Tricks and Tips: 6 Things To Remember When Travelling around Taiwan
Tricks and Tips: 6 Things To Remember When Travelling around Taiwan
Last August 2015, my friends (Wolfpack!!) and I went to a trip to Taiwan. I think Taiwan, for any traveller, is synonymous to food. In every nook and cranny, you’ll find the amazing aroma of street food wafting through the air … and the occasional not-so-appealing aroma of stinky tofu. I’ve listed down some tips and tricks to help make your trip to Taiwan a little bit more hassle-free and…
New Year, New Climb. An Overnight Trip to Maranat Falls
Just a month after my first climb (last December), my friends and I planned our next one to welcome the new year. There were a few names that came up - Mt. Batulao, Nagsasa Cove, etc. - but we finally decided on Maranat Falls for our next trip.
For some weird reason, our climbs always turn out to become rather eventful. But despite the chilly rain, wrong turns, and the incoming storm, we managed to get home safely.
Here are some information on the climb.
Overview
Many people call it Mt. Maranat, but from what I've read, Maranat is actually the falls located in that mountain, i.e. Mount Oriod.
The jump off point of the trail to Maranat Falls is located at Rodriguez, Rizal, and is actually the same jump off point to Mt. Balagbag. Some people would opt to traverse Mt. Balagbag and Maranat.
There are numerous ways to get to Maranat Falls, as we ended up taking a different trail back to Balagbag Health Center (where the registration is) from the one we took going to the actual falls. It's a lot better to get a guide.
Difficulty
In terms of difficulty, it's around trail class 1-3 as it requires you to climb up some rocks from the falls to get to the campsite. This is, of course, minimal.
The trail is a series of up and down slopes with the steeper ones closer to the falls.
Itinerary
We decided to stay overnight at the campsite near Tatay Nestor's house. Below is what transpired in our trip.
DAY 1
After discussing the details amongst ourselves, we decided on taking a van to Bulacan instead of taking a bus. With that in mind, cost might not be the cheapest, but alternatives will be mentioned in the IT as well.
Pre-Climb
0430 - ETA First Meet-up Point: BGC
I picked up the first group of stragglers (haha) at Starbucks, Bonifacio Global City, just because it's 24 hours and we decided to meet-up really early.
Once everyone arrived, we headed out for Eastwood to pick up the second batch of happy campers.
0530 - ETA Second Meet-up Point: Eastwood
0600 - ETA Jollibee, Philcoa
After picking up the North people, we headed out to Jollibee, Philcoa to pick up our last member. We also ate breakfast here and did some last minute purchasing at 7-11.
0800 - ETA Tungko, Bulacan
From here, we walked to the market right across the street to buy ingredients for our food for lunch and dinner (one of our fellow hikers makes great tinola, haha).
After that, we headed to the terminal right beside the market to line-up for a jeep to Licao-Licao. Jeepney drivers there don't usually head out unless the jeep is full, so you might have to wait a while before you head out.
0900 - ETA Licao-Licao Terminal
Once we arrived at Licao-Licao, we redistributed our pack, went on bathroom breaks (and watched this puppy being all chill and using a rock as a pillow) and then proceeded to the trail going up the jump off point.
For those who want to take the trike, you can take these pink babies up that rocky road. I'm not quite sure how much it is as we opted to walk up the trail.
Climb Proper
0930 - ETA Jump Off/ Begin Trek
We arrived at the actual jump off at the Balagbag Health Center to sign up. Sign up fee is at (P 10). You can also get a guide there.
They say in some blogs that the price of the guide depends on your haggling skills, but we ended up not haggling. Our guide asked for (P 500) just to lead us to the campsite.
We took a while going to the falls since our guide took us the wrong way (the irony). That little hiccup didn't cause us to have bad vibes because we got a nice view along the way. (I could go on and on about how our "guide" wasn't being much of a guide, but no to bad juju!)
1430 - Maranat Falls
Maranat Falls is a beauty.
We were greeted by the sight of clear water, smooth rocks, and a dozen more mountaineers wading and/or making their way across.
In crossing the falls, you are given three different options. The safest is to wade in the river and cross from there. The second is to go around up and down the rocks to cross the area. The third is to use the rope to shimmy your way from one end to the other.
The guides in the falls adviced people to cross the water instead as the rocks are slippery. Our guide, however, suggested that we cross via the various rocks around the falls. Took us a while since we were passing our bags from one person to the other but we made it safely.
After this, our guide asked permission to leave since the campsite is just up ahead. At this point we were pretty glad to part ways with him.
We then sat at one rocky area near the falls to prepare lunch.
1630 - Continue to campsite
After lunch and a bit of resting, we proceeded to the last part of our hike - the ascent to the campsite. The ascent takes about 15 minutes to 30 minutes give or take. After climbing around rocks, you'll have a steep trail up the campsite.
1700 - ETA Campsite
The campsite can fit an amazing number of campers. There are lots of places where you can pitch your tent. Also, Tatay Nestor allows people to use his comfort room and to take some water.
That's his house over there.
We set up camp in a slightly sloped area since there were already about 50 campers who arrived earlier than we did.
Day 2
0630 - Wake up/ Breakfast
We woke up to a dreary, cloudy morning. We experienced some rain overnight and it was quite chilly.
We had our breakfast and had our quick/ not-so-quick bathroom breaks before breaking camp. We knew it will be raining soon and we didn't want to get stuck at the campsite for another day. They say that the water at the falls can reach up to the rope when it rains.
1030 - ETA Maranat Falls
We decided to wade through the water this time, passing our bags from one person to the other to keep it dry. Some of the mountaineers used the rope for their bags. After crossing, we rested a while since our friend's foot was bothering him. It was extremely swollen from a nasty trip on our ascent the day before.
1230 - Proceed to "descent"
I say the term "descent" loosely because as I've mentioned before, the trail is a series of ups and downs. We had to take it slow since we had an injured member, but then again, he seemed faster than me when walking. Such a trooper!
By this time, it started to rain heavily on us. We were cold ... freezing. We had to keep moving to keep warm (and of course, to arrive sooner rather than later since the last jeepney trip is at 6pm).
We only stopped for a quick "lunch" at around 2pm consisting of Fita, Pili Nuts, a can of Vienna Sausage (easy-open lid, thank goodness), and spicy tuna (again, easy-open lid). We were scooping out the tuna with the Fita. Haha. No time for utensils. We had to hurry.
Once we started seeing various houses, the trail got a bit confusing. Many forks on the road. We got lost a few times (under the rain) but thankfully there were other mountaineers heading down/ going up that helped us find our way back.
1630 - Arrive at jump off
Finally, we arrived at the Balagbag Health Center, where we signed their logbook signifying that we safely made our way back to the jump off point.
We were able to towel down (while some opted take quick baths at the health center for free) and keep ourselves slightly warm given the fact that the winds were blowing full force accompanied by the downpour. We discussed the best way to go down to Licao-licao and decided on taking the trike.
Apparently, because of the weather, only two trikes were making their way up and down the dirt road. We had to wait for the trikes. At that point, the kubo we stayed in provided little shelter from the storm, so they allowed us to stay in one of their offices.
1930 - ETA Licao-Licao
A trike arrived at around 7pm so half of us went down ahead of the others. We waited for about half an hour before the other half of our group arrived in Licao-Licao. Some of us took a quick dinner from the carinderia (menudo!) and then we took the last jeep out to Tungko. Since it was late and the jeepney driver waited for us, we paid P30 each for the ride.
2045 - ETA Tungko
The reality of what we experienced and the relief that followed was fully felt once we reached Tungko. We were safe from the cold wind and rain, and we were pretty sure we'd be able to get home by then.
We had some well deserved Jollibee after that crazy experience.
2130 - Leave Tungko (Go home! :D)
So there you have it. That was our first climb for 2015. Another first of many firsts.
My friend had been inviting me to join her in her mountain climbing escapades for quite some time. I finally decided to join her last December in her last hike of the year - a hike up Mt. Daraitan.
I am writing my experience below from a viewpoint of a beginner, and boy was it an experience I will never ever forget.
Overview
Mt. Daraitan can be found in Tanay, Rizal and is about 2 and a half hours away from Manila. Depending on the trail you pick, difficulty can be from a trail class of 1-3.
The easy trail goes through a grassy area/ talahib sloping up to the mountain. From there, you can follow a straightforward trail leading up to the summit. The assault happens around 3 hours from the jump-off point. This can take around 5 hours, give or take.
The assault trail is what the name implies. It's just an assault all the way to the top. This route is faster but more challenging. It will take about 3 to 4 hours to reach the summit.
The third trail, which wasn't open during the time we were at Mt. Daraitan, is the one that goes through Tinipak River. It was closed at that time due to a landslide near the area, which happened during Typhoon Ruby.
Difficulty
Mt. Daraitan is doable for beginners but it is highly recommended that they are physically fit. (*cough cough* I'm not exactly the most fit person in the world but I somehow managed it.) The trail becomes extremely difficult during rainy season as it becomes slippery and muddy.
Itinerary
We did an overnight trip instead of a day trek for Mt. Daraitan. We took some notes from Pinoy Mountaineering (sidenote: Love this site, please have a look here too!!) and we tweaked our itinerary based from this. We knew we'd probably take longer since two of us were beginners (and we did).
This is how our trip went. This may probably be used as a sample IT for groups with beginners as we took longer to ascend the mountain. Will get to that in a bit.
DAY 1
0700 - Meet up at Shaw Blvd. McDonald's to get some breakfast and to redistribute our equipment (as well as do some inventory, so we know what to buy at the market).
Some of us arrived late, which is why we headed out a bit later than usual.
0900 - We then headed out to the jeepney terminal and took a jeep to McDonald's in Tanay, Rizal (P 58)
1030 - ETA at Tanay, Rizal and met-up Sir Willy. He's the head guide of Mt. Daraitan. We had rented out a jeep, via Sir Willy, to take us to the foot of Mt. Daraitan. (P 2,300 two-way, we split the cost between 7 people)
Another way is to take a jeep to Sampaloc, and then take a trike to Daraitan River.
1100 - ETA at Daraitan River. There will be a raft that will take you across (P 5)
1145 Sign-up at the Barangay Hall. They will ask you to log in and pay the registration fee (P 20). You will also go through a short orientation to familiarize yourself with the mountain and its trails. Once you're done with this, they will assign a guide (if you choose to hire one). It's P 500 for a day hike and P 1,250 for an overnight trip.
Before leaving the area, I suggest you buy all necessary items, especially water since there's no water source up at Mt. Daraitan (you can buy bottled water at the nearby carinderia and well water in the Barangay Hall).
(A "before" photo of Team Kaladkarin)
1200 - Leave jump off point to Assault Trail
1330 - Lunch break
1400 - Resume climb up to the summit.
1700 - Arrive at summit. We took a while climbing up because it was drizzling. The ground was very slippery and muddy, so we had to rely on a lot of vines and rocks to pull ourselves up the mountain.
Note for Beginners: Please please please invest on good hiking shoes. I made a huge mistake of bringing my running shoes. It doesn't have much traction and made the whole assault a pain in the arse. There are cheap shoes that can be bought from local brands like Sandugo.
Once we reached the summit an earlier group (of around 9 campers) had already reached it ahead of us.
The summit campsite can fit around 3-4 tents, depending on the size.
Additional Info: It gets pretty windy up at the summit so make sure your tent can withstand the wind. It's helpful to have tarps in handy when there's a possibility of rain or else you might experience some flooding.
1800 - Set up camp.
Took us a while before we could set up camp since we did some negotiating with the summit campers first. However, we had to quickly look for an alternative. We ended up camping out a bit below the summit ... around 15 minutes away.
The campsite we stayed in can only fit two 2-person tents. Three of our friends had to settle with having a tarp placed over their heads. We layed down some trashbags and our groundsheet for them to sleep on.
1830 - Dinner/ Socials
We were pretty grateful that (a) we were able to set up camp quickly, and (b) we brought the right tent for the weather, since it rained heavily during the night.
In the middle of the night, the three guys outside heard some noise near our bags. Our guide laughed and said that it's most probably the mountain rats checking out our campsite.
Not sure if we wanted to know that. Haha.
Day 2
We didn't go up to see the sunrise as it was still raining. We slept in instead. We took the "easy trail" for our descent which was ideal because of the rain.
0830 - Breakfast/ Break camp.
0945 - ETA at Summit
We took some photos up the summit.
1015 - Limestone Rock Formation snapshots
This is actually where people would go to view the sunrise. It was a sea of clouds and fog (due to the rain), but the view was still spectacular from this vantage point.
1230 - ETA Push to the falls at Mt. Daraitan. Break time.
The rain made the trail rather slippery. Mang Rudy, our guide, was a huge help. I don't know how I made it down those slippery slopes. Some of the areas looked like a long mudslide (and I did end up sliding along some of those). It was hard to look for secure footholds and had limited trees and vines to hang on to.
Thankfully, once you reach the falls, it gets a bit easier. We got to wash most of the mud caking our legs off and the cold water is invigorating.
After the falls, it's about 30 minutes to an hour more of that steep descent, then you'll reach the rocky stream that will lead you to a grassy field/ talahib. Continue along the trail and you'll see some houses (civilization!) leading up to the barangay.
1600 - ETA at Barangay Daraitan. Log off at the Barangay Hall.
We enjoyed a bit of RC cola at the nearest sari-sari store. They also provide a drum of water for mountain hikers to get that grime off their body.
You can also tidy up at the Lomihan. From the road down to the Barangay Hall, take a left. It's a bit further down the road. Bath is at P 20. They also serve a "super special lomi" for P 35 that they can cook for you while you take a bath/ tidy up.
1630 - Dinner (super special lomi and some ice cold soda)
1800 - ETA Daraitan River. We crossed and our jeep was waiting for us.
1930 - ETA at McDonald's in Tanay, Rizal.
Sir Willy actually met up with us at McDonald's to check up on our group. It was actually quite heartwarming. After buying dinner and relating to him our misadventures, we headed home.
We had our own transportation back to Manila. Alternative way is to take a jeep back.
2100 - ETA at Manila. Home sweet home.
Other Important Information
Contant Details:
Sir Willy (Head Guide) - 09069533470
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Overall, it was a rewarding experience. The climb was made more difficult due to the weather ... some sort of baptism by fire for us newbies. We also had our fair share of slips, cuts, and bruises on our butts. I wouldn't exchange this for anything in the world though and I hope you find it fun-tastic as well.
My friend, Missy, was very persuasive in making us try out Robot Restaurant. As a geek, my only mission in Tokyo was to see the giant Gundam at Odaiba and stroll around the streets of Akihabara. I never thought that this would actually be one of the highlights of my trip to Japan.
I was kind of hesitant to go, more so when we were walking in the side streets of seedy Shinjuku. However, as we reached our destination, we find ourselves staring at a line of people - and quite a variety of them ... mostly foreigners and some locals - waiting to enter Robot Restaurant.
Overview
Robot Restaurant is located in Shinjuku. Specifically, it is located at 1-7-1, Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo, Japan (click for Google Maps).
Robot Restaurant is just a crazy mish-mash of over-the-top ... everything. The restaurant facade is only a glimpse of all that "in your face" awesomeness that you can only truly find in Japan. Just look at their extremely colorful website and you'll get the picture.
Entrance Fee
You'll have to make a reservation prior to venturing out. The entrance fee is 7000 yen (as of January 18, 2015). Seems quite steep but I promise you it will be worth it.
If you'd like a meal, it's at 1000 yen. I recommend not buying that one. It's a mix of average sushi and pica-picas that are at par with the food in Lawson's or FamiMart.
Just remember that when you do reserve a time, you'll have to be there 30 minutes in advance so they can do a headcount and seat you in your respective chairs. There are also refreshments available inside.
The Experience
There are really no words to describe the shitload of strange things going on in their whole performance. It's an hour's worth of explosions, giant robots, talented dancers, gorillas, and musicians.
A Geek's First-Time at Akiba: My Top 5 Favorite Spots
Akihabara can be a bit daunting for first-timers in Japan, more so with first-time geeks like me. While I won't claim that I've mastered every nook and cranny, I've found several go-to places that I'm hoping to frequent in my next visit(s). (=｀ω´=)
Here's my Top 5 places to visit in Akihabara.
1. Mandarake
Mandarake was originally a pre-owned manga store which evolved into various complexes around Japan that sells both new and pre-owned toys, cards, manga, and doujinshis. So far, I've seen the one at Akihabara and Shibuya, but I've only visited the Akihabara store.
Akihabara's Mandarake is its largest complex, with 8th floors worth of goodies! I got some art books (Hayao Miyazaki stuff) at half the price from the ones in the Philippines. They are pre-owned but are in mint to almost-mint condition.
(They also have a whole floor dedicated to R18 manga and another floor for BL manga. Just saying. ٩꒰ ´ᆺ`꒱۶)
Store Hours: 12:00 to 20:00
Address: 3-11-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.mandarake.co.jp/en/shop/
2. Super Potato
If you're an avid fan of video games, then this is the place for you. Super Potato houses a collection of video games stemming from your pop's generation to the young 'uns of today. It's three floors worth of gaming goodness that leaves any geek at awe, as if they've gone on a life-changing pilgrimage. (￣▽￣)ノ
The first floor of Super Potato houses the more old-school video games from Famicom games, SNES games, and the like. The more recent games such as that of the PS, Dreamcast, etc. are on the 2nd floor. Up on the third floor are some old school arcade machines where you can play some of your favorite retro games for 100 yen. They also sell some snacks and drinks on the third floor, but I didn't buy any from there.
Kotobukiya can be found in the same street as Super Potato. For toy collectors, the word "Kotobukiya" isn't new. Kotobukiya is actually a model kit manufacturer that branched out into vinyl figurines and toys, and they have a building full of these babies at Akihabara.
Of course, the items here are not as cheap as that of Mandarake nor other stores, but you'll find some merchandise here that you may probably not find elsewhere.
I bought a couple of Tales of Vesperia items here for my officemate, and some Tonari no Totoro coin purses for my siblings.
Store Hours: 10:00 - 20:00
Address: Okashima Bldg., 1-8-8, Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.kotobukiya.co.jp/
4. AsoBit City
This may be hard to find unless you're actually looking for this specific store. AsoBit's store front looks quite generic compared to that of Kotobukiya, but it has around 6 floors (if I recall correctly) of hobby toys, costumes, and games.
I think the most distinct floor for me was the Gunpla-filled floor at 2F.
Store Hours: 10:00 - 20:00
Website: http://asobitcity.laox.co.jp/
5. Go!Go!Curry!
I think this has to be the best-tasting curry I've ever eaten during my trip. Go!Go!Curry! is hard to miss. Of course, there might be a lot more curry dishes that are better than this, but you can't go wrong with Go!Go!Curry!
You'll know you've found it once you see Gorilla-san looking down on you. It's quite intimidating actually, like he's pissed off you're actually not inside his store yet.
You can find one along Chuo Dori, and I think there's another one near Yodobashi Akiba.
Their regular curry meals are around 700 to 1000 yen. (●´∀｀●)
Address: 1-1-16 Kanda Sakumacho | Ohashi Bldg. 1F, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Website: http://www.gogocurry.com/
I think applying for a Japanese Visa is pretty simple and straightforward, compared to other visa applications. The good thing about applying for a Japanese visa is that you don't have to go to the embassy anymore (unless they request for an interview, which rarely happens).
All you have to do is to simply follow three simple steps.
1. Prepare your documents
The Japanese Embassy website has a detailed list for all types of visa application, but for this post, I will be assuming that you are applying for a tourist visa to Japan.
A. Philippine Passport
Your passport should be valid for 6 months during your trip.
B. Filled-out Visa Application Form
You'll notice that you're required to place a Japan address (where you will be staying) onto the application form. I've booked my accommodations through Agoda. The good thing with Agoda is that you can reserved a room and pay later, plus if you decide not to go through with the booking, some have free cancellation.
C. 4.5cm x 4.5cm photo with white background
This is to be pasted on Visa Application. Please do not staple or tape the photo onto your form.
D. Birth Certificate
Your birth certificate must be from the NSO main office or Serbilis center, and had been issued within 1 year. That means, it should have been acquired within the year you're applying for your visa.
You can apply for a new NSO Birth Certificate, to be delivered to your doorstep, via their website.
In the case that your Birth Certificate is unreadable or you have no record with NSO, you must submit a birth certificate from your Local Civil Registrar and your Certificate of Non-Record (from NSO).
If your birth certificate is on "Late Registration", you may submit the following documents instead:
Baptismal Certificate
School Record (Form 137)
School Yearbook (if applicable)
You must also indicate the complete address and landline number of your church or school (if applicable).
E. Marriage Contract (if you're married)
Similar to the Birth Certificate, this should be issued from the NSO or Serbilis Center within one year of visa application.
F. Daily Schedule or the Taizai Nitteihyo
They'll require you to give a simple itinerary of your trip. Below is an example (you may view a larger version here).
G. Bank Certificate
You will also need to show a bank certificate to prove that you're capable of funding your trip. A bank certificate doesn't show the flow of your cash in and out of your account. It simply shows the current balance of your bank account.
Getting a bank certificate takes around an hour to a day, depending on your bank. Just head over to your bank and ask for a bank certificate. For BPI, it usually takes me around 15-30 minutes.
The amount I had at the time I applied for a one-week trip to Japan was a bit over 100k pesos.
H. Income Tax Return (Form 2316)
You'll need both the original and a photocopy of your ITR.
That's about it! These are the documents you'll need for your Japanese visa application, if you're a first-time applicant with no relatives or friends in Japan (or at least those who can become your guarantor).
Also, please note that you won't be able to retrieve these documents once you've submitted them.
Once you have all your documents prepared ...
2. Head out to an accredited agency
There are 7 accredited agencies in total that you can choose from to file for your visa application.
For my application, I had it processed via Reli Tours simply because it's the nearest to my place. Processing with Reli Tours cost 1,200 pesos. Other agencies have different rates, so you may want to try canvasing first before picking an agency.
Below is a list of the accredited agencies. For more details, you may check the Japan Embassy list.
UHI (Universal Holidays) | Website
Discovery Tour Inc. | Website
Rajah Travel Corp. | Website
Reli Tours & Travel Agency | Website
Attic Tours Phils. Inc. | Website
Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation | Website
Pan Pacific Travel Corp. (only processes tourist visas with no guarantors)
After you've chosen an accredited agency and submitted your documents, they'll ask you to ...
3. Wait for your visa application results
It takes around 4-7 working days to process your visa application. Each agency has their own lead time and processing time.
Submission of your visa application does not guarantee that you'll be issued one. Usually, a visa validity is around three months, but there are cases when they actually issue you a multiple-entry visa on your first application.
In the unfortunate incident that your application gets denied, you'll have to wait for six months before applying again.
And that's about it!
I hope that this will help you in your application. For more details, you can always check the Japanese Embassy website, as well as the accredited agencies' website.
