Tickets for the Imperial Villas... check...

Planning for the Japan trip started several months ago. Lol! Friends who know me know how excited I can be when it comes to certain things.

There's a reason for it though. Since I don't know when I'll be able to visit the place again, I want to make as many good memories as possible. So that means booking tickets to museums, tours, trains, planes, and so on way in advance. It also means checking some websites almost every day because I'm waiting for slots in a tour to open.

Singapore has a term for this character - "kiasu." For Filipinos, I think the term would be "atat" or the casual version is "atatinin."

Being kiasu or atatinin has its pros and cons. I'd like to think that I am kiasu/atatinin when the situation calls for it.

For example, if I didn't keep on checking the Scavi Tour website almost everyday, PG Boy and I would have never been able to get slots in the tour. I mean, who know when I'll be able to visit the Vatican again? And who knows if an opportunity to visit the tomb of St. Peter and the Necropolis under the St. Peter's Basilica will come up again, right?

Something similar is happening for the upcoming Tokyo and Kyoto tour. I am kiasu and atatinin to be able to get slots for certain tours. Hehe!

In particular, these are tickets for the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Kyoto Imperial Palace, and... drumroll please... Shugakuin Imperial Villa, and Katsura Imperial Villa (both in Kyoto).

Yeah, I already I had an idea about the popular places such as the Kinkakuji, the Kiyomizudera, and Fushimi Inari Shrine, to name a few.

But the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Shugakuin Imperial Villa, and the Katsura Imperial Villa... I have to thank a Japanese guy I had coffee with a few months ago. Hehe!

As early as June, I was checking the Japan's Imperial Household Agency website to check whether slots for the days I will be in Kyoto have opened up.

It was in the first week of July when the October schedule finally became available on the website. I wasted no time in making reservations. Haha! I immediately got a reply for the Kyoto Imperial Palace possibly because there are more slots for the palace. For the Shugakuin Imperial Villa and the Katsura Imperial Villa, I had to wait a day for the reply. There was a drawing of lots to see if one can get slot in the tour.

The day after I filed my application, I received the good news that I got slots for the dates and schedules I applied for. Yay! I have no idea how far Shugakuin is from Katsura but I will find a way! I must find a way! Haha!

For the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the tour slots only opened a few days ago. Thankfully, I've been checking every day so I was able to easily secure a slot for a guided tour.

There is one more place I want to visit in Kyoto. I think it is the trickiest of them all because the fee is quite expensive and the application to visit requires sending a letter. Let's see. Maybe I'll reserve it for my next trip to Japan! Haha! That's me being very optimistic that I will fall in love with Japan and IN Japan and that I will visit again soon after my first trip. Haha!

Japan, see you soon...

So, the first of September started on a very good note.

I went to the Embassy of Japan earlier to get my passport. When I reached the embassy, there were no other visa applicants at the area for visa collection. I got a ticket for my transaction and in less than a minute, my number appeared flashing on the screen.

The whole transaction was over in less than five minutes. The lady behind the counter just showed me the visa and told me that I was given 15 days. That's it. Hehe.

Thankfully, the visa is gratis for Filipino citizens.

I like how the Japan visa looks like. Hmm, my photo looks like one that is used for display during funerals or the one used for tombmarkers. Lol! My friend Bernice put it in a better way though. She said it looks like an image of an ancestor placed on the home altar for ancestral worship. Haha! Touch wood!

In the past few years, I've had to apply for a visa to Nepal, Myanmar and last year, the Schengen visa. I have a US visa that's still waiting to be used! I have to use it soon as it is expiring in 2020! Most of the time, I wish the Philippine passport was mightier. By this, I mean visa on arrival option to most countries. But then, there's also a part of me that actually enjoys getting news that my visa was approved. It feels like some sort of exam and the visa on my passport is proof that I passed.

Still, I don't mind having another passport that makes traveling to countries I want to visit easier. Hehe! Just saying...

See you again, Jogja/Yogya...

Tomorrow, I get to use my passport again.

Similar to last year, I am taking Mom on a holiday within her holiday. Haha!

It has always been a known fact to me that she wants to see the majestic Angkor temples in Cambodia. However, the plan had to be pushed to next year since a significant portion of my travel funds went to Europe. Haha! Also, it's a mystery to me why the plane tickets to Cambodge are so damn ex compared to the plane tix to neighbouring ASEAN countries. Haha!

Hence, I decided to bring her to the next best thing to Cambodge - Yogyakarta. Luckily, Air Asia had a seat sale a few months ago. I managed to buy tickets for Mom and me. Yay!

Also, I think it is better for her to see Prambanan and Borobodur first before seeing the Angkor temples. She can think of this as a preview of what to see next year. If Prambanan and Borobodur gets her excited, I can't imagine how reaction will be once she sets foot in Cambodge. Hehe!

I am grateful to be blessed with opportunities to take my Mom on overseas holidays. I'm quite sure that she didn't expect she would be able to visit these places before she gets too old. Thank you, Singapore. Thank you, Wiley. Thank you, Lordy, for the blessings.

My next project should be to have a get-together in Singapore with my two brothers. Hopefully, next year... before one of them ties the knot.

Two moms and their kids...

Today was a gruelling day. Haha!

It is only 9:30PM, but I intend to turn in right after finishing this quick blog post.

Former work colleague, fellow Pahinungod and good friend Joi was in town with her Mom. Naturally, I had to meet up with her and the other Pahinungod based in Singapore, Jeaners.

The day started very early for me and Mom. We all agreed to have dinner before Jeaners left her home for a 9AM class. That meant having to wake up at 530 in the morning so that Mom and I could reach Jeaners' place by 7 or so.

Thankfully, both Mom and I are morning persons. There was no difficulty for either of us to wake up damn early. Haha! Also, I rarely see Joi (and Jeaners) so I was more than happy to wake up really early for both of them. It also helped that Jeaners and hubby Jim prepped breakkie for us. That was an added motivation to make the early morning trip. Haha!

From Jeaners' place, Joi, her mom Tita Tet, my mom and I started our somewhat short city tour. From Orchard, we headed to Raffles Place and walked around. It's Tita Tet's first time in Singapore so a photo shot with the Merlion was mandatory. I was expecting the Merlion Park to be crowded. Surprise, surprise. There were very few people when we reached the park. In fact, there was no need to fight for space so that there is no photobomber appearing in each of our photos. Haha!

My guess is because people from the Fullerton side of the road don't know how to get to the Merlion Park. The main road was boarded up because of the F1 Grand Prix. Unless you knew about the underpass connecting the Fullerton to the other side, I have no idea where people had to pass. Haha!

After we got our photos, we headed back to Plaza Singapura for a quick lunch. Joi and Tita Tet had a 1PM appointment. We just agreed to meet again at 3PM.

Mom and I took the train to City Hall and walked around Raffles City. Then, we headed out and walked to Raffles Hotel and the National Library before walking back to Plaza Singapura. I'm so glad Mom is still fit to walk. We were moving at a pace slower than an iceberg but that was completely fine. Haha!

While waiting for Joi and Tita Tet, Mom and I went to Papparich for some local dessert. It didn't take long before the other mom and child duo appeared. We only had time to finish our snacks before parting ways. Joi and her mom were to go for more shopping. Mom and I were headed to church.

I gave Joi and Tita Tet a hug and a beso before going our separate ways. It was really good seeing her.

Mom and I then took the bus to Clementi. I figured we should just go to the Church of the Holy Cross for the 5PM Mass. That way we could reach home earlier.

We finished dinner at home by 7 plus. I did some laundry and some fixing of things for tomorrow. And now, here I am writing this messy post and almost ready to zzz...

Loooong but happy day.

Recently, memes have been appearing all of a sudden on my Facebook feed.

It first started with a Top 10 Books in My Life. Being a reader myself, I was more than happy to sit down and ponder on which authors and titles have really had an impact on my life.

The next thing I know, there is another meme for Top 10 Movies, followed by Top 10 Songs. I even saw one on Top 10 Bible verses. Seriously.

Another meme that I've been seeing is Top 20 Favourite Cities. In Tipz's latest blog entry, he enumerated his favourite cities. After commenting that his list was nice, I was somewhat "tagged" to do the list myself.

Because I want to use the hasthag #humblebrag, I'll just post my list here as well. Haha!

My Top 20 Cities. More than being a favourite destination, these are the cities that have left an impact on the past three decades of my life.

In no particular order:

Bangkok, Thailand: First overseas country visited with a partner.

Daegu, South Korea: First overseas country visited and made awesome friends!

San Jose, Mindoro Occidental: Where I learned lessons that I will never learn within the four walls of any university.

Jolo, Sulu: If not for all the fighting, Mindanao truly is a beautiful region.

Iloilo, Iloilo: If I have to go back, I would want to live and retire in this city/province.

El Nido, Palawan: Why I am so in love with the beach.

Tagum, Davao: Good memories of summer break when I was still in uni.

Dumaguete, Negros Oriental: Coastal city. University town. Good food. Friendly people. How can one not fall in love?

Vigan, Ilocos Sur: For anyone who wants to travel back through time.

Singapore, Singapore: Adopted home. Love at first sight.

Malacca, Malaysia: Historical town. Perfect location for a short getaway.

Bagan, Myanmar: The best sunrise experience ever.

Kathmandu, Nepal: Read my description about San Jose, Mindoro Occidental.

Brussels, Belgium: Completely caught by surprise that I will fall in love with this city.

Vatican City: I could have died the day I saw Pope Francis and I would have still been one happy Catholic guy.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Easily became my favorite European city and not for the reasons that Amsterdam is often popular for.

Siem Reap, Cambodia: Seeing the Angkor temples made me in awe of human talent, intelligence and skill.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: Crazy night with two friends.

Quezon City, NCR: As much as I detest Metro Manila, Quezon City is my home.

Other cities I'm hoping to see in the near future:

New York
San Francisco
Machu Picchu
Bruges
Ghent
Paris
Madrid
Barcelona
Athens
London
Venice
Florence
Melbourne
Sydney
Auckland
Tagbilaran

Scala Sancta and Scavi Tour...

Two more highlights of the Rome+Vatican leg of the Euro trip - a somewhat private tour of the Vatican Necropolis and the grave of St. Peter and ascending the marble stairs believed to have been walked on by Jesus Christ on his way to Pontius Pilate.

The Scala Sancta and Sancta Sanctorum. Across the basilica of St. John the Lateran is a nondescript building that houses the Scala Sancta or Pilates Stairs. It is believed that the Scala Sancta is the actual staircase Jesus Christ ascended on his way to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate for his trial. The stairs were taken to Rome in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine's mother St. Helena. The marble stairs have been encased in protective wood and may only be ascended on one's knees. At the top of the stairs is the Sancta Sanctorum, the personal chapel of the early Popes. Ascending 28 steps on one's knees sounds easy but as I soon found out, it wasn't. As a Catholic and a Christian pilgrim, being blessed with the experience to climb the stairs was a tiny way of honoring the Passion of Jesus Christ. It was a deeply profound and spiritual experience. It also doesn't hurt that a plenary indulgence is granted to those who ascend the stairs on their knees (or so I've read).

St. Peter's Tomb and the Vatican Necropolis. I read about the Scavi Tour while doing research for the trip. Organized by the Vatican Excavations Office, the Scavi Tour is a rare opportunity to visit the Vatican necropolis and St. Peter's burial place. (Only 250 people are allowed into the Necropolis per day!) If there's a lesson to be learned, it's persistence. I wrote to the Excavations Office on 21 March and 22 March to register for the tour. As expected, all slots were taken. I decided to write again a few days before our trip. To my immense surprise, I received an email saying that we have been registered for the tour! Persistence and a lot of prayer. Haha! There were about 10-12 of us in the group. We were led by one of the curators of the Excavations office. It was an exciting tour because it felt like being in a National Geographic documentary or the movie Da Vinci Code. In some chambers, the mosaic tiles decorations are still intact. It is really amazing when one realizes how old the structure is. No photography allowed though.

Good thing I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. Hopefully, I'll be back in Rome one day and I'll get to visit the last of the four papal basilicas and complete my papal basilica pilgrimage.

Brussels on my mind...

I'm at Cathay right now and it's still a bit early to go to the gym for class.

Finally, I found the time to go through my Brussels photos and edit it down to a little over 100 photos for Facebook. Haha!

Brussels was another city I fell in love with. I think the trip also made it clear that I like small, clean cities. At least that was what PG Boy told me.

People say a day in Brussels is enough. Just like they say 2 days in Rome are enough. No, no, no. Haha! One has to spend certainly more than one day in Brussels (and certainly more than 2 days in Rome!).

I will definitely be back.

When I return, I want to include a day in Antwerp and two days in Bruges and Ghent.

I love you, Belgium.

About Amsterdam: Part 2...

Cont'd...

The following day was allotted for the big guns - the Rijksmuseum (which just re-opened in 2013 after 10 years of extensive restoration) and the Van Gogh Museum. Being the son of late unknown but talented artist, visiting museums to marvel at the works of great artists was something instilled in me since I was a little boy. The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history. Among the treasures it holds are Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Night Watch and Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid.

On the day we were flying out to Rome, we managed to visit three more museums. Though not as huge as the Rijks or the Van Gogh Museum, the Museum Het Grachtenhuis, Museum Van Loon and Museum Geelvinck are still must-visits. The Museum Het Grachtenhuis tells the history of the canal rings and the canal houses in a very non-traditional way. The Museum Van Loon and Museum Geelvinck are patrician mansions of wealthy merchants during the Dutch Golden Age that were converted into museums by the descendants/new owners. The saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” holds true for these two stately homes. Behind the simple facade are rooms and rooms of spectacular opulence and meticulously manicured gardens that reflect the wealth and luxurious lifestyle of the families who owned the homes.

To be continued...

A bit of Brussels and Cologne...

Brussels and Cologne were not in the original trip itinerary. Both cities were only included upon the suggestion of good friend Bernice, who was still then based in Amsterdam.

Looking back now, I wish that I allotted more days for both cities. A few hours of walking around the city centre were enough for me to say that I would definitely want to return again one day.

In Cologne, aside from the mandatory visit to the Cologne Cathedral, we also took a short cruise along River Rhine and did a tour of the NS Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne. The latter was the headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo between 1935 to 1945. I also managed to visit the Museum Ludwig, home to a large collection of contemporary artworks including Picasso, Liechtenstein, Pollock, Klee, Kandinsky, to name a few.

Brussels was also an equally wonderful experience. The leisurely walk around the centre that involved seeing the historic Grand Place, the Royal Palace and of course, the Manneken Pis, was truly enjoyable. Naturally, a few hours were spent at the museum. I was able to visit the Musée Old Masters Museum (Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium) to marvel at the Bruegel and Rubens collections.

I should probably devote some posts to photos only.

Back lah in Singapore...

Arrived this afternoon in Singapore from Europe.

For the past twelve days, I took 6 flights, three inter-city train rides, dunno how many metro/bus/tram rides and walked dunno how many thousand kilometres in four countries around Europe. Hmm, make that five since Vatican is technically separate from Italy.

What was just initially supposed to be a week in Rome and Vatican became an Amsterdam-Rome-Vatican-Amsterdam-Brussels-Cologne-Amsterdam trip. Haha!

It's been an awesome trip! I've got 4,700 plus photos to prove how awesome it was. Haha!

I need to find the time and the energy to sort the photos. I need to find the time and the energy to write about the experience.

For now, I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, it's back to work and I am dreading the amount of emails I have to face. Haha!

Waiting for boarding time...

So, yup, I am finally going on a holiday. Haha!

At the moment, I'm at Changi Airport Terminal 1 using one of the PCs at one of the many Free Internet kiosks around the terminal.

Yeah, because I'm saving my phone battery. Hehe!

The trip planning started back in late 2013. It took quite some time to finalize everything. Even until this morning, I was still booking tours and museums.

The itinerary is this - Three days in Amsterdam, four days in Rome + Vatican, fly back to Amsterdam to take the train to Brussels, take the train from Brussels to Cologne, and from Cologne back to Amsterdam.

The main reason why Amsterdam is our main base was PG Boy and I were supposed to stay with my friend Bernice who's based in Amsterdam.

However, she decided to accept a job offer in Asia. By that time, PG Boy and I have booked our flights and accomms.

Oh well...

I guess the most exciting part for me would be Rome and Vatican. As mentioned in a previous post, we were lucky (or blessed?) enough to have been able to get a slot in the Scavi Tour aka the Vatican Necropolis.

This was after two failed attempts to secure slots in the said tour. Good thing I'm stubborn/persistent and decided to try again a third time.

There's another place I'm really looking forward to visit - the Scala Sancta. It is said that Jesus Christ himself walked on this marble stairs. Really looking forward to the experience.

Flight is at 1250AM. A little less than two hours to go. I hope PG Boy and I will have enough energy to start exploring immediately tomorrow when we arrive at Amsterdam.

So grateful, grateful for this trip!

Friday is a holiday...

This Friday is a public holiday in commemoration of Buddha's birthday aka Vesak Day.

I'm really itching to get out of the island, even for just a day.

The one thing I really want to go to is the beach. I already pictured myself on a sun chair by the swimming pool with the current book I'm reading. There's a very cold bottle of beer or a fruit shake on a side table. The only loud sound is that of water from the nearby sea splashing as it hits the rocks.

Ahh, that would be really nice.

I told PG Boy about it. The first thing that came to my mind was the beach resort in Batam that Ian, Chris and MkSurf8 went to two years ago.

I went online to check ferry rates. It was cheapo. I emailed the resort to ask about the day pass rate. It was also quite cheapo.

In my mind, it was a good plan. We can take the first ferry out of Singapore, spend the entire day at the resort, and then take last ferry from Batam heading back to Singapore. I also cannot do an overnight stay because I have a museum session the following day.

However, PG Boy still needed to confirm. Lol.

The other option that came to mind involved neighboring Johor Bahru. Obviously, it's not my first choice but it's the next option. I dun mind going to that reflexology place PG Boy and I usually go to when we're in JB. I could definitely use a fully body massage. A delicious meal at the Chinese restaurant a few steps away would also be nice.

The other thing I wanted to do in JB was to check out the Royal Museum. Yes, JB has one. I learned from one of the curators of the National Museum of Singapore that the royal museum in JB holds quite a number of interesting artefacts.

I Googled for the museum and the sites I saw both say that the museum is closed on Fridays. Boo!

Oh well, we'll see, we'll see.