Lakad Pilipinas

ON THE ROAD LN3 | Shooting Landscapes and Surfing at the Blue Lagoon

2012-01-27T08:23:00.001+08:00

Since arriving at the northern part of Luzon, I have been seriously waiting for a dish of garlic longanisa. And before departing for Ilocos Norte on our third day of Lakbay Norte , it was at last served at Los Palmas Resort in Tuguegarao. I cannot be more happy to start the day with my favorite dish.

A quick stop at the Patapat Viaduct for some photo ops after almost seven hours of ass-busting bus ride and we’re off again; this time for a thirty-minute ride to Kapuluan Vista Resort at Pagudpud’s Blue Lagoon.
Before donning our rash guards, we had a leisurely lunch first. Tuna Kinilaw and Escabeche Bagnet for appetizers; Fern Salad, Breaded Fish Fillet and Chicken Kilaguan for the main course; eggless leche flan for dessert; and to top everything off, a dose of frozen margarita.

Having previously tried surfing at Baler before and gaining a few more pounds since then, I knew that I’d be better off shooting Blue Lagoon’s seascapes than riding its waves. So off they went to the sandy part of the beach and off I went to the rocky parts with my tripod and cameras.
A dead tree that got sucked out fifteen meters from the shore by the waves caught my attention and I was soon busy balancing my tripod while getting pounded by some serious waves . I was checking out the angles, moving slowly through the seaweeds when the waves pulled down and revealed a big drop a few meters from where I was standing.
With the waves getting stronger, I wrapped everything up and proceeded to the surfer’s beach. Everyone was almost done, good thing I managed to snap a few frames before we went back to Kapuluan Vista.
Everyone was hungry enough to eat an elephant after surfing and for dinner, we proceeded to Paoay’s Johnny Moon, a café inspired by the works of famed Ilocano hero, Juan Luna. The restaurant is located on a cluster of food establishments, bookstores and a restored Tabacalera converted into a museum; quite a nice place to hang out in.Our exhaustion complete, we zoomed off to the sprawling Ilocos Norte Hotel and Convention Center in Paoay to recharge our drained body; tonight we sleep, tomorrow we explore again.

ON THE ROAD LN3 | Toploading & Whitewater Rafting at Kalinga

2012-01-25T01:07:00.001+08:00

The second day of Lakbay Norte 3 started at 5:30 AM. Finally getting full rest on a real bed at Los Palmas in Tuguegarao, we immediately boarded a jeep that would transport us for this day’s itinerary; a full day of whitewater tumble and rumble at the mighty Chico River in Kalinga.

Two hours into the cold and windy ride, we transferred to the jeepney’s roof, were gonna ride topload style! This was gonna be my first time to ride atop a jeep and after seeing the photos taken from such viewpoints, I was quite excited.
Hanging on for dear life, we roared through the zigzags of Tabuk. After an hour of scenic vistas, tree tunnels, sundried coffee beans laid out on the streets, craggy rock formations and chilly weather, we arrived at the border of Tabuk and Pasil.

With our rafts inflated and our briefing done, it was time to ride the rapids! It took us three hours to traverse the waters of Chico River, passing both calm waters and raging rapids. The view was breathtaking, almost Tolkienesque in fact. It was almost impossible not to imagine the two gigantic Argonauts to appear on every bend of the river.
On the last part of the tour, most everyone jumped off board to float along the river. We washing machined our way through a rapid, bumping our fat asses on boulders and gulping gallons of Chico water before drifting peacefully to our rendezvous.
The three-hour ride was both exhilarating and calming at the same time and I was almost secretly wishing our boat would spill us through the river, which it almost did, but unfortunately our team was much too good in balancing our raft.

After a late lunch, we headed back to Los Palmas for some R&R.
But, that’s no fun, so a few minutes in the hotel and a handful of us were back on the road again, this time to shoot the sunset at the massive Bunton Bridge.

The sun was already throwing its last rays as we clambered down the banks of Cagayan River. Afterglows left by the retreating sun was good enough for us and it was fully dark when we packed up and made our way back to the hotel for yet another round of eating spree.

ON THE ROAD LN3 | Caving at Norzagaray & Bass Fishing at Pantabangan Dam

2012-01-23T22:35:00.001+08:00

The Lakbay Norte bus was waiting at the Victory Liner Kamias as I boarded down from a 30-minute cab ride from home. It was three in the morning and with still no sleep, I lugged my bags aboard and met the crew. I chitchatted with the Lakbay Norte guys a bit and then had a cup of hot taho where I met Mang Poka, a washer at the station for 12 years. We rolled half an hour later, here we go North Luzon!

Norzagaray was two hours away and everyone had their much needed shuteye. It was much too soon when I felt our bus bumping away uphill towards our first stop, the Pinagrealan cave.

I actually dreaded this stop since it was gonna be my first time to do real spelunking. Not that I’m afraid of getting bumped up but really because I cramp easily and I don’t want to ruin the trip by being hosted back out of the cave on a stretcher haha. After a feast on local sweets and some words from the Mayor, we were off to the dark depths of Pinagrealan cave.

The floor was wet and expectedly uneven. With flashlights, which not everyone has, we managed to slowly move towards the bowels of the cave. A third of the way and we were already wading in cold waist-deep water, there really was no other way to move forward but to cross these murky obstacles. Twice, we’ve had to squeeze through tight crevices, with cameras held tightly for the bottom was also filled with water.

I don’t have an idea how long it took us to reach the end of the tunnel, I was only glad I was able to reach it with no problem (other than dropping my flashlight twice into the water.) Only thing was we have to do it all over again to go back where we came from.
Four hours later found us at Microtel Cabanatuan. Still full from the Crispy Pata and Bahay Itlugan, (a local specialty) breakfast at Norzagary, it was again time to chow down.

Inside their Liquid Restaurant, we wolfed down everything from veggies, pork, beef and chicken dishes, eskargo anyone? Kuya Bodgie and Ate Shena would be proud of their choice of servings.

After half an hour, we were off again, this time to Pantabangan Dam to do some Bass Fishing. The road to Pantabangan was quite long and it was already five in the afternoon when we alighted from our bus.
Now I know absolutely nothing about fishing and with the wind blowing with absolute abandon, I begged off the boat ride and instead focused on shooting the landscapes instead. It was almost sundown and I knew with the way the clouds are forming that we’re gonna have a grand sunset going on in a few minutes time.

The only problem was I was unable to find a suitable subject for foregrounds. Some minutes of walking along the water’s edge, and I finally found my prize. A lone tree elevated from the docked boats. I waited for everyone to clear out before pressing my shutter and photographed the tree from every angle ‘til the colors went out of the sky.

One of the last photos I took was with Angel of Lakwaterso.com, the sky was ablaze in orange fire and a boat painted with the Philippine colors was docked just below the poetic looking tree; a picture perfect ending for Lakad Norte 3’s first day.

* Lakbay Norte is an annual media familiarization tour around North Luzon sponsored by North Philippines Visitors Bureau.

PEOPLE | Rizal Park's Last Film Photographers

2012-01-19T20:45:00.001+08:00

I distinctly recall the vested photographers roaming around Manila’s premiere park years back asking if we would like to have our photo taken and have it developed in less than an hour’s time. Film photography was coughing its last breaths then, the digital world was about to encroach on the decades old tradition of how pictures are being taken.

Fast forward to the twelfth year of the 21st century. After years and years, I was at last able to revisit Luneta. This time with the TGP Group, I was surprised at the changes not only with the park’s improved landscapes but with the photography old-timers as well. Gone were their heavy black film cameras, and in its place, shiny plasticky digital ones. Even if I’m not a film user, it saddened me a bit to see this bit of history pass on.

Interviewing one of the old-timers hanging around, I found that there were now a total of only three film photographers in the park, everyone’s gone digital. I hurriedly looked for these now almost extinct breed of photographers and finally found one. I chit-chatted with Manong a bit before asking if I can take a photo of him with his trusty Pentax film camera.

He willingly obliged, showing off his tool that must have seen history unfold through Rizal Park. I asked him his name as he was about to go off to a group of schoolchildren having their first taste of Luneta through a school fieldtrip, but he instead showed me his ID which I took a snap of. Unfortunately, after checking the photo, I found that his name was blocked by his hand.

I found it a bit ironic that these same individuals who had been capturing time through rolls and rolls film would just pass through the park's history with as much anonymity as the passing of their cameras in today’s digital-driven age. And with all probability, this would go on without so much as a single notice by today’s generation, never knowing that once, photographs were not instantaneous but were painstakingly made through the hands of Rizal Park’s film heroes.

PUBLISHED | Lonely Planet’s 10 Reasons to Love Intramuros

2012-01-17T21:13:00.001+08:00

Every travel photographer I’m sure has dreams of being published at the National Geographic or Lonely Planet; dreams of grandeur that I am admittedly guilty of too. And reality says that to grace the pages of such magazines would remain to be only such, grand illusions of an idle mind.

This month, my dream turned to reality as the two-day DPP-KLM sponsored Intramuros Shootout culminated in a full article at the one of the most popular travel magazines around, Lonely Planet.
Ann Francisco, Dan Pagulayan, Ela Paje, Joel H. Garcia, Joseph Leh, and yours truly; the final six survivors of the On Assignment: Europe competition worked like dogs under problematic weather for the two-day photo shoot to create a mock article for the Lonely Planet (the behind-the-scenes of which was also published in Digital Photographer Philippines #41). With the theme 10 Reasons to Love Intramuros, our work has been the basis for the write-up with our actual photos supplying the visuals.

The shoot may be terribly taxing, the research time consuming and the final article a test in combining good visual storytelling, wordplay and historical accuracy; but to see a full spread of my photograph in the magazine, it was so well worth it.

My photos inside Lonely Planet, checked!

PUBLISHED | DPP Intramuros Shootout

2012-01-16T19:09:00.001+08:00

Last year’s hectic photo shootout at Intramuros for the coveted seven-day trip to Holland has finally been published in the country’s premier photography magazine.

The article entitled 10 Reasons to Love About Intramuros, which would appear for the Lonely Planet Philippines, took place for two days of scorching sun and drizzly weather last September. The final six photographers; Ann Francisco, Dan Pagulayan, Ela Paje, Joel H. Garcia, Joseph Leh, and yours truly roamed the old walls to convince the judges that we were the one fit for the assignment.
The technicalities, hardships and behind the scenes of shooting the walled city has been relived through Digital Photographer Philippines Issue 41. Tips from the six finalists are also all over the article for those planning to shot inside Intramuros. The magazine is available on most newsstands; do pick up a copy if you chance upon one.

LAGUNA | Paete Church

2012-01-15T21:00:00.001+08:00

The weather only worsened as we stopped at the plaza across the St. James the Apostle Parish in Paete. Raindrops peter-pattered on our van’s windows as we hesitated in shooting or waiting it out. The afternoon however was winding down and we were still hoping we’d make a sort of sunset shoot at Lake Caliraya through some miracle.

With cameras tucked under our shirt, we made a dash for Paete Church’s 12-foot high doorway.
The church is solidly made of adobe stones with egg whites for mortar. Founded in 1580, it was rebuilt after earthquakes and calamities in the years 1717, 1880 and 1937.

Paete church was constructed in the Baroque style with numerous bas reliefs, the most prominent of which is that of St. James riding a horse over the dead bodies of non-believers above the arched entrance. Its stone carvings almost remind me of old Inca ruins I’ve seen on travel shows.

Like the church’s façade, its interior is also finished with rough adobe walls. Its wooden barreled ceiling, colorful stained glass windows and faux chandeliers somehow complete its old world look.
Moving towards its gilded altar, one immediately notices its intricacy; Paete is after all known for its excellent wood carvers. The retablo is made by the locals, most notably by Bartolome Palatino and Francisco Macahumpan.

Huge old paintings by Jose Dans, the same artist that did the controversial Judicium Finale painting that depicts women in hell inside Pakil Church, also dot its walls. Unfortunately, I absolutely have no photos of these giants for reasons that somehow escape me now.

I was about to shoot further details of Paete Church’s medium-sized but impressive exterior when the heavens decided to finally pull the curtain on our trip. The rain fell once more. It looked like this adobe church at Paete’s heart was gonna be our last destination. Well, I guess it’s not really a bad place to conclude our mini tour of Rizal and Laguna.

     PAETE CHURCH
     St. James the Apostle Church
     Quesada St. cor Almeda St.
     Paete, Laguna
     Click to View Location on Google Maps

       PART OF A RIZAL-LAGUNA LOOP DAY TOUR: Morong Church | Baras Church | Pakil Church | Paete Church

LAGUNA | Pakil Church

2012-01-13T21:59:00.001+08:00

It was almost lunchtime when the sky finally fell. We had to take shelter at the nearest food joint and ate our way through the massive downpour. We resumed our visita iglesia as the rain abated; next on our list was Laguna’s San Pedro de Alcantara Church or Pakil Church for short.

Like most old churches, Pakil’s own has survived through fires and earthquakes through reconstruction. The structure was initially made from bamboo in 1676 and was later upgraded to a stone church a half century later.

The church houses the Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Turumba (Our Lady of Sorrows of Turumba) which was enshrined there in 1788. The oil painting is really quite small, almost bond paper in size and depicts Mary in pain as a dagger pierces through her heart.

It was said that the image was found by fishermen from the boat of shipwrecked missionaries crossing the Laguna de Bay, the icon however was unable to be lifted by the local folks. The parish priest, notified of the incident then gathered his people to fetch the image and as they began lifting, the people started singing and dancing.
It is interesting to note that the word Turumba has been associated with various meanings. Some says that it may have come from the words Turo which means to point and Umbay which denotes slow and sorrowful funeral music. Another popular interpretation is it has been derived from the phrase Natumba sa Tuwa or Trembling in Great Joy which might have reference to the festive dancing that ensued during the image’s transfer to the church.
Pakil Church’s cream-colored façade is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Its intricate Colonial Baroque design seems almost wood-like with its rust-weathered look. Upon closer inspection, one can see that it is really made of stone. Numerous cherubs adorn its walls along with decorative Corinthian columns. And like its neighboring churches of Morong, Baras and Paete, it is also elevated on a series of steps.

Although we were unable to fully photograph its interiors due to an ongoing mass, we can see from afar its ornate retablo filled with fourteen saints of the Franciscan Order. Another noteworthy painting inside is the Judicium Finale (see photo above) which depicts Heaven and Hell by a Paete local named Jose Dans. What’s intriguing about this painting is that Hell is populated only by women while men are on the heavens above, controversial to say the least.

The church is best visited during the Lenten season during the annual Turumba Festival. The commemoration starts during Palm Sunday and ends at Pentecost, during this time thousands of devotees congregate to Pakil to sing and dance to Turumba.

     Pakil Church, San Pedro de Alcantara Parish
     Tavera Street cor. TBR
     Pakil, Laguna
     (049) 557-0211
     Click to View Location on Google Maps

       PART OF A RIZAL-LAGUNA LOOP DAY TOUR: Morong Church | Baras Church | Pakil Church | Paete Church

       ** Our Lady of Sorrows of Turumba Photo from Wikipedia by Chrs Aquino
       ** Judicium Finale painting photograph used with permission from Lisa of Lisaism

POSTCARDS | Out of Camiguin

2012-01-11T22:56:00.001+08:00

Five days and four nights through hot and cold springs, rushing waterfalls, friendly people, giant clams, twitchy ostriches, humongous corals, quiet neighborhoods, eerie treehouses, ruined churches, posh resorts, cheap streetside carinderas, neverending steps to an old volcano, mysterious underwater graves, funky motorelas and moonlit crashing seas; through rain and hard sun, we surely did enjoy the island that was said to be born of fire.

POSTCARDS | Graveyards, It’s Actually Fun in the Philippines

2012-01-07T20:55:00.001+08:00

It’s my first time in Mindanao and after weeks of planning the itch to shoot a sunset at Camiguin’s iconic Sunken Cemetery had became unbearable (OA! hehe). We headed to Bonbon and waited for an hour for the sun to go down. Everything looked promising; the sun was out, rocky foregrounds were in place and cloud formations were good. Thirty minutes before the magic hour, sinister-looking clouds from Mt. Hibok Hibok moved in and showered on our parade; this is totally unfair! I was forced to use a rainjacket and shoot a few frames of a premature sunset before everything got lost in the downpour.

** Postcards are single-photo journal entries with a few words for company;
I’m hoping it can fill in the gaps when I’m out travelling and give hints and flavors of my current whereabouts.

RIZAL | Baras Church

2012-01-05T21:43:00.001+08:00

The weather cleared a bit as we alighted at the second class municipality of Baras in Rizal, I can now see hints of blue hues amidst the cloudy sky that was threatening to drown our Rizal-Laguna loop a few hours ago.

The next stop was one of the oldest church in Rizal, the Saint Joseph Husband of Mary Parish Church; quite a mouthful eh? To simplify matters, the locals refer to it as the Baras Church.
According to the National Historical Institute marker plastered on its adobe walls, the first church was built by the Franciscan Order in 1915 but was transferred to Ibayo (now Concepcion) after the town was moved there and was administered by the Jesuits for 63 years.

Well I didn’t know why they moved, but it seems they changed minds again after 46 years and returned to the original site. The present structure was completed four years after in the year 1686. Unlike its many counterparts though, the church has remained standing through wars, fires and earthquakes and remains as preserved as it can be.
Constructed in the Baroque tradition (this is unverified though, do let me know if I’m mistaken), Baras Church is almost totally the opposite of the Morong Church. Its walls are rough and bare, decors and adornments are almost non-existent compared the intricate and smooth façade of its Morong counterpart.

What it lacks in decoration though, it makes up for character. The church appears quite massive despite its compactness and almost imposing in its solidity.
A remarkable feature of the church is its altar and lectern which were made of stones found under the church during its construction. It was also interesting to note that the tiles used during its restoration was taken from none other than Intramuros, how’s that for period authenticity right?
Our visit culminated with a trip to Baras Church’s octagonal belfry. After huffing and puffing with two cameras and tripod dangling over three flights of stairs, we were rewarded with a panoramic view of the sprawling town of Baras.

Alrighty, next church!

    BARAS CHURCH, THE SAINT JOSEPH HUSBAND OF MARY PARISH
    A. Bonifacio Street, Concenpcion
    Baras, Rizal
    Click to view location on Google Maps

    PART OF A RIZAL-LAGUNA LOOP DAY TOUR: Morong Church | Baras Church | Pakil Church | Paete Church

RIZAL | Morong Church

2012-01-04T20:49:00.001+08:00

The sky was starting to darken as a convoy of vehicles made their way into the plaza of a famous church in Morong, Rizal.

I totally forgot about this trip after being swamped by heaps of backlogs. It was almost a year and a half ago since we made our way into four churches around the province of Rizal and Laguna. I guess there’s no better time to write about it and be done with my 2010 (yes 2010!) backlog than now.
With a group of photographers from Pinoy Photography Org, I got my first taste of how beautiful the churches of Rizal are. Popularly referred to as Morong Church, St. Jerome stands beautifully proud against the day’s overcast weather.

Built by Chinese craftsman in 1615, it sports a Neo-Baroque façade worthy of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Traces of Chinese origins is evidenced by two Chinese lion sculptures at the plaza entrance, one of which was stolen a few years ago, most probably due to the legend that a treasure was hidden inside it.
The three-tiered octagonal bell tower acts as the churches focal point and rightly so. The combination of blank unpainted mortar walls and intricate details is just overwhelmingly beautiful. The trims are a complex work of layering. And it is said that some of the decorative elements used were even of Mexican origin giving it the unique physicality of Baroque architecture.

Four angels, representing Prudence, Justice, Restraint and Courage guard its four corners and a Franciscan coat of arms indicates that it was once assigned to the Franciscan missionaries.

With the church probably being the tallest structure for miles around back in the day, it acted as a beacon not only for religious matters but for the local fisher folks as well.
Morong Church’s interiors are quite Spartan; plain white floors, rough adobe walls and painted wood-trussed ceiling. But surfaces can be deceiving, what’s special about the church are the relics it holds.

Parts of St. Jerome’s body, the parish patron, were given to then parish priest Rev. Fr. Larry Paz during his pilgrimage to the Vatican and is currently housed at its sanctuary. One is encased at the top of the main altar and the other is guarded by the Knights of St. Jerome and is open to public viewing every Saturday.A mass was being held during our visit and we had to be quite discreet as we photograph its insides. That also meant that we were unable to view the said relics. Happy with a few photographs we exited the tunnel-like door of the cathedral and went out into a more somber sky, time to hurry to the next church on the list.

    ST. JEROME CHURCH | MORONG CHURCH
    Gov. Martinez St.
    Morong, Rizal
    Click to view location on Google Maps

    PART OF A RIZAL-LAGUNA LOOP DAY TOUR: Morong Church | Baras Church | Pakil Church | Paete Church

YEAR-ENDER | Twenty Eleven

2011-12-31T20:54:00.001+08:00

Thirty one thousand seven hundred and four photographs, one blue and three black cameras, two unlined journals filled with spidery writings, a couple of retired walking sandals, fifty eight days of traveling on twenty four locations outside the metro, a week outside the country and a pair of very sore feet through a blur of churches, restaurants, hotels, streets, people, resorts, beaches, underwater escapades, tacky shirts, ref magnets, Starbucks mugs, sunrises and sunsets; allow me to recount a year's worth of walking through the Philippines.

This is actually the first time that I'd be doing an annual summary, begging off doing one last year since I was still working on two months worth of travel backlog and wanted to finish everything off before proceeding with it. As with photography, I realized too late that backlogs are part and parcel of travel writing .

So with half a year worth of backlogs, allow me to finally do a summary before the year ends in a few hours time.
J A N U A R Y
The City of Pines was the first destination of the year, Baguio is an annual thing for us and we’ve always made it a point to visit it at its coldest months. The middle of January found me accompanying an old friend from Ireland through the rushing waters of Wawa Dam in Rizal and the final days of the month was spent on a misadventure searching for migratory birds in Pampanga's Candaba Swamp.

F E B R U A R Y
Red dancing dragons, firecrackers and Chinese dimsums greeted me in February as I made my way through the alleys of Binondo. Missing Baguio, a weekend getaway with office friends to Tagaytay was worked out in the middle of the month. Massive fireworks at the Mall of Asia closed February with a bang as I somehow managed to sneak a media ID for the year's Philippine International Pyromusical Competition.

M A R C H
March was pretty slow after the first two months of the year. I rediscovered farm life after being invited by a friend from Bulacan, which was the only out of town trip for the month. Only notable happenings were Earth Hour, which we always participate in, and a discovery of a awesomely tunneled Starbucks branch in Intramuros.

A P R I L
The humdrum of the previous month was broken with a daytrip to Batangas followed by a nine-day journey south of Luzon. I set foot on the mountainous island of Romblon, got stuck in Marinduque just in time for the Moriones Festival, splashed through the islands of Caramoan, stepped on the foot of the majestic Mayon and visited the churches of Naga. To round off the busy month, I organized a tour of the old world town of Taal in Batangas with friends.

M A Y
May found me back in Tagaytay for a relaxing weekend. The peace and quiet was temporary though and I was soon on a bus to the north visiting massive old churches through Ilocos Norte and Sur*. The northern tour was capped with a two-day solo walking jaunt at Vigan*. Braving typhoon Chedeng, another trip with office friends found us at the rough coasts of Baler.

J U N E
The sixth month of the year turned up a blank. I can't believe I did not leave Manila for a month

J U L Y
The second half of the year starts the airplane months. After booking months in advance, we had our stomachs filled with sweets from the university city of Dumaguete* and hopped to the mysterious island of Siquijor* for some fun under the sun.

A U G U S T
After years of dreaming, I finally caught up with Batanes!* The airfare was slashed in half but still took hurt our not so deep pockets. The rolling hills, towering lighthouses, friendly people and awesome awesome landscapes were all worth every peso we spent.

S E P T E M B E R
Tarsiers greeted me on my birthmonth. Two touring days in Bohol and another two spent on the beach of Panglao* convinced us that we should return to this paradise in the near future. This was also where I found that I was chosen as a finalist for a European photo assignment which brought me to Intramuros* for a two-day photo shootout a few days later with five of the best travel photographers in the country.

O C T O B E R
The tenth month of the year should have found me in Cebu but had to opt out for a chance to tour the Netherlands after winning the DPP-KLM sponsored On Assignment to Europe. It was my first time to go out of the country and words are not enough to describe the week-long adventure I had over Holland. I also had a chance to revisit Puerto Princesa* after two years, the original plan was to check out El Nido, but was scrapped due to financial constraints.

N O V E M B E R
A revisit to Iloilo and Guimaras* was another trip that was almost scratched off my calendar after schedule conflicts at work but was fortunately salvaged back to life. This was a no-tour four-day as-lazy-as-we-can-be laid back trip spent on the shores of Guimaras’ Villa Igang.

D E C E M B E R
With no scheduled trips, I took the time to explore some of the metro spots, looking particularly for colorful Christmas themed locales. The highlight of the month was a Simbang Gabi shoot at Quiapo Church which had been eluding my camera for years already.

2011 has been such a blessed year and I'm really thankful to God for all the graces that had been showered upon me and my family and friends for the unyielding support they’ve always given.

The year started with a nod from Living Asia Channel's Snapshot Asia photo contest. Then a landslide was set off after bagging the first prize for the DPP-KLM On Assignment: Europe that sent me on a seven-day journey across The Netherlands. A consolation win at the 2011 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk followed with another one from the Annual Canon Photomarathon quickly after. I received six nominations from the Philippine Blog Awards in December and won the Luzon Travel and Photoblog categories. That same month found my photos from Holland showcased along the halls of RCBC plaza via KLM’s Capturing Dreams photo exhibit and my Intramuros images in Digital Photography Philippines and Lonely Planet magazines. The year was capped with a chance to travel across Northern Luzon for nine days as I was unexpectedly picked to join the third Lakbay Norte on January of the coming year.

2011 was one heck of a year, I had never travelled as far and as long and I am unsure if I can top it off in the coming year. But really, I’m not the kind that wants to overdo ones self for the sake of saying I outdid myself. I’m happy and content to just be able to travel and share my stories and images with my readers; to be appreciated for my efforts is a more than enough bonus. So with that, let’s all pack our bags and I’ll see you guys next year! :)

* Unpublished Backlogs :P

HOLLAND | KLM's Capturing Dreams: The Photographs

2011-12-30T07:22:00.001+08:00

The Royal Dutch Airline working with Digital Photographer Philippines and Lonely Planet Philippines launched a photo exhibit a month ago featuring the works of four photographers showcasing the Land of Windmills and Tulips. A week of the exhibit was devoted for my work along with multi-faceted photographer Joel H. Garcia during our amazing seven-day stint shooting The Netherlands.

Aptly titled Capturing Dreams, please allow me to share my humble contributions that graced KLM’s exhibit walls at the RCBC Plaza a few weeks ago.

The first day of shooting was held at The Hague where we were based for the whole week. We roamed its brick-paved streets, passing innumerable old-world structures that I’ve only seen in books. The afternoon was spent chasing windmills along the windswept rural parts of the region. I have to pinch myselft that I really was in Europe.
The busy city of Amsterdam was the next day’s agenda. I was shocked with the flood of people along its streets after coasting along the easy streets of The Hague but still found beauty along its narrow alleys and romantic canals. We also passed through the city’s Red Light District through a gallery of sultry live girls but since I don’t want my camera thrown down the canals by bouncers, I held off shooting.

The morning of the third day found me walking alone and chilled to the bone by an almost zero-degree temperature on a two-hour trail along the Dunes of The Hague before proceeding to the university town of Leiden. The small town was simply beautiful, combining the architecture and canals of Amsterdam and the laid back atmosphere of The Hague, I can walk its streets nonstop and not get tired one bit.

Roadtrip was the keywords for our fourth day. We visited the port town of Volendam, sped through its massive dam, and visited the quiet fishing village of Urk before heading back through the wind turbine laden highway to The Hague. Numerous roadstops and drive by shootings were the order of the day.

The weather turned sour by our fifth day but we didn’t let it dampen our spirit. With cameras wrapped in plastics, we jumped out into the modern city of Rotterdam and photographed its famed bridges and museums. I chanced upon a brick gothic cathedral as we wound our way back to The Hague, unfortunately, like all the church I've seen here, its doors were also closed.

Sunshine greeted us on our last day of shooting. This time we’re gonna photograph one of the oldest castles at Voorschoten, the Duivenvoorde Castle. Joel had his hands full with two gorgeous Dutch models and I had the landscapes surrounding the castle all by myself. The autumn leaves combined with the low afternoon sun made everything golden and dreamlike. The last few rays of sunset was spent at the Scheveningen beach where we’ve been itching to shoot in golden light since the day we arrived.

Seven days was way too short to cover everything around Holland even with our hectic pace; we hardly slept, barely rested, have absolutely no time for R&R's and looked like hell after the week was through but we absolutely thoroughly onehundredpercently enjoyed capturing the dream that is The Netherlands.

NORTH LUZON | Picked 4 Lakbay Norte 3!

2011-12-28T09:24:00.001+08:00

The first time I saw master traveler Ferdz Decena post something about a certain Lakbay Norte Tour two years ago at his Ironwulf travel blog, I was totally bowled over. A week-long road trip, checking every nooks and crannies of the upper Philippine archipelago, chowing down local cuisines like there’s no tomorrow and spending the evenings on posh hotels; all these without spending a single centavo; who’d not want to be on that bus?!

I said to myself that I would like to be a part of this tour one day and even pestered Mr. Decena and Ms. Nina Fuentes of Just Wandering as to how such lucky guys and gals could get to participate in such a journey. Alas, I didn’t get any clue as to how.

Fast forward three years later and I'm a newbie Facebook user. Forced to create an account to blog about a European tour, I was added to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers and the PTB Bagets Facebook groups. I soon learned that this is where everything happens; this was where these guys connect and make it possible to travel as a gang. Besides that, I also found that this is the place where travel opportunities arise.
And so it happened that I logged on at the group the night before All Saints’ Day and found a post by Ivan Henares about the third installation of Lakbay Norte; the North Philippines Visitors Bureau was looking for six bloggers to join the media group for this year’s familiarization tour of Northern Luzon. The only problem was, I have less than one hour to fill out their application, create the required blog post and submit everything before the deadline expired.

I scrambled like mad, filling every detail and furiously writing and creating a banner for my blog. I was struck by two questions on the application form though; do I have a Facebook Fanpage and a Twitter account, and how many fans and followers do I have. Uhmm… I have neither of those. I know how much an impact this might have on my application but I went ahead and hoped to heavens that my photo credentials would see me through.

It was a minute before the midnight deadline as I pushed the publish button on my blog and clicked the send icon on my e-mail client. I sighed with relief, a classic buzzer beater.
Weeks passed and I forgot all about the said trip, I joined really for the sake of trying. I’m not really that confident that on getting picked considering how new I was to the travel scene in the country.

A few weeks before Christmas I got one of the best gifts for the season; an e-mail from Karlo de Leon asking for confirmation to the third Lakbay Norte! Woohoo! I was in for a nine days of pure adventure!

The final list was announced some weeks later and I was astounded with the other guys that got picked; Angel Juarez of Lakwatsero, Gael Hilotin of The Pinay Solo Backpacker, Marcos Cayatao of Ambot Ah!, James Betia of Journeying James and Edcel Suyo of Solo FlightEd. My goodness, these guys are travel legends! I’m not sure what prompted the powers that be to include me in this line-up, but I'm certainly not complaining.

The tentative locations for this coming year’s Lakbay Norte include Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tuguegarao, Kalinga, Pagudpud, Laoag, La Union, Baguio, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Subic, Clark, Angeles and Pampanga. I hope further changes would include Sagada, Isabela, Abra, Aurora and Batanes; but I guess that’s asking too much haha.

Lakbay Norte would zoom off the Northern road on the third week of January. I’m excited as hell and I’m hoping to I can bring you guys along the ride through some stories and photos. A big big thank you to the North Philippines Visitors Bureau for having confidence in me, I'll se you guys there!

PASAY CITY | Seafood Dampa at MOA’s Aling Tonya’s

2011-12-24T11:50:00.001+08:00

I was introduced years back at a seafood paradise called Dampa in Paranaque by an old friend. True to its name which means kubo or hut, the place was really not that posh and was even bordering on being seedy. But what brought us there was the seafood being served by the restaurants inside its compound which were simply fantastic.

But seafood is really hard to badly cook, so what’s the difference between these guys and the thousand other restaurants out there. Well, as I was soon to learn, we literally had to do the shopping for the fare that we would be soon eating from their wet market. And besides the assured freshness, there’s also the case of the total bill, which is generally much much lower than what you’ll cough up for the same dishes in mall restaurants.
The memories of Dampa didn’t go away with the passing of my days of living in the southern part of the metro. There were still the once in a blue moon visit to the seafood mecca, but really, it was too far, me being from the other end of Metro Manila. It was such a blessing then that other places in the metro started opening similar joints; you can now go to Cubao, Pasay, Libis and Marikina for your seafood fix.

It was a tradition in our clan to gather round a feast a week or two before Christmas. It started out with Jolibee’s when we were kids and soon progressed to more mature restaurants (if you’ll allow me to say so, LOL). I soon introduced them to the Dampa Seaside at Macapagal Avenue in Pasay and surely enough, they were hooked; it became the standard eating place for the family.
Then opened the Seaside food stalls at the San Miguel by the Bay at the Mall of Asia and we soon transferred our hallowed grounds, preferring MOA’s Dampa for the convenience and the atmosphere which was more laid back than the noisy performance-ridden ambience of the one at Macapagal Avenue. Although the market choices at MOA’s Seaside is much more limited (well, according to my mom), the dining experience was much better with all the long tables set outside with the view and breeze of the Manila Bay.

Another concern I had then with the Macapagal Seaside was the not so nice smell coming from the bay; although I’m not really sure if that still holds true today as I haven’t really eaten there for quite some time. The same cannot be said for the seaside environment of MOA where the light wind coming from the bay feels and smells like it should really be, which is the blue scent of sea.
Like in any Dampa location, resto staff will try pulling you in their joint promising everything but the moon. We always resisted such invitations; there’s only one Dampa restaurant for us, Aling Tonya’s. They had been the restaurant of choice for me since the Paranaque days and since they’ve always delivered well, why bother looking for another. The fact that they are the only restaurant at the MOA Seaside with two branches, both of which are always overflowing with customers can only mean one thing.

After waiting for almost half an hour to be seated, mom and dad started sorting through the mini market for this year’s feast. A tip for those who’s not used to long waiting time, once you decided on a restaurant of choice, with or without seats available, just ask the waiters for a reservation and start buying at the market right away. By the time you’ve finished with the market, handed the goods at the resto’s kitchen and they’d finished cooking; rest assured there would be seats available already as all this would take not less than half an hour and might even extend to an hour.
After a longish wait, our food finally arrived! We had multiple servings of Buttered Shrimp, which my mom forgot to have some as Tempuras, Baked Tahong, Calamares, Grilled Tuna, Pork Liempo and Pink Salmon Sinigang sa Miso. These have been the standard fare for us for years already, with the exception of the Tuan and Liempo; we see no reason to mess with a good tradition hehe.

The Buttered Shrimp is still as excellent as ever, the mix of buttery goodness, sweetness and a tinge of garlic was still spot on. One thing I noticed on this batch though was that the skin of the shrimp was a bit hard to peel as they stick to the meat, an indication of overcooking perhaps. Another favorite, the Cheesy Baked Tahong also did not disappoint although it seemed as though there were not as much cheese as I remember it to be; it was still excellent nonetheless.

The Calamares was also good. The squid was very very tender and the breading was flavored just as how calamares should taste. The mayo dip though was a bit short and we had to ask for a few more servings of it. The Grilled Tuna was not really up to par with my expectations as the fishy taste was just too strong (well I know it is a fish hehe) and the Pork Liempo was an utter disappointment. I was expecting something like what they served us before which was so fantastically tasty and juicy; what we had this time was so dry and tasteless we had to resort to dunking the meat to a saucer of soy sauce and calamansi for it to have some semblance of flavor.
For our soup and general suya remover is the Pink Salmon Sinigang sa Miso. I’m not really a fan of fish dishes with soup but this one’s an exception. I just love the tender pink meat of the fish and the accompanying soup.

But now where were the crabs you might ask? Unfortunately we’re no crab eaters as we find the lengthy process of getting meat from them too cumbersome we end up wasting too much.
This year’s gathering was not as large as the previous ones as some of our family members were a bit busy with preparation for the coming holiday; there were only 15 of us this time, compared to last year’s almost doubled number.

The total bill for 3 kilos of shrimp, 2 kilos of squid, 3 kilos of mussels, a kilo of pork, half kilos of tuna and pink salmon and an uncountable bowls of rice including the cooking fee is Php5,100.00. Not really so bad considering how gluttonously full everyone was and there were still bagful of pasalubongs for the guys at home. The problem now, as it was the previous years, was how to stand up and walk with such full stomachs.

    Aling Tonya’s
    San Miguel by the Bay, Mall of Asia Complex
    Pasay City, Metro Manila
    (02) 710-0260
    Click to view location on Google Maps

MANILA | Simbang Gabi at Quiapo Church

2011-12-20T17:59:00.001+08:00

I have been trying and trying to photograph Manila's iconic Quiapo Church but has failed every time due to the tight security that won't allow photographers from snapping images inside its hall. The last time I tried, a guard stopped me as I was about to press the shutter button. I asked him why it was not allowed, he said because there is an ongoing mass; fair enough. I asked if I could shoot after the mass then, no he said. Dang, so when can I photograph Quiapo Church? It appears I have to secure a permit for such. Well no, thank you very much.
Fast forward to the day after UST's Paskuhan. I stayed over at L's house and was woken up at the wee hours of the morning with a grumbling stomach. A quick instant noodles later and my thoughts was back on focus. The Simbang Gabi season had just began and since L's house was just a few blocks away from Quiapo, my mind was once again locked onto shooting Quiapo Church.
Armed this time with an inconspicuously small Sony NEX5n camera, I hurriedly packed up and rode a jeepney to Quaipo. Dawn seemed far off as I boarded down the glistening tiled square of Plaza Miranda which is infamously known for a major political bombing that occurred in during the Marcos regime. The sky was still dark and the air was chilly from last night's light shower.
The Quiapo Church or more properly, the St. John the Baptist Parish is home to the Black Nazarene which gathers millions of devotees every January. The church has not been named the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene for nothing. The current structure is actually the fourth reincarnation of the church after going through two fires and an earthquake since its inception in 1586.Hymns were already emanating from the open doorways of the Quiapo Church as I made my way across the plaza. I entered its side doors and walked into its columnless hall; I said my prayers and joined the Misa de Gallo attendees. I then opened my camera bag, made myself as invisible as possible and took a total of seven shots inside the church.

I’m not one to push my luck but so far so good. I went outside and still no photography guards were on sight. I photographed the Mexican Baroque facade of Quiapo Church to my heart's content.
The sky was already having hints of blues and flares of oranges as I finished. The mass has also ended and streams of people were already moving out into the still wet pavement of Plaza Miranda.

Mission accomplished! One last thing to do before heading back, buy some Puto Bumbongs and Bibingkas! Simbang Gabi would never be complete without bringing home some!

    Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene
     St. John the Baptist Parish
     Plaza Miranda, R. Hidalgo, Manila
     (02) 733-4434 ‎
     http://quiapochurch.com/
     Click to View Location on Google Maps

MANILA | UST Paskuhan 2011

2011-12-18T15:32:00.001+08:00

“Eff! We missed Paskuhan!” That was me inside our training room, checking out the UST website after being told that the supposed Paskuhan date we knew was wrong and that the correct date was that same night. L says she saw it being reported at 24 Oras and UST’s website has it on the 15^th of December too, we were totally devastated.

Paskuhan date cancelled, we still went ahead with our leaves and decided to just spend it shopping for Christmas gifts. I was surprised the next morning when I got a text from one of my officemates that we were in fact correct with our UST’s annual Paskuhan date, it turns out that what 24 Oras reported was the thanksgiving mass that precedes Paskuhan. We haven’t missed it all!
We marched to the UST grounds at around 8pm after a whole day of shopping. There were already queues at the gates as ~~Spongecola~~ Six Cycle Mind blasted from the stage. I studied Architecture in UST for five years but unfortunately lost my ID and still haven’t applied for an Alumni card. I had to resort to asking my cousin to fetch me at the gates as they don’t allow anyone without an ID to enter the grounds for obvious security concerns.
The first thing we did was meet up with our office friends which was harder than expected. Phone connection was already problematic due to the huge crowd of people also looking for their friends. Movement too was very much hindered by the sea of Thomasians along the sprawling UST grounds. It was an actual miracle that we were able to locate them!

We had putobungbong for dinner along the sidestreets of the campus and was rushing back into the gates as we saw the first explosion of colors in the sky. The Paskuhan fireworks which usually ends the event was starting early!
We were lucky enough to get closer and be under the ballooning colors streaking across the black night. I had no time to prepare both my camera and tripod and had to resort to shooting handheld. And my camera won’t fire! It was stuck and I had to remove both my battery, sd card and reset everything before it worked again.

It actually felt different being under the fireworks than shooting it from afar. I felt like being a part of it rather than a mere spectator. I guess my camera jamming was not such a bad thing; else I’d be again too busy clicking than experiencing it.
We visited the mobbed concessionaires again for snacks, shirts and whatnots (they have a Starbucks stall again); trudging at a snail’s pace just to get some fries and drinks.

With nowhere to sit, we did what the others did; sit on the grass with our snacks listening to the band playing at the football field.
I roamed a bit while they were finishing their snacks but was not able to go far. Urbandub was playing! I ran back as fast as I could and we were in the middle of the football field in no time. The sound system was not that good, but heck it was Urbandub, nothing else mattered. Gab and company did their magic and ended the night on a high.
Everyone was still waiting for the fireworks which usually end the Paskuhan nights, but it seemed that the fireworks earlier were it. The night ended before midnight which was really too early.

I was actually expecting more from this year’s Paskuhan as they said this is the actual 400^th year of the university but was a bit disappointed with what they had. The fireworks were not as long and grand as last year’s and the celebration was too short. Sigh, I’ll just cross my fingers for a better Paskuhan next year.

PAMPANGA | Starbucks Global Icon City Mug

2011-12-15T16:32:00.001+08:00

Christmas season is almost upon us and I've been meaning to attend Pampanga's Giant Lantern Festival for the longest time. Unfortunately work always seems hell bent on destroying my plans and this year's no exception.

So... to compensate for another year of lost opportunity, I guess it would be better that I post the closest thing I'd have to the Giant Lantern Festival which is my Pampanga Starbucks City Mug. Sheesh baduy, right? Well, it's definitely better than nothing haha.

I bought this mug months back during my misadventure at the Candaba Swamp and didn't feel like posting an article about it yet since Christmas was still a long way off. I was also thinking I'd time it with my Giant Lantern Festival post which is actually now non-existent.

I distinctly recall having attended a Giant Lantern Festival during my grade school days years back at the Paskuhan Village in Pampanga. I'm not sure if the current festival is still being hosted there or if it even still exists, but the experience was forever etched on my mind.
I was surprised to find out that Pampanga's Lantern Festival started way way back than I expected it to be.

Originally called "Ligligan Parol", the tradition took root from San Fernando when the province's capitol was transferred from Bacolor in 1904. It started as a procession of lanterns that took place nine days before Christmas with simple two-foot long lanterns made of traditional materials. The lantern designs started getting more and more complex as the years went by until whole barangays started pitching in building just one huge lantern for each barrios.

The introduction of electricity in Pampanga in 1931 started the evolution of the lanterns as larger and more colorful designs were now possible through the use of modern materials. Today's lantern design has an average diameter of 20 feet and is illuminated by lights ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 bulbs.

The Giant Lantern Festival is celebrated on the last Saturday before Christmas of every December and this year's event would take place on December 17 at the Robinsons Starmills Pampanga. For those lucky enough to attend the event, do bring home some photos will you?

Schedule of Activities for 2011 Giant Lantern Festival

QUEZON CITY | Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine

2011-12-14T17:11:00.001+08:00

The first thing I noticed after transferring to our new office was the concrete cathedral towering over the neighboring rooftops of New Manila in Quezon City. I've had glimpses of this church before during random rides over the LRT2 but have never really seen it up close.

The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine is just walking distance from our new workplace but I didn't really gave time to photograph it thinking there would enough of that later. But time flies and we were soon leaving our QC office on a quick notice.
So I brought my camera with me on those last few days and proceeded towards the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church, gray drizzly weather notwithstanding.

What really drew me to this church besides its megalithic appearance is its unpainted facade. I love architecture without paint. I prefer materials to look what they should really look and not be glossed over by paint and what-nots. The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church, constructed in 1954, is not as history laden like most churches I've photographed; but it doesn't mean it is not as interesting as those structures. It looks very regal with its central tower soaring upwards in all its symmetrical glory. Its rough concrete walls are punctured with colorful panels of stained glass windows.

The church's geometric architecture looks very modern but still appears quite warm due mostly to its bare textured walls. There are hardly any adornments on its facade besides the larger than life icon of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.Inside its halls (which were unfortunately painted), the ceiling soars high along with the rays coming through its massive stained glass windows. Like its exterior, decorations are kept to a minimum, its massive space being given more emphasis. I was actually expecting something grander, from what I've heard from my friends who've visited the church but I guess its understatement fits its motif better.
After a handful of photographs and a little prayer, it was time to go. As I went out of the church and walked into the drizzling afternoon, I thought back to my first days in this place. After more than a year of procrastinating, I was finally able to capture the towering beauty of the Our Lady of Mt.Carmel Shrine.

    Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine
    Dona Juana Rodriguez Ave.
    New Manila, Quezon City
    (02) 724-5938 | (02) 725-1508
    mtcarmelchurch@gmail.com
    Click to view location on Google Maps

QUEZON CITY | Quezon Memorial Circle

2011-12-12T05:08:00.001+08:00

The elliptical park at the center of Quezon City has been a weekend playground for me during my younger years. We’d visit mom’s office at Fairview and head to the park afterwards to ride around its shady tree-lined avenues on bicycles.

I’ve revisited the Quezon Memorial Circle on and off throughout the years but I was pleasantly surprised by its current reincarnation on my latest visit.
While waiting for a magazine interview in one of its many restaurants, I hurriedly took off and snapped a few photos with my brand-spanking new Sony NEX5n camera courtesy of Sony Philippines (thank you Sony!). This is actually the first time I’ve brought this small camera to cover a place and I was interested to know if it can do the job as well as my Nikon D80 + Tokina 11-16mm constant companion.
The park looked exactly the same as before; kids running around, sorbetero’s under the shades of trees, students practicing school performances and lovers talking quietly on benches. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and the towering pylons of President Manuel L. Quezon’s Memorial stands proudly against a cobalt blue sky dotted by slow moving white clouds.
I wandered off and found myself along stalls of street food; hmm, I’ve never seen these guys before. I guess Circle (as most Manila people calls the Quezon Memorial Circle) has finally caught up with the weekend market gimmick. There were the usual barbeques and street fares plus some budget apparels and toys. I bought a piece of Chinese spring roll and munched on to the playgrounds.
Gone was the old playground that I was familiar with! What replaced it was a more colorful and organized yard full of running kids. I was astounded with its transformation. The old concrete playground sets were now replaced with new colorful plastic and metal ones and it looked like the kids were having a blast with them.
The old bike lanes were now also replaced by a new track complete with innovative and interesting looking bicycles. Kids can now choose through numerous bike designs; cool! I also found a Koi pond overflowing with colorful fishes, a boating lagoon, a new zip line and a mini theme park that have rides similar to those found in Enchanted Kingdom and Star City.
Everything was nice and cool even under the morning sun since the canopy of the old trees that dot the park covers most of the grounds quite well.

I’m glad that the Quezon Memorial administration was able to transform the park into what it is now. The last time I documented this place, the playground was almost ready to crumble from age. It’s good to know that families looking for a decent weekend place for their kids can have such a place to go to without spending so much. Kudos to the local government of Quezon City!

    Quezon Memorial Circle
    Elliptical Road, Quezon City
    Open 24 hours everyday
    Click to view location on Google Maps

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS | Jack Kerouac’s On The Road

2011-12-09T18:43:00.001+08:00

“I woke up as the sun was reddening; and that was the one distinct time in my life, the strangest moment of all, that I didn’t know who I was…I was far away from home haunted and tired with travel, in a cheap hotel room I’d never seen, hearing the hiss of steam outside, and the creak of the old wood of the hotel, and footsteps upstairs and all the sad sounds, and I looked at the cracked high ceiling and really didn’t know who I was for about fifteen strange seconds. I wasn’t scared, I was just somebody else, some stranger, and my whole life was a haunted life, the life of a ghost… I was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future, and maybe that’s why it happened right there and then that strange red afternoon.”

Much has already been said about the modern masterpiece that is On the Road but I barely know anything about it before finally being given a copy as a birthday gift. I’ve been a book fan since forever and my usual choice of books usually revolve on horror, science fiction, fantasy and whatnots. I’ve never picked up a book about travelling even once, not knowing such kinds of books exists at all.

So there I was, giddy as a highschool kid, after finally having my hand on the rough covers of On the Road after more than a year of looking for it. I usually read in the bus on the way to and from work, and imagine my surprise when I opened the pages and found a never-ending flow of texts inside.
It turned out that what I got was the original draft of the book which was written in scroll form. Legend tells of Kerouac taping up separate pieces of paper to form one magnanimous scroll before typing everything his crazed brain tells his manic fingers in a mad frenzy of a few weeks.

What came out was literally a road of words that sprawls on and on. The sentences were epically long, there were no paragraphs, there were hardly any chapters and there were no breaks. Everything flowed like the road Jack was telling us about, you can never stop. This book is an English teacher’s nightmare.

The book tells about Jack’s trips through the groaning land of the Americas, his friendship with the wildly maniacal Neil, the relations he met along the road, the craziness and the loneliness that accompanied him along his journey, and the longing to find IT.
On the Road is not a guidebook on how to do road trips. Kerouac writes about how a road breaks and makes a person, he writes with no gold frills how crazy and desolate the road can be.

The cliché it’s the trip not the destination cannot be truer than with this book. Don’t get me wrong though, the book is hardly clichéd. It doesn’t talk about tourist destinations, or snapping pictures or beautiful places, it talks only of going and moving; screaming through the highways and passing everyone and everything along the road. You’d never find a more refreshing read than this. The road slams through the pages of the book like Neil’s broken down Cadillac howling through the starlit American night at a steady 110 miles per hour.
I have never read a crazier book than On the Road, and it only got crazier with the scroll edition which was how Kerouac intended it be read in the first place.

”But then they danced down the street like dingldodies and I shambled after as usual as I’ve been doing all my life after people that interest me, because the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing.. but burn, burn, burn like roman candles across the night.”

** Words in italics are quotes lifted from the book.

MAKATI CITY | KLM’s Capturing Dreams Photo Exhibit

2011-12-09T09:50:00.001+08:00

I was onboard a KLM plane for a 14-hour flight to my first foreign destination exactly sixty days from today. I was bound for the Netherlands as part of the DPP-KLM On Assignment: Europe photo safari.

The whole trip took seven beautiful but tough days across the cities of Holland. Together with renowned photographer Joel H. Garcia and KLM Brand Ambassador Eli Van Ingen, we roamed its winding streets, jaunted through open fields, explored old castles, swayed with windmills and photographed everything there was to photograph in Holland.
Last night, our best images from the thousands we took from that seven-day non-stop journey were displayed in all its colorful glory upon the halls of RCBC Plaza in line with the Royal Dutch Airline’s 60^th anniversary in the Philippines.

The photo exhibit titled Capturing Dreams, features the works of Air France / KLM brand ambassador Eli Van Ingen, celebrated travel and wedding photographer Joel H. Garcia, Dutch photographer Alex Van Hagen and yours truly.

The exhibit currently showcases Joel’s and my photographs and would do so ‘til the 12^th of December. The full exhibit date runs from the 28^th of November to the 16^th of December at the ground floor lobby of RCBC Plaza in Makati City. If you happen to be near the area, I invite you to pass by and let us share with you the beautiful dreams we captured in Holland.

MAKATI CITY | Kanin Club

2011-12-05T14:10:00.001+08:00

When it comes to choosing a place to eat in, I usually stay away from Filipino-themed restaurants since I feel that my mom and dad can also excellently cook those dishes themselves. Why should I pay for something that can be had at home right? Well I thought I was right until I tasted what Kanin Club has to offer.

Located at the lush gardens of Ayala Triangle in Ayala Avenue, we usually just pass by this resto on the way to the more popular and always full Banapple. This time though, since it was an invite to eat there for L’s mom’s birthday celebration; we decided to forego Banapple and try out Kanin Club.

The Filipino themed resto’s original branch is located at Paseo de Sta. Rosa in Laguna, it has since expanded to three more branches in Westgate, Alabang, UP-AyalaLand Technohub in QC, and finally at the hip Ayala Triangle in Makati.

The façade of Kanin Club immediately says we’re gonna have some Filipino dishes; two rocking chairs like my gramma used to have were sitting out front and the wooden tables and chairs were framed by Bahay na Batoesque capiz windows and barandillas. Inside, the wooden furniture and the planked floors are cozily lighted by lampara’s and the colorful capiz and glass sliding windows reminiscent of my mom’s ancestral house in Cabanatuan nicely throws in a colorful touch.

We ordered and ordered and ordered. Our table was not enough for the amount of dishes we requested. Serving time was not that long considering the amount of food we asked for. The first one to arrive was their Crispy Liempo (Php142.00) appetizer; it was served in strips and came with three sauces. It was super crispy as in chicharon crispy! I love it, but was afraid of consuming too much as it looked very very bad for my heart.

Next up was Seafood Kare-Kare (Php298.00). I love Kare-Kare and I love seafood; simple math, combine the two and you got a superb dish!
We were also served with their veggie Lumpiang Sariwa (Php97.00) and their popular Crispy Pork Dinuguan (Php261.00). I totally adore their version of Pork Dinuguan! This is not you usual dinuguan with whole blood cakes, the pork blood is instead incorporated into the sauce and is mixed with bite sized portions crispy pork meat. I’m really not a fan of such dish but Kanin Club’s version actually makes me want to go back to their place.
We also had Camaron Rebusado (Php276.00) which is their Filipino version of tempura and Vegetarian Delight Soup (Php261.00) which is made of three kinds of mushrooms, banana blossoms and tofu in vegetarian oyster sauce. I didn’t like these two that much; the Camaron was a bit rubbery for me and the soup just didn’t fit with my personal taste (which was built for sinful foods haha).
I personally ordered my favorite dish of Crispy Pork Binagoongan. Unfortunately the one they serve was unlike the ones done by Lola Idang’s and Mozu Café. Their crispy pork belly was swimming in thin bagoong sauce which I think is fish bagoong similar to the ones served at Forest House in Baguio. I prefer my crispy binagoongan with sweet chili sauce so I didn’t like it that much. The last two on the table were their Lemon Chicken (Php224.00) and Stuffed Squid (Php224.00). The chicken was average with really nothing special going on but might suit those who like mild tasting dishes. Most were raving about the squid, but I also didn’t like it that much; the squid was okay but the chives stuffing was very tough and was hard to eat.

To say that we were totally and stuffingly full was an understatement. We were nine at the table including one kid and we totaled at Php3,000.00+, which translates to about Php300.00++ each including bowlful of rice and drinks. Kanin Club’s prices were a bit steep but considering their serving sizes which are already good for two persons (we even have to take home some stuff as we were unable to finish everything off), I guess it’s not too bad.
I love how Kanin Club manages to give new twists to old Filipino favorites. There were a few misses, but there sure were a lot more hits. I still can’t get over their Crispy Pork Dinuguan even weeks after and my mouth is watering now as I’m ending this piece. Hmmm, if only they have a branch near where I work!

    Kanin Club
    Facebook Fanpage
    Phone number: (049) 544-0332 | (02) 771-1400 | (02) 332-5978

    Ayala Triangle Gardens
    Makati Ave., Bel-Air, Makati City
    Phone number: (02) 621-6109

    Paseo de Sta. Rosa
    Sta Rosa City, Laguna
    Phone number: (049) 544-0332
    Store Hours: Weekdays 11am-2:30pm | Weekends 5-10pm | Holidays 11am-10pm

    Westgate Mall
    Commercial Ctr., FAI Admin Bldg
    Alabang, Muntinlupa City
    Phone number: (02) 771-1400
    Store Hours: Weekdays 11am-2:30pm | Weekends 5:30-10:30pm | Holidays 11am-10:30pm

    UP Ayala Land Technohub
    Commonwealth Ave. Brgy. UP Campus
    Diliman, Quezon City
    Phone number: (02) 332-5978
    Store Hours: 11am-10pm Daily

    Click to view Kanin Club Menu (From MunchPunch)

MAKATI CITY | The 2011 Philippine Blog Awards

2011-12-04T20:21:00.001+08:00

I was at the veranda of Villa Igang at Guimaras, laptop on my table and a twilit panoramic view of the sea out the deck when I received an e-mail from the Philippine Blog Awards informing me that my blog, Lakad Pilipinas, was a finalist for its Luzon Culture and Arts Category.

The sun had just set and I just came back dripping wet from another session of shooting by the sea but the thought of drying myself was set for later; I was soon scrambling across the PBA site and checking out the other nominations, it turned out I got six! Six! Yes six! I cannot believe my eyes, six! Last year, I didn’t even get one! Wow!

These are what I got:

     Culture And Arts Category For Luzon
     Travel Category For Luzon
     Photo Blog Category For Luzon
     Lifestyle Category For Luzon
     Best Photo Post
     Travel Category For National Level

I was especially psyched to be a finalist for the Travel Category at the National Level, but I was totally not expecting to win it since it was filled with excellent travel blogs from my own blogging heroes.
The night of reckoning was held at the Carlos P. Romulo Hall at the RCBC Tower in Ayala just in time for my flight back to Manila.

I guess every blogger worth his salt was there and everyone seems to know everyone else. I don’t know anyone else besides L who came with me. Although I saw Nina and Ferdz Decena, two of the most prolific travel bloggers in our country, I was too shy to approach and talk to them.
After what seemed a long time of nervous waiting, Gang Badoy of RockEd Philippines finally entered the stage and started the show. Her usual witty and snappy lines got the crowd rolling.

The first category was for Culture and Arts. I was crossing my fingers, hoping my blog wouldn’t be the first one to be flashed on the screen as it just seemed embarrassing that way. And yes, my blog was the very first name that was flashed on the screen; cringe-worthy moment haha.

Good thing I didn’t win this category as I felt there were more worthy blogs for this than mine.
Lakad Pilipinas was mentioned six times throughout the event, the guys from Pinoy Travel Bloggers Bagets cheering every time (thanks guys!), and I got to get onstage twice; the first one for the Best Travel Blog and the second one for the Best Photoblog Category which were both for Luzon. I bumbled my way through the speeches and claimed my Bulol trophies.

The trophies, which were wooden hand carved rice granary gods from the Luzon highlands were very fitting for this region’s winners; only thing was there’s not even a plaque or carving with the category or even the Philippine Blog Awards name on it. I guess I’ll have to engrave them myself haha (will post it here once it’s done).
I didn’t win the National Level for the Travel category, but that’s okay with me. To be a finalist at that level felt almost like winning already. Among the 16 fantastic finalists; We are Sole Sisters took the award to the cheers of everyone including me.

Bagging two Luzon level awards was a pretty good achievement for my two-year old blog; I’m totally happy with the outcome of the event. I was also glad to meet the people behind the other travel blogs I’ve been visiting and got together with for a late dinner afterwards with the Pinoy Travel Bloggers Bagets which were a riot to be with.
But the real icing on the cake was meeting Francis Brew of the Dawn with his girlfriend Nina who won for the Best Photoblog for the National Level. It’s not everyday that a rockstar approaches you out of nowhere, grabs your hands and gives you a huge congratulations. Man, did that complete my day.

Six nominations, two awards, one rockstar and a bunch of new friends; the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards rocked!
Thanks so much PBA!