Answer to the problem "Import from Wordpress to Blogger is taking too long"

Are you one of the frustrated Wordpress bloggers who have tried to migrate to the blogger platform by doing the export-import process yet gets stuck at this seemingly forever loading screen?

Loading window when you import an XML file to blogger which takes forever.

I've had the same issue and after finding out that many bloggers are experiencing the same thing, I decided to post this hopefully helpful link: http://wordpress2blogger.appspot.com/ where you can see this:

When you do this step by step, you'll be able to import in no time :) 

So why did I ever need to migrate from Wordpress to Blogger? 

JUST BECAUSE I'M FREE TO EXPLORE AND LEARN ;)

Comment below if this helps :)

Island Hopping and Snorkeling in Puerto Galera 2013

 Island-hopped to Camara Island, Zambales Summer 2011

While I was planning my family getaway in Puerto Galera, I reminisced my adventurous Summer 2011 trip in Zambales where I hopped from one island to another, and my Summer 2012 escape to down south Visayas where I and my friends snorkeled the coral gardens of Dauin, Negros Oriental. Since this would be the first time I tagged my family along (including Mac and his family, too), I made sure they'd experience the thrill of being in the hands of the vast oceans :)


If you're planning on a budgeted beach travel, you might wanna try Puerto Galera. It's just 3-4 hours from Manila, with white sand beaches, and offers a lot of water activities. There are also cheap but satisfying accommodations (see Tribal Hills Mountain Resort)

As we walked through the long stretch of White Beach in Puerto Galera, we were offered by boat agents to grab their "Island Hopping and Snorkeling" package for a standard price of 1,500 Php good up to 8 pax (187/pax). The deal seems good (cheaper) since according to blog reviews I read before our trip, boats usually costs 2,000-2,500 Php. So we took the offer and scheduled our activity to be on afternoon of the next day. Agent got our contact number.

While having our free breakfast in Tribal Hills Mountain Resort where we stayed for our 3D/2N vacation, a boat agent named Kuya Roger offered us his 250Php/pax package for Island hopping and snorkeling. We told him that we already had an arrangement with another boat agent for a cheaper price.  He explained our options to  make it easier for us to decide:

Option 1: Boat @ 1500 for 8pax

Drop off and pickup is at Minolo Terminal (see map)  so we have to commute from White Beach to Minolo at 100 Php per tricycle. Since we are 8, we would  end up spending another 400 Php. So the total cost still would be 1900Php

Drop off and Pickup is in Minolo Terminal.[/caption]

Option 2: 250Php / pax (kuya Roger's offer)

Drop off and pickup is at Tamaraw beach which is just a small walking distance from White Beach. The total cost for us would be 2,000 Php

We opted to take Option 2 to stir away from the inconvenience of commuting from one town to another.

Tamaraw Beach from afar.

We went down to Tamaraw beach where we would board the boat. We were a total of 20 pax in the boat which was pretty uncomfortable. I remember my previous boat experiences wherein our group was the only passengers of the boat... That was more fun and we were free to do whatever we want. Anyway, our first stop was to what they call "Coral Garden". The coral bed was pretty shallow so big boats like ours were not allowed. We had to rent an additional smaller boat that would lead and drag us above the coral bed so we won't have to swim against the current. Four of us wanted to experience it so we paid another P150 x 4 = P600 for two boats (2 pax per boat only). The original price was P200 per head but we haggled down to P150. Manong was offering us P100 per head if we would also avail all 4 of their activities (P100 per activity per pax) including Giant Clams and Underwater Cave. I wasn't interested with the offer because I have previously read that those weren't as exciting as they are marketed. While we were snorkeling, other members of our group just staye at the bigger boat since at their age, they were afraid to go further :)

Macmac holding the small boat's grip

After snorkeling, we went island hopping to 2 islands. I forgot the name of the 1st one where there were tons of dead white corals.

Mama picking up some dead corals

Heap of dead corals

As our last stop, we hopped to Bayanan Beach where we enjoyed the huge waves crashing to the shore.

Mama in the wall of waves of Bayanan beach

Finally, we left bayanan beach and we were dropped at Tamaraw Beach. Before going back to our hotel, we crossed the rocky border from Tamaraw to White beach to eat dinner. It was a very long day for us since we also had trekking in the morning so we went back to our hotel right after dinner to enjoy the pool and the peaceful mountains of Aninuan Mountain. :)

Tribal Hills Puerto Galera Review

Tribal Hills was a paradise in Puerto Galera for nature-lovers.

I've mentioned Tribal Hills Mountain Resort a number of times in my other blog post (Puerto Galera Review) but it seems appropriate to write a separate review for this excellent resort located in the mountains of Aninuan, Puerto Galera. If you long to enjoy the summer and beach but keep away from the crowd at times you wanna feel peace, this is the perfect place to be. :)

 Tribal Hills as posted in Metrodeal

I bought this voucher (still available today) from Metrodeal: P4499 instead of P9600 for 3-Days/2-Nights Stay for 4 persons at Tribal Hills with Aninuan Falls Tour. There were other resorts being offered in online sites such as Metrodeal and Ensogo but I got turned off upon researching and reading their location and some blog review. When I encountered Tribal Hills' offer at Metrodeal, I kinda had the feeling that this is what I was looking for. Just the view of the site was already inviting to me and they claim:

"Tribal Hills Resort is located at the westernmost area of Puerto Galera beach strip and enjoys the picturesque horizon of the South China Sea while it sits atop a foothill at the base of the towering Mt. Malasimbo. Nestled between an inviting body of water and a majestic highland, the resort has a lot to offer to travelers and vacationists indeed."

Before buying, I made sure that other travelers who have been there have something good to say. It was a balance as some said its great and a few said they were not satisfied. I took the risk anyway. :) I bought 2 vouchers, 1 for my family and the other for Mac's side (to be paid by him of course). I believe the deal is cheap since it would cost just P1112.5/pax for 3D/2N :)

Tribal Hills' confirmation letter

The next step was to book and reserve my 2 rooms for April 7-9 and this part was very stressful because the travel agency who offered this deal was a third party (IndoChina Strings Travel Agency). To book the ticket, I had to file a ticket at their site and provide FOUR travel dates!!! That is so they could book you whatever date still has available rooms. That didn't seem convenient to me since I only have April 7-9 or nothing (Since 9th was Mac's bday). So I went to Tribal Hills' site instead and directly contacted them for my booking.  I was in touch with one of their receptionists named Lea. She's very courteous during calls and she entertains all of my text inquiries. She happened to give me two rooms (direct booking) and that's great. I'm thankful for her for the favors because she relieved all the stress Indochina gave me to book the dates that I want, despite the fact that direct booking was against the procedure when the payment was via Metrodeal (you really have to book via indochinastrings.com).

While waiting near the Gray Wall

Then came April 7. Tribal Hills' instruction was to board Minolo Shipping Lines so we could get further assistance as we get to White Beach, so we bought 2-way tickets to White Beach. Upon landing to the sands of Puerto Galera, we were accompanied by a Minolo staff "Jason" to the Gray Wall where we will be picked up by Tribal's  vehicle.

The ride up to the hill was excitingly adventurous as the vehicle had to climb up to steep hill as shown in the picture below. It was safe though as Manong Driver is skilled enough to drive up and down the steep slope.

We got to Tribal Hills Resort just in time for our check-in. We were briefed by another staff named Shane about house rules and schedule of free vehicle rides.

We were still about to occupy our rooms yet but we were already enjoying the views. Indeed, their claims are true. Everything was picturesque: the pool, the simply elegant structure of the hotel and the green mountains and scenes that surround the resort. The feel of nature helps you be peacefully relaxed. :)

Mac and his family occupied room 5 while we occupied room 6 which is at the end of the hall. Their standard rooms were clean and spacious! The only thing we could complain about is the aircon at Mac's room (room 6) was noisy and that the exhaust fan in the bathrooms were not working.

View from Room 6

Corridor to the standard rooms of Tribal Hills

We loved staying at the corridor because of the relaxing feel we get when we stare at the mountains. Although it would be more comfortable if couches were there instead of chairs. But we can't complain about that since the style was perfect for their structure. We enjoyed photo-bumming because of our naturally beautiful background.



The hallway was always clean as well. Their standard room was spacious! Mac and I reckoned that their standard room was even larger than The Lake Hotel Tagaytay's Double Deluxe Room! Additional bed was also provided for since we were four pax per room. We did not pay ANYTHING at all for their services, like for ordering hot water whenever we sink in the pool every night.

[caption id="attachment_592" align="alignright" width="150"] Very spacious standard room without the additional bed yet.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_589" align="alignright" width="112"] Clean and complete bathroom[/caption]



 The comfort rooms were also clean and complete with dipper and hot&cold water. The pool, although not very big was inviting because it was clean and the water compliments the ambient temperature. In the morning, when it's pretty hot, the water was cold. At night, when it's cold, the pool water was warm. We loved the Jacuzzi and the big pool. There's no limit in using the pool except when it's under cleaning maintenance in the morning.

[caption id="attachment_602" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sweet little pool of Tribal HIlls[/caption]

Mac and I were glad we didn't settle in a hotel near the beach front because we will lack this privilege we had with Tribal Hills. The only thing that we see as an advantage had we booked near White Beach is that we could get to shower right away after soaking from the salty sea. It was different for Tribal Hills since we had to travel before getting ourselves washed from the sand and salt--which was not a problem at all for us. :)

[caption id="attachment_598" align="alignright" width="133"] Tribal Hills' free breakfast[/caption]

Food is served in their Tree Tops Restaurant which also has a breathtaking view. Free breakfast included in the package was served at 7-9am. During the 2nd day, we went up for breakfast at 8am already so not every choice in the free breakfast menu was available. We opted for Longsilog which was the only choice available. One of the cons in Tribal Hills is the cheap free breakfast they serve. On the 2nd day, we made sure to eat at 7am so we can get the best out of what was in the menu. I ordered Tocilog and it was delicious despite the small amount. We didn't bother to order additional food since their price range per meal was beyond our budget :P

[caption id="attachment_609" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Breakfast view was fulfilling :)[/caption]



Another thing, they stated in their confirmation letter that Food and Drinks are not allowed. But prior to the travel, I confirmed from Lea if water and snacks were also prohibited. It was a relief again when she said that those were exempted. So we packed 4 bags of sandwiches which lasted 'till Day 2 afternoon... Very budget-saving! :)

Tribal Hills is a little paradise complete with the touch of nature. We enjoyed their plants and flowers blooming all over the place. I'll give it a 4.8 out of 5 stars!  I definitely recommend the place. :)

[caption id="attachment_611" align="aligncenter" width="300"] MacJonai enjoyed it at Tribal Hills :)[/caption]

Puerto Galera Summer 2013

 

I have started to explore Philippines' abundant lands and seas since Summer 2011 when I got tagged by my church friends to Anawangin, Zambales. Summer 2012 was even more adventurous when I hitched the Degollacion Family to their Visayas escapade traveling the provinces of Negros Oriental and the cities of Cebu. Sad that I missed the chance of writing about those trips. This Summer 2013 I didn't miss the chance to travel again, but this time, I organized almost everything and tagged my family, Mac my love, and his family! :) In this article, I aim to detail the pre-, during and post-travel experiences that could be of encouragement or use to you readers. :)

[caption id="attachment_541" align="alignright" width="300"] 3D/2N Tribal Hills for 4pax Offer at Metrodeal[/caption]

Being always in a tight budget for travels, the 1st thing that came to mind was to find a good hotel accommodation promo from online group buying sites such as Metrodeal, Ensogo, Cashcashpinoy and Dealstent instead of direct or online booking which is more costly. I was fortunate to get this Puerto Galera deal @ Metrodeal last Mar 06 2013 (deal is still available as of this writing). Check out my review for Tribal Hills Mountain Resort where we stayed in Puerto Galera. I booked two rooms for 3 nights for 8 pax for April 7-9.

After securing our accommodation, next thing to do was to plan our detailed itinerary so as to not surprise my and Mac's wallets since we's be shouldering the expenses of our families. My planning was based on Puerto Galera blogs and reviews I read which really helpful. Since it's a 3-day 2-nights trip, it's better to be prepared and know what you'd do rather than be spontaneous on the spot (Being spontaneous could be so expensive). Below is the itinerary I prepared for our trip. There are surprises along the way but my estimates were close to the actual expenses.

By the time April 7 came, we were already prepared to enjoy the trip. I tagged mama, my brother Openg and my cousin Warren with me. Mac brought his mama, his cousin Dove and her husband Mike. Since Papa would be driving all of us to Batangas Port, Mac and I agreed that they'd just meet us in Paranaque. We left Pque as scheduled at 6:30AM and  traveled to Batangas port. We encountered an incident while on passing through SLEX. The van hit a small stone that crashed through the radiator leaving a small hole where the water leaked. Good thing the van reached through Shell where we had to stop and make a temporary fix, or else we wouldn't be able to reach our destination :( We we're stuck there for an hour and our packed drinking water (1 container) was consumed by the van since its water was leaking.

[caption id="attachment_543" align="aligncenter" width="270"] The men trying and watching the van get fixed.[/caption]

We were still able to stick to the schedule and arrive at the port by 9:15am. Upon arriving at Batangas Port, a couple of guys from Minolo Shipping Lines approached us and assisted in getting our tickets. And there we encountered our 1st surPRICE: round-trip tickets raised from P450 to P500. Environmental and Terminal fee are still P30 and P50 respectively so that makes P580 per head.

[caption id="attachment_545" align="alignright" width="470"] Water in Port costs 150-180 each. Water in PG costs upto 100 each. Better if you have water before leaving your home![/caption]

Remembering that our drinking water got consumed by the van, we opted to buy water before boarding, and there was our 2nd surPRICE: The typical Absolute drinking water which regularly costs P50 is priced P180 at the port!!! Manang tindera was saying that water price in Puerto Galera is even more expensive so we were left with no choice but to buy what she was selling. We haggled down to P150 since we need to buy 3. I really regretted that we have spent P450 for water. I greatly advise that if you're going to PG, bring your own water!  Later as we got to PG, we found out that there was a cheaper option for water.

[caption id="attachment_551" align="alignleft" width="135"] 2-way ticket costs 500Php[/caption]

We were scheduled to board the Golden Hawk ship by 9:45 but actual boarding started at 10:45 (we waited for 1 hour for the ship to arrive). Waiting at the Batangas Port terminal was comfortable though. At around 11am, we started sailing and it was smooth yet exciting. I have read previously from blogs that boat trips to PG are usually rough because of the wild waves. I wasn't bothered though with those warnings because I love rough adventures :P

[caption id="attachment_549" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I and Mac excitedly boarded the ship. :)[/caption]

As we touched the sands of White Beach at around 12:45pm, we were already starving. Our arrival was beyond my expected time and lunch time has already passed so we chose to eat at the nearest restaurant/carinderia we could get to. We ended up eating in this resto near VM Beach Resort which we didn't enjoy. 1st, staff were impolite. 2nd, they don't serve water with the food. 3rd, washroom is not free even for their customers. 4th, they serve food very slowly! I ordered BBQ which they claim to be "fast serving" but it was the last to be served. Had we not been hurrying because our check-in was @ 2pm, we would have looked for another place for lunch. There are other cheaper options that serves good food that we discovered as we walked around the streets perpendicular to White Beach. You could get good food at half the price of what is offered in White Beach front.

[caption id="attachment_554" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Impolite staff and very slow and poor service at VM Restaurant.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="300"] I've always wanted to be in a quiet and nature-inspired place like this.[/caption]

After a fast lunch, we headed straight to where we would be picked up by Tribal Hills' vehicle. Travel was very exciting as we were sitting at the back of a pick-up truck. After the check-in, we spent a couple of hours to be settled in our rooms. The place was exhilarating as we were surrounded by the greens and the mountains! I have no regrets getting this Metrodeal offer ^_^

At  around 4:30pm, we went down to White beach again to start our beach bumming! First thing we did was to look for the Banana Boat station where we would pay the fee, leave our stuff and board the boat. Check this out for our detailed Banana Boat Experience in Puerto Galera. After this activity, we just went on beach bumming in White Beach. The beach was pretty crowded since it's peak season and April 9 is a holiday. We still enjoyed it though because we were with our families. :) I wanted to cross the rocky border between White Beach and Tamaraw beach but Mac asked me not to since it was dangerous and the sun was already fading. We stayed in White beach until 10pm, had dinner in Chicken Inasal and watched the fire-dancers do their thing. Gays were all over the place!

[caption id="attachment_560" align="aligncenter" width="300"] White Beach on a peak season. Nevertheless, the crowd did not drown our fun. We still enjoyed the waves and the sand.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_562" align="alignright" width="300"] We loved Tribal HIlls' little pool. It was not too chlorinated so water wasn't irritating. It was clean and nice as well.[/caption]

The water fun did not end when we left white beach. Upon reaching Tribal Hills, we soaked in a Jacuzzi  and enjoyed the peaceful night. :)

Our second day in PG was jam-packed. 1st activity was Trekking to Aninuan falls in the morning right after our free breakfast. This guided tour is still part of the voucher's package. It was a looooong journey along the rocks and hills of Aninuan Mountain but the waters of Aninuan falls were worth it. I will detail our Trekking to Aninuan falls soon. :)

We reached our hotel at around 12:30pm. Our day was very filled that we skipped lunch. Thank God we still have our sandwiches we packed from the 1st day. Around 1:30, we went down to Tamaraw beach for the much-awaited Island-hopping and snorkeling activities. We took Tribal Hills' offer of P250 per head for the Island hopping (A total of 2000 for our group of 8). There were options of P1500 per 8pax back in White Beach but due to some reasons detailed in my other post, we availed of Tribal Hills' package. Check out our Island-hopping and Snorkeling experience here.

After the fun-filled Island-hopping, we were dropped off at Tamaraw beach at around 5:30pm and since we have to eat in our discovered cheap carinderia in white beach, we crossed the rocky border between Tamaraw and White beach--which I really wanted to do since Day 1! :D

We had our best eating experience down in White Beach in one of the local carinderias we passed by as we were going home to Tribal Hills. I didn't get the store's name but they offer good food. Sizzlings were priced at P60 only yet serving was generous and the food was tasty, too! After dinner, we went home early to Tribal Hills to enjoy their amenities away from the crowds of White Beach. Our Day 2 (April 8) was tiring yet I insisted that Mac and I wait for his birthday (April 9) so we slept at around 12:30am... very tired!

Then our last day at PG came :( We enjoyed our breakfast first thing in the morning and enjoyed the pool one last time. We checked out at 11am (1 hour earlier than the hotel check-out policy) since we wanted to have time to buy souvenir shirts before boarding our ship back to Batangas Port which was scheduled at 1pm. Prices of souvenir items in White Beach are standard so even if you comb every store, you'll get the same price for an item. The trip back to batangas was stressful! mac and I both think that the ship was overloaded. And it took us about 2 hours to reach the port via a different ship Golden Condor. By 5:30 pm, we were already in Manila. :)

So to summarize our Puerto Galera expenses per head:

[caption id="attachment_568" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 3D/2N Puerto Galera Expense per head.[/caption]

We were pleased with our Puerto Galera trip and a big factor to our satisfaction is Tribal Hills' accommodation. :) Praises to God for providing us protection and financial provision for our enjoyment :)

Calculator Techniques Powerpoint

Clic here to download April 6 Lecture