Author: Kara Santos

How to throw a Mario-themed party

Ok, so this isn’t exactly a travel-related post, more like a how-to party guide. However, I did travel to Singapore to celebrate my nephew’s first birthday there so technically it counts. 🙂

My sister Lorie wanted to throw an “old school” party for my nephew Eli’s first birthday last year. Since she was based in Singapore at the time and didn’t have much time to buy props, we decided to go D-I-Y. We settled on Mario as the main theme for the details. Continue reading “How to throw a Mario-themed party”

Animal Bread from Antipolo

Ever wanted to eat a crocodile for breakfast?

animal-bread-antipolo-crocodile

You can find this cute animal art bread in Domalaon Bakery, an unassuming roadside sari-sari store in Antipolo City. It’s been sold there for years now and has been featured in various newspapers and blogs. The bread is popular during Christmas and New Year, when people buy them as edible centerpieces. Continue reading “Animal Bread from Antipolo”

Camarines Norte: Pabirik Festival

You have to admire the creativity of Pinoys when it comes to fiestas. Imagine coming up with unique costumes, dances and props centered around a certain theme every year. Multiply that by the number of groups competing in street dances that have become a staple of any fiesta.

Continue reading “Camarines Norte: Pabirik Festival”

Rose-Red City of Petra

Travelife Magazine’s Feb-March issue features “Old Rose-Red,” my trip to the stunning city of Petra in Jordan. The elaborate stone carved entrance to the Treasury is probably best known for being the “entrance” to the final resting place of the Holy Grail in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

Continue reading “Rose-Red City of Petra”

Lakbay Norte 2: Hotel-hopping in the North

Six days, five hotels

During the six day tour in Lakbay Norte 2, we got to stay in five different hotels, often arriving late at night from a long drive just ready to crash on the bed with our backpacks and souvenir bags/media kits in tow.

Here’s a quick rundown on the inns where we refreshed our HP/MP during the Lakbay Norte 2 adventure (sorry, gaming reference). Continue reading “Lakbay Norte 2: Hotel-hopping in the North”

Travel Firsts: Lakbay Norte 2 (Cagayan and Ilocos)

As part of the second leg of Lakbay Norte 2 (around the provinces Cagayan and Ilocos), a media familiarization tour organized by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), I was fortunate to get to see a number places in the North that I’ve never visited and try out some new activities. Here are a few travel firsts from the trip:

Exotic eats. I got to taste tukak (deep-fried frogs), bu-os (ant eggs) and palos (stewed eel) among other dishes during a native Ilocano lunch served by the river in Adams, Ilocos Norte. Though I was afraid to taste the frog because it really looked like a frog’s body despite being fried, the meat actually tasted good (sorry for the cliche – but it tasted just like chicken). The ant eggs were interesting and a little on the salty side. Unfortunately one journalist developed a bad allergy after eating it.

Continue reading “Travel Firsts: Lakbay Norte 2 (Cagayan and Ilocos)”

Motorcycle Diaries: New Year Ride

Traveling by motorcycle is an adventure in itself. In the city, it can be the quickest way to get to a destination (if you can brave the smog, sweltering heat or rain) but long rides out of town are always an unexpected adventure.

We have driven all the way to Rizal, Sierra Madre, Paete, Pagsanjan, Caliraya and even attempted to drive to Infanta at the start of the year.

Unfortunately, the rain and bad roads made us turn back, but it was still quite a ride. Part of the adventure: getting caught in the rain, seeking shelter under the thatched roof of a sari-sari store in the middle of nowhere, having to get down several times and walk through thick mud, washing my shoes in a waterfall by the roadside.

Still, nothing beats the wind in your face and the blur of scenery on the road.

Here’s a rough video diary (taken with just my trusty low-tech mobile phone) chronicling our first motorcycle ride for the year.

 

Mission log #1: Start a blog

After a very worthwhile trip on the road for six days in two provinces in the North, I’ve decided to start a blog.

I’m currently a news correspondent for an international wire agency and contributor of travel and lifestyle features and photos to several magazines. However, not all of my work fits into this mold of writing (or are fit to publish in print). 🙂

So hence, this blog, Travel Up – an exploration of landscapes, people and good eats. The name of my blog is inspired by the video game concept of leveling up, exploring new places, meeting new people and gaining higher levels by completing tasks. When I’m not traveling, I spend a lot of time glued to my PlayStation playing role-playing games or RPGs (my favorites are Legend of Legaia, Final Fantasy VIII, StarOcean 2 and Okami).

After being enlightened by more more experienced bloggers, I hope this can be an outlet for more creative writing in the future. 🙂

Kara Santos/Travel Up