The Traveling Kit

Written on March 28, 2010 "My father told me Japan would lose in the war, and I felt he was more credible than the national newspapers. I shared this truth to my buddies when we met at a river for a dip but I only got bullied. They thrust my head into the water for a few minutes, angered at the thought of possible defeat. But the whole time they did this to me, I couldn't care less about my last breath. I only tried to answer my own question, "What would happen to Japan in the future?" The Atomic Bomb Dome 65 years after the "Little Boy" atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima, I could answer the question of my colleague's father, a Japanese man in his late seventies who had his share of depressing war memories. Japan horribly suffered from that wrathful blast on a bright summer day in 1945, but during my trip to Hiroshima with my sister, I couldn't see any trace of it except for the well-preserved Atomic Bomb Dome standing strongly by th

Below are the room rates of Marihatag Tree Park and Resort in Surigao del Sur as of May 2013. Entrance fee : P3.00 / head Reception cottage Shed Rates Family shed P 120.00 (excluding entrance fee) Ordinary shed P 60.00 (excluding entrance fee) Room Rates Non-aircon room (double type, good for two) P 250.00 CDF room aircon (double type, good for two) P 500.00 Amakan room aircon (dormitory type, good for six) P 1,000.00 New cottage building aircon (family type, good for four) P 1,200.00 Notes: Guests are expected to check out at exactly 12:00 noon. Otherwise, they will be charged a fee equal to one night's room rate. Extra bed - Php 100.00 per night Function Hall Rates Convention hall for 100 pax P 1,500.00 Abuhan ni Datu for 100 pax P 1,000.00 Magkono for 50 pax  P 500.00 Pavilion for 30 pax P 1,000.00 Notes: Sound system not included in the package.  Extra charge for additional person = Php 10.

Written on November 15, 2012 From the shipwrecks of Coron to the lagoons of El Nido, and serenity in between. It took me a month to draft about our five-day Tao expedition from Coron to El Nido. Perhaps it’s because no matter what style I use, my narration will always be an understatement, a cause of injustice to our experience. I originally want to come up with something creative, philosophical or religious, but every time I condition myself, the excitement just keeps rushing in. To make things simpler for me, I will just narrate ten things why you, too, should be on  Krisolo boat. 1 - Go Island Hopping Northern Palawan is the home of about a hundred islands in the Philippine archipelago, so when you get to this area, you’ll feel like taking out your sexiest two-piece swimsuit for island hopping and beach bumming. Most tourists flock either in Coron or El Nido; that is why travel agencies densely sprouted in the last three years and arranged one-day trips for th

Written on November 25, 2007   Yesterday I went to Yoro Waterfall to enjoy the momiji or autumn leaves. My sister Cecil was in Tokyo so I went there in an all-by-myself adventure. When I got off  thetrain, I had no idea where to go. So to save my time, I took the cab to my destination. Taxis in Japan are really pricey. So when I made that decision, I blamed again my oversleeping habit. But then the 60-something driver started a conversation that made that ride worthy. He asked, "Do you know "uta"?" I said yes as it's a simple word which means "song". Then he tried to explain something I couldn't figure out. I assumed he was asking permission if he could play some music about the waterfall, so I said I wouldn't mind. But he surprised me when he himself sang the song! As expected, I didn't understand all the lyrics but I was very thankful. Meeting a kind (and gutsy) driver like him isn't something we encounter daily. I still