A Post Long Overdue

           11 months 9 days. It took me that long to resurface in the blogging world. What could have forced me abandon my blog for a year? Is it because of my absence due to the nature of my profession? Or because I am an acute traveler who simply cannot endure being in one place? Or maybe because I was busy with my wedding, the agony (actually it was enjoyable) of carefully planning for the big event. Not to mention the holiday seasons, birthdays and reunions. And lastly, I may just have nothing interesting to write about.
           To be frank, It is a bit all of the above. Half the time I was out of reach from the blogosphere. Thanks to the crappy internet we had on the ship. The bandwidth was too much for it to handle, which surprises me as I am now editing from a ship’s terminal on one of our other vessels. It isn’t hard to believe that barely a year had passed and a lot has changed around me. The biggest change would be is I now have a metal band on my ring finger with the name of my better half inscribed on it. It was a tedious job (not to mention on the budget), but we managed to have a successful ceremony. For that, I would like to thank our family and friends who made it special and making it how we dreamed it would be. Here’s an unofficial snapshot of the wedding, pre-nup and post-nup.

pre nup

d wed

post nup

pre nup

           The rest of the time was spent on  visiting different places. We had a nice time on the pristine beaches of Bantayan Island. I could say that the place could rival that of Boracay, due to the fact that the whole beach stretches for more than 5 kms. Although when it comes to the quality of the sand, nothing beats the sand from Boracay. The island is a perfect destination for nature lovers sans the annoying sound of bars and clubs like the ones on Bora. We skipped to the other islands and spent the whole day snorkeling the crystal clear waters. We experienced the everyday life on the island as my Moms friend toured us around. By night, the resort prepared a bonfire for us by the beach and had a relaxing ice cold beer with the cool sea breeze blowing. Paradise would be an understatement to describe the place.

              The moment I got back in Manila, my friends planned a road trip to Batangas to spend a few days there. A friend of theirs was kind enough to lend us his car. It was funny coz there were six of us in cramped in the vehicle. We couldn’t risk having 2 passengers in the front seat as we would be apprehended at the expressway. Good thing the girls were petite so four of them squeezed at the back seat. What made the trip interesting was that none of us knew the way to the place. I managed to download directions from the internet. But not ffter countless U-turns and asking a dozen locals for directions did we arrived at around late afternoon. We checked in at the White Cove resort and after we settled our bags, proceeded to savor the resort’s menu. The next day, we arranged for a boat to take us to a snorkeling spot. The girls had fun swimming after schools of fish at the nearby reef. The place wasn’t that really captivating as compared to the previous beaches I’ve visited, but the company of my friends really made the trip worth remembering .Otherwise it would have been a real drag. Going back to Manila, we had a unplanned visit to Tagaytay. We figured that since it was just on the way, why couldn’t we drop by and enjoy the view. Kim was opposed to the idea as he still had to work that evening. But what can he do against five of us willing to go. And it would be a bad idea for him to take the commute to work since that would take twice the time to get there. The following photos showed that he didn’t regret going along with us.



            After that trip to Batangas, the sea was calling for me again. It was there that I was cut off from the blogging world for 6 agonizing months. Although we then had an internet connection, I couldn’t post on my blog, let alone access it. But the best thing was that I was in constant communication with my wife with regards to prepping for the wedding. And now as I embark again on another 6 months of rough life at sea, I’m just happy that I still have a direct line to the rest of the world. What more can I ask for? Ciao!

Day two of Ilocandia Tour (Pagudpud)

12th Mar 01:00pm

It was a toxic afternoon for us. We had to check out of the hotel and 2 had to accompany and pay the bus driver. We agreed to meet at the bus terminal for Pagudpud. Somehow, Joyce didn't quite get our point and chose to stay at McDonalds’. As we hooped on the bus and waited awhile, the bus was already ready to leave. Joyce and Areem had to catch the next bus and meet up with us at the villa. It was almost two hours till we reached Pagudpud but was worth it as we were treated to a lot of scenic spots along the way. It's nice to see people going about with their daily lives and I got to witness this along the trip north.

Some of the photos taken along the way to Pagudpud

the housemates strikes again....( Ilocandia Tour 2010)

Its been a good 4 years since i last posted on my blog and a lot has changed. Good thing I still have my passion for adventure and this I wish will never be quenched. There will always be a place waiting to discovered, experienced, enjoyed and treasured. True to my passion, I, together with six of my closest friends as well as my fiancee embarked on a fun filled adventure to the land of tobacco, Ilocandia.

On board a cebu pacific flight, we arrived 9pm of march 11 in the beautiful city of Laoag. The night was ripe for adventure and soon after we checked our bags and had a brief dinner, we started the exploration. Armed with our cameras, we clicked the night away. First stop was the Sunken Bell Tower. On the corner of A. Bonifacio & Paco Roman Sts. stood the majestic tower. It was a sight to behold with its square-shape over sized pillars and the plaster walls, standing with the starry night as its background. The night gave the tower an eerie touch not to mention its rich wartime past. I wondered how many lives had been lost inside its walls. As we strolled through the streets, I cant help but notice the silence that fills the empty streets. Not like the bustling life of the Metro. We continued towards the hotel happy and optimistic of what tomorrow has in store for us.

from the high seas with love

hello to all my friends and my nyakie back home. its been three months since we shared laughs
misunderstandings and had helluva fun. now im stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to
and with booze as my companion. it makes me more depressing to go home and spend more time at home. but what can we do, since its the way things gotta be. we just gotta submit to the reality that time flies fast to those who enjoy and feels like eternity when we're suffering. senti bah. and also goes with you cant have enough of a good thing. hmmmm. i've read from a book from mitch albom which speaks about the unfairness of life. he says, " Life is not governed by fairness, if it did, no good person would be suffering." t leaves me no choice but go on and learn the fact that while some good things dont last, some good things are still to come. hope you all are well especially to you nyakz. rock on.

world cup 2006 fevah!!!!!!

OLE!its world cup time now once again guys so all you soccer fanatics out there grab your jerseys and sream till your larynx bleeds. my favorite team brazil is out to defend their trophy. they had a slow game with croatia pero watch out next time. ole! germany is going out strong. and the czech are to look out for. who do you think will win this cup and who will be the man of the cup. feel free to vote at my poll all you sucker este soccer fans. for me ang top 4 teams ay yung german, italians czech's at brazil. so good luck to your teams peeps keep on betting heheheheh. viva la copa mundial!!!!

da vinci hoax?

we all have probably heard of the da vinci code movie, and i you're an avid reader of dan brown, angels and demons. the author is truly amazing. he has a very creative mind and an clever storyteller. i have to admit that he shook my faith for a moment with his book and i would recommend the book to everyone to read. but the movie didnt impress me that much... the casting was excellent but it failed to raise a brow. the whole movie was hurriedly done omitting scenes that was crucial to entice the viewers. they should have made it a tv series and it would have had a big impact on the viewer.

with the big success of the book and movie ( i guess), we cant escape the fact that the catholic church will react to such a strong allegation. to a devout catholic, i would understand that he'll get offended with the story but for me ( a catholic ) i would say that the da vinci code is nothing but a theory of a researcher collected from incomplete facts and making it into a story so as to make a living. but the bottom line is, it doesn't matter what they say or think. what matters is what you believe and where your faith reside.

a night at eurostar

at the fort, eurostar carnival.....d halata nga galingin ulo ta noh.... heheheh smile gyapun ah... heheheh

night swimming @ villa grande

the perfect tambayan....grand villa....kabalo mga ginikanan nyo kun diin kamo gakadto biskan kagab-ihon? hehehehe

tirador ng inasal

(me, dabz, and tracy)

our favorite past time in cembo....noaks eh....heheheheh

patag outing

finally, for quite some time, we had time para mag-outing. patag seems the perfect spot since majority sa amon wala pa kakadto. Sobra ka tugnaw ang place grabe ang fog, kag ang view, the best. well, the experience was good and the company was better. so till next time naman na outing. diin naman kita? :&

kabankalan housemates

a post sinulog escapade.....half sober and wanting more adventure....we head to la bamba resort for a well deserved R&R.....the place was nice and the company was better. i wish this wont be the last...:&

sinulog 2006

(clockwise from left) jen, janice, pretty mae, jan2, maychel, armel, yours truly and alexis

Everybody covered in paint during the recent sinulog festival in kabankalan. thanx guys.... i had a very nice time and as promised... i've posted our pic so we'll be the envy of everybody....rock on!!!!

family pic

......at home during new years eve with my loving family.........

new year with friends

greeting the new year at our newest tambayan....daw bastante na ang isa..heheheheh