Japan: Feeding deer in Nara, Japan

The next day, we headed to Nara, Japan, another UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara), and another former capital of Japan. Train tickets are free seating so it didn’t matter what time we boarded but we made sure to get a train as early as we could so we could see more attractions. The ride took us a little over 30 minutes.

In Nara, we made sure to pass by the tourism desk to ask all the information we needed. We also got a bus day pass at Y500 which was convenient as in the other cities. Our first stop was Kofuku-ji Temple where we saw a very peculiar attraction of the city, wild deer which roam around Nara freely.

In fact, tourists can feed the deer by purchasing wafers from vendors. It’s fun feeding the deer and they can get aggressive too, nudging you with their head so to grab your attention so that you’d feed them more wafers.

When in Nara, make sure you visit the Todai-ji Temple. Its Great Buddha Hall or Daibutsuden is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses the largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana in the world. Entrance fee is Y500.

I was awestruck walking into this massive temple complex. Inside the Daibutsuden are more massive statues. I really took time absorbing the grandeur and size of the building and its contents. And these were all made hundreds of years ago.

We visited one last attraction in Nara, the Kasuga Taisha Shrine which is known for the many stone lanterns that lead up to the main shrine. My companions had temple and shrine fatigue so we did not enter anymore. So we missed the bronze lanterns inside the main Shinto shrine as well as the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, also part of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription.

Japan: Kyoto, Japan and its historic monuments

Autumn in Kyoto, Japan attracts throngs of tourists every year to its temples and other historic monuments. And we're lucky that our conference coincided with the vivid colors of Japan's autumnal foliage. We arrived in the evening so we did not get to see those autumn colors and Mount Fuji while on the Shinkansen.

Tired from going around Tokyo the whole day, our group decided to go straight to the Kyoto Utano Youth Hostel where we had booked our stay for the next three nights. It's about an hour from the train station but only one bus ride on Bus No. 26. So we got to rest on the bus. But once we got there, we knew we made the right choice since for a youth hostel, this one was grand! A bed is Y3300 a night. You can also opt to have breakfast there for Y600.

The next day, we purchased one-day bus passes at the hostel counter for Y500 which is a must if you want to maximize your stay in Kyoto. Make sure you get a copy of the bus map the night before you go around so that you can plan which buses to take and where to go next.

There were so many temples to visit, many of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. But each had its own entrance fee. So people on a tight budget have to plan their trip around Kyoto wisely.

Our first stop was Ninna-ji since it was the closest to our youth hostel. It once served as the old imperial palace of Omuro, a residence for the former emperor. The temple is most noted as the center of the Omuro school of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. To visit the grounds, we had to pay Y500. We actually chanced upon a period movie being shot on the grounds. I had wanted to take photos of the actors in costume but the crew was very strict and did not allow photos to be taken.

We again hopped on the bus to get to our next stop, a must visit when in Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji. Kinkaku-ji is the popular name of Rokuon-ji Temple, home of the golden pavilion, an iconic attraction of Kyoto. It was exciting seeing the gold colored structure by the man-made lake for which I had only seen before in pictures. To get in, you have to pay Y400.

Nijo Castle was our stop before a very late lunch. Since we wanted to visit as much as we could while the sun was out (it looked like it was going to rain), we decided to delay our lunch break until we got to Gion.

Built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu, the castle was completed in 1626 by third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu. It is one of the finest examples of Momoyama architecture in Japan, making use of early Edo building designs. Entrance ticket is Y600.

Gion is very popular with tourists so that’s where we decided to have lunch. Gion is a district of Kyoto that originally developed in the Middle Ages to accommodate needs of travelers and visitors to the Yasaka Shrine. It became one of the most exclusive and well-known Geisha districts in all of Japan. So visiting this place is a must for people who want to see old architecture and the traditional way of the geisha.

Our last stop before the sun went down was Kiyomizudera, another iconic attraction of the city. From the temple, you get a panoramic view of Kyoto. You can get perfect sunset shots from there. Ticket price is Y300. Shortly after sunset, they let all the visitors out of the grounds. And you can wait to re-enter again, this time for the evening views of Kyoto. It’s a different entrance fee for this but since we wanted to go back to the hostel and rest, we decided to make our way down the hill, passing by the many colorful souvenir and snack shops along the way.

Kyoto Utano Youth Hostel
29 Nakayama-cho Uzumasa
Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu 6
Kyoto 616-8191 Japan
+81 75 462-2288

North Philippines: Best pizza restaurants north of Metro Manila

Pizza is one of my personal favorites. Those who know me should know this fact very well. So I'm compiling a list of my favorite pizza places outside Metro Manila beginning with North Philippines.

Clark Freeport & Angeles City

C' Italian Dining (1210 Don Juico Avenue, Angeles City; +63 45 8924059) is known for the panizza. C' Italian Dining had already been serving these sumptuous pizzas rolled with arugula and alfalfa long before Yellow Cab came out with Dear Darla. And there's no way you can compare the taste! The C' panizza is the best!

The best sellers are Don Carmelo: spicy chorizo, anchovies, thyme and pecorino cheese; Kristina: bacon, ham, caramelized onion, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms; and Saint Jacques: scallop flakes, shrimp, sun dried tomatoes and chili flakes.

Historic Camalig Restaurant (292 Sto. Rosario Street, Angeles City; +63 45 3225641 or 8881077) is the home of Armando's Pizza. My personal favorite is Doy's Kapampangan: longganisa, ebun buru (salted duck egg), onion & pickle relish. Their newest offering is Marco's 3-Way: sun-dried tomatoes & kesong puti plus a choice of either tuyo, tinapa or chicken adobo. Then there's Mexican Medley: shredded chicken breast (sauteed in hot pepper & pizza sauce), fresh tomato & spring onion. Another personal favorite is the classic Armando's Best: same toppings as All The Way, but with extra peperoni, double ground beef, double green pepper, double mushroom & extra Canadian bacon.

Didi's Pizza (MacArthur Highway, Balibago, Angeles City; + 63 45 8921184) serves a very Filipino-flavored pizza if you know what I mean. My personal favorite is the Combination: mushroom, salami, pepperoni, green pepper and onions.

Salvatore's Ristorante (300 Fields Avenue, Balibago, Angeles City; +63 45 8920484) serves good Italian pizza as well. Their best seller is Italian De Luxe: salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushroom, green bell pepper, onion, black olives. While the toppings of Italian De Luxe are mixed together, another flavor called Combination has Vegetarian on one side, and Meat Lovers on the other half.

Sub-Delicious (298 Fields Avenue, Balibago, Angeles City; +63 45 8921999 or 8926667) serves pizzas as large as 28-inches. Flavors include Super Meaty: pepperoni, sausage and hamburger; and Pizza Italiano: pepperoni, ham, and salami.

Subic Bay Freeport & Olongapo City

Xtremely Expresso (1 Dewey Avenue cor. Sta. Rita Street, Subic Bay Freeport; +63 047 2523681) serves the 22-inch Big Ben: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, beef, garlic, onion, peppers, mushrooms, black olives and two kinds of cheese. Other pizzas include Spanish Sardines, Chicken Pesto, Chicken & Peanut, Corned Beef, and Spicy Salmon.

Sam's Pizza (44 Magsaysay Avenue, Olongapo City; +63 47 2223686) is an Olongapo institution. Their best-seller is Sam's Special: pepperoni, Philippine sausage, mushrooms, green pepper, onion, bacon, Italian sausage and cheese. I remember having Chicken Teriyaki before but they no longer have it.

La Union

Olives Restaurant (Thunderbird Resort, Poro Point, La Union; +63 72 8887777) serves delicious wood-fired pizzas. Their best seller is Four Cheese: goat, parmesan, feta and mozzarella cheese. My personal favorite is Quattro Stagioni: kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, parma ham, fresh mushrooms. Also try the Spicy Sausage, Roasted Peppers, Mozarrella & Oregano Pizza or the Smoked Salmon & Mushroom Pizza: smoked salmon, fresh mushrooms, tomato sprinkled with oregano and cheese.

Ilocos Norte

Herencia Cafe (MacArthur Street, Bgy. 14, Sangladan, Paoay; +63 77 6140214) serves the famous Pinakbet Pizza: sitaw (string beans), ampalaya (bitter gourd), okra, talong (egg plant), patani (lima beans), kamatis (tomaotes), sili (chili), and labanos (radish). They also serve Bagnet Pizza: bagnet, onions, and basil; and Dinuguan Pizza: dinuguan, crispy pork, and chili.

Saramsam Restaurant (N. Corpuz Building, Rizal cor. Hizon Streets, Barangay 7-A, Laoag City; +63 77 7715825) also serves Ilocano-inspired pizzas. Their specialty is Poque-Poque Pizza which is topped with poque-poque, an Ilocano eggplant dish: eggplant, tomatoes, onions ang egg. They also have the Dinardaraan Pizza: dinuguan topped with green chili peppers; Longaniza Pizza topped with the local Laoag longaniza; and the Carbonara Pizza topped with Currimao oysters.

Batanes

Casa Napoli (Abad Street, Brgy. Kaychanarianan, Basco; +63 927 7583370) serves pizzas with mozzarella cheese all the way in Batanes. Nothing really fancy about the pizzas but being in Basco, it's a novelty.

I'm sure there are more such as those in Baguio City, so please list them down by commenting below. I'll try to visit them when I can and add to this list.

Manila: Ateneo Alumni Wreath-Laying Ceremony at Rizal Park

Filipinos rarely visit Rizal Park. I guess it's because we feel it's just there. Every time I get the opportunity to pass by the park, I relish it since it's one of the few real open spaces left in this crowded metropolis. I got that chance again last Saturday.

One week before the Ateneo Alumni Homecoming, Ateneans remember the university's most distinguished alumnus, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Ateneo University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, S.J., officers of the Ateneo Alumni Association and representatives of the jubilarian classes graced the Annual Ateneo Alumni Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Rizal Monument in Rizal Park last Saturday, December 5. This formal ceremony was held to commence the 2009 Grand Ateneo Alumni Homecoming activities.

This year is extra important since it's the 150th anniversary of the Ateneo. And this coming Saturday, there will be a big celebration to celebrate the sesquicentennial. Dubbed One Big Night, it's the sesquicentennial celebration and annual homecoming rolled into one.

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception! See you all on Saturday! And thanks to Gab Malvar for the photos!

Pampanga: News from the 1st Annual Clark Freeport Horse Festival

We were in Clark last November 28 to attend the opening of the 1st Annual Clark Freeport Horse Festival. The day started with a parade from El Kabayo to the Clark Parade Grounds. Among the guests were Asian Games gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

In the afternoon, there was a polo exhibition match also at the parade grounds. We missed the equestrian event and tilbury races the next day but I'm sure that was fun too.

Watch out for next year's festival since they will introduce a rodeo event as well. In fact, Sen. Zubiri had already pledged to send in a delegation from Bukidnon for the rodeo of next year's Clark Horse Fest.

Around Clark: Rodizio Rooftop Grill at Holiday Inn Clark

Clark and the area around it is a haven for international cuisine. Holiday Inn Clark has three restaurants worth dining in. One of my favorites is Rodizio Rootop Grill, a Brazilian barbecue or churrascaria restaurant.

Rodizio is actually the term for the style of restaurant service in Brazilian and Portuguese restaurants where you pay a fixed price and the waiters bring the food to your table until you signify that you've had enough. While churrascaria refers to the cooking style or barbecue. Waiters come to the your table with knives and a skewer, on which are speared local cuts of beef, pork, or chicken among others.

The meats were really great. And there is also awide selection of salads and desserts. And who said they only serve Brazilian? They also mave a Mongolian barbecue with ingredients that include baby scallops, squid Norway and peeled shrimps aside from the usual fare. The buffet lunch at Rodizio is Php790++ and dinner is Php990++

Rodizio Rooftop Grill
Holiday Inn Hotel Rooftop
Mimosa Leisure Estate
Clark Freeport
+63 45 5998000 loc. 1317

Malaysia: Nasi Kandar, Zouk and more from Kuala Lumpur

Nasi kandar is a steamed rice meal that is originally from Penang. It can be plain or mildly flavored, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes which include fried chicken (ayam goreng), fried squid (sotong goreng), curried spleen, cubed beef, fish roe, or fried prawns. For our last dinner in Kuala Lumpur, we were brought to Nasi Kandar Pelita along Jalan Ampang, a famous and the largest nasi kandar restaurant chain in Malaysia.

But the menu of the restaurant went beyond nasi kandar since it included dishes one would find in a typical mamak stall. Among the dishes we ordered sotong goreng, kicap ayam (chicken in soy sauce), ketam goreng (fried crab), chicken tandoori (chicken marinated in yogurt and seasoned with tandoori masala) with garlic naan, murtabak ayam (chicken murtabak), murtabak kambing (mutton murtabak), and sup ekor (oxtail soup).

Of course, like in any mamak, I always order Horlicks ais for a drink. I wonder when they'll bring back Horlicks to the Philippines.

After dinner, we were brought to Zouk along Jalan Ampang for a preview of KL nightlife. But since it was a weekday, and still early for the party crowd, there wasn't much action. We would have wanted to stay a little longer and wait for the people to come, but unfortunately, we all had to wake up early the next day. So we'll have to save that for another day.

Book now for the Ultimate Pampanga Giant Lantern Festival Tour!

Mark your calendars! The Giant Lantern Festival will be on December 19, 2009! And Ultimate Philippines will be organizing a culinary tour to coincide with the Giant Lantern Festival. We'll be at Everybody's Cafe for breakfast, Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung for lunch and merienda, and attend the world-renowned Giant Lantern Festival in the evening.

Book now because slots are limited! To reserve, e-mail reservations@ultimatephilippines.com or contact Ivan Man Dy at +63 917 3291622.



Also check out the Ultimate Tours 2010 Calendar. Those who reserve for the Ultimate Batanes Culinary and Heritage Tours on or before December 31, 2009 get a Php2,000 discount from the Php34,000 tour price. Remember, the earlier you pay, the better your room at Fundacion Pacita.

Previous tours
Ultimate show-off in Pampanga and Giant Lantern Festival 2007
Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung, Everybody's Cafe and more from Pampanga

Christmas Edition (Issue 4) of Northbound Magazine is out!

We talk about the Belenismo of Tarlac, Giant Lantern Festival, Sinukwan Festival, Christmas shopping and more in Issue 4 of Northbound Magazine, your free quarterly travel guide to North Philippines (Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, the Cordilleras and Central Luzon). It will be available in hotels, restaurants and information centers around the region beginning next week. This magazine is a publication of the North Philippines Visitors Bureau. You can download the online version here.

Previous issues
Issue 1 (Q1 2009)
Issue 2 (Q2 2009)
Issue 3 (Q3 2009)

Malaysia: Genting Higlands and theme park fun at the peak!

Who said Genting Highlands is all about casinos? The Genting Theme Park in Genting Highlands is one exciting Malaysian destination for the young and young at heart. I really don't visit theme parks on my own. So when Tourism Malaysia invited us over to Genting Theme Park, why would I refuse?

For a change, we tried public transportation going to Genting Highlands. In fact, there are many ways to catch a bus to Genting Highlands. Buses depart from One Utama, KL Sentral, Puduraya, and Pasarakyat among other places. But these buses go through KL traffic and we were advised one of the fastest ways of getting to Genting Highlands was to catch the bus at the Terminal Putra in Gombak which is on one end of the Kelana Jaya (Pink) Line of the RapidKL LRT. So if you're in a hurry, this is one option.

We left after rush hour since we didn't want to join the KL commuter crush. From Terminal Putra, you can catch the bus to Genting Highlands. But in our case, our van picked us up there and brought us to the terminal of the Genting Skyway, said to be the longest and fastest cable car in Asia, for our trip up to Genting Highlands.

We went straight to the Genting Theme Park as soon as we got there. Given that the weather was unpredictable, we decided to go for the outdoor rides first and reserved the indoor rides for the afternoon since it usually rained later in the day.

Of course, our priority was the park's signature rides which included the Flying Coaster and Space Shot. The Flying Coaster is a roller coaster. But instead of sitting down, you lie on your stomach face down, which gives you a sensation of flying. While the Space Shot is a 185-foot drop that gives you a few seconds of weightlessness.

After our second ride, it started to rain. So we moved indoors and had lunch at the Penang Food Village, one of the many restaurants in the area. From the restaurant window, one could see Kuala Lumpur down below (it's the same view from the top of the Space Shot). Our food inlcuded fried kuay teow, mee mamak, kuay teow soup, asam laksa, lobak and rojak.

Later in the afternoon, since the rains didn't stop, we tried out the bump cars and another signature attraction of Genting Highlands which is Snow World. The Sports Unlimited crew was also shooting inside which explains our TV appearance some weeks back.

Anyway, after more rides and some shopping (believe it or not, they can have good bargains there in Genting), we had to rush back to KL for a dinner appointment. We took the Genting Skyway back down where our van was waiting for us. If only we could have stayed longer, there were more rides we wanted to try out!

Related entries
Sunway Lagoon, a premier Malaysian theme park
BOH Tea Plantation and more from Cameron Highlands

Singapore: Singapore's version of bak kut teh

Bak kut teh is not only found in Malaysia. In fact, Singapore has its own version of this "pork bone tea" as bak kut teh is translated in English. The difference though is that the Malaysian version is dark while the Singapore version is light.

Singapore Bak kut teh is a Teochew-style broth with garlic and fresh peppers as the main ingredient while Malaysian bak kut teh is a Hokkien-style herbal pork broth, a complex mixture of several herbs and spices boiled with pork ribs for hours. And one of the best versions of Singapore bak kut teh can be enjoyed at Founder Bak Kut Teh Restaurant.

If the number of photos of celebrities who've been to the restaurant that are posted on the walls of the place is an indicator of how popular this bak kut teh restaurant is, then it must be good! It surely did not disappoint. We also ordered braised pork trotters to go with our soup.

Founder Bak Kut Teh Restaurant
347 Balestier Road, Singapore
+65 63526192

Related entries
Klang's legendary bak kut teh
Bah kut teh, chicken rice and more food from Kuala Lumpur

Singapore: Holland Village's eateries and watering holes

Holland Village is a small commercial enclave that has become a popular area for younger Singaporeans and expats. Known for its eateries and watering holes, among the many establishments you could find there include bars and up-market dining options, a 24-hour kopitiam, a market, and a food court that features both local and western dishes. I was there in 2007 and got to try out a lot of the local fare courtesy of my Singaporean friends.

Laksa is a dish of rice noodles, shrimps, cockles, fish cake and chilli paste in thick coconut-based soup. Katong laksa, which originated from the Katong area of Singapore, is sometimes referred to as Singapore's national dish by many of its fans. So while in Holland Village, we tried out the Katong laksa! Take note that Katong laksa is served with a spoon alone (no need for chopsticks) since the noodles are cut up into small pieces.

We also had Nasi lemak which is usually composed of coconut rice with omelette, anchovies (ikan bilis), peanuts, cucumber, sambal, and sometimes fried chicken. In Holland Village, you can point what viand you want to include in your Nasi lemak (you basically pay for what you get) from a wide selection of dishes. Everything is placed on top of brown wax paper and served with the coconut rice.

The eating just didn't stop and when I thought it was all over, we got sting ray, chicken wings and satay.