Kimchi Paste Noodles

after a night of authentic korean feast, i went home and ransacked our ref for available ingredients. i found my sister's kimchi chili bean paste (yes, ate! i took it..ako ang may sala ~_~) and some bamboo shoots, added cayenne pepper for that little extra kick...and viola! the verdict: uhm, 12 hours later, it's still sitting on our dining table! haha...too spicy!!

Myth of the Human Body Exhibit

Went to the myth of the human body exhibit in Taguig city. Macabre, but informatively fascinating. After you get over the initial queasy feeling of coming face-to-face with real, butchered cadavers, you begin to appreciate the painstaking feat and frenzied devotion that Gunther von Hagens possessed to make each one.

The exhibit is named after Greek Deities: Heracles (muscular and skeletal system), Poseidon (the respiratory system), Dionysus (the digestive system), Hades (the circulatory system), Eros (the reproductive system), Zeus (the brain and the nervous system), and Artemis (the fetal system).

I particularly liked the red man —- the cadaver with everything (bones, muscles, tissues) gone, leaving only an intricate web of nerves. I couldn’t begin to imagine how it was made! And the weeks-old zygote --- tiny, little thing! perhaps as big as a booger!

This exhibit is a must for anatomy fanatics and geeks alike!

Location:
The Myth of the Human Body Exhibit is at Neobabylon Building. 9 Bayani Road, AFPOVAI, Taguig City, Philippines.
It's running from October 15, 2010 until April 17, 2011.
Operating Hours: 10:30AM to 8:30PM

Directions (using Public transport):

From EDSA/Ayala. Go to Guadalupe. Then take a jeep going AFP/Bayani Road, AFPOVAI. Get down at Neobabylon Bldg.

From Baclaran side. go to Rotonda LRT station. Take a jeep going to FTI Kaliwa. Get down Gate 3, Bonifacio. Take a jeep going Bayani Road AFPVAOI. Get Down at the Neobabylon Bldg.

From C-5 Quezon City. Trun left to Fort Bonifacio. Get down at Market Market. Take a jeef Bayani Road AFPVAOI. Get Down at the Neobabylon Bldg.

From C-5 SLEX. Get down at Water Fun. Take a jeep going to Bayani Road AFPVAOI. Get Down at the Neobabylon Bldg.

From Market Market. Take a jeep going to AFPVAOI. Get Down at the Neobabylon Bldg.

Baguio Solo Trip - Mario's

Mario's @ Baguio City

After the 4-hour jeepney ride from Mt. Pulag jump-off to Baguio City, I decided to stay another night here, instead of boarding the bus again for another 5 hours back to Manila.

I bid my fellow mountain climbers goodbye, hopped in a cab, and searched for a small hotel to spend the night. And then I was off again, food tripping alone in Baguio.

My first stop: Mario's.

Chowder @ Mario's, Baguio City

I ordered some chowder. After a night of freezing cold up in Mt. Pulag, this was blessed, blessed hot soup!

Pasta Napolitana @ Mario's

I checked the menu again for any vegetarian meals and ordered Pasta Napolitana. Sundried tomato, a lot of basil and olive oil, this is probably the only thing I can eat here.

The pasta is just ok; nothing really special about it. After devouring the soup, I didn’t have much space for the pasta. I only ate about a quarter of it before I gave up and had it wrapped.

But I did have a space for dessert! So I settled the bill and made a beeline to Vizco's along Session Road.

Mt. Pulag summited

Mt. Pulag Summit

After 4 hours of gruelling trek on bone-chilling climate, we finally made it on top! We had to pitch our tents as quickly as possible as we were about to lose natural light and the temperature was dropping. The winds were just too strong! Even the local guides claimed the winds were unusual. By 10pm, 2 tents collapsed; numerous got flooded in.

Windburns on nose and cheeks, numbed hands, wet socks, cold feet, praying that the sodden tent — the only thing that protects me from horrendously manevolent winds won’t give in, bruised ego for asking 2 climbing buddies to adopt me in their tent by 3am because the chill got so unbearable, broken cellphone --- is Mt. Pulag even worth all that trouble? Hell, yeah!

Ambuklao Dam

On our way to Mt. Pulag jump-off, we made a quick side-trip to Ambuklao Dam in the mountains of Bokod, Benguet. Considered to be one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, it seems to be in deep, peaceful slumber. Mesmerizing, sinister and proud.



Built to prevent water from Agno River from gushing out and submerging the plains of Pangasinan and Tarlac, the dam and the catchbasin is a sight to behold and place to visit for people who venture in the area. Without the Ambuklao dam, I wonder, how would Pangasinan fare during the 2009 Pepeng devastation?

After a quick photo session, we're off again for another 3-hour drive on unpaved, uphill roads to the DENR office, where we would have to sit down for an orientation and to log our name. The office was also our last stop before we head to the rangers station, the jump-off to Mt. Pulag, Ambangeg trail.

Random Thoughts

Sunken Cemetery, Camiguin Island

maybe there are some things better left submerged in the ocean... 

Picture taken onboard the whitewater raft in Cagayan De Oro

maybe there are some things you just can't touch...

Calaguas Island

maybe there are some things better viewed in the past...because you couldn't get any more than that...

Baler, Quezon

maybe you're only meant to share a few good laughs...

Celebrating New Year 2010

maybe what you're asking for is simply too much...

boat ride to Calaguas Island

maybe you're holding on too tight when, in fact, it's time for you to let him go.

Driving back to Cagayan De Oro from Bukidnon

maybe you just have to pick up whatever is left and move on...

Sunken Cemetery, Camiguin Island

maybe he's just not meant to wait for you at the end of the tunnel...

view from a condo in San Juan, Metro Manila

maybe, after tonight, things will be better; or maybe they will remain the same.

San Juan, La Union

You'll never know...

so you just have to breathe...

Bistro Ravioli

bistro ravioli @ robinson’s place, ermita

my bestfriend and i hurried to bistro ravioli after the horrific scene they would like to call “pizza”  we saw at chicago pizza factory.

we got four-cheese pizza cooked in a real masonry oven and spinich and cheese ravioli with pesto sauce.

pure bliss. the four cheese pizza was so good! well, the crust was a bit burned at the edge but i'm willing to turn a blind eye to that.

the crust droops just the way i like it and when i touch it, it still leaves specks of flour on my fingers! i love it!

just how good the pizza is? we have some leftover and my bestfriend gave a couple of slices to her dad —- he kept on muttering “sarap nito ah!” in every bite!

my bestfriend now declares she’d ask me for resto suggestions from now on. yay!!!

the ravioli spinach in pesto sauce was just right —- my bestfriend and i split it so we didn’t end up so bochog after! the ravioli is still firm and when you get to the core the cheesy spinach is such a surprise. i had mine sprinkled with chili flakes so i still got my spicy kick.

great meal! but did it beat bellini’s? no effin’ way!! bellini’s rock!!!!