Ifugao & Isabela: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao

After six hours on an evening bus, I found myself in Santiago, Isabela at 3:30 in the morning. It was a good thing I took the deluxe bus of Victory Liner since the ride was really comfortable. It was my first major local trip since I got back after close to three months abroad. We were meeting up with the organizers of the Mayoyao harvest experience in Santiago. And together, we would make the rough trip to the remote Ifugao town of Mayoyao on a hired rickety bus.

Josh, the president of the group, is my colleague from the Cultural Citizens Program and we were together in Illinois last month. Since we had arrived in Santiago earlier than expected (our ETA was 6 a.m. but the deluxe bus travels non-stop), we were able to make an unscheduled stop in Magat Dam before making our way to Mayoyao. I had been there once before as part of a heritage tour of Cagayan Valley.

There's another dam called Maris Dam (short for Magat River Irrgation System) which we passed by on the way to Mayoyao. Both dams are at the boundaries of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. We were able to take photos of the fishermen dwarfed by the smaller dam before proceeding.

It was a wonder how I was able to doze off during that long bumpy ride. The next thing I knew, it was 7:30 a.m. and we had stopped over in Ubao in the town of Aguinaldo for breakfast. In the olden days, Ubao was known as a hunting area. But that is no longer the case today. Aside from the fact that hunting deer is illegal, deer are scarce.

We were back on the road a little later. Again, I dozed off. But I tried to keep myself awake so as not to miss some good views since we were not passing by this road on the way back to Manila. Before leaving the town of Aguinaldo, we passed by a waiting shed where a woman was selling moma (betel nut) and hapid leaves as well as a local kakanin called pinang-it which is known as bakle in Kiangan. I noticed a sign which said the curfew in this area was at 8:30 p.m. You must be kidding?! Then it hit me that we were out in the middle of nowhere.

Occasionally, we'd pass by clusters of houses along the road with freshly-harvested palay in bundles being dried under the sun. And there are the scarce trips of jeepneys with people on the roof of course.

Then we started to see large clusters of rice terraces. We were finally closing in on Mayoyao's town center. Mayoyao is one of the five clusters of rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the others being Bangaan and Batad in Banaue; Hungduan (which includes Hapao and the Poblacion); and Nagacadan in Kiangan.

We finally arrived in Mayoyao close to lunch. It turned out, the trip from Santiago, Isabela to Mayoyao, Ifugao (together with the food and photo stops of course) was longer than my bus ride from Manila to Isabela! I endured seven hours on a rickety bus. We navigated through rough, bumpy roads, but what I saw at the end was most definitely worth the trip. Our activities would begin after lunch and a short nap. We needed to get some rest after that very long trip.

Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Manila: Legaspi Sunday Market is Makati's undiscovered food haven

Indeed it's a food haven waiting to be discovered. We all know about the Salcedo Saturday Market. But have you ever gone to the Legazpi Sunday Market, also known as the BSL Sunday Market? If you haven't, then it's about time you do and try out the great food!

Of course, you should try the best ensaimada in town, Imang Salud classic ensaimada, an old family recipe which we inherited from my great-grandmother, Salud Dayrit-Santos of San Fernando, Pampanga. These giant melt-in-your-mouth ensaimadas are guaranteed to tickle your taste buds. Also check out mom's tibok-tibok!

There's so much more to munch on. Check out the fresh lumpia of Yan Ching, the pizzas and samosa at Pizza di Grazzia, Becky's Kitchen and the traditional Spanish tortillas of Mantequilla. Warung Warung serves traditional Malay food such as beef rendang, kari ayam and ayam goreng, while Singaporean satay is a specialty of Island Satay.

I also adore the takoyaki, gyoza and other Japanese dishes. Next door one would find japchae and other Korean delights. Have you ever tried Turkish baklava? Well, Anatolia Cuisine serves that and more Turkish pastries. And there's Indian food such as methi chicken, mushroom mutter, shahi paneer and dal makhni. There are different kinds of deli from all over Europe. And great hamburgers in a bun served by Monster Burger.

There's food from all over the Philippines, Ilocos empanda, grilled meats, seafood and other ihaw-ihaw and ulam, fresh and dried seafood, it would take another post to enumerate them all.

For dessert, try the traditional Breton crepe, the many flavors of Fro-Yo's pure frozen yogurt, or Imang Salud's ensaimada of course! There are wines to accompany your meals (check out the lemon wine called Citrocello), as well as fresh fruit shakes. You can also also have local kakanin such as suman, puto and kalamay, or fresh fruits from all over the country and even abroad. My personal favorite would be the juicy red cherries!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out every Sunday at the Legazpi Car Park, Legaspi corner Herrera Streets, Makati City. That's in front of Starbucks Herrera, very near the Union Church of Manila.

Ultimate Trip: Sunday Brunch on August 24!
Ivan About Town, Manila Boy, Old Manila Walks, and Our Awesome Planet are cordially inviting you to join us in an "Ultimate Trip" to the market less-travelled, the Legaspi Sunday Market for a pre-holiday "Sunday Brunch," 10 a.m. to 12 noon on August 24. Check out the details in Manila Boy. The Legaspi Sunday Market is in the parking lot across Starbucks Herrera stretching to the Union Church of Makati, Herrera to Rada, corner Legaspi Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City. We'll all meet at Starbucks Herrera at 10 a.m. RSVP by commenting below.

California, USA: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark

A trip to San Francisco would not be complete without visiting its most popular landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge.

Completed in 1937, the bridge is close to 2.74 kilometers long. It's the second time I had my photo taken from the view point at the north end of the bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn't as sunny as my 1993 photo since the famous San Francisco fog had already enveloped the area. And it sure was cold today! After a visit to the bridge, we had dinner at a Thai restaurant near the San Francisco International Airport. The long journey back to Manila begins.

Part 1: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience
Part 2: San Francisco's cable car
Part 3: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California

California, USA: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California

Fisherman's Wharf is to San Francisco what La Rambla is to Barcelona. An iconic tourist attraction and neighborhood of San Francisco, California, it is full of life and culture.

There were street performers here too. And a lot of tourists from all over. It encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue to Pier 35. Attractions within Fisherman's Wharf include Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, and Forbes Island.

One reason to come to Fisherman's Wharf is for the food! And I asked my classmate Armand to pick his favorites at Fisherman's Wharf. First on our list of things to taste is the clam chowder of Boudin which is served in a sourdough bread bowl. There are a lot of stalls which sell clam chowder but they say Boudin's is the best.

After having our hearty soup in Boudin's outdoor kiosk, we went to the food stands by the restaurant row to check out the fresh seafood, mostly shrimp & crab snacks. Most notable of the delicacies here is the Dungeness crab. We got servings of breaded shrimp & chips and calamari and chips.

From the restaurant area, we walked towards Pier 39, a shopping complex that was built on a pier. Along the way, you'd notice a lot of street performers, cruise lines leaving for a trip around the bay, and a great view of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge on the other side of Pier 39.

The character of the buildings of Pier 39 fit a particular theme, very American. I wonder if these are old buildings adaptively-reused. It would have been fun to explore the shops and the restaurants. But we didn't have much time.

One thing which caught my attention were the fruit stands near the entrance. You can also check out the stage in Pier 39 which plays host to free performances by tricksters, magicians, jugglers, comedians and mimes. And don't miss the sea lions resting in Pier 39's K Dock.

Part 1: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience
Part 2: San Francisco's cable car
Part 4: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark

California, USA: San Francisco's cable car

It's been 15 years since I last visited San Francisco. And one of the things I was not able to do then was to ride the famous San Francisco cable car. The San Francisco cable car system is part of the San Francisco Municipal Railway or Muni. It is said to be the last permanently-operational manually-operated cable car system in the world.

We bought ourselves a day pass on the Muni for US$11 which gives holders unlimited use of the cable car and other lines of the Muni for a day. A single ride on the cable car will cost you US5$. It was indeed an experience, and an even better one if you're cool with standing at the sides. We took the Powell-Mason line from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf where we were going to have a late lunch.

Part 1: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience
Part 3: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California
Part 4: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark