Bisaya Bloggers

Mar 17 2008

Visita iglesia to our heritage churches

As Holy Thursday draws near, Filipinos are planning their annual visita iglesia. I've always been asked what are some of the best heritage churches to visit in, around and close to Metro Manila. Here are my picks:

City of Manila - Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, Binondo, Sta. Cruz, Quiapo, San Sebastian, Malate and Sta. Ana
Metro Manila - Malabon, Concepcion (Malabon), San Pedro Makati, Guadalupe (Makati), San Francisco del Monte (QC), Pasig, Baclaran (Paranaque) and Las Pinas
Pampanga - Apalit, Bacolor, Betis, San Luis, San Fernando, Lubao, Angeles City, Sta. Rita and Minalin
Bulacan - Barasoain (Malolos), Malolos, San Rafael, Angat, San Miguel, Calumpit and Pulilan
Laguna - Pila, Longos (Kalayaan), Paete, Pakil, Mabitac, San Pablo, Nagcarlan and Majayjay
Rizal - Tanay, Baras, Morong and Boso-Boso (Antipolo)
Quezon - Lucban, Tayabas and Sariaya
Batangas - Lipa Cathedral, Carmelite Convent (Lipa), San Jose, Immaculate Conception Basilica (Batangas City), Taal Basilica, Caysasay Shrine (Taal), San Juan, and Balayan
Cavite - Maragondon and Silang

For several churches in the nearby provinces, we can cluster them together into convenient routes. Here are my favorites:

Pampanga Day Trip
First stop would be the church in Apalit which is the silver dome you see from the North Luzon Expressway. To get there, exit at San Simon and backtrack towards the town of Apalit. From Apalit, you could choose to go to either San Luis or Minalin. San Luis is a bit far but worth the visit but Minalin is along the route. From both churches, the route is the same. Visit the San Fernando Cathedral, and the churches of Bacolor, Betis, Guagua and Lubao. If you still have time, you can visit Sta. Rita and Angeles City.

Laguna de Bay Loop
This is a straightforward route and you simply follow the National Highway along the towns of Laguna de Bay. You can start either in Laguna via the South Luzon Expressway or in Rizal if you go through the Antipolo side. The town churches to visit are Pila, Longos (Kalayaan), Paete, Pakil and Mabitac in Laguna; and Tanay, Baras, Morong and Boso-Boso (Antipolo) in Rizal. You should also drop by Antipolo. Although a new church, the Antipolo Cathedral houses the centuries-old image of the Nuestra Senora de Paz y Buen Viaje.

Mount Banahaw Loop
It's the Viaje del Sol route but not quite since it's a full loop of Mount Banahaw. You start in San Pablo followed by Nagcarlan and Majayjay in Laguna; Lucban, Tayabas and Sariaya in Quezon; and finally San Juan in Batangas

Related entries
Visita iglesia routes for Holy Thursday
Pisamban... the churches of Pampanga
Visita iglesia aroung Laguna de Bay
Metro Manila and its old churches
Visita iglesia Bohol
Holy Week practices in the Philippines

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Mar 11 2008

More art and architecture from UP Diliman

In the last entry, we mentioned Cesar H. Concio. Once the University Architect, Concio also designed Melchor Hall which houses the College of Engineering; Palma Hall which serves as the home of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy; and the student center Vinzons Hall.

In front of Vinzons Hall is the first reinforced concrete monument in the country. People often mistake it for a monument of Bonifacio, but the Grito de Balintawak actually depicts a nameless Katipunero. It was transferred here in 1968, saved from an imminent demolition.

Beside Vinzons Hall is the College of Business Administration (CBA). Inside the CBA Lobby is a very important work of Jose Joya, National Artist for Visual Arts, known as The Barter of Panay. In front of the building is an artwork of Napoleon Abueva called The Spirit of Business.

Abueva actually has numerous works scattered around campus including: the Nine Muses at the UP Faculty Center; the Crucifix with Two Corpora at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice; the University Gateway; Diwata at the Faculty Center; Alma Mater at the lobby of Ang Bahay ng Alumni; Three Women Sewing the First Philippine Flag, also known as Tres Marias Plaza, at the UP Donors' Garden; and the Tribute to Higher Education at the entrance of University Avenue.

Vinzons Hall and the College of Business Adminsitration stand in front of the Sunken Garden, an important center of campus life in UP Diliman. So many memories, both good and forgettable, are linked to this open field. It played host to old forgotten traditions such as the “Cadena de Amor” and the grueling ROTC Sunday trainings; to today’s UP Fair. It’s a perfect afternoon hangout, great for football or Frisbee practice, and infamous for its evening escapades. And it was wonderful the Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot camera has a really useful panoramic shot feature which allowed me to capture the place in its entirety.

Part 1: UP Diliman is a showcase of art and architecture
Part 2: UP Chapel and the Church of the Risen Lord

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Mar 06 2008

UP Chapel and the Church of the Risen Lord

If you remember, I've already featured three campuses and their chapels namely the Ateneo and the Church of the Gesu, La Salle and the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and FEU and its chapel. Now I'm featuring UP Diliman and its two chapels.

The Catholic church of UP Diliman is the Church of the Holy Sacrifice or the UP Chapel. It is a National Historical Landmark and was designated an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum owing to the fact that it stands as a testament to the creativity of not one, not two, but four national artists!

The dome-shaped structure, a fine example of Modern architecture in the Philippines, was designed by Leandro Locsin. Around the UP Chapel are fifteen large murals painted by Vicente Manansala depicting the Stations of the Cross. The marble altar and the large wooden cross above it were sculpted by Napoleon Abueva. And finally, the mosaic floor mural called the “River of Life” was designed by Arturo Luz.

Another renowned architect, Cesar H. Concio, was responsible for designing the neighboring Protestant chapel, the Church of the Risen Lord.

Part 1: UP Diliman is a showcase of art and architecture
Part 3: More art and architecture from UP Diliman

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Aug 12 2007

Cruise along the Lijiang River

A trip to Guilin would not be complete without a cruise along the Lijiang River. We had a fantastic cruise along the Lijiang River today! The picturesque karst landscape was simply spectacular despite it being a cloudy day.

Our group left downtown Guilin at about 8:15 a.m. and was at the wharf 45 minutes later. I was surprised to see so many cruise ferries waiting. There were just so many tourists, both local and foreign! Cruise ferries in fact left almost every 5 to 10 minutes. The trip down the river would take about five hours. Buffet lunch is prepared and served on board.

It was drizzling when we left the wharf. But that did not hamper us from proceeding to the roof deck of the ferry to enjoy the great scenery. Indeed, this is a highly-recommended tour which one must include in a China itinerary. In fact, the Lijiang River Scenic Zone is in the China tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage inscription. I'm sure the scenes from the Lijiang River below which I uploaded in YouTube will definitely whet your travel appetite.

Despite the fact that I wanted to sit down and relax in the air-conditioned area below, I just could not leave the roof deck since every curve and turn along the river offered new surprises and better views. Observing the daily life along the river was a very enriching experience. And it was amusing seeing how vendors sold their wares on a higher level because they would try to catch the ferries, rowing their rafts towards us and hooking them to the cruise boats as soon as they made contact so that they could sell their wares to the passengers.

At the end of the cruise is Yangshuo County which has an old town that is well-preserved but has been transformed into a tourist trap. Souvenir shops and inns now occupy this old settlement along the Li River. There were so many people, I found it difficult to move around. But at least all the old buildings were preserved and have become economically viable. I have a lot of photos in Multiply.

Technorati Tags: guilin, china, lijiang, river, cruise, heritage, architecture, travel, travel blog

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Aug 11 2007

Guilin, forest of Sweet Osmanthus

The karst limestone landscape of Southern China are a recurring theme in many old Chinese paintings. And it was thus a pleasant surprise for me that the group was visiting Guilin, a city set amidst picturesque karst mountains, which is very famous in China for its fantastic natural and man-made scenery. Many Chinese say that Guilin's scenery is the "finest under heaven." The name of the city literally means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus" because of the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees in the city. It’s a three hour flight from Beijing. There are also flights from other major cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai.

As soon as we left the airport, the karst mountains greeted us. What is great about Guilin is despite the growth and urban development, they have managed to preserve most of the karst mountains as well as the old water system which linked the city together. It’s sad when I think about Baguio City since informal settlers have already occupied the once picturesque views; and there seems to nothing left of the natural environment. Same goes for the Pasig River and the esteros of Binondo and Sta. Cruz which I hope the City of Manila cleans and revives.

We arrived in time for lunch at the Shan Hu Hotel. The hotel is in downtown Guilin and it gave us a great view of the square in front of it. After lunch, we were given ample time to rest. But I decided to explore the vicinity. I visited Fir Lake beside the hotel which has two charming pagodas along the banks. After walking around, I rushed back to the hotel to catch our bus.

For the afternoon, we visited the Guihai Forest of Steles Museum. It’s a collection of over 200 steels carved around the karst mountains and its different caves. You could see that they come from different periods dating back to the Sui Dynasty since there are steles with the old Chinese calligraphy that is no longer in use.

In the evening, I went around the vicinity again. It was an incredible sight as the city's waterway areas were fantastically lit!

Today, we visited the Jing Jiang Palace, the seat of government of Guilin during imperial times. The Jing Jiang princes were generations of Ming princes dispatched by the emperor to govern Guilin.

At the back of the palace was an example of an Examination Hall where examinees sweated it out for three days and three nights answering the difficult examinations which were administered during imperial times.

In the afternoon, we went to the Jing Jiang Mausoleum, the burial grounds of the Ming princes. They are located five kilometers from the city center, at the foot of the grand Yao Mountain. Only one of the eleven tombs has been restored, namely the tomb of Zhuangjian. The setting of the tomb was panoramic as it was built amidst lush pine trees and surrounded by hills and mountains.

Ten figures can be found of each of the two side of the ceremonial way to the inner palace, which include animals such as elephants, unicorns, and pixiu. We had a forum with the local heritage managers in one of the halls of the tomb complex. Then it was back to downtown for dinner. Tomorrow we take a cruise along the Lijiang River!

Technorati Tags: guilin, china, heritage, architecture, travel, travel+blog

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Aug 08 2007

One year countdown to the Beijing Olympics begins

On 8:08 p.m. of 08/08/08 (August 8, 2008), the 2008 Beijing Olympics will begin. It’s one big party in Beijing today as China and the world counts 365 days to the opening of the Games of the XXIXth Olympiad. I was planning to join the party in Tian’anmen Square but ended up watching the ceremonies on TV instead.

I was in the center of Beijing today for a change in routine. It took me quite a while to get there from my hotel which is along the North 4th Ring East Road near the construction area of the National Olympic Center (I should check that out one of these days). The hotel is about a kilometer from the nearest subway station.

First stop was the Philippine Embassy to meet up with my brod who is consul general in Beijing. We had lunch at Friday’s (after having Chinese food three times a day everyday for the past week, one craves for a change).

After lunch, I took a subway to Tian’anmen Square. I had wanted to check out the countdown clock again but the whole square was cordoned off in preparation for the program in the evening. Oh well! There goes my revisit to Chairman Mao’s mausoleum.

Crowds were already waiting along the sides of Tian’anmen. There were even people passing the time in the pedestrian underpasses since it was so humid outside. I walked towards Qianmen and from there, took the subway to Liulichang Cultural Street.

Known for its cultural stores housed in restored old shop houses, Liulichang is a must-visit if you like the feel of old streets or like collecting antiques or art. You can find a lot of antique stores, calligraphy and art galleries, bookstores, tea houses and small shops selling miscellaneous cultural stuff (but no commercial souvenirs like those in Sichahai). Just like always, bargain hard. I got myself some really nice ceramic figurines for one-third the original price (I feel I could have gotten them even lower).

Exhausted by the humidity, I decided to make my way back to the hotel. Beijing is just so big, I’m getting so much exercise from the long walks. One more day of lectures before we fly to Guilin for the weekend. I heard it’s really nice.

Technorati Tags: beijing, china, heritage, acrhitecture, tiananmen square, olympics, travel, travel blog

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Aug 04 2007

Around old Beijing

I wasn’t that excited today maybe because I was at the Forbidden City just last October. It was also a Sunday, and I was expecting a large crowd and I hate going around heritage sites when they are crowded.

My expectations were not unfounded. There were just too many people and you had to jostle your way to see the different areas of the Forbidden City. Add to the fact that many of the major buildings were undergoing restoration and still covered by scaffolding. I was hoping restoration works on the main palace was finished by now since it was also covered last year. But it was not yet completed. So I just made good use of my time and strolled around the palace complex.

Like yesterday, we had lunch in the bus. They took us to the Yashow Clothing Market in the afternoon but that did not interest me (as a general rule, if it’s something I can buy easily in the Philippines, I won’t buy it). So I asked permission from the organizers to separate from the group. Boris from Serbia joined me to Beihai (North Lake) Park which I had wanted to see during my trip last year. We took a taxi from the market to Beihai which was RMB20 (PHP140). Had I known it was a clothing market, I would have stayed behind at the Forbidden City since many of the historical sites are nearby. Entrance to the park is RMB20.

Beihai Park was part of the imperial gardens. If not for the large weekend crowd, the stroll around would have been very refreshing with its large picturesque lake full of lotus plants in full-bloom and hundreds of trees. As they say, the garden has the dignity of the northern style and the exquisiteness of the southern style. Maybe I could come back on a weekday to absorb the scenery.

In the middle of the lake is Qiong Island linked by two old bridges. The island has a hill with several temples and shrines, and an imposing white Tibetan-style dagoba on top. From the top, you could see the entire Forbidden City and other old structures in the vicinity. Sadly, the weather did not cooperate with us. Since it was foggy, visibility was low.

We walked several hundred meters towards the north gate of the park to get to Sichahai for a rickshaw tour of the hutongs. I was there last year but it was in the evening. So I was not able to appreciate the hutong tour that much. Hutongs are the alleyways which typified old Beijing.

Outside the palace, princes, civil servants, wealthy merchants and other common folk lived in these hutongs. There are just a few of them left as many of them were bulldozed to give way to new developments. But the Beijing government put a stop to the demolition and preserved a large part of the hutongs close to the Forbidden City as a reminder of life before. Sooner or later, cities realize that preserving heritage is vital for their growth and development. And I hope local officials in the Philippines realize it sooner while there is still something left to preserve.

One of the places we visited was the 300-year old Beijing courtyard style home of the Qi family (5 QianGan Hutong), which is one of a few well-preserved private courtyards open to the public (RMB20). One could see the development of the city’s hutongs by visiting these all-gray homes which are still in use. It amazes me how local and foreign tourists visited these alleyways in droves. And residents charge for entrance into their traditional homes. Imagine this happening in old Manila districts such as (Hidalgo Street) Quiapo, San Nicolas and San Miguel.

While in Sichahai, don’t forget to check out Yandai Byway to shop for souvenirs such as Mao memorabilia, silk and traditional clothing, tea (although prices are outrageous), Chinese cultural items, as well as the usual tourist stuff like magnets, key chains, trinkets, etc.

I didn’t buy anything since I wanted to reserve all my shopping towards the end of the seminar. But make sure you bargain hard since they overprice the items beyond comprehension. Don’t think an amount is too low because if you turn away, they might just say yes. I asked the price of a Buddha image and they said RMB260. I didn’t budge. Their asking price went lower but not that much. I said RMB50 and they laughed. When I left, they ran after me and said “Ok, ok, RMB50!” But I said I’m no longer interested and I’ll think about it. Who knows, I could have gone lower.

From Sichahai, we walked towards the Drum and Bell Towers. I had seen these towers last year but in the evening. So I wanted to see them up close while the sun was still out. From there, we walked towards the subway station and took a train back to our hotel in the northeastern area of Beijing, just in time for dinner.

Related articles
Finding heritage value
Three years after Unesco's World Heritage Center released a scathing report on the country's poor management of its cultural sites, boom-time China is starting to realize that preserving archaeological finds can be more lucrative than developing shopping malls.

Technorati Tags: beijing, china, forbidden city, hutongs, unesco, heritage, architecture, travel, travel blog

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Aug 04 2007

Back in Beijing

I can't believe I'm back in Beijing in less than a year! I'm attending the Seminar on Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage for Asian and African Countries organized by the China National Institute of Cultural Property (CNICP) from August 1 to 15. However, I arrived a day late because of the GMA event last August 1.

I was hoping to see more ASEAN countries here but it's just me and the two delegates from Myanmar. There are some from the former Soviet Union such as Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan, as well as Nepal (South Asia) and Mongolia (East Asia). But most of the delegates are from Africa. There are also some Arab delegates attending another seminar.

As always, we're being served several courses for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And at the rate I'm going, I might gain more weight. Sigh! Most of our time will be in sessions at the CNICP. But on weekends, the group will go on educational trips.

Today, I was back at the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall of China, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Good thing they brought us to those I have not yet seen. Last year, I was at Zhao Ling and the Great Wall section at Badaling. This time, we visited Ding Ling, the mausoleum of the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Yijun and his two empresses. It was completed in 1590. We got to visit it's underground palace (burial chamber) since this was the first of the thirteen tombs to be excavated (only three have been unearthed to date). There was a museum built near the entrance which features all the treasures they found in the underground palace.

We had lunch in the bus before proceeding to Juyongguan Pass which is the section of the Great Wall nearest to Beijing. What is unique about this section are its fortified gates.

Since it looked like it was going to rain (and it did), I decided not to go to far up. I was able to explore the walls on both sides of the gate. In front of the gate, I was also able to get on a camel for a photo. We got back at the hotel at about 4 p.m. which gave us two hours to rest before dinner was served. Tomorrow, I will be back in the Forbidden City. More photos is Multiply.

Technorati Tags: beijing, china, great wall, ming tombs, unesco, heritage, architecture, travel, travel blog

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Jul 29 2007

Boac and its architectural heritage

This is day two of my Marinduque trip. We were planning to visit the Tres Reyes Islands which we saw from Mount Malindig. But we were just too tired and spent most of the morning resting. After lunch at the beach house, we went to the Boac town proper to check out the church.

It was a pleasant surprise as we got down the jeep to discover that Boac still has a sizeable collection of architectural heritage. I really didn't expect to see the town virtually intact, so many heritage houses and buildings! Although you could see that progress is fast setting in.

If controlled properly, Boac can become a great heritage town. The heritage district can be a showcase for the municipality and province and a potential tourist attraction if the heritage structures are protected, new buildings and development in the heritage district are controlled and regulated, and heritage structures properly restored.

Heritage ordinances have successfully been enacted by LGUs such as the City of San Fernando, Pampanga; Dagupan City, Pangasinan; the Province of Pangasinan; and Vigan, Ilocos Sur. These legislative measures prevent the demolition or improper renovation of heritage structures which are cultural treasures and the pride of the community. If the local government knew how to play its cards right, it would preserve the historic core so that it would become a major tourism attraction for Marinduque. I hope they realize that sooner or later.

We went up the hill to the Boac Cathedral. The exterior is still intact. But not for long because as I write, they are plastering the buttresses with cement! The interior was covered with bricks and it's obvious it isn't the original. But at least the retablos are still intact. Boac would be such a waste if people there are not educated as to how important it is to restore heritage properly.

We also got to see some morion masks in the shops. They aren't cheap though, about PHP4,500 per mask. From Boac, we took a jeep to Balanacan Port in Mogpog for the 4 p.m. ferry back to Lucena. We decided to stay at the rear end of the ferry so that we could enjoy the view. We arrived at the port three hours later and boarded a JAM Liner back to Manila.

Technorati Tags: Technorati Tags: mogpog, boac, marinduque, philippines, beach, travel, travel blog, heritage

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Jul 25 2007

Bring back the good old days at the Met

I've been gathering information about conservation projects all over the country for a report I will be presenting at a seminar next week. So I passed by the Metropolitan Theatre, which I believe is the most prominent heritage structure currently undergoing restoration. Yes folks, they're restoring the Met!

I was toured around by Archt. Richard Bautista of the NCCA. Indeed, the interiors and exteriors will make you go loco over Deco! For more information on the project, check out the article which I posted as a comment below. Calling all Met alumni, I think a fund-raising reunion concert is in order. What do you think?

I also checked out the Arroceros Forest Park. Well, it does not look like a forest anymore. How sad it was to see a concrete covered forest no thanks to Atienza. It's now the Arroceros Concrete Paver Park with matching building at the entrance. Indeed, Atienza deserves the tag "Butcher of Arroceros" for the travesty he committed.

Anyway, since the park is along the banks of the Pasig River, you could see two bridges namely the Quezon Bridge and the Ayala Bridge (its precursor, the Puente de Convalecencia, was said to be have been designed by Gustave Eiffel). More photos in Multiply.

Technorati Tags: manila, metro manila, philippines, heritage, conservation, historical sites, architecture, art deco, travel, travel blog

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Jul 22 2007

Heritage updates from Manila

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Jul 12 2007

DPWH stupidity strikes again!

Remember that unfinished bridge the DPWH built in Loboc, Bohol (picture below) which was discontinued since it was going to hit a national cultural treasure, the Loboc Church and Belfry? Well, DPWH's lack of common sense is at it again. And this inutile agency will be damaging another national cultural treasure, the Lazi Church and Convent in Lazi, Siquijor.

According to the NCCA, the Lazi Church, which features wide wooden floorboards and coral stone walls, was built in 1857 by the Augustinian Recollects. It occupies two town blocks with a road separating the church and its large convent. And the DPWH is raising the said road by more than a meter! How stupid can they get? It's totally absurd given that the church, convent and the road which runs in between them are 30 meters above sea level.

Faisal Alih sent us this alarming picture. He notes that vehicles can no longer enter the convent grounds. He also pointed out that people will have a hard time walking between the two structures. The idiots in the DPWH reasoned out that they will build steps down anyway, but that's beside the point since the features of the place will be destroyed.

Jun Galang adds, "The important question is, are there floodings on the road that is the reason behind the construction? If there aren't, then the church will be endangered since water will flow from the street to the church compound, increasing humidity." He adds, "If the road runs in betwen the church and convent, the resulting elevation will ruin the harmony of the complex!"

It's time to move again! Mind you, it's the same DPWH regional office which built that stupid bridge in Loboc, Bohol, tried to demolish the centuries-old houses in Baclayon, Bohol and destroyed the Spanish and American colonial bridges in Alegria, Cebu. Let's all write or call the DPWH:

Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr.
Secretary
ebdane.jun@dpwh.gov.ph
(02) 3043221

Jerome M. dela Rosa
Director, Region VII
Region VII District Office
(032) 2348014

If the public was able to stop the construction of the bridge in Loboc, Bohol and the demolition of ancestral homes in Baclayon, Bohol; I'm sure we can also prevent the completion of this brazen disregard for heritage and utter lack of common sense which the DPWH is doing in Lazi, Siquijor.

Loco Loco Over Deco!
Shanghai... New York... Bombay... Miami... Rio de Janeiro... Manila... separated by oceans, continents, and time lines, what do these cities have in common?

Not much, except all cities are a treasure-trove of Art-Deco architecture! Come and take an arm-chair journey down the roaring 20's as we explore Manila's rich Art-Deco heritage! It's all about the age of speed, jazz, boogie-woogie and the American colonial experiment in the Philippines, do swing by and join us as we gather together and go loco over Deco!

Speaker: Ivan Man Dy
When: July 19, 2007 Thursday 6:00 PM
Where: Ortigas Foundation Library
For more information please call 6311231 local 222 (look for Aileen Matic) or e-mail ortigasfoundation@ortigas.com.ph

Technorati Tags: lazi, siquijor, loboc, bohol, philippines, heritage, conservation, architecture, travel, travel blog

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Jul 05 2007

Around Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

This trip had been in the works since I purchased my Cebu Pacific PHP1 tickets. It's day 1 of my birthday trip to Palawan. The last time I was in Puerto Princesa was in 1997, exactly ten years ago. At the Manila Domestic Airport Terminal (I hope they replace this ageing airport soon), the line for the flight to Puerto Princesa was quite long already. Then I noticed an Express Counter for passengers without check-in luggage. I usually travel with my backpack only and it was just now that I noticed that counter. Anyway, there was no line so I got my boarding pass easily.

When I arrived in Puerto Princesa, I was picked up at the airport by the staff of Puerto Pension. I had asked the help of the DOT Regional Office to help me find a decent budget hotel. And from the list they sent me, I decided to stay there since they were the cheapest on the list, had airport transfers, free breakfast, and accepted credit cards. When I arrived in the hotel, I found out they also booked tours for you. So I decided to join the City Tour (PHP600) in the afternoon, the Honda Bay Island-hopping Tour (PHP1000) the next day, and the Underground River Tour (PHP1300) on Saturday. Lunch was included in the last two tours.

The van passed by for me at 1:30 p.m. The group first passed by the Plaza Cuartel and the Immaculate Conception Cathedral before proceeding to the Palawan Museum. The exhibits were what one would expect from a provincial government museum. I hope they get rid of these boring ways of presenting important artifacts by investing in world-class exhibits such as that of the National Museum in Manila. From there, we proceeded to the Butterfly Garden, a great place to view butterflies up close.

After a short walk inside, we were off to the Crocodile Farming Institute, now the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center since the place not only conserved crocodile species. Displayed in the main lobby of the center is the skeleton of the longest crocodile ever caught in Palawan, about six meters, although a nine-meter croc had been spotted after it fed on a child but was not caught. When this croc died, they opened up its stomach and found the remains of a person inside confirming what had previously been known. We also walked around tanks of baby crocs which the center breeds for leather production. At the back is a mini-zoo which features some species endemic to Palawan.

Next on the list was the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, the only prison in the country without walls, where inmates are rehabilitated through productive and money-making activities such as farming and handicraft-making.

Opened in 1904, this was among the first major projects of the American colonizers in the island of Palawan. They had been looking for a place to exile “unwanted” persons that included prisoners and lepers. And both groups were sent to Palawan, the latter being sent to the Culion Leper Colony.

We made a brief stopover at Mitra Ranch, the home of former Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr. which has been opened to visitors, before making our way back to the downtown area. But we stopped by this place called Baker’s Hill which is known for its breads and hopia.

In the town proper, I bought some souvenirs in the market. Then it was dinner with my tour group in the highly-recommended, by-reservation only Ka Lui Restaurant. In fact, we could not get a booking earlier than 8:30 p.m. You can ask your hotel to book for you.

Our city tour group clicked especially since we found out we had booked the same tours for the next two days. Thanks to Rolly & Gigi Padilla from San Francisco, CA for the dinner. It was a coincidence that Linda is an avid reader of my blog. So she insisted that she treat me out. Thanks again! And to the rest of the gang, Em de Guzman, Rommel Cruz, and Richard & Agnes Cordero, thanks for the company!

Back to Ka Lui, I did not expect what I saw. It was a very cozy place, full of paintings, décor and other artsy stuff. The whole place was almost made of bamboo. Customers had to take off their shoes at the entrance and walked barefoot in the restaurant. It was an all-seafood menu which included shrimps halabos, seafood sisig, kilawin, and crabs, eel or sting ray in coco cream among many others. Among their cool shakes are CocoBanana and Mango Pomelo. Although I’m a meat person, I enjoyed the seafood sisig and stuffed squid.

We enjoyed the place so much, we stayed until it closed at 11 p.m. There are more photos in my Multiply.

Technorati Tags: puerto princesa, palawan, philippines, beach, travel, travel blog, food, heritage, historical sites, crocodile, butterfly

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Jun 30 2007

Halo-halo Bandung!

I finally arrived in Bandung after an eight hour train ride from Yogyakarta. If Yogya is the cradle of Javanese culture, Bandung is said to be the cradle of Sundanese culture. The weather was a bit cooler since Indonesia's fourth largest city is 2,520 feet above sea level. And because it's closer to the equator, average temperatures don't vary much from a low of 22.9 C in July to a high of 24.2 C in May. The city is known for its large collection of Dutch colonial and tropical Art Deco structures. And thus, I decided to take a walk around Bandung even just for a few hours to check them out.

So from the Bandung Train Station, itself an Art Deco structure, I walked towards Jalan Asia Afrika where many of the buildings could be found. Since it was still early, I waited at the steps of the Gedung Merdeka for the Museum of the Asian-African Conference to open.

The museum chronicles the events of the 1955 conference which has been Bandung's claim to fame. Twenty-nine young (and old) nations from Asia and Africa met in order to build solidarity with the continuous fall of colonialism. I was able to see the hall where the conference was held. There are two rows of flags, the first with those of the 29 countries which participated in the 1955 conference; and the second, the countries of Asia and Africa during the 50th anniversary in 2005, obviously a much larger group since most countries in the region gained their independence after 1955. One thing it chronicled as well was the change in the blue field of the Philippine flag which was much lighter in 1955.

Close to the Gedung Merdeka is another Art Deco gem of Bandung, the Savoy Homann Hotel, its new design completed in 1938.

After about four hours in Bandung, I decided to make my way back to the train station for my trip back to Jakarta. I had been told that the views along the way would be refreshing. And I was not disappointed. They also had rice terraces. And the thing I liked about the rice terraces there was the houses blended well with their surroundings since they all had clay tile roofs. I hope they cover the galvanized iron roofs in Banaue and other Cordillera towns with cogon grass or nipa so that they don't look like eyesores amidst our grander and more majestic rice terraces.

Bandung is also known for its shopping. But I didn't get a chance to shop. Maybe next time. It's best if you shop with friends and many locals say Bandung is a group destination. And if you're wondering about the title, "Halo-halo Bandung" is a popular revolutionary song which was inspired by the 1946 Bandung Lautan Api (Bandung Sea of Fire) where the residents and combatants, as a sign of defiance to the Dutch who demanded the surrender of the Indonesians, deliberately burned the southern part of the city. More photos in Multiply.

Technorati Tags: bandung, west java, indonesia, travel, travel blog, art deco, heritage

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Jun 07 2007

Yogyakarta, cradle of Javanese culture

I arrived in Yogyakarta early in the morning of June 5. The train station was a heritage building, as it is with most of the major train stations in Java. My batchmates in Jakarta had made arrangements for Dimas, a PY in 2004, to meet me at the station. Since I was starving after that long trip, he took me to this Nasi Gudeg place for breakfast.

As with most Central Javanese dishes, Nasi Gudeg was a bit sweet. It’s actually a complex dish composed of several component dishes. I appreciated it more after I visited their kitchen, learning about the overnight cooking process. The first component dish, duck eggs are first hard-boiled, then shelled, then re-boiled again with different ingredients and spices until it reaches a dark brown color. Another component is the chicken dish. They were also grating coconuts and chopping some young jackfruit at the back for another dish. There was also a tofu and cow skin dish. The last component was white rice. They prepared large servings beginning the night before for sales the next day.

We met up with Happy, a PY in 2005, and proceeded to the Kraton, the historic palace complex of the Sultan. Yogyakarta is actually a special region in Indonesia since its top officials are not elected. Rather, the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta and Prince of Pakualaman are governor and vice-governor respectively. This resulted from a statement by the rulers of both principalities during the declaration of Indonesian independence that the Sultanate of Yogyakarta and Regency of Pakualaman would be part of Indonesia. There have been issues though, with the Indonesian central government failing to honor the agreement in 1988. But to make the long story short, the current sultan is also governor of Yogya.

Among the places we visited were the coronation hall and a part of the main palace. You could see the servants of the sultan in traditional Javanese attire walking around the palace barefoot since they are not allowed to put on footwear. And male servants have a kris knife tucked behind them.

In one of the halls, there was a gamelan performance. It was lucky there was one that day since they don’t perform every day. In another hall was a museum dedicated to the life of the previous sultan, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, who even became vice-president of Indonesia from 1973 to 1978. After the touring the palace, I took a bus to Borobudur.

I arrived back in Yogya late afternoon June 6, after visiting Borobudur and Prambanan. I first looked for a place to stay for the night in the Jalan Sosrowijayan area where most of the budget hotels can be located; then took a stroll around the Jalan Marlioboro area to do some souvenir shopping. I got myself a pair of wayang golek (puppets) and masks among others.

Then for dinner, I went to one of the warungs which appear along Marlioboro every evening. You sit on woven mats while eating dinner. One of the favorites is the ayam goreng (fried chicken) which they say is marinated in coconut milk. I also had lalap (fresh vegetables) and sambal (chili) to accompany the dish.

The next morning, after purchasing my ticket to Bandung at the train station, I took a walk around Yogya. First stop was Vredeburg Fort which is located in an area of fine colonial buildings. The fort was built by the Dutch in 1765 to protect the governor. From Vredeburg, I walked to the Kraton then to Taman Sari or the Water Castle, a pleasure place for the royal family, with bathing pools where the sultan relaxed with a bevy of beautiful women. It was quite a walk and the hotel was a bit far. So I decided to take a becak (rickshaw) back to the hotel.

In the afternoon, I took a one-hour train to Solo which cost me Rp7,000. It was a big risk since I might miss my train to Bandung, but I had wanted to visit the Sangiran Early Man Site, which is the third UNESCO site in Central Java. From the Solobalapan Station, I took a becak to the Solo Bus Station. My plan was to take a Purowadadi-bound bus and get off at the junction to Sangiran. But good thing I asked for some advice at the tourist information counter.

They offered that I take an ojek (motorcycle) straight to Sangiran for Rp35,000 (US$4) which sounded expensive at first. But they explained that the bus would cost Rp5,000 one-way and when I got down at the junction, I’d have to haggle with an ojek for the four-kilometer trip to the museum which could amount to Rp15,000 or even more since I was a foreigner. Add the time factor and uncertainty since the bus was slower and finding an ojek to take me to the museum might have been a hassle. So this turned out to be a good deal.

Few people actually visit the place because there’s nothing much to see except a few fossils and replicas of Java Man skulls. In fact, I was the only visitor at the museum that day. But for a UNESCO World Heritage addict like me, it was a must visit. I was back in Solo earlier than expected which meant I would be early in Yogya and had a lot of time to spare before boarding the train to Bandung.

More photos in 2007-06-06 Yogyakarta, Indonesia and 2007-06-07 Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Technorati Tags: yogyakarta, solo, sangiran, central java, indonesia, travel, travel blog, heritage, unesco, java man

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Jun 06 2007

The Hindu temples of Prambanan

Prambanan, another UNESCO World Heritage site in Central Java, is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia. To get to Prambanan from Borobudur, I had to take a bus to the main bus terminal of Yogya, the Umbulharjo Bus Terminal, and transfer to a Solo-bound bus, getting off at the gates of the temple. I spent Rp3,000 for the trip to Prambanan from Yogya. You could easily finish the park in half a day which is composed of the main temple, Candi Rara Jonggrang (which is what most refer to when they say Prambanan), and three others namely Candi Lumbung, Candi Bubrah and Candi Sewu.

There are 224 temples in the Prambanan complex, which is named after the village where it is located. Three are main temples namely Brahma Temple in the north, Vishnu Temple in the south, and the biggest among the three which lies between Brahma and Vishnu temples, is the 47-meter high Shiva Temple.

Characterized by tall and pointed architecture typical of Hindu temples, the main temple incurred significant damage during the 2006 earthquake which hit Yoyga which is why it was fenced out and you could only view it from a safe distance.

Candi Sewu on the other hand, is actually a Buddhist temple and the second largest in Central Java after Borobudur. The fact that the Hindu Rara Jonggrang Temple and Buddhist Sewu Temple were built 800 meters apart indicated that Hindus and Buddhists lived in harmony with each other. The Sewu Temple complex has 249 temples, consisting of one main temple, eight apit temples and 240 perwara temples. The main temple forms a polygon of 20 corners with a diameter of 29 meters and a height of 30 meters.

After a late lunch at a warung along the road, I waited for a bus back to the Umbulharjo Terminal in Yogya and took bus no. 4 to the Jalan Marlioboro area.

Technorati Tags: yogyakarta, central java, indonesia, travel, travel blog, heritage, unesco, prambanan

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Jun 06 2007

Sunrise on top of Borobudur

When I arrived in Jakarta, the city had several greeting arches which read "Hari Raya Waisak." It was obviously a big festival. Little did I know that it was a holiday the day before I arrived. Although majority of its citizens are Muslim, Indonesia also declares holidays on important Christian, Hindu, Chinese and Buddhist days.

June 1st this year was Waisak in Indonesia, a festival which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and demise of Buddha. The celebrations center around the largest man-made structure in the Southern Hemisphere, the Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Central Java.

After a nine-hour train ride from Jakarta, I arrived in Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogjakarta) at about 6 a.m. I'll write more about Yoyga when I get back and continue exploring this Javanese city. But I'll go fast forward and talk about my surreal experience in Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Friends in Manila had tipped me that there was a hotel within the grounds of the park itself and that by staying there, I would be able to explore the temple long before the crowds were allowed in. So after doing some research, I finally found the Manohara Hotel's contact numbers and asked my friends in Jakarta to book a room for me. It was good that the Waisak was over since that meant rooms would be easily available.

I took a one-hour bus from the Jombor Bus Station to Borobudur which cost me Rp10,000 (US$1.15). The good thing about booking in Manohara was that the entrance to the park was free for two days. That meant close to Rp200,000 (US$24) in savings since foreigners paid hefty amounts to enter. All I had to say at the gate was that I was booked at Manohara and my reservation number.