Mines of Moria

Freedom to choose. Isn't it such joy that we can choose from the simplest.... what we want to eat for dinner, where we want to hang out tonight, what we want to watch? To the complicated.... what we want to eat for dinner, where we want to hang out tonight, what we want to watch? Seriously, we can exercise our freedom to choose in life's most complicated conundrums.

And yet most of the time life throws at us circumstances that seem to take away our freedom to choose. Situations that put you in a corner where there seems to be no options. And yet the best way out of it is not going over it and skipping it all altogether but getting through it.

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, when the fellowship was still at the start of their journey, they were supposed to go over (not through) the Mines of Moria but there were harsh cold conditions above, so they had no choice but to go through the mines.


Sometimes our journey feels like we are wandering aimlessly.....and yet God in his infinite wisdom tells us..... Be still and know that I am God. And amidst the chaos, a hand reaches out to us as if saying we can still choose, but we just have to let His hand guide us.

And if going through the mines will refine us, so be it. We are all works in progress and we all need to go through our own mines, whether we like it or not.

Voyage of the Balangay

As a kid, I loved reading those inspiring stories’ section in Reader’s Digest. Those heartwarming tales of the human spirit and how it triumphs amidst adversities, made me believe that anything is possible. The story of the first Pinays who went up Mt. Everest is one of those stories. The same team which scaled the highest peak on this planet has set forth on another epic journey, Voyage of the Balangay. Here’s a link to the next project which should make every Filipino proud.

http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20081204-176131/Pinoy-Everest-team-to-sail-to-Madagascar

Coron

For most of my trips, I’ve just been feeding on tips from friends, travel forums and blogs.
I got a lot of useful tips from faceless entities. I think it’s time to pay it forward. I have been asked several times regarding this beautiful place in northern Palawan, Coron.

Coron is part of the Calamian or Calamianes group of Islands. I first heard of this paradise in 2005 when a friend went there. I had no idea how beautiful this place is until my visit to Calamian, in June 2008.

There are several ways to go to Coron, one is by plane which lands in the Busuanga airport or a cheaper alternative is by Superferry. My officemates and I, took the latter.

There is only one Superferry trip to Coron per week. We left Manila at 5pm Friday and we woke up to a beautiful sunrise in Coron, Saturday morning. I didn’t notice the 12-hour boat ride despite a crowing rooster (in a box) a few meters away from us and despite the strong wind which blew my pillows and slippers away. Our deck’s temperature ranged from uber-hot to uncomfortable cold but I managed to sleep through it.

We stayed in Village Lodge (Contact person: Bec, 09189201517), an ancestral house converted to a guesthouse, it is located near the town center. I’d really recommend this cozy place with its delicious food and clean rooms. (http://www.coronvillagelodge.com/)

Coron has a lot to offer. And we tried to maximize the two full days we had.

Coron Sunrise

Siete Pecados (this is a very nice snorkeling site but the current was strong at the time we went there)

Kayangan Lake (i love the serenity and azureness of this lake)

Twin Lagoons (this is entrance to the twin lagoons with several bancas full of tourists awaiting their turn; going to the inner lagoon is an adventure in itself)

Beach (bluer than blue)

Limestone (amazing formations, you have to see 'em to believe)

Calumbuyan (this island was not impressive but it is photogenic)

I have no pictures of Barracuda Lake, Maquinit Hot Springs, and the Coral Garden. But these places shouldn't be missed when you visit Coron. We were able to go to all these places in two days. However, there were still a lot of sites we missed (Malapascua, Calauit to name a few), this is one place I would love going back to.

Coron is one of the many reasons this country rocks.

Summer '09

A rocket docket refers to a court that has an accelerated timetable and that strictly adheres to deadlines, resulting in speedy disposition of cases (Wikipedia). This summer felt like a rocket docket of sorts.

just another barangay up north

my fave shot was taken by accident

I love the sight of waves crashing on rocks

A movie was shot here, with these rock formations as background

the crater from a distance

crater within a lake within a crater within a lake within a crater

the visible crater

On My Own

One of the things I wanted to do this year is to travel on my own and I was able to do just that. Some things I realized while traveling alone:

1. People gravitate to people who are on their own


2. Not all smiling people deserve your trust


3. There will be always a good soul in any corner of the world


4. There are a lot of Ilonggos scattered all over


5. Traveling alone is exciting and not as dangerous as I initially thought it would be (unless of course I went to “hot zones”)

kids I met in Sabtang Island