Ride to Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs

Angono in Rizal is probably not on the top of rider’s list of places to head to on a weekend, being relatively near Manila. Often, you’ll find yourself at a standstill or crawling through mind-numbing traffic rather than revving your engine as you would on the twisty mountain roads of Marilaque or on your way to Tagaytay.

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Casa Corazon: Motorcycle Museum in Batangas

After our Lenten ride to an orphanage in Silang, Cavite, we took a short side-trip to motorcycle museum Casa Corazon in Lemery, Batangas.

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Ride for a Cause

A couple of weeks ago, I guest rode with a group of bikers on their ride for a cause to Chosen Children Village, an orphanage in Silang, Cavite for mentally and/or physically challenged children. Aside from being a great early Holy Week ride (which later ended up in Tagaytay and Batangas) it was a very meaningful trip.

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Engaging Trips

Since it’s Valentine’s Day today, I thought I had to make an attempt to post something romantic. So, instead of listing the most romantic places in the country or date places, I’m featuring a couple of friends who went the extra mile to take the next step in their relationship. Here are a few adventure-filled marriage proposals.

Proposal while Scuba Diving 

Rina and Don got engaged while scuba diving in Arthur’s Rock, a marine sanctuary in Mabini, Batangas last May 2010. To pull this underwater engagement off required careful planning, conspirators (everyone in their group including the driver) and precautionary measures to ensure that the ring would not be carried away by the current, which was really strong that day. Don brought a slate where he had written the proposal down and attached the ring to a carabiner to keep it safe.

(Screenshots grabbed since I can’t post the video  here due to Facebook’s privacy settings.) Continue reading “Engaging Trips”

Achievements Unlocked in 2011

The year 2011 has been a great year for me in terms of travel and work. I have a lot to be thankful for this year and can say that I have successfully “leveled up” a few ranks. Instead of listing all the different trips I’ve taken as a year-end post, I’ve listed below a few of the worthwhile “trophies” and Achievements Unlocked:

  • First Step: Start a Travel Blog
  • Gain 300+ Fan Page Likes
  • Exceed 40,000 page views in less than a year
  • Acquire and learn to ride a motorcycle
  • Travel more than 1,000 km via motorcycle

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Long Way Round to Laguna

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.

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Extreme Explorer: Riderman Manila

In this new section of Travel Up – Extreme Explorers, I’ll be featuring interviews of people who get to travel the country in a different manner.

I’m currently watching the documentary series “Long Way Round” (starring Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman) and am getting really getting inspired to ride all over the Philippines by motorcycle. Associate Editor of Motorcycle Magazine Karlo de Guzman, a.k.a Riderman Manila shares in this interview some of the best places to ride around the country and gives great insights about traveling by motorcycle.

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Easy Riding to Caliraya

“The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.” – Author Unknown

I have always been fascinated with motorcycles, but until recently, I was only a backrider. Continue reading “Easy Riding to Caliraya”

Manila by Motorcycle

Mention Manila and the most common image that comes to mind is heavy traffic, smoke-belching jeepneys, swerving buses and congested streets. Our country’s capital city hardly seems like an ideal place to visit, and even more so by motorcycle.

But if you give Manila a chance, it may just surprise you. On a Sunday morning ride, when the traffic was relatively light, I found it extremely satisfying to be able to zip along Roxas Blvd. and visit various tourist spots and cultural and historic landmarks. Though I wasn’t expecting it to be a great ride, I have to say, Manila does have a unique charm. Here are  just a few scenic spots you can easily ride to and a rough guide of what you can do there. Continue reading “Manila by Motorcycle”

A Swarm of Scooters in Saigon

The buzz of motorcycles on the city streets is one of the first things you notice about Saigon. Here, the nimble motorcycles expertly weave their way between hulking buses and hapless cars stuck in traffic.

From retro vespas in candy shades to rusty skeletons strapped down with market goods, you could say that the motorcycle cuts across all social classes in the country.

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