140315 Central Luzon

A family emergency delayed my business trip to Central Philippines.  My sincere appreciations go to all my colleagues in dealing with customers to reschedule this engagement and well as many other assignments.  This journey to Central Philippines also brought back good memories of my travel to the same location for the first time back in January 2013.  This time though, I was by myself with well over 150 lbs (70 kg) of computer gears and workbooks.  My stay in Central Philippines would last almost 2 weeks.

On one of several flights between the US and the Philippines, a United stewardess gave me many useful tips about Central Luzon, her home area.  I arrived in Manila close to midnight local time.  The hotel I stayed at was about 67 miles (110 km) northeast of the capital of the Philippines.  As we got to Angeles City, the taxi driver got a bit lost.  I took out my iPhone and got direction.  The taxi driver was very impressed by the GPS of the smartphone.  His facial expression was priceless.  It was his first positive experience with something we take for granted.

Holiday Inn at Clark Field, near Angeles City, The Philippines.

The majority of my time in Central Luzon was spent at work.  A colleague who was there on a longer term assignment, provided me great assistance.  For dinners, we tried out regional and international cuisines.  I was introduced to pinakbet - a local dish with bitter melon, anchovy paste, chicken, shrimp and other vegetables.  It was surprisingly good.

Foreground: fried pork belly; Background: pinakbet.

Unlike my visit here over a year ago, the local people I worked with could not find any balut.  That was a disappointment.  But every morning I was greeted by the wonderful staff of the hotel.  And the native fruit and Filipino food they served were excellent.

Saturday was a welcome break.  But instead of giving sleep a chance to reset my body clock, my colleague & I visited several sites in Central Luzon.  Our first stop was the Capas National Shrine, a memorial to Filipino and American soldiers who perished during the Bataan Death March.  There was a very tall obelisk, surrounded by murals filled with names of the victims.

Capas National Shrine, near Tarlac City, The Philippines.

The drive to the Monasterio de Tarlac took us through beautiful countrysides and quaint villages.  There were moments I wished I could stop and talk to the local people.  The Monastery is built on a hill top.  It was a beautiful complex.  Its claim to fame was an Arquetta containing relics of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.  After a solemn service, the faithfuls lined up to touch this artifact.  Instead of standing in such long line, I sneaked in through the exit, took a quick shot of the Arquetta, and promptly retreated.

Monasterio de Tarlac.

The Arquetta of the Monasterio de Tarlac.

My colleague and I went on to search for a waterfall, touted by a tourist website.  When we came to the village closest to it, we stopped at a police station for direction.  The local officer gladly helped us out but also warned us of potential danger such as kidnapping by the NPA (New People's Army).  Not wanting to take that kind of risk, both of us decided against going to the waterfall. On our way back to Angeles City, we had an early dinner at the Isdaan Floating Restaurant just outside of Tarlac City. 

Isdaan Floating Restauant in Tarlac City.

Sunday took us to Subic Bay.  Along the way, we saw advertisement for Zoobic Safari.  So, we went there.  Zoobic Safari was an old fashion zoo.  A guided tour took us through many exhibits; some were interesting, others not so much.  Its highlight was to be a trip in a vehicle through the enclosure of tigers and lions.  We were asked to buy meat to feed them.  We were herded into a jeepney with strong metal mesh covering windshield, windows and doors.  Going through the gate of the enclosure felt like being in the movie "Jurassic Park".  Once inside though, lions and tigers lined up on right side of the vehicle.  A member of the staff in the jeepney fed them chicken parts through the metal mesh.

A magnificent lioness eating hand-out food at Zoobic Safari.

Loading visitors into a modified Jeepney at the Zoobic Safari.

At another part of this zoo, we were led to small cages containing bored tigers.  Somehow the sight of these majestic animals reduced to begging for food and being imprisoned in tiny cells saddened me.  Yes, I had been to many zoos before.  Each time, my enjoyment of wild animal in captivity lessened. But that was just me.  Other guests of Zoobic Safari enjoyed their time there.

A caged and bored tiger at the Zoobic Safari.

After the zoo, we drove to Pundaquit, a seaside village about 1 hour northwest.  Along the way, we got lost.  A very nice local man let us follow him until the intersection where our paths separated.  Then he pointed us to the correct road.  The beach there was clean and nice.  We hired the owner of a nice outrigger to take us to Capones, a small island nearby.  The beach on Capones was beautiful; the sand was smooth.  The water was great.  We also sailed around Capones.

Beaching our outrigger canoe on Capones Island.

Sailing around Capones Island.

Back at Pundaquit, I met Kevin, an American expatriate, and his daughter Micca.  Conversing with him was a treat.  I wished Kevin the very best in life.

Kevin and Micca at the Pundaquit Sun & Surf Resort.

The Philippines is a very beautiful country and Filipinos are wonderful people.    The fond memories I have of this great place are in part built with my colleague.  And until our paths cross again, I bit him success and happiness. I am thankful of all my co-workers whose effort brought about this fabulous opportunity. My appreciations also go to my lovely wife who waited so patiently for me while I traveled the world for my job.

A few more pictures are available at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/140315PhilippinesScenic.  I am grateful for your visit and, as always, solicit your critiques and comments.

Thank you,
Paul

140124 India

My first business trip of 2014 was to India.  It was the result of very hard work by colleagues.  My first full day in wonderful India was its Republic Day, a major holiday.  The Prime Minister of Japan was the guest of honor of this year's celebration.  These two facts were cited by the hotel staff as reasons for staying indoor to enjoy the television coverage of the parades and festivities.  Obviously, they were concerned about road blockages and the very tight security all around New Delhi.

It was with deep disappointment that I decided to drop my intention to go to the iconic Taj Mahal.  But I insisted on visiting a few sites on east side of the capital city, since they would be outside of the security zones.  The driver assigned to take me was very courteous.  The first place I visited was the tomb of Isa Khan Niazi, who was a nobleman in late 15th to early 16th century.  The hexagon building containing the grave was quite impressive and sat in the middle of a garden surrounded by a high wall.  To one side of it was the ruins of his mosque.  

Right next door was the grandiose Humayun's Tomb.  It was a stunning red stone building surrounded by a large park.  It was the first garden-tomb in India and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This edifice was said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.  Looking at it from the well kept garden, I could easily take it for a glorious palace, not a mausoleum. 

Isa Khan Niazi's Tomb.

Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi, India.

As the day progressed, more and more people showed up to enjoy the holiday at this stunning place.  A group of uniformed personnel showed up.  I later learned they were policemen and women participating in the parades of this Republic Day.

Policewomen at Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi, India.

The next place my driver took me to was the ISKCON Temple of the Hare Krishna faith.  Unfortunately, the main building was closed; only its pretty garden was open to the public, which was filling up at a good pace.

ISKCON Temple in New Delhi, India.

By the time I reached the beautiful Lotus Temple, the line of people waiting to get through security at the gate was extremely long.  Security was very tight; the line progressed slowly.  I opted to photograph this elegant structure from the street and over the fence.

Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India.

We attempted one more venue: the Akshardham Temple and its famous Musical Fountain.  But the line of vehicles into this place was very long, the sun was setting fast, and the Musical Fountain was down for maintenance.  It was time to return to the hotel.

The first half of my week in India was dedicated to work.  I then flew to Bangalore for the next half of my assignment.  The rest of the week was committed to completing my duty. To the credit of the pricing policy of the airlines, a return flight on Sunday cost one third less than the one departing on Saturday.  Even taking into account the costs of hotel and meals of one extra day, the savings were still substantial.  I was happy to oblige and took full advantage of the Saturday to visit the surrounding area of Bangalore.

A tour guide picked me up from the hotel and drove me to Mysore, the capital of the area of many centuries. On the way though, he stopped by many temples and holy places of local people.  I learned each region of India is essentially a "nation" with its own customs, religious beliefs, language and cuisine.

The first major temple was the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, north of the city of Mysore.  The morning sun hit it just right, giving a golden glow.  The artwork at the top of its gate was so intricate and admirable.  As I visited the inside of the temple, I received blessing by one of the priests.  By the time I exited, people were coming in to worship.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India.

The church of St Philomena in Mysore is a large and graceful structure.  As I walked around, a group of delightful school children took notice and began to make noise.  What a wonderful greeting.  They were a fun bunch.  I wished I had time to talk to them.

School children at the Church of St Philomena in Mysore, India.

We then proceeded to the Chamundi Hill.  At the top were the statue of Mahishasura, a deity of the area, and the Chamundeshwari Temple.  The pedestrian road to the later was filled with vendors of fresh flowers, fruits and coconuts.  Along the way, I witnessed people touching with reverence the free-roaming bovines and then caressing their faces as if they were washing away their sins.  Such gesture, while normal to local devotees, is interesting to tourists like me, even though I understood these creatures are sacred to many Indians.  The Chamundeshwari Temple was filled with devotees praying and offering flowers, fruits and coconuts.

Chamundeshwari Temple on Chamundi Hill near Mysore, India.

After a quick visit to Nandi, the bull which served as the mount of Hindu god Shiva, the tour guide took me to visit the Mysore Palace.  It was magnificent place.  The line to get inside the palace was long.  

Nandi at Chamundi Hills in Mysore, India.

Mysore Palace, India.

One among the many appealing features of the Mysore Palace is that every edge, door and window frame, and column is outlined with light fixture.  The view of this palace at night, when all its lights are lit,  would be breathtaking.  But staying until sunset was not feasible for me at this time.

On the way back to Bangalore, the tour guide took me to Brindavan Gardens at the foot of the Krishana Raja Sagara Dam.

Brindavan Gardens.

Since my flight home was scheduled to depart very late in the day, I decided to pay a brief visit to central Bangalore.  I wanted to take an auto rickshaw to Cubbon Park.  I consulted with the hotel staff ahead of time about the cost of such trip.  This information was key when I negotiated the fare with the driver of the auto rickshaw.  The ride on the auto rickshaw was noisy, interesting and fun.  Next to Cubbon Park was a large red building which houses the High Court of the State of Karnataka.  My last stop, before returning to my hotel to get ready for my flight home, was the Bangalore Palace. 

Riding an auto rickshaw in Bangalore, India.

The High Court of the State of Karnataka in Bangalore, India.

Bangalore Palace, India.

India is a fascinating country, with its multitude of cultures, languages, cuisines and customs.  In the very short visit, I was only able to take in a brief glimpse of this beautiful country and wonderful people.  More pictures are at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/140126India02#.  I do hope I will have another chance to visit India in the future.

And as always, I solicit your comments and critiques to help improve my blog.  Until next time, I bid you a great day and safe travel.

Enjoy,
Paul