justjumptgetgoing

[justjumptgetgoing]

SIQUIJOR: AGUAS AZULES EN LA ISLA DE FUEGO

SIQUIJOR: AGUAS AZULES EN LA ISLA DE FUEGO

Todos los Santos was around the corner, and the choice was to be left alone in the lab to work in peace or to go to the cemetery to visit our beloved departed. I chose none. The pressure in the lab was building up, I had to finish my thesis so I could graduate on time. But a fungus needs seven days to grow, so there was really nothing I can do. And the cemetery has never been inviting since I was…

[justjumptgetgoing]

BOROBUDUR AND PRAMBANAN TEMPLES OF YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA

BOROBUDUR AND PRAMBANAN TEMPLES OF YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA

Until 4 in the morning, I was with some friends who came to enjoy the annual Songkran in Bangkok. I couldn’t join them for the next three days, though, because I was flying out of Thailand that afternoon. My three months in the country ended exactly on the eve of the festivities. I finished my experiments at Kasetsart University and was ready to defend my thesis back in the Philippines. But…

[justjumptgetgoing]

SOAKED IN SUKHOTHAI: Thailand's First Capital

SOAKED IN SUKHOTHAI: Thailand’s First Capital

One week before my scheduled thesis defense (and exit Thailand), I decided to take one last backpacking trip to a northern changwat (province). I finished my manuscript a little ahead of time, thanks to the support of both my research supervisor and thesis advisor who made sure all comments were sent back to me as quickly as they can (I had to graduate!). As soon as all revisions were submitted,…

[justjumptgetgoing]

Heading Southeast Thailand: The Truth about Pattaya

Heading Southeast Thailand: The Truth about Pattaya

NOTE: For those familiar with Pattaya, this blog is not going to be about that. Let’s just talk about the places one can visit when the sun is still up and leave the night time to your own research. =) Let me talk about the Sanctuary of Truth which the whole family may very well enjoy together.

Dave (a high school batchmate now working in Pattaya as an English teacher) and I planned it over some…

[justjumptgetgoing]

The Wats and Whatnots of the Ayutthaya Kingdom: A Quick Weekend Jaunt

The Wats and Whatnots of the Ayutthaya Kingdom: A Quick Weekend Jaunt

I woke up 4:30 AM on a Sunday because I was afraid traffic will delay me for my 8:20AM train ride. I was bound for Ayutthaya province, some two hours north of Bangkok. I was planning this trip for the last three or four weeks and I haven’t really finalized what to do and where to go until I have to wait at platform 11 of Thailand Railway Station. The train left the station at 8:40AM and I fell…

[justjumptgetgoing]

Happy Chats along the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: WHEN Series

Happy Chats along the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: WHEN Series

The river Mekong is an important water system in Southeast Asia as it traverses the countries of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is a major trade route among these countries, extending to the hills of China. The river empties into the sea of Vietnam. Along the way, it diverges into small tributaries collectively called the Mekong delta. This complex system floods the surrounding…

[justjumptgetgoing]

I knew so little about the country called Kazakhstan before the trip. I couldn’t even spell it correctly for days when I have to arrange the documents for my one week stay in their capital. What was certain was that it ended with -stan, and that brought to the forefront some countries you and I probably know from the news. However, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I have abroad, and I stan Kazakhstan!

How we got to the country was a nine-hour plane trip, three hours to Bangkok, another six to Almaty, KZ and one last flight to Astana, Kazakhstan’s new capital city. I felt the cold Siberian wind as soon as I stepped out of the airport. I was two time zones east of the Philippines, and the sun do not set until eight or nine in the evening as I was farther north of the equator. I can very well remember the gratitude in me to have walked in one of the countries of Central Asia as I reminisced how grueling the preparation for this travel was.

During this visit, Kazakhstan’s capital city of Astana was celebrating its 20th year as the country’s capital, moved from the equally stunning metropolis of Almaty. Astana’s rise as a bustling city of Central Asia makes Kazakhs regard it as the “Dubai of the steppes”, an analogy of how Dubai rose from a desert as Astana did from the steppes.

The airport was around twenty minutes from Ibis Hotel. Although I was so tired from the trip, I just couldn’t fall asleep easily because of excitement. I waited for the sun to set, and it did at 8:00 pm. It was 10:00pm back home and the sun was long gone at 5. I had to force myself to retire because the next days are going to be amazing!

Going around the city was easy. The transportation was efficient. I preferred the buses when I went hopping from destination to destination because it stopped at specific landmarks. It was okay to be lost (I did twice!) because the city was easy to navigate. Although most signages were in the local Kazakh or Russian language (Russian was the lengua franca), the icons were easy to understand.

Astana, unlike Almaty, do not have many historical or cultural sites. However, many monuments are worth the gram. The Bayterek tower, for instance, is the city’s landmark and was designed to symbolize many of the city and country’s important elements. It has 97 floors to represent 1997, the year Astana became capital. The golden sphere represents the egg of the mythical Samruk which laid it on top of the Yggdrasil or tree of life. On the topmost floor is an imprint of President Nazarbayev.

The Bayterek tower is at the center of the Nurzhol Boulevard. From there, one can just walk through many of the man-made monuments. To maximize  the day, we opted for the one-day hop-on,hop-off bus that takes visitors to sites. Visitors alight at one stop, take their time, and wait for another bus to the next destination with at least fifteen-minute interval per bus. It was convenient as the bus had audio in English, Chinese and Russian properly timed throughout the trip. One can also opt not to get off the bus and just enjoy the sights. It was a double-decker so the best part was enjoying the cold air on the upper bunk as one goes streaming through the city.

Food is mainly meat and bread. Breakfast was the best part of the day as I get to enjoy an array of bread, cheeses, and meat viands. One should not miss the Beshbarmak, Kazakhstan’s national food. It is made of boiled beef or horse meat, laid over noodles and flavored generously with mixes of onion and spices. One serving of this is best for sharing, at least for us with little tummies to fill. As for coffee-lovers, tea is the country’s preference =). There are coffee brands, though, from neighboring Russia and some locals, too.

For a few Tenge (the country’s currency), one could already buy exquisite chocolates. As for me, I went to the grocery to score some daily food consumables and for pasalubong, too. =)

The better option for anyone visiting Kazakhstan is to visit both Astana and Almaty. What one may lack, the other may provide. We did not (we almost booked a bus to Almaty but cancelled it because it was 10-12 hours of land travel), however, do that given the limited time and budget.

The trip finally ended through the same route as when we came. A flight to Almaty, to Bangkok and finally to Manila. Kazakhstan has a beauty of its own worth telling. I will not be surprised when it becomes a common destination for yuppies and travelers in the future. The Kazakh hospitality and way of life are the real gems of the steppes, and that is why I stan Kazakhstan!

    Stan Kazakhstan: Astana of the Steppes I knew so little about the country called Kazakhstan before the trip. I couldn't even spell it correctly for days when I have to arrange the documents for my one week stay in their capital.

[justjumptgetgoing]

Memories of Phnom Penh: WHEN Series

Memories of Phnom Penh: WHEN Series

The history of Cambodia will almost always mention the names of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It was Cambodia’s dark times, and there are places in the capital city of Phnom Penh that will serve as lasting reminders of the fall of that regime and the resilience of the human spirit. Our tour around Phnom Penh centered on these that Good Friday of 2018.

We arrived in Phnom Penh early afternoon of…

[justjumptgetgoing]

The excitement was brewing early that morning. My duffel bag, containing clothes for seven days, was waiting for me to pick it up. I took a shower as early as 3, and was ready to go even before anyone could remind me to book a cab. My passport was ready to get another stamp and my phone ready to take the snaps. The only problem was, my wallet was empty!

The ATM at the airport were all offline, and personnel said it would be up by 6:45am, way past our flight. I was panicking! I was taking a seven-day trip out of the country with literally nothing in my wallet!  As a last option, I borrowed money from one of our companions, and challenged myself to live within this meager amount of cash.

The plane left Manila on schedule, off to Kuala Lumpur (previous trips to Malaysia here: KL and Melaka). We had a lay-over for three hours or so. NAIA was nothing compared to KLIA, I’m sorry to say. I forgot I was in an airport until I have to line up at the boarding gate. There were so many stores and so many restos! Unfortunately, we had little time to go around. We just had lunch and had to go for another flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

It was two o’clock when we landed at Siem Reap International Airport. The architecture gave us clues on what to expect in this city north of the Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. The city is home to the most popular destination in Cambodia, Angkor, and the reason why we’re here. We were fetched by the staff of the hotel where we would be spending the next three days. A few hours of rest, we went out for a lecture given by a representative of APSARA, the agency tasked to preserve the Angkor. It was a briefer for our tour the next day.

We went back to the hotel and rested early. We were excited for the tour, and I’m not sure if we were able to really sleep well. As for me, my mind was racing for the most part of the night and a few hours before sunrise. I had breakfast in Manila, lunch in Kuala Lumpur and dinner in Siem Reap. This thought of multi-country meals was enough to keep me awake, and the adrenaline was too early to spike. A little boy who dreamed of this day is awake reminiscing what just happened hours ago. I probably slept for two hours only, but I was energized and ready for the next day. And, oh, I haven’t spent a single dime yet. Not just yet.

We left the hotel at 8 o’clock in the morning, after a simple breakfast of coffee, egg and bread. There were 17 of us so we had the entire bus for our group. The whole day, we went around three of the biggest temples of what is collectively referred to as the Angkor. Angkor, which means city, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Angkor Wat, the biggest of the temples, is the largest religious monument in the world and was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and later on transformed as a Buddhist temple (thanks wiki =)).  The architecture depicts that of a Khmer style of using sandstone elaborately decorated with events in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

There were a lot of people inside (kelan ba hindi?), and one really needs to pack up extra patience and lots of water. We had a lot of walking and I think the whole day was not really enough to fully appreciate the structures, the history and the science (as a soil science student, I was appreciate the role of water in keeping the structural support of the temple strong) behind the temple. It was fascinating to say the least.

The two other sites, Angkor Thom and Ta Phrohm, were similar in stuctrure and design but had unique features as well. Angkor Thom, for instance, included the Bayon tower and can be accessed by at least five gates. It was the last capital of the Khmer empire. Ta Prohm, on the other hand, is well known as the Tomb Raider temple because it was the site of the film Tomb Raider (featuring Angelina Jolie in 2001). Massive trees are growing out of the ruins, making the place so picturesque.

The whole day ended with a lecture and de-briefer from the director of APSARA. True to the objective of the trip, we learned a lot about the history and significance of preserving a World Heritage Site. The commonalities between Angkor and the UNESCO Heritage Sites in the Philippines are both direct and subtle. Heritage sites are our tangible connection with our past, a reminder of the struggles and the triumphs, a memory concretized in stones and towers. When we preserve it, we preserve part of our history, our culture and, by extension, part of ourselves.

  It was time to rest, for tomorrow is another adventure.

-Part 1 of 4-

June 17, 2018

    The ANGKOR to Cambodia’s Past: WHEN Series The excitement was brewing early that morning. My duffel bag, containing clothes for seven days, was waiting for me to pick it up.

[justjumptgetgoing]

Yearend [2017] Travel Story: Where and Why

It was finally time for Decembreak. The airport was jam-packed, as usual, that Friday. Everyone was rushing to get to where they want to be before the clock says time’s up. From a corner, while enjoying a cup of macchiato, I ogled at the diversity of passengers, from the good-looking to the well-mannered, from the simple to the simpleton. I smiled because I can perhaps fit into all of those based…

[justjumptgetgoing]

Coming from Nueva Ecija, we decided to proceed with our original plan of moving to Baguio City despite the typhoon going on the same direction. We were Bicolanos looking for an adventure under the mantra of “bahala na” and the trademark “oragon”. Besides, there were no sili plants to secure and the strawberries were waiting to be picked.

We took the van to Baguio City, endured the four hour drive up the steep (and dangerous) road to the summer capital of the Philippines. Upon arriving that night, we found a good place to stay for the next three days for a reasonable price.  We freshened up and met with Sam, a friend who was studying dentistry in a local university, who took us to dinner out in the cold November evening.

The cold zephyr passed by, touching our freezing cheeks, as we strolled by the ukay-ukay along one of the major streets of the city. It was 9 in the evening and people were coming by the hundreds, all wanting to score the best bargains. I’m not good in negotiating, so I ended up buying just a pair of shoes negotiated by Mheljor, who originally was poised to buy that pair of brown derby.

It was midnight when we finally retired to bed, excited for the next day’s destinations. The typhoon was coming the day after so we had the chance to go around and enjoy the November sun.

We woke up early so we can get to the strawberry farm ahead of everyone. Upon alighting the cab, we checked the strawberries. They were still immature, so we ended up buying the already harvested fruits by the road side. Aside from that, we took the chance to buy kilos of vegetables (tito-ing lol) which we thought were best pasalubongs for our moms. hehe

  Then the rain started to pour. The typhoon came early. We retreated into our condo unit as we listened to the pounding of the wind and the slashing of the rain. Outside the window we saw a tree got uprooted and fell over the orchidarium close to it. We were thankful, though, that electricity was up the whole time so we can monitor the typhoon and so our phones would have energy source to tap on.

The next day, some fresh rays were beaming through the dark clouds. The typhoon is gone so we got up to roam the city again. There were a lot of fallen branches along the streets. The place was too quiet for a bustling metropolis but the city was starting to wake up from its cold slumber. We saw quite a number visiting the Mansion and many more opening their souvenir stores and local restaurants. The resilience is in our culture, maybe synonymous to the word Filipino. =)

Dean, Sam and Mheljor

We left Baguio at 10 in the evening aboard Victory liner. Our flight back to Legazpi was at 10 am the next day  so we were glad to know the bus went directly to Naia 3 as one of its stops.  It was a good decision to visit Baguio after all. =)

From my first visit in 2006 to ten years after in November 2016, Baguio is so attractive because of the emotions it can stir up and the sentiments it can draw out. Maybe what really beckons me to the summer capital of the country is not the thought of strawberries or the wintery vibes. Perhaps it’s the thought that every pavement in the city is a silent listener, and that every corner is a non-judgemental shoulder on which to rest a weary soul.  And while many movies tap on this to portray love stories that are too good to be true, Baguio is a personal confidant that keeps my emotions within the ambit of reality.

  Note: this blog is a year late =)

Memories of Baguio [2016] Coming from Nueva Ecija, we decided to proceed with our original plan of moving to Baguio City despite the typhoon going on the same direction.

[justjumptgetgoing]

Two weeks ago, I planned to hike Mt. Ulap to get a breather before the full blow of the finals week. Unfortunately, that didn’t push through because I sketch better these days lol. One night, I was having a nice chat with a friend from Iloilo and at that point the thought of going back to that city crossed my mind. We had exchanges of itineraries and a little before midnight, I finally booked the ticket for a weekend trip down to the center of the Philippines.

Iloilo City has become a staple this year, having visited the place for a couple of times for many different reasons. That weekend , though, was purely for detoxification and to shed away stress from school requirements.

After my last Friday class, I rushed to the airport, still clutching some lecture handouts, to be on time for boarding. The plane left Manila an hour late, though, because of reasons too common I can’t even remember.

Fast forward, we arrived at Iloilo at around 7 in the evening. Although the place is so familiar that I can manage to get to the city on my own, it was nice that a friend came to fetch me. Vince, who was staying in the province for a few months, was the best (at that moment, coz who else? lol) companion to go around because he was Ilonggo.

We had a quick dinner while we wait for Lounelle, another friend who was in the place for three weeks for her work assignments. When she came, we went to a local coffee shop called Brewtherhood (did I spell that correctly?) to plot the next days’ itinerary. We called it a day after almost two hours of talking about this and that. We proceeded to Circle Inn to rest for the night.

The next day started really early. Because Circle Inn was so close to the wharf, we decided to drop by the island of Guimaras. Besides, it was only 14 pesos and 15 minutes away. We arrived at the Jordan wharf and immediately took a trike to visit some places such as the Smallest Plaza, the Guimaras marker at the provincial capitol, and the famous Pitstop restaurant where we had breakfast. It was unfortunate, though, that mango was not in season so we ordered plain usual breakfast.

We went back to Iloilo City before lunchtime, and just relaxed for an hour or two at the pool area of Circle Inn.  After that, we went to see Lounelle at Central Philippine University so that we all can grab something to eat. We found a small pizza house in front of CPU called Nick’s and ordered a few of their bestsellers. For hungry people, all food becomes tasty. hehe But yeah, the price was okay. =)

After lunch, we went to the Iloilo Museum, and Jaro and Molo Cathedrals. And to while the time, we spent some good chats at the Molo Mansion with ice cream and buko juice. At 6pm, we took a cab to Manduriao to eat dinner with Vince’s relatives. We wouldn’t say no to home-cooked food. =)

Me

and them lol

Lounelle, Vince, and I at the Molo Mansion

To cap the night, we tried wall climbing at the Iloilo ATC just within the Esplanade area. That was perhaps the best unplanned activity we had. For just 150 pesos, we had unlimited access to the facility! We were taught how to properly position our feet, how to belay, and how to use the legs instead of the arms to push, and not pull, our way up. It was tiring but we honestly enjoyed every bit of time we spent there! That night probably was the most hilarious part of this trip! We took turns in climbing, belaying, taking photos and videos and making fun of one another. lol Plus, we had a great trainer: a grade 11 student! She spoke really good English and was so fun to talk to, and supportive, too!

The next day, I had a migraine so I wasn’t able to join the beach and Miag-ao church part of this trip. Only Lounelle, who’s addicted to vitamin sea, pushed through with the plan. haha Instead, we went to the central market to taste the famous and original batchoy. The batchoy was filled with so many bits of this and that which made it more appetizing. Good thing, too, it was only a few steps away from the hotel so we didn’t bother to shower before we went out. lol I slept a little more when we came back to the hotel until checkout time.

Deco’s Batchoy at Central Market

Because the batchoy was a complete meal by itself, I only had coffee and some pastries the whole afternoon at SM. My flight was at 10 pm so I had lots of time. That’s when I remembered messaging some of my Ilonggo friends if they’re free for some catching up. Rommel came with his friend, joining me and Lounelle (coz Vince left already). I eventually went to the airport for the flight back to Manila, refreshed and ready for the coming weekdays. It was Sunday, by the way. =)

Lounelle, Rommel and I are getting “healthier” these days. haha

So there. I realized how “homie” Iloilo is all these years. It continues to magnetize me and I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. Maybe the memories I have in the place are so unique, and maybe the people are kinda special. Or maybe I’m expecting I’ll be making more memories, or maybe not. Lots of maybe’s but there are a few things I’m sure of. One, we all need breaks, even break-ups, to re-program ourselves for something better. And two, Iloilo City is Eat, Pray, Love, but sometimes it could be Easy, Lazy and Fun. And I’m excited to be back again. =)

  Photo credits: Vince, Lounelle, and random people =)

ILOILO Weekend: Simple, Lazy and Fun Two weeks ago, I planned to hike Mt. Ulap to get a breather before the full blow of the finals week.

[justjumptgetgoing]

Random Rumination: Life and Lessons

Random Rumination: Life and Lessons

I can probably trace back my fascination for the life sciences to the nights spent watching NatGeo or Discovery Channel. Back then, most of the series were of forest wildlife, marine mammals and the avian communities. So when I was about to choose a college program in different universities, most of them had something to do with biology. Eventually, I took a BS Biology program. Although it was…

[justjumptgetgoing]

FESTIVAL TRIO 2018: SINULOG, DINAGYANG AND ATI-ATIHAN

FESTIVAL TRIO 2018: SINULOG, DINAGYANG AND ATI-ATIHAN

As I write this blog, a place in the Philippines is celebrating a festival, and probably a town we haven’t heard of is busy preparing for their annual fiesta. Everyday is grand in this country, and while the year is just about to close, we already look forward to the best festivals of 2018. There are three festivals in the country that form the trio of festivities and open the year to so much…

[justjumptgetgoing]

Climbing the Steps of the Rice Terraces

Climbing the Steps of the Rice Terraces

When I was in grade school, our teachers would always make us do a travelogue of the many scenic and historic places in the Philippines. It was almost a yearly tradition to cut and paste pictures and postcards of these sites in colorful cartolinas and label them accordingly. I also remember back in grade two when we were asked to mold different land forms out of clays. There was fun in doing them…

[justjumptgetgoing]

Surfing at Baler, Aurora

Surfing at Baler, Aurora

Surfing is perhaps one of the coolest thing you can do in your entire life. I had the chance of doing this last February at Baler, Aurora. A six hour drive from Metro Manila, Baler is the capital of the province of Aurora. It’s blessed with rugged terrains and landscapes and great waves perfect for surfing. A trip to the place isn’t complete without playing with the waves. Baler is considered the…

[justjumptgetgoing]

The truth is, I woke up late that morning. It was Saturday and who wouldn’t want a little extra snooze? It was unintentional, though, that I kept the sheets a little over 6am, an hour more than my supposed departure at 5. The moment I noticed the countless missed calls and messages, I rushed to take a shower and headed to the bus stop to get to Manila the earliest possible time. I was too consequence-tolerant, but good thing Mcdo kept my consequence-averse friends a little company while they wait.

And then I arrived. hehe Then off we went with the road trip to Pampanga!

We fetched another person before we hit the road to Angeles City. I couldn’t remember why Angeles but we have planned this reunion for months, shifting from places like Iloilo, Bacolod, Zamboanga and passing them over to be painted and displayed in an arts museum. They never happened. So we were really thankful that Angeles did!

The Biorisk Officers in PORAC!

Once in Angeles, we met another PhABOT classmate completing the group of 5. We were classmates in a biorisk officers training program in 2015 and that’s where this friendship started. We decided (wait, who decided? ahah) to try Sandbox at Porac, Pampanga. It wasn’t my first time in the place (which makes me think I was the one who suggested the adventure course – – -> bunso entitlements haha) and so we did. Check out my previous Sandbox experience here.

Sandbox is an outdoor adventure park with exciting rides and activities jointly managed by Ayala Land and Leonia Land in the municipality of Porac. Activities such as the Giant Swing, Wall Climbing and the Zipline were the three courses we tried, ’cause the heat was already baking us and because we took turns in taking photos in every corner we could haha. It was way beyond lunch time when we went back to the van to get something to eat. And because we were in Pampanga, we wouldn’t want to miss the famous Mila’s restaurant.

So when they said Pampanga is the food capital of the country, they were not wrong. I never will forget the gastronomic chicharong bulaklak (damn, it was heavenly! I’m salivating as i pen this blog!), and the barbeque tocino coupled with ensaldang pako and a cold cold serving of soda. Anyone visiting Pampanga shouldn’t miss a food hopping of some sort, wherever that may be in this province two hours from Manila.

After lunch, we made our way to some old churches in the place, just lulling the time while learning about the little details of Pampanga’s political and religious history. We had the whole afternoon talking about this and that, and of course planning the next reunion. haha A reunion which will take another year to happen. haha

Church of San Guillermo

For dinner, we had some Korean food. I’m not a fan of their cuisine, especially when you have Mila’s for lunch. Nonetheless, my tastebuds are as flexible as I am. =)

We finally drove back to Manila, arriving during the traffic-stricken hour of 9pm. I took a  bus back to Los Banos, arriving at 11, reminiscing the day’s adventure. I couldn’t get back to sleep at once ’cause the adrenaline still lingered. So I told the sheets to wait a bit longer. Besides, it got extra cuddle this morning.

A little time to write about what happened during the day

Pampanga Food and Outdoors The truth is, I woke up late that morning. It was Saturday and who wouldn't want a little extra snooze?