I still can’t get over how crystal-clear the Aegean waters are. Or how the cliffs look snow-capped from the white Cycladic houses dotting its sides. Or how Greek tomatoes are simply food for the gods.
This is for Sheng and Mara, two lovely lasses who embraced the eat-book-pray-love way of life with me! A shout-out to Rebecca and Sana as well, our new friends who made our trip to Greece all the more awesome. Til our next adventure!
Song: Island in the Sun by Weezer
Santorini is much like the pretty gal that every other girl would love to hate. You know, the one who gets out of bed looking every inch exquisite, the one who exudes charm without even trying, the type who you would compliment all day and would just shrug it all off, as if gorgeousness was something you got for free with your kiddie snack.
Yes, it seems this island is blessed — with its amazing vantage points overlooking the sea, its picturesque artisan town of Oia, a muti-faceted terrain which allows one to comb through vineyards at one hour, climb a volcano the next, all before having a pick of whether to lounge the day away at a black, red or white beach. Continue reading I Dream of Santorini
Even party girls need some chill-time. After busy, lively Mykonos, the almost sleepy-town of Paroikia in Paros was a welcome breather.
We were booked to stay for two nights at Jimmy’s Hostel, and who else would be the first person at the pier who would greet us? No less but Jimmy himself! Quite a character with his booming voice and ubiquitous grin, he helped us load our bags onto to his van and whisked us off to the apartments, which was only a few blocks away from the pier. Continue reading Catching Our Breath at Paros
Finally meeting up with familiar faces after weeks of solo travel is nothing less than awesome. Sheng and I should know — when we had our rendezvous at the Athens airport, we surely must have annoyed the hell out of everyone else. Here we were, two chatty lasses, who swapped stories NON-STOP on the hour-long airport shuttle to our digs at the city center. Later on, we would meet up with Mara, another friend of mine who I haven’t seen since she moved to Abu Dhabi.
After a fun hostel overnighter fueled by pub-karaoke and local beer, we dragged ourselves out of bed and set off for Port Piraeus in the early morn. We were to jumpstart our island-hopping adventure with Mykonos as our first stop, and I could hardly keep myself from being giddy. As a child, I always thought that the Greek Isles were only something I’d lay eyes upon while watching snotty tanned lovey-dovey couples on The Lives of the Rich and Famous. Now, not only was I being whisked off via ferry to the Cyclades, but on a rare treat, I was sharing the rush of experiencing something new with two very good friends! Continue reading Mykonos: Blue and White and Everything Nice
Things to do when in Venice:
Eat a lot of gelato.
Get a map and plot out all sights you want to see in this labyrinth.
Bring the map and get lost anyway.
Eat more gelato and everything will be okay.
As I got off the platform in Venezia Santa Lucia, I had to struggle to keep from jumping up and down as I got an eyeful of Venice. Busy waterway streets, gondoliers bedecked in stripes and straw hats — it was unreal, a whimsical pace of life defying the logical world as I knew it. It was perfect. Continue reading Venice and the Art of Getting Lost
The trip up Europe’s highest railway wasn’t originally in the itinerary, but I took the very pleasant weather as a push from fate. Launching myself into a fury, I cancelled and made last-minute bookings left and right. It almost looked like it wasn’t happening, but then at last, the day trip to Jungfraujoch was a go, and the sights were worth every bit of the trouble.
When I was first told I was to report to the Zurich office, I was expecting it to be more formal than what I’m used to, since this was our home base after all. Maybe austere, even.
When I got off the bus stop at Uetlihof, there was a carnival outside my office. I kid you not. Food stalls lined the sidewalk, peddling every kind of cuisine your tummy can demand of you — Swiss, German, Chinese, Greek, Brazilian. From my desk window, I could see a giant ferris wheel. Talk about rolling out the red carpet.
Since the start of the year, I’ve been bent on capturing at least a second’s worth of clips each day, so that I can compile it to a 2012-series video, which I can look back to whenever I’m wondering where my time went.
I’m supposed to wait until the actual end of year before I begin piecing the clips together, but just in case we don’t make it past Dec 21, I decided to go ahead and do the first half’s worth. =P
Watching the vids once again brought me to a nostalgia trip, as can be expected. Like that first splash of water at my face in the morning, about a dozen realizations washed upon me as well. Like how everyday can’t really be a spine-tingling adventure, but can still be an opportunity to learn, to rediscover, to reconnect with loved ones and appreciate people and things simply for being there.
This vid is for all the family and friends who have paid me a visit, for those took me in whenever I dropped by, for all those who brushed against my life and made it a bit more interesting. Thank you, I sincerely mean it that this piece of work would have no meaning without you guys.
Song: Computer by State Shirt (http://stateshirt.com/music/computer/)
Ladies and gentlemen, Thailand has finally crept its way up to my heart. Or, to be more apt, it rock-climbed its way.
My first glimpse of the Kingdom of Siam was Phuket, and although it was nothing to be scoffed at, a lot of things were too ‘in-your-face’ for me, and its beaches still left me wanting.
Enter Krabi.
The first time I heard of this sweet-spot for scrambling up crags, I instantly knew it was an eventuality. It was just a matter of time of when I’ll score a promo flight to this weekend warrior’s haven. Finally, that time rolled around. Continue reading Reasons Why Krabi Rocks
A whim, a dose of serendipity, and a promo flight alert — that’s how most of my ‘adventures’ usually start. This time, the jaunt is brought to you by Scoot, the newest budget fleet to catch my eye. As soon as they offered their launch promo fares, I clicked-clicked-clicked my way down to the Gold Coast. So to all those who were curious: Yes, Scoot flies, and by golly, it lands too! In terms of cabin service, it’s still leagues behind counterparts like AirAsia and Jetstar, but they’re a young fleet and I reckon they’ll catch up.
Gold Coast is (in)famous for its plethora of tourist spots — from its naturally-seductive stretch of golden sand and waves, to the glitzy theme parks and malls that dot the city.
However, this particular tale is more about two wanderlust-y travellers who traipsed the city: let’s call them busybody Sheng and beachbum Ish. Continue reading We’ve Struck Gold!: A Party in Paradise
I must confess: for each photo you see posted in my web albums, there’s around 10 more photos you’ve been spared from seeing. EVER. The blurred ones, those with colors beyond repair, the countless accidental shots of my thumb, the plain ‘why-the-heck-did-I-take-this-one?!’ photos — yes, all of those were zapped into the virtual limbo of my laptop’s hard disk, erased ala-‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’.
The first photo I ever take on my trips rarely make it to the cut. Usually, it’s a test shot of my bag, or of people hanging around the airport’s boarding gates. Or, more often than not, of giddy travel companions who simply can’t wait to land before taking the first shot. Continue reading That First Photo
God, Sydney is gorgeous. With its sparkling blue beaches, quaint cafe culture, and of course, the charming cool of its people, what’s not to like?
We were blessed to celebrate Australia Day with the Sydneysiders last January; I came back for another go at the Blue Mountains just recently. I have a feeling Sydney hasn’t seen the last of me yet.
If you want to read more about our adventures & itinerary in Sydney, then skidaddle over here: https://ishg.wordpress.com/tag/sydney/.
Song: Let’s Go Surfing by The Drums
.: ishcapades 