In 1988, I took my first trip outside the Philippines and went to Hong Kong with my parents-in-law. We toured both the Kowloon and Mongkok side of Hong Kong, went to Ocean Park, and sampled the country's delicious local cuisine and exotic fruits. It was summer time in Hong Kong, so tropical fruits were plenty. We climbed Victoria Peak, drove by the Repulse Bay, saw the Tiger Balm Gardens and the floating restaurant in Aberdeen.
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Then in 1992, Bob and I went to Bangkok, Thailand for a few days. We visited several temples where we saw different kinds of buddhas... the Golden Buddha made purely of gold, and the Reclining Buddha which was a massive structure 45 meters long and 16 meters high. We even took a real speedy boat ride through the canals of Bangkok and stopped by the Floating Market. Additional highlights were a trip to the Cobra Farm (Yikes! Bob was not so thrilled...), a visit to the world's tallest pagoda (60 meters high!) and a stop at the Rose Garden where we had a catered lunch and was treated to a wonderful cultural show, including the rites to monkhood.
Isabelle's first trip outside the United States was in 1994. We went to Canada and visited Bob's aunt, Nang Nating. She was a wonderful guide! She lived in Vancouver, BC but she took us on the ferry boat to Victoria, where we saw the very elegant Empress Hotel (where the British monarchs stay during their visits). We also toured the Parliament, the Butchart Gardens, the Crystal Gardens, and the Royal British Columbia Museum where Isabelle saw a giant wooly mammoth! In Vancouver, we saw the totem poles at Stanley Park, and we drove a few miles to see the Capilano Suspension Bridge and the nearby salmon hatchery, Grouse Mountain, and the famous ski resort Whistler.
During the summer of 1999, we took a trip to Europe and visited five countries. It was our first time in Europe, and we hit five major cities: London, Paris, Rome, Zurich and Frankfurt.
Our first stop was in London where we witnessed the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, took a tour of the Tower of London, and fed the pigeons at Trafalgar Square. And I had to have a picture taken next to a red phone booth, of course! As a treat for Isabelle, we took her to the Dominion Theater to watch "Beauty and the Beast" on stage (her first theater outing). Her impression of "intermission" was that it was a time for everyone to go potty. Ha, ha, ha...
From London, we took the Eurostar to Paris, France. We had the most delightful meal on the train, complete with delectable cheeses and superb French champagne! We took in the usual Parisian sights... Eiffel Tower, Arc d'Triomphe, Champs Elysses, the Seine River and the Louvre Museum where we saw Leonardo DaVinci's "Mona Lisa" encased in glass. We also took a day trip to Versailles and saw the palace of King Louis XIII. C'est magnifique!
"Gladiators, we salute you!"... After three days in lovely Paris, we took the 9-hour train ride to Rome, Italy. We marveled at the sight of the Coliseum. Isabelle and I had a picture taken where behind us is the underground maze where the gladiators and animals were kept before being brought up on stage for the gladiatorial battles. We also visited the Basilica di San Pietro, the Spanish Steps, and threw coins into the Fontana di Trevi. Rumor has it that if you threw a coin into the fountain, you will someday return to Rome. (I hope so!) We took another day trip to Florence and saw the Duomo (the dome) of the Santa Maria del Fiore, as well as the famous statue of "David" by Michaelangelo.
Coming from Rome, we took the train once more to Zurich, Switzerland. This time we passed through Lake Como before we crossed the Swiss border. From the train, we had a splendid view of the lake! We got to Zurich in the evening and Bob's cousins met us there. The next day, they took us to Lucerne where we saw the famous Kapellbrucke (Chapel) Bridge all adorned with colorful flowers. Then we headed for Altdorf where Bob's cousins live. They live right in the heart of the Swiss Alps! Altdorf is the home of the legendary Wilhelm (William) Tell. We also drove up the narrow and winding road of the Furka Pass to get to the Rhone Glacier. Check out our photo taken inside the glacier!
Last stop... Germany. Wilkommen! We stoped by Frankfurt and met up with friends of Bob's cousin Liza and they took us around the city. We also went to Heidelberg, and visited the Castle and the Old Town. Our tour included a catered lunch where we got to meet a few tourists just like us. Our vacation was winding down at this point, and we couldn't wait to get home, but we will always look forward to coming back for another visit!
We went for a visit to Manila, Philippines in February 2000. It was good to see family once more. The weather during this time was perfect... it was still a bit cool because the summer heat hasn't quite made its way to the islands yet! For starters, we had scoops of ice-cream in fresh coconut halves to refresh us!
In March 2001, we went to Phoenix, AZ where Isabelle got to celebrate her 8th birthday. We drove to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Williams, AZ and took in the breathtaking view of the majestic canyons. We also went to Sedona and saw miles and miles of red rock and sand, great stone formations and wonderful desert color everywhere! On the way back to Phoenix, we stopped by the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village and browsed through different art galleries and shops selling paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, and other handmade crafts.
![[Footprints in the sand]](footprints.jpg)
August 2001 - Isabelle leaving her footprints behind in Zambales. This was taken during our trip to the Philippines. My brother-in-law's family owns a beach house in Zambales and we stayed there one weekend. Imagine, being able to swim in the ocean during the early hours of the morning! The waters were warm and friendly...
August 2001 - On the way back to California from the Philippines, we passed by Japan and stayed for five days. First stop: Tokyo... Isabelle was fascinated by the high-tech toilet in the hotel! So many buttons to push! We took the city tour and washed our hands at the entrance of the Meiji Shinto Shrine, and visited the Imperial Palace, as well as the Kaminarimon in Asakusa. Then we took the bullet train to Osaka (had a view of Mt. Fuji on the way!) where we visited historical Kyoto and saw the Nijo Castle, the Golden Pavilion and the Old Imperial Palace. The "nightingale floors" in the Nijo Castle were amazing! The wooden floors of the castle were constructed in such a way that the floor creaked and "chirped" as you walked on it. This alerted the Shogun warriors of an intruder. One memorable note: all shopping centers have a storey or two in the basement full of sweet treats, bento lunch boxes, and all kinds of delectable goodies for sale. A true feast for the eyes and mouth!
August 2002 - Our venue this time was Southeast Asia... We went to Singapore first and stayed three days at the Shangri-La Hotel. The service was superb... from the tray of troplical fruits to the platter of gourmet chocolates we had in our room, we felt like royalty. We went to Sentosa Island and took a city tour where we stopped by Little India and the National Orchid Garden. Flowers galore! From Singapore, we headed for Penang, Malaysia (Bob's turf) and stayed at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort for another three days. Truly a wonderful paradise. Penang is an island approximately 4 hours away from Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital. Isabelle had fun swimming in the ocean. We had an outdoor Mongolian Barbecue buffet dinner at the hotel during our last evening in Penang. Look at that magnificent sunset!
August 2003 - We made another trip to Europe to see other parts of Italy. We returned to Rome, where I dropped a few more coins in the Trevi Fountain. I did that in 1999, and the saying IS INDEED true... I did return! We headed for Pisa by train via the coast. What a lovely ride! Surprisingly, the hotel I booked in Pisa was literally walking distance to the Leaning Tower. Isabelle kept taking pictures of us with the Leaning Tower behind us standing straight. She said she was adjusting her camera angle because the tower didn't look right. I told her it was SUPPOSED to lean like that! Duh! We also enjoyed a delicious Tuscan dinner in Pisa where Isabelle had her first sip of a dessert wine called "Vin Santo" or Holy Wine. Then off we went to Venice where we walked through the canals, and fed the pigeons in St. Mark's Square. You really need a map to find your way around the streets of Venice. Very confusing! We stayed in Treviso, a little town not far from Venice, and was lucky enough to witness a street parade with the locals in colorful costumes. Then we headed back to Rome to prepare for our next destination.... Spain!
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From Rome, we went to Barcelona, and we immediately felt right at home. (The Philippines was under Spanish rule for a long time, so the culture is very similar.) No problem with language either! Everytime we'd ride the bus, Isabelle would hand over our money to the driver and say "Tres billetes, por favor" (Three tickets, please!) We also met several filipinos there. One was a chef at a tapas bar, and he paid special attention to our table. We also made friends with a Filipino couple who were in Barcelona for a ballroom dance competition. We visited Placa Reial and hung out around Las Ramblas, an avenue full of street vendors, mimes and pickpockets! We also visited Gaudi's museum and stopped by one of Gaudi's ambitious undertaking, the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral showcasing his intricate artwork. We took a funnicular (a cable car that's slanted... don't ask!) to get to Montserrat, the Benedictine monastery nestled in the mountains where the Black Madonna is housed. Then back to Barcelona (the Parc de Montjuic area) to see the Estadio Olimpico where the 1992 Olympics were held. We took in the sights at Montjuic Castle, the Palau Nacional Museum, and finally the Magic Fountains of Montjuic at night. Isabelle even stumbled upon some cookies named "Filipinos" at the local grocery!
Memorable addition: On our way back to the US, we spent one night in Neu Isenburg, Germany. We were going to fly back to America from Frankfurt, which was 6 miles away. Neu Isenburg is a small town, we saw downtown by foot. Being a small town, not a lot of people spoke English, and since we hardly spoke German, there was a problem. We went to a restaurant, struggled with the menu in German and tried our best to ask the waiter to help us. Then this kind gentleman dining nearby came to our table, spoke in English and helped us order. We were so grateful to him, we bought him a drink. We left our hungry bellies in his hands as he ordered our dinner. We did not even know what he was saying to the waiter! When the dishes came, they looked delicious. He asked if we ate liver, and since I was the only one who did, I took that plate. It was the best liver dish I've ever tasted. It didn't even taste like liver! Needless to say, everyone wanted my dish instead, and I ended up with some beef plate. We had strawberries and cream for dessert, thanked the kind gentleman, and walked back to the hotel. It's amazing how easy it is to make friends even with the language barrier.