ZestAir is a relatively new airline in the Philippines servicing flights to many destinations in the country. They offer lower rates than their competitors and are using brand new planes (though others air saying that it’s actually just newly acquired from a foreign airline). Because of this a lot of people are interested to fly with ZestAir but are a bit skeptical about it because of its acquired reputation from Asian Spirit. Hopefully, my experience flying with ZestAir can help would-be zest air passengers, who’ll read this post. Read the rest of this entry »
Browsing the archives for the Manila tag
I’ve been blogging about the annual Aliwan Fiesta for two years already but I’ve never got to see it personally because of schedule conflicts when I was still in school. Now that I’m free, I’m finally going to Manila this last week of April to watch the spectacle from the streets of Manila. Thanks to Zest Air for offering a Manila to Ilolo flight for only P488 (see Zest Air Promo page). I’ll be arriving in Manila on the 23rd and leaving on the 27th. I’ve read from reviews that Zest Air flights are very comfortable since they are using a brand new custom made A320 and they have unlimited Zest-O products on board, sweet! Hopefully I’ll be able to meet my friends from college and skyscrapercity during the trip. I’m also looking forward to revisit old manila and visit more its newer places.
Showing off your camera in the streets Quiapo, Binondo, or Intramuros is kind of risky because it would make yourself an easy target for thieves. I had to take pictures of my trip though, so I just took stolen shots instead and planned on putting a lomo effect to compensate for the lack of composititon.
Here’s my Lomo Manila Series (I hope I don’t offend Lomo purists because I’m not very familiar with this style of photography):
I was in Manila for 4 days in January 2009 with Vince, who was also planning to buy his first SLR. During the first day, we headed straight to Quiapo for our primary agenda. And then we set out to tour the walled city of Manila, our tour guides were Eric, Bernie, and Igan, who are friends I met over at Skyscrapercity.
The 400 year old San Agustin Church in Intramuros
When I was still planning for the trip to Manila, I made it a point to try the Pasig River Cruise after learning about it from Bernie’s blog. The Pasig River was the lifeblood of the city during its prehistory until the Spanish occupation. Unfortunately, during the last decades of the 20th century, it has become Manila’s dumping site for trash and raw sewage. If you ask a Filipino their impression of Pasig, they would tell you that it is “mabaho” (foul smelling) and “puno ng basura” (full of trash). I was surprised to find out how the Pasig River has changed these past few years. Although still relatively dirty, it did not give off foul odors as I have expected.
Catamaran Ferry of the Pasig River Cruise
Read the rest of this entry »
Just got back from my short trip to Manila last January 10-14, 2009 with Vince. The agenda was to buy my first DSLR, a Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 18-105mm VR lens. I initially wanted to buy the 18-200mm but I wasn’t able to conjure enough money :(
We arrived at Manila during lunch time where I was greeted by Bernie and Eric, my travel blogger friends, and my sister. Our first destination was Hidalgo St., in Quiapo – The mecca of anything that has to do with photography in the Philippines. The whole street is lined with camera shops selling cameras, equipment, and accessories at a price far lower compared to those sold in malls. If you’re interested in knowing more about Quiapo, the Digital Photographer Philippines Forum is a great resource that can help you.
I bought my first cam (Canon Powershot A700) at Henry’s Photo. I trust the store because my powershot has survived despite several years with me during my travels. Henry’s was my first choice for the new purchase but I also inquired at other stores like Avenue and Watsons, which also gave me a good deal. I’ve read about Mayer’s in DPP but I wasn’t able to inquire beforehand because I wasn’t able to find their email address.
While we were already in Quiapo, I was standing in front of Mayer’s and pointed out that I’ve read about the owner (Mang Ramon) being hot tempered and, at times, rude to customers. My sister insisted to inquire inside but I was hesitant because maybe Mang Ramon would unleash his temper at me for some reason. I finally sucked up my fear and took the courage to go inside. I saw a man behind the counter and knew right then that it was indeed Mang Ramon, while my lips were still shaking, I asked him for the prices. To my surprise, he was very friendly and accommodated us well. Maybe he already knows if a customer is a serious buyer or not, I read that he’s not very receptive to those who are just “canvassing”. Vince was able to buy a D40 with kit lens for P20,000 and I was able to buy my D40 with 18-105mm VR for P32,500. So cheap! and it even has a free camera bag and 4GB SD card. I was able to walk out of their store as a happy consumer :)
The next day, we returned to Hidalgo because Vince wanted to replace his bag but all the stores in Hidalgo were closed because it was a Sunday, totally forgot about that. I was able to read in DPP that there’s a stall near Henry’s that sells delicious siomai, the poster adds that the “siomai is worth the trip to Hidalgo.” Indeed he was right, the meaty goodness sold for only P20 / 3 pieces was indeed worth the trip to Hidalgo, I even ate two orders that afternoon.
On Monday, we went to Quiapo yet again and visited Henry’s to look at their bags. They were quite expensive so we checked out the store next door, Watson’s. The guy behind the counter showed me a Tamrac bag that was just perfect for me. It costs twice the money I planned on spending for a new bag, but I was attacked my impulsive buying so I bought it anyway. After walking out their store, I felt very guilty because I really didn’t need it and I used up all the money in my wallet (an ATM machine was just nearby). I could have bought a UV filter instead.
During our Manila trip, we toured the old streets of Quiapo, Binondo and Intramuros to try out our new cams. It took me a lot of time to adjust in using an SLR, most of my shots were not as good as I wanted them to be because I was still not familiar with the controls and stuff. I’m also not used to looking through a viewfinder and a wide angle lens so I didn’t pay to much attention to detail. I’m hoping to fine tune my skills in time for the Dinagyang Festival.
Self-portait at Lord Stow’s in Binondo
Next purchases would be a handy tripod, flash unit, and a set of filters (67mm) specifically a UV filter, ND Filter, and Polarizer
More about my Manila trip in future posts!
I got into thinking a lot about my choice of buying an SLR cam. Previously I have blogged about my wish of buying the new Canon EOS 450D (Canon EOS Rebel XSi) which cost about $899 (approx P39000). It’s a decent entry level cam, which would be a god send if I get a hold of it myself.
I’m a point-and-shoot camera user and when I made that decision, I was kind of short-sighted when it came to the most important piece of photographic equipment, the LENSES. So I researched about the perfect start-up glass for me and I found out that Canon lenses are not cheap. As in they’re waaaaay over my budget. While the kit lens with IS (17mm-55mm) is great, I won’t be able to achieve most of the shots that I usually do because of the lack of zoom. If I buy a telephoto lens then I’ll burn at least P20k on top of the P39k and expenses going to Hidalgo and buying other start-up items like a polarizing filter and a camera bag.
Read the rest of this entry »
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
