Roving Pinoy

Malaysia is Truly Asia!

2010-11-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

After coming home to the Philippines from my postgrad study in the UK, it took a while before I traveled abroad again. Last October, I went to Putrajaya, Malaysia to present a paper in the 2010 International Conference on Agricultural Extension, popularly tagged as AGREX’10. I was excited because this was my very first travel to another Asian country and I am surely grateful to my agency for funding my participation in the said conference.

The conference was participated in by almost 200 participants, 25% of which were foreigners while the rest were from the host country, mainly students and faculty of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). It was a nurturing experience, as I was able to exchange ideas with other extension practitioners, researchers, and academicians.

Malaysia is fairly advanced in terms of transportation and other infrastructure. People are also generally conversant in English and so communication is not a problem. From the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, it took about 20 minutes of train ride (via KLIA Transit) and 10 minutes of taxi ride before I finally reached the IOI Resort in Putrajaya where I was billeted.

I was originally booked at the resort’s Palm Garden Hotel (the same venue for the conference) but upon my arrival, I found out that the hotel overbooked so I was re-billeted to the adjacent Marriott Hotel, at no extra cost. In effect, I was “upgraded” because by the looks of it, Marriott is a 5-star hotel. I was of course delighted especially when two Filipina receptionists at Marriott’s greeted me.

For the next couple of days, I endured the numerous parallel sessions including of course my own paper presentation. I even met a Filipino who is also from Los Baños, Laguna (my native town) but is now based in Northern Mariana islands. He is connected with the USDA as a livestock specialist for the Asia-Pacific region. There were only two of us from the Philippines. The rest were from Iran, India, Australia, Thailand, Japan, US, England and of course Malaysia.

After the formal sessions, I joined the field trip to some extension projects of UPM in Selangor. Along the way, oil palms, rubber trees, mosques, abound. The organizers from APEEC-UPM also treated us with traditional Malaysian food. I became an instant fan of “chicken satay” (skewered chicken paired with thick peanut sauce). On our way back to IOI resort, we passed by UPM, which I think is impressive in terms of area and infrastructure.

After the conference, I immediately went to Kuala Lumpur city centre (a short 30-minute train ride from Putrajaya). I stayed at Hotel Sentral, which is strategically located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur where all connecting trains are easily accessible. KL’s mass transport system (e.g., LRT, monorail, KLIA Express, KLIA Transit, KTM “komuter” train, etc.) is really remarkable and very light on the wallet.

As I have only a day to explore the city and adjacent places, I decided to visit just two of Malaysia’s famous tourist destinations, namely Batu Caves and of course the Petronas Twin Towers.

Batu Caves is an easy 30-minute ride on a KTM Komuter train from KL Sentral. It is located in Gombak District, Selangor, which is about 13 km north of Kuala Lumpur. It is actually a limestone hill, which consists of three major caves and smaller ones. The biggest (called Cathedral cave) houses Hindu shrines. To reach it, you need to climb 272 concrete steps. By the way, I met an Indian national (a male chemist) early on at the entrance to the Batu Caves, who was also visiting Malaysia for the first time. So we climbed the steep flight together.

At the foot of the steps, there is a huge golden statue of Lord Muruga (a Hindu deity) standing at 140 feet high, the tallest Muruga statue in the world. As I climbed the concrete steps, I saw a lot of macaque monkeys, which could get vicious if you are not alert. Many tourists are feeding these monkeys but I tried to avoid them. I’m not fond of monkeys, anyway. They always remind me of Charles Darwin's evolution theory.

Upon reaching the cave, I was amazed by the sight of huge stalactites and other rock formations. I was also expecting some bats but there was none. Instead, there were lots of doves. Also, there was this music being played over and over again by some Indian merchants. The fact is, the music still lingers in my head.

Some 40 minutes later, my Indian friend and I decided to descend from the cave. We then had a traditional Indian lunch in a restaurant at the Batu Caves compound. After taking some souvenir photos, we headed back to the city to see the famous Petronas Twin Towers.

Petronas Towers were of course formerly the word’s tallest buildings (from 1998 to 2003) at 1,483 feet until Taipei 101 of Taiwan (1,671 feet) surpassed it in 2004, which was subsequently surpassed by Borj Khalifa of Dubai (2,717 feet) in 2010. Nonetheless, Petronas Towers remain as the word’s tallest “twin” buildings. Unfortunately, we were not able to enter the Petronas Towers because tickets (sold at 10 ringgits each) for the day were limited and were easily disposed off as early as 7:00 a.m. So, we settled for some souvenir photos then visited Bukit Bintang (the shopping district of Malaysia) before heading back to our respective hotels.

I left for the Philippines the following day. While I was not able to visit other famous sites, I feel that my “limited” time in Malaysia was well spent.

To London, To London, To Visit the Queen? Not Exactly

2009-06-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

My visit to London was probably the most awaited and most delayed of all my planned trips since arriving in the UK. It finally pushed through in April of 2007. A Filipino friend kindly agreed to accompany me (as he has visited London in the past and has now settled in Peterborough). I was coming from Leeds and so it took me around four hours by bus to get to London. My friend was waiting for me at the Victoria Coach Station and when he saw me, he immediately led me to the nearest station to buy train tickets. The train operates in an underground railway (called The London Underground or more popularly “The Tube”). It was like the MRT station in Metro Manila (Philippines) except that it operates underground and serves very extensive routes in the greater London area.

We first went to see the famous Tower Bridge. I was dumbfounded as I looked at this suspension bridge on the River Thames. It was like a painting on a canvass. It is not the “London Bridge” made famous by a nursery song, which is located further upstream. Likewise, I learned that an American bought the “original” London Bridge in 1968 and shipped it to Arizona, USA (some trivia there).

We then passed by the London Eye, the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe at a height of 135 meters (443 feet). I was not able to take a ride because there was a very long queue of people (maybe next time). I saw many street performers (notably the “living statues”) in the area. We crossed the Millennium Bridge then reached the Palace of Westminster where I finally saw “Big Ben”, the world-famous clock tower of London. The name “Big Ben” originally referred to the Great Bell inside the clock tower but now it includes the big clock and the whole tower as well. Anyway, I think “Big” is not appropriate for the tower but HUGE is more like it. It measures 96 meters (315 feet) in height and 12 meters (39 feet) in width. It also celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2009.

After taking a few pictures with Big Ben at the background, we proceeded to Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch. We missed seeing the “Changing of the Guard” ceremony by about 15 minutes. Anyway, we settled looking at the facade and the huge gates of the palace.

From Buckingham Palace, we went to Trafalgar Square. It was built in commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar (part of the Napoleonic Wars) in 1805, which saw a major victory by the British Royal Navy (led by Admiral Lord Nelson) against the Fleets of France and Spain. Many tourists converge in this square because of its historical significance.

Later that day, we went back to the coach station to catch our respective buses. I appreciate the time my friend shared with me as we walked around London. However, I realized that a day was not enough to explore other areas. I look forward to seeing London again. Next time, I will definitely ride the London Eye.

The Beauty of Boracay

2009-06-27T08:04:00.001-07:00

There are so many articles that have been written about Boracay, the famous beach resort in the province of Aklan, Philippines. Well, I was there in 1998, my first and only visit (so far) to the place. I have not been able to go back due to a very busy work schedule. I think it was in January when I went there together with my work colleagues. It was a 15-minute motorized boat ride from Caticlan (in Malay, Aklan) to the White Beach (the main island) of Boracay. True to the previous stories of many people who went there, the beach was covered with powdery white sand that stretches along the shore. Coconut trees abound giving it a feel of an island-paradise.

A funny thing happened to me when I tried the crystal-clear waters that surround the island. Not an expert swimmer, I took a dip for about 30 minutes. When I got out of the water, I was surprised to see that my body was full of rashes! I immediately went to the bathroom to take a shower. As I tried to wash my body with soap, I realized that the water in the shower was sourced from the sea! Thus, it was salty and would not form any lather. Anyway, a few minutes after my struggle with soap and water, I noticed that my rashes have subsided. It must have been a starfish or a jellyfish that caused it.

We then walked around the island and found many shops selling t-shirts and souvenir items. There were many foreign tourists enjoying the island and its tropical climate. Many of the establishments (bars and restaurants) were even owned by some foreign nationals. It made me wonder, “Is this still part of the Philippines?” What caught our attention more were of course the beautiful women clad in skimpy bikinis and swimsuits. Some were even topless as they walked or sunbathed on the beach. I realized that in Boracay, these are common sights and are not paid much attention to (except for a “first timer” on the island like myself). Besides, I am a natural admirer of "beauty".

Later that day, we explored other adjoining islands. One of which is called Puka Shell Beach where they were selling guess what? Of course, puka shells, which were made into fine jewellery by the islanders. Unlike in the main island of Boracay, the sand at Puka Shell was not as white or as fine-textured but also not as crowded. It is thus ideal for those who like a more quiet or private vacation.

The following day, we went back to Caticlan and then flew to Manila via Kalibo. That is the most that I can remember about my visit to Boracay. I will definitely go back there one of these days.

A Quick Peek at Brussels

2009-06-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

My travel to the Netherlands in 2002 allowed me to visit one of its neighbour-countries i.e., Belgium. I travelled with three of my friends (two Indonesians and one Sudanese). We took a train in Rotterdam, which travelled some 75 miles (a little under two hours) to get to Brussels (the city capital of Belgium). It was raining (like it “always does”, as remarked by a local resident) when we got there but we managed to take a quick look around. We first went to the Grand Place or de grote Markt, a central market square famous for its guild houses and buildings that date back to the 17th century and for its huge Town Hall, which was built in the 1400s. As I stood at the centre of this place, I could not help but marvel at its Gothic and Baroque-styled architecture. Flower merchants and artists (painters) abound in the area. As it kept on raining, we went to a coffee shop not to drink coffee but to taste Belgium’s hot chocolate. When the rain finally stopped, we browsed the many shops and bought some souvenir items and a few boxes of the renowned Belgian chocolates. I could not find any Brussels sprouts though.

As we only had a few hours left (we needed to catch the train to get back to the Netherlands), I thought we might as well look for “Little Julian”. It was actually the moniker of the famous “Manneken Pis”, a bronze statue of a little boy (just 2 feet or 61 cm in height) perched on top of a ledge and “urinating” into a fountain. I know you have seen its replicas elsewhere but the original sculpture dates back to 1619. When we finally found this naughty statue, I could not comprehend why it became famous. Well, it must have been very unusual in the 17th century to see such a work of art. Anyway, because it is a traveller’s habit to pose for a picture with a famous landmark, I did not hesitate to do so. We were not able to explore other places in Belgium due to time constraint but my short visit to Brussels was surely worth it.

Of Windmills, Tulips, Museums, and Red Light (?)

2009-06-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

It took seven long years before another opportunity to travel abroad came to me. Like my “visit” to Australia in 1995, the main purpose of my visit to the Netherlands in 2002 was to participate in yet another three-week training course (this time on Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation) under the sponsorship of the Netherlands Fellowships Programme. There were three other Filipino-participants from different government agencies. I met all of them in the departure lobby of the Manila airport.

We took a connecting flight in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and waited for six long hours until we finally flew to Amsterdam. From the Schipol airport (which I think is one of the better airports in the world), we took an hour-long train ride to Wageningen. The International Agricultural Centre accommodated our stay and at the same time hosted the training programme.

Weekends are always a welcoming respite from intensive trainings like this. Thus, we maximized our free time by visiting some of the Netherlands’ tourist attractions. First stop was the “outdoor museum” of Zaanse Schans, home to historic windmills and houses. I even went inside one of these windmills to see how they do the oil-milling process. To my amusement, the woman in charge of the windmill visit gave me a brochure written in “Tagalog” (my native tongue) when I told her that I am from the Philippines. Well, it simply means that there are many Filipino-tourists in the area. Anyway, I climbed up the stairs to reach the deck of the windmill. That moment, I felt like I was Don Quixote while staring at the windmill blades!

From there, we went back to the Amsterdam Central Station, rode a tram, and visited the famous Van Gogh Museum and the House of Anne Frank. We then decided to take a walk around the city and passed by the famous Red Light District. It was really a culture shock to see the “live mannequins” (sex workers) from behind a window or glass door and shops selling “grass” legally. Anyway, so much for the culture shock. As we rode a train back to Wageningen, we almost got lost as we prematurely got off the train thinking it was already our station. As it was getting late, there was no bus in sight. We were fortunate that a nice chap came by and called a taxi to fetch us from the station. Dutch are (really) nice people!

The next weekend, the training facilitators arranged a visit for the whole class to the Floriade (World Horticultural Expo), hosted by the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The Floriade is held only once every ten years in the Netherlands (from April to October). It was a perfect timing that we were there in 2002 during that period! The experience of seeing those beds of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, carnations, and other varieties of flowers of different colours was exhilarating. It was as if we were in the Garden of Eden. They even built a “hill” (called Big Spotters’) for the occasion. As we know, the Netherlands has a flat topography, thus, that hill could qualify as a “mountain” for the Dutch!

Looking back, my visit to the Netherlands is definitely one of my most memorable and meaningful ever!

An Unforgettable Experience

2009-06-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

It was in 1995 when I first experienced traveling by plane and incidentally, it was also my first trip outside the Philippines (my native land). My country of destination? The “land down under”: Australia! I considered myself “lucky” that time because it has always been my dream of going to a foreign country (just to experience another culture) and Australia was “kind enough” to grant me that dream. Australia is a traveler’s paradise (so they say). But riding a plane for the first time brought an equal excitement. It was a seven-hour flight from Manila to Brisbane. When the plane finally landed and I exited, I was immediately greeted by a very cold breeze (my first taste of "wind chill").

I stayed in Rockhampton, Queensland for three weeks (attending a training on reproductive biotechnologies in cattle under the sponsorship of the Crawford Fund Master Class). There were of course leisure times during the weekends where I along with my new friends (accompanied by a very generous Filipino host) traveled around the parks and other tourist spots. We went to a local zoo and saw the kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and cassowaries (just some of the diverse animal species that Australia is famous for). I find many Aussies (at least in Rockhampton and its vicinity) very warm and friendly (contrary to many impressions that they are racists and snobs).

Part of the training course was to visit some remote cattle farms and ranches in Queensland. The ranch owners were very nice chatting with us and even offering us home-made pastries. Our training facilitator also arranged a group visit to the Great Keppel Island, which is famous for its white-sand beach. The place was not too crowded, as it was not summer yet.

After sailing through three weeks of intensive training, we finally got our certificates. It was on an early morning when I (with two other Filipino-participants) left Rockhampton and boarded a plane in Brisbane that would fly us back to the Philippines. Little did I know that it would be my most unforgettable plane ride. Why? Well, as we were about to land in Manila, I noticed that our plane (Qantas Airlines) kept circling around the air for about 20 minutes. I thought the pilot was just treating us for a fun ride (my co-passengers were in fact enjoying it as if they were in an amusement park). Finally, the plane started to descend and approach the airport runway. It was then that I saw from a distance some ambulances, paramedics and media reporters on the runway. I was puzzled and asked myself “What on earth are they doing there?”. When the plane finally landed, I felt that the runway was “rough and bumpy”. And to my surprise, my co-passengers applauded in jubilation! I asked my two companions: “What is happening?”. They too were not aware of what was going on. Only when we were about to exit the plane that the chief pilot (who happens to be a Filipino) told us that one of our plane’s tires burst as early as when we took off from Brisbane. The plane circled around for several minutes to consume any “excess” fuel that might trigger an explosion upon landing. No wonder there were many “spectators” awaiting our “fate” as they gazed from the tarmac. The incident made the headlines in the evening news on TV that day and the newspapers the following day.

Oh well, I was still lucky that the Filipino pilot had the skills to land us safely (kudos to you captain). But what a way to experience my first trip abroad.

Carabao Island: The Future Boracay

2009-06-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

The Philippines is an archipelago composed of over 7,000 islands. Quite interestingly, of these many islands, there are those that bear the names (either officially or otherwise) of certain animal species, that is why, we have “Babuyan Islands” (from Filipino word baboy=pig), “Turtle Island”, even “Crocodile Island” but I was not aware that there is in fact a “Carabao Island” (Carabao is another term for “water buffalo“). The first time I heard of it was when we visited Boracay in January of 1998. While we were “island-hopping“, a colleague of mine pointed to the island and said that it is called Carabao Island. I was quite amused, and asked the obvious question: “Why is it called as such?” Well, the obvious answer I got was “Perhaps there are many carabaos (water buffaloes) in the island”.

Carabao Island (or La Isla de Carabao) is actually an island-municipality of Romblon called San Jose. While it is part of Romblon, the easiest way to reach the island is via Sitio Caticlan in Malay, Aklan (the same take off point when one goes to Boracay). From Caticlan, you need to ride a motorized pump boat for about 45 minutes to finally get to the island.

My first impression of the island is that it is like looking at Boracay (minus its vacationing tourists, numerous resorts and souvenir shops) with its white sand beach, surrounding crystal-clear water, and coconut trees along the shore. The thing is, Boracay is more accessible from Caticlan (around 15 minutes boat ride) that is why Carabao Island is not yet fully exploited as an island getaway.

The Carabao Island (or the municipality of San Jose) is about three times the size of Boracay, measuring about 2,980 sq. ha (of which 87 ha are cogonal, government lands), composed of five barangays (or sitios), and some 10,731 inhabitants. Farming and fishing are the main sources of income of the island folks. Some are also working in the resorts or commercial centers at Boracay.

Years back, the island was indeed known for its inventory of native carabaos. For some reasons, the animals are becoming fewer and smaller. Nonetheless, during the town festival in May, the island folks regularly conduct Carabao Festival (sort of a “beauty contest” for carabaos), wherein carabaos numbering to about a hundred vie for the prize money of around 5,000 pesos. Now, this is another potential tourist attraction.

If by chance you plan on visiting the more famous Boracay, why not go an extra 30 minutes boat ride to visit the Carabao Island, instead? If you like a more quiet getaway but with an equally stunning white-sand beach and crystal clear waters along the shore, the island is just perfect! And don’t worry, the last time I went there, there were already a few resorts/hotels to accommodate your stay. I learned that they are also currently selling properties in the island. If I have the money, I will surely invest in the area because of its vast potentials.

A Visit to the Mystical Stonehenge

2009-06-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Since I was in high school, I have been fascinated with landmarks or architectural wonders that a particular country is famous for. Being a native of the Philippines and a late bloomer in foreign travels, it has always been my dream of seeing these famous structures and one of which is England's Stonehenge.

I think the first time I saw a photo of Stonehenge was in one of the issues of the Reader's Digest back in the 80s. Since then, I became more curious about it that I remember going to the school library to browse more of its photos in the encyclopedia. As I grew older, I became more aware about Stonehenge as a staple of TV documentaries or even in films. However, it never crossed my mind that one day I will have a chance to actually see this ancient structure.

The dream of seeing the Stonehenge came closer to reality when I was awarded a fellowship to study in Leeds, United Kingdom in 2005. As I was too busy with my research work, it was only in May 2008 that I was able to take a break and toured some parts of England. I joined a group of Filipino students and professionals called "Pinoy-UK" who arranged for the said tour. I was excited because Stonehenge is part of our itinerary. I learned that it is located in Wiltshire (southwest of England), which is about 100 miles (or around 2 hours) from London.

When we finally reached Wiltshire, we first visited the equally famous Salisbury cathedral. After about an hour or so, we headed north to finally see the Stonehenge. Seeing the mystical structure from afar, I felt very excited as it was like looking at a postcard or a page in an encyclopedia. However, as I got nearer, I realized that it was not as imposing or massive as I imagined it to be. I was a bit disappointed especially that we were not allowed to go inside and have a closer look (or "encounter"). We were told by the guards that we should have booked earlier for the purpose. Anyway, we just settled for taking souvenir photos from the fence line.

When we left, I felt that while I finally saw Stonehenge, my curiosity was half-satisfied. What exactly were these megaliths for? Did the massive stones once support a monument for religious or occult rituals or perhaps for an astronomical purpose? With those questions in my mind, this ancient landmark of England remains a mystery to me.