Wednesday, April 30, 2014

P365 TE Day 120

Djembe (African Drum) Maker in Abidjan



Travel Bite: The Djembe is a rope-tuned skin covered goblet drum played with your hands, originating from West Africa. If you have space, this is a cool souvenir to bring home for the kids. Don't worry, they don't just come in huge sizes. You can also find smaller ones. I brought home one for Sofia.

Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Date Photo Taken: August 2010


P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 29: 119
P365 TE Running Points: 359 out of 360 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

P365 TE Day 119

CAVA Market in Abidjan



Travel Bite: The best place to buy Central African Souvenirs from Cote d'Ivoire is the CAVA Market. The have a huge selection of wooden artifacts, and lots of African Masks, paintings and the like. Bargaining is expected.


Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Date Photo Taken: August 2010


P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 28: 118
P365 TE Running Points: 356 out of 357 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Chalkboard Signs around Europe via Dubai

I love creative and interesting Chalkboard signs. I just take pictures when they catch my attention.  Here are the ones that I came across in London, Florence and Paris (and yes, Dubai too)


LONDON

Spotted in a charming toy store off Portobello Rd.
Popcorn Shop on Blenheim Crescent
Spotted in Old Spitalfields Market
Simple but I can relate


FLORENCE
They don't seem to be big on Chalkboard signs in Florence

Chalkboards seem to serve the same
purpose as a bulletin board.
Even at Nerbone (best Panino Bollito in Firenze!) they just cover up the
menu with the new Prices.


PARIS

In Paris, it's Chalkboard Menu everywhere!
This is at the take out counter of L'avant Comptoir.
In Bistrot Paul Bert, the fixed Price lunch menu is
on a chalkboard.
They bring the chalkboard to you when you're ready to order.
It's also a big deal to show where the food
your eating is from.
Super Market Chalkboard from around the
Montmarte area.
Witty Easter Sunday Message in front of Holybelly Cafe.
Their menu (on the chalkboard) changes monthly, they also say where
the food is from, and they have an arcade game where you get something
if you beat the high score.
The barista at Holybelly Cafe who did not get
any chocolate. Hahaha.


DUBAI

Le Pain Quotidien at the airport


There you have it folks! Hope I can travel and capture more interesting Chalkboards for this blog. just saying.

Monday, April 28, 2014

P365 TE Day 118

Beautiful Port in Honfleur



Travel Bite: Honfleur is on the banks of the Seine and is also part of the Calvados, in the Basse-Normandy Region in Northwest France. It's known for its' beautiful old port.

Honfleur is less than half an hour from Deauville, so it's best to make a day trip of visiting these two beautiful places. Bus shuttles are available from one place to the other, while both places have train stations that can take you directly to Paris (around 2 hours travel time).

Location: Honfleur, France
Date Photo Taken: July 2006


P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 1: 81
P365 TE Running Points: 316 out of 354 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Sunday, April 27, 2014

P365 TE Day 117

Promenade des Planches in Deauville



Travel Bite: Deauville is a sea-side town part of Calvados, in the Basse-Normandy Region Northwest of France. It's where the French High Society have summer homes, and also where the Deauville American Film Festival was held.  

Deauville is beautiful and is easily accessible by train from Paris. Travel time is around 2 hours. Best to go on a sunny day so you can enjoy the beach.


Location: Deauville, France
Date Photo Taken: July 2006


P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 1: 81
P365 TE Running Points: 314 out of 351 (as of posting)

You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Saturday, April 26, 2014

My happy experience flying from the Clark Airport (DMIA)

I ended up flying to and from Clark by default, because it was the only flights I could find for the dates I wanted on the Miles Saver Fares (75,000miles to Europe instead of 140,000miles). It turned out to be such a blessing in disguise.

Travel time to Clark from Manila was faster than expected with the newly opened Smart Connect highway that connects Mindanao Avenue to C5. In fact, we got to Clark in less than 2 hours.

Sofia brought me to the airport, and we were able to spend time together doing her favorite things.
We had a McDonald's date
 and we had time to shop for Chocolates and Toys...
We were quite surprised Puregold Duty Free (Clark)
had so many cool toys.

We didn't expect Puregold Duty Free to have such a cool selection of toys.  It really came in handy because I was able to cross out stuff from Sofia’s pasalubong (presents) list.

Sofia had a Php500 budget, but because I was leaving and there was so many cool things, I told her she could buy everything she wanted as long as that already counts as my pasalubong from Europe. Hooray for freed up luggage space!!!

They had an assortment of cool Hasbro U-build games. The games come with lego-like parts that you need to build first before you can start playing. Really good value because it provides double the entertainment for kids!
The classic Connect 4 game with a twist.
It now comes with bumpers and blockers.
We also bought the Monopoly and Mousetrap versions,
but Sofia hasn't opened it yet (we're rationing it to 1 game a week).

Just a side note, I googled Hasbro's U-build games and you can buy them from their website here for US$19.99 with Free Shipping and 50% on your second game. Wheeeee! I didn't realize we got such a good deal. (Sana I bought more... #suckerforasale)

We were also able to buy Bubble Bath.
(another thing on Sofia's Bilin List)
Sofia has memories of buying Matey Bubblebath
from the Unilever Shop in the London office in 2012,
so she wanted me to bring home Bubblebath from London.
1 and 2 - DONE!!! and I haven't even left! 

Even the airport itself is less stressful. Leaving was easy.
Excited to Board.
The plane was new on our way to Dubai, however, on the return flight
the plane was older, but I had 1 row to myself, which works well for me.
My Sweet and Salty Trail Mix came in handy because it took quite
some time before meals were served.

In fact, the Sweet and Salty Trail Mix was so good, I sent the driver to pick up more (for Pasalubong -shhhh!) before he picked me up.

And arriving in Clark was so much better than arriving in Manila, especially after a long holiday. The plane arrived 30 minutes ahead of time. I cleared immigration (where I asked if I needed a form, and I was answered, if you have one ma’am, which I replied I has an old one – which was accepted, but leaving me with the impression that if I didn’t have a form it was okay as well), got my luggage and was on my way home before the estimated arrival time.

Travel time home was two hours again. So all in all, a much better experience that getting stuck in NAIA immigration for hours, and getting stuck in the traffic out of NAIA parking.


Kudos to the Clark Airport efficiency!  I will consider flying out from there again for future holidays. just saying.

P365 TE Day 116

Barceloneta Beach



Travel Bite: My favorite summer city in Europe is Barcelona. I haven't been in years, because I keep visiting Europe in Spring! This is because you can just walk from the La Rambla, the walking street, with market stalls directly to the beach.

Once you hit the water, Port Olympic I think, you can just keep going straight towards the left to explore the beaches.

Bonus Tip: Top-less sunbathers is a normal site. But if you continue walking down the stretch of beach, you'll reach a certain strip that's clothing optional. Just be careful, you can't un-see what you've already seen. Remember, not everyone is eye candy. Hahaha.

Location: Barcelona, Spain
Date Photo Taken: October 2012

P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 25: 115
P365 TE Running Points: 347 out of 348 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Friday, April 25, 2014

P365 TE Day 115

Ippudo Ramen



Travel Bite: One of the best Ramen I've ever tried is Ippudo. I have also tried their branches in Singapore and Japan, and the good thing about them is that the Ramen tastes the same no matter what country you have it in. The bowl pictured above, is from the Osaka branch, walking distance from the Namba Station, where unlimited bean sprouts is one of the side dishes provided.

Bonus Tip: You can actually order extra noodles if you're hungry (or if you're sharing) for a small amount, it's definitely cheaper than ordering 2 bowls. They will also ask you if you like the noodles soft, med or firm.

You can read about my post on Ippudo in Singapore here and Ippudo in Osaka here.


Location: Osaka, Japan
Date Photo Taken: October 2012

P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 25: 115
P365 TE Running Points: 345 out of 345 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Tips for (Women) Traveling Alone

Sometimes the idea of traveling by myself freaks me out (especially when I start thinking about things that could happen to me, but if you really think about it, bad things can happen to you anywhere, so I don't let those thoughts stop me) especially since there are so many reasons traveling alone is so much fun (I'll save that for another day).

So here my my tips if you're planning on travelling alone:

1. Always be careful

Be mindful of your surroundings all the time, even as you snap pics and instagram them.

I don't like crowds, so when I go to crowded places, I don't rush, and I make sure that there's no one in my personal space.

I also keep my valuables close to my body. So normally I have bulging pockets because I have a coin purse with pocket change (I normally carry around 100 usd or euros in my pocket with 1 or 2 credit cards only - more on that later), I also have my camera and my phone either in my hand or in my pocket.  This saves me from keeping on opening my bag - hopefully keeping pickpockets away from it as well, then I carry my bag always in front of me.

If you're walking alone at night,  and you're not sure if someone is following you, just stop somewhere with people, and let the suspected creepy follower overtake you. I really hate it when there's someone behind me, so the other day, instead of overtaking this guy who was walking so slowly,  I just followed him instead.  I think I creeped him out. He may have been using the same strategy as mine.

2. Dress simply to be able to fit in

The last thing you want is to stick out like a sore thumb. I normally dress in basic stuff that I can dress up or dress down at the blink of an eye.

Mirror selfie #ootd
Another mirror selfie #ootd

If the country I am visiting is generally safe, I wear my diamond earrings and my favorite H. Stern Ring. However,  if I am in a crowded touristy place where there are pickpockets waiting to find their next victim, I hide my earrings with my hair, and I turn my ring around so it looks like just a plain band, then I bring out my ratty coin purse (mentioned above) so it looks like all my money is already there. And if I'm carrying my Prada, I just consciously try to carry it with the brand facing me.

Earrings out photo at Le Bistrot Paul Bert
A reservations only restaurant in Paris
My ring when it's turned around looks like a wedding band.
My ring when it's not hidden.

Now, if I enter a store like Prada,  I put my hair up, turn my ring in the right direction, carry my bag right away,  and speak with confidence,  so even when I bring out my credit card from my ratty coin purse,  they don't cringe in front of me. Now, whether or not they judge you behind your back probably will depend on how much you spend in their store.  Hahaha.

3. On dealing with strangers

I have a creepy-person-meter. When my creepy-person-meter is on alert, I never make eye contact with the suspected creepy guy.  If your creepy-person-meter is correct,  they'll normally attempt to talk to you and they'll be pushy too. In situations like this, it's best to just walk away. But if you're stuck, for example,  beside someone in a bus, which totally happened to me in London and in Florence,  just pretend you don't understand a word. Even if it's English.

Here's how it works:
Creep: says something trying to be friendly but only succeeds in looking creepy...
Me: look at something else and shake head
Creep: japon?
Me: still looking at something else and shake head
Creep: chinois? Ni hao?
Me: you know the drill... if he still won't stop, keep shaking your head (remember you don't understand) and look like you'll scream for help.
***I swear, it works, I always do it.

Now,  if the guy is cute and your creepy-person-meter is not working,  then by all means,  smile and flirt.

4. On your valuables

I always keep mine in different locations.  I normally have the bulk of my money locked up together with my passport, then I have several hundreds and some credit cards in my handbag, then I also have what's in my coin purse in my pocket. This way, you don't have all your eggs in one basket.

5. Invest in a local sim card with a data plan

This is extremely helpful. Instead of asking strangers for directions, just Google it! It also comes in handy for checking out restaurant reviews before deciding to eat somewhere.

I never used a paper map. It was google maps all the way. 
Not just any simcard. It's tim card. (Italy Network)
I got a local sim with data plan everywhere I went.

And if you start going bonkers because you absolutely need to tell someone about the good looking restaurant owner guy, your friends are just a message away.

6. Make sure you have an in case of emergency number on you...  knock on wood,  but just in case.

I ordered mytags just before leaving Manila,
But the baller-ID bracelet was just hideous!
I jut replaced it with a leather bracelet from the mercato,
now it's pretty and very wearable

7. The most important tip is bring a good tripod. I just carry around my gorilla-pod so I can perch or hang it anywhere. Then I set my self-timer to 10-shots and I pose with different angles and I don't stop till I get a good picture.

You need 10 shots so you have time to run and pose.
Ready... Set...
Smile!

Hope these tips are helpful. Enjoy yourself because traveling alone is so much fun. Just saying.

P365 TE Day 114

Neighborhood Playground in Brazil



Travel Bite: When in Brazil, you need to dress up (nicely) even if you're just going for a walk in the neighborhood park right beside your hotel so you don't end up sticking out like a sore thumb. The mommies arrive in their completely coordinate "juicy couture-like" attire. 

It's easier for kids, they quickly make friends, start running around with each other, even if they don't speak the same language.


Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Date Photo Taken: October 2011

P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 24: 114
P365 TE Running Points: 342 out of 342 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

P365 TE Day 113

Port of Marseilles



My European Vacation is over, so it's back to the grind for me, but I can still dream...

Travel Bite: Marseilles is the second largest port in France, and is known as the gateway to Provence. I went for a weekend when I lived in France and I loved hanging out at the restaurants and cafes along the old Vieux Port. From here you can see all the way to Notre Dame de la Garde, as pictured above.

From the port, you can easily have a ferry to bring you to one of the many beaches around.

Some bonus trivia: Did you know that Zinedine Zidane is from Marseilles? 

Location: Marseilles, France
Date Photo Taken: March 2013

P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 1: 81
P365 TE Running Points: 306 out of 339 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

P365 TE Day 112

Crepes from Breizh Cafe



Travel Bite: Last year, I went to Paris to eat, and to drink overpriced coffee, and just relax in my favorite city in the world. In my To Eat List, I found some places that I love so much, I absolutely need to go back every time I find an excuse to go to Paris, and the Crepes from Breizh Cafe make that cut.

Pictured above is La Campagnarde, it has cheese, mushrooms, potatoes, creme fraiche, and smoked duck breast.

You can read my post here to read more.

Location: Paris, France
Date Photo Taken: March 2013

P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of April 1: 81
P365 TE Running Points: 304 out of 336 (as of posting)


You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  
Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...