A Day At Grace Island

Ambulong, San Jose, Mindoro
Nov. 11, 2011

We arrived at Grace Island around 11am. We were supposed to be fetch around 7am at sikatuna hotel but ended up getting fetched around 9:30am. Since the waves were kinda strong at sikatuna, we were forced to ride the boat at camanauit port which is around 4km from sikatuna beach. Estimated tricycle ride time is around 10 mins. And we paid P70 fare for 4 pax.

The boat travel time to grace island is 1 hour. Fortunately, the weather was fine and the water was perfect for sailing. After an hour, we saw Grace Island from afar and the site was so apealing. Grace Island doesnt have a website yet and it seems an unexplored place for travelers in San Jose. We only learned about G. I. In San Jose airport. But it is much nicer in real life than in the poster.

What to expect: when we arrived the island, we were greeted by its friendly staffs - Daphne and Jess with welcome drinks. Then they made a short orientation about the activities on the island. You can take a swim in front of your cottage. The cottages are floating on top of the seawater. How cool is that! they also have tree houses on the side of the mountain and villas which are still under construction.

Pros: Lots of activities available. Water activities like boating, canoe, kayak, jetski, fishing are available for a reasonable price. They have bike rentals if you like to tour the island. They have a mini zoo with monkeys, eagle, falcon, and pythons. They also have basketball courts and badminton is also available. We got a free island tour but the beach is not quite swimmable coz of the corals and rocks.

Cons: Overnight cottages only have e.fans (no a/c) since the island is only powered by genset which starts at 6pm until morning. The rest of the day no power so better full charge your gadgets before coming here. Water is scarce so you only have mini portalets in your cottages. Shower rooms and CRs are at the hillside treehouses. NO Cellphone signals esp. For Sun subscriber.
When making reservations, Please make sure that you are talking to the staff on the island as sometimes the nos. Available are cp nos of staffs stationed in Manila. We experienced some problems re: transport and food due to poor coordination with the "right staffs".

They dont have restaurant on the island so you have to inform them the day before if you want them to perpare meals for you. Better to bring along food/snacks just in case.

In fairness, the staffs were quite helpful to us and cooked for us a hearty yummy dinner of inihaw na samaral and sinigang na lapu-lapu. Service is personalize - a plus factor for this resort.

The island is still undergoing construction but most likely, after a year or so, Grace Island will become one of the tourist destinations in San Jose, Mindoro. From a high of 5 stars, I give it 2.5 stars.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

A Day in Sikatuna Beach

San Jose, Mindoro
Nov. 10, 2011

After 40 minutes, we arrived San Jose, Mindoro around 7am. Sikatuna is an old beachfront hotel. It is the favorite place to hold seminars and meetings. When we stayed, there was a scheduled DOH and Integrated Bar of the Phils. seminar here. The sands at Sikatuna is powdery black so even if I'm a beach lover, i didnt find it inviting to swim at all.

Pros: They have a restaurant that practically serves everything. They also have a bakeshop if you like cakes and pastries. Must try are their Blueberry cheesecake and brazo de mercedes. For breakfast, try their tapa with egg and coffee. At lunch, You may want to try a native mindoro dish named chicken binacol. It is like chicken tinola with young coconut meat. Food prices are reasonable. Staffs are friendly, accomodating and honest. When i paid our food bill, i wasnt able to count my change. It just so happened that i was shortchanged for around 300 bucks but the staffs honestly returned the money to me.

Cons: Dont expect high standard rooms like developed beaches in boracay or bohol. The have plain a/c rooms with tv. Just enough for sleeping. Rooms also have toilet and bath but no hot shower. Water is strong so no problem in this aspect. You may experience short power outtages from time to time but power comes back shortly.

San Jose, Mindoro has a long way to go when it comes to tourism. From a high of 5 stars, i give Sikatuna 3 stars not for its accomodation but for its honest service.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

GOING TO SAN JOSE, MINDORO

We're planning a trip to Mindoro sometime November this year.  Got the tickets already bound to San Jose, Mindoro.  But problem is, we still dont have a hotel.  This trip was actually one of those out-of-planned trips, which one usually gets while staying in front of the computer and waiting for a promo fare to wherever.  Don't ask me why on earth did I landed getting a ticket bound to San Jose, coz I don't know either.  Just hoping that something good will come out from this trip.

If you have travelled to San Jose, Mindoro before, really need some suggestions re: places to stay together with the family.  Looking at a not-so-expensive hotel, but should be near the beach, and "hopes high" has a swimming pool too for the kids...

Travel Insurance Has An Advantage

I frequently travel with my family to relax and unwind.  The Philippines is such a beautiful country, blessed with 7,100 islands, each place having to boast off great sceneries and historical landmarks. We frequently travel by Air, and I always encounter during my on-line bookings the so-called Travel Insurance Policy.  For Airlines offering budget fares, Travel Insurance is an option of a passenger.

So is Travel Insurance important?  A standard travel insurance policy will cover all the unexpected events that can occur while away from home. Example, Emergency Medical Assistance, Medical Evacuation, Hospitalization Benefits and sometimes can even cover even your Personal Belongings/Luggages which maybe accidentally lost in transit.

On my next travel, I'll seriously consider getting a Travel Insurance Policy.

Bad Experience at La Carmela de Boracay

Just got back from a trip to Boracay and stayed at La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel.
On my arrival, the hotel staffs read the hotel policies, which, one of them would be that "no hotel personnel may enter the guests rooms without the guests authorization."


The next day when we were going out for breakfast at their restaurant, I told my husband that I forgot to bring the food stubs and it was in our room.  So he went back, and he was surprised to see a man --- hotel maintenance guy who is about to leave our room.  So my husband asked him, why did he entered our room.  The man replied that he was asked to check the room since we were already checking out.  My husband told him that we were not checking out and he asked him who gave him the permission to enter the room. So this guy apparently reasoned out that he was advised to check Room 210 but he thought that it was Room 215????... Would you buy that? This reasoning was so unsound and so illogical that only leads to the conclusion that hotel is not really safe at all.

When we discussed this matter at the reception desk, aside from the apologies, all they could say was that we just check if we lost anything.  Huh??? How are we supposed to know if something was missing at that time.  Our stuffs were out of our bags and so hard to know if we lost anything at all.  Worst hadn't we caught this guy in the act, and lost something, we could have blamed it to others.

They call it accident, we call this "INTRUSION".  Maybe the management should do some background check to all their staffs as well, especially if they have access to keys to the rooms.  Until you do this, your hotel guests' security is compromised.  To think that we are willing to pay for thousands of pesos for a so-called "better accomodation" and all you get is this.  To the Lady Hotel Manager --- Apologies accepted but we will never return to your hotel again.

SMART... Simply Unbelievable

I've been a postpaid subscriber of Smart Communications for the past 4 years or so. Signal hasn't been a problem since it's one of the biggest Telco in the Philippines backed-up by its sister company - PLDT.

I am at Smart Wireless Center, Festival Mall Alabang just now to get my new phone for retention. They temporarily transferred to the 4th floor since their shop is under construction. So there is no aircon but just huge industrial fans cooling down the place. What a nightmare it has been to be waiting on cue for the last 2 hours or so and not yet being served as of this writing.

What's even worst is that the guards have not been so attentive that I've been cut on cue twice. They say that they have talked to someone already and just went back. But of course, that's beside the point right? They should have categorize the cueing system not just by payment, sales, or technical, but they should have added retention, returning clients and so.

It's fine to wait in line as long as it's moving and that you never get cut off. Maybe Smart should understand that their business is service oriented and that they should find ways to make customers happy whether via their signal or connection, loyalty rewards or simply via good customer service at their very own shop.


"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"

DRAGONFRUIT JUICE HEALTH DRINK

Dragonfruit Juice Concentrate

Dragonfruit or Pitaya is the fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of the genus Hylocereus (sweet pitayas). These fruits are commonly known as dragon fruit – cf. Chinese huǒ lóng guǒ 火龍果/火龙果 "fire dragon fruit" and lóng zhū guǒ "dragon pearl fruit", Vietnamese thanh long (sweet dragon), Indonesian and malaysia buah naga "dragon fruit", Lao: mark mang gohn "dragon fruit". Other vernacular names are strawberry pear or nanettikafruit.

Particularly red-skinned pitayas are a good source of Vitamin C.  Pitayas are rich in fiber and minerals, notably phosphorus and calcium. Red pitayas seem to be richer in the former, yellow ones in the latter.  The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and in particular Red Pitayas contain very little saturated fat.  Pitahayas also contain significant quantities of phytoalbumin antioxidants, which prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals.

In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a food substitute for rice and as a source of dietary fibre.

Pitaya supposedly increases excretion of heavy metal toxins and lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Eaten regularly, it is credited with alleviating chronicrespiratory tract ailments.

Neovoxtech Trading is the Exclusive Distributor of ZUVIC Dragonfruit Health Drink.  We are looking for local and international dealers.  If interested, please send an email to info@neovoxtech.com.

KOSO Health Drink

KOSO Health Drink is 100% pure-fruit enzymes extracted from grapes, papaya, apple, pine­apple, guava and sugarcane. Sugar contents of sug­ arcane have been converted and hydrolyzed to fruc­tose and glucose. It is a rich source of food nutrients which can be classified as Q10, vitamins and miner­ als. It contains several enzymes which are natural substances that act as workers so that the nutrients, vitamins and minerals are readily assimilated, ab­ sorbed and utilized by the body. KOSO Health Drink is taken as a food supplement. It has no chemical additive and does not contain any preserva­tive.

Functions of KOSO Health Drink

Digest Food Completely (Improves Elimination, Digestion, Absorption)

Cleansing (Purifies Blood & Lymphatics, Detoxifies, Allergy Relief, Improves Skin)

Neutralizing Free Radicals (Combats Side Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, Environmental Pollution, Reduces Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Arthritis, Sports Injury...)

Balancing Health Condition (Balances Metabolism, Normalizes Weight) 

Nourishing (Increases Energy, Stamina, Improves Memory, Retards Aging, Tones Nervous System, Fights Stress, Clearer Thinking, Feeling of Well Being,)

Inventor
After 11 years of intensive laboratory research, Japanese Inventor, Microbiologist and Enzymologist, DR. TETSUO KAMEKAWA perfected the formulation of what was considered the first ever discovery of enzyme in liquid form, the NetLeaders 1 KOSO Health Drink a 100% fruit juice concentrate that contains seven (7) essential and active enzymes, vitamins, minerals plus unidentified potential nutrients.

Accreditations
Registered with BFAD under registration no. FR7152- 96-1, and with its counterparts in the United States of America , Taiwan , South Korea and Japan . Endorsed by Dr. Antonio V. Jacalne, Ph.D., Department of Medi­ cal Microbiology University of the Philippines, Acknowl­ edged by Dr. Emile G Blinzakov, M.D. and medical writer Gerald L. Hunt, in their book entitled "The Mira­ cle Nutrient CoEnzyme," Passed the test conducted by Dr. Gerald Golker, Ph.D., Irvine Analytical Labora­ tories, California, USA , and by the MBC of Japan.

What are Enzymes?
"Enzymes are energized protein molecules. They are the human body's life force and are involved in every biochemical reaction of the body. Vitamins, minerals and hormones must have enzymes to work properly. Life cannot exist without enzymes. Individuals who are enzyme deficient are subject to physical problems, diseases and degeneration.

How Enzyme works?
In today's world, digestive enzymes may be the most important health product a person can take. A person not taking digestive enzymes with meals and in an empty stomach is aging faster and getting older quicker... Because he is using up his enzyme reserves and more of the body's energy to help in the digestion than what it was designed to do. Digestive enzymes help conserve the human body's enzyme reserves (metabolic enzymes). Without digestive enzymes the protectors and repairers of the human body can be called into action to help digest food and to clean up the undigested food particles in the bloodstream. When the protectors and repairers are cleaning up the blood they are being distracted away from doing the job they are suppose to do. Fruit enzymes can reduce the burden on the body's natural curative powers, thus allowing the body to perform its natural, healing function.

Koso Health Drink is exclusively distributed by Neovoxtech Trading.  We are also looking for local and international dealers for this product.  If you are interested, please send an email to info@neovoxtech.com.

Body Massage for Less

After a hard days work, a full body massage is relaxing and therapeutic. Each week, I have a regular massage session with my therapist.

Now a days, massage is available in different forms and prices. Price may vary depending on the place or length of massage. I've had massages ranging from P1,500 to as low as P300. There are even much cheaper massages at P20/ 5 minutes but of course, these are massage chairs and machine operated and usually available in airports and malls.

Do make sure to find time to pamper yourself with a relaxing massage from time to time.

Cheapest Way to Travel by Air

With the onset of cheap and budget airfares, I think you can say that traveling by air is not only still the safest way to travel but the cheapest way as well.  Of course, this statement is relative for the price conscious traveller.

Last year I was able to travel to Bohol, Boracay and Hongkong on budget airfares.  I got a very good deal for 7 people's airfare to Tagbilaran, Bohol for only P11,000 sometime February 2010.  Also, I got a great deal for a promo fare to Boracay (Via Kalibo) for only P2,400 good for 2 pax already.  Meanwhile, our regular family out of the country trip to Hongkong was also a bonus since I only paid P16,000 for 4 pax's airfare.

Buying cheap airfare means you can spend your budget on some other items such as better hotels or "pasalubong" to your family and friends.

Next stop this August 2011 -  Boracay (via Caticlan) for 4 pax for only P7,000.  Quite a steal, don't you think?

Testing Blogging via Email

Just now I browsed thru some features of blogspot and found this mobile template (beta).
They say you can actually send your blog via email by just using this application. So here I am testing.
If you see this article, then it means it works...
"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

For the past couple of years, I've been paying for school bus service for my kids. This 2011 school year, I'll be paying almost P5,000 per month. This drew me to the idea of why not just get a brand new vehicle to be used as school service for my kids. If I get just at least 3 kids, then this vehicle will be self-liquidating.

I inquired for a 2011 Mitsubishi Adventure GLX. I'm surprised to know that the price of the Adventure is P100k cheaper compared to the Toyota Innova J - Diesel. Just hoping that my car loan application will be approved by the bank.

iWEB Does IT!

I bought a Macbook Pro 2 months ago and all I can say that it does the job well done.

I sell stuffs for a living and a computer is more of a necessity rather than a luxury. I mean I'm not much into games or graphics because I only use my computer to do reports, communications, quotations and all that stuff.

But what I do admire in Macs (aside from it's claim that it is "virus-free") is that it does have good apps to choose and use. One particular apps that I just recently used is the iWeb. Imagine, having to create your own website, with a professional look without having to acquire the services of a website developer.

This is an example of a website I've done in just an hour or so:-

Http://www.neovoxtech.com

So if you have a business, and planning to purchase a new PC, then maybe you may want to consider looking for a PC that has/or can download business-friendly apps easily available in just a click of a mouse. Each time you buy, consider it as an investment.

BUY 1 TAKE 1 BURGERS

There are several Food Franchising Companies that offer business packages for Buy 1 Take 1 Burgers.

People would always like the idea of discounts or freebies. That's the reason why this business concept of Buy 1 Take 1 burgers clicked. Imagine, just for P25, you get not just 1 but 2 burgers!

Of course, you can't compare the food quality with branded burgers chains. But I do admire the concept - - - not bad at all.

PIZZA ANYONE?

PIZZA is an emerging fast food choice in the Philippines. In fact, just recently several Pizza food chains sprung from different parts of the Metro. Gone are the days when you just know 3 or 4 pizza chains. Now it's a different ballgame. Pizza for everyone!

Actually just this month, I too got drawn into the idea of having my own Pizza shop. But there is a dilemna. As a newbie in the food industry, should I go to the tried and tested marketing plans of Franchising an established pizza chain or do I make my own pizza and have my own brand?

For sure, there are Pros and Cons in both choices. But make sure before jumping into serious business decisions, you have to make a business plan. So until that day, should I decide to start my own Pizza shop, I'll just enjoy eating one of my fave food - PIZZA.