Travel: "Cagbalete Island Under 2,000 Pesos! Saan Ka Pa?" (A Travel Guide in Three Parts)

Part 1: Travel Tips

Part 2: Paraisong Puno ng Bakod

Part 3: Photo Gallery (soon)

Ditumabo Falls, Baler, Aurora: A Pictorial Guide

From the road to the "Mother Falls"
Click Images to enlarge or start the slide show

Baler Under 2,000 Pesos: Isang Praktikal na Gabay sa Paglalakbay sa Baler, Aurora

Marami nang mga travel site at blog ang nagsulat tungkol sa Baler, Aurora. Napakarami na rin tips at impormasyon tungkol sa kasaysayan ng Baler ang nagkalat sa internet. Kung kayat naisip namin na mag-pokus na lamang sa pagiging praktiko. Sa karamihan, unang gustong malaman ay ang gastos. Magkano ba talaga? Baka mahal? Huwag mag-alala. Walang kakiyeme-kiyeme, ito ang aming “Practical Travel Guide to Baler, under a 2,000-peso budget.”

Nalibot Ko Na Ang Mundo: Maikling Travelogue ng isang Breadwinner

Image part of
public domain

Paminsan minsan nangangarap akong makapaglakbay sa ibang bansa. Marating ang India at makita ang Taj  Mahal. Makaabot sa Pranses at lasapin ang mga masasarap na pagkain. Mabisita ang museo ng Louvre at masilayan ang Mona Lisa. Kung talagang papalarin, nais ko ring marating ang tuktok ng Bundok Everest.

Subalit sa tulad kong isang breadwinner na tumutulong sa pang-araw-araw na tustusin ng pamilya, halos wala nang natitira sa aking sweldo. Siguro kung ako’y isang suwail na anak, at hindi ako mag-abot ng pera ng kahit tatlong buwan lamang, maari na akong makapaglakbay sa Cambodia para makita ang Angkor Wat o bisitahin ang pinakamalaking istatwa ng Buddha sa Tsina.

Travel Guide: "Mount Pinatubo Crater Lake"

KABUANG BUDGET

Pamasahe (Aircon Bus) Cubao to Capaz, Tarlac: P170 to P180 (papunta’t pabalik = P340 to P360)

Tour Package: P1,750 per person (Contact person, Sonia Bognot, 0932-6094226)

- kasama ang hatid ng tricycle sa base camp at pabalik

- renta sa 4x4 vehicle

- breakfast, lunch, at post-trek meal

- bottled water
Extra: P200 - para sa Aeta Community

SUMA TOTAL: P2,290 to P2,310 per person
Para sa kumpletong mga mga litrato (For the complete picture gallery) Pindutin ito. 

Trekking Mount Pinatubo Crater Lake (Picture Gallery) April 2013

PICTURE JOURNAL

Beyond words. Our amazing trip in pictures.  These pictures have not undergone photo enhancement yet. These are raw shots. We used CANON 600-D camera. For the complete travel guide (in Filipino), click this. (All rights reserved.) 

Click the pictures to view as slide show.

God, the Desert and the Tenacious Cow: Getting Lost in the Sand Dunes of La Paz, Ilocos Norte

“If you want to talk to God, go to the desert.” I cannot remember exactly who said this statement or from what book it came from but I had a semi-profound personal experience on this subject matter.  In 2008, I went on a solo short trip to the sand dunes of La Paz, Ilocos Norte.  It was not exactly the same desert where Moses spoke to God, but I was not really planning a chat with the Almighty.  The trip to La Paz (“The Peace”) was more of a side trip than my main destination but the desert has always fascinated me.  When I reached the place, I got so excited that I immediately explored the many winding dunes without realizing that you could easily get lost in the desert.  I saw a white cow oddly chewing grass.  Why would a cow be in the desert? It was the last place for a cow to look for vegetation.  Anyway, I just ignored it and considered it another oddity of the desert. I saw a remarkable tree in the distance and ran towards it. Once I got there, I turned around and discovered that I could not pin point exactly where I started my journey.  The horizon looked almost the same.  If I took the wrong return path, I might end up getting even more lost, perhaps trapped for a few hours.  La Paz desert is not expansive so I was not really in any danger, but imagine if it were as huge as the deserts of Egypt, you would literally lose yourself.

Photography: Malacañang of the North (2008)

Madali lamang ang byahe papuntang Malacañang of the North at Lawa ng Paoay. Mula Paoay Church, sumakay lang ng tricycle.  Mas mabuti na mag-renta lang ng isang tricycle at paghintayin.  Makipagkasundo na lamang sa driver ng tamang presyo. Hindi ka naman aabutin ng matagal sa lugar. Matapos mong libutin ang bahay at ang kapaligiran, at kumuha ng mga litrato, tapos na.  Mas magandang pumunta doon bago mananghalian para maiwasan ang maraming tao.  Huli kong punta sa lugar na ito ay noong 2008 pa at baka marami na ang nagbago.   Pinagpayuhan rin ako na huwag bumisita tuwing tag-ulan dahil minsan ay umaapaw ang Lawa ng Paoay.

Going to Malacañang of the North and Paoay Lake is easy.  From Paoay Chruch, ride a tricycle.  It is better if you just rent a tricycle and ask the driver to wait for you.  Negotiate a reasonable price with the driver. The place will not take much of your time.  Once you have explored the whole house and compound, and taken enough pictures, you are done.  The best time to visit is before lunch so you can avoid the crowds.  The last time I went here was in 2008 and things may have changed by now.   I was advised not to visit the place during monsoon seasons because Paoay Lake sometimes overflows its banks. (By Rob San Miguel)

Photography: "The Sun, the Clouds and Paoay Church"

Ang Simbahan ng Paoay ay marahil isa sa simbahang nakunan nang napakaraming litrato sa Pilipinas.  Noong pumunta ako noong 2008, medyo nag-aalanganin dahil ako ang pinakahuli sa aking mga kaibigang na nakabisita na sa lugar.  Gaano ba kaiba ang aking magiging litrato kumpara sa mga libo-libong litrato ng mga ibang manlalakbay?  Hindi ko naman basta basta gayahin na lamang ang kuha ng iba.

Ika-8 ng umaga nang natuntun ko ang lugar sakay ng dyipni.  Nang nasilayan ko na ang nakamamanghang tanawin, aking natanto na ang iglesia pala ay isa lamang entablado, ang araw at ang mga ulap ang sabik na makuhanan ng litrato.

_____

Paoay Church is probably one of the most photographed churches in the Philippines.  When I came to see the old church in 2008, I was a bit wary being one of the last of my friends who got to visit the place.  How could my photographs be any different from all countless travelers out there?  I could not just photograph Paoay Church the way others had photographed her.

It was around 8 in the morning when I reached the place via jeepney.  Once I got there and finally viewed the majestic sight, I realized that the church was just the stage, the sun and the clouds were the ones eager for a photo shoot.  (By Rob San Miguel)

Walang Kakyeme-Kyemeng Vacation Guide sa Pundaquit, Zambales [Part 2: Nandito Na Kami]

Part 1: Click Here

PAYO:  A day before the trip, mag-courtesy call or text kayo sa may-ari ng resort na tutuluyan nyo para lang mapakita na hindi kayo uurong at baka may pagbabago sa resort o anu pa man, malalaman ninyo kapag nakausap ninyo sila a day in advance. 

Sa aming experience, dati nakapag-downpayment na kami sa isang resort, yun pala hindi na-forward ng officer-in-charge yung aming reservation sa head office. Ang nangyari, nabigay nang isang empleyado yung aming room, nuong tumawag kami a day before our trip, nabuking namin sila at pinaglaban namin ang aming reservation, ayun, napunta pa rin sa amin ang room dahil kami naman ang nauna.  Yung hindi tumawag in advance, pagdating nila sa resort, sila yung pinagsabihan na iba na daw ang rooms nila dahil nagkaroon ng error sa booking. Ayun, sila ang nakipag-away sa mismong araw ng bakasyon. Bad trip di ba? Kadadating mo pa lang, problema na.

Importante din na may nakatoka kayong laging nagpapadala ng text messages sa may-ari o caretaker ng resort kung paalis na kayo sa bus at kung nakarating na kayo sa bayan. Importante ito kasi para lalabas na handa kayo, may isang salita at binibigyan mo ng pagkakataon maghanda yung may-ari. Hindi naiinip.  Huwag naman text ng text Kuya, baka mainis.  2 to 3 text messages lang okay na.

Walang Kakyeme-Kyemeng Vacation Guide sa Pundaquit, Zambales [Part 1: Resort at Bus Trip]

April 5, 2012
KABUANG BUDJEi BAWAT TAO: P2,000 

• P320 – bus fare [Cubao, Quezon City to San Antonio, Zambales]
• P30 – tricycle fare [San Antonio City Hall to Pundaquit beach]
• P350 – overnight stay sa resort [P3,500 sa kuarto na pang 10]
• P350 – contribution sa pagkain [pamalengke at iba pang tsibug]
• P150 – share sa boat rent [P1,500 sa isang isla, Capones Island]
• P30 – tricycle fare [Pundaquit beach to San Antonio City Hall]
• P320 – bus fare [San Antonio, Zambales to Cubao, Quezon City]
• Total: P1,550

Maari mo pang i-round off sa P2,000 para sa ibang extra gastos na personal.  Kung magaling ka magplano, maaring hindi lalagpas ng P2,000 ang budget ng isa. 

Biyaheros Photography: "Capones Island, Zambales" [By Jae Mendoza]

These pictures were taken on Capones Island, Zambales, Philippines [April 1, 2012] (Ang mga litratong ito ay kinunan sa Pulo ng Capones)

PHOTOGRAPHY PAGE

Open Road: My Trip to Ilocos

Saud Beach, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte (2007)
Photograph by Rob San Miguel

 

by Rob San Miguel [Written on March 25, 2008]

(Nueva Segovia was the named used during the Spanish era for the region that now includes the provinces of Tarlac, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, and Isabela on the south and all provinces north of these provinces, way up to Ilocos Norte and Cagayan)

Leaving the City

Day in and day out, my routine is always the same. I go to work, do my job the best I can and then go home. Because I live quite far, it is really futile to go home early. If I want to ride a bus going home, I will just spend countless minutes waiting for a bus. If you are like me, you would like to get a cozy window seat in the bus so that even if the bus becomes packed with passengers, you will be comfortable and safe. So, I usually spend many minutes waiting for a bus that is not too crowded. However, at 7 p.m., that is highly improbable. If you do manage to get a bus that is not too crowded, you will just spend more than 1½ hours on the bus because of heavy traffic. So, after work, I choose to have dinner with some of my co-workers and chew the fat. If there is a great movie showing, I will call my friend who works in GMA-7, and we will watch a movie and talk about it afterwards over coffee. On some occasions, I will get an unexpected call from one of my ex’s and have dinner and make fun of each other. If I am alone, I stay in a coffee shop and catch up on my reading. Right now, I find myself enthralled in the universe of Salman Rushdie’s “Grimus.” All these post-work activities are actually stress relievers. I feel more relaxed at the end of the day. This, ladies and gents, is what a single unattached man (by choice) in the city do. I also sometimes go to a bookstore and browse. It is fascinating what and who you may find in a bookstore. Last week, I found a copy of Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore” and I ran into co-worker, C.J., in Fully Booked in Gateway mall as he patiently perused some of the books. It is always a good thing seeing a fellow bibliophile.