Siem Reap

A week after our last day at work, Chryssie and I decided to spend 5 days in Cambodia just to unwind a bit. We arrived late at night through plane (Only one flight from Manila to Siem Reap). We booked rooms at Bou Savy Guesthouse and as soon as we stepped out of the airport their tuktuk driver was happily waiting outside to bring us there. After a refreshing welcome drink, its off to bed as we are getting up at 4 in the morning.

Siem Reap literally means the fall of Siam. Which is the mockery of the Khmer to the defeat of Thailand.

We decided to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat as recommended. Our tuktuk driver Ani was waiting at our door to bring us there. We bought our daily passes first for USD 20 good for a day with unlimited access to all the temples. They took our pictures then viola! Here goes our ID-like passes. 

We settled outside of Angkor Wat to see the sunrise along with all the tourists. We were able to find a good spot until the first part of the sunrise. The Chinese tourists came in and unfortunately we were somehow driven off our spot. Sunrise was not that nice that day as it was cloudy. My pictures were not that dramatic compared to some of the pictures online. The soft light falling on the facade of the temple and our faces was still beautiful.

We headed back to Bou Savy for breakfast. Everyday, we always had a good breakfast of either noodles or baguettes with egg and deliciously strong, milky yet slightly sweet iced coffee. 

We went back to the Angkor complex thereafter and started our temple day. Our first stop for further exploration was at Angkor Wat. Some parts of the temple were closed though as there was a Buddhist event that day. The temple was full of carvings preserved from the Khmer era. Some of the jewels were already looted unfortunately. All windows had seven pillars representing the pillars of Buddhism.

 

Our next stop was Banteay Kdei. We were greeted near the entrance with Buddha's statue with incense lighted. There were these tour guides that wont stop following us and using Manny Pacquiao as a pick-up line to get our attention. This temple offers a nice background for pictures mimicking temple run.

We had a quick stop at Chau Say Tevoda. A lot of parts in this temple is ruined already.

Ta Prohm is popular as Tomb Raider was filmed there. It is characterized by this giant tree growing out of the temple. Maintenance works are being done on the temple.

After a quick lunch, it was off to Bayon, the temple with many faces.This is my favorite as the carvings were intricate and all the faces in the temple were interesting. We were lucky though that not too many tourists were there that time.

The following day we attended a cooking class at Le Tigre De Papier in Pub Street. We paid USD 13 for the class for 1 appetizer  1 main dish and a dessert. The class also included a market tour. It was Chryssie's first time to cook. I thought she was going to mess up big time and had my camera handy but she seemed to manage well. We both picked spring rolls for appetizers where our teacher, Savon taught us the technique of rolling our spring rolls. Chryssie made Chicken with Basil while I did Tom Yum. We were in the class with two more people, Fernando and Amy who made Amok and Chicken with Khmer sauce. We had sticky rice with mango for dessert. They were supposed to email us the recipe but we never received it.

On our last day we volunteered at CDO (Children & Development Organization). The kids were wonderful and they were very curious about the Philippines. We cleaned their rooms, helped with the laundry and also sliced vegetables for pizza. Volunteer teachers from all over would stay for a month or so and will also teach these kids. 

We splurged on dinner at Touich, a family run restaurant. It was my best dinning experience ever. The staff politely greeted us at the door and were seated right away. Their recommendations were actually good. The price tag may seem steep for Cambodia but the size of my steak was huge. Their servers were very attentive and always smiling. They served us water with Keffir lime to wash our hands after the meal. Even if this place is out of the way, having a meal here is worth it.

We explored pub street that night. We had the tomb raider cocktail at The Red Piano were Angeline Jolie would go for drinks during filming. Had a quick foot massage for USD 1 at the Night Market and spent time shopping for souvenirs there.

Before leaving the following day, we stayed the whole day at Blue Pumpkin in Pub Street. Yaay to aircon! They had a good selection of sandwiches, bread, pastas and other meals. The lounges were so comfortable it's hard not to sleep in there.

My trip to Siem Reap was probably the one with the most value for money. Bou Savy charged us USD 17 per night for a big room with twin beds and free breakfast. Our temple tour was booked with them also. We paid USD 12 for the tuktuk that would take us around the whole day. For more information, visit their website here.

Cooking classes at Le Tigre de Papier is probably the cheapest in Siem Reap. To know more, click here.

If I were to come back to Siem Reap, I would spend another day in CDO. They still need donations to take care of these kids. If you want to help, check their facebook page here.

Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Siem Reap daily.

Mount Pinatubo

For years, going on a trek has always been a part of my bucket list--alright its actually climbing up Mount Pulag but I really had to start somewhere right? So before leaving my job, I went on a trek up Mount Pinatubo with some of my colleagues and my two "kids", Marlon and Choking.

We Left Manila around 3 am and reached Tarlac after 2 hours. Yes that is just too fast. Mount Pinatubo is part of Zambales but the trek will start at Tarlac. We were then given enough time to freshen up at the base camp while the 4x4s were being prepared.

The 1st leg was an hour drive in the 4x4, passing through small streams and rough roads. We had short pit stop along the way for photos and you can also buy some produce from the Aetas. Of course Marlon bought a bunch of bananas which left me shaking my head. Although at a certain point I had to eat those along the way for extra energy even if I felt like puking.

After an hour on the 4x4, you can have the option to continue riding or go on a 2 hour trek. There are advantages and disadvantages with these though. Going on further on the 4x4 will let you miss the view, some of the Aetas along the way and of course the thrill of adventure. It will get you faster up the volcano though. Trekking will give you a sense of appreciation of the environment, the Aetas and the sense of achievement of going on a full 7 km trek of rough roads and streams. I'll leave it up to you which one you'll have but my group went for the trek (the other half of the group went on with the 4x4).

Halfway there we were really tired we had to eat some of those bananas. We were looking forward to the streams to refresh our feet. After 6 kilometers, we reached the next pit stop. After that, is a 30 minute trek up the crater on a much smaller trail.

The view of the crater was very rewarding. To think how many lives changed when this volcano erupted during the early 90s. This was a volcano I only saw on tv, spluttering lava and pyroclastic materials (lahar) all over Central Luzon. 

After having lunch, we were awarded our Certificate of conquests. Oh it feels good.

We arranged our trip through TRIPinas. Our tour was well organized and reasonably priced.  Mr. Tee the organizer was very accommodating and just simply nice to everyone. I highly recommend booking your tours with them.

Some tips when going up Mount Pinatubo--bring food and water (lots of water). Drinks are being sold at the crater but very expensive. Better to use outdoor sandals, your feet will get wet on the streams but this will be enough to protect your soles from the rocks and uneven ground along the way. Bring a light jacket, light rain can be experienced. If you have a van to your group, better make a stop at one of the gas stations along the way. The base camp lady was so strict in getting fees when you wash your face or even just change your clothes.

I wish the will stop landscaping the crater of Mount Pinatubo. I'm sure the government would like to attract more tourists but we should just preserve the natural beauty of the volcano. It doesn't need landscaping. Mountaineers don't go to this place that much now because it has become too touristy. Of course there are pros and cons to this but I hope people will still appreciate what nature is supposed to be.

Seven Corners

Food is the only thing I can think of that actually defines our relationship. So during our 3rd year anniversary, Marlon and I decided to celebrate at Seven Corners in Crowne Plaza. 

We picked Crowne Plaza since it was the most convenient for us. We reserved an hour right before their Saturday night dinner and luckily we were still able to get a table.

We arrived at around 7 and surprisingly, there were only a few people starting their buffet. Turns out, the crowds usually come in an hour after so lucky for us we were quite early.

They have several buffet stations but the selection is not too wide. I noticed nobody was touching the cheese board so I headed for it straight away. They have a pretty good selection but not as massive as Spiral's. I helped myself with about 4 kinds (I can't recognize everything I tried) and added some nuts and dried apricots. I had a good start.

Next up were the appetizers and they were in the same section as the cold seafood. I was not in the mood for shrimp or lobster. I enjoyed the terrines, cous cous, smoked tanigue with dill sauce, chawan mushi, olives and some scallops. I liked the scallops best, they were succulent and dressed in sweet chilli sauce. The cous cous and smoke tanigue were quite addicting as well.

Marlon went straight to the meat section. I only followed after finishing appetizers and cheese. The servings of Prime rib were huge that I was struggling to finish it. we both enjoyed it though as it was tender and grilled to our liking. The lamb had a good balance of flavor as well. Add in the mint jelly and it was perfect.

I thought everything would be great but dessert was a little bit disappointing. The only thing I liked was the creme brulee. They had an ice cream tepanyaki station though but I was too full to even try it.

One thing I didn't like about Seven Corners is that I felt it was a little bit dark. The place is starting to feel a little bit old as well but something that didn't bother me as I enjoyed eating. Yet still...it was a bit hard to eat if it's a little dark. I hope they can adjust the lighting soon.

Their staff tried to accommodate us as best as they can. 

Overall, we still had a good time at Seven Corners. Will I consider coming back? Maybe I would. Especially if they can offer something new.

Happy 3 years Marlon! Here's to more food coming our way.

Seven Corners is located at Crowne Plaza (beside Robinsons Galleria), ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center.

Lia's Cakes in Season

Finding a birthday cake for Marlon became a challenge for me since I didn't have much time. After yoga class once afternoon in Kapitolyo, I had to consider what are the nearest cake shops around. I wanted something different this time since we were so accustomed to getting Ms. Polly's chocolate cakes when on a budget.

I heared about Lia's cakes in season waay back when I was still working at E-telecare. I was curous about the Avocado cake and I know Marlon wants the avocado cheesecake version more but I didn't have enough budget that time. Coming from yoga though, I was so hungry since I only ate a piece of bread for that day only.

Wanting to clear my head first, I ordered their Homestyle spaghetti (PHP 160). The serving was just right for me and I liked that the sauce was savory and just a touch of sweetness. Instead of serving it with bread, they used the pastry sticks from their famous empanada. I did not try any of their specialties that day. I was craving for spaghetti and I was satisfied.

An order of their pasta came with a glass of Iced Tea and a slice of cake. I opted for the Calamansi Tea Cake. I loved how compact this small cake is with a balanced sourness and a touch of sweetness. It felt light as I ate it but gave a good ending to my meal. This is something I would love to have with a cup of coffee.

After a good meal, I was able to think clearly and decided to buy the Chocolate Avelanche cake (PHP 520/whole). Had I had enough I would like to try either the Avocado Cake or Avocado cheesecake but based on my budget and what Marlon would like, this is the best one. The fudge on top of the cake looks rich and enticing with a nice touch of white chocolate curls. The cake was moist, compact and not too sweet hence the chocolate fudge on top did not overpower the cake itself. The thin layer of mocha custard inside was a good kick to your palate in every bite.

Looks like the birthday boy had a good one indeed. It will be my mission to come back for the empanada and the avocado cake varieties.

Lia's Cakes in Season is located at East Capitol Drive, Brgy Kapitolyo Pasig City.