2013 Year-Ender: When Travel Turned Into A Black Hole

And I got sucked in.

In 2012, we were armed with all sorts of excuses: Extended honeymoon stage. A break from the mundane. Discounted airfares for tots. "Still saving up for a house (and/or still haven't decided where to buy)". Backpacking while young. Living in the now... The list went on and echoed through the beginning of 2013. 2012, no doubt was a wild child.

2013 on the other hand started out quite prim, then morphed into some bad arse that broke out of its cage named 'settling down'. The call of elsewhere was much too strong and we ran free. Directionless, that we eventually found ourselves in a black hole that is long termish travel (again).

I could make up a bunch of reasons why we're postponing domesticity. But for today I'll use portraits and landscapes to back me up.

Eriyadu Island Resort, North Male Atoll, Maldives.
1. Australia

Clockwise from top left: 1. Bro-in-law's beautiful wedding in Curzon Hall, a sandstone manor built in the 1890s. 2. Bondi Beach, finally, after so many New South Wales visits. 3. Luna's third birthday at ze Persian in-laws' house. 4. Selfeet with  my Bensimon sneakers, Sydney Harbour Bridge.

2. Philippines

Clockwise from top left: 1. Thunderbird Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union for the hubby's birthday. 2. T'nalak Festival, South Cotabato. 3. Tattooed by one of the (there's a protégé) last mambabatoks in Kalinga. 4. Hapao Rice Terraces trek, Ifugao.  

3. Myanmar

Clockwise from top left: 1. Consulting a map at Yangon International Airport (photo by Ron of fliptravels.com). 2. Luna vs. angry birds. Yangon city center walking tour (photo by Ron). 3. Sunrise at Old Bagan. 4. Bare feet and templed-out (photo also by Ron).  

4. Singapore

Clockwise from top left: 1. We love Hotel Re! Nope, not a sponsored post. 2. Catching up with sis. 3. Supertrees Grove. 4. Marina Bay Sands.

5. Laos

Clockwise from top left: 1. Wat Si Saket, Vientiane. 2. Vang Vieng. Party central no more. 3. B-52 bomb crater in Xiangkhouang Province. 4. The mysterious Plain of Jars, also in Xiangkhouang Province.
6. Turkey

Clockwise from top left: 1. Blue Mosque, Istanbul. 2. Goreme Open Air Museum, Cappadocia. 3. Oldest temple in the world, Gobekli Tepe (older than the wheel, they say). 4. Pamukkale or "Cotton Castle". Calcite-covered mountain in Denizli Province.

7.  Armenia

Clockwise from top left: 1. One of our afternoon walks around Armenia's capital, Yerevan. 2. Khor Virap, an Armenian Apostolic Church monastery in Ararat valley. 3. UNESCO World Heritage Site Monastery of Geghard, partially carved out of a mountain. 4. The Armenian Genocide Museum.

8. Georgia (Yes, it's a country!)

Clockwise from top left: 1. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Georgian Orthodox cathedral, Mtskheta. 2. Crossing the border by foot to Azerbaijan for Davit Gareji Monastery. 3. Ancient rock-hewn town Uplistsikhe, Eastern Georgia. 4. Former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's house in Gori.

9. Nepal

Clockwise from top left 1. Climbing Fasidega Temple, Bhaktapur Durbar Square. 2. Luna sits in a kindergarten class/day care center for two days. 3. View of Himalayan peaks from our room's balcony in Nagarkot. 4. UNESCO World Heritage Site Boudhanath, Kathmandu.  

10. Malaysia

Clockwise from top left 1. Hotel Puri, a Peranakan ancestral home housed in a gorgeous structure built in the 1800s. 2. Nyonya Laksa. 3. Christ Church, 18th century Anglican church. One of Melaka's well-known landmarks. 4. Walking tour around UNESCO World Heritage Site Melaka.

12. Maldives

 

Clockwise from top left 1. Artificial Hulhumale Island. 2. A Maldivian 'bench'. 3. Eriyadu Island Resort. 4. Chili patties. Or something like that.      If your black hole is this bewitching, will you try to crawl out of it?     

 

This year-ender post is my entry to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival for December 2013 with the theme “The Pinoy Travel Bloggers Closing the Curtains on 2013: Love, Learn and Living”, hosted by Brenna Bustamante of The Philippine Travelogue.




ShareTweet

This page was viewed times.

Bagan Bound: A New Dimension Of Crazy

How I managed to keep my jaded brain somehow alert those twenty-nine hours is beyond me... What challenged my mortal body and wit: a couple of sleepless flights (wee hours layover in between), a quickie Yangon city tour, and a looong van ride to Bagan with a two year old sans the hubby. Sure I was in the company of Luna-loving, travel bloggers-turned-friends, but there's nothing like having your partner around to demand help from.

Luna asked "Bubba?" only once during our trip. In between the lines of her plea for milk.  

March this year, after a bit of prodding from fellow Filipino travel bloggers, I decided to join them in a seven-day Myanmar backpacking trip. Because internet in the country's notoriously known for being hair-pulling slow, I had to leave to the world wide web-dependent hubby in the Philippines. And because I can be quite annoying when I'm distant from my daughter (I have the tendency/skill to insert "I miss Luna" in every sentence I deliver!), I brought her with me.

It's our longest and craziest journey without her bubba, thus far.

  Dong of EscapeIslands.com babysitting Luna, who spread her flash cards in front of the boarding gate counter at NAIA Terminal 2.

As foretold, Luna began serving as a human gym equipment (what Ron of  FlipTravels.com calls her) for Dong who chased her around NAIA Terminal 2 even before our motley crew checked in. Dong also babysat her at the boarding gate. Aboard the Kuala Lumpur bound flight though, when he was able to sit peacefully with the others away from us, Luna started bugging "Monster Marky" of NomadicExperiences.com who was seated by the aisle beside me.

Window seat is Luna's seat.   

Luna dozed off halfway into the flight after watching cartoons on her laptop. May seem awesome since I had some down time the rest of the plane ride, but you see, she slept through the whole hoopla of our arrival at Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Which meant me walking through the valley of the shadow of the brain-dead (that is the lengthy covered walkway to the terminal building where sleep-deprived travelers trudge on) with a sixteen-kilo baby doll in my arms. Thanks to Monster Marky's help, I didn't have to pull Luna's Hello Kitty carry-on stroller while doing so.

Marky's pretty cute with a Hello Kitty bag, he should travel more often with it.

Luna sleeping on a bench in Kuala Lumpur's LCCT's Taste Of Asia branch.  

We exited the arrivals hall around midnight and met up with Ron who flew from Singapore and Robbie of TheTravelingDork.com who was then on a month-long backpacking trip. Our group grew to a whopping number of nine. At Taste Of Asia, we saw passengers slumbering on chairs. The restaurant staff, who were probably too sluggish themselves, did not make any effort to shoo them away so that's where we camped until our early morn check in for the Yangon-bound flight.

It's fortunate that I found a spot where Luna could lay on. It's unfortunate however, that I had to stay awake to make sure she doesn't roll off it.

"Lost in the Temple of Dum", Ron captioned this photo he took. Luna calls Dong, Dum.  

Apart from seeing Luna's saddest face (ever) under the care of Marky and helping Robbie come up with cash to buy a pristine US$100 note (cause old ones are not accepted in Myanmar), everything else that transpired after checking in our second flight until our landing in Yangon is a blur to me. I believe I switched on autopilot mode the minute we stepped in the surprisingly modern Yangon International Airport. 

Kaba Aye Pagoda, the first of many unplanned destinations. Photo by one of our travel mates Jerome of Balintataw.org

Hiring a van to take us all the way to Bagan was a unanimous decision — after some intense budget estimating. The "package" not only included a ride to the ancient city but also a short day trip around Yangon, plotted by a knowledgeable dictator guide we fondly called (behind his back) Moe Hitler. I was ecstatic that everyone agreed to this, because at that point, I knew I could easily pass out any second.

Luna loves walking barefoot. At the time Ron took this photo at Kaba Aye Pagoda however, our guide was carrying Luna around.  

Pushy he may be but our guide Moe voluntarily acted as Luna's nanny during our Kaba Aye Pagoda visit, during lunch, and during shopping . Ain't that a kind gesture? Or maybe he just didn't want her to slow down the pace of our military march tour? Whatever. At least I was given a few occasions to catch my breath, and to fully enjoy the company of my pals.

 Out of the countless dishes served, she chose to have saluyot (jute) soup for lunch.

The whole gang with Moe. From left: Dong, Monette, Ron, Moe, Me, Melo (Luna behind him), Jerome, Marky and Robbie.

Day one, I must say, went quite well even if it left me majorly bushed. Our plan of sleeping aboard the van (though I napped a bit on the van's floor for Luna took over my seat) to save on accommodation didn't happen because we reached New Bagan at one in the morning. Moe arranged the booking for us and we were more than thrilled to bunk in an airconditioned room.

Bagan Central Hotel marked the end of my twenty-nine-hour agony.

As early as the first day, I already learned my lesson: Backpacking with a two year-old at such pace without hubby is a kind of crazy I won't dive into again.


ShareTweet

This page was viewed times.

2013 Thus Far: The First Quarter

Three months down, many more moons to go.

2013's first quarter was a mixed bag of family huddles, waiting games, bittersweet reveries and whirlwind peregrinations. And oh, tons of toddler sobs. We stepped foot on six countries with a so-called scheme that's jotted on sand. Its course we paved as we went, depending on our temperament and the pennies in our pockets. 

The first quarter of the year we planned to settle down was intense, to say the least.

Ban Tajok Hmong Village, Xieng Khouang Province, Laos.
Here's the year thus far in chronological order... I think. May contain random shiznit.

Two days into 2013, we hired a car for only $5 a day in Sydney for our New South Wales-Queensland roadtrip. The catch? It should be delivered to the company's Brisbane Airport branch in five days.

Floorsurfed for two weeks in Queensland. At least the floor's carpeted.

Luna turned on the keyless ignition of a rented Holden Cruz (Thanks, rental company, for the free upgrade.).

The following three weeks (Two weeks of which, the hubby was in U.S. for a business trip.), we shacked in a Brisbane self contained studio on the seventh floor of a building full of frequently inebriated college students. On one of the nights during our stay, I was awoken by a fire alarm  and an evacuation announcement.

We were stuck for days in the same studio when ex-tropical cyclone Oswald barreled through southeast Queensland. Luna and I celebrated our first Australia Day indoors.

Attended a gorgeous Sydney wedding held in a 1900s sandstone manor.

Flew back to the Philippines to eat my mom's pinakbet again. Too much of it, actually.

Was invited to a sneak preview of the Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2013. Also attended the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2013 Presscon at The Manila Peninsula.

Had a much needed catch up with mom over vegan food, scraped dead skin, and Androids on mute in the luxurious The Farm At San Benito, Lipa City.

Celebrated hubby's birthday in Thunderbird Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union. The El Mundo Villa is the second most expensive room we booked ever (First placer is a simple double room in Rio De Janeiro during Carnival season.) and its WiFi sucked.

Backpacked with Luna and fellow Pinoy travel bloggers in Myanmar for almost a week. All of us were manhandled by our tour guide in Yangon, which only Luna enjoyed. Ron of Flip Travels is scarred for life.

Did a temple run in Bagan and witnessed one of the most stunning sunsets I've seen in my existence.

Visited Singapore and met up with my sister who I haven't seen in five months. Gorged on char siew and kaya toast like there's no tomorrow, lah!

Finally made it to Laos. Now I've completed all of Southeast Asia's countries! 

In a Vientiane hostel room, hubby and I endured two sleepless nights and collected a variety of furious next-door neighbors because we weaned Luna off the bottle.

Also in Vientiane, we saw an orange moon for the first time.

Luna said "I love you" (More like, awabyu.) back for the first time at some Vang Vieng restaurant.

Where we are now...

Currently checked in a dirt cheap hostel in Phonsavan, Xieng Khouang Province, Laos. Yesterday we visited the mysterious Plain Of Jars site and trudged in bomb craters. Day after tomorrow, we head back to Vang Vieng, then Vientiane.

We're flying out sooner than expected because we thwarted our own intents.

The "future" — spanning a mere three months — lies in the hands of a visa application.


ShareTweet

This page was viewed times.

We're not running away, we're running towards adventure!

"We've only just Bagan.", Ron of Flip'n Travels playfully coined, referring to our whirlwind Myanmar jaunt. For me and my two-year-old daughter Luna, it was indeed a beginning — it was also our longest journey together without the hubby. Myanmar commenced another family backpacking trip with unknown destinations and an unplanned schedule.

Bagan. Where it all began.

Here We Go Again

Our round-the-world trip back in 2011-2012 garnered a bunch of raised eyebrows, mostly from our respective families and random conventional parents. Who in their right minds would travel around the world with a toddler? Well, first and foremost, we're a married couple who are not known for acting with our "right minds". Second, because the countdown to domesticity was pounding in our ears. Time is of the essence, and if we didn't chase our dream then, when will we?

So we followed our gut. And for 280 days, we saw the world from our chosen perspective.

Day by day we unveiled snapshots that depict our experiences, and this made non-believers somehow understand this once-in-a-lifetime journey. But now that we're doing it all over again, skeptics assume that our immature selves are simply running away.

But we're not running away. We're running towards adventure!

Towards spontaneity. Towards more learning. Towards freedom.

Plan B

We actually attempted to design our lives in a more ordinary fashion right after our round-the-world trip concluded. Yah know, I want to have a food processor. I want to tend my own herb garden. And I also want to build a cubby house for Luna. I looked forward to achieving these wants this 2013, the year we thought we're finally settling down.

When 2012 was about to end, however, I found myself restless. And compiling Pinay Travel Junkie's Year-Ender last December aggravated the situation. I knew I was not ready to be chained in one place. I confessed this to the hubby.

He confessed the same. And right then and there, we agreed to hit the road again.

Newborn Challenges

This trip, as mentioned earlier, started in Myanmar where Luna and I joined fellow Filipino travel bloggers. After six exhausting, action/dust-packed days (slash sleepless nights), we reunited with the hubby in Singapore where we visited my sister. Stayed there for two-and-a-half days, long enough to catch up on sleep and gorge on char siew and kaya toast.

Currently, I'm swearing in our dingy Vientiane hostel room because of its patchy in-room WiFi access. I already feel beaten up and a little uninspired, and this work obstacle is certainly driving me nuts. I also lack sleep yet again. Last night, for the first time, we didn't give Luna bottled milk. She's now two years and six months old, and we're making her slowly wean off the bottle. This shall prepare her for potty training. How the heck do we do that while constantly moving around? I don't know yet, but we'll eventually work that out.

Then there's this other uhm, issue, that surely requires a bit of planning. The hubby and I think it's time for a second bub. Luna seems to suggest it every time she steals a toddler from unknowing parents. I am terrified of being pregnant again, but if that's what it takes to have another adorable backpacking buddy, then I'll get my act together.

You Can Run But You Can't Hide 

You see, like "normal" folks, we're caught up in the same predicaments. We know there's no escaping them, so instead we deal with things differently. And during such process, we choose to have world heritage sites and national landmarks as our backdrop. That's where our adventure lies. And we're running towards that.

If there's one thing we'd like to run away from, that would be a closed mind. But even that follows as around.

How would you define travels? Were/are you running away or running towards something? 

ShareTweet

This page was viewed times.

Victoria Point, Myanmar

We stepped on Myanmar unfortunately just for a visa run. It was a border cross, or river cross, from the province of Ranong (Thailand) to Kawthaung (Myanmar) also known as Victoria Point.

The visa run package that we arranged in Ranong was 400 THB each. The rate isn't that bad since it includes hotel pick up/drop off, a big boat (a covered longtail boat ideal for rainy season), and a representative to guide us with the procedure. However, we needed to pay also for visa in Myanmar worth $10. This visa will only allow you to walk around town for fifteen to twenty minutes, no more.

Welcome sign at the small port.

Ranong

Ranong is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, located on Kra Isthmus, the narrow strip that connects mainland Thailand with the Malay Peninsula. The province is known for having the most rainfall of all Thailand, the rainy season lasting for about eight months. This could be a reason why Ranong is the least populated province.

Looks familiar? Chicharon from the town's market.

South East Asia in Six Weeks

Despite storm signal no. 2 and the Swine Flu frenzy (it was not called AH1N1 yet), we set off 7th of May last year for our first Southeast Asia backpacking trip together (Shervin and I). A trip that took us to six countries (in order): Malaysia, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia.

Our SE Asia route. Edited by Shervin, map taken from here.