Shoot First Eat Later

Cirque Du Soleil’s Zaia at The Venetian Macao

When Cirque Du Soleil’s traveling show, Verakai, came to Manila last July I didn’t watch it because I just saw Zaia at The Venetian Hotel Macao last April.

lobby of the theater

I liked the groovy tunnel leading to the main theater.

I bought the tickets online in Manila and simply picked it up at the box office just before the show. I got very good seats.

ZAIA is the most dazzling show ever staged in Asia. This brand new 90-minute mega-production brings together 75 high-calibre artists from all four corners of the globe.

ZAIA is the dream of a young girl who journeys into space on a strange, yet familiar voyage of self-discovery. As she travels, she encounters the beauty of humanity and eventually brings it back with her to share with the inhabitants of earth.

ZAIA presents a young girl’s perception of the stars and planets, space and infinity, all populated by a panoply of fantastic, literally out-of-this-world creatures. The title, ZAIA, comes from a Greek name meaning “life” and is also reminiscent of “Gaia,” the living, self-aware, spirit of earth.
ZAIA is a show that highlights dance, movement and aerial acrobatics, soaring to the farthest reaches of space and human beauty.

from Zaia

The advantage of sitting so near the stage were the pre-show entertainers who got really close and of course the proximity to the stage made you feel like you were almost part of the show.

This clown was right beside me!

Photography was allowed as long as there was no flash. I used my Panasonic GF1 with 20mm lens with a F1.7 aperture.

Choreography I – City Scape

Hand to Hand

Skating

Lions Dance

Juggling

I played around with my camera’s settings and got these amazing shots of the light emitted by the objects being juggle around.

Flying Trapeze

Handbalancing

Another favorite of mine was the frenetic fire dance.

Choreography III – Fire Dance

The show ended with the Trampoline act.

Trampoline

The whole cast came out for a last bow and were treated to a loud applause from the appreciative audience. 90 minutes went by so fast.

It was an amazing show! I ❤ Zaia!

Zaia at The Venetian Macao
Click here to buy tickets

TICKET PRICE AND SEATING
Category Adult Child*
VIP Seating MOP$1288 MOP$1288
Reserve A MOP$788 MOP$394
Reserve B MOP$588 MOP$294
Reserve C MOP$388 MOP$194
*Child prices apply to children ages 2 to 11

BOOK BY PHONE:
Hong Kong : (852) 6333 6660
Macau : (853) 2882 8818
China toll free: 4001 20 6618

BOOK IN PERSON:
ZAIA Theater Box Office
Cotai Strip Cotai Arena Box Office
Sands Lobby Box Office

The Venetian Macao – Verona Suite

Last April during our Holy Week hiatus to Hong Kong, we made an overnight trip to Macao and stayed in our favorite hotel, The Venetian Macao.

This time we to the Cotai Jet which went directly to the Cotai Strip where The Venetian was located. This saved us a 30 minute bus ride had we taken the ferry to the main Taipa island.

There was a longer walk from the ferry to the airport than at the other ferry.

All immigration counters were filled with long lines of tourists.

The free bus transfer to the hotel was just outside the airport. The bus dropped us off at the main lobby unlike before where we got off the west lobby.

Thanks to technology no one had to lie on their backs to paint these ceilings. The wonders of large format printing are amazing!

reception

While waiting for our room to be ready we went to the fast food area to have some lunch. I took pictures of the restaurants which you can see here.

I looked at the menu offerings of all the restaurants to find something I could eat for my Cohen diet. After two rounds I finally decided the ‘healthiest’ choice was the grilled beef bulgogi from this Korean restaurant.

An order of beef bulgogi with a bowl of rice, soup and kimchi costs HK$98.

Luckily the order taker and the chef were Filipinos so I requested to skip the rice, soup and kimchi and just give me more spinach. So this is what my plate looked like.

beef bulgogi

I dutifully weighed my meat and veggie portions which I placed on the two bowls on the left. The rest went to a doggie bag and served as my dinner that night as well as two more meals in Hong Kong. That’s how much beef was in one order of Bulgogi.

That’s what you call outrageous food portions! I guess that’s the secret to the Cohen diet as well as other diets. Eat the right portion of food and not everything on the plate served to you. We all know the food portions in American restaurants are easily triple of what one should eat.

Finally we get to see our room. The last time we went to The Venetian we stayed in the Bella Suite which was their basic suite at 70 sq. meters. It was huge by industry standards and it had 2 queen beds and a sunken living room.

This time I wanted to try the Verona suite which was much bigger at 145 sq. meters and cost only HK$500 more than the Bella Suite. This was the only place I’ll ever get to stay in a suite since the rates in Macau are much lower than say, Hong Kong where an ordinary room in a 4 star hotel will cost more than this suite.

the entrance

powder room just off the entrance

the spacious closet with thick cotton & terry robes

There were two queen beds, a dining table, a living room, 2 televisions and an outdoor lounging area.

the first tv right in front of the two beds

the comfy living room with another tv

I tried lounging outside but it was too hot. I’d rather lounge in the comfort of a cool room.

The main bathroom was just beside the living room, behind the full wet bar.

This area was my favorite part of the big room.

I took advantage of the Nespresso machine by having coffee three times a day.

This was the reason I finally bought my own Nespresso Pixie.

I discovered my love of espresso!

Nothing is simple in this room.

I loved our stay in The Venetian Hotel’s Verona suite. I can’t stay in another suite. In my dreams!! I’m too cheap ;p.

Dieting in Hong Kong

The title of my post sounds like an oxymoron. How can one possibly diet in one of the best food capitals in the world. Well I did. Sadly and with lots and lots of willpower.

I was fortunate to stay in an apartment where I cooked all my meals and only ate out twice in the whole week I was in Hong Kong. I kept telling myself that I’ve eaten all the food in Hong Kong before and one day I will get to eat at my favorite restaurants again. I had to repeat that mantra over and over again. I can’t imagine doing this diet if I stayed in a hotel.

The first thing I did when I arrived in Hong Kong was to go to Marketplace by Jasons supermarket where they had a fantastic international selection of fresh meat, veggies and my precious Cohen allowed crisp bread that isn’t available in Manila.

I bought oil in a can, fat free yogurt for breakfast and Arnott’s Vita-Weat crisp bread which I really, really like. I brought several boxes back to Manila.

I know I’m not supposed to buy ready made ground beef but this Australian minced beef looked really lean. Let me tell you this made one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten in my life. I wasn’t able to take a picture of the burger I cooked but I simply formed a patty, put salt and pepper on the outside and cooked it in a teflon pan without oil. The flavor of the beef was outstanding! It tasted like a really good prime rib. I can’t wait to buy this beef again. This pack made 2 1/2 burgers.

Australian minced beef

I also bought this package of a serving of lean beef.

Australian lean beef
Australian lean beef

You can see from the picture below how lean it was. Totally no marbling in the steak. By the way, all the plates I used were Corelle’s smallest bread plate. This way my plate looked full and my meals looked plenty.

I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper and quickly pan fried it. I topped it with sautéed portobello mushrooms. Uggghhh the steak was so tough. I’ll never buy this cut again. Beef definitely needs some fat.

Steak with Mushroom Sauce

I also bought fresh trimmed chicken breast fillets which I weighed and packed into portion sizes.

Delicious and simple.

Seared Chicken Breast with Bok Choy

I also found a nearby Turkish restaurant called Istanbul Kebab where I bought some food.

I bought one order of grilled chicken donner salad. The salad was dressed with lemon juice, a little drizzle of olive oil and some salt. I didn’t use any of the yummy garlic sauce.

Istanbul Kebab Chicken Donner Salad

An order was good enough for two meals after I weighed the food! I’m definitely buying this again.

My meals pretty much looked like these for the duration of the week. Unbelievably I managed to lose weight in Hong Kong. While you read this I’m in Hong Kong. I hope I have the same willpower as I did back in April when I was just starting my diet. Wish me luck!!!

Philippine Airlines Dinner Mnl-Hkg-Mnl April 2011

Last April I went to Hong Kong to spend Holy Week there. It was also my first encounter with airplane food while on the Cohen diet. The timing of this post couldn’t be more perfect because today I’m on my way back to Hong Kong. And this time it’s breakfast that will challenge my diet.

Philippine Airlines did a really good job by having 6 of Manila’s best chefs create some meals for us to enjoy.

Philippine Airlines Pinoy Chef Brigade

dinner menu

I chose the tenderloin for dinner since it was a lean cut of meat. I just didn’t eat the prawns since I can’t mix proteins.

I came prepared with a small plastic container of cooked bok choy. The flight attendant was nice enough to transfer it to a plate and heat it up for me. So goodbye bread plate!

The beef was incredibly tender and flavorful even without gravy. The cheddar bacon croquette looked so, so tempting!

tenderloin & prawns

I tried the truffle bernaise sauce and just loved it with the steak. Bad of me to cheat. Bad, bad, bad!

truffle bernaise sauce

I did eat the mango slices for dessert. I was lucky that I had something good and suitable to choose from.

I wasn’t so lucky with the dinner options on the flight back to Manila.

It’s a good thing that they serve oil and vinegar and pesto instead of butter.

I didn’t bring any veggies this time so I ate the cucumber only.

pork satay with cucumber achara

Even though cod and macadamia nuts weren’t allowed on my diet this seemed like the least evil choice. It tasted heavenly! The fish was perfectly cooked despite it’s thickness. I savored the macadamia nut crust and the delicious sun dried tomato sauce.

macadamia & herb crusted cod

As soon as I finished my fish I had them take away my tray so I will not succumb to the temptation to eat the chocolate raspberry cake.

raspberry cake

As usual the meals on Philippine Airlines didn’t disappoint me. I hope they keep up the quality of the food on board.

Dinner at Tourné by Chef Sandralyn Hataway

It was Jin’s turn to treat us after our first dinner at Myron’s. A discount coupon and my need to find a restaurant that served healthy food brought us to Tourné at The Fort Strip.

Tourné was the first restaurant you will see when you enter the parking lot of The Fort Strip.

If you want to know what Tourné means read Lori’s excellent description. I’m too lazy to write about it.

Chef Sandralyn Hataway and her sous chefs

We all liked the unique tofu chips served with salsa. It was a welcome change from the usual carb loaded bread. It’s a good thing the salads came out already or else we would have asked for a third round.

tofu chips w/ salsa

Jin had the salad with strawberries, Malagos blue goat cheese, jicama and mixed greens tossed in fruity vinaigrette with crispy pinipig.

California Inspired Summer Salad P228

Fran ordered the house salad made with crusted goat cheese, mixed greens, candied Bicol pili nuts, pickled sweet onions and cherry tomatoes in honey & balsamic vinaigrette.

They were quietly eating their salads and the next thing I saw the plates were wiped clean. I guess that meant they were happy and satisfied with their salad.

Tourne House Salad P228

Fran chose the chicken fajita grilled pizza with kesong puti. She loved it. I tried a small piece of the chicken and there was a strong flavor of cilantro. Since Jin and I couldn’t stand cilantro we didn’t like the pizza very much.

Chicken Fajita Grilled Pizza P198

moi, Jin and Franny

This dish wasn’t on the menu. Chef Sandralyn specially prepared it for Jin’s upcoming party for her dad’s birthday. Jin loved the flavors of the chicken but didn’t enjoy the tough chicken breast. She had it replaced with chicken thigh for the party and I heard it was a big hit.

Spiced Chicken Breast with Orange Rice Pilaf

I tried a bit of Fran’s pili encrusted tilapia and I didn’t really taste the pili. Fran loved, loved, loved the garlic mashed potatoes.

Pili Encrusted Tilapia P270

If you are on the Cohen diet or any other diet then you have to eat at Tourné. I discussed my food restrictions with Chef Sandralyn and she weighed my chicken and veggies to my exact portion. Wasn’t that fabulous of her?

My dinner was based on her Southern Airline Chicken with cornbread stuffing. I was really, really sad not to eat my favorite cornbread stuffing and since I rarely see that on the menus in Manila.

Stuffing became raw veggies. She served me raw baby bok choy. I never knew you could eat it raw. It was a bitter and peppery similar to arugula. Even without the skin my chicken tasted good but like Jin’s it was also dry and a bit tough. Chef Sandralyn explained that it was because free range chicken get a lot of exercise that’s why it’s leaner.

Southern Airline Chicken (Cohenized) P298

The highlight of our dinner were all the delicious desserts. This simple chiffon cake topped and stuffed with uber sweet pineapple from Ormoc and chantilly cream was just heavenly The cake was so moist from all the juices of the pineapple. Yes I cheated and took a teeny weeny bite.

Pineapple Cloud

The pili pie was Chef Sandralyn’s take on the American favorite pecan pie which was never my favorite. But her use of pili totally changed my opinion. The strong and distinct flavors of the pili gave the perfect balance to the sweet filling. They should keep this on the menu forever and ever. Well, until they run out of pili nuts sourced straight from Bicol. Obviously I tried it too.

Pili Pie P108

The chef took pity on me and brought out a mango for my dessert. Yummy!!!! (I can’t believe those two ate my mango after they demolished the two desserts! hmmmph ;p)

Fresh Mango

I just had to post the pretty picture of the tiramisu even though it was a disaster and the chef has banished it from her menu. I’ve never had a tiramisu with warm coffee before. And there was more than enough coffee to drink too.

Roaster Juan’s Tiramisu P90

The coffee was specially blended just for Tourné by Roaster Juan. It was good but I prefer a bolder brew.

Roaster Juan’s Tourne Blend Coffee P90

After dinner we spent a lot of time chatting with the super friendly Chef Sandralyn. I asked her a simple question, “what is flank steak in Filipino?” She quickly got out her thick training book and showed me the different cuts of beef from a cow.

Alas, she told me that the cut known as flank steak doesn’t exist in the Philippines. I wonder why the butchers and markets in the Philippines have their own unique cuts with strange names. It makes it hard to follow international recipes that call for flank, chuck or tri-tip.

I will definitely give this restaurant another chance since I want to try out the their new menu which changes every two weeks. It’s really hard to find a restaurant in Manila that will cater to my specific food requirements. And I can’t wait to try what Chef Sandralyn will prepare for me next.

Tourné by Frannywanny
Tourné by Jin Loves to Eat

Tourné by Chef Sandralyn Hataway
Unit 5 and 6, The Fort Strip,
7th Ave. cor. 26th St.,
Bonifacio Global City
telephone: 555-0267

Batanes Overview

Goodbye Batanes! Isn’t the airport prettty?

After checking in we had lots of time before our flight. We visited the souvenir store located just outside the airport. They open at 6:00 am.

We had dinner at Pension Ivatan the night before and we promised to come back for breakfast. It was very convenient too since it was located just across the airport. As in walk out of the gate of the airport and cross the street and you’re at Pension Ivatan.

map of Batanes

The owner said we had to try their special sizzling pancit (egg noodles). My friends said it was pretty good but nothing spectacular. The sizzling plate was a good gimmick though.

sizzling pancit

While everybody ate yummy carbs I ate my sad egg with sauteed shimeji mushrooms which I brought all the way from Manila and was cooked by Pension Ivatan.

fried egg with shimeji mushrooms

The owner let us try a local Ivatan dessert called glorious gabi which was boiled taro topped with a sweet sauce. I hate taro so I didn’t bother trying it.

glorious gabi

A last look at beautiful Batanes from the plane.

Just look at the long and winding coastline.

Pretty clouds

Isn’t this beautiful? The sky and clouds looked just like the waters of Batanes.

In contrast check out Manila’s super dense landscape.

Can anyone tell me what this building is? From above it resembles the Banawe Rice Terraces.

I already miss the wide open hills of Batanes.

For anyone planning a trip to Batanes, here are some tips and links to help you out.

How to get there?
The only airline that flies to Batanes is SEAIR. Because they have the monopoly on this route be prepared for flight delays or cancellations. There are only two flights a day and very few seats on the small plane. The fare is very expensive too at P15,327.00 (as of July 2011) for a round trip flight.

When to go?
March to May is the summer months. It’s usually hot and dry but when we went last April it was windy and quite pleasant for a couple of days. June to October is the rainy season but I heard everything is more beautiful then. November to February brings super windy and cool weather.

Where to stay?
There are several small inns to stay at. For P1,000 ($24) a night per person I recommend staying at Batanes Resort, a government owned “resort”. It was very basic and clean enough. It also had my basic requirements like air conditioning, hot water in the shower even candles for the occasional power outage. The best thing was the view of the sea and the very spacious property and public spaces.

If you want the best view, best rooms and best food the only option is to stay at Fundacion Pacita. But be prepared to pay from P4,860 to P11,700 ($100-273) for a room. You really get what you pay for.

For a cheaper option you can also rent a room at a traditional house called home stays. When my friend Raymond goes to Batanes he stays at Babat’s residence you can book it through Helen Aberilla +63921-718-2290. A room costs only P250 per night with no air conditioning, just a fan. If no one else rents the other 2 bedrooms then you’ll have the whole 2 story house to yourself. The caveat is there is only one working bathroom in the house.

How to see the best of Batanes?
In my opinion the best way to see Batanes is to hire a tour guide and a van. Our tour guide Chris was recommended to us by a friend. I think 4 days and 3 nights was enough to see the most important parts of Batanes.

You can contact Ivatanya c/o Chris at:
Cellphone: +63999-553-2804
Email: bcta_chris@yahoo.com / ccivatanya@yahoo.com

Ivatanya’s 4 days & 3 night package w/o lodging:
Included are tours of Batan and Sabtand islands, full board meals, transportation, tour guide, tour fees, boat & airport transfers.
3 pax – P7,200 per head ($167)
4-5 pax – P6,200 per head ($145)
6 and up – P5,200 per head ($121)

Another option is hiring a jeepney to take you around. My friend Raymond suggested the guy he uses whenever he goes to Batanes. He can drive you around Batan (main island) at the rate of P2,000 per 8 hours. Make to book Alvin’s services in advance. There are only a few jeepneys for hire in Batan island and believe it or not there is color coding there.

Alvin Lizardo +63909-990-7782 (jeepney for hire)

For single travelers I saw some tourists being ferried around the back of a motorcycle.

How much did our trip cost?
We spent an average of P14,000 per person for 4 days and 3 nights including airfare, lodging and tours. We saved on airfare due to the promotion of SEAIR at a recent travel fair. There were 5 adults and 3 kids in our group so our cost for the tour package was lower.

Where to eat?
The food in Batanes is fresh and simple. Definitely not gourmet. The best meal we had was at Fundacion Pacita and the Ivatan platter at Pension Ivatan is not to be missed. If you don’t call ahead and order the food most meals will take at least 30-45 minutes to be served. Roadside carinderias (small eateries) will provide fast and cheap meals. You must try the coconut crab and lonyes/lunies/lunis (Ivatan fried pork).

What to wear?
Your best bet are shorts or lightweight pants, cotton shirts and a light windbreaker. I suggest wearing a sturdy pair of waterproof sandals that will take you from trekking on slippery hills to riding on a falowa (banca). I don’t advice wearing flip flops. They’re too unstable for the uneven hills.

What to bring?

Lots of cash! They don’t accept credit cards in Batanes.

Bring your best digital camera and extra memory cards. You will definitely take hundreds of pictures. A video camera is also a good option.

Sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen are definitely a must. I got sunburn on my neck and upper back from sitting for a thirty minutes at the Chawa view deck.

Insect repellant to ward off the giant bug assortment in Batanes.

Tips on going to Sabtang Island:

Sit at the front or back of the falowa (banca) to avoid the noxious fumes from the diesel engine.

Take Bonamine an hour before the boat ride to avoid seasickness.

Wear a windbreaker to protect yourself against the waves.

Pack your gear in a dry bag or big plastic bag to keep your expensive camera and bags dry.

Make sure there is a return trip. Sometimes they have to cancel a trip back to Batan island due to bad weather. You may have to stay overnight in Sabtang island. It would be wise to pack a change of clothing too.

Links to all my Batanes posts

Day 1 – Tukon church, Basco Pagasa Station, Japanese Tunnel, Valugan Bay, Sto. Domingo Church

Vayang Rolling Hills, Naidi Hills, Basco Lighthouse

Day 2 – Sabtang Island

Honesty Coffee Shop, Falowa ride, San Vicente Port, San Vicente Ferrer Church, Savidug Stone Houses

Chamantad, Chavayan, Nakabuang Beach

Day 3 – Different Lodgings, Chawa View Deck, San Carlos Borromeo Church, Oldest Lighthouse

Fundacion Pacita

Marlboro Country, Imnajbu, House of Dakay, Spanish Bridge, Pension Ivatan Dinner

Now that’s you’ve seen my pictures and entries about Batanes and I’ve shared all the tips I remembered what are you waiting for? Start planning your own trip to see the Philippines’ own bet against Scotland and New Zealand.

Batanes Day 3 Part 3 – Marlboro Country, Imnajbu, Dinner at Pension Ivatan

My favorite place in Batanes was Racuh a Payaman, more commonly known as Marlboro Country.

As soon as we walked on top of the wide and flat hill top I wanted to run around with my arms spread out and sing, “The hills are alive…..”

Marlboro Country

Of course nobody wanted to hear me sing so we did the jumping shot instead.

These pictures can’t relay the wonderment I felt while on top of that hill. I felt like a small speck on earth.

Remember the cigarette commercial with a cowboy on a horse? That’s how this place got the name Marlboro country.

I thought those were pineapples but Chris, our tour guide, said it was a native fruit called uhangu.

Uhangu fruit is eaten by coconut crabs.

uhangu

Next we drove to Imnajbu country.

Imnajbu

I loved the natural rock formations on the water. It looked like works of art.

I patiently waited for a wave of water to crash on top of the small rock ledge.

Our van stopped at the exact spot to see what seemed like a big split in the rock. We actually drove through those rocks.

Imnajbu road bend

Are you lost, little ones?

We also went to the most photographed house and resident in Batanes. The House of Dakay was built using limestone in 1887 making it the oldest house in Batanes. It was one of the 5 structures that survived the earthquake in September 13, 1918 which almost wiped out the the town of Ivana. This house has been declared a UNESCO heritage building.

House of Dakay, the oldest stone house in Batanes

The owner of the house, Florestida Estrella or lola Ida as she is fondly called, is also the oldest woman in Batanes. She’s is now 85 years old.

Lola Ida (picture c/o Wilson)

At the back of her house was another building where they cook.

We drove by the Spanish bridge or Tuhel Bridge the oldest bridge in Batanes that is still being used to this day.

Spanish Bridge

souvenir shop

While we shopped for souvenirs our tour guide Chris waited for us in this public shed. He said there were several sheds like this in town. People use it as a respite from heat and rain.

public shed

For dinner we went to Pension Ivatan to try their popular platter of local delicacies. This is a “must eat” when in Batanes.

Pension Ivatan

We didn’t think we could finish this huge platter. There were 5 adults and 3 kids in our group.

Ivatan platter – P1,550

Uvud balls were made from grated banana trunk and mixed with fish, pork or beef. Not our favorite. Next to the balls were atchara (pickled green papaya), bagoong (salted shrimp paste) and tomatoes.

uvud balls

I loved the coconut crab and tender grilled squid.

coconut crab & squid

That’s lonyes or fried pork Ivatan style on the lower left corner. Yum!

lonyes

lobster

The vunes or dried gabi stalk was interesting to say the least. We liked the grilled dibang or flying fish. And there’s the turmeric rice or supas.

dibang and vunes

Ivatan platter- before

We did a good job! Bow.

after

It was an experience trying all Batanes specialty dishes all in one huge platter. At that time we really didn’t know what we were eating except for the fresh seafood. I’m glad we tried this famous platter.

Pension Ivatan menu

The gracious owner convinced us to go back for breakfast to try their famous sizzling pancit. And we did!

What a fab way to end our trip in Batanes.

Batanes Day 3 Part 2 – Lunch at Fundacion Pacita

If you are going to Batanes and money is no object then the only place to stay is at Fundacion Pacita.

We walked around the area before going to the actual nature lodge. The landscaping was top notch.

Even the office was picture perfect and so quaint.

These are the statues of the parents of internationally acclaimed artist, Pacita Abad and Butch Abad, the current Secretary of Budget and Management.<a cricru="" href="http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Department_of_Budget_and_Management" http:="" photos="" title="Department of Budget and Management

This was the private residences of the Abad family and off limits to nosy tourists like us.

It’s gorgeous from any angle.

If your room doesn’t have it’s own private terrace you can sit here to enjoy the cool breeze and take in the rolling hills.

Upon entering we stopped to read the story of Pacita Abad.

One of her artworks.

The place looked like really nice country lodge.

Art works by well known and up and coming artists were displayed all over the common areas.

We didn’t stay here but Jennifer’s friend was able to arrange for us to have lunch there. Normally the restaurant is for the hotel’s guests only.

Two terrace suites flanked the dining room. This room was occupied so I was able to take pictures through the glass door.

Terrace Suite, Main

The occupants of this room were delayed that’s why they allowed us to go in and snap dozens of pictures.

The room wasn’t big but the furnishings made you feel like you were a guest in a friend’s home instead of a hotel with cookie cutter rooms.

Terrace Suite, Main

The bathroom was small but very clean and the fixtures were modern.

The best part was the terrace which was almost as large as the room. I can imagine having breakfast here or relaxing after a whole day of touring just sitting and enjoying the sunset.

Who wouldn’t want to wake up to this view?

I think this was the Family Suite, Mountain View.

The first dish was their version kinilaw called lataven, raw fish mixed with minced ginger and onions, calamansi juice,
hot pepper and blanched with boiling fish broth.

lataven

I’m not allowed to eat carbs on my diet but I couldn’t resist eating these super sweet sweet potatoes.

boiled sweet potatoes

coconut crab

The crab roe was plentiful and extremely rich and yummy.

Now this was good lonyes or Ivatan fried pork. Unlike the rock hard lonyes we had at Batanes Resort. The pork was soft, vinegary and really good with the sweet potatoes. We wanted to order more but the kitchen prepared only just enough for us. They didn’t expect such big appetites!

lonyes

The steamed fish was really fresh and perfectly cooked.

steamed fish

I didn’t expect dessert and I gave in and thoroughly enjoyed the tart, thin and slightly crisp calamansi squares.

calamansi squares

We didn’t mind paying extra for good coffee. It was just perfect with dessert.

Thanks for lunch Captain Castaneda!!! It was our best meal for the entire trip. That’s another excellent reason to stay at Fundacion Pacita.

NOT my plate

You have to book early if you want to stay here. There are only a few rooms and you will want to choose ones with the best views. Rates start at P4,860 to P11,700 for the bigger suites that can accommodate up to five people.

Goodbye Fundacion Pacita. I hope to see you again one day.

Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge
Brgy. Chanarian-Tukon
Basco, Batanes
Philippines

Manila Address:
Room 308, Philippine Social Science Center Bldg.,
Commonwealth Ave, Quezon City
Contact Number.: +639272902404

Email: myla.pisig@fundacionpacita.ph

Batanes Day 3 Part 1 – Chawa View Deck and Mahatao

Day 3 in Batanes brought even more spectacular views. This was my favorite day. I took so many pictures that I have to split this day’s shots into three entries.

No more boat rides! We spent the day driving around Basco.

We drove by the other places where you can stay in Batanes. We didn’t get to see the interiors though. But after seeing all these lodging we all agreed that we made the right choice of staying in Batanes Resort. We loved the big property and individual cottages and of course the view of the water.

Shanendels

Ivatan Lodge

Batanes Seaside

Pension Ivatan

DDD Habitat

We drove to the Capitol where our tour guide, Chris, had a surprise for us.

Batanes Provincial Capitol

This wasn’t part of the itinerary but he thought we would enjoy the Kulay Festival, an annual event held by the local government to promote eco-tourism and sustainable environment.

Kulay Festival

There were street dancers and floats but what we enjoyed most was the open market selling all kinds of local delicacies, fruits, vegetables and even meat.

sweet rice cakes

We had to buy fried sweet potatoes again! They put much less sugar than the Manila version.

camote q

The simply boiled sweet potatoes tasted even better. They were so much sweeter than those in Manila.

boiled sweet potato

Next was the long and winding drive to Chawa View Deck in Mahatao.

Due to so many blind corners there were plenty of signs with “Blow Ur Horn” painted on rocks. This was exactly how it was written decades ago, long before cellphones and text lingo. They were ahead of their time. ☺

The view from the Chawa view deck was amazing. But when I saw all those stairs I knew my sore knees wouldn’t forgive me. So I didn’t go down.

I did the next best thing. I sent my camera with Vivian and she took the next 7 pictures. Great shots Viv! Although there were far too many pictures of her family. Ha ha.

The water in that small area is a different color. Pretty.

We stopped the van along the way and took this picture.

The next stop was Mahatao town proper where the San Carlos Borromeo church was. This church was completed in 1789 and has been declared by the National Historical Institute as a Heritage Site.

San Carlos Borromeo Church, Mahatao, Batanes

You can see the limestone used on the church’s steps.

Most of the churches we went to in Batanes had beautifully maintained gardens.

Right at the edge of the garden was the oldest and smallest lighthouse in Batanes.

oldest and smallest lighthouse

Another lamp was across the street in the backyard of a house. Lamps were placed in both lighthouses and the fishermen would head towards the middle of the lights.

Wilson is wearing the best souvenir from Batanes.

Another beach not being used for swimming. I wonder why there isn’t a beach resort in Batanes when everywhere we go there are beaches and the whole island is surrounded by water.

Watch out for part 2.

Batanes Day 2 Part 2 – Sabtang Island Conclusion

There is no shortage of beautiful sceneries in Sabtang island and the best was at Chamantad.

We walked down the hill all the way to the edge. Well I took a shortcut and almost slid down all the way. Luckily I got my balance and was able to put on the brakes.

Yes, I made it up there all by myself. I wish I wore sneakers instead of my crocs sandals.

Wherever I turn I see so much beauty. I took hundreds of pictures in Sabtang and it was really hard to pare it down to just these shots.

Uggghhh I almost died on the climb up. Pant, pant, pant….

Next stop was the small village of Chavayan.

The stone houses here were more preserved than those at Savidug.

We had a snack of fresh coconut water and camote q (sweet potato fried and coated with caramel)

camote q

After drinking the coconut water we had the coconut split open. We were given a piece of coconut shell to scoop out the super tender and young coconut meat.

We met Marcelo Hostallero who at 104 yrs. old was the oldest man in Batanes. He doesn’t look over 80. He still has excellent hearing and eyesight and still weaves fish nets to this day. He said he has never been to a hospital. I wonder what is his secret?

(picture c/o Wilson)

These houses were occupied by the residents of village.

I caught a boy happily swinging on his hammock.

This was the interior of the thatched hut where I took a nap.

En route to our last stop we stopped the van just to take more pictures of this beach.

Our last stop was Nakabuang Beach where we had lunch inside this structure.

This was a breadfruit leaf or locally known as kabaya. It’s commonly used as a plate liner in Batanes.

The soup was really oily and of an unknown origin. (imho)

pork adobo

sauteed veggies

Finally we got to eat really fresh lobster and coconut crab. The only problem was there wasn’t enough for 5 adults and 3 kids. At least we got to try the coconut crab. We determined that there wasn’t really anything special about it. Somehow we still preferred the crabs in Manila.

We did enjoy the super thick and meaty fish.

Spanish mackarel

This was my lunch. I actually brought raw bok choy from Manila which they cooked for me. All for my diet. Sigh.

Dessert was sweet sticky rice.

Our lunch for 5 adults and 3 kids cost P1,800. Not bad for a meal with lobster and coconut crab.

Nakabuang beach is known as “white beach”. This was one of the few beaches where you can actually swim. Too bad none of us brought swim wear.

Nakabuang Beach

The natural arc formed by rocks was a popular attraction at this beach.

(picture c/o Wilson)

After lunch and a short rest we were ready to go back to Batan island.

A guy waiting for ride had these live coconut crabs that he tried to sell to us. I read that coconut crabs are a threatened species in the Philippines thus buying or possessing them are illegal.

Coconut Crabs

Sabtang Lighthouse

This time I made sure to sit at the front area of the falowa and thankfully the water was very calm. Our trip back home was so much better.

Except for the nauseating falowa (banca) ride we really enjoyed seeing the stone houses, beaches and hills in Sabtang island.