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.