Bowers & Wilkins

I went to take a close look at a 7.1 audio installation of Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers, driven by an Onkyo receiver.  Mind-blowing experience, especially with Dolby Atmos switched on.  Loved every minute of it.  While internally debating on whether such a system was appropriate for my proposed AV room, I was able to take a quick look at a write-up of the B&W Nautilus loudspeakers (shown above).  Such a lovely lady to look at, it is touted to be the perfect loudspeaker!  I wish I could hear the performance...

Xtremely Xpresso

We spent an extra hour and a half on the North Diversion Road (they now call it the NLEX) because of a car accident along the Candaba aqueduct and a 5-vehicle smash-up just before the San Fernando toll gate.  What a way to start our summer vacation!

By the time we got to Subic Bay, we just wanted a fast brekky, and Nanette led the way to Xtremely Xpresso, which was a regular hang-out for her office group.    The coffee shop was one of the popular dining places in the former US base, and was so full of patrons that we had to sit at an outdoor table while waiting for a table in the air-conditioned area to be available.

The adults started with a cup of hot coffee and the kids made a go for banana waffles.  It was too early for pizza and pasta, so most of us decided to have the regular breakfast items--tapa and Spanish omelettes.   I tried a breakfast burrito which had breakfast ingredients (minced meat, scrambled eggs and rice) wrapped Mexican style. 

We spent around P240 per person.  The restaurant also has an area for function rooms and events.  Our pit stop was over in around an hour and a half, and we were on our way to Botolan by 11 am.

C&J Sunset View Resort

We decided to take a short family trip to C&J Sunset View Resort over election weekend to recharge our batteries and spend bonding time together.  Mikaela talked about the meteor shower that was supposed to appear in the Western hemisphere, and it was a perfect setting for us to go star-gazing.  It was a pity that Monique couldn't come with us as she had a separate camping engagement with her friends in the hills of Tanay.

We left Manila at 5:30 am, but ran into 5 traffic accidents along the way.  Took us a total of 8 hours traveling time get there, and we checked in almost at 2 pm.  One tiring drive!  It's a good thing that the room air-conditioning was working fine, and that the rooms were readily available when we arrived.  The resort has a clean pool, and the beach is clear of jagged rocks and the water depth slopes gradually to a comfortable 5 feet deep some 20-30 meters from shoreline.

The resort has a few drawbacks--the restaurant closes early at 8pm, and the staff was partly composed of on-the-job trainees, who were still new to the job.  Water pressure was low in some of the rooms, and cable TV was not available.  Still, room prices were reasonable at around P2,500 per room night.  One plus point--Denise left her phone charger in the room, and we had all thought that this was a goner.  However, a couple of days after we left the resort, the manager gives us a call to confirm that the staff found the charger and that it will be sent to Manila via pouch.  Now, isn't that great service?

Advianne's Cafe

One of the negative features of vacationing along the Zambales coastline is that there is a dearth of eateries, even in town centers.  Of course the fast food companies manage to set up their branches around the public markets, but good local cuisine is really hard to come by. It's a sad thing since tourism can be a good source of income for the provine--the beaches are clean and free of rocky crags and dangerous cliffs, the waters are clear, and the province is easily accessible from Manila by the SCTEX.  We reached the capital town of Iba after a 20 minute drive from our resort in Botolan, and we were lucky to chance upon Advianne's Cafe. It was close to 1:30pm and the kids were famished.  Everyone had a chance to order something:

Mozarella Fingers

Gambas

Lechon Kawali

Sisig

Pork Curry

Sinampalukang Manok

Putanesca

Pesto

Diablo

Carbonara

Quattro Formaggi

Pepperoni

Margherita

The annual family outing was really fun, we finally found a place to dine in after several misses!  The cafe staff were probably overwhelmed when 11 of us entered the restaurant; orders were cooked and served one by one, and we finished having lunch at 3:30 pm.  It was quite understandable though; they probably just had one cook on duty.  Not bad for around P200 per person, and we are definitely not complaining.

Ven's Puto Seko

We visited Anita's house without an appointment, and she dug deep in her secret chest of goodies to serve us merienda.  Lo and behold, a can of Ven's puto seko made our day!  This Lucban-made delicacy is made from rice flour and wass often served with salabat for afternoon tea.  Its defining property makes it a favorite for whistling contests--it saps up all traces of moisture in your mouth to the point that you can almost feel Hulk Hogan's arm choking your throat. I used to enjoy this when I was a kid.

Barista Choi Kapeng Vendo

We found an interesting vending machine at the Rama resort in Botolan.  Barista Choi needs only a P5 coin and you get a small (maybe 4 oz) cup of hot coffee.  They have three flavors, and we chose the Pinoy Coffee Blend and the Milky Choco Loco.  Not bad at all for the price!

Botolan Point Beach Resort

After some exploring, we came across a family-owned rest house that was offered for rent on Airbnb.  The place is pretty new, and the owner calls it Botolan Point Beach Resort, the entirety of which can comfortably accommodate 8-10 people.  They have 3 quaint air-conditioned rooms, each with its own toilet and bath.  The beach is literally a few steps away from the house. You can either bring in your own food or make arrangements with the owner for the preparation of meals.  The beach has gray sand, which is typical of the Zambales coastline.  Water is quite clear, and the swimming area is sandy, not rocky at all. Wonderful weekend hideaway; looks like we could be back for an overnight stay in the future!

Chow King Halo-Halo

The store manager at Advianne's Cafe was kind enough to allow us to bring in some cold halo-halo from Chow King. Such a refreshing merienda for a super hot afternoon!  This version of halo-halo may not be the fanciest one, but hands down, it surely is the most accessible one anywhere in the country. Sarap!

Sta. Monica Church

Our mini-vacation in Botolan was also an educating trip for us.  We visited Sta. Monica church, which was built in the 17th century.  We were surprised to find that the roof was being rebuilt with steel trusses, a modern touch to the stately architecture of the church. Peaceful, simple and surprisingly cool on a hot summer day.

Botolan Mormon Church

We were reminiscing in the middle of Botolan, Zambales, and we came across the town's Mormon church.  It struck us that the architecture and layout of their churches all around the country were pretty much cast in the same fashion.  Mikaela, however, explained that there are of course, slight differences.  I understand that this particular church was built some 15 years ago, and has been pretty well maintained.

Voltes V

Toei released the Voltes V cartoon series in 1977, and we were so amazed at the intricate sequence of events that constituted "volting-in" that we all forgot to do our homework...

Nihonjin

Vicky, Monique, Briela and I were pretty much craving for more Japanese food, but didn't want to brave the heavy traffic to get to the Scout area.  Luckily, Google referred us to Nihonjin, a gyoza and ramen shop along Malingap St., and we arrived to take the last available parking slot in front of the shop.  It was a weeknight, and while the tables were not full, it just so happened that most of the patrons had a car each.

The gyoza was surprisingly plump and was full of flavor.  We had a bowl of hot ramen each, and while I can't say that these were top of the line in taste and quality, it wasn't bad at all.  Monique and Briella had the best tasting broths.  They have several kinds of broth--miso, soy and salt based broths were all available that night.  The gekigara ramen was quite spicy and I took a long time to finish my bowl.  Depending on the condiments, bowls are priced from P220 to P320 each.

Since we were famished, we asked for an order each of beef curry and mixed teppanyaki, which we shared among the four of us.  That brought our bill to around P500 per person, but we were quite full.