tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79264820354399417962024-02-19T10:17:39.718-08:00The Lost Sputnik- Travel BlogThe Lost Sputnik is a travel blog of a 24-year-old guy backpacking around the Philippines. He is re-discovering his roots and at the same time showcasing the beauty of his country. So, come and join us as he travel around the Philippines.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-70723099356978762842008-05-31T01:29:00.000-07:002008-05-31T03:11:59.665-07:00Lost Sputnik turns 1!Exactly one year ago, I embarked on a journey that made a big impact in my life.<br /><br />I went around the Philippines for two and a half months with no concrete itinerary in hand. I was literally living in a suitcase, well a backpack to be exact.I went from one place to another and didn't really know where I wanted to go. Pretty much the same as how my life was back then. I really didn't know where my life was headed to. I felt like I was just doing things for me to get by but with no specific goal whatsoever. I felt empty. I felt angry.<br /><br />During that time, all I wanted to do was to be away from everyone and everything. To get lost somewhere and hoped that I would find myself one day.<br /><br />Luckily and thankfully, I did. <br /><br />And looking back now, I can't believe how far I've gone.<br /><br />I read a few articles I've written before and I couldn't picture myself that way anymore. The emotions I've felt while writing all the things in my blog at that time seemed so distant or strange to me now. It's probably because I'm in a better disposition now. And I couldn't be thankful enough.<br /><br />Hopefully, things will stay the same.<br /><br />I'm taking it one day at a time. Enjoying every bits of it.<br /><br />Trying to keep positive at all times.<br /><br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-83068091351431664522008-03-11T19:37:00.000-07:002008-03-11T19:40:01.725-07:00Catching up..not quiteI haven't updated this site for the longest time since I left the Philippines. I've got a pile of photos from my recent trip to bangkok and phuket, but just haven't had the time to upload it. I promise to do it within the month. Anyway, I've been quite busy with work. I'm directing a tv show here in singapore called Fashion Forward. Check this out.<br /><br /> http://5.mediacorptv.sg/shows/variety/view/1660/1/.html<br /><br />Will post photos of singapore soon too.<br /><br />The Lost SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-36173055128644477432007-12-24T00:39:00.000-08:002007-12-24T00:45:05.738-08:00Leaving on a jetplaneI'M BACK. <br /><br />I changed the banner a bit, before it read "Philippine Leg", now I made it "Southeast Asia". I have mentioned before that I'm planning to move to singapore to work right? Now, it is finally official, I'm leaving for Singapore tomorrow. But before I do that I'm dropping by to visit Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi in Thailand. Being based in Singapore will enable me to travel to other southeast asian countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos etc. So I'll be posting articles and photos of my travel real soon. <br /><br />So wish me luck!<br /><br />Til then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-79776604880613890112007-11-16T22:24:00.001-08:002007-11-16T22:39:45.717-08:00PAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST FINALISTShey guys,<br /><br />Check this out, the finalists for the PAL Photography Contest<br /><br />http://www.palphotocontest.com/enthu_portrait.html<br /><br />I didn't win but it's all good as the competition was pretty tough, the finalists were equally awesome too.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-85780408201596152912007-10-27T22:55:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:11:46.797-07:00"Mother and Child" By: Ronald L. Rillo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQty5Hng4Gy-KJmsHAagTvs3czsjyOmLhMFAsfNJy_AVEyedkTs11OaV0Czwc0gC3QTIHG0aJVpP6DSIVI_s6rBQtbqjw3zvrTJJXfnQaQaDruhscfA8zpKR4cRhkkr5LNSCeSg_W_7K0/s1600-h/1803023140_06f567d1a0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQty5Hng4Gy-KJmsHAagTvs3czsjyOmLhMFAsfNJy_AVEyedkTs11OaV0Czwc0gC3QTIHG0aJVpP6DSIVI_s6rBQtbqjw3zvrTJJXfnQaQaDruhscfA8zpKR4cRhkkr5LNSCeSg_W_7K0/s400/1803023140_06f567d1a0.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127935908033196002" /></a><br /><br />Hi all,<br /><br />I mentioned earlier that I got in as finalist for Philippine Airline's Photography Contest, I was finally able to confirm which entry they have chosen. It was the photo of a mother and child on an outrigger amidst the towering ships in Cagayan De Oro. The awarding is on the 10th of November at MOA. I hope I get the top prize he he! nah being in the finals is enough!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8g1Tv29DhgP7gAuVCh3PejzRwr6oidF7Kh345cMZ2OgL-ONuAU9BKRMt2ZpA3Qzh2tYtVlp49TV_cILG22r_3aPbm9FXOxAFJH3fsZj9u0Mg-AGZjF1rVr4m_V1erkaay-hRyUsVUJ8/s1600-h/motherandbaby.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8g1Tv29DhgP7gAuVCh3PejzRwr6oidF7Kh345cMZ2OgL-ONuAU9BKRMt2ZpA3Qzh2tYtVlp49TV_cILG22r_3aPbm9FXOxAFJH3fsZj9u0Mg-AGZjF1rVr4m_V1erkaay-hRyUsVUJ8/s400/motherandbaby.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126265865834721234" /></a>Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-38852842760074409122007-10-27T20:52:00.000-07:002007-10-27T23:11:15.156-07:00Bora by Jet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFH-wykLWLmoXJotEQVeMEeUaBmYQYATYr-UzW0BT5u0mI5Xo62cq9gJp3y9CVeIq9pkOVzw_fpUpMpHkuZCajFtWKaghqzT41KQ5DT6XF85euakcg2dWqfViRMx3zAvXkSAhbZ1Eh9U/s1600-h/CIMG6654.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFH-wykLWLmoXJotEQVeMEeUaBmYQYATYr-UzW0BT5u0mI5Xo62cq9gJp3y9CVeIq9pkOVzw_fpUpMpHkuZCajFtWKaghqzT41KQ5DT6XF85euakcg2dWqfViRMx3zAvXkSAhbZ1Eh9U/s400/CIMG6654.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126238339389321026" /></a><br /><br />Last October 21-25, I directed a TVC for Asian Spirit in the Island of Boracay. I'm not a big fan of Boracay (yes, unfortunately), but during my short stay in the Island, I came to realise the charm it possessed that made a lot of people frequent the paradise. Aside from the crystal clear water and pristine white sand that the Island is known for, what makes Boracay special are the people, both locals and visitors. They are very warm and accommodating. If it was in the city of manila, I don't think they'd easily entertain people theyve never met. The Island has it's own culture--the beach culture that can't be found anywhere else in the Philippines. Probably comparable to the beach culture in bondi beach or gold coast. You'll never run out of things to do in boracay, from water sports to simply having a good massage on the beach. The strip of restaurants and bars are endless and mouthwatering. If ever I go back, I'd probably go not as a backpacker but tag along with my friends. The island is better with friends around you than being on your own.<br /><br />Thanks to Asian Spirit, for the airfare and free board and lodging at Pearl of the Pacific. <br /><br />Here are some of the photos during the shoot:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMqLMuk6pTJ8licslkx_TVef0CLFbw5869l_bEsMvcBMfC0QM3WdYd1165pjWzlClPfplwL568JqL4zuXggdYleeQtmxkoBpNErO3FIrdSVqU5eqQr_dOJC1se1JKXwdz-Xo7roD_jUc/s1600-h/CIMG6681.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMqLMuk6pTJ8licslkx_TVef0CLFbw5869l_bEsMvcBMfC0QM3WdYd1165pjWzlClPfplwL568JqL4zuXggdYleeQtmxkoBpNErO3FIrdSVqU5eqQr_dOJC1se1JKXwdz-Xo7roD_jUc/s400/CIMG6681.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126240220584996690" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAY4VdPPz2X9Zt6D95-K3tqawov13WHxRRgcqSE6354cwH8j-YmICSoBCooB4hrkb-N56GssfMTf3yD4hR3XHiieBUX2CpxHMf_H08XA3Xeh0nBGw-nHklgtzd97FMJZbi4bPNR9hThiE/s1600-h/PA210133.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAY4VdPPz2X9Zt6D95-K3tqawov13WHxRRgcqSE6354cwH8j-YmICSoBCooB4hrkb-N56GssfMTf3yD4hR3XHiieBUX2CpxHMf_H08XA3Xeh0nBGw-nHklgtzd97FMJZbi4bPNR9hThiE/s400/PA210133.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126240259239702370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAPtldQfdTNjI2SI44hR8NhaR11FSVnwZXdsQ4te8XT3M5MrnwzgG-leDSPS2wItQNyMefUPzRUhLHTaLSjEo822GihNF0CB0MiBPUoo1OY5GWQIF40Tk76zM0oGh7qvpdScH7e3CroM/s1600-h/PA220187.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAPtldQfdTNjI2SI44hR8NhaR11FSVnwZXdsQ4te8XT3M5MrnwzgG-leDSPS2wItQNyMefUPzRUhLHTaLSjEo822GihNF0CB0MiBPUoo1OY5GWQIF40Tk76zM0oGh7qvpdScH7e3CroM/s400/PA220187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126240302189375346" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTn8u0tEzzdtOOy597d4GzLJIMsOngKKRfjanSMOuTl7TEk5c2yDbe9txmy77_Q8W8iuoqIVlHskRfTDphdJrU8tDwuK_8FzGduVVcdY_1HCzPgIErmuR5F75Y4PfJak0bUN1DUWciXk/s1600-h/PA220190.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTn8u0tEzzdtOOy597d4GzLJIMsOngKKRfjanSMOuTl7TEk5c2yDbe9txmy77_Q8W8iuoqIVlHskRfTDphdJrU8tDwuK_8FzGduVVcdY_1HCzPgIErmuR5F75Y4PfJak0bUN1DUWciXk/s400/PA220190.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126240332254146434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPLpjeTcAl_nyp2Nvd2e5ffUeuqULHhNn2KqKLaGkjV210xbDCnZbRLU8RHSmya-mROmctAZ5w4PSMhZ-atJZnXXc5obWhpLDXvoGSjKxVuoA9uTmO6cBTXmeFUua007xhqvRlSBbDOI/s1600-h/PA220213.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPLpjeTcAl_nyp2Nvd2e5ffUeuqULHhNn2KqKLaGkjV210xbDCnZbRLU8RHSmya-mROmctAZ5w4PSMhZ-atJZnXXc5obWhpLDXvoGSjKxVuoA9uTmO6cBTXmeFUua007xhqvRlSBbDOI/s400/PA220213.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126240358023950226" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68VYcTVh_Ru_KV6JckKiAr9IEDnfbMY7Pu9O7aCojIGcbGGi7mq_9Oedt-XS2e3M3ZmMLBHyw6_hvG7zdOUP1jv6cWU2Nm6jReN_PIv34-kkCWEmENQkZfkgyMKWGj6yXp2ZeDSw0aTs/s1600-h/IMG_1812.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68VYcTVh_Ru_KV6JckKiAr9IEDnfbMY7Pu9O7aCojIGcbGGi7mq_9Oedt-XS2e3M3ZmMLBHyw6_hvG7zdOUP1jv6cWU2Nm6jReN_PIv34-kkCWEmENQkZfkgyMKWGj6yXp2ZeDSw0aTs/s400/IMG_1812.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126248561411485602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zQwxN_rIhZeSzrpDr5qcpHZsNp5JoBAlTdC1RJpgJTMOgGx9WKE84n6HsJsDNQKvqf07PNTpZtW8Buq3eer1qr0GL-gRXP5v8KBZXNHlq3S8L6FkrQaJQ3xwRjNmq2rdM4Yj4aYj4h0/s1600-h/IMG_1776.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zQwxN_rIhZeSzrpDr5qcpHZsNp5JoBAlTdC1RJpgJTMOgGx9WKE84n6HsJsDNQKvqf07PNTpZtW8Buq3eer1qr0GL-gRXP5v8KBZXNHlq3S8L6FkrQaJQ3xwRjNmq2rdM4Yj4aYj4h0/s400/IMG_1776.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126248570001420210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUQeBA9YfpNxhUywajiTQ9dZlMTWzFLraWq-GXkXLgfYwtOl0DFpR-NqhmT-6KifcWtG-TU5Y0Mz7AIUAjCU9e3IHxnGFxaV-kD6uqWzM9UlOBC7YndVu5ysb7sFR67HxxlcI-oM6bdU/s1600-h/IMG_1780.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUQeBA9YfpNxhUywajiTQ9dZlMTWzFLraWq-GXkXLgfYwtOl0DFpR-NqhmT-6KifcWtG-TU5Y0Mz7AIUAjCU9e3IHxnGFxaV-kD6uqWzM9UlOBC7YndVu5ysb7sFR67HxxlcI-oM6bdU/s400/IMG_1780.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126248578591354818" /></a>Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-3548243274801438632007-10-15T11:34:00.001-07:002007-10-27T23:12:38.333-07:00Lost Sputnik got something to rave abouthey guys,<br /><br />Just wanted to share some good news. Recently, I joined the PAL photo contest and luckily I got in the finals for the 'Enthusiasts Division - The Beauty of the Philippine People / Portrait Award'<br /><br />I submitted photos from the 'the lost sputnik' travel I recently had a couple of months ago.<br /><br />I'll post the photo as soon as find out which entry l submitted was chosen. I don't know which one yet. I'm guessing it's either the mother and son (badjao) or the kids in siquijor. <br /><br />Announcement of winners will be on the 28th of October, Mall of Asia. <br /><br />So wish me luck. <br /><br />Winning it would be a bonus, I feel so lucky to land the top 12 out of 2,800 entries. <br /><br />I'm so ecstatic right now.<br /><br /><br />here's the article:<br /><br />1st Philippine Airlines Photo Contest Finalists<br /><br />Philippine Airlines proudly announces the finalists of the 1st Philippine Airlines Photo Contest. Last week, five judges selected the finalists and winners out of some 2,800 entries submitted by professional , amateur and junior photographers nationwide. The 1st Philippine Airlines Photo Contest is the first and most prestigious competition of its kind this year, with winners from the Professional, Enthusiast and Junior divisions receiving over a million pesos in total prizes.<br /><br />Here are the finalists (In random order):<br /><br />Professional Division - The Beauty of the Philippine Scapes Award:<br />Erwin T. Lim , Mark Wendel Dela Cruz, Ramon F. Castillo, Benny Bondoc, John Javellana, Rodney Niduaza, Samuel De Leon, Ronie N. Poblacion, James Park, Leonardo Sexcion, Ferdinand M. Singh, Roberto Mendoza, and Carlo Carlos.<br /><br />Professional Division - The Beauty of the Philippine People / Portrait Award:<br />Rosemarie Razon, Carlo Carlos, Walter C. Villa, Joseph R. Yamane, Rodolfo Manabat, Romulo Domagas, Dennis Magdamo, Rodney Niduaza, Rolando Jumawan, and Raniel Castañeda.<br /><br />Professional Division - The Beauty of the Philippine Culture Award:<br />Ruel Bimuyag, Donald Tapan, Carlo Carlos, Bobby Timonera, Michael W. Li,<br />Arnold Jumpay, Erwin T. Lim, Rosemarie Razon, Raniel Jose Castañeda, Carolina Bustamante, Sixto M. Agraviador, Mark Wendel Dela Cruz, Jethro Rafael, and Jesus Tinapay<br /><br />Enthusiasts Division - The Beauty of the Philippine Scapes Award:<br />Susan Celzo, Ernest Kurt C. Tan, Victor Alvarez, Merlie Biona, Antonio Rojas, Jr. , John Marcel Lainez, Roselyn F. Roldan, Jacob Maentz, Vincent Vilaroza,<br />Teodoro Labay Pelaez, Lhor Santillan, Joylove Delgado, and Judith Carlos.<br /><br />Enthusiasts Division - The Beauty of the Philippine People / Portrait Award:<br />Leonard Pe, Pacita Tiong, Mark Sandoval, Hannibal Zenon Ong, William Lee Chin, Jacob Borres, Rustom Banal , Jr. , Jose Paolo Sanchez, Josaias De la Cruz, Ronald Rillo, McLloyd T. Jumpay, and Hersley-Ven D. Casero<br /><br /><br />Enthusiasts Division - The Beauty of the Philippine Culture Award:<br />Antonio Rojas, Jr., Jesse M. Narrazo, Joaquin Ruste, Lemuel Ragaza, <br />Maritoni Nanini, Jojie Alcantara, Maria Catalina G. Jumpay, Leslie Go Alcantara, <br />Rustom Banal, Jr., Pacita Tiong, Ronalie Beltran, Allan Ong, and Japoi Cequina<br /><br />Junior Division - The Beauty of the Philippine Scapes Award/ People / Portrait Award/ Culture Award<br />Eouia Aum Dueñas, Marirose Angeline Lim, and Marilaine Claudette Gapal,<br /><br /><br />The awarding ceremony is tentatively scheduled on Sunday, 3pm-5pm, October 28, 2007 at the SM Mall of Asia. All finalists will be notified by emails so that they will be there to await the announcement of the contest’s nine lucky winners from the Professional, Enthusiast and Junior Divisions. <br /><br /><br />The 1st Philippine Airlines Photo Contest aims to promote Philippine ecotourism, as well as encourage photographers of all ages and skill levels to develop their talents. The competition is for the benefit of Philippine Airlines Foundations ecotourism projects, and is presented in partnership with EPSON and SM Supermalls. Sponsors include I-MAG Photography, Mabuhay Magazine, philphotography.net, El Nido, Marithe Francois Girbaud, The Tides Boracay, The EMBASSY, Gadgets Magazine, Speed Magazine, Action & Fitness, Graphic Expo and OWG Creative Centre. <br />Co-organized by OneWorkshop,Inc., and Eastgate Publishing Corporation.<br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-42543401089010953832007-09-25T08:38:00.000-07:002007-09-25T08:44:52.871-07:00What has the lost sputnik been up to?It's been a long while since I've written something here in my blog. I've been pre-occupied with work, so it's been really hectic. I needed to work heaps again so I'd be able to catch up with my savings (I travelled for 2 months and a half, so there's a lot of catching up to do) and plan another adventure. So what am I up to? I'm giving myself til the end of october before I move to singapore. Since, I'm pushing through with that plan, what I might do is to travel on weekends from singapore to nearby countries--yes, the backpacking way again. Traveling to other countries on a budget. I'm so looking forward to that. Wish me luck and watch out for that. <br /><br />Btw, I'm joining PAL's photo contest. I'm submitting some of the photos I took from the lost sputnik adventure, some of it are actually posted here. Wish me luck. You guys should join to, deadline is on saturday! visit www.palphotocontest.com<br /><br />cya<br /><br /><br />til then,<br /><br />the lost sputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-43038875985774237202007-08-30T22:08:00.000-07:002007-08-30T22:13:55.859-07:00Travel Fair for the backpackershey all,<br /><br />Just wanted to let you guys know that there would be a <strong>Travel Fair</strong> in <strong>SM Megamall</strong> on <strong>Sept 7-9 2007</strong>. Be sure to drop by to book or buy your tickets to wherever you want to go! It would be the best time to plan your future trips as there would be a lot of cheap rates! See you there!<br /><br />The Lost SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-4712154359730169582007-08-11T20:37:00.000-07:002007-08-11T23:34:51.449-07:00Lost Sputnik in Mabuhay Magazine (August 2007 Issue)Yes, I'm finally back in Manila. While on the plane back to manila, I got so ecstatic seeing our article and photos in <strong>Philippine Airline's <em>Mabuhay </em>Magazine</strong>. It's just the perfect way to cap a looooooong journey. Looking at the articles and photos made me nostalgic in a way. It made me feel proud for what Tina and I have accomplished, it's just three pages in a magazine but the stories behind the article and the photos are priceless. I've so much things to share about my sputnik journey, my reflections and top favourite destinations in my trip but I thought I'd share to you guys first the clippings from Mabuhay Magazine where Tina and I contributed articles and photos. Again, Congrats Tina! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zMZNCMqSB2CFGWUmX1tFqjd7PUkNPfhGanVL04eiS-2reHOEajgLgi_GvHtQbF7FVOvLNAhmqj4YqKvcLh5X-Mq5ETknKLOivby8JvThChXWp9rVqzr8vKbeumL3C15FPUs1VQN2z_A/s1600-h/mabuhay_dumaguete.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zMZNCMqSB2CFGWUmX1tFqjd7PUkNPfhGanVL04eiS-2reHOEajgLgi_GvHtQbF7FVOvLNAhmqj4YqKvcLh5X-Mq5ETknKLOivby8JvThChXWp9rVqzr8vKbeumL3C15FPUs1VQN2z_A/s400/mabuhay_dumaguete.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097654621671858306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Syo7ufl9L32KZ9kk2Gy4OmM5XQ_Yyx52r0KAGq-bvUXTnEB3BeqRjNleU3uPA09WGBIhxifXLxkj0W1u68lhUUXikR_mNPtHf-wQwosF0eiOL1Hep11xMeeO9kVdpKNHcuxOzmG4Ib0/s1600-h/mabuhay_antulang.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Syo7ufl9L32KZ9kk2Gy4OmM5XQ_Yyx52r0KAGq-bvUXTnEB3BeqRjNleU3uPA09WGBIhxifXLxkj0W1u68lhUUXikR_mNPtHf-wQwosF0eiOL1Hep11xMeeO9kVdpKNHcuxOzmG4Ib0/s400/mabuhay_antulang.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097654625966825618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UWiEQh_p6Fdkdmtu-YfZN35LpxwL2Fi9kcwR2tBm16hnLYvMM6U_D8hVruR6RFvdgr9KUJbIMKG39ODn_ao6z9oSy5VfOFXu2P0II1pwlV0MhFCI93O3gDyfIWiWRu1AysYHzBnr5tc/s1600-h/siquijor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UWiEQh_p6Fdkdmtu-YfZN35LpxwL2Fi9kcwR2tBm16hnLYvMM6U_D8hVruR6RFvdgr9KUJbIMKG39ODn_ao6z9oSy5VfOFXu2P0II1pwlV0MhFCI93O3gDyfIWiWRu1AysYHzBnr5tc/s400/siquijor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097654625966825634" /></a><br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-8618439131422649592007-08-05T03:31:00.000-07:002007-08-05T04:42:07.545-07:00El Nido ParadisoThis is by far the best island that I've seen in this whole lost sputnik trip. Words are not enough to describe how spectacular the islands that I went to a while ago. Even if I tried, I would run out of words to describe how beautiful the islands of palawan are. So I'll let the photos speak for itself. <br /><br />Welcome to Paradise!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy79IWVyzIr2oCNAutPjHKzyV8DY0lJzJ-SHg4WjaVgaU6dwv5K7YytjbaMg-C6Hw6-I0EiXOGavJOKDErPugG8rZhGvb6TLH3nQuQLBFAcc5m4fNtH0pJuBkpsn8Wdsu0RCbrE0sJuak/s1600-h/ronskimboard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy79IWVyzIr2oCNAutPjHKzyV8DY0lJzJ-SHg4WjaVgaU6dwv5K7YytjbaMg-C6Hw6-I0EiXOGavJOKDErPugG8rZhGvb6TLH3nQuQLBFAcc5m4fNtH0pJuBkpsn8Wdsu0RCbrE0sJuak/s320/ronskimboard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177220111015842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkI4VGMxIhXzPSjHoeyK92Fp81AnPe29BkkJ6Vog0SrPg3J-fayq5kUngQDzFq3Lbhd-x5TMhdLYptvlC8GyKenk0bg1y6UhrXc6gCZAHVyR6gRpJsgtAYETAhyphenhyphen3hJdXD6dhP1NJfRzo/s1600-h/biglagoon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkI4VGMxIhXzPSjHoeyK92Fp81AnPe29BkkJ6Vog0SrPg3J-fayq5kUngQDzFq3Lbhd-x5TMhdLYptvlC8GyKenk0bg1y6UhrXc6gCZAHVyR6gRpJsgtAYETAhyphenhyphen3hJdXD6dhP1NJfRzo/s320/biglagoon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177220111015858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZqqrWVgP3HuB8NtMRqk4QoH7EO9U1yHLXj0tym9Uc2AL8Rr06O7dieSSoRgRiyke3Z7aQthBwNGfy55u5_zcNSnUBJxgYc9-vSaqDYHORNHxJgkeQ_Xlccxx9m8MFRiY1xxXatqxn5I/s1600-h/island2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZqqrWVgP3HuB8NtMRqk4QoH7EO9U1yHLXj0tym9Uc2AL8Rr06O7dieSSoRgRiyke3Z7aQthBwNGfy55u5_zcNSnUBJxgYc9-vSaqDYHORNHxJgkeQ_Xlccxx9m8MFRiY1xxXatqxn5I/s320/island2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177224405983170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCtPXa1Xvx5RSv3pynPAniYhCf2jXELZCUfHEdys0SUHU6B7mn6Up4vPyNsOYdI6m60P7QOfJ7bQgUVMK8OfSin-RKQvyz5GePAUkgRdlf9hgEqR00rpRmUaYGucJgSrdtwG1XeliwNg/s1600-h/island3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCtPXa1Xvx5RSv3pynPAniYhCf2jXELZCUfHEdys0SUHU6B7mn6Up4vPyNsOYdI6m60P7QOfJ7bQgUVMK8OfSin-RKQvyz5GePAUkgRdlf9hgEqR00rpRmUaYGucJgSrdtwG1XeliwNg/s320/island3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177224405983186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_bgeC-eZ8TFaerNiBM-OVo4UOq7E5OBpGMfpEnXUNnUfUD4bIujFb4rW4kyRctRmAsw0qrmxVmaFnrYbBpvImFfmXSOujM7pb_ldyogNCkJ4Ky1XlWQR6yG5EzApHjjpKhmKwv2utt8/s1600-h/island4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_bgeC-eZ8TFaerNiBM-OVo4UOq7E5OBpGMfpEnXUNnUfUD4bIujFb4rW4kyRctRmAsw0qrmxVmaFnrYbBpvImFfmXSOujM7pb_ldyogNCkJ4Ky1XlWQR6yG5EzApHjjpKhmKwv2utt8/s320/island4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177228700950498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieYwMpiPXTbySsj9nDyiGGcy64EJti51_9eL-vm2Ks6p8PLwDHobC3NVELj2zlX5v3qbOOQv9SVZKgdJK_DSS0s1ZeWaQwBtAy7D6C9zJ9raJ6r42sotKI0ooqnMjDM90OuOCaxfPtJM/s1600-h/island5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieYwMpiPXTbySsj9nDyiGGcy64EJti51_9eL-vm2Ks6p8PLwDHobC3NVELj2zlX5v3qbOOQv9SVZKgdJK_DSS0s1ZeWaQwBtAy7D6C9zJ9raJ6r42sotKI0ooqnMjDM90OuOCaxfPtJM/s320/island5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177692557418482" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWq5s_t8wcaT_s1UIp-xngudsGqqamz5TXNqyGM0Eb9mpCwhjRyeiVxTPdWQyTa0JrO0oHnTlILtpq20c96wjv0_YY_9_mjVRLsQWe7-CqhJhWBMEl7AhEfK1KZTmsijD850A6xRbLcA/s1600-h/ron3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWq5s_t8wcaT_s1UIp-xngudsGqqamz5TXNqyGM0Eb9mpCwhjRyeiVxTPdWQyTa0JrO0oHnTlILtpq20c96wjv0_YY_9_mjVRLsQWe7-CqhJhWBMEl7AhEfK1KZTmsijD850A6xRbLcA/s320/ron3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177696852385794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IkXNz1smCqVu-ANXvatPDe5T3ZRMcKjFUOktN1k3qaY7aL05lofLf4aLBtuuMoo35Kw01vl6sH3OO-9R3TjPMJomdUdawIfqORR1azesa_4-phmfbrjzelLWi6mEB6EUNmqsGywtM-Q/s1600-h/island6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IkXNz1smCqVu-ANXvatPDe5T3ZRMcKjFUOktN1k3qaY7aL05lofLf4aLBtuuMoo35Kw01vl6sH3OO-9R3TjPMJomdUdawIfqORR1azesa_4-phmfbrjzelLWi6mEB6EUNmqsGywtM-Q/s320/island6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177714032255010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZwgDQTgB4SFhbLJpbgeTIxkgTB0IIhGl4UTeYuy9KeoTGqErgEeiIVqmHdUQJqIHGA7PZ9cSJUSBFlWRtCPp64MsDM60vK27RDTvpF2OTicKoGZ4b62J8NiaOq6lbhJ8vX3gZ-7Rtxs/s1600-h/island7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZwgDQTgB4SFhbLJpbgeTIxkgTB0IIhGl4UTeYuy9KeoTGqErgEeiIVqmHdUQJqIHGA7PZ9cSJUSBFlWRtCPp64MsDM60vK27RDTvpF2OTicKoGZ4b62J8NiaOq6lbhJ8vX3gZ-7Rtxs/s320/island7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095177722622189618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83Q4WTc_obQe5at7HAYxWU8M1KOc9IVtmdWvQ_lOxLT2QcFDt1EVjdMVA0rBv5WFfgz2OaKp1_vDPExgXgvsCxiWfRgngRoYMdgMgxoniCV3Stv07j-ztA-plWKbkHYGUey2W6uOvSpc/s1600-h/island9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83Q4WTc_obQe5at7HAYxWU8M1KOc9IVtmdWvQ_lOxLT2QcFDt1EVjdMVA0rBv5WFfgz2OaKp1_vDPExgXgvsCxiWfRgngRoYMdgMgxoniCV3Stv07j-ztA-plWKbkHYGUey2W6uOvSpc/s320/island9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095178006090031170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw3MfdGJQf5mhgUpTW8ocKbPEKJoErOz67QMGop5yyBv4U23Vg1WLiN5DAiaJossKTveNfNPd0q4WjkuJNqTt2JXIY-uGF2-EBcdylf9LYCFL-tmbqFVVZZLWduJ0K1RKe7FiOp6qoh0/s1600-h/island8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw3MfdGJQf5mhgUpTW8ocKbPEKJoErOz67QMGop5yyBv4U23Vg1WLiN5DAiaJossKTveNfNPd0q4WjkuJNqTt2JXIY-uGF2-EBcdylf9LYCFL-tmbqFVVZZLWduJ0K1RKe7FiOp6qoh0/s320/island8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095178014679965778" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VBAMGNtg2Yd6ZIYBf5LsnTXpDw8JB1WvezmUUkdthRQLiR9JjTa_9cZ7PlsimWoTPSIQ7Lk9Gf6Ba7m4NxNaqdQT4xIL2aefkYdHP0fRNFgZ3u4WHaqCKEXTCzeBvcZFk6wb2fecXkY/s1600-h/island10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VBAMGNtg2Yd6ZIYBf5LsnTXpDw8JB1WvezmUUkdthRQLiR9JjTa_9cZ7PlsimWoTPSIQ7Lk9Gf6Ba7m4NxNaqdQT4xIL2aefkYdHP0fRNFgZ3u4WHaqCKEXTCzeBvcZFk6wb2fecXkY/s320/island10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095178018974933090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGK7Sm5PAms_W31qiVc1k5_5HdgQQjob0kQHTmMj-rDZ93B5MAj1yYYVzO5_WNisRvDcFDzq6-6ASvBRkPWe1DgJ6CZ-HMWNKGk44lHx0ot_rO6qAgRJShVoLy2yOAU3TKvEWMOW3U9o/s1600-h/ron2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGK7Sm5PAms_W31qiVc1k5_5HdgQQjob0kQHTmMj-rDZ93B5MAj1yYYVzO5_WNisRvDcFDzq6-6ASvBRkPWe1DgJ6CZ-HMWNKGk44lHx0ot_rO6qAgRJShVoLy2yOAU3TKvEWMOW3U9o/s320/ron2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095178027564867698" /></a><br /><br />Wasn't that just amazing? <br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-81379772239731088892007-08-04T03:24:00.000-07:002007-08-04T04:24:55.614-07:00El Nido, PalawanBefore I tell you about my dreadful bus trip to El Nido, let me just share to you the story of Mang Nonoy, the tricycle driver who had been so nice to me during my stay in Puerto Princesa. He showed me around Puerto Princesa and had constantly given tips on the cheapest ways to get to El Nido and Port Barton. While on the way to the bus terminal, Mang Nonoy, quickly shared his life story to me. He was born and raised in Palawan all his life and he has no intentions of leaving his town. He worked as a tricycle driver for 25 years now and according to him, he can't imagine doing anything else but this. He liked the idea of showing visitors around his town. Also, he provided for his family with his three-wheeled motorycle all alone. He was able to send his kids to school and live a fairly comfortable life. He also shared to me that he lost his eldest son three years ago. It was such a tragic accident, I can't believe it happened to him. His son was on his way home, caught a jeepney in the city but unfortunately the jeepney was packed, so his son decided to just ride on the roof of the jeepney (this is a normal practice in provinces). The driver was careless, he drove so fast and didn't notice the wire that hung on the street. Mang Nonoy's son got his neck strangled and fell off the jeepney. He filed a case against the jeepney operators and driver and eventually won the case. He got compensated, the company of the jeepney is now paying for his two other children's education. He wasn't happy about it as he knew that this can never replace his son, but he at least wanted something good to come out of it, so he thought of his other children. I felt so sad after hearing his story. The way he looked while sharing his story and from his voice, I knew that he was still hurting. It's such a terrible thing to have lost your loved one from an accident that could've been avoided. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpGvjsZrk6gh9Fn_T3MKR-cJs5UCEMz6tYoZv2pMrgSKZrK1OlDTUXur4ZwD8jRsLjTMmAAsb6iByZ7Ep-A-hyEAsnwQlL7Mz6qsAO_cDt-I_jiaKBa50YikT1IClr4xRkfWFfe6bhLw/s1600-h/mangnonoy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpGvjsZrk6gh9Fn_T3MKR-cJs5UCEMz6tYoZv2pMrgSKZrK1OlDTUXur4ZwD8jRsLjTMmAAsb6iByZ7Ep-A-hyEAsnwQlL7Mz6qsAO_cDt-I_jiaKBa50YikT1IClr4xRkfWFfe6bhLw/s320/mangnonoy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803042560188178" /></a><br />Mang Nonoy on his Element<br /><br />Anyway, on a lighter note, let me share to you my longest bus ride in this trip so far. I hopped on the bus headed to El Nido at seven in the morning today.I psyched myself that the travel time shouldn't be a problem for me as I've been travelling for a while now and somehow I'm used to it. The estimated time of arrival to El Nido was at two in the afternoon, but we arrived at half past four in the afternoon. The roads weren't as bad as I thought it would be, a few bumps here and there. The agony began when we suddenly had to do so many pit stops, the bus had problems with the tires and the breaks. The bus made this loud sound whenever it tried to stop. It wasn't major or anything, it didn't alarm me at all. But it took so much time, it started to get really hot inside the bus. And to add to that someone broke her plastic bag full of dried fish so the smell of it lingered inside the bus for hours til she got off. Thankfully, I had the window seat so air was free flowing. I think it was dreadful for me as I've been anticipating El Nido so much. It wasn't as bad as the bus ride to Bantayan and Malapascua island but I was so excited to get to El Nido. I told myself that if there were lessons to be learnt in this trip, endurance and patience would be on top of my list.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRu5fK1n5bGgu5tH87lkYRhImjDZydMzHVTB3_zzPkr3C4h_itN7UckSKQmKUfMNpPOPTfqc7t0JMQ_O_5Xda7-0P2NgPFr3C7548sbsVGWHRzxLaGKWVPPkMGolUVX_lkp0-Ns5HPX4/s1600-h/bus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRu5fK1n5bGgu5tH87lkYRhImjDZydMzHVTB3_zzPkr3C4h_itN7UckSKQmKUfMNpPOPTfqc7t0JMQ_O_5Xda7-0P2NgPFr3C7548sbsVGWHRzxLaGKWVPPkMGolUVX_lkp0-Ns5HPX4/s320/bus.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803046855155490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDi8TURNlZVBOhCscepXLCtl8aIRXKWQBEm9XYum6DUTQvQjN7zdBUqBeMlBIcPlvfQ1wiLclsCGmFI7PeAly_PwepJEtMuebceZ5la8eBYIdPdw8UoOUZFS9R11FlTdv0ximmbendbpc/s1600-h/insidebus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDi8TURNlZVBOhCscepXLCtl8aIRXKWQBEm9XYum6DUTQvQjN7zdBUqBeMlBIcPlvfQ1wiLclsCGmFI7PeAly_PwepJEtMuebceZ5la8eBYIdPdw8UoOUZFS9R11FlTdv0ximmbendbpc/s320/insidebus.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803046855155506" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4xar4KY-AsJwBzXmyCYnnvG1kZe10QLNJgkEnVj7EXot6F6yRkFojHUwaV4OqhTXyNrMJT8-OXPTxbliyFt693-R4e6C2f9e_waOq6FjAVccoltRfQALlD5fLmB3Z2U_D5lS2oOjds8/s1600-h/dirtroad.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4xar4KY-AsJwBzXmyCYnnvG1kZe10QLNJgkEnVj7EXot6F6yRkFojHUwaV4OqhTXyNrMJT8-OXPTxbliyFt693-R4e6C2f9e_waOq6FjAVccoltRfQALlD5fLmB3Z2U_D5lS2oOjds8/s320/dirtroad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803051150122818" /></a><br /><br />And after nine and a half hours, we're a few meters away from the town of El Nido. I could already see the large limestone formations that surrounded the island. My heart skipped so fast, I thought I'd have a heart attack. I was like a kid anxiously waiting for my birthday presents. And when we finally got close, all I could say was, 'HOLLLY...WOOWW!' I coudln't contain my happiness when I saw the view from where I was seated. I can't believe that after so many hours, here I am in El Nido. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QOsfVr3LcHvoUgo9Q74m43mGaP_gbMftKDhQuYbKSshVMFLVNPPGr7XEJ-1Fm8gZTzU46mUonX3PitSD8bynudgaeFBiq7PAYsMJHLUSSjJqptCqxpLKGBN0WoLIWycdsZbF8J_gSA8/s1600-h/village.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QOsfVr3LcHvoUgo9Q74m43mGaP_gbMftKDhQuYbKSshVMFLVNPPGr7XEJ-1Fm8gZTzU46mUonX3PitSD8bynudgaeFBiq7PAYsMJHLUSSjJqptCqxpLKGBN0WoLIWycdsZbF8J_gSA8/s320/village.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803055445090130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjeanxl9pzvTxe77BtJzZmEKXnjENSAAVtiZGLOWmfE3_3ZwGNpepUqtOEWYGIJJCowse2_9hKFDykHNQ0W7DPwnT-CrJQquK6rHg3Od3Sjvl-lDCQzfRxzUEYxXhNW6EGpmg_u8tCT8/s1600-h/elnido.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjeanxl9pzvTxe77BtJzZmEKXnjENSAAVtiZGLOWmfE3_3ZwGNpepUqtOEWYGIJJCowse2_9hKFDykHNQ0W7DPwnT-CrJQquK6rHg3Od3Sjvl-lDCQzfRxzUEYxXhNW6EGpmg_u8tCT8/s320/elnido.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803764114693986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQlcepwVO-gP1AMixA_4SPaIHOJVTT5nXkMf_1eUnrLMKla9NzY4uRS5q08EIUeGq7MA3L689fRsZR58RS_u0B05SXnXIOgD8Y44vL8MOhvwMgJY6VCPSU_dtCfufUmM39piXyPcpZl4/s1600-h/beach.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQlcepwVO-gP1AMixA_4SPaIHOJVTT5nXkMf_1eUnrLMKla9NzY4uRS5q08EIUeGq7MA3L689fRsZR58RS_u0B05SXnXIOgD8Y44vL8MOhvwMgJY6VCPSU_dtCfufUmM39piXyPcpZl4/s320/beach.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803764114694002" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalq6fwmwLOHKYwasBeMjpPI3WGv504dUdhLOAIKbB3EUJAL0eWQskjcEkAdc0ZX0PJjri67IkDswXEhvU-JzbM14HZeSVTy07MFdQjOM1MYu8IKnwOeh2oymKxwbUbykniTKsTJf_VhI/s1600-h/window.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalq6fwmwLOHKYwasBeMjpPI3WGv504dUdhLOAIKbB3EUJAL0eWQskjcEkAdc0ZX0PJjri67IkDswXEhvU-JzbM14HZeSVTy07MFdQjOM1MYu8IKnwOeh2oymKxwbUbykniTKsTJf_VhI/s320/window.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094803768409661314" /></a><br />The view from my room. Isn't it awesome?<br /><br />The loooong trip to El Nido was definitely worth it. As soon as I got off the bus, I felt like I have been boosted with energy and ready for another adventure. <br /><br />It's just my first few hours here in El Nido, more to come. <br /><br />til then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-63040013512706737692007-08-02T23:18:00.000-07:002007-08-03T01:54:36.051-07:00Puerto Princesa, PalawanI arrived at Puerto Princesa, Palawan on a gloomy tuesday afternoon that seemed like it’s almost ready for a heavy downpour. I almost got disappointed as I didn’t like rainy days. Photos aren’t as vibrant when it’s too overcast. But as soon as I got out of the plane, I couldn’t help but notice the enigmatic view of the runway. The mountains that almost seemed silhouette-like and the lush greeneries around it served as a backdrop of the airport. It’s one of the best views I’ve seen from all the airports that I’ve been to in this trip.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida5a4MKAZQcpDcuKbsTTl6zMjx_ODzlMS7smpTIrm-Alv9Z-fzm2uYk2YN5QQadg9M9VxcWckI_fBWDUFe_hoVptHeAREZ0sPdICYK3beRgTvhTmIC7DFZy0bW4g2aR2lzE45RzgrIqc/s1600-h/palawanairport.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida5a4MKAZQcpDcuKbsTTl6zMjx_ODzlMS7smpTIrm-Alv9Z-fzm2uYk2YN5QQadg9M9VxcWckI_fBWDUFe_hoVptHeAREZ0sPdICYK3beRgTvhTmIC7DFZy0bW4g2aR2lzE45RzgrIqc/s320/palawanairport.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094385026278170034" /></a><br /><br />I also found it impressive that the tourism office in the airport is efficient. The people manning the booth are very informative as they try to answer each of your questions patiently. I asked one of the guys if he’d know a cheap hostel that’s close to the city and in a heartbeat I was off to Duchess Inn. Duchess inn is situated a few minutes away from Rizal Boulevard, one of the main streets in the city of Puerto Princesa. The room that I had was fairly simple. It had the things I wanted in a room, a bed and an electric fan. I’ve lived in a dorm before so a shared bathroom isn’t an issue for me. And for 150 pesos a night, how can I complain right? Another good thing about this city is that tricycle drivers are so informative! Apparently, the tricycle drivers are required to attend seminars conducted by the local tourism office of Palawan. This is the only city that I’ve been to that had everything organized. Amazing! Kudos to Mayor Hagedorn! <br /><br />Puerto Princesa is a relatively cheap city. Usually, getting a tricycle from other airports would cost you a few hundreds, but here they’d only charge you fifty pesos. The distance from the airport to the city is quite long so fifty pesos isn’t that bad. As for me, I learnt my lesson before so I caught one outside the airport and only paid thirty pesos. Food is fairly cheap too, a meal would be somewhere around sixty to eighty pesos. <br /><br />I didn’t let the bad weather ruin my stay in Puerto Princesa, so I started my tour right on the same day I arrived. My first stop was the Vietnamese Village. It’s quite far from the city but the tricycle driver was willing to take me there for only eighty pesos. The Vietnamese Village had a number of refugees from Vietnam during the Vietnam War. But now, there are only seven families left in the village, most of them have moved to Australia or elsewhere (according to the tourism facts). Apparently, only Vietnamese or Filipinos who have married Vietnamese are allowed to stay in the village. The village wasn’t that maintained unfortunately, although you could still see remnants of the village such as their houses, a small temple, a catholic church, street signage that had written Vietnamese characters on it, a bakery that is still owned by a Vietnamese family. From walking around the village, I realised that Vietnamese people aren’t as different from Filipinos. Their houses looked pretty similar to ours, their way of living are pretty much the same with Filipinos (farming, fishing, etc) and yes, even the way they look. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULhjvzO63KGLU2rfkcQA4FLl0WLDLhCs1iv4tuyb2SFJsUvHDjSfi11_gC1bcmSdr4tTGKZafHULyC5V4MkDg-o3ezo55DNU5JKKu18nHhbc6pTvqmKXsQzhzpiUTR3ZBFDGgXkVr20Q/s1600-h/vietville2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULhjvzO63KGLU2rfkcQA4FLl0WLDLhCs1iv4tuyb2SFJsUvHDjSfi11_gC1bcmSdr4tTGKZafHULyC5V4MkDg-o3ezo55DNU5JKKu18nHhbc6pTvqmKXsQzhzpiUTR3ZBFDGgXkVr20Q/s320/vietville2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094385034868104642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKpxax4xgKTRyTWuH_8gZRrp72K7je837IvVDcwO0O9aHAJFAmAG61GvVrGaSVvQ8LyIk_DUwbPRJvY6sltpprDczPmikLUVUVEI2cIXTCIg8D66m_i3CFmwjfm9K3h7PawmkJch2FwU/s1600-h/vietville3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKpxax4xgKTRyTWuH_8gZRrp72K7je837IvVDcwO0O9aHAJFAmAG61GvVrGaSVvQ8LyIk_DUwbPRJvY6sltpprDczPmikLUVUVEI2cIXTCIg8D66m_i3CFmwjfm9K3h7PawmkJch2FwU/s320/vietville3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094385039163071954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOexMCQleqTAxpRNtErsoTNi1HoDHJGcp1L86ovCu7KGaBx18Qk0mcHt40yU4VtirRHwPBvh09ShAnZNYD-WAA6YNA7KOPJY-fVvsJbIBxX32CEIFOlQLssVai9PpUXUyz8DTDWeypfRI/s1600-h/vietville4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOexMCQleqTAxpRNtErsoTNi1HoDHJGcp1L86ovCu7KGaBx18Qk0mcHt40yU4VtirRHwPBvh09ShAnZNYD-WAA6YNA7KOPJY-fVvsJbIBxX32CEIFOlQLssVai9PpUXUyz8DTDWeypfRI/s320/vietville4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094385047753006562" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGaBcUeCUH1q_HYcIx4wq6Lp-7ZSdwpQF3aUcRy2DBKkDC0gB-AIb9vXx-LcPutrGvmMDUID5YKMy96CLEAv16uco1J53L3QqUv72n1y9OjwxkfIMtng80tGj6M8yBJGya6cJYAH_I1M/s1600-h/vietville1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGaBcUeCUH1q_HYcIx4wq6Lp-7ZSdwpQF3aUcRy2DBKkDC0gB-AIb9vXx-LcPutrGvmMDUID5YKMy96CLEAv16uco1J53L3QqUv72n1y9OjwxkfIMtng80tGj6M8yBJGya6cJYAH_I1M/s320/vietville1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094385052047973874" /></a><br /><br /><br />The next day, I went on an island tour in Honda Bay. Honda bay is one of the most visited tourist spots in Puerto Princesa. It has a thousand plus islands along the bay, but I only visited three, Pandan Island, Snake Island and Starfish Island.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iXn1B5yUg9QhTgbQ064WExBnO4or15snIPvlfXu1eDjdGZ85OKks0A6ZMdPdt-4SHOWTJvBkOOcMKILEHTxCPbxuC1l62AXYLSScrlwAIQeGyVuRx2N389N1oSalJ6ASfTcB1ScP-SA/s1600-h/pandanisland.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iXn1B5yUg9QhTgbQ064WExBnO4or15snIPvlfXu1eDjdGZ85OKks0A6ZMdPdt-4SHOWTJvBkOOcMKILEHTxCPbxuC1l62AXYLSScrlwAIQeGyVuRx2N389N1oSalJ6ASfTcB1ScP-SA/s320/pandanisland.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094386843049336322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oZK8njSSDe1B1YeKq2-C7-z13tiV5lW5M3qrTsSZU5uuZkkcm_ErFu8iKAztAmKZC5vrTmQ8AKcak6S-nYsFwrUVV_i-A3p99LlBd3HiZL4NamvrdwbO1tmeJTaNZ8u63YpotwdK-bo/s1600-h/pandan2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oZK8njSSDe1B1YeKq2-C7-z13tiV5lW5M3qrTsSZU5uuZkkcm_ErFu8iKAztAmKZC5vrTmQ8AKcak6S-nYsFwrUVV_i-A3p99LlBd3HiZL4NamvrdwbO1tmeJTaNZ8u63YpotwdK-bo/s320/pandan2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094386847344303634" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX760X7A15YklmShykQqoEeRpcmtLxUWy9W8OGh-uUfl9hGYOie6zXizeunLPAb-xGe3aDN8aCh_3SAbT0woYDij1_d1Do1gAUb0arvxLCWEiasAMZJktGBZk_8Jw1_6WihJYIgUoxZk/s1600-h/snakeisland2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX760X7A15YklmShykQqoEeRpcmtLxUWy9W8OGh-uUfl9hGYOie6zXizeunLPAb-xGe3aDN8aCh_3SAbT0woYDij1_d1Do1gAUb0arvxLCWEiasAMZJktGBZk_8Jw1_6WihJYIgUoxZk/s320/snakeisland2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094386847344303650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida6ngo1LrqveqNMmCsxbDHK76exgljkXvNNwm07_Aux1OnDWO8g6nFDS7FUroDiECvBCU7tqUZQm4O3eBeFYRH-_tlfxGHVOm45KiFT_pOLeC3jwiSCgYza9GIqC6vXVh4orh0HrHaYw/s1600-h/snakeisland.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida6ngo1LrqveqNMmCsxbDHK76exgljkXvNNwm07_Aux1OnDWO8g6nFDS7FUroDiECvBCU7tqUZQm4O3eBeFYRH-_tlfxGHVOm45KiFT_pOLeC3jwiSCgYza9GIqC6vXVh4orh0HrHaYw/s320/snakeisland.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094386851639270962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXJH1jg2Rcg7Z6eUvNELBCeE1StwJ_GHolYsLdAEhIDWqMHl4LNXQp2_PoLizYJKRlQvJQJQ3BS-fKFr7qP9EaL0xE6Ln3AFsALpVljahHZqPWLnlSYxXIUwj_O40OKwM58ffQyZsDf0/s1600-h/snakeisland3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXJH1jg2Rcg7Z6eUvNELBCeE1StwJ_GHolYsLdAEhIDWqMHl4LNXQp2_PoLizYJKRlQvJQJQ3BS-fKFr7qP9EaL0xE6Ln3AFsALpVljahHZqPWLnlSYxXIUwj_O40OKwM58ffQyZsDf0/s320/snakeisland3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094386860229205570" /></a><br /><br />The three Islands that I’ve been to had cream to white sand beaches. The beach was impressively clean, it seemed to be well taken cared of. The Water is crystal clear and perfect for snorkeling as fishes are very visible despite the absence of corals (make sure to bring loaves of bread to feed the fishes). If you were to ask me which one’s my favourite, I’d have to say Snake Island, I’d like how the island is shaped like a snake. I liked how you can cross from one part of the island to the other part by walking along the white sand bar. I also liked the huts that are placed along the shore as I had a good hour or so to just sit and read. It was very relaxing, perfect for those who just wanted to have a quiet time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-yxYnRz8jzHzozpV8bQEy_mbfjk6XVGd1kqRKHXchQtDsE-D2_SWAeSL7jwbY3bjhw46kIoFPaMahex0x113i0YypDJFOlfV8hwHyLiAeWP3IeCf9H1R_CMpnsPzYsXKwRah-I3kd9g/s1600-h/snakeisland4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-yxYnRz8jzHzozpV8bQEy_mbfjk6XVGd1kqRKHXchQtDsE-D2_SWAeSL7jwbY3bjhw46kIoFPaMahex0x113i0YypDJFOlfV8hwHyLiAeWP3IeCf9H1R_CMpnsPzYsXKwRah-I3kd9g/s320/snakeisland4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094388238913707602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywdR8uSTlC_RsuedinETYzcRREK6-rLHvhA06jjeRKSysjSuPQkq3JCcQzDVYDKz5CC3owUeRpw4BxAiIVcZhsLMpWKPhZJTTLEpbeiVyFpD6WATxU_CObDCzGF9idHAOQ7PdG4y5euc/s1600-h/starfishisland.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywdR8uSTlC_RsuedinETYzcRREK6-rLHvhA06jjeRKSysjSuPQkq3JCcQzDVYDKz5CC3owUeRpw4BxAiIVcZhsLMpWKPhZJTTLEpbeiVyFpD6WATxU_CObDCzGF9idHAOQ7PdG4y5euc/s320/starfishisland.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094388243208674914" /></a><br /><br />The next day, I was told that the underground river tour shouldn’t be missed while in Palawan. So I booked myself to an underground river tour and hopped on the van to get to Sabang, a small port where you’d have to take an outrigger to get to the underground river. It took two and a half hours to get to Sabang. The road to get to Sabang was bad but tolerable. The view compensated with the bad road, as I kept saying wow while on the way. Mountains that are made of limestone covered most of the area. I was told by our tour guide that the underground river is inside the mountain that is now popularly called St. Paul as when you get inside, it seemed like you’re inside St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5OAdHnGd22sHcgtWbHNrTUza5hBMze2KxsP5jZfXrV7M5LXV1qh1Pp32TLlFvnI81iGMy-tXrRBjCsHDswWZ20sQIutfZsErmEg3uMB8x2oqE_Qap_bUtHd8OKfJzvbil9erEc2L_fc/s1600-h/DSC04985.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5OAdHnGd22sHcgtWbHNrTUza5hBMze2KxsP5jZfXrV7M5LXV1qh1Pp32TLlFvnI81iGMy-tXrRBjCsHDswWZ20sQIutfZsErmEg3uMB8x2oqE_Qap_bUtHd8OKfJzvbil9erEc2L_fc/s320/DSC04985.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094389209576316530" /></a><br /><br />While on the way the underground river, we were welcomed by dolphins swimming right beside our boat. I was ecstatic as it was my first time to see dolphins in their natural habitat. It was a bonus for me as I didn’t have to pay extra for dolphin watching.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGT97c7W_OwrUb0LdL86ZJu2TYI75U2bGUgtLIR59G1VbpbC2yus7UYS148sD3IWq9wFpiWYRN406ZxxqBbC07guTFePMyuNpz_kVPr8NjlW4UX7j5jrzbKzGH_cEbp88ra7em2KPrD3Q/s1600-h/dolphin1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGT97c7W_OwrUb0LdL86ZJu2TYI75U2bGUgtLIR59G1VbpbC2yus7UYS148sD3IWq9wFpiWYRN406ZxxqBbC07guTFePMyuNpz_kVPr8NjlW4UX7j5jrzbKzGH_cEbp88ra7em2KPrD3Q/s320/dolphin1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094389213871283842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriOIup_CaxAy9dyAr9rHKlydcg472-Gz1iIR3CVVsfsbJZ7Vn_VDSRDVNlhR5KhhNCGlytAs7eC_Dy4Zp238LvDj6dTwe3by8HGXPyo5npLqIgbYUYQ5JggHe_oFkAGKBgyuC45TgHd0/s1600-h/dolphin2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriOIup_CaxAy9dyAr9rHKlydcg472-Gz1iIR3CVVsfsbJZ7Vn_VDSRDVNlhR5KhhNCGlytAs7eC_Dy4Zp238LvDj6dTwe3by8HGXPyo5npLqIgbYUYQ5JggHe_oFkAGKBgyuC45TgHd0/s320/dolphin2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094389218166251154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPg6L9Z1LU2M5ge2gZJOceLQS71mYVQ9h-YHbwDXGNXTMvvdXvGd76RBV18C18cLLPNg0Zc1GEalVIBTTWWKcYYQQUJSyEN9dL5z6lfmgENh0M3Qo828qw_ioyMOnn630mvAoTADxv7TQ/s1600-h/limestone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPg6L9Z1LU2M5ge2gZJOceLQS71mYVQ9h-YHbwDXGNXTMvvdXvGd76RBV18C18cLLPNg0Zc1GEalVIBTTWWKcYYQQUJSyEN9dL5z6lfmgENh0M3Qo828qw_ioyMOnn630mvAoTADxv7TQ/s320/limestone.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094389222461218466" /></a><br /><br />Little did I know that I don’t only get to see dolphins but wild monkeys too! While at the façade of the underground river, wild monkeys were running around the area roaming around freely. Freaky looking monkeys! We were told not to show our food as these monkeys are snatchers. They could easily get the food out of your hand and might even bite you if you try to fight with them. I thought it was so cool to see them that close but I was scared as one of the tourists tried running then a number of monkeys ran after him. It’s like a walking Ebola running after you! Hahaha! Yeah, I’m laughing now but I was sh*t scared while it was happening! <br /><br />The underground river tour only takes half an hour to forty five minutes. It was such a great experience as it’s another first for me. It was amazing to see stalactites and stalagmites that close, I felt like Indiana Jones for a second, but realised that I’m not when I almost had the boat flip over when I tried dodging a bat flying towards my head (I was holding the light so I think they got attracted to it). The stalactites and stalagmites were awesome as some of them were naturally formed like different images of things, people, animals, vegetables and even religious figures. The only source of light we had inside was the battery operated light on the boat that I was tasked to maneuver as I sat in front. The smell inside made me sick and the flying mosquitoes annoyed me to death, but despite all these, the things I have seen inside are definitely worth all the trouble. Despite my being claustrophobic and all, I painstakingly went on the underground river tour as I knew I had to see it. And it was definitely worth it!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg139aqboqsN36xqTWKPNaQo8yD3WEVYiDEyLDFs1aP_dqeBqhlQSLwmrzykkAVglZwCMi9BFYpJeivQ7wvsHKsvFDnfbJd2_nxnxrHa9kHS19l4MOj0bQvbnfzqBT49svzdaYRoq0tTao/s1600-h/undergroundriverfacade.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg139aqboqsN36xqTWKPNaQo8yD3WEVYiDEyLDFs1aP_dqeBqhlQSLwmrzykkAVglZwCMi9BFYpJeivQ7wvsHKsvFDnfbJd2_nxnxrHa9kHS19l4MOj0bQvbnfzqBT49svzdaYRoq0tTao/s320/undergroundriverfacade.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094389231051153074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsP3ooSEXLgDEVQnsNGFaJXB0drMMGQvqszaAvK5glgIde8aNqlT1OHJaR6Ge-C2ux-THlYsAWm_TQ4v09Fjb5cB-t-fj5QoyyThZz1h9hOGpiHHoJG3qzIdWReIdVNBaKd6n6rRSYHw/s1600-h/undriver.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsP3ooSEXLgDEVQnsNGFaJXB0drMMGQvqszaAvK5glgIde8aNqlT1OHJaR6Ge-C2ux-THlYsAWm_TQ4v09Fjb5cB-t-fj5QoyyThZz1h9hOGpiHHoJG3qzIdWReIdVNBaKd6n6rRSYHw/s320/undriver.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094390768649445058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHPI0seYNXDqUMjUso1VsKRLj-Af-jOLozQ1CmNGDB-xyfAWCy70z6XIXntqDcVwORwar3TxRIJzL8WaILnYY6pJrgt_w_L0nuy4HY6TOkxJhA5pmU486L3KThsu2Uy5U6FndbZCUjAg/s1600-h/openingofcave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHPI0seYNXDqUMjUso1VsKRLj-Af-jOLozQ1CmNGDB-xyfAWCy70z6XIXntqDcVwORwar3TxRIJzL8WaILnYY6pJrgt_w_L0nuy4HY6TOkxJhA5pmU486L3KThsu2Uy5U6FndbZCUjAg/s320/openingofcave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094390768649445074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3O0rC6elsnTFCeGGrK7IRiZh9i9ioDSfPzviedaufc8bHXVj7raRn5ppxJL1ZA4QKjv7gPlLQxidOhr7F0gtQVZJDu6OkGkcrjozTOtKuRumBZazctKiDhHFCxCGIYfhFrA4XGBCskZs/s1600-h/stalactites.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3O0rC6elsnTFCeGGrK7IRiZh9i9ioDSfPzviedaufc8bHXVj7raRn5ppxJL1ZA4QKjv7gPlLQxidOhr7F0gtQVZJDu6OkGkcrjozTOtKuRumBZazctKiDhHFCxCGIYfhFrA4XGBCskZs/s320/stalactites.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094390772944412386" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHoCRk_h6TPWdwMD0SLpFro_4O4vTEXGhTy5KJQDlHLgs23k_snCH91snXg9dDJv_gNBYRuGTtXPD8Y6mjy4yb5tbTZdbGxT9edTEuYzP4fuq-rzvPUsKeXPG_aFy18TK131AfMlcC08/s1600-h/exitcave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHoCRk_h6TPWdwMD0SLpFro_4O4vTEXGhTy5KJQDlHLgs23k_snCH91snXg9dDJv_gNBYRuGTtXPD8Y6mjy4yb5tbTZdbGxT9edTEuYzP4fuq-rzvPUsKeXPG_aFy18TK131AfMlcC08/s320/exitcave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094390777239379698" /></a><br /><br /><br />In the next few days, I’d be roughing it a bit. See, I couldn’t afford a plane ride to El nido, so I decided to take a bus or jeepney (no aircon) for 8-12 hours depending on how the weather is and the number of passengers getting off different areas. I thought it would be better to cut the trip into halves. My first stop would be Port Barton, 3-4 hours from Puerto Princesa. I plan to explore the area for a few days before I take the bus to El nido which would take another 4-6 hours. So wish me luck, hope I get the best seat which is the roof top, like these people!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrJOyHQRdHi2YjxL734LL9URQsYopYqsF9uobOuIaCzl9jTs6Bqg2kIhTdx1Fd1rgV14yJYtq2u1Tq4hgXHZm8uMcDegn8yr0HlChJW3vYfsdPANQvIwjZCRocgJrxAqjyZ-QR5pMj10/s1600-h/jeepney.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrJOyHQRdHi2YjxL734LL9URQsYopYqsF9uobOuIaCzl9jTs6Bqg2kIhTdx1Fd1rgV14yJYtq2u1Tq4hgXHZm8uMcDegn8yr0HlChJW3vYfsdPANQvIwjZCRocgJrxAqjyZ-QR5pMj10/s320/jeepney.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094391305520357122" /></a><br /><br />Wish me luck!<br /><br />Til then, <br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-37295699677217500842007-07-31T06:02:00.000-07:002007-07-31T06:22:43.308-07:00Beggars of the Sea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhArOfbxsTpOnqrC-L6WpLLhbX2A11DCMnxgSeWML_6XxPw-wU-CUlMfCCiaIc5pE30UEbQCWu-FBhK50RnB1V_cieJBJzqGoAKFo0Mw0W9wl7CFp5tWP-JFI5UkW1xxpy_9tBCgjKl4/s1600-h/bangka.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhArOfbxsTpOnqrC-L6WpLLhbX2A11DCMnxgSeWML_6XxPw-wU-CUlMfCCiaIc5pE30UEbQCWu-FBhK50RnB1V_cieJBJzqGoAKFo0Mw0W9wl7CFp5tWP-JFI5UkW1xxpy_9tBCgjKl4/s320/bangka.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093348852533108018" /></a><br /><br />I’ve been meaning to post these photos for quite awhile now. I felt like I didn’t have the words to go with the photos just yet, so I deferred it for a while. But it had only been now that I was able to muster the words to truly express how I felt about the experience I’ve had with the Badjaos in Cagayan de Oro. I’d really want to share this to everyone, so let me take you back to when I first stepped foot on Cagayan de Oro. <br /><br />On a tuesday morning, aboard the Cebu Ferries Ship, Tina and I witnessed a heart-wrenching sight. Amidst the towering ships parked along the port of Cagayan de Oro, are the Badjaos on their outriggers patiently rowing back and forth at the side of our ship begging for money or for anything you could give them. At first, it was just a lonesome outrigger with three adult men and two younger men on it. It seemed to me that they were just fishermen who happened to be fishing near the ship. But a few moments after, a flock of them appeared to our sight. There were no fishnets or whatsoever to indicate that they were fishermen. It was then that I realised that they were not fishermen but beggars. It was deafening to hear them beg. I couldn’t understand what they were saying as all I could hear were the mumbling and the crying of the mothers and the babies. It was heartbreaking to have heard the loud cries of the young kids and even babies that laid almost naked on the outrigger with the sun’s glare on their fragile bodies, while their mother or father dove into the ocean each time a coin was thrown at them. The expressions on the other children’s faces were blank, as they don’t seem to fathom what was happening around them. The 'crowd’s favourite' was the father who had his baby cling tightly on his neck while he dove into the sea. I felt scared for the baby as he could easily loose his grip on his father’s neck while underwater. I was saddened to see other passengers of the ship treat them like they were in some freak show. The passengers purposely had thrown coins aimlessly so the Badjaos have to jump out from their outriggers and dive into the ocean. They laughed and applauded each time the Badjaos get to catch the coins. I gave out a big sigh each time I heard the cheers of the passengers. I hoped that they would realise how dangerous it could be especially for the children. It was inappropriate, I felt. It was not even a laughing matter. It was totally degrading. It was like being in a zoo, people throwing food at animals. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBHj2m329atQUozsb0KRlAuqueuKdeR_BXaWrJrOEHlYJZrwznrClV4X5ZwsCA__zhdJ2tTpVs_iMiFd2kjC5Q-vzhOYCkVB1uQ81uWE8-i6BTrEb5PhoVnN3bI5lkqWzVfkL200sMdo/s1600-h/motherandson2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBHj2m329atQUozsb0KRlAuqueuKdeR_BXaWrJrOEHlYJZrwznrClV4X5ZwsCA__zhdJ2tTpVs_iMiFd2kjC5Q-vzhOYCkVB1uQ81uWE8-i6BTrEb5PhoVnN3bI5lkqWzVfkL200sMdo/s320/motherandson2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093349569792646466" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg2KKZkt9l-2DYGCUpIxK44tI_hWzVE75Wuya2wvzUBTeN5Na_DSSsLVQcsmfV56E765Asy-51hVRrebP6xjgfQ-N-TyDf_HJM9NN3Sw1dyHc8qojZGwpCRYTDmhqCaUJopljgSHRMag/s1600-h/nanayanak2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg2KKZkt9l-2DYGCUpIxK44tI_hWzVE75Wuya2wvzUBTeN5Na_DSSsLVQcsmfV56E765Asy-51hVRrebP6xjgfQ-N-TyDf_HJM9NN3Sw1dyHc8qojZGwpCRYTDmhqCaUJopljgSHRMag/s320/nanayanak2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093349569792646482" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9BEtxxGpAUv8MdJ2ss5RAmxKfyg8eIFDBJOahxh0ozk7LRym1grWkZmS8vH6JiBvRSL_UWM_OzJppDYic9Fe_BICWUzYFa5VfMZOK-mIVxq2fJTVToqHVHEHL3GXvTPF9UErAhp8j-c/s1600-h/motherandson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9BEtxxGpAUv8MdJ2ss5RAmxKfyg8eIFDBJOahxh0ozk7LRym1grWkZmS8vH6JiBvRSL_UWM_OzJppDYic9Fe_BICWUzYFa5VfMZOK-mIVxq2fJTVToqHVHEHL3GXvTPF9UErAhp8j-c/s320/motherandson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093349574087613794" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhac5yp3x8ARWXVOw3pTt0CAZaI_jURqJg5uZS2FZ6LG5OQA6Uj2tRHdguG13JWwv_5oXJGSosxqy2BVenplim1ilYuXiX5vBW4rbfDVr76d2DorNfAEbtGt7WkDTlhwGAMHcSHAOc16yw/s1600-h/tatay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhac5yp3x8ARWXVOw3pTt0CAZaI_jURqJg5uZS2FZ6LG5OQA6Uj2tRHdguG13JWwv_5oXJGSosxqy2BVenplim1ilYuXiX5vBW4rbfDVr76d2DorNfAEbtGt7WkDTlhwGAMHcSHAOc16yw/s320/tatay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093349578382581106" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MwU2vXvpfkc8yHucZuZo_flRECVjexyS6r2IxR8mni3WlrqAcAhSENT3P4f10Qcm64yoK7gw6wQBgdX5OJgfgse-a68B3R8QsD5eA3ycTlqDGqk4J4ruWydlPkq1v0zLlKsNqXnZInI/s1600-h/baby.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MwU2vXvpfkc8yHucZuZo_flRECVjexyS6r2IxR8mni3WlrqAcAhSENT3P4f10Qcm64yoK7gw6wQBgdX5OJgfgse-a68B3R8QsD5eA3ycTlqDGqk4J4ruWydlPkq1v0zLlKsNqXnZInI/s320/baby.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093349582677548418" /></a><br /><br />Up to this day, I can’t believe what I have witnessed. I realised what extreme poverty can do to people in order to survive. These people chose to risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones for a few coins. I could not bear to just stand there and do nothing. So while on the way out of the ship, I grabbed my bag full of snacks and threw it directly in one of the outriggers. It’s the least thing that I could do at the very moment. <br /><br />I don’t even know if these images I took can encompass what I have witnessed that day, but think of it as merely representations of what was there that had affected me deeply.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-49612665442539878662007-07-30T00:02:00.000-07:002007-07-30T00:30:44.859-07:00'Lostsputnik' in Clickthecity.comI thought I'd share this with you guys as I find it really funny having someone write about me. <br /><br />July 23, 2007<br /><br />Ronald L. Rillo<br /><br />Our denizen for the week is Ronald Rillo, a freelance broadcast producer, photographer and film-maker. Ron is currently backpacking around the Philippines and sharing his discoveries and experiences through writing and photography.<br /><br />Passionate about traveling, photography and film-making, Ron thought of combining all his interests by creating a online travelogue (at http://lostsputnik.blogspot.com) by blogging about all his discoveries and reflections through writing, photos and videos.<br /><br />Ron started his backpacking adventure around the Philippines over a month ago, and with only a limited budget in hand, he decided to take the cheapest modes of transportation and staying at very cheap hostels.<br /><br />Spontaneous, adventurous and living for the moment, Ron loves discovering new places and immersing himself in new cultures. "I just let the road take me to wherever," he says.<br /><br />He loves going out of town and while in the city can enjoy a range of activities, from nights out, to chill-out days, or eating out his favorite restaurants. Wherever the night would take Ron, the most important thing for him is enjoying the night with great company.<br /><br />A free-spirited traveler, Ron would rather make the world his oyster and capture all his backpacking experiences through the lens of his camera, than be stuck in the city as a producer in a local television network.<br /><br />To read more, check the site at http://www.clickthecity.com/denizens/?p=111<br /><br />Correction though, the last paragraph didn't come out right, I don't remember saying that I felt like I was 'stuck' in my job as a producer in a local tv network. The writer probably got the wrong impression. Defensive much? haha!Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-16248376163934831212007-07-29T02:53:00.000-07:002007-07-29T03:46:42.973-07:00Camotes Islands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-apiYOZQapo2UT-LAXJ1a0SO2amL983iY0os2X4jEVYQrS3RYO3FyC1dAgpAMVslV6x1hO4xN3Fcqyta6N4iH8XcdDvF_ACHLsKv-Exq6DsIjQ5Dtv8K3UCmL4mqFMRF72NCMZ1_t_g/s1600-h/camotes2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-apiYOZQapo2UT-LAXJ1a0SO2amL983iY0os2X4jEVYQrS3RYO3FyC1dAgpAMVslV6x1hO4xN3Fcqyta6N4iH8XcdDvF_ACHLsKv-Exq6DsIjQ5Dtv8K3UCmL4mqFMRF72NCMZ1_t_g/s320/camotes2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092555649382948002" /></a><br /><br />I’ve never heard of Camotes Islands until I’ve reached Cebu, and when a cab driver had suggested me to visit it. He said Cebuanos frequented the Island especially on weekends as it’s close to Cebu. So, I browsed through a bit of information about the island on the net, and in one of the sites I visited referred to it as a developing island as it’s not as commercial as the others. This aroused my curiosity, as I like beaches that aren’t too busy and chaotic-unexplored. So the next day, I hopped on an ocean jet ferry and headed to Camotes Islands. <br /><br />After two hours, I arrived the island half past seven at night. From the pier, I took a habal-habal to get to Santiago Beach Resort. I didn’t get to see much of the island while on the habal-habal as some areas were pitch-black. With the faint light coming from the resort, I could see the wide and long stretch of sand fronting the resort, although I couldn’t really tell if the sand was white or black. <br /><br />The next day, I was so eager to see the beach so I woke up really early to catch the sunrise. And to my surprise, the shore wasn’t that wide after all. It was low tide at night so when I looked at it last night it seemed like the shore was wide. The beach was not as I have expected it to be, there were areas where rubbish are scattered everywhere. It also didn’t help that it was the ‘Habagat’ season, so seagrass added to the pile of rubbish. Yes, it is a public beach after all but I didn’t expect it to be that filthy (in some areas). It’s sad to see such a nice beach with so much potential only if the local patrons would have the heart to look after their own rubbish. I’m hoping that the government of Cebu would do something about this while it’s not yet too late. The habal-habal driver told me that Camotes Islands will be launched as a tourist spot sometime 2010, the locals should get their act together and clean up their beach! Seriously! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYQhb9F330Yv9dofut8XmKC7Do7Q0ikjWFxJwoRbx6YynAcxNJlHp-cpBoLtlb3YYpR3iT0waFZmpSaQ0G96bW21SB8yA1g1VKdCR1G9fbcRUd3T8KkbjGDo8UWDpzCWa62roVFYdX60/s1600-h/camotes3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYQhb9F330Yv9dofut8XmKC7Do7Q0ikjWFxJwoRbx6YynAcxNJlHp-cpBoLtlb3YYpR3iT0waFZmpSaQ0G96bW21SB8yA1g1VKdCR1G9fbcRUd3T8KkbjGDo8UWDpzCWa62roVFYdX60/s320/camotes3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092555653677915314" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxUQ4BSoriYDHlVkRqUQ-hCj9Vdem98Lyff1FFSSEh4FMcquMRC4rjYTd1fQb2XU_1irNd4vabYD1Vb0MMQ-wuZl3pbRjlP074F135m34uuLcpiGBTjxMkci1DmOnCskKddFh46eP2uM/s1600-h/camotesboat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxUQ4BSoriYDHlVkRqUQ-hCj9Vdem98Lyff1FFSSEh4FMcquMRC4rjYTd1fQb2XU_1irNd4vabYD1Vb0MMQ-wuZl3pbRjlP074F135m34uuLcpiGBTjxMkci1DmOnCskKddFh46eP2uM/s320/camotesboat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092555653677915330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybqMi18fhLF7wWVaG6zrU9RjJ6MC-yWl2KSKYQCNAApk-Tq7QVHsS_rpMhQEAyDj96WdQ8D1me-d2RVaRprLHyjog0OagQngC7A60qj24PO13xFG8DE77ymY-6mrKYqjyoKcxtdSy_sk/s1600-h/sunset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybqMi18fhLF7wWVaG6zrU9RjJ6MC-yWl2KSKYQCNAApk-Tq7QVHsS_rpMhQEAyDj96WdQ8D1me-d2RVaRprLHyjog0OagQngC7A60qj24PO13xFG8DE77ymY-6mrKYqjyoKcxtdSy_sk/s320/sunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092555657972882642" /></a><br /><br />I didn’t want to swim in the beach in front of the resort so most of the time I went to the other resort called Mangodlon Rock Resort (also owned by Santiago Beach Resort) to go for a swim or just simply relax in the sun. Mangodlon Rock Resort has a better beachfront and cottages sitting atop of huge rock formations. The sand is also on a cream to white shade but the shore and water are so pristine, it was inviting to go for a swim. The beach is well maintained as the area is much smaller compared to the other one. <br /><br />The other resort wasn’t that bad at all as opposed to how I’ve described the beach earlier. It has one of the greatest view decks overlooking the ocean (at least from where I sat I couldn’t see the rubbish scattered along the shore) and other neighbouring islands. I stay on one of the concrete balconies with the roofs made out of nipa sheets while I wait for the sunset. It had a great view as it stood tall on top of a cliff and the breeze just passed freely. I spent hours just writing and reading until sleep arrived.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGioncewDcBA2KuNmLbQCyiV5LquIfZtfQoDT98bnJpua_D9zyvNtO9gBz8KeiWBdsoZmWslLddqVzHFj02Y1lLi6O4VUUJRaGJnXL-4yc9ExmrVfclcoRViCdyea7n9hrHElJVQuKO4/s1600-h/mangodlon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGioncewDcBA2KuNmLbQCyiV5LquIfZtfQoDT98bnJpua_D9zyvNtO9gBz8KeiWBdsoZmWslLddqVzHFj02Y1lLi6O4VUUJRaGJnXL-4yc9ExmrVfclcoRViCdyea7n9hrHElJVQuKO4/s320/mangodlon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092556134714252514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisMaBbzop3Z5tfd1AZlNNmWw8Zu97kV7XmgjC9OByHW-WN0jb5zoC0bVodrT5DuOeE-K_xbQe-7UH18HILarUiPdFTq2fgidzaSSvkh89cKd9rF_GAvuf572RL3XzBHrsZonEN4P_M_k/s1600-h/mangodlong3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisMaBbzop3Z5tfd1AZlNNmWw8Zu97kV7XmgjC9OByHW-WN0jb5zoC0bVodrT5DuOeE-K_xbQe-7UH18HILarUiPdFTq2fgidzaSSvkh89cKd9rF_GAvuf572RL3XzBHrsZonEN4P_M_k/s320/mangodlong3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092556134714252530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJFiumZ1K9QodrxD5xSCxZea0V42sQ51F9tQTn2eMUN5vUuUnjhqM_px4MIR1tr8Vs7iPMoUNkZy4ryRPCEe91QWQc-sd5wLP3_kfBT5Mgqf8Az7-c6W0scY1OXPjduP28wrBYFWxmPg/s1600-h/mangodlong4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJFiumZ1K9QodrxD5xSCxZea0V42sQ51F9tQTn2eMUN5vUuUnjhqM_px4MIR1tr8Vs7iPMoUNkZy4ryRPCEe91QWQc-sd5wLP3_kfBT5Mgqf8Az7-c6W0scY1OXPjduP28wrBYFWxmPg/s320/mangodlong4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092556134714252546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbGsjc68xpY4IuXgW8neMxZx4XKxJNtF_DtFFKmDHEgKSICj-zbtRhd2C7cSWYYvt0qSrS3UXOQHV15c-dI45CU3tAQhCE9smmvZr8nevwZUbRMTr0NDj1VPvjqcHjzXeFyFXN_7HQz8/s1600-h/mangodlong5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbGsjc68xpY4IuXgW8neMxZx4XKxJNtF_DtFFKmDHEgKSICj-zbtRhd2C7cSWYYvt0qSrS3UXOQHV15c-dI45CU3tAQhCE9smmvZr8nevwZUbRMTr0NDj1VPvjqcHjzXeFyFXN_7HQz8/s320/mangodlong5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092556139009219858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg0Ho6Umyb_mm_kL00dI-1xFaXWV69QcCHEWBJnaEOkqf_wjwahmjPOC9h8GEIqiJMaCD7a-DR_BX81gBC8ozx7OCK2roEgrHkfplEbr5Ll-p3VzzOrQy7KgMy5SEySRjcLQgYzCRO4Q/s1600-h/mangodlongrockresort.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg0Ho6Umyb_mm_kL00dI-1xFaXWV69QcCHEWBJnaEOkqf_wjwahmjPOC9h8GEIqiJMaCD7a-DR_BX81gBC8ozx7OCK2roEgrHkfplEbr5Ll-p3VzzOrQy7KgMy5SEySRjcLQgYzCRO4Q/s320/mangodlongrockresort.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092556139009219874" /></a><br /><br />My visit to Camotes Islands was still worth it despite a few disappointments. The island is blessed with great beaches, caves and lakes. If you come to Cebu and you want to do a bit of exploration that isn’t too far, then put Camotes Islands to your list. <br /><br />How to get there?<br /><br />From Cebu, take the ocean jet ferry from Pier 1. It will only cost you 250 pesos one way. The trip will take 2 hours. From the port of poro, take a habal-habal to get you to Santiago, where most resorts (there’s only 3 at the moment) are located. <br /><br />Where to Stay?<br /><br />If you’re on a budget stay at Santiago Beach Resort, they have non air conditioned and air conditioned rooms that ranges from 500 (single-double) to 4,000 (family rooms). I only paid 350 a night as it’s off-peak this time of the year. <br /><br />If you want to splurge a little, then stay at the Mangodlon Rock Resort, rooms have air conditions and price ranges from 1,700-2,500. Unfortunately, prices do not change even if it’s off-peak. <br /><br />To book to either of the resorts, call +63-32-3446899Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-90532809072369910212007-07-29T00:39:00.000-07:002007-07-29T02:50:52.767-07:00Back to BoholIn light of the Sandugo Festival, a major event held in Bohol every year, the organizers of the said event have created the ‘Creative Industries Trade Fair’ for the very first time-a venue to showcase the beauty and the craftsmanship of each towns of Bohol. My good friend, Bianca, was assigned to design one of the booths. Bianca have invited Marty, also our good friend, and I to help her out with the design of the booth. They flew from Manila, while I took a ferry from Cebu. <br /><br />This is going to be exciting, I thought to myself while on the ferry to Cebu. It was like being in highschool all over again. In our highschool, cheering competitions are big events so we really plan ahead and designate tasks. Most of the time Bianca and Marty are assigned to handle the design of the bleachers while I’m in-charge to lead our batchmates during cheering practices. <br /><br />When we attended the first meeting along with the organizers and other ‘artists’, we felt so intimidated as most of them have concrete concepts already and have actually blueprinted their designs, while Bianca, Marty and I were still trying to grasp what the event was really for. Bianca and I kept glancing at each other, asking what we were doing here. And to add to that, we were the only ones in the group who didn’t grow up in Bohol--let alone speak the dialect fluently. There was this meeting once when Marty and I had to represent in behalf of Bianca because she had to do some errands for the resort. First few minutes of the meeting, we understood a word or two since most of them tried to speak in ‘taglish’ but they probably got tired of it and spoke in bisaya. We sat there, smiling and trying to look like we get what they mean. It was hilarious. I was actually nodding most times especially when they looked at me, though I don’t really understand half of what they’re trying to say. Hahaha! <br /><br />Bianca was assigned to design the booth for Cluster 3. Cluster 3 is composed of 6 towns situated along the Abatan River.We spent the first week going around the towns assigned to us, gathered information we needed and took photos of tourist spots of each towns. We need to highlight each town in our booth, so we needed a lot of information. Thankfully, Bianca and her family had the right connections. We were able to get information from the government officials of some towns that definitely made our research easier. Marty and I felt like we toured around Bohol and took a different route, not the touristy route. It was another great experience for me as I came to know more about Bohol. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdfCX4syrC8k354Y_ultvqW6xnl81Fl4Ju4ak5IU07ipV5B3siPwSZsKmXGeBgkYQVF7OqOlIH8EuUikg9Y1hGA1BpYjiESfQNW1ECU0BIWev3VbDJytwa6U-dVoeLXZa4mdSV65fYGc/s1600-h/biancame_rivertour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdfCX4syrC8k354Y_ultvqW6xnl81Fl4Ju4ak5IU07ipV5B3siPwSZsKmXGeBgkYQVF7OqOlIH8EuUikg9Y1hGA1BpYjiESfQNW1ECU0BIWev3VbDJytwa6U-dVoeLXZa4mdSV65fYGc/s320/biancame_rivertour.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092549855472065250" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAq2jOz6C2dVIxit4n8nnUrRRF8NflCcS6oA47t-ILdbQPN77BvGu8HKLigBWhSqxC4jLxpM6CYMjdGzk1DfpfRJ_NnHg8uoRIwCC8VyEhSDk8WDk4oKSICwfWXOmxFg6QV82SNjZyn8Q/s1600-h/biancamemilapunta.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou_G-rQPNVWvUGiioYoXN4eW-jnQsWML902cc_qcSRtH7nVf7qtm809NvIfSYZuUwHCSy038ew6Jj7j03nHIxe-CELgGIEU6E7kPsih62_E97gbLVADjqO9RXU-9KnTI-wicFJeGaazA/s320/boardwalk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092549859767032594" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcMrXi2cnqlIkGpGZ2hUpue_FX4NmN-d7PLOGZdscwnjwyl_eEXMHljk155Cl0yyFzxrP11rdpX2I3HosWTo01RM5WxNurVfiuW1IG3kpEJyS22q6IY5UiSp7iEoczizNoMxOMsl-v58/s1600-h/boats.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcMrXi2cnqlIkGpGZ2hUpue_FX4NmN-d7PLOGZdscwnjwyl_eEXMHljk155Cl0yyFzxrP11rdpX2I3HosWTo01RM5WxNurVfiuW1IG3kpEJyS22q6IY5UiSp7iEoczizNoMxOMsl-v58/s320/boats.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092549864061999906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SfVQ4Cmk_PrKJk1mXerFULegpeTaXyUk39bHYJlNg4XercKFfKuB0mP1zVSCBbWcKHdVvU8fh1IKyZkNFhtjiL4HtrJvzbyGdpdMbeImP8CPpBMZEH6yx6ZkPrq6B1nyIVrQrBR0ilg/s1600-h/martybianxme_puntacruz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SfVQ4Cmk_PrKJk1mXerFULegpeTaXyUk39bHYJlNg4XercKFfKuB0mP1zVSCBbWcKHdVvU8fh1IKyZkNFhtjiL4HtrJvzbyGdpdMbeImP8CPpBMZEH6yx6ZkPrq6B1nyIVrQrBR0ilg/s320/martybianxme_puntacruz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092550594206440242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p96jgFNQmoS0e79LJut_V9LY4wZcEur9jMPVCpByeOmJnC-MoubqJ6uNXNETPje0Yuh-3xMGu14EwDwRbyzKdfflGVfsxD_9V4qKbSenLRM-Ywpcqxbd39vx74bujfmWgzcAzKai1Do/s1600-h/martymilatarsi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p96jgFNQmoS0e79LJut_V9LY4wZcEur9jMPVCpByeOmJnC-MoubqJ6uNXNETPje0Yuh-3xMGu14EwDwRbyzKdfflGVfsxD_9V4qKbSenLRM-Ywpcqxbd39vx74bujfmWgzcAzKai1Do/s320/martymilatarsi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092550598501407554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26zntD1VgYCieCwHD0DQLJUqJjq4YcszxsM_EARrdxhli-L2M7ejjeSmm7ooFGLijckfGK8wwp8x9cp4j72_AweKBgnjDScaiDFeQ9lhFf792sAOHNKAaGKBkBnZ2xcr0GurdG36cuxs/s1600-h/nipaboatman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26zntD1VgYCieCwHD0DQLJUqJjq4YcszxsM_EARrdxhli-L2M7ejjeSmm7ooFGLijckfGK8wwp8x9cp4j72_AweKBgnjDScaiDFeQ9lhFf792sAOHNKAaGKBkBnZ2xcr0GurdG36cuxs/s320/nipaboatman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092550598501407570" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP_YRs0epHI8Bm8oAs_PheqzGr8Wih137KQMxmX-SDfwWb4lMj0b4y4Dx0BAahCj-g3pdmi53_9lR3Ej9bwppi2uTFEA_nUn9OHrAvbtW5zUvlwOX8Ol9oeAnGaNduJKg9cEKdqA3Kg4/s1600-h/puntacruz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP_YRs0epHI8Bm8oAs_PheqzGr8Wih137KQMxmX-SDfwWb4lMj0b4y4Dx0BAahCj-g3pdmi53_9lR3Ej9bwppi2uTFEA_nUn9OHrAvbtW5zUvlwOX8Ol9oeAnGaNduJKg9cEKdqA3Kg4/s320/puntacruz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092550598501407586" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5_1jhkSa4V7TVzcZyCU8eN1tP_07WrDky8jSi7WTm5hUouIhNcgXujWaLaS5kerdAi6Nbvaq2JTjanP-nYt4cPGE-jVf1Sheig3a2wRC9fylhnrbOmp6bEPaeWeNUIEVCnmgZCW5cts/s1600-h/ronboardwalk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5_1jhkSa4V7TVzcZyCU8eN1tP_07WrDky8jSi7WTm5hUouIhNcgXujWaLaS5kerdAi6Nbvaq2JTjanP-nYt4cPGE-jVf1Sheig3a2wRC9fylhnrbOmp6bEPaeWeNUIEVCnmgZCW5cts/s320/ronboardwalk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092550602796374898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8No4aDe0-qtHnfF_WXAEJgFUCw6urbMn7vp4Z79MfE-NjzxE0H9A24GQW6xYmXYb3ujz14u4RhStBkVWI9FigTTX_OxQtfCc9O8Z2g8tN20gCF0aLQ4DQQH4qs4-0nG3tG89aiI-Tdks/s1600-h/tarsi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8No4aDe0-qtHnfF_WXAEJgFUCw6urbMn7vp4Z79MfE-NjzxE0H9A24GQW6xYmXYb3ujz14u4RhStBkVWI9FigTTX_OxQtfCc9O8Z2g8tN20gCF0aLQ4DQQH4qs4-0nG3tG89aiI-Tdks/s320/tarsi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092551294286109570" /></a><br /><br />The next few days, we spent afternoons frequenting hardware shops buying the materials we needed. And we’d burn hours and hours of sleepless nights working on each of our projects. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkxhMeLvckcJ-kyYaDeB-GfCBdSj5paSFeGD4I7j47ZW0c0-aq-IQLvDBufVJyuU_xwUGl7A6HUDBxmVJaP6mYV8VuR8TheOVz7wmjWWnuAjknsT_SnlkoTbqR_ktFg11BBx5YCUyFpo/s1600-h/construction1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkxhMeLvckcJ-kyYaDeB-GfCBdSj5paSFeGD4I7j47ZW0c0-aq-IQLvDBufVJyuU_xwUGl7A6HUDBxmVJaP6mYV8VuR8TheOVz7wmjWWnuAjknsT_SnlkoTbqR_ktFg11BBx5YCUyFpo/s320/construction1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521006176737666" /></a>You wouldn't believe how fast 'team antiquera' was able to put up our booth.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Guzhea99ZKSF9gT38IC465z2iwmilVMgp8hCXQ8DJhO58b_19OYxGgmrAHEHNjZ_fTorRzr2LC2CwH87OMAZ3XTjTymzkpRpTa6xWjUvMmkhH9awAQiIzQqaGcMEnM-r2EhXQtJwXRU/s1600-h/cluster3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Guzhea99ZKSF9gT38IC465z2iwmilVMgp8hCXQ8DJhO58b_19OYxGgmrAHEHNjZ_fTorRzr2LC2CwH87OMAZ3XTjTymzkpRpTa6xWjUvMmkhH9awAQiIzQqaGcMEnM-r2EhXQtJwXRU/s320/cluster3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521010471704978" /></a> Finished Product!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjouTO1OYc0rKhZruE_ezPAAAhXU2a-kJKevSxqJNgogPq8H7Nu4tIuYyebB8BQZxc1xWrP7RJMlQcTCXaVDb62WnRSPCUuQtjMut_2wuC4uGs36LR7jvex70pk8aYfzNF7cpnUHR2wbQ/s1600-h/maribojoc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjouTO1OYc0rKhZruE_ezPAAAhXU2a-kJKevSxqJNgogPq8H7Nu4tIuYyebB8BQZxc1xWrP7RJMlQcTCXaVDb62WnRSPCUuQtjMut_2wuC4uGs36LR7jvex70pk8aYfzNF7cpnUHR2wbQ/s320/maribojoc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521010471704994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdwB5_DfH09OPPX644b42a4khhkV2oIQFKxP0Rj7u_uhIHoPZhPpXTz_m_KBOJ1DLvV26OfaE2fXDpKRWX9LpSLT95DCPNBQ_cTOJWlcYBT7lneFISvjM9g4SNEe5a3DAaOuc-xgSCVM/s1600-h/antiquera.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdwB5_DfH09OPPX644b42a4khhkV2oIQFKxP0Rj7u_uhIHoPZhPpXTz_m_KBOJ1DLvV26OfaE2fXDpKRWX9LpSLT95DCPNBQ_cTOJWlcYBT7lneFISvjM9g4SNEe5a3DAaOuc-xgSCVM/s320/antiquera.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521014766672306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkc37dCyuKcK4W8NQNaoxVHrkJj3RWZnFaSbJIMOX-DlseuAifVawdyaZqTbqrtXHHJ-K4fZUzhS45Cf36WORwBMkiF4yySJaZ2TFdzOiCL-uI_VCz0LBvmskMZ5l3o5BcgsKqjeqlEiE/s1600-h/balilihan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkc37dCyuKcK4W8NQNaoxVHrkJj3RWZnFaSbJIMOX-DlseuAifVawdyaZqTbqrtXHHJ-K4fZUzhS45Cf36WORwBMkiF4yySJaZ2TFdzOiCL-uI_VCz0LBvmskMZ5l3o5BcgsKqjeqlEiE/s320/balilihan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521014766672322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4qx49nbWhsZg25CTYGHVVC0sYBSlgr_eY-aC9TTGLb1bhF5tzmwZY23wCHhqoKgzsRJrLyqLOj_aNlN4lUc0fMvyY5ozPGP3NgUWa3MZpEXL9wemRvE5bxAYhwLQqxoDa6InbaW4Bdg/s1600-h/catigbi-an.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4qx49nbWhsZg25CTYGHVVC0sYBSlgr_eY-aC9TTGLb1bhF5tzmwZY23wCHhqoKgzsRJrLyqLOj_aNlN4lUc0fMvyY5ozPGP3NgUWa3MZpEXL9wemRvE5bxAYhwLQqxoDa6InbaW4Bdg/s320/catigbi-an.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521938184640978" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOABilHNLF6mGXSPRhnwu2OIq9wvUFp7fZTfNYMznScMxrDtSD6hU5ZLZEsuD3lkb84dHKgGgUkmy2oBZBmJttbD2i7PJCnziHvzfwnswYAV9KsReF8-jR9JE2zYjIQR9QX5An1T8GBA/s1600-h/cortes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOABilHNLF6mGXSPRhnwu2OIq9wvUFp7fZTfNYMznScMxrDtSD6hU5ZLZEsuD3lkb84dHKgGgUkmy2oBZBmJttbD2i7PJCnziHvzfwnswYAV9KsReF8-jR9JE2zYjIQR9QX5An1T8GBA/s320/cortes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521942479608290" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs2s9lKYtJXtXTI9q42VXeVLaoCilrX86AiuH0_m8peiK6VUKcVjQzmFX5Eo0LdMwEauGNI6brBLpCFxT3kpujqKHZ4pjmaiw97SSssERPtAgmiHSo22-abO24ZhO_Cr0l1d-B5J-isE/s1600-h/corella.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs2s9lKYtJXtXTI9q42VXeVLaoCilrX86AiuH0_m8peiK6VUKcVjQzmFX5Eo0LdMwEauGNI6brBLpCFxT3kpujqKHZ4pjmaiw97SSssERPtAgmiHSo22-abO24ZhO_Cr0l1d-B5J-isE/s320/corella.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521942479608306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70SJdcT0TY5GXk_HSz3L8XsGoJqVcVRrnN6q6NoRaSyC4fc-FgLMXmC0x_LMx2sAKJiwjkBYNQ4csDASzFnypT486B9W-lXtRDOOX1dJulAlL9F6NtynXBEgTbAVVTfdJ8iAONkf1J0U/s1600-h/cluster1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70SJdcT0TY5GXk_HSz3L8XsGoJqVcVRrnN6q6NoRaSyC4fc-FgLMXmC0x_LMx2sAKJiwjkBYNQ4csDASzFnypT486B9W-lXtRDOOX1dJulAlL9F6NtynXBEgTbAVVTfdJ8iAONkf1J0U/s320/cluster1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521942479608322" /></a> Cluster 1- this one is nice too, I liked the underwater theme.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPfKLdemo2ixwz1ljOXInA3A56qo5Hy6tq6y0tRHTaTCYvPfO3_6M_gxRZwCt7dR5TJGYbyh2i8J1VgWFvfNuHwepGE935a9nlwJxabkXpOCo4NMz4WX-An6Z_kKQxuLVBMVjDwx03i0/s1600-h/clusterjoey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPfKLdemo2ixwz1ljOXInA3A56qo5Hy6tq6y0tRHTaTCYvPfO3_6M_gxRZwCt7dR5TJGYbyh2i8J1VgWFvfNuHwepGE935a9nlwJxabkXpOCo4NMz4WX-An6Z_kKQxuLVBMVjDwx03i0/s320/clusterjoey.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092521946774575634" /></a>This one is pretty cool, the artist had a diorama of the hanging bridge found in Loboc River.<br /><br />Marty kept telling us confidently that we’d have the best booth and true to his words, we did have the best booth and the only ones who finished just before the deadline. Our greatest gratitude to the ‘Team Antiquera’, who helped put up our booth. They were the same team who helped build Amarela Resort, so we were rest assured that we’d have a very competent and efficient team. Also, to Bianca’s Dad, Uncle and Auntie who helped us in each way possible. I remembered Tito Doy telling Bianca not to get too stressed as she has a very strong support system- her family and friends are with her to help. And that’s absolutely true, we breezed through the whole project. One day we were brainstorming and the next thing we know it’s all over and done with. <br /><br />Congratulations to our team! Job well done guys!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Eaf2OoClNICh9U1xjRuVQwAhdwhdRXaI4rn3qg48cbfynz1P6EaunwSo-I8JdVErmJMNfvk8i7rWEYqqTMis3Fd1ipi0pppKySkGRRd88SWTbn9FGD17WJC81IAfHgtaf_WrcOPyOfE/s1600-h/teamcluster3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Eaf2OoClNICh9U1xjRuVQwAhdwhdRXaI4rn3qg48cbfynz1P6EaunwSo-I8JdVErmJMNfvk8i7rWEYqqTMis3Fd1ipi0pppKySkGRRd88SWTbn9FGD17WJC81IAfHgtaf_WrcOPyOfE/s320/teamcluster3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092523518732605986" /></a><br /><br />Of course, we couldn’t leave Bohol without enjoying the beach of Bohol, especially for Marty who has never been to Bohol. Bianca gave us a treat, a trip to Balicasag Beach for a bit of snorkelling and to the enigmatic Virgin Beach. I’m sure Marty’s happy now since he got the tan he’s been wanting since the day he arrived. We also got to spend time with our other friends, Mila, Bags and Kaye. To cap our 2 weeks stay in Bohol, we celebrated Bianca’s 25th birthday. Marty and I bought Bianca’s favourite chocolate roll from Goldilocks and ate it for lunch on her birthday. At night, Bianca had a simple dinner for her family, friends and staff of Amarela. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9QSY2pRTgRQzl_nf23D9EzRFFP6BoOV2dHeP51CuF-5BkNp3cJidkmMGsEqDNENdYL55tzMWFulOS_HetHpEtQbMWPTXMGrvmlITQm_lj0yfsxNhJrjFtmK2G9BMSVF46A4v55iizIc/s1600-h/boatman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9QSY2pRTgRQzl_nf23D9EzRFFP6BoOV2dHeP51CuF-5BkNp3cJidkmMGsEqDNENdYL55tzMWFulOS_HetHpEtQbMWPTXMGrvmlITQm_lj0yfsxNhJrjFtmK2G9BMSVF46A4v55iizIc/s320/boatman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092551968595975058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp0T4goFpCFFp_OGoLljM221shYMwhuv6vWtzC6k4JnZj8iHR4W_V15HilmaIwP1gBTSJS5E_UXV12BvR9yhA4LfzrAQh4m656u2ESgnvFpRZ_dBhRBW2Flkj8H58MHJliluwdQ5QQwQ/s1600-h/chocohills.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp0T4goFpCFFp_OGoLljM221shYMwhuv6vWtzC6k4JnZj8iHR4W_V15HilmaIwP1gBTSJS5E_UXV12BvR9yhA4LfzrAQh4m656u2ESgnvFpRZ_dBhRBW2Flkj8H58MHJliluwdQ5QQwQ/s320/chocohills.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092551968595975074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1VcVZPP1oEZWZszEJr-fAB3WtMZR2el3nLw81lP0_H5s9_BEeuCaTOHBE4RZ9J8Lozd-1UVdfB6B8eCAyEO6p8N6jMe6-2-qfRf43zJ8pP-844PvVZ3IsDdQr3UbKYyZ5MR6h4hCKVs/s1600-h/martybianxchoco.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1VcVZPP1oEZWZszEJr-fAB3WtMZR2el3nLw81lP0_H5s9_BEeuCaTOHBE4RZ9J8Lozd-1UVdfB6B8eCAyEO6p8N6jMe6-2-qfRf43zJ8pP-844PvVZ3IsDdQr3UbKYyZ5MR6h4hCKVs/s320/martybianxchoco.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092551968595975090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmIsuRk7cYdHsqId6OziJ_DRUVtboeOWiuiumNK4-WEVtTxeAkKJmGW0uRUy3y0BCoBhzeWe1qS9XTA15hUSo8HEesB7YkVsSKUylUrOSKfrRUPxaw5A3YmIrRYV5VudN86Lmz6i4tWU/s1600-h/martyronchoco.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmIsuRk7cYdHsqId6OziJ_DRUVtboeOWiuiumNK4-WEVtTxeAkKJmGW0uRUy3y0BCoBhzeWe1qS9XTA15hUSo8HEesB7YkVsSKUylUrOSKfrRUPxaw5A3YmIrRYV5VudN86Lmz6i4tWU/s320/martyronchoco.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092551972890942402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kINz5x7oXHRy0NjL5wrsZDoKYzM8kQ9upRv0Zc7HGdi1V__wn7qpNgD3nm-tUC_4YreSq8FABfij6oWeVc2mCu-YRSICU1NxverOmOuvQL1sIf-WsVufWWs204oGcKoWif3BltsZj8o/s1600-h/groupamarela.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kINz5x7oXHRy0NjL5wrsZDoKYzM8kQ9upRv0Zc7HGdi1V__wn7qpNgD3nm-tUC_4YreSq8FABfij6oWeVc2mCu-YRSICU1NxverOmOuvQL1sIf-WsVufWWs204oGcKoWif3BltsZj8o/s320/groupamarela.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092551972890942418" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire5LC2iUZgXmWHQtoyyBgXuEXPP4xqjVlJBuhp33c7O4fTt0tsZy7lqIylas6ujH4-vwJEP18A8AdptJO3GCRUeWs-OVAk0C5sy-LZsDHTaGFdOMCZ3dFv8Wtzzt3htHkZT8ZCbHSh2Y/s1600-h/ronmartymila.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire5LC2iUZgXmWHQtoyyBgXuEXPP4xqjVlJBuhp33c7O4fTt0tsZy7lqIylas6ujH4-vwJEP18A8AdptJO3GCRUeWs-OVAk0C5sy-LZsDHTaGFdOMCZ3dFv8Wtzzt3htHkZT8ZCbHSh2Y/s320/ronmartymila.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092552741690088498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccE3SE2k-iEM_toQg_0oh1nbiGw9SIs0PYRNDJagrOu3PXVQgbDLSv75MQ160ZEwFzQBrX7ogVcSPt_kN41ofMGWHQX6nkdJ23nf3kdhXfoH6fu2vLzAhOkZ8kAjTDSXlUp62rTPrJ0I/s1600-h/virginisland2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccE3SE2k-iEM_toQg_0oh1nbiGw9SIs0PYRNDJagrOu3PXVQgbDLSv75MQ160ZEwFzQBrX7ogVcSPt_kN41ofMGWHQX6nkdJ23nf3kdhXfoH6fu2vLzAhOkZ8kAjTDSXlUp62rTPrJ0I/s320/virginisland2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092552741690088514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCUGISVTDvfpl9gHEBk1m0DuR7Oft1M3yKmEXd4NkHr-U_Zbbxft0X4ckgM2OGSc6MKl5wf9eSYKYOfLAZ_c8KvvuXvjTfCXXyyuGXUEks0e2zK2FqAetvcTIpm7NsrwCsxGXEy0YH18/s1600-h/virginislandwithfriends.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCUGISVTDvfpl9gHEBk1m0DuR7Oft1M3yKmEXd4NkHr-U_Zbbxft0X4ckgM2OGSc6MKl5wf9eSYKYOfLAZ_c8KvvuXvjTfCXXyyuGXUEks0e2zK2FqAetvcTIpm7NsrwCsxGXEy0YH18/s320/virginislandwithfriends.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092552745985055826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZjDafT4hetvvkzkTVP_1kYA3uvbqvHl43TfiF2iz6WUVn7e047V360uMtjsTWRRhPfjcp3-ChJKnOFbOqK5_zeQ4wNKZElid4g3EQjYCeN-TPn-uOuRiwzfVnLLIzg625npK35nzFuk/s1600-h/russianzip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZjDafT4hetvvkzkTVP_1kYA3uvbqvHl43TfiF2iz6WUVn7e047V360uMtjsTWRRhPfjcp3-ChJKnOFbOqK5_zeQ4wNKZElid4g3EQjYCeN-TPn-uOuRiwzfVnLLIzg625npK35nzFuk/s320/russianzip.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092552750280023138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3K2UD0myDdH1k2d3hiaYdxoLOcqJmkmnmTsupXLO0b-67pNu9CKPn_lw8ivFTKWiBC59QCmBW2Oup5RmwwJheLIw5DiiXpKckhaAI4g_PG4IZj3fVuVo9qI0N2ZTXY-VBSeBislZESI/s1600-h/sunsetcauseway.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3K2UD0myDdH1k2d3hiaYdxoLOcqJmkmnmTsupXLO0b-67pNu9CKPn_lw8ivFTKWiBC59QCmBW2Oup5RmwwJheLIw5DiiXpKckhaAI4g_PG4IZj3fVuVo9qI0N2ZTXY-VBSeBislZESI/s320/sunsetcauseway.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092552754574990450" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81TUAIhVS_mFgf3mjB7_yqT_aSL7IzB0eZHxRoYiqNvDvhErien02iIFCh5TJ0j4-oC6Hw6XTLEaDH4iH74C74vEkHk2AbuGAGoof-N5J5OR4PJNvr5A5SPdFL5qYBMtSBT41sJlKR60/s1600-h/birthdaygirlwithfriends.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81TUAIhVS_mFgf3mjB7_yqT_aSL7IzB0eZHxRoYiqNvDvhErien02iIFCh5TJ0j4-oC6Hw6XTLEaDH4iH74C74vEkHk2AbuGAGoof-N5J5OR4PJNvr5A5SPdFL5qYBMtSBT41sJlKR60/s320/birthdaygirlwithfriends.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092553166891850882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA377tyFkCP5Q8WIrPpEiCaoXCKCR12iCmQB5C55qOUm1RrZcGI4AFUtSi4zNXvyIGiuoM8P-Sq8-RwdXsk26gb5m68HmSmSy0UE2oXNzw6UBwXAiipn4JaAdSE-uoIS1GWv3pERKsFE/s1600-h/birthdaygirlwithstaff.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA377tyFkCP5Q8WIrPpEiCaoXCKCR12iCmQB5C55qOUm1RrZcGI4AFUtSi4zNXvyIGiuoM8P-Sq8-RwdXsk26gb5m68HmSmSy0UE2oXNzw6UBwXAiipn4JaAdSE-uoIS1GWv3pERKsFE/s320/birthdaygirlwithstaff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092553171186818194" /></a><br /><br /><br />The time I’ve spent in Bohol for the 5th time now for me, was again worth while. Thanks Bianx for the nth time!<br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-24325811442192798672007-07-26T23:27:00.000-07:002007-07-26T23:34:43.574-07:00Got a haircut in bohol, got my ears cut too!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPRE0vDYAZ5h_RLh_ai8D3-b9xsV6a9NuLzoAzp8HQm0Djq6_o0oKRwL08DqREVu5jhcWNOAaWQeyYVxd21e6EAiPpX80c5FPAO3hztc4_IJR1NiC5m1xMr2B0eW8_IVxTCyKRUC_rgU/s1600-h/ronsunset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPRE0vDYAZ5h_RLh_ai8D3-b9xsV6a9NuLzoAzp8HQm0Djq6_o0oKRwL08DqREVu5jhcWNOAaWQeyYVxd21e6EAiPpX80c5FPAO3hztc4_IJR1NiC5m1xMr2B0eW8_IVxTCyKRUC_rgU/s320/ronsunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091760951584168258" /></a><br />Sunset in Bohol <br /><br />Just a quick update. Yes, I went back to Bohol for two weeks. I was asked by my friend, Bianca, to help her out together with our other friend, Marty, for the Creative Industries Trade Exhibition. I'll write about it and post photos of our booth next time. I'm currently at Camotes Islands, the internet is taking ages. Watch out for Camotes Islands pictures too! <br /><br />Oh and yes, I did have a haircut after travelling for 2 months-finally! I got it in a mall in Bohol and unfortunately it was bloody well not too much but still my ears got cut. It was a tiny cut, but still it bled. I kept my calm, and just candidly told the barber to just go on and finish my haircut. haha! I couldn't react, I can't get mad at him, his boss was right behind him and I didn't want him to lose his job. oh well!<br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-35391024879722737042007-07-26T23:17:00.000-07:002007-07-29T02:27:21.249-07:00Farewell to the Other Sputnik, See you again!And so the other sputnik’s journey ended, for now, at least. Tina, the other sputnik, was my only company travelling around Visayas and Mindanao for the past month. I could not thank her enough for tagging along with me. <br /><br />Tina, tagging you along was definitely worth it. You just don’t know how much I’ve learnt from you and how much I’ve enjoyed your company. I’m keeping all the fun and not-so-fun memories of our trip safe in me. I know someday we’ll look back and be proud of ourselves for taking this once in a lifetime journey. Thanks for the patience and the understanding. The trip had definitely made our friendship stronger. Til, then T! Miss you! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s1C1ZJF3Z2Qxf8GdjaqEaZGlTWdbeC79xVpgzm0ojQA8yq-dTGsRMVEJBOn0OzZv1eUjbOijO3sr9pa0S-A0fePZs1oJw4Ln5cAztgUHz6lEbQlzUPAgNwMUT6jVWtDWVjKt6WpJCMA/s1600-h/thesputniks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s1C1ZJF3Z2Qxf8GdjaqEaZGlTWdbeC79xVpgzm0ojQA8yq-dTGsRMVEJBOn0OzZv1eUjbOijO3sr9pa0S-A0fePZs1oJw4Ln5cAztgUHz6lEbQlzUPAgNwMUT6jVWtDWVjKt6WpJCMA/s320/thesputniks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092547793887763154" /></a><br />The Lost Sputnik and the Other Sputnik in a pedicab in Bantayan<br /><br /><strong>So this is it, I’m travelling on my own from this day on. Wish me luck. To more adventures, cheers!</strong> <br /><br />Next Stop: Back to bohol to help my friend Bianca with an Exhibition in Bohol, Camotes Islands and Palawan. Watch out for it!<br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-42022792047484733962007-07-26T23:16:00.001-07:002007-07-29T02:18:29.641-07:00Au Revoir!I thought I was going to cry the time I met Ron in Dumaguete at the beginning of our journey. I didn’t. Not until I was to take my flight back to Manila.<br /><br />Taking this one month tour was a big feat for me. I thought it wouldn’t be easy to pull through and yet, looking back now, it kinda was. I’m thankful Ron’s travel plans came at a time when I realized I should be taking big steps towards doing what I want and getting back to the dreams that once sustained me and the things that made me feel passionate about writing and living. I was grateful my husband understood, and I praise God for putting everything to place.<br /><br />There was not a moment in the trip when I regretted my decision to come along. What I had a lot of were moving moments when I got to see snippets of my old self. And soon that vision of the old me had somehow blended into the new. I felt myself again, but more grounded. Though I am no longer as dreamy as I once was, I felt a surge of passion rushing again and I love it. <br /><br />Thanks R, for taking me to this journey, for being very patient with me, for taking good care of me, and for being such a dear, dear friend. I wish I have touched your life as much as you had touched mine. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJlsYpOgfLC4Vn1iJUptStOSvOM7cU1dxTcs0XcNpNNEZVQPzqh7u4A3Arm7FX_ak0PqWZXDssuDx_CnXRaEdedDk-z5Ek8I3dK4Pz_iyqxhKirSQooan8yby-XE-h99-K-oMsH211lo/s1600-h/othersputnik.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJlsYpOgfLC4Vn1iJUptStOSvOM7cU1dxTcs0XcNpNNEZVQPzqh7u4A3Arm7FX_ak0PqWZXDssuDx_CnXRaEdedDk-z5Ek8I3dK4Pz_iyqxhKirSQooan8yby-XE-h99-K-oMsH211lo/s320/othersputnik.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092520018334259570" /></a><br /><br />Until our next journey,<br /><br />TLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-43666182524984979392007-07-26T22:32:00.000-07:002007-07-26T23:21:40.395-07:00Bantayan Island and Malapascua IslandBANTAYAN ISLAND<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XIDRVAChACuY4h4hAyStEBmxaDxH_z3SFwTNpD9ERM6YHRyt8Z03UV0ZuFnzZsTsA6uw48j32X7HgqEvh4j9RI7iQo_FVUeMtWB5GlnMArGqta3PkfSNZMhvsrK6c57WcsKsulIB91Y/s1600-h/bantayan2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XIDRVAChACuY4h4hAyStEBmxaDxH_z3SFwTNpD9ERM6YHRyt8Z03UV0ZuFnzZsTsA6uw48j32X7HgqEvh4j9RI7iQo_FVUeMtWB5GlnMArGqta3PkfSNZMhvsrK6c57WcsKsulIB91Y/s320/bantayan2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091749303632861378" /></a><br /><br />Bantayan Island is situated fff-aaa-rrrr north of Cebu. Yes, I deliberately stretched the word FAR for a reason. The trip to the island was dreadful as it took forever just to get there, a gruelling four to five hours. It didn’t help that we caught a non air-conditioned bus raging on dirt road and a bus driver who honked his horn like he owned the road to himself. All you wanted for such a long bus ride was to at least get a few hours of sleep to kill time. But it was in no way possible to achieve that in the situation we were in. Just can’t. I felt like I was bathing myself in dusts and fumes. In my head, I told myself that this island had to be worth it for it was such an agonizing trip.<br /><br /> We arrived the port of Hagnaya, looking distressed as if we just came from a battle. I wiped my face with wet tissues, and collected all the dirt on my face. It was appalling looking at a white wet tissue turned almost black. We hopped on a ferry that will take us to Bantayan Island. This time it was better as the ferry was air-conditioned. An hour later, we arrived Bantayan Island. We were welcomed by the pristine beach and crystal clear water of Bantayan Island. What a relief, I said to myself. The arduous trip was definitely worth it after seeing the façade of the Island.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtTHCEh5FPQo7OLZ2hQC9F6jllskfjQKN4rZiVmE2bf_Vwq49ZVAP8FlxM-Vw5Jo7Bghk4J1jnteRciZ5iypj2VrS6XhlFD1pM5SEadGNLwiItPlgIpgE55Ljy5rRFNYpJxiozAZvT-A/s1600-h/bantayanfacade.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtTHCEh5FPQo7OLZ2hQC9F6jllskfjQKN4rZiVmE2bf_Vwq49ZVAP8FlxM-Vw5Jo7Bghk4J1jnteRciZ5iypj2VrS6XhlFD1pM5SEadGNLwiItPlgIpgE55Ljy5rRFNYpJxiozAZvT-A/s320/bantayanfacade.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091749299337894018" /></a><br /><br />Bantayan Island’s appeal to me were beyond than the white beaches that surrounded it. I loved how small the island is that you could go around the barrio just by walking. A short habal-habal ride would then take you to other towns. There’s not much to do in Bantayan Island, but the quietness, the serenity does something to you. It’s so inviting you don’t want to leave the island anymore. I even considered renting a humble house just walking distance from the beach for only 1,800 a month. We stayed for two nights in the Island. In the morning and afternoon we’d spend it just frolicking around towns and beaches. We capped each night with a couple of beers and doze off to sleep.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01Y1ELvSIEbLRu86cE-RAc6mTAp1i5mav3shw-ZN4J59nGJ2GPwifeyEkNujTWROiI_hvpUiWM5JAL68FaU0l5ThLtM5bB_NWdAOV3r6IVyN1TG63j39YwTUMIa16QDaqmDM93DtTA6g/s1600-h/bantayanbarrio.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01Y1ELvSIEbLRu86cE-RAc6mTAp1i5mav3shw-ZN4J59nGJ2GPwifeyEkNujTWROiI_hvpUiWM5JAL68FaU0l5ThLtM5bB_NWdAOV3r6IVyN1TG63j39YwTUMIa16QDaqmDM93DtTA6g/s320/bantayanbarrio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091749299337894034" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4PB8uAhhkvBA7N9xBeVdSuGuStFLAYHQU3y5JED9nkvl5rWWCYxNGgoFI8o3lXZpNxdYcT7MIrjiEN9wVw7flhWYJdeSBI3_zEZi_h8MByPR2ZQ5AyrubpsiEb-rDl4ASLAVB8IIpZQ/s1600-h/bantayanisland.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4PB8uAhhkvBA7N9xBeVdSuGuStFLAYHQU3y5JED9nkvl5rWWCYxNGgoFI8o3lXZpNxdYcT7MIrjiEN9wVw7flhWYJdeSBI3_zEZi_h8MByPR2ZQ5AyrubpsiEb-rDl4ASLAVB8IIpZQ/s320/bantayanisland.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091749303632861346" /></a><br /> <br />Bantayan Island is definitely something to consider if you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and seeking for some r and r. I’d definitely come back to this island, no doubt about it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNISjHovjAXp8zkBj6mX1Qv3W89kfke84DmU_QH9HWN3jAxgkYkLTIxakkNue6k9ug1k9ulJQ4ueR7bRiWfbtfDXHCF0aCDZOWUwFObz-biFzEPsb5B7SY-693sFySK3QNJTqqQy-CCzM/s1600-h/bantayanisland2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNISjHovjAXp8zkBj6mX1Qv3W89kfke84DmU_QH9HWN3jAxgkYkLTIxakkNue6k9ug1k9ulJQ4ueR7bRiWfbtfDXHCF0aCDZOWUwFObz-biFzEPsb5B7SY-693sFySK3QNJTqqQy-CCzM/s320/bantayanisland2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091749303632861362" /></a><br /><br /><br />Malapascua Island<br /><br /><br />From Bantayan Island, we moved to Malapascua Island. It was a different route we took as we didn’t come from Cebu city. So we caught a jeepney from Bogo, a town near Hagnaya, to take us to Maya port. Just when I thought that I had the most agonizing bus trip to Bantayan Island, the jeepney ride to Maya port was yet another story. This time it was more uncomfortable as the seats of jeepneys aren’t really built for comfort. The trip took two to three hours. Worse than the other one I tell you. Thankfully, the view from the jeepney were captivating, at least it got me amused for a few seconds. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qtvGWOF0iVS-vOOTzzojGFbkMdN4gBM-iOfp77PDopOWsxiWsXgUbBFPU3_We4dIJ9q0qyy3WJCRQbGyzJYueSDXvVOyko3cBF6daJX62Ij18AxV__cvr1nkLj31hnfAoDyOS4AruZg/s1600-h/viewmalapascua.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qtvGWOF0iVS-vOOTzzojGFbkMdN4gBM-iOfp77PDopOWsxiWsXgUbBFPU3_We4dIJ9q0qyy3WJCRQbGyzJYueSDXvVOyko3cBF6daJX62Ij18AxV__cvr1nkLj31hnfAoDyOS4AruZg/s320/viewmalapascua.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091750647957625074" /></a><br /><br />We arrived the port of Maya and hopped on an outrigger to Malapascua Island. It only took half an hour to get to the Island so it wasn’t that bad. Tina told me earlier that she’s been told that Malapascua Island can be compared to Boracay during the 80’s. I have never been to Boracay during that time so thankfully I had nothing to compare it with. When we got there, the beach didn’t seem appealing at all. Outriggers were parked too close to the shore, it seemed so packed almost no place to bask in the sun along the shore. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRaH5nfXoGFi3lQfOiHJ8rbh3PwAYkNxKVQbrAdYecmoFZtsUzradSsNBiAiYk1ocIAtPQty0MHJr7o-HtIVYikZIaY14wchKHRXA6MIUfzGECy1GXpHscxhGw58uP31GksFgIuF8SLo/s1600-h/boat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRaH5nfXoGFi3lQfOiHJ8rbh3PwAYkNxKVQbrAdYecmoFZtsUzradSsNBiAiYk1ocIAtPQty0MHJr7o-HtIVYikZIaY14wchKHRXA6MIUfzGECy1GXpHscxhGw58uP31GksFgIuF8SLo/s320/boat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091751854843435282" /></a><br /><br />Thankfully the next day, with the abundance of the sun, the island redeemed itself. And shown its beauty to us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RLVodzmWFKn1GoOfSf4iJKW_Ci82Ac3wHWtbOLqI3Wn0lsnNS7pJ_eelQva8p278Fld_cIX-_FHTyOhdfxcrbSLNUZXuUGAaSCBQN9difwOy-y1ABtNkUMQrzgnV7Aq7q4hVxLsO2Ms/s1600-h/sunrisemalapascua.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RLVodzmWFKn1GoOfSf4iJKW_Ci82Ac3wHWtbOLqI3Wn0lsnNS7pJ_eelQva8p278Fld_cIX-_FHTyOhdfxcrbSLNUZXuUGAaSCBQN9difwOy-y1ABtNkUMQrzgnV7Aq7q4hVxLsO2Ms/s320/sunrisemalapascua.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091750647957625090" /></a><br /> <br />It wasn’t that bad, althought Tina said it cannot be compared to Boracay during the 80s. At the other side of the island, the sand was blindingly white and the water was clear and blue. We only stayed for a night, so I can’t really say that I saw most parts of the island. But I heard that Malapascua Island’s reputation to foreigners was that it had a number of great dive spots. Maybe when I learn to dive, then I’d come back to Malapascua.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBziItCT8F4wyksm4LMqO-7rojfjNFGcGc7fLt3J_c4KVy2ywQh512FC7RkTRePpxIlLSdaSoXL_fuxryGsN0BetwwQnVWS7L1VxgwcWttnkRuZk6I1ICLUJ8gvzWqaso45ukkZxlCtGg/s1600-h/malapascua.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBziItCT8F4wyksm4LMqO-7rojfjNFGcGc7fLt3J_c4KVy2ywQh512FC7RkTRePpxIlLSdaSoXL_fuxryGsN0BetwwQnVWS7L1VxgwcWttnkRuZk6I1ICLUJ8gvzWqaso45ukkZxlCtGg/s320/malapascua.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091750643662657746" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQtFBWAKuEnwA9mPGMCPeWAdGzJEIPAXspCQRvFtL-CL5AJDsFDHGNrbAPhrMiihBJxadcchE6G9oi6WT7ci82H78SzQl1CtLv8QqLQDxX8lCnhWhaUTBAItzzk3BBsk60uSRJX34EUc/s1600-h/malapascuaisland.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQtFBWAKuEnwA9mPGMCPeWAdGzJEIPAXspCQRvFtL-CL5AJDsFDHGNrbAPhrMiihBJxadcchE6G9oi6WT7ci82H78SzQl1CtLv8QqLQDxX8lCnhWhaUTBAItzzk3BBsk60uSRJX34EUc/s320/malapascuaisland.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091750643662657762" /></a><br /><br /><strong><br />How to get there?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Bantayan Island</strong>- From the North terminal of Cebu, take the Ceres Bus Lines that goes straight to Hagnaya. Bus fare is from 50-80 pesos. The bus ride would approximately take four to five hours. Quite a long trip if you come to think of it. From the Hagnaya Pier, take the ferry that will bring you to Bantayan Island. Fare is 65 pesos including terminal fee (10 pesos). The boat ride will approximately take an hou<br /><br /><strong>Malapascua Island</strong>-From the North terminal of Cebu, hop on the Rough Rider Bus or Ceres Bus Lines that will take you straight to the port of Maya. Bus fare is 50-80 pesos. From the port, take the boat to Malapascua Island. Boat fare is 50 pesos. Boat ride will approximately take half an hour.<br /><br /><strong>Where to Stay?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Bantayan Island</strong><br /><br /><strong>Kota Beach Resort</strong><br />Kota Beach Resort’s beachfront is so pristine with a white sandy beach. Cottages are for as low as 800 pesos. To book call +63 32 254-2726/ 254-5661 <br /><br />If you’re looking for a cheap place to stay, there’s a decent lodging house near the beach. For only 500 pesos a night, you room with a double bed, electric fan and your own toilet and bathroom. For an extra 300 pesos, you get a room with an air-con.<br /><br /><strong>Lodging House</strong>- To book, call 09103712053<br /><br /><strong>Sugar Beach Resort</strong> is also something to consider as it offers a long stretch of pristine white sand. Here are the rates:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCB8Ayiop3G8OBxhIq3GS0daSZmOTsjeqGly3ySBJ5_1NmtlwCKyUG58ORvriyzZFHulGyVj5Ig0IND1EPO0Q04uWpx48tYzHPo-sHDLarvbRzCUu7yDJiprk9rtViuKHEfxKhu3iLWA/s1600-h/sugarbeach.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCB8Ayiop3G8OBxhIq3GS0daSZmOTsjeqGly3ySBJ5_1NmtlwCKyUG58ORvriyzZFHulGyVj5Ig0IND1EPO0Q04uWpx48tYzHPo-sHDLarvbRzCUu7yDJiprk9rtViuKHEfxKhu3iLWA/s320/sugarbeach.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091753388146759970" /></a><br /><br />I didn't get to have Sugar beach resort's number and so as it cannot be found on the net. But once arriving you can tell the habal-habal driver to take you to sugar beach resort, they have a lot of cottages so it's impossible not to get a cottage.<br /><br /><strong>Malapascua Island</strong><br /><br />There are a number of resorts in Malapascua, most of them fronting the beach. Rates are from 800-2000 pesos. But while in Malapascua, we were told by Paul, the canadian guy we met in Camiguin to stay in Danos Resort. They have electricity during the night and the cottages are cheaper only 600 a night. Malapascua Island is only powered by a generator, so there are certain hours where there is no electricity.<br /><br />To book call, 09156661584 or 09273817894.<br /><br />Til Then,<br /><br />The Lost Sputnik.Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-31927729899692539372007-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:002007-07-21T19:38:48.788-07:00Great expectationsIt was my last week to travel before I head back to Manila and my energy was already running low. We were supposed to take a side trip to Surigao and Siargao before heading to the Queeen City of the South, but more traveling and less frolicking no longer seemed so tempting. So we packed our bags and took the ferry straight to Cebu instead.<br /><br />I really wanted to spend my last week of the Sputnik journey in Cebu because it’s the only other megalopolis in the Philippines that I haven’t really been to, except for that one hour taxi tour my friend and I took around Mactan while waiting for a connecting flight to Davao eight years ago. I planned to roam around the city at least and then head to two of its famous beaches. <br /><br />What I didn’t realize was how it would be too difficult to travel around Cebu without your own car. By this time, not only was my energy running low, I’ve also almost reached the budget limit I’ve set aside for the trip, and taxi rides in Cebu could get really expensive. This being the case, I ended up limiting my touristy pleasure to two of its biggest malls, an international media company I have always been interested to see, and a couple of its evening hotspots.<br /><br />Our trip to SM Cebu introduced us to a lovely Thai restaurant called Krua Thai. I was stunned at how they actually invested so much time and thought—and money—in the interiors of a restaurant that was only going to be inside a mall. It has the perfect ambience and a truly authentic Thai feel, you’d actually forget you were inside SM. <br /><br />They have Thai decors all over the place, elegant-looking tables and chairs, and waiters and waitresses dressed in traditional Thai costumes. I was scared at first that the food may not be able to match the look of the place, but not only did we enjoy our bagoong rice, pandan chicken and sweet and sour spare ribs, we were also pleasantly surprised at how affordable the meal was. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCbUkF_wPNHn-hTHMv1DVKQoL3NzN8SMEFOGdHPPsNIqb5MTc0mAvwvnBqQCYZp3FhILOzyV_fSaA_rkbrDphGq-Ob9LxE4hwdszyJDtBIhH6-rjcAaZjGH5FDXrv0hLaRRuxI_uOdkY/s1600-h/kruathai_cebu2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCbUkF_wPNHn-hTHMv1DVKQoL3NzN8SMEFOGdHPPsNIqb5MTc0mAvwvnBqQCYZp3FhILOzyV_fSaA_rkbrDphGq-Ob9LxE4hwdszyJDtBIhH6-rjcAaZjGH5FDXrv0hLaRRuxI_uOdkY/s320/kruathai_cebu2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089842471297423410" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5Zs9j-numNZ-DQwwSsh1MrFRXojuELK5yRpfbwdyWX-Y6zD30vlHIvsCeYJtGZBvyx9lB9v1sJ0OZGhtRHUT9ohEZNQby_EpzfkI68S7kRWLxh_Ved0CNpDJiTMJhM4VgO9PipJYNeo/s1600-h/spicyribs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5Zs9j-numNZ-DQwwSsh1MrFRXojuELK5yRpfbwdyWX-Y6zD30vlHIvsCeYJtGZBvyx9lB9v1sJ0OZGhtRHUT9ohEZNQby_EpzfkI68S7kRWLxh_Ved0CNpDJiTMJhM4VgO9PipJYNeo/s320/spicyribs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089844962378455138" /></a><br /><br />Our tour at Big Foot, an international film school and production house based in Mactan, was very educational and a bit intimidating for someone who also works in the media. They have the only final cut theater in the Philippines used to simulate how a film would actually look and sound when released for commercial viewing, a post-production set-up with fiber optics inside the walls for simultaneous editing, and an impressive soundstage that also has the only camera in the Philippines that is similar to the ones used in Hollywood.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDE6SIoUEZmKK8Lrwqktt2oYk1QRfW8Oj9uSrRSiImtiaNu0j4gnPaK8Zofy2HRs-poIeiet_nkHNmuyc95F5PXRe-m5ab-c2WDmp7rJcP4U-ndWTGLG6WpcE0mv2EyhUEr0p8p7Xm1g/s1600-h/bigfoot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDE6SIoUEZmKK8Lrwqktt2oYk1QRfW8Oj9uSrRSiImtiaNu0j4gnPaK8Zofy2HRs-poIeiet_nkHNmuyc95F5PXRe-m5ab-c2WDmp7rJcP4U-ndWTGLG6WpcE0mv2EyhUEr0p8p7Xm1g/s320/bigfoot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089842458412521506" /></a><br /><br />I wanted to feel the vibe of the Cebu nightlife, but while my spirit was willing my flesh was getting weaker by the day. My spirit even followed suit when we tried to heed my brother’s tip to go to Vu Du, a supposedly hip club in a place that is Cebu’s little version of Libis. Well it did seem to be a really hot bar because throngs and throngs of young Koreans were lining up to get in when Ron and I got there. We thought it would be better to just move on and so we did.<br /><br />Thanks to Ron’s friend Eva, we were able to enjoy a few drinks in a quiter bar a few blocks away. Formo suited my taste better and was perfect for my mood at the time. The place have a very elegant look and feel. They have a wide choice of cocktails and they play chill-out music that makes a good background for a nice chat, which was the only thing I could really afford to spare some energy for at the time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCP6H1Z-GegYD7-Di5W84LPCMgPbdKHuZkiLF0jlAr0dF8WJK9JNxumKwT_jnc31QX10quU3dXJkycTA7oAftLsb6ZAm9Y4KKaUn5xjXr400PJKbhkqLdBx6J4NOmDNLgN0BD4nv135U/s1600-h/rontinaeva.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCP6H1Z-GegYD7-Di5W84LPCMgPbdKHuZkiLF0jlAr0dF8WJK9JNxumKwT_jnc31QX10quU3dXJkycTA7oAftLsb6ZAm9Y4KKaUn5xjXr400PJKbhkqLdBx6J4NOmDNLgN0BD4nv135U/s320/rontinaeva.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089842479887358034" /></a><br /><br />When we headed out to the outskirts to see two of Cebu’s famous beaches, it seemed that we were back on our tracks. Cebu’s high traffic and noise became a little disorienting for us after weeks of staying in quiet provinces and beaches. We love the fact that Bantayan Island had a very laid back feel, which made us feel so comfortable again. Most of the restaurants in the island were meant to cater to tourists and yet there weren’t much foreigners around when we came. The bars were quiet, except for a few Koreans and some white guys who seem to have made Bantayan their temporary home. It was nice to just walk around, whether during the day or nighttime.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__W5gx06trXE6G_UYDKHL7VRmZwu6PE3aVCWmX0Plly2ubFcVCmp5ULCpKZftmNrrWT1xU0XhCkDQ_CCL7dT8GSR56Rvu7aMx3Arz63ivrSFFAukuZpR_0aOXA8-Ny8FDO2Gi6T497HQ/s1600-h/bantayan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__W5gx06trXE6G_UYDKHL7VRmZwu6PE3aVCWmX0Plly2ubFcVCmp5ULCpKZftmNrrWT1xU0XhCkDQ_CCL7dT8GSR56Rvu7aMx3Arz63ivrSFFAukuZpR_0aOXA8-Ny8FDO2Gi6T497HQ/s320/bantayan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089842458412521490" /></a><br /><br />Malapascua had more foreign guests though. They are mostly divers, who seemed to enjoy the place more than we did. There wasn’t so much happening in the island when we were there, only dogs fighting along the shore. I find the beach in Bantayan more beautiful, maybe because I was disappointed by the fact that Malapascua didn’t meet my expectation of it being like Boracay in the 80s, which was what some people say about the place. But Ron and I got to enjoy some quiet time sitting by the shore, drinking beer while looking at the moon’s reflection on the beach, on our only night there. That moment was great enough to make our trip to Malapascua definitely worth it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsyFOK0iii3CKmfouBpPuXitILk_NCJLDKY1JxqTuYafV7MdsCXqe-UMgqn3J1gQsonp_dd_ytxgGg7L6PUXX_5X-D6FWZCoA-Ypq1ezPX2TA5Y38epDv1kbLmq3Q5fdssT6OplgGMfo/s1600-h/malapascua2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsyFOK0iii3CKmfouBpPuXitILk_NCJLDKY1JxqTuYafV7MdsCXqe-UMgqn3J1gQsonp_dd_ytxgGg7L6PUXX_5X-D6FWZCoA-Ypq1ezPX2TA5Y38epDv1kbLmq3Q5fdssT6OplgGMfo/s320/malapascua2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089842475592390722" /></a>Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-79224667326843116602007-07-13T18:46:00.000-07:002007-07-13T20:22:42.816-07:00The CDO white water rafting adventure!The sputnik adventure would not be complete if we didn't do anything extreme. So when we got to Cagayan de oro or CDO, it was a must to try the famous white water rafting along the cdo river. On a very early saturday morning, Tina and I prepared ourselves to an extereme adventure that both of us haven't tried yet. We met up with the other adventure seekers in front of Mcdonalds along divisoria, signed the waiver which seemed so scary it's as if we agreed to let ourselves get killed and finally headed to the cdo river. The trip to the cdo river only took twenty to thirty minutes. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAw5X0XNnp2N0MX7c1M2BmpkgtOz9NMsnZMQ5TSzPaLhTlzHUNbxu19mC6KR1Jc0aGODNOrzGBh2Na2T_61hrU1hAZUDkWIkjk4UiAYcfMUsx2ATbYUEOt5ZXKZXRaSSEpHGjYEskGe4/s1600-h/jeep.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAw5X0XNnp2N0MX7c1M2BmpkgtOz9NMsnZMQ5TSzPaLhTlzHUNbxu19mC6KR1Jc0aGODNOrzGBh2Na2T_61hrU1hAZUDkWIkjk4UiAYcfMUsx2ATbYUEOt5ZXKZXRaSSEpHGjYEskGe4/s320/jeep.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086874309980635474" /></a><br /><br />When we got to the river, I had a glance of the first rapid we have to go through and all I felt were pure excitement. We wore our safety gears and grabbed our paddles as if we're about to go to war. After all the instructions that were given to us, we hopped on our boat and started to paddle towards the first rapid. Adrenalin rush started to kick in as soon as we reached the first rapid. "Foward!" the team captain shouted and we paddled as hard as we could. The rapid was really strong. It felt like the boat was going to flip over. But our team were coordinated enough that we didn't flip over, not even once. We had to pass through fourteen rapids, five of which were wild some were chicken feed. haha! We also got the chance to dive into the river. It was so much fun as I've never tried swimming in the river. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70pJLSl1LtnINyd9UXKSqsErybovOCQXP8oEgk2nfBJd3vEUMJVEampW5uwue9u4Nu7SbRT_oc1UU87J9ovUBMgsK3VHUY8uI6ML8Po7JPGVUjaITuJ8RKUMl1v-KNs7CVh8kDWMHUlo/s1600-h/team2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70pJLSl1LtnINyd9UXKSqsErybovOCQXP8oEgk2nfBJd3vEUMJVEampW5uwue9u4Nu7SbRT_oc1UU87J9ovUBMgsK3VHUY8uI6ML8Po7JPGVUjaITuJ8RKUMl1v-KNs7CVh8kDWMHUlo/s320/team2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086874314275602786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_J6DmMAZ20CeO6hq42oLhrGAqe_I38avotV_BB9FLOhGUqNFZG5nbC6dqmVLiLwnfHIjC6z_-vP2o4EZ8_CL4cafVdIvvCmhhLZV4Sp_pDS62HPLmOHM_kGZIYAyFh-NUzSVzxz99P0/s1600-h/boats.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_J6DmMAZ20CeO6hq42oLhrGAqe_I38avotV_BB9FLOhGUqNFZG5nbC6dqmVLiLwnfHIjC6z_-vP2o4EZ8_CL4cafVdIvvCmhhLZV4Sp_pDS62HPLmOHM_kGZIYAyFh-NUzSVzxz99P0/s320/boats.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086874314275602802" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78rjmBzyyOT_nub-fGxwPudRGSF5GzQwcgA3xcIxhZ2HCc1lkB2oTKGVmn0nofzOUG7IVhx8Wra274amTrJvCVqBpTHtn-ZDJCtwhjEFz94xnS9m57gl2i20rszSRbrVX5aNO2OA9Krg/s1600-h/boat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78rjmBzyyOT_nub-fGxwPudRGSF5GzQwcgA3xcIxhZ2HCc1lkB2oTKGVmn0nofzOUG7IVhx8Wra274amTrJvCVqBpTHtn-ZDJCtwhjEFz94xnS9m57gl2i20rszSRbrVX5aNO2OA9Krg/s320/boat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086874318570570114" /></a><br /><br />I was really glad I got to experience this extereme ride as it was something I'd never forget. It made me proud that I was able to go through without thinking of backing out. Next time I visit cdo, I'd be more than willing to try the advanced level where rapids would be wilder. To our next extereme adventure, Cheers!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLt-EKvI9gyly3OVZ0BKhDy86Y4Wpxw_ZnDm3-2YbyhmGK6KsdB7zbRNMVAAUlFIeMzHl0xoRIiVXEy1FDyC2BNWRBnaXkTubj2wh3Np4hJG3DHR574rsqpYnpwl3HZ50wQUtwcel8oE0/s1600-h/team.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLt-EKvI9gyly3OVZ0BKhDy86Y4Wpxw_ZnDm3-2YbyhmGK6KsdB7zbRNMVAAUlFIeMzHl0xoRIiVXEy1FDyC2BNWRBnaXkTubj2wh3Np4hJG3DHR574rsqpYnpwl3HZ50wQUtwcel8oE0/s320/team.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086874318570570130" /></a><br />Til Then<br /><br />The Lost SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-8044026940734993172007-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:002007-07-06T08:10:11.017-07:00Braving the Rapids<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGTJsrLVNZQ7qttCrL_3h_GlFnOh9lhyphenhyphen7C0jnjKsKuVeaCy_gBKoonEGw6mfMus0_0JAvK5J1IyZXbg1uWJ0X0uq1IJijmKmOLVBU9XMUWTqRmpm-7-_fBqO9wD92_CnIc-IWBt6XVVM/s1600-h/tinawhitewater.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGTJsrLVNZQ7qttCrL_3h_GlFnOh9lhyphenhyphen7C0jnjKsKuVeaCy_gBKoonEGw6mfMus0_0JAvK5J1IyZXbg1uWJ0X0uq1IJijmKmOLVBU9XMUWTqRmpm-7-_fBqO9wD92_CnIc-IWBt6XVVM/s320/tinawhitewater.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084100100949332434" /></a><br /><br />I almost didn’t go. After almost three weeks of non-stop traveling, my energy level was fast approaching the warning point. I really didn’t think I could still handle an extreme adventure. Especially one I had to sign a waiver for.<br /><br />But there was very little to do in Cagayan de Oro—well at least nothing much that excited me as a traveler. So if I didn’t take the bait of experiencing their most popular tourist attraction, I wouldn’t have anything else to write about the place.<br /><br />We had to wake up early to meet up with the other white-water rafting tourists near McDonald’s in Divisoria. By this time, Ron knew well enough that I have such a dour mood in the morning—especially when I didn’t get enough sleep, and my energy seems to be in an all-time low—so he didn’t even bother talking to me or arguing with me when I made it very clear that I needed to take my breakfast and couldn’t care less if all the other tourists were already waiting.<br /><br />I didn’t even try to feign enthusiasm for this new adventure, and sincerely, I was scared about how dangerous it could get. But thankfully, my mood started lightening up in the jeepney going to the mouth of the Cagayan River. The landscape along the way was really awesome. We also stopped by a tourist post to wait for the others and were invited to try out the canopy walk and the zip—a 20 minute adventure inside a rainforest. But I headed towards the souvenir stands instead. I got two trinkets for my friends and was good to go.<br /><br />The river where we shall be braving the rapids clearly marks the boundary between Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon—the first one’s the left bank and the other’s the right. This was again emphasized to us when we were given precautionary measures just in case we fall off the raft. When the guide says swim to Cagayan, we should know that we should be waddling towards our left. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7Il6LEFChBs7ibek-yDodrBydcQBG9ClqQ5__Q-55sALjBjnEjf2tFq6zuOdPy7dnQ12AUIOOd9Icymc0iIGVsCWWe0bQxgqXAKEUS8AkJnMaX1UZ_iewv8jct3PZoZmxOuPekZO-r0/s1600-h/river.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7Il6LEFChBs7ibek-yDodrBydcQBG9ClqQ5__Q-55sALjBjnEjf2tFq6zuOdPy7dnQ12AUIOOd9Icymc0iIGVsCWWe0bQxgqXAKEUS8AkJnMaX1UZ_iewv8jct3PZoZmxOuPekZO-r0/s320/river.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084100100949332450" /></a><br /><br />Because Ron sat in front, I had no choice at first but to sit beside him. But after almost falling during our battle with the first rapid, there was no other choice but to trade places with a braver soul. Fun starts picking up by this time, and sometimes our guide (who seems to be channeling Brownman Revival’s lead with his heairstyle and sunglasses) would make us stand as we approach a rapid just to heighten the excitement. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQ6lN567S62zV-3NmbGW-RiX8F0SBExCGHJg7Qen5qaLLxi75lHVZTKDaR2JMyq0Z1ztkgRrnIwunmJdQop12XCxkSRnV77Uk_7OwYs9qghA7Hk4GZbTzdQyWdREMN3hhD-H23XAMlEk/s1600-h/group.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQ6lN567S62zV-3NmbGW-RiX8F0SBExCGHJg7Qen5qaLLxi75lHVZTKDaR2JMyq0Z1ztkgRrnIwunmJdQop12XCxkSRnV77Uk_7OwYs9qghA7Hk4GZbTzdQyWdREMN3hhD-H23XAMlEk/s320/group.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084100105244299778" /></a><br /><br />During breaks from the rapids, our guides would also allow us to take a dip in the river. I don’t really like swimming in deep water, but I had a life jacket on and the water’s really tempting, so I jumped out of the raft with the others. Ron had to make sure though that I always stay close to the raft, and would call my name everytime he fails to see where I was. Dad!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRYDVj7S5wVZQixX-0HsxeIORYgWPHYTr0cRmhG3aS_CtmiUeV3R1YSxBSIzNxAzwliUgIqNInKWMd_pMqHCzkB2UFRJeLvQ1Ih66FORiSObt8ktztWnGAZlvLF5c38DrhCmLeS3MgG4/s1600-h/tina.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRYDVj7S5wVZQixX-0HsxeIORYgWPHYTr0cRmhG3aS_CtmiUeV3R1YSxBSIzNxAzwliUgIqNInKWMd_pMqHCzkB2UFRJeLvQ1Ih66FORiSObt8ktztWnGAZlvLF5c38DrhCmLeS3MgG4/s320/tina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084100109539267090" /></a><br /><br />After several rapids, I knew I would have regretted it if I hadn’t joined Ron for this adventure. It was, to quote a dear friend, “heaps” of fun. And it was quite cheap too, especially with the crab and shrimp feast that greeted us after the ride. By this time, my only dilemma was how to go about my next ride: I knew I had to take my husband here, but this means going through the beginner’s stage again, which is not very tempting since I know I’m definitely ready and raring for a bigger challenge. Bring on the rapids!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJPvbiG4hER20WEHq-eE9kaY_8ZVUYmDzmC6GTifJHgHmLobPaiWZbpI9HWVVL7tBZKk-g9OkNtvxRWRA-8UGGSYWSS2Gs0vuMZqpBdRK63onQij8lxgB_rc_SF4jCsLVMyGxObpzD0Q/s1600-h/group2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJPvbiG4hER20WEHq-eE9kaY_8ZVUYmDzmC6GTifJHgHmLobPaiWZbpI9HWVVL7tBZKk-g9OkNtvxRWRA-8UGGSYWSS2Gs0vuMZqpBdRK63onQij8lxgB_rc_SF4jCsLVMyGxObpzD0Q/s320/group2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084100105244299762" /></a><br /><br />(T)he Other SputnikLost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7926482035439941796.post-72985190445609332992007-07-06T07:23:00.000-07:002007-07-06T08:53:33.106-07:00Camiguin Escapade<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DQleljpkZFM"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DQleljpkZFM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object><br /><br />How to get there?<br /><br />From Cagayan de oro, take the Ceres Bus Lines to Balingoan for 50-75 pesos. The trip approximately takes 2 hours. From the Balingoan Port, take the ferry to get to Camiguin for 107 pesos. The ferry ride takes 1 hour. <br /><br />Where to Stay?<br /><br />Jasmin by the Sea<br /><br />We highly recommend this if you're in for some affordable and cozy accommodation. Cottages here are for 600-800 pesos, good for 2 persons. Dorm type is only for 350 pesos (shared bathroom). Make sure to have a few chat sessions with Melinda, the owner of the resort. She's a legend!<br /><br />Unfortunately there's no early booking in the resort, but it's worth trying to give them a heads up that you're arriving. <br /><br />Call +63 088 387 9015<br /><br />There are a number of resorts along the stretch of mambajao, so finding for a place to stay won't be a problem.<br /><br />What to do?<br /><br />You could never run out of things to do in Camiguin. Start of by renting a van (1000-2000 pesos for 3-5 hours) or habal-habal (500 pesos for 3-5 hours) and do the island tour to visit the famous landmarks of the island.. If you're up for a climb then there's a number of volcanoes to trek. There's the old volcano, new volcano, Mt. Hibok-hibok and many more. The sunken cemetery is perfect for picturesque sunsets. The sto. nino cold spring and a few hot springs would be good to experience if you haven't tried it yet. The island has two waterfalls that are definitely worthwhile to see. If you're craving for white sandy beaches then a trip to the white island is for you. It's just a few minutes away by boat from mambajao, it's perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset. Rent for the boat would cost you around 300 pesos (roundtrip).Lost Sputnikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13695575708351274707noreply@blogger.com0