SM Megamall, Pasig, Metro Manila
Here are some things we want to make note of when visiting and traveling around the Philippines:
1. Make sure you bring a roll of toilet paper with you at all times. Some comfort rooms that charge a fee might have toilet paper but most of the time they don't. So be prepared.
2. It is wise to buy packs of wipes to bring along with the toilet paper. The women of this country spend so much time in front of the mirror that if you wish to wash your hands after using the toilet you will need to push your way through to get to the sink. Otherwise, just use your wipes and leave. (Peter said, the men also spend time in front of the mirror, so be advised.) 3. If you book a domestic flight via the internet, make sure (check it twice) that you have booked the correct date, because if you make a mistake, you will have to re-book it via the phone the go in person to the ticketing office, wait 2-3 hours just to be re-issued an e-ticket and pay the penalty fee. So, always double check the booking before confirming the order. (More on this later)
4. Also about domestic flights: not all airlines travel daily to a certain destination. Make sure that when you book online to check on the date.
5. Have a thick but breathable mask to wear with you while walking the streets of Manila or Quezon city, or while riding a jeepney or bus.
6. Bring an umbrella, a fan and small towel with you. It helps deal with the heat and perspiration.
7. Avoid the Malls during weekends.
8. The Malls in Manila and Quezon City are the places everyone wants to go because the heat outside will make you want to cool off in a Mall. Eventhough you want to play tourist and see the old ruins and historic sites the humidity and the heat prevents you from enjoying the tour.
9. Night tours are good but make sure you have someone to drive you home or to your hotel.
10. Beware of sodas or drinks with ice - you simply don't know where the ice cube comes from, what water they used to make the ice, or where the ice was placed before it was put on your drink.
11. When riding the FX (shared airconditioned taxi), if you are going to "Highway" (in EDSA) and the sign in the FX says "Highway", double check with the driver if they are indeed going there because sometimes they will go "under" the Highway.
Some food or drink you should try while here:
1. Quickly - soft tofu (taho) drink/slush with ube ice or choco ice and nata de coco (palm fruit) and sago (tapioca)
2. Letty's Buko (coconut) Pie - the best young coconut pie ever!
3. Binalot - a lunch place where you can choose different plates wrapped in banana leaf.
4. Grill Queen - the chicken tail bar-b-q, YUM! (Make sure they didn't microwave this before grilling)
5. Via Mare (my sister-in law Nyvia's favorite) - for the native dessert and snack delicacies
6. Cafe Briton - for a variety of crepes (sweets, desserts, meats, etc.)
7. Crepes and Creme - for the cheaper and more serving version of the crepes
8. Dulcinea - churros con chocolate! and the paella!
9. Max Fried Chicken - of course, the best fried chicken in the country!
10. Binagoong Rice - salted fish sauce and rice with pork, cucumber and other delicious stuff, YUM!
11. Betty's Sans Rival in Katipunan - the best ever butter icing layered with wafer cake!
Yesterday we were at the SM Mall of Asia in Manila. We had an italian lunch and the crepes for dessert. On the way back we stopped at SM North Edsa to catch an FX for SM Lagro. You notice that most of the main terminal stops are at an SM Mall. Well, the brilliant Henry Sy, the owner of the Shoe Mart Malls (began with a small shoe store in Manila and grew to a billion peso branch mall) had the foresight to build his malls at the corner of a main thoroughfare or simply build it where he sees the growth of the area is going. So whenever you go somewhere you always end up at an SM Mall or quite near it. Everyone goes to SM even if it's just to buy a simply loaf of bread, drink coffee, check the internet, or pay bills. And it's very convenient for everyone to just be in one place to do everything.
Today though we were in Robinson's Galleria to re-book our tickets at Cebu Pacific. Because of my mistake of not double checking the date of departure (I simply assumed that they had daily trips to Dipolog) that mistake cost us 2 1/2 hours of waiting at their ticketing office. Fortunately, Metrobank is next door and Peter was able to transact his errand while I waited for our number at Cebu Pacific. We had no choice but to eat lunch at Robinson's. There were a good number of places to choose from: Peter had laing (taro leaves in coconut milk) and pinakbet (mixed vegetables in bagoong) from Inihaw (grilled); I had tapa (like pork jerky) with salted egg and tomato, and binagoong talong (eggplant with salted shrimp) from Binalot. The food was good!
To burn off what we ate we walked south to SM Megamall. We will go around this 5 storey mall about a half mile wide (maybe not the entire mall) then proceed to the other mall next door, Shangri-la/Rustan's where we will take the Metro back to SM North then back to Lagro.
This entire day is truly the Mall Experience. No other way to spend the day cooling off from the heat. Maybe the best times to really enjoy sightseeing outdoors is around December and January when it is less humid. For now, we choose to go "malling" like the "mall rats".
Till next post....
Here are some things we want to make note of when visiting and traveling around the Philippines:
1. Make sure you bring a roll of toilet paper with you at all times. Some comfort rooms that charge a fee might have toilet paper but most of the time they don't. So be prepared.
2. It is wise to buy packs of wipes to bring along with the toilet paper. The women of this country spend so much time in front of the mirror that if you wish to wash your hands after using the toilet you will need to push your way through to get to the sink. Otherwise, just use your wipes and leave. (Peter said, the men also spend time in front of the mirror, so be advised.) 3. If you book a domestic flight via the internet, make sure (check it twice) that you have booked the correct date, because if you make a mistake, you will have to re-book it via the phone the go in person to the ticketing office, wait 2-3 hours just to be re-issued an e-ticket and pay the penalty fee. So, always double check the booking before confirming the order. (More on this later)
4. Also about domestic flights: not all airlines travel daily to a certain destination. Make sure that when you book online to check on the date.
5. Have a thick but breathable mask to wear with you while walking the streets of Manila or Quezon city, or while riding a jeepney or bus.
6. Bring an umbrella, a fan and small towel with you. It helps deal with the heat and perspiration.
7. Avoid the Malls during weekends.
8. The Malls in Manila and Quezon City are the places everyone wants to go because the heat outside will make you want to cool off in a Mall. Eventhough you want to play tourist and see the old ruins and historic sites the humidity and the heat prevents you from enjoying the tour.
9. Night tours are good but make sure you have someone to drive you home or to your hotel.
10. Beware of sodas or drinks with ice - you simply don't know where the ice cube comes from, what water they used to make the ice, or where the ice was placed before it was put on your drink.
11. When riding the FX (shared airconditioned taxi), if you are going to "Highway" (in EDSA) and the sign in the FX says "Highway", double check with the driver if they are indeed going there because sometimes they will go "under" the Highway.
Some food or drink you should try while here:
1. Quickly - soft tofu (taho) drink/slush with ube ice or choco ice and nata de coco (palm fruit) and sago (tapioca)
2. Letty's Buko (coconut) Pie - the best young coconut pie ever!
3. Binalot - a lunch place where you can choose different plates wrapped in banana leaf.
4. Grill Queen - the chicken tail bar-b-q, YUM! (Make sure they didn't microwave this before grilling)
5. Via Mare (my sister-in law Nyvia's favorite) - for the native dessert and snack delicacies
6. Cafe Briton - for a variety of crepes (sweets, desserts, meats, etc.)
7. Crepes and Creme - for the cheaper and more serving version of the crepes
8. Dulcinea - churros con chocolate! and the paella!
9. Max Fried Chicken - of course, the best fried chicken in the country!
10. Binagoong Rice - salted fish sauce and rice with pork, cucumber and other delicious stuff, YUM!
11. Betty's Sans Rival in Katipunan - the best ever butter icing layered with wafer cake!
Yesterday we were at the SM Mall of Asia in Manila. We had an italian lunch and the crepes for dessert. On the way back we stopped at SM North Edsa to catch an FX for SM Lagro. You notice that most of the main terminal stops are at an SM Mall. Well, the brilliant Henry Sy, the owner of the Shoe Mart Malls (began with a small shoe store in Manila and grew to a billion peso branch mall) had the foresight to build his malls at the corner of a main thoroughfare or simply build it where he sees the growth of the area is going. So whenever you go somewhere you always end up at an SM Mall or quite near it. Everyone goes to SM even if it's just to buy a simply loaf of bread, drink coffee, check the internet, or pay bills. And it's very convenient for everyone to just be in one place to do everything.
Today though we were in Robinson's Galleria to re-book our tickets at Cebu Pacific. Because of my mistake of not double checking the date of departure (I simply assumed that they had daily trips to Dipolog) that mistake cost us 2 1/2 hours of waiting at their ticketing office. Fortunately, Metrobank is next door and Peter was able to transact his errand while I waited for our number at Cebu Pacific. We had no choice but to eat lunch at Robinson's. There were a good number of places to choose from: Peter had laing (taro leaves in coconut milk) and pinakbet (mixed vegetables in bagoong) from Inihaw (grilled); I had tapa (like pork jerky) with salted egg and tomato, and binagoong talong (eggplant with salted shrimp) from Binalot. The food was good!
To burn off what we ate we walked south to SM Megamall. We will go around this 5 storey mall about a half mile wide (maybe not the entire mall) then proceed to the other mall next door, Shangri-la/Rustan's where we will take the Metro back to SM North then back to Lagro.
This entire day is truly the Mall Experience. No other way to spend the day cooling off from the heat. Maybe the best times to really enjoy sightseeing outdoors is around December and January when it is less humid. For now, we choose to go "malling" like the "mall rats".
Till next post....
posted by Mimi | 8:32 PM
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