Mountain Province

To be honest, this is my first time to see Banaue Rice Terraces in real life. I have been to Sagada a couple years back but never tried to visit one of Philippine's beloved attractions! I was lucky. Because that cloud on top of the photo is rain. Real heavy rain. About 30 mins after this photo was taken, heavy rain poured. We were like ants being played by a mean kid with a bucket of water! The place is really spectacular. Why am I here again in Ifugao? Well, I have this project for HABI Philippines and I was tasked to photographed the different disciplines in weaving. I am fortunate enough to be chosen as their photographer. Only a few can have an opportunity like this. I really worked hard for this. Blood sweat and tears actually.

Anyway, I am travelling with Dr. Norma Respicio. She is a professor in UP Diliman. She will accompany me to the different weaving places around the country. The photos that I took will soon graze the pages of this coffee table book that HABI will make. So I cant post them yet. I can post some scenic photos though just for this blog. This is actually my 5th province. I will make a blog out of the different provinces as well soon. We stayed at Banaue Hotel. Place is really nice. Its kinda outdated but its alright. What do I meant by outdated? Windows doesnt have screens. Toilets have no bidet... but theres hot water and thats fine with me.

The view of the restaurant is pretty insane! You can see the clouds swoop down the mountain side as the birds fly so high and wildly. I am really enjoying this hot cup of brewed  coffee along with my toasted bread with butter and scrambled eggs! This reminds me of getting a toaster soon! Anyway, this place rocks. I really love this spot over here. 

From Banaue, we have to go to Bontoc to take pictures at this town called and called Lagawe. Its a small town but rich in culture. There were reports that police intercepted a bus harbouring passengers smuggling large amounts of Marijuana. That means bus is not coming and we have to ride a tricycle going to Bontoc. It was a long ride. Like 2 and a half hours. Its bumpy. Loud. Kinda dangerous because of the potential mud slides and rock debris falling at the side of the mountain due to heavy rains. Thank God we arrived safe in Bontoc. 

Bontoc is already industrialised. I guess this is the center of commerce in the mountain province. Last year i was here for the Lang-ay festival. Different tribes from different areas dance and showcased their beautiful costumes at the streets! I dont really watch festivals. I think that was my first time and it was really good! 

At Bontoc, we visited a town called Samoki. Its a town rich in harvesting rice, selling meat (mostly pork) and weaving. We talked to the elderly people who still do the art of weaving. Few of them still do it. Sadly its a dying culture. I just hope that more people will appreciate and  patronise this dying art. A piece of cloth about 3-4 meters long will be finished for a week if done straight and non stop. Thats why that piece of cloth is quite expensive. But the hardwork to make that is all worth it.  

People live here in a very simple life. They dont live lavishly like the most people. I saw this old lady feeding her chickens as she sit down in her make shift wooden chair.  This photo had a deep impact in to me coz it may come unusual but this is their way of life.

We have to go back to Banaue to visit this town called Lagawe. From Lagawe, we have to go to this place called Kianggan. This place is believed to be the origin of the Ifugaos. On our way, we stopped for a while to take a photo of the beautiful Bay-yo Rice Terraces. It is really something. Looking at it along with the cold air will give you goosebumps. Its so serene and really a sight to see. 

My journey to Banaue and then going to Bontoc is one of my most memorable moments of my travelling live. Inspite of the heavy rains, we managed to visit the places that we need to go and meet people that we would want to meet. Somehow this job requires a lot of patience and hardwork. You have to prepare physically or you'll get sick quickly. Good thing we passed all that and did our job  even though we soaking wet. Truly the places up north is must to visit. If ever i had a chance, i would definitely want to go back. 

Zambalove

When somebody asks you " Do you have any plans this weekend? " My eyes usually brights up and I immediately ask why. Are we going somewhere? Usually the answer is yes! As an ultimate kaladkarin, I just have to pack my clothes, my gear and all my bags and leave. Im going to embark on a trip to one of my favorite places in Luzon, Zambales. Where everything is chill, fun and wet. Welcome to Liw- Liwa! A weekend trip that is hard to forget! Join me in my journey! 

Zambales sand is not white but its fairly fine. What i love with Liw-Liwa's beach is that the sea shore is very wide.  Free of coconut trees that usually causes debris. It means you can do a lot of things like pitch a tent, play frisbee, or do team building activities or maybe just lay a beach mat, bring out the cooler and drink all day! 

Drinking  ice cold beer at the beach is one of my favorite things to do in life. Its almost like a bliss when you bury your feet into the sand as it massages you while you sip and listen to the sound of the waves. Its like a barrage of emotions rushing into your head! You just wanna close your eyes and savor the moment. 

Wanna get wet and stoked? Go surf! Liwa's waves are really nice. Wether you're an expert or a beginner, pretty sure you will have fun riding it. I think for less than 500 pesos, you can already rent out the board and get the surfing lessons. Board rental is 250. If you wish to have an instructor with you, 450.

The kuyas out there are really nice and friendly. Pretty sure you will learn surfing asap. We even went to their workshop and we saw them refurbishing a beat down surf board. Its pretty gruelling stuff but perfection needs patience and great craftsmanship. It's nice hanging out with them. 

We stayed at Le Quvoh Beachfront Resort. I love it there. Its super chill. They have this suite room for only 5,000 pesos where four of you can fit in. You can actually get an extra bed where you can fit up to six. Its really nice. It has its own bathroom. You have a balcony. Its aircon. Pretty decent for 5k. 

Its a great place to hangout. Have deep conversations... haha. I dunno. Mingle. Have a glass of wine. Or drink booze by the balcony as you stare at the beach. Life is good. 

That is actually Black Label on a wine glass. Im just out there chillin. I think I was starting to get wasted early. Like wer drinking as early as 1pm. We had.., black label, some Jack... we had beer, and yes i also brought some wine. By the way that wine glass is actually made of acrylic. Bought it at Crates and Barrel specifically for times like these. I used it a lot of times but never brought it to the beach. This is actually her debut beach trip. =)

If you're on a budget, you can actually pitch a tent for a small fee of 250 pesos. You just have to pay an extra 100 pesos each for the entrance. Theres a common bathroom. Theres also a cooking area. You can bring food if you wish. Let me whisper this to your ears come close, theres no corkage... Hell yeah! I saw a large group there. They had like 10-12 tents! It was crazy! They pitched just beside the beach.  They were all having drinks...partying like crazy. They'r having the time of their lives. 

I saw this FJ Cruiser having fun at the beach! Cruising with friends as they circle around the shore! I even saw this ford ranger around while the girls on their bikinis at the back! Oh yeah. hehe. I dont wanna be the driver of that pickup, i just wanna be the dude at the back of the truck along with the girls...wet and crazy! haha :P Jk lang.  Im a good boy. 

Watching the sunset is something I really love doing. Its proof that no matter how rough the day went by, it will end beautifully somehow. Liw-Liwa's beach has one of the perfect vantage points if you want to see the sunset. Its mesmerising. Bro can I get a tissue, i feel like crying... joke! 

I met a couple of people there at Liwa. They were sitting by the shore looking at their friend as he was busy surfing. I noticed the girl, is using a Fuji camera. I was thinking, it would be hard for her to take pictures using the kit lens. I was kind enough to offer my telephoto so she can take pics of her friend. We had a long chat about photography. About manila traffic... and a lot of stuff. It was pretty nice convo. She was a physical therapist. (I'd love to have therapy that time though). She was like a regular at Liw-Liwa. So regular that she actually  knows the locals out there! She knew the surf instructors. She knew ate who sells keychains and souvenirs. It was amazing! Sad thing about that moment was, I never asked for her name. Nor her number. Nor her facebook account. Nothing.  We just talked like we knew each other without knowing our names. How stupid could I be? 

Im almost at the end of this blog. Its really nice blogging again. I dunno, last couple of years was rough for me and its like i dont give an F to the world anymore... why blog about it. I realised that, the world is full of changes. You may be down but you can always go up. Its like a wheel ran over some dog shit.  As the wheel roll, shit eventually goes off. So as in life, just keep on rollin' off the shit out of you. Just dont stop and move forward. Its pretty disgusting analogy thou...

Im leaving you with this short video that I made. Forgive me since im still studiying making videos though. Im not good flying a drone for now... These four clips actually took a lot of re-takes. Well, its ok to make mistakes. Thats life. You can always try again. Just make sure you have a lot of batteries  or you'll fish out your drone at the sea. 

Anyways, I would like to thank my friends Mark and Jinnie for inviting me. It was crazy of you guys to make it last minute. Also to Le Quvoh Beachfront Resort over at Liw-Liwa Zambales. Specially to Ate Mhy and Kuya Ferds. Thank you so much. We will be back soon. And most specially, to our Lord almighty who continues to shower us  with blessings, talents and beauty all around us. Thank you for always keeping us safe at our travels. Salamat Zambales. Salamat sa Dagat at Alat. Till next time!  

The Purple Owl Tagaytay

Ok im somehow o a roll here in making these blog posts. So anyway. I was really busy doing a lot of food photography. I had really interesting clients and their food is just superb. Like this one on top is from The Purple Owl in Tagaytay. That place is really amazing. Not to mention they have really nice food! This dish is their Rosemary Chicken and by the smell of it, your tummy will go on world war 3! Its smells so good and yes it really is delicious. Probably one of the best chicken dish I ever had. 

They also have their delicious Porchetta! Its actually much more delicious Lechon Belly. That crunch from the pig skin is like a sound from heavens above. Its crackling like the thunder! Enough with those words mac.. haha. I tell you this dish is so good. I really dont know how was it made. All i know is that , their recipes for their dishes is handed from generations to generations. Its like theres a soul into their dishes. Theres history of some sort. All made with love... 

Their pumpkin soup is also one of the best. People actually come back to Purple owl for this soup. Its so delicious. You'l just close your eyes in awe... Its heaven. I really would like to thank my good friend Ms. Anne Cua for helping me with the styling for this shoot. She really has great vision. Anne actually makes my job easy. :)

This is actually my favorite dish from that shoot. The most amazing Beef In Beer! Oh yes. Its that soft beef infused with your local beer. Drenched in that thick, dark sauce.... ugh you will instantly forget your name as you take a bite.  Its so good. You better shovel a lot rice for this one... Its so delicious. 

Purple owl is actually an events place. Couples usually go here. Most of them to propse.... or have that intimate date. Give them a call first and they will do all the decorations. All the set up. All that mood that you want on a date. They will do it for you. They will set it up in their big garden. You can have the most intimate dinner while watching a movie..as they will set up a projector by your table... Yeah. Place is really amazing. Go check them out. Go visit the Purple Owl in their facebook page for more info. 

The Sagada Connection

Have you ever been into a place where time pauses. Where complications in life is almost zero. Where simplicity is the norm and looking at clouds swooping down the mountains is merely an ordinary thing. Here in Sagada, its just like that. It's cold. simple and you get to walk a lot. Dont forget to bring your fit-bit with you. You'l get a lot of steps just by going around here. 

I came up of an easier way to share my trip to you guys. Im just gonna post all of my favorite pictures from my trip and talk a little something about it. I have this problem arranging the events so I just have to go random. Here are my top photos from the last Sagada - Kalinga Trip. Photo on top is from the mountain side going to Danum Lake. It was very foggy then. I was thankful the cloud openned up a little just to get this shot...  

This is Saagada Brew and they serve one of the best coffee in town. I also like the food in here. They also serve different kinds of tea. This place is a must visit if you happen to be in Sagada. Im sure you will love it. 

This photo was taken going to Danum Lake. We rode a jeep going to the place and the roads are kinda bumpy but its all good.  The mountain view is spectacular! You can see the rice fields on your left and on your right. Its not a long trip. I assure you, you will enjoy it. 

One thing I like from this place  is the cold weather! Its really far of from the musty , dry and sizzling hotness of manila. Its cold but tolerable. Just wear descent amount of clothes and you'l be ok. This is a photo from our bus stop I think.  Hours before reaching the town of Sagada. 

This is the view from our hotel room. The place is called Treasure Rock and according to TripAdvisor.com it is one of the best hotels to stay in Sagada. Kuya Jerry, the manager of the place is really nice. He also has a small bar where you can sing and drink all night. He can even fix a bonfire for you if you want to warm yourselves down.  

I woke up early from our bus trip. It was almost a 10 hour bus ride from Manila. I wanted to take a photo of what its like to drive the treacherous mountains of Sagada. Taking this is actually hard coz of all the twists and turns. Hands to the bus driver whose brave enough to do such a feat of driving 10 hours straight in this cold weather... 

You'l see a lot of these in Sagada. I shot this on our way to Bomod-ok waterfalls.. Its a long trek, about an hour I think going to the falls. View is really amazing. So relaxing that its theraputic. Cool in the eyes...fresh air. Its rejuvinating. 

Sometimes its all about breaking the rules. In the course of my photography career, i have been following rules on how to properly frame a photo. Disregarding the rules of composition, i still find this photo very nice. Maybe because i had a reminscin moment from my last trip way back that I almost fell from one of these... Im just happy i had the right balance now.  

We went to this place called the Strawberry Cafe. I love their coffee! Partnered with the traditional toast and eggs and bacon, it was awesome. I really love the bacon.  Its so crispy! 

Not only the food is great but also the view. You can even see a lot of strawberries everywhere. This is one of those places that you need to visit. The abundance of good restaurants in Sagada is surely a delight for foodie like me. Basically its one of those reasons I enjoyed the trip because of the good food!

Never seen a rainbow on a ricefield ever. So this one is really special to me. I was hoping theres a treasure in there...then iit came to me that the treasure is already in front of you. 

Caught up with Niko and Lorie with their sweet and intimate moments at the hanging bridge....We're almost there at the waterfalls. From here, we can hear the water gushing already. This bridge is wiggly so better brace yourself as you cross it. 

The famous Bomod-Ok Falls! After that long trek, i just have to take my shirt off and dive! Water is so cold! Freezing is the right word but its really refreshing. Be extra careful on the rocks though coz its really slippery! I actually fell while taking this shot.... 

We went to this restaurant called Masferre and man you got to try their porkchops. Its so damn delicious. I really dunno how they cooked this. Its just tasty. Kinda buttery. I love this. You have to try it. The place is really nice too if you're a photographer. You can see a lot of black and white portraits there. I believe the owner is a photographer as well and the portraits of the locals and scenery is exquisite. 

The Sumaguing Cave trek was intense! It was enormous inside. Although it was kinda damp and slippery (and bat stinky) it was an amazing experience. I tried swimming inside in one of the lakes and damn it was freezing cold! Its quite an experience! 

Once inside, you might find the rock formations pretty entertaining! Plus the guides are all witty themselves that made this spelunking trip full of laughs! 

This is the famous Lake Danum in Sagada! We stayed here for a while and when it was starting to drizzle, we went back to our jeep.  I just hope I can be as flexible as Dawna :)

at the end of the day, you just have to be thankful for all the things that you'ved seen. The food that you ate. The experiences tattooed in your mind. Sometimes its just alright to stop taking pictures and just feel the moment. Feel your very existence. My Sagada experience was exceptional and I cant wait to go back. There are some sites that I havent been to like the Kiltepan Sunrise and Sunset, the hanging coffins and Marlboro Country. Im gonna be back for sure. Watch out for my second part of my blog - The Kalinga Expedition , The Road to Apo Whang-Od. Thanks guys!

My Solo Trip to Kalanggaman Island

If you are fond of travelling to beaches with a spectacular sandbar, this is the place that you probably want to visit. Just in case you have a drone with you, you are lucky. This island is best viewed in the air! Since im poor and cant afford to buy a drone yet, I'll settle with these pictures for now. The place is pretty much amazing to me. Amazing enough to go even when you're travelling alone! Welcome to Kalanggaman Island. I'l show you my journey to this wonderful piece of land. Tara! Biyahe tayo!

This is actually a group trip. Unfortunately, all of em backed out. I cant blame one of em coz she got really sick and even got rushed in the hospital. This is actually my first time to travel alone. It's different when you travel with a group tour like the ones in group trips. There, even if you're a solo traveller, you are still travelling with a group. Sometimes you even get lucky bumpin with some of your old friends... sometimes even your ex. This one is different coz you are on your own. You buy your own ticket, You ride the plane alone. You go hitchin a van and a tricycle all by yourself. You have to use your brains and wits to endure this trip. By that, it's something challenging. Im'ma tell you I was afraid at first coz my effin conscience tells me a lot of what ifs... Damn i just got out of my bed, packed my bags and went to the airport! I got to do this coz we only live once! 

A lot of things great things happened! Things that normally dont happen when your travelling with someone. Like, my pair of nose hair trimmers got confiscated...i didnt know its illegal to bring those on a carry on... Things like sitting beside a window. When I was with.... :(  Most of the time I gave her the window seat coz she likes it there even though i really like to sit there as well. Im not complaining or anything. I just want her to enjoy the flight.  Now that Im all alone, i have the window seat all by myself. I took the early morning flight which is a good thing coz you'll see moments like this! Sunrise at 30,000 feet! It's such an awesome view! 

When the plane was above Bicol region, I saw Mayon Volcano in its most epic view! It's really amazing. I never saw Mayon like that... It's really spectacular! I'm like a kid who just went on his 1st airplane ride! I was also thankful back then that the weather is really good. Back in Manila, it was raining really hard. Maybe thats one of the reasons why some of my travel mates backed out. Sayang coz the weather going to Leyte was really smooth. 

Her name is Blanch. She's the head flight attendant of this trip. I have to admit shes pretty. Wait what?  Why am I checkin her out? Well I dunno... Maybe because we were given eyes to see the beauty of God's creations? hmm.. anyways. On with the trip! 

I have reached Tacloban at around 7am and when I got out of the airport, a crowd of testosterone filled van drivers rushed towards me asking me where I'm going... I said I'm going to Palompon City. One driver asked me to rent his van all by myself by 3,500 pesos! Hell no! One guy took me to his tricycle and took me to Abucay Terminal where the vans and busses are located going to Palompon. That guy charged me 250 pesos! I could have just rode a jeep for less than 10 pesos! Oh well. Charged to experience!

At the van, I took shotgun and paid for the seats in front! I was really comfy along with my bags beside me. I saw the winding roads of Leyte! The rice fields. The different towns that is used to be  devastated by Typhoon Yolanda. I saw their fast development and recovery. A lot of buildings are newly built but you can still see some structures ravaged by the typhoon. It was a long ride but I enjoyed it! 

I arrived at Palompon and I registered at the Eco Tourism Building. Thats the place where you can schedule a boat ride going to Kalanggaman Island. The staff there also briefed me about what to expect in the island. They told me that there are no stores in the island. There are no freshwater to drink. Theres no electricity. But phone signal is strong. Ok.. They also told me that the boat going to the island costs 3,000 pesos! Good Lord! I have to wait for some people to split the fair with. I waited for 3 hours and I almost lost hope. Good thing 3 couples arrived and there it is! With that stroke of luck, we we're on our way! But before left, I  already bought some food. I also bought a litter of drinking water for myself. I should have bought two!  Im'ma stay overnight at the island. Im going to pitch my tent there. I just bought a couple of noodles, some bread, crackers and coffee to live... 

I met these really nice people! All of em are actually travellers in their own way! One couple actually owns an online travel website and they'r doing an ocular visit to Kalanggaman! The guy at the back, Kiko, loves to travel around the country like theres no tomorrow! He really uses his Vacation leaves really well coz he travels for 2 weeks straight!!! Amazing... How I wish I can do that as well! Its great to meet all of them! 

Kalanggaman is not really that far from Palompon. If you're a seasoned swimmer or a freaking triathlete you can just swim your way to the island! I'm neither and I'm freakin fat and slow so riding a boat is probably a better idea for me. This is my favorite shot everytime I travel by boat. I just hope someday my go pro wont go diving ahead of me. I'd have to punch myself if ever that happens. From this photo, you can see Kalanggaman Island peeking! I am actually excited right at this moment! 

We're here! The beach is really nice! The best thing about this trip is that theres almost nobody in the island! During peak season, this island is packed with tourists! And that sucks. Locals said that there are times, international cruise ships once anchor docks  beside the island bringing people at the beach! Man thats crazy! I guess I came in a good day or am I? Imagine hot semi naked latinas playin beach volleyball... Ugh anyways.. Thank goodness! I cant believe  I'm really here! Its like I was sitting by my couch early that morning  contemplating on going or not and by a thrust of self encouragement from my crazy conscience, Im here!  Kalanggaman! You have been conquered by my crazy self!  Haha.  I'm so happy! 

The sand is white! Its not that fine though like the ones in Boracay, Bohol or Palawan. But I dont give a flying fck! Its a beach!!! Its my place of zen! I missed this! I missed it a lot. Took my slippers off and jumped onto the sand.... That feeling of sand hugs your feet is one of those things that I really really like.  

 I grabbed my stuff and I didnt even pitched my tent yet unlike the others. I just placed my stuff beneath a tree and went straight to Kalanggaman's famous sandbar! I just have to congratulate myself for travelling with a light camera! I love my Fuji XT1! Its not bulky and it makes awesome photos! I also brought along my GoPro for some wide shots like this. Of course like any other freaking tourist, I took a selfie! Theres a huge sign saying that swimming is prohibited around this area since the current is really strong that it may pull you down. You can swim at the middle part of the island though. As of the moment, i think my skin tone got 3 shades darker and its all good! 

I really need to have a moment at this monument (that freakin rhymes). According to the scripture at the bottom, this is the only remaining man-made structure standing after typhoon Haiyan. Can you just imagine every house, or shelter here is wrecked and wasted!  Ok... it deserves a photo! Got this on timer.  I look like a freaking dork here.   

Like they said. The island is pretty much untouched. No hotels, no stores. No booming loud music. No freaking dogs shitting  around. None of all that stuff. It's very quiet and peaceful! Some people dont want this kinda setup for a trip. But I do dig this! I can live with it. Its quite an experience! One positive note about this island is that it has a nice comfort room! Ceramic tile flooring.. reasonable height toilet. It's better than my toilet actually.  Theres even a bathing / changing area! The boatmen usually brings a gallon of fresh water for each individual for consumption. 

 I noticed though that there are solar lamp posts around! Thats a good thing coz when night came, its not dark. The place is well lit. It's easier to pitch a tent. It's easier to move. It's easier to get drunk! Yeah, we drank emperador with Royal Tru Orange as chaser! Haha!  Then the canned tuna that i bought, I mixed it with my crushed crackers! Galawang tambay lang eh no?! Hahaha! We had a great time goofin around. Talking about work. relationships..life in general. Im enjoying meeting new friends. Conquering fears. Sand between your toes. Milky way visible by the naked eye...  This is how life should be. Simple. No complications.  We just lived by the moment and it felt good... 

Would you believe a sandbar woke me up? I slept with an open tent and there.. that view woke me up. Its freaking amazing to wake up with a view like that! I got a little hungover from lastnight's under the stars drinkin sesh with my new found island friends! I just asked from the locals for some hot water for my coffee and I was...fine. Unfortunately we have to leave a little early coz my friends have other plans. So I have no choice go with em. Unless i wanna swim back to Palompon...  It's all good anyways. I had enough of sand and tan all over.. I'm good and we took off at around 7am. By 11am I was already in Tacloban and stayed at Yellow Doors Hotel which is a pretty cool place by the way. Just look for  it via Trip Advisor and it has good reviews...

I'm gonna end this blog with this photo...The thought of travelling alone is something anyone should experience once in our lives.  Just remember that dont be afraid to try new things. You'l never knew what you will discover. You'l discover new things. You'l discover strength within surprisingly. Being alone, travelling is actually fun! Always remember that people can be really friendly if you smile a lot. Always start your conversation with a smile. Just be good. Be nice. Dont be an ass. Be polite and people will treat you well. 

This is life! Feeling alive! Doing things that you normally don't do! Now I'm cringing for another solo trip! Hmm where to next? Siargao? Batanes? Romblon? Wherever it may be, Im up to it! I really enjoyed my stay here in Kalanggaman. It's short but sweet.  I will definitely go back and I hope to the one who reads this blog should explore this one beautiful piece of land...