Scale New Heights, Defy Limits, and Chase the Stars.

We have such a big world out there to discover, and crossing seas and boundaries is life's vibrant interpretation of learning. I think it's every person's innocuous duty to see more of the world, and be fascinated by it's beauty and marvels. Not only does it excite your senses, gets your heart racing and your neurons sparking, but it also makes you appreciate life even more. This post marks the end of my Thailand travelogue, and here you'll see the things that impacted me the most, as well as the things that gave the lasting impression.

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With so many good places in Thailand, you'll never run out of things to see: from majestic mountains, to rolling hills, to cascading waterfalls, down to the fine beaches. But I do come from a country with a similar climate, and those are the things that I also get to enjoy back home. That's why I chose to experience temples, because nothing lets you travel back to time and give you that 'old-world' mystical feel than visiting a temple. Buddhism is the bare bones of Thai culture and it's principle lies in the teachings of Buddhism faith. There are over 30,000 temples in Thailand, some of which they consider as Royal temples and most are just common ones. Nonetheless, all are sacred and visitors are expected to be in their best behaviour. The most intriguing Buddha images I've seen from my travel are so sacred visitors are not allowed to touch or take pictures of it. Below are stunning centuries-old Buddha images I was able to see up close.

A temple is more than just a sacred place of worship. It also houses an ornament of remarkable murals, ancient artifacts, artworks, and statues. Below are the things that caught my attention. They are so intricate that even the most discriminating art enthusiasts will be bowled-over after seeing it.

There is also a preponderance of pagodas and conical towers. It's covered in highly-ornate mosaics and other intricate details.

There are no words to surmise how much I enjoyed this trip. I learned a decade-worth of history, feasted my eyes on amazing artworks, and marveled at spectacular sceneries that gave me a bigger appreciation for life. I hope you all enjoyed the tour!

At Sundown.

Bangkok proved to be a difficult feat. It involves a lot of agonizing long walks that felt more like running a marathon rather than walking. Although there are plenty of buses, taxis, and "tuk-tuk" (the ubiquitous tricycle taxi we all know of), you still need to walk for long hours, more so, if you're on a tight budget. On the days when I didn't have to strain my leg muscles, I'd say it was pure bliss as I got to appreciate the surroundings more.

Bangkok is known for it's canals and rivers - they sometimes call this place Venice of Asia. During my stay, I found out that taking a boat is the best way to discover many wonderful places, but it's not as easy as what it seems to be. As warped as it sounds, their boat system is as complicated as a subway's. There are color coded flags, complicated pricing, and many piers and different platforms. But once you get a grip of their labyrinth system, you'll see it's the most comfortable way to get around. I enjoyed the ride as it also showed a different side of Thailand - something you don't usually get see in travel books and catalogues.








And here's where it took me. They call this place "Wat Arun" - Temple of the Dawn. It's a Khmer-style tower surrounded by 4 smaller ones. It looks really good from across the river when you could see the magnificent structures in full view. The climb to get to the top is verrry steep, but it's a great way to get a bird's eye view of the city. It got dark as soon as I reached the top so I didn't get good pictures. Just to give you guys an idea, you could see the city's skyline, the villages, and the Grand Palace. But expect a throbbing leg pain after as a result.

As night time falls, the beauty and splendor of the place doesn't fall short. It is as equally beautiful as it is during daytime. Here's how I capped my 2nd day in Bangkok.

A Thousand Mile Journey

Travelling is gratifying - there's no doubt about that. You let yourself loose and be surrounded by all these beautiful sights that make your heart flutter and your eyes light up like a 100-megawatt bulb. But what makes a country worth the thousand mile journey? Is it the killer scenery, the famous post-card pretty landmark, or the amiable people? If you desire all of that and more, Thailand will not disappoint. If I were to describe it I'd say it's a living, breathing expression of art, religion, history, and culture in motion. The savory cuisine and the unspoiled nature are just an added bonus to the magical journey.

I relish having to discover all the marvels and thrills of this trip. Every minute of it is a fantasy came true. It's such a rewarding experience that it would be a sin not to share it with everyone.

In this travelogue, I'm gonna take you all for a spin. You'll get to see some of Thailand's amazing sights that'll put you at the edge of your seat and get your thoughts racing. See if you can resist the urge to start your own thousand mile journey!

Bang-for-the-measly-buck.

This year, I've committed myself to doing more things in life, and that being said, I'm gonna kick up this year's list of must-do's by indulging in my ultimate guilty pleasure... I'm heading to Thailand for a few day fun-in-the-sun, and my head goes into a dizzying spin thinking about all the fun things I could do there!

It hasn't been a month since I left the country to visit Japan, and here I am, dusting my battered luggage again for another ride. I didn't plan this trip though, so I need to be at my stingiest, penny-pinching self. That means I'm gonna have to stay away for shopping as much as I can, away from swanky beach resorts and heavenly massages. But even with all those sacrifices, I think this trip is gonna be just great. To start off, I got a really sweet deal from the airline. They'll let me fly sans the meal for half the price! I don't have a problem with that considering I'm willing to sit in the cargo section for the same price anyway!

I'm glad I've come to an age where I can cast off pretensions and just relish this fascination. I think if certain things make you happy, then by all means, go ahead and do it - no matter what other people say. Without it, life would just be sooo uneventful right?

Battered Dreams.

I heard about the devastating earthquake in Haiti that left behind a trail of untold destruction and shattered hopes. My heart goes out to the people. Looking at the heart wrenching photos post the earthquake send chills to my spine. It brings back sad memories of the past when Baguio was hit by a similarly devastating earthquake, and our ancestral house that was built near a cliff perished along with the beautiful memories of my grandparents when they were still alive.

I pray that despite the gloom around, selfishness would be thrown out of the
window and the human spirit will be lighted anew with it's capacity to help those who are in need.

Nature-tripping.

Whenever I wish to take a respite from all the absurdities of the real world, all I do is read my old posts again. It lets me travel back to the good 'ol times, bringing back all the thrills, the spine-tingling chills, and the churning jumble of emotion I felt in between! I love how it floods me with positive thoughts after, it helps me get through life's sucker punches.

To add to my gazillion of wonderful experiences immortalized here in my blog, I'm going to feature a place where one could find solitude and commune with nature. They call this place La Mesa Eco Park, and it's located right by the La Mesa Watershed in East Fairview. We came in at a time when people are still enjoying their vacation in the most far-flung provinces so the journey then was a breeze. No traffic whatsoever, it only took us an hour to get there.

It doesn't get greener anywhere else in the city than this place.

Pondahan (whatever that means) is the place where your get your tickets to ride a boat.

La Mesa Eco Park is a true haven for the outdoorsy and the nature-lovin people. There's a wide variety of activities you could do there like wall-climbing, zip lining, biking and stuff. You could even play a game of paintball if you come in groups. But among the activities you could do there, I find the boating experience the most enthralling.

Around lunchtime, we chose a grassy spot under the shade of a tree to lay our mat, and ate the yummy treats we brought from home. Most people choose to stay on the picnic grounds where huts provide a more comfortable place to rest



Just by looking at the the clear blue sky, you could feel a sense of peace and tranquility permeating the air.

The place in all it's tropical splendor, gives visitors a new appreciation for nature.

Be sure not to miss the hiking trail while you're there. Nothing beats the lulling sound of the trees swaying from the wind, with birds chirping and butterflies fluttering to cap off your simple-yet-amazing nature-tripping escapade.

Of One Childish Rendezvous.

I know I haven't been writing posts about Korea lately (might as well change my blog description for that matter^^). But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Korea at all, and for sure, I'm gonna be posting more about it later. For now, expect to read a couple of entries about the places I visited around here. Well, they are all pretty interesting and deserve to have a space here in my blog.

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Imagine a whole year of looming deadlines, cram-jam time, sudden mishaps, and being around stress-inducing obnoxious people. All the negative vibe that comes with it could really take a toll on any baby-faced and wrinkle-free soul. That's why holidays were created, and it's there for a reason. It's not supposed to just come and go, I say we should all make the most out of it (I'm still very much in the holiday spirit, expect it to sizzle down right after the 'Three Kings' is over ^^;). It would be utterly nice if we could take a mini-break from reality and sort of immerse in the positivity it brings. I know a place to go where you could do just that.

I treated my whole family for a day at Manila Ocean Park. Ok I know it's cheesy and childish, and a trip to an Oceanarium isn't really an ideal thing to do. But my family enjoy doing this sort of thing you know, like visiting a place where we could all feel like a child again.

I've been to an Oceanarium thrice before. My first time was in Hong Kong Ocean Park a few years back and it was the most memorable. Manila Ocean Park was my fourth visit to a place with the same theme so I thought I've seen it all. But it also feels different this time because I was with my family. I felt their excitement as they ogle at different marine creatures they haven't seen before. What amused me the most were the mermaids who swam ever so gracefully, in sync with the 'Disney-ish' kind of music.

And she's my favorite.. She's the prettiest of them all. Look how she gamely poses for the camera, and how photogenic she is even underwater.

Here are some of the things you could see at the Park; amazing multi-colored corals that seem to glow.

Some giant clams..

And odd-looking fishes worthy to be featured on National Geographic.

Giant turtles lurking in every corner...

And huge stingrays that swam with the mermaids. Something tells me they shouldn't do so, it's stupid I know but it reminds me of Steve Irwin's death.. It's probably a different kind of stingray that killed him. Nobody wants to put those pretty mermaids in danger right?

Here's how the rest of the Ocean Park looks like at night.

We ended the night with an all-you-can-eat feast at our favorite buffet restaurant. It's amazing how the night stretches on. There were just too many things to talk about, too many jokes to laugh at, and too many fond memories to look back. We only realized it's time to go when the staff started turning off the lights!

A Time To Reflect.

I sometimes can't believe how time seems to fly, and how everything seems to pass in a blur. In a whiff 2009 has ended, and now I'm hanging a crisp, new calendar with hopes that the new year would be as equally colorful, if not better.

'Colorful' is the best way to describe the past year. I commemorated important milestones, reunited with long-lost friends, patched things up with my family, rekindled old hobbies, and welcomed monumental changes that permeated every aspect of my life.

And as for my greatest passion that is travelling, 2009 has indeed took me for a spin and it was one hell of a ride! I was able to visit so many good places, saw myriad of beautiful sights, and got to experience things I could only dream of as a kid. It's so nice to look back and relive all the fun and bittersweet memories of the 178 posts I made that year.

This year I dream of doing more things in life - to visit more places, to meet more people, and to achieve more things that'll make me proud. 2010 is gonna be a great year, and wherever it takes me, I'm sure I'll always be pleasantly surprised.

Fresh From The Holiday Hiatus.

The two most important holidays of the year has just ended, and I'm absolutely elated to have celebrated it with 3 of my strongest passions: family, friends, and food!

This year, our family wanted to do something we haven't done for Christmas. We agreed to skip the standard Noche Buena Dinner at home, and instead, we all stayed in a family suite at Astoria Plaza. I was in charge of the hotel, and getting a room on Christmas Eve proved to be a very difficult task!

The room's motif of white and blue is a refreshing take on the classic wallpapered and heavy curtained rooms we're all familiar of. The floor-to-ceiling glass that gives a good view of the sprawling city was a plus I didn't expect, and it's awfully pretty especially at night.




So we're all gathered in this cute little spot away from home, and the only thing missing is the food right? Well, to complete the whole Christmas experience, Mom packed some Buko Salad, Leche Flan, and her signature Roast Beef in disposable plastic containers. Sis came with her Pesto Pasta and Grilled Prawns. Both tasted awful, but I commend her effort ^^. While waiting for midnight, we watched "Romeo and Juliet", then we exchanged gifts and greeted each other "Merry Christmas". I recieved a chocolate body scrub gift that smells good enough to eat! The next day, we all went to hit the Buffet for some nice, familiar comfort food. Look, they even got Kimchi!

For New Years Eve, I went to Eastwood City with two of my best buds for the 2010 countdown. We came 20 minutes early, and it was already jampacked with people. We were far from the stage so we didn't get to see the performers, but we had the best view of the whole place with the lights and everything. When the countdown began, people were in a state of frenzy, jumping and shouting and laughing altogether! The amazing fireworks generated even more shrieks and 'wows' from the crowd. It was unbelievable having to jumpstart the New Year like that. I didn't get a video of my own, but I found one from rachellelorene on Youtube. Do click it to get a glimpse of the kick ass New Year celebration.

Holidays like these are indeed the perfect time to bond with the people you love the most. I've learned that being around them is enough to restore the energy I need to face all the stress and hardships of the coming year. And sometimes it pays to think out of the box and do things outside tradition. It can be super fun as long as you're with the people that matter the most. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays as much as I did!