TravelswithCharie

Alimango in garlic sauce At Alimango (crab) restaurant in San Mateo, California, there are at least five different ways to savor alimango. The alimango in garlic butter sauce we ordered was both meaty and juicy. I was surprised that a large alimango would be as tasty as the freshly caught crabs we were served at home in the islands. But the crab dish was not my favorite. I liked the sautéed ampalaya (bitter melon) with fish and the boneless bangus (milkfish) which was marinated with tamarind. The large crab has a $35.00 price tag. For more information about Alimango and their menu, visit http://www.alimangorestaurant.com/ . Address: 3708 S. El Camino Real San Mateo, California UPDATE:  RESTAURANT CLOSED * * * Photo by Charie

White Beach, Boracay, Philippines Number 26 on the list of New York Times' 2009 Destinations is Boracay Island in the Philippines. The Times refers to Boracay as the "next Phuket". Phuket is Number 12 on this list while the top spot goes to Beirut followed by Washington D.C. The 44th position goes to Zambia. For more on this list follow this link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html * * * Photo by Rosario Charie Albar

Step pyramid in Saqqara, Egypt Here are the selections of Frommer's editorial staff for 2009: Cartagena, Colombia Cape Town, South Africa Saqqara, Egypt Washington, D.C., United States Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada Civil Rights Trail from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama, United States Lassen Volcano National Park, California, United States Berlin, Germany Belfast, Northern Ireland Istanbul, Turkey Cambodia (But Not Angkor Wat) Waiheke Island, New Zealand How about you? Where are you off to in 2009? Let us know by clicking on the survey button below the video bar. Wishing you safe travels. * * * Photo by Rosario Charie Albar

New Year's Day at Baybay Beach, Roxas City Wishing you good health, exciting travel discoveries and a prosperous 2009. Happy New Year! * * * Photo by Rosario Charie Albar

White Christmas , Sung by The Drifters, Cartoon by Joshua Held, Video by Joshua Held at www.youtube.com/thenosedotcom May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white

Omniglot makes it easy to say "Merry Christmas" in a babel of tongues. Check the link below to learn more and never have to say "It's Greek to me" ever again. http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/christmas.htm That said, may you have a meaningful Christmas and may it be filled with compassion for those who are most in need. * * * Photo by Rosario Charie Albar

Italian fig cookies Imagine tasting dessert upon dessert (as many as the number of guests you invite) and exchanging recipes. All invitees must bring a dessert they prepared. If not, store bought goodies might turn out to be a revelation. Our party produced desserts from different countries. We had Chinese red bean cake, Spanish leche flan, Philippine casava pie, Vietnamese che - a red bean with seaweed drink simmered in coconut milk, Italian fig cookies, and American favorites - thick and rich chocolate cake, carrot cake, cheese cake and bucaroon cookies, among others. Try a little piece of every tantalizer on the table and savor slowly. Sweet dreams! Recipe for Bucaroons 1 cup shortening (2 sticks oleo) 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar (packed) 2 egs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp walnut flavoring (optional) 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups oatmeal 1 small (6oz) package chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped nuts Cream butter and sugar. Add egs, vanilla, and waln