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Showing posts from July, 2010

Exploring Mount Pinatubo

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June 1991. Woke up. When my feet touched the floor, I felt...flour. I looked out and I thought it snowed in the Philippines. Mount Pinatubo erupted. It rained ashes in Metro Manila. Mount Pinatubo's eruption killed lives, and rendered people homeless and helpless. Scary yet magnificent December 2009. 18 years later, Mount Pinatubo is now a tourist destination. I saw amazing pictures of the crater and I wondered if the crater was as blue as it was in the photos of a DSLR.

Conquering Batad: Surviving Hiking

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How I survived my first hike. Travel Attire A good pair of walking sandals with straps is advisable for the trek. One of our fellow travellers wore hiking shoes and he slipped. Plus hiking shoes are more heavy. But if you already have them and you don’t want to buy new sandals, then go ahead. Just be careful. No Flipflops please. Your shoes will get wet. Wear socks during trekking to avoid blisters. Your socks will get wet but you won’t be slipping.I came up with this: I thought the sandals + socks combination was kinda baduy at first. But it all worked out pretty well. No foot blisters!

Conquering Batad

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Batad Rice Terraces is located in an off-beaten track in Ifugao. TravelFactor (TF) offers trips to Batad. I discovered TravelFactor thru my officemate. Travel Factor offers affordable trips for yuppies. We met solo travellers in our group who has travelled the country. Coolness eh? They made the necessary arrangements for this trip. Conquer Batad Itinerary (April 25-26, 2009)

Anawangin: Camping Survival

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What makes Anawangin special is it allows you the opportunity to experience nature in its almost raw state. If you find the idea of camping is equal to sleeping with bugs, you have the option to stay at resorts/accomodations in Pundaquit. However, I strongly recommend to camp out during your stay. Aside from Camping in Anawangin, camping in Nagsasa Island is also possible. THINGS TO BRING: Your Personal List: Backpack. Something light. Plastic bag for wet clothes Plastic bag for dirty clothes Personal food and snacks (which you will eventually share with everyone) Personal drinking water. I suggest at least 3 liters. Buy two (2) 1.5L bottles or 1 2L and 1L bottle. Clothing Swimwear Sarong Flashlight or headlamp – charge those batteries Sandals. Keep in mind that you will be doing some hiking in Capones Island Hat/Cap/Bandana Sunblock Blanket/Jacket Sleeping bag (Bought mine in SM for Php 550) Personal medicine Insect Repellant Sun Block Toothpaste & Toothbrus...

Anawangin Adventure

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The popularity of the Anawangin skyrocketed in 2009 (I think). It was a place where one could be very close to mother nature, near Metro Manila, and budget friendly. Tucked in Pundaquit, Zambales, Anawangin boasts a powdery beach with pine trees.Won't you die of curiosity upon learning that there are "pine trees" by the beach? Tall trees by the beach

The Travel Bug

When the Travel Bug bites, it bites hard. You'll be itching to get out. You'll scratch it. I don't know any cure. I don't want to be cured. Most people wait 'til retirement to travel. People save all their lives so they can splurge on that vacation-forever mode during retirement. Who knows if you'll still be alive then? Or if your health will still allow you to travel? Can you still eat those local delicacies? Or will your health stop you? I want to enjoy the world while I am still young, carefree and capable. It is all about BALANCE. This is my attempt to visit all the places the world has to offer. Who knows, maybe I'll visit them all again when I retire. Here we go! "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."