Travel

Tales from Behind the Wheel: Si Aida, si Lorna, at si Fe

May 17, 2013 by Yoshke 3 Comments

The driver greeted us with a smile as we hopped into his cab. "To Melaka Sentral, sir!" My friend Ces, as usual, took the passenger seat while Asta and I occupied the back row. The driver beamed, nodded, and responded, "Okay, okay," and started to drive. It was our last afternoon in the historic city of Malacca and we were headed for the terminal to catch a bus back to Singapore. "We're from the Philippines," Ces answered when she was asked where we were from. "Oh! I know many Filipinos here," the cabbie shared excitedly. "I have three Filipina neighbors and they are very nice and kind." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conversations, Personal Life, Travel Tagged With: malacca, Tales from Behind the Wheel, taxi, taxi drivers, Taxi in Malacca

People Along the Way: Pete

March 25, 2013 by Yoshke 5 Comments

I do not remember just how many mugs of beer I have emptied into my belly but I am sure I'm not stopping any time soon. I dive into the mob, get lost in the pumping music, and vanish under the phosphorescent lights that move as if trying to put me in a trance. It's almost midnight and Siem Reap's Pub Street is still alive and kicking. "MAY I HAVE A LIGHT?" The voice --- loud and deep --- comes from behind me. In this place, shouting is the only effective means of communication. The loud clubbanger that is playing drowns any other sound. I turn around and hand my already lit cigarette to a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conversations, Travel Tagged With: Beautiful Strangers, flirting, People Along the Way, Pub Street Siem Reap, Travel Flirting

Responsible Travel: The Bliss in Ignorance and the Pain in Information

March 7, 2013 by Yoshke Leave a Comment

"Is that because of us?" was Nix's question after telling her how I ended up not scratching anything off my bucket list when I visited Chiang Mai, Thailand. Nix Nicolas is a co-founder of Save Philippine Seas (SPS). "Yes," I replied with an unblinking stare. The month before, I found myself reluctant to try some of the most popular tours and attractions in Chiang Mai because I just could not bear to ignore the guilt, knowing the background of the animals involved. Like many kids, the young me dreamed of riding an elephant and having a close encounter with a tiger. Chiang Mai presented … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Causes, Public Affairs, The World, Travel Tagged With: chiang mai, chiang mai thailand, Environment Conservation, Save Philippine Seas, The Footprints Project

People Along the Way: The Locals

February 28, 2013 by Yoshke 3 Comments

There was an overflowing sense of confidence in me when I finally reached the parking lot of the Preah Prom Rath Pagoda in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was my first time to ride a bicycle in almost 15 years and I was just so proud that I was able to reach the temple without losing a part of my body along the way. A group of young locals were seated on a bench under the shade of a big tree, just beside the parking area. They smiled at me as I got off the bike. One of them would approach me later and would be my two-hour friend. During my backpacking trip, I had met many locals who truly made both … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conversations, Travel Tagged With: backpacking anecdotes southeast asia, luang prabang laos, siem reap, siem reap cambodia, southeast asia locals

My Top 20 Most Unforgettable Travel Moments of 2012 – Part 2

January 28, 2013 by Yoshke 2 Comments

Some of the best destinations I visited last year

If you had met me ten or even five years ago, you'd probably see me as someone who was not the traveling type. And you would be right. Now that I think about it, if my past self were to see me now, he would be totally shocked, repeatedly hurling judging questions at me such as "What the hell are you doing outside the house all the time?" And more importantly, "What the eff are you doing with your life?!" The obsessive-compulsive in me had always kept me within the great indoors. I had always been the type who would rather stay at home than do silly things like traveling. I would … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lists, Travel Tagged With: angkor wat, bangkok thailand, biri island, boracay, cameron highlands, chiang mai thailand, ha long bay vietnam, laoang island, northern samar, siem reap cambodia, siriraj medical museum, taipei taiwan, top 10 destinations, top 20 destinations

A Look at the Islands of Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-tawi

December 15, 2012 by Yoshke 2 Comments

Minis Island. Is that a lake in the middle or a lagoon?

Many of the travelers I have met on the road consider the Philippines as the most underrated country in Southeast Asia. It's not difficult to see why. Geographically, we lie isolated on the "other" side of the West Philippine Sea. We are pretty much "out of the way," given that Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam sit next to one another. Hence, visiting the Philippines takes a bit more effort, time, and so much itinerary revisions. In the end, many times the Philippines do not make it to their itineraries even despite cheap airfare to Manila. But for those who are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: basilan, dream destinations, sulu, tawi-tawi, Travel

My Top 20 Most Unforgettable Travel Moments of 2012 – Part 1

December 10, 2012 by Yoshke 9 Comments

Driving a speedboat for the first time. Sorry, blurred. Blame Kuya driver.

Year 2012 has been action-packed! I quit my full-time job and visited eight countries and territories. Eight is still a small number and many of them are within the same time zone but I see it as a good foreshadowing of a 'round the world trip that I plan to do in 2014. This year, I tried solo backpacking in Southeast Asia for the first time. I say "tried" because I really intended to just see whether this form of traveling is really for me. Now that it's done, I'm still not sure if this is really for me, but I am surely up for it. I hope I'm making any sense. Anyway, if you're a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lists, Travel Tagged With: bangkok, bangkok thailand, batangas, chiang mai, chiang mai thailand, chocolate hills, hong kong, jonker street malacca, kilim geoforest park, kuang si waterfall laos, langkawi malaysia, laos, luang prabang laos, macau, malacca, malacca city, malaysia, mekong river laos, penis shrine bangkok, taal volcano, thailand, tom yum goong, tom yum kung, tom yum recipe, top 10, top 10 destinations, top 20 destinations, unforgettable places, victoria peak hong kong, wynn macau

Beautiful Strangers: Southeast Asia Backpacking Edition

November 30, 2012 by Yoshke 8 Comments

A bread puffs vendor at Chiang Mai Saturday Night Market

It's been seven months since I published this post, where I showcased the different types of pretty boys that I encountered while traveling in some parts of the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Well, due to insistent public demand, I am bringing it back with a wider scope. Actually, there is no public demand. The only demand was from the voices in my head insisting that I make this post in honor and celebration of the many forms of male beauty. #Charot Anyway, a few months ago, I went on a backpacking trip across the Southeast Asian peninsula. With my camera handy, whenever I spotted … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hotties, Travel Tagged With: cute guys while traveling, goodlooking men, hot backpackers, hot men pictures, hot tourists, hot travelers, Hotties, sexy backpackers, sexy tourists, sexy travelers, Travel

People Along the Way: The Solo Backpackers

November 16, 2012 by Yoshke 14 Comments

"No stars tonight?" She put down her glass of pina colada and sat next to me on the bench on the top deck of the boat, floating softly in the middle of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. "Not even one," I painted a faux pout on my face while picking up my bottle of Tiger Beer. " Was hoping I could go stargazing but the clouds are not my friend tonight." "I know. I was planning on doing the same but what can we do?" Her name is Carrie. Getting close to Carrie was totally unexpected. When I first laid eyes on her, I was positive she was the only one on that tour that I would not be friends with. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conversations, Travel Tagged With: bangkok thailand, Conversations, conversations with strangers, ha long bay vietnam, solo backpacking, Travel, traveling alone, traveling solo

In Search of the Best Cheap Tom Yum

October 24, 2012 by Yoshke 15 Comments

Yoshke's Tom Yum. Well, I cooked this one. Haha. When I was in Thailand, I figured I absolutely had to learn how to prepare one myself so I took a cooking class at a farm in Chiang Mai. It's not as good as I was expecting. Haha. But this was my first try.

The picky little guys on my tongue called tastebuds were singing Hallelujah in unison when they first soaked in the weird mixture of sour and spicy that came from a bowl served by a woman I had fondly called Mama Thai. It was the summer of 2004 and I was a college sophomore finishing my last two PE classes at the University of the Philippines. My friends dragged me to a hole-in-the -wall type of restaurant along Katipunan Ave, just behind the campus, for lunch. The place was called UP Thai Canteen and it did not make a good impression. The place looked rather dodgy, the tables were small, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lists, Travel Tagged With: bangkok, cambodia, chiang mai, langkawi, laos, malaysia, ortigas home depot, siem reap, thai food, thai restaurants in manila, thailand, tom yum goong, tom yum kung, tom yum recipe, up thai canteen