Puerto Prinsesa...An Adventure like no other

Yes! Im back in Palawan...and I am already 2/3 in visiting this island paradise (El Nido na lang). And I must say that this time in Puerto Prinsesa, its one big adventure with many firsts.

This time, im with 2 of my closest friends from high school...Keith and Rhyan. It should have been four, but Angel have to back out to attend to her business. Sayang it was supposed to be the first time for all of us to have a vacation.

We booked our flight months ahead. We got the tickets through Cebu Pacific, 1800 per person, two way. Since we seldom go for a vacation, we preferred having our flight booked ahead of time. Para more time to prepare and file for vacation leaves sa office.

Looking for a hotel to stay is not that easy. Puerto Prinsesa, since it is a tourist destination has lots of hotels, ranging from cheap, to expensive. Since this is the first time for the three of us, we agreed to look for a hotel that is not cheap..and not too expensive also. And we just found the perfect one, Aziza Paradise Resort. Just look at the pictures and you will know why we chose it.

Do I need to say more? This hotel is the perfect place for us. From the lobby, the swimming pool, the facilities, they have a bar, a resto, a videoke room, a playroom for babies, a clinic, a gym, and soon i think thats a wall climbing facility. Kumpleto na talga. We stayed at their family room that is good for four. I think its 4k per person (4 persons), 3 nights, includes breakfast buffet, airport transfers and wifi. Not bad...not bad at all. You can contact them through their website www.azizaparadise.ph

We arrive in Aziza just in time for lunch. We ate at their restaurant since we were waiting for our first tour, which is the City tour (600/person). The food was amazing! And its cheap.

That is steak, pork chop and grilled fish. Masarap lahat!

I suggest that before you go to Puerto Prinsesa, you should have already planned the tours that you will be going to. Fix them before you go, para walang hassle pag dating nyo dun. Our first tour would be the City Tour.

City tour, as the name suggests, will take you around the city of Puerto Prinsesa. I was hesitant at first to avail for this tour, because I was thinking that we can just go by ourselves. But I was wrong. It was, and it is recommended to avail for the City tour. The City tour is 600/person that includes an air-conditioned van, all of the necessary entrance fees, and will take you to at least 5 places in PP.

The first stop will be Binuatan Weaving Creations. They will show you how to make the home made weaves that they are doing locally. And they will even let you try to do something on your own.

After weaving, we went to the famous Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center or popularly known as Crocodile Farm. I was excited since its my first time to see up close crocodiles of different shapes and sizes (yes,,,shapes). The place doesn't only have crocodiles, but other wildlife as well, like bird, etc. Again the entrance fee, is already included in the payment for the city tour.

a short briefing before going inside

baby crocs...they are in the hatchery...ang dami nila...and they can jump!

this is the biggest one there. its not moving though...and notice the shinny things in his back? Piso un :)

a full scale skeleton of a crocodile. im guessing thats his skin at the back.

Right after the Crocodile Farm, we went to Bakers Hill. As the name suggests, its a Bakers house on top of a hill. As it grew, the owner added several attractions, like life size cartoon charaters, a mini park that has a view of the mountains at the back. They offer different food e.g. hopia, crinkles, pili nuts, etc. that is perfect for pasalubongs. And amazingly its cheap. One box of hopia, 10 pcs, 45 pesos only. And it taste good! Kumikitang kabuhayan kasi inside Bakers Hill is the owners house. You have to see it for yourself. :D

with Marilyn Monroe. The house at the back is I'm guessing belongs to the owner

mini garden

mini garden pic...hehehe

Mitra's Ranch is just five minutes away, from Bakers Hill. It is owned by the Mitra Family (remember Senator Ramon Mitra?) This was their vacation home. Its acres and acres of land. The house sits on top of the hill. You are allowed to enter the house (the mitras doesnt go to this place anymore) for a certain fee...parang 50 pesos ata. Well the view is breathtaking.

If my house has this view, i wouldn't leave.

The last part of the tour is vising the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Its a perfect end to a great tour. But just beside the church is a historic place. The Plaza Cuartel. The plaza was a prison camp for American and Filipino soldiers during WW2. The history of that place is both amazing and creepy at the same time.

the entrance to Plaza Cuartel

the interior of the church

Want to know where we had our dinner? Click here

The Fault in our Stars

Honestly, I was a little bit hesitant in watching this movie the first time it came out. The thought of just being another chick flick always comes to mind. Its not that I dont like watching chick flick, but its just not my "cup of tea".

But this movie is totally different.

I was smiling, thinking and was even teary eyed while watching it. I actually admire the writer of this book. Because it captured everything that is needed to become a great book, and now a great movie.

I love the way how I was pulled to the story of the two protagonists.You know that feeling that you have known them for a long time, that you tend to sympathize with what is happening to them. Emotions go from happy, to sad, then happy again, then super sad, then hope will be the last thing that you will feel.

The main factor that made this movie a success, is not just the story, but I strongly because of the actors Hazel and Gus (Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort). Both of them made a great job in portraying the characters. How Gus was charmingly sweet and alive, and how Hazel was both fragile and strong at the same time.

But I think the main thing that hit me with this movie is the lesson it brought me, is the hope that it brings.That everyone deserves to live to the fullest and experience to be loved. That even their eternity was short lived, they knew that their love was true.

Hopeless romantic??? maybe yes. But for the most of us, that is what we are all looking for right? We all long to find that someone who can let us experience true love, for eternity, or even for just for a while.

Definitely worth watching with your special someone.

Rating 8.5/10

Noah (2014)

Finally, after two months of waiting, Noah, the highly anticipated movie from Russel Crowe, has made its way to Philippine cinema.

My expectations is mixed. It was high, but was curious on why it was suddenly pulled out a day before it was supposed to be shown last April. I heard different rumors about it, stating that it was not based solely on the Bible (oh oh...), and I think, that most of it was just a product of the directors imagination.

The story begins with a short background of a young Noah, how his father was killed and how his family started. i cant contest on this part, for I have forgotten how Noah really came about (its either I forgot, or it was not mentioned in the Bible), but I'm guessing that I have just forgotten it.

Then came the visions of Noah, the dreams of the floods. Thats how he got an idea that he needed to build an ark. If you can remember, it is stated that the family of Noah helped build the ark. And they are called the Watchers. They are fallen angels who turned into rocks, with flowing lava and everything. (obviously not in the Bible)

Another difference will be, how the people tried to stop Noah from creating the ark. In this version, there was like a whole army trying to stop him from building the ark. The story in the Bible, it started with few people from town who ridiculed Noah, and saying that he was insane, but they did not stop him from building it.

And last major difference would be the family of Noah. I can remember that he had three sons. All of which later married before they entered the ark. In the movie, he indeed had three, but they had no wives. Along the way of building the ark, they adopted a girl, (Ms Granger from Harry Potter) and became the love interest of Noahs first born. I think this was not in the Bible.

If you are going to base this movie from the story in the Bible, its different in many ways. Yes there was the flood, the pairing of the animals, and the story of Noah. But there were a lot of additional things that was included, that would make any person who knows the story, will have their eyebrows raised, and utter "hmmmm, thats not how I remembered it happening". A person who doesnt have any background on the story, will surely enjoy this. But for most of us who knows, it will be a movie full of questions.

No wonder it was pulled out. Just my two cents though.

Rating: 

7/10 just because of the changes in the story.

8/10 for the effects and how the actors portrayed their roles.

How to Train your Dragon 2

Well Dreamworks has done it again. This time they have delivered again!

My expectations for this movie was really high, because I enjoyed watching the part one of this movie. And I made sure that I will be watching this movie in the movie house (for the whole movie house experience..hehehe)

So the movie begins 5 years after the first one. Hiccup is being groomed as the next chief of their tribe. But the Hiccup that we know, just like the first movie, doesnt want to be one, or at least he is not prepared. What he is most interested on, is to discover new lands, and of course discover new species of dragons. His relationship with Toothless is stronger than before, they are like talking to each other now. Knowing each others moves, and understanding what each other is saying.

I will not spoil the whole movie, because its an adventure as it is. I will just say that its worth your money and time. Its both good for adults and kids. Traditional Dreamworks movie, there is always a lesson to be learned, and most of the time, the lessons learned are the things that we adults, often take for granted. Thats what I like about animated movies, its not only for kids, but there is something for us adults that will remind us the things that we often forget.

Rating: 10/10 
this is the first movie that i have a perfect score by the way, truly deserving.

X-men: Days of Future Past

Awesome!!!

That is the best way to describe this movie. As a kid who grew up in the '90s you have to agree with me that the tv series, uncanny xmen is one of the most watched shows back then. And watching it on the big screen, being portrayed by real life people, is a kid's dream come true.

The story took off several years after the war against mutants started. Its the era into which mutants are being hunted down by Sentinels (yes they are there, all in its metal, ice and fire forms). If you have watched the tv series, you will know that only a few of the former xmen survived this era. They are the ones who is continually avoiding the sentinels. I dont want to go deeper on what happened on the movie. I will just outline it for you.

• New mutants: Quicksilver, Link, Bishop etc will be introduced in this movie
• Not everyone will be going back to the past as the poster and the title wants us to think.
• Havoc, together with Beast will be shown again in this movie.
• Quicksilver has a sister, who will later be known as Scarlet Witch. Their father, Magneto
• The past took place right several years after the first class
• Most of the mutants that we loved will be in this installment
• Many of them will die :D
• One thing i didnt understand: How did Professor X and Magneto appeared in the future, if in Xmen 3, one died and the other lost its power. (I hope someone can explain this to me XD )
• There is an after credits scene. Wait until everything finishes.

Ok thats enough for now. You just have to watch the movie to grasp how awesome they were able to make this movie. I think its by far the best movie of this installment. In terms of the actors, the acting, special effects, and story line is amazing. Those who will say that its not that good, have their expectations so high. Dont expect anything from this movie, and you will surely enjoy it.

Rating: 9.5/10

Godzilla (2014)

Remaking a movie is one of the most "in" things to do in the movie industry now a days. And Godzilla was not spared.

What makes this installment different from its predecessors, specially the last one? One simple answer, Godzilla saved the day. Yes you heard it right, in this movie, Godzilla is a protagonist. :D (spoiler)

Well according to a close friend of mine, if you follow closely the Japanese version of Godzilla, the monster is really a savior, contrary on how he was portrayed on the last movie.

In this movie, he has two alien like monsters to defeat, who despite years of being not together, was able to mate and create eggs. I forgot to mention that the male specie originated in the Philippines. And it revolved from there on. Going from the Philippines, then to Japan and finally to America. Both monsters are attracted to radioactivity, and thats how they were able to feed and grow. And when they were about to destroy America, then cam Godzilla.

I was not a fan of the Japanese version, so when his back glowed blue and started to breathe blue fire, my eyes went OMG! hahaha...Because as we all know, well as for me, Godzilla was a big mutated lizard, but it seems its not. Now I dont know what he is...maybe a dinosaur that spews blue fire. And apparently Godzilla, only wants to be the sole monster of our planet. hahahahaha.

This movie is something different, and I think its one of the most underrated movies for this year. Its worth your time and money. And by the way, you should be watch it now because just a week after its showing, will be the new movie of Xmen, and after that will be Maleficent. So a lot of new movies to watch for.

Rating: 7/10

Movie Watch: The Amazing Spider Man 2

I have waited for this movie since the first one finished showing several years ago. And its just me to be there the first day it will be shown. And yes I did.

The story took off several years after the first installment. And this time Peter and Gwen is about to finish studying. The opening scene, is the first fight scene of the movie, and you just cannot miss it. Its one of several amazing fights scenes from the movie.

What I like from this movie is the sense of humor the two protagonists is giving, Their chemistry is undeniable ( they are real life couples by the way ). Their scenes together is so natural. Another would be the acting. In my own honest opinion, Andrew Garfield is a better actor for the role. Not too serious but not too cocky as well. Just a right blend of a guy that just finished his studies. The last thing would be the costume. I dont know if you notice it, but its completely different from the previous costume (the eyes are more bigger). And last but not the least, just like the first, I love the story line. Just like other superhero movies that saves the day, this one has something different in it. I guess that is the vulnerability of the protagonists.

I know that comparing is not good, but we just cant help but to compare the story line of the Amazing Spider Man to the first trilogy performed by Tobey Maguire. Its a little bit different.

Now, if you are not a fan of the comics, just like me, the ending part of the movie will be someone of a downer. But I guess people who really follows the story of Spider Man already knows this.

I would not mind to watch this again. Definitely worth the watch.

My Rating: 9.5/10

And by the way I prepared for this one, and the food that I ate inside is amazing. Two very large french fries, one big burger and two large cokes. Satisfied tummy it is :D