Category Archives: travel

europe, travel, video

Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue: The Vid

Leave a comment



Mountains and beaches, forest trails and seaside drives, luminescent grottos… I don’t think I’ll ever run out of reasons to fall head over heels for Amalfi. This has been my second visit to Italy, and I still think that the Land of La Dolce Vita might be my happy place. 🙂

Sharing the clips I’ve compiled while meandering along the glorious coastal towns. If you want to read the stories behind the videos, just saunter over to the links below. Ciao and enjoy!

– At Amalfi Town: Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue
– At Capri: Capri for One

europe, travel

Capri for One

5 Comments

High Spirits in Capri

As we lay down together, legs intertwined, I can’t stop chuckling as I think to myself, “Ish, what crazy thing have you got yourself into now?!”

It may be easy to think that Capri is solely about the ultimate seduction, a haven for indulgence, opulence, and above all, romance. However, being my stubborn self, I sought to find out if it could also have a space for cheapskate solo backpackers like moi. After leaving my beloved Atrani, I hopped on the earliest ferry to Capri.

During the boat ride, I looked at the seats in front of me. Couple. Beside me? Couple. Behind me? Yup, couples on a double date. When we docked, couples shuffled out one after the other. Maybe this was going to be more challenging than I thought. Continue reading Capri for One →

europe, travel

Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue

1 Comment

Glorious Amalfi at Dusk


There it is!… Is it real?
Of course!
Nah, it can’t be… are you sure?
Yes, silly, you bought the ticket yourself!
I know that, but… wow, is this really happening?

This was the weird conversation going on inside my head as the bus was making its way to Amalfi Town. A few more seconds, and everything sunk in. This is it. This is the realization of a life-long whimsy. I am being whisked away on a drive along the Amalfi Coast. You know when people say they had to pinch themselves? Yes, I had to do that too.

The sharp cliff drops along the narrow highway are actually more bewitching than terrifying. (Then again, that might just be because of the years of training I’ve had with the suicidal bus drivers from my home country.) As our bus zigzagged through every corner, a new scenery unfolded. Hillside houses and hanging gardens revealed themselves, and the long glistening coast seemed to never end. It was hard not to gawk. Continue reading Swept Away by the Amalfi Blue →

europe, travel

Finding the Sun in Florence

1 Comment

IMG_0956

I pray that you never will have to, but there might be times in your journey that you would have to set out in the lowest of spirits. As for me, I wandered into Florence with nothing less but a shattered heart. Plans fell through, promises were abandoned, and what I thought would be the most memorable part of my trip found me in my most bitter state. The little dark cloud that was hovering over me seemed to inspire the rain clouds forming high above, dousing Florence in a gloomy drizzle.
Continue reading Finding the Sun in Florence →

asia, travel, video

Springtime in Kansai: The Vid

2 Comments

As my very witty friend aptly put it, “How can it be 9 pm? I swear it was just April 2 nights ago!”

Almost three quarters of the year is done, and the -ber months are on their way. Pretty soon, we’ll be wrapped again in Christmas carol melodies and the mad rush of bargain gift shopping. But before we snuggle up in our warmer clothes, here’s a little reminder of when the sun first peeked out from its sleep, kickstarting one of our more joyous and colorful seasons.


If you want to read more about my cherry-blossom-laden adventure in the lovely region of Kansai, Japan, then just come clicking over here.

europe, travel

When the Detours Make the Difference

1 Comment

“We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” – John Steinbeck

Bird's eye view of the town of Ulm

Based on a pact (read: mutual blackmail), I find myself hopping on a train to Munich, barely 30 minutes from when I touched down in Zurich from Singapore. I could tell that the teller went to pains to explain extra slowly the many train changes that I was to take, and for that I was grateful. Yet, during the change at the Schaffhausen station, I still managed to stand in the wrong sector of the platform, and thus missed my ride. Only an hour in, and there’s my first big backpacking boo-boo. Folks, it’s a new record! Continue reading When the Detours Make the Difference →

asia, travel

Spring is Here!

3 Comments
Because it's better late than never, especially for pretty pretty things.
Because it’s better late than never, especially for pretty pretty things.

Until now, I’ve been totally ignorant of the fact that the start of spring is one of the most fantastic times to go see the world. Cities and towns emerging from winter are out to celebrate in style, breaking out the best wine, treats, and cutlery. Everyone’s just full of glee to see a patch of green take over the white. Warmth is out to take over; everything’s fine with the world again. Continue reading Spring is Here! →

asia, travel, video

Floating Wishes and Soaring Hearts in Taipei: The Vid

Leave a comment

I’ve already professed my love for Taipei in my previous posts here, but that’s no reason for me to stop gushing about one of the prettiest festivals I’ve ever been blessed to see. If you’ve hung out this blog for long enough, you know what’s next — yep, it’s the vid! This is for kindred spirits Jan, Ralph and Alex — here’s to a lifetime of our wishes coming true!

Song: Go With It by Tokimonsta

If you want to check out the what-how-where’s of our adventures in Taipei, you can read about them here.

asia, philippines, travel, video

Bewitched by Siquijor: The Vid

Leave a comment

Don’t you love it when stars finally align your way? 2013 has been really good to me so far; I’ve garnered a lot of good experiences and memories that I’m sure will last — and we’re barely halfway through the year!

Here’s a vid of one of my favorite escapes so far — Siquijor is simply one of those places that just makes me grow fonder about growing up in a blessed archipelago. Enjoy!


If you’re interested to read the what-how-where’s of our Siquijor adventure, you can check out the all-about-Siquijor post here.

Song: One day / Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix) by Asaf Avidan

asia, travel

Taiwan Day 2: An Ode to Kindred Spirits

1 Comment

Love is all we need.

Nothing beats good, lasting friendships, especially when things don’t go as planned…

The day's grand itinerary was supposed to be kicked off by a visit to the Yangmingshan National Park, where we expected to be deluged by pretty pink cherry blossoms. The mountain, however, had other plans and instead we said hello to strong winds and frosty rain. We didn't stand a chance in our laughable winter attire. We ended up riding the loop shuttle around the mountain, wherein we found out that Yangmingshan drivers can possibly drive blindfolded, as ours calmly put the pedal to the medal in zero visibility on the mountain's winding roads.
The day’s grand itinerary was supposed to be kicked off by a visit to the Yangmingshan National Park, where we expected to be deluged by pretty pink cherry blossoms. The mountain, however, had other plans and instead, we said hello to strong winds and the chilly rain. We didn’t stand a chance in our laughable winter attire. Here we are in our best I’m-trying-not-to-look-like-an-icicle smiles, in the lone sakura spot that we managed to find. We ended up riding the loop shuttle bus around the mountain, wherein we found out that driving blindfolded is probably one of the many talents of the drivers in Yangmingshan, as ours calmly put the pedal to the medal in zero visibility on the mountain’s winding roads.
Continue reading Taiwan Day 2: An Ode to Kindred Spirits →

asia, travel

Taipei Day 1: A Time to Be Bright, and a Time to Get Steamy

2 Comments

Fun Taiwan!

I impulse-booked my ticket to Taipei based on street food alone; I’ve heard the chow was phenomenal. That being said, I didn’t have much of a plan when I landed in Taipei, aside from the Lantern festivities in Pingxi on the coming Sunday. Happily, Taipei was a fun place to play it by ear.

My adventure started on an early Friday morning. Our plane touched down on the break of dawn, and with the Taipei transport being very easy to figure out, I arrived way ahead of everyone in the hostel, including the receptionist. It was a good thing that the Bangka district was precisely where you’d want to be if you’re killing time in the morn. I strolled through the alleys behind our hostel, where the wet market was slowly coming to life. Colorful meat balls and vegetables decked the tables to tempt you to brew a hotpot. Butchers went about carving out whole carcasses of pork, while live chickens clucked away, perhaps in mourning for their fallen comrades, undressed and hawked on display. Continue reading Taipei Day 1: A Time to Be Bright, and a Time to Get Steamy →

asia, travel

Floating Wishes at Pingxi

1 Comment

Along with the thousands of wishing lanterns floating around that day, there was definitely a hint of whimsy in the air. I always knew only good can come out from still watching cartoons — after learning that the floating lanterns scene from Tangled (a movie adaptation of Rapunzel) was inspired from an actual festival in the town of Pingxi in Taiwan, I had my heart set on joining the festivities and having my own wishing lantern soar. Continue reading Floating Wishes at Pingxi →