Reminiscing Visayas

Visayas has been on the news since October. First, the magnitude 7.2 magnitude quake that hit the Central Visayas region which had inflicted damage to properties and lives, including century-old churches of Bohol and Cebu. Just two weeks ago, super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) had wreaked unimaginable havoc to the Visayas Region; Easter Visayas was worst hit by the super typhoon. With winds reaching up to 315 kph, everything was diminished into pieces. Yolanda had claimed so much lives and properties and it was a hard lesson to all of us.

Here's a quick round-up of my epic Visayas trip last year, way before the strong Central Visayas quake and Yolanda.

Why You Should Road Trip Instead of Flying

Road trips over flying the plane.

While flying in an airplane to get to a destination can save you on time, taking a road trip is a viable option for those who have a bit of extra time to spend. Better yet, the road will provide you with certain advantages that a flight will never give you. Here are some reasons why you should road trip instead of flying.

Skip The Airport Process - All in all, the process of getting a flight can be a terrible experience. First of all, you have to pay a load of money way in advance for a ticket. But what if you want to simply go on a spur of the moment adventure this weekend? Then you’re going to have to pay even more just to go. A road trip doesn’t require all that planning and you can live as spontaneously as you’d like. Furthermore, going through security and checking your bags is a stressful pain at the best of times, especially if they get lost. But when you hop in your car and go, you don’t have to worry about any of that. Save yourself money and headaches, with road trips instead of airplanes. And if you are in any doubt that airports are stressful, a 2011 report called them ‘more stressful than moving house’.

Postcard: The Storm Has Passed

The Cessna and Rainbow. Photo by Ryan Zuniga

It's been two and a half weeks since Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) had wreaked unimaginable havoc in the Visayas region. The disaster had claimed thousands of lives, millions worth of properties and livelihood, and had displaced more than four million people. We have witnessed how cities and towns fell and how our fellowmen and even several countries around the world have extended their help in order to rebuild and claim what was lost during the disaster. We had already experienced this kind of adversary in the past, and I am confident that we'll rise again.

Always remember that you are a spectacular gift to the world. After the storm comes a rainbow - a reminder that no matter how bitter and harsh life is, better days follow.

5 Christmas Break Trips Across America the Whole Family Will Love

Every winter, about 15 percent of Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), according to CNN. Why have your family be susceptible to winter blues from the same old stay at home this Christmas Break when you can savor the festive sights and sounds of somewhere new? Whether you're hoping to feel sand between your toes or snow crunch beneath your boots, here's five terrific destinations that are bound to make sure your entire family has a happy holiday:

• Park City, Utah — For families seeking a White Christmas, Park City has an annual December snowfall of 44 inches, according to Utah.com. Only about a half hour from Salt Lake International Airport, Park City features three renowned mountain resorts and more than 100 bars and restaurants. In addition to mini snowmobiles for children between the ages of 5 and 12, other kid-friendly activities include hot air balloon rides, skiing, snowboarding and lift-served inner tubing hills

Photo by Keith L Kendrick via Flickr

• San Diego, California — If you’re hoping to soak up a little more sun during your break, there’s plenty of room to do that with the more than 70 miles of beaches in this Southern California spot. In addition to whale watching tours and several family attractions in San Diego, Balboa Park offers 1,200 acres that include 15 major museums, cultivated gardens and the world famous San Diego Zoo. The park features a carousel adjacent to the zoo and the half-mile Balboa Park Miniature Railroad trip takes families through 4 acres of the park in about 3 minutes.

Postcard: Shadow of the Day

Plaridel, Bulacan

Day 7. Plaridel Airport, Bulacan.

Almost everyday, we get the chance to witness Plaridel's beautiful sunset. It so happened that the facility is facing west and the weather's always fine. Here are some of my sunset photos in Plaridel, Bulacan, all of which were taken using my iPhone. The image quality's really good and I only did a few tweaks through Afterlight (a photo app).

Why Explore the World

What kind of world do we live in?

Explore the world! Photo by Lyle Malubay

Young people of the previous generations had always craved for an adventure - to explore the unknown and discover new realms beyond the seemingly endless horizon. And whenever they go back to their respective homes, they were eager to share their experiences, good or bad. As modern day sets in, there are a number of peope who still opt to visit various places but it seemed, were cut from the experience of culture, and from the truest meaning of traveling and exploring. There were many factors that were held up to blame: modern lifestyle, urban living, computers and gadgets, and the Internet. But, modernity shouldn't be solely blamed for it had contributed greatly of informing others about traveling through blogs, websites, and social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. What lacks people these days to discover the world is the drive and passion of experiencing life beyond their comfort zones. Our comfort zones. I guess we have all lived in mediocrity for a long time.

Five Things That You Shouldn't Miss in Davao City

Davao City. Photo credit

With a total land area of 244,000 hectares, Davao City has so much to offer - from the picturesque beaches of Samal Island to the cool climate of mountain resorts located at the foot of Mount Apo, the country's highest peak. And yes, you, visitor of this mighty city shouldn't miss out these five things uniquely Davao, because these will surely make your visit in the city a memorable one.

Tomorrow Is Always A Brighter Day

Tomorrow's a brighter day.

It's been a while since the last time we visited Plaridel Airport here in Bulacan. Unlike our previous visit, we are required to stay longer... at least three weeks (of course, we are still allowed to go home during our breaks, that is, if you're willing to sacrifice your time and EFFORT in commuting back to the metro, hehe).

The past few days were really tough. The whole country mourned after the gruesome images of of the Yolanda aftermath circulated the world wide web. It was tagged as one of the most powerful storm system generated this year. It had wreaked unimaginable havoc starting from the eastern Visayas region up to the northern Palawan region, where tens of thousands were believed dead and hundreds of thousands homeless in this ordeal. Not to mention that the primary road networks to the affected areas are impassable, making the delivery of the relief goods more difficult than it was anticipated.

Brilliant Destination Ideas For The Best Stag Party For Your Friends

Photo by Melanie Wilde of Flickr

A stag party, like the wedding that follows, needs to be an event that forges life-long memories, as well as strengthening friendships. Today there are plenty of options for people who want to host a particularly special party. Here is a look at just some of the top destinations.

If you are organizing a stag party then there is probably a lot on your plate, with expectations running sky-high and pressures mounting as the big day approaches.

If you want to avoid a quiet night at the local pub, then taking a full stag weekend away to a different part of the country or the world is fun and affordable thanks to sites like Red7 Leisure.

This overview of a few top destinations for your next stag weekend will keep the groom and the guests happy, all of which can be found via Red7 Leisure.

Ramen Party at Kichitora of Tokyo

Ramen Night!

Eating noodles (or let me just write 'ramen', for fancy writing purpose) for lunch or dinner is not really my thing because the only people who do that are those who are sick and require urgent TLC - no, not the tomato-lettuce-catsup, but Tender-Loving-Care. Lol.

My good old friend (yes, emphasis on OLD) invited me on his post birthday celebration at a nearby ramen house in Glorietta 5. Quite a bit excited though because I am tired of eating the same food all over again whenever I'm home.