Blogalag

WEEKEND INDULGENCE

 

Keeping with this year's theme of 'healthy living', a few weekends back, my partner-in-crime and I went hiking again.  We drove about 20 minutes to reach another hiking spot called Davis Creek Regional Park in Washoe County, Nevada.  We decided to go right after lunch so we can take our time and not hurry back since the sun sets early during the winter season.  Just like the time we went to our last hike in Jones Creek Trail, we both haven't tried hiking in Davis Creek so we were excited.  When we got to the regional park, we immediately set on the first trail we saw.  It's challenging to bring a DSLR when hiking so I left Nestor at home and took the pictures from a camera phone instead.  Over 5 minutes into the trail, we came at a fork in the road.  It gave us options on what trail we want to take- The Discovery Trail which is about 1.7 miles or the Ophir Creek Trail which is 7.5 miles.  The former offers a short trail while the latter offers a longer trail and it's going up the mountain (which means more challenge).  So I guess by now you've already guessed the trail we took.

 

The hike up to the mountain is steep.  Rocks, dried leaves, dried woods and big trees are the usual sights when coming up the mountain.  The trail got steeper and slippery (if you're not wearing the right gear for hiking).  There were areas where you have to be really careful to avoid falling in a bed of thorny bushes or sharp dried woods.  Along the way, we even got each a sturdy stick to help us trek the trails.

HAPPY HEART-HEALTHY 2012!

 

PROSPEROUS YEAR OF THE DRAGON, FRIENDS!

 

How's the start of 2012 treating you?  I hope it's treating you splendidly.

As for me, 2012 and I started on the right foot but I know that we're still getting to know each other.  However, I'm positive that we're going to be great friends very soon.

Before 2012 arrived, I have been hearing people talking about their new year's resolution and what they're planning to do to make it happen, moreso, stick with it until the year ends.  Some would like to kick their cigarette habit, others their impulsive spending and some their excessive drinking.  Whatever resolution you promised to work on this 2012, always keep in mind that it requires dedication and commitment so better be prepared to work hard on keeping it.  But if you're going to ask me, doing something good for yourself doesn't need a brand new year to kick in.  I'd say start when you want to start, regardless if it's in the middle or end of the year.  What matters is the fact that you're going to begin and intend to finish the task.  Agree?

Since we're on the subject of doing something good for oneself, I decided to continue making and keeping myself healthy for the rest of the year and for the years to come.  I may have fallen through the cracks a couple of times but I have always managed to get back on my feet one day at a time.  I've realized that health is indeed wealth.  So what are the things I'm going to continue doing so far?  Well for starters, not just eating breakfast but eating a healthy breakfast.  Do you know that I rarely eat fruits?  You read right.  I'm not sure where my aversion of fruits began but it really takes a lot of effort on my part to make myself eat fruits.  I made that known to my partner-in-crime but glad to know that it didn't stop him from slowly converting me to like fruits.  So recently, I've been introduced to fresh fruit juices to jumpstart my mornings.  My morning juice usually consists of carrots, celery, apple, pear, banana and yogurt.  Sometimes, we put ripe avocado and cantaloupe.  SImply put everything in the blender (don't forget to chop them first) and you'll have it in just a few minutes.  Amazingly, it tastes fantastic!  The moment you drink a tall glass of it, you instantly know that it's good for you.  I may not have been converted to eating fruits but at least, I like drinking them every single morning.

 

Aside from the fresh juice, oatmeal is also a breakfast staple in the household.  I like cooking them on the stove instead of putting it in the microwave.  You just need milk and a little bit of sugar to go with it.

SAN FRANCISCO'S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

 

I love auto shows.  I've always been fascinated with the sleekness, the fierceness, the sexiness and the overall look of automobiles.  And I'm not afraid of riding it ala The Fast and The Furious.  I also realized that I have this deep love of European vehicles.  Maybe it's the allure of elegance and luxury or maybe it's the design that exudes sexiness and power.

That's why when my uncle told me that we're visiting San Francisco's Annual International Auto Show, I got excited.  As far as I know, the said auto show is the largest show of any kind held in northern California.  It usually runs for 9-10 days and open to the public from 10am to 10pm.

As we walked towards Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco, I saw about 4 Range Rovers going around this makeshift terrain that shows the vehicle's versatility, balance and power.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

 

After spending my first Thanksgiving, my relatives took me to the must-not-miss tourist spot in San Francisco.  Where else but the Golden Gate Bridge.  Hate to break this to you but the bridge is not colored in Gold but in Orange Vermilion or what we call "International Orange".  The people who built the bridge felt it right to paint it in orange because it blends well with its natural settings as well as it contrasts with the cool colors of the sky and the sea.  They said that the Golden Gate Bridge took over 4 years to build- from January 1933 until its opening date on May 1937.  With approximately 600,000 rivets in each tower, the bridge is estimated to cost about USD1.2 billion in today's time.

We got to the parking lot near the bridge after lunch.  It was definitely a tourist spot because we kept on going around the area hoping for a parking space for about close to 10 minutes before we were able to secure one.  Tourist buses and vans were all over the place.  It's quite a challenge to get good photographs of the surroundings so patience should really be practiced.

HOTEL USA IN INDIA

 

 

Now let's continue my India adventure, shall we?

I arrived at exactly 7pm in Delhi, India from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The moment I landed, different emotions slapped me hard on the face- excitement, fear, anticipation, exhaustion, uncertainty, happiness.  With one big intake of air, I walked towards the door of the aircraft and ventured on.  The walk from the plane to the immigration was a bit long.  I think I counted about 5-6 walkalators before I eventually saw the gigantic hands welcoming me to Delhi, India.

 

Good thing my friend, The Music Blogger, offered me to use the Airtel sim card he bought when he took his India trip last September which enabled me to call the hotel where I am staying at.  I just needed to confirm if a car was indeed waiting for me at the airport gates.  It took me a good 30 minutes to get past immigration and get my backpack from the carousel.  As soon as I was out the door, I saw Deepak.  He carried my backpack and we proceeded to the car.

Apparently, compact cars are the common vehicles that ply the roads of India.  The first thing I noticed was the non-existence of side mirrors on 80% of the vehicles.  Second thing was the frequent blowing of horns which was explained to me as the drivers' way of communicating with each other.  Last thing I took notice of was how brave Indian drivers are because they don't spare much space that goes between them and the other vehicles.  Oh it was SOME experience!  But then again, that's how MAD the roads are so I told myself to better get used to it.