Roxas City: Jewel in the South

I was glad that I went to the charming and quaint city of  Roxas in Capiz province located in Southern Philippines.  Instead of taking the usual flight either to Caticlan or Kalibo, I decided to instead go to Roxas enroute to Boracay.  The city boasts of well paved streets, beautifully maintained plaza, and generally clean and peaceful environment.  So unlike most towns and cities in the Philippines which are dirty, dusty and crowded. Roxas City also has a huge bus terminal located outside of the city which is probably the best in the country.

Its the hometown of controversial Secretary Mar Roxas and if the condition of Roxas City is  any indication,  then should he become the next President of the Philippines, there's a good chance that the country is destined for better things!

Singing Cooks and Waiters Restaurant: A Feast for the Senses

Current hit among foreign tourists and locals alike is the Singing Cooks and Waiters Restaurant at Roxas Blvd. corner Gil Puyat Avenue.  The place has been renovated and sports a more modern and cleaner look similar to a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant but done with a Filipino touch.

It is a delight to dine in this Filipino restaurant as you do not only get to enjoy traditional Filipino food at its finest ( The place is actually part of the famous Barrio Fiesta restaurants) but get to be entertained by the cooks and waiters who sing and dance to yours and theirs hearts' content.  The cooks also get to display their cooking skills in a theatrical fashion similar to what skilled bartenders do to entertain customers.  The owners of the restaurant have added a new twist by having actual cooking done in front of the diners following the concept of Japanese teppanyaki restaurants.

This is a must place to bring your foreign based family and friends to a feast for the senses to savor the sound, sight, taste, and smell of a truly unique Filipino dining experience.

India Tourist Visa On Arrival: Fast and Easy

There are three things that surprisingly impressed me about modern India.  First is the tourist visa on arrival facility for passport holders from Asian countries which include the Philippines, Cambodia, Japan, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam. This visa facility is available at the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.  I arrived in Delhi and as a Philippine passport holder I took advantage of this tourist visa on arrival system.

 It was fast and easy and took no more than 30 minutes and was granted a 30 day single entry tourist visa. I had to accomplish the application form, provide a passport size picture, a copy of first page of my passport and pay the fee of US$60.  Of course, I also had to show proof of my outbound ticket from India and booking for my accommodations in Delhi.  You can also apply for a tourist visa in Manila at a slightly cheaper rate of US$49 but that is a more tedious process with more documentation requirements, and requires you to file the visa application at the processing office in Makati.

Second thing that was impressive is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.  This airport is  new and modern and is a striking contrast to the chaos and filth that are a common feature of many places in Delhi.

This airport has a fast train shuttle that will bring you to Central Delhi.  This is the third impressive thing in Delhi.  The airport train is new, clean, fast and efficient.  It is in fact surprisingly better than the airport shuttle of Bangkok.

These three things are bright spots for tourism in India.  If only, India was less chaotic, cleaner, and scam free, then a vacation there would truly be magical and great!

Passage to India

My worst experience in land travel was my train ride to travel around India. The train stations in the bigger cities like Delhi and Jodhpur were hard to navigate as there are no escalators or elevators to go from one ramp to the other to get to the ramp designated for your train.  This is especially difficult if you are carrying heavy luggage.

And the conditions at the train stations were also worst than I had expected. Since the train is the most popular and cheapest way to travel in India, there are always big crowds in the train station.  Aggravating the crowded condition are people who appear to have made the station their home. And at the parking area of the Agra station, I smelled the worst stench ever, probably a combination of feces, rotten food, and urine.

We were booked in airconditioned sleeper cars. The accommodations were fine, strong airconditioning and relatively clean beds by Indian standards.  Pillows and blankets are provided. I got the lower berth since most of our train bookings were day trips. However, the locals occupy your assigned berth sharing it  with you  without even asking your permission.  And they do not even tell you that the bed can actually be converted into a chair for a more comfortable train ride if you opt to sit instead of lie down on the bed.

All of our train rides were also delayed by at least 2 hours.  Even if I spent only around US$50 for 4 train tickets (Delhi to Jaipur to Jodhpur to Agra to Delhi), it is one train ride that I will never do again.

For people who want to experience  the train as your Passage to India, you can book online and pay using your credit card thru the website:  www.cleartrip.com/train

Truly Magnificent Taj Mahal

We were fortunate to be booked at a hotel that is just a short walk to the Taj Mahal.  This allowed us to be at the Taj at opening time of 6am.  There were not too many people and  it was a cool and nice morning minus the hot Indian sun which enabled us  to truly enjoy and appreciate the magnificent Taj Majal.

The Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum of white marble built by an emperor in memory of his beloved wife. It is well preserved including the surrounding gardens.  The Taj stands proud as a masterpiece of Indian architecture and deserves to be one of the great world heritage sites.

We lingered in this awe inspiring monument to savor its beauty and its surroundings which includes  reflecting pools, other beautiful buildings, and extensive gardens.  The Taj Mahal was a fitting climax to my visit to India.

Agra Fort: The Other Red Fort

Just like the Red Fort in Delhi, Agra Fort was built mainly from red sandstone. Agra Fort is well preserved and and is good for a pleasant leisurely tour with its many gardens and palaces.  There are lovely views of Taj Mahal  in the area by the river.

Fatehpur Sikri: A Unesco World Heritage Site Worth Visiting

In addition to the Taj Mahal in Agra, worth a visit is  Fatehpur Sikri.  This is a Unesco World Heritage Site which has well preserved palaces, courtyards, and a mosque.  The Jama Masjid  mosque here is better than the one in Delhi.  There are less crowds also and allows for for a more quiet and relaxed viewing.

Fatehpur Sikri can be reached by hiring a cab and is is about an hour drive from Central Agra.