So I've finally decided to update my blog after a veeeeeery long time. I've been attempting to update it for so many times already, but all I could do was to stare at the big white square that is the Compose box. Oh well.
I am thinking of giving this blog some sort of a revamp, both content-wise and appearance-wise. I thought I should start blogging about my travels (I will try my very best to accurately retell my previous adventures) with photos and my food adventures too. It just feels good to have something to re-read on idle (READ: boring) Sundays like this. Well I'm not really bored. Sometimes my mind (and body) needs its well-deserved break.
Traveling is very addictive. I am on a quest to visit all 80 provinces of the Philippines. And about two weeks ago I was able to finally shade a portion of Mindanao on my Lakbayan Map:
My Lakbayan grade is C+!How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Created by Eugene Villar.
Yes, it was my first Mindanao trip. Now I just realized that Mindanao is such a big chunk of land down South. So many places to explore! It is now officially on my travel list, but maybe not for this year (but then again, who knows? Seat sales are very frequent nowadays LOL). Exploring Visayas on the other hand is a challenge since they are made up of islandssss that are not very close to one another. I have explored much of the Luzon mainland with the exception of far-flung provinces such as Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and Quirino way north, and the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon in the south. The detached islands of Palawan (I've only explored Coron and a few Calamian islands), Mindoro (I've only been to Puerto Galera), Marinduque, Romblon and Masbate are a different story altogether. Traveling to Batanes is virtually an out-of-the-country so I guess it will take some time (and money) before I can pay it a visit (LOL).
So what's up with traveling Teng? One might even say that it's one expensive type of recreation. You WILL HAVE to spend some money but of course, but traveling should not always be expensive. If you are the adventurous type who could keep up with non-airconditioned accommodation (this could come up as a pleasant surprise, I'm telling you), have a yen to sample the local fare and the guts to ride the local mode of transpo (the Skylab of Mindanao for one, is one hell of a ride), then that makes you one happy camper. Find a group of folks who share the same interest so you can share the expenses-- say for example, boat rentals-- very expensive if you're renting alone. People would ooh and ahh upon learning that I spent less than PHP 7000 for my 6-days-and-5-nights journey across beautiful Caraga (some of the hardcore shoestring travelers would even say that I've spent too much LOL).
Going back to the original question: what makes traveling addictive? Well I think I just have this liking for beautiful things. The world is just too big to be left unexplored. So many wonderful things to see. Seeing beautiful things makes me a happy person. That's one major reason. The other major reason is that because it teaches me a lot of life lessons. It brings me out of my comfort zone, making me a better person. It teaches me how to become humble and respect other people's culture and beliefs. Travel forges stronger bonds among friends, as you learn to share stories and spend a lot of time with others if you are traveling in groups. It also gives you a deeper understanding of yourself: in silent, solitary wanders and reflections you will just realize that you can do some things alone. Those are just a few of the reasons why I choose to travel than spend my hard-earned money on other things.
That's it for now! More updates (and stories) real soon, as I post my journals :)
I am thinking of giving this blog some sort of a revamp, both content-wise and appearance-wise. I thought I should start blogging about my travels (I will try my very best to accurately retell my previous adventures) with photos and my food adventures too. It just feels good to have something to re-read on idle (READ: boring) Sundays like this. Well I'm not really bored. Sometimes my mind (and body) needs its well-deserved break.
Traveling is very addictive. I am on a quest to visit all 80 provinces of the Philippines. And about two weeks ago I was able to finally shade a portion of Mindanao on my Lakbayan Map:
Created by Eugene Villar.
Yes, it was my first Mindanao trip. Now I just realized that Mindanao is such a big chunk of land down South. So many places to explore! It is now officially on my travel list, but maybe not for this year (but then again, who knows? Seat sales are very frequent nowadays LOL). Exploring Visayas on the other hand is a challenge since they are made up of islandssss that are not very close to one another. I have explored much of the Luzon mainland with the exception of far-flung provinces such as Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and Quirino way north, and the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon in the south. The detached islands of Palawan (I've only explored Coron and a few Calamian islands), Mindoro (I've only been to Puerto Galera), Marinduque, Romblon and Masbate are a different story altogether. Traveling to Batanes is virtually an out-of-the-country so I guess it will take some time (and money) before I can pay it a visit (LOL).
So what's up with traveling Teng? One might even say that it's one expensive type of recreation. You WILL HAVE to spend some money but of course, but traveling should not always be expensive. If you are the adventurous type who could keep up with non-airconditioned accommodation (this could come up as a pleasant surprise, I'm telling you), have a yen to sample the local fare and the guts to ride the local mode of transpo (the Skylab of Mindanao for one, is one hell of a ride), then that makes you one happy camper. Find a group of folks who share the same interest so you can share the expenses-- say for example, boat rentals-- very expensive if you're renting alone. People would ooh and ahh upon learning that I spent less than PHP 7000 for my 6-days-and-5-nights journey across beautiful Caraga (some of the hardcore shoestring travelers would even say that I've spent too much LOL).
Going back to the original question: what makes traveling addictive? Well I think I just have this liking for beautiful things. The world is just too big to be left unexplored. So many wonderful things to see. Seeing beautiful things makes me a happy person. That's one major reason. The other major reason is that because it teaches me a lot of life lessons. It brings me out of my comfort zone, making me a better person. It teaches me how to become humble and respect other people's culture and beliefs. Travel forges stronger bonds among friends, as you learn to share stories and spend a lot of time with others if you are traveling in groups. It also gives you a deeper understanding of yourself: in silent, solitary wanders and reflections you will just realize that you can do some things alone. Those are just a few of the reasons why I choose to travel than spend my hard-earned money on other things.
That's it for now! More updates (and stories) real soon, as I post my journals :)
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