Malaysia: Low's Peak of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah (4,095 MASL)

Mount Kinabalu is the rooftop of Borneo and the most prominent peak in Southeast Asia. Words cannot describe how I felt as I stood on Low's Peak, the highest point of Mount Kinabalu at 4,095 meters above sea level. It was a challenge to get up there, an ordeal even. But the view from the top was nothing but breathtaking.



After a previous attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu last year, I finally conquered the mountain during the Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2011. But more than that, I tested my own limits.

This year was extra difficult. Although the weather was expected to be good, the La Niña made everything so unpredictable. So on the way up to the Laban Rata Rest House, we had to deal with rain and the resulting slippery and muddy trail. Just like last year, I slowly inched my way up the steep 6-kilometer trail to Laban Rata for 8 grueling hours as we all know I'm not as physically fit as I should be.


That night in Laban Rata, the 30-member expedition was praying for a miracle, that the skies would clear the next day as we made our assault to the summit. Our prayers were answered. We were gifted with a very beautiful morning.



It was another 2.7 kilometers to the summit. Our group left Laban Rata a few minutes before 3 a.m. and nearly missed the cut-off at the Sayat-Sayat Hut. You have to reach the checkpoint at 5 a.m. But thank God we were allowed to continue despite arriving a few minutes late since the weather was relatively good.


Despite feeling weak and having to bear the chilling cold weather, the grandeur of the summit, and a lot of prodding from my friends, helped me inch my way to the top. As promised, I am posting a photo of myself and Gideon Lasco of Pinoy Mountaineer at Low's Peak.

Pinoy Mountaineer has gone a long way since we created it in 2007. It has changed the face and culture of mountaineering in the Philippines and opened the doors even to non-climbers who simply want to have fun and experience our mountains. And we have Gideon to thank for that! The mountains of the Philippines belong to everyone.



I got to enjoy the view from Low's Peak for quite a while. In fact, I had the summit all to myself since me and my guide were the last to make our way down.



As if reminding us that the clear morning was simply a prayer answered, it started to drizzle as we descended from the summit. Then the drizzle turned into a light rain. The rocks started to get really slippery. And there were portions of the trail were I had to hang on to the rope for my dear life as I maneuvered through a steep cliff.

And then, when we thought things were already bad, the sky opened its floodgates and released a torrential downpour that transformed the trail into a cascading stream. So we had to deal with that from the Laban Rata Rest House all the way down to the Timpohon Gate. But no doubt, those few minutes when the heavens opened for us was worth the effort.



Anyway, for more information on Mount Kinabalu, check out Kinabalu Park & trekking up Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. But with the success of this year's climb and to make it easier for everyone who wants to climb Mount Kinabalu, we're organizing the Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2012. And as early as now, you can reserve slots by e-mailing expeditions@pinoymountaineer.com.



Thank you to all those who joined the Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2011! And thanks to Gideon Lasco, Pam Aquino and Jim Mejia for sharing their photos. For more photos, visit the Ivan About Town Mt. Kinabalu 2011 Facebook album.

Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is Metro Manila’s foodie haven

The next premier district of Metro Manila, Bonifacio Global City (BGC) continues to grow and expand as new sectors are built and with it, the number of restaurants which offer a wide variety of choices for foodies like you and me.

The thing I like about BGC is the wide variety of choices located in different sectors such as Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, The Fort Strip, Burgos Circle and Market Market, among other areas. While many restaurants are on the high end, I consider Market Market one of our best hawker centers in the country where you can get local Philippine street food, dishes, and other local delicacies everyday at their food court. And then there is Mercato Centrale during the weekends.

Another thing I like about BGC is that it’s easily accessible from both EDSA and C5. Plus you don’t have to deal with traffic jams when you’re there, so it’s very easy to move around. I really like scheduling my appointments in BGC since aside from the food there being good, the area is conducive to meetings.

I find myself in BGC quite often for gatherings with friends and colleagues. Here are some of the restaurants I’ve visited:

Mamou
Dinner at Mamou was simply sumptuous. The thing I like about Mamou is that it’s a family run restaurant and the service is very personal.


For starters, we had the Healdsburg’s Salad (Php325) which is greens with sweet tomatoes, topped with glazed pecans, dried cranberries, and cranberry stilton cheese, served with berry vinaigrette.


We also had Lorenzo’s Truffle Cream Pasta (Php385) which is spaghettini served al dente with truffle flavored cream, topped with Grana Padano cheese.


But the piece de resistance for the night was a 28-ounce slice of Dry Aged USDA Prime Grade Bone-in Rib Eye Steak (Php3500). They served it in warm plate swimming in its own fat. Sinful and deadly, but super tender and very flavorful, it was definitely a winner! I’m sure everyone who’s been to Mamou can attest to the fact that they serve some of the best steaks in town.


Steaks also come with two side dishes such as red or white rice in various flavors, creamed spinach, and corn pudding which was my favorite.



To end the night, we had a slice each of Key Lime Pie with “Schlagsahne” (Php180) and Dark Chocolate Sans Rival (Php145).

Note that Mamou is usually fully-booked, so it’s best to reserve. They are very strict with times and have two dinner sittings. The first sitting is from 6 to 8:20 p.m. and the second from 8:30 p.m. onwards. So if you arrive late for the first sitting, don’t expect to stay beyond 8:20 p.m. It’s a testament to how sought after this restaurant is. Mamou is located in Serendra.

Cuillere
Probably one of the best French restaurants in the metro, Cuillere was another dinner to remember. For starters, they serve their really soft mini baguettes with herbed butter which is among their specialties.


Of course, their French Onion Soup (Php225) is to die for. This beef broth with slow-cooked caramelized onions and croutons, topped with Guyere cheese gratin is another bestseller.



For our main courses, we had Seabass on Black Ink Risotto (Php795) and Lamb Riblets (Php495). The seabass is pan-seared and served on risotto with Grana Padano slivers. While the lamb riblets are braised then grilled, and served with ratatouille mint rice.


Dessert wasn’t on the menu. But we were in heaven as we savored their Flourless Chocolate Cake. Culliere is also located in Serendra.

The Stock Market
Bonifacio High Street also has some interesting food finds. I didn’t realize that the Bistro Group, which includes Friday’s and Italianni’s (both have branches in Bonifacio High Street), has a new restaurant. The Stock Market is now part of the group which is great since I have a Bistro Frequent Foodie card.


I was hungry when I had lunch there so I ordered quite a lot. For starters, I had the New England Clam Chowder (Php130) which was served really warm and was very rich and creamy. I noticed they also had Kamias Shake (Php140). I usually don’t order drinks but since I wanted to try something different, I ordered a glass.



For the main course, they suggested I have the Baby Back Ribs (Php495) served with The Stock Market’s special barbecue sauce. I noticed that another dish had a ‘must try’ note beside it. So I also ordered the Pork Tournedos Espagnole (P425) which was grilled pork tenderloin served really moist and tender together with potato wedges.


For dessert, I had a serving of really firm Panna Cotta (P225) served on honey with chopped walnuts. It was a perfect way to end my lunch.

Where to eat in BGC
From street food, hawker stalls, local delicacies and Filipino favorites in Market! Market! to fine dining options all over, no doubt that BGC is Metro Manila’s foodie haven. And it continues to grow as more areas are developed.

Bonifacio High Street offers popular choices such as Friday’s, Italianni's, Brothers Burger. All the known coffee shops are there too such as Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Coffee Bean and Figaro. And Krispy Kreme has become my favorite hang-out, not just because of the donuts, but because of the free WiFi. So I can easily work there or spend the afternoon just passing time.

There are more restaurants in BGC. So to help you out, here is a directory of restaurants in Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, Fort Strip, and the rest of BGC:

Bonifacio Stopover
7 Eleven
Chicken Bacolod
Chowking
Country Style
Dayrits Burger and Roast Beef House - (02) 8180168
Gloria Jeans
Pancake House
PastaRoni - (02) 7035520 / 8289670
Pho Bac - (02) 8156529
Pizza Hut
Red Ribbon
Reyes Barbeque
Shiok - (02) 4666291
Starbucks
WingKings - (02) 7758229

Bonifacio High Street
2nd's (B3) - (02) 8465293
Agave Mexican Cantina (B3) - (02) 4036003 / 4035865
Bo's Coffee (B1)
Brothers Burger (B5) - (02) 8562405 to 06
CAV Wine Shop & Cafe (B8) - (02) 8561798
Claw Daddy (B6) - (02) 8564785
Club 7th High (B4) - (02) 8561785 / (0917) 2597452
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (B8)
Figaro (B5)
Italianni's (B5) - (02) 8564094 / 8563890
Kabisera ng Dencio's (B4) - (02) 8565543
Kirin Chinese Dining (B7) - (02) 7999338
Krispy Kreme (B2)
Mini Shabu-Shabu (B6) - (02) 8563005
New Orleans (B6) - (02) 8564326
Oliver's Super Sandwiches (B6) - (02) 8566457
Pancake House (B4)
Seattle’s Best (B3)
Starbucks (B3)
Texas Roadhouse Grill (B1) - (02) 8561547
T.G.I. Friday's (B3) - (02) 8562996
The Stock Market (B3) - (02) 8566301

Fort Pointe
Kaiseki - (02) 8891005
Pasto - (02) 8841592
Toyz Cafe - (02) 8877934
Zong - (02) 8890472 / 8890479

Serendra
Abe Restaurant - (02) 8560526
ArAma - (02) 9013836
Balducci Ristorante - (02) 8560676
Brazil Brazil - (02) 8560671
Café Mary Grace - (02) 8560858
Cafe Via Mare - (02) 8565944
Chelsea Market & Café - (02) 9097011
Chucks Deli - (02) 5764210
Conti's Pastry Shop - (02) 8562352 to 53 / (0922) 8473005 / (0917) 3226684
Cuillere - (02) 8563325
Cupcakes by Sonja - (02) 8560308
DUO Steakhouse & Wine Bar - (02) 8561200
Fez - (02) 9011840
Gaudi - (02) 8560473
Gelatissimo - (02) 5763088
Hossein's Persian Kebab - (02) 8560632
Kape Isla - (02) 9013485
Larry's Café & Bar - (02) 8560527
Le Petit Artisan - (0929) 8429824
Lulubelle - (02) 5668542
Mamou - (02) 8563569 / (0917) 8162668
Marta's Cakes - (02) 9153802 / (0917) 5009984
Miss Desserts - (02) 8561429
Mogu - (02) 8560718
Murray and D'Vine - (02) 8563723
Polu Kai Grill - (02) 9011841
Sentro 1771 - (02) 8560581
Starbucks
Tatami Japanese Restaurant - (02) 9011870
Thai at Silk - (02) 8560386 to 87
Zao Vietnamese Bistro - (02) 8562819

The Fort
Amber UltraLounge - (02) 8876838
Encore Super Club - (02) 8195481 to 85
Gourdo’s Cafe - (02) 8451700 / (02) 8875007
L’Opera Ristorante Italiano - (02) 8893963
Pier One Bar & Grill - (02) 8870115 / (02) 8870112
The Establishment - (02) 8446364 / (0916) 4946390

The Fort Strip
Burger Avenue - (02) 9708277
Café Puccini - (02) 8163055
California Berry
Fuel Bar and Resto - (02) 8560320
Jill’s - (02) 8184557
Mint Bar Bistro - (02) 8186297 / (02) 8186418
Red Kimono - (02) 8166642
Status Lounge - (02) 8466255
Umma Korean Cuisine - (02) 4738461

Ivan Henares wins Thailand Med Blog Contest! Thank you for your support!

Yesterday, I received great news that I won the Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This contest was a really grand experience. I was able to visit Chiang Mai, Thailand which I've always wanted to do, and in style at that! I also got to meet travel bloggers from different corners of the world. So I'm very grateful to the Tourism Authority of Thailand for selecting me as a finalist to experience all that. Being a finalist was in fact already a prize in itself.

I also realized that I have a lot of friends and supporters. Every time I'd meet people I knew, especially after the contest ended on January 31, from family, fraternity and friends, colleagues, alumni groups, fellow bloggers and blog readers, they'd always ask me if I won the contest and would let me know that they visited my blog entry regularly. I'm deeply honored and touched by the support. Thank you very much to everyone!

Do visit my entry if you still haven't seen it. And here's the winner announcement as well. Again, my heartfelt thanks to everyone! Thank you also to South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR)!