The (Anti-) Solo Traveler Diaries: My Travel Bucket List

It was only recently that I discovered my inner wanderlust. And now it can't be tamed -- in fact, it makes me want to explore the places that I only get to know from books and pictures. And it makes me dream of the day where I could finally omit the (Anti-) part in my travel diaries.

I'm pretty sure that every traveler (aspiring or experienced) has their own version of the ultimate travel bucket list -- those places that they would like to visit before a certain condition happens (spoken like a law student would, haha!), be it before they get hitched, before they reach a certain age, and so on. As for me, I would like to visit the following places, some before I get married, some before I turn 30, and some before I die (knock on wood).

photo credit here

1. Thailand

If I had it my way, I wanted that my first out of country trip would be in Thailand and not in Hong Kong. Why Thailand, you might ask. It's because it is a tropical country just like the Philippines, the exchange rate is not so far from ours (last time I checked, one baht is equivalent to at least two pesos), their culture is an interesting learning experience, and it's a great food trip destination (yum!).

photo credit here

2. Korea

I like Korean period dramas and the K-Pop group Girls' Generation, but that's not enough to call me a K-Pop fan. Surely that does not stop me from wanting to explore more of the 'other' wintry country in Asia (the one being Japan), no? Besides, I want to hoard their famous beauty products (I'm talking to you, Etude House!)

More destinations when you click 'Read More'

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (HK-Macau Edition): The Hotels in Macau

I'll start this post with a tip: when in Macau, go beyond the posh hotels. Go to Senado Square. Go to the Sao Paolo Church. Eat some egg tarts. Unless you're after the 'sarap buhay' feel of the Macau casino-hotels.

I'm saying this because we went on a day trip (no, make it a two-hour trip) to Macau and visited two landmarks: The Venetian Macau and Holiday Inn Macau.

The flower arrangement at the lobby of Holiday Inn Macau

The grand dome at the lobby of The Venetian

Yes, just that. Just the hotels.

Sure, I enjoyed the glitter and glamour of those hotels. But personally, I want to explore more of that. I want to eat egg tarts. I want to dine at the dai pai dongs. I want to sit around the Senado Square. I want to admire the ruins at Sao Paolo.

But I did not. Even if I want to.

"Kasi walang perang pang-libot."

"Papa-tatak lang ng passport na Macau."

Oh, the ever-stringent travelers.

And don't ever get me started at why I don't go my own way and head to the Portuguese part of Macau. It's a long story that stems way past this topic of traveling in Hong Kong and Macau.

But as I said in my previous post, enjoy the rest of the trip. And enjoy I did, amid the grumping inside. :D

Posing before boarding the ferry bound to Macau

Chicken soup again for breakfast, this time from Cafe de Coral, with tomatoes and beef slices on top

Mom eating her (oversized) bowl of oatmeal in milk

Soy-braised chicken and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves. Pretty fancy for a breakfast meal, IMO

Sitting pretty at the Holiday Inn lobby

Family picture at the gardens of Holiday Inn

For HKD5, I wrote my wish for the Chinese New Year and hung it on this tree just outside The Venetian. 

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (HK-Macau Edition): Travel Tips

We really are in DMIA. Doesn't the Mini Stop sign say it all?

1. Prioritize between value and convenience. We booked a seat sale ticket from Clark to Hong Kong. Sure, we saved a lot with the ticket, but IMHO, it gave me great inconvenience. Clark in Pampanga is farther off from Caloocan (my homeplace) than Pasay (where NAIA is); and with a 7am boarding time, we have to be Clark-bound at 11pm, wait for at least five hours before we check-in at around 5am. Whereas we can manage to leave for NAIA at 2am, sleep a bit before checking in at 5am, just the same.

This trip made me realize that NAIA is indeed a more convenient airport when you're in Metro Manila. If you're from any other place in Northern Luzon, you may opt to leave in Clark. But that's just me.

Yeah, I'm holding my passport and boarding pass. 

2. Hold your passport and boarding pass securely at all times. By 'at all times,' I mean before, during and after the flight. When we landed in Hong Kong, my mom went uneasy about our luggage, so she boarded the train bound to the immigration counter ahead of me and my sister so she could settle the baggage. She forgot about my sister's passport and boarding pass, so when it's our turn to show up at the immigration counter, we don't know what to do. It did not help that they were at the other immigration counter, which is, way across the airport. So I have to ask the immigration officer to let me get in first, find my mom at the baggage carousels, and get my sister's passport and boarding pass for her to present. Ending: I was the one who got the luggage, and mom was waiting and waiting in the other immigration counter, unable to get the luggage she was worried about.

Lesson learned: parents can only hold their children's passport until they are ten years old. Beyond that, teach them how to securely hold their travel documents. Besides, I see some children from other nationalities holding their own passport, some as young as around seven years old.

Good thing there are English-language signs...

I really am in Hong Kong...

3. Read the signs. When in doubt, ask. Besides, asking for directions is a good way to get into the foreign country and its culture.

Right: Marty's order -- pancakes, sausage and hash browns. Left: my order -- twisty macaroni soup with egg and sausage, with hot choco on the side.

4. Just because the restaurant is familiar does not mean the taste is the same. Since we have not eaten breakfast since we arrived in Clark and boarded our plane, we decided to eat at the first restaurant that we laid our eyes on -- McDonalds. However familiar, the menu was, well, quite different. Sure there was the standard pancakes, hash browns and coffee (or hot chocolate), but there was the Hong Kong breakfast staple -- chicken soup with twisty macaroni. Toppings vary with each restaurant, as with McDo with sausage and egg on top. And I gotta tell you, they may be the same items, but they are slightly different from those here in Manila.


5. Enjoy the ride. And the rest of the travel. Enough said.

Me on a bus going to our hostel

Just a few miles away from the airport

Oh, look! Cable cars!

Those buildings are HUGE!

Lola with the beautiful promo ladies

It's just days after Chinese New Year, hence the decor outside ISquare Mall. 

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (HK-Macau Edition): An Introduction

This post has been waaaaaayyyyy overdue -- the trip was in February, and it's already May! I don't think I remember the details of the trip as vividly as when I got back from Hong Kong (eh bakit yung sa Boracay tanda mo pa?), but I'll try to recount them as accurately as possible.

Anyhow, this trip is my first ever out-of-country trip, and I'm so totally psyched about it that I did my own research (since my mom was very vague in giving out details about the trip). However, with a very KJ trip colleagues around, my trip (parang solo ko lang noh?) was all over the place.

However, that did not stop me from enjoying the trip in my own terms. After all, it's my first out-of country trip, so might as well make the most out of them. Right?

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (Visayas Edition): The Long (and Hard) Way Home

If you've been following my (Anti-)Sole Traveler Diaries series, you might be wondering in my last post why we're taking a bus on our way back to Manila instead of riding a plane like we did on our way to Bora.

This is because the Team Grade Six decided to book a one-way plane ride to Caticlan. Probably because the promo is only available for Manila-Caticlan and not on Iloilo-Manila. Or maybe they intended to forego the Caticlan-Manila ride to save money.

Whatever the reason may be, they are about to learn their lesson the hard way. Siyempre, damay na rin ako sa bad decision nila bilang kasama ako sa trip, 'di ba?

As I have mentioned before, Dingle, Iloilo is four hours from Caticlan by bus. But because I'm starting to get sleepy (my MP3 player could not help me perk up this time), I started to take pictures of the scenery from the outside of the window.

Once we're in Caticlan port, we wait for the bus driver to book the RORO (roll-on, roll-off) ship tickets for his passengers. While waiting, we decided to take our lunch at an eatery near the dock.

Note: for those who are unfamiliar with this mode of transport, most, if not all, bus trips to Visayas and Mindanao get by through the RORO ships -- ships that lets vehicles get in and out of the ship by 'rolling.' Thus, the term 'roll-on, roll-off' or RORO. This mode of transport allows buses to travel into different island destinations, albeit longer (a trip to any Visayas destination can take up to 24 hours).

Upon getting the ship tickets, off we board into the RORO, heading to Roxas, Oriental Mindoro.

We're riding up there!

Caticlan port as viewed from the ship

Onboard the ship

It was almost nightfall when we got to Roxas. I did not bother to take any more pictures from this point on, because flash photography is battery-consuming and we do not have easy access to power outlets during the entire trip (for charging batteries).

We got into the bus again for a road trip to Calapan that spans another four hours. During the trip (and even as we head to Caticlan), I was mulling my thoughts of getting down in Calapan, ride my way to Naujan, my father's hometown, stay at my grandmother's place and remain there until May. However, thinking that the idea might spell major logistical nightmare, I postponed my plans.

It's practically bed time when we get to Calapan, so it was no surprise that we have to be waken up for us to know that it's time to get off the bus again. We obliged, although we were like zombies as we walked off the bus.

Fact about me: I find it hard to fall asleep again after my sleep has been interrupted. So I remained wide awake during the entire ship ride to Batangas City, and even as we rode our way to Manila.

We got to SM Fairview (bus driver was persuaded to take us to SM Fairview instead of getting off at Cubao) at past 12am. It also marked a new day... which is also my 20th birthday! Because of that, the Team Grade Six sang 'Happy Birthday' to me before reaching our destination.

I was dog tired when mom and I got home. But I did not mind. I had a hell of a good time, and was able to do new things before I turn 20. Good enough for me. :)

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So that ends the Visayas edition of The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries series. On my next post, we're heading back to Luzon, to one of my favorite destinations in the Philippines. I'll give you a clue: I've mentioned that place somewhere in my Bora-Iloilo documentation. Enjoy guessing!

Oh, let me remind you that please feel free to comment in my posts for questions or anything. You may also shoot me an email at navyisthenewpink@gmail.com, like the Navy is the New Pink page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (Visayas Edition): Boracay to Iloilo

Back in Manila, Team Grade Six are required to come to school at 6am, since their classes start at 6:30pm or 7am. Because of this, they are obliged to wake up early in the morning to come to class, especially those whose first teaching class starts at the said time. Those who have their first teaching class at a later time may opt to come later, but most of them still come early to prepare their materials for class.

It was no surprise, therefore, that some of the team woke up early despite all the shindig the night before. After all, it's time to pack the bags. 'Cause we're leaving Bora and heading back to Panay Island, specifically in Iloilo.

Some of them (mom included) woke up so early that they managed to squeeze in some shopping along the shops at the beach.

Yet the shutterbug in us could not be stopped from taking more pictures, even as we are about to leave the lodge.

Vanity shot before leaving Bora. The shell necklace was a spanking-new purchase courtesy of mi madre...

A shot in front of the lodge.  

Unlike the motor boat that we rode on our way to Bora, we left the island at a more comfortable ferry boat. The way I see it, the boat was a bit like a run-down version of SuperCat.

Smile!

Upon landing in Caticlan, we searched for the first bus that will leave for Iloilo, and went up from there. Of course, I get the window seat, because that's my favorite seat in any vehicle.

Another window view pose...

Whoops... Even the pimple was captured...

Four hours and one stopover later, we got down at the town of Dingle. The area where the bus stopped did not have any prominent landmark, save for a bamboo-made waiting shed and some huts. Oh, and two pick-up trucks waiting for us.

The two pick-up trucks are owned by the family of one of the team members, Mrs. Maravilla, who was born and raised in the town. She arranged the house that she and her siblings built for her parents for us to stay in for two more nights.

Back story: every time that the team will go on a vacation or to an out-of-town wedding of one of the colleagues, they make it a point to visit the homes of one of them. Case in point: there was one time when one of their colleagues got married in my mother's hometown in Pangasinan. The day after the wedding, the team decided to visit my mom's place in Lingayen, even if it's a few towns away from the wedding location.

Back to Iloilo... it was quite a long ride, with a stopover at the town plaza. We ended up at a strip of dirt road lined with mahogany trees. The house where we will stay is at the end of that road strip.

A view from behind the windshield of the pickup truck

I found out later on in our stay in Dingle that these are actually coffee plants...

Trees all around...

Which leads us here. Taken from the 'end of the road' house, as I call it.

It's rest time for all of us for the rest of the day, because the following day would turn out to be a jam-packed one.

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (Visayas Edition): Boracay Night Lights (and Some Feeling Model Pics)

The jetty port as viewed from the boat

We arrived in Caticlan at around 5pm. Just a few walking distance from the airport is the jetty port that will transport us to Boracay.

The signature window view pose. You'll see more of this later on.

The waters as viewed from the boat.

Upon arriving at the island, the caretaker of the lodge that we booked was there to fetch us and bring us there. Along the way, we passed by a grocery store to buy some foodstuff.

I can't remember the exact name of that lodge, but as far as I could remember, it's a four-storey house with three to four rooms, each having two or three beds. Anyway, once we're there, we unpacked our bags and took some rest.

Pagpasensyahan ang mga hita... :P

Nightfall came, and it's time for some wandering around the island. It was the first time I understood how vibrant Boracay can be at nighttime. However, most of the activities are at shore, and the waters itself is unusually quiet.

Boracay Lights -- without the proper settings

With flash. Because mom always insists on having flash in every photo.

Which is perfect for some vanity-cum-cam whoring moments.

Fallen straps and sandy slippers.

Talikod-genic?

Panira ng moment yung dalawang mama sa background.

And I spotted some unusual stuff. Like this sculpture on a watermelon.

One word: Awesome!

It makes sense that the watermelon sculpture is placed on a tray of seafood.

So that's it for our first night in Bora.