Had some picture taking yesterday outside Headstrong Sunnyvale office with Chryshyll and Abhishek. Yes! We went to the office to finish testing since we have to deliver the data to the client for their testing.
Monday, 28 July 2008
Sunnyvale Pictures - Outside Headstrong office
Had some picture taking yesterday outside Headstrong Sunnyvale office with Chryshyll and Abhishek. Yes! We went to the office to finish testing since we have to deliver the data to the client for their testing.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Singapore
Our last stop in our holyweek trip is Singapore. When we arrived there and after checking in at our hotel, Tita Sheila met us for dinner at her apartment. We had videoke sessions there hehehe...
The following day, Laiza, Manang and I didn't join the others in roaming around Singapore since we were able to do that 2 years ago and we don't want to spend our money going there again. So what the three of us did is go to Sim Lim Square and buy portable hard drives and memory cards. We planned to go to Singapore Night Safari but the fees are too expensive so we just decided to meet up at Suntec since there a Body Shop sale there. After their shopping at Body Shop, we had our dinner.
Tita Lai, Shirley and I had an extra day at Singapore the following day since our flight is 12:00 am via Cebu Pacific and the rest of the group had an early morning flight back to Manila. We tour around Orchard Road and met Tita Lai's barkada.
BTW, we saw Jet Li at one of the malls that we visited!
Holyweek Adventure - City Tour at Ho Chi Minh City
Visited famous landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) - Notre Dame Basilica and Post Office. After the roaming around the city, we went straight to Ben Thanh Market where you can find lots of things to buy, from souvenirs, shirts and of course, bags! I was able to buy some souvenir shirts, ref magnets for my collection, and 5 North Face bags - 3 backpacks, 1 belt bag and 1 body bag - all for the price of USD60!!!
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Cu Chi Tunnel
After a nice adventure in Cambodia, we took a bus and went to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The bus trip, which crosses the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, took us around 6 hours of travel before we reach our city of destination. We didn't had a hard time completing the different forms because the bus personnel did that for us! We arrived at the hotel at around 7pm so what we did is find our hotel and eat our dinner.
After dinner, we checked the rates for the different tours that the hotel is offering. We were really interested going to the Cu Chi Tunnel so that is our itinerary the following day.
Going to the famous Cu Chi Tunnel (they featured it in one of the episode of the Amazing Race) took us around 2 hours by bus. Cu Chi Tunnel is a netwrok of tunnels that spans for at least 200 kms. These tunnel were built by Vietnamese as hiding place against enemies.
Warning: If you are claustrophobic, better not try entering these tunnels.
Friday, 25 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Choeung Ek Genocide Museem
After visiting the Tuol Sleng Museum, we went straight to the Choeung Ek Museum popularly known as the Killing Fields. This area was where the Khmer killed their enemies. This is a mass graveyard of some 9K plus of Cambodians. Right now, it is a buddhist memorial to the terror brought by the Khmer soldiers and Pol Pot. You can find here a stupa that contains human skulls and numerous grave pits.
Holyweek Adventure - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is one of the two gloomiest places I've ever been. Before this was converted into prison and torture center under Pol Pot, this was originally a 5-building school complex. While inside this complex, you would really feel the hardships that the prisons felt when they were here. I got so affected that I almost throw up. You can see in every prison cell the different pictures of those who stayed here before they were brought to the Killing Fields. Some of the rooms where converted into a museum where you can see how they were tortured and killed.
I'm very thankful to God that this didn't happen to us, Filipinos.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Royal Palace, Phnom Penh
After several days at Siem Reap, we went back to Phnom Penh. As soon as we got back from the capital city and a little bit of rest, we started our tour riding a tuktuk. Our first destination, Cambodia's Royal Palace. Compared to Thailand's Royal Palace, Cambodia's Royal Palace is less grandeur. Though the structures inside are very beautiful, they don't have any golden temples or golden structures inside it. But still, the palace looks very interesting!
Monday, 21 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Preash Khan Temple
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Neak Pean Temple
Second to the last temple that we visited is the Neak Pean Temple. This temple is very different compared to those that we have already visited. This is a pool type temple during rainy seasons. People usually go here when they are sick. They take a bath on one of the pools depending on the person's birth year.
Holyweek Adventure - Ta Som Temple
This temple is very famous for its entrance because huge trees grow on top of its main gates. They say that previously, there is a buddha's face that is covered by roots of a tree but unforntunately the tree died so they have to remove it. It is also famous for its Apsara carvings on the walls of the temple.
Holyweek Adventure - East Mebon Temple
Holyweek Adventure - Kbal Spean
They say that when you go to Banteay Srey, you should also visit Kbal Spean. This is a place up in a mountain where you can see carvings on the floor of a river. According to Sarat, they well carved to provide holy water to the people living at the foot of the mountain. They believed that waters flowing from this river will be blessed if they passed these carvings of phallus (representation of male genitals).
Barbeque Party at Homestead
Last night, we had a barbeque party here at our hotel to celebrate Tita Chrysh Ti's birthday. Eventhough it's very cold outside and we're just five, Edge, Janice, Cary, Tita Chrysh and me, we really enjoyed the experience!!! Sarap ng food!!! hehehe...
Also in this album are pictures that I took around the hotel premises before Tita Chrysh and I went to Lucky's for a quick grocery.
Holyweek Adventure - Banteay Srey
After the not so successful sunrise viewing, we went to Banteay Srey, the citadel of women. This temple is famous because of its pink colored walls. This is also where female warriors were trained. It is very beautiful because of the carvings at the wall that is very detailed because it depicts different Hindu stories of Hindu gods like Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Holyweek Adventure - Sras Srang
Our second day of tour started with a sunrise in Sras Srang Temple. They said that a temple was built in the middle of this lake but now only the remains of it is still visible during dry season. We weren't able to enjoy the sunrise since it rained the previous night and there are a lot of clouds. We had our breakfast here in a small restaurant near the lake.
Holyweek Adventure - Sunset at Bakeng Mountain
After touring 4 temples, we were told that we will be having a little hiking activity for the sunset at Bakeng Mountain. You have 2 options on how to go to the top, either by foot or by elephant (which is a bit costly), so we took the harder part - by foot. It took us about 15 minutes of trekking before we reached the top but what we don't know is that we still have to go on top of a somewhat tower to see the view properly. The way to the top of the tower is a bit scary coz the steps are very small and very steep! Upon reaching the top, you would see a 360 view of the whole complex. You can see Ankor Wat here perfectly! Unfortunately, we didn't see the sunset properly because of rain clouds so we just enjoy it by taking a lot of pictures.
Note: This is also the site where Lara Croft used her powerful telescope to take a peek at what's happening in one of the temples.
Holyweek Adventure - Bayon Temple and others
After the tour around the Ta Phrom Temple, our group passed by the Leper King Terrace and Elephant Terrace, these terraces is where the king of Cambodia usually stays whenever there are parades or tournaments. After a brief stop at the two terraces, we visited the Bayon tempe. This temple is very famous for its stone faces. To know more about the Bayon temple, check this link - http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/temples/temp-bayon.htm . After visiting the giant face temple, we passed by the statues that depict the very famous story in the Hindu religion, the Churning of the Sea of Milk.
Holyweek Adventure - Ta Phrom Temple
After touring around the Banteay Kdei temple, we headed straight to our next destination - the Ta Phrom Temple. This temple is one of the featured temples in the Angelina Jolie movie, Tomb Raider 1. It's here that you can see huge trees on top of the temples. Very interesting! You will also see here an Apsara between the roots of a tree!
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Banteay Kdei
After exploring the vast and complex structure of Angkor Wat, our group then went to Banteay Kdei. Most of the temples here are a bit destroyed but it is still very beautiful. We also saw a huge tree at the back of the temple. For more information on Banteay Kdei, visit this site - http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/temples/temp-bankdei.htm :)
Holyweek Adventure - Exploring Angkor Wat
After the viewing of sunrise at Angkor Wat, we decided to take our breakfast at a nearby restaurant. When breakfast is over, all of us headed to the entrance of the majestic Angkor Wat. Our tourguide, Sarat, explained to us the details of this temple and the different designs and sculptures inside it. The carvings on the wall of the temple depicts the different stories of Cambodia and the Buddhist religion. Cambodia's history indeed is very interesting! Actually, I was very intrigued on how this huge temple was built so I decided to buy a book about Angkor Wat.
Holyweek Adventure - Sunrise at Ankor Wat
Celebration at Castro
Friday, 18 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Golden Temple Villa, Siem Reap
Holyweek Adventure - 3 Khai Islands
Holyweek Adventure - Central Festival Mall and Kata Beach
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Monday, 14 July 2008
First pictures at Mountainview, California
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Kota Beach
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden
Friday, 11 July 2008
Holyweek Adventure - Reclining and Golden Buddha
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Holyweek Getaway - Royal Palace, Bangkok
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Weekend at Pundaquit, Zambales
Capones Island
Welcome out of town gimik for Richard with Tita Lai, Harry, Ed, Will, Deo, Tita Os, Tintin, Manang, Concepcion Family, Esquejo Family and Tyapon Family. After attending the Sun Life Outing at Bulacan, we headed straight to Zambales for a summer get-away. Island hopping at Anawangin (good for camping) and Capones (white sand!!!). We weren't able to go to the famous lighthouse at Capones because the weather is too hot!!!
Pinatubo Experience
Holiday at Pangasinan
Friday, 4 July 2008
Surfing Adventure at San Juan, La Union
Weekend at Tagaytay
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