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