Coco Beach - Tropical Island Paradise

Summer maybe over but not for us folks. When the opportunity came to get some R&R we decided to hit the beach. It's never too late to experience the sand, the sea and (hopefully) the sun even on this rainy month of July. Living in a tropical country our options were endless. The only thing limited was our budget. Still we didn't want that limitation to dampen our enthusiasm over this much awaited vacation. Our destination - Coco Beach Island Resort in Puerto Galera.

Tapioca was able to visit Coco Beach before when he was younger. Their website says it all and I got sold. We contacted their Manila office and booked a 3 days/2 nights accommodation. We also availed of the Coco Beach Express shuttle service which will bring us directly to the resort. The fee was a little steep but it's nothing compared to the convenience we're gonna get. Believe me, I've been to Puerto Galera before and the hassle of haggling and dealing with people from Batangas pier was quite an experience and not very appealing if you wanted a stress-free vacation.

 . . . at Diamond Hotel's lobby

The shuttle service leaves at exactly 6:30am at the Diamond Hotel. We arrived at quarter to six and we still haven't had breakfast so we checked out the hotel's breakfast menu. Everything was so darn expensive. Well, it's expected from a 5 star hotel. It would be wiser to avail of the breakfast buffet instead of ala carte. However, the buffet won't open until 6am. Spending thirty minutes on brekky buffet was not practical so we looked for an alternative. Rice meals from Mini Stop convenience store right outside the hotel! This was a late decision. The driver has arrived and already looking for us. Poor Tapioca, he was very hungry and he had to hold up the van to get our meals. Buti naman mamang driver was patient enough. We left the hotel at 7:00am and had our breakfast inside the van :-)

kodakan moments inside the van . . . 

Mamang driver drove us all the way to Batangas. It only took an hour and thirty minutes including stop over at Calamba, Laguna to pick up other passengers going to the resort. Man, he drives really fast.

We were drop off in a private port in Batangas where an outrigger boat was waiting for us. Boatmen assisted us and picked up our heavy bags. Talk about VIP treatment. As soon as everyone has settled, all passengers were given life vests and off we sailed. More more ng picture taking. Sa boat naman . . .

. . . Tapioca

Jellybean . . .

We only had 2 hours of sleep so we tried to take a nap during the boat ride.  In the middle of our trip the boat suddenly stopped and all the passengers had this strange look. Then they pointed out a group of dolphins blocking our way.

. . . a single dolphin caught on camera

It was amazing. Our first time to see dolphins - in flesh and in a big group. It was hard to take pictures of these cute creatures since they swam really fast. We then decided to take a video but it turned out very shaky and we we're only able to capture the dolphins in a few seconds before they're gone out of sight. They said dolphins are one of the attractions here in Puerto Galera especially when the water's calm.

. . . we're almost there

Since the weather was good and the water was calm, we were able to reach the resort in less than an hour. The outrigger boat can't dock on the shores of Coco Beach so we have to transfer to a smaller boat and put on our life vest.

. . . to be continued.

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Coco Beach, Puerto Galera

Just got back from one of our best holiday ever. We almost broke the bank which was bad considering my current situation (read: jobless) but we have no regrets. Every cent spent was all worth it. As of the mo, I can't stop thinking about it and I keep on viewing our pictures over and over (we got over 500 photos). Tapioca and I agreed that this is what a vacation should be. Relaxing and hassle free. Sharing some pics from the beautiful Coco Beach Island Resort.

The kwento will be posted next. Cheers!

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Free Again

Yesterday, something unexpected happened. I found out it was my last day at work. No I did not resign. It was a company decision.

It was very sudden. It still haven't sink in to me. Not yet. I can't say it's bad. I can't say it's good either. I still need to contemplate on this sudden twist in life. Actually, there's a gazillion things going on in my mind which I didn't want to face at the moment. There's no rushing. I have plenty of time. Plenty of time to think and do whatever, like update this blog LOL.

This new found freedom is getting me all anxious and excited. They said when a door closes a new one opens. All I can is this is an answered prayer. Thank you Lord.

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The Marketplace At Eastwood City

Eastwood City had a taste of the night food market thru The Marketplace. It's like the famous Banchetto where new food entrepreneur showcase their products all in one place. We were able to try most of the stalls but unforch not all of them are included on this post. Some of the stalls I forgot if they have names or not.

. . . chicaco white deep dish pizza 

 Huge pizza for a hundred bucks. Crust too thick, toppings forgettable.

the patties of monster burger . . .

This was one of the popular stall in the Marketplace. The patties were thick therefore longer cooking time. Gotta have patience while waiting for it to be cooked. Tapioca noticed that the staff was poking the burger patties while cooking it. That's definitely a no no as this will release the juices from the burger making it dry. He had to keep an eye on his burger to make sure they won't poke it like the rest of them :-)

. . . the challenge

Tapioca was contemplating if he should join this challenge. In the end he decided not to. No pressure and more time to enjoy his meal.

. . . burgers are ready to be dressed-up

 After trying out the burger he found it was just okay. We had better burger than this.

chef resty's roast beef . . .

This was quite a steal. Cheap roast beef but the quality was not compromise. It was very tasty even without the gravy. The meat was so tender and juicy. We paired it with ciabatta bread and made a roast beef sandwich. Even the bread was good. This was our favorite.

mini cakes . . .

We bought the mini blueberry cheesecake from this stall and we got robbed. The cake was devoid of cheese. It's too flour-y to be called a cheesecake. Too bad I forgot the name of the stall (if there's any).

more cakes . . .

There were several cake sellers and we moved on to this one. We got the red velvet and the smores cake. The red velvet was dry (at least it's price reasonable) but tolerable. Best to pair it with coffee or tea to counterbalance the dryness. The smores on the other hand was pretty acceptable.

The Marketplace opens from Mondays-Fridays between 11pm to 9am. It ran for a few months and then people get tired of it and some of the stalls started to dwindle.  Aside from the Marketplace there are other night market that still operates all over the city. You just have to check the schedule as most of them are open during the weekends. I'm actually interested in going to the Mercanto night market as I heard great reviews from other blogs.

How about you, have you tried any of these night market in Manila?

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Chuck's Deli

One of the advantages of working in Eastwood City is the variety of shops and restaurants where you can dine and enjoy a hearty meal. But it can also be a disadvantage. Dining out every single day is not good for your health nor your wallet, if you know what I mean.

I am celebrating my one year of wearing retainers. I still despise them but finally I don't have to wear them 24/7. Tapioca on the other hand is on another journey towards healthy living (read: diet) which I can only hope be successful and would go for the long run. At dahil jan we opted to have sandwiches for lunch at . . .

. . . Chuck's Deli

Every table had a hand sanitizer  as they encourage you to eat with your hands.

the sauces . . .

The garlic sauce and the spicy one.

. . . coca-cola cherry flavor

The cherry coke spells nostalgic. The moment I saw this in their fridge I knew I had to get one.

root beer float . . .

Tapioca had this. We love root beer and we love it more the fact that they used A&W root beer (in can). Awesome!

 

. . . chili fries 

Home-made double fried fries, chili without the beans, jalapenos and grated cheddar cheese on top. If you noticed on the pic there was too little cheese but nevertheless Tapioca was raving on this especially their version of chili. He said it was like the real deal, the one he was so used to eating when he was still in the US. I have low tolerance with heat but I was able to manage eating the jalapenos. It actually added some oomph and made it more yummy.

french onion soup. . .

This is the first time I tried an onion soup. I am  not really fond of onions but I decided to give it a try on this visit. Ya know, for a change. I must say that the broth was very flavorful. I also loved the melted cheese on top. But the onions, there was too much. Even Tapioca who never say no to onions gave up. Don't get me wrong. The soup was good. And I should have known this was going to happen. Obviously, it's not called onion soup without onions. Anyway, I guess I just got so overwhelmed with way too much onions. For a first timer who's trying to be adventurous, open-minded and still learning how to appreciate the food she's not so inclined to, I find this as a good start. I can say I still have a long way to go.  One thing's for sure. This is not going to be my last french onion soup.

the sidekicks . . . 

Each order of their sandwiches comes with a side of your choice. Potato chips, french fries or onion rings. Since we already tried the fries we then chose the home-made potato chips and beer-battered onion rings. These sidekicks went well with the garlic sauce. I personally loved the potato chips with the garlic sauce. Let me also tell you that we liked the plain garlic sauce better since it has more garlic flavor as oppose to the spicy sauce which we found the garlic flavor to be overpowered by all the spiciness.

. . . philly cheese steak subwich 

Beef, American cheese, onions and mushrooms on a hoagie bun. This was Tapioca's choice.

off the hook slabwich . . .

And this was Jellybean's choice. Just half a slab. Nice touch of serving the sandwiches on a wooden chop board..

. . . a peak inside my slabwich

Beer-battered fish with dill pickles, greens and more of that garlic sauce.

NY cheesecake from sugarhouse . . .

We were suppose to eat at Sugarhouse but Tapioca changed his mind so I had a cheesecake to go for dessert.  Overall, we did not regret choosing Sugarhouse over Chuck's. Tapioca can't seem to get over the chili so we might  expect a return visit. He already know what to order next. Clue: it has chili on it.

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Bigoli Ristorante & Bar

Had breakfast at Bigoli in Eastwood. Formerly, the Fazoli restaurant. Same exact place, same exact menu with a new name. We ordered their budget friendly set meal good for 2. The set meal includes the following:

. . . bread sticks

One stick for both of us. It was yummy! Wish there was more.

garden fresh salad . . . 

. . . 2 small pieces of italian chicken and a big slice of cheese pizza

The chicken was tasty except the meat was on the dry side. The pizza slice was big and I'm big with plain cheese pizza so it worked for me. I actually had most of it.

meat sauce spaghetti . . .

Now this was Tapioca's kind of spaghetti. Italian style (read: sour). I like my spaghetti a little sweet, Filipino style. I had the pizza and he had the pasta. Fair deal.

. . . minestrone soup

I love soup especially when it's piping hot. Though I'm partial to creamy or clear soups this was fine by me. The chunky parts on the other hand went to Tapioca to finish.

turtle cheesecake . . .

Tapioca surprised me with this cheesecake. I was so giddy when I saw it served on our table. It looked so yummy however it was too sweet for my palate.

I loved Bigoli's unlimited soda. They have a soda station where you can dispense any soda of your choice. The only downside of trying different soda is you get full easily. But still it's great value for your money.

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HGS Sparkle - A Toast to 10 Years . . .

HGS's 10th Year Anniversary held at NBC Tent Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The theme? Anything sparkly. I don't have any sparkly dress in my closet nor do I plan to get one. Instead I asked my Nanay to make me a simple cocktail dress. It was a haste decision (last minute as always) as I was not sure if I'm going or not but I did anyway. I went with a powder pink silky fabric dress paired with fancy accessories from SM Department store.

Tapioca and Jellybean 

Loving my new do and the colour (will make a separate post about that). Tapioca was aiming for a gangsta look therefore the fedora. In fairness, achieved naman nya.

Anjil and Tapioca

Ellaine, Jellybean & Rachelle

So as not to be matchy-matchy I had these fab red shoes from Gibi. It's the tallest high-heeled shoes I've ever had (about 4-5 inches). Surprisingly, it was very comfortable.

This was the grandest party we had for the account. They had raffle draws for LCD TVs, Vaio laptop and Sony playstation. Too bad we never won any of those prizes. That's exactly the reason why I went to these parties. And oh the dance competition. At least our division won 1st place :-)

Click here to view more pics from the party.

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Good-bye Carrot

We have adopted not one, not two, but three kittens. Our first kitten, now a full grown cat, Sunday . . .

. . . Sunday loves hanging out by the window

The 2nd kitten was pick up by Tapioca from Savemore after grocery shopping.
 

meet Froot Loops . . .

We named her Froot Loops (like the cereal). When I saw the condition of the kitten (it was so tiny and looked malnourished ) I got so upset with Tapioca. The kitten still needs milk from her mother. I was afraid she might not make it but Tapioca was very persistent in keeping her.

He asked for help from a neighbor who's a vet and they lent us some milk replacement and syringe to feed her.

. . . puppylove milk replacement 

According to the vet this milk formula works for both puppies and kittens.

Froot Loops liked the milk and we never had a hard time feeding her. After a few days, we're surprise to see her progress. Everyday she kept getting stronger and became very active.

 Froot Loops likes to sleep on Tapioca's shoulder . . .

Close sila. Akala nya siguro si Tapioca ang nanay nya. LOL!

She makes gaya on every routine that Sunday does. In less than 2 weeks she stop feeding from the syringe and make agaw the dry food from Sunday's bowl. Good thing Sunday didn't mind. But it took sometime for them to become friends. There were times when we felt like Sunday's jealous of the attention we're giving Froot Loops.

Then one Sunday afternoon we found another kitten loitering outside our house. I thought it was Froot Loops as they have the same color. When we got a closer look it was even smaller and younger than Froot Loops. It looked like a few days old kitten. Eyes still closed, it still had its umbilical cord, and it's feet were so small it can't walk. Instead it crawls. Oh the poor thing. This time I was the one who wanted to take take care of the baby cat. Tapioca said its mother might come back for it so we let it stay outside for 2 more days. On the 3rd day I told Tapioca it's time to bring it home or else it would die. We still have the remaining milk because Froot Loops has learned to eat solid food already.

 . . . the poor kitten was even smaller than Froot Loops

This was our first time taking care of such kitten. We're very careful and of course worried. Our lack of experience led us to google and made some research on how to take care of very young kittens. We were hesitant of naming it because there's still a big chance for this creature to die. Everyday we check his progress. One day his umbilical cord disappeared. Another day his eyes finally opened. When his eyes opened we decided to give it a name. We called him Carrot, just like his color which was orange. He was adorable. Froot loops never had a hard time being friends with him. She even shared her box without complain. Froot Loops also likes to sleep with Carrot. Everyday ganito ang setup nila . . .

mga kaawa-awang nilalang

The big sister taking care of Carrot. Nakakatuwa silang tingnan. But Sunday is another story. Good thing though Sunday don't hiss on Carrot like he did with Froot Loops before. Prolly he's already aware that his foster parents like adapting kittens and that he can expect more to arrive hahaha! Actually Tapioca and I already discuss that 3 cats is our max already. Now now, carrot was becoming energetic, going out of his box and exploring the kitchen area by himself. If his progress continued, Froot Loops will have a playmate soon.

Carrot snuggling with my house slipper. So cute :-)

Instead of the syringe, we bought him a feeding bottle

Our dilemma started when we ran out of replacement milk. The neighbor also ran out of stock of Puppylove and we were compelled to get it from other pet store which they sold in big cans (read: expensive). The vet suggested to feed carrot the dry food soaked in water. Once soaked, the pellets will become soft like cerelac for cat. We tried this on Carrot but we can tell from the sound of his wails that he was not getting enough nourishment or satisfaction just like when we feed him with milk.
 

It took a couple of days before we were able to buy the milk replacement. When Carrot finally got his milk he was finally able to sleep well. But there were also noticeable change in his behavior. His cries were becoming weaker. We knew something's wrong but we failed to act on it. When we got home from work one morning we found him already stone-cold in his box. It was heart breaking. Tapioca buried him in the garden. I was crying nonstop and thinking I don't want another cat to die on us.

This was an unforgettable experience and we did learn a lesson or two. I guess hanggang dito na lang talaga si Carrot. This will serve as a lessor for us. Being a pet owner is a serious matter. Your responsibility does not end by providing shelter and food to eat. There's so much more.

Good-bye Carrot. You Will Be Missed.

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