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| Mel's Place |
| This blog is mainly about my personal Travel / Leisure experience with some information/useful tips, as well as bit-by-bit travel itinerary with a large collection of photos from Asia. You’ll also find here with topics regarding Movies, Fashion, Food and Restaurants as well as glimpse of other things. |
| Language: English |
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Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 0 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 503675 |
| Visitors Out: 1966 |
| Total Visitors Out: 1966 |
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| REGAL BUSINESS PARK HOTEL |
| 2008-07-17 19:33:00 |
After our Puerto Princesa, Palawan trip, we decided to stop in Cebu City for 2 nights on our way back to Manila. We booked a Standard Room (Php 1,800.00) at Regal Business Park Hotel, which include buffet breakfast for two. The only best thing about this hotel is the prime location and it is...
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| KINABUCHS GRILL AND BAR |
| 2008-07-15 22:37:00 |
After the city tour, we rested for a while then headed to Kinabuchs Grill and Bar for dinner. It's an open-air bar with native huts and alfresco setting. It is nestled on a side street with huge parking area and filled with tall trees.
We sampled some of their hot dishes like Sizzling Tuna (Php...
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| PLAZA CUARTEL |
| 2008-07-11 23:22:00 |
After Baker's Hill, it was time to move on and we discovered quite a popular historical place, the Plaza Cuartel. This was a former site of Japanese military post where 143 American soldiers were mass executed during the World War II. The Japanese Imperial Army Kempei-Tai burned them alive in...
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| BAKER'S HILL |
| 2008-07-09 19:59:00 |
Baker's Hill is like a mini wonderland park with marvelous and colorful life-size cartoon figures. It's a cute place to go for an afternoon snack and leisurely walk. Since this is a small place, it's easy to navigate, more convenient and do-able. It's very clean and well maintained recreational...
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| MITRA'S RANCH |
| 2008-07-07 19:17:00 |
Our small group headed to Mitra's Ranch, a vast place owned by the family of former Philippine Senator Ramon Mitra.
Ranch House
I had all these high expectations and I was expecting to see a magnificently beautiful place of horses on the ranch and, I was also looking forward to experience a...
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| PALAWAN BUTTERFLY GARDEN |
| 2008-07-05 18:08:00 |
The tour continues to Palawan Butterfly Garden, a privately owned whose aim is to conserve native butterflies. I wasn't exactly enthusiastic at first and I wasn't really sure what to expect, but since it was included in the tour price I just went with the flow.
It started with a short...
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| PALAWAN WILDLIFE RESCUE AND CONSERVATION CENTER |
| 2008-07-01 17:45:00 |
We booked our half-day city tour (Php 500.00 per head) through Skylight Apartelle. Tour inclusions are entrance fees, private transport in an air-conditioned van with appointed driver and tour guide. We spent our whole afternoon touring the city together with other four vacationers. We visited...
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| BILAO AT PALAYOK SEAFOODS & NATIVE RESTAURANT |
| 2008-06-29 18:07:00 |
Since we didn't have a remarkable breakfast at Kamarikutan, we headed immediately to Bilao at Palayok Seafoods and Native Restaurant for early lunch.
Luckily, we beat the rush, so we were able to sit right away on one of their typical thatched roof hut clusters, which is a little more private...
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| ITOY'S COFFEE HAUS |
| 2008-06-25 18:12:00 |
After we had a perfect dinner at Ka Lui Restaurant, we headed to Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri. It was around 8:30 pm when we got there. The entrance was a bit dark and we walked a few meters to reach the restaurant. The place was open but it was seriously empty (???)! We had no choice but to leave...
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| BALINSASAYAW CHICKEN GRILL AND RESTAURANT |
| 2008-06-21 22:30:00 |
On our first day, we were excited to have a quick lunch in Balinsasayaw Chicken Grill and Restaurant located at Manalo Extension. It's a pretty quiet area and a modest sized restaurant with a cluster of nipa huts in an open-air garden ambiance. Diners are surrounded by plants and trees.
Main...
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| The World's Most Unusual Restaurants |
| 2008-06-19 17:21:00 |
Dine on a Toilet
Eatery: Marton
Location: Taiwan
What Makes It Unique:
In Taiwan's most recent hit theme restaurant, (named after the Chinese word Matong, meaning toilet), customers sit on actual commodes. It has been so popular, that the owner Eric Wang, 26 has opened a second branch just seven...
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| Birthday |
| 2008-06-14 18:07:00 |
Today is my birthday. My first birthday without my Beloved Mother. I may have a number of siblings and close friends, but my Mother was by far, my very Best Friend. I'm the youngest, so maybe that explains why I'm so fond of showing affection to my mom and I can't explain how close I was to...
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| SKYLIGHT APARTELLE |
| 2008-05-22 18:07:00 |
As soon as we arrived at the Skylight Apartelle, one of the staff gave us immediately a free welcome drink (mango juice). I like the apartelle, it's located in the heart of the city and close to everything. What's more, it provides a friendly and relaxing atmosphere with affordable rates in a...
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| WORLD'S LARGEST SWIMMING POOL |
| 2008-05-19 06:07:00 |
I just received this article from my older brother via e-mail. The first time I saw this gigantic swimming pool, my eyes were like glued to the computer screen. I was simply amazed. I can't quite describe it's just unbelievable! So, I decided to share this with you all.
If you like doing...
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| SUN YAT-SEN MEMORIAL HALL |
| 2008-05-18 18:36:00 |
We had the chance to visit one of the attractions in Guangzhou, China - the Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall, located on Dongfeng Zhong Lu. As soon as we were inside the vicinity, the first thought that came into my mind was: "Who is Sun Yat-sen?" And surprisingly, hubby even asked me the same question....
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| HOROLOGICAL MARKET |
| 2008-05-15 17:36:00 |
Then off we went to the Wangjiao Horological Market to the west of Guangzhou Railway Station. There, we came across a building with a large trading on the ground floor that houses numerous showcases featuring all types and styles of watches. There's a wide array of formal, casual, sporty and trendy...
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| LEATHER MARKET |
| 2008-05-14 02:53:00 |
On our last day in Guangzhou, China we perused a number of large wholesale stores in BaiYun district Ziyuangang area, which is famous for large-scale Leather distribution centers. We roamed around and scouted the shops. It was like a never-ending shopping retreat crammed with rows and rows of...
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| ONELINK INTERNATIONAL PLAZA |
| 2008-05-05 19:53:00 |
Easily accessible from Haizhunguangchang subway station and a short walk along Yide Lu brings you to One Link International Plaza. A wholesale air-conditioned market especializing in soft toys, gifts, garment, household appliances, bags, horologe, suspending ornaments, festival article, ceramics,...
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| YIDE LU |
| 2008-05-04 18:19:00 |
Later in the afternoon we headed down to these behemoth of wholesale markets in Yide Lu. A bustling commercial blocks and energetic maze of alleys crammed with stalls and shops selling everything from children's toys, personal and home accessories, dried foods, local produce and homemade goods and...
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| MARRIOTT HOTEL, GUANGZHOU |
| 2008-05-02 18:02:00 |
After our grand shopping spree at The First Tunnel of Guangzhou, we went back to the hotel to check-out. Then we transfered to Marriott Hotel just beside Dong Fang, where we reserved in advance our last two-day stay in Guangzhou. One good thing about Marriott hotel it is right in front of Yuexiu...
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| THE FIRST TUNNEL OF GUANGZHOU |
| 2008-04-30 20:48:00 |
On the third day, we visited The First Tunnel Of Guangzhou (The Top Clothes Underground Wholesale Centre of Asia). It is located at Yuexiu district station road, a 15 to 20-minute walk away from Dong Fang Hotel. I'm proud to say my hubby discovered this place just by exploring around the vicinity....
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| BEIJING LU |
| 2008-04-27 19:07:00 |
The next day, our first stop was Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street, the main shopping thoroughfare with a wide range of shopping preferences from fashionable to traditional such as clothes, home interiors, shoes, cosmetics, souvenirs and food.
Beijing Lu Road has huge department stores, small local...
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| CROCS CAPRI CANVAS FLIPFLOPS |
| 2008-04-27 00:50:00 |
I wasn't really into Crocs shoes even though how popular the brand is. I just find it ugly and monstrously bulky, it's like wearing a hideous massive ship on your feet. It's completely a devoid of style.
White/ Chocolate But all this changed my view about Crocs when hubby surprised me and bought...
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| Don't Argue With The Gay Flight Attendant |
| 2008-04-26 18:15:00 |
I started bursting out laughing when I read this funny story. Since this is somewhat a travel related joke, I decided to post it here and share it with you.
My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks. ...
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| ABOUT GUANGZHOU, CHINA |
| 2008-04-22 21:55:00 |
Guangzhou is the capital of Guandong Province and the southern China's most dynamic and developed commercial center. The city is also known as Canton. It is a port on the Pearl River , navigable to the South China Sea, and is located about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Hong Kong. The third most...
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| GUANGZHOU BAIYUN AIRPORT |
| 2008-04-21 19:17:00 |
It was Christmas Day when we flew from Xiamen to Guangzhou, China aboard China Southern Airlines. For a relatively short domestic flight (1 hour and 15 minutes), they served us only a bag of peanuts and drinks as our in-flight snack. After a very comfortable flight we arrived safely at Baiyun...
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| COACH KATELYN SNEAKER |
| 2008-04-18 17:17:00 |
At last, I've got my new COACH Katelyn Sneakers (style A1164) in Khaki and White color . A few weeks back, I was looking for a nice pair of sneakers when I stumbled upon this, and it was like love at first sight. This shoe looks sophisticated and classy, cute and the color is awesome. It's super...
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| XIAMEN GAOXI INT'L AIRPORT |
| 2008-04-17 19:43:00 |
On December 25th, our flight was scheduled to leave Xiamen at 2:45 pm via China Southern Airlines bound for Guangzhou, the last leg of our holiday vacation to China. We arrived at Xiamen Gaoxi International Airport, which is the primary international and domestic getaway in Xiamen, China. It is...
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| UNDERWATER WORLD XIAMEN |
| 2008-04-14 18:27:00 |
Soon after we went to Underwater World Xiamen located near the Gulangyu Ferry Wharf. It covers an area of 175,000 square meters, and its floorage area totals 7,500 square meters. It exhibits 350 varieties of freshwater and seawater fish such as chinese sucker, sturgeon and paddle fish, Japan giant...
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| THE STONE SCULPTURE OF ZHENG CHENGGONG |
| 2008-04-13 19:30:00 |
Soon after we procced to Haouyue Park, the only sculpture park built in commemoration of the national hero Zheng Chenggong. The name of the park derives from the line "I had a sleepless night thinking of your Majesty as the bright moon light streamed in through the curtain", from the "Two Yanping...
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| BRONZE SCULPTURE OF CANE SHIELD ARMY |
| 2008-04-09 18:08:00 |
After a couple of minutes at the beach, we popped round to the place where the Bronze Sculpture known as "Driving away the Invaders by Cane Shield Army" is located. According to the records, the Cane Shield Army was organized by Zheng Chenggong, they were incomparably capable and vigorous and brave...
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| QINYUAN GARDEN |
| 2008-04-07 18:18:00 |
Soon we arrived at Qinyuan Garden, which is connected to the Sunlight Rock through cable cars. We just took a couple of minutes to amble around the area.
Birds Aviary
Cinema
Hero Boulder
It has entertainment projects including the Birds Aviary, which is situated on the side of the mountain...
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| GULANGYU CABLE CAR |
| 2008-04-06 18:17:00 |
Qinyuan Garden can be reached either on foot or by taking a cable car. We chose to take the cable car ride for the amazing and astounding views. As soon as we soared over the island, we didn't realize that it would be a 5-minute heart-stopping thrill ride. We sat in uncomfortable silence, tensed...
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| ORIGIN OF THE MOONCAKE GAMBLING CULTURE |
| 2008-04-05 18:27:00 |
Wandering the island, we happened to pass by a sculpture depicting one of the unique celebrating activities of people in Xiamen, called the "Origin of the Mooncake Gambling Culture". The custom of tossing dice to compete for Zhuanyuan dates back to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It started as a game...
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| SUNLIGHT ROCK |
| 2008-04-02 19:45:00 |
We strolled around to view the many delightful sights of Gulangyu Island. We dropped by first at Sunlight Rock Scenic Area. Sunlight Rock also known as Dragon Head Hills or Riguangyan is the highest point with an altitude of 92.7 meters (304 feet), located in the southern part. The garguantan stone...
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| GULANGYU ISLAND |
| 2008-04-01 19:21:00 |
Once we dabarked from the ferryboat, we continued on into the island. We noticed that there were neither cars nor buses (except for the few electric-powered vehicles), which took us more than three hours to meander. So, there were no evident sources of traffic and pollution in the area. Gulangyu...
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| XIAMEN: SM CITY PLAZA |
| 2008-03-13 18:17:00 |
After we got settled in, we decided it was time to explore so we headed to SM City Plaza. From Zhenhai Road, we hailed a taxi to take us to SM and we paid only Y30. Taxis are cheap here and it start at Y8 for the first 3 kilometers.
The exterior of SM City Plaza in Xiamen, China
SM is the first Philippine shopping mall opened in Xiamen, China in 2002. It is situated at the intersection of
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| ABOUT XIAMEN AND GETTING THERE |
| 2008-03-09 17:39:00 |
Last December 2007, hubby and I decided to spend our Christmas holiday in Xiamen and Guangzhou, China. It was our first time to celebrate the season away from home. We purchased our airline tickets and hotel accommodations through our local travel agency.
We arrived at the airport in Xiamen, China for about 2-½ hours flight from Manila, Philippines via China Southern Airlines. Set meals were
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| TOP TEN CHINESE CITIES |
| 2008-03-06 16:57:00 |
Chongqing
Rich in skyscrapers and natural resources, Chongqing is an immense inland city at the convergence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. As the city mutates into a mega-city, the mood is one of inevitability. "This is the path every developed country has taken," sociologist Tang Jun remarks. As a result of such colossal urbanization, the environmental impacts are legion. With an economy
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| TOP TEN TOURIST-FRIENDLY COUNTRIES |
| 2008-03-02 17:07:00 |
Number 1 -- Ireland
Ireland was chosen by Lonely Planet as the World's Friendliest Country. Ireland's history is based on people working, prospering, socializing, and sometimes fighting together. Tourists can witness it firsthand by watching events like the Galway Arts Festival, complete with street performers, comedy acts and visual arts. Based on the country's falling crime rates, the people
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