We are all used to Christmas decorations before Christmas, right? But at this house in Dumaguete, they take the Christmas decorations to the extreme. I have never seen anything like it, except maybe on movies. This house is just 5-10 minutes walk from the Silliman University and the entrance fee is 25 PHP / person.

​This is the Dr. Rico Absin’s house, a former anesthesiologist in his late 50s. He has created an institution out of a genuine passion for art and decoration. This is actually his private residence and it’s well known as the Christmas House in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental. ​​In December his house will be the brightest and merriest, illuminating the quaint old house which he has dwelled in most of his life and in which he now occupies alone after inheriting it from his parents.

​For me it’s a little bit surreal to see all this and it raises some questions. Who is Dr. Absin? And why is he doing this year after year. Inside the big house which of course was full of Christmas decorations in every room and corner, there were also many personal things which like proved that someone actually was living there. For example there were lot’s of old photos from different episodes of his life, from his younger days until now.

​It has become an annual custom for this Doctor to share his blessings during the season to some 300 less fortunate children in the city which he throws a party for their benefit. He never forgets to wrap up gifts to be given away and makes sure that not one child leaves without getting any. Also a member of the City Tourism Council, Dr. Absin holds benefits and fund raisers for this particular cause.

Related links:​
Tarbush, a story of love​
The boulevard in Dumaguete​
Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros
Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Rizal Boulevard or more commonly known as just the Boulevard is the heart of Dumaguete. ​It's here everything happens. I love to stroll here specially in the evenings when the air is cooler and you can feel the ocean breeze. Many they are doing their exercises here as well, jogging and walking back and forth the boulevard. Some days of the week they arrange Zumba open for everybody brave enough to participate. 

​The boulevard’s stretch is immediately visible when coming into the Dumaguete port via any sea vessel. From the white lamp posts lining up the stretch to the stately trees swaying with the sea breeze, Rizal Boulevard holds a big part in the city’s provincial charm and has become a very popular landmark.

A lazy afternoon at the boulevard. (60 s video clip) 

Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete City was named after the great Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, marking it as one of the historical sites found in the city. It has been said that he had made a brief visit and took a stroll here before departing to the neighboring island of Dapitan, Dipolog City where he was exiled for four years.

​​Rizal Boulevard is definitely one of the city’s best loved places. It has become a landmark as well as a venue for leisure and recreation.

Related links:​
Tarbush, a story of love​​
Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros
Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines

When you travel around in the Philippines you will have the possibility to encounter food experiences unlike what you are used to from back home. So what can you expect? It's of course depending on your own curiosity and where and how you travel. Here I share just a few examples of my own experiences. But remember, be brave and stay curious... always!

Hot and spicy but still cold. How is that possible? This is really a perfect combo to enjoy the spiciness of the chili together with the mild taste and coolness of the ice cream. The scoop with two chili fruits is the most spicy one.

Sea urchin, also known as Uni, is loved by chefs and features heavily on tasting menus around the world. The delicacy of the ocean has a strong flavour and a strange texture if you're not used to eating it. Raw uni has a fresh ocean taste, briny and slightly minerally but not salty or "fishy". The flavor is mildly nutty with a slight sweetness similar to raw scallops. The texture is smooth, wet and custard-like. While the flavor of uni isn't particularly strong or sharp, the combination of the briny ocean taste and creamy texture is definitely not for everyone.

Related links:
Breakfast, it's a big thing
Buko juice, nature's own energy drink!​
Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines
Food, one of life's necessities

In 1571 to the end of Spanish rule in 1898, Intramuros was Manila. It's also known as the Ciudad Murada (Walled City) because of its most famous feature: a nearly three-mile-long circuit of massive stone walls and fortifications that almost completely surrounds the entire district. 

History and mystery are built into the two and three-quarter miles (around 4,4 km) of walls that surround the old capital of the Philippines. The first wall, built in 1570 was made of logs. Today the construction bears evidences of many builders and widely differing plans of defence.

When wandering around in this area and reading about all those important historical events which took place here you get a feeling of humbleness. There have been so much pain and sacrifices inside and around these walls of Intramuros. For example, Jose Rizal the national freedom hero of the Philippines was imprisoned here. He was later executed in Bagumbayan (now known as Rizal Park) just outside the walls of Intramuros on December 30, 1896. Or in 1945, during the fierce Battle of Manila between American, Filipino and Japanese forces, where so many soldiers paid the ultimate price and Intramuros was almost completely destroyed.

Fort Santiago, the former military headquarters of the Spanish colonial government. Although the fort sustained very heavy damage during the 1945 Battle of Manila, several key portions of the compound were subsequently restored. It's now considered a major landmark and one of Manila's most popular tourist attractions, partly because José Rizal - the national hero of the Philippines - was imprisoned here prior to his execution on 30 Dec 1896. The Rizal Shrine, a small museum dedicated to his life and work, is housed in a restored section of one of the fort's former barracks. 

During World War II, Fort Santiago was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army. They used the dungeons as prison cells for captured Filipino and American soldiers. Around 600 bodies were found inside these dungeons and they probably died of starvation and suffocation on the very last days of the Battle of Manila.

Nearest train station: LRT1-Central Terminal
Or my personal recommendation, get off at United Nations Avenue and then take a 10 minutes nice walk. You will pass the Rizal Park and among others the National Museum of Fine Arts, which both are well worth visits.

Related links:
UCC Good Coffee Smile in Manila​
Where to eat the fiery style in Manila?
Visit Intramuros in Manila​
Manila American Cemetery & Memorial​
Visit the Manila Chinese Cemetery​
Review of Jatujak Thai Restaurant, Manila
Review of hotel Isabelle Royale in Makati, Manila
Review of Kyochon restaurant in Mall of Asia
Review of Arya Persian Restaurant in Pasay
Hiking trip to Mt Pinatubo
Review of Casa Verde Boutique Hotel and Gardens, Imus, Manila
Review of Chili's Restaurant in Mall of Asia
Review of Burgoo, American Bar and Restaurant in Mall of Asia
Review of Pinoy Pamilya Hotel in Pasay
Review of 88 Courtyard Hotel in Pasay
Video clips Manila Ocean Park​

The cemetery is beautifully located with impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains. The area is so quiet and you can wander around and contemplate over the soldiers who lost their lives in the World War II. When you see all the headstones and the names it really calls for reflection over the madness of war.

Compared to the Manila Chinese Cemetery which was like a maze of different styles and colors this cemetery is strictly organized and minimalistic with the headstones in perfect order. They are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

Normally I used to deny the services of a guide. Who needs a guide when you have a smartphone and Google? But sometimes however, I have to admit that hiring a guide can be really useful. The Manila Chinese Cemetery is roughly 5.4 hectare. So it's a big area and it's like a maze in there so in order to find the highlights you might need some help. I was lucky to meet a guide who was nice and knowledgable and told me many good ​anecdotes about the cemetery. He charged me 600 PHP for one-hour walking tour. As an option you can also hire a bicycle (per hour P100) to get around the area.

Before the squatters climbed the fences to get in. Until the 1960:s, many families employed grave watchmen to stay at the mausoleums around the clock. But when the guards started bringing their families to live on the grounds, the practice was banned. Although the squatters no longer spend the nights at the cemetery, the caretakers and their families find it a nice place for a picnic, and even a nap. They stretch out on the cool marble floors or even on top of the crypts. 

 According to my guide, if the children died before their parents, they were not going to be buried together with the parents but separately at another place in the cemetery. But there were some cases of married men who happened to have had a mistress who was buried together with him and his wife in the same mausoleum! My guide showed me an even weirder example, where a married man and his mistress were dead and consequently they had been buried together. But the husband's wife was still alive and the wife had already got her designated resting place set up beside her husband and his mistress when the time was ready for her!

Related links:
UCC Good Coffee Smile in Manila​
Where to eat the fiery style in Manila?
Visit Intramuros in Manila​
Manila American Cemetery & Memorial​
Visit the Manila Chinese Cemetery​
Review of Jatujak Thai Restaurant, Manila
Review of hotel Isabelle Royale in Makati, Manila
Review of Kyochon restaurant in Mall of Asia
Review of Arya Persian Restaurant in Pasay
Hiking trip to Mt Pinatubo
Review of Casa Verde Boutique Hotel and Gardens, Imus, Manila
Review of Chili's Restaurant in Mall of Asia
Review of Burgoo, American Bar and Restaurant in Mall of Asia
Review of Pinoy Pamilya Hotel in Pasay
Review of 88 Courtyard Hotel in Pasay
Video clips Manila Ocean Park​

Tempura is served with different kinds of spicy sauces. Note the plate cover... You can also buy tempura in the supermarket. ​Tasty Filipino tempura The Filipino reinvented the tempura into an affordable street version of the authentic more expensive Japanese dish made of real seafood or vegetables. The basic Filipino version consist of a batter which is made of water and soft wheat flour, eggs, baking powder, starch, oil, and spices. It's deep-fried in oil and served with different kinds spicy sauces. Tempura is a perfect snack along with a beer or two.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ​Takoyaki Takoyaki or also known as Samurai Balls's originated from Japan but you will often find it as street food in the Philippines. The ingredients are mainly the same as with the tempura. In this version they had mixed vegetables in the batter. You eat them together with spicy sauces. It's really yummy and affordable street food. Just try it and you will see! Balut No trip to the Philippines would be complete without eating balut! So what is balut? Balut is very simple: it's a fertilized duck egg, the embryo permitted to develop in the shell from 16 to 25 days, then boiled in the shell. The older the balut, the fuller the embryo's development.  How to eat balut Sprinkle salt and add vinegar to taste and the feast can begin! Expect to encounter embryonic guts, cartilage, maybe the odd feather as you chew. You'll be expected to eat the duckling first, the rest of the egg afterward. ​Summary Many filipino men think that balut is an aphrodisiac, maybe that's the case I don't know. But undoubtedly it's full of protein, not that much fat and it's definitely more tasty than it looks. Trust me. Related links: Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant, Dumaguete Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place, Dumaguete Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant, Dumaguete ​Review of San Rival Bistro, Dumaguete ​Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant, Dumaguete ​​Review of Gabby's Bistro, Dumaguete ​Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete​ Visit the Casaroro Falls, Valencia ​Visit the Marine Sanctuary in Dauin

I get many questions about my living when I am in the Philippines. To find a house for rent is often a good idea if you are staying a longer period at the same place. Either you stay at the same location or have it like a base camp when you are doing trips nearby. 

Unit 3, Seaside Grande A pool available for the residents View from my bedroom ​Sonculan-Totolan area The area was nice and quiet with a pool available for those who lived here. The downside was the bad cellphone connection with the SMART company. Most of the time the signal was so poor so it was impossible to make any calls. Same with the mobile data, only late in the evenings you could get a signal sufficient for browsing Facebook or whatever.  The kitchen and living room area As always I enjoyed to cook my own food. ​The rent 25K The rent for the house was 25 000 PHP and it was fully furnished with everything included even the kitchen utensils were there. The cost for water and electricity was additional. The master bed room. The master bath room. The staircase to the upper floor. The upper hallway. ​The house was big There were three bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and two toilets both with showers. A nice balcony where you could sit and drink your evening tea. A very short clip showing the area outside unit 3. The nice and very talkative fixer guy. He was helpful but sometimes hard to get hold on. Related links: My rental apartment in Toril Where to eat in Tagbilaran? Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines) Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines) The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common? Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa  (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines) Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines)

I compiled four video clips with samples of traditional dances in Philippines. For the guys, check the number two video, second part of it. It shows how to catch a girl! But in my mind I wonder what a girl would think if I tried that approach on the disco? 

This dance is said to imitate the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. The kids imitate the tikling bird's grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. ​The name "tinikling" is a reference to birds locally known as tikling, which can be any of a number of rail species.

First part of this short video shows men fighting. They have weapons and wear masks. The second part is actually more interesting! It's about a young man courting a girl. He catches her interest and even manage to make her pregnant! So watch and learn guys!

I filmed this fire dance at Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran. I don't know if fire dancing is typical for Philippines, probably not. But anyway it's relatively common all over Philippines to experience this.

This fire dance was filmed in Davao Crocodile Park.

Related links:
My rental apartment in Toril
The Uso-Uso Experience in Davao
The jumping kids of Talikud Island
Review of The Red Parrot Inn (Samal Island, Philippines)
Review of Monclair Suites (Toril, Philippines)
Samal Island (Mindanao, Philippines)
Review of Chow King Restaurant (Davao, Philippines)

The kitchen was western style with a combo stove with both gas and electric. My living room. The better view that I had, was towards the street and Mt Apo in the distant. The apartment was fully furnished I was the first renter in the apartment so everything was very fresh. All the furnitures and the kitchen utensils were included. The owner was helpful and keen on that everything would be ok. If you are interested to rent you can contact the owner yourself. The location in Toril might be a little bit odd since it's a bit far from Davao city. But for me it was perfect, relatively quiet compared to the bustling city centre of Davao. It's close to Eden Nature Park, a wonderful place where you can do many activities such as hiking, fishing and of course eat at the beautifully located buffet restaurant. For me it was also interesting with the relative proximity to Mt Apo since I had plans to hike there. Inside the apartment A tour inside the apartment. But I have an excuse to my English speaking viewers since I am talking Swedish in the video clip. But at least I added some English subtitles. View from balcony View over Andaya st which could be a very noisy specially in the mornings and evenings. My other view, maybe less nice, was towards the sea and Davao city in the distant. Here the street kids tried to sell the puppy to me. The other view My other view from the apartment was overlooking a squatter area. The owner told me it was her land but for the time being she let squatters stay there. On the other side of the street was this little puppy which most of the time was tied up. The poor puppy was all alone there and crying all the time. But then suddenly the street kids decided to try to sell it to me. I felt sorry for the puppy but I denied of course.  Going to Toril city centre The video clip shows the first 2 km stretch from Daliao to Toril city centre. Most of the days I traveled in to Ecoland just near Davao city. I usually went to Starbucks to enjoy a delicious cafe latte and use their excellent WiFi. It's a perfect way to do some work on the computer. To get there I took the tricycle from Daliao to the city centre of Toril. Next I went with the Uso-Uso jeepneys or to the Hop On Hop Off Terminal for the 30 minutes stretch to Ecoland. Actually I usually went by the Hop On Hop Off jeepneys, they felt more safe to ride with. The cooking A traditional breakfast Squid barbecue on the balcony The final result, grilled squids. I had a frequent guest specially when I was cooking... Banana flowers With banana flowers you can do a delicious salad Some ingredients for the spicy sauce. Spicy sauce for the grilled squid. One good thing I like with renting a place is that you can cook your own food. Related links: Traditional dances in Philippines The Uso-Uso Experience in Davao The jumping kids of Talikud Island Review of The Red Parrot Inn (Samal Island, Philippines) Review of Monclair Suites (Toril, Philippines) Samal Island (Mindanao, Philippines) Review of Chow King Restaurant (Davao, Philippines)