A Stranger in UP-Ayala Technohub

In 2009 a joint venture of the University of the Philippines and Ayala Land was inaugurate and was listed among one of the several economic zones of the country. Located along Commonwealth Avenue, this I.T. Park is home to Convergys, IBM and restaurants The Kanin Club and Seafood Island, where we had our dinner with friends. The Technohub park is illustrated with glowing orbs, manicured trees and spectacular fountains. Christmastime in the hub is a temporary haven to workers in the area and visitors from other cities. 

Orbs of different sizes changes gradually changes color.

Water pillars 

Mystical jets of light pointing towards the moon

A couple of Christmas balls

They are not that big. :P

Having fun!

I hope I won't slip

Push!

The left wing

Yep, they won't budge

A Stranger in Palawan - Part Two

Our Day in Puerto Princesa was spent on the city tour. We tried to cover as much ground as we can and since its impossible to accomplish that in four days, we promised that we would be back soon.

We hired a tricycle to bring us to where most of the tourists go. Of course we made the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm first on our list. Its a long drive to the place, it is a beautiful day and visiting a prison seems like a good idea. :P

No we don't have any convict friends out here. Iwahig is such a popular destination among Palawan visitors. Prisoners here work their way into pardon by farming. They also sell crafts which they themselves make.

Yes, we are on the right track

Keychains, wind chimes, statuettes, T-shirt, just like your regular souvenir shop. You might even bump into a prisoner selling their issued uniform for 300PHP.

And yes, dreamcatcher

One auditorium was converted into a badminton court

Escape route?

A lone heron on our way back

Ah, Farmville.

Next stop. The Congress.

I don't know wht this is but it sure looks interesting.

The bones and skin of a killer crocodile.

Just hope this place won't get flooded.

More flora.

And fauna.

A ranch owned by the late Ramon Mitra.

The Baker's Hill is boast not only of delicious pastries but also of amusing scupltures, ladscapes and wildlife.

Insomniac?

Not only in Greenhills do they have pearl jewelries.

Another place rich in flora, The Butterfly Farm.

Why do the monochromed ones are the only one actively flyring around?

Golden jewels.

Finally a very satisfying lunch at Chicken Inato. One of the best fares we tasted here in Puerto Princesa.

A Stranger in Palawan

True to the mission of not being a stranger in your own land, my wife and I booked a trip to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, a long narrow strip of land southwest of Manila. Home to the 7th wonder of the world nominee, the Subterranean River.

This would be our first time to travel outside the mainland Luzon. The weather is favorable, and I have graduated from a point and shoot digicam and had newly acquired an entry-level Canon 1000D. With too much excitement, I forgot to unplug the memory card from the PC so the first thing we did upon reaching Puerto Princesa is find a store that sells memory card. I only got a 1gb card from a phone store so every time the camera reaches its limit, I upload pics on Facebook.



The NAIA Terminal 3 waiting area. You don't have to worry about food. WiFi accessible.


The Puerto Princesa Airport

A proud billboard welcomes the guests of what to expect.

Yeah, it's me.

And my wife. Note to self: Buy a tripod.

Puerto Princesa has fascinations on gigantic Christmas trees. They are everywhere.

A blurry shot of another tree along Baywalk.

Honda Bay, starting point of the island hopping. A must do in Palawan.

A beautiful lifeguard in Pandan Island.

Grilled fish and pork, salted egg and eggplant salad, green mango, bananas and cucumber.

Yeah, Life's beach!

Snorkeling, next buy: underwater camera

Ka Lui, quaint restaurant serving seafood. Nice place.

The food is good but not that impressive.

Next time, this is where I want to go: Kinabuch. This is where they serve the tamilok.

Stopover along the way to the Underground River.

The cave entrance.

Unfortunately I did not see any monkey aside from the ones with us on the boat. :P

Stalactites. Or is is stalagmites?

The cave is pitch black, boatmen carries battery powered floodlights.

From where we enter we exit.

Vietnamese rice noodle fare at Bona's. Too sweet, the toast is good.

To be continued

External links:
Palawan Philippines Underground River
Vote for the Subterranean River for the New 7 Wonders of Nature, click this link
New7Wonders