Something Fishy

Our Damortis Haul

If  you ever get a chance to pass by the quiet town of Damortis, La Union, make you sure you have a cooler with lots of ice in it.

prawns @ 245php/kg

This we have come to realize in our recent Dagupan City journey. Damortis, , (whose name somehow evokes images of a man in a dark cloak and a scythe saying "Velcome to daMORTis) has now become one of my fave fresh food shopping destinations. 

alupihang dagat/tatampal or sea mantis...the poor man's lobster at 120php/kg

While my hometown, Baguio City is famous for its fresh strawberries and vegetables, Damortis is where the Baguio City Market gets most of its sea food supply. Fresh, cheaper and choices, plenty, here's a look at the items we bought and how we prepared em:

squid (small ones at 140php/kg)

When given an amount by the vendor, don't hesitate to haggle. You could almost always, shave off a few pesos or have a little  more of the seafood in question, at no extra cost (dagdag).

scallops

In buying seafood, note the appearance and odor. In my book, if it smells foul, it probably is. The eyes of the fish must be bright and clear. Scales must not  be coming off.

the humble dried espada, a.k.a. "Damortis Ham"@ 100php/package

In shrimps, you'd want it's exoskeleton to be firm, and no discoloration to indicate that it's been sitting on ice for a while.

"Bonuan" Bangus (Milkfish) 100 php/kg

Shellfish must be closed when uncooked. If the shell is opened, it could indicate that the mollusk inside has been dead for a while.

grilled paprika prawns with lemon butter sauce

Squid should have that nice sea smell and must not be overly slimy. Run away from it if it's skin is slimier than it is wet. 

adobong pusit (I cook ours with less sauce as I saute it in lots of olive oil, garlic and tomatoes after it's been boiled in vinegar, water, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns

boiled tatampal with pinakurat (coco vinegar with lots of sili, onions and garlic)

Rule of thumb for buying crabs (alimango variety), aside from smell (it shouldn't be rancid or smell like stale pee), you'd want the bigger ones to be a bit heavy (and i'm talking about the crab being siksik with meat and not all shell) . That would mean that there's more meat in them compared to those that have remained unsold and are now living off their body fat. For female crabs (or ones with a rounded carapace - crab's hard underbelly), you'd want the ones with dark pigmentation near that area  that would indicate the presence of eggs, and therefore, lots of crab fat (so not healthy but oh so yummy!).

Garlic and peppered scallops

Seafood is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and Omega 3 (fish oil) that may reduce the risk of heart diseases, lower blood triglycerides (excess stored body fat), and contribute to your overall well-being. Yep, provided you don't have allergies attributed to any of em, it's GOOD for you :)

Oh, and for those would be Damortis shoppers, keep in mind that the best time to buy is either early in the morning and around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. That way, you get a good selection that's really right off the boat.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours. 

Adventures of the Dermatological Kind

Most of us have had dermatological and weight issues at one point in our life or another. Sometimes, we opt not to have it addressed due to the high cost, time constraints or an outright lack of information on where to get things done.

Luckily, we got to meet Dr. Jojo (ex Beverly Hills/Hollywood practitioner and Ms. Eva (nurse extraordinaire) of the Cavarlez Powerpeel Dermatological Clinic. They've got two branches, one in QC, Metro Manila and another in Dagupan City. For the curious, here's their website (please click here).

my post 3 in 1 diamond peel/rf face

Our adventures started when I saw their ad/promo in one of the group buying websites. What was suppose to be a one time, "let's-just-check-out-the-place" turned out to be a once or twice a week visit. The reason (aside from basic skincare)? Fat Laser Blasting ( Lipo Cavitation), Thermage (Radio Frequency) and Hair removal (IPL).

IPL or Intense Pulse Light is a machine that produces light of high intensity and has a wide range of applications ranging from acne treatment, facial broken capillaries, birth marks and my favorite, hair removal.

the IPL machine

A week prior to an IPL treatment, one should shave/wax/ remove hair from the area that is to be treated. No area is too small or too large for IPL. I opted to have it done on my legs, armpits, upper lip and asked for a brazilian to boot.

a picture that looks like it was grabbed from a B movie, here I am about to get my IPLs done

Wearing opaque goggles (like those in a tanning salon) is a must. Judging from the person who went before me, you'd want to keep the goggles on, so as not to expose your retinas to the blinding bright light of the IPL. There was a split second pain from the heat of the machine as the esthetician (or beauty therapist) applied the wand on the areas of concern. The heat was tolerable, sort of the feeling you get when you're cooking and your hand comes in contact with the outer surface of the pot for half a second. It works by striking your hair follicle and zapping it so it can't produce new hair. You need at least ten of these treatments to permanently obliterate the roots. A treatment though will lessen the chances of regrowth or damage it enough to make the new hair grow thinner. If and when you get this treatment, expect the slight odor of singed hair :)

expect to be the only one to hear a high pitched sound as this machine blasts your body fat

Laser Fat Blasting (Lipo Cavi), as the name implies, would blast adipose (fat cells) in the areas where you don't want them to hang out together. Areas would include the abdomen, the inner thighs, upper arm, the bra line, the back and the flanks (or the love handles/saddlebags). The 20-30 minute procedure is both painless and non-invasive (non-invasive lipo-suction, best thing since sliced bread). Its an ultrasound or ultrasonic device that just glides over the affected area, similar to getting a massage. They use a gel to remove friction and the result is nothing short of amazing. You can immediately get a visible notion that it works, as they measure you before and after the treatment. They also use this for facial contouring for those pudgy chin and cheeks you may have hated. The machine also comes with a lymphatic drainage massage to make sure the fat they dissolve doesn't just build up on your liver, but is eliminated properly, through your urine. You can also just get an area done, only ONCE a week so as not to overload your plumbing with dissolved fat. )ex. monday: abs, tuesday: flanks and thighs but not the abs until a week has passed).

I've lost 3.5 inches around the abs area after two sessions. A minimum of 6 treatments is often needed to get the desired results, but you can't use it as an excuse to pig out. You still have to do the whole proper diet and exercise to maintain the loss. The drawback though is that, depending on the person, fat reduction becomes so sudden that your skin can sag a bit (after four kids, my abs aren't exactly washboard material).  The solution to this is the next treatment, (which, in my opinion, should go hand in hand with the fat blasting), is Thermage (RF).

about to get my Lipo Cavi treatment

RF is the perfect tool for body contouring and tightening. Thermage is the only non-invasive procedure that helps tighten and contour your skin in a single treatment—with no surgery, no injections, and little to no downtime 20-30 minutes per area. Instead, Thermage stimulates your body's natural renewal of collagen, which creates subtle, natural looking results on and off the face, like…

• Tighter, smoother skin…
• Softened wrinkles and lines…
• And an overall younger looking appearance.

an older RF machine used in another clinic that I went to

Want a quick face lift to make you look fresh and glowing for a special event? This one's for you. Aside from this, I liked the way it's been helping me contour the loose skin from the fat blasted. RF may also be used in hair regrowth and other more practical medical applications like blasting fat away from your fatty liver). RF uses heat to do this, so may want to tell your therapist if the machine tip gets to warm for your liking.

about to get an RF 

I've had good and reliable service from the Cavarlez PowerPeel Clinic and fab results from the IPL, Lipo Cavi and RF treatments done on me. I've read up on it and asked the opinion of my other doctors, and they've given me the thumbs up for these treatments. If you think its for you, go for it. 

Oh by the way, the newly opened Dagupan branch of Cavarlez Powerpeel is at 90% off till December 2011...just so you know.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours.

The Leisure Coast Experience

For the past two weeks, The Mediocre Wanderer has headed down every Monday, from the misty mountains of Baguio, into the warm and sunny coastal town of Pangasinan, Dagupan.

On our way to check-in

Dagupan, known as the Bangus (Milkfish) capital of the Philippines is a bustling city, an hour and a half from our place in the mountains. Beach resorts, shopping trips and sea food are some of the reasons one would head out for a visit here. For us, it was to go to a Derm Clinic (more on this here) and to bring MAX to Leisure Coast Resort. (view their website from here).

Jann's Cabanas, our home away from home for the next 24 hours

Leisure Coast is a great family friendly resort. They have cabanas that are equipped with all the necessary items for a traveler. All rooms are air-conditioned, have hot and cold showers (they provide toiletries and fluffy towels), a fridge, and a TV in the room at reasonable prices. 

bless this mess, our room at leisure coast

 The first time we were there, we got the deluxe room which had a king sized bed. for a small amount, we got an extra bed for our baby sitter. The second time around, we were upgraded to a suite with an attic (a loft would be a more applicable term). 

stairs leading up to the loft which

The suite is around 70 php more than the deluxe room, has a sofa bed in the loft, a king sized bed in the main room and a free extra bed, if there be a need for one. 

try the cooling bubble bath from marks and spencer (not available at the resort). we "heart" it :)

Both rooms also had bathtubs. The resort doesn't provide you with a bubble bath though, which was fine with us, as I have been bringing some bath salts and bubble bath when we travel (you'll never know).

an eco friendly resort

lunch awaits...

Feeling peckish? Come on over to The Sabina Restaurant (they're also the ones who provide you room service).  Sabina restaurant at leisure coast Dagupan serves great food at affordable prices. try their seafood karekare (seafood and veggies cooked in a peanut sauce) and crispy baby shrimp.

Seafood Karekare at Sabina's

When they tell you a serving is good for four, they mean four large hungry men. It's that big, but totally delish!

The gigantic Seafood Paella bilao (allegedly for 3, but more likely 2x  the amount people)

baby shrimp crackers (Sarap!!!) and korean beef stew (meh)

As Dagupan is a coastal town, you are guaranteed fresh seafood all the time. the fresh flavors of the sea translate well in the dishes serve. Service is excellent and fast, the ambiance, simple yet elegant, laid back but not boring.

the interior at Sabina's

a page from their short yet sufficient menu

Relax, unwind or have a blast at the resort's water park.  Gef's waterpark is opened to everyone (non guests and guests must purchase entrance tickets to enjoy the other facilities). 

As we were in the resort for 2 consecutive mondays, we only got to swim in the mainpool (which really isnt shabby). it's basically 3 pools joined together to accomodate swimmers of all levels and people of all ages.

MAX testing the waters of the shallow end of the pool (at a little over 3 feet, the water comes up to MAX's nose)

 A whimsical water themepark that kids and adults would love, we enjoyed every minute of it.

the kiddie pool

The things we missed out on was  the big wave pool on the otherside of the waterpark and the giant waterslide (which is currently closed for renovations). The playpool was also a plus as max and Phee got to have fun using it's many slides.

the deeper side of the pool

the massive water slide

the huge wavepool (under maintenance)

For special occasions, Leisure Coast also has facilities to house various events and parties. give them a call or visit their website.  

looking forward to more "Leisurely" visits

Leisure Coast was a pleasant break from the cold and the rains of the highlands. But don't take my word for it. Bring yourself and your family, and enjoy!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!