Hồ Hoàn Kiếm or Lake of the Returned Sword is at the very heart of the Old Quarter in Hanoi.
I was planning to watch the sunrise at the lake during our trip but failed to wake up early even once. But I guess watching the glorious sunset more than makes up for it. It was unplanned, we simply didn’t know what to do while waiting for the puppet show to start. Since Hoan Kiem Lake was just right in front of us, it seemed sensible to just sit there and wait for the sun to set. [Read more…]
Many things have happened since we booked our trip to Hanoi. We thought four of us would be going on a trip to Vietnam but it turned out that the two actually booked a flight to Ho Chi Minh. A lot of planning resulted into the decision of meeting halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh which are 15 hours apart. But that plan also failed since the two ended up not going at all.
So it’s down to Jinky and me, and being short on cash, a week before our flight we were still contemplating whether we’d go through the plan or scrap it altogether. After much guilt-tripping, we decided to just go and hope that our budget will suffice. A day before our trip, we still didn’t have an itinerary. At least we already booked a hotel, and at least someone would pick us up at the airport.
We arrived in Noi Bai airport at around 1AM. It’s an ungodly hour so it was no surprise that the airport was almost abandoned, and there were barely any cars in the parking lot. It was a good choice to have availed the airport transfer service of the hotel. We were picked up by a good-looking driver dressed in a dress shirt, slacks, and leather shoes. He looked as if he’s on his way to a party, but no, he was just going to drive us to our hostel. Heehee.
We had a really good first impression of Hanoi, because once arriving at our hotel, we were told that we’re given a deluxe room, instead of a standard one, for the same price! So we were pampered immediately. The room was amazing! I was in love with that room for four days, and mainly it’s the reason why I didn’t want to leave Hanoi.
Achieving my dream of visiting Korea was almost a decade in the making. When my family had a five-day vacation in the Land of the Morning Calm, I was beyond ecstatic! Finally, I could step foot in my dream country! It was the best five days of my fangirl life, and how I feel about it can’t be put into words. Heck, it has been a year since, and I’ve written countless of posts already. But I still have more to stay. It’s a trip to remember, that’s why I’m always going back to that five days just reminiscing.
It’s difficult to summarize in one post everything I loved about Korea. There are countless things to see and do in Seoul and around Korea. To pick just five things of all the things I loved about it is difficult. But I only had five days and I did have to make a choice. We were in a limited budget and limited time. We had no choice but to make the life-changing decisions!
However, despite of having countless of things to do in Seoul, there are definitely things I would love to do over and over again. They say that traveling in Seoul is expensive, but there are tons of things you can enjoy and love without burning a hole in your pocket! [Read more…]
I’ve never been the fastest blogger, but I swore to finish writing about my Ilocos trip before my next trip. But alas, here I am resting in my hostel room and trying to at least make up for my overwhelming backlog!
Ilocos was lovely down to our last hour in it. During our last day, we did a lot of touring old houses, churches, and museums. We sadly didn’t get inside the Marcus Museum and Mausoleum because there’s no electricity! I don’t think it’s much of a waste though. I had a good time touring the old mansions, particularly Juan Luna’s Ilocos home in the north and the Syquia masion in Vigan. They both have tour guides, too, and I always enjoy learning a bit about history. Not my strongest subject, but I still enjoy learning something new.
However, the Crisologo ancestral home gave me the creeps! Not just me, too. We all felt a little chill while inside the house, maybe due to the owners rather violent and bloody history. We couldn’t even finish touring it!
After the Crisologo museum, things didn’t turn out that well. Our tour guide dropped us off Cafe Herencia along Calle Crisologo and we spent the remaining time in the cafe. One by one, we started feeling unwell. So instead of seeing the most famous street in Vigan, we just stayed inside. It started raining too so we basically had no choice. Heh. We still saw Vigan’s beauty at night, and that’s something that will always be welcome.
I definitely want to go back to Ilocos because of the food! I swear, it was the food that I enjoyed the most. To think we didn’t even get to try empanada and longganisa! Or maybe we deliberately didn’t so we’ll always have a reason to come back. 😉
During our stay in Laoag, we had a quick stop at Samtoy Books. It’s located at the second floor of La Tabacalera Lifestyle Center just above Johnny Moon Café, so it’s pretty easy to spot. I really planned to visit the place because I heard that they have a pretty good collection of Filipino literature, and they sure did! They also have tons of secondhand books.
What caught my attention is their little reading corner where visitors can stay and just read any of the books in the place for just 5PHP per hour. That’s quite a bargain! If I were from Laoag, I’d probably spend most of my weekends there.
From the way Gee, the clerk, interacted with us, it’s obvious how they really try to connect with their customers. They really give an impression that they’re here not just to sell books, but to engage customers in reading. They have a little wishlist board where visitors can leave requests on books they want to see in the shelves. It’s just like Booksale but with a lot more creative touch to it.
Samtoy Books has that laid-back atmosphere that will entice any book reader. Just running my hands through the books stacked on tables make me want to pick one and huddle in a couch. All of a sudden, I have a dream business.
I may have left Samtoy with no book in hand, but I assure you, I left with so many ideas. I didn’t realize that I was actually looking for such a bookstore. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a cozy little bookstore where you can stay all day just reading? A bookstore with a little café inside will be perfect! Before I’d been to this bookstore, I didn’t realize that I’ve been dreaming of such bookstore! It may not be the business that will make me a millionaire, but I’d love to have such store. That’ll be amazing. Just reading all day and interacting with people who love the same things I do: books and coffee.
Anyway, if you’re in Laoag, make sure to drop by Laoag. It’s at the heart of the plaza, and it’ll be a shame if you’ll miss it.
Samtoy Books
2nd Floor La tabacalera Ilocano Lifestyle Center
beside Museo Ilocos Norte
www.facebook.com/SamtoyBooks
