Melon Collie & The Infinite Picture-Taking

June equals the season of typhoons in the Philippines, but Miss Iggy got to hit the northbound road last month on a pilgrimage to the Manaoag Shrine in Pangasinan. On her way there, she stopped by a roadside watermelon stand in Moncada, Tarlac. What's summer without watermelons? Have your fruit and water, too!

Miss Iggy's been so busy, she realized her blog turned two years old last month without much fuss or fanfare!

Khmer Iggy and the Tale of the Vertical Airport

Over a year ago, I took Khmer Iggy on her first international trip outside of Cambodia to Laos. After several  bus transfers and two nights later, we arrived in the capital of Vientiane. 

Vientiane, is by far, the most laid-back capital I've visited, what a welcome change from the hustle-bustle of Phnom Penh! Early morning when we arrived, the streets were quiet and the people we met along as we walked towards our hotel seemed to be friendly and had welcoming smiles on their faces. 

One of the famous landmarks, and arguably the most photographed, in Vientiane is the Patuxai Monument. Also known as the Gate of Triumph and Victory Gate, Patuxai was built to honor those who died during the war against the French for independence. 

Miss Iggy couldn't help but notice its similarity to  France's Arc de Triomphe. It was indeed modeled after this popular French landmark but if you'll look up and train your eyes on the ceiling, you will see that the decorations are entirely of Laotian design and detail, from Buddhist mythical creatures down to the golden bling-blings.

Okay a little trivia here... Do you know that the Patuxai monument is also referred to as the vertical airport? Miss Iggy was very curious to know so we asked an expat who has lived in Vientiane for several years now. Story goes that in the 1960s the US government donated funds to build an airport in the capital. The funds were accepted, however, instead of building an airport, the then-Laotian government used the money to build the Patuxai monument instead. And so,  the nickname vertical airport stays even up to this day.

We also climbed to the top and we were glad we did -- it offers a breath-taking view of the city and is perfect for taking pictures. Luckily, Miss Iggy wasn't afraid of heights and went closer to the rails and enjoyed  the fantastic view.

vote for pedro!

miss iggy hollers ¡hola! at you from "south of the border!" (otherwise known as SOB)

this kitschy tourist trap/rest stop/roadside attraction in dillon, south carolina seems like a mirage in I-95, because what can a giant mexican bandido named pedro with his giant sombrero be doing here? certainly, miss iggy hasn't crossed the US-mexican border!

"south of the border" really means south of the north carolina border, and is your gateway to south carolina. you won't miss this place because you'll see wacky billboards along the highway starting from 175 miles away luring you to come visit. signs like, "you never sausage a place" and "chili today, hot tamale."

aside from pedro, there's also this yellow sombrero tower that has an elevator that can take you to the observation deck above. miss iggy didn't go up, though.

miss iggy meets shoney bear

when hunger strikes on the road, miss iggy stops by a food joint in one of the nearest exits off the interstate highway. this was where she ate at in battleboro, north carolina: shoney's.

their restaurant offers you the choice of either ordering from their menu of american staples, or sample everything on their reasonably-priced buffet. miss iggy chose the latter, because the buffet includes steak. over all, the flavors left much to be desired, but jersey iggy had to hurry back on the road. she was refueled, that's what mattered.

she left the restaurant with a new furry friend: shoney bear. he looked all spunky with his red cap and matching hoodie sweater. i guess you can say he dresses up smarter than your average bear.

hello, "tar heel state!"

miss iggy knew that south carolina was next when she stopped by north carolina!

did you know that cape fear upon which the movie is based is in north carolina?

miss iggy knows that she's a fearless traveler!

staying merry in maryland

an evening stopover somewhere in maryland at a rest area aptly called "maryland house."

miss iggy thought that the cherry blossoms in washington DC should be in full bloom right now. she settled for the white ones at the rest area's parking lot. wait, are they crab apple blossoms or cherry blossoms?

miss iggy cruising through the baltimore tunnel.

"center of the universe"

jersey iggy has a bit of an obsession with visitor centers/rest stops, because not only can she stretch her legs, she can also check her road trip progress. here she is with the first one she encountered in daylight last wednesday on her way to south carolina.

this is the ashland railroad station/visitor center in virginia's hanover county. according to the town's website, it's also known as the "center of the universe" for its cental location within the state. miss iggy got to snag some free "virginia is for lovers" bumper stickers at the tourist lobby.

fertile myrtle

jersey iggy is on the road again...this time to myrtle beach in south carolina! it's a 12-hour drive from jersey to south carolina. actually, she's already there by the time you read this blog. she's spending the easter holiday there to hunt for eggs and bunny chocolates and chick peeps. will "southern hospitality" be up to par? we'll see.

y'all behave now, ya hear?

cruising along downtown manila

last month, miss iggy got to sit in manila traffic going towards quiapo. it was drizzling that day. you can't really call it "cruising," more like "crawling."

she passed by raon, considered the mecca of all things electronic, especially for those on a budget. it's the place to buy every filipino's favorite singing companion, the "magic mic"--for much cheaper compared to department stores.

she also passed by quiapo church, home of the black nazarene whose feast day was just a few days ago.

and then she noticed how this sign which says "no crossing, it's fatal" is on a pink billboard. the MMDA (metro manila development authority) sure "thinks pink". the only logical explanation miss iggy can think of is that pink is cute enough a color to be eye-catching. don't be a daredevil and cross this part of the road, though, that just won't be cute!

and last but not least, a billboard of the "people's champ," manny pacquiao advertising a motorbike. it says, "ride like a champ!" manny pacquiao is the philippines' boxing hero whose life is a true rags-to-riches story. he's also known as the "pacman," "pambansang kamao" (national fist)...and miss iggy's personal favorite: "the mexicutioner," for having defeated so many mexican boxers.

pacquiao is so popular now that he's probably outdone the" megastar" sharon cuneta in terms of product endorsements.

mr. iggy returns to baguio city

only a few days after he was given to me by friends ging & connie, mr. iggy eagerly accompanied me to a road trip to the city of pines (where i attended one of the many christmas parties last year). what better way to spend the holidays than to drive around baguio city - to commune with nature, to enjoy the winding roads, or to simply enjoy the cool breeze & high altitude.

the trip was especially memorable for mr. iggy coz he was able to reunite with some of his igorota sisters in such places as mines view park and the wright park.

... and also enjoy such wonderful local delights as ube jam, chocolate crinkles and of course - fresh and sweet strawberries!!!

Roadtrip with Miss Igorota

Happy new year everyone!
At the outset, I would like to apologise to my sisters here for being quiet for a long time. We were away for Christmas and got really busy thereafter so blogging had to take a backseat for awhile. While the rest of the world were in a frenzy preparing to greet the New Year on December 31, it was a normal day for us here in Cambodia. While there was a NY countdown planned at the Sisowath Quay (across the Royal Palace), it rained heavily that night, much to our disappointment, and so we stayed at home and watched as the rest of the world welcomed 2009 on television.

A week ago, we (R, Max, and I) drove down to Kep, on the southernmost coastline of Cambodia with the globe-trotting Miss Igorota to spend the Christmas holidays there. It was Miss Igorota’s first road trip to the Cambodian countryside, to Kep, specifically, and she was very excited to see what awaited her.

Kep is a coastal municipality about 180 kilometers away from the capital of Phnom Penh. Kep was, in another era, a favorite getaway for French colonial masters and the wealthy from Phnom Penh, who enjoyed its beaches, seafood, and sea breeze. Now, the municipality as a whole is impoverished and relies on inshore-fishing and small-scale agriculture. Up until recently, Kep has always been our favorite weekend getaway due to its “wild” feel and remoteness.

Day 1.
We were planning to leave early at 6 o’clock on the morning of the 23rd, but for some reason we woke up very late. After getting some cash at a bank in Russian Blvd., we were able to get out of Phnom Penh past 12noon, when the sun was already at its hottest.

We drove out of the city on National Road Number 3 passing Pochentong International Airport. The road was mostly good, but the first 50 or so kilometers after the airport was a long stretch of bumpy and dusty road. Trucks, motos and other vehicles compete for the right of way, swerving, overtaking and cutting lanes. Thankfully, Paige, our trusty, old Pajero, didn’t go boinkers as it maneuvered its way round the monstrous potholes :)


After an hour or so, we were already cruising along very good roads – we have JICA and the EU to thank for this. With windows rolled down, we were greeted by the beautiful, flat Cambodian rural landscape.



At this time of the year, the fields have already turned yellow – from a bright yellow to a brownish shade - as the rice has already ripened, and harvesting begun. Cows freely roam in the rice fields, feeding on the rice stalks left from harvesting.



R was driving slowly, at 40kph, and as we passed them, the locals looked our way – and saw we had Max and Miss Igorota in the car! They were amused to see a dog and a doll enjoying a road trip! Along the way, we met schoolkids on their bicycles – going to and coming out of school.



From then on, these are what we saw:



After the junction...



We crossed this bridge, old but not yet rickety...



The bridge led us here...



Thirty minutes after, we’re finally in Kep ...



The sun was beating us down and took its toll on us. After checking in at Vanna’s guesthouse – our favorite guesthouse on the hill – we all crashed into bed and fell asleep. We all woke up at 5.30pm, refreshed ourselves and then headed to Kim Ly’s restaurant for the much-anticipated foooooood!



We were all so tired, I guess because of the heat, but Miss Iggy enjoyed the long drive. We decided to retire early for another big day was in the offing, but not before soaking in the beautiful sunset of Kep.



- to be continued.

life is a highway

Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

-"Life is a Highway" by the Rascal Flatts

miss igorota marvels at the wide stretch of interstate highway in texas. miss iggy loves road trips. [april 2008]