Tamilok Eating Challenge

Tamilok, or shipworm, is that elongated worm-like mollusk found inside rotting mangrove trees. It is a famous delicacy in Palawan, an island province of the Philippines. It is usually eaten raw, marinated in vinegar or calamansi juice with chopped chili peppers and onions.

kinilaw tamilok

While visiting Puerto Princesa (the capital city of Palawan) late last year, I and my friends had dinner in the famous Kinabuchs Grill and Bar. After enjoying a feast of beef bulalo (beef stew), spicy squid, chopsuey, mixed seafoods and the usual rice, we were approached by the waiter who asked us if we would like to try the notoriously famed tamilok. We took it as once in a lifetime challenge, something that we can try just for the heck of it. So, we ordered for a plate of whitish odd-looking slimy worm swimming in its own juice mixed with vinegar. We stared at the raw dish in front of us while trying to summon enough courage to dig into the fare. One of my friends, Minda, took a jab with her fork and managed to snag a piece. She closed her eyes and popped the tamilok into her mouth. She said it tasted like oyster. I followed suit, the tamilok got stuck up in my throat, so I forced it down with a gulp of water. It has a smooth chewy texture and tasted somewhat salty with a hint of earthiness that stayed in the mouth.

and the winner is....

Whew! that was something I would try once but never again. Just not my taste.

Climbing the Stairs to Enlightenment

The Tian Tan Buddha

It was probably the tallest outdoor bronze statue of Buddha that I would ever see in my life. Seated on his lotus throne, the Tian Tan Buddha is accessible by painstakingly climbing 240 stairs. It was late November and I was wearing a thin cotton shirt and shorts, not suited at all for the Hongkong climate. I was trying to fight off the biting cold by briskly moving up the stairs. The slight drizzle didn't help, it just added to the chill. When I reached the top I was shivering but I was rewarded by the spectacular view that greeted me. No wonder the place is called Ngong Ping 360. It offers a 360 deg breathtaking view of the whole island of Lantau in Hongkong, as far as the eyes can see. 

Going there, we took the MTR from Hongkong Central up to Tung Chung Station in Lantau Island, from there we rode the bus for a chance to see the place up close.

On our return trip, we took the cable car back to Tung Chung Station. We stopped by the souvenir shop to buy myself a warm jacket before heading back to the mainland via MTR.

Buddha discovered the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to self-awakening and liberation. I discovered the Stairs of Enlightenment is no easy feat to climb in the harsh cold November weather.

More photos:

About to climb the stairs leading to the Buddha statue

View from the top

Tagaytay Zipline

It was one of those lazy days with nothing to do. I, together with a friend, drove to Tagaytay, just an hour away from Manila. We didn't have any particular place and activity in mind. We were actually two bored people hunting for something to perk up our day. We were cruising around, enjoying the ride and the view of the serene Taal Volcano. Just after we bought a box of buko pie, we saw this sign advertising the zipline in Picnic Grove. So, we drove there to check it out.

It was already after midday when we reached the place. The zipline course is a short distance ride, about 250 meters long. When we got there, a lot of people were waiting in line, visibly excited and anticipating their turn. We calculated the risk but we were already entertaining the idea in our minds that we'll do it anyway. We paid the Php100/person fee for a one-way ride and waited for our turn while we watched other people zoomed away and screamed their lungs out.

Finally, we were strapped to a harness. I said my prayer as I felt the rush of fresh air hitting my face. I was flying like superman at the speed of less than 60km/hr, except that I was fastened to the safety gadget with a matching headgear. I was soaring 300 feet above a canopy of lush vegetation, against the backdrop of Taal Lake and Taal volcano in the distance. The scenic zipline ride ended with a thud against the used rubber tires at the other end of the course.

The afternoon turned out to be a test of courage and awesome adventure for me after all. This is one of those moments which reminded me that surprises are just waiting around the corner, waiting to be found and tried.

Experience Skywalking

Heights have always been scary! Well, at least for me. I have always seek opportunities to conquer this fear. So I grabbed the chance in one of my local travels to the Philippines Queen City of the South - Cebu.

Right in the heart of Cebu metropolis rises the tallest hotel tower - The Crown Regency Hotel. It boasts of the first extreme skywalk adeventure in the country. In one of my travels there with my friends, we jumped into the chance of doing this crazy thrill.

all geared-up for the adventure

me on the platform

enjoying the adventure

The skywalk adeventure costs Php600/person, including a dinner buffet. We made sure we did the skywalk first because we didn't want to be throwing up everything we've eaten for dinner. The view of the whole of Cebu City was spectacular from the 40th storey floor of the hotel. Around the building, they built a platform of about 2 meters, which is half metal and half fiberglass. We donned on a suit and put our safety harness before stepping on into the platform. I thought it would be an easy feat! But I felt the jitters and my legs were like jelly, I was frozen to the spot and can't take the first step. The guide helped me and after a while, I actually enjoyed every moment of it. Photos were taken in different poses. It was simply an awesome experience! 

survived the skywalk adventure

I definitely recommend this adventure, it's an awesome experience!

Nothing New, But Been Busy

It's been a while! Well, nothing new with me. Same old routine, same old stuff, been quite busy and lazy lately. Cooped up at home with nothing to do, I found a way to keep myself and my keyboard busy.

I used to blog ferociously at various social sites in the past...for free. Dating site, community blogging site, social networks - anywhere I can express the myriad facets of  my mind. There was a time I have to rest my keyboard due to health condition, but I know that was temporary.

When I came back couple of months ago, there was no more challenge for me in the blogging world. I felt that for more than five years, I have exhausted my creative bank for this kind of self-gratifying endeavor to a point of being redundant and boring. There must be more for me out there, something that would squeeze out the productive juice and let it flow again. And I was not mistaken. The challenge, the adrenalin rush, the "calling" is back again. It absorbed and consumed me, my keyboard is back at work.

This time, it is not only about writing or blogging. It is more than that - it summons both my creative and technical know-how. I didn't know that there would be people who would actually be interested and pay for my write-ups, photo quotes, web scraping services, research works, image manipulations - all those things I used to do for a hobby. But now, in the confines of my room, I'm doing the things I do best and love. This time, fully rewarded for jobs well-done!