Category: Geek/Gaming

5 Philippine Landscapes as Magic Cards

One of the most meaningful gifts I got during graduation was a set of five basic land cards laminated and turned into bookmarks from a friend who introduced me to the game Magic: The Gathering. An attached note said: “I want to show you the world, but I have no money. Hope these inspire you to explore the world on your own.” Well, they have.

Here’s my version of the five basic lands – plains, island, swamp, mountain and forest – representing five places in the Philippines I’ve been to since then. 🙂

Plains:  La Paz Sand Dunes, Ilocos Norte

The La Paz Sand Dunes is a protected sandy coastal desert and beach close to Laoag City, the capital of the province of Ilocos Norte. The sand dunes of Ilocos were said to be created by the interaction of the wind, sea, and river that together cause erosion and deposition. Everyone had a blast trying out the sand boarding and riding 4×4 vehicles around the dunes earlier this year during the Lakbay Norte Media tour. Continue reading “5 Philippine Landscapes as Magic Cards”

5 Cool Motorcycle Riders in Video Games

I’ve been wanting to modify my scooter Chocobo to resemble something more video-game like. While doing research on motorcycles in video games, I thought I might as well make a list of video game bikers from the games I have played. I’m not really a fan of driving/racing games and prefer RPG/adventure so I’m sure I missed out on a lot. Be sure to check out the links for videos of the motorcycles in action.

Cloud Strife

  • Game: Final Fantasy VII
  • Occupation: Mercenary and ex-member of SOLDIER (a select, genetically augmented military unit operating under the defacto world government and mega-corporation Shinra Electric Power Company)
It takes extreme skill to ride a bike on a highway while wielding a big-ass sword. Cloud first obtains the cool-looking silver and black Hardy-Daytona bike in the motorcycle minigame in FFVII which is crucial in the escape of Midgar. After stealing the Shinra motorcycle, Cloud has to navigate the highway full of motorcycle guards and highway patrol.

Continue reading “5 Cool Motorcycle Riders in Video Games”

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”

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