eating legazpi

I don't think we ever had a bad meal in Legazpi City, but these two truly stood out.

On our first day, just a couple of hours after our plane landed, we went to Embarcadero Mall to get the lay of the land. The security guard at the entrance recommended Gilian's Sea Wharf Chef, the only restaurant that was open for lunch at 11am.

I had known for months before this trip that the first thing I would eat would have to be Bicol Express, the signature dish of the Bicol Region.

The real thing. Bicol Express is sliced green chilies simmered in coconut milk and shrimp paste. The pork bits are just for flavor and are not the main ingredient. PHP150

And how could I pass up genuine Pinangat?

Pinangat is the leaves of the taro plant layered and tied in a bundle, placed in a pot and cooked in, you guessed it, coconut milk, shrimp paste and of course, chilies. PHP75

around albay in a day

OK, that title is a bit of an exaggeration. I'm sure that we barely scratched the surface of the province of Albay, but it sure felt like we saw most of it. Actually, we just drove all the way around the humongous Mayon Volcano.

Source

the man from everest

When we were in Sagada, I mentioned to Mountain Boy that we were going to Legazpi City in a couple of weeks. He told me to get in touch with J.B. Anonuevo, a mountaineering friend of his who works as a guide. "He was a member of Team Everest. You must call him," he insisted.

This was how our first conversation went:

DB: Hi JB! We are going to have one whole day in Legazpi. What do you recommend we do?

JB: Mountain Boy said that you might want to climb Mayon Volcano.

DB: Er, let's put it this way... During our trek to Big Falls in Sagada, we thought that we were going to die.

JB: Ah so.

m is for majestic

I believe in karma, and because I had not killed a single cockroach in my entire life, the universe conspired to give me my Mayon Volcano shots on 26 June 2011.

8:11 AM

8:17 AM

playing hard to get

25 June 2011, Legazpi Boulevard. The sun had just set on our second day in Legazpi City, and we STILL hadn't seen the full majesty of Mayon.

6:10 PM

6:20 PM

skin deep

Misibis Bay Resort looked great this morning. There's nothing like a good hard scrubbing by a typhoon to make everything appear squeaky clean and new.

The lobby and reception area. Notice how I "froze" the water? jeje

Cabañas on the beach.

Lounging beds on the beach.

Huge-ass driftwood on the beach.