Anagon

The past days had been extra hectic that I can't wait to actually rest which means Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for me, haha! By being hardworking or for simply surviving another year, I think we all deserve a treat or two even if its means the present comes from no other than ourselves! Haha!

Here are some gift ideas that's best wrapped and sealed for you from you. 😁💛

1) 2 Hours of Disconnect at Saltwater Float Center

Spa time is the perfect Me-Time in my books, and I think my first experience at the Saltwater Float Center gave "disconnect" and alone time a whole new meaning!

At the Saltwater Float Center, you have to go solo inside a pod half-filled with Epsom Salt. The concept is comparable to the Dead Sea where you will automatically float because of the high salt content of the water. You can stay there for 2 hours max, there will be indication (announcement inside the pod) if your session is over so you don't have to bring your watch or phone inside.

Floating on saltwater has so many health benefits. It will improve blood circulation, reduce high blood pressure, and is very good for the skin and joints.

As for me, it's a great quiet time and a good reason for me not to use my phone for a few hours since I am floating, and where I can clear my mind and think of my plans in life--or even take a nap! Haha! The 1.5 hours went by so fast!

You will have a small solo room containing your pod, shower area, and other essentials including bottled water, slippers, fresh water when saltwater goes into your eyes, ear plugs, a towel, and head floater. You don't have to leave your room unless you have to go to the toilet or to dry your hair at the end of your session!

This is the separate area for toilet and vanity (including hair dryer, lotion, powder, mouth wash, etc):

And here are the rates:

Saltwater Float Center is located at The Sapphire Bloc, Garnet Road, Ortigas Center Pasig City.
Follow @saltwaterfloatcenter on Instagram for more information and updates!

2) Make Your Nightly Personal Care Routine More Extra

The only time I get to spoil myself these days is at night before bed when I am doing my skincare routine. Aside from my favorite multi-step for the face, it's also important for me to take care of my whole body by hydrating it using products that will keep it moisturized like Jergens (Ultra Healing, Age Defying, Daily Moisture, or the Original Beauty variant).

To make personal care routine even more extra, try using a cool jade roller to help drive moisturizer deep into your skin and increase absorption rate. You can use it on your face, or even for your arms and legs--instant massage!

When your skin is finally prepped and moisturized, don't forget to slip into a satin robe to prevent friction on your skin.

Follow Jergens Philippines on Facebook!

3) How About A New Scent For The New Year?

As much as I have favoritism with my perfume, there will still come a time when I am so used to the smell that I want to finally change it and search for a brand new scent. Since everything constantly changes, discovering the scent that will match what's my current personality, style, and taste always uplifts the mood a notch! It may sound OA, but I feel more me every time I find it! Haha!

And with that, you have to take a whiff of the new VV and Co. perfume! I just received mine in Verniece, and honestly have no expectations, but it then I tried it and it smells soooo good! It reminds me of an elegant woman, or when you enter a luxury store! I'll use this in the coming days for sure.

Follow @vvandcoph on Instagram for more updates, and www.vvandcoph.com to order!

4) Time For A New Phone?

If you're looking into buying a new phone but you're on a budget, then I have a suggestion! Check out the new phone brand RealMe bravely penetrating this saturated market. But with the good price point and features of the RealMe C1, who can say no to a new, sleek phone before the year ends!? Even Deegee Razon uses it!

Main Features of the RealMe C1:

- Big 6.2" Notch Screen
- Long lasting 4230mAh Battery
- Dual Rear Camera
- Stylish body and trendy design
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octo-Core Processor
- Corning Gorilla Glass Protection

FollowRealMe on Facebookfor more info and updates!

What are you going to give to your self this Christmas??😀😄

Last weekend, I had a staycation with Zen Rooms at the fancy Gramercy Residences, a luxe condominium in Makati right next to the Century Malls. My goal is to book for a spacious room to accommodate the annual Christmas party with my blog friends, and I think this place is perfect for such gatherings!

Here are my 5 reasons why booking for The Gramercy Residences with Zen Rooms is worth it:

1) It has two floors, with the whole ground floor for the party area (you can bring extra seats for your guests, or like our group--we just sat on the floor! Haha!). Second floor has the bed and toilet so it remains clean even after the whole hullabaloo of the party!

2) They have complete kitchen amenities that most hotel rooms don't offer. These include a microwave, a big ref (to fit ALL your food and drinks, unlike hotel rooms' tiny ref), pans and rice cooker, and the usual plates, mugs, utensils, etc. It's a place that's ready for a staycation and for a party!

3) The mall is so accessible! As in you can enter Century Mall without leaving the building by just going to the second floor. Ava and I went to the grocery before everyone else arrived to buy last minute party essentials like water, napkins, etc.

4) You get so much more for what you pay for! On my last family parties, we usually book for hotel rooms which costs us Php 5000 and above, but this Zen Room is only Php 3,800!

5) We weren't able to avail this, but they also have a gym and pool in the building that you can avail! Plus their security is very strict, to some it might be a hassle but to me this is a plus since I'll be staying alone in the room after the party.

So here's how our One Bedroom Loft looks like. It is very well-designed and very spacious!

It has a pantry where you can cook on the stove, heat with the microwave, and store water and food inside the big ref. It's like having your own condo for the weekend!

They have everything you need inside the cabinets and drawers, from water heater, mugs and glasses, plates, utensils, pans, knives, and rice cooker.

TV with speakers:

Landline and wifi unit (password just placed in front so no need to inquire):

Balcony for the smokers:

And a second floor where the bed and bathroom are located. Ang laki noh!!!

They provided a pair of towels, toothbrush, and small soaps, plus a tube of shampoo:

Robes and hangers inside the closet:

And with that, sharing some of our million pictures from the party! Haha! We had so many games that night, I got messages the next day that most of my friends lost their voices sa kakatawa, haha! Lovet!!

A big thank you also for all these noms we enjoyed that night! >>> Big Guys Pizza for the 36" humongous pizza, Tokyo Tokyo, Red Ribbon Bakeshop for all the pastries, and Kumori.

Can you imagine how we took these group photos without a tripod and everyone's still in the pictures? Hahaha!

You can book this room at www.zenrooms.com.
Use my promo code ZENVIPANAGON to get 20% discount on your booking!

Special thanks to @zenroomsglobal for having us!

Ahhh again, when weeks passed by after a trip, my brain starts to take out some of the details which is very unfortunate as a blogger. So I will just try my very best to look back on this day to still make a comprehensive blog even with the delays!

Furano and Biei is a city and town in Hokkaido that traveller friends highly highly recommend. If you have time, budget, and energy to hop from one Hokkaido city to another, then you have to include Furano--and stay there for a night or two. I would have done so if not for time constraints and our huge maletas.

Furano / Biei are known for their lavender fields (Farm Tomita) with a wonderful view of the Mount Tokachi, the Blue Pond, and for their ski resorts. If you are into nature and the great outdoors, then make sure to visit Furano / Biei when you're on this side of Japan.

Cea and I woke up early for the day's tour. Although recommended to stay longer in Furano / Biei, we had limited time for this Japan trip and so we settled for a day-trip (which is possible and more sulit when you join a tour). Again, I found the tour via Klook so I don't have to research how to commute and where to go.

The Tour: Asahiyama Zoo and Shirogane Blue Pond Day Tour from Sapporo

Price per Head: Php 3348

Description:

The 12-hour group tour will take you to the nature side of Hokkaido, starting with the Asahiyama Zoo, followed by sight-seeing in the famous Shirogane Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls. We were also supposed to go to Ninguru Terrace but it was under construction when we arrived at the venue.

Inclusions:

- Bus transportation from Sapporo TV tower, to the sights in Furano / Biei, and then back to Sapporo.

- Tour guide in the bus for some fun facts (although they usually speak in Japanese or Chinese, a headset is provided for English speakers).

- Ticket to the Asahiyama Zoo

- Buffet lunch in Kamifurano Herb Hill

- Tipping is not required

Cea and I had our quick breakfast in a neighbor kombini, then just walked to the Sapporo TV Tower which is barely 5 minutes away from our hotel. Again, I highly recommend Unizo Inn Sapporo for their great location (blogpost here).

We easily spotted the Sapporo TV Tower Information Center, which is the only opened office so early in the morning, located at the foot of the TV Tower. We stayed there with the others checking out other flyers featuring Hokkaido cities and activities, till the tour staff called us out for our bus. We left the meet up point 7:30am sharp.

We hopped in the bus and it was again another big group of travellers--mostly Japanese and Chinese. Bus is spacious and comfortable. Travel time is about 3 hours, so Cea and I just slept through the ride. I think we had one stop-over for toilet break.

We arrived at the Asahiyama Zoo so early that it was still closed! Some waited inside the bus with the heater like Cea, while I decided to go out to get some fresh air. There were about 3 tour buses that arrived and parked after us.

Nakakaaliw, after awhile I saw groups already hiking a nearby trail! Grabe talaga they love this kind of stuff noh!!

The parking + the rectangular structure is the zoo's entrance:

A few minutes later, all the tour groups were gathered in front of the entrance. Each group had an assigned cute animal signage, although I forgot if we were under team polar bear. They gave last minute reminders including meet up time, and then they just let all of us in to explore the zoo on our own (yey!).

A notable part of the zoo is that some of the signages per cage are artworks:

Cea was in charge of navigating the whole Asahiyama Zoo. Pag wala nang Google Maps, tulala na ako! Haha! It was very huge, so we just set our priorities namely to see the polar bears and penguins. Bonus nalang if we see more which we did! I think the allotted time in the zoo was just enough to go around. Just make sure to note and remember the gate you entered, at medyo we got confused 10 minutes before the meet up time and went to the far opposite entrance of the zoo akkkk! Sobrang laki pala nya!

Ang daming interesting animals in Asahiyama Zoo, and I think they all look healthy and alaga naman.

The Thing About Zoos....

A zoo is still a dilemma for me as I know the hidden implications of going in one: these animals do not belong anywhere but their natural habitat, and visiting a zoo is like supporting these animal prison cells. But recent articles also show why animals will live longer in a zoo: they have regular meals here compared to hunting in their environment, and temperature is more controlled (we see viral vids of dying polar bears out in the wild because of global warming). Also, they say that kids get to see real animals and learn a lot because of these zoos.

Again, it's a difficult issue but if I have a choice I wouldn't want to support zoos na talaga. It's a bit shady when I see fox and polar bears pose and walk the same route over and over again. Were they trained to do that? Were they harmed to follow instructions so precisely? Hoping hindi naman. Anyway, we were there because it was part of the Furano tour, and over-all naman the Asahiyama Zoo is very clean and well-maintained, and doesn't look kawawa.

I also read somewhere that Asahiyama Zoo created each animals' environment close to their natural habitats, and even the animals living in the same habitat are in the same space or close proximity to each other to maintain a symbiotic exhibit.

I learned from an IG story commenter that the hippos are the scariest. Statistics show that they have killed more humans than whales! Medj natakot ako while I look at them from their pool:

Asahiyama Zoo is also well-known for the different angles that you can see the animals:

Asahiyama penguins have performances daily, although di namin naabutan na sayang! They look so cute!

The longest line belong to the majestic polar bears:

This grizzly bear got mad at the ate, that he knocked the glass! Nagulat ako buti nalang matibay! Haha!

We were halfway the tour already after our time in the zoo, which means it's already lunch! The bus took us to the Furano Herb Garden for a Japanese buffet. Sayang, if it's summertime we would have had a nice view of the lavender fields!!!

I don't have a photo of the buffet set-up but I really appreciate the variety of food they serve. So far, a vegetarian like me never felt deprived in theses Klook group tours. Like the buffet we had the other day, we also had trays and filled it with different veggies, viands, rice, and noodles. They also have soups and desserts.

Just outside the food area is a lavender themed store! They have skincare, oils, pillows, and whatnots-- all with lavender as main ingredient, straight from their farm. Remember when Lush's Sleepy became a big deal??? The lavender stored caused the same commotion from our tour group!

The travellers, including Cea and I, spent a lot of time there checking out the assorted lavender products that they have. They also serve lavender ice cream but sa sobrang busy mag shopping di ko na natry huhu!

I bought an eye mask filled with dried lavender grains (for good night sleep), more packs of dried lavender grains, lavender body wash and scrubs, lavender lip balm, and a pack of lavender soap for pasalubong! I think my faves are the soap and body wash since I use them daily and they really smell good!

Cea after seeing everyone going crazy in the lavender store: Ang daming insomniacs sa mundo noh!? 😂😂😂

After lunch, we hopped in the bus for another 30-minute ride for the Shirogane Blue Pond. When we arrived in the area, parang sobrang isolated nya that Cea and I thought na mahirap sya icommute.

We had to climb these steel stairs na medyo panira ng mood, haha! Although I guess these were made so that heading for the blue pond will be more convenient at any age, and with zero skill requirement.

Thoughts and Facts about the Shirogane Blue Pond

1. This turquoise blue pond only received tourists' attention recently, but other than the scenery, there is not much to see and do when you go here. I guess the best talaga is to visit it with a tour so you just spend a few minutes there, then move on to the next activity (kesa pinag hirapan mo sya puntahan). Bus seems hard to catch in the area, so commuting is one less thing to worry about when you are part of a tour group.

2. What's attractive with the pond is its turquoise blue color that made it look more like a swimming pool than the usual brown murky ponds that I see. The color is not only because of the reflection of the sky, but also because of the natural minerals dissolved in the water that whitened the stones, making it appear bluer.

3. The pond's shades of blue also differ every season! It is even more turquoise during summer, so something to consider when your Hokkaido trip falls during this season.

4. Another remarkable thing about this pond are the skeletons of birch trees that once grew here, adding to its surreal vibe.

People took turns taking photos with the pond as background. The place seems to be peaceful and maybe even scary if not for the tourists going back and forth the vicinity.

Just a short bus ride away from the Blue Pond is the Shirahige Falls, which we viewed from up a high bridge. They say that the water from this falls flows to the Blue Pond, thus they have the same turquoise shade.

Like the pond, if you're looking for something more, then you might get disappointed. But as for me and Cea, we just strolled around, and took as much photos as we can, before returning to the bus. It also started to rain by this time, so it added to the mystic vibe of the location.

The nice sight kind of reminds me of photos from Iceland. I also received comments on my Instagram post that the Blue Pond looks very pang NatGeo! Haha! Now I really dream of seeing Iceland soont!

We headed for the final stop which is at the New Furano Prince Hotel to explore Ninguru Terrace, but when we arrived sarado sya for renovations. What a bummer. So the group just went back to the bus for our ride back to Sapporo. Medyo okay lang din since I had no expectations and we were already tired. Again, had plenty of sleep while on our comfy bus.

It was already dark when we reached the main city, about 7:15pm--the perfect time to look for a dinner place. Since it was also our last night in Hokkaido, Cea and I agreed to splurge a little. Air outside felt nice, like Christmas, after getting stuck in the bus for about 2+ hours. I asked Cea what she thinks of the day's tour, and since we both just wanted to see the Blue Pond irl, sulit naman ang day at binayad. Favorite part daw ni Cea yung lavender showcase, hahaha!

We chanced upon this very "hipster" alley while walking toward Susukino, and decided to check out the stores and restaurants. May isang second hand streetwear store selling Supreme, Bape, etc, but medyo intimidating so I just looked at it from outside, haha!

TBH, wala akong research except for ramen places in Sapporo, but umay na si Cea so we searched for other cuisines which we found in this corner.

Then we saw this signage: Mero Sapporo Cheese House. Can't say no to wine and cheese!!!

We waited a bit before they found us a table. The place looks very intimate, and even expensive LOL. They had no English menu, so medyo legit. The waiters are very pleasant looking and very accommodating, trying to interpret what they offer.

Cea and I ended up splitting a plate of pasta and an order of pizza. I also ordered one of their cheese selections since Hokkaido is said to be popular for their cheese and dairies, and ang liit ng serving size but masarap! Of course I ordered a glass of their "cheapest" wine, although hindi din sya cheap ha! Haha. Needless to say, it was our most expensive meal for this trip! But with the tiring day, a homey warm vibe to stay on this cold autumn night in Hokkaido, plus the delicious pairings served... everything's perfect. ❤

This year has been crazy for this Kdrama fan girl. Even though I am on a temporary 5am-Club break, I had experienced the most unbelievable thing for a person who looks up to K Idols, and that's to see them in the flesh!

If you know about Korea's celebrity status, sobrang strict nila and you won't just see them in the mall or the streets unlike here in the Philippines or for Hollywood stars. But the lines are blurring because of these organized fan meetings, and I am grateful that out of the thousands of cities in this world--these Korean stars chose Manila as one of their stops (keep them comiiing!).

One of the unexpected K stars who visited Manila year is Lee Jong Suk. I first watched him in W Two Worlds, but the drama that really made it to my forever Top 5 is While You Were Sleeping. I've said this a million times over and I'll say it again, it's the Kdrama na napapalakpak talaga ako every end of an episode. I love the suspense of the storyline, and of course, Jong Suk and Suzy Bae were really A+++ actors in this series!

Months late but let me share to you some highlights of the LJS fan meet below. I also included a video compilation! Enjoy, fellow fan girls, and my 2019 wish is for every Korean fans to see their favorite Korean stars in the flesh!

The event was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. We entered a bit late since we have seat numbers naman, so we saw how packed the venue was. I've been to fan meetings held in KIA Theater or SM Skydome, but Lee Jong Suk can fill up one of the top concert venues of Manila!

Annyeong! With my ticket giveaway winner Jazmin, and my friends and fellow fanneys Pax and Ava. It's my first time as a media partner for a fan meeting, and I am very very grateful for this! You know that I will spend, and how much I've spent for tickets just to see my favorite Korean actors in the past! Haha! So it felt like winning the lottery to me when I received this project! THANK YOU!

Lee Jong Suk's 2018 fan meeting is titled Crank Up. The official partner for the Manila leg is Pulp Live World, and everyone and everything's organized for me so I have to give them credits for that!! If we want to see more of our Korean idols here in the country, dapat happy sila sa turnout: successful, fun, and still peaceful!

They showed adorbs photos of Lee Jong Suk through the years:

Giselle Sanchez was the host that night, and di ko ineexpect coz usually it's either Sam Oh or VJ Sunny. Just learned also that night that actress Giselle is a BIG fan of Jong Suk, and sobrang funny nya kiligin in between her hosting! Deserve na deserve nya, we were all entertained by her antics and spontaneous spiels!

Meanwhile, LJS is very G in person, as in he sees everyone! When Giselle stomps her feet, he will jokingly do the same. When fans wave at him, you will see this hilarious Korean actor wave back with his arms up in the air for everyone to see! Haha!

There are different segments in this fan meet, like this Q&A:

A part where we get to look back on his past roles in Kdramas:

And lucky fans participation!!!

The screaming fans, hahaha!

He also had a segment where he sang and played the piano. There will be a few off-key parts, where Jong Suk will just laugh at and carry on.. Or even repeat the whole thing from the start! Sobrang real nya and funny, that you will love him more!

As with any fan meets, Crank Up ended with photo ops before everyone left for the limited hi-touch:

Alam nyo sobrang nafeel ko na patawa sya as a person, and very sincere. Not to compare to other fan meetings I've been to but hindi nya need ng script for his message to his fans, and even the presentation made by his Filipino fans club they showed ng hindi sya naka harap so we don't need to see his reactions (baka mapressure pa sya maiyak haha). I love how he values his craft and his fans. And I will forever remember what he said before leaving the stage that night:

"You guys are my pride."

We left Araneta with big smiles on our faces, thank you Lee Jong Suk!!!

Watch my videos from that night here:

My hidden talent lol: I can stay in at home almost the whole week, and not even feel bored, haha! In short, I am a certified homebody.

But with the holiday season nearing, I had to go out for either 1) Christmas gifts shopping, which I just finished yesterday in SM Makati's Uniqlo, 2) To attend parties and gatherings (baptism of Aki), and 3) To of course buy some groceries in Shopwise!

Now you can drop the latter, make your list , and tick all of them without even leaving your home!

To help get through the jam packed times, honestbee, Asia's fastest growing food service powered by community and technology, has partnered with another leading hypermarket chain, Shopwise. I am taking notes for the next coming holiday: NEW YEAR!

"We're living up to our promise of giving our customers more choices for their online grocery shopping, especially if they are looking for more affordable options for their daily essentials" said Crystal Gonzalez, Managing Director of honestbee Philippines.

honestbee can now bring you everything you need for the holiday, from your party essentials, Christmas gifts, and different ingredients to fill your dinner table with delicious meals. Choose from Shopwise's wide selection of groceries, clothes, toys, and home essentials that will go easy on your budget. These include notable brands such as Papa Alfredo, Sunharvest, SnapMax and Southdale Farm, and also quality affordable wines from French Cellar, Wine Makers Reserve, and Red Peak to complete you holiday dinners.

I love Shopwise Christmas Store in Honestbee. You can instantly check a bunch from your grocery list, and save a few bucks too!

"We always try to find solutions to provide our customers the best and most convenient way to shop. Because of the changing lifestyles of modern moms, our partnership with honestbee allows us to still give them access to affordable quality goods," said Anna Barrozo, Marketing Director of Shopwise.

So don't think about all that Christmas stress because honestbee has got you covered! Enjoy your holiday with all the affordable products you need from Shopwise sent straight to your doorstep.

Download the honestbee app for free on Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign up for an account now. For more information, visit www.honestbee.ph.

Merry Christmas guys! I still have about travel backlogs from this year, but iniisip ko nalang na at least there are so many stories yet to tell in this blog! Hopefully before the year ends, we are down to zero backlogs so we can start 2019 with new pages!

Anyway, we're down to our last few hours in Sapporo, and honestly the days prior this Cea and I were already running out of ideas. We wanted to do so many things but they wouldn't fit the time frame before our flight back to Tokyo. These other things include a visit to an onsen, a few more day-trips outside Sapporo, Mt. Moiwa, etc. But since we only had 3-4 hours to spare before we check out and ride the airport bus for our flight, we decided to just play it safe and visit one of the places I often see in Sapporo blogs: Shiroi Koibito Park and Ishiya Chocolate Museum.

Since it's a pretty much chill day, Cea and I had our breakfast before heading for the train station. I asked if we can take last few photos around Sapporo's landmark, which are all on the way to the Odori Station anyway.

Nico commented on my IG story that this is where Empoy crossed daw during one crucial scene in Kita Kita movie? So photo op time:

We saw the Sapporo TV Tower all day everyday that we were in Sapporo, but had no photos with it so took advantage of our last day:

And finally, back inside the warm train station to find our way to Shiroi Koibito Park and Ishiya Chocolate Museum. Sapporo's train system is quite easy to figure out. Lesser din ang tao even on rush hours which I like. Cea loved Hokkaido more than our Tokyo trip because it was more nature sight seeing and chill.

Enter commuting pa-art shots:

How to commute to Shiroi Koibito Park and Ishiya Chocolate Museum:

Take Odori Station to Miyanosawa Station (8 stops, 16 minutes)

Walk for 9 minutes

According to the internet, Shiroi Koibito opens at 9am. We arrived a few minutes early, but we were able to enter the park area right away. I think we were the first group to arrive which was awesome coz we were able to take pictures without photo bombers! YAS!

The place is so cuuute filled with snowman, Santa, reindeers, and other Christmas decors!

I think this place also looks good at night with all the lights on!

Later on, they announced something in Japanese which cued in a mini show featuring bakers and animal robots dancing to Christmas melodies:

Yun talaga ang purpose ng park, it's a photo zone for their guests! 😁 Walang entrance fee so yey! People soon arrived and entered the building but Cea and I finished the whole photo sections muna before going in.

We eventually entered the Ishiya Chocolate Museum, still for free, and checked out the different sections.

On the left side they have a cool candy making show:

While on the right side is the chocolate shop where we bought some for home:

What we got:

On the top floor they have a restaurant. We didn't go in na. Usually daw they also have chocolate classes here but walang available when we visited. So we decided to go out again and just eat before heading back to our hotel.

The place looks homey and Christmasy, nakaka good vibes just to be there:

First encounter with Japan's guest information robot:

Outside, I had hot potatoes, forgot what Cea got hehe:

Also tried one of the chocolate bars we bought:

You can also grill mallows and hotdogs here:

Or try ice skating:

Tiny houses near the exit:

We were back in Odori Park in no time. Saw this set up which I think are now the food booths for their winter festival huhu:

The streets were extra fiery that day!

Last picture with another neighbor, Sapporo Clock Tower. Huhuhu.

Checked out of our hotel, and found the airport bus stop just a few blocks away near the Sapporo Grand Hotel. Just make sure to keep eyes open for these signages:

Bye Sapporo! 😭

We still had a few hours to spare in the airport, which was our original plan naman din anyway. We wanted to check out the other must eats / buy while at the Chitose New Airport, as recommended again by the internet.

Since check-in counter was still closed, we were lucky that it's Japan so coin lockers in different sizes were everywhere. Even my giant maleta fits in one of these:

If you don't have coins, they have this machine right next to the lockers.

So here are the stuff we were able to do in Sapporo's airport before our check-in:

1) Try Calbee's freshly fried potatoes at the Calbee Plus store! Imagine their chips, but in hot french fries version, yum yum!

2) Dined in and finally tried LeTao's Double Fromage Cake and Cheese Tart! Every cheese lover should try this.

3) Hangout at the Observation Deck. It was cold so naki usisa lang kami, then went back in right away.

4) Kill Time at the Sky Museum

5) One last bowl of Hokkaido ramen at the Hokkaido Ramen Doyjo (didn't try this na but for future reference)

6) For Sanrio fans: Check out Hello Kitty Happy Flight where they have photo zones, shops, and a cafe.

7) And lastly, for Doraemon fans like me, check out the Doraemon Waku Waku Sky Park!

They have this cute Doraemon wall!

Kids Zone, featuring a play area and workshop:

A library of Doraemon books and comics in different languages!

Since malapit nadin ang check-in time, we had a quick coffee break at the Doraemon Cafe:

They also serve real food here:

Japanese style dining area:

My latte art is so cute!

I don't have nice photos na from plane to our arrival in Narita. We were dead beat tired, and just wanted decent sleep. Thank God in-transit to Tokyo went smoothly, from the plane to the airport bus to our cab ride. It was hard to navigate when you're hungry and sleepy! Hehehe. Although it was really tiring and took up the rest of our day, I was open for another adventure starting with our Tokyo accommodation. As always, Tokyo welcomed me with bright city lights reflecting through our taxi's windows. It was my first time to try Tokyo's 9Hours Capsule Hotel, and bring Cea her first hostel experience!

To be continued...

Hay nag hihinayang ako. I lost some of my Japan phone pics. I have a whole lot more in my phone compared to my camera for those "instant" moments where I don't need to fuss so much about composition, but just to keep a piece of the memory. I think hindi ko nasave yung photos ng maayos sa laptop kong mababa ang memory (Macbook probs huhu). Mabuti nalang talaga most of these pictures and videos landed on my Instagram, IG Stories, or my family's private FB group. The more that I am grateful na I am the real time poster that I am!!

Anyway, moving forward!

We arrived in Tokyo and the sun was already down. It was dark out as I peered through our taxi's window, I think it was even drizzling. It was cold, but not as cold as Hokkaido. Bright lights of Shinjuku greeted us to Tokyo's modern city. I love it, every contrast our next stop is lending us from where we just came from were perfect.

I had my phone's Google Maps out just in case our cab driver starts to do something fishy, but I doubt it coz we're in Japan. As we were nearing the capsule hotel that I pre booked via Agoda, I felt more and more excited and even at home! Hahaha! Welcome to the KOREA TOWN of TOKYO!

I can't count how many times we took the bus that day, it was tiring but I cannot complain how Japan made things a tad bit more convenient for us travellers.

The streets of my chosen capsule hotel, and it wasn't even intentional, was in Tokyo's Koreatown! There were nights when I kept forgetting I was in Japan while shopping for Kpop merch haha!

Entrance to our capsule: 9H Nine Hours Capsule Shinjuku. Malayo pa pala sya sa Shinjuku Station.

Why book in a capsule accommodation?

More than the rate per night, I really wanted to experience Tokyo's capsule before I get any more older na hindi ko na sya kayanin or baka maging mas maarte nako HAHA. Adventure sya for me right now. All the guest houses and dormitory set-up I have experienced in Korea are THE SAME with this capsule experience: You get a solo bed with curtain, along with other female guests in one room. Toilet and shower are separate, plus lockers are provided per guest.

The neat floor plan of 9Hour Capsule Shinjuku's 6th floor (where Cea and I were staying) :

The difference lang is the layout of the floor, yung lockers are all outside your room so I think that's a good thing since you can freely open your luggage without waking up or annoying your roomates. Another difference is REQUIRED na mag check-out EVERYDAY here in 9Hours, and payment is made PER DAY too. But reserved ko naman na our beds via Agoda, and hindi naman pala sya as hassle as I thought since dumadaan naman talaga kami sa reception area daily.

This is where we check-out in the morning before leaving, and then check-in again at night after touring the whole day. We get the same bed and locker padin naman during our whole 3 nights stay. Plus, we get new supplies din including clean towels daily.

Some of the photos I am using in this post are from Agoda listing na, sorry! :( Again, lost some phone photos and mostly Tokyo photos to huhu.

I love 9Hours aesthetics! Very clean and minimalist:

We get a new net bag every time we check in. It contains the following, except the shaver (baka sa boys lang). So that's a bedroom slippers, a bath towel and small towel, and a toothbrush with small toothpaste. We return the empty bag to the reception every check-out, dirty towels go to a bin in the shower area (no need to dry them you get a new one daily).

At the back of the reception area is the common room. It looks really pretty, day and night! Very spacious too! This is where Cea and I brought our luggage on our last night para maayos yung pag pack namin. We occupied that huge seating area, and no one even bothered to care!

The view of Shinjuku is so pretty:

We also stayed here on our last night just to eat + social media, haha:

There are three elevators in front of the reception desk. One is to go down the building, and the two is to separate men and women. Nun day 1 namin ni Cea we almost took the elevator for the men's floor and noticed na wala dun yung 6th floor where our sleeping pods are located, haha! Kaya pala ang weird ng tingin samin ng mga lalaki nakipag unahan pa kami pumasok haha, but may isang guy na nag explain na it's only going to men's floor! 😅😅

The moment the elevator door opens, you'll see a full gray area which is the locker room:

Neat level 100!

Locker hallways are small so it was difficult to go through our luggage lalo kung may katabi ka din na nag aayos. Strategy is key! I made sure to take out my "Tokyo packing cubes" and placed them na on the second layer of the locker. My luggage was kept at the lower area and hindi ko na sya binuksan till our last day. The top layer of our locker is dedicated for our shoes / slippers.

They gave us a plastic card (same as former MRT card) to tap and open our assigner lockers.

The black net bag they lent us with the bedroom slippers, towels, and toothbrush. It also held my other things like clean clothes and vanity kit.

There's a sink and 3 toilet cubicles located on our floor, but shower room is on another floor. The net bag came in handy during our bath time since we had to carry a lot of things.

Don't worry about public toilet cubicles when you're in Japan:

The 7th floor, where lots of shower and toilet cubicles are located. Again, this is for women's only. Each shower cubicle is divided to your dressing area with lots of space for your dry towels and clothes (so you don't have to worry about wet clothes), and then a separate glass door leading to the shower area itself (shampoo and body wash are provided).

Meanwhile, the sink area have tall mirrors on both sides, and by end of the counter there's a space where girls dry their hair (hair dryers are also provided) and put on their skincare or makeup.

And finally, here's how our sleeping pods section looks like! Again, it's the same with all my guesthouse experiences BUT just more aesthetic! Haha!

Cea and I were assigned on top bunks, side by side. Sobrang well-decorated nya noh, you will barely notice the black stairs leading to the upper capsules. It was difficult to close the blinds of the top bunk when going out and naka lambitin ako sa hagdan, haha! But I got used to it eventually--just as well as with the whole capsule system.

On the far side of the pod are two tiny tables where you can place your essentials like a phone or maybe your lip balm or hand cream, your personal light and its switch are camouflaged by the black U shaped design, and there are 2 USB ports for charging.

Nung una kinabahan ako na walang usual saksakan, even for Japan electrical sockets!!! I went down to ask the receptionist since I cannot last three more days ng hindi nag chacharge! 😨 Ang nakaka aliw with this minimal design is you just twist the usb part and a socket for normal plugs will show up like magic! Haha! I hope no traveler stayed here and did not discover this!!

It was pretty warm at first, but eventually lumamig din yung room.

From hotel in Sapporo to hostel in Tokyo! I think my sister adjusted to both naman quickly, and she said super kaya naman! Yehey!

PROS

1) Near train station JR Shin Okubo. Also very easy to find via Google Maps or Waze.

2) So many convenience stores and Korean shopping in the area.

3) Clean and complete for a guest house. They provide towels daily, so you don't have to think of where to dry your wet towels.

4) Spacious lockers and sleeping pods. Even my 30-40kilo luggage fits my assigned locker (or you can leave it at the reception if di kasya). Pod is spacious even for a plus sized girl like me.

5) Staff are all pleasant and accommodating to all my concerns and questions.

CONS

1) You have to check out and check in daily. But this just means you get to stay in a clean room and bed daily, too.

2) Shower is located on a separate floor.

3) It's a bit expensive for a capsule, averaging for about Php 1700-2000 per pod per night.

4) It is still a bit far from airport bus in Shinjuku Station, so we took the taxi pa na medyo mahal for the distance.

5) Ventilation is not so good compared to other hostels I've tried.

Ah, to share unique travel experiences to family! I am glad Cea enjoyed her first capsule experience--which is in a way still something new to me even for a Tokyo 4th timer! Next time I will look for pods with its own TV, haha!

I have no regrets for posting all these pictures on our family's groups, and all the videos I flooded on my IG stories. Imagine having left with no videos or photos to share from this trip when unreliable gadgets get wonky. Did you ever experienced losing photos of your trip???

You can book for 9 Hours Capsule Shinjuku here.

It's my fourth time in Tokyo, and Cea's second, so we've been to the usual must-sees. Although our main agenda for this Japan trip is to go to Hokkaido, we both agreed that we will not leave Japan without spending a day or two in the big bright city.

If, like us, you can't get enough of Tokyo but want to steer away from the usual Harajuku, Ginza or Shibuya, here's an alternative itinerary that we did on our latest trip.

1) TeamLab Planets

My first TeamLab experience was in Singapore. I am sure you've seen a lot of Instagram upload with the crystals as background, or even Boomerangs of ocean waves! These are all in TeamLab.

Tokyo also has a TeamLab Borderless exhibition located in Odaiba, a bit similar to the one in Singapore. So if you're also done na with Singapore and want something new, then I recommend this TeamLab near Shin-Toyosu Station. It's my favorite!

TeamLab exhibits are more than just Instagram worthy rooms, they are body immersive artworks. I have no complaints that they are also cute in pictures or if people go there for the 'gram. These modern artists just created magical spaces that people--even our younger generations--are willing to go to and pay for the tickets. Time to appreciate art again!

"People dissolve into the artwork world and the relationship between people also changes."

The difference with TeamLab Planets is that you will go barefooted the whole time! It gets a bit physical, even wet! haha, but the Japanese are prepared. Clean towels are provided at the end of each room. Shorts are provided for those who are wearing long pants or skirts.

Ahhh the famous room filled with crystals and mirrors! In reality, mahirap maka take ng photo dito ng walang photo bombers! Haha! Hands down ako sa may mga solo pics dito.

Finally found our own corner na nakapag emote emote, hehehe.

A funny room filled with giants balls!

My favorite! It's a dark room with water up to my knees, and light projections on the water made it look like we're walking on rainbow or a shallow river filled with colorful petals. We stayed here the longest! If MAGIC is to be used just once during this trip, it has to be in this moment.

Flowers, petals, and even fishes were swimming and swirling:

Our last stop was in a room where everyone's just lying on their backs as if star gazing, only indoors. Cea and I did the same, just lied down and watched the swirling of stars and the whole universe right in front of us. A music was playing on the background, I can't seem to describe it but it puts the right vibe with our view.

TeamLab Planets TOKYO is located in Toyosu 6-1-16, Koto-ku, Tokyo.
Nearest train is Shin Toyosu Station.
You have to pre-book your tickets ONLINE for about 2700 to 3200 Yen (depends on the month and day). You will be choosing a specific date and time, so don't be late!

2) Cruise Along Tokyo Bay

I picked this activity knowing Cea will enjoy it. Chill, but may ganap, hehehe! It is also something new to me, to see Tokyo from a ship! We pre-booked everything HERE.

We got the Symphony Cruise + Cake Set which costs about Php 1294 inclusive of the cruise fee, cake, and one round of coffee. They also have a dinner cruise option, but price is a bit steeper at around Php 4k.

Dito palang nakita ko na yung difference nya with the Korea cruises I've tried before! Walang pa-food na pre-booked yung mga cruise ko sa Korea noon, but you can buy snacks and drinks na onboard. But nothing fancy, as in popcorn and water pa ata binili ko noon haha. In my Korean cruise they even sell dried fish so guests can feed the seagulls hehehe! Dito sa Tokyo cruise medyo pa-fancy.

So after TeamLab, we immediately went to the port area for lunch and to check out the meet up point for the afternoon cruise. It's always best to be early in pre booked activities coz nabayaran mo na sya, mahirap na maiwanan pag naligaw ka pa!

We exchanged our e-tickets for physical tickets inside the Symphony building, and just stayed in the waiting area for our turn. They also gave us a map of our cruise's short route around Tokyo Bay, na nagfoform ng heart shape! Hehe very pang couple! It also includes what Tokyo landmarks we will pass by including the Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower, and Skytree.

We noticed people going out to take pictures, so Cea and I followed them and saw racks with clothes you can try on for photos-- captain's blazers, hats, and a plushie of the Symphony ship! Sobrang game na game naman kami sa pag picture. Nakaka entertain din while waiting!

Big lol. 😂

When we finally entered the ship, the staff directed us to our tables. It looks very luxurious, almost made me feel underdressed. The waiter went around to serve our cake and coffee, and then offered to take photos by table. Even though dalawa lang kami ni Cea, we had no tablemates so yey!

Ang cute ng plate of cakes:

Nakaka tawa Cea and I finished our meal waaay faster than the rest, hehehe. I was wondering why no one's standing up to go out when we only have 50 minutes of cruising. When people were finally done with their coffee, there were couples and groups heading outside for the lovely view of the city. Yey! Ang lamig sa labas!

We took turns taking photos:

Passing through the Rainbow Bridge!

I think we picked the best time for a cruise, just in time for sunset. The skyline was so pretty! It was nice to linger a bit more outside the ship, and felt sad that it had to end soon.

Finally someone saw us struggling with self-timer and offered to take our sisters pic:

The Symphony Cruise is located in Hinode Terminal, about 1 minute walk from Hinode Station, and 15 minutes from Daimon Station. You can purchase your package online HERE

3) Shiba Cafe in Harajuku

I've been to a dog cafe, a cat's cafe, and even a sheep cafe... But a pure SHIBA INU cafe!? What a dream!!!

I made Cea choose between owl or hedgehogs cafe, but medyo hesitant sya because creepy daw haha! Then I remembered seeing a blog featuring a new mame shiba (smaller shiba inu) dog cafe in Tokyo, searched it, and found out it's just in Takeshita in Harajuku!!

On our last full day in Tokyo, where my plan is mostly to just go around Tokyo basics namely Shibuya and Harajuku, I added a trip to the new Mame Shiba Cafe on our itinerary! I think this was the highlight of our last day!!

While walking around Takeshita, we saw the cafe right away because of the TV that plays videos of the puppers! Entrance for just the Mame Shiba Cafe is 780 Yen inclusive of one vendo drink na hindi din naman namin inenjoy, lol. They also have a package where you can avail the owl cafe with the mame shiba for 1350 Yen.

When we bought our tickets, we had about 2 hours to spare pa that we had time to walk around Takeshita and eat dinner before our time slot. So make sure to purchase your ticket early in the day coz madali sya ma-sold out!

I think we were the last batch for the day. When we entered the cafe, we were asked to put our bags and shoes on a shelf near the door. Kanya kanyang pwesto na after this!! Unlike the dog or cat cafes I've been to before, may sariling mundo ang mga mame shiba haha! They were running around, playing with each other, and even fighting with each other kakaloka! 😂😂 If you are not used to dogs baka medyo scary sha!

The dogs were not so friendly and malambing, huhu. I am now reading online reviews, and most of the comments were negative coz they weren't able to pet and play with the doggos. I saw some of the guests we were with that day na they were just watching us, but I guess mapursige din kasi kami ni Cea kahit naiisnab ng doggies at first!! It was hard to take pictures, but keri lang cute na cute talaga ako sa kanila hahaha. Dog lovers kasi kami ni Cea talaga so we were laughing at the antics and the cuteness of the mame shibas!

Tama yun sinabi sa isang online review, it's how you manage your expectations. Ok naman ako to leave the cafe without pics, but of course para sa ikaiimprove of this new cafe hopefully next time the staff themselves should make sure to at least take pics of the guests with the dogs before their 30 minutes is up. For sure they were there for the photos as well!!

Dog Staff Introduction! Hehe. They have this on one corner of the cafe:

This is where you get your drink:

Aliw na aliw talaga ako sa kanila kahit panay ang takbo nila, hehehe. Do you also follow Marutaro on Instagram??? 😁

They have Mame Shibas in brown, black, and pure white! They also have scarves on in different colors, maybe for easy identification.

A few minutes before our time was up, one of the puppers suddenly plopped his soft body on my lap, and just stayed there comfortably! Sobrang random huhu and sobrang cute!!! I felt like the chosen one, hahaha. We had the chance to pat him and took lots of pictures! The other were sobrang riot, but Botan made our short stay in the cafe super worth it!!

Hello Botan! We miss you!

Harajuku Mame Shiba Cafe is located along Takeshita Street. Just type in Harajuku Mame Shiba Cafe on Google Maps to locate.

4) Korea Town of Tokyo

Booking in a capsule right smack in the middle of Korea Town was unintentional for me, but super swerte talaga! Every night before going back to our pods, Cea and I go around and shop for Kbeauty and Kpop merch. They have a LOT of Kpop stuff na I don't even see in Myeongdong, hehehe. Surprisingly, they even have great selections of Astro stuff!! Dito ata naubos shopping budget ko hehehe.

We passed by stores where they have a huge TV by the entrance, showing music videos and concert clips of different Kpop artists! Malulure ka talaga pumasok, and even Cea na hindi Kpopper naaaliw sa colorful videos and dance moves!

They also have Korean restaurants serving Korean barbecue or chicken, Korean bars, and the popular KTV. They even have Korean street foods here and there!! Talagang parang asa Korea uli ako, hehehe.

Sayang nakasama sa nawala yung phone photos ko of the Kpop merch you'll find in Korea Town, but buti nalang I uploaded this carousel pictures on my IG account so at least may onting documentation. They have the Samyang makeup, BT21 makeup line, magazines, original light sticks, luggage stickers, clear cards, calendars, socks, mugs, hand mirrors, you name it!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ana Gonzales (@anagon) on Nov 15, 2018 at 4:58am PST

Tokyo's Koreatown is locate in Shinjuku, near Shin Okubo Station.

5) Stay in a Capsule Hotel!

And lastly, make your Tokyo experience extra memorable by staying in a capsule--a classic Tokyo accommodation!! It is a little bit cheaper than staying in hotels, plus the experience is something different! I've written more about our stay in Nine Hours Capsule HERE.

Read more of my Japan trips HERE.

I had to pause my Euro blogs for months because of info and photos overload (lol). I had to live my life a bit again, go to new travels, and finally--after everything's settled--I am back again in those summer days in Austria.

Like in all the other prior cities, we left Prague via train. But unlike the others, I wouldn't want to leave this 4-hour train ride. It felt fancy, from the USB charging port in all seats, down to the menu on your personal touch screen! Napabili ako ng food di-oras e, hahaha!

FROM PRAGUE TO VIENNA

Here's how our train to Vienna looks like. Checking Ate's OC Excel file of Eastern Europe budgeting, this costed us around Php 2480 each. I think, aside from our sleeper train-boat ride to Berlin, this was our most expensive city transfer na.

Clean toilet:

All our luggage and backpacks were placed either on top, or on a luggage rack near the door. Buti nalang talaga my bags are small that they fit the overhead cabin.

Here are the food options available, ang hirap hindi bumili hehehe.

First round, croissant with mozarella and a cup of coffee:

Second round, bowl of fruits:

I remembered feeling so relaxed and chill, excited for our new city. I was playing Sound of Music soundtrack while gazing outside the window ala music video style. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that I am living a longtime dream of traveling anywhere in Europe!

WHERE WE STAYED IN VIENNA

We stayed in Westend City Hostel, my least favorite guesthouse experience for our whole Euro trip. We were in a 10-person mix room, it was hot, and there's totally zero privacy. I had a little claustro moment before I finally found my spot and just let go of my thoughts. But the best part is the price, for 2 nights we only paid Php 2,748.20 per head!

We had an incident where we requested for a room change, and were granted to stay in a lower floor coz mas malamig daw? While we were waiting for the receptionist's feedback with our request, another group came in saying they were battling with flies in their room the whole night HAHA.

We were still hesitant to enter our new room, lol! It was hot with no ventilation and aircon, huhu. But I survived! I just needed my own little corner for two nights...

Decided to stay in this lower bunk, and had to set-up my kumot as my bed's curtain HAHA! Unlike most Korea or Japan hostels, most if not all of the dorms we stayed in in Europe had no blinds or curtain to separate your bed from others.

But dahil hindi ako makakatulog ng walang privacy .... improvised curtain! Di ko naman kailangan mag kumot anyway coz it was summer and super hot.

I was next to the windows so I felt na ok lang kahit ikulong ko sarili ko. In one night though, amoy na amoy ko yung usok sa labas and I almost opened my curtain to get some air. The next day I realized that my window is also next to a smoking area. :(

Always anxious to leave the hostel!

WHERE WE WENT IN VIENNA

ON ATE'S ITINERARY:

Opera House (Vienna State Opera)
Burggarten Vienna Garden and Palm House
Hofburg Complex (Imperial Palace)
Maria Theresien Platz Vienna with Monument
Volksgarten Vienna Park with Rose Garden
Vienna Parliament with Pallas Athene Statue Fountain
Justizpalast Vienna (Justice Palace)
Rathouse (Townhall and Rathauspark)
Graben Vienna
Karntner Strasse
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Ankeruhr Vienna Clock - Hoher Markt (Ankeruhr)
Kalsplatz and Naschmarkt
Karlskirche (St. Charles Church)
Schönbrunn Palace
Hundertwasserhaus
Kunsthistorisches und Naturhistorisches Museum (Art and Natural History Museums)
Belvedere Palace

It was a hot summer trip, and I think may difference talaga when you went on a vacation during autumn, spring, or even winter. Mas bearable talaga sakin when you walk around and hindi tirik ang araw sa hulas! Anyway, for the most part we the Titas found ourselves checking our cafes to take a break from the walks and the heat.

I super love that was able to try Vienna Coffee in Vienna! It's legit, guys! Haha, very cooling and nakaka gising:

Ate's friend from high school who now works in Switzerland came with our Austria trip.

WHITE BUILDINGS AND MARBLE HORSE STATUES

A distinct characteristic of Vienna for me are all the WHITES! Marble statues, usually horses or men, buildings all coordinated in white or beige tones. It was a total contrast from where we came from, even blinding at times! Haha!

Recently I saw current photos of Vienna with snow falling, covering the white structures. Sobrang ganda! Again, if ever I plan another Euro trip I will make sure na na I'll go anytime but summer!

I think I've seen this in one of the scenes in Before Sunrise!

Everything looks very grand noh!? Like backdrops of classical movies or something.

Ang dami ding horses and carriage in Vienna:

The detailed roofing of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna:

The Ankeruhr Vienna clock, connecting the two Ankeruhr buildings like a bridge. Every full hour, you will see a personality passing through the bridge. While on 12 noon, there's a whole parade of famous historical characters!

MUSIC AND ART

What amused me most about Vienna is the touch of art and music everywhere we go.

This L'Occitane cafe has a Mozart poster in front, the great composer who produced his best symphonies, concertos, and operas while in this city.

There was a Mozart show, promoted by several "Mozarts":

Aside from horse carriages, tourists also hop in these pedicabs dressed to the nines with blooms. How fancy!

Mozart is everywhere in Vienna. We passed by this in the garden Burggarten:

Art is everywhere. ❤

BALLET + FOOD

One of the memorable sites we visited while in Vienna was the Rathausplatz. It's where I felt the ultimate European summer vibe!

Every season they have special events at the Rathouse Townhall and Rathauspark, either film festivals, concerts, circus, or ice-skating and Christmas market during winter. What we had during our trip were food stands serving local and international foods, and a ballet shown on a large screen at night. The open air cinema was free of charge!

We had I think two meals here. I had delicious falafel and biryani rice with salad on the side, plus cooling Aperol while dining al fresco style!

People were gathering in front of the huge screen securing their seats. That night they showed Swan Lake. After a very long hot day, it was nice to end it this way.

KLIMT

I think my school (St. Scho) installed in me a certain art appreciation that I'll never be able take away theater and paintings away from my system ever. I asked ate if I can side-trip to a Gustav Klimt store we passed by the other day so I can buy substantial personal souvenirs in a legit store.

They have all sorts of merch with Klimt's artworks, including postcards, mugs and teapots, rugs, copy of his paintings, keychains, neckties, etc.

Klimt's most famous painting is "The Kiss"

OLD LIBRARY

The Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek is a historic and the largest library in Austria. You will love every detail here, from the tall shelves that remind me of Belle, intricate ceiling paintings that tell a story, grand marble statues, globes and maps collections, and all the historic letters, music archive, manuscripts, and books you'll find here. Some even say it's the most beautiful library in the world!

COLORFUL HOUSE

We had a quick stopover at Vienna's Hundertwasserhaus, one of Austria's most visited building and now a part of their cultural heritage. Again, it's so amazing how they can turn anything into art!

We weren't able to go in, it was already raining and we wanted to go back to our area. Inside there's a cafe, a shop, and a museum of more artworks by Friedensreich Hundertwasser (the artist behind the house).

AIDA

One of our many coffee breaks include a stop in Vienna-based cafe and confectionery called Aida. The place is so pink and even the servers wear diner style uniforms, the place reminds me of either Seoul's Pink Pool Cafe or our very own Sunnies Cafe.

I read online that Aida cafe was very reluctant in following the changing times to compete with mainstream coffee shops like Starbucks. Their interior is still very similar to 1950s-1970s, and they still won't add flavored coffee on their menu. But you will love their coffee, cakes, teas, and other pastries. We sat in front of the counter just marvelling over the macarons and chocolates lined up in silver trays.

BEAUTIFUL EUROPEAN GARDEN

What I loved about European gardens, such as the Schönbrunn Palace Park, is that I imagine how it was a long long time ago before its UNESCO heritage and tourist attraction status. Imagine all the royalties who actually lived here, ladies wearing their dainty summer dresses or ballgowns, walking around the garden and enjoying their glittering lifestyle!

It looks like the perfect film location! Btw, did you know that the park's name Schönbrunn means "beautiful spring"? ❤🌸

There was a time that they used the area as a hunting and recreation ground. Eleonora Gonzaga, who loved hunting, spent much time there.

BEFORE SUNRISE

We chanced upon two Before Sunrise filming locations while in Vienna. First one was just accidental, which is the Maria Theresien Platz.

This is one of the locations where Jesse and Celine walked and talked. Have you seen that film? In my case it had been a long time ago since I caught Before Sunrise that I almost forgot what they talked about the whole time. All I remember is how fascinated I was with the backdrop, and the plot of meeting a random person you can talk to for hours as if you've been waiting for this conversation and stroll for a long long time.

On the day we were about to leave Vienna for Budapest, Ate granted one of my requests so we left our bags to quickly check out the nearest train station from our hostel... which is coincidentally Westbahnhof! Westbahnhof station in Europaplatz is where Celine made a decision to alight from the train and join Jesse. ♡

"I guess when you’re young, you just believe there’ll be many people with whom you’ll connect with. Later in life, you realize it only happens a few times." - Celine, Before Sunset

Now when to rewatch that film again???

Prague was easiest my favorite city in this Eastern Europe trip. I was kind of denying it pa at first coz friends who've been to this side of the continent will tell me "Talaga!?" or ask "How about Stockholm?" (Or Oslo, Austria, Berlin, or the other cool cities I've been to!!). I love them all equally, as each has a different, and very distinct charm--and I am not just saying this for the sake! But Prague took me by surprise with its old fairytale vibe.

Coming in close is the capital city of Hungary which is Budapest. Tired from traveling for consecutive days, no pauses unless we were on sleeping trains, Budapest was refreshing and exciting and brought back so much of my energy.

A Little History: BUDA + PEST

Before the city that it is now, Buda and Pest were previously separate towns along with Obuda--much like Berlin's history or North and South Korea. Their "demarkation line" was the river Danube.

Although now unified and called as one city of Budapest, you can clearly see the two former independent towns. First, the more historical Buda is on the left side of river Danube. A clear indication that you're on this side is that it is where the Buda Castle is located. It is also a bit hilly, roads are narrow and winding that it's so hard to commute here and best to just walk (or in my case, crawl. Lol).

Meanwhile, Pest (which I learned is pronounced as pesht as they are not insects, hehehe) is the more modernized part of the city. They have shops and restaurants, plus Budapest's main landmarks are located on this side including the Heroes Square, the Parliament and the Szechenyi Baths. You can also easily commute here by metro, buses or cars. I think we came in through this side, hopping off our 4-hour train ride from Westbahnhof to the Budapest Keleti Station.

Still at the train station, we met up with Ate's friend from high school Ate Jen, who's already leaving Hungary for her home in London that day but buti nalang nagkaabot pa. We had a quick catch up and lunch in a nearby mall, which is also our first meal in the city. I think hindi namin na realize that we were so hungry na pala, that when they placed this cheese pizza in front of us, naubos sya agad! 😂

Brought Ate Jen to the train station, which is also super pretty and very vintage looking.

Where We Stayed In Budapest

Out of all the accommodations Ate booked for this trip, this is probably THE BEST. But the most expensive too, haha! It's as if we own an apartment for the next 4 days, and the owners were also very friendly (they gave us a tour of the unit before they left us with the keys). Ang linis linis nya, and very spacious! Quite a contrast from the guesthouse we stayed in in Vienna. Here's a mini tour of the Cosy Central Apartment:

Very pang movie exteriors, sometimes we can see our neighbors homes at night when their place is fully lighted and their windows are wide open! Haha!

When you enter the apartment, they have a stool and a mat for your outside shoes:

On the left side is the mini sala and kitchen / dining area where I usually stay:

The kitchen is so complete, from microwave where I heat my cheese bread for breakfast, a water heater for my coffee, some pans for cooking, plates, glasses, and utensils--the works!

They also have drawers of all other kitchen essentials that you can think of, from cleaning stuff to paper towels, salt and pepper, etc.

Color palette / Apartment aesthetic goals!

They have a small counter where I love to eat while watching dubbed movies, and a couch where I often seat and wait for my Ate to finish prepping for the day. This is also where I open and fix my luggage.

Tipid tipid! There was a time in Budapest when Ate and I will eat dinner back in our apartment nalang para chill plus we also saved a few bucks.

Oh btw, there's a washing machine in our room's toilet and bath, and may pa-sabitan din sila which Ate was able to maximize during our whole stay! Haha!

Here's how our bedroom looks like. Again, very cozy and even cold at night with the window next to the bed. Colors look very calming--noted na ang blue, white, granite color palette for my future room or condo.

Towels are provided so yey:

Restroom is so pretty and still very well decorated:

Things To Do / Where To Go In Budapest

And so finally, here are some of the places we were able to visit during our four day stay in the city.

St. Stephen's Basilica

A huge Catholic church, there is a souvenir shop in front where Ate bought stampitas and pendants for pasalubong. We also heard the mass, but it was held on the side and not on the main church. Ang konti ng church goers dito, and noticeable yung mga Pinoy.

Hungarian Parliament Building

Very pretty, neo-gothic architecture standing on the banks of Danube. Sya pala yung pinipicturean namin the other night from the Buda Castle side. You can also take a guided tour inside (Ate had our tickets secured online prior this trip) which I really enjoyed!

Patungan daw ng yosi before:

All guests were lent these headpiece so we can hear the tour guide's stories even when we're at the back.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge

This is one of the highlights for me of our day 1 in Budapest. It was night time, Ate and I decided to just walk around the city, and even crossed the famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge--the bridge that divided Buda and Pest. People were also walking or hanging out, as cars passed by so fast that it felt cooler on a midsummer night! The sight and the feeling of being there was something to behold.

Hősök tere

Another major square in Budapest, the Hősök tere features the Seven chieftains of the Magyars and other important Hungarian national leaders, as well as the Memorial Stone of Heroes.

Buda's Castle District

Another Budapest favorite is this huge compound in Buda where you will find the Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion, the Buda Castle, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest History Museum, and a spectacular view of the river Danube--most especially during sunset and at night.

Central Market Hall

An indoor market that looks like a train station or even a church from the outside, where vendors sell all sorts of stuff from raw produce, vegetables and meat, to paprika that you can take home, and other souvenirs.

City Park

A public park with main entrance at the Heroes' Square. You will find some of Budapest's tourist attractions here including the Municipal Zoological and Botanical Garden, Municipal Grand Circus, Vajdahunyad Castle, and the Széchenyi Medicinal Baths and Swimming Pool where we went to.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath

Naku not for the OC at heart, haha! But this is another highlight, top 3 level experience during our Budapest trip! The Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. From the outside, it looks like the parliament, haha! Ate and I were so intimidated to go in, but vowed na any discomfort ng kahit isa lang sa amin, aalis kami kaagad. Lol!

But once we got in, the sucker for Japanese onsens, Korean jjimjilbang, and public bathhouses in me suddenly got so excited! Hahaha! Can't stop won't stop! 😂

They have indoor and outdoor pools, water is supplied by two thermal spring with 74 °C and 77 °C in temperature. Thermal water has sulphate, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and a significant amount of metaboric acid and fluoride that has a lot of health benefits to our body. In my case, super enjoy lang ako basta may water hehehe!

Favorite ko yung outdoor hot pools, may mga pafountain pa! There's a clock and temperature projected on a large digital screen by the pool coz masama din daw na super tagal magbabad.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath FAQs:

How much did we pay? 5700 Ft during weekdays, 5900 Ft during weekends and holidays, inclusive of cabin use (picture below--it's a dressing room and locker in one). Complete price list HERE.

Time: 6am to 10pm daily

What to Bring? I brought my own rubber slippers, swimsuit, and small towel. There's a shower room but no shampoo and body wash were provided so bring your own or pay extra for a package. They also have rentals for towels, swimming caps, and even swimsuits but if for hygiene and to save money bring nalang your own.

Other things to do? Aside from the 18 indoor and outdoor pools, I also enjoyed going in the saunas and steam chambers!! Other stuff that you can do with extra pay are massages, manicure and pedicure, aquafitness classes, and I even saw a thermal beer spa! Haha!

Check out their WEBSITE for more information.

Gellért Hill, Citadella, and the Liberty Statue

We went up the Gellert Hill during our last day, which turned out to be an unexpected hike! Haha! Good thing I was always in comfortable sneakers during our travels. Gellert Hill turned out to be named after Saint Gerard, who was thrown from this hill to die huhu. :(

At the end of our journey is the Liberty Statue of Hungary, a symbolic statue for those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of the country. Surrounding the liberty is the Citadella, a kind of fortress, where people rested, took pictures, and enjoyed the sight of the river Danube from bird's view point.

Hungarian National Gallery

Ate allowed me to have a solo quick tour before our appointment at the Hungarian Parliament. She had coffee in Starbucks, while I chose to patiently line up for a ticket to the Frida Kahlo exhibit in the Hungarian National Gallery. Might not look like it, but I am a big fan of art and I think seeing their paintings in person gives me the same kilig as seeing an artista or something! Haha!

Like in the Van Gogh exhibit in Jeju, this exhibit also has Frida's quotable quotes which show how tortured and sad she was while she was living.

I cannot contain my happiness seeing all these legit paintings in real life! What an opportunity that I never thought of prior this Euro trip! Someday, I will be heading to Amsterdam just to see more of Van Gogh's works! I've been to MOMA to see Starry Night in NYC, but there's still so so much to see!

Not just paintings, you will also see Frida's photos and letters in this exhibit. Too bad that it already ended last November, but I wonder if they just transfer everything in another museum??

Will forever be grateful to that girl who willingly took my photo with a legit Frida Kahlo self portrait!!!! This one is called the "Self Portrait with Small Monkey, 1945".

They say that Friday usually paints herself with her favorite animals to substitute the children she never had. In her 1945 self-portrait, Frida is intertwined with her hairless dog Señor Xolotl, a monkey, and a pre-Hispanic idol.

Liberty Bridge

Also called the Freedom Bridge, this green bridge in Budapest connects Buda and Pest across the Danube River, I guess much like the chain bridge. This one is very near our apartment so we get to pass by it everyday while we were in the city. At night, its turquoise color stands out, illuminated by the lights from the lamps and the cars. People actually go up and hangout on its metal structure!

Shoes on the Danube Bank

A sad memorial on the east bank of Danube River honoring the Jews who took of their shoes, and shot with arrows at the edge of the water by fascists during World War II.

Little Princess of Budapest

One of the distinct sculptures you'll chance upon around Pest is the Little Princess or the Kiskirálylány. She is located by the riverside walk, a statue of a 5-year-old girl leaning casually by the railings of the tram.

What and Where To Eat in Budapest?

Some of the recommended restaurants in my Ate's list include the Hummusbar, Hungarikum Bistro, Fekete, Szeraj and the Hoppacska. Although we had plenty of dinners spent in our apartment, some of our most memorable meals in Europe were in local restaurants and cafes of Budapest. We had falafels and hummus, create your own pasta, coffee al fresco style in an independent coffee shop, huge servings of burritos in a Mexican resto, and of course a local Hungarian dish in Hungarikum Bistro!

One of my favorite meals for this trip is here at the Hungarikum Bistro, just because the food and the place feels so legit! Dining is strictly by reservations, and because Ate is Ate, we had our booking weeks prior this trip. We heard groups asking the receptionist about the time they can go in, and I think it was 6pm palang but available is about 10pm na!

We were given this homemade bread while waiting for our orders. It has yogurt on top and comes with a paprika dipping sauce.

Very cozy, great service, and traditional Hungarian meal! They have limited menu, but there are about two vegetarian options for the mains so yey. I order the Mushroom Paprikash with Dumplings--very comfort food vibe and has mushroom and chewy gnocchi topped with distinct sauce. I made sure to order red wine to enjoy everything, and then a shot of Palinka with Ate afterwards just to cap off the meal and our wonderful night in Budapest.

In Conclusion

I cannot box our Budapest trip, much more this whole Eastern Europe trip. Maybe this is why it took me months to recover (from the sepanx, and also from the expenses, lol) and eventually create these blog posts. Ang hirap nyang isulat! Sa totoo lang, if I only have more time and energy it would have been nice to make a per day blog post of all our experiences in this 20-day adventure. We saw so much, did so much stuff! But time constraints and lack of writing powers lead me to just posting one per city--pwede nadin kesa wala but next time I will try harder.

I'd say this Euro trip is an experience of a lifetime--a highlight of my 2018. Europe in general was all new to me! We tend to go back to places where we've been to to avoid disappointments and for guaranteed satisfaction (Japan and Korea for me), but I think this trip taught me to go again for the unknown. Do not be afraid. Take risks! When you don't know what's coming next, doesn't it bring so much more excitement? This trip brought back travel's magic and mystery to me.

Last stop: Krakow, Polland!

What's your 2018 theme?

I am not sure how this thing started or if there are others who also do this, but from ever since I can remember, I always start a year with a THEME. There was that year when I said YES TO LIFE more so I treated myself to things I love such as art and crafts classes and expensive concerts and fancy solo dining. There was that year I said I will be FEARLESS so I traveled solo, traveled with new people turned friends, got into a risky business, got a tattoo, and even entered a teaching job.

For 2018, I said my theme will be, well, the popular French phrase JOIE DE VIVRE. The Joy of Life. I want to experience more of the goodness that life has to offer. I thought that this meant getting into luxury bags and a Euro trip, but I guess it meant much much more.

A Year of Many Firsts

In my 32 years in this planet, there are lesser things written on my bucket list as most have already been ticked off.. Or so I thought! This year brought me more new experiences, even unbelievable ones not written on the list!

I experienced riding a helicopter for the first time for free as part of a bloggers engagement:

I also tried skiing in Korea last January, which I failed lots of times but I super had lots of fun because snow:

It was also my first time to fly on a hot air balloon. It was wobbly during take off, trying to balance three people on a flying basket! 😂 People always say "just like in movies" during magical moments in their lives, but this scene here is more of a "just like in cartoons" so it's better!!!

I also slept in a tiny and shady sleeper train (that goes inside a ship!!) from Sweden to Gemany. It was weird and scary coz it was my first time, but definitely another story to tell to my future grand children!! 😂

And more on weird places to sleep in, I also spent nights in a capsule hostel! I've been to guest houses and dormitories, but nothing's more legit than Tokyo's capsule!

And of course, it was also my first time to try horseback riding on snowy pathways of Jeju Island. This barely lasted for 30 minutes of our tour, but everything's just unreal, sparkling right before my eyes! ✨⛄

I Love My Job!

It was also the year that I fully embraced my work as a blogger. It took me years to finally say it straight to a stranger's or relative's face when asked What do you do for a living? and not feel awkward or low, or write in visa application forms or airport immigration sheets with so much pride haha. Well, I am a blogger because I still write these long posts on a website I own and not just IG, I earn from them, and pay taxes because of them! Haha!

Because of my job, I went on a 7-day luxury cruise! This was one of the best and unexpected trips for me for 2018. Ahhh, nothing more luxurious than the cruise life!

I also finally visited beautiful Siargao, the place that made me really really proud to be a Filipino living in this country with the BEST beaches in the world! You don't have to go too far to travel.

If not for this job, I also won't easily see Korean girl group Momoland this up close! And for free!

And of course, you know that I will line up and spend on these Korean actor fan meetings. Kaligayahan ko talaga to the past two years. And kahit walang free, I will buy my own ticket like how I did with Nam Joo Hyuk, Jisoo, Park Shin Hye, and Jung Hae In.

BUT! This year, and again because of this job, I was lucky I got to attend Lee Jong Suk's Crank Up for free! I even had spare tickets to share to friends and followers! What a dream.

And lastly, because of this job and my passions, I received more Korea related projects this year like unboxing GDragon's mystery pack, a gift to his fans before he left for the military:

Got invited when Innisfree opened its first store in Manila:

And got paid to fan girl on stage and talk about my passion project, the Kdrama Tours!

Travel Buddies!

As much as I love traveling solo, 2018 taught me bigger lessons in traveling and life when you compromise with the people you're with. It's not always about you! Haha!

I got to enjoy sights through the eyes of other people--and this year, I went back to Taiwan this time with Ava, who spent most of her childhood here because of her mom:

The Great 20-day European Escape with my Ate, the original ultimate OC itinerary maker! Haha! We went to Oslo, Stockholm, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Krakow. Now I know where cobblestone roads and castles these Disney dreams are made of, haha!

Back to being on the wheel! Went to Hokkaido during autumn with our youngest sister Cea, and this time I am back to planning the nitty gritty of this trip--everything to make this an enjoyable experience for the bunso, hehehe. I love this part of Japan, it was more chill but still very beautiful because of all the nature sights!

So Many Wins!

They say that blogging has no end goal, unlike office set-ups, there are no promotions in this job. We also had no dean's listers and Top 5 unlike in school graduations. So when I won Instagram or blogging contests this year, I realized that what we had are these recognitions!! I will keep all these like medals.

This year, I won an Instagram contest and went to Bali for the first time:

I also got two blog awards from Nuffnang and Megaworld! It's a more visual era, but these certificate and trophy inspired me to stick to what I love the most--and that is writing. ❤

Plot Twists!!!

I entered 2018 hoping that it will beat the great 2017, not sure if there are still things better than what I thought was the best already, but then.. Here I am telling you even more unbelievable stories for the past 365 days.

From snowfall on my first day back in Seoul:

To traveling with Sir Jim of APO, who, upon learning that I was named after his song--held a mini concert in a resto in Bali just to sing Anna in front of me!

Korean drama tours started when I first dreamt of going to Kim Bok Joo shooting locations. This year, finally, I spent spring time in Daegu's E-World--the backdrop of one of my favorite Kdrama scenes!

From doing Kdrama tours in 2017.. to actually meeting Kdrama actors in 2018. From watching Korean fan meets and shows, to actually being in a Korean show!

Selfie with Jisoo after his press conference here in Manila prior his fan meeting. Korean celebs are pretty strict when it comes to photo ops, but my lucky stars were out that night when a friend has a connection that made this possible!

I guess this is the ultimate ultimate highlight of my year! I think it's because hanggang ngayon hindi padin ako makapaniwala na this is even possible for someone like me. I even remember asking my friend before na after Kdrama locations and Kdrama cosplays, what's next for me to look forward to???

And then starring in Korean variety show Mimi Shop with Sandara Park happened!

And not just with Dara!!! But with other Korean actors and Kpop idols!!!! I was screaming inside during the whole shoot!

I had self doubts during the show and even after the show, but you guys were so good to me telling me that no one deserves this more so thank you for the boost when I needed it most! Up to know napapa-iling parin ako when I remember this opportunity of a lifetime. I guess the life lesson here is totoong bilog ang bola, lahat may equal chances in this world. If it can happen to lil ol' me, then it will definitely happen to you too! Your time to shine is just there in the near future... Maybe 2019 holds your plot twists?

And of course, all the other moments...

I have countless mundane moments this year when I felt so contented and satisfied with life. The real Joie De Vivre. Masasabi kong mas masaya pako than purchasing luxury bags or winning awards.

Having hot convenience store instant noodles when snow was falling outside on that freezing night in Jeju:

Meeting a family from Indonesia on my solo trip in Jeju who, I will never ever forget this, waved at me first while I was awkwardly looking for an empty table during our tour's buffet:

And my best sunset yet with a wonderful view of Gamcheon's colorful houses, hot cup of latte in my hand while I was seating alone on a rooftop of a coffee shop in Busan:

In the coming year, I will try my best to become a better blogger. I want to write more stories from the heart, but this time I will try my best to make my posts more substantial BUT concise so people will still find interest in reading. I know long-ass posts don't work so much anymore, unless they are very well written. I want to be that kind of writer pls! I really hope to get more creative writing juices in 2019!!

I also want to inspire more people positively not just through my blogs, but also on my other social media accounts. Making a difference is now underrated. These days people are all about pretty travel pictures, loud videos, and engagements. But what I want is to touch people's lives. I don't know how, but let's give it a try??

And after listing these, here's my takeaway for you dear reader before ending my last post on the last day of the year: There really is so much more in this world than what you've ever dreamed off or listed on your bucket list. Ang dami dami pa. The grander, "just like in cartoons" experiences are yet to come!

I'll carry this in my heart in the coming new year. Let's dream together, shall we? :)

First blog post of 2019! ❤

How was your New Year's Eve celebration?? We went to our cousin's house just a few blocks away from ours, had our dinner, watched Bird Box, reminisced our Christmas and New Year in the US several years ago, watched my pamangkin play the piano, and by 10pm, our family rushed back to our own house to prepare for our Korean media noche!

I didn't bother to finish this na before my usual year-ender post. But it's nice to say that FINALLY! We are down to my last Eastern Europe trip travel blog!

In here we will explore the city of Krakow in Poland, our last stop for the backpacking adventures before we headed back to our relatives in Oslo for about 2 days, and then finally head back to Manila. Here's how those last few days in Europe went down. Oh how time really flies by when you're having fun!

I'm not gonna lie, these blog series took me ages to finish mostly because of info overload. I cannot remember most of the names of the places that we've been to! Haha! But I can still remember what I felt in every single city.

For Krakow, it has a bit of a mystery in it having to carry a very long history that involves draculas, castles, and oppression. The streets look pretty much the same from the olden times, if not for tourists like me and my sister wearing our cameras around our neck. 😄 Anyway, here's an attempt to document our day in Krakow.

Bye Budapest!

I think the longest city that we stayed in was in Budapest. I kind of miss this city now, again it's one of my favorite stops because of the variety of things we were able to do while we were there (public bath house, Frida Kahlo exhibit, etc. More HERE).

We took another night train which was a bit of a horror experience for me, haha! I will even prefer our cramped sleeper train to Berlin for the bed and privacy. Our overnight train to Poland still has a cabin that we shared to que horror four giant teenage boys all occupying the side near the doorway HAHA!

Anyway, that's just a night with light sleep so tiis tiis nalang!

Was able to take pictures of our cabin before our "barkada" arrived, lels. Hindi na ako naka toilet since they came coz ang awkward to pass through huhu.

Hello Krakow!

We arrived in Poland and it was already day time aka our only day in the city. We found our way to our guest house right away just to take a shower, leave our stuff at the reception since we were still too early for check in, then -- no time to waste! -- went out in the streets right away to explore Krakow in less than 24 hours!

A Little About This Mysterious City Called Krakow

There are many things notable about the underrated city of Krakow. It is the second largest city in Poland, it was the country's former capital, and is even cited as one of Europe's most beautiful cities!

Their Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, just exploring this part will give you a feel of their MEDIEVAL core. From gothic churches to stories on dragons and draculas, I really wanted to learn more about Krakow if only we had more time.

Where We Stayed

Ate booked for a private room in a guesthouse called the Hostel Benedykta. We got a bit lost looking for it as there were no signages outside its building--which looks either it is a monastery or an abandoned hospital from the outside. 😅 We paid Php 2476 for an overnight stay in our own room (split into two) and it already has its own toilet and shower, so I guess it is good enough.

Diba very shady much, hahaha!

First hostel in our Euro trip with no lifts, so I won't complain na! Keri naman my small luggage.

I think they also have bunk beds option here, but buti nalang nag private room na si Ate for our last stop. We were too tired to adjust, haha!

Even the key to our room is very medieval ish!

Our humble room for a night in Poland. Okay naman sya, not the cleanest but bearable naman since we had enough space for our things, and had privacy during our sleeps and baths. Grabe naalala ko pala na dito ako pinulikat (cramps) while sleeping that night coz super lamig ng hangin from outside and we had so much walks na not only in Krakow but for the entire trip! Damang dama ko na yung pagod!

My little corner:

Ate checking out our restroom:

Maliit lang sya but again it has everything that we need so okay na din.

Things To Do In Krakow

Ate booked for another free walking tour in the city, scheduled that afternoon so yey! I really really enjoyed this. Again, may ibang would like to explore cities on their own, but with our set-up na sobrang fast break per country I truly enjoyed getting to know more about the city from a local with these free walking tours. They usually just take about 1 to 3 hours max, and most cities in Europe may mga ganyan. Again, it might be boring or tiring to some but it's how you make the most out of it. Nakikinig talaga ako sa stories and talkies ni tour guide as if may quiz after the whole thing hehehe.

But before the tour, we had loads of time to just walk around, and even had breakfast (coffee!!). Ang ganda naman talaga ng location na napili ni Ate--very central. We were also right next to the Planty Park:

Where To Go In Krakow

(According To Ate's List)

St. Mary's Basilica
Cloth Hall and Townhall Tower
Remains of medieval city walls with Barbican and St Florian Gate
St. Francis Church
Bishop's Palace and Papal Window
Planty Park
Kazimierz Jewish District
Wall Graffitti: Ding Dong Dumb
Schindler's Factory Museum
St. Joseph's Church
Nowa Huta
Bunkier Sztuki

One of my favorites in Krakow is the Saint Mary's Basilica, a Brick Gothic church located in the Main Market Square.

Every hour, in all four sides of the tower, there are trumpets playing on top of the tower. They said that this was formerly a signal of the opening and closing of city gates, or serves as warning for dangers. Now, the playing of the trumpet is a commemoration for the famous 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sending alarms before the Mongol attack.

Even from our hostel on our last day in Poland, I can hear the faint sound of the trumpet before we woke up for our departure day. It's so legit, as if I'll be forced to wear a corset or something hehehe!

Some photos from Krakow's Main Market Square (Rynek Główny), one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe.

Krakow's Cloth Hall:

Our tour guided pointed this out: the modern CCTV that we all know, and the medieval CCTV which is a knife, so people will be warned of their fate when they commit crimes lol. Ang dark ng jokes ni Kuya! 😅

Another historic gate in Poland, the Krakow Barbican that once served as the entrance / exit and defensive barrier of the royal city.

We then entered the beautiful Wawel compound which, for centuries, served as the residence of the kings of Poland and a symbol of Polish statehood. They have an Italian styled courtyard, and the Wawel Royal Castle, which represents nearly all European architectural styles from the medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. The castle is now converted into different art museums.

Forgot kung anong era but may significance din daw yung leaves sprawling across walls and houses.

Here is the Wawel Cathedral with its very diverse architecture style. The say that this is where Pope John Paul II offered his first Mass as a priest!

St. John Paul II and Krakow

Speaking of the well loved pope, Pope John Paul II hometown Wadowice is very near Krakow. The house where Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II) was born in May 18, 1920 is now a major museum. We spotted a few other Pope John Paul II commemorations while we were touring Krakow.

The statue of the late Pope near the Wawel Castle:

A picture of JPII in one of The Bishop's Place windows (Papal Window). They say that this is where Pope John Paul II will often hangout and talk to crowds in front when he was still an archbishop, and even as a Pope when he visited the town. Every April 2, John Paul II's death anniversary, people still go here to light candles.

We also spotted one of the schools where Pope John Paul II went to (Collegium Philologicum).

Didn't know this before we went here, but Krakow is a city that encourages art, especially street art. We also spotted a few famous wall arts of Krakow including the most controversial Ding Dong Dumb, painted by Italian artist Blu in 2011.

And lastly, late in the afternoon and our last stop before dinner was in the Schindler's Factory Museum. Ate and I just walked through the exhibits, and it was pretty extensive and maybe even intense compared to the other ones we visited before this city. If I remembered it correctly, this was where I found a room on a dungeon. I heard faint sounds so I went down while Ate watched me from upstairs. It turned out to be a locked door where you'll hear reenactments of the tortured screams and wailings of women during the nazi regime. :(

"Life makes sense as long as you save people".

When we were on this part, Ate and I saw a Spanish tour group, and Ate said "Hala umiiyak na ang mga mamshies". Sayang we cannot understand their tour guide telling her last few insights, stories, or probably closing their tour with sad lines from World War II. But even then, our visit was very impactful.

Where To Eat in Krakow

And finally, sharing some of the food places we visited while in Krakow!

Fellow vegetarians if I have any here, Chimera Salad Bar is the best!! First of all, the dragon in their logo sets the medieval vibe of the city.

We picked several viands from a "turo turo" style (haha) counter, paid for it by the end, and looked for our seats to enjoy these healthy eats! Ang sarap and very fresh and clean the vegetables.

The titas had several coffee breaks during the entire trips, which Ate had laid in our itinerary na talaga hehehe. We went to hipster looking ones called Karma:

And Tektura:

And finally, our one and only dinner in Krakow is of course in a place that serves authentic traditional Polish cuisines like these yummy dumplings (pierogi). This place is called the Gospoda Koko:

Back In Oslo / Last Minute Pasalubong Shopping!

I can hear Ate finally breathing when we're back in our relatives' house in Norway. No more schedule to follow, directions to figure out, appointments to beat. I am sure it had been a very challenging but fulfilling tour experience for her, conquering Eastern Europe for the first time! For sure naman madali ako kasama so that's half the load off her shoulders, char, mwahaha!

Anyway, I had to take a picture of our first meal back in our "Filipino home" in Oslo. Our tito cooked these for us:

We also had about one and a half day to go around the city. We went to malls nalang and groceries to buy chocolates and cheese for our family at home.

On our full day we went mall hopping, wala nang ligo ligo, I was even wearing my pantulog hahaha! My tita treated us to a burger place that also serves vegetarian option.

Then we packed our bags, ready to go back to my 10-step skincare routine, small bag, and comfortable bed at home. Flight back after a long trip is always that bittersweet!

OUR EASTERN EUROPE TRIP BUDGET AND BREAKDOWN

I don't know how else I will end this blog series, so I thought of just sharing a breakdown of our budget for this trip!

Again a little hmm background. Hindi po ako the ultimate budget traveler, now are we luxury travelers because hindi ko afford mag hotel pa with my own money hehehe. Walang sponsored sa trip na ito, everything came from our own pockets except for my project with TEP Wireless, our internet for all the cities we went to. We went during the summer so we had a lot of coffee breaks in between, we mixed bunk beds life with private rooms, and we didn't go all out in shopping--but still able to fill up half of each of our luggage with chocolates and cheeses for the fam because #priorities. Hehe.

In short, we are typical working middle class on a European vacay! May this serve as your guide if ever you are planning to save up for your own Eastern Europe adventures in the future.

1) AIRFARE Php 45,000 Round Trip
With Thai Airways, bought during a Travel Sale. This is already inclusive of all meals, and has vegetarian options but must inform prior your flight.

2) ACCOMMODATION - Php 28, 519 Each

Generator Hostel - Stockholm (1st night) - Php 2339.07
City Backpackers Hostel - Stockholm (2 nights) - Php 5646.56
Wombats Hostel - Berlin (2 nights) - Php 3782.81
Prague EIA Centre Apartment - Prague (3 nights) - Php 6009.45
Westend City Hostel - Vienna (2 nights) - Php 2748.20
Cosy Central Apartment - Budapest (3 days) - Php 6755.57
Hostel Benedykta (158PLN) - Krakow (overnight) - Php 1238.35
Oslo - We are luck to have 3 relatives in this city so we stayed there for free

3) POCKET MONEY - Php 43,116

Ang galing, Ate was able to track this because hindi kami nagpa money exchange here in Manila. We either used her credit card so may records doon, or nag withdraw kami ng money per city sa ATM nila. Since iba iba ang denomination per city that we went to, this is the most practical para walang sosobrang pera.

Oslo - Php 7216.67 - Although free ang lodging namin dito, even food and other expenses like transpo, dito din kami pinaka nag grocery shopping kaya umabot ng ganyan ang gastos hehe.

Stockholm - Php 8990.37 - Medyo mahalia dito ang expenses since Scandinavian countries talaga ang highest cost of living.

Berlin - Php 6486.83

Prague - Php 4158.72

Vienna - Php 4377.68

Budapest - Php 9015.29

Krakow - Php 2871.29

4) VISA AND PROCESSING FEES - Php 5,650

5) TRAVEL INSURANCE - Php 1,615

6) TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES - Php 27, 313 (Inter-city trains, sleeper trains, plane)

GRAND TOTAL - Php 151, 215

Rough estimate, thank you Ate! For sure may side gastos kami here and there so there might be minor discrepancies. Now that I am staring at this cost, grabe minsan pala mas magastos pa ang 7-day Japan trip ko haha! Pwede na mag ipon uli!

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Annnnd, that ends these lengthy posts! I don't know why I keep on doing this, blogging every single place that I've been to, not even knowing if a single soul is still reading these! But I guess I do still look back on my own posts from time to time. My first snowfall in New York City around this time in 2014. The first sip of Ichiran and why I still go back to that place every time I'm in Japan. All those little moments I get to re-cherish again just because of this blog. The cliche doing things for ones self holds true when it comes to my blogs. And I am ecstatic to find out that this blog, although I had several ones na before this, but this particular one will be celebrating its 10th year on April!!! 💛😫 I really hope you will stick around!

I almost forgot about this Money Challenge that I started New Year of 2018. I remembered it now lang when my Ate shared a new Money Challenge that we will try for this year... I will also share this later in this post.

But before that! Let me share to you muna how my Invisible Money Challenge for 2018 went, and kung ano nga ba sya, san ko gagamitin yung money, etcetera. Naisip ko lang gawin nading blogpost since nakakuha ako ng good feeback sa money counting on my Instagram Stories.. saktong clickbait material! Big lol! 😂😂✌️

So triny ko yung "Invisible Money" na nag trend sa Youtube when 2018 started.

I decided to use this Ilahui organizer as my money box since may slots sha sa sides na parang alkansya. Syempre nag expect ako na mapupuno sya HAHA.

But wala pang halfway hahaha:

Dami lang fail sakin coz pag wala akong cash dyan na ako kumukuha ng pang shipping haha, or nung kailangan ko ng barya for BU bazaar, or pag may nangangaroling dyan ako bumubunot hahaha.

So anyway, I decided to count nadin today for fun lang!

The Concept Of Invisible Money:

1) Choose a denomination. So pwedeng Php 100, Php 20, Php 1000, ikaw bahala. Since gusto ko yun medyo gitna lang, and medyo bihira ko makuha, I chose Php 50.

2) So everytime makakakuha ako ng Php 50, as sukli or sa ATM lol, di ko sya pwedeng ispend (kaya naging "invisible" yung money hehehe witty din sila).

3) So meron akong pocket sa wallet ko kung san ko sinisiksik yung mga singkwenta.

4) Pag uwi ko sa bahay, shoot kaagad lahat ng Php 50 sa money box.

5) You do this for one whole year.

So anyway, 1 year has passed so it's time to count the moolah!

Nakakatawa yung naligaw na bente! Ang dami din coins pag nabibigatan nako sa wallet dyan ko nadin hinihulog hehehe (but not counted sa bilangan)

Looking good sa far! Ginather ko muna sila bago bilangin:

Nilabas ko na ang wipes and sanitizer coz OC hits hehehe:

Lol lang yung other currencies hehehe (not counted din)

Sharing your guesses sent through my IG Stories!

So finally, here's the total of my Invisible Money Challenge for 2018!!!!!

*Caching!*

Php 4,900!

Lol di pa umabot ng round trip pang Korea hehehehe!

Anyway, ang weird na hindi ko na alam paano gastusin yung Php 50 after a year na bawal gastusin! Char lang, hahaha! I decided to just place everything muna sa banko and isipin ko nalang na yan ang ginamit ko sa recent online shopping ko nanaman ng sneakers sa Zalora hahaha.

When will this addiction ever end! Haha huhu!

Not bad nadin, thinking hindi ko to ginawa before! Kesa walang ipon diba!

And with that, level up na tayo for 2019! Here's the ipon challenge that my Ate proposed na gagawin namin! The 365-Day Ipontastic Challenge! Hahaha! Ang concept naman nito is EVERYDAY may ishoshoot ka sa money box. So dapat starting kahapon na Day 1 of 2019, piso muna. Today is Day 2 so Php 2... and so on and so forth till sa Day 365 ng 2019 Php 365 naman! Here's the chart for easy reference! Thank you for sharing this Ate, and to Ipontastic Tatay for this brilliant idea! Hehehe (follow natin for more money ideas).

What I like about this is may AMOUNT na na sure ka na makukuha which is Php 66,795 by end of the year! Bongga diba! The best part is wala man lang Php 500 kang ilalabas, coz Php 365 na ang biggest amount na ihuhulog mo! :) Pwedeng pwede na itong round trip ticket ko to New York (may sobra pa pang accommodation or ticket sa broadway), pang isang luxury bag, napaka daming fan meetings and Kpop merch, OR pang one Korea trip!!!

Comment below if you're also participating in any of these iponing challenges this year! Good luck, and let's assess nalang uli kung successful or fail by end of 2019! 💚💯

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PS: Minor edit. May twist kami ni Ate. We placed each other's money boxes sa room ng isa't isa and dun kami mag huhulog daily, para may accountability. Parang mahiya ka naman kung di ka mag hulog sa day nato! 😂 So kanwari di pa ako nag hulog sa box nya na nasa kwarto ko, sisitahin lang nya ako! Lol! "Hoy di ka pa nag hulog sa box ko!" Hahaha. Mas madali maningil diba pag sa kapatid na may utang lels!

PPS: Thanks for making iponing a fun thing with your replies! Hahaha! Report uli ako sa January 2020!!!

Your tropical girl here used to think that snow is only during December (because Christmas = Snow lols), but now I realized that winter in Korea stretches till February. In short, pwede pa humabol ngayon din! Hehe!

I experienced some of the best winter moments in my life during my Korea birthday trip last January 2018 (my first snow though was in 2013 in the US with my family). Beautiful snowfall in Seoul, sliding in ice, warm facial and massage while it's cold outside, and even tried skiing for the very first time!

If you have flights booked this month or next, or itching to go spontaneous and book tickets right about now, here are some winter activities you should check out on your Great Winter in Korea Trip!

Things to do in Korea during Winter:

Stay indoors!

1) Enrol in Short Classes

Kimchi Class + Wear A Hanbok

Perfume Making Class

Save yourself from the below zero temperature, and stay indoors! I really enjoyed taking classes while in Korea. Language wasn't a problem as these classes usually get foreign students, so the teachers have figured out ways to explain steps through half Korean-half-English, and through actions and demos.

The kimchi class I took is just in Myeongdong, so I conveniently had the chance to check out the K-Beauty finds before and after our class. Aside from making kimchi, you can also take hanbok photos (traditional Korean costume) before the class starts, so it's like hitting two activities with one stone!

Meanwhile, I tried perfume making with my KTO v/bloggers tour in 2017, and till now the green tea scent I was able to create is one of my favorite go-to perfume! It was fun and another first for me, and of course it doesn't hurt that creating perfume has My ID Is Gangnam Beauty feels! Hehehe.

2) Cafe Hopping

Style Nanda Pink Pool Cafe

Dior Cafe

Innisfree Green Cafe

If you're a coffee lover like me, then winter is the perfect time to explore the many cute coffee shops in Seoul! Hot latte loading! 😁 The above linked cafes are ones that I enjoyed mainly because they are retail shops that are more known for their clothes or makeup, and has converted a nook on their store into a little area to chill and have coffee--which I love!

I also listed a few more Cafes In Korea posted last January 2017. I need to update this list, though!

3) Check Out Korean Spas and Salons

Whoo Spa

Jjimjilbang (Korean Bath House)

Sulwhasoo Spa

MDB Nails

The perfect time to insert these activities in your Seoul itinerary is on the last night before your flight back to Manila! Imagine getting a facial or massage in a warm room while it's freezing outside! Perfect relax moment, especially after days of commuting and walkathons!

Korea is well known when it comes to beauty and pampering, so their services are must-tries for me! Please be warned though that prices are mahalia for me, so make sure to set a budget if this is something you wanna try. For my budgetarians or student readers, you can also go for the jjimjilbang instead! A Korean bathhouse is a very traditional Korean experience, and usually mura lang sya with price starting at Php 500.

4) Visit Hallyu Themed Halls (Kdrama + Kpop)

MBC World

KBS Experience Hall

K-Style Hub

Running Man Theme Park

SMTOWN Surround Viewing Concert (EXO, SHINee, SUPER JUNIOR, Red Velvet, etc)

With the boom of Kdrama and Kpop location tours, there are many establishments that opened indoor experience halls dedicated to fans of Korean pop culture--just perfect when it's too cold to go to shooting locations. For Kdrama fans, you can visit Korean networks like MBC and KBS, for Kpop fans there's the SMTown Concert (virtual reality) and K-Style Hub.

But of course, I am not stopping you from going to actual Kdrama locations because they are just some of the most memorable stops I had during my Korea trips!! 😏 Don't forget to bundle up!

Enjoy the snow!

5) Join Winter Festivals and Ski Trips outside of Seoul

Nothing like enjoying the snow during winter, especially since we don't have it here in the Philippines!

You can either enjoy an Ice Festival and Ski Trip in one day, try skiing or snow sledding, or just visit the ski resort from the Kdrama Goblin!

What I like about these tours is that they won't force you to go skiing if it's not your thing, they a separate package with just the transpo so you can just take photos and walk around and enjoy winter wonderland! But of course, I highly recommend that you also try skiing coz it's worth "the fall"! Haha!

Ending this post with ...

Winter Outfit Tips!

1) Heattech

They have these in Uniqlo, and although they are pricey, they are worth investing in. Get both the Extra Warm top and leggings especially if your trip is peak winter or tipong gets negative temprature (check Accuweather prior your trip).

During our winter group tour in Jeju, everyone's waiting outside for our bus and my kasama were all already freezing but keri pa ako even when I was wearing a skirt! The secret is wearing the right under garments that help retain your body heat, worn close to your body so they don't add to the bulk, and then layer layer layer!

My complete winter in Jeju uniform, haha! Very warm kahit ang dami kong outdoor walks that time!

2) Footwear

If, like me, you don't have snow boots and wouldn't want to get something that you'll only be using for one trip, then check out sneakers that you can use even in snow! The important details for me are 1) they are comfy to walk in the whole day, and 2) they have good shoe tractions para hindi madulas. If it doesn't have fleece, then you can wear thick socks for added warmth. Again, make sure they are comfortable for all the walks!

Some recommended brands include Saucony Originals, New Balance 710, and other running shoes which are usually the most comfortable footwear with good tractions.

3) Must-Have Accessories

a) Head Gear - For me, the best accessories to protect my head and ears from the cold are bonnets or beanies and ear muffs.

b) Face Mask - Not only for dust or for Kpop idols to go incognito, but covering your nose and mouth with face mask helps warm your body!

c) Gloves - Check out ones that you can wear and still use your touch screen gadgets.

d) Heat Pack - Keep one or two in your coat pockets! They really helped me a lot during cold walks. You can buy these in convenience stores in Korea.

4) Blanket Scarves

Will definitely invest in thicker scarves that I can wrap around my neck, over my shoulders ala poncho, or use as blanket during flights.

5) Layering

- Again, start with extra warm heattech top and leggings.

- You can also wear turtleneck heattech tops underneath huge sweaters or v-necks to add that cute peeping detail to your outfit, and at the same time keep your neck warm and cozy.

- Wearing a thin layer of Uniqlo's seamless Ultra-Light Down puffer vest or puffer jacket before your big coat will also add warmth to your outfits without looking too bulky.

- Since your bottoms are usually the ones visible in your outfit, wear a printed pair of pants like checkered or houndstooth.

- And lastly, THRIFT YOUR COATS. Usually your coat is the most expensive piece you will buy for a winter trip (around Php 5000 to Php 10,000 in Uniqlo), so I suggest that you buy coats in ukay ukay where they go as low as Php 300 (depends where you shop). I just bought TWO coats in an online thrift shop called @coatsmnl for only Php 1000 in total! Sobrang sulit, plus I have two different looks na agad without breaking the bank! Haha!

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Missing winter in Korea so much! But throwback photos will do for now. ❤

I went back through my account and realized that I've been buying most of my authentic Kbeauty essentials from Althea Korea for two years now (since January 2017). My first purchase included my first Laneige skincare and makeup--copying the products that Kim Bok Joo used in the Korean drama! HAHA!

Since then, I've come to appreciate having daily skincare routine using Korean products. I am a fan of their ingredients (they carry a lot of products targeting acne prone skin), price range (affordable, not as expensive as most western brands), cutest PACKAGING, and of course the fact that they are very very EFFECTIVE. I haven't gone to a facial clinic for a while now and I'd like to think having lesser acne and breakouts were results of my dedication to Korean multi skincare steps every night.

Now, I go to Althea because I've proven that they only sell AUTHENTIC products, which is very important to me.

They also grew a lot since my first purchase, and now carry so much brands that I love and brands that I am so excited to try--including By Wishtrend, Shionle (brand endorsed by Astro! Hehehe), and Belif (endorsed by Eun Woo).

They also usually offer the LOWEST price in the market! I got my favorite Neogen cleanser for only Php 640, even priced lesser than in Olive Young in Korea (usually about Php 800). Since then, I haven't really shopped so much makeup or skincare whenever I go to Korea, haha! Sa merch nalang napupunta ang budget. 😁 Try to compare the price of your favorites by visiting their WEBSITE.

And of course, I also noticed that Althea's delivery is waaay faster now. I ordered this box last January 3, and it arrived by January 9. That's less than a week! I also love opening the well packaged pink Althea box to make sure the product I got are all in tiptop shape. :) Every item in this box arrived individually bubble wrapped!

Anyway, sharing the list of makeup and skincare that I acquired this start of 2019! Some are tried and tested favorites that I needed to restock, and a lot are new finds that I really wanted to try!

MAKEUP

1) The Saem Cover Perfection Tip Concealer (6.5g) - Php 200

Shade: 1.5 Natural Beige

2) Mamonde Creamy Tint Color Balm Intense (2.5g) - Php 390

Shade: 23 Brick Rose

3) Peripera Ink The Airy Velvet (8g) - Php 420

Shade: 08. Glimpse Brick Brown

Top: Mamonde, Bottom: Peripera

4) Etude House Bling Bling Eyestick (1.4g) - Php 190

Shade: 01 White Shooting Star

5) Peripera Blur Pang Peach Milk Blur (50ml) - Php 420

6) It's My Diamond Square Sponge (10 units) - Php 56

SKINCARE

1) COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch (24ea) - Php 190

2) COSRX One Step Original Clear Pad (70ea) - Php 1000

3) COSRX Centella Blemish Cream (30ml) - Php 980

4) Neogen Real Fresh Foam Green Tea (160g) - Php 640

5) AprilSkin Magic Stone Original (100g) - Php 400

6) It's My Bubble Maker - Php 30

7) COSRX Centella Blemish Ampule (20ml) - Php 1280

Are you using any of these? What are your favorites, or what do you want to personally try?

Check out Althea Korea to order!

If you are updated with my Instagram Stories (@anagon), you'll know how crazy I am with online shopping. I buy my groceries online, shop for most of my clothes online, and even purchase random stuff online, haha! Fellow homebodies, I'm sure a lot of you can relate! 😁

Aside from my favorite Kbeauty app Althea Korea, one of my favorite shopping apps is Shopee. Just because Shopee offers almost all the things that I need--not just from beauty or fashion finds, but LAHAT TALAGA! Haha!

I'm sharing here some of my recent acquisitions, and yep, these are all from my Shopee shopping streak. Feel free to share to me your own Shopee Wishlist in the comment box below! ❤ I'm planning on having monthly giveaways, and might get ideas for next prizes from actual readers of this blog hehehe.

1) Dowell Personal Blender - Php 1460

This Dowell Personal Blender comes with 2 sizes of tumblers, an easy to use pulse button function, and with its small size, sobrang easy to store. I use this to blend frozen strawberries for my "healthier dinner", and the stainless blade is very durable!

2) Clever Cutter - Php 55

Another kitchen find for the tita in me hehehe, for easy cutting and slicing of fruits and veggies with just one product!

3) Cherry Blossom Sticky Notes - Php 20 each

Ahhh Spring time is coming!! I still love writing tiny notes and reminders--and these cute pink sakura themed stationery will inspire me in the coming months!

4) Transcend StoreJet 1TB Portable Hard Drive - Php 2830

I have so much travel photos that my Macbook Air cannot store everything, buti nalang they have external hard drive sale in Shopee! Tip: Check reviews per seller to make sure they are great to deal with!

5) Astro Kpop Light Stick (on hand) - Php 2605

My first ever Kpop light stick is of course Astro! I searched online and madami namang pre-order ng Kpop merch na legit din, but I like the ones in this Shopee store linked above kasi on-hand na sya. It's a bit pricey from pre-order, but I used Shopee promo codes and my free shipping voucher para maka tipid padin (paid Php 2305 by check out, yey!).

Btw, what I like about shopping via Shopee is that they won't release din the payment to the sellers habang wala pa sayo yung items. You have to click the "Order Received" button so that Shopee will be notified that they can already send your payment to the seller. Thank God for this feature as it made me more at ease to buy mga ganitong medyo pricey stuff online!

Sharing my Astro haul, haha! The Eun Woo shirt is also from a Shopee shop, the authentic photo cards too (sold tingi)! The rest are freebies and from Aroha memberships. Was supposed to make an Aroha haul before but hindi ko kinaya mag video haha!

Btw, payday is here and aside from getting your salary so you can allot your budget for the month, another thing to love about the 15th are all the PAYDAY SALE! Including SHOPEE!!

Shopee is also having a MONTHLY Payday Sale where you can expect:

1) FREE SHIPPING promotions

2) Up to 90% off across all categories!

3) More Flash Sale time slots, more items will be placed on Flash Sale at very big discounts!

4) Celebrity guest hosts on Shopee Quiz on January 15-17, 9pm (I'll watch out for this tonight)

5) Bigger coin pool for Shopee Shake on January 16!

For more information on the available items and their prices, plus updates on their promos, visit Shopee's APP (available on both iOS and Android), WEBSITE, FB PAGE, INSTAGRAM @shopee_ph, and TWITTER accounts!

I usually get questions on what I (as a vegetarian) eat during my trips, most especially in countries where most of their main dishes are heavy on meat. Since I usually travel in Japan and Korea, I listed some of my usual orders whenever I visit two of my favorites countries in the world!

My Favorite Vegetarian Foods in Korea:

1) Bibimbap, no meat

2) Vegetable Gimbap

3) Vegetable Mandou (Dumplings)

4) Spicy Cheese Ramyeun

5) Sweet Pancakes (street food)

6) Strawberry Mochi (street food)

My Favorite Vegetarian Foods in Japan:

1) Tamago sushi or sashimi

2) Ramen

3) Vegetable or Cheese Tempura

4) Tofu dishes (agedashi, fried, etc.)

5) Soba (noodles)

6) Shabu Shabu

Here are some tips for fellow vegetarian travellers:

1) Download the Happy Cow App

I love that this app is available (so far) everywhere that I went to. With Happy Cow app, you can easily locate nearby and recommended vegan, vegetarian, or veg-options while you're travelling!

2) Groceries / Convenience Stores

I think it's pretty obvious that every time I go to Korea or Japan, you'll see my Instagram stories of daily CU or Lawson visits! Haha! Most of my meals are in their convenience stores, other than for budget reasons, they always offer fresh produce selections--from fruits, vegetables, corns, and egg or cheese sandwiches!

I super love this tray of grapes and cherry tomatoes in a CU store in Daegu! Iba yun cherry tomatoes nila super sweet, and their fruits are so juicy!

Sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll find vegetable kimbap in convenience stores in Korea!

3) Coffee Shops

My next alternative to convenience stores, or whenever I want to dine in a quiet and solo-traveler friendly place, I always enter a cafe. Most coffee shops have sandwiches in their menu. If you're lucky, they will even have pasta or solo pizza!! If not, eat a slice of cake first and if you're still hungry, take out something from the nearest convenience store from your accommodation.

When left with no choice, I dine in cafes whenever I'm in Korea. My favorite is Paris Baguette because they have wide selections, hot meals, and a cute cup of good coffee.

4) Look for Italian, Indian, or Mexican restaurants, Subway (sandwich place), or if you have the budget and big appetite, a buffet!

These cuisines usually have vegetarian and even vegan options. I also love buffets in group tours because there will always be a salad and fruits bar, vegetable viands, and lots of carbs options from rice, potatoes, or salads.

A last option for me is ordering side dishes in fast food chains (mashed potatoes, fries, corn and carrots, etc).

5) Pre-Order Your Meals Before Your Flight

Whenever I book for flights that already have inclusive meals, I make sure to indicate that I am a vegetarian with all the specific details of my food restrictions (lacto ovo, I don't eat any meat nor seafoods, but I still consume animal by-products including eggs and dairies). I am always fascinated by what food they will serve to me, and most of the time I get my tray before everyone else on the plane! 😁

Vegetarian Sandwich from an AirAsia domestic flight. A tip is if you're sure to eat during your flight, make sure to prebook your vegetarian meal para hindi maubusan.

Vegan Tofu meal from one of my flights with AirAsia:

Yesterday, I went to Discovery Country Suites in Tagaytay for the launch of the newest "Santan" inflight menu. Named after the much-loved coconut milk, AirAsia's Santan menu offers a wide selection of Asean, international and even VEGETARIAN options for everyone.

We first went to a farm tour and discovered that Salad Time! brand that I love buying in groceries is actually a local brand and their farm is just in Tagaytay!

This is in-line with AirAsia's farm-to-air campaign, a commitment to offer a variety of inflight meals using only fresh harvests and ingredients directly sourced from farmers across the country. This makes me so happy!

After that, we went back to Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay to try the new AirAsia Santan menu food selections.

My face when I finally see vegetarian options in menus! Hallelujah!

For the vegetarians, AirAsia is now offering Caesar Salad (Php 120) on all AirAsia flights with Z2 code to and from the Philippines in partnership Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay!

Here are some of the other vegetarian options included in AirAsia's new Santan menu are:

Vegetable Stew with Rice Pilaf

Cheesy Pesto and Tomato Bun

Creamy Spinach Sandwich

Vegetable Rice Bowl with Sunset Bursts drink (a two-layered strawberry and lychee drink with coconut jelly sinkers):

Desserts:

Brazo de Mercedes

Cookies and Cream Parfait

Butterscotch Bars

Check out AirAsia's Santan menu HERE.

Just a little side kwento, I've been a vegetarian since 2005, and although it's a bit of a challenge especially since I am always away from home, I still have no regrets on becoming one! Ever since I was a kid, my heart was already telling me that someday I won't be eating animals. In my many years of traveling as a vegetarian, I have learned that it is difficult BUT doable. I had moments when left with no choice and had to eat pepperoni pizza after meticulously taking out the meat, or burgers stuffed with fries and minus the patty (and still paying for same price!). I learned from experience that to some, a vegetarian might mean I still eat seafoods or even chicken!--so be clear about what you can and cannot eat whenever you order. Ang daming beses ko na nag chew ng vegetable lumpia before realizing na hala may meat sya! 😣 And lastly, be respectful! We all have different preferences, cultures, and beliefs.

Narealize ko lang na my favorite food destination as a vegetarian is Europe. I never felt deprived! They always have a vegetarian or vegan option on their menu--side by side with their best-seller is its alternative meatless version!

Most of my eating photos with Ate during this trip makikita mo na we're eating almost same food, but mine's just meatless. ❤

My conversion into having a meatless diet is a long story, so maybe I'll save it for another blog post! Let me know if you're interested on how I started to become one and why.

Follow the AirAsia Santan journey through the hashtag #AirAsiaSantan and get the latest AirAsia news, activities and promotions on Twitter and Facebook.

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve probably been shaving your legs, underarms and even certain other places for a few years now, maybe even (gasp!) a few decades…and like with most things, we get into the same old routine and the same old ways of doing things, even if those ways might not be necessarily be good for our skin.

If you’re struggling with irritated skin after your shave, with lumps and bumps, those annoying areas that always seem to have hair growing even after you’ve shaved them and if your skin just feels dry, then don’t worry. Although there is a range of hair removal methods out there, here we’ll get to the root of the problem and provide you with some helpful shaving tips you can even pass on!

Try not to rush

Yes, it’s early morning and you need to get ready for work and sort the kids for school, so shaving your legs needs to be done ASAP! It’s tempting to reach for the razor as soon as we step into the shower, however it’s actually advised that you wait at least 15 minutes before you start to shave. This way your skin softens up and your follicles open more. So, make shaving your legs the last job you do in there.

Add it to your night-time routine

As mentioned above, shaving is something we tend to do during our morning shower. However studies have shown that shaving your legs at night actually gives you smoother results. This is because at night our legs swell a little, allowing the hair to go back into the follicle. Give it a try and see you can notice a difference.

Never shave dry!

You might be a rush so shaving dry is very tempting. But where you might save time, you’re actually causing damage to your skin and are more likely to cut and nick your skin! Applying some gentle shaving cream or even hair conditioner will give you fantastic results without the need for plasters afterwards!

Make sure it’s clean!

Always shaving with a fresh, clean razor means that you’ll get a cleaner and better result and you’re less likely to cut and slice your skin. You’re also not spreading dead skin cells and germs all over yourself which is certainly a bonus!

Exfoliate

What? Exfoliating your legs? Sounds odd but it’s true! Exfoliation is key to a clean, smooth and perfect shave. Exfoliating before you shave means that your razor will be able to get right down to the root of the hair and give you a super smooth result. Give it a try and you’ll see the difference!

Make sure you moisturise

I know, I know – you’re super busy. But taking the time to dry and apply moisturiser to your shaved areas will really help with preventing those red bumps and lumps and stop the redness. Hydrating your legs will make them look and feel softer and even smoother too.

I was supposed to post just one packed blog entry for this trip, cramming all 4 full days we had in Iloilo just last week. But I am still (as usual) a trigger happy with my camera resulting to so many pictures that I want to include! 😆 Sayang naman if mastuck lang sila sa laptop diba!

I am still in the process of figuring out if this blog from hereon will become more of the tips and tricks type of webpage mirroring my favorite travel bloggers these days (no narratives, lesser photos, just direct to the point list of things to do, sample itinerary, budget, where to stay, etc), or if I will go with my old school ways: blogging everything per day ala diary style. I guess for this I will go for the latter because again, I have so much to say and nag hihinayang padin ako sa dami ng pictures ko. 😅

So anyway, only a month in for the year 2019 and I am already feeling that it will be another awesome year of travels. I already have sure trips at least once a month till June so kamusta naman ang budgeting! 😁 But I love that I started my 2019 exploration with a local destination! If only Multiply still exists, you'll see that I started my whole post-college traveling life going around our own beautiful country first (because of budget constraints), and even calling my personal project "Wow Philippines" (our form tourism slogan). Matagal-tagal pa talaga bago ako nakatuntong ng Japan o Korea. Now that I have been to different countries, I would sincerely say that the Philippines is such a beautiful place worth exploring too. May maibubuga talaga tayo!

If there's one takeaway for me from this Iloilo trip, it's ang yaman yaman natin sa kultura, sa arts, sa food, and lalo na sa sceneries. Kung meron lang tamang push sa tourism, and tamang pag aalaga at walang pang aabuso sa environment and resources that we're so lucky to own from the beginning--I dare say sana top destination na tayo ngayon.

So anyway, I got invited to fly to Iloilo by Injap Tower Hotel to celebrate Dinagyang Festival with fellow bloggers / influencers, and also to experience narin their hotel. We had an early flight, but since I was traveling with people I haven't been with for a long time, medyo nahyper ako sa airport palang and had fun catching up. When we reached Iloilo in less than an hour, we went straight to our hotel which is barely 30 minutes away from the Iloilo City International Airport so sobrang convenient.

Where To Stay In Iloilo?

We stayed for 3 nights in Injap Tower Hotel, located along Diversion Road in Iloilo City's business district. I have so many reasons why I will recommend this hotel when you go to Iloilo!

For a three star hotel, their goal is to give their guests the FIVE star experience! From great attentive staff, comfortable rooms, to complete amenities (they have a spa, gym, and pool), you'll actually get value for your money when you stay in Injap. Sabi nga ng mga kasama ko, ang hirap bumangon everyday just because ang lambot ng bed and pillows!!

No need to go farther, our first meal in Iloilo was in Injap's Horizon Café at the 21st Floor. They also serve their buffet breakfasts here although hindi ko na sya naavail because of our early call times. For lunch, I had pizza and coffee for more energy!

ROOM TOUR!

I got a room to myself yas!! Kahit matatakutin ako sometimes, haha, my stay in Injap Tower Hotel's HAPPY ROOM was solid comfortable. I had good sleep every night, inaantok na ako at around 12am the latest, which is already a feat for an insomniac who sleeps 3am earliest when in Manila. 😁

I learned that there are 194 Happy Rooms in Injap, all air conditioned, all with multiple beds so tipid talaga when you are traveling in a group, all have fast wifi, and of course hot & cold shower.

Here are photos I took of my room bago pa sya gumulo hehehe:

Self timer skillz.

Each room has 2 beds (1 queen size and 1 single bed) to comfortably accommodate 3 guests. Since mag isa lang ako, I slept in the queen size, but pagka galing sa labas and in my dirty clothes pa, sa single bed muna ako hehe.

Right next to the beds is a side table with lamp, telephone, wifi, and a 2 pin flat sockets to charge your gadgets (bring extensions kung madami kayo or madami kang chinacharge like me).

Right in front of the beds is another desk, where I basically just put my hand-carry bag. It also has the Horizon Cafe menu in case you want room service.

On the other side near the doorway is the 46” LED cable TV, and a minibar with microwave, mini ref, kitchen sink, and the usual free bottle water, and snacks that aren't overpriced.

Sliding closet with a bath robe, some hangers, and a safe box:

And lastly, here's how the bathroom looks like. They have lots of towels provided, hot and cold shower, small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, a small bar of soap, dental kits, toilet paper, hair dryer, etcetera etcetera (the works).

I guess my favorite part of my room is the view! Aside from seeing that SM Iloilo is just across the hotel (hehe), sunsets are also the best from here. We even watched the Dinagyang fireworks display from our rooms.

Rooms are from Php 4,500 to Php 5,500. To book for your Iloilo trip accommodation with Injap Tower Hotel, check out their published rates HERE.

Day 1 Itinerary: Within The City

Since our Day 1 is dedicated to free time so we can rest from the early flight, others decided to stay in their rooms. But if you know me and my traveling style, I did a quick research and went out of the hotel right away! 😁

First Stop: Museo Iloilo

I think we finished lunch at around 1pm, and our next call time was not till 6pm for dinner. I had hours to myself and decided to go out and not waste a day! Thanks to Google and Google Maps I was able to list down about 3 places that I wanted to visit near Injap, yung mga tig 10 minutes away lang. True enough, our hotel is in the center of most of these internet recommended sites.

Ang swerte lang that Iloilo also has Grab, but taxi lang wala pang car pero ok nadin. I just topped the taxi fare with Php 10, and still felt safe to go around on my own.

For a little background on Iloilo, I decided to check out a museum.

Museo Iloilo is located along Bonifacio Drive in Iloilo City Proper. It has an entrance fee of Php 50 (or Php 20 for students), and they are open from Mondays to Saturdays 9am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 6pm. The museum looks smaller in actual, but it features a good sneak peek of Iloilo's culture and history.

Some stuff that I picked up while going around Museo Iloilo:

1) Iloilo is the first Queen City of South, a title acquired during the Spanish period because of their socio-economic importance next to Manila.

2) The city was formerly named Irong-Irong, and then Ilong-Ilong, and was eventually shortened to Iloilo.

3) Iloilo is a very cultured city early on! In short, mga ARTSY ang mga Ilonggo!

They already have a system of writing that they used in dealing with foreign trades, they wove beautiful textiles using piña and abaca, they used porcelain plates and not coconut shells in eating, and they practiced Pintados, bodies adorned with art, or what we all know now as tattoos!

Second Stop: Lopez Heritage House

When I got off my Grab Taxi for the Lopez Heritage House, I had to go in a tall gate that almost made me think that the place is not open to the public and sayang naman ang pinunta ko hoho! The guard by the entrance then offered me 2 things na medyo napaisip ako baka payment schemes lang nya (haha sorry kuya!) pero legit naman!

Guests of the Lopez Heritage House can either pay Php 100 to just check out the house from the outside and enjoy the garden view, or pay Php 1000 to go inside the heritage house complete with a tour guide. Nagkuripot ako haha so I just went for the Php 100.

They kuya guard, after calling the main office, told me to just walk straight and go in the first house on the right to pay. I walked slowly and leisurely towards the house, and saw a happy group of staff trying out what I am guessing was a new acquisition at that time--a steamer!! They were trying it on their curtains, before they saw me inside the office. They apologized for not noticing me at once, then asked for my payment.

Then they called a guy, I guess about 3-5 years younger than me, who was assigned to lead me nearer the house. I thought he was there para bantayan lang ako na hindi pumasok, but then he introduced himself as their resident taga-photo for guests who prefer the Php 100 entrance! 😄 Nasa Facebook generation na nga pala tayo at hindi pwede walang photo ops!!

The Lopez Heritage House or Mansion de Lopez is also known as Nelly's Garden, named after house owners Don Vicente Lopez and Doña Elena Hofileña's daughter. The Lopezes of ABSCBN are already nieces of the house owners.

The mansion is very grand from the outside, and has now become a National Historic Landmark and Queen of Heritage Houses in Iloilo. I will forever be haunted by what's inside this crazy rich Ilonggo house, but thanks to Kuya who took my pictures I have at least photos to prove that I've been there!

Some stuff I learned about the Lopez Heritage House:

1) The house is still liveable, the owners still stay here whenever they are in Iloilo.

2) The place is now open for garden weddings and events. Ang ganda naiimagine ko yung celebration with the white mansion as their backdrop.

3) Depending on the season, some of the plants in the garden changes in color! Sinabi lang yan sakin ni kuya while pointing to a random green tree, I guess parang fall / autumn din na nagiging orange sya sometimes.

Welcome to my crib! 😜

Third Stop: Veggie Delight

A tip for those who want to try Vegetarianism, download the Happy Cow app which shows restaurants within your area that are either vegan, vegetarian, or have "vegetarian options available". For some reason, I seldom use this app during my travels because I always rely on groceries or convenience stores. But for this trip, I tried lang to see what food and restaurants ang lalabas. Btw, you can use Happy Cow anywhere in the world.

One of the 3 restos that showed in the results for Iloilo is Veggie Delight. I picked this one since it is just within the city, very near our hotel, and they serve a meatless version of Iloilo's famous dish Batchoy.

The eatery is open air and turo-turo ang style niya, which is not an issue for me. By the counter, ang dami pang ibang ulam but I stopped myself from over-ordering since mag didinner pa ako with the group.

Here's my hot bowl of vegetarian batchoy! I have no point of comparison since I never tried batchoy during my meat-eating years except for Lucky Me's instant La Paz Batchoy hehe. But the hot soup was too perfect for Iloilo's cloudy welcome.

Btw, I only paid Php 45 for this!

I was back in the hotel at around 4pm, in time to help Lissa shoot her fitness vlog. We met up in the hotel's gym.

I was back in my room when this view appeared on my window. Too late na to run to the helipad for photos, so we planned to catch the next day's sunset instead. In all our 3 nights in Iloilo, this was the best. ♥️

The whole group gathered again for dinner, where we went to DoVa Brunch Cafe. Brian said it is comparable to Manila's Wholesome Table. They serve really good selection of salads, pizza, and pasta that I forgot about my "dinner diet" (supposedly on no carbs for my last meal of the day). Oh well, I lived a little just for this trip!

I also had the chance to talk to Marcelo, Lissa, Brian, Bennix, Seph and Trice during dinner, and sobrang naenjoy ko silang kasama! We extended the night by going to the mall just across the resto where we had popcorn, free taste of local coffee, and availed a free photo zone just for kicks!

I guess I have to end this post by saying you don't have to go far or spend too much to say that you have travelled. My first taste of adventure was right here at our home.

To be continued.
Special thanks to Brian, Bennix, and Injap Tower Hotel for taking care of us!!!

Two days in the north for this south kid was super tiring but fulfilling. I was able to bond with my long time friends in the blogosphere (Paxie, Ate Mae, Arnie, Ava, Ruth, Ate Lou, and Kuya John), and at the same time, avail the anniversary sale happening this weekend at the Fisher Mall Quezon City!

If you're in the area, or if you're a south kid like me who has time this weekend to spend with your north friends--scroll through this post for some of my finds + things to do when you drop by Fisher Mall's QC branch.