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.