Kwentong Kaladkarin #54: Kissed Kuala Lumpur and I Liked It!

Da Where: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Da When: July 5, 2014
Da Who: me, myself and I!

My first ever border-crossing via land transport was my Singapore to Malaysia day trip. All on my own, short but sweet trip. :)

- Crossed the Singapore-Malaysia border via bus (book through www.starmart.com or at Golden Mile Complex in Kallang) with SG$55 round-trip fares. Passports will be stamped at both SG and MY immigration counters. Tip: Take note of your bus number so you know you're getting on the right one after getting your passport stamped. Take your stuff with you when going through the immigration counters.

Kwentong Kaladkarin #53: Baler Break – Of Surfing and Serenity

Da Where: Baler, Aurora, Philippines
Da When: February 23-25, 2013
Da Who: me, Vin, Maggie and Ferdz

One of the good things that greet you as soon you step into Secret Spot is the warm sweet-salty air playing with your hair. This was a welcome change from the freezing AC of the 8-hour bus ride from Cubao to Aurora. The other is the sight and sound of waves crashing just a cartwheel away from where we were standing. And of course, Tita Rose's welcoming grin.

In Between: Sagada Smitten

I'd be starting 'In Between' updates in the spirit of me being unable to post real-time or as often as I should. It could be due to the following reasons: too busy with work and school, too tired, too fed up with my snail-pace internet connection, too lazy or simply just preferred sleep over facing a blinking cursor. ;D

I took a trip to Sagada in the Mountain Province in November of 2012 and it was my third visit, coinciding with my first solo trip. Blogging about it soon... :)

7 hours bus ride to Baguio

7 hours bus ride to Sagada

Spelunking at Lumiang-Sagada Caves

Rappel and rock climb at Echo Valley

River-trekking to Pongas Falls

Bonfire and beer with the locals

Daybreak stars and wishing on falling ones

Climbing Mt. Ampacao to catch the sunrise

Hiking to Lake Danum

Visiting Ub Ubbo Pottery

Touring the town

7 hours bus ride to Baguio

7 hours bus ride to Manila

Three nights. Four days. Pine trees. Blue skies. Chilly air. Amazing people.
I fall in love with this place over and over again.

Music Credits:

Blown Away - A Fine Frenzy

I Want The Sky - Lucy Schwartz

Kwentong Kaladkarin #52: Spicy Legazpi – The Trip's Travel Tips

Da Where: Legazpi, Albay, Philippines
Da When: September 27-29, 2012
Da Who: me and first-time travel buddies from work, Red and Meis :)

With so many things to do and so many things to see in the Bicolandia, a weekend trip would probably make you groan and say "I wish I were staying longer!"

Ditto. However, a weekend trip is entirely possible. Take it from me, who didn't even plan where to stay, where to go and what to see. Okay, maybe not the 'what to see' part. I did read up a bit to get me all hyped up. :D

Magayon Mayon from Embarcadero

Kwentong Kaladkarin #51: Spicy Legazpi – Of Fantastic Views and Fiery Frozen Delights

Da Where: Legazpi, Albay, Philippines
Da When: September 27-29, 2012
Da Who: me and first-time travel buddies from work, Red and Meis :)

The previous night's alcohol buzz was non-existent when I woke up that Sunday morning. The famous almost-perfectly-cone volcano that is the pride of this region and also infamous for being finicky in showing all her glory is waiting for us!

I saw her once from afar on a banca on our way back to Naga from Caramoan shrouded by clouds and then once on a clear day while I was on a plane to Davao. This time, hangover or not, pretty much nothing will stop me from coming up close and personal with Mayon.

Breakfast, at last!

Kwentong Kaladkarin #50: Spicy Legazpi - Of Authentic Bicol Express, Healthy Lungs and Damaged Livers

Da Where: Legazpi, Albay, Philippines

Da When: September 27-29, 2012

Da Who: me and first-time travel buddies from work, Red and Meis :)

What I found weird when I told some folks I'm off to Legazpi, was the question "Why?" I wanted to ask back, why not?

After all, it's home to one of the Philippine's stunning landscapes, the majestic Mayon Volcano. Seeing it up close would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, especially for someone who does not hail from the Bicol region.

A timid Mayon greeting my arrival

Kwentong Kaladkarin #49: Captivating Coron – The Trip's Travel Tips

Da Where: Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Da When: September 9-12, 2012

Da Who: me and Vin to celebrate our golden monthsary. ;D

They say Coron is the 'cheaper' Palawan experience, comparing it of course to El Nido or worse, Amanpulo. Maybe it depends on who's spending. Haha! I'd rather call it possible than cheap and just like any other trip, the decision lies between 'need-to-have' and 'nice-to-have'.

I, for one, is fine sleeping on a cot or even a tent as long as I can experience a new place. Good thing we didn't have to do that as we were able to snag a room from the often-fully-booked Patrik and Tezz Guesthouse. It's a well-known backpackers' place in Coron and currently Tripadvisor's #1 recommended inn.

PTG's hallway. A good book or your laptop and this would be just perfect. :)

Kwentong Kaladkarin #48: Captivating Coron – Touring the Town Part 2

Da Where: Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Da When: September 9-12, 2012

Da Who: me and Vin to celebrate our golden monthsary. ;D

A ray of sunbeam was tugging at my closed eyelids and I smiled in my half-asleep state. Finally! The gods smiled on us on our last day. We will get to do what we missed on our first day in Coron - completing our town tour.

More than A-OK! :D

Kwentong Kaladkarin #47: Captivating Coron – Beach Bums Away!

Da Where: Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Da When: September 9-12, 2012

Da Who: me and Vin to celebrate our golden monthsary. ;D

I opened my eyes and instantly knew something was wrong. I heard patter on the roof above the hum of the electric fan. I turned slowly and peeked at the curtain-draped, jalousied window and saw gray skies and big, fat raindrops falling.

Noooooo! Today is our 'beach' day in the itinerary! :(

Egzoited! :D

Kwentong Kaladkarin #46: Captivating Coron – Behold, Bikini Bottom!

Da Where: Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Da When: September 9-12, 2012
Da Who: me and Vin to celebrate our golden monthsary. ;D

If I knew how much swimming/floating/paddling this day involved, I would've backed out pronto. But then, I would've regretted it. Big-time.

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.

Kwentong Kaladkarin #45: Captivating Coron – Touring the Town Part 1

Da Where: Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Da When: September 9-12, 2012
Da Who: me and Vin to celebrate our golden monthsary. ;D

As I fastened my seat belt inside the ATR-720 (yet again!) plane bringing us to Busuanga, I wiped my clammy hands on my denim shorts and uttered a silent prayer. It's no secret I hate plane rides and though I'm ecstatic to finally see one of my dream destinations, getting on a turbo-prop plane crossing the West Philippine Sea (in your face, China!) is definitely not doing wonders for my aerophobia.

Lovebirds in the air. Pun intended. :D

Kwentong Kaladkarin #44: Battleground Batulao

Da Where: Mt. Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas
Da When: August 25-26, 2012
Da Who: me, Deej, Leo, Chris, Ed, Zee, Alvin and Pheophie the Mini-Pin

I'm slipping into my old age. Why? Because the last time I hiked was friggin' seven months ago! This must be the longest I've gone on without a climb and I'm not a happy camper.

This, I missed. And I think it missed me back. :)

Missing My Merrells

Things are meant to be used and people are meant to be loved. Not the other way around.

I've always gone by this adage. Still, there are some things I have that I treasure dearly because they've impacted my way of life.

One of those are my very first hiking shoes – a (used-to-be) pretty pair of baby-blue-tinged-with-gray Merrell Gore-Tex shoes. I got it in an outlet store shoe sale sometime in early 2009 and it's never been missing from my climbs since then.

I'm already missing you... :(

Kwentong Kaladkarin #42: Davao Backpacker Stay – Green Windows Dormitel

Da Where: Davao City, Philippines
Da When: August 11-15, 2012
Da Who: me and Deej, on our Davao Duo trip

"So we're sharing the room with other people, okay? So is the bathroom. And you'd be sleeping on the upper bunk bed until a guest from the bottom bunk bed checks out."

Kwentong Kaladkarin #41: Davao Delights – Digging Into Delectable Bites

Da Where: Davao City, Philippines
Da When: August 11-15, 2012
Da Who: me and Deej, on our Davao Duo trip

What's a trip to a new (or revisited) place without dipping your feet into the hustle and bustle of their daily grind and dipping your spoon into the local eats?

In my past two visits to this largest city in the Mindanao isles, my taste buds have come to like delish dishes that can only be found in this part of the country.

Have you ever had any of these? :)

Kwentong Kaladkarin #40: Davao Delights – Soaking Up the Samal Sunshine

Da Where: Isla Reta Resort, Talicud Island, Island Garden City of Samal
Da When: August 13-14, 2012
Da Who: me and Deej, on our Davao Duo trip

Serenity and the sea

 The past two weeks before this trip, Manila was once again drenched in heavy rains brought along by the southwest monsoon or habagat. Several colleagues even experienced flooded homes and landslides in the northern mountainous areas became news on the nightly programs.

Save for a few minutes of heart-thumping turbulence before landing in Davao, it felt like Deej and I were in a whole different continent. It actually made feel a little guilty to laze around in sunshine while my Facebook news feed filled up with woes of never-ending rain, flood and horrible traffic. I was sending virtual sunshine to friends, hoping that helped a little.

Kwentong Kaladkarin #39: Davao Delights – A Day in Eden

Da Where: Eden Nature Park & Resort, Mt. Talomo, Toril, Davao City
Da When: August 12, 2012
Da Who: me and Deej, on our Davao Duo trip

If you were brought up in a Catholic home and had Christian Living, Religion or Catechism classes when you were younger, then likely the word Eden is synonymous to Paradise. It is said to to be the garden where Adam and Eve were brought and there was no want or need in this place.

Kwentong Kaladkarin #38: Binabagyong Boracay, On My Birthday!

Da Where: Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan

Da When: June 3-5, 2012

Da Who: me and Vin, to celebrate my 26th year and our 47th month together

The downpour experienced recently jarred me back to the wet and cold beach trip we made just a month ago for my birthday and our month-sary. Yeah, coz we're cheesy-gooey like that. ;P

Boracay is still beautiful, even in tropical storm turmoil.

Kwentong Kaladkarin #37: Surviving Zambales – The Trip's Travel Tips

Special thanks to Jam and Zee for doing all the legwork and yes, including the mind-bending budgeting and back-breaking logistics. :)

Know more about our weekend adventure here:

Kwentong Kaladkarin #35: A Night in Not-The-Same Nagsasa Cove

Kwentong Kaladkarin #36: Capones Camp Out ala-Survivor

BUDGET (per person)

CONTACTS

Kuya JR / Ate Liezel - +(63) 9173809104

Boat Rental, Camping Logistics, etc.

TIPS

• If and when you can, opt for weekdays instead of weekend trips. Because of the proximity to Manila, Zambales beaches are packed during holidays and weekends.
• Commuting is manageable, last bus trip from Manila leaves at around 2300 and the tricycle from San Antontio proper to Pundaquit is pretty much round-the-clock but never sacrifice safety. If you're pressed for time, van rentals are still the best way to go.
• Don't forget your sunblock lotion and water shoes/sandals when visiting Capones Island. The limited shade areas and pebbly seabed can be a pain in the...
• Support the local trade! Do your logistics shopping at the San Antonio public market. They pretty much have everything! :)

Dreaming to zone out in Zambales soon? Go ahead, plan away! :)

Kwentong Kaladkarin #36: Capones Camp Out ala-Survivor

Da Where: Capones Island, San Antonio, Zambales
Da When: May 20-21, 2012
Da Who: me, Deej, Jam, Zee, Adam, Leo, Mark, Iggy and Ron
Da Word for Da Day: 'Gullible's Travel!' :D

I was still wiping off the cobwebs of sleepiness in my mind at around 0900H when Jam woke me up. I needed to break camp and pack up my tent and stuff before the boat carts us off to Capones Island just off the coast of Pundaquit. Breaking camp is always my hatest part of trip and this was not an exception, especially since I'd be doing this twice in one weekend. :D

Nagsasa Cove