How To Fully Enjoy Art In Island (Rediscovering Cubao)

Cubao memories...
When I was a kid, my mom took me to Fiesta Carnival frequently. I don't remember every ride we took but I remember we were there frequently. (RIP Fiesta Carnival).
When I was a teenager, my highschool classmates and I used to hang-out in the new Gateway when we were all sick and tired of SM North Edsa (Trinoma wasn't around back then).
Over the years, Cubao just became a crowded MRT spot and a hotbed for pickpockets. An adventure in Cubao is not enticing. I did not want to explore. I did go to Cubao Expo once to check on the boots on sale in Janilyn but that's it.
In my adult life, I just go to Cubao whenever there's an event or concert in Araneta Coliseum - oooh, it is now Smart-Araneta. :P  


This time, a new attraction put Cubao back in the map.

Art in Island is an Interactive Art Museum located right beside the Cubao Expo complex (or is it really part of it?). The museum allows visitors to interact with the art pieces. I've had my fair share of museums and I can say that they can be somewhat tiring. 


Well not this one.

I explored the museum together with my Amiga Sarah (we call our group Amigas, you probably have your own squad names) during my birthday. The museum has a birthday promo: the celebrant has a waived entrance fee during, one day before, and one day after the celebrant's birthday. 

I showed my driver's license as proof of my birthday, and the ticket lady greeted me "Happy birthday" and told me to just show my license as my "ticket". The other staff greeted me "Happy birthday!" as well when they saw my ID. Nice staff, nice start. Entrance fee costs Php 500/pax. Staff advised us to turn off the flash when taking photos.

According to their FAQs, bring the following
1. Camera
2. Socks/bedroom slippers. You need to leave your shoes before entering the museum.
3. Jacket because it can get cold inside.  

After leaving our shoes, we proceeded entering the museum. The entryway contains artwork of familiar optical illusions. I did not bother to take photos of those because they were so cliche.

I'll be sharing selected pics here. I don't want to spoil the surprise of seeing all the paintings. Still, I ended up with quite a number of pics for this blog post. [I have no idea how to call the art in this museum. I'll be using, art, wallart, pics, mural, and painting interchangeably]. 

So here's the "introductory wall art". 
My game-on-energy vibes haven't kicked in yet.

Warm up pose. No strategy. 

Other tips to fully enjoy Art in Island:

4. Wear something you can easily move around in. I wore a dress + leggings + socks... because it was my birthday and I wanted to look fab. It was quite limiting to move around but it was still manageable.

It would also help if you are physically fit to squat, sit down, stand up, balance on one leg, and do all of these repeatedly. 

I am surfing. I am surfing in a dress. Believe me!

Europe Part III: Itinerary and Budget Breakdown

I should probably start blogging about this now. Grad school starts in two weeks. My blogging mojo has an erratic life. I have backlogs from my China 2014 trip. It is difficult to blog about the past and plan for the next trip at the same time. It is difficult to keep up with myself (Char!). So here we go.

Europe again. Can you blame me?

Crafting this itinerary took considerably less time that the previous two EU trips I did.

I didn’t feel that I “have to” hit a specific place just because I am in Europe. This time, I focused on Central Europe and did not travel via plane intra-Europe. I stuck with trains.

This is also the first time that I am travelling Europe during summer.

The table below is the itinerary I presented in my visa application. I just added additional columns for the contact details of the hostels. 

Applying for a Schengen Visa in German Embassy Philippines

I am not a visa officer nor a visa agent. This post comes from my own personal experience.

I have been granted two tourist Schengen Visas in the past 5 years. The difference this time is that I am a consultant (contract-based) instead of an employee. I have been a consultant for the past 2 years and 4 months. 

Applying for a Schengen Visa (a.k.a. Europe Visa)
Applying for a Schengen Visa in Spain Embassy Philippines 

For this trip, I have a 23-day itinerary spanning Central Europe. I'll post my itinerary and budget in another post. I am staying in Germany the longest so I lodged my application there. 

General steps:

1. Browse and read the website of the German Embassy here in the Philippines. This contains all the information and forms that you need when applying for a Schengen visa. 

2. Schedule your appointment online. You can apply for a Schengen visa at most 3 months before your departure date. You can start booking your appointment a month before your visa application date (not sure if you can book earlier than that). I had to cancel my first appointment because I wasn't sure if my passport will be returned in time for my Sri Lanka trip. I cancelled my appointment online and rebooked my appointment at a date after my Sri Lanka trip.

3. Gather your documents. You should do this piecemeal, in my opinion. After I finished gathering everything, I had documents as thick as half a ream of bond paper. Oh my trees.

4. Appear at the embassy on time. You will be asked to leave your huge bags in the lobby which electronic gadgets will be left at the lockers in the lobby of the embassy.

5. Wait for your passport to be delivered. Should you be out, leave an authorization letter with your valid ID to someone you trust to receive your passport. 

Here's copy of the cover letter that I submitted. This is not required in the checklist of documents but I submitted one anyway. I edited some parts. None of the documents I submitted were returned to me. 

========================

German Embassy Manila

25/F Tower 2, RCBC Plaza

6819 Ayala Ave (cor Sen. Gil Puyat Ave)

Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

LIST OF SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS

Re       :           Tourist Schengen Visa Application

                        Applicant: XXX

                        Passport Number: XXX

Gentlemen:

With reference to the Schengen tourist visa application of the undersigned, attached are the following requirements for your consideration:

Identity as traveller and Visa application form
Duly filled-up application form with 2 photos
Signed copy of Information provided to applicants pursuant to Section 54 (2) No.  8 in conjunction with Section 53 of the Residence Act
Original passport with photocopy of first and last page

Purpose of travel
Itinerary for the duration of the trip
Confirmed booking of accommodations
Flight Itinerary via Emirates Airlines: Manila to Budapest (Hungary), Frankfurt (Germany) to Manila

Financial coverage of the cost of travel and stay
Bank certificate - original and photocopy
Statements of accounts for personal savings account and payroll account for the last 6 months
Certificate of Time Deposit with Bank of the Philippine Islands

Travel Health Insurance
Travel Insurance: Travel Master Global Policy obtained from Malayan Insurance

Rootedness in the Philippines
Certificate of consultancy -original and photocopy
Photocopy of contract with foundation
Approved leave of absence form – original and photocopy
Copy of Income Tax Returns from 2014 to 2015 with bank payment slip
Payslips for the last 6 months 
Photocopy of credit cards
Credit card statements for the past 6 months (October to March 2016)
Statement of Account with mutual fund – Philequity Fund Inc.
Supporting documents as student of Master in International Studies Program in University of the Philippines, Diliman (Student Profile, Acceptance letter from college, tuition fee payment form)

      Ledger of stocks

Travel History

2    Photocopy of Schengen visa issued in September 2011 and March 2013
      Photocopy of previously issued and used visas: 

d.    South Korean – 2012 (single entry) and 2013 (multiple-entry)

e.    Japan Visa - 2012 (single entry) and 2013 (multiple-entry)

f.     China – 2014 (single entry)

g.    United States of America (2014, multiple entry for 10 years)

h.    United Arab Emirates (2015)

Sincerely,

__________________________

Name

Contact Number

Email

=======================================================================

Duly filled-up application form with 2 photos. The application form can be accomplished online here. For the section on "reference", I just typed down the name of the first hostel I was staying in then attached a sheet containing the details of all my accommodations for the trip. 

Itinerary for the duration of the trip. Day to day overview of activities. 

Confirmed booking of accommodations. I've been consistently using Booking.com for booking the accommodation in my trips. I just chose the no prepayment and cancellable (is this really a word?) options. I summarized everything in an excel sheet. 

Flight Itinerary via Emirates Airlines. I paid before I applied for the visa. This is not required. Wag tularan! You can just secure a flight reservation from the airlines or travel agencies. I have no tips nor experience in securing flight reservations. 

Bank certificate. Secured mine from BPI for Php 100 and took my 30 mintues. They changed the format.They included the Average Daily Balance of the account and the date it opened. 

I wish they'll have an online feature of requesting a bank certificate then you'll just pick it up from the branch. Senorita lang no? XD I submited the  - original and photocopy.

Statements of accounts for personal savings account and payroll account for the last 6 months. Downloaded from BPIExpressonline. Very convenient.

Travel Insurance. I switched to Malayan Insurance for convenience. You can via credit card when you purchase your travel insurance and you can immediately download the insurance policy right after paying. You can download it again in case you lose it. Previously, I used Blue Cross because I can also pay online via BPI payments.  

Income Tax Returns. I am a consultant this time so I have to file and pay my own tax returns. I submitted my tax returns in the past two year (BIR Form 1701) and the corresponding receipt issued by the bank when I paid. 

Day of the visa application:

I selected a 9:00AM appointment. I was so scared of the MRT crowds that I really exerted effort to be at MRT North Avenue station the earliest I can: I was there by 5:55AM and I got off Buendia station by 6:20AM. I was in RCBC by 6:40. I spent time reading in Starbucks then headed to the German Embassy by 8:20 AM.

I lodged my name, then they asked me to leave my bag with laptop. In the embassy's floor, they asked for my passport then they gave me a number. I was asked to leave all gadgets. I waited for 5 minutes to be called, the interview lasted for another 5 minutes or so. The lady in my window (#3 I think) was very professional and asked direct questions. Over the course of the interview, she asked me 3x if I am married, was ever married, and if I had a child. I repeated 3x that I was not married, have never been married nor do I have children. She stamped a phrase in my application which is somewhat like "I have never been married or had a child" (the phrase is something like this) - then I was asked to sign. 

She asked how long I've had my current job(2 years and 4 months) and the nature of the company (I work for a non-profit project). She asked if I've been in Germany (yes, Cologne in 2011) and if I will be travelling alone (I am). I paid the Php 3,090/ 60 euros visa fee, then fingerprint scanning, then wrote my office address on the courier slip. She said 3-5 days processing. By 8:50, I was able to recover the bag I left. This was on a Thursday.

I was informed that the courier was looking for me at Tuesday, 5:10 PM  - I was already out by that time and I didn't leave any authorization letter. Wow, it took the embassy three working days only!

The courier came back the next day to deliver my passport. He came in around 4:30PM so I was able to receive the passport myself. I braced myself and opened the package. No white paper this time (a sign of denial when I applied in the Italian Embassy). I got a 30-day multiple entry. 

Hoorah!



Europe, here I come again! 

On Top of the Rocks: Sigiriya, Pidurangala and Dambulla

WARNING: This is another one of my long blog posts with photos. 

My day began early at 5AM. I would like to say I was excited, but I was not. As years and travels go by, I grew some lazy bones and prefer to snuggle with the sheets.

Even adventures require some sort of work. 
It was a hot and humid morning in Dambulla. Not a stranger to that weather. The weather helped me get out of bed. 

I arranged my tuktuk via the guesthouse. They offered me a rate of LKR 1,500. I guess that's lower than the usual tourist rate of LKR 2,000. 

Fields during the tuktuk ride to Sigiriya

I read about the pricey tickets of tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. But I still frowned when I saw the rates charged by Sigiriya. 

$30/ LKR 4,260 for a day ticket?!?!?!?! Tickets for Angkor Wat was $40 for 3 days.
I knew that. But still. So much money for a day. Ugh. 

Onwards.  

The sun came up and lit the grounds of Sigiriya. 


Sigiriya was a monastery with caves surrounding the rock caves with and without dripledges. King Kassapa I transferred the administrative center from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya and ruled Sri Lanka from Sigiriya. 

Then that huge rock-mountain came into view.
Now I got excited.
I may have started the day with a lazy outlook but this sure changed that. 
 

Scorching My Feet in Polonnaruwa

I had to make a choice between Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa. I chose Polonnaruwa because it was easier to get to via public transportation and I could be based in Dambulla.  

Polonnaruwa is an ancient kingdom and city in the northern central area of Sri Lanka. Take note of the spelling: single L, double N. I've seen ancient ruins before so I knew that exploring the complex would be awesome but repetitive too.

My hostel offered to arrange my tuktuk ride the day before. The owner knew the tuktuk ownder. I arranged my breakfast to be served at 8AM. While eating breakfast, I noticed that my hand was bare and I had to go back to my room and slip on my fake wedding ring.

Fake gold band as my fake wedding ring

We stopped at a "spice garden" first. It is a garden filled with spices. No need to buy anything, according to them. But I guess they sell agressively or ask for a tip at the end. I wasn't able to find out because when the guy learned that I was headed to Polonnaruwa that day, he just told my tuktuk driver to come back after my visit to Polonnaruwa. That's nice of him. But I didn't see him again because we didn't return to the garden. Well, I learned that black pepper and white pepper comes from the same tree, before he sent me on my way.

Polonnaruwa is almost 60km away from Dambulla. The tuktuk ride took almost 1.5 hours before we got to Polonnaruwa complex. I was charged LKR 6,000 for the tour. If you are willing to spend more, you can hire a car. Aircon pa! A tuktuk can only fit 2 passengers.



The tuktuk driver took me to the ticket office at first. The ticket costs LKR 3,550, $25. Quite pricey.

The complex is not completely fenced in. According to my tuktuk driver, some temples without fences can be entered illegally (without purchasing a ticket) with an unscrupulous tuktuk driver who charges less than the normal price.

Cows with ribs roaming freely in these gardens

Sun saluting by the lake

I knew that temples would look alike at some point, I was considering hiring a guide even if it was just for 2 hours. There were guides peddling for their services at the museum, where I bought the entrance ticket. I told my tuktuk driver I was considering one but he just said "No". I had to rephrase that "I wanted a guide" but he just said "No" again. I was really annoyed at him then. I was willing to spend for a guide even though I would probably forget most of what he will say, but he was against that. I just thought that maybe he thought their fees are unreasonable. Still, it was really annoying.

The Royal Palace and Citadel are probably the most iconic of the temples. Though these were just ruins, you can see the magnificence of the place from the enormity of the structure. It was easy to imagine that it must have been a massive and beautiful temple.

Hostel Review: Drift BnB Colombo, Sri Lanka

The backpacking scene has not completely hit Sri Lanka. Dorms are around, but the reviews and locations are a tad shady. Good thing that the capital, Colombo, still had good backpacking options. 

My flight to Colombo landed almost midnight so I pre-booked a private taxi to get to the hostel. However, the driver did not know where the hostel was so we had to call the hotel (using my new local sim) to ask for instructions.

 

Entire building, view from across the street

 

Door to Drift BnB

 

 

A warning though, the dorm did not have an elevator but it does have a lift for your heavy luggage. 

 

No Humans!

The Exhausting Journey to Dambulla, Sri Lanka

There are no direct flights to Sri Lanka from Manila. I flew from MNL to KUL via Cebu Pacific (Php 3,109.50 with 15kg baggage, one way) then flew from KUL to CMB via Air Asia (Php 7,678.26 with 15kg baggage, round trip).

The flight was delayed from MNL to KUL. Not a surprise. NAIA is getting terribly congested. I just had enough time to get my bearings upon landing in KLIA. I almost made it all the way to immigration before I realized I haven't checked-in my backpack yet. It was still two hours before my flight to CMB but they were already announcing the last call for my flight - two hours before departure time! I found the "last call counter" just in time. 

International Departure gates, KLIA

Just before landing in Sri Lanka, I pulled out a wide-band ring and slipped it on my left ring finger - my fake wedding ring for the next 7 days. 

After landing in Bandaranaike International Airport and getting my baggage, I headed to the arrivals hall and was greeted by five different banks all waving at the passengers. I checked and all the banks had the same forex rate. I chose the one with the shortest line. 

Conversion rate: $100 = LRK 143.50 (LKR = Sri Lanka Rupees). No commission fees. 

I kept the receipt just in case. I read that when you exchange your LRK back to USD, they ask for the receipt (they didn't, in my case).



To get to my hostel, I went with the cushy option and requested the hostel to arrange a private taxi to pick me up at the airport ($26). It was midnight and I was in a country where I knew solo female travelers were not completely safe. Found my driver after I got my LKRs and asked him to wait for a bit while I bought a local simcard. There are kiosks selling simcards just after the banks, not difficult to find. I went with Dialog because I read they had a solid signal. They had a pretty good deal for LKR 1,300, you get LKR 350 worth of call & text and 5GB worth of data.

You just had to fill-out a short form. The guys of Dialog inserted the sim card themselves in your phone then fiddled with the settings to activate the sim (something like that). Then you test if your simcard works. I had a dual-sim phone so that worked pretty well for me. I was glad I got my simcard before a flock of tourists flooded the Dialog booth to get their simcards. I guess Dialog is a popular choice. 

Kiosk of Dialog