Sunday, November 1, 2009

Bitten By the Travel Bug!

Newsflash: You have just made us NUMBER 1 in Koh Samui through your votes for the Ultimate Thailand Explorers! :) This is the first time we made it in the top spot. We are overwhelmed by your support. Thank you especially to our friends in the media who have taken time to write and feature us. We feel like celebrities already. Hehe, We went around town yesterday to campaign and the people of Zamboanga City were very positive.  Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!  Keep us at the TOP by voting everyday till Nov. 12:
 Torre Molinos, Spain


My husband Michael and I are  both passionate about traveling and exploring other cultures.

     
                                  Gaudi's work in Barcelona, Spain 


 I have been traveling since I was 12  and  writing and taking photos about my travel since age 22. I have been blessed to be born into a set of parents whose credo is "Travel is the best education a parent  can give their children."  I noticed through the years that the number of countries I have traveled to always exceeds my age and I have my parents to thank for that. I am now in country 38. 




       Plaza de Espana in Sevile where they filmed 
               Star Wars: Attack of the Clones


I took up Business Management and Communications in college and eventually started working for the print and TV media. Because of my work, I have been privileged to be given the chance  to go around Asia-- to shoot, produce  and write stories.  It's a pleasure to go to exotic places and  rub shoulders with people whose culture and language are uniquely different from yours and to discover you're not as separate and  different from them  as you'd like to  think. 


Michael, on the other hand, has been going on cross country tours in his motorcycle since his early twenties. He got his motorcycle at age 18 and he has traveled around 12,000 kilometers with his bike.  He is still using that same bike today.  Five years ago, he and his brother established a travel agency. He has been managing it since and it thrills him to travel vicariously through his clients as he books airplanes tickets and designs tour packages for them. 


        Enjoying the sea breeze at Microtel, Cebu


One of our faith goals, when we got married was to see the world together before we start a family. So far, we have traveled together to the following places  around the Philippines: 


Cebu--It is also called the queen of the south, and was mentioned by Celtic singer Enya in her song Ornico Flow.  Cebu is famous as the landing site for Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It was here  where he was killed by Lapu-lapu, a local datu. It is known for its white- sand beaches, well-crafted guitars and the local delicacy danggit (Cebu's salted fish). Cebu is the hometown of furniture designer Kenneth Cobunpue and fashion designer to Hollywood stars Monique Lhuillier. 





Bohol-- Bohol has so much to offer, from the famous Chocolate Hills to the tarsiers,  smallest primates in the world, to some of the  most beautiful and diverse  dive sites in Asia. While there you can visit, the Bee Farm and taste local salad made of flowers and pasta with coconut milk.  You can also  ride an All-Terrain Vehicle to take you on a worms-eye view of the chocolate hills.  Go dolphin watching at dawn and swim with the fishes at Balicasag Island. And don't miss the Loboc River cruise  and enjoy the sumptuous buffet lunch onboard while being serenaded by the locals. 


  


         Mitra's Ranch in Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan


Palawan--Palawan is an eco-tourist's and adventurer's  paradise. It known for its exotic flora and fauna, the crystal clear beaches and lagoons  and  the breathtakingly raw and  jagged islands. (Read my article about Coron, Palawan at http://jctravelblog.blogspot.com) 





Boracay Island-- In my travels, I haven't seen a beach that can rival Boracay's powdery-white sand and 4-kilometer long  beach front.  It is a perfect getaway with friends. All sorts of water sports await you in Boracay.  You can even play pingpong under the sea! (Yes, we have! And it's on video, too.) If you get tired of the beach, you can also try your hand at golf, biking or this crazy attraction called Zorb that has you bouncing inside a giant plastic ball filled with water. Not for faint of heart.



There's a lot more travel stories & pictures  to come. Do watch out for that . . . Have a great day!  



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