Masinloc, Zambales

My dad is from a small town about 4 hours north of Manila. During Holy Week, everything in Manila shuts down on Thursday and Good Friday. My cousin, my nephew, their katulong (helper), and me all headed to our parents’ town for the week to see some family and to relax at the beach.

Day 1 (Tuesday 09/19)

We leave Manila at 5 am to avoid as much traffic as possible. We stop at Subic for some gas and Chow King. We finally get to my aunt’s house in Matalvis around 11. Matalvis is in the mountains and just outside the city proper. She has an amazing house with a view of all the islands and the town. I can’t get over the view! Look to the right. We go to Palauig later in the day for some beach time. The water was so warm and the tide was so low. It seemed like we could walk for ages.

Day 2 (Wednesday)

We wake up around 8am and have breakfast at the Bahay Kubo (nipa hut) because there is more of a breeze. We wait for the katulongs (helpers) to finish making our lunch. We then head to Potipo’t Island with our cousin’s girlfriend. We park the car at Potipo’t Gateway and take a boat to the island. The island was featured in the Miss Universe. The water and white sand is all gorgeous there, but their needs to be better maintenance of the island. There was too much litter! :(

Day 3 (Thursday)

My cousins and I all take the bangka (Philippine wooden boat) to Bakala which is a house in the middle of the ocean. You have to get the mayor’s permission to go the house. It is all worth it. The view is ridiculous and the water is at most waist deep during high tide. There was some counselor there who had a jet ski and all of his little kronies were making unnecessary noises, shouts, and screams whenever their drove it. The counselor heard us speak English and “Welcomed us to his town.” We told him our last name and asked his. It started with the letter “E” which means that we are probably related. Before we left, we got some sea urchin and opened it there. Yummy! Uni is way overpriced anyway. Iprefer the ocean to mouth method.

Day 4 (Friday)

We go with my guy cousin to go to the sabong (cock fighting). This was so exciting! It was like some secret language the way they make bets. We turned our 200 pesos to 1,500 pesos! Yippee!!! It is really a fight to the death though. We were one of the few women. I can see how it can be addicting.

Day 5 (Saturday)

We head back to the city and said goodbye to the slow, relaxing, clean air lifestyle.

Dive!

I went diving in Anilao, Batangas which is supposed to have some of the best diving in the world. And it truly was magnificient! On one of the dives it was like a jackfish tornado! I have never seen that many jackfish. I have swam and followed schools of fishes before, but never have I been engulfed in one. It was awesome. The corals are ridiculous, the fish are beautiful, and I have to go back! I got a customized wetsuit made here. Yippee!! No more worrying about other people's piss in the suit. I am heading to my father's province tomorrow. It is about 4 hours drive from Manila. Early start. Goodbye internet and hello to cheaper seafood!

Are you ready?

For some whale sharks?! Yes, I finally saw some beautiful whale sharks swimming their merry way on April 2^nd. So awesome! I have always wanted to scuba dive with them, but when their came the opportunity to see them in their glory, I had to do it. I flew to Legaspi which is in the Southeastern part of Luzon and then drove to Donsol which is an hour away from the airport.

We relaxed in the resort and that night went to eat dinner at a homestay. We then took a bangka (Philippine bamboo boat) and went to see the fireflies along the river banks. They were so magical! It was like fireworks. No matter what way I try to explain and say how beautiful it was, you really had to be there. The next day I experienced the thrill. The whale sharks are known to swim in the Donsol area from December to May. If you don't know what they look like, google it!

Insert: The Philippines is basically divided into 3 island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon is the largest of the three and is also where the capital, Manila, is located. Wiki the Philippines to get an idea.

We then drove to Sorsogon and ate at my friend’s family’s house. From there, we spent the night at Rizal Beach.

The next day we drove to another area in Sorsogon and went to some cold springs. I think we went to Orok cold springs, but not 100% sure. We then hiked about 30 minutes guided by 2 boys who looked like they were 6 years old! The waterfall was so worth it though.

Manileña

A lot has changed. My parents bought a condo in Manila in an area called “Global City” or also “The Fort.” A lot of cab drivers still don’t know this area too well because a lot of roads just opened up. Back when I was here in 2006, the only thing in The Fort was Embassy which was the club to go to at the time and a few other bars. Now, the area has expanded as Global City and is filled with high rises, banks, more shopping, and more condos. Supposedly, about 6 blocks from where I live is where all the rich and famous hang out. I could tell they are definitely rich Filipinos, but if they were famous, well, I do not have a clue. Just the other day, I had mistaken a man for being an actor, politician, or just some high profile guy because there were 2 men guarding him with huge ass guns. I immediately asked the clerk who he was after he left. Well, he was just collecting the money from the store. Whoops!

I’ve been getting used to living in the Philippines. I can’t believe that 2 weeks have almost passed by. The condo is soon to be furnished with a dining table, couch, and tv! Yippieee. Photos to follow and perhaps a video! Well, internet is a bit slow where I am at so it depends what I can load.

I have recently been taking Barre 3 classes which combines yoga, pilates, and ballet. From what I can remember, Filipinos were not really into fitness in the Philippines, but now they are! And they also take care of their dogs now! There are all these grooming places. Before there would also only be one white family or obviously foreign person that you could easily point out in the crowd, but now they are everywhere! I was eating at a cafe and I was one of the few filipino looking people eating outside. Astonishing!

I am going to get a driver's license soon! No big travel plans throughout Asia just yet. I am still trying to figure out where I want to go in the Philippines.

Recap: South Africa

12 days on our own in South Africa. 3 days on a tour.

Johannesburg:

We land into Johannesburg which, I repeat from my previous entry is a horrible city and I would never recommend anyone to go unless there are huge changes. The only thing worth going to is the Apartheid Museum.

This is the first hostel we stayed at called Zoo Lodge. At first I was okay with staying there, but then Thay scared me a bit asking me if I was creeped out by the owner. After that, I never saw the man the same way.

Soweto:

A big tourist attraction is Soweto. There are a bunch of Soweto tours, but little did we know. We got tricked to touring the ghetto. Granted it was clean and the people were nice, but it is just awkward. To go into someone's home and they point out how poor they are and you start to feel bad with the cameras and all. I did not take any photos once I was in the township because I felt like it was a spectacle or something.

Time Out: Read the October entry "Series of Mishaps and One Glorious Day" if you want to know what else happened in more detail while we were on our own. I do not have any photos given what happened while on our own.

Shark Diving:

If you read it, the glorious day was shark diving. Spectacular! A must do and it isn't as scary as it sounds. I was hyperventilating before we got to the boat. I saw the first group go and I was ready to go in. Once I was in, I didn't want to leave the cage.

A glimp of the shark underwater is surreal. Highly recommended!

Cape Town:

This is a view from the Table Mountain. We took the Big Bus Tour to see the whole city. It was freaken windy and cold. Luckily, I had my gloves.

Starting the Tour:

At the beginning of the tour. This photo is at the first campsite where we did a bit of wine tasting. Behind us is the truck, Kwando, that we were on for 41 days.

Our Home: Tent 690.

Tent 690 was our home for 41 days. We did not stay in the tent every night, but we used the same tent the whole trip.

Fish River Canyon:

Fish River Canyon is the 2nd largest canyon in the world. (The Grand Canyon is the largest!) The sun was in our eyes, but it was still astonishing to see.

From here, we were on our way to Namibia.

Recap: Argentina

11 days in Argentina.

Apologies: This is long overdue as I never really talked about Argentina while I was in Africa. Internet was more expensive in Africa and also much slower. Apologies. Choripan!

Iguazu Falls:

First, if you ever go to Argentina, do not fly into Ezeiza Airport because you have to pay reciprocity visa fee. I forgot the exact price, but it is well over $100. I took a bus to Salta so I was able to avoid the fee. Salta is in the Northern part and a great place to party and see nature.

Second, if you do make your way to Argentina, you cannot skip Iguazu falls. Even if you have been to Victoria falls on the Zimbabwe and Zambia border, you MUST go to Iguazu Falls. Personally, I think it is better than Victoria Falls. During the dry season, there is hardly any water on the Zambian side because they use the water for power. Eco friendly and all, but I wanted to see some waterfalls raging.

I went to Argentina during spring into summer and the falls were pumping. We took a boat tour and that is the view from the boat. However, the boat tour is slightly pricey and you really do not have to do it. You could easily walk around and see similar views. The boat takes you under the St. Martin waterfalls and you get soaked. No way to avoid getting soaked. But, how awesome is this view!

St. Martin:

When I got to Iguazu Falls, it was very well organized and I felt like I was going to Disneyland. SO EXCITED! There are a ton of viewpoints and we spent the whole day there. This is a view from the top. Unreal.

Devil's Throat:

After touring around all sort of size waterfalls, we took the tram to take us to Devil's Throat. We did not know what to expect except this was the largest fall. We were walking on the path over the river and we could hear the thunderous noises. Once we got to this site, nothing in my imagination could have prepared me to even fathom this much water. It took my breath away. I get goosebumps just thinking about it now.

Trash:

Just a random photo as I was walking in Iguazu, the city. These type of trash bins were also in Chile. I found them quite amusing.

Recoleta Cemetary:

Finally made it to Buenos Aires and met up with Sara. One of the tourist attractions is the Recoleta Cemetery. Recoleta is where the rich folks live like the Beverly Hills of Buenos Aires. This cemetery is where the rich and famous are buried. The graves were very ornate. Not sure why cats are always at cemeteries.

La Boca:

La Boca is the artsy neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The buildings are all sorts of colors.

Berkeley in BA:

It sure feels good to be with people you know so well. Saying our goodbyes before I head to South Africa.

There aren't too many photos in Argentina because Buenos Aires is definitely a night city. We stayed up til 5am every night and slept all day. We made attempts to tour the city and we did see a lot of it, but more so at night.

If you do go to Buenos Aires and you are there on a Monday, you have to go to La Bomba de Tiempo. It probably was one of the most fun shows I have been to. Google it. The opening band played a violin guitar!!! Never seen one before and it sounds awesome.

Recap: Bolivia

9 days in Bolivia.

Isla del Sol:

After getting over the $135 visa that is good for 5 years, I spent a night on Isla del Sol which is an island on Lake Titicaca. The lake is majestic and the views are incredible. Breathtaking as they say. The sun beats hard, but the cold nips you.

The first Inca is said to come from Isla del Sol.

I was going to spend a night on one of the reed islands in Puno, but due to the time constraint I had to press forward. By the way, from the looks of it, Puno is a shit city and you should just try to get straight to the reed islands and then get out of Puno as soon as possible.

La Paz:

When I first was driving into La Paz, the landscape reminded me a lot of Bogotá. However, it felt a lot more dangerous than Bogotá once I started walking around. The tourists area is pretty small and I found it quite easy to navigate around La Paz. The altitude got to me! Step, step, puff, puff, puff. Gah, I felt like I was 60 and needed a cane or something because I was so out of breath. We climbed to the top of the hill instead of the bus in efforts of saving maybe 50 cents. Hey, when you are abroad all money is big money!

The Infamous Death Road:

I forgot all the statistics, but it was something crazy like the road averaged 2 deaths per month and on average 26 vehicles plummet down a cliff each year.

You start at 15,500 feet and finish at 3,700 feet. Yep, that is me doing a cartwheel!

When biking, it sometimes felt like it wasn't scary at all and it was easy breezy. Then, I would look slightly to my left and my hands would start to sweat all over again. Ya, I avoided doing that too often.

Uyuni Salt Flats:

I had to get south rather quickly and the days were ticking. I booked a tour and headed down to Uyuni Salt Flats.

I took a nap for an hour or so and still woke up to this. Salt. Salt. Salt! The mountains looked super cool from a distance because it appeared as though they were floating. Awesome!

Fish Island:

Cactus! With all this salt, I didn't think that there would be much vegetation. Apparently, the Inca planted the cactus. It grows 1cm every year. Wowzers!

Flamingoes:

The flamingoes are vacationing in Bolivia. They migrate from Chile. They looks so pretty. So delicate.

Green Lagoon:

After the Salt Flats, there are a bunch of different colored lagoons, some of which have flamingoes. All of the lagoons are utterly beautiful, but it was so freaken cold I did not know what to do with myself. Photo is courtesy of Antonio from Spain.

And yes, I was that cold!!!

Side Note: Not too many people know of my aversion to aviators. So for those of you that do know, do not think of it as selling out please! The sunglasses were only $2 and I needed some to protect against the brightness of the salt. I think other people look good with them, but I feel like I am trying too hard or something.

Red Lagoon:

I remember pulling up to this scene. I am in a green Toyota Landcruiser behind the passenger's seat and I remember feeling like I was going to Mars. Red all over the show. Ahh, not too many things astound me, but I had goosebumps.

Volcano:

The very back of this photo there is a volcano, but what I thought was surprising were these green mound plant things. It reminded me of scuba diving.

Geyser:

We woke up rather early to catch the geysers. Once the sun is up, it is too difficult to see the smoke.

Face:

Heading South to see the lagoons, there was a bunch of rock formations that we would stop to see. This one looked like a face to me, but I was the only one who could see it. The boys were saying I ate too many coca leaves. yehahahaha, but tell me you see it!

Chile: San Pedro de Atacama

I had a brief stint in Chile as I was trying to reach Argentina. Sara was meeting us up on 09/29 and I wanted to have time to see Iguazu Falls and so I wanted to reach Iguazu ideally by 09/25. I spent 1 night in Calama to reach Salta.

To the left is the Atacama desert. I only caught glimpses of the desert as I was on the bus. There are huge cracks in the ground because of all the earthquakes. Stunning, wouldn't you say?