We stayed at Howard Plaza Hotel, located at Da-an District. It’s a huge 5-star hotel, with Asian-inspired rooms. Cleanliness is definitely a 5 out of 5.

There are a few luxe shops in the hotel. The nearest mall is Sogo, which is just about 8-minute walk. For those who love fashion, small boutiques selling Korean clothes are just a few blocks away! This is where I hoarded so much clothes!

The international breakfast buffet, which was packaged with our room, was superb! There were a lot of choices. I skip breakfast most of the time, simply because I’m not a morning person. But during our stay here, I was always excited to eat! That wasn’t usual at all! LOL!

Taipei 101, located in Xinyi District, was once the world’s tallest buiding. It has 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground.

It’s actually a multi-level shopping mall! Woohoo!!

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous landmark in the city made in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China.

Another tourist attraction is the Martyr’s Shrine, built in memory of the martyrs during the revolution. Tourists visit the place to witness the ceremonial changing of the guards, similar of that in London.

We also visited the National Palace Museum, an art museum in Taipei. It houses a collection of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, which is one of the largest in the world.

Our plan to rest while in the city definitely didn’t happen. Take a look how alive the city was at night!

Taiwan is known for their scenic nature spots. They have several national parks. But since our real purpose in this trip was to hibernate, we didn’t want to go on a full blast tour. Seeing how well-dressed the people in the streets of Taipei were, our attention was more drawn to some leisure shopping! LOL! But seriously, I was surprised how fashionable they are. When we talk about Asian Fashion, we usually think of Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Taiwan should definitely have a share!

Anyway, going back to scenic spots, we visited Yangmingshan National Park in the north of Beitou. It’s the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs.

Yangmingshan National Park is characterized by a large flower clock, where water runs around it.

Last but not the least, the Yehliu Geopark is definitely a must-visit. It is a cape on the north coast of Taiwan, between Taipei and Keelung.

I initially thought we were there to see the usual forest-like parks. I was impressed to see these extra-ordinary rock formations. Just look at these mushroom rocks…

I won’t go into details on how all these were formed, but in a gist, these masterpieces resulted from years of erosion. These are all magnificent works of mother nature!

One of the famous scenes in Yehliu is the Queen’s Head, a mushroom rock that looks like the side view of Queen Elizabeth. However, erosion has accelerated causing the neck to get narrower as time goes by.

Now, it’s pretty obvious how our hibernation period turned out to be a real adventure. We honestly didn’t expect that there are so much to see in Taipei and its nearby towns. We were supposed to go back early this year to go on a real tour, but decided to forfeit our tickets due to some unforeseen circumstances- again, my fault. LOL! Some good news arrived for me so my family and I didn’t mind postponing. Why do good news ALWAYS come when I have travels?! Oh well, I don’t mind! Keep it coming as it means another travel for me too! I just hope to be back in Taiwan really soon and see more of their sceneries! In fact, doing this post puts me in the verge of looking for tickets now.

There’s no pop of color this time since I combined bright and colorful pieces all together- green shorts, purple chiffon top, yellow belt, mustard bag, and… red hair! LOL!

Since it was hot, I wore light accessories- necklace from Pinkbox and animal print bangle from Primark.

Why not go for bandeaus underneath chiffon tops? It’s time to be bold! It’s summer anyway!

Of course, a must-have for summer- SUNNIES! Squinting is a no-no if you want to avoid wrinkles!

You might be so tired of my face already. Here are a few photos of Bohol. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing the beach up next!

Chocolate Hills

Man-made Forest

Now, back to me! Haha!

Chiffon top: Lush Angel
Bandeau: Wacoal
Shorts: Topshop
Necklace: Pinkbox
Aviators: Ray Ban
Bangle: Primark
Bag: random from Boracay
Slippers: Havaianas

Windsor castle is known to be the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. More than 500 people live and work in this castle. Oooh… How I wish I’m one of those 500. LOL!

It’s a medieval castle, which is the official residence of the Queen. It covers an area of about 5 hectares.

We visited various State Apartments, photos weren’t allowed inside though. We also had a chance to see Queen Mary’s Dolls’ house (world’s most famous Dolls’ House). The collection was amazing!

oldest part of the castle

The Round Tower in the Middle Ward, which was built by Henry II

Ooooh, can I just say how perfect that trip was?! It was my favorite season of the year, fall!!! I love seeing leaves turning orange! They are just so picture perfect for me!

The Norman Gate, which was built by Edward III

15th century St. George’s Chapel, considered to be ”one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic” design by the historian John Robinson

Lucky to see the changing of the guards at that time!

Windsor Castle is definitely a must-see, though a bit far from Central London. Surprisingly, I personally love this more than Buckingham Palace, or even Versailles.

Danube River divides the city into two sides- Buda (the hilly side) and Pest, which are connected by the chain bridge.

Here are photos of Budapest cityscape. These were taken just outside a restaurant, where we had our first dinner in the city.

I forgot the name of the restaurant, but the interior reminded me of our very own Galileo Enoteca. The ambiance was just perfect for tourists like me.

We joined the cruise along the Danube River. I recommend doing this at night. It can be a bit chilly, depending on the season, but you’ll surely forget about the weather once you see the city lights. It’s just spectacular! Here are some of my photos during the cruise.

Hungarian Parliament Building

The Royal Castle

The lovely Chain Bridge, which connects the two sides of Budapest

Who said only New York has the Statue of Liberty? The Statue of Liberty in Budapest was erected in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from the Nazis during the second world war.

We also visited the famous Fisherman’s Bastion, which is situated in the Buda side. It has seven towers, representing the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin.

bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary

Matthias Church behind me, which was being restored at that time

one of the seven towers of the Fisherman’s Bastion

view from the Fisherman’s Bastion

 Castle District

St. Stephen’s Basilica, named after the first king of Hungary

the altar

the ceiling

If you’re a fan of the show Amazing Race, you’ve probably seen Heroes’ Square being part of it in one of their seasons. It’s one of the major squares in Budapest, which is very historical. It is surrounded by two important buildings, Palace of Art on the right and Museum of Fine Arts on the left.

Palace of Art

Museum of Fine Arts

The Millennium Memorial is located at the center of the Heroes’ Square. The statues represent the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary during the 9th century and other important figures of Hungarian history.

I’ve never failed to mention how much I want to go back to Paris. Budapest, being the Paris of the East, should  then be part of my must-visit with my future hubby. Haha! Seriously, it’s one of the cities that captured my heart.

We first went to Wawel Royal Castle, the home of the Polish Kings and Queens.

outside Wawel Cathedral

the spacious arcaded courtyard of the castle

Wawel Royal Castle at twilight

Probably more than anything, a lot of tourists are drawn to its Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I’ll never get tired of walking if I see such architectures around me…

As we roamed around the Old Town, we passed by St. Peter and Paul Church. It’s Kraków’s first structure designed entirely in Baroque style.

Located in the Old Town is Kraków’s heart, the Main Market Square. It is the largest medieval city square in the world. It is dominated by Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), where you can find various market stalls and cafes.

Cloth Hall at the Main Market Square

Adam Mickiewicz is the greatest Polish romantic poet during the 19th century. His monument at the Main Market Square is one of the best bronze monument in Poland.

Palms being sold around the market since it was Palm Sunday. Aren’t they so pretty???

We also visited the Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland and one of the oldest universities in the world. Copernicus and Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) studied here.

Jagiellonian University’s courtyard

We then headed to the Shrine of the Divine Mercy, where the remains of Sister Faustina rest.

We also managed to squeeze in a short trip to Wadowice, Pope John Paul II’s hometown.

Basilica of St. Mary, the Pope’s first parish

Just outside the Basilica, there’s a monument of the Pope, known as “The Cream Cake Statue”. Why? When Pope John Paul II visited his hometown, he sat near this spot and reminisced how he and his friends would enjoy cream cakes available around the area.

We also went to the Pope’s family house, now turned into a museum.

Last stop for the day was Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is part the UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It is an underground salt mine that has been operational for almost 1000 years. The rock salt deposits were mined from the 13th century until the 20th century. It’s very large, almost 300km, spread over nine levels. It houses galleries with works of art, statues, altars, original mining tools and equipments, and even underground lakes. We toured Wieliczka Salt Mine for more than two hours, so just imagine how big it is!

All the rooms, halls and statues were sculpted out of pure salt.

 Those white particles on the ceiling aren’t snow! Those are salt! Hehe!

Pope John Paul II’s popular statue inside the salt mine.

Sorry, I know that’s a lot of photos. Trust me, I already tried to cut them down. I just want to share a gist of my travel in Krakow, Poland. It’s a city that’s really worth a visit.

Auschwitz was the largest Nazi’s concentration and extermination camp during World War II. The moment I set my foot on the Auschwitz grounds, the feeling was already different. Imagine, the first creature I saw was this…

Is it a Crow? I’m not so sure! But isn’t it looks like the bird you see in thriller/ suspense movies?! Scary? Wait ’til you read my story.

Concentration Camp

Hearing the stories of our tour guide while we walked around the camp gave me goose bumps. The smell of chambers made it even worse. I can’t really describe, but it is stinky!

Those buildings are called “blocks”, which are numbered accordingly. Our tour guide brought us to different blocks where we saw the prisoners’ washrooms, beds, etc. Seeing all those is really heartbreaking. In block 4, there was this room with a pile of hair, which was cut from thousands of victims. Prisoners that were selected to work had all their body hair removed as soon as they arrived in the camp. This was their way to prevent typhus, which spreads through body lice. I saw how the hair in the exhibit was already deteriorating, which was really unsightly.

If you noticed, all my photos are just outside. Cameras aren’t allowed inside the buildings.

This is the area where the victims were shot. There were fresh flowers at the time of our visit.

Block 11 was the most famous of all the blocks inside the camp. This was known to be the “prison within the prison”. The violators were put inside standing cells (about 16 sq ft with 4 men inside), starvation cells (no food nor water), and dark cells (with a very tiny window and solid door, prisoners die due to suffocation). At the basement of block 11, this was where the gas chamber was experimented. People were killed by releasing this gas called Zyklon B, a highly lethal cyanide based pesticide.

gas chamber at the basement of the building

This is the place where victims were hanged

Crematorium

This last photo is probably the most memorable one in this tour. Why? After taking picture of this crematorium, something unexpected happened. I was always the last person in our group since I love taking pictures (obviously). When I turned my back from this crematorium to catch up with the rest, someone poked my leg. I didn’t mind it since I thought it was our tour guide fooling around. But when I felt another tug on my leg, I turned my back expecting my tour guide. And you guessed it right… NOBODY WAS BEHIND ME! I was running like crazy to my mom! Now you know why I’ll never ever forget Auschwitz. LOL! But of course, more than this crazy experience of mine, I really felt disturbed. Even if I’ve heard and read so much about history, there’s still this feeling of shock / disbelief. It’s totally different when you read the Nazi stories in books, from seeing the actual concentration camp. It’s unbelievable how people can be so inhumane. It’s haunting. It’s disturbing.

It’s Travel Tour Expo here in the Philippines once again. For those who are not aware, Travel Tour Expo is the biggest annual event for the travel and tourism industry. It’s where you can get real travel deals! A lot of the exhibitors offer huge discounts on travel packages especially for this event. Expect 477 booths to showcase their products/ services on this 19th Travel Tour Expo. Exciting right?!

I never fail to go to Travel Tour Expo every February. Even if I don’t have definite travel plans (since my family loves last minute decisions… LOL!), I just “need” to go. This is where I get my travel ideas. Hey, it’s not bad to dream! I love reading those itineraries as I walk around the expo hall. LOL! Too bad though, I think I’ll be missing the event this time. I might need to fly to somewhere over the weekend for a something. See, I told you I’m always last minute! Hehe! Anyway, go for travel shopping for me, please? Details of the event below.

Date:
17 to 19 February 2012

Venue:
SMX Convention Center Halls 1, 2, 3 & 4,
Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Opening Hours:
17 February – Friday
10 AM – 9 PM

18 February – Saturday
10 AM – 9 PM

19 February – Sunday
10 AM – 7 PM

Entrance Fee:
General Admission- PHP 50/ day
Senior Citizen- PHP 20/ day

Ticket booths close 30 minutes before end of show hours.

Oh and here are some tips if you’re going to the Travel Tour Expo 2012! Make sure to come prepared for the event. If possible, have your travel plans ready so you’ll know what to check during the expo. It’s also a way to stay within your budget. Trust me, you’ll go crazy inside the hall. Looking at the insanely cheap travel packages of the exhibitors will make you want to travel all year round. LOL! It’s also advisable to come early on the first day. Why? Because flights and travel packages can sell like pancakes. If you want to get really good deals, be there early. Good luck and happy shopping!

Anyway, as I shared in my previous travel post, my family and I stayed in Poland for five days. You can see a few photos of our first two days in Warsaw HERE. After visiting some UNESCO heritage sights in the capital, we had the opportunity to go to the famous Jasna Gora Monastery at Czestochowa. For Roman Catholics, the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa is a must-visit in the area. Even Pope John Paul II is said to have visited the shrine seven times. It’s where the painting of the Black Madonna (known as the Queen of Poland) can be found.

outside Jasna Gora Monastery

This painting of the Black Madonna is said to be very miraculous.

We were told that the Black Madonna’s dress is changed yearly. At the time of our visit, she wore the Robe of Fidelity (also known as ruby in the seventeenth century). Aside from old ruby jewels, over 214 contemporary wedding rings donated by couples from different parts of the world were used as ornaments on the dress. Amazing! This is why it’s called the Robe of Fidelity.

Look closely at the dress…

We were very lucky because a mass was being celebrated at the time we arrived. The downside of it though is that I wasn’t able to take photos inside the church. There were a lot of people that I couldn’t even raise my camera. Plus, flash photography isn’t allowed. They are very strict about it. All lights at the altar were turned off (even while the mass was going on) when someone attempted to take a picture of the Black Madonna with flash. I was just able to take a few close shots because our tour guide accompanied us in front of the altar during the mass.

I really felt the solemnity as I entered the church. I’m not sure if it’s because of the mass, but whatever it is, it brought tears in our eyes. We felt the presence of the Black Madonna, which is truly a one of a kind experience!

‘Til my next travel post!

Let me first share some photos of the hotel where the Nuffnang Blog Awards was held and where we stayed. Marriott Putrajaya is a bit far from the city. I’m not complaining though since I had a very relaxing stay.

outside the hotel

the lobby… Christmas is in the air!

I shared the room with Patty. It was actually my first time to meet her on that trip. Oh gawd, does Nuffnang team realized how alike we are in so many ways that’s why we were placed together in one room?! We clicked in an instant! We can chat all day and night about anything, as if we’ve known each other for so long! Thank you Patty for keeping up with my mess in the room! LOL!

Ooops, my clothes are already scattered all over my bed before I took photos of the room. Sorry! This is what I was saying in my Nuffnang Blog Awards post. By the time I reached the hotel, I still couldn’t decided what to wear! LOL!

Day 2: tour around Kuala Lumpur

We first stopped by the King’s Palace, known as Istana Negara. We just took photos from the gate as the palace grounds isn’t open to the public.

We then visited Plaza Tugo Negara. I felt close to nature in this place. Greens everywhere!

Central Pavilion can also be seen here.

The Cenotaph monument, a First World War memorial, also stands in Plaza Tugo Negra.

Of course, a Kuala Lumpur tour won’t be complete without photos of the Petronas Towers, once the tallest buildings in the world.

We also had a chance to taste various kinds of chocolates, such as Sesame, Almond, Tiramisu, Durian and Hot Chili, at the Cocoa Boutique.

Waves “HI” to Nikki and Helga!

At night, it’s time to glam up again! We had our dinner at Pavilion mall and had a chance to walk around. No shopping yet as we were pressed for time! Just look… and look… and remember where to go back for the next day… LOL!

Oh, and I had a chance to throw a coin and make a wish in this fountain! Who said only Italy has Trevi Fountain?! Haha! *Keeping my fingers crossed for my wish to be granted*

After dinner, time to party at View Rooftop Bar, G Tower! All I can say is- Team Philippines rocked the dance floor!

Breathtaking view of Kuala Lumpur and the Petronas Towers at night!

Day 3: Shopping day!!!

When you see these stores, shopaholics would surely go ga-ga!

Shopping buddies: Patty and Nikki! Way to go girls!

Of course, we also had to take a brake for some snacks. We tried some authentic Malaysian street-food-kind food. I’m not really into anything spicy, but these are incredible!!! I forgot the names, but one is like chicken strips, the other cup is squid balls, and the other is like french toast. YUMMY!!!

Now, here’s my shopping escapade story. The first store Patty, Nikki and I entered was like a hold up! LOL! I didn’t plan to shop anything in KL at all. I just came back from a vacation and the day before I left for KL was the day I paid for BIG “H”! I was already more than happy with my year-ender purchases. But then, I went out with this…

Ummm… correction! Not only “I”! Patty and I came out with watches on our hands! Oh and take note, we have exactly the same style! Friendship watch, eh?! LOL! More of the watch in a different post.

Well, I didn’t just bring home a souvenir watch from KL. Most importantly, I brought home good memories and great friends! Thanks Nuffnang for this one of a kind experience! Thank you Team Philippines for making this trip unforgettable!

No words can really describe how London celebrated New Year. Nothing compares. It’s the best I’ve seen so far. While watching the video below, all I could say was “Wow”. I was like a kid watching with my eyes and mouth wide open. LOL! I love watching fireworks. There’s something about it that makes it so magical. I feel I’m watching a fairytale ending- happily ever after. And would you believe I always get goosebumps when I see nice fireworks? Don’t ask me why because I also don’t know the answer. Hehe! Anyway, I’ll stop blabbing and let you watch London’s New Year 2012 countdown. Enjoy!

Now, what did I say about London’s 2012 countdown? AMAZING isn’t it?! I can’t imagine myself standing there and seeing this live. I might be crying out of joy. It’s just SPECTACULAR! Oh gosh, I feel every adjective I have on top of my head right now is an understatement. I’m lost of words, I’m sorry. All I know is after watching this, something was added to my list of things to do before I die. That is to celebrate one New Year in London!