Romulo Cafe's Crispy Pork Binagoongan

Turning out to be an all time favorite of Filipino food lovers is Romulo Cafe located in Scout Tuazon corner Dr Lazcano St near Morato in Quezon City. It also has a branch in Makati at Jupiter St.

I have eaten at the Quezon City branch a number of times and the place is still always full after 2 years of operation. This is a testament to the quality of food in their menu. Last time I ate in Romulo Cafe what stood out was the Crispy Pork Binagoongan. The pork skin was really crispy and the meat tender. The pork was sauteed with tomatoes, onions, kangkong (water spinach) and bagoong ( shrimp paste), and was served on top of a steamed eggplant. The dish is priced at a reasonable P355 (US$8.65).

Azul Spa: Great Value Body Massage in Manila

One of the truly relaxing things that I enjoy is a body massage during lazy afternoons. Fortunately there is a spa very near my place which offers a relaxing massage at a very reasonable price of P250 (US $6.00) for a 1 hour body massage between the hours of 12 noon till 5 pm. After 5pm, the price goes up to P300 (US $7.30) which is still a treat at that price. The massage is done in a private cubicle with soothing music to further enhance your relaxation. They also provide you with warm salabat tea after the massage.

The massage place that I go to is Azul Spa and their signature 1 hour body massage is a combination of shiatsu and swedish massage techniques. Azul Spa is located in Shaw Blvd Mandaluyong near Edsa and right beside the Philippine National Bank Branch. They have branches at Edsa Boni, Libertad St. in Mandalauuyong, and in Quezon and Pasig cities.

Wooden Spoon: Wonder Foods

Reyna Blanca:

Stuffed Pechay:

Current hit among food lovers is Wooden Spoon on Katipunan Avenue in Loyola Heights Quezon City. Prices are reasonable with most dishes priced below P200 although servings are not really generous. But the good thing is that their food is great! The place is owned by Sandy Daza who has a column of course about food and restaurants in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

I have tried a number of dishes in this restaurant which specializes in Filipino cuisine. Lumpiang sotanghan (P95), wansoy shrimp balls (P95), binagoongan (P195) lemon grass chicken (P185) are good. A disappointment is the new addition to their menu, crispy fish which is actually a seafood take on crispy pata but this time using tuna. The fish skin with meat came out tough instead of the crispy skin and tender meat of the really good crispy patas.

What stands out is their stuffed pechay(P155) which is smokey tinapa wrapped in pechay and swimming in really flavorful spicy sauce. You can end your meal with the delightful reyna blanca (P65) which is a milk gelatin topped with pinipig and milk cream.

There are a number of dishes which I heard are also great so another visit to this restaurant is in my To Do list.

La Boca Colors My World

La Boca in Buenos Aires is famous for its houses and establishments painted in bold and bright colors. This used to be meat-packing plants, warehouses, and houses which the dwellers painted with leftover paint on the corrugated metal sidings of these structures. As a result, a charming community came about where you now have coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries and souvenir shops, and has become a favorite of tourists.

Puerto Madero: Modern Buenos Aires

Puerto Madero was Buenos Aires major port in the 19th century. Today, this old waterfront is a modern barrio hosts to gourmet restaurants, residential apartment lofts, and offices. It is the most expensive real estate in Buenos Aires.

You can spend a lazy afternoon here strolling by the river and having coffee, snack or dinner in the numerous restaurants in the area.

Cementerio de la Recoleta: 5 Star Resting Place

Recoleta is home to the wealthiest people of Buenos Aires. This is also where you will find one of the city's famous attractions the Cementerio de la Recoleta, final resting place of dead rich and famous of Buenos Aires.

Impressive are the tombs and sarcophagi with statues and elaborate carvings and ornaments. Argentina's most famous citizen, Evita Peron is buried here and her grave is the cementery's top crowd drawer.

Classic Buenos Aires

Teatro Colon

Ave 9 de Julio and the Obelisco

Evita Peron's Casa Rosada

Inside Galerias Pacifico Mall

Palacio del Congreso

Tango in San Telmo

Buenos Aires is a big city but with a classic European flavor with its colonial architecture, old world cafes and wide avenues. Its Ave 9 de Julio (which is the widest street in the world with 16 lanes) will remind you of the wide streets of Paris.

Interesting to see in this bustling city are bookstore ( named Ateneo) housed in what used to be a theater and the Galerias Pacifico which is a beautiful French style shopping center. There are a number of other prime attractions in Buenos Aires and these includes the Teatro Colon, Casa Rosada, Palacio del Congreso, and the charming old world of San Telmo.

It is easy and cheap to go around Buenos Aires with its bus system and the old but still reliable, Subte subway.

Beagle Channel: Black Beauty

It is easy to cruise the Beagle Channel as there are numerous tour operators who offer 4 hour day or afternoon tours for a cost of around US$60.

The boat tour will bring you around the almost black waters of the channel to see sea lions, penguins, rocky isles, lighthouse, and may include a stop on one or two islands. The channel offers scenic views of the surrounding snow capped mountains and many small islands, and as a bonus for afternoon tours is the stunning sunset at the end of the world!

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego: Natural High!

What turns me on during my holidays are breathtaking natural sceneries. This is precisely what happened when I visited the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. This is a coastal park with a dense forests and offers scenic walks and hikes along bays, rivers and through the forests. I came in autumn and this was the best time as there was a burst of colors in the trees.

It is easy to go to this national park as there are vans in the center of Ushuaia that will bring you to the park and back to the town. This transport operates on a hop on hop off system wherein you to get off at designated stops and then get on again. This allows you to truly enjoy the park at leisure.

Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego was truly one of the highlights of my holiday in Argentina. A natural high!

Ushuaia: Where the End Begins

Ushuaia is the southermost town in South America and is where the end of the world ( "Fin Del Mundo") begins. It is here where you can take the vessels that go to Antartica.

But Ushuaia holds its own with its many natural attractions which includes the Parque National Tierra del Fuego, the snow capped Martial Range, the Beagle Channel and Cerro Martial. The town itself is interesting with its museums, parks and baywalk. However, it is here that you will encounter the rudest and not so friendly Argentines.

To get to Ushuaia, you have to fly on an Aerolineas Argentina flight from Buenos Aires.

Sunrise in Patagonia

One of the few things that I do not like about traveling is when you have to wake early in the morning to be ready for an early morning pick up to go to some far away famous tourist spot. This happened again when I went to see the Fitz Roy Range. Bus pick up was at 6am so I had to wake up by 5am.

But this was one trip where I was happy that the trip started that early. It enabled me to witness the glorious sunrise of Patagonia. The sky was truly blue, and clear and cloudless, and there slowly rising in strong orange was the sun. Unbelievably awesome and I cherished the quiet way that I saw the sight as the other passengers in the van opted to take a nap. Patogonia sunrise is a true wonder of nature!

Fitz Roy Range: Rugged Beauty

Ruggedly beautiful are the shark tooth summits of Fitz Roy Range. To get a good view of the summits you have to go to quiet town of El Chalten. I was based in El Calafate from where there are buses that can bring you to El Chalten on a 3 hour journey.

There are numerous trails to go around the Parque National Los Glaciares and information is available at the park's office at the entrance to the town of El Chalten, I opted for the shortest and easiest ( about 1 hour walk) which gave me a panoramic view of the Fitz Roy Range and the surroundings of El Chalten.

Perito Moreno: Holiday on Ice

Glaciar Perito Moreno is undoubtedly the crown jewel among the many tourist attractions of Argentina. It stands tall at 60m high and 5 km wide with a length of 30km. I consider myself privileged to have had the opportunity to stand face to face with this colossal ice field. This glaciar is both a visual and auditory experience as you will be enthralled with the sculpted ice formations with hues of blue and the sight and sound of melted ice collapsing into the water!

To get a more up close and personal experience with Glaciar Perito Moreno, there are boats that cruise close to the glaciar around Lago Argentina. Nevertheless, the scenery from the viewing decks of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is still truly spectacular and is an experience not to be missed!