I started a blog back in 2009, hoping to write about my travels. The blog, which I called "The Pinoy Gypsy" It was also a creative outlet when I was working in Saudi Arabia that year. I do not fancy myself as a travel writer, and the blog was mostly written from my perspective as a journalist.
What I plan to do is"transfer" some of the entries from the old blog to this new blog. Here are a few:
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2013
First time on a mountain bike
There are some who might consider that it is a tad late for someone in his 40s to take mountain biking. Aside from being a very physically taxing activity, mountain biking also poses danger to riders from spill overs, getting blind-sided, or tumbling over.
For me, however, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks.
So there I was one fine day in October joining a few friends and cousins on my very first mountain bike ride. I was on a borrowed bike and adjustments had to be made. I made sure I had a helmet, comfortable clothes, a water bottle full of water, and of course sunglasses to protect my eyes.
We set our course in a nice but still challenging route in my hometown of Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, going to the neighboring town of Palayan City. Our destination will be Tanawan, a nice, uphill spot where locals often go to enjoy a panoramic view of surrounding towns and the lush green carpet of ricefields.
We rolled out early and since most of us are newbies, we rode at a leisurely pace. The cool, early morning breeze made for a very relaxing ride as we passed by quaint houses, farms, orchards, and endless ricefields spanning through the horizon.
We passed by the military reserve of Fort Magsaysay and marveled at surrounding hills and valleys. The roads were almost empty save for the occasional vehicle or tricycle. Good thing we rode off early.
As a first-timer, I enjoyed the ride immensely, and often, I found myself lagging behind the group because I was really taking my time to enjoy the sights and sounds.
The ride was enjoyable that I almost did not notice that we have already logged in a significant number of kilometers (for newbies) and that we were almost at our destination.
We had our first pit stop at a nice sari-sari store by the road. We stayed longer that we should have because my uncle knows the owner of the store and the customary ‘kumustahan’ had to be made between friends.
Although we were not able to ride the last kilometer or two going to Tanawan (the road was just too steep for us), it was a very satisfying ride that is worth repeating.
We stayed for almost an hour taking pictures, eating our snacks and just enjoying the view at Tanawan while our bikes were “parked” near a nipa hut atop a gently sloping cliff.
The ride back was even faster, because there were downhills that allowed us to go a bit faster. The end of the day was indeed satisfying and all of us are looking forward to another ride.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
Surfing in San Juan
​
It may not be as high-profile as Siargao, but San Juan in Urbiztondo, La Union is steadily becoming a surfer's paradise.
The rates are pretty reasonable and the surfing instructors are very friendly. The waves are about 4- to 5-foot high and the swells are relatively mild. Funny though is that I was not even able to surf the San Juan surf.
It was a family trip, and the very first time that I'll be introducing my then 14-year-old son to surfing. The plan was for me to encourage him to try something new, beyond video games and basketball.
I was beside him while the surfing instructor gave him the basics. And yes, being a doting dad, I was pretty nervous. Can he handle the waves? Can he stay upright and not crash? Will he enjoy the experience?
After a few minutes, my son was ready to go. I saw excitement in the eyes of my boy as he started making his way to beach, with the surfing instructor tagging along. His deceptively reed-thin frame look even more frail as he wore the rash guard, a kind of surfer's garment meant to protect his torso from the surfboard.
I always knew my son was athletic, despite his seemingly frail frame. But seeing him go and ride the wave--at his very first try--made his dad proud.
The hour whizzed by and before I knew it, the surfing was over. But for my son, it was just the beginning.
JANUARY 18, 2011
​
The coastal barrio of Pundaquit is becoming a popular destination in Zambales.
Located some 7 to 8 kilometers away from San Antonio town, the village typifies a small, quaint community where fishing is the main source of livelihood for residents.
It will take almost 4 hours to reach Pundaquit from Manila. The roads leading to Subic and other Zambales towns are generally well-maintained. It was a nice surprise to see the smooth and very straight tree-lined road leading to Pundaquit after we arrived in San Antonio.
For both sides of the road we saw rice fields resembling a massive chessboard of light brown squares.
Boracay it is not, but Pundaquit is slowly embracing tourism. It has become the take-off point for island-hopping to nearby Anawangin Cove and Capones Islands, to name a few.
But the beach in Pundaquit is truly scenic, with cottages and huts and colorful boats lined up along the sea shore. The view is more picturesque with mountains and faraway islands serving as a backdrop.
The sea itself can sometimes be quite rough, with at least six-foot waves regularly crashing in on the dark sand beach and retreating back to the ocean.
Surfers have found a haven in these waters, and when the waves are too rough for the boats, one can see a few brave souls, both local and out-of-towners, toting their surfboards to hit the massive waves.
April 21, 2010
​
​
As a journalist, I consider myself to be fortunate to be able to go to different places in the Philippines and abroad.
These travels are mostly work-related, but they are nonetheless very memorable. I would have wanted to photograph every trip that I have ever had, but due to financial and schedule constraints, I was not able to do so.
I will thus try to dig up from memory some of the personal highlights of these travels and chronicle them.
I have visited some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the Philippines and I have been to some assignments abroad including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Outside Asia, I have also been fortunate to be able to travel to the US and Europe.
I am quick to tell friends and family however that the bulk of the travel itself is attending seminars, sitting down on press conferences, and interviewing people.
I am not complaining, but the time spent for the usual travel fares such as sightseeing and shopping were almost always limited.
It was in 1997 that I first got hold of a passport. It was that year that I was able to go out of the country for the first time.
I was Singapore bound, and to this day, I've never been as excited as that very first trip compared to the other trips that I would embark on soon after.
It was also that year when blogging was just beginning to become popular.
It was in 1998 or 1999 that I seriously thought of writing my own blog, thinking that my occasional travels will provide me sufficient materials to keep the blog going.
I do not fancy myself as a travel writer, and back then, my mindset was to keep an online journal of my travels in the hopes of one day showing them to my kids, and hopefully to my grandchildren.
A blog is after all a diary.
But I never quite made that first step.
Now, after some ten-odd years, I'm going for it.