New Blog!

Hey everyone! I'm moving to a new blog address : www.angelicacruzph.com
Same content but with some changes in design and layout. I'll still be keeping this one but will begin posting new stuff in the new blog. See you there!

You can still find me at the following:
Instagram
Flickr
Exposure
Email : anggetravels.blog@gmail.com

Old Town, Hanoi : Thoughts on a Street Corner

“Life is full of stories. Or maybe life is only stories. Good night, my dear Nao.”

- A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki

I'm back in Hanoi, this time on a work trip, but with travel perks nonetheless. I'm sitting at the corner of Hang Thung and Ten Huu Huan. 930pm. Swarm of motorcycles crossing the intersection. The traffic lights work, but it's only for show. The Vietnamese have their own traffic rules, or probably it is its non-existence.

Nafplio, Greece : Finding Beauty in Solitude

Typical House

Nafplio, Greece

6am. I can’t pretend that I can still sleep. The five hour time difference, or jet lag, is setting in. I opened the door to the balcony and welcomed the morning light. The town is still asleep. But the birds chirping greeted me a good morning.

Prelude to the Greece Trip

Nafplio, Greece

Photo by George Karydis

In a few days, I’ll be crossing a continent to attend a friend’s wedding. I wasn’t supposed to go anymore because my cousin’s also getting married in 2 weeks, and work has been overwhelming lately. But it was just so hard to say no to a friend’s plea to be present in her special day (I’m the only bridesmaid apparently). Plus it’s a chance to see another side of this world, my first out-of-Asia trip.

Here's To Now

Mt. Batulao, Philippines

“You never know where the world is gonna take you. So I’m just trying to be open and present in every moment I’m in and seeing where that kind of leads me. And just one with what feels right as well, because I think that’s what’s important. Rather than being ‘this is my goal and I’m gonna work so hard to make that’. It’s like sometimes if you have such tunnel vision, you miss everything else that’s around you and things can’t happen. It’s good to be open. I think your passions carry you through. And if you’re passionate about things, it will carry you to the next events. But I don’t want to get ever too stuck on having one objective that’s gonna kind of blind you to something that could happen that would even be more rad.” 

- Kassia Meador

That Time in Delhi

Agra Fort, India

“No, tell me. I want to know how you felt about it.” You told me this while I was trying to tell you how hard it has been to tell my parents about this trip. You’re actually the first one who genuinely listened to all the fears I had to face before I made the big decision to quit my job and travel.

Thoughts on Burma, A Year After

Village Chief, Kalaw ot Inle Lake Trek

I saw this travel writing contest in the internet, the goal was to write about a place that inspires you to live life without regrets. And the first place that comes to mind is Burma. I wanted to go to Burma because I was curious to experience traveling in a country closed-off from the rest of the world – or as they say ‘where time stood still’, I wanted to see and explore the thousands of stupas and temples in Bagan, and see the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda. I did all of it, but traveling in Burma for almost three weeks was definitely more than this. The people and situation in Burma humbled me. Coming from a third world country, I’ve come to appreciate the sense of freedom despite mere resources (compared to the first world) I enjoy and how much I have been taking them for granted.

I wrote this piece having the theme and my experiences in mind, ready to send it to the website. Until I read the guidelines of the writing contest again and realized that I read it all wrong. So I decided to just share it here in my blog.

Calaguas Island : Beach Weekend and Travel Guide

Calaguas Island

“Aaaaaahhhhh!” our boatman screamed as we were about to tackle a big wave. After getting drenched from this big wave, I looked back at our boatman and saw him squatting and scooping water out of our small boat using a small can (or dipper). This was the first of the three times I saw him do it during our 2-hour boat ride going to Calaguas Island. And we were only about 20 minutes into the ride. Imagine how terrified I was during that looong boat ride (read here why). I was seriously checking my life vest (a poor one at that) so many times, thinking of ways on how I would survive if ever our boat topples over. That boat ride was torture for me.

But it was all worth it after seeing this – those different shades of blue and green, of the 1.2 km stretch of fine white sand of Calaguas Island.

Hsipaw : Sunflower Fields and A Glimpse of the Resistance

 early morning in Hsipaw

After spending three days trekking from Kalaw to Inle Lake, I knew I wanted to go on another trek. I wanted to spend more days in Burma’s countryside. Another famous trek in Burma is in Hsipaw.

Hsipaw, a town in the Shan state, is located further north of Inle Lake and Mandalay. One can take a bus or train from Mandalay, or a bus from Nyaungshwe if you’re coming from Inle Lake. It’s a relatively small town that sees fewer tourists than the other sites in the country. 

Langtang Trek : An Unplanned Trip and On Trekking with A Guide

beautiful landscape and peaks of the Langtang region

AN UNPLANNED TRIP

A denied visa application had me thinking of an alternative trip since I already had a flight out of Manila. And Nepal was on the top of the list. I only had a two-week leave so the trekking options were limited. It was only between going back to Annapurna (I did Annapurna Sanctuary back in 2011) or the Langtang Valley. I emailed Katie, a friend I met during the Annapurna trek, to ask about tips and trek details on Langtang. The first thing she told me was not to do it alone (in all caps, and she made me promise). She loves the trek and the region but unfortunately, over the last three years, 2 solo female trekkers have been found dead and one is still missing. A photo of the girl is still posted on one of the military posts on the trail. This even caused the government to impose a no-guide-no-trekking policy in Nepal in the latter of 2012, but it didn’t push through. (READ: But all other trekking regions are considered safe for solo independent female trekkers). I didn’t know if I was willing to pay extra for a guide, or if I wanted to trek with a guide. I just bought the ticket which was on sale and decided that I’ll figure it all out when I get to Nepal.

Langtang Trek in Nepal : Regaining Focus

happy trekker :)

I forced myself to eat lunch after making it to Kyanjin Gompa, the highest village in my 5-day trek in the Langtang region. At 3900 meters, this village sits on a valley surrounded by Himalayan peaks and glaciers. I knew my body needed all the energy it can get to last a day in this village. I could feel my lungs and heart making extra effort to keep my body to function properly. To acclimatize, I decided to walk around the village.

Baler, Aurora : The Second Time Around

that thing you love to do? do it often.

I woke up startled as I felt the bus turning a sharp curve. I looked out and saw the sun starting to rise. But felt so uncomfortable with how cold it was inside the bus. It seemed that the extra hundreds we paid for the Joy Bus express was going to be worth it with the time saved, given that this is going to be only a weekend trip to Aurora.

The last time I was in Aurora was a four-day spontaneous trip with the then-boyfriend. But we weren’t able to do anything or see anything due to a storm. We even moved to a more expensive hotel since it was the only one with a generator, while the whole town didn’t have any. I also remember not seeing any surfers during that time.

So when a friend from work asked if I wanted to join her on a trip to Aurora, I immediately said yes.

Relishing Solo Travel in Si Phan Don, Laos

lazy boats by the Mekong River in Si Phan Don, Laos

My own bungalow of USD5 is on the other end of Don Det, away from where the crowd and parties are. It’s still early in the night but I decided to just lay here in my hammock. The only sounds I hear are the faint music and laughter of the hippies back in King Kong, dogs barking, and my bungalow neighbour snoring in his own hammock.

Sarnath and Buddhism: A Peaceful Respite from Varanasi

the Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath, India

It’s been days with this flu or virus, or whatever it was that took over my energy and my voice. I feel mostly weak and so I sleep, but I feel so groggy the next day because of way too much sleep. I’d love to run but I couldn’t, and the monsoon season has been hovering in my country.

Given my normal job and the extra work I took for additional income for my travel fund, I feel like my mind has been loaded with too much numbers and excel files. Which I’m not complaining, by the way, because I love numbers and excel file, and of course the extra money. But also with this flu that’s been zapping my energy, I feel like I need to go into my creative side. I feel like I need to write.

And so I remember the time I felt so down during my travels, physically and emotionally. It was Varanasi, the one place I was so excited to see and experience. But it proved to be too much for me – the burning ceremonies by the ghats, the claustrophobic and confusing alleyways, the men who insistently follow you, the dirt and smell that didn’t use to bother me but were magnified during our stay in the holy city. And at the end of our third day there, I started to get sick. A stomach flu that slowly got me dehydrated, feverish, and weak.

Phnom Penh : Surviving and Healing

bracelets that people have left behind, 
probably to tell those who lay in the fields that people were there
and that they will always remember

My first trip in Cambodia was back in 2010 with a group of friends exploring the temples of Angkor Wat. I remember meeting Mr. Sam, our tour guide who was a survivor of the Khmer Rouge Occupation. He told us his stories of the Occupation and of the loved ones he’s lost. I remember trying to stop, or at least hide, my tears as he told us his tragic and inspiring story. On our last day in Siem Reap, he took us to a Buddhist monastery where skulls and bones of the victims were put into a memorial. I told myself that someday I would have to visit Phnom Penh and maybe have the courage to visit the other memorials.

Love With A Chance of Drowning : A Partial Book Review

Dear Torre (and Ivan),

My kindle e-reader says 80%. I’m almost finished with your book Love with A Chance of Drowning. I can go and finish the remaining 20% before writing this to you, but I feel like I need to do it now.

Mt. Pinatubo Trek

*Trek was done back in 2010.

The volcano that changed my life.

Something Random : On Looking at the Bigger Picture

*This is not travel related. Just some random thoughts. I've been feeling down the past few weeks until this. Maybe you are too, maybe this can help you too, in a way at least. ;)

Remember when I said that nothing is permanent? Both the good and the bad? 

Lately this mantra of mine hasn’t been working. A message and a forgotten reminder on my phone kind of caught me off guard, and threw me off balance. Again. I was reminded of the days when pain overpowered me. I was reminded of a side of me that I never knew existed. 

The Cordilleras : On the Joys of Trekking, New Ink, and Meeting Fang-Od

rice terraces nearing the village in Buscalan

There was the famous Chico River and the lower Cordilleras. Taking a photo of it was a bit challenging given that we're seated on top of the jeepney. Yes, we wanted to start this 4-day adventure the right way - by toploading! After a 12-hour night bus from Manila, our Cordilleras adventure started in Tabuk, Kalinga. It was going to be a 3-hour jeepney ride to Tinglayan to meet Kuya Francis Pain, our guide for Buscalan, .

A Walk Through the Streets of Kathmandu : Durbar Square

one of the palaces in Durbar Square

We had a few days left in Nepal before we made our way back to Southeast Asia. I was getting used to my daily routine in Thamel – waking up at around 9am; having breakfast under the morning sun at Hot Breads’ rooftop where the crew already knew my name, walking around the streets of Thamel, writing, reading more books, sometimes having a night out with my friend, Paul, or meeting our German friends from the trek. This happened for almost a week straight. So when Paul asked me to see the Durbar Square, I initially said no. I was just way too lazy and comfortable to even walk around just a few blocks. Yes, I was that lazy. But eventually, Paul was able to convince me. And I’m glad he did.