Boracay with Lugawmates

Mag-lugaw. It's the act of not doing anything or more apt, the act of not doing what you're supposed to do.

They say that this use of term originated from merchandisers/refillers who in their breaktime eat lugaw. Until the term 'naglulugaw' eventually evolve to a slang conveying 'not doing work'.

Lugawmates-- ex-colleagues slash great friends, who have mastered the art of 'lugaw'. An unlikely group coming from various parts of the country, brought together by work circumstances, glued by the same firey passion and ironically equally chill disposition.

The idea if Boracay sprung about from one of those lugaw email threads.
I don't remember whose idea was it, next thing I knew, I was booking online tickets for some of us.

Then the Boracay weekend came. True to our name, lugaw was what we did. With no definite objective or itinerary (we didn't even had reserved accommodations that morning of our trip) , we set foot to the island of Boracay.

But things unfold rather positively (despite the flight delays going to and from Kalibo) .

Free accommodation in Casa Pilar, courtesy of Baby's mom :)
Proposal story of Baby and Remus over cocktails.

A refreshing half day in Shangri-La Resort and Spa .

A bit of Swimming,
A lot of Lounging and People Watching.

And just chilling is quite cheap. I spent only about P2700 for the trip plus the P3000 roundtrip plane fare.

The art of just chilling are lugaw moments at its best. :)

Dive or Surf

I've been asked by a friend...
Friend: What do you love more, Diving or Surfing?
Nel: Hmmmm... If I were a guy, Diving is like my wife. It's first love. Surfing is like my mistress, it brings the thrill.
Friend: Bakit, di ba pwedeng magka-mistress ang girl...Mister-ess?

Travel Buddies

Travel--a passion I have ever since I can remember, a passion shared with a lot of people, and an aspiration for many others.

For those who share this passion and aspiration, keep traveling. Travel wide and deep. And keep in mind that traveling, most if not all of the time, is a shared experience.

It is not just where you go but who you are with that makes traveling memorable and enriching. Traveling does not only allows us to discover places and cultures, but it leads to further discovery of oneself and of others.

And with that, I urge you to travel with different groups of people, and in moments, travel solo.

Travel with your family. Even if you're all grownups, travel with your parents and siblings. It breaks monotony from your daily home lives. It may be the most stressful travel you may have, but surpassed the stress, the memories are more meaningful.

Travel with your best friends. With them, you can be just as you are, with zero inhibitions. They know your ins and outs, strengths and weaknesses, and every mood swings. Traveling with them is like a long sleep over -- non-stop teasing, joking, and laughing. But beyond the bickering and laughter are strokes of deep conversations rooted from real caring.

Travel with friends of friends. There's a certain thrill and excitement in meeting people with common interests and sharing the same experience with them. In tag- along trips, you grow your circle, you meet acquaintances and cultivate friendships.

Travel Solo. It requires a whole lot of courage to travel alone, but this can be the most enriching travel experience one can have. In moments of solitude, introspection happens. In introspection, a better understanding of yourself and of God.

But again, no one walks alone. In the course of solo travels, you meet people along the way, people from different walks of life, from different states of being, with different levels of life experiences. And as you cross paths, from those single-served chitchats to long-engaging conversations over meals and drinks, you're sharing a part of yourself and receiving a part of theirs.

In solo travel, there is always a sense of solitude and community. You are one but one with others.

To my fellow wanderers, and to aspiring travelers, just keep exploring. Visit new places and meet new faces.
Travel and be one with the world.

Seoul, South Korea

Date trip: July 1, 2011

Our bus from Busan to Seoul arrived earlier than expected. By 4AM we set foot on South Korea's capital. Still sleepy and tired from yesterday's long day walk, we were zombies walking aimlessly on the streets of Seoul before sunrise.

Our original plan was to go to the Floating Island and wait for the sunrise. But since a typhoon hit Seoul a couple of days before and had been raining continuously until we got there, we were informed by the grocery man in the bus station that the Floating Island is flooded and advised us not to go.

So we walked towards nowhere until it led us to another bus/train station where we rested until sunrise. By morning, we circled the block looking for a Western place to eat but with no avail. We hailed a cab and asked the driver to drop us at McDonalds. Our first meal in Seoul--Bacon Mc Muffin, hashbrown, and pancakes.

Then we traveled our way Suwon, outside Seoul to see Hwaseong Fortress. After an hour or so of travel, 2 train rides and a cab ride, we arrived at Suwon, Gyeonggi-do.

The cab driver dropped us off in a touristy destination which looks like a small royal palace. We paid the entrance fee, went inside, and saw, well nothing. There was a shoot ongoing and we were hushed off. We went back to the ticket station and asked where the Fortress is and were told that it's about 5km hike from where we are. That would take us an hour or so by foot to get there. So will we proceed? Well, we traveled all the way here so why not? We're willing to walk in Seoul (except for Anna B). :)

So we hiked for about 200m. Then we were exhausted. Good thing there was another tourist stop slash ticket office for the Hwaseong Trolley. Hwaseong Trolley is a tourist train that travels along part of the perimeter of the Fortress.It's firey red and its front shaped like a fierce dragon's head. For me it looks like a fun choochoo train. And since we're more willing to pay than willing to walk in Korea, we rode the 30-minute dragon-trolly ride.

Suwon Trolley

The tour ended (if I'm not mistaken) in the western side of Suwon fortress. More touristy photo ops, and we proceeded back to the station. We had an unexpected stop in a mall where we spent considerable amount of time shopping in Uniqlo and Longchamp. Then had lunch in Lotteria, a local fastfood chain.

Then we traveled back to the city of Seoul via train. Our next stop was the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul's royal palace. We witnessed the ceremonious changing of the guards outside the palace gate. Then, we went inside the palace and listed ourselves to borrow Korea's national costume.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Changing of the guards

So there we were, 5 grown-ups playing dress-up. And mind you, there was a little squabble who gets what costume. In the end, Anna, Aisa, and Cali were dressed up as Maidens, while Apple and I were dressed like Royal Guards. Royal Guards who look more like Hobbits than Royal Guards.

After touring the Royal Palace, we went to Myeongdong Shopping district to well, shop. And yes, we shopped. :)

Our last stop for the night was Seoul Tower. What makes this spot special was on the railings are millions of padlocks with special messages. This is where lovers and friends symbolically lock their love and friendship. Some couples lock their lips after putting their padlocks, and we can't help but cheer, quietly though, "lips to lips. lips to lips" while giggling like little school girls. Mature, I know. :)

We ourselves, the Magic 7, put a padlock with a love note on a heart-shaped rubber pad. Today we lock and celebrate our 15 years and counting of friendship. We're friends more than half our lives now and will be friends for the rest of our lives.

19 waking hours. 5 friends. 1 amazing city.

Flights

Everytime I fly I always request for a window seat. I'd love to stare by the window and take photos of the view. I probably got hundreds of photos of sea of clouds, airplane wings, miniature buildings, rivers and mountains, ports and seas, etc etc, but by far this is my favorite...



Mayon Volcano, October 4, 2010



Taken during trip to Legaspi for 2010 Marketing Advance in Misibis Bay.





Busan, South Korea

July 1, 2011

This trip is probably one of the most special and memorable travels I have this year. It is the first out of the country trip with my highschool barkada, perhaps in a way celebrating our 15 years of friendship. Also, this is the first time we will be meeting baby Leila, Aisa's adorable little girl.

For the first leg of our trip, we explored Busan in a borrowed luxury Sedan (thank you Law's boss).  Busan, located in the southeast tip of Korean peninsula,  is South Korea's second largest city after Seoul, and the country's  port capital.

Our first destination is Haedong Yongungsa Temple. This Buddhist temple was built in 1376. Unlike most temples in South Korea (or perhaps the world), Haedong Yongungsa Temple is located not in the mountains, but on a cliff along the coast.   A temple standing on a rock along sea, with waves crashing against the rock provides an awesome view and background for our photoshoot.

We travelled to Haeundae, an upscale touristy city with lots of hotels and high-end condominiums. This is home to majority of expats currently residing in Busan.

We had our lunch in a small family restaurant in Haeundae. Since this is our first authentic Korean meal (last night we had Bonchon-like chicken and Korean instant noodles), we ordered almost everything in the menu--maki roll, Bibimbop, Beef Stew with glass noodles, Spicy Beef Stew with Rice, Spicy Beef Stew with Octopus and rice.

After lunch, we strolled along  Haendae Beach, one of the most popular beaches in South Korea. This beach is popular among  locals and is the venue of the various cultural events and festivities. During summer, the beach is literally filled with hundreds of thousands of guests.  Luckily during our visit, the beach was not that crowded.

We walked towards Dongbaek Island, south of Haeundae beach. Dongbaek, popular site for line fishing, was a separate island long before, but years and years of accumulation of sand and earth, a land bridge was formed connecting Dongbaek to the main land. 

Fishing by the cliff

The Mermaid

Dongbaek garden is lush with camellia and pine trees. It's relatively cooler here amidst the humid sea breeze. We strolled along Dongbaek Garden taking photos along the way.

Hanging Bridge in Dongbaek Garden

The Lighthouse

At the peak of Dongbaek lies Nurimaru APEC House, the venue of 2005 APEC Summit. In Korean, Nuri means "world" and Maru means "summit".

APEC House

Inside the APEC House

We headed back home, rested for a while, and went out for dinner in what they call "The Tent". Here we had Korean Pork Barbecue and Soju--a Korean alcoholic drink made from rice which tastes like a sweeter/lighter version of vodka or gin. During dinner, Aisa crashed coursed us with the basics of Korean meal manners--how to wrap a Korean barbecue, how to pour Soju etc etc.

After dinner, we headed back home, prepared ourselves and our stuff for our midnight trip to Seoul.
It's going to be an exciting long day ahead. :)

Gone for the Weekend: Sumnanga, Sabtang (Little Hongkong of Batanes)

Gone for the Weekend: Sumnanga, Sabtang (Little Hongkong of Batanes)

Travel Mapping

My goal: to make all the white spots blue! (Go Ateneo! hehe)


My Lakbayan grade is B!
How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Created by Eugene Villar.

Palaui Island, Sta. Ana, Cagayan

This trip almost didn't happen. 
Our plan was to leave 7PM, Friday via Victory Liner. Unfortunately, buses were full and next available trip was at 10:30. Given we only have the weekend, and that travel time to Cagayan will be at least 12 hours long, we knew that the 1030 trip is not worth it to take.

For a moment there, we were lost. We were travellers without a destination. Gica and I were in the center of Cubao, all geared up but with no place to go.

We considered going to La Union, or Vigan, or Baler. Anywhere with a beach!
Good thing Kathryn and Jeff were able to secure 9PM tickets from Baliwag Bus. We were at the very back of the bus but at least we're on our way.

After 12 hours of gruelling, bouncy bus ride, we arrived Tuguegarao. We had a quick breakfast in a carinderia near the terminal, and then rode a van to Sta Ana, the farthest town in Cagayan.

Another 3 hours of travel, we finally arrive the town of Sta. Ana. We checked in at Country Inn by the Sea, a newly constructed inn. We got a Family Room with 5 beds for P2500. The place is clean, quaint, and its staff, very friendly.

Country Inn by the Sea, Sta Ana, Cagayan

We freshened up, ordered sandwiches, and we rented a boat going to Palaui Island. Boat rental cost P2500.

45 minutes of boatride, we arrived at the beautiful Palaui Island. 
It's topography reminds me so much of Batanes.

Palaui Island

  



Cape Engano



Tres Marias- Dos Hermanas



Our guide Maya led us to see the hidden waterfalls. Walking along the trail is like walking in the Forbidden Forest in  Lord of the Rings. You can feel how enchanted the place is. 

Hidden Waterfalls

We headed back just in time for the sunset.

Sunset view by our balcony

The next morning, we toured the town of Sta Ana, complementary of Tita Audrey--the owner of Country Inn.

San Vicente Port

Tour boats waiting

 

Last Kilometer Marking in North Luzon

By 9AM, 18 hours after we set foot on the tip of Cagayan, we leave the place with memories, both beautiful and enchanting.

I may have taken a lot of trips in my life, but this one, I'm sure I will never forget.