Orange You Glad?

Credits:  Typed letter paper from JSprague’s Thank Ya Kindly kit; Brush from J Crowley’s Beautiful Evidence.

That’s one in a series of vinaigrettes that came out in the market of late.  One thing I love about salads aside from the healthiness it accords one’s body is the ease of preparation.  Packed washed salad greens are plentiful in the groceries with so many varieties to choose from nowadays.  And although I like making my own dressings, sometimes ready-made dressings are a blessing especially if all you want to do, after a long day’s work, is to plop on the couch and have Ellen Degeneres liven up your evening.  So yes, orange you glad there are washed salad greens just waiting to be eaten or served, yummy ready-made dressings to perk up your salad and of course, the frozen chili I made a few weeks ago, apportioned and ready to be heated anytime you feel like it?  Yes, I am glad to have these on lazy nights such as tonight.   😀

Posted on by Jenn 2

Back on Dry Land

But more importantly, I can now bid goodbye to small and compact and say hello to big and spacious.

Bangniang Beach Resort is a newly renovated beach resort located in Khao Lak, a beautiful corner of the Andaman Sea and a popular jump-off point to the Similan Islands.

After 4 days of exploring the sea, it was time to do some land survey.

The resort is just a few minutes walk to Bangniang Beach

Chicken with Basil

and there, before we fly back tomorrow to the real world, we spent the rest of the day exploring more of what Thailand had to offer —  taste -wise.

Located just north of Phuket Island is one of Thailand’s most peaceful resort destination

—blessed with beautiful sunsets and

sprawled with natural and comfortable bungalows, cool beach restaurants and beach bars.  It offers an array of activities from fishing village excursions to waterfalls and cave hikes.  No less than three National Parks surrounds this resort town.  And if none of these activities excites, spending the day unwinding on the beach that seems to go on for miles, might be the answer.

This charming resort town shows very little signs that 6 years ago, more than 4,000 people died here when the tsunami struck its shores.  The only signs of that fateful day were

these warning street signs and

a police patrol vessel carried almost 2 kilometers inland (that fateful day) to where it sits today.  The boat was left where it landed and is now maintained as a memorial.

Khao Lak still remains relatively unknown and has not yet been intruded by the mainstream tourists, which makes this place ideal for those seeking quiet solitude.

Useful Information:

Bangniang Beach Resort
53/10 Moo 5 Khuk-Khak Takuapa
Phang-Nga 82190
Tel:  +(66)076 443 473-4
email:  reservation@bangniangbeach.com
Chongfah Resort Khao Lak
54/1 Moo 5, T.Kukkak, Takuapa District,
Phang Nga 82190 Thailand
Tel : (66 76) 486858

Scenic Sunday

Posted on by Jenn 15

Similan Diving

Clockwise:  Me all set to go, MV Koon, a friend about to do the giant stride.

I could hear someone enthusiastically banging his tank and I instantly knew there was something major up ahead.  I examined my surroundings and there it was, gracefully gliding through the great expanse of the sea, coming toward our direction.  Yes, this was what we came here for.  And suddenly the exhaustion vanished.  A sense of calm never fails to envelop me whenever I encounter this gentle giant gliding through, perhaps enjoying the attention too.

Strong currents hit us when we reached Ko Bon Pinnacle from the blue.  It pays to be fit because just reaching the Pinnacle is a work-out all its own.  This near vertical slope is where manta rays are frequently spotted playing.  There are a couple of cleaning stations on the reef and manta sightings are almost guaranteed.

This occurrence will continue until the next day, in different dive sites, mostly in the northern part of Similan.  It was awesome and is always a privilege being with them in their domain.

The Similan Islands was declared a national park in 1982 and is rated top ten among the world’s dive destinations.  The impressive boulder formation also continues below the surface with diverse landscapes of canyons, boulders, coral gardens, caves and walls.  It is also home to an amazing variety of marine life.

The southern coast consists of those smaller islands (described on previous posts) that are numbered from one through nine and is balanced by the larger northern islands of Ko Bon for its beautiful piece of landscape, Ko Tachai with her attractive sandy beach above and plateaus beneath with probably the most colorful coral gardens in the park.  Richelieu, the 3rd island of the south was also a highlight of our dive trip.

A relatively small dive site and a bit too crowded with divers all vying to see the huge extent of marine life in the area. Whale Sharks are usually sighted during the months of April and May but for some reason, they elude me once more.  And so my pursuit of that elusive butandings continues.

Here’s some underwater snapshots to take pleasure in:

Huge Batfish

Cuttlefish

Yellow fusilier

Harlequin Shrimp

Lionfish

Moray eel

Octopus

Puffer fish

Seahorse

Shrimps

This is either a squid or another octopus

Tomato Clownfish

Us, posing for the cam during a safety stop.

*  All photos courtesy of R. Formoso of Subaquatic Scuba.


Posted on by Jenn 15

Island No. 8

The tide was getting high and the swell stronger.  As we were wading to the shore, I got caught in one big swell and almost lost my camera to it.   😮  Whew!  Gotta get that underwater casing soon.

Climbing those boulders would have been easy if I had worn my aqua socks, but instead I wore slippers and it keeps slipping off my feet so I went barefoot.

Chris, our divemaster went barefoot — he seemed fine!

Thought it would be a walk in the park but the boulders were rough (at least to my delicate soles   :-)) and hot from the sun.  I felt like I was walking on hot coals.  Seriously.  The soles of my feet hurt for 2 days, I think I got a 1st degree burn from it.   😯   It was all worth it though.

The gorgeousness of the entire island made it seemed all right.

A word of caution:  it can get a bit unnerving once you reach the top especially if you have a fear of heights like moi!  I made sure I stayed out of the edge… unlike my two friends here:

I tell you, it really is best to stay away from the edge! 😛

It looked inviting from our dive boat, the wonderful granite rock formation intrigued us no end.  It was a no-brainer, we had to take time off from our dive and head to this bay called island No. 8, also known as Donald Duck Bay, The Boulders and Shoe Bay (Ao Guerk in Thai).

All describing this prominent large boulder that seemingly stands upside down unsteadily balancing on its tip.  It could resemble the cartoon character or a boot, depending on which angle you see it from.  Our angle resembles neither – so I call it “The Boulders”. Going back to our dive boat though, we caught a glimpse of Donald but the water was splashing so much, I dared not take out my camera or I’d surely lose it this time.   😕

It is said that the rocks were formed around 65 million years ago from hot magma and polished to its actual shape today by the weather and the sea.

The picturesque bay is where the National Park office is located and is a favorite anchorage of the live-aboards.  And why not?

Scenic Sunday

Posted on by Jenn 9

Living aboard MV Koon

Credits: Drama Queen Quickpage by Daniela Austen

Call us crazy but at the height of Bangkok’s uprising, we were on the plane to Phuket, via Singapore of course.  We were to embark on a 4 -day dive safari.

Located along the coastline of the Andaman Seas and the Indian Ocean, Koh Similan or the Similan Islands comprises of 9 granite island covered in tropical jungle and is best known for its wonders beneath its clear aquamarine waters.

The Similans is located about 100 kilometers northwest of Phuket International Airport.

It is more than an hour drive to Thap Lamu Port where we boarded the MV Koon, our home for the next 4 days.

Briefing before a dive with divemaster Chris

As it takes about 3.5 hours to get to the Similans, most dive trips are by liveaboard if one wants to fully explore the dive sites.  There are hydrofoils, however, being offered from Phuket for a 2-dive day trip.

We left Thap Lamu Port just before sundown and our journey started with a bang (literally).

Thais, being Buddhists, always light a few firecrackers, I suppose, to drive away bad spirits and be blessed with a safe journey.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

And blessed we were, with a beautiful sunset which will be a daily happening for the next 3 nights.

Sunrise from 2 different mornings

Not only were sunsets spectacular, the sunrises were dazzling too.

We also had a regular visitor that came to play!

MV Koon is operated by Flying FishDiving Evolution and fits 16 guests.  Aside from a couple of foreigners (1 American and the other Spanish), we practically had the boat to ourselves.

The cabins, albeit tiny were comfortable, making good use of space.  Toilets and showers, although shared, were clean and not too cramp.

I like it that the dining area was al fresco.  We spent most of our hours on board here. My only complaint was the food.

Fruits all day long! 😀

It was pretty good but I would have preferred more authentic Thai cuisine.  We (at least those of us who could take hot & spicy) almost always end up sharing the crew’s food.  Heehee!   😀

A typical day

Eat. Dive. Sleep.  That was pretty much what we did aboard the MV Koon.  It was a good life on board the MV Koon.  Our home while in the Andaman Seas.

Up next… exploring the beautiful Island # 8 also called Donald Duck Bay.  Stay tuned.

Useful Info:

Flying Fish Diving Evolution
Contact No.:  +66 7648 5595
Email:  info@flyingfishdiving.com
Website:  http://www.flyingfishdiving.com

Posted on by Jenn 11

My Very First Chili con Carne

I love food and cooking has always fascinated me.  But cook I seldom do.  I can come up with a good number of reasons why but that would just be justifying.  Admittedly, it has been a while since I endeavored to cook something new and exciting, let alone raved about it.  I attempted to start several years ago and failed miserably.  The sorry number of posts listed on my “culinary endeavors” category is proof of that.  But that will hopefully change soon.  Yeah, I have resolved to cook one new dish a month.   Pretty doable, right?  Who says you can’t start a resolution mid-year?

So I flipped through my cookbooks that were collecting dust, wandered through some of my favorite blogs and stumbled on this.  I love Chili con Carne but A (I found out) is not too crazy about it.  Yikes!  He gave the thumbs up though, but maybe that was just to cheer me on.  Hee hee!   😛

I was enticed to try this because of the many versions that can be made depending on one’s preference.  It’s a recipe that I can own.  A good first attempt, don’t you think?  Here’s the recipe I ended up with.

Baked Chili Con Carne

  • ½ kilo ground beef
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 3 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 cup corn kernel
  • 1 16 oz.  canned kidney beans
  • 1 tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • ½ bottle of dark brown beer
  • 2 14 oz. cans diced or crushed tomatoes with liquid
  • salt
  • pepper
  • dash of cayenne pepper

For Garnish:

  • shredded cheese (I used cheddar & mozzarella)
  • 2 eggs

Here’s what you do:

  • Brown the beef in a large pot.  Remove. Set aside, drain the fats.
  • Add around 2tbsp. canola oil to the pot and cook the vegetables until soft.  Add the beef back and then the seasonings.
  • Add the beans, tomatoes, and beer.  Then add salt & pepper to taste.  Adjust seasonings if needed.  Let simmer, partially covered, for an hour.  Stir every 20 minutes.
  • Transfer to a baking dish, crack the eggs and top with cheese.
  • Bake in 180˚ C until the egg white is set.

I would have loved to try it with chocolate, which goes well with chili, but A is not a big fan of spicy hot dishes so I decided against it.  This one turned out well.  With a little inspiration here, I added eggs and truth to tell, I think this was what won A’s  approval.

Posted on by Jenn 3

You Have Something To Say

Credits: JSprague TW dialog template; LivE SSun Fun paper pack (grass, maraschino and paisley skies); JWilson’s Rejuvinate and Reaffirm flower element.

We could hear assertive arguments in the background.  When the other party left, we asked what that was all about.  You said that they were from the other island pressuring to discuss developments of the island.  Explicit in your battle to protect your land and resources, you struggle to preserve your indigenous culture and tradition.  An admirable task and we are with you in your struggle for existence in this world dominated by us, the “unats” – straight haired.

Mang Augusto and many like him have been struggling for existence after the Pinatubo eruption.  They are descendants of indigenous people who lived around Mt. Pinatubo of Luzon for thousands of year.  The Aytas or Aetas were forced into evacuation centers and many have been relocated throughout the country when tens of thousands of them were displaced by the dramatic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.  Ash and lahar covered their homes and destroyed the forests, rivers and fields that had ever since supported their livelihood and this historical disaster radically changed their world in June of 1991.

Enjoying life in Nagsasa Cove

Although they were among the first to inhabit the Philippines, they have been facing the same problems as other indigenous people in the Philippines – how to secure a land to make a living, enhance their human, civil and ancestral rights given that they can no longer live separate from the outside world nor maintain their basic source of livelihood.

Nagsasa could be the next hot spot and may soon be at risk from commercialization,

which could probably strip the caretakers of the cove from their domain, this time by us, the “unats”.

Posted on by Jenn 1

The Secret Is Out!

Tent… check, sleeping bag… check, therma rest… check, swimwear… check, sunblock… check, pasta, pasta sauce and chorizo… check… cook set… check and the list goes on.  These however, are the essentials needed for an overnight trip to Nagsasa Cove.

Credits: J. Sprague You are Awesome Paper kit (Blue Leaf & Brown Red), Framers; LivE’s Worn Kraft tag, Sing 4 Spring elements (Button Accent 02 & Fight of the Bbee)

My friend S had been itching to make a trip there ever since she learned of Nagsasa.  And so the weekend after our Northern Samar trip, we were up early, traveling north to what we thought was a secret paradise.  Punta de Uian Resort in San Antonio, Zambales to be exact.

The boat we hired from Punta de Uian

A resort kind enough to take us to Nagsasa (for a fee, of course) even if it was not part of the trips they offer.

Off to Nagsasa…

Wondering why hire a boat through a resort?  I want my car parked safely in a parking lot while we camp out on a cove 8 kms away.   Better safe than sorry right?

The view on our way

Nagsasa is supposedly less popular than Anawangin perhaps because it takes twice as long (about 45 mins) to get to Nagsasa from Pundaquit Beach.

The approach

Arrival (looks empty)

So imagine how stunned we were at first to see scores of campers spread out on the crescent shaped stretch of beach, maybe having the same thoughts as ours, which is… “why are they all here?”

Water so still

Perhaps it was the long weekend and everyone who knows about Nagsasa had the same idea, or perhaps it is the magnificent paradise that makes it difficult to remain a secret for long.

Whatever it is, we were happy to be among those who were enjoying this wondrous cove with breathtaking Mt. Nagsasa serving as backdrop to a pristine stretch of ash colored sand.

Once we got off the boat, we looked for our little corner, Mang Augusto and his family lives beside our campsite, making him the caretaker.

Siblings – Mang Augusto’s kids

We had a picnic table for our meals and our chit chats.

We also had a bathroom just at the back, which I truly appreciate, never mind that it didn’t have a light, what are headlamps for anyway?

Our starters:  Greek and Chinese — an obvious lack of coordination… yummy just the same.

After we settled, we pitched our tent and then prepared our meal… we burned our rice (it was not easy using the aluminum cook set, really!).  Mang Augusto’s wife cooked 2 kilos of rice for us for only P100 ($2).  Way too much for 5 so we had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there were still left overs.  So here’s the tip: don’t even bother to cook rice when you can have it cooked for you (for practically a song).   😉

Nagsasa (and Anawangin and perhaps others as well) emerged after the violent eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991.

The eruption actually changed the landscape of Zambales producing these coves of ash sand beach lined with Agoho trees stretching inland, rendering a beach so impressive.

So how did such a tree find its way to this part?  It is said that these trees were non-existent prior to the eruption and that the seeds of the trees came from the ash expelled by Pinatubo.

Streams and waterfalls dry out during the summer

How amazing is our God to reward us with unexpected loveliness after nature spewed out its fury?  Perhaps it is His way of reminding us that like a rainbow after a storm, something beautiful invariably comes after a tragedy.  Ain’t that a comfort?

Here are more snaps at different times of the day.

A bangkero (boatman) having breakfast

Sunset

More huts for rent

At sunrise (I didn’t wake up early enough   😉 but pretty impressive just the same)

Mt. Nagsasa

Nagsasa Cove from the boat

And I leave you with this last shot (simply magic)   🙂

Posted on by Jenn 12

Custard+Macaroons+Cocoa Powder=

Gigi’s Custaroon Poppers that melts in your mouth.   Aptly named, it is creamy custard with a layer of coconut filled macaroons covered with cocoa powder that I could pop one after the other.  Seriously.  I was hooked at first bite. Try it!  I’m sure you’ll be too.

Where I got it:

Parvati
Ground floor near the Mindano entrance of Trinoma

You can also order here.

Posted on by Jenn 1

A Feast To Die For

I leave you with this to feast on.  It was crab and lobster galore on the last day of our Northern Samar stint.  These fat crabs are to die for.

A hole in a wall serving all kinds of food so call in advance if you want to have a taste of that mouthwatering crabs and lobsters

If you are a crab/lobster lover, you must visit Octo King when you find yourself in Catarman.  MUST!

And if you want to explore Northern Samar, contact Josette Doctor of the Provincial Tourism Office .  She can help you with your itinerary.

* Some updates:  I made a mistake in Josette’s email address, now corrected.  Also added a phone number where you can contact her.

Important info:

Octo King
Contact Ronnie Biaca
0920-5252526

Provincial Tourism Office
Contact Josette Doctor
(63 55) 251-8124
josettedoctor@yahoo.co.uk

Posted on by Jenn 2