Maxine By The Sea

When in Alaminos, don't miss the gastronomic experience which is to my knowledge best had at Maxine By The Sea! Try their antipasto (my new favourite!) next to their famous calamares and pinakbet! mmmn yummy!

I must say that my craving for Filipino dishes particularly authentic ones have all been satisfied to my heart's content with the meals i had at Maxine!

I was asked by the lovely Liwy (owner of Maxine) and her equally lovely cousin and my very good friend Bulgee to extend my stay in Alaminos so I can have dinner with them at Maxine. How can i pass such a lovely offer! And to add to their treat to me, we had breakfast the following day again at Maxine and tried for the first time Fr. Uly's favourite - Maxine's pancakes! I must say I have signed up as one of the fans of these lovely pancakes as soon as my first slice of pancake started melting in my mouth. of course, the gastronomic experience is not complete without having Alaminos longganisa, my all-time favourite!

For lunch, I had bangus and sinigang sa miso. Try also Maxine's pancit, as it is one of their best sellers! Ah, but what is not, I think everything in the menu is truly a treat!

For more info on Maxine By The Sea, visit their website on http://www.maxinebythesea.com/. or call them on (075) 5512537 and ask for Liwy (owner and manager) and feel free to name drop me! No, don't ask for any discounts please, you'll find the price to be reasonable for the quality of the food, the freshness (we are talking about fresh catch of local fisherman here!) the way it's presented and not to mention for eating in a place where you have a fantastic view of Hundred Islands!

Of course, you've not been to Alaminos if you've not been to Hundred Islands! So pack those bikinis, goggles, flip flops and sun cream and head out to the beach before the rainy season begins!

Oh yeah, back to me in London, if I don't reply to your text messages or don't pick up my phone, that's probably because i may be at work and can only access my work mobile phone which is: +447826938758, but do keep my other mobile number: 07525720477.

White sand of Cabalitian

a travel tip for those who haven't been to the beach this (Philippine) summer yet, try frolicking in the beach of Cabalitian, Sual, Pangasinan. this is my latest discovery of white-sand and unspoilt beach, courtesy of my very good friend Bulgee and Fr. Ed who invited me to their beach party!

the place is accessible by boat from this small docking area in the mainland Sual to the beach of Cabalitian. the boat ride takes around 20 minutes.

just wear your bikinis underneath and top it with a sundress or pair of shorts and shirt. don't even bother bringing any clothes for changing! you'll see what i mean as soon as you get close to the beach.

when we got to the beach i literally stripped off my top clothing and ran straight to the water. the clear and unspoilt water of Cabalitian was one of the most irresistible things i've encountered in the last 9 months! talk about being deprived of warm beaches when in the UK! hehe

after taking a dip in Cabalitian's pristine waters, grab a bottle of water, wear a hat and perhaps consider putting another layer of sun cream and take a nice stroll towards the cove hidden behind the rocks west-ward of the beach.

the cove is one of Cabalitian's hidden gems waiting for nature lovers out there to sample its relaxing waters and zen-like atmosphere.

Asin Hot Springs!

This entry is not for Baguio and Benguet residents who may well better be the ones writing this blog entry as they know better than I do about Asin hot springs!

The photos speak for themselves... So if you are looking for a nice rest and recreation place within Benguet, Asin hot springs is the place to go!

There are a number of new resorts now in Asin and far so much better from what we used to have when we used to frequent Asin during the old days. (Naks para akong matanda dito a!) My family highly recommends Riverview resort!

It costs Php70-80 per adult for an entrance fee. Our entrance fee included a use of a hut which was situated on the hill, so we had a good view of the swimming pools.

Be sure to take a dip in their hot springs located just near the swimming pools... There's nothing better than a soothing and a relaxing dip on those hot spring tubs.

There's no Place Like Home

I've been stuck in London for a long 9 months, and after a couple of unpleasant incidents that prevented me from traveling out of the UK, the thought of going home to the Philippines for a three-week holiday thrilled me to death!!!


I hadn't felt so happy being in the Philippines until I went home this April and felt at home the moment...


... the airport cab driver asked me for pasalubong! (oh my god)

... i ate rice for breakfast

... i stepped into SM and managed to shop for clothes and shoes less than half of the price of the goods I would've paid when in the UK

... my dad and brothers prepared pinikpikan for dinner!

... i was seeing the sunrise at Hundred Islands!

... i was swimming in the pristine waters of Western Pangasinan

... i was eating fresh seafoods and indulging in Pinoy food such as pinakbet, crispy pata, kare-kare, daing na bangus, longganisa! yummy!

... i was voraciously eating mangoes!


Home is indeed a litany of beautiful things life has to offer and as I write this entry from my desk in London, away from home... it is always nice to say, "there's no place like home..."