Day 1: A Day of Misfortune for the DaBEHwenyos

My college friends and I have been itching to go on a trip since forever and of course, it took one of us getting married to make that happen. For Karlo and Chic's wedding, we had to fly out to Davao and I can surely say, it was a trip that we would never forget.

I took it upon myself to organize our trip to Davao. Of course, we each had to purchase our tickets individually but the rest of the trip details, I handled it—with Joan's help of course. Joan and I scoured agoda.com and booking.com for months for accommodations that were nice but budget friendly. We saw one in booking.com and immediately, booked it. I looked for Samal Island tour providers and when I found the cheapest one, I booked it. I also looked for car rentals that allowed a self-driven arrangement. I figured that we were a big group with a baby, it would be more convenient and less expensive if we drove our own car.

Fast forward to the day of the flight. I asked Dan to bring me to the airport. Because we slept late and he was still groggy, he imagined that my flight was cancelled and I didn't have to leave. Anyway, we left home at 5 AM, anticipating no traffic. Boy, we were wrong. There was a major pile-up in C-5 corner Ortigas Avenue and we had to take a detour. Dan violated two traffic rules in order for us to get to EDSA. We were still met with a bit of traffic when we got to EDSA but it wasn't as bad as C-5.

Misfortune #1: In the nick of time but one wasn't as lucky

I almost didn't make it to my flight. For one, Dan missed the exit to the airport. So we had to exit at Merville and traverse the service road back. Secondly, a lot of people were also flying that day so there was a pile-up on-ramp to the departures area. My plane leaves at 7AM and it was already 6:10—five minutes until the check-in counter closes! At that moment, I got down of the car and got my two bags and hurried to the gates with Dan shouting behind me, "text me!" Lastly, there was a long line just to get into the airport. I looked for a porter, told them I'll be late for my flight, paid a hundred pesos for the rental of the cart and another hundred each to the three men who helped me out. I literally bribed my way to the airport. In the end, what's 400 pesos to the 2500 pesos I would be paying for rebooking my flight? Alas, my friend Fefe wasn't so lucky.

On a brighter note...

I was really happy to find out that I was seated next to my friends Joan and Jordan in the airplane. At least, I had someone to talk to for the almost-two-hour flight and I got to help them take care of their baby, my godson, Kyn. At that point, I was just so relieved that I made it to my flight and I was on my way to a much deserved vacation.

Misfortune #2: Three hungry adults and an irritated baby stuck in an airplane

Our plane landed a little past 9AM but due to traffic in the hangar, we weren't able to un-board immediately. It took us a good 30 minutes before we deplaned. Imagine that and us with a restless baby. The driver of our rented car was already waiting for us. On top of that, we were all very hungry.

On a brighter note...

After we got our things, I exited the airport and went to the parking area to meet with the driver. I was greeted with a gold Avanza with A/T transmission, exactly what I ordered. Finally, something right! I went ahead and volunteered to be the driver because I was the one on contract. We decided to go to SM Lanang to grab brunch. Meanwhile, our other friends Raffy and Kim were on their way to get their rented car. Fefe rebooked his flight to 10AM and would be arriving at around lunch and Dawn would be arriving at 2.

After lunch, and with Raffy and Kim already with us, we decided to grab some coffee while the couple bought some groceries for their baby. When Fefe arrived a few minutes later, we joined them to buy groceries for the rest of the trip. We were renting a whole house for four days and we decided it would be better if we prepared our own breakfast and had something to snack on while hanging out at home.

At 1pm, Raffy and Kim made their way back to the airport to pick up Dawn while the rest of us drove to the location of our rented house. It was a stone's throw away from SM Lanang and the airport and from the pictures, we cannot wait to settle in.

Misfortune #3: Nowhere to go

We got to the gate of the village and asked the guard for directions, he told us that there was someone who was already renting there. We weren't alarmed. After all, our booking had been confirmed and there was no notice from the tenants that our booking was cancelled. You may have already predicted this but yeah, they had cancelled our booking and made other reservations with another group. So not only are we tired, we were homeless and, at this point, really pissed off.

Rather than dwelling on the sorry state that we were in, we decided to just leave and make a mental note to leave a bad review for the place the minute we get back to Manila. We looked for options. I called a friend of mine who lived there. We still wanted a house because it was the cheaper option for us. We looked at ads and decided to drive around and look for those places sans exact addresses leading us to the next misfortune.

Misfortune #4: A bruised Wigo

My friends Raffy and Kim, who decided to rent a car separately, went to Davao expecting a Mirage got a tiny little Wigo instead. Oh god. The adventures of that day were leading us to places with unpaved roads and it was already hard on our sturdy Avanza, imagine what it would be like for a cute city car such as the Wigo. Good thing that they opted to go to Raffy's hotel and ask if there were still available rooms or we would have had to deal with a flat tire that day.

On a brighter note...

Our day was saved by a very diligent poster in Airbnb. If he hadn't answered our query immediately, we would have slept in the car that night or worse, slept at a fleabag motel. It's funny how we were all graduates from a very prestigious university and were all working professionals and yet too cheap to spend just one night in a classier hotel.

We met with the owners and they led us to a newly built/ renovated place in downtown Davao City. Finally, a place to rest our head. Because of our situation, we lost one day that was supposed to be devoted to seeing the sights of the city. I had everything planned!

When we finally settled in, it was already almost 5 pm. We decided to rest for a bit. I was exhausted! I barely got any sleep the night before. Since the entire day was wasted, we just decided to grab a bite to eat.

We decided to eat at Balay Bukid. It had great reviews and after the day that we had, we deserve a great meal! I'll be writing a separate post on our dining experience there.

After eating, we decided to come home and get some rest as we had a big day the next day. It's Samal day! I let the others go ahead and shower first while I took a nap. My nap was cut short by a baby crying.

Misfortune #5: The place is haunted

Kyn for some reason was awoken from his sleep and was crying loudly and incessantly. He was pointing at something and of course, we were kinda creeped out by it. Joan and Jordan knew that he wasn't hungry or that he needed changing. Kyn's crying was a strange one. A cry of a frightened baby. Something was creeping him out and of course, it creeped the rest of us adults out as well. We tried everything! We tried clothing him in red. We tried consoling him by praying (but I think none of us were close to God at that point). We tried making him laugh. We tried distracting him with toys. We even tried force feeding him formula. None of them worked! He wanted his parents close by all the time. The only thing that made him stop crying was fatigue. He was dead tired after hours of crying. 

That's Day 1. Yes, we ended with a low note. But that's just Day 1. What adventures and misfortunes await the DaBEHwenyos on their second day in Davao. Find out on the next post...

Ohayo Tokyo: 15 Most Memorable Moments

Last November 28, the company that I work for went on an incentive trip to Tokyo and I cannot describe how awesome the experience was for me.

Photo by Ana F.

I've always had happy feet and I've been wanting to travel in ages but because of circumstances, all I have are remains of unused and expired airline tickets. But that's a story for another time.

So how was my trip? Phenomenal. I am so grateful that I got to see such an amazing city with the most awesome people.

I don't want to bore you with too much details so let me just show you in photos the 15 most memorable moments of my Tokyo trip.

15. Riding the train.
The first time I rode the train was in London when I was about 9 years old and I loved it. You only start to hate trains when you encounter Metro Manila's notorious MRT. Riding the train in Tokyo brought me back to my first travel experience. Nostalgia is good for the soul.

14. Drinking at the hotel.
Every night after the long day of exploring the city, we would change into our PJs and go to room 1132 and drink Sake. We would be drinking until 3 am only to wake up a few hours later. So yeah, a photo like below is a given.

13. Eating Sashimi at the Tsukiji Market
None of my officemates knew that it was my first time eating sashimi. And I am so thrilled that my first was in the land that it originated from. Not breaking out in hives was also a thing I rejoiced about. :-P I thought I would be disgusted eating raw fish but it's pretty good.

12. A rainy afternoon in Shimokitazawa.
I love the rain. And I also love this neat souvenir that I got at Family Mart.

11. Agoraphobia at the Shibuya Crossing
If you have a fear of large crowds, then you're at the wrong place. It is such an overwhelming experience crossing the street with a thousand other people. What's the big deal right? It's just an intersection. Well, you have to be there.

10. Offering a prayer at the Meiju Shrine
Some wishes need all the help they can get.

9. Admiring the autumn leaves at the Jingu Garden
I know this is a pretty stupid picture but it's like the best photo to perfectly capture the crazy autumn colors of the leaves.

8. Belonging in Omotesando Hills
I've always had an eccentric sense of style but in Tokyo, I feel normal. It's one of the rare times that I felt I truly blend in. It was also in Omotesando that I was able to buy a skin care set by Koh Gen Do.

7. Purchasing my first pair of Airmax90s.
I'm in no way a sneakerhead but I've always wanted a pair of AM90s. I've held out so long because I was planning to buy abroad because it's cheaper. I've always planned to buy a pair in Hong Kong but because of unfulfilled travel plans, I almost gave in and shelled major cash to cop a pair here in Manila. When I got my job and my boss announced on my interview that we were going to Tokyo, I waited patiently. Patience is a virtue. Thank you Bryan of Sports Lab by Atmos for helping me out.

6. Exploring Harajuku
Yes, I wore my AM90s immediately the next day. I absolutely adore Harajuku. If I were to be blessed to live in Japan, I'd be setting up a quirky store here.

5. Envisioning a Future as a Cat Lady
Leave it to the Japanese to have cafes dedicated to cats.

4. Belly exploding Soba and going crazy over Katsu
If I weren't too exhausted, I would've eaten more. I did finish every meal I had.

Photo by Ana F.

3. Last day exploring the nearby park in Shinjuku
It was a very sunny day that day coming from the rainy days we've been having. Ana and I had decided to explore a park near the Hyatt Regency and take some photos sitting on the yellow leaves.

2. Mt. Fuji Bidding Us Goodbye
As I've mentioned above, our last day was a very sunny day. We woke up to this view from our hotel window.

Photo by Ana F.

1. My first night in Tokyo
The most memorable for me is definitely the first night. We just went exploring around Shinjuku. It was memorable for me because that day marked the first of many more travel experiences. I remember the feeling of finally being somewhere else. After the rocky years I've had, there is no better feeling than being able to escape, even just for a while.

Bonus: Braving Don Quijote!
Donki doesn't know what organization means. Shopping there is a challenge and not for the faint at heart. (Sorry there's no photo. There was no time!)

Small, wonderful and left her heart in Tokyo,
Monica

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How To Save Money When Driving Down South

Over the past two years, I've been driving to the South (Calabarzon) area a lot, almost every week to visit a boyfriend. When I started seeing him, the tolls were lower and gasoline prices were okay. But now it's crazy.

Here's a rundown of my travel expenses when it's my turn to visit him:
Manila to Calamba toll: P214.00
Calamba to Sto. Tomas: P25.00
Sto. Tomas to Malvar/ Lipa/ Batangas City (depends on his mood): P16/35/67
Gasoline: P500.00 (one way)

So that's more or less P800.00 one way. P1,600.00 for the round trip. It's insane. With that money, I could've booked a plane ride to Dumaguete to visit my sister. That amount would translate to P6,400 a month and P76,800.00 per year. Good heavens, I'm rich. I try to be okay with it but the cheapskate in me just couldn't have it. I have to figure out a way to save money.

My first plan to save money was to take the service road. I would take the service road to Alabang and exit from there to the expressway. That way, I save P123.00 per trip or P246.00 two way. It's a solid plan. The drawback to this is that the service road is narrow and it doubles the travel time. More time spent driving, less time spent with the boyfriend and more exhausted. It's a good plan when you leave your house at 5 in the morning but with Manila rush hour, good luck.

Through my travels I actually discovered that if you enter Alabang and exit at Filinvest to SLEX again, you save 5 pesos. Sure, it might not seem a lot but 5 pesos will add up over time. And it's only a 10 minute detour, barely noticeable. That's P480.00/year you save. If you enter Filinvest and exit again, you save one peso. Again, not much but it adds up.

The surest way to save money is through planning the drive to the South according to the time that you need to gas up. Prices in the Metro South/ Alabang is significantly lower than here in the general area. It's a 5 peso difference. So if you need to fill the tank up, Alabang is the perfect place. Basically if you need to fill up a 20li engine, you save P100 pesos every time. P100.00 weekly savings is equivalent to P5,200.00/year. Now that's a lot.

I still have to try driving to Batangas without taking the expressway. I'm just afraid that I might get lost. I will try it one of these days though.

So there you are, I hope you find the tips here helpful.

Happy and Safe Driving!

Small but Wonderful,
Kanin D.

posted from Bloggeroid