I asked my friend, Marco Torres, for his permission to post this article here.  Marco is a contributor for one of the expat magazines here in Beijing.  I hope you enjoy his article and get some fabulous tips from his escapade. 

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People from the tropics dream of one day seeing snow.  On the other hand, those who live near the frigid zones dream of the sun, the sand and the deep, blue sea complete with silhouettes of coconut trees.   If you have never seen the beach and won’t settle for anything less than the best the world offers, Boracay Beach, known as Chang Tan Dao in China, is nearby.

The Philippines has 7,107 islands.  Where there are these many islands, beaches are bound to be infinite.  Yes, in the Philippines, there are so many that some consider it to be, “the beach capital of the world”.  Among all the beaches though, there is one that stands out - White Beach in Boracay, known simply to the world as, Boracay.

There are many reasons people consider it the world’s best: the sand, its length, its width and its depth. Boracay is known for its crystal blue waters and white powdery sand that’s so fine, you’d think it would dissolve like milk in water.  Spread over 4 kilometers in the island, it is also very wide. At some points, you can enjoy pure sand for about 50 meters from the shoreline to the waterline.  What’s more, the beach is also shallow, you can wade far and wide before your feet can’t reach the ground.  Even as there are well-developed concrete establishments in the area, your view of paradise from the sea remains unobstructed as thick lines of coconut trees hide these from the sea.

The island is perfect for those who seek a holiday of rest and respite as well as fiestas and parties.  It is a beach-bummin’ barhopper’s or bar-hoppin’ beach-bummer’s paradise.  

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In part 1 of my food tripping in Manila, I talked about my first encounter with a vegetarian restaurant as well as eating pizza that has mango bits on it.  In this post, I’ll be tackling fro-yo, Max fried chicken, lamb kebabs and lechon kawali.

Fro-Yo aka Frozen Yoghurt

My brother have been posting about this fad that hit Manila and I was a bit skeptic as to how it would taste.  I’m no stranger to yoghurt as it’s one of the staple products in the supermarkets in Beijing.  However, I can’t imagine an ice cream like yoghurt that will satisfy my taste bud.

After watching a movie with my aunt’s family one Sunday afternoon, my cousin suggested having desserts as they were getting a bit hungry.  He mentioned about having fro-yo (frozen yoghurt) and it dawned on me that this was what my brother was saying.  So, I immediately said yes and went with him to Red Mango.

Red Mango is apparently from Korea.  Hmm.. how come I didn’t see this when I went there.  Anyway, they only have two flavored yoghurts, original and green tea.  As I’m not a fan of green tea, I just ordered the original one.  After choosing the flavor, you have the option to put toppings on your yoghurt.  You can choose from fruits, sauces, sprinkles, chocolate bits, crushed graham cookies.  I chose peach and mango.  My initial reaction is it’s similar to ice cream but sour and healthy.  (heh!)

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Every time I go home to Manila I see to a point not to eat anything Chinese.  That’s why during my stopover at Centennial Terminal 2, the day after the great flood, I was dismayed to find out that the only food remaining were pork buns (siopao).  I boarded the plane hungry and hoping that the food would be better.

In any case, when I came back from my Singapore food trip, my taste bud were quite satisfied with the number of dishes I’ve eaten in my home sweet home.

Vegan Meal

When I was young, I never was a fan of vegetables.  The only thing that I would eat are potatoes.  When I came to China to initially teach, I had to eat whatever is set on the table as I was normally invited by colleagues or students.  The variety of vegetables I eat grew.  Now, I don’t mind eating mushrooms, green leafy veggies, and eggplant.

I’ve never heard of the Corner Cafe at Jupiter street let alone what type of food do they serve.  So, when I went to this restaurant and saw that it was vegetarian restaurant, my stomach growled reminding me that I need meat.  Since my girl friends were late, I can’t back out and wait for them outside.  I ordered a ripe mango shake and look at the main courses that they offer.  No meat.. :(  

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I went to Singapore last September 28 to October 1.  I can’t remember much about my arrival as it was already one in the morning.  The traffic wasn’t so bad but I still don’t get the surcharges in the taxi.

In any case, there wasn’t that much to see in Singapore and my friends are all working so the only time I get to see them is either lunch or dinner.  There are so many food choices in Singapore and most people eat in food court type of places.   Almost all the malls I went to has Food Republic. (We also have that in Beijing but the one in Singapore is better!)

Here are some dishes that I’ve tried in my travel.  Don’t take my review seriously as what may not be fantastic to me might turn out to be your favorite.

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In the past year, I flew with Dragonair six times.  Twice for training and the others enroute to Manila.  Except for the training ticket, the others I booked with Cathay Pacific.  However, since it’s a codeshare flight with Air China and Dragonair, the operating carrier is usually Dragonair.

Dragonair is the sister airline of Cathay Pacific.  You can check-in online on Cathay Pacific’s website for your Dragonair flights and just pick-up your boarding pass at the airport.  In Beijing, the office of Dragonair is just across the hall of Cathay Pacific at LG Towers.  Dragonair flies regularly to major Chinese cities and to 25 other destinations across Asia.  The airline is part of the OneWorld Alliance, so you can use your frequent flyer card to credit your miles if you fly with their partner airlines.

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Hong Kong has a lot to offer to Chinese.  They can shop till they drop on reasonably priced luxury goods and cosmetics.  Their kids can visit Hong Kong Disnelyand or Ocean Park.  There’s no language barrier and their money can go a long way.

Another reason why Chinese like to go to Hong Kong is the ease of travel.  Whether you’re on a budget or swimming in cash, there are several ways to reach Hong Kong from Beijing.  Let’s look at each option:

1. Plane (direct) – can be the cheapest or the costliest depending on the season.  It is also the fastest.  Flight time to Hong Kong is 3-1/2 to 4 hours.  There are several airlines servicing this route.  They are Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Air China, China Southern and Hong Kong Airlines.

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