Los Angeles Blog

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What to do on a 3 days lay-over in Los Angeles. No intro needed. We go straight to the essentials.

Getting Around : Flyaway bus from LAX Airport to Union station and back. 12.75 USD per way. Union station connects passengers to the city’s Metro Train. Train stations in LA are fairly easy to navigate. And for convenience, I purchased a TAP card at the station as my mode of fare payment, instead of cash. Unlimited Train fare package can be purchased at 7 USD/day or 25USD for 7 days use. Check nyo nalang google for more info.


Where to Stay: Choose Hollywood Blvd. It’s where the magic happens (for tourists). Hollywood is considered the heart of Los Angeles due to its strong association with the American film industry and its status as a major entertainment hub. The area’s iconic landmarks, like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre, draw tourists and are symbols of the city’s rich cinematic heritage.

I Stayed at Samesun Hostel, which is conveniently located at the front of Hollywood Highlands Metro Station. Pricewise, this hotel is very much justifiable. The famous Hollywood Walk of Fame is just outside of the hostel, as well as the TCL theatre. Any hollywood movie fan will enjoy this area. Price per night is around 2,200 Pesos (backpackers/dorm type). Room is pretty spacious to share with 5 other guests. Quiet din ang place, and legit malamig ang AC, malinis, and bathroom/toilets were good. Light continental breakfast is included with the stay; oatmeal bars,cereal, bagel, creamcheese, butter, apple, orange and hot drinks. Generous nga eh. Also, may drinking water for free, 24/7. Wifi din.

In all honesty, I find LA cheaper and more likeable than NYC. and mas chill.

Fun things to do:

Star hunting at Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre. Free activity ito. Walking by the star markers and hand prints is the closest that we can get to our favourite hollywood stars. On special days, we also get a chance to see (or at least get a glimpse) of the stars themselves on special events at the TCL theatre.

Added knowledge: Parasocial relationships—the relationships that people have with media figures such as actors, celebrity influencers, or even television characters

Hollywood Wax Museums: Madam Tussaud is the most popular. Some of the statues are set up at the lobby. Free photo op for all. Horror Museums can also be experienced if that is your thing.

Universal Studios: The Amusement park complex is a bit of a walk up from the metro train station, but there’s a free shuttle bus that can take you to the front of the park. Free Photo outside and the mall side of USH is open to all.

The original Jacket used by Uma Thurman for Kill Bill movie, the original Captain America shield are on display at USH mall, among other memorabilia.

Griffith Observatory: Free activity din. Griffith Observatory is southern California’s gateway to the cosmos! Visitors may look through telescopes (for Free), explore exhibits, see live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, and enjoy spectacular views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. Griffith is situated up the hill, but there are DASH buses from the Vermont/Sunset metro station for only 35 cents.

Got to see a closer look the moon and planet Jupiter with this power telescope, for free!

Architecture Appreciation: A stroll around downtown LA is a feast for the eyes of lovers of architecture. I visited Disney Concert Hall, the Broad Modern Art Museum, among others. The best spot for modern LA is around the Grand Metro Station.

Santa Monica State Beach: The public beach famous for the Baywatch Series. This beach can easily be reached via the Metro Station with the Tap Card. Aside from the beach view, there’s also the iconic Santa Monica Pier with its own amusement park, equipped with the world’s only solar-powered Ferris Wheel and a roller coaster.

As I observed, Food choices and hostel stay are relatively cheaper in LA than in NYC. Based on my trip preparations din, plane tickets to the US from Ph are the cheapest when LA is the chosen point of entry. Gusto ko sa LA. I am definitely going back.

As for the US Visa details, to follow na lang! ems.

BAMBOO BOOTCAMP BLOG

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Sharing random photos and memories from my short/crash course with Bamboo Bootcamp. Bamboo Bootcamp is a 10-days immersive workshop, exploring specific areas of interest in bamboo such as Propagation, Carpentry, Treatment, Design and Build. The bootcamp starts with lectures and discussions presented by various speakers in the field of bamboo farming, to usage of the material, as well as environmental impacts of this industry. On most days, we did hands-on works such as general construction, weaving (we made kalakat), as well as furniture design, which was my favourite part of the experience. The organizers are based in Davao City, but the workshop venue shall be set up at varying provinces in the Philippines, depending on the schedule and season. My batch was hosted at Bukidnon.

The bootcamp enrollment package is all inclusive; workshop, materials, tools (since we did our own carpentry works), food and lodging for 10 days + 1 rest day. On our rest day, we toured around private farms in the area that cultivates other agri-products like coffee and adlai/barley grain. I had a pretty good time during my stay, as the venue was set at a farmhouse surrounded by bamboo plantation, as well as fruits. Aside form the learning opportunity, I took this experience as a retreat, sort of a rest and time away from the hectic work schedule. Food was great, by the way. With buffet 3x daily, the extra kilograms cannot be denied. Course is open to anyone who is interested with the bamboo crafting. Design/construction background is not required, but is an advantage. Get in touch with Bamboo Bootcamp organization for schedules. Click Link here.

EL Salvador Blog

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“Parang Pinas lang,tih!” Yan gyud una ko naisip nung naglakad2x na ako around San Salvador City.

In a good way though, kase saktong kaulion napud ko ato na time. Running 30 days na ako sa travel, I needed something familiar and San Salvador gave me that. First thing, parang Pinas lang ilang main road. Parang Davao. Parang San Pedro Street to be precise, with Palengke sa dulo and Church naman sa kabila, with road repairs din, Ukay2x stores and BBQ kiosks everywhere. Tas yung mga sound system na stores, naga loop play ng Blackpink playlist. Oh di ba?

Here below features a karinderia-like set up along the street. oh diba parang Pinas lang? katulogon pa si Anteh.

Many of the food choices are also quite familiar, with obvious Hispanic influence. Madaming dishes na masarsa at ginisa. Afritada is a common thing, as well as chorizo. Compared sa Mexico na mas common ang tacos at corn tamales at bread/tortilla, mas ramdam ko ang rice supremacy dito sa Central America.

Never ako nagutom sa San Salvador (in fact, sa buong Latin America naman). Food is affordable.

They also have Leche Flan. lol

San Salvador also uses a Jeepney-like vehicle as mode of transportation. They call it chicken bus. If this is not your thing of transport, Uber app naman is reliable sa El Salvador.

More views around San Salvador, the Capital City of El Salvador.

The main cathedral of San Salvador City, opposite the National Palace and public park.

During my visit, San Salvador was busy doing retrofits and beautification of their colonial district, in preparation for the Miss Universe Pageant. This was from November 2023, during Michelle Dee’s time.

I didn’t get to see the girls though. Pero ramdam ko ang Miss Universe fever. The El Salvadoreans are soo into it.

Here’s something fun and new (at least para sa akin). They sell purified water on plastic pouches. Complete with brand and all. Plastic was quite tough to tear. More environmental? You tell me.

I’ve also noticed the adoration of El Salvadorean to their current President/First Family. Dun lang ako nakakita ng ref magnets with the face of President Nayib Bukele. Perhaps we can make something like this for BBM as well?

Pasalubong purchases. Dito ako sa San Salvador Namili ng most of the food that I can take back home. Mura Sa El Salvador. Presyong Pinas, in my opinion. They use USD as Currency so no need to exchange na din. I bought nuts, as well as lots of Tablea (Hot Choco). 1 Dollar lang eh.

I stayed in San Salvador for 3 nights. It was my last latin city stop before I headed back to the US. Supposedly may Guatemala pa, which is only 4 hours from San Salvador by bus. Kaso the time I went, nagkaroon ng people power o civil war of some sort. As advised by some friends, kinancel ko na ang Guatemala leg of the trip, and spent more days na lang in Los Angeles, which is up next.

Nagka-LBM ako sa Nicaragua

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If there’s one core memory I got from my quick stay in Managua, was that nag-tae2x ako dun. Read on.

In all honesty, there’s nothing much to see in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. As other travelers mentioned, the vibe of Nicaragua is found not in the city, but with the small colonial towns located along the beach/coast, to which are not part of my itinerary. I merely passed by Nicaragua on my way to El Salvador where I took my flight back to the United States.

Pansin ko lang din sa Managua ha, wala silang Government-run Tourist Center where I can buy souvenirs. Managua is the only capital city where I had difficulty finding a quality moulded/3d fridge magnet (I collect this, btw). I walked around and happen to pass by the city’s tourism office, gi-tanong ko tlga. They said that there is none, and only offered me some local delicacies and a printed souvenir. So I settled for that nalang.

To give a picture, Managua is like Davao City. Ganun. Actually sa tingin ko mas progressive and mas busy pa ang Davao. Though Managua, as the nation’s capital city, maayos at maalaga sila sa palace nila, where the government seat resides. Maganda, malinis at malawak ang roads at landscaping. Though compared to it’s neighboring countries, Managua has very little preserved colonial/historic areas to offer.

Anyways, share ko some memories and snapshots I took during my stay in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua.

The National Palace of Nicaragua

Some cool installations at the park facing Lake Xolotlán, walking distance from the National Palace

The contemporary-designed Metropolitan Cathedral of Managua. Notice the ceiling composed of multiple domes na oculus/skylight hole sa kada gitna. It’s how the lit up the interior of the Cathedral during daytime, kaya maaliwalas. From the outside, it looks like dozens of white siopao.

It was the first time I had pulled pork bbq sandwich from Mcdonald’s in Nicaragua. We rarely get pork menu from Mcdonald’s, so this meal is quite an experience for me. The cheesecake is also a bomb!

fun fact, whenever I travel to a foreign land, I always make a point to visit a Mcdonald’s branch and check the entries in their menu that are inspired by local flavours. I already have a handful of interesting meals from different countries, I should blog about this soon.

Here are some other cute menus that I found from random restaurants while walking. Interestingly, they call pansit/noodle dish as Chop Suey. talking about language barrier. lol

Accommodation for backpackers are quite limited in Managua. I stayed at Sam’s Travel (located at the second floor of a travel agency). It’s the only place I found that is relatively near TICA bus terminal, where I took my onward bus to Honduras. The hostel do not accept card payment and were also quite skeptic with the cash I used to pay. Kalat daw kasi fake bills dun. So, this is also something to check on. Though ako, sa land border crossing na ako nagpapalit ng local bill before I entered Nicaragua. along the road lang na tao offering exchange. Quite shady to be honest, but I still took the risk.

Sabi sa akin mataas daw crime rate sa Nicaragua. However, Ok naman stay ko dun. I felt safe walking around, kahit gabi. Though I observed na wala masyadong police presence. As for transportation, Wala pang Uber dun when I visited. I used InDrive App. cashless payment din.

Lastly, memorable sa akin ang Tica Bus terminal ng Managua, dahil inatake ako ng LBM dun. To add to the inconvenience, WALANG DOOR INSTALLED sa toilet partition ng terminal like WTF. However, di ko na kinaya ang sakit ng tiyan so deadma na sa ganap. Tumae ako in an open cubicle while other men came in and out. Good thing they did not mind my situation, except for that kid, may batang lalake na around 7 years old na pabalik2x and giving malicious glance like jusko di siguro sanay makakita ng Asian Dude, moreso, tumatae pa in public. Oh well. One for the books! Backpackers tayo eh.

Interested sa Border Crossing details in Central America? — check out this link.

Highlights of Zhangjiajie  (China)

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Some months ago, me and my  travel buddies packed our luggages for a quick 4-days getaway to Zhangjiajie City, in Hunan Province of Central China. This trip was like out of the blue. ‘Nagkayayaan lang sa groupchat’, so to speak. Jhov found an affordable pre-arranged tour to Zhangjiajie for only 599 USD, inclusive of airfare,tours*, hotel and full board meals. We only had around 45 days prior to departure. Pero ok lang kase packaged travel na ito. Pack and go na. The agency also facilitated our Chinese Visa. Will be sharing the agency details at the end. But before that, here are some info’s and  highlights of the trip.

My first to fly with Royal Air (Chinese Airline). There were only around 25 pax sa flight

First stop, the Glass Bridge. A bit foggy when we went.

Zhangjiajie has the longest Glass Bridge with the highest altitude in the world. The sky glass bridge is constructed between two peaks, spanning the entire Grand Canyon. It was composed by steel structure and glass. This well designed Glass Bridge is 430 meters in length with the main part of the bridge to be 375 meters.

Featuring Ate Jhov

On our day 2, we went to the Avatar Mountain Nature Reserve, which was the highlight of this  packaged tour.  The park’s unique landscape inspired the floating “Hallelujah Mountains” in James Cameron’s movie Avatar.

Syempre madami ako selfie. Blog ko to eh. Bakit ba?! Ems.

Day 3, Tianmen Mountain. Famous for the keyhole (as part of a cave on top of the mountain), which can clearly be seen from afar. Kahit from the airport pa lang upon landing.
Also known as Heaven’s Gate, this rock formation  is a natural wonder and a symbol of a passage to the heavens.
The place  has cultural significance in Chinese history and folklore.

Tianmen Mountain for me is the highlight of the trip. Bata pa lang ako, nakikita ko na ito sa Chinese movies we watched at home. Betamax pa panahon na yun ba! And yung moment na kaharap ko na yung mountain in actual, grabe, surreal.

The way to go up Tianmen Mountain is by  Cable car, which is  claimed by  tourist publications as the “longest passenger cableway of high mountains in the world”, with a total length of 7,455m and ascent of 1,279m. The highest gradient is 37 degrees.

Zhangjiajie City itself is also very charming and laid back. Maliit na city lang ito, with just over a million residents. The  industry is fueled  mainly by  tourism. Gustong gusto ko ang city na ito on both day and night.

72 Strange Buildings, or 72 Wonder Towers in Zhangjiajie is the Guinness World’s Highest Stilted Building at a height of 109.9m.
Street market finds

Overall, the trip to Zhangjiajie was very pleasant. Magaganda din ang hotels that was pre-arranged for us. 4 stars rating.

Pero yun best part ng trip para sakin was the FOOD. Promise, sa food, we never felt tinipid. To think affordable ang tour na ito ha  compared sa ibang packages. Oh heto some of the meals that we enjoyed. Di ko na matandaan pangalan ng each, basta authentic Central China dishes. Walang lumpia at pansit guisado dun. At madami gulay, which I like.

This tour to Zhangjiajie was arranged for us by Uno Turismo Travel Agency, which is based in Quezon City. Go find them on Facebook.

Shout out ko na din si Natalie, who is also from Davao. bigla kami nag kita sa isang restaurant dun sa Zhangjiajie.  Grabe ka random maka-bump on old friends during a trip overseas.  😅

As me if I want to join again this pre-arranged tour to Zhangjiajie? DEFINITELY. Pagkain pa lang sulit na. Tara sa Autumn 2025? 🇨🇳♥️  

Sapporo In My Mind

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Reminiscing my adventurous travel days in Sapporo (2018). 
✔️first  snowfall  experience
✔️temp. as low as -7 °.

My wanderlust soul is screaming to see Sapporo again this year. Hit me up if you wanna tag along.

Cebu Pacific Air NOW flies direct from Manila to Sapporo, thrice weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday).🇯🇵⛩️🏯🗼

CEB’s Manila to Sapporo route is the airline’s longest narrow-body flight, operated by the 186-seat Airbus A320neo.

Manila-Sapporo takes 5 hours and 10 minutes, while the return is slightly longer at 5 hours and 55 minutes due to strong headwinds heading south.

𝐃𝐁𝐒 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 2024

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Here are some snapshots from our recently concluded Davao Bloggers Christmas gathering.

A big thanks to the organization’s partners – Cebu Pacific Air, Foodpanda Ph, Nustar Resort, PLDT Home, Starbucks, Metrobank, Barracks Barbers, Glow Authority and other guest brands for making this event memorable.

Most especially, warmest thanks to our lovely officers, headed by Pres. Gem Tadefa, for everything!

Here’s to more memories and celebrations together.

DBS members showcasing their unique take on modern Filipiniana fashion.
This year’s party is extra special, as I celebrate my 10th year with the Davao Bloggers Society.
With the DBS officers 2024
The traditional group photo.

Cheers! And to more Christmas memories with you. 😘

Milestones of 2024

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2024 has blessed me so many reasons to be thankful.

First of, my professional accomplishments. In 2024, I was able to fully bounce back at work in the field of Architecture, overcoming the minor downtime I experienced during pandemic years. Truly, God provides those who perseveres.

Next of, this fruitful year has rewarded me with two major milestones as a travel enthusiast. 2024 started with a good news, as my application to join the Circumnavigators Club has been duly accepted. The Circumnavigators Club is an international organization of travelers, founded 1902, with the headquarters based in New York City, USA. With the acceptance, I was among the applicants who were featured in The Log Magazine, Issue One of 2024. As of now, there are still certain steps for me to accomplish, to fully become an official member, hopefully before summer of 2025.

To be considered, one must have circumnavigated the globe, crossing every meridian of longitude in the same direction. I was able to achieve this during my month-long backpacking journey to the Americas last year. The Route: Manila > westwards to Riyadh,Saudi Arabia > New York,USA (East Coast) > Toronto,Canada > Cancun, Mexico > Cuzco,Peru > Rio de Janeiro,Brazil > Bogota,Colombia > Costa Rica > Nicaragua > Honduras > El Salvador > Los Angeles,USA (West Coast) > Singapore > return to Manila.

And to cap off this blessed year, my blog, Biyahe ni Josemanuel, has been recognized during the recent Davao Blog Awards 2024, as the Cebu Pacific Davao Blogger of the Year. Truly, this recognition is the cherry on top of my year and I am over the moon for this honor.

I started blogging the year 2013, sharing personal travel memories and experiences, as well as other defining moments in life that I consider milestones. Though with flaws and all, my blog has survived the years and remained steadfast along with my mother blog org, the Davao Bloggers Society (DBS). Today, we celebrate the 11th year of Biyahe ni Josemanuel, as well as my 10th-year membership with the DBS.

To the DBS organization, thank you so much for the recognition, and most especially, for keeping me under your wings since 2014. To all the sponsors of our DBS org, we are truly grateful for the support. And to enthusiasts and bloggers\vloggers I follow, who keep pushing boundaries in travel, thank you for the inspiration.

Cheers! To to more travel kwentos with you. 🩵🧡

Body Wash Obsession

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Low key loving these new shower products from Dr. Coco. The body wash smells so fresh, and long-lasting. Suits me well, since I have always preferred using body wash over traditional soap.

Product benefits:
👉Packed with CocoMCT (a key ingredient from coconuts that carries all the benefits of coconut oil)
👉Kills 99.99% of bacteria and germs up to 4 hours
👉Hydrates and maintains skin moisture

Available at any Robinsons supermarket nationwide.

Continue reading “Body Wash Obsession” →

Celebrating Floral Life and Love:昙花一现

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Our Tan Hua flower once again gave us blooms this year. We never really took care of it, yet it gave us blooms, 2 years in a row na. If you are familiar with Asian myths, you will also acknowledge the value of this flower. Tan hua is appreciated for it’s beauty, rarety and fragrance. As fragile as it is, Tan Hua only blooms at night, stays up for a few hours, and wilts before dawn.

Metaphorically, this flower represents things that are short-lived or a flash in the pan, which is why it should be cherished and celebrated while it lasts, just like life and love. The Chinese proverb tan hua yi xian (昙花一现) describes it in this way.

Tan Hua flower has always been celebrated in Buddhism belief.
In China and in India, watching the flower bloom is considered a sacred experience that brings luck and prosperity to the family.

The tan hua flower was featured in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, based on the book by Kevin Kwan.