Yangon In Retrospect

Shwedagon Pagoda, solemn in the early morning

“Filipina! Same same as Burmese.” 
“Yes, same face as Filipinos.” 
“Welcome to Burma!”
The immigration officer said with a wonderful smile. The humidity of Yangon was welcoming along with the Burmese guy from the hostel who picked me up from the airport. And of course, Patti, who would become one of the people who I’d travelled with in Burma. And who’d help educate me more about the country. 

On 2012, Life's Unpredictability, and Moments' Impermanence

Pai, January 2012 / Bagan, Dec 2012

*Written while waiting for my flight back home. Realizations here are sometimes simple and apparent. But as with anything, writing it down reminds us of the simple things we once thought to be complex. 

I started and will end this year travelling. It’s interesting and overwhelming sometimes how this year has been so unpredictable. I fell in love, I changed my plans for someone, I started a new job, I got my own place, I got hurt, nothing made sense, I quit my job again, I felt hopeless, I travelled, I met amazing people, I saw beautiful landscapes, I witnessed beautiful sunsets, I got intrigued and captivated by a new country, and then I am happy again. 

Yee Peng Floating Lantern Festival : Prayers of Hope

“Do you believe that someday it wouldn’t feel like this anymore?” My good friend, Paul, asked me the other night as we were drinking in one of the reggae bars in Chiang Mai’s old town. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. I just hope, at the end of every single day that passes by, that tomorrow it will be better.” 

One day in Chiang Mai spent riding around the old town, we passed by places familiar and so nostalgic. Memories of the places we walked by, benches we sat on, and feelings from the last time I was here. I let my guard down, and just gave in to my emotions. 

It felt refreshing to talk to a good friend about this, someone who knows me well. And how, somehow, I felt understood because he’s also a traveller. 

I’m here again, back on the road, because I want to make new memories. Travel doesn’t necessarily fix anything, but I just hope to find myself again, or at least me at my best, doing what I love most. 

On Year 26 and Turning 27

The Big Trip
October 2011 - February 2012

My 26th year was a year of highs and lows. It was a year filled with travels, dreams fulfilled and humbling realities. 

Sunsets : Vivir Cada Minuto Intensamente

Mandalay, Burma

"Live life to the fullest. It's the best way. Live every moment intensely. Because life is too short, and the moment comes when we're going to die, and we'd have wished to do so many things we didn't. That's why we have to enjoy every moment. One must enjoy life. Try not to acquire so many things, but instead have experiences. Accomplish everything you want to do, no matter the effort that it deserves. Life is too short and one must relish it." – from departures. Season 2 : Chile episode 

And in Spanish, a language I’m slowly falling in love with. Especially the line “Vivir cada minuto intensamente.” or “Live every moment intensely.” Try saying it out loud. Don’t you just love the word intensamente? I do. :) (Thanks to my friend Paul for the text of the Spanish translation.) 

Viva la vida a concho. Es la mejor manera. Vivir cada minuto intensamente porque la vida es muy corta y de repente, llega el momento en que nos vamos a morir y habríamos deseado hacer las cosas que no las hicimos. Por eso, cada minuto hay que disfrutarlo. Hay que disfrutar de la vida. No tratar de tener tantas cosas, de adquirir tantas cosas sino que de tener vivencia. Lograr todo que queremos hacer. No importa la fuerza que esto se merezca pero vale la pena. La vida es muy corta y hay que gozarla. 

Travel Photos + Quotes = Inspiration

Below are some of my travel photos and the travel and life quotes that I really love and continue to inspire me to pursue what makes me genuinely happy.

Luang Prabang, Laos
Jan '12

Penang : Ernest Zacharevic's Murals and the Quaint Streets of George Town

I've always admired artists. I admire the way they're able to materialize an idea, a concept, or an emotion. But I also love photographers, how they can manipulate the different aspects of light and color in capturing and highlighting a certain moment.

These are the reasons why I truly admire and enjoyed the works of Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian artist, in the streets of Old George Town in Penang, Malaysia. His murals are based and copied from real-life photos.

Temples of Cambodia : Trees and Carvings

Ta Prohm

Another thing I loved most about the Khmer temples, more than their beauty and grandness, were the tall trees. How they seem to thrive with the old temples, and the magic they seem to add to the whole experience.

Chiang Rai : Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple

We had two days left in Thailand before we proceed to Laos via Chiang Khong. The city proper of Chiang Rai is relatively small and there's really nothing much to do as compared to Chiang Mai. But there is one attraction that it's famous for.

The Temples of Cambodia

Bayon Temple (my favorite temple)

I fell in love with traveling by accident in 2008, when I got spontaneously invited by my aunt to Thailand. After that trip, I promised myself that I will buy my own camera, Sundays (Nikon D40); and that I'll visit more UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I'll travel more. Angkor Wat seemed to be the most famous complex of temples in Southeast Asia, the most feasible during that time. It took me two years. But I made it happen. I guess this was when my love for travel started to become a big priority in my life. :)

And I pursued that plan, that dream. And it was more than I could have ever imagined.

Laid-back Towns I Fell in Love With : Pai, Thailand

Imagine being away in a foreign place. Where and when there is no sense of rush. Just waking up in the morning with no plans, with time in your hands. When you can finally find the time to read a book. You look forward to a good walk, with no itinerary. Just a good walk to relax and have time for yourself. A place with no tall buildings that block your view of the blue sky and the sun. A place with small cafes and restaurants, with people serving you like you’re part of a community.

Such is a perfect day in a laid-back place. Like how I spent my stay in Pai, Thailand.

One Full Day in Amritsar, India

The Golden Temple, Amritsar

A trip to India almost always do not work out as planned. That’s what we learned during our first week in India. But India is so huge and colorful that there are a lot of places you can still visit other than those that you had in mind. After missing our train to Jaisalmer, we headed to Dharamsala and spent almost a week there. We had a few more days left before we take our train from Delhi to Agra. We didn’t want to spend three days in Delhi and we knew how crazy it would be to go back there on the eve of Diwali or the Hindu’s New Year. And so we decided to look for a place for a quick stop from Dharamsala to Delhi, which led us to Amritsar. 

I remember how crazy, tiring, and fun that one whole day we had in Amritsar. 

Inside Temples in Asia

The Golden Temple, Amritsar, India

I was born and raised a Roman Catholic. Living and studying in UP (university) opened up my eyes and heart to other religions, more so because my two bestfriends are Muslims. But my travels, more than anything, has introduced me to other religions and has strengthened my belief that faith is one of the most valuable things one has in his/her life. We just have different ways of practicing it. 

How Do You Live Your Life?

Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

How do you live your life? 

Do you live for the stability? Of everyday deciding to be where you are so you can build a life you know you are supposed to have? Always on a straight path, never thought of wandering around or trying another one? Maybe from time to time you imagine what it would be like to wander, but you prefered to stay put. 

Love for Travel Rekindled in Penang

Ernest Zacharevic's Murals in Georgetown

It was an early 6am flight to Singapore on Friday. There were a lot of hassles and mishaps going there –waking up late, going to the wrong airport terminal, long lines and ques, and the immigration officer who thought it was my first time to travel because of my new passport. She asked for all my flight itineraries and hotel bookings, until I volunteered to show her my old passport. I just really don’t get why they have to be so discriminating, and wondered what would have happened if I didn’t have my old passport with me. As compared to my entry in Singapore and Malaysia, where the officers were nicer and just allowed me to pass through without any questions. 

An Unexpected Detour in Hue

Citadel in Hue, Vietnam

‘Floating there, I held on to faith. Because you can’t know who might cross your path or who will take your breath away…You can’t know when there’ll be an unexpected detour that’ll take you to the place where you were always meant to be.’ – The Lost Girls 

Hanoi's Old Quarter

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

A Warm Welcome in Hanoi

with Ms. Ha and her family :)

We had almost two days for layover in Bangkok from Nepal, before I take a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. We soaked up the sun and tropical weather of Bangkok just to have a sense of home. Two months spent in cold Northern India and freezing Nepal, despite all the amazing experiences we had, proved to be a little bit too much for the tropical and island people like us. We treated ourselves with pad thais, fruit shakes, beers, and relaxing thai massages. But despite all of these, I just couldn’t shake off the fact that in almost three weeks, I would be back in the Philippines and all the other things it meant – finding a job, looking for a new place, figuring out what I was going to do next. And just how much I missed Nepal – the mountains, trekking, and just the wonderful people we met along the way. 

Port Barton : Off-the-Beaten-Path Paradise in Palawan

When people say Palawan, the first thing you would hear is PARADISE. Or maybe El Nido and Coron. But rarely would you hear about a town named Port Barton.

German Island, Port Barton, Palawan 

My Top Travel Books (Part 1)

A few months before the Big Trip, Lois of the WeAreSoleSisters sent us an email on assisting us in starting/beefing up our travel funds via a garage sale. I had a few old clothes and shoes to sell, but selling my old books have been a hard decision to make. Now, in retrospect, I think it was a very good decision, as it made room for new inspiring and eye-opening books. 

My Kind of Travel : A Wonderful Day in Muang Ngoi

Muang Ngoi, Northern Laos

Yesterday I woke up quite early for a whole-day work event. Prepared my G7 black coffee (Vietnam’s famous coffee) with some cream, no sugar. Opened the sliding door to my veranda and welcomed the morning and the sunlight’s feel on my skin. It rained the day before, but yesterday the sun was starting to show itself, almost half of it was behind the tall condominium near my place. But there was still the cool breeze of the early morning. 

With my hot strong coffee, the cool breeze, and the sun’s warmth, I remember waking up in Muang Ngoi. 

Some of the Best Lessons from my Travels in India

You hear and read stories about India, how different and unique it is. But as with anything, you will never really know what these people mean until you experience it first-hand. It is huge and is considered to be a sub-continent. There’s a lot to see – the chaotic streets, the colorful saris, desert, beaches, mountains, heritage sites, forts, and temples. But more than these, the experiences I treasured the most from my travels in India are the people and the perspectives I got from observing their daily lives.

Dealing With Changes

Vang Vieng, Laos

Just when you thought you had your whole year planned out. Just when you thought that everything is working out. Just when you thought that everything had a purpose.

And then one weekend all of that is gone. 

For two weeks you feel lost, disoriented even. For two weeks you think that you’ve lost yourself. 

A Letter

El Nido, Palawan

It hasn't been easy. And it will remain like this for quite some time. But I trust that one day it will be. 

But now, here, alone. Let me tell you how grateful I am to you for making me so happy, for breaking down all the walls I've built. All this pain I'm feeling now have been worth it. 

Basic Information on Nepal Teahouse Trekking

Trekking in Nepal, in the Himalayas, has been one of the most memorable travel and life experiences I've ever had. Let me borrow the words of the writer of the Lonely Planet guidebook:

“Many of the joys of trekking are intangible. Most people enjoy the peace and settling of the mind that the rhythm of a long trek can bring. You’ll have time to think, to breathe the mountain air and enjoy the sense of feeling fitter and stronger as each day passes. A highlight may be enjoying a section of trail to yourself in the silent early-morning light, surrounded by glorious mountain peaks, or simply sitting in a sunny lodge garden sipping sweet milky tea, reading that Dostoyevsky novel you’ve never had time for. On a trek, the stripped down simple pleasures of life comes to the fore. “ 
 – Lonely Planet : Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya, 9th edition

You will understand how each and every detail of this is true after trekking in Nepal. Many people have a misconception that trekking in Nepal is dangerous, hard, and expensive. Yes, it is hard and can be dangerous, but with enough planning and preparation, you'll be fine. And it is worth it, it's definitely worth it. ;)

Hope the information below can convince you to give it a try, and help you in your planning stage!

The Big Trip : Five Months of Travel, Adventure, and Surprises

 

First Day 

I remember the first day of the Big Trip. We had drinks the night before, but I woke up early and full of energy. I was so excited. I’ve been waiting for that day for almost a year. There were days when I wanted to quit my job early and travel early. But I pushed on, I waited for the right day to start the Big Trip. 

How Did Travel Change Me?

love life. love who you truly are. love your dreams.
Pai, Thailand

At least once in your life, do something for YOU. Not what other people think is best for you, nor what society thinks is right. Do what your heart desires. I assure you the rewards are invaluable and it will make life more worth living. 

How did travel change me? 

Happy Kids of Muang Ngoi, Laos

When you're a child, anywhere's a playground.

Where else can you find children so happy and playful as these ones? I've always thought that children these days are always in front of a computer, a laptop, or even an I-pad. But in Muang Ngoi, Laos, in a village called  Bana, we found these wonderful children.

I Found Paradise in Nong Khiaw, Laos

beautiful view of the Nam Ou River

After an hour of waiting and being confused by Laos' public transportation, three hours of hot and bumpy ride, we made it to Nong Khiaw (Northern Laos). This quiet little town with the Nam Ou river at the middle, is a good and wonderful break from the touristy North Thailand and Luang Prabang. The kind of place and travel I like, and love even.

Travel Love : Lessons and Realizations from the Big Trip

Annapurna Sanctuary Trek, Nepal

Almost three months of traveling in six countries. Some were short stays,others were long. But all these countries have offered me so many adventures and unique experiences. But more than anything, the Big Trip had taught me so many important lessons and realizations that somehow changed and bettered my views of how I want to live my life, how I look at the world, race, faith, and religion, and made me realize how amazing the Creator is.

A Beautiful Ending in Vietnam

Sunset, Mui Ne, Vietnam

Five days in Vietnam with a Nepal hangover – reminiscing about those great mountains, amazing landscapes, warm people, and great friends I made throughout the whole journey. Five days of thinking about going home – anticipating and getting anxious over what’s going to be my life next year. 

And then there was that taxi ride, after two transfers to go to the sleeper bus from Hanoi to Hue. Confused, I asked you “Are you also going to Hue?”