How you can help in #YolandaPH relief efforts

It’s hard to just go about our lives with the widespread devastation left by super typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. The catastrophic typhoon battered many provinces in the Visayas region including Tacloban, Samar, Bantayan, Camotes, Negros, the Calamianes group of Islands and Panay. While it may take weeks to get an accurate tally of the devastation, it’s widely believed that thousands perished in the storm.

Photo: (c) 2013 REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

I know that for many people who are safe at home in Manila and elsewhere in the world, seeing the photos online is just overwhelming and we all want to do something concrete to help. I’m really thankful for the outpouring of support from other countries and from fellow Filipinos eager to do something to help. Aside from donating cash and relief goods to major disaster relief agencies, here are some creative ways and suggestions I’ve seen online from fellow travel bloggers and groups in my network how we can help in our own way. Continue reading “How you can help in #YolandaPH relief efforts”

Gone Fishing in Culion

It seems simple enough in concept – attach bait to a hook, throw the line in the water, wait for the fish to bite and then reel them in. How hard can it be, right?

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A Night in Malcapuya Island, Coron

Most people come to Malcapuya Island in Coron on day trips. This lovely island is about 1.5 hours away by boat from the Coron town proper. It’s close to some other small islands like Banana Island (which has a short strip of white sand beach) and Bulog Island (which has a short sandbar during low tide). Thanks to tour operator Kawil Tours, we had the chance to stay on Malcapuya Island overnight. Except for a few friendly beach dogs, our guides, and the island’s caretakers, we had the beach pretty much to ourselves.

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Island-Hopping around Coron, Palawan

The sight of the Calamian Group of islands dotting the ocean welcomed us as our plane prepared to descend. The landscape below was a gradient of sea, shifting from a rich turquoise to powdery blue before morphing into rolling forest green hills. If I had thought the view from above was stunning, I would soon find out that it was nothing compared to the view from below.

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Panag-apoy sa Sagada

This time last year, I was in the lovely mountain town of Sagada where I got the chance to witness an interesting and unique ritual traditionally done during All Saint’s Day – the Panag-apoy sa Sagada. The Panag-aapoy is a traditional practice among the people of Sagada to respect the dead.

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Prado Farms in Pampanga

Prado Farms in Pampanga is pretty much a photographer’s wonderland. From the brightly colored walls to the art pieces made from recycled materials, every nook and cranny of this place breathes pure artistry.

A jumble of rusty LPG tanks stacked on top of each other form puzzle pieces that make the farm’s distinctive gate. Floors are a patchwork of tile mosaics, and stained glass windows peek out from beneath hanging vines. Formerly a warehouse for LPG tanks, Prado Farms is a showcase of creativity. Old junk like steel grates and discarded pieces of wood are re-purposed into aesthetically pleasing works of art that decorate the farm.

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Game Review: The Walking Dead

Season 4 of The Walking Dead TV series is set to resume in a couple of days and it’ll be great to get my zombie fix again! To celebrate, I finally got around to writing a game review for The Walking Dead (A Telltale Games Series), which I played and finished at the start of the year.

The Walking Dead  is an episodic single-player graphic adventure based on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic book series. Instead of the usual zombie shooting spree you see in most games of this genre, this focuses instead on story and character development. As the protagonist, your must do your best to survive amidst a zombie apocalypse, interact with other survivors and make difficult decisions that will ultimately impact the storyline. Since the game adapts to your choices, playing this feels like one of those “Choose your own Adventure” books, and each gaming experience is unique.

My immediate reaction upon finishing it was that it was one of the most “mind-blowing” games I’ve played in recent history. Pun intended. [Note: OK, I changed my mind. The Last of Us was mind-blowing x 10. Separate review on that.]

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Saigon City Tour by Scooter

Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it was known before the Vietnam War, really enjoys a rich motorcycle culture. No one has visited the place without being amazed at the sheer number of motorcycles there. If you’re riding a taxi or bus, there’s an army of scooters surrounding your vehicle. If you’re exploring on foot, they’re right there zipping past you as you attempt to cross the street. Every establishment you visit, you will probably find a row of motorcycles parked right outside.

To truly appreciate the motorcycle culture, it’s best to go around the city on one. Most tourists get a taste of this by riding a xe om or motorcycle taxi. But it’s really WAY better if you rent one for the day and navigate the streets yourself. Continue reading “Saigon City Tour by Scooter”

A Taste of Germany: Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant

Here’s a cool restaurant for those looking for a different place to get inebriated. Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant in Shangri-La offers authentic Bavarian cuisine and excellent German beers on tap.

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Game Review: Uncharted Series

Uncharted is an action-adventure third-person shooter platform video game series developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for PlayStation. The main series includes Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, followed by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

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