home for the holidays

February is here and it's a shame that i still haven't blogged about our Christmas vacation. I'm just busy doing nothing? hehehe...or maybe daydreaming?...still in denial that i am actually back here in the US fighting the winter chill? I know, i know...vacation is longgg over and time for me to move on. But before i do, let me write about it. We had a wonderful time in the Philippines and here are some i'd forever keep in my memory:

1. Family bonding. Being the first apo, the goal is for Racrac to spend time with his lolos and lolas. We spent Christmas in Manila at my parents' house, attended the christening of my nephew AJ, took a short trip to Tagaytay with the whole family and checked out the new Manila Ocean Park with my brother's family for an underwater experience. Racrac also enjoyed playing with his one & only first cousin AJ who is 8 months younger than him.

In Davao, he bonded with his lolo Willie and lola Pacita for two full weeks. We ate out, drove around the city, quietly welcomed the new year (ssshhh, bawal ang paputok!), went swimming and beach resort hopping, malling and just walking and running around the house playing with whatever he could find while being watched by his lolo who had difficulty catching up with him hihihi.

My mom also flew from Manila to Davao after new year so she was able to meet Fil's parents and spend more time with her apo.

2. Beach resort hopping in Samal Island, Davao - The good thing about Samal Island is that you face the waters and you don't see endless open sea but you get a panoramic view of Davao City making you feel happy that you are in an island enjoying the wind and the wave and the sun and the sand. Paradise Island Resort is still the best in its league when it comes to accessibility, cleanliness, food and service. And their waters are always more fun, i wonder why?

Chemas-by-the-Sea Resort on the right side of Paradise (if you're facing the resorts) is a welcome change from the usual noisy, party-like resort atmosphere. We enjoyed the semi-privacy and we were lucky to get the best spot but the swimming pool is too cold, food is so-so and the service, very poor. We're also not happy with having to climb to the restaurant and the steps leading down to the beach have very wide gaps. Not senior-and-kid-friendly. But it's still a new resort so i forgive them. I hope that time will see them improve.

Blue Jaz Resort on the left side of Paradise, we learned, is owned by an American from Florida who married a Samal native. Lucky girl! It's a wholesome fun family place: nicely-decorated bar, airconditioned overnight accommodations, nipa huts and swimming pool. The kids will love the giant water slides, kiddie pool and trampoline. Manong our waiter said they opened to the public only summer of last year and the owners still have big plans for the resort. I suggest they improve on their boat transfer 'coz we waited for so long under the sun just to get to a boat which we thought would never come and when it did, it was pure chaos: paunahan and nobody there to assure me that the boat is not overloaded.

3. Food, family and friends. What's a vacation without food trips? And what's food without having family and friends to share it with? In Davao, we had our fill at Jack's Ridge (delicious, as always!), New Asia Restaurant (to satisfy Fil and his dad's craving for crabs), Probinsya (buffet lunch for P215, go go go!), Bigby's, Gardena Fresca (the best spareribs, we ate there twice!), Yellow Fin, Marco Polo lobby lounge (love the prime beef burger!), Cafe Josefina at Apo View hotel (buffet afternoon snacks for P125 each, why not?!!!), Taps and of course our everyday garlic fried rice-eggs-hotdogs breakfast combo. So yummy!

In Manila, Fil finally had the tapsilog breakfast he's been dreaming of at Max's and we had dinner at Kalye Juan and Mannang in Mall of Asia during the couple of times we went there to shop. Mannang is the filipino version of Mann Hann restaurant if you don't like chinese food.

In Tagaytay, we wanted to go back to Viewpoint Restaurant where we had dinner last year but it is located farther down the main highway and the weekend traffic wasn't encouraging so settled for Dencio's instead. Good decision 'coz later we found out that Gerry's Grill has occupied the original site of Viewpoint and we don't know where Viewpoint has relocated or if it still exists.

In Makati, we had a sumptuous classic Filipino dinner at Fely J's for two consecutive nights at the new Greenbelt 5. We went there at my insistence after reading it at a PAL mabuhay magazine. While waiting for our order, the couple next to our table heard us talking in "bisaya" which caught their attention and guess what, they were Fil's classmates in high school! Small world, huh! We joined our tables and Fil got too excited with the conversation that he suddenly lost interest in the food. When we met for dinner with my friends Gracie, Grace & Wilma the following night, we decided to eat there again! Highly recommended: lola ising's adobo, beef mechado, thai green curry.

We also stayed at Shangri-la Hotel Makati during the last two nights of our vacation and the overwhelming open-kitchen buffet breakfast at Circle's were just too tempting to resist.

4. Love being pampered! - After a long flight and a week of driving around the city and frolicking on the beach, there's nothing like surrendering your body and soul to a mind-relaxing stress-relieving massage. This we experienced at Lazuli Spa luxuriously located at The Deck of Marco Polo Davao where I had my 60-minute warm herbal oil massage twice. I also love my 2-hour "happy feet" treatment at Philosophy Salon which included foot spa, reflexology, pedicure and manicure (with free iced tea and cheese sandwich). I have to tell you my feet felt not only smoother and lighter but they were literally smiling as i step out of salon hehehe. Love it!

5. Coffee Experience. Coffee addicts? Guilty! In Davao, Fil and i spent some alone time "coffeenetting" (coffee+internet) at Blugre Coffee in MTS and had animated conversations over coffee with UP KBytes at Coffee Dream in SM Davao, Karlo's Coffee Station at Jack's Ridge and Bo's Coffee. We brought my mom who's also addicted to caffeine to Figaro hoping for lava cake but they don't have it anymore so we settled for coffee and ensaymada instead.

In Manila, we tried The Coffee Experience in SM Southmall to take a break from the crazy christmas holiday crowd, Starbucks Coffee in Mall of Asia (again to take a break from the crazy christmas holiday crowd), Figaro in Tagaytay (the only one that sells Barako blend, our favorite!), Figaro and UCC Park Cafe in Glorietta and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Greenbelt 3 (my personal favorite...so many memories here!)

But of course, nothing beats drinking complimentary 3-in-1 coffee in our hotel room while enjoying the view from our window. With that much caffeine intake and jet lag, you could just imagine if i ever slept when we got back here in the US.

6. UP Kbytes reunite! Grasya, Allan, Dante and i saw each other last in May 2007 and this time, we had a bigger cast. Ivy was scheduled to do business in Davao City for a day (she's from Kidapawan City) and i only got the information early in the morning of that Saturday so i had to gather everybody for an impromptu lunch and coffee at SM. It was so nice to see all of them again especially Ivy whom i haven't seen since the christening of her first baby my inaanak 8 years ago. She is one of my very first friends in UP and we shared a room after college and enjoyed those early years of independence.

I met again with Grasya, Dante & Allan to pursue the dinner we originally planned for at Gardena Fresca but a couple of days later, i woke up to a text message from Joy who was already on her way to Davao from General Santos City hoping to still catch me. And so we all congregated again for dinner and coffee. Grabeng gastos! But it was all worth it 'coz we had fun reminiscing the good old crazy days and just happy to be together again.

It was one full month of nonstop action but still not enough to accomplish everything we planned to do. It's difficult vacationing with a baby, we always have to attend to his needs first and adjust to his schedule. And did i tell you about our flight experience? 14 hours on the plane from San Francisco to Manila and back? hindi pa kami nakakarating sa Manila pagod na kay Racrac hahaha... But it's ok...masaya pa rin! We were also thankful that Racrac didn't get sick and he was always charming and active, a show-off most of the time, when he was around people.

We got back here in the US happy but tired, exhausted, stressed. I think i need a vacation after this vacation. hehehe...

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