EKxhilaratingly Fun at Enchanted Kingdom

Working in a BPO/Call Center Industry can sometimes bring its toll and you just want to quit your job, find another call center company and end on the same position where you were before. Different company but same old shit they say. This is the reason why call center companies provide different perks to motivate their employees to work harder and stay with them not only for a couple of years but if possible until their retirement. One of the perks you'll get when working for a BPO company is becoming a part of one of the team buildings.

We had this major event-an all expense paid account team building in Enchanted Kingdom. Enchanted Kingdom is the biggest themed and amusement park in the country. From easy breezy to extreme rides, EK will definitely let the magic stay with you in the years to come or maybe for ever.

How to reach EK: two tour buses were hired for the day going to EK but if one is to commute, you can reach it by public bus or there is an EK shuttle from Makati going to Laguna. The park's entrance fee is Php550 which allows you to enjoy and enter almost all attractions and rides. Foodstops, chains, establishments abound the park that you'll never complain of getting famished. Just make sure to bring enough cash for the prices are a bit higher compared to regular store prices.

You can check their official website for further details: www.enchantedkingdom.ph

I've been an employee in the company I've been working for the past 2 years and I can say Im fortunate enough to have been in the account Im with. Salary? Not much. However, incentives are good and although work seems routinely and plain boring, it's easy, no stress and less work. But it's either I stay here or go chase my dreams.

P.S. Checking one of the items in my bucket-list.

Baguio

I had been idle for months and my feet was extremely itchy wanting to hop on the next bus ride to nowhere. So when I saw this commercial on TV about the Panagbenga festival in Baguio, I

enthusiastically chattered about it to my roommates. After hours of trying to convince them, we headed to the Summer Capital of the Philippines the next night with no thorough knowledge about the city except for the obvious fact that it's cold and that they grow strawberries there.

After a very quick preparation, we headed to Pasay Terminal and took the 10:30pm trip for Php455 per person. That approx 7hours trip had only two stops for eat-and-pee-break and most of it had been utilized to wander off dreamland. Kennon Road had made it impossible for me to elude motion sickness but gladly I was able to hold it off.

It was Dawn. It was Baguio. It was freezing. 

When we arrived at 5:30am it was extremely cold due to the location of the city and the oncoming drizzle and light rain. The long trip had given us backaches and we were so darn tired to argue and haggle. So when this somebody came to us and offered a supposedly nice place to stay, we took the offer, regretted it but eventually looked on the brighter side and decided to just enjoy the stay at King's Court Pension House since we're just going to use the room for sleeping anyway. Well, for  Php1500/room (good for 4 persons) I guess it wasn't pretty bad. Aside from the burned out light bulb  (was changed at 2pm after a tiring yet fun city tour), the room offers a nice view at night of the glowing city lights. The restroom was clean and provided hot and cold shower. 

What to Do in Baguio

Do like any visitor would normally do when new in the city. Visit tourist spots!

Burnham Park

Burnham Park has a man-made lake where one can rent a boat for Php150/30minutes. You can have the option to let someone paddle for you or you can do the paddling yourself. 

Play dress-up with this Igorot costumes for Php10/shot while you're at the Park.

If you have plenty of time, you can rent a bike for Php40/hour and burn those excess calories. 

Mines View Park

View from the top of Mines View Park

Aside from admiring the beautiful view at Mines View Park, your eyes can also feast on the souvenirs and pasalubongs being sold which are super cheap. When at the Park, don't forget to have your picture taken riding on a horse or together with one of the St. Bernards.

Si Vice Ganda daw to. Take a pic for Php10/shot.

This scene was simply breathtaking when I took the picture. Sorry for the bad resolution, I only had my camera phone to use for all the shots. :-)

Wright Park

If you want to try horseback riding for Php200/30 minutes then the best place to go would be Wright Park. There are also plenty of vendors there who sell souvenirs na super swak sa budget!

Across Wright Park is The Mansion, the official summer home of the President. All you can do here is take a picture and going beyond the fence is off limits. 

We were able to tour most of the tourist spots in Baguio for half a day which meant that we had plenty of time to just sit back, relax and take everything all in-that we were truly there in Baguio. The next day, we headed to La Trinidad to pick fresh strawberries straight from the farms of Ibaloi farmers. 

 La Trinidad, Benguet

Yes, Php300/1kilo is expensive compared to the already picked strawberries sold at the markets but the experience of picking the strawberries right from their farms is incomparable especially for those like me who don't have strawberry farms. 

Where to Eat

There are a lot of places in Baguio where you can eat and yes it's true that most of the food there are way cheaper compared to Manila.

Eat at Sizzling Plate, Session Road. Cozy ambience, great food and excellent customer service. Prizes for full meals start around Php100+

Still at Session Road, Solibao offers delicious Filipino dishes in huge servings at a reasonable price. Great for group eat-outs. For this, we paid Php400+ and I'm telling you, we're so full we can barely walk after.

The Pizza Volante branch just across Wright park let's you enjoy the cool outdoors while eating their yummy and very affordable pizzas.

We enjoyed our 2days/1night Baguio trip because everything fell into place even without us planning. If you would ask me if I want to go back there? Definitely! I even want to stay there for quite some time.  I hope you will enjoy your trip to Baguio as well :-)

The Ultimate Experience at Manila Ocean Park

Hearing about mountains, oceans, animals, and forests wakes the nature-lover inside of me. I find solitude everytime I see pristine white sand beaches or see the moss-covered earth of the forest, hear the splash of the waves or running water, chirping of birds or whatever sound animals make. Being with nature makes me see how beautiful our world is and lets me appreciate the simplicity of life. Manila is such a busy, complicated and polluted place to be and visiting Manila Ocean Park is a breathe of fresh air.

Manila Ocean Park is for the whole  family and people who love to be with the sea and animals. Some of the attractions may be pretty expensive for some but the worth of each attraction depends on every person's interests, likes and level of satisfaction.

When I first heard about Manila Ocean Park, I was really at awe and envied my friends when I saw their pictures taken with the famous oceanarium as the backdrop. Visiting this ocean-themed park is on top of my list when I started living here in the Metro. So when there was a cheap promo for Manila Ocean park tickets at work, I never hesitated to get one for myself. For an Ultimate adventure (Oceanarium, Trails to Antartica, Fish Spa, Jellies, The Marine Life Show, Musical Fountain Show), I only paid Php600 which was a total steal!  The ticket for Oceanarium alone is Php400 if you pay it at one  of the park's booths and just imagine how much I saved by getting that cheap ticket at the office.

The Attractions

Oceanarium. Want to know the different fish species  and life under the sea? The Oceanarium is the best place to be.

Different sea creatures.

 Personal experience rating: 2 out of 5. 2 because I was expecting a better experience and better interior. The tunnel-like aquarium would be an excellent backdrop if your purpose of going there is to take pictures but when it comes to activities, hmnn, not that much. I was expecting that it's going to be a long tunneled aquarium but it's not. Aside from reading a little info and seeing the schools and varieties of fish swim, the other thing that you can do is camwhore.

Trails to Antartica. Offers the slide-o-fun which will let you experience a bit of thrill while sitting on a tire as it slides down the sloped and iced pathway. 

At snow village with Mr. Snowman.

 Other than the slide-o-fun, you will also see cute little penguins inside an aquarium. In addition, Trails to Antartica offers the Snow Village where you get to experience Antartica inside a room with subzero temperature. 

Marine Life Show. Meeting the entertaining sea lions is one of my most memorable experience when I visited Manila Ocean Park. They're adorable and highly-trained sea creatures that you cant help but become amazed at how fascinating they were. 

A kiss from a sea prince.

Jellies. Is where you can see different species of Jelly fishes. The mirrored walls, soothing sound and changing aquarium lights create a stunningly beautiful ambience perfect for those who want to get away from the mob of the park.

Fish Spa. After walking to and from inside Manila Ocean Park, it's nice to have your feet pampered for a while. Fish spa is the best place to be where you dip your feet on water full of nibbling schools of fish. Tickling at first but eventually you'll get used to it and will definitely love the sensation it brings. After a 10minute foot spa, your feet will feel relaxed and less tired. 

Musical Fountain Show. It showcases a jaw-dropping presentation of lights and fountains plus a theatrical presentation of artists wearing sea creatures costume. Thanks to the storm, we weren't able to get decent pictures yet at the same time, the lashing wind and rain made the musical fountain show our ultimate experience finale when we visited the Manila Ocean Park.

A random picture from Google

Had to wear this raincoats during the duration of the show.

My visit at the Manila Ocean Park is definitely an unforgettable experience. 

Ormoc City

   I vaguely remember the city of Ormoc because I only stayed there less than 12 hours. We took the route via Ormoc going to Tacloban and we didnt let the chance pass us by so we took some pictures. I can only remember the taste of their famous burger though (Mayong's) as we were told. Hahahahah!! I hope I can revisit Ormoc to discover the hidden paradise. 

   If you're in Cebu, you can ride a fastcraft at the North Reclamation port heading for Ormoc City. The trip would take around an hour and fare would cost around a thousand+ bucks. 

Ormoc Catholic Church is fairly new with it's marble facade and gold-leafed tableau inside.

Delicious burger wrapped...

and as I told you so.

 Ormoc City's Superdome. Superb indeed! This superdome is facing Ormoc Bay.

Guerilla Warfare Forces Monument is a colorful monument dedicated to the guerillas during the war. Situated near the Veterans Monument in front of Ormoc City Superdome.

Rides in Ormoc City are tricycles. There's still a lot to see around Ormoc. I am looking forward to revisiting this wonderful City.

General Santos City: Overview of my Home Sweet Hometown

General Santos City or known as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines is my hometown. It is called Tuna Capital because of the Tuna Industry in the City. Shortly known as Gensan, it is also the home of the famous boxer Manny Pacquiao. Nowadays it is also called as Home of the Champ because of this.

People from the Luzon and Visayas islands are quite scared and hesitant to go to Gensan because of the bombing cases years ago and thinking that Gensan is an unsafe place. Well, I am still alive and kicking right now. We are all a magnet of accidents and trouble. Anywhere can be unsafe unless there is constant vigilance.

There are a lot of ways to reach GenSan. Via plane, bus, ship/boat, you choose. Common transportations in the city are tricycles, public jeepneys, trisikad (a mini version of tricycles which are only allowed to travel within subdivisions and barangays), and habal-habal (motorcycles). There are a few taxis but with unfixed fares.

Photos below are taken downtown, General Santos City's Park (July 23, 2010). I chose to take some shots of the park because it is found at the heart of the city and the most well-known landmark in GenSan.

The renovated and improved Plaza Heneral Santos was unveiled to the public September 4, 2009.

 Pathway. At the end is the City Hall.

Statue of General Paulino Santos Sr.

Unlike before, the park is now adorned with ornamental plants, well-arranged trees and pretty landscapes.

Pioneer Avenue facing the General Santos City's Park. From here, you can see tricycles,and habal-habal.

Gensan is a lovely booming smalltown with neighboring cities such as Koronadal and Davao. Since Gensan is my hometown, I will show more posts about this city in the future (the benefit of having your own blog-biased, LOL!).

Tip:Airfare

The only time I got to ride a plane was everytime I go home (vice versa). The first time was free because I was relocated by the company I was working for and the airline was Philippine Airlines (PAL). I got the chance to ride the same airline again and during that time, I was really not satisfied with the fare I paid for because it was expensive. Believe me you wouldn't want that especially if you're on a tight budget.

These tips I will give out are probably common knowledge already for those who love flying but for the benefit of the first timers and for those who are on a limited budget, I'll give some tips that might be helpful based on my experiences.

1.First things first, keep always in mind that airfare doesnt come cheap. Better put this in mind so as not to get disappointed.

2. Book flights ahead of time. If you know your schedules already, better book flights earlier. The earlier, the cheaper the fare, that's always the situation.

3. Fares don't come cheap especially during peak season (like holidays) because airline companies believe that passengers' will have no choice but to get those flights because of the occassion. Remember that airlines do take advantage of the peak seasons. So this tip will sort of lead you back to tip#2. Book flights ahead of time.

4. Go for promo fares. Here in the Philippines there are some local airlines that always have promo fares say for example Cebu Pacific. Few of my flights are promo fares. You can save 25%-75% of your fare. The trick here is to get updated always by subscribing to these companies like emails or follow them through your social networking sites or check their websites from time to time.

5. Be a light packer. If possible don't bring a lot of stuffs, just the important ones. Excess baggage is quite expensive when you're at the airport already. You might be shocked that you paid more to your excess bagage than your airfare.

6. Check your options. Don't just settle to one airline. You can have a seat reserved within 3 days to a week depending on the airline company without paying them. Once reserved, you could check other airlines if how much are their airfares and from there, you compare the prices.

7. Comfort and safety. Of course, no matter how cheap the price is, if you're safety and comfort is at risk, it would be useless. These are what matters. I suggest that you check out comments and forums regarding each airline of your choice so that you'll know a little of what to expect when you ride their planes.

Happy flying!

Bohol

Our thorough planning has finally paid off when Bohol trip came into reality. For two days and one night we were able to complete a day tour and visit Balicasag and Virgin Islands. That was quite an achievement in a short period of time however it was sort of "bitin" because it was like a whirlwind trip.

We searched everything through the web from expensive to cheap deals. We hired a van from Cherry's Home and toured us around the famous landmarks in Bohol. It was a good idea because it's not easy to find a public transportation around the city especially if the destinations (between tourists spots) are miles away. If my memory serves me right, I think the van was Php1000-2000 good for 10 persons depending on the season and negotiation. Airport/pier transfers are inclusive. 

We stayed at Cherry's Home, Panglao and paid Php3500 for the room (airconditioned and good for 6persons/one night) including bathroom, TV, ref and the use of the pool. You could check Cherry's Home website for more details.

Blood Compact. Nothing really unusual because it's just a statue but if you know something about it's history you will appreciate looking at these stone gentlemen. You will also appreciate this place because it is overlooking the blue sparkling sea, still worth the visit!

Baclayon Church. You are not allowed to wear short shorts (if there's such a term), skimpy dress, sleeveless and the sort when you're inside the church. If you're wearing one, they will only allow you to enter if you wrap yourself with one of their clothes. There is an entrance fee of Php25.

Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta). Camera flashes are not allowed when taking a shot of these nocturnal cuties. Hands off as well. They are considered one of the endangered species.

Man made forest. The place is covered with trees and steep low slopes. It's quite cool when you're in the vicinity obviously because of the presence of the trees and vegetation. 

Loboc River. The first thing that comes to my mind is food everytime I think about Loboc River. We paid Php 400 per person for a ride at the floating restaurant. It includes an eat-all-you-can food (appetizer, main course, dessert, softdrink) and a local musician will serenade you while cruising the murky river.  

Chocolate Hills. The famous and controversial hills due to its unusual geological formation and can only be found in Bohol. It was one heck of a climb just to see the whole Chocolate Hills.

Panglao. Explore the white sand beaches of Panglao. Although the place is booming already and a few restaurants and hotels have opened along the shores of Panglao, there's still that rural aura in the area. You can find posh and cheap hotels in Panglao. Again, the van that we hired took us here then we just walked from the Cherry's Home to the beach.

Balicasag Island. We need to ride a pumpboat (Php1500) to reach the Island (would also take you to Virgin Island). Snorkeling gears are free but it would be better if you bring your own. We also heard that dolphins and whales are to be seen in the vicinity of the Island if you come early.

Whoah! Virgin Island. From the name itself, it's really virgin. No inhabitants just a few toursits.

From Cebu, we rode a fastcraft since it's much cheaper than plane and there's no plane promo fares during that time. It will take you an hour or two to get to Bohol from Cebu. Since Ocean Jet Liner had an ongoing promo that time, we only paid one way for a back-and-forth trip. Tip, don't forget to check for promo fares.

Bohol is a good place to visit because there are a lot of tourist destinations. Your expenses and efforts will all get paid when you see it's scenic beauty. Bohol is great for the nature lovers, beach bums, extremes sports enthusiasts and divers out there.

More photos?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xymyr23/sets/72157624443699833/