Western Australia gave me a warm welcome for my first glimpse of the Land Down Under. So very warm, in fact, that I would soon come to christen Perth in the summer as the city of eternal sunshine (or in Tagalog, ‘ang siyudad na laging tanghaling tapat’).
We easily settled into Underground Backpackers over at Northbridge, our digs for the weekend. The hostel was just a few blocks away from the Perth Central Train Station, so after breakfast (or ‘brekky’, as we were soon to be educated), we trooped off on foot and bought tickets to Fremantle. My friend Geebee and I got a FamilyRider ticket (a day pass that’s a steal for big groups, allowing up to 7 people for one stub!). In a few minutes, we were onboard and watching the picturesque rows of houses zip by on our way to the port city. Continue reading Perth & Fremantle: A Day Behind Bars and Other Stories→
When I started drafting the itinerary for my trip to Toronto, one item topped my list — it was imperative that I get up close and personal with Niagara Falls. Continue reading Tales from the Maid of the Mist→
Feeling guilty about the bag of Doritos I wolfed down by myself last night, I decided to do something extra special for my day’s morning jog. With the Circle Line recently opening its new stations, I thought it would be great to pay a visit at the once-almost-unreachable Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The Anti-Midas Phobia: fear of doing something, lest turning gold nto lead.
I’ve been putting off making this video for months now. Yes, I was excited to share the clips I took during hikes, tours and walks around Scotland, but there was always the problem of finding the perfect song, concept, <insert-other-excuses-here>. Finally, the perfect song hit me during my morning jog, and you have to love it when things fall into place. It was a loooong labor of love, but it was well worth it.
Stunning landscapes. Killer hilltop views. Everything wonderfully Gaelic. Thanks Scotland, for just being you.
The good thing is the memoirs are already done — if you want to read about how Scotland bowled me over, the write-ups are over here: https://ishg.wordpress.com/tag/scotland/.
Better Über late than never. We’ve been friends for more than a decade, yet here we were at only our first trip overseas. Bugsy* invaded Bali last April for some much needed eat-pray-loving. Here’s a clip of us trying out the bungee jumps at AJ Hackett in Legian/Seminyak. It was Jam and Dana’s first tryst with flight; we enjoyed it so much we went for 2 jumps each (I actually went for 3… they would let you bungee jump riding a bike. How could I resist?). Although the jumps were not as high as the ones from AJ Hackett in Macau, Bali’s definitely the place if you want to jump in style — they have costumes, motorcycles, even fireballs! Sadly, I just found out that AJ Hackett closed shop in Bali; hopefully they put up a new spot.
* The name with which my high school friends and I christened our group. Don’t ask why; it’s a loooong story.
Our guide told us that this chant was 99.9% effective — as long as we go all-out with the bellows and the dance steps required to convince Nessie to surface from Loch Ness. Well, our guide was a local after all, so we figured he was telling the truth. After taking a quick peek at the Urquhart Castle, we made our way down to the banks of the loch, where Kyle taught us the words and the steps. Believe me — we summoned everything bestial within us and poured out our hearts and souls into the chant — much to the delight of the other tour groups who were snapping away with their cams.
Hmm, imagine if halfway across, you realize you left your keys…
Picture a genteel castle, perched on a solitary island in the middle of Loch Duich. Picture the classic stone bridge leading to it, that has seen both gallant knights and violent warriors. Picture a small room with tiny windows, albeit with a breathtaking view of the loch. Ladies and gents, welcome to Eilean Donan castle.
The anticipation is messing with your head. You could have sworn your heart was right next to your ear, as you hear the thumps bang against your eardrums. You glance at your designated spotter squinting at a distance, before swapping Bicolano with the other boatmen. You nervously fidget with your snorkel mask. Wait, did he just say… ‘Jump!’?
And you jump, right into the chilly beryl deep. After a few chaotic seconds of flailing limbs underwater, you compose yourself and catch sight of what you came all this way for: the magnificent leviathan of a fish, nonchalantly passing by in all its 8-metre spotted glory. Everything else fades into the background. You feel that it’s just you, and the giant. It takes all self-control not to reach out and hold on to its fin, ala-Free Willy.
We were blessed with a sunny day in Donsol; all in all, we spotted 4 whale sharks. It’s said that in season, it’s actually rare NOT to see at least one. Some of them glided slowly, letting you bask in its graceful splendor; some of them will really make you work your fins. During the interactions, the guides will remind you to stay at least 5 feet away from the whale sharks, as to not spook them or more importantly, not to get swatted by its tail. At one time, I was gliding along on top of the whale shark, when I noticed the spots getting larger by the second. I soon realized it was trying to surface. In my head, I was going like ‘5 feet! 5 feet!’ at the titan. My friends who dove in with me saw this as well. They swore that given a few more seconds, I could have gotten a free ride on the back of the whale shark. He plunged into the deep again after a while, and once the nervousness wore off, the thought of that rare close encounter still gives me smiles up to this day.
Close encounter of the BIG kind.
Donsol is one hour away by land from Legazpi City, Philippines. There are a lot of sites offering information on how you can organize your own Donsol whale shark experience; here’s one from the regional tourism site.
Of course, every great trip deserves a tribute video. =)
To say that Mt. Kitanglad was a sight to behold is a glaring understatement. It was definitely one of the best climbs I’ve been on –> fun trail + awesome view = winner! If there was any doubt if climbing is still my first great love, then this trip just about squashes it all.
This goes out to kindred spirits Jan, Stan & Biboy. Can’t wait to go back and visit D2 next! 🙂
I remember always wanting to go to New Zealand to try out the zorb, but the good thing was I didn’t have to go all the way to NZ anymore! A lot has changed since I last went to Boracay — now they’re offering zorb rides as well. Call it a cliche, but Boracay is really THE island paradise — nothing but fun, smiles, good food and the glorious beach. I had to ask myself over and over — how could I NOT be from Boracay?! Here we were, literally having a ‘ball’ at their new attraction.
.: ishcapades 