Despite seeing many photographs of Coron’s abundant underwater biodiversity, I was still giddy, mainly because I just took free diving lessons and I couldn’t wait to put my skills to the test. Day 1 Mt. Tapyas Maquinit Hot Springs Asia Grand View Hotel We arrived at the hotel just in time for lunch. After a hearty meal, we checked in for a quick nap and … Continue reading Coron, a Diver’s Dream (Palawan, April 2019)
I arrived in Basco early in the morning, checked in B&G Guesthouse, and waited for the tour van to pick me up. Batanes has a different culture of its own. Being disjointed from the mainland, the sheer distance necessitates being independent from aid from the rest of the country, and strong dependence to the community. While waiting for my tour to begin, I decided to … Continue reading A Solo Batanes Trip, and the Culture of the Ivatans (January 2019)
As my time spent in these provinces have been primarily for work, I didn’t think to heavily document our trip with my camera, nor to document the few I took artistically. I’ll primarily share with you my thoughts about the places we’d been, however, which could still hopefully color your mind. 🙂 Siargao Disenchanted, I lost excitement for the trip after seeing so much of … Continue reading Siargao, Siquijor, Dumaguete, Philippines (September 2018)
You know what they say (at least in the Philippines), let destiny (a.k.a. Cebu Pacific’s seat sale) take you there! And so, here we decided to go, despite being constantly told that there’s nothing much to do in this part of the country. But oh, come on! The enjoyment of a trip has nothing to do with the destination–one’s experience of a place is always … Continue reading Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Miyajima & Beppu (October 2018)
We embarked on a short trip to the country’s favored Palawan island. During this trip, we explored places not yet frequented by tourists and took our time enjoying the wonders of nature. San Rafael, Puerto Princesa Long Beach, San Vicente So this was what it’s like to have a 14-kilometer stretch of powdery white sand all to myself. Here, I took my time shamelessly getting … Continue reading Palawan Uncharted: San Rafael & San Vicente (July 2018)
Two days was enough for me to explore the city. As this trip went after my visit to Prague, I was a little less enchanted because of the similarities between the two cities but a little more relieved that there are significantly lesser tourists. There was more room to slow down, walk leisurely, and take in the sights. The streets were less frenetic. I wasn’t … Continue reading Budapest, Hungary (May 2018)
My second time in this Asian-city favorite was mostly a routine run to the places I went to the first time. The locals were warm and helpful, as usual, and we were happy to have communicated with them mostly in fuk-yuen, a dialect our family members speak to each other with. Chang Kai Shek Memorial  Ximending  Yehliu GeoPark Tonghua Night Market, Raohe Night … Continue reading Taipei, Taiwan (November 2017)
1. Dumaguete City My friend is a local in the town and she took us around for a short tour. Life in Dumaguete City was slow. People gave way to pedestrians, traffic was when it would take you ten minutes to get home, instead of five. People wake up early, have lunch early, go to bed early. They take siestas, too. It was a university … Continue reading Negros Oriental + Siquijor, Philippines (March 2018)
Treasure Island A surprise add-on to our evening tour! Across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was Treasure Island, a man-made piece of land that served as a naval base back in the day. Sausalito A solitary Sunday afternoon was spent strolling along the shores of the dreamtown that is Sausalito, a retirement haven of some of the world’s wealthiest individuals. The neighborhood stood quaint, … Continue reading Treasure Island, Angel Island, Sausalito & Food, California (August 2017)
In this post, I compile a few of the noteworthy places I visited during my two-week stay in the bay area, particularly within the city. City Tours Some of the pictures in this post were taken during the Hop On, Hop Off tour I took. A few of the ones directly below are of: The Hilton Hotel (setting of Dirty Harry), The Golden Gate Bridge, … Continue reading San Francisco, California Pt. 1 (August 2017)
Heart light, mind bright 