travel time, you should know thisOctober 27, 2008 6:52 am

  This is the current live ranking of the New7Wonders of Nature nominees. Please support the wonders of the Philippines. Especially my favorite spot which is the Chocolate Hills..

1.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park                 PHILIPPINES - Asia

2.

Ha Long Bay                                                              VIET NAM - Asia

3.

Cox’s Bazar, Beach                                                                 BANGLADESH - Asia

4.

Chocolate Hills                                                                       PHILIPPINES - Asia

5.

Tubbataha Reef                                                                       PHILIPPINES - Asia

6.

Al-hasa Oasis                                                              SAUDI ARABIA - Asia

7.

Ganges, River                                                             BANGLADESH/ INDIA - Asia

8.

Ali Sadr Cave                                                             IRAN - Asia

9.

Sundarbans, Forest                                                                 BANGLADESH/ INDIA - Asia

10.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang, National Park                         VIET NAM - Asia

11.

Fansipan, Mountain                                                                VIET NAM - Asia

12.

Mayon Volcano                                                                      PHILIPPINES - Asia

13.

Lake Saiful Maluk                                                                  PAKISTAN - Asia

14.

Mount Everest                                                                        CHINA/ NEPAL - Asia

15.

Mount Damavand                                                                   IRAN - Asia

16.

Liwa Oasis and Empty Quarter                                  OMAN/ SAUDI ARABIA/ UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/ YEMEN - Asia

17.

Red Sea Reef                                                              EGYPT/ ISRAEL/ JORDAN/ OMAN/ SAUDI ARABIA/ SUDAN/ UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/ YEMEN - Africa

18.

Dead Sea, Lake                                                           ISRAEL/ JORDAN/ PALESTINE - Asia

19.

Amazon, River/Forest                                                 BOLIVIA/ BRAZIL/ COLOMBIA/ ECUADOR/ FRENCH GUIANA/ GUYANA/ PERU/ SURINAME/ VENEZUELA - South America

20.

Mount Fuji                                                                              JAPAN - Asia

travel time, personal favoritesOctober 24, 2008 2:07 am

I went home last week in our province and i was so happy because i got to see the Simballay Festival again after 3 years.. Simballay Festival is composed of different barrios around the town Nabunturan Compostela Valley Province, the people celebrates the bountiful harvest in their barrios. So when me and my mother roam around to see what they have prepared, we were amazed seeing their booths filled with the fruits and products that there barrios are proud to have, indeed every booth showed their creative skills , so with my camera with me, i did not miss the chance to take pictures. so here let me share some of it to you.

booth from brgy san isidro booth from brgy. manat nice man made falls from brgy.manat booth from brgy sasa booth from brgy new sibonga simballay 08 booth from brgy magsaysay me in one of the booths in the festival.. very cute banana in the float parade.. carabao made from banana leaves

sports mania, travel timeSeptember 4, 2008 12:48 am
More than 4,000 athletes are set for the opening Saturday of what promises to be a dazzling Paralympics, with the head of the international movement predicting a "fantastic" Games. Competitors from nearly 150 countries will battle for 472 gold medals in 20 sports at the iconic venues used for last month’s Olympics such as the "Bird’s Nest" National Stadium and the Water Cube. "There are more countries than ever, more sports than ever and more athletes than ever. This is great news for the Paralympic movement," said International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven.

"They’re going to be tremendous sports events, an incredible opportunity for Paralympians to just show what they can do, how they can perform, how they are very much the equal of their Olympic peers. "I’m not going to tell you they’re going to be the greatest Games before they even start but they’re going to be fantastic."

The host nation, which topped the medals table at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with 63 golds ahead of Britain and Canada, is widely expected to dominate again — and even more comprehensively than at last month’s Olympics.

"China is currently very strong across the board in Paralympic sport and, having seen their efforts at the Olympic Games, have shown that they intend to fully benefit from the home advantage of these Games," said British Chef De Mission Phil Lane.

Aside from China’s seemingly inevitable domination of the Games, much attention will focus on South Africa’s double amputee track sensation Oscar Pistorius — dubbed "Blade Runner" due to the specially adapted carbon fiber blades with which he has won a host of titles.

Carrying the flag at the opening ceremony for South Africa will be Natalie du Toit, who finished 16th in the women’s 10 kilometers marathon swim in the Olympics.

The South African, who lost her lower left leg in a motor accident, won five golds and one silver in Athens, and is looking for another huge haul in Beijing.

The final Paralympic torch-bearer reached the end of the torch relay Saturday, with escorts due to carry the flame to the Bird’s Nest to light the Paralympic Torch during the opening ceremony.

The ceremony, involving thousands of performers, will start at 8:00 pm (1200 GMT) and will be attended by dignitaries and sports ministers from around the globe.

The 20 sports at the 13th Paralympics, which ends on September 17, include athletics, swimming, powerlifting, wheelchair fencing and two versions of football — five-a-side and seven-a-side — as well as the lesser-known goalball and boccia.

Although China will pull out all the stops to produce a stunning event, the Paralympics takes place in a country in which the disabled have long suffered discrimination in social, education and employment sectors.

The staging of these Games is part of efforts to change that, according to Jiang Xiaoyu, vice-president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, which is also running the Paralympics.

China’s motto for the Paralympics, comparing it with the Olympics, is: "Two Games with Equal Splendor."

Like the Olympics, the Paralympics have not been free of scandal and there will again be a focus in Beijing to stamp out any cheating.

But the IPC’s Craven said he was looking forward to a clean Games.

"We have worked very hard over the last four years both from a testing point of view and also from an education point of view and we’re very hopeful for good results," he said.

The event dates back to 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition involving World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries in Stoke Mandeville, England.

travel timeJuly 18, 2008 1:41 am

                As if rising gasoline prices weren’t enough, motorists are being hit by higher parking charges, with London coming up tops as the world’s most expensive city to park your car, according to a survey. Parking your car in the City, London’s financial district, costs on average $68.07 a day, or $1,166.87 a month, while parking in the popular West End entertainment district cost $1,135.76 month, according to an annual survey by real estate firm Colliers International that was conducted in June. Sydney, Australia, came in second, with parking costing $774.76 a month, closely followed by Hong Kong at $742.40 a month. Perth, also in Australia, was fourth at $610.42 a month.
            In the United States, New York City’s Midtown was the priciest place to park at $585 a month, followed by the city’s Downtown at $462 a month. The Colliers survey tracked 64 downtown areas in the United States and Canada as well as 74 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

          In Europe, Stockholm was the second most expensive place to park after London ($508.92 a month) while Santiago, Chile was Latin America’s priciest place at $200 a month.

          In the Middle East and Africa, Tel Aviv, Israel and the Gulf city of Dubai were tied at the top spot with monthly parking costing $198.48 while Cape Town, South Africa, came in second at $137.77 a month.And if you’re looking for the world’s cheapest place to park, head to Jakarta, the car-clogged capital of Indonesia, where monthly parking costs a mere $26.07.

travel timeJuly 16, 2008 5:43 pm
        Hong Kong International Airport was voted the world’s best for the seventh year in a annual survey of passengers, with Asian airports dominating the top positions in the list.
The annual survey conducted by Skytrax, a UK-based consultancy, judges airports on more than 40 categories, ranking them after collecting 8.2 million questionnaires completed by passengers over a 10-month time period from 2007 to 2008. The passengers judged 190 airports on factors like shopping, dining, staff courtesy, baggage delivery and wait-times at security.

        Overall, airports in Asia did well. Hong Kong, with its reputation for efficiency and comfort, beat Singapore’s Changi Airport and Seoul’s Incheon Airport in South Korea, which were ranked second and third respectively. Hong Kong has held the title of best airport seven times. Only once, in 2006, it was knocked from the No. 1 slot by Singapore’s Changi Airport.

Also in the top 10 were airports in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Kansai in Japan.

Munich in Germany
was voted the top European airport, ranked fifth in the world, while Copenhagen in Denmark, Zurich, Switzerland, and Helsinki, Finland also made the top 10. Cape Town, South Africa rounded out the list at No. 10.

There were no North American airports in the top 10 list. San Francisco did best, ranked 11th, followed by Vancouver in Canada and Dallas/Forth Worth.

travel timeJune 10, 2008 4:57 am

          Having a car is one of my dreams because I’ve always wanted to go places anytime of the day and anywhere I want to be. I don’t consider cars as a luxury because the help that it gives to every car owner is undeniably amazing, it lessens the expenses in terms of commuting in the public utility vehicles such as taxi, busses, and you also can manage your time because you are the one who rides or control it. But having a car has pros and cons and the most consequences you’ll encounter is meeting an accident. So what if you meet an accident and you car is wrecked? And it’s not insured how will you handle one of the most expensive investment you have in life so far?, that’s why to avoid this dreadful event, there is a way to handle everything and its insuring your car in an insurance company which is reliable enough to give the outmost support, the good thing is you don’t need to go out and insure you car, all you need to have is an internet connection and go to this online car insurance site whose expertise in this particular field is already tested and proven for almost 10 years in service, and a large archive of car insurance articles, tips, and expert advice with low insurance rates built for your own benefit. Be insured and drive safely so that you will arrive to your destination worry free.

travel timeMarch 5, 2008 3:50 pm

 1. Alpine, N.J.

07620

This brick Colonial mansion on a full acre features a screening room, gym, five-car garage, extensive flat lawns and a rear pool. Hardwood flooring covers the interior, which has three fireplaces, seven bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms. It is listed for $6.4 million through Sotheby’s International Realty.

2. Miami Beach, Fla.

33109

This nearly 7,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style home on Fisher’s Island North Bay Road boasts five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a two-car garage and a pool. Wood and tile accents dominate the interior, but perhaps the most stunning feature is the 79 feet of waterfront and dock out back. It is listed for $7.7 million through Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, an affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates.

3. Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

92067

Located in the greater San Diego area, Rancho Santa Fe earns the title of California’s highest-priced ZIP code thanks to a median home sale price of $2,585,000. This five-bedroom, six-bathroom, 6,500-square-foot home is made of stone and stucco with Spanish-style tile roofing. The property is lined with palms, and a backyard pool keeps the heat at bay. It is listed for $6 million through Coldwell Banker.

4. Glenbrook, Nev.

89413

Set on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, this estate is comprised of three separate buildings. The 6,000-square-foot main house boasts six bedrooms and six bathrooms. The 2,700-square-foot guest house has an indoor swimming pool, and the caretaker’s cottage has a two-car garage.  It is listed for $6.9 million through Dickson Realty.

5. Amagansett, N.Y.

11930

Amagansett, located along New York’s South Fork, serves as the playground of much of Manhattan’s A-list. This beachfront Victorian features 135 feet of private Atlantic Ocean frontage. There are views of the water throughout the three-bedroom, three-bathroom house, which has a secluded library and large windows to absorb the sunshine. It is listed at $6.5 million through Corcoran.

6. Water Mill, N.Y.

11976

It isn’t often you find a $7.4 million Hamptons-area cottage, but this Water Mill Arts & Crafts masterpiece fits the bill. An expansive front lawn leads to the six-bedroom, five-bathroom main house, which opens to a rear pool area with a terrace, fireplace and recessed porch. It is listed through Corcoran.

7. Santa Barbara, Calif.

93108

Situated between the mountains and the beach, this Mediterranean-style villa has five bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Views of the ocean are abundant, whether from the main house or the pool area. An outdoor tennis court, a home theater and a covered patio are the main highlights. It is listed for $9.9 million through Sotheby’s International Realty.

8. Purchase, N.Y.

10577

Located in Westchester County, this 10,075-square-foot Colonial-style home overlooks a golf course and has a rear pool and spa. It boasts eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and is located on a quiet cul-de-sac. It is listed for $5.4 million through Sotheby’s International Realty.

9. Ross, Calif.

94957

Winning the honor for the most expensive ZIP code in northern California is Ross, a quiet community just north of San Francisco. This Craftsman-style home sits on over four acres of land and has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, including those in the guest house. Flanked by redwood trees, the 5,671-square-foot home also has a pool and sculpture garden. It is listed for $7.2 million through Christie’s Great Estates.

10. Chilmark, Mass.

02535

On the south shore of Martha’s Vineyard, this 4,000-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom home sits on a bluff above Lucy Vincent Beach and has access to 400 feet of sandy shoreline. High, vaulted, wood-beam ceilings highlight the interior, and front and rear gardens punctuate the exterior. It is listed for $6.1 million through The Lane Associates.

travel timeFebruary 13, 2008 5:29 am
I had my vacation in Bohol last december and here i share to you the places i’ve been. 
 
 
 
Fisherman on the GO!!

This picture is taken when I was riding the boat going to the island  Balicasag in Dauro, Bohol.The fishermen are about to go fishing in this photo.

the floating resto ride
The floating restaurant is one of my favorite spots, its located at Loboc, Bohol. If you wanna ride these floating resto it only cost 250,  with buffet lunch while touring around the river and an entertainer to make your trip enjoyable.
 
tarsier in handup close and personal
My tarsier encounter!! Consider as the world’s smallest primate. In bohol they do not sell the tarsiers, instead they just let the tourist take a picture with the tarsier with them (like what i’ve done). Love them!!
 my cousin in Hinagdanan Cave
In the hinagdanan cave, my cousin pose for a shot. By just paying 40 pesos you will enjoy the magnificent view, and swimming the deep water in the cave, this is one of coolest experience i’ve had.
 
 Dolphin Watching
Dolphin watching was superb, but in order to see this energetic creatures you have to wake up as early as 5:00 am. Hmm sound really early but its worth it !!!trust me!
 
   chocolate hills experienced
The chocolate hills, located at carmen bohol, just 44 kms away from the city, and you will surely be amazed to see the vast number of 1,268 perfectly cone shaped hills. Sometimes considered the" Eight Wonder of the World".  
 
The beach in bohol
 The best beach in the World, located at Panglao Bohol. A perfect place to unwind.emoticon
 
 the largest snake in bohol
                   The biggest snake i’ve ever seen, the 11 year old phyton..whew!, found 6 years ago in Albuquerque Bohol.

                                                   scared me!!heheh
Its 20 kms away from the city and you will get to encounter these huge and a bit scary phyton named Prony, she is considered as the longest and biggest phyton in captivity.