Friday, July 31, 2009

i miss being out

i haven't been out of manila since the spain trip, and i've been feeling the itch to get out again. the temptation is much stronger since i scored a couple of free roundtrip tickets to any of cebu pacific's domestic destinations.

at the same time, though, something's holding me back. i still can't put my finger on it, but i feel like i could stay here in manila and explore more of the city. i want to visit the metropolitan, yuchengco, and lopez museums, see more of intramuros, spend a day in la mesa ecopark, go to carriedo, and take the pasig ferry again. there are some walks from carlos celdran and old manila walks that i want to take, too.

but the lure of the beach and other exotic provinces are just as strong. la union and boracay are fighting for my time and attention again--i miss the waves and the people of LU, while boracay's laidback yet city-feel makes me want to go back. i'm also planning to go on another viaje del sol trip and visit some of the destinations that i didn't get to see last time. batanes is also a prime location, but probably not the best choice this season. baguio is another place on the list, mainly for the weather, the ukay, and the food.

and that's just the pinas places i want to see. i'm trying to figure out a way to get my ass back to hong kong. there's no special reason to go, but hong kong is hong kong. i will never say no to it. i can go there and just spend my time walking and walking and walking, punctuated by hours of stuffing my face with whatever food place catches my fancy.

but my head is trying to rein me in, telling me that i should prioritize. there are some things that call for my time and attention at the moment, and there is another major trip in the making that is sure to once again wipe out my travel savings. since i was able to finally get to europe, i've been thinking of going back, and i'm slowly putting the pieces of a london-paris-madrid-barcelona-santander trip together, and, if budget and time permits, maybe i'll even get to see ireland.

see? even when i'm stuck in one place, i'm always traveling. my head has conjured up so many daydreams of places i've yet to see, or places that i want to be in at the moment. it's lovely, and difficult, to be bitten by the travel bug. :)

Monday, July 13, 2009

charlie's yummy angus burgers

i wouldn't have found out about charlie's delicious burgers if i hadn't been working in ortigas. so i guess, even though it takes me an hour to get to work, being here in pasig does have its perks.

located in east capitol drive in kapitolyo, pasig, charlie's stands beside a local carwash and internet cafe, and serves one of the best value angus burgers i know. the place, though small, is pretty clean, and the menu offers a variety of yummy treats:



the place was already full when we arrived, but the line still wasn't as long as when we left. unfortunately for susie and me, they ran out of fries last saturday, so we made do with their burgers. i got the black angus burger and vanilla milkshake, while 'sus decided to add smoked bacon to his burger, and pair it with a bottle of san mig light.

i think we waited just five minutes for our burgers to arrive. not bad, since they make them as you order. i was a bit disappointed that it didn't look that appetizing, and was actually worried that it might not measure up to my expectations.

but with just one bite, all my worries were gone. the patty was juicy and incredibly tasty, i really couldn't believe i only paid P150 for it (but to the owner of charlie's, please don't raise your prices!). it was topped by huge onion and tomato slices, and a humongous lettuce leaf.


the burger went well with my strawberry milkshake, though i wouldn't order their shakes next time. at P150, it didn't feel worth it. maybe i'll try one of their "american craft" beers when i go back. and their portobello mushroom, and their philly cheese steak, and their snap dawgz, and...

charlie's info:
photos of charlie's grind and grill
east capitol drive, bgy. kapitolyo, pasig
serves: damned good burgers, cheese steaks, american craft beers, meatballs