Ilocos Sur Road Trip

Last summer, my friends and I went on a three day road trip in Ilocos Sur after attending a close friend's country wedding. It was the perfect summer getaway with friends as we take turn in driving while enjoying the beautiful laid back view of the northern countryside.

Temples

During our short trip in Hong Kong, we visited Ngong Ping Village and I was totally amazed upon seeing its temples. I have always been fascinated with the architecture of different religions because of their exquisite details. It gives you a glimpse of their culture. I haven't seen much temples yet but I can say that the Buddhist Temples in Ngong Ping Village are definitely beautiful and very interesting. 

Macau

Last month, my sister, cousin and I went on a 4-day trip to Macau, Hong Kong and back to Macau. It was a very special trip, aside from this being our first trip abroad together, this is our last trip with my sister before she becomes a married woman (she's getting hitched at the end of the year!). It was fun bonding with my sister and cousin as we just kept poking fun at each other. I'll definitely miss this moment as we move on with each other's lives. 

Will be posting more photos soon from the Hong Kong leg.  

Beaching in Bohol

Second time in Cebu

It's been a long time since my last post. I wanted to share a few photos from my recent trips but I'll have to find enough time for that. For now, I'll be sharing some photos from my recent trip in Cebu.

This is my second time in Cebu after five years. Even if my friend and I only stayed in Moalboal, Cebu for a day and a half, our trip was nothing short of adventure. We jumped, swam and trekked over canyons, got my money stolen on the first day of our trip, and ended up with a last minute search for hostel to spend the night. 

It was my most spontaneous trip so far but it was fun and definitely a memorable one. 

Encounter with the Pope

It’s been a while since my last blog post. I wanted to share some photos and experiences I had in the past few my months but I couldn’t find the time and strength to write because real life got in the way. Anyhow, today I was inspired to write about my encounter with Pope Francis during his recent visit in the Philippines.

This is the second time I have seen a Pope in person. The first was when Pope John Paul II, now St. John Paul II, visited the Philippines in 1995. It was a spontaneous encounter and I was just nine years old then. My family and I were leisurely strolling somewhere in Makati when my Mom heard that the Pope will pass by the area, so we cancelled our plans and decided to wait by the road where the Pope will pass. It’s been 20 years but I can still remember the feeling when Pope John Paul II passed by in front of us. It’s hard to put words into the feeling – it was somehow surreal, electrifying, emotional and festive.

Fast forward 20 years later, these are the same feelings I felt when Pope Francis passed by in front of me, my sister and cousin, and the millions of Filipinos waiting to catch even the slightest glimpse of him. Like our first encounter with Pope John Paul II, our encounter with Pope Francis was spontaneous. We didn’t have any plans to personally attend his mass or ceremonies. We were contented to watch him on TV. After all, it was a 5-day work holiday and we all have our own holiday plans but our Catholic faith got the better of us. I asked my sister and my cousin if they wanted to go with me and see the Pope on his way to the airport before his flight back to Rome. Turns out they were thinking the same thing.

We arrived at the airport gate at five in the morning, five hours before his scheduled flight, but there were already throngs of people waiting for the Pope to arrive. The atmosphere was light and festive in spite of the fact that each of the people there had to sacrifice just to see the Pope. We were lucky to be blessed with a beautiful weather but had to endure standing under the sun for hours along with thousands of people in slightly muddy soil. Yet, no one complained.

And then finally Pope Francis passed by in front of us and I felt the same feeling I felt when I saw Pope John Paul II in person 20 years ago – electrifying. The few seconds that he was in our line of vision felt like minutes long. It was surreal and my hands and legs were shaking. Everyone was so excited when they saw the Pope that no one was bothered even if they were pushed and shoved around. Thanks to modern technology I was able to conveniently record that special moment.

The whole experience was amazing. It’s a special celebration for us, Filipinos, that Pope Francis took time to visit us. We know that Pope Francis is not God that he’s just human like all of us. But we Filipinos like and love him so much because he’s a compassionate and humble Pope. His teachings are timely and relevant and he leads by example – a characteristic of a good and true Catholic leader.

A Paradise Called El Nido

I finally found my favorite place and that is El Nido.

To celebrate our birthdays, my cousin, two of my friends and I went on a week-long vacation in the beautiful coastal town of El Nido, Palawan. It took us 8 hours of travel time (air and land travel) to get to our destination but it was totally worth it because El Nido is truly a paradise.