RYANN REYES

These are some of my photos from my recent trip to Manila. After my cousin’s wedding, we went down to the still operating Enchanted Kingdom; then had an overnight stay in Tagaytay; and then headed back to Manila again.

1. National Hero 2. The view from our Makati condo 3. A Wedding Reception at The Manila Hotel 4. Carousel 5. Space Shuttle 6. Taal Volcano 7. A Bowl of Roses at Sonya’s Garden 8. Tagaytay Sunset  9. That’s me at NAIA Terminal 3-Gate 118 10. Metro Manila at Night 

After a long 5 hour flight from Beijing, we finally arrived at Hong Kong (香港). When we got in to our hotel, all I literally did was study Hong Kong’s MTR lines. I listed all the places we wanted to go, and I had to find a way to get them. I would have been very lost if it wasn’t for Google Maps. My mom and my brother met us there so we could be together as a family during Holy Week, and also because it’s my brother’s birthday. Even though we entered China through Hong Kong, we didn’t get to explore all the places there. So it was nice that we get to stop by here before going home to the Philippines.

After making our itinerary, we finally got to go out and explore Hong Kong at night. And what better way to enjoy Hong Kong at night that at the Avenue of Stars.

Somewhere in Tsim Sha Tsui, my favorite area in Hong Kong. We had dinner at the Spaghetti House. After that we went around at different stores in the area.

We also went to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong that night. Obviously my favorite wax figure out of the bunch. I asked him to bite me but he just stood there. 

For our second day in Hong Kong, we spent it at Hong Kong Disneyland. I swear I was like a little kid again. 

Remember this photo? Yeah, I had to crop the old one so that I won’t spoil anything. But yeah, this is me acting like a little kid again. And this was just outside the whale fountain. Imagine what I’ll be like inside. Ha!

I had to stop and just take in this view before I immersed myself in all the Disney goodness. At this point, I still couldn’t believe that I’m in Disneyland right now.

“To Infinity, And Beyond!” I’m sorry but I couldn’t help it. I just had to.

I survived Space Mountain! I’m not a roller coaster kind of person, so proud of myself. I swear it felt like there was a loop in there somewhere even though they said there weren’t any.

The Festival of The Lion King was another highlight of my Disneyland Experience.

Spotted Mini and Mickey at Adventure Land. Guess who followed them around like a stupid paparazzi only to realize I can queue up to have a photo session with them?

The Golden Mickey was my favorite part of the whole Disneyland experience. I realized that Disney movies had one single theme. It’s about always going the extra mile; doing more than what you’re expected to do; and to always believe in yourself; because at the end, your dreams will come true. 

The latest attraction in Disneyland, Toy Story Land. It’s like being in Andy’s backyard.

The fireworks display to top off my super magical day.

No Mickey, Thank You!

My little brother obviously upset that we had to leave Disneyland.

On our third and last day in Hong Kong we spent it at Ocean Park.

I wasn’t really there for the rides, I was more excited to see the animals! I finally got to see a real life Red Panda or the Firefox, a Golden Monkey, and a real life Panda! They’re the most adorable creatures, ever. I wish I could bring one home and play with it all day.

The Dolphin Show was one of the highlights of my Ocean Park experience. I swear the dolphins were amazing performers. I really wanted to swim with them.

The Cable Cars in Ocean Park.

The “Old Hong Kong,” a new attraction of Ocean Park. It was very chill, and I really liked hanging out there. There wasn’t really anything else to do in Ocean Park. To be quite honest, it was a far cry from Disneyland. But at least I got to see a freaking Panda.

Since we had a late night flight back home, this was our view from the plane. If I’m not mistaken, this is Manila at night. After experiencing Hong Kong, I might consider moving there. It’s a really nice city. And I’m going to miss it a lot. I’m so thankful that I have this opportunity to travel abroad. I hope this won’t be my last. But after 10 days of being away, it’s really good to finally come home.

Final stop, Cebu, Philippines!

After a four hour flight, we arrived finally arrived at the capital of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing (北京). Since we were up north, Spring was colder and gloomier there compared to the south. It was a freezing 10 degrees in Beijing when we arrived.

Our first day in Beijing was spent just touring around the city, and familiarizing ourselves with the places around our hotel. We went around their malls trying to look for food and gloves. Yes, we needed gloves because it was too cold for us. We look stupid with our gloves and scarves while the kids there are only wearing sweaters.

The new China Central Television (CCTV) Headquarters.

The scene at Xidan North Street. It’s a busy shopping district in Beijing.

I suddenly remembered the red brick houses in Qingyuan. I really love how China finds ways to always connect with their past.

On our second day, we went to two very important places in Beijing. First was the places around Tiananmen Square (承天门). We went around the Beijing National Opera House, or otherwise known as the Bird’s Egg. We didn’t get inside, but we just did one lap around the egg. I also don’t get the bipolar lighting in Beijing. Sometimes it’s bright, and sometimes it’s not.

The Great Hall of the People, right next to the Bird’s Egg. The past the and the future coexisting in the present.

It was barely Spring there but you can still see the effects of Winter on most of the trees around Beijing.

And a few blocks away from the Bird’s Egg is the The monument of the People’s Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong at the center of the Square.

Tiananmen Gate Tower to the Forbidden City. I can’t even fathom the amount of history surrounding this place. I feel so grateful to even be in an iconic place like this.

Inside the Forbidden City. But not really. Since we were Forbidden by our schedule to go inside. The queue for the tickets looks longer than the Great Wall. You see what I did there?

I felt like taking a photo of this man leaving the souvenir shop with his custom made coin.

The crowd at the Forbidden City Gift Shop. 

A beautiful willow tree outside the Forbidden city.

I love how they instill a sense of National pride to their children at a young age. No wonder they’re so proud of their country.

After we had lunch we drove up to our next destination. While at the car, I noticed that Beijing is so scenic. Everywhere you turn there’s always something beautiful to look at. The photo above is another beautiful reminder of what it was like here during Winter. 

We finally arrived that our second must-see tourist Beijing destination, the Beijing Olympic Park. It houses the main venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We were greeted by the 2008 Olympic cauldron when we entered the park.

The Beijing National Stadium, or otherwise known as the Bird’s Nest. I was very moved when I was how huge the stadium really is. Let me digress a little. Back in 2008, I really rushed to get home from my 7:30pm class to catch the live telecast of the 8:08pm telecast of the 2008 Olympics. It officially started at 08/08/08 8:08 PM. I was literally running home. But I’m glad I was able to see it live. I was, and still very much, a huge Olympic geek. I live for their Opening and Closing Ceremonies. And fast forward to 2012, seeing this huge stadium in front of me was very overwhelming.

I was too flustered at the thought that I’m about to step inside the stadium. So I had to pause and take a picture. Ha!

At long last. After 4 years, I’m finally inside the bird’s nest. This was taken from my dad’s camera.

While I was inside, they were playing the highlights of the 2008 Olympics. I was imagining all the amazing things that happened inside. The pomp and pageantry of the Opening Ceremonies, the victories, the energy of the people inside. It would have been nice to be here when it happened. But I’m still grateful that I’m here.

That’s me inside the stadium. I can’t wipe off that stupid smile on my face when I was there.

After that we went inside the Beijing National Aquatics Center or otherwise known as the Water Cube. Half of it has been turned in to a water park.

But I’m glad they still maintained the competition center. All the time I was there I was imagining the synchronized swimming routines in my head. And Phelp’s winning moments inside. Also, can you spot the Philippine Flag?

It’s so beautiful inside the Water Cube. Plus it was adequately heated so it was a nice way to escape the cold outside.

That’s me again, outside the Water Cube. I’m wearing four layers of clothes. And I love that I got to wear my pea coat there.

And that’s Grace. She my dad’s student and our very own tour guide around Beijing. Her English is very good and she’s very smart. I really loved our conversations together. While we were driving, she was listening to Lana Del Rey. She’s so cool without even trying. That’s a Chanel coat by the way.

The Olympic Boulevard. It’s in the middle of the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. Where we hung out for a while to get a hot cup of coffee while waiting for the sun to set.

A trip to Beijing is not complete without trying the Beijing Duck (Peking Duck). It was so good that I almost ate half of the duck.

On our third day in Beijing, we headed up north to see the Great Wall. It was a 3 hour drive from the city. 1 hour if there’s no traffic. Apparently, it was a holiday in China when we went there. So there were lots of people who went there with us. The Beijing country side is very beautiful.

Before we climbed to the Great Wall, we decided to have lunch first.

We decided to eat in a little family-run restaurant. It’s a quaint little place where they serve the “best rabbit” in the area. We didn’t try the rabbit.

A cute Chinese boy staring at me while waiting for our food to arrive. 

Finally learned to eat rice with chop sticks. My chop stick proficiency at this time, 85%.

Beautiful china in China. You see what I did there? I swear that restaurant has very beautiful lighting all over.

After lunch we decided to head up. This was our ride to the Great Wall. If you walk, it’s safe but will take a long time. If you use the rusty old cable car, you get there in less than 10 minutes, but you’re dangled up on a steep mountain with the strong winds blowing and rocking the cable car. We took our chances with the latter.

Alas, the Great Wall of China (万里长城). This was on the Badaling side of the Great Wall.

I had to pinch myself because it was too cold that I couldn’t feel my nose anymore, but also because it was very stoked that I’m finally on the Great Wall. 

That’s me on the great wall with 5 layers of clothes. Still smiling and still very happy that I’m finally here. While I was there, I wondered where they did the Fendi  Spring/Summer 2008 show here. I can’t imagine what it was like to do a full scale fashion show in the Great Wall, of all places.

We descended again through cable cars back at the foot of the mountain. We spent an entire day just to see an old wall. But I was all worth it.

This is the written history of the Great Wall. I wish I could read that.

A Chinese hero related to the Great Wall of China. I forgot his name. Quality Travel Blogging ya’ll.

After a long day, we finally headed back to our hotel, have dinner and get some much needed rest.

This was our 4th and last day here in Beijing. This was the view from our hotel room. We had a wonderful view of the Bird’s Egg.

This was all I saw while driving up to the airport. Highways covered in leafless trees, eagerly waiting for spring. While the sun hid shyly behind them. 

Finally at the airport. I was still half awake when we got there. And still couldn’t believe we were finally leaving China. I’ve had a really good 7 days in China. I’ve taken in so much in a short amount of time. But all good things must come to an end.

This was our ride for our next destination. This is the Airbus 380 from China Southern Airlines. It’s only the biggest commercial plane in the world. Notice the 2 floors? Anyway, I’m going to miss Beijing and all the places we visited in China. I really hope I can comeback.

Next stop, Hong Kong!

After Guangzhou, we went to Panyu District (番禺区). It was still a cool spring day in Panyu. But I was so happy that the sun finally showed up. I was able to spend one whole day in Panyu. Huang and I stayed in a hotel around the area, courtesy of his dad. They didn’t want me to alone. Huang already prepared a list of the best places to see here. I told him that I wanted to see the more historical and rustic side of China. And that’s exactly what we did.

Our first stop was at the Baomo Garden (宝墨园). It’s a garden built at the end of the Qing Dynasty. It boasts of ancient gardening styles and ancient building styles in Southern China; an incredible river network that is incorporated in the whole garden; and exquisite works of art in ancient and modern times. It’s basically a garden museum with in a museum. 

It’s like time never touched this place. They also had old songs playing in the background. So going around the garden was like being transported through time. I always found myself smiling and just staring at the wonderful view. The whole place is too beautiful.

Feeding the Koi Fishes was one of the most zen and most relaxing thing we did there. It was chaotic, but it was a beautiful chaos. Like a dance even.

Spring was all over the Rose Garden. All the roses were full bloom. You can even see the bees pollinating all over the area. I’m actually starting to love Spring more than Summer, now that I’m in a country with 4 seasons.

There was a museum about ancient artifacts from the various dynasties in China. It was filled with vases, statues, jewelry and paintings. But my piece from the museum was the Jade Burial suit. Each tile was made up of jade, and it was sewn in together with a gold string. Only men with distinction were allowed to be buried with those suits.

This was also inside the museum. This isn’t actually a painting. It’s a piece of marble slab that was cut, and then it revealed this. It’s amazing how nature imitates nature through art.

The Golden Buddah, staring silently and happily at the beautiful garden outside.

I found this little kiosk where this man was making works of art with burn marks. I later found out that what he’s doing is called, Pyrography. It is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object. Of course I had one custom made for a special someone in my life.

More of the beautiful ancient architecture and gardens. Everywhere you turn, there’s always something beautiful to see. With birds singing, the cool spring wind blowing, and the sun in the sky, this is the most relax I’ve been in my entire life.

Names on the golden bamboo. I was tempted to write my name, but it would be too obvious because it would be the only name there written using the roman alphabet.

I was really surprised to see a section of the garden dedicated to turtles. Lots and lots of turtles. And then explained to me that in China, the turtle is a symbol for longevity.

Speaking of longevity, I wish would live long enough to be like this guy. Sitting at the Baomo Garden, with his cool walking stick and just basking at the awesomeness of it all. Like a Sir. A Chinese Sir.

More Koi Fish around the garden. The interconnected river system inside made sure that the fishes have a huge space to roam around. It may not show in the photo, but these fishes are huge. 

This is me using the Chinese Spouting Bowl. You’re supposed to dip your hands in the water and then rub your wet palms along the handles on the sides until water begins to vibrate, and eventually spout water droplets. They said if you successfully did that, you’d have lots of good luck. Here’s a video of me with the Chinese Spouting Bowl.

After we left Baomo Garden, we went to another historical place, The Old District of Panyu. Most of the houses were made of oyster shell, just like wall of the house with the little rectangle window. It’s amazing how much effort went in to preserve this area. 

Everywhere you look there’s always red lanterns. Red Happy Lanterns. The place is littered with them. Not that I’m complaining. It makes the whole place even more beautiful. I’d love to see all of them lit at night.

Just me playing with the locals. What? It was bright sunny afternoon. I couldn’t help it.

This is where we ate lunch. I had Ginger Soy Milk with Cow Lungs. And of course, Red tea. Apparently, that’s what this restaurant is most famous for.

After lunch, I asked Huang if it was alright for us to walk around the neighborhood. I asked him if it was safe, and then said that the people are very peaceful. Except when they get drunk and fight. But yeah, it was a very peaceful walk through the very narrow alleys.

The Fauna of Panyu’s Old District. The dog was happy to see me. Not so much with the cats. Even in China it’s still the same. The sign on the door of the cat photo says, “Do Not Enter” or something like that. 

If there’s one common denominator with all the old houses I’ve seen is the use of the Red Bricks. In China, Red is the color for Happiness, Luck and Prosperity. Which makes perfect sense. I’d love to live in a Happy, Lucky and Prosperous House myself. While walking around I had to remind myself that I am so blessed, humbled and so grateful that I am able to walk around this place. I was very overwhelmed and was almost in tears because I just can’t believe I’m in a place like this. I only get to see this on TV or online. That’s why I am very grateful for this opportunity, especially that it’s my first time.

After walking around, we went back to our hotel, had a quick massage and then headed out for dinner. This was the last time we saw each other. And since it was my last time here, I wasn’t allowed to choose the food. He said we’ll order the usual food that you have in the Philippines. 

So we had Chicken for dinner. That’s a chicken alright. Complete with head, feet and other internal organs. I only ate the legs and wings. But it was good though. Good Chinese chicken.

After dinner, we stayed there and had a super long conversation about anything and everything. In one of our conversations, we talked about the Chinese Zodiac. I told him I was born in the year of the Dragon. And then he reminded me that this year, 2012 is the year of the Dragon. He told me that maybe I was destined to be in China on this particular year. Maybe some things are really meant to happen. Getting a more personal tour of China from Huang made my trip more meaningful. I was able to see China through his eyes. One may go to China expecting to see all those tourist spots, as with any other first timers. But it is the moment when you gain important life lessons along the way is when a trip to a foreign country becomes more meaningful. I hope I get to see Huang soon.

Next stop, Beijing!

After Qingyuan, we headed straight to Guangzhou (广州). Spring was only starting in China. When we arrived in Gunagzhou, it was gloomy and the temperature was 17 degrees. Hence, the gloomy looking photos. At first glance, you wouldn’t think that you were in China when in Guangzhou. It’s a very developed city and a far cry from Qingyuan. Since we only had a very limited time there, we went straight to the best place in town to see everything at once, The Canton Tower. 

The Canton Tower is an observation and TV tower built for the 2010 16th Asian Games. It is the tallest structure in China standing at 1,968.5 feet, and it is the the fourth-tallest freestanding structure in the world. Being on top of the Canton Tower was the best way to see the entire city. And Guangzhou is huge! It’s only the third largest city in China and southern China’s largest city.

I was way over my head when I bravely decided to really go up the tower. When I was there, I realized that I had an irrational fear of heights. Being on the 111th floor of the Canton Tower quickly reminded me of that fear. But the view from up there was breathtaking. 

People from inside the indoor Observation Deck. It’s 428 meters up from the ground. This tower has been in operation for two years but a lot of people still come here, even on a gloomy day where you can barely see all of Guangzhou. And now that I was there, I finally made up my mind to go even higher on the tower. There was no turning back!

We headed up to the Outdoor Observation Deck to ride inside The Bubble Tram. It revolves around the edge of the Observation Deck and it literally gives you a 360-degree view of Guangzhou. At this point, we were already 450 meters up from the ground. 

What a view it was from the very top of the tower. And looking at all the giant bubbles slowly revolving around is quite a site. The full unobstructed view of Guangzhou from inside the Bubble Tram was amazing. 

It was a bit hard to take good pictures from inside the bubble tram due to the curvature, but the view and the feeling inside was awesome. 

The View of Guangzhou from inside the Bubble Tram. The little island at the edge of the Pearl River is the Haixingsha City Plaza. This was the venue of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2010 16th Asian Games. It was huge!

Huang and I inside the bubble tram, photographed by his dad. His dad is my dad’s student. We’re the same age and he speaks really good English because he was able to study in the UK for about 7 years. And have a lot of things in common so it wasn’t hard for us to get along. He became my tour guide/interpreter during my stay in the Guangdong Province. It’s nice to have a new friend in a foreign country. The funny thing about this is that, despite being residents of Guangzhou, this was also their first time in the Canton Tower. So all of us were excited to be there.

I felt like all of this was happening too fast and I had to take a few minutes to just stop, breathe, and look down at where I am in the world right now. During the trip I felt like I was looking at China through my camera, and not with my very own eyes. I felt really humbled and blessed that I am able to do the things that I did. I paused for a while and took one last look of the city below from inside the Observation deck before going down the tower.  It’s a bit green because of the tint.

After that we headed down outside to the Outdoor Plaza. There were still lots of place that I want to visit in Guangzhou, and most of them are just right across the Pearl River. Like the Guangzhou Library, Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou  Opera House and many more. Too bad we didn’t have enough time in there.

Just across the Pearl River, is the stands on the Haixinsha City Plaza. Back in 2010, I really watched the Opening Ceremonies for the 16th Asian Games. For an Olympic or any Sporting Opening Ceremony geek like me, you can’t imagine how excited I was to see this up close and personal. The things that happened here two years ago were nothing short of amazing. Zhang Ziyi even sang here during the Opening Ceremonies! Yes, I live for these things. Imagine how I felt when I knew I was going to the Beijing Olympic Park.

And suddenly, a photo of myself at the banks of the Pearl River with the Liede Bridge in the background. This was photographed by Huang’s dad.

And just outside the Canton Tower, a few blocks away from it is the Chigang Pagoda (赤岗塔) or the Red Mound Pagoda. It was built in 1619 during the Ming Dynasty. And it still stands to this day. I love that despite the many buildings and towers shooting up in the city, they still managed to preserve what defined this city a long time ago.

When you’re driving around in Guangzhou, or in any part of developed China, you would notice that the city and entire country is growing, literally. You can always see constructions cranes left and right. There’s always a new bridge, a new building, a new road that’s being made everywhere. I don’t want to sound too political but now I understand why the USA and other countries are afraid of China. The photos are a bit green because of the tint. I took the photos while inside a moving car.

“When in China, Eat it!” That’s what Huang told me when we went to an authentic Chinese restaurant in Guangzhou. They didn’t have a menu, but they sort of had a zoo inside where in you could choose what animal you wanted to eat. I chose the ones that didn’t move or was already dead. I couldn’t bring myself to see a rabbit getting killed just so I can have fresh rabbit stew. You know what they say, the Chinese will eat, Anything and Everything. Also, I wasn’t allowed to take photos of the merchandise. So that’s the only two photos I managed to take.

As we took a 1 hour drive to our next destination, I saw that the Canton Tower was very colorful at night, as with the rest of the city. China at night is very beautiful. I hope next time I can stay longer and explore other places and towers (there’s a lot of them around) in Guangzhou. At this point, my dad was still busy with his University affairs back in Qingyuan, while I was busy sightseeing. Next stop, Panyu City!

After our quick transit from Hong Kong, to Shenzhen, and then to Guangzhou, the first stop on my China trip was in Qingyuan (清远).

Qingyuan is mostly a rural city. The rustic and weathered brick houses is what I love most about this place. It’s very laid back and life there revolved around farming. I was told that they used mostly red bricks because a house, or any building for that matter, doesn’t need to look extra fancy. As long as it will serve its purpose of being a house, no paint and other decorations were necessary. A very communist way of thinking. And there’s still lots of this red brick houses until now. But most of them are abandoned since more and more people are moving out to bigger cities like Guangzhou. I think the uniformity is what makes this place so distinct and hauntingly beautiful at the same time.

We then went to Niuyuzui Original Scenic Resort to show us endemic flora and fauna in the area. We followed a trekking path to see the main attraction of the park, the Mucuna birdwoodiana or the Grain Que Flowers. People really love that flower so much that they really go through all that forest just to take photos of it. There were  also rivers, streams and waterfalls around the 270 hectares park. Notice the weird looking creature on the sign?

Of course, I tried a lot of Chinese dishes for lunch. But seeing the familiar Shumai (yes that’s the correct spelling) was a pleasant surprise, and a breath of fresh air from eating pigeons scorpions and cow lungs. Authentic Chinese food for the win! I’ve always loved Siomai (Filipino spelling) so eating 3 sets of these really made me feel like I was home. You know what they say, you can take the boy out of Cebu, but you can’t take Cebu out of the boy! Also, I apologize for only taking one photo out of all the meals I had there. I was too busy eating them.

After our little excursion, we headed back to our hotel and took a nap. After dinner it is customary in China to walk around for 30 minutes. So that’s what we did. Our hotel was just located at the banks of the Northern River, in the heart of downtown Qingyuan. There was a park on the river bank so it was a perfect place to do our little walk. It’s amazing how this city is old and new at the same time.

This is the main reason for my trip. This is where my dad had his conference at Qingyuan Polytechnic. While he was busy with all his graduate school affairs, I was busy roaming the streets and exploring Qingyuan with my own personal tour guide/son of my dad’s Chinese student. It was a nice personal tour of this city. This got me even more excited about all the other cities that I will see in China. I only stayed here for one day. There will be more photos of my trip soon. Next stop, Guangzhou!

This is where I frequently pass by during my stay in Metro Manila. All I can say is that it’s a huge city with lots of people, lots of cars, and lots of everything. Although I still can’t see myself permanently moving here despite almost having everything I want in my life.