This is New York!

TimeSquare

Last March 2015, I got the chance to visit and explore New York City. Despite all the encouragement I get from my parents and my sister to go to NYC, NYC was never a part of my itinerary because I think it will be very expensive to go there. However, when I decided to extend my stay and I found some good deals, I decided to go to New York City from my home base in Houston, TX. I also learned that NYC can be affordable if you plan it right.

I arrived in NYC around 6pm during my first night. It was already dark so I decided to go to Timesquare and stroll around.  Lucky for me, everything is still open till midnight.  I have 6 hours to kill before my bus to Washington DC departs and do what New Yorkers do.  Anyway, for the first few hours of my stay in NYC, I decided to eat where the New Yorkers eat. I found a good pizza house for a dollar per piece and of course "Halal Guys." I also tried going around broadway to check for ticket prices. I didn't go out of the area because it's already dark and safety is also a priority. United States is not as safe as Singapore so always take care of yourself.  Anyway, I just walked around and checked out the Empire State Building before proceeding to my bus going to Washington DC.
*BTW the weather during my 1st night was freezing it's around 1 degree Celsius. I went to Washington DC Around 12am and arrived there around 5:45am. I walked around DC until 4pm before going back to New York City. I arrived 9pm the next day.

During my 2nd night in New York City, I didn't do much. I just met up with my friend who I'll stay with during the duration of my stay in New York. He lives in Queens so we just went to his home from Time Square and shared a good dinner with his family. I also bought a 1 week unlimited train ride even if I'll be using it only for 4 days. It's not really that bad because one ride is 2.50$

Day 3 started in Queens. I learned that this area is full of Filipinos. It's pretty obvious because Filipino Restaurants are all over the place and of course Jollibee is just 1 block away from the station.

Based on my observation, NYC's subway system is old compared to the ones in Asia. I'm talking about Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, and Hong Kong. It's also complicated for someone like me. There are a lot of platforms you don't know where to go. Again, it's just me. I find it hard to navigate around.

Good Morning America

My first stop is Time Square since I need to buy tickets for the Broadway. I also passed by Good Morning America. Felicity Hoffman was their guest during that day. Anyway, I was able to get a ticket below 50$ to watch Matilda. I'll talk more about the play later as I go through this blog. After Time Square, I went to the Statue of Liberty.  I was supposed to take a cruise to the Liberty Island but I got lazy looking for the ticket office so I just hopped on the ferry to Staten Island. It's free and you can see the Statue of Liberty from there.  It's true when they say that it's just a small statue. I suggest that if you're going to choose the Free Staten Island Ferry go on a day with no fog or less fog. Luckily for me it's not very foggy that day.

9/11 Memorial

My next stop is the 9/11 Memorial. It's pretty hard to find because of the ongoing construction around the area. There's nothing much really but it's a good place to see especially if you want to see how it looks like now. After my short trip to 9/11 Memorial. I went back to Time Square to eat some Chinese Buffet because I'm very hungry.My next stop is the 9/11 Memorial. It's pretty hard to find because of the ongoing construction around the area. There's nothing much really but it's a good place to see especially if you want to see how it looks like now. After my short trip to 9/11 Memorial. I went back to Time Square to eat some Chinese Buffet because I'm very hungry.

After eating, I decided to go to FLushing Meadows because of the US Open. Nothing much to see again because Arthur Ashe is currently being renovated. Corona Park is a good place to see though.

Grand Central

After strolling around Flushing Meadows, I immediately went to Grand Central. It's a huge train station with a very nice interior. It houses the best Apple Store EVER! The food court in the basement is also awesome as well as the world foods.  You should not miss Grand Central!

Central Park

Of course, one should not miss the Central Park. This is by far the best park I've been to. It makes me want to stay in New York forever. It's a huge park filled with so many things. I can stay there the whole day. It was covered with snow when I went there. I wonder how awesome it will look like without snow. I bet it's better but a white covered park is not bad in the eyes.

My last agenda for the day was Matilda. It's a play filled with awesome child actors. It amazes how they were able to memorize a series of lines and act at the same time.  The play is basically the same as the Matilda movie but most of their lines are sung because it's a musical (obviously). I really enjoyed the play and I wanted to see more plays in New York. Hopefully when I come back. My day ended around 10:30pm. I didn't worry about going home because all trains and buses run 24 hours.  I just had a problem with the bus going home. I think it was delayed for about 30 mins.

Day 4 was my last day in New York before I go to Chicago.  It's the 2nd to the last snowfall in New York this season. The snowfall was so think that whenever if I open my mouth for a minute it will be filled with snow LOLJK. Anyway, I started my day a little late. My friend John took me around New York. Our first stop was Roosevelt Island. If you have an unlimited pass, you should try riding the tram since it will give you a great view of the city
.

After our trip to Roosevelt Island, John brought me to the Public Library and Bryant Park. I can say that the library has a good ambiance for studying and relaxing. It makes me want to bring all my school notes and review it. It also has a good collection of books. The exhibit inside shouldn't be missed as well. Everything about NYPL excites me. Anyway, Bryant Park is just beside NYPL. It's also covered with snow just like Central Park. Anyway, I ended my trip to New York at Bryant Park around 3pm. My friend and I needs to walk to the station since I need to catch my trip to Chicago.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with my New York trip. I have no regrets at all. New York is officially one of the best cities I've been to.

San Antonio 10 years after

Me in front of The Alamo

Superman The Ride

Hi Everyone, it's me again and I just want to share my crazy adventure in San Antonio. San Antonio is 2 and a half hours away from where I stay in Houston and 3 hours away from Houston Downtown.

I booked my ticket again through megabus and good an awesome deal. I bought two round trip tickets from Houston to San Antonio and Houston to Austin. Both are day trips only meaning I'll leave Houston in the morning and leave immediately come night time. Anyway I booked the San Antonio route on a Wednesday then the Austin the Wednesday after. The SA ticket cost me 4$ while the Austin is 2$. Not bad right? With proper planning you can get awesome deal with Megabus.

Anyway, i have zero knowledge about San Antonio. All I know is that they have theme parks (Sea World and Six Flags). I've been to sea world 10 years ago so my goal is just to visit Six Flags nothing else.

When the day of my trip came, I woke up earlier than my alarm clock which is a good thing because I thought the bus leaves at 8am but the ticket says 7:30. So I quickly dressed up, got my stuff and run to the bus stop to downtown Houston. Luckily, I arrived 30 mins early.

On my way to downtown, I thought of the most spontaneous plan I've ever done alone. I thought of spending the night in San Antonio because the bus might leave me. Spending the night will also enable me to explore San Antonio like what a normal traveler do. I immediately sent several requests in Couchsurfing. Luckily, someone accepted my request (Thanks Erik for accepting despite the short notice). I immediately asked help from my cousin Lesley to buy me a new ticket since i left my credit cards in Houston as part of my financial controls.

Anyway the bus arrived 15mins late which means I'm missing the hourly local bus to Six Flags. I think it's a good thing because it gave me an hour to explore The Alamo and the Riverwalk. I must say San Antonio is the most tourist friendly Texan City hands down! It has a rich historical value! Definitely a place to visit and/or live in Texas!

Moving forward, I went to Six Flags via the Express Bus 94. Unlike other regular buses 93,94, and 100 are good buses with wifi. Bus 100 is my personal favorite. Once in Six Flags the single day pass will cost around 55usd. If you're planing to visit other six flags, i suggest getting the season pass which will cost you 75$. However if you're getting 4 or more then you'll get it for 64$. If your group is just 1-3, I suggest just look around and look for people buying season pass. "Kapalan nyo na mukha nyo makisabay na kayo" that's 11-33$ savings. Anyway, the park is full of roller coaster with Superman and Iron Rattler as my favorites.

I left the park around 4pm since it's starting to be crowded. I went to a Dollar Store to purchase some hygiene kit and Walmart for some quick snack.  After that, I went to San Antonio Riverwalk to walk around and hopefully try some of the restaurants unfortunately all restaurants are too full so I just decided to eat at the mall nearby.  I decided to leave the Riverwalk around 8pm and headed to the Wonderland of the Americas to stroll around again while waiting for my host Erik.  Luckily he picked me up earlier than expected but the night didn't end yet. I decided to come with him since he has a soccer intramurals at University of Texas at San Antonio. UTSA is a great campus way better than my school hahaha. Anyway we went home a little before 12mn.  

Fast forward to Day 2, I woke up around 7:30am since my host needs to go to work around 8am. He just dropped me to the bus station to downtown. Anyway, despite my short stay with Erik, I really had fun. We exchanged good stories about anything under the sun. I cannot wait to go back to San Antonio to hangout with him more. Moving forward, I decided to go back to the Alamo to go inside the museum. The Alamo is free but you need to fall in line in order for you to go inside the museum. It's really worth it! I suggest everyone to visit it.  

After, going around the Alamo, I proceeded immediately to Six Flags to finish all the rides. I was suppose to meet my cousin's cousin hahaha but then I decided to go back to downtown before they arrived since the people are piling up Six Flags and the lines are too long for me to handle. I just went to the Riverwalk again and the Tower of the Americas before heading back home. I was supposed to ride with my cousin's cousin but then they decided to spend a night in San Antonio so I have no choice but to go back to Houston.

Coming up next week will be my trip to Austin!

My 2 weeks Out of Texas Adventure

Hi Everyone. As you all know I went on a 2 weeks trip to the city of Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and Dallas. With a short stopovers in cities such as Memphis, Little Rock, St. Louis, Toledo, Cleveland, State College, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Newark. Visiting a total of 18 States in the US. This trip will not be successful and worthwhile without everyone who supported and helped me all throughout.

 
I've been staying in Houston, TX since November 2014 spending all great holidays there. I was supposed to go back last January but then my Aunt from New Zealand told me to extend. Upon the approval of my Aunt in TX, my dad, and last but not the least my money, I decided to extend my stay in the United States until May. Don't worry, I'll be leaving the country 2-3 weeks before the last day of my lawful presence in the US to embark to a new journey in another country.

Anyway, I told myself that since I extended my stay, I need to maximize it and visit other states here in the US. I immediately checked different airlines for possible cheap flights but I was left disappointed because a flight to Chicago or New York will cost me at least 300 to 600 usd which is totally out of the budget. I was looking at the 100usd budget for a round trip ticket. Luckily, I came across this awesome website called Wanderu.com and tried searching for bus tickets and to my surprise I was able to look for extremely cheap tickets to great cities of the United States. FYI Wanderu is just a search engine and it will redirect you to another website where you can purchase your ticket. I decided to go for Megabus because it's cheap and I've tried it already during my trips to Austin and New Orleans.

Anyway, after checking all the possible dates and connections I came up with the best 2 weeks trip itinerary ever!  This will probably be the cheapest and longest bus ride ever but I didn't care because of the amount of savings I got. Just to give you an idea of the deal I got please see below. The plane cost below is based on the cheapest possible flight for now. It can be lower depending on the season. It can go up to double or triple. Nevertheless, you cannot beat megabus' fare!! That's 90% savings! Any American can say that I really got a huge savings with transportation alone.



Anyway, during my 2 weeks trip, I usually sleep at my friend's house or in the bus since it's a very long ride. Just to give you an idea, taking a bus to New York from Houston is like taking a bus from Manila to Beijing haha. Of course it's assuming there's a bridge connecting the Philippines to Mainland China.

Anyway for my itinerary please see below (detailed itinerary will be posted in a separate blog post)

Day 1 Feb 28
-Houston, TX
-Dallas, TX
-Texarkana, TX/AR

Day 2 Mar 1
-Little Rock, AR
-Memphis, TN
-St. Louis, MO
-Chicago, IL

Day 3 Mar 2
-Howe, IN
-Toledo, OH
-Cleveland, OH
-State College, PA
-New York City, NY

Day 4 Mar 3
-Baltimore, MD
-Philadelphia, PA
-Newark, DE
-Washington, DC
-New York City, NY

Day 5 Mar 4
-New York City, NY

Day 6 Mar 5
-New York City, NY
-State College, PA

Day 7 Mar 6
-Cleveland, OH
-Toledo, OH
-Howe, IN
-Chicago,IL

Day 8 Mar 7
-Chicago, IL

Day 9 Mar 8
-Chicago, IL

Day 10 Mar 9
-Chicago, IL
- St. Louis, MO
-Memphis, TN

Day 11 Mar 10
-Little Rock, AR
-Dallas, TX
-Houston, TX

Fifty Shades of Grey Review

 

First thing first, this entry is a bit away from the whole point of this blog which is traveling but since I saw the movie while I'm on vacation, I think I can still put it here. Anyway the content of this blog is purely my opinion. I will not be putting all the shitty summary or introductory plot because I assume all of you know it already even before I post it here.

The movie was the talk of the town. I see posts from my friends watching it back in the Philippines. Most of them liked it but some were disappointed because although there were no cuts, the production company decided to censor some of the scenes which for me sucks.  My stand on this issue is that why censor it? People who wants to see the film knows it anyway. Let's not be hypocrite about it. The theme of the movie is somewhat erotic. You don't expect them to be romantic while watching the movie. Anyway, I saw the movie here in the United States. Every Tuesday is a discount day in Cinemark wherein a movie will just cost 5 dollars or 250 pesos. Unlike the Philippine version, no blurry parts were seen. Even some of the private parts of the actors did some sneak peek.

Moving on to the review, the start of the movie was ok. I was expecting a lot from the first meeting of Ana and Christian but I didn't feel anything. The secretary sucks everything sucks. However, the first kiss was good though haha. I think it's my favorite part of the movie. The whole BDSM thing for me was sick. I actually don't get it but I have to admit that some people enjoy it so let them be.  I find it sick as well that Christian is still friends with his molester. The ending was a cliffhanger but I guess it's because there will be a next chapter. The brutal love scenes were ok the same feeling as watching an R18 film.

Overall my rating would be 2.5/5 it wasn't too bad but it's also not something I will recommend to everyone.  Though I find the theme sick, I still think it's a decent movie. Watch it if you're curious and open minded.

A day in New Orleans

New Orleans (NOLA) is the largest city of Louisiana. I think it's also Louisiana's most popular city because when people say Louisiana, the first city the comes into my mind is NOLA. The home of the New Orleans Pelicans, French Quarter, St. Louis Cathedral and so on.

In case you don't know, I'm currently in Houston, TX for my year end vacation. This vacation is very special because majority of the fund I used for this year end trip came from my savings and this vacation is my longest vacation ever. The previous longest was 21 days in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.  Moving on, I'm really trying to maximize my stay here in the US. I already went to Mexico and now I'm looking for a nearby city to visit. The first city that came into my mind was San Antonio because I wanna visit Six Flags.  However, last saturday while I'm attending a birthday party someone made me search MegaBus.com. From there I found out about a route to New Orleans from Houston. I checked it out and boom I decided to book a day trip to New Orleans.

credits to wfla.com

Megabus is a cheap but good bus line here in the US. I was supposed to take Greyhound but someone told me not to use Greyhound because of a reason I don't want to disclose. Anyway, Megabus has several routes from Houston. You can go to San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Baton Rouge, and of course. New Orleans.  I got a pretty good deal here. I bought a ticket for 14$ per way that's approximately Php 623. Cheaper than a deluxe bus from Manila to Baguio.  Anyway, New Orleans is around 6-7 hrs from Houston. You can also fly there. Spirit Airlines offer around 100$ round trip from Houston to New Orleans. I booked a bus that will arrive in New Orleans 5:30am and will leave 12mn. This will give me one full day to explore New Orleans.  I decided not to spend a night for budgetary purpose.

The bus to New Orleans

Moving forward, the bus picked me up at Katy Mills Entrance 5.  I can opt to be picked up in Downtown Houston but Katy Mills is nearer the place where I'm staying now.  I was surprise when I saw the bus because it's almost full then I learned that the bus is also transferring people from Austin to San Antonio to Houston to Baton Rouge to New Orleans.  Anyway, I got a pretty comfortable seat in the lower deck.  The bus has its own toilet and of course Wifi. The wifi is decent. It's not as fast as the LTE of my iPhone but it definitely saved a lot of data usage on my part. No complains at all. The bus ride was smooth. We arrived New Orleans on time.

Breakfast. 3pcs Beignet and Hot chocolate

When we arrived around 5:30am, it was so cold and I was literally freezing maybe because I chose to disregard the weather forecast and wore something against it.  Luckily, I brought some gloves with me to prevent my hands from freezing.  At 5:30am Tuesday morning, the city was quiet everything was closed. However, when I reached the French Quarter, I was surprised to see bars still open and people are still drinking.  I immediately went to Cafe Du Monde to have my breakfast and wait for the sun to rise.  I bought their specialty which is the Beignet and hot chocolate. Coffee is their other specialty but I'm not a coffee drinker. Beignet was good. It's worth trying.

Next up is Algiers Point, you have to ride a ferry to visit Algiers point. I was supposed to go to the cemetery but it was closed so I decided to go to Algiers Point so I can experience riding their ferry. I can say Algiers Point is a nice city but I wasn't able to see much because everything is closed. I believe New Orleans comes alive at 10am. Nothing special in Algiers Point (maybe because I came in too early).

Our Tour Guide Joanne

By 10am, I immediately went to Jackson Square in front of St. Louis Cathedral to meet my tour guide. I availed the FreeWalkingTourByFoot 's offer online. It's basically a free tour around New Orleans. They have Food Tour, Ghost Tour, French Quarter Tour, and so on. I highly recommend them! Luckily for that day they have one scheduled tour which I signed up for. The walking tour is around 2 hours.  It's headed by Joanne Hughes. She's an Australian who immigrated to New Orleans and fell in love with it. 

The French Quarter has a lot of stories to tell. I love it manages to preserve its historical value. The influence of the French, Spanish, and American can be seen all over the quarter. It amazes me how the government implement strict rules to preserve its historical value.  Rules includes prohibiting  buildings within the quarter not be higher than St. Louis Cathedral, not allowing residents to change something in front of their residences or their courtyards, and so on.  

After the tour, I was already hungry so I decided to go to Johnny's Po-Boy to try their Jambalaya and Po-Boy. Those two cuisines are uniquely New Orleans. I was supposed to try Napoleon House but the tour guide told me that they're known for their drinks and not their food so i decided to skip them.

Next stop for me was the New Orleans Historical Collection in French Quarter.  It houses all historical artifacts of New Orleans including the purchase of Louisiana of the American from the French.  After that I immediately went to the St. Louis Cemetery #1. This is where the Voodoo Queen's body was laid down.  The set up of the cemetery is something like the ones in the Philippines but more organized.  Bodies are not buried under because of the canal beneath New Orleans.  The weather of New Orleans also favors the practice of not burying them under the ground.

I ended my trip the the cemetery around 2:30pm. Take note that almost all attractions closes at 3 or 4pm so I was really in a rush.  I went to Canal St. to try using the Streetcar (shown above). It's a traditional mode of transportation in New Orleans. They try to preserve it as much as possible.  I availed the day pass which cost 3$ and it covers both the bus and the streetcar.  The day pass is definitely the cheaper alternative for tourists because a one way ticket costs 1.25$. I basically just killed time in the park then I went to Walmart and Riverwalk Premium Outlet to wait for the sun to set so I can see the French Quarter at night.

Luckily for me, there's a free concert from 6-7pm at the St. Louis Cathedral which I gladly availed. It was a group of orchestra playing Christmas Carols. There were a lot of people inside the church and it was really an amazing experience.

At the tip of Bourbon St.

Besides being a good food and history destination, New Orleans can also be a good destination for party people and drunkards. I cannot imagine a street full of people on a normal tuesday night.  Bars, Clubs, and Discos are everywhere. You can simply jump in get a drink then walk around.  My guide recommended "Hurricane" for drinks. I refuse to disclose whether I tried it or not. In case you want to try it it's around 7-8 usd per cup.  Did you know that even the homeless along the Bourbon St. are drunk. I guess because people who don't want to finish their drinks give it to them.  So I suggest if you're a bit out of budget, try asking the people walking for some drinks hahahaah.  

Anyway, it was a good 2 hours walking around Bourbon St. at night.  I ended around quarter to 10.  After that, I headed to Cafe Du Monde to buy some Beignet to bring to Texas and some Beignet mix to be brought to the Philippines.

Overall, my trip to New Orleans was worth it. I love every single bit of it. It may not be a perfect city but i love it for what it is.  That;s the attitude of a true traveler. No place is disappointing. Every single place you visit is an experience of a lifetime.

Let's now move on to the budget side.

Bus Tickets to New Orleans 28$

Breakfast 6$

Lunch 10$

Dinner 8$

Tour Guide Tip 5$

Grocery and Snacks 8$

Take Home Beignet and Mix 15$ 

Total is 80$ or around 3560 Php. Not bad!!!

Cancun, Mexico Overview, Itinerary and Budget

Hi Everyone, 

I'll be posting my itinerary and approximate budget from my Cancun Trip. This is to help you plan  your own adventure as well. As of the moment, I'm currently on a vacation in Houston, TX. The moment I booked my flight to the US. I immediately searched for nearby destinations within the country or outside.  

 I was originally planing to just go to Monterrey, Mexico since I can go there by bus or by plane.  However, while looking up in Wikipedia, I noticed that there's a low-cost Mexican Airline flying from Houston, TX. I tried checking Monterrey and it will cost around 200 USD vs. 100 USD if I'm taking the bus. I also noticed that they will be opening a route to Cancun. When I checked Cancun, it's cheaper than Monterrey. I immediately researched about Cancun and the things to do there. The result? I decided to book for it because 1.) Chichen Itza (shown above) 2.) The beaches. 

Photo Credits to British Airways

Just to give you a background Cancun is one of the most popular cities in the world.  It has one of the best beaches in the world. In addition to that, it's close to Chichen Itza, one of the 7 new wonders of the world.  From the Philippines, flights to Cancun can be really expensive since there's no direct flight from NAIA.  In the US however, it varies from 400 USD above.  That being said, the ticket I bought from VivaAerobus is really a bargain for 200USD. (Did you know that a week before my flight they had a sale making it around 150USD).

I was supposed to go to Cancun from December 6 to 10 but VivaAerobus suddenly changed my flight to Dec 5 to 10 without informing me.  Good thing I checked their website for their promo. For my Itinerary in Cancun

Day 1 December 5, 2014

12:50pm Arrival in Cancun

1:50pm Bus to Downtown

2:30pm Arrival in Downtown Cancun

3:00pm Check in 

3:15pm Went to WalMart and Mercado 28

4:30pm Went to La Isla Shopping Center in Hotel Zone

7:30pm Went back home to Nearby Parque De Las Palaspas

8:30pm Went back to hostel

Day 2 December 6, 2014

8:00am Wake Up Call

9:00am Went to Hotel Zone/ Playa Delfines

10:30am Swam at Playa Delfines

2:00pm Went to Walmart

3:00pm Went back to the hotel to Sleep

4:00pm Went to Plaza Las Americas and Malecon Americas

7:00pm Went home to nearby Parque De Las Palaspas

8:30pm Went back to the hostel

Day 3 December 7, 2014

7:30am Wake Up Call

8:00am Took a Collectivo to Tulum

10:00am Arrival in Tulum 

11:00am Took a Collectivo to Playa Del Carmen

12:00nn Arrival in Playa Del Carmen to roam around Quinta Avenida

3:00pm Went back to Cancun and visit Plaza Las Americas

4:00pm Arrival in Plaza Las Americas

6:00pm Went to nearby Parque De Las Palaspas

7:00pm Went back to the Hostel

Day 4 December 8, 2014

6:00am Wake Up Call

7:00am Tour Pick Up

8:00am Bus Pick Up for Chichen Itza Tour

11:30am Arrival in Chichen Itza Restaurant for Lunch Buffet

12:30pm Arrival in Chichen Itza

3:45pm Left Chichen Itza for Cenote

4:30pm Arrival in Cenote

5:30pm Left Cenote for Valladolid

6:30pm Arrival in Valladolid for a quick trip

6:45pm Left Valladolid for Cancun

9:00pm Arrival in Cancun

Day 5 December 9, 2014

9:00am Wake Up Call

10:00am went to Walmart for souvenir buying

11:00am went back to hostel to rest.

12:00nn went to Mercado 28 to buy stamp and send postcard

12:15pm went back to Playa Delfines to Swim

2:30pm Went to Plaza Las Americas

5:00pm Went back to the hostel for final preparation

9:30pm Hostel check out

10:00pm Bus to the Airport

10:30pm Arrival in the Airport

Day 6 December 10, 2014

4am Check In for the flight

6:30am Boarding of Plane to Houston

7:30am Departure of Plane

9:50am Arrival in Houston

If you've noticed, I slept at the Airport (which is not recommended because it's really cold in Cancun Airport at night) because the first bus going to the Airport is around 7am. My flight is 7am so it's a big no-no. I'm also going to Plaza Las Americas, Walmart, and the Park because it's walking distance from my hostel. Lastly, I booked a tour, which I don't usually do, for Chichen Itza because the price of a DIY tour to Chichen Itza and the tour price is almost the same. The significant difference between the two is that the tour includes a buffet lunch, a trip to a cenote, and a visit to Valladolid.

As for my approximate budget, Please see below:

Plane Ticket	$  200.00
Hostel for 4 nights	$    44.00
Pocket Money for Food, Transpo and Souvenirs	$    80.00
Tour to Chichen Itza	$    51.00
	$  375.00

How to Travel on Budget

For the past 3 years, I've been traveling around Asia and Australia on budget.  I usually spend significantly less than a normal tourist but I can maximize what I have. Here are some of my tips:

1.) Always look after low cost carriers promo for short and medium haul flights. For long haul and ultra-long haul flights, I suggest using skyscanner because of the big airlines reduce their cost randomly. You can get a flight from Manila to Paris for only 26k.

Cebu Pacific usually announce their sale during special dates such as Ninoy Aquino Day, 11/11, Christmas, and so on. However, there are times when Cebu Pacific announce their sale on a random day.

A very useful website for flight searching.

Here's a sample Piso Fare of Cebu Pacific

2.) Go for cheap accommodation. I don't really care where I'll be sleeping as long as it pass two of my requirement. The 1st one is to have a good security for my luggage and other important documents. The 2nd one is to have a good location (near the MRT or landmark). However, if I know someone from the area I ask permission to crash for a few days. This will save you a lot of $$.  See below for the list of Hostels and accommodation I've tried.

• South Korea
• Namsan Guesthouse 4 (This is highly recommended)
• Wow Hostel (Tried this because they offered me 400Php per night room)
• Cambodia
• CityLux Hotel (VIP Room is highly recommended)
• Vietnam
• Ruby Hotel (CHeap and good. We got a free upgrade)
• Saigon Sports Hotel 1 (Not Recommended)
• Singapore
• Hotel 81 (A good hotel located within the red light district)
• RuckSack Inn (12 bed dorm room is not recommended)
• Hong Kong
• GoldenCrown Hostel (An ok hotel)
• China 
• Bejing Homekey Hotel (Mehhhhh)
• Shanghai Lakeside Holiday Inn (highly recommended)
• Malaysia
• Fernloft Chinatown (Good Location not bad for the price)
• Japan
• Hotel Raizan South (A good budget hotel!)
• Empire Shinjuku Hotel (Expensive! but it's already cheap considering it's in Shinjuku)
• Thailand
• Lub'd Siam (Cool and hip hostel)

3.) Use their public transportation. Most of our neighboring countries have good transportation system. It's always better to explore the city without the help of private tours :) but of course this depends on the people you're with. I usually walk if the distance is only one or two subway station away :). 

• Singapore
• Good and reliable train and bus system. 
• You can download an app that will instruct you what train or bus to use.
• Fare is usually 0.83 to 2 SGD
• Some places can only be accessible by bus
• Hong Kong
• Good and reliable train and bus system.
• Affordable train and bus fare
• Some places can only be accessible by bus
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Good and reliable train and bus system
• Some train transfers can be a bit confusing.
• Johor Bahru, Malaysia
• Public transpo can be non-existence
• There are sufficient bus to and from Singapore
• All tourist spot has public transpo though
• Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
• Commuting can be unreliable
• Cabs will be your best bet
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• Tuktuk can be really a challenge
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Train can sometimes be more expensive than riding a cab
• Taipei, Taiwan
• Good and reliable train and bus system
• Seoul, South Korea
• Good and reliable bus system
• Tourist friendly
• Macau
• Free buses can  be used :)
• Los Angeles, CA 
• Commuting can be hard. 
• You'll be needing a car
• Houston, TX
• Commuting can be hard if you live outside Downtown.
• You'll be needing a car
• Austin, TX
• Commuting is easy
• Capital Metro has an application where you can buy tickets straight from your device.
• Unlimited Trips can cost from 2-5 USD per day.
• New York City, NY
• Good and reliably train and bus system
• MTA is expensive though. 
• 1 week unlimited trips will cost you 30$ while it's 2.75$ per trip with free bus transfer
• Chicago, IL
• Commuting is easy.
• 3 days unlimited is 20$ 
• Single trip costs 2.25
• By far the best commuter card because you can also use it as a MasterCard Debit
• Dallas, TX
• Commuting is easy like Houston, Austin and San Antonio
• Half day unlimited is just 1.75$
• One Day Unlimited is 3-4$ I think
• San Antonio, TX
• Commuting is easy like Houston, Austin, and Dallas
• One day unlimited is 4$
• They have Express and Primo Buses with fast wifi on board
• Washington, DC
• Small city with good and reliable public transportation
• New Orleans, LA
• Commuting is easy and cheap
• Google Maps is your friend
• 3 USD per day
• Sydney, NSW Australia
• Good and reliable train, bus and ferry system
• You can buy a week unlimited pass for only 42 AUD
• Melbourne, VIC Australia
• Good and reliable train and bus system
• There are free tram and bus for tourist
• They have a daily cap on their MyKi Card so max you will spend for one day would be 4 AUD or 7 AUD
• Canberra ACT Australia
• Good bus system
• Don't go to Canberra on a weekend
• Gold Coast QLD Australia
• There are trains but a car will be your best bet
• Brisbane QLD, Australia
• Good train and bus system
• Batam, Indonesia
• Just go on a tour. Don't stress yourself too much.
• Beijing, China
• This city has the best train system ever!
• You can reach any destination using the train!
• Cheapest train fare!
• 2 CNY per ride
• Yikatong Card isn't really needed if you're a tourist
• Shanghai, China
• Good and efficient train and bus system
• Always opt for the train to be safe
• Cancun, Mexico
• Decent Public Bus 
• Collectivos are a better option traveling to Tulum and Playa Del Carmen

4.) Try to do what the locals do. Don't be like a tourist all the time. Try to blend it. For example, Singapore can be very expensive for a tourist but after living there I realised that Singapore can be cheap depends on how you live. This also applies to other cities.

5.) Get all the discounts you can get. For example, foreigners can get discounts in Everland. You just need to print the discount coupon and you can save thousands of won.  In Beijing, presenting a student will give you as much as 60%.

The savings you can get actually depends on what's your priority. As for me, I'm more for cultural experience with a little bit of food and tourist spots exploration.