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><channel><title>Have Internet Will Travel &#187; Drinks</title> <atom:link href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/category/drinks/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com</link> <description>A blog about travel freelancing in the Philippines</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:59:17 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0</generator> <item><title>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:58:29 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cerveza]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Costa Rica]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Flor de Cana]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nicaragua]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rum]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=1972</guid> <description><![CDATA[In Costa Rica it&#8217;s safe to drink the water, but why would you when you&#8217;ve got all these other choices? ;) Costa Rica has one major brewery called Cerveceria de Costa Rica which is owned by the Florida Ice and Farm Co., but they brew a variety of beers locally. And there&#8217;s a few other [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/">Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cerveza!'>Cerveza!</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/09/29/week-56-costa-rica-and-our-casa-del-surf/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;'>Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/05/handmade-souvenir-in-costa-rica/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Handmade Souvenir in Costa Rica'>Handmade Souvenir in Costa Rica</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Costa Rica it&#8217;s safe to drink the water, but why would you when you&#8217;ve got all these other choices? ;) Costa Rica has one major brewery called <i>Cerveceria de Costa Rica</i> which is owned by the Florida Ice and Farm Co., but they brew a variety of beers locally. And there&#8217;s a few other canned beverage alternatives too. It&#8217;s the local custom to have your beer in a glass with ice, but as <i>gringos</i> we rarely had to ask for it without <i>(&#8216;sin hielo&#8217;)</i>.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7365.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7365-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Cerveza Imperial" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1973" /></a><span
id="more-1972"></span><br
/> <b>Cerveza Imperial</b><br
/> Considered the national beer of Costa Rica by most Ticos and with undeniably the most awesome logo, Imperial is everywhere in Costa Rica and has been since 1924. Usually sold for $6-8 for a 6 pack from the store or up to $2 a beer at bars. Imperial is a pale lager or pilsener with 4.6% alcohol content. Similar to a budweiser, it was quite dry without too much flavour yet a light hoppy overtone.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7363.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7363-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Pilsen" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1976" /></a><br
/> <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9664.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9664-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Pilsen 6.0" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1985" /></a><br
/> <b>Pilsen and Pilsen 6.0</b><br
/> The second most popular beer and my beer of choice in Costa Rica. Pilsen is a light pilsner. Similar to Imperial, but with a bit more noticeable bitterness. With normal Pilsen at 5.1% alcohol content and Pilsen 6.0 at; you guessed it, 6%. Pilsen is a little more bang for your buck. Yeah, I know. I may drink like a frat boy&#8230; But I do prefer the taste over Imperial which often left my mouth a bit dry.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9672.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9672-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Rock Ice" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1977" /></a><br
/> <b>Rock Ice and Rock Ice Limón</b><br
/> Rock Ice is a light lager. Brewed similarly to American &#8216;ice&#8217; beers and with similar results. It&#8217;s a thin, fairly flavourless beer with a kick at 5.2%. Rock Ice Limón on the other hand barely qualifies as beer. It tastes&#8230; well, terrible. Like a sour lime cider that&#8217;s gone off, mixed with beer, and salt. I choked one of those down, then proceeded to try and pawn them off on house guests and strangers. We ended up throwing out the remainder of the sixpack.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9670.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9670-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Bahia" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1978" /></a><br
/> <b>Cerveza Bahia</b><br
/> I only ever came across one of these. I think it may actually have been from Guatemala. And I have no recollection of how it tasted. So yeah, this is a terrible review, but I like the can design.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9668.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9668-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Bavaria Dark" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1980" /></a><br
/> <b>Bavaria Dark (or Negra)</b><br
/> Not a traditional dark beer, Bavaria Dark is more of a dark amber ale, but a nice contrast to the rest of the field of pilsners and lagers. At 5%, with a nice sweet malty taste and smooth texture, but none of the heaviness of other dark beers, it reminds me of a Negra Modelo. Probably the most likely beer to end up in the bellies of the more selective beer drinkers.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9667.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9667-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Bavaria Gold" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1981" /></a><br
/> <b>Bavaria Gold</b><br
/> Another pale lager and similar in most regards, Bavaria Gold is considered the upscale version of the three. Expect to pay up to a dollar more in some bars.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9675.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9675-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Bavaria Light" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1982" /></a><br
/> <b>Bavaria Light</b><br
/> A 3.4% low calorie beer, and it tastes like you&#8217;d expecct. No flavour. No body. Thin and watery.</p><p><b>Kaiser</b><br
/> Sorry folks, no picture and no review. This is Costa Rica&#8217;s only non-alcoholic beer.</p><p><b>Heineken</b><br
/> Brewed by Cerveceria de Costa Rica under license, Heineken is also commonly available throughout Costa Rica.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_8716.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_8716-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Tona" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1983" /></a><br
/> <b>Toña</b><br
/> A 4.6% Nicaraguan lager, Toña is refreshing and light. Great after a hot day spent wandering the coblestone streets of colonial Granada. It&#8217;s my <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/nicaragua-visa-run-from-tamarindo/">michelada</a> beer. This picture has the Xmas edition label.</p><p><b>Victoria, Victoria Frost, Victoria Light</b><br
/> 3 very light Nicaraguan beers. Best served with a slice of lime. Adding ice doesn&#8217;t kill it either as there isn&#8217;t much flavour to kill in my opinion.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7370.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7370-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Cuba Libre" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1984" /></a><br
/> <b>Cuba Libre</b><br
/> One of what Florida Ice and Farm Co. calls it&#8217;s RTD (Ready to drink) line. Cuba Libre is an 8% alcohol, pre-mixed rum and cola in a can. Unfortunately, I found the cola far too sweet.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7369.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_7369-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Bamboo Rum and Cola" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1987" /></a><br
/> <b>Bamboo Rum and Cola</b><br
/> Another premixed rum and cola at 7.5%. This one was more tolerable. But without actual Coke instead of the generic cola used, it&#8217;s still not to my taste.</p><p><b>Guaro</b><br
/> The local firewater. Made from sugarcane, there are both commercially produced 60 proof versions as well as  moonshine made by locals. Clear, slightly sweet, and nearly tasteless like a vodka, it&#8217;s been known to sneak up on you after a few as there&#8217;s no way to tell how much the bartender has poured you when mixed with fruit juice or cola.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9678.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_9678-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Flor de Cana" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1991" /></a><br
/> <b>Flor de Caña (<i>&#8216;Flower of the Sugarcane&#8217;</i>)</b><br
/> My all time favourite rum. Available all over Central America. Made from sugarcane molasses and slow aged in white oak barrels, Flor de Caña is a slightly sweet amber rum distributed by <i>Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua</i> in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. Commonly available in Gold (aged 4 years), Black Label (5 years), Grand Reserve (7 years), Centenario (12 years), Centenario 21 (15 years &#8211; what the?), Centenario Gold (18 years), and Centenario Commemorative Edition (21 years). Flor de Caña also produces 3 white rums, all aged to 4 years. My personal favourite is the 7 year old Grand Reserve which I think is best served neat or on the rocks. A 750ml bottle goes for the price of $20 in Costa Rica and $14 in Nicaragua.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_8961.jpg"><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MG_8961-465x697.jpg" alt="Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages photo" title="Flor de Cana 21 Commemorative Edition" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1988" /></a><br
/> Santa brought me a bottle of the Centenario Commemorative Edition for Xmas which comes in a porcelain bottle and a gold embroidered cloth bag.</p><p><b>Others</b><br
/> For alternatives to alcoholic beverages, Costa Rica has a huge variety of fresh fruit juice (<i>frescos</i>) at fruit stands everywhere, great coffee, and the usual assortment of sodas, waters, and other imports.</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/">Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cerveza!'>Cerveza!</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/09/29/week-56-costa-rica-and-our-casa-del-surf/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;'>Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/05/handmade-souvenir-in-costa-rica/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Handmade Souvenir in Costa Rica'>Handmade Souvenir in Costa Rica</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Nicaragua Visa Run from Tamarindo</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/nicaragua-visa-run-from-tamarindo/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/nicaragua-visa-run-from-tamarindo/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:17:08 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Bikes, Trikes, and Automobiles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[blogsherpa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Costa Rica]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Granada]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Liberia]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michelada]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nicaragua]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tamarindo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[visa run]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=1786</guid> <description><![CDATA[As a tourist in Costa Rica, you can stay for a maximum of 90 days before you have to exit the country for 72 hours before reentry. Shortly before Xmas, our first three months in Costa Rica were coming to a close. Nicaragua is considerably nearer to Tamarindo than Panama, so we opted to head [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/nicaragua-visa-run-from-tamarindo/">Nicaragua Visa Run from Tamarindo</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/our-atv-tour-from-tamarindo/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Our ATV Tour from Tamarindo'>Our ATV Tour from Tamarindo</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/15/from-tamarindo-costa-rica-to-roatan-honduras/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Tamarindo, Costa Rica to Roatan, Honduras'>From Tamarindo, Costa Rica to Roatan, Honduras</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/09/29/week-56-costa-rica-and-our-casa-del-surf/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;'>Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a tourist in Costa Rica, you can stay for a maximum of 90 days before you have to exit the country for 72 hours before reentry. Shortly before Xmas, our first three months in Costa Rica were coming to a close. Nicaragua is considerably nearer to Tamarindo than Panama, so we opted to head to Nicaragua for a quick visa run. Being so close to Christmas, many dates for the buses to Nicaragua were already fully booked, but luckily we were able to book a couple seats on the Ticabus (around $40 each) to and from Nicaragua as opposed to the &#8216;chicken bus&#8217; where you walk across the border and catch another local bus on the other side.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8668-465x309.jpg" alt="Local bus from Tamarindo to Liberia" title="Local bus from Tamarindo to Liberia" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1813" /><br
/> <span
id="more-1786"></span><br
/> We started off catching the local bus to Liberia from Tamarindo around 11am. It meanders through each locality on its way to Liberia and took us around 2.5 hours to arrive at the main bus station. A quick taxi ride back one station brought us to where the road from Tamarindo meets the main highway. Having no idea where we were, we had just missed our stop. The cost for the 1 minute taxi ride nearly equaled the $3 we had paid for our 2 hour bus trip. We stopped for a bite to eat at the restaurant beside the Ticabus stop and awaited 3:30 when the bus from San Jose to Nicaragua was supposed to arrive. 2 hours late, the bus finally showed up around 5:30. We kicked a couple people out of our seats and 6 hours after we began, we were finally on our way to Nicaragua!</p><p>An hour from the border, we began passing the queue of semi-trucks. Some of them would be waiting days for their turn to cross border inspection. There being only 2 lanes, we were passing in the oncoming lane and often had to stop while the bus driver finessed the bus past traffic on the soft shoulder.</p><p>Arriving at the border and exiting the bus to obtain our exit stamps, we were bombarded by money exchangers snapping their wads of Nicaraguan Cordobas. We then had to go through Nicaraguan customs where the bus was unloaded and searched. We gave our passports to the customs official and with our few bags, limited Spanish, and repeating &#8220;Turistas, turistas&#8230;&#8221; we were simply waved through.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8676-465x309.jpg" alt="Costa Rica to Nicaragua Border Crossing" title="Costa Rica to Nicaragua Border Crossing" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1815" /></p><p>A few short hours later, we arrived in Granada and grabbed a cab to our quaint colonial hotel near the central park, appropriately named &#8220;The Colonial Hotel&#8221;. 12 hours after leaving the house, we had arrived approximately 200km from our starting point. Kelly and I are pretty easy going, but our first experience with bus travel in Central America had proved to be a test of patience.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8856-465x309.jpg" alt="Granada, Nicaragua" title="Granada, Nicaragua" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1816" /></p><p>Granada itself is a quaint colonial city on the shore of Lake Nicaragua. It reminded us very much of our favourite town in Brazil, Paraty. Plenty of places to stop for a drink or a bite to eat. Many of them set up in the courtyard gardens of the old colonial homes. We wandered around the downtown district for a few days exploring the local markets, the bell tower of a church which gave a spectacular view of the city, and stopping in various cafes and street side bars with tables set up on the sidewalks.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8697-465x309.jpg" alt="Zoom Bar, Granada, Nicaragua" title="Zoom Bar, Granada, Nicaragua" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1817" /></p><p>At one of these sidewalk tables we met a local brother and sister with her American husband who were having a round of &#8216;Micheladas&#8217;. It&#8217;s a Latin American drink, sort of similar to having a Caesar or a Red Rooster with breakfast. A rumoured hangover cure (or just a refreshing afternoon drink), it&#8217;s made by pouring a beer into the juice of one lemon, a dash of soya sauce, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, salt, pepper, and ice. Some insist on adding a shot of tequila as well. It won&#8217;t replace Caesars for us Canadians, but it&#8217;s a nice alternative when Clamato juice is scarce.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8720-465x309.jpg" alt="Night out in Granada, Nicaragua" title="Night out in Granada, Nicaragua" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1818" /></p><p>I&#8217;m also a fan of the local Nicaraguan rum, which I was introduced to on my previous trip to Costa Rica 7 years ago. It&#8217;s made in Chichigalapa (just outside of Leon, about 2 hours north of Granada) at the Flor de Caña distillery. We tried to arrange a tour but unfortunately it wasn&#8217;t open on Sunday, or wasn&#8217;t open for just the 2 of us. We&#8217;re not sure which. It was the last day we had available for a tour before we headed home, so we opted instead for a boat ride amongst the nearby islands on Lake Nicaragua.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8822-465x309.jpg" alt="Island Tour, Granada, Nicaragua" title="Island Tour, Granada, Nicaragua" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1819" /></p><p>We were driven around a maze of small islands and given a fairly lengthy lesson of Granada&#8217;s history by our guide. We stopped to roam an old fort and then floated around multi-million dollar homes owned by Nicaragua&#8217;s elite, stopping to feed a troop of monkeys that were rescued by a doctor who resides on a nearby island. At one point, we were given the option to go for a swim&#8230; but after seeing the amount of trash on the shores and viewing the framed jaws of the bull sharks that apparently still patrol the waters of Lake Nicaragua, we passed and stayed dry.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8808-465x309.jpg" alt="White Faced Monkey, Granada, Nicaragua" title="White Faced Monkey, Granada, Nicaragua" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1820" /></p><p>After 5 days in Granada, we boarded the Ticabus again to return to Costa Rica. Things began a little smoother with the bus arriving from Managua on-time around 1pm. We went through the border and arrived in Liberia around 7pm. We had some conflicting information on when the last bus to Tamarindo was, so we ended up waiting for 2 hours with a group of surfers who were also en-route to Tamarindo, before it became apparent we had missed the last bus. We arranged for a large van to drive all 9 of us (plus bags and surfboards) home. It was a tight fit in a slow van, but eventually we arrived home around 10pm. Only 9 hours this time&#8230; not bad! ;)</p><p>We&#8217;re happy to be back with the comforts of home and have since spent nearly everyday on the beach soaking up the sun. It&#8217;s unlikely we&#8217;ll need to do another visa run following the next 3 months since we&#8217;ll be moving on, but we will have to follow the same route once more when we make our transition to Honduras. Now that I&#8217;m in the know, I&#8217;ll be packing a few Micheladas to-go to ease the journey.</p><p>A few more Granada pictures:</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8761-465x697.jpg" alt="Cathédrale de Granada, NIcaragua" title="Cathédrale de Granada, NIcaragua" width="465" height="697" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1821" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8844-465x309.jpg" alt="Streets of Granada, Nicaragua" title="Streets of Granada, Nicaragua" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1822" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MG_8794-465x309.jpg" alt="Lake Nicaragua, Granada" title="Lake Nicaragua, Granada" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1823" /></p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/nicaragua-visa-run-from-tamarindo/">Nicaragua Visa Run from Tamarindo</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/our-atv-tour-from-tamarindo/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Our ATV Tour from Tamarindo'>Our ATV Tour from Tamarindo</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/15/from-tamarindo-costa-rica-to-roatan-honduras/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Tamarindo, Costa Rica to Roatan, Honduras'>From Tamarindo, Costa Rica to Roatan, Honduras</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/09/29/week-56-costa-rica-and-our-casa-del-surf/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;'>Week 56: Costa Rica and our &#8220;Casa del Surf&#8221;</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/12/28/nicaragua-visa-run-from-tamarindo/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Bali Beers</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/06/19/bali-beers/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/06/19/bali-beers/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:22:08 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[drinking]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=1178</guid> <description><![CDATA[Kelly and I are fans of sharing the big beer with a couple small glasses. It&#8217;s something we picked up in Brazil at the many restaurants where you get a seat at a plastic table in the middle of the sidewalk or sometimes in the middle of the street. You even get a giant beer [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/06/19/bali-beers/">Bali Beers</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cerveza!'>Cerveza!</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/05/24/week-38-welcome-to-bali/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 38: Welcome to Bali'>Week 38: Welcome to Bali</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages'>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kelly and I are fans of sharing the big beer with a couple small glasses. It&#8217;s something we picked up in Brazil at the many restaurants where you get a seat at a plastic table in the middle of the sidewalk or sometimes in the middle of the street. You even get a giant beer cozy to keep it cool. It&#8217;s often a little bit cheaper, and there&#8217;s something very communal about it. 1 beer/2 glasses is often one of our first translations into the native tongue.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1167" title="Bintang" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Bintang_from_flickr-465x697.jpg" alt="Bali Beers photo" width="465" height="697" /><br
/> <span
id="more-1178"></span><br
/> Bintang is the staple beer of Bali. Available everywhere, it&#8217;s your typical pilsener around 5%. At times it seems everyone in Bali is wearing a Bintang branded shirt. Good flavour, except for the one I had that tasted like gasoline. The locals get 2000 Rupiah ($0.02) for returning the bottles, and I guess even power washing the bottles won&#8217;t remove the tang of gas. *Note, this image wan&#8217;t taken by Kelly. We must have forgotten to take our own picture after having a few too many Bintangs.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1168" title="Bali Hai Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_2892-465x697.jpg" alt="Bali Hai Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>Bali Hai Beer is utterly tasteless. It has no flavour whatsoever. We poured this one out.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1172" title="Bali Hai Draft Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_2894-465x697.jpg" alt="Bali Hai Draft Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>The only thing with less flavour than Bali Hai Beer was Bali Hai Draft Beer.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1170" title="Anker Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_2901-465x697.jpg" alt="Anker Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>Anker beer was quite good. Pretty similar to Bintang.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1169" title="Kuda Putih Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_2898-465x697.jpg" alt="Kuda Putih Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>Kuda Putih was my favourite alternative to Bintang beer. It had good flavour, and I got some kind of juvenile pleasure from saying the name with a bad Balinese accent. Plus, check out that alcohol induced horse rage!</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1175" title="Storm Tropical Ale" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_3404-465x697.jpg" alt="Storm Tropical Ale" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>Storm makes 4 great beers. The Tropical is a nice fruity ale. The Golden, a light hoppy ale. The Brown, a sweetly smooth dark ale. And the Pale, is a good well&#8230; pale ale. Harder to come by, we didn&#8217;t stumble across these too often and actually had to make note of the few places to get them. Even the corner stores and grocery stores didn&#8217;t seem to stock them.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1174" title="Storm Golden Ale" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_3389-465x697.jpg" alt="Storm Golden Ale" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1176" title="Storm Brown Ale" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_3405-465x697.jpg" alt="Storm Brown Ale" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1177" title="Storm Pale Ale" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_3388-465x697.jpg" alt="Storm Pale Ale" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>Bali and the rest of Indonesia is undergoing a liquor shortage due to the government crackdown on illegally imported alcohol. As such, import liquor is expensive and major brands can be hard to come by. A 26 ounce bottle of Canadian whiskey was more than $50, as were most bottles of wine. As such, I opted to try a local brand for a few dollars.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1171" title="Mister Whisky" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_2908-465x697.jpg" alt="Mister Whisky" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>When it&#8217;s this bad for you, they call you Mister. It appears that the downside of drinking local alcohol stocks is the monumental hangover the following day. I don&#8217;t know if there are some serious impurities in there or what, but two or three ounces of this put the hurt on me the next day. Maybe it was the green tea they suggested I mix it with by taping a can to the bottle? An odd taste. Not one I&#8217;ll be repeating soon.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1173" title="Mister Whisky and Green Tea?" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/IMG_2910-465x697.jpg" alt="Mister Whisky and Green Tea?" width="465" height="697" /></p><p>Cheers!</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/06/19/bali-beers/">Bali Beers</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cerveza!'>Cerveza!</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/05/24/week-38-welcome-to-bali/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 38: Welcome to Bali'>Week 38: Welcome to Bali</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages'>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/06/19/bali-beers/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Back Online and a Buck a Beer</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:30:27 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Eats]]></category> <category><![CDATA[General]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stuff to do]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[internet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thailand]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=1020</guid> <description><![CDATA[After almost a month with an over heating video card stuck in 640&#215;480 and $600 later, I&#8217;m back online. For most travelers it probably would have been a non issue till they got home using internet cafes in the meantime, but I have a number of client projects on the go and I&#8217;m usually not [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/">Back Online and a Buck a Beer</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.'>Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/16/dumaguete-and-dauin-online-resources/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Dumaguete and Dauin Online Resources'>Dumaguete and Dauin Online Resources</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/01/27/week-21-making-plans/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 21: Making Plans'>Week 21: Making Plans</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After almost a month with an over heating video card stuck in 640&#215;480 and $600 later, I&#8217;m back online. For most travelers it probably would have been a non issue till they got home using internet cafes in the meantime, but I have a number of client projects on the go and I&#8217;m usually not more than an arms length from my PC unless I&#8217;m underwater. Luckily I bought an iPod Touch before leaving Canada! I&#8217;ve often pooh-poohed how the iPhone and Touch are bulky MP3 players with not quite enough built in features to be true PDAs, but man was I thankful for the WiFi, browser, and email applications these past few weeks, not to mention the countless hours spent playing solitaire when the power was out. I was able to stay on top of client issues and steal Kelly&#8217;s Mac for emergencies. It took UPS almost 2 weeks to ship a new video card from New Jersey to Koh Tao in Thailand via expedited shipping. At least I didn&#8217;t have to install it with my Swiss Army knife screwdriver&#8230; I ended up finding a repair shop locally that had the proper tools, something of a rarity on some of the smaller islands.</p><p>So what does a nerd do offline in a tropical country? He stays hydrated&#8230;<br
/> <span
id="more-1020"></span><br
/> <img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1022" title="Tiger Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0640-465x697.jpg" alt="Tiger Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Tiger Beer</strong><br
/> My personal favourite. Malty and a touch sweet.  Originating from Malaysia, but also brewed in Thailand. More than 3 of these could be considered a meal.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1023" title="Mekhong Whiskey" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0650-465x697.jpg" alt="Mekhong Whiskey" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Mekhong Whiskey</strong><br
/> I actually had to go online and look at pictures of whiskey on Google to find out what this is. There&#8217;s not a word of English on the bottle. Thai whiskey is potent, guaranteed to give you a wicked hangover, and has been rumoured to have some slight hallucinogenic properties. All I know is you put it in a bucket with Coke and Red Bull. Yum.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1024" title="Phuket Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0657-465x697.jpg" alt="Phuket Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Phuket Beer</strong><br
/> Brewed by the Phuket Brewery, this light lager is&#8230; light. Almost flavourless in fact.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1025" title="Singha Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0660-465x697.jpg" alt="Singha Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Singha Beer</strong><br
/> The staple of Thailand. Available everywhere. Light and refreshing, it goes with everything. Like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1026" title="Leo Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0665-465x697.jpg" alt="Leo Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Leo Beer</strong><br
/> A close runner up to Singha. Also very light and enjoyable. Probably the cheapest, good beer available almost everywhere.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1027" title="SiamSato Cider" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0667-465x697.jpg" alt="SiamSato Cider" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>SiamSato Cider</strong><br
/> What we thought was a beer, but turned out to be a cloyingly sweet cider. Lesson learned, if it doesn&#8217;t say &#8216;beer&#8217; on the bottle, don&#8217;t assume it is one. We ended up pouring this one out.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1028" title="Archa Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0670-465x697.jpg" alt="Archa Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Archa Beer</strong><br
/> Also a good light beer. We haven&#8217;t seen this one again since Phuket.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1029" title="Mai Tai Guy" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0671-465x697.jpg" alt="Mai Tai Guy" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Mai Tai Guy</strong><br
/> This little pineapple headed fellow let us drink his fruity brains. Yum. I&#8217;m a tropical zombie.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1030" title="Chang Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0673-465x697.jpg" alt="Chang Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Chang Beer</strong><br
/> The other staple beer of Thailand. Stronger than Singha, this is the backpacker&#8217;s beer of choice. You buy less liquor but it gets you drunk quicker. Famous for the &#8216;Changover&#8217; the next day, it was once rumoured to have formalin added to it as a preservative.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1031" title="Cheers Beer" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_1034-465x697.jpg" alt="Cheers Beer" width="465" height="697" /></p><p><strong>Cheers Beer</strong><br
/> Norm would be all over this. It&#8217;s light and good like so many of the other Thai beers. Really, in a blind taste test I would be hard pressed to tell one beer from another.</p><p>We&#8217;ve done a bit more than just drinking for the last 3 weeks. It&#8217;s currently Songkran, the Thai New Years where a &#8216;cleansing&#8217; takes place in the form of a country wide water fight. It&#8217;s a little more chill here on Koh Tao than when I experienced it 6 years ago on Koh Samui. There I was barely able to get a block out of the house before being soaked from head to toe and surrounded by crowds of belligerently amusing Aussies. Here on Koh Tao, it&#8217;s a sleepy little dive town where the festivities don&#8217;t really get started till later in the evenings.</p><p>We&#8217;ve had some really good meals. La Matta is a great little Italian place on the main strip of Mae Haad that serves wood fired oven pizzas and hand made pasta. Local Thai food is spicy, cheap, and everywhere. I had 3 dinners the other night. Seafood beach BBQ is everywhere and very fresh. We&#8217;ve become late night regulars at the local pancake stands where they&#8217;ll whip you up a chocolate nutella pancake with condensed milk in 30 seconds. Needless to say, I&#8217;m packing on the pounds.</p><p>There&#8217;s been some rioting in Bangkok lately, but looks to have been resolved without closing the airport. There were a few deaths and a multitude of injuries when protesters and the military clashed once again. The issue is the same as when the country closed the airport last December, 2 political factions are fighting for control and one is trying to oust the current PM. Thankfully, we&#8217;ve been pretty much unaffected out here on the islands.</p><p>The fact that we only have about 3 more months before we head home has started to settle in. We&#8217;ve vowed to cut back our baggage size to something a little more manageable and do more traveling in the coming few months, rather than settling into an apartment. I&#8217;m stoked about doing a motorcycle tour of Borneo and both Kelly and I are contemplating Bali or eastern Malaysia for some more diving.</p><p>We&#8217;re looking forward to coming home for a visit. We&#8217;ll be spending a week or two in Vancouver, then heading to the Island, Kelowna, etc&#8230; to see family. Funnily enough, the most expensive part of our whole trip could be the time we spend in Vancouver. Anyone have a good hookup for hotel deals near the downtown core? Following that, we&#8217;re thinking that we&#8217;ll be moving on to Central America for a while. Pending economical conditions and homesickness of course. We&#8217;re looking forward to seeing you all.</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/">Back Online and a Buck a Beer</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.'>Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/16/dumaguete-and-dauin-online-resources/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Dumaguete and Dauin Online Resources'>Dumaguete and Dauin Online Resources</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/01/27/week-21-making-plans/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 21: Making Plans'>Week 21: Making Plans</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:32:05 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Scuba Diving]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Report]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[good-bye]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Philippines]]></category> <category><![CDATA[shark]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=807</guid> <description><![CDATA[With a week left before we head to Thailand, we&#8217;ve attempted to mark off the last few random things remaining on our Philippines checklist&#8230; #1. Try San Miguel Strong Ice We&#8217;ve never seen anyone drinking it. Is it a cider? Nope, it turns out that it&#8217;s yet another pale pilsen. This time its ice filtered [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/">Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/07/30/week-47-diving-sipadan-and-mabul/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 47: Diving Sipadan and Mabul'>Week 47: Diving Sipadan and Mabul</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/07/09/philippines-thailand-and-bali-travel-budgets/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Philippines, Thailand, and Bali travel budgets'>Philippines, Thailand, and Bali travel budgets</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/10/19/learning-to-dive-in-the-philippines/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Learning to Dive in the Philippines'>Learning to Dive in the Philippines</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With a week left before we head to Thailand, we&#8217;ve attempted to mark off the last few random things remaining on our Philippines checklist&#8230;</p><p><strong>#1. Try San Miguel Strong Ice</strong></p><p>We&#8217;ve never seen anyone drinking it. Is it a cider? Nope, it turns out that it&#8217;s yet another pale pilsen. This time its ice filtered and packing a bit more of a punch. 6.3% alcohol, making it a close second to Red Horse Strong Beer.</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-808" title="San Miguel Strong Ice" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9870-465x697.jpg" alt="San Miguel Strong Ice" width="465" height="697" /><br
/> <span
id="more-807"></span><br
/> As usual with San Miguel products, there&#8217;s an entertaining slogan on the can:</p><p><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-809" title="San Miguel Slogan" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_98691-465x309.jpg" alt="San Miguel Slogan" width="465" height="309" /></p><p>And there&#8217;s cereal in there, so it&#8217;s gotta be good for you&#8230;</p><p><strong>#2. Pay the diving bill</strong></p><p>We&#8217;re going to post a complete budget in the near future so you can see what the last 6 months here has cost, but doing 40+ dives each, with equipment rentals and sanctuary fees has cost roughly $3200 for the two of us. Not including my dive courses. Not too shabby.</p><p>As a result of spending so much time underwater, we&#8217;ve become close friends with a number of the dive masters and the team of guys who do the heavy lifting for us. Which leads us to:</p><p><strong>#3. Going away party</strong></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9944-465x309.jpg" alt="The Dive Boys" title="The Dive Boys" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-820" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9971-465x309.jpg" alt="Patrick" title="Patrick" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-825" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9966-465x309.jpg" alt="Jerry" title="Jerry" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-824" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9964-465x309.jpg" alt="WOW!" title="WOW!" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-823" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9961-465x309.jpg" alt="Oweng and Patrick" title="Oweng and Patrick" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-822" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9957-465x309.jpg" alt="Family Photo" title="Family Photo" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-821" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_0031-465x309.jpg" alt="Goofy guys" title="Goofy guys" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-819" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_0005-465x309.jpg" alt="Oweng" title="Oweng" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-818" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_0002-465x309.jpg" alt="Maloy" title="Maloy" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-817" /></p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9989-465x309.jpg" alt="Ray and Jerry" title="Ray and Jerry" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-816" /></p><p>Cost of getting everyone drunk as skunks? $30. That&#8217;s a kind of awesome that&#8217;s just not found back home in Canada.</p><p>We didn&#8217;t actually accomplish that much as far as the checklist goes since we&#8217;ve been swamped with work. We were hoping to go to Malapascua to see thresher sharks and Luzon to see whale sharks, as well as visit El Nido and some other areas of Palawan, but with the limited internet access in those parts it looks like that will have to wait till the end of our trip. We have to come back to the Philippines to fly home in August and will probably spend a few more weeks in some of the more remote regions, so the checklist lives on.</p><p>Stay tuned for our Philippines 6 month wrap up post.</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/">Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/07/30/week-47-diving-sipadan-and-mabul/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 47: Diving Sipadan and Mabul'>Week 47: Diving Sipadan and Mabul</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/07/09/philippines-thailand-and-bali-travel-budgets/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Philippines, Thailand, and Bali travel budgets'>Philippines, Thailand, and Bali travel budgets</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/10/19/learning-to-dive-in-the-philippines/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Learning to Dive in the Philippines'>Learning to Dive in the Philippines</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:23:55 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Eats]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Scuba Diving]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stuff to do]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Report]]></category> <category><![CDATA[food]]></category> <category><![CDATA[friends]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Philippines]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=766</guid> <description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s likely due to our limited time left in the Philippines that this week we attempted to be a little more social with a few of our local friends. We&#8217;ve been busy working and preparing for the next phase of our trip, but no excuses! Parties must be partied&#8230; Early in the week we had [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/">Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/10/30/week-8/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 8: Boracay'>Week 8: Boracay</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party'>Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines'>Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s likely due to our limited time left in the Philippines that this week we attempted to be a little more social with a few of our local friends. We&#8217;ve been busy working and preparing for the next phase of our trip, but no excuses! Parties must be partied&#8230;</p><p>Early in the week we had Patrick from Dive Society over for a lasagna dinner accompanied by a few bottles of wine. He&#8217;s given his notice at the dive shop where he works as a dive instructor and will be becoming a nomadic yogi rambling through Bali in the near future. We hope to meet up again in Thailand in a couple months. Patrick is also an illustrator. <a
title="Patrick Heusi, Illustrator" href="http://www.illupage.ch">Check out his portfolio site</a> if you&#8217;ve got a minute.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9468-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends photo" title="img_9468" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-773" /></p><p><span
id="more-766"></span><br
/> A couple days later, we invited Andrew and Chantal by for my special brined chicken dinner. Dinner was a success, but it may have been turkey in disguise because within an hour, I was unconscious and in bed. Coming back from the CR, the bed just looked too comfy and resting my eyes for 5 seconds was inevitable. Tryptophan or too much rum? I suspect too much work. Having been up since 6am for conference calls pretty much every day this week, I was pretty worn down by the evening. Sorry guys! Next time, it&#8217;s Red Bull and Jägermeister shots after dinner for everyone! ;)</p><p>Saturday we went to El Dorado for a few drinks. We met up with <a
href="http://www.rainakirn.com" title="Raina Kirn">Raina, a photographer from Toronto</a> who contacted us through the blog a few months back and ended up coming to vacation in Dauin. Oddly enough, we actually have some mutual friends back in Canada. It&#8217;s a small, small world. She swears she&#8217;s not stalking us, but I&#8217;m still adding her to my limited profile on Facebook, just in case. Just kidding Raina!!! I know you&#8217;re watching.</p><p>Sunday, we went for a dive at a site called Masaplod South. I&#8217;ve been there before and it&#8217;s one of my favourite sites. There are some nice coral slopes with tons of stuff to find. Some highlights were 2 frogfish, a mandarin fish, a couple pipefish, a blue ribbon eel, and a tiny cuttlefish. There&#8217;s also tons of nudibranch amongst the corals. The last time I was there I saw 4 or 5 huge cuttlefish the size of my forearm around 27m. Unfortunately the visibility wasn&#8217;t fantastic for this dive, but I still enjoyed it. Having become familiar with a few dive sites, we&#8217;re definitely spotting a lot more fishy creatures.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9450-465x309.jpg" alt="cuttle fish" title="cuttle fish" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-771" /></p><p>On Monday (Kelly will kill me for crossing over into the new week!), Patrick invited us and Raina over for dinner. We had a nice stir fry with a bottle of wine, a couple beers, and some funky gin/lime shooters. Dancing ensued. Puppies were played with. Photos were taken. I highly doubt Raina made it to the 6am Siquijor ferry the next day.</p><p><img
src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_9521-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends photo" title="img_9521" width="465" height="309" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-772" /></p><p>Lucky for us, there&#8217;s still 3 more weeks of saying farewell to come!</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/">Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/10/30/week-8/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 8: Boracay'>Week 8: Boracay</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party'>Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines'>Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>5</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:15:59 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Random Factoid]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Miguel]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=421</guid> <description><![CDATA[How cheap you ask? Well, at today&#8217;s exhcange rate of 39 Philippine Pesos for 1 Canadian Dollar, it&#8217;s a mere $0.71 for a can of Pale Pilsen from the supermarket. Now the question isn&#8217;t my beer budget. It&#8217;s how many situps I need to do to burn off 6 cans of beer. :) Read the [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/">Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/01/10/random-factoid-the-philippines-is-the-text-messaging-capitol-of-the-world/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Random Factoid: The Philippines is the Text Messaging Capitol of the World'>Random Factoid: The Philippines is the Text Messaging Capitol of the World</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/04/random-factoid-cheese-rings-are-awesome/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Random Factoid: Cheese Rings are awesome&#8230;'>Random Factoid: Cheese Rings are awesome&#8230;</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cerveza!'>Cerveza!</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_7071.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-423" title="img_7071" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_7071-465x309.jpg" alt="Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer. photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>How cheap you ask? Well, at today&#8217;s exhcange rate of 39 Philippine Pesos for 1 Canadian Dollar, it&#8217;s a mere $0.71 for a can of Pale Pilsen from the supermarket. Now the question isn&#8217;t my beer budget. It&#8217;s how many situps I need to do to burn off 6 cans of beer. :)</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/">Random Factoid: San Miguel makes good, cheap beer.</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/01/10/random-factoid-the-philippines-is-the-text-messaging-capitol-of-the-world/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Random Factoid: The Philippines is the Text Messaging Capitol of the World'>Random Factoid: The Philippines is the Text Messaging Capitol of the World</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/04/random-factoid-cheese-rings-are-awesome/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Random Factoid: Cheese Rings are awesome&#8230;'>Random Factoid: Cheese Rings are awesome&#8230;</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cerveza!'>Cerveza!</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/random-factoid-san-miguel-makes-good-cheap-beer/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:29:45 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Eats]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Report]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dumaguete]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fiesta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[food]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rum]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Miguel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tanduay Rum]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=410</guid> <description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve been in the Philippines for 3 months now. Since we&#8217;ve finally settled we decided to throw a little housewarming party at our new place and invite a bunch of people over to celebrate. We started out the week by heading into town for party supplies. Off to Hypermart in Dumaguete, we loaded up a [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/">Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/18/week-11-getting-settled-in-dauin/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 11: Getting settled in Dauin'>Week 11: Getting settled in Dauin</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/05/31/week-39-9-months-in-asia-and-the-things-we-will-miss/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 39: 9 months in Asia and the things we (will) miss.'>Week 39: 9 months in Asia and the things we (will) miss.</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends'>Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve been in the Philippines for 3 months now. Since we&#8217;ve finally settled we decided to throw a little housewarming party at our new place and invite a bunch of people over to celebrate. We started out the week by heading into town for party supplies. Off to Hypermart in Dumaguete, we loaded up a shopping cart full of Mexican food supplies, and another cart full of beer, rum, gin, and soft drinks. We nearly cleared the shelves of San Miguel. The grand total? About $200. I love how cheap food and beverages are here. Unless you&#8217;re wanting specialty items, nearly everything is 50% what we pay back home. Booze and beer is even cheaper with no government taxation like in Canada. <span
id="more-410"></span></p><p>On Wednesday, Andrew &amp; Chantal (friends who we met on the Bias trip) had a birthday party for Chantal&#8217;s mother and invited us over for dinner. Chicken adobo and spareribs, with rice and salad. Yumm. Funnily enough, after showing up we pieced together where we had seen them before. When we first came to Dumaguete Kelly had gone to check out a few possible rental places while I was laid up sick in bed. She was talking to a person about seeing a place and when she walked out, Andrew had walked in the door. The next day when I was feeling better, we went to take a look at the place, but it turned out it had rented the day before to Andrew. They had just beaten us to it. It wasn&#8217;t furnished, so we likely wouldn&#8217;t have taken it, but it&#8217;s funny how small a town it is. Here we were having dinner on the front lawn, chatting with the owners who had shown us the place months ago. At Andrews party, we also ran into Greg who had been at a spontaneous party night a month or two back when I was <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/10/02/creepy-crawlers/">kissing cockroaches</a>. Again, such a small town.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6969.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-413" title="img_6969" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6969-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>We spent the next 2 days pre-cooking for our party. We invited the whole El Dorado Resort staff and Dive Society to swing by as well as a few long term foreigner friends we&#8217;ve made. So we were expecting about 30 people (those who weren&#8217;t working that evening) to show up. We hand rolled almost one hundred soft taco shells (they were supposed to be burrito wraps, but we switched flour brands at the last minute and they started to shrink as soon as I stopped rolling them&#8230; Too much gluten?), and made big batches of pulled pork, chicken, ground beef, and refried beans. Kelly made 3 different salsas, and Spanish rice.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6954.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-414" title="img_6954" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6954-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p
style="text-align: center;"><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6956.jpg"><img
class="size-medium wp-image-415 aligncenter" title="img_6956" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6956-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>Needless to say, the party was a big hit. All the dive shop boys came by, and while they didn&#8217;t all understand the concept of a taco (most just piled up a plate of fixins)&#8230; it was a hilarious time with plenty of dancing and jokes. Later in the evening, more of the resort staff showed up after work and &#8220;Chef&#8221; even asked me how to make taco wraps, so they must have turned out okay. We partied on until one in the morning, then leaving the damage assessment for the next morning, headed to bed.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6957.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-416" title="img_6957" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6957-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>Yesterday was cleanup and recovery. All in all, it wasn&#8217;t too bad of a scene after a little garbage detail and mopping, but we were paying the price for drinking cheap Tanduay rum the night before. I spent most of the day laying in the hammock one of the Swiss dive instructors brought us for a housewarming gift and Kelly laid in bed all day watching movies.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6977.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-417" title="img_6977" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_6977-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>Since recovering we&#8217;ve vowed to do things differently next time. No cooking. Making those taco wraps by hand was excrutiatingly difficult with the heat and all the hand rolling with a wine bottle. Andrew suggested that the next time we hire one of the kebab street vendors to come by and cook all night long. 5P for each kebab. Sounds like a plan to me!</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_7032.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-418" title="img_7032" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_7032-465x309.jpg" alt="Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/">Week 13: 3 Months Housewarming Party</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/18/week-11-getting-settled-in-dauin/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 11: Getting settled in Dauin'>Week 11: Getting settled in Dauin</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/05/31/week-39-9-months-in-asia-and-the-things-we-will-miss/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 39: 9 months in Asia and the things we (will) miss.'>Week 39: 9 months in Asia and the things we (will) miss.</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/03/week-22-dinner-parties-with-friends/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends'>Week 22: Dinner Parties with Friends</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/01/week-13-3-months-housewarming-party/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Tanduay Taste Test &#8211; Rhum ron, rum.</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/10/tanduay-taste-test-rhum-ron-rum/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/10/tanduay-taste-test-rhum-ron-rum/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:37:42 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rum]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=304</guid> <description><![CDATA[Well, what else is there to do on a Sunday? Here&#8217;s our review of the locally produced Filipino rums. Well, everything that was available&#8230; Except for the white rum, which doesn&#8217;t count because its invisible. ;) ** Note, this taste test is amateur at best. There was no rinsing of glasses. No spitting. No extended [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/10/tanduay-taste-test-rhum-ron-rum/">Tanduay Taste Test &#8211; Rhum ron, rum.</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages'>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well, what else is there to do on a Sunday? Here&#8217;s our review of the locally produced Filipino rums. Well, everything that was available&#8230; Except for the white rum, which doesn&#8217;t count because its invisible. ;)</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6617.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-311" title="Tanduay Taste Test" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6617-465x309.jpg" alt="Tanduay Taste Test   Rhum ron, rum. photo" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>** Note, this taste test is amateur at best. There was no rinsing of glasses. No spitting. No extended pinky fingers&#8230; and no monocles.<br
/> <span
id="more-304"></span></p><p>Tanduay Distillers was founded by three Spanish immigrants in 1854 and won it&#8217;s first international award for rum excellence in 1876. Winning over 100 awards since, it&#8217;s Premium 1854 blend has alone won over 50 international honours.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6622.jpg"><img
class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-312" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="img_6622" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6622-465x697.jpg" alt="Tanduay Taste Test   Rhum ron, rum. photo" width="167" height="251" /></a><strong>Tanduay Gold Seal</strong><br
/> <span
style="color: #808080;"><strong> 5 Year Old Dark Rhum</strong><br
/> <strong>750ml</strong><br
/> <strong>45 pesos</strong><br
/> <strong>1/10</strong></span></p><p>Smells and tastes like gasolina. It&#8217;s an odd pink colour and numbs the tongue on contact. Due to the horrendous hangover and stomach aches the next day after doing only one or two ounces, its only good for removing paint. At 45P per bottle ($1.10 CDN), likely cheaper than paint remover.</p><p>**Hangover noted from extensive previous testing&#8230;</p><p>The label reads: &#8220;This Rhum is guaranteed to be oak aged and bottled under government supervision.&#8221; Phew! At least we know who&#8217;s trying to poison us.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6621.jpg"><img
class="size-medium wp-image-313 alignleft" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="img_6621" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6621-465x697.jpg" alt="Tanduay Taste Test   Rhum ron, rum. photo" width="167" height="251" /></a><strong>Tanduay Primiero</strong><br
/> <span
style="color: #808080;"><strong> Ocho Anos Ron (8 Year Old Rum) Reserva Especial</strong><br
/> <strong>700ml</strong><br
/> <strong>68 pesos</strong><br
/> <strong>3/10</strong></span></p><p>According to the label it&#8217;s &#8216;The Brandy of Rums&#8217;&#8230; Whatever the hell that means&#8230;? Also, this is the only bottle with a Spanish influence on the label with rum spelled &#8220;ron&#8221; and the age also indicated in Spanish. Still on the pinkish side. Smoother and smokier than the five year old&#8230; but still a touch harsh. At least I can feel my tongue again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img
class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-319" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="img_6623" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6623-465x697.jpg" alt="Tanduay Taste Test   Rhum ron, rum. photo" width="167" height="251" /></p><p><strong>Tanduay Superior</strong><br
/> <span
style="color: #808080;"><strong> 12 Year Old Rum</strong><br
/> <strong>750ml</strong><br
/> <strong>145 pesos</strong><br
/> <strong>7/10</strong></span></p><p>Smells and tastes like a good sugar cane rum should, smooth and slightly sweet. Brownish gold in colour. Oak barrel aged. Smokey with slightly nutty overtones without tasting woody. A bargain for the price and puts most rums commercial available in North American to shame.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6624.jpg"><img
class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-322" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="img_6624" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6624-465x697.jpg" alt="Tanduay Taste Test   Rhum ron, rum. photo" width="167" height="251" /></a>Tanduay Premium 1854</strong><br
/> <span
style="color: #808080;"><strong> 15 Year Old Rum</strong><br
/> <strong>700ml</strong><br
/> <strong>265 pesos</strong><br
/> <strong>9/10</strong></span></p><p>Golden in colour. Rich caramel overtones. Smells and tastes like gold. Second only to my favourite rum of all time, Flor de Caña &#8211; 7 year, from Nicaragua. At 265P per bottle ($7 CDN)&#8230; we have a winner.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More info about Tanduay rums available here: <a
title="Peter's Rum Pages" href="http://www.rum.cz/galery/sas/ph/tanduay/">http://www.rum.cz/galery/sas/ph/tanduay/</a> and here: <a
title="Tanduay Distillers" href="http://www.tanduay.com/">http://www.tanduay.com/</a></p><p>Arr Mateys. It&#8217;s a pirates life for me. Yarr.</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6619.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-324" title="img_6619" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/img_6619-465x309.jpg" alt="Tanduay Taste Test   Rhum ron, rum. photo" width="465" height="309" /></a></p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/10/tanduay-taste-test-rhum-ron-rum/">Tanduay Taste Test &#8211; Rhum ron, rum.</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages'>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/11/10/tanduay-taste-test-rhum-ron-rum/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Cerveza!</title><link>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/</link> <comments>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:16:28 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Shim</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Drinks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cerveza]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Philippines]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Miguel]]></category><guid
isPermaLink="false">http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/?p=51</guid> <description><![CDATA[I wouldn&#8217;t call myself a beer connoisseur. More of a cross-sectional consumer, but I do like to sample a little bit of everything and the Philippines has a few very good beers. All come with little paper hats&#8230; which possibly serves some sort of sanitary purpose? Maybe to keep out flies while sitting on the [...]<p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/">Cerveza!</a></p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages'>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines'>Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Back Online and a Buck a Beer'>Back Online and a Buck a Beer</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I wouldn&#8217;t call myself a beer connoisseur. More of a cross-sectional consumer, but I do like to sample a little bit of everything and the Philippines has a few very good beers. All come with little paper hats&#8230; which possibly serves some sort of sanitary purpose? Maybe to keep out flies while sitting on the bar waiting to be delivered? Perhaps to mop up the condensation which inevitably drips off the bottle and into your lap? No, it&#8217;s actually just so you can wipe off the lip of the bottle&#8230;</p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3665.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-54" title="San Miguel Pilsen" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3665-465x697.jpg" alt="Cerveza! photo" width="465" height="697" /></a></p><p>San Miguel Pilsen &#8211; Long live the stubby bottle! The standard beer of the Philippines. Ranges from P25 to P65  (Approx $0.50 &#8211; $1.50) depending how touristy the bar is. Light and refresing. Available on every corner in the Philippines and in British Columbia at most government liquor stores. An amusing tagline on the back of most bottles reads, <em>&#8220;A truly satisfying beer with a refined well-balanced flavor. Perfected and brewed for over a century. The only beer that nourishes true Filipino friendships.&#8221;</em><span
id="more-51"></span></p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3867.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-55" title="San Miguel Light" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3867-465x697.jpg" alt="Cerveza! photo" width="465" height="697" /></a></p><p>San Miguel Light &#8211; Also a pale pilsen, but with only 100 calories per bottle. Still 5% alcohol. Under the label reads, <em>&#8220;You hold in your hands the first light beer in the country and the only light beer you should have. Expertly brewed by San Miguel with full beer flavor and the right alcoholic hit. Made less filling for your total drinking enjoyment. The perfect balance between right and light.&#8221;</em></p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3896.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-57" title="Cerveza Negra" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3896-465x697.jpg" alt="Cerveza! photo" width="465" height="697" /></a></p><p>Cerveza Negra &#8211; A super malty dark lager from San Miguel. Sweet to the taste. Very good dessert beer, or when craving something heavier than a pilsen. The label reads, <em>&#8220;Cerveza Negra. An exhilerating dark lager. Cerveza Negra is the taste of a robust spirit. It is distinguished by the fullness of its flavor, the caramel tones that tease the palate, and the rich creaminess of its foam. It is a dark lager unlike any other. Undeniably, Cerveza Negra is meant for you.&#8221;</em></p><p><a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3895.jpg"><img
class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-56" title="San Miguel Dry" src="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/img_3895-465x697.jpg" alt="Cerveza! photo" width="465" height="697" /></a></p><p>San Miguel Dry &#8211; Unfortunately I haven&#8217;t come across a quirky tagline on these bottles yet. And to be honest, I can&#8217;t tell the difference between San Miguel Dry and San Miguel Pilsen&#8230; but then I&#8217;ve never used the word &#8216;dry&#8217; to describe a liquid.</p><p>Red Horse &#8211; Also from San Miguel, it&#8217;s simply sold as a &#8216;strong&#8217; beer, but no alcohol content is listed on the label. While it doesn&#8217;t taste like a 10 or 12 percent beer, it&#8217;s definitely more potent than the others&#8230; guaranteed from personal experience. Usually comes in a 500ml bottle instead of the standard 350ml.</p><p>Everywhere carries the San Miguel Pilsen and San Miguel Light. The Negra and Dry are rarer and Red Horse seems to mostly be carried in the many convenience stores attached to people&#8217;s houses selling snacks, water, and soft drinks. Imported beers are available, but rare. At the Mexican restaurant last night they carried Corona, and Guinness in a can.</p><p>Salud!</p><p>Read the original article here: <a
href="http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/">Cerveza!</a></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2010/03/11/costa-rican-and-nicaraguan-beverages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages'>Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Beverages</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/02/22/week-25-things-to-do-before-leaving-the-philippines/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines'>Week 25: Things to do before leaving the Philippines</a></li><li><a
href='http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2009/04/15/back_online_a_buck_a_beer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Back Online and a Buck a Beer'>Back Online and a Buck a Beer</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/09/11/cerveza/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>
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