Day 2 - Dona Victorina represents the Philippines at Coke EXPEDITION 206 World Bloggers' Conference

They say that "The South" is known for it's friendly people... and while on my expedition to open happiness, I found this adage to be utterly TRUE!

ATL and Southern Hospitality!

I was determined to make the most of my free day and have a fun time exploring Atlanta... But if I was to withstand the cold and meet some friendly locals, I would have to go shopping for clothes that would protect me from the below-freezing temperatures in the city.

Before leaving the hotel to do a bit of malling and gallivanting about Atlanta, I met my Indian friend from Coca-Cola, Jaideep, at the lobby for some Yuletide-inspired photo-taking to send to our friends and family back home.

The Christmas decorations at the Georgian Terraces were so festive!

While discovering Atlana, I made a new friend named Drew kindy who showed me around the city - He's also a writer and avid fan of Dungeons & Dragons and Sci-Fi/Fantasy so we had alot in common.

Drew took me a the "Bohemian" part of the city with lots of interesting shoppes, cafes and boutiques. We took the MARTA (Atlanta's extremely efficient public transportation system comprised of trains and buses) to the city's Five Points district. Luckily, I was finally able to get myself some proper winter clothes - thermal armor which would make my expedition around ATL more comfortable.

After some shopping and sight-seeing, Drew and I ended up having some authentic Turkish coffee and Baklava (no jokes please... heh heh!) at this interesting Mediterranean cafe before heading back to the hotel to prepare for a night out on the town!