Bohol: Panglao Island

The second day, we moved to Panglao Island. For four days, we will be staying at Panglao Regents Park, a modern hotel situated near Alona beach, not a beachfront hotel but less kilometer walk from the beach.

We had lunch at Bohol Bee farm. I was impressed by how the farm was built and designed. There is no beach, instead, the whole property is situated on top of a cliff. I love how the furniture pieces are so out of place when seen individually but look good together as a whole. Most are recycled. And the food? The food served at Bohol Bee farm are grown right from their farm. Now, how organic is that? Best food in Bohol, I may say.

We drove a few kilometers to see the Hinagdanan Cave. Of course, since I already saw Sagada, this was incomparable but still, the history that comes with the cave. It used to be a shelter for wounded soldiers during the Japanese occupation. It is so well hidden and with the fresh water it provides, it was the perfect sanctuary for our fellow guerillas. Stairs and handrails were built and a few lights were installed for safety purposes.

Then we went to see Dauis Church.

And ended the day at Alona beach.

For this tour, just ask any locals you want a tour of the Panglao Island and they knew exactly where they'll take you. Since we were only three, we took the tricycle for Php600. That's a half day tour since we already started late.

Kuya Junie - 09269224233

Bohol 2013: Countryside tour

Straight from the airport, we asked our tour operator to just drop us to our hotel to in Tagbilaran to leave our things and go on with the tour. For this tour, I asked the tour agency to focus on churches. I omitted the butterfly and snake farm.

Finally, I'll get to see the Chocolate Hills.

We first went to Loboc River for lunch.
Food, as always, is so-so. The ambiance though makes up for it.

We went to see the nearby Loboc church.

Then the tarsiers.

Going to Chocolate Hills we stopped by to see the Man made forest.

Then finally, the Chocolate Hills..

Dati sa Sibika at Kultura books ko lang nakikita 'to.hehe

The Hanging Bridge.

Then the Baclayon church. Philippine's oldest church. 

We had our dinner at a nearby newly-opened restaurant, as the receptionist's suggestion. Food is okay. For Php230, we have a lobster on our plate. Is that cheap? I think so..hehe

After dinner, we head to the nearby St. Joseph's church. And called it a day.

St. Joseph's Cathedral

Panglao 2013

SEA2 trip: of things to come..

i know, i've always known that i do things differently.. and with travel..it was my way of coping..or reacting..to the pressures..routine..
usually, people my age would resort to parties, drinking..or worst..they just go on about their lives doing nothing..accept that things just happen..that its normal..and that its okay..

travel..the best thing that happened to me.

i can never imagine myself not travelling.
not being on the road.

my second southeast asia trip proved to be quite good. i lowered my expectations and just let things be. i wish i could have more time coz i was just settling in and enjoying this backpacking thing on my fifth or sixth day.

the moment i boarded that bus en route to Ha Long bay, it seems i never left. felt like i was just continuing my first SEA trip. the waiting. the long rides. the unfamiliar. it felt second nature to me. i was home.

i'd definitely do this again. i don't know when but i will. i know i will.

i was still on high few days after the trip. i wanted someone badly to talk to about the trip but was afraid i might come as a show-off. people just don't get it. (see. hehe) 

few days of settling in to my work, felt like the trip didn't happen..slowly, it becomes a memory..i'm starting to forget the feelings.. the stories.. the experiences..

my routine life is pulling me back to why i started to travel in the first place
but then again, i started to see things differently.. at work.. at people.. at myself.. the things that weren't ok to me back then, i'm fine with it.. i dont know why or how.. but something's changed.. not externally but inside, i know, somehow, i did changed..

taking that trip wasn't a bad decision after all..

i realized..those crazy stupid ideas of yours that sometimes may seem absurd to other people..might be..if not..the best thing that can ever happen to you..

as i always say..
the crazy/scary/stupid things, sometimes, are  the most worthwhile..

My most anticipated 30 effin hours bus ride from Hanoi to Luang Prabang

And now the saga continues...

haha.

This is what I've been NOT looking forward to.thirty effin hours bus ride to Luang Prabang. that this deserve a blog entry of its own.. so how do i start.

06:00pm - pick up at St.Joseph's Cathedral. Met a girl travelling alone who has been to the PH and agreed that Coron is way better than Halong Bay..

06:30 pm (day 01) - van arrives. Inside were a couple of backpackers whom the girl we just met knew. I sat in front, beside the locals, who were sooo quiet. A South american couple seated at the back were getting married to each country they've been to. Cool! 

07:00 pm - arrive at bus station. We got settled in. We were five foreigners. Two European girls and a European dude. And the rest were locals. To our surprise and dismay it wasn't the VIP bus we were promised to. Argh.

08:00 pm - Bus leaves. here goes...

11:00 pm - Bathroom break.

12 mn - 3 a.m. - Bus picks up and drops off passengers along the way. I would like to go back to Hanoi and strangled the lady who told us the bus wont be picking up any passengers. Argh.

6:00 am (day 02) - woke up at the border. hungry. and no food.

8:00 am - border crossing. left Vietnam. officially my passport has been stamped by a grumpy Laotian immigration officer, who pronounced my name as if I was convicted of something. 

10:00 am - Laos!

12pm - lunch at a roadside. bus stopover. We almost got left behind by the bus, who have no idea they left us! Good thing the guy from the nearby store helped us, called the bus driver. We were able to catch up with them. Boarded the bus, as if nothing happened. Is it me or I was half wishing, the bus DID left us behind, something to tell and BRAG back home. haha. 

4:00 pm - hungry..there were stopovers but we don't have kips! salivating over our seatmate's bananas and pringles. Butt cramps!! Are we effin there yet?? dreaming of a hot meal and a hot shower.

10:00 - finally! we arrived. can't believe it at first, but we actually are here. Hot shower never felt good.

12midnight (day 03) - super late lunch AND dinner at a roadside grill. amazingly, our meal was tasty. we could have eaten everything the guy sells. it's unfortunate we don't have enough kips

2:00 am - snooze. early to rise for that alms giving ceremony


won't be doing any long hour bus rides yet. nope. not soon. now, the 8 or 10 hour bus rides are looking as "short trips" to me.

Different person

You're wrong when you think that the joy of life comes principally from human relationships. 
God's placed it all around us. 
It's in everything. 
It's in anything we can experience.
People just need to change the way they look at those things

~Into the wild

Photoblog: Proposals

Here comes the sun!

Summer is here!

Facebook is gonna be flooded with summer photos anytime soon. 

And before you knew it, summer's gonna be over.

So where are you guys headed?

Sea: Leaving

24 November 2012

Leaving Chiang Mai,heading to BKK. No floating market. Another misfortunate event, I guess. I was thinking of Tita (the woman at the airport) how passionate she was at was she does. Passion. Keeps us young. Will I still be like that? I wish I'd be still like this when I got older, be this passionate about travelling, finding ways to feed the travel junkie in me. 

It was a different thing when I first did the SEA trip. This one is way better.. way, way, better.

writing from a moving bus en route BKK. can't sleep

where to next?

SEA: Chiang Mai, Thailand

22 November 2012
On our fifth day. Bus rides are quite interesting (understatement yun) Almost halfway to Chiang Mai. We're just waiting... for.. I have no idea.. Still overbudget. I'm looking forward to the whitewater rafting and the floating market.. So pissed off with my camera.. should have been taking great pictures by now..


Chiang Mai. We arrived at this city past afternoon. After realizing we do not have money left to spend, we ditch the 500THB acomodation we had reserved and settled for the cheapest room we can get 350THB.
And what else to do in Thailand..Shop!

Overbudget!!

Retail therapy

The following morning, we signed ourselves to a tour package which included white water rafting, a visit to a butterfly park, elephant ride, a visit to the long neck village and a waterfall at the end.

temple offerings

Gearing up!

buffet lunch

So-called "butterfly" farm

elephant ride

The whitewater rafting was a joke. We only had two or three rapids which were so-so. Most of the time, we find ourselves floating..just floating into nowhere. I believe, we have better rapids back home. Can't wait to prove this to myself. CDO, anyone?

The visit to the long neck village was a tourist trap. We thought we would interact with the tribe, something. It turned out it was just a line of huts of souvenirs and local dressed as tribeswoman. A western was so pissed off she gave our guide a piece of her mind. Haha. Even the butterfly farm we went into was a complete joke. A lot of orchids but we saw not a single butterfly. Haha.

I find Chiang Mai torelable compared to Bangkok. Bangkok is crazy. Much like Quiapo. Chiang mai has less people. A lot of quaint shops. And its night market is easier to navigate compared to Bangkok's. It's a pity we were early for their festival. We could have witnessed Chiang Mai's sky lit with hundreds of lanterns. Haist. 

Well.. kaya nga naimbento un word na "next time". hehe