The Mystical Bali

What to do in Bali?? Let me count the ways....

Stare at the intricate Balinese architecture.

Stay in a nice villa.

With a vibrant garden.

And an infinity pool, preferably.

Start the day right.

Have breakfast in a Balinese dining pavilion.

Eat a hefty breakfast.

Linger over your cup of coffee while you enjoy the view.

Swim.

Visit the Monkey Forest.

Sit under the tree. Watch the monkeys.

Careful! These little buggers love to hitchhike.

Visit the Kintamani park.

Walk around.

Walk along the rice fields.

Walk along the terraces.

Greet the morning sun at the beach.

Take a photo of yourself with one of the many candi bentars.

Take a photo of yourself with one of the red flags that says
"Swimming Prohibited."

Surf.

Bond with the local surfers.

Ogle at the Aussie surfers.

Flirt with a cute surfer. (Note to this Aussie surfer: You had me at hello.
You had me at hello!!!)

Ride a motorcycle.

Marvel at the makeshift bookshops along the streets.

Read.

Read and sunbathe.

Marvel at the waves.

Marvel at the surfers.

And hope to be as good as them.

Run with the dogs.

Wait for the sunset.

Have a bubble bath. And get some Balinese massage.

Do yoga.

Eat in a warung.

Have a cold Bintang.



Try the mei goreng and gado gado at Ibu Rai's.

Try the nasi goreng and laksa.



Have a warung-style takeout.

Get some local refreshments. Well, probably not the green one.

Get some local snacks.

Have a cup of coffee, but not at Starbucks, for heaven's sake!

How about at Tutmak's, the best cafe in Ubud?

Or better yet, in a coffee plantation?

Learn how Kopi Luwak is prepared.

Meet a civet cat.

Have a coffee/tea feast.

Take a sip of that Kopi Luwak.

Salivate.

Sigh in pure bliss.

Ask, I repeat ASK, what magic mushrooms are.



Shop at a traditional market.

Buy a painting from a local artist.

Fall in love. 'kiddin'.... Find a local guide who can warn you what not to drink,
like those green camphor stuff!

Visit a temple.

Visit Pura Uluwatu.

If the temple was a disappointment, let the view convince you otherwise.

(View from Uluwatu temple)

(View from Uluwatu temple)

(At the edge of the cliff, Uluwatu temple)

(View from Uluwatu temple)

(View from Uluwatu temple)

(View from Uluwatu temple)

Medidate by the lotus pond.

Visit the Tirtha Empul. It's a must.

Pray.

Immerse yourself...Take it all in...

(At the Tirtha Empul)

(At the Tirtha Empul)

(At the Tirtha Empul)

(Along Jalan Raya in Ubud)

(Ubud, Bali)

And plan your next trip back.

Potipot Island

(June 2011)  Headed to Potipot Island for a late summer getaway...

While the beach was nice and inviting, I couldn't help but to miss surfing --- I should go back to Baler soon!

Details:

You can reach Potipot Island by:

1) Riding a bus to Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Victory Liner has daily trips to Sta. Cruz, alight at Dawal Resort in Candelaria, Zambales.

2) Driving to Candelaria, Zambales.

From Manila to Candelaria, the drive takes about of 6 hours.

From Dawal Resort, you can rent a boat that will take you to Potipot island, which is about 5 to 10 minutes away.

Fee:
Entrance to Potipot Island --- Php20/pax
Overnight camping --- Php100/pax
Boat to the Island --- Php400 for 6pax

Chicago's Deep-Dish Pizza

When in Chicago, eat as chicagonians do...so I found myself wandering around the streets, looking for a suitable place to try the chicago-style pizza.

I found myself at the door of Giordano's pizza.

Giordano's Pizza in downtown Chicago

The whiff of oven-fresh doughs and melted cheese would greet you upon entering. Heavenly.




Nice interiors --- I imagine this place to be packed whenever the game
is on.

I pored over the menu and quickly decided on a
spinach with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, an
extra serving of cheese, of course!

I was told that my pizza will be available in 35 minutes. My tummy grumbled in disbelief so I ordered a slice of cheesecake and have it served at once to pacify it.

a slice of cheesecake served as an appetizer! haha!

Look at how soft and creamy the cheesecake is!

My only gripe about this is that the crust was too thin for my liking; other than that, it proved to be the best opening act for the main act.

And then, my deep-dish pizza arrived!
Look at that cheese stretching and clinging on my knife!

My mouth literally waters at the sight of this!

Food porn at its best! The taste is a hundred times better!

I couldn't stop admiring the way the cheese sorts of clings at each other. I took one bite, sighed in disbelief. this is heaven on a plate.

I didn't know how long it took for me to open my eyes and finally realized I just swallowed the last bite.

In one of its walls, this sign is posted:
11th Commandment: Thou shall eat pizza.
Amen.

I rushed off to the airport after consuming my deep-dish pizza voraciously. As our plane made its way to the busy runway of Chicago O'Hare, it suddenly stopped. The flight attendant made an announcement that our plane was overweight and couldn't get the clearance to take off. They need 3 volunteers to leave the plane. They'll be seated on the next flights out, together with free vouchers.

 

I slid lower on my seat, hiding my guilty smile. I looked over to where my two other officemates/conspirators and whispered, "It must have been the pizza."

 

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

On my last night in St. Louis, I decided to have one of its must-trys --- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.

St. Louis' famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

Opened since 1941, the branch in historic US Route 66 has become the flagship location for decades now. Their first location was in Florida, but by 1950s, only the 2 locations in St. Louis are operational.



Ted Drewes in Chippewa St.

So what makes Ted Drewes a favorite in St. Louis?

For one thing, they only have one flavor --- vanilla, which they combine with other toppings and flavorings.

Ted Drewes Menu is posted on the side of the store, near the parking lot

And then, there's their concrete --- a custard blended so thick that they serve it to customers upside down.


Ted Drewes Concrete served the right way

The verdict? Thick, creamy and with real ingreadients, it's definitely worth the visit! I'm sure Dairy Queen or Cold Rock serve almost the same flavors, but the fact that Ted Drewes has never been franchised and not so commercialized somehow added to the feeling that you're only high quality ingredients, big portions, prepared the traditional way. It's like having a legend in your yellow cup.

Details:
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
6726 Chippewa Street
Saint Louis, MO 63109





Grilled Portobello Burger @ Cheesecake Factory

My love affair with portobello mushrooms began with love at first sight, or more aptly, love at first bite.

After a whole day of meeting, my colleague and I were famished and decided to drive to Westlake in Ohio in search for something to eat. We drove by giant trees along the side of the highway....

Tall trees along the highway, leading to Westlake, Ohio.



until we reach the Crocker Park Mall.

Crocker Park Mall, Westlake, Ohio





We wandered around for some time until we reach the tall, imposing columns of the Cheesecake Factory. 

Cheesecake Factory

The interiors are equally impressive.

Egyptian-inspired columns in the dining hall ---

But what really grabbed my attention was the array of cheesecakes to choose from!



Cheesecake choices at Cheesecake Factory

Just reading the menu is enough to make me salivate!

Shortly after settling on our seat, we were served with some complimentary bread with butter.





I decided to turn a blind eye on my calorie intake and went for an iced caramel macchiato. Good decision, by the way.

And all too soon, the main attraction arrived: grilled portobello burger with fry on the side!

I've been really curious to taste portobellos. It is often a substitute for burger for vegetarians like me. Not to mention the ongoing clinical research on its medicinal value: it is said to prevent breast cancer.

I was astounded with the size of the portobello mushroom. I often see it on the television, but didn't realize that, just like everything else in the US, the serving size is so huge!

When i tasted it, i just had to sigh with contentment. This is way better than burger! It's just so juicy and flavorful right through the core! The greens are so fresh and the fry is crunchy even after sitting on my plate for too long!



Grilled Portobello Burger

And just like that --- with one bite, I have pledged my loyalty to the portobello and made it my personal quest to find a good resto in Manila that serves one.

Location:

Cheesecake Factory - Westlake

Crocker Park Mall, Westlake, OH 44145

(440) 808-1818

Note: Winner of Cleveland Magazine's 2009 Silver Spoon Award for "Best Desserts!"