Motorcycling – Page 18

TV Feature: Motorcycle Diaries on GMA News TV

“Sometimes it’s a little better to travel than to arrive.” – Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

I started this blog exactly two years ago when I was seriously bitten by the travel bug. It was also about that time when I bought and learned how to drive my scooter Chocobo. Since then, I’ve been pursuing my different passions – travel, photography and motorcycling. For some reason, just doing what I love has paid off. I’ve been able to earn enough from freelance writing and photography in print media and through this blog. The best part is that I don’t feel like I’m working when I’m out there traveling or on assignment.

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DIY Puerto Princesa City Tour by Motorcycle

Puerto Princesa is a gateway to some really great areas in Palawan that require longer land travel. We planned to spend some time in El Nido and allotted most of our travel money for this. But since the city itself is a great destination, we decided to spend a couple of days there before and after El Nido with a more modest budget.

On our first full day there, we decided to rent a motorcycle to explore the city’s most popular tourist spots. If you can drive a bicycle or motorcycle, you can save costs on the standard city tour and spend more time exploring the places you want without being tied to a tour group. During our visit, motorcycle rentals cost PHP500/for 24 hours use from Alex Motorcycle Rental(Rizal Ave.) We drove around the main city, weaving through the busy side streets and alleys, passing by the port, Baywalk and at Kamarikutan Café for a quick look around. Continue reading “DIY Puerto Princesa City Tour by Motorcycle”

Achievements Unlocked in 2012

Ah, yes the year-ender post. Where do I begin, when I haven’t written about half of the trips I took this year? Let’s see, bullet points would be the easiest way. The year 2012 has been pretty good in terms of travel. I wasn’t able to go on some of the international trips I had planned this year, but in return I got a lot of local trips, some of which were totally unexpected. Here are the major blog/trip highlights and “achievements unlocked” this year:

Domain Upgrade: Upgraded WordPress blog to a self-hosted dot.com
Blog facelift: Got an awesome new blog banner designed by the pure genius known as The Creative Dork/The Travelling Dork aka Robx Bautista
Fan Likes: Gained more than 900 followers on Facebook (up from 300 the first year)
Page views: Exceeded 200,000 page views
Page Rank upgrade: Achieved a Google Page Rank of 3 since switching to a dot.com domain

A Motorcycle Tour Bucket List

Last year, during a trip to Vietnam, I got to explore Saigon by scooter, the most popular mode of transport. In my opinion, it’s the best way to experience the culture of the bustling city.

This made me think about other countries that would be great for motorcycle tours. Here’s a short bucket list of places I’d love to go to mostly inspired by memorable motorcycle scenes in films and TV shows. Continue reading

A Taste of Baguio: Paseo Rizal Mayagay

From the wide windows of the main restaurant, the grove of pine trees and the rolling hills in the distance looked almost Baguio-like. In one corner of the rustic building made of wood and bricks, was a rocking chair in front of a fireplace. The sound of crickets chirping mingled with the tinkling of wooden chimes swaying with the mountain breeze.

It’s hard to believe that Paseo Rizal Mayagay in Tanay, Rizal is just an hour and half’s drive from Manila. Before we left, I was sweltering in the heat of Quezon City. That same afternoon and evening, I regretted not bringing a jacket. Continue reading “A Taste of Baguio: Paseo Rizal Mayagay”

Kawayan Farm in Pililla, Rizal

One of my favorite dining destinations along the Manila East Road is Kawayan Farm in Pililla, Rizal. Situated on a hilly landscape overlooking the scenic Laguna Bay, this is a popular spot for cyclists, motorcycle riders and road trippers. It’s an easy enough drive to via Marilaque and you can get here in about two hours from Quezon City, making it an ideal stop for late breakfast or lunch during weekend or day trip rides.

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Motorcycling from Sagada to Banaue and back

The narrow road seemed to snake on endlessly. Before me were several towering mountains thickly covered with pine trees. Thin clouds that seemed like wandering spirits shifted in and out of the scenery.

Some sections of the road apparently had just been been cleared of landslides, but there were still boulders and rocks strewn all over. At every blind turn, I was terrified of crashing head on with a jeepney full of toploaders or a speeding truck on its way up to Sagada. More than once, I had visions of my motorbike careening off a cliff, tragically with me still on it.

Siargao: A motorcycle and the open road

The dusty road stretched out as far as I could see, its rock and gravel terrain framed by towering coconut trees. Farmers and construction workers on the side of the road gave a friendly wave as I passed. Every so often, a habal-habal, with two or three passengers aboard would rumble by sending a cloud of dust and debris at my face.

I was traveling solo and I wanted to see Siargao’s less-beaten paths. So I decided to rent a motorbike for the afternoon and explore the island on two wheels.

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Ride to Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs

Angono in Rizal is probably not on the top of rider’s list of places to head to on a weekend, being relatively near Manila. Often, you’ll find yourself at a standstill or crawling through mind-numbing traffic rather than revving your engine as you would on the twisty mountain roads of Marilaque or on your way to Tagaytay.

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