Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Aug 2016 - I was very excited to see my hometown again after almost 11 months. Last year I was home in Sept. To assist in the birth of my 1st grand daughter. Now she had started to walk already and learned how to play and please everybody. How fast time flies ... next month on Sept 2016 she will be 1 year old already.
Hello there Ella ...
Her 2 elder brothers were growing fast too. Now I can enjoy watching them play bubbles with tbeir cousins by our terrace and hear their laughters and see how they giggle in excitement playing innocently altogether.
How I wish I could stay longer every time I come home to watch them grow ...
Anyways, I am a busy grandma always looking forward to my limited holidays. I have to see places and visit relatives, siblings scattered in different places. Visit some nice scenic spots away from my hometown too. I had visited Palawan with my son and brother. I got 2 escorts to carry all my loads. Lol !
Like me, we were like kids excited to be in a new surrounding.
I am lucky to be able to take them out there . Being able to see what other places in the Philippines look like . Puerto Princesa Palawan is a famous tourist destination for its under water caves and voted one of the world's best nature spot. You can find a lot of accomodations suit to anyone's budget. Food is also abundant and not really expensive as well as transport. People are very friendly and helpful. Water sports and activities are readily available and access to several islands nearby.
Eventhough our hotel is about an hour ++ drive from the airport, the roads were built for a smooth journey to Astoria ( our hotel for 3 days 2 nights ).
The hotel got lovely well spaced rooms and totally new ! All I can say about this place in and out is wow ....
Rooms are well equipped with lightings, aircon, hot shower, internet connection, safety boxes and personal amenities for a more pleasuranle convenient stay.
The restaurant on the other hand offers a variety of good ala carte food / buffet barbecue although super pricey as compared to other places outside the hotel that can be to troublesome to visit coz too far away .
Worth visiting in this island are the souvenir shops selling South Sea Pearls and native delicacies from sweets to dried seafoods. Palawan is the haven for South Sea Pearls in the Philippines. I was lost in paradise the moment I saw the pearl shops ! I made sure I got my bargaining skills when buying a few to take back with me. Sometimes I got lucky and few times I had turned my back and walked away... sigh !
I didn' t wanna go back to the hotel after seeing all of these ... can you blame me ?
Oh My God !!!
Seriously, I cannot stop myself from buying jewelries. Whether just raw materials for my projects or finished designs for my own personal use.
Also, being in places and shops like these is always a torture for me when I see some thing I really like but I can't afford to buy it. Oh well ... at least I am happy just being able to buy a few of what's in there somehow. What about you , will you feel the same ?
Friday, July 22, 2016
July 22, 2016 - My short holiday to Bali was well spent walking around and touring some nearby places from where I had stayed in Legian. Legian is located north of Kuta which on the other handmwas indeed a very busy area in Bali where most of the tourists were concentdated to party hard. I didn't go there to party though but with a mission to find some silver components suppliers and of course check for some beadshops in the neighboring area too.
I was lucky to have met a good driver in the airport when I arrived in Bali. He became my tour guide when I rented his taxi to take me to some silver suppliers. I didn't find the real silver components manufacturers but I found some reputable finished silver jewelry suppliers in Celuk instead. This village is the silver and gold centre of Bali.
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| Mop and Blue Coral Pendants |
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| Finished jewelry from UC Silver showroom |
Most of the places I had been to only sells the finished jewelries. I got frustrated when they won't disclose where I could find a place where I can buy the silver findings / components I need for my beaded jewelries. I am sure they were just nearby. Lucky I stumbled on 1 silver findings shop as we drove along Celuk on that rainy day. Despite it was pouring rain, I told Juni the Balinese driver to keep on driving till we find a shop selling what I need.
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| Going thru small little streets off the main road ... |
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| Small narrow streets as we search for silver artisans ... |
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| What I found and bought in 1 silver components shop . |
Anyhow, quite a bonus that I had managed to find a bead shop just about 300 meters from my hotel. Oh my gee... I was so delighted when I walked in there . See what I mean ? My eyes were feasting ...
Oh well, it gave me a hard time to come out of there without buying anything . Of course I didn't leave the shop empty handed. How can I ? Impossible ! So I ended up getting at least 20 strands of differnt types of recycled glass beads. The owner was very nice and accomodating. I will surely come back to this shop once I set my foot in this area of Legian again.
For now, all I hope is to come here again for another holidays soon.
Fingers crossed !
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