Rajo's Blog | StyleBible.ph » travel

The Palace of Sleeping Beauty!

rajo — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:00:56 +0000

Did you know that the palace you see in Disneyland was patterned after a real castle? I did not know that! Well, we visited the castle that inspired Mr. Disney in my recent trip to Germany and it is called Neuschwanstein castle, around an hour and half out of Munich. The castle was created by King Ludwig II, otherwise known as the mad king. He was mad because he kept on creating these palaces all over Germany. One of the most distinguished castles he ever built was the Neuschwanstein castle.

I tested my agility by walking up to the castle. It was not easy but not that difficult. I was just happy to sneak in a bit of a work out because I knew that I would be indulging myself on this trip. At the base of the castle was a pretty tiny town that housed several stores and restaurants. There were also horse drawn carriages that had some of the heftiest horses I have ever seen! LOL!

We were having such beautiful weather.

There were sky divers jumping off the mountain. Can you see them? I wanted to do that?! It is one of my must do list!

Horse drawn carriages that would carry people up to the castle.

Nix in front of the carriages.

We found a house with a familiar name on it! The name brought a smile to my face.

Nix and Cla-Cla had to pose in front of it. LOL!

Because of the lack of time, we decided to just view the palace from the outside, we hiked some more to get a better advantage and got the best view on a hanging bridge. I was really proud of Nix because he has a bit of Vertigo and he was able to overcome his fears and get ourselves a really good photo of the castle. We did eventually get inside the castle but it was really more impressive outside. It was a beautiful clear day with brilliant sunshine so spending a day outdoors was really welcome. I wish I could spend more days like this in Manila? Enjoy the photos.

After a 40 minute trek we got close to the palace.

We trekked some more and spotted this man playing a really old string instrument.

Another angle of the castle.

It was absolutely breathtaking once we got to the peak.

Best views of the castle were on a hanging bridge.

It was like a post card! No wonder Mr. Disney was inspired.

Had to take a photo!

The German countryside.

Views from the inner courtyard. Too bad we really did not have time to go inside.

Views on the way down our walk.

It was so peaceful.

So lush and green!

HUGS!

RAJO!

OH MY MUNCHEN!

rajo — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:30:39 +0000

I have not been to Germany for what seems to be like two decades! I was really very excited for this trip! I read our host’s itinerary and it seemed so full of adventure. Good thing that flying with Singapore Airlines is luxury defined and I arrived in Munich at 6am fully rested.

I woke up and had freshly made pancakes with loads off yummy berries! Said my prayers and in a few hours landed in Munich. Our hosts were already waiting for us at the airport and had a huge bus to take us around Munich! I was so glad that I got a good night’s rest because we were hitting the ground running. First stop was an early city tour of Munich. This lovely city was heavily inspired by Italian architecture and culture. King Ludwig was so enthralled by Italy that he patterned this city around it.

Fresh Pancakes and berries for breakfast thousands of miles up in the sky!

Arrived in Munich at dawn. Liking the spare and minimal design of the airport.

I always get inspired by architecture.

Love the font!

We were almost a 40-person strong contingent from Manila!

Happy to be traveling with one of my loves Sarah Meier.

Our groovy bus!

Munich's beautiful sunrise.

Another shot! I love seeing the sunrise! I wish I had more opportunities to do so! I love sleeping in so much that I forget how beautiful the day begins. Note to self! WAKE UP EARLIER! LOL!

Passed by this amazing stadium! I wish I got to see it closer.

Zipped by the city outskirts.

Found the city trams really cool!

Found an early morning bakery and saw this baker taking a break! I LOVE THIS PHOTO!

Nix and I at the main shopping street! Happy that all the stores were closed! LOL!

Spotted this really cool building! I failed to find out what it was but I loved it!

Had to take a photo in front of it.

Wish I had the time to go inside.

Most of the city was being restored.

See the Italian influence?

Love the cobble stones textured streets.

It was such a great idea to start the tour early in the morning as there were far less people and the temperature was just amazing! I really love the cold weather and although it was already early fall, Germany was having a late summer. Take a look at my first day in Germany.

Traveling with friends Cla-Cla and our Chesa!

I have to get my hands on one of these outfits! LOL! I want one!

Munich streets!

Germany, like most of Europe, has really beautiful churches.

Had to rub this for good luck.

Had to have a photo in the main square.

Inside the church! I loved the fact that it was all white.

Passed by a gummy bear art work! LOL! Germany invented gummy bears and I had my share of it during my trip! OH DEAR!

Look a giant SIPA! LOL!

I thought this was an ingenious idea! Hanging plants like this makes the air much cleaner and better. Plus it adds a super chic ambience.

Liking the textured steel dividers.

More gothic style buildings.

So excited that Chanterelle mushrooms are in season! There were so many and the price for it was quite good!

Spotted this cool gargoyle!

Hung out in the Marienplatz area and fell in love with the facade of their City Hall.

Such a beautiful square.

This is my new friend Tomo!

Liking the side detail of this church.

The inside of another church had a more rococo/baroque feel.

I love this shot!

More Munich views.

Germany loves their Pork! Freaked out about this one but had to take a photo!

I like how clean their butcher shops are.

More pig faces! LOL!

See how clean the butcher shop is! Happy that I got to visit their market. You can really tell a whole lot about a place through their markets.

Nix and I happy to be in Munich.

Beautiful plants!

HUGS!

RAJO!

OFF I GO!

rajo — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:00:12 +0000

I love my job! I always say this because I think it really is the best job in the world! One of the greatest perks of this job is I get to travel! If you have been following my blog, travel is a huge part of my life! I actually work so that I can travel. It is something that my parents instilled in me. Mom worked for PAL for many years, allowing us to travel at a discount and this created an insatiable desire to explore and see the world.

This trip is taking me back to Europe where I will be mainly in Germany and a few days in Paris. I am excited about this trip because the last time I was in Germany I was like 19 years old! LOL! We started our trip with a super amazing flight on Singapore Airlines! It is truly one of the best carriers in the world! I love their service and the fact that we were on Business class was indeed a blessing! Here are a few images of my recent adventure!

Our flight out of Manila was on an older plane but still had so much space.

View of NAIA! I won't dwell on the negatives of our airport but I am glad that Kenneth Cobonpue will be taking charge of giving NAIA a much needed facelift! PRO BONO! Bravo Kenneth! You're really such a STAR!

Manila views!

Manila Bay!

A nice salad to start! YUM!

Main course was shrimp and scallops! I LOVED IT!

Enjoyed my little booties!

Had a stop over in Singapore and hung out at the lounge! It was super chic!

I like the space! It was so big!

Nix was happy that the internet was strong!

I like the warm tones.

Then we took our flight! We had so much space it was heavenly!

They had all the best magazines!

I love the well designed ergonomic pods!

Happy to be here!

Had a light meal and then I just dozed off to sleep!

HUGS!

RAJO!

Sweet Singapore Sundays and half a monday.

rajo — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:42:48 +0000

My gang and I decided that we were done with shopping and all we wanted to do was just chill out and veg. My friend Scho had the most brilliant sunday schedule.( Which apparently is her normal Sunday gig) She invited us to a delicious lunch at the Singapore Yacht Club!

: The day started out with some clouds but by mid afternoon the sun was shining! This was taken in the yacht club!

NIx, Robby and Marc all set for some chill time!

Marc was dressed perfectly for a day out in the sea!

The last time Scho invited here we really enjoyed the fish head curry, so we had to order this apart from other yummy SIngapore fare like deep fried soft shell crabs, some mutton satay’s a spicy chicken and cashews and many other dishes. It was also great to hang out with her beautiful daughter Heather who took us around the club.

: This was our beautiful guide Heather. A natural born poser! AYELAHHVEET!!!!

Me and Heather in matching colors.

The fish head curry, tasting a million times better than it looks.

Deep fried soft shell crab!

Mutton Satays and a spicy cashew shrimp dish.

The lunch crowd!

Oooh...I almost forgot we also had some Hainanese chicken.

After lunch Scho took us to the Tanjong Beach club! I loved it! The place had a mid-century vibe to the architecture and the people were all so gorgeous! It was what everyone needed, some sun and a bit of margaritas which equated to a sweet Singapore Sunday! We stayed there till the sun came down.

We spent the rest of our day and early night here! The Tanjung Beach club! SO CHIC!

I love the idea of a bool near the beach! The music and the crowd were all really cool!

This whole place automatically spells relaxation.

Scho with our drink of choice! A whole pitcher of frozen Margarita!

Some cutie eating! Anyone who can eat and look cute at the same time is a major plus! LOL!

Scho and me!

The club at night!

The bar scene!

We had half a monday to spend in Sing before our flight so we wanted to check out the store BlackMarket which is owned by a Filipino. Too bad that it was still closed when we got there so we failed to see it. Maybe next time. We had a quick lunch at Bonchon 4 fingers crispy chicken because everyone told us to try it! IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!!! I wish someone could take it to Manila! With that, we went back to our hotel took the car to the airport and had a smile all the way home to Manila!

I love how Nixed looked the very next day! It was like a box of crayons exploded on him!

Wanted to visit the store called Black Market but it was still closed at 1230 and we had a plane to catch! Next time!

Had to try some BONCHON 4 fingers crispy chicken! Cute packaging!

This is how it looks like inside! IT WAS REALLY GOOD! Mapapa OMG ka! LOL! Can someone take this to Manila?!!!

HUGS!

RAJO!

How they party in Singapore?

rajo — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:22:34 +0000

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 bumped into one of my favorite people in Singapore, BENJAMIN! I was so happy to see him! Kiko, me, Nix and Benjamin at Rewind.

First stop was Kiko Dimalanta‘s house which was so full of beautiful art and beautiful people. After several hours of partying and listening to the GLEE soundtrack on loop we felt like dancing! LOL! So we hit several clubs like Rewind and Taboo! It was lots and lots of fun!

Our friend Marc Gueco joined us from Manila taking the late flight out, just in time to party with us!

After the clubs, we had to wait a bit for the taxi to take us! It was so funny because when you put a group of Pinoy's together and a bit of alcohol and it becomes a song fest! LOL!

We ended our partying with a quick stop to NEWTON CIRCUS! OMG! I love as in LOOOOOVE coming here because the Hawker food here is so GOOD! I just had to have some stingray and some crispy baby squid before heading home!LOL!

NEWTON CIRCUS HAWKER FOOD IS LOVE!

Just looking at this makes me want to come back! Crispy baby squid with salted fish fried rice! YUM!

This was my FAVORITE! Stingray with a spicy sambal-like sauce on top!!!!

HUGS!

RAJO!

http://blogs.stylebible.ph/previewblog/2010/06/18/eye-observethe-launch-of-republiq/

Birthday Dinner!

rajo — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:37:51 +0000

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!

HUGS!
RAJO!

Conquering Korea!

rajo — Thu, 20 May 2010 04:33:18 +0000

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.

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!

Randomness in LA!

rajo — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:26:30 +0000

My troupe and I had a “breather” in Los Angeles before coming home! It was going to be unhealthy if we headed home straight to Manila! Imagine traveling for more than 30 hours? Hence we happily made a pit stop to LALALAND!!!! We only had one thing on our mind when we were there and that was SHOPPING!!!!! LOL! America is really a haven for shopping! They have the best priced items anywhere in the world and so we headed to favorite shopping haunts. Topping that list is COSTCO! LOL!

: The Tropa with our friend Grace Llamanzares in front of COSTCO! had to pose here because everyone wanted to go here first! LOL!

: Here we are with our loot from Target!!! SAYA!!!

Nix and Leica manages to always look like they dress up from the same collection! I love this relaxed vibe!

We then visited some friends and had a nice farewell lunch at the Grove! Which is like an upscale Serendra! Diba?

: Tessa and Anton in the Grove!!!

One last parting shot before we go on our separate ways! Some of us will stay longer in the US while some of us will be heading home on different carriers!

I call this entry Randomness in LA because we really did not have any agenda, it was fun to just go with the flow!

Malu with her best friend Grace!

We discovered the second collection of Stella McCartney for Gap Kids! I loved the bag!!!

The sizing was big enough for Nix so he got this really sharp green wind breaker! Cool designs and really amazing price!

We stayed with our friend Joy Go for a day and she helped Nix pack! She really has a talent for efficient packing! NIx bought a lot of shoes and she was able to pack everything in his suit case! We watched in amazement how if all fit! Thank you JOY!!!!!!

HUGS!

RAJO!

Last day in LIMA!

rajo — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:24:58 +0000

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.

I loved the mirrors, although the place needed a facelift.

The bar looked cool and I imagine a spy movie scene being shot there.

Some locals still have their shoes shined the old fashion way. I for one hardly do this.

Then we visited a house of a distant relative of John- the Aliaga house. This house was really such a treat! You all know one of my loves is interior design right? So imagine a home that has been in the same family for 17 generations!

The spectacular staircase which greeted us! Reminding me of the old "bahay na bato" we have in Manila.

I love the colors of the home and our 3 resident Interior designers were quite happy to take it all in.

Me in front of the massive doors. The house was built in the 16th century.

Tropa chica! In Casa Aliaga.

The door leading to one of the salons.

The house is divided into several salons each salon decorated in a period within the 16th, 17th and 18th century. The fact that everything is intact really made me love the house even more.

The hall way leading to more salons.

The living room! The owner of the house was actually there entertaining, we did not get to say Hi as according to John, the owner refuses to speak english! LOL!

This was one of the more eclectic rooms.

The dining room! My goodness! The details were mind blowing!

The inner courtyard.

Me and the gang were just ooohing and aaahing with each turn in the house.

The view from the dining room.

The owner with his name is shiny brass outside the gate!

I hope that all of you did not mind this super long exodus entries to this part of the world, I just wanted to share this dream destination/holiday with everyone. I have been thinking about coming here since I was in my teens.

After that we wanted to do some last minute shopping! Love all these color and crafts!

Silver work is big in Peru!

Went to the market to buy some snacks and food stuff to take home! Beautiful peppers!

This was an odd fruit it is a cucumber melon

Beautiful corn! WIth the largest kernels I have ever seen!

Then we went to a pisco tasting course with sommelier Jorge Irribarren! He taught us how to appreciate the Pisco!

Cheers! Pisco is quite strong! At 42 percent alcohol we were going to be knocked out for the plane ride home! LOL!

Tessa with hottie Jorge! Tessa was loving the Pisco!

Some tapas to balance the alcohol were really appreciated. Peruvian style sashimi!

My fave! PULPO! I love octupus!

One last shot before heading to the airport! All sauced and buzzed!

Our luggages totalling 16 pieces! Not bad for 7 people! LOL!

I do hope that I have inspired some of you on this journey and perhaps one day I too will return and explore other parts of South America. In the mean time! Kayod Kalabaw ulit! LOL! ( Back to the grind).

HUGS!
RAJO!

.
PS. If you want to get John to host you around Lima just email him at kunturh@speedy.com.pe he also is part of this amazing company called ARACARI, they really made our trip to PERU sensational! www.aracari.com

Incan Gold!

rajo — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:28:35 +0000

After Cusco we fly back to Lima for more sightseeing and information on this amazing country called Peru! I have always been interested in Incan art and often felt a similarity with our own Philippine tribal art. We visited the Museo Numismatico del Peru which is free to the public and was so amazed by the beauty of the Incan gold!

Inside the museum, which used to be the central bank.

There were so many vital information that I want to share but I think for now I will share with you my pictures as they speak for themselves. I have this to say though- that visit left me inspired.

Check out this solid gold mask!

These are all nose rings.

Tessa admiring the pottery. Behind her is our excellent host and guide Mr. John Davis.

Beautiful pottery

This is a head piece, I love the use of plumage.

A neck piece.

A gold head, I kind of wanted to swipe this one! LOL!

History through pottery.

This was a recording device, use to count the livestock or vegetables. I love it!

Check out that vault!

More gold jewelry.

The room that had all the beautiful gold!

These were ear rings! They were so large!

Neck piece! Very Arnel Papa! LOL!

Cloth pins, I bought some in the market.

A necklace telling a story.

More pins!

This is so cool no? I actually collect things like this, but not in gold, usually just steel or bronze.

Pose muna!

The entire collection belonged to one man! Hugo Cohen! GRABE!

Me in front of the vault, which actually was super cool.

Anton posed too.

Me pointing to a cuy pot. LOL!

Old fabric,reminding me of our Pina fabric.

John is like the walking encyclopedia of Peru!

A vestment, dated 1924.

More pins, these were more like the ones I bought in the market.

Leica in front of the bank tellers booth.

The museum is located at Jiron Junin 781 it is open Mondays through Fridays from 10am to 4:30pm. They have a website museobcr.perucutural.org.pe

HUGS!

RAJO!