It took at least an hour to get from Hagnaya wharf to the town of Sante Fe on Bantayan island.

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.

The crypt gave us goose bumps as we made our way down the stairs which connect the chapel to the underground cemetery. The ceiling was covered with paintings while the tiled floor was slippery wet. The crypt housed 36 tombs according to the tour guide. She also related that the crypt was restored. However, it seemed to be renovated more than restored. Outside the chapel, we also noticed tombs buried on the brick walls.

Before we left the town, we stopped by a store to buy espasol to take home. When I took a bite of espasol, I found myself wondering how this soft and chewy delicacy of Laguna is made. So I asked Aling Ester Almanzor how Aling Belen’s Special Espasol is made.

Here’s a video showing how espasol is made, and Aling Ester recounting how her mother, Belen Castelo, established Aling Belen’s Special Espasol.

As the rain started to pour, we decided to go home. I thought the trip ended with buying pasalubong but I was wrong. We were already inside a jeepney when two townsfolk started chatting about getting rich.

The woman shared: “Alam mo, may kakilala ako dati na magbobote na tumaya sa lotto. Nanalo siya at yumaman kaso naloko sa sugal. Ayun, bumalik siya sa pagiging magbobote.”

On the other hand, the man said, “Kung mahirap ka, kampante kang matutulog na kahit bukas ang pinto mo. Kung mayaman ka, marami kang alalahanin. Mahirap din maging mayaman.”

Eavesdropping may be wrong but I could not help but hear what they were chatting about since we were in a jeepney. Not only did my ears hear real-life stories but my eyes also caught interesting signboards that I forgot to capture with my camera.

My photographic memory made me remember what was written on the signboard: “Sugal na Bisyo Mo, Salot sa Pamilya Mo.” Another signboard had this message, “Ang masipag umuunlad. Ang tamad naghihirap.”

Surprisingly, it reflected the conversation of the townsfolk.

Long trips can be exhausting but the learning experience makes you richer — even more than the millionaires.

Editor’s note: Photos by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Isadora Morales. Interview conducted by Morales. Videos taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

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.

The capsules were air-conditioned, making the ride very comfortable. At some point, you might think the capsule is not moving.

The funny part during our ride was that we realized that we were too busy taking photos and video clips, we forgot to enjoy the view.

It is best to ride the Singapore Flyer during sunset when you can witness Singapore transform from a concrete jungle with areas of green to a colorful and bustling metropolis that reminds me of Hong Kong at night. The observation wheel itself starts showing different colors at night. The view from up there is magnificent. In fact, you can see some parts of Malaysia and Indonesia from the top. Of course, you’ll be seeing most of Singapore.

You can find more facts and figures here.

Just like the Taipei 101 experience, this is one Asian icon that you should not miss. Now, you can add this to your list of places to visit when you’re in Singapore.

Editor’s note: Photo and video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Erwin Oliva.

Video taken in Chicago, Illinois.

The amusement ride, the tallest such Slingshot at 390 feet, is at the Midway Arcade on International Drive in Orlando, Florida.

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.

Formerly known as Café Adriatico, the restaurant is now under new management and was re-launched on the first day of April 2008. The restaurant still carries some of Adriatico’s all-time favorite Filipino dishes, but the recipes were modified to carry its own Café Año twist. A new menu was developed to include a wide variety of Italian, American, Japanese, French and Korean dishes.

Still, Filipino dishes remain the most requested from the menu. Some of their kitchen bestsellers are the Alugbati Salad (red spinach with bagoong, lemon and chicharon), Lumpia Mais (corn, shrimps and onion, wrapped with rice paper and deep fried) and the Pata Bawang (deep fried pork leg topped with savory garlic bits).

The relaxed ambience gives off a fine dining vibe, but the prices are definitely not as steep. Guerrero said the restaurant is not marketed for fine dining. The main entrées and even the house wine are priced reasonably to make sure that guests enjoy both food and wine. Guerrero said people are ordering more wine because the prices are “hindi harang, hindi mabigat.”

And that’s why it appeals not only to foreigners and expatriates living in the vicinity but also to families, couples, executives and even call center agents who enjoy the wide assortment of breakfast meals after an early morning at work.

But what really keeps guests coming back to Café Año is their very own rendition of well-loved dishes. Unique to the restaurant are dishes like Pork Chop Bulgogi (with kimchi and sprout rice) and Pinangat na Tapi ng Bangus (bangus belly wrapped in fresh Taro leaves simmered in gata). For dessert, enjoy the popular Maruya ala Mode and Turron Manga at Suman.

Guerrero said an expansion is part of the plan, but this all depends on the development of the Makati-Parañaque-Muntinlupa area. Meanwhile, they are enjoying the patronage of guests from nearby villages.

In the meantime, I guess “north dwellers” like me would have to make that trip to the south.

Editor’s note: Video taken by INQUIRER.net community evangelist Alex Villafania.

Video taken by Eribelle Tapalla in Las Vegas, Nevada.

THRILLED yet scared.

These were the mixed emotions of a first-timer in Quiapo.

The place is known as the playground of those who like to slash bags or pick someone’s pocket. In spite of these risks, however, people from all walks of life still visit Quiapo because it simply has a lot to offer.

Every Friday, Black Nazarene devotees flock to the Basilika ng Nazareno to hear Mass. A few who seek other answers stroll outside the church, where fortune tellers await them.

Here’s a video I took showing faith and fate co-existing in Quiapo.

Here’s a photo of fortune tellers waiting for customers in their designated area, a few steps from the church.

For professional photographers and photography enthusiasts, R. Hidalgo Street is the destination. Known as the photographer’s haven, R. Hidalgo Street is a shelter of stores that sell anything that has something to do with photography.

Here’s a video of my visit to R. Hidalgo Street, where I interviewed Ogie Almoniña, president of the Hidalgo Business Organization and owner of the M20 store.

In September 2006, R. Hidalgo Street was rehabilitated. Vendors in the streets were relocated. But after two years, they were back selling ukay-ukay and other wares.

You will also find street kids running here and there. Here is a little boy trying to protect himself from the heat of the sun.

“Sa pagbabago ng kalye, naging hazard, inconvenient sa customers,” says Pining Latupan, manager of Columbia.

She recalls that this is a far cry from the scenario in the 1970s. Back then, the streets were clean and peaceful. There were no vendors in the area.

Times are changing, and one must learn to adapt. That’s one of the things a first-timer learned as she wandered around Quiapo.

Still thrilled, and also relieved that she left Quiapo with an unslashed bag.

Editor’s note: Photos and videos taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Izah Morales.

ASK for a P1,000 bill. Browse your old Araling Panlipunan book. Surely, you will see the sketch of the Banaue Rice Terraces. Yet seeing the greens with your own two eyes would mean a guessing game on which is which. You will be surprised to see many terraces in Banaue, Ifugao.

The one sketched in a P1,000 bill is the terraces located in what they call the view deck, near the town proper of Banaue. You would not only have the chance to see the staircase-like mountain, but you may also walk directly into the rice paddies.

The view deck at Banaue View Point can be easily accessed through a short tricycle ride from the town proper.

Aside from this attraction, a bahay kubo beside the deck would catch your attention because of its unusual decoration. You might wonder why bones are used as decor.

According to the Ifugao woman living in the kubo, hunting is a way of life. Displaying the skulls and bones of animals is a sign of bravery and serve as status symbols.

Not only do the bone decors embellish the Ifugao’s dwelling place but the bundles of harvested rice grains also add appeal to the facade. They may remind you of miniature versions of Cousin Itt in “The Addams Family.”

But there is more to these grains than a cartoon show look-alike. You will know why when you visit the rice terrace in Barangay Batad.

You need to go up a steep, slippery, and stony mountain — and that is a thirty-kilometer walk. That makes 60 kilometers back and forth. Imagine how sweaty you can get. Just tell yourself that you’re burning your calories. Not only that, you’re also lucky you have shoes to protect your feet while the natives walk barefoot.

It will also surprise you to see them carrying something heavy like an LPG cylinder. It seems dangerous but to them it is not. You will notice that even children are climbing up and down the mountain.

Though exhausting, you will not regret it once you are rewarded with the breathtaking sight, and welcomed not only by the cooler temperature but also the warm hellos of the natives. It is also surprising to learn that they are very fluent in English. An aged native carrying her granddaughter on her back shared that they learned English from the foreigners who visited the place.

Beyond the greens of Banaue are the Ifugao — the people who molded and cultivated the mountain with their bare hands.

Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime and Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. QuickTime and/or Flash are required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.3MB each.

“A LOT of hot air!”

That was what I told my friends when they asked me after I got back from attending the 12th International Hot Air Balloon Festival. They were supposed to go with us that morning, but the thought of waking up and being on the road at 3 in the morning was surely a tough one.

The pleasant drive towards Clark Freeport Zone, where the festival is always held, took about an hour from Manila. Officially, this was my third time to attend the balloon festival.

For the uninitiated, the balloon flight always takes place early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is because in order for a balloon to generate lift, there should be a significant difference in temperature between the ambient air and the air inside the balloon. With hot air being lighter than cold air, the lower temperature early in the morning and late in the afternoon serves to make the balloons more buoyant.

A total of 21 balloons took part in this year’s festival, majority of them foreign entries from Europe, America, and Asia.

Before the start of each day’s activities, there’s always the anticipated flag ceremony. This features a Philippine Air Force skydiver, with two escorts, jumping out of a plane and unfurling the national colors while a military band plays the national anthem on the ground.

Flag ceremony (Note: Turn on your speakers)

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Balloon preparation usually starts at around 5:30 a.m. The heavy baskets were brought to their respective setup area with the help of the Angeles City Four Wheelers Club. The balloons were then first inflated with air, and as it slowly took shape, hot air was then blown in to make it rise. Once everything checks out, the pilot released the anchored rope.

Tiger balloon unfolding

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Octopus balloon

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Balloons start ascent

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Balloons in midair

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The hot air balloons may be the highlight of the festival, but certainly they are not the only attraction. Some of the activities included synchronized kite flying, balloon busting by an airplane, remotely controlled model aircrafts, acrobatic flights, para-gliding exhibitions, ultralight formation flying, and scores of other demonstrations participated by our Philippine Air Force, commercial airline operators, local flying clubs, and aeronautical schools.

Weekend visitors

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Philippine Army APCs and tanks

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The annual event is held to drum up support for tourism, promote the Philippines as a sports aviation destination in Asia, and increase public awareness on hot air balloons as an aviation sport.

VRs taken from February 7-10, 2008. The author can be reached at fung@firefly.ph