Fun At The Carnival

My friends and I decided to go to the carnival in front of the NCCC Mall in Davao City. It was the usual carnival scene. Cheap food, rusty rides that made grating sounds (the bigger thrill is always on the thought of possible accidents that are bound to happen because of the callously maintained equipment such as the ones found in the carnival), children running around unattended, a Binggo game for money-hungry lazy bones, inexistent toilet, firing stalls with not-so-interesting prices, amongst others. We opted to end our visit with a big hurrah by riding the Sea Dragon. I thought, why not post our picture just for the heck of it. Note to all readers, I would love it if you would focus on my wind-blown hair but the guy wearing purple who was seated behind me had a facial expression that was much more interesting to look at.

Scammed

We finally had the chance to visit one of Thailand's red light district named Pot Phong two nights ago and although our expectations about the place were met, there was one incident which we did not find appealing at all. Watching its infamous shows was not part of the itinerary but since we were curious, we decided to give it a whack. Initially, the man who was promoting the shows offered an enticing rate of 100 baht per person. 100 baht was not bad; in fact it was pretty darn good. So off we went to an establishment called Perfect Bar. When we got in, an unlikely bouncer greeted us and showed us to our table. The place reeked of molds, sweat and old beer and you can immediately see the supposed ladies dancing on the makeshift stage. Each lady will perform a stunt which will showcase her talent in terms of the capacity of her private organ. I would daresay that the show was not a disappointment but the strained faces of the performers were more than enough to make you lose your interest. By satisfying our curiosity, we have officially supported prostitution in Thailand --- a thought that we are not proud of. After the third show, the bouncer returned to show us a piece of paper that screamed of 2400 baht. We were duped! We explained to her that the man who showed us to their place specifically informed us that it will only cost us 100 baht each and she said that the man was not an employee. She started screaming at our friend who spoke Thai as an attempt to scare us. After minutes of much needless arguing, an agreement was made and that we were only going to pay 900 baht. We decided to cough up the sum just to get it over with. After the banana stunt, we left the place with a sour taste in our mouths.

Bou Savy Guest House, Savvy Indeed

While in Cambodia, we settled at Bou Savy Guest House, a family-owned inn that is conveniently located five minutes away from the main road but secluded enough so that guests can enjoy the quiet comfort. My friend, Doi, was the one who made the reservation while we were in the Philippines and I take my hats off to her. The inn was perfect not just because of our tight budget, but it was perfect because the staff were so friendly, their food were priced reasonably and there was a 24-hour wireless connection!(a must-have for every blogger) If you have opted not to bring your laptop during your travel then they have about 4-5 computers near the restaurant that you can utilize for free. We have decided to take advantage of their $75-dollar package which included the room, free breakfast for 4 days, 1 free dinner, and a 2-day tour to all of Angkor's temples. Not bad, right?

Anyway, if you decide to visit Cambodia's Siem Reap then I would suggest that you make arrangements with Bou Savy. The staff will be very happy to accommodate any queries you have. Please refer to their site at http://www.bousavyguesthouse.com.

Everything Japanese

It has become a ritual for my girlfriends and I to bond and try something new every time we get together, which usually only happens during the holidays. So last night, the theme was everything Japanese.

After too much deliberation as to what time and what place, Patty finally suggested to make our first stop at Tadakuma - a quaint Japanese restaurant located in Jacinto Street, just across Davao Banko Sentral Complex. It was really ironic that we have allowed her to decide when she was only with us for three minutes tops. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Anyhow, I am glad to note that their service was personable and prompt enough; however I would say that the menu could have been improved by not just showing the photos of the food (because my friends and I ended up pointing at them and saying 'what's this?' and 'I want this and that.'). Further, if the prices were included in the first few pages of the menu, there shouldn't be a reason not to include the prices of the food in the last few pages of the menu. I found the inconsistency weird as I always thought that the Japanese were so specific about the details.

As for the food, the portions were quite ample (despite the food server's claim that the serving per order is good for one person, I wonder Who or shall I say What was her basis for this...hmmm) and choc-full of flavor. So I guess the price was just right. We were finally kicked out at 10:00pm. We were disappointed to hear them close early as we were wrongly informed (by the same food server) that they usually close at 1:00am. And because we were tired, we decided to go to the spa.

Since I have not been in Davao for quite sometime and I completely relied on my friends to point me to the most interesting places, I initially just went with the flow. However, later in the night, we opted not to go to their usual massage parlor but to a new place which a friend manages. She has been blabbering about this spa for the nth time so when our cab passed by the area, I then suggested that we try it out. The place was called Japanese Zen Oriental Spa, just along Quirino Avenue. Before I proceed, I just want to inform everyone that this is not a sponsored post. Since this is my blog, I would say that our visit was quite right. However, I will not speak for my friends since they have their own opinion about the place. I believe there was something about being indecently exposed and the steam bed not hitting the right spot. To get it directly from the horse's mouth as they say, please take time to check their blogs instead.

I chose the Japanese Hot Stone Therapy while my friends decided the spa's signature massage that is called Hoshino Therapy. Both types of massage were supposed to last for an hour and a half only but mine went beyond two hours to my delight. I have always been curious about trying a hot stone therapy but was too scared to do it and since I vowed to myself that 2011 is the year to make things happen, I thought to myself - to hell with this silly fear over a massage and be done with it. And it was worth it. I think that therapy was long overdue. I should have had that last September 2010.

Anyway, the spa offers several services from body to foot, including nail and facial care. All for reasonable prices between PhP 250-480. Not bad, right? Besides, these include Japanese food. Yes! There is complimentary food served and not just the usual hot or cold tea. There is a variety of recipes you can choose from, depending on which day of the week you decided to visit the place. I suggest that you visit the spa with an empty stomach because you will be served a full meal afterwards. Since my friends and I were full (we had dinner first before the massage which was a bad idea), we were not able to enjoy everything they offered. What can I say, I just love extra stuff!!! It is like the olive in your dry martini.

Another thing I loved about the place was, the locker and shower rooms. Small businesses like this do not usually have one and that was why I was really surprised to be shown the way.

Again, we were the last to leave another establishment. This time though, we were not shooed away but the hostess, who also happened to be my friend, was gracious enough to accommodate us and made sure that our experience will be as note-worthy as possible.