The last time I went home, I was lugging 2 large 50 lb suitcases all over town. It was a major pain in the be-hind. Now, in an effort to truly connect with my inner backpacker, I am only going to be traveling with my tenderfoot Deuter pack which I bought on impulse in Kuala Lumpur's Central Market.
In short, there will be no pasalubongs. Just me and my pack. It helps so much in hopping from one place to another.
So in sum, I'm leaving April 12th and coming back June 8th. I'm volunteering from April 27 - May 23 which leaves me quite a bit of time to wander around town or the country. =)
I'll land in Manila on the 14th of April and will be staying with Kat for the night (thanks Kat! :*).
Next up, island of Java, Indonesia from April 15 - April 21. I'm meeting up with a cool kid I met in Kuala Lumpur last year. He's doing his grad studies there and luckily is on his vacation around the time I'm available. Basically, I don't know where we're headed except for the volcanic site in Mt. Bromo. So long as I'm back in Jakarta for my flight back to Manila, I'm game.
So last year when I went home, I was kind of disappointed as to how I failed to even visit one other site in the Philippines other than Manila and Davao. They say that the hardest part about traveling is deciding to go. I've always wanted to witness the majestic beauty of the Mayon Volcano. I've disappointed myself once and now I'm not gonna pass up on this chance. Hence, I'm going to Legaspi on the 21st 5 hours after landing. As a kid, I've always been amazed by looking at Mayon pictures. Now, I can't wait to see the real thing for myself. The bonus on this trip is I'm making a side trip to Donsol, Sorsogon with hopes to swim with the largest fish on the planet, the whale sharks or what is locally known as butandings.
After 2 nights in Legaspi, on the 23rd I'm flying on to Cebu to meet with Ate Chelle and Kuya Nin, Nathan and Chloe. They are very good friends of ours from Wilson and they're all in Cebu to visit with Ate Chelle's sick father. It's their first time going back and Nate and Chloe's first in the Philippines. I've shared a lot with them and I'd really love to spend some time with them there. Share a few lechons and dried mangoes. =) and Chickenjoy with the kids!
On April 27, I'll be heading to Davao to start on my real mission. Even more adventures to come! Can't wait!
And when it ends on May 23rd, I'll have 2 weeks to work with. I really really wanna visit Sagada. Well, anywhere new for that matter. Anyone who wants to trip with, let's go! =)
Check out these great travel blogs I've come across from endless nights of scouring the internet for info! Haha!
- dutch pickle: a fantastic site full of info. from what i've read, i think he's a dutch guy living in catbalogan, samar who's been all over the philippines.
- nina fuentes' just wandering: i haven't spent as much time here but her blog is very informative as well
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Oh here it goes again!
I've been coming down with a lotta bugs lately. The lazy bee stung hard right before Christmas and then came the travel bug that bit the hardest. The travel bite just had to be soothed! I can't help it! Haha!
So, here it goes again! Oh here it goes again! Oh here it goes again!
Originally, I had set out to go to Germany to visit Nico but the whole visa application shenanigan turned me off so badly that I just finally decided to go to a place where I won't need to apply for a visa. What better place to look at than my own birth country, eh? And with that, I settled on my location. Now, the motive. Looking for a motive was a total gimme since I had been wanting to volunteer for Gawad Kalinga (GK) (translation: to give care) since I was in high school. A few emails to an NC contact that is spending a year volunteering for GK got me hooked up with the right people. After corresponding for a few days, I was all set to go. =)
I asked to be assigned in Davao City and will be staying at GK's Mission House. I'll be visiting sites and spend nights in some of them. I will be immersed with the admin side of the work and meet with local leaders and caretakers. My main assignment is to help the admin prepare for the local Bayani Challenge (Hero's Challenge) in Compostela Valley where numerous GK teams from all over Mindanao will participate in a 5-day long build. I'm really excited about this experience and as much as I'm anxious, I know it'll turn out fine!
Now, I'd be lying if I told you that volunteering is my main motive for this trip. It's a big part of it but you know me. Haha! I'm always on the lookout for visiting new places. I'll tell more on that on my next post!
For now, I'll give you these Gawad Kalinga videos to look at to give you a better idea of what it is! =)
A presentation on how GK works
Testimonials of Foreign GK Volunteers
So, here it goes again! Oh here it goes again! Oh here it goes again!
Originally, I had set out to go to Germany to visit Nico but the whole visa application shenanigan turned me off so badly that I just finally decided to go to a place where I won't need to apply for a visa. What better place to look at than my own birth country, eh? And with that, I settled on my location. Now, the motive. Looking for a motive was a total gimme since I had been wanting to volunteer for Gawad Kalinga (GK) (translation: to give care) since I was in high school. A few emails to an NC contact that is spending a year volunteering for GK got me hooked up with the right people. After corresponding for a few days, I was all set to go. =)
I asked to be assigned in Davao City and will be staying at GK's Mission House. I'll be visiting sites and spend nights in some of them. I will be immersed with the admin side of the work and meet with local leaders and caretakers. My main assignment is to help the admin prepare for the local Bayani Challenge (Hero's Challenge) in Compostela Valley where numerous GK teams from all over Mindanao will participate in a 5-day long build. I'm really excited about this experience and as much as I'm anxious, I know it'll turn out fine!
Now, I'd be lying if I told you that volunteering is my main motive for this trip. It's a big part of it but you know me. Haha! I'm always on the lookout for visiting new places. I'll tell more on that on my next post!
For now, I'll give you these Gawad Kalinga videos to look at to give you a better idea of what it is! =)
A presentation on how GK works
Testimonials of Foreign GK Volunteers
