January:
Palaui Island and Tuguegarao City Trip
Nothing
beats the first time. Trying to travel with other Couchsurfers for the first
time was indeed something to remember for life. I had a great time meeting new
friends and sharing with them some food, stories, games and thoughts ranging
from the trivial to the profound ones. Also, I discovered how beautiful Cagayan
Valley is. Adorned with hundreds of amazing caves, the Cave Capital of the
Philippines is indeed gifted with natural wonders the world has to see.
February:
First Solo Backpacking: The Cebu, Davao and Cagayan De Oro Route
This could be the most exhilarating of all my trips this year. Being alone for 10 days, exploring the places I have never been to before, and meeting a lot of generous people who accommodated me, helped me in going around the provinces and gave me food, lots of laughs and memories was priceless. Cebu has been my dream destination ever since in grade school when Philippine History was a favorite subject of mine. Nonetheless, Davao City has made my Ash Wednesday birthday an introspective one. And I enjoyed every single thing about the city so I returned for Kadayawan. Cagayan De Oro gave me my first zipline experience and had me reunited with my best choir friends who are now staying in the city for good. As usual, we enjoyed lots and lots and lots of food! I also learned how to make a maki. LoL.
March: Pilgrimage in Lipa, San Jose, Alitagtag, Taal and Tagaytay
My original plan for this month did not push through. Nevertheless, the last minute invitation from my friends in Canlubang was just perfect as the end of the Lenten Season drew near. I joined the annual pilgrimage of the San Jose Parish in Canlubang. More and more pilgrims have been joining each year and I am lucky enough to be with these really cool guys, young and old who were eager to see new churches every year. I have never participated such a long trip to the some of the most significant worship places in history. Not including the mother parish church of Saint Joseph in Canlubang, we have visited 7 churches. The highlight could be climbing the top of the belfry of the largest church in Asia (Yes it's in the Philippines!) built in Taal and also walking along the heritage town of Taal which is in fact teeming with the same Spanish era elegance as Vigan. The other churches were The Archdiocese of Lipa Cathedral, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine, Invencion Dela Sta Cruz Parish Church, the old San Jose Parish Church, The Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay and the SVD Church.
To continue the pilgrimage in a more personal way, I picked my backpack on Holy Wednesday. Along with some friends from Canlubang, I headed off to other towns in Laguna and visited more churches. We have visited Inmaculada Concepcion Parish in Sta Cruz, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Luisiana where we were lucky to witness the Pandan Festival and St. James the Apostle Church in Paete, which boasts itself as the Wood Carving Capital of the Philippines. The highlight of this trip would be the Holy Wednesday Procession of the Holy Images, carved over the years in Paete. My favorite image is the crucified Jesus with its very realistic contour of the human body. During our traditional Visita Iglesia in MRA Parish, I have also visited many churches in Metro Manila. Altogether, they could be summed up to 25 just within the Holy Week including the pilgrimage in March, the Saturday before Palm Sunday.
May: This month was dedicated to Hangad's 20th Anniversary Concert so I did not go out of Manila.
June: One Good Deed for Daraitan
Meeting new friends is always a wonderful experience. But meeting new friends for a good cause is uniquely unforgettable. The good thing about this is that this event is a product of personal endeavor of a group of friends. No, this is not under any NGO or any humanitarian movement. This is an initiative of some mountaineer friends who happened to pass by the town and decided to help. I joined them in looking for sponsors and donations for the kids of Daraitan, as they start the school year. More than being happy to be a part of the cool guys and gals, I am blessed to have the opportunity to share myself to the kids through songs and gift-giving. This kind of event is done once or twice a year. This January, we will have another one. If you want to give donations, feel free to comment and message me here.
July: Palawan and Boracay Baby!
Hitting two places in one month has never been this good. Palawan, a place I always thought of visiting for years has finally become an instant favorite of mine. From the orderly and clean city of Puerto Princesa, to the natural wonders of Honda Bay islands and Puerto Princesa Underground River, you can never go wrong in putting it on the top spot of your bucket list. Boracay? Not on my plan this year but having the chance to fly and stay at a very low cost sounded good. So after four days of arriving from Palawan, I headed to Boracay. One of my favorite spots now is Puka Beach. Don't ask me how I spent 3D3N in the island for only 3,000. Thanks to Couchsurfing and Google! :)
August: Kadayawan!
This is prolly the biggest festival I have attended so far. From graceful street dancers to colorful floats, my first Kadayawan experience had been a blast. Together with 40 plus Couchsurfers, I basked on the fine sand of Samal Island once again, this time, with a guitar and a bunch of jammers around. I have fallen in love with Davao the first time in February. And honestly, I can always come back anytime.
September: Sawasdee Krub!
For my trip abroad this year, it's in the Land of Smiles! And what made it different is the fact that I did not travel alone. My sister and mom enjoyed Bangkok City as much as I do. They liked the food though. I don't. LOL. Nonetheless, shopping, temples, malls and the crowd of all races made up our stay a very unforgettable one. It was indeed a wonderful experience to cross timezone with my family.
October: My Gradeschool Bestfriend's Wedding
November: Hello Bicolandia!
March: Pilgrimage in Lipa, San Jose, Alitagtag, Taal and Tagaytay
My original plan for this month did not push through. Nevertheless, the last minute invitation from my friends in Canlubang was just perfect as the end of the Lenten Season drew near. I joined the annual pilgrimage of the San Jose Parish in Canlubang. More and more pilgrims have been joining each year and I am lucky enough to be with these really cool guys, young and old who were eager to see new churches every year. I have never participated such a long trip to the some of the most significant worship places in history. Not including the mother parish church of Saint Joseph in Canlubang, we have visited 7 churches. The highlight could be climbing the top of the belfry of the largest church in Asia (Yes it's in the Philippines!) built in Taal and also walking along the heritage town of Taal which is in fact teeming with the same Spanish era elegance as Vigan. The other churches were The Archdiocese of Lipa Cathedral, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine, Invencion Dela Sta Cruz Parish Church, the old San Jose Parish Church, The Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay and the SVD Church.
April: Churches, Churches and More Churches!
To continue the pilgrimage in a more personal way, I picked my backpack on Holy Wednesday. Along with some friends from Canlubang, I headed off to other towns in Laguna and visited more churches. We have visited Inmaculada Concepcion Parish in Sta Cruz, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Luisiana where we were lucky to witness the Pandan Festival and St. James the Apostle Church in Paete, which boasts itself as the Wood Carving Capital of the Philippines. The highlight of this trip would be the Holy Wednesday Procession of the Holy Images, carved over the years in Paete. My favorite image is the crucified Jesus with its very realistic contour of the human body. During our traditional Visita Iglesia in MRA Parish, I have also visited many churches in Metro Manila. Altogether, they could be summed up to 25 just within the Holy Week including the pilgrimage in March, the Saturday before Palm Sunday.May: This month was dedicated to Hangad's 20th Anniversary Concert so I did not go out of Manila.
June: One Good Deed for Daraitan
Meeting new friends is always a wonderful experience. But meeting new friends for a good cause is uniquely unforgettable. The good thing about this is that this event is a product of personal endeavor of a group of friends. No, this is not under any NGO or any humanitarian movement. This is an initiative of some mountaineer friends who happened to pass by the town and decided to help. I joined them in looking for sponsors and donations for the kids of Daraitan, as they start the school year. More than being happy to be a part of the cool guys and gals, I am blessed to have the opportunity to share myself to the kids through songs and gift-giving. This kind of event is done once or twice a year. This January, we will have another one. If you want to give donations, feel free to comment and message me here.July: Palawan and Boracay Baby!Hitting two places in one month has never been this good. Palawan, a place I always thought of visiting for years has finally become an instant favorite of mine. From the orderly and clean city of Puerto Princesa, to the natural wonders of Honda Bay islands and Puerto Princesa Underground River, you can never go wrong in putting it on the top spot of your bucket list. Boracay? Not on my plan this year but having the chance to fly and stay at a very low cost sounded good. So after four days of arriving from Palawan, I headed to Boracay. One of my favorite spots now is Puka Beach. Don't ask me how I spent 3D3N in the island for only 3,000. Thanks to Couchsurfing and Google! :)
This is prolly the biggest festival I have attended so far. From graceful street dancers to colorful floats, my first Kadayawan experience had been a blast. Together with 40 plus Couchsurfers, I basked on the fine sand of Samal Island once again, this time, with a guitar and a bunch of jammers around. I have fallen in love with Davao the first time in February. And honestly, I can always come back anytime.
September: Sawasdee Krub!
For my trip abroad this year, it's in the Land of Smiles! And what made it different is the fact that I did not travel alone. My sister and mom enjoyed Bangkok City as much as I do. They liked the food though. I don't. LOL. Nonetheless, shopping, temples, malls and the crowd of all races made up our stay a very unforgettable one. It was indeed a wonderful experience to cross timezone with my family.
October: My Gradeschool Bestfriend's Wedding
This reminds me that I am not getting any younger. Anyway, the wedding was in Rosario, a small yet vibrant town in Batangas. For the first time in many years, I had a night chat with my grade school buddy. The last time I remember staying up late with him was in Boy Scout Camping when we went to ghost hunt instead of sleeping. LOL. I also had the chance to get lost in Lipa City proper the night I traveled alone from Manila. Haha. As always, getting lost makes the experience more enjoyable.
November: Hello Bicolandia!
Naga and Legaspi it was! When Hangad had a show in Naga, I took the chance to stay longer and see Mount Mayon. So I was with my backpack again, roaming Legaspi City alone. To my surprise, Legaspi is a progressive city where urban life and beauty of nature meet. The highlight of this backpacking? Of course a closer look at the famous perfect cone volcano.
December: It's Naga again!
So I realized I liked Naga but never get to walk around that much. For the Christmas vacation, I chose to be alone and did a pilgrimage in the major churches in the city which are amazingly just walking distance from each other. Reflecting on how I want to live my 2013, I found myself resting on the Uragon spirituality. My devotion to the Virgin Mary have actually renewed on that sunny day. The funny thing about this trip is that I am supposed to be with my best bud in Naga or in Daet. He went to Daet a day ahead and it had been raining all week. No one dared to go to the other town so we ended up not seeing each other in Bicol. Nonetheless, my stay in Naga was a refreshing one.
