Martes, Hulyo 23, 2013

Baler with Journeying James




I was very tempted to join the group despite the fact that I can go to Baler without any packages, but hey it’s Journeying James we are talking about. On 23rd of May I took an Alps bus from Sorsogon to Manila for an excruciating 12 hours. When I arrived in Manila I suffered dysmenorrhea so I texted Mitch that I might not be able to join. But at 7pm I was feeling better so I decided to still go. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. We met in Mcdonalds North Ave, I took my dinner and looked for James afterwards. After the 12 hour bus ride from Sorsogon to Manila, here I am again in the 5 hour rough van ride from Manila to Baler, I had some bruises from that ride alone.

When we arrived it was a chilly Saturday morning. We set up camp and I tried to get some sleep but failed horribly. We went to turo turo for our breakfast, I ordered tortang talong and rice.

We went back to the camp and prepared for bike town tour.


 We bike our way to the Museum, there is not much to see there that I can relate to the story of Baler, just some few paintings, relics and there was even this


I asked Vianca to take a picture of me


The museum however is quite impressive, I love the bricks that composed the building, the old capiz window, and the sculptors


Some of the stuff to see there are these

And some paintings

And these scripts


We headed to church which is at that time is having a wedding ceremony so we weren’t able to go inside. We however went to Aurora’s house which I enjoyed - the car, the house itself, the jars and the bamboo stuff (Im addicted to them, just so you know).

This is the house with our bikes

One of the bamboo stuff I was telling you about


The car


The street signs, I love how old they look.
I just noticed that almost all the places in the Philippines has a Rizal St in it.


We then headed to the hanging bridge, part of going there is going through this rough road, which is quite hard for me considering the bike I am riding – no suspension and anytime soon Im scared it might break into pieces. We were greeted by these bamboo trees after the rough road riding

This is the hanging bridge, some parts need some fixing but no need to be afraid of.



The view that you get to see while crossing the hanging bridge

We went back and we ate one of the most incredible lunch ever and lie down for some time and went surfing. The waves are small to flat and since I wasn’t very good at paddling yet, it was a bit hard for me to ride. I just practiced paddling instead.


No pictures of me surfing, again hahaha but here are some of my friends






I rented the board for an hour and it was bitin!!! I just swam some more after an hour. I also played volleyball with some instructors.

Night time was “sosyals” time. What happened here stays here! But still I’m posting pictures anyway.




I was so drank that I prefer to sleep in the hammock, I didn’t know how I was able to tie it but I slept pretty well.

Sunday morning is falls day. We trek for about 45 minutes to go there, James was tasked to be the sweeper and thanks to him he patiently waited for me
Yes you are reading it right, DRINGKING WATER


A mini falls on the way.


The trek includes dipping so be prepared to get wet



Seeing this made the hell of a trek worthwhile


The water is a bit cold, and I was chilling all throughout and had a tendon strain due to tired legs and ice cold water, yet I still enjoyed this. Probably one of the highlights of the tour. Here are some pictures






We also visited the largest tree in PH.  Twas scary but beautiful!




This is how big it is
Picture taken by photojojo



And going home was still an adventure


Thank you Journeying James!! Till the next tour!
Photo from Journeying James



Rapel: facing the fear of heights



I am afraid of heights but here I am conquering it. My brother told me I turned pale while rapelling down and that may prove it, I HAVE FEAR OF HEIGHTS! Anyway, I made it unscathed and still breathing.





Martes, Pebrero 19, 2013

Im a Dreamer


Lifetime Dream
1. Put up a business (2009June)

2. Visit Tawi Tawi, Sagada, Samar, Masbate, The whole of Palawan especially those non tourist spots, Leyte, El Nido, Camiguin, Mt. Pulag, Verde Island, Ilocos, Cebu, Bohol, Mati, Marinduque, Pangasinan, Quezon (July2012), Antique, Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, La Union (Feb2012, Jan2013), Romblon, Guimaras, Zambuanga, Davao, Bukidnon, Palaui Island Cagayan,CDO, Baler, Apo Island, Dumaguete
3. Try Sandboarding, Paddle Boarding (might have to skip on this one)
4. Bring Amara some place new at least once a year (Potipot, Puerto Galera 2011, Sta Magdalena,Bulusan 2012)
5. Design my own house (the house I designed wasnt completely built and I needed to start anew with my new life)
6. Spelunking (DONE Caramoan April 2011)

7. Skimboard (DONE 2012)

8. Watch Urbandub perform live
9. accompany Amara to her first day in school (Nursery June2012)

10. Get inked (Nov2011), design my own tattoo and have it inked, tattoo someone
 
11. Be part of a Mural Painting Activity
12. Paint in canvass shoes, bag, tshirt
13. Do some sustainable stuff (Necklace 2012), and some more

14. Ride a Canoe (7 Islands Camarines Norte June2011), Kayak, White Water Rafting
15. Rappel (16Feb2013), Slackline

16. Play soccer (FUTSAL instead DONE 2012)
17. Go fishing with fishermen
18. Travel Region 5 (Masbate na lang)
19. Annulment
20. Find and read The Secret Doctrine by Helena Blavatsky
21. Bake extra moist banana bread (28Dec2013), moist and yummy chocolate cake (DEC2012 - moist but not so yummy), crinkles (FAILED! 27Dec2013) 2nd attempt (SUCCESS) 30Dec2013)
Banana Cupcakes
 
First Attempt Crinkle (BAR) and Crinkles

22. Learn and Master cooking Pasta especially oil based (Dec2013)
23. Learn to mix cocktails


Wildest Dreams
1. Visit Maldives, Croatia, Palau, Cambodia, Australia, French Polynesia, Africa, Norway, New Zealand, Mexico, Detian Waterfall, Japan, Cayman Islands, Belize, Galapagos Islands Ecuador, Red Sea Egypt, Seychelles, Bermuda, India, Fiji, Alaska, Bahamas
2. Hike Mt. Roraima
3. Tubattaha Scuba Diving
4. Trek Mt. Mayon and Mt. Bulusan
5. Play guitar and sing in front of pasensyosong crowd (Played guitar in College)
6. Acquire a mertail or monofin
7. Get my abs back (seriously...ok i too laughed :)) )
8. Plan a wedding and do a prenup
9. Visit Batanes, Amanpulo
10. SkyDiving, Kite Boarding, Snowboarding,
11. Visit Philippines the wholeness of it
12. Own a Porsche Cayman, Ducati
13. Own a beach front house in my own island
14. Live for a week with Badjao
15. Visit the biggest lake in Coron (Awuyuk ang dakulu)
16. Dive an Underwater Cave
17. Join a Beach Volley Competition (April2002)
18. Paint someone live
19. Donate my hair to a child cancer patient (27Dec2013)

20. Get married on the beach and have underwater prenup :D :D
21. Learn to play Violin
22. Witness Aurora Borealis, watch the biggest moon, Red Moon (2011 April)
23. Learn Capoiera and/or Wushu
24. Try Arnis, Karate (Hisghschool)

30 before 30


1. Learn to surf (DONE October 2011), Surf, snorkel in Siargao
Surfing in Gubat, Sorsogon

2. Do a major climb
3. Visit Coron - DONE (Feb2012)
Coron Palawan

4. Travel for 1 straight month ALONE
5. Cliff Jump    - DONE (Sorsogon April 2012)
Cliff Jump in Paguriran Island Bacon Sorsogon

6. Camp alone in an uninhabited island
7. Watch a turtle lay eggs/ or baby turtles hatch and go to the sea, swim with sea turtles
8. hitchhike
9. Learn to ride a motorcycle
10. get a bike (23Feb2013), go biking around sorsogon (Sorsogon, Bacon, Casiguran (April-May2013)
Black and Pink Cannondale Trail 6

11. Kiss someone under the rain/ underwater
12. Cook adobo on my own (24Feb2013)
     - Why did I include this? Because my Mom is a very good cook! My 4 brothers, older sister and twin sister all knows how to cook so I just make myself useful by cleaning the house instead.
Pork Adobo! :)
 
13. Rock Climb    - DONE (Anilao and Caramoan)
14. Skinny Dipping - DONE (Sta. Magdalena Sorsogon)
15. Encounter with a local tribe
16. freedive at least 6 meters (Due to my heart condition I think I wont be able to do this this year, maybe after the surgery)
17  perm my hair
18. swim with whaleshark
19. be a volunteer (environmental Cause, humanitarian cause) - 06Oct12 27th International Clean Up Day, Aug2012 Red Cross (Habagat), Project Pearls once a month since Aug2012
Project Pearls Volunteer

20. watch a movie alone (30July2013)

21. dive/snorkel apo reef
22. headstand on a beach

23. swim with stingrays/manta rays, dolphins, sharks
24. Swim with a school of fish - DONE (Coron February 2012)
damsel fissssshhhheeesssss.....

25. Learn to Scuba Dive (DONE Anilao 2011), Get a diving license
i look bloated ahahaha

26. Do a charcoal portrait of Amara (DONE June 2012)
my prettiest creation

27. Sleep overnight in a hammock (DONE Calaguas 2011 and Catanduanes 2012, Baler May 2013) 
Catanduanes - of course I wasnt asleep in this picture :))

 
28. Buy my own fins, mask, snorkel, tent (DONE) cookset, stove
My snorkel, mask and fins in action (Coron Palawan)

29. Camp with Amara (DONE Potipot 2011, Sorsogon 2012)
Oh my the cutie is still sleeping.. what a sleepyhead

30. Frame all my charcoal/soft pastel paintings (STARTED Jan2013)