Wake me up in Waikiki

It was just like a dream, only it was real...:-)

As we found out a couple of weeks ago, Waikiki is pure heaven and if you ever really want to get LOST (as in the TV hit series), there's no better place to do that than on the beaches of Oahu. It's paradise set on white sands. And with perfect weather all year round, even God would want to settle down here and chill.

Lying down on the beach almost side by side with a hundred other sun worshippers for an hour a day, you can get the most glorious tan. The white sands may be imported from Molokai island but who cares, it's all there for everyone to enjoy! But there's more than just sitting by the beach in Waikiki. Shopping takes on a whole new meaning when you get to Kalakaua Avenue which is parallel to the beach. Shops are pricey though with brands like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, Tiffany's, Ferragamo, and the like just a stone's throw away from where you lounge by the shores. Of course, there are about a hundred ABC stores that offer convenience shopping where you can get suntan lotion at any time of the day.

Then, of course, Oahu has more treasures to offer -- dinner can be at several fancy restos but everyone does have to try a luau feast where there's roasted pig, fish, chicken, along with lots of fruit, and coconut desserts. And the Hawaiian staple called the poi (let me reserve comment on that :-)) For those who are into seeing more awesome sights outside of fancy malls like the Ala Moana Shopping Center or the Waikele Premium Outlets, you can always visit Pearl Harbor and see the USS Missouri or what's left of the USS Arizona which were bombed during World War II. The memorial stands right above where thousands of US navy men lost their lives.
And then, what would a trip to Hawaii be without trying the dairy-less Dole Pineapple Whip right at the Dole Plantation? Inside, there's the world's biggest maze and a pond where fish-feeding is an adventure in itself. There are probably a thousand other sights to see and things to do in this paradise on earth, like go to North Shore and catch the surf or to Pali Lookout for literally the coolest view of the islands. It's worth the trip and worth going back to again and again. For memories that last way, way, way after your golden suntan fades, visit Waikiki. I did and discovered not just Paradise. I experienced Peace.

Surfin' USA

Beaching in Waikiki (Honolulu) last 1st week of May, here's my daughter Nicole @ 16, in a borrowed wet suit from Big Todd Cameron, surf teacher in Waikiki Beach (you can learn to surf for just 35 bucks!)

More pics of our Waikiki trip, as soon as I get my camera back from the States...

Fab-BOHOL-ous

Panglao, Bohol
April 13, 2006

It was our family's virgin outing to Bohol which we only knew then for its world-famous Chocolate Hills. But now, no longer.

To us, Bohol is where you find panoramic beaches, gentle tarsiers, awesome centuries-old churches and magnificent mahogany-lined paths.

Spent Holy Week in Panglao and it sure was a breather from the crowded beaches of Boracay as we enjoyed the white sands and blue surf all to ourselves. While Bohol Beach Club where we stayed didn't have a view of the famous Boracay sunset, it offered breath-taking sunrises -- picture a sunset in reverse, going from dark to bright.

And at 5pm, you could see the moon rising and a few hours later, you can still see the waves rushing to the shore under a bright moonlit sky.

And the stars -- you don't have to look up to see them although you'll be under a blanket of them on a clear night. They're right beneath your feet...as the beach is filled with starfish of all colors, kinds and sizes.

It definitely is BEACH HEAVEN.


BUT there's more to Bohol than chocolatte hills and sandy beaches.

Baclayon is home to the 2nd oldest church in the country. And equally majestic Loboc Church is our own Sistine Chapel.

The town is also where a cruise can get you an all-you-can-eat lunch as you're treated to a guitar man singing anything from Bossa Nova to Barry Manilow songs to Sting to Pobreng Alindahaw and more...all while local kids swing from trees and jump into the river.

Then on the way to the Chocolate Hills, you go thru the tree-lined roads where mahogany trees stand tall 60 years after they were planted during the time of Pres. Magsaysay.

There's more to Bohol than all these as we discovered in a little over 3 days. There's life's little ironies. Cuz in Panglao (which in Tagalog, is synonymous to sadness) I found JOY.


And in its fabulous waters lying on the sand on Holy Thursday, I found FAITH. (pic taken w/my phone-cam of an ice cream wrapper -- ice cream name was "Faith")

Bora Bday 06

First of all, I couldn't remember my password for my other blog so I had to create a new one for the year to chronicle photos of trips I've taken to beaches and other places here and around.

So if anyone's ever read my other blog from last year, like I said, each year I celebrate my birthday in sunny Boracay. This year, we stayed in Nami Beach Resort and were treated to an everyday vision of the vast expanse of Boracay from atop a hill where the hotel is perched.


It's a magnificent view of the beach.

What's ultra special about Nami apart from the excellent service (you have your own butler) is you have your own jacuzzi that overlooks the ocean -- what more can you ask for????



So, here's this year's batch of photos.... enjoy .... and here's to more and more years of beaching ahead!