Youth Trip, in partnership with Alquimista, Inc. and The Sleepy Traveler, brings us Viajeng Cucinang Matua, a culinary tour of Pampanga.

This tour aims to showcase the culture of the Kapampangans through their cuisine, and to prove the saying “Basta Kapampangan, masarap magluto!”
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I want to go to Italy. I want to go not because of the culture, the history, not even because of the fashion. Well, they are part of the reason, but what really inspired me to want to visit Italy are books that doesn’t even have any pictures of Italy in it.

The first one was a book I bought when I finished the book I was reading in Ko Pha Ngan: Meg Cabot’s Every Boy has One. Okay, so it’s one of your run-of-the-mill chick lit. Girl meets boy, girl hates boy, boy hates girl, they end up falling in love, blah blah blah. In between the sappy exchanges, the author gives you a slice of Italian life and what made her characters (and possibly the author as well) fall in love with the place.

Meg Cabot showed me places in Italy I would never thought to go to. As soon as I got home, I started reading on Le Marche, researching when’s the best time to go, even picking out a tour guide. However, I put my dreams on hold and focused on more realistic goals.

The desire to visit Italy was rekindled when I chanced upon Vroom with a view by Peter Moore. He traveled through Italy, riding on a ’61 Vespa. I’ve never riden a bike, but his story made me want to learn how to, even to brave the crazy Italian traffic.

It’s been 7 months since I last read Vroom with a view and more than a year since I read Every Boy has one. I once again put Italy aside to focus on more realistic goals (read: closer to home and much cheaper). But time never made me forget about Italy. I want to experience that magic spell it casts on people. I want to walk the streets countless tourists has trodded on. I want la dolce vita.

This entry is part of Rice Bowl Journal’s July Collaboration Project.

Starting November 23, 2007, Tiger Airways will be joining Jetstar and Virgin Blue as one of Australia’s budget airlines. They have been flying into Australia from Singapore, but only up to Darwin. This year, they will be starting their Australian domestic services, with Melbourne as their hub. In Melbourne, Tiger Airways will be using Tullamarine’s Terminal 4.

The first flight out of Melbourne on November 23 is flight TT 7402 Melbourne – Gold Coast at 7:00 am. Other scheduled flights for the day are two other flights to Queensland from Melbourne: Rockhampton & Mackay.

Other Australian domestic destinations include Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Launceston in Tasmania, and Perth in Western Australia. Gee, I wonder why they aren’t flying into Sydney.

How much would flying via Tiger Airways to Australia cost?
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Cebu Pacific offers P999 and P1,999 seat sale for international destinations!

Cebu Pacific now offers a seat sale for its international flights! The international seat sale will run from July 27 to 31, 2007 or until seats last, and is good for travel from September 1 to December 15, 2007.

CEB is offering a P999 one-way fare for Manila-Hong Kong, Manila-Bangkok, Manila-Kuala Lumpur, Manila-Jakarta, Manila-Taipei, Manila-Macau, Manila-Xiamen, Manila-Guangzhou, and Cebu-Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the seat sale for Manila-Shanghai, Manila-Singapore, Cebu-Singapore, Davao-Hong Kong and Davao-Singapore routes is at P1,999 one-way.

Source: Cebupacificair.com

I just love how it starts exactly on the date I wanted to have a weekend getaway. Unfortunately, I can’t book & buy yet, as my credit card is maxed out (again). I have to wait until Monday, when I’ve paid my outstanding charges. Oh the agony!

Okay, why is it that tourists feel more inclined to strip off their clothes in public while on vacation?

BELGRADE, Serbia – Two Austrians and a German were fined for cycling naked along the banks of the River Danube in Serbia where a heat wave has sent temperatures soaring.

Temperatures in Serbia and other parts of the Balkans have hovered stubbornly for the past week at around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Source: MSNBC.com

It’s baffling, simply baffling.

I am off for a mini-break this weekend to recover from the stress of the past week and to steer clear of any Harry Potter spoilers I might come across online. I plan to swim, maybe a get a massage, and indulge in glorious buffet food. Hopefully, by the time I come home, my cousin would have finished her copy of HP7 and I’d finish it before I go online to work.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on these gorgeous photos of Manila in the 60′s. Taken American photographer Harrison Forman, the set is part of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Cities Around the World collection.

Ciao!

Anybody who comment about HP7 spoilers will be shot.

Photo credit: Hugo Maes via Forbestraveler.com

I was actually prepared to be disappointed if Manila didn’t get a mention
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5 Island Nations You’ve Never Heard Of

Nothing says “escape” quite like an island in the middle of a vast ocean. Below are five island paradises you’ve probably never heard of, and whose inhabitants probably prefer it that way. With a little ingenuity you can find these places. But once you do, keep it to yourself.

Source: Fodor.com

Do I get a prize if I know 2 out of five? I know about Niue; I would be crazy not to! My host, as well as my former domain, fork.nu is using Niue’s Internet country code. What a way to know about an island nation, right?

I know about Dominica from Globe Trekker/Pilot Guides Eastern Caribbean episode with Justine Shapiro. That and I’m maintaining this Caribbean travel blog.
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