We are all too familiar with one man in Barcelona that is celebrated worldwide for his incredible work of art—Antoni Gaudi. But Barcelona has more than Gaudi’s work to offer. Discover its medieval wonderland and explore Picasso Museum where you will see the five adjoining medieval palaces in Barcelona’s La Ribera. Stroll through Passeig de Gràcia and see two of Gaudi's houses. 

Unleash your inner goth and head over to Gothic Drassanes. It is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world. 

Gothic Drassanes

Barcelona has lots to offer but your trip will not be complete without eating Tapas and seeing Sagrada Familia!

Tapas in Barcelona

Sagrada Familia by Gaudi

Barcelona’s timeless charm will never fail to amaze you. Pinays and other travel junkies out there who are on a tight budget will definitely love Homestay family accommodation in Barcelona. Enjoy everything Barcelona has to offer with the help of Barcelona Host Families. Indulge in the comforts of their affordable accommodation and get to know Barcelona through your host. In such a charming and magical city, it is worth staying at a place where you will feel welcomed and is up to the task of completing this unique travel experience.
What is a host family? It is simply a family that accommodates travelers in their host country. It is becoming a norm now among travelers on a tight budget or for the adventurous one who wants to experience living in Barcelona like a true local. At Barcelona Host Families, you will truly feel like you are home away from home. :)

Yayyyy I got nominated for Liebster Blog Award! Thanks Aubzie:)

The Liebster Blog Award is for blogs with 200 or less followers, a fun way to help spread the word about smaller blogs and get them more readers and followers!

When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person(s) who nominated you. You pass the Award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions. You’re not allowed to nominate the blog(s) who nominated you 

Okay so here's the 11 facts about me:

1. I have a cat named Catherine (But I prefer calling her Pringles!) lol
2. My favourite food is Chicken Kebab
3. I secretly dream of becoming a Ninja! Lol
4. I buy lotto ticket every other day 
5. I climbed the summit of a 7,119 ft active volcano when I was 9 yrs old coz I thought I can ride the cotton ball-looking clouds (I missed the part where my science teacher said they are actually condensed water vapour lol)
6. My favourite movie is The Notebook
7. I play guitar
8. I’m in love with the cutest double bass player 
9. I’m a neat freak and a germaphobe
10. My favourite comfort food is ice cream 
11. I love exploring historical places especially war-torn sites

Answer to the 11 questions I was asked

My 11 Nominees (Please check out their awesome sites!) 

2.   Black Swamp Cornucopia
3.   Letne Dni 
4.   The Drunken Pig
5.   Jen Tea
6.   Andredxo
7.   Naivaze
8.   Life N Canvas
9.   Across The Pond
10. Fashionadictas
11. Positive Fountain 

11 Random Questions for the Blogs I nominated

Victoria peak or "The Peak" is one of the best places to visit in Hongkong. It is the most favourite by tourists among Hongkong attractions. Also known as Mt. Austin, it is located in Hongkong Island. It is not the highest mountain in Hongkong but it offers stunning views over Central, Victoria Harbour, and other islands.

View of Po Lin Monastery

Tourists taking a picture with Bruce Lee's wax figure

5. Cross the harbour via Star Ferry

Head over to Central Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui Pier, or Wanchai Pier and buy a token for Star Ferry. It only cost about HK $2.50(0.33 USD) during weekdays and HK $ 3.40 (0.45 USD) during weekends. Crossing Victoria Harbour via Star Ferry is a priceless experience. Step back to the days of old and commute like a true Hongkong local.


6. Avenue of Stars

It was built to pay tribute to Hongkong's film industry and to serve as a tourist attraction as well. It is located at Tsim Sha Tsui's promenade. Every night, it is transformed into a glittering galaxy as it's special lighting effect lit up.

Aqua Luna cruising Victoria Harbour at night

8. Hongkong Museum of Art

Get to see Hongkong's antique Chinese treasures and learn more about its history! From Central Pier, you can walk to the museum in just 5 mins.

Band performing at the night market

Okay according to wikipedia, Faux moonbow is; A colored circle around the moon is not a moonbow—it is usually a 22° halo produced by refraction through hexagonal ice crystals in cirrus cloud. Colored rings close to the moon are a corona, a diffraction phenomenon produced by very small water droplets or ice crystals in clouds.
 Last night was unforgettable as I saw this rare phenomenon with my naked eye! Too bad I only have my Nokia phone last night to take a quick shot (it still produced a decent pic, though it would have been better if a DSLR was used). I looked up photos of rainbows or moonbows in Google but none of them can compare to the amazing sight I saw last night.
Did anyone else captured this Faux moonbow last night? Send us your pictures and I will feature it here! :D

View from Victoria Peak

Tourists waiting in line outside

A roundtrip Peak Tram ticket costs HK$40 (US$5.33) for adult, HK$18 (US$2.40) for child/senior citizen. If you want to enter their Sky Terrace, you should avail of their package Peak Tram (roundtrip) + Sky Terrace Pass that is worth HK$65 (US$8.65) for adult and HK$31 (US$4.10) for child/senior citizens.

Complete list of tram ticket rates

There may be times that you would just want to turn around and leave the terminal while waiting to board the tram since you couldn't take the heat and the maddening crowd anymore, have patience! The view from the Peak Tram ride is rewarding. I'm so thankful that I didn't insisted on leaving (although I've thought about it couple times). I would have totally regretted it. :)

Yayy the Tram is here! Aboard the tram finally!

View from the Tram Window

Yesterday I got the cutest kitty ever! She's only 7 weeks old. A traditional Persian with a super cute face! She's my first pet cat. I never liked cats before. Not until Mark showed me his pet Angelina and told me about her personality. I started watching cat videos on Youtube and fell in love--instantly!

My cute Kitty

This bed is so comfy and....sooo pink! :)

Love my pillow! :)

I'm cute and I know it :)

I bought her from a local cat breeder for 6,500 pesos (US$150). She's the cutest in the bunch! So lucky I got her. I originally wanted a white persian cat but when I saw this Kitty, I fell in love! Persian cat breeders here in Philippines prefer the flat-faced persians than the traditional because they can sell for more but I prefer traditional since they have fewer health problems in the long run.

It is so easy to navigate Hongkong even if you don't speak their local language. All you need is a map and you are ready to go. Their MTR (Mass Transit Railway) makes it easy to get around. You can literally explore most of Hongkong in just a day! I'm more of a culture and scenery junkie (sorry shopaholics! I don't have much stuff for you here lol). Lantau Island is the most interesting place for me in Hongkong!

View from the top of Big Buddha

This island is perfect for people who love mountains and cool scenery. It is more laidback than any other areas in Hongkong. HK Disneyland, Big Buddha, and Ngong Ping 360 (Cable car) are among the Hongkong attractions that are located here. If you are coming from Kowloon or Hongkong island, the easiest and cheapest way to get here is by MTR. Forget Disneyland, go to Big Buddha instead! To get to Big Buddha, you will have to get off on Tung Chung station and from there, you have the choice to either take the cable car(25 minutes from Tung Chung) or bus #23 (45 mins ride). We took the bus since the cable car isn't operating that day due to typhoon. It cost HK$18 (USD 2.40)/adult for bus fare to Ngong Ping.

Tung Chung Station

Ticket Line to Bus #23

Don't forget to enjoy the scenery while riding the bus! It was like riding a roller coaster but totally worth it!
Here's a video I took of the bus ride to Ngong Ping:

Before heading straight to where Big Buddha is, drop by Ngong Ping Village. It has a wide variety of shops and eateries.

Entrance to Ngong Ping Village

View of Big Buddha from a distance

You up for some hike?

Upon reaching the top, you are rewarded with awesome view of the mountain and bay area. You have the option to go inside the museum (inside the Buddha) for a fee or just explore the outer part of it. They will also offer you a lunch prepared by Buddhist monks for a reasonable price.

Almost there! :)

Finally!!

View of Po Lin Monastery

If you still have lots of strength left, head back down and go to Po Lin Monastery.

Entrance to Po Lin Monastery If you decide that you had enough of Lantau sightseeing for the day, head back to the bus #23 station to take you back to Tung Chung Station. Be warned that the line gets too long and if it's day time, it can be miserable waiting for your turn to board the bus. It might take at least 30 mins before you get to board a bus. You should bring an umbrella to protect you from the strong sun. From my own experience, it was miserable coz I didn't apply any sunblock lotion and I don't have umbrella with me. Also make sure that you have exact money (HKD 18) to pay for the ticket as they want exact fare. People waiting in line to board the bus Day trip to Lantau island is totally worth it! Don't hesitate to go there if you can. :)

Hongkong Cityscape

Few days stay in Hongkong seemed so short, how I wish I could have stayed longer. While most tourists want to stay in Kowloon or Central (where the all the action is), we preferred to stay in Tsuen Wan. Tsuen Wan is a bay area in the New Territories. It is less crowded compared to Kowloon and other popular districts in Hongkong.
From Macau you can take Turbojet to Kowloon, then either take a taxi or train to Tsuen Wan. The ferry fare from Macau is HK$140 (USD 18) for economy.

Turbojet Terminal in Macau We stayed at L'Hotel Nina et Convention Center which is a 5-star hotel in Tsuen Wan. It has two towers and one tower has over 80 floors. Our room was in 56th floor and with amazing view of the harbor. L'Hotel Nina et Convention Center

View from the room

Loooove their transparent glass pool!!! Staying at L'Hotel Nina is like heaven! You don't even have to go further as the Hotel is connected to a mall called Citywalk where there are lots of restaurants to choose from. If you are on a tight budget (food in HK is very expensive--about USD $25 for an average meal at a restaurant), there's KFC and 7eleven.  I'll definitely stay again at L'Hotel Nina next time!