Life’s Ideas

A trip from Canada to the Philippines entails a lot of spending. The fare alone already costs a lot of money. You also need to book your plane ticket way ahead of your trip because you might have a problem with the availability later because Christmas is peak season in the Philippines. This is the reason why balikbayans (returning Filipinos) would always make the most of the trip.

My husband and I are considering a visit to the Philippines before this year ends. Nothing is final yet but it is best to think ahead. Our old folks are still living and it is always a pleasure to have them around. They don’t want to travel so we really have to visit them whenever our budget would allow us to.
To make the most of our trip, we would like to visit local attractions and it’s Palawan this time. It will be our first time there and we are already very excited about it. We are both nature lovers and so Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is a must-see for us. It has always been our wish to be able to visit Palawan even before we left the country but we never had the budget then.

Philippines is a beautiful country with many unique scenic spots. We do not want to be strangers in our own country but travelling is expensive and oftentimes, when we have the money to spend, we don’t have time to go. For most of us, lost time also means lost income. Going on a vacation is a pleasure with a price but also inspires us to do more. This makes us feel better, think better and live better. Going on a vacation need not be expensive. I’m sure there’s always a good place to camp nearby. What’s important is that you take a break once in a while, take time to smell the flowers and appreciate what life has to offer and be grateful for it.

Tags: Palawan, Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Subterranean River, vacation
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It’s the middle of spring and it’s so nice to be outdoors. Since it’s my first spring here in Canada, I feel the need to explore my surroundings. Get to know the neighborhood, the community and the city in general. Going around on foot is alright but you can only cover a small area. I’ve been hiking the Wascana Place and it’s always such a joy.

Suddenly I miss our life in the Philippines. We only had a motorcycle as our service vehicle because we could not afford to buy a car. That’s not the only reason though. Traffic was so bad in Cebu city, where we lived and riding a motorcycle is a great advantage. Traffic does not hinder a motorcycle from going to places. A motorcycle driver can just work his way to the road sides to beat the traffic and best of all, it is so economical.

My husband misses his motorcycle too. We did a lot of joy riding with the motorcycle. He was even considering buying a motorcycle at one time. If we want to push through we know where to go. For those lovers of motorcycles out there, now is a good time to check out the site that sells honda motorcycle parts. Every motorcycle can have a unique personality with their range of products and not just for the motorcycle but for the rider as well.

Tags: CruiserCustomizing, joy riding, motorcycle
Posted in Living and Loving, Shopping and Products, Thinking Out Loud, Travels|Vacations | 4 Comments »

It was our first time in New York. We would only be there for two days and there were so many things to do . We contacted some friends before going there so we could arrange for somebody to meet and guide us with our visit there if possible.

My aunt and uncle sent us off at the Amtrak Station in Washington DC all the way from Maryland. We had to catch the train at 5:30am bound for New York. We arrived there at 5:00 am. We claimed the train tickets that we purchased online from one of the ticket machines at the station. We still had coffee before the train arrived.

The train ride was comfortable. The seats are reclining and are wide. We were able to catch up with our sleep during the trip. The train has a snack bar and bathrooms inside. We arrived at the New York station before 9:00 am. My husband’s former high school classmate met us there. He gave each one of us a metrocard with unlimited free train and bus rides for one day.

We visited Washington DC April of this year, my first trip to the U.S. It was hard to miss DC because we stayed at my aunt’s place in Maryland which is only thirty minutes drive to DC. It’s where the national seat of government is located so there are many things to check out there. We were also in time for the cherry blossoms.

We left my aunt’s house before 11:30 in the morning and we got there past 12:00 noon. We were just driving round and round the vicinity for almost an hour trying to get a parking space. Then my uncle who was the one driving told us to just get out of the car and get going, that he would just catch up later.

So we started at the National Capitol building. We took a lot of pictures there. We passed by the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of American History. We know there are many things to check out there and we could not cover everything so we just passed by. We are there just to get a quick overview of things because there were just too many things going on.

Our goal was to reach the Obelisk as early as we could. My uncle was still not able to find a parking spot when we got there. We agreed that he would call us once he finds a spot. It was nice at the Obelisk because it was windy and cloudy there.

We continued walking until we reach the National World War II Memorial and the Reflecting Pool. It was only there that my uncle was able to join us. He really had a hard time parking the car. We then proceeded to Lincoln Memorial. The statue of Abraham Lincoln was really a sight to behold.

Then we went to the Vietnam Wall and we looked where the name of my uncle’s cousin is written. There were also nice war memorials around like the statue of the three servicemen and the new addition, the one in honor of the women who helped during the war.

One of the highlights of our visit to the United States is the Gettysburg National Military Park in the state of Pennsylvania. We got there after lunch time and we went to check out the tours of the battlefield. We could just go around with our car but the tours are much nicer so we went with it. The fee was 24 dollars per person. The bus is air-conditioned, very comfortable and gives you a good view of everything. The tour started at the very beginning of the battle and there were stops along the way. The tour guide talked us through the American Civil War.

The Gettysburg battle is the bloodiest battle of the American Civil war with a casualty of 51,000. It also ended the civil war. Most soldiers did not have serious wounds but they still died due to lack of medical attention. There was no proper hospital in Gettysburg at the time to take care of so many wounded people.

One of the prominent buildings there is the Hall of the Presidents. It is a wax gallery of the American Presidents and their wives. We did not really went inside since we were only interested in the tour.

Another is the house of David Wills, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address which today is considered one of the best speeches of his presidency.

The last stop of the tour is the famous valley of death where we got to feel the difficulties of being in the valley with your enemies high above you at the devil’s den. The place gives you the creeps of the actual battle. From the devil’s den, we could also see Camp David from very far away.

The park was really made to look like the site of the original battle. There was a photographer who had pictures of the old Gettysburg and so they restored the place back to the way it looked then. They build barns and farm houses where they were before. They also put big trees and plants where they were supposed to be. There were also old houses that are still standing there. The look of the old town is still there.

Tags: Abraham Lincoln, American Civil War, battlefield, David Wills, devil's den, Gettysburg, Gettysburg address, Hall of the Presidents, National Military Park, Pennsylvania, valley of death
Posted in History and Culture, Travels|Vacations | No Comments »

My aunt had been inviting us to visit their place in Mechanicsville, Maryland last year. We initially planned to spend Christmas at their house but we changed our minds. We decided to go there during the early spring instead. It’s nice to explore the surroundings when the temperature outside is not mild.

We finally visited my aunt’s family in Maryland last April 7 this year. My aunt and her husband picked us up at Baltimore airport and we drove for about forty five minutes to their house. The house is situated in a two-acre lot somewhere in Mechanicsville. Their place is full plants and trees. Wild animal frequently visit there too. They have deers, racoons, cats and a lot of bird species. My husband had a great time taking photographs of the plants and animals in their estate. He even took shots of the moon and Saturn there since we also brought with us a telescope that can be connected to our Olympus SLR digital camera. The photos were so nice that my aunt’s husband was planning on buying the same camera as soon as their budget would allow it.

I brought with us my magic sing. We did videoke on the night we had barbecue. We had a lot of fun although we were not really good singers. We mostly had fun laughing at how everybody sang badly. In the end, my aunt thinks she should buy a magic sing too. It’s good entertainment when you have visitors in the house.

They took us to Annapolis, the capital of Maryland. It is where the US Naval Academy is located. Annapolis an old place with many of its old buildings and houses still remaining. We went to their wharf where there are lots of seafood restaurants and cafe. We had dinner there and the food was great.

We stayed in Maryland for three days and four nights. My aunt’s husband took a leave from work and he was with us throughout our stay there. He was our driver and guide when we went to Washington D.C. and Pennsylvannia. He also sent us off and picked us up at Amtrak Train station in D.C. when we left for New York.

Maryland is a nice place. When you think of Maryland, you can already imagine trees everywhere. It’s just a thirty minute drive from their place to Washington D.C. If you live there, you can just get a job at the nation’s capital and drive home every day. I can only say positive things about the place because we were well received there. We will definitely keep coming there because we felt we have a home there.

Tags: Digal camera, Maryland Olympus SLR, Mechanicsville
Posted in Travels|Vacations | 2 Comments »

We had been planning to go on a trip to the United States by early spring of 2009. I had to get a US visa before then so I booked an interview with the US embassy in Vancouver through the internet. Vancouver is very far from Regina and there was no direct flight to go there. We had to get a connecting flight via Calgary or Winnipeg. We decided to make the most of the trip since we really had to spend a lot of money going there. My husband decided to renew his Philippine passport also although he still has two months before its expiry because the nearest Philippine embassy to us is Vancouver also.

We then contacted our friends from there and asked if we could meet with them. We also wanted to get some advice from them on accommodation, dining and what places to visit. We just booked our hotel and rent-a-car online.

We flew in from Regina and picked our rented car at the airport. We then checked in our hotel and went shopping for some items. Later in the day, we met with a friend at the Sears, just a few blocks away from our hotel. We exchanged stories while I bought some clinique cosmetics.

We left for the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It was already dark when we got there. The park was open during evenings. The place was full of lights and buzzing with energy. From Capilano we had dinner at Moxie’s Grill and parted from there.

The next morning, we went to Vancouver Aquarium. The place is not so big but you can see a lot of unique animals there, including the beluga whales, spotted seals, dolphins, sloth, marmosa, turtles, stingrays, birds and many species of sea plants. They also feature a wide array of frogs and toads.

Then the day of my interview came. My husband accompanied me to the embassy and waited at the nearest Starbucks while I went on with my interview. The waiting in line took a while but the interview only took three minutes. The consul then told me to wait for my passport and visa in the mail within the next five days. Then we went to the Philippine Embassy to renew his passport.

We had lunch after the interview and before dark, we went to Harbour Center and took the elevator to the Harbour Lookout at the 50th floor. The lookout has a 360° panoramic view of the city. We took a lot of pictures with the city lights. We also went to Canada Place for the nightly light show. From there, we had dinner of sumptuous seafood at the famous Carderos restaurant.

Planning on a trip today is very convenient because of the internet . Using it as a resource is always to our advantage.

Tags: beluga, calgary, Canada Place, capilano, capilano suspension bridge, Carderos restaurant, clinique, dolphins, frogs, Harbour Center, Harbour Lookout, internet, light show, marmosa, moxie's grill, passport, philippine passport, regina, seals, sears, sloth, spotted seals, starbucks visa, stingrays, suspension bridge, toads, turtles, US Visa, vancouver, Vancouver Aquarium, whales, winnipeg
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    Banff is part of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta. Being there is being at peace with the Creator.  It’s incredible how nature can be perfect in all its asymmetry.  All the sceneries in Banff are breath-taking that it would surely captivate the hearts of everyone who goes there.

    Lake Louise is my favourite part of the Canadian Rockies. When I saw Lake Louise, I felt like I wanted to stay there. We almost spent the whole day there.  The view is the combination of the majestic mountains, the clear and still lake water with the reflection of the mountains, the clouds  and the plants, simply enticing. Even if you are visiting the Canadian Rockies for Lake Louise alone, it would still be well-worth it. This is also where the best hotel is located, the Fairmont Chateau.

    Lake Moraine was our next stop after Lake Louise. It is a much smaller lake but it’s also very beautiful.  There is also a nice biking and hiking trail there.

    The next day we went back to Lake Louise for a horse-back riding to Mount Agnes. There is a trail for those who want to go there on foot but I just had to try horse-back riding.  The ride was scheduled for four hours. It was really fun.  We took beautiful photos along the way. There was Mirror Lake, the Beehive and best of all, Lake Agnes on top of the mountain with a teahouse in front of it.

    Then off we took the Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain. From there, we saw a good panoramic view of Banff.  We still had to climb the steps to the top but it was nice, the air was cool and there were amazing views along the way.

There are many good accommodations in Banff, depending on how much you are willing to spend. As for us, we stayed at Rundlestone  Lodge then at Juniper Hotel. We did not really have enough time to plan for the trip so our choices were limited but still, everything went smoothly.

After my first trip to Banff and Lake Louise, I still feel like I have only tasted the icing of the cake. I still have to go back so I could taste the cake itself. Until then, Banff and Lake Louise.

Tags: Alberta, Beehive, Canadian Rockies, gondola, Juniper, Lake Agnes, Lake Louise, Mirror Lake, Moraine, Mount Agnes, Rundlestone, Sulphur Mountain, teahouse
Posted in Travels|Vacations | 15 Comments »

Jasper National Park is part of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta. My husband and I went there to celebrate my birthday. We drove all the way from Edmonton but it was a nice drive. There are roadside rest areas inside Jasper with spectacular views that we couldn’t afford not to stop and be enthralled, even if we did not intend to rest. There were times when we just did not stop for the views but upon the sight of wild animals grazing near the road.

We stayed in Becker’s Chalets for two days. The good thing about it, is that you can cook your own food because the chalet has a well-equipped kitchen and dining room. The chalet could accommodate a family with three children so it was quite comfortable for just the two of us. We brought two Coleman coolers with us, one for the drinks and the other for the food. I mostly cooked our meals so we really felt very much at home there.

During our first day, we went to Medicine Lake. The lake was almost completely dried up during that time because it was almost winter. Next stop was Maligne River. We took a cruise by the river going to Spirit Island. Along the way, we saw two bald eagles. The view of the spirit island is one of the best you can have in Jasper. Then off we went to Malign Canyon then Athabasca falls and Athabasca river. There was a part of the river that’s so noisy then a few steps ahead, the river starts to calm down. 

On our second day, we took the Jasper Tramway and got to the top of Whistler Mountain which is 7,452 feet above sea level. There we had a stunning panoramic view of Jasper. From there, we proceeded to Columbia Ice fields. Sadly, the Ice Explorer bus was not available to take us to ice fields so we just managed to walk up to the mountain until we could see some glaciers.

When we went back to our chalet, we were exhausted yet more than contented. We could not get enough of what we just experienced during the past two days. We decided we were going to plan another trip to Jasper in the near future.

Tags: Alberta, athabasca river, Becker's Chalets, Canadian Rockies, canyon, columbia ice fields, Jasper, maligne, river, spirit island, whistler mountain
Posted in Travels|Vacations | 2 Comments »

     The Canadian Rockies is one place in Canada that you must not miss in your lifetime. It is in the province of Alberta and has four parks; Jasper, Banff, Kootenay and Yoho.  The place is so vast and breath-taking at the same time.  There is something in the Canadian Rockies that makes it almost magical. The place is amazing all year round although during winter, it is too cold for you to go out and enjoy the views.

     The Canadian Rockies is nature in its purest. It is a combination of landforms and water forms, of mountains and lakes, of canyons and rivers.  Seeing animals in the wild like elks, deers, mountain goats, moose and bears are a bonus, too. There are also a lot of things to do there like hiking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, water rafting and kayaking. It’s a good place to shed off extra pounds without even noticing it.  When you go hiking there, you will hardly notice the distance you have covered because of all the beautiful sights along the way.

     Personally, I think the best time to go there is during late Semptember  when the plants are changing colors.  Remember to bring your best digital camera with extra battery and your most comfortable walking shoes. One trip to the Canadian Rockies is only the first of the many visits anyone can make.

Tags: Alberta, Banff, Canadian Rockies, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho
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