Euro Trip 101: How to get a Schengen Visa

Bucket lists. Travel goals. Tourist destinations. Most of us have that inclination to travel and explore the world. To experience new things and indulge in local delicacies have been so hyped online and offline. And with Europe as one of the "goal" destinations by many, most try to squeeze in as many countries as possible when they get their Schengen visa. But before even planning your dream vacation, how do you get a Schengen visa? Is it true that it's way harder to get one compared to a U.S. visa? A few months back, I had to start from scratch and do research on how to make sure that I don't get a rejection letter along with my passport. 

So how do you get a Schengen visa? 

Just like any visa application, you have to secure an application form. Apply at the embassy of the country where you will be staying the longest or the first point of entry (if you are spending an equal number of days per country). Remember that this is crucial and that you cannot simply apply to any embassy you fancy as there is a high chance of your application getting rejected if your application does not coincide with your proposed itinerary. In my case, I applied at the Italian embassy. It was easier for me as I had no plans of visiting other European country that time. 

Requirements for the Schengen visa apply for all countries part of the Schengen region. Listed below are the documents you have to secure in both original and photocopy:

When in Davao: Paradise Island Park & Resort

Mindanao used to be a place I was afraid to visit. With media and elders saying that this part of the Philippines as an unsafe place, I didn't even consider to travel and spend my vacation down south. Sure, there are cities that are considered safe like Davao. But it being a few miles away from NPA surrounded areas and even a war zone made me feel even more afraid. But all that changed this year when I visited President Duterte's hometown not just once but thrice. And for this trip, I got to enjoy Paradise Island. 

Hello, Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort. 

An Imperfect Paradise: Les Maison d'Itac

An imperfect paradise would best describe Les Maison d’Itac, a humble resort located at the less popular part of Cebu.

Hello, Les Maison d’Itac.

We chanced upon this resort while checking Deal Grocer for our Cebu hotel accommodation. Since we saved a couple of thousands from our airfare and figured that a 3D2N accommodation with full- board meals and transfers for PHP15,000 sounded like a steal, we bought a voucher the same night we saw the deal. 

When In Hong Kong: Go Jelly Crazy!

I love jello, jelly, gelatin… whatever you call it. It used to be my staple afternoon snack and I remember that I used to get all the grape flavored ones to eat and the red ones to use as my pretend lipstick. I still get to have my jello fix from time to time these days but in the form of coffee jelly, grass jelly or sago’t gulaman. But when we discovered a jello place in Hong Kong, R and I dropped by the place as frequent as we could.

Hello… uhm… sorry, I can’t read Chinese. But this is the place near Canal Road, Causeway Bay. 

R and I headed to the small restaurant one time after dinner. We got curious with why a lot of locals frequent the place and we were greeted by a friendly elder who I assume is the owner of the restaurant.  We told him our order—one bowl of black jello (HK$7). 

Service was quick and we got our bowl in less than 5 minutes.

It was pretty bland as is so R added this orange powder we saw on the edge of the table. 

We sparingly sprinkled some of the said powder and it turned the jello sweet. We then figured that it was sugar. And that was when we went crazy with it. 

It was just your usual bland jello but it being served chilled and topped with sugar made it a refreshing dessert, perfect to cap any meal.

Love at First Bite: The Coffee Shop

It has been a while since my last road trip with R. We’ve been busy with work and other activities that we were not able to keep up with our monthly short getaways. But since our Deal Grocer voucher for The Plaza Hotel will expire soon, we decided to head up North and spend the weekend there. But before heading to Bataan, we decided to spend one day in Subic to enjoy the beach. But Mother Nature refused to cooperate and we ended up pigging out instead. And there is no better place to feast but the famous taco shop, The Coffee Shop, Home of Jumbo Tacos. 

Hello, The Coffee Shop!

This restaurant doubles as a hotel with its rooftop room accommodations at friendly prices. But let me focus on the food, especially its jumbo tacos. 

Since this place has been raved by so many foodies and some even claim that this place offers the best tacos in the country, I just have to try it! I went with Taco with Sour Cream (PHP130) while R went with Hard Shell Taco (PHP95). We also got Double Cheeseburger with Fries (PHP185) simply because R wanted fries. For drinks, we ordered Frozen Iced Tea (PHP85) and Chocolate Shake (PHP130).

While waiting, I took a few snapshots and noticed that they charge PHP30 for using their electrical outlets and that they also do not provide straws for non-frozen beverages. 

Service was quick and our drinks were served in less than 5 minutes. 

My frozen iced tea was refreshing. It had the right amount of sweetness and had a delightful lemon flavor. (It was so good that we ordered another glass right after finishing one.) R’s drink tasted like chocolate ice candy. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t that good as well. And for PHP130, I don’t think it was value for money. 

Our tacos were served next and we were overwhelmed by the size. They were not kidding when they said jumbo. It was really huge! It would be at least 9 inches long. 

When In Coron: Maquinit Hot Springs

I am not a beach person. I even have a love < hate relationship with the sun. I remember that my nose used to bleed every time I get too exposed to the sun’s harsh rays. Yes, I was a sensitive kid back then. So when R invited me to go to Coron with him and his friends who I do not know then, I wasn’t really thrilled. But I changed my mind when I saw Coron’s beauty.

Hello, Coron!

We were in Coron for 3 days and 2 nights and R’s friend who is based in Coron did all the arrangements for us. We had a tour guide during our whole stay and all we had to do is ride the van, tricycle or boat and follow him.

 

On our first day, we kept it light and went to Maquinit Hot Springs.

I would have not thought of Coron having hot springs as the first few things that come to mind whenever I hear Coron are rock formations, corals, snorkeling, beaches and giraffes. (Okay, giraffes seem a bit out of place but there is a place in Coron where you could feed them!)

 

We got to the hot springs a bit past 4 p.m.. We were supposed to be there earlier after our supposed Mount Tapyas climb. But thanks to the ever reliable Cebu Pacific, we were behind schedule by a couple of hours. We opted to delay the hike till our last day in the island.

When In Hong Kong: Go Crazy Over Salmon!

If I were to choose only one thing to eat the rest of my life, I would choose salmon. I just love it. I love the texture, the color… everything! (Well, except maybe the smell when it is still raw and extremely fishy.) And I saw a gold mine of salmon during our recent Hong Kong trip.

While exploring our hotel’s surrounding area, we noticed that there’s a line of stores near our hotel (located in Causeway Bay, near Canal Road) that sell salmon and hairy crabs. We decided to go to the one that sells ready to eat salmon and got Salmon, Salmon Roe and Sea Urchin with rice (HK$90) and Fried Soft Shell Crab Cutlet with rice (HK$38).

Despite the long queue, service was quick and we got our orders in less than 10 minutes. 

We enjoyed our rice bowls while standing as there were no dining tables or chairs available. They only had those bar tables on the opposite side of the showcases.

I first had a bite of the salmon bowl and it was so good. Though slightly expensive, you’d see that the store was generous with fresh salmon bits. The serving of sea urchin was a tad stingy but it was still okay given the price. The uni was soft and the taste made me reminisce the sea. The veggies added texture and crunch to the dish making it even more scrumptious.

The Fried Soft Shell Crab Cutlet was also delectable but it was quite dry without any sauce. I just wish that it had some salmon or something fresh and not deep fried. Then again… that price tag for one bowl is very attractive.

I wish we have this in Manila. 

Love at First Bite: Lobster King

I hardly get to explore the Philippines so when R asked me to join him and his friends to Coron, I quickly said yes. (And I have not met his friends then.) It was a fun trip and I got do things for the first time such as jump off a boat, climb a mountain (towards Kayangan Lake), and enjoy Coron. I have to admit though that one of the highlights of our trip was our stop at Lobster King.

Hello, Lobster King!

J, the wonderful local who helped us with everything while we were in Coron, raved about Lobster King and that we should prepare our tummies. It wasn’t hard to do so when all we did for hours before dinner was jump off the boat and swim.

The girls took charge of ordering for the whole group and they went crazy over lobster. We had 8 plates full of lobster! Other dishes that were ordered were oysters (in cheese and in butter garlic), sisig, roasted chicken and clam soup. (I forgot to take photos of the soup, sisig and roasted chicken as these were placed far from me and everyone was hungry.)

The oysters were huge! R was disappointed that the cheese on the oysters did not melt and was just grated cheese on top of grilled oysters. But it was still pretty good as it was fresh!

The butter garlic version was better though as it was more savory.

Now for the star of the night… lobsters.

Food Truck: Tako

Food trucks. It is starting to create a wave here in Manila. There are now Mexican food trucks, ice cream trucks, and even a fruit juice truck. (Jamba Juice, anyone?) But in other countries, there are more choices. N and I spotted a Korean food truck on our way back from San Francisco and we just have to eat there (since we needed a break from Chinese food—as our tour guide kept on bringing us to Chinese restaurants throughout our 3 day tour!). 

Hello, Tako!

This Korean barbeque fusion food truck has a simple menu (well I think most if not all food trucks have simple menus). You have 6 choices for meat—bulgogi, spicy pork, spicy spam, short ribs, spicy chicken, and tofu. The fun part is that you can have it on rice, tacos, or even turn it into a burrito, quesadilla or burger. Since the drive’s still pretty long, N and I opted to have rice bowls instead.

Little Denmark: Solvang

Going to San Francisco via bus is no joke. It sure was a looooong ride. Good thing N and I packed a lot of snacks to keep us… well, with happy tummies. On our way though, we passed by this lovely area that made us feel like we were in another country. Plus, The Little Mermaid was there to greet us!

Hello, Solvang!

Such a pretty pretty place!

 

It was starting to feel a bit chilly so out goes my first “shield” a beanie.

 

We were all given a few minutes to stroll around and have lunch but since N and I bought a lot of snacks, we thought of looking for a bakery instead for bread or something light to snack on. 

 

While walking, we (or at least me) can’t help but be thrilled with everything we see. There were a lot of nice houses, stores and even telephone booth! 

San Francisco Food Stop: Boudin

A trip to SanFrancisco would not be complete without visiting the Fisherman’s Wharf. Best dishes to try? Clam chowder and sour dough. And it was just perfect as our faces were turning into some stone figures due to the cold fall wind. (Note: FALL, it was not even winter then.)

 

Hello, Fisherman’s Wharf! I’ve heard a lot of stories about you!

 

It was past 12 then when we arrived and since we were part of a tour (meaning, there’s a schedule to follow), we decided to ride the ferry first that will go under the famous Golden Gate Bridge (which happens to be red and not gold… anyway) and Alcatraz. We got a great view of the skyline of San Francisco and got quite close (too close at times) with some seagulls.

Tasty Dinner: Pho Tasty

I’m a sucker for the word “tasty”. If the restaurant has that word as part of its name, I’d most likely try it. I also go for the “chef recommended” and the dishes with hearts beside it. Thus after the chilly San Francisco trip, N and I decided to have dinner at a pho restaurant and guess what, the name of the restaurant is… Pho Tasty.

Hey ho, Pho Tasty!

 

The place was packed when we arrived and it was already a bit past 9 p.m.. It must be one popular pho place.

 

We managed to get a table after 15 to 20 minutes and we immediately ordered two bowls of pho with assorted meat and a plate of spring rolls. I also ordered a glass of Iced Jasmine Tea and N ordered his all-time favorite… Taro (shake version with pearls). 

Restaurant Love: House of Prime Rib

I had a blast during my US trip last October-November as I was able to visit San Francisco and New York. The San Francisco leg was tiring but lots of fun and I found one place that made my heart skip a beat.

 

It was already a bit past 7:30 p.m. when we headed back (from the Golden Gate Bridge) for dinner. J managed to reserve a table at the House of Prime Rib. I wasn’t really super excited as I have no idea of what to expect but I heard that it’s pretty difficult to book last minute reservations there. We just got lucky.

 

We arrived a bit too early for our 8 p.m. reservation and we were already famished. Actually, I was already feeling sick and feverish that time as well as the cold weather got me bad. Nonetheless, we distracted ourselves with some chit chat as it has also been a while since N and J last saw each other.