I'm Alive!

It's been months since my last post, no I am not dead, I just took a time off from blogging. Now I realized that I am ready to blog again. I'll try my best to inform you all again about travel promos, news and pretty much anything that has something to do about travel.

I decided to disable my "chat box" in my Blogger panel and I encourage anyone who would like to tell me anything to please leave your thoughts in the comment section of every blog post. It seems that many stumbled upon this blog when searching about airlines like Cebu Pacific, Zest Air and Philippine Airlines. I am really sorry if I can't answer your queries about the ticket prices in a particular destination on a particular date as I am also depending on the online booking facility of airlines for my trips. Ticket prices may change anytime so I have no way to guarantee you a particular amount on a particular date for different destinations. The best way for you to find out is to go to the official web site of the airline of your choice or call a travel agent whose telephone numbers you can find in the Yellow Pages. If there are promos/seat sale from airlines which I may find worth informing you as my reader then I will definitely blog it.

For my regular visitors I will try my best to visit your blogs and leave a comment so you will know that I am still alive, hehehe :)

Stranded in Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro!

Just got back from my Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin trip with my 3 other travelmates. Our flight back to Manila was canceled twice and also the ferry from Camiguin back to the main island of Mindanao was canceled twice. In an instant, our 3-day vacation became a 6-day adventure and misadventure. I'm glad that I am in company of good friends so despite of our "bad luck" we never experienced a dull moment.

Because of the bad weather I decided to just reroute our return flight to Davao City. It is the best travel-related decision I made! If not for that we are still in Cagayan de Oro City (CDO) by now as the weather deteriorated rather than improved after we left. If you watch the evening news or read the newspaper you know what I mean. The local government of CDO said that the last time they encountered such a disaster was in the 1950's.

No pictures yet of our misadventures and the chaos at the Lumbia Airport in CDO, maybe in a few days...

Thank you God for the protection during our trip. Thank God also for Citibank for providing me a free Travel Inconvenience Protection insurance. I now need to wait 7-10 working days for the reimbursement form to arrive.

I'm Off to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!!!

this shot was taken while I am enroute from Butuan City back to Manila

Guess where am I heading to today. . .

Clue, it is my favorite province here in the Philippines.

Why I Want (and love) to Travel

There is an unexplained jovial ecstatic animated feeling that build the foundation of most successful travel stories shared with friends, family and strangers. My friends are always asking me why I enjoy traveling. First thing first, traveling is quite addictive so by just saying that I don't need to explain my point further. Nevertheless, for the next paragraphs I will share to you some of my most frequent response to my friends who are curious to know the hidden joys and pains of traveling.

1. Believe it or not, traveling is cheaper than what most people think

If you know very well when, where and how to go to a certain place through persistent research then you will save not only money during your travel but also you will save time asking strangers for directions and it may also save your life as you will find out what to do and not to do in a particular place. Like a boy scout, you should always be prepared in case there is a seat sale being offered by an airline or room discounts being offered by a hotel or resort. I already experienced traveling outside the country in a 5-star flag carrier (as accredited by Skytrax) for just the same price of a low-cost carrier ticket going to Davao (no it's not Philippine Airlines as it is only a 3-star airline according to Skytrax). I am not just being lucky as I availed it again for my April 2009 travel for Cambodia. If you don't look for a bargain then you will never find one. In other words, if you patiently look for it you will find it.

2. I love learning new and exciting cultures.

This is the most common answer on why people want to travel. Well, it is 100% true. New place, new culture, new experience, new life lessons.

3. Eat anything exotic for your taste without thinking about your diet and counting calories

It's so passe saying that what is exotic to you may be just ordinary to others. For me, ordinary or exotic is just one and the same. If it looks good, just eat it.

4. I want to see new things

Duh! As very obvious as it seems, almost everyone travel to see new places. I love tall buildings, I love beaches, I love mountains, I love temples... see my point?

5. Traveling made me a better person

Traveling made me appreciate the culture and beliefs of other people. I gained many friends who are Muslims, Buddhists and even an atheist. After hearing many negative adjectives about a place I still got what I want and I never had a moment that made me think twice not to go to a certain place. Through traveling I learned that most people are wrong to think that Mindanao is not safe. "Certain parts" of Mindanao are not safe for tourists but not Mindanao itself. Zamboanga and Basilan here I come! (not until next year)

Happy New Year to All!

I would like to wish all my blog guests, frequent visitors and fellow bloggers in my blogroll a very Happy New Year!!!

It's been an enjoyable experience sharing with you all information, pictures and sometimes just trivial matters in this blog. I hope my persistency continues so I can keep this blog updated with information tidbits or even just travel pictures :)

It's nice to know that in the next two months I have a line-up of my proposed travels. I will be first going to the Queen City of the South (Cebu) to visit what is being dubbed as the "New Boracay" (Bantayan Island). Then by the middle of February I will be in Iloilo and Bacolod City to attend a family reunion and birthday of my grandfather. Lastly, by the end of February I will be visiting the Land of Majestic Waterfalls (Iligan) and the Island Born of Fire (Camiguin) which also happens to be my favorite province here in the Philippines.

Elephant Massage & Temple Hopping in Bangkok

Bangkok is a place that wherever your head turns you will see a palace or temple nearby. I don't wonder anymore that it is called a "kingdom" and for the matter it is one because it is being ruled by a monarch. My Thai friend Siriwipa which acted as our tour guide and translator when me and my friends visited Bangkok proudly told us that the people of Thailand love King Bhumibol Adulyadej so much. One Thai told me that it's illegal to own a copy of the film "The King and I" as Thai people view the movie as an insult to their culture.

Yellow is the official color of the monarchy and as a sign of respect people wear yellow shirts during certain days of the week.

The views inside the temples and the Royal Palace were simply beautiful (the term beautiful is an understatement but I can't think of a more appropriate term).

When visiting one of the elephant sanctuaries in Thailand always ask for an elephant masseuse to give you a "Thai massage." It's the most unique massage that you will ever experience.

One travel bit I learned is that Buddhist monks in Thailand are not allowed to touch women because they must have pure thoughts and by touching a woman might make one think indecent things.

How to get to Bangkok from Manila:
-Airlines that ply the Manila-Bangkok route are Philippine Airlines, Thai Airways, Kuwait Airways and Cebu Pacific.

-Transport arrangements to and from the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport are pretty similar to the old Don Muang Airport. Taxi is the best way to and from the airport as it is cheap when traveling with at least with 1 companion.

My "hypothetical" Travel Passport

Found this website through someone else's travel blog. I find it cute and somewhat reliable because I agree with most descriptions in my traveler profile below. I encourage everyone to click the link below my hypothetical passport and answer a questionnaire to find out what kind of traveler you are.

	Your travel type: Travel Yup The Travel Yup likes exotic and adventurous travel, but prefers big cities with fast paced life. He has a keen interest in other cultures and always brings home a few souvenirs. Shopping in Bangkok, getting a tailor made suite in Kuala Lumpur, that's the kind of thing the Travel Yup is into. Even though he likes to get away, he prefers his travels to be comfortable.
	top destinations: New York Paris Beirut	stay away from: Hampi Ciudad Perdida Darien Gap

get your own travel profile

Happy traveling!