Sunday, March 24, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
SEA2 trip: of things to come..
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..
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
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
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
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
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?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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.
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
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| 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!
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.
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
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
Monday, January 28, 2013
SEA: Luang Prabang, Laos
After the 30 hours bus ride, I feel I never want to leave the bus! I found myself settling in.haha
But, we really are HERE. Luang Prabang, Laos..
We bid goodbye to the bus we called home for 30 hours..
And woke up the next morning to catch Luang Prabang's alms giving.
If not for the tourists taking pictures right in front of the monk's faces, the whole ceremony could have been something..But still, the whole thing is humbling..
Luang Prabang is quaint, idyllic. Little shops line the main street. From travel agencies, spas to guesthouses and pastry shops. Biking is the ideal way to get around.
But, we really are HERE. Luang Prabang, Laos..
We bid goodbye to the bus we called home for 30 hours..
And woke up the next morning to catch Luang Prabang's alms giving.
..according to Zen philosophy, the giver, the beggar, and the alms money itself all form part of an important chain of equilibrium. The person doing the begging does so because he’s needy, but the person doing the giving also does so out of need. The alms money serves as a link between those two needs..
~Aleph, Paulo Coelho
If not for the tourists taking pictures right in front of the monk's faces, the whole ceremony could have been something..But still, the whole thing is humbling..
Luang Prabang is quaint, idyllic. Little shops line the main street. From travel agencies, spas to guesthouses and pastry shops. Biking is the ideal way to get around.
 |
| Fruit shakes, anyone? |
 |
| Main street |
 |
| flower offerings right outside the temples |
The 30 hour bus ride to this place was all worth it..
Best place I've seen so far on this trip..
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
SEA2: How to get to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi airport
Flag a taxi upstairs, departure area, which are cheaper, compared to the ones lined up at the arrival area.
Tell the cab driver to take you to Luang Yeng Bus Station. Travel from the airport to the bus station take around almost 30 minutes. We paid the driver VND 290,000.
At the bus station, there are scheduled trips to Cat Ba Island. We took the 1120 AM bus and paid VND 190,000.
If you've been travelling to the Southeast Asia, you realize by now that people do not necessarily brief you on what bus you should board, or how will your travel be. People expect you to know.
We got on this bus and travelled for an hour and a half. Then we took a minibus to the port, which took 30 minutes to an hour. Then boarded a ferry, which will take us across the island. That took less an hour. Then from the port, we took another bus. And finally after less an hour, we arrived at Cat Ba Island.
By the way, the ticket purchased at Luang Yeng Bus station includes all the transportation above.
So, I advise, stick with your group. We usually go where people go. We board buses we have no idea where going to. We wait for something we have no idea of. Yeah, that's backpacking, SE style.
Tell the cab driver to take you to Luang Yeng Bus Station. Travel from the airport to the bus station take around almost 30 minutes. We paid the driver VND 290,000.
At the bus station, there are scheduled trips to Cat Ba Island. We took the 1120 AM bus and paid VND 190,000.
If you've been travelling to the Southeast Asia, you realize by now that people do not necessarily brief you on what bus you should board, or how will your travel be. People expect you to know.
We got on this bus and travelled for an hour and a half. Then we took a minibus to the port, which took 30 minutes to an hour. Then boarded a ferry, which will take us across the island. That took less an hour. Then from the port, we took another bus. And finally after less an hour, we arrived at Cat Ba Island.
By the way, the ticket purchased at Luang Yeng Bus station includes all the transportation above.
So, I advise, stick with your group. We usually go where people go. We board buses we have no idea where going to. We wait for something we have no idea of. Yeah, that's backpacking, SE style.
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