LOST in Phuket

I got lucky. Had 4 days and 3 nights stay in one of the best spas and resorts in the world – right in Mai Khao Beach in Phuket at the JW Marriott Phuket. Check out their website, it’s absolute heaven.

What else can one do in a spa than lounge, enjoy the sun, and get a massage every single day at sunset. A massage by the beach, in a hut, with the cold breeze gently blowing on your skin. Or right in the comfort of your own room. Or in the luxurious spa that has its own changing room, shower, bath, bubble bath, sitting room, and of course, your own massage suite! All done by the world’s best masseuses and pampering experts – Thai masseuses. They’re all great, lovely, nice, and with the softest and warmest hands! Walang kalyo!!!! The waft of oils and different scents wake up your senses – or lull them to lala-land, whichever it is that your weary body desires.

Was able to sample a massage by the beach, Thai massage with oil. It was pure bliss, for 400 baht. And then had the privilege of getting an aromatherapy massage and a rejuvenating facial at the spa. For 5,000 baht, it was well worth it. I left feeling like a new woman!!!

But there was more to the Marriott and this paradise than drifting away in spa heaven. The resort is tops in relaxation. Daybeds everywhere. Lounge beds in each corner. Waterfalls galore. Reflecting ponds and infinite pools as far as your eyes can see. This is the place to be for insomniacs! Last Friday, I spent the day reading in front of the infinity pool, lulled by the sound of raindrops and with a gentle breeze fanning my face. Even on a rainy day, you can’t help but feel calm, serene and at peace with the world.

Also at the Marriott, every day can be a learning experience. One day, you can indulge in a Ginja Thai cooking class, the next day, there’s an intro to Thai massage for free, and the next day, there’s Thai flower art lessons…. then there’s a meditation session, a neck massage seminar… even Muay Thai boxing 101 for those who wish to get into the sport! It all comes with the hotel fee – except for the Ginja Thai cooking class that stretches the whole day and includes a trip to a market out of the spa. Kewl.

Of course, there are countless pools and even more deck beds to lounge on – as in rows and rows and rows of them. Each already with your own towel. And on a hot day, while we were there, we got endless refills of ice cold water, a cold towel scented with aromatherapy scents to jolt your senses, even slivers of watermelon – again, all for free! And without you even asking. These people have done their homework in total pampering and service – no one can compare to how the guests are greeted and treated!

In your own room, you also have your own lounge beds – that’s aside from the comfy kingsize bed itself. That’s where you can read and enjoy the view of the garden from your own picture window – so you don’t have to get out of your own veranda!!! This is madness.

Oh, I forgot the beach – 14 kms of golden sand. But you swim at your own risk. Not to worry, this spa didn’t get hit by the tsunami of 2004. The beach is just for walking by and hearing the sound of waves. But it’s a beauty.

At night, if one gets bored out of his wits with all the relaxation, you can go take a 1-hr ride to famous Patong Beach which is a more developed version of our own Boracay. Developed in the sense that there’s a paved street between the beach and the shops instead of a stretch of sand. There are shows, bars, stalls selling Roxy, Billabong and other “branded” shirts and shorts. Then there are the restos – padthai and satay and green curry chicken can be had from 50 to 70 baht – cheap, huh? There are also several Italian restos where you can find most of them white peeps.

Massage parlors are also side by side, with Thai massages at 250 baht for one whole hour, 200 baht if it’s a slow night and you’re lucky. Had a Thai foot massage and even under white fluorescent lights, you will fall asleep right there on the lazy chair – believe me. That was a perfect way to cap a day after going around Patong beach and shopping.

Phuket is dreamland. It’s rest and relaxation at the absolute finest. Total. Divine. Beyond compare. And the people of Phuket, with surroundings like these, they are the epitome of unconditional love – giving without asking for anything in return. Bliss is the word.

The Lakehouse

“The mere habit of learning to love is the thing.”
-Jane Austen, 1775-1817

For Hyababy
(this piece is dedicated to Hya Bibit for whom I would want a man who would love her beyond time and space)

No, this isn’t about a glass house with a magnificent view of the lake in North Shore. I just got home from the Keanu Reeves-Sandra Bullock movie called “Lakehouse” which my friend Hya Bibit of GMA Post had raved about since it opened last Wednesday. With the way she was talking about it and about Keanu, I really had to make time for it over the weekend.

I watched the movie in PowerPlant and minutes later, I found myself scouring Fully-Booked for a copy of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” in the Classics Section of the bookstore. Unfortunately, not a copy was in sight. I merely wanted to find out for myself how a depressing theme could be beautiful to someone. Perhaps, I could relate to Kate (Sandra’s character in the movie) in the sense that she was convincing herself to find fulfillment in helping others (as advised by her dad who told her to be a doctor) to be able to make herself count amidst the stream of humanity while seemingly detached and distant from everyone else. If that doesn’t make sense to you, go out and get yourself a ticket to the movie. The P160 plus popcorn money that you shell out are well worth it.



Anyway, Lakehouse is set in Chicago and Keanu’s character as an architect son of a supposedly well-respected architect in Chicago inspired me to dig up my photos taken in the windy city last October. I was lucky enough to take an architectural tour of Chicago aboard a ferry.



The tour gives insights into the why this building is here and what it stands for – from the massive Wrigley Building to the Chrysler Building, to where the Chicago Tribune goes to press and where the Trump Tower once was and the future site being constructed, right to the condo where Oprah now lives, the tour is a compact architectural cum historical lecture in one. It’s really where the old meets the new, the traditional melts in with the modern, and where the past blends in with the present and the future.



Of course, you can’t miss the Millennium Dome, a chrome structure that sits right on Millennium Park and from where the reflection of Chicago’s magnificent cityscape bounces off.

Just walking through the streets of the city gives one a feeling of being in a place that gave a high premium on the art of architecture – and of allowing “the light….the light….” to come majestically (yet functionally) into the building as Christopher Plummer’s character (Sam Wyler) had said in the film.

Chicago is truly a mecca of sorts not only because all the edifices that stand in the city are a must-see for architects or anyone just wanting to bask in the glory and drama of great, tall buildings with stories to tell. And for everybody just wanting to take in the feel of a big city.

And did I mention that if not because my parents discouraged me from taking a 5-yr college course, I would have become a full-fledged architect by now? Just maybe, I still can fulfill that dream – if only it be a house by the lake, or maybe I could build one even just by the river of Pasig. :-)

Pebble Beach

Last September, my brother, sister and I had a rare reunion in SFO and we all went out to Monterey where Clint is king and thereafter, went to the famed 17 Mile Drive where we got spectacular views of Pebble Beach.

We took in the sights and smells of the beach where we found the famous Lone Cypress Tree watching over the sea and standing tall in silent splendor.

Joining the lone cypress are other so-called "ghost trees" that give the place an air of mystique as they seem to keep a close guard of the ocean.

A bit eerie but still breath-taking, and you leave Pebble Beach with more than just memories of a glorious afternoon by the ocean.

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!