Tag: Adventure
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The Annapurna Panorama Trek, Day 4
In the morning we are treated to another great panorama of the Annapurna Massif, this time as the sun rises over a bed of rhododendron trees. It’s a magical sight that reminds me more of the Swiss alps than the Himalayas. But that’s just a testament to the range of the Nepali environment. After breakfast,…
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The Annapurna Panorama Trek, Day 3
Day 3 starts really early. At 4:30, Rawal meets us at the lobby of the inn, and a few minutes later, we begin a 45-minute uphill climb to the Poon Hill west of Ghorepani. The Poon Hill is a hill station that provides a panoramic view of the Annapurna Massif. Being at the lower part…
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The Annapurna Panorama Trek, Day 2
After breakfast the next day, we start with the next part of the trek. We leave the road behind and traverse a trail that takes us through a forest and some mountain villages, occasionally passing by fellow trekkers and young Nepalis coming from the Holi celebration in a nearby town (I’m assuming Ghorepani). The good…
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The Annapurna Panorama Trek, Day 1
For many travelers, Nepal is synonymous with trekking, with numerous trekking routes in the country. Of course, the most popular routes are the ones to Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Base Camp. But for travelers with limited time, budget, and stamina, there are short moderate treks as well. One of these is the Annapurna…
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Weekend in Quezon: Swimming in Pagbilao and Love in Lucena
Spending an afternoon on a beach in Pagbilao, Quezon is a refreshing escape from the usual tourist-heavy coastal destinations near Metro Manila. It’s around 3 in the afternoon, and I have spent the last half-hour alternately dipping myself in the ocean water and walking along a pebbly beach. My parents, my sister, my brother, and…
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2021 Yearend: A Road Trip to Southern Rizal
Southern Rizal province at 60 kilometers an hour whizzes by like a highlight reel for a classic provincial road trip: mountains, rice fields, an auspiciously blue sky, and an empty highway. It’s a sunny December afternoon, and my parents, having had experienced a couple of road trips to Tagaytay the past few weeks, wanted another…
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Mt. 387: New Year on a High
Needless to say, the past year has been a frustrating one as far as travel is concerned, so I’m determined to start 2021 on the road. I grab an opportunity to join a small group of trekkers to start this year on a high (quite literally) at Mt. 387 in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. We leave…
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To the Land of the Kings 6: Thar Desert
No trip to Jaisalmer is complete without riding a camel through the Thar Desert’s sand dunes. It’s a popular activity and numerous outfits organize overnight camel-riding tours, but trips can also take multiple days and even weeks. To be clear, it’s not the Sahara or the Empty Quarter. The Thar Desert is mostly arid scrubland…
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To All the Shows I’ve Subbed Before
I guess I’ll start by saying that I’ve reached three years in my current work. It’s a personal milestone; the longest I stayed in a previous work was a year and a half. It’s a testament both to how I like being in this place and to a change of mindset. But as the cliche…
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Caucasian Vacation 7 (Georgia): Gudauri
In the afternoon, we finally reach Gudauri, Georgia’s (and perhaps the South Caucasus’) most popular ski station. It’s quite a jarring experience seeing snow all around in the middle of spring, but it’s a fun one nonetheless, especially when you’re from a tropical country. No sooner than we climb down the van when we are…
The Tourist Gaze 