Escapades
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Winding up on a Misadventure in Tawi-tawi
I have lots of misadventures as a traveler. Among them were as follows: Do you want to know what my favorite misadventure is? It’s when I booked for Tawi-tawi to Zamboanga incorrectly. It was my first time to travel in Mindanao. My destinations were Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi, also known as ZamBaSulTa. Truly, a unique and must-try experience — being able to learn about their culture, history, and food in one single swoop. I was amazed by how Mindanao retained its rich heritage, while Manila was westernized already. I’ll give you an overview of that trip: Day 1 (June 29, 2018) NOTE: Many undiscovered and breathtaking beaches. Day 2…
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I’ve Got Wings! My 2019 Paragliding Experience
Sometimes I wonder how it feels to fly like a bird. Until one day, I’ve got wings and fly! Nah! I didn’t transform into a bird nor an angel (although sometimes, I look like one, charot!). It’s the combination of a paraglider, a specific winged apparatus, and a human ingenuity to get airborne known as paragliding. Paragliding is an adventure sport and tandem flight with an instructor that allows you to fly over mountains, admire the landscapes, and enjoy the silence up there. We got our package from Fly Xtreme Philippines for Php 2,800.00 (per pax). I suggest that you form a large group so that cost per pax will…
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Lost and Found in Taipei
My heart is full. That was how I felt as my semi-solo trip in Taiwan continued. Aside from meeting new friends, I coincidentally travelled with Girlie, a friend whom I met in Batanes last April. Amazingly, we had the same birthday which we celebrated together in the beautiful island of Sabtang. She happened to see a comment in one of my Facebook posts about my Taiwan trip. I arrived on the 20th of August, and she, on the 21st. We agreed to meet, but I thought that agreement wasn’t serious because she might have a different itinerary. Luckily, she didn’t prepare any. In my previous blog entry, I mentioned that…
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A Trip Down to Meteor Garden’s Memory Lane
Before there were Lee Min Ho, Song Jong Ki, Lee Jung Suk, Kim Soo Hyun, we fell in love with Dao Ming Zi (Jerry Yan), Hwa Ze Lei (Vic Zhou), Ximen (Vaness Wu), and Mei Zuo (Ken Chu). Likewise, before Song Hye Kyo, Park Shin-hye, Bae Suzy, Yoon Eun-hye, we adored San Chai (Barbie Xu) first. I felt a certain kilig when I mentioned the cast of Meteor Garden. I suddenly remembered the cat-dog-like argument of Dao Ming Zi and San Chai. Imagine how the writer and director disappointed the fans when San Chai chose the rebellious and spoiled-brat Dao Ming Zi, instead of the angel-like Hua Ze Lei. How…
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I Went on a Road Trip in Taichung for FREE
My recent article about my trip in Taiwan tells you that Taichung was the first city I’ve visited. You read it correctly! It’s FREE and here’s how… Taichung is located in the west side of central Taiwan that can be reached by bus or by train (Taiwan Rail or Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR)). The speed of their THSR is promising because it will take you there in one (1) hour. But since there are still bus-and-train transfers, the travel time will also take one and a half hours or so. This is why I followed the advice of the frequent traveler in the said city to take the bus,…
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It’s Because TAIWAN-It That Way
F4, San Chai, Dao Ming Zi… You can think and associate these names to Taiwan especially if you were born in the 90’s or just someone who heard about the Taiwanese Series Meteor Garden. I was an avid fan back then, and so the extension of the FREE visa going to the said country was good news for me. Before it’s too late, I booked a five (5) days and four (4) nights trip! Taiwan is 1,200 kilometers away from the Philippines, or a one (1) hour and 50 minutes ride by plane. This place is not yet a first world country, but during my visit, I can tell that…
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#pasiCATANDUANESnayan: 3D2N to the Happy Island
Looking for next destination to fill your #Project81Provinces? You may want to try Catanduanes which is labeled as “Happy Island” and the “Land of the Howling Winds” where you will have a glimpse of Batanes. I got our itinerary from Pinay Solo Backpacker, but made necessary revisions based on our actual experience while exploring the place. Ideally, you need to leave Manila at 5PM (or earlier) going to Tabaco, Albay to catch the first trip of Fast Craft going to Virac which is 6:30AM. But in case you face adversity like us, you may want to learn and be guided through this post. I booked the Alabang to Tabaco trip…
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TRIningning: Comeback Hiking Experience (Batulao, Talamitam, Apayang + Caleruega Church)
Another unplanned activity for Nelsisa! I was supposed to join our IT Division Project Team in an out of town planning but it was re-scheduled a week beforehand. I immediately sent a viber message to my dormmates to check their availability on that day, and Nikki, whose goal was to go on a hike every month, agreed to hike with me. No definite mountain to climb. We just finalized the details six (6) days before our activity upon reading a blog about a twin hike in Mt. Batulao and Mt. Talamitam. The next discussion was, “Anong oras tayo aalis bukas?” We departed from our dorm at 2:30AM and boarded…
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iSurvivedPalauiIsland: My Very First Solo Trip
“Seryoso ka? Mag-isa ka lang?” “Hala, ang tapang mo!” “Naku, ‘pag ikaw napano.” These were the reactions I got from my family (except Nanay) and friends when I told them about my solo trip. More or less, these were also my worries. “Paano kung nag-hike ako mag-isa tapos yung guide ko dalhin na lang ako kung saan? O kaya baka ma-rape ako.” Such worries did not stop me anyway from pushing through with my plan. It was not really intentional, but since none of my friends were available (either no remaining VLs or had plans already). Sayang naman yung 10-day scheduled mandatory leave(SMVL)/forced leave. The original plan was Albay but…