The Nomadic Pinoy

Teotihuacán

2012-02-11T09:37:00.049+08:00

A step back in history Vanished civilizations are so fascinating. Not only do they have these fantabulous temples and monuments to show, today's visitors are also confronted with this deep, nagging question as to how and why an entire population disappeared. From the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the spectacularly located Macchu Picchu in Peru, I'm fortunate once again to visit another

Zocalo & Templo Mayor

2012-02-05T09:21:00.065+08:00

cleansing ritual from an indigenous healer When the Spaniards came in 1519, they saw not a jungle but a thriving civilization. It was called Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire. About 200,000 people lived here. The city was built on a small island on what was then Lake Texcoco. At its heart was the religious center of Templo Mayor. Today, the lake is long gone and the island has grown

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

2012-01-27T07:55:00.052+08:00

It's a Sunday mass in Spanish. Despite our little grasp of the language, we went inside, egged on by this faithful crowd, into the cavernous Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The church was packed, those among us who didn't come earlier for this 9 AM mass had to stand up at the back. We didn't mind, we were in the house of God and it felt good. And a great way to start immersing in the culture

Mexico City

2012-01-22T08:37:00.017+08:00

Mexican immigration form Prior to this trip, friends and colleagues, even my parents, have been discouraging me to travel to Mexico. Media reports make it seem like all of Mexico is at war. Yes, there's been an ongoing war between drug cartels. But I'm not even going up north. My destination is merely Central Mexico. Surprisingly, 2 of my friends Clint & Neil decided to "risk" their lives

Flying Free...sort of

2012-01-14T09:04:00.015+08:00

Over the years, I've learned how to maximize earning frequent flier miles. Conventional wisdom dictates accruing miles by flying. Not only that, there are hotel stays, car rentals, vacations, cruises, e-shopping, dining - airline partners with which anyone can earn more miles. In the US, what makes earning miles really more exciting - without even stepping inside an airplane - are the huge

Where I Work

2011-12-31T00:08:00.010+08:00

National Geographic's December 2011 issue ran a feature on "The Most Influential Cities" as compiled by management consultancy firm A.T. Kearney on their Global Cities Index. Countries were ranked based on the scores of 5 key areas: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, & political engagement. While this ranking is for 2010, I doubt if there's any major

Where I Live

2011-12-20T11:18:00.006+08:00

No, it's not Hong Kong This is a two-part series involving two places where I spend plenty of time, if not most of it. It's not really specific to my apartment or work place but rather the areas around it. In other words, it's like walking with me and 'see' what I see whenever I walk in my neck of the woods. As someone whose travel itch has brought me beyond New York on many occasions, I feel

Biking For Adobo

2011-12-12T01:48:00.062+08:00

It's always a thrill to bike. The rush of air is invigorating. New places look better when you face it head-on and not through the window of a tour bus. When I saw there were some bike rental shops in Anchorage, I made sure I'd have time for it. My last day was devoted on just two wheels and my quest to eat Pinoy food. First, I needed a good breakfast. There's a restaurant in the hotel but I

From Wilderness to the City

2011-12-05T05:38:00.017+08:00

"The ferry is not sailing today", Dave announced after we made it into Valdez ferry dock. We've already packed everything from tents to pots and backpacks. All we were hoping for was getting on that boat, sail to Whittier and drive to Anchorage - in the process completing a circuit of southcentral Alaska. Unfortunately, we were subject to the vagaries of weather. Up north in Alaska (and in the

Shoup Glacier

2011-11-27T06:51:00.039+08:00

Walking on a glacier. Check. Climbing an ice wall on a glacier. Check. Kayaking in front of a glacier. Why not? Glaciers don't just terminate on a lake. They also end up right at sea. In Alaska, the pristine coastline is dotted with glaciers loaded with ancient ice calving right into the sea, thus the so-called tidewater glaciers. Chunks of ice that break off become ice bergs. Y'all already

High School Hill

2011-11-20T10:14:00.027+08:00

A heavy blanket of fog wrestled with the morning sun as I poked my head out of our tent. My 'roommate' Vladimir was still sound asleep, buried in his own sleeping bag. He must have been tired trying to maintain a bonfire while it was raining the previous evening. As for me, I've slept well ahead of others, lulled by the sound of rain and dreaming of a sunny day. The camp ground was wet. Since

Beauty In The Rain

2011-11-13T10:52:00.088+08:00

From Chitina, we drove on Richardson Highway towards Valdez, 120 miles (193 kms) away. It was supposedly one of the most scenic highways in Alaska but the rain and the clouds kept most of the snow-capped mountains hidden. Ma Nature obviously was in charge of the show and there's nothing we can do. To keep our spirits up, Dave had us play the 'temperature game', making guesses of the current

On McCarthy Road

2011-11-05T08:52:00.005+08:00

"Carry these rocks with you", our guide Dave told us. For a moment I was perplexed what they were for. He wasn't saying anything more but he truly meant something. So off we followed him down the path, each of us carrying a large piece of rock weighing at least 15 pounds. Soon, we were at the base of Kuskulana Bridge, spanning across this deep canyon while below us was this raging river fed by

Tale of Two Ghost Towns

2011-10-30T11:39:00.020+08:00

Remote property anyone? Hardly anything was known of Alaska's interior when it was sold by the Russians to the US in 1867. The American public at the time thought it was such a waste of money to spend $7.2 million dollars on something so remote, so vast and so unexplored. Yet after a few year's time, Alaska would prove itself to be a goldmine of natural wealth and incredible beauty. The

Fall Hike In The Gunks

2011-10-23T09:52:00.031+08:00

Before the riotous colors of fall fade away, it's time to get out and see this natural canvas that only a painter could dream about. There's certainly no dearth in the American Northeast as it is blessed with abundant state parks. Depending on location, it could be anywhere from midpoint to peak to past peak in color change. Add an eight mile hike to that objective and we've got a perfect day

Ice Climbing

2011-10-16T09:51:00.043+08:00

"Belay on" "On belay" "Climbing" "Climb away" These were some of the commands we learned on our first attempt at ice climbing. Right in front of us was a wall of whiteness - ancient pure ice, sculpted by Ma Nature. Louie, our local guide for the day, was teaching us the basics of hauling ourselves up a frozen wall. It's his first season guiding in Alaska but shows an impressive resume from

Into Big Wilderness

2011-10-09T07:03:00.119+08:00

A bush plane takes off from McCarthy airstrip Alaska is America's big last frontier; so big you can fit 4 times the size of California in it. Its vast wilderness is even more magnified by the fact that it is the least densely populated state in the entire U.S. With 710,000 inhabitants sharing 586,412 square miles, that translates to only 1.2 person per square mile! Anyone who loves the

When Power Bars Are Not Enough

2011-10-03T08:56:00.018+08:00

It's been a long time since I've stayed at a place with a shared bath. Fortunately, my single room at Qupquigiac Inn was just adjacent to one that's spotlessly clean. As nature has intended it to be, my bladder woke me up sometime at 1 AM. In my half-asleep-half-awake state of mind, I opened the door to the loo without knocking. It wasn't locked. And there sitting on the throne was a woman

Goodbye Irene...Hello Alaska!

2011-09-27T06:44:00.043+08:00

Seat-back worry aboard Continental Airlines Exactly a month ago, I was at Newark Airport at 8 AM to catch a flight to Alaska. On that same day, one hurricane named Irene was spiraling its way up the East Coast, headed for the New York area. The skies were gray, the mood was somber. Not really a perfect day to fly. Especially when you hear the pilot announcing on the PA "please expect a bumpy

Tokyo: Electronics & Anime

2011-09-24T08:43:00.313+08:00

A 'bullet train' zooms past Tokyo's Hamamasutcho Station After getting a 'cultural high' in Kyoto & Nara, I found myself back in Tokyo again, back to where this trip in Japan began. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes of smooth, quiet and super-punctual journey on the Shinkansen Hikari. A train journey that I must say has got me envious of the Japanese - after all, trains in the US still travel on

Gates & Temples

2011-09-16T08:16:00.041+08:00

A Japanese devotee bows before entering the Romon Gate leading to the Fushimi Inari Shrine During WWII, when military planners made a list of Japanese cities targeted for atomic bombing, Kyoto was included. But thanks to Henry Stimson's opposition, (then U.S Secretary of War and one-time Governor General of the Philippines), Kyoto was removed from the list. The reason? He fell in love with the

Another Long Hot Day In Kyoto

2011-09-08T09:36:00.054+08:00

Just two days before the big Gion Matsuri Festival in Kyoto, I found myself sweating a lot going from one must-visit spot to another. It was hot and humid and it seem like more people have jostled themselves into an already crowded city in anticipation of this big Japanese festival. Around 9 AM, I hopped on a bus at the rail station and hoped I wouldn't miss the correct bus stop. Luckily, there

Off To Alaska...Hopefully

2011-08-26T10:55:00.016+08:00

Allow me to interrupt my "Japan series" so I can write something about this trip that may or may not push through tomorrow. This all depends on 'Hurricane Irene', expected to hit New York City this weekend. As I write this, on a Friday evening just after work, my Anchorage-bound flight on Continental Airlines has not yet been canceled. Online check-in is still "live". My fingers are crossed that

Kyoto, Japan

2011-08-24T07:14:00.063+08:00

Old houses still survive in Kyoto despite encroaching development Anyone traveling to Japan has plenty of choices to stay in, from Western-style hotels and hostels to unique lodgings like the capsule hotels (which are really cramp) and some temples (very spartan). And then there are traditional Japanese-style accommodations, starting from the cheaper minshuku (bed-and-breakfast) to the

Miyajima Island

2011-08-18T08:47:00.048+08:00

From Mt. Fuji to cherry blossoms, bonsai to origami, sushi to samurai, Godzilla to Hello Kitty, there's a veritable litany of Japanese symbols. Including a torii. Back in my younger years reading 'komiks', illustrators often depict travel to Japan by drawing a torii in the background. But what's a torii? A torii is a traditional Japanese gate that leads to Shinto shrines including Japanese