As a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, Kathmandu Durbar Square attracts throngs of locals and tourists alike that makes it an ideal place for hawkers to sell their goods. This post gives a glimpse of the fascinating shopping scene in one of the busiest, most crowded attraction I’ve seen in Kathmandu so far.
These sellers set up their mats by the entrance of Durbar Square everyday. Close of business is usually at around 7pm.
You get a whole range of trinket selections. These pendants are supposedly from Tibet. Some had meanings that the hawker was trying to explain but I didn’t quite get.
More souvenir items from Nepal…
I was with a Buddhist Thai friend who had to buy Thangka (Tibetan silk painting with embroidery) for her mom depicting a medicine buddha. This signifies good health for the family. We went to this small shop in the heart of Kathmandu Durbar Square with a sign boasting that they are ‘featured in most travel guide books.’
They also sell these local food like our pan de sal in the Philippines…
…and have a version of our very own ‘dirty ice cream’
As soon as I got out of the Tribuvhan International Airport in Kathmandu, the chaos – sight, sound and smell – around me seemed to evoke memories of my first arrival in Uganda a couple of years back. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there really is something about Kathmandu that I find very similar to Kampala (capital city of Uganda).
Maybe it’s the fact that it’s dry and dusty or the crazy honking of cars and motorcycles as pedestrians mindlessly cross roads while vehicles weave in and out of traffic or that the electricity goes off every so often (load-shedding/ brownouts/blackouts of 16 hours in a day at most).
I have been told countless stories of how it is like this side of the world but really experiencing what it has to offer is a whole different thing. This is the first time I ever set foot in a South Asian country. No words can ever describe how my first impressions are. Everything still looks surreal.
Since we have more than 12 hours of transit in Bangkok en route to Kathmandu via Thai Airways, it was important for us to find a place to stay where we can rest and have a good night’s sleep. We found out from the internet that there is a day room hotel just within Suvarnabhumi Airport called Louis Tavern Day Rooms. We’ve never stayed here before (which was probably a good thing) but like they say, there’s always a first time for everything.
We got a double room good for 10 hours which looks like this –
Pretty cozy eh? Especially when you compare the atmosphere to the airport scene just outside our room’s window –
The room also comes with free snacks and buffet breakfast –
as well as a hot shower right inside the airport!
The catch? This little airport luxury sets your travel budget back at USD197 for 10 hours. Minimum allowed stay in the Louis Tavern Day Room will cost you around USD115 but only for stay of 6 hours. Not such a good idea when leisure travelling on a budget but great for stress-free business travels! Hehe. We will definitely stay in another hotel on our way back to Manila :p
We’re leaving for Nepal today. After months of training and travel planning, our Nepal holiday will finally start today. It will take us 2 days – today and tomorrow – to travel to Kathmandu alone (Thai Airways flight has a stopover in Bangkok). We are expected to arrive in Kathmandu mid-day tomorrow.
During the weekend, we once again scoured outdoor shops for additional gears we will be bringing along for our trek. It was important for us to bring thermal clothing that are water-resistant AND lightweight. Majority of the gears we bought were from Columbia. We even got to be certified Columbia Titanium card holder because of our ‘loyalty’ to the brand. We hope Columbia lives up to expectations during our trek in the Himalayas. And we do promise to give a gear review after our trip along with the other gears we bought (e.g., North Face, Aigle, Habagat) from ROX.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we will be safe and sound (and comfortable!) throughout the trek. In the meantime, cheers to pad thai and tom yum soup as we take time to relax in Bangkok first before the next great adventure of our lifetime!
Last Sunday, we went with a group of friends and family to see the long-anticipated return of Avenue Q in the Philippines. Mr. Rono managed to catch the first run of this Tony Award-winning musical play here in Manila back in 2007. He was so amused by the play that he bought the soundtrack home with him. His little sister was particularly fascinated by the play’s music. Maybe it did have a ring of Sesame Street songs to it, albeit more mature, but the music particularly appealed to this grade schooler. So when we told her we are bringing her to see Avenue Q last Sunday we were met with big, loud cheers! This was gonna be our pre-graduation gift to her as she enters high school next term.
Avenue Q is hugely entertaining! Not just the music and the funny lines (politically-incorrect most of the time but that’s why we love Avenue Q!), the performers were certainly astounding and awe-inspiring starting from Rachel Alejandro (pre-school teacher Katie Monster/seductive Lucy the Slut), Felix Rivera (new graduate Princeton/closet queen Rod) and Joel Trinidad (pervert Trekkie Monster, bum roommate Nicky and one of the Big Idea Bears). Aiza Seguerra as forgotten child star Gary Coleman, Frenchie Dy as a Japanese psycho-therapist Christmas Eve (with songs like The More You Ruv Someone) and Calvin Millado as an aspiring stand up comic with Thea Tadiar in a supporting role were also sheer delight to watch.
Acting and singing (sometimes for two characters in one scene!) while holding a puppet is no easy feat. The cast delivered their stellar performance like one well-oiled machine and Mr. Rono’s little sister had the time of her life all throughout the play with shy giggles and heartfelt laughter scene by scene! The talented cast really had us all stupidly grinning throughout the show
Avenue Q is on its final run this week until March 27. If you want to catch Rachel Alejandro and Felix Rivera in their next musical, don’t miss out on Xanadu! This surprise broadway hit musical will be brought to the Philippines for the first time this September and we are oh so excited to see it. Rachel and Felix is again paired as the two lead stars – Clio the Greek muse and Sonny the struggling artist. Their encounter will lead Sonny to achieve the greatest creation of his life – a roller disco! Yes, the performers will be on skates onstage and Felix says this is gonna be one uber-fun musical! Do catch the show this September! Check out www.xanadumanila2010.blogspot.com for ticketing details
Last Saturday, we were at Fort Bonifacio for our usual weekend work-out in preparation for the Nepal trek. Mr. Rono wanted to let loose on his bike so he hit the route within Fort Bonifacio we call AFP Trail. I, on the other hand, did not feel like biking so I instead went to Boni High Street, parked my car and did some running.
I soon stumbled upon an event happening in the Fort Boni Open Field called the Nestea Fit Camp Hot and decided to check it out. For only Php50, I got an all-access pass to all the ‘classes’ offered like Beach Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Touch Football, Hip Hop, Beach Basketball, Flag Football, Yoga, Zips. Since I was waiting for Mr. Rono anyway, I decided to join the Yoga class which was slated for 1.5 hours. That pretty much got me preoccupied until Mr. Rono arrived from his biking session
I’m glad we got to catch the Nestea Fit Camp Hot before its final schedule on March 27! Some more pictures from my phone camera:
P50 all-access pass comes with one cool Nestea iced tea bottle!
This was one short Guimaras getaway so we were already packing our bags soon after we arrived! Instead of a motorcycle taxi (habal-habal), we opted to use the tricycle (3-wheeler) on our way to Jordan Wharf from Brgy. Alibuhod in Guimaras. This ride would have cost us something like Php250 but we successfully negotiated it down to Php150 including one stopover in Trappist Monastery. The young tricycle driver seemed joyful with the thought of us stopping over at the monastery.
I was interested to drop by because the locals strongly recommend bringing home pasalubong from their store. So off we went and finally got to Trappist Monastery making a beeline for their gift shop. This store is the Guimaras counterpart of Good Shepherd in Baguio. Except for the fact that…wait…the shop was really manned by monks! And monks dressed heavily from head to toe despite the uber-humid summer heat!
Purchasing the products I decided to bring home, mostly mango bars and mango jam, I managed to strike a conversation with the monk behind the counter (I was shy, I didn’t know if they would be accommodating with small chats). Turns out he has been with the monastery for 7 years now. He used to be a civil servant, working for a national government agency, before he decided he wanted the sanctuary a monk’s life provides, devoting his life to prayer and work within the monastery.
Our tricycle driver took us to see the Chapel within the Trappist Monastery and suggested we meet a monk that we can talk to about prayer intentions. We had a long conversation with a monk who gave us an idea what they do within the monastery and the help they extend to communities. I saw boxes and boxes of medicine in one corner of the room available to those who need them. He asked us to write down our prayer intentions and that they welcome donations. All the sob stories I heard over the last hour makes anyone feel generous about giving this humble people more resources for their service to the community. Before we left, the monk gave a bag of rice to our tricycle driver. I felt better about leaving Guimaras at this note.
Accommodations are available within the Trappist Monastery for tourists. Contact Fr. Bruno Mendoza (09184212852 / 033-5813385) for rates and reservations
While staying in Raymen Beach Resort in Brgy. Alibuhod of Guimaras, I soon found out that there are more little islands of Guimaras that are waiting to be explored. So we hopped on a boat and set sail to our first destination – Sea Turtle Sanctuary!
There were about 7 sea turtles in captivity when we visited the site. One is the green sea turtle shown in the picture above and which I attempted to carry by myself but failed! That pawikan must have weighed about 15 kilos! The other species was a Hawksbill turtle which the caretaker opted not to show up close because of its rough back. They were saying they had an endangered Olive Ridley just a few months ago but was already released into the ocean. The caretaker tell stories about these released turtles sometimes being sighted near the sanctuary and about olden times where grilling of turtle meat is a common sight around the guimaras area. The visit to the turtle sanctuary is free but they do welcome donations to pay for the turtles’ medicines and food (they log every donation in their book!).
Next stop is Ave Maria Island, an islet with a pristine white sands beach and an ideal place to go snorkeling because of its low water level and abundant fish schools.
That’s Nemo and Gill! The fishes came from another boat with tourists who said they bought it in one of the islands. I asked where they intend to take it and how far can it be transported. Turns out they were just from Iloilo and they intend to put Nemo and Gill in their aquarium. Poor fishes! I hope they do survive the trip in that bag.
Our next destination from Ave Maria island was Baras Island. Before reaching the island, our boatmen steered us into a cave first –
We did take a dip in the water inside the Baras Cave. The water was deep in some parts of the cave but we stayed close to where the boat was parked in that rocky area of the cave. We would have stayed longer if not for a very close encounter of my travel companion with a 2-feet long banded sea snake who swam past her legs as we were chatting by the rocks which made us scurry to higher ground as fast as we can. I would have loved to get a photo of the harmless creature but we left our camera in the boat and the sea snake went about his business foraging for food out of the cave mindless of the panic it caused in our group
The sea snake sighting was a cue for us to pack up and head on to Baras Island. By this time though, I was really feeling the heat of the sun as we come close to mid-day. So we simply asked our boatman to just sail pass the islands as we contend ourselves with taking photos at sea.
That’s Fairy Castle island (private) and a cottage along Baras Beach. It was the perfect day for an island-hopping activity. The 2-hour boat ride cost us Php 550 (plus tip for the boatmen). Good thing about island-hopping, Guimaras-style, is that they have a boat association with standard rates of Php 300 for 1 hour and an additional Php150 for each succeeding hours. Just make sure to bring your own snacks and water bottles to tide you over during the island-hopping in wonderful Guimaras islands!
I have little idea what to expect island-hopping in Guimaras. Before this trip, I only know Guimaras for two things – export-quality mangoes and the unfortunate oil spill in 2006! I had the chance to go for a very short vacation to the quaint island of Guimaras – lest I miss the famous beach scene of sunny Philippines while Mr. Rono and I take the summer path less travelled in the Himalayan ranges this year. I was firstly surprised how easy it was to get to Guimaras from Iloilo. For only Php13, you can take a boat from mainland Panay to the island of Guimaras. Boat trips for Jordan, Guimaras are readily available at the port area until 7:00pm. No need to worry about schedules because there are always trips available as long as the boat capacity of 46 persons are met.
From the port of Jordan, you can catch any of the public transportation to take you anywhere within the island. The most convenient (and exciting!) would be a taxi motorcycle. We happened to arrive at Jordan around 5:30pm and had no idea that the beach resort where we are staying was about 15km from the port (about an hour’s ride from the Jordan Wharf), we opted to go for a motorcycle taxi to bring us there faster. I can only count the number of times I’ve actually ridden a motorcycle taxi (also called habal-habal in the Philippines) and this one in Guimaras is naturally memorable for me. It doesn’t help that our driver would talk about witchcraft in the Panay area during the ride. The fact that we were riding off with a spectacular view of the Guimaras sunset is especially unforgettable. Here I am trying to document the sunset while on the motorcycle as best as I can!
We stayed in a beachfront resort called Raymen Beach Resort found in Brgy. Alibuhod which was highly recommended by locals in both Iloilo and Guimaras. I am guessing it’s the most famous and reliable (maybe most accessible as well?) resort in the island. One good thing about the resort’s location is that it is not directly in the area of the oil spill and, of course, the fact the beach is just a few steps away from our simple cabana. I was pleasantly surprised to meet a fisherman by the beach on my usual morning beach walks hawking his catch for the day. He was trying to sell to me his harvest of fish and lobster (which looked really big and yummy!) for only Php 1,600.
Since there was no way I could take those home with me to Manila or eat it all during my stay in the resort, I graciously declined (meaning, I had to say NO over 10 times!). But I have to admit that the seafood selection in the beach of Guimaras is much more exciting than what I have witnessed in Ilocos Norte almost 6 months ago. Raymen Beach Resort offers accommodation ranging from Php600-Php2,000 per room, per night. They also have a restaurant that serves good food at decent prices (considering they almost have a monopoly of sorts in this area!). We had to try the world-famous mangoes which was sold a bit expensive at Php80/kilo –
and sampled the available seafood in their menu such as this crabs in garlic and butter for only Php 130 (half-kilo) –
Yum! As far as I know, Raymen is the only place where you can get food this good in this part of Guimaras. We tried looking for other options along the beach but the only other place we saw was a small shack which only served mostly instant noodles and 3-in-1 coffee mix
Ultimate adventurer and famed mountaineer Romi Garduce gives a thumbs-up sign for the Roaming Ronos as we embark on our great trek over the Gokyo Valley (even if our goal of 5,483-m Gokyo Valley climb may be dwarfed with his 8,848-m feat summiting Mt. Everest in 2006).
According to juice.ph (cover story for March 2010 issue), Romi is the first Filipino to climb an 8000-meter peak, one of the first three Filipinos to summit Mt. Everest and the current Filipino record-holder in the quest to climb the world’s Seven Summits (he’s climbed six out of a total of eight peaks in two different lists).
More conveniently, he is working in the same company as Mr. Rono! So at least, we get first-hand advice and tips for Nepal travel (he gave us contacts of his sherpa during his climb!). We also get heads up on what to expect while doing a high-altitude climb in the Himalayan mountain range (altitude mountain sickness, especially!).
Truth be told, altitude mountain sickness is basically what scares me most with this climb because I know that it’s not the greatest feeling in the world. I had some sort of an experience on it while travelling in Ethiopia a few years back (Addis Ababa is located at an altitude of 8,300 feet and I spent hours on the toilet because I was always felt like I had to throw up – and I did a lot of times!). Romi said AMS really causes serious health problems, even for healthy travelers.
AMS or not, we’re still really psyched for this climb! Thanks Romi for inspiring us to see the real outdoors and may our spirit of adventure live on!
