6 Places to Have a Photoshoot in Intramuros, Manila

There are only 6 venues available for photoshoot in Intramuros.  That's a few knowing that there are plenty of photoshoot-worthy areas.  And if that's not bad news, you can only choose at most 3 of the 6 .   Yes, 3 places to go around in 4 hours, some places situated far from each other.  If you think of it, 4 hours is not enough.  So to make your photoshoot worth it, it's best to pick the best locations and wrap things up fast.

Sample map of Intramuros.  (Not the one given to you with the permit.)

Here are a list of the 6 venues, so choose wisely. :)

1. Casa Manila Patio

Guwardiya sibil guarding the patio

2. Puerta Real Gardens

Bougainvillea draping down a patio in Puerto Real Gardens

3. Baluarte de San Andres

Old building in Baluarte de San Andres

4. Baluarte de Dilao

5. Baluarte de San Diego Gardens

Remnants of the building

6. Plaza Moriones/Fort Santiago Gate

Fort Santiago Gate 

Publisher: Shy - Sunday, October 02, 2016

5 Bisaya Phrases You Might Want To Learn When Traveling to the South

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I feel that it's important to just share to you some Bisaya phrases that could be useful for any travelers who want to travel a Bisaya-speaking destination.  This need, I noticed when my Tagalog-speaking brother-in-law had a business trip in Cebu.  He coyly mentioned that he was able to go around the city, thanks to my sister who taught her a few bisaya lines.

''Dili para", he said.

Me my sister and brother bursted out laughing.  The 3 of us knew that it means the opposite of what he was trying to say, since ''dili' in Bisaya is no or don't.

For Tagalog-speaking individuals, don't fret because Bisaya people can understand Tagalog, of course.  It's just that maybe sometimes you would like to speak their language out of the fun of it.

So here are 5 phrases that for me, a Davao-bred and raised filipino, think are important.

1. Lugar lang.  For tagalog, it translates to 'Para lang'

 It means that you want to be dropped off.  It's very useful when riding a jeepney.

2.  Pila ni means how much is this

I think it's very important when you're doing souvenir shopping.

3.  Day/Miga (younger lady), Dong/Migo (younger boy), Nang (older lady), Nong (older man), La (elderly lady), Tay/Lo (elderly man)

In the Tagalog region, people address each other by ate/kuya  for younger or maám/sir for older female and male, Nay (elderly lady), Tay (elderly man).   You might feel the need to use these references especially when talking to locals.  Like I said, it's not needed.  But at least you know just in case you feel like using them.

4. Asa ang ---? which means where is ----?  

If you're lost or you want direction you can use the phrase.

5. Maayong buntag (good morning), Maayong udto (good afternoon), maayong gabii (good evening)

These phrases are important if you want to greet a local, or your hotel's receptionist or anyone and start a friendly conversation with them or even just drop them this greeting is enough to make them smile and make you feel good.

Publisher: Shy - Saturday, August 27, 2016

6 Filipino Food Foreigners Need To Try

Now if you're ever new to the country, one goal of every traveler is to look into the culture and one good way to do that is through food.  So any traveler would want to try out local delicacies that one cannot find in other places.

If you're new in the Philippines, here are some few local delicacies which you might want to try.  And just like some other delicacies, require acquired taste, but some might just suit your palate.  So here is the list of some filipino dishes I would recommend any foreigner to try.

6 Must-try Filipino Food

1. Adobo

This is the quintessential filipino home dish.  This is the pad thai to Thais, the hotdogs in America, the nabe in Japan.  Now I might not be accurate but I hope you got the point.  Why it won the top spot is that it's not only delicious it is also really easy to make.  This adobo recipe has been around long time ago, and this is the type of filipino food that always almost going to get finished first.

Adobo

2.  Bulad

This is the meal counterpart of durian.  When you prepare it, it smells awful, to some, but for filipinos it's a pleasant smell.  You can never go wrong with bulad and suka, vinegar with lots of garlic and rice.

Bulad

3.  Kare kare

Pork, peanut butter, naming some of the ingredients, it is not a surprised that this is easily a hearty-meal for those who want to indulge in something delightful and sinful at the same time.  Unlike the 2 items above, this one is served in a more special occasion.  So whenever there's kare-kare served, I'm sure many filipinos would take the chance of tasting something they don't get to eat everyday.

Kare kare

4. Kakanin

Kakanin is a collective term for desserts that's base in rice flour.  It's sticky colorful and it is great to eat especially for merienda or snack.

Kakanin

5.  Balot

This is not for the faint-hearted.  Not all filipinos love this but this has become a very popular late night snack especially for drinkers.  What it is is, it's a duck egg several weeks before it reaches maturation.  There are options which you can choose.  For me, I usually go for the eggs with no fetus inside, but for the weird few they'd go for the bigger fetus.  Taste-wise it's not really bad, but what freaks people out is the texture.  Go figure.

Balot

6. Tapsilog

Short for tapa, sinangag at itlog which means, fried marinated beef, fried rice and fried sunny side up egg.  And you by now,  filipinos love our fried food which goes to show that filipinos aren't the healthiest eaters out there.

Tapsilog

Publisher: Shy - Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Foreigners Edition: How To Be A Volunteer in the Philippines for FREE or for a Very Affordable Price

Volunteer in the Philippines

I've been researching on how I could volunteer in Nepal and Vietnam and it pains me to see that some if not most of the NGO's charge a certain amount of money.  Some are quite expensive, and some are reasonably cheap.  I'm wondering if some foreigners are also interested in doing the same here in my country.  Judging from what I have seen in NGO websites, I'm sure there are interested as well.  From what I know, anyone can freely volunteer here.  You just have to inform the NGO ahead of time.  Some of them would ask you to undergo an orientation so if you're staying a bit longer, do take the time to join the orientation.  If there are any dues involve it would just be really small, say P50 to P250.  The rest of donations would really be up to you.  Bring stuff in kind or bring money, what matters most is your presence and how you could share your time in making a difference in other people's lives.

Here are some NGO's that you could volunteer for free or for a very minimal charge.

1.  iVolunteer - This is a volunteer hub where you could choose from various NGOs.  They have lists of scheduled events, so you could check which one speaks to you the most.

2. Nursing Homes - If caring for the elderly is what you seek, then you could access a list of nursing homes and contact them so you could set an appointment or orientation of some sort.

3.  Orphanage -  This one is a hit for some volunteers.  Activities included are feeding, teaching, and playing games with orphaned or abandoned children.  Most of these orphanages are connected to Department of Social Welfare and Development.  Orientations are given by a trained staff.  Try contacting them for any inquiries.

4. NGO's for environment - Volunteer activities aren't held often as the previous items on the list.  They usually ask volunteers as needed and you have to undergo training which don't happen as often too.  So if you think of staying in the Philippines longer, then go ahead and sign up.  Make sure that you'll know the dates for registration and for training.

5. For Animals - I only knows PAWS which task in helping abandoned dogs and cats, and giving them a shelter and food and practically a safe place for them to stay.  The animals here are all on standby for adoption.  Again they have a scheduled orientation so make sure you check it.  Just a heads up, they'll be having an orientation on the 16th of August 2016 so make sure you get in touch with them and block your calendar on that date.

So see, you don't have to pay a lot if you wish to volunteer here in the Philippines.  Pick an organization and do some goodwill.

Publisher: Shy - Friday, August 05, 2016

Batanes Family Trip: Crossing All My Fingers for A Storm-Free Trip

Batanes' Marlboro Hills

This time I had to step up and exhaust all my powers for this trip to push through.  It's been 2 years since we had our last family trip.  Not this year.

Even when this plan ticket is more expensive than what we had previously paid for, we knew it's going to be worth it.  It's my mom's dream destination, it is also mine and I think this also goes for the rest of my brothers and sister.  I couldn't let this promo pass so even when there's a threat of cancellation as it was set at the last week of November, I still went on with it.  Now I'm just praying to the gods that I made the right decision.

I've read from other blogs that it's okay to be going to Batanes in November.  There will be some rain showers but I read that it's really not that bad.  Well I sure wish it to be true.  I hope it is.  There's really no turning back now.  

Previous trips we had, we were quite lucky weather-wise.  For example during our trip in Ilocos, July is known to be the start of the rainy season, and there was a lurking threat that it would pour down hard during our trip.  Luckily we were able to travel with the sun up, and escaped the rain by getting into a tricycle home, when it was about to pour down heavily one night in Vigan.  By then, we were able to go around the place and see calle crisologo at night.  Although it wasn't as thorough as we wanted to, we were already able to take some pics, and were already tired from going around then so we didn't  mind going home earlier.  Also I got lucky during the trip around Cambodia with my friend and brother.  We only had 1 day to go around Angkor Wat and prior that day, it rained heavily.  During our travel day though, the sun was up and was blazing happily all throughout the day.  Let's see if we still have a lucky card to spare for our trip in Batanes. 

I'll be praying and visualizing that everything will go well - that is all I could do for now, really.

Publisher: Shy - Wednesday, August 03, 2016

How to get Get a Cheaper Airplane Ticket

Booking discounted airline tickets online.

I've been booking tickets for my family, friends and for myself for years now and I have learned a thing of two on how to get a discount seat.  Now, they let me book for them because I have plenty of time to look over airline websites and check if there are promo seats available.  Aside from that, I have learned a thing or two on how to get a cheaper deal and that's what I'll be sharing with you.

1. Standby for promo seats.  Sales usually land on holidays, such as valentines, independence day, and the such.  I've heard they start opening these sales at midnight.  So better go over the websites before going to sleep.

2.  Book fast.  Seats ran out pretty fast, so you are better ready with your credit card or you better decide when to have the trip and for how many days.

3. Book one way tickets separately.  I just learned about this just this morning.  There are times that 1 way cost more than the other when you pick the round trip option.  So what I do is buy the discounted one first and pray to the heavens that the other ticket going back will go on sale soon.

4. Booking months doesn't necessarily means getting cheaper deals.  Sometimes airlines would drop a better deal few months before your desired travel time.  So it's just a matter of getting lucky and being strategic with things really.

5. Take advantage of miles and discounts.  PAL has miles, Cebu Pac has Get Go.  The more you use the card/code the more you get yourself some miles.  The more travels you can book for a discounted price or for free in the future.

6. Remove unnecessary add ons.  Sometimes people just click submit not knowing that every page that they turn, there's additional add ons that is added by default.  Have the patience to remove those.  I'm talking about Cebu Pac here since I often book there.  Remove extra baggage if you don't plan to hoard stuff, remove seat selection if you don't mind seating anywhere, remove donation or insurance if you don't want to be bother by those.  In the end, you get what you just want to pay which is the ticket itself.

7. Travel in groups.  I know I know.  I may be an advocate of solo travels, but to tell you the truth, I'd rather travel by group than traveling alone.  I have really not found a comfortable ground yet.  Maybe soon, in my trip in Vietnam.  But for now, I'd choose traveling with a companion any day.   If you travel in groups and you go to a travel agent, they could give you a decent discount.

Here are the 5 ways I know that could save you some pesos.  If you know other ways, please do share in the comments section below.

Happy trip everyone! :)

Publisher: Shy - Saturday, July 30, 2016

How to Avoid Traffic in Manila.

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Traffic in Manila is the worst!  Just a couple of days ago, I made an awful mistake of starting to travel to Silang Cavite at noon, on a Friday which fell on a pay-day.  Awful! I was able to reach the gallery at 4:30pm and came back home at Cubao around 9:30pm.

Looking back I wouldn't want to go through it again.  Now the thought of doing a 9-5 job left a bitter taste in my mouth.  If this is something that I would have to go through 5 days a week, I should be feeling lucky with my current freelance job.

Here are the things that would have saved me a lot of time.

5 Ways to Avoid Traffic in Manila

1.  Leave early and avoid rush hour

I fell for the same mistake I did during the Pahiyas trip in May.  I left later than planned, so I had to start my day in traffic as opposed to a smooth and sailing trip with fresh and cool morning breeze.

2. You don't have to go to the bus terminal to get on a bus

Instead, get one that's running on the road.  Chances are there are still available seats, if not, there will be some soon.  It's better that way than to go farther distance to go to the terminal, knowing that you'll have to go back to the same route you've been before.

3. Take the MRT

The line may look intimidatingly long, but once they're accepting passengers, you'll notice that you'll get closer quickly.  You'll just have to wait for minutes.  Better that than waiting for hours in a bus.  I noticed that it has been running a lot faster than usual.  Fast enough that it made me feel scared for those people in it, at the same time, happy that at least they're moving fast unlike the bus that I was in.

4.  Try taking tricycle

Tricycles could go to streets that's not so traffic and make its way in between cars or along sidewalks.  The point is, it's moving.  The only con is that you'll inhale more smoke from exhaust and it's more expensive.

5.Traffic is worst in roads entering Alabang but it gets better through Guadalupe

Stops at ortigas and continuous well through Santolan.   When there's traffic, there's really no choice but to exercise patience. But hopefully with stricter road law implementation, and improved MRT system, it will get better.   As for now, we just have to roll with the punches. 

Publisher: Shy - Saturday, July 30, 2016

How to Get to Nuvali from Cubao Using Public Transportation

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Getting To Nuvali from Cubao using Public Transportation

I guess there are many roads that lead to Nuvali, but I'll share to you the ones which I've actually tried.

OPTION 1

1. Go to Edsa Kamias, JAC Liner(Farmer's side) and ride the bus going to Balibag.  - P70

2. Drop off at Waltermart Sta. Rosa, and ride a tricycle going to Complex (terminal) - P30

3. From Complex, ride a jeep going to Tagaytay - P30

4. Drop off at Nuvali

OPTION 2

1. Ride a bus going to Alabang - P55

2. Take a shuttle there going to Balibag 

3. Drop off at Complex (terminal) Sta. Rosa

4. Ridge a jeep going to Tagaytay

5. Drop off at Nuvali

Going Back

1. We took tricycle from there to go to the Complex. All 4 of us cost P120

2. From complex we searched for buses going to Cubao

Publisher: Shy - Thursday, July 14, 2016

12 Ways Why My Dog, Chocolate, is the Cutest

I am going to be downright biased right now.  I'm missing my dog and so I'd like to showcase her cuteness in this post.

So what makes her amazing?

- she's full of energy

- she's a good 'bantay' in the sense that she still barks at my bro-in-law who just lives next to our house and whom she knows all her live.  She always believes in the saying: "walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan, serbisyong totoo lamang."

- her complete name is Maria Constantina Margarita Rosario Elise Basoc, for short Chocolate

- she doesn't go past 4 houses away because houses after that have dogs which she's scared of

- when she's full, she buries all the food you give her in her secret hiding places randomly and strategically located in our garden.  That's why she doesn't get fat. 

Publisher: Shy - Thursday, June 30, 2016

8 Life Lessons I Learned from Traveling Solo

Traveling solo doesn't really grow old on me.  Every journey is different.  But despite this, I noticed that every time I go out the door, I always have that flight or fight response wrestling within me , and more so when I am already out and about, enticing myself that I could still change my mind and  I could easily turn the other way.  But God knows how many times I have thanked myself every time I decided to just go ahead and  push through.

1. Show up.  When I know that I'll be travelling alone, I sometimes would dread that my trip might be dangerous, and boring.  But I go anyway because the desire of exploration and adventure is greater than my fears.  I remember the owner of Spanx, Sara Blakely once said that she did not let her fears get in the way of her dreams, and I always go back to that especially in my moments of indecision.  Travelling solo hasn't always been fun.  Sometimes I'd even regret why I even attempted, but regardless of the outcome, I was always glad that I showed up because then, I have juicy stories to tell and I have broken the monotony of my life, which are everything to me.

2.  Trust the journey.  Anxiety is ever present especially when travelling to unknown and uncharted places.  Even when I've researched hard and wide, and I know exactly which jeep or bus to take, uncertainty wouldn't leave me because I don't want to go pass the place that I should've gone down to.  I keep my eyes wide open reading billboard ads, carenderia signs for the address just to make sure I know which town I am in.  My eyes bulging like a deer in the headlights, afraid on missing out on that sign, moving my head in all possible directions. Imagine me doing these all throughout the trip. So now I try to learn how to relax.  Read the signs, enjoy the scenery and if there's the houses or stores, I go peep again.

3. Learn how to Ask.  There were countless of times that I felt stressed because I was too prideful and shy to ask for direction and had to rely on my scouring eyes instead.  I would have saved myself the time and the stress had I asked someone about the place or where to go down.  Conductors could be a treasure, and when I'm lucky fellow passenger, could guide me as well.

4. Trust People who Seem Trustworthy.  My experiences on solo traveling  gave me a discernment as to whom to ask for directions.  People I approached are usually policemen, guards, traffic enforcers, tricycle drivers, jeepney drivers, bus drivers, conductors, women with children, women, vendors.  It's the same in life.  I trust people whom I feel are deserving of my trust.

5. But be Cautious.  As someone who travels alone, it's imperative that I take extra measures to be safe.  I don't go out when it's evening, and if I do it's usually in a very safe city.  I double check in locking my room; I choose the people I go out with.  I learned how to make calculated risks, and make sure I could handle what I am getting into.

6. Connect with People.  In all my travels, I'd have to say that my connections and interactions with people surpassed the experience of exploring the place.  When I look back, it's the friends I met along the way, and the stories I got out of them are the ones that I have treasured more.  There's something sacred about getting stories from strangers.  I would always feel humbled and honored to be in their personal space. It's a higher level of acceptance, making me feel validated of my presence and confident of my being, and that meant the world to me.

7. Trusting Myself.  There were countless of times that I thought that I wouldn't be able to do what I have done.  Sure I was afraid, but with tickets booked and with an already set mind, there was really no option but to prepare enough prior the trip, and to make the most of it during the trip.  I got lost but I figured it out soon.  Instincts got me there; my senses showed me the way.  And sometimes I wouldn't get to know whether to turn left or right when I was a kilometer away from my destination, but somehow knew what to do when I am a few meters away.  So I learned to be patient and to be attentive of the signs along the way.

8. Enjoy the Moment.  What exactly does that mean?  It means to be in touch with me and the surroundings. I noticed that fear takes me out of myself.  Anxiety makes me want to jump off my own body.  My thoughts take me out of my awareness of self, thus I was never present.  Now I have come to realize that I am in the moment, when I start appreciating the details.  and when I walk a bit slower, not too eager to go to the next place, but to treat each step as a destination in itself.

9. Creating my Own Reality.  Travelling alone made me feel self assured.  After having welcomed by a different culture, accepted and trusted by strangers, treated well and made to feel acknowledged, traveling by myself made me like me more.  And it's sad that I sometimes need others to see me as special before finding what's special in me.  Slowly I have learned how to look into me first, see what's unique and appreciate myself for what I have and I have discovered that I, right here right now, am enough.

Publisher: Shy - Tuesday, June 28, 2016

3 Things that I Would Have Done Differently in my Pahiyas Festival Trip

No Selfie for me, just footsie.                      

Humans as we are, it's natural for us to look back and reflect on recent experiences in the search of lessons,or entertainment.  And my recent trip is not an exception.  What had happened was I started my travel a bit late than I've wanted to, stuck in the road a bit more than expected, stayed at the destination a bit shorter than planned, and arrived home earlier than I have thought I would be. 

The 2 things (eat pancit habhab and to go around the streets while taking pictures) that I planned to do were already checked that was why it didn't take me too long to accomplished those.  So shortly after, I felt that my job was over and I didn't feel the need to do more.  I was already eager to say goodbye, which is something that I felt like not doing again.  I mean, traveling 8 hours all in all doesn't really justify the 1 and a half stay in the place.  So for those people who plan to visit a far destination, please try to make the most of the stay.  Pack it with activities and make your to-do list more than 2.

Green, orange, red, yellow and violet are the predominant colors you'll be seeing there.

When you get there you'll already feel a bit tired, so try to freshen yourself up by wiping your face with wet wipes or wet face towel, or dab some powder at your back, anything to make you feel a bit more refreshed and a bit more human again.  When I got there, I already felt like a hog, a disgustingly sticky one.  So you could imagine how I felt walking along the streets.  Yes like a hog on a parade. No wonder I didn't feel like taking any selfies.  When you go there, you would want to feel like a model tourist just wondering around the streets like it was your runway.  I know this is a bit narcissistic but believe me, you'll enjoy the experience even more or at least you would want to make yourself selfie-ready because you'll be taking selfies anyway or at the very least, you would want to make yourself feel like a presentable human being.

A good amount of pancit habhab for a good amount of P10.

It will get hot eventually so better try to bring a hat, and buy a cold drink.  This would combat the heat that could be a factor for you not enjoying the place.  And if you're tired, sit down.  This isn't a race, the place wouldn't pack up and close down any sooner.  Pushing yourself to walk would just dampen your excitement.  You can't really appreciate fully the place if you're too tired.  So sit down, talk with a local, eat pancit habhab, stay at a local store for a drink and do people watching.  When you're feeling restored, then go ahead and enjoy the scenery.  When I got there, I was already feeling tired, and disgusting, and the pollution from the tricycles and the heat of the sun just worsen the experience.  But I pushed myself to go around as my way of claiming my price for undergoing through all the hassles that I had gone through for the past few hours.  If I had sit down just for a bit, refreshed myself, I would have had the energy to explore the place even more.

So there I said it so you wouldn't be making the same mistakes I did.

Enjoy your trip people. :)

Publisher: Shy - Wednesday, June 01, 2016

My Solo Trip to Pahiyas Festival, Lucban

For years now I've been wanting to go to Lucban to see the Pahiyas festival ever since it was featured in a travel show way back when I was still a kid.  I was supposed to go there last year however I got sick, and so I had to push through with it this year.

After doing a bit of research I knew, that I should take the backdoor route which is Manila-Pagsanjan, Sta. Cruz-Lucban than the usual Manila-Lucena-Lucban.  Well an blogpost of some blogger he said that it only took him around 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there, but for me it took me 4 hours.  Now here's the deal, his bus took off at 5am, mine took off at 6am.  And maybe due to traffic and all I got to the place at almost 10am.  You can see here the importance of getting to the bus terminal earlier.

Before even this trip, I've already resolved to do 2 things.  Doing more than that would be a bonus.  First, is just stroll around and seeing houses studded with decors.  Second, eat pancit habhab.  After doing those 2, my trip would be an overall success, which it was.

Going there was just as painful as my last trip to Nagsasa Cove.  Travel time is too long.  So when I reach the place, I had to make the most of it. Seeing too many cons than pros would just make me a fool, so see the pros I did.  It was a challenge because of the festering heat of the sun, the traffic, the pollution.  But when you get there, it's as if a chip has been taken off my shoulder.  

Just look at these pictures.

This trip isn't hard on the wallet.  Overall I spent around P500, however it is time consuming.  Will I recommend this to someone?  Well honestly, yes if they just want to fulfill their curiosity and see something unique about our country.

Publisher: Shy - Sunday, May 15, 2016

15 Things You Need to Know Before Doing Your Nagsasa Cove Adventure

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So you have probably browsed DIY's and have a rough estimation on how much you'll be spending and what you'll be doing in Nagsasa Cove, but on this post, I'll tell you things that people haven't touch up on.

Things to Know before Going to Nagsasa Cove

1. Battery operated fan

Staying inside the tent is as good as being in an oven sometimes.  So if you could, try to bring a battery-operated fan, and if you may, point it to an ice block, and viola, you have an AC blowing off cool breeze into your direction.

2. Going in groups is better than going there as couples

The beauty with being in a group is that some people could look after your stuff while you're away, and you could return the favor when they leave and you're around.  Although stealing isn't really rampant there, it's still a possibility so better be safe than sorry.

3.  The sand is dangerous

When temperature hits a certain point and it stays that way for hours, expect the sand to be burning hot.  Minutes barefoot could potentially damage your skin.  I had my toes touched when I was on my way to the boat, and it was just seconds but mahn I felt like I got burnt.

4.  Tents are used for many other things than sleeping

Most of the time you couldn't sleep in there anyways.  It's hot and humid during the day.  It gets a bit better at night but still not convenient. And can I mention the attention-hungry people who keep on howling and laughing even after midnight?

5.  Bring a free standing flashlight 

Some people who we went camping with us had trouble using their hand held flashlights especially when they wanted to find something inside their tent at night. Had they used a free standing flashlight and just position it at one corner, it would have been way easier for them to do what they needed to do.

6.  No need for off lotion

I've read on several sites suggesting to bring mosquito repellant but I haven't felt a need to rub on one when I was there.

7. When it's summer season, expect tents to be pitched close together

As close as 1 inch apart.  If you want to have fewer company, you may want to schedule your trip off season, like from July onwards.  But be wary of the monsoon season too.

8. The boat ride could get rough

Big waves could constantly hit your boat.  Expect getting splashed on randomly.  If you don't like this kind of ride then you better think about heading to Nagsasa Cove because it would take more than hour to get there.

9.  Waterproof your gadgets

The boat ride like I said could get pretty rough so protect your camera in a waterproof bag or container.  Make sure you seal it tight or else you know what will happen.

10.  Campsite culture

People camping are more or less between the ages 15 to 35 years old, and so there's some kind of culture that's going on.  There's something that unifies everyone in there.  There's a friendly environment that is present.  It's like one big barkada who just don't talk to each other.

11. The toilet

There's 6 shared toilets for the entire campsite and it could get really queuing especially when packing time is near which is around 10 to 11am.  So to avoid it make sure to swim in the beach early morning and shower afterwards before everybody starts to pile up on the line, especially the ones with the toilet.

12. The store there opens at 5am

So if you're like my partner who doesn't want to bring a lot and who prefers paying extra cash, then go ahead splurge.

13. Grilling and bonfires

Camping could not be totally complete without these two.  I mean, those are essential camping activities that you would not want to miss out on.  If I were to choose, I'd rather put more effort to do those things than not.  It's not everyday that you get to enjoy those.  Some beaches don't allow bonfires so it's better to just take the opportunity.  Go ahead and make one.

14.  DIYS are always cheaper

There's a misconception about tours and deals.  It doesn't always save you money.  If you want to have control over your spendings better go for DIYS, but if you don't want to be bothered by logistics and all, then go for the packaged tours.  It really sucks because I thought I have saved my self some money by availing of Metrodeals tour package.  When I did a bit of research, internet showed me some trips that cost cheaper than what I had paid for.

15.  Always say YES to adventure

I wouldn't have better stories to tell had I not say Yes to activities that at first sounded hard work and silly.  Just go and you'll be glad you did.  However, always take precaution.

Publisher: Shy - Saturday, April 23, 2016

My Nagsasa Cove Adventure

Source

Once you have a taste of El Nido it's difficult to appreciate just any beaches.  And my view still stands today.   After 2 years of being in a beach hiatus, I have came to push through with one beach camping adventure that would cap my Summer.

Yes I finally did it.

Over the weekends, I went camping in Nagsasa Cove after having purchased vouchers from Metrodeal which involved island hopping tour, and 2 meals.  We added P800 more for van transfer since we didn't want to be bothered looking for a public transport to commute to and fro.  

The Journey

The journey going there was treacherous.  Even with a 3am call time at SM North, we reached Pundaquit Municipality at around 8am.  This is after a couple of stops along the way.  This is the place where we could buy the things we needed to buy and withdraw money because we would be heading to the island, which doesn't have electricity and the food sold there are 2x or 3x over the normal price.  There we paid 100 for the Entrance fee.  Before the boat transfer, the staff from the agency started collecting the vouchers which I missed out on printing because I was too focused on printing the waiver which was also indicated as a requirement.  They asked for the paper which I didn't have and didn't bother for the one which I do have.  Long story short, with my partner's strong persuasion skills aka pagtataray, we were able to go ahead of the group.

Capones Islands and Its Frills

That was not a way to start this trip and I was already crossing my fingers that it will all be fun in the end.  But that hope was fading as we had to ride through big waves for an hour or so.  First stop was the Capones Island which you'll recognize by the light house seated at the top of its hill. Going up to the lighthouse was some sort of Survival challenge, since the boat was anchored 15-20 meters away from the shore and the only way to get to the island was for me to hold on to the rope tied at the edge of the boat.  The rope is all taut and stretched out and ends as it is tied tightly around a steady rock at the shore. I had to float and swim and grab the rope and pull my way forward up to the shore even when the water was just knee deep because I didn't want to step on a grassland of brown algae.  The texture was so icky.  We only knew about it when we were in the water.  The boatman said it was in season.  Well it was really obvious because that thing was everywhere.   But nevertheless it made the experience a lot more interesting; not to mention the slippery big rocks at the bottom which makes standing up impossible, and the stubborn waves that were incessantly pushing us, knocking us down even more.  It was a challenge, yet we were all laughing that we were tortured that way, which was weird.

The Hike

Once reaching the shore we have to start the hike.  It was really hot at this time as it was already 11am.  There were birds hovering above the island, like vultures waiting to devour carcasses of people who couldn't survive.  Humidity was nada, the sun was blazing heat waves by now, the sand was roasting and there I was at the middle of it all thinking whether the lighthouse was worth to see.  The trek was a chore.  It would take you 10 minutes at least to get to the light house filled with all sorts of rubbish inside: plastics, wood, leaves, dirt, practically everything that you could see in a place that is left behind to rot.  What greeted  me as I entered the gates of the lighthouse was a familiar sound of a bell ringing.   Ice cream?  In the middle of the island, in this abandoned lighthouse there's a diligent ice pop vendor.  Well what do you know... For people who are hungry for something cold down their throat, it would be a God-sent.  But the sight of the light house and the effort that I put in coming to see it, didn't set the appetite for an ice pop.  In attempt to at least squeeze out some history out of the place to make my trek seem worth it,  I asked the ice pop vendor if he knew anything about the place and who built it, and when it was constructed.  From that inquiry, I got  that it was an old place during the Spanish era.  And feeling satisfied that I got a touch of history,  I excused myself from the group of friends who got their ahead of me and were eating ice pop.  Surprisingly, my partner followed me halfway down the trek and went with me on my way back. 

Anawangin Insight

So the whole Capones thing was fun.  Yey, next stop was Anawangin which was an hour ride.  It's more crowded and smaller than Nagsasa, but many people go there because it's closer.  We went there and got us halo halo sold for P35.  While eating my halo halo under the shade of the store, I had a chance to do some people watching and noticed  that women, young and old, have a dress code which I didn't know of.  It's a long sleeve spandex top and a pair of swimming shorts.  That was what the majority of the women who went with me were wearing, and the same goes for the women in Anawangin.  I thought people are a bit liberated this days.  I was expecting bikinis since it was a beach event, but I haven't seen any woman wearing two-piece other than a 12 year old girl, who wore a 2 piece black bikini with a black see through overall.   At this point I was feeling a bit left out.  Which part of the internet did they say anything about this.  Anyways, finally we were heading to Nagsasa after that.  Everyone in the boat was feeling cranky because it was already 1pm, it was hot, we had only few hours of sleep and we have not eaten yet, and did I say it was hot?  

Finally! Nagsasa Cove!

So by the time we got to the Cove, we were all eager to eat and settle down.  It took us awhile to do so because we have to wait for the staff to accommodate us, we have to wait for the food that was included in the voucher, we have to wait for our tents.  

Our lunch was finally served and our tents were finally pitched, we have settled in, but the sun was still ablaze that lying inside the tent would be lying in a sauna minus the moisture.  With not so much sleep, some of us just ignored it and tried to pitch their tent under a shade, but some like me, couldn't.  It was just unbearable, so me and my partner waited for the sun to go down and went for a dip to release the heat.  The beach was great.  It was all sand no big corals at the bottom so it's ok to swim barefooted.  The location of the cove was beautiful.  It was smacked at the middle of a C-shape island bordered by grassy towering hills.  And shading the campsites were tall pines trees that gave it character and novelty.  All these seemed to make the journey worth it, and at that point I was satisfied.  Thinking that it would be my first and last time in this place, I anchored myself to be fully in the moment as I was trying to float my whole body parallel to the sea, steadying myself whenever the waves were rocking me forward and backward.  Ahhh this is the life.

At Night

Nagsasa Cove at night offers a different scene.  People are noisier, bonfires were out.  And as the night grew deeper, people moved closer to the beach, sleeping on mats, because the tents were not, once again made for nice sleeping.  It was still humid.  If there were any wind that pass by it would just circle around us at the top and only some would pass through us on the ground.  All we could hear are  whooshing of the the wind passing, which was annoying.  It feels like there's a cake but you couldn't eat it.  Unable to sleep inside, I went out to spread my mat near the beach which some people already have done.   The stars were awesome like they always are but suddenly firecrackers blew up in the sky right above us.  I rattled to cover my face afraid that some smidgens of fire would fall on me.  Thankfully they did it right the second time, firing it to blow directly above the sea.  So much for surprises.  The night was long thanks to a group of cold-hearted youngsters who didn't mind shouting even when they knew people were sleeping. 

The Weird Sound 

Anyways, somehow when everyone was asleep, only the whooshing of the wind could be heard.  It sounded like there was a space ship hovering above us, or that it was raining but you wouldn't see or feel raindrops falling.  And when I got up to check what exactly it was,  there was nothing but sound and an eerie feel that enveloped the camp.  I went in and tried to sleep again. 

Morning Madness

Morning came, and we went for some quick dip, and trekked one hill after.   The path was narrow and cliff was threatening.  One wrong move and you're a goner.   The view from up there though was spectacular.  It reminded me that it was really worth going here and that it was indeed a special place.  We ate breakfast as soon as we got back.  The store opens at 5am so don't worry about getting your coffee fix.  They sell hot water for P5, coffee with hot water and cup for P20, and coffee with hot water for P7, if am not mistaken. Sodas were sold for P25 plus which normally are sold for P7 to P12 in the city.  Halo halo are also sold but they cost only P40. 

I showered, after that to avoid queue that was going to be expected come 10am or 11am.  For some reason, our boat arrived 2pm.  The only time I had a good sleep was inside the van.  And I finally reached home at around 10:30pm.   

Long journey it was, I was burnt but still glad to have done it anyway.

Publisher: Shy - Thursday, April 21, 2016

Costa Marina Beach: It Was As If The Sea Was Playing Tricks On Us!

We arrived there at 10am.  We were excited to take a dip because the beach at Costa Marina was looking so promising and enticing.  By the time we settled down, the sea was gone.  It shied away from us.  You have to walk what seemed to be hundred meters away from the shore to get your knees wet.  You have to sit down or lie down to get your whole body wet.

The whole time we were at the beach, we were waiting for high tide to come back again.

We waited

and waited

and waited

and waited

and waited

and waited.

Then the clock hit 4pm-- the arrival time of the last boat to take us back to the city.  Time to pack up.  As we were leaving the whole sea came rushing in.  Back to its glory, its depth, its clarity, its wholeness.

He.he.he.  Funny.

Publisher: Shy - Friday, March 25, 2016