Sugar Rush at Oceana! :)

Last Thursday, my officemates and I headed to Oceana in SM Mall of Asia after work. Finally, we were able to satisfy our sweet tooth cravings! Alleluia! Hahaha! They have an unlimited cake and coffee promo for only 150.00 Php (but we paid 165.00 Php though, with service fee). They had 6 different cakes that day -- Choco Caramel Cake, Double Chocolate Cake, Devil's Cake, Dulce de Leche, Carrot Cake and Honey Mango Cake. They would serve us every slice of each cake first and after that, it would be our choice what cake/s would be served next. Lamon-till-bondat ang peg namin!

But after four slices and two coffee cups, we gave up. Haha! The slices they gave us are thin but they are weirdly heavy on the stomach! Out of the four slices we ate, the must-try cakes are Choco Caramel Cake, Double Chocolate Cake and Devil's Cake. (This will probably be a lame talk about their cakes since I wasn't able to take snaps of the cake itself. I was very hungry already. But believe me, their cakes are really yummy and not to mention, affordable! Anyway, I'll take snaps the next time I go there again and I'll definitely take my food-loving family with me.) The chocolate and caramel icing are very flavorful and sweet (just the way I like it!). But if you can't take anything too sweet, their black coffee will serve its purpose to balance out the sweetness of the cake. The chiffon cake (I'm not sure if it was really called chiffon though; I just guessed. Haha!) itself was moist and with the right level of softness so it's very easy and pleasant-to-the-tongue to eat.

Apart from the dessert, the ambiance and the white and turquoise motif of the restaurant is very relaxing and quiet. They really live up to the name of the place. As much as possible, I don't like crowded restaurants (unless I'm craving for whatever that crowded store offers). I don't like hearing other people's conversations who are seated nearby. I don't like people moving around when I'm eating. I don't like to wait too long (emphasis on the word too long) for my food to be served. Hence, Oceana is a good place for me to eat. It's also a good place to talk/bond with a friend/s while eating. Oceana is open from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. We arrived there 10 minutes before they open so we were the first customers. Talk about excitement. In the span of two hours or so that we stayed there, it was never jam-packed (which is probably not a good point for others for it might mean two things: expensive or not good), but it's better that way for me. For their regular meals, yes, they are quite expensive since they serve seafood and steak. As for the taste, I haven't tasted it but I bet it's as good as their desserts. Given that their regular meals are quite pricey, I don't know if by dinner time they are filled with customers though. 

Then, we strolled around to look for something salty to eat. We happen to stumble upon bridal stores. We looked around and grabbed wedding pamphlets since one of my officemates is getting married next year! :) We ate those potato crisps, not the junk food one, while sitting and enjoying the Christmas decorations and lights of the mall. 

Palawan, Hey!

Finally! I am now able to blog about our recent vacation trip. All I did for almost the past two weeks was upload photos (Damn, it took soooo loooong because of the photo size. I had to resort to the basic uploader of Facebook because even if I left my computer open the whole day, it still wasn't done uploading. As for Multiply, -- yes, I my account with Multiply is still up and running, more of back-up purposes -- I really have no problem with the high-res uploading. Actually, as I am typing this, I am still uploading the last few photos from the last day of our trip then on to Multiply next.) and sleep. These past few days, I feel sleepy most of the time and I can fall fast asleep the moment I lay down on bed or even on the couch. I sleep late (but not too late), yes, but I am not too tired or busy in the morning to be even dead sleepy.

Anyway, let's move on to the story of my usual photo-loaded trip.

11.11.11, Friday

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

This was a vacation trip with my brothers and uncle. It was our first trip with our uncle alone and without our parents. This was also a special trip since this is not a local trip for a funeral and with what my brother had been through a month and a week ago.

Just boarded the plane

We left the house about 5:00 AM or so since we had an 8:00 AM flight. We arrived at Puerto Princesa at around 9:15-9:30 AM. 

Palawan, Hello!

We were fetched by the driver of the hotel, Microtel, wherein we were booked at. We arrived at the hotel around 10:00 AM and we couldn't check in yet so he had a sumptuous lunch first.

Then enjoyed the beachfront view from our hotel. It was my first time to see how a major low tide sea looks like. Very cool. At least for me. :)

After checking in, we slept since we had no scheduled activity in the afternoon. We were just very sleepy because of the early flight, late bedtime sleep the night before. Then we took a dip in the pool later in the afternoon.

11.12.11, Saturday

Puerto Princesa Underground River, Crocodile Farm, Baker's Hill

We started the day with a hefty breakfast! :) (Major food trip for the whole 3-day trip actually.) Our tour guide fetched us from the hotel around 8:00 AM.

Sunrise view

Low-tide

It was a LOOONG drive and boat ride to Underground River! Thank God for our funny and informative tour guide, it surely added fun to our day! You won't notice the time actually because of the nice scenery; it'll make you busy taking pictures. 

Limestone mountain - reason why Palawan will never submerge

Zipline (I hope it's visible. I took the shot inside the roving van.)

Nice scenery

There was a mountain that looked like an elephant and a limestone mountain that will remind you of the movie Avatar or Maccu Picchu in Peru. :) Then we stopped over to have some souvenir shopping! :) 

Notice the elephant ears and nose?

Doesn't it remind you of the movie Avatar or the Maccu Picchu?

Wonderful work of nature, isn't it?

We had lunch by the beach first before heading to the Underground River since the boat ride was quite long as well.

At the port, for a boat ride going to the PPUR.

Puerto Princesa Underground River, here we come!

Hello, Puerto Princesa Underground River! We went there on the day it was announced that it landed number 6 on the New 7 Wonders of the World! :) UH-MAHY-ZENG! :D The River that the tourists can travel is about 1.5km (3km all in all, back and forth). Beyond that, a special permit is necessary so you can go further. Normally, only researchers are allowed and given the special permit.

Amazing formations of stalactites, stalagmites and rocks inside the walls of the river. Aside from the halogen lamp and the funny boatman-slash-tour guide, a wide span of imagination or a higher abstract recognition can help you notice these random images or formations from the stalactites, stalagmites and rocks. You can find a big melting candle, a man and woman's genital, a butt-exposed lady, Jesus, Holy Family, vegetables and fruits, dinosaurs, etc. Very cool! :) (Forgive the photos though, some are partly seen and some are not. I tried as fast as I could to snap whatever our tour guide points out.)

Top L: Candle: Bottom L: Holy Family; Bottom R: Vegetable

Top L: Man and Woman's genital (I know, it isn't obvious. But it is, once you see it in your own very eyes); Bottom R: Mushroom

After the Underground River, our tourmates and tour guide asked if we would want to join them in the city tour. We randomly agreed since it wasn't part of the travel package we paid for initially (because the price they gave us was very expensive for a city tour and thank God, uncle was with us because he's the one who paid for everything. Hee.). We just divided the van rental among us. Our tour guide was very happy to come with us for free! :) Yeah man!

First stop of the city tour was the Crocodile Farm. I just learned that when crocodiles are opening their mouth, means they're in heat/feeling hot and that they are nocturnal creatures.

I just learned that when crocodiles are opening their mouth, means they're in heat/feeling hot and that they are nocturnal creatures.

Then we drove through the Palawan Governor's pyramid-shaped house. From the house location, you can view the rest of Palawan. :)

Baker's Hill, Palawan's best pastry shop, was the next stop. Off we went to grab pastries! :) Very delicious and very cheap! Plus, the street the place was located on was also called "Little Beverly Hills" because of the expensive lots and CHIC HOUSES!!! Very sosyal! I EVEN SAW A MANSION -- No, MINI-PALACE, I think! Biggest that I saw right in front of my very eyes so far. Displayed near the mansion's gate is a sign saying it is owned by a Commodore.

I love this house! Fab!

Last stop for the day was to a local weaving shop (which I forgot the name, oh gosh!). In this store, their products are handmade by a few people, are being exported outside and are being bought and sold by "Calvin Klein!" Their bags are very chic and affordable! Why buy the CK labeled one when you can buy it for a heck of a cheaper price? And oh, I tried weaving! :) It made me want to have my own weaving machine at home! Hahaha.

Then we went back to the hotel and swam in the pool. Yet again. :D

More photos of that day:

11.13.11, Sunday

Honda Bay

Since our new tour guide was kind of late, I took the chance of taking a picture in the low-tide, dry-part of the sea. I went as far as I could.

We stopped over at a snorkeling gear rental shop. We didn't rent though since we didn't know how to swim (which we realized later on that a guide will help tourists who don't know how to swim).

Honda Bay consists of 3 islands namely: Pambato Reef, Snake Island and Pandan Island. In Pambato Reef is where you can snorkel. According to our tourmates who snorkeled, they didn't see much though since it was dark. That I cannot truly attest since, as I've said earlier, we didn't snorkel. Meanwhile, Snake Island does not have snakes, it was just called as such because of its shape. Pandan Island is being rented by a hotel owner/hotel, hence, there's accommodation in the island so there are more people in that place. I took a lot of scenery shots, less faces of me, my brothers and uncle and even lesser up to none swimming/underwater photos. Hee. :)

First island we went to was the Pambato Reef. We just watched people who snorkeled. Boo. Hahaha.

Next was Snake Island. There, my brothers and I dipped for 30 minutes or so.

Last stop was the Pandan Island. We had our lunch there. My brothers and I wanted to take a last dip in the ocean but it was noontime already, it's very hot. So we just roamed around while they go back and forth in front of the TV since it was the Pacquiao vs Marquez fight.

More photos of that day:

Top L: On the way to Pambato Reef; Top R: Pambato Reef; Bottom L and R: Snake Island

Top L and R: Snake Island; Bottom L and R: Pandan Island

It was a half-day, fastbreak day for us since we had to leave at 3:00 PM to catch our 6:00 PM flight, which was 2 hours delayed, by the way. (Great, thanks PAL.). We left earlier than my uncle since I have work and my brothers have school. Uncle stayed for two more day to tour more and meet a friend who is based in Palawan. A delayed flight for that long was the least thing we expected to happen. We were tired and sleepy already and all we can think about was to go home and rest. We were served Jollibee Chicken Joy for dinner to compensate for the delay. My brother had already finished halfway in his report due the next day. My youngest brother had a massage. I was just bored to death since I have nothing else to do aside from sitting and waiting. 

Yet amidst that fail finale for the day, Palawan was such a wonderful experience. It was a breath of fresh air, a mentally relaxing (but physically tiring) trip. I'm glad to have gone to Palawan this early on (Thanks, Tito! :D). I have a scary feeling that it might turn into what Boracay is now -- commercialized and the way it was was not preserved. I pray to God it will not. I still wish to see years from now what I have seen recently. But I believe in the government officials in Palawan though. Even now, they are very active in promoting, improving and protecting Palawan through the programs that they have come up with (except in some parts of Palawan though where mining is a very big issue). I know they are giving and will give more of their utmost effort in maintaining and/or improving Palawan in spite and because of the definite sudden surge of tourists anytime soon. 

I'll see you later, Palawan! :)