Travel in the Philippines

I love to travel and being an advocate for environment conservation, i love to go places where i can enjoy nature. I had several opportunities when i was employed at Haribon Foundation which is why up to this time i am so grateful to this organization and i continue to support the foundation's environment conservation projects.

Summer is fast approaching and my wife and i are planning our activities since our son is 2 years old this year and will be safe to travel. I have been longing to return to our hometown in Claveria, Cagayan Valley this Holy Week but i am still considering because its a 12-hour bus or car trip. My son will definitely be agitated and bored because of the long trip. If we take a plane to Laoag, Ilocos, its still a 2-3 hour drive to Claveria after the airport. Plus we don't get to enjoy the scenery passing by provinces from Manila to our province. How could you miss food and picture taking from the provinces of Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union and Vigan, Ilocos Sur?

If you have the time and budget to travel, i suggest visiting these provinces during holidays and breaks. Living in the Metropolis is too stressful and expensive that is why every individual should have time to relax, unwind and enjoy nature. Enjoying travel need not be expensive. Nowadays, with the aid of the internet, you can find affordable places that would suit your budget. The book Lonely Planet is also a good guide in travel, there are tips where you can find cheap places, good food and great souvenirs. Basing on my experience, i suggest you visit the following places:

North Luzon:
1. San Fernando and Angeles City in Pampanga - for their food delicacies, Candaba Town for bidwatching
2. Tarlac City, Tarlac Province - food and old churches
3. Pangasinan - Hundred Islands, food (all kinds of Bangus dishes) and old churches
4. La Union - beach (surfing capital of the north), food and old churches
5. Ilocos Sur - Vigan City - great food, souvenirs and an awesome site for photographers.
6. Ilocos Norte - Laoag City (food-bagnet and longganisa), old churches, Pagudpud beach (nice white sand), Paoay Church (a must for photographers) and the late strongman's displayed body (Ferdinand Marcos) in Batac, Fort Ilocandia for the sand dunes
7. Cagayan Valley - beach (also good for surfing), Penablanca Caves
8. Mountain Province - Sagada Caves
9. Balbalasang Mountain Range/National Park - Cordillera - great sites for photographers, several waterfalls
10. Baguio City (though i would warn you that the city is already over populated), great food though plus you get to buy awesome peanut brittle and ube jam at Good Shepherd Convent

Tips for South Luzon and other provinces will be on my next blog. Thanks!

Amateur Photography

Photography has always been one of my interests since i learned how to shoot when i was still in my college days. Too bad, i haven't had the chance to develop my skills either by taking up a course on photography or just by self education. i even don't have my own camera! So, do i have the right to write a blog about photography? Of course i do, this is a blog about my personal interests and who knows? Maybe someday (in the near future, i hope) i'll have my own digital slr.

I had the chance to shoot several photos using my previous employer's camera and since then, i knew what were my favorite subjects. On top of my list are scenes and landscapes. I enjoyed nature when i was in college and this interest was developed when i was employed at Haribon Foundation. I was fortunate enough to be sent once to the United Kingdom and several provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao and these trips provided a lot of practice to my interest.

My UK trip was the best since this was my first time to go abroad and i spent two weeks in a country which is totally different from ours. Although this was a business trip not leisure, i still had a couple of opportunities to shoot around with a digital camera. One of my favorite shots was an old school building in one of the cities located outside London. I didn't got the chance to go to different cities and towns but this school was really a good subject for an amateur photographer like me.

Next favorite shot was taken at Hyde Park located inside London. It was really nice walking inside the park late in the afternoon which was almost deserted because it rained a little. The peacefulness and tranquility of the scene plus the presence of several trees made me realize that i was really very fortunate to be there and appreciate God's blessings.

Another favorite is of course a shot of the famous London Bridge also known as the Tower Bridge. It was really funny when i took the shot because i was alone at that time, without a tour guide and the only help i had was a city map provided free from the city's subway stations. After alighting from the subway, i walked for about 15-20 minutes under a drizzle thinking the walk was worth it because it was my first time to see the bridge. Upon reaching the riverside, i was really surprised to see the famous London Bridge almost a kilometer away! It turned out that i made a wrong turn upon alighting from the subway. Well, i had no choice but to go back and make sure i will be heading at the right direction. After 30 minutes or more, i finally reached the bridge, took a lot of pictures and slowly crossed the bridge (twice) for me to remember the day i experienced crossing the famous London Bridge.