefully for my kids and family as well as they will be able to see and read all this even after I'm gone. (morbid thought.... but let's face it... we are all going one day, lol) 

I got up today thinking distinctly to myself..."today is the last day of our holiday.... how did it go by so fast?" While I was so looking forward to getting home, sleeping in my own bed, going back to the gym, going back to work (yes, I love my job so this is a true statement ~!), some part of me was also very sad that this happy, carefree time was just about over. Most of my packing was done, so off I went with Alyssa down to the dining room for our very last breakfast in Manila.

 

We found a spot in our usual space, and reserved the table right next to it as well so the rest of the family could join us one last time for breakfast.

 

 

For fun, below is our first meal together as a family on the day we arrived in Manila, dinner at SM Mega Mall, which is just behind Podium, which in turn is right across from our hotel. 
The start and end to a fantastic 7 days in the Philippines. Memories to last a lifetime. 

 

 

Our flight was not till later in the evening, and we had to check out by 2 PM, so we spent some time walking around the mall one last time. 

I had to take a pic of Cafe Kitsune. I've had coffee at Cafe Kitsune in Vancouver, they have one in Japan as well, and I was happily surprised to see they have one in Manila too.... no time to sit and have a coffee though as I only saw this place toward the end of the day as we we were heading back to the hotel to catch our ride to the airport.

 

Manila really does have some of the biggest, most beautiful malls. This one is called Podium, and was right across from our hotel. It had some of the most sought after luxury retail shopping stores. Right behind it was SM Mega Mall, which also had some fantastic luxury retail stores coupled with more affordable options, so it was a nice balance. 

 

 

A bit of  a rant now....our flight back... or rather than lead up to our flight back was a bit of a cluster F _ _ K.....fill in the missing letters. We went through security once at check in, pretty standard at all airports. But we had to go through it a second time at the gate. The EXACT, SAME procedure.... look at passports, check carry on, check ID etc. I thought to myself, "didn't they just do this not more than half an hour ago at check in?"
Yet here we are doing it AGAIN? And that was just the beginning....they corralled us all in this space at the gate with not enough seating and we had to stay there, packed like sardines till boarding was called. OMG, what a SH _ T SHOW. Not the best memory to end our dream of a trip.....but something to laugh about (I hope) one day in the future. 

 

 

****Thank you to my nephew, James for the panoramic shot above of our airport prison***

Finally on board and in our seats.... ready for the 11 hour flight back to home, sweet home.

 

The flight home was smooth, customs in Vancouver was fast and trouble free. It helps that Alyssa & I both have Nexus as we breezed through that whole process in no time. 

And the best part of this whole end to our trip.... was the surprise waiting for Alyssa as we exited the customs area into international arrivals. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

 

 

It was just such a lovely fairy tale ending for the trip, specially for Alyssa! Zain has always been part of the family in every way ever since he started dating Alyssa, but now it was official and I am so happy for both of them. I know their future is bright and will be full of love and joy....and more grandbabies for me, haha. The more, the merrier!

So there it is. 3 weeks of adventures, fun, learning, exploring, laughing, eating, walking, running, going down stairs to catch trains, going upstairs as we exited trains, photo taking, google translating, google map reading, 7- elevening, and memories that will forever be treasured. I will forever be grateful for everything this trip gave me and my children as well as our little Elsie, my siblings and nieces and nephews. Truly a trip of a lifetime!

I'm grateful for those of you who have come along on this trip with me, by reading my blog. I hope you continue to check in now and then as I will be making entries on a regular basis. 

Enjoy the summer coming up!

 

 

 

Day 20, March 28 - Last Day in Cebu, Fly back to Manila

Last day in Paradise. I can't stand it. I don't want to leave. But all good things come to an end. Whoever coined that phrase needs to be punished. I don't want this visit to end. I loved being in Cebu and I loved being in this resort. Honestly, one of the best little getaway experiences I've ever had. It helped that I didn't have to worry about young kids to take care of.... and that I got to spend some really nice quality time with my daughter, Alyssa who is 27. Having Jordan, Erika & Elsie with me during the Japan portion of this trip has also created priceless memories that will be forever engrained in my mind. My fave is waking up every morning to hear her cheerful and cute, "HI!". Waking up to that and seeing Elsie's smiling face right up close to mine as she came up to me for a hug was the best way to start my day. I will miss that daily start to my day. (Note: also add to this the tantrums and angry cries during some parts of the trip.... but I let her parents take care of that....and let's face it, we were asking a 14 month old to tour Japan and deal with jetlag, haha. She was a trooper and for the most part was happy & cheerful) Precious core memories that we will remember forever. I have made a promise to myself that I will spend more time with stuff like this moving forward....it's time to let go of the obsession with material stuff and spend all my disposable income on travel and experiences. We only  live once. And I'm not getting any younger. So expect more traveling blog entries over in the future.

How did 3 weeks go by so fast? We left Vancouver on march 8 for this amazing trip and here we are at March 28, and we fly home day after tomorrow. Time really does go by fast when you're having fun. As we walked to breakfast, past the pool and the view of the beach, I was very aware that this would be my last morning here. Such a sad thought. I loved every minute of every day that I was in Cebu. The staff it seemed, loved us as well as one of them came up to us asking if they could take a picture and I enthusiastically said, "YES!" thinking they were offering to snap a pic of us with our phones.... but they were all whipping out their own phones..... and it turned out they wanted pics of us for them to keep! I was so touched and felt even sadder that we were leaving. This bunch of people truly made an impact on us and made us feel welcomed and cared for every day of our visit. They made us so at home and comfortable and catered to our every whim and request. 

This first shot was one of them calling for me to come and join the shot.... I was busy talking to someone and wasn't paying attention. Look at all those smiling, happy faces. They were the most cheerful and happy bunch ever.

 

And this is all of us posing for the final breakfast we would share during this visit. I say "during" because I promised them I'd be back, and that is on my list for future vacations. 

I also took some pics with the "taho" man. "Taho" is a Philippine snack made of tofu and tapioca pearls known locally as sago pearls.

 

This staple comfort food is a signature Philippine treat and taho peddlers roam the streets in the Philippines offering this snack to all who hear them yell out, "TAHO!!!" and run out of their homes to buy the sweet treat. Much like the ice cream truck here in North America! I grew up eating this and remember fondly the times I'd hear the taho man outside and I'd excitedly run out with my glass or cup so he could fill it with taho. 

I took one last stroll of the pool area wishing I was getting ready to spend another day lounging in this place instead of going back to our room to get ready for our ride to the airport.

 

I spotted the lifeguards who we befriended throughout our 3 day stay there and took a pic with them as well. These 3 were so friendly and enthusiastically did all the zumba moves on the grounds around the pool when Paola taught his water zumba class.... they were so awesome. 

 

Just before noon our ride to the airport arrived and reluctantly we left this wonderful resort. Unlike our flight to Cebu, this flight left on time and arrived in Manila on time thankfully! We had dinner plans and any delay would have caused some problems.

Dinner that night was at the hotel we were staying at, hosted by my sister and brother-in-law. It was at 22Prime Steakhouse, named aptly so as it was on the 22nd floor. We had so much food to enjoy with salads, soups, mains and of course, dessert.

 

I took a pic of the table at the start of the night when no one was seated yet, and then enjoyed the food and company so much that didn't even take a pic after that. How silly is that? I just got too carried away enjoying being with my family and relishing all the delicious food. 

 

Yummy Ceasar Salad above and incredible spinach soup below, garnished with a swirl of creme fraiche.

 

Prawn appetizer above was fantastic as was the steak platter below....with 3 different kinds of meat and assorted veggies.

 

Seafood platter below, with 3 different types of fish, served with rice and assorted veggies.

 

 

And of course, just as you swear you've eaten enough and are sated beyond any doubt, the dessert is served and you indulge even more!

Decadent chocolate cake above and rich cheesecake with a caramel, nut topping below.

There were 3 birthdays that we celebrated that evening. Below are the smiling celebrants! From l-r: Emma - my niece, Nat - a dear family friend and Penelope - my niece. 

After dinner my cousin Arsi who has been so kind and giving of his time, invited us to the Manila Peninsula for more gastronomic delights.... more coffee and dessert. As if we hadn't already stuffed our faces, here we were faced with the wonderful challenge to try and eat even more. 

First, a bit on the Manila Peninsula. This magnificent hotel is a wonderful central hotel in Manila, close to lots of shopping.  While it is an older hotel, it has set the benchmark for luxury and sophistication for over 40 years. Known affectionately as the "Jewel in the Capitals' Crown" due to its legendary presence in the heart of the country's business district, it exudes luxury and comfort and is a favourite spot for discerning locals. 

As you enter its front doors you will be greeted by this grand lobby that pictures do not do justice -- it really is jaw dropping but you have to be there to really experience its grandeur.

 

Unique, one of a kind design elements are featured in every space, and its old world charm is felt everywhere you look.

 

It was Easter Sunday that weekend, and there was a fabulous Easter disply in the centre of the grand lobby.

 

 

Look at us all sitting so royally in our chairs as we enjoyed the most fabulous coffee and dessert. Remember.... we had just had a full course dinner at 22Prime Steakshouse, complete with dessert and here we were enjoying even more deliciousness in such a grand setting. Honeslty, how lucky were we to be able to experience all this? And I asked myself again, does this have to end? I didn't want it to end. I could've enjoyed this vacation for much, much longer!

 

 

Below is "halo-halo" the quintessential Filipino dessert made with shaved ice, evaporated milk and add ons like cut up yams, garbanzo beans, bananas, strips of coconut, fruit preserves and flan to name a few. It is often served with a scoop of vanilla or ube ice cream. For the more indulgent, you get both scoops!

 

"Turon" another tasty treat. Also known locally as "lumpiang saging" (banana lumpia), it is made with thinly sliced
bananas rolled into a spring roll wrapper and then fried and coated with caramelized brown
 sugar. It is FANTASTIC on its own but we Filipinos like to live like there's no tomorrow
 so we eat it with ice cream, haha.

 

Arsi insisted that we taste one of every dessert on the menu, and that's exactly what he did -- he ordered
 one of everything!! Look at this overhead shot.

 
 


Before leaving the hotel, we took pics outside where this very fashionable jeepney was parked.
 The "jeepney" is a common form of transportation used by the masses in the 
Philippines to get around the city. This one was a beautiful black one and we couldn't leave
 without taking pics of it of course!

 
It was a wonderful 2nd to last day (tomorrow is departure day, boo-hoo)..... but what was not apparent
in all the pictures is that I was not feeling well. 
All the travelling and galivanting around had left me with a bit of a sore throat and a chest
infection was taking hold. I took a COVID test to make  sure and thankfully it was negative.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a drugstore where Arsi got me some antibiotics and meds
 and the most wonderful throat and nose spray that worked wonders because
 I started to feel better the very next day. 
Thank you Arsi.

One last day on this whirlwind of a fantabulous trip and then it's back to 
reality in Vancouver. (insert sad face here).

Day 19, March 27 - Pool & Beach Day #2

Today was a repeat of what happened yesterday, except this time we also went out on a 2 person kayak on the ocean. We had planned to go shopping for souvenirs today but decided to move that little shopping expedition to later in the day in order to have the entire day to spend at the pool and beach.

First of course, I have to talk about the breakfast. I love the fact that everyday, aside from the usual bacon/eggs, pancakes/toast and cereal, etc there is always a Filipino section. Today there were some choices that I couldn't resist so I had a total Filipino breakfast today. 

This is what was on the menu today, and apologies again for the quality of the photos as these are screenshots from a video. I took a video but forgot once again to take any still shots, so these are screen captures only.

There was the usual steamed rice, but there is always a second option for a different rice variation and today there was egg fried rice too. This would've been great with some bacon, but I skipped the bacon and I will show you what I actually had further down on this post.

 

 

This is Kinamatisang Isda.... loosely translated it means Fish with Tomatoes. This is a simple Filipino fish recipe that has a mild flavor. Fish, such as red snapper, is cooked with tomato and onion. The only seasoning that this dish makes use of is fish sauce.

 

This is Ginataang Kalabasa, or butternut squash with coconut milk. This is delicious and easy to make and I make this a lot at home in Vancouver. It goes really well over rice with the dried salted fish below.

 

 

This is Chicken Binakol. I am a soup lover and this chicken soup is made extra flavourful with coconut, ginger and lemongrass. Delicious and refreshing this soup is perfect on its own or served with steamed rice. I had it over steamed rice. Below was what I had for breakfast.

 

Here it was cooked with Bok Choy, but you can also use spinach as an alternative. It's so easy to make. Click here for a recipe.

Breakfast these past 2 days have been a treat for me.... one last breakfast here tomorrow before we leave. I'm sad just thinking about leaving.

We spent the entire day at the pool again, and later in the day we went on a kayak. Paolo, the hotel's fitness trainer did his usual 10 AM zumba class again and of course I joined it. It was so much fun! Earlier in the day, I spent some time with him in the gym, doing some training and exercises. He was so giving of his time with me, and this was all complimentary and part of what you'd enjoy as a guest in the resort.

 

 

Someone emailed me asking me about the pool and how it had 3 different levels/decks. Below are pictures of me on the top deck and you can see the middle deck beneath. Below that is another deck creating the 3 deck configuration. It's a beautiful pool.

 

 

After lunch we ventured out on a 2 person kayak. There is a station at the beach where you can rent the equipment and also go on a banana boat or parasail if you prefer.

 

 

 

Above is a picture as we were just starting out on the kayak and we turned it around to take a picture of the resort from the water.

 

And here we are as we turned the kayak around to venture further out into the ocean. It was a very hot day!  We were out for half an hour, and that was long enough as we didn't have hats which we forgot. A little longer in the sun wouldn't have been smart with the possibility of sunstroke. We paddled back to shore in time for a cool down with a dip in the pool and a drink before heading in for some naps!

 

 

We opted for no alcohol today.... too hot for that! We just wanted something ice cold and this hit the spot! Next on the schedule on this very stressful day, haha.... was naptime! The sun always has that effect on us.... and we slept well after being out in the sun and ocean breeze.

Naptime was followed by a relaxing soothing massage at the resort spa. Oh the life.... only on vacations can I have this extremely relaxing, carefree experience. I had the massage along with my sister-in-law, Gladis.

 

Apologies for the blurry picture above as the light was dim in that room and it was hard for my iphone lens to focus very well.

Our massage started with the most wonderful, exfoliating foot scrub. My feet felt so smooth and soft after this!

 

The massage was an hour -- the most relaxing, blissful hour I've spent in long time! We asked for a light to medium pressure massage as sometimes these swedish massages can hurt! They used the most armotatic, calming lemon oil while massaging us. It was heavenly!

The rest of the day (what was left of it) was spent on a quick jaunt to the local mall to buy some souvenirs. I wanted chocolate covered mangoes! Our ride came to pick us up around 5:30 PM and off we went. It gave me an opportunity to capture some of the streets of Mactan Island. It's a very rural community.... a big contrast to the grandeur of the resort. There is definitely a poverty problem here, but what amazes and inspires me the most about the Filipino people is how happy and joyful they are, no matter what life has handed them. They are always smiling!

 

Kids play freely on the street with anything they can find. Lots of them were out and about running around, playing together or alone. There seemed to be so much contentment and happiness despite the obvious poverty. It was so inspiring to see and made me realize even more that material possessions and richness do not equate to happiness. Some of the richest people on this planet are also the loneliest. Here, on the streets of Mactan island, all I saw was joy! It was so heartwarming.

 

 

I also enjoyed some of the local signs and names of stores and restaurants. See above.... Chicky Oink! LOL, they served pork belly, bbq pork and fried chicken. Some of the other signs were just downright funny.... like one that said, "2nd floor is upstairs".  Haha.. I tried to get pictures but by the time I read the sign, it was already zooming past me. I had some really good laughs reading the different signs here.

I was able to find the chocolate covered mangoes I wanted to bring home and then we of course had to go to Jollibee. When in the Philippines, you have to get the authentic Jollibee because the Jollibee food in North America just isn't the same as what's in the Philippines! We got the most popular menu item.... the Chicken Joy. 

 

Now I have to say that I only ate this because it was the thing to do.... .you know the whole "when in Rome" thing. But  I honestly don't really like the spaghetti, it's too sweet. They put sugar in it and these little hot dogs that just aren't what I usually go for. But again.....when in Rome...... 

Tomorrow we fly back to Manila for one final day, then the dreaded 11 hour flight back to Vancouver the day after that. How did this 3 week vacation go by so fast?  I want a redo! But not because I would do anything differently, this vacation was perfection.... only because I want another 3 weeks, lol!

Day 18, March 26 - Pool Day at the Sheraton Mactan, Cebu

Today was a beautiful sunny day that allowed us the most wonderful day to just relax and sit back by the pool. The pool at this resort is lovely, with 3 levels so you can choose which one to relax on. Before all that though, of course there was the breakfast buffet. The breakfast buffet at the resort is extensive and scrumptious. This is what I had.

 

 

I had tocino and inihaw na liempo. Those are the 2 types of meat you see on the plate above. Tocino means bacon in Spanish. In the Philippines, tocino is sweetened and cured pork belly. It can also be done using chicken for a healthier version. Inihaw na liempo translates to "grilled pork belly". The pork is marinated in vinegar, or citrus juices, fish sauce and spices then grilled to perfection. Most Filipinos will eat this along with rice.... though let's face it Filipinos will eat anything with rice, lol. It's like a staple. To make myself feel better about the high fat meat I was eating, I deluded myself by justifying eating all that with salad instead. Haha. I would've enjoyed it more with rice of course, but I was aware of all the carbs I had been consuming the last 2 weeks in Japan and wanted to tone down the carb intake a bit!

Here is a close up:

 

 

Oooohhh, that marinated grilled meat was perfection and I am kind of dreaming about it again as I type this, lol.

 

 

Now, I also had to post a close up of the mangoes. It is well known in the Philippines that the best mangoes in the country come from Cebu. They are sweet and juicy, unlike any other, most specially not like the kind I could find at home in Vancouver. I believe the mangoes in Vancouver are usually from Mexico, though occasionally you will find some from the Philippines -- very expensive however. And here they were in a buffet where I could eat as much as I wanted. And that's what I did. I had mangoes everyday at breakfast! They were so delicious.

 

There were a variety of fruit juices offered everyday -- mango, banana, pineapple, cocounut, melon, watermelon and calamansi, native Philippine lime/lemon that is green and sour when unripe and yellow and sweet when ripe. They have a unique flavour all their own and make the most delicious juice, but is also used in marinades. Today we chose a watermelon/golden melon blend that tasted so good!

 

We were also offered traditional Filipino desserts -- Kutsinta, Filipino steamed cakes made with flour, tapioca flour, and brown sugar. Soft, chewy and topped with grated coconut, they're a delicious snack or dessert. Puto, also a steamed rice cake made with rice flour and coconut milk and Cassava cake, made from grated cassava. There is always some kind of topping on this cake. Sometimes it's a sugary topping, other times it's cheese. The kind we had here had the sugar topping -- so delicious!

It was still pretty early after we had finished our breakfast, but we went right to the pool. We chose the middle deck today (3 decks to the pool in this resort) and it was pretty empty still. The resort was not full to capacity the week we were there as it was Holy Week. Much to our delight, we had the pool almost to ourselves, with just a handful of other guests there.

 

 

From the middle deck where we were, you can see the ocean beyond, it literally was steps away from us. I brought my laptop with me to the pool with the intention of blogging in between dips, but honestly I ended up just lazing and napping and listening to my music. It was such a relaxing day, under the umbrellas with the tropical breeze blowing a cool, calming wind in our faces -- such relaxation. I thank my brother Jay-jay for this little getaway. He hosted both Alyssa & myself and treated us to the 3 nights/4 days of total bliss! 

 

There was a zumba class in the pool everyday at 10 AM, taught by Paolo the fitness trainer. He was the best!

 

We enjoyed some refreshing tropical bevvies, they bring them right to you at the pool.

 

 

 

 

And they gave out complimentary watermelon and golden melon slices as snacks to cool and refresh everyone just after lunch. It was such a perfect day and the service form the staff was top notch.

We had wanted to go out into the ocean on a kayak, but it was nearing 3 PM by the time we decided and we were both tired from all that relaxing and doing nothing, haha.... so off we went to our room for naps. That ocean breeze really makes you sleep so well. We felt so rested after our naps as we headed down to dinner. But we stopped to play some table tennis first.... I haven't done that in a long time but we had a table at our home in Manila growing up, so we all learned how to play and are all quite good at it.

 

 

We ordered a la carte this time, rather than the dinner buffet as there were items on the menu we wanted to try and honestly, the buffet was too much for one person.... and it was overewhelming having to decide what to fill your plate with, haha.

 

 

We orderd the Humba, slow cooked pork belly in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and fermented black beans. It had a wonderful smoky flavour that was quite unique and tasty.

 

We also ordered the Cebuan BAM-I, stir fried sotanghon (cellophane noodles) with egg noodles, carrots, cabbage, pork, shirmps, chorizo and quail egg. It was a nice variation from rice and such a treat.

 

 

And of course we had to have an order of lumpia, click on the hyperlink for a description. A Filipino staple at parties, lumpia never goes out of style!

Today was such a relaxing day, filled with nothing to do but sit and nap by the pool, take a dip in the cool water of the pool, listen to the wind as we napped, drink our drinks, enjoy our watermelon and just be fully present in the moment. These types of days are few and far between in my hectic life at home... so this was a welcome respite and the best thing is..... tomorrow I get another day like today!!

I am grateful and blessed.

 

 

 

Day 17, March 25 - Travel to Cebu

We flew to Cebu today. The day started off once again with the delicious buffet breakfast offered daily at our hotel. Everyday, they feature a soup with breakfast and today they had beef misua! I have not tasted this soup in so long!

 

 

This recipe makes use of Misua, which are thin flour noodles. It is also known as Chinese vermicelli. Aside from being delicious, this soup dish can be prepared quickly.  BONUS: I googled a recipe and here it is below. This recipe uses ground beef and zucchini, but you can adapt with chicken and any vegetable. 

 

Ingredients

• ▢4 to 6 ounces Misua thin flour noodles
• ▢1/2 lb. ground beef
• ▢4 cups water
• ▢1 piece beef bouillon or 2 to 3 teaspoons beef powder
• ▢1 medium zucchini cubed
• ▢1/2 cup green onions chopped
• ▢10 pieces hard-boiled quail eggs
• ▢4 cloves garlic crushed
• ▢1 small yellow onion minced
• ▢2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ▢1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢2 tablespoons cooking oil

 

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a cooking pot.
• Sauté the garlic and onion
• Add the ground beef. Cook until the color turns light brown.
• Put-in the beef cube or powder and then pour-in the water. Stir and let boil. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
• Add the zucchini and then cook for 5 minutes.
• Put-in the Misua along with the fish sauce and ground black pepper. Stir. Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the quail eggs and green onion. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve. Share and enjoy!

 

 

Today was travel day to Cebu. Cebu is located in the central island of the Philippines, known as Visayas. Visayas is the most densely populated island in the Philippines and is second only to Luzon in its strategic and economic importance to the country. As I'm sure I mentioned in an earlier blog post the 3 major islands that make up the Philippines are Luzon in the north (where I was born), Visayas in the middle and Mindanao in the South. Tourism numbers are booming in Cebu as it draws almost two million foreign travellers a year. The island's prime attractions are its white-sand beaches and spectacular diving.

 

We flew Philippine Airlines once again. The flight was short, just an hour. 

 

We had another good laugh as once again, the seat beside us was empty and we had lots of room for ourselves. We've been lucky with this so far this trip!

 

 

 

 

We are staying at the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort. It is lovely here. We are lucky as it is Holy Week here in the Philippines and it being a predominantly Catholic country, the resort was fairly empty when we checked in. The hotel is beautiful with a lovely view of the ocean. 

 

 

 

Our room is big, with a lovely bathroom and a fantastic view from our balcony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was later in the day when we arrived, around 4:30 PM, so we only had time to freshen up a bit before we checked out the spectacular dinner buffet. The selection was amazing... so many options to choose from. 

 

 

Pork smothered in a delicious mushroom sauce, with more mushrooms, tomatoes and onions.

 

 

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu.

 

 

Grilled Corn on the Cob.

 

 

Chicken Afritada (apologies for the blurry shot, it is a screenshot from a video I took and I did not have any actual photos). 

Chicken Afritada is a type of Filipino chicken stew with tomato based sauce. Potatoes are added to make a complete meal, but usually Filipinos will eat this with rice too. 

 

 

Nilagang Baka -- a Filipino soup made of beef that is boiled and then veggies are added. It is like a meaty stew when done right, with lots of beef and veggies. 

 

 

 

We had coconut juice with dinner, served to us in the actual coconut. After we drank the juice the coconut was shaved and served to us cold in our room. We were so full, so saved it in our fridge for the next day.

 

 

 

Endless amounts of shrimp and crab.

 

 

These pictures only show some of the offerings.... there was so much and had I tried to take pictures of everything and blogged about it all, this post would be 5 times longer!!!  I've just captured some of what was on the buffet .... honestly there was SO MUCH and it was overwhelming.

 

 

And of course, we had to try one of each of the desserts, lol. Yup, we were whooping it up at this dinner!

....which is why I had to check out the gym right after to find out if it had a good variety of equipment. 

 

 

 

It did not disappoint, as I suspected it wouldn't. The hotels here seem to have wonderful gyms for their guests. So you guessed it.... before bed I worked out for about 45 minutes to an hour, it made me feel better about eating all that dessert, haha.

 

It was a lovely first day in Cebu -- tomorrow is pool and beach day -- a day to relax and rejuvenate! 

Day 16, March 24 - The Tiangge, Francis Libiran Store Front and Corazon Restaurant

Today is Tiangge day! I have been looking forward to this for so long. What is a tiangge? A tiangge consists of a large number of stalls which sell clothes, shoes, toys, bags, home items, decorations, souvenirs -- you name it, they probably have it. I'm not sure if this is a Philippine phenomenon or something that is available in other Asian countires, but I go to one each time I come to Manila. I love to haggle, it's kind of exciting. I do keep in mind that the vendors here are trying to make a living so while the thrill of haggling is always part of the experience for me I always stop once I know the price I'm getting it for here, is cheaper than what I'd pay back home. The one we visited today was located in the Greenhills area. This shopping centre opened in the early 70's so I do still remember going to visit this place before we left for Canada, in 1974. However, it is definitely very different today compared to what it looked like in the early 70's.

 

I captured a couple of pictures of some stalls, but quickly put my phone away in my crossbody bag which I kept close to me. I was told to be careful here and to watch for pickpockets.....but honestly I felt very safe while shopping. It is Holy Week here in Manila and it being a predominantly Catholic country, the mall was not that busy and perhaps that is why I felt safe. It's when the crowds are here that pickpocketing is more likely to happen. I felt 100% safe and found the experience of haggling with the vendors quite fun. I got some great deals as well! 

I got Nike shorts, tank top and yoga pants for 1000 pesos -- that turns out to be just roughly $25. I also bought new luggage as the one I brought with me is packed full of stuff I've already bought and I'm allowed 2 pieces, so why not? Plus the luggage I bought is good quality hard shell made of polycarbonate. I paid 3500 pesos for it which turns out to be approximately $85 Canadian. Wow.... can't beat that. The only thing I didn't really like is the colour -- it's bright red. I would've preferred a more basic black or navy.... but hey I'll know which luggage is mine when it comes time to pick it up at the luggage carousels!!!

 

I also bought 3 really cute summer dresses for 1100 pesos and this really cute Hello Kitty purse for my niece's daughter back home, who celebrated a birthday this month. I love it, it's so cute. I will put some money in it before I give it to her. I don't know if it's just  a Filipino tradition or one shared in other countries as well, but it's generally not good to gift a wallet or purse without putting money in it.... it's symbolic of financial abundance moving forward to gift these items with money it them.

 

This particular tiangee we went to was attached to Vira Mall.... which ironically had higher end stores. So a contradiction in terms to have the stalls with the more inexpensive items where haggling is the norm, close to the higher end shops. I saw stores with brands I grew up with in Manila but have not seen in a long time -- certainly not in Canada. Lacoste is one of them.... I don't remember the last time I saw a Lacoste store in Vancouver.

 

 

 

And I was happy to see National Book Store is still around. Having gone to school at St. Theresa's College in Quezon City, a private Catholic school in the Philippines, I remember many back to school shopping trips with my mom at this place.

 

 

I remembered how excited I was to buy new pens and pencils, new notebooks and a new school bag every year. It was a tradition. All these memories of my childhood growing up in the Philippines came flooding back. I lived here till I was 12 years old before moving to Canada permanently. 

After our morning shopping, it was time to meet our cousin Arsi for dinner at Corazon, a fantastic Filipino Hispano restaurant --   but not before another wonderful visit to Francis Libiran's actual store front in Quezon City.

 

Rows upon rows of exquisite, impeccable suits for the men in your family. It was a masterful collection that made me want to get all dressed up and attend a wedding!

 

 

We can't forget the fabulous wedding dresses and bridal gowns and formal wear. Such a fabulous store!

 

Of course I decided to pretend I worked there and got behind the counter for some goofy shots.... so obvious it was staged because I forgot to remove the cap from my pink pen and was pretending to write but the cap was till on, hahahaaa....

 

I could never be an actress, proof is below as I faked surprise by looking into a notebook onto pages that had nothing written on them, haha. The staff was very kind and indulged me by allowing me to pose behind the counter with my silly shots. 

 

Then of course there was the dinner at Corazon -- such delicious food. Our cousin, Arsi once again hosted this dinner.... I tell you he has been so kind and generous with his time. Considering how busy he is, this meant so much to us! The time and attention he devoted to us to make sure we enjoyed this visit will never be forgotten!

 

Corazon is a Filipino Hispano restaurant and the food did not disappoint! Below are some pictures of what we enjoyed eating! I hope I described them correctly and if not I'm sure my cousin Arsi will let me know and I will amend any incorrect descriptions, lol.

Everything that was served was super yummy and once again, we felt privileged to be hosted by Arsi. This was truly a special night for all of us. 

Gambas (shrimp) and pandesal (local Philippine buns).

 

Amazing paella -- this was a giant sized dish, truly delicious.

 

Crispy pata -- a popular crispy pork leg dish often served with a vinegar dipping sauce and eaten with rice. This is addictive, haha!

 

Seafood platter with mussels and several types of local fish.

 

Yummy Chorizo!

 

Inihaw na Liempo (BBQ pork belly) with Okra. This was one of my faves that night!

Then of course, there was dessert. There was halo-halo of course and cheesecake for everyone -- how do you stay fit and skinny while on vacation in Manila. It's impossible. 

 

Then the best part -- the Gin! This gin is made by Tanduay, called Ginto (translates to "gold") This gin was so smooth that you can easily drink this straight, but of course I had tonic water as a mixer. My gosh. So smooth and silky -- the local gin we have back home doesn't hold a candle to this special bottle of magic and goodness, haha. 

 

Notice that bottle is already half empty.....hahaha....wonder who was drinking it all, lol. Once again, thank you to my cousin, Arsi for not only introducing me to this local gin, but for gifting me with a bottle to take home. 

One of the highlights of the evening, aside from being with family, of course is enjoying this gin with my nephew, James. 

 

The day was a spectacularly memorable one....though everyday of this vacation has been memorable. I can't believe it has gone by so fast! You know what they say -- time goes by fast when you're having fun and that's exactly what this vacation has been -- non stop fun from the moment we wake up till the moment we go to bed at night. 

Tomorrow is day 17 and Alyssa & I are traveling to Cebu with my brother and his family in the central province of Visayas for 4 days of R&R. We are so excited!

 

Day 15, March 23 - Francis Libiran Atelier & Family Reunion

I was up early today. I wanted to check out the gym in the hotel in the hopes it was a good one, with treadmills and equipment I can use and a nice free weight section. Well....it did not disappoint. They gym at Discovery Suites is fully equipped with all the exercise machines one needs to get a full body workout, as well as all the free weights, kettle balls and it even has a studio with a great sound system for classes.

 

The machines are new and work well. The free weight section had all the weights and benches necessary for a great workout. I did a self challenge working with the free weights, focusing on my arms and doing reps and sets to muscle failure. Then I did a bit of abs & core.

I was happy to see they had a separate room with yoga mats, bosu balls and bands so I could alternate my workouts with weight training, cardio and yoga. Really, the best of everything was offered here.

The breakfast buffet was also delicious and full of many different choices, North American offerings i.e. bacon, sausages, eggs and toast. All kinds of bread, muffins croissants along with butter, jam and peanut butter. And also a Filipino line up which changed daily. It offered the classics. Rice of course, usually 2 different kinds - regular white rice plus either garlic fried rice or tapa fried rice.

 

I have to say that I was very good on this first day of the breakfast buffet at the hotel. I just had some salad and yogurt with meusli. **full diclosure, I am blogging this a few days later and this statement was only true for the first 2 days, haha **

The morning activity today was a visit to Francis Libiran's atelier. Francis is an extremely talented Filipino designer who not only designs the most incredible wedding gowns and attire for both bride and groom but also has a fashion, accessory and perfume line that is next to none. We are so lucky to know him as a result of his partnership with my cousin Arsi Baltazer who was so kind and gracious to arrange this visit. It was truly a pleasure and one of a kind experience to sit down with Francis and have him design a piece for each of us.

Francis will custom design and create a made to measure piece for his clients - a service that is sought after in the country. A Filipino architect and fashion designer, he studied architecture at the University of Santo Tomas before pursuing a course in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. His love for travel, nature, architecture, and patterns is very apparent in his creations. Some of his signature design techniques include art deco patterns and cutouts, custom laser-cut materials, intricate embellishments and custom embroidery. Being in the business for more than two decades, Francis Libiran is considered as one of the Philippine’s premier fashion designers specializing in custom-made and ready-to-wear wedding gowns, evening gowns, dresses, menswear, corporate wear and accessories.

He has been featured on Hollywood Supermodel Tyra Bank’s long-running reality TV show “America’s Next Top Model”. His fabulous Hello Kitty Couture Collection that aired on April 2012 during the 18th Cycle of the show was so impressive that it paved his way to design and create custom-made pieces for Tyra Banks herself which led her to be hailed “best dressed” in several red carpet events. In 2015, Francis Libiran made a comeback and appeared on the 12th episode of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 22 where his special “Creatures of the Night” collection was featured and worn by the top 5 finalists for the episode’s challenge photoshoot.

For over 20 years, Francis Libiran and his talented team dedicate themselves to producing original, high quality, wearable art pieces which uphold the brand’s values and commitments. It is the brand’s objective to promote Filipino beauty, artistry, talent, and craftsmanship internationally and take on the global arena. Veritably, Francis Libiran has represented the Philippines in numerous fashion events in different countries such as Vietnam, China, Japan, Malaysia, UAE, France, Canada and the USA, among others. Francis Libiran is also the designer behind the historic winning gowns worn by Miss World 2013 Megan Young, the first Filipina to bag the title, and Miss International 2016 Kylie Versoza. Francis Libiran’s international success, awe-inspiring designs and creations, and keen eye for detail opened the doors of opportunities to dress some of the biggest stars in local and international events such as Tyra Banks, Gwen Stefani, Mel B, Priyanka Chopra, Angela Bassett, Serayah McNeill, and Nikki Reed among others.

Watching Francis create these designs was an experience....he draws so fast and his creativity and talent was thrilling to watch firsthand. He sat each of us down and asked us some questions i.e. what is it about our bodies we like/don't like, what colour we like, what kind of clothing we are hoping to get etc. Then as we conversed he was actively drawing our piece. A master at work.

Before we had our individual consultations, we were offered the most delicious turon (bananas in a spring roll wrapper, fried and coated with caramelized sugar) and buko (coconut) juice. Yummy!

 

We were in awe of his fabulous gowns on display and we were shown a bit of the behind the scenes beading and handiwork. Everything is done by hand! These are truly one of a kind pieces. These are not just items of clothing, these are art pieces!

 

Below is a picture of the barong that the women athletes wore to the SEA games. The collar has the symbolic red and blue of the Philippine flag but is detachable so you can wear this piece for formal events as well.

 

 

We all felt spoilt and were so thankful for this very special experience made possible by my cousin Arsi Baltazer and Francis Libiran. This has been a highlight of our trip! Thank you!

In the evening we had our very special family reunion, organized once again by my cousin, Arsi. This was held at the rooftop of Nobu, City of Dreams. What a beautiful venue!

 

Our family in the Philippines has grown and I met some relatives for the very first time and of course others who I have not seen in years! I sadly did not take any photos except this one below of myself, my daughter and my cousin Arsi Baltazer who hosted the evening's festivities. He has been so kind, gracious and generous of his time with us this entire trip! I was so busy catching up with all my relatives that I did not take any pictures as I wanted to talk to all of them! I know there were photographers around to capture the evening's special moments and I look forward to seeing those photos soon.

 

 

The food was top notch, the most delicious Asian fusion cuisine! Below is a sampling of what we enjoyed that night.

What Filipino event would be complete with our world famous "lechon" -- roast pig. This came direct from Cebu which is famous for the most flavourful lechon in the country.

 

Pares Medallions - slow braised beef tenderloin with crispy garlic rice and bone marrow. Yum.

 

Alimango Napoleons - crab meat avocado salad in puff pastry with fresh dill and cream cheese and fresh dill.

 

Creamy Sisig Ravioli - soft boiled quail egg with shaved parmesan cheese and creamy garlic sauce. Delectable!

 

Mami & Ramen - Lechon Kawali giniling, baby bok choy, soy egg Spring onion and toasted linga (Filipino cookies).

Crispy Sugpo - marinated prawn wrapped in Kataifi (greek walnut and almond pastry), romesco and mix micro cress. I at 3 of these, haha.

 

Puto Sulot - Yema Caramel, fresh niyog (coconut), salted egg and dilis (anchovies). Looked different and questionable but once I tasted it, I was sold!

This was such a special evening, not just because of the wonderful cuisine but the presence of family! There were speeches that made us cry, lots of hugs, and memories that will last a lifetime.

I love my Philippine family. I made a promise to come back more often and not wait 20 years like I did for this visit. I am blessed!

Tomorrow we are going to visit Francis Libirans actual store in Quezon City and then another scrumptious dinner at Corazon which serves Filipino Hispanic food.

Note:  I am encountering a problem with slow wifi in some locations and in others the connection is not secure. So the rest of the trip updates will be done when I return to Canada on March 30th! I will get them done, I promise. I just worry about security breaches at the moment.

I hope you've enjoyed the posts so far! Stay tuned.

 

Day 14, March 22 - Arrive in Manila, Philippines!

Today we travelled to Manila. This was the long awaited day of this trip -- for me anyway! I have been waiting to visit the Philippines again for so many years. Raising young kids had prevented us from doing this. The last time we visited the Philippines Jordan was 12 and Alyssa was 7. It's just very hard to travel internationally with kids that young....which is why I am so impressed with our little Elsie who was with us in Japan. She is only 14 months old and has been to Hawaii, Palm Springs & Japan! She is such a little pro traveller and such a joy to have with us. I will miss her so much while in Manila. Her effervescence and joy and that cheery, "HI!" when she first sees you in the morning will be missed this week in Manila! Jordan & Erika had to fly back home after our 2 weeks in Japan to get back to work. That is the only sad thing about this leg -- they won't be with us. But Alyssa will be here still so we will both have fun together, despite missing Jordan, Erika and our little Ms. Sunshine, Elsie.

We flew out of Kansai Intl. Airport which is an hour away from the Mimaru hotel where we had stayed at. A ride by train would've been possible, but it would've involved having to maneuver all the ups and downs of taking the train, this time with our big luggage. So the best and only option we considered was a taxi or a private car.... both pretty spendy at $100 approximately for the ride. We opted out to hire a private car and got a 7 seater to pick us up (Alyssa & myself) because the smaller size vehicles would only take 2 pcs of luggage and we had more. The price was the same for the small car or 7 seater so it worked out great. The rest of the family... my sister and husband, her 2 boys and all their kids went on their own in another 11 seater van. Our driver arrived promptly at 10 AM as we had asked and I was so happy he spoke English and was very polite and nice. He helped us load all the luggage and away we went to the airport. 

See us below in our respective rides. We had a good laugh at how Alyssa & I had a 7 seater to ourselves and the rest of the family crammed into another, lol.

 

The line for our flight check in wasn't  till 12:45 so we had about 2 hours waiting time, but that time flew by as we all sat together to wait. The line started early though, people started forming a queue by noon so our 2 nephews stood in line for our whole group using our suitcases and trolley carts as seats so they didn't need to stand the entire time, haha. 

 

We were booked on PAL, Philippine airlines. PAL has a reputation for always being late, and for frequent changes in arrival and departure times. This time however, the service was on time, the food was great, and the flight was smooth and fantastic.

The choice for lunch on the flight was either a fish bento or some beef tapa "bistek", a classic Filipino dish. Of course Alyssa & I chose the beef as we wanted Filipino food. For airline food, it really was quite good....whether or not we were just so excited to eat something other than Japanese is besides the point, lol -- we enjoyed that lunch!

 

Alyssa & I had the seat just behind the ones at the plane exit, and the third seat by the window was empty, so there were just the 2 of us and the empty seat by the window had no seat in front of it, so I moved there after our meal and look at all that room for me to stretch! AHHHH..... just what the doctor ordered!

The flight wasn't long... just 4 hours and before we knew it, we were landing. I can't even really put into words what I felt as I looked out the window and watched as the homes and roads down on the ground came into focus and I saw Manila again after so many years. I love my country and coming home is and always will be special to me!

The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of over 7,000 islands clustered into 3 major island groups -- Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. I was born in Quezon City in the northern most island (geographically) of Luzon. Only about 2000 islands are inhabited and about 5000 islands have yet to be named. The Filipino people are the kindest, warmest and most gracious people I have ever known. I love that about my race. I am proud to be a Canadian, but so very, very proud to be Filipino by birth. We are happy people, always smiling, always sharing a helping hand, always welcoming and full of zest for life. The Philippines was colonized by the Spanish and the U.S. had several military bases here -- Camp John Hay and Subic to name a couple though I don't think they the are still both operating actively. You will see the Spanish and American influence in some of the Filipino features as marriages occurred between the different races. In fact my father's mother's (wait does that sound confusing....haha) maiden name was Ravadilla (spanish) before marraige to my Great Grand Lolo (grandfather) whose last name was Jayme. (pronounced High-meh). My mom's maiden name was Angeles as in Los Angeles but pronounced Ang-he-les. So before I married and changed my last name to McGarry my full name was Eleonor Angeles Jayme. 2 of my father's sisters married Americans who they met in Manila. My Tita (aunt) Pacing married my Tito Gerry who served as a Marine. He was wounded in active duty and was given a Purple Heart, a badge of military merit given to those killed or wounded in active duty. The Philippines has a rich history and this was all taught to us in elementary school.... I've forgotten so much about my country and I have a new desire to re-learn these facts so I will be checking out some books from the library upon my return to Canada as I have a new found interest in this subject. 

We are staying at the Discovery Suites Ortigas in Pasig. As in our Japan accomodations, we chose suites with living areas and kitchens, so basically apartment style. The service you get here -- it's amazing. There is just such a difference in the way you are treated as guests or as paying customers in Manila (the entire country) where you just feel pampered and well looked after. 

 

The lobby above -- check in was relatively fast considering there were so many of us! We occupied 2 three bedroom suites on the 17th and 18th floor. These suites were large, and beautiful! So  much bigger than our Japan suites. They were so cool and comfortable with the AC on when we entered.

 

Living room above, dining room below -- the rooms were big -- this whole suite is larger than my condo at home!

 

A big welcome sign hung on the window greeted us and as well as a plate of little cakes and fruit. Again, the service is unmatched.

The kitchen! -- it was big, again bigger than my kitchen back home, haha.

 

And our bedroom and ensuite bathroom was also so big and beautiful. The bed was comfy with the best fluffy pillows. Look at that big king size bed!

We were a bit tired from the day's travel, but also wanted to explore the mall right across from our hotel, Podium Mall. So we quickly unpacked and all met in the lobby to cross the street together to the mall. We were like a family of ducks with my brother-in-law at the front of the line and all of us following behind him to safely cross the street. The traffic here can get a bit crazy and if you're not used to it, ooohhh.... well you know... unfortunate things can happen, lol. We made the crossing safely!

THIS MALL!!! Oh my God --- full of high end shops and great stores and oooohhhh....the things to buy!

 

 

We made our way to the Food Court at SM Mega Mall behind Podium (yes another mall behind this mall!) and chose to eat at this place called Baliwag, Lechon Manok ATBP. Lechon means roast pig, manok means chicken and the letters ATBP are a shortcut for "at iba pa" which means and more. So this translates to Roast pig, chicken and more!

 

 

There was a large selection of preset plates on the menu, all came with rice and we chose this below.

 

Above is chicken, lechon with sauces and rice and below is veggies, pork BBQ and some veggies.... delicious. All of it, delicious. And this was just food court food.... tomorrow we have a big family reunion at a rooftop venue and it will feature Asian fusion food. I've seen the  menu, and I will need to go to the gym tomorrow, eat a healthy breakfast and skip lunch in order to enjoy this reunion meal guilt free!

 

This is our entire group after we ate. Happy and full, we went back to the hotel to finally get some rest. 

Tomorrow we are going to Francis Libiran's Atelier to be measured and fitted for some custom made designs he will make for us. Francis Libiran is a talented Filipino designer who is renowned for the most beautiful wedding gowns but also for so much more than just that. My cousin Arsi is his business partner and together they have created a fabulous business catering to so many here in the Philippines and abroad. Francis also designed the outfits for the Philippine Olympic team and for the Philippine team that went to SEA, the Southeast Asia games.

So that brings to end day 14 of this fabuluous trip. My week here in Manila is going to be full of adventure and new experiences for our children, and I'm excited to share it with you all.

Day 13, March 21 - Universal Studios Osaka

Today is our final full day in Osaka. Tomorrow we leave for Manila, Philippines traveling out of Kansai International Airport.

We are going to Universal Studios, Osaka today.  I know this will be an all day thing, with lots of walking involved but had been looking forward to this day as it would mean special memories with my children and granddaughter!

It took 3 trains to get to Universal, but the walk to each station was relatively short and the time spent on each train involved not more than 3 stops so the entire journey took about 45 minutes. As soon as you get off the last train, you can already hear the Universal theme playing, so it set the mood for the visit right away. You feel the excitement as soon as you step off the train.

The first thing you get to is City Walk, the pathway that leads to the entrance of the park. This visually enticing shopping mall leads up to Universal Studios Japan. Shops sell souvenirs and Universal-themed goods. There is also the Osaka Takoyaki Museum, plus a variety of restaurants. 

It's a short walk to the entrance of the park from here. The lineups on this day were not too bad and we had purchased our tickets online so it was faster. It is a must to purchase tickets online.... it will avoid having to wait in line at the front. Actually for every activity we did in Japan, we pre-purchased tickets online to avoid this very thing. 

We have been to Universal Studios in California as well as Florida, but as many of you know, all the Universal Studios locations have something unique to offer. In Osaka, they have Nintento World and have all the Super Mario rides. This is primarily what we came for, and what the kids were looking forward to.

 

The minute we entered the park, the first thing we hit was the Universal Studios store for some merch! You can easily drop hundreds of $$$ here if you don't use some control.... there is so much to buy! I am a headband girl, and so of course had to get the Hello Kitty headband. 

 

There was also a Super Mario mushroom headband that I didn't get but here it is below. Alyssa bought it. 

 

Just as we were exiting the Universal Studios store, Shrek, Princess Fiona and Puss n' Boots started performing a song and dance number right outside on the path, so it was perfect timing. We watched them do their song and dance and took some pictures.

 

There is so much to buy here and so much to choose from, it is so overwhelming! 

 

Nintendo World opened in Osaka in 2021 when Nintendo partnered with Universal to open themed areas in its parks due to declining gaming revenue and console market share. It is the first Mario theme park in the world. The entire mushroom kingdom has been recreated here complete with the Mario universe. Compared to Harry Potter World, Super Mario World is larger and boy did we do some walking around today! Whoever thought of this idea was a genius. The themed area at Universal Studios Osaka is popular.... probably the most popular in the park, rivaled only by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The merch that is offered is mind boggling....including the "power up" bands you can purchase to wear on your wrist so you can interactively play at stations across the themed area. Power-Up Bands are snap bracelets that you can use to interact with different things in Super Nintendo World. The band will allow you to punch cubes around the park to virtually collect coins, solve riddles based on sounds, escape piranha plants and defeat a Goomba. How Many Designs Are There? There are 6 different designs themed to Yoshi, Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, Princess Daisy, and Toad. Here’s a closer look at them:

 

 

The bands are not cheap.... all my kids got one each as they wanted to participate in the interactive components of the park. That was just the beginning -- they all bought hats, scarves, mugs.... you name it, they got it. Here is Alyssa with just some of her new gear. You can see her power up snap bracelet as she is holding up her arm to show it.

 

That star bucket bag was full of popcorn and it lights up as well, see below. It was $50!!! Her mushroom headband was $26.

 

I have to say it is a really cute bag, specially when lit up. That Pikachu hat costs $45. It was cold at the park when the sun set, so it did keep her warm, lol! But beware of all the temptation at the park. Parents be warned, lol!!! Be ready and able to walk all day... you will need the time specially if you have children so you can rest....this place is HUGE. The Mushroom Kingdom is built on 2 levels and includes Princess Peach's Castle, Bowser's Castle (Bowser is called Koopa in Japan) and Mount Beanpole. At any time during your visit you may encounter any of the characters walking around and mingling with the crowd: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach or Captain Toad. We rode both the rides at Nintendo World: Mario Kart Koopa's Challenge & Yoshi's Adventure. 

There are many places to eat within the park. As expected the lineups can get long. We knew this so stopped to eat fairly early at 11 AM with the objective of getting some food into us before the long lines happened in order to spend the day fed and satisfied and ready roam and enjoy this massive park. We stopped at a diner themed restaurant and enjoyed whatever they had on the menu.... burgers & fries!

We spent the extra money it cost to get a Fast Pass which enables us to go right to the front of the line at the most sought after rides. This pass is a must. I honestly don't understand the logic in standing in line for, in some cases up to 2 hours for a ride. A Fast Pass can spell the difference between the ability to ride 15 rides in a day, compared to 6 or 7 depending on wait times. It is pricey at $200 each but necessary if you want to be able to ride every ride in the park. Otherwise you will spend most of your time there waiting in line and who wants to do that?

We spent some time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.... not too much as we had spent an entire day at the Making of Harry Potter World when we were in Tokyo a few days prior. I got myself a Gryffindor sweatshirt here and Jordan got a Gryffindor scarf. Here, you can fully immerse yourself in the world that you saw in the movies, and experience a truly extraordinary journey.

 

The ride here called Harry Potter & the Forbidden Express was one of the best I've ever been on.... do not pass this ride up! The other ride here was the Flight of the Hippogriff, a mini roller coaster that was so much fun!

We also spent some time at Minion Park. I love the minions, they crack me up each time I see them. We rode the Despicable Me, Minion Mayhem here -- such fun and ate some Minion ice cream! Banana flavor!!

 

The banana flavoured Minion Ice cream sandwich was delicious and I wish we could buy this at home!

 

My verdict: Universal Studios Japan was way more fun and cooler than its counterpart in California or Florida. You must visit this place when in Japan! We were so happy we made the decision to spend the day here. We were here for 12 hours.... and that wasn't enough! I'd like to come back.... and I know I will be coming back to Japan for sure.

Tomorrow we leave this beautiful country to travel to another beautiful one, the Philippines -- the country of my birth. I was only 12 when we came to Canada, and I am a Canadian Citizen but the Philippines will always be in my heart. The people there are so kind and polite and they are always happy and smiling.... no matter what conditions are thrown at them. They truly are the best people in the world. I get a lump in my throat each time I talk about the Philippines. I cannot wait to see it, friends and family that are all excited to see me and vice versa.

I will try to keep updating the blog daily as much as can this coming week. I have a jampacked itinerary in Manila, plus I will be visiting one of the resorts in Cebu so another plane ride will be in order. I have friends from elementary school and lots of family planning events and I know I will be so, so, so tired when I get back to the hotel at night, but I promise to keep up with the blogging.... maybe be a couple of days late with the updates but I will get them done!

Thanks for reading my adventures, and for sending me emails and questions. I love to share tips with you and appreciate all the wonderful comments and emails I have received. 

 

 

Day 12, March 20 - Travel to Osaka, the Namba Walk and Dotonbori

Today was another travel day. We are traveling from Kyoto to Osaka, which is the last place in Japan we will be visiting. It will be a short visit, just 2 days and tomorrow will be a full day at Universal Studios so there won't be much time here.

It was for this reason that we decided to set out as early as possible on our trip to Osaka. We left our hotel in Kyoto by 7:45. Alyssa & I traveled by train (cheaper and still very fast & convenient). Jordan & Erika booked tickets on the Shinkansen -- pricier and a much shorter trip, just 15 minutes. The regular train can get a bit crowded and takes about half an hour and traveling with a 14 month old can be a bit harder on this busy train so they opted for the Shinkansen. It just made better sense and gave them peace of mind that Elsie would be comfortable and they'd be able to travel stress free.

It was cold today, but luckily the station is only a 6 minute walk away, and after that all the travel is underground. Our trip took us on 3 trains, one to Kyoto Station where we boarded the rapid train (not the Shinkansen) to Osaka Station, then a third train to our hotel followed by another short 7 minute walk. We only had our carry on luggage, we had shipped our larger luggages onto the hotel via a local transport company. This is the norm here for travelers who use trains due to the many staircases you need to deal with, along with long concourses, etc. It's just easier to do without luggage.

It's fairly reasonable cost wise -- each of us paid about $10 to get from Kyoto to Osaka. The Shinkansen costs more, but is faster and you don't have to deal with any crowds.

We arrived at Osaka Station at around 9 AM, and we stopped at Starbucks to quickly have a coffee and something to eat as we hadn't done that yet. We contemplated putting our stuff into a locker and starting our exploring right from the station, but decided not to. The station is big and having to figure out which exit/entrance to make after exploring to find out which locker we left our stuff at was too daunting....neither of us wanted to have to think too much today, haha. So we had our little snack, surfed a bit on our phones to get our bearing and google what to do first then headed to our hotel. Check in was not till 3 PM, but we knew that. We planned to leave our luggage at the hotel after we arrived early so we still had most of the day to spend in exploring Osaka. 

The first thing we did was the Namba Walk. This underground walkway, stretches over 715m from east to west. Its pivot point is the Midosuji Line Namba Station and it  forms one extensive and straight shopping avenue, from the Subway Nippombashi Station on the east to the JR Namba Station on the west. Our hotel is just above this walk, so it was super convenient for us, as its entrance is literally right across the street form our hotel lobby.

The avenue, consisting of two aisles of the north street and the south street, is divided into three major zones. The five open spaces, such as "Whale Park", are areas for people to stay and enjoy, with symbolic monuments, and are used to host various seasonal events. The "Art Park" on 1st Avenue hosts the Chicago Gallery where people walking through the avenue can enjoy replicas, in the form of porcelain panel paintings, of the art works in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Our first stop here was 3 Coins. I love this store. It's one of the most popular "living stuff" stores in Japan. It started off as a store where each of the items cost 330 yen which consists of 3 coins of 100 yen each and 3 coins of 10 yen each, thus the name. But the 3 coins of today has more items, costing more than that. However everything here I found was so reasonably priced. I bought bluetooth earbuds that look like the standard wireless buds from Apple that cost so much more. I paid 1500 yen for mine at 3 Coins, roughly about $14 CDN. And it works great!

The first 3 Coins store opened in Osaka in 1994 to sell living stuff as a part of fashion. As most of the shops are located in places where a lot of people come in and out, the shops arrange line-ups depending on the target customers of each area. 90% of the items are 3 Coins stores’ original ones and sold at their low prices. The most attractive point is that it renews its line-ups every week. It develops 400-500 new items per month not to make customers bored. The latest trend item at a cheap price of ￥300 is a tip of popularity. Its other exclusive brand lineup, called 3 Coins +plus has higher quality stuff ranging from ￥1,000 to ￥1,500. This store is genius and I loved it while in Japan, I stopped in at a 3 Coins at every city I visited -- Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka! Each store had similar items, but also some different and exclusive ones as well.

 

 

There was a Uniqlo store here as well, so did I buy more clothes?? Haha.... the answer would be yes. But just one shirt and one tank top. I really don't have much room left in my luggage, otherwise I would've bought more. I may have to get a 2nd suitcase in Manila for more shopping. I am allowed 2 pieces at 50 lbs. each max.

 

 

It was slighly past noon at this time so we searched for someplace to eat.... and found a Shake Shack. We've never eaten here before so decided to try it. Funny that our very first try at this North American chain restaurant was in Osaka.

The verdict? The burger was delicious, the fries were great.... but really nothing different from what you'd get an IN n' Out and similar burger joints around in other places. But we were glad to try it. 

It was nearing 1 PM now so we trekked back to our hotel, stopping at a drugstore to pick up some Tylenol for our tired, aching feet. We all averaged at least 20K steps a day here to explore the areas on foot and a lot of those steps are up and down stairs and different terrains along the city. I haven't gained any weight (YAY!) despite the carb loaded food here (lots of rice & noodles) because we walk so much!

After dropping off our purchases at the hotel, off we went to explore Dotonburi. Often referred to as Japan's Times Square, this area is an explosion of neon and nightlife in the evenings. At night, people come here for a stimulating and essential slice of Osaka nightlife. During the day, it is a destination for unique shopping and street food.

The unofficial mascot of Dotonbori is the Glico Man.  A large neon sign featuring a man running on a blue race track can be found positioned directly above the Dotonbori bridge. The billboard is there as an advertisement for Glico, the Japanese food company that produces Pocky and Pretz. It is a popular photo spot for tourists and locals alike.

 

We walked around the area, but didn't buy anything though there was lots to see and a lot of unique items to be purchased. Check out these socks below.

 

Oh, sorry --- Alyssa did purchase some Pokemon shaped gummy candy here... the silly things we buy while on vacation! Haha.

 

 

At this point it was nearing 3 PM, check in time! We were anxious to get to our rooms and rest a bit after a long day of travel and exploring. We met Jordan, Erika & Elsie who arrived from their visit to the Osaka Aquarium (Elsie loves fish!) just as we were arriving at the hotel. 

We all rested a little bit before heading out to dinner at this wonderful sushi place called Sushi Tan. The food was simply fantastic!

This was the freshest tasting fish I had tasted! They do say the best place for sushi while in Japan is in Osaka and this restaurant did not disappoint.

 

This dish of Etibirimayo was so mouth watering we could've easily ordered a second one.

 

And of course, you cannot forget to try the Chicken Karaage. It's always included when we eat at sushi places. I have to say authentic Japanese sushi in Japan is a must for all North American visitors!

So that brought an end to our Day 12 -- our vacation is more than half over! Tomorrow we will be at Universal Studios Japan all day. This location has Super Mario Land, unique to Japan... so of course we had to visit it!

More to follow!

*Note*I was asked why I had no pictures of myself or family members on my blog. For privacy reasons, I did not include many photos (if any) of family but you can follow my instagram for more reels and some photos of myself and some of Alyssa she had approved of. My instagram can be found by clicking on the instagram icon on the right margin.