Thursday, June 7, 2012

Staring on what clothes I'm wearing, my grandmother would ask me "pakain kaw yan?" annoyed as I am, my whispering trolling answer was always "manglungsulan inah hadji" and I would quickly kiss and her hand and disappear right away.


It was really hard to cross the border of travelling alone back then.


I can't at first contain traipsing in a far away land from home, alone. Imagine staring on traffic signs, posters, menus and food labels written in a language you are not familiar of. Or rather the cunning antics of the locals as they have absolutely no idea on how to answer your queries. Not to mention the touts swooping on tourists, ever clever in every way shredding a part of your dearly frugal trip. The never ending barriers and hindrances from one point to the other can be such a lump as you go along your way.


Growing up in a conservative family defies the urge to go out and explore as I age. A lot of reasons eventually popped despite the no-travelling-solo-policy in us. I must see what is there for me. Coming from a prohibited travel nation Sulu, no risk left was there for me to fear. 

My first dose is still vivid in me. I took it without any prejudice. Setting aside my obligations and with proper composition I flew alone. That attempt was successful as I managed to come home with my sanity intact and heart back to its place again. Travelling has become my Prozac since then.

What more delight would I savor if should I leave without heavy loads? I thought. To actually ride bemos with locals and not minding their scents. To gulp their native coffee, to engross with their dainty cuisine. To trace the past with their ancient ruins. And though, separated by language orientation, the mere sharing of a smile with them is immeasurably divine. The comparison from their cultures, tradition, orientation and religion to what I behold is endless. 

The world is on my feet, so I might as well walk on it. The desire is overpowering the fear. Time is ticking. I got to master the art of monologuing. All these nuisances can be prevented and if you can't, they will solely depend on how you would take it for the show must go on. Geared with guts and passion, nothing would go wrong.

Having been kissed by a travel bug, with all my heart I would go. I could not promise when to stop and if there is really stopping at all as long as I live.

A gypsy, a nomad, a solitary wanderer, a wanderlust, a rugged derp clad in torn jeans, old shirt, filthy shoes with a pack on her back. A Tausug with Sulu pride in my heart, to elsewhere in the world.

Laos: Over Si Phan Don

No, I haven't been to Laos yet.

We were on flight to Bangkok. The aircraft took off  Philippines almost sunset. Fastened my seat belt and not minding the Flight Attendants routinary demonstration, I headed to sleep.

Well, sort of a sleep. It really pays to check-in ahead and be able to choose your preferred seat. And since it didn't happen to us, we can't choose but to get our butts seated on the last row where passengers pass on their way to the washroom and worse, bang the cabin door.

I was thinking that this would be the worst-est flight ever. I can't wait to land.

What annoys me the most is that, we left with sun almost to set and like after a couple of hours, the sun is still peeking and is higher than the last time I checked it. Lol. I know, I know. It's the boredom and the fact that I can't get my eyes shut.

Then after much humming, I peeked. And whoa, "Is that Si Phan Don?" I asked myself with uncertainty. I quickly took out my cam and shoot it without even setting it. Hehe.

                                                                       4000 islands!
                                   

I have been reading and bumping blogs regarding Si Phan Don aka 4000 islands for this is one of the routes backpackers take on their way to up to Laos or way down to Cambodia, a banana-pancake route for some. Don Khong being the biggest, Don Det and Don Khon as the most visited. This is also where the widest waterfalls in South East-Asia and where the Irrawaddy Dolphins, a rare species of pink river dolphins, dwell. Cool huh? Not just that, one of the bloggers even testified that this is also the place where she had got the lowest accommodation ever in her backpacking days, for 1USD a night!

Well perhaps, this is just one among the delights of backpacking. A sneak preview, a trailer, for me to really not just book but fly.



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Life? Go travel!

I'm a hardcore dreamer.. yeah, both literally and figuratively.

Familiar with a scene where you see pictures of delightful places and then suddenly you dose off wandering or say imagining as if you're in that pic? And then suddenly you're boxed by Reality and boom! on the left side is your if and then on the right side is your but and the dreams were transformed into stars hovering your head. Hehe.

So I came up with a list of buts and ifs and categorized them into these:


  • Time : I'm sort of juggling motherhood, studies, career and all other extra curricular activities and then this? My solution? Of course I can't just dizz away guiltily carrying all these woes, so I plan all my travels way far in advance. Leaving me enough options for conflicts and stuff. So if you have none, go make one!
  • Money : I'm not a posh traveler, that I have to say. The idea is for me to get the gist out of this places and people and the not vice versa hence the backpacking. Oh it also pays to be a fan of this and that. Travel tours, low cost airlines, hotel booking site and etc. for you've got to be the first to know should there be a promo. And of course, book ahead to save as almost in anything, it comes cheaper when booked in advance. Little by little, imaginary build on how to live like a local. Read blogs and most importantly, save.
  • Emo Baggage : Hehe. Sad but true. No one is born brave enough to face the world. It takes time and mastery and a whole lots of guts. In short, experience. So what are you waiting for? Pack and go! 


Choosing between those pullings and pushings is not an option. There is no contest at all, as they come like a tick with a tock. Hand in hand, summing up life well lived. :)

Carpe diem~

Friday, June 1, 2012

Sawasdee Bangkok!

After a long and tedious battle against time and effort in transit to Bangkok, whew! we finally arrived.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport is huge! My vision is getting blurry, my tummy is empty and my vertebrae, oh no, is starting to feel like losing its grab. Despite of all the discomforts, the airport is quite soothing the negativities away. Fast walkalators, smoking rooms are like approximately 100 meters apart, multi-language translation for directions, foreign exchange counters, smiling locals and most importantly, lenient immigration officers.

First stop was of course to get charged in a smoking room. There. A little chit chat of this and that and what to do or where to go or how, then crashed the flame and moved on to our next stop. The foreign exchange counter. The rate there is quite a little lower than those banks in the city proper so we changed few of our dollars just enough to pay our taxi ride to our hotel and a sumptuous dinner afterwards.

Then to the Immigration counter to stamp us in. Wow they are efficient. The counters are well labeled and since the airport is gigantic, they also serve numerous immigration counters. Cool. What amazes me the most is that the Immigration officers are not hmmm, not like what we have in the Philippines where one has to pass a needle hole interrogation as if you're visiting someone in prison abroad. Presented our pre-filled immigration form (fill it in flight to save time) and of course passports, a quick pose before a webcam and huala! Sawasdee!

In traipsing Suvarnabhumi Airport, there is actually no need for you to ask for where. You're safe still so long as you keep your common sense. Hehe. The airport is tourist friendly, you'll just have to be sure on what is to be done step by step. So there, we're already cleared.

Prolly looking first timers that we were, a ground airport crew approached us and led us to their Tourist Information Counter and handed us free maps and after a few exchange of pleasantries, we were offered a 4 hour tour for only 23USD. The tour is more like a do-it-yourself for we get to choose which place we want to see or do in 4 hours time. Like for only 500php, we find it fairly cheap, especially because it is an exclusive tour with a driver and a tour guide. Of course there has to be an official receipt and proper identification of that crew.

Next thing to choose is which mode of transportation to take to our hotel room. 'Twas past 9pm already, considering the comfort and traffic condition plus the Baht we have on hand, we took the taxi. Buses and skytrains? They come cheaper I bet but there is no chance that they'd take us direct to our hotel plus the hassle of changing and transporting from here to there, so taxi it is. It took us about less than an hour to reach our hotel and less than 500 Baht (50TB surcharge plus toll fees and meters). It just got dark in Bangkok yet the traffic was smooth. Bangkok is well lighted and the highways are really wide. Way far not congested and crowded like Manila. Lol. I wasn't able to feel the distance really for I was busy awing with the system that they have. Impressive I must admit.