Why Travel? + Post Script

Why Do I Travel?

       I've been haunted by this question ever since I did blogging and now is the best time to answer it, now that I'm in transition from teens to my twenties.

       I've been through so many obstacles in life and now I'm a thirds done in accomplishing it. I've seen a lot of places, places that will be with me for the rest of my life, inspired me to do the things I enjoy. As I can see it, my happiness coincides with travelling, viewing this early in my life I can proudly profess that I am happy, and it may sound narcissistic but that's all that matters. The chills that you get on your trips and the day dreams incurred on my everyday life, all because of the experience, thrills and joys that was imparted to me.

       The dictionary may say that travelling is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations. While for me, I view it differently, It's all about the things that hone me to be a better Jhudiel that I am today, well at least I think I am. Well, that's the point, you will be able to understand yourself better. It teaches you so many things that being stationary doesn't.

       A number of people says that travelling is a waste of money. Yeah, it does cost you to travel but it does pay off. It's like buying a new gadget but it stays with you f-o-r-e-v-e-r, investing in stuffs that will not wither and will be with you until you die. If you do not have the money then save, I don't have a tons of money to spare but I can allot some and that adds up as my travel funds. Cash gifts of course also adds up. As for those who's still not convince, I prefer travelling than doing drugs, smoking cigarettes and the likes. There are things that will be sacrificed as you go along, but I will tell you one thing, it's fulfilling.

       Now that I am on my twenties, what do I plan in life? I will strive harder. I plan to be an engineer and make my parents proud. My dream in life is that even on my parent's golden years I could fulfill what my siblings cannot. I wish that I could have all the resources I needed to make them happy and for them to accompany me on my travels that they have the capacity to move along with my pace. I'll probably read this again on a couple of years and share what progress have I done. From then on, let's just see what God's plan will be.

Spelunking at Sumaguing Cave, Sagada

Spelunking at Sagada (Sumaguing Cave)

Thrills of the Cave Connection

       Spelunking, like seriously, who doesn't want to try it. Just its root word "spelunk" intrigues me. I have never experienced it, well at least  until now, and the best part of it is my first will be on Sagada! Go big or go home! Caving is the main reason we traveled all the way from Manila to Sagada for 12 hours, nowhere else in the Philippines compares. I planned our trip to Sagada with caving in mind. In fact, I spend my free time hunting for the right gear for spelunking, like aqua shoes, polyester dri-fits and the likes, you name it. I ended up, spending one-thirds of my budget. It's all worth it though, I get to experience the thrills without the hustle of the obstacles resulted by wearing an improper attire (like what my brother endured).

With our Tour Guide (Awkward) and my OFTC (Outfit for the Cave)

       The tour package we acquired on cave exploration is a one-way trip entering the Lumiang Cave and leaving thru the Sumaguing Cave, thus the name "Cave Connection." The tour is well planned geographically, not that they can manipulate the cave or whatnot but the wow factor increases as you go further inside the cave. The experience is SURREAL, truly a dream come true. The hefty price tag was all worth it, decoding rock formations and discovering a lot of the cave's biodiversity was awesome.

King's Curtain with my Bro

The Peeking Turtle

       So what's the best part of the experience? It is located at the heart of the cave, the waterpark! Natural pools, honed by the flow of waters rushing through the limestone. I immediately feel the urge to bathe. I splurge into the water, it is ice-cold. Although extremely clear, we were advised not to consume any of it, but then again you only live once. I drank it, just for the sake of curiosity, well it taste like nothing just like other water. The tap water not as pleasurable as this water though.

Nature's Infinity Pool, Awesome right?

Dive into the Cave's Glory

       Overall my first caving experience will be difficult to mimic, expectation will be high for my next spelunking adventure. Two thumbs up for the these natural wonder. Even only for the cave connection, Sadaga will be worth revisiting in the near future.

Sumaguing Cave's Facade (Kawaii!)

Off to Sagada

Sagada, Cordillera Region

Sagada is undoubtedly at the top of my dream destinations. It's just that when I hunt for all the characteristics of my ideal to-go place, I always end on blogs about Sagada located in the Mountain Provinces. If you plan to go here, I can assure you one thing, don't hesitate in setting your standards high, this place will surely meet those criteria.

Rice Terraces of Sagada

      Sagada is one of the 4 legs on our cordillera summer trip, together with Batad, Banaue and Baguio. It was a 12-hour long road trip from Manila - Baguio - Sagada and rough roads are barely exists. We arrived at 11 o'clock in the morning, canvass for a hotel then we start off our day. 

       I expected the place to be secluded from the outside world but it is not. I and my brother, who accompanied me on this trip, just chose to roam by feet and enjoy the views as we walk along the streets. Mind you, you will miss a lot of things when you are inside any vehicle, truly spoiling the scenery. All the major establishments as well as some of the attractions are of waking distance. Most are few kilometers away but we don't mind, that's what nature tripping is all about. 

Burial Cemetery on the Hilltop

      Commencing the trip we head onto the vast mountains in the southern part of Sagada. I was saddened when the church is closed, it would have been a great opportunity to offer thanksgiving to be able to be there. Well, that's that, we proceed to the town burial cemetery. A quick trivia, there are three kinds of cemetery in Sagada, the hanging coffins, the burial type and the cave types. The first cemetery we encountered was the burial type, it is identical to european cemeteries. Its ambiance is ideal for a place where people need to rest in peace... forever. The unique tombs will distract you and you wouldn't mind that it's still a place for the dead. 

Hanging and Cliff-side Coffins

      The most famous attraction and is truly an identity of Sagada is the hanging coffins. The place isn't too far from the burial cemetery. Initially, we don't know how to get there because all we have is our handy dandy map and my brothers compass app. Lucky for us we spotted a tour guide and followed them "secretly". We went ahead to make it seem like they are following us but in fact it's the other way around. It was fun just for the hype of not being noticed, it gave our trip a little spice. Then we arrived at the hanging coffins, it was so unique it lead me breathless. It was actually smaller than I expect, a lot smaller. I'm intrigue on how a full grown human would fit in those encapsulations. Quite disturbing as it could be, the corpses are being crushed to fit in the coffins made of tree trunks using their bare feet! The place was humid and water droplets from the top of the mountain somehow help preserve the coffins. 

Enjoying the Stalagmites at the Sumaging Cave

Nipa hut at Kiltepan Peak Viewpoint

      Pushing through the limits, since we are in between mountain ranges going back is not an option. Going back using the same path doesn't appeal to me, using a different route though is something I always enjoy taking. On the way on our taken path we saw a huge cave with an awesome facade, huge and mossy. It was untouched more like those caves that you ought to see in their "natural state". Further exploring through the deeps of the forest we reached a dead end, well sort of, more like a fenced property. Since we already invested our energy and it seems that only the local government fenced it, we trespassed. In addition to the cave we also run into an underground river! It was surreal. If I had my dri-fit with me back there and then I could have swam the depths of that river. The gamble and scratches due to the rough terrains was all worth it. You'll never know until you try.

Admiring the Beauty of Bomod-Ok Falls 

      The second day comes and for me this is the main event of the whole trip. Long day ahead, we are planning to trek all the way from our hotel up to the Bomod-Ok falls, that's roughly 20km. I know, 20KM! We departed at 4 am (that's the earliest we are allowed to trek due to their curfew hours).

Bomod-Ok Falls

      On our way we saw the best views we had during the trip. The sunrise, the rice fields, and the mountain ranges. We arrived at the starting point of the "official track" on the way to Bomod-Ok Falls at around 8 am and no tourism officer is present so we head off and trek another 3km descending from the hilltop. Half way through we asked an elder to where is the falls (again, we didn't hire a tour guide). Then the rest is history, we learned that on that very day, a ceremony will be held on the falls! Absolutely NO visitors are allowed. It only happens five times a year (talking about being lucky).  We don't wanna go back! Even if that elder was rude to us we sat down for a while letting him pass then we proceed. Haha! No one can stop us. We sneaked in to the falls but to show respect we did not bathe on it's pristine water. I will be back! 

       Going back is another story. We ascend back to the hilltop, I called all the saints and blessed I can. My heart extremely palpitates and I'm out of breath. Going back climbing was a hell of a ride. But thank God I'm alive. Then going back to the town proper, another 20km after that ascend? Hell no! We somehow beg to hop on a ride. Then we headed back to the Inn on wheels. Straight up to the convenience store we go and took some bread and soda to relieve the exhaustion. It was fun all and all, come to think of it what if we are murdered there for not following their traditions. 

Mexican Spicy Pork @ Yoghurt House

      The food, lets not forget the delicacies they offer. All their food has a common taste that presumably distinct to their culture, it is one of those "You'll know you're in Sagada if the food taste like this." There are only two dishes that stands out for me, their Bulalo and Homemade Yogurt. Homemade Yogurt, consists of banana, strawberry fruit with syrup and of course their sweet yet sour yogurt. It was so delicious, not to mention it's appearance and the plating. To be honest though, it's just a one time affair due to it's large serving, but still two thumbs up for the delight it has incur. 

Strawberry Banana Yoghurt

       Next on the menus is their Bulalo. I'm drooling just thinking about it. It is not your typical bulalo but rather with a twist, adding their 'distinct flavor' I mentioned earlier. I just love how big the bowl was and the spices sided with it is so powerful I just can't get enough. It might be an exaggeration but after we discovered this place it was our breakfast, lunch and dinner until we depart in Sagada. It's that appetizing. 

Sagada's Sunrise (#justwokeup) 

      The most challenging part of our trip was chasing the sunrise and sunset spots. The fact that we cannot control time is just an excitement for us. Waking up 3:00 am just to walk in the dark and conquer the extremely cold breeze. Armed only with portable lamps. That's just who we are. The thrills are just priceless.

Claimer: I own all the photos.

Off to Bolinao, Pangasinan

Patar Beach

Thumb's up for the corals! (fyi, that not moss)

     It's summer! How lame could it be to pass a summer season without heading off to the nearest beach and escape from the scorching breeze? This summer, I've been fortunate enough to be on a lot of places together with my two siblings (all expense paid, HAHA!). Since we're dealing with local beaches, I have been to two of them and is by far the best and the worst for me.

My Brother and My Nephew's Striking Sunset Pose

     Patar Beach, is by far the best beach in my travel log. The powdery white sands, the corals, the fishes, the sunrise and the crystal clear water. What more could you ask for? Don't get me wrong, I've been to Boracay, the only thing that it stands out is the night life not actually the beach. 

My Sister's Family on Bolinao's Lighthouse

     Here in Patar Beach you have all the things you need on a beach, swim with the fishes, search shells on the corals, hunt sea cucumbers and many more. Never will you be bored in this beach. There's plenty of things to do. Oh a quick trivia, their school is located on the seaside! I know right, it's effin' cool! I wonder how their student's concentrate with the sea luring them by it's beauty.

     The lighthouse! This is my first time to see a light house and luckily, my first lighthouse is said to be the second tallest in the Philippines. It's grand and beautiful. I was sad to learn though that the building next to it was wiped out by a typhoon. It would have been classic with it's spanish-inspired architectural heritage. It was then abandoned and no one's taking care of it now. Nonetheless, I'm still lucky to see the ruins. I hope that the government will take care even the last of it.

Grotto inside the Cindy's Cave

     Unexpectedly, we have encountered a cave on our way to Patar Beach. We grabbed the opportunity to explore the cave. It was advertised to have a pool inside of it. It does have a pool, and the amazing part of it is that it's not stagnant but rather flowing water (but it does not compare to the one's in Sagada). That not the only thing that surprised me, I was shocked that you can own a cave! Yup, it was owned by someone and I am so pissed knowing natural wonders should be a government property for the sake of tourist to admire. It was horrible due to the fact that those "owners" remodeled the cave's natural physique. Well that's that, a minority will never be heard.

     Getting there though is quite a challenge, for you will have to endure 8 hours of travel time. That is already by a private vehicle. Don't mind engaging to go there, it's all worth it. 

Food and Cuddling Moments

     Before I end this, what's the worst beach? It's in Infanta, Quezon. Since it's a negative judgement, I'll  just leave a gist in form of a word: Plankton.

Claimer: I own all the photos.

Off to Macau

Macau

     First off, I would like to greet all of you a Happy New Year! 2013 has been a great year for me and this trip is absolutely one of those. Let's proceed.

Facade of St. Paul's Cathedral Ruins

     The Venice, Rio and Las Vegas of Asia. MACAU. It is not an overstatement when they referred Macau in that way. It is a relatively small country under China, but let it not fool you this is actually a Filipino filled country. 

     I was able to venture the beauty of Macau in less than 8 hours. You bet how limited our time was. It was on Sunday so we did expect a large volume of people, and we did, in fact, a huge volume of Filipinos. It totally feels like they rule the place. I have my itinerary well prepared for this occasion. Since the lack of time everything was changed, crossing out the least appealing among the sceneries. 

Sands

     On the Las Vegas side of Macau we go. The first destination we arrive was the City of Dreams Hotel, it lived up to its name. The place was spectacular! The façade of the hotel is so  beautiful and amazing. They genuinely understand the characteristics of the water as the architecture was amazing. Fact: Macau is partially a desert. The indoor is surreal with a huge centerpiece with a virtual mermaid and tons of large dragon figurines.

Venetian Grand Canal

      Off to the next destination was the Venetian Macau. One word, elegance. Gold is the color of this hotel. I haven't been to France but this will suffice the need. We did able to witness the poster of the Pacquiao fight last November. 

 

Elegant Ceiling of Venetian Macau

     This is where I was amazed, I never thought that the Venetian Grand Canal is an indoor sanctuary! Yes! The Grand Canal is situated inside the Venetian Macau itself. 

    How amazing is it to place a beautiful scenery inside in a closed environment. No wonder it appears clean and always sunny in the travel blogs I have read. We would have availed to ride one of the boats that comes with a singing operator but due to lack of time we may not be able to see the other attractions. 

     The Venetian is a hotel and casino. I am 19 but they require age 21 and above, my heart suddenly fall apart. I'm of legal age! I would love to try my luck on those slot machines, I could have won a million dollar. Haha! Oh and a kind Filipino employee helped us on our way back to the port. It's so handy to be a Filipino sometimes.

     This time we headed to see the Brazilian and Spanish side of Macau. We moved back to the port to acquire a city bus going to the ever famous Senado Square of Macau. The ride to the square was superb. Every major attraction was included in the route of the bus and I really enjoyed it. Especially the fact that I was technically roaming the city just by sitting on those comfy chairs after those casino and hotel tours. To my amazement we missed the Senado Square, nonetheless, we did arrive on the next bus stop. A relatively long walk it was but it is worth it for we witnessed the intricate designs of the sidewalks which are made of colorful marbles. 

 

Egg Pies!

     Then we arrive at the Senado Square! Nothing but pristine heritage. Feels like reliving old times that I only encounter through history books and tv shows. Everything is classic (not old). The buildings along the square are with Spanish appeal to it due to the colonization of Portuguese decades ago. It is comparable to Vigan and some parts of Intramuros in Manila.

     There is always time for food! We tried some egg pies made of croissant. It was so tasty! Yum! It taste like egg pie with some kind of flaky texture which it stands out. It only cost around Php50 each. Worth every buck if you ask me.

Grand Lisboa Tower

     Then there's the St. Paul's Cathedral ruin. This is the Most famous structure of Macau it represent the whole country. There's nothing special about this landmark.

Casino Lisboa

     Night comes, LIGHTS! The neon lights of the casino totally feels like I'm in Vegas. Lights everywhere. The casinos seems to have a friendly competition when it comes in lighting their establishments. Cool bright lights. :)

Claimer: I own all the photos.

All about Hong Kong

 Hong Kong: The First Chronicle

     This thread will be helpful for you if in the future, are planning to go to Hong Kong. I hope you're willing to join me on my travel adventure upon engaging in another culture very distant from our own for the first time.

HK Food

Noodles on local HK restaurant

     Hong Kong style foods flourish the Philippines, not to mention the stalls of shomai and the noodles, which I really adore. Ordering food is not the best part of our food tripping, imagine  yourself in my situation, hungry as we are, we have to communicate with the waitress that do not speak english! It was totally challenging with our roaring tummy. The first local delicacy we ate was some sort of noodle (I don't know what it is called but I categorize them all as noodles.) It was good. Served in a huge bowl which can be served to three people of my size.  Full of pork chops, which is tender, thick noodles and the most noticeable of them all, what seems to be an unlimited supply of Chinese cabbage. It actually feels like they are serving salad bundled with noodles.

     It is hard not to notice that their McDonald's are extremely cheap when compared to ours. In fact, Coca Cola is CHEAPER than a Big Mac, yes, that double patty, triple bun, TLC, burger. In addition to that madness, the fries are also cheap, Php20+ for a medium fries! I know right, its a darn deal. That is one of the two reason we have done half of our eating routine there, the other being, as I stated earlier, for their not-so-appetizing foods.

Big Mac in downtown HK

     Lets tackle their drinks, water is expensive, in a sense that it is a necessity. In fact, soft drinks like Pepsi and the likes are much more affordable than water, as 1 liter of water is equivalent to 2 liters of Pepsi! I only noticed this when I drop by to a local grocery store in the last day of our trip! Tea is everywhere, I know that you know how torturous that may be. You can observe that even the local's water containers have atleast one tiny sack of tea to accompany it. I like lemon iced, actually it's my favorite drink, but plain and lonely tea? Cmon! Give me a break. I have stated that Coca Cola is expensive when compared to the Big Mac, so why? The only reason I can clearly observe is... IT'S SUPER TASTY! It was delicious and as an effect, addicting. A little trivia, their Royal is called Fanta, so don't expect to find Royal in the beverage section of the grocery.

     Foods in Hong Kong in general is the biggest disappointment I had in my trip, to be the supposedly food haven I dreamt of. I assumed that food stalls are everywhere and ideally all tasty, to my disappoint, it was not, not at all. The noodles and the fried rice are visually enticing but the moment it touched the tip of your tongue it taste weird, I guess you should be a month of stay there before you feast and appreciate the goodness of their food.

HK Shopping

     It is prominent that Hong Kong is synonymous with shopping. I am here to actually state that it surely is accurate. Let me change that statement to give emphasis, Hong Kong is Shopping! It is true enough that I myself was lure by their merchants. As soon as you took your first step in Hong Kong stores will shine it's bright neon lights that indirectly says "SALE".

     I am a thrifty person, but I am not an exception to the rule, I like shopping especially when they attract me with their dirt cheap deals. As a proof, I actually bought a number of items like HK shirts, key chains, flash drives, whitening strips (not available in the Philippines) and a Bag! I should have bought more but as a common hindrance to shopping, money was short. I would have bought a ton of stuffs like shoes and electronic stuffs that seems heaven for the nerds.

Tsim Tsa Tsui

     To give you an idea of how cheap the items there are, I'll tell you the value of some items I bought. Let's start with the flash drives, a piece of dslr-style flash drive with a metal casing and has a capacity of 8gb was only for a cheap price of Php50+! Rubber shoes are also cheap, original Nike rubber shoes only carry a price tag of Php2,000+! Consider it cheap bcoz it was being sold at an authorized outlet.

Umbrella Vending Machine

     It is fun to shop if you know how to haggle. Haggling is my thing, so ALL the items I bought was not the retail price but rather a portion of it. As an example, a sales lady offered me a bag for HKD $280 I got it for HKD $150! She couldn't resist b'coz I was about to leave the stall (pretending to be not interested) then she grabbed my offer and a good day for me.

     Shopping was not all that ideal. Of course, in a country where inhabitants are mostly grumpy, stall owners will evolve into monsters the moment you asked for a price of an item and you have no intention in buying it. I personally have experienced this, I asked for a price of those adorable key-chains but it was expensive for me, but in fact was already cheap, I said no, then rest is history, she let her voice out with some Cantonese language that I couldn't understand. All I can hear was "blah blah blah" but I can totally feel her anger. In the end, I still didn't bought it (hahaha!). I just brisk walked as fast as I can.

     As far as Shopping goes, It is definitely a valid reason to come back to Hong Kong any day. There are cons but heck! It was cheap.

HK City Life

     The Skyscrapers actually defined how economically advanced Hong Kong is. You can never deny the beauty of their sky even on the absence of the sun due to the luminescence of their neon lights. The malls are all over the place. Well for me, the Hong Kong is a mall on itself because the streets were crowded by outlet stores everywhere. Almost all the typical components of the mall are there minus the air conditioned enclosures. The city life of Hong Kong can easily be forgotten due to the fact that you can simulate the experience here in Manila. The only experience that stand out among the rest is their escalators, it was fast, but in a good way and they will not occupy the left side of the escalator unless in a hurry. They are super organized, I hope that mentality can soon be applied here. 

HK Transportation

Cable Car with my Sister (Keep your Smiles)

     The mode of transportation that mostly led us to our destination is the MTR. This train transport is huge, branching out nearly anywhere in Hong Kong. We have utilized this transportation 80% of the time we need to be on our next destination. The ambiance is the same as our LRT line 2 plus some additional air conditioning system and most of the time useless television (which is boring and incomprehensible)  in a portion of the price. It was expensive but we don't have any choice, we are not familiar with their bus systems.

 Be sure that you have read the previous thread Off to Hong Kong.

Claimer: I own ALL the photos! (l0l)

Off to Hong Kong

 Hong Kong: The First Chronicle

     Only two years have past since my first airplane experience, I was so happy I can finally figure out what does it feel to technically "fly". Now, I found myself being on my first international flight. You can barely imagine how sleepless I was a week before.

 

View from The Peak

On my way to Hong Kong I actually wrote something on my phone's Evernote, it quotes: 

"I carry a huge bucket full of expectations on my first trip abroad. Expectations like, slightly colder weather, fresh air, less pollution, ultra clean streets, considerably friendly commoners and to sum it all up, I would just like to experience their culture that in theory is significantly different from my home country, Philippines."

     Let's see if these parameters are met on my most anticipated trip outside the country.

     The first impression I had before arriving on the soils of Hong Kong is that their airport is effin' huge, like enormous, seems like ten times the size of our arguably worst airport. In fact, you have to ride a tram-like bus to roam around to reach your boarding gate. In the airport alone, you will be in contact with different races that almost feels like rushing towards you.

Avenue of the Stars

     Leaving the airport is the biggest indicator that you're in another coast, you don't know any of the modes of transportation! Unlike in our country where the routes are clearly indicated, their buses feels like you're playing bingo, the sign only indicates A41, B22, etc. It drove us crazy. We later found a huge billboard-like routes so it didn't take us long before commuting to our first destination the Ngong Ping 360. By the way, the double-decker buses sure is an experience in itself. The second floor of the buses will ensure you an almost 360 view on your journey.

I'll discuss Ngong Ping, Disneyland and Ocean Park on another blog. Please stay tuned!

#selfie at the Regal Hotel

     It is after Ngong Ping did we have the chance to be checked in on our hotel (Regal Hotels International: 5 Star Hotel). It was exhausting! Sore as we are, we have manage to walk to the hotel from MTR on the longest possible route, which we found out on the second day.  This "walk-to-the-hotel" was the biggest hindrance on our vacation. The soles of my feet have never been this tired on their whole life (my Crocs are partially to be blamed). The hotel room have managed to reward us with it's bathtub, the view and most specially the softest bed I've been in.

     Last Impression, It's more fun in the Philippines. As the saying goes, "There's no place like home." Everything is generally good in Hong Kong but forgive me but I don't like their food, their smell (hahaha!) and especially their PERSONALITY. They are grumpy as hell, they work and live as if someone is torturing them to death. I cannot emphasize that more and I'm not over-exaggerating here. All of the experience there have an equivalent counterpart here in the Philippines or even better. As for those who are looking forward in visiting this country, lower your expectations because you can never compare the Philippines in terms of its cultural complexity, economic factors set aside. As for doing so you'll enjoy Hong Kong as much as I did. I do enjoyed it nonetheless but still, disappointed. Especially on the theme parks so stay tuned!

     I'll discuss the foods, shopping, city life and so much more here: All about Hong Kong. I have to separate these topics to another thread to express my archive of stories, I have so much to say, so please bear with me.

Claimer: I own ALL the photos! (l0l)