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.