My trip to the Calayan group of islands in Cagayan was an unexpected surprise. I’m really thankful for the invitation of Lakad Pilipinas to visit the elusive island along with other bloggers Juanderful Pinoy, Blissful Guro and the family of photographers we traveled along with.
With its comfortable rooms, convenient location and hip vibe, MNL Boutique Hostel is an ideal place for backpackers to spend a night or two in Manila. The hostel is centrally located near Makati’s tourist center, right behind a mall, with banks, convenience stores, embassies and easy modes of transportation just around the corner. But what sets it apart is its fun vibe that just oozes with character and its mission to let travelers experience local Pinoy culture and hospitality at its best.
Baybay Beach in Roxas City, Capiz is popular weekend spot for locals and visitors from nearby towns and provinces. With its seven-kilometer long stretch of sugar-fine glittery black sand and relatively calm waters, the beach is ideal for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and skimboarding.
From the wide windows of the main restaurant, the grove of pine trees and the rolling hills in the distance looked almost Baguio-like. In one corner of the rustic building made of wood and bricks, was a rocking chair in front of a fireplace. The sound of crickets chirping mingled with the tinkling of wooden chimes swaying with the mountain breeze.
It’s hard to believe that Paseo Rizal Mayagay in Tanay, Rizal is just an hour and half’s drive from Manila. Before we left, I was sweltering in the heat of Quezon City. That same afternoon and evening, I regretted not bringing a jacket.
The year is about to end and I still haven’t finished writing about Lakbay Norte 3, the 8-day media tour of the Northern Philippines. Aside from all the activities, the restaurants we ate in and hotels we stayed in played a huge part in making the trip so great. In the tradition of my hotel-hopping post for Lakbay Norte 2 (which kick-started my whole key collection), here’s a quick rundown of the different hotels we stayed in during the trip for LN3.
It feels strange to be sitting still in front of the computer back in Manila after several days of being constantly on the move. During a very unplanned solo trip last week, I found myself hopping from plane to jeep to boat to van to bus to habal-habal with no clear itinerary, making decisions on the fly, encountering very helpful people on the road, and ending up in places both weird and wonderful.
After our Lenten ride to an orphanage in Silang, Cavite, we took a short side-trip to Casa Corazon Resort and a castle along the road in Batangas.
Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of long road trips. My family and I used to regularly drive from Manila to Naga and back for summer and Christmas breaks, which is a trip that lasts from 8 to 12 hours long (one way) depending on our pace. Last year, I also went on several long land trips as a driver (car/motorcycle) and as a passenger (van/bus/car/train). I’d like to share with you a few helpful pointers to survive these road trips.
We often like to spend Saturday or Sunday mornings riding through Marilaque – that scenic stretch of road which starts in Marikina, passes through Laguna and ends in Quezon. On my birthday weekend in October, we again found ourselves riding the route to see just how far we could go. It ended up being the longest motorcycle ride I’ve done – 5 hours straight, with a few stops for gas and to stretch our legs. Final destination: San Pablo, Laguna.
Many video games, especially the role-playing/adventure types, usually have sidequests where the goal is to collect certain items. Usually these items are not really essential to finishing the overall game. However, getting a complete collection can bag you extra trophies, special weapons or abilities when you play the game again (or just bragging points).
Among the memorable collectible items in games I have played are those rare cards from the Triple Triad card minigame in Final Fantasy VIII, the insanely hard to complete 100 stray beads from the game Okami, , and memories and bottles (among others) in the game I’m currently playing – Alice: The Madness Returns.
Because of this, I’ve recently started collections based on real life travel. Since I don’t have the space to start a physical collection (like magnets or t-shirts) I’m taking photos of the items instead, which I will update in my “Menu screen” (Facebook page). Here are the missions I’m doing so far: Continue reading
