Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, and Camiguin: The Northern Mindanao Adventure

Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, and Camiguin - this is the trio of a Northern Mindanao trip. Catch a plane from Manila to CDO, ride a van or motorcycle (if you're that adventurous) to Bukidnon and back. Then from Cagayan de Oro, ride a bus or rent a van to the port wherein you can catch a ferry to Camiguin. That's the usual route/adventure for those interested in white water rafting, ziplining, and basically a fun adventure!

This can be done in (just) 3 full days! (Imagine the vacation leaves you can save...) It only takes one long weekend and some cash to enjoy so much. Three days two nights: one day for rafting and ziplining then overnight in CDO and then travel for Camiguin for tours and swimming then overnight in Camiguin and you still have the third day free before your flight!

First stop is Cagayan de Oro, the City of Golden Friendship and the gateway for nearby provinces. When we touched down CDO Airport we opted to ride the zipline in Bukidnon first because (I think) if we started with the white water rafting we would be so spent that we won't fully enjoy Bukidnon as much, so upon pick-up from the airport we went straight to Bukidnon for some serious ziplining.

Bukidnon
You'll pass by DOLE's pineapple farm on the way which is a good spot for taking scenic photos. Or okay, jump shots.

There are 3 lines in Dahilayan Adventure Park for ziplining, including their "Asia's longest zip line." Their latest "ride" is the DropZone Sky Swing wherein you'll be pulled all the way up and you have to pull the cord to release yourself from all the pent-up girly voice in you. They only have one tip for us, "Remember to scream like a baby!" The guide didn't say "scream like a girl," but mentioned "baby"; I think he's not sexist. Props to kuya.

Mar has too much exposure already.

Since we're there, I was up for the DropZone challenge!! I would be the one pulling the cord for us because Sarah said if she's going to be the one to release the lock, we would be up there until it's time to go back to Manila. If anyone freezes from fear, s/he can stay all day up there. Release on cue or prolong your agony. Pick your poison!

Oh, it looks soooo safe.

Posing for the camera is optional. Shouting your lungs off is a requirement.

Cagayan de Oro
We're ready for the waves! White water rafting is one of the key attractions in Cagayan de Oro. We employed the services of Great White Water Tours (see Contacts portion below) whose package includes airport pick-up and ziplining at Dahilayan Adventure Park at Bukidnon, not to mention lunch (or dinner) and snacks.

Pre-war of the worlds...with the river. Our guides are really hilarious by the way.

Remember to keep your legs up when you're in the water, those rocks are nasty! I was one of those thrown into the river and got to experience seeing a rock come closer to your face (is this how they felt when Titanic hit the iceberg?). Seriously, I thank God the water was not murky or brown when we were there (depends on the weather) as I was sure I involuntarily drank a lot of water. A lot.

There are days when you fall from the raft.... It's freaking life changing!

Victory at the end of the day! Well, wait until the next day for the muscle pain. It's definitely worth it. Embrace it like a badge of honor! (And good luck on moving.)

We stayed at a nice (with regards to room quality and price) hotel named Budgetel. It's a new place so I highly recommend it. After being dead for some time, we woke up really early to catch the first ferry trip to Camiguin. Benoni Port is located at Misamis Oriental so we rode a van (since we're 5 in a group, it's not heavy on the budget plus it's more convenient) going there instead of waiting for the bus.

In a nutshell for How to Get to Camiguin from CDO and Vice Versa: Go to Agora Bus Terminal (everyone in CDO knows where this is so you can just take a trike going there) and ride either a bus going to Butuan or rent a van (PHP 1,400 is a good price). Both buses (tell the ticket dude you're going to Camiguin) and vans will drop you at the Balingoan Port in Misamis Oriental where you will be purchasing tickets for the ferry aka roll-on-roll-off (RORO) which will end at Benoni Port at Camiguin. Camiguin is just an hour away!

Balingoan Port of Misamis Oriental. Jump off to Camiguin!

Port of Benoni at Camiguin.

How to get back? Ask to be dropped off at Benoni Port and then ride the ferry back to Misamis Oriental. There is a bus terminal right across the street (you can walk this) and there are lots of trips back to Cagayan de Oro.

Our ferry ride back to CdO. Check out the first trip in the photo below.

Camiguin
Day tour of the whole island of Camiguin. The island born of fire. Niiiice! Old Volcano pretty much did a lot of damage in this humble province. We freaking braved the rain when the storm was there and I have never felt so cold and wet in my life. Oh adventure, I've never asked for so much in this ferry ride. We initially thought if we were going to be thrown overboard (just like rafting) and I have been eyeing the life jackets ever since we boarded the ferry.

Refugees at 4am.

We stayed at Paras Beach Resort which is a really beautiful place. The cottages/rooms are nice and clean, the amenities are great, the pool is wonderful, White Beach is just a few minutes away, the price is reasonable, and we got the tour from them as well. Let's move on with the tour!

First stop is the Katibawasan Falls. When we were there, it was like we're expecting the Presidential chopper to arrive and everyone else was asked to step back. The sound of the waterfall was so loud (well since it rained earlier, the water has been notorious) and the sight was just marvelous. Well, I was really tempted to swim there but after what happened to me in CDO, naaaah. I'll pass. I love being alive.

Then there's DENR's Ostrich Farm where they breed guess what? Ducks! No, duh. Ostriches. I asked them what's their purpose on breeding these lovely big birds. Dude told me, "after the zoos, maybe we can have ostrich meat." OSTRICH FREAKING MEAT. Are you fracking kidding me?!

Game face on, ostrich style.

It's Breakfast Time! (Please Don't Say Brekkie)

I promise you, my August and September have both been crazy and adventurous. There are a lot of entries still tagged as Draft and I really can't wait to finally publish them and share to the world how eccentric I am clean my list. In the meantime, I'll post something about... breakfast. Break-freaking-fast. Oh yeah.

The usual me used to skip breakfast (my description for breakfast is the first meal you take in right after waking up) because I don't have the appetite of starting the digestive process right after waking up. My body was wired for lunch or merienda and then I go pig out all day until dinner then pig out again until I fall asleep. Breakfast is for sissies. Pigging out is for champs.

However, with the change in work schedule and some non-life-changing moments, I tried to convert myself to being a fan of breakfast. I mean, c'mon, a lot of people swear by the magic of breakfast and how it's actually beneficial for you. So after waking up, I slowly try to force myself to eat something despite my appetite upstaging a rebellion on me. After a few months of this daily ordeal, I can now claim that I have successfully converted myself into being a breakfast person! Hurrah! "What to eat for breakfast" is something I now look forward to each day aside from actually being alive.

Dang it, French toast please.

Seriously, did I just write gibberish at 5:45am?!

How Do I Brew Thee, Tea?

I have searched far and wide about brewing, nah, I just searched in the Internet about brewing tea. There are a lot of styles and ways but for me it only boils (pun not intended) down to two kinds: Boil then steep and/or boil-while-steeping.

A.) Boil then steep is more commonly done. You use teapots or other containers such as a coffee press.

1 - Boil water. No duh. Prepare your stuff while waiting for water to cool down by a few degrees.
2 - Pour water into your teapot or coffee press to heat it then dispose this water.
3 - Add teaspoons-full of leaves. One teaspoon for every person and another for the pot. (Actually this depends on you. I usually put 3 teaspoons all for myself, haha.)
4 - Pour the water and let your tea steep. (Check the steeping time below, depending on your tea.)
5 - Prepare your mugs/cups and then wait for your tea.
6 - Freaking enjoy your drink.

My Weekend in Venice tea steeped using the coffee press.

B.) Although less common, I prefer doing this because of the temperature, using our handy-dandy old school percolator. It works for black tea because as I have read it can be brewed in not just hot water, but truly boiling water.

1 - Put filtered water in your percolator. Oh God, don't use your socks in filtering water from the faucet.
2 - Add tea leaves (same for me, 2-3 teaspoons of leaves).

Teehee, yummy Chocolate Tea from TWG.

3 - Turn the stove on and watch the water boil and pass through the strainer/holder again and again.

Patience is a virtue.

4 - Let it cool for a while or you can pour your tea into your mugs/cups right away, if preferred.
5 - Enjoy your tea! Be careful though, this one's piping hot!

So a rundown of steeping time and temperature:

Black tea (as well as red/rooibos tea) - boiling water; 4-6 minutes
Oolong tea - less than boiling water (190F); 5-8 minutes
White tea - less than boiling water (180F); 4-6 minutes
Green tea - slightly cooler water (150-160F); 2-4 minutes
Herbal tea - can be steeped using boiling water; 5 minutes (but this varies as there are a lot of blends available)

You can check out this link for other ways of brewing, too. :)
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Since we're here already, let's include the caffeine content of tea as well. A cup of the following has a range of caffeine (based from thefragrantleaf site):

Black Tea: 23 - 110mg
Oolong Tea: 12 - 55mg
Green Tea: 8 - 36mg
White Tea: 6 - 25mg

Although I basically have no idea how much caffeine those are, just think that drip-brewed arabica coffee has around 80-130mg of caffeine.Your herbal teas are pretty much safe from caffeine. So you can drink a lot of those to calm your nerves, or basically try sleeping instead.

If you want to enjoy your tea at night and still need your sleep, steep your tea in hot water for 45 seconds and then discard that. They said that 80% of the caffeine will be extracted within the first 30 seconds of steeping, so after throwing out the initial tea, add water to your leaves and brew again. :)

Alcohol Shelf Life - Expiration

So my friend asked me if alcohol expires. I initially told her no (unopened of course), I treat them just like chocolates. And yet I still had to search for it because I'm wired that way. So here's the best answer I got for one of life's FAQs, "Does alcohol expire?" This is taken from this forum.

And it is just plain sad. I've heard that I can't take alcohol in because I'm under antibiotic medication. Booooooooooo.


Guideline for Shelf Life

Here is a simple guideline for the shelf life of different types of alcohol:

Cream-based Liquors - these types of liquors can curdle from the heat, so normally do not last very long after being opened. You should always check to see if your Bailey's has curdled before drinking it and usually you should toss it out a few months after being opened and unused.

Bourbon - Since it has so much alcohol in it, normally you can keep it for years even if it has been opened. Normally the spirits that are pure alcohol can all stay in your cabinet for many years without going bad.

Rum, Scotch, Whiskey, and Vodka - These all have a long shelf life because of the high alcohol content in them. They will be even better if they are left unopened, but normally you can keep these for a few years once opened.

Wine - Once wine is opened, it is best to keep it for at most a week. Wine ages gracefully, however not once it is opened. It will have a very stale taste once it hits the one week mark, so it is best to toss it then.

Beer - You normally want to drink it before it gets warm, which means once you open it you generally want to drink it within a couple hours. So toss the can of beer that you didn't finish last night.

If you have opened, unfinished alcohol, do not fret. Just call a few friends to come over and your problems over alcohol expiring will be over in just a few minutes.

Let them drink Butterbeer!

No, still not writing about the Olympics (although I've been flooding Twitter about it). So instead, I'll just post random shizzles just like I normally do.

Well, well, well. When asked about the famous Butterbeer from the Harry Potter series, my friend and I were trying to win an argument if it's served cold or warm. Since we just like to throw quips and banters at each other, I know no one would win the argument. So I asked a teammate whom I know is really into Harry Potter if butterbeer should be cold or warm. She gave me the link to an HP-Lexicon and it says

Butterbeer

Very popular drink served cold in bottles or hot by the mug ("foaming tankards of hot butterbeer") at the Three Broomsticks. House-elves can get drunk on butterbeer, but it doesn't have that effect on humans (GF21).

Available at the Hog's Head for two Sickles a bottle (OP16).

How is butterbeer made and what does it taste like? When asked about this by "Bon Appetit" magazine, JKR responded: "I made it up. I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."

So no one has an idea how it tastes like, save from the unabridged trilogy-worthy description that the author gave. Hence, the recipe that Pepper.ph (which is a really good site) gave can still be legit! Yay! Now to ask my friend to recreate it.


Hogsmeade Butter Beer
makes 1 serving


1 can Cold cream soda
3-4 tbsp Caramel Syrup
Whip Cream


1. Pour cream soda and caramel syrup into a huge glass mug.
2. Stir well.
3. Top with Whip Cream.


Notes:
1. You can add extra caramel syrup on top of whip cream for extra sweetness.
2. For real beer drinkers, mix 1/2 can cream soda and 1/2 bottle of light beer.

Another friend, Lance, tried to do a "muggle version" with homemade caramel, cream soda, light beer, and whipped cream. Then served it with Bruschetta (toasted bread with garlic, cheese, and olive oil). He noted that it tastes a bit like rootbeer float but has a sweet kick. @#%$^%&^%*$* I want one.

Pretty Beautiful: The Olympics 2012 Edition

When Yahoo made that stupid list of "hot" Olympians, what's even more stupid is this blog entry. Haha.

Italy's top swimmer Federica Pellegrini still has her records on for the 200m Freestyle qualifying heats earlier as she qualified the fastest.

Ryan Lochte is now the poster-boy for American swimming ever since he won the gold against Michael Phelps. He scores more than Phelps in the looks department but Michael Phelps scores a whole lot more in the body department.

Face.

Body.

Stephanie Rice was Australia's Golden Girl, having won 3 Olympic Gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, setting up 3 World Records in the process. Unfortunately, she's making me cry at the moment having qualified just 9th in the 200m IM heats earlier. Huhu. Semifinals later!

Okay, there are too many Americans in Yahoo's list. I can sense no bias. If Alex Morgan (from the USA American football team) is here, where's Hope Solo?!

Maria Sharapova and Daniela Hantuchova (who shamefully eats tons of Nutella) are here. That list would be even more stupid if the tennis players are not there. Russia and Slovakia's main players. No need to add anything else.

SVK.

RUS.

Hello, The Missile!! James Magnussen would be splashing the waters tomorrow. So excited! Hahaha.

Stare down competition!

Of course, Kobe Bryant forever. :)

Who's missing? Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, USA's Hope Solo, and probably Mexico's Fernanda Gonzalez.

TWG Tea

The tea diaries.

Entry two.
I should stop counting the entries.

Shala (adj.) - basically means sushal or rich. It means following an expensive lifestyle (even just for the moment). The word has been played around to make it more appealing to people. This is the direct opposite of a poorita. Poor. Get it? :|

Example: Your friend who just normally orders fast-food take-away suddenly declared that your group will eat at a steakhouse. "Wow, shala ka ngayon ah!"

Here is one shala tea from Singapore. Well you can still taste TWG teas here in the country at La Creperie and Sweet Bella Cafe. We usually order Silver Moon tea which costs around PHP200++ for a pot (and there are only like what, 2 tea bags inside?). The second refill will taste lighter and when you ask for a third refill you're better off drinking hot water instead. They cost that much. 

So when my teammate tweeted (yes it's now a verb same as "googled") that he's beside the TWG store in SG, I knew that was my moment to have a hold of my own TWG teas. As usual, I prefer the loose tea leaves over the tea bags so I could brew my own and well, I can put the leaves into an infuser anyway. He said there were no Silver Moon available so he went ahead with my initially requested Chocolate Tea and asked the European salesperson for his recommendation. Tadah! Weekend in Venice plus Sakura! Sakura! Tea. I have no idea yet as to what kind of teas these are (green or black or white) but I know they are specialty blends.

Weekend in Venice; Chocolate Tea; Sakura! Sakura! Tea
photo from the generous donor, Alex.

Thanks to Alex, my tea friend, for these! He also refilled my Korean brown rice green tea stash with those Sulloc tea bags. Haha.

I have been sniffing these tea packs since I got them and since I'm not yet ready to brew them, I settled for my home-boy, the Assam tea leaves. It's poorita week (the week before payday) and I can't be rich yet.

Yes, there's even a box of macarons that were really really yummy
and were gone in 60 seconds. T__T

So when I got my leaves, I did a quick research while sniffing them on and on. Natural high! After a few minutes, now I know my TWG ABCs and I can brew peacefully. Green and black tea blends! 

Sakura! Sakura! Tea includes cherry blossoms and green tea.

Weekend in Venice Tea is a green tea blend with pineapple, forest berries, and rose petals.

Chocolate Tea has black tea mixed with cacao shells.

While We Wait for The Olympics: Mugshots Edition Part 2

So okay, the previous entry about the mugshots were a little... mean horrendous, let's add more insult to injury to the athletes by featuring a couple of swimming teams to watch for (I was half-tempted to write "favorite" but if you read on, I will mention that word a hundredfold).

Laure Manaudou of France.

The French team gave justice to the page. They have similar backdrops with equally good lighting and quality. My fascination with swimming actually jump-started with Eurosports being in our cable provider. I've always been watching the different heats and when the 2008 Beijing Olympics unfolded, it was a natural thing to be attached to it.

One thing with the British swimming delegates...they have horrible not so good photos. I'd still root for Rebecca Adlington, though! Host nation must not disappoint.

The Americans are also a top-notch. They never back down, but with their photos, hmmm. Let's just let their swimming do the talking. Natalie Coughlin, Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps, Katie Ziegler, and Ryan Lochte will make tsunami-like splashes no doubt about that... but please just forget about their photos on the Olympic site.

But of course, my favorites are from the Land Down Under. Australia has been proud of their swimming team and after 4 long years, I still want their 2008 Olympics jacket - the green, the yellow, the kangaroos. Their swimming page also got it right, actually they are the ones who made it perfect. Similar themes in their photos with the lighting, backdrop, and even uniform (it's like your senior yearbook, only better). Good job, Australia! Hoping you bag as much medals as you can. Presenting two photos from the Aussie team, with my cherished Stephanie Rice and their new gun James "The Missile" Magnussen.

James Magnussen of Australia.

Stephanie Rice of Australia.

Staring Contest

And while we're at posting photos of beautiful people, let's continue with the festive spirit! From the perfect person to be cast as Christian Grey (from that popular book "50 Shades of Grey") to the feisty Catwoman, Matt Bomer and Anne Hathaway are the ultimate stare-buddies.

*hypnotized*

Anne Hot-away. Click to make image larger. Tralala.