So much for normalcy.

The past week has been a huge metamorphosis and two things happened that will surely shape up the things to come. I finally bid adieu to my only sibling who left the Philippines for good. It was an emotion-filled day at the airport, and the almost-palpable sadness was a little too much to handle. I planned to be all rock star and not shed a tear, but as soon as I saw her getting teary-eyed, I cried like a baby. Days after that, I found out that I'm sick, and though it's not life-threatening as it is, it would require me to be on meds for God knows how long. I haven't fully recuperated from the fact my sister wouldn't be a bus ride away anymore, and now another of Life's bitter pill. And this pretty much squeezes out any positivity left in me. My life seems to be perpetually hounded by tragedies, and sometimes I wish I could have a blissfully normal 28-year old life where boys, buds and wardrobe are the only things that occupy my thoughts.

I'm not in a really good place right now. In this pit of uncertainties, changes, and adjustments that overwhelms me, I was inspired to create a playlist and the songs I've chosen best represents how I feel. Music is where I find healing and it's where I find hope.

More From Paradise.

If you're in for an awesome and frenzied escape, then Puerto Galera couldn't be more fitting. It's a quest of every thrill-seekin' soul to find a place like this. And even though I've seen it a couple of times before, I still can't find the perfect words to earnestly describe how mind-blowingly beautiful it looks over there. Galera has a certain pull on me, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of braving the harsh seas just to see it. Must be the serenity, or the overly-enthusiastic locals... But then again it could be the 'hakuna matata' feeling dawning each time my foot hits that cool sand. It's dangerously addicting, I can't help but yearn for another visit.

On our 2nd day in Galera, rain blasted the entire island soaking everything. But luck prevailed and the rain veered away shortly after lunch.



When the sun finally showed up, we all excitedly ran towards the beach, eagerly trying to feel that damp sand against our bare feet. And while everyone's raving about making a sand castle, my attention drifted to a familiar green bottle slightly buried in the sand. We all know the multitude of Koreans flocking to this location - some getting piss drunk not with local beers but with Soju. I haven't fully grasped Korean's love for their country till I saw this.


The rain made everyone antsy for an adventure, so after lunch we rented a boat that took us on an island-hopping tour.


Here are some of the cool sights we saw along the way.

The boat stopped at a spot where the water looked more emerald than blue. Then we all donned snorkelling attires and plunged into the water. We spent a good three hours swimming, feeding fishes, and exploring the corals below. Here's how that special spot looks like.

We were all exhausted from swimming, so when the boat took us to an isolated beach to rest, we couldn't be happier. We rushed to get a good shady spot to relax and ate the sandwiches my Mom brought along.

I'm the type of person who is always trying to find something to outdo the last adventure, but somehow I knew it's gonna be hard to top this amazing experience...

Bring On The Heat!

Summer conjures images of all-night partying, water sports, chilled beer on the beach, and skimpy attire for the metabolically blessed. Though it's still two months away and we're barely feeling the need for AC, my family didn't think twice to hit the beach and get that early dose of summer fun we so desperately need.

We came to Puerto Galera with only one thing in our head; that is to subject ourselves to all the fun the beach and the glorious tropical climate could offer. We left at the crack of dawn and drove to Batangas Pier, and there we took a ferry that brought us to the Island. The weather was perfect then, but the sea was far from calm. Waves came crashing to the boat and soaked our bags in the process. After a grueling hour of turbulent seas and strong gust of winds, it became better and we could all manage to smile again.


I could tell people were in awe at the first sight of land. When the boat docked, we all let out gasps of appreciation.

And here's a first glimpse of the place they call "White Beach".

It was still early when we arrived, and most people were still in slumber, or better yet, nursing a hangover.


We got two rooms at Mindorinne Oriental; a resort that takes pride on it's spectacular beach front scenery, coconut trees, and cute little balconies.

We had a quick lunch at one of of their alfresco-style restaurants with the beach in full view. We spent the rest of the afternoon putting sunscreen, working on our tan, and taking long walks by the beach. Here's how a lazy afternoon in Galera looks like.

We are all under the spell of this place. The days seem endless and the nights are filled with so many fun things to do. We spent our first night in Galera doing beer shots and listening to reggae music - a genre even my mom could appreciate.

Although the sound of the waves crashing and beer being popped open has dissipated, the calming insouciance only a beach could bring still remains. I hope you all stick around for the next installment. You'll see more of Galera that'll get your head somersaulting in a fine frenzy!

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.