Merry Christmas!

Christmas is definitely a busy, tiring but joyful season. 

We had a lot of external preparations to do. Buy gifts for our loved ones and of course for our special one. :D  But the gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas and let us don't forget the true meaning of Christmas. "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" :)

McHappy Day Fun Run

This year's fund raising activity for McHappy Day is a Fun Run entitled "Ready. Set. Read". The beneficiary is the Bright Minds Read (BMR) program of the Ronald McDonald House Charities. It aims to provide beginning reading curricula and tools for grade one public school students all over the country.

We joined this event to help children and to have a good exercise and bonding with the family. We joined the 3K category and finished it in 38mins, not bad... :D This was held at Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

Personalized McDo t-shirts ♥

Since it has no singlet, we provided our own stylish and customized t-shirts for this fun run.

Gary Estrada and Family

We also spotted some celebrity and PBA players during this event and got the chance to have pictures with them.

With Kenneth Duremdes and Alex Compton

This was indeed a Fun Run, where all took part for enjoyment rather than competition. :D

Pizza in a Cone

 

You may be used to eating pizza as a square, a triangle, or a small circle, but now, New Age Food Concepts, Inc. introduces a new shape that goes well for people on the go! As another way of reintroducing "wraps", they presents a new way to enjoy pizza! It was already featured in different TV stations but we just tried it recently.

 

We ordered Everything but the sink in Amazing Cones located at Robinson's Galleria and it was good. Soft, chewy dough is molded into a cone and filled with different ingredients. Everything but the sink pizza cone contained pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef, mushrooms, pineapple, bell pepper, onions, olives, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. 

It wasn’t a long wait till you get your order as it was freshly cooked. What we like about it is the cheesy part, and the part that our hands won’t get messy from eating the pizza. Because of the cone shaped and the wrapper that they have, it’s very easy to eat. You can eat it even walking. Our only complaint was the size of the cone. They were too small; we didn't even get partially full.  ;p

 

For more info you can visit their website: www.amazingcones.com

Fun-Filled Experience at Star City

Star City is situated in the northwestern part of Pasay. It is the most popular theme park and adventure park in the city, it's also a place of fun and entertainment for the whole family.

URC's Family Fun Day last October 23, 2010 is indeed fun and exciting. Our plan is to try all of Star City's rides, but it is impossible because there is always a lot of people there (what's new?), so here's our 5 most favorite thrilling rides that we enjoyed. :)

Star Flyer - Feet up! Wooohooo!

First is Star Flyer, one of Star City's heart pumping rides, which is the Philippines' first and only inverted roller coaster. It has 1-1/2 loops to be navigated in a 70-second run and has been dubbed as the biggest scream machine. Weeee!

Wild River

Second is Wild River, which is Enchanted Kingdom's Jungle Log Jam counterpart.

4D Theater

Fourth is the 4D Theater. It was our first time to experience 4D and it was really cool and awesome!!! It seems like we're one of the characters. We chose to watch "Haunted Forest" which they said  "the best" and it really is. :)

Viking

Fourth is Viking, Star City's counterpart of Enchanted Kingdom's Anchor's Away.
 

Pirates Adventure

And Fifth is Pirate Adventure, a sweeping action-packed boat ride set amidst villainous buccaneers scavenging the seas. Members of Black Pearl Philippines led by Capt. Jack Sparrow and the Pirate Queen will be on hand to set sail and lead you on their quest for the park’s hidden treasures of fun and excitement. This swashbuckling Pirate Adventure was just opened this October 2010.

Aside from these five, we also enjoyed Winter Funland, Super Telecombat, Bumper Cars, Wacky Worm, Blizzard, Grand Carousel, Kilabot ng Mummy, Peter Pan, Time Tunnel and Magic Forest.

FOR INFORMATION

Star City Park Schedule:

Monday to Thursday : 4PM to 11PM
Friday to Sunday: 2PM to 12MN

Star City Entrance Fees (Php):

Entrance Only – 60.00

Winter Funland – 120.00
Pirate Adventure – 50.00
4D Theater - 120.00

Lazer Bluster - 100.00

Ride-All-You-Can – 350.00

Island Cove Food Trip

Aside from the beautiful attractions of Island Cove, they also have a variety of delicious menu at their Cafes and Restaurants. We tried their Big Five Pizza, Southern Fried Chicken and Buffet Breakfast.

Feasting on the Big Five Pizza!

Big Five Pizza - A very tasty Pizza topped with pepperoni, sweet hot Italian sausage, mushroom, onion and pepper, with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese in the crust. At Php240.00 the four of us shared this  large 8-sliced delicious snack, a bit expensive but it's all worth it.

Yummy

Southern Fried Chicken - Lightly breaded crispy chicken cutlets served with mojos and creamy garlic dip. For only Php220.00 we enjoyed this 4 big pieces of crispy and flavorful southern style fried chicken. We also ordered it together with rice which is a bit expensive at a price of Php40.00 per cup.

Buffet Breakfast

We were entitled to a buffet breakfast for two at one of their Restaurants, the Sangley Point, where we really indulged on their buffet menu. They have fried rice, fried bangus, adobong manok, longganisa, fresh garden salad, different types of bread like cinnamon rolls and pandesal, you can also have eggs cooked the way you want, fresh fruits and fruit juices, puddings, and our all time favorite, Churros con chocolate! :D

Island Cove Experience

Island Cove is known to be the pioneer in the tourism industry with respect to the introduction of a multitude of attractions that lure both local and foreign visitors. The existing facilities available to its guests are the Hotel, the Oceania Water Park, the Animal Island, the Island Songs KTV, the paintball arena and airsoft game site, the Fishing Village, the petting zoo, and the Island Spa. Island Cove’s other well-loved trademarks include the outdoor giant chess set, the playground, and Concert Grounds just to name a few.

Island Cove's Top View

Last October 9 we decided to celebrate our 50th monthsary of Love in this man-made island in Kawit, Cavite. This 36-hectare resort and hotel has a variety of activities and leisure for all ages. It's also a good place to chill and unwind while enjoying its beautiful sceneries and relaxing ambiance away from the hectic lifestyle of the city. :)

The first attraction that we visited is the Animal Island! 

Animal Island is the largest animal sanctuary in Cavite. It is home to different species of reptiles, mammals and birds. Have a chance to feed crocodiles, monkeys, and come face to face with ostriches,cassowary, deers, bearcats and Bengal tigers.

After exploring Animal Island, we proceed to the Bike Station to enjoy the Island's view while biking.

Breakfast at Sangley Point...

On our second day, after we had a buffet breakfast at Sangley Point we went fishing at the "Fishing Village". It is the biggest and most exciting fishing arena in Kawit, Cavite. It is a 3-hectare fishing ground and you can have your catch cooked exactly the way you want or you can just bring it home, which ever you prefer, but unfortunately we didn't catch anything...hehehe. Anyways you can also enjoy classic Filipino dishes and fresh fruit shakes while dining in huts on stilts over water.

Welcome to the Fishing Village!

Fishing Time!

Island Cove's Electric Tram

Also, Island Cove has a zero-emission Electric Tram that is used to transport vacationers from one point of the 36-hectare land to another.

Another is the Oceania Water Park, which is the most exhilarating water attraction in Cavite. It has a 3,000 square meter two-layered swimming pool with four giant slides. Inside the Oceania Water Park complex is Kiddie Cove, a wading pool for children. It has slides fountains and showers that will surely excite the little ones just like us...hehehe. Oceania added two more exciting water adventures: Walk on Water Aqua Balls, where you can roll inside the giant, inflatable spheres, and Target Shooting, a paintball shooting area. You can also take pleasure in a game of table tennis, beach volleyball or target shooting while taking a break from the pool.

The Giant Chess piece, reminded us of wizard chess in Harry Potter movie. :)

The Paintball Field, also the airsoft game site.

Front of Island Cove Hotel

It has a very accommodating and luxurious hotel wherein we stayed overnight. Perfect to relieve and relax your tired body after venturing the Island's different attractions.

For more information on Island Cove, click here

"L Po-yo caca- Lo-co"

El Pollo Loco, pronounced “L Po-yo Lo-co” and Spanish for “The Crazy Chicken". They specialize in Mexican food and chicken as their specialty (which you might have already guessed from the name of the place). It only has two branches here in the Philippines, one in SM Megamall and the other is in Mall of Asia. For more info, check their website: http://www.elpolloloco.com/

On Sunday afternoon, we did our weekend habit which is going to the mall and food tripping. This time we tried El Pollo Loco's Flame-grilled chicken together with Spanish rice, Corn Cobbettes, Fries, and their fresh salsa which you can have mild or hot. We also had leche flan and fruit salad as dessert.

Flame-Grilled Chicken

And don't forget to stop by their Salsa Bar where you’ll find their famous House Salsa, Avocado Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Salsa Roja! All are prepared fresh everyday. Their salsa bar is a great way to add different flavors to your favorite menu selections.

Fresh Salsa

For those who don't prefer rice, you can also try their flour tortillas which are trans-fat free. What to do is shred their flame-grilled chicken, then put in on a warm flour tortilla, top it off with fresh salsa and corn, wrap it up and there it goes! Yummy!

Flour Tortillas

We ♥ Mang Inasal

If you are a RICE LOVER, Mang Inasal is the place for you, where you can enjoy unlimited rice while savoring their special Chicken Inasal. Mang Inasal is the Philippine's fastest growing barbeque fast food chain, serving chicken, pork barbeque and other Filipino favorites, and was first established on December 12, 2003 in Iloilo City. They have now 294 branches nationwide. Equipped with great-tasting Filipino favorites and pocket-friendly prices, Mang Inasal knows that in the end it will win the heart of the masses.

Pecho and rice wrapped in banana leaves

You can choose from a variety of chicken parts such as Leg and Thigh, Breast and Wing or Pecho as they call it. They also have pork inasal, burgers, beef sinigang, bangus sinigang, and a variety of Filipino desserts such as halo-halo, mais con yelo and saging con yelo all topped with ice cream. Tsalap! :)


For Mang Inasal Branches : http://www.manginasal.com/branch.html 

Beef Salisbury

Red Ribbon's Beef Salisbury is made of 100% BEEF generously topped with rich mushroom gravy sauce with smooth and creamy mashed potato and buttered corn and carrots sidings, and it goes well with steamy cup of rice, you don't have to order for extra rice because the meal itself will fill your tummy...Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

Beef Salisbury

You can order it solo, with drinks, or both with drinks and a slice of red ribbon cake which is Php135.00 only and it depends on what cake is available. We chose coffee caramel and white forest as our dessert.

Coffee Caramel Cake

White Forest

WOW Siopao!

One of our favorite merienda, Siopao. But this one is not just your ordinary Siopao. I (Hippo) bought this from a Chinese friend who always go to Chinatown in Binondo. This huge piece of bun costs Php 60.00, but it's worth the price. Three to Four people can share this jumbo siopao, it's like a whopper of Siopaos. It weighs approximately 250-350gms, I think...hehehe...and it is around 6 inches in diameter, I think (again)...hehehe...

This Siopao has an extraordinary flavor and filling, not just your plain asado or bola-bola. It is filled with shrimps, mushrooms, chicken, hard boiled egg, chinese chorizo, and sausage, and it comes with oyster sauce, which gives more appetizing flavor. It is best with coffee or hot choco. Yum! :)

WOW SIOPAO!

Siopao Facts:

Siopao (sio-pau) is  a Hokkien term for baozi, literally meaning steamed buns. It is also called salapao in Thailand.

It is a popular food item in the Philippines. It does not require utensils to eat and can be consumed on-the-go. Like baozi, there are several siopao stuffing varieties which could be either Asado or bola-bola that may use pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or salted duck eggs.

Four Years of Love

When years are passing by like days,
and in my hand your hand is placed,
a knowing smile crosses your face,
a simple touch can still make my heart race.

When I can see my soul in your eyes,
and you see your soul in mine we realize,
that a love so deep can harbor no lies,
where our only tears shed were happy tears we've cried.

I love you as much now as I ever did before,
  and as time pass by, I may even love you more,
all starting from a feeling we did not ignore,
a feeling of connection we chose to explore.

I don't know what it is that you saw in me,
what I saw in you was the utmost happiness
that can ever be,
I can still smile and say with love and
truth Luv, I looove you sooo much...Happy 4th Anniversary! ♥

Churros Con Chocolate!

Churros are a Spanish pastry that is like long donuts and commonly dipped in thick chocolate, that’s why it is known as “Churros con Chocolate”. It is our favorite treat at Dulcinea. For only Php 98 you can indulge yourself on 5 pieces of golden looped strips of batter. Dulcinea’s churros are crisp then slowly turns chewy as you eat them. It also comes with a demitasse of hot and dark semi-sweet chocolate that’s sooooo rich and heavenly!

 

The way it was arranged made it look classy and tempting.

 

It has almost no taste, not even sweet enough but when you dip it into the chocolate sauce, it becomes a perfect combination! The more you dip it into the chocolate the more it becomes delicious.

Churros Fast Facts:

• originated in Spain; referred to as Spanish doughnuts
• got its name from its shape, which resembles the horns of the Churro breed of sheep reared in the Spanish grasslands of Castile
• are typically fried until they become crunchy
• normally eaten for breakfast or as a snack dipped in hot chocolate or sprinkled in sugar and cinnamon
  
• has a ridged surface due to having been piped from a churrera, a syringe with a star-shaped nozzle
• are often sold by street vendors, who often will fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them hot

 

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Bohol Escapade: Day 3-4

On our 3rd day in Bohol, we started out early for our boat tour. We woke up at around 4:30  am to have our breakfast before heading out to the motorized boat at around 5:30 am. A typical boat tour package includes dolphin watching early in the morning followed by island hopping in Balicasag and Virgin Island.

Ready for the Dolphin Watching

It took us around 30 minutes to reach the site where the dolphins are. It is in the middle of Panglao and Balicasag island. Our guide said  that dolphin numbers start to dwindle at around 6:00 - 8:00 am, so don't be late. There are already plenty of motorized boats in the vicinity chasing dolphins but luckily, there are still lots of dolphins around. We were so entertained on the dolphins show that's why we're not able to take their pictures. We didn’t spend a lot of time watching the dolphins and after about 30 minutes we headed out to Balicasag Island which is a 20-minute ride.

 

Balicasag Island

Balicasag Island is marine sanctuary and offers plenty of dive spots around it. It was about 9:00 am when we reached the beach near the fish sanctuary and dropped our things in one of the cottages. The beach is not that impressive with its rough sands and small rocks but you will definitely love the sanctuary. We just rested for a while and started our snorkeling experience.

Snorkeling Experience

We really wished that we brought an underwater camera with us here because the sights are really mind-blowing.  It is difficult to describe the feeling when you are surrounded by so many fish and seeing the play of beautiful colors of the reefs. There are instances when you will be greeted by big fish and there is even fish, the colorful one, which simply pick on you and wont let up. After almost an hour, we got tired from snorkeling and asked to be brought back to the beach. We just rested again for a while and ready to go to Virgin Island! ♥

The Virgin Island

From Balicasag Island, Virgin Island is a 40-minute boat ride. It is an uninhabited boomerang-shaped island. It is just, by far the most breathtaking beach on earth. Pristine waters and that long curved stretch of powder-like white sand connecting the island, it's simply the best!

We can't help but Jump for Joy!

The place was like a paradise!

Smile! ♥

Not much to do in the island other than enjoy walking on the fine sand and taking pictures. After taking pictures we decided to have our lunch at the island. The water here is full of sea grass so it’s not really ideal for swimming. There are also sea urchin vendors because you can catch a lot of it near the island. 

At around 1:00 pm it’s time for us to head back to our resort and spend the rest of the afternoon swimming at the pool.

Back at Alona Land Resort

The next morning, on our 4th day, we again enjoyed swimming and eating. Our flight back home was scheduled at 3:00pm but we will be picked up by our van service at 2:00 pm so we spent our last few hours taking pictures at the resort.

While waiting for the van

We will surely miss Bohol’s peaceful and serene environment, it’s friendly people, beautiful white beaches and mouth watering food! We’ll be back! :D

 

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