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2011: A year of bold and daring adventures

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December 31, 2011. The last day of the year brought me to memory lane. Reminiscing my travels this year made me realize how blessed I am. I thank God for letting me experience bold and daring adventures which made me learned lessons worth remembering.

Here’s a summary of my travelholic year: 14 Flights. 6,085 miles. 16 provinces. 1 international destination. Yes, I love numbers except when you add mathematical signs (“,).

Let’s take a look at how the year went:

JANUARY

  • Lingayen, Pangasinan was my first destination where I first saw this huge specie of fish Arapaima and heard about the Chinese pirate Limahong.
  • After Baguio, we proceeded to Pugo, La Union, where I zipped happily up to the point of getting stranded just to get a good zipline photo.
  • From La Union, we went all the way to Capas, Tarlac, where we spent the night for the early climb to Mt. Pinatubo. This was the most memorable travel in January. It felt great to reach the crater of this historic active volcano. From being destructive, it has built a reputation as one of the must-see destinations in the Philippines. It claimed lives before. Now, it’s giving livelihood to the locals. I haven’t blogged it here yet.

FEBRUARY

  • February made me believe that dreams do come true. My dream to experience Batanes was finally fulfilled. I got the chance to get inside a lighthouse, jump in front of a lighthouse, watch the sunset at Naidi Hills, drink water from the Fountain of Youth, be blown away by the winds at Racuh-A-Payaman, meditate at Chamantad Viewpoint, wear a vakul, do cartwheels infront of Nakabuang Arc, meet inspiring Ivatans, earn great friends, and most especially, discovered “something” that made a mark in my life today.
  • Thank you Lord! Thank you to those who supported me to win the blogging contest of SEAIR (which I joined for the 3rd time). I’ve written a total of 7 blogs about Batanes. Yet, I have so much more to tell, which you’ll read in 2012.

MARCH

  • The 2nd leg of the Lakbay Norte was even more exciting. What could be more thrilling than going against 6-foot high raging waves just to set foot on the elusive Palaui Island.
  • In Tuguegarao, we feasted on the sumptuous pancit batil patong. We left Cagayan Valley with good memories. Cagayan Valley has the most hospitable Filipinos that you’ll ever meet.
  • Ilocos Norte made me see the natural wonders of Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, the gushing waters of Anuplig Falls, and the La Paz Sand Dunes. It was my second time to experience sandboarding and the 4×4 ride. Nonetheless, there’s always something new to discover.

APRIL 

  • From Luzon, we flew to Leyte, Visayas. It’s in Leyte where MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines. From Tacloban, we endured a three-hour ride to Bato, Southern Leyte, the hometown of my Mama. It’s my first time in Eastern Visayas together with my family, cousins, aunt, and lola. We went swimming in Canigao Island, caving in Hindang, roadtripping in Maasin and Padre Burgos, zipping in Sogod, and plunging in Gunhuban Falls.
MAY
  • May was supposed to be a summer month but climate change ruined our trip to Bais City, Negros Oriental. The dolphin-watching turned out to be a bird-watching activity at Manjuyod Sandbar. The rains continued to pour in Dumaguete City. Nonetheless, the popular Sansrival and the search for Casaroro Falls in Valencia made my trip worthwhile.
JUNE-JULY
  • In between typhoons (last days of June and first few days of July), my friends and I traveled to the Bicol Region, home of the pili nuts, for the first time. Camsur welcomed us with open arms, up to the point of getting stretched literally and figuratively at the Camsur Watersports Complex, where we tried wakeboarding.

AUGUST

  • Travel Hiatus. We were supposed to go to El Nido, Palawan but schedule won’t permit us. From 4 confirmed buddies, we were down to two so we just decided to postpone the trip for next year. And yes, we have our tickets.Hopefully, in June, I shall see you El Nido!
SEPTEMBER
  • Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental–I wouldn’t have visited this place if not for an assignment. Most divers both local and international visit Galera for its rich marine life. Puerto Galera gave me a not-so-good experience. It was somehow traumatic to be stranded in the island in the middle of the typhoon. It also meant being away from the loved ones. I almost didn’t make it to my flight to Vietnam. God was so great that my flight was at 11pm of Wednesday. I was only able to return home at around 8 in the morning. I don’t know if I’ll ever return to Galera.
  • Who could resist buying a seat sale if it would only cost you Php 1,800 roundtrip to go to Vietnam? Of course, the travelholic in me won’t let that opportunity pass. It was in September when my folks and I left a rainy Philippines. We thought we had eluded typhoon Pedring only to find out later in the days of our trip that the typhoon went to Hanoi, Vietnam. Thank God, we were in the south of Vietnam.

OCTOBER

  • Travel Hiatus. Time to take a break and of course, gather funds.
NOVEMBER
  • My birthday week adventure in Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Misamis Oriental was epic. Imagine, 10 hours of land travel covering 378 kilometers from Bislig to Cagayan de Oro. Hinatuan Enchanted River and Tinuy-An Falls were worth the long journey. My travel buddy J and I were fortunate to have a friend like Alfie, who welcomed us in her home in Cagayan de Oro. We’re so grateful that we also went on a roadtrip from Cagayan de Oro to Dahilayan, Bukidnon. This trip completed my goal of traveling yearly to LUZVIMIN.
DECEMBER
  • Travel Hiatus. Time to write and reflect. It’s also the month of giving back to the community which we did last December 17 at a remote village up in Mt. Makiling.

2011 has been a year of growth. It has taught me to take risks, to deal with the uncertainties, and to face the challenges. All of these made me stronger, braver, bolder–better. Thank you Lord for all the lessons that you made me learn. Thank you Lord for the people who became part of my 2011. Thank you Lord for all the blessings and for more blessings to come.

Farewell 2011! It was a roller coaster year! I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Mouthwatering ‘K-food’ you shouldn’t miss in Naga City

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Sipping that rich, thick, viscous soup that melts in the mouth after a tiring day was a treat to the taste buds. The soft and chewy beef partnered with the noodles and egg added the gastronomic delight. All of these summed up to one Filipino adjective– Malinamnam! That’s how the Kinalas won my heart through my stomach.

It was our last day in Naga City and preferred eating what the locals eat. So after consulting friends from the Pinoy Travel Bloggers group, we ended up eating Kinalas and Kinunot.

KINALAS

Kinalas is a noodle-based soup with beef strips, onion leeks, egg (optional) served with a mouthwatering thick broth that would make you want to eat more. What’s so addicting and special with the Kinalas?

The broth is the key ingredient. The broth is made out of boiled bones and innards of either pork or beef. Others even use pork’s brain like what Estan of Langyaw.com ate at Kinalas Twin.

Kinalas Twin at Brgy. Dayangdang is one of the most popular Kinalas eateries in Naga City. But since it was a bit far from where we were, we found Cely’s Eatery that didn’t fail our first taste of Kinalas.

Walking towards Barlin cor. Dimasalang Street, we found the blue-painted eatery of Cely’s. It is not your posh restaurant but a simple eatery where locals eat to fill their stomachs.

A regular bowl of Kinalas with egg costs me Php 38.00. Cheap but I had a fully satisfied meal. Burp! Busog!

Cely’s Eatery is opened from 7 am until 8pm. 

KINUNOT

Kinunot is a made of shark meat or sting ray meat cooked in coconut milk added with the hot chilis. Of course, in Bicol, food is sizzling hot! When I asked where to find Kinunot, most of Bicolano friends recommended Geewan.

Googlemaps on iPhone pointed that Geewan can be found at P.Burgos St. We walked to P.Burgos but saw the restaurant being renovated. So we ended up eating at the SM Foodcourt where we saw a Geewan kiosk.

For Php 60, I got the serving of Kinunot (refer to picture above). It was a bit pricey for the amount of serving that I got. But of course, we were in a mall; thus, the cost of the food.

It is still a must-eat when you’re in Naga City. I’d say I need to be back and taste it again as I was not satisfied with it. hehe.

So, when you’re in Naga, don’t miss the two Ks.

The hunt for ‘pasalubong’ in Naga City

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“Don’t forget my pasalubong ha! (Don’t forget my souvenir! <there’s really no exact translation of “pasalubong” in English. Souvenir is the closest possible translation but not in context.)”

Friends, relatives, (ex) officemates would always tell that statement whenever they learn that my itchy feet brought me farther from the usual places that I walk on. But even if they don’t mention it, bringing home something to share to everyone has always been a part of my itinerary. It’s being a Filipino! It’s a culture wherein you share a piece of your travel experience.

Before flying back to Manila, my friends and I hunted for souvenirs in Naga City. Our choices of pasalubong: T-shirts and the famous pili nut.

T-SHIRTS

1. SM Naga City

- We began our hunt here. As SM’s tagline says, “We’ve got it all!” (Okay, enough of the promotion. hehe). At the 2nd floor, we found two stalls selling souvenir shirts: one was in front of Ace Hardware and the other one was near the food court. I didn’t find anything that I like. But the stall in front of Ace Hardware sells cheap shirts (Php 120-150) from almost all destinations in Bicol like Legaspi, Caramoan, CWC, Sorsogon.

2. Kulturang Bikolnon

-This store located at the G/F of the CBD Hotel just across the Naga City Central Bus Terminal sells shirts and other native products.

3. Store beside Kulturang Bikolnon (memory gap. i forgot to take a photo or jot down the name of the store)

-Just a few steps away from Kulturang Bikolnon (please refer to the photo above where the man was standing), we found CWC shirts. So if you enjoyed wakeboarding and forgot to buy yourself a shirt, you can get one here at a cheaper rate.

4. Naga Savers and Fashion Mart

-Naga Savers is located near the Naga City Public Market (New name: Naga City People’s Mall). This was where I found the shirt that I liked. I was originally looking for a Survivor Caramoan shirt but found none. So I just chose a generic Bicol shirt with the sili (chili pepper) on it. It’s hot! A white shirt costs Php 150.

 

PILI NUT

1. Naga City Public Market

Unprocessed Pili Nuts

-If you’re ma-PILI (choosy- just kidding. I mean if you like to buy pili), then go to the market and you’ll find different types of pili nuts from the harvested ones to the caramelized variety.

One of the stores where we bought our pasalubong is the Naga City Candy Center found in the Naga City Public Market. Don’t miss buying the pili tart and pili macaroons.

  • Pili Tarts- Php 50.00
  • Caramelized pili nuts- Php 100.00 (3 containers)
  • Others are priced at Php 35.00-80.00 (depending on sizes)

2. Naga City Central Bus Terminal

-You can also find pili nuts being sold in the terminal. One of them is the FSJ Pasalubong Sentral, which also sells other native products.

HANDICRAFTS/NATIVE BAGS

Handicraft Section of the Naga City People’s Mall

- It’s actually another part of the market which they call mall. In here, you can find native items like a bag made of abaca fiber.

You can also check out the list from the official Naga City website.

Remember: When you’re buying pasalubong, you’re not only sharing the joy of travel but you’re also helping the local community. So, when you travel, don’t forget my pasalubong ha!

 

 

The Locals’ initiative: The raft at Sabang

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Previous blog searches warned me that porters at Sabang Beach carry passengers on their shoulders since boats cannot dock during low tide. I relayed the same message to my friends who were first time travelers.

Being conservative, they were worried a bit. The worries faded when M.V. Harry was approaching Sabang Beach. Men dressed in red shirts were waiting for the passengers in the sea. Some of them were submerged hip-high in the water.

Yes, it was low tide but the porters weren’t carrying passengers on their shoulders. They were very helpful as they assist each one of us to ride the raft. Yes, a raft made of barrels afloat in the sea. It served as a bridge from the boat to the shore.

What a brilliant idea! I salute the locals for such an initiative. Each passenger pays a Php 10.00 fee for the use of the raft. Now, women won’t be worried when traveling from Guijalo Port to Sabang Beach or vice versa.

Kudos to the locals!

TRAVEL NOTES:

M.V. Harry- the boat, which has a capacity of around 30 passengers, sails to and from Guijalo Port.

Boat Schedules from Guijalo to Sabang:7:00am, 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am

Raft fee/Porter’s fee: Php 10.00

 

The simple life in Caramoan Town

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It was 4:00 am. The alarm sounded. I opened my eyes but can’t barely move my arms. Nonetheless, I still exerted enough effort to snooze the alarm button.

We were scheduled to climb Mt. Tagbo where the Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary can be found. Liz was still not feeling well. Angge woke up but also complained of muscle pain from our death-defying rock climbing experience in Matukad Island.

I was torn between seeing the sunrise atop of the mountain and enjoying the comforts of sleep. Sleeping a little more and making my muscles recover won. I set another alarm: 6:30 am.

When the alarm rang, I stood up. Liz woke up as well. She asked where I was going. I replied, “I’ll walk around town.” Angge was still sleeping soundly so we didn’t bother asking her if she wanted to join.

From West Pen Villas, we walked out of Brgy. Solnopan and breathed fresh air. It was a foggy Friday morning. Kids were heading to school. Mothers were cleaning up their surroundings. Other locals were also passing by. I smiled. They smiled back. Everything was in order and yet, it was at a slow pace unlike in the Metro.

Aahh…this is the simple life. It was such a unique experience to see pork being sold in a bicycle. This tells something about the town. Maybe, pork is scarce in the area.

We followed two school boys passing by the bridge and there, I saw the river. It seemed drying up but it looked clean and healthy.

Our feet then led us to a centuries-old brick church, the St. Michael the Archangel Parish, where the kids and locals passed by. It was founded in 1619. 

I entered the church and saw that the interior was already renovated. The mass has just ended and only few locals were left praying. The silence of the morning was broken by the sound of the alarm.

It’s time to return to West Pen Villas for breakfast and finally leave Caramoan for Naga.

Exploring the town on foot gave me more context of the lives of the locals. I’m glad I did. It made a more enriching experience.