![[Concepcion]~ Last Day Sun, Sand and Sea at Agho and Bag-o Sipol Islands](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/20150503_115331.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
‘Alone’ time in islands before goodbye – 05.03.15
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Visit to two more islands in Concepcion before calling this a trip —
Continue reading [Concepcion]~ Last Day Sun, Sand and Sea at Agho and Bag-o Sipol Islands
Monthly Archives: May 2015
![[Bulubadiangan Island, Concepcion] ~ Camp on a Sandbar Island](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/20150502_134443.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
[Bulubadiangan Island, Concepcion] ~ Camp on a Sandbar Island
A first to kill every time of day in a sandbar island – 05.02-03.15
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Having spent the previous night in ILOILO CITY, took an early commute trip to CONCEPCION TOWN where I was suddenly an adopted member of family of four who I had to share boat with. (I was prepared for a thousand-peso damage with a solo boat ride to the sandbar but the helpful tourist office managed to score me a ride with other guests to island).
I was at the sandbar midday and from then on walked around finding good spots for sitting and ‘swimming’. When tide was low, I was given a treat of a resident little tour guide walking me through anything exposed with no water on, and quite forcibly encouraging me to play with their dogs whose version of play is quite brutal and involves biting, which was their kind of play as he said so. It was then time for sunset and hours of sleep so near the sea.
In the morning had an attempt to read but ended up finishing only one story, randomly picked one that involved boxing (timely for Pacman’s fight that day). Remaining hours in BULUBADIANGAN spent on the shifting sandbar – called such because it apparently shifts depending on wind direction – which finally, I was able to have by myself.
Continue reading [Bulubadiangan Island, Concepcion] ~ Camp on a Sandbar Island
![[Guimaras] ~ Visit to Sites on Land and Sea](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/20150501_102236.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
[Guimaras] ~ Visit to Sites on Land and Sea
A day on a red tricycle around an island town – 05.01.15
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Unable to book a room in the island itself, it was a day of touring the island town of Guimaras – one filled with encounter with the SMALLEST PLAZA in the Philippines (and apparently, once a record-holder in Guinness as such), stops at THE PITSTOP for mango overload of pizza and pasta and at TRAPPIST MONASTERY for some yet again mango treats, setting foot in tall places to view other islands, sea and sky faraway, sand-collecting and water-testing in GUISI and ALUBIHOD beaches and a tour-ender at the town’s high spot which locals (and guest pilgrims) believe to be holy.
Continue reading [Guimaras] ~ Visit to Sites on Land and Sea
![[Manila] ~ An Afternoon with the Lazies at Cat Cafe Manila](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/20150516_154333.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
[Manila] ~ An Afternoon with the Lazies at Cat Cafe Manila
Because everyone deserves a lazy afternoon – 05.16.15
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I love cats (and dogs, too) but I seem to not have the aura of the kind of human that they naturally / instinctively gravitate to. That, however, did not stop me from wanting to visit as many dog, cat or whatever else animal cafes.
My first cat cafe experience happened in Korea but my visit to Cat Cafe Manila was worth telling, not only because it is one of the first cat cafes in the Philippines, it is also uniquely home because it takes care of puspins (pusang Pinoy) instead of the ones with breed.
Continue reading [Manila] ~ An Afternoon with the Lazies at Cat Cafe Manila
![[Phuket] ~ Waiting for Planes At Nai Yang](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/20150405_173926.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
[Phuket] ~ Waiting for Planes At Nai Yang
Last day of plane-watching and plain bumming around — 04.05.15
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Decision to make this beach my last stop was hinged on a specific purpose – to make sure that I get to my extra morning flight without the panic. That turned out not only practical as this was where I had the laziest time and at times otherwise, my less bum mode time was spent taking a walk on the national park wherein I discovered spots on the beach where locals hang out or store-hopping to get whatever take-home I could find.
Quite a thrill for me too whenever a plane would pass by as I could not help but imagine its passengers probably looking down while I was looking up. Also magical how it would disappear at some point. Or maybe it is just me being fascinated with planes that I managed to walk quite a distance just to get as near as I could to where the planes take off.
The next day I was on that plane. It was just too early that most likely, no one at the beach was looking.
[Phuket] ~ Strangely Sad of a Beach in Kamala
Most beautiful sunset and sunrise in a rather gloomy place – beach with character indeed. 04-04.15
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Among the beaches, Kamala Beach has got to be where I had the strangest feelings. I arrived just right before an unexpectedly beautiful sunset with just the right amount of crowd (including photoshoot of to-be-wed couples) yet the place had some gloom I could not quite explain that I could barely finished a bottle of beer on my night there. That sadness may have been reason why it was only until this beach that it started to sink on me that this country has had this tsunami almost a decade ago and for some strange reason, I was having these dead people and town thoughts before going to bed.
Nonetheless still had good memories of that distinctly round sun, not only during sunset but surprisingly, also during sunrise and this quick chat with a Filipino (finally! not just some locals who I happened to look alike with) in this restaurant where I enjoyed a spicy fruit salad.
There is a first anywhere; and I have always believed that only good feelings happen when I am at the beach. But in this beach, I was just strangely sad. Quite a turnaround from the high at Phi Phi but each place has got to leave its mark, right? Or maybe I should have stayed longer.
Continue reading [Phuket] ~ Strangely Sad of a Beach in Kamala
![[Ko Phi Phi] ~ Going Upmost to See its All](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/20150404_121650.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
[Ko Phi Phi] ~ Going Upmost to See its All
A zoom-out from its highest point, also its community’s haven – 04.04.15
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Sharing with you my less than an hour hike to Phi Phi’s highest post!
![[Ko Phi Phi] ~ Walk, Wade and Other Favorite Things](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/img_0307.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
[Ko Phi Phi] ~ Walk, Wade and Other Favorite Things
What is not to love with an island where there is no option but walk – 04.03-04.15
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Despite my not-so-convenient experience finding my temporary home in this island, I got to say this is my favorite from this trip leg. An island that is all-walk, a stand-out blue and calm water, crowd when you need them and someplace when you don’t, an option to splurge or go cheap with beer — it’s no wonder I felt happiest in here.
Although deprived of a plankton tour, I still managed to score a half-day trip with an island of monkeys which I realize to be universal source of cuteness (because while others may have thought it strange of me taking ‘selfies’ with monkeys, they took one themselves anyway), an encounter with location shoot of a favorite movie, an unexpected trail via Loh Sa Ma Bay, realization that I could have this sideline being a photographer to snorkeling people and this shallowness at finding enjoyment in varied shapes set against the water
Click more for more of my stories at Phi Phi!
Continue reading [Ko Phi Phi] ~ Walk, Wade and Other Favorite Things
[Ko Lanta] : Taking the Less Travelled, When Rocks Betray in Klong Nin
With a quite scary sea, it was lazy beach time for me– 04.02.15
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A 20-minute tuktuk ride took me to a relatively more secluded beach called KLONG NIN with waters that scared the hell out of me the first time with its suddenly steep bed and unpredictable rocks. These rocks were revealed to be quite many during the latter part of the afternoon when tide got low. Nonetheless found a spot where I could swim but with some kind of curfew at only about noon.
It was then more of a lazy day at the beach (finally had time to read!), some walking in the midst of heat and stopping by at bars to chill a bit until sundown. Night spent on a beach chair with the water now near the shore before calling it a night before next day’s early goodbye.
Continue reading [Ko Lanta] : Taking the Less Travelled, When Rocks Betray in Klong Nin
Torn
With the popularity of microblogs these days, I am having second thoughts whether I still need to work on my detailed entries for this blog. I just realized there are several venues where I share my stories – Facebook (of course still the most popular in the Philippines), in Instagram and just recently in Tumblr.
I am not sure though whether I am just becoming lazy or have just become disheartened by the backlog of entries or I am just slowly becoming more accepting of the change in medium that works, that is, actually get to be of help to those who are also interested to travel places.
So I shall think. And think again. Then we shall see whether this space needs a revamp.
I am no travel planner. 