Italian Night at Il Mare.

Present day living is dictated by dense urbanity, a landscape of high rise units and fast paced lifestyle. But the city life, no matter how good it sounds or how colorful Carrie Bradshaw cunningly puts it, could sometimes makes us feel like an embattled heroine in a crappy telenovela. Sure it would be nice if we could get whisked away to exotic places and take a breather, but we all know that rarely happens. So what do you do when the city life gets too tough? I say explore what the city has to offer, find interesting spots and plunge head long to it, millions of people didn't choose to live here for nothing. You don't have to always get away from the city to unwind, for all you know, the next adventure is literally right around the corner.

Say for example the case of Il Mare. We've been seeing this restaurant for years, but somehow, it never occurred to us to actually try it. One Saturday evening, for lack of better place to go, we decided to pay this restaurant a visit. "Il Mare" roughly translates as "the sea" in Italian, and unlike your quintessential restaurant hiding under the pretense of 'authentic Italian cuisine', Il Mare is way ahead of it's competition.

Outside, Il Mare looks no different from any other restaurant.

Inside, walls are adorned with paintings of famous Italian actors and panoramic view of the streets of Italy.

I love the casual, laid back vibe of the restaurant. The interiors hinted that young people frequent this place.

Light fixtures mounted on each table are muted and easy on the eyes. I particularly love it's design.

Dinner is their busiest time, so expect to wait a little for the food to arrive. These heavenly bread would keep you occupied while waiting.

It's always good to start off with a glass of wine, it gets the conversation flowing. Chris got a glass of "Villa M" Italian white wine, while I got myself their house wine.

I always thought good food is about balance of flavor, texture, and appearance. This Seafood Pasta in Cream Sauce, an Il Mare Special, has it all.

Their charming Pizza creation tastes divine! One bite and your hooked forever!



Because of it's classy and quaintly-decorated interiors, you'd think it's a snobbish, steeply-priced restaurant. You'll be surprised to know that everything is reasonably priced here. And with music so cleverly-chosen playing in the background, it creates a relaxing ambiance fit for a nice romantic meal.



I'm closing this entry with a phrase that best describes the experience you get at Il Mare: "It's love made edible."

Here's to Fall!

A change of season brings with it great anticipation over all that is fresh and different. Now that the summer heat is long gone, and Autumn is once again upon us, I look forward to more ethereal escapes and creating wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Like no summer sojourn is complete without a trip to the beach, no Autumn travelogue would prove fit in topping off this memorable season without photos of trees glazed with vivid hues of fiery reds, crimsons, and golden yellow colors.

Here's to Autumn, and to a lot more enchanting memories to come!

Autumn Travelogue: Jeongseon.

Burdened with zest to uncover more of Kangwondo, we trekked to the county of Jeongseon, and arrived mid-afternoon when the sun was high above the mountaintops. An overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility permeates the atmosphere there.



Vivid hues and painterly splashes of color from the landscape stands as the perfect backdrop worthy of a million photographs. The scenery is truly a sight to behold, and once again I'm floored. I loved every inch of the mountainous terrain that overlooks lush vegetation.

Other than soaking in the beautiful scenery, I didn't know what we're about to do next. Chris kept me in limbo saying our next adventure is one, big secret. A quick visit to an old train car which they turned into a store for snacks gave me a hint that we might do something strenuous (if not why the need for more carbohydrates? ^^).

The store sells organic stuffs and well-being food grown in the quiet county. Everything's all good and top-notch quality, but prices are way too steep!

The place seemed like an old train station, and that hinted me that we might ride the train and tour the area. As I predicted, a train came, but with it came the rail bikes (I wasn't expecting that part).

A guy wearing a police uniform ushered us to our designated seats.



After a brief introduction from them, and making sure everyone's securely fastened to their seats, we started pedaling the tracks.

We ran thru the 7.2 kilometer riverside stretch, passing several tunnels, bridges, rice fields, and small villages.

We exhausted our leg muscles pedaling, but as the bike builds momentum, it became easier, and we were able to concentrate looking at the scenery. For most part, we didn't have to move a muscle as the bikes ran down a gentle slope on it's own at a maximum speed of 20 km/h. It's the most awesome part, and as the cold blast of wind touched my face, it cleared all the aches away! The spectacular view soothed our minds from all worries and filled us with exhilarating insouciance like no other.

Below is the video I took while we were on this rail biking adventure. Enjoy!

Autumn Travelogue: The Twin Waterfall of Mureung,

If a place, subject of so many tales and legends exacts a price, we're willing to pay for it. The price came not in form of money, but hours of laborious hike that left us sweaty and exhausted. But by all indications, this wasn't just another of the many travel jaunts we often took.

At the top, there lies the Twin Waterfall, heralded by glorious bask of sunlight, birds chirping, and breaths of exclamation from awed tourists. A waterfall standing beside an equally glorious, seemingly identical one, and water gracefully cascading beneath spectacular rock formations. We spent a good hour soaking in the scene, hearing nature's rendition of music, and breathing the rarefied air you could only get in the most isolated, pristine places.

To sum up our journey to Mureung, I included the small video I took to show the others how divinely everything looks up there.

Autumn Travelogue: Mureung Valley

We've been coming to Kangwondo for more than 3 years now, but it was only this time that we discovered the Valley in Mureung. It's hard to be articulate in describing this place. There are so many beautiful sights, wild creatures we could only find in zoos, and amazing cliffs and rock formations that by all means, deserve to be written in different installments.

Mureung is located West of Donghae, not far from the cave we visited. The lot where we parked is wide and could accommodate infinite number of cars at once. This only proves how popular this is for tourists all year round.

This is where you could obtain tickets to enter the mountain. It's design reminiscence of ancient temple structures.

This is the first bridge we saw at the foot of the mountain.

...and it gave us a good view of the valley.

As we moved along the trail, the forest became dense, thick with trees and shrubs. There are parts where the trees are so thick sunlight couldn't pass through.

The hike lasts for almost two hours, though it's not really a strenuous climb. On my right side, and partly obscured by trees and shrubs, lies the valley which provides an awesome inspiration when you feel like stopping.

Mureung exudes an air of ancient mystery. Ancient Taoist hermits, Confucian scholars, and important historical figures called this their paradise, subject of different tales and legends. Since time immemorial, it gave visitors a taste of what it feels like to be in paradise. With sights so grand and superb, you would feel like you're being transported to a different era.

Monstrous rocks bouldering the path makes the climb more tiring than it really is. These rocks could very well be a million years old, and it boggles me how they get to be in some positions.

In a time where development and technology is rapidly unfolding, it's so nice that we still have places like this to find solitude and peace.

We left the valley a decade wiser from knowing it's history and cultural importance. We brought with us a bigger appreciation for nature, and zeal to preserve it for the next generations to see.

Autumn Travelogue: Exploring Cheongok Cave

Still in Kangwondo, there is a natural underground cave that we visited they call Cheongokdong. It's hard to miss as it's located right in the middle of Donghae. They call this a limestone grotto, and is estimated to be about 400-500 million years old. You have to obtain a ticket first before you enter.

At the mouth of the cave, there is a guy that will assist and provide you with hard hats like the ones you could find in construction sites. It's necessary that you wear these hats because the sharp edges of the rocks could hurt your head immensely.

The trail is not steep, you only have to go down the stairs of approximately a hundred steps. After that, the journey would be mostly on level surfaces. The total length of the cave is about 1,400 meters, but part of it remains closed to preserve the diverse community of insects and small animals that lives there. oEut 400 to 500 million years old



Cheongok cave could also be considered as a cave museum. Here they showcase different crystals and interesting stones that were probably unearthed while they were developing the cave.

Enclosed within are beautiful rock formations like calcified limestones, curtained stalactites, mounds of stalagmites, and bizarre looking rocks.

Water seeps down through the ground, and drips through the roof of the cave forming these beautiful stalactites.

When the exposed area beneath the drip forms stalagmites, they sometimes meet to form a column. It takes hundreds, even millions of years to form these.

In some parts of the cave, the formation is still under progress, and it's absolutely necessary that we do not touch these formations as it could discolor them, and inhibit further development. CCTVs are installed basically in every angle, and a huge fine will be given to those who do not follow this rule.

It's colder by several degrees inside, and there is a constant sound of trickling water from the walls and underground springs. I also noticed a very distinct smell (perhaps from the animals that live there) percolating in the air.

It's well-lighted inside, and there is no need for flashlights. In areas where it's dim, they installed safety railings and metal ceilings.

There are parts where you have to squeeze yourself in and bend over in order to pass. In some areas, you have to twist your body and bend your back really low to almost in sitting position (depending on how tall you are). I strained my back and my hips from all the twisting and bending... ^^

Cheongokdong gives visitors a chance to educate themselves with it's different geologic properties, archaeological and cultural importance, as well as providing an interesting study of wildlife in their most mysterious habitat. Not only that, it's also a good way to explore and appreciate the natural wonders God has given us. For these reasons, Cheongok cave is definitely worth a visit.

Autumn Travelogue: Sunrise in Chuam

Daybreak came bringing a kaleidoscope of subtle colors into the skies, hinting a glorious morning. We were sleep-deprived, and barely running on little energy, but we managed to wake up early, eager to see the spectacles of sunrise in Chuam. We visited this place before, but we came an hour too late, so the trip had been uneventful. This time around, Chris wanted to make sure that our next trip is going to be anything like that.

There was a sense of urgency as he drove like a maniac, skidding and swerving as though the timetable for us to get there is incredibly short. But as I predicted, all the hurrying was in vain. We were there early, and had ample time to collect ourselves, and relax as we take in the magnificent view of the sea, the rock formations, and the skies. Everything looked appreciably different from the last time..

The air was cold and moist against my skin, but in a way, it was also refreshing. It was still dark and the only illumination came from the skies.

This was our first glimpse of the sun.

It's amazing how time seemed to have stopped, and with it came a churning jumble of inexplicably good feeling.

As it moves it's way up, high above the horizon, the clouds slowly changed color.

The bright, golden rays settled, basking everything in warm, golden yellow color. It was one rare occasion where I actually enjoyed the warmth of the sun against my skin.

When the sun was at it's peak, and barely visible thru the throngs of cloud, we decided to go. Simple as it may seem, but for us, it was an amazing experience having to witness this kind of thing.

To get to the car, we had to pass a small village. It was still on the early part of the morning, and the villagers seemed to be in slumber, unaware of the herds of photographers and tourists marveling over what has just unfolded. Part of me envies them. They are so blessed for they could see this spectacular phenomenon every waking day of their lives.