Desert Trip in Morocco

A while ago, I went to Morocco for a trek in the Atlas Mountain and I had a few days free before returning to my lovely Amsterdam, so I wanted to experience a night or two in the desert.

I booked a trip to Merzhouga and Erg Chebbi with my trekking agency, the driver brought me from the Atlas Mountains to the door of the desert. It’s a long and dusty road, so we did a  couple of stop over the Valley of roses, the Dades gorges (near the Ait Bourgomez near the Dades Valley where we spent a good night rest.

The next day,in the late afternoon after a couple of hours on the road, we finally reached  the remote village of Merzhouga, I had the feeling to be at the end of the world, a couple of kasbah scattered here and there, and a dirt track leaving the village towards the sand dunes.

I met my guide and our lovely camels (I never realize these animals were very tall and could not see myself on it, but I managed anyway …) , and shortly after our caravan was ready to start our journey through the dunes in the heat (don’t forget to carry with you a scarf to protect your head, and bring enough water with you).

Travelling by camels is unique experience, it’s a question of balance to be comfortable when the animal is swaying gently back and forth throughout the dunes.

At the end, I found the camel as a very majestic animal and a fantastic transport in the desert.

Reaching our camp an hour later, our guide organized the dinner, and we decided to put the materas outside and look at the stars blossoming in the milky way. Due to the heat, we slept under the star.

What surprised me is: the silence of the desert, not a single noise could be heard aside of the slight wind and the camels snoring 🙂 but also the light (lot of texture what ever the time of the day)

Absolutely  a magical and mesmerizing experience !

I really consider the possibility to go back to the desert but for a longer time (a week or so) to really explore the beauty of such places.

Farmers – Morocco

Tinerhir – Morocco

Dades Gorge – Morocco

Sunrise – Dunes – Erg Chebbi – Morocco

Camels – Caravan – Erg Chebbi – Morocco

Merzouga – Door of the desert – Morocco

Farmers – Dades Gorge – Morocco

Sand dunes – Morocco – Sunset

Sunset in Erg Chebbi – Desert – Morocco

Sunset – Dunes – Erg Chebbi – Morocco

Camp in the dune – Erg Chebbi – Morocco

Dune summit – Morocco

Camels resting – Morocco

Tinerhir City – Oasis – Morocco

Truck carrying straw – Morocco

Merzouga – Morocco

Camels and guide – Erg Chebbi – Morroco

Moscow when you have only 3 days

My time in Russia being limited and because I wanted to spend more time in Saint Petersburg, therefore I told myself that I should not miss the chance to see Moscow even for a very limited time.

Well knowing that I had only 3 days/2 nights (including my travel from and to Saint Petersburg) to visit  this megalopolis (11 millions people), there was no doubt  that I had to make a selection, so here is what I decided to visit:

1. Red Square
2. Kremlin
3. Bolschoi Theatre
4. Lenin’s Mausoleum
5. St Basil Cathedral
6. GUM
7. Kazan Cathedral
8. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
9. Lubyanka Prison
10. Ulitsa Arbat

Saint Petersburg vs Moscow:

I received a couple of emails, and also had some discussion about this eternal and recurrent topic: Should I spend more time in Moscow or in Saint Petersburg.

Well, both cities has a lot to offer, see below:

Saint Petersburg : nearly 5 millions people vs Moscow: 11 millions people. Moscow is a megalopolis. St Petersburg seems a village and perhaps has more a human size.
Flow of people is huge in the capital, roads or avenues (I saw an avenue with 8 lanes) are super wide with a heavy flow of cars and so traffic jam is part of the daily life for Muscovite people.

You might have more opportunities to walk in Saint Petersburg as most of the “sightseeing” are gathered in the historic center, and you might use from time to time the metro or other public transport.In Moscow, it’s a different story, you will use without any shadows of doubt any public transport more often to go from one place to another one.

Both cities are totally different in terms of atmosphere, Saint Petersburg is more elitist, posh, intellectual and cultural than Moscow. It’s funny to hear people from Saint Petersburg telling us how proud they are about their city and refuse systematically to be assimilated with Muscovite people.

My first impression in Moscow was being thrown in a more raw and wild environment, a melting pot (I saw more  central asian people for instance than in Saint Petersburg) , a boost of energy, creativity is animating the city, Moscow is definitely ambitious and moving at a fast pace!

Travelling within the city, I used mostly the metro. To use it, it was a bit trickier than in St Petersburg, mainly because all the stations are in cyrillic, it’s not complicated but you need to assimilate cyrillic characters first !

If you plan visiting Moscow, keep in mind the following:

• City is huge, take into account the distance between one point of interest to another one
• Hotel location is the key while preparing your trip
• Learn some russian words and understand the basic of cyrillic, it might help you in some situation
• Understand how to use the metro
• Pay attention to the weather, winter can be dry and very cold, summer on the contrary can be extremely hot (keep in mind it might impact on the level of pollution in the air).
• Carry your passport with you and also a copy of your passport and a copy of your visa

Peter the Great Statue – Moscow – Russia

Bolshoi – Moscow – Russia

GUM – Moscow – Russia

Devoted prayers – Moscow – Russia

Beggars in Moscow – Russia

Kazan Cathedral – Moscow – Russia

Saint’s Basil Cathedral – Moscow – Russia

Cathedral of the Christ the Saviour

Red Square entrance – Moscow – Russia

The Armoury – Red Square – Moscow

Hotel Metropol – Moscow – Russia

Red Square – Kremlin – Moscow

Moscow – Red Square – Kremlin

National guards – Moscow – Russia

Trolley Bus – Moscow – Russia

GUM – Russia – Moscow

Karl Marx – Moscow – Russia

To end this post, I strongly believe that Moscow is an interesting city, perhaps a bit less charming than Saint Petersburg, but has this particular atmosphere that make you feel that you are in a very important city that played a crucial role in our European history, but you can also get a feel, that Moscow is turning towards the future and want to show how extravagant and creative Moscow is !

Top 15 places in Saint-Petersburg (Russia)

 

Visiting St Petersburg is a fantastic opportunity that you will not regret, but keep in mind that if you want a fantastic experience, you need time. Certain people says you need a lifetime to fully understand the city which has a huge historical background and I totally agree with them.

TIP: As St Petersburg is an extremely generous with sightseeing, art and other point of interests, TIME is a crucial factor you need to consider when you are planning your trip.

I spent about 5 days in the city, and I can tell you that my days were pretty hectic. I have not visited all  I wanted as I prefered to spend more time in certain area than others, and I chose voluntarily to walk throughout the city on my pace and catch the atmosphere of the city  as well. I was not disappointed at all.

St Petersburg is not really an expensive  city, but the fact you need to apply for a passport + letter of invitation can increase the cost of your trip but also the fact there are many museums or other points of interest in the city with entrance fee.

TIP: Another crucial factor, you need to consider while planning your trip is the BUDGET to go to St Petersburg.

Food is relatively cheap, during our stay we were able to eat in decent priced restaurants, you will notice on Nevski, there are tons of restaurants selling Italian, Japanese (sushi is very popular) at good price and we were never disappointed.

Underground is also cheap, very easy to use, and all destinations are written in latin and in cyrillic (which is not the case in Moscow where all is in cyrillic). Taking the metro is also a real experience, a lot of  stations are in marble (some could be considered as museum) and far deep from the surface, you can still see occasionally some remains from the Soviet times (red stars..), and the metro trains are totally vintage (I guess around 50 or 60 years old), some are in wood inside, it’s just awesome.

If you look at the geography of the city, you will notice that a tremendous amount of sightseeings are concentrated in one area which is the historic center, so it’s a very good starting point for your visit of the city.

TIP: When planning your visit, try to GATHER the maximum of places to see per area, so you will save a lot of time.

Also I found very easy to walk through the city, jumping from one point of interest to another without any trouble, but well I love walking also whatever the weather.

TIP: Bring a good pair of shoes but also adequate clothes as the weather can be very cold (depending the time of the year you are visiting the city).

Here below are my top 15 places you should consider seriously !

1. Peter and Paul Fortress
2. Kazan Cathedral
3. Hermitage
4. Russian Museum
5. Singer House
6. Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
7. Dvorstsovaya place
8. St Isaac’s Cathedral
9. Mikhaylovsky Gardens (connected to Summer Gardens and Mars Fields)
10. Nevski Prospekt
11. Winter Palace
12. Bolshoy Gostiny Dvor
13. Underground
14. Smolny Cathedral (blue roof)
15. Anichkov Most (bridges with horses sculpted)

Eagle with two heads – Icon of Russia

Church of The Saviour on the Spilled Blood

Along Griboedova Canal – St Petersburg

Marine – St Petersburg

Army history carving – St Petersburg

Gostiny Dvor on Nevski Prospekt

St Isaac’s Cathedral and statue – St Petersburg

Peter and Paul Cathedral – St Petersburg

Anichkov Most and Nevski Prospect – St Petersburg

Cultural events in St Petersburg

Mikhaylovsky Gardens – Russian Museum

Fontanka River – St Petersburg

Belinskogo Square – St Petersburg

Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood – St Petersburg

Peter and Paul Cathedral – Russia

Dvortsovaya pl – St Petersburg

Smolny Cathedral – St Petersburg

View from St Isaac’s Cathedral – St Petersburg

Nevski Prospekt by night – St Petersburg

Kazan Cathedral – St Petersburg

Singer building on Nevski prospekt

Finally, I found the Lonely Planet Russia useful for the following reasons:

• St Petersburg section well documented enough,
• Reliable map of the metro and the city that allowed me to navigate easily throughout the city
• A small language section that help me a lot when I had to buy train ticket to Moscow

How to travel from Helsinki to Saint Petersburg by train

I had this trip in mind for some time now. I wanted to go to Russia but using train as the main transportation.
So I had an opportunity last November 2011, when I had to go for a business trip in Finland, I grabbed that chance to check how far Helsinki was from Saint Petersburg and then started to plan my trip.

A good advantage is: one of my best friend is living in Saint Petersburg (the beautiful city founded by Peter the Great), I have not seen him for many years and this trip was a perfect occasion to catch up with him.

Helsinki to Saint Petersburg by high-speed train takes 3hours 30 min. It start in Helsinki, it goes through Viborg and the terminus is Saint Petersburg.

High Speed train Allegro from Helsinki to St Petersburg

Helsinki Train Station – Finland

I booked my ticket online through the Finnish train website : http://www.vr.fi , it was straightforward, I got my ticket within 10 minutes. It’s always advisable to book ticket in advance (even if I admit that my train was half empty on both way, back and forth).

Price: 175 euro back and forth

Frequency: 4 trains per day from Helsinki (same from St Petersburg)

Note there is another option than the high-speed train, which is the Tolstoi train but it takes longer (the train start in Helsinki and go to Moscow via St Petersburg), you may consider that option as well.

Inside the train, you have a restaurant where you can order some warm and cold food and drinks at a decent price, you can pay in Euro or in Roubles.

Seats inside the train in second class are similar as the Eurostar or Thalys, comfortable enough, there are electric plugs that allow you to connect your laptop. There is also a water cooler available in every compartment if you are thirsty and it’s free. The entire train is spotless and well maintain (let’s see how it will be in a few years but I do hope they keep the same standard).

So in the cold morning of  November, I boarded inside the new high-speed train Allegro doing the liaison between Helsinki and Saintt Peterburg.
Customs are done inside the train. Finish customs went fast, but Russian Customs were a bit longer in terms of checking passport and luggage. They are checking very closely each page of your passport with a magnifier.

Don’t forget that going to Russia requires you to have a visa but also a letter of invitation, so make sure you have your visa and letter of invitation (I will come back to you in my next post) ready on time (best thing to do is to check with your own embassy)

Travelling by train from Finland to Russia give you also the opportunity to see the scenery changing. I was relatively impressed when we reached the no man’s land (area between Finland border and Russian border), you see a lot of barbwire fences, forest surrounding is all of sudden more wild, first couple of Russian houses or datcha looks poorer than the neat houses from Finland, some factories abandoned ..I realised that I entered in a new territory.

Reaching Saint Peterbourgh train station (Finljandski ) in the cold and foggy November, we saw our first Russian soldiers waiting near our trains with dogs, couple of taxi drivers with their old russian cars smoking continuously (not sure who was smoking the most: taxi drivers or their car 🙂 ) …we saw our first russian electric trolley (at least 30 or 40 years old and still running ..). Well, we were in a different world.

I have to mention that despite what I heard before, the Allegro train left on time Helsinki and arrived on time in Saint Petersburg (it was the same on my journey back to Helsinki).

Our friend arrived a few minutes after our arrival and bring us to his apartment located in the center of the city. We spent nearly a week there and enjoyed our comfortable headquarter. His Russian partner prepared us a traditional Russian/Ukrainian dishes called borsht (thick soup with lot of vegetables in it) with of course some vodka !

Jose Rizal – National Hero of The Philippines

When I was in Manila a few months ago, I went to the Rizal\Luneta Park. Well I know, it’s pretty much a “tourist spot” for everyone coming in Manila, but somehow, it’s “MUST SEE” place in order to understand who was Jose Rizal.

In the park, you have a full section dedicated to the national hero. One thing that striked me was the scene representing the execution of Jose Rizal. Each characters, made in metal (I presume), have on their faces the marks of intensity, fears, anger, sadness …The scene is absolutely powerful.

If you want to get more information about Jose Rizal, you may like to go to Fort Santiago, located in Intramuros, where there is a shrine dedicated to the national hero. You will find some of his writings but also a replica of Jose Rizal cel. This part of the museum is often visited by schools.

Jose Rizal scene- Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – The Philippines

Jose Rizal and his wife – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal at his desk – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal and wife – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal fighting for his rights – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal under arrest – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – Judge – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – Execution – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – Execution time – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – Sergeant ordering fire – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – hit by bullets – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – hit by the soldiers – Manila – The Philippines

Jose Rizal – Manila – The Philippines – Scene

Jose Rizal – Writings – Manila – The Philippines

If you want to know more about the Filippino National Hero Jose Rizal, you can go to the two links below:

Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Rizal
El Consejo de los Dioses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Rizal

I want to finish this post by some popular and famous quote of the national hero:

* “He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish.”

* “It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without becoming a part of any edifice.”

* “While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty.”

* “There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves.”

* “He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.”

* “The youth is the hope of our future.”

Family with 2 kids looking for an Au Pair !

Over the last 10 years, I noticed a strong increase of Au-Pair coming from the Philippines in Europe. Having myself a kid of 9 years now, I was exploring at that time (when he was a toddler) with my partner the possibility to enroll to an Au Pair program but at the end we just found another way. The Au-Pair program provides an excellent way for families to have a nanny at home that can help them by taking care the kids and take part to the house-chores and who speak most of the time a decent English ..the Au Pair program is also by far a cheaper alternative for families living in The Netherland than putting your baby or kids at the crèche (you need to pay 1000  to 1300 euro a month 5 days a week and the quality is not always there). Au-Pair candidates are coming from various country (Philippines, Brazil, Russia, Poland …).

Being based in Amsterdam and traveling often I was surprised to see more and more Filipina in the Netherlands but I got totally surprised when few years ago I went to Copenhagen for a couple of days and had the strong feeling to be in Manila ..Filipina were everywhere …I found it totally unreal 🙂 …Later on I read a few articles mentioning that 75% of the Au-Pair in Denmark and Norway are from The Philippines.

So I began to question myself about this trend such as: how lucrative is this line of business and who are the beneficiary, is it well-regulated ? My little finger was telling me that I will come across some blur areas ..

Overall, like everyone else, I’m used to see Filipino workers on boat (cruise or cargo) or in several airports from Arabian countries such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi (on duty-free shops) or working in constructions or in hospital (The Philippines has certainly provided the best quality nurses around the world) but I was not aware about the Au Pair program was a popular gateway for Filipina until recently.

Why Au Pair job is popular in Philippines ?

From Filipina standpoint :

• Decent salary (check this link: http://www.nannygps.com/aupair_salary.jsp#netherlands)
• Can help their family
• Opportunity to leave the country (The Philippines) and high possibility to settle down overseas

From the European family standpoint :

• Cheaper
• Filipina au pair are reliable and most of the time well-trained
• Speak good level of English

An interesting paradox is the fact that the Filipino Government put a ban on Au Pair workers (the ban was put in place in 1998 after report of abuse of Filipino au pairs) and this ban is still active (at least for the Netherlands but it was lifted in 2010 for Denmark,Norway and Switzerland). So, how is it possible then that, despite that ban, there was and is still a strong demand of Filipina Au Pair in The Netherlands  and that demand manage to be satisfied despite the Filipino ban ? The answer is rather simple : every agencies based in The Philippines providing Au Pair workers are by-passing the interdiction via some backshish (we are talking about 150 to 200 euros per candidate) paid to the authority of the airport of Manila.  So my question is: Where does this money goes ?

Let’s talk about numbers for a while:

Price to join an AU PAIR program (in short, how much a Filipina need to pay to enroll to the Au-Pair Program):

• Before you are matched Au-Pair candidates pay the following:

* 40,000 pesos for the TESDA accredited Household Services NC II/YES au pair certified training, by Cultural Assistance Training Center Inc. in Makati.
* 1,500 pesos for a medical examination
* 500 pesos for a passport

Total : 42.000 Pesos (+/- 750 euro)

• When you are matched you pay the following:

* 3,000 for legalisation of papers
* 60,000 Cash bond – totally refundable after you finish your year as an au pair

Total: 63.000 Pesos (+/- 1120 euro) but 1060 euro will be refund

* This is an example I took from a reliable Au Pair Agency based in the Netherlands.

Backshish to pay at Airport : 150/200 Euros (to be paid by the Au Pair candidate)

How much a family in Europe need to pay to join the Au-Pair program (what does it include..): the host family need to pay some administration fee to the agency (it can vary from one to another …we are talking here about a few hundreds Euro)

How much an Au Pair/nanny earn:

In Denmark, an au pair is earning +/- 2500 kroner with free board and lodging (equivalent of 20k pesos)

In the Netherlands, they are earning on average : 300 euro with free board and lodging (they earn more if they stay illegally, their salary tend to be around 600 euro a month but of course it implies all  risks of being caught by authorities …)

In Belgium, they will earn +/-450 euro again with free board and lodging.

In order to augment their monthly “salary”, many nannies are willing to work a couple of extra hours “un declared” by cleaning houses for instances. For instance, it’s very common in Denmark for nannies  to clean a few houses a month in the neighborhood where they live and consequently earn some extra kroner (how much per hour) …It can become quickly an interesting and lucrative business (it’s a deviation of the Au Pair program but difficult to regulate).

Limitation of being au-pair : TIME, their stay are limited so therefore it’s very important for nannies to earn as much as they can while they have the Au Pair status.

I had a discussion with a Filipina who stay in the Netherlands and in Denmark as Au Pair and she was sharing her experience with me (see below):

What are the advantages for a Filipina to enroll for an au pair program ?

To participate in an Au Pair program is an advantage and i think the program is now compulsory under 2010 new regulation. Check http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/10/29/10/filipino-au-pairs-can-now-work-3-european-nations for more information.

Au pair program helps avoid all Au Pair candidates from having culture shock. Being in this kind of program will make oneself ready and aware about a lot of things in the country of destination. For example, from the fact that the weather are totally different, cold, etc. Not just mind preparation, but also, for an au pair to get an idea what kind of clothes to pack. In the program they will be taught as well how to deal with the local people. What local people’s expectation and a lot more. They will be given a language lesson as well (if they will be destined in a non-english country). This will be very useful if an Au Pair would like to go out, meet other friends, or go visit another city. You will be able to find your way on train stations, bus stations, city center, etc.

How long is the training program last ?

The program last depends of the agency (Yes Au Pair batch 2006 is one month, this includes History, Language, and other activities such as cooking, swimming, cycling, fitness, or something that your host family requires).

My training was about 1 month.

How much as au pair do you need to pay to the agency to be registered ?

Again, this all depends on an agency. There are different au pair agencies existing today. You can check some reliable agencies under NAPO organization  here : http://www.napoweb.nl/en/index.htmland see member agencies.

Is there a selection to join the program or it’s open to anyone ?

Under the POEA guidelines, a Filipino Au Pair should be between 18 and 30 years of age, unmarried and without any children, placed under a cultural exchange agreement with the host family for a maximum stay of 2 years for the purpose of immersion in cultural and language training.

During the employment, the au pair should be enrolled in a school to learn the language of the host country. They should live with the host family and treated on an equal basis with the members of the family.

The Filipino Au Pair should be given pocket-money and share in child care or light household chores and other responsibilities before agreed upon in a contract between the au pair and the host family.

Check : http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/10/29/10/filipino-au-pairs-can-now-work-3-european-nations

Why did you choose to enroll to an au pair program

I chose to be part of the program as it was compulsory by my agency and that it was for me the easiest way as I don’t have to worry what will be the next step of the process. Agency will help you with the step by step procedure.

Is there any obstacle for leaving the country (The Philippines) because Au Pair are banned in The Philippines ?

Yes, cause The Philippines NAIA employee (not all of course but a lot) will try to give you problems just to get some money. This happens whether you are an Au Pair or just another kind of traveller.

How much was your salary once you reach your family in Europe ?

Salary is supposed to be 300 euro for au pair who didn’t have experience with kids, and 340 euro for those who has experience. A caregiver, a nurse, or a teacher for example has extra points.

Some nice host families will offer higher and will give other benefits, but this is not always the case. So make sure you know your rights at least.

How was your accommodation and conditions of work ?

Accommodation and condition were generally good. Of course host families are different from each other.

Is there a possibility to extend your stay in one family or move to another country ?

By the time I was an au pair, it isn’t possible to extend. If ever this will be allowed by the immigration, host families will need to pay A LOT which is not worth for a week or 2 weeks extension.

Can you explain your experience in Denmark ? How did you find a family ?

My Denmark experience is quite good. I found my host family thru connection while I was in The Netherlands

Did you sometime had the opportunity to increase your income by cleaning houses for example?

Yes, there is plenty of opportunity thru friends or even directly from your own host family.

Is it easy to find houses to clean in Denmark ?

Most of the time, it isn’t that difficult.

Is it the same in The Netherlands ?

Yes, about the same. You can even try to find part time job thru advertisement online.

Is there regular control in Denmark ? (checking black job ….) ?

There is. And it is normal that a neighbor might call the police if they will see someone unknown right next door. Or even your own co-aupair might put u in trouble.

What part of your salary do you send to your family ?

I was sending at least 80 % of my salary when i was an au pair. I guess this is Filipino culture. Take note: it is always important to save and keep too for yourself.

Is there possibility to get extra income aside of your salary you get from your family ? is it a popular option ? explain ?

It is normal for an au pair to have a part-time job such as few hours cleaning or ironing to another family. But this is illegal and could send you home unexpectedly.

Overall, as you can see there are still some blurry areas in the Au Pair Program such as :

• Money paid to Airport authorities (where the money goes ? …it would be interesting to see how much under table money Airport authorities are receiving from Au-Pair but also regular traveler ….I heard several shocking stories of corruption in that Airport) .
• The fee received by the Au Pair agencies by each Au pair candidates (750 euro ++++), I would be very keen to see the cost breakdown and their profit margin
• Deviation of the Au Pair program that bring some alternatives for the Au pair to work in black (but at the end, I can’t say it’s a bad thing because when you are thinking for a minute, how much a Filipina need to pay to join an Au pair program and also the fact they might be the only source of income for their family, I don’t blame them).

Some interesting links:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/08/05/10/aquino-urged-lift-au-pairs-ban-netherlands

http://www.migrazine.at/artikel/filipina-au-pair-experience-english

http://www.babaylan.dk/wp/index.php/in-de-olde-worlde-views-of-filipino-migrants-in-europe/

My favorite shots of 2011

Here is recap of my favorite moments of 2011. No need to make a long story, each pics correspond to a special atmosphere.

Enjoy !

Boy thinking – Dusseldorf – Germany

Little girl on the boat – Puerto Galera – The Philippines

Sunset in Aninuan Beach – Puerto Galera – The Philippines

Mount Blanc – Chamonix – France

Sisters – The Philippines

Sunrise in the Atlas – Morocco

Sunset in Tagaytay – The Philippines

Chemistry – The Philippines – Puerto Galera

St Petersburg – Russia

Helsinki – Finland – Train Station

Valley of Roses – Morrocco

A dinner experience in Bangkok

The other day I was invited for a dinner in a fine dinning restaurant called The Water Library located in Bangkok.
This well-respected establishment has not received any Michelin Stars yet ..there is still some miles to cover before they belong to the supreme élite. Overall the dinner was interesting enough to get my full attention 🙂

The service was perfect, the choice of wine was spot on and the attention to details make me realize that perhaps in a couple of years we might see more and more “gastronomic restaurants” emerging from countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines with I’m sure  at an affordable price.

Enjoy !

Starters 2 – Water Library – Bangkok

Starters – Water Library – Bangkok

Main Dish – Water Library – Bangkok

The Water Library in Bangkok

Bar of The Water Library – Bangkok

Water Library – Bangkok – Glasses for wine

Great wine – Husic – Water Library – Bangkok

Dessert – Water Library – Bangkok

An interesting post about the Filipino diaspora

Just want to share with you a very interesting post I come across regarding the strong migration of Filipino outside of their country.

http://philcsc.wordpress.com/globalization-and-the-emergent-filipino-diaspora/

Enjoy !

Manila – The hidden gem or the pandora box ?

Metropolitan Manila (capital city of The Philippines. ) was once called the gem of Asia, it was without any doubt a long time ago, the country went through different crisis that lead the country to be occupied  by Muslim (through the trade), Chinese, Spanish, British, Japanese before to be finally independent  in 1946… but their journey through hardship were not over yet as they had to undergo the rebuilding of the country but also several dictatorships that ruined the country. As you can see, the Philippines has a huge historical background and a lot of controversy.

Located in Intramuros – Manila

Catholic statue in Manila – Philippines

Jeepney in Manila

Intramuros – Manila -Kalesa

Jose Rizal – Icon – Philippines – Manila

Intramuros – Manila

My first impression when I landed in Manila for the first time was : Am I in Asia or in South America (don’t forget that 95% of the population are roman catholic) mainly because all the street name are in Spanish (or most of them), Filipinos wear names inherited from the Spanish colonization …You don’t have the feeling to be in Asia and it’s a very odd feeling.

My second impression was:  total chaos ….what the hell am I doing here …..it’s hot, polluted, huge flow of people everywhere, noisy ..and believe me I travelled a lot in South East of Asia and I’m pretty used with Asian cities and their level of disorganization but here I thought I reached the pinnacle of city in hell.

So you may wonder, what fundamentally made me stay and why would I recommend to everyone if they have an opportunity to visit Manila and the Philippines, well perhaps the best reason is that after digging in the dirt I found a gem !

Manila is a city that need time to be discovered, at first instance, you may want to give up as the city is completely shambled, heavily polluted and super populated and you might want to head to one of the many tropical beaches that the country can offer, well in my sense it will be a mistake. Yes it’s wild, yes you will see a lot of slums and you might feel unsecured in this anarchy and yes you can’t ignore it…however, you may be charmed by the warmed hospitality of the local people, I’m also pretty sure if you visit places such as Intramuros, or San Augustin churches or simply have a walk along the bay, well you might give a chance to the city…

Before to move further, let me come back to the “friendliness” of the Filipinos: they are certainly among the most friendly people in Asia, every opportunity is good for a laugh, cheering ! I attended a couple of dinners with Filipino friends and it’s really cool experience. Actually if I have to define The Philippines in a few words, it will be: lot of Laugh – Friendliness – good Food.

Hint: don’t be surprised if in the street, everybody is calling you JOE ….because for the majority of the Filipinos, once they see a foreigner, they assume he is from US (not sure if it’s a good thing …) but it’s definitely one of the side effect of the US influence in the Philippines.

US presence in the Philippines start in 1898 (see wiki link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines). Philippines and US have very strong tights since the second world war, and US has still some US bases in the country (Subic and Clark). The strong relation between the 2 countries might explain the strong influence of US in the economy of the Philippines. Another reason explaining why US is so popular in the country is  the heavy diaspora of Filipino migrating to US.

Yes Filipinos love to eat, it’s their number ONE hobby (they loved to eat snacks for instance they can buy in the street, you will see a lot of bbq on the street selling all parts of chicken or pork..) ! They eat a lot of pork (lechon), chicken (adobo) and fish. They have fantastic dessert called Buko Salad (a must try …). Actually what I noticed is, they have a very decent gastronomy in the Philippines if you go outside of the beaten track, fantastic products and I wish it could get a higher recognition but unfortunately it’s hidden by the outrageous number of fast foods and their insipid foods.

Most of the fast food I have seen are from US (Mcdo, KFC, Kenny Rogers …) but The Philippines have also their own variety such as Jollibee (which is a kind of pale copy of Mcdo), or Chow King. Being honest with you I tried both of them and I have to say it’s not my cup of tea….but I recognize that they are HIGHLY popular among Filipinos.

Here is a list of what you should try to eat during your stay in Manila: 

* Pork Adobo
* Pork Menudo
* Chicken Menudo
* Chicken Adobo
* Pakbet : mix of different kind of vegetables, cooked in shrimp paste
* Kare-kare: oxtail in peanut sauce with bagoong (anchovy) (can be replaced also by other meat)
* Paksiw: (fish with sour sauce ..)
* Sinigang na isda (fish in tamarind soup)

Note: a cool place to eat fresh fish and seafood is without any doubt at DAMPA. It’s a kinda of open restaurant, there are a few scattered in Manila, I would recommend the one located in Paranaque (http://visitpinas.com/dampa-seafood-paluto-restaurants-pasay-city/)

Some desserts:

* Leche plan
* Puto
* Bibingka
* Halo halo
* Ube
* Cassava cake

So what can you do and see in Manila:

• Intramuros
• Fort Santiago
• San Augustin Church (a wonderful church….you may have a chance to see a wedding..)
• Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
• Quiapo Church, officially known as Minor Basilica of the Black Nazaren
• San Sebastián Church
• National Museum of the Philippines
• Rizal Park (it worths spending some time in this park, you should go to the section dedicated to Jose Rizal)
• Chinatown
• Mall of Asia (it’s relatively new, it’s a gigantic mall, the biggest in SE of Asia)
• Baclaran Market
• Divisoria market (near Quiapo)

For the ones who want to go for a drink or party at night, you should go to:

* Makati

* Malate

Transportation within Manila:

When it’s possible you can use LRT (metro) or you should definitely give a try to use jeepney, there are everywhere and relatively efficient. The destination is written at the front of the vehicle. the fee is just a few pesos for a ride.
if no other choice, you can grab a taxi but discuss with the driver in advance about the fee.

But I will give you more info in my next post 🙂