I always love to visit friends in Singapore as they really know how to have FUN! When our friends found out that we were in town they decided to throw us a party! LOL! There are so many super successful Filipino expats now living in Sing and making it their home! I mean living in Sing is a dream! Everything works and it is really how the Philippines should aspire to be.
SIngapore friends Yuen, NIx, Robby, Kiko and Scho.
We met up with my Korean friend Justin Chul for dinner! Since it was my birthday I wanted it to be kind of special. Since we had already Korean for Lunch I was in the mood for something western. Earlier in the day I was enthralled by this beautiful store called ELBON.
This is ELBON. The address system in Korea is kind messed up so I suggest that you check their website out for more details. www.elbon.co.kr
The concept of the store was that it was divided into 3 parts. The Style which concentrated on beautiful shoes and bags. The Garden which was a roof top cocktail area and The Table which was a restaurant. The whole place oozed with chic and elan! I wanted to have dinner there.
The entrance.
ELBON=NOBLE spelled backwards, Their tagline is "for the noble in you" NAKS!
The experience was really lovely as the place was so elegant and beautifully designed. The food too looked really good but it lacked flavor and punch. My friend Justin Chul said that the Chef and the team were so young and fresh from culinary school. Meaning the food looked good and was done pretty well but it tasted very technical and boxed in. It lacked a certain kind of soul to it. None the less I had a really great time.
The open kitchen with a very young team!
The chef's uniform was looking pretty cool!
The breads were really yummy, I also liked the oil decanters.
NIx and I loving the lighting in the restaurant.
We started with an octopus and potato pancake. It was promising but it was just ok, not a home run for me.
The soup course was just plain weird It was so sweet that it tasted more like a dessert to me.
We had a beautiful looking sea food pasta that came next.
Our server presented us with a variety of salts that would enliven our main dish. there was mustard salt, rose salt, truffle salt, green tea salt and one more that I forgot. Honestly thought they kinda tasted all the same! LOL! Maybe my palette is not that sensitive?
I had a nice steak which was very tender. It was a good thing that I liked my main course. LOL!
NIx had the baby lamb and chicken combination.
This is my friend Justin Chul! He was so nice to take me and Nix out on our first night in Seoul.
Wire floral decorations in the hall way of ELBON.
The young chef who was kind of cute! LOL!
Famous pala sha?
We headed out for some drinks after in a very hip bar called MIX. There were so many cool looking people that I could not help but people watch, I adore observing people in new places and soaking up how they dress and how they put things together. This process is really inspiring for me. I cannot wait to see more of this exciting city.
We headed out for some drinks after.
Ended in this cool bar called MIX, it was nice!
Chul & Nix. Matching hair style!
The interiors of MIX.
It was a great way to celebrate my birthday! Here I am making Chul try my apple martini which was so yummy!
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HUGS!
RAJO!
Greetings from Seoul, Korea! The weather here is glorious and it is a nice break from the suffocating heat of Manila! I am happy to be here of my birthday and getting a few days of respite from Manila! I took the red-eye flight to Seoul on Korean Air.
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It was my very first time to fly the carrier and I must say I am impressed! The service was really good and the attendants were so gracious! Even though I took Coach class I was still quite satisfied with the journey. Although the lines at NAIA was dreadful bordering on INSANITY! I am proud that I kept my composure!
Bored in the NAIA airport! We were lining up for like 2 hours! JEESH!
This is the view from my seat!
I love the uniform of the flight attendants! I wonder how they get the scarf to stay up that stiff! The hair pieces are also so cute! Actually the uniforms are one of the reasons why I took Korean air, I wanted to see them up close! LOL!
I loved the in-flight meal on Korean air as they had express BIBIMBAP! It is like a DIY mixed rice dish with minced meat, sprouts and a yummy chili paste. I loved it!
MY BIBIMBAP in-flight meal!
I found it amusing that they had instructions on how to eat BIBIMBAP! LOL!
The entertainment was superb! I got the chance to catch up pn my movies. The downside was I got zero sleep! Normally turning me into a ZOMBIE-like state in the next few hours!
Our Economy seats were quite comfortable! Glad that we had the bulk head seats. Korean air has one of the best In-flight entertainment ever!
The flight was effortless, I felt like in no time we were in Korea na! We zipped out of the Incheon airport in like 15 minutes and drove up to Seoul. The drive up was like an hour and 15 minutes.
Got in Korea on a cloudy day! Love the modern architecture!
The airport is so clean and efficient! SIGH!!! Kaingit!
Since we arrived at like 6 am our room was not ready yet! Meaning we had 4 hours to kill before our room would me ready! MAJOR BUMMER! Nix and I tried to have the slowest breakfast but we still had 2 and a half hours to go! We decided to head up to the Gym and find a lounge to doze off!
Walked around the Grand Intercontinental Hotel trying to kill time before our room would be ready.
A photo of the lobby! It is quite big.
By 9:30 our room was ready. However we were so tired from the journey that we took a MAJOR NAP! LOL! Got up at 2pm! By then I said to myself I gotta make a move! I do not want to spend the rest of my Birthday in BED! LOL!
FInally we got our room!
It reminded me of the rooms that I get to experience in Japan. I love the beds! It was so comfortable!
The bathroom! It was basic but cant complain as it was super malinis!
HUGS
RAJO!
Our whirlwind marathon across South America was coming to a close and we were determined to squeeze out more juice from our trip in our last day. Our flight home was scheduled at around 10pm leaving us with quite a number of activities to do. It was incredible how we were able to do so much in our last day. This entry is an account of our last day in South America. We could not have ended it better because we had a walking and living encyclopedia as our host/guide. His name is John Davis and the man is literally related to everyone in Peru! He is the perfect guide because he knows everyone. I loved our last day because he took us on an insiders guide to Lima.
Our fist visit was the hotel Maury where the famous Pisco sour was created! It was a nice little hotel with amazing mirrors.
Inside the museum, which used to be the central bank.
Ever since I started watching Anthony Bourdain’s show called “No reservations“, I began to see travel in a different light. I was inspired by his perspective and I wanted to see the world in that light.
The day started with a nice drive along the beautiful town center of Cusco.
We had a nice picnic arranged for us above the ruins of Sacsayhuaman other wise coined as "sexy woman"
That being said, I wanted to really experience everything!. So began my great CUY adventure.
My adventure begins!
Cuy is other wise known as Guinea Pig and I wanted to try it! So early on the trip I asked my guide Sophia to find me one for lunch. It normally takes more than a day to prepare the dish but she and her team was able to produce it. So in a lovely outdoor picnic setting I was presented my CUY!
This is my CUY!!! LOL!
Another shot! It can be a bit daunting to see, actually I was afraid! Check out those teeth!
Almost everyone in my group FREAKED out! LOL! I was not daunted, I really wanted to try it! To be honest the thing really looked like a giant rodent complete with fangs and creepiest looking feet! I was really hesitant and first and my first reaction was to push it away. I then asked Sophia if they could chop it up and remove the head and the feet. I thought that this would be easier to eat this way and I was glad they obliged, because when it returned the whole thing looked like duck legs. The taste was very clean and not what I expected. The flavor reminded me of combination of duck and a baby lamb. Apparently they live on alfalfa sprouts.
Good thing there were other items on the menu. like these peruvian bruscheta's
quinoia salad.
First time for me to try some blue corn juice.
Only Malu was game and brave enough to try it with me.
Malu attempts to try the Cuy!
I had a piece and thought that is one item off from my bucket list! Sophia and the rest of her group was more than happy to help me finish.
My turn! It was not that bad at all!
The CUY demolished!
Cuy is a celebratory food there, much like our lechon! I don’t think that I will eat CUY again but I am proud to say that I have been there and done that!
The lovely people who served our picnic. The restaurant is called Ciciolina, named after the famous Italian pornstar / congress woman.
Me needing some canned oxygen after my CUY! LOL!
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HUGS! RAJO!
Anton in front of the Monasterio.
The inner lobby looked amazing! Wish we could have stayed for cocktails.
The inner courtyard.
Tessa in rest. LOL!
The stairs leading to the chapel. All the walls mind you were filled with paintings featuring religious themes.
The chapel inside was AMAZING!!!!
NIx and I in the courtyard.
Malu and Haniel.
A shot from above.
Tropa chika!!!!
Nix with one of the hundreds of paintings in the Monastery.
Group shot.
A girl and her baby alpaca. Peruvians love volkswagen beetles. I saw so many when I was there.
Local scene.
After our trek to Machu Picchu we decided to take a nice and slow day to explore Cusco!
These women were carrying their baby Alpaca pets with them. I like the shape of the skirts as they remind me of the F/W 2010 collection of Louis Vuitton! LOL! I also see a huge Dries Van Notten influence. HA HA HA!!!!
Tessa is turning into one of them na!
I find the layering so interesting.
I was happy that I did see quite a number of people still wearing the native garb, I hope this does not change.
Tessa and Anton doing what they do best! SHOPPING!!!!! LOL!
Discovered this lovely courtyard market.
Cusco is like the Vigan of Peru. It is a city that has preserved so much of its old world charm and history. However there are still really modern and exciting things to do in this beautiful part of Peru.
What a chic SARI-SARI store.
Malu with a really colorful Peruvian Child.
Local scenes.
I love this shot!
Cute truck.
My highlight was all the local costumes that I saw. Although most of them were for the benefit of the tourists it was still nice to see the way they would layer the clothes and enjoy the interesting color combinations. Check it out!
Check out these odd masks? I wonder what they are for?
I tried one on for size. LOL!
I really love the sky in South America!
Cusco at night!
Cool candle! This could be a nice creepy project.
Turning Peruvian!
Discovered this really cool restaurant called MAP near our hotel it is located inside a museum. MAP stands for the Museo de arte Precolombino. Unfortunately we did not get to see the museum but we did enjoy dinner.
Malu and I with our cute waiter Christian.
A Baby Alpaca skewer! This animal really gives a lot to Peru, from scarves, sweaters, photo ops and even food! GALING!
The food in MAP was more decorative and dramatic more than flavorful. It was fun to watch and see but it lost points in taste.
A hot ceviche.
SALMON.
This was their version of ADOBO, which was too funky for my taste. LOL!
The desserts were a lot better.
More dessert. The value of the meal was really good. Peru is really not expensive its just so far to get to! LOL!
HUGS!
RAJO!
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