Foot and Fire

Two imposing rocks on a circumferential road while we were on our way to villages of Sumnanga and Nakanmuan in Sabtang Island Expectation: Batanes is prone to typhoon Reality: Yes, but not all typhoons are feared in Batanes I heard from a cousin that the best time to visit Batanes is in fact after a typhoon. That stuck in my mind so that I fearlessly booked a PAL flight in October, and of course, led by the fact that it was booked as seat sale. We were supposed to fly out to Manila on the eve of October 18 and take the first flight to Basco the following day. The Manila-Basco Trip was cancelled due to Typhoon Ramil and we had our flights rebooked and chose to fly out of Iloilo/Bacolod on October 23 and on that day, Typhoon Salome cancelled the Manila-Basco flight and we were monitoring weather updates. Flights to Basco resumed on the 24th and we were able to fly. Like this Arius Tree in Itbayat, the Ivatans are fearless when it comes to typhoons for they are res...

Visiting Boracay in 2025 when one has seen her way back before as an unspoilt paradise, one could really feel like stepping inside the Divisoria where there are lots of trinkets, shirts, swimwears and beach bags being sold. The lining of establishments from  small refreshment stalls to souvenir shops and restaurants add vibrance to the night scene after the sunset watching but it could be a bit overwhelming given the crowding in one area. The blind masseurs offering their services while one is seated under the coconut trees then were replaced by masseurs offering massages in their in-house or in one’s own hotel. Mushrooming of chain and big hotels in Boracay may be good for revenue and offer convenience for big conferences but the downside of the same development can easily be felt when one visits her at the height of overpopulating algae which many studies indicated to be caused by excess nutrients from human activities and inadequate sewage treatment or untreated wastewater from ...