Cultural Citizens & North-South Dialogue 2008

As soon as I arrived from Spain (and after speaking at R.O.X. about backpacking), I went straight to our Pre-Departure Orientation for the Cultural Citizens Program and North-South Dialogue 2008. I didn't even have time to rest and get some sleep! The program is sponsored by the US Department of State, Northern Illinois University and IVP Philippines. And thirty young Filipino leaders were selected nationwide from close to 200 applicants to participate in the first batch.

Part of the activities were out-of-town trips hosted by our colleagues. Last Thursday, we were in Lipa City, Batangas. Most of the day was spent at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club. We passed by the farm and stables of the Leviste Family called Levely Manor, before proceeding back to Manila. This was the location of the now defunct Charley's Farm Dining.

One lucky person will win six SEAIR gift-certificates to Busuanga!

We are giving away not one, not two, but six SEAIR gift certificates to Busuanga to one lucky person! This is the biggest give-away of Ivan About Town and the SEAIR Adventure Club ever! You and five friends can fly from Manila to Busuanga with six SEAIR airfare gift certificates up for grabs!

SEAIR has been providing the longest-running uninterrupted service to Busuanga, and now provides the fastest flights with its Dornier 328 aircraft.

So how do you join? All you have to do is tell us why you want to go to Busuanga via SEAIR, by Friday, 20 June 2008, at 8:00 p.m. You can use your personal blog, Multiply, Friendster, or any other social networking site, or any website for that matter for as long as your entry has a link to the SEAIR website. The entry which best captures the attention of our judges will get the 6 gift certificates!

To let us know you joined this contest, post the link of your entry as a comment in SEAIR starts 35-minute flights to Northern Palawan. Like the previous raffle, make sure you place your full name in the name field since you will need a valid ID to claim the tickets if you win. The winner will be notified by e-mail so make sure you double check your e-mail address before submitting your comment. Tickets will be valid from now until 15 October 2008. Good luck!

4D 3N Baler surfing packages for as low as P9,034
For as low as P9,034 per person (double/triple sharing), you can enjoy a 4D 3N surfing trip to Baler, Aurora. All packages include round-trip airfare via Seair (Manila-Baler-Manila); 4 days/3 nights accommodation at Bahia de Baler, Bay's Inn or Amco Beach Resort; daily breakfasts; a half-day surfing lesson; round-trip airport transfers and 12% EVAT. So what are you waiting for? Book now!

For reservations, please call SEAIR-LEP at (632) 843-7308. Rates are subject to change without prior notice.

SEAIR P2,999 all-in promo tickets available until June 2!
SEAIR is offering a special rate of P2,999 roundtrip all-in for flights to Boracay, Busuanga, Baler and Daet from June 16 - October 12, 2008. Selling period is from May 26, 2008 to June 2, 2008.

For inquiries and reservations please call SEAIR reservations at 8490100.

Spain: Crossing the Greenwich Meridian

All good things have to come to an end. I took this photo of the arch marking the Greenwich Meridian while on the way back to Madrid by bus from Barcelona. That's the end of our Spanish adventure. We're now in Doha, Qatar for an eight hour layover before flying back to Manila. But I won't be in Manila for long because in a few days, I'm flying to Chicago!

Spain: Girona along the Riu Onyar

On the way back from Figueres, we made a stopover in Girona, a charming old town along the Onyar River. One of it's imposing landmarks is the Catedral de Santa Maria Mare de Déu said to have the widest Gothic nave in the world at 22.98 m (75.39 ft), and the second widest nave after the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Sad to say, we didn't go inside. It just irks me when they charge an entrance fee to visit a church.

It was a pity we only had an hour to explore the city. Add to the fact that it was raining. And since we arrived during siesta, shops were closed and there was nothing much to see. But it was a well-preserved old town, very much worth the visit.

Spain: Dalí Theatre and Museum in Figueres

If you plan to do an out-of-town trip while in Barcelona, the museum of Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí i Domènech in Figueres is at the top of the list. So for our last full day, we made sure to visit. They say that the Dalí Theatre-Museum is the largest surrealistic object in the world. And inside, one would find the the striking and bizarre images Dalí is known for in his surrealist work

The museum was created by the artist himself while he was still alive in the former Municipal Theatre of his hometown Figueres. The building was destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War and on its ruins, Dalí built his museum.

Indeed, a trip to the museum was a unique experience for me. I got to experience and enjoy the unusual work and thought of this artistic genius. As Dalí himself explained: “It’s obvious that other worlds exist, that’s certain; but, as I’ve already said on many other occasions, these other worlds are inside ours, they reside in the earth and precisely at the centre of the dome of the Dalí Museum, which contains the new, unsuspected and hallucinatory world of Surrealism.”

The museum opened in 1974. He was later buried in a cryot in the museum after his death in 1989. Entrance to the museum is 11€ which includes the Dalí Jewels exhibition. The trip from Barcelona to Figueres is about two hours. Trains leave the Passeig de Gracia and Barcelona Sants station and start at 8,55€ depending on the class and type of train.