Places That I've Been To In Asia

Tokyo, Japan
17 visits (thrice in 1994, twice in 96, once in 97, thrice in 98, four times in 99, twice in 00 and twice in 01). Total stay of 73 days.
There is no way I could write about Tokyo in one paragraph so I won’t even try.

Osaka, Japan
1 visit (1999 only). Total stay of 4 days.
Osaka can undoubtedly match everything that Tokyo has to offer. With the possible exception of the surreal experience of standing at a corner of Shinjuku Station during rush hour watching people pass by from every direction.

Seoul, South Korea
4 visits (1994, 96, 97, and 00). Total stay of 15 days.
The very first time I ever experienced snow was in Seoul. My favorite place is Itaewon with its rows and rows of shops selling Korean handicrafts and pottery. My most unforgettable dish: roasted silkworms sold by the road side during winter time.

Hong Kong, China
9 visits (twice in 1995, twice in 96, twice in 97, once in 98, thrice in 99, and once in 00). Total stay of 29 days.
Each time I go, I’m always hoping to see Jacky Chan but never had the chance. Spring Deer Restaurant is my favorite place for peking duck. Not sure if it’s still there. Otherwise, it would be Mc Donalds for me. Most other restaurants just can’t seem to use enough MSG. Got food poisoned there once. Horrible!

Taipei, Taiwan
2 visits (1996 and 98). Total stay of 6 days.
Probably the only place in the world where going to a barbershop could be an entirely different experience. The last thing you’d have to worry about is that they might cut your hair too short!

Singapore
12 visits (twice in 1994, twice in 97, once in 98 and 99, four times in 2000 and twice in 2003). Total stay of 45 days excluding period of residency in Singapore from August 2000 to December 2002.
There’s just so much to say. In a nutshell, considering that this is the first foreign country I’ve visited, Changi airport made me realize how far behind the Philippines has become. Oh well…

Bangkok, Thailand
11 visits (1997, 98, 99, twice in 00, four times in 01, and twice in 03). Total stay of 34 days.
Two words: Amazing Thailand!

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
19 visits (1994, 99, 00, and twice in 01). Total stay of 19 days.
Petronas Towers. Teh tarik. Green Elephant. I played a few courses outside KL and one of my personal favorites will have to be Saujana where Tiger Woods played during the Malaysian Open. I played so well that day and though the score was still in the low to mid-90s, I had five birdies and that’s all that matters.

Johor Bahru, Malaysia
1 visit (2002 only). Total stay of 2 days.
How can any golfer live as an expat in Singapore and not spend at least one golf weekend at JB?

Jakarta, Indonesia
3 visits (1994, 96 and 97). Total stay of 15 days.
Can’t forget the sense of pride I felt the first time I saw a Jolibee store outside the Philippines. I admired (and still do) the way Indonesians took pride in and showcased their culture. But each time our hosts would invite us out for dinner and drinks, I would just hope they’d stop asking us to sing “Anak”.

Bali, Indonesia
1 visit (2000 only). Total stay of 5 days.
Another sales conference during my days at iBasis. We played at the Nirwana which is probably on my top 5 list of best courses I’ve played in Asia.

Bintan Island, Indonesia
1 visit (2001 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Same comment as in Johor Bahru.

Hanoi, Vietnam
2 visits (1997 and 2003). Total stay of 6 days.
Next to the Philippines and Thailand, Vietnam probably has the third highest density of beautiful women. Amazing how so many bikes can simultaneously cross an intersection all at the same time, from different directions, without ever bumping into each other.

Phnom Pehn, Cambodia
3 visits (2000 and twice in 2003). Total stay of 8 days.
During my first time, I was appalled at what the civil war has done to this country and its people. When we played at the Royal course, whenever we missed the fairway, the caddies would remind us not to look for our balls anymore and just play provisional. Apparently, the rough has not yet been cleared of land mines. Last time we were there, the locals burned the Thai embassy after a Thai actress made the remark that Cambodia should be annexed to Thailand again.

Places That I've Been To In The United States

WashingtonDC
10 visits (1994,95,96,97,98, twice in 99,00,01, and 03). Total stay of 77 days.
One of the thrills of being in the international relations field of telecoms is being a delegate to the annual Global Traffic Meeting held at the Intelsat headquarters each May. In 1994, the trip to WDC was my first long flight and first time I ever experienced jet lag. I had the chance to bring my wife along with me years later in 99. She enjoyed the museums and I did too.

Baltimore, Maryland
1 visit (1994 only). Total stay of 2 days.
We decided to spend the night at a friend's house on the way to New York from Washington DC.

Honolulu, Hawaii
7 visits (1996, 98, 99, 00, 01, and twice in 04). Total stay of 49 days.
Another major telecom event is the annual Pacific Telecom Conference which is held every January. I must have played close to a dozen golf courses in Hawaii. Brought my wife with me in 99 and she got bored.

Los Angeles, California
4 visits (1994, twice in 95, 97). Total stay of 49 days.
We have a switching facility here which I helped set up. Have cousins in LA so I can never travel to California without passing by. Did the rounds of the theme parks on my first visit.

San Francisco, California
4 visits (1995, 98, 99, 03). Total stay of 21 days.
Home base of ABSCBN Telecom which we set up in 95. Half Moon Bay golf course is one of the best courses I’ve ever played in my life.! I never fail to play Crystal Springs whenever I’m in SFO. Not bad for a public course. Not bad at all.

San Diego, California
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 2 days.
We drove all the way from LA just to attend meetings here. Didn’t have the chance to visit the world-famous zoo. Sayang.

New York City, New York
3 visits (1998, and twice in 99). Total stay of 11 days.
My first visit was actually in 94 but I didn’t stay overnight so that doesn’t count. In 99, I was with my wife and we watched “Les Mis” on Broadway. It is not so hard to understand why many New Yorkers think that their city is the center of the universe.

Rye Brook, New York
3 visits (twice in 99). Total stay of 8 days.
We stayed at Doral Resort which has its own golf course so we got to play in between our meetings with MCI and Verizon whose headquarters were just close by.

Morristown, New Jersey
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 2 days.
We drove from WDC after one of those GTMs to visit AT&T’s network operations center. Entering the town, I noticed a sign that said: “Welcome to Morris Town, Where There Is Absolutely Nothing To Do”.

Boston, Massachusetts
2 visits (twice in 2000). Total stay of 7 days.
I worked briefly for iBasis which is one of the major VOIP carriers. Their headquarters are in Boston and so I had the chance to visit the city for meetings and stuff.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1 visit (1999 only). Total stay of 2 days.
City of Brotherly Love. My sister-in-law lives there so we had to pass by. Apart from the Liberty Bell and the old Union Hall, there’s nothing much really.

Cape Neddick, Maine
1 visit (2000 only). Total stay of 6 days.
Barry Manilow’s “Weekend In New England” played over and over in my mind while we were there for a sales conference. The golf course at Cape Neddick wasn’t so bad either. And the lobsters? I can’t remember eating so many lobsters in my life!

Places That I've Been To In Europe

London, England
8 visits (1996, 97, thrice in 04, once in 05, twice in 06). Total stay of 31 days.
People write books about London. Not just a sentence or two.

Manchester, England
1 visit (1997 only). Total stay of 3 days.
It was one of those conferences where all the delegates were locked up in one hall throughout the duration. The only time we were able to catch a breath of fresh air was when the organizers hosted dinner and drinks at the Man U stadium.

Southampton, England
1 visit (2005 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Nothing much to see in terms of landmarks in the town itself. But Stonehenge is just a few minutes away by car.

Marbella, Spain
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 4 days.
Puerto Banus. HS batchmate Joseph Estrellado described it as one of the favorite hideaways of the European rich and famous. We dined on baby lamb embryo which is the specialty at the Restaurante Capistrano.

Madrid, Spain
5 visits (1997, twice in 04, once in 05 and 06). Total stay of 17 days.
One of the cities I’ve been to that I wish I could take my family for a visit someday. Certainly one of my favorite cities in the world!

Barcelona, Spain
1 visit (2004 only). Total stay of 3 days
Gaudi all over. Center of art. Most people will disagree with me but for some reason (perhaps because of familiarity?), I like Madrid better. I must admit though that some of the best meals I’ve had in Spain, I had in Barcelona.

Bonn, Germany
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 3 days.
Geez. It seems so long ago I can’t think of anything. I can only vaguely remember this place. It's one of those places where the only thing you remember are the meetings you had.

Frankfurt, Germany
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Nothing beats eating frankfurters and fries from a Frankfurt street peddler. I've previously tried the more publiciized NY dogs and there's just no comparison. The original franks were roasted crisp yet the meat remained tender and juicy. Before leaving, I remember making sure I pass by a grocer just to buy and bring home some of these sausages with me.

Hamburg, Germany
2 visits (twice in 2006). Total stay of 6 days.
I once wrote a poem about Hamburg. But before you start conjuring images of passion and romance, let me tell you upfront that the title of the poem is “Bored in Hamburg”. The place has two redeeming values for me though. One, as a Beatles fan, I got a sense of where the fab four first played their music. Two, the hamburgers. Ronald McDonald? Shame on you!

Brussels, Belgium
1 visit (2006 only). Total stay of 3 days
I guess it can be considered as your typical Northern European city akin to those in Germany, Switzerland, even the Netherlands. Although I must admit that I didn't have the chance to go around much because I came just when winter was setting in. And worse, it was raining! The shops selling those world-famous Belgian chocolates were mostly empty. Food was expensive. But if you're a beer-lover, this city would be heaven on earth.

Rome, Italy
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 5 days.
Another one of those memorable trips. One could find something historical and/or artistic at every street corner. And the people? The highest density of beautiful people in the world! It's like being right smack in the middle of one huge, surreal movie set where everyone around you looks like a movie star. I was with my wife and both of us loved Rome and wish that we could return to visit together with our son someday.

Vatican City
1 visit (1995 only). Total visit of 2 days.
I have a rule against including the places where I’ve been to but hadn’t stayed for at least an overnight. I will make an exception here. Why? Because accomodations within the Vatican are restricted mostly to the clergy and diplomats. And we (my wife and I plus a friend and his wife) did spend two whole days going around the city regardless. After all, when in Rome….

Milan, Italy
1 visit (2005 only). Total stay of 3 days.
Too bad the Doumo was under repair when I visited.

Paris, France
2 visits (1995 and 2006). Total stay of 7 days.
My wife and I both enjoyed the sights and sounds of Paris. Not as much as we did Rome or New York. But more than enough for The City of Lights to land high up there on our list. On our last night, we decided to treat ourselves to fine dining at a posh restaurant along the Champs. The best meal we’ve had during that trip! Last time I went there, I was alone and at the tailend of a two-week trip. I felt so homesick.

Bern, Switzerland
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 6 days.
I attended the convention of the International Telecommunications Union held in Geneva but there were not enough hotel rooms in the city so we ended up in Bern and would take the two-hour train ride to our meetings each day. My wife was with me. She enjoyed the coziness of Bern. Not to mention that the local museum had some of the works of the Dutch masters on display when we were there.

Geneva, Switzerland
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 2 days.
During our visit to Switzerland, we were able to book a hotel room in Geneva only our last night. Prior to that, we stayed in Bern and would commute daily to our meetings. At lunch breaks and after our meetings, we'd take walks at the park beside Lake Geneva and watch the ducks swim by. It was a refreshing sight.

The Hague, Netherlands
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 2 days.
On our first day, right after we checked into the hotel, we decided to take a stroll at the park across the street and find a place to eat. Suddenly, a police car came screeching towards us and the cops asked for our identification papers. Apparently, two persons who fit our description and wore the same color jackets and caps as we did were reported to have stolen artifacts in one of the churches nearby. How’s that for a welcoming party?

Amsterdam, Netherlands
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Yes, we saw the shops with “live mannequins”. No, they didn’t have those shops yet selling cannabis back in 96. We toured the city on bicycle. Very picturesque city. And the Dutch are probably one of the nicest people in Northern Europe (notwithstanding our unforgettable “welcome” party at The Hague).

Lisbon, Portugal
1 visit (1997 only). Total stay of 3 days.
My middle name is Cabral. I just had to make sure I got my picture taken right beside the statue of Juan Alvarez Cabral, the famous Portuguese navigator who “discovered” Brazil. I wish we had more business to do in Portugal so I’d have reason to visit more often.

Places That I've Been To In The Middle East

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
3 visits (1994, 95 and 99). Total stay of 12 days
The first (and only) time I ever played at a desert course was at the Abu Dhabi GCC. The resident pro was a Pinoy and he was kind enough to let us test a variety of new-model clubs. All for free! It was also in UAE that I first saw rain in the desert.

Manama, Bahrain
3 visits (1994, 95 and 99). Total stay of 11 days
Though gold jewelry is arguably cheaper in Saudi, the quality (in terms of design and choices) of jewelry sold in Bahrain is probably better. This is where I first learned how to play snooker.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 3 days
Right after our meeting, our hosts were kind enough to take us around the city. They took us to the souk where one can buy gold jewelry and souvenirs. Not far away is the plaza where convicts are beheaded during Fridays, or so we were told.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
1 visit (1999 only). Total stay of 3 days
A bit more “open” than Riyadh in the sense that there were not as many mutahwas (religious priests) walking around. But just the same, no beer.

Other Places That I've Been To

Tamuning, Guam
1 visit (1994 only). Total stay of 5 days
We stayed at the Palace Hotel which was up in the mountains overlooking the Philippine Sea. Kept thinking I wish I were home. Too bad, I wasn’t a golfer yet when we went there. I could have played the courses after our meetings instead of getting stuck in the hotel.

Sydney, Australia
2 visits (1995 and 96). Total stay of 10 days
Definitely in my list of top 10 most beautiful cities in the world! Tried looking around for both Mad Max and Crocodile Dundee but no luck mate. Always stayed at the Marriott at the other side of Hyde Park across Telstra’s office. They serve decent kangaroo meat steak.