Barcelona with my Pacsafe

I knew I wanted to use a pacsafe bag for our BIG trip. It made me feel better knowing my valuables were secure while traveling. Not only does my bag have to be secure, but it also has to be stylish. I wanted an upgrade from my Slingsafe 300, which I have used several times. This time I was carrying a laptop and therefore needed more space.

For months I kept looking at the Pacsafe website, unable to choose which bag I wanted. I narrowed it down to Venturesafe 32L, Ultimatesafe 32L, Slingsafe 300 GII and Metrosafe 350 GII. The crazy thing was on the day I planned to buy my Pacsafe bag, I received an email from Pacsafe offering to send me a bag to use during our travel. It was an unexpected, but very nice surprise. I was also advised that the 32L bags were too big on me. I ended up chosing the Metrosafe 350 GII as my daypack for my one year travel.

When the packaged first arrived, it was wrapped in a plastic bag. Imagine my initial surprise and disappointment when I saw how small the bag was. It was flat, and I thought to myself “Oh no! How am I supposed to fit everything inside?” Worried, I opened the bag to see if my electronics would fit. I put in my macbook air, ipad, canon 7d with the canon 17-55mm lens attached to it. Then a separate lens, Canon 24mm f/1.4. My initial disappoint melted away replaced with a happiness and excitement. Surprise! It ALL fits! I zipped up my bag without any problem. My bag was just perfect. It didn’t look bulky at all, and was just proportional to my size.

I received the black bag which had neon green lining. Black was a good choice when on the road, because it hid the dirt better. The material was harder, thicker, and definitely not as shiny as the Slingsafe 300. The size was perfect for women, especially those on the petite side. The materials used were excellent quality. The bag has taken a lot of abuse in the past 3 months. There are no tears and rips.

An added feature to this new generation bags were the electronic and RFID pouch to put your credit cards in. We live in an age where electronic data is easily stolen. It would be a nightmare to find out your credit card info has been stolen while traveling. The only thing I didn’t like is the location of the pouch. I would have preferred for the electronic and RFID pouch to be inside the main compartment where it would be harder to get to.

My favorite features are the smart zipper security and the turn and lock strap hook. The smart zipper security is a hook that locks your zipper and prevents it from opening. A big plus is the pouch that the hook slides in to, which makes it harder to open. Also, putting a water bottle on the side pocket conceal the zipper. To prevent my bag from being snatched, I like to hook my strap around a non moveable fixture when sitting down for long periods. I found it useful when taking a nap while waiting for my plane. You can click on here to see how I use the bag in airports.

I’m so glad I went with the Pacsafe Metrosafe 350 GII. It’s the perfect size to carry my valuables, and doesn’t compromise my style. I can travel knowing my valuables are secure.

Thailand

Dusseldorf, Germany

Philippines

Photos and video taken with the Nokia Lumia 800.

Would you use a Pacsafe bag while traveling?

We were walking towards the Saphan Taksin BTS Sky Train station in Bangkok the other day, when suddenly, we heard a bunch of people screaming. I looked across the street and a saw a big crowd wearing the same shirt, dancing, and chanting. I wish I knew what they were saying. Their shirts had DTAC letters on them which I recognize. DTAC is a mobile phone provider in Thailand.

I’m not sure if they were trying to promote a new phone or service. We couldn’t stay long to watch because we were in a hurry to meet with friends from New York. I tried searching Twitter for any mentions of the mob, but couldn’t find anything. It’s hard for me to follow the social networking scene here in Thailand because of the difference in language. Do you know what’s going on in this video?

Video shot with the Nokia Lumia 800.

It has been over 20 years since I last visited Eternal Gardens. The last time I was there, visitors were free to go in and out. It was a beautiful and peaceful park, great for afternoon walks with the family. This time, the other entrances were locked. Security guards the main entrance.

Luckily, we went there by car. We weren’t stopped as we drove past the gate. More “buildings” have been erected since I last visited. I was amazed at the grand architecture families chose to house their deceased love ones. Yes, you read it right. Eternal gardens is a cemetery. Just not any plain old cemetery as you can see from the photos below.

Two floors?!?!

Eternal Gardens first opened on August 11, 1976 in Baesa, Caloocan City. You will find elaborate mausoleums many resembling houses. Some complete with air-conditioning, refrigerator, tables and bathrooms. Most people buried were of Chinese origins. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but the belief was that the deceased needed certain materials to be comfortable in their afterlife.

Complete with a balcony

Not just an ordinary grave

The last cemetery I visited was Pere LaChaise in Paris. While Pere LaChaise had a classic, almost romantic atmosphere Eternal Gardens have a more grandiose feel. Unfortunately, it won’t be so easy to visit anytime. I’m told that the guards are more lenient with joggers before 7am.

However, the rules are bent during All Saints Day. Families come and stay overnight at the graves of their loved ones. Even people without families buried there come and stay. I’m told it actually is a lively event. The lawns filled with tents and people with plenty of food.

Have you seen cemeteries like this?

Photos taken with the Nokia Lumia 800.

One of the first things we did when we landed in the Philippines was get a prepaid SIM card so we can use our phones right away for emails, tweeting, or uploading photos to Facebook. I’ll let you know how we did it so you can save time researching on your own.

There are 2 major carriers here in the Philippines: Smart and Globe. After asking several people, Smart was the recommended carrier because of better coverage.

When you arrive at the airport, you might see stands by Globe or Smart selling SIM cards. Don’t worry if you don’t see them or don’t have time to stop by. You can go to malls or small family-owned stores to get a SIM card. Make sure you have an unlocked phone or else SIM cards overseas won’t work on your phone.

I travel with a microSIM cutter because our phones, the Nokia Lumia 800, use a microSIM instead of a regular-sized SIM card. Most of the stores that sell prepaid SIM cards usually have the regular sized cards. You can easily cut it with this microSIM cutter I bought from Amazon.

We each bought one Smart prepaid SIM card for 40 PHP (less than a US dollar). In order for us to use data, we needed to add more credits or load. Smart has data packages called “Always On.” You choose how much data you think you’re going to use. You can select from 45MB all the way up to 2GB. I went with 1GB. Included below is a chart of the costs at the time of publishing this post. Go to the Smart Always On page for the latest prices.

Take a look at the Volume and Validity, then select which package you want. Since I wanted to go with 1000MB for 30 days, the price was 499 PHP ($12 USD).

At the store, don’t load your SIM credit with exactly the cost of your data package. Add a little more just in case you need to make calls or send SMS messages. In my case, I asked the store to load my SIM card with 600 PHP ($14 USD). You give them the money and then wait for confirmation text message.

Once your phone is loaded with credits, you need to activate the data package. You do this by sending a text message to the number 2200 with the proper message. For example, I sent the message ON 499 to the number 2200 so I can activate 1000MB for 30 days. If you’re successful, you’ll get a confirmation message as shown in the image above.

That’s it! You can check how much credit you have left on your Smart SIM card by sending ?1515 to the number 214. If you have credits left over, outgoing calls are about 7 PHP per minute and outgoing SMS messages are 1 PHP. All incoming calls and messages are free! Here are the latest prepaid rates from Smart.

Should you force your partner to drink medication? Health is an important factor not only at home, but also while you’re traveling. People stay in jobs they hate just so they can keep getting the health benefits for themselves and their families. That’s how important health is. That’s why before we set out for this trip we made sure we had travel insurance. Just in case of a big expensive emergency. Our story today isn’t a BIG emergency, but something that we might deal with regularly as a couple.

It all started when we were riding a motorcycle on the way to town. Mark started screaming in pain. Apparently, a red ant decided to hitch a ride on Mark’s foot and decided to take several snacks along the way. I quickly swiped the ant off his foot and that moment was quickly forgotten. Until the next day, when Mark woke up with an inflamed and swollen foot. I instructed him to elevate and rest his foot with a couple of Advils for pain. Did he listen? Of course not! He walked around, even played basketball the whole day.

The next day, his foot got even bigger and discolored. Blisters started to form in several places on his foot. Quite alarming, especially when you’re in the middle of nowhere. It seemed that Mark had a reaction to the red-ant bite. The bite of a red ant is usually just painful, but a few people can have allergic reactions to its bite. Mark was one of them.

Mark was prescribed an antihistamine, prednisone and an antibiotic. For several days WE were compliant with meds. Meaning, I told him when he should take his medication. Prepared warm salt water, and eventually boiled guava leaves twice a day to soak his foot in. The biggest concern was preventing infection in the farm. Hence the prophylactic antibiotic and washing his foot with guava leaves. In the Philippines, guava leaves were believed to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.

However, my husband eventually refused to soak his foot in warm water. Refused to take his medications because he wanted to drink with the guys later on that evening. Frustrated, I told Mark “I wash my hands from the responsibility of your foot.”

In anger, I didn’t remind him to drink his medication the next day. Finally, I couldn’t stay silent anymore. I told him, “These are your medications. Let me go over the instructions with you over again. It is then YOUR responsibility whether or not to take your medications.”

Sad to say, but I’ve seen this several times in my work. Often, the man has no idea on the medication he’s taking. The man would usually say in reference to their partners, “ask her, she know’s everything I’m taking.” Sometimes, they’re non-compliant with medications, and the families just frustrated bystanders.

Sometimes, we care for our partner so much we forget they’re adults. Adults who can make their own decisions. We want the best for them, but how do we go about treating our partners as equal and not like children? We care for our partners and if something goes wrong with the health, it affects both of us.

I don’t want to be the nagging wife, but often I wonder what role should I take in the health of my husband.

So any tips on how to address this issue?

Photos taken with the Nokia Lumia 800.

Mark and I left our home and our families in NY. Two months on the road, and we were still with family. It started with being reunited with the cousins in Thailand. Then off to Philippines to visit Mark’s family in Sorsogon. One of the reasons I wanted to visit Philippines in April was to join in celebration of my grandmother’s 85th birthday reunion in Mindanao.

This is just a small representation of our family.

Family is an important aspect of filipino culture. Families have a place of origin and usually it is a tight knit community. Through time families have migrated to other parts of Philippines and the world. Meet a filipino stranger and the two things they ask you are “where are you from, what’s your last name?” Often leading to “Oh yes, I know that family… or do you know….” The crazy thing is that despite having over 7000 islands in Philippines, complete strangers will have something in common just based on the family name.

I warned Mark we had a big family. The last reunion was more organized and planned over a year in advance. Over 700 people were present. This reunion was organized in three months and only about 250 showed up. Family is family in Philippines no matter how distant in relation. It was nice to connect not only with my first cousins, but also the distant relatives.

It was a good thing family was our focus or we would have been frustrated. Good wifi speed is something we’ve taken for granted living in US. We went from a 35 Mbps to a 0.15Mbps internet speed. The funny thing is we didn’t really miss it too much. Alright, we lied. It was good for the first few weeks when we spent time with our families. We knew we wouldn’t have internet in the farm, or even have time for it because of our family reunion. With that mindset we weren’t obsessed with getting wifi connection.

So what did we do without the internet access?

We had plenty of fun games

Well… we obviously didn’t die of boredom. We actually got to enjoy the simple life in the farm. I for one loved it, and could have stayed longer. I also got to see Mark relax, and just enjoy the experience. He loved riding the motorbike. Even when his foot swelled up to an ugly mess, he never complained (I would show pictures, but Mark won’t let me).

This is the view that surrounds my grandmother’s house.

We rode a karow pulled by a carabao

and motorbikes.

Ate lots of food

and lots of fruits. Can you name all the fruits in this photo?

Fresh coconut anyone?

Got our $1 haircut, Actually $1.20!

Picked fruits from trees.

Hostspring with the family

Ate a lot of halo-halo

Went to the market and bargained like a local. Let’s just say I didn’t pay tourist price.

Rode on top of a jeepney escorted by the police.

Maybe it’s time to have our own???

Just another day in the farm

So yes, we did a lot of nothing in the farm and we loved it!

Photos taken with the Nokia Lumia 800.

A year ago, I was busy planning my family’s trip to Iceland. We decided we were going to drive around the Ring Road. As we were a family of five, we were on a tight budget. We decided to camp for most of the nights on the road and stayed in a couple of hostels. We distributed our camping gear as we were allowed to check in one bag for free.

We brought our own utensils, plastic dishes, knife, spatula and ladle. My mother also packed a big box of spicy noodles, and tuna packets. We were at first annoyed since it just made our bags heavier, but mother knows best. That’s what we basically ate for breakfast. She also packed a good first aid kit complete with icepacks and ace bandages which we used when Mark’s sister sprained her ankle.

You won’t see a stove on the list below. It was recommended to use a Coleman stove since it was widely used in Iceland. Instead, we brought a Greatland single burner propane stove, which didn’t fit the gas canisters they had in Iceland.

A month before we left, I was on a buying frenzy to get all our camping gear for Iceland. As I was busy working and didn’t have time to go out shopping, I bought everything online. Most of the things we brought to Iceland were bought from Amazon. Below are the items we bought from Amazon for Iceland with a mini review. The first number indicates how many we brought with us. We brought so much stuff we had to upgrade from this car to this one to fit comfortably.

2 – Eureka! Apex 3XT Tents
I wanted something cheap, lightweight and easily assembled. The tent also needed to be able to handle the changing weather in Iceland. The tent fit three people snugly, and comfortably for two. Iceland was cold even during the summer months. Our brother and sisters were in one tent, which they found to be warm. As for Mark and I, our tent was a little cold because there were only two of us. The tent was easy to set up and pack. Our first night in Iceland, we arrived at 1am. We were able to pitch our tent for the first time with little noise in less than 5 minutes.
I had mixed feelings about the tent. There were times when it rained in Iceland, and moisture droplets seeped in. I’m still trying to figure out why it happened, because I sprayed the tent with 2 coats of water repellant and used a tent floor sealant before we left NY.

5 – Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Mattress
The lightweight mattress resembled the egg crate pads I used when I went to college. It was a bit bulky, but surprisingly we were able to fit all 5 mattresses in our bags. It wasn’t comfortable and it took several days to get used to. This primarily functioned as insulation against the cold ground.

5 – Suisse Sport Adult Adventurer Mummy Ultra-Compactable Sleeping Bag Blue
Overall, we liked this sleeping bag. It was lightweight and compact. It was amazing how this adult size sleeping bag was easily able to compress down to a tiny roll. It took up very little space which was very important to us. As for its warmth, everyone else stayed warm and cozy, and often found themselves sweating. On the otherhand, I couldn’t tolerate a little cold temperature. I had to put on so many layers just to stay warm while sleeping at night.

1 – Texsport Black Ice The Scouter Hard Anodized Cook Set
This was a good cooking set. It was the perfect size for our family of five. It was lightweight, and stackable it took very little space. We were able to cook many meals with just this set.

5 – XL MICRONET Microfiber Towel
I’m a big fan of these towels. I usually take microfiber towels when we travel. It absorbs water very well, dries easily and takes very little space. It isn’t soft and fluffy like your normal towel and takes time to get used to. I like the XL size since it covers more. Usually Mark and I have our own towels, but there are times when we’re down to one and it surprisingly able to absorb all water.

4 – Lewis N. Clark Comfort Eye Mask
Velvety soft, this mask was useful in getting a good nights sleep in Iceland. We went during the summer, which basically means the sun never sets. For those who need complete darkness inorder to sleep, this is a must when traveling to Iceland during the summer.

1 – XS Sierra Designs Women’s Hurricane Pant
There’s an Icelandic saying, “if you’re not happy with the weather, just wait five minutes and it’ll change.” Knowing that, I tried to prepare for the possibility of rain by getting myself some rain pants. It came with its own pouch, and once again took very little space. I wore this several times in Iceland, and not only did it work to keep me dry, but it also acted as my windbreakers and kept me warm. Size wise I bought the XS. I’m 4’11″ and about 105 lbs, the pants fit perfectly.

4 - Wigwam Unisex Merino Comfort Hiker 2-Pack Sock
Yes, I bought 4 pairs of these socks. I easily get cold, and keeping my feet warm and comfortable is a must. I’m all about foot comfort and care when traveling. These sock did not disappoint, and I love using them during the NY winter.

1 – Revolutionary, Patented SLEEP MASTER Sleep Mask
I have difficulty falling and staying asleep. I need complete darkness inorder to fall asleep. It’s a shame that I only discovered sleeping mask a year ago. I’ve tried several since then, but this is my favorite sleeping mask. The satin fabric feels soft and blocks out light completely. It also doesn’t apply pressure on my eyes, which was a problem with other eye mask.

1 – pack of Hearos Xtreme Protection, 14-Pair Foam (Pack of 3)

I call this product, “the marriage saver.” This is another product I can’t believe I’ve only recently discovered. Yes, thanks to Iceland I’ve discovered some new products I can’t believe I’ve never used before. I’m a light sleeper and a slight noise can prevent me from falling asleep. I’ve spent so many nights tossing and turning because I couldn’t tune out outside noise. I brought this with me to Iceland, because EVERYONE in my family EXCEPT me snores. I find this ear plugs soft, easily fits in my ear and greatly reduces the noise. So snore away Mark, I can sleep undisturbed.

1 – Hi-Tec Men’s Altitude IV Hiking Boot
My brother loved this boots. It was comfortable for him, and good support for hiking. His feet remained dry as he walked through small streams and icy cold water of Jokulsarlon.

1 – Hi-Tec Women’s Montclair Mid Hiking Boot
I bought this boots for my sister, and I wished I got this boots too. My sister wore this boots everyday in Iceland. It was a bit tight at first, but easily broken in. We went hiking to the hot springs the first day, and by the end of the hike it was broken in. Overall it gave her proper support and comfort, especially during our glacier hike. She just wished it was waterproof.

I’ve dreamt of swimming with whale sharks. I didn’t think it would happen, especially not anytime soon. Yet, one month into our travel, we found ourselves in Donsol, the whale shark capital of Philippines.

Whale sharks or Butandings can be found swimming in the waters of Donsol from the months of October to May. The average size of an adult whale shark is 32 feet. Have no fear whale sharks may be enormous, but these gentle creatures feed primarily on plankton.

Butanding video orientation

How to have your Whale Shark interaction

• Register with the Department of Tourism upon arrival to Donsol to book your whale shark interaction. In our case, we just booked our excursions through Vitton Resort, which is the same price as doing it yourself.
• You will have to pay a one time registration fee of 100Php for locals or 300Php for foreigners.
• Watch a quick video briefing about the whale sharks and the interaction rules.
• You are then assigned a boat which includes a butanding spotter, and Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) who will guide you to swim with the butandings.
• The fee is 3500 pesos per boat. If you’re traveling by yourself you can join other people to divide the cost.
• You can rent snorkeling equipment for 150Php/day. Make sure the mask fits properly!
• Whale shark interaction last about 3 hours.

We scheduled two days of swimming with whale sharks. We went on the 7am excursion on both days. We walked to the Department of Tourism (DOT) to register and watched a mandatory but quick video on the rules of our Butanding interaction. We were then introduced to our guide, Jaques.

I was at first disappointed because I was expecting a more verbal guide. During the boat ride, I expected Jaques to go over what to expect and hand out life jackets to us. Instead, he just sat quietly throughout the ride. Once we arrived at the location where the butandings fed, the captain slowed the motor and started looking for whale sharks. Within a few minutes, we saw a group from one of the boats jump into the water, and our boat captain revved up the engine towards them. Jaques then motioned for us to get ready and put our snorkeling gear on. Since we weren’t prepared properly, we didn’t have life vests on and jumping into the middle of the ocean for us non-swimmers was a bit too scary. My cousin and her boyfriends on the other hand were able to jump in and see the first whale shark of the day. The rest of the boat crew handed us old life vests that didn’t fit properly.

With our ill-fitting life vests on, Mark and I were ready for the next whale shark. We didn’t have to wait long before another boat spotted another whale shark. Jaques motioned for me to the side of the boat as we approached the butanding. We quickly jumped to the water and was soon swimming towards it.

OMG! OMFG! It’s huge! It’s freaking huge! OMG! That was awesome.

Those were the words that came out of our mouths to describe the first whale shark we saw. It was swimming so close to the surface and so much bigger than expected. It swam slowly just a few feet below us. All we could see was the gray, flat head with white spots and lines. We swam with it for a few minutes before it swam deeper and disappeared from our sight. We went back to the boat, ready for the next butanding sighting.

Whale Shark Interaction Rules

• Do not touch or ride the Whale Shark.
• Do not restrict the movement of the Whale Shark, or impede its natural path.
• Maintain a distance of 3 meters from the head or body of the Whale Shark, and 4 meters from its tail.
• Do not use flash photography.
• A maximum of six (6) swimmers per Whale Shark is allowed, and only one (1) boat per Whale Shark.

The second time around, Jaques guided Mark to a closer view of the butanding. At this time, more boats have joined us and crowded around one butanding. The rules for butanding interaction were quickly disregarded as everyone tried to have the best view. It was chaotic. Every man for himself. Forget about protecting and not disturbing these gentle creatures. Expect to be pushed out of the way, hit by fins as everyone scrambles to have a closer look. The rules of ONLY 6 swimmers were forgotten as more than 30 people swam to follow the whale sharks.

Only 6 swimmers allowed near one whale shark. How many do you see?

We were lucky to spot and swim with whale sharks the first day. However, as much as it was an amazing experience I was left with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was able to participate in something I might classify as once in a lifetime experience, yet I participated in tourism that was harmful to the whale sharks. The rule of only one boat per whale shark was hard to follow because the tourist demand exceeded the number of the whale sharks available. I feel guilty knowing I participated in irresponsible tourism, and in a way harm these whale sharks in the long run.

How to get to Donsol

There are several ways to get to Donsol. You can click here to read the details.

Where we stayed

There are plenty of hotels and guest house located along the beach. We checked in to Vitton resort at Donsol. Not only was it a beach front property, but it was also right next to the tourism office. The beach was black sand, but looked clean and beautiful with the sunset. We shared one of the cottages. A big plus for us is the hot water for shower, a luxury when traveling in Philippines. The swimming pool was empty and was great for night swimming. We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant which we found to be disappointing and overpriced. The massages offered were reasonably priced, and had a beach front location. It was relaxing to listening to the waves.

Excursions outside Donsol

Since the whale shark interaction only lasted 3 hours we were free the rest of the afternoon. We hired a driver for 3 days and we were therefore free to go wherever. We decided to go back to Legaspi to tour the city and get a better view of Mayon volcano. We were able to visit Daraga church, and the Casagwa church ruins. The Casagwa ruins, are what remained of the church after one of the Mayon Volcano’s eruption. Unfortunately due to the rainy and cloudy weather we weren’t able to get a good view of Mayon volcano. We also were not able to go on a firefly tour later on that evening because of the non-stop rain.

More tips

• Withdraw money from the ATM in Legaspi or Daraga
• The average rate for private transportation from Legaspi to Donsol ranges from 1500 to 2000 pesos. It all depends on your bargaining skills.
• Our driver for the 3 days was Richard Ensano. The total price for the 3 days was 10,000 pesos which included our transportation from Donsol to CWC. You can contact his cell #09296085691 (Smart) #09324443635 (Sun).

Photos taken with the Nokia Lumia 800. Video captured with Kodak PlaySport Zx3