tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58991355023500500252024-03-06T16:15:49.256+08:00Eye in the SkyEYE IN THE SKY - Remote places whispering tales of a wanderlust. Travels in Madagascar, Brazil, Peru, the Seychelles, Bhutan, Maldives, Fiji, UAE, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, and then some.
This is a Philippine blogsite; a "journal" solely meant to document my travels. Cover photo taken in Ilafy, Madagascar.eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.comBlogger985125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-6122942027725348062018-11-03T16:14:00.000+08:002018-11-03T16:14:00.132+08:00Denarau Island as Jump Off Point to Paradise (Viti Levu, Fiji)
Denarau Island is a multi-use facility for Fiji's tourists located west of Viti Levu, Fiji's main island. Attached to the main land by a short causeway, the island is the home of Port Denarau, the jump off point for travels to the islands of the Mamanucas and the Yasawas further north.
It has Port Denarau Shopping Center, cafes and restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe, a bakery; a pizzaeye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-83602436038663491862018-10-29T16:23:00.000+08:002018-10-29T16:23:02.951+08:00Tropic of Capricorn Beach Resort (Wailoaloa, Nadi, Fiji)
Wailoaloa Beach has limited choice for accommodation in this area. But when transiting in Nadi, I'd rather be where the sea is. Nadi City wasn't a very pleasant option. Of course, I also considered a B and B in Martintar, but that didn't pan out. There were elements in the online reviews that turned me off.
Meanwhile, Tropic of Capricorn had free airport pick up, two swimming pools,eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-6510650660102890572018-10-24T18:17:00.000+08:002018-10-24T18:17:13.499+08:00Fijian Tales - Of Wailoaloa Sunsets and Meeting Other Filipinos (Nadi)
Four hours was enough sleep for me. I felt recharged like it was a new day. It was 4 PM. I was going to recover within hours from my impending sore throat which, for me, was usually a prodrome for the flu. From my 3rd floor balcony, Wailoaloa Bay looked serene.
The gentlest of breeze blew from the west while I took a walk on the beach. I'd sit on the sand and just gaze contentedly at eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-7248984600201500282018-10-19T18:51:00.000+08:002018-10-19T18:51:07.701+08:00Sundays in Wailoaloa Beach, Nadi, Viti Levu (Fiji Islands)
On the morning of my arrival in Nadi, the airport town (now its newly minted 3rd city) of the Fiji Islands, I was blessed with a gloriously sunny Sunday. Fiji sleeps on its Sabbath day. Stores are shut and public transport rests. Nothing stirs, "not even a mouse". Between 7 and 11 AM, me and my luggage waited for a room to be vacated. Visiting Nadi Town, about 3.8 kilometers away, was out eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-57657941685804896872018-10-13T16:33:00.000+08:002018-10-13T16:33:02.888+08:00Fijian Tales - Traditional Dining at the Tropic's Bamboo Kitchen (Nadi)
It was early morning Sunday when my plane landed in Viti Levu, Fiji's main island. The airport town of Nadi (the newly minted 3rd city of the country) slumbers on a Sunday. In fact, nothing stirs all over the islands. They take their Sabbath day seriously as a great number of its population are Christians, then Hindu and Muslims. Most shops are closed. Even public transportation isn't eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-44904630277834959912018-10-09T16:59:00.000+08:002018-10-09T16:59:04.380+08:00Upper Farm - Rustic Atmosphere in Upper-End Steakhouse (Digos City, Davao del Sur)
It was a pleasant surprise finding Upper Farm in Digos City, Davao del Sur. The joint is a hamburger and steakhouse set in a rustic ranch-inspired, rough-around-the-edges diner at the back of a department store. Some readings point out that the concept of the place is partially a tribute to the owner's parents who were farmers. I just dropped by and ordered a heavy set of chicken wings pairedeye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-74626758176159910502018-10-06T14:13:00.000+08:002018-10-06T14:13:10.426+08:00Zark's Burgers - Fat and Tasty Burgers (SM Davao City)
Zark's Burgers is home grown, make no mistake about it. From a small 18-seater, 3-man crew somewhere in Manila in 2009, the restaurant has grown with multiple branches nationwide.
The restaurant was envisioned as a burger place that's more affordable, value-driven and one that can fill up your tummy with their huge serving of food. It is among the fastest growing restaurant chains eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-24685776130995080242018-10-03T16:56:00.000+08:002018-10-03T16:56:00.423+08:00Hotel Vicente - Finding a Home in Davao City
Last Kadayawan Festival (August), I found myself scampering for a last-minute booking to visit the city. It wasn't for the annual festivity but for something else. Most of the major hotels were fully booked, understandably. Six hours before my scheduled check-in, I found Hotel Vicente. I arrived but was 3 hours too early so I just registered, left my baggage at the front desk and went my eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-39319774992055877202018-10-01T16:26:00.000+08:002018-10-01T16:26:07.447+08:00Durian as Davao's King of Fruits (Davao del Sur, Philippines)
Along the roads of Davao del Sur, south of Davao City, you will sometimes find these makeshift stands selling Durian when they are in season. There are plenty of varieties, but the most popular and reliable is the Puyat variety which has milky meat, smaller seeds, and they're easier to break open. In this collection, there's a "Coob". Other varieties include "Puyat" (the gold standard), "eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-19182020238450257862018-09-28T21:23:00.000+08:002018-09-28T21:23:08.561+08:00The Streets of Fukuoka City (Kyushu, Japan)
Fukuoka is the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture. It is a city with two centers. The older area is called Hakata which used to be a city until it was merged with Fukuoka. Hakata has the main transport station. The other center is Tenjin, the social epicenter of Fukuoka. Financial operations and entertainment centers are in Tenjin. The city has 3 subway lines so it's relatively easy to get eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-17212331165902895122018-09-25T17:48:00.000+08:002018-09-25T17:48:00.771+08:00Hakata Station - Fukuoka City's Main Transport Hub (Kyushu, Japan)
When my plane landed in Fukuoka, I opted for the bus to take me to Hakata Station which is 15 minutes away (about 2.7 kilometers). This was because the bus' access was easier, not to mention cheaper (260 yen), than getting a single subway ticket. It was too late for a day pass. The bus took me straight to the station which was a dizzying activity of manual traffic. It's one of the eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-78319435592403575632018-09-21T16:51:00.000+08:002018-09-23T15:08:28.147+08:00Night Stroll in Nakasu, Fukuoka's Red Light District (Kyushu, Japan)
Naka River from Fukuhaku Deai Bridge
Someone wrote about Nakasu as "the underbelly of the dregs of Japanese society" where yakuza and the local mafia rule alongside street walkers and geishas. It is this picture that fueled my imagination. I've been to Quartier Pigalle of Paris, Reeperbahn of Hamburg, Soho of London, Kabukicho of Tokyo, Nagarekawa of Hiroshima, Tobita Shinchi of Osaka, eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-49840348596526205232018-09-18T10:59:00.000+08:002018-09-18T10:59:03.651+08:00A Taste of the Authentic Tonkotsu Ramen of Fukuoka (Kyushu, Japan)
"Do you have Ramen?" I kept asking that question in every diner at a corner of Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka. Rows of food joints litter the space and I wanted a taste of the world famous Tonkotsu Ramen that Fukuoka is known for. But everyone I asked shrugged their heads. I was baffled. Ramen is supposedly everywhere, particularly by the roadside as makeshift stalls called "yatai" eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-52495965775379647802018-09-16T22:54:00.000+08:002018-09-16T22:54:00.173+08:00Information and Access on Travels to Yame City and Kurogi (Fukuoka Prefecture)
The photo above is that of the Yame Chuo Tea Plantation, the iconic symbol of Yame City, Japan's source of its best tea. The same photo is the cover of the Yame City Tourist Guide brochure. We're dedicating this post to share information on travels to Yame City if you come from, say Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka. We're posting this because there are very few English-language eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-6013746420479518092018-09-12T16:16:00.000+08:002018-09-12T16:16:03.773+08:00Reiganji Temple and the Monk who Brought Tea to Kyushu (Kurogi, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Long time ago, a wandering Chinese monk traveled to Japan, bringing with him tea seeds. Before then, there were no tea plantations in the country. He loved the remoteness of the mountain that he eventually stayed to start a tea farm in Kurogi's fertile soil. Soon thereafter, tea plantations spread across the land. So goes the story behind Japan's favorite tea. It was indeed adjudged as theeye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-11739585385932819212018-09-09T16:11:00.000+08:002018-09-09T16:11:01.341+08:00The 620 Year Old Wisteria Tree of Kurogi (Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
You have to respect something that has seen the world for 620 years, right? Like this Wisteria (Fuji) tree in the town of Kurogi. The village has put up a torii in honor of this tree. It has survived earthquakes, wars, typhoons. floods, and economic recessions (hah!) I just wanted to touch its bark and sort of "shake its hands". It was an honor to have met you, Mr. Wisteria Tree.&eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-53122414793316200532018-09-06T20:50:00.000+08:002018-09-06T20:50:03.925+08:00Yamanoi Park of Yame City (Fukuoka Prefecture)
Yamanoi Park stands just a few steps beside a riverine community. The area I visited is sparsely designed with a torii at the front, flanked by pine trees. It looked a bit worn down. There's an interesting stone lantern at the back. There's also a stair at the side and an edifice that could be a temple, which is styled like the machiyas in town, with white walls. Surrounding it is a vast eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-58306671256114683292018-09-03T17:07:00.000+08:002018-09-03T17:07:09.081+08:00The Giant Stone Lantern (Ishidourou) of Yame City (Fukuoka Prefecture)
At the Yame Dentou Kougei-kan (Yame Traditional Craftwork Center), there is as giant lantern that might as well be a torii or a pagoda because of its size. It is the biggest Stone Lantern I know.
In the olden times, stone lanterns were light towers that had double purpose: as illumination and as offering to Buddha. These days though, stone lanterns are ornamental elements of eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-4427800977031998522018-08-30T19:17:00.000+08:002018-08-30T19:17:03.807+08:00Handicrafts Heaven at the Yame Traditional Crafts Museum (Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
If you're the type who likes to take home traditional handicrafts as souvenirs, then you'll have a grand time visiting the Yame Traditional Crafts Museum (Yame Traditional Craftwork Center/Yame Dentou Kougei-kan) located in Motomachi, Yame City.
There's a giant stone lantern at the yard leading to the entrance. Once inside, a spacious hallway filled with traditional handicraft will eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-19059477064143493212018-08-27T22:02:00.000+08:002018-08-28T20:10:42.070+08:00Myoeji Temple's Lush Surroundings (Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Myoeji Temple was mostly deserted when we visited. It's an idyllic space filled with plants and trees, as well as a red Chinese-style temple at the side, seemingly misplaced in Japan's mostly earth-toned temples. Like the temples featured in our previous post, Moeji is part of the Yame-Fukushima Traditional Architectural Preservation Zone.
Yame City Map in Japanese
eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-47376753143907495802018-08-25T23:24:00.000+08:002018-08-25T23:24:01.677+08:00Yame City's Shofukuji and Muryojuin Temples (Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu)
Shofukuji Temple, Yame City
The temples in the central area of Yame City aren't particularly striking but they reek with local color. During our visit, it would intermittently rain so our time to check out the surroundings was limited. It didn't help that these temples were closed.
Shofukuji Temple has a children's playground at its lawn. It has a more traditional design, with eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-73617774201158008022018-08-23T15:58:00.000+08:002018-08-23T20:53:00.612+08:00Fukushima District's Machiya Houses in Yame City (Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu)
Some of the most beautiful of Japanese countryside I have seen are in the remote corners of Yame City in Kyushu. That's a fact that doesn't need sugarcoating. Thus when I read about Fukushima District's row of "Machiya" (traditional town houses), I knew that's where I wanted to go first. Take me there!
White Clay Walls
There are about 130 documented buildings of varying designs from the eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-33086900419235406732018-08-20T16:16:00.000+08:002018-08-20T16:16:00.452+08:00Momiji Manju at Momijido (Itsukushima, Hitsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture)
Miyajima (Itsukushima) is a dream destination; one of the 3 most visited in Japan. But it also has a contribution for regional gastronomy, bridging a bit of history, culture and food consumption. I like food representatives from places because they elevate cooking and food preparation beyond appearances. With this, consumers gain a sensibility for the art of taste.
Miyajima'seye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-67244356316691350132018-08-16T16:33:00.000+08:002018-08-16T16:33:15.082+08:00Okonomiyaki in Reichan (Hiroshima, Japan)
Soba has thinner noodles, and is made of buckwheat and wheat flour.
Years ago, I met a girl traveling through England at an ATM machine in London. She had difficulty using the machine for some reason. I stepped in, and we were acquainted. After that, she left for her onward travel to Nice (France) while I stayed in London. We used to send postcards to each other until we lost contact.&eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899135502350050025.post-53994364775051338072018-08-13T17:21:00.000+08:002018-08-14T23:03:30.386+08:00Keika Ramen's Soy Sauce-Based Shoyo in Shinjuku (Tokyo)
Just beside Tokyu Stay, my hotel in Shinjuku Suehiro, was a ramen shop offering no-frills dining in this metropolitan corner. Keika Ramen originated from Kumamoto - home of tonkotsu ramen, thus you see the prefecture's icon Kumamon somewhere in their shop. It's been in business for 30 years.
Keika is a small ramen bar with affordable dishes on their menu. Upon entry, they will offer eye in the skyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172970161842361404noreply@blogger.com0