INQUIRER.NET reporter Erwin Oliva gives a quick tour of a roro (roll-on, roll-off) vessel, a boat that can carry vehicles across islands.
It took at least an hour to get from Hagnaya wharf to the town of Sante Fe on Bantayan island.
By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
THE FRESH, cool, and crisp air of the province welcomed us as we were on our way to Nagcarlan, Laguna. Away from the towers in the metro, our eyes were refreshed by the greens of the trees and farmlands. Long trips can make your legs numb but it can make your brain wander in a wilderness of thoughts and daydreams.
Numbness went away when we started exercising our legs and feet for a walk to the underground cemetery in Barangay Bambang, Nagcarlan, Laguna. Though All Souls’ Day is in November, people visit the graveyard because it belongs to the list of our country’s National Historical Landmarks.
The brick and stone walls and iron-gate gave the feel of baroque architecture. As we went towards the old chapel, the tour guide talked about how the underground cemetery became a national landmark. She said the crypt below the chapel served as a secret meeting place of the Katipuneros during the Spanish rule. It was believed that the pact of Biac na Bato was first planned in the said area.
Here’s a video we took of the underground cemetery.
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
SINGAPORE–No, it’s not your regular Ferris wheel ride. You won’t be able to feel the wind blowing at your face. Instead of gondolas suspended from the rim, it comes with capsules that could carry more people. It says one capsule could carry as much as 28 people.
The Singapore Flyer is currently the world’s highest observation wheel. It is 165 meters high from the ground — about 30 meters higher than the London Eye, with a diameter of 150 meters.
The first time I saw the Singapore Flyer, it looked much like the London Eye from afar. I almost had my chance to ride the London Eye several years ago.
After an afternoon session with a key executive here, Oracle Corp. decided to take the visiting Southeast Asian journalists for a ride — a unique one. Most of us were first-timers. So everyone brought their digital still or video camera to document this 30-minute ride.
INQUIRER.NET executive editor Leo Magno goes to the highest point in the state of Illinois at the viewdeck of the Sears Tower, 1,353 feet from street level (the building itself is 1,451 feet high, 1,730 feet if the antenna is included). Magno visits the restroom at the skydeck which, according to Sears, is the highest restroom in the world from street level, excluding restrooms inside airplanes flying overhead at 30,000 feet.
Video taken in Chicago, Illinois.
INQUIRER.NET executive editor Leo Magno accelerates from zero to 160 kph in less than three seconds onboard the tallest Slingshot in the world.
The amusement ride, the tallest such Slingshot at 390 feet, is at the Midway Arcade on International Drive in Orlando, Florida.
By Candice Montenegro, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
FOR SOMEONE like me who lives right smack in the middle of Quezon City, the Alabang area is practically unknown territory. Malls, restaurants, and other commercial establishments are within a 30-minute drive, so except for the occasional road trip to visit friends, there usually is no need for me to travel down south.
Café Año gave me a reason to.
The quaint little restaurant is hard to miss. Located in Westgate, Filinvest Alabang, Café Año is right next to Alabang Town Center and is just a few kilometers away from nearby village Ayala Alabang.
I interviewed Café Año president Dionnie Guerrero. Check out the video.
INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla tries out the unique spiral escalator at Caesars Palace.
Video taken by Eribelle Tapalla in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UPDATE: Editor’s note: Added video.
By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
THE HUANG Pu River cuts through Shanghai, dividing it between ultra-modern Pudong and culture-rich Puxi. After a hurried lunch, I took a quick break from the first-day sessions at the Intel Developer Forum, which was at the Shanghai Convention Center in Pudong, located near the river.
Being the lone Filipino journalist, I bumped into a fellow journalist named Kema (editor of CNET Turkey) while grabbing a smoke outside. A first-timer like myself, I tagged along when he said he was crossing to the other side via this tunnel right (Editor’s note: The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel) in front of SCC.
What the heck, I thought, I’ve got a few minutes to kill and a bit of a walk would be a welcome treat because I was feeling the springtime chill.
Not much walking, however, because it was actually a train ride to the other side of the river. The ride cost 40 yuans (or RMB as they call it here).
Anyway, so much for sightseeing, I did expect to see the bottom of the river! It was more like a light show that reminded me a lot of Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” “Lightseeing” tunnel then, huh?
Here’s a video I took.
INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla went to the Port Area in Manila to check out the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s Gwapotel inn, the country’s version of Japan’s capsule hotels, a type of cheap accommodation.
So, is Gwapotel any good? Watch the video and judge for yourself.
INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla checks out the different attractions Tiendesitas has to offer — and ends her tour with a kalesa ride. Video taken by Luigi Gonzalez and Erika Tapalla.
Plus here’s a video of the pet store that sells exotic animals which Erika visited at Tiendesitas. Video taken by Ayo Supangco.
