Travel Tip: Say "yes" to the unexpected and get surprised

-
 After the Tinagong Dagat trek, 2009

This is how I looked after traversing the Bacolod to Talisay route using the trail via Tinagong Dagat.  No hiking experience, fresh from 8-5 desk job, no gears (not even a raincoat), I ended up like a Vietnamese finding refuge anywhere in the Mekong River paddies. If you can picture that, you know what I meant. Meanwhile, the expert hikers have raincoats, as pictured below. In short, my first travel tip is: Be prepared to look ridiculous!


 

***
If you are in another country, one should research about the culture and local laws. Like when one is required to wear sleeved and long skirt before entering a temple, do not clamor. Like when one is in Singapore, one should not chew bubble gum because it is banned and fined. 

Tip #2: Respect Cultural differences no matter how unacceptable because you are a mere tourist who should be observing a different culture. And yes, with food, eat what they eat. You will never know if you will love them or hate them. Avoid the familiar fastfood

 Thailand 2010

 Some dessert from  Thailand  2010

***

Tip #4: Make sure the camera has batteries and fully charged. I only have a few photos here because I left my batteries at the hotel and we were off on a tour that day. Well, thanks to the back u digicam of my friends. Well, I enjoyed the day without the clicks. But I have to confess that I recharged my battery the night before the tour because we arrived early in the afternoon the other day and we jump in to this red land which ended to be our destination the next day. Hop in!!! And as for this photo, Tip #5 is Be prepared to go barefoot; it pays when it happens!!!
 
 Pan Thiet, Vietnam, 2010

***
Tip #6: Make everything a pleasant trip, just like what the ferry videos wish you to have. We were not able to take the closed ferry from Coron to El Nido because the trip was cancelled and our monies were merely refunded without any option given. We had many transactions for open fishing boats to ferry us to El Nido that will take 6 hours to travel in the open sea. In between, I took photos of rocks and mountains and guessed what form they imitate from nature. Only you can make your trip as pleasant as possible.


 A Baby's head with growing hair? This is Between El Nido and Coron, 2013

An Alligator? This is Between El Nido and Coron 2013

***

 
Lake Sebu, So. Cotabato, 2014 

 Tip #7 Take a ride, if you don't have a choice. I hike, I love leisure walk but I also try some rides like this one in Lake Sebu because otherwise, I will walk down the long trail I used to walk going up there.

***
Tip #8: Go where you must. Okay, I went to the bat sanctuary in Samal Island because it's in the Guinnes Book of World Record.But what do we expect from a bat sanctuary? Bats and their ultra pungent urine but who cares? I supported a local tourist attraction by doing that. I also added the Moncadista's White House in my list because it is intriguing that I want to stay there for research sake for a day or two and tell their story.

 Bat Sanctuary, Samal Island, 2014


 
White House, Samal Island 2014


*** 
Tip #9: Climb it now, you won't be here again and next time is a far away future. I climbed Mt Popa where a temple is nestled atop it and it is about 700 plus steps. Plus, I did it in barefoot and sweaty armpits given the summer heat. On top of that, the monkeys are residents there and they mingle with humans. Well they are sacred, so am I who treads there path going up the mountain.



 Temple on top of Mt. Popa, 2014

 
The 700-plus steps Mt. Popa, Bagan 2014

***
Tip #10 Wear the local tradition, literally. It won't hurt if one tries to act like a roman when one is in Rome. Here, I wore the local beauty product of Myanmareses women called Thanaka. The locals loved us for indulgng in their own local product.

 Thanaka Model, 2014



Location: Philippines

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do you still remember how Sarali or Sirali taste?

-
Image
This "Sarali" is a childhood fruit for everyone who grew up in the Visayan area of the Philippines. Also known as  Flacourtia jangomas or Indian Plum or coffee plum, Sarali is best enjoyed by pressing one fruit between one's palm, move it in circular motion until tender, and pop the soft flesh quickly in one's mouth save the seeds. Just like apple, this fruit oxidizes quickly and thus, gets dark brown easily. It can give one's teeth a nasty brown shade. Sour with a hint of sweet, this is a must-try fruit. I believe, the fruit has an economic value just like sarguellas and lanzones. *** *** *** ***  Related readings:  Possible Treatment of Diabetes http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2959214/ Anti bacterial property:  http://www.ijplsjournal.com/issues%20PDF%20files/july2011/1.pdf
Read more

Linabog nga Bisaya nga Manok

-
Image
When I searched for Linabog in th web, I can see entries on Linabog but using a different souring agent and usually the fish called "pagi" is used. Also, they attribute Linabog to the Cebuanos and there is one video which explained that the word means "throw away" because the parts used in the dish are parts which are usually to be thrown away, like the bony "pagi." Meanwhile, there is also a "kinunot" way of cooking which means "hinimay" or flaked for the Luzon. The name was also coined for leftover parts of fish or chicken. In Hiligaynon, the word "labog" means forcefully thrown away.  This surprised me because when I was small, I heard from my father and his friends about this linabog and they used the leaves of labog plant. So I grew up having some idea of what linabog cooking means and definitely, the Cebuanos' definition of Linabog dish is far from my Ilonggo definition. And yes, Ilonggos ...
Read more

TIKUM KADLUM (The Enchanted Dog, The First of the Ten Epics of Panay Bukidnon)

-
Image
At the house. One day, Bulawanon engaged the help of Tikum Kadlum, a hunting dog with the gift of sensing the spirits, in cooking rice for his husband Paiburong and his brother Dumaraog who will be going hunting. When the rice was cooked, the brothers ate fast. Then, while Bulawanon packed the betel nut for her husband, Paiburong and Dumaraog dressed themselves, with Dumaraog suggesting they match their sashes and belts, since he is his brother's loyal protector. To complete their hunting preparations, the two brought out their long-bladed sharp knives, shields, spears, and lances from their gold chest and wall hanger. When everything is set, Paiburong bade goodbye to his wife, Bulawanon, who reminded her husband to be careful as he might meet in the forest one named Makabagting, who is accompanied by a man-eating woman called Muwa. Makabagting is a nobleman and a warrior who is widely known as having tasted human flesh. Paiburong went out of his house, and he heard a sound. It...
Read more