It All Began in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

I used to be an active lurker of Philippine travel forums when I wasn’t still aware of the existence of travel blogs during the early 2010s. It was exciting to meet people who have the same passion as I do and I was amazed by how many Filipinos are traveling to the different parts of the globe. It was thrilling to read about their adventures even though I don’t really know them personally. It was also at a forum wherein I saw an open invitation to join a group on a three-day trip to Ilocos. I was hesitant of course, it would be a first to join strangers on a trip. So I invited a kaladkarin friend who was also up for some new experiences. We decided to take a bus, an exhausting 14-hour ride to the historical city of Vigan.

Beautiful Churches That You Must See in Isabela Province

After we accomplished our main goal of visiting Palaui Island, my companions left for Manila, and because I still had one day vacation leave left, I took this as an opportunity to see Cagayan’s neighboring province, Isabela. It’s probably one of the provinces in Luzon least visited by bloggers and travelers that’s why there’s only scarce information available even on the World Wide Web. If you have been following my posts recently, you would know that I have developed a fascination with old colonial churches, and because I have limited time and money left :( I though this activity would exactly fit the bill.

Charming Churches of Camarines Sur and Exploring Naga City

Last from our Bicol itinerary is a visit to the province of Camarines Sur. We originally planned to go to Caramoan and explore the beaches there, but since it was only me and my sister, I did the math and it seems like our budget would not be able to hold up if ever we pushed through. The province is also famous for water sports but it looks like it will be another expensive activity for the both of us.

More Superb Sights in Cagayan: Anguib Beach and Crocodile Island

We went to Cagayan during the rainy season, but it did not stop us from going to Palaui Island. However, before even reaching our main destination, we decided to take a layover to some of the province’s notable beaches. There are actually quite a few, but some require longer travel time and extended time with our boatman such as Mapurao and Nangaramoan will add up on our transportation costs, both we cannot afford at that time. So we decided with two places that fit our budget and schedule.

Holy Week Penitence and Crucifixions in San Pedro Cutud, Pampanga

Spending the Holy Week in the Philippines can be a colorful and almost as festive as the major holidays in the country. Lenten traditions that have been passed from different generations are still practiced, making this season not just religious but culturally relevant as well. One province in the Philippines that surely has an interesting Easter tradition is Pampanga. It annually gathers thousands of local and foreign tourists for an event that literally shows true Filipino sacrifice and "blood". This is a famous sacred practice in the country that is mentioned in almost every travel guide about the Philippines.

An Afternoon Around Leifeng Pagoda and West Lake of Hangzhou

Hangzhou was never part of our original itinerary for our four day trip to Eastern China, I actually have never heard of this city before, but it got me really curious as to why the explorer Marco Polo declared it as 'the most splendid city in the world' together with Suzhou, even comparing them to a paradise! We only had one day to spare for Hangzhou with plans to see the Impression West Lake Show, but after telling my mom how much the tickets cost, she said to just cancel the plan and just spend the allotted money for pasalubong. Being the obedient daughter that I am (LOL) and after all, mothers knows best, I listened to her. So, we decided to spend the whole day walking around the most-famed icon of this city, The West Lake.

Good vibes at West Lake, China

Strolling Through Suzhou's Tiger Hill and Shantang Jie

Dubbed as 'Venice of the East', Suzhou is widely known for its gardens and water towns that make you feel as if you are strolling around the dramatic streets of Italy. From the city proper of Suzhou, there are a couple of water towns nearby that I included in our itinerary such as Zhouzhang and Tongli. We were supposed to visit one but the 100 CNY fee as entrance was too steep for us so we decided to cancel and look for another spot to visit instead. With a quick Google search, I found out about Tiger Hill. A quote from a poet during the Song Dynasty says that "It is lifetime pity of having visited Suzhou and you did not visit Tiger Hill." Enough said.

Exploring One of the Many Gardens in Suzhou, The Humble Administrator's Garden

"If heaven has paradise, China has Hangzhou and Suzhou" - Marco Polo
It was those words that actually drove me to include both of these cities on a trip that was supposed to be only dedicated for Shanghai. It got me curious as to why both cities are highly acclaimed and recommended when visiting the Eastern part of the country, so I allotted two days to see what was in store for us here.

1-day DIY walking tour around Shanghai

As the years went by and I was able to travel to some countries, I realized that I was not a big fan of exploring big, busy and modern cities, though I did not really regret booking a round trip ticket to Shanghai since I only got it for 800 pesos (around 18 USD). I figured I'd get another ticket for my mom since she will probably enjoy the place more than I'll do. And so we embarked on a four-day trip autumn of 2013 to visit China's city of commerce and also side trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Night Skyline view of Shanghai

Going to Datong and My first day in China

I have arrived in Beijing. But it was not yet the time to explore the city. My 12-day trip will kick off at a city called Datong, located north of Shanxi Province. As soon as the Beijing Capital Airport Express Train opened up, I immediately took the transfer to Liuliqiao station where the bus going to Datong was located. Technically, it was my first challenge in China, getting confused with the subway system and loosing myself at its long and very crowded transfer lines during rush hour! It was 10 minutes past 9 in the morning when I arrived at Liuliqiao bus station. No frills on buying the ticket and after a couple of minutes I was on a bus heading for Datong. Many locals were staring at me as apparently I was the only non-Chinese who was there and also the only female! I decided to sleep through the entire trip :)

relaxing stroll in Datong