Island hopping around Bacuit Bay in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon

My family visited El Nido, Palawan to celebrate my dad's birthday. We landed in Puerto Princesa and drove five hours north to El Nido. 

Bacuit Bay

There are four standard tour routes for going island hopping around Bacuit Bay in El Nido, labelled Tour A to D. We took Tour A which visits Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, and 7 Commandos Beach, but opted to have lunch at the more private Banana Beach instead of Payong-Payong Beach.

7 Commandos Beach

7 Commandos Beach

We've been told Tour A and C are the best. Here are the itineraries of the four Bacuit Bay tours but they can slightly vary:

Tour A: Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, 7 Commando Beach, Payong-Payong Beach

Tour B: Snake Island, Entalula Island, Cudugnon Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island, Cathedral Cave

Tour C: Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Talisay Beach 

Tour D: Ipil Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Pasandigan Cave, Bukal Beach, Natnat Beach, Paradise Beach

El Nido Town

Celebrating 20 years of Ivan About Town!

Twenty years ago, I wrote the first entry of my travel blog at a hostel in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I silently remembered that milestone two weeks ago as I flew from Seville back to Paris after witnessing the Semana Santa processions of the city. Looking back, I have so much to be grateful for. And this blog definitely opened a lot of doors.

I started my blog while I was an MBA student at the University of the Philippines. I've always wanted to explore and discover new things and made it a point to find free time during weekends or school breaks to move around. As they say, travel is the best education. Even as I travel today, I continue to absorb information that I am able to apply in the work that I do.

The goal previously was to see as much as I could, starting with our own country. Hence, I made it a mission to visit all provinces of the Philippines. But more than just saying that I was able to visit all the provinces in the country, I made sure that I became an advocate of the communities that I met and interacted with.

Naturally, the next goal was to visit all the countries of the world. But as the years went by, things have changed. I entered the academe fulltime and later left the Philippines to pursue my PhD at Purdue University on a Fulbright scholarship. And since I was a student again, I found time to travel and was able to visit all fifty states of the US.

Now back in the country and gratefully giving back to the nation that supported my education, I find myself at the forefront of heritage conservation and policy in both government and the private sector. While it would have been nice to visit all the countries in the world, my focus has shifted to legacy building and leaving lasting impacts in communities that I work with. If I get to see new countries in the process, that would be a bonus for me.

We only live once. And let's make that life matter. Thank you, everyone, for being part of my journey!

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Mercado Central de Atarazanas in Málaga, Spain

 

Mercado Central de Atarazanas is the largest food market in Málaga, the capital of Spain's Costa del Sol. Freshly caught seafood (so fresh it's still moving) is the major product at the market at this coastal city. But there's a lot more than that including olives, spices, cured meats, cheeses, and fruits and vegetables. 

The current structure was completed in 1879. It was the site of 14th century Nasrid shipyards and the monumental gates were preserved as part of the current building. It was also a warehouse, arsenal, military hospital and barracks before being converted into a market. It's a perfect fusion of 14th century Mudejar architecture with 19th century industrial design.

Ivan About Town celebrates twenty years in 2025!

Happy New Year, everyone! It has been a while since I've written anything on my blog. And so much has happened since my last post. Those following me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram should have seen the major updates, including my appointment as Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and election as Commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, both in Q1 2023. 

Those responsibilities have taken me to even more places as a representative of the Philippines. And I realized that I have so much material from the past decade to post here if I decide to do so. Because Ivan About Town is celebrating it's 20th anniversary in a few months, I'll do just that.

Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkt) in Germany

Christmas markets are a holiday tradition in the German-speaking part of Europe that date back to the Middle Ages. So the best Christmas markets, known locally as Christkindlmarkt or Weihnachtsmarkt, are definitely in Germany. While the markets originated in Germany, they can now be found in many other regions of Europe and among German communities in North America. I got to visit the one in Chicago when I was at Purdue.

During the pandemic, I got to visit several in Germany including the Weihnachtszauber in Gendarmenmarkt and the City-Weihnachtsmärkt at Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), both in Berlin.

Of course, I went there for the food and the Glühwein (mulled wine), especially Feuerzangenbowle (rum-soaked sugarloaf set on fire and dripped into mulled wine). 

At one of the markets, I had Lángos, a deep-fried flatbread that originated from Hungary. I had a simple one topped with butter and garlic. Others are topped with cheese and vegetables.

I also had Handbrot (hand-rolled flatbread) topped with sour cream, bacon, and spring onions.

The Handbrot is baked in a wood-fired oven.

Of course, there are pretzels and sausages. I had a Rostbratwurst.

I also got to visit two Christmas markets in Köln (Cologne). Super crowded despite the pandemic!

At the Weihnachtsmarkt in Aachen, I got to try Reibekuchen (potato pancakes).

Aside from food, you can also get Christmas arts and crafts at the markets.

In Hamburg, we dropped by the Santa Pauli Hamburgs Geilster Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas market of Hamburg's red light district.

I got to try Grünkohl (kale) with Kohlwurst, Bärlauch-Hacksteak (hamburger steak), Currywurst, and Flammkuchen (tarte flambée).

For drinks, I got Eierpunsch (egg punch) made with delicious Eierlikör (egg liqueur) and white wine. While it is sometimes referred to as the German version of eggnog, the difference is that Eierpunsch is made with wine while eggnog is made with milk.

And since it was Christmas, we got some Plätzchen (Christmas cookies) from one of the bakeries in Ulm!

What's your favorite food at German Christmas markets?