Murals of Mission District

Kodakan with the #graffitis during my travels ( May 2018, ) 

The Mission District in San Francisco, California   is a virtual outdoor art gallery full of vibrant murals. Throughout the neighborhood, hundreds of walls and fences are adorned with colorful works of art featuring themes ranging from cultural heritage to social political statements. You will find painted pieces, mosaics and a few that combine both styles. You can also find a handful with some 3D elements They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors, but each one is tells a story and is a unique work of art.Best viewed on foot, take a stroll over to these locations for an up-close experience

Graffiti makes the streets colourful, brings life into the greyness of everyday life and sterile architecture, showing signs of life of the people living behind the facades. Graffiti may express underlying social and political messages and a whole genre of artistic expression.

Capsule Hotel of Tokyo

Tokyo's Capsule Hotel

 Tokyo has an unusual hotel to suit every taste, whether you want to spend a night in a pod hotel, at an urban onsen, or stay with a Japanese family.

 A capsule hotel (カプセルホテル kapuseru hoteru^?) is a type of hotel developed in Japan that features a large number of extremely small "rooms" (capsules) intended to provide cheap, basic overnight accommodation for guests who do not require the services offered by more conventional hotels

The guest room is a modular plastic or fiberglass block roughly 2 by 1 by 1.25 m (6 ft 7 in by 3 ft 3 in by 4 ft 1 in). Facilities differ, but most include a television, an electronic console, and wireless internet connection. The capsules are stacked side-by-side, two units high, with steps providing access to the second level rooms, leading to comparisons to corpse drawers in a morgue. The open end of the capsule can be closed, for privacy, with a curtain or a fibreglass door. Luggage is stored in a locker; and washrooms are communal.

 Some capsule hotels offer separate sections for male and female guests. Clothes and shoes are sometimes exchanged for a yukata and slippers on entry. A towel may also be provided. The benefit of these hotels is convenience and low price, usually around ¥2000-4000 (USD 19-38) a night. They provide an alternative for those who (especially on weeknights) may be too drunk to return home safely, or too embarrassed to face their spouses

That unique Japanese experience – a night's sleep in a tiny pod – in the heart of the city. There is very little here to appeal to visitors other than the novelty of doing something very Japanese, but the shared facilities, including a bath and sauna, are clean, and there are lockers for customers carrying a lot of luggage. Be warned – customers include drunk businessmen who have missed their last train home and are looking for somewhere cheap to stay. Rooms are cramped at two square meters, and have a television for those unable to sleep. A basic restaurant in the hotel also offers cheap snacks and light meals.

Sagada's Yoghurt House

A visit to Sagada will not be complete without having a serving of yoghurt from where else – Yoghurt House! This place has long been a tourist-favorite mainly due to its great bohemian ambiance and of course, large servings of great tasting food. Yoghurt House is one of the go-to eating places in Sagada

Yoghurt House is just about a five-minute walk downhill from the town hall and bus station. They open at 7am and has a very filling and inviting breakfast menu that could definitely prepare you for the activities you have planned for the rest of the day.

Fuel up here with mountain coffee and delicious homemade yoghurt before a long day of hiking or caving. Then return for dinner to carb-load on delicious vegetarian pasta dishes or rösti (shredded fried potatoes).

Mummies of Kabayan, Benguet

The Kabayan Mummies  i visited in the 1990s at the Municipality of Kabayan in Benguet, Mountain Province. The Ibalois have a long ritual process of mummifying individuals from the higher social class. The mummification begins before the person dies. The dying person is made to drink a very salty liquid and after death, the body is washed and applied with an herb treatment. It is made to seat in a sangadil (death chair) which is set under fire to collect its fluids which usually takes several months. Then it is brought out to the sun to hasten drying. The elders peel off the outer skin then tobacco smoke is blown into the body to dry the internal organs. The herbal juices is then rubbed gently on the body. Once the body is totally dehydrated, the mummy is transferred into a pinewood coffin and laid in a man-made cave or dug-out from solid rock. However, upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines, the practice of mummification was abandoned, and dead individuals were placed in wooden coffins interred in natural or man-made burial sites. Of the 200 man-made burial caves discovered in Kabayan, 25 contain preserved human mummies.

Bonsai Islet of Cagbalete, Mauban, Quezon

It was a weekend getaway again with my travel buddies Skwakings along with Lahing Kayumanggi group. Our destination: Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon.

Cagbalete Island  is another jewel of the Quezon Province. Located in the Lamon Bay fronting the Pacific Ocean, it is another paradise in the province of Quezon surrounded by white sand that exposes during low tide.This 1,640 hectares privately owned island is home to a diverse ecosystem. With unique variety of birds, rich marine life, and the abundance of unique species of plants, the island is a coIt mplete paradise for adventurers and nature lovers. Similar to Jomalig Island in Northern Quezon, a part of the Cagbalete’s beach is dotted with Agoho trees, a family of pine tree.

The Bonsai Island

 One very interesting spot in Cagbalete is a small island called Bonsai Island, located in front of the beach were we stayed Villa Cleofas. It  is an islet that only shows up during low tide and disappears when high tide. It is a wide, flat, and huge   elevated  black rock islet (looks like a volcanic rock or dried magma) consisting  of pebbles, dead corals, and  mangrove plants. It is always a mystery  how this islet was formed and how is it that the color of the islet is black. . From the shoreline, we have to cross the waters for almost half an hour (depending on the level of water)  to reach Bonsai Island (because of the single “bonsai-like” mangrove in the center of the islet) .Its a challenge going to the Bonsai Island because you’ll never know when the water will get high as one passes  over the flat shoreline filled with sea weeds, shells and pebbles of different kinds.The bonsai mangroves belong to the pneumatophores species.It has been there since time immemorial according to the old folks in the place. the trees never grew tall because it is naturally trimmed by the waves of the sea Just a tip: don't walk bare footed .. you might cut yourself from sharp dead corals .

 Going to Mauban, Quezon

You can take JAC Liner at Buendia going to Lucena Grand Terminal. The bus ride is around 3-4 hours and costs 210 pesos. Once you reach Lucena Grand Terminal, take the ordinary bus going to Mauban, Quezon. The fare is 50 pesos and about 1 1/2 hour trip. The 1 1/2 hour bus ride will take you through a long stretch of Quezon's scenic views of  lush-green environment so just enjoy the whole ride. Upon reaching the Mauban Terminal you may take a tricycle and head first to the wet market where you can buy your island supplies and foods before heading to the "Pantalan". The fare is 14 pesos. At the Pantalan Port, look for the ferry boats going to Cagbalete Island. 

Going to Cagbalete: Boat Fare

 There are only 2 schedules per day going to the island so be there on time. The first trip is at 10:00am and the last trip is at 4:00pm. The fare is 180 pesos and it will take almost 1 hour to reach Cagbalete.When you reach the port, you will be asked to register and pay for these : boat fare, environmental fee, terminal fee and porters fee. All in all, round trip fare for passenger boat is P180. If you are renting a private boat, LGU will collect only the environmental and terminal fees – P70 on top of boat rent.

Round Trip Fare/Fees (centralized collection by Tourism staff at the port)

Environmental Fee – 40.00

Terminal Fee -30.00

Porters Fee – 30.00

Boat Fare – 80.00

Once you reach Sabang Port (Cagbalete Island), you can either trek for 15-20mins or rent a boat to reach the resorts. . There are 3 known resorts in the area - Villa Cleofas, Pansacola Beach Resort and MVT Sto. Niño Beach Resort.We stayed in Villa Cleofas owned by the Reyeg family.