eulapanda

Legazpi City, Albay: Unveiling the Majestic Mayon Volcano

by eulapanda - 8:37 AM

No comments

TahoTally (Cebu, Philippines): Good 'Ole Taho with a Twist

by eulapanda - 7:51 AM

No comments

Daraga, Albay: The Mayon Volcano Lava Trail ATV Adventure

by eulapanda - 11:00 AM

No comments

Daraga, Albay: Mayon Volcano and the Cagsawa Ruins

by eulapanda - 6:56 AM

No comments

Hala Paella (Cebu, Philippines): The Best Paella in Town

by eulapanda - 9:29 PM

Hala Paella is the newest restaurant craze to hit Cebu. I’ve been seeing a lot of this restaurant’s photos in my Instagram feed that I vowed to myself I’ll swing by whenever I find myself in Banilad. This instagram-worthy food place is actually located in Banilad Town Center, right in front of Dimsum Break.

Paella is a Spanish dish made of rice seasoned with paprika and saffron (which gives its golden color) and topped with seafood, meat, chorizo, or vegetables. I’ve had my first fill of Paella when my aunt made this at home and it has been a long time since then.

The rustic, homey, and well thought-out interior of this tiny restaurant probably made this unique from the rest - aside from the fact that it also serves a usually expensive dish at an affordable price.

Take your pick! Great to have it solo or have it shared with your family.

With just about a hundred pesos, you’ll get the chance to eat one pan-full of paella goodness with 6 different flavors to choose from, namely: chorizo, aligue, negra, lechon, valenciana, and pollo.

Pan sizes and prices vary from solo (1 person), grande (2-3 persons), to familia (4-5 persons) servings. Aside from paella, they are also serving calamares (Php 88), Gambas (Php 88), Chuletas (Php 108), Callos (Php 118), Lengua (Php 118), among others.

I ordered Paella Valenciana - topped with mussel, chicken, shrimp, lemon wedge, chorizo, squid, and peas.

While Francis got the Paella Chorizo, obviously topped with Spanish chorizo and some freshly chopped herbs. They also have Paella Negra that I'm excited to try out the next time I drop by.

Hala Paella is a quick go-to place for some comfort food paella fix with budget-friendly prices. Just don’t expect too much of the topping and taste and you’re good to go.

Hala Paella

Location: Banilad Town Center

Operating Hours: 10 AM - 11 PM

Contact Number(s): (032) 344-4252

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halapaella

No comments

Small Kitchen Surprise: Pinoy Style Omelette

by eulapanda - 12:24 PM

No comments

Oslob, Cebu: Swimming with the Whale Sharks

by eulapanda - 7:00 AM

Whale Sharks also known as Butanding (in Tagalog) or Tuki (in Cebuano) are formidable creatures of the sea. And they are for a good reason - they are said to be the largest fish on the planet, capable of growing more than 40 feet in length. Their mouths could reach a width of over 3 feet which could easily swallow my diminutive size with just a gulp! Yikes!

Tourist boats lining up to get up close with the "gentle giants" of the sea.

But even with its humongous size, these "gentle giants" aptly live to its moniker as they only eat plankton, krills, and tiny fishes.. It's even possible to swim with them in Oslob, a once quiet fishing town in Southern Cebu. Over the recent years, this has become a "whale shark circus," attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world for the chance to swim with them and see them up close.

This sudden rise to fame is not without controversy. The people of Tan-awan, Oslob may have enjoyed the benefits that whale shark tourism has brought to them but others fear that this alteration in the whale sharks' natural habitat and migration patterns would do more harm than good in the long run.

The orientation - do's and don'ts when swimming with the whale sharks.

After the orientation (which all tourists need to go through), we proceeded to our assigned paddle boat and went a few meters from the shore to where the action was. The boatmen were kind enough to answer our questions and even reminded us of the regulations we needed to follow prior to jumping off the banca.

It was an amazing experience seeing them up close! There were about three or four of these creatures swimming about in the area. At first I was scared that they might chop my head off or something but these sharks seemed to be more focused on getting the krills that were being thrown by the boatman to lure them to swim nearby to the delight of the tourists.

I hadn't given much thought about the controversy surrounding the whale sharks until I got the chance to experience it myself earlier this year. It may seem harmless at first since the sharks are well fed and well-taken care of. And to add to that, whale watching has been a great help to the local tourism of Oslob.

Whale Sharks are migratory animals and I personally think that if we continue this kind of activity just for the sake of tourism, we are killing them slowly. In Oslob, whale sharks are hand-fed and most likely they would stay longer than necessary because food is readily available for them. A shark named Mr. Bean even stayed for more than 200 days. Though stricter rules have been implemented surrounding tourist behavior, I still feel that they are caged and lured with food for the sake of entertainment.

As the song goes, if we really love them, we've got to set them free.

Where is Oslob, Cebu?

Oslob is a quiet town in the southern part of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Whether you arrive by plane at Mactan Cebu International Airport or by boat from nearby provinces, Ceres buses bound for southern towns are readily available at Cebu South Bus Terminal. Just make sure you take the Bato/Santander bus - fare is around 150 php.

Don't forget to tell the conductor to drop you off at Barangay Tan-awan in Oslob or just simply say "Butanding" (they would know right away).

Quick Tips:

Swimming with the whale sharks is only allowed in the morning so its best to leave Cebu City at dawn.
If you hate the crowd and long queue, weekdays will be the best for you as it gets really crowded during the weekends and holidays.
The use of snorkels and masks is already part of the fee but if you don't feel like doing "mouth-to-mouth" with other people you don't know, better bring your own snorkel gear for hygienic purposes.
Wear rashguard or any protective clothing. The use of sunblock is not allowed. They even ask you to shower and to remove the sunblock from your skin before you ride the banca.
Don't use cameras with flash.
Do not touch nor go near the whale sharks. Always maintain a safe distance of 4 meters or more.
Be careful all the time and be wary as you go underwater. Remember, you are sharing the sea with these big creatures, dozens of boats, and scores of frantic tourists all eager to see these coveted creatures of the sea.

Note:

300 php - Just watching from the banca

500 php - Swimming with the whale sharks (local)

1000 php - Swimming with the whale sharks (foreigner)

300 php - estimated roundtrip bus fare

***Special thanks to my friend, Albee of albeeholic.com, for sharing the footages in the video. Visit her site for more travel tips and recipes! :)

No comments

Life Lesson #1: Have a Grateful Heart

by eulapanda - 9:53 AM

Not a lot of people may know this but a few years back I was able to go to America, the so-called "land of milk and honey", to visit my dad who was working as a Special Education teacher in California.

It was Christmas break on my fourth year of college when I first visited the place. It sucked having to miss the last Christmas party of your college life but at that time, the prospect of going on an international trip for the first time - all by myself at that - was an opportunity I didn't want to miss. The second time was two days after I took the licensure examination but I'll talk more about this some other time.

Life Lesson #1: Have a Grateful Heart

People would say I am lucky. The chance of waking up on the other side of the world isn't something we get to enjoy every time we want to. But I would rather say I am blessed; blessed to have visited a country we only see in the movies or daydream about.. But more importantly, I feel blessed to have learned essential life lessons that would mold how I see life now that I am an adult.

I remember my first international plane ride - I took a direct flight from Manila to Los Angeles with a quick stopover in Guam via Philippine Airlines. It was a long ride with a lot of bladder holding (as I didn't want to bother the man sitting on the aisle seat) and numerous hustling about to get to that "perfect sleeping position" on a cramped economy seat. And it doesn't help either that someone was snoring so loud that a baby couldn't help but cry all night.

I was alone, tired, and grumpy.

But when I woke up the next day to the sound of the flight attendant's "Good morning" coupled with a fresh warm towel to wash the face with (I didn't figure out yet how to use the warm towel not until I saw someone do it) and my seatmate smiling at me, that I realized life isn't all that bad after all. I smiled at this thought and couldn't help but be thankful as a childhood dream unfolds right before my very eyes: waking up on a crisp December morning with snowflakes glistening outside my window.

Let's all try to have a grateful heart.
:)