It was a little more than a quarter to 1:00 AM when I descended to one of the platforms in 5th Avenue/53rd Street Station and started waiting for a train. I was capping off my fourth day of solo travel with a wide grin after the person I asked to take a photo of me at the Top of the Rock (tripods were prohibited!) *insert adverb of your choice* nailed it. The only problem? I wanted to cross the Brooklyn Bridge that late but needed to take a dump. And as you ought to know, New York is not a place for public toilets.

It was around 30 minutes later when I was on my way to the World Trade Center Station, hoping to make it back to Brooklyn in one piece. Fortunately, my shitty predicament (obviously no pun intended there) was banished to the Ministry of Magic in due course as the station had a restroom. (If you’re not a Harry Potter fan, I’m not even sorry for that analogy.) For being a terminal station on the rail system that goes to New Jersey, that must be why the loo was still open. What a relief, it was!

The World Trade Center Station was also where I wound up on my first day in New York and it was also in the wee hours of the morning, but that’s gonna be for another shitty story (not literally this time). The point of mentioning it was to establish that I already shot myself with the utopic interior of the Oculus, the main station house, as seen from one of the balconies.

Before my ungodly-hour walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, I took photos of the station’s exterior—something I didn’t do in detail on day one—and its neighboring buildings, namely the One World Trade Center and Spotify’s.

I was actually in Lower Manhattan the day before, but for not having planned my day and route, I didn’t realize at all that the Oculus was just in the neighborhood. That was after my first attempt at taking dreamy pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge while crossing it. I had all the intention of getting to the bridge before daybreak but it’s always the toughest for me to get up at my earliest when the weather’s freezing my balls.

As I leisurely made my way to the hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge, I came across St. Paul’s Chapel, the New York City Hall, and the Surrogate’s Court again.

At 23 minutes past two, I started strutting down the runway to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was desolate in a post-apocalyptic kind of way, the utmost opposite of how it was in the morning of the previous day. Not long I spotted the familiar lights of a police car, making me sigh, and someone on a bicycle.

When crossing the bridge to Brooklyn at night, you have to turn around at some point to ogle the city lights of the Financial District and wish you could take away some of its moolah.

With the bridge’s stone towers and multitude of suspender cables, I just had to stop from time to time to take pictures and savor the sight. Twelve minutes after I started my modeling career on the elevated promenade, I did my first bid with my tripod. ‘Course there also had to be a selfie.

Sixteen minutes before three, after many attempts at holding my breath and not budging from the moment the timer starts until the phone’s camera is done with its thing on night mode, I was super pleased with a shot and decided to finally call it a day.

Unbeknownst to no one, I managed to snap another one—with the fan-like thingamajigs that only God knows what they’re for—and it’s the sickest. As my very first corporate boss described it, it looks as if I’m about to fight the final boss in a video game.

Aside from the person pedaling, I only came across a single crossing soul. My night shift in the city that allegedly never sleeps paid off altogether, that’s for sure.

Tips

• Avoid the rush hour, be it in the morning or in the evening.
• Rely on a tripod. You can’t go wrong with it on a solo travel.
• If you’re not meticulous with the framing of your photos or don’t mind nuisances in the background (or actually prefer it that way), you can simply ask strangers to take pictures of you.
• If you know image editing and have all the time in the world, you can always purge people like what I did at the Parthenon.
• When going at night, make sure your camera can handle the dark. I was using a Huawei P30 (not the Pro); its night mode is astounding.

Visited: December 2019

The post Solo Travel and the Brooklyn Bridge at Night appeared first on Itinerant.

Only a few days after coming back from our seven-day trip to Palawan, I came across an AirAsia seat sale with an airfare that was less than half of how much our Cebu Pacific Air fare was. At only ₱485.62, I thought to myself, “Some buffets cost more than this and it’s already a round trip ticket, so why would I not steal it when it’s more delicious than food?” Assuming I ended up not boarding the flight to Puerto Princesa, the truth is it wouldn’t have hurt that much. Not the case, though, as I went on a solo travel to El Nido.

The flight was in a year’s time but I pretty much knew that I was gonna be doing it on my own since my companions wouldn’t be interested in visiting the same place they just visited the prior year. I still informed them anyway just so they wouldn’t accuse me of being a selfish prick. *shrugs*

Arrival

I was heading directly to El Nido and was staying at El Nido Sands Inn again so I had a van ride arranged. My flight landed before midday and as I remember it I only waited for a few minutes before I got my arse on the van and its engine started grumbling. At six o’clock, I was back on the balcony overlooking limestone cliffs and anchored boats.

Our itinerary during the aforementioned Palawan trip was jam-packed in that we were essentially always on the run. There was no reason to do the same since the experience was still fresh and I wasn’t staying on the island for the same number of days. With that, I didn’t really do any planning; I only looked forward to getting some sun and seawater in El Nido.

After settling in my room (I don’t have problems being in a dorm but I opted not to be in one this time around), I went out to check the nearest ATM, hunted dinner, and watched tables unfold on the beach and be swarmed by people. It’s either I have yet to have the habit of taking photos of my beverages then or it was simply a sober night. Tapping my back if it was the latter. Good job, self!

El Nido Island Hopping

Eating isn’t a priority when I travel so having breakfast in the form of bread and cheese spread was already a luxury. Island hopping tours in town go by the alphabet and since I already did a combination of Tours A and C, I wanted to go on Tours B and D. Unfortunately, the latter wasn’t as popular as the former and it was an off-peak season again so the inn’s attendant wasn’t able to find a group that I could join in.

In the end I landed on a group that was doing Tour A, with the destinations being Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commandos Beach. People were crawling because it was the National Heroes’ Day and the islands I already visited weren’t how I remember them. #DramaKing

Big Lagoon

Unlike when I did the bundled tour, it was high tide when we came to Big Lagoon so it was such a marvel being able to explore it on a boat. The fact that I was the only outcast in the group, though, silenced my desire to tell the boatmen to stay around for a bit for some swimming. Boo! Sucks to be a #shytype.

Secret Lagoon

I’m not even gonna bother with photos to the entrance of Secret Lagoon because people were smothering it, waiting for their turn to penetrate it get through. Crazy how it was only us when we were there the year before. I started mingling more with the group here and even snapped at them. Saw Megan and Mikael on our way out and, true enough, the guy was “ahead of me” with only one tabò.

Shimizu Island

I’m not actually sure if it was Shimizu Island where lunch was served but if our watermen stuck to Tour A’s destinations, then that must’ve been the island. The food was even more heavenly than the last time and, with me gurgling with bottles even while still on the boat, sobriety was already a thing of the past. Booyah!

While the water was crystalline like everywhere else, I didn’t enjoy snorkeling that much because, where we were, majority of the corals have already undergone bleaching. Ouchie!

Seven Commandos Beach

For being the last stop of many tours, it wasn’t surprising that many visitors were making the most of the water at Seven Commandos Beach before calling it a day. For having benches for reflection relaxation and a store for refreshments, who wouldn’t wallow, right?

The tree swing was restless this time.

There was redemption on the snorkeling activity as there was a lot to take in with the submerged scenery here. In fact, I was sightseeing too much underwater, away from everyone, without paying attention to the time that one of the boatmen eventually came looking for me. Sarry!

Late dinner and more Red Horse was at a deserted Marber’s Restobar (can’t believe I don’t have photos of what I devoured). Afterwards, I retired back to the balcony, in front of my laptop, and abandoned myself to the quaint night and the lights illuminating it.

Taraw Cliff Canopy Walk

I was to climb Taraw Cliff (never thought about doing it when I had company) the next day but due to an accident earlier that year the activity was prohibited. Having already set my mind for it, I succumbed to doing the Canopy Walk which was supposed to be an alternative.

At the end of the trail was a platform overlooking the bay. Alas, it wasn’t any close to the view from Taraw Cliff. But hey! It’s already very good if you’re someone who doesn’t have the stomach for climbing cliffs.

I was done with the activity in less than 20 minutes and it felt like I was ripped off. Then again, it could’ve been due to my long-legged legs me being the only tourist around. The activity’s very safe with the quality of the hanging bridges and metal walkways and stairs. If you’re someone whose adrenaline loves the likes of tying your junk to a bungee or throwing it off planes, though, you’ll definitely prefer actually climbing Taraw Cliff instead.

Got some banana-pineapple shake (sosyal) to counter the blazing sun on my way back and came home to an empty inn. The sight was quite melancholic.

Nacpan Beach

Past midday I hopped on a scooter (remembering Bantayan!) and made my way to Nacpan Beach, stopping by the sign to Nagkalit-kalit Falls despite not having the slightest intention of getting wet there. Being in a van previously, I didn’t remember the road from the highway being unpaved at all.

I brought my loaf and cheese spread and at around two o’clock feasted on it together with the pancit bam-i I ordered at the cottage where I was loafing, all the while watching noobs people play volleyball using a minuscule net. For not having the custom of photographing everything yet, I don’t have a single proof of the cold beer that was quenching me. Shame!

The water was low but as serene and unclouded as it was.

When the sun drew closer to half past four I walked towards the capes to relive the cult for perspectives, saying hi to furries along the way.

I was already nearing my journey’s end when scooters scooted past me, making me bang my head the way Sia sang it, for the reason that I could’ve done the same had I seen someone ride one on the beach beforehand.

Nacpan and Calitang Beach—the twin beaches—were naturally in a dry state because of the tide.

I then carried on to the headland at the farther end. During my my first visit, our group had to retreat and stop exploring further because my companions were lazy asses one of my companions got dizzy.

Quite some view below, right? Only that it would’ve been way better if my scooter was with the lot. #bitter

The vantage point from this cape was made more picturesque by the presence of a tree, making the cape reminiscent of where the Kirikos lived during the Hunter Exam. With the right coverage, a shot could look as if looking at the beach through a forest. Kabog!

Pictured on the top right below is the headland with a view of the twin beaches. Would you go this far?

I got reunited with my scooter and lambasted it for not taking me across the beach 37 minutes past five and was back on the balcony yet again before darkness completely swallowed the day. That night I had pasta again at the same restaurant where I dined on my first night. Clingy, I know.

Puerto Princesa

I was leaving El Nido after lunch so on my penultimate day I just took a dip in front of the inn and fraternized with boats. That was also the last time my Ricoh camera was seen alive. Who was I to know that water was already seeping through the bastard?

I visit churches when I get the chance when traveling so I did that as well. You gotta be thankful, you know.

I arrived at Dallas Inn in Puerto Princesa at 6:00 PM and found myself chitchatting with a Kiwi couple in the 8-bed mixed dorm room. I’ve always sucked at geography and capitals and my knowledge that Auckland is the capital of New Zealand (well, it used to be) was debunked. Pretty much the same when I only learned in Sydney that Canberra is the capital of Australia. Yeah, my whole life has been a lie.

Despite having four bottles of Pale Pilsens that night I still managed to publish more than a year’s worth of post on my personal blog following flipping another year. Or was it all thanks to the drive brought about by the no-holds-barred moans of the foreign couple who banged the night away? Such music to my ears, it was.

The same melancholy in El Nido crept in on my last day after waking up and seeing that everyone had already gone for the day. But with Rasty and Airen—the inn’s cordial attendants—around, the feeling fleeted. We connected on Facebook and I remember Rasty being very approving of people who do local tourism on their own. He had a handful of necklaces with shells as pendants and asked me to take some to give to loved ones.

The greatest takeaway of the trip? Always bring a photo that you can easily dispose. ‘Course I added an entry to the map on the board. Ako pa sad! #kumpetitib

Tips

• For being among the most coveted destinations in the Philippines both by locals and forangers, flights to Palawan are aplenty and could be very cheap at times.
• Solo travel to El Nido is a piece of cake as you can easily join other groups in island hopping tours. Some may even include a visit to Nacpan Beach and/or Nagkalit-kalit Falls.
• Tricycles are readily available should you wish to check out nearby places and don’t know how to handle a scooter or motorcycle.
• Go for an accommodation near the beach so you can chill out or go swimming if you feel like doing so, pronto.
• As usual, avoid holidays and weekends if you want to steer clear of the horde of tourists. The presence of many people, bundled with the nature of tides, could mean that some stops during island hopping may be skipped.
• If you’re flying to and from Puerto Princesa and have or can make extra time, try to squeeze in activities there.
• Most importantly, don’t be gloomy when it’s gloomy. It was all drizzly before I flew out of Manila so I anticipated the same in El Nido especially with the forecast. For that reason I brought a laptop to be busy with in case I’ll be stuck indoors because of the weather. Life really is like a box of chocolates as the sun was melting me good throughout the trip.

Expenses

Visited: August 2016

The post Going Solo in El Nido: An Itinerary appeared first on Itinerant.

Prior to bungee jumping in Costa Rica I only had one such experience which was in Gunma alongside a Japan-based postgraduate classmate. It wasn’t what I hoped for for the reason that the elastic cord was attached to the waist and not to the ankles. (Choosy pa?) Nonetheless, it was still as fun and exhilarating. And oh, did I mention that on a cable car 143 meters high, at the time of writing jumping Monteverde Extremo Park’s is the highest bungee jump in all of Central America?

It was 20 minutes past two and I had just returned to the reception area of Monteverde Extremo Park after ziplining through the lush forests of Monteverde. By the way how I kept asking the receptionists, one could judge me infer how thrilled I was for my next activity, which I’d say stands next to skydiving.

Within ten minutes, those who were bungee jumping were called and off we went to meet the cable system. There were eight of us and they were loading the tram with a maximum of five persons including two guides so we were divided into—do the math, honey. The first to go was an Indian couple and apparently they were doing the Tarzan swing as well.

Icebreaker

When the tram reached the heart of the valley, I made my way to the observation platform to get a perspective of how crazy the shit’s gonna be. After seeing the two lose a portion of their breaths, my I’m-already-here-so-might-as-well-do-it disposition took over like a poltergeist that I came back to the rest of the group with an additional wristband indicating that I’m also doing the Tarzan swing.

I was going in with a Canadian couple and while waiting for the first group a handful of conversations transpired, which included me sharing to everyone how “disastrous” my first bungee jump was. Also…

Someone (to the couple): Where are you guys from?
Couple: Canada.
American woman: Fucking Canadians.
Everyone: *laughing*
Canadian guy: That’s the first time I heard that!

The icing on the cake was the presence of another Filipino who was accompanying his workmate who was also doing the jump! Dunno why he didn’t jab me at all when my jersey was literally bellowing “Pilipinas”, but when his companion gave him away, I jumped the gun and was delighted to know that despite having moved to the United States their household is still using Tagalog.

Bungee Extremo

At 18 minutes past three, my ankles were already bound while the cable car was settling between the mountains. I was the first sacrifice and without any fuss, was already on the edge of the platform about to throw my life away. If there’s one thing I learned about leaping off things such as cliff jumping, it would be to jump off as soon as you can; the more you prolong being on the edge, the more your legs will wiggle the way Jason Derulo sang his song. (Unless we’re on a different context, of course.) In fact, the guides only had two things to say:

1. If you have acrophobia (they didn’t actually use the term; too fancy), don’t look down and just look ahead.
2. Without looking down, jump forward as far as you can!

There was a GoPro mounted on the helmet and another one held by one of the guides. I wasn’t going home without any proof souvenir of the activity so paying extra for the video was out of the question. Still, I asked the Canadian couple if they didn’t mind recording my jump on my phone. They obliged and later on I was more than happy to return the favor.

Oh, yeah, about the actual jump. I didn’t save a second when the guides’ countdown ended in that I immediately plunged into the valley. Remember: He who hesitates is lost! As usual, I was howling at the top of my lungs. It’s an extreme sport, for Pete’s sake. You’re not supposed to stay quiet! If I find free fall to be the best part of skydiving, for bungee jumping it would have to be the recoil, particularly the first ones. *fist pump*

I mean, why wouldn’t you pay for a video, right? Aberrant Titan in the house!

Video

A massive shoutout to Gyom for the music!

My being “off the hook” (you need to fasten yourself to another cord to be pulled up) lasted for almost a minute and, from the moment I jumped, it was just about two minutes and 40 seconds until I got back on the platform. Time does fly jump, doesn’t it?

Here’s me feelin’ thee vibe~! #muntanga #hithitPa

Extreme Tarzan

Monteverde Extremo Park’s Canopy Tour was essentially ziplining across canopies in Monteverde and already included a Tarzan swing. I didn’t research enough to know about the latter so when the hostel attendant told me about it, I was swayed on my decision to do the Extreme Tarzan and only booked the Canopy Tour and bungee jump.

But as I already mentioned, I became adamant about the Extreme Tarzan swing again by just seeing the first group being transported by the tram to the middle of the valley. My company wasn’t doing the activity so they were more than happy I was more than eager to ask them to record me again.

I guess there’s only one way to describe the Extreme Tarzan swing: It absolutely felt like my body left my soul, which is the opposite of how it should theoretically be. If you’re doing the activity and not shouting your lungs out, I will judge you as the most lifeless thing on the sole planet that allegedly harbors life.

Unfortunately, no video was taken from the guides’ GoPro as they didn’t coordinate with each other. After initially faking my release, I was easily let go as if my feelings didn’t matter while the countdown was still at three! The guyde (see what I did there?) on the right was still preparing the action camera but I was already “Tarzaning” away.

Me: Do you need to countdown or something?
Guide: Yes. 3, 1!
Me: *leaves soul behind*

As for the recording on my phone, it was fortuitously cut a split second after I started baying. The Canadian lady was apologetic about it but who was I to complain when—and she knows it herself—her video of my bungee jump was badass? And so that left me with the footage of the GoPro on my helmet, which will make you realize that my pores are clearer than your future. So… Nope, taking a pass on showing that one for now. The entire swinger activity took around four minutes.

I snapped a photo with my group in my good-morning hair (thanks to the helmet) and, while it didn’t materialize because of how busy the season was (or simply because it was only a spur of the moment), it was very nice of them to offer swinging me around Niagara Falls on my freezing visit to Canada the following month. At five minutes past five we were back on land and wished the third group, which was almost overtaken by another group, good luck.

I took one last look from the observation deck to relive what just panned out, before bustling excitedly to secure a copy of my files.

Tips

• Check with Monteverde Extremo Park on the weight requirements. We can’t afford any disappointment, can we?
• The first item on the two-item list above. It will help!
• Don’t prolong your agony and just jump off that damn tram.
• Like when skydiving, try not to close your eyes as you dive head first. Savor it.
• If your stomach really can’t take it no matter how hard you attempt to get your ass off the platform, you might consider having the guides just push you hold you while you lean forward and then let them release you at their disposal. Okay, that might not have sounded encouraging but you get the point. It was like that in Gunma. You just gotta do it, bruh.
• Bundled tours can be cheaper, so I would’ve saved some bucks if I booked the three activities—Canopy Tour, Bungee Extremo, and Extreme Tarzan—from the start. Ho(s)tels can also do the booking on your behalf and sometimes could further slash the price.

Expenses

Visited: November 2019

The post Bungee Jumping in Costa Rica: Monteverde Extremo Park appeared first on Itinerant.

It was my penultimate day in town and after taking things to greater heights at Monteverde Extremo Park, joining a night walk, and getting a visit from white-faced monkeys at Que Tuanis, I could’ve just stayed at the hostel and lazed around. But then, the front desk attendant, who ended up calling me Josh during my stay (and I just let her because who knows if I was a Josh in another life), told me to visit the Ficus tree in Monteverde.

So what is a Ficus tree? Welp, thought you’d never ask! Actually, it was also the first time that I learned of such a thing. (A thing!)

A Ficus tree, also known as a strangler fig, is among the plants that grow on the surface of another plant. Ever heard of orchids? However, unlike orchids, this fig continuously grows upward for sunlight while its roots go downward, ultimately enveloping and strangling the host tree after making contact with the ground. The original tree sometimes dies, leaving the Ficus tree hollow and on its own.

Remembering Science classes, the Ficus tree and host tree have a symbiotic relationship of commensalism, but unbeknownst to the latter, it can transition into a form of parasitism. Traidor! It’s like being betrayed by someone you used to snuggle with all the time.

I was told of two Ficus trees in particular—a hollow strangler fig as described above and another which takes the form of a bridge. After Googling photos of them, I knew I just had to pay a courtesy call on the Ficus tree bridge even if looking for it eats my entire day that I can no longer check out the other one.

Ficus Tree Bridge

The hostel attendant’s instructions to turn right, from the road, to a narrow path was crystal but I was having a hard time looking for it. Fortunately there was a local nearby so I whipped out Google Translate, keyed in “tree bridge”, and went ahead with:

“Buenos dias! Tengo una pregunta. Donde esta el puente de arbol?”

He pointed me to the path and even waited for me to find it. At seven minutes past ten I started making my way through the woodland, followed the trail, and walked and walked and walked…

Until I came across a sign four minutes later which read:

“Do not pass. There’s a crazy man with a gun.”

For not having seen any sign of life at all apart from the greenery, I immediately turned on my heel and guided myself back, though in retrospect it was essentially just a message indicating that it’s a private property. And that’s when I remembered another instruction: Once you hit the river after going down the path from the highway, follow it downstream to the right where the Ficus tree bridge awaits.

Sure, I Googled it beforehand, but it was still nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Otherworldly, it was. From the looks of it, it indeed seemed to have grown on a fallen comrade. With no one else around, I scampered for my tripod and went for the kill. It was the first time I brought it so an experimentation naturally ensued; I hurriedly took multiple shots from different angles in fear that someone might come and spoil the moment and make things #awkward.

I crossed to the other side to test if it was a portal that’ll whisk me away to its origin but immediately there was a drop so I could only do so much. Still feeling dissatisfied, I tried other angles and eventually found one that fit the entire tree in the frame. I was fucking sold. I wallowed there for roughly 30 minutes and no one else arrived. Huzzah!

Hollow Ficus Tree

Hiking to the other Ficus tree wasn’t the easiest as I, after looking it up on Google Maps to be “El Arbor Hueco / Ficus Tree”, found myself on a continuously steep road. I’m not one to whine but I was definitely gasping for air. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge signage was my landmark; there was a path leading into the unknown woods across it.

Before long I came across a strangler fig in all its erect glory. I’m very certain I’ll never see a wormhole in this fleeting life but from its base I would like to describe it as one (if not a monster’s orifice, that is). It was a thing of beauty.

During my hookup with this Ficus tree a Dutch woman lady girl and an American couple came by, with the guy remarking that he thought a monkey left its backpack on the ground. (Do tell!) Like many Caucasians, they hardly took photos and didn’t stay long so I was once again saved from being seen as a loner, desperately aspiring for good and emotional dramatic photos.

It also gave me a chance to scale the tree again. Went up as high as I could with my good old pal and spent another 30 minutes in total including the second photo shoot of the day.

At the hostel that night I met a Swedish couple who thought I was a photographer (ano ba!) after seeing me browse a million photos on my laptop and phone. When the guy caught a glimpse of the Ficus tree bridge, I learned that they looked for it, came across the warning sign as well, and was about to follow the river but gave up because it was already getting dark. They were leaving at first light so the regret on their faces was beyond doubt when I told them that it was only a few steps away had they pursued it.

Tips

• Visiting these Ficus trees is one of the things you shouldn’t miss when in Monteverde on a trip to Costa Rica because it’s free. If the hollow Ficus tree also sits on a private property, though, there’s a chance that this might totally change. After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
• The structure of a hollow strangler fig makes climbing it as easy as pie. You just have to be careful when you’re on your own or when it’s wet (why are a handful of things dangerous when wet anyway). Better yet, if your monkey instinct tells you not to ascend, then don’t.
• You could actually also climb and be on the Ficus tree bridge. I didn’t go for it because I was already euphoric ogling it from the ground and there was also no point if my intention was to take photos using the tripod.
• I was told later on by the hostel attendant that I was lucky no one stole my things while I was climbing the Ficus tree. In other cases, cars parked outside of the woods are broken into through the windows.
• Furthermore, I was informed that I was in fact at the wrong Ficus tree, as there was a bigger and hollower one. The one you should be seeking is the one below, courtesy of Danielle and Anna. You could climb it all the way up to the canopy. All was still good for me, though, thanks to the Ficus tree bridge. But I wonder if the Dutch and the Americans knew that we were at the wrong one?

Visited: December 2019

The post Climbing the Ficus Tree / Strangler Fig in Monteverde appeared first on Itinerant.

I know, Volcan de Fuego as seen from Acatenango Volcano oozes soo good that you might question your purpose in life. While the experience was not a series of unfortunate events as told by Lemony Snicket to children, I am saddened to say that this post will be an expectation vs. reality one, in that while the weather forecast was the most ideal on the day of our hike, the clouds seemed to have gotten too excited with our arrival at the camp that they wanted all the attention to themselves. You have been warned and if you still decide to carry on, my, I must’ve said something right in this paragraph. The photo is courtesy of Tropicana Hostel’s Instagram account.

Flying to Guatemala came to fruition after randomly looking for affordable flights with the dates I had in mind. When it popped after I missed grabbing San Andres in Colombia, I booked it in a heartbeat since Filipinos with US visas can also set foot in the country. After some reading, I decided to just settle in Antigua and see how things go from there; I had no plans of doing any Acatenango Volcano hike at all.

Preparation

I was quite active with machines and weights (right, the gym) before the trip but it wasn’t a deciding factor for me to actually hike Acatenango Volcano. That didn’t mean I wasn’t open to the idea either as I brought layers—a jacket and a hoodie. On my second day in Antigua, with the following day’s forecast being very favorable, the hostel staff finally convinced me to do the activity.

“Since you’re already here, you might as well do it.”

Sold! Among the inclusions of what I paid for were:

• Round trip transportation
• Two pieces of cold weather clothing
• Four meals (not that I’m one, but there was a vegetarian option)
• A snack
• A private campsite with toilet
• A post-hike refreshment

The number of meals may be very enticing but it’s just the right count for an overnight trip so I bought protein bars and nuts in case my appetite needed additional attention. Each participant was to bring four liters of water to be used for food preparation and this didn’t include drinking water yet. I’m not thirsty like the wolf but I brought more than enough, which turned out to be a good idea as increased water intake may help in acclimatization.

For the clothes, I chose gloves and a puffer jacket. While there are also pants you can borrow, I’d say it’s best if you really have one that has a snug fit. You won’t necessarily be wearing them during the hike since you’re on the move but you’ll definitely need them at the camp when the cold’s starting to bother your follicles.

The Hike

Breakfast came in at eight and I was surprised—and glad, actually—that there were only seven of us set for the hike (there were around or more than 20 the day before). Five were already huddled on a table so I took the empty one next to it where I was eventually joined by the last participant.

Our shuttle left before nine and within an hour we were at the starting point where a handful of furries were among the welcoming committee. If you think your legs will wiggle along the way, you can start looking for a walking stick here. A conically shaped mountain, which I assume to be Volcan de Agua, can be seen from a distance.

Our hike commenced before 10:30 and in approximately 50 minutes we were at our first stop where I was tempted to buy some beers for the night. With the presence of welcome signs, it looked like a rangers’ station.

In the ten minutes that we were there, I already went nuts over some of the nuts that I packed.

After a quarter of an hour we arrived at a shed where we rested for a bit again before continuing our pursuit to overtake other groups.

At midday we had burritos for lunch and the stopover provided the last chance to stock up booze for the overnight. “Nope, not this time,” I lied to told myself. There was a toilet, but as much as I wanted to clear my bowels, nature wasn’t hooting yet.

Being someone who tends to capture every fleeting moment, I’ve always preferred being at the end of a moving line so I can stop anytime without inconveniencing anyone. Just like being seated at the end of a bus, I find it satisfying being able to see what’s happening to everyone. Lakas maka-chismoso! (I was about to cite being seated at the end of a plane but since I never really pay for my seat during a flight, bus to the rescue there. #poor)

The trail transitioned from rainforest into, for lack of a better description, an open one with trees that looked like they were remnants of Praimfaya in The 100. (Here comes my post-apocalyptic tendencies again!)

Before long, an unobstructed view (well, if it weren’t for the looming clouds) of the mountain which was visible from the jump-off point materialized. If you’re from the Philippines, Mayon will definitely come to mind. At 15 minutes past one o’clock, we had our first group photo taken.

From then on we were greeted by a green landscape with more of the towering leafless trees where our guide showed us a leaf that can be used to save your ass (literally). It was timely for a call of nature, as the clouds started creeping in.

After steep trails and another stop 30 minutes past two, it was already a walk in the volcano park, with the terrain changing to a volcanic one. And breathtaking at that!

A mist was edging and thankfully, unlike in the movie, no extradimensional creatures emerged out of it.

Camping

It was three o’clock when we arrived at Tropicana Hostel’s camp and our guide mentioned that, given the duration of our stopovers, we were fast. Of course, it can be attributed to our headcount. Apart from the tents, there was a cabin which had enough room to accommodate twice our number. It was agreed immediately, though, that we’d just huddle up on the mezzanine.

The highlight of climbing Acatenango Volcano, for pros and beginners alike, I’d say, is witnessing an exhibitionist across it—in the form of Volcan de Fuego—rumble night and day. To appreciate the trickle of lava off its orifice, one simply has to stay overnight. After arriving at the camp, we were only blessed with a few minutes to see most of this neighboring volcano before the mist started engulfing it.

I pretty much accepted at that instant that it was not gonna be what we hoped for, but, being the hopeful human that I am, I still hoped against hope anyway.

Overnight

It was supposed to be for dinner, but before four o’clock struck we were already enjoying the wine and toasting using plastic glasses. Past the hour, part of Volcan de Fuego was still visible, until the clouds became totally unforgiving, utterly blinding us from the volcanic activity that’s only a stone’s throw away.

The clouds were heavenly against the setting sun.

When the cold was already making my skin crawl, I put on my jeans over my shorts and donned the hoodie on top of my jacket. The food was served early, followed by hot chocolate and s’mores marshmallows on sticks.

Conversations in front of the bonfire flowed smoothly since there were only a few of us. Aside from the basic introduction through the where-are-you-from question also came the question:

“What are your ages?”

In descending order, it was 31, 29 (American), two 27’s (American and Ozzie), 23 (Montrealer), and two 22’s (Irish). As we progressed I revealed that I brought three 700 mL cans of Gallo beer and that every arduous step on a precipitous slope during the hike I just kept telling myself that the extra weight is a reward that’ll be literally off my shoulders on the way back. Talk about motivation! Besides, there was NCIH that there was gonna be enough wine.

It came as a surprise to them that it had to be the oldest one who’d thought of such a thing so hopefully I only gave the impression that Filipinos are just social and not heavy drinkers. Gehee.

One of the Americans is into diving and has been to Palawan and it came out that the other one had the same Uber that I managed to book from Guatemala to Antigua. That driver was so conversant; there was no dead air during the long ride and if only he lived around town I would’ve asked him that we try the wild local drinks he was talking about.

We probably lasted longer outside had we had more to drink but since the supply was very limited, we called it a night before eight and made ourselves homey in our accommodation. The cabin was actually cozy that I had to take off an upper layer (I was already wearing the puffer jacket) before settling next to the wall. More chitchat followed which included hostel encounters and some topic which made me bring up The Purge.

Before silence fell and all we could hear was Volcan de Fuego grumbling, we agreed to wake up ’round midnight to check if nature became lenient.

I’ve always been a beach guy and not into climbing every mountain searching high and low so it was my first time hearing about altitude sickness. I felt difficulty in breathing when I was trying to fall asleep but I must’ve only been paranoid after seeing two in the group get sick upon arriving at the camp. I didn’t sleep well and when the alarm awoke me, the sound of the wind and my instinct told me that the view wasn’t any better, so I no longer went out to check if there was any lava visible amidst the black and white.

Part of the Acatenango Volcano tour is another hike from the camp to the summit for the sunrise and an even better view of Volcan de Fuego. We started the new day with a bonfire at four o’clock but due to strong winds and one of us getting more sick by the minute, we decided against it in the end and just waited out breakfast. With the view not showing any sign of clearing up, we might’ve just ended up with zero visibility—not even a sea of clouds—had we decided to carry on.

Descent

Among my issues in life (not really) is my high metabolism (so it seems) so prior to breakfast, I cleared the traffic jam on Hershey highway. The toilet had a seat but it’s basically a pit so deep that you won’t smell a damn thing at all. I was told that it gets “moved” from time to time, which makes perfect sense. It wasn’t fancy but it definitely did the job for someone who drops a load every day. Wet tissues and alcohol, come to papa!

We got on our feet at eight o’clock, two hours after breaking the fast, and it was foggy almost all the way down. Like during our ascent, I chose to be at the tail.

Todo bien?

Was the only thing that I could muster from time to time for the guide’s hijo.

I wasn’t able to take any photo but there was some sort of marathon going on. Made me so curious if they were supposed to get tagged somewhere above and then go back down.

When the first beer opportunity came, I made up for the shortage of the night before without batting an eyelash. After all, it may have been morning, but somewhere around the world it was nighttime and some people needed a drinking buddy. I was just being tactful.

As we were nearing the end of our hike, one of the Americans hinted at a group which was starting theirs that we enjoyed the experience. “You didn’t see it,” one of them shot back flatly. Man, was he omniscient?! Well, I could only hope they saw what we didn’t.

Three hours after starting our descent, breaks included, we were reunited with the furries and downing our post-hike refreshments. Our sick guy was not feeling any better.

Back at Tropicana Hostel an hour later the Ozzie was on the phone with someone who I assumed to be a doctor. Except for visa application requirements, I don’t really buy travel insurance. That would be the first time that I realized how important having one actually is. You can never go wrong with it.

Non-verbatim

Just like photos, I consider lines in a dialogue as triggers to memories and the ones below made the cut. I’m connected to all but one on Instagram and should they stumble upon this post, let it be known that there’s no negative connotation intended, just statements worth remembering.

American 2: It’s gone. I no longer have to pinch my ass. “I shit in the woods, mom!”

American 1 (on a sign in Palawan): Say no to drugs, yes to sex and diving.

Someone: There’s no such thing as bad weather; just bad clothes.

Montrealer (on brushing his teeth while driving): I just swallow. I’m used to it. #toothpaste

American 1 (before going to bed): Just looking for my sunglasses.
American 2 (already in bed): Oh, I’m wearing them.

American 1: How did you guys close this door?
American 2: Don’t tell her!

American 1: *painful throat in the morning*
American 2: You don’t remember what happened?
American 1: You wish.

Tips

• Do the Acatenango Volcano hike and if you have a day to spare, stay overnight. We haven’t seen any action in the dark, yes, but I can only imagine how spectacular it would’ve been (see the best night photos in this post!). I’d go back if I can just to see Volcan de Fuego squirting, especially since we don’t have such a volcano in the Philippines.
• I wouldn’t say that you have to be fit for the hike but expect really steep trails. Therefore, assess yourself. If you’re not confident about your physical capability or your gut simply tells you not to, don’t do it. I could no longer find the article about it but weeks prior to our hike, someone died. It was an old tourist and if I remember right, altitude sickness was a factor.
• Consider the weather not just on the day of the hike but on the previous days as well. It can be challenging and very tough when the ground’s wet. Sometimes it even snows on top. Our guide showed us photos, taken days before our hike, of snow on the ground.
• There are a lot of companies that offer the tour. It just happened that the hostel I was staying at also have it and even offered a discount so I no longer checked out others.
• If you opt for a cheaper tour like I did, check if you’re guaranteed a guide who speaks English. I haven’t heard ours speak English at all but thankfully one of the Americans lived in Mexico when he was a kid.
• There may be tours which limit the number of participants, which can make the group more connected. The renowned “pool” party was held on the day of our hike so I’m guessing we were only few because everyone else was raving.
• While I’m not complaining, the food may not be enough or that good if you’re going for a cheaper tour. Bring something that you can feast on in such a case.
• If taking a dump (yeah, let’s not sugarcoat it) is part of your daily routine, you might wanna make sure you’ll have access to a toilet.
• Tip your tour guide. Do it for their leg days.

Expenses

Because I have different priorities in life, I’ve excluded my beers and bites.

Visited: July 2019

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I don’t really have any recollection of when I started having adrenaline in my junk becoming an adrenaline junkie but I do remember that when a Middle East-based high school classmate did Skydive Dubai with “Beauty and a Beat” in her footage, I didn’t only look forward to doing the same but I also looked forward to what music will be used, which I hoped would be something of the same caliber. (#Belieber?)

Schedule

The time you booked will be your arrival time and not your jump time. Very handy if you’re someone who’s an advocate of Filipino time. Mine was at midday and I already checked beforehand that there was no train station near the Skydive Dubai site so I factored in extra minutes for walking. I always walk when I can. Never skip leg day, right?

Seeing the drop zone alone already made the butterflies in my stomach act as if they were wallowing into a night of pure neglect. “Oooooh yes,” I told myself, as if I just did something illegal and was about to make a lot money out of it.

Getting inside the facility will make you realize that no matter how much you think of yourself as the mightiest, there’s a whole lot of other people who have the same adrenaline that flows within you. While Skydive Dubai has a waiting/standby list for walk-ins who don’t have bookings, it’s always recommended to have one. You’re probably just gonna do a walk-in if there are no more available slots on the day that you can jump or if your time in Dubai is almost over and you just got convinced that you wanna YOLO. (The likelihood of people cancelling their bookings for those on the waiting list to fill in may be very low but who knows!)

Both your weight and BMI will be measured as requirements to do a tandem skydive. Flunk these and you’re instantly out of the game. (More on this later.) Of course, no such activity is ever possible without a waiver. Get your pen and ugly penmanship initials ready!

Interview

I’m pretty confident about my English-speaking skills but there’s no denying as seen in the interview at the end of this post that my mother tongue accent rose to prominence. I even murdered the phrase “so far” at that. Practice, kids! Also, it could be just me, but isn’t it awkward watching yourself in videos when you’re not used to doing so? Cringe.

As a further matter, I’d say that I’m someone who tends to imitate the accent of the person I’m talking to. Not that it’s a bad thing and I’m being defensive and derogatory, but it simply happens and I’ve heard of the same from other Filipinos. Could it be a curse to our race? Char!

Each tandem skydive has a dedicated cameraman who’s the same person doing the interview. There were no lockers so like everyone else I just left my belongings in a corner on the floor. When our batch was set we were driven to the runway and before we could start any prayer we were already up in the air. The drop zone was already busy catching feelings people.

Incidentally, my tandem instructor has been to Bantayan Island and knows Terry, the funny skydiving guy there.

If I remember correctly, the plane can accommodate at least four pairs of tandem skydivers. Including the cameramen, that’s at least 12 people, thrice the capacity of the one used when I did the same activity in Bantayan.

Things will be so damn fast once the first three gets off the aircraft. Before you even know it, your group is already the next to tumble. Brace yourself for what you’ve gotten yourself into!

The Dive

It never occurred to me until the interview that the cameramen had two gadgets strapped on their helmets: a GoPro and a DLRS DSLR. My initial guess (and based on the files) was that the former is for the video while the latter is for the photos. Then again, it could be that one is a backup of the other, in that both record a video and take continuous shots at the same time. In any case, the final products will never disappoint you. Fire away!

Immediately after exiting, the drogue chute will be deployed to reduce the terminal velocity. That’s Physics there, and obviously I just copied the purpose of such chute from Wikipedia after Googling what it’s called. Duh?

If there’s one thing that you should never ever forget, that’s to keep your gaze at the cameraman all throughout the duration of the free fall which will be around 60 seconds. Sixty seconds! This is what you paid for so keep your eyes on the prize and smize! Your instructor will tap you on the shoulders to signal you to spread-eagle. Saludos!

The first glimpse of the Palm Jumeirah caught on camera is a testament that the experience is totally worth it. No words!

At some point you will be spinning ’round and ’round. I felt giddy from it for some seconds after the main parachute was released. The recoil must’ve also been a factor.

Landing

After five minutes we were grounded again. Your cameraman will be waiting for you for your final words. Or rather, your first words after another chance in life. Don’t forget to hold and lift your legs for the landing! The entire experience from the interview until touchdown lasted for roughly 25 minutes. Told ya things will be very quick. (Probably even quicker than your last relationship. #sad)

It took 30-45 minutes for the video and photos to be ready so while waiting for them I treated myself to what I remember to be the cafe’s Grilled Chicken Tikka Wrap.

Photos & Video

The files came in a USB flash drive. Be very careful you’re picking up your own files. It’ll be a disaster for you and your victim otherwise. I remember thinking of asking for the raw videos but I guess it wasn’t possible.

I stayed around for a bit afterwards, savoring what just transpired. As a matter of fact as I write these words I still get the sensation that as if I just landed on the drop zone. The area’s skyline as seen from the facility features the twisted (literally) Cayan Tower. (And oh, that was me up there earlier.)

Personally, aside from seeing the Palm Jumeirah from above, I was also after the photo and video coverage. Like in some other skydiving sites in the world, the ones I had in Bantayan Island were only via a GoPro strapped to the instructor’s wrist. The presence of a cameraman without doubt takes things to a different level.

Before my trip ended I met up with a college friend who’s based in the city for dinner and along the way she mentioned that she’s always wanted to experience Skydive Dubai. She was freaking out (haha) when I told her that I did it and showed her the video. The next thing I knew, she already did her jump on the next available schedule and even ended up with the same tandem instructor. What are the odds!

Tips

• It may be pricey at 1,999 AED (the cost then) but if you intend to skydive once in your life and you happen to score a flight or plan to visit UAE’s most populous city, then definitely consider Skydive Dubai. You just gotta save up for it!
• If for some reason the Palm Jumeirah doesn’t entice you as the background for a skydive (wow ha), they also have a desert drop zone which is cheaper.
• There’s always a backup parachute during skydiving so that’s one less concern for you. And it’s without question that you’ll be handled by experienced professionals. As the instructor in Bantayan Island told me, in his career he’s only used the backup chute twice.
• Skydive Dubai has at least one female instructor every day and you can always request for her when you check in.
• Best time to arrive for a dive is at 10:00 AM. Even if there was still a slot available, I still wouldn’t have selected it because I wasn’t confident I’ll be able to arrive that early from the night before. Gehee.
• I know someone who was given a second jump for free because her photos during the first one were busted. If the same happens to you, lucky you!

And oh, as I mentioned, following are some of the things to keep in mind as well as the video showing how I stuttered and, in the words of a friend, looked balisa (anxious). They probably take into account your nationality since Anne Curtis was featured in mine. K.

Requirements

Your weight and BMI should not exceed the limit (unlike some instances in Calculus, the limit will never not exist here). When I was there the measurements should be:

• Less than 100 kg and BMI less than 30 for males
• Less than 90 kg and BMI less than 27.5 for females

All the updated information that one should know are in the Skydive Dubai website and they even have a BMI calculator. That goes without saying that you should not make a booking if by the day of your jump you won’t survive the preliminary round meet the required measurements. Failing to do so will/may forfeit your deposit for the activity. The e-mail that you’ll receive once your booking is confirmed details all the necessary information down to the last syllable. Alongside the figures already stipulated above, it includes:

• Wearing of athletic/comfortable clothes and sneakers/sport shoes (basic)
• No sandals, boots, or high heels (makes udder utter sense)
• A valid photo ID (you’ll have a better grin after the dive)
• Medical statement/doctor’s certificate (whichever is applicable if you’re declaring something)
• Payment for the balance (plastics, like some friends sometimes, are accepted, brotha!)
• No alcohol (and/or drugs) in your system in the last 24 hours (let me think about that)

Video

P.S. Who would’ve thought I had the sign of the horns (with the thumb) in my reflex?!

Visited: November 2017

The post The Skydive Dubai Experience appeared first on Itinerant.

Before COVID-19 forced countries to close borders and only allowed the entry of citizens and residents, I just arrived in Colombia for a 12-day trip without a Yellow Fever vaccine. Don’t get me wrong, I had it planned way ahead and the confirmed cases were only few then. And in retrospect, I barely talked to anyone and constantly sanitized my hands from time to time. #defensive

I will not lie though that the moment I stepped into the airport, the sense of guilt, stupidity, and paranoia struck me like no other. Now, enough of that and let’s get down to it.

I flew in from Costa Rica and it was also where I was exiting to after. It’s among those countries that require a Certificate of Vaccination when coming from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever transmission (most of South America are at risk, including Colombia). I could’ve gotten a Yellow Fever vaccine while I was still in the Central American country but it cost around $100. Compared to the price in the US which I heard was twice or even thrice, it’s definitely cheaper. But man, it’s still a hundred bucks.

After doing my assignment and learning that you can get it for FREE at El Dorado International Airport, it was the first order of business without question. Whip out some Spanish to ask where Hospital de Fontibon is. As of this writing, the clinic is on the second floor and is open every day from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Get your priority number as soon as you get inside. I came in 20 minutes past one and was third (or fourth?) in line.

You’ll be asked to read the contraindications of Yellow Fever and to fill up a form with your basic information (labels are in Spanish so if you don’t have a translator app, the information from other people on the list will be your guide).

In 20 minutes I was out and about and just saved a hundred dollars. Do note that the Yellow Fever vaccine certificate only becomes valid 10 days after it was issued. Formerly valid for only 10 years, it now has a lifetime validity so make sure to make it as an extension of your passport.

The post Free Yellow Fever Vaccine at Bogota Airport appeared first on Itinerant.

When I came across a blog post (which I can no longer find) on skydiving in Bantayan Island and saw that Skydive Greater Cebu was already accepting reservations, boy, the following day I found myself at the bank paying for the down payment amounting to ₱3,000. The activity cost ₱18,000 but they had an early bird promo which reduced the amount by ₱3,000. That meant I had ample time to save for the balance and my birthday. Very doable, if you ask me.

Transportation

Getting to Bantayan Island was easy-peasy. I just got on a bus heading to Hagnaya Port at Cebu North Bus Terminal and at the port took a ferry to Santa Fe. Some resorts on the island are partnered with Skydive Greater Cebu and if you’re doing the activity and you stay with them, you can get a discount for your accommodation. I stayed at Kota Beach Resort which is one.

There were no ATM’s in Santa Fe and despite having read about it I still forgot to bring my payment for the balance. Tanga lang. And so first thing on the dive big day, I rented a scooter and drove to the municipality of Bantayan (yes, its name is the same as the island’s) to get my hands on me moolah. I would’ve probably died, not from the dive, but from frustration if all banks were offline.

The Dive

There were four of us in the morning batch and all of us wrote the same thing on our palms that I had to change mine to “Undaunted@28“. After all, it was two days to my day. (Naman!)

Here’s our fighter aircraft, fighting.

Have some English ready for your innerview! I’ve been told beforehand to wear a long-sleeved shirt because of the cold but as I didn’t have anything good back then, I thought that maybe I could get away with what I’ll be wearing. Alas, they insisted that I wear their long sleeves. If you’re particular with what you wanna see in your photos and videos #OOTD, well, you have been warned.

The view from the top is simply breathtaking. Just look at those turquoises! As for the cold, I’d say that it was actually tolerable. (Tch, should’ve insisted on not wearing their shirt.)

I was told that most of the payment goes to the maintenance of the plane, which makes sense given how run-down-looking it was already. It can accommodate two pairs of skydivers.

And then it was high time to shoot my irate, let’s-do-dis, and f-yeah looks.

With the wind so hard on your face, you just gotta brace yourself. You will also be asked to lean your head back and cross your arms on your chest.

If you can’t do it now when you actually can, just do it. Did that make sense? I’m not sure either. Just never ever forget to scream your lungs out. Else you’d be the lamest person alive. Ever.

Keep your legs between your tandem instructor’s~!

At some point you will be allowed to spread your wings like a flying squirrel. (Hah! You thought it was gonna be eagle or butterfly, didn’t you? Aminin.)

The free fall was, without a doubt, the best part. You get to tumble in the sky like mad with the wind against every inch of you. When the chute was already out I was allowed to maneuver it for a bit. You simply pull the right and left handles depending on which direction you wanna go.

Kota Beach Resort

Landing on Skydive Greater Cebu’s partner resorts is also possible. The photo below shows our instructor walking away from Kota Beach Resort. It was later in the afternoon and not after our jump though as I opted to land back at the airport because I offered to take Amy, the Briton girl from Cornwall, to the beach as the place she was staying at—where I drove to and from—was not close to any of it.

We hung out for the rest of our stay on the island and even went back to the city together. One thing I remember well in our conversations was her being curious on why people wear rash guards on the beach. If you’re a Filipino, there’s NCIH that you don’t know.

One last look at the island from the port, just like the first time I laid my eyes on it, told me that skydiving in Bantayan wasn’t gonna be my last skydive experience, especially that the photos and videos were in the form of selfies. (My pores were not spared.)

P.S. You will be provided with a certificate (soft copy) and same day edit video so don’t forget to bring a USB flash drive or data cable (for your phone) for you to copy them. Allocate extra storage for the raw files, too!

Video

Visited: April 2016

The post Skydiving in Bantayan Island appeared first on Itinerant.

“Denied ba?”
“Approved po.”

And the smile never left my face. That was the only question and answer I wanted to hear when the travel agency called to tell me that my passport was already ready for pickup. After being denied of a Japan visa and even after acquiring one for Taiwan, the fact that you can never really can never can really can tell ever (okay, that was a long one) if you will be granted a visa seems to have traumatized even my hardest bone. In an ambitious plan to give Japan another shot the soonest time possible, I thought of collecting other visas first. And with that, winter in Korea became inevitable.

Winter Gear

For someone who’s into beaches (yes, I got the spelling right there), moving from hardly packing anything to packing everything that can combat the cold that never bothered Elsa in Disney’s Frozen was quite a challenge. Since I got no suitcase, I had to leave some pieces of clothing with a heavy heart behind. (Let’s face it, we all want to look different every day in our photos.) Aside from that, I didn’t really have that much winter clothes so I just stuck with the essentials. After all, winter hasn’t arrived in the Philippines yet and a fancy trench coat never guarantees your survival; it still boils down to layering. (Next time, though, I won’t deny that I’ll try bringing thick coats and a bigger luggage.)

Hongdae

I had no definite itinerary even by the time that I got through the Korean immigration officer. What I only had were a list of things that I should do and places I could go to as advised and suggested by a former colleague (who’s already seen all the seasons of Korea) and this TripZilla article.

My very first purchase using wons was a T-money card (and its prepaid load, malamang) primarily for transportation purposes. I guess most travelers don’t do it, but after doing it in Taiwan, I also bought a SIM card. I wasn’t joining any tour so it was just right for me to have a means of Googling things and contacting people if I’m already freezing to death. That way someone can come to my aid and rub me.

The memo didn’t reach me that there’s gonna be a black parade at the airport. Most people were in dark coats that if they had masks and wands I would’ve probably thought they were Death Eaters.

Being someone whose sweat glands become too emotional most of the time, there came a point that I was already sweating. But I knew better and didn’t take off any layer of clothing because the moment I stepped outside I was already inside a humongous freezer. I made my way to the All-stop Train and after around an hour was already at my hostel.

Lian Guesthouse is located in Hongdae, an area known for its bars and clubs. I chose the place not because of the nightlife (defensive mode: on) but because of the good reviews and ratings and its location (there you go). There was only one guest—a French guy—when I arrived and when I asked him for a good place to eat, he suggested a ramen restaurant. Perfecto. I don’t know, but even after being told by the hostel owner that I should wear a jacket, I still went out with just a sweater and scarf on top of thermal and dress shirts. Believe me, it turned out very awkward walking around with everyone else in coats. The great lanky outlier! They probably thought that I wanted to end all of my suffering that very instant.

Google Maps wasn’t cooperative but after strutting around I eventually found Nagomi Ramen, though I’m not sure if it was what was suggested to me. The prices were surprisingly inexpensive, just around half of the prices of those considered fancy ramen places in the Philippines. It was also quite good.

I scouted most of the area and saw that it’s living up to its reputation. Restaurants, shops, places to drink and party, and teenagers (looking so K-pop) performing in the streets were everywhere. Due to the jet lag caused by the one-hour time difference, I didn’t stay out long and simply capped the day off with a bottle of Kloud.

Seoul Plaza / City Hall

Breakfast at the hostel was free and you can always ask for more if you want more. For my first day in waging war against the hostile coldness, I secured a heat pack/hand warmer above anything else. Believe me, it can save your dear life.

That, and the awesome Subway Korea app. It’s simply a must-have given their complex railway system. It works offline; you just have to update the information. It gives you the shortest path, duration, and cost from one station to another. If you’re wondering about the 100 won difference, well, that’s a wonder of the T-money.

Half-expecting the presence of an ice-skating rink, my first stop was Seoul Plaza (City Hall). There wasn’t any. There was, however, a sort of commotion which I later found out to be related to the president’s impeachment that very day. Well, well. Didn’t I just take part in South Korea’s history? Hashtag: blessed.

Excursion Trail of Hanyangdoseong

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza was my next stop. From what I’ve read, I should already be within its vicinity the moment I exit the subway. It wasn’t the case, however, as I got off at the wrong station. Medyo tanga. Dongdaemun Station is different from Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. Their names are not far from each other and—wait for it—so are their locations. Thanks to that blunder, though, I was able to walk around the Excursion Trail of Hanyangdoseong where my candle fingers started to look like the real shit deal. Hand warmer, come to papa!

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

The design plaza is lovely. It looks like a giant, sleek alien spaceship whose passengers are now coexisting among us (daming alam). In fact, I hardly spent time exploring its innards because its exterior was already enough for my eyes to feast on.

In the plaza is a LED Flower Garden which, as the name suggests, should ideally be seen at night. Of course it can also be lit up in broad daylight but then that wouldn’t make that much of a sense, would it?

Bukchon Hanok Village

I still had a long day ahead of me so instead of waiting for night to devour the day and see the LEDs in action, I headed to Bukchon Hanok Village to ogle traditional houses as I think it should always come natural to see the traditional side of any place. Girls can be seen wearing hanboks here.

It was mostly sightseeing for me as I’m not quite sure what else was there to do especially that it’s winter. Some of the houses that also appear to be establishments were open for tourists but I didn’t get inside any of them.

N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower was the penultimate destination for that day. It can be reached via cable car. Oh yeah. And the snow-covered mountain up-close? Priceless.

Love locks will greet you just a few steps after getting off the car. There’s just too many of them that I could only imagine how much I’d earn by selling all of them to some junkyard. Not that I’m a bitter gourd.

As advised in the TripZilla artikolcle, I opted to walk around the area while it was still bright before checking out the tower.

Facing the tower, I headed left, past beyond everyone, the buses, and the memories… Hah! That’s me trying to be an emotional frog there. But really, I was not prepared for what I saw: a secluded hiking trail that looked just so beautiful.

I came a long way and on my way back walked a different path. When I was pretty sure that no one’s gonna be around, I got laid on the snow like a kiddo. HAHAHA. After such a happy moment panic immediately ran through me when I realized that my phone and hand warmer were no longer in my pocket. You might wanna guess where I left them.

I only realized when I got back that that hiking trail was the same trail that I passed by earlier that day (too many thats there) before going to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. I was blown. I mean, my mind was.

I didn’t really have plans of going up the tower and when I heard about the poor visibility, well, whatever was trying to convince me totally went down the drain and I simply continued roaming the grounds. More love locks to detach by force and sell for me. Also, there are actually spots that already give a good view of the city.

On my first day I saw possible Death Eaters and here I saw the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. That’s it, Harry Potter is real and I just haven’t received my invitation letter from Hogwarts yet. Tiwala lang!

On the other side of the trail, which I believe leads to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza area, was a viewing deck. Like the ones at the foot of the tower, it also gave quite a sight.

Had I known, I would’ve only bought a one-way cable car ticket. I wouldn’t have minded walking downhill because my sweat glands weren’t gonna be able to act up with the cold weather anyway. After aerial and underground rides, I was back at the design plaza.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza at Night

It now looked like it was about to take off and go back to its home planet. And lovelier.

And the LEDs? Dreamy. Just the right way to end the day. Or night.

Everland

You could say that I’m an adrenaline junkie by my junk so Everland effortlessly made it to my list. It was a long train ride and I think it can be reached faster by bus. At the last station was a free shuttle to the theme park.

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t permit some rides to be operational which included T Express, the park’s wooden roller coaster. Fortunately, I didn’t buy a ticket ahead so I had time to mull whether I should go inside or not. And while doing that, I had my buddy below keep me warm.

In the end, I didn’t go in, not just because of T Express but also because of the realization that theme parks are better enjoyed with someone else, at least. Someone you can mock for being such a wussy. Haha. Nah, I just thought it’d be ridiculously hilarious screaming your lungs out on your own.

Just beshinde (term coined in Fortune Island) Everland is Caribbean Bay, an indoor/outdoor water park which is the largest in the world. Everland was still flocked in that weather so it was no surprise that Caribbean Bay was, too.

And then suddenly, drizzle turned into snowfall… Magical.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

After grabbing a bite and gulp at 7-Eleven, I locomoted to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The place is massive. Seriously. From the outside you would think that it’s just gonna be an empty lot but apparently it goes on forever inside. (So forever does exist, eh?)

No matter which direction you look, you would literally see the same roof. What captured my attention the most, though, was the frozen lake in the middle of it all with a pavilion at its center. Seeing snowfall seemed to have instantly become a thing of the distant past when I saw it. The photos may not showcase it, but it’s grandeur in real life.

According to their schedule, the place closes at five during winter (and is closed on Tuesdays). It was drizzling again when they were about to do so. Run for your lives, ladies!

The Story of King Sejong

On my way to the nearest train station I came across the Story of King Sejong. As curious as I can be, I checked it out and it didn’t disappoint.

The Celestial Planisphere was a rather interesting representation. It’s a Korean map of the stars and constellations where you can toggle the four seasons and see their seasonal constellation travel. Nifty.

Myeongdong

With the temperature that day, I was more than happy to arrive at my last stop, Myeongdong. Indeed, it’s heaven for women (see that rhyme there?). No joke. The neighborhood is crawling with beauty shops. I have no idea about prices of beauty products but I’m pretty sure that they’re discounted real good there.

Some stores even give freebies. (Nope, wasn’t hoarding them!) You could have a feeling of déjà vu from seeing one store of the same name one after another.

That being said, that doesn’t mean that you can’t go there if beauty products aren’t your thang as the place is heaven for foodies, too! The abundance of street food is on par with the beauty shops. Itadakimasu!

I just have to say that I didn’t enjoy eating (emphasis on the eating and not on the food) the scallops because they only provided chopsticks and my hands were already barely able to hold on to them, much more use them. Bloody winter. Happy tummy at the end of the day, nonetheless!

Nami Island

Winter in Korea (or any season for that matter) wouldn’t be complete without setting foot on Nami Island. It’s located in Gapyeong and one of the fastest ways to get there is via the high-speed train ITX which you can take from Yongsan Station. Despite being told by the hostel owner and the signs in stations, I still ended up incorrectly hopping from one train to another. I had no idea what got me confused with the signs on my last day. Was too excited to get my arse on the island, I guess.

As far as I know, ITX tickets are purchased separately and the train can be identified by its seats which are like those of a bus, with the passengers facing the direction parallel, and not perpendicular, to the railway track. (Uh, my apologies for the geometry.) Not knowing these was the cause of my own ruckus.

Once in Gapyeong, you can conveniently go to multiple tourist spots. All you have to do is avail of the hop-on hop-off city tour bus which you can get on just right outside Gapyeong Station. You can buy tickets from the bus driver himself.

After having read this post on the city tour bus, I was intent on visiting Petite France and the Garden of Morning Calm as well. If you intend to do the same, it would be wise to arrive very early and be mindful of the time. You should start waiting for the bus around 15 minutes before its scheduled arrival else you might have to wait for the next one as it easily gets full.

The ferry to Nami Island operates from 07:30 to 21:40 comes and goes every few minutes so basically there’s no waiting game once you arrive at the port.

From a distance, I could only wonder how the upside-down cones below were made. Turns out that they’re frozen fountains. How they’re made to freeze, I could only wonder again. If my intelligence report was a flop and they’re not actually fountains, would you spare me for being only human?

As tourists tend to settle around what they immediately see, I took the road less traveled (nagmamagaling) and went straight to the opposite side of the island. There, another frozen body of water ravished me.

I went into all corners of the island and it’s as picturesque as it can get despite the weather. What more for the other seasons, right? Some trees, in fact, didn’t turn into skeletons and remained in full leafy blossom.

When the view below came to view, I just had to ambush the Korean couple coming my way because the guy was holding a camera and a tripod which meant that he probably has skillz in snapping (yep, that has always been my cue). He didn’t fail me. Yosha!

And how about seeing autumn and winter in Korea in one picture?

The frozen fountains were the last on my list. Even after seeing them up-close, I still couldn’t fathom how they were frozen or made to freeze.

The island can also be reached via zipline as seen in the wires above the fountains. I didn’t see anyone do it though. That’d be like suicide for me. Unless you really have a thick hide.

Back in the mainland, while waiting for the bus, I noticed that there was a sort of bungee jumping where you’ll be tied around the waist. I would’ve considered it if they’d consider tying my ankles instead. Then again, I have long reserved such activity for another country. Gehee.

Petite France

Petite France, as the name suggests, is indeed petite. If time is not a luxury during your visit, I’d say you can skip it. For me there’s not really that much to see and do there. And it’s not that I don’t like France, of course. Who wouldn’t wanna go there?

Garden of the Morning Calm

Like in N Seoul Tower, I arrived at the Garden of the Morning Calm while it was not yet dark. And like in Nami Island, I walked to every corner of it.

At the far end was a chapel which was so nice to see especially that it was my last day.

The garden undergoes an utter transformation when darkness takes over. It’s a sea of lights that’ll make you wonder how lovelier it can be when it’s not wintertime.

Waiting for the last bus back to the train station was torture. Good thing the people in front of me in the queue were Filipinos and their conversations kept me entertained. They were saying that the intense cold was making them feel like their toenails were being peeled off (HAHA) and that bus schedules are being followed on the dot.

I attempted with the ITX train again but after waiting for what felt like forever, I decided to just hop from one station to another again because I needed to go back to Myeongdong in hopes of catching a store that’s still open. And so I left the two Filipino girls I was chatting with. They were also waiting for the ITX but unlike me, they really purchased tickets beforehand.

As luck would have it I made it in time and went inside the first store that was still open. Brother duties. Bought BB creams for the sisters. Mission so accomplished (I was the last customer) that I just had to take down two Klouds before hitting the sack.

Departure

Come the fifth day, it was closing time for me. Here is Nary, the hostel owner, and Jenny. She probably says it to everyone but it was still nice hearing her say, while in a hug, that she’ll miss me. It was a good stay.

Tips

• Layering is everything. Especially for someone who’s from a tropical country. A negative temperature is not a joke; it’s lethal. I always wore four layers on top: thermal shirt → dress shirt → cardigan/sweater → leather jacket. For down below, underwear → thermal underwear → jeans (thermals are available in Uniqlo). And I would still feel very, very cold. Layering matters because while it’s so cold outside, it’s not the case once you’re inside. That way, you can easily remove a layer or two so you won’t feel hot. Unless you really are hot.
• And I’m not even done with the clothing yet. Earmuffs and gloves are a very big help. If you have no earmuffs, a bonnet will do. The ears and hands are very sensitive to the cold, which brings me to the next one: your jackets or coats should have pockets in front of them. That provides extra warmth for your hands. As for socks, wear high ones. You could also layer them as long as you’d still be able to fit in your footwear (which has a high chance of getting wet). And oh, you could easily sport a scarf, too.
• Consider gloves that you can use on touchscreens. It’s a hassle removing and putting them back on when you need something in your phone. There are also gloves that can neatly expose the fingers.
• Enter buildings from time to time to warm yourself up. Exactly the opposite of cooling yourself in malls in the Philippines when the sun is ablaze.
• Subway stations have transfer gates so it’s not really the case that you’ll only tap your T-money twice—one for entry and one for exit—when you transfer between lines.
• Plan your destinations and routes carefully so as to minimize travel time.
• You can actually survive by just eating street food. I only posted photos of those that I ate in Myeongdong but believe me, I only ate at a restaurant for that ramen on my first night. The rest were just in the streets and convenience stores. Talk about saving time and moolah but still with a full sto(o)ma(c)h. Also, bring water with you and refill it whenever you can. That’s additional savings.
• You might experience cold (in your nose, aside from the one inflicting your skin) and feel weird when it seems to be freezing inside your nose.
• Korea visa application in the Philippines is gratis. I just applied via an agency due to work reasons.

Itinerary

• Day 1
  • Hongdae
• Day 2
  • Seoul Plaza / City Hall
  • Excursion Trail of Hanyangdoseong
  • Dongdaemun Design Plaza
  • Bukchon Hanok Village
  • N Seoul Tower
  • Dongdaemun Design Plaza (at night)
• Day 3
  • Everland (would’ve eaten the entire day if I went inside)
  • Gyeongbokgung Palace
  • The Story of King Sejong
  • Myeongdong
• Day 4
  • Nami Island
  • Petite France
  • Garden of the Morning Calm

Expenses

Visited: February 2017

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