Republic of the Philippines - Part 2 - Alona Beach!

We arrived at the gorgeous Alona Beach and headed straight to the Hotel to costume up-and catch some rays. We were a bit too early to check-in so had a little wonder around the beach strip then cooled off in the hotel pool (that had a great view of the beach) and enjoyed the locals prefered drink of Rum and Coke (I will just refer to it as R&C from now on as it will feature a lot!)

The picture postcard Alona Beach

Our Hotel was just off the main strip and right in the middle of all the action. The room was lovely, a bit small, but hey you just need a bed and shower when on hols! We were upstairs across from the bar area (more about this later!) and with easy access to the beach and pool.  After quite a few R&C time, we headed to the beach for dinner. There was an array of colorful sea-food on display, massive fresh lobsters and gigantic crabs! Aargh - crabs! After my last crabby experience I decided to stay away from sea-food all-together! We opted for the BBQ Pork, a popular dish in the area and let's face it... nothing beats a BBQ on the beach! Out table was literally on the shore line with tiny waves lapping our toes as we ate. The beach entertainment was awesome - fireworks galore (in our honor no doubt) local kids singing the latest pop hits and shirtless men throwing fire-balls around and banging drums!  After dinner a few R&C's at the Beach Bar before bedtime!

So back to the Hotel room location - we were told the bar closes at midnight. At 1.30am I let it go that I couldn't sleep cause a few drunken folk were attempting to do karaoke - it was Saturday night after all and i'm not that old and grumpy yet! (I'll leave that for Kev) At 2.30 am when the drunken folk could no longer hold a tune I started to get the hump! So at 3am ...with my fabulous beach frizz bedhead hair flowing and in my 'Night Owl' pajamas I headed downstairs! The manager and his private party of 3 were hugely apologetic and promised the party was over.  We'd not long closed our eyes when they set off again...louder and more out of tune than ever! This time Kev set off and that was that...until they started up again!

The next day, sleep deprived and both slightly moody we hit the beach and hit the beach hard! We found a cosy posi under a palm tree and spent the day playing with sea urchins, working on the tan, napping and sampling yet more R&C! When we got back to the Hotel we were moved to a fantastic deluxe suite, with outdoor balcony and best part of all - far away from party central! From then on we were 'that' couple the staff stayed away from from fear of complaints - oh well -at least we slept well for the remainder of our stay!

For our second last day in Philippines we booked an Island Tour and set out bright and early with 2 other couples on a boat names Jesus...I kid you not...

 ..

The boat named 'Jesus'

First on the tour was Dolphin watching, and Jesus did not disappoint! He found loads of them...and they put on a spectacular show for us! There were about 20 other boats (all biblical named) also out Dolphin watching and at some points it kinda felt like we were herding them. The boats would all stop to admire them jumping out the water and when they got too far out, engines on and the dolphin chase was on. There is something truly special about seeing Dolphins (not that i wanna be getting a dolphin tattoo or anything) but they really are amazing creatures. These were the smallest I have seen yet and their flick-flack tricks were top notch!

The Dolphin Show

Jesus then headed to Balicasage Island - a tiny Island near Panglao renowned for its exquisite diving and snorkeling extravaganza. I was never one for snorkeling, or swimming for that matter - don't like getting my hair wet! But a few years back when we were in Cuba I tried snorkeling for the first time and loved it... couldn't believe the underwater feast that awaited the eyes - I've been hooked ever since! We equipped ourselves with snorkeling gear and off we went. OMG...and I will say it again...OMG!!! One of the best snorkeling experiences ever! Not only did we find Nemo but we saw so many underwater creatures it was unbelievable! I swam with a turtle...well there were quite a few but one took a shining to me...'Hayley the Turtle Whisperer'!! They were massive and much faster than you would think..and there were starfish galore...bright blue ones, pink ones and yellow ones! Then there was...bzz...bzzz...jellyfish...the kind that go bzzz and sting! Not a bad sting but still enough to turn you red and make wanna get out! But to take in more of the amazing underwater spectacular and hang out with the turtle dude we braved more stings and soaked in as much as we could of this one in a lifetime experience. Sadly we couldn't take phones (aka the camera) with us so I couldn't capture just how beautiful and amazing it really was - we will be investing in one of these for our next beach getaway for sure! After about 1 hr in the water, we chilled on the beach taking in the views and sunshine, then set off in Jesus for the last tour stop.

The Turtle Dude!
(found this pic online - i'm pretty sure its him!)

Jesus then sailed the waters for about 40 min until we reached the Virgin Island of Panglao, known as the 'hidden oasis' - when the tide is low a stretch of white sand is viable. Locals come along and 'set-up shop' for the tourists, they sell an array of sea-creatures that they will fry up for you, you can buy coconuts, boiled eggs, noodles and fried bananas in brown sugar - that's what I opted for! And it was yum! (so random to be eating fried bananas in the middle of the sea!)  The Virgin Island was small and full of tourists, but pretty amazing to be in the middle of the sea on a little patch of sand! We stayed there for about 30 min, star-fish hunting and cooling off in the water before we headed back to Panglao where we spent the remainder of the afternoon around the pool bonding with our new buddy - R&C!

Heading back to Panglao Island

On our last day in Philippines we set off to the Capital, Manila. Our flight wasn't until late in the evening so we spent the day at SM Mall - the biggest mall in Asia! They have a free bag drop facility, so we ditched the luggage, had some breakfast and had a short wander around Manila before walking the mall flat! The airport was probably the most exciting part of the day as we had the most amazing food there! Throughout our time in Philippines it seemed like we were searching for a distinctly Filipino flavor and...wham...we found it at the Departures Gate! It was a rice based dish with pork in the most unusual, yet amazing sauce - it was delish and a perfect way to end the trip! 

Philippines - you were awesome! 

Republic of the Philippines - Part 1 - Loboc!

Last month we visited the Republic of the Philippines!

Philippines is made up of 7,641 Islands - sadly we didn't have time to visit all of them, so chose to visit the popular and beautiful Bohol Island in the South. First visiting the 'jungle vibes' Loboc then the gorgeous white sands of Alona Beach on Panglao Island. We then spent our last day in the Capital Manila wondering around Asia's largest shopping centre - SM Mall (woohoo -happy Hayley!) before heading home to Bangers!

We flew with Cebu Pacific Airlines which was a first for me, some advice if you ever fly with them - wear your shades! These guys rock psychedelic lumo yellow tops! That and their 'top of the morning' vibe is slightly too much for an early morning flight! But a good airlines nonetheless! When we arrived at Tagbilaran Airport in Bohol, we looked out for sign with our name on as the Hotel had sent a driver for us...or so we were told. After waiting a few hrs, and while trying to find wifi to contact the Hotel - we were told they had forgotten we were arriving! We then tried to organize a cab to Loboc - with about 15 taxi drivers all fighting amongst themselves over who was gonna take the job - we hopped in the nearest cab and hoped for the best! The drive from the airport to the hotel was about 30 min (super happy that Kev didn't make us walk that one!) Loboc suffered an earthquake a few years back and there were still signs of the devastation and of repairs all along the journey. 

Our Hotel, was situated on the along the river front and although painted a sickly green colour and undergoing renovations - it was not a bad hotel! It served a pretty good breakfast, had a fantastic bar selection and comfy beds. The manager was super friendly and insisted on driving us 2 min down the road to our first activity - The Floating Restaurant Cruise! I'm always hungry and up to trying the local cuisine and since this is the only place you can get lunch is Loboc - we kinda had no choice! The cruise/ lunch ticket cost 100 PHP (£1.63) and we were whisked onto the next available boat and set out for a 1hr cruise along the river, with a buffet table and live one-man band. There are 20 boats that go up and down the river from 11.00-16.00 every day, there used to be evening ones too, but they have stopped since the earthquake.

Long River Cruise Floating Resto

Lunch was interesting! Lots of random things were squashed onto the buffet table - something for everyone on there. I opted for some BBQ chicken, some kind of fish, noodles, rice and other random bits... and to top it off I added a Crab! I've seen plenty a travelling show on TLC on how river crabs are super yummy...I was on the river so why not!?! NEVER AGAIN!!!! Firstly his eyeballs were eyeballing me...and not in a good way! Then I couldn't figure out how to open him up and when I did a furry, feathered brainy mess awaited me! It freaked me out and I couldn't eat him! (I have a new appreciation for supermarket crab sticks!) The dude next to me seemed pretty interested in him so I donated my crab to his plate taking note as to how he dismantled him. The views along the river were just stunning, we stopped a few times along the way to listen to songs the locals had prepared for the tourists. A freaky highlight was watching a Python cross the river in front of us...eek...but that didn't stop the locals from jumping in to cool down.


After the cruise we took a tuk-tuk (painted in our Thai football team's colours I may add...Go Port FC!!!) to the Loboc Adventure Park to zip line across the river! The zip line costs 350PHP (£5.72), it's 120m high and 520m long. It took under a minute to fly across but the views were spectacular and I thought it was super fun! Kev on the other had was no so excited...he started looking a bit pale when we arrived and by the time we had climbed up to the launching point he was slightly green! There are 2 lines, so we could zip across the river together, once strapped in, helmet on we flew across the river - me admiring the views and Kev screaming in terror! Kev opted for the Cable cart return as he couldn't stomach another flying stint! Hmm...perhaps zipping again would have been the best option as the rusty old cable cart (not so much cable cart - more like a bench on wires!) felt like it was gonna drop out the sky any min! I suddenly remembered my fear of heights and as we rocked from side to side my lunch threatened to re-appear... and it didn't help much that the Korean couple next to us kept joking we might fall and  'go splat'! Anyhoo - we made it across, both a little pale but happy to be back on land again! We then opted for the 30 min walk back to the Hotel to get some colour in our cheeks and check out the area. For dinner we hit the one and only restaurant open for dinner in Loboc - The Pizza House! I was hoping for an authentic Philippines cuisine experience as lunch didn't quite fulfil my culinary expectations, but hey you take what you can get! The pizza was pretty good... the beer was great!

The 'go spat' ride of doom...

On day 2 we caught a local bus called a Jeepney to the Chocolate Hills! The Jeepney was cheap and cheerful, pumped local music all the way there and randomly stopped on the side of the road for pick-ups and drop-offs. So much more fun that taking a tourist bus!
So - the Chocolate Hills...I had visions of chocolate coated hills, with Mars bars and Snickers growing on trees, but nah...the boob shaped 1,260 plus hills are called such as they turn brown during the rainy season - giving them the name 'Chocolate Hills'. What makes these hills so popular is not only the incredible views but the mystery surrounding them as to how they got to be there - my favourite theory is that they were formed from tears of a giant! (obviously having a major crying wobble because someone ate all his chocolate!) When we arrived, the rain decided to make an appearance and showed us the Chocolate Hills in true form...the rain poured and the mud flowed - just like a chocolate fountain!


We headed back to Loboc via the Tarsier viewing point. I'd never even heard of these little big eyed things before... I wanna call them monkeys, but apparently they not! They are very tiny - the size of my fist - and they are ugly too! They have big googly eyes, massive hands and kinda remind me of the Bush Baby's weirdo miniature cousin! They are the smallest known primate in the world and their eyes are bigger than their brains!  It was an amazing experience to see in their natural habitat...even though they were fast asleep! (there are signs everywhere asking you not to wake them up and not to poke them with selfie stick!) These cheeky little chaps are so popular in Philippines they even appear on the PHP200 note!

The 'not-so cute' Tarsier

On day 3 we left the lovely luscious Loboc for Panglao Island for some tannage and chilled-out beach time. We were the first on the Jeepney and within 6 pickup spots it was jam-packed! The journey took about 40min to get to the bridge that takes you to the island. Mr Jeepney driver came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the highway and gestured for us to get off - I guess that was out stop! Once we squeezed past all the passengers and manoeuvred our luggage out the window we then had to run across the highway...all safe and sound we then hailed a tuk-tuk to Alona Beach.

The Jeepney

...stay tuned for Republic of the Philippines - Part 2 - Alona Beach!

Back in Bangers!

We are back in Bangers after spending 2 wonderful weeks in London Town!

We landed about 10am yesterday morning and made our way back to the Condo. I'm seriously struggling adjusting to the intense heat and humidity again! (kinda longing for a nice cool English Summer again!) I forgot just how crazy hot this place is...but I'm so happy to be back in my beloved Bangers and was super happy to go out for a lovely Thai meal last night...I've missed the spice!

London Town was just awesome!!! Our 2 weeks spent there were jam-packed and now I feel like I need a holiday to relax and recover! I had something planned every day, from lunching and munching, to shopping sprees, catch-ups etc!  It was so good to touch base with our friends and family again! I realize just how much I've missed London Town and look forward to going back...one day!

Thank you London!

Oh and for the food...incase you were wondering - I did have my Pizza Xpress at last - saved it for the very last day... drenched it in garlic and chili oil and washed it down with vino! And it was good...so very good! The cheese and wine time was amazing too and after slightly over-indulging I can happily wait another year before I sample them again...bring o the noodles, rice and spice!

We are now we back in Bangers for a few weeks until our next adventure...stay tuned for an Italian adventure in September! So once recovered from the epic jet lag, I'm gonna indulge in some more yummy food and explore more of this amazing city that we're so incredibly lucky to be living in!

London Calling!

Kev & I are heading to London Town for 2 weeks!

I've been so busy having an illustrious affair with Bangers that i've hardly thought about my beloved 'London Town'! We left London on 1st November last year...so it's defo been a while and I feel like i'm going on holiday!!! I moved to London a little over 11 years ago on a crazy whim and have never really thought of it as a holiday destination... until now!

I'm beyond excited to see our friends and family and visit all my old haunts...On the top of my list - is a visit to Pizza Express! I haven't had a decent pizza in months and i'm craving a Pepperoni Pizza (with extra cheese please!) drenched in garlic and chili oil...mmm! I dream about it! Oh...and some garlic butter dough balls on the side!

The List
Pizza with extra cheese
Wine time
Sunday roast with crispy potatoes
Cheese platter with wine
Primark shop
Pasta and wine time
Stock up on toiletries I can't get in Thailand
More cheese and wine
Have a steak with cheese sauce and large glass of wine
Lasagne with loads of cheese and wine

So... i'm aware that's it's all pretty much food and wine related, but besides having a carb and calorie loading fest... we're spending time with family, going to a wedding, i'm off to Hereford to see the bestie for a few days, we're catching up with mates, doing some cheeky shopping and just gonna enjoy London and all it has to offer for 2 whole weeks! We're very lucky!

Cathy is all packed and ready to go...

London - we're coming for you!

'Chef Hayley' gets Certified!

I've now attended 3 Thai cooking lessons... so i'm basically a Pro!

When Jilly was here, we headed to the Silom Cooking School for an afternoon of Thai Cooking! I had so much fun the last few times, I simply had to introduce her to my new passion - Thai Cooking! After a manic shopping morning we arrived hungry and excited for what promised to be a fun and yummy afternoon!

Jilly made the menu that Kev and I did on our first lesson (Tom yum soup, Chicken pad thai, Thai green curry and mango with sticky rice) I was happy to do the same menu, but the lady at registration told me I was gonna cook something different and they had a special menu prepared just for me! 

First up was Thai shrimp soup with butternut and mushrooms. This is a good dish for those who like the 'no spicy please' dishes. While still bursting with flavour,  it doesn't take your breath away and have you grabbing the water bottle. The mortar, pestle and me mushed up shrimp and loads of black pepper into a paste, then added it to the wok with whole shrimp, coconut milk, chopped butternut, mushrooms and some green leafy thing that i forget and fish sauce. Flame on and voila... shrimp soup was served, very delicious...peppery...but delicious!

Shrimp Soup

Next up was chicken and holy basil! (Holy basil - just love it...makes it seem as if the basil was grown by Angels! Holy!) I'd been dying to try this dish, so was super excited that i'd actually be making it from scratch! Minced chicken, onions, long beans, baby corns and of course the holiest of basils are tossed in the wok with fish sauce, garlic and oyster sauce! I added two chilies ( I was being brave and i'm starting to crave the spicy kick and upper lip sweat!) quick stir in the wok and there you have it...the 'holy' dish was ready to be served with a dolop of rice. It was yummy beyond yummy...maybe next time one chili thought! (I forget i'm still a beginner with the spicy side!)

Gai pad kra paw

I've made green and red curry, next on the colour wheel was a yellow curry! We pounded the curry paste with chilis and tamarind paste, added it to the wok with chicken, potato and coconut milk. The smell was incredible and I couldn't wait to get it in my mouth...not as spicy as a green or red, sweeter too and super tasty....in fact this little yellow dish of yummy-ness takes the lead with the currys so far!

Kaeng ka ri gai

Time for dessert - this was definitely the weirdest and most interesting dessert i have ever seen and made! We soaked yam (I had no clue what yam was!!! it's a plant thing... like a potato) in coloured syrup, then tossed it in flour, fried it up in boiling water then put it in iced water. Once chilled it was served in a bowl of coconut milk. It was certainly a colour fest for the eyes... very bright indeed! It tasted like jelly with a little piece of apple in the middle...i'm still undecided whether or not I liked it...but the coconut milk I loved and slurped that all up! Not sure i'll ever be whipping this dish up, but if ever I appear on Masterchef and i've gotta make it... i'll know what to do!

Tub-Tim-Grob

My tastebuds are alive and excited for the first time in my life! They have fallen in lust with Thai flavours and I can barely keep up with their demand! From someone who used to think pepper was too spicy... I am now indulging in crazy new flavours and awakening something inside my mouth (and stomach at times!) I never knew existed!! 

We had so much fun and I can't recommend Silom Cooking School or Chef Jay highly enough (he was the cherry on top - just delightful!) We had a brilliant afternoon and I was super proud of Jilly - get ready Dad - she can now cook a mean Pad Thai and Green Curry! 

For more information on any of these dishes please contact Chef Hayley @omgeeiamnowaprothaichef.com

www.bangkokthaicooking.com

Visit to Wat Pho!

Last week Thursday, Jilly and I visited Wat Pho Temple - The Temple of The Reclining Buddha.

It's located behind the Grand Palace and is a little gem in the heart of Bangkok! Its one of the oldest and most beautiful Temples in Thailand. Entrance fee is ฿100 (£2.17) per person and includes unlimited time in the grounds (well until it closes at least) a bottle of chilled water (which came in super handy as it was 35 degrees!) and use of the loos (they have air con!) The Temple also houses a school for Thai Medicine and is known as the birthplace of the Thai Massage - there is still a Thai Massage school on the grounds. (we were tempted to get a massage - but it was just too hot!)  

Jilly and I got the canal boat from Thonglor Pier and set off to 'Old Town' for the day. We were originally going to go the Grand Palace, but I had heard that Wat Pho, although slightly smaller is just as beautiful and and I really wanted to see The Reclining Buddha. So we decided to start off at Wat Pho and kept the afternoon free to visit do the Grand Palace - time permitting! Once tickets were purchased I covered my legs with a scarf - I was wearing shorts. It's requested that you dress 'appropriately' when entering the Temple - shoulders and knees covered. For those that thought spaghetti straps and tiny shorts were appropriate Temple attire, they were asked to cover up and presented with a green dressing gown before entering the Temple. Luckily I planned ahead and brought my trusty scarf along - green is so not my colour! 

We got there early-ish to avoid the crowds and try miss the heat of the day. The Temple wasn't too busy and were able to walk around, admire it's beauty and take pics without dodging the selfie sticks.

The pictures really don't' do it justice! I'm gonna have to invest in a pro-camera that can capture just how beautiful things really are! But until then the little iPhone will have to do - so just trust me - it's much more stunning in reality! When the sun shines on the golden and mirrored decorated roofs...it really does take your breath away

It's so peaceful and calming to walk around the Temple, you wouldn't think you were in the middle of Bangkok - despite it being in the middle of 'Old Town' it's pretty quiet.

Wat Pho houses over one thousand Buddhas and various statutes that have lived there for hundreds of years. Ashes from past Kings and members of The Royal Family are also enshrined there.  The Temple is in pristine condition and refurbishments happen throughout the year to ensure the Buddhas are always looking their golden beautiful selves. 

Phra Buddha Chinnaraj

We saved viewing the 'Pra Buddah Saiyaas' - aka - 'The Reclining Buddha' until last. He definitely does not disappoint. and he was the highlight of our visit to Wat Pho! I'm not quite sure what size I was expecting him to be - I knew he'd be big - but I was super surprised at how big the dude really was. He was hudge! I was in awe!

Pra Buddah Saiyaas is one of the most popular icons in Thailand and one of the largest reclining Buddha in the world! At 46 metres in length and 15 metres in height, smothered in Gold, he lounges in the Temple and brings peace and happiness to all who visit him. There is also a notorious gang of pick-pockets that operate in-front of him and warning signs are everywhere - be sure to give your bag a little cuddle when in there! You are requested to remove your shoes before you enter the temple and given  little blue bag to put them in. And for those not 'polity' dressed, this it's the time you will be presented with the over-sized green gown so you can cover up shoulders and knees and face the Buddha dressed appropriately.

Pra Buddah Saiyaas

We didn't make it to the Grand Palace that afternoon after all (it's on the 'To Do' list -  watch this space) the heat of the day was just too much and we wanted to savour our visit to Wat Pho! We then tuk tukked to the Koh San Road - which is about 5 min away - for a watermelon shake, spot of lunch and shopping!

http://www.watpho.com

Jim's House!

Jilly and I visited Jim's House last week - Jim Thompson is famous for building an awesome house in the heart of Bangkok, and of course he is the chap who revitalised the Silk Industry in Thailand.

 

We got the BTS train 6 Stops to National Stadium and from there a slow 4 min walk to Jim's House, else you can get the free shuttle service (golf cart) which takes a whole 40 seconds! We arrived at 10.30 which was a good time time as not too many tourists had a arrived yet, so we got to wonder around the exhibitions and shop before our designated 30 min English Tour at 10.45. Tickets to Jim's house cost ฿150 (£3.25) tour included, after the tour you can spend as much time as you like walking around the beautiful gardens and looking at some of the stunning silk exhibitions.

Jim's House

Our tour guide (I forget her name) was lovely! She showed us around Jim's garden and house giving us lots of interesting information about Jim and the Thai culture. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside his house (it must be shy) so you can't see all the cool stuff he had in there, but believe me when i say - Jim's house must have been the place to be and the envy of all his neighbours back in the day! He had all the mod-cons including western loo, mouse maze, frog pee-pee pot and gorgeous furniture drenched in luxurious silk fabrics. Scattered around the house are his antique collection of Buddhas and hand painted plates and ornaments. Apart from his amazing interior designing skills, his house is also special as it was made from 6 separate teak Thai houses from around the country that were dismantled,  then combined into one big house! 

Whilst the tour of his house was very interesting and made me miss my house back in London Town (I am going to drench it in silk upon my return and have a bright green silk bed just like Jim's!), I was hoping for a bit more info on the silk making and more about his designs. But i guess that's more of a 'Silk Factory' kinda tour. 

Jim fell in love with Thailand when he was based here during the war and returned years later to purchase and renovate a hotel, but decided that silk trade was more interesting. He became famous when some of his silk was used in the 1956 Film of 'The Kind & I', he then went on to save the silk industry in Thailand (I will now think of him when i wear my Thai Silk Scarf!)  Sadly, and without any trace Jim disappeared when he was 61! Our tour guide told us that his Thai horoscope said that something would happen to him when he was 61... eek! No trace was ever found of Jim... and he was declared dead in absentia by the Thai government a few years later and his silky mansion was then turned into a museum. 

www.jimthompsonhouse.com