Stories and musings on what the world has to offer, through a little girl's eyes.
Binondo: Of Friendships and Food Coma
I didn’t go on a gastronomical feast the first time I stepped foot in Binondo. The first time I went to the oldest Chinatown in the world, I was part of my photography club’s photowalk that covered the whole Quiapo-Binondo area. We spent the entire morning trying to capture the beauty amid the chaos (at least for me) that is typical in Manila. And funny thing is, instead of going to a restaurant in Binondo to have our late lunch, we ended up in McDonald’s.
I told myself that the next time I’d pay a visit, I’d fill my tummy up with authentic Chinese cuisine. And when a few of my blogger friends, some I only met online (thank you Twitter), started organizing a food trip to Binondo, I didn’t hesitate and quickly grabbed the opportunity.
How I Kicked My Wanderlust Into High Gear Once Again
As a wanderer with itchy feet, it gets frustrating when life gets in the way of your plans. When responsibilities and situations somehow force you to push your wants to the side to give way to seemingly more important things, it makes you think if this passion, if this journey is really the path you should be taking. You feel sort of depressed and probably think that the world is against this dream, even if you know in your heart of hearts that this is what you want and will give you contentment and euphoria to last a lifetime.
This was me these past few months.
Sure I went on at least one trip a month since 2013 started. And yes, I was all positive and looking forward that 2013 will be my travel year. And just from a travel perspective, it actually was. A friend even told me how she thinks I am slowly fulfilling my dream, judging from my posts on Facebook and Twitter. (Though compared to others, I’m still not well-traveled haha)
But behind the photos and status updates, there were so many things going on. Without sounding emo and depressive, things kept happening one after the other and greatly affected me. Besides money, a lot of my time was spent on looking for ways to make more money, therefore sort of abandoning a number of travel-related things, one of which is this blog. I was unhappy, tired all the time and generally uninspired.
Read MoreNot-so-little Beginnings
There once was a little girl who lived in her little world, dreaming not-so-little dreams.
Travel Factor New Year Party
It’s the second week of the year and most of us are back to real world. But before we fully immerse ourselves in our normal, everyday routines, why not have one last hurrah in the company of people who love (are obsessed? 
) with travel and adventure?
Travel Factor, the leading adventure travel company in the Philippines, is throwing a New Year Party to celebrate its 6th year at B-Side, The Collective this Saturday night, January 12, 2013.
Sing and dance the night away with music from Coffee Break Island, Stickfiggas, The Discoball, Goodleaf, Maude, Paranoid City and Romcom, DJ Joey Santos and DJ Niki Rojas.
There are also prizes to be given away, including tickets from Victory Liner and awesome items from Para’Kito, Otter Box, Headware and San Juan Surf Resort. You can also win Travel Factor shirts, gift certificates and trips! 
Tickets are available at the door for P250, and comes with 1 free beer and a raffle stub.
Hope to see you guys there! 
Pagudpud Down South: Of Windmills, Huge Rocks and a Lighthouse
A hearty meal of freshly cooked rice, fish and chicken welcomed us when we got back to Ate Marife’s home. It was very nice of Ate Marife, since we didn’t ask her to prepare lunch for us. This is definitely good old provincial hospitality at its finest. I was famished by the time we got to the homestay that I ate quite a lot. It also didn’t help that I’m a big fan of home-cooked meals.
After helping clear the table, we got back to our room and double-checked our things. We finished packing earlier that morning, before we went out and explored Saud beach, which was a good idea since I don’t like rush packing very much (a confession, I tend to pack the night before my trips but I make sure to write a to-bring list days before *excuses*). It also gave us extra time to check our room for any misplaced items.
While waiting for Kuya Nelson to arrive for the second leg of the tour, Ate Marife handed us a folder with sheets of paper compiled in it. Her homestay is accredited by the Department of Tourism in Pagudpud and as such, she asks her guests to fill out a form where we rate our experience at the homestay and provide comments to Ate Marife. We also browsed through the other forms and as expected, we weren’t the only ones who gave glowing reviews of the place.
We said our goodbyes and thanked Ate Marife and her wonderful family, who were very gracious hosts and made our first-time in a homestay a memorable one. Just a few minutes later, Kuya Nelson’s already familiar tricycle arrived.
We hopped in with our bags in tow, said our last goodbyes to Ate Marife and were off on the Pagudpud South Tour.
Read MoreExploring Pagudpud Up North: Water and More Water
The first part of the Pagudpud north tour gave me my fill of mountains, seascapes and all sorts of views, all within the first few hours of the morning. This made me look forward to what else was in store for us, especially since the whole day was dedicated to the tour.
Little did I know that the best was yet to come *cue cheesy instrumental music*.
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